VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
After the Achaemenids: exchange, transmission and transformation in the visual culture of Babylonia, Iran and Bactria c.330 - c.100 BC

This thesis examines the art of Babylonia, Iran and Bactria after the Macedonian conquest, from c.330 to c.100 BC, in light of current developments in archaeological theory of cultural interaction.
In order to illustrate the character and scale of these interactions, the thesis presents a discussion of iconographic material ranging from architectural ornament and sculpture to minor arts. Chapters II-IV discuss the material from each site, highlighting regional characteristics and differences between media.
Chapters V-VII use three cross-sections to examine cultural interaction visible in material used for different social functions (‘spheres’). The ‘sphere of gods’ discusses religious architectural ornament and iconography, and the implications for our interpretation of cult in Babylonia, Iran and Bactria in this period. The ‘sphere of kings’ considers ruler representation and the physical appearance of ‘royal space’ while the ‘sphere of citizens and subjects’ discusses material made and used by the wider populace.
Macedonian rule and the influx of settlers to Babylonia, Iran and Bactria developed networks of exchange, transmission and transformation creating ‘visually multi-lingual’ societies. The adoption of new artistic influences did not replace all existing traditions or necessarily infringe ethnic identities. There was selective adoption and adaptation of iconography, styles and forms to suit the new patrons and contexts. This cultural co-existence included some combinations of features from different artistic traditions into individual compositions, emphasising how visual languages were not closed-off, rigidly defined or static. Patrons were not confined to using the visual language associated with their ethnicity or current location. There was flexibility of use and meaning, which may present a useful model in the study of other areas of cultural interaction in the Hellenistic period.

Keywords: Bactria
Iran
art of the Hellenistic East
Babylonia
Advisor: Smith, R
The imperfect - preterite opposition in romance languages

An aspect of the Romance languages that defies neat linguistic analysis is tense usage. In particular, students of Romance languages as well as grammarians have found it difficult to provide a consistent explanation for the imperfect - preterite opposition. Two main points of contention concern (i) the question of whether the two forms have an inherent aspectual content and (ii) the structure and role of lexical aspectual information in determining the overall meaning of a sentence. While the attempts at explaining French and Spanish usages of the imperfect and the preterite are numerous, hardly any work has been done in the interpretation of Romanian data. Furthermore, a general assumption that the same form - function opposition holds across Romance languages has led to cross-linguistic differences rarely being examined.
I argue that the imperfect and the preterite do have an inherent aspectual content. However, in opposition to previous accounts, I maintain that the preterite does not provide a ‘closed’ viewpoint and that an atelic eventuality described by the verb phrase in the preterite can continue up to the present moment. I propose a description of the imperfect - preterite opposition that includes finer distinctions of lexical aspect based on its constituent stage structure. These finer lexical aspectual distinctions allow the identification of an area of divergence in the use of the two forms in French, Spanish, and Romanian: the preterite was found to be used more widely with states in Romanian than in French and Spanish.

Keywords: Romance
imperfect
perfect
tense
imperfective
preterite
French
perfective
Spanish
aspect
Romanian
Advisor: Watson, I
Maiden, M
Training nurses to deal with aggressive encounters with the public

Chapter one reviews the literatures on psychological studies of aggression, problems of aggression within the Social Services and the National Health Service, and nurse-patient communication. A number of issues are raised which are addressed by the current research.
In chapter two nurses' theories about what defuses and what aggravates aggression are explored. It was found that nurses believe that by remaining calm, gentle and firm they will defuse both physical and verbal aggression. In the case of physical aggression they believe it to be aggravated by being authoritarian, demeaning and defensive, while in the case of verbal aggression they believe it to be aggravated by becoming angry or attempting to deflect it.
In chapter three nurses' real-life experiences of what defuses and what aggravates physical and verbal aggression are compared with their theories. The nurses' experiences largely support their theories. It was also found that there are very few methods for dealing effectively with physical aggression, while there are a relatively large number of methods for dealing effectively with verbal aggression. Moreover, those nurses who believe themselves to be more capable of dealing with aggression suffer fewer emotional after-effects than those nurses who do not.
Chapter four examines individual differences between nurses and relates these differences to their ability to recover from the emotional aftermath of aggression. It was found that nurses who are highly stressed and who bottle-up their feelings of anger suffer emotionally after aggressive incidents. In contrast, nurses who are assertive, extravert and who exercise interpersonal control are not so distressed by aggressive incidents.
In chapter five nurses' attributions are related to their ability to select effective methods of dealing with aggression as well as their ability to recover from it emotionally. It was found that those nurses who have a tendency to blame themselves are both emotionally vulnerable and less capable of selecting effective methods of responding to aggression. In addition, a new method of measuring attribution was developed and tested, and was found to be preferable to the usual method of measuring attribution.
Chapter six presents the two-day aggression training programme. The training was designed to incorporate the findings of the current research as well as theoretical issues. The training was carefully evaluated with a control group, pre-post measures of both subjective and objective change, and a seven week follow-up. The aggression training group was no different to the control group before training, but was different on all measures after training. It was concluded that the training model has been shown to make a significant difference to objective skills and subjective evaluations, and that the causal influence of some of the findings described in chapters two to five has been demonstrated.
Chapter seven summarises the findings of the research, explores their theoretical and practical implications, and suggests directions for future research.

