VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Striggio-Monteverdi's L'Orfeo: an excursion into its neoplatonic layers (1995)

The study is divided not into chapters but into areas of questions. The first area offers a structural analysis of the Prologue which supports La Musica's claims about the power of music; the second one challenges the traditional view of Orfeo as representing a consistent statement about that power; the third, is devoted to a refutation (the first as far as I know) of McClary's reading of the opera. The study concludes with a discussion of the so-called "problem" of the opera's two finales. M.Mus. (Historical Musicology) thesis, King's College London, 1995.

Keywords: Monteverdi, Claudio, 1567-1643
Orfeo (Monteverdi, Claudio)
Striggio, Alessandro
Opera
Neoplatonism > Influence
Text
Thesis
Structural insights into an immune checkpoint receptor reveal a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but the limited response rates to current checkpoint inhibitors necessitate the identification of additional immunotherapeutic approaches. Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) has emerged as a potential orthogonal checkpoint molecule that negatively regulates T cell activation. First-generation monoclonal antibodies against LAG-3 demonstrated moderate success, despite a lack of knowledge about the mechanism by which LAG-3 functions. This thesis aims to provide key details focused on LAG3 structural characterization, including functional consequences of LAG-3 dimerization on ligand binding and activation, as well as epitope mapping of murine and clinical human LAG-3 antibodies. The first major accomplishment of this work was the elucidation of the crystal structure of the glycosylated mouse LAG-3 extracellular domain, providing valuable insights into its overall architecture and molecular features. This structural information, which was generated in collaboration with Irimpan Mathews at SLAC, served as a foundation for further investigations into the functional aspects of LAG-3. By employing sophisticated biochemical and biophysical techniques in collaborative work with the laboratories of Jun Wang and Xiang-Peng Kong at NYU, we demonstrated that disruption of D2 domain dimerization severely compromised LAG-3's ability to engage with its ligands and modulate T-cell responses. To further explore the potential therapeutic implications of disrupting LAG-3 dimerization, we performed fine epitope mapping of an antibody called C9B7W, known to bind the LAG-3 D2 domain that we identified as being key to LAG-3 dimerization. The study pinpointed the binding site of C9B7W squarely at the D2 dimerization interface, suggesting a potential mechanism by which this antibody disrupts LAG-3 function. Epitope mapping and electron microscopy showed that like C9B7W, murine antibodies which bind LAG-3 D1 and D3 can also disrupt dimerization and ligand binding. Lastly, we undertook a comprehensive epitope mapping analysis of 11 currently known human LAG-3 antibodies under clinical development. Intriguingly, unlike C9B7W, none of the LAG-3 antibodies under clinical development bound to the D2 dimerization interface, and all bound to the LAG-3 D1 domain, some with overlapping and others with disparate epitopes. Collectively, these findings significantly contribute to our understanding of LAG-3 biology and provide crucial insights into its therapeutic potential. The structural characterization, identification of the critical role of D2 dimerization, and epitope mapping of disruptive and clinical human LAG-3 antibodies pave the way for the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies targeting LAG-3 in the fight against cancer and other immune-related diseases.

Keywords: Medicine.
Microbiology and Immunology.
Advisor: Cochran Jennifer
Huang Possu
Mellins Elizabeth
Robinson Bill
Structure and thiazide inhibition mechanism of the human sodium-chloride cotransporter

The sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) functions as the major salt reabsorption pathway in the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney nephron and is responsible for the fine-tuning of renal sodium excretion. Because of its importance in sodium homeostasis, NCC plays a critical role in blood pressure regulation. Thiazide diuretics, inhibitors of NCC, are therefore important first-line therapeutic agents for hypertension. Here, the work to determine the cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human NCC alone and in complex with a thiazide diuretic, polythiazide is described. I also detail my efforts to develop assays for the functional characterization of NCC, which is essential for studying its structure-function relationships. These structural and functional studies provide insights into NCC's major conformational states and transport mechanism. They also shed light on the molecular basis of how thiazide diuretics inhibit NCC and uncover several intriguing regulatory mechanisms. Together, these studies advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of NCC and lay the foundations to facilitate future development of next-generation NCC modulators

Keywords: Medicine.
Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
Advisor: Feng Liang
Kobilka Brian K.
Maduke Merritt C.
Pao Alan C.
Structure formation at the juncture of simulations and perturbation theory

