Дисертації з теми "62F99"

Cette thèse porte sur l'utilisation de méthodes de post-traitement statistiques dans le but d'améliorer les prévisions d'ensemble. Les prévisions d'ensemble sont des prévisions composées de différents membres dont la diversité tente de capturer l'incertitude liée à la prédiction. Les prévisions d'ensemble souffrent de biais et de sous-dispersion et un post-traitement est donc nécessaire afin d'améliorer leur performance. D'un point de vue théorique, cette thèse apporte des résultats sur le taux de convergence en régression distributionnelle en termes de continuous ranked probability score. De nombreuses méthodes de post-traitement statistiques établies tombent dans le cadre théorique de ce résultat. Par ailleurs, dans le cadre de la collaboration avec Météo-France, une méthode de post-traitement statistique basée sur un réseau de neurones U-Net a été développée afin de remédier aux limitations des méthodes utilisées opérationnellement lors de l'utilisation de données sous forme de grille. Cette thèse propose également la construction de scoring rules propres basées sur l'agrégation et la transformation afin de faciliter la vérification de prévisions probabilistes dans le cas multivarié.En parallèle de la thématique principale de cette thèse, des travaux portant sur la convergence universelle en régression distributionnelle et sur l'utilisation de méthodes de régression distributionnelle pour prédire le risque de récurrence de cancer du sein ont été conduits
This thesis focuses on the use of statistical postprocessing methods to improve ensemble forecasts. Ensemble forecasts are composed of different members whose diversity attempts to capture forecast uncertainties. Ensemble forecasts suffer from bias and underdispersion, and postprocessing is therefore necessary to improve their performance. From a theoretical point of view, this thesis provides rates of convergence for distributional regression in terms of continuous ranked probability score. Numerous well-established statistical post-processing methods fall within the theoretical framework of this result. Furthermore, in collaboration with Météo-France, a statistical postprocessing method based on a U-Net neural network has been developed to overcome the limitations of the methods used operationally when using gridded data. This thesis also proposes the construction of proper scoring rules based on aggregation and transformation to facilitate the verification of probabilistic forecasts in multivariate settings.In parallel with the main theme of this thesis, work has been carried out on universal convergence in distributional regression and on the use of distributional regression methods to predict breast cancer recurrence risk

Les algorithmes d'apprentissage automatique sont reconnus pour leurs performances impressionnantes sur de nombreuses tâches que l'on croyait dédiées à l'esprit humain, de la reconnaissance des chiffres manuscrits (LeCun et al. 1990) au pronostic du cancer (Kourou et al. 2015). Néanmoins, l'apprentissage automatique devenant de plus en plus omniprésent dans notre quotidien, il existe un besoin croissant de comprendre précisément leurs comportements et leurs limites.La théorie de l'apprentissage statistique est la branche de l'apprentissage automatique qui vise à fournir un formalisme de modélisation solide pour les problèmes d'inférence ainsi qu'une meilleure compréhension des propriétés statistiques des algorithmes d'apprentissage.Il est important de noter que la théorie de l'apprentissage statistique permet (i) de mieux comprendre les cas dans lesquels un algorithme fonctionne bien (ii) de quantifier les compromis inhérents à l'apprentissage pour des choix algorithmiques mieux informés (iii) de fournir des informations pour développer de nouveaux algorithmes qui finira par surpasser ceux existants ou s'attaquer à de nouvelles tâches. S'appuyant sur le cadre d'apprentissage statistique, cette thèse présente des contributions liées à trois problèmes d'apprentissage différents : l'apprentissage en ligne, l'apprentissage des modèles génératifs et, enfin, l'apprentissage équitable.Dans la configuration d'apprentissage en ligne - dans laquelle la taille de l'échantillon n'est pas connue à l'avance - nous fournissons des bornes de déviations (ou intervalles de confiance) uniformes dans la taille de l'échantillon dont la largeur a le taux donné dans la loi du logarithme itéré pour une classe générale de M-estimateurs convexes -- comprenant la moyenne, la médiane, les quantiles, les M-estimateurs de Huber.En ce qui concerne les modèles génératifs, nous proposons un cadre pratique pour étudier les modèles génératifs adversariaux (Goodfellow et al. 2014) d'un point de vue statistique afin d'évaluer l'impact d'une (éventuelle) faible dimensionnalité intrinsèque des données sur l'erreur du modèle génératif. Dans notre cadre, nous établissons des limites de risque non asymptotiques pour le minimiseur du risque empirique (MRE).Enfin, notre travail sur l'apprentissage équitable consiste en une large étude de la contrainte de parité démographique (DP en anglais), une contrainte populaire dans la littérature sur l'apprentissage équitable. La parité démographique contraint essentiellement les prédicteurs à traiter les groupes définis par un attribut sensible (par exemple, le sexe ou l'origine ethnique) pour qu'ils soient « traités de la même manière ». En particulier, nous proposons un cadre statistique minimax pour quantifier précisément le coût en risque d'introduire cette contrainte dans le cadre de la régression
Machine learning algorithms are celebrated for their impressive performance on many tasksthat we thought were dedicated to human minds, from handwritten digits recognition (LeCunet al. 1990) to cancer prognosis (Kourou et al. 2015). Nevertheless, as machine learning becomes more and more ubiquitous in our daily lives, there is a growing need for precisely understanding their behaviours and their limits.Statistical learning theory is the branch of machine learning which aims at providing a powerful modelling formalism for inference problems as well as a better understanding of the statistical properties of learning algorithms.Importantly, statistical learning theory allows one to (i) get a better understanding of the cases in which an algorithm performs well (ii) quantify trade-offs inherent to learning for better-informed algorithmic choices (iii) provide insights to develop new algorithms which will eventually outperform existing ones or tackle new tasks. Relying on the statistical learning framework, this thesis presents contributions related to three different learning problems: online learning, learning generative models and, finally, fair learning.In the online learning setup -- in which the sample size is not known in advance -- we provide general anytime deviation bounds (or confidence intervals) whose width has the rate given in the Law of Iterated Logarithm for a general class of convex M-estimators -- comprising the mean, the median, quantiles, Huber’s M-estimators.Regarding generative models, we propose a convenient framework for studying adversarial generative models (Goodfellow et al. 2014) from a statistical perspective to assess the impact of (eventual) low intrinsic dimensionality of the data on the error of the generative model. In our framework, we establish non-asymptotic risk bounds for the Empirical Risk Minimizer (ERM).Finally, our work on fair learning consists in a broad study of the Demographic Parity (DP) constraint, a popular constraint in the fair learning literature. DP essentially constrains predictors to treat groups defined by a sensitive attribute (e.g., gender or ethnicity) to be “treated the same”. In particular, we propose a statistical minimax framework to precisely quantify the cost in risk of introducing this constraint in the regression setting

The expansion in the cultivated area since the mid-1970s, and the eventual high demand for water, have taxed the groundwater resources of the Emirates to the limit. The annual groundwater abstraction by agriculture, based on average discharge measurements for the present study, is put at 2556 MCM/a. while the overall groundwater volume abstracted by all sectors is 3359 MCM/a; the total output from all the desalination plants at 300 MCM/a, and that from the wastewater recycling plants at 80 MCM/a. With the population for 1989 standing at .1.8 million, the per capita consumption is 2116 m( 3)/a, which is close to that for the United States of America (2300 m( 3)/a ).The water resource problem is common to all the Gulf Cooperation Council states. In the Emirates, as in all the neighbouring countries, the problem is embodied in the paradox of expansion in extensive agriculture despite the depleting groundwater resources. There is also the absence of a water policy, a plan or coherent water resource management. For the last aspect, there is a lack of indigenous expertise with the necessary knowledge to monitor water resources and guide their development. The 8-fold increase in the cultivated acreage from 12,894 ha. in 1973 to 96,704 ha. in 1988, the 10-fold increase in population from 179,100 in 1968 to 1,748,804 in 1988, the continuously stable high cost of food imports during the past decade of above 3.0 billion dirhams ($ US 0.8 billion) a year and the 22-fold increase in water consumption from 172 MCM/a in 1968 to 3659 MCM/a. in 1989, sum up the water resource problem of the Emirates. As a result, water-tables have been receding continuously, groundwater salinity rising both in inland and coastal aquifers, and the shallow fresh water aquifer in the Quaternary deposits has been depleted in many parts of the piedmont (gravel) plains. Given this critical state of the groundwater resources, the preclusive cost of desalinated water to its application to agriculture and the ill-advised outlets to which every possible water resource developed is put, an urgent rethinking of water policies and development is vital. Such rethinking should set water-related priorities right, should resist all temptations, for reasons of national security, to imports of foreign water, and should be within the context of well-intentioned efforts towards achieving food security, through specialized agriculture, as much as is naturally possible.

Outburst floods are one of the most catastrophic natural hazards for populations and infrastructure. They are usually generated from storm runoff, rapid melting of glacial ice or man-made and natural dam breaks, such as river dikes, volcanic debris dams and landslide damns etc. Such high-magnitude sudden onset floods generally comprise of an advancing intense kinematic water wave that can induce considerable sediment transport. Therefore, the exploration and investigation of sediment-laden outburst floods cannot be limited solely to water flow but must also include the flood-induced sediment transport. Understanding the complex flow-bed interaction process in large (field) scale outburst floods is still limited, not least due to a lack of well-constrained field data, but also because consensus on appropriate modelling schemes has yet to be decided. In recent years, attention has focussed on the numerical models capable of describing the process of erosion, transport and deposition in such flows and they are now at a point at which they provide useful quantitative data. Although the "exact" measure of bed change is still unattainable the numerical models enhance and improve insights into large outburst flood events. In order to model and better understand heavily sediment-laden flows and resulting geomorphic impacts, this thesis adopts a layer-based conceptual model which separates the system into an active bed layer, a water sediment mixed sheet flow layer and a suspension layer. Correspondingly, a layer-based hydro-morphodynamic model is proposed fully considering both bedload and suspended load based on shallow water theory. The model system is primarily composed of a combination of three modules: (1) a hydrodynamic module; (2) a sediment transport module; and (3) a morphological evolution module. In the thesis, firstly, a robust hydrodynamic model is proposed and tested including addressing the source terms and wetting/drying issues for application to irregular beds. Then based on the robust hydrodynamic model, a layer-based morphodynamic model is developed and solved numerically by an advanced second-order Godunov-type finite volume method. A series of theoretical and experimental tests are applied to validate the model in terms of both hydrodynamic and morphodynamic aspects. The results of these tests show that the developed models can predict the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic process effectively with good agreement with theoretical and experimental results. To demonstrate a real application, a full-scale volcano-induced jökulhlaup or glacial outburst flood (GLOF) at Sólheimajökull, Iceland is reproduced by the proposed model. The simulation of the sediment-laden outburst flood is shown to perform well, with further insights into the flow-bed interaction obtained from the modelling output. These results are beneficial to flood risk management and hazard prevention and mitigation.

