VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Blessed are the peacemakers? Framing crusade and diplomacy with Muslims in Latin Christendom, c.1095-1300
Keywords: diplomacy
crusades
inter-religious diplomacy
Christian-Muslim relations
medieval diplomacy

Diplomacy and holy war are generally understood as not only incongruous, but opposing concepts. Those inspired to take up arms in the name of their faith, such as the Latin Christians who endeavoured upon the capture of Jerusalem between the late-eleventh and thirteenth centuries, are often considered incapable of the rational compromises required by any effective diplomacy. This assumption, however, fails to adequately explain the prevalence and frequency of diplomatic encounters between those who led crusade campaigns to the East and their Muslim counterparts. While an openness to negotiations and treaties might be expected of the Latin Christians who chose to settle in the East, this thesis seeks to establish how diplomacy was viewed by those who took the cross and travelled great distances in order to capture the holy city of Jerusalem, as well as by those who never left the Latin West but whose chronicles, letters and other writings provided the crusading movement with its language and ideals. If these men saw no place for negotiation in holy war, then why did it occur so often? Where did diplomacy stand in the conceptual framework of crusading? Through a wide-ranging analysis of normative texts and contemporary sources, this thesis establishes a more firm foundation for the study of diplomacy between crusaders and Muslim leaders. Forgoing any assumptions that diplomacy and holy war must have been seen as incompatible, it provides new frameworks for understanding the relationship between the two concepts. It argues that negotiation was not an action which stood outside the normative boundaries of holy war in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but was rather an accepted component of a broader war effort, which was to be judged upon its results. Significantly, many of the same ideological, legal, and cultural frameworks which celebrated and encouraged religious violence also supported diplomacy and negotiation. A better understanding of how these concepts were entwined and understood in the period reveals how diplomacy should be seen as a core aspect of the crusading movement, in both practice and theory.
Pragmatics and the invisible language of relationships: the case of Korean and KFL learners
Keywords: East Asian language
honorifics
Korean
language learning
applied linguistics
Korean language
politeness
linguistics
pragmatics
East Asian pragmatics
language education

This thesis finds itself at the intersection of two fast-moving global trends in linguistics research: first, the swiftly growing interest in pragmatics as a field in need of further development, definition, and delineation between global languages with vastly differing sociocultural patterns of behavior, including politeness (Kiaer (2020b), Taguchi (2019)); and second, unprecedented international attention on the Korean peninsula, leading to a wave of Korean language study by learners of Korean as a foreign language (KFL learners), with steadily increasing enrollment numbers continuing to outperform other languages (Pickles, 2018). These two phenomena have created a specific set of circumstances in which the study of Korean pragmatics and Korean pragmatics education has become extremely relevant. This thesis seeks to address that set of circumstances by setting out, through a variety of ethnographic methodologies, to understand how native Korean speakers perceive their own pragmatic experiences. It then compares Korean speakers’ pragmatic experiences with those of Chinese and Japanese speakers, in order to identify the unique pragmatic features of Korean. Finally, this thesis explores the KFL classroom and examines how KFL learners are currently being exposed to Korean pragmatics in their studies. Through the methodologies pursued here, this thesis finds that Korean speakers are uniquely required by their linguistic circumstances to constantly engage with pragmatic skills, including speech styles and address terms, in order to engage in culturally required relational dynamics, and that KFL learners are being underprepared by current KFL curricula to engage in Korean relational dynamics using those pragmatic skills.
Elucidating the role of inflammatory mediators in frozen shoulder
Keywords: orthopaedic surgery
frozen shoulder
inflammation
fibrosis

