Orientador : Ronaldo Viana Soares / Acompanha CD-ROM / Tese (pós-doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Florestal. Defesa: Curitiba, 2007 / Inclui bibliografia / Resumo: A primeira parte deste trabalho foi desenvolvida a partir de dados meteorológicos (umidade relativa e vento às 13:00 h e precipitação diária) de 13 regiões do estado do Paraná, representados pelos municípios de Cambará, Campo Mourão, Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Fernandes Pinheiro, Guaíra, Guarapuava, Londrina, Palmas, Paranavaí, Pinhais, Telêmaco Borba e Umuarama. Também foram obtidos dados de ocorrência de incêndios florestais (data de ocorrência;), hora de início e de término do incêndio e área queimada) de 7 das 13 regiões estudadas: Cambará, Campo Mourão, Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Guarapuava, Londrina, Palmas, Pinhais e Telêmaco Borba. Os dados analisados se referem ao período de junho de 1998 a maio de 2003 para as regiões de Cambará, Campo Mourão, Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Guarapuava, Londrina, Palmas, Paranavaí, Pinhais e Telêmaco Borba; de janeiro de 2000 a dezembro de 2006 para a região de Fernandes Pinheiro e de setembro de 2002 a agosto de 2006 para as regiões de Guaíra e Umuarama. O objetivo da pesquisa foi ajustar a Fórmula de Monte Alegre Alterada (FMA +) para diferentes regiões do estado do Paraná, baseado na análise do índice pelo método skill score que utiliza uma tabela de contingência que contém os valores observados e os valores previstos para um evento em um período de tempo. Foram considerados como não indicativos de probabilidade de ocorrência de incêndios as classes de perigo Nulo e Pequeno e como indicativos de probabilidade de ocorrência as classes de perigo Médio, Alto e Muito Alto. A partir desta definição foram calculados os valores de skill score e porcentagens de sucesso para cada região. Os resultados demonstraram que três escalas de perigo distintas devem ser utilizadas no estado. A escala de perigo original deve ser utilizada na área central do estado, representada pelas regiões de Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Fernandes Pinheiro, Guarapuava e Telêmaco Borba. Uma segunda escala de perigo deve ser utilizada na parte norte/oeste do estado, representada pelas regiões de Cambará, Guaíra, Paranavaí e Umuarama e uma terceira escala deve ser utilizada no restante do estado, representada pelas regiões de Campo Mourão, Londrina, Palmas e Pinhais. A segunda parte deste trabalho consistiu no desenvolvimento de um sistema computacional, utilizando a modelagem funcional, com o objetivo de calcular o índice de perigo de incêndios florestais pela Fórmula de Monte Alegre (FMA) e Fórmula de Monte Alegre Alterada (FMA +) Original, Ajuste 1 e Ajuste 2 e armazenar informações referentes às ocorrências de incêndios florestais, permitindo a geração de estatísticas sobre índices de perigo e ocorrência de incêndios florestais, a partir do Diagrama de Contexto, dos Diagramas de Fluxo de Dados de Nível 1 e de Nível 2 e do Diagrama de Entidade Relacionamento. O sistema Prometheus foi desenvolvido usando a linguagem Borland Delphi 6.0 com acesso via Borland Database Engine -BDE e base de dados Paradox para Windows XP. Os testes realizados com Windows 98 apresentaram bons resultados. / Abstract: The first part of this study was developed utilizing meteorological data (relative humidity and wind speed at 1:0 PM and daily precipitation) from 13 regions of Parana State: represented by the Counties of Cambará, Campo Mourão, Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Fernandes Pinheiro, Guaíra, Guarapuava, Londrina. Palmas, Paranavaí, Pinhais, Telêmaco Borba and Umuarama. Data of forest fire