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Set against a lush landscape of swaying palms and rolling waves in what should be a tropical paradise is Miami a.k.a. The Magic City—a hedonistic metropolis saturated with sex whose residents are consumed with the pleasure principle. Combine the sheer numbers and too-busy, modern lives—and the consequential ability to live anonymously—plus inhabitants who embrace the “me"? principle, whip these ingredients together, and traditional guidelines are abandoned. The linked fictional collection consists of longer, more richly-textured stories, as well as experimental and flash fiction pieces that mirror the characters’ unreflective lives and risk-taking nature. While aware of conservative literary models, writing stories about my home of thirty years demanded the more avant-garde tradition of the erotic exemplified by Vladimir Nabokov, Anaїs Nin, and Sidonie Gabrielle Colette. And because my stories are grounded in such a vehemently bold locale—not to mention a bolder present—I aimed for language as bold. To alert the reader that this is a different sort of read, a Sexual Relationship Tree—as opposed to the more customary Family Tree—has been placed at the collection’s start. Clearly, mischief abounds. Note it was my conscious decision not to insert a filter between the story and the reader. Keeping my narrator’s tongue tightly in check, I have embodied the commonly heard storytelling directive of “show, don’t tell"? by opting for a more reportorial approach. I trust my sagacious reader to supply a filter of his/her own when considering the thematic weights of the collection. / Master of Fine Arts

Philosophy and Magic share a common root that goes back twenty thousand years to the role of the shaman in the village and his attempt to enact control over the surrounding forces of nature through ritual performance. During Greek and Roman times, philosophy leaves magic and religion as it turns towards language in order to bring understanding. In modern times, philosophy is mired in language games and has lost the practical power it once held to transform lives. In the first section of this thesis we will look at the history of magic and philosophy and how the two have changed over time. In the second section, we will examine the feeling of wonder and how being left speechless after witnessing a magic effect calls back to a simpler time in our lives before the existence of language. Throughout the thesis, we will examine the psychological, anthropological, archetypal, neurological and linguistic links that arise between the two professions. Finally, if magic and philosophy are still to be relevant today, we will look at the role that magic plays in the psyche of an educated society and we will consider how-by learning to think like magicians-philosophers and the practice of philosophy can be stronger and more useful in today's modern world.

Lauko bandymas tiriant biologinių preparatų Fosfix ir NPK Magic įtaką žieminių kviečių produktyvumui skirtinguose azoto trąšų fonuose atliktas 2013 m. ASU Bandymų stotyje. Dirvožemis IDg8-k (LVg-p-w-cc) – karbonatingas sekliai glėjiškas išplautžemis (Calc(ar)i-Epihypogleyic Luvisols). Tyrimo objektas: Žieminių kviečių (Triticum aestivum L.) veislė ʽAdaʼ. Darbo metodai: Derliaus nuėmimo metu kiekviename bandymo laukelyje buvo išpjauti 4 – iose vietose 0,25 m2 apskaitiniai ploteliai. Kiekvieno laukelio kviečių pėdai atnešti į laboratoriją. Nustatyti derliaus struktūros elementai. Po to apskaičiuoti vidutiniai rodikliai. Tyrimų duomenys statistiškai įvertinti vieno veiksnio kiekybinių požymių dispersinės analizės metodu, taikant kompiuterinę programą ANOVA (Tarakanovas, Raudonius, 2003). Darbo rezultatai: NPK magic esmingai didino žieminų kviečių derlingumą, grudų skaičių varpose bei varpos produktyvumą visuose tręšimo fonuose. Atitinkamai derlingumo skirtumas lyginant su kontrole panaudojus NPK Magic 1,5t/ha. Pasėlio tankumui ir 1000 grudų masei NPK Magic esminiai pokyčiai