VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Cest livre est a moy: French Books and Fifteenth-century England
Keywords: book history
fifteenth century
French of England
history of reading
manuscript studies
medieval England

Although English eventually became its dominant language of new literary composition, medieval England maintained a multilingual textual culture. Scholarly narratives that link English monolingualism to national identity have overshadowed the prolonged circulation of French. This thesis demonstrates the centrality of French to fifteenth-century England’s textual culture. Through the first large-scale codicological study of manuscripts from England containing French texts, I uncover the continuous, widespread, and diverse presence of French in books, upsetting narratives of French’s decline and English’s triumph. French—Insular and Continental, old and new—challenges any nationalistic, monolingual myth of textual culture. I argue for a new understanding of an embedded English multilingualism in which French, as language and material, overlaps with and influences English and Latin. In books, French becomes English. Chapter 1 argues that medieval documents create the category of “French books,” embedded within a larger, multilingual textual culture. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 on lexical glosses, readers’ summaries, and physical adaptations of French books reveal that English book users drew linguistic, textual, and material connections between French, English, and Latin, even in the process of interpreting a monolingual book. Through each form of reception, English book users place French books within a continuum of Francophone textual culture, connecting specific manuscripts to other texts, owners, or time periods. Chapter 5 returns to the category of “French books” to contend that, while scholars have argued that French books survived as old-fashioned luxuries, French manuscripts produced interconnected communities of book users through language, paratext, text, and material. Luxury, not as aesthetic category but as a series of use practices that attend to value, defines the reception of French in England. England’s textual community developed linguistic, social, cultural, and material responses to French texts through their books, which trace the history of French, including its relation to English and Latin. Rather than upholding ideas about the decline of French or separate, hierarchical roles for each language, I instead argue for an embedded English multilingualism negotiated on the page. This codicological approach, examining England’s French books transhistorically and transnationally, broadens our understandings of the relationship among nation, literature, and language.
The Devil’s Advocates: The Exoneration of Iblīs in Persian Mysticism
Keywords: Devil
Iblīs
Mysticism
Persian
Satan
Sufism

This dissertation investigates the portrayal of the Devil, known as Iblīs, in Perso-Islamic sources from the 3rd/9th to the 8th/14th centuries, with a focus being on mystical literature. Drawing upon a variety of primary source, including the Qurʾan and its commentaries; the legends of the prophets; general histories; heresiologies; and Sufi texts and Persian mystical poetry, it aims to demonstrate that, in contrast to orthodox Islamic dogma, which describes Iblīs as a fiendish and malevolent being, numerous medieval Islamic sources, in both Arabic and Persian, portray him either as an ambiguous figure or in a positive light. According to the story of Iblīs in the Qurʾan, when God created Adam, he ordered all the angels to bow down before him. They all obeyed except Iblīs who refused, and for this reason God cursed and banished him. While based on this account, Muslim theologians viewed Iblīs as disobedient and evil, some Persian mystics viewed him as an angelic, luminous sage (pīr) who is a perfect Sufi, a true monotheist, and a steadfast lover of the Divine. Their esoteric interpretations of the Qurʾanic story of Iblīs and his downfall were fundamentally different from those of mainstream Muslim theologians and exegetes. In the view of these Persian mystics, Iblīs’s refusal to prostrate himself before Adam, although exoterically considered an act of rebellion, was seen esoterically as the purest form of love and devotion to God, which elevated him to the highest ranks of Sufi sainthood. While this study will examine the notion of the sainthood of Iblīs in the works of some medieval Persian Sufis, it also proposes that the Persian mystics’ embrace of Iblīs was more widespread than previously thought, and it influenced not only Persian mystical literature but also certain non-mystical genres, such as historiography, heresiology, and folklore.
Novel Immunometabolic Therapies and Prognostic Markers for Lymphedema
Keywords: Fibrosis
Inflammation
Lymphedema
Metabolism

