VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The higher nobility in Scotland and their estates, c. 1371-1424

Few studies relating to the nobility of medieval Scotland have been carried out. Those which have mostly fall into two categories: studies of individual nobles and single noble families, or studies of noble institutions, generally over a long time-scale. With the exception of parts of the work of Professors Ritchie and Barrow on the twelth century, there are no general surveys of the Scottish nobility during a short period. This thesis is an attempt to provide such a survey. It gives an account of the top layer of Scottish noble society in the early Stewart period, that is between 1371 and 1424. A broad view of the nobility, noble estates, and noble institutions has been taken, which is intended to be complementary to other studies of more restricted subjects.
The topics dicussed in the thesis have been largely determined by the nature of the sources. The material available for the study of the Scottish nobility in this period consists almost entirely of charters, especially those issued by the crown. Hardly any documents of a more ephemeral nature have survived. In particular (with two slight exceptions) there are none of the account rolls and similar estate records which historians of the English medieval nobility have used to such effect. Because of this, the thesis has a strong topographical and institutional bias. It is possible to say what lands the nobility held and how they held them, but not to describe in any great detail what they did with them, how they were run, or what they were worth.

Keywords: kinship
estates
Scotland
baronies
families
regalities
nobility
noble institutions
Robust Hedging of Variance Swaps: Discrete Sampling &amp; Co-maturing European Options

In the practice of quantitative finance, model risk has raised significant concern and thus model-independent hedging is of particular interest to both academia and industry. In this thesis, we review two methods of constructing robust and model-independent hedging portfolios of variance swaps. One of them assumes a continuum of European options trade but does not require the underlying asset's price path to be continuous. However, the other assumes finite number of options quoted but requires the continuity of underlying asset's price path. We explore numerically the hedging performance as well as upper and lower bounds of several numerical examples by implementing these two methods. Finally, we try to combine these two methods and use an example to show an idea of a possible approach of doing this.
Stability of spherical shells

Recent application of using spheres as carriers of LNG on ships has highlighted a lack of guidance given to the inclusion of imperfections and to the operating con- ditions imposed as a result of the motion of the ship.
Spheres with a radius to thickness ratio of between 450 and 1700 were made by electrodeposition of copper on a wax former. Imperfections of three types were introduced:
a) A local flat.
b) A zone of reduced curvature.
c) A bulge.
These shells were tested under partial vacuum and the deformation at selected points monitored by proximity gauges. Buckling pressures were found to range between ⅕ and one-fifteenth of the theoretical value for a perfect shell. The experimental results were analysed on the basis of Koiter's imperfection theory and by a numerical computer solution. The former showed good agreement with types a) and b) and no agreement with type c); the latter showed little agreement with the experimental results. The ASME design code was found to be adequate for all imperfection sizes considered, BS 5500 only partly.
Cast epoxy models with a radius to thickness ratio of 900, supported on an equatorial ring and partially filled with water, were subjected to vertical accelerations both normal and inclined to their equatorial rings. Buck- ling was detected by proximity gauges, and occurred as a result of tensile meridional and compressive circumferential stresses. The sphere was found to be imperfection insen- sitive and to be more susceptible to buckling at approximately ⅓ and ⅔ full for respectively the normal and inclined loading cases. Both a numerical com- puter solution and an analytical analysis were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Both the ASME and BS5500 design codes were however, found for this mode of failure to be too conservative for design purposes.

