The 21 inscribed ceramic sherds (or ostraca) known as the "Lachish Letters", which were discovered during the British Mandate Period excavations of Tell ed-Duweir (Lachish), underwent eighty years of scholarship that improved our understanding of at least some of these inscriptions. The archive is terse and fragmentary, and the least well-preserved and faded ostraca from this collection have been seriously overlooked, ironically when the "Lachish Letters" have more or less been regarded as a homogenous group of documents written during the final decades of the Judahite kingdom. Some of the ostraca were discovered in different stratigraphic contexts and pertaining to different settings, if not timeframes. The principal aim of this study is to produce an updated edition of these ostraca by objectively and systematically reassessing and understanding these artefacts, the inscriptions they bear, and their respective stratigraphic layers and archaeological contexts. This is carried out by integrating past studies and modern-day developments on the ostraca (and the site itself) from different perspectives: archaeology, palaeography, philology, the Hebrew Bible, and Classical Hebrew studies. This interdisciplinary approach enables a revision of outstanding controversial issues and a dismissal of outdated proposals on the readings, interpretation, and import of these ostraca in their contemporary world. Despite the illegibility of some inscriptions, this study pays attention to all 21 ostraca via physical examination under the lens, to confirm or deny any dubious readings as far as the naked eye can tell us. A crucial criterion is the integration of photographic data and written documentation gathered from unpublished and archived material of the Mandate Period that were accessible to the author at the time of writing. The study concludes that this surviving group of ostraca is far from homogeneous, and there still exist lacunae in their historico-archaeological contexts and interpretations. Our understanding of the source and function of the ostraca (especially the few legible messages and lists of names) remains riddled with controversies, which derive from the fragmentary nature of the corpus and the limitations in the documentation and preservation of these artefacts.

A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo verificar se o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias se constitui como instrumento válido e preciso para diagnosticar Transtorno Depressivo Maior. A amostra foi composta por 60 sujeitos adultos, divididos igualmente em dois subgrupos, ou seja, 30 pacientes com diagnóstico de Transtorno Depressivo Maior Moderado e 30 sujeitos sem a patologia e com ausência de histórico de Depressão. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias, o Inventário de Depressão Beck (BDI) e a entrevista clínica estruturada para o DSM-IV-TR, também conhecida como SCID-NP, com a finalidade de evitar diagnósticos de falsos negativos e falsos positivos nos resultados do Inventário (BDI), facilitando o diagnóstico diferencial de Transtorno Depressivo Maior sem comorbidades. Depois de definidos os participantes da amostra e aplicados os três instrumentos nos mesmos, convidaram dois juízes, para avaliar os dados dos Desenhos- Estórias. As análises foram feitas em três etapas: na primeira, os avaliadores deveriam separar os protocolos às cegas pautando-se somente nos desenhos do procedimento. Na segunda, deveriam separar os protocolos, pautando-se somente nas histórias e, na terceira, deveriam, utilizando pautas de análise, separar os 60 protocolos, levando-se em conta tanto os desenhos quanto as histórias. Para tanto, utilizou-se um total de 94 itens extraídos da literatura que possibilitam observar a patologia em técnicas projetivas. Posteriormente a essa análise, procedeu-se ao estudo de precisão, e um terceiro juiz também foi convidado para avaliar os protocolos. Nessas análises, os juízes deveriam avaliar os protocolos, atribuindo zero, se os 94 itens estivessem ausentes e um, se estivessem presentes. A partir disso, foram comparadas as análises dos mesmos da seguinte maneira: no estudo de validade, foram correlacionadas, por meio do Coeficiente Produto-Momento de Pearson, as avaliações dos juízes entre si e dos juízes com o critério externo. Também foram utilizados o Qui-Quadrado, o Teste Exato de Fischer e o Teste t para verificar se os itens utilizados na pesquisa permitiam discriminar os sujeitos dos dois subgrupos. No estudo de precisão, foram comparadas as avaliações dos juízes entre si por meio do Coeficiente Produto-Momento de Pearson, e levantou-se, em alguns casos, a Porcentagem de Acordo entre as avaliações. Os resultados indicaram que os juízes conseguiram separar os protocolos, quando se basearam nas histórias e utilizaram os critérios definidos pela literatura. Além disso, foi possível observar que os itens, em sua maioria, são claros o suficiente para permitir realizar avaliações precisas. Por outro lado, os itens que permitem discriminar as populações não são muitos, o que indica ser necessária a realização de outros estudos com o instrumento, para ser possível caracterizar melhor quais são os critérios que permitem evidenciar a amostra depressiva. Contudo, considerou-se o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias um instrumento capaz de ser utilizado em casos em que a hipótese de Transtorno Depressivo esteja presente. / The present research have for objective to verify whether the procedure Story-Drawing is as valid and reliable to diagnose Major Depressive Disorder. The sample consisted of 60 adults, equally divided into two subgroups, this is, 30 patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder Moderate and 30 subjects without pathology and with no history of depression. The instruments used were the Procedure of Drawing-Stories, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR, also known as SCID-NP, in order to avoid false-negative diagnoses and false positives the results of the Inventory (BDI) and to facilitate the differential diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder without co-morbidities. After drafting the participants in the sample and applied the three instruments in them, asked two judges to evaluate the data of Story-Drawing. The tests were done in three stages: first the evaluators should separate protocols blindly while observing only the drawings of the procedure. The second would separate protocols while observing only the stories and the third should now using patterns of analysis, 60 separate protocols taking into account both the drawings and stories. To this end, we used a total of 94 items taken from the literature that allow you to observe the condition in projective techniques. Following this analysis, it proceeded to the study of accuracy and a third judge was also asked to evaluate the protocols. These analyzes judges should evaluate the protocols by assigning zero if the 94 items were missing and one if they were present. From this we compared the analysis of the same as follows: the validity study were correlated by the coefficient product-moment Pearson evaluations of judges between themselves and the judges with the external criterion. We also used the Chi-square, Fischer exact test and T test to verify that the items used in the study allowed the subjects to discriminate the two subgroups. In the accuracy study, were compared the ratings of judges among themselves through the Product-Moment Coefficient of Pearson and rose in some cases the percentage of agreement between evaluations. The results indicated that judges were able to separate when the protocols were based on the stories and used the criteria defined by the literature. Furthermore, it observed that the items are mostly clear enough to allow accurate assessments. On the other hand, items that allows to determine the populations are not many, which indicates the need for further studies with the instrument to be able to better characterize what are the criteria for demonstrating the depressed sample. However, it was considered the Procedure of Story-Drawing an instrument able to be used in cases where the hypothesis of Depressive Disorder is present.