nepastebėti. Išpurškus tuo pačiu metu preparatą Fosfix jo veiksmingumas pastebėtas mažesnis, tačiau visuose rodikliuose neesmingas lyginant su NPK Magic. Panaudojus Fosfix ir patręšus N140 ir N180 gautas esminis žieminų kviečių derlingumas (7,32 t/ha) lyginant su kontrole. / Field testing for biological agents Fosfix and NPC Magic on winter wheat productivity of different nitrogen fertilizer backgrounds were made in 2013 ASU test station. Soil IDg8 -k (LVg - pw - cc ) - shallow calcareous luvisol ( Calc ( ar) i - Epihypogleyic Luvisols) . Object of the work: winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. ) variety ʽAdaʼ. Method of the work: on harvest time for each test field was cut in 4 different places of 0.25 m2 plots accounting. Each box of wheat sheaves were bringed to the laboratory. Set vintage structure elements. Research data to statistically assess the quantitative characteristics of a factor analysis of variance method using a computer program ANOVA ( Tarakanovas, Red, 2003) . The results of the work: NPK magic substantially increased winter wheat yield, grain number per ear and ears productivity in all fertilization backgrounds. Accordingly yields compared to the control using NPK Magic 1.5 t / ha. Stand density and weight of 1000 grains NPK Magic fundamental changes were not noticed. Droplets at the same time with the product Fosfix efficacy had lower, but not essential in all indicators compared with NPK Magic. Using Fosfix and N140 and N180 fertilized received substantial winter wheat yield ( 7.32 t / ha) compared to the control.

The work introduces the reader into the etic definition of magic and into the Mandaean emic definition. Author chronologically and phenomenologically systematizes history of Western scholarship of Mandaic magical texts and then he deals with them phenomenologically, philologically and according to religious studies. He refers to the methods which should be used during the examination of these findings and he points out the phenomena, which are to be noted. In some cases, he reffers to non-Mandaic magical texts and he also seeks for their possible influence on the Mandaic texts. Author uses the primary texts in Mandaic and secondary literature especially in English and German.

Os Papiros Gregos Mágicos são uma coletânea de textos sobre magia do Egito Greco-Romano. Seus feitiços mostram uma mistura de várias tradições, em especial a egípcia e a grega. Uma característica dessa coletânea que se destaca é a presença das chamadas voces magicae, palavras mágicas de aspecto misterioso e sem sentido lexical aparente. Esta dissertação se concentra em analisar as voces magicae em seu contexto textual, a fim de compreender melhor como esse elemento ocorre nos encantamentos. Para isso, foi estabelecido um banco de dados com as voces magicae de cada feitiço e as mesmas foram analisadas levando em conta os termos que eram adjacentes à elas. Os tipos de contexto nos quais as palavras mágicas figuram foram discutidos a partir de exemplos retirados do corpus. Com base nessa análise, foi possível levantar algumas hipóteses sobre a natureza das palavras mágicas e o tipo de função que exercem nos feitiços. / The Greek Magical Papyri are a collection of magical texts from Graeco-Roman Egypt. Its contents display a mixture of different traditions, mainly Egyptian and Greek. A noticeable feature in these texts is the so-called voces magicae, mysterious looking words with no apparent lexical meaning. This dissertation focuses on analyzing the voces magicae in their textual context in order to better comprehend how this feature appears on incantations. A database was established with vox magica taken from the spells. The voces magicae were analyzed according to the words next to them. The different contexts in which voces magicae were found were discussed with examples from our corpus. Based on this analysis, it was possible to raise a few hypotheses on the nature of magical words and what kind of function they have on spells.

