Tem sido demonstrado que a capacidade de comunicação intercelular via junções do tipo gap tem relevância na formação óssea. A principal conexina envolvida no desenvolvimento, na diferenciação e na regulação de crescimento de tecidos ósseos é a conexina 43. Contudo, outras duas conexinas expressas, são a Cx 45, que aparece em menor número em relação a Cx43, e a Cx46 que é caracterizada por ser detectada freqüentemente associada à região transi-Golgi. Alterações no perfil de expressão e localização aberrante das conexinas têm sido associadas a oncogênese, demonstrando uma diminuição da expressão destas conexinas em tecidos neoplásicos. Escassos são os estudo que avaliaram a expressão das conexinas 43, 45 e 46 em células de osteossarcoma, e nenhum estudo enfocando este aspecto foi realizado em osteossarcoma canino. No presente foram avaliados os tecidos ósseos normais e neoplásico de cães quanto à expressão das Cx43, e 46 por meio de imunofluorescência, os níveis de expressão das mesmas conexinas por meio de Western blot e por PCR em tempo real, assim como sua correlação com o tipo de tumor ósseo, associado ao exame histopatológico de rotina. Os resultados mostraram que os níveis de expressão gênica da Cx43 foram semelhantes entre o tecido ósseo normal e neoplásico, sendo as mesmas encontradas no citoplasma e membrana citoplasmática. A conexina 46 foi encontrada retida em região perinuclear, tendo níveis diferentes de expressão gênica entre os tecidos ósseo normal e neoplásico. Concluímos então que a conexina 43 é expressa por osteoblastos normais e neoplásicos em níveis semelhantes, porém há diferenças na expressão de Cx46. Concluímos também que existem diferenças quanto à localização subcelular destas duas conexinas em tecidos ósseos normais e neoplásicos de cães. Estes resultados indicam um possivel envolvimento das conexinas 43 e 46 em tumores ósseos de cães. / Increasing evidence indicates that junctional communiction by gap juctions has a critical role in a bone physiology. The main connexin (Cx) express involved in development, differentiation and regulation of tissue growth, is the called Cx43. However, other, two connexis are expressed: Cx45 and Cx46. Cx46 is retained as monomers in a trans-golgi compartment of osteoblastic cells. Alterations in the expression profile and aberrant localization of the conexinas have been associated to oncogenesis, demonstrating a reduction of the expression of these conexins in neoplastic tissues. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the expression of Cx43 and Cx46 in normal and neoplastic osseous tissues from dogs, by means of immunofluorescence, Western blot and Real time- PCR. These results were correlated with the routine histological evaluation of the bone tumor. Results showed that the levels of genetic expression of Cx43 were similar in both normal and neoplastic osseous tissues from dogs, and the Cx43 were found both in the cytoplasm and in the cytoplasmic membrane. Connexin 46 was found in the perinuclear region of neoplastic osteoblasts, and different levels of genic expression were found between normal and neoplastic osseous tissues. We can conclude that the Cx43 is similarly expressed by both normal and neoplastic osteoblasts from dogs, however there are differences in the expression of Cx46. These results point to a possible role of connexins 43 and 46 in dog bone tumors.