occurrence (occurrence date, start and finish time and burned area), were obtained from 7 of the 13 studied regions: Cambará, Campo Mourão, Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Guarapuava, Londrina, Palmas, Pinhais and Telêmaco Borba. The collected data reffered to the period June 1998 to May 2003 for the regions of Cambará, Campo Mourão, Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Guarapuava, Londrina, Palmas. Paranavaí, Pinhais, Telêmaco Borba; January 2000 to December 2006 for the region of Fernandes Pinheiro; and September 2002 to August 2006 for Guaíra and Umuarama regions. The main objective of the research was to adjust the Modified Monte Alegre Fórmula (FMA+) to different regions of the state of Parana, based on the performance analysis of the index using the skill score method, based on a contingency table composed by the observed and the predict values for a event in a time period. Null and Low fire danger classes were considered as indicative of no fire occurrence and Medium. High, and Very High classes as indicative of fire occurrence. Based on these indicatives the skill score and the success percentages for each region were calculated. The results showed that three different danger scales should be used in the State. The Original danger dass scale should be used in the central state region, represented by the Cândido de Abreu, Cascavel, Fernandes Pinheiro, Guarapuava and Telêmaco Borba counties. A second danger dass scale should be used in the northem/westem regions, represented by the Cambará, Guarra, Paranavaí and Umuarama counties and a third scale, validated by the Campo Mourão, Londrina, Palmas and Pinhais counties, should be used in the remaining State regions. The second objective of the research was to develop a computational system, using the functional modeling, that allows to calculate the forest fire danger index through the Monte Alegre Formula (FMA) and the Original, the Adjusted 1 and the Adjusted 2 Modified Monte Alegre Formula (FMA +) and to store information of forest fire occurrence, allowing the generation of danger indices and forest fire occurrence statistics from the Context Diagram, the Level 1 and Level 2 Data-Flow Diagrams. and the EntityRelationship. The named "Prometheus" system was developed using the Borland Delphi 6.0 'language with Borland Database Engine -BDE access and Paradox database for Windovvs XP. Tests running the software in the Windows 98 presented good results.

This paper deals with artificial life simulation by means of artificial BDI agents.This work aims to create a virtual world, to which agents are put. In system, there is 5 kinds of agents. Agent father, who rules and synchronizes the system. Next are agent worker, salesman, cop and thief. Model of the system is created by use of Prometheus methodology. The system is programed in the Jason language, which is implementation of AgentSpeak language.

Η αναγέννηση, με τον τρόπο που αυτή επιτελείται στο ήπαρ, δηλαδή με πολλαπλασιασμό των ώριμων κυττάρων όλων των κυτταρικών ομάδων του οργάνου, είναι μία μοναδική ιδιότητα. Πιθανώς η ιδιότητα αυτή να είναι γνωστή από αρχαιοτάτων χρόνων, όπως συμβολίζεται στον μύθο του Προμηθέα. Απόλυτα δικαιολογημένο, εκ τούτου, είναι το μεγάλο ερευνητικό ενδιαφέρον απέναντι στη μοναδική αυτή διεργασία. Το συνηθέστερο μοντέλο που χρησιμοποιήθηκε για τη μελέτη της αναγέννησης είναι η χειρουργική ηπατεκτομή σε μικρά τρωκτικά (κατά κύριο λόγο στον επίμυ). Μετά τη διενέργεια της επέμβασης παρατηρείται συγχρονισμένη είσοδος των ηπατοκυττάρων –αρχικά- και των λοιπών κυτταρικών ομάδων -στη συνέχεια- στη φάση G1 του κυτταρικού κύκλου και σε προετοιμασία πολλαπλασιασμού. Στην πρώτη αυτή φάση τα ηπατοκύτταρα γίνονται δεκτικά