VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Substance use, situational characteristics and sexual outcomes in men who have sex with men

This thesis presents an empirical investigation into substance use, situational characteristics and sexual outcomes in men who have sex with men (MSM) motivated by the high rates of substance use in MSM; the association between substance use and sexual risk behaviours in MSM; the lack of specific theory addressing relationships between substance use, sexual interactions and social interactions between MSM; and the need for clearer understandings of encounter-level associations with sexual risk.
Qualitative metasynthesis. This thesis begins with laying the methodological groundwork for a qualitative metasynthesis that theorises the relationship between substance use and social spaces in MSM, with a particular focus on sexual outcomes. The qualitative metasynthesis derives the key organising perspective of ‘littoral spaces’ in which substance use is associated with a pre-planned, though temporary, escape from the boundaries of everyday life to engage in maximal sensory exploration, including through sexual contact.
Systematic review of multiple-event analyses. The thesis then turns to a systematic review of previous quantitative multiple-event analyses examining associations between situational characteristics and sexual outcomes, which establishes the need for additional multiple-event analyses addressing specific substance use, location of sex, partner serodiscordance and partner type.
Multiple-event analyses. Finally, informed by the qualitative metasynthesis and the systematic review of event-level analyses, this thesis presents multiple-event analyses addressing unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), pleasure and control as sexual outcomes in MSM in England. These analyses found that substance use was associated with greater odds of UAI and pleasure, but not with control, and that non-private locations of sex were associated with decreased odds of UAI and pleasure, but not control. Furthermore, there was sparse evidence of interactions between respondent and partner substance use and between respondent substance use and location of sex in associations with sexual outcomes. These analyses contribute to understandings of associations between substance use, situational characteristics and sexual risk behaviour by presenting the first known analyses on MSM in England and by examining sexual outcomes besides UAI.

Keywords: Systematic review
substance use
gay men
social research methods
epidemiology
HIV/AIDS
Advisor: Gardner, F
Bonell, C
Functional characterisation of cardiac progenitors from patients with ischaemic heart disease 

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, even optimal medical therapies do not attenuate deterioration of the left ventricular (LV) function completely. Stem cell therapies, and recently cardiac stem cell therapies, have emerged as potential novel treatments for IHD. However, clinical evidence from randomised controlled studies has shown mixed results. Thus understanding what patient-related factors may affect the therapeutic performance of the cells may help improving treatment outcomes. The studies described in this thesis aim to understand how cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) can re-vascularise ischaemic myocardium and promote functional repair of the heart. Resident CPCs were isolated and expanded from the right atrial appendage of 68 patients following the ‘cardiosphere’ method (cardiosphere-derived cells or CDCs). They resemble mesenchymal progenitors as they lack the expression of endothelial and haematopoietic cell surface markers but express mesenchymal progenitor cell markers (e.g. CD105, CD90). Cell function was evaluated by support of angiogenesis, mesenchymal lineage differentiation potential in vitro, and improvement in heart function in vivo. Notably in vitro, CDC from different patients differed in their angiogenic supportive and differentiation potentials. In a rodent model of myocardial infarction (MI), transplantation of CDC reduced infarct size significantly (p<0.05). However, only those CDCs with a robust pro-angiogenic ability in vitro improved vessel density and heart systolic function (p<0.05) in vivo. A multiple regression model, which accounted for 51% of the variability observed, identified New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, smoking, hypertension, type of ischaemic disease and diseased vessel as independent predictors of angiogenesis. In addition, gene expression analyses revealed that differential gene expression of several extracellular matrix components (e.g. CUX1, COL1A2, BMP1 genes and microRNA-29b) could explain the differences observed in CDC’s vascular supportive function. In summary, this is the first description of variability in the pro-angiogenic and differentiation potential of CDCs and its correlation with their therapeutic potential. This study indicates that patient stratification may need to be included in the design of future trials to improve the efficacy of cell-based therapies.

