CU Dissertations

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CU Dissertations

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CU Dissertations contains all the electronic dissertations since October of 2009 Graduation. Some dissertations can be accessed by Catholic University users only.

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: The Biblical Hebrew Transitivity Alternation in Cognitive Linguistic Perspective; Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures. The Catholic University of America, That there exists a group of biblical Hebrew verbs which appear in both transitive and intransitive grammatical constructions has long been recognized. However, explanations of this phenomenon among modern BH grammarians, especially regarding the grammatical status of the Object, have been unsatisfactorily vague. Many issues relevant to the BH transitivity alternation (e.g. valency, transitivity, lability, verb classes, and constructional semantics) have received sustained treatment in the broader linguistic community. The purpose of this dissertation is to offer an extended treatment of the BH transitivity alternation utilizing the theory and methods of Cognitive Grammar and the related (sub)discipline Construction Grammar. This investigation explains the relationship of these BH verbs to their associated nouns with reference to the prototypical and schematic transitive event. Many BH verbs which permit the transitivity alternation exhibit significant semantic overlap allowing them to be categorized and analyzed as "verb classes." The benefit of analyzing verbs by class is that it increases the amount of data (an important feature when working with a dead language) and, more importantly, it enables the isolation of common lexical qualities that contribute to a verb's ability to appear in alternate constructions. The BH verb classes analyzed are: Verbs of Dressing and Undressing ,Verbs of Dwelling, and Verbs of Fullness and Want. After a consideration of BH verb classes, the same methods are applied to a selection of miscellaneous BH verbs which also exhibit the transitivity alternation. This study concludes that the BH transitivity alternation is licensed and limited by conceptual factors. Though often translated and interpreted as essentially synonymous expressions, verbs exhibiting the transitivity alternation actually offer alternate construals of the realities they represent and therefore should be regarded as having different meanings. It is argued that the meaning of these BH verbs must be established on the basis of the unique combination of verbal and constructional (or syntactic) semantics. Both transitive and intransitive constructions construe verbal meaning in accordance with certain conventionalized image schemas. Such construal is based, at least in part, on the imagination, goals, and intentions of the speaker.

: The Biblical Homilies of Ephraem Graecus; Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America, Ephrem the Syrian (ca. 306-373) is one of the most revered figures of EasternChristianity and one of the few people canonized in both the Eastern and Western Churches. Ephrem's renown spread beyond the boundaries of Syriac-speaking Christendom and attracted the interest of Greek-speaking Christians. Demand for more information about this figure sparked production of texts about and putatively by Ephrem in many languages, including Greek. Ultimately, the number of Greek texts attributed to Ephrem ranks second to only John Chrysostom. These texts, known as the Ephraem Graecus corpus, have gone relatively unstudied as the works are almost certainly inauthentic. Ephrem composed exclusively in Syriac. Nevertheless, the texts have been influential in the history of Christianity, providing some of the foundational texts of Orthodox monasticism and inspiring theologians such as John Wesley. This study seeks to explore the portion of the corpus on the topic of biblical exegesis. It provides the first ever English translation of many of these homilies. The homilies evince a creative style of exegesis relatively unknown in Western Christianity but which does appear in Syriac. These works imaginatively retell the biblical stories, inventing new dialogue and situations for the familiar characters within their established narratives. This study argues that the homilies transport the audience into a dramatic re-creation of the biblical stories where they encounter the biblical figures in a new way which emphasizes the humor, pathos, and the humanity of the characters in Scripture. A work on Joseph translated here, e.g., depicts Joseph momentarily freeing himself from his Ishmaelite captors to fall on his mother's grave and cry out to her in Hebrew, an act misinterpreted by the fearful Ishmaelites as necromancy. This episode is known from Jewish and Syriac Christian exegesis on this story, but is not attested by the Greek-speaking Christian tradition. This study argues that the Ephraem Graecus corpus is an important case study for understanding the interconnected, multi-lingual world of Late Antique Christianity. The anonymous author of the Ephraem Graecus corpus created literature for a group of Christians reflecting Syriac concerns, motifs, and interests but in the Greek language.

