"Sub Tiberio quies"? Judaea’s Political Situation under the Prefects (6-41 c.e.), between Reality and Ideology

Deeply conflicting views on the political situation of Judaea under the Roman prefects (6-41 c.e.) have been offered. According to some scholars, this was a period of persistent political unrest and agitation, whilst according to a widespread view it was a quiescent period of political calm (reflected in Tacitus’ phrase sub Tiberio quies). The present article critically examines again the main available sources –particularly Josephus, the canonical Gospels and Tacitus– in order to offer a more reliable historical reconstruction. The conclusions drawn by this survey calls into question some widespread and insufficiently nuanced views on the period. This, in turn, allows a reflection on the non-epistemic factors which might contribute to explain the origin of such views.

"Et occidetur virtute Domini Antichristus a Mikaele arcangelo". Paisaje y escatología en Sant Miquel de Llíria (s. XIV d. C.)

El presente articulo intenta determinar las razones por las que el santuario de Sant Miquel de Llíria, uno de los más importantes de la actual provincia de Valencia, se consagró al arcàngel guerrero. Se estudia para ello la historia de su culto en Occidente, haciendo hincapié en aspectos como su relación con los lugares elevados y la frecuente proximidad de sus santuarios con aquellos dedicados a la Virgen. Atenderemos también a aspectos fundamentales del contexto histórico, como los movimientos de renovación espiritual medievales, la influencia del médico y teólogo Arnau de Vilanova en la Valencia de principios del siglo XIV y las profecías escatológicas vinculadas a la llegada del Anticristo.

Complex contests and the influence of aggressiveness in pigs

Animal contests vary greatly in behavioural tactics used and intensity reached, with some encounters resolved without physical contact while others escalate to damaging fighting. However, the reasons for such variation remains to be fully explained. Aggressiveness, in terms of a personality trait, offers a potentially important source of variation that has typically been overlooked. Therefore, we studied how aggressiveness as a personality trait influenced escalation between contestants matched for resource holding potential (RHP), using detailed observations of the contest behaviour, contest dynamics, and escalation levels. We predicted that winner and loser behaviour would differ depending on personality. This was tested by examining 52 dyadic contests between pigs (Sus scrofa). Aggressiveness was assayed in resident-intruder tests prior to the contest. Contests were then staged between pigs matched for RHP in terms of body weight but differing in their aggressiveness. In 27% of the contests a winner emerged without escalated physical fighting, demonstrating that a fight is not a prerequisite between RHP-matched contestants. However, the duration of contests with or without fighting was the same. In contests without a fight, opponents spent more time on mutual investigation and non-contact displays such as parallel walking, which suggests that ritualized display may facilitate assessment and decision making. Winners low in aggressiveness invested more time in opponent investigation and display and showed substantially less aggression towards the loser after its retreat compared to aggressive winners. Aggressiveness influenced contest dynamics but did not predict the level of escalation. Prominent behavioural differences were found for the interaction between personality and outcome and we therefore recommend including this interaction in models where personality is considered. Analyses based on contest duration only would miss many of the subtleties which are shown here and we therefore encourage more detailed analyses of animal contests, irrespective of the level of contest escalation.

Análisis, diseño y desarrollo de un videojuego en 2D vista lateral

[ES]En este proyecto se ha desarrollado un prototipo de un videojuego en 2D con perspectiva lateral. El juego es fundamentalmente un juego de peleas en el que se usa una pelota para combatir. El objetivo es derrotar al rival, consiguiendo que la pelota le golpee y evitando recibir golpes mediante el uso de los controles apropiados. Está ambientado en un mundo futurista y los combates tienen lugar en naves espaciales o planetas alienígenas. Para el desarrollo de este juego se ha empleado el motor de videojuegos Unity 5, además de recursos creados por la propia autora u obtenidos de diversas fuentes de contenido open-source.

