VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Class conflict and class consciousness

The working class in the Ruhr was in the process of formation throughout this period, with considerable migration into the area from many parts of Germany and abroad. Mobility was also high within the Ruhr. The result was that the working class was unsettled and unhomogenous. Divisions were preserved and strengthened by company housing and by the important role of denominational organisations within the social and community life of the district.
The experience of work provided a possible basis for working class unity. Mine work was hard, dangerous and often not particularly well paid. Discontent and conflict was expressed through absenteeism, job-changing and unplanned, spontaneous strikes. The issues were pay, hours and dignity at work. Solidarity, however, was limited so that strikes generally ended in defeat and disarray. The only significant concessions came not from the employers but from the Government.
The labour movement tried to create a stronger basis for class unity through the creation of strong organisations encompassing the mass of workers. This in turn required the avoidance of contentious and divisive issues such as religion, and meant that precedence was given to organisation-building rather than to industrial militancy or political radicalism. This approach, which was typical of the labour movement in Germany, was thus in large measure a response to the problems of working class society in the Ruhr. The labour movement was unsuccessful, however, in its attempt to overcome working class divisions through the emphasis on organisation; only Government intervention in the years after 1914 offered a way forward.
Essays on strategic voting

In this thesis we extend the study of strategic voting to two frameworks that are novel to the literature. First, by analysing a four-party competition with purely instrumentally motivated voters (Part I); second, by focusing on a three-party competition where voters have instrumental and expressive motivations (Part II). We aim to explore an existing gap in the literature and, in particular, to investigate the possibility of a voting equilibrium with partial strategic voting and its stability. The three sub-models studied in Part I (including essay 1) and the model in Part II (including essays 2, 3 and 4) focus on the case of large electorates and include public uncertainty. This distinguishes them from Cox (1997), where no real uncertainty exists as the electorate gets large, and Myatt (2006), which includes both public and private information. Essays 2 and 3 present and explore the theoretical framework and implications for the model chosen for Part II and essay 4 applies it to the 1997 UK General Election. From essay 1 we obtain the result that in a single-ballot simple-plurality election there is a tendency towards the Duvergerian equilibrium in a four-party model. Also, an equilibrium with partial strategic voting is never stable. From essays 2 and 3 three main results arise: a Duvergerian equilibrium is never possible; a stable equilibrium always exists; and more information leads to less strategic voting – contrary to Myatt (2006). Both the impossibility of any Duvergerian equilibrium and the possibility of a stable interior equilibrium in multiple cases are central to our theory of voting that includes an expressiveness component. The simulations in essay 4 suggest that a very low level of expressiveness is needed to obtain a level of strategic voting compatible with the findings in Fisher (2004). The theory predicts the impossibility of some constituency results that are in fact frequently observed in British elections. Cox (1997), Making Votes Count. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Fisher (2004), ), Definition and Measurement of Tactical Voting: the Role of Rational Choice, British Journal of Political Science, 34(1), 152-66. Myatt (2006), On the Theory of Strategic Voting, Review of Economics Studies, Blackwell Publishing vol. 74(1), pages 255-281.

Keywords: tactical voting
Advisor: Myatt, D
Real-time NMR of the transient states of proteins

The work described in this thesis is concerned with the development and application of real-time photo-CIDNP (Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation) to the study of protein structure and folding.
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the protein folding problem, and its study by NMR, then go on to elucidate the mechanisms behind the photo-CIDNP phenomenon.
Chapter 3 applies photo-CIDNP spectroscopy to the study of a small cytochrome protein. The difficulties of performing these experiments on chromophore-containing proteins are discussed.
Chapter 4 begins with the development of a rapid mixing device for use in real-time NMR and CIDNP studies. Experiments used to characterise the device are presented. This chapter then goes on to describe CIDNP pulse labelling experiments, used to investigate the surface structure of some molten globule states of two a-lactalbumins. This chapter concludes with an application of the rapid mixing device to the real-time refolding of hen egg white lysozyme.
Chapter 5 extends the work of the previous chapter, studying the real-time refolding of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A. Refolding studies are performed from different denaturing conditions, and the effects of sample heating during the real-time CIDNP experiment are discussed.
Chapter 6 describes the use of illumination during an NMR experiment to study the conformational changes in a plant blue light receptor protein, phototropin. The structural changes are characterised with 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and photo-CIDNP. The kinetics of the ground state recovery are also investigated by real-time NMR spectroscopy.
Chapter 7 uses calculated hyperfine coupling constants and a radical pair diffusion model from the literature to simulate the nuclear polarisation obtained for the amino acid tryptophan. Comparisons are made between theory and experiment.
Chapter 8 describes the structural characterisation of a homologous series of de novo peptides, designed for subsequent use in EPR experiments when derivatised with a suitable spin label.