Advisor: Argyle, M
Investigating treatment options for battlefield retinal laser injury

Battlefield retinal laser injury is an infrequent but potentially devastating cause of irreversible blindness. Resultant laser-induced photoreceptor death may occur by necrosis or apoptosis, the latter which is a form of programmed cell death that may be physiological or pathological. Though necrosis cannot be prevented, apoptosis may be inhibited under certain conditions. Therefore, following retinal laser injury, specific treatment aims to target apoptotic photoreceptors and may take the form of neuroprotection or cell replacement.
The primary aim of this thesis was to construct an in vivo model in which to observe the effects of retinal laser exposure on cone photoreceptor apoptosis. Current methodology to determine the effects involves histological techniques and is therefore limited to being cross-sectional. An in vivo model would permit longitudinal study to observe the cone response to injury using clinically relevant applications, including fundus autofluorescence imaging. Such a construct would enable more sensitive evaluation of new therapies which would be of direct translational relevance. The secondary aim was to investigate potential therapeutic options for retinal laser injury by pharmacological means in the form of CNTF or cell transplantation. To identify the possible molecular signals involved in neurotrophic factor-induced photoreceptor cell survival, apoptotic gene expression was investigated focusing on those genes modulated by the CNTF pathway.

Keywords: cone photoreceptors
laser
transplantation
Advisor: MacLaren, R
The foundations of international political virtue

This thesis provides the theoretical groundwork for a 'virtue ethical' account of international political conduct. The project begins by investigating the distinct patterns of normative theorising within international scholarship, noting not only that moral philosophical foundations are unpronounced and interchangeable, but that even in this diminished capacity the influence of virtue ethical thought is limited and fragmentary relative to its competitors. Redressing this underrepresentation is thus dually motivated: developing a fresh perspective on important global issues, whilst also subjecting the theory to an atypical angle of scrutiny. Adapting virtue ethics to the international realm requires, most essentially, that we settle the level at which its concepts should be applied. Can the theory’s central focus on character be reconciled with the collective nature of global political interaction? Can we accurately ascribe virtues and vices to governments and states? These questions of group agency form the heart of thesis investigation. Beginning from abstract foundations, the possible justification for such ascriptions is sought in competing theories of joint action and attitude. The 'individualist' accounts of Searle and Bratman are ultimately rejected in favour of Gilbert's non-reductive 'plural subject' theory, and - presenting group-level accounts of intention, motivation, practical wisdom, emotion and disposition around her concept of 'joint commitment' - a general model of collective character is constructed. Allied to additional requirements of moral responsibility, this framework is then used to assess the virtue-capability of actual political bodies, considering the decision-making hierarchy of the United Kingdom as a case study for the modern state. Tracing the route of policy authorisation across cabinet, government and parliament, a sophisticated yet ultimately impermanent picture of group-virtue-ethical agency is established, in tension with the notion of enduring state liability. By shifting focus to the national level, it is argued that this fluctuating footprint of agency can nevertheless be unified, modifying Gilbert’s notion of a 'population joint commitment' to tie institutional virtue and vice to a persisting state identity. This provides a template for international character evaluation.

Keywords: International Normative Theory
Group Agency
Collective Intentionality
Political Character
Virtue Ethics
Advisor: Crisp, R
Bykvist, K
Impact of genetic variation on gene regulatory effects of vitamin D in immunity and inflammation

Genome-wide association studies in multifactorial diseases have contributed to our understanding of genetic risk and defined specific disease-associated loci in particular populations. However, risk cannot be fully explained by genetics and evidence points to both genetic and environmental factors being important in causation and pathophysiology. The role of vitamin D in calcium homeostasis is well established. Over the last 30 years it has become clear that vitamin D has a wider role in physiology and disease, notably in autoimmune, cancer and infectious conditions. However, the molecular mechanisms and possible causal role of these associations are poorly understood. Here I propose that the role of vitamin D in immune and inflammatory responses is significant, that genetic variation partly determines the response to vitamin D and that integrative analysis can yield important insights for disease mechanisms. For this I investigate the relationship between vitamin D and genetic risk involving the immune system by focusing on multiple sclerosis and sepsis, conditions classically defined as autoimmune and inflammatory respectively. I describe data resolving genetic variation associated with autoimmune diseases in vitamin D receptor binding sites; the association to multiple sclerosis of a genetic variant lying within a VDR binding site; the correlation of plasma vitamin D with genotype and cell specific transcriptomes in healthy volunteers; and the extent of vitamin D deficiency in severe sepsis and septic shock, its association with survival, correlation with gene expression and use in sub-classification to identify patients at higher risk of death. The limitations of each study and future work are discussed. Integrating epidemiological and clinical observations with genetic and functional genomics techniques has the potential to reveal interactions in population specific disease susceptibility that may lead to an improved understanding of disease mechanisms and clinical translation. The work I present here bridges molecular analysis, candidate and genome- wide, with phenotypic observations that are important in our understanding of disease.

