This thesis proposes a fresh engagement with the idea of the archaic as a means to recover and replenish some of the lost vitality suffered during what William Barrett characterized the modern period as “the gigantic externalization of life.” An introductory essay examines how the related ideas of the archaic, the primal, and the prehistoric have at key moments provided a source of creative energy for the arts of the last century. Collections of found material, and several photographic studies document the city of Niagara Falls—icon of American pop culture and faded relic of romanticism. The photographs present an alternative to the world of the touristic snapshot, and address the questions: In the age of simulation how do we know what is real anymore? Can we learn to see with archaic eyes?

This thesis proposes a fresh engagement with the idea of the archaic as a means to recover and replenish some of the lost vitality suffered during what William Barrett characterized the modern period as “the gigantic externalization of life.” An introductory essay examines how the related ideas of the archaic, the primal, and the prehistoric have at key moments provided a source of creative energy for the arts of the last century. Collections of found material, and several photographic studies document the city of Niagara Falls—icon of American pop culture and faded relic of romanticism. The photographs present an alternative to the world of the touristic snapshot, and address the questions: In the age of simulation how do we know what is real anymore? Can we learn to see with archaic eyes?

The master’s thesis follows up the possibility of using renewable for making electric power. It detects conditions of further development in this discipline and external factors which are applied to business. It rates from economic view little hydroelectric, wind and photovoltaic power stations. In business plan it elaborates in detail prosecution of the little hydroelectric plants, which is at the end subjected to financial analysis and it’s decided if this business makes sense.