Em um contexto global de aumento da demanda por produtos agrícolas, especialmente de proteína animal, concomitante às mudanças climáticas e escassez de áreas para expansão agrícola, o processo de intensificação sustentável da pecuária é colocado como um importante \"piloto\" frente às políticas públicas setoriais. O Plano ABC, exemplo deste tipo de política pública, destina recursos através do Programa ABC para a recuperação de pastagens degradadas. A identificação de pastagens degradadas se dá através de indicadores de baixa produtividade da pecuária, principalmente pautados na baixa lotação animal. Esta premissa nem sempre é verdadeira, pois há áreas com baixa capacidade de suporte, em função de limitações físicas, mas que não se encontram necessariamente degradadas. A utilização de modelos biofísicos de crescimento de forragem é uma possível alternativa de abordagem à problemática, que pode auxiliar na identificação espacial de áreas onde a pecuária poderia se intensificar sem implicar em impactos ambientais, de modo a melhor direcionar políticas públicas que busquem estimular este processo. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar para o estado de São Paulo a eficiência na produção e o yield gap (lacuna de produtividade) explorável da pastagem via modelagem mecanística para identificar as áreas com maior potencial de intensificação da pecuária e compará-las com a geografia de aplicação do crédito agrícola do Programa ABC para recuperação de pastagens degradadas. O estudo foi organizado da seguinte forma: a primeira parte (Capítulo 2) apresenta uma discussão acerca das áreas de pastagem com maior potencial de incremento de produtividade com base nas simulações no CROPGRO Perennial Forage para crescimento da pastagem de modo a definir a eficiência produtiva e os yield gaps da pastagem para o estado de São Paulo; a segunda parte (Capítulo 3) traz a análise de desempenho do Programa ABC em relação à aplicação desse recurso para recuperação de pastagem degradada (RPD), ou seja, avaliar se o crédito está sendo aplicado em regiões de maior potencial para incremento de produtividade, com base nos valores de yield gap explorável encontrados anteriormente. A eficiência média atual da produção de pastagens (razão entre produtividade real e produtividade atingível) encontrada via simulação no estado de São Paulo foi de 46,4% e um yield gap médio explorável de 5,8 Mg.ha-1.ano-1 de biomassa úmida. Estes resultados indicam que há um significativo espaço para incremento de produtividade das pastagens neste estado. A priorização de áreas de maior yield gap para intensificação pode contribuir para a redução da pressão por abertura de novas áreas de pastagem em locais com baixo potencial produtivo, áreas estas que podem ser ocupadas para produção agrícola ou para a regularização ambiental, evitando a expansão do desmatamento. O presente estudo buscou contribuir, através de resultados em escala estadual, para futuros estudos em escala nacional, mostrando que o uso de modelos mecanísticos como o CROPGRO Perennial Forage podem ser instrumentos de grande utilidade na avaliação e no direcionamento de políticas públicas condizentes com a construção de diretrizes para o desenvolvimento rural sustentável. / In a global context of increasing demand for agricultural resources, especially animal protein, combined with climate change and scarcity of areas for agricultural expansion, the process of sustainable intensification of livestock farming is placed as an important public policie issue. The ABC Plan, an example of this type of public policy, allocates resources through the ABC Program for the recovery of degraded pastures. The identification of degraded pastures occurs through indicators of low productivity of livestock, mainly based on low animal stocking (UA.ha-1). This premise is not always true, as there are areas with low support capacity , due to physical limitations, but that are not necessarily degraded. The use of biophysical models of forage growth is an alternative approach to this problem, which may help in the spatial identification of areas where livestock could be intensified without environmental impacts, in order to guide public policies seeking to stimulate this process . The objective of this study was to determine pasture yield efficiency and yield gap for São Paulo State , using models to identify areas with the greatest potential for livestock intensification and compare them with the geography of the ABC program application. The study was organized as follows: the first part (Chapter 2) presents a discussion about pasture areas with the greatest potential for productivity increase, based on simulations in CROPGRO Perennial Forage for the growth of Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu in order to define the productive efficiency and the yield gaps of the pasture for São Paulo State; the second part (Chapter 3) presents the performance analysis of the ABC Program in relation to the application of this resource for degraded pasture recovery (RPD), i.e., to evaluate if the credit is being applied in regions with greater potential for productivity increase, based on the explorable yield gap values previously found. The current average efficiency of pasture production (ratio between real productivity and attainable productivity) found by simulation in São Paulo State was 46.4% and an average yield gap of 5.8 Mg.ha-1.year-1 . These results indicate that there is a significant space to increase pasture productivity in this State. Prioritization of areas with a higher yield gap for intensification may contribute to the reduction of pressure for opening new pasture areas in areas with low productive potential, areas that can be occupied for agricultural production or for environmental regulation, avoiding the expansion of deforestation.The present study sought to contribute, through statewide results, to future studies on a national scale, showing that the use of mechanistic models, such as CROPGRO Perennial Forage, can be very useful for evaluating and directing public policies aimed at rural sustainable development.