στη δράση μίας πλειάδας αυξητικών παραγόντων. Αυτή είναι η εναρκτήρια φάση της αναγέννησης (priming phase). Ακολουθεί η φάση πολλαπλασιασμού ή μεταβολική φάση, όπου λόγω των μεγάλων ενεργειακών αναγκών των διαιρούμενων κυττάρων, επισυμβαίνουν χαρακτηριστικά μεταβολικά γεγονότα (παροδική υπογλυκαιμία, συστηματική λιπόλυση και παροδική ηπατοκυτταρική στεάτωση), για να καλύψουν τις ανάγκες αυτές. Στο διάστημα του πολλαπλασιασμού εμφανίζονται τα παρακρινικά και τα αυτοκρινικά σήματα μεταξύ των διαφορετικών κυτταρικών ομάδων του ήπατος. Στα τρωκτικά η φάση αυτή ολοκληρώνεται 4 ημέρες μετά την ηπατεκτομή και ακολουθεί η τρίτη και τελευταία φάση του τερματισμού της αναγέννησης. Τότε συμβαίνει η πολυπαραγοντική ρύθμιση της λήξης του πολλαπλασιασμού. Με εκπληκτική ακρίβεια ρυθμίζεται το βάρος του ήπατος σε συνάρτηση με τη συνολικό βάρος του ζώου, με χρήση και ενός κύματος απόπτωσης, ενώ ακολουθεί αποκατάσταση της φυσιολογικής σύστασης της εξωκυττάριας ουσίας και της ιστολογικής δομής του ηπατικού ιστού. Σε ένα αντικείμενο τόσο διεξοδικά μελετημένο, εντοπίστηκε ένα νέο πεδίο έρευνας που υιοθετήθηκε στην παρούσα διατριβή: ο πιθανός ρυθμιστικός ρόλος των microRNAs στην αναγέννηση του ήπατος. Τα microRNAs είναι μικρά μόρια μη κωδικοποιητικού RNA (μήκους 22 περίπου νουκλεοτιδίων), που ανακαλύφθηκαν σχετικά πρόσφατα. Ωστόσο, με γοργούς ρυθμούς αποκαλύπτεται ο μείζονος σημασίας ρυθμιστικός ρόλος τους στην έκφραση των γονιδίων και άρα στη ρύθμιση πολλαπλών κυτταρικών λειτουργιών. Κατά την έναρξη της παρούσας διατριβής υπήρχαν στοιχεία που ενέπλεκαν τα microRNAs στην αναγέννηση των πτερυγίων του είδους ψαριών zebrafish, τη αναγέννηση των σκωλήκων Planaria spp. και στην επούλωση του τραύματος. Διατυπώθηκε η υπόθεση ότι μπορεί να έχουν ρυθμιστικό ρόλο και στην ηπατική αναγέννηση και μεγάλο μέρος της μελέτης αφιερώθηκε στη διαλεύκανση του ρόλου αυτού. Πρώτο μέλημα των ερευνητών ήταν η βελτιστοποίηση και τυποποίηση της αναισθησιολογικής και εγχειρητικής διεργασίας, που για τον μυ δεν ήταν τόσο διαδεδομένες όσο ήταν για τον επίμυ, λόγω της δυσκολίας που παρουσιάζει η διενέργεια χειρουργικής επέμβασης σε ένα ζώο βάρους 20 γραμμαρίων. Έγιναν πολλαπλές τροποποιήσεις στις παλαιότερες τεχνικές, με αποτέλεσμα την τυποποίηση μίας διαδικασίας που εγγυάται την ταχύτατη διενέργεια της επέμβασης (12-15 λεπτά) με άριστη (95-100%) επιβίωση των πειραματόζωων. Με χρήση της προαναφερθείσας χειρουργικής μεθόδου διενεργήθηκε η πρώτη εγχειρητική πειραματική διαδικασία: Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν 56 πειραματόζωα, τα μισά εκ των οποίων υποβλήθηκαν σε 2/3 μερική ηπατεκτομή και τα υπόλοιπα μισά σε επέμβαση Sham. Λήφθηκαν τα δείγματα ηπατικού ιστού, στον χρόνο 0 και για τα χρονικά σημεία μετά αναγέννηση 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 ωρών, από 4 πειραματόζωα για κάθε χρονικό σημείο. Η πρώτη χρήση των δειγμάτων ιστού από το πρώτο πείραμα έγινε η επιβεβαίωση της συγκρισιμότητας των αποτελεσμάτων του νέου χειρουργικού μοντέλου με αυτά της διεθνούς βιβλιογραφίας. Έγινε ανοσοϊστοχημική χρώση για ανάδειξη της πρωτεΐνης Ki-67 και άρα της χρονικής αλληλουχίας του ρυθμού πολλαπλασιασμού των ηπατοκυττάρων. Αναδείχθηκε, όπως αναμενόταν, η 36η ώρα μετά την ηπατεκτομή ως το χρονικό σημείο που ο μέγιστος αριθμός ηπατοκυττάρων βρίσκεται σε φάση πολλαπλασιασμού στον μυ. Για περαιτέρω επιβεβαίωση του χειρουργικού μοντέλου, στη συνέχεια έγινε ημιποσοτική εκτίμηση της χρονικής εξέλιξης της παροδικής ηπατοκυτταρικής στεάτωσης μετά από χρώση αιματοξυλίνης-ηωσίνης. Από την αξιολόγηση των αποτελεσμάτων προκύπτει ότι η μέγιστη συσσώρευση λίπους ανευρίσκεται, όπως αναμενόταν, στα χρονικά σημεία 12 και 24 ωρών (+++). Η μελέτη, στη συνέχεια, στράφηκε στην κατεύθυνση αξιολόγησης του ρόλου των microRNAs. Για τον σκοπό αυτό ακολούθησε η δεύτερη εγχειρητική πειραματική διαδικασία. Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν 20 πειραματόζωα εκ των οποίων τα μισά υποβλήθηκαν σε 2/3 μερική ηπατεκτομή ενώ τα υπόλοιπα σε επέμβαση Sham. Μετά από αναγέννηση 12 ωρών λήφθηκαν οι ηπατικοί ιστοί για μελέτη του προφίλ έκφρασης των microRNAs. Η επιλογή των 12 ωρών έγινε ως ένα χρονικό σημείο κατά τη φάση έναρξης της αναγέννησης, αλλά όχι στα πολύ αρχικά της στάδια, με γνώμονα την αναζήτηση του τυχόν ρυθμιστικού ρόλου των microRNAs. Το προφίλ έκφρασης των microRNAs μελετήθηκε με τη μέθοδο των μικροσυστοιχιών. Ελέγχθηκαν τα 598 microRNAs που ήταν γνωστά κατά τον καιρό της μελέτης. Τα αποτελέσματα ανέδειξαν ότι εμφανίζεται διαφορική έκφραση σε 8 microRNAs κατά την αναγέννηση. Αναλυτικότερα, τα mmu-miR-21 και mmu-miR-30b εμφάνισαν μεγαλύτερη έκφραση, ενώ τα υπόλοιπα 6 miRNAs (mmu-miR-34c, mmu-miR-144, mmu-miR-207, mmu-miR-451, mmu-miR-582-3p, mmu-miR-290-5p) εμφάνισαν μικρότερη έκφραση κατά την αναγέννηση. Τα δείγματα ιστών του δεύτερου πειράματος χρησιμοποιήθηκαν εκ νέου για επιβεβαίωση των ανωτέρω αποτελεσμάτων με τη μέθοδο RT-qPCR. Η qPCR επιβεβαίωσε το προφίλ έκφρασης των διαφορικά εκφρασμένων miRs, όπως είχαν δείξει τα δεδομένα από τα microarrays. Προέκυψε επίσης ότι το πιο σημαντικά διαφοροποιημένο mmu-miR μεταξύ αυτών που μελετήθηκαν, ήταν το mmu-miR-21. Για να συνδεθούν τα διαφοροποιημένα microRNAs με τις κυτταρικές λειτουργίες στις οποίες εμπλέκονται και πιθανώς ρυθμίζουν, εκτελέστηκε Gene Ontology ανάλυση με τη βοήθεια του TergetScan. Προέκυψε πλειάδα δυνητικών στόχων για τα εν λόγω microRNAs, με σαφή σχέση των γονιδίων-στόχων με τη διεργασία του κυτταρικού πολλαπλασιασμού. Από τα ως τότε αποτελέσματα, τράβηξε την προσοχή η μεγάλη μεταβολή στην έκφραση του mmu-miR-21. Αυτό, σε συνδυασμό με την γνωστή από άλλες μελέτες, εμπλοκή του mmu-miR-21 στο αναπαραγωγικό δυναμικό καρκινικών κυττάρων, αποφασίστηκε να αναζητηθεί η χρονική αλληλουχία έκφρασής του, με χρήση των δειγμάτων ηπατικού ιστού από το πρώτο πείραμα. Αρχικά, χρησιμοποιήθηκε η μέθοδος της RT-qPCR, που ανέδειξε σαφή υπεροχή της έκφρασης του mmu-miR-21 στις 12 ώρες μετά από τη μερική ηπατεκτομή με διατήρηση σχετικά υψηλής συγκέντρωσης ως και τις 24 ώρες. Ακολούθησε επιτυχής επιβεβαίωση του ανωτέρω αποτελέσματος με τη χρήση της μεθόδου του in situ υβριδισμού. Συμπερασματικά, η παρούσα μελέτη πέτυχε να υποδείξει μία πολύ αποτελεσματική μέθοδο 2/3 ηπατεκτομής στον μυ. Το χειρουργικό αυτό μοντέλο αποδείχθηκε ότι έχει πλήρως συγκρίσιμα αποτελέσματα με αυτά της διεθνούς βιβλιογραφίας. Στη συνέχεια επιβεβαιώθηκε η υπόθεση διαφορικής έκφρασης των microRNAs κατά τη διαδικασία της αναγέννησης. Το γεγονός αυτό, υπονοεί ότι ίσως να εμπλέκονται με κάποιο ρυθμιστικό ρόλο στη διαδικασία αυτή. Το mmu-miR-21 αναδεικνύεται ως το μάλλον σημαντικότερο από αυτά. Τα δεδομένα από την παρούσα μελέτη συμπληρώνουν τις έως τώρα γνώσεις για το φαινόμενο της ηπατικής αναγέννησης, αλλά και ανοίγουν δρόμους για νέο προσανατολισμό στην έρευνα, όπως την παραπέρα διαλεύκανση του τρόπου δράσης αυτών των microRNAs που εντοπίστηκαν ή τον τυχόν ρόλο τους και στις φάσεις πολλαπλασιασμού ή τερματισμού της αναγέννησης. / Liver regeneration is a unique ability, because of the way it proceeds, i.e. the proliferation of all categories of all mature liver cell types. It is highly possible that this ability is known to human kind since the ancient times, as pictured in Prometheus’ myth. The great scientific interest towards deciphering this complex process is, of course, highly justified. The most common model for the study of the process of regeneration is the surgical model of the 2/3 partial hepatectomy (PHx) in small rodents, predominantly the rat. 2/3 partial