VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
‘Voices of all the nations’: Strauss, Saint-Saëns, Scriabin, and the American concert tour at the Fin de Siècle

From the 1880s to the First World War, some of Europe’s most eminent composers were invited to the United States to conduct and perform. Almost invariably, American audiences, critics, and musicians experienced these visits as major cultural events, influencing contemporary discussion about the future of art, the nature of American concert life, and its relationship to that in Europe. In defining their relationship to a musical Other, American critics helped fashion a national musical Self.
This dissertation documents, for the first time, the tours of Strauss (1904), Saint- Saëns (1906), and Scriabin (1907), and adds to the growing literature on music economics and the changing social status of performers. The critical reception of these tours also demonstrates a complex American understanding of its European heritage, adapted by commentators to their own ends. The success of Strauss intersects with the end of Gilded-Age aestheticism and, I argue, a deliberate ‘re-masculinisation’ of the artistic sphere. To understand Saint-Saëns’s visit, I explore evolutionary methodologies in music history and a national enthusiasm for cultural acquisition. In discussing the relative failure of Scriabin, I address enduring racial and gendered prejudice. Each tour introduces a variety of critical issues. Considered together, they demonstrate how Americans, reckoning with their European heritage, treated that relationship as a way of articulating the Self. Critics saw America’s future in its synthesis of the best elements of the Old World. In affirming the virtues of European art, critics deliberately positioned American music as its eventual heir.

Keywords: Americanist musicology
Concert tour
Reception history
Bildungsroman
Gilded Age
Richard Strauss
Fin de Siècle
Alexander Scriabin
Musicology
Feminist musicology
Camille Saint-Saëns
Newspaper criticism
Progressive Era
American studies
Cosmopolitanism
Advisor: Franklin, P
TARG1 protects against DNA ADP-ribosylation stress

ADP-ribosylation is a modification that can target a variety of macromolecules and can regulate an array of important cellular processes. ADP-ribosylation is catalysed by ADP-ribosyltransferases that use NAD+ as a cosubstrate to transfer ADP-ribose onto target molecules. The resulting modification can be recognised by ADP-ribose binding domains and can also be removed by enzymes collectively known as ADP-ribosylhydrolases. Recently, a toxin termed DarT from bacteria was shown to modify thymidine bases on single-stranded DNA. The antitoxin of DarT is DarG, which shows striking structural homology to the human ADP-ribosylhydrolase TARG1. Here, we show that TARG1 can directly reverse thymidine-linked ADP-ribosylation like DarG. We also use DarT as a genotoxin to induce DNA ADP-ribosylation stress in human cells. We sought to examine how human cells respond to DNA ADP-ribosylation stress and to determine if TARG1 is involved in the response of this form of DNA damage. We find that wild-type cells expressing DarT show no sensitivity to DNA ADP-ribosylation. However, in the absence of TARG1, cells show elevated levels of DNA damage and cytotoxicity. This sensitivity to DNA ADP-ribosylation is rescued with TARG1 wild-type overexpression but not for a catalytically inactive form of TARG1. The damage inflicted by DarT-mediated DNA ADP-ribosylation occurs within replicating cells and co-localises with sites of DNA synthesis. Furthermore, we demonstrate the first detection of reversible ADP-ribosylated genomic DNA in vivo from bacterial and human cells. We also examine sensitivity of TARG1-deficient cells to an inhibitor of PARG, another ADP-ribosylhydrolase. PARG inhibitor treated TARG1-deficient cells show signs of replication stress and elevated levels of ADP-ribosylation that is dependent on PARP1-2 activity. We consider if TARG1 and PARG have a shared substrate, perhaps in the form of a nucleic acid. Collectively, our results elucidate the impact of DNA ADP-ribosylation stress in human cells and provides the molecular toolkit for future studies of this largely unknown facet of ADP-ribosylation.