Goal detection using laser range finder for goalkeeper and striker from CAMBADA team

For a robot be autonomous and mobile, it requires being attached with a set of sensors that helps it to have a better perception of the surrounding world, to manage to localize itself and the surrounding objects. CAMBADA is the robotic soccer team of the IRIS research group, from IEETA, University of Aveiro, that competes in the Middle-Size League of RoboCup. In competition, in order to win, the main objective of the game it's to score more goals than the conceded, so not conceding goals, and score as much as possible it's desirable, thus, this thesis focus on adapt an agent with a better localization capacity in defensive and offensive moments. It was introduced a laser range finder to the CAMBADA robots, making them capable of detecting their own and the opponent goal, and to detect the opponents in specific game situations. With the new information and adapting the Goalie and Penalty behaviors, the CAMBADA goalkeeper is now able to detect and track its own goal and the CAMBADA striker has a better performance in a penalty situation. The developed work was incorporated within the competition software of the robots, which allows the presentation, in this thesis, of the experimental results obtained with physical robots on the laboratory field.

A shadow replaced by realities: the theme of temple in relation to Christology, Pneumatology and Ecclesiology in John's Gospel

This dissertation seeks to examine the role of the temple in relation to Christology, Pneumatology, and Ecclesiology in John’s Gospel. The Jerusalem temple, which was believed to be the shadow of the true temple in the heavens, was destroyed in A.D. 70. John, writing his Gospel after its destruction, presented the person of Jesus as the new cultic center of Judaism, in whom the more transcendent reality of the heavenly temple was truly embodied. The eschatological Spirit would animate the new worship inaugurated in the messianic temple, so that the believers could worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The living water of the Spirit was expected to flow from the heavenly temple, which is the glorified Jesus, throughout the earth via the mission of the ecclesial community – a community now constituted as the sacred temple. In this way, the Fourth Gospel presents Israel’s temple and its cult replaced by new realities: the temple of Jesus’ body and the temple of the church. The former is incarnated as the temple, while the latter is transformed into the temple by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

Caraterização dos padrões de jogo ofensivos após recuperação de posse bola a partir de desarme ou interceção: análise comparativa da equipa principal e equipa B do Sporting Club de Portugal

O jogo de futebol, e simultaneamente o seu processo ofensivo, tem sido, nos últimos anos, alvo de diversos trabalhos de investigação. Tendo como objetivo a sua análise e caracterização, o especial interesse por parte dos investigadores tem estado focado predominantemente no processo ofensivo no seu todo, desde a recuperação de posse de bola, o desenvolvimento do processo em si e a sua finalização. O presente estudo teve como principal objetivo a caraterização do processo ofensivo da equipa principal e equipa B do Sporting Clube de Portugal após recuperação de posse de bola por desarme ou interceção. Foram registadas as sequências ofensivas de 16 jogos (8 por equipa), da equipa principal e da sua equipa B, da época 2014/15, na condição de visitado, com recurso ao software Videobserver (Afra, 2013). As sequências ofensivas foram observadas e registadas a partir da recuperação de posse de bola de forma dinâmica, ou seja, através de desarme ou interceção. Para a análise estatística descritiva e sequencial foi utilizado o software SDIS GSEQ 5.1 (Bakeman & Quera, 1996). Os resultados permitiram concluir que i) as equipas observadas recuperaram a posse de bola maioritariamente no setor médio defensivo e numa relação de igualdade ou superioridade relativa; ii) as equipas observadas, desenvolvem o processo ofensivo de forma semelhante, recorrendo ao passe curto ou médio, para a frente, ou diagonal frente e rasteiro como comportamento mais vezes verificado após a recuperação de posse de bola; iii) O método de jogo ofensivo mais utilizado pelas equipas observadas é o ataque rápido. A equipa principal do SCP, ao contrário da equipa B, não é influenciada pela forma como o adversário reage à perda de posse de bola para optar pelo seu método de jogo ofensivo; iv) no caso da equipa principal, o método de jogo ofensivo que potencia mais situações de finalização com sucesso é o ataque rápido, enquanto na equipa B é o contra-ataque; v) ambas as equipas optam pelo método de jogo ofensivo contra-ataque, quando a recuperação de posse de bola acontece no setor defensivo e setor médio defensivo, sendo substituído pelo ataque rápido nos setores mais adiantados.

