VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Challenging the calligraphy canon: the reception of rubbing collections in Ming China 

Calligraphic rubbing collections or rubbing collections of model calligraphy (fatie 法帖) are frequently described as a source of canonical models for the learning of calligraphy. They are often associated with and usually refer to the calligraphy of the Two Wangs (Wang Xizhi 王羲之, 303-61, or 321-79, and his son Xianzhi 獻之, 344-86). They also became acknowledged as embodying the classical tradition transmitted mostly from the Jin (265-420) Dynasty, one which was well-known as the calligraphy canon. In general, recent scholarship on rubbing collections holds that rubbing collections often transmitted important and highly recognized works which represented the classical tradition or calligraphy canon. This thesis aims to analyze how Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) people received new forms of rubbing collections, and explores some of their social roles in Ming China.
Apart from traditional concerns, for instance for the aesthetic value and the origins of various editions of rubbing collections, other aspects of rubbing collections of the Ming, for example, socio-historical and material culture perspectives, have not been explored in detail. The development of this form of calligraphy reproduction in China is important as an instance, alongside original works of calligraphy, of how the history of calligraphy was created and contested. The thesis will evaluate which calligraphers were chosen to be reproduced in rubbing form, which of their works were included, and what proportion of rubbing collections their work occupied, as well as who the patrons were and when the collections were published. An analysis of this information will show how the rubbing collections challenged the calligraphy canon and facilitated social mobility between various social groups particularly, scholars-officials, merchants and commoners. It will be demonstrated that Ming rubbing collections were no longer exclusively devoted to the traditional canon, nor did they contain only calligraphy of high aesthetic value. Calligraphy after masterpieces written in the copiers’ own styles and writings of those without significant reputations in calligraphy were made into rubbing collections as well. The thesis will attempt to show the cause(s) for this change.

Keywords: Art
calligraphy
China
Ming dynasty
reception
Chinese rubbings
reproductions
Advisor: Clunas, C
Neurodegeneration and brain cancer: a longitudinal field study of rest-activity and sleep

This thesis investigates rest-activity and sleep profiles in neurodegeneration and brain cancer. Study 1 comprised longitudinal field assessments of rest-activity, sleep and memory in controls and memory-impairment individuals with: subjective memory complaint (SMC), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Four questions were addressed: (1) is SMC a prodromal stage of AD? (2) do characteristics of SMC predict future decline? (3) does cholinergic medication (ChEI) impact rest-activity and sleep of moderate AD patients? and (4) are there factors predicting response to ChEI? Study 2 assessed rest-activity and melatonin rhythms in a brain cancer patient (JJB), and post-mortem analysis of brain tissue assessed infiltration of cancer cells on the circadian clock (SCN). Both studies used questionnaires, cognitive tests, electroencephalography and actigraphy simultaneously at patients’ homes. In Study 1, the SMC group showed a reduced activity amplitude to be correlated with increasing memory impairment severity, lower sleep quality and efficiency. Increased sleep fragmentation was observed in all memory-impaired groups, although not correlated to impairment severity. Increased fragmentation of rest-activity rhythm correlated with increasing memory impairment severity in all groups except SMC. Following ChEI medication with donepezil, moderate AD patients showed increased sleep fragmentation, probably due to potentiation of available acetylcholine known to maintain arousal. Higher daytime-activity and lower activity in the rest-phase, when drug-naïve, predicted improved cognition following ChEIs. In Study 2, cancer cell infiltration of the patient’s SCN was confirmed. However, a robust circadian rest-activity period with a misaligned melatonin phase, was recorded, indicating that the effects of partial SCN lesions in humans are complex and this result was possibly in part are due to the masking effect of social behaviour.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease
sleep
brain cancer
circadian
neurodegeneration
Advisor: Foster, R
Wilcock, G
Wulff, K
Essays on hedge fund illiquidity, return predictability, and time-varying risk exposure

