Esta dissertação mapeia a rede de relações intertextuais em Half a Life (2001) e sua continuação Magic Seeds (2004), os romances mais recentes do Prêmio Nobel de Literatura de 2001, V. S. Naipaul, como contribuição para o estudo da obra do autor. A noção de intertextualidade permeia os estudos literários, e o termo tem sido largamente empregado desde que foi cunhado por Julia Kristeva nos anos sessenta. Desde então as mais variadas, e muitas vezes divergentes, teorias sobre intertextualidade compartilham a idéia de que um texto só adquire significado pleno na interação com outros textos. A abordagem metodológica proposta é baseada na teoria da transtextualidade de Gérard Genette. Esta escolha implica o estudo de intertextos, paratextos, metatextos, arquitextos e hipertextos que constituem a interface entre os dois romances e outros escritos. O nome do protagonista "William Somerset Chandran" constitui o fio que guia o estudo das várias relações transtextuais nos dois romances. A partir do prenome do protagonista – William – este estudo situa os romances no contexto da tradição do Bildungsroman, e argumenta que estes estabelecem uma paródia arquitextual do gênero na medida em que subvertem seu cerne, ou seja, a formação do caráter do protagonista. O nome do meio do protagonista – Somerset – remete à ficcionalização do escritor Somerset Maugham na narrativa, ao mesmo tempo em que esta desmistifica a ótica ocidental sobre o hinduísmo popularizada por Maugham em The Razor's Edge. O sobrenome do protagonista – Chandran – leva ao estudo do conjunto de referências à origem indiana de Naipaul e o papel desta na produção do autor. Este nome se reporta ao romance de Narayan The Bachelor of Arts, cujo protagonista também é nomeado Chandran. Narayan é um escritor de destaque na literatura anglo-indiana e referência recorrente na obra de Naipaul. Os temas de migração e choque cultural apresentados nos dois romances têm sido presença constante na obra de Naipaul. Esta pesquisa mapeia a relação de continuidade entre os dois romances em questão e o conjunto da obra de Naipaul, salientando o papel da ambientação geográfica da narrativa, marcada pela jornada do protagonista através de três continentes. A teoria da transtextualidade é uma ferramenta operacional para a pesquisa, a qual examina a densidade das referências geográficas, históricas e literárias em Half a Life e Magic Seeds, visando aportar elementos para o estudo da produção literária de Naipaul, na medida em que estes romances recentes condensam e revisitam a visão de mundo deste autor. / This thesis traces the network of intertextual relations in the two latest novels by the 2001 Nobel Prize winner V. S. Naipaul: Half a Life (2001) and its sequel Magic Seeds (2004) as a means of contribution to the study of the author's work. The notion of intertextuality is a pervasive one within literary studies, the word itself started to be widely used in the sixties, following the definition of Julia Kristeva. Nuanced and even conflicting as the varied theories of intertextuality may be, they all share the idea that a text is not isolated or self-sufficient, but acquires full meaning in the interplay with other texts. A methodological approach based on Gerard Genette's theory of transtextuality is proposed for the analysis. This choice implies the study of intertexts, paratexts, metatexts, architexts and hypertexts that constitute the interface between the two novels at hand and other texts. The protagonist's name "William Somerset Chandran" sets the thread of several transtextual instances pervading the two novels. Taking the cue of the protagonist's first name – William – this thesis places the novels within the context of the Bildungsroman tradition and argues that these novels establish an architextual parody of this genre, subverting its core meaning of character formation. The protagonist's middle name – Somerset – leads to the discussion of the way the writer Somerset Maugham is fictionalized in the narrative and how it undermines the metropolitan ethos towards Hinduism as exposed in Maugham's novel The Razor's Edge. The protagonist's last name – Chandran – spawns a set of references to Naipaul's Indian ancestry and the role it plays in his fictional and non-fictional production; this name alludes to Narayan's novel The Bachelor of Arts, whose main character is also called Chandran. Narayan is a leading figure in Anglo-Indian Literature and a recurrent reference in Naipaul's writings. The themes of displacement and culture clash tackled by these novels have haunted the author throughout his career. The research maps out the two novels' relationship with the realm of Naipaul's previous writings; as well as brings to the fore the role of setting in the narratives, marked by the protagonist's dislocations in three continents. The theory of transtextuality provides the operational tool for the research, which examines the density of geographical, historical and literary references in Half a Life and Magic Seeds with the purpose of shedding light into Naipaul's literary production, inasmuch as these two recent novels condense and revisit the author's worldview.