Tem sido demonstrado que a capacidade de comunicação intercelular via junções do tipo gap tem relevância na formação óssea. A principal conexina envolvida no desenvolvimento, na diferenciação e na regulação de crescimento de tecidos ósseos é a conexina 43. Contudo, outras duas conexinas expressas, são a Cx 45, que aparece em menor número em relação a Cx43, e a Cx46 que é caracterizada por ser detectada freqüentemente associada à região transi-Golgi. Alterações no perfil de expressão e localização aberrante das conexinas têm sido associadas a oncogênese, demonstrando uma diminuição da expressão destas conexinas em tecidos neoplásicos. Escassos são os estudo que avaliaram a expressão das conexinas 43, 45 e 46 em células de osteossarcoma, e nenhum estudo enfocando este aspecto foi realizado em osteossarcoma canino. No presente foram avaliados os tecidos ósseos normais e neoplásico de cães quanto à expressão das Cx43, e 46 por meio de imunofluorescência, os níveis de expressão das mesmas conexinas por meio de Western blot e por PCR em tempo real, assim como sua correlação com o tipo de tumor ósseo, associado ao exame histopatológico de rotina. Os resultados mostraram que os níveis de expressão gênica da Cx43 foram semelhantes entre o tecido ósseo normal e neoplásico, sendo as mesmas encontradas no citoplasma e membrana citoplasmática. A conexina 46 foi encontrada retida em região perinuclear, tendo níveis diferentes de expressão gênica entre os tecidos ósseo normal e neoplásico. Concluímos então que a conexina 43 é expressa por osteoblastos normais e neoplásicos em níveis semelhantes, porém há diferenças na expressão de Cx46. Concluímos também que existem diferenças quanto à localização subcelular destas duas conexinas em tecidos ósseos normais e neoplásicos de cães. Estes resultados indicam um possivel envolvimento das conexinas 43 e 46 em tumores ósseos de cães. / Increasing evidence indicates that junctional communiction by gap juctions has a critical role in a bone physiology. The main connexin (Cx) express involved in development, differentiation and regulation of tissue growth, is the called Cx43. However, other, two connexis are expressed: Cx45 and Cx46. Cx46 is retained as monomers in a trans-golgi compartment of osteoblastic cells. Alterations in the expression profile and aberrant localization of the conexinas have been associated to oncogenesis, demonstrating a reduction of the expression of these conexins in neoplastic tissues. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the expression of Cx43 and Cx46 in normal and neoplastic osseous tissues from dogs, by means of immunofluorescence, Western blot and Real time- PCR. These results were correlated with the routine histological evaluation of the bone tumor. Results showed that the levels of genetic expression of Cx43 were similar in both normal and neoplastic osseous tissues from dogs, and the Cx43 were found both in the cytoplasm and in the cytoplasmic membrane. Connexin 46 was found in the perinuclear region of neoplastic osteoblasts, and different levels of genic expression were found between normal and neoplastic osseous tissues. We can conclude that the Cx43 is similarly expressed by both normal and neoplastic osteoblasts from dogs, however there are differences in the expression of Cx46. These results point to a possible role of connexins 43 and 46 in dog bone tumors.

Bakgrund: I Sverige har intresset för att investera i hållbara fonder ökat rejält de senaste åren och med detta följer också en stor ökning i utbudet av hållbara fonder. Känt sedan tidigare är också att det råder en definitionsproblematik på ämnet som adderar komplexitet till marknaden, detta då hållbarhet i sig är svårdefinierat. Indikationer visar att det kan råda en skillnad mellan andelen människor som är intresserade av att investera hållbart och de som faktiskt gör det. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att slå fast huruvida det råder ett attitude-behaviour gap på marknaden för hållbara fonder. Vidare ämnar uppsatsen att uppskatta storleken på fondförmögenheten som finns i svenska hållbara fonder, detta för att få en bättre bild av marknaden och dess omfång. Till sist vill uppsatsförfattarna på villkoret att det råder ett attitude-behaviour gap undersöka de faktorer som kan tänkas föranleda det. Genomförande: För att kunna genomföra studien och besvara dess frågeställningar har två kvantitativa samt en kvalitativ metod använts. De kvantitativa delarna har genomförts med dels en enkät för att slå fast huruvida det finns ett attitude-behaviour gap samt databaser med