VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The social gradient in mental health

The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the generative processes underlying the social gradient in mental health. I present three relatively self-contained empirical chapters, each attempting to answer questions which the current literature leaves unanswered. I first consider three questions regarding the role of the childhood environment. It is unclear whether the association which is often reported between low childhood socioeconomic status and adult mental health is accounted for by a greater exposure to various noneconomic childhood adversities – direct and relatively extreme stressors such as sexual abuse, neglect, or being frequently bullied. Next, through what pathways do these aspects of the childhood environment affect mental health in adulthood? And given evidence suggesting that the impact of certain stressors on mental health varies by gender, what contribution can the childhood environment make to explaining the gender difference in symptoms of depression and anxiety? Health selection and social causation are usually viewed as the two primary explanations for health inequalities. In my second empirical chapter, I ask: to what extent is health selection driven by prior social causation? In my third: when and how do social inequalities in mental health arise? In past research, the how has received considerably more attention than the when. This chapter aims to attend to both elements of the question, hypothesising that different mechanisms for the generation of mental health inequality may take precedence at different life course stages.

Keywords: mental health
health inequality
Advisor: Monden, C
Mills, C
Unification of cognitive maps and relational memory via generalization in the hippocampal formation

The hippocampal formation has been implicated in both learning and generalization. The large variety of neural representations, ranging from grid and border cells to place and objectvector cells, observed in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and surrounding brain regions are believed to form the neural bases for intelligent learning. In conjunction with countless experimental studies, several computational models of the hippocampal formation have been proposed as explanations for how the neural representations can support learning. Most such models, however, exhibit one of two critical flaws: they either fail to generalize and transfer what they have learned from one environment to another or they can only do so after having observed many training environments and become useless in environments with different underlying structure. Needless to say, a unified explanation for how the hippocampal formation can enable generalizable learning remains elusive. Here, I present a more unified model that combines the two aforementioned model types and reciprocally addresses each other’s weaknesses. I demonstrate that this combined model enables faster generalization while maintaining flexibility across different environment or task structures, rendering this model a potentially more complete description of hippocampal learning.

Keywords: generalization
memory
computational
learning
neural network
Advisor: Behrens, TEJ
Whittington, JCR
Problems of stability and well-posedness in the calculus of variations and related PDEs

We present a collection of three closely related topics regarding the stability and well-posedness of minimization problems in the calculus of variations, namely the generic Tykhonov well-posedness with respect to linear perturbations, the generalized Hadamard well-posedness for a class of Dirichlet quasiconvex variational problems, and the d
-rectifiability of the set of minimizers for a singularly perturbed quasiconvex variational integral. Regarding the first topic on generic Tykhonov well-posedness, we prove that by introducing a linear perturbation term ξ
to a variational integral of the form J(u)=∫ΩF(x,u,∇u)dx
satisfying a mild growth condition on the negative part of the integrand F
, and a coercivity condition for J
, the perturbed functional J−ξ
admits a unique strong minimizer in the Dirichlet class W
1,p
g
(Ω;RN)
for all ξ
in a dense Gδ
-subset of W
1,p
0
(Ω;RN)∗
for any p≥1
. The proof for the case p=1
is particularly distinctive and is based on a duality between the lower semicontinuity of J
on sets with the Radon-Nikodym Property and the generic differentiability of its Fenchel conjugate J∗
. As for the second topic on generalized Hadamard well-posedness, we show that under the p
-growth condition and the uniform strict quasiconvex condition for the integrand F
of J
, the solution map S:g↦argmin{J(u):u∈W
1,p
g
(Ω;RN)}
enjoys some nice semicontinuity property as a multivalued function S:W1,p(Ω;RN)⇉W1,p(Ω;RN)
. Lastly, we study the set M
of all the minimizers for a singularly perturbed strongly quasiconvex variational integral Jε(u)=∫ΩF(∇u)dx+ε∫Ω|∇2u|2dx
from the Dirichlet class W
2,2
g
(Ω;RN)
and show that when F
satisfies the p
-growth condition for a p∈[2,
n+2
n−2
)
when n>2
(no condition on p∈[1,∞)
for n=2
), M
is a d
-rectifiable set (in Federer's sense), or, more precisely, M
is bi-Lipschitz equivalent to a compact subset of Rd
. This result is based on an extension of a technique from a recent work by Campos Cordero and Kristensen on questions on uniqueness.

