The Hispanic population continues to rapidly increase within the state of Texas as well as the nation. However, the Hispanic population educational attainment level lags behind that of the general population. Hispanic males are the lowest educated segment of society averaging less than a high school diploma. The negative long-term economic impact of such low educational attainment levels coupled with the rapid increase of the Hispanic population has been documented by Texas state demographers as well as the U.S. Census Bureau. The researcher conducted a qualitative study to inform a deeper understanding of the experiences that facilitated the persistence of 18 Hispanic male first-time-in-college students through the official reporting date of their fall first termat a community college in South Texas. An asset model and related conceptual framework, which recognized students as experts, were utilized. Focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews, and existing data were analyzed utilizing qualitative research methods. The researcher identified six overarching themes that significantly influenced the students? ability to persist. In addition, analysis of the data produced five barrier themes that these students overcame via the utilization of corresponding knowledge and actions themes. Finally, students provided recommended college changes for mitigating the barriers faced by future Hispanic male students. The researcher provided conclusions regarding Hispanic male students, recommendations for students, recommendations for colleges and universities serving Hispanic male students, recommendations for the focal community college, and implications for the theoretical model utilized. The researcher recommended expanding this research to other institutions of higher education and notes the national implications for increasing the educational attainment level of Hispanic male students.

The Black-Scholes model is one of the most important concepts in modern financial theory. It was developed in 1973 by Fisher Black, Robert Merton and Myron Scholes and is still widely used today, and regarded as one of the best ways of determining fair prices of options. In the classical Black-Scholes model for the market, it consists of an essentially riskless bond and a single risky asset. So far there is a number of straightforward extensions of the Black-Scholes analysis. Here we consider more complex products where each component in a portfolio entails several variables with constraints. This leads to elegant models based on multivariable stochastic integration, and describing several securities simultaneously. We derive a general asymptotic solution in a short time interval using the heat kernel expansion on a Riemannian metric. We then use our formula to predict the better price of options on multiple underlying assets. Especially, we apply our method to the case known as the one of two-color rainbow ptions, outperformance option, i.e., the special case of the model with two underlying assets. This asymptotic solution is important, as it explains hidden effects in a class of financial models.

O reúso de software enfrenta inúmeras barreiras gerenciais, técnicas e culturais na sua adoção, e a definição da estrutura de ativos reutilizáveis de software é uma dessas barreiras técnicas. Para solucionar isso, o Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) é um padrão de facto proposto pela OMG. Uma especificação como o RAS define e padroniza um modelo de ativos (assets) reutilizáveis, e é a base para a construção e para o uso de um repositório de ativos que apoia a reutilização de software. No entanto, para ser adotado na prática, o RAS necessita resolver suas lacunas através da sua extensão e da definição de informações complementares. Essas lacunas estão detalhadas neste trabalho. Solucionando estas lacunas, o RAS torna-se útil para auxiliar efetivamente na padronização do empacotamento dos ativos reutilizáveis e para guiar a estrutura do repositório de reutilização de software. Alguns trabalhos anteriores já responderam parcialmente essa questão, porém eles atendiam propósitos muito específicos, não possuíam uma ferramenta de apoio ou não haviam sido avaliados em contexto real de (re)uso. Esse trabalho propõe o Software Profile RAS (SW-RAS), uma extensão do Profile de componentes do RAS, que propõe soluções para diversas de suas lacunas, incluindo informações úteis e artefatos relevantes apontados na literatura, baseados em outros modelos de ativos reutilizáveis, em outras extensões do RAS e na experiência do processo de reúso no desenvolvimento de software. Particularmente, o SW-RAS estende as categorias de classificação, solução, uso e ativos relacionados, cujos detalhes estão descritos no texto. Visando à experimentação da proposta através de um estudo de caso, desenvolveu-se o Lavoi, um repositório de ativos reutilizáveis baseado no SW-RAS, que foi avaliado num ambiente real de reutilização e desenvolvimento de software de uma grande companhia pública de TI. Uma descrição deste processo de avaliação em um contexto real é também apresentada neste trabalho. A principal contribuição desta dissertação é a proposta, a avaliação e a consolidação de uma extensão do RAS que atende várias de suas lacunas e é suportada por uma ferramenta de software livre. / The software reuse faces numerous managerial, technical and cultural barriers in its adoption, and the definition of the structure of reusable software assets is one of these technical barriers. To solve this, the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) is a de facto standard proposed by OMG. A specification such as the RAS defines and standardizes a reusable asset model, and it is the foundation for the construction and for the use of an asset repository that supports the software reuse. However, for being adopted in the practice, the RAS needs to solve its lacks through its extension and the definition of complementary information. These lacks are detailed in this work. Solving these lacks, the RAS becomes useful to help effectively in the standardization of packaging reusable assets and to guide the structure of the software reuse repository. Some previous works have already partially answered this question, but they attended very specific purposes, did not have a support tool or have not been evaluated in a real context of (re)use. This work proposes the Software Profile RAS (SW-RAS), an extension of the component Profile of RAS, which proposes solutions for its various lacks, including useful information and relevant artifacts pointed out in the literature, based on other reusable asset models, on other RAS extensions and on the experience in the reuse process at software development. Particularly, the SW-RAS extends the categories of classification, solution, usage and related assets, whose details are described in the text. Aiming at the experimentation of the proposal through a case study, the Lavoi was developed, a reusable asset repository based on the SW-RAS, which is was evaluated in a real environment of reuse and software development of a large public IT company. A description of this evaluation process in real context is also presented in this work. The main contribution of this dissertation is the proposal, the evaluation and the consolidation of an extension of RAS that addresses several of its lacks and is supported by a free software tool.