Keywords: ADP-ribosylation
DNA damage response
Advisor: Ahel, I
Studying protein interaction and glycosylation with chemical proteomics

Protein glycosylation is present in all kingdoms of life, from small virus particles to complex living organisms. It is the most abundant and diverse form of post-translational modification, ranging from the attachment of a single monosaccharide to entire sugar chains onto cellular proteins. This modification affects the recognition and interaction of proteins with their interaction partners, altering their role in health and diseases. Despite its importance, the study of protein glycosylation has lacked behind other biomolecules and post-translational modifications, partly because of absence of available tools and methods. This doctoral thesis aims at expanding existing analytical approaches and developing new technologies to study the different types of protein glycosylation using tandem mass spectrometry.
The second chapter demonstrates de novo determination of the sequence and protein N-glycosylation of the anti- H2AX monoclonal antibody, enabling structural modelling of the antigen recognition and laying the groundwork for further development of this diagnostic reagent for DNA damage in cancers. Chapter 3 focusses on improving analysis of protein O-glycosylation using tandem mass spectrometry. The use of low-energy stepped collision energy (SCE) methods is described for improved characterisation of the glycan part and site-localisation of protein O-glycosylation. SCE-HCD methods such as 10-20% of normalised collision energy (NCE) show the formation of valuable fragment ions enabling a more accurate identification of O-glycopeptides.
The O-GlcNAc modification is a particular form of O-glycosylation, consisting in the attachment of a single N-acetylglucosamine sugar to proteins. In chapter 4, the role of O-GlcNAc as an epigenetic mark on H2B-S36 is investigated. Homogeneously GlcNAcylated histones and nucleosomes were synthesised and used in pull-down ex- periments to enrich putative interaction partners for the H2B-S36-GlcNAc modifica- tion. Mass spectrometry-based quantitative interaction proteomics revealed a direct interaction between H2B-S36-O-GlcNAcylated nucleosomes and the TCF20 transcrip- tion factor, suggesting a possible signalling role for the O-GlcNAc modification. Lastly, chapter 5 shows that synthetic histones with reactive side chains can be used to co- valently trap interaction partners in a native context, identifying their binding site by crosslinking mass spectrometry with amino-acid resolution inside the interaction.

Keywords: glycoproteomics
monoclonal antibody
protein crosslinking
synthetic histones
chemical mutagenesis
O-GlcNAc
chemical biology
stepped collision energy
proteomics
protein glycosylation
de-novo sequencing
H2B-S36
Advisor: Davis, B
Mohammed, S
Wall-crossing and orientations for invariants counting coherent sheaves on CY fourfolds

Borisov–Joyce and Oh–Thomas defined virtual invariants counting sheaves on Calabi–Yau fourfolds. Similarly to Donaldson invariants, these depend on existence and choice of orientations on moduli spaces of coherent sheaves. The first part of the thesis addresses this question for quasi-projective Calabi–Yau fourfolds, generalizing the work of Cao– Gross–Joyce. The orientations on compactly supported perfect complexes are expressed in terms of a pull-back of gauge-theoretic ones which live on the classifying space CcsX of compactly supported K-theory. The proof relies on a choice of a compactification, which allows us to directly obtain orientability of moduli spaces of stable pairs. In the second part of the thesis, we study the conjectural wall-crossing formulae of Gross– Joyce–Tanaka. We begin, by addressing the conjecture of Cao–Kool , which expresses the virtual integrals of a tautological line bundle L[n] on the Hilbert scheme of points Hilbn (X) in terms of the MacMahon function. We also obtain a prediction for the K-theoretic refinement of this invariant proposed by Nekrasov, which coincides with the expectations from the result for C 4 . Studying the invariants further, we find a universal transformation relating them to integrals on Hilbert schemes of points for elliptic surfaces. To understand this, we recover the previously known results for Quot-schemes on elliptic surfaces using similar wallcrossing arguments. We will further study this in to recover and generalize the full result of Arbesfeld–Johnson–Lim–Oprea–Pandharipande for surfaces including divisor contributions.

