VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Employee ownership in Jamaica

In March 1994, the Jamaican Parliament passed the Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) Act, to facilitate widespread employee share ownership by granting tax incentives to companies that offer shares to their employees (GOJ 1994). The primary aims of the legislation were to (a) strengthen Jamaica's economy by enabling workers to acquire an ownership stake in their employer and (b) improve the economic performance of Jamaican companies by encouraging employees to identify more closely with the goals of their employers (GOJ 1993). Former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley, who introduced the ESOP legislation into Parliament, explained that organizational rather than ideological goals were the primary aims of the legislation. He explained that "in due course larger goals such as broadening the base of ownership and giving workers a wider stake in the national economy will also be achieved through ESOPs. But the first objective must be to increase productivity at the company level" (Manley 1995:17).
Prior to the passage of this legislation, several employee ownership schemes had been implemented by Jamaican companies on a limited and ad hoc basis without the support of legislation (GOJ 1993). Despite the introduction of these earlier schemes, however, the concept of employee ownership is still a new one to Jamaica and little research has been conducted on how the pre-legislation employee ownership schemes were implemented or how they affected the implementing companies. Although consultants to the government examined these companies and used them as models in drafting the ESOP legislation, the consultants performed no academic studies to examine the organizational impact of the employee share schemes (Golding; Maharaj Interviews). Similarly, several academic studies have been conducted on employee ownership in the US, the UK, and a few other countries, but no formal academic studies of employee ownership have been conducted in Jamaica. These omissions are unfortunate given the interest in ESOPs expressed by the Jamaican government and the desired political, economic, and organizational effects of introducing employee ownership schemes.
[Please see pdf. for full abstract.]
Applying particle filtering to unsupervised part-of-speech induction

Statistical Natural Language Processing (NLP) lies at the intersection of Computational Linguistics and Machine Learning. As linguistic models incorporate more subtle nuances of language and its structure, standard inference techniques can fall behind. One such application is research on the unsupervised induction of part-of-speech tags. It has the potential to improve both our understanding of the plausibility of theories of first language acquisition, and Natural Language Processing applications such as Speech Recognition and Machine Translation. Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) approaches, i.e. particle filters, are well suited to approximating such models.
This thesis seeks to determine whether one application of SMC methods, particle Gibbs sampling, is capable of performing inference in otherwise intractable NLP applications. Specifically, this research analyses the benefits and drawbacks to relying on particle Gibbs to perform unsupervised part-of-speech induction without the flawed one-tag-per-type assumption of similar approaches.
Additionally, this thesis explores the affects of type-based supervision with tag-dictionaries extracted from annotated corpora or from the wiktionary. The semi-supervised tag dictionary improves the performance of the local Gibbs PYP-HMM sampler enough to nearly match the performance of the particle Gibbs type-sampler.
Finally, this thesis also extends the Pitman-Yor HMM tagger of Blunsom and Cohn (2011) to include an explicit model of the lexicon which encodes those tags from which a word-type may be generated. This has the effect of both biasing the model to produce fewer tags per type and modelling the tendency for open class words to be ambiguous between only a subset of the available tags. Furthermore, I extend the type based particle Gibbs inference algorithm to simultaneously resample the ambiguity class as well as tags for all of the tokens of a given word type. The result is a principled probabilistic model of part-of-speech induction that achieves state-of-the-art performance.
Overall, the experiments and contributions of this thesis demonstrate the applicability of the particle Gibbs sampler and particle methods in general to otherwise intractable problems in NLP.

Keywords: Particle Filter
Machine Learning
Natural Language Processing
Monte Carlo
Part of Speech
Computational Linguistics
Advisor: Blunsom, P
Pulman, S
Stability and regularity of defects in crystalline solids

