VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
'An ocean untouched and untried': translating Livy in the sixteenth century

This is a study of the translation and reception of the Roman historian Livy in the sixteenth century in the British Isles. The thesis examines five major translations of Livy's history of Rome, the Ab Urbe Condita, into the English and Scottish vernaculars. The texts considered here span from the earliest extant translation of around 1533 to the first, full-scale translation published in 1600. By taking a broad view across the century, the thesis uncovers the multiple and versatile uses to which Livy was being put and maps out the major trends surrounding his reception. The first chapter examines Livy's initial reception into print in Europe, outlining the attempts of his earliest editors to impose a critical order onto his enormous work. The subsequent chapters consider the respective translations undertaken by John Bellenden, Anthony Cope, William Thomas, William Painter, and Philemon Holland. Each translation is treated as a case study and compared in detail with the Latin original, thereby revealing the changes Livy's history experienced through the process of translation. By locating these translations in the cultural and political contexts from which they emerged, this study reveals how Livy was exploited in some of the most pressing debates of the period, from arguments over women's apparel to questions of faith. The thesis also considers how these translations responded to the most recent developments in European scholarship on the Ab Urbe Condita and on classical history more generally. Livy's contribution to the development of Scottish historiography is also considered, both as a stylistic model and as a rich source of narrative material. Ultimately this thesis demonstrates that Livy played a fundamental though hitherto underexplored role in the development of vernacular literature and historiography in the British Isles.

Advisor: Norbrook, D
Poole, W
Genomic analyses of gene flow and selection during diversification in Senecio

Diversifying selection and gene flow were traditionally viewed as antagonistic forces, with diversifying selection promoting adaptation and speciation, and gene flow opposing them. However, their roles are far more complex than this. While gene flow can prevent speciation or initiate despeciation, it can also generate new hybrid species. Similarly, while adaptive divergence can be wiped out by gene flow, new adaptive variation can be introduced via hybridisation. The relative frequency of these outcomes, and indeed the frequency of gene flow and diversifying selection in general are largely unknown. This thesis illuminates these questions through evolutionary genomic analyses focussed on a recently diverged group of ragworts (Senecio). The Mediterranean Senecio species-complex contains several cases of hybrid speciation, as well as two species, S. aethnensis and S. chrysanthemifolius, which are a potential case of ecological speciation with gene flow, having adapted to high and low altitude habitats respectively on Mount Etna. However, their demography was previously un-studied. I first show that S. aethnensis and S. chrysanthemifolius diverged recently, at a time that coincides with the growth of Mount Etna to the altitudes which separate the species today, have experienced significant gene flow following their split, and are likely to be sister species, bolstering the hypothesis of ecological speciation. I further demonstrate that gene flow is common in the wider clade, and pinpoint multiple cases of gene flow amongst them. Finally, I identify several genes under positive selection in the clade, and show that the proportion of genes under selection is high relative to many other plant genera. The results further establish Senecio species as an invaluable model system for the study of diversification with gene flow, and suggest that high levels of gene flow and selection are features of their evolution, a situation which may prove to be common in plants.

Advisor: Filatov, D
Kelly, S
Irradiation damage of oxide dispersion strengthened steels

Advanced fission and fusion power offer long-term energy production from fundamentally carbon-free fuel sources, with high-energy densities and high reliability. However, for these power sources to be realised, many materials challenges need to be addressed. Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic alloys are recognized as potential fission fuel cladding and fusion structural materials because of their high-temperature stability and swelling-resistance imparted by the nano-scale oxide clusters they contain.
This work presents the study of a set of model ODS alloys with a systematic variation in alloy chemistry in order to investigate the influence of chemical additions on the oxide cluster nature and the irradiation resistance. To investigate these properties, the high-resolution characterisation techniques of atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy were applied in combination with nanoindentation to assess mechanical properties and X-ray diffraction to study the crystallinity.
The quantification of the character of the oxide particles in these ODS alloys by atom probe tomography presented a number of challenges and I extend the conventional analysis techniques in order to overcome these difficulties.
By comparison of the addition of Ti, and then Cr, to a Fe-Y2O3 alloy, the influence of alloy chemistry on the oxide particles was evaluated. The main aims were to investigate the microstructure, the oxide cluster composition and to set a baseline to which the irradiated samples were compared.
The irradiation damage of the oxide clusters was investigated using ion irradiation as an analogue for neutron damage. Irradiation experiments were performed at a range of temperatures and the stability of the clusters was assessed based on their size, number density and chemistry. Subtle changes in cluster chemistry at elevated temperatures and the dramatic changes which occurred after irradiation at low temperatures lead to conclusions about the competition of thermal diffusion and irradiation damage.

