VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Contextualism challenged: three puzzles concerning indexicality and context-sensitivity

This thesis contains three papers, Indexicality and Co-Reference, Subtle Indexicals: Kaplanian Semantics and the Answering Machine Paradox, and Compounds in Context. Each paper presents a set of linguistic data that challenges our understanding of context-sensitivity. The first two papers consider certain utterances of indexical-containing sentences and show that Kaplan’s theory of indexicals cannot assign the correct content to the utterances in question. The third paper rebuts an argument according to which a certain version of Contextualism is incoherent with the Principle of Compositionality.
Indexicality and Co-Reference considers sentences in which a given indexical occurs multiply, such as ‘The man I see now is younger than the man I see now’. While there are true utterances of this sentence, Kaplan’s account implies that all of the sentence’s utterances are false. Although Kaplan’s theory can be revised so as to avoid the problem, the revised theory is substantially less attractive than the original theory.
Subtle Indexicals presents and ultimately strengthens the so-called Answering Machine Paradox. Roughly, while Kaplan’s theory implies that utterances of ‘now’ and ‘here’ always refer to the time and place of the utterance, there is linguistic evidence to the contrary, including instances of the so-called historic present: ‘It is 14 July 1789. Now the partisans storm the Bastille.’ Several solutions to the paradox are considered, but it is argued that they are unsuccessful.
Compounds in Context takes a more positive stance. The paper notes that noun-compounds like ‘carbon filter’ and ‘fish van’ are intuitively context-sensitive. Then an argument is presented according to which Contextualism about noun-compounds is inconsistent with the Principle of Compositionality. The argument is rebutted and a Contextualist semantic theory for noun-compounds is developed.
In sum, each paper starts from linguistic intuitions, shows that taking these intuitions at face value leads to a puzzle about context-sensitivity, and asks whether a semantic theory can be developed that solves the puzzle.
Lateral and vertical nanoelectronic devices using chemical vapour deposition grown 2D materials

In this thesis, field effect transistors (FETs), tunnel barrier transistors (TBTs), and photodetector based on monolayer and bilayer molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) and tungsten disulphide (WS2) 2D crystals, all synthesized using the bottom-up and scalable approach of chemical vapour deposition method (CVD), are studied. The devices are investigated in both lateral devices and vertical device configurations.
The first chapter of results probes the changes in FET performance at the grain boundaries (GBs) of WS2 crystals, which are intrinsically formed during material growth and correlates it to the photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Kevin Probe Microscopy (KPM) results. Nanoelectronic FETs are fabricated in pristine area, parallel to GBs, as well as perpendicular to GBs in order to understand the impact of GBs on the charge transport characteristics. The threshold voltage, which is a key FET variable is observed to shift towards the negative direction when a GB is parallel to the conductive channel compared with that of devices based on pristine WS2, demonstrating that along the GB, the electronic properties are distinct and this causes modulation in the intrinsic FET behaviour.
The second chapter of results explores the use of graphene electrodes with a unique vertical stacked cross bar geometry. WS2 is employed as the semiconducting photoactive layer sandwiched between two graphene electrodes to form vertical TBTs that also acts as photodetectors. The photo-generated charge carriers in WS2 tunnel to top and bottom graphene electrodes with different probabilities, resulting in a net photocurrent. Increasing the thickness of WS2 from monolayer to bilayer in the graphene/WS2/graphene vertical devices leads to strong photovoltaic behaviour, which is observed due to the long lifetime of the interlayer exciton formed in photo-active bilayer as opposed to monolayer WS2.
The third chapter of results demonstrates mixed heterobilayer (MoS2:WS2) stacks for vertical TBTs. In order to enhance the photovoltaic effect observed in the previous chapter in vertical devices, the bilayer photo-active WS2 layer is substituted by MoS2/WS2. An atomic sharp type-II band alignment formed between the MoS2/WS2 interface is found to facilitate the formation of interlayer excitons with long lifetime through charge separation, which is understood to enhance strong photovoltaic effect. By reversing the MoS2:WS2 stack direction the direction of the photocurrent is observed to be dictated by the type-II interface rather than the differences in the magnitude of the tunnel barriers at the graphene interfaces.