A dosimetria em braquiterapia é importante para garantir a igualdade entre a dose entregue ao paciente e a dose planejada, porém a determinação experimental da dose é difícil devido ao alto gradiente de dose em regiões próximas à fonte. Nesse sentido, a dosimetria gel polimérica têm sido estudada como forma de se obter a distribuição tridimensional das doses dessas fontes. O protocolo da Associação Americana de Físicos em Medicina, intitulado TG-43, propõe um formalismo para o cálculo de dose de fontes de braquiterapia através de parâmetros da atividade, anisotropia e geometria da fonte, além de atenuação e espalhamento da radiação produzida pela fonte. Porém, a determinação das funções dosimétricas necessárias para o cálculo da dose não é feita diretamente através de experimentos. Nessa linha, o Método Monte Carlo vêm sendo utilizado no cálculo dessas funções dosimétricas em braquiterapia. Neste trabalho, foram determinados os parâmetros dosimétricos de duas fontes de braquiterapia, 60Co e 192Ir, utilizando simulação Monte Carlo com o código PENELOPE, assim como as distribuições de dose utilizando dosimetria gel polimérica com o MAGIC-f. Os dados obtidos computacionalmente foram comparados com a literatura, obtendo-se concordância melhor que 98% em todos os parâmetros para a fonte de 60Co. Para a fonte de 192Ir, encontraram-se diferenças de até 22%, embora quando os resultados deste trabalho foram comparados com o sistema de planejamento, o ajuste utilizado para o conjunto de pontos possui R2 de 0,9996. A comparação das distribuições de dose da fonte de 192Ir simuladas e determinadas com o gel polimérico MAGIC-f, apresentou concordância de 97% nos pontos englobados pela isodose de 50%, quando o critério de 3% e 3 mm foi utilizado. Esses resultados evidenciam o potencial do uso da dosimetria gel polimérica e da simulação Monte Carlo com o código PENELOPE em dosimetria de fontes de braquiterapia de alta taxa de dose. / Dosimetry in brachytherapy is important to assure the conformity between the planned and the delivered dose to the patient. However, the experimental determination of dose is difficult in this technique due the high dose gradient in regions near the source. Hence, polymer gel dosimetry has been studied as a tool to obtain three-dimensional distribution dose for these sources. A report of American Association of Medical Physics, entitled TG-43, proposes a formalism for dose calculation for brachytherapy sources through parameters such as activity, anisotropy and geometry of the source, and the attenuation and radiation scattering produced in the surrounding medium. However, the dosimetric functions needed for dose calculations are not directly determined through experiments. In this concern, the Monte Carlo method has been used in the calculation of these dosimetric funcions in brachytherapy. In the present work, the dosimetric parameters for two brachytherapy sources, 60Co e 192Ir, were determined using Monte Carlo simulation with PENELOPE code, and the dose distributions for the 192Ir source were determined using polymer gel dosimetry with MAGIC-f. Data obtained computationally were compared to literature, showing more than 98% agreement in all parameters for the 60Co source. For 192Ir, differences up to 22% were found to the literature, although when the results of this work were compared to the treatment planning system, a R2 equal to 0,9996 was found to the data fitting adjusting both data. The comparison of simulated dose distributions for 192Ir and those determined with MAGIC-f polymer gel showed that 97% of the points covered by 50% isodose are in agreement when gamma index criteria of 3% and 3 mm was used. These results indicate the potential use of polymer gel dosimetry with MAGIC-f and Monte Carlo simulation with PENELOPE code in dosimetry of high dose rate brachytherapy sources.

A radioterapia é um procedimento que utiliza radiação ionizante de alta energia direcionado ao tumor, para destruir suas células. O objetivo é provocar o maior dano nas células tumorais enquanto se poupa o tecido sadio ao redor, para maximizar este resultado. Devido a alta complexidade dos feixes usados nestes tratamentos, um dosímetro tridimensional é desejado para garantir que a dose esteja sendo entregue da forma como foi planejada, sendo a dosimetria gel polimérica com leitura da dose em Imagens de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (IRMN), uma opção para esta medida. Esse trabalho utiliza o dosímetro gel polimérico MAGIC-f como referência e tem como objetivo otimizar sua formulação, substituindo inicialmente os seus agentes antioxidantes (sulfato