Tell Aswad, situé à environ 30km à l’Est / Sud-Est de Damas, est un grand tell d’environ 6 hectares dont la hauteur maximale ne dépasse pas de 4,50 m la grande plaine lacustre qui l’entoure. Le site de Tell Aswad datant entièrement du Néolithique Précéramique B (entre 8200 et 7500 av. J.-C.) est un site de référence du Levant Central. Ces populations, complètement agriculteurs/éleveurs, montrent des liens entre les populations et les cultures du Levant Nord et Sud. Les niveaux attribués à l’horizon PPNB ancien, période mal connue au Levant Sud, lui donne une grande importance historique au niveau régional. Ainsi, ce site offre une documentation rare qui peut être utilisées dans la recherche des origines du PPNB dans la région et les identités culturelles qui lui correspondent. Il nous a offert une riche documentation sur les pratiques funéraires. Répartis sur presque la totalité de son occupation, plus de 119 individus ont été exhumés. Les résultats nous indiquent la présence d’une continuité diachronique des pratiques funéraires tout au long de l’occupation, celles-ci étant originaire d’une tradition ancestrale. Elles révèlent le recours aux funérailles uniques mais se spécifient par des funérailles multiples, à travers le prélèvement des crânes. Chacun de ces deux modèles résulterait d’un choix imposé et sélectif issu du système social (hiérarchisé), indiquant la manière dont le défunt doit être inhumé. Les différents traitements des crânes prélevés, dont le surmodelage, correspondraient à des « rituelles» et pratiques funéraires hautement culturalisées. Elles témoignent de l’ordre social et de l’intégrité du groupe et matérialisent l’un des traits majeurs de l’identité culturels des sociétés Néolithiques du PPNB à Tell Aswad. L’étude de l’organisation spatiale des sépultures au cours de l’occupation PPNB de Tell Aswad, révèle un changement des lieux d’inhumations, depuis l’inhumation dans des maisons, à l’intérieur de la cellule familiale, jusqu’à la conception de lieux spécifiques dédiés aux pratiques funéraires. L’organisation spatiale de ces lieux devient pour nous une source supplémentaire témoignant de l’organisation sociale dans ce site. / Tell Aswad, located 30 km East/South-East of Damascus, is a nearly 6 hectares tell not exceeding 4,5 meters height above the great lacustrian plain surrounding. The whole stratigraphy of the site dates from PPNB (8200-7500 B.C.), it's a reference site for the Central Levant because of the farmer/cattle breeder population showing connections between Southern and Northern Levant. The ancient PPNB levels, poorly understood in South Levant, give to the site an important historical status on a regional level. Thus, Tell Aswad offers us a rare documentation used for a better understanding of the PPNB period origins in the area and the cultural identities corresponding. The data are especially rich for the funeral practices. More than 119 individuals have been excavated spread on the entire occupation. Our results indicate the presence of a diachronic continuity of the funeral practices throughout the occupation due to an ancestral tradition. They reveal the use of simple burials but also specificity in the multiple burials by means of the skull withdrawal. Both models result from a selective choice imposed by the social system (hierarchical), indicating how the deceased had to be buried. The variability inside the skull treatment including the modeled skulls correspond to "ritual" and funerary practices highly culturalized. They reflect a social order and a group integrity materializing one of the major feature of the cultural identity of Neolithic PPNB society in Tell Aswad. Studying the spatial organization of the burials during the PPNB occupation of Tell Aswad reveals changes in burial sites, from burials in the house inside the family unit until the creation of specific area dedicated to funerary practices. The spatial organization of these areas becomes for our research a supplementary testimony of the social organization in the site.