Keywords: Steel alloys
Nuclear fusion
ODS
Atom probe tomography
Fission energy
Irradiation damage
Advisor: Grovenor, C
Lozano-Perez, S
Engineering robust enzymes via head-to-tail cyclization using spontaneous isopeptide bond formation

Enzymes are selective, operate efficiently in mild conditions and are biodegradable. Hence, enzymes have become an attractive option for a wide range of academic and industrial processes. However, enzymes are often labile at higher temperatures which can limit the operational range. Current enzyme stabilization approaches can be time-intensive and often have only a minor effect. Enzyme cyclization has been suggested as an alternative and more general approach. SpyTag/SpyCatcher, SnoopTag/SnoopCatcher and Isopeptag/Pilin-C are peptide/protein pairs capable of forming an irreversible isopeptide bond upon reconstitution. By genetically encoding SpyTag, SnoopTag and Pilin-C on the Nterminus and SpyCatcher, SnoopCatcher and Isopeptag on the C-terminus, I developed a method for the simple in vivo cyclization of enzymes. TEM-1 β-lactamase, which is prone to irreversible aggregation above 37 °C, remained soluble at temperatures up to 100 °C after isopeptide-mediated cyclization and upon cooling retained high catalytic activity. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that isopeptide-mediated cyclization had little effect on the Tm of the enzyme. Instead, isopeptide-mediated cyclization increased the reversibility of the denaturation. SpyTag/SpyCatcher was found to be the most effective pair for conferring thermal resilience and was also used to cyclize and increase the thermal resilience of dihydrofolate reductase and phytase. SpyTag/SpyCatcher-mediated cyclization had only minor effects on the thermal resilience of glucose oxidase and luciferase. Therefore, there is a limit to how general the effect of isopeptide-mediated cyclization is. To start addressing the limitations of the current approach, I developed a phage display-based strategy for the directed evolution of SpyTag/SpyCatcher reactivity. Isopeptide-mediated cyclization is a potentially powerful approach for the enhancement of protein resilience.

Advisor: Howarth, M
Single-molecule studies of DNA-binding proteins in live bacteria

Protein-DNA interactions are critical to many important biological functions, from transcription to DNA replication. To better understand these processes we need to look at molecular details, such as the stoichiometries and binding kinetics of these proteins. However, focusing on the molecular level can miss the bigger picture; we also need to understand how protein-DNA interactions shape the organisation of chromosomes and cause phenotypical changes over the whole cell.
In this thesis I describe the construction of a super-resolution fluorescence microscope to image single molecules in live bacteria, and show how analysis with tools like single-particle tracking allow individual proteins specifically bound to DNA to be distinguished from mobile molecules, offering a new perspective on protein-DNA interactions, from the molecular level to the length scale of whole bacterial cells. I detail how I have applied these techniques to answer key questions in transcription, chromosome organisation, and DNA segregation in Escherichia coli.
Firstly, I looked at RNA polymerase (RNAP) to study how transcription affects the organisation of the nucleoid. Discriminating specifically bound RNAPs showed that low levels of transcription can occur throughout the nucleoid, but clustering analysis and 3D Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) showed that dense clusters of transcribing RNAPs format the nucleoid periphery, indicating a movement of gene loci out of the bulk of DNA as levels of transcription increase. Furthermore, I developed an assay to characterise the search process and non-specific DNA interactions of RNAP, which I also apply to a diverse selection of other DNA-binding proteins.
I also characterized the in vivo behaviour of the type II topoisomerase, TopoIV. Imaging both subunits of TopoIV, combined with over-expression of unlabelled subunits, allowed the fraction of functional enzymes to be determined. Measuring the duration of catalytic events indicated that the majority of active TopoIV molecules catalyse decatenation. Finally, I studied MukBEF, an SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) complex that acts in chromosome segregation, to show that TopoIV and MukB interact directly in vivo and determine the dissociation constant and turnover of this TopoIV-MukB complex.

