VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Strange particle production at the ZEUS detector

The production of the neutral strange particles Λ, Λ[bar] and K0s at HERA has been studied with the ZEUS detector, using an integrated luminosity of 121pb-1 . Differential cross-sections are measured in a High Q2 DIS sample (Q2 ≥ 25GeV2), a Low Q2 DIS sample (5 ≤ Q2 ≤ 25GeV2 ) and a photoproduction sample. The photoproduction sample has Q2 <= 1GeV2 and at least two jets that satisfy ETjet > 5GeV and |ηjet| < 2.4. Cross-sections are measured as a function of the particle PT and η, and additionally as a function of the event Q2 and x in the DIS samples, and as a function of xγ in the photoproduction sample. The DIS cross-sections are compared to the ARIADNE Monte Carlo, which broadly describes the data. The photoproduction cross-sections are compared to PYTHIA, where the agreement is less good, particularly at low xγ. The baryon-antibaryon asymmetry, defined as (Λ-Λ[bar])/(Λ+Λ[bar]), is measured and always found to be consistent with zero, indicating little transfer of the Baryon Number from the beam proton to the Λ system in the detector region. The polarization of Λ and Λ[bar] is measured and also found to be always consistent with zero, indicating that there is no preferred frame in Λ production. The baryon-meson ratio (Λ + Λ[bar])/K0s is studied, and is found to generally agree with ARIADNE in DIS, but give an excess over PYTHIA in photoproduction. The excess is particularly prominent at low xγ in events with no clear jet structure. This is interpreted as hadron production in this region depending on a more-than-one-dimensional overlap of quark wave functions. An excess of strangeness in this region at low xγ with no high ET jets would be significant. It is investigated by taking the ratio of strange particles to charged tracks but no excess is seen.

Advisor: Walczak, R
Between two worlds: Baroque spectacle and enlightenment thought in the autos sacramentales by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695)

This thesis is the first book-length study of the three autos sacramentales by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Sor Juana’s religious drama has received little attention, despite her status as one of the greatest figures of Mexican literature. She was also writing during a particularly significant period in Hispanic literary history: at the end of the Spanish Golden Age, and at the rise of a new class of intellectual élites in the New World, the criollos. I contend that Sor Juana’s autos sacramentales are crucial to understanding how she contributed to the formation of a criollo identity. In doing so, she engaged with the mentalities of two continents and two historical periods: Europe and the Americas, and the Baroque and the Enlightenment.
To demonstrate this, I provide a study of each of Sor Juana’s sacramental plays, alongside the loa which was written to accompany them. My method combines close-text reading with a historical approach, and I pay particular attention to the theological function of the plays. In each chapter, I focus on the concurrent strands of thought in her works. I consider how the plays demonstrate the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, and how they engage with the aesthetic and theological mindset of the Spanish Baroque. I study how they incorporate indigenous Nahuatl theatrical traditions, and ask how they engage with the scientific developments of the Enlightenment. I conclude that in her autos sacramentales Sor Juana expresses a mindset that is both geographically and historically “between two worlds.”
The influence of Nahuatl theatre on Sor Juana’s dramaturgy has never before been studied. The influence of Enlightenment thought on her works has been noted by a few scholars, but never considered in relation to her religious works. The demonstration of the interaction of Enlightenment and Catholic ideas challenges our notion of the Enlightenment as a secularising movement, and has potential implications for scholars of the period beyond the sphere of Sor Juana studies.

Keywords: Sor Juana
auto sacramental
Advisor: Jonathan, T
Identification of the transneuronal homeostatic machinery at a central synapse

Two different kinds of stabilising homeostatic behaviour have been observed in neurons. The first type involves the cell-autonomous maintenance of a cell-identity-based level of electrical activity. Neurons continually monitor their own electrical activity and can adjust many intracellular parameters, such as membrane ion channel densities, to keep this activity within a tight physiological range. The second type of homeostatic behaviour shares the same goal, to maintain a fixed level of electrical activity, but instead of adjusting intracellular parameters, the neuron recruits its synaptic partners to assist in maintaining a genetically prescribed activity level. This behaviour is most easily observed when a neuron is either electrically silenced by expressing an inwardly-rectifying potassium channel or rendered less sensitive to neurotransmitter through mutation of its postsynaptic receptors. Both of these perturbations result in increased synaptic drive from the presynaptic cells, either through increasing the number of neurotransmitter release sites or increasing the probability of release from single release sites.
Many genes that are instrumental in the second type of homeostatic behaviour have been identified, mainly at the neuromuscular junction in the peripheral nervous system. However, studies on transsynaptic homeostatic compensation in an intact central nervous system have been few and far between. Also, which, if any, of the homeostatic genes are transcriptionally regulated in the nucleus after the onset of transsynaptic homeostatic adjustment, has not been adequately addressed. This thesis has developed a system to measure transcriptome-wide gene expression levels in presynaptic circuit elements after altering the firing properties of the downstream circuit in the CNS. Many transcriptionally regulated genes have been identified and are now being tested for their potential use as reporters for transsynaptic transcriptional regulation. It might be possible to capitalise on endogenous homeostatic signalling pathways to gain genetic access to synaptically connected neurons.