Advisor: Hore, P
Use of high intensity focused ultrasound to destroy subcutaneous fat tissue

Given the great promise of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) as a therapeutic modality, the aim of the present study is to develop and optimise a technique that uses externally applied focused ultrasound energy and remote, ultrasound-based treatment monitoring to destroy subcutaneous fat safely, effectively and non-invasively. Based on initial cavitation and temperature measurements performed ex vivo in excised porcine fat at four different frequencies (0.5, 1.1, 1.6 & 3.4MHz) over a range of pressure amplitudes and exposure durations, it was concluded that 0.5MHz is the optimal frequency for this application since it is capable of instigating inertial cavitation at relatively modest pressures while enhancing focal heat deposition. Histological assessment of tissue treated above the cavitation threshold at 0.5MHz both ex vivo and in vivo demonstrated damage to adipocytes and connective tissue. Furthermore, a good correlation was identified between the energy of broadband emissions detected by the passive cavitation detector (PCD) and the focal temperature rise at 0.5MHz during ex vivo experimentation, which could be exploited as a tool for non-invasive monitoring of successful treatment delivery. In addition, localisation of cavitation activity by means of passive cavitation detection was achieved and shown to provide a strong indicator of the location of induced histological damage. Based on the specific requirements identified during initial experimentation, an application-specific HIFU transducer, cavitation detector and real-time treatment monitoring software was developed and tested ex vivo. This treatment system was found capable of producing extensive damage to adipocytes and collagen confined to the subcutaneous fat layer at the desired treatment depth, which coincided with the location of cavitation activity as displayed by the real-time treatment monitoring software.

Keywords: subcutaneous fat tissue
high intensity focused ultrasound
Advisor: Coussios, C
Some problems in abstract stochastic differential equations on Banach spaces

This thesis studies abstract stochastic differential equations on Banach spaces. The well-posedness of abstract stochastic differential equations on such spaces is a recent result of van Neerven, Veraar and Weis, based on the theory of stochastic integration of Banach space valued processes constructed by the same authors.
We study existence and uniqueness for solutions of stochastic differential equations with (possibly infinite) delay in their inputs on UMD Banach spaces. Such problems are also known as functional differential equations or delay differential equations. We show that the methods of van Neerven et al. extend to such problems if the initial history of the system lies in a space of a type introduced by Hale and Kato. The results are essentially of a fixed point type, both autonomous and non-autonomous cases are discussed and an example is given.
We also study some long time properties of solutions to these stochastic differential equations on general Banach spaces. We show the existence of solutions to stochastic problems with almost periodicity in a weak or distributional sense. Results are again given for both autonomous and non-autonomous cases and depend heavily on estimates for R-bounds of operator families developed by Veraar. An example is given for a second order differential operator on a domain in ℝd.
Finally we consider the existence of invariant measures for such problems. This extends recent work of van Gaans in Hilbert spaces to Banach spaces of type 2.

Keywords: Banach space
stochastic differential equations
stochastic integration
functional analysis
Advisor: Batty, C
Massive black hole remnants of the first stars and their significance in present-day galactic halos

We investigate the possibility that present-day galaxies and their dark matter halos contain a population of massive black holes (MBHs) that form by hierarchical merging of the black hole remnants of the first stars in the Universe.
Some of the MBHs may be large enough or close enough to the centre of the galactic host that they merge within a Hubble time. We estimate to what extent this process could contribute to the mass of the super-massive black holes (SMBHs) observed in galactic centres today. The relation between SMBH and galactic bulge mass in our model displays the same slope as that found in observations. Many MBHs will not reach the centre of the host halo, however, but continue to orbit within it. In doing so MBHs may remain associated with remnants of the satellite halo systems of which they were previously a part. Using a semi-analytical approach that explicitly accounts for dynamical friction, tidal disruption and encounters with galactic disks, we follow the hierarchical merging of MBH systems and their subsequent dynamical evolution inside the respective host halos. In this context two types of dynamical processes are examined in more detail.
We predict the mass and abundance of MBHs in present-day galactic halos and also estimate the MBH mass accretion rates considering two different accretion scenarios. On this basis we determine the bolometric, optical and X-ray luminosity functions for the accreting MBHs using thin disk and advection dominated accretion flow models. Our predicted MBH X-ray emissions are then compared with observations of ultra-luminous X-ray sources in galaxies. We find that the slope and normalisation of the predicted X-ray luminosity function are consistent with the observations.
We also estimate the rate of gravitational wave events received from MBH mergers across all redshifts. At the end of their lives the first stars may explode in supernovae that are associated with gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Provided these are in principle detectable we have estimated the expected rate of events observed.

