VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A comparison of the linguistic encoding of artificial-intelligence-generated academic essays and academic essays written by MSc ALSLA 2022-23 students

Background
The aim of this study was to establish whether artificial-intelligence (AI) generated essays can be differentiated reliably from human written essays in terms of linguistic features and n-gram word sequences. It also aimed to assess the quality of AI-generated essays compared to essays written by humans, and whether expert raters can differentiate between both types.
Through generative AI, people can input parameters into online software to generate different types of discourse within minutes. Though these discourses include songs, graphic art, and computer codes, one of the main concerns for educational boards globally is the use of generative AI for academic essays. Using generative AI to create essays and submitting it as one’s own undermines the fundamentals of assessment, authorship, and academic integrity. Hence, it is important to conduct research on such discourse to analyze the style in which AI can write, and how similar or distinct it is from students’ work.
Methods
A corpus of essays responding to a typical graduate-level essay prompt (seven written by MSc students and seven generated by AI) was analyzed for textual and authorial features that might help differentiate between the two. Specifically, (1) the Jaccard’s Index (a measure of linguistic similarity and difference) was calculated for each set of essays; (2) n-grams analysis was performed to determine the frequency and purpose of reoccurring long word sequences; (3) adaptive comparative judgment of the essays by university lecturers was undertaken to assess the relative quality of the essays; and (4) a ‘Turing test’ by university lecturers was performed to assess whether they can identify which essays were AI generated and which were human written when they have been told that the corpus contains the two.
Results
All essays varied in terms of linguistic features, references, length, errors, subheadings, and stylistic markers. AI-generated essays contain more 5-gram word sequences than essays written by students, despite being shorter. Lecturers tend to rate student essays as better and of more depth than AI essays; and in most cases, lecturers can differentiate between AI-generated and human written texts when they know that a corpus contains both types.

Keywords: ALSLA
ALSLA2023
Advisor: Chalmers, H
Extinction by hybridisation in the wild Rock Doves of the British Isles

Hybridisation can lead to genomic admixture between populations that were previously isolated. Increased anthropogenic transportation of species, along with habitat and climate change mediating contact of populations, has caused multiple cases of ‘extinction by hybridisation’. This is when introgression leads to the loss of a population or species as a form distinct from its hybridising relative. In this thesis, I use the undomesticated Rock Dove (Columba livia) and its widespread conspecific, the feral pigeon, to explore the process of genomic replacement that characterises ‘extinction by hybridisation’. Specifically: (i) I review the scientific and conservation importance of the wild forms of domestic animals, and discuss the threats they face following gene flow from their feral conspecifics; (ii) I introduce the Rock Dove, outlining its status in the British Isles, and highlight its currently poor conservation prospects given ongoing interbreeding with the superabundant feral pigeon; (iii) I carry out the first population genomic study of the wild Rock Dove, identifying both hybrid populations as well as those exhibiting negligible signs of feral pigeon introgression; (iv) I show that interbreeding correlates with increased genomic diversity in hybridising populations, and discuss the potential benefits of gene flow between the lineages; (v) I show that plumage patterns can be used, at a population level, to make inferences about the extent of hybridisation in different Rock Dove colonies, and (vi) I examine variation in the prevalence and diversity of the disease- causing parasite Trichomonas among wild, feral and hybrid populations of Columba livia, and suggest that disease transmission may influence patterns of gene flow. Overall, this body of work extends our understanding of the process of extinction by hybridisation, specifically relating to scattered, relictual undomesticated populations which are in contact with conspecific feral domestic populations. It also provides a greater understanding of the wild Rock Dove’s genomic status and basic biology. Characterisation of the wild Rock Dove will extend the utility of the domestic pigeon as a major model organism in urban evolution, developmental genetics, and behavioural science, by allowing for a greater understanding of trait evolution and natural behaviour in a species which has been predominantly studied in a laboratory setting.

Keywords: natural history
hybridisation
zoology
extinction
Advisor: Clegg, S
Sheldon, B
Adaptive optics for phase and polarization control

Adaptive optics (AO) is a powerful tool for microscopy. It helps to improve the image quality and resolution by correcting the aberrations that arise in the optical system or through external disturbance. Most AO technologies concern phase distortion, which is the main issue in the mainstream microscopies.
However, the correction is limited by the capabilities of the adaptive optical devices, e.g. in correction range and correction accuracy. Apart from that, phase distortion is not the only aberration that can affect microscopes. Polarization error is also a major concern for some polarization-sensitive microscopes such as Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy (STED) and Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM).
Therefore, in this thesis, I firstly investigated the capabilities and limitations of a phase correction device, a deformable mirror (DM), specifically its correction range and accuracy based on Zernike mode aberrations. Then an adaptive polarization control (APC) system was developed through both hardware and software aspects. The APC consists of polarization state generator (PSG) and polarization state analyzer (PSA). The two modules were investigated separately first and then integrated together.
The system functionality was then demonstrated using different kinds of samples. Results show that this system is able to correct the external birefringence disturbance dynamically and the measurements could be tailored to the ability of prior knowledge about on the samples. This system could be combined with conventional phase AO methods to provide further improvements in system correction in applications ranging from quantum optics to microscopy imaging.