The presented master's thesis deals with the Epic of Zimrī-Lîm, a text from the ancient city of Mari from the beginning of the 18th century BC. The text of the epic is included in transliteration (based on the edition by Michaël Guichard from 2014) and in English translation. The epic has also been published online as the first entry of NERE (Near Eastern Royal Epics) project on ORACC (Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus). In addition to the text itself, the thesis includes a broader historical-cultural commentary. There, selected elements of the ancient text are portraited as well-set within the lived cultural-political environment of the ancient Near East, with particular attention to the time of Zimrī-Lîm. Most of the space is devoted to the religious aspect of the work, especially the role of the deities. Last but not least, the composition is discussed within the context of other royal epics of the ancient Near East. Key Words Zimrī-Lîm, Mari, TellHariri, epic, royal epics, Akkadian literature, narrative, royal ideology, religion, ancient Syria, ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Near East, Middle Bronze Age

Este trabalho visa a realizar uma análise sistemática das diversas normas do Código de Processo Civil que tratam do abuso de situações jurídicas processuais. O tratamento desse tema é dividido em quatro partes. Em primeiro lugar, analisa-se a teoria geral do abuso do processo, que abrange a evolução histórica do abuso processual, a adoção da teoria do abuso do direito oriunda do Direito privado, os fundamentos da prevenção e da repressão dos comportamentos abusivos, os elementos essenciais que caracterizam o abuso do processo (objeto, sujeitos e requisitos do ato processual abusivo) e a discussão acerca da ilicitude do ato processual abusivo. Em seguida, considerando os elementos caracterizadores do abuso do processo, são identificadas e estudadas as hipóteses de abuso de situações jurídicas processuais previstas no Código de Processo Civil brasileiro. A terceira seção deste trabalho é dedicada às consequências jurídicas do abuso do processo e a algumas questões referentes à aplicação de sanções. Finalmente, na quarta parte, procede-se ao exame dos mecanismos destinados a prevenir o abuso de situações jurídicas processuais. / This work aims to do a systematic analysis of the different norms of the Brazilian Civil Procedure Code that deals with the abuse of procedural rights. The treatment of this subject is divided into four sections. In the first place, it analyses the general theory of abuse of process, which includes the historical evolution of abuse of process, the adoption of the theory of abuse of rights from civil law, the foundations of prevention and repression of abusive behaviors, the essential elements that characterize the abuse of process (its object, its subjects and the requisites of the abusive procedural act) and the discussion about the unlawfulness of the abusive procedural act. Subsequently, considering the distinguishing elements of abuse of process, it identifies and studies the fattispecies of abuse of procedural rights contained in the Brazilian Civil Procedure Code. The third section of this work is dedicated to the legal consequences of abuse of process and to some questions related to the application of sanctions. Finally, in the fourth section, it examines the legal devices aimed at preventing abuse of procedural rights.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Este trabalho visa a realizar uma análise sistemática das diversas normas do Código de Processo Civil que tratam do abuso de situações jurídicas processuais. O tratamento desse tema é dividido em quatro partes. Em primeiro lugar, analisa-se a teoria geral do abuso do processo, que abrange a evolução histórica do abuso processual, a adoção da teoria do abuso do direito oriunda do Direito privado, os fundamentos da prevenção e da repressão dos comportamentos abusivos, os elementos essenciais que caracterizam o abuso do processo (objeto, sujeitos e requisitos do ato processual abusivo) e a discussão acerca da ilicitude do ato processual abusivo. Em seguida, considerando os elementos caracterizadores do abuso do processo, são identificadas e estudadas as hipóteses de abuso de situações jurídicas processuais previstas no Código de Processo Civil brasileiro. A terceira seção deste trabalho é dedicada às consequências jurídicas do abuso do processo e a algumas questões referentes à aplicação de sanções. Finalmente, na quarta parte, procede-se ao exame dos mecanismos destinados a prevenir o abuso de situações jurídicas processuais. / This work aims to do a systematic analysis of the different norms of the Brazilian Civil Procedure Code that deals with the abuse of procedural rights. The treatment of this subject is divided into four sections. In the first place, it analyses the general theory of abuse of process, which includes the historical evolution of abuse of process, the adoption of the theory of abuse of rights from civil law, the foundations of prevention and repression of abusive behaviors, the essential elements that characterize the abuse of process (its object, its subjects and the requisites of the abusive procedural act) and the discussion about the unlawfulness of the abusive procedural act. Subsequently, considering the distinguishing elements of abuse of process, it identifies and studies the fattispecies of abuse of procedural rights contained in the Brazilian Civil Procedure Code. The third section of this work is dedicated to the legal consequences of abuse of process and to some questions related to the application of sanctions. Finally, in the fourth section, it examines the legal devices aimed at preventing abuse of procedural rights.

