Thesis (M.F.A.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 134 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 12).

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / In recent years the advancement of technologies of information and communication (technology ICTs) have helped to improve the quality of people's lives. The paradigm of internet of things (IoT, Internet of things) presents innovative solutions that are changing the style of life of the people. Because of this proposes the implementation of a smart mirror as part of a system of home automation, with which we intend to optimize the time of people as they prepare to start their day. This device is constructed from a reflective glass, LCD monitor, a Raspberry Pi 3, a camera and a platform IoT oriented cloud computing, where the information is obtained to show in the mirror, through the consumption of web services. The information is customizable thanks to a mobile application, which in turn allows the user photos to access the mirror, using authentication with facial recognition and user information to predict the news to show according to your profile. In addition, as part of the idea of providing the user a personalized experience, the Smart Mirror incorporates a news recommendation algorithm, implemented using a predictive model, which uses the algorithm, naive bayes. / Revisión por pares

Background: Following years of inactivity, psychedelic research has rapidly expanded within clinical and therapeutic fields. In particular, magic mushrooms (psilocybin), a plant-based psychedelic, have been researched for the treatment of complex mental health and substance dependence conditions, and yielded promising results. Largely due to the historical baggage of the psychedelic movement in the 1950s-1970s, and the stigma of recreational substance use, recreational magic mushroom users have been ignored within the current psychedelic revival. This thesis addressed this gap, examining the magic mushroom recreational substance use patterns of emerging adults in Victoria, British Columbia. Theory and Methods: Using the normalization thesis as the guiding theoretical framework, this thesis used a sequential-exploratory mixed methods design. Statistical analysis of quantitative cross-sectional interviews (n=558) conducted between 2008 -2016 generated rates of use, availability, and self-rated knowledge rates of magic mushrooms users. Qualitative cross-sectional semi-structured interviews (n=20) analyzed through thematic analysis determined substance use behaviors with reference to the current social and cultural context. Participants were recreational magic mushroom users, aged 19- 24. Results: Quantitative results indicated high overall rates of lifetime and past year magic mushroom use, with the lowest reported prevalence rate of lifetime use occurring in 2014 (86%), suggesting high rates of use within the recreational substance using population. There were no statistically significant relationships between year and lifetime or past year rates magic mushroom use. Gender was statistically significantly associated with magic mushroom use, with males being more likely to use magic mushrooms. Qualitative results indicated dynamic and strategically planned magic mushroom experiences. Themes developed include: shifting understandings, optimizing experience, purpose driven use; and post-trip impact. Participants reported using for transformational, micro-dosing, and leisure purposes. Discussion: Results suggested that magic mushroom use is in the process of differentiated normalization and assimilative normalization, influenced by developmental, social and cultural forces. Recreational users report substance use practices that have not been widely reported with the substance use literature, including using small doses of magic mushrooms (i.e. micro-dosing) for self-enhancement and therapeutic purposes. Results can be applied to the current psychedelic revival in three ways: (1) directing future clinical research directions and; (2) provide lived and experience and relevancy to clinical research, which will improve applicability and; (3) re-conceptualizing the identity of a recreational substance user, which has important implications regarding stigmatization. / Graduate

