Living celebration of death: The Day of the Dead in contemporary Mexican society Mgr. Petra Ponocná Abstract This work deals with perceptions of The Day of the Dead feast in the urban society of Mexico City in the context of official ideology of Mexican cultural nationalism. Dissertation was founded on fieldwork in Mexico City in two different locations, namely delegación Cuauhtémoc and delegación Xochimilco. I focus on the perceptions of the feast by research partners and I try to point out the process of self-identification with the locality and its relation to attitude formation to The Day of the Dead and national identity. I investigate the role of the state and the city in organizing the holiday and research partners reactions to these interventions. The work is based on long-term ethnographic research with distinctive elements of auto ethnography

Open-world videogames inherently allow players a significant amount of freedomwhen traversing the in-game world. Due to this fact, level designers for such games are taskedwith the challenge of maintaining engagement and motivating exploration without drasticallyinfringing on their player agency. With this study, the authors analyzed three popular open-world games via a comparative formal analysis to determine the presence and validity of thePOI Diversity Rule, a conceptual rule for effective open-world level design proposed bySkobelev (2023), which recommends having at least three points of interests on the player’sline of horizon, offering different gameplay experiences. The authors performed this study byplotting out a route known as a “critical path”, taking panoramic screenshots within 30 secondintervals and analyzing them. The results showed that the rule is largely prevalent in all threegames. However, the conditions of fulfillment differ in terms of what categories are mostcommon, and whether static or dynamic POI are most prevalent. / Open world-datorspel ger spelare en hög grad av frihet att resa runt i spelvärlden. Pågrund av detta står leveldesigners för sådana spel inför utmaningen att upprätthållaengagemang och motivera utforskning inom spelvärlden utan att allvarligt begränsa spelarnashandlingsfrihet. I denna studie analyserades tre populära open world-spel via en jämförandeformell analys för att avgöra närvaron och giltigheten av POI Diversity Rule, en konceptuellregel för effektiv open world-leveldesign föreslagen av Skobelev (2023). Regelnrekommenderar att det bör finnas minst tre intressepunkter inom spelarens synligahorisontlinje, som erbjuder olika spelupplevelser. Författarna genomförde denna studiegenom att plotta in en rutt kallad "critical path", ta panoramabilder med 30 sekundersintervaller och analysera dem. Resultaten visade att regeln är till stor del närvarande i alla trespel. Men de specifika villkoren gällande dess uppfyllelse skiljer sig åt när det kommer tillvilka kategorier som är vanligast, och huruvida statiska eller dynamiska intressepunkter ärmest framträdande. / <p></p><p></p>

The Book of the Dead-Project Bonn started in the early 1990s. Prof Ursula Rößler-Köhler, who had previously laid the foundation for modern Book of the Dead studies by her work on BD chapter 17 applying the method of textual criticism, achieved a 10-year funding from the German Research Society (DFG). In 2004 the project was granted another 9-year funding by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of North Rhine-Westphalia. One aim of the project was to gather all available evidence of Book of the Dead manuscripts spread across collections around the world. Today, the archive comprises approximately 3000 records of BD sources. In 2012 the corresponding database, after undergoing a transfer from FileMaker to XML format in collaboration with the department of e-Humanities at the University of Cologne, was launched and made publicly available online. The data sets include various different kinds of information about the objects and the sets of BD spells and vignettes found on them. These are now easily accessible for statistic analyses such as evaluations of neighbouring spells and sequences or occurrences in specific locations or time periods. Furthermore, the database includes several metadata such as bibliographical information, translations of spells and a motif index. It is cross connected with other Egyptological databases such as Trismegistos and the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae. After the project was completed at the end of 2012, the online database has been operating for a considerable amount of time with scholars using it and trying the several opportunities it provides. Now is the time for a first evaluation to actually see which functions of the database work well, which might have been ignored by users and what information the database could provide scholars with for their actual research. Naturally, there is a need for a continuous maintenance and update on new findings and the latest research. Furthermore it is important to understand which possibly missing functions or information the users wish to be included and if this is actually realisable. On the other hand, there might be opportunities for analyses that have not been fully understood and therefore have not been made use of. This presentation aims to address some of these issues concerning the BD online database and to gather ideas and possible collaborators for future BD project plans.

The aim of the study was to investigate the forest in the national park on the Blue Maiden Island and compare with mainland forest data. The study was made in a quantitative way. The results from the field measurement were related to data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory. Oak, Scots pine and Lime were the most common tree species and constituted 47, 18 and 16 % of basal area, respectively, on the island. The mean heigt was 7 m and the volume of living trees was on average 72 m³/ha and dead wood 30 m³/ha. The average age at breast height was 137 years and the oldest tree was an oak with the age of 335 years at breast height. The amount of dead wood constituted 40 % of the total volume. Disturbances have had influence on the forest on the Island. To what extent cannot be determined without further investigations.