: Bilingualism, Cognition, and Successful Aging; Degree awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of America, This dissertation aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Does bilingualism affect performance in an implicit sequence-learning task and an executive control task? (2) Specifically, do older bilinguals show increased performance measures than older monolinguals in an implicit sequence-learning task and an executive control task? (3) Are second language proficiency, language usage, and age of acquisition important factors in acquiring cognitive benefits? College-aged and older adult Spanish-English bilinguals and English monolinguals participated. With traditional analyses, young bilinguals demonstrated greater executive control than young monolinguals, but the older groups performed the same. Novel distributional analyses uncovered differences among the older groups, such that older bilinguals had better executive control than older monolinguals. Bilinguals and monolinguals performed equivalently on the implicit-sequence learning task. Second language proficiency and language usage did not affect performance on either task, but bilinguals who had been speaking two languages from a young age performed better than people who learned a second language later in life on both the implicit sequence-learning task and the executive control task. Implications are discussed., Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:48:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Romano_cua_0043D_10027display.pdf: 1356932 bytes, checksum: 47e4343966a3d40092ad775bb6544422 (MD5)

: The Bill of Rights and Federalism: An Interpretation in Light of the Unwritten Constitution; Degree awarded: Ph.D. Politics. The Catholic University of America, According to conventional understanding, the primary purpose behind the framing and ratification of the Constitution was to preserve liberty through a form of government that provided for a highly structured system of federalism and separation of powers. The primary purpose behind the framing and ratification of the Bill of Rights was to allay Anti-Federalist fears that the Constitution did not sufficiently secure individual rights. For that reason, the original Constitution is frequently contrasted with the Bill of Rights. Yet distinguishing between the Constitution and the Bill of Rights obscures more about the nature of the Bill of Rights than it discloses. It is agreed that one of the primary Anti-Federalist objections to the Constitution was the absence of a bill of rights. A close examination of the debate over the absence of a bill of rights reveals that the first ten amendments to the Constitution occupy a much more complex place in the constitutional scheme than is commonly assumed. While individual rights did constitute an important theme during the ensuing debate concerning the importance of a bill of rights, they were not the only theme or even the prevailing theme. A historically, philosophically, and textually informed examination of the Bill of Rights reveals that it was attentive to constitutional structure and was intended to reinforce the commitment to federalism in the original Constitution. The Federal government could not intrude upon the subtle and often fragile social and legal arrangements pertaining to such matters which evolved over a long period of time at the state level. These prerogatives were protected by the several state constitutions, state statutes, and the unwritten common law. This study challenges the conventional wisdom and decades of constitutional jurisprudence, which have assumed that the purpose of the Bill of Rights was to guarantee individual rights. If properly interpreted, the Bill of Rights would serve to decentralize authority, leaving many more decisions to the states and what Robert Nisbet described as "autonomous associations.", Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:46:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Devaney_cua_0043A_10104display.pdf: 680381 bytes, checksum: 0393c6ed28281e7641268a8f70ea6ff5 (MD5)