Advisor: Ruiz, C
The Lliga Regionalista

Although the Catalan Question dominated Spanish politics between 1901 and 1923, and the Lliga, considered the first modern political party in Spain, played a prominent role in those debates, little literature exists on this movement's overall political complexities. The Lliga has often been considered simplistically: as the party of the Catalan bourgeoisie that failed to protect its class interest by democratic means, as a conservative party which failed to achieve a nationalist aim, or as a nationalist party that failed to impose itself on Spanish politics.
But the Lliga was none of these. It was a movement with a coherent ideology: regionalism. The Lliga sought to restore Catalonia by winning the region autonomy from the central state, and then to use Catalonia as a springboard to regenerate all of Spain. What distinguished this political party was precisely this double goal. This thesis presents the Lliga in the way it saw itself and its contemporaries saw it, within the context of Catalan and Spanish politics, and probes the causes of its failure.
This thesis examines perceptions of the movement - both from within and without - to determine the reasons for its failure to achieve concord in Spain, despite (or because of) the enormous success it had in pressing forward its agenda in Catalonia and influencing the course of Spanish politics. The very success of the movement opened the way for its ultimate downfall. The thesis investigates the vocabulary, logistics, and motivations of the Lliga's program and the political mobilization in favor of and opposed to the Regionalists. The Lliga's program grew from nineteenth-century political theory, but it was the work of a particular group of young men who provided the transition to a substantial political movement. Their own motivations are considered.
Active visual scene exploration

This thesis addresses information theoretic methods for control of one or several active cameras in the context of visual surveillance. This approach has two advantages. Firstly, any system dealing with real inputs must take into account noise in the measurements and the underlying system model. Secondly, the control of cameras in surveillance often has different, potentially conflicting objectives.
Information theoretic metrics not only yield a way to assess the uncertainty in the current state estimate, they also provide means to choose the observation parameters that optimally reduce this uncertainty. The latter property allows comparison of sensing actions with respect to different objectives. This allows specification of a preference for objectives, where the generated control will fulfil these desired objectives accordingly.
The thesis provides arguments for the utility of information theoretic approaches to control visual surveillance systems, by addressing the following objectives in particular: Firstly, how to choose a zoom setting of a single camera to optimally track a single target with a Kalman filter. Here emphasis is put on an arbitration between loss of track due to noise in the observation process, and information gain due to higher accuracy after successful observation. The resulting method adds a running average of the Kalman filter’s innovation to the observation noise, which not only ameliorates tracking performance in the case of unexpected target motions, but also provides a higher maximum zoom setting.
The second major contribution of this thesis is a term that addresses exploration of the supervised area in an information theoretic manner. The reasoning behind this term is to model the appearance of new targets in the supervised environment, and use this as prior uncertainty about the occupancy of areas currently not under observation. Furthermore, this term uses the performance of an object detection method to gauge the information that observations of a single location can yield. Additionally, this thesis shows experimentally that a preference for control objectives can be set using a single scalar value. This linearly combines the objective functions of the two conflicting objectives of detection and exploration, and results in the desired control behaviour.
The third contribution is an objective function that addresses classification methods. The thesis shows in detail how the information can be derived that can be gained from the classification of a single target, under consideration of its gaze direction. Quantitative and qualitative validation show the increase in performance when compared to standard methods.

Keywords: active vision
camera control
surveillance
computer vision
information theory
Advisor: Reid, I
Spatial dialectics: poetic technique and the landscape of old English verse

This thesis examines the role of spatial representation in Old English poetry. Focusing on the presentation of setting and spatial relationships in narrative poetry, it argues that sensibility towards the creative potential of spatial representation within a conventional tradition constitutes a significant element of Old English poetic technique. It emphasizes the importance of intertextual reading practices which recognize the dialectics of text and tradition underlying spatial representation in individual examples.
Chapter one introduces the subject, outlining the relevant critical contexts in which the thesis stands and describing the methodology that is followed in the subsequent chapters. It also describes the connection between the representation of space and critical assumptions regarding vernacular poetic composition.
Chapter two focuses on poetic accounts of the angelic rebellion. The presentation of this event as a territorial and spatial conflict establishes a contrast between vertical and horizontal spatial relationships which relates to concerns prevalent throughout the Anglo-Saxon period over conflicting models for power relationships. The prominence of vertical spatial relationships in these accounts serves to legitimize hierarchical power structures.
Chapter three considers territorial conflict in Old English battle poetry. Similarities in the use of setting and the construction of a sense of place in these texts suggest the influence of established poetic conventions. However, poetic artistry is evident in the ways in which spatial representation contributes to the wider thematic and artistic concerns of these texts.
Chapter four examines poetic representations of the prison. Whilst such representations do partially reflect conceptualizations of the prison current in Anglo-Saxon England, they also demonstrate a deeper interest in the valence of enclosed space. The chapter extends the intertextual approach of the thesis to consider the possibility of direct borrowing between poems.
Chapter five clarifies the argument of the thesis regarding the relationship between spatial representation and poetic technique and identifies some directions for further work.