Keywords: partial differential equations
multivalued mappings
semicontinuity
minimizers
quasiconvex
well-posed
calculus of variations
multivalued functions
Radon-Nikodym Property
linear perturbations
generic well-posedness
singular perturbations
generic uniqueness
strongly quasiconvex
Garding inequality
multifunctions
well-posedness
rectifiability
Caccioppoli inequalities
strictly quasiconvex
PDEs
Advisor: Kristensen, J
Development of novel photocatalytic overall water splitting systems at elevated temperatures for efficient hydrogen evolution

Environmental and energy issues have become one of the most important issues that human beings are facing, and carbon neutrality is a communal target worldwide nowadays. With the strong international incentives to decarbonise our fuels and chemicals, the solar-light-driven photocatalytic overall water splitting (POWS) reaction provides a promising and renewable way to store and utilise the abundant solar energy in the form of hydrogen which is the cleanest chemical fuel for mankind. Numerous materials and catalytic systems have been developed for more effective solar energy conversion, however, the performance achieved so far is still unsatisfactory.
In this context, this thesis has particularly focused on the design and development of novel POWS systems at elevated temperatures. Different semiconductor materials such as TiO2 and MoS2 were systematically studied in this thesis. In- depth catalytic activity studies illustrated the temperature effect on the POWS performance. Comprehensive surface characterisations combined with a series of spectroscopic, imaging and computational techniques were conducted to unravel the relationship between the activity and the structures of the catalysts.
Subsequently, various strategies have been proposed for improving the POWS activity at elevated temperatures, including the use of local electric field and local magnetic field. Remarkable charge polarisation effects have been identified in each case. Finally, it is demonstrated that the POWS system studied in this thesis could split seawater into H2 and O2 with extraordinarily high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 20.3 % at 270 oC, exhibiting high potential for future practical applications.

Keywords: photocatalysis
titanium oxide
overall water splitting
hydrogen evolution
Advisor: Tsang, S
The listening space: conception, perception and temporality in the music of Salvatore Sciarrino

My research focuses on the music of the Italian composer Salvatore Sciarrino (Palermo, 1947), with regard to how the concept of space relates to matters of sound and temporality. My thesis looks at theories of auditory perception and conceptual metaphor theory in order to provide a framework in which to analyze Sciarrino's music.
Chapter 1 and 2 are dedicated to introducing a short theoretical basis for conceptual metaphor theory and for auditory perception, with particular regard to the conceptualization of time and sound in relation to space. Sound is often mentioned in Sciarrino’s writings in relation to parameters that refer to concepts of mass, atmospheric phenomena, and the accumulation of memories or experiences. It is my view that the concept of space relates to matters of sonority and temporality in his music on the basis of a combination of perception and representation. On the one hand his materials and sonority are constructed to mirror our experience of the physical world by means of common perceptual categories in vision and audition (e.g. proximity, continuity, similarity, etc.); on the other hand, temporality relies on time being conceptualized in terms of space, and therefore form is to be understood as a structure aimed at representing a given sound space, rendering the sound objects that are part of it as well as the relationships among them.
Chapter 3 and 4 each comprise an analysis of a chamber work (the first of Sei quartetti brevi) and an orchestra work (Allegoria della notte) with particular attention to notions of space and auditory perception, in order to illustrate Sciarrino’s formal strategies, as well as some traits and processes constitutive of his musical language. The analysis of the first of Sei quartetti brevi in Chapter 3 revolves around the different uses of Sciarrino’s principles of organization in his own work, whereas the analysis of Allegoria della notte in Chapter 4 dives into a different instance of formal organization in order to highlight how and why some of his most typical compositional structures often hinge on processes of interference, periodicity and repetition. The analyses of these two works also clarify how our perceptual faculties and cognitive structures are at the basis of Sciarrino's compositional thought and how the concept of space is embedded in his music and influences it in the micro- and macro-structure through the integration of metaphorical thought and perception.

Keywords: temporality
conceptual metaphor theory
Salvatore Sciarrino
Advisor: Clarke, E
Harry, M
Geometrically constrained compounds of the main-group elements for the activation of small molecule substrates

This thesis is focused on the preparation of group 13 complexes stabilised by pincer ligands and their application in catalysis and small molecule activation.
Pincer stabilised gallium halides were synthesised, and their application as precursors in salt metathesis reaction was explored. Novel gallium hydrides with an [ON(H)O]2− ligand were prepared via the reaction of precursors and borane reagents. The use of gallium hydrides in the activation of compounds with carbonyl groups (such as aldehydes, ketones) was explored, resulting in bimetallic gallium alkoxide complexes.
Several gallium complexes were used as catalysts for the catalytic hydroboration of aldehydes, ketones, carbon dioxide, isocyanates and imines. With low catalyst loadings (0.05−1.0 mol%), substrates containing unsaturated bonds were hydroborated under ambient conditions with good efficiency. A mechanism is proposed for the catalytic hydroboration of ketones.
Transelementation reactions between gallium complexes and boron reagents are discussed. A series of boron complexes were prepared by the reaction of [H3(ONO)] and boranes. The exploration of the dehydrogenation reactivity of the boron complex [ON(H)O]BH is described. The Lewis acidity of some boron complexes is also discussed.
Additionally, pincer stabilised boron halides were prepared by reacting the [H3(ONO)] ligand and boron halides. Their reactivity towards bases was explored. The boron bromide complex [ON(H)O]BBr was found to activate the C−O bond of cyclic ethers to give borate esters, which release HBr to give cyclic products possessing an N−B−O moiety.