Advisor: Booth, MJ
The construct validity and fairness of the international baccalaureate diploma programme mathematics internal assessment: a case study of the assessment at the United World College, China

This thesis outlines the findings of a mixed-methods study of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) Mathematics Internal Assessment (IA) carried out from students' and teachers' perspectives at an IB school in China. The present study examines the construct validity and fairness of the DP mathematics IA in the 2021–2022 academic year. The study took place in 2022, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, when IB examinations were cancelled in addition to school closures and other measures. The study of the validity and fairness of mathematics internal assessment in the context of a highly uncommon set of circumstances, as well as the lessons that may be learnt from these, is therefore given a new dimension.
The study used a mixed-methods approach, including two phases. Phase One included semi-structured interviews with five teachers and 13 students at UWC China. A survey of students' perceptions of assessment criteria with an evaluation of the validity of mathematics IA was also conducted in Phase One. Phase Two comprised quantitative analyses of Diploma Programme Year 2 students' mathematics internal assessment results and their final grades, as well as the relationship between IBDP mathematics performance and academic records of other domains.
The correlation coefficient was utilized to explain the degree to which the mathematics IA grades are associated with the mathematics final assessment grades awarded by the International Baccalaureate. The findings revealed a moderate correlation between IA scores and final mathematics grades. Furthermore, IB mathematics grades correlated significantly with physics (r = .556) but weakly with English (r = .27), which indicates that students' IA grades were valid and fair. The interview with teachers and students suggested that clearer assessment criteria and new explanatory skills of the construct should be revisited.
These findings highlight some important implications for educators regarding the validity of IA grades, which may be used in the predicted grades or by international organizations for awarding the final marks. First, it is critical for both students and teachers to understand the subject and tiering of mathematics courses and comprehend the assessment objectives, which highlights a new requirement expected of learners rather than just at the subject level. Second, the construct of mathematics IA in requiring new skills has been revisited. In addition, it’s recommended that there are five main aspects in order to support effective teaching and learning in empirical practice. Last but not least, it should be borne in mind that the study took place in China in 2022, when IB examinations were cancelled due to COVID-19. This research suggests that when conducting mathematics internal assessments throughout the epidemic, research and transferable abilities are highlighted for gains beyond construct validity comprehension.

Keywords: MEA 2022
FE and HE or FE versus HE: an analysis of perspectives from college and university leaders in England

This study explores the relationship between Further Education Colleges and Universities as tertiary providers in England, by interviewing participants from the two sectors to understand their thoughts and views. The relationships are discussed in terms of collaboration or competition within the strains of quasi-market logic, student choice, and institutional identity. With students being increasingly viewed as consumers and the branding of provision appearing to be just as strategic as the delivery models, there is tension between institutions as they compete for attention. However, this is far from a fair fight. With radically different funding structures, political interest and public knowledge, the Further Education sector is the David to Universities' Goliath; however, where exactly the slingshot is coming from has not yet been decided. With Colleges struggling to curate and maintain their identity, themes of victimhood and the force of marketisation are an ever-present struggle for these institutions, often resulting in scathing reviews from their colleagues. The future of this relationship is presented as a fraught and tense one, with Universities confident in their prestige and Colleges trying to educate other people’s children. With the hope of collaboration in the future, the issue, for now, remains for Colleges to try to establish their own identity.

Keywords: collaboration
FE
market
HE
marketisation
competition
colleges
tertiary
further education
vocational
relationship
marketization
identity
Advisor: Robson, J
Development of a durable and efficacious pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine 

