VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Identification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of IL-23 driven intestinal inflammation
Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease
effector CD4 T cells
mucosal immunology
IL-23
regulatory T cells

IL-23 is an essential mediator of chronic intestinal inflammation in experimental models of colitis. Polymorphisms in the IL23R locus are associated with IBD susceptibility in humans. The biological activity of IL-23 has been linked to Th17 cells but little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanism by which IL-23 drives intestinal inflammation. The work presented herein has identified that direct IL-23 signalling into CD4+ T cells was not only required for the accumulation of Th17 cells in the intestine but also modulated their phenotype. Through direct cell intrinsic effects on T cells, IL-23 drove the emergence of an IL-17A+IFN-γ+ population of T cells that co-expressed RORγ and T-bet. Interestingly, we found that expression of RORγ but not T-bet by T cells was required for the development of intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, colitis induced by T-bet deficient T cells was dependent on IL-17A, and showed a unique inflammatory phenotype, thus demonstrating that pathogenic intestinal Th17 responses can develop independently of T-bet. In addition, using transcriptional profiling we identified a core set of genes that is regulated by direct cell-intrinsic IL-23 signals into intestinal CD4+ T cells. This revealed a previously unrecognised role for IL-23 in suppressing Th2 associated genes, such as GATA3 and IL-33R. Functional experiments demonstrated that expression of GATA3 in CD4+ T cells limited their colitogenic potential, suggesting that IL-23-mediated inhibition of GATA3 might contribute to the development of intestinal inflammation. Finally, we described a novel function for IL-33 as a factor that promotes Foxp3+ iTreg differentiation in vitro and in vivo through direct effects on T cells. This activity of IL-33 was inhibited in the presence of IL-23, providing a mechanistic link for the known role of IL-23 in restraining iTreg generation. Collectively, these data suggest that IL-23 promotes acquisition of a pathogenic effector T cell phenotype through multiple mechanisms. This indicates that therapeutic blockade of IL-23 is likely to reduce pro-inflammatory mediators while also facilitating the expansion of regulatory pathways that might help to re-establish intestinal homeostasis.
Who cares for orphans? Challenges to kinship and morality in a Luo village in Western Kenya
Keywords: orphans
kinship
morality
care
Luo
HIV/AIDS
Kenya

This dissertation analyses an ethnographic study of how people in a peri-urban, agricultural village in western Kenya have responded to the questions of who will care for children, and how, when those children’s parents, or other primary caregivers, have died. It examines the practical and ideological implications of wide-scale orphaning among a population that has experienced increased numbers and proportions of orphaned children mainly due to HIV/AIDS, as well as the gradual depletion of resources in terms of both the availability of middle-aged adults and the security of economic livelihoods. The research explores how specific caring relationships, as well as general sociality, have been challenged, adapted, and affirmed or rejected normatively and practically in this context.
The research revealed a high degree of questioning in people’s efforts to forge responses to children’s orphaned situations. Rarely was there unambiguous consensus in the study context concerning what should be done in response to children’s orphanhood in light of families’ diminished livelihood capacities. More broadly, there was a distinctive concern with how such situations might be appraised in moral terms. The analysis therefore focuses on three main concerns, including: how to understand uncertainty as a condition of life, and the implications of this; how a shared perspective of uncertainty has spurred a concern with morality in the study context, and specifically galvanised a moral economy of kinship; and how the concern with morality affected what was deemed at stake in people’s lives.
Humiliation and liberal democratic politics
Keywords: humiliation
politics

The concept of humiliation has not received much attention from political theorists, despite the fact that themes related to dignity, respect, and honour have become more prominent in recent years. Contributions to the literature in political theory and related disciplines that do focus on humiliation tend to cast humiliation in one particular mould: as a violation of human dignity or equality, or as the emotional response to such a violation. Writers who take this view of humiliation often conclude that liberal democratic states and other actors committed to liberal democratic principles should not engage in humiliation.
In this thesis, I provide an in-depth examination of the concept of humiliation, clarifying certain features of humiliation that are presented ambiguously in the current literature. I emphasise the complexity of humiliation and the variety of forms it can take, beyond the violation of human dignity or equality. Humiliation can, for instance, consist of damage to the images of relatively powerful individuals or groups. I then argue that normative conclusions about the responsibilities of actors committed to liberal democratic principles vis-à-vis humiliation ought to be more nuanced than the conclusions found in much of the current literature. In some circumstances, these actors may legitimately engage in action that constitutes and/or leads to humiliation in order to uphold liberal democratic principles. But I also endorse certain concerns regarding this kind of action. Decisions about the proper approach to humiliation on the part of actors committed to liberal democratic principles should be made, I argue, with sensitivity to the particular political context.
Control of the mitotic spindle by dynein light chain 1 complexes
Keywords: Spindle orientation
Mitotic spindle