Il tema relativo al potere di esternazione del Presidente di Assemblea parlamentare rappresenta un aspetto problematico del diritto costituzionale a causa delle sue diverse implicazioni nonché delle numerose intersezioni tra dato costituzionale e legislativo, dottrina e prassi configurando, dunque, un ambito di ricerca di indubbia rilevanza e attualità all’interno del dibattito costituzionalistico.È chiaro che l’analisi di tale problematica necessita dell’assunzione di un punto di vista che non potrà essere strettamente tecnico-giuridica, ma che necessariamente dovrà confrontarsi con elementi della prassi politico-costituzionale.
The issue related to the power of externalization of the Assembly's President represents a problematic aspect of constitutional law due to its different implications and the numerous intersections between constitutional and legislative fact as well, and also doctrine and praxis configuring, so, it is an environment of research made by an undoubtful relevance and actuality of the internal constitutionalist debate. It's clear that the analysis about this statement needs the assuming of a point of view which won't can be just strictly technical -juridical but also and necessarily will have to relate with the elements of the political-constitutional praxis.

Treatment-induced neuroendocrine (NE) prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer (PCa) that can arise as a consequence of rigorous androgen receptor pathway inhibition (ARPI) therapies now used to treat castration resistant disease (CRPC). While the PI3K/AKT pathway has been investigated as a co-therapeutic target with ARPI for advanced prostate adenocarcinoma, whether this strategy has implications on t-NEPC progression remains unknown. Findings from this work indicate that PI3K/AKT inhibition alone reduces protein expression of the RE-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) and induces multiple NE markers in PCa cells. The loss of REST by PI3K/AKT inhibition is through protein degradation mediated by the E3-ubiquitin ligase β-TRCP and REST phosphorylations at the S1024, S1027, and S1030 sites. Since AR inhibition was previously reported to deplete REST, results from this project reveal that the combined inhibition of PI3K/AKT and AR further aggravates REST protein reduction. Upon profiling the transcriptomes of AKT inhibition, AR inhibition, and AKT/AR co-inhibition in the LNCaP cell model, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) shows that these transcriptomes are highly correlated with the REST-regulated gene signature. Co-targeting AKT and AR resulted in an even higher correlation comparing to those of single treatment. Comparing these transcriptomes to the RNA-seq gene signature of t-NEPC patients by GSEA, it was observed that adding AKT inhibition to AR blockade enhanced the expression of neurogenesis-related genes and resulted in a stronger and broader upregulation of REST-regulated genes specific to t-NEPC. Collectively, these results indicate that AKT pathway inhibition can induce NE transdifferentiation in PCa cells via REST protein degradation. It delineates a potential risk for the AR and PI3K/AKT co-targeting strategy as it may further facilitate t-NEPC development.
Medicine, Faculty of
Experimental Medicine, Division of
Medicine, Department of
Graduate

Implantable fibre-optic probes are commonly used to measure the oxygen partial pressure (PO₂) within the haemolymph and tissues of insects, but they are highly invasive and traumatic. Furthermore, they can only measure the PO₂ of one spot of the insect’s body at a time. The objective of this thesis was to develop Fluorescent Implantable Elastomer Tags (FIETs) as an alternative to fibre-optic probes. These FIETs were characterized in terms of their uniformity in size, response to PO₂ and photodegradation. I assessed their viability for in vivo measurements by testing them in an autofluorescent system in situ. I constructed a microfluidic chip to produce the FIETs, and characterized their uniformity. To establish the FIETs response to PO2, they were exposed to oxygen (O₂) gas in nitrogen, ranging from 0 to 0.2 atm O₂. Holding the FIETs within steady-state environments of 0, 0.1 and 0.2 atm O2 and constantly illuminating them for 60 seconds with the excitation light source determined the degree of photodegradation. The FIETs were tested within an autofluorescent system by creating an O₂ gradient within a block of 0.5% (w/v) agar. My results indicate that 72% of the emulsions produced by the microfluidic chip are highly uniform when 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in water is used as the continuous phase. In comparison, only 55% of emulsions are highly uniform when 5% Kolliphor in water is used. FIET diameters ranged from 110 – 401 μm for 1% SDS and 67-120 μm for 5% Kolliphor. The FIETs exhibit a linear response to PO₂ (R²=0.963), which is improved when fluorescence is normalized to fluorescence in anoxia (R²=0.983). Photodegradation occurred over 60 seconds, causing a 31.6%, 6.1% and 359.7% drift in measured PO₂ within 0.2, 0.1 and 0.02 atm O₂ respectively. The FIETs were able to detect an O₂ gradient within 0.5% agar. These results suggest that the FIETs are a viable option for measuring O₂ in insects in vivo, although improvements can be made to the uniformity and photostability of the FIETS. Future work should focus on the FIETs response to confounding factors such as temperature.
Science, Faculty of
Zoology, Department of
Graduate

For decades, Canadian multiculturalism policy has promoted a vision of integration in which all people have the right to practice and maintain their culture of origin while at the same time helping to build a diverse nation. Critics, however, argue that the policy tends to essentialize cultural identity and serves only to “manage” diversity. On a smaller scale, schools are a primary site for integration and identity negotiation for young people in Canada. In British Columbia, multicultural curricula in secondary schools aims to celebrate the contributions to society of “other” cultures, as well as acknowledge Canada’s racist past. Critical questions of privilege, power, and oppression are often left out of this discussion, and scholars have rightly asked whether multicultural education is able to address systemic racism and inequities. This research contributes to our comprehension of how and to what extent multicultural education in schools affects interactions among peers from many different ethnocultural backgrounds. I interviewed 30 students enrolled in a Grade 11 Social Studies course at a secondary school in Abbotsford, British Columbia to ask them how the process of multicultural integration materializes in their everyday lived experiences of identity formation, sense of belonging, and peer interaction. I find that students’ lived realities of multiculturalism, racialization, privilege, and oppression, both intersect with and diverge from the British Columbia Social Studies curricula. Their embodied experiences are far more complex than any simple definition or stated aim of multicultural education. These findings justify the implementation of critical multicultural education in schools, which might welcome students’ lived realities into discussions of multiculturalism and racialization, thus bringing the hidden curriculum to light.
Arts, Faculty of
Geography, Department of
Graduate

Vaportrail is a privacy-preserving platform for personal data and applications. It allows users to archive their personal data and safely expose it to untrusted third- party applications. As a trusted hub for data sources like email, social updates, location data, and health metrics it enables new types of applications that com- bine several sensitive personal data streams. Through carefully designed isolation mechanisms, the platform prevents applications from exfiltrating data and unbur- dens developers of the fiduciary responsibility associated with handling personal data. Vaportrail provides an open package format and APIs for building service connectors that ingest data from external services, as well as a robust browser- based sandbox that mediates application access to sensitive data.
Science, Faculty of
Computer Science, Department of
Graduate

The toga dramas of late nineteenth-century British actor-manager Wilson Barrett provide important evidence on the relationship between the Classics and Victorian theater. In his depictions of ancient Rome, Barrett married the popularity of melodrama with the passion for classical antiquity, reflecting changes in the Victorian social world at the end of the nineteenth century: the increasing prominence of melodrama and the blurring of artistic genres; the increasing accessibility of classical knowledge; and obsessions with historicity. Drawing on scripts, contemporary reviews, and photographs, I investigate the ways in which Barrett’s work navigates the existing social scene in both theater and society at large. By exploring the splendor of Victorian melodrama, the British tastes for the Classics, and the relationship between authenticity and theatricality, this thesis uses Wilson Barrett’s work to demonstrate important features of both Victorian theater and society at large at the end of the nineteenth century.
Arts, Faculty of
Theatre and Film, Department of
Graduate

Purpose: The primary purpose for this research was to evaluate the quality of psycholegal reports, and the qualification of the authors. Previous research had revealed generalised poor practices in psycholegal report writing and the authors seemed unqualified as expert witness. This negatively influenced the impression and usefulness of expert psychological opinion in South African courts. The secondary purpose was to compare the results to those determined by Ireland (2012), which was a useful benchmark study in the UK as her findings corresponded with the literature. Method: This archival research analysed a hand-search sample of 20 reports written by 20 psychologists based nationally. These reports were submitted as expert opinion in civil proceedings in the Grahamstown Division of the Eastern Cape High Court between 2011 and 2016. Ireland and Pinschof’s (2009) measure ‘Quality Rating Scale’ was adapted for a South African context and used to evaluate quantitatively the reports. Focus was on the reports’ contents (fact and opinion), methods, process and overall rating, and the qualification of the authors. Results: Overall, two-thirds of the reports were rated as ‘good’ and ‘very good’. The results were generally more positive than Ireland’s (2012) findings. However, there were practices in the report writing that were deemed detrimental to the quality of the expert’s opinion. This included vague referral questions and unclear basis for concluding opinions and diagnosis. There was also a lack of discussions surrounding the scientific trustworthiness of testing methods and absent ethical considerations. Lastly, the specialised expertise of the experts was not adequately documented. Conclusion: The findings painted a more positive picture of psycholegal reporting in South Africa than illustrated in previous research, which seemingly relied on anecdotes and subjective surveys. This study used a systematic and objective measure. The findings of this study, previous research and ethical Rules of Conduct were used to consider recommendations for psycholegal report writing, and the improvement of the field of psycholegal work. Lastly, the focus of future research was discussed.

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-89).
The purpose of this thesis is to help Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (VSEA) to smooth the production and reduce the manufacturing cost. Without an efficient way to track on its high-value components, VSEA thereby spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to respond to customers' fraudulent claims and adds extra burdens to manufacturing teams. RFID system is introduced to improve the traceability of high-value components. By physically applying a RFID tag on a component and associating the tag with necessary information of the component, VSEA is able to avoid accepting a fraudulent claim by providing reliable and accurate record for a particular component. After testing different types of RFID tags and various checking system setups, the RFID system is verified feasible to be implemented in the high-value component tracking. Specially, a guideline of tag placements on different components is generated for reference in further implementation.
by Rui Jia.
M.Eng.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
The ability to walk is important for independent living and when this capacity is affected by injury, gait therapy is the traditional approach to re-train the nervous system, to re-build muscle strength, to improve balance, and to re-train kinematics in order to reduce the stresses applied to bones and muscles. The importance of this problem is illustrated by the approximately 5.8 million stroke survivors alive in the US today and an estimated 700,000 strokes occurring each year. In fact, for stroke survivors with mild to moderate impairment, only 37% regain the ability to walk within one week post-stroke and 73% fall within the first six months. Falls are a leading cause of injury among Americans over 65 years old with over one third of this population experiencing a fall each year and an unsteady gait increases this risk. This growing population will require gait therapy. This thesis presents the design, development, fabrication, and proof-of-concept testing for a novel device to deliver gait therapy. While robotic devices exist, none of them take advantage of the concept of passive walkers and most focus on reproducing gait kinematics for impaired patients. Yet research has found that appropriate neural input is an important factor in efficacious therapy. For gait, this input would be the collision between the foot and the ground at heel-strike. The goal of this novel device is to allow patients to begin gait therapy before they are able to independently walk overground while maximizing the amount interface driven neural input during stepping in a safe environment.
by Caitlyn Joyce Bosecker.
S.M.