Despite the licensing of RTS,S/AS01 as the first malaria vaccine by WHO, development of a durable and efficacious malaria vaccine is still needed to achieve 75% efficacy as targeted in Malaria Vaccine Technology Roadmap. While the identification of more immunogenic pre-erythrocytic malaria antigens is still ongoing, CSP and TRAP are two of the most promising antigens for the subunit pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines. This thesis aims to improve the subunit pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines targeting CSP and TRAP that have been evaluated in clinical trials. First, Adenovirus and MVA vaccines encoding TRAP antigen were improved by substituting the antigen sequence with the African strain sequence that is more relevant to the vaccine deployment region. The vaccines induced high T-cell response and protected more mice against malaria infection following challenge with transgenic P. berghei sporozoite expressing homologous P. falciparum TRAP compared to Adenovirus-MVA vector vaccine encoding ME-TRAP, which contain heterologous strain antigen sequence. Secondly, the concept of combining virus-like particle vaccine modalities with an Adenovirus vector was investigated, using CSP antigen as a model, to produce a vaccine that induced high antibody and CD8 T-cell responses, which are required for protection against malaria infection. Subsequently, the strategy was expanded to include multiple antigens, CSP and TRAP, that may improve the protection by inducing broad immune responses against different pre-erythrocytic antigens. Lastly, the strategy to broaden the antibody response against subdominant epitope within CSP antigen, which is known to contain protective epitope, was evaluated using heterologous vaccinations. This strategy induces a high antibody response against subdominant epitope that correlates with protection against sporozoite infection in vivo and in vitro. Together, these preclinical studies have provided valuable information for the clinical development of pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines targeting CSP and TRAP antigens.

Keywords: CSP
TRAP
liver-stage
pre-erythrocytic
malaria
Advisor: Hill, A
Spencer, A
Late-stage C-H activation of spiropiperidines via evolved P450BM3 mutants and its application to fragment-based drug discovery

This thesis describes the synthesis of spirocyclic piperidines, specifically 6-azaspiro[4.5]decane and 7-azaspiro[4.5]decane, and the late-stage functionalisation of the synthesised piperidines via P450BM3 mutants. Utilisation of the newly-installed hydroxyl group as a synthetic handle was also explored, with the aim of demonstrating the potential of P450BM3 catalysis to Fragment-Based Drug Discovery.
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to Fragment-Based Drug Discovery and a review of the major synthetic studies towards spirocyclic piperidines. Subsequently, the significance of C−H functionalisation and the various aspects of P450BM3 applications are discussed.
Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of 6-azaspiro[4.5]decane and its substrate engineering to access hydroxylated products at various unactivated positions. Molecular Dynamics simulations and molecular docking were employed to investigate the underlying ligand-protein interactions.
Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of 7-azaspiro[4.5]decane and its substrate engineering to access hydroxylated products. Analogous to Chapter 2, computational methods were also employed to study ligand-protein interactions.
Chapter 4 explores the utilisation of the hydroxyl group introduced by P450BM3 mutants as a synthetic handle for functional group diversification. Numerous synthetic reactions were performed and the results are discussed.
Finally, Chapter 5 details the protein engineering of P450BM3 mutants to optimise the conversion and selectivity of a selected metabolite via docking-guided mutagenesis. Computational and experimental results were compared by considering different factors in the docking algorithms.

Keywords: spiropiperidines
late stage CH functionalisation
late stage CH activation
biocatalysis
P450
cytochrome P450
P450BM3
CH activation
Advisor: Robertson, J
Agency in transit: social negotiations of Pakistani women in international higher education

This study is an exploration of the agencies afforded to Pakistani women who receive international postgraduate higher education. It examines (a) the influence of various social relations on their agency and (b) evaluations of surrounding processes and ultimate outcomes of agentive decisions. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews are conducted with ten globally-situated Pakistani women who completed postgraduate and graduate outside of Pakistan up to six years ago. The work of Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Lila Abu-Lughod, and Saba Mahmood is drawn to contextualise the complex nuances of localised agency of Pakistani women which transcends liberal feminist and Western notions. The research - by examining women’s navigations through higher education - uniquely contributes to scholarship surrounding their agency by presenting a process-over-outcome conceptualization that expands traditional/universalised understandings. In doing so, it shows us how little we know about the diversity of women’s agency and the pathways through which they conceptualise their power. This work thus highlights the need for deeper engagement with women’s lived experiences surrounding agentive decision-making processes.

Keywords: intersectional
women
higher education
feminism
diversity
agency
Global South
Pakistan
international
CIE2023
negotiations
decision-making
Advisor: Khalid, A
Singular instantons and parabolic bundles over complex surfaces