This thesis investigates the formation of the largest-scale cosmic structures found in the Universe through time, on the scales of hundreds of millions of megaparsecs and ten billion years. Modern telescopes are currently probing this large-scale structure by observing the 3D distributions of tens of millions of galaxies, and the shapes of hundreds of millions to billions. The correlations between their spatial distribution in the sky, their shapes, and cross-correlations therein contain a vast treasure trove of hitherto untapped cosmological information. We focus on the problem of accurately modeling the correlations of galaxy properties, induced by clustering and weak lensing, in regimes where past models have failed to do so. The goal of analyzing these cross-correlations is to probe the nature of dark matter, dark energy, the sum of neutrino masses, the primordial fluctuations of the Universe, and many other pressing questions about our Universe at high precision. These high precision measurements beget high accuracy models, lest we risk being biased about our inferences of the fundamental properties of the Universe. The creation of high accuracy models is the goal of this thesis, and this is achieved by leveraging two disparate paradigms for structure formation that have their individual strengths and weaknesses -- perturbation theory-based models and supercomputer simulations of the formation of structures. The `hybrid models' discussed in this thesis combine aspects of these two paradigms, creating a description of the formation of large-scale structures that is more accurate than the sum of its parts. This model for structure formation, at the juncture of simulations and perturbation theory, is investigated in several facets in subsequent chapters

Keywords: Humanities and Sciences.
Physics.
Advisor: Wechsler Risa H. (Risa Heyrman)
Abel Tom G.
Senatore Leonardo
Structure-function relationships in metal oxides and carbon-based catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion reactions

As the imperative to mitigate climate change intensifies, the shift towards sustainable energy practices has never been more crucial. At the heart of this transformation lies electrochemical energy and chemical conversion, which, through the potential-driven control over catalysts, provides a promising pathway to sustainable energy and commodity development over traditional thermochemical methods. This presentation will focus on two electrochemical systems using a combined electrochemical and theoretical approach: the upgrading of biomass to value-added chemicals and the material development and characterization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline hydrogen fuel cells. The electrochemical benzyl alcohol oxidation (BAO) reaction, a model system for studying the biomass upgrading process, can be promoted using Ni-based thin-film catalysts. We will focus on Ni3+ surfaces (lower potential region) under standard operating conditions, correlating BAO onset potentials and the Ni(II/III) redox peak positions across different microenvironments as well as unraveling the mechanisms during BAO. Through the systematic investigation of experimental reaction conditions and computational free energy thermodynamics, this work opens research avenues for the oxidation of related organic molecules from renewable feedstocks. The latter half of the presentation will pivot to the domain of hydrogen fuel cells, centered on the utilization of phthalocyanine-based MOF materials with dual active centers (M-N4 moieties, M1 = amine coordinated metal node, M2 = phthalocyanine center) that can facilitate the ORR. In a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we correlate structural properties (choice and placement of transition metals) with electrochemical performance (activity, selectivity, and material stability) during ORR. Moreover, we highlight metal and site dominance (M1 vs. M2) with insights into possible MOF degradation pathways using preferential metal dissolution profiles. This presentation aims to present a comprehensive understanding of these complex systems and pave the way for practical and scalable solutions to current and future energy challenges.

Keywords: Engineering.
Chemical Engineering.
Advisor: Jaramillo Thomas Francisco
Bao Zhenan
Cargnello Matteo
Structure-property relationships in dynamic polymer networks

Many emerging applications including wearable electronics and e-skins, soft robotics and actuators, and biomaterials, require material platforms with precisely controlled mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties. The practical realization of devices for these applications is often restricted not by the lack of novel designs, but rather by the sparsity of materials with the required properties. Dynamic polymers, which employ both permanent and reversible linkages, offer a promising platform for the design of new materials due to their highly tunable and responsive chemical structures. This dissertation explores structure-property relationships in different dynamic polymer networks with well-defined polymer design and is structured as follows. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of dynamic polymers, provides comparisons to supramolecular polymers and segmented block copolymers, and concludes with emerging applications for these systems. Chapter 2 examines the molecular design rules for spontaneous self-assembly of periodic dynamic polymers into supramolecular nanofibers. Chapter 3 discusses the phenomenon of strain-induced supramolecular structures exhibited by entangled periodic dynamic polymers. Chapter 4 highlights how the clustered nanomorphology exhibited by periodic dynamic polymers can be used to design recyclable underwater adhesives. Chapter 5 explains how immiscible dynamic polymers can be used to achieve autonomous alignment of multilayered soft electronics. Chapter 6 concludes with key observations and on the future outlook of next-generation materials

Keywords: Engineering.
Chemical Engineering.
Advisor: Bao Zhenan
Mai Danielle
Qin Jian (Professor of Chemical Engineering)
Stuck in the Matrix- Patch Matrix Dynamics in Florida Scrub