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2010.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-36).
Based on extracellular field recordings and stimulations at the Schaeffer collateral-CA1 synapse, the synaptic tagging and capture (STC) model has hypothesized that at synapses that express any form of LTP and LTD (long-term potentiation and depression, respectively) are tagged in a protein synthesis-independent manner, the induction of LLTP/ L-LTD leads to protein synthesis, and all tagged synapses can use the resulting plasticity-related products to express L-LTP/L-LTD. Several models have hypothesized that STC works through somatically synthesized plasticity-related protein products available to synapses throughout the neuron, suggesting that, at the single neuronal level, memory engrams are formed at synapses throughout the dendritic arbor. However, the Clustered Plasticity Hypothesis suggests that neurons store long-term memory engrams at synapses that tend to be spatially clustered within dendritic branches, as opposed to dispersed throughout the dendritic arbor. This hypothesis suggests that the dendritic branch, as opposed to the synapse, is the primary unit for long-term memory storage. Evidence for this hypothesis has come from studies of LTP, however, and there is no such data for LTD. This thesis establishes a single-synapse marker for LTD, namely spine length changes, that can be used to study the role of LTD and dendritic branch-specific plasticity.
by Alexander J. Murphy.
S.B.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 2010.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
This thesis consists of three essays that examine household responses to state unemployment insurance (UI) generosity across spells of unemployment, with a particular emphasis on the role of liquidity constraints. Enacted in 1986, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provides limited portability of employer-sponsored health insurance coverage amongst job separators. Separated workers are eligible to maintain their employer-sponsored health coverage at the point of separation for a period of typically 18 months, though are obligated to pay 102 percent of the full employer premium. The substantial cost to maintain continuation coverage relative to transitory income poses a potential barrier for the unemployed. Using Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) panels spanning 1990-2003, Chapter One re-evaluates existing evidence of UI adequacy and the limited effectiveness of continuation of coverage mandates by assessing the role of UI in maintaining private health insurance coverage across employment status. I first establish the magnitude of the loss of private health insurance coverage associated with unemployment, separating the issue of duration dependence. I find that private coverage falls by approximately 19 percentage points, or 26 percent of pre-separation levels, across employment status. Exploiting plausibly exogenous spatial and temporal variation in UI generosity, I then employ a simulated instruments approach to estimate the effect of UI generosity on private health insurance coverage amongst the unemployed. I find that a 10 percentage points increase in the UI replacement rate increases private coverage amongst the unemployed by 3.0 percentage points, and that a $100 increase in weekly UI benefits increases private coverage amongst the unemployed by 7.6 percentage points. Although imprecise, these results imply that current UI generosity mitigates the loss of private health insurance coverage by roughly 41 to 44 percent. Stratification across proxies for liquidity constraint and consumption commitment reveals suggestive evidence of an associated liquidity effect. The policy response to shortfalls in insurance coverage for job separators has been to enact continuation of coverage mandates, which allow job leavers to continue their employer-sponsored coverage without the typical direct cost subsidization provided to active employees. For the unemployed, this cost is incurred during a period of low transitory income, suggesting a plausibly important role for liquidity constraints in limiting take-up of continuation benefits. Incorporating SIPP panels spanning 1983-2003, Chapter Two first evaluates the effectiveness of continuation of coverage mandates in mitigating the fall in private health insurance coverage across spells of unemployment, identified by variation in state mandates and implementation of mandated federal coverage through COBRA. These results imply that 12 months of continuation of coverage eligibility mitigates the fall in private coverage amongst the unemployed with employer-sponsored health coverage prior to separation by approximately 18 percent. Exploiting plausibly exogenous spatial and temporal variation in state UI benefits across the reference period, I then employ a simulated instruments approach to estimate the heterogeneous effect of continuation of coverage mandates across levels of transitory income. These results are consistent with the notion of excess sensitivity to cash-in-hand. Absent state UI, mandate eligibility mitigates only 6 percent of the fall in private coverage. Yet for every $100 in eligible weekly UI benefits, private coverage is increased for mandate-eligible separators by 10 percentage points relative to mandate-ineligible separators. Policy makers must comprehensively address both access to group insurance markets as well as ability to pay for constrained households. Chapter Three re-evaluates existing evidence of a spousal labor supply response to state UI generosity. Although Chetty (2008) documents an associated liquidity effect in the response of unemployment spell duration to UI generosity, there has been no comparable work investigating the importance of liquidity constraints in explaining the crowd-out of spousal labor supply by eligible UI benefits of the household's primary earner. Across such periods of low transitory income of the primary earner, the spousal labor supply of liquidity constrained households plausibly exhibits greater responsiveness to eligible UI benefits. Yet the spousal labor supply response to UI generosity is composed of both an indirect effect, driven by eligible UI benefits of the unemployed primary earner, and a direct effect, driven by own-eligibility of the spouse. The longitudinal nature of the SIPP allows for identification of UI-ineligible spouses, and corresponding sample restrictions purge estimates of the confounding direct effect of UI. Employing a simulated instruments approach that exploits variation within-states across the reference period 1983-2003, I find that each eligible dollar in UI benefits crowds-out spousal earnings by 33 cents across the unemployment spell of the household's primary earner. Despite the sizeable estimate of crowd-out, the predicted increase in spousal earnings absent UI would offset only 13 percent of the lost wages of the unemployed primary earner. Stratification across proxies for liquidity constraint and fixed consumption commitment yields suggestive evidence of an associated liquidity effect. In terms of average spousal earnings, couples proxied as liquidity unconstrained through consideration of net liquid wealth are only 26 percent as responsive to eligible UI benefits of the primary earner relative to couples proxied as liquidity constrained. These results rationalize of the large crowd-out estimates of Cullen and Gruber (2000).
by David Walton Brown.
Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1991.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-258).
This thesis is about architecture that uses earth as the prime· building material in the context of rural Bangladesh. In extreme environmental conditions of annual floods, rain and atmospheric humidity, the use of earth, the most readily available building material, faces serious constraints. Yet examples of earthen architecture abound there. Other parts of the world endowed with similar climatic and socio-economic conditions also yield interesting examples of such architecture. The advent of imported, industrial building products has disrupted the long-standing indigenous building traditions. New social, cultural, economic and environmental conditions necessitate the upgrading of local building techniques. In recent years, much work and research has been conducted to develop improved techniques of building with earth. Not all the improvised methods can be applied in the context of rural Bangladesh, yet some do indicate potentials for application. Methods of evaluating such applicable techniques, and of formulating design guidelines and principles for using them in rural Bangladesh form the main subject matter of the thesis.
by Khondkar Iftekhar Ahmed.
M.S.

El proyecto desarrollado permite obtener información de dispositivos externos (sensores principalmente, tales como: humedad, temperatura, presión, radiación solar, movimiento, etc.) conectados a los puertos de un microcontrolador, para después procesarla internamente y enviarla a través de una red local o Internet a un navegador dentro de algún dispositivo ubicado en un sitio remoto.

Queratinases (E.C. 3.4.21/24/99.11) são um grupo de enzimas proteolíticas que catalisam a hidrólise da queratina. A linhagem queratinolítica Chryseobacterium sp. kr6 apresenta elevada produção de queratinases extracelulares, demonstrando potencial para bioconversão de substratos constituídos por queratina. O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo purificar e imobilizar uma queratinase produzida pelo Chryseobacterium sp. kr6. As condições ótimas para a atividade proteolítica da queratinase foram estabelecidas com o auxílo das ferramentas estatísticas de planejamento experimental e superfície de resposta. Os resultados demonstraram que tais condições foram atingidas ao utilizar pH na faixa de 7,4 a 9,2, 35°C a 50°C e concentração de NaCl de 50 a 340 mmol L-1. A especificidade da queratinase frente a diferentes substratos também foi investigada, indicando a preferência da enzima por resíduos hidrofóbicos ou positivamente carregados. A completa purificação da queratinase envolveu a precipitação com sulfato de amônio, cromatografias de permeação em gel e troca aniônica. A amostra obtida após as referidas etapas apresentou um fator de purificação de 40,2 vezes e atividade específica de 21.466 U mg-1 de proteína. A massa molecular da enzima, determinada por SDS-PAGE, foi, de aproximadamente, 20 kDa. Os parâmetros cinéticos e termodinâmicos para a inativação térmica da queratinase, sob diferentes condições, foram estimados. A partir dos resultados obtidos, observou-se que a presença de cálcio aumenta significativamente a estabilidade térmica da enzima. Comparando com as amostras controles, o tempo de meia vida da enzima purificada na presença de Ca2+ aumentou 7,3, 20,2 e 9,8 vezes, a 50°C, 55°C e 60ºC, respectivamente. A atividade enzimática foi significativamente inibida na presença de EDTA e 1,10-fenantrolina, sugerindo se tratar de uma metaloprotease. O desenvolvimento de um suporte a base de quitosana para a imobilização covalente da queratinase purificada foi investigado. Para isso, foram avaliados os efeitos de diferentes concentrações de glutaraldeído e tempo de contato deste com as esferas de quitosana, sobre o percentual de imobilização da enzima. Os melhores resultados obtidos para a imobilização da queratinase ao suporte foram ao utilizar concentração de glutaraldeído na faixa de 34 a 56 g L-1 e um período de ativação das esferas na faixa de 6 a 10 h. Sob tais condições, obteve-se 80% de imobilização da enzima. A partir das condições ótimas para a imobilização da enzima ao suporte, apontadas pela metodologia de superfície de resposta, estimou-se a capacidade de carga máxima do suporte, sendo esta de 58,8 U g-1. A enzima imobilizada apresentou maior estabilidade térmica quando comparada com a forma livre, além de reter 63,4% da atividade enzimática inicial após cinco reutilizações.
Keratinases (E.C. 3.4.21/24/99.11) are a group of proteolytic enzymes that are able to catalize the keratin hydrolysis. The keratinolytic Chryseobacterium sp. kr6 strain shows high extracellular keratinases production, suggesting potential for bioconversion of keratinous substrates. The present work had as main objective to purify and immobilize a keratinase from Chryseobacterium sp. kr6. The optimal conditions for proteolytic activity were established with aid of experimental design and response surface methodology. The results demonstrated that the best conditions were at pH range of 7.4 to 9.2, 35°C to 50°C and NaCl concentration from 50 to 340 mmol L-1. Keratinase specificity for various substrates also was investigated, suggesting that the enzyme had preference for hydrophobic and positively charged residues. The keratinase purification involved precipitation with ammonium sulphate and chromatographic techniques of gel permeation and anionic exchange. The final sample obtained after the purification steps presents a purification factor of 40.2-fold and specific activity of 21,466 U mg-1 of protein. The molecular weight of the enzyme, determined by SDS-PAGE, was around 20 kDa. The kinetics and thermodynamics parameters for thermal keratinase inactivation, under different conditions, were estimated. From results, it was possible to observe that the calcium affect significantly the thermal stability of the enzyme. Comparing with the control samples, the half-life time of the purified enzyme with calcium increased about 7.3, 20.2 and 9.8-fold, at 50°C, 55°C and 60°C, respectively. The enzyme activity was significantly inhibited in the presence of EDTA and 1,10- phenanthroline, suggesting that the enzyme belongs to metalloprotease group. The developing of a chitosan support for covalent immobilization of the purified keratinase was investigated. The effects of different glutaraldehyde concentrations, as well as, the activation time required for the chitosan beads on the enzyme immobilization were investigated. The optimal conditions for enzyme immobilization were at glutaraldehyde concentration ranging from 34 to 56 g L-1 and activation time of 6 to 10 h. Under these conditions, above 80% of added enzyme was covalently immobilized on the support. From the best conditions, indicated by response surface methodology, the load capacity of the macrospheres was estimated, being of 58.8 U g-1. The immobilized enzyme presented higher thermal stability when compared with free one, besides it retained 63,4% of the initial enzyme activity after five cicles of reuse.

