VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The nature of multi-word vocabulary among children with English as a first or additional language and its relationship with reading comprehension

Vocabulary is well acknowledged as playing a critical role in language and reading development for young children, particularly for children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) in school (Scarborough, 2001; Stahl & Nagy, 2005). However, most previous research on vocabulary has focused on measuring individual words and failed to examine knowledge of multi-word phrases, despite corpus evidence that these items are common in the English lexicon (Erman & Warren, 2000). The nature of multi-word vocabulary knowledge and its possible contribution to literacy skills among children remains underexplored, possibly due to a lack of available suitable measures. The current thesis details the development and administration of an original multi-word phrase task containing transparent, semi-transparent and non-transparent verb + object phrases to 108 British monolingual English speakers and learners with EAL in school years 3, 4 and 5. Results showed a strong effect of item transparency, even greater than frequency. Year 4 monolingual English speakers had significantly higher scores than year 3 monolingual learners on non-transparent items, while among learners with EAL year 3 and 4 performances were similar and year 5 learners’ scores were significantly higher. The second phase of the study explored the contribution of multi-word phrase knowledge to reading among 40 year 4 monolingual English speaking children and Bengali speakers with EAL. Multiple regression analysis showed that multi-word task performance accounted for a significant amount of variance in reading scores, when controlling for non-verbal intelligence, receptive and expressive single word vocabulary and language background. These findings are of import for increasing our understanding of vocabulary development among young learners and provide insight into the particular needs of learners with EAL.

Keywords: bilingualism
Child language acquisition
English as an Additional Language
Advisor: Murphy, V
Extensions of the Katznelson-Tzafriri theorem for operator semigroups

This thesis is concerned with extensions and refinements of the Katznelson-Tzafriri theorem, a cornerstone of the asymptotic theory of operator semigroups which recently has received renewed interest in the context of damped wave equations. The thesis comprises three main parts. The key results in the first part are a version of the Katznelson-Tzafriri theorem for bounded C_0-semigroups in which a certain function appearing in the original statement of the result is allowed more generally to be a bounded Borel measure, and bounds on the rate of decay in an important special case. The second part deals with the discrete version of the Katznelson-Tzafriri theorem and establishes upper and lower bounds on the rate of decay in this setting too. In an important special case these general bounds are then shown to be optimal for general Banach spaces but not on Hilbert space. The third main part, finally, turns to general operator semigroups. It contains a version of the Katznelson-Tzafriri theorem in the Hilbert space setting which relaxes the main assumption of the original result. Various applications and extensions of this general result are also presented.

Keywords: asymptotics
Operator semigroups
Katznelson-Tzafriri theorem
Advisor: Batty, C
Psychopharmacology of moral and social judgments

This thesis is an interdisciplinary project in experimental social psychology, psychopharmacology, neuroscience, and neuroethics. The role of emotion in higher order psychological processes – social and moral judgments – was investigated. Specifically the role of noradrenergic mediated emotional arousal was researched. Behavioural studies demonstrated that acute beta adrenergic blockade with propranolol led to a reduction in negative implicit racial associations and also a modification of moral decision making. These findings suggest that basic affective processes might be causally relevant for higher order evaluations. However, enhancement with the noradrenergic potentiating agent reboxetine did not show effects opposite to those of propranolol on racial attitudes or moral judgments, which might indicate that emotional arousal, specific to beta-adrenoceptors might be involved in the effects of propranolol. Further a pharmacological fMRI study demonstrated that the activation pattern in brain regions commonly associated with intergroup bias -- such as the amygdala, insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and fusiform gyrus -- was affected by propranolol, and that the effect in the amygdala was correlated with implicit racial bias.
Taken together the research suggests that automatic emotional arousal plays a role in higher order psychological processes, such as moral and social judgments, which aids the understanding of the underlying neurobiology of such processes. Finally, the ethical implications – such as the prospect of pharmacological moral enhancement – are discussed. The findings also suggest that the moral and social effects of already widely used psychotropic medications should be subject to further empirical and ethical investigation.