Keywords: ischaemic heart disease
myocardial infarction
ischaemic cardiomyopathy
cardiac stem cell
mesenchymal stromal cell
neovascularisation
extra-cellular matrix
Advisor: Taggart, D
Martin-Rendon, E
The 1987 Law on the State Enterprise (Association)

The Law on the State Enterprise was the most radical reform effort in the history of the Soviet centrally-planned system; it was also contradictory in its formulation, adopted in isolation and a complete failure in implementation. Previous economic reform attempts had also failed, but had been followed by retreat. This time, however, it was not. This thesis analyses the policy and the policy process of the enterprise law as expectations of the potential of reform shifted to convictions that central planning was unreformable. This case-study uses a number of traditional and revisionist theories about the policy process to analyse policy-making in the conditions of uncertainty and ambiguity of perestroika.
The chronic problems of the Soviet economy led to the generation of reformist alternatives which, with the close of the Brezhnev era, began to emerge in programmatic form. This alternative envisaged a simultaneous delegation of administrative decision-making authority to the level of the state enterprise and a redefinition of central powers. Enterprises were to finance their own activities, compile their own plans, engage in direct wholesale trading, and be governed by the labour collective in an economic environment manipulated by the centre through 'economic levers'.
Reformist domination of the policy agenda was constrained by limited penetration of the decision-making structures. Mutually indifferent policy-subsystems located within the ministerial and planning agencies held jurisdiction over the activities of pre-reform state enterprises; dominated the drafting of specific legislation; and set adverse initial conditions of reform implementation.
Unsuccessful implementation of reform both at the level of the state enterprise and that of administrative structures discredited the radical ideas on economic reform which had been gestating for thirty years. Failure both of the concrete policy and of the policy process contributed to the radicalisation of political and economic reform, while creating many new problems along the way.
Private tomb reliefs of the late period from Lower Egypt

This study considers the relief decoration of private tombs in Lower Egypt in the period 664-332 BC. The basis for analysis is a chronologically arranged descriptive catalogue, which includes both isolated blocks in museum collections and tombs whose location is known. The present condition of the relief and its content are described in detail there. Texts are considered where they provide infotmation on provenance and dating, and hand-copies are provided. Each piece is illustrated in the plate volume.
Enough of the material can be dated by textual evidence to provide a solid framework for stylistic ordering of the remainder. The resulting chronology has important implications, dividing the period into two major phases, covering the seventh and sixth centuries, and the fourth century, separated by a hiatus in production of tomb reliefs. The chronology proposed eliminates the possibility that either Greeks or Persians exercised any significant influence on Egyptian art before the very end of the period. Instead, native tradition emerges as the primary inspiration for Late Period artists. Two sources stand out. The first is the Old-Middle Kingdom tomb repertory (archaism), the second is the New Kingdom tradition carried on in the minor arts, a source largely-ignored hitherto. These were not slavishly copied, but adapted and "modernized" to suit the taste of the time. The independence and creativity of Late Period artists is emphasized. A discussion of stylistic development in light of the dating system is given, and several themes are analyzed in detail as illustrations of the larger issues raised.

Keywords: Ancient Egypt
Advisor: Baines, J
Use of inertial sensors to measure upper limb motion: application in stroke rehabilitation

Stroke is the largest cause of severe adult complex disability, caused when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, either by a clot or a burst blood vessel. It is characterised by deficiencies in movement and balance, changes in sensation, impaired motor control and muscle tone, and bone deformity. Clinically applied stroke management relies heavily on the observational opinion of healthcare workers. Despite the proven validity of a few clinical outcome measures, they remain subjective and inconsistent, and suffer from a lack of standardisation. Motion capture of the upper limb has also been used in specialised laboratories to obtain accurate and objective information, and monitor progress in rehabilitation. However, it is unsuitable in environments that are accessible to stroke patients (for example at patients’ homes or stroke clubs), due to the high cost, special set-up and calibration requirements.
The aim of this research project was to validate and assess the sensitivity of a relatively low cost, wearable, compact and easy-to-use monitoring system, which uses inertial sensors in order to obtain detailed analysis of the forearm during simple functional exercises, typically used in rehabilitation. Forearm linear and rotational motion were characterised for certain movements on four healthy subjects and a stroke patient using a motion capture system. This provided accuracy and sensitivity specifications for the wearable monitoring system. With basic signal pre-processing, the wearable system was found to report reliably on acceleration, angular velocity and orientation, with varying degrees of confidence. Integration drift errors in the estimation of linear velocity were unresolved. These errors were not straightforward to eliminate due to the varying position of the sensor accelerometer relative to gravity over time. The cyclic nature of rehabilitation exercises was exploited to improve the reliability of velocity estimation with model-based Kalman filtering, and least squares optimisation techniques. Both signal processing methods resulted in an encouraging reduction of the integration drift in velocity. Improved sensor information could provide a visual display of the movement, or determine kinematic quantities relevant to the exercise performance. Hence, the system could potentially be used to objectively inform patients and physiotherapists about progress, increasing patient motivation and improving consistency in assessment and reporting of outcomes.