Frozen shoulder is a painful inflammatory fibrotic disease of the glenohumeral joint capsule. While it’s frequently self-limiting, patients can be symptomatic for years. The underlying pathophysiology of frozen shoulder is not fully understood, hampering the development of an effective therapy. Increased expression of inflammatory mediators has been identified in frozen shoulder, suggesting a potential role for these mediators in disease. However, the precise cellular interactions and the cell types expressing inflammatory mediators have not been identified.
A single cell atlas revealed that the rotator interval of the glenohumeral joint capsule is comprised of fibroblasts, myeloid cells, lymphocytes, endothelial cells, and mural cells. Clustering of myeloid cells revealed a CD48+IL1A+ macrophage subset which showed increased expression of several pro-inflammatory genes, including PTGS2, S100A8, EREG, IL1A, IL1B, IL1R1, IL1RN. In frozen shoulder, CD48+IL1A+ macrophages show increased expression of several pro-inflammatory genes, including IL-1 genes (IL1A, IL1B, IL1R1).
CD48+IL1A+ macrophages were localised to both the lining and sub-lining regions of the rotator interval of the glenohumeral joint capsule. The expression (immunohistochemistry) of CD68, CD48, IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-1R was increased in frozen shoulder relative to comparator patient tissues. As the IL1R1 gene was mainly expressed by fibroblasts, ligand-receptor interaction analysis predicted several important IL-1 ligand-receptor pairs between CD48+IL1A+ macrophages and fibroblast populations, including IL1A-IL1R1 and IL1BIL1R1. In turn, fibroblast populations were predicted to communicate with myeloid cell populations via the CSF1-CSF1R pathway.
Fibroblasts derived from frozen shoulder capsular tissues acquire an inflammatory fibrotic phenotype upon IL-1α and/or IL-1β stimulation, which was characterised by an increase in inflammation (CCL2, CCL5, CCL8, CCL20, CXCL3, CXCL5, NFKBIA, NFKBIZ, IGF1, FGF7, IL6, CSF2, CSF3) and fibrosis related genes (TGFB1, TGFBR1, WNT5A, COL3A1, MMP2, TIMP1), as well as an increased secretion of inflammatory mediators (CXCL-12, GMCSF, IL-1RA, IL-33, IL-6).
This thesis provides novel insight into the cellular basis of frozen shoulder, revealing a distinct CD48+IL1A+ macrophage subset enriched for inflammation in advanced-stage frozen shoulder. CD48+IL1A+ macrophages release IL-1α and IL-1β, which activate surrounding macrophages and fibroblasts via IL-1R to release chemokines and other inflammatory mediators, further promoting inflammation and fibrosis. This data supports the hypothesis that macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk contributes to the underlying pathophysiology of frozen shoulder. Importantly, this thesis provides sufficient data to identify the IL-1R pathway as a potentially important therapeutic target.
Malonyl radical cyclisations in heteroaromatic functionalisation and natural product synthesis
Keywords: radical chemistry
total synthesis

This thesis describes the application of malonyl radical cyclisations to the synthesis of annulated heteroaromatics and towards the formal synthesis of ginkgolide B (V). It is divided into three chapters:
Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to the generation and reactivity of malonyl radicals as well as a summary of their applications in organic synthesis.
Chapter 2 reviews the available methods for the synthesis of annulated heteroaromatics (III) and describes the development and application of a new, malonyl radical-based, photochemical method for their synthesis. This method is based on the photolysis of in situ generated iodomalonates (I) and builds on previous work in the Burton group. Our investigations into the mechanism of this transformation are also detailed in this chapter.
Chapter 3 covers our efforts towards the formal synthesis of ginkgolide B (V) via a malonyl radical cascade. It details the investigation of two different routes and the elaboration of a product of the radical cascade into the core of the natural product (IV). This chapter also describes the enantioselective synthesis of a key intermediate via an organocatalysed Michael addition. Finally, it suggests a synthetic plan to complete the asymmetric formal synthesis of ginkgolide B (V).
The transcriptional regulation of the zeta-globin gene
Keywords: gene regulation
thalassaemia
genome-editing