Advisor: Warner, J
Characterisation of ultrashort pulses

The main topic of this thesis is the development of new characterization techniques for Ultrashort pulses with particular focus on pulses with complex spectra, often obtained with light pulse synthesisers. More in detail, I have addressed the longstanding problem of retrieving the spectral phase of a pulse which exhibits a spectral gap, i.e. a spectral null larger than any of the spectral features of the pulse. The major challenge in this scenario is attaining a reliable reconstruction of the relative spectral phase between the spectral components. I discuss the different approaches that I have employed in order to achieve this objective.
The first result has been the realisation of a low-power XFROG for the charac- terisation of a coherent pulse synthesis source developed by Prof. D. Reid’s group at Heriot-Watt University. We used it to characterise, compress, and synchronise the individual components of the source, however the relative phase remained elusive. In order to solve this problem, a radically new characterisation technique needed to be implemented. This consisted in the development of a new algorithm (MICE), which enabled the mutual characterisation of multiple fields, and in a new experimental implementation of the well-known SPIDER technique (SPICE). Both the algorithm and the new technique have been tested experimentally in a proof-of-principle experiment which constitutes the main result of this work. The appeal of these solutions for mastering light synthesisers will likely stimulate further refinements towards making it the standard technique for complex spectra.

Keywords: Metrology
Ultrafast
Optics
Advisor: Walmsley, IA
Controlling shareholders and fiduciary duties in common law Asia

This thesis is the first monograph to provide a critical and comparative examination of the question of why, when, by whom, and how fiduciary duties should be imposed on controlling shareholders in the listed companies in the four common law jurisdictions in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and India) as well as how those duties can be enforced. Because different ownership structures (i.e. dispersed versus concentrated) give rise to different corporate governance problems (i.e. separation of ownership and control versus extractions of private benefits of control), the question is whether the four Asian jurisdictions should depart from the current UK legal position (on which their laws are based)—shareholders do not owe fiduciary duties to the company—and impose such duties on the controlling shareholders. This thesis provides an affirmative answer and seeks to make three contributions. First, this thesis calls into question a long-standing, fundamental legal principle that shareholders unlike directors, should not owe fiduciary duties to the company as they can vote as they please and they are not agents. Second, this thesis deepens the existing analysis of the strategies that have been used to address extractions of private benefits of control by controlling shareholders by demonstrating that they are not only deficient, but they also fail to regulate other types of conflicts of interest which can give rise to tunneling. Finally, this thesis advances the debate on a central and fundamental concept in corporate law and governance—the interests of the company—from a normative, legal and empirical perspective by showing that corporate interest need not be equated with shareholders’ or stakeholders’ interests, but could refer to the long-term value and viability of the company.

Advisor: Payne, J
Dynamics of Shigella intracellular replication and plasmid maintenance

Shigella spp. are human specific bacterial pathogens that are an important cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Shigella flexneri can invade into epithelial cells, and survive within the intracellular compartment. Escape from the vacuole and replication in the host cell cytosol are critical for S. flexneri virulence. However, little is known about the basis of bacterial replication inside host cells. There are significant limitations with current methods to study intracellular replication, so fluorescence dilution, which has been developed for studying intracellular salmonellosis was applied to understand the dynamics of S. flexneri survival at a single cell level. Limitations of fluorescence dilution became apparent when it was used to examine interactions of bacteria with non-phagocytic cells.
All species of Shigella express a Type III secretion system (T3SS) which is essential for virulence and encoded on a pathogenicity island (PAI). The T3SS PAI is located on a large > 210 kb virulence plasmid, pINV, which is present as single copy in the bacterium. S. flexneri loses pINV during growth in the laboratory, but the mechanisms governing its maintenance are largely unaffected by environmental conditions except the ambient temperature. Shigella sonnei is increasingly becoming an emerging pathogen, which loses pINV at a higher rate than S. flexneri. Toxin-antitoxin systems on S. flexneri and S. sonnei contribute to the vertical transmission of pINV in Shigella populations by mediating post-segregational killing (PSK).
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) system, VapBC, from S. sonnei and S. flexneri have a profound effect on plasmid retention. Additionally, I demonstrated that the genetic background influences the ability of TA systems to mediate PSK and therefore plasmid maintenance. This is due to the different profiles of the target of VapC, tRNAfMet, in Shigella spp. and E. coli. Subtle differences in plasmid maintenance systems and the targets of TA systems can have profound effects on plasmid biology.

