This thesis is concerned with the hypothesis that an intellectual conversation between Christian and Hindu traditions on questions of aesthetic concern may not only prove mutually illuminating as such but also touch obliquely upon matters of religious and theological concern without exciting the defensive response often posed by more familiar strategies of inter-faith ‘dialogue'. It seeks to establish the existence of sufficient conditions for such a conversation within the respective traditions. The Introduction considers the relevant model of ‘conversation' distinguishing it from other forms of encounter between religious traditions. It proceeds by identifying three shared concerns: freedom and constraint, aesthetic experience and religious encounters, and the relationship between the material artwork and its significance. The first three chapters address them by examining various elements in Hindu traditions, including a detailed treatment of the Śilpaśāstras, a comprehensive consideration of the concept of rasa and its relation to religious experience, and an exploration of the role of the senses in scriptural traditions, the importance of Form and the value of the art object as a devotional aid. Finally it outlines the notion darśan, of seeing and being seen by a deity through a material image. The last three chapters address them by examining the work of Christian theologians including Dorothy Sayers on Art as Idea, exploring bequeathed traditions in iconography and the music of John Tavener, and expounding Tolkien's category of ‘sub-creation'. It considers the work of David Brown, Richard Viladesau, John Ruskin, Frank Burch Brown and Abraham Kuyper who span a putative spectrum of equating aesthetic and religious experience at one end and strictly demarcating between them at the other end. It explores the relationship of the physical art object with its spiritual significance in the work of Dorothy Sayers, John Carey, Rowan Williams, David Brown and Trevor Hart.

Nesta pesquisa, o método geofísico GPR Ground Penetrating Radar foi utilizado para caracterizar tambores metálicos e plásticos enterrados numa área de testes controlados, denominada de Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa SCGR do IAG instalado no campus da Universidade de São Paulo, em São Paulo. Os alvos foram escolhidos visando simular estudos de contaminação ambiental e obras de engenharia dentro do contexto urbano. Os tambores metálicos (vazios) foram dispostos na vertical e horizontal e os tambores plásticos (vazios, preenchidos com água salgada e com água doce) foram dispostos na vertical. Foram realizadas simulações numéricas GPR 2D para auxiliar na escolha dos parâmetros ótimos referentes à aquisição dos dados e verificar se os contrastes existentes entre os alvos (tambores metálicos e plásticos) e o background poderiam produzir reflexões significativas. As aquisições foram realizadas antes e depois da instalação dos alvos no SCGR-IAG utilizando as antenas de 100 MHz, 200 MHz e 500 MHz. Após as aquisições, os dados GPR foram processados e em seguida analisados visando estabelecer respostas típicas para cada alvo, considerando o tipo de material, a sua composição e/ou preenchimento. Os resultados foram comparados com as informações das profundidades reais dos alvos enterrados e as simulações numéricas, os quais apresentaram uma excelente concordância. Além disso, permitiram identificar com clareza todos os alvos e diferenciá-los quanto ao padrão de reflexão. Nos tambores plásticos foi possível distinguir os que estavam vazios e os preenchidos com água doce ou com água salgada. Essas respostas obtidas em uma área de testes controlados podem ser consideradas como típicas para os alvos, podendo ser extrapoladas para áreas onde não se tem nenhuma informação da subsuperfície. / In this research, geophysical method GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar was used to characterize metallic and plastic drums buried in an area of controlled tests, called \"Controlled Site of Shallow Geophysics (SCGR-IAG Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa) installed in the campus of the University of São Paulo, in São Paulo. The targets were chosen aiming to simulate studies of environmental contamination and works of engineering inside the urban context. The metallic drums (empty) were disposed in the vertical and the horizontal position, and the plastic tubes (empty, filled with salty water and cool water) were disposed in the vertical position. 2D GPR numerical simulations were carried through to assist in the choice of the excellent parameters referring to the acquisition of the data, and to verify if the contrasts between the targets (metallic and plastic tubes) and the background could produce significant reflections. The acquisitions were carried through \"before\" and \"after\" the installation of the targets at the SCGR-IAG using 100 MHz, 200 MHz and 500 MHz antennas. After the acquisitions, GPR data were processed and then analyzed to establish typical answers to each target, considering the type of material, its composition and/or fulfilling. The results were compared with the information of the real depths of the buried targets and the numerical simulations, which matched in an excellent agreement. Moreover, the results allowed to identify with clarity all the targets and differentiate them according to the reflection standard. In the plastic drums it was possible to distinguish the ones that were empty and the filled ones with cool water or salty water. These answers gotten in an area of controlled tests can be considered as typical for the targets, being able to be surpassed for areas where no information of the subsurface is had.