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Death culture is a fundamental aspect of human existence, with the primary purpose of commemorating and preserving the identity of the deceased. Epitaphs, a physical object created to mark the tomb, are seen in antiquity and modern cultures. Protection epitaphs, a subset of these epitaphs, are a subculture within ancient Rome that incorporate a request for protection. These epitaphs share a common thread of death culture: care and respect for the dead. Rituals are cultural practices that follow a set protocol, with roles assigned to the practitioner and target, as well as an observer. In this study of protective death epitaphs, the family (typical practitioner) of the protective epitaph commemorates the deceased or potential target of malicious intent. The ritual is the protocol of placing a statement on a tombstone that asks not to defile the tomb. The two main types of protection seen in protective death epitaphs are passive and aggressive. Passive protection gives a broad statement in both the request and the potential consequence, while aggressive protection typically gives a broad statement in the request and a more specific consequence. In conclusion, protection epitaphs are a subset of Roman death culture that emphasizes the importance of care and respect for the dead. This research highlights the underrepresented and marginalized group of people commemorated in these epitaphs and the importance of studying and giving light to their practices and intentions. / Master of Arts / Death culture is a significant aspect of human existence, primarily aimed at commemorating and preserving the identity of the deceased. This paper examines a subculture within ancient Rome, specifically nineteen protective epitaphs, which all share a request for protection. These epitaphs are a subset of epitaphs that request extra space on grave markers to steer away potential harm, including the use of magic with malicious intent. Rituals are cultural practices that follow a set protocol, with roles assigned to the practitioner and target, and sometimes an observer. The deceased or target is commemorated by the family, who performs the protective epitaph. In this study of protective death epitaphs, the two main types of protection seen are passive and aggressive. Passive protection provides a broad statement in both the request and the potential consequence, while aggressive protection typically gives a broad statement in the request and a more specific consequence. The study of protection epitaphs reveals the common thread of death culture, which is to care and respect the dead. The families commemorated their deceased in these epitaphs, demonstrating the importance of respecting the dead and preserving their identity.

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Political Science. / Bibliography: leaves 635-655. / Ph.D.

This dissertation examines the ways that books can show the place of magic in fifteenth-century English society. Specifically, I am interested in what was important about magic to people and how magic was used by people in the creation of their identities, both as individuals and within the community. As I explore these issues, I aim to demonstrate that magic freely co-mingled with non-magical texts in manuscripts. Furthermore, this mixing of magical and non-magical texts is a vital part of understanding magic’s role in the shaping of people’s identities, both public and private. Chapter one presents the results of a preliminary survey of magic in fifteenth-century English manuscripts. I clarify how I delineate between texts – magical and non-magical and between genres of magic. This chapter also uses a series of case studies to look at some of the issues of ownership that are dealt with in more detail in the later chapters of this thesis. Chapters two, three, and four look at individual manuscripts in depth. In Chapter two, I examine how a lower gentry household used their notebook to establish their place within a strata of the gentry that was increasingly interested in medical and scientific texts in the fifteenth century. Chapter three looks at the private notebook of an anonymous scribe and how its owner combines the ordinary and transgressive qualities of magic to create an identity for himself that is based on a quasi-clerical masculinity and the ludic qualities of magic. Chapter four concerns Robert Taylor’s medical notebook, which he may have used as a part-time medical practitioner, and the insight it gives into the everyday concerns of medieval people. Chapter five is an examination of the book of an early fifteenth-century Cistercian monk named Richard Dove. Dove’s notebook contains a copy of the Ars notoria, the only manuscript containing ritual magic that I study in this dissertation. I argue that Dove, unlike other monastic users of the Ars notoria, does not use the text for its spiritual benefits, but its material benefits as part of his desire to participate in a broader intellectual culture outside the monastery.

This dissertation examines the ways that books can show the place of magic in fifteenth-century English society. Specifically, I am interested in what was important about magic to people and how magic was used by people in the creation of their identities, both as individuals and within the community. As I explore these issues, I aim to demonstrate that magic freely co-mingled with non-magical texts in manuscripts. Furthermore, this mixing of magical and non-magical texts is a vital part of understanding magic’s role in the shaping of people’s identities, both public and private. Chapter one presents the results of a preliminary survey of magic in fifteenth-century English manuscripts. I clarify how I delineate between texts – magical and non-magical and between genres of magic. This chapter also uses a series of case studies to look at some of the issues of ownership that are dealt with in more detail in the later chapters of this thesis. Chapters two, three, and four look at individual manuscripts in depth. In Chapter two, I examine how a lower gentry household used their notebook to establish their place within a strata of the gentry that was increasingly interested in medical and scientific texts in the fifteenth century. Chapter three looks at the private notebook of an anonymous scribe and how its owner combines the ordinary and transgressive qualities of magic to create an identity for himself that is based on a quasi-clerical masculinity and the ludic qualities of magic. Chapter four concerns Robert Taylor’s medical notebook, which he may have used as a part-time medical practitioner, and the insight it gives into the everyday concerns of medieval people. Chapter five is an examination of the book of an early fifteenth-century Cistercian monk named Richard Dove. Dove’s notebook contains a copy of the Ars notoria, the only manuscript containing ritual magic that I study in this dissertation. I argue that Dove, unlike other monastic users of the Ars notoria, does not use the text for its spiritual benefits, but its material benefits as part of his desire to participate in a broader intellectual culture outside the monastery.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this investigation an anthropological and comparative approach was employed in the study of magic in the ancient Near East. Firstly, a survey was presented with regard to anthropological theories throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This forms the background against which evidence on magic with respect to the cultures of the ancient Near East is investigated. Secondly, examples of magic in the Ancient Near East was discussed, with reference to Egypt, Mesopotamia and Hittite Anatolia. Reference was made to categories such as magic spells, objects, rituals and magical experts (magicians) and various examples were discussed. Thirdly, an analysis was made about the phenomenon of magic in ancient Israel. In this context magic plays a somewhat different role in comparison to its other ancient Near Eastern neighbours. It was shown that so-called miraculous actions, miracle workers (prophets) and other religious actions (curses and blessings) in the Hebrew Bible could definitely be associated with magic. The frequent prohibitions against magical practises furthermore suggest that magic was indeed been practiced in ancient Israel. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie ondersoek met betrekking tot magie in die ou Nabye Ooste word gebruik gemaak van 'n antropologiese en vergelykende benadering. Eerstens word 'n oorsig aangebied van antropologiese teorieë met betrekking tot magie in die negentiende en twintigste eeue. Dit vorm die agtergrond waarteen die verskynsel van magie in die ou Nabye Ooste ondersoek word. Tweedens word voorbeelde van magie in die ou Nabye Ooste ondersoek, met verwysing na Egipte, Mesopotamië en die Hetiete. Spesiale aandag word gegee aan kategorieë soos magiese spreuke, magiese objekte, rituele en magiese spesialiste. Dit word toegelig met verskillende toepaslike voorbeelde. Derdens word 'n ondersoek gedoen na die aard van magie in Oud-Israel. In hierdie konteks het magie ietwat van 'n ander rol vervul in vergelyking met die ander ou Nabye Oosterse bure. Daar word aangedui dat sekere wonderdade, wonderwerkers (profete), en ander religieuse aksies (vervloekinge en seënuitsprake) in die Hebreeuse Bybel met magie geassosieer kan word. Die vele verbiedinge teen die beoefening van magie is 'n duidelike aanduiding dat magie inderdaad in Israel gepraktiseer is.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A Latin square is an n n array containing n copies of each of n distinct symbols in such a way that no symbol is repeated in any row or column. Two Latin squares are orthogonal if, when superimposed, the ordered pairs in the n2 cells are all distinct. This notion of orthogonality extends naturally to sets of k > 2 mutually orthogonal Latin squares (abbreviated in the literature as k-MOLS), which nd application in scheduling problems and coding theory. In these instances it is important to di erentiate between structurally di erent k-MOLS. It is thus useful to classify Latin squares and k-MOLS into equivalence classes according to their structural properties | this thesis is concerned speci cally with main classes of k-MOLS, one of the largest equivalence classes of sets of Latin squares. The number of main classes of k-MOLS of orders 3 n 8 have been enumerated in the literature by recursive backtracking algorithms. All enumeration attempts for k-MOLS of order n > 8 have, however, encountered a computational barrier using current computing technology in traditional computing paradigms. In this thesis, the feasibility of these enumerations of order n > 8 is analysed and a potential way of overcoming this computational barrier is proposed. A backtracking enumeration algorithm from the literature is implemented and validated, after which novel estimates of the sizes of the enumeration search trees for k-MOLS of orders n > 8 produced by this backtracking algorithm are presented. It is also advocated that the above-mentioned computational barrier may be overcome by volunteer computing, a computing paradigm in which large computations are distributed over thousands or even millions of volunteered computing devices, such as desktop computers and Android cellphones. A volunteer computing project is designed for the distributed enumeration of main classes of k-MOLS. Initial test results obtained from this volunteer computing project have called for a novel work unit issuing policy which allows the participating host resources to be utilised e ectively during enumerations of main classes of k-MOLS of arbitrary orders. A local pilot study involving the enumeration of main classes of 3-MOLS of order 8 has con rmed the feasibility of adopting the volunteer computing project as an avenue of approach towards the enumeration of k-MOLS of orders n > 8 and preliminary results of an ongoing enumeration attempt for the main classes of 7-MOLS of order 9 are presented. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Latynse vierkant is 'n n n skikking wat n kopie e van elk van n verskillende simbole bevat sodat geen simbool in enige ry of kolom daarvan herhaal word nie. Indien twee Latynse vierkante op mekaar gesuperponeer word, en die geordende pare simbole wat sodoende in die n2 selle gevorm word, almal verskillend is, word die vierkante ortogonaal genoem. Die begrip van ortogonaliteit veralgemeen op 'n natuurlike wyse na k > 2 onderling ortogonale Latynse vierkante (wat in die internasionale literatuur as k-MOLS afgekort word) en vind toepassing in skeduleringsprobleme en kodeerteorie. In hierdie toepassings is dit belangrik om 'n onderskeid te tref tussen struktureel verskillende k- MOLS. Dit is gevolglik nuttig om Latynse vierkante en k-MOLS in ekwivalensieklasse volgens hul strukturele eienskappe te klassi seer. In hierdie verhandeling word daar gefokus op hoofklasse van k-MOLS, een van die grootste ekwivalensieklasse van versamelings Latynse vierkante. Die getal hoofklasse van k-MOLS van ordes 3 n 8 is in die literatuur deur middel van rekursiewe algoritmes met terugkering getel. Geen poging om hoofklasse van k-MOLS van ordes n > 8 te tel, kon egter daarin slaag om 'n berekeningstruikelblok te oorkom wat as gevolg van huidige rekentegnologiese beperkings bestaan nie. In hierdie verhandeling word die haalbaarheid van sulke telpogings vir orde n > 8 ondersoek en word 'n metode voorgestel waarmee hierdie berekeningstruikelblok moontlik oorkom kan word. 'n Bestaande telalgoritme met terugkering word ge mplementeer en gevalideer, waarna nuwe afskattings van die groottes van die soekbome vir hoofklasse van k-MOLS van ordes n > 8 wat deur hierdie algoritme deurstap moet word, daargestel word. Daar word geargumenteer dat die bogenoemde berekeningstruikelblok moontlik oorkom kan word deur gebruik te maak van 'n grootskaalse parallelle rekenparadigma waarin groot berekeninge oor duisende of selfs miljoene rekentoestelle, soos tafelrekenaars of Android sellul^ere telefone wat vrywillig deur gebruikers vir hierdie doel beskikbaar gemaak word. So 'n verspreide berekeningsprojek word vir hoofklasse van k-MOLS ontwerp. Aanvanklike resultate wat uit hierdie projek voortgespruit het, het 'n nuwe beleid genoodsaak waarvolgens werkeenhede aan deelnemende rekentoestelle op s o 'n wyse uitgedeel word dat die projek doeltre end van hulpbronne gebruik maak, selfs wanneer hoofklasse van k-MOLS van arbitr^ere ordes bepaal word. 'n Lokale proefstudie word geloods waartydens bekende telresultate vir hoofklasse van k-MOLS van orde 8 bevestig word. Die haalbaarheid van 'n verspreide berekeningsbenadering, waaraan baie vrywilligers kan deelneem om hoofklasse van k-MOLS van orde n > 8 te tel, word ondersoek en die resultate van 'n huidige verspreide berekeningspoging om hoofklasse van 7-MOLS van orde 9 te tel, word gerapporteer.