Keywords: Synapse
Homeostatic Compensation
Drosophila melanogaster
Advisor: Miesenboeck, G
The ritualistic child: imitation, affiliation, and the ritual stance in human development

Researchers have long argued that ritual plays a crucial role in marking social identities and binding individuals together in a system of shared actions and beliefs. The psychological processes underlying how and why ritual promotes group bonding and influences in- and out-group biases have not yet been fully elucidated. The research presented in this thesis was designed to examine the social and cognitive developmental underpinnings of conventional/ ritualistic behavior. Because learning cultural conventions is essential for participation in group behavior and for signaling group membership and commitment, I propose that conventional/ ritualistic learning is motivated by a drive to affiliate. Experiment 1 investigated the affiliative nature of ritualistic learning by examining the effects of third-party ostracism on imitation of an instrumental versus ritual action sequence and prosocial behavior. Individuals who do not participate in shared group conventions often face the threat of ostracism from the group. Given that attempting re-inclusion is an established response to ostracism, I predicted that the threat of ostracism increases affiliative motivations and thus will increase imitative fidelity, especially in the context of conventional learning. Experiment 2 examined the effects of first-person ostracism in the context of in- and out-groups on children’s imitation of a ritualistic action sequence and pro-social behavior. I predicted that the experience of ostracism by an in-group versus an out-group has important implications for the construal of social exclusion and affiliative behavior. I hypothesized that children would be motivated to re-affiliate by imitating the model and acting pro-socially towards the group, especially when ostracized by in-group members. Based on the findings of this research and insight from anthropology, and social and developmental psychology, I will present a picture of how children acquire the conventions of their group and how these conventions influence social group cognition.

Keywords: imitation
cultural transmission
affiliation
social groups
ostracism
ritual
Advisor: Whitehouse, H
Legare, C
Refocusing antibody responses by chemical modification of vaccine antigens

The envelope glycoprotein (Env) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) has developed several immune-evasion mechanisms to avoid the induction of neutralising antibodies, including immunodominant non-neutralising epitopes, conformational flexibility of conserved epitopes, and spontaneous subunit dissociation, thus impeding vaccine development. Here, chemical modification of Env-based vaccine antigens is explored to overcome these obstacles.
Firstly, covalent fixation of Env by chemical cross-linking was used to stabilise the conformationally flexible structure and prevent subunit dissociation. Cross-linked Env constructs showed reduced binding of many non-neutralising antibodies whilst largely maintaining antibody recognition by broadly neutralising antibodies. Compared to unmodified material, immunisation with some of these cross-linked proteins led to the induction of significantly increased antibody titres targeting the conserved CD4 binding site of Env despite similar overall antibody titres. These refocused antibody responses resulted in increased serum neutralising titres compared to animals receiving unmodified protein.
Secondly, an epitope masking strategy was developed to reduce or eliminate the immunogenicity of neutralisation-irrelevant surfaces. This was achieved using site-selective addition of theoretically immunosilent glycoconjugates to lysine residues. Masking of model protein hen egg lysozyme (HEL) led to site-selective loss of antibody binding to the modification sites in vitro, which translated into refocusing of antibody responses from masked to unmasked epitopes in vivo. Mutant HIV-1 and influenza virus surface glycoproteins were designed that had lysine residues removed from close proximity to the respective broadly neutralising epitopes, but added throughout the remaining surface. Masking of these mutant proteins with second-generation glycoconjugates led to predictable perturbations of antibody binding in vitro. However, administration of these modified glycoproteins revealed unexpectedly that the masking glycans were highly immunogenic in vivo. Thus, this strategy may well prove useful if truly non-immunogenic glycoconjugates can be identified.
Taken together, these chemical modifications of vaccine antigens may allow focused targeting of specific antigenic regions for increased B cell recognition, and may thus be a valuable tool for vaccine antigen design.