Keywords: Spatial dialectics
Poetics
space
Advisor: Godden, M
Physical and numerical modelling of offshore foundations under combined loads

In addition to vertical loads, the foundations of offshore structures are subjected to horizontal loads and overturning moments as a result of environmental (wind and wave) loading. The behaviour of circular footings on cohesive soil under conditions of combined vertical, horizontal and moment (V, H, M) loading is the primary concern of this thesis. A programme of physical model tests, involving combined loading of circular footings on reconstituted Speswhite kaolin, is reported. The shape of footing used is typical of the "spudcan" foundations of independent leg jack-up drilling platforms. Previous experience with combined loading of footings on sand has revealed that the observed load:displacement behaviour is best understood, and theoretically modelled, in terms of work hardening plasticity theory. The present tests on clay confirm this, and the results are interpreted to give empirical expressions for (i) the combined load yield surface in V:H:M space, and (ii) a suitable flow rule to allow prediction of the corresponding footing displacements (z, h, θ) during yielding. Extension to a complete plasticity model is achieved using theoretical stiffness factors to define elastic behaviour, and theoretical lower bound bearing capacity factors (derived specifically for this work) to define the size of the yield surface as a function of vertical penetration. The predictive capabilities of the numerical model are evaluated by retrospective simulation of various footing tests. Finally some plane frame structural analyses of a representative jack-up unit are described; some of these analyses incorporate the plasticity-based numerical model of spudcan footing behaviour under combined loads.

Keywords: clay
foundations
offshore
Advisor: Houlsby, G
Defining the castle through twelfth-century chronicle perceptions in the Anglo-Norman regnum

The medieval castle is one of the most popular topics in medieval historiography and interest in this structure has institutionalized it in modern medieval scholarship. Unfortunately, this does not mean that modern historians understand it. The problem lies in the narrow and isolationist definition used by many scholars who see it as simply a fortified private residence representing and defending power. This thesis will demonstrate that the castle’s contemporaries understood it as an identifiable and distinguishable structure and symbol with a singular yet multi-dimensional characteristics as a fortified, personal, and multifunctional resource.
The twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm has been chosen as a focus for this thesis because of the specific differences between the reigns of Henry I, Stephen, and Henry II. This period, particularly the nineteen years of Stephen’s reign, experienced significant castle warfare, which provides a great deal of material for this study. In chapters 1-3, each of the above characteristics and their corresponding details will be analysed individually. In chapter 4, three case studies will be presented to demonstrate how these independent characteristics were perceived of as acting simultaneously. Chapter 5 will compare perceptions of castles to other medieval buildings. Finally, chapter 6 will test the definition’s legitimacy by applying it beyond the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm.
This dissertation will demonstrate that there was a contemporary understanding of the castle which encompassed its fortified nature, its personal possession, and its multifunctional resourcefulness. If we are to understand this phenomenon as its contemporaries did, then we need to alter our modern definition and expand our understanding in order to come to a truer and more complete appreciation of this essential resource in the Middle Ages.

Keywords: castle
medieval
Advisor: Tyerman, C
Flaubert and the literature of classical antiquity

