VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A feast for scholars: the life and works of Sle lung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje

Bzhad pa'i rdo rje (1697-1740), the Fifth Sle lung Rin po che, was a religiously and politically controversial figure and an incredibly prolific author, having written or compiled over 46 volumes worth of mainly religious texts. A high-ranking Dge lugs pa sprul sku, Sle lung is seen as having gradually "defected" to the Rnying ma school, although he self-identified as a follower of the "non-sectarian" (ris med) perspective. Sle lung also acted as a spiritual advisor to most of the major central Tibetan rulers during the course of his life, most significantly Mi dbang Pho lha nas (r. 1729-1747). But despite numerous features of fascinating interest, Sle lung and his writings have received very little scholarly attention, and this thesis is intended to fill this unfortunate lacuna.
The present study begins with an extended biographical examination of Sle lung's life, and the political and religious unrest in central Tibet at the time in which he was deeply invested. I pay special attention to the controversies that surrounded him, particularly his purported sexual licentiousness and his ecumenical work which was unpopular among his more sectarian Dge lugs pa critics. This opening biography provides critical historical context as I move on to examine two of Sle lung's most important literary works. The first is the sixteen-volume Gsang ba ye shes chos skor, a massive cycle of teachings by Sle lung and his students that integrates tantric theories derived from Sle lung's experience with Gsar ma (specifically Dge lugs pa) teachings. The second work is the Bstan srung rgya mtsho'i rnam thar, a unique text in Tibetan literature which consists of an apparently unprecedented compilation of Tibetan Buddhist protector deity (bstan srung, chos skyong) origin myths. I will make sense of key features of these two works within the larger context of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the political and personal concerns of Sle lung himself.

Advisor: Roesler, U
Stated ambitions: the politics of developmentalism and dissent in Tanzania

This thesis analyzes the political effects enveloped in developmental state theory and practice. It focuses on events that took place in Tanzania between December 2012 and June 2013 in the context of transforming development practice, coupled with high levels of suppression of speech in Tanzania. It examines cases from the Mtwara and Dar es Salaam regions, targeting aspects of sustainable development planning through natural resource management, micro-level features of state repression, and forms of civil disobedience. These issues coalesce at the important intersection of politics and development. With this in mind, I seek to answer the question: To what extent do local discourses affect the composition of developmental states, and how is this enmeshed in a calculation of political effect?

Keywords: natural resource management
Tanzania
Development
Media
Advisor: Tendi, M
Structure and mode of action of the TolA-TolB complex from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) across the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria are critical for mediating signal transduction pathways that underpin cellular homeostasis. The Ton and Tol Pal systems are two conserved, ancestrally related protein networks that are also required for bacterial pathogenesis. Both Ton and Tol-Pal traverse the periplasm to effect different functions at the outer membrane (OM). Tol-Pal is composed of a homologous complex of three inner membrane proteins, TolQ-TolR-TolA (linked to proton motive force) and two additional periplasmic proteins TolB and Pal. The physiological role of the Tol-Pal system is to stabilise the OM, however the mechanism involved is unknown. TolA is however known to form a crucial protein-protein interaction via its C-terminus with the disordered N-terminus of TolB.
Prior to this thesis, determination of the molecular features underlying a protein-protein complex between TolA and an endogenous binding partner TolB had never been accomplished. In this work, I describe the first structure comprising the TolA-TolB complex from Gram negative bacteria. The structure of this complex was determined from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by solution NMR spectroscopy. I determined the interaction between P. aeruginosa TolA and a TolB N terminal peptide to be relatively weak using fluorescence anisotropy. I found that TolB interacts with TolA through an analogous mechanism to that seen in TonB-dependent transporters. Based on these studies and bioinformatics analyses, I hypothesize that the evolutionary resilience of the Tol-Pal system to external pressures is contingent on the preservation of the TolA-TolB interface. Structure-based mutations within the TolA-TolB complex were also evaluated for their effect on in vivo function of the Tol-Pal complex and impact on complex formation in vitro. Taken together, the results demonstrate that protein networks which transduce energy to the OM through PMF-dependent systems in bacterial cells appear to follow a common β-strand augmentation mechanism.