This thesis consists of three papers that make independent contributions to the field of financial economics. As such, the papers, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4, can be read independently of each other.
In Chapter 2, we construct a simple measure of the aggregate illiquidity of hedge fund portfolios, and show that it has strong in- and out-of-sample forecasting power for 72 portfolios of international equities, U.S. corporate bonds, and currencies, over the 1994 to 2011 period. The forecasting ability of hedge fund illiquidity for asset returns is, in most cases, greater than, and provides independent information relative to, well-known predictive variables for each of these asset classes. We construct a simple equilibrium model to rationalise our findings and empirically verify auxiliary predictions of the model.
In Chapter 3, I analyse the risk-shifting of hedge funds. Since the information on hedge fund holdings is very restricted, researchers have used the variance of returns as a proxy for risk. I propose a new method for measuring the time-varying variance. I use this method to investigate whether equity long-short hedge funds engage in risk-shifting driven by their past performance relative to their peers. I find that hedge funds which have strongly underperformed or outperformed their peers in recent months increase their exposure to the core strategy, i.e. the equity long-short strategy, and to non-core strategies. The risk shifting is mitigated for hedge funds with long redemption periods.
Chapter 4 contributes to the equity premium prediction literature. I improve the forecast performance of typical single variable predictive regressions used in the equity premium prediction literature through Bayesian priors derived from consumption-based asset pricing models. To implement these model-based priors, I develop a Bayesian procedure which is rooted in the macroeconometrics literature. I find that the model-based priors can increase the explanatory power, measured by the out-of-sample R2, of the single variable predictive regressions by several percentage points.

Keywords: time-varying risk exposure
hedge funds
return predictability
Advisor: Ramadorai, T
Sheppard, K
The cell surface organisation of the Notch-1 receptor

The Notch receptor family plays a key role in development and disease. In cancer, Notch can act either as an oncogene or as a tumour suppressor, and possibly as a cancer stem-cell factor. Whereas most research has focused on downstream signalling events, little is known about the cell surface organisation of Notch and its ligands. The extracellular part of Notch consists mainly of 36 epidermal growth factor-like domains (EGF-domains), many of which bind calcium. Studies have shown that tandem repeats of calcium-binding EGF domains form a rigid linear arrangement; however, the lack of calcium binding in EGF6, EGF10 and EGF22 led to the hypothesis that these might be sites of flexibility.
This thesis addresses the effect of these domains on the organisation of the extracellular region of Notch and provides further insight into the calcium-binding properties of Notch. NMR residual dipolar coupling (RDC) measurements of these regions are presented, together with the X-ray crystallographic data obtained in collaboration.
The crystal structure of the human Notch-1 construct EGF4-7 shows a tilt angle of 90° at the EGF5-6 interface which is much larger than the tilt angles of 10-20° observed for the EGF11-13 crystal structure. RDC measurements demonstrated an angle of ~70° in solution. The crystal structures of EGF21-23 and EGF20-23 showed a rod-shaped interface for the EGF21-22 domain, in which a cis-proline forms the packing interaction to a tyrosine at the β-turn in the major β-sheet of EGF22. These two interfaces are novel and demonstrate the possibility of interface formation without Ca2+. Crystallisation was unsuccessful for the EGF8-11 construct. However, RDC measurements indicate interdomain motion between EGF9 and EGF10 demonstrating a flexible interface.
These data establish new information on the structural organisation and calcium-binding properties of the extracellular region of Notch and identify flexible and rigid interfaces within multiple tandem repeats of EGF domains. This information will be invaluable in constructing models of Notch-ligand complexes for testing in future functional experiments.

Keywords: x-ray crystallography
Ca2+ binding
Notch-1
RDC
NMR
Advisor: Handford, PA
Redfield, C
Synchrotron electron beam control

This thesis develops techniques for the design and analysis of controllers to achieve sub-micron accuracy on the position of electron beams for the optimal performance of synchrotrons. The techniques have been applied to Diamond Light Source, the UK's national synchrotron facility. Electron beam motion in synchrotrons is considered as a large-scale, two-dimensional process and by using basis functions, controllable modes of the process are identified which are independent and allow the design to be approached in terms of a family of single-input, single-output transfer functions. This thesis develops techniques for the design and analysis of controllers to achieve sub-micron accuracy on the position of electron beams for the optimal performance of synchrotrons. The techniques have been applied to Diamond Light Source, the UK's national synchrotron facility. Electron beam motion in synchrotrons is considered as a large-scale, two-dimensional process and by using basis functions, controllable modes of the process are identified which are independent and allow the design to be approached in terms of a family of single-input, single-output transfer functions. In this thesis, loop shaping concepts for dynamical systems are applied to the two-dimensional frequency domain to meet closed loop specifications. Spatial uncertainties are modelled by complex Fourier matrices and the closed loop robust stability, in the presence of spatial uncertainties is analysed within an Integral Quadratic Constraint framework. Two extensions to the unconstrained, single-actuator array controller design are considered. The first being anti-windup augmentation to give satisfactory performance when rate limit constraints are imposed on the actuators and the second being a strategy to account for two arrays of actuators with different dynamics. The resulting control schemes offer both stability and performance guarantees within structures that are feasible for online computation in real time.