Esta dissertação mapeia a rede de relações intertextuais em Half a Life (2001) e sua continuação Magic Seeds (2004), os romances mais recentes do Prêmio Nobel de Literatura de 2001, V. S. Naipaul, como contribuição para o estudo da obra do autor. A noção de intertextualidade permeia os estudos literários, e o termo tem sido largamente empregado desde que foi cunhado por Julia Kristeva nos anos sessenta. Desde então as mais variadas, e muitas vezes divergentes, teorias sobre intertextualidade compartilham a idéia de que um texto só adquire significado pleno na interação com outros textos. A abordagem metodológica proposta é baseada na teoria da transtextualidade de Gérard Genette. Esta escolha implica o estudo de intertextos, paratextos, metatextos, arquitextos e hipertextos que constituem a interface entre os dois romances e outros escritos. O nome do protagonista "William Somerset Chandran" constitui o fio que guia o estudo das várias relações transtextuais nos dois romances. A partir do prenome do protagonista – William – este estudo situa os romances no contexto da tradição do Bildungsroman, e argumenta que estes estabelecem uma paródia arquitextual do gênero na medida em que subvertem seu cerne, ou seja, a formação do caráter do protagonista. O nome do meio do protagonista – Somerset – remete à ficcionalização do escritor Somerset Maugham na narrativa, ao mesmo tempo em que esta desmistifica a ótica ocidental sobre o hinduísmo popularizada por Maugham em The Razor's Edge. O sobrenome do protagonista – Chandran – leva ao estudo do conjunto de referências à origem indiana de Naipaul e o papel desta na produção do autor. Este nome se reporta ao romance de Narayan The Bachelor of Arts, cujo protagonista também é nomeado Chandran. Narayan é um escritor de destaque na literatura anglo-indiana e referência recorrente na obra de Naipaul. Os temas de migração e choque cultural apresentados nos dois romances têm sido presença constante na obra de Naipaul. Esta pesquisa mapeia a relação de continuidade entre os dois romances em questão e o conjunto da obra de Naipaul, salientando o papel da ambientação geográfica da narrativa, marcada pela jornada do protagonista através de três continentes. A teoria da transtextualidade é uma ferramenta operacional para a pesquisa, a qual examina a densidade das referências geográficas, históricas e literárias em Half a Life e Magic Seeds, visando aportar elementos para o estudo da produção literária de Naipaul, na medida em que estes romances recentes condensam e revisitam a visão de mundo deste autor. / This thesis traces the network of intertextual relations in the two latest novels by the 2001 Nobel Prize winner V. S. Naipaul: Half a Life (2001) and its sequel Magic Seeds (2004) as a means of contribution to the study of the author's work. The notion of intertextuality is a pervasive one within literary studies, the word itself started to be widely used in the sixties, following the definition of Julia Kristeva. Nuanced and even conflicting as the varied theories of intertextuality may be, they all share the idea that a text is not isolated or self-sufficient, but acquires full meaning in the interplay with other texts. A methodological approach based on Gerard Genette's theory of transtextuality is proposed for the analysis. This choice implies the study of intertexts, paratexts, metatexts, architexts and hypertexts that constitute the interface between the two novels at hand and other texts. The protagonist's name "William Somerset Chandran" sets the thread of several transtextual instances pervading the two novels. Taking the cue of the protagonist's first name – William – this thesis places the novels within the context of the Bildungsroman tradition and argues that these novels establish an architextual parody of this genre, subverting its core meaning of character formation. The protagonist's middle name – Somerset – leads to the discussion of the way the writer Somerset Maugham is fictionalized in the narrative and how it undermines the metropolitan ethos towards Hinduism as exposed in Maugham's novel The Razor's Edge. The protagonist's last name – Chandran – spawns a set of references to Naipaul's Indian ancestry and the role it plays in his fictional and non-fictional production; this name alludes to Narayan's novel The Bachelor of Arts, whose main character is also called Chandran. Narayan is a leading figure in Anglo-Indian Literature and a recurrent reference in Naipaul's writings. The themes of displacement and culture clash tackled by these novels have haunted the author throughout his career. The research maps out the two novels' relationship with the realm of Naipaul's previous writings; as well as brings to the fore the role of setting in the narratives, marked by the protagonist's dislocations in three continents. The theory of transtextuality provides the operational tool for the research, which examines the density of geographical, historical and literary references in Half a Life and Magic Seeds with the purpose of shedding light into Naipaul's literary production, inasmuch as these two recent novels condense and revisit the author's worldview.