Keywords: NMR, Protein-Protein Interaction, Tol-Pal, TolA, TolB
Advisor: Kleanthous, C
Dissimulating romance: the ethics of deception in seventeenth-century prose romance

This thesis argues that seventeenth-century English prose romances are motivated by anxieties over truth-telling and the ethical practice of deception. From the title of MacKenzie's 'Aretina: A Serious Romance' (1660), I take the collocation 'serious romance' to refer to the philosophically and politically engaged prose romances of the seventeenth century. Following Amelia Zurcher’s work on the concept of 'interest' in 'serious romance', this thesis examines a separate but related aspect of the genre's moral philosophical engagement: its investigation of the ethics of dissimulation.
By dissimulation, I mean the art of lying by concealment. Dissimulating techniques include controversial rhetorical tools such as equivocation and mental reservation, but dissimulation is also implicated in laudable virtues such as prudence and discretion. The thesis traces arguments about the ethical practice of dissimulation and other types of lie through English prose romances from Sidney’s 'Arcadia' (1590) to Orrery's 'Parthenissa' (1651-69) to suggest that seventeenth-century romances increasingly espoused theories of 'honest dissimulation' and came to champion the theory of the 'right to lie'.
The thesis examines a range of works which have hitherto received scant critical attention, notably Roger Boyle's 'Parthenissa' (1651-69), Percy Herbert's 'The Princess Cloria' (1652-61), the anonymous 'Theophania' (1655) and 'Eliana' (1661) and John Bulteel's 'Birinthea' (1664), alongside better studied romances such as Sidney's 'Arcadia' (1590), Wroth's 'Urania' (1621) and Barclay's 'Argenis' (1621). It situates readings of these original English romances within the context of the French romances of D'Urfé, Scudéry and La Calprenède, as well as within the context of contemporary moral philosophy.

Advisor: Moore, H
Is language laterality related to language abilities?

It is well known that language processing depends on specialized areas in the left side of the brain in the majority of the population. A popular view is that developmental language disorders result from a poorly lateralized brain, but evidence in support of this has been weak and inconsistent.
In this thesis, I investigated language-related asymmetries in brain structure and function, and their behavioural relevance in both individuals with specific language impairment (SLI) and typically developing adults. Combining different brain imaging techniques, I looked at group-level as well as individual estimates of language laterality and its relationship to language abilities.
The aim of my first two studies was to investigate the neural underpinnings of SLI in terms of white matter microstructure and functional organization associated with auditory processing. For this, diffusion and functional MRI data was obtained in a small number of families with a history of SLI and in control families. Compared with neurotypical controls, children with SLI had lower white matter integrity in the corpus callosum, and in white matter areas corresponding to the dorsal and ventral language pathways. The expected functional lateralization for auditory processing was not observed in either group.
In the second half of my thesis, I assessed language laterality in 215 neurotypical adults. I demonstrated that functional transcranial Doppler (FTCD) ultrasonography could reliably assess functional lateralization across different language processes. From this large group, I identified 16 individuals with atypical language lateralization and compared them to a group of 16 typically lateralized individuals using a combination of FTCD, MRI and behavioural measures of language laterality and language abilities. The two groups differed significantly in terms of lateralization assessed by functional MRI and diffusion imaging. The atypical group had lower left and greater right hemisphere activation compared with the typical group, and lacked the leftwards asymmetry in the ventral language tract seen in the typical group. The groups did not differ in terms of cognitive measures. Different functional laterality assessments were concordant in the typically lateralized individuals but were inconsistent in the individuals assessed as atypical by FTCD.
In brief, my findings suggest that for some individuals language lateralization may be unstable and varies depending on task or other factors. Even so, such differences do not appear to have consequences for language or other cognitive development.

Keywords: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Language Laterality
Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Advisor: Watkins, K
Bishop, D
A search for neutral high-mass Higgs bosons decaying into pairs of hadronically decaying tau leptons in 13 TeV collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector

This thesis outlines the search for neutral Higgs bosons in a mass range of mH/A = 200 GeV − 1.2 TeV, decaying to a pair of hadronically decaying tau leptons. The search is performed using √s = 13 TeV proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.21 fb−1, recorded by the ATLAS detector. No excess over the predicted Standard Model background is observed and upper limits are placed on the production cross section times branching fraction as a function of the mass of the scalar resonance. When combined with the results of the analysis where one of the tau leptons decays to either a muon or electron, the 95% confidence level upper limit on the cross section times branching fraction ranges from 1.4 pb at mH/A = 200 GeV to 0.025 pb at mH/A = 1.2 TeV for a scalar boson produced via gluon-gluon fusion, and 1.6 pb at mH/A = 200 GeV to 0.028 pb at mH/A = 1.2 TeV for a scalar boson produced via b-associated production. The results are interpreted in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension to the Standard Model (MSSM) as a limit on the value of tanβ, as a function of the mass of the neutral CP-odd MSSM Higgs boson. In the mmod+ scenario, the 95% confidence level upper limit is tanβ &LT; 7.6 for mA = 200 GeV, and tanβ &LT; 47 for mA = 1 TeV. For the mass range mA &GT; 500 GeV, the upper limit on tanβ is improved in comparison to previous ATLAS searches.