The stress-strain distribution in flexural compression has been at the forefront of investigation ever since the 20th century. The original formulation of the flexural stress-strain distribution and the subsequent development of the stress block parameters, were based on specimens with a 127 x 203 mm (4 x 8 in.) cross section. The design of reinforced concrete flexural and flexural compression members at the Ultimate Limit State is based on the equilibrium of forces and moments obtained by using these stress block parameters. The calculation procedure entails the determination of the neutral axis depth, which varies depending on the magnitude of the applied action and the section dimensions. If the load action is small, the internal bending moment can be equilibrated with a reduced neutral axis depth, however, current design models do not consider the influence of a reduction in neutral axis depth (specimen size) on the stress block parameters, possibly resulting in an underestimation of the flexural compression capacity. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of specimen size and compressive strength on the stress block parameters of concrete by testing twenty-seven plain concrete specimens in flexural compression. Nine specimens were tested for each specimen size (50 mm, 100 mm, and 200 mm), three for each of the cylinder target strengths of 40 MPa, 65 MPa, and 80 MPa. The stress block parameters, obtained from the stress-strain curves, were compared to the data obtained by previous researchers, and the influence of specimen size on the stress block parameters evaluated for the different concrete strengths. Along with the size effect in flexural compression, the size effect for cubes and cylinders were also evaluated, and the associated cylinder strength used to eliminate the size effect of the stress block parameters. A comparison of the error between the predicted Moment-Axial force (M-N) interaction diagram, obtained by using the BS 8110-1 (1997), SANS 0100-1 (2000), ACI-318 (2014), and EN 1992-1-1 (2004) codes, and the actual M-N interaction diagram, obtained from the experimental points, were made, and conclusions regarding their applicability for the design of concrete containing South African materials drawn. Lastly, the flexural stress-strain behaviour was modelled, and a comparison made between the calculated and actual stress block parameters.
Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Civil Engineering
MEng
Unrestricted

This dissertation explores the impact of malaria on Foundation Phase learners and educators in Vhembe. Malaria is prevalent in three South African provinces, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The Limpopo province has the highest number of malaria cases. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, in South Africa the An.merus and An. arabiensis, with the latter being the primary vectors. Continuous exposure to malaria infections will impact the academic performance of children. Especially in those communities where socio-economic issues, such as poverty, inadequate housing and unemployment exist, as well as weak public healthcare systems. This study was situated in an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach, using a case study, was followed. Data was collected by conducting interviews with principals and educators. The results indicated that principals and educators believed that parents were the most knowledgeable about malaria. There was consensus that the Department of Health promoted malaria awareness and the local clinic was the first point of contact for treatment. Schools were not involved in malaria education, except for accommodating annual healthcare visits. The empirical research findings provide evidence to show that teaching and learning continues at schools even when learners or educators are absent. Parents were responsible for the care of their children as well as for ‘catchup’ lessons. Collaboration between the Limpopo Department of Health, the Department of Basic Education officials, principals, educators, parents, and healthcare workers must be strengthened. Existing curriculum topics should be used to further advance malaria awareness. The lack of internet connectivity, efficient public transport and bad roads present a major challenge for the community in accessing healthcare services.
Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Early Childhood Education
MEd
Unrestricted

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2010.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-91).
Biology implements fundamental principles that allow for attractive mechanical properties, as observed in biomineralized structures. For example, diatom algae contain nanoporous hierarchical silicified shells that provide mechanical defense from predators and virus penetration. These shells generally have a morphology resembling honeycombs within honeycombs, meshes, or corrugated folds, and are surprisingly tough when compared to bulk silica, which is one of the most brittle materials known. However, the reason for the enhanced mechanical properties has remained elusive. Here, it is proposed that one reason for the superior mechanical properties lies in the geometric arrangement, size, and shape of the structures. By carrying out a series of molecular dynamics simulations with the first principles based reactive force field ReaxFF, it is shown that when concurrent mechanisms occur, such as shearing and crack arrest, toughness is optimally enhanced. This occurs, for example, when structures encompass two nanoscale levels of hierarchy: an array of thin walled foil silica structures, and a hierarchical arrangement of foil elements into a porous silica mesh structure. For wavy silica, unfolding mechanisms are achieved for increasing amplitude, and allow for greater ductility. Furthermore, these deformation mechanisms are governed by the size and shape of the structure. The ability to transform multiple mechanical properties, such as toughness, strength, and ductility, is extremely important when looking into future applications of nanoscale materials. Altering the mechanical properties of one of the most brittle and abundant minerals on earth, silica, allows a new window of opportunity for humanity to create applications and reinvent materials once thought to be impossible. The transferability of the concept allowing for massive transformation of mechanical responses, such as brittle to ductile or weak to tough, through geometric alterations at the nanoscale, is a profound discovery that may unleash a new paradigm in the way materials are designed.
by Andre Phillipe Garcia.
S.M.