: Biochemical Properties of MAL and MAL2 that Confer Specificity to Apical Delivery Pathways; Degree awarded: Ph.D. Biology. The Catholic University of America, My focus is to identify regulators of apical delivery in polarized epithelial cells. Each plasma membrane (PM) domain of a polarized cell performs specific functions and has a unique distribution of proteins and lipids. In simple epithelial cells, newly synthesized apical proteins take a direct route to the apical plasma membrane from the trans-Golgi network. In contrast, apical proteins in hepatocytes take an indirect transcytotic route via the basolateral membrane. Myelin and lymphocyte protein (MAL) and MAL2 have been proposed to function in direct and indirect apical targeting, respectively. Hepatocytes lack endogenous MAL consistent with the absence of direct apical targeting. Does MAL expression reroute hepatic apical residents into the direct pathway? We found that MAL expression in WIF-B cells induced the formation of cholesterol and glycosphingolipid-enriched Golgi domains that contained glycosylphosphotidyl- inositol (GPI)-anchored and single transmembrane domain (TMD) apical proteins; polymeric IgA receptor (pIgA-R), polytopic apical, and basolateral resident distributions were excluded. Basolateral delivery of newly synthesized apical residents was decreased in MAL-expressing cells concomitant with increased apical delivery; pIgA-R and basolateral resident delivery was unchanged. These data suggest that MAL rerouted selected hepatic apical proteins into the direct pathway. Recently, it was proposed that lipid-raft microdomains are too small and transient to host apically destined cargo, and that lipid-associated proteins might serve to stabilize raft-sorting platforms. Do MAL and MAL2 promote raft-stablilization and clustering? Examination of lipid-association properties revealed that MAL is raft-associated, while MAL2 is not. Does MAL and MAL2 overexpression promote lipid-association of apical proteins? MAL overexpression promoted lipid-association of both single TMD and GPI-anchored proteins whereas, MAL2 did not. Do MAL and MAL2 oligomerize to promote raft-coalescence? MAL is an oligomer and its overexpression altered the oligomeric states of single TMD and GPI-anchored apical proteins. MAL2 is monomeric and upon pIgA-R overexpression, shifted to high molecular weight fractions in velocity gradients indicating complex formation. Together, these results suggest that MAL oligomerization and lipid association may promote raft clustering and stabilization at the TGN, whereas the mechanism by which MAL2 regulates transcytosis and basolateral delivery of pIgA-R remains elusive., Made available in DSpace on 2011-03-01T11:46:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ramnarayanan_cua_0043A_10158display.pdf: 7526468 bytes, checksum: 30877323c745d83fa0ace37d101e0b74 (MD5)

: Biofabrication of Tissue Constructs Patterned at the Microscale by Hydrogel Deposition and Crosslink Photoprinting; This dissertation aims to introduce and characterize several novel methods of biofabrication, with the overall goal to recapitulate the characteristics and functionality of native tissue. The primary obstacles overcome by these studies are control over biopolymer network density, microstructure, and photocrosslink and molecular patterns on the microscale. The first study describes the creation of dense, aligned collagen networks in microfluidic channels, to aid in the design of tissues on a chip. The second, third and fourth studies describe the printing of photocrosslinks in unmodified biopolymers, to aid in the fabrication of microstructurally and mechanically complex in vitro tissue constructs. The first technique is named microfluidic ionic co-deposition, and it results in tunable collagen microislands with microstructural characteristics similar to the tumor stroma and other connective tissues. This technique has the potential to study cell-mediated remodeling of and drug penetration into dense, aligned tissue constructs. The second technique is two-dimensional photoprinting on a microscope. This approach harnesses visible light and photolithography to generate high-resolution crosslink patterns in hydrogels, visualized through local density alterations in the hydrogel constructs. Importantly, the microscope portion of the instrument provides images of the tissue construct for feedback into potential initial and subsequent photolithography patterns. This technique has potential use for creation of implantable tissue constructs to repair or replace deficient native tissues, or to study cell and tissue behavior in vitro. The findings of this research exhibit both control of biofabricated constructs at the microscale, and the feasibility of influencing cell behavior through photoprinting crosslinks. In the microfluidic approach, collagen microislands were formed and modulated by adjusting microfluidic and biochemical parameters. Similarly, the photobiofabrication method key parameters were determined by printing multiple patterns while varying biopolymer composition, pattern resolution, field size, dot size, illumination intensity and duration. Human fibroblasts were subsequently cultured successfully for over seven days on photoprinted patterns with cell motility and organization depending on the photocrosslink patterns. The findings of this study contribute to the advancement of tissue engineering by providing powerful tools for biofabrication, paving the way for further research and development in this field., Engineering, Biology, Optics, Bio Optics, Biofabrication, Bioprinting, PhotoCrosslinking, Photowriting, Tissue engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering. The Catholic University of America

