VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Kuwait and the Palestinian national struggle, 1956–1974

This thesis seeks to explore, analyze and interpret Kuwait’s unique role in supporting the Palestinian national struggle in relation to the country’s foreign policy drivers. It posits Kuwait’s existential threat from Iraq and its geographic remoteness from the frontlines of the Arab–Israeli conflict as key geopolitical factors that shaped Kuwait’s policies toward the Palestinian cause. It also examines internal dynamics—namely the concentration of a large cadre of Palestinian professionals and a pan-Arab oriented population—that contributed to steering the country’s particular engagement and attitude in support of the Palestinian national struggle.

Keywords: Palestinian National Struggle
Kuwait Diplomatic History
Kuwait Foreign Policy
Kuwaiti-Palestinian Relations
Advisor: Rogan, E
Spatial and molecular characterisation of the cellular niches interacting with intra-embryonic haemato-endothelial progenitors

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are self-renewing cells sustaining production of the adult blood system throughout life. The entire pool of HSCs is produced during embryonic development, from a specialised arterial endothelium primarily in the dorsal aorta (DA). There is increasing evidence that blood fate is specified during mesoderm patterning, at a restricted anterior-posterior (A/P) embryonic position, before emergence of the first HSCs. Although essential when aiming to produce HSCs in vitro from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), and for a complete understanding of HSC production, little is known about the signalling pathways and molecular mechanisms instructing a blood cell identity in mesodermal haemato-endothelial progenitors (HEPs). I have studied the microenvironment supporting some of the earliest haematopoietic specification mechanisms in 2 different ways. First, as intra-embryonic HEPs and intermediate mesoderm (IM)- derived mesonephric duct share restricted A/P co-ordinates, I differentiated human PSCs in culture conditions known to support the development of the mesonephric duct and permissive for endothelial differentiation. I report production of KDR+ endothelial progenitors in PAX8+ IM niches and their differentiation towards CD144+DLL4+ arterial endothelium. Testing four haemogenic induction regimes did not reproducibly impart a haematopoietic fate, suggesting our culture conditions were not optimum for initiation or maintenance of a blood cell fate. Secondly, I studied HEPs in their native environment in mouse embryos. After establishing a quantitative, multiplexed single molecule RNA FISH method, I described the complex cellular environment of distinctly located HEPs in the E8.0 mouse embryonic posterior region, including those forming the future DA. To explore how these spatially distinct neighbourhoods might govern blood cell fate acquisition, I generated scRNA-seq data from the same embryonic region and performed cell communication analyses. I identified many classes of signalling critical for HSC emergence, suggesting these signals could function earlier than previously described, and define thrombospondin-CD47 and Cgrp-Calcrl as novel signals for functional validation.

Keywords: endothelial cells
developmental haematopoiesis
cell signalling
haematopoietic stem cells
developmental biology
Advisor: De Bruijn, M
Porcher, C
Patterns of selective constraint across the mouse and human genomes

Understanding how genetic variation affects organism phenotype and fitness is a fundamental question in biology with implications for biomedical research. Constrained genomic loci (i.e. loci under selective constraint) are depleted of variation due to negative selection and are inferred to be functionally important to organism fitness. Recent sequencing in human populations has allowed researchers to make contemporary estimates of selective constraint across the genome. These estimates provide a basis for identifying functionally important elements and interpreting the fitness consequences of mutations. Mouse models are critical to our understanding of mammalian biology and are used to experimentally assess the function of genomic elements and genetic variation in-vivo. However, how selective constraint shapes patterns of variation across the mouse genome remains relatively understudied.
In this thesis, I identify and characterise constrained genes and genomic regions in mice using single nucleotide variation from sequencing in wild populations (Mus musculus and Mus spretus). I quantify how local sequence context affects substitution probabilities across the mouse genome in order to control for differences in mutability when estimating selective constraint. I show a nucleotide’s 7-mer context (i.e. the three bases flanking the nucleotide on each side) explains more variance in substitution rates than either the 3-mer or 5-mer contexts. I then use these estimates of sequence mutability to identify constrained genes and genomic regions. The results show that many highly constrained genes are essential for embryonic development, and that mouse gene constraint is positively correlated with pleiotropy (i.e. a greater degree of constraint is correlated with an increased number of phenotype associations). Importantly, I also observe that the most constrained genes and genomic regions are enriched for variant sites associated with human disease, suggesting pathogenicity may have been conserved between the lineages.
I conclude by discussing how these results may help to interpret the functional importance of genomic elements, prioritise disease-associated loci for functional assessment, and their importance for facilitating more reliable inferences from mouse models.

