Traditionally recognized as the first of the great Buddhist treasure revealers, Nyang-rel Nyima Özer (1124-1192) historiographically reconstructed the Imperium into a golden age of Tibetan Buddhism. An analysis of his two early biographies demonstrates that he was among the first to recall an unbroken series of preincarnations in real historical time, which was a crucial link that led to the ascension of concatenated reincarnates like the Karmapas and Dalai Lamas. For Nyang-rel, his past life as emperor Tri Song-détsen (d. 800) provided the teleological karmic basis for his life as a finder of the old texts and relics deemed "treasure." According to his biographies and the two narratives that are attributed to him, Nyang-rel’s treasures were uniformly material objects extracted via quite mundane methods, though the discovery of old manuscripts seems to have been only an initial step in a process of compilation, redaction and composition that resulted in their reintroduction. Allegedly among these treasures was the first complete biography of the eighth-century Tantrika, Padmasambhava, which later became renowned as The Copper Palace. Much of this narrative was incorporated into the history of Buddhism entitled Flower Nectar: The Essence of Honey that is also attributed to Nyang-rel. Based on a comparative analysis of available recensions, however, I propose three hypotheses as equally viable alternatives to what has been asserted concerning the composition of these two texts. First, Nyang-rel did not consider his biography of Padmasambhava to be a treasure, but the tradition later manufactured a recovery narrative and accompanying title that promoted it as such. Second, Nyang-rel did not compile the Flower Nectar history. Third, based on oral, textual and mnemonic fragments, Nyang-rel produced a narrative of Tri Song-détsen and Padmasambhava that others developed into The Copper Palace and Flower Nectar. In sum, Nyang-rel was a progenitor of some of the most definitive aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, yet these very innovations ensured that he would be eclipsed by later adepts who, in adopting his claims and methods, revealed new iterations of his scriptures and narratives. He thus remains one of the most influential yet unsung figures of the Tibetan renaissance.

Vessels made of precious materials such as gold, silver and hardstone once filled the treasuries of late medieval rulers and were counted among their most valuable and representative possessions. Only a minimal fraction survived until today; the large majority went to the melting pot. The Burgundian Court Goblet (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), a rock-crystal cup set in gold and adorned with gemstones, is one of the rare surviving examples of a precious vessel from a fifteenth-century secular context. It also happens to be the most elaborate crystal vessel listed in the Inventory of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy (1419-1467). My dissertation provides the first in-depth study of the object, using the concept of the iconography of materials to elucidate the meaning conferred through the choice of materials and the exquisite level of workmanship. I argue that the Burgundian Court Goblet is a prime example for a group of artworks in the form of vessels, which were made for display and functioned as means of representation and status symbols. By combining evidence from the analysis of objects, written documents and visual sources, it is possible to reconstruct the use of precious vessels in the service of the table and as objects of display arranged on a tiered display buffet, the dressoir. My focus lies on the main types of vessels mentioned in the Inventory of Philip the Good. Based on the terminology used in the inventory, I reconstruct the different categories of precious vessels, their form, use and function. Detailed sources relating to the ceremonial of the Burgundian court dring the fifteenth century, such as the Honneurs de la Cour by Eleonore de Poitiers and the Estat de la maison de Bourgogne, written by the steward Olivier de la Marche, allow to trace the practical and symbolic use of vessels. By bringing together a large array of objects, visual sources and texts relating to the use and function of precious vessels in a secular context, my work provides a much needed study of a group of objects which enjoyed a highly privileged status in their time. / History of Art and Architecture