Lymphedema is a chronic, disabling health condition affecting over 40 million people globally. There are limited treatments for lymphedema and none are effective for the late stages of the disease. Fibrosis is a key pathology contributing to the chronic irreversibility of this clinical entity. New therapeutics are needed to target lymphedema fibrosis, and improved prognostic models are required to reliably predict who will develop chronic, severe lymphedema to appropriately triage and monitor patients for timely diagnosis and treatment. It is unknown if: (1) gene expression changes in tissue are associated with the development of fibrosis in lymphedema, (2) stimulating a non-fibrotic gene expression profile using drug therapy can reduce fibrosis in lymphedema tissues, and (3) biomarkers can reliably predict the occurrence and severity of lymphedema. Temporal RNA-sequencing of murine lymphedema tissues identified that increased interleukin 17 (IL-17) signaling and decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling occurred early in lymphedema and were sustained chronically. These gene expression changes co-occurred with fibrosis, which began to develop as early as two weeks after lymphedema development and continued until at least 35 weeks after the initiation of lymphedema. Using both mechanism of action- and pharmacogenomics-based approaches, drugs candidates were identified to target IL-17 and/or PPAR gene expression, and reduced lymphedema fibrosis in cellular and animal models. Additionally, in a prognostic biomarker study of 373 breast cancer patients with and without lymphedema, a novel prognostic model based on metabolic and inflammatory risk factors (e.g. breast fat density, BMI, age) was able to predict the occurrence and severity of lymphedema. Together, this research offers important novel insights into risk model development and therapeutic approaches for lymphedema.
The Poetic Tradition of Anglo-Saxon Riddles
Keywords: Aenigmata
Enigmata
Exeter Book
Latin
Old English
Riddles

The Exeter Book contains the only extant collection of Old English riddles. Behind this solitary witness, however, there lies a lost tradition of vernacular riddles, the nature of which can be inferred from a study of its relation to the Latin tradition of aenigmata. For unlike the Old English riddles, Latin aenigmata survive in numerous collections, both anonymous and by identified authors. The main contention of this dissertation is that the Old English poetic genre as represented by the Exeter Book Riddles can be best understood in the context of the composition, development, and transmission of Latin aenigmata. There were two reasons, I contend, for the popularity and rhetorical development of verse aenigmata in England: the first was because the genre had emerged to teach the composition of Latin poetry; and the second because the riddle itself is an inherently competitive, participatory form of verbal expression. These two aspects of the Latin genre led to a series of Anglo-Saxon poets composing aenigmata, many of which were rhetorically ornate poems. These aenigmata inspired the poetic form of Old English riddles and are the best evidence for their development and transmission in Anglo-Saxon England. Unlike previous studies, this dissertation goes beyond the authors of aenigmata to consider through close examination of individual manuscripts the contributions of the scribes and glossators who transmitted their collections from the seventh to the eleventh century. For they were active participants in this competitive literary tradition, even adding their own riddles to the collections that they copied. This is the first study to consider each manuscript as a separate witness to the Latin tradition. It is my contention that the Exeter Book Riddles similarly emerged out of such a collaborative tradition in Old English. The two aspects of the Latin aenigmata—teaching versification and the participatory nature of the riddle—were inherited by Old English poets and scribes, who composed rhetorically ornate riddles and participated in a competitive riddle tradition like their Latin counterparts. Studied in this way, the Exeter Book reveals the traces of what was once a dynamic poetic tradition of Old English riddles.
The M region of α-Catenin Cooperates with Canoe, Ajuba, Vinculin and α-Actinin to Support Adhesion During Drosophila Embryonic Morphogenesis
Keywords: cadherin-catenin
cell adhesion
mechanosensing

α-Catenin is a core component of the cadherin-catenin adhesion complex that couples cadherin to the actin cytoskeleton. The mechanosensitive α-Catenin M region is thought to recruit F-actin binding partners such as Vinculin under application of force to support adherens junctions (AJs). However, the function of M region mechanosensing and its cooperation with binding partners to support dynamic adhesion in vivo remains unclear. Actomyosin contraction stretches the M region into an open conformation, revealing cryptic binding sites and recruiting Vinculin. Whereas the loss of α-Catenin compromises adhesion and morphogenesis, null mutants for the α-Catenin-binding partners Vinculin, α-Actinin and Ajuba complete embryogenesis with no or minimal defects. Furthermore, the contribution of the M region to recruitment of the only reported binding partner with any strong adhesion phenotype, Afadin/Canoe, has not been explored in vivo. Here we report an essential requirement for the M region to epithelial integrity during Drosophila morphogenesis. We determine the distinct contributions of the M region subdomains, M1, M2 and M3, with M2 making the major contribution to adhesion. M2 is required for the mechanosensitive enrichment of Ajuba, and together with M3 supports Canoe recruitment to tricellular junctions and reinforces AJs. In contrast, M1 negatively regulates adhesion through its inhibition of Ajuba recruitment. M1 also recruits Vinculin, which supports E-cadherin and adhesion at high tension edges. However, we find this role to be subtle - ultimately dispensable for adhesion. We also found that the M1-Vinculin interaction is redundant with Canoe, and a striking genetic interaction between the M region and Canoe, together suggesting that Canoe and the M region act in parallel to support AJs. Our data clarify the function of the cadherin-actin interface and argue that α-Catenin and its interaction partners are part of a cooperative and redundant network that supports AJs remodelling in embryogenesis.
In the Margins of Justice: The Negotiation of Social Values in Athenian Forensic Oratory
Keywords: Athens
democracy
law
oratory
rhetoric
values