Advisor: Lindgren, C
Malon, AM
Simon, M
Policy gradient methods for linear quadratic problems

The linear quadratic framework is widely studied in the literature on stochastic control and game theory due to its simple structure, the existence of tractable solutions, and its applicability to various real-world problems. In this thesis we provide results on the theoretical convergence of policy gradient methods, which are the basis of many reinforcement learning algorithms, in both single-agent and multi-agent linear quadratic problems.
In the single-agent setting, we show the global convergence of such methods to the optimal solution in the case of known and unknown parameters. In the case of known parameters, the policy gradients can be calculated explicitly; while when the model parameters are unknown, we estimate the gradients from samples using a derivative-free method. We illustrate the performance of policy gradient methods in an optimal liquidation problem and show results for the case where we assume a model for the underlying dynamics and where we apply the method to the data directly.
In the multi-agent linear quadratic game, we show that the policy gradient method enjoys global convergence to the Nash equilibrium provided that there is a certain amount of noise in the system. We give a condition, essentially a lower bound on the covariance of the noise in terms of the model parameters, in order to guarantee convergence. The noise can either come from the underlying dynamics, or carefully designed explorations from the agents. We illustrate our results with numerical experiments to show that even in situations where the policy gradient method may not converge in the deterministic setting, the addition of noise leads to convergence.
The work in the thesis is motivated by bargaining and we conclude the thesis by constructing LQG models for bargaining. We consider the case where model parameters are known to the players while they do not have access to the true state, and where parameters are unknown and players learn the optimal strategy through repeated negotiations. We illustrate performance with numerical experiments.

Keywords: optimal execution
bargaining
linear quadratic regulator
reinforcement learning
linear quadratic game
policy gradient methods
Advisor: Hambly, B
Mafia expansion to new territories: the 'Ndrangheta in Germany


This thesis seeks to explore why and how mafias expand to new territories, and under which conditions they engage in governing activities, such as protection or control of markets, as opposed to trading activities, such as drug trafficking and money laundering. It also tries to understand under which conditions mafias fail to expand across territories. To do so, it tests hypotheses derived from the theory against three case studies documenting the presence of the Calabrian mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta, in Germany. The analysis is based on a wide range of hard-to-reach sources, some of which have never been analysed before. This includes judicial data, intelligence reports, archival documents, open-source data, and interviews. Three main findings emerge. First, while migration waves have not pushed mafiosi to migrate, the presence of diaspora communities create structural opportunities for mafiosi to govern, as mafiosi operate at comparatively lower costs within communities of their own compatriots, taking advantage of tightly knit networks of kinship and ethnicity. Second, the presence of policing blind-spots in the new territory enables both governing and trading activities by mafiosi, as they gradually adapt to local conditions following a learning process based on past experience. Thereby, mafiosi remain under the radar of the police and integrate into local communities. Third, moderate levels of trust in the new territory further facilitate mafia entrenchment, ultimately resulting in dynamics of converging interests typical of traditional mafia territories. More generally, the analysis shows that mafia expansion into new territories is not the result of a conscious decision to expand nor a mechanical product of structural conditions but entails a strategic dimension both from the perspective of the criminal group and the state.

Keywords: migration
organized crime
mafia
Advisor: Varese, F
Erōs and logos: psychic intercourse and reproduction in Plato’s Phaedrus

What is the relation between ἔρως and λόγος in the Phaedrus? I explore the metaphor of psychic reproduction—often discussed in reference to other dialogues, such as the Symposium and Theaetetus—in the Phaedrus, extending it to include psychic intercourse and show how erotic love propels the lover toward, and induces recollection of, Beauty itself. This recollection of Beauty allows the lover to beget veridical philosophical discourse. In the erotic process, the lover first meets the beloved and, overcome by a memory of true Beauty that he cannot comprehend, experiences both wonder and ἀπορία. After courting the beloved and thereby repeatedly recollecting, the beloved becomes intimate with and comes to understand the abstract realm. Finally, having achieved a complete vision of the abstract realm, the lover develops a capacity for philosophic discourse and is able to beget speeches that track Truth itself. Ἔρως, therefore, is the necessary precursor to philosophic discourse because it both provides the propulsive desire that draws one toward the beautiful beloved and facilitates recollection of true Beauty, which, in turn, brings to light the innate knowledge possessed by the lover. Erotic recollection is, I argue, distincitve as a form of recollection because it does not require an intentional and systematic search for knowledge but comes all at once when the lover is “struck” by the beauty of the beloved (254b). The analysis brings into focus Plato’s take on the value of erotic desire in the philosophical life as both the driving force toward, and the visionary insight of, Beauty itself. Finally, I argue that Plato is advancing the view that direct acquaintance or intimacy with truth is the necessary foundation to a philosopher’s discursive understanding.