: Biomedical Challenges to Identity and Parenthood: An Investigation into the Ethics of Genetic Technologies at the Beginning of Life

: Blazing Walls, Blazing Brothers: Monks and the Making of the Demon in the Pachomian Koinonia; Degree awarded: Ph.D. Early Christian Studies. The Catholic University of America, Blazing Walls, Blazing Brothers:Monks and the Making of the Demon in the Pachomian KoinoniaSidney Robert Banks, Jr., Ph.D.Director: Philip Rousseau, D.Phil. This dissertation contributes to the study of late antique demonology and the development of Christian monasticism in fourth century Egypt. In particular, I explore the relationship between the development of the Pachomian Koinonia and the belief its members held about demons. While there has been no previous publication devoted to this relationship, David Brakke has included a chapter on Pachomian demonology in his book Demons and the Making of the Monk: Spiritual Combat in Early Christianity. I differ with Brakke in two general ways. First, I place greater emphasis upon the fact that demons in Late Antique Egypt were not only threats to a person's thoughts, but also to physical bodies. Second, I place greater emphasis upon what communal life added to a monk's struggle against demonic attacks both upon his body and upon his mind. In order to carry out this task, I have made a close examination of Coptic, Greek, and Latin Pachomian texts, clearly identified in the first chapter. I have also made an analysis of other texts to place the Pachomian material in the wider cultural context of fourth century Egypt. Using this material, I describe what demons were believed to be and what they were believed to be capable of doing by people living in that time and place. I then explore what role communal life played in the Pachomian attempt to resist the demons.I conclude that the communal life shared by the Pachomian monks was a source of protection against demonic attack. In the third chapter, I show that the presence of experienced monks protected the less experienced from violent demonic attack. In the fourth chapter, I show that communal life also protected the monk from demonic assaults upon his thoughts., Made available in DSpace on 2011-06-24T17:10:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Banks_cua_0043A_10200display.pdf: 3378361 bytes, checksum: 7c20ee1b5f3dd025a1e8e7d880bd77f6 (MD5)

: Blockchain-Based Secure Collaboration for Sharing and Accessing Research Data; The rapid development in the online services provides individuals or organizations with the convenience to share data. However, security and privacy are major concerns when data are stored and shared in the cloud. The cloud service system, not the data owner, will directly control data access once the data is uploaded to the cloud. There is a strong need for a platform that allows data owners to not only ensure the security and privacy of their data stored in the cloud, but also to control how to share their own data and track data sharing.One solution is that the data owner encrypts the data before uploading them to the cloud and share the key with authorized users. Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) is a scheme that provides flexible data encryption and access control based on attribute policies. In particular, with ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE), the data owner can encrypt the data with a set of attributes and also includes an access policy. The ciphertext can be decrypted by a recipient if and only if his attributes or credentials satisfy the policy of the ciphertext. However, it is challenging to manage the distribution and revocation of ABE keys as well as prevention of illegal key sharing. On the other hand, blockchain has recently received extensive attentions as a distributed ledger to record, verify, and track transactions. This dissertation aims to design and evaluate a platform for data sharing and collaboration by exploiting attribute-based encryption and blockchain technologies. Hyperledger Fabric is a permission blockchain uses to enable a decentralized and secure data sharing environment and preserves user’s privacy. The proposed platform allows data owners to fully control their data, manage access to the data at a fine-grained level, prevent illegal key sharing and abuse, keep the records of file updates with proof of authorship, and ensure data integrity and privacy. , Computer science, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The Catholic University of America

: Blue Radiance

: Book of Jeremias and Lamentations in the Arabic translation of Pethion Ibn Ayyub Al Sahhar; by Richard MacDonough Frank., Typescript., Thesis (Ph. D.--Semitics)--Catholic University of America, 1959., Also available in microfilm., Introduction in English.