The ζ-globin gene (HBZ in humans and Hba-x in mice) is the embryonic α-like globin gene that is expressed at the early stages of primitive erythropoiesis but silenced in the definitive erythroid lineage. Understanding the regulation of ζ-globin transcription, especially the mechanisms by which it is silenced, would shed light on gene regulation and offer therapeutic opportunities for ζ-globin induction in patients with severe α-thalassemia.
Previous studies in the laboratory have excluded many common mechanisms of gene silencing, here, Polycomb repression mediated by PRC1 has also been excluded as a participant in ζ-globin silencing. Of interest, histone deacetylation mediated via the NuRD complex appears to play a role in ζ-globin silencing in definitive erythropoiesis. However, the constantly hypoacetylated ζ-globin locus shows no enrichment of NuRD complex in definitive erythroblasts by ChIP-seq, suggesting the potential role of NuRD in ζ-globin silencing may rely on its nucleosome remodelling activity rather than its histone deacetylase components. In contrast to the definitive erythroid lineage, ζ-globin repression is independent of histone deacetylation during the primitive intra-lineage switch.
A comprehensive CRISPR screen across the ζ-globin promoter has identified two repressive cis-acting elements, which are predicted binding motifs of LRF and BCL11A; two transcription factors known to be responsible for ζ-globin repression. Perturbation of the LRF motif has a greater effect than altering the BCL11A motif in definitive erythroblasts from mice and humans. Base editing of both elements increases ζ-globin to 20% of total α-like globin transcription and a pan-cellular ζ-globin induction at the protein level. This effect size is similar to that seen in the LRF and BCL11A double knockout model, showing that these two factors repress ζ-globin transcription by direct promoter binding.
It has previously been shown that individuals with a common deletion of the α-globin genes, termed Southeast Asian deletion (--SEA), which leaves the embryonic ζ-gene intact, have a raised level of ζ-globin expression. To gain insight into the mechanisms of ζ-globin gene expression in such cases, a mouse model that recapitulates the --SEA mutation in humans has been generated and characterised. This model has shown that promoter competition within the α-globin cluster plays an important part in ζ-globin silencing during the primitive intra-lineage switch, suggesting that in the definitive erythroid lineage, in addition to trans-acting factors, promoter competition may also play a role in determining the level of ζ-globin reactivation.
Senator Henry M. Jackson and the U.S.-Soviet detente
Keywords: detente
United States
Soviet Union
foreign relations
Henry M. Jackson

This thesis investigates important aspects of United States policy toward the Soviet Union through a close and critical examination of the views of Senator Henry M. Jackson, a Democrat from the state of Washington. Intellectually, the thesis considers the contents and interconnectedness of Jackson's ideas on U.S.-Soviet relations, places those ideas in the context of American diplomatic history, and evaluates the extent to which those ideas shaped U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union. Institutionally, the thesis examines how Jackson, as a member of the legislative branch, was able to influence profoundly the direction of such a critical international relationship.
Chapters one through three introduce the ideological and institutional framework of American foreign policy, trace the intellectual development of Senator Jackson's and the Nixon Administration's views on the U.S.-Soviet relationship, and discuss Jackson's critical support of the Administration's early initiatives. Chapters four through eight then examine the Senator's defection from detente and his persistent efforts to redirect U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union, using arms control, trade, and human rights as vehicles for contrasting Jackson's views of U.S.-Soviet relations with those of three successive Administrations.
As those five chapters show in detail, Jackson skillfully drew upon his deep understanding of the ideological traditions and institutional structure of American foreign policy to direct a remarkably sustained and successful application of Congress' foreign affairs powers. He succeeded not only in blocking detente but also in driving America's Soviet policy in a more confrontational direction -- both ideologically and geopolitically -- aimed at transforming Soviet foreign and domestic behavior.
The potential of the concept of dignity for UK and EU animal protection law
Keywords: dignity
law