A radioterapia de intensidade modulada (IMRT) é uma das mais modernas técnicas radioterapêuticas que permite a entrega de elevadas e complexas distribuição de doses ao volume tumoral, que necessita de novos métodos para o controle de qualidade dos procedimentos efetuados. Nos serviços de radioterapia costuma-se usar para o controle de qualidade do sistema de planejamento, a câmara de ionização para verificação pontual da dose e um dispositivo com diodos semicondutores (MapCHECK2) para a verificação bidimensional em um plano da fluência planejada, entretanto, para a verificação tridimensional dessas distribuições de doses ainda não há um dosímetro consolidado na rotina clínica. Nesse contexto, para a dosimetria tridimensional se destacam os géis poliméricos. Neste trabalho foram feitas a dosimetria convencional, pontual e bidimensional como se faz na rotina clínica e a dosimetria tridimensional utilizando o gel polimérico Magic-f, que apresenta a distribuição de dose volumétrica. Para este trabalho foi escolhido o tratamento de câncer de próstata, pois na atualidade é um dos tipos de cânceres mais comuns entre os homens. No contexto da dosimetria gel, para se obter a informação volumétrica é necessária uma técnica de imagem, no presente caso foram utilizadas imagens por ressonância magnética (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI). A partir dessas imagens é possível determinar as distribuições de doses processando-as em um software desenvolvido pelo grupo que determina as taxas de relaxação R2 associada à dose absorvida e posteriormente comparar as imagens obtidas com as imagens do sistema de planejamento. Para isso, se obteve dez cortes ao longo de cada simulador físico ou fantom em que sua comparação foi feita com a respectiva fatia do sistema de planejamento, na posição correspondente. Para uma avaliação quantitativa foi utilizado o conceito de índice gama, no critério padrão da radioterapia, 3% da dose e 3mm de distância de concordância. Os resultados obtidos com a dosimetria gel se mostram de acordo com os controles de qualidade convencionais e oferecem uma visão global da distribuição de dose no volume alvo. / The intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is one of the most modern radiotherapeutic technique that enables the delivery of high and complexes conformational doses to the tumor volume, that requires new methods for the quality assurance of the procedures performed. Radiotherapy services usually perform quality assurance of the planning system with the ionization chamber for spot-checking and an array of semiconductor diodes (MapCHECK2) to check on a two-dimensional plane, however for tridimensional dose verification does not exist an established dosimeter in the clinical routine. In this context, for three-dimensional dosimetry the polymeric gels were used. In This work the conventional one and two-dimensional dosimetry as employed in the clinical routine, and the three-dimensional dosimetry using polymer gel MAGIC- f, which provide the volumetric dose distribution. Prostate cancer clinical cases were chosen for this work because this kind of tumor is one of the most common cases in male individuals. In the context of dosimetry gel to obtain volumetric information an imaging technique is necessary, in this case the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was used to measure the dose. From these images it is possible to determine the distributions of doses processing them in a software developed by our research group that determines R2 relaxation rates associated with the absorbed dose and subsequently compare the images obtained with the images of the planning system. For this, ten slices were obtained along each phantom, and comparisons were made with the respective slice of the treatment planning system, in the corresponding position. For a quantitative evaluation of the gamma index , in the standard criterion in radiotherapy, 3 % dose and 3 mm distance to agreement was used. The results obtained shown that gel dosimetry agrees with the conventional quality controls and provide an overview of dose distribution in the target volume.