Keywords: integral quadratic constraints
cross-directional control
internal model control
synchrotron
anti-windup compensation
Advisor: Duncan, S
Pseudo-Arcadius' Epitome of Herodian's Περὶ καθολικῆς προσῳδίας; with a critical edition and notes on Books 1-8

This thesis is a new edition of the Preface and Books 1-8 of Pseudo-Arcadius’ Epitome of Herodian’s Περὶ καθολικῆς προσῳδίας. It includes an introduction, critical apparatus, apparatus of parallel passages and notes on the text, and is intended as a contribution to modern Herodianic studies.
Most of our knowledge of Greek accentuation is due to Herodian’s lost Περὶ καθολικῆς προσῳδίας. The main sources for this work, an epitome misattributed to Arcadius and another by John Philoponus, do not have modern critical editions. Lentz’s only collected edition of Herodian’s works (1867-70) is difficult to work with, because Lentz attempts to reconstruct Herodian’s work rather than to lay out the surviving evidence.
The new critical edition of Pseudo-Arcadius’ Epitome is a response to the need for new and separate editions of the sources for the Περὶ καθολικῆς προσῳδίας. A new edition of this text is important because the previous two editions (Barker 1820, Schmidt 1860) have many weaknesses; neither editor examined all the surviving manuscripts, and they did not read the manuscripts themselves but used copies made by other people.
My new examination of all the surviving manuscripts, excepting some very late and uncontroversially derivative manuscripts, comes to a new conclusion about their interrelations. The two manuscripts which I am the first to employ turn out to be the only non-derivative manuscripts, and therefore by far the most important. They enable us to improve the text significantly.
My introduction includes a substantial new evaluation of the interpolated or doubtful sections in the epitome, whose study is impeded by confusion as to their date and relationships to other works. It also discusses the authorship of this epitome, and its grammatical terminology and concepts.
Another innovation is the apparatus of parallel passages. The collection of other texts that have derived material from Herodian shows the extent of Herodian’s influence on later grammatical texts. The parallel passages, as witnesses to Herodian’s text in some form, often enable us to correct the text of Pseudo-Arcadius’ Epitome.
A further contribution of my thesis consists of the commentary, which discusses corrupt passages, features of the text that have never been explained before, and places where specific details of the epitomator’s methods can be identified. The commentary also provides argumentation supporting decisions taken in editing the text, and other helpful information for the understanding of the text.

Keywords: Greek language
Greek accentuation
Arcadius
Herodian
Advisor: Probert, P
Wilson, N
Understanding lineage-specific biology through comparative genomics

A major challenge in biology is to identify how different species arose and acquired distinct phenotypic traits. High-throughput sequencing is transforming our understanding of biology by allowing us to study genomes and cellular processes at genome-wide levels. Only a decade subsequent to the publication of the first human genome draft, genome assemblies of hundreds of organisms have been produced. Yet, genome analysis remains challenging and advances have lagged far behind our sequencing abilities and other technological advances. The next generation of comparative genomicists must therefore understand, invent and apply a wide number of computational tools in order to study biology in the most efficient manner and in order to pose the most interesting questions. This thesis spans areas covering evolutionary genomics, gene regulation, and computational methods development. A major aim was to understand how genetic variation contributes to variation in phenotypic traits. This was approached using a large variety of evolutionary and comparative genomics tools. In particular, high-throughput sequencing datasets were analysed to study single-cell transcriptomics, gene duplications, gene architecture evolution, and alternative splicing. Additionally, in cases where off-the-shelf analysis tools were inexistent, novel pipelines and programs were designed and implemented to solve algorithmic problems such as scaffolding genome assemblies and short-read mapping onto small exons.

Keywords: Genomics
Evolution
Computational Biology
Advisor: Ponting, C
Copley, R
Electron spin properties of carbon based manomaterials: metallofullerenes, nanotubes and peapods