Robust control mechanisms ensure faithful inheritance of an intact genome through the processes of mitosis and cytokinesis. Different populations of the cytoplasmic dynein motor deﬁned by speciﬁc dynein adaptor complexes are required for the formation of a stable bipolar mitotic spindle. This study analysed how different dynein subcomplexes contribute to spindle formation and orientation. Various dynein subpopulations were identiﬁed by mass spectrometry. I have shown that the dynein light chain 1 (DYNLL1) directly interacts with the kinetochore localised Astrin-Kinastrin complex as well as the spindle microtubule associated complex formed by CHICA and HMMR. I have characterised both complexes and identiﬁed unique functions in chromosome alignment and mitotic spindle orientation, respectively.
I have found that Kinastrin (C15orf23) is the major Astrin-interacting protein in mitotic cells and is required for Astrin targeting to microtubule plus ends proximal to the plus tip tracking protein EB1. Fixed cell microscopy revealed that cells over-expressing or depleted of Kinastrin mislocalise Astrin. Additionally, depletion of the Astrin-Kinastrin complex delays chromosome alignment and causes the loss of normal spindle architecture and sister chromatid cohesion before anaphase onset (Dunsch et al., 2011).
Using immunoprecipitation and microtubule binding assays, I have shown that CHICA and HMMR interact with one another, and target to the spindle by a microtubule-binding site in the amino-terminal region of HMMR. CHICA interacts with DYNLL1 by a series of conserved TQT motifs in the carboxy-terminal region. Depletion of DYNLL1, CHICA or HMMR causes a slight increase in mitotic index but has little effect on spindle formation or checkpoint function. Fixed and live cell microscopy reveal, however, that the asymmetric distribution of cor tical dynein is lost and the spindle in these cells fails to orient correctly in relation to the culture surface (Dunsch et al., 2012).
These ﬁndings presented here suggest that the Astrin-Kinastrin complex is required for normal spindle architecture and chromosome alignment, and that per turbations of this pathway result in delayed mitosis and non-physiological separase activation, whereas HMMR and CHICA act as part of a dynein-DYNLL1 complex with a speciﬁc function deﬁning or controlling spindle orientation.
Ultrafast carrier dynamics in organic-inorganic semiconductor nanostructures
Keywords: photoluminescence
hot-carrier
trapping
semiconductor nanowires
exciton
doping
carrier dynamics
Mott transition
lifetime
charge transfer
ultrafast spectroscopy
carrier cooling
type-II heterojunctions

This thesis is concerned with the influence of nanoscale boundaries and interfaces upon the electronic processes that occur within the inorganic semiconductors. Inorganic semiconductor nanowires and their blends with semiconducting polymers have been investigated using state-of-the-art ultrafast optical techniques to provide information on the sub-picosecond to nanosecond photoexcitation dynamics in these systems.
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the theory and background behind the work and present a literature review of previous work utilising nanowires in hybrid organic photovoltaic devices, revealing the performances to date. The experimental methods used during the thesis are detailed in Chapter 3.
Chapter 4 describes the crucial roles of surface passivation on the ultrafast dynamics of exciton formation in gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires. By passivating the surface states of nanowires, exciton formation via the bimolecular conversion of electron-hole plasma can observed over few hundred picoseconds, in-contrast to the fast carrier trapping in 10 ps observed in the uncoated nanowires. Chapter 5 presents a novel method to passivate the surface-states of GaAs nanowires using semiconducting polymer. The carrier lifetime in the nanowires can be strongly enhanced when the ionization potential of the overcoated semiconducting polymer is smaller than the work function of the nanowires and the surface native oxide layers of nanowires are removed. Finally, Chapter 6 shows that the carrier cooling in the type-II wurtzite-zincblend InP nanowires is reduced by order-of magnitude during the spatial charge-transfer across the type-II heterojunction.
The works decribed in this thesis reveals the crucial role of surface-states and bulk defects on the carrier dynamics of semiconductor nanowires. In-addition, a novel approach to passivate the surface defect states of nanowires using semiconducting polymers was developed.
Luke's account of Peter in his strategy of proclaiming a gospel for all people
Keywords: the Apostle Peter
Luke-Acts