Esta dissertação mapeia a rede de relações intertextuais em Half a Life (2001) e sua continuação Magic Seeds (2004), os romances mais recentes do Prêmio Nobel de Literatura de 2001, V. S. Naipaul, como contribuição para o estudo da obra do autor. A noção de intertextualidade permeia os estudos literários, e o termo tem sido largamente empregado desde que foi cunhado por Julia Kristeva nos anos sessenta. Desde então as mais variadas, e muitas vezes divergentes, teorias sobre intertextualidade compartilham a idéia de que um texto só adquire significado pleno na interação com outros textos. A abordagem metodológica proposta é baseada na teoria da transtextualidade de Gérard Genette. Esta escolha implica o estudo de intertextos, paratextos, metatextos, arquitextos e hipertextos que constituem a interface entre os dois romances e outros escritos. O nome do protagonista "William Somerset Chandran" constitui o fio que guia o estudo das várias relações transtextuais nos dois romances. A partir do prenome do protagonista – William – este estudo situa os romances no contexto da tradição do Bildungsroman, e argumenta que estes estabelecem uma paródia arquitextual do gênero na medida em que subvertem seu cerne, ou seja, a formação do caráter do protagonista. O nome do meio do protagonista – Somerset – remete à ficcionalização do escritor Somerset Maugham na narrativa, ao mesmo tempo em que esta desmistifica a ótica ocidental sobre o hinduísmo popularizada por Maugham em The Razor's Edge. O sobrenome do protagonista – Chandran – leva ao estudo do conjunto de referências à origem indiana de Naipaul e o papel desta na produção do autor. Este nome se reporta ao romance de Narayan The Bachelor of Arts, cujo protagonista também é nomeado Chandran. Narayan é um escritor de destaque na literatura anglo-indiana e referência recorrente na obra de Naipaul. Os temas de migração e choque cultural apresentados nos dois romances têm sido presença constante na obra de Naipaul. Esta pesquisa mapeia a relação de continuidade entre os dois romances em questão e o conjunto da obra de Naipaul, salientando o papel da ambientação geográfica da narrativa, marcada pela jornada do protagonista através de três continentes. A teoria da transtextualidade é uma ferramenta operacional para a pesquisa, a qual examina a densidade das referências geográficas, históricas e literárias em Half a Life e Magic Seeds, visando aportar elementos para o estudo da produção literária de Naipaul, na medida em que estes romances recentes condensam e revisitam a visão de mundo deste autor. / This thesis traces the network of intertextual relations in the two latest novels by the 2001 Nobel Prize winner V. S. Naipaul: Half a Life (2001) and its sequel Magic Seeds (2004) as a means of contribution to the study of the author's work. The notion of intertextuality is a pervasive one within literary studies, the word itself started to be widely used in the sixties, following the definition of Julia Kristeva. Nuanced and even conflicting as the varied theories of intertextuality may be, they all share the idea that a text is not isolated or self-sufficient, but acquires full meaning in the interplay with other texts. A methodological approach based on Gerard Genette's theory of transtextuality is proposed for the analysis. This choice implies the study of intertexts, paratexts, metatexts, architexts and hypertexts that constitute the interface between the two novels at hand and other texts. The protagonist's name "William Somerset Chandran" sets the thread of several transtextual instances pervading the two novels. Taking the cue of the protagonist's first name – William – this thesis places the novels within the context of the Bildungsroman tradition and argues that these novels establish an architextual parody of this genre, subverting its core meaning of character formation. The protagonist's middle name – Somerset – leads to the discussion of the way the writer Somerset Maugham is fictionalized in the narrative and how it undermines the metropolitan ethos towards Hinduism as exposed in Maugham's novel The Razor's Edge. The protagonist's last name – Chandran – spawns a set of references to Naipaul's Indian ancestry and the role it plays in his fictional and non-fictional production; this name alludes to Narayan's novel The Bachelor of Arts, whose main character is also called Chandran. Narayan is a leading figure in Anglo-Indian Literature and a recurrent reference in Naipaul's writings. The themes of displacement and culture clash tackled by these novels have haunted the author throughout his career. The research maps out the two novels' relationship with the realm of Naipaul's previous writings; as well as brings to the fore the role of setting in the narratives, marked by the protagonist's dislocations in three continents. The theory of transtextuality provides the operational tool for the research, which examines the density of geographical, historical and literary references in Half a Life and Magic Seeds with the purpose of shedding light into Naipaul's literary production, inasmuch as these two recent novels condense and revisit the author's worldview.