[EN] Current agriculture, increasingly subject to environmental restrictions and reduced economic margin, calls for a greater rationalization of the cultivation methods used. These factor have a special interest in the crop of loquat because this crop have not rational criteria of fertilization that enable the realization of adjusted contributions of nutrients for optimal production and quality of the fruit. This production must be economical and environmentally sustainable. The aim of this work is to establish a protocol of nutritional diagnosis in the crop of Japanese loquat (type of leaf, time of sampling and foliar concentration of macro and micronutrient reference levels). This protocol allow for diagnose the nutritive state of the plant. On the other hand, this study delves into the knowledge of the dynamics of nitrogen, using isotope dilution technique (15N), which allows to adjust the contribution of nitrogen fertilizers to the needs of the crop. The studies for the establishment of nutritional diagnosis were held in forty plots of reference, with optimal production and quality of the fruit in adult plants of loquat grafted with the Algerie variety on ungrafted. The nitrogen dynamics tests were performed in the experimental plot of the Cooperativa Ruchey in Callosa d'En Sarrià (Alicante, Spain) with plant of the same variety in production. The results obtained have established a nutritional diagnosis protocol for Japanese loquat. For foliar sampling is set as reference, the third leaf from the base of the budding of spring (139 state scale phenological BBCH, first fully expanded leaves). These leaves were sampled in August and September. Also, the foliar benchmark indices were obtained for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B and Na, which diagnosing the nutritional status of the plant as deficient, low, optimum, high or over in Japanese loquat. This parameter establishes rational criteria of fertilization. The fertilizer brought before sprouting of spring is font of nitrogen for the summer leaves and skeleton panicle. The fertilizer brought before summer sprouting and later of the blooming is who primarily contribute to the development of the fruit and its maturation. The foliar application of urea is a tool to supplement the foliar concentration of the nitrogen in leaves and fruits. For this motive, the planning is very important. The most suitable time for applying foliar urea are at beginning or the sprouting of summer and the studded fruit. Finally, the relative contribution from nitrogen is decisive for the development of the news organs. Therefore, it would be of interest to consider reducing fertilizer early contributions, provide that the nutritional status of the plant is adequate to sustain, higher, the development of these.
[ES] La actual agricultura, con márgenes económicos cada vez más reducidos y sujeta a restricciones medioambientales, exige una mayor racionalización de las técnicas de cultivo empleadas. Estos factores cobran especial interés en el cultivo del níspero japonés, ya que se carece, entre otros, de criterios racionales de fertilización que permitan la realización de aportes ajustados de nutrientes para una óptima producción y calidad del fruto de forma económica y medioambientalmente sostenible. El objetivo del presente trabajo es establecer, en primer lugar, un protocolo de diagnóstico nutricional en el cultivo del níspero japonés (tipo de hoja, momento de muestreo y niveles de referencia de concentración foliar de macro y micronutrientes), que permitirán diagnosticar el estado nutritivo de la plantación En un segundo término, se ahondará en el conocimiento de la dinámica del nitrógeno, mediante el uso de la técnica de dilución isotópica (15N), que permitirá ajustar el aporte de los fertilizantes nitrogenados a las necesidades del cultivo. Los estudios para el establecimiento del protocolo de diagnóstico nutricional se llevaron a cabo en 40 parcelas de referencia, con óptima producción y calidad del fruto, con plantas adultas de níspero injertado con la variedad Algerie sobre pie franco. Los ensayos de la dinámica del nitrógeno marcado se realizaron en la parcela experimental de la Cooperativa Ruchey en Callosa d'en Sarriá de la misma variedad en plena producción y al aire libre. Con los resultados obtenidos se ha desarrollado un protocolo de diagnóstico nutricional en el níspero japonés. Para el muestreo foliar se establece como hoja de referencia, la tercera hoja desde la base de la brotación de primavera, de 3 a 4 meses de edad (estado 139 en la escala fenológica BBCH, primeras hojas completamente expandidas) muestreada durante los meses de agosto y septiembre. Asimismo, se han obtenido los índices foliares de referencia para N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B y Na, que permitirán diagnosticar el estado nutricional del arbolado como deficiente, bajo, óptimo, alto o excesivo en níspero japonés, y por tanto establecer criterios racionales de fertilización. El fertilizante aportado antes de la brotación de primavera se incorpora mayoritariamente a las hojas de la brotación de primavera, que actúan como fuente de N para las hojas de la brotación de verano y el esqueleto de la panícula. Y los realizados con anterioridad de la brotación de verano y posteriormente en floración son los que contribuyen fundamentalmente al desarrollo del fruto y su maduración. La aplicación foliar de urea constituye una herramienta para suplementar la concentración foliar y en el fruto de N en el níspero japonés y, por tanto, la planificación del momento del ciclo en el que se realiza el aporte foliar es muy importante. Los momentos más indicados para la aplicación de urea foliar en el ciclo de cultivo del níspero japonés son al inicio de la brotación de verano y en el cuajado del fruto. Por último, la contribución relativa del N procedente de las reservas es determinante para el desarrollo de los nuevos órganos. Por ello, sería de interés considerar reducir los aportes tempranos de fertilizante, siempre y cuando el estado nutricional de la planta sea el adecuado para sustentar, en mayor proporción, el desarrollo de estos.
[CAT] L'actual agricultura , amb marges econòmics cada vegada més reduïts i subjecta a restriccions mediambientals , exigeix una major racionalització de les tècniques de cultiu emprades. Aquests factors cobren especial interès en el cultiu del nispro japonès , ja que manca , entre altres , de criteris racionals de fertilització que permet la realització d'aportacions ajustades de nutrients per a una òptima producció i qualitat del fruit de forma econòmica i mediambiental sostenible. El objectiu del present treball és establir , en primer lloc , un protocol de diagnòstic nutricional en el cultiu del nispro japonès ( tipus de fulla , moment de la mostra i nivells de referència de concentració foliar de macro i micronutrients ), que permetran diagnosticar l'estat nutritiu de la plantació. En un segon lloc , s'aprofundirà en el coneixement de la dinàmica del nitrogen , mitjançant l'ús de la tècnica de dilució isotòpica (15 N), que permetrà ajustar l'aportació dels fertilitzants nitrogenats a les necessitats del cultiu. Els estudis per a l'establiment del protocol de diagnòstic nutricional es va portar a terme en 40 parcel·les de referència, amb òptima producció i qualitat del fruit , amb plantes adultes de nispro empeltada amb la varietat Algerie sobre peu franc . Els assajos de la dinàmica del nitrogen marcat es van realitzar en la parcel·la experimental de la Cooperativa Ruchey en Callosa d'en Sarrià de la mateixa varietat en plena producció i a l'aire lliure. Amb els resultats obtinguts s'ha desenvolupat un protocol de diagnòstic nutricional en el nispro japonès. Per al mostreig foliar s'estableix com a fulla de referència, la tercera fulla des de la base del brotació de primavera , de 3 a 4 mesos d'edat ( estat 139 en la escala fenològica BBCH, primeres fulles completament expandides) mostrejada durant els mesos d'agost i setembre. Així mateix, s'han obtingut els índexs foliars de referència per a N, P , K , CA , Mg, S, Fe, Zn , Mn, Cu, B i Na, que permetran diagnosticar l'estat nutricional de l'arborat com a deficient, baix , òptim, alta o excessiu en nispro japonès, i per tanta establir criteris racionals de fertilització. El fertilitzant aportat abans de la brotació de primavera s'incorpora majoritàriament a les fulles de la brotació de primavera , que actuen com a font de N per a les fulles de brotació d'estiu i posteriorment en floració són els que contribueixen fonamentalment al desenvolupament del fruit i la seua maduració. L'aplicació foliar d'urea constitueix una eina per suplementar la concentració foliar i en el fruit de N en el nispro japonès i, per tant, la planificació del moment del cicle en el qual es realitza l'aportació foliar és molt important. Els moments més indicats per a l'aplicació d'urea foliar en el cicle de cultiu del nispro japonès són a l'inici de la brotació d'estiu i en el quallat del fruit. Finalment, la contribució relativa del N procedent de les reserves és determinant per al desenvolupament de nous òrgans. Per això , seria d'interès considerar reduir les aportacions primerenques de fertilitzants , sempre i quant l'estat nutricional de la planta siga l'adequat per sustentar , en major proporció , el desenvolupament d'aquests.
Soler López, E. (2016). Establecimiento de criterios para la fertilización racional del Níspero Japonés (Eriobotrya japónica Lindl.) [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/62199
TESIS

Les coves – finestra valencianes són grups de cavitats artificials, excavades en meitat de cingles rocosos inaccessibles. Denominades igualment “magasins o greniers de falaise”, cuevas aéreas, “cuevas - ventana”, o “graneros acantilados”, en altres árees geogràfiques on també s’han detectat, amb gran diversitat tipològica, en el nostre ambit solen rebre popularment el nom de covetes o finestres dels moros, essent l’exemple més relevant i conegut, el grup denominat precisament: Les Covetes dels Moros de Bocairent. Segons la hipòtesi de treball que manejem, la seua funció bàsica seria la de graners – refugi i la seua cronologia medieval andalusina. Malgrat açò, que hem vingut defensant en alguns articles i treballs anteriors, encara es discuteixen altres hipòtesis sobre la seua funció i cronologia, adscrivint-les a periodes protohistòrics, amb ús de cambres funeràries, o a època paleocristiana o visigoda, amb funció eremítica o de cenobis. És per això que un dels principals objectius d’aquest treball ha estat el tractar de demostrar objectivament l’adscripció cultural i cronològica, almenys de l’ús primigeni o original d’aquest tipus de coves. Així mateix es discuteix sobre la seua funcionalitat, en base a les seues pròpies característiques morfològiques i a possibles paral·lels etnogràfics tradicional o subactuals d’alguns aspectes concrets. En no conèixer’s documentació escrita ni pràcticament tampoc inscripcions o gravats, en relació a d’aquesta mena de cavitats, l’estudi s’ha basat en les evidències arqueològiques mobiliars, sempre molt escasses, i que es van poder obtindre en diferents treballs de camp, prospeccions i excavacions arqueològiques realitzades en algunes d’aquestes coves. Per al nostre àmbit d’estudi, bàsicament l’àrea valenciana, encara que comptem amb cites o notes sobre alguns d’eixos conjunts rupestres –sobretot dels de Bocairent/ Ontinyent/ Alfafara o, també, Chella, que ens ha deixat diversos viatgers, cronistes o estudiosos, en diferents moments, almenys des de finals del segle XVIII, tanmateix a banda d’aquests precedents, de valor desigual però sempre breus i superficials, en general comptem amb poques aproximacions de cert rigor i profunditats, descollant en qualsevol cas, el treball de González Simancas, precisament sobre els grups de la capçalera del riu d’Ontinyent, o Alto Clariano, i això a pesar del segle transcorregut des de que va ser publicat (1918), essent molt poques les aportacions posteriors, i encara d’escassa entitat. En altres àmbits peninsulars sí que s’han realitzat estudis recents sobre cavitats en principi similars, descollant els treballs de Maryelle Bertrand en Andalusia oriental, que en bona part hem considerat com a models a seguir. Es planteja així un possible origen d’aquesta mena de cavitats com un trasllat a la península d’un model elaborat en àrees pre-saharianes del sud de Marroc, model que acompanyaria a les immigracions de determinats grups berbers, com hipòtesi posada de relleu per Bertrand per a les coves de l’àrea de Guadix – Baza, en base a la bibliografia francesa d’època colonial, sobre algunes coves considerades precedents dels agadirs o graners col·lectius d’aquella zona. Amb tot, s’ha pretès realitzar una aproximació global i exhaustiva a d’aquestes estructures, partint del conjunt de la capçalera del riu d’Ontinyent, però centrant-nos en els conjunts valencians, encara que atenent també, de forma molt més superficial i aleatòria a altres possibles paral·lels peninsulars, i fins i tot extra - peninsulars. Així doncs, el treball s’ha centrat primerament en la localització, descripció i anàlisi exhaustiu d’aquestes estructures rupestres en l’àmbit valencià. S’aborden els conjunts i grups següents: Capçalera del riu d’Ontinyent o alto Clariano, amb 13 grups; Riu d’Alcoi, o Serpis, amb 2 grups; Riu de Montesa o Cañoles i riu Sellent, con un grup en cada cas; Riu Chelva amb un grup; riu Túria o Guadalaviar, en la seua conca mitja, en Ademús, amb 2 grups; Riu Cabriol, amb un grup i conca mitja del Xúquer, en Albacete, amb 2 grups tractats i aproximació a molts altres. A més a més ens hem aproximat als possibles paral·lels peninsulars d’una manera suficientment àmplia, per a contrastar si es donen els mateixos supòsits que en terres valencianes, trobant-nos amb una gran diversitat de casos. Esperàvem haver pogut aprofundir més en els paral·lels extra - peninsulars, sobretot nord africans, amb l’objectiu d’afermar la hipòtesi d’una possible transferència del model, resultant prou infructuós, tant per la falta d’estudis actualitzats, com, òbviament per la impossibilitat de contribuir a ells amb els nostres propis mitjans. S’ha intentat demostrar, a partir de les sues característiques físiques i dispositius negatius supervivents, la funció preeminent com a graners i magatzems segurs d’aquestes estructures aèries, junt a la funció de defensa passiva, o refugi, en determinades circumstàncies adverses. Per fi hem intentat aprofundir en la qüestió cronològica i en l’adscripció cultural original de les coves, tenint per demostrat, en base a múltiples evidències, de reduïda entitat, però reiterades, que almenys en l’àmbit valencià, aquestes estructures es corresponen amb el poblament medieval andalusí.