Keywords: Invariants
Donaldson--Thomas theory
Orientations
Hilbert schemes
Counting sheaves
Gauge theory
Wall-crossing
Vertex algebras
Moduli problems
Advisor: Joyce, D
Chasing the dream—defying the odds: exploring the professional identity development of women in comedy

Although in today’s world of work “the repertoire of potential professional identities [individuals] can envision for themselves seems limitless” (Obodaru, 2017: 523), our understanding of professional identity development is limited when it comes to those who attempt to defy the odds in who they become in their careers. This thesis aims to understand the professional identity development process for individuals with odds-defying aspirations—hoped-for professional identities that, by their own estimation, seem unlikely to come about. Using in-depth interviews with aspiring professional comedians who also ‘happen to be women’ (Kirkman, 2016: 220), I develop a grounded theoretical model showing how odds-defying aspirers recalibrate their ideas regarding what is possible in the world of work, regarding what it means to succeed in achieving their aspirations, and regarding what is at stake in their decision to give up or go on in pursuing their odds-defying aspirations. These changes to their aspirational assumptions are brought about through the process of enacting their desired professional identities and receiving and managing identity feedback—efforts that require them to carefully navigate the competing identity threats of trying and failing or else of failing to try, as well as the steep risks and costs inherent in attempting to achieve their odds-defying aspirations. These developmental efforts gradually enable individuals to alter their regulatory focus and to build up their motivational resolve—moving away from focusing on preventing the loss of their nascent professional identity to focusing on promoting its growth and overcoming motivational precarity with motivational resilience. The findings highlight how this professional identity development process is recursive and circular, often requiring odds-defying aspirers to repeat these efforts throughout their careers. This research contributes to the literatures surrounding identity threat and identity play in professional identity development and provides practical insights into the lived experiences of odds-defying aspirers.

Keywords: Identity play
Identity claiming
Claiming risks
Identity work
Women in comedy
Professional identity
Odds-defying aspirations
Female comedians
Identity threat
Professional identity development
Comedy
Identity
Advisor: Dopson, S
Maitlis, S
Atomic study of defects in two-dimensional transition metal chalcogenides using electron microscopy

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are layered semiconductors with unique electronic and optical properties which have shown immense potential in ultrathin (opto-)electronic devices. Structural defects that are ubiquitous in 2D materials have demonstrated to exert significant impacts on the materials’ properties. The in-depth comprehension of structural defects at the atomic level is vital for the rational exploration of their exceptional properties, which is the objective of my DPhil project.
By conducting advanced scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), this project resolves the structures and dynamics of defects with the atomic-scale clarity in 2D TMDs of different phases, and the use of in-situ heating holder in the STEM enables the direct visualization structural dynamics at elevated temperatures. The first part focuses on the grain boundary (GB)-involved defective structures in the typical 2H-phase MoS2/WS2 monolayers/bilayers at the thermal condition. For the monolayers, the high-temperature mechanism is elucidated for the dynamics of 60° GB-coupled large inversion domains. In the bilayers, the existence of dual localized GBs is demonstrated with high-temperature stability. This co-localization causes one layer to adopt novel dislocation cores, not found in monolayers, due to van der Waals strain of maintaining 2H and 3R interlayer stacking either side. Then, the defects and GB structures in TMDs of another significant phase, 1T phase, are also investigated systematically, taking the emerging1T-PtSe2 as the study object. The atomic structures and dynamics of point vacancies, 1D defects, GBs and dislocations exhibit distinct “1T-feature” that differs from those found in 2H-phase MoS22/WS2.
Apart from imaging the intrinsic defects, this project also explores the controlled in-situ structural modification methods by manipulating focused electron beam and the heating conditions in STEM with atomic-resolution monitoring of the process. The precise controllability is demonstrated in intentionally patterning 2D nanowell arrays at bilayer WS2 in terms of shapes, depth and locations, using the combination of convergent beam and the high temperature. Besides, the phase transformation is triggered by the controlled in-situ heating process for promoting Se loss from few-layered PdSe2, obtaining the novel phase 2D Pd2Se3 monolayers. The structural defects and their beam-driven behaviours in Pd2Se3 are visualized, which are sharply distinguished from those in the conventional TMDs.