L’utilisation intensive des produits phytosanitaires, en particulier les insecticides, provoque des effets indésirables sur les organismes vivants et leur environnement. Mon travail de thèse a consisté à évaluer l’effet de deux insecticides chez un insecte modèle la drosophile. Une première étude concernait l’effet d’un néonicotinoïde, l’imidaclopride. Nous avons pu montrer que l’exposition chronique à des doses sublétales de cet insecticide perturbe la fonction de reproduction chez la drosophile. D’autre part, une exposition aiguë à l’imidaclopride a mis en évidence une résistance chez les femelles d’une souche de drosophile dite ``des champs´´. Deux mécanismes différents ont été mis en évidence dans la résistance à l’imidaclopride de cette souche. Le premier concerne la sous expression d’une sous-unité (D1) du récepteur nicotinique à l’acétylcholine, cible de l’imidaclopride. Le deuxième concerne l’implication des glutathion S-transférases, enzymes de détoxification, dans le métabolisme de l’imidaclopride. Ces études montrent que les insecticides peuvent avoir en plus des effets sur les insectes ravageurs, des effets néfastes sur des organismes non cibles. La deuxième étude avait pour but de modéliser chez la drosophile, l’impact d’un organochloré, la dieldrine, potentiellement impliquée dans la maladie de Parkinson chez l’homme. L’exposition à cet insecticide conduit à une dégénérescence des neurones dopaminergiques ainsi qu’une perturbation de la structure de régions particulières du cerveau. Nous avons également montré des altérations du métabolisme et l’implication de processus épigénétiques dans la neurodégénérescence induite par la dieldrine. Au cours de ce travail, nous avons pu montrer l’intérêt de nouvelles méthodes comme l’Imagerie par Résonance Magnétique (IRM) ou le High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HRMAS) dans ce type d’étude. / Pesticides have been used extensively and induce harmful effects on organisms and their environment. The aim of my PhD work was to investigate the effects of two insecticides by using Drosophila as a model. The first study concerns the effect of a neonicotinoid, imidacloprid. The results obtained have shown that a chronic exposure at sublethal doses of this insecticide affects reproduction in flies. Moreover, acute exposure at high doses has pointed out a resistance phenomenon in females of a field strain. We have shown that two mechanisms are implicated: (i) low expression of a subunit of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor that is the target of imidaclopride and (ii) role of glutathione S-transférases, detoxication enzymes, in imidaclopride metabolism. These results highlight impact of insecticides, in particular imidaclopride, on non target organisms. The aim of the second study was to characterize in Drosophila, effects of an organochlorine, dieldrin, potentially implicated in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease in humans. Dieldrin exposure at low doses promotes neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons and alters structures of particular regions of the brain. Disruption of metabolism is also induced after exposition to dieldrin. In addition, we have shown that epigenetic processes are implicated in neurodegenration induced by dieldrin. This work show advantages of new techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and High Reslution Magic Angle Spinning in this kind of study.

PhD (African Studies) / Centre for African Studies / This interdisciplinary study examined witchcraft beliefs and criminal responsibility in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The unshakeable deep rooted and profound cultural beliefs of African people do not find expression in written law and therefore introduce a mismatch between law as the people live it and law as contained in the statute books. The aim of this interpretive doctrinal (legal) and qualitative research study was two-fold. Firstly, it sought to evaluate and assess the influence of African value systems particularly ethical ideas on the development of criminal responsibility. Secondly, it undertook a comparative examination of the criminal responsibility of actors who commit crimes while labouring under belief in witchcraft. The research, therefore, undertook a comparative examination of the criminal responsibility of actors who commit crimes while labouring under the overpowering fear of belief in witchcraft. In that regard, the study was premised on and informed through theories of criminal punishment, a Human Rights Based Approach, psycho-analytic theory and socio-cultural theory. The primary motivation for the study was the need to address the mismatch of laws and African value systems and to add knowledge to the scholarly legal writing on beliefs in witchcraft. Explorative qualitative research methods of collecting data (case studies, semi-structured interviews and focus groups discussions) and the doctrinal methods of data collection (case law observation, newspaper reports and witchcraft legislations) were employed as the research methodologies for the purposes of this study. For social empirical findings to be useful in integrating with the legal issues, the study adopted an Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) perspective. Although customary practices play a very important role in the lives of the African people, some of the rules can no longer withstand constitutional scrutiny. The research findings confirmed the mismatch that exists between the African value systems and the law. The study unveiled that the African value systems of the two countries have been affected by modernity. Also, the two countries have similar laws governing the aspect of belief in witchcraft that are weak and archaic thus introducing a lacuna in the

This thesis addresses non-traditional angelic spirituality experienced outside of traditional churches. This spirituality is specific for its everyday communication and contact with angelic beings. The present research examines contemporary angelic spirituality using a lens of relational ontology and semiotic analysis, focusing on how recurrent communication acts allow the emergence of specific subjectivities and identifies the main processes behind this phenomenon - recognition, interpretation and reaction. Research documents specific techniques allowing the formation of angelic subjectivities and redefinition of human subjectivities; prayer, reading cards, guided meditation, different types of clairvoyance and interpretation of signs. Deliberately using these techniques leads to re/definition of subjectivity of a practitioner (through clairvoyant insights into the past lives) and transforms him into human/incarnated soul. These communication acts further form a subjectivity of deceased souls, with which practitioners of angelic spirituality are often in contact, together with the subjectivity of dark beings, which cannot interact with a person without invitation it first and a subjectivity of angelic beings, which are defined by their unconditional support of their charges. Emergent "ecology of...