Keywords: Immunogenicity
Neutralizing Antibody
Antigenicity
Chemical Cross-linking
Glycosylation
Protein Modifications
Envelope Glycoproteins
HIV-1
Vaccine Design
Glycoconjugates
Advisor: Sattentau, Q
The development of WTO law in light of transnational influences: the merits of a causal approach

The WTO is one piece in a complex network of international, regional and domestic legal systems and regulatory frameworks. The influences on the development of WTO law extend far beyond its own Members and institutions: domestic legal instruments have provided the inspiration for numerous WTO obligations while the rights and obligations under the covered agreements are frequently incorporated into the legal systems of the Membership. The WTO is home to numerous committees and working groups that also engage with other international bodies and their domestic counterparts. Transnational actors seek to take advantage of these networks, encouraging WTO law to develop in their favour. The interactions involved, however, are highly complex and unpredictable. By drawing on different models of causal explanation, it is possible to offer a perspective on the development of WTO law that accepts its role as part of a larger globalized process. Three different causal influences are identified: instrumental, systemic and constitutive. Together, they offer a prism through which to examine the development of WTO law as it responds to the behaviour of transnational actors, bridging gaps between international relations and law and, it is hoped, offering a convincing explanatory rationale for the way in which WTO law develops.

Keywords: international trade law
WTO law
international economic law
Advisor: Sarooshi, D
Communal riots, sexual violence and Hindu nationalism in post-independence Gujarat (1969-2002)

In much existing literature the incidence of sexual violence during Hindu-Muslim conflict has been attributed to the militant ideology of Hindu nationalism. This thesis interrogates this view. It first examines the ideological framework laid down by the founding ideologues of the Hindu nationalist movement with respect to sexual violence. I argue that a justification of sexual violence against Muslim women is at the core of their ideology. In order to examine how this ideology has contributed to the actual incidents, this thesis studies the episodes of Hindu-Muslim violence that occurred in 1969, 1985, 1992 and 2002 in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. An examination of these episodes shows that sexual violence against Muslim women, in both extreme and less extreme forms, were significantly motivated by Hindu nationalist ideology. However, in addition to this ideology, patriarchal ideas that serve to normalize sexual violence as ‘sex’ and sanction its infliction to maintain gendered hierarchies also motivated such crimes. Moreover, this thesis argues that the manifestation of Hindu nationalist and patriarchal motivations in acts of sexual violence was enabled by the breakdown of neighbourhood ties between Hindus and Muslims in 1969 and 2002. By contrast, during the 1985 and 1992 riots Hindus and Muslims strengthened neighbourhood ties despite extensive communal mobilization, which seems to have prevented the perpetration of extreme sexual violence against Muslim women. Thus, by providing a comprehensive analysis of the contribution of Hindu nationalist ideology, and arguing for the significance of the patriarchal ideas and neighbourhood ties in the infliction of sexual violence during conflict, this study contributes to and departs from the existing literature.

Keywords: sexual violence
Ahmedabad
gender
India
Gujarat
communal riots
inter-religious violence
Hindu nationalism
Advisor: Brown, J
O'Hanlon, R
Why should I be moral?

I begin my discussion of the question 'Why should I be moral?' by drawing distinctions both between possible different senses of 'moral' and also between different conceptions of what morality requires. I then criticize the idea that one should be moral because it serves self-interest. Self-interest is served by one's having benevolent concern for only a fairly small number of others, but being moral involves more than this. Furthermore, having moral dispositions other than benevolence is in one's interest only if these dispositions are required by the moral code predominant in one's society. Moreover, even if we confine our attention to people who live in such a society, each person would probably be better off with moral dispositions that were not so strong that they would always get their way, but the completely moral person would presumably have overriding moral dispositions. Finally, having the correct moral beliefs may not be in one's interest. But whatever the gap between self-interest and morality, might one not have most reason to be moral? Derek Parfit has recently argued that the view that one has most reason to do whatever best achieves one's present aims (and these may sometimes be moral aims) is at least as good as the view that one has most reason to do what best promotes one's own long-term good. I attack some of his arguments. But I then go on to argue that moral requirements as such—i.e., independently of whether they are reflected in present desires—do generate reasons for action. But are these moral reasons always stronger than reasons of other kinds? On the basis of an example I describe in the closing pages, I reluctantly conclude that they are not.
Functional genomics of severe sepsis and septic shock