Keywords: social neuroscience
moral psychology
psychopharmacology
Advisor: Hewstone, M
Savulescu, J
Microbial mediation of dolomite formation

Dolomite is shown to precipitate in laboratory experiments that simulate the microbiogeochemical conditions prevailing during the later stages of evaporation in the ephemeral, hypersaline, dolomitic lakes of the Coorong region, South Australia, where microbially-dominated ecosystems support intensive bacterial sulphate reduction.
Analyses of numerous lake- and pore-water samples from Coorong lakes document rapid geochemical changes with depth and time. Extremely high sulphate and magnesium ion concentrations occur in lake waters and decline rapidly with depth in pore waters through the sulphate reduction zone. Ultimately sulphate ions are totally consumed but magnesium ions are replenished, presumably from desiccated cyanobacterial sheaths. Carbonate concentrations in pore waters reach levels up to 100 times those of normal seawater.
Most-probable-number counts show that large populations of sulphate-reducing bacteria are present in sediment cores, while sulphur isotope analysis of residual lakewater sulphate indicates that microbial fractionation takes place in all the study lakes. Microbes from the lakes were cultured in the laboratory under anoxic conditions and viable populations were injected into vials containing a sterilised granular substrate immersed in a simulated lakewater solution. Falls in the levels of sulphate ion concentration and rising pH in selected vials were interpreted as due to active bacterial sulphate reduction accompanied by increased concentrations of carbonate. After 1 month, subspherical nano-grains of dolomite were precipitated. This study proposes that bacterial sulphate reduction overcomes kinetic constraints on dolomite formation by removing the sulphate ions and releasing magnesium and calcium ions from neutral ion pairs, and by generating elevated carbonate concentrations in a hypersaline and strongly electrolytic solution.
Microbiogeochemical and isotopic data therefore demonstrates that bacterial sulphate reduction controls dolomite precipitation in both the laboratory experiments and the lake sediments. It is proposed that dolomite formation through bacterial sulphate reduction provides a process analogue that is applicable to thick platformal dolostones of the past, where benthic microbial communities were the dominant colonisers of the shallow marine environment.

Advisor: Brasier, M
Female religious authority in Muslim societies: the case of the Dāʿiyāt in Jeddah

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore how uninstitutionalised female preachers, or dāʿiyāt, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia construct authority in a context in which male ulama dominate the production of religious knowledge and represent the apex of the religious and social hierarchy. The study was broad, descriptive, and explanatory and drew primarily on the framework known as ‘accountable ethnography’. Data collection occurred between June and December 2009 and consisted of observations, interviews, and collection of literary artefacts, which were reviewed alongside literature published internationally. A flexible mode of inquiry was employed, partly in response to constraints on public religious discourse imposed in Saudi Arabia after September 11, 2001. The study concludes that the dāʿiyāt construct authority predominantly by relying on male ulama as marjiʿiyya diniyya (religious frame of reference) when issuing fatwas, as pedagogical models, as sources of charismatic inspiration, and as providers of personal recommendations. The dissertation also addresses a set of ‘alternate’ strategies of authority construction employed by Dr Fāṭima Nasiīf. Almost uniquely, this dāʿiyā is found to construct authority that goes beyond reproduction of institutionalised views by developing scholarly arguments to support interpretations of Islamic texts that are responsive to women’s perspectives and needs. In doing so, she expands the parameters of religiously permissible practice while remaining, for her part, within the confines of orthodox practice. Thus, although her society and most researchers perceive knowledge as a masculine attribute in the Saudi religious sphere, in matters relating to women, as well as through active leadership in ritual practice, Dr Fāṭima demonstrates that the dāʿiya can become the authority. Nevertheless, for her and for the other dāʿiyāt, the study finds that legitimatising female religious authority depends upon maintaining the established social order, including the hierarchy that places women in a subordinate position to men.

Advisor: Talib, M
Michael, W
Rotating instability on steam turbine blades at part-load conditions

A computational study aimed at improving the understanding of rotating instability in the LP steam turbine last stage working under low flow rate conditions is described in this thesis. A numerical simulation framework has been developed to investigate into the instability flow field. Two LP model turbine stages are studied under various flow rate conditions. By using the 2D simulations as reference and comparing the results to those of the 3D simulations, the basic physical mechanism of rotating instability is analysed. The pressure ratio characteristics across the rotor row tip are found to be crucial to the inception of rotating instability. The captured instability demonstrates a 2D mechanism based on the circumferential variation of unsteady separation flow in the rotor row. The 3D tip clearance flow is found not a necessary cause of the instability onset. Several influential parameters on the instability flow are also investigated by a set of detailed studies on different turbine configurations. The results show that the instability flow pattern and characteristics can be altered by the gap distance between the stator and rotor row, the rotor blading and the stator row stagger angle. Some flow control approaches are proposed based on the observations, which may also serve as design reference.
The tip region 3D vortex flow upstream to the rotor row is also captured by the simulations under low flow rate conditions. Its appearance is found to be able to suppress the inception of rotating instability by disrupting the interaction between the rotor separation flow and the incoming flow. Finally, some recommendations for further work are proposed.