Advisor: Kapanidis, A
The rites of spring: a cognitive analysis of ritual activity in the agricultural transition in south-west asia and north-western europe

What cognitive and cultural mechanisms facilitated the agricultural transition? In this thesis, I evaluated the hypothesis that ritual action involving large groups of people meeting regularly created a significant sense of collective purpose to bring about the social cohesion necessary for agriculture. I test this hypothesis against the archaeological record in two distinct regions: south west Asia and north-western Europe. Following Whitehouse’s (2000) Modes of Religiosity theory, I show that the agricultural transition in both regions is connected with a shift from an imagistic to an increasingly doctrinal mode of religious behaviour. This result is important because it brings together insights from the prehistoric archaeology and cognitive anthropology to generate new knowledge about the agricultural transition.

Keywords: Prehistoric Ritual Practices
Cognitive Anthropology
Cognitive Archaeology
Generalized Linear Modelling
Modes of Religiosity
Neolithic  Transition
Advisor: Whitehouse, H
Bogaard, A
Portrait busts of Roman women in the third century AD

The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct a comprehensive study of Roman women's portrait busts of the third century AD. The free-standing portrait bust forms a discrete historical category through which to trace developments in third-century women's portraiture. The high-status, commemorative tradition of the bust and the durability of this format, which could be displayed and utilised in a large range of different contexts, made this an important portrait genre for women in the third century. These busts consequently offer powerful insight into the ideological function and status of Roman women in the third century.
By placing third-century women's busts in the context of their form, history and provenance, I hope to create a methodology that allows me to ascertain the ancient intention of these portraits. My hypothesis is that, while elements of self-styling and bust-format reveal innovation, the moral vocabulary of Empire as presented in women's portrait busts did not change dramatically in the third century. I will argue that these portraits reflect the heightened ideological status of certain forms of Roman femininity in this period. Rather than being expressive of spiritual escapism or emotional turmoil women's portrait busts functioned as a means of re-confirming the Roman rhetoric of feminine virtue in the third century.

Keywords: portrait bust
Roman
portraiture
women
Advisor: Smith, R
Policy making in secondary education: evidence from two local authorities 1944-1972

The 1944 Butler Act laid the legal foundations for a new secondary education system in England, one which would see all children entitled to free and compulsory schooling up to the age of 15. The Act therefore represented a bold step forward in the pursuit of a fairer society: expanding access to training and qualifications, while promoting a more equal distribution of educational opportunities.
This thesis explores the process of constructing and delivering secondary education policy in England following the 1944 Butler Education Act. It offers a close examination of two Local Education Authorities- Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire- exploring how they interpreted and implemented 'secondary education for all' after the Second World War. The dissertation is composed of two parts: Part One looks at how selective secondary schooling was developed and operated in the respective areas between 1945 and 1962; Part Two explores the response of both authorities to the prospect of reforming secondary education after 1962.
By exploring the process of policy implementation after 1944, Part One of this thesis highlights the problems of delivering secondary education for all in an era of resource constraint. It is demonstrated in this thesis that Local Authority capacity to build new schools was firmly tethered to Ministerial control. The relatively low priority accorded to education created a decade-long delay between the announcement of policy change and its eventual delivery. The implications of this delay at the Local Authority and school level are explored in chapters three and six. Chapters four and seven question how resources were distributed between selective and non-selective school sectors, while chapters five and eight evaluate the treatment of selective education within each authority, asking how policy makers conceived of, and operated, the grammar school and secondary modern sectors.
Part Two of this thesis turns to the question of secondary organisation. Debates surrounding the question of comprehensive rather than selective systems of secondary schooling dominated discussions about secondary education policy in the later twentieth century. When it came to comprehensive re-organisation, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire opted for different paths: Oxfordshire adopted comprehensive schooling relatively early with a remarkable degree of county-wide consensus, while Buckinghamshire fiercely resisted external and internal pressure to reform. Chapter ten of this thesis is devoted to identifying the drivers of comprehensive reform in Oxfordshire. Chapters eleven and twelve explore the Buckinghamshire story establishing how and then why this county successfully held-out against wholesale policy change.

Keywords: Buckinghamshire
grammar schools
history of education
Oxfordshire
comprehensive schools
education policy
secondary modern schools
policy making
Advisor: Oxley, D
Carter, H
Charge-density-waves in quasi-one and quasi-two-dimensional metallic crystal systems