hepatectomy leads to a highly synchronized hepatocyte cell-cycle entry and progres¬sion. The first phase, known as the ‘priming phase’, occurs in the first hours after PH and poises the hepatocytes to enter the G1 phase and to become receptive to growth factors. The second phase corresponds to an increased metabolic demand imposed on the remnant liver. During this phase, among other metabolic changes, transient hypoglycemia is suggested to induce systemic lipolysis followed by a lipid droplets accumulation in the hepa¬tocytes. During this phase, am major role is played by the autocrine intercellular network. In rodents, this phase is completed in 4 days post-PHx and is followed by the termination phase. Ending the regenerative process is an equally complex, multiparameter process. The weight of the liver is regulated proportionally to the animal’s body weight with remarkable accuracy, sometimes employing an apoptotic wave. The termination phase of the regenerative process ends with normal hepatic histological structure restoration and matrix remodeling. Liver regeneration is a phenomenon that has been thoroughly studied in the past. Nevertheless, a point of emerging research interest has been adopted in the present study: the possible regulatory role of microRNAs in liver regeneration. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules (approx. 22 nts long), which have been discovered quite recently but through research they are quickly emerging as cornerstone regulatory means in a large number of cellular functions. In the beginning of this study, data existed implicating microRNAs in the regeneration of zebrafish fins, regeneration in planarian worms and wound healing. The hypothesis that they may have a role in liver regeneration was made and a large part of this study is concerned with investigating the existence of such a role. The researchers began with revising and standardizing the method for anesthesia and surgical procedure, which, at the time (2007), were not satisfactory enough in the case of mice (as opposed to the widely used rats), possibly because of the difficulty of operating on a 20 gram animal. Many alterations were made upon the previous techniques. As a result, a procedure was standardized, as described herein, that guarantees a fast procedure (12-15 minutes) accompanied by excellent animal survival (95-100%). Using the above described technique, the first surgical experiment in this study was conducted: 56 animals (wild-type mice) were used, half of which were subjected to 2/3 PHx and the other half were sham operated. Liver samples were collected at time 0 and at several time points during regeneration (1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 hours), with a number of 4 animals per time point. These samples were used in order to confirm the comparability of the new surgical technique to bibliography models. An immunohistochemical dye for the protein Ki-67 was performed, thus revealing the number of hepatic cells undergoing proliferation at each time point. The 36th hour post-PHx emerged as the point of climax of the proliferative process in the mouse, as expected by previous studies. For further confirmation, the same samples were used to produce simple histological H-E slides, in order to evaluate the evolvement of lipid droplet accumulation in hepatic cells associated with liver regeneration. A semi-quantitative evaluation was conducted, that revealed that maximum lipid accumulation occurs at the time points of 12 and 24 hours (+++) in mouse, again as expected by previous studies. Then the study proceeded with investigating the potential role of microRNAs in liver regeneration. For this, a second surgical experiment was conducted: This