This thesis is devoted to the mathematical analysis of models describing the energy of defects in crystalline solids via variational methods.
The first part of this work studies a discrete model describing the energy of a point defect in a one dimensional chain of atoms. We derive an expansion of the ground state energy using Gamma-convergence, following previous work on similar models [BDMG99,BC07,SSZ11]. The main novelty here is an explicit characterisation of the first order limit as the solution of a variational problem in an infinite lattice. Analysing this variational problem, we prove a regularity result for the perturbation caused by the defect, and demonstrate the order of the next term in the expansion.
The second main topic is a discrete model describing screw dislocations in body centred cubic crystals. We formulate an anti plane lattice model which describes the energy difference between deformations and, using the framework defined in [AO05], provide a kinematic description of the Burgers vector, which is a key geometric quantity used to describe dislocations. Apart from the anti plane restriction, this model is invariant under all the natural symmetries of the lattice and in particular allows for the creation and annihilation of dislocations. The energy difference formulation enables us to provide a clear definition of what it means to be a stable deformation.
The main results of the analysis of this model are then first, a proof that deformations with unit net Burgers vector exist as globally stable states in an infinite body, and second, that deformations containing multiple screw dislocations exist as locally stable states in both infinite bodies and finite convex bodies. To prove the former result, we establish coercivity with respect to the elastic strain, and exploit a concentration compactness principle. In the latter case, we use a form of the inverse function theorem, proving careful estimates on the residual and stability of an ansatz which combines continuum linear elasticity theory with an atomistic core correction.

Keywords: Analysis of PDEs
Crystalline Defects
Calculus of Variations
Advisor: Ortner, C
Capdeboscq, Y
A functional analysis of CD33 and CD34

In the bone marrow, CD34 is the best currently available marker of human multipotential stem cells and is downregulated upon the commitment of cells to the myeloid pathway. CD33 is the earliest marker of stem cell commitment to the myeloid lineage but is down-regulated as myeloid cells mature to granulocytes while expression is retained on monocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages. CD34 is a mucosialin and CD33 a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. To determine the functions of CD34 and CD33 in early haematopoiesis, soluble forms of CD34 and CD33 have been constructed by PCR based construction of extracellular domain-IgGlFc (ECDFc) fusion plasmids. These chimaeric proteins have been used to define the ligand binding of CD33 and CD34 in a range of assay systems including: screening cell lines by immunofluorescence and iodination analysis; immunohistochemical staining; screening of cDNA libraries transiently expressed in COS cells by "panning" for ligands; and phosphorylation studies to assess the potential of phosphoproteins to regulate these molecules and their ligands in vitro. Iodination demonstrated that CD33 binds increasing numbers of ligands heterophilically on erythroleukemic (K562) and promonocytic (U937) cell lines at sizes ranging from 54-69Kd and 97-1 lOKd in a differentiation-dependent manner. CD33 was established to associate with several src-like kinases while Fc-CD33 precipitates phosphoproteins in the same region in KG-la, K562 and U937. Novel divalent-cation-dependent CD34 ligands of 66Kd and HOKd were isolated on HUVEC and both CD34 and Fc-CD34 precipitated phosphoproteins from HUVEC. From panning studies, Fc-CD33 demonstrated low levels of binding to ICAM-1 and a cDNA product sharing homology to the 3' end of dystrophin, termed here as apo-dystrophin-4. Apo-4 appears to give rise to two major proteins, at least one of which may provide an in vitro ligand for CD33 and contain a 3' enhancer. Models for both CD33 phosphoprotein and ligand binding behaviour are presented.

Advisor: Crocker, P
McMichael, A
Dr. Paul Crocker and Prof. Andrew McMichael
Conformational control by intramolecular hydrogen bonding

Hydrogen bonds are directional, non-covalent interactions between hydrogen and electronegative atoms. Although generally weak, these interactions are critical to the stability of many biological systems including proteins and DNA. This dissertation explores small molecules in which an intramolecular hydrogen bond is the key determinant of conformation.
Chapter 1 introduces the protein Grb2 SH3C, details its role in cancer signalling, and delineates the idea of peptidomimetics—small molecules which are functionalized to mimic the structure of a peptide and disrupt protein-protein interactions.
Chapter 2 describes a virtual screen for binders to Grb2 SH3C. From a library of 6.3 million compounds, 34 were tested in vitro and two found to bind to the protein in two orthogonal assays.
Chapter 3 describes mimics of the polyproline II helix using a benzoylurea scaffold. A small library of these compounds was synthesized and tested for binding to Grb2 SH3C using SPR, a competition assay, and NMR.
Chapter 4 describes attempts to mimic a 310 helix using benzamide-based peptidomimetics. The synthesis and in vitro evaluation of these molecules as ligands of Grb2 SH3C is described.
Chapter 5 uses quantum chemical calculations to assess the energies of a series of molecular switches. These calculations benchmark a range of modern density functional theory calculations, and attempt to quantify the accuracy of these methods for a large, flexible system. The role of solvation, entropy, geometry, and torsional angles are assessed in accurately calculating the energies of the critical hydrogen bonds.