Nasal high flow (NHF) therapy is a recent form of non-invasive respiratory support for patients suffering from respiratory distress that supplies high flows of heated and humidified air, oxygen or a mix via a nasal cannula. A number of in vivo studies have proven its effectiveness at improving blood oxygenation; however, its mechanisms of action remain widely unproven. Two proposed mechanisms of action, the CO2 washout of anatomic dead space and the production of positive airway pressure, are investigated in this thesis for the use of the Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd (FPH) Optiflow™ adult nasal cannula through a range of experiments. Five anatomically correct upper airway models produced from computed tomography (CT) scan data via 3D printing were employed during in vitro experiments and two live subjects participated in in vivo measurements. The human respiratory system was faithfully replicated for CO2 washout experiments with physiological CO2 diffusion into the lung replicated by a constant flow of CO2 into the lung pump. In vivo measurement of a natural breathing flow pattern was scaled to an average population tidal volume and respiratory rate for in vitro use. In vitro measurements of static pressure during natural breathing found similar flow resistances across the nasal passage for inspiratory and expiratory flow directions; however, across the entire upper airway greater resistance was seen for inspiration. Introduction of NHF therapy produced significant increases in all mean and peak airway pressures within the upper airway with a flow rate of 30 LPM fulfilling the inspiratory work requirements presented by the upper airway resistance. In vivo and in vitro hot wire anemometry measurements at the exterior nares indicated low velocity and turbulence intensity flows at peak inspiration and a high velocity jet with high turbulence during peak expiration. At natural breathing an in vitro anterior-posterior velopharynx traverse captured low turbulence intensities during peak inspiration and high turbulence intensities during peak expiration. Introduction of NHF therapy had little influence on the turbulence intensity profile of peak expiration yet did cause significant increases in the turbulence intensities during peak inspiration. Measurements of the CO2 concentration near the lung volume over many breath cycles were used to find time-averaged CO2 concentrations. For the standard airway model an average CO2 concentration of 4.88 ± 0.07 %V/V was determined during natural breathing. Implementation of increasing levels of NHF therapy generated significant washout of CO2 reducing this average concentration to a minimum of 3.81 ± 0.11 %V/V at a flow rate of 80 LPM. It was determined that airway geometry significantly affected the efficacy of the NHF therapy though CO2 washout was observed in all five airway models.

This text is partial record and narrative of the process and productions of Orphans by Lyle Kessler that opened on March 29th 2007 for a four day run ending on April 1st, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh that opened October 28th 2007 for a three day run ending on October 30th, and Terra Nova by Ted Tally that opened on February 21st 2008 for a four day run ending on February 24th. The majority of the text follows the three shows from Spring 2007, Fall 2007, to Spring 2008, focusing on the process of direction of each production. Incorporated in the writing are the experiences, lessons, and complications that arose while directing the three shows. The text contains several notes on directing, acting, collaboration, choreography, casting, rehearsal and different perspectives on the creative process of the productions: all combined create an aesthetic inherent in the author's three years of study at the Virginia Commonwealth University Theatre Pedagogy Program with an emphasis in Acting and Directing.

Post mortem interval (PMI – the time elapsed since death and discovery) is important to medicolegal investigations. It helps to construct crucial time lines and assists with the identification of unknown persons by inclusion or exclusion of a suspect’s known movements. Accurate methodologies for establishing PMI are limited to about 48-hours. Such methods involve use of increasing levels of potassium in vitreous humour, and algor mortis. This study is two-fold. Firstly, it explores the biomolecular changes in degrading porcine cartilage buried in soil environments and its potential to determine PMI in the crucial two days to two months period. Trotters were interred in a number of graves at two distinct locations exhibiting dissimilar soil environments. Weekly disinterments (for 6 weeks) resulted in dissection for cartilage samples which were processed for protein immunoblot analyses and cell vitality assays. Results demonstrate that aggrecan, a major structural proteoglycan, produces high (230kDa) and low (38kDa) molecular weight cross-reactive polypeptides (CRPs) within cartilage extracellular matrix. The 230kDa CRP degrades in a reproducible manner irrespective of the different soil environments utilised. As PMI increases, aggrecan diminishes and degrades forming heterogeneous subpopulations with time. Immunodetection of aggrecan ceases when joint exposure to the soil environment occurs. At this time, aggrecan is metabolised by soil microbes. The molecular breakdown of cartilage proteoglycans has potential for use as a reliable indicator of PMI, irrespective of differing soil environments, beyond the 48-hours period. Likewise, vitality assays also demonstrated viable chondrocytes for as long as 35 PM days. The second component of this study examined the fungal activity associated with trotters buried below ground. Results indicate that fungal growth was considerably influenced by soil chemistry and changes in the environment. Fungal colonisation did not demonstrate temporal patterns of succession. The results of this study indicate that cartilage has the potential to prolong PMI determination well beyond the current 48- and 100-hour limitations posed by various other soft tissue methods. Moreover, the long-term post mortem viability of chondrocytes presents an opportunity to explore DNA extraction from these cells for the purpose of establishing a positive identification for unidentified remains. On the contrary, the growth and colonisation patterns of post putrefactive fungi in relation to decomposing porcine trotters proved to be futile for estimating PMI. Therefore, fungi may not be a suitable candidate for evaluating PMI during the early phase fungal activity.