This dissertation is a study of four seminal value-terms in Athenian forensic oratory: philanthrōpia (generosity), epieikeia (decency), suggnōmē (pardon), and eusebeia (piety). Each chapter examines a different value-term, offers a theory of how that term works in Athenian forensic oratory, and then explores the political, social, and juridical consequences of the theory. Chapter One argues that philanthrōpia is not a disinterested “love of man,” but a particular type of generosity that implies a power-relation; as such, it was fought over by aristocrats and democrats alike, since it had the potential to signify both the noblesse oblige of the elite and the idealized goodwill of Athenian democracy. Chapter Two presents epieikeia as a flexible counter-value that can be put to diametrically-opposed ends: in the hands of Demosthenes, it is a baseline democratic “decency” attainable by all, while for Isocrates, it is an aristocratic excellence of education to which only the elite can aspire. Chapter Three makes the case for understanding suggnōmē as pardon based on a strong sense of cognitive and affective identification; as emblematic of the larger role of identification in the Athenian courtroom, suggnōmē was both constantly appealed to by the orators as well as periodically disowned. Finally, Chapter Four argues that eusebeia is a will-to-memory that, while seeming to recall the content of the dikastic oath, in fact acts as a floating signifier that the orators use to bolster that other floating signifier of the Athenian dikastērion: dikē. It is shown throughout that the study of these value-terms gives us insight not only into the terms themselves, but also into the larger political, social, juridical thought-worlds of Athens.
Modern Applications of Nickel Catalysis Towards the Synthesis of Nitriles and Related Compounds
Keywords: Catalysis
Cross-Coupling
Nickel
Nitriles
Organic Chemistry
Synthetic

This thesis describes the use of nickel catalysis and how it enables cross-coupling reactions with the goal of synthesizing α-aryl nitriles and related compounds. These strategies represent novel approaches to current limitations in the field and may be of interest to practitioners in the area. Chapter 1 describes an overview of the role nickel has in the modern landscape of transition metal catalysis, and the relevance/importance of nitrile containing organic molecules. Chapter 2 details a nucleophilic cyanation reaction of benzylic and allylic pivalate esters, and our initial efforts towards synthesizing enantioenriched α-aryl nitriles. Chapter 3 describes the use of α-cyano substituted NHP esters as electrophiles in a reductive arylation reaction, the unique role a chlorosilane additive has in the chemistry, and our continued efforts of generating enantioenriched products. Chapter 4 outlines the use of α-amide substituted NHP esters in a reductive arylation reaction to synthesize challenging 2° α-arylated amide products. Chapter 5 outlines some miscellaneous chemistry that relates to previous chapters
Theranostic Implications of Molecular Imaging in Cancer
Keywords: Molecular Imaging
Radiation Oncology
Radioimmunotherapy
Theranostic

Molecular imaging (MI) agents use biomarker-targeted delivery vehicles complexed to radionuclides that emit gamma (γ)-photons or positrons for visualizing tumours by SPECT or PET, respectively. These MI agents can be functionalized with radionuclides that emit cytotoxic radiation such as beta (β) particles and structurally modified for radioimmunotherapy (RIT), effectively transforming into a theranostic agent. This thesis aimed to develop a MI agent to visualize tumours that overexpress the biomarkers of interest and demonstrate the feasibility of a theranostic approach against these tumours. Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) are overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDCa). Panitumumab is an antibody that targets EGFR and can be modified and functionalized for MI and RIT. The first study demonstrated a novel technique to conjugate synthetic His6-peptides to panitumumab Fab for complexing [99mTc(H2O)3(CO)3]+, rendering it the ability to visualize EGFR-positive cell-line or patient-derived tumour xenografts in mouse models of TNBC, HNSCC and PDCa. The next study showed the synthesis of the theranostic agent, DOTA-panitumumab F(ab')2, that can be complexed with 64-copper (64Cu) for PET imaging or 177-lutetium (177Lu) for RIT. This work showed that 64Cu-DOTA-panitumumab F(ab')2 imaged EGFR-positive HNSCC PDX mouse models on PET and importantly, allowed for prediction of radiation doses to normal organs and tumours from RIT with the 177Lu-labelled analogue, demonstrating a theranostic strategy towards HNSCC. The third study was an attempt to visualize PDCa tumours overexpressing FZD#5 in mouse models using a recombinant anti-FZD#5 Fab that harbored an endogenous His6-tag for complexing [99mTc(H2O)3(CO)3] + or an immunoglobulin (IgG) analogue modified with desferrioxamine (DFO) for labelling with 89-zirconium (89Zr). Overexpression of FZD#5 in PDCa is mediated by RNF-43 mutation and has shown tremendous therapeutic potential in recent studies. This work showed an insufficient density of FZD#5 for imaging PDCa with the 99mTc-labelled Fab on SPECT and non-specific uptake of the 89Zr-labelled IgG on PET due to enhanced permeation and retention effects. In conclusion, panitumumab can be functionalized as a MI agent or a theranostic agent for visualizing and treating EGFR-positive tumours. FZD#5 is not a viable biomarker for MI despite its therapeutic potential.
Policy Learning in Global City-networks: Cycling Policy in Moscow, Russia as a Case of Local Global-urbanism
Keywords: cycling policy
policy mobilities
policy transfer
post-Socialist countries