Caraterização dos padrões de jogo ofensivos após recuperação de posse bola a partir de desarme ou interceção: análise comparativa da equipa principal e equipa B do Sporting Club de Portugal

O jogo de futebol, e simultaneamente o seu processo ofensivo, tem sido, nos últimos anos, alvo de diversos trabalhos de investigação. Tendo como objetivo a sua análise e caracterização, o especial interesse por parte dos investigadores tem estado focado predominantemente no processo ofensivo no seu todo, desde a recuperação de posse de bola, o desenvolvimento do processo em si e a sua finalização. O presente estudo teve como principal objetivo a caraterização do processo ofensivo da equipa principal e equipa B do Sporting Clube de Portugal após recuperação de posse de bola por desarme ou interceção. Foram registadas as sequências ofensivas de 16 jogos (8 por equipa), da equipa principal e da sua equipa B, da época 2014/15, na condição de visitado, com recurso ao software Videobserver (Afra, 2013). As sequências ofensivas foram observadas e registadas a partir da recuperação de posse de bola de forma dinâmica, ou seja, através de desarme ou interceção. Para a análise estatística descritiva e sequencial foi utilizado o software SDIS GSEQ 5.1 (Bakeman & Quera, 1996). Os resultados permitiram concluir que i) as equipas observadas recuperaram a posse de bola maioritariamente no setor médio defensivo e numa relação de igualdade ou superioridade relativa; ii) as equipas observadas, desenvolvem o processo ofensivo de forma semelhante, recorrendo ao passe curto ou médio, para a frente, ou diagonal frente e rasteiro como comportamento mais vezes verificado após a recuperação de posse de bola; iii) O método de jogo ofensivo mais utilizado pelas equipas observadas é o ataque rápido. A equipa principal do SCP, ao contrário da equipa B, não é influenciada pela forma como o adversário reage à perda de posse de bola para optar pelo seu método de jogo ofensivo; iv) no caso da equipa principal, o método de jogo ofensivo que potencia mais situações de finalização com sucesso é o ataque rápido, enquanto na equipa B é o contra-ataque; v) ambas as equipas optam pelo método de jogo ofensivo contra-ataque, quando a recuperação de posse de bola acontece no setor defensivo e setor médio defensivo, sendo substituído pelo ataque rápido nos setores mais adiantados.

Catherine Tekakwitha et la peinture missionnaire : stratégies de conversion en Nouvelle-France au 17e siècle

Pour respecter les droits d’auteur, la version électronique de ce mémoire a été dépouillée de certains documents visuels et audio-visuels. La version intégrale du mémoire a été déposée au Service de la gestion des documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Współczesna debata telewizyjna a konflikt destruktywny

W artykule dowodzi się tezy, że współczesne debaty publiczne, emitowane w telewizji (takie jak emitowany od 2004 roku w TVP2 program Jana Pospieszalskiego „Warto rozmawiać”), są zdarzeniami komunikacyjnymi zasadzonymi na konflikcie destruktywnym, a więc takim, który wg L. Kriesberga, nastawiony jest nie na problem wywołujący frustrację, ale jest manifestacją agresji, a celem sporu staje się nie pokonanie różnic dzielących strony, ale pokonanie oponenta. Wynika to z sytuacji komunikacyjnej debaty telewizyjnej i nastawienia w pierwszej kolejności na zdobycie uwagi, a potem zaspokajanie potrzeb odbiorcy sekundarnego – widza. Podporządkowane są temu takie elementy, jak wybór tematu debaty, jej scenariusz, dobór uczestników, a w dalszej kolejności ich zachowania werbalne i niewerbalne. W rezultacie, w debacie telewizyjnej złamane zostają typowe dla debaty konstruktywnej reguły i strategie, i zastąpione zostają zachowaniami typowymi dla konfliktu destruktywnego, takimi jak: brak otwartości na argumenty drugiej strony, nastawienie na pokonanie antagonisty, niechęć do szukania innych rozwiązań, jak tylko moja wygrana - twoja przegrana, działania nastawione na prowokację i podważanie wiarygodności partnera, przenoszenie ciężaru debaty ze sprawy na osobę, posługiwanie się argumentacją niemerytoryczną, niezgoda na konstruowanie wspólnego stanowiska. Taki wzorzec debaty telewizyjnej, która stała się pośpieszną, bezproduktywną prezentacją rozbieżnych stanowisk, nie prowadzącą do żadnych konkluzji, nastawioną najwyżej na obrażenie rozmówcy i dostarczenie widzowi krótkotrwałych emocji, buduje powszechne przekonania o niemożności dialogu i porozumienia w dyskursie publicznym i dominującym w nim antagonizmie.