O reúso de software enfrenta inúmeras barreiras gerenciais, técnicas e culturais na sua adoção, e a definição da estrutura de ativos reutilizáveis de software é uma dessas barreiras técnicas. Para solucionar isso, o Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) é um padrão de facto proposto pela OMG. Uma especificação como o RAS define e padroniza um modelo de ativos (assets) reutilizáveis, e é a base para a construção e para o uso de um repositório de ativos que apoia a reutilização de software. No entanto, para ser adotado na prática, o RAS necessita resolver suas lacunas através da sua extensão e da definição de informações complementares. Essas lacunas estão detalhadas neste trabalho. Solucionando estas lacunas, o RAS torna-se útil para auxiliar efetivamente na padronização do empacotamento dos ativos reutilizáveis e para guiar a estrutura do repositório de reutilização de software. Alguns trabalhos anteriores já responderam parcialmente essa questão, porém eles atendiam propósitos muito específicos, não possuíam uma ferramenta de apoio ou não haviam sido avaliados em contexto real de (re)uso. Esse trabalho propõe o Software Profile RAS (SW-RAS), uma extensão do Profile de componentes do RAS, que propõe soluções para diversas de suas lacunas, incluindo informações úteis e artefatos relevantes apontados na literatura, baseados em outros modelos de ativos reutilizáveis, em outras extensões do RAS e na experiência do processo de reúso no desenvolvimento de software. Particularmente, o SW-RAS estende as categorias de classificação, solução, uso e ativos relacionados, cujos detalhes estão descritos no texto. Visando à experimentação da proposta através de um estudo de caso, desenvolveu-se o Lavoi, um repositório de ativos reutilizáveis baseado no SW-RAS, que foi avaliado num ambiente real de reutilização e desenvolvimento de software de uma grande companhia pública de TI. Uma descrição deste processo de avaliação em um contexto real é também apresentada neste trabalho. A principal contribuição desta dissertação é a proposta, a avaliação e a consolidação de uma extensão do RAS que atende várias de suas lacunas e é suportada por uma ferramenta de software livre. / The software reuse faces numerous managerial, technical and cultural barriers in its adoption, and the definition of the structure of reusable software assets is one of these technical barriers. To solve this, the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) is a de facto standard proposed by OMG. A specification such as the RAS defines and standardizes a reusable asset model, and it is the foundation for the construction and for the use of an asset repository that supports the software reuse. However, for being adopted in the practice, the RAS needs to solve its lacks through its extension and the definition of complementary information. These lacks are detailed in this work. Solving these lacks, the RAS becomes useful to help effectively in the standardization of packaging reusable assets and to guide the structure of the software reuse repository. Some previous works have already partially answered this question, but they attended very specific purposes, did not have a support tool or have not been evaluated in a real context of (re)use. This work proposes the Software Profile RAS (SW-RAS), an extension of the component Profile of RAS, which proposes solutions for its various lacks, including useful information and relevant artifacts pointed out in the literature, based on other reusable asset models, on other RAS extensions and on the experience in the reuse process at software development. Particularly, the SW-RAS extends the categories of classification, solution, usage and related assets, whose details are described in the text. Aiming at the experimentation of the proposal through a case study, the Lavoi was developed, a reusable asset repository based on the SW-RAS, which is was evaluated in a real environment of reuse and software development of a large public IT company. A description of this evaluation process in real context is also presented in this work. The main contribution of this dissertation is the proposal, the evaluation and the consolidation of an extension of RAS that addresses several of its lacks and is supported by a free software tool.