Keywords: genetic variation
multiple sclerosis
vitamin D
gene-environment interactions
transcriptional regulation
sepsis
Advisor: Knight, J
Ebers, G
Transitional strategies for institutional reform in Latin America

This dissertation seeks to improve the current understanding of the ways in which institutional reform can promote the development of stock markets in Latin America. Over the past decade, policymakers sought to stimulate the growth of capital markets in the region through the promotion of a standardized set of formal institutions. An example of this approach in the field of company law was the introduction of modern corporate governance practices into nations without a solid enforcement infrastructure. By most accounts, these efforts did not deliver on their promise of stock market development.
This work identifies areas for potential reform. As a means to better understand the operation of Latin American stock markets, this dissertation draws from different sources, including the historical experience of industrialized nations, the available literature on institutional reform, the documented shortcomings of legal reform programmes and hand-collected data from various Latin American countries. The resulting analysis suggests that the promotion of Latin American capital markets may require strategies different to those that were set in motion over the past decade.
The main contribution of this work is twofold. First, this dissertation brings some nuance to the discussions concerning the challenges faced by Latin American capital markets. A proper understanding of these challenges is essential for policymakers in the region, particularly after the onset of the Latin American Integrated Market. Second, this dissertation explores the use of ‘transitional strategies’ to overcome some of the challenges identified here. The ultimate goal of this project is to inform future reform efforts in Latin America and to offer some insights for policymakers in other emerging countries.

Keywords: Institutions
stock markets
corporate law
securities regulation
Advisor: Armour, J
Variorum vitae: Theseus and the arts of mythography in Medieval and early modern Europe

This thesis offers an approach to the history of mythographical discourse through the figure of Theseus and his appearances in texts from England, Italy and France. Analysing a range of poetic, historical, and allegorical works that feature Theseus alongside their classical and contemporary intertexts, it is a study of the conceptions of Greco-Roman mythology prevalent in European literature from 1300-1600. Focusing on mythology’s pervasive presence as a background to medieval and early modern literary and intellectual culture, it draws attention to the fragmentary, fluid and polymorphous nature of mythology in relation to its use for different purposes in a wide range of texts.
The first impact of this study is to draw attention to the distinction between mythology and mythography, as a means of focusing on the full range of interpretative processes associated with the ancient myths in their textual forms. Returning attention to the processes by which writers and readers came to know the Greco-Roman myths, it widens the commonly accepted critical definition of ‘mythography’ to include any writing of or on mythology, while restricting ‘mythology’ to its abstract sense, meaning a traditional collection of tales that exceeds any one text. This distinction allows the analyses of the study’s primary texts to display the full range of interpretative processes and possibilities involved in rewriting mythology, and to outline a spectrum of linked but distinctive mythographical genres that define those possibilities.
Breaking down into two parts of three chapters each, the thesis examines Theseus’ appearances across these mythographical genres, first in the period from 1300 to the birth of print, and then from the birth of print up to 1600. Taking as its primary texts works by Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, John Lydgate and William Shakespeare along with their classical intertexts, it situates each of them in regard to their multiple defining contexts. Paying close attention to the European traditions of commentary, translation and response to classical sources, it shows mythographical discourse as a vibrant aspect of medieval and early modern literary culture, equally embedded in classical traditions and contemporary traditions that transcended national and linguistic boundaries.