Computer assisted language learning (CALL) comprises a wide range of information technologies that aim to broaden the context of teaching by getting advantages of IT. For example, a few efforts have been put on including a combination of voice and its visual representation for language learning, and some studies are reporting positive outcomes. However, more research is needed in order to assess the impact caused by specific visualization styles such as: highlighting syllables and/or wave of sound. In order to explore this issue, we focused at measuring the potential impact that two distinct visualization styles and its combination can have on teaching children the pronunciation of English as a second language. We built a prototype which was designed to assist students while learning pronunciation of syllables. This system was employing two different real-time interactive visualization styles. One of these visualization styles utilizes audio capturing and processing, using a recent technology development: Web Audio API.We evaluated the effect of our prototype with an experiment with children aged from 9 to 11years old. We followed an experimental approach with a control group and three experimental groups. We tested our hypothesis that states that the use of a combined visualization style can have greater impact at learning pronunciation in comparison with traditional learning approach.Initial descriptive analyses were suggesting promising results for the group that used the combined visualization prototype. However, additional statistical analyses were carried out in order to measure the effect of prototype as accurately as possible within the constraints of our study. Further analyses provided evidence that our combined visualizations prototype has positively affected the learning of pronunciation. Nonetheless, the difference was not big comparing to the system that employed only wave of sound visualization. Ability to perceive visual information differs among individuals. Therefore, further research with different sample division is needed to determine whether is the combination of visualizations that does the effect, or is the wave in itself. Slitting groups based on this characteristic and perform the testing will be considered for the future research.Eventually, we can be confident to continue exploring further the possibility of integrating our proposed combination of two visualization styles in teaching practices of second language learning, due to positive outcomes that our current research outlined. In addition, from a technological perspective, our work is at the forefront of exploring the use of tools such as Web Audio API for CALL.

Representational artistic works were researched as visual evidence for the social, political, religious and economic lifestyles of the ancient Egyptian elite. The aims were to comprehend the status of elite women and to challenge the hypothesis that during the New Kingdom they enjoyed an increased social status in comparison to that of their predecessors. Many artistic works were analysed (tomb and palace wall scenes, statues, obelisks and personal artefacts), on the quest for evidence for the roles of elite women in events, practices and rituals at the time when the objects were created. Various international museums were visited and personal observations are correlated with expert publications. The study concludes that the status of elite women in the New Kingdom was both significantly different and exalted in comparison with the status of their counterparts during earlier dynasties. / OLD TESTAMENT & ANCIENT NE / MA (ANC NEAR EAST STUDIES)

Representational artistic works were researched as visual evidence for the social, political, religious and economic lifestyles of the ancient Egyptian elite. The aims were to comprehend the status of elite women and to challenge the hypothesis that during the New Kingdom they enjoyed an increased social status in comparison to that of their predecessors. Many artistic works were analysed (tomb and palace wall scenes, statues, obelisks and personal artefacts), on the quest for evidence for the roles of elite women in events, practices and rituals at the time when the objects were created. Various international museums were visited and personal observations are correlated with expert publications. The study concludes that the status of elite women in the New Kingdom was both significantly different and exalted in comparison with the status of their counterparts during earlier dynasties. / OLD TESTAMENT and ANCIENT NE / MA (ANC NEAR EAST STUDIES)