Šiame darbe yra gvildenama abortu legitimumo problema iš pradžių apžvelgiant pačią aborto sąvoką ir atsiradimo istoriją. Platesnė šios problemos analizė pateikiama žmogaus gyvybės kaip absoliučios vertybės, taip pat ir žmogaus privatumo kaip vertybės atžvilgiu. Čia bandoma išdėstyti katalikiškąją bei filosofinę pozicijas, pasisakančias už žmogaus gyvybės vertę bei saugojimą nuo pradėjimo momento. Apžvelgiamos ir priešingos koncepcijos, moters teise į abortą priskiriančios prie privačių interesų. Šių vertybių santykio kolizija analizuojama tiek Europos Sąjungos viršnacionalinės, tiek ir kai kurių Europos valstybių nacionalinės teisės lygmenyje. Atskirai nagrinėjama Lietuvos bei Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų pozicija sprendžiant abortų legitimumo problema. / In this work the problem of legitimacy of abortions is analyzed by reviewing, first of all, the definition of abortion and history of its’ occurrence. Wider analysis of this problem is given from the point of view of human life as an absolute value as well as human privacy as a value. Herein it is tried to set forth catholic and philosophic positions that speak for the value of human life and its preservation since the moment of its’ beginning. Opposite conceptions that attribute woman’s right to abortion to private interests are also reviewed. Collision of relation between these values is analyzed in the level of supernational law of the European Union as well as in the level of national law of certain European states. Position of Lithuania and the United States of America in solution of the problem of abortion legitimacy is analyzed separately.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2009. / Typescript.

Notre sujet de thèse a pour objectif d'éclairer le sens de la notion française de trésor national, catégorie spécifique de biens culturels qui échappent aux principes de la libre circulation des marchandises au sein de l'Union européenne / The aim of our thesis is to enlighten the sense of the French notion of national treasure, a specific category of cultural goods, which are not submit to the classical rules of the free movements of goods in the European Union

Malgré des milliers d’ouvrages et articles consacrés aux monnayages préromains de l’Afrique du Nord, il n’existe pratiquement aucune étude élaborée pour cet espace géographique comme c’est le cas pour les monnaies grecques et romaines. C’est devant ce constat de carence que nous avons fait le projet de rassembler les lots homogènes et hétérogènes de la collection monétaire préromaine du Musée National des Antiquités d’Alger. Une autre motivation majeure qui nous a incitée à entamer cette étude, c’est l’absence totale de tout catalogue exhaustif rassemblant cette importante masse de monnaies découvertes dans différentes régions d’Algérie depuis 1835 jusqu’à nos jours. Il est vrai que les études monétaires puniques, des rois et des cités numides et maurétaniens n’ont pas beaucoup suscité l’intérêt des chercheurs, en majeure partie pour la simple raison de l’inaccessibilité au matériel conservé dans les musées algériens. Notre thèse rassemble donc une partie du trésor de Bougie et la totalité de celui d’Ikosim qui constituent à eux deux la plus importante masse monétaire préromaine du Musée d’Alger mais aussi des lots hétérogènes conservés dans des réserves et rassemblés en grande partie par des collectionneurs français. Tout ce matériel monétaire, nous avons essayé de le replacer dans son contexte historique, archéologique et monétaire. / Despite hundreds of books and articles devoted to the pre-roman coinage in North Africa, there is hardly any study prepared for this geographical species such as the studies on Greek and Roman coins. It was before this unsatisfactory situation we did the project to gather homogeneous and heterogeneous batch of monetary collection of the Algiers National Museum of Antiquities. Another major motivation prompted us to initiate this study; it is total absence of any comprehensive catalog gathering this large mass of coins, discovered in different regions of Algeria since 1835 to date. It is true that Punic Monetary Studies, Numidia and Mauretania kings and cities were not too attracted the interest of researchers, mainly due to a simple lack of access to material stored in museums, our thesis gathers treasure of Bougie and Ikosim constituting the largest pre-roman money of Algiers Museum but also heterogeneous batches kept in reserves gathered largely by French collectors. All this monetary equipment, we tried to place it in its historical, archaeological and monetary context.