Keywords: protein-protein interactions
peptidomimetics
Grb2
Gab2
Advisor: Hamilton, A
Foreign language learning motivation in higher education: a longitudinal study on motivational changes and their causes

L2 motivational research may be described as an ongoing quest to identify motivational attributes underlying motivated language learning behaviour. This study employs a novel theoretical and methodological focus in this endeavour: firstly, it applies theories of the self to a motivational exploration of L2 motivation involving first-year students studying towards German degree courses at two major UK universities. Secondly, the study explicitly addresses the time- and context-sensitive nature of motivational attributes. While the majority of L2 motivational studies treat motivational attributes as static and rely heavily on one-off surveys, this study uses a longitudinal mixed-methods approach. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and at the end of the academic year, and students were interviewed five times over the course of the academic year. Results suggest that the concept of integrative orientation in its traditional sense plays a minor role for these students. The concepts of the ideal L2 self and intrinsic motivation are better suited to capture these students’ motivation for studying German, and together with self-efficacy beliefs they offer a good basis for understanding students’ motivated engagement with language learning throughout the year. However, the data also reveal that considerable changes take place during the course of the year. Importantly, students’ intrinsic motivation significantly decreases and so do self-efficacy beliefs for speaking and listening, a trend concomitant with decreasing effort to engage with language learning. The qualitative data shed light on the motivational changes observed, and provide a detailed and rich picture of the interplay between motivation and contextual factors. Based on the empirical insights gained, a theoretical framework is proposed which links the motivational attributes examined and situates them within multilayered contextual spheres. The thesis concludes by outlining pedagogical suggestions how to counteract decreasing motivation during the first year at university.

Keywords: motivation
self-determination
higher education
self-efficacy
foreign language learning
ideal L2 self
Advisor: Walter, C
The Disconto-Gesellschaft and German industrialization

This thesis uses the history of the Disconto-Gesellschaft to argue that the role of universal banks in fostering German industrialization was less than has previously been assumed. The archive of the Disconto-Gesellschaft is not currently accessible, so the thesis will use industrial archives to examine the bank's relations with industrial companies. After a discussion of the literature, a summary of other Disconto-Gesellschaft ventures shows that the Dortmunder Union was not an isolated disaster, but one among many. The thesis discusses the boom of 1867-1873 and. suggests it was engendered by a spate of railway building which fed into heavy industry. The next section recounts how the collapse of universal banks during financial crises led most countries outside Germany to separate commercial from investment banking either by law or by custom. The first chapter concludes with a discussion of how German industry raised capital.
The second chapter discusses the origins of the Disconto- Gesellschaft; David Hansemann's introduction of a new corporate form, the Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien; the Disconto- Gesellschaft' s rise during the crisis of 1859, relations with competitors, internal structure and the character of its management and supervisory board. The third chapter treats the history of the Dortmunder Union, and the reasons for its failure. The fourth chapter discusses Krupp's difficulties in raising funds; how the Disconto-Gesellschaft coped with the problem of lending to two competing firms, Krupp and the Union; and management of this conflict through the rail cartel. The fifth chapter uses the correspondence of Kirdorf and Russell to discuss the coal industry's plight in the 1870's, and the reasons for the success of the Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-Actien-Gesellschaft. The conclusion suggests that private banks were more successful in financing industry than universal banks like the Disconto-Gesellschaft because their great number meant that even a Krupp could find a private banker who believed in him, and because their narrow capital bases prevented them from keeping lame ducks alive.
Golden Age Jesuit: Juan Eusebio Nieremberg and the rhetoric of discernment in seventeenth-century Spain

This thesis examines the Jesuit and Ignatian influence on the works of Juan Eusebio Nieremberg (1595-1658), who was a prolific and widely published author and a member of the Society of Jesus in Spain. He wrote several works across different literary genres both in Spanish and Latin, but was best known for his popular works in Spanish: two miscellanies of natural philosophy, Curiosa filosofía (1630) and Oculta filosofía (1633); a catechism, the Práctica del catecismo romano (1640); his ascetical treatises, especially De la diferencia entre lo temporal y eterno (1640); and his ‘advice-books’ to princes and nobles, most notably Causa y remedio de los males públicos (1642).
As a member of the Jesuit Order, Nieremberg wrote these works with the intention to ‘save souls’, this being the main apostolic goal of the Society. While they provide people with knowledge (‘noticia’) – whether doctrinal, natural, spiritual, or political – these works teach readers to view human existence according to its true end: God’s will of salvation. All things of the temporal world are portrayed as a means to that end.
In order to accomplish this goal, Nieremberg incorporates elements from Loyola’s Ejercicios espirituales (1548), the spiritual foundation of the Jesuit Order, and develops a rhetorical strategy which encourages readers to discern the will of God in the world they inhabit. He also develops this rhetoric according to some of the principal literary and artistic conventions of the seventeenth century, and provides an important example of how a prominent Jesuit writer came to express the apostolic and spiritual principles of his Order, but in the language and imagery of Spain’s Siglo de Oro.