Let (X,Σ) be a pair consisting of a Riemannian 4-manifold and an embedded surface and G a compact connected Lie group. A singular G-instanton on X\Σ is one not extending to X and the singularity is encoded in a conjugacy class in G, the holonomy along Σ.
When X = C2 and Σ is a complex line we show that if the holonomy along Σ has a certain property there is a natural correspondence between euclidean G-instantons on C2\Σ and suitable holomorphic objects on (P2, Σ, D∞) called parabolic framings, where D∞ = P2\C2. As a corollary we obtain a classification of G-instantons on S4\S2 for the round metric in terms of parabolic framings which in the trivial case of no singularities gives a new proof of Donaldson Theorem on framed bundles [D1], and a classification of hyperbolic G-monopoles with arbitrary mass and charge in terms of based rational maps of P1 into flag manifolds proving conjectures of Atiyah [A1] and Garland-Murray [GM].
Using the techniques developed and Simpson existence Theorem, [S], when (X, Σ) is a compact complex Kähler pair and G = U(n) or SU(n) we also obtain a natural correspondence between irreducible instantons on X\Σ and stable parabolic vector bundles on (X, Σ) proving the “Parabolic bundles conjecture” of Kronheimer [K].
We then construct moduli spaces of stable parabolic and framed parabolic bundles and of singular instantons and carry out a comparison of the deformation theories where the correspondence is proved showing that there always is an infinitesimal isomorphism which is a diffeomorphism at smooth points. As a consequence we obtain the smoothness of all moduli spaces of irreducible G-instantons on S4\ S2, sufficient topological conditions for the existence of G-instantons on S4\S2 with prescribed holonomy along S2 and necessary and sufficient topological conditions when G = SU(n) proving a conjecture of Kronheimer-Mrowka [KM1]. We also deduce that the extended moduli spaces of instantons on S4\S2, where the holonomy along S2 is allowed to vary with fixed centralizer, are products so that the diffeomorphism type of the moduli space depends on the holonomy along S2 only up to its centralizer in G. Corresponding results for hyperbolic monopoles also follow.

Keywords: complex surfaces
algebraic geometry
singular instantons
moduli theory
parabolic bundles
Taxonomy and ecology of the British species of drosophila

Various species of Drosophila, because of their short generation time and large salivary gland chromosomes, have proved to be admirably suited for genetic research. In recent years, the great steps taken in studies of population genetics and evolutionary investigations have made it increasingly inportant that the taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of the various species should be studied.
In Great Britain, there are twenty eight species on the check list. Twenty-one of them have been classifed into four of the five subgenera set out by Sturtevant; seven of them are as yet unclassified. A key is given for the British species of Drosophila, with references to full descriptions of the various species by other authors.
Where the nomenclature of a particular species is confused, it is discussed.
Continued in thesis ...

Keywords: ecology
British
Drosophila
species
taxonomy
Post/Colonial Ghana, elites, and education

This dissertation critically examines how colonial missionary education in Ghana has shaped its students’ life chances and attitudes, and subsequent international schooling choices for their own children. Despite regaining independence from colonial rule in 1957, with a campaign born of the Pan-Africanism movement, Ghana’s elites are still looking to the West to educate their children; with ‘Britishness’ continuing to play a central role in the acquisition and maintenance of elite status in postcolonial Ghana. Through interviewing elite Ghanaians who were educated by the Scottish missionaries in the two decades post-independence; the children of missionary educated parents, whose primary and/or secondary education took place in the UK; and a retired university expert on the Scottish Presbyterian Church in Ghana, this dissertation reveals how social class reproduction in Ghana is both a complex and multifaceted process involving the intersection between class and race. Through applying a ‘postcolonial constructivist’ methodology (Adem, 2021), and by theoretically engaging with both Bourdieu’s (1984) ‘theory of practice’ and Fanon’s (1967) ‘thesis on whiteness’, this dissertation confirms much of postcolonial analysis, and is indicative of the broader asymmetrical power relations that exist between Africa and the West. That is, that the legacy of colonialism, and missionary education more specifically, has upheld the British as the main purveyors of elite identity is postcolonial Ghana. As a result, and regardless of current governmental efforts to encourage the diaspora to return, if this ‘colonial inheritance’ continues to cast a shadow over Ghana’s own indigenous heritage, then the country may potentially be deprived of some of its own skilled human capital, that is so necessary for both its economic and social development.

Keywords: education
interviews
CIE2022
CIE
post-colonial
religion
elites
Ghana
colonial
Advisor: Gearon, L
Digitally mediated education and outreach practices in cultural heritage institutions in the UK

This qualitative study seeks to address the limited amount of research available concerning the rapid change in Cultural Heritage (CH) learning and outreach working practices, experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of UK-based CH learning and outreach teams, around their increased use of online and digital learning tools during the pandemic and identify any subsequent influences these tools had on their current onsite and offsite programme delivery strategies, pedagogical approaches and collaborative ways of working. Data was gathered through 39 online surveys and 18 semi-structured interviews with CH professionals, working in learning, outreach and engagement settings. The data was transcribed and coded. A thematic analysis approach to the data revealed three prominent themes: Removal of the Default, Dragged by Sheer Necessity into the New World and Step Change. These themes provide insight into the multiple influences online and digital learning tools can have on CH learning and outreach programmes and provide a reflective guide on best practice for CH practitioners wishing to implement them.

Keywords: digital learning
online surveys
offsite Programming
DSC
synchronous
cultural heritage
onsite programming
DSC2022
asynchronous
pedagogical approaches
skills development
COVID-19 pandemic
outreach
online learning
expert interviews
Advisor: Winters, N