Nesta pesquisa, o método geofísico GPR Ground Penetrating Radar foi utilizado para caracterizar tambores metálicos e plásticos enterrados numa área de testes controlados, denominada de Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa SCGR do IAG instalado no campus da Universidade de São Paulo, em São Paulo. Os alvos foram escolhidos visando simular estudos de contaminação ambiental e obras de engenharia dentro do contexto urbano. Os tambores metálicos (vazios) foram dispostos na vertical e horizontal e os tambores plásticos (vazios, preenchidos com água salgada e com água doce) foram dispostos na vertical. Foram realizadas simulações numéricas GPR 2D para auxiliar na escolha dos parâmetros ótimos referentes à aquisição dos dados e verificar se os contrastes existentes entre os alvos (tambores metálicos e plásticos) e o background poderiam produzir reflexões significativas. As aquisições foram realizadas antes e depois da instalação dos alvos no SCGR-IAG utilizando as antenas de 100 MHz, 200 MHz e 500 MHz. Após as aquisições, os dados GPR foram processados e em seguida analisados visando estabelecer respostas típicas para cada alvo, considerando o tipo de material, a sua composição e/ou preenchimento. Os resultados foram comparados com as informações das profundidades reais dos alvos enterrados e as simulações numéricas, os quais apresentaram uma excelente concordância. Além disso, permitiram identificar com clareza todos os alvos e diferenciá-los quanto ao padrão de reflexão. Nos tambores plásticos foi possível distinguir os que estavam vazios e os preenchidos com água doce ou com água salgada. Essas respostas obtidas em uma área de testes controlados podem ser consideradas como típicas para os alvos, podendo ser extrapoladas para áreas onde não se tem nenhuma informação da subsuperfície. / In this research, geophysical method GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar was used to characterize metallic and plastic drums buried in an area of controlled tests, called \"Controlled Site of Shallow Geophysics (SCGR-IAG Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa) installed in the campus of the University of São Paulo, in São Paulo. The targets were chosen aiming to simulate studies of environmental contamination and works of engineering inside the urban context. The metallic drums (empty) were disposed in the vertical and the horizontal position, and the plastic tubes (empty, filled with salty water and cool water) were disposed in the vertical position. 2D GPR numerical simulations were carried through to assist in the choice of the excellent parameters referring to the acquisition of the data, and to verify if the contrasts between the targets (metallic and plastic tubes) and the background could produce significant reflections. The acquisitions were carried through \"before\" and \"after\" the installation of the targets at the SCGR-IAG using 100 MHz, 200 MHz and 500 MHz antennas. After the acquisitions, GPR data were processed and then analyzed to establish typical answers to each target, considering the type of material, its composition and/or fulfilling. The results were compared with the information of the real depths of the buried targets and the numerical simulations, which matched in an excellent agreement. Moreover, the results allowed to identify with clarity all the targets and differentiate them according to the reflection standard. In the plastic drums it was possible to distinguish the ones that were empty and the filled ones with cool water or salty water. These answers gotten in an area of controlled tests can be considered as typical for the targets, being able to be surpassed for areas where no information of the subsurface is had.