In his two-volume account of Christian beginnings Luke fills out for already instructed Theophilus Mark’s account of Jesus, and extends it to tell of the bringing of ‘good news’ for all people, offering a tested alternative to the pagan world-view, worthy to be adopted by citizens of the Roman empire. Primarily employing ‘redaction-critical’ methods and seeking narrative patterns with variations within the whole text, we analyse the roles of Peter in the first half of Acts and the influences upon Luke in their making. They portray the pattern of apostolic witness in message, deed and life, and anticipate the extending of the mission to Gentiles, which is taken up in a heroic way by Paul in the second half of Acts. Then analysing Luke’s reshaping of the account of Peter before Easter in his first volume, we show it is done with an eye to how it will be completed in Acts, how Peter will repent from denying Jesus to strengthen his brother apostles and urge repentance on his fellow-Jews. Luke’s captivating narrative is persuasive for its implied reader in the context of the post-apostolic age, that the apostolic kerygma proclaims the divine gift of salvation expected by Israel’s prophets, despite its rejection by much of Judaism. The missions of Paul are to be received as being in harmony with Peter’s. A foundation has been established which will outface Christian rivalries and strengthen believers under persecution. The influence of Luke’s account on other early Christian writers is tested where evidence is available. Luke’s success is that his account became, almost without rival, the canonical New Testament account of Christian beginnings.
The dark side of Vesuvius: landscape change and the Roman economy
Keywords: Roman Economy
Archaeology
Landscape Archaeology
Pompeii
Campania
Vesuvius

This study investigates the territories of Neapolis and Nola in order to understand what role they played in the economy of their cities and in Campania. It further explores the difficult relationship between mankind and the fragile landscape of Vesuvius, how eruptions changed settlement patterns, exploitation strategies, and how people dealt with other smaller natural disasters that frequently occurred in that area.
The thesis is organised in nine chapters, each describing a separate layer of the landscape. The introduction analyses the reasons for the apparent lack of data for the northern slopes of the volcano and further discusses the theoretical issues pertaining to the economy of the countryside. The history chapter lists the major facts of the histoire événementielle and their connection with the landscape’s longterm history. The third chapter studies the features of the static landscape and the exploitation of bedrock resources. Vesuvius is the subject of the fourth chapter, in which are discussed its shape and the eruptions' effects on the static landscape. Chapter five discusses the river Sebethus and how the intermingled action humans and nature created the marshes. Agriculture and animal breeding are analysed in chapter six, settlement patterns in chapter seven, trade in chapter eight.
Through archival research and field survey it has been possible to plot 820 sites from ancient southern Campania, 263 of which from the territories of Neapolis and Nola. This evidence has been matched with environmental and archaeological datasets to provide estimates on agricultural produce and population, thus defining surplus and dependance for certain products.
The results reveal a high compartmentalisation and degree of dependence of each micro-regional area on the others, for which one can deduce a high specialisation of each economic agent but not necessarily a high productivity for each of its units.
Towards reconsideration of the intersection of the charter right to freedom of expression and copyright in Canada
Keywords: Copyright
Freedom of Expression
Canada
Charter of Rights and Freedoms

This thesis explores the intersection of freedom of expression (as protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter)) and copyright in Canada. In this thesis, I argue that both lower Canadian courts and the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) should reconsider their approaches to this intersection. Lower Canadian courts have consistently rejected arguments that provisions of Canada's Copyright Act unjustifiably infringe the Charter right to freedom of expression. The SCC, on the other hand, has consistently interpreted provisions of the Copyright Act in such a manner as to result in expanded protection for the expression interests of non-copyright owning parties. It has done so not by relying explicitly on the Charter right to freedom of expression, but through a process of statutory interpretation.
I argue that both approaches merit reconsideration. Specifically, I argue that the approaches adopted by lower Canadian courts to the intersection of the Charter right to freedom of expression and copyright are based on now-invalidated approaches to both copyright and to freedom of expression, and are thus themselves invalid; that to the extent to which the SCC's approach to this intersection assumes that the Charter right to freedom of expression can be protected, in the context of copyright, through statutory interpretation alone, that it fails to adequately protect the Charter right to freedom of expression; that other leading national courts from which the SCC has previously sought assistance have explicitly engaged with this intersection, and that the SCC should follow suit; and that the SCC's own copyright and freedom of expression jurisprudence suggests that provisions of the Copyright Act may unjustifiably infringe the Charter right to freedom of expression. These four arguments, taken together, suggest that the time is ripe for reconsideration of this intersection.
Evaluation of relational algebra queries on probabilistic databases: tractability and approximation
Keywords: database
uncertain database
computational complexity
Probabilistic database
database system