: The Book of Ruth for Children; Adaptations of the Bible for children have been made for centuries, claiming to meet the developmental needs of children while attending to cultural perceptions of what is appropriate for children to read. They have received little scholarly attention. This dissertation examines one hundred English-language adaptations of the Book of Ruth published between 1980 and 2015 that are intended for children ages four to twelve. Scholars of children’s literature have observed several trends in the translation of children’s literature, three of which are used to analyze children’s Bible adaptations: cultural context adaptation accommodates elements of the text (e.g., vocabulary, literary forms, customs, etc.) from one culture to another; ideological manipulation modifies the text to suit cultural norms of appropriateness for children; finally, illustration interprets the story and emphasizes certain parts of the text by selecting them for illustration and by depicting them in a particular way. Contemporary adaptations of the Book of Ruth tend to favor accessibility over appeal. Efforts to make the text more accessible to children include reducing and eliminating unusual vocabulary and proper names, the climax of the story during the threshing floor scene, references to suffering and theodicy, and allusions to other parts of the Bible. They often add content that passes on cultural values, such as work ethic, family loyalty, gender roles, and a beneficent God. The resulting storyline can be lacking in detail and plot elements, so that it is ultimately confusing or unengaging, rendering those efforts at making the Book of Ruth accessible to children irrelevant. There are exceptions, though, that show the potential of Bible adaptations for children. These retellings hold the reader’s interest by approaching the text from various perspectives, such as history, religious identity, cultural heritage, etc. They include features such as a narrative frame, inner monologues, historical details, intrabiblical connections, humor, and compelling artwork in their attempts to create child-centered adaptations of the Book of Ruth., Biblical studies, Religious education, American literature, Bible Translation, Children's Bibles, Children's Literature, Children's Spirituality, The Book of Ruth, Translation for Children, Biblical Studies, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America