In recent years, mobile devices have become an integral part of our everyday life in various fields. The technology that powers them is used in various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and PDAs. These devices hold extensive computation capabilities, along with advanced communication abilities, which are supported by an internet connection and diverse types of motion and location sensors. Mobile devices have changed the way people communicate with each other, for example by providing options to send instant text messages, perform live video calls with others in addition to voice conversations. These capabilities have encouraged educators to exploit mobile technology and promote new types of learning options. There are several new learning possibilities based on tools such as mobile dedicated applications, location-based learning activities, and interactive social related tasks. These new uses require adjustments to educational programs to allow support for this type of learning. The uniqueness of mobile learning, in contrast with the classic learning paradigm, is the ability to connect the learner through enhanced learning materials to the outside environment. This breaks the physical borders that exist in the traditional classroom and creates new learning possibilities, but it has its drawbacks. One of the difficulties that arise from this type of learning is the loss of contact in real time between teacher and student, especially when performing outdoor activities. The Treasure-HIT platform was conceived to create outdoor Treasure Hunt-based games, mainly for educational purposes, by introducing an authoring web platform and a supporting mobile application. The platform includes communication capabilities based on social interactions and cooperative learning with the integration of social networks, and yet real-time educator and student communication is still lacking. Adding real-time communication features provides a way to better support ongoing learning activities, and can take pressure off the learning process for the students, by providing them with a more personal experience and immediate support when needed. This thesis follows the process of addressing this concern in TreasureHIT, including the rationale, the background, the possible options and gradual development of a prototype solution to the problem under the existing Treasure-HIT infrastructure. In the thesis, the advantages of two features are explored: (1) the Realtime Group Tracking Map, which provides a way to monitor the movement and action of groups of players during game time, and (2) Instant Text Messaging service, which allows the game instructor to send custom text messages to the different game groups. The research findings indicate that the new monitoring options provide a solid tool for real-time analysis of the progress of the game and the ability to inform about various issues and solve them in real time. ii Furthermore, the instant message service feature received positive responses from the game-manager and players alike, on the grounds of major improvements to the general game flow and problem solving in real-time.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-27T19:12:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Rosi Meri Dornelles Brandao Costa.pdf: 29981045 bytes, checksum: a2373aff499cc9e78fe4be61d82ea511 (MD5) Rosi Meri Dornelles Brandao Costa.pdf.jpg: 3591 bytes, checksum: 719ad7f8b8035f4c8d8a5e8c34ef681c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research it aimed to determine the contributions of class construction, in interaction with the use of media resources to enhance skills development and minimize gaps in mathematical knowledge in the final years of elementary school. In an attempt to overcome these shortcomings, the study occurred in two distinct stages of implementation of proposed activities: the first was the lesson and the teaching process, supporting and preparing for the second time, which included interactive activities through Treasure Hunt using the computer as a technological resource and its interfaces to better qualify collaborative learning. The study was conducted with students in the 6th grade of a public elementary school from the west area of Santa Maria city. Difficulties presented by them were concentrated primarily in the use of algorithms of the four operations and more particularly in the division operation. They had interpretive skills, but they had many difficulties to perform the calculations due to flaws on the field and understanding of mathematical operations that are fundamental to the continuation of any learning in this science. The participants in this study showed that gaps in teaching and learning needed and must be overcome to continue developing satisfactorily educational future steps. Technological resources are great tools that assist in the construction of knowledge, but they need a good base generated in the classroom promoted by teaching processes. At the end of this research it was possible to observe a great improvement on the use of technological resources (computer, internet, data show, hypertext and treasure hunt) the interpretation and analysis of problem situations, more safety, consistency and understanding in resolving four mathematical operations and their correct use. / Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar as contribuições da construção da aula, em interação com o uso dos recursos midiáticos para potencializar o desenvolvimento de habilidades e minimizar as lacunas do conhecimento matemático nos anos finais do Ensino Fundamental. Na tentativa de superação destas lacunas, a pesquisa ocorreu em dois momentos distintos de aplicação de propostas de atividades: o primeiro foi a aula e seu processo de ensinagem, servindo de suporte e preparação para o segundo momento, que contou com as atividades interativas por meio da Caça ao Tesouro, usando como recurso tecnológico o computador e suas interfaces para melhor qualificar a aprendizagem colaborativa. A investigação foi realizada com estudantes do 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola pública municipal, no município de Santa Maria, RS, na região oeste desta cidade. As dificuldades por eles apresentadas estavam concentradas basicamente no uso dos algoritmos das quatro operações e mais especificamente na operação divisão. Eles tinham habilidades interpretativas, mas apresentavam muitas dificuldades para executarem os cálculos devido às lacunas existentes quanto ao domínio e entendimento das operações matemáticas, que são fundamentais para a continuidade de qualquer aprendizagem nesta ciência. Os participantes desta pesquisa mostraram que as lacunas de ensino e aprendizagem precisavam e deviam ser superadas para continuarem desenvolvendo satisfatoriamente as etapas educacionais futuras. Os recursos tecnológicos são ferramentas que auxiliam na construção do conhecimento, mas que precisam de uma boa base gerada na sala de aula promovida pelos processos de ensinagens. Ao final desta pesquisa foi possível observar um grande progresso em relação à utilização dos recursos tecnológicos ( computador, internet, data show, hipertextos e caça ao tesouro) à interpretação e análise de dados das situações problemas, mais segurança, coerência e entendimento na resolução das quatro operações matemáticas e o seu uso correto.