Leishmaniasis is a infect parasitic disease complex with a zoonotic character and vetorial trasmition caused by different morfologic species similar to flagellated protozoa of the Leishmania genus. They represent a serious problem of public health with cases registered on almost all the continents. Despite the existence of drugs with effective action on the parasitics, nearly two million new cases of distints clinic form happen every year and 350 million people are under risk of contracting the disease. As the interest of the pharmaceutical industry in this problem is small because of the reduced potential of lucrative return, once the reached population has a low income, the leishmaniasis is part of the group of the neglected diseases. In addition, it is believed that the environmental transformations and the man's intense migratory process to peripheries of the cities under inadequate conditions of habitation and improvement caused changes in the transmission way of the disease, causing the expansion of the endemic areas and the existence of new focus in urban areas of municipalities of medium and big load. In Uberlândia studies demonstrated that the construction of hydroelectric power station produced ecological modifications and they interfered in the biological communities, like the prevalence of the vectors in the peridomicile area. The general objective of this work was the research around the transmission of leishmaniasis in Uberlândia - MG and had as specific objectives the study of the sandfly fauna, the environmental conditions related to the presence of the Lutzomyia longipalpis, to describe the profile seroepidemiologic of the canine population and to relate the occurrence of the visceral leishmaniase in Uberlândia with the environmental alterations. In the period of february of 2005 to december of 2007 systematized monthly collections were accomplished, using luminous traps models CDC and, in the peridomicile areas of residences closed to the woods, the trap of the type hut of Shannon was used, in 17 places to Araguaia river s margins near of Miranda's hydroelectric power station and Amador Aguiar Naves I and II. They were collected 1.695 phlebotomine sand flies specimens belonging to 16 species. The species of importance epidemic more prevalent were Lutzomyia whitmani (31%) and L. longipalpis (13,3%), reaching up to 44,3% of the total collected specimens. Inquiries canine were accomplished in animals of both sexes and the same or superior age to three months, residents in places of the study area where specimens of L. longipalpis were captured. During the study period 747 dogs were tested and no one showed acting result for the disease. Of the ecological factors analyzed in the study area, the presence of animal shelters in the peridomicile areas of the analyzed residences showed strong influence in the domiciliation of the L. longipalpis and they point for the domiciliation of L. whitmani. Our studies demonstrated although the occurrence of the first case human of human visceral leishmaniase in Uberlândia didn't proceed to the cases of canine leishmaniase. Now the leishmaniase already constitutes a problem of public health in the municipality and the epidemic study is decisive factor for the effective planning of strategies for the control of the disease. / As leishmanioses são um complexo de doenças infecto-parasitárias, de caráter zoonótico e transmissão vetorial, causadas por diferentes espécies morfologicamente semelhantes de protozoários flagelados do gênero Leishmania. Constituem um importante problema de saúde pública, com registro de casos em quase todos os continentes. Embora existam drogas com ação eficaz sobre os parasitos, aproximadamente dois milhões de novos casos de diferentes formas clínicas ocorrem a cada ano e 350 milhões de pessoas se encontram sob risco de contrair a enfermidade. Como o interesse da indústria farmacêutica nesse tema é pequeno, pelo reduzido potencial de retorno lucrativo, uma vez que a população atingida é de baixa renda, as leishmanioses fazem parte do grupo das doenças negligenciadas. Em adição, acredita-se que as transformações ambientais e o intenso processo migratório do homem para as periferias das cidades sob condições inadequadas de habitação e saneamento provocaram mudanças no padrão de transmissão da doença, acarretando a expansão das áreas endêmicas e o aparecimento de novos focos em áreas urbanas de municípios de médio e grande porte. Em Uberlândia, estudos demonstraram que a construção de usinas hidrelétricas produziram modificações ecológicas e interferiram nas comunidades biológicas, dentre estas, a prevalência dos vetores nos peridomicílios. O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi estudar a transmissão de Leishmanioses em Uberlândia MG e teve como objetivos específicos estudar a fauna flebotomínica, estudar as condições ambientais relacionadas à presença do Lutzomyia longipalpis, descrever o perfil soroepidemiológico da população canina e relacionar a ocorrência da leishmaniose visceral em Uberlândia com as alterações ambientais. No período de fevereiro de 2005 a dezembro de 2007 coletas mensais sistematizadas foram realizadas, utilizando armadilhas luminosas modelo CDC e, no peridomicílio de residências localizadas muito próximas da mata, foi utilizada a armadilha do tipo barraca de Shannon, em 17 localidades às margens do Rio Araguari, próximas às UHE de Miranda e Amador Aguiar Naves I e II. Foram coletados 1.695 espécimes de flebotomíneos pertencentes a 16 espécies. As espécies de importância epidemiológica mais prevalentes foram Lutzomyia whitmani (31%) e L. longipalpis (13,3%), perfazendo juntas 44,3% do total de espécimes coletados. Foram realizados inquéritos caninos censitários em animais de ambos os sexos e idade igual ou superior a três meses, residentes em localidades da área de estudo onde foram capturados exemplares de L. longipalpis. Durante o período de estudo foram testados 747 cães e nenhum animal apresentou resultado reagente para a doença. Dos fatores ecológicos analisados na área de estudo, a presença de abrigos de animais no peridomicílio das residências analisadas mostrou forte influência na domiciliação do L. longipalpis e apontam para a domiciliação de L. whitmani. Nossos estudos demonstraram ainda que a ocorrência do primeiro caso humano de leishmaniose visceral humana em Uberlândia não precedeu ao de casos de leishmaniose canina. Atualmente a leishmaniose já constitui um problema de saúde pública no município e, o estudo epidemiológico é fator decisivo para o planejamento efetivo de estratégias para o controle da doença. / Doutor em Geografia

The subject matter of the master´s thesis is, in particular, an evaluation of the advantageousness of the construction of a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in the vicinity of Cukrová Bouda. In the master´s thesis introduction the utilisation of pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in providing reserve power generation to the operator of a power transmission system is discussed. The thesis then focuses on a technical design solution where two alternatives are drawn up for which the nominal parameters of individual designs for a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station are specified. The following part deals with the impact of the structure and the plant’s subsequent operation on the environment. A further key part is the determination of investment and subsequent operating costs and an evaluation of the plant according to economic pointers. The final part of the master´s thesis contains a SWOT analysis and an assumed programme of works for the plant’s preparation and actual construction. The conclusion contains an overall evaluation.