Keywords: physics
The ATLAS experiment
tau lepton
supersymmetry
particle physics
Large Hadron Collider
Higgs boson
Advisor: Hays, C
Variation in the phenology of Pygoscelis penguins

Variation in phenology is linked to the timing of environmental variables and influences survival at both the individual and colony level. Therefore, understanding a species' annual cycle is vital to its ecology and conservation. By reviewing literature on Pygoscelis penguin phenology in Chapter 1, I identify major gaps, both spatially and temporally, in our knowledge of the timing of events in the three species (Adeélie, Pygoscelis adeliae; chinstrap, and Pygoscelis antarctica; gentoo, Pygoscelis papua): particularly, 1) during the guard phase, 2) their behaviour in winter, 3) the phenology of colonies inhabiting locations away from scientific bases, and 4) the general phenology of chinstrap penguins. Chapter 2 assesses which time-lapse camera methods are most relevant to seabird research, highlighting the capabilities and limitations of cameras in past studies and how they may be best applied to future research. Chapter 3 examines the timing of the guard phase in gentoo penguins and how chick aggregation behaviours vary across several sites. Chapters 4 and 5 show variation in winter abundance at breeding sites in both gentoo and Adélie penguins related to abiotic factors and colony location. Lastly, Chapter 6 fills in gaps in the known timing and duration of phenology events in gentoo and chinstrap penguins across their full latitudinal ranges, while relating these timings to chick survival. In the conclusion, I summarize the main findings of the thesis, focusing on three major themes that were observed across the four data chapters and their implications: 1) behaviours are not consistent across colony locations 2) nor between years, and these behaviours depend on 3) local environmental conditions. I then synthesize these empirical findings from each of these chapters, discuss the implication of these findings to ecological theory and conservation policy, highlight some of the limitations of these studies, and recommend possibilities for future research.

Advisor: Hart, T
DNA nanotubes and their interaction with membranes: insights through multiscale molecular dynamics simulations

DNA origami offers the possibility of developing novel membrane-spanning pores with potential applications in therapeutics and in nanosensors. In this work multiscale molecular dynamics simulation approaches have been employed to understand the dynamics of a DNA nanotube, and of its interaction with lipid bilayer membranes. All-atom simulation studies performed on the DNA nanotube model allowed exploration of its conformational dynamics, and of its interactions with ions and water molecules. Simulations under different conditions (specifically force fields and temperatures) revealed consistent properties in terms of the pore lumen shape and volume, and the gating-like motions at the mouths of the central pore. Overall the DNA nanotube model has been found to be relatively soft and porous in nature. Using the conformational information obtained from these all-atom simulations, a coarse-grained model of the DNA nanotube was developed in order to study its interactions with lipid bilayer membranes on an extended (microsecond) time scale. A number of different hydrophobic anchors which stabilize the nanotube relative to the hydrophobic core of the bilayer have been explored. Local perturbation of the membrane lipids has been observed. Energetic barriers to membrane insertion and exit for DNA nanotubes have been revealed using steered molecular dynamics approaches. A stable membrane- spanning coarse-grain DNA nanopore model was converted to all-atom resolution and used as the basis of simulation to explore the effect of high salt concentration on the stability and conformational dynamics of the pore. This confirmed that the DNA nanotube was stably embedded in the bilayer, and that ions did not form an alternative permeation pathway between the pore wall and the lipids, in contrast with other recently-reported DNA nanopore designs. Overall, these studies contribute to our understanding of the conformational dynamics and membrane interactions of DNA nanopores, thus providing guidelines to design next generation DNA nanopores rendered with controlled gating properties.

Advisor: Sansom, M
Neural mechanisms of reward-guided learning and irrational decision-making

The ability to take effective decisions is fundamental for successful environmental adaptation and survival. In this thesis, I investigated situations in which decisions appear irrational, at least from certain standpoints. I conducted a behavioural decision-making experiment in two groups of macaques: controls and a group with ventromedial prefrontal cortex/medial orbitofrontal cortex (vmPFC/ mOFC) lesions. Some choices lead to compound outcomes composed of different constituent parts. Control macaques’ decisions suggested their estimates of the value of the compound were biased away from the sum of the values of the constituents and towards their mean. Lesions of vmPFC/mOFC diminished the size of the effect so that macaques in some ways appeared to make more rational decisions. Based on the results of this experiment I devised a similar Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) paradigm with the control animals. This demonstrated strong vmPFC/mOFC activity when similar decisions were made and suggested a value comparison process.
In addition, I investigated the role of dopamine in learning using Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry (FSCV), while rats performed a simple decision-making task. Theories about the role of dopamine in learning have focused on the possibility that it codes scalar reward value prediction errors. Less consideration has been given to the possibility that dopamine might reflect prediction errors about reward identities regardless of value. I measured dopamine in the nucleus accumbens when unexpected changes in reward value or identity occurred while rats executed a two-choice two-reward instrumental task. Dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens reflected reward value prediction errors. In addition, however, they also reflected some information about reward identity under some circumstances. Further investigation suggested that this might be due to differences in the nutritional value of different reward types that did not have clear measurable impacts of behaviour in the tasks that I used.