Dead wood in forests are essential habitat for a wide range of fungal, insects, lichens and bryophyte species. The main threat to dead wood dependent species is lack of substrate, which aggravates their ability to reach and colonize a new substrate. Inventories of woodland key habitats (WKHs) is a method to map forests with high biological value in Sweden, and these areas may benefit dead wood dependent species. The aim of this study was to compare spruce dominated WKHs with adjacent production spruce forests (APFs), regarding (1) log diversity, (2) log characteristics and (3) abundance of selected species on logs. The study was conducted in Östergötland County in Sweden, seven spruce WKHs (≥ 60% spruce) and seven APFs of three different types (two clear-cuts, two dominated by trees &lt; 20 cm and three dominated by trees &gt; 20 cm) were investigated. Data of eight wood dependent species (three bryophytes and five bracket fungi), log diversity, six log characteristics and two environmental factors were collected. In a total area of 4.27 ha, 210 logs (105 logs in WKH and APF each) were studied and the results show that there were significantly higher amount of coarse logs, distribution area of species, number of logs/ha, diameter, decay class and humidity inside WKHs compared with APFs. The total distribution area of species was approximately 85% larger in WKHs. Bark cover was slightly less in WKHs and sun exposure was significantly higher and humidity was lower in clear-cuts. According to the current study, WKHs are important for conservation of wood depending species due to the higher amount and diversity of coarse dead wood. Furthermore, it is necessary to put aside larger amount of coarse dead wood inside production forests, together with changed logging techniques to increase the suitable substrate for dead wood dependent species.

As produções artísticas do pintor Kazuo Wakabayshi podem ser divididas em duas etapas. A primeira é um conjunto de obras de tonalidade escura, de tom universal e sem qualquer indicação de sua origem étnica. A segunda fase, que se inicia por volta dos anos de 1980, consiste em obras de cores vibrantes, cujo detalhe apresenta elementos da cultura japonesa, tais como personagens do teatro kabuki, estampas da indumentária tradicional e outros elementos pertinentes àquela cultura. Apesar das notáveis diferenças entre as duas etapas, a elipse é a forma geométrica que sempre existiu na vida artística de Wakabayashi. O propósito da presente tese é trazer à tona o que está imerso nessas criações, primeiramente de natureza universal e, posteriormente, identitária. Acredito que a compreensão da arte desse artista imigrante poderá trazer respostas acerca da história de sua vida / The artistic productions of the painter Kazuo Wakabayashi, who spent his teenage years during the World War II can be divided in two stages. The first one is represented by the group of paintings in dark tones, which lacks any sign of ethnic origin, and which seeks to preserve a universal tone. The second stage, which begins in 1980s, consists of vibrant colours paintings, whose details are rich on Japanese culture elements, such as the Kabuki play characters, the patterns of traditional clothing, among other elements. Although there are striking differences between these two stages, the ellipsis is the geometric form which has never left his artistic life. The present thesis seeks to bring to the surface what is immersed in the depth of these productions in his first stage, which has an universal character and in the later one, after the acception of his ethnic identity. The understanding of his work will enable us to find answers on the personal life of this Japanese immigrant artist

Linfócitos T CD4+ tem a capacidade de diferenciação em várias subpopulações, como Th1, com habilidades distintas para o combate das infecções. Uma vez que estas células exerceram suas funções efetoras, é necessária a retração das populações para restauração da homeostase do sistema imunológico, o que pode acorrer por morte celular induzida por ativação (AICD). Baseado em dados obtidos anteriormente por nosso grupo de pesquisa, o presente estudo buscou investigar se a PGE2 protegeria linfócitos T CD4+ diferenciados in vitro, da mesma forma que protegeu hibridomas DO11.10 da AICD. Para isso, utilizamos linfócitos T CD4+ de baço total ou purificados de camundongo C57Bl/6 selvagem e polarizados para Th1, na presença de anti-CD3, anti-CD28 e citocina IL-12 por 4 dias. Observamos que, tanto em células CD4+ purificadas quanto CD4+ de baço total, as células Th1 não foram protegidas do processo de AICD pela PGE2, sugerindo que uma proteção não seja vantajosa quando a célula já se encontra em estágios avançados de seu ciclo, evitando o desenvolvimento de autoimunidades. / CD4+ T cells have the ability to differentiate into several subsets, such as Th1, with distinct abilities to fight infections. Once these cells exerted their effector functions, their elimination is necessary to restore the immune system homeostasis, which may occur by activation-induced cell death (AICD). Based on data previously obtained by our research group, this study aimed to investigate whether PGE2 protects in vitro differentiated CD4+ T cells, the same way that it protected DO11.10 hybridomas from AICD. To assess this, we used CD4+ T cells from total splenocytes or purified CD4+ T lymphocytes from C57Bl/ 6 wildtype mice, polarized to Th1 in the presence of anti-CD3, anti-CD28 and IL-12 for 4 days. We observed that the generated Th1 cells, in both conditions of purified CD4+ T cells or the ones from total splenocytes, were not protected from the process of AICD by PGE2, suggesting that this protection is not advantageous when these cells are already in advanced stages of their life cycle, thus avoiding the development of autoimmune diseases.