This thesis explores the potential of the concept of dignity for UK and EU animal protection law. The first part of the thesis analyses the existing legislation that aims to protect humans and animals in order to find out whether and how the concept of dignity has been used therein. It will be argued that, although dignity features prominently in the context of human rights law, it does not currently seem to play any explicit, self-standing role in the context of animal law. Instead, the latter laws are underpinned by arguments based on the perceived desirability of reducing suffering and promoting welfare in animals. The second part of the thesis therefore examines what the relevant animal laws would look like if dignity were to be used as an organising principle therein. Although many theories of dignity that were developed in the relevant literature offer valuable insights as regards to what dignity means or entails, it will be argued that the most accurate account seems to have been developed by Charles Foster. It suggests that dignity is about thriving, which will be translated into a process of self-realisation. Dignity is therefore taken to be about being and developing into yourself. The adopted account will then be applied to three areas involving animals to see how they would be affected by it: biotechnology, human-animal sexual relations, and hunting. In all these areas, the enshrinement of dignity would seem to lead to an increase in animal protection. Overall, it will be concluded that the incorporation of the notion of dignity in UK/EU animal law seems to be a logical and promising next step in the evolution of animal law. It would result in more complete substantive legal protection for animals and render the relevant legal systems more internally coherent.
Halogen and pnictogen bonding in host-guest chemistry
Keywords: interlocked structures
anion binding
anion receptors
halonium
[1]rotaxane
host-guest chemistry
supramolecular chemistry
pnictogen bonding
halogen bonding

This thesis describes the synthesis and characterisation of acyclic and macrocyclic receptors containing halogen- and pnictogen bonding motifs for the study of sigma(σ)-hole interactions for anion recognition, as well as the stabilisation of reactive halonium species through macrocyclic ligands.
Chapter 1 introduces supramolecular chemistry and the central concepts related to host-guest recognition and self-assembly. Different types of non-covalent interactions are discussed with a focus on sigma(σ)-hole interactions. Relevant literature examples related to anion recognition as well as interlocked host structures are furthermore presented.
Chapter 2 presents the synthesis of a series of antimony(III) and bismuth(III) based pnictogen bonding acyclic receptors, which were studied to elucidate the strength and selectivity of pnictogen bonding based anion recognition. The synthesis and study of mixed pnictogen- and halogen bonding tripodal receptors as well as mono- and bis-stibanotriazole based receptors is furthermore discussed.
Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of a series of halogen bonding lariat macrocycles incorporating ambidentate iodotriazole motifs into both the macrocycle and lariat arm. These were used to investigate anion and metal cation template directed synthetic routes for potential pseudo-[1]rotaxane assembly with the goal of constructing a functional [1]rotaxane capable of anion recognition through halogen bonding.
Chapter 4 details the study of four different bis-pyridine-based macrocycles for the complexation and stabilisation of reactive halonium cations. To this end, the solid-state structures of bromonium complexes as well as their parent Ag(I) and electronically related d10 Au(I) complexes are presented together with solution phase halonium cation 1H NMR ligand exchange studies, which reveal evidence for a macrocyclic effect for halonium guest species.
Chapter 5 presents a summary of the major conclusions from the research project and discusses future work.
Chapter 6 contains synthetic details and full characterisation of all novel compounds, as well as further details regarding 1H NMR titration experiment protocols and single-crystal XRD experiments.
Synthesis and studies on modified oligonucleotides for diagnostic and therapeutic applications
Keywords: synthesis
modified oligonucleotides