Keywords: Defects
Electron microscopy
Transition metal dichalcogenides
Advisor: Warner, JH
Multigene metabolic engineering for the increase of photosynthetic efficiency

Improving photosynthesis is one of the most promising approaches to increase crop yield. To date, most efforts to enhance photosynthesis have focused on single-gene approaches. However, from a theoretical and experimental perspective, it is evident that multigene manipulations could lead to a greater impact. This DPhil project sets out to implement two innovative multigene metabolic engineering strategies for improved photosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum. Firstly, combinatorial co-transformation was used with 12 transgenes, chosen to increase source leaf photosynthesis and downstream carbon metabolism. A library of metabolic phenotypes was recovered, from which five lines were selected for showing increased stem growth under high light conditions. This phenotype was not reproducible in subsequent experiments, but further characterisation of the selected lines suggested that their specific transgene combinations may not have been beneficial for growth due to transgene interference effects. Secondly, a diel flux balance analysis model of primary metabolism in Arabidopsis leaves was used to design a novel metabolic engineering strategy for improved leaf-energy efficiency and photosynthesis. A five-gene construct was generated that was predicted to result in increased mitochondrial ATP production, reduced chloroplast ATP export, and increased chloroplast NAD(P)H export. Contrary to the model predictions, transgene expression was found to correlate negatively with plant growth and photosynthesis. One possible explanation was a detrimental effect caused by the increased capacity of the chloroplast malate valve. This thesis constitutes one of the first investigations into the multigene engineering of photosynthesis and energy metabolism. Together, the results of this thesis highlight the complexity of manipulating plant central metabolism, particularly when targeting multiple transgenes, and suggests that further scrutiny of network behaviour and testing of transgene combinations will be needed to enhance photosynthesis and achieve the yield increases required to feed a growing population.

Keywords: photosynthesis
metabolic engineering
molecular biology
plant transformation
Nicotiana tabacum
transgenic
multigene
plant biotechnology
Advisor: Sweetlove, L
Cognitive and neural embodiment of artificial-arms in individuals with hand-absence

In the typically developed brain, numerous networks and regions are involved in sensing, actuating and understanding hand functions. In this thesis I take a neurocognitive approach to provide a better understating of how prosthesis users harness hand-specific resources to support their prosthetic limb (embodiment). In a series of cognitive, motor and neural studies, I test two distinct populations: congenital one-handers who are born without a hand and acquired amputees who lost their hand in adulthood, to investigate the processes underlying upper-limb prosthesis use.
First, available hand-related resources were assessed in each of the tested populations using a visual hand laterality task. Congenital one-handers were less efficient than amputees in processing visual hand information, possibly due to atypical available motor hand resources. This finding reaffirms the notion of 'embodied cognition' – that our motor repertoire shapes visual perception and cognition. This was further supported by a significant relationship between amputees’ ability to move their phantom hand and their visual hand processing efficiency. Within the embodiment framework presented in this thesis, having different hand resources could potentially lead to different capabilities in prosthetic-limb use.
Next, using fMRI brain decoding analysis, I probed the neural representation of prostheses in relation to hands and tools, within the visual cortex. Increased levels of prosthesis use were associated with a formation of a novel neural visual ‘prosthesis’ category. This experience-dependent plasticity was observed in both congenital one-handers and amputees, pointing towards high levels of flexibility in occipitotemporal cortex. These findings challenge the naïve notion of neural embodiment, since prosthesis representation did not become more similar to hand representation.
Finally, the control dynamics of prosthetic-arms were assessed using several reaching and localisation tasks. Motor reaching accuracy with a prosthesis was found to depend on early life experience with a hand (either prosthetic or biological). Specifically, the ability to efficiently perform visually guided reaches with a prosthesis is impaired in the absence of early experience. These findings point towards a possible reliance of prosthesis use on neural hand-specific processes and provide evidence for a sensitive developmental period for sensorimotor control.
Taken together, this thesis provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted phenomenon of embodiment, shedding light on the underlying processes supporting human-machine interactions, and expanding our understanding of the development and plasticity of body representation.