In modern pop-culture, the prevalence of tropes is eminent. Without a knowledge of common themes and overgeneralizations, an author’s work will fail to attract a sufficient audience. One of these encompassing tropes includes the pirate trope. Pirate tropes range from physical aspects, such as eyepatches and tricornes, to the psychological implications of greed and villainy. Understanding the origin of tropes helps eliminate the over usage and transformation of tropes. The current study, a textual analysis, examines the popularized pirate novel Treasure Island and compares its’ tropes to the first collection of pirate biographies, A General History of Pyrates. The researcher hopes to discover many, if not all, of the tropes found in Treasure Island originated, through explicit evidence or variances, from A General History of Pyrates. The study will also utilize the New Historicism approach. Through New Historicism, the researcher will examine what historical accounts, including political, cultural, and economic strife, led Treasure Island to emerge as the most well-known pirate novel, rather than its predecessors. Thus far, the research has indicated that Treasure Island emerged as the prime pirate novel due to several factors, including America’s proximity to piracy during the 18th century. These associations include, but are not limited to: America’s trade system with pirates, proximity to pirate dwellings in North America, Americans’ desire of freedom associated with pirates, and democracy based politics practiced among outlaw captains and crewmembers. Stevenson illustrated these points in Treasure Island, which ties the novel’s timeless tropes with today’s conceptions of piracy. In addition, Stevenson used tropes from other novels associated with pirates including: Sir Walter Scott’s The Pirate; Washington Irving’s Tales of a Traveller; Captain Frederick Marryat’s “The Pirate”; Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Gold-Bug”; and several works by Daniel Defoe. Stevenson combined these tropes in Treasure Island while also using A General History of Pirates as a guide to ensure creditability. These tropes, brought to attention by Stevenson, continue to flourish in modern depictions of 18th century pirates.

Literary historian Terryl L. Givens referenced the visions of Moroni as "exhibit A" of Mormonism for nineteenth century believers. The 1823 visions constituted one of the core tenets of the religion as an underlying premise of The Book of Mormon. The significance of the visions, however, has not translated into many studies on the 1823 visions. This thesis seeks to fill portions of this gap by evaluating the visions within post-Revolutionary evangelical and treasure seeking culture. I contend that the visions drew upon various elements of the culture, but ultimately diverged from the culture. The introduction recounts the vision from the perspectives of Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, and Lucy Mack Smith. Chapter one provides a historiographical review of the literature and some methodological considerations. Chapter two describes the evangelical and treasure seeking cultures. The examination emphasizes the cultural belief in visions and dreams that contained angels, guides, guardians, or other preternatural beings. Chapter three examines the significance of the dates of the 1823 visions, September 21-22. Three traditions associated significance with the date, witchcraft, astrology, and Christianity. I show that either the date did not match with the holiday of these traditions or that Smith probably did not know of its significance. Many people called the vision a dream, which led Oliver Cowdery to refute that claim. Chapter four analyzes whether the visions constituted dreams or visions, before proceeding to evaluate the imagery of dreams and visions. Smith's visions lacked much of the imagery of other contemporary visionaries. Chapter five evaluates Moroni's message to Smith. I contend that Smith considered the plates a treasure and they fit the cultural pattern of treasure. Moroni, though, directed Smith's attention from the money seeking elements toward religious purposes. Many elements within the vision follow the cultural beliefs concerning visions and dreams, which make the visions appear as a cultural product. Careful evaluation of the details of the visions, shows however, the 1823 visions diverged from many cultural tenets.