fonddata där syftet har varit att slå fast mängden kapital som finns allokerat till svenska hållbara fonder. Den kvalitativa delen har genomförts med hjälp av semistrukturerade-intervjuer med främst privatpersoner men också en expert på området. Slutsats: Studien har slagit fast att det råder ett attitude-behaviour gap på svenska marknaden för hållbara fonder. Vidare har slutsatsen dragits att det ej går att fastslå mängden kapital placerat i svenska hållbara fonder, detta med motiveringen att definitionsproblematiken och brist på vedertagna tredjepartsmärkningar gör det alltför osäkert. Slutligen har studien kommit fram till en rad olika faktorer som ligger till grund för attitude-behaviour gapet, bland dessa framträder oro kring avkastning, definitionsproblematik, kunskap och information som de mest avgörande. / Background: The interest in sustainable mutual funds and the supply of them has rapidly grown in Sweden during the last years. It is previously known that there is a problem with the definition of what a sustainable mutual fund is, which adds a layer of complexity to the market. Indications shows that there might be a discrepancy between the number of people that are interested in sustainable mutual funds and those who buys them. Purpose: The aim with this study is to determine whether an attitude-behaviour gap exists on the market for sustainable mutual funds. Furthermore, the study intends to estimate the amount of capital invested in the Swedish market for sustainable funds, that is to broader the perspective of the market and its size. Finally, if there is an existing attitude- behaviour gap, the authors want to examine the factors behind the gap. Completion: To be able to carry out the study, both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used. The quantitative parts were made with both a survey to determine whether there is an attitude-behaviour gap and data collection concerning the amount of capital allocated to Swedish sustainable mutual funds. The qualitative part has been carried out with the help of semi-structured interviews with mainly private savers but also an expert in the field. Conclusion: The study has established that there is an attitude-behaviour gap in the Swedish market for sustainable funds. Furthermore, the conclusion has been drawn that it is not possible to determine the amount of capital invested in Swedish sustainable mutual funds, the reason being that the definition problem and the lack of accepted third- party labels make it too uncertain. Finally, the study has come up with several different factors that form the underlying reasons of the attitude behaviour gap, concerns about yield, definition problems, knowledge and information as the most crucial.

Ce travail de recherche s'inscrit dans un axe de diagnostic du cancer via le développement d'une méthode optique pour la caractérisation fonctionnelle de tissus. La technique de gap- FRAP (Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching) permet l'étude quantitative de la fonctionnalité des jonctions gap. La majorité des cellules néoplasiques se caractérisent par une modification du niveau d'expression et/ou de la fonctionnalité des jonctions gap par comparaison à leurs homologues saines. La technique de gap-FRAP permet en conséquence de discriminer les cellules cancéreuses en fonction de la communication intercellulaire gap jonctionnelle (CIGJ). Particulièrement utilisée in vitro, cette technique restait cependant anecdotique ex vivo. Nous avons validé la faisabilité du transfert de cette méthode sur tissus et organes ex vivo. A partir de cellules de statuts différents en expression et en distribution des connexines, nous avons caractérisé la calcéine-AM comme étant une sonde fluorescente adaptée pour des mesures sur tissus. Puis nous avons développé un modèle d'ingénierie systéme pour l'analyse comparative des données de recouvrement de fluorescence sur des modèles bi et tridimensionnels. Nous avons transposé ces conditions préalablement définies sur organe entier ex vivo : la vessie de rat. Un marquage multiple a été optimisé avec une sonde fluorescente pour le tracking des cellules cancéreuses dans la vessie ex vivo, un marqueur pour l'identification histologique de l'urothélium et la calcéine-AM pour mesurer la CIGJ. Le gap-FRAP a été utilisé pour la première fois pour différencier le degré de communication intercellulaire gap jonctionnelle entre le tissu sain et néoplasique sur un organe entier ex vivo, ouvrant des perspectives pour le diagnostic du cancer de la vessie corrélé à la modification de la CIGJ.