Keywords: boron
gallium
small molecule activation
main group
hydroboration
Advisor: Goicoechea, J
Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Laconia: Settlements, cemeteries and sanctuaries (1200-700 BC)

Much of archaeological and historical research has, until recently, heavily depended on written sources and relatively little evidence regarding the LBA and EIA periods. A number of new developments however, such as the discovery of a palatial site at Aghios Vasileios, the recent excavations at the sanctuary at Amyklai, the identification of Laconian Protogeometric pottery among the offerings of at least two Arcadian sanctuaries (Tegea and Mt. Lykaion) and the continuous work by the Greek Archaeological Service, make it necessary to review the evidence from and re-assess former theories regarding the region during the LBA and EIA periods.
The present study thus offers a new interpretation of the socio-economic and political development of Laconia during the period between 1200 and 700 BC. In order to achieve this, all information from settlements, cemeteries and sanctuaries from the period are examined, including previously unexamined evidence from recent discoveries. Furthermore, it introduces updated catalogues and interpretation of the development of Laconian ceramics from the LH IIIC to the end of the Geometric period.
The analysis suggests that during the LH III period, Laconia was not organised under a central authority, as seen in Messenia for instance, but rather by autonomous centres. Furthermore, that between the Protogeometric and Geometric periods, the region was not abandoned or isolated. Votive offerings at the Spartan sanctuaries and the adoption of certain pottery shapes and decorative motifs indicate that Laconia was aware of and participated in developments taking place throughout Greece. Lastly, the close examination of the pottery strongly suggests that Laconia should not be included in the so-called West Greek koine.

Advisor: Lemos, IS
Christianity under colonialism: Mäòhi Protestantism in French Polynesia

This thesis argues that colonial memories and experiences of indigenous Mäòhi Christians are the primary impetuses for the religious synthesis of imported cultural elements with indigenous traditions. Focusing on the Mäòhi Protestant Church (EPM) in French Polynesia, this work seeks to contribute to wider anthropological debates on Christianity by highlighting indigenous narratives of colonialism and resistance through the development of local expressions of Christianity. Although French Polynesia is still, to all intents and purposes, a French colony, the congregational Protestant church, which is equidistant with both French Catholicism and French laïcité, provides a space within which French colonial dominance is temporarily and spatially undermined. People’s frustration at the ongoing loss of traditional customs and values has motivated the creation of a religious space where the revival of these customs and values - justified on theological grounds - is possible. The ‘indigenisation’ of the religious sphere is a practical solution to tackle a variety of problems caused by colonialism, such as the dissolution of community bonds, the loss of the indigenous language, and radioactive pollution from atomic experiments. Navigating through such challenges, Mäòhi Christians self-reflexively negotiate the cultural, theological, and temporal hybridity of their religious expressions. My participation in everyday activities in the parishes of Moorea and Rurutu island revealed that the ongoing experience of colonialism, combined with memories of colonisation, is the major motivation for their conscious remaking of the Christian religion.

Keywords: indigeneity
cultural revival
colonialism
Christianity
French Polynesia
Advisor: Sarro, R
Gellner, D
Knowledge from experience: essays

In a series of four essays, I explore some ways in which sense experience may deliver knowledge about aspects of reality that have been thought to lie beyond its remit. The opening essay, ‘Is the concept human a priori?’, deals with moral knowledge, specifically with the question of whether some key moral concepts – namely, those championed by neo-Aristotelian meta-ethics – are, as that theory holds, a priori. The second essay, ‘Transformative torture’, deals with various kinds of knowledge presumed to be delivered by cinema, most notably, knowledge of the suffering of others. The third essay, ‘Seeing the infinite’, deals with mathematical knowledge, specifically, knowledge of infinity. Finally, ‘What do we see when we see absences?’ deals with the question of whether absence experience is veridical.