: The Bridge between Nature and Freedom: The Unity of Kant's Third Critique

: Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients: Pharmacodynamic Analysis and Mechanisms of Resistance; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy of mature B cells that depend on host factors in their tissue microenvironment for growth and survival, primarily mediated by B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling. Targeting Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTKis) downstream of the BCR has emerged as a successful strategy for CLL treatment. These drugs inhibit BTK by irreversible covalent binding to cysteine 481 in the BTK active site. A measure of on-target effects for these agents is the fraction of drug-bound BTK (occupancy), typically exceeding 80% for all covalent BTKis in clinical use. How levels of BTK occupancy correlate to inhibition of intracellular signaling and anti-tumor effects were not defined. Additionally, BTKis disrupt the interaction of CLL cells with their microenvironment, displacing leukemic cells from the lymphoid organs and causing transient lymphocytosis in CLL patients. CD49d, the α chain of the α4β1 integrin, plays an important role in the interaction of CLL cells with their microenvironment and is one of the main adverse prognostic markers in CLL. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of how CD49d expression impacts responses to BTKis remain elusive. In this study, to better understand the mechanisms of action of BTKis, we investigated the relationship between BTK occupancy and inhibition of downstream signaling. Further, we investigated the role of CD49d in response to BTKis in CLL patients treated with acalabrutinib, one of the approved, highly selective covalent BTKi. Our study design included randomization of CLL patients to once or twice daily dosing of acalabrutinib, and dose interruptions for 48 hours during the first week. We evaluated ex vivo BTK occupancy and readouts of BCR signaling, including target gene expression and protein-based readouts, sequentially between 4 and 48 hours from the last dose. Four hours from the last dose, we observed complete saturation of BTK and significant inhibition of BTK-dependent signaling in both dosing regimens. At trough 12 and 24 hours after the last dose, BTK occupancy was higher with twice-daily (median 95%) than with once-daily dosing (median 87%). We observed superior inhibition of target gene expression with twice-daily dosing, suggesting that higher BTK occupancy translates into more potent inhibition of oncogenic signaling. We next correlated the level of free BTK with endogenous and exogenously activated BCR. During the dosing interruption period, responses to exogenous BCR activation were proportional to the levels of free BTK generated by de novo synthesis. Together, higher BTK target occupancy was achieved with twice-daily dosing over once-daily dosing, resulting in deeper and more sustained inhibition of BCR signaling. To elucidate the role of CD49d in response to BTKis, CLL patients were classified into CD49d+ and CD49d− based on CD49d expression according to the clinically validated 30% cutoff. We first analyzed CD49d expression and activation changes during acalabrutinib treatment using flow cytometry. In addition, we evaluated the clinical responses during therapy and performed transcriptomic analyses comparing gene expression changes between the CD49d groups. Clinically, CD49d+ and patients with bimodal CD49d expression, i.e. patients with concurrent CD49d positive and negative CLL cells irrespective of the size of the CD49d+ population, had a significantly higher risk of progression on acalabrutinib than CD49d− patients. CD49d+ patients showed less treatment-induced lymphocytosis than CD49d− patients. In bimodal patients, the proportion of CD49d+ CLL cells decreased on treatment, suggesting that CD49d+ cells are better able to migrate and re-enter lymphoid tissues. While acalabrutinib treatment inhibited CD49d activation, in vitro stimulation of BCR and CXCR4 signaling restored CD49d activation. Furthermore, as revealed by gene set enrichment analysis, we observed higher levels of cellular activation, proliferation, adhesion, and survival in CD49d+ CLL cells. These results suggest that CD49d may contribute to the development of BTKi resistance in CLL by enhancing cell survival through adhesion to the tumor microenvironment. Overall, our study supports dosing strategies that maximize BTK occupancy for more therapeutic efficiency. Furthermore, CD49d expression increases the risk for the development of BTKi resistance and serves as an adverse prognostic marker. Further investigation how targeting CD49d could improve BTKi therapy is warranted. , Oncology, Immunology, Pharmacology, Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, CD49d, Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Targeted therapy, Biology, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Biology. The Catholic University of America

: Building a Firm Foundation: Evangelizing Generation Y Parents Whose Children are Preparing for First Sacraments; While parents of every generation face societal challenges and the pressures associated with them, the Church has become increasingly concerned about the challenges and disillusionments parents face, both in society and from the Church itself, especially among younger generations of Catholics. This disillusionment and resulting disconnect between Generation Y and the Church are consequences of the culmination of many issues and sociological shifts that have evolved and occurred over the past fifty years that have negatively impacted formation in faith and in the faith of families with children. Family life and raising children in faith in our contemporary Western world is increasingly difficult, making it harder for parents and their children to grow together as a family in the context of faith and to sustain religious commitments and practices.The project that is the subject of this treatise consists of an eight-session evangelization and formation process and program specifically designed for Generation Y parents whose children are preparing for first sacraments to assist them in their roles as their children’s first teachers of the faith with the goal of igniting a desire to grow together in faith in an intentional way with their children. Each of the eight sessions are Christocentric-Trinitarian and are inspired by the adult learning method of Thomas H. Groome’s five-step shared Christian praxis approach, Avery Dulles’ five models of revelation, Malcolm Knowles’ andragogical methods, and the first period of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. While the results derived from the project’s evaluation instruments do not indicate any significant statistical difference between the pre- and post-surveys, the individual and qualitative responses provide greater insight and evidence that the project had an overall positive impact on a number of participants. Examination of the trend of the actual responses offers potential support of the hypothesis that participation in the project sessions would awaken and deepen parents’ faith., Theology, Adult Formation, Evangelization, First Sacraments, Generation Y, Millennials, Parents, Pastoral Studies, Degree Awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