Sepsis is the systemic inflammatory response to an infection. Severe sepsis with multi organ failure is one of the commonest causes of admission to intensive care units, and is associated with poor early and late outcomes. The pathophysiology of sepsis is complex, and poorly understood. This is reflected in the limited and contentious treatment options for sepsis.
Genetic factors have been shown to be associated with the risk of and subsequent outcomes from infection. However, clear associations with bacterial sepsis are rare, and even when associations are present their functional effects are often unknown.
Gene expression signatures in sepsis are investigated in this project using serial samples obtained from patients admitted to intensive care units with community-acquired pneumonia or faecal peritonitis.
The evolving gene expression signatures that define the response to sepsis were identified with large changes seen in genes coding for ribosomal proteins RPS4Y1 and RPS26P54. The differences in the sepsis response between the two diagnostic classes were examined. The gene expression predictors of mortality in sepsis were determined and include genes from the class II MHC HLA-DRB4, HLA-DRB5 and the T cell differentiation protein MAL. The effects of important covariates on gene expression were investigated and their impact on survival related expression determined. The findings were confirmed in a validation cohort. A novel clustering of samples representing distinct inflammatory patterns in a clinically homogeneous population of sepsis patients was identified and related to differences in clinical behaviour. The biological relevance of the differentially expressed genes was ascertained by identifying enriched gene sets.
The gene expression changes in sepsis were examined in the context of related clinically relevant immune phenomena: the sterile systemic inflammatory response in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery and the phenomenon of endotoxin tolerance in PBMCs derived from healthy volunteers.
The results highlight the complexities of clinical sepsis and identify hypotheses for future investigations.

Keywords: faecal peritonitis
functional genomics
sepsis
community-acquired pneumonia
microarray
septic shock
Advisor: Knight, J
Hinds, C
Benjamin Britten and Christianity

This thesis charts the significance of the topic of Christianity in the dramaturgy of Britten's operas, hi light of recent research, it takes an essentially negative view of Britten's relationship with the religious orthodoxy of his day, a view consistent with Britten's own. However, it will be demonstrated that a dialectic with the Christian element is embodied in a majority of Britten's operatic dramaturgies. This is, in part, connected to the established theme of Britten's obsession with the corruption of innocence by experience: it is rooted in the association of a 'clear, untroubled' Christian belief with the innocence of a childhood dominated by his religious mother; the experience of adult life with Pears after the death of his parents; the decisive impact of W.H. Auden, who primarily effected the transition between these two worlds.
It will be shown how these factors influenced the shaping of the libretti of his operas. It will also be shown how the Christian dialectic, manifesting itself most powerfully and painfully in the War Requiem and three parables for Church performance of the 1960s, is one of a number of discretely autonomous strata that form the unique admixture of Britten's aesthetic and artistic personality.
It will be demonstrated, in conclusion, that in art as in life, the contingencies Britten imposed upon the Christian element are ultimately displaced by other 'non-Christian' elements related to the Classical paradigm.

Advisor: Cooke, M
Theory and applications of ultracold atoms in optical superlattices

Optical lattices make it possible to trap and coherently control large ensembles of ultracold atoms. They provide the possibility to create lattice potentials that mimic the structure of solid-state systems, and to control these potentials dynamically. In this thesis, we study how dynamical manipulations of the lattice geometry can be used to perform different tasks, ranging from quantum information processing to the creation of diatomic molecules.
We first examine the dynamical properties of ultracold atoms trapped in a lattice whose periodicity is dynamically doubled. We derive a model describing the dynamics of the atoms during this process, and compute the different interaction parameters of this model. We investigate different ways of using this lattice manipulation to optimise the initialisation time of a Mott-insulating state with one atom per site, and provide a scaling law related to the interaction parameters of the system.
We go on to show that entangling operations between the spin of adjacent atoms are realisable with optical lattices forming arrays of double-well potentials. We study the creation of a lattice containing a spin-encoded Bell-pair in each double-well, and show that resilient, highly-entangled many-body states are realisable using lattice manipulations. We show that the creation of cluster-like states encoded on Bell-pairs can be achieved using these systems, and we provide measurement networks that allow the execution of quantum algorithms while maintaining intact the resilience of the system.
Finally, we investigate the possibility to create a diatomic molecular state and simulate Fermi systems via the excitation to Rydberg levels of ground-state atoms trapped in optical lattices. We develop a method based on symbolical manipulations to compute the interaction parameters between highly-excited electrons, and evaluate them for different electronic configurations. We use these parameters to investigate the existence of diatomic molecular states with equilibrium distances comparable to typical lattice spacings. Considering the possibility to excite atoms trapped in an optical lattice to Rydberg levels such that the electronic cloud of neighbouring atoms overlap, we propose a model describing their interactions and compute its parameters. If such systems were realised, they would allow the simulation of Fermi systems at a temperature much below the Fermi temperature, thus enabling the observation of quantum phenomena hitherto inaccessible with current technology.

Advisor: Jaksch, D