Das Hauptziel dieser Arbeit ist die Charakterisierung extrem starker Quellen, die höchstwahrscheinlich die kosmische Strahlung beschleunigen. In dieser Arbeit wurden VHE-Gammastrahlenbeobachtungen mit den MAGIC-Teleskopen verwendet, um die Eigenschaften von Blazaren zu untersuchen. Um die Mechanismen zu untersuchen, die zur Breitbandemission von Blazaren führen, wird ein stationärer lepto-hadronischer Code unter Verwendung eines einfachen semianalytischen Frameworks entwickelt. Daher implementiert der Code neben den leptonischen Wechselwirkungen auch die relevanten hadronischen Wechselwirkungskanäle: Protonensynchrotronstrahlung, Photo-Meson-Wechselwirkungen, Proton-Proton-Wechselwirkungen und Paarkaskaden. Die Dissertation präsentiert die Ergebnisse derMAGIC- und Multiwellenlängen-Monitoring-Kampagne des Blazars 1ES 1959 + 650 im Jahr 2016. Im Jahr 2016 durchlief die Quelle eine äußerst aktive Phase und zeigte am 13. Juni, 14. Juni und 1. Juli 2016 drei bemerkenswert helle VHE-Gammastrahlenfackeln. Um die Breitbandspektren der Quelle während der bemerkenswerten Fackelaktivitäten zu untersuchen, wurden drei verschiedene theoretische Modelle übernommen: leptonisch, hadronisch und gemischt lepto-hadronisch. Sowohl das hadronische als auch das gemischte leptohadronische Modell ergaben während der intensiven Aktivitätsperiode Neutrinoflüsse, die unter der Empfindlichkeit der gegenwärtigen Generation von Neutrinoteleskopen liegen. Die Beobachtung eines hochenergetischen Neutrinos durch IceCube im räumlichen und zeitlichen Zusammentreffen mit einem aufflammenden Blazar mit dem Namen TXS 0506 + 056 ergab 2017 erstmals Hinweise auf Identifizierung einer extragalaktischen kosmischen Strahlenquelle. Die Modellierung der elektromagnetischen Daten und des vorhergesagten Neutrinoflusses impliziert, dass die Quelle tatsächlich ein potenzieller Neutrinostrahler und damit ein Beschleuniger für energiereiche kosmische Strahlen sein könnte. / The main aim of this thesis is to characterize extremely powerful sources that are most likely accelerating cosmic rays. Cosmic-ray sources are also believed to produce photons and neutrinos that act as direct tracers of their sources of origin. In this thesis VHE gamma-ray observations by the MAGIC telescopes were used to study the properties of blazars. To investigate the mechanisms giving rise to the broadband emission from blazars, a stationary lepto-hadronic code is developed using a simple semi-analytical framework. Hence along with the leptonic interactions, the code also implements the relevant hadronic interaction channels: proton synchrotron radiation, photo-meson interactions, proton-proton interactions and pair cascades. The thesis presents the results from theMAGIC and multi-wavelength monitoring campaign of the blazar 1ES 1959+650 during 2016. In 2016 the source underwent into an extremely active phase and exhibited three remarkably bright VHE gamma-ray flares on 13th June, 14th June and 1st July of 2016. On two of these nights, signs of rapid flux variability within sub-hour timescales was clearly resolved by the MAGIC observations. In order to investigate the broadband spectra of the source during the remarkable flaring activities, three different theoretical models were adopted: leptonic, hadronic and mixed lepto-hadronic. Both the hadronic and mixed leptohadronic models yielded neutrino fluxes during the intense activity period, that falls below the sensitivity of the current generation of neutrino telescopes. In 2017, the observation of a high-energy neutrino by IceCube in spatial and temporal coincidence with a flaring blazar named TXS 0506+056 yielded for the first time, hints towards identification of an extragalactic cosmic-ray source. The modelling of the electromagnetic data and the predicted neutrino flux implies that the source could indeed be a potential neutrino emitter and hence an accelerator of high-energy cosmic rays.