Nesta pesquisa foram realizados levantamentos geofísicos utilizando os métodos eletromagnético indutivo - EMI (equipamento EM38) e GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar, visando localizar redes de interferências, tais como, tubulações metálicas, cabos elétricos e conduítes de plástico instalados nas linhas 6 e 7 do Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa do IAG/USP. Os dados EMI foram afetados pelo drift instrumental devido à variação de temperatura. A sua correção foi efetiva por meio do uso de uma função quadrática, realçando os alvos mais profundos. A aquisição em distância permitiu detectar alvos metálicos no subsolo com boa precisão e a aquisição em tempo permitiu fazer um mapeamento regional de alvos metálicos no subsolo. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos com a aquisição em distância, com os sensores posicionados a 10 cm de altura, devido às anomalias ficarem mais nítidas, onde a influência da condutividade do background foi reduzida. Os perfis GPR 2D obtidos com a antena de 400 MHz permitiram detectar os alvos até 1 m de profundidade e com a antena de 200 MHz foi possível detectar quase todos os alvos metálicos e não-metálicos instalados nas linhas estudas do SCGR. Para o GPR quase-3D, na forma de depth slices, foram importantes para estimar as dimensões dos alvos e melhorar a visualização dos resultados. Os resultados obtidos com os métodos EMI e GPR são complementares, sendo ambos recomendados no mapeamento de interferências no subsolo, tendo aplicações diretas nas áreas de planejamento urbano e infra-estrutura nos grandes centros urbanos. / This research was conducted geophysical surveys using inductive electromagnetic - IEM (EM38 equipment) and GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar methods, to locate network interference, such as metal pipes, electric cables and plastic conduit installed in lines 6 and 7 of test site of the IAG/USP (SCGR). IEM data were affected by instrumental drift due to temperature variation. The correction was effective through the use of a quadratic function, highlighting the deeper targets. The acquisition targets identified in the distance underground metal with good accuracy and acquisition time allowed to make a survey of regional targets metal underground. The best results were obtained with the acquisition in distance with the sensors placed at 10 cm in height, due to deficiencies become more clear, where the influence of the background conductivity was reduced. The 2D GPR profiles obtained with the antenna of 400 MHz to detect the target by 1 m depth and the antenna of 200 MHz was possible to detect almost all metal targets and non-metallic lines installed in the study SCGR. GPR to the quasi-3D in the form of depth slices, were important for estimating the size of the targets and improve the visualization of results. The results obtained with the IEM and GPR methods are complementary, and both are recommended in mapping interference underground, with direct applications in the areas of urban planning and infrastructure in urban centers.

Nesta pesquisa foram realizados levantamentos geofísicos utilizando os métodos eletromagnético indutivo - EMI (equipamento EM38) e GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar, visando localizar redes de interferências, tais como, tubulações metálicas, cabos elétricos e conduítes de plástico instalados nas linhas 6 e 7 do Sítio Controlado de Geofísica Rasa do IAG/USP. Os dados EMI foram afetados pelo drift instrumental devido à variação de temperatura. A sua correção foi efetiva por meio do uso de uma função quadrática, realçando os alvos mais profundos. A aquisição em distância permitiu detectar alvos metálicos no subsolo com boa precisão e a aquisição em tempo permitiu fazer um mapeamento regional de alvos metálicos no subsolo. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos com a aquisição em distância, com os sensores posicionados a 10 cm de altura, devido às anomalias ficarem mais nítidas, onde a influência da condutividade do background foi reduzida. Os perfis GPR 2D obtidos com a antena de 400 MHz permitiram detectar os alvos até 1 m de profundidade e com a antena de 200 MHz foi possível detectar quase todos os alvos metálicos e não-metálicos instalados nas linhas estudas do SCGR. Para o GPR quase-3D, na forma de depth slices, foram importantes para estimar as dimensões dos alvos e melhorar a visualização dos resultados. Os resultados obtidos com os métodos EMI e GPR são complementares, sendo ambos recomendados no mapeamento de interferências no subsolo, tendo aplicações diretas nas áreas de planejamento urbano e infra-estrutura nos grandes centros urbanos. / This research was conducted geophysical surveys using inductive electromagnetic - IEM (EM38 equipment) and GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar methods, to locate network interference, such as metal pipes, electric cables and plastic conduit installed in lines 6 and 7 of test site of the IAG/USP (SCGR). IEM data were affected by instrumental drift due to temperature variation. The correction was effective through the use of a quadratic function, highlighting the deeper targets. The acquisition targets identified in the distance underground metal with good accuracy and acquisition time allowed to make a survey of regional targets metal underground. The best results were obtained with the acquisition in distance with the sensors placed at 10 cm in height, due to deficiencies become more clear, where the influence of the background conductivity was reduced. The 2D GPR profiles obtained with the antenna of 400 MHz to detect the target by 1 m depth and the antenna of 200 MHz was possible to detect almost all metal targets and non-metallic lines installed in the study SCGR. GPR to the quasi-3D in the form of depth slices, were important for estimating the size of the targets and improve the visualization of results. The results obtained with the IEM and GPR methods are complementary, and both are recommended in mapping interference underground, with direct applications in the areas of urban planning and infrastructure in urban centers.