Keywords: Body representation
Motor control
Amputees
Visuomotor
Prosthetics
fMRI
Embodiment
Advisor: Makin, T
Protestant enlightenment(s)? The origins and dissemination of enlightenment theology in Anglicanism, German Lutheranism, and Swedish Lutheranism

Since the early 2000s, intellectual historians have increasingly emphasised that Enlightenment and revealed religion could be reconciled, contradicting traditional depictions. A growing body of scholarship on the so-called ‘religious Enlightenment’ – spanning Catholicism, Judaism, and Protestantism – has developed as a result of this shift. However, the attempts to subsume the enlightened representatives of all faiths into one supra-confessional Enlightenment has gradually confused the understanding of ‘enlightened religion’, especially in the Protestant context. To counter this development, this thesis seeks to re-establish the existence of a particular and uniform Protestant Enlightenment that spanned Anglicanism, German Lutheranism, and Swedish Lutheranism during the ‘Long Eighteenth Century’. To this end, it presents an intellectual and cultural history of enlightened theology within these Churches, based on the existing historiography and its foundational texts and figures: first, it offers a comparative analysis of the theologies of Ralph Cudworth, Henry More, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Joseph Butler, and Johann Joachim Spalding. It thereupon examines the reception of their theologies in Swedish Lutheranism through the correspondences of Eric Benzelius the Younger and Jacob Axelsson Lindblom’s periodical Journal för Prester. Based on this, the thesis argues that – certain differences notwithstanding – there was a recognisable single Protestant Enlightenment whose quintessential hallmark was an intellectualist natural theology that emphasised the fundamental benevolence of God and the harmony of the universe, as well as the fundamental freedom and reasonableness of humanity. Mostly emerging as a result of ‘crises of orthodoxy’ that made stringent confessional uniformity untenable, this creed built on Platonic-Erasmian foundations and the seventeenth century’s scientifico-philosophical advances. While rejecting much of the Reformation’s Augustinian ideas, it was nonetheless distinctly Protestant in character by professing an individualistic, emancipatory faith that appealed to Anglicans and Lutherans alike. Indeed, by the eighteenth century’s close, it had in parts morphed into a self-conscious movement.

Keywords: Enlightenment
Protestantism
Lutheranism
Sweden
Holy Roman Empire
England
Anglicanism
Advisor: Young, B
Personal and professional development in clinical psychology training and practice: Understanding experiences of reflective practice and the exploration of culture and difference in supervision

Reflective practice and supervision are thought to be key components of personal and professional development within clinical psychology training and practice. Reflective practice is thought to foster increased self-awareness of personal biases and assumptions, greater understanding and empathy for clients, and therapist expertise in working with complexity. It is also thought to support the development of cultural competency, with the supervisory relationship being the primary mechanism by which issues of culture and difference can be explored in order to support supervisee learning.
The first paper systematically reviewed nineteen studies exploring experiences of reflective practice in clinical psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy training and practice. Each study was critically appraised and an inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to synthesise the findings. Methodological strengths and weaknesses were identified alongside themes pertaining to the benefits of reflective practice, challenging and distressing experiences and key processes which facilitate or hinder engagement in reflective practice groups. Recommendations for training, practice and future research are discussed.
The second paper employed a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore how issues of culture and difference are perceived and explored within the supervisory relationship. Five supervisory dyads were recruited from one doctoral clinical psychology training programme. Each participant attended one individual semi-structured interview. The resulting model highlights perceptions regarding the relevance, importance and risk associated with exploring culture and difference. The development of safety within the supervisory relationship was essential for discussions to take place. Processes regarding initiating conversation and minimising risk were identified. Dyads reported perceived benefits to their understanding of the client which supported the development of culturally sensitive formulations and interventions.