: Callimachus and Callimacheanism in the Poetry of Gregory of Nazianzus; In this study, I analyze the poetics of Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. 330–390 AD), who was one of the first Christian poets writing in Greek to leave an extensive corpus of poetry (about 17,000 lines). Gregory work is striking not only for its breadth but also for its wide variety of themes and metrical schemes. As my focal point, I have chosen Gregory’s reception and adaptation of the poetry and poetics of Callimachus of Cyrene (ca. 290–230 BC). Callimachus was the first poet in the western tradition to enunciate an aesthetic and came to typify for subsequent authors an approach to poetry that privileged finely-wrought, compressed, and erudite compositions. I argue that for Gregory, Callimachus’ works are more than simply one more source to exploit for nice turns of phrase; rather, Callimachus pervasively shapes Gregory’s entire approach to poetic composition. This is seen not only in Gregory’s allusions to Callimachean works, which are numerous and occur quite frequently in programmatic contexts, but also in features of Gregory’s work like poikilia (variety) and a strong authorial persona that have their best precedent in Callimachus’ variegated oeuvre.In chapter one, I survey Callimachus’ reception in the second and third centuries AD. By examining the three most extensive works of hexametric didactic extant from this period (Dionysius’ Periegesis, Oppian’s Halieutica, and ps.-Oppian’s Cynegetica), I argue that Callimachus is a uniquely useful influence for probing how later poets create their poetic personae and enunciate their own aesthetic. Chapters 2–5 treat Gregory’s poetry. I have organized them around four traits that scholars have consistently associated with Callimachean poetry: originality, fineness (leptotēs), erudition, and self-awareness. In chapter two, I show how Gregory adapts the untrodden path motif found in the prologue to Callimachus’ Aetia. I contend that Gregory’s formal experimentation should be regarded as a deliberate embrace of Callimachean polyeideia. Chapter three has as its subject Gregory’s poetic style. I show that for Gregory, Callimachus typifies the concise and technically capable poet, as Gregory consistently advocates for concise speech through allusions to Callimachus’ works. In the fourth chapter, I attend to Gregory’s erudition. His self-proclaimed mastery of both pagan and Christian literature is a foundational aspect of his poetic persona. Though the patent didactic intent in some of Gregory’s verse is at odds with Callimachus’ practice, I argue that when Gregory deploys erudition for polemical and cultural ends he fits neatly within the tradition of Alexandrian didactic. In chapter five, I consider Gregory’s poetic self-awareness. I argue that, following Callimachean precedent, Gregory created sequences of multiple poems thematically linked by ring-compositions and self-allusions. I conclude that Gregory edited his poems much more extensively than has previously been recognized. My work illuminates on the one hand how pervasively Callimachus shapes Gregory’s approach to poetic composition. Yet I have also identified a number of significant ways in which Gregory consciously departs from his Callimachean model., Classical literature, Religion, Literature, Callimachus, Christian Culture, Classical Reception, Gregory of Nazianzus, Late Antiquity, Patristics, Greek and Latin, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Greek and Latin. The Catholic University of America