Keywords: de se
virtual reality
infinity
absences
a priori
dedekind
mathematics
Advisor: Williamson, T
Fitgerald Martin, M
Development of a high-enthalpy ground test facility for shock-layer radiation

This thesis details the establishment of a new, transient, high-enthalpy aerothermodynamic ground test facility at the University of Oxford: the T6 Stalker Tunnel. T6 is capable of operating as an expansion tube, reflected shock tunnel or in one of two high-enthalpy shock tube modes. This new facility was commissioned in each of these configurations, generating test conditions from 2.7 to 115.0 MJ kg−1. These correspond to trajectory points for a Mach 7 atmospheric flight condition and proposed Mars Sample Return missions. Overall, high-quality test flows were observed. This new facility now represents a unique resource within Europe for high-enthalpy aerothermodynamic ground testing.
The core aim of this work was to investigate ‘radiative heating’ effects. During planetary entry, the high-temperature gas around a return vehicle emits strong electro- magnetic radiation, which can contribute significantly to surface heat flux. However, this heating mechanism is poorly understood, with high associated uncertainties.This thesis contributed to the resolution of this problem through development of a new mode of T6 — the Aluminium Shock Tube, or AST — which was designed specifically to investigate this phenomenon. The new mode was successfully commissioned; a thorough experimental assessment showed good comparison to computational predictions of performance and test time. Notably, the ability of the AST to achieve conditions of relevance for radiative heating in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars and Titan was demonstrated.
Utilising the new AST mode, shock-layer radiation experiments were undertaken from 7 km s-1 to 10 km s−1 in air. Using a newly developed dual-channel emission spectroscopy system, simultaneous measurements of spatially and spectrally resolved, absolute spectral radiance were made between 200 nm and 850 nm. These were performed at selected benchmark conditions from the literature to validate the new experimental results. In all cases, large extents of post-shock equilibrium were generated. In general, comparisons were favourable to the benchmark data from other facilities. Although some discrepancies were seen in comparison to numerical codes, these were consistent across the set of experimental data considered from all facilities. Reasons for these differences were proposed. The T6 AST is now one of the very few facilities in the world which has demonstrated the capability to produce validated shock-layer radiation data.
Lastly, a combined experimental-numerical study was undertaken to investigate the influence of shock deceleration on the measured post-shock radiance and electron density in shock tube experiments. This effect was conclusively shown to directly affect the measurement. The analysis was then extended to previous results from the NASA Electric Arc Shock Tube, thereby explaining historic discrepancies in that data.

Keywords: Plasma
Shock Layer Radiation
Hypersonic
Non-equilibrium Thermochemistry
Aerothermodynamics
High-Enthalpy
Ground Test Facility
Emission Spectroscopy
Advisor: McGilvray, M
The epithelial cell in host-pathogen interactions in airways disease

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the most common lower respiratory tract bacterium, where it causes persistent infections and is associated with neutrophilic airway inflammation and increased risk of exacerbations in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This work aimed to investigate the persistence of NTHi within the epithelium, the role of bacterial internalisation in the epithelial immune response, and evaluate the differential immune signalling in the epithelium of upper compared with lower airway epithelium.
In an in vitro model of NTHi infection using cell lines and primary cells, differing internalisation rates between NTHi strains did not correlate with induction of proinflammatory cytokines. Treatment with cytochalasin D to block invasion diminished IL-1b production, but did not affect other cytokines. Imaging demonstrated that intracellular NTHi localised primarily within the late endosome of differentiated epithelial cells. Viable bacilli did not persist beyond 48 h in cell lines in submerged culture, or 24 h in primary cells grown at ALI, suggesting the NTHi does not persist in epithelial cells alone.
Although NTHi causes inflammation in the lower airways, it is considered a commensal organism in the nasopharynx. Comparison of primary cells cultured at air- liquid interface inoculated with NTHi showed substantially more upregulation of TLR signalling, NOD signalling, and of ICAM1, Caspase1 and IL-8 in nasal epithelial cells than bronchial cells. This suggests that the increased pathogenicity of NTHi in the lower airways compared with the nasopharynx is not due to increased innate immune responsiveness of bronchial epithelial cells.
These data demonstrate that NTHi potently induces an innate response in the bronchial epithelium independent of internalisation rate, with limited NLR inflammasome dependence, implicating surface immune sensing via TLR2 and 4. These data also demonstrate differential immune signalling in nasopharyngeal compared with lower airway epithelium. Overall, these data suggest that NTHi is internalised transiently but has the capacity to drive inflammation in airway epithelial cells.

Keywords: non-typeable haemophilus influenzae
azithromycin
bacterial persistence
cytokines
nasopharynx
asthma
airway epithelium
Advisor: Pavord, I
Morgan, S
Arancibia-Carcamo, C
Hinks, T