Keywords: steam turbine; LP; rotating instability
Advisor: He, L
Evolutionary theory and normative realism in epistemology

In this thesis I discuss one way in which evolutionary theory has been brought to bear on the evaluation of competing meta-normative views in epistemology. More specifically, I investigate whether normative realism in epistemology (epistemic realism) is compatible with the view that we are justified in holding many of the epistemic beliefs we hold, on the assumption that those beliefs can be explained in evolutionary terms.
In Part I I discuss normativity in epistemology and meta-epistemology. I begin by drawing attention to the fact that there are very different ways of understanding which concepts in epistemology are normative and what their normativity consists in. I focus on the concept of an epistemic reason to illustrate this point. I then discuss, in some detail, how different interpretations of epistemic-normativity will affect the form which normative-realist views in epistemology can take. I conclude by drawing a taxonomy of epistemic-realist views which is mindful of the different interpretations of epistemic normativity which I distinguished.
In Part II I turn to discuss the topic of Darwinian arguments against normative-realist views in epistemology. I begin by considering the form which Darwinian arguments have taken in recent metaethical literature. I argue that Darwinian arguments of a kind which is meant to raise a distinctively epistemological challenge for normative-realist views – I call those 'Darwinian-epistemological' arguments – represent a more interesting object of philosophical investigation than Darwinian arguments of a different 'metaphysical' kind. I then formulate a Darwinian-epistemological argument which targets normative-realist views in epistemology (DEA), explain how it works, and spend some time discussing its key premises.
In Part III I engage with the Darwinian-epistemological challenge against realism about epistemic normativity that Sharon Street presents in her paper 'Evolution and the Normativity of Epistemic Reasons' (2009). I argue that Street’s epistemological challenge is best viewed as an instance of a Darwinian-epistemological argument of the kind I formulated (DEA). I then go on to reply to Street’s argument on behalf of the epistemic realist. I conclude that arguments with the form of DEA do not represent a serious threat for normative realist views in epistemology.

Keywords: epistemology
metaethics
realism
evolution
evolutionary debunking arguments
normativity
evolutionary psychology
epistemic reasons
Advisor: Child, B
Kahane, G
A study of the books owned or used by John Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter (1327-1369)

This thesis sets out to identify the books used by John Grandisson, by establishing the principal characteristics of his handwriting and the marks he used when annotating texts. Grandisson annotated not only his own books, but also the Cathedral's, and those he borrowed. He used books to educate himself and to prepare himself for his role as bishop (Chapter II). From his early books, two salient features of his personality appear: his penchant for turning to sources to find truth, which caused him to learn Hebrew; and his predilection to acquire originalia of the Church Fathers, out of which he developed an enduring admiration for Augustine.
Chapter III describes Grandisson's activity in Exeter Cathedral books to make them easier to read. He added apparatus for quick-reference: indexes, tables of contents, running titles, chapter and subject headings. His paraph and paragraphus marks indicate beginnings, and his Nota signs, brackets, and excerpt marks identify sententiae.
Chapter IV discusses briefly the content of Grandisson's glosses and other annotations, which reveals a wide range of interests, not only in theology and canon law, but also in history and natural science. He assembled the largest extant collection of Anselm's letters. Other interests include Virgil's poetry, Seneca's tragedies, romances of the Grail, and miracles of the Virgin.
The Ordinal with Kalendar attributed to Grandisson survives only in s.xv copies which incorporate feasts introduced after Grandisson's time. Chapter V discusses the contemporary evidence (including books he used) for assessing Grandisson's activity in the production of the Ordinal for his Cathedral Church.
Grandisson had a lifelong interest in the relative roles of Church and State; thus, he wrote a 'Life of Becket' (Chapter VI), drawing from many contemporary sources. No doubt his study enabled him to take a confident stand in maintaining the liberties of the Church from c. 1340 to the end of his life.
Grandisson's ideal was to be a pastoral bishop. Books helped him in decision-making, in learning his vocation, in educating his clergy. They also sustained him, as man and bishop, through a fruitful career.
Gravity anomalies and segmentation of the Eastern USA passive continental margin