This thesis presents two designs of tension-leg-platforms (TLP) support structures for the 10 MW reference wind turbine being developed by the Norwegian Research Centre for Offshore Wind Technology (NOWITECH). The designs result from iterative design processes which account for important design considerations such as performance requirements, natural frequencies and main cost drivers, and differ in their capability of providing stability to the wind turbine. TLP Towed is stable during towing and operation, whereas TLP Transported only provides stability when installed and is dependent on alternative transportation methods. The design processes are validated by investigating the influence from the various requirements and the sensitivity to wind turbine properties. The two resulting designs are compared and discussed in terms of cost competitive advantage. Fully coupled time-domain aero-hydro-servo-elastic models are established in FAST by using hydrodynamic computations from WAMIT, and the models are verified by comparisons to previous time-domain results and frequency-domain calculations. The natural frequencies of the FOWTs are obtained by model linearizations, and a discussion regarding overlap with wind turbine operational frequencies and wave excitation frequencies leads to modifications to the preliminary designs. A number of simulations with different wind and wave conditions are run and the TLP designs are compared based on displacements, upwind and downwind tether tensions, the nacelle's velocity and acceleration and extreme events. Resonant behavior, damping and instabilities are also discussed and suggestions for improvements to the designs are presented. The results presented in this thesis serve as guidance in the process of developing optimized TLP designs for an offshore wind turbine.

Ens proposem fer girar tubs de material conductor (coure o alumini) de diferents llargades i diàmetres. Aquest tub que hom vol fer girar és el secundari d'una màquina elèctrica d'inducció, i actua de rotor o part mòbil.

L'inductor de la màquina, que actua d'estàtor o part fixa, està alimentat per mitjà d'una font de corrent ideal. Ens trobem, per tant, en un sistema elèctric alimentat per font de corrent, en contraposició al sistema elèctric usual que s'alimenta per font de tensió. En el sistema elèctric de font de corrent, la potència en borns s'aconsegueix per variació de la tensió aplicada a la màquina, mentre que es manté fix el corrent. Cal evitar el circuit obert com calia evitar el curtcircuit en el sistema de font de tensió.

Aquest treball està enquadrat en un marc més ampli que amb els nous materials (nuclis de ferrites, superconductors, electrònica) es qüestiona la mateixa essència constructiva de les màquines elèctriques, de soca-rel. Els resultats són esperats per altres persones que treballen en camins paral.lels i complementaris.

Es contempla aprofitar aquestes noves màquines en una aplicació tèxtil.

Constructivament, es treballa amb un sol conductor per ranura. Fa que aquestes màquines siguin aptes per anar substituint trams de conductor rígid per superconductor. Els conductors de l'inductor van refrigerats per aigua, per així incrementar la densitat de corrent. Quan s'esdevingui la utilització amb superconductors caldrà refrigerar amb nitrogen líquid.

El mètode de treball és experimental, però sense menystenir altres eines (ajustaments teòrics, simulació per elements finits). Es comença per dissenyar un primer prototipus amb les dues úniques exigències de: màxima simplicitat i alimentació per font de corrent. És l'anomenada màquina de "canyeria" o Prat-1.

Els resultats permeten dissenyar dos nous prototipus. De cadascun se'n fan dues variants

Primerament, la màquina de sector d'estàtor. El seu inductor és només un arc d'estàtor (Prat-2.1). El model complet és la màquina de vuitanta conductors (Prat-2.0). De totes dues se'n construeixen i assagen els prototipus pneumàtics. De Prat-2.1 se n' estudia també la part electromagnètica.

Després es construeix una màquina que, alimentada en monofàsic, arrenca per variació de reluctància, i alimentada en bifàsic, arrenca per camp giratori. Es la màquina d'arrencada per reluctància (Prat-3). Se'n construeix una segona versió fent servir estany fos (que per mitjà d'uns utillatges apropiats passa a omplenar els camins destinats a circuit elèctric). Hom l'anomena màquina d'estany colat (Prat-4). Industrialment, es preveu substituir l'estany per alumini. Totes dues tenen vuit conductors de coure refrigerats amb aigua.

Tots aquests resultats previs permeten construir una màquina trifàsica de rotor extern i amb dos inductors (Prat-5).

Aquests prototipus giren sense rodaments mecànics. En el cas de Prat-2.0/ Prat-2.1 es fa servir un coixí pneumàtic. En la màquina de "canyeria" (Prat-1), s'observa un desplaçament axial del rotor cap a fora quan augmentem el corrent. Els altres tres prototipus giren sense rodaments i amb frecs poc importants. Hom no aprofundeix en tot el tema de levitació associat a aquests fenòmens, perquè en aquest treball interessaven més els aspectes constructius.

Destaquem com a fets més representatius haver treballat amb un sol conductor per ranura, la gran importància de les simetries en el disseny d'aquestes màquines, la necessitat d'un transformador d'intensitat sobre la pròpia màquina, i la convicció que hom ha de tendir cap a ranures cada vegada més aplanades. La màquina de "canyeria" sense ranures (pura capa de corrent), és la que millor gira, i a més, levita.
Nos proponemos hacer girar tubos de material conductor (cobre o aluminio) de distintas longitudes y diámetros. Este tubo que se quiere hacer girar es el secundario de una máquina eléctrica de inducción, y actúa de rotor o parte móvil.

El inductor de la máquina, que actúa de estátor o parte fija, se alimenta de una fuente de corriente ideal. Nos encontramos, por tanto, en un sistema eléctrico alimentado por fuente de corriente, en contraposición al sistema eléctrico al uso que se alimenta por fuente de tensión. En el sistema eléctrico de fuente de corriente, la potencia en bornes se consigue por variación de la tensión aplicada a la máquina, manteniéndose fija la intensidad. Cabe evitar el circuito abierto, al igual que debíamos evitar el cortocircuito en el sistema de fuente de tensión.

Este trabajo se encuadra en un marco mucho más amplio que con los nuevos materiales (núcleos de ferrita, superconductores, electrónica) se cuestiona la misma esencia constructivas de las máquinas eléctricas. Los resultados los esperan otros que trabajan en caminos paralelos y complementarios.

Se contempla aprovechar estas nuevas máquinas en una aplicación textil.

Constructivamente se trabaja con un solo conductor por ranura. Las hace a estas máquinas aptas para que tramos de conductor rígido puedan ser sustituidos por superconductor. Los conductores del inductor se refrigeran por agua para incrementar las densidades de corriente admisibles. En el caso de superconductores habrá que cambiar el refrigerante a nitrógeno líquido.

El método de trabajo es experimental, sin menoscabro de otros (ajustes teóricos, simulación por elementos finitos). Se diseña un primer prototipo con dos únicas exigencias: máxima simplicidad y alimentación por fuente de corriente. Se le llama máquina de cañeria o Prat-1.

Los resultados permiten diseñar dos nuevos prototipos. Dos variantes de cada uno.

El primero, la máquina de sector de estátor. Su inductor es un arco de estátor (Prat-2.1). El modelo completo es la máquina de ochenta conductores (Prat-2.0). De ambas se construyen y ensayan los prototipos neumáticos. De Prat-2.1 también la parte electromagnética.

Después se construye una máquina que, alimentada en monofásico, arranca por variación de reluctáncia, y alimentada en bifásico, arranca por campo giratorio. Es la máquina de arranque por reluctáncia (Prat-3). Se construye una segunda versión utilizando estaño fundido (mediante unos utillajes apropiados pasa a rellenar los huecos destinados a ubicar el circuito eléctrico). Se la llama máquina de colada de estaño (Prat-4). En la industria se prevé sustituir estaño por aluminio. Ambas tienen ocho conductores de cobre refrigerados por agua.

Estos resultados previos permiten construir una máquina trifásica de rotor externo y dos inductores (Prat-5).

Estos prototipos giran sin rodamientos mecánicos. En Prat-2.0/ Prat-2.1 se utiliza cojín neumático. En la máquina de cañeria (Prat-1), se observa un desplazamiento axial del rotor hacia el exterior si incrementamos la intensidad de corriente. Los tres restantes prototipos giran sin rodamientos y con fricciones de poca monta. No se profundiza en el tema de levitación asociado por tratarse de un trabajo más orientado a aspectos constructivos.

Como hechos más representativos se citan haber trabajado con un solo conductor por ranura, la gran importancia de las simetrías en el diseño de estas máquinas, la necesidad de un transformador de corriente sobre la propia máquina, i la convicción que hay que tender a ranuras cada vez más planas. La máquina de cañeria sin ranuras (pura capa de corriente), es la que mejor gira y encima levita
Our idea is to rotate pipes produced of conductor materials (copper or aluminium) having different lengths and diameters. The pipe to be rotated is secondary in an induction electrical device and acts as rotor, or mobile part.

The inductor of the device, acting as stator or fixed part, is powered by means of an ideal current source. Therefore we deal with an electical system powered by a current source, in contrast to usual electrical systems powered by means of a voltage source. In an electrical system powered by a current source, the terminal power is obtained by varying the voltage applied to the device, the current being fixed. One should avoid open circuits similar to avoiding short circuits in a system powered by a voltage source.

This work fits into a wider framework which, using new materials (ferrite, superconductors, electronics), puts into question the whole essense of electrical devices. The results obtained are as expected by other authors who follow parallel and complementary ways.

The possibility of using these new devices in textil applications is considered.

Constructively, we work with an only conductor per slot. This enables one to replace segments of rigid conductor by superconductors in our devices. The inductor conductors are water-cooled in order to increase the current density. When superconductors are used, cooling by liquid nitrogen will be required.

The working method is experimental; however, other tools are not discarded (theoretical
adjustments, simulations using the finite elements). We begin with designing a first prototype to meet the only two restrictions: maximum simplicity and powering by a current source. This is the so-called "cane"device, or Prat-1.

The results obtained enable us to design two new prototypes. Two variants of each of these prototypes are made.

The first is a stator sector device. The inductor of this device is the one and only stator arc (Prat- 2.1). A complete model is a device containing eighty conductors (Prat-2.0). Pneumatic prototypes of the both devices are made and tested. The electromagnetic part of Prat-2.1 is also studied.

The next step is to construct a device which starts by reluctance variation, if powered in
monophase, and by rotary camp, if powered in biphase. This is the reluctance started device (Prat-3).Another version of this device is constructed using fused tin (which, by means of appropriate tools, fills in the routes designed for the electic circuit). This is the so-called tin-filled device (Prat-4). In industrial applications, tin is suggested to be replaced by aluminium. Both devices have eight water-cooled copper conductors.

All above results enable us to construct a three-phase device having an external rotor and two inductors (Prat-5).

These prototypes rotate without mechanical bearings. In case of Prat-2.0/ Prat-2.1, a pneumatic bearing is used. In the "cane" device, a rotor axial displacement towards outside is observed when the current is increased. The remaining three prototypes rotate without bearings proving to have frictions of minor importance. We do not deal with the topic of levitation related to these phenomena, since our basic focus in this work has been rather on constructive aspects.