time 20 animals (wild-type mice) were used, half of which were subjected to 2/3 PHx and the other half were sham operated. After regenerating for 12 hours, liver samples were harvested from all animals. The choice of the 12-hour interval was made as a time point at the beginning phase of liver regeneration, but not at the very early beginning, with a view to reveal the possible regulatory role of microRNAs at the first stage of the regenerative process. MicroRNA profiling was conducted using specific microarrays, examining the presence of the 598 microRNAs known at the time of this procedure. The results pointed out 8 differentially expressed microRNAs during regeneration: 2 that were up-regulated (-miR-21 and mmu-miR-30b) and 6 that were down-regulated (mmu-miR-34c, mmu-miR-144, mmu-miR-207, mmu-miR-451, mmu-miR-582-3p, mmu-miR-290-5p). Tissue samples from the second experiment were used again in order to confirm the aforementioned results utilizing the RT-qPCR method. This indeed confirmed the microarrays’ results and highlighted mmu-miR-21 as the most differentially expressed miR, indicating a possibly major regulatory role in liver regeneration. In order to link these differentially expressed microRNAs to their cellular and molecular functions, Gene Ontology Analysis was conducted, using TargetScan. Many putative gene-targets for each microRNA emerged, many of which are involved in the process of cellular proliferation. Following the emergence of the major differentiation of mmu-miR-21 within the results of qPCR evaluation and with previous research linking it with cancer cell proliferation regulation, it was decided to further assess the time kinetics of the expression of mmu-miR-21, utilizing tissue samples from the first experiment. Through an RT-qPCR evaluation, it was shown that up-regulation of mmu-miR-21 reaches its zenith at 12 hours post-PHx and remains quite highly expressed until 24 hours. This was further confirmed by in situ hybridization. In conclusion, we were able to standardize a very successful version of the 2/3 hepatectomy procedure adapted for mice. Using this model, the hypothesis of the altered expression of microRNAs during liver regeneration is confirmed, setting suspicion about some kind of regulatory role. Mmu-miR-21 emerges as the most differentially expressed one and possibly having the most important role. The data from the present study supplement preexisting knowledge on the phenomenon of liver regeneration, but also show the way for future research in further clarifying the paths leading to microRNAs’ regulatory role or investigating their potential role in the phases of proliferation or termination of liver regeneration.

Dissertation "Myths of the Czech Music Alternative in the 1980s" presents an anthropological view of the phenomenon of a parallel culture in a limiting situation. On the basis of biographical narratives, additional interviews and data gained from other types of sources, "myths" are constructed for seven major figures of the Czech alternative scene. This is an insider's ethnomusicological interpretation, based on Mircea Eliade's and Bronislaw Malinowski's concepts of myth as recurrent and exemplary models of behavior. The described personalities, Jazz Section (Prometheus), Miroslav Wanek ("hero's journey") Karel Babuljak ("search for paradise lost"), Pavel Zajíček (Odysseus), Mikoláš Chadima ("Rebel"), Oldřich Janota (Hermes), and Marka Míková (Psyche), represent some of the main trends in creative processes of the Czech music alternative scene with myth being used as a metaphor. The metaphor is understood here in the terms of Timothy Rice, i.e. as an organization principle of our thinking, as well as an illuminating image.