Keywords: erotic love
Plato
philosophy
eros
logos
the Phaedrus
An analysis of the comprehensibility and attitudes towards non-standard L1 English accents for Chinese L2 English speakers

The present study aimed to explore levels of comprehensibility of non-standard, native English accents for non-native English speakers, and their attitudes towards such. It also sought to interrogate whether there was desire for non-standard, native English accents to be incorporated into the English language teaching classroom. This issue is particularly relevant given that in the context of global English language teaching, students are mainly exposed to the Received Pronunciation standard. Furthermore, a review of the literature demonstrated that language attitudes towards non-standard accents are complex and multi-faceted, particularly on behalf of non-native speakers. To that end, a mixed-methods approach was used within the study, including a Verbal Guise Test (VGT) administered to 32 Chinese L2 English speakers in higher education across England, as well as several semi-structured follow-up interviews. Both Friedman’s ANOVA and Spearman’s Rho tests were used to investigate the quantitative inquiry, and the qualitative data was explored using a thematic analysis. While the results were consistent with the multi-dimensional nature of such language attitudes, the review of the literature indicates a significant gap surrounding attitudes of non-native speakers towards such. On the one hand, within the current study, participants were keen to express a desire to be exposed to different language varieties within the English language classroom. On the other hand, the previous lack of exposure to such varieties may have led to a lack of comprehensibility of such accents, which in turn has likely led to subsequent negative attitudes towards such. These findings demonstrate a need for English language classrooms to more accurately reflect the English-speaking world learners will communicate in, and for accent variation to be embraced earlier on in English language curricula. These developments will help both to improve communication between native and non-native speakers, as well as ameliorate some of the perpetuated negative attitudes towards non-standard variation around the globe.

Keywords: Learning
Attitudes
TESOL
Accent
Non-standard
Comprehensibility
ESL
EFL
Advisor: Murphy, V
The frequency and function of code-switching in a Korean-English bilingual child: a case study

The number of bilinguals who acquire their two languages at an early age is increasing in line with the global increase of international families due to immigration. This increase makes the investigation of bilingualism of much research interest. Code-switching (CS), a common bilingual practice of alternating between languages, is often studied as a means to gauge the language development of young bilinguals. As every bilingual experience is unique due to different amounts of exposure, language learning experiences, or socio-economic status, it is important to investigate different groups of bilingual children to understand their development of CS, and to find the factors that CS is associated with.
The purpose of the study is to explore the frequency, type, and functions of CS in a Korean-English bilingual two-year-old child in an immigrant context. The study investigates whether the frequency and direction of switching are correlated to a child’s developing mean length of utterance (MLU) and further explores the underlying reasons and functions that CS serves. Through the investigation, the study aims to contribute to the field of bilingual language development, especially in the context of Korean-English toddlers acquiring their languages in an immigrant context, which has not been extensively researched. The research adopts a case study method in which the participant, Suri, engages in play sessions with her parents. Findings revealed that the frequency and directionality of CS are likely to be aligned with language dominance: while the child receives less exposure to English in her environment, her MLU in English is higher, and CS was found primarily from Korean to English. Additional reasons for the asymmetric presence of CS were explored (e.g., in terms of socio-cultural context).
The study also explored the specific functions and reasons underlying the instances of CS. Compared to Korean-to-English CS, English-to-Korean CS displayed higher percentages of lexical and syntactic gap filling, which is a necessity-driven reason for CS. In both directions, preferences driven by contexts were the most predominant reasons for switching. In addition, instances of metalinguistic awareness were investigated with an aim to see whether Suri was code-switching as a result of confusion between the languages. Signs of language differentiation were demonstrated, indicating that CS was not a sign of confusion. Instead, CS served as a language practice to demonstrate preference, overcome linguistic deficiencies, and use familiar expressions, all aimed toward higher fluency to enrich communication.