Let us indicate as the most significant facts that we have worked with the only conductor per slot, that symmetries are of an utmost importance for designing these devices, that an intensity transformator is required for the device, and that we are sure that there should be a tendency towards more and more plain slots. The "cane" device having no slots (a pure current layer) is the one that rotates better and, moreover, levitates.

Cette thèse fait la comparaison des sentiments xénophobes de quatre pays, soit l'Autriche, l'Italie, le Canada et la Grande-Bretagne. Les pays sélectionnés font partie d'un échantillonnage de 24 pays ayant participé à l'enquête de l'International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) réalisée en 1995. Les sentiments xénophobes ont été analysés selon le type d'identité nationale, soit l'identité nationale ethnique et l'identité nationale civique, et selon d'autres variables qui nous ont semblé pertinentes comme facteur relié au taux de xénophobie: le niveau de scolarité des répondants, leur groupe d'âge, leur sexe, leur classe sociale subjective et leur affiliation politique. Notre recherche est basée sur les travaux de A. Smith (1991) pour ses définitions d'identité nationale civique et ethnique et de sur les travaux de Hjerm (1998) qui a également étudié cette problématique avec les données de ISSP 1995. En comparant le niveau de xénophobie entre les pays, l'Italie avait le niveau le plus élevé, suivi de l'Autriche, de la Grande-Bretagne et du Canada. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Jersey law, and within it Jersey property law, has received little academic attention. This thesis seeks to examine, and provide a systematic account of, the Jersey law of property. Specific aspects of substantive law are explored. From these, general observations about the nature and structure of property law are made. Unsurprisingly, given the small size of the island, Jersey has a relatively limited amount of indigenous legal material to offer, much of it in French. Inevitably, there are gaps in the sources and some way of addressing these has to be determined before a systematic account of the law is possible. Juristic writing and modern caselaw demonstrate consistent recourse to the laws of other jurisdictions when gaps are encountered. Norman law, modern French law, and English law (to a much lesser extent and mainly where it conforms to Roman law) are used in the cases on property law, and thus also in this thesis. Reference is also made to the law of Guernsey (Jersey’s sister jurisdiction) but the difficulties encountered in researching Jersey law are no less evident there. In areas such as the law of servitudes, Roman law is often referred to explicitly by the Jersey jurists and by the commentators on Norman law. The influence of Roman law is also evident in the division between real rights and personal rights, sometimes barely visible in Jersey law, and is also a general backdrop to the rules on classification of things. Norman feudal law remains vestigially in place but the structure of the law and its individual rules bear many civilian characteristics. For this reason, in addition to Jersey sources, Norman law, modern French law, and any other materials used by the courts, other jurisdictions with civilian systems of property law are also referred to, specifically mixed jurisdictions, of which Jersey is one.

The present study firstly aimed to identify children with delayed reading who were missing the component skills of decoding fluency and who also displayed antisocial behaviour in the classroom. It also aimed to replicate with them an intervention designed by Church, Nixon, Zintl and Williams (2005). The study finally aimed to explore the question of whether children who have both a reading delay and a disruptive behaviour disorder require a reinforcement scheme to maintain their engagement in learning activities. Six participants worked with same-age peer tutors on specially-designed practice activities for approximately 20 minutes a day, four times a week, for 8-18 sessions. Improvement in decoding fluency and prose reading fluency was tracked for each child throughout the intervention. Results showed that the six participants gained, on average, sixteen months on their age-equivalent score for reading rate. Decoding fluency scores increased from a pre-test average of 16 correct graphemes per minute to 32 correct graphemes per minute at the post-test measure. Reading accuracy improved by an average of five months and reading comprehension by an average of six months. The gains in reading rate are most likely due to the practice opportunities afforded by the testing procedures as decoding fluency scores did not improve enough to have had a direct impact on the learners’ prose reading ability. Implications for remedial reading interventions with children with behaviour problems are discussed.

La prévalence de la multimorbidité est très élevée parmi la clientèle des services de santé en première ligne selon des études effectuées dans plusieurs pays et elle est associée à de nombreuses conditions défavorables. Ainsi, toute intervention mise en place pour aider une personne à faire face à la multimorbidité sera enrichie grandement de la connaissance approfondie de cette expérience selon la perspective même de la personne. Objectifs : La présente étude phénoménologique a pour but de décrire l'essence de l'expérience vécue par des personnes adultes atteintes de multimorbidité. Méthodologie : L'étude s'est déroulée dans une région francophone du Québec auprès d'un échantillon de 11 adultes suivis en première ligne. Pour le recrutement des participants, nous avons sollicité et obtenu la collaboration de sept médecins de famille oeuvrant dans trois cliniques de médecine familiale. Les participants de sexe masculin ou féminin, devaient être âgés entre 18 et 69 ans et être atteints d'au moins quatre maladies chroniques. Les données ont été recueillies en trois étapes : une première entrevue semi-dirigée auprès des participants incluant un questionnaire sociodémographique, une deuxième entrevue semi-dirigée quelques semaines plus tard et finalement la collecte de renseignements complémentaires auprès du médecin de famille au sujet des maladies chroniques présentes chez les participants. Le contenu des entrevues a été analysé selon la méthode proposée par Colaizzi. Résultats : Il ressort des thèmes présentés, qu'au coeur de la structure de l'expérience de la multimorbidité, se trouve une impression de vieillir prématurément en raison des nombreuses pertes aux plans physique et social. Cette sensation de vieillesse prématurée est vue dans toute sa complexité, laquelle se caractérise par un enchaînement de plusieurs maladies et une multitude d'interactions nécessitant une gestion complexe des nombreux soins et autosoins requis par leur condition de santé. Malgré le fardeau psychologique important, les participants estiment qu'ils s'approprient la multimorbidité et ajustent leur quotidien selon leur réalité. Conclusion : L'étude montre que l'expérience de vivre avec la multimorbidité est un vécu unique. Les personnes atteintes ont une vision systémique de leur condition. La connaissance des résultats interpelle l'organisation du réseau de la santé pour une approche systémique des soins et des services pour répondre adéquatement à leurs besoins particuliers. D'autres études s'imposent pour poursuivre l'exploration du vécu et le développement d'interventions adaptées à la réalité des personnes atteintes de multimorbidité.

Although digital media has been exploited to improve digital libraries, social networking sites, and book promotion for adult and child stakeholders, but encouraging children who have the choice to either read from a book or on a screen remains limited worldwide, including Jordan. This interest has meant that data about children's reading habits were needed, and the present study was intended as a contribution towards this aim. Interviews were conducted with Jordanian writers, publishers, child specialists, and various children's cultural centres. The managers and personnel unanimously showed that Jordanian children are not good readers and that a limited number of books are published for children as there are actual boundaries preventing Jordanian writers from publishing books. In particular, subjecting the typical sorts of children's websites - 'Club Penguin', 'PBS Kids', 'A Story before Bed', 'Baraem', 'Storyline Online', and 'Raneen' - to evaluation showed that 'Club Penguin' got the highest rank among the other websites in terms of multimodal features, usability, and language, while 'PBS Kids' got the highest rank regarding interactivity, and 'A Story before Bed' got the highest rank in reading activities. Although it was realised that most children were satisfied with the aspects of usability and ease of use rather than the structure or the aesthetic of the website, and were more attracted to the websites that provide multimodal features such as special characters, narration, gesture, and interactivity. The targeted websites' parameters obtained from the survey were used as guidance in the design structure of the KITABAK website, as a virtual reading environment for children's reading practices. The evaluation results that were obtained showed that there is a significant correlation towards encouraging children's reading habits and reading from printed books accompanying the website; girls showed more interest in reading iv than boys; and there is an obvious willingness for the adaptation of the website as a part of the Jordanian school curriculum. In addition, the KITABAK website was accepted significantly more than 'Club Penguin', mainly because the KITABAK website has facilities, games and reading activities. Also, results showed that children who were subjected to testing the KITABAK website for a one-week period proved to accept the website significantly more than those who were subjected to testing it once.

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em Enfermagem
Este trabalho, surge no âmbito da unidade curricular Projeto de Graduação, da Licenciatura em Enfermagem da Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Fernando Pessoa – Porto intitulado por “O papel que desempenha o álcool na gestão da ansiedade e do stress nos indivíduos alcoólicos - um estudo em contexto terapêutico.” O alcoolismo hoje em dia, tem vindo a ter uma evolução na sociedade, na vida dos adolescentes e jovens, e até mesmo no núcleo familiar, afetando a vida diária da família e de quem os rodeia. Este trabalho vai ser importante para ter a noção de quais serão as consequências do excesso do consumo de álcool, e como interfere com o nosso psicológico, ou seja, como o stress e a ansiedade intervém na vida de cada pessoa. O tipo de estudo adotado para a investigação científica é um estudo descritivo simples, transversal de abordagem quantitativa, sendo a amostra constituída por 30 indivíduos presentes nas Instituições dos Alcoólicos Anónimos. A amostra é constituída por 30 indivíduos, predominantemente do género masculino 17 (57%) com idade compreendida entre os 46-65 anos. No presente estudo de investigação através dos resultados obtidos, em relação ao papel que a ansiedade e o stress nos indivíduos alcoólicos em fase de recuperação, 19 (63%) em alguns momentos o consumo de álcool ajudava a diminuir a ansiedade e o stress. Em relação ao papel que desempenha a ansiedade nos indivíduos alcoólicos em fase de recuperação, 22 (39,2%) sentiam maior ansiedade em ingerir bebidas alcoólicas durante a noite. Verifica-se também que 14 (47%) referem que ficavam ansiosos pelas ocasiões festivas porque as associava ao consumo de álcool. No estudo observa-se que o papel que desempenha o stress nos indivíduos alcoólicos em fase de recuperação, 15 (50%) consideram que o álcool foi o principal causador de todo o stress causado nele próprio. Observa-se também que 26 (87%) dos 30 inquiridos referem que na ingestão de bebidas alcoólicas sentiam que o seu dia-a-dia se tornava menos stressante.
This work, within the framework of the course graduation project, the Degree in nursing from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University Fernando Pessoa – Porto entitled "The role of alcohol to manage anxiety and stress in alcoholics – a study of therapeutic context." Nowadays the alcoholism, has been evolving in the society, in adolescents and young peoples’ lives, and even in the nuclear family, affecting the daily life of the family and those who surround them. This work will be important to have the sense of which are the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption, and how it intervenes with our psychological system, i.e. how stress and anxiety interfere in the life of each person. The type of study adopted for scientific research is a simple, descriptive study of a quantitative approach, being the sample consisting of 30 individuals at the institution of Alcoholics Anonymous. The sample consists of 30 individuals, predominantly males with 17 (57%) aged the 46-65 years. In this research study through the results obtained in relation to the role that the anxiety and stress in alcoholics in recovery phase, 19 (63%) in a few moments the alcohol helped lessen the anxiety and stress. As to the role of anxiety in alcoholics in recovery phase, 22 (39.2%) had greater urge to drink alcoholic beverages during the night. There were also 14 (47%) who reported that they were eager for festive occasions because these were associated with the consumption of alcohol. The study notes that the role stress played in alcoholics during the recovery phase, 15 (50%) believe that alcohol was the main cause of all the stress caused on themselves. It is also noted that 26 (87%) of the 30 respondents stated that with the ingestion of alcohol, their day-by-day would feel less stressful.
N/A