It has long been recognized that Flaubert took a great deal of interest in the literature of classical antiquity. Contemporaries such as Gautier and Maupassant considered him widely-read; a significant minority of his works - La Tentation de saint Antoine, Salammbô and Hérodias- are set roughly during the classical period; and a number of critics have investigated specific aspects of his debt to antiquity. Generally critics have concentrated on Flaubert's documentary use of the literature of antiquity in the works mentioned above (this is Benedetto's and Seznec's approach) or on the incorporation of mythical imagery and symbolism into his work (this is Lowe's approach in Towards the real Flaubert). A few articles have dealt with specific classical works to which Flaubert may be indebted artistically, but there has been to my knowledge no attempt to define the overall effect upon Flaubert's work, in terms of textual influence or more broadly, of his interest in antiquity.
I have attempted in this study to evaluate the impact of the literature of classical antiquity upon Flaubert's entire œuvre. I first attempt to define, mainly by reference to the Correspondance, the extent of his knowledge of classical literature. I then consider his works - juvenilia and adult material - in approximately chronological order in the light of the writers he knew and admired, with a view to suggesting ways in which classical texts may have influenced them; textual influence is investigated closely, but attention is also paid to the use of classical themes, imagery and symbolism. Works with a modern setting are considered as well as those of a more obviously classical pedigree. Having identified a range of authors as being of importance - including Homer, Virgil, Ovid and Apuleius - I conclude by considering more broadly Flaubert's position relative to that of his contemporaries and the overall implications of my findings for the understanding of his work.
Communication, construction and community

This study examines the teaching and early learning of addition in primary classrooms. The relationship between teaching and learning is examined at the level of classroom interaction, in the completion of mathematical tasks. The mathematics lessons of two classes in each of two schools were observed over a period of six months, involving four teachers and the 4, 5 and 6 year old children in their classes. The mathematical focus of the study was the learning of addition, one of the first formal mathematical concepts taught in school. This formed a basis for exploring the factors involved in the teaching of mathematics to young children, and their learning.
The methodology is qualitative, with participant observation the main method of data collection. Detailed fieldnotes were taken of all mathematics lessons observed; short unstructured interviews with teachers were carried out before and after the lessons. The children's understanding of number concepts and addition was assessed at both the beginning and the end of the observation period.
The data was analysed using a grounded theory approach, which produced patterns of recurring variables. Analysis of these variables, influenced by the theoretical perspectives of the researcher, provided analytical pictures of teaching and learning, from which the findings emerged.
The study highlights the complexity of the classroom for teachers and young children, where curriculum considerations, understanding of the mathematics concepts, social interaction and integration into the community of the classroom, vie for attention. It indicates that children are more likely to make sense of mathematics when the number curriculum is taught with a view to its complexity, rather than broken down into simple steps; the problems young children have learning to use mathematical symbols; and that the use of story is important in helping especially the youngest children understand mathematics.
This was a small scale study, but provides a 'thick description' of teaching and early learning of addition, which can form a basis for future studies.
Key Words: addition, early mathematical development, primary school, constructivism, socio-cultural theory, situated cognition, symbols, real world scripts, narrative.

Advisor: Jaworski, B
Analysing Document Similarity Measures

Supervised by Professor Stephen Pulman. Obtained distinction on MSc.
The observation that document similarity measures are systems that perform the same abstract task while drawing upon very different aspects of documents depending on the goal raises a few questions about their nature. What is the common thread to document similarity measure design? Is it a software engineering problem, or are there general principles feeding their construction? Are metrics designed for one purpose suitable for another? How would we determine it if they were? How do they deal with different kinds of input (words, sentences, sets of paragraphs)? On what grounds can we compare metrics? How do we choose a 'better' metric relative to a task?
This jumble of questions justifies further work, but leaves us with little clue how to begin. Attempts have been made in the computational linguistics literature to answer some of these questions with regard to small groups of metrics, particularly within the context of comparing two specific types of metrics, however we found no attempt at giving a general theory of metric design and analysis in the literature, and have resolves to approach the problem ourselves.
The common theme to the above questions can thus be synthesised into the following three questions which will form the basis of our investigation. Firstly, how are common document similarity measures designed and implemented? We wish, in answering this question, to learn a bit more about the kinds of metrics commonly used in text processing, and the sort of difficulties arising when considering how to use them in practice. Secondly, how can we analyse document similarity? In answering this question, which will form the bulk of our project, we wish to discuss how metrics can be compared and ranked relative to different types of document similarity, thus giving us some insight into their performance for a variety of text processing tasks. Thirdly and finally, how can the results of such analysis be leveraged to improve metrics or produce better metrics?
In this dissertation, we describe both an experiment and the construction of a extensible metric analysis framework in an attempt to answer the above key questions.