Keywords: bilingualism
code-switching
Advisor: Faitaki, F
The impact of picture books on Chinese low-level English learners’ reading comprehension and information acquisition: an experiment from the systemic functional perspective

Picture book is a popular resource used among children in many educational situations. Teachers and parents use picture books to cultivate children’s literacy ability, aesthetic ability and help them to know about the world and themselves. Yet little is known about the relationships between picture book, reading comprehension, information acquisition, and vocabulary learning. This study examined whether picture book reading can help children understand story and infer the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. On the basis of the experiential meaning analysis using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) models, this study further examined whether children acquired three types of information: actions, participants and circumstance differently. The experiment was conducted in a Chinese public primary school with Grade 5 children, and 97 valid data was collected. Followed by the experiment, I also conducted guided think-aloud interviews to qualitatively examine the role of picture books in vocabulary meaning inference. The experimental results showed that the picture book (PB) group did not perform significantly better than the other two groups only receiving pictures or text, but participants in the PB group performed significantly better in answering the picture-version questions than the text-version questions, suggesting that picture information might be easier for children to acquire. For the information types, action information was the hardest type for all children to obtain, and the participant information was the most accessible one for the picture book group. Finally, the interview revealed that picture books could help children infer the meaning of unknown words. During the inference, children would use various types of information as references, including text, picture and context information provided by the book, prior world knowledge and prior linguistic knowledge. The interview also noted that low-level learners tend to use more picture references than text references.

Keywords: picture book
systemic functional linguistics
reading comprehension
vocabulary inference
multimodal discourse analysis
experiment
Advisor: Faitaki, F
Quantum control of molecular spins using electron spin resonance

Molecular magnets have been demonstrated to be promising candidates for quantum-coherent nanodevices, due to their long relaxation times and design flexibility. Building and scaling such devices presents several challenges. In this thesis, two problems related to scalability of molecular magnet architectures are investigated using electron spin resonance.
Using electric fields, rather than magnetic fields, to operate quantum devices, would radically improve addressability of individual spins. Electric field sensitivities of several molecular magnets, including frustrated Cu3
triangles, Cr7
Ni and Cr7
Mn rings and crystals of HoW10
complexes, are investigated through pulse sequences incorporating static electric fields. We find spin-electric couplings of various magnitudes, significant enough to manipulate the parameters of respective Hamiltonians to enable selective excitation and we demonstrate such excitation in the HoW10
molecule. We identify a path towards improving electric field sensitivities, through coupling structural distortions exhibiting high electric polarizability with the molecular spin Hamiltonian.
To operate assemblies of multiple molecular magnets as quantum devices, robust multiqubit gates, able to modify the amount of entanglement in the system, need to be implemented. Quantum state tomography may be employed to investigate the practical fidelity of such a gate and real entanglement it generates. Focusing on a weakly coupled dimer of two spin-
1
2
molecules, we propose an implementation of a two-qubit entangling gate followed by quantum state tomography using ensemble electron spin resonance. We investigate the limitations and requirements of the gate and the tomography procedure through theoretical arguments, simulations and experiments. We conclude that while challenging, reaching and demonstrating actual entanglement is within our capabilities using ensembles of molecular magnet dimers.

Keywords: spin-electric coupling
quantum coherent nanoscience
entanglement
quantum
electron paramagnetic resonance
electron spin resonance
molecular magnets
Advisor: Ardavan, A
Twistor sigma models

This thesis presents an overview of recent developments in the applications of twistor theory to the study of the gravitational S-matrix in flat as well as curved space-times. We begin by introducing the novel geometric tool of twistor sigma models. These are two-dimensional chiral sigma models governing holomorphic maps from the Riemann sphere into twistor spaces of self-dual vacuum space-times. What follows is a concise list of their main highlights, in the order that the reader will encounter them:
i) Solutions to the equations of motion of our sigma models provide the incidence relations of the twistor correspondence.
ii) On-shell actions of our models compute Kahler potentials for hyperkahler metrics on the associated space-times.
iii) Connected, tree-level correlators of our models give rise to tree-level, maximally helicity violating (MHV) graviton amplitudes of general relativity in flat space.
iv) The chiral algebra of operators in our models enjoys an action of the loop algebra of the wedge subalgebra of w(1+infinity). This is associated with the soft sector of celestial holography.
v) By coupling them to background twistor spaces of self-dual, vacuum space-times, our models can be used to derive tree-level MHV graviton amplitudes in self-dual, radiative space-times.
The self-dual space-times mentioned in the last point provide an ideal laboratory for studying amplitudes in curved backgrounds. The corresponding formulae for MHV graviton amplitudes are built out of Hodges' determinants familiar from flat space, but also exhibit exciting new structures like gravitational wave tails.

Keywords: twistor theory
amplitudes
gravity
Advisor: Mason, L