Pharmaceutical detailing is moving to online environments because they are believed to save money, time, and be more convenient. Recently there has also been an increase in e-detailing due to the circumstances around COVID-19 pandemic. In the available literature, the transition to e-detailing is mostly evaluated through efficiency markers, with less focus on broader social implications and the interactions between people involved. To fill this gap and promote development of human-centred e-detailing technologies, this paper explores detailing interactions and related concerns which can guide the development of relevant detailing technologies. The field research and participatory Magic Machine workshops helped reveal and shape concerns which have implications for the future of e-detailing. High-level recommendations were derived to inspire further research and development of lasting, user-centred solutions. Design fiction artifacts were created to convey the research findings as boundary objects between pharmaceutical industry and academia. / Läkemedelskonsulenter flyttar sin verksamhet alltmer till en digital miljö då det anses spara pengar, tid och ska vara mer bekvämt. Covid-19 pandemin har också bidragit till en ökning av användandet av digitala verktyg för läkemedelskonsulenter. Tillgängliga vetenskapliga artiklar inom ämnet som utvärderar digitaliseringen för läkemedelskonsulenter gör det framför allt genom att mäta hur effektivt det är, och inte så mycket på de sociala följderna samt hur det inverkar på interaktionen mellan de inblandade parterna. För att fylla denna kunskapslucka och för att främja en människocentrerad digitalisering för läkemedelskonsulenter utforskar denna masteruppsats interaktionerna och dess relaterade följder, vilket kan användas som vägledning i utveckling av relevanta teknologier för läkemedelskonsulenter. Fältarbete, och en workshop som använde metoden Magic Machine, hjälpte till att ta fram och klargöra de problem som kan ha en viktig inverkan på framtida digitalt läkemedelskonsulterande. Design rekommendationer togs fram för att inspirera kommande forskning och utveckling av hållbara, användarcentrerade lösningar. Den skapade spekulativa designen visar upp forskningsresultat och på ett sätt som kan vara till användning av läkemedelsindustrin och universiteten.

Ce travail de recherche porte sur les symboliques de pouvoirs magiques liées à la production du textile en Scandinavie médiévale durant l’âge viking, en particulier sur la quenouille, emblème de la vie quotidienne des femmes vikings. L’analyse établit qu’elle était porteuse d’une pluralité de métaphores magiques et mythiques et était rattachée à une multitude d’objets, de personnages et de créatures de la mythologie scandinave. Cette étude est fondée sur les découvertes archéologiques ainsi que les descriptions textuelles de pratiques cultuelles magiques vikings, et démontre que la quenouille était non seulement perçue comme un outil typiquement féminin au cœur de la production du textile, mais aussi comme un objet fantastique qui permettait de pratiquer la magie. Ces attributs surnaturels jouaient un rôle décisif dans l’expression de l’autonomie et du pouvoir social féminin dans la société scandinave, qui était alors presqu’uniquement centrée sur le masculin. L’indépendance et les privilèges de ces femmes s’articulaient principalement à travers une conception du monde foncièrement issue du polythéisme scandinave, dont le motif le plus important semble avoir été la quenouille. L’hégémonie chrétienne cause la disparition lente de cette base mythologique, et donc des connotations surnaturelles de la quenouille, entraînant avec elles le pouvoir et l’influence sociale des femmes. / This research concerns the symbols of magical powers linked to the production of textiles in medieval Scandinavia during the Viking Age as expressed through the distaff, emblem of the daily life of Viking women. The analysis establishes that distaffs represented a variety of magical and mythical metaphors, and were also associated to multiple objects, characters and creatures in Scandinavian mythology. This study is based on archaeological discoveries and textual descriptions of viking magical cult practices and demonstrates how the distaff was perceived not only as the heart of ancient textile production, but also as a fantastical and characteristically feminine object that could achieve a variety of magical acts. These supernatural attributes played a decisive role in the determination and the expression of female autonomy and power in the male-centric Viking society. The independence and privileges of these women hinged on the Nordic mythological world, and its main motif seems to have been the distaff. With the spread of Christianity in the Scandinavian world, this polytheistic understanding of the world slowly disappeared, alongside the magical connotation of the distaff, and with it, the social power and influence of women.