Advisor: Silk, J
Structural and contextual hurdles to opposition party success in Namibia: the role of strategic dilemmas and political rhetoric

Ever since the third wave of democratisation swept the continent, Africa's opposition parties have been conspicuous by their poor performance. In explaining this weakness, the literature usually points to the disparity in resources and other incumbency benefits as well as narrow support bases of these parties. While these factors help explaining the poor performance of Namibia's opposition, they do not offer a full account. This thesis argues that strategic dilemmas arising from Swapo's electoral dominance, in interaction with a powerful historical narrative driven by the ruling party, make it harder for opposition parties to build sustainable, broad movements. Swapo's dominance means that voters think challengers are unviable and thus will not engage in strategic voting; it means that coalitions are unlikely because opposition party leaders see no point in putting differences aside; and it means that ruling party elites are unlikely to dissent. All of these tendencies are fortified by Swapo's powerful usage of political rhetoric. As the party that is credited with bringing about liberation from colonialism, Swapo draws upon a powerful well of legitimacy. The historical narrative it promotes reinforces these strategic dilemmas by painting Swapo as the only rightful representative of the Namibian people and labelling dissent as unpatriotic. The party also makes astute usage of rhetoric in the realm of ethnic politics, where it has forced all parties to adopt a form of diversity that is hard to manage with meagre resources. Thus, contrary to the stance of much of the literature on African politics, ideas matter.

Keywords: Swapo
Namibia
ideology
elections
Advisor: Tendi, B
Mac Giollabhui, S
Are skilled and unskilled labour complements or substitutes?

Using theoretical and empirical approaches, this thesis asks whether skilled and unskilled labour complement or substitute one another in production. We primarily investigate whether an increase in the proportion of workers with skills would raise or lower demand for those who remain unskilled. A secondary issue is the role of factor prices in labour demand.
To study the role of factor prices, we estimate labour demand elasticities and Alien elasticities of substitution between capital and up to five occupations in South Africa. We supplement firmlevel data with household survey information and confirm theoretically that the elasticities can be estimated from a cost function under non-constant returns to scale. We show that separable disaggregated inputs can be used to find aggregate elasticities: more skilled and less skilled aggregates are p-complements, so a fall in skilled wages would lead to a rise in demand for less skilled labour. Disaggregated estimates suggest unskilled workers are p-complements with semi-skilled workers but p-substitutes with skilled/artisanal labour.
We investigate the effects of a rise in skill supply on the relatively unskilled by estimating Hicks elasticities of complementarity and factor price. Aggregated estimates suggest more skilled and less skilled labour are q-complements, so an exogenous rise in the supply of skilled labour would raise demand for less skilled labour. Disaggregated estimates suggest skilled/artisanal and unskilled labour are q-complements while semi-skilled and unskilled labour are q-substitutes. The results allow for imperfectly elastic product demand and rigid wages.
Using an endogenous growth model, we show technological progress is skill-biased in the South if it is in the North, resulting in rising wage inequality in developing countries. Assuming skilled and unskilled labour are perfect substitutes, we model expanded educational access as it adds relatively educated cohorts to the labour market. A rising skill composition causes accelerated skill-biased technological change and wage inequality. Relaxing the assumption of perfect substitutability, a one-off rise in skill supply only raises wage inequality if the elasticity of substitution is high, higher than existing empirical estimates.

Advisor: Stevens, M
Application of the Neutral Indel Model to genome sequences for diverse metazoans

