Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:48:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:01:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 09245.pdf: 3753977 bytes, checksum: f018e58c5c2f31d50af3bf44a9be9821 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2015-03-03T14:44:05Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T14:44:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo

Since Dengue fever (DF) and its related forms, Dengue Hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) have become important health concerns worldwide, it is also imperative to develop methods which will help in the analysis of the incidences. Dengue fever cases are growing in number as it also invades widely, affecting larger number of countries and crossing climatic boundaries. Considering that the disease as of now has neither an effective vaccine nor a cure, monitoring in order to prevent or control is the resorted alternative. GIS and its related technologies offer a wealth of interesting capabilities towards achieving this goal. The intention of this study was to develop methods to describe dengue fever outbreaks taking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a case study. Careful study of Census data with appropriate attributes was made to find out their potential influence on dengue fever incidence in the various regions or census districts. Dengue incidence data from year 2000 to year 2008 reported by the municipal secretariat of Rio was used to extract the necessary census districts. Base map files in MapInfo format were converted to shape files.  Using ArcGIS it was possible to merge the dengue fever incidence data with the available base map file of the City of Rio according to corresponding census districts. Choropleth maps were then created using different attributes from which patterns and trends could be used to describe the characteristic of the outbreak with respect to the socio-economic conditions. Incidence data were also plotted in Excel to see temporal variations. Cluster analysis were performed with the Moran I technique on critical periods and years of dengue outbreak. Using the square root of dengue incidence from January to April 2002 and 2008, inverse distance was selected as the conceptualised spatial relationship, Euclidean distance as the distance method. More detailed analyses were then done on the selected critical years of dengue outbreak, (years 2002 and 2008), to investigate the influence of socio-economic variables on dengue incidence per census district.   Dengue incidence rate appeared to be higher during the rainy and warmer months between December and May. Outbreaks of dengue occurred in years 2002 and 2008 over the study period of year 2000 to 2008. Some factors included in the census data were influential in the dengue prevalence according to districts. Satisfactory results can be achieved by using this strategy as a quick method for assessing potential dengue attack, spread and possible enabling conditions. The method has the advantage where there is limited access to field work, less financial means for acquisition of data and other vital resources. A number of difficulties were encountered during the study however and leaves areas where further work can be done for improvements. More variables would be required in order to make a complete and comprehensive description of influential conditions and factors.  There is still a gap in the analytical tools required for multi-dimensional investigations as the ones encountered in this study.  It is vital to integrate ‘GPS’ and ‘Remote Sensing’ in order to obtain a variety of up-to-date data with higher resolution.

O contínuo aumento na produção leiteira, associado à diminuição no número de produtores na atividade, acaba por levantar um questionamento no tocante à produtividade. Afinal, quais os fatores socioeconômicos que podem estar afetando esta produtividade? A fim de investigar mais sobre o assunto, o presente trabalho analisou o comportamento das funções de produtividade, de custo e de lucro. Além das variáveis econômicas propriamente ditas – como escala de produção, nível e tipo de tecnologia, essas funções incluíram algumas especificidades do produtor – como escolaridade, idade, experiência, domicilio etc. Para sintetizar tais especificidades, utilizou-se o método dos componentes principais da análise fatorial. Em seguida, os fatores obtidos foram incorporados nos modelos de lucro, custo e da produtividade. As variáveis econômicas tiveram efeito predominante sobre a produtividade. Observaram-se ganhos moderados de escala, que reduzem os custos e aumentam os lucros. Dessa forma, há uma tendência moderada de longo prazo de expansão de volume produzido em maiores propriedades, ficando os pequenos produtores em desvantagem competitiva. A permanência desses produtores na atividade dependerá da capacitação que venham a receber, o que costuma ser oferecido por cooperativas e laticínios. Esse treinamento deveria ser estendido também aos filhos. Investimentos nesse sentido trariam ganhos na receita e um impacto social positivo por reter o jovem no campo e/ou prepará-lo para que, em melhores condições, busque outras formas de ocupação nas áreas urbanas. / The continuous growth of the milk production along with the reduction of the number of producers raises questions concerning productivity. What factors might be affecting productivity? This work aimed to analyze the effects of economic variables on the cost, the profit and the milk productivity functions. In addition some specificities of the farmer – such as age, experience etc. - were considered in those functions. The method of principal components of the factorial analysis was used to group the specificity variables in factors that later entered the models of profit, cost and the productivity. As for the economic variables, they are the main variables that affect the productivity. Moderate increasing returns to scale were observed. Therefore there is a tendency in the long run of increasing production in large farms. The permanence of small producers in the activity will depend on the training they will receive, which is usually offered by cooperatives and some milk companies. It is essential that this training also be extended to their children. Investments in this direction would bring gains in income either by enhancing farm productivity or by improving the chances of success in urban activities.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:48:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:01:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 09245.pdf: 3753977 bytes, checksum: f018e58c5c2f31d50af3bf44a9be9821 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2015-03-03T14:44:05Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T14:44:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo

Magister Educationis - MEd (Mathematics and Science Education) / This study looks at the effects of a dialogical argumentation instructional model (DAIM) on grade 9 learners understanding of selected meteorological concepts: Cold fronts in the Western Cape of South Africa. Using a quasi-experimental research design model, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative (so-called ‘mixed methods’) to collect data in a public secondary school in Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province. A survey questionnaire on attitudes and perceptions towards high school as well as conceptions of weather was administered before the main study to give the researcher baseline information and to develop pilot instruments to use in the main study. The study employed a dialogical instructional model (DAIM) with an experimental group of learners exposed to the intervention, and recorded differences from a control group which had no intervention. Learners from the two groups were exposed to a meteorological literacy test evaluation before and after the DAIM intervention. The results from the two groups were then compared and analysed according to the two theoretical frameworks that underpin the study namely: Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern - TAP (Toulmin, 1958) and Contiguity Argumentation Theory - CAT (Ogunniyi, 1997). Further analyses were conducted on learners’ beliefs and indigenous knowledge, according to their conceptual understanding of weather related concepts used in the current NCS (National Curriculum Statement). After completing the study some interesting findings were made and based on these findings certain recommendations were suggested on how to implement a DAIM-model into classroom teaching using Indigenous Knowledge (IK). These recommendations are suggestions to plot the way towards developing a science–IK curriculum for the Natural Sciences subjects in South African schools.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / In developing economies and specifically Sub-Saharan Africa physical inactivity has been identified as a risk factor along with tobacco use / South Africa

The research examines how the banking sector in Zambia faired in the wake of the global financial crisis, and the ensuing global recession that followed. Even prior to the crisis, weaknesses within the Zambian Banking sector were already identified by a World Bank/IMF financial sector assessment. The research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the potential destabilizing factors to the Zambia Banking sector, and provide key players (Policymakers, Regulators and Banks) with knowledge on how best to manage and overcome these adverse effects, in times of a financial crisis. A Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) is estimated using commonly identified macroeconomic and banking sector indicators from selected Anglophonic African countries that were affected by the crisis at the time. The selected variables include, Return on Assets (ROA); Non-Performing Loans (NPL); Foreign Assets (FA); Interbank Lending Rate (IBLR); Liquidity (LQD); Credit to Private Sector (PRV); Foreign Exchange Rate (FOREX); Inflation (INFL); Copper Price (CU); and a ‘dummy’ variable (CRISIS). The direction of causality between the variables is further established using the VAR Granger Causality Test. Results of the model suggests that although the CRISIS was found to cause the ROA, it had no significant effect on its outcome, implying that overall the crisis had very little effect on the Zambian banking sector’s profitability. It was the liquidity (LQD) variable instead which was found to have a significant effect on the ROA. In times of a financial crisis, it is therefore recommended that policy makers and regulators apply more stringent regulatory and monetary policy instruments. This would counter the adverse effects on the liquidity and profitability of the Banking sector, and thus ensure its stability.

<p style="text-align: justify / " class="Default">In developing economies and specifically Sub-Saharan Africa physical inactivity has been identified as a risk factor along with tobacco use, poor nutrition and poor diet as this has increasingly formed part of today&rsquo / s lifestyle. Physical activity declines with age this decline is more marked during the adolescent period. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of physical inactivity and factors associated with it among adolescents in <st1:place><st1:city>Nairobi</st1:city>, <st1:country-region>Kenya</st1:country-region></st1:place>. The overall aim of the study is to determine the factors influencing their levels of physical activity in relation to their socio-economic characteristics. <o:p></o:p></p>