O reúso de software enfrenta inúmeras barreiras gerenciais, técnicas e culturais na sua adoção, e a definição da estrutura de ativos reutilizáveis de software é uma dessas barreiras técnicas. Para solucionar isso, o Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) é um padrão de facto proposto pela OMG. Uma especificação como o RAS define e padroniza um modelo de ativos (assets) reutilizáveis, e é a base para a construção e para o uso de um repositório de ativos que apoia a reutilização de software. No entanto, para ser adotado na prática, o RAS necessita resolver suas lacunas através da sua extensão e da definição de informações complementares. Essas lacunas estão detalhadas neste trabalho. Solucionando estas lacunas, o RAS torna-se útil para auxiliar efetivamente na padronização do empacotamento dos ativos reutilizáveis e para guiar a estrutura do repositório de reutilização de software. Alguns trabalhos anteriores já responderam parcialmente essa questão, porém eles atendiam propósitos muito específicos, não possuíam uma ferramenta de apoio ou não haviam sido avaliados em contexto real de (re)uso. Esse trabalho propõe o Software Profile RAS (SW-RAS), uma extensão do Profile de componentes do RAS, que propõe soluções para diversas de suas lacunas, incluindo informações úteis e artefatos relevantes apontados na literatura, baseados em outros modelos de ativos reutilizáveis, em outras extensões do RAS e na experiência do processo de reúso no desenvolvimento de software. Particularmente, o SW-RAS estende as categorias de classificação, solução, uso e ativos relacionados, cujos detalhes estão descritos no texto. Visando à experimentação da proposta através de um estudo de caso, desenvolveu-se o Lavoi, um repositório de ativos reutilizáveis baseado no SW-RAS, que foi avaliado num ambiente real de reutilização e desenvolvimento de software de uma grande companhia pública de TI. Uma descrição deste processo de avaliação em um contexto real é também apresentada neste trabalho. A principal contribuição desta dissertação é a proposta, a avaliação e a consolidação de uma extensão do RAS que atende várias de suas lacunas e é suportada por uma ferramenta de software livre. / The software reuse faces numerous managerial, technical and cultural barriers in its adoption, and the definition of the structure of reusable software assets is one of these technical barriers. To solve this, the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) is a de facto standard proposed by OMG. A specification such as the RAS defines and standardizes a reusable asset model, and it is the foundation for the construction and for the use of an asset repository that supports the software reuse. However, for being adopted in the practice, the RAS needs to solve its lacks through its extension and the definition of complementary information. These lacks are detailed in this work. Solving these lacks, the RAS becomes useful to help effectively in the standardization of packaging reusable assets and to guide the structure of the software reuse repository. Some previous works have already partially answered this question, but they attended very specific purposes, did not have a support tool or have not been evaluated in a real context of (re)use. This work proposes the Software Profile RAS (SW-RAS), an extension of the component Profile of RAS, which proposes solutions for its various lacks, including useful information and relevant artifacts pointed out in the literature, based on other reusable asset models, on other RAS extensions and on the experience in the reuse process at software development. Particularly, the SW-RAS extends the categories of classification, solution, usage and related assets, whose details are described in the text. Aiming at the experimentation of the proposal through a case study, the Lavoi was developed, a reusable asset repository based on the SW-RAS, which is was evaluated in a real environment of reuse and software development of a large public IT company. A description of this evaluation process in real context is also presented in this work. The main contribution of this dissertation is the proposal, the evaluation and the consolidation of an extension of RAS that addresses several of its lacks and is supported by a free software tool.

Public health policy and practice principally acknowledge a needs-based approach when developing, implementing, and evaluating community health programs. This needs-based perspective receives criticism because it focuses too heavily on what is missing or wrong with communities as opposed to building on their strengths. As a result, community members are perceived as passive recipients, which is disempowering, and ultimately risks creating unsustainable and ineffective programs. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in achieving a balance between the needs-based approach and the asset-based approach, which accentuates positive capabilities. While the amount of literature discussing the benefits of this latter perspective has grown substantially, accompanying evaluation required to sustain continued investment has been limited. Compared to needs-based research, there is less literature on asset-based evaluation. Emphasis on such research could contribute to the progression of evaluation methodologies and theories, ultimately encouraging their use. The purpose of this study is to apply an existing public health evaluation framework – the RE-AIM model (Glasgow, Vogt, and Boles, 1999) – to asset-based community health interventions and to examine the utility of such an evaluation structure across a variety of asset-based health projects. A multiple case study design facilitated comparison of the applicability of the RE-AIM model dimensions – Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance across three cases in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets, United Kingdom. These included the Local Links Asset-mapping project, the Healthy Early Years Project, and the Good Moves project. The RE-AIM framework is additionally guided by principles of the Realist Evaluation approach (Pawson and Tilley, 1997). This research study contributes to asset-based research by providing a guideline and conceptual framework to support asset-based intervention evaluation theory and practice.