Keywords: Shigella flexneri
Advisor: Tang, C
Investigating the role of ERCC6L2 in the DNA damage response

ERCC6L2 is a SNF2 ATPase found mutated in a small number of patients with severe bone marrow failure (BMF). Studies identifying ERCC6L2 mutations have suggested a role for this uncharacterised protein in the DNA damage response (DDR), but its function has remained unclear. Beyond a conserved catalytic core coupling ATP hydrolysis to a DNA translocase activity, ERCC6L2 contains a Tudor domain and a number of patches of strongly conserved residues, but no other characterised domains are annotated. This project aimed to ascertain whether or not ERCC6L2 is involved in specific arms of the DDR and to investigate the contributions of putative functional domains to such a role. This doctoral thesis confirms a role for ERCC6L2 in the response to DNA damage. Experiments using overexpressed ERCC6L2 indicate that ERCC6L2 is recruited to sites of DNA damage in a manner dependent on several different regions of the protein, none of which are characterised domains. Notably, a range of clinical ERCC6L2 mutants fail to localise to DNA damage sites, perhaps explaining a DDR defect in ERCC6L2-mutant patients. Clonogenic survival assays using ERCC6L2-/- cell lines are sensitive to DNA damage-inducing agents known to cause DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and DNA replication perturbations. Notably, ERCC6L2’s role in the response to these drugs is dependent on its ATPase activity, which is likely lost in several BMF-causing point mutations. Interestingly, ERCC6L2-/- cells also display a profound defect in DNA replication upon genotoxic treatment. Importantly, this defect is rescued by overexpression of wild-type ERCC6L2 but not by overexpression of a catalytic-dead mutant. Overall, this work demonstrates a role for ERCC6L2 in the DNA damage response, which is dependent on its catalytic activity, as well as identifying several important domains and features of ERCC6L2 which impact upon its function. Although the mechanistic basis of ERCC6L2 function in the context of DSB repair and/or DNA replication is still unclear, these findings might provide valuable insights into genome stability and the basis of ERCC6L2 deficiency disorders.

Advisor: Ahel, D
The influence of implementing classroom displays on student learning in mathematics

Classroom displays are common place in primary school and even in secondary school however, there is little research to suggest the influence that classroom displays can have on students in further education settings such as a large mainstream college. This study aims to explore and contribute to this gap in literature regarding classroom displays for students aged 16+. Focusing on my own classroom practice, this study endeavours to assess the influence that introducing and implementing student-led classroom displays can have on student learning experiences such as motivation, confidence and mindset. This study attempts to answer the following research questions:
• How has student motivation and confidence in the mathematics classroom changed with the implementation of displays?
• How has student mindset changed with the implementation of displays?
• Does giving students a voice in the creation of classroom displays promote or contribute to positive learning experiences?
Questionnaires were completed before and after the implementation of the new classroom displays by 28 students and semi-structured interviews were also carried out with two students and one Education Support Worker. Findings suggest that implementing student-led and well planned displays can have a positive influence on student motivation, confidence and mindset. As a result of implementing new classroom displays, there was an overall shift of 89% from negative to positive opinions of maths. Furthermore, there was a 75% increase in students ‘liking’ or ‘loving’ maths. Significantly, pre intervention 11% of students thought the displays aided their learning compared to 96% post intervention, indicating a massive 85% change towards positive opinions.

Keywords: MLT
MLT2018
Mathematics
Cheap box-ticking or effective CPD? An assessment of in-school teacher-led research as a school-wide professional development plan.

There is a current rise of in-school teacher-led research taking place in English Secondary Schools. This is driven by a need to engage teachers in compelling and relevant continuing professional development at low expense; and it is under-pinned by academic literature identifying research engagement as a significant influencing factor in school improvement.
This paper sets out to assess teachers’ perceptions of in-school teacher-led research as part of the continuing professional development offering at a comprehensive school. The research evaluated the delivery of continuing professional development sessions designed to engage teachers with academic literature and partake in evidence-based practice through the implementation of action research cycles. This research utilises a mixed-methods approach within a small-scale evaluative framework.
This paper finds that although teachers have a desire the be engaged with academic literature a key barrier to this was time and space to do so. The continuing professional development innovation was effective in that it facilitated teachers’ exposure to small digestible chunks of academic literature delivered through the INSET sessions. As a consequence of these sessions, teachers were keen to implement evidence-based practice within their classrooms, and effectively reflected on these actions. This engendered a culture of collaboration and reflection within the school. However, teachers failed to effectively implement fully circular action-research cycles with time and other teaching priorities identified as barriers to engagement.

Keywords: MLT2018
CPD
MLT
Contested pasts: improving sixth form students’ understanding of historical interpretations