The work deals with concepts related to education for tolerance and multiculturalism, defining its main ideas and goals. They are given the contemporary concept of education for tolerance. Specifically, it is our Republic, the European Union (Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, France) and powers outside the European Union such as the U.S. and Russia.

The thesis Racism and New Dimensions of Projecting the Multicultural Experience in Contemporary British Drama analyzes multiculturalism in contemporary Britain and questions its discursive boundaries through the works of some black and Asian contemporary playwrights such as Roy Williams, debbie tucker green and Tanika Gupta. The works of these playwrights articulate a set of experiences that reflects an image of the contemporary issues of bigotry and violence in Britain. Williams, Gupta and green present new approaches on the multicultural Britain concerning the issues of racism, discrimination and knife crime, shedding light on the cruelly racist world from the 'white and black' perspectives. Rethinking the questions of identity, Britishness, social agency and national affiliation from new proportions. The second chapter Roy Williams's Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (2002), Sucker Punch (2010) and The No Boys Cricket Club (1996). Williams stages sport in all its complexity as a rich ground for contemplating the issues of racism, belonging, nationalism and identity. He portrays an image of the conflict among the ethnic communities in a multicultural space, highlighting that conflict in its larger context. The third chapter discusses Tanika Gupta's White Boy (2008) and Sugar Mummies (2006). Both of...

This thesis deals with differences between individual states of the United States from the demographic point of view, and searches for causes of these differences. United States are composed of several disparate areas, which are different from each other in their location, size, number and composition of the population, and historical evolution. All this affects the demographic characteristics of those territorial units. Probably the main cause of differentiation of individual states is racial composition, since the intensity of demographic events is specific to each race or ethnicity. The states differ in levels of fertility, mortality, marriage or education. To confirm these assumptions, the statistical method canonical correlation was used. Using cluster analysis has revealed that there are groups of states that have similar demographic profile. Most notably, it shows the influence of ethnic and racial composition in the south of the United States, where the highest proportion of populations is composed by black race and hispanic origin. The differentiation of levels of infant mortality and life expectancy are mainly influenced. Key words: United States of America, race, ethnicity, black population, hispanic population, total fertility rate, life expectancy, canonical correlation, cluster analysis

Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular in various industries, and thereare many options available for businesses and organisations. Several studieshave investigated open-source chatbots and identified their core strengths,implementation, and integration capabilities however few have investigatedopen-source chatbot frameworks and libraries in a specific use case such asmedicine. The project's objective was to evaluate a selection of chatbots ormore specifically two frameworks: Botkit and Rasa, and two libraries:ChatterBot, and Natural which was utilised together with Botkit and alanguage model which is DialoGPT. The evaluation focuses specifically onaccuracy, consistency, and response time. Frequently asked questions fromthe World Health Organization and COVID-19 related Dialogue Datasetfrom GitHub were utilised to test the chatbots' abilities in handling differentqueries and accuracy was measured through metrics like Jaccard similarity,bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU), and recall oriented gistingevaluation (ROUGE) scores, consistency through Jaccard similarity betweenthe generated responses and response time was taken to be the average timefor a response in seconds. The analysis revealed unique strengths andlimitations for each chatbot model. Rasa displayed robust performance inaccuracy, consistency, and customisation capabilities if the chatbot works ina particular topic with acceptable response times. DialoGPT demonstratedstrong conversational abilities and contextually relevant responses withtrade-offs in consistency. ChatterBot showed consistency, though sometimesstruggled with advanced queries, and Botkit with Natural stood out for itsquick response times, albeit with limitations in accuracy and scalability.Despite implementation challenges, these open-source frameworks, libraries,and models offer promising solutions for organisations intending to harnessconversational agents' technology. The study suggests encouraging furtherexploration and refinement in this rapidly evolving field.