Keywords: Kalman filters
motion tracking
stroke patients
accelerometers
motion capture systems
gyroscopes
movement analysis
upper limb
inertial sensors
signal processing
metrics
rehabilitation
Advisor: Probert Smith, P
Stebbins, J
The making of the Tuoba Northern Wei: constructing material cultural expressions in the Northern Wei Pingcheng Period (398-494 CE)

The Tuoba’s success in the making of the Northern Wei as a conquest dynasty in fifth century northern China will be argued in this thesis as a result of their ability to cross between the traditions and practices of the Chinese sphere and those of the Eurasian steppe, through the construction of a "dual presence" in the Pingcheng period (398-494 CE). A negotiation of material culture in this formative phase of state-building allowed for new notions of kingship, dynastic identity, and representations of daily life to be (re)created. This was manifested separately through the application of mountain-side stone sculptures, tomb repertoires, as well as the conception of Pingcheng as a capital city. The material cultural expressions explored in this thesis reflect significant changes in the socio-cultural atmosphere at this point in history. In effect, these ritual, funerary, and commemorative discourses wove together to create new notions of "Chineseness" in fifth century northern China. In the following discussion, we will come to recognize the Tuoba’s maintenance of a "dual presence", not only as "Son of Heaven" to the conquered subjects, but also carrying over practices that befit a Khagan in the Central Asian tradition, as an act of ingenuity.

Keywords: Northern and Southern dynasties
capital cities
Tuoba
Xianbei
Northern Wei
Nomadic dynasties
Yungang
Buddhism
Northern China
Pingcheng
Advisor: Rawson, J
Excitations in holographic quantum liquids

In this thesis we review the gauge/gravity duality and how it can be used to compute the thermodynamic properties and low-energy excitations of holographic quantum liquids - strongly-interacting field theories with a non-zero density of matter. We then study in detail the charge density excitations of two such liquids, the D3/D7 theory and the RN-AdS₄ theory, by computing the poles of their charge density Green's functions, and their charge density spectral functions. Although it is not a Landau Fermi liquid, the charge density excitations of the D3/D7 theory display many of the same properties as one, including a collisionless/hydrodynamic crossover as the temperature is increased. In contrast to this, the charge density (and energy density) excitations of the RN-AdS₄ theory do not share these properties but behave in a way that cannot be explained by Landau's theory of interacting fermionic quasiparticles. This is consistent with other results which indicate that this is not a Landau Fermi liquid.

Keywords: quantum field theory at finite temperature and density
holography
gauge/gravity duality
strongly-coupled gauge theories
String theory
AdS/CFT correspondence
Advisor: Starinets, A
Towards the development of vascularized constructs for bone repair

The development of a vasculature within a tissue-engineered construct is one of the largest hurdles to successful bone regeneration. This thesis investigates methods to increase vasculature of such transplanted constructs, based on in vivo transplant studies and in vitro analysis of cell behaviors. A syngeneic mouse model in immunocompetent mice was developed and analyzed for both osteogenesis and hematopoiesis. This study demonstrates that syngeneic bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are not rejected by the host, provided the strain of mice is sufficiently inbred. Additionally, an effective protocol was developed for the isolation of endothelial cells (ECs) from the bone marrow of mice. Two different sets of materials for this study were analyzed, both collagen based, and the GelfoamTM scaffold was found to possess advantages over synthesized collagen or collagen/hydroxyapatite composites, although only for mouse and not human bone transplantation.
In order to gain rapid and integrated vasculature formation within the transplant, attempts were made to increase both (de novo) vasculogenesis and angiogenesis (ingrowth) from the surrounding tissue. For the former, transplant studies were combined with in vitro osteogenic calcification studies. Direct co-culture of the BMSCs and ECs increased osteogenic calcification and was monitored by using both alizarin red S quantification and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Angiogenesis (as assessed by cell migration) was studied by various motility and chemotaxis assays in vitro, as well as through use of a directed in vivo angiogenesis assay. Growth factors, particularly TGF-β1 and BMP-4, were found to increase cell movement in these systems. In conclusion, we show that although much work remains to be done in order to increase the vasculature in bone transplants, systematic combination of in vivo and in vitro assays can elucidate the nature behind this crucial process in this context.