The successful utilization of carbon nanomaterials in future electron spin-based technologies is highly dependent upon the ability to control their assembly at the nanoscale to form tailored solid-state architectures. Spin active metallofullerenes (MFs), Sc@C82 and La@C82,/sub>, can be self assembled in 3D fullerene crystals or inside a carbon nanotube to form peapod structures.
Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are an architect material to potentially allow the formation of 1-D spin chains. SWCNTs should be optimised to allow formation of spin chains and free of magnetic catalyst and carbon impurities, which have previously limited investigations of SWCNT spin properties. To address this, SWCNTs produced by laser ablation with a non-magnetic PtRhRe catalyst were purified through a multiple step centrifugation process in order to remove amorphous carbon and catalyst impurities. Centrifugation of SWCNT solutions resulted in sedimentation of carbon nanotube bundles containing clusters of catalyst particles, while isolated nanotubes with reduced catalyst particle content remained in the supernatant. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals were detected only for samples which contained catalyst particles, with the ultracentrifuged SWCNTs showing no EPR signal at X-band (9.4 GHz) and fields ≤0.4 T.
Integration of MFs into future devices requires a clear understanding of the nature of the spin and spin-spin interactions. Evaluating the spin properties of MFs, in both 3D (crystals) and 1D (peapods), will identify the spin-spin interactions and the affect of the surrounding SWCNT. Diluting spin active Sc@C82 and La@C82 MFs in a diamagnetic C60 matrix, between 0.4% and 100%, permitted the tuning of the mean fullerene separation and thus interfullerene spin interactions. In dilute concentrations of MFs the hyper ne structure was resolved in EPR and with increasing concentration exchange narrowing was observed as a single narrow EPR peak.
Encapsulation of Sc@C82 MFs, of varying dilutions, into purified SWCNTs allowed formation of highly ordered 1-D array of metallofullerenes. Changing the spin environment from 3D crystal to 1D peapod resulted in the loss of the observed hyperfine structure in EPR. A single narrow peak was observed for Sc@C82:C60 peapods, indicating significant affect of the surrounding SWCNT structure upon the spin interactions of 1D metallofullerenes. Peapods of Ce@C82 showed a similar EPR signal, suggesting that the observed narrow peak arises from charge transfer between the MF cage and the surrounding SWCNT.

Keywords: peapods
nanotubes
carbon
nanomaterials
metallofullerenes
spin properties
electron spin resonance
Advisor: Briggs, A
Warner, J
Matroids and complexity

We consider different ways of describing a matroid to a Turing machine by listing the members of various families of subsets, and we construct an order on these different methods of description. We show that, under this scheme, several natural matroid problems are complete in classes thought not to be equal to P.
We list various results linking parameters of basis graphs to parameters of their associated matroids. For small values of k we determine which matroids have the clique number, chromatic number, or maximum degree of their basis graphs bounded above by k. If P is a class of graphs that is closed under isomorphism and induced subgraphs, then the set of matroids whose basis graphs belong to P is closed under minors. We characterise the minor-closed classes that arise in this way, and exhibit several examples.
One way of choosing a basis of a matroid at random is to select a total ordering of the ground set uniformly at random and use the greedy algorithm. We consider the class of matroids having the property that this procedure chooses a basis uniformly at random.
Finally we consider a problem mentioned by Oxley. He asked if, for every two elements and n - 2 cocircuits in an n-connected matroid, there is a circuit that contains both elements and that meets every cocircuit. We show that a slightly stronger property holds for regular matroids.

Keywords: basis-graph
matroid theory
complexity
Advisor: Welsh, D
Simulations of mass accretion onto dark matter haloes and angular momentum transfer to a Milky Way disk at high redshift

This thesis presents results from two simulation studies of galaxy formation. In the first project, a dark-matter-only HORIZON simulation is used to investigate the environment and redshift dependence of mass accretion onto haloes and subhaloes. It is found that the halo accretion rate varies less strongly with redshift than predicted by the Extended Press--Schechter formalism, and that low accretion events may drive the radio-mode feedback hypothesized for recent galaxy formation models. The subhaloes at z<0.5 in the simulation accrete at higher rates than haloes, on average, and it is argued that this is due to their enhanced clustering at small scales. There is no dependence of accretion rate on environment at zsim2, but a weak correlation emerges at zleq0.5. The results further support previous suggestions that at z>1, dark matter haloes and their associated black holes grew coevally, but imply that haloes could be accreting at fractional rates that are up to a factor of 3--4 higher than their associated black holes by the present day.
In the second project, outputs from one of the Adaptive Mesh Refinement NUT simulations are analyzed in order to test whether filamentary flows of cold gas are responsible for the build-up of angular momentum within a Milky Way type disk at zgeq3. A set of algorithms are presented that use the resolved physical scale of 12,mathrmpc to identify: (i) the central gas disk and its plane of orientation; (ii) the complex individual filament trajectories that connect to the disk, and; (iii) the infalling satellites. The results suggest that two filaments at zgtrsim5.5, which later merge to form a single filament at zlesssim4, drive the angular momentum and mass budget of the disk between 3lesssimzlesssim8, whereas luminous satellite mergers make negligible fractional contributions. These findings hence provide strong quantitative evidence that the growth of thin disks in low mass haloes at high redshift is supported via inflowing streams of cold gas.

Keywords: numerical simulations
galaxy formation
cosmology theory
Advisor: Miller, L
Slyz, A