The study of historical interpretations is a statutory requirement but is also important in and of itself: history can only be understood with recognition that the past is contested and that interpretations are formed through the activities of the disciplinary community. Moreover, as McAleavy (2002) has argued, through studying historical interpretations, students can grasp that there are ‘no monopolies on the truth’ - a crucial appreciation for an informed citizen.
This action research project aimed to discover how an introductory taught course, supplemented by supported independent study, could improve students’ understanding of historical interpretations in the context of their A-level coursework. Student interviews and questionnaires provided baseline data, which was reviewed, with the findings used to plan the introductory lessons. These focused particularly on increasing pupil awareness of the methodology of historians and the conventions of the disciplinary community they work within. Qualitative data, such as audio transcripts and pupil work, was collected and analysed during this period. Following the completion of these lessons, a further review demonstrated that whilst pupils had advanced in their understanding, further intervention was required to better equip them with the skills necessary to pursue independent evaluation of historical interpretations, and so a second action research cycle ensued. Pupils then undertook a period of supported independent study to produce their final assignment. Collaboration with colleagues was crucial to the success of the project, particularly during the planning stages, and in communication regarding pupil progress during their independent research and writing.
The findings demonstrate that pupils progressed in their understandings of how and why interpretations differ, although some unevenness is evident in the progress achieved between individual students. Focusing on the methodology and disciplinary constraints historians work under helped pupils to move away from simple subjectivist views of academic history, and gave them a deeper understanding of the discipline which they were able to communicate in their final essays. Ultimately, the process of researching and writing academic history needs to be made more transparent to pupils, and a greater focus on meaningful interpretations work should be included throughout Key Stage 3 and 4 in preparation for the demands of A-Level.

Keywords: MLT2018
MLT
Cultural spaces and learning identities: can engagement with museums and galleries change how sixth form students view learning?

This paper builds on and contributes to work in the field of museums and galleries in Education. Although a number of studies within the past thirty years have examined the relationship between these spaces and learning, there has not been a strong focus on sixth form students and the role these spaces can have for them, and their subjectivity of themselves as learners. As such, this study provides additional insights into how engagement with museums and galleries can influence how sixth form students perceive both learning, and themselves as learners. Doing so, I explore students’ experiences of visiting three cultural spaces - a combination of two museums and one gallery. This research differs from previous studies in that its preoccupation with sixth form students in this area has not been looked at previously, and through the gathering of qualitative data in an area of Education that is heavily quantitative. Moreover, in doing this it draws strongly on the work of poststructuralist thinkers: Bourdieu, Foucault and Lefebvre in bringing to light the discourses of power which (de)construct identity and subjectivities of self, as a response to experiencing museums and galleries. I argue that engaging with these spaces can impact on how students perceive learning and thus, themselves as learners.

Keywords: MLT2018
MLT
Numerical prediction of natural convection in gas turbines

Engineers desire to be able to predict natural convection flow and heat transfer in high Rayleigh number flows, such as those found in gas and steam turbines during shutdown. Numerical simulations are used in order to predict these natural convection flows. The simulations must have a relatively low computational cost which is why the bulk of engineering simulations are Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations.
In order to improve the predictions of natural convection heat transfer, new models for the turbulent heat flux have been implemented into a commercial solver. It was found that the newly implemented Generalised Gradient Diffusion Hypothesis (GGDH) and Algebraic Flux Model (AFM) were able to give improved predictions over the baseline model. The implemented models were then able to give predictions of wall heat transfer to within 20% of experimental values, making them suitable for engineering design calculations. A modification to the GGDH model was also developed, the GGDH+ model, in order to give improved predictions in regions with thermally stratified flow.
The models were validated using data from a rig representative of a large industrial gas turbine during shutdown. Experimental data from the casing rig was complemented by Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of the rig, giving a larger validation dataset. A fundamental investigation into vortex flow structures that occurred in the rig was also conducted. The RANS simulations were also validated using literature experimental data which was again complemented by Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of the literature cases.
An investigation was conducted into methods to control the natural convection flow and heat transfer inside of a gas turbine. The aim was to reduce the non-uniformity of heat transfer around the engine casing which would reduce casing distortion during shutdown. It was shown that flow extraction methods could improve the heat transfer distribution.

Advisor: Rosic, B
Enantioselective synthesis of non-biaryl atropisomers

This thesis describes the development of novel methods to synthesise non-biaryl atropisomers enantioselectively. In Chapter 1, atropisomerism is defined and explored, with a focus on non-biaryl atropisomers and the literature stereoselective syntheses of chiral naphthamides. Chapter 2 discusses initial attempts to synthesise chiral naphthamides using phase-transfer catalysis, and the barriers to rotation of intermediate enol ethers, and benzylated and debenzylated naphthols are determined. Chapter 3 concerns investigations into the low barriers to rotation of these debenzylated naphthols. Chapter 4 builds on this work to develop an enantioselective synthesis of benzylated naphthamides via a dynamic kinetic resolution of the naphthol starting material. This reaction was tested on a wide variety of substrates to determine its scope and limitations, and the barriers to rotation of the chiral products were calculated.

Keywords: atropisomer
phase-transfer catalysis
counterion
axial chirality
enantioselective
Advisor: Smith, M