This thesis describes two different but related areas: intercalative thiazole orange (TO) probes and artificial DNA backbones. Thiazole orange (TO) is an asymmetric cyanine dye that is used to detect nucleic acids by fluorescence due to its intercalating characteristics, which results in an "on-off" fluorescent switch on binding to complementary nucleic acids. Modified nucleic acid backbones improve the half-lives of therapeutic oligonucleotides in vivo by conferring resistance to nuclease enzymic digestion. These two areas are both potentially important role in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic oligonucleotide properties.
The use of TO in various fluorogenic probe systems is described in this thesis. Phosphoramidite monomers based on a thymidine nucleoside with alkyne and amine modifications at the 5-position of the base, and with various lengths of amine linker (C3, C6) were designed for the orthogonal labelling of oligonucleotides at thymine sites. A single tube labelling technique was developed to functionalise the amino group via amide bond formation and the alkyne by CuAAC click chemistry (1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3- triazole formation). These new monomers were tested in oligonucleotide probes designed to facilitate fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between TO and a FRET acceptor/reporter dye (e.g. ROX) on binding to their complementary DNA or RNA targets. The steady state and time-resolved fluorescence properties of these modified oligonucleotides were investigated. Thermal duplex melting experiments revealed a beneficial increase in melting temperature (Tm) due to the presence of single or multiple thiazole orange dyes, whereas the reporter dye caused duplex destabilisation. These new combination probes were used to detect a SARS-COV-2 sequence in a LAMP (Loop- mediated isothermal amplification) assay where they provided good specificity and high sensitivity.
The synthesis and properties of oligonucleotides modified with triazole-locked nucleic acids (TL-LNA) were studied with antisense applications in mind. Triazole backbones are charge neutral five-atom connections that have previously been shown to be duplex destabilising, hence inappropriate for antisense applications. I show that the thermal stability of oligonucleotides containing the TL backbone bound to complementary RNA targets is improved when the triazole is combined with a locked nucleic acid sugar on the 3 ́-side of the triazole ring. TL-LNA nucleoside phosphoramidite dimers were synthesised to make the required oligonucleotide sequences. LNA-TLs of the kind produced in this study have more favourable properties than previous TL modifications.
Trail ride nation: Zydeco music & Creole entanglements in Southwest Louisiana
Keywords: race
Creole
non-human
horses
zydeco
Louisiana
music
trail ride

This doctoral thesis brings into focus the connections between humans, non-humans and zydeco at trail rides in Southwest Louisiana and Eastern Texas. Creole trail rides have become spirited social occasions centered around horses, food, music and dancing. The transient, mobile nature of trail rides offers a unique opportunity to consider the power of human-nonhuman entanglements and their impact on social becoming and collective solidarity. I explore how the region’s ‘Trail Ride Nation’ has emerged from and is sustained by its human participants’ specific relationships with horses, sound, clothing and food. I ask: How can we understand human becoming, specifically ‘trail rider’ becoming, as an entanglement with non-human animals and materialities? Mindful of the complex racial history in Louisiana, I also address how these entangled relationships connect to understandings of ‘creolization’ as a process of ‘creation, invention, critique, and resistance’ (Cohen and Toninato 2010: 14), and I ask how can they can become tools for self-making and reinvention against the region’s historical backdrop of racial segregation and systems of exclusion. This thesis explores how encounters with non-humans can encourage communal action and what kind of common world emerges by way of sonic, sartorial and edible engagements. I aim to present an argument that the cultural identity and collective belonging that marks what it is to be a trail rider is constituted by these changing and dynamic relationships.
Development and testing of ATLAS ITk strip barrel stave components
Keywords: HL-LHC
hardware upgrade
ATLAS ITk

The LHC is planned to be upgraded to HL-LHC with a nominal luminosity of 5 × 10^34 cm^−2s^−1 and an operational lifetime of over 10 years. The ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) experiment, as a general purpose particle physics experiment at the LHC, is planning a major upgrade in its tracker part to ensure performance in higher radiation and data rate. The new all-silicon inner tracker (ITk) is planned to be replacing the current SCT during the long shut down in 2026.
This thesis is focused on the strip barrel part of the ITk. It discusses the performance testing of different components on a strip barrel stave and the overall performance studies of a single stave. Pre-irradiation effect and operational parameters of ABCStar chip set are tested. The performance of a prototype ABCStar module in test beam is studied. This thesis discusses the software and procedure developments of the tape tester robot, which is developed for measuring strip barrel bus tapes. The statistical analysis of pre-production tape test results is obtained. The reliability studies of VTRx+ optical transceivers are also presented. This thesis also includes various studies on the performance of a single barrel stave.