Dissertation "Myths of the Czech Music Alternative in the 1980s" presents an anthropological view of the phenomenon of a parallel culture in a limiting situation. On the basis of biographical narratives, additional interviews and data gained from other types of sources, "myths" are constructed for seven major figures of the Czech alternative scene. This is an insider's ethnomusicological interpretation, based on Mircea Eliade's and Bronislaw Malinowski's concepts of myth as recurrent and exemplary models of behavior. The described personalities, Jazz Section (Prometheus), Miroslav Wanek ("hero's journey") Karel Babuljak ("search for paradise lost"), Pavel Zajíček (Odysseus), Mikoláš Chadima ("Rebel"), Oldřich Janota (Hermes), and Marka Míková (Psyche), represent some of the main trends in creative processes of the Czech music alternative scene with myth being used as a metaphor. The metaphor is understood here in the terms of Timothy Rice, i.e. as an organization principle of our thinking, as well as an illuminating image.

This study analyzes the politics of contemporary conspiracy theory discourses in the United States. Departing from the predominant methodological individualism that characterizes many contemporary analyses of conspiracy theory, which take the individual subject as the unit to be explained and governed, this study situates the production and proliferation of conspiracy theory discourses in the context of cybernetics and related transformations in politics that have tended to reduce democratic representativeness and increase forms of economic and political inequality. Cybernetics, which is often defined as the science of command and control, offers a series of concepts that facilitate an understanding of how freedom and control have become aligned in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries in the United States. I utilize Michel Foucault's governmentality approach to formulate a cybernetic governmentality methodology, which analyzes the governance of subjectivity in and through cybernetic systems of communication. Cybernetics, which seeks to invite the individual subject to realize itself through 'choice' and by way of its imbrication into machinic systems, conceptualizes the subject as a consumer and processor of information. I put forth the notion of the scripted political to analyze a key tension within contemporary U.S. politics, as politics is becoming increasingly uncertain yet also often appears to be strongly controlled by political and economic elites. Conspiracy theory, as a speculative genre of thinking, aims to steer events towards certain political ends. Conspiratorial speculation has become a popular means to connect and reflect on a felt obsolescence or superfluity on the part of the individual subject. To substantiate these arguments, I specifically analyze the discourses of QAnon and Covid-19 conspiracy theories. These discourses express political fantasies that often privilege the idea of a liberal autonomous individual subject. The politics of contemporary conspiracy theory in the United States thus concerns the fact that these conspiratorial discourses seek to perform a form of liberal subjectivity. However, this performance of individual liberal subjectivity is always caught in cybernetic systems of communication, which seek to produce value, harvest data, and maximize the attention of their 'users', thus undermining the potential for any meaningful form of liberal subjectivity. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study analyzes the politics of contemporary conspiracy theory discourses in the United States. Whereas today many scholars approach conspiracy theory as concerning the beliefs of individual subjects, whose thoughts are considered deviant and potentially requiring reform or monitoring, this study engages with conspiracy theory discourses and their conditions of possibility. While many acknowledge that conspiracy theory is a response to a felt loss of control, this notion of control is understood to be only potentially true or valid. Cybernetics, which is often defined as the science of command and control, offers a series of concepts that facilitate an understanding of how freedom and control have become aligned in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries in the United States. Cybernetics, which seeks to invite the individual subject to realize itself through 'choice' and by way of its imbrication into machinic and technological systems, conceptualizes the individual subject as a consumer and processor of information. I develop a new notion that I call the scripted political to study a key tension within contemporary U.S. politics, as politics is becoming increasingly uncertain yet also often appears to be strongly controlled by political and economic elites. Conspiracy theory is a speculative genre of thinking that is well-suited to produce social and political meaning in a condition of information saturation characteristic of today's social domain. It does so, among other things, by providing explanations about the operations of what many conspiracy theorists consider to be concentrated forms of power and by attempting to steer events towards certain desirable political ends. However, as a way of producing social and political meaning, conspiracy theory often misses the mark. Yet, despite its frequent factual inconsistencies, conspiratorial discourses and speculations have become popular means to create social connections and to reflect on a sense of obsolescence or superfluity felt by many individual subjects. To support these arguments, I focus on the conspiratorial discourses of and about QAnon and about the Covid-19 pandemic. These discourses express political fantasies that often privilege the idea of a liberal autonomous individual subject. However, I show in this study that fantasies about a re-empowered mode of individual liberal subjectivity are often caught in cybernetic systems of communication, which are more interested in producing economic value, harvesting all sorts of data about individual subjects, and maximizing the attention of their 'users', thus undermining the potential for any return to a meaningful form of liberal subjectivity.