Advisor: Lewis, R
Superplasticity and anelasticity in fine-grained Sn-Pb alloys

Mechanisms which may play a role in superplastic deformation (grain strain mechanisms, grain boundary sliding (GBS) mechanisms) are reviewed. Two well-known lattice dislocation mechanisms are re-evaluated for grain boundary dislocations (GBDs). The manner in which the deformation mechanisms interact, or are inhibited or obscured, is discussed.
Mechanisms of anelastic deformation are outlined, with particular reference to fine-grained materials. Expressions for anelastic recovery caused either by grain boundary (GB) tension or by the relaxation of GBD pile-ups are derived. The plastic properties of Sn-38.1w/o Pb and Sn-2w/o Pb are measured. They are similar in both alloys. No threshold stress for plastic deformation is detected, for stresses and strain rates as low as 0.IMPa and 10-10s-1 respectively. The presence of GB diffusion creep (Coble creep) is established experimentally in Sn-2w/o Pb with grain sizes ≥ 50μm. Coble creep is inhibited for small grain sizes (~10μm). The inhibition is explained by GBS caused by GBDs. In disagreement with the measurements, high threshold stresses are predicted for Sn-38.1w/o Pb. This implies that GBD line tensions are lower than those of lattice dislocations.
The anelastic properties of Sn-2w/o Pb and Sn-38.1w/o Pb are determined from the elastic after-effect (anelastic recovery after unloading). They are remarkable: anelastic contractions larger than 0.2% and relaxation strengths (= ratio of anelastically recovered to elastically recovered strain) in excess of 100 are found. The anelastic strains are approximately proportional to the stress and the inverse grain size. A wide range of relaxation times (~ 6 decades) is observed.
A mechanism based on the relaxation of GBD pile-ups is in qualitative agreement with the measured anelasticity. The high measured relaxation strengths, however, imply that the interaction between GBDs is much weaker (~ 2 orders of magnitude) than that between lattice dislocations. This could be due to a relatively low self-energy of GBDs and would be in qualitative agreement with the low GBD line tensions suggested above.
The influence of anelasticity on transients (e.g. stress relaxation, dip test) is investigated using a rheological model with three Voigt elements (anelasticity) and a nonlinear dashpot (plasticity). Using independently determined plastic and anelastic parameters the 4-th order differential equa tion corresponding to the model is solved numerically for several examples. Measured transients are much more accurately predicted with the present model than with models neglecting anelasticity.

Advisor: Hazzledine, P
Behavioural analysis of civil procedure rules: Factor overload and interim remedies affirmation

Much academic literature regarding how judges interpret and apply civil procedure rules is based on speculation about human behaviour and legal practitioners’ personal intuition. I seek to apply cognitive psychology research to a number of procedural arrangements in order to create a more accurate picture of the decision-making processes of judges in our civil justice system. My project investigates the implications of findings derived from empirical behavioural psychology for legal reasoning and practice. The thesis is divided into three main parts. The first two parts address different cognitive effects that influence judicial decision making in the course of civil litigation: cognitive overload in relation to ‘Laundry List’ rules and confirmation bias in relation to interim remedies. Finally, the third part speaks to the general question of judicial intuition and serves as a link between the first two parts of the dissertation.

Keywords: Civil Procedure - Psychology and Decision Making
Advisor: Zuckerman, A
Evolution and function of long noncoding RNAs in Drosophila

Not all transcribed DNA encodes protein, and some of these noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as roX1 and roX2, may play important roles in the cell. The functional roles of the majority of these, however, remain largely unknown. In this thesis, I first used EST and mRNA evidence to define 2,788 lincRNA loci within the Drosophila melanogaster genome. I suggest that up to 1,652 of these are functional, as 1,411 show evidence for significant evolutionary constraint while 241 fast-evolving loci are enriched in short RNA species. A distinct set of 1,119 lincRNA loci were defined by RNA-seq, the vast majority of which show clear primary sequence constraint. Their expression profiles and enrichment in particular chromatin domains indicate that these lincRNAs are likely involved in developmental regulation. I also identified 42 potential analogous lincRNAs with shared genomic locations between Drosophila and mouse. Constrained, non-embryonic lincRNAs defined by ESTs are transcribed preferentially in the vicinity of protein-coding genes encoding transcription factors and I demonstrated that one of these, which I name dEvf-2, positively regulates the expression of its genomically adjacent transcription factor, Dll, in cell culture. Finally, I used a reverse genetics approach to search for lincRNA promoter mutations and examined the effect of these on lincRNA expression. My findings suggest that many, previously unknown, functional lincRNAs exist within the Drosophila genome and are worthy of further in-depth experimental investigation.

Keywords: Drosophila
evolution
long intergenic noncoding RNAs
Advisor: Ponting, C
Liu, J
A New View of Binary Trees

We present a new formalism of labelled binary trees, using two partial binary constructors instead of the usual total ternary constructor. This formalism is complemented by some higher-order operators, encapsulating common patterns of computation on trees. We explore their use by deriving solutions to a couple of algorithmic problems on trees.
The work proceeds in the Bird-Meertens style. This is a calculus for programs, closely related to applicative programming languages. Expressions are written at the function level, avoiding the use of unnecessary names and being as concise as possible. Derivations are performed by program transformation — the application of correctness-preserving transformations to an initial specification, with the intention of improving its efficiency without changing its meaning.