Keywords: endothelial cells
syngeneic
biomaterials
regenerative medicine
vascularization
FVB mice
bone marrow stromal cells
orthopaedic transplants
Advisor: Triffitt, J
Oppermann, U
Dunford, J
Czernuszka, J
Direct taxation and the internal market: assessing possibilities for a more balanced integration

The role of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the process of direct tax integration in the European Union (EU) has been widely discussed in the academic literature, while another important actor, the European Commission, has attracted much less attention. The Commission’s input is commonly perceived to be limited to the right of legislative initiative. This study questions such an oversimplified interpretation and draws a more nuanced picture of EU tax harmonisation by integrating an analysis of the complex regulatory approaches adopted by the Commission for the establishment and smooth functioning of the Internal Market.
It is argued that the past decade brought a notable change in the Court-dominated pattern of direct tax integration. This change is apparent first in the evolution of enforcement strategies under Articles 258 and 260 TFEU; and second, in the increased reliance upon non-binding regulatory measures. Both developments have strengthened the role of the Commission, supplying it with more possibilities for influencing national direct tax systems, despite the reluctance of Member States to agree upon legislative harmonisation. Against this background, the procedural and substantive problems associated with these instruments require closer examination.
The normative scope of this research covers the key procedural problems related to the infringement procedure and non-binding regulatory measures. The empirical component explores the Commission’s enforcement and coordination practices, drawing particular attention to two case studies: the tax treatment of losses in cross-border situations and exit taxation. Following the analysis of enforcement and coordination in the field of direct taxation, the study argues the need and proposes potential solutions for (i) the developing of a more comprehensive procedural framework for the infringement procedure and non-binding regulatory acts; (ii) the strengthening of accountability mechanisms; and (iii) the enhancing of the effectiveness of their application.

Keywords: non-binding coordination
tax (taxation)
EU law
European (EU) integration
the European Commission
direct taxation
the Internal Market
The European Union (EU)
tax coordination
exit tax
enforcement
the tax treatment of losses
tax integration
soft law
good governance
infringement procedure
Advisor: Freedman, J
Weatherill, S
Investigation of kinase activation in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare autosomal dominant disease resulting in episodic but progressive extraskeletal bone formation. FOP is caused by missense mutations in the cytoplasmic domain of the type I bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor ACVR1, leading to dysregulated activation. Currently there are no available drug treatments and the structural mechanism of mutant activation is still poorly characterised. To address this, a number of BMP and TGFβ receptors, including FOP mutants of ACVR1 were cloned, expressed and purified for both structural and biophysical experiments. The arginine at the site of most recurrent FOP mutation, R206H, is common across all type I receptors except BMPR1A and BMPR1B which have a lysine at this site. The novel structure of BMPR1B differed to wild-type ACVR1 showing some of the conformational changes expected of the active conformation. However, a variety of disease related ACVR1 mutant structures, including ACVR1 R206H, revealed a surprisingly persistent inactive conformation in the kinase domain. Some conformational changes suggestive of activation were observed in the mutant Q207D affecting the ATP pocket, the β4–β5 hairpin and the activation loop. Additionally, the structure of the Q207E mutant showed a slight release of the regulatory glycine-serine rich domain from its inhibitory position. These subtle changes suggest that the mutant inactive conformation is destabilised and potentially more dynamic. In agreement, all of the ACVR1 mutants showed reduced binding to the inhibitory protein FKBP12. However, mutant phosphorylation of the substrate Smad1 was not constitutive, but dependent on the co-expression of the partner ACVR2, consistent with recent evidence from transgenic knock-out mice. A novel 2-aminopyridine inhibitor scaffold with favourable specificity for ACVR1 was identified using a fluorescence-based thermal shift assay. Further derivatives were characterised with improved potency and selectivity. The crystal structures of ACVR1 bound to these inhibitors showed exquisite shape complementarity, contributing to their favourable specificity. This work has increased the understanding of FOP-associated mutant activation and provided a novel starting scaffold for potential drug development.

Keywords: ACVR1
Signalling
small molecule inhibitor
Kinase
FKBP12
Advisor: Bullock, AN
Triffitt, JT
Optimal Selling Strategy With Piecewise Linear Drift Function

In this paper the optimal decision to sell a stock in a given time is investigated when the drift term in Black Scholes setting is a piecewise linear function of time. The goal is to minimize the expected relative error between the discounted selling price and the discounted maximum price over a given time horizon. With the drift changing to a piecewise linear function, we are interested in that if the trend of the stock price changes during the same time horizon, and what would be the impact on the selling strategy. Keywords: piecewise linear drift function, optimal stopping time, value function, selling region, holding region