Keywords: lesion
reward
voltammetry
decision-making
fMRI
devaluation
dopamine
irrationality
learning
nucleus accumbens
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
orbitofrontal cortex
Advisor: Rushworth, M
Walton, M
Exploring galaxy evolution with luminosity functions across cosmic time

In this thesis I investigate galaxy evolution by measuring the luminosity functions of galaxies across a wide range in redshift. I measure the abundances of high redshift galaxies in deep HST imaging of the GOODS-North field from the CANDELS survey. I follow this evolution to lower redshift by measuring the luminosity functions of galaxies in ground-based imaging of the XMM-LSS field from the VIDEO survey with optical data from the CFHTLS.
First, at high-redshift, I identify 22 candidate z ≈ 7 and 6 candidate z ≈ 8 − 9 galaxies. By comparing the number of candidate galaxies with those found in the GOODS-South field, I determine that cosmic variance is not the dominant source of uncertainty on the number counts. I constrain the Schechter parameters for the UV luminosity function at z ≈ 7 and z ≈ 8 − 9, finding evidence for evolution in the number density of high redshift galaxies.
Next, I present the Ks-band luminosity functions in the 1 degree2 and 4.5 degree2 overlaps between the VIDEO-XMM field and the CFHTLS-D1 and CFHTLS-W1 fields. I measure the luminosity functions with the 1/Vmax method over the range 0.2 &LT; z &LT; 3 in VIDEO-CFHTLS-D1, and over the range 0.2 &LT; z &LT; 1.5 in the shallower VIDEO-CFHTLS-W1 field. I find the evolution of these luminosity functions is best described by luminosity dependent density evolution, where the characteristic magnitude has dimmed at a constant rate since z = 3, while the density has increased since z = 3, first rapidly from z = 3 to z ≈ 1.5 and then more slowly from z ≈ 1.5 to z = 0.2. I measure a significant upturn at the faint end of the luminosity function at low redshift.
Finally, I compare the VIDEO-CFHTLS-D1 and VIDEO-CFHTLS-W1 luminosity functions with predicted K-band luminosity functions from the Horizon-AGN simulation. I find both an over-prediction in the numbers of faint galaxies and an under-prediction in the numbers of bright galaxies, implying that the feedback from supernovae is insufficient while the feedback from AGN is over-sufficient.

Keywords: High redshift
Luminosity functions
Galaxy evolution
Advisor: Bunker, A
Jarvis, M
Verma, A
The rise and fall of the reputed ownership clause

This thesis deals with the history of the reputed ownership clause, a bankruptcy provision that included goods in the estate of the bankrupt that were in the 'apparent' possession of the bankrupt, rather than in his ownership. The reputed ownership clause was enacted in 1624 in order to protect creditors from delusive credit, caused by chattel mortgages that generally took the form of a secret bill of sale.
This thesis, after considering the present state of the academic literature on the topic, explores the origin of the reputed ownership clause and the first two centuries of its judicial interpretation.
The value of this research is that it establishes that the early interpretation of the reputed ownership clause was more sophisticated than modern scholarship suggests. It shows that from the 18th century onwards the courts were already acting on commercial needs, balancing the prevention of fraud against the encouragement of trade and credit. After the leading case Ryall v Rolle (1749) the reputed ownership clause was interpreted more extensively, but at the same time, various general exceptions emerged that limited the reputed ownership clause. This resulted in a more sophisticated, and in some respects narrowing, application.
This thesis aims to fill a gap in the literature by providing a doctrinal general legal narrative of the reputed ownership clause, from its enactment until the point at which it came under attack in the mid 19th century. Case-law and treatises from between the late 16th and the early 19th century have been used to conduct this research. The research outcomes of the thesis show that certain assumptions in modern scholarship based on 19th century sources on the development of the reputed ownership clause and the floating charge are questionable.

Keywords: credit
Reputed ownership
Legal history
Personal Property
Bankruptcy law
Advisor: Macnair, M