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Desperate to post bail after the love of his life is seized by ICE, an undocumented dishwasher descends into the underbelly of California’s Central Valley and a bloody bidding war for the severed head of a man everyone is looking for.

In this thesis we study the relation between algebraic torus actions on complex projective varieties and the birational geometry of their geometric quotients. Given a C*-action on a normal projective variety X, there exist two unique connected components of the fixed point locus, called the sink Y− and the source Y+, containing the limit at ∞ and 0 of the general orbit. Let GX− (resp. GX+) be the variety parametrizing the orbits converging to the sink (resp. the source). Since there exists an open subset of points converging to Y±, we obtain a birational map ψ: GX->GX+. By choosing different linearizations of ample line bundles on X, we obtain a factorization of the birational map ψ among inner geometric quotient, parametrizing different open subsets of stable points. In this setting, we investigate the local analytic geometry of the birational map ψ. On one hand we link certain birational transformations, called rooftop flips, with varieties with two projective bundles structures. On the other we study when the birational map ψ can be locally described by a toric flip of Atiyah type. If on one side a C*-action naturally induces a birational map among geometric quotients, it is meaningful to study the opposite direction: more precisely, given a birational map φ: Z+->Z− among normal projective varieties, how can we construct a normal projective variety X, endowed with a C*-action, such that Z− is the sink, Z+ is the source, and the natural birational map ψ constructed above coincide with φ? Such an X is called a geometric realization of the birational map φ. We propose a construction of a geometric realization of φ, whose geometry reflects the factorization of the map as a composition of flips, blow-ups and blow-downs. We describe in particular the case in which φ is a small modification of dream type, namely a birational map which is an isomorphism in codimension 1 associated to a finitely generated multisection ring. Moreover, we show that the cone of divisors associated to such multisection rings admits a chamber decomposition where the models are the geometric quotients of the C*-action. If in addition Z± are assumed to be toric varieties, we construct a function in SageMath to compute the polytope of the associated toric geometric realization.

This paper analyzes the blurred boundaries between human and artificial intelligence in Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. A postmodern theoretical and critical approach that employs Jean Baudrillard’s concepts of simulacra and hyperreality and Jaques Derrida’s deconstructive theory provides the conceptual framework for the analysis. The primary focus is on the main character, Rick Deckard, as he grapples with identity, ethics, and the very nature of humanity in a world where androids are indistinguishable from humans. The essay identifies two focus points in the novel. The first analyzes and deconstructs the real versus artificial (human/android) dichotomy in the book and shows how isreconstructs the essence of identity and reality. The second focus point is the novel’s portrayal of empathy, supposedly a defining human trait and yet one mimicked by androids so well that it is practically useless as a criterion for distinguishing androids from humans. The conclusion drawn by this analysis is that Rick Deckard and the characters he meets may indeed illustrate Baudrillard’s hyperreality, depicting a world where humans are willfully stunting their own emotions and autonomy, lost in the false reality that society has constructed. Furthermore, the ethical dilemmas raised by playing God with life, even if it is artificial, align with Derrida’s deconstructive views of how non-binary all life is. This is especially seen in the contrasting depictions of Rachael (android) and Resch (human). Derrida’s views on humanity’s dissimulation of the cruelty of its exploitations, justified by humanity’s own parameters for what is deemed right and wrong, is also seen in Deckard’s moral struggles and the cruelty androids must endure as described by Rachael. This is lastly compared and contrasted with the contemporary development of AI and its potential dangers, shedding light on ethical considerations. While the AI available to us today is far from the kind of artificial intelligence Dick presents in the form of androids, it is, perhaps, not too soon for us to begin considering the moral and ethical implications now so that should the day come, we will be ready and avoid the crisis humanity has fallen into in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

Denna uppsats hanterar hur kvinnliga karaktärer porträtteras i romantisk komedi genom att närmare studera begreppet ”Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. Detta begrepp leder till missförstånd om kvinnans roll i filmens värld och skapar diskussioner om jämställdhet och västerländsk berättarkultur. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka två kvinnor i två olika romantiska komedier uppfyller de kriterier som nämns av Manic Pixie Dream Girl-begreppets myntare, Nathan Rabin, har lagt fram och om det således är motiverat att argumentera att karaktärerna upprätthåller sexistiska synsätt. Den teoretiska grund som uppsatsen bygger på kommer främst från feministisk teori, men även från Laura Mulveys teori om skopofili och den manliga blicken. För att analysera det utvalda materialet används en skräddarsydd karaktärsanalytisk metod. Resultatet visar att, trots att de kvinnliga karaktärerna må uppfylla några eller flera av de kriterier som Rabin ställer fram så innebär inte det direkt att karaktärerna är endimensionella och, i förlängning, overkliga porträtt av kvinnor i allmänhet. / This essay deals with how female characters are portrayed in romantic comedies by studying the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl"-phenomenon closer. This concept leads to misunderstandings about women's roles in the world of cinema and creates discussions about equality and Western storytelling. The purpose of this essay is to study two women in two different romantic comedies and study if they meet the criteria Nathan Rabin, the man who coined the term “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”, has announced to be qualities of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl and whether it is justified to argue that the female characters maintain sexist ideals. The theoretical basis on which the essay is based primarily comes from feminist theory, but also from Laura Mulvey’s theory of scopophilia and “the male gaze”. To analyze the selected material I have chosen to use a customized method of character analysis. The results show that, despite the fact that the female characters may meet some or more of the criteria Rabin have announced, the material does not directly imply that the characters are one-dimensional and, in extension, improbable and unreal portraits of women in general.

Objective: To explore the longitudinal associations between prepartum fear of childbirth (FOC), birth experience, and postpartum mother-child-bonding, and the potential mediator role of the birth experience. Design: Women from the prospective cohort study DREAM completed questionnaires during pregnancy, 8 weeks, and 14 months after the birth. Participants: A community sample of n = 645 pregnant women from a large city in Eastern Germany participated in the study. Results: In a regression analysis, FOC predicted negative birth experience (β = 0.208, p < 0.001) which in turn predicted poorer mother-child-bonding both at 8 weeks (β = 0.312, p < 0.001) and 14 months postpartum (β = 0.200, p < 0.001). FOC also predicted mother-child-bonding at 14 months postpartum (β = 0.098, p < 0.05). Of note, this association was mediated by birth experience both at 8 weeks, indirect effect ab = 0.065, 95% CI [0.036, 0.098], and 14 months postpartum, indirect effect ab = 0.043, 95% CI [0.023, 0.067]. These effects remained stable even when adjusting for potential confounders. Key Conclusions: This study suggests that the association between FOC and mother-child-bonding is mediated by birth experience, pointing to the importance of a woman's positive subjective experience. Implications for Practice: Findings reveal two targets for peripartum interventions for women at risk for poor mother-child-bonding, namely the implementation of FOC screenings during pregnancy, and birth experience as mediating factor between FOC and mother-child-bonding. Focusing on the mother's subjective birth experience could aid to identify women at risk for impaired bonding who might need additional support.