<p>This paper analyses rural poverty in Ethiopia using the 1997 round of household survey data from the Ethiopian Rural Household Survey. Poverty measurements are estimated using a consumption based two-step procedure through the implementation of the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke model. The results indicate that the incidence of rural poverty is high for villages that have lower conditions for agriculture. These findings imply that poverty reduction can be possible through effective policies toward improving the conditions for agriculture in the rural areas.</p><p>Moreover, examination of the connection between different socioeconomic characteristics and poverty indicates that households consisting of household heads with a higher age and availability of farmland are relatively less poor. However, households where the household head has completed at least primary school suffer from most incidence of poverty.</p><p>Furthermore, this study use three different definitions of poverty in connection to well-being to determine poverty. It is possible to state that these measurements are different modifications of each other with common variables and follow the same trend. The results of the paper may increase our understanding of the nature of rural poverty in Ethiopia and help in providing different poverty reducing policies, for the specific survey round.</p>

In the first chapter of this thesis, we investigate the impact of human capital and wage structure on the gender pay in a panel of European countries using a newly available and appropriate database for cross-country comparisons and a comparable methodology for each country. Our first question is : What role do certain individual characteristics and choices of working men and women play in shaping the cross-country differences in the gender pay gap? What is the exact size of the gender pay gap using the “more appropriate” database available for our purpose? Giving that there are mainly only two harmonized data-sets for comparing gender pay gap throughout Europe: the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) and the European Structure of Earning Survey (ESES). Each database having its shortages: the main weakness of the ECHP is the lack of perfect reliability of the data in general and of wages in particular. However the main advantage of this database is the panel-data dimension and the information on both households and individuals. The data of the ESES is, on the contrary, of a very high standard but it only covers the private sector and has a cross-sectional dimension. Furthermore only few countries are currently available : Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Ireland and Italy. We use the European Structure of Earning Survey (ESES) to analyse international differences in gender pay gaps in the private sector based on a sample of five European economies: Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy and Spain. Using different methods, we examine how wage structures, differences in the distribution of measured characteristics and occupational segregation contribute to and explain the pattern of international differences. Furthermore, we take account of the fact that indirect discrimination may influence female occupational distributions. We find these latter factors to have a significant impact on gender wage differentials. However, the magnitude of their effect varies across countries. In the second chapter, we analyse the persistence of the gender pay differentials over time in Europe and better test the productivity hypothesis by taking into account unobserved heterogeneity. Our second question is : What is the evolution of the pay differential between men and women over a period of time in Europe? And what is the impact of unobserved heterogeneity? The researcher here provides evidence on the effects of unobserved individual heterogeneity on estimated gender pay differentials. Using the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), we present a cross-country comparison of the evolution of unadjusted and adjusted gender pay gaps using both cross-section and panel-data estimation techniques. The analysed countries differ greatly with respect to labour market legislation, bargaining practices structure of earnings and female employment rates. On adjusting for unobserved heterogeneity, we find a narrowed male-female pay differential, as well as significantly different rates of return on individual characteristics. In particularly, the adjusted wage differential decreases by 7 per cent in Belgium, 14 per cent in Ireland, between 20-30 per cent Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain and of 41 per cent and 54 per cent in the UK and in Denmark respectively. In the third chapter, we investigate causes of the gender pay gap beyond the gender differences in observed and unobserved productive characteristics or simply the sex. Explanations of the gender pay gap may be the penalty women face for having children. Obviously, the motherhood wage penalty is relevant to larger issues of gender inequality given that most women are mothers and that childrearing remains a women’s affair. Thus, any penalty associated with motherhood but not with fatherhood affects many women and as such contributes to gender inequalities as the gender pay gap. Furthermore, the motherhood wage effect may be different along the wage distribution as women with different earnings may not be equal in recognising opportunities to reconcile their mother’s and earner’s role. This brings us to our third question. Our third question is : What is the wage effect for mothers of young children in the household? And does it vary along the wage distribution of women? This chapter provides more insight into the effect of the presence of young children on women’s wages. We use individual data from the ECHP (1996-2001) and both a generalised linear model (GLM) and quantile regression (QR) techniques to estimate the wage penalty/bonus associated with the presence of children under the age of sixteen for mothers in ten EU Member States. We also correct for potential selection bias using the Heckman (1979) correction term in the GLM (at the mean) and a selectivity correction term in the quantile regressions. To distinguish between mothers according to their age at the time of their first birth, wage estimations are carried out, separately, for mothers who had their first child before the age of 25 (‘young mothers’) and mothers who had their first child after the age of 25 (‘old mothers’). Our results suggest that on average young mothers earn less than non-mothers while old mothers obtain a gross wage bonus in all countries. These wage differentials are mainly due to differences in human capital, occupational segregation and, to a lesser extent, sectoral segregation between mothers and non-mothers. This overall impact of labour market segregation, suggests a “crowding” explanation of the family pay gap – pay differential between mothers and non-mothers. Nevertheless, the fact that we still find significant family pay gaps in some countries after we control for all variables of our model suggests that we cannot reject the “taste-based” explanation of the family gap in these countries. Our analysis of the impact of family policies on the family pay gap across countries has shown that parental leave and childcare policies tend to decrease the pay differential between non-mothers and mothers. Cash and tax benefits, on the contrary, tend to widen this pay differential. Sample selection also affects the level of the mother pay gap at the mean and throughout