RESUMO: Num quadro de profundas transformações demográficas, o envelhecimento populacional coloca muitas questões à sociedade. A promoção da saúde e de comportamentos saudáveis desempenha um papel importante numa perspectiva de Envelhecimento Activo. Hoje em dia existem inúmeras evidências científicas de que a Actividade Física regular tem importantes benefícios, tanto a nível físico como psicológico, com um impacto significativo no bem-estar e na qualidade de vida das pessoas em todas as idades. Para fomentar a prática de Actividade Física há um envolvimento cada vez maior dos profissionais de saúde, visto serem figuras de referência para os pacientes. Desta forma, foi objectivo do nosso estudo verificar a existência de uma associação positiva entre a prática de Actividade Física e a Consultoria em Actividade Física, baseado nas seguintes variáveis: análise sócio-demográfica dos indivíduos; percepções e práticas de Actividade Física. Para tal estudámos uma amostra de conveniência, seleccionada a partir dos utentes de ambulatório das Unidades de Saúde Familiar de Benfica e Carnide, constituída por 5 pessoas, todas do sexo feminino, com idades compreendidas entre os 50 e os 65 anos, que se encontravam clinicamente estáveis. Os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados foram os seguintes: Entrevista Semi- Estruturada Inicial e Final, Questionário Internacional de Actividade Física – Versão Longa, e Questionário de Satisfação. Com os resultados obtidos podemos concluir que a Consultoria em Actividade Física contribuiu para o aumento da consciência das pessoas para a necessidade de movimentos e de Actividade Física para melhorar a saúde a nível físico, psicológico e social.-------------- ABSTRACT: In a context of profound demographic changes, population aging poses many questions to society. Health promotion and healthy behaviors play an important role in an Active Ageing perspective. Nowadays there are plenty of scientific evidence that regular physical activity has important benefits, both physically and psychologically, with significant impact on the wellbeing and quality of life for people of all ages. To encourage the practice of physical activity there is an increasing involvement of health professionals, because they are reference figures for the patients. Thus, the aim of our study was to verify the existence of a positive association between the practice of Physical Activity and Physical Activity Consulting, based on the following variables: social demographic features of individuals, perceptions and practices of Physical Activity. To this end we studied a convenience sample, selected from outpatients of Family Health Units in Benfica and Carnide, consisting of 5 persons, all female, aged between 50 and 65, who were clinically stable. The assessment instruments used were the following: Initial and Final Semi-Structured Interview, International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Long Version, and Satisfaction Questionnaire. With these results we can conclude that Physical Activity Consulting contributed to increase people's awareness of the need for movement and physical activity, in order to improve health at the physical, psychological and social level.

Mestrado em Economia Monetária e Financeira
The purpose of the present article is to assess the degree of competition within the enlarged European Union (EU) commercial banking system during the period ranging from 2004 to 2011 using the non-structural test developed by Panzar and Rosse (1987). Their procedure measures the competitive environment in which financial intermediaries operate employing the sum of the elasticities of the reduced-form interest revenue with respect to factor prices. The main conclusion to retain from this study is that banking industry in the region does not seem to have operated either under perfect competition or under perfect monopoly, but rather consistently with long-run monopolistic competition. Further, we also find empirical evidence of efficiency hypothesis posted by Demestz (1973) and Peltzman (1977), as opposed to conventional view that concentration impairs price competitiveness. Finally, we underline the importance of trade off between the costs and benefits of competition to support financial stability objectives.

Consiste en un análisis crítico de las normas de interpretación principalmente en el procedimiento contencioso tributario contenido en el LIBRO TERCERO - TITULO III - CAPITULOS del I al V del Texto Único Ordenado del Código Tributario vigente aprobado por Decreto Supremo N° 133-2013-EF, publicado en el diario oficial El Peruano el 22 de junio de 2013, por los tributos que son administrados por la Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas y de Administración Tributaria y, de los pronunciamientos del Tribunal Fiscal vinculados con la interpretación de la aplicación de las normas legales que establecen criterios que debe seguir la referida administración así como de los pronunciamientos del Poder Judicial y del Tribunal Constitucional.
Tesis

Orientador : Wanderley Marchi Jr
Dissertaçao (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciencias Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduaçao em Educaçao Física. Defesa: Curitiba, 2006
Inclui bibliografia e anexos
Área de concentraçao: Exercício e esporte

Masters of Science - Msc (Physiotherapy)
Vocational rehabilitation relates to rehabilitating a person with an amputation back into actively participating in society. Although vocational rehabilitation is important, before it can be implemented, the participation restrictions should be identified. Even though lower limb amputation surgery is commonly performed in South Africa, and given the high unemployment rate in the country, no research has been done into the participation restrictions and vocational needs of a person with a unilateral lower limb amputation in the Western Cape. The aim of this study was to determine and explore the participation restrictions and vocational rehabilitation needs in terms of hobbies, sport activities, employment and employment needs of persons with a unilateral lower limb amputation (LLA) in the Western Cape. The objectives were to: 1) Determine the participation restrictions of persons with a unilateral LLA in the Western Cape. 2) To explore the vocational rehabilitation needs of persons with a lower limb amputation. A mixed methods approach, and an explanatory sequential design was used in this study. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase utilised a quantitative approach and the WHODAS 2.0 was used as the instrument to collect data. The second phase aimed to explain the data collected in the first phase in more depth, and semi-structured telephonic interviews were utilized to collect the qualitative data. The study was set in the Cape Metropole region of the Western Cape. Participants were recruited from Tygerberg Tertiary Hospital and a private sub-acute rehabilitation centre. In the quantitative (first) phase of the study, 50 participants were conveniently recruited to participate. In the second phase eight participants were purposefully selected from the pool of 50 participants from the first phase of the study who consented to participate in the second phase. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS vs. 22 and analysed for descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data has been analysed using Creswell's seven step process of thematic analysis. Ethical clearance has been obtained from the University of the Western Cape, permission to access patients' details has been obtained from Tygerberg Tertiary Hospital and private sub-acute rehabilitation centre. Written informed consent as well as permission for audio recording during the telephonic interview was obtained.

Com o crescimento populacional, a indústria avícola tem se desenvolvido rapidamente, devido à demanda de alimentos. O seu produto possui grande aceitação no mercado mundial, em função do seu valor nutricional e por não existirem restrições culturais. Entretanto, este alimento gera grande quantidade de resíduos, dentre eles, as penas. Elas são compostas principalmente por queratina, substância de difícil degradação. Neste trabalho foram utilizadas duas bactérias queratinolíticas de resíduos da indústria avícola, para se avaliar a capacidade de degradação das mesmas. Foram produzidos hidrolisados de penas por proteólise bacteriana com ambos microrganismos: Bacillus cereus (KR16) e Chryseobacterium sp. (KR6). O crescimento das bactérias em diferentes quantidades de penas, e o fator de degradação das penas comprovaram que em até 5 % obteve-se degradação para KR6, enquanto, para a KR16, obteve-se degradação até 1%. A digestibilidade in vitro dos hidrolisados foi avaliada. Observou-se que o hidrolisado da bactéria KR6 apresentou maior digestibilidade, enquanto o de farinha de penas apresentou o menor valor. A composição de aminoácidos dos hidrolisados foi determinada, sendo observadas baixas concentrações de metionina, histidina e lisina. A partir da digestibilidade in vitro e da composição de aminoácidos, foram calculados o escore de aminoácidos corrigidos (PDCAAs), o coeficiente de eficiência protéica (PER) e o valor biológico (BV). O tratamento das penas com KR6 resultou em hidrolisados com os valores mais altos de PDCAAs, PER e BV, sugerindo que este microrganismo produz hidrolisados com propriedades nutricionais superiores aos demais.

Ebola, a type of filovirus that causes hemorrhagic fevers, dominated global headlines in 2014 when the largest Ebola epidemic in history took place in West Africa. Healthcare practitioners were at particular risk of contracting Ebola while taking care of patients with the disease because they were easily exposed to bodily fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and feces, quite often in the intensive care unit (ICU). While personal protective equipment (PPE) protects the healthcare practitioner by providing an effective barrier against the virus, users were also at risk for heat stress because of the type of protective clothing. In this study, coveralls made of monolithic barriers, which prevent water vapor from escaping the suit, were compared to coveralls made of micro- porous material, which allows evaporated sweat to escape the suit. The Microgard® 2000 TS Plus, made of micro-porous barrier material and the monolithic barrier Microgard® 2300 Plus were compared against a control ensemble of work clothes consisting of a long-sleeve shirt and trouser. A progressive heat stress protocol was used to determine the critical environment at the upper limit of compensable heat stress. The critical condition was the point at which the heat gain caused by wearing the protective ensemble as well as dry heat exchange was balanced by the maximum heat loss due to evaporative cooling. Wet bulb globe temperature at the critical condition (WBGTcrit ) ,total evaporative resistance (Re,T,a), and clothing adjustable factor (CAF) were calculated for each ensemble based on data at the critical point. Also at the critical condition, participant rectal temperature vi (Tre) , heart rate (HR), skin temperature (Tsk), and physiological strain index (PSI) were noted and compared for each ensemble. A two-way ANOVA (ensemble x participant) for WBGTcrit and Re,T,a as dependent variables was used to determine whether or not there were differences among ensembles. Tukey’s honest significance test was used to determine where significant differences occurred. WBGTcrit was 33.8, 26.3, and 22.9 °C-WBGT for Work Clothes, M2000, and M2300 respectively. Re,T,a was 0.012, 0.031, and 0.054 kPa m2 W-1 for WC, M2000, and M2300 respectively. The higher the WBGTcrit for an ensemble, the more it can support evaporative cooling and hence the better it is at ameliorating heat stress. Based on this trial, the micro-porous ensemble Microgard® 2000 TS Plus has better heat stress performance than vapor-barrier Microgard® 2300 Plus. As expected, there were no differences for any of the physiological metrics at the critical conditions.