Query processing is a core task in probabilistic databases: Given a query and a database that encodes uncertainty in data by means of probability distributions, the problem is to compute possible query answers together with their respective probabilities of being correct. This thesis advances the state of the art in two aspects of query processing in probabilistic databases: complexity analysis and query evaluation techniques. A dichotomy is established for non-repeating, con- junctive relational algebra queries with negation that separates #P-hard queries from those with PTIME data complexity. A framework for computing proba- bilities of relational algebra queries is presented; the probability computation algorithm is based on decomposition methods and provides exact answers in the case of exhaustive decompositions, or anytime approximate answers with absolute or relative error guarantees in the case of partial decompositions. The framework is extended to queries with aggregation operators. An experimental evaluation of the proposed algorithms’ implementations within the SPROUT query engine complements the theoretical results. The SPROUT2 system uses this query engine to compute answers to queries on uncertain, tabular Web data.
Social assistance outcomes in Southern Europe: an actor-centred approach
Keywords: southern Europe

This study analyses the evolution of social assistance in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece, and closely examines the four countries’ different experiences with Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) schemes. A process-tracing methodology uses data from secondary sources, archival material, and 46 interviews to construct an actor-centred model and pursue a multiple-causality, historical approach. Outcomes are shown to result from interactions among central governments, religious organizations, secular organizations and territorial actors; and also from destabilizing forces. It is assumed that social assistance beneficiaries are forced to rely on these actors, whose attitudes are found to vary significantly due to their different interests, subjective perceptions of fairness, and preferences.
Case histories of the four countries show that the periods prior to the 1970s were marked by minimal central government interest; indifferent, hostile, and/or divided secular organizations; and governmental partnerships with religious organizations. In the post-1970s periods, destabilizing forces co-occurring with centre-left governments resulted in new policies and changes, with relevant actors/organizations gradually welcoming pluralistic social assistance systems.
The existence and extent of GMI schemes has been the principal factor differentiating social assistance developments among the four countries in more recent decades: Portugal is the only country with a national GMI, Italy and Spain have solely regional schemes, and Greece has no GMI at all. Because GMIs cut across traditional social assistance categories and are often linked with overall welfare system restructuring, establishment of GMIs and their subsequent maintenance require the co-occurrence of destabilizing forces and strong pro-GMI coalitions.
Portugal exhibits the highest level of pro-GMI consensus nationwide, Greece the lowest,while Italy and Spain occupy intermediate positions. The institutional empowerment of territorial actors in the latter two countries was a precondition to emergence of local schemes, while destabilizing forces and strong local pro-GMI coalitions greatly increased the odds for establishing and maintaining them.
Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Anton Kippenberg of the Insel-Verlag: a case study of author-publisher relations
Keywords: Anton Kippenberg
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Insel-Verlag

Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian poet, dramatist, and essayist (1874-1929), published with the Insel-Verlag from its inception in 1901 until his death. This work examines Hofmannsthal's relationship with his publisher Anton Kippenberg (1874-1950). The author was drawn to the Insel-Verlag initially through his association with its founders, Alfred Walter Heymel and Rudolf Alexander Schröder, who published the short-lived periodical Die Insel. Known for its emphasis on aesthetics, the magazine set a tone that became characteristic for the firm. As a poet, Hofmannsthal found the climate beneficial and the audience of the Insel-Verlag receptive to his early lyrical works and certain other writings outside the mainstream of his later production. Under Anton Kippenberg's direction, these works were assured careful attention to detail; typeface, binding, illustrations, and all aspects of the physical book were designed to harmonize with its contents, enabling Hofmannsthal to present his writings in a format which did his creations honor. Hofmannsthal published four categories of material with the Insel-Verlag: his early lyrical works; republications issued as deluxe editions; reprints of selected texts in the inexpensive but elegantly designed Insel-Bücherei, and other Insel publications such as the Insel-Almanach or Inselschiff; and introductions and essays composed in his role as editor of compilations appearing under the Insel imprint. Hofmannsthal showed a great awareness of the Insel's particular Verlagsprofil in his selection of texts issued under its signet. Anton Kippenberg brought financial stability, business-like organization, and sound aesthetic judgement to the Insel-Verlag, creating an atmosphere in which Hofmannsthal's works could thrive. Early in his association with the Insel-Verlag, Kippenberg advanced a program which echoed many of Hofmannsthal's concerns and thus further solidified their relationship. Kippenberg proposed to give a book the design and format appropriate to its contents, to serve world literature, to expand the market for these titles without sacrificing quality to economics, and to support a select group of contemporary authors. Hofmannsthal's association with publisher Anton Kippenberg was a complex and often stormy one. United through shared goals, the two men worked to achieve a relationship mutually beneficial to each, one in which both the reputation of the individual and that of the firm were enhanced by their cooperation.