In this thesis I present experimental measurements on a number of different quasi-one and quasi-two-dimensional metallic crystal systems susceptible to density-wave formation.
I outline the discovery of a density-wave superstructure found via X-ray diffraction measurements in the quasi-two-dimensional Na2Ti2As2O and Na2Ti2Sb2O compounds. Na2Ti2Sb2O and Na2Ti2As2O are members of the Ti-based oxy-pnictides a group of compounds which exhibit complex phase diagrams and share structural similarities with the high temperature superconductors. Temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the superstructure in both materials to be concomitant with transitions seen in resistivity and magnetic data. The observation of the superstructure combined with results from other experimental techniques demonstrated the transition to be a charge-density-wave.
I also present results on a series of intercalated charge-density-wave compounds NixZrTe3. NixZrTe3 was measured using X-ray diffraction and ARPES to investigate the effects of chemical pressure on charge-density-wave formation. The transition temperature for density-wave formation in this series of compounds had been previously shown to vary as a result of Ni-content. X-ray diffraction measurements on the series revealed no changes in the wavevector of the associated superstructure modulation across the series. However ARPES measurements on NixZrTe3 showed subtle changes in the binding energy of the one-dimensional band associated with the charge-density-wave thought to be a result of the Ni-intercalation. Through a combination of XPS, EDX and ARPES measurements the Ni-content in these crystals was deduced to be much lower than growth parameters suggested.
Finally I describe the construction and testing of a straining device designed specifically for use with X-ray synchrotron type measurements. The straining device was successfully tested at the I16 beamline at the Diamond Light Source and shown to induce dynamic strain in a test sample of M2Mo6Se6. Further testing at the ID28 beamline at the ESRF revealed that the strain induced in a M2Mo6Se6 was significant and resulted in a change in the lattice dynamics of the material.

Keywords: Condensed Matter Physics
charge density waves
Advisor: Boothroyd, A
Hoesch, M
Imaginary lines? 'Islam,' 'secularism,' and the politics of family law in Bangladesh

With the world's fourth-largest Muslim population, Bangladesh is an important case study in the exploration of what it means to be a 'secular' country with Islam as a state religion. One important mechanism through which to analyse the relationship between religion and the state is through the country's laws, and family laws are especially significant in that they represent the state’s determination of which long-standing social and religious practices find their way into legislation as a representation of societal values. As with many other countries with significant Muslim populations, personal status legislation has remained relatively static in the years following independence, despite attempts at change.
Inspired by studies of negotiations between state and civil society actors in bringing about changes in law, this study analyses the evolution of family laws for Muslims in Bangladesh, revealing a range of voices using such laws in their negotiations between competing notions of 'Islam' and 'secularism' and their role in governance. Using parliamentary and Supreme Court records, newspaper archives, expert interviews, and secondary literature, I show that there has been little change in personal status legislation beyond procedural simplification, and that the judiciary and policymakers have had a tendency to support freedom of religious practice except in family laws. This study explores why this is the case, and focuses on the discourse around the National Women Development Policy and its clause on property and inheritance as the greatest point of contention in enhancing women’s rights in family laws.

Keywords: law
Bangladesh
development
Secularism
Islam,
women
Advisor: Frazer, E
Robinson, F
Genetic variability of the microalga Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyta): a temporal and geographical study

The Earth's climate is changing at a pace that was never observed before, and this may result in species migration to new habitats or, more drastically, to extinction. Nevertheless, certain species which have a fast turnover might evolve and become resilient to the effects of a rapidly changing environment. This resiliency-scenario better applies to species with large population size and rapid generation times, such as the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi, which plays a fundamental role in the marine ecosystem since it produces calcium carbonate coccoliths and it is responsible of circa 80% of carbonate precipitation in seawater. E. huxleyi shows both morphological and genetic intraspecific variability, with A and B being its two main coccolith morphological types, corresponding to its two main genotypes characterised by coccolith morphology motif (CMM) I & II respectively.
Here I present the results of a temporal and geographical study, aimed to investigate the extant diversity of E. huxleyi in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres and its genetic standing stock over a 6-year time period. I found that only genotypes CMM I & CMM IV persist and dominate throughout the years, and they are both representative of E. huxleyi A morphotype, which dominates North-eastern Atlantic, Western English Channel (WEC) and North Sea E. huxleyi bloom events.
Additionally, my study confirms the genetic variability in the global E. huxleyi community and reveals that the intraspecific variability is defined by geophysical features, with E. huxleyi morphotype A being dominant in temperate regions (10-18 °C), while morphotypes B & B/C as defined by CMM II & IIb, respectively, being dominant in polar regions (&LT;10 °C).
Finally my results show that cultures maintained in laboratory collections might not be representative of real extant stocks, and therefore may not necessarily describe the genetic composition of wild biogeographic populations.

Keywords: coccolithophore
molecular marker
Advisor: Rickaby, R
Schroeder, D
Brownlee, C