Flows of people and information connect cities around the world and enable mobility of policy ideas. In this thesis I explore local impacts of global circulation of urban policy ideas, focusing on policies that aim to promote cycling as a transport mode. Building on policy mobilities theories, I begin to conceptualize a new phenomenon, ‘local global-urbanism’, which describes local policy discourses, policies or projects that policy actors develop based on ideas from other contexts. As an empirical case of local global-urbanism I investigate the emergence of a cycling policy in Moscow, Russia, in the mid-2000s - 2016. Moscow and many other post-Socialist cities are characterized by legacies of centralized planning, recent and strong automobility cultures, and limited cycling planning experience. While literature on cycling policies in European post-Socialist cities is growing, less is known about such cities outside the European Union. The Moscow case study combines elements of policy mobilities theories, policy transfer analytical framework, and policy ethnography methodology. With this case study I address two research questions of this thesis: How do policy mobility theories help to understand the emergence of Moscow’s cycling policy? How does the case of Moscow’s cycling policy contribute to policy mobility scholarship? To answer these questions I explore motivations, policy actors, contents, trajectories, mechanisms, constraints and outcomes of policy learning and transfer. The Moscow case demonstrates that policy ideas and examples from the Global North and the Global South have informed the emerging cycling policy. Policy learning and transfer of ideas from other contexts can save time and resources, leverage cyclists’ advocacy efforts, legitimize policy decisions, and facilitate the development of cycling plans and policies and pilot testing cycling infrastructure. However, policy learning and transfer cannot guarantee the implementation of safe cycling infrastructure, alleviation of power imbalances, continued cooperation between decision-makers and the cycling community, and other aspects of policy-making dependent on local institutions and culture. This thesis contributes to transport policy and geography literature by introducing the concept of local global-urbanism, focusing on policy transfer in post-Socialist cities outside the EU, and analyzing Moscow's cycling policy as a case of local global-urbanism.
The Social and Cultural Framework of the Syriac Exegete’s World: The Influence of Rabbinic and Other Judaic Traditions
Keywords: Bible
Fathers
Interpretation
Rabbinics
Sacrifice
Syriac

Early Syriac Christian commentaries on the problematic child sacrifice narratives of Scripture (Genesis 22; Judges 11; 2 Kings 3) contain ideas that are also present in Second Temple and late antique Jewish writings. This study aims to explore the extent to which the Jewish exegetical tradition, as codified in early Jewish and rabbinical writings, served as the foundation for several Syriac Christian commentaries on the biblical theme of child sacrifice. To test this hypothesis that the Christian authors were acquainted with Jewish exegetical materials and incorporated elements of it within their own commentaries, the contents and the stylistic features of works by Ephrem the Syrian, Jacob of Serugh and an anonymous fifth-century Syriac author on the relevant stories are analyzed against early Jewish and contemporaneous rabbinic materials to determine the degree of dependence. With regards Genesis 22 and 2 Kings 3, the number of parallels that exist between the texts in addition to the degree of similarity in the respective details, indicate that the Syriac authors must have had access to traditions that were circulating in Jewish learning circles. In the case of Judges 11, however, the Syriac commentaries differ drastically from details contained in Jewish works. The nature of the discrepancy is such that it indicates that Syriac authors were well-acquainted with Jewish traditions on the topic but opted for an interpretation that better suited their own theological outlook. The results of this study suggest that the Jewish and Christian worlds of late antique Syria were not as insular as previously thought. The works of the Christian authors indicate that they viewed the Jewish communities as being inheritors and possessors of genuine extrabiblical teachings for all things related to the Hebrew Bible. As adherents of a movement which stemmed out of the synagogue and claimed to supersede it, they felt an inherent right to borrow as they saw fitting. It was, fundamentally, an act through which the Syriac Christian author could reinforce his own and his movement’s identity and place in a Semitic-speaking geographical locale separated by two similar – yet distinct – religious traditions.