de cobre e ácido ascórbico) por um antioxidante mais potente, o cloreto de tetrakishidroximetilfosfônio (THPC), e, em seguida, variar as concentrações dos demais componentes do dosímetro a fim de obter a menor concentração de cada um deles que resulte em um dosímetro com sensibilidade adequada para uso em radioterapia.Foram feitas análises sobre a estabilidade térmica do dosímetro com THPC e estudos sobre as concentrações ideais de THPC (2mM, 5mM, 8mM, 10mM ou 20mM); Ácido Metacrílico (2%, 2,5%, 3%, 3,5% ou 4%); Gelatina (4%, 6%, 8% ou 10%). Após todas as modificações, a formulação otimizada contendo 88,96% Água MiliQ; 3% Ácido Metacrílico; 8% Gelatina; 0,04% THPC (5mM de concentração), apresentou uma sensibilidade próxima a 1,03 Gy-1s-1 e um ponto de fusão de aproximadamente 50C, utilizando as menores quantidades possíveis dos reagentes químicos e a sequência de leitura das IRMN implementada para esta dosimetria. O dosímetro otimizado obtido teve uma redução de 40% no seu custo, em comparação com o dosímetro MAGIC-f, e uma resolução de dose de 0,18 Gy. Obteve linearidade de resposta a dosede 0 a 10 Gy. Uma variação máxima na sensibilidade do dosímetro de 8,5% foi encontrada ao se variar a taxa de dose de 300 500 cGy/min.Também foi avaliada a integridade da distribuição de dose para esse dosímetro através da avaliação de uma irradiação com meio campo blindado. E, sua a maior variação em um teste de repetitividade foi de 15%. Um outro objetivo deste trabalho foi o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a reutilização do dosímetro gel, sendo que um dosímetro previamente irradiado com uma dose de 2Gy foi reutilizado após seu derretimento a 50C em um forno com controle digital de temperatura, seguido por uma nova gelificação.Para garantir sua resposta, foi necessária a readição de agentes antioxidantes à formulação reutilizada. Dessa forma, para o gel MAGAT com 1mM de THPC foi obtida uma sensibilidade 30% menor que a original para o dosímetro reutilizado e 15% para o mesmo dosímetro, com 2mM de THPC / Radiotherapy is a procedure that uses high energy ionizing radiation directed to the tumor to destroy its cells. The objective is to obtain tumoral cells more damaged avoiding the healthy cells around it and increase this result. Due to the high complexity of the energy beams used on these treatments, a three-dimensional dosimeter is demanded to assure that the dose is focused as planned, being the polymeric gel dosimetry using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Images (NMRI) for dose scanning an option to this measurement. This work uses MAGIC-f gel as reference and its objective is to optimize the dosimeter formulation, by initiallyreplacing the antioxidants agents (Copper Sulfate and Ascorbic Acid) by a more power rating antioxidant, Tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC), and then, variatingthe others dosimeter´s components concentration in order to obtain the smallest concentration of each one that result in an adequate dosimeter´ssensitivity for radiotherapy application. Studies were made to check the thermal stability of the gel containing THPC and studies were carried out about the ideals concentrations of THPC (2mM, 5mM, 8mM, 10mM or 20mM); Methacrylic Acid (2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5% or 4%); Gelatin (4%, 6%, 8% or 10%). After the modifications, the optimized formulation containing 88.96% of mili-Q water; 3% of methacrylic acid; 8% of gelatine; 0.04% of THPC (5mM) showed a sensitivity of approximately 1.03 Gy-1s-1 and a melting point approximately of 50°C, using the smallest possible chemical compounds concentrations and the NMRI scanning sequence implemented for this dosimetry. The optimized dosimeter obtained presents a 40% cost reduction, comparing with the dosimeter MAGIC-f, and a dose resolution of 0.18 Gy. The dosimeter responds linearlywith doses from 0 to 10 Gy. A maximal sensitivity variation of 8.5% was found when varing the dose rate from 300 to 500 cGy/min. Its dose integrity was checked by a half beam blocked irradiation. And its largestsensitivity variation at a repeatability test was 15%. The second objective of this work was the development of a methodology for reusing the dosimeter.The dosimeter previously irradiated with 2Gy was reused after being melted in a digitaltemperature control oven at 50°C, followed by the re-addition of THPC and a new gelation. The reused MAGAT gel dosimeter with 1mM of THPC presented 30% sensitivity reductioin when compared to the the same dosimeter before the reusing process, while the MAGAT gel with 2mMof THPC presented a reduction of only 15%