Agonistic interactions elicit rapid changes in brain nonapeptide levels in zebrafish

The teleost fish nonapeptides, arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT), have been implicated in the regulation of social behavior. These peptides are expected to be involved in acute and transient changes in social context, in order to be efficient in modulating the expression of social behavior according to changes in the social environment. Here we tested the hypothesis that short-term social interactions are related to changes in the level of both nonapeptides across different brain regions. For this purpose we exposed male zebrafish to two types of social interactions: (1) real opponent interactions, from which a Winner and a Loser emerged; and (2) mirror-elicited interactions, that produced individuals that did not experience a change in social status despite expressing similar levels of aggressive behavior to those of participants in real-opponent fights. Non-interacting individuals were used as a reference group. Each social phenotype (i.e. Winners, Losers, Mirror-fighters) presented a specific brain profile of nonapeptides when compared to the reference group. Moreover, the comparison between the different social phenotypes allowed to address the specific aspects of the interaction (e.g. assessment of opponent aggressive behavior vs. self-assessment of expressed aggressive behavior) that are linked with neuropeptide responses. Overall, agonistic interactions seem to be more associated with the changes in brain AVT than IT, which highlights the preferential role of AVT in the regulation of aggressive behavior already described for other species.

Um enfermeiro presidente da República. Você sabia?

Descreve a vida de Samora Machel, um enfermeiro moçambicano, que liderou guerrilhas até obter a independência e criar a República de Moçambique. Narrar sua história de vida e seu papel na saúde de seu país, tem por objetivo mostrar que a política pode ser um meio para que outros enfermeiros, em outros países, possam também seguir por esse caminho para o beneficio de toda uma população e através do exercício da liderança, também contribuir para melhorar a saúde e as condições de vida das comunidades. Além de lutar contra o racismo, a discriminação, o analfabetismo, a pobreza e a seca durante mais de dez anos em seu governo, Samora Machel teve que lutar internamente contra forças políticas oponentes. De qualquer modo, ele se tornou um exemplo em seu país onde é reverenciado e venerado como herói nacional.

A busca visual da cor, como medida avaliadora do funcionamento do sistema visual: um estudo exploratório a propósito da objetividade da felicidade em crianças

Este estudo, procura explicar a modularidade da mente humana, como um conjunto de módulos, permitindo desta forma contribuir para o estudo das ciências cognitivas. Estes módulos da arquitetura mental, permitem que a nossa mente interprete a cor resultante do sistema visual e das longitudes de ondas do espetro eletromagnético refratado dos objetos. Tendo por base o estudo do sistema visual, as células sensíveis, designadas por fotorrecetores percorrem o nervo ótico até atingir o encéfalo, localizando-se aí o sistema percetivo, permitindo desta forma realizar o estudo sobre busca visual da cor, como medida avaliadora do funcionamento do sistema visual, um estudo exploratório a propósito da objetividade da felicidade em crianças, que visa explorar a busca visual disjuntiva da cor como medida objetiva do bom funcionamento mental, do bem-estar subjetivo, como construto da felicidade. A amostra foi constituída por um grupo de 49 crianças não institucionalizadas e por um grupo de 16 crianças institucionalizadas, de ambos os sexos. Para a concretização deste estudo, foi necessária a utilização de uma tarefa de busca visual disjuntiva, que utilizou as simetrias de cores pertencentes ao mesmo par oponente e cores pertencentes a diferentes pares oponentes. Os resultados sugerem que não há qualquer interferência da institucionalização no funcionamento mental, logo no bem-estar subjetivo nas crianças; ABSTRACT: This study seeks to explain the modularity of the human mind, as a set of modules, giving this way a contribution to the study of the cognitive sciences. These modules of the mental architecture, allow our mind to interpret the resulting color of the visual system and the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum refracted from the objects. Based on the study of our visual system, sensitive cells known as photoreceptors, which run along the optic nerve to the encephalon, being the perceptive system located there, allowing in this way to carry out the study on visual search of colour, as an assessment measure of the functioning of the visual system, an exploratory study concerning the objectivity of happiness in children, which aims to explore the disjunctive visual search of color as an objective measure of good mental functioning, of subjective well-being, as a construct of happiness. The sample consisted of a group of 49 non institutionalized children and of a group of 16 institutionalized children from both sexes. For the implementation of this study it was necessary to use a disjunctive visual search task, which used the Symmetry of colours belonging to the same opponent pair, and colours belonging to different opponent pairs. The results suggest that there is no interference from the institutionalization in mental functioning, therefore in the children’s subjective well being.