Keywords: Golden Age Spain
Nieremberg
Jesuit
Seventeenth-Century Spain
Ignatian
Advisor: Thompson, C
Building communism: the Young Communist League during the Soviet thaw period, 1953-1964

The present study focuses on the activity of the Young Communist League (Komsomol) to promote the communist project during the so-called Thaw period in the Soviet Union (1953-1964). The term ‘communist project’ describes the complex temporal triangle in which the relevance of the present was rooted in its relationship to the heroic past and the bright future. Young people were supposed to emulate the heroism of previous generations while fighting remnants of the undesired past. This was presented as a precondition for achieving the communist future.
The structure of this study reflects the chronology of the communist project. It analyzes the rhetoric used by the Young Communist League to promote the communist project and explores the strategies used to mobilize youth for building communism. The first chapter focuses on the organizational structure of the Komsomol and assesses its readiness for this task. Despite attempts to strengthen horizontal communication and control, streamline administration and reorganize its structure, the Komsomol remained hierarchal and bureaucratic. The second chapter explores the promotion of past heroism in rituals, social practices and the use of public space. The third chapter is also concerned with the past; it describes the Komsomol’s fight against ‘remnants of the past’, primarily religion and deviant behaviour such as hooliganism, heavy drinking and laziness. The final chapter focuses on the Komsomol’s attempts during the Thaw to bring about the future: its efforts in the economy, moral, political and cultural education, and the realm of leisure.

Keywords: Khrushchev era
youth organization
youth culture
communism
Thaw period
Soviet Union
youth
Advisor: Kelly, C
Self-knowledge

This work examines some of the epistemological and ontological conditions of the deep self-knowledge that is demanded by the Delphic motto gnothi seauton (know thyself!). The guiding questions are: what is the 'self' that deep self-knowledge is of? What are we such that we can ask deep and puzzling questions about our life-plans, our self-conceptions and the meaning of our lives? Can we know ourselves as we really are, or only under a certain description which conceals as much as it reveals? What is the nature of the relation between self-knowledge and (personal or inner) reality?
The central thesis that is defended is that a person is to a certain extent a self-defining and self-forming being by virtue of his self-knowledge; fundamental changes in how he knows himself, and conceives his way of life, his life-history, emotions, final ends, death etc. particularly in light of fundamental practical questions ('Who am I?' 'What should I do with my life?') necessarily occasion changes in what he is. What he is at any one moment in his life is in part constituted by his self-knowledge. To account for the complex 'inter-relation' between self-knowledge and its object, and the possibility of self-formation, a broadly Kantian theory of constituting activity is developed, as well as a theory of the empirical 'under-determination' of self-knowledge. The peculiarity of self-knowledge is that the knower is the known, and that he is active (meaning-giving, or sinn-gebung) with respect to the object known (himself); the object of knowledge and the knowing subject change and extend their range together. This complicates some of the claims of realism and the correspondence theory of truth: self-knowledge is not a matter of the strict conformity of beliefs or conceptions to an independent, determinate and unchanging reality. In Kantian terms, the object of self-knowledge conforms to the conditions of knowledge.
This broadly Kantian approach is brought to the analysis of Hampshire and Sartre's theories, which are studied as illustrations of the general ontological and epistemological conditions of self-knowledge. Hampshire's Spinozist theory of reflexive knowledge, which emphasizes the importance of rationality and the understanding of the causes of one's mental states, is contrasted with Sartre's existentialist theory, which emphasizes the importance of choice, and the non-theoretical understanding of one's way of being. Sartre, who is critical of the foundational status generally given to rationality and knowledge, rejects deliberation, detachment, self-observation, reasoned self-criticism and the other rational activities that Hampshire and Spinoza consider essential for self-knowledge.
Other issues that are discussed include the problem of truth conditions in deep self-knowledge, the agent-observer dualism in self-inquiry, the relational model of the self, and Iris Murdoch's critique of Hampshire and Sartre.