The Neutral Indel Model is able to predict accurately the distribution of indel events in alignments of neutrally evolving genomic sequence. Here, I apply this model to a diverse range of metazoan species pairs, to a number of ends. First, I apply the Neutral Indel Model to alignments of genome sequences for species within the mammalian clade in order to estimate the quantities of functional DNA shared between species pairs. I demonstrate that as the evolutionary divergence between species pairs increases, estimates of functional sequence drop off dramatically. This pattern is not replicated in extensive simulations of genome sequence alignments, suggesting that functional (and mostly non-coding) sequence is turning over at a rapid rate. I also estimate that between 200 and 300 Mb (6.5-10%) of the human genome is under evolutionary constraint, a considerably higher quantity of sequence than has been estimated by previous whole genome analyses. Second, extending my analyses to consider more diverse metazoan species, I provide estimates for functional bases within organisms’ genomes that appear to mirror our conceptions of organismal complexity. Thirdly, I develop the Neutral Indel Model as a method for assessing genome sequence quality, by quantifying indel errors within alignments of closely related (ds < 0.1) species pairs. Applying this method to six primate genome sequence assemblies, I demonstrate that the frequency of indel error events per base varies up to six-fold. Further to this, I show that second generation sequencing technologies can be used to create high quality genome sequence assemblies and to ameliorate errors in pre-existing assemblies. Finally, I analyse patterns of indel mutations in primate transposable elements and show that indels are not randomly distributed within these sequences due to regularly spaced homo-nucleotide motifs.

Keywords: constraint
metazoan
evolution
Indel
genomics
Advisor: Ponting, C
The internal dynamics of Gaullism, 1958-1969

This thesis assesses the contributions of Gaullists to the political practice of Gaullism during the 1960s. Many of those who have written about Gaullism - historians, political scientists, journalists and politicians alike - have tended to focus too narrowly on the personality, beliefs and actions of Charles de Gaulle. Much analysis has been devoted to the General's approach to government, both its substance and its style. However, neglect of the activities of his political associates and supporters has led to an incomplete understanding of the broader political phenomenon that he inspired. This thesis aims to redress this imbalance by highlighting the ways in which individual Gaullists sought to contribute to the policies of successive Gaullist governments during the 1960s and assesses the importance of these contributions in creating an identity for the Gaullist party which, while not always wholly distinct from de Gaulle and though it certainly never developed to the point of outright opposition to him, did lay the foundations for a political movement which could survive the President's eventual departure from office. The research reveals 1960s Gaullism as a much more volatile and heterogeneous phenomenon than has perhaps previously been admitted by some commentators.
The thesis considers the political activities of Gaullists at all levels of the movement. First of all, it examines the way in which government was conducted by Gaullist ministers, and argues that their contributions to the identity of the Gaullist movement have been underestimated. In addition, it reveals how there were leading figures within the Gaullist party who attempted to define ways in which Gaullists could contribute to Gaullism in government. Although they never questioned the loyalty of the Gaullist movement to its leader, their awareness of the need for Gaullists to create their own political identity led them to place less emphasis on the importance of the historical figure of de Gaulle to the modern political force which Gaullism would become. The thesis then highlights the neglected fact that Gaullist deputies frequently sought to contribute in their own individual manner to Gaullist government policies in their speeches in the National Assembly. It concludes with an examination of the varied and conflicting comments made on the subject of Gaullism and Gaullist policies by local party members in their local bulletins.

Advisor: Gildea, R
The development of nitro-Mannich/hydroamination cascades for the synthesis of substituted N-heterocycles

This thesis describes the development of nitro-Mannich/hydroamination cascade reactions for the synthesis of N-heterocycles, which are important motifs found in a variety of biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor®).
Chapter 2 outlines the development of an efficient synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles using a nitro-Mannich/hydroamination cascade. Starting from easily prepared N-protected imines and nitroalkyne substrates, a compatible combination of KOtBu (10 mol%) and AuCl3 (5 mol%) was used to afford the desired pyrrole products, after an alkene isomerisation/HNO2 elimination reaction sequence.
Chapter 3 describes the extension of this methodology to the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine derivatives using a nitroalkyne substrate with an extended carbon chain. The sequential addition of a bifunctional Brønsted base/H-bond donor organocatalyst and a gold complex was found to facilitate the desired cascade reaction affording substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine products. We then established that highly substituted pyrrolidine compounds could be prepared by replacing the nitroalkyne substrate with a nitroallene substrate (Chapter 4). The combination of KOtBu (5 mol%) and a gold catalyst derived from Au(PPh3)Cl (10 mol%) and AgSbF6 (20 mol%) was found to give an efficient diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine derivatives after an additional nitro group epimerisation step. In addition, the nitro-Mannich/hydroamination cascade using nitroallene substrates was developed into an enantioselective variant using the previously employed bifunctional Brønsted base/H-bond donor organocatalyst. This afforded enantioenriched pyrrolidine derivatives.

Keywords: alkyne
chemistry
nitro-Mannich
hydroamination
pyrrolidine
allene
catalysis
cascade
pyrrole
organocatalysis
piperidine
synthesis
gold
organic
heterocycle
nitro
tetrahydropyridine
asymmetric
Advisor: Dixon, D