States' Responding Behavior in Conflict: Asymmetric Response and Strategic Conflict Avoidance

State responses to external threats and aggression are studied with focus on two different rationales: (1) to make credible deterrent threats to avoid being exploited, and (2) to minimize the risk of escalation to unwanted war. Given external aggression, the target state's responding behavior has three possibilities: concession (under-response), reciprocation, and escalation. This study focuses on the first two possibilities and investigates how the strategic nature of crisis interaction can explain the intentional choice of concession or avoidance of retaliation. I build a two-level bargaining model that accounts for the domestic bargaining situation between the leader and the challenger for each state. The model's equilibrium shows that the responding behavior is determined not only by inter-state level variables (e.g. balance of power between two states, or cost of war that each state is supposed to pay), but also the domestic variables of both states. Next, the strategic interaction is rationally explained by the model: as the responding state believes that the initiating state has strong domestic challenges and, hence, the aggression is believed to be initiated for domestic political purposes (a rally-around-the-flag effect), the response tends to decrease. The concession is also predicted if the target state leader has strong bargaining power against her domestic challengers \emph{and} she believes that the initiating leader suffers from weak domestic standing. To test the model's prediction, I conduct a lab experiment and case studies. The experimental result shows that under an incentivized bargaining situation, individual actors are observed to react to hostile action as the model predicts: if the opponent is believed to suffer from internally driven difficulties, the subject will not punish hostile behavior of the other player as severely as she would without such a belief. The experiment also provides supporting evidence for the choice of concession: when the player finds herself in a favorable situation while the other has disadvantages, the player is more likely to make concessions in the controlled dictator game. Two cases are examined to discuss how the model can explain the choice of either reciprocation or concession. From personal interviews and fieldwork in South Korea, I find that South Korea's reciprocating behavior during the 2010 Yeonpyeong Island incident is explained by a combination of `low domestic power of initiating leader (Kim Jong-il)' and `low domestic power of responding leader (Lee Myung-bak).' On the other hand, the case of EC-121 is understood as a non-response or concession outcome. Declassified documents show that Nixon and his key advisors interpreted the attack as a result of North Korea's domestic political instabilities (low domestic power of initiating leader) and that Nixon did not have difficulties at domestic politics during the first few months of his presidency (high domestic power of responding leader).

Effects of spoken cues on decision-making in netball: An eye movement study

Thirteen international netballers viewed static images of scenarios taken from netball open play. Two ‘team mates’, each marked by one opponent, could be seen in each image; each team mate-opponent pair was located on opposite sides of the vertical meridian, such that a binary response was required (‘left’ or ‘right’) from the participant, in order to select a team mate to whom they would pass the ball. For each trial, a spoken word (“left”/“right”) was presented monaurally at the onset of the visual image. Spatially invalid auditory cues (i.e., in the ear contralateral to the correct passing option), reduced performance accuracy relative to valid ones. Semantically invalid cues (e.g., a call of “left” when the target was right-located), increased response times relative to valid ones. However, there were no accompanying changes in visual attention to the team mates and their markers. The effects of auditory cues on covert attentional shifts and decision-making are discussed.