Humans are fragmenting habitat and changing natural disturbance regimes at an unprecedented rate. Patch dynamics addresses how smaller patches of enclosed habitat interact with their surroundings, the matrix. Patches have been studied extensively in forested ecosystems where treefall or limb fall gaps are short-lived and stochastic, but patches also occur in grasslands and scrublands across the world. Although the relationship between patch characteristics such as size or degree of isolation have been studied, exactly how patch species interact with the surrounding habitat in non-forested systems is poorly understood. This study aims to specifically examine if and how plant species cover and plant species diversity in patches of Florida rosemary scrub are affected by the matrix spatial structure (i.e., bare sand cover) and the shrub cover in the surrounding shrub matrix. Despite a similarity in dominant shrubs and shrub species cover, I found that neither the shrub cover in the matrix nor matrix structure had any significant effect on the species cover or species diversity in the patches. However, a significant effect was found between matrix shrub cover and patch species cover when factoring in degree of isolation from other patches. This suggests that patches may interact more with each other than they do with the matrix when considering matrix spatial structure and composition. This could be a result of the high number of patch specialists in this system. Future studies of the scrub could investigate specific species interactions or spatial distributions of ecologically contrasting species. Future studies could also investigate whether species cover in rosemary scrub patches may follow island biogeography theory or some other metapopulation model less dependent on patch-matrix effects. Conservation of Florida rosemary scrub should emphasize reducing habitat loss for what may be already insular patches.

Keywords:  Department of Biology
Forest ecology
Ecology
Plant ecology
Biogeography
Florida
Scrub
Rare plants > Ecology
Rare plants > Geographical distribution
Rosemary Scrub
Text
Thesis
Advisor: Dirzo Rodolfo
Fukami Tadashi
Studies of hydrogels and concentrated aqueous ionic solutions by optical Kerr effect

A comprehensive understanding of water and its properties is vital for many Earth processes, ranging from the vast scales of climate and geology to the molecular impact on life. It is essential to have a deep knowledge of water to address critical issues such as climate change, energy, and medicine. This research is specifically focused on two main questions: how water impacts polymer structure and how salt affects water properties. All the data were collected using optical heterodyne-detected optical Kerr effect (OHD-OKE). The ultrafast dynamics of acrylamide monomers (AAm), polyacrylamide (PAAm), and polyacrylamide hydrogels (PAAm-HG) in water were investigated using OHD-OKE. In this study, the systems' dynamics slowed with increasing concentration. AAm samples exhibited tetra-exponential decays, mostly following Debye-Stokes-Einstein behavior except at the highest concentration. Low PAAm concentrations displayed a single power law decay, while high PAAm concentrations and all PAAm-HG concentrations exhibited two power laws. PAAm and PAAm-HG displayed nearly identical dynamics at high concentrations, indicating similar chain-chain interactions. The dynamics of concentrated lithium chloride and lithium bromide aqueous solutions were studied at moderate to high concentrations. While pure water decayed biexponentially, LiCl/LiBr-water decays were tetra-exponential at all concentrations. The faster two decays originated from water dynamics, while the slower two decays reflected ion-water network dynamics. The fastest decay was the same as pure water at all concentrations. The second decay matched pure water at lower concentrations but slowed with increasing concentration. The slower dynamic, the third- and fourth-time constants, arose from ion-water complexes and an extended ion-water network at the highest concentrations. Comparisons with simulations enabled the assignment of dynamics to specific ion-water structures. The concentration-dependent bulk viscosity and ion-water network dynamics were directly correlated, providing an atomistic-level understanding of viscosity

Keywords: Humanities and Sciences.
Chemistry.
Advisor: Fayer Michael D.
Cui Bianxiao
Zare Richard N.
Studies on the photochemical [2+2] cycloadditions of unactivated olefins

[2+2] cycloadditions are arguably the most powerful reactions for constructing cyclobutanes which are prominent motifs in natural products and are becoming increasingly common pharmacophores in medicinal chemistry. Despite the growing number of [2+2] methodologies, virtually all of them rely on the cyclization of at least one activated π partner. An exception to this rule is the Kochi-Salomon reaction, which is able to cyclize aliphatic olefins in the presence of simple Cu(I) catalysts. Introduced over 50 years ago, it has seen very little in the way of methodological development and still suffers from a number of drawbacks including the need for moisture- and air-sensitive reagents, a limited substrate scope and a lack of stereocontrol. This thesis describes strategies to address these shortcomings starting with our efforts at rendering the Kochi-Salomon reaction enantioselective, first using weakly coordinating chiral counterions and then using chiral diene ligands. Although ultimately unsuccessful, these attempts provided valuable insight into Cu-catalyzed [2+2] photocycloadditions which led to the development of aqueous amine-tolerant cyclizations of unactivated olefins. Basic amines, hitherto incompatible in these types of reactions, may be protonated then cyclized in water, an unlikely solvent, using some of the most standard reagents available in any chemistry lab. This discussion is followed by a series of smaller ventures into further developments of the Kochi-Salomon reaction, including strategies to exert diastereocontrol and efforts to cyclize sulfur-containing substrates and quaternary ammonium substrates. The final chapter details the development of a scalable route to anti-[3]-ladderdiene. While not related to the Kochi-Salomon reaction, this strained molecule fits well into the realm of cyclobutanes which is central to this thesis