A compilation of high quality post-rift sediment isopach data has been used in conjunction with the observed free-air gravity anomaly to determine segmentation of the long term mechanical properties of the lithosphere at the Eastern USA passive margin. This segmentation is represented by a process-oriented analysis in which the flexural response of the margin to post-rift sediment loading is controlled by spatial variations in effective elastic thickness (Te) of the underlying lithosphere.
Existing Eastern USA margin Te estimates range from less than 10km to more than 30km. In this study it is shown that high strengths of 10 - 40km Te are confined to structural arches dividing the broadest marginal basins, while low strengths of less than 10km Te are typically found in structural embayments and beneath the deep basins. The hinge zone, across which the degree of continental thinning increases rapidly, marks the transition between high and low strength. Yield strength envelope models support an argument that regions of low strength were created by lithospheric thinning during rifting, and sustained by thermal insulation and flexural curvature associated with voluminous post-rift sediment deposition. Along-strike Te variations - reflected in the alternation of basement platforms and embayments - are attributed to inheritance of lithospheric segmentation from earlier tectonic events.
Along-strike segmentation of the margin has previously been observed as a 300 - 500km wavelength spectral energy peak in the shelf break Airy isostatic gravity anomaly (IGA) high. That this segmentation is explained by variations in the underlying lithospheric strength is demonstrated by a flexural IGA high in which the equivalent spectral peak is absent. The spectral energy of the along-strike Te distribution peaks in the same waveband.
Removal of process-oriented components from the observed free-air gravity anomaly reveals other contributions that were not resolved in earlier studies. In particular, the (previously unknown) Carolina Trough Isostatic Gravity Anomaly, has been identified and attributed to an extrusive (syn-rift) volcanic source. Detailed study of this anomaly suggests that the margin is segmented in terms of its volcanic character, and argues against recent estimates of the volume of new igneous material emplaced during rifting.

Advisor: Watts, A
Watts, T
A graph theoretic approach to matrix functions and quantum dynamics

Many problems in applied mathematics and physics are formulated most naturally in terms of matrices, and can be solved by computing functions of these matrices. For example, in quantum mechanics, the coherent dynamics of physical systems is described by the matrix exponential of their Hamiltonian. In state of the art experiments, one can now observe such unitary evolution of many-body systems, which is of fundamental interest in the study of many-body quantum phenomena. On the other hand the theoretical simulation of such non-equilibrium many-body dynamics is very challenging. In this thesis, we develop a symbolic approach to matrix functions and quantum dynamics based on a novel algebraic structure we identify for sets of walks on graphs.
We begin by establishing the graph theoretic equivalent to the fundamental theorem of arithmetic: all the walks on any finite digraph uniquely factorise into products of prime elements. These are the simple paths and simple cycles, walks forbidden from visiting any vertex more than once. We give an algorithm that efficiently factorises individual walks and obtain a recursive formula to factorise sets of walks. This yields a universal continued fraction representation for the formal series of all walks on digraphs. It only involves simple paths and simple cycles and is thus called a path-sum.
In the second part, we recast matrix functions into path-sums. We present explicit results for a matrix raised to a complex power, the matrix exponential, matrix inverse, and matrix logarithm. We introduce generalised matrix powers which extend desirable properties of the Drazin inverse to all powers of a matrix.
In the third part, we derive an intermediary form of path-sum, called walk-sum, relying solely on physical considerations. Walk-sum describes the dynamics of a quantum system as resulting from the coherent superposition of its histories, a discrete analogue to the Feynman path-integrals. Using walk-sum we simulate the dynamics of quantum random walks and of Rydberg-excited Mott insulators. Using path-sum, we demonstrate many-body Anderson localisation in an interacting disordered spin system. We give two observable signatures of this phenomenon: localisation of the system magnetisation and of the linear magnetic response function.
Lastly we return to the study of sets of walks. We show that one can construct as many representations of series of walks as there are ways to define a walk product such that the factorisation of a walk always exist and is unique. Illustrating this result we briefly present three further methods to evaluate functions of matrices. Regardless of the method used, we show that graphs are uniquely characterised, up to an isomorphism, by the prime walks they sustain.

Keywords: Matrix exponential
Spin system
Path-sum
Digraph
Many-body physics
Unique factorisation
Dynamical localisation
Matrix inverse
Quantum dynamics
Matrix logarithm
Rydberg atom
Matrix power
Resolvent
Matrix function
Anderson localisation
Prime
Advisor: Jaksch, D
Foot, C