This study of Shelley's intellectual development as it is reflected in these philosophical poems is offered in the hope that knowledge of Shelley's idealism may inspire faith in the beauty which life can possess and trust in the high ideals which alone can create such beauty.

El cine siempre me hipnotiza. Desde pequeña tuve una enorme facilidad para entregarme a la convención y dejarme llevar por aquello que veo en la pantalla, sin mayores pretensiones. Tal vez es un hábito heredado de mi abuela, a quien le encantaban las películas del cine de oro mexicano, o heredado de mis padres, que eran asiduos al cine de desastre de los setenta y al cine de terror. En realidad, es difícil saber. Lo único seguro es que lo disfruto mucho. Mi gusto por el terror y la ciencia ficción empezó temprano. Cuando nació mi hermana menor, mi mamá me regaló un televisor de 9 pulgadas, pequeñísimo, en el que podía ver la programación hasta muy tarde. Siempre sintonizaba Última función del canal 2. Obviamente, no tenía permitido ver televisión hasta tarde, pero ¿Quién se iba a dar cuenta?. En teoría, yo estaba “bien dormida”. Mi mamá me acostaba a las 8 de la noche. Aquella Última función empezaba a la medianoche. La matemática en este caso es bastante simple.

There has been to date no attempt at a detailed examination of Aleksandr Grin’s philosophical views interpreted on the basis of his literary work. Whilst some critics have noted interesting links between the writer’s oeuvre and a few popular philosophers, this has usually been done in passing and on an ad hoc basis. This thesis aims to fill this gap by reconstructing Grin’s views in relation to the European philosophical tradition. The main body of the thesis consists of three parts built on and named after three essential themes in philosophy: External World, Happiness and Morality. Part One delineates Grin’s views on nature and civilisation: I argue first that his cult of nature makes it possible to conceive of Grin as a pantheistic thinker close to Rousseau and Bergson, and then I reconstruct the author’s criticism of urbanisation and industrialisation. In the second part I assess the place of happiness in Grin’s world-view, indicating its similarities to the philosophy of various thinkers from the Ancients to Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. After sketching a general picture of the concept of happiness in Grin’s works, I discuss the place of material and immaterial factors in the writer’s outlook. I also gather maxims expressed by the protagonists in his fiction that can be taken as recommendations concerning ways of achieving and defending happiness. Finally, I link happiness with the problem of morality in Grin’s oeuvre. In the final part I examine modes of moral behaviour as displayed by the author’s protagonists. Firstly, I argue that in Grin’s works we find numerous examples and themes that allow us to perceive him as an existentialist. Secondly, I indicate Grin’s adherence to rules of conduct commonly associated with chivalric literature. Thirdly, I emphasise the importance of Promethean-like characters in the moral hierarchy of Grin’s protagonists.

Esta tese estuda a adivinhação nas sete tragédias supérstites de Ésquilo entendendo-se a adivinhação não no sentido estrito de revelação de fatos futuros, mas no sentido mais amplo de um diálogo que se estabelece entre as instâncias divina e humana valendo-se de formas e recursos variados. Assim, a análise e interpretação destas tragédias priorizam os diversos aspectos deste diálogo divinatório para mostrar a adivinhação como fundamento da construção de estratégias dramáticas na tragédia esquiliana, por informar e definir tanto a peculiaridade desta poética quanto sua visão do mundo. / This thesis studies divination in the seven surviving tragedies of Aeschylus. Divination is taken here not in the strict sense of revelation of future events, but in the broader sense of a dialogue that is established between divine and human levels through a variety of forms and resources. Thus, the analysis and interpretation of these tragedies prioritises the different aspects of this divinatory dialogue, in order to show that divination is the basis for constructing the dramatic strategies in the tragedies of Aeschylus, since it informs and defines both the particular features of this poetics and its view of the world.