Keywords: Humanities and Sciences.
Chemistry.
Advisor: Burns Noah
Kanan Matthew William
Stack T. (T. Daniel P.)
A study of two-dimensional superconductors with scanning-SQUID microscopy

Superconductors, with characteristic zero-resistance, Messier screening, and phase coherence at low temperatures, find applications in power transmission, high-speed transportation, and quantum computing. The warmest ambient pressure superconductor to date has a transition temperature of 100 Celsius below room temperature. Finding room-temperature superconductors is the holy grail. In order to achieve that, it is necessary to understand the superconducting mechanism through careful characterization of existing superconductors. In recent years, we have witnessed the discovery of several new superconducting systems. The infinite-layer nickelate, a structural analogy of the famous cuprates, was achieved through topotactic reduction. The twisted few-layer graphene systems displayed complex phase diagrams similar to the cuprates. The monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide showed evidence of topological superconductivity. In addition, straining well-established high-temperature superconductors such as cuprates was found to enhance the critical temperature. The ever-so-vibrant research on superconductivity opens new possibilities for deciphering the mechanism of these strongly correlated electron systems. This thesis presents scanning SQUID microscopy (SSM) imaging of the above-mentioned superconductors. The SSM visualizes mesoscopic magnetic structures that cannot be seen in transport measurements. Our results break assumptions that might be used to extrapolate useful physical quantities in bulk measurements. Applying a local field, the SSM directly probes the local superfluid density, revealing spatial inhomogeneity and its interplay with intrinsic magnetic structures, namely vortices.

Keywords: Humanities and Sciences.
Physics.
Advisor: Moler Kathryn
Goldhaber-Gordon David
Hwang Harold
A study on the current state and success factors of construction technology startups

Construction technology startups have struggled to perform as well as their counterparts in other industries, and the reasons behind this discrepancy remain largely unknown. Existing research has focused on general factors influencing success but has overlooked the specific context of construction technology companies. This gap is filled by investigating the construction tech landscape, identifying unique characteristics, and examining the factors that influence their success. Through the CIFE horseshoe method, which emphasizes a holistic understanding of construction projects, and a quantitative-leaning mixed method approach, two datasets were analyzed; one focused on construction technology startups and the other on general technology startups. These datasets were sourced from investment intelligence platforms like Crunchbase and PitchBook. Through exploratory data analysis, including distributions, and confirmatory analysis utilizing the Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression, this thesis unveils the distinct characteristics of construction startups and identifies the parameters that contribute to their success. The findings highlight that construction technology startups exhibit uniqueness in terms of their founding team composition, fundraising strategies, and exit events. Founding teams typically consist of two-person teams with technical backgrounds, emphasizing agility and collaboration. Funding dynamics reveal shorter durations for early-stage funding and longer durations for late-stage funding. Successful exits are more commonly achieved through mergers and acquisitions. Construction tech startups exhibit unique characteristics, such as larger founding teams and a prevalent optimum exit period between 6-8 years. Factors influencing success include waiting to raise the first funding round, having architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) experience within the team, and targeting various customer segments. Startups focused on construction management, design/engineering, and data management/analytics show higher success rates. These insights inform strategic decision-making and offer opportunities for further research and exploration in the construction technology startup landscape. A notable contribution of this thesis is the in-depth exploration of construction-focused technology companies, delving into unconventional variables such as experience in AEC, as well as customer base analysis. By considering these factors, a more comprehensive understanding of the construction tech landscape is obtained, shedding light on the industry-specific challenges and opportunities

Keywords: Engineering.
Advisor: Fischer Martin
A study on the extended bogomolny equations

This thesis contains results on the analysis and geometry of the extended Bogomolny family of equations (EBF). The first result of this thesis is a proof of the existence of model knot solutions for any member of the above family. The second result is the construction and partial classification of solutions to the EBF at =1$ under the assumption that the Higgs field is either nilpotent or semisimple and constant. The last result of this thesis gives a description of the moduli structure of the solution space of EBF at =1$ when the underlying space is a closed Riemann surface times the half line in terms of the moduli space of Higgs bundles

Keywords: Humanities and Sciences.
Mathematics.
Advisor: Mazzeo Rafe
Ionel Eleny
Vasy András