: Cancer, Vulnerability, and Financial Quality of Life: A Mixed Methods Study; Degree awarded: Ph.D. Social Work. The Catholic University of America, For people who are experiencing financial hardship, a cancer diagnosis can be devastating. For others, cancer may exacerbate financial stress, thereby influencing their livelihoods and their ability to maintain employment benefits (including health insurance), manage financial obligations, and participate meaningfully in cancer treatment. Financial quality of life is conceptualized here as the ability to manage all current obligations related to cancer care, within the context of sound health-care decision making. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to examine this concept in an availability sample of 90 cancer patients. In the quantitative portion, the variables that are hypothesized to affect financial quality of life include housing stability; one's sense of personal control within the larger context of health locus of control; demographic information; income/financial stress; health insurance adequacy; perceived barriers to care; social support; cancer diagnosis and acuity; and perceived ability to participate meaningfully in treatment. These variables fit within the adapted behavioral model for vulnerable populations by Gelberg, Andersen, and Leake (2000). The study is also underpinned philosophically by the difference and opportunity principles of John Rawls (1971, 1999). Bivariate correlations were examined, and multivariate analysis (ordinary least squares) was used to examine the impact of all the predictor variables on the criterion variable. The qualitative portion was an interview with seven participants from the quantitative portion. Content analysis was used to elicit the themes expressed. There were significant correlations between financial quality of life and age; housing stability; income below $10,000; health insurance adequacy; perceived barriers to care; social support; financial stress (distinct from financial quality of life); and selected aspects of treatment adherence. The multivariate regression analysis found that gender, housing stability, health insurance adequacy; fewer barriers to care; reduced financial stress; and the intentions and support/barriers aspects of treatment adherence are significant predictors of financial quality of life. Themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis (across incomes) revolved around the importance of social support; hope; creative frugality in living within one's means; dedication to treatment; and a strong sense of personal control. The research showed that this theoretical model is useful for future health-related research., Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-01T16:44:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Callahan_cua_0043A_10348display.pdf: 988628 bytes, checksum: e57b21bc8e996f8e6b76d2fc225b8465 (MD5)

: A Canonical Analysis of the Authority Exercised by the Diocesan Bishop and the Religious Superior Over the Religious Pastor qua Pastor

: Canonical elections; null, Thesis (D.C.L.)--Catholic University of America.

: The Canonical Form of Marriage in Latin Law and in Oriental Law: A Comparative Study with References to the Application of Catholic-Byzantine Law to Selected Pastoral Concerns in Eastern Europe.; Degree awarded: J.C.D. Canon Law. The Catholic University of America, The Canonical Form of Marriage in Latin Law and in Oriental Law: A Comparative Study with References to the Application of Catholic-Byzantine Law to Selected Pastoral Concerns in Eastern Europe.Benone Farcas, J.C.D.Director: John Beal, J.C.D.Book IV of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, title VII, chapter V and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, title XVI, chapter VII, article VI govern the canonical form of marriage. In many ways the provisions of the two codes are similar; in some instances, however, they differ. Both the similarities and the differences have pastoral consequences, especially in cases of mixed marriages or in territories where a hierarchical organization of various Oriental Catholic churches sui iuris does not exist. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the canonical form of marriage by comparing the Latin and Oriental canonical legislations and analyzing the pastoral consequences that arise when laws concerning canonical form of marriage are applied in specific areas, especially in light of recent political and social changes in Eastern Europe. This comparative study of the canonical form of the marriage in the Latin and in the Catholic Oriental law, especially within the Byzantine rite, begins with an historical overview of the issue in both the Latin and the Byzantine traditions focused on specific documents and circumstances that had a significant impact on the evolution of canonical form. Subsequently, it considers the treatment of the canonical form of marriage in the 1917 Codex Iuris Canonici and post-codal legislation concerning the oriental churches, especially the motu proprio Crebrae allatae. Afterward this dissertation surveys the evolution of the issue in the conciliar and post-conciliar legislative documents. The same comparative method is applied in analyzing the present law as expressed in the 1983 Code of Canon Law and the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Finally, this dissertation analyzes selected pastoral issues peculiar to Eastern Europe after the fall of the communist governments. This last section investigates canonically a few concrete problem situations related to the canonical form of marriage and proposes a tentative solution for each one. This study reveals how important is for those involved in pastoral work to be acquainted with both Latin and Oriental matrimonial legislation within the context of interecclesial relationships and within the prospect of today's increasing global mobility., Made available in DSpace on 2012-04-02T15:43:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Farcas_cua_0043A_10149display.pdf: 1533163 bytes, checksum: 26ebfb4da37ab681b6e320a3b1a6915c (MD5)