A cerâmica encontrada no sítio arqueológico Cerâmica Preta, localizado entre Camanducaia e Itapeva, Sul do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, apresenta marcas negras de redução que levaram o autor a formular a hipótese sobre uma técnica específica de queima utilizada por aquele povo que habitou o local preteritamente. O conjunto de fragmentos e as marcas neles encontradas representam os remanescentes de uma técnica morta de cerâmica preta, praticada com maestria e regularidade intencionalmente pelo povo que o produziu. A queima da cerâmica, assim como seu uso ao fogo, deixam marcas de diferentes cores e características nas peças submetidas a estes processos. Relata-se aqui a pesquisa de correlatos entre estas marcas, os processos e comportamentos em que esta coleção de fragmentos cerâmicos arqueológicos participou durante sua produção e uso, sua história de vida. Os parâmetros da arqueologia experimental, com base na teoria comportamental, orientam o desenvolvimento dos experimentos sobre as técnicas da queima redutora em fogueiras. Apresento uma análise do material encontrado no sítio Cerâmica Preta em coletas sistemática e assistemáticas, tendo como foco a marcas de queima, buscou-se reproduzir a morfologia e colorimetria para se entender as condições de sua formação através de experimentações em laboratório e em campo. Obtivemos resultados nas experimentações que foram compatíveis com a amostragem arqueológica tendo sucesso em reproduzir condições de queima, investigando o papel das diversas técnicas possíveis para a situação. Conclui-se, pelos correlatos levantados que as ceramistas que viveram no local do sítio praticavam uma determinada tradição técnica de queima de cerâmica que envolvia o uso de recipientes para conter atmosferas redutoras no sentido de produzir uma cerâmica extremamente reduzida de tamanho pequeno a médio e tendo como produto paralelo uma cerâmica reduzida internamente de maiores proporções que serviu de ferramenta na produção da cerâmica preta. O material arqueológico também indica a utilização de uma segunda técnica de queima que difere da primeira principalmente na forma de colocação das peças na fogueira para a queima. Outras marcas encontradas no material arqueológico sugerem que um tipo de queima seria utilizado especificamente para os vasilhames utilizados como panelas e outro para vasilhas e potes de armazenamento. A ligação encontrada entre as marcas de queima e a utilização posterior dos potes leva a proposição de uma ligação estreita entre a técnica de queima e a cosmologia destes povos. O simbolismo das cores resultantes e das superfícies coloridas remetem ao universo feminino, ao útero que gera a vida, ao pote negro e à inserção desta cultura na ordem do mundo em uma camada entre o telúrico e o celeste. / The ceramic artifacts found in Cerâmica Preta archaeological site, situated at Camanducaia and Itapeva county, at southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil, show reduction marks that led the author to formulate an hypothesis about a specific technique of reducing firing of ceramics, used by the people who lived in this site preteritally. The black marks on the ceramic fabric and the black sherds, are remains of a forgotten technique of black pottery practiced intentionally and skillfully by the people who lived in this site preteritally. Firing of the ceramic and its use on the bonfire as pans, leaves different color and characteristic marks on the tissue of the pieces submitted to these processes. The search for correlates between these marks, processes and behaviors lead to the inference of activities in which the artifacts took part during its production and use. The Experimental Archaeology parameters, based on the Behavioral Theory, guided the development of the experiments on techniques of reduction firing in bonfires. The analisys of the material found in the ceramic site, by systematic and unsystematic search, focusing on the burning marks of which, through laboratory and field experiments, aim to reproduce the morphology and colorimetry, in the way to understand the conditions of its formation. The results of the experiments were compatible with the archaeological sampling and successfully reproduced burning conditions with similar results. The research investigated the role of various possible conditions for the production of black pottery. The correlates found by the research, lead to the conclusion that the ceramists, who lived in the site preteritally, practiced a certain technical tradition of ceramic firing, wich involved the use of containers to retain reducing atmospheres, in the sense of producing an extremely thin black ceramic of small to medium size. This firing has as parallel product, an internally reduced ceramic of greater proportions that served as a tool in the production of black pottery, a sagar. Archaeological material also indicates the use of a second firing technique which differs from the first one mainly in the way the parts are placed in the bonfire, but also in its production and use. Other marks found in archaeological material suggest that the people who practiced this tradition used the pots of one kind of firing as pans and diferent ones for consuming and for storage pots too. The connection found between the firing marks and other, dued to the later use of the pots over the fire, leads to the proposition of a close connection between the burning technique and the cosmology of these peoples. The symbolism of the resulting colors and colored surfaces refers to the female universe, the life-giving uterus, the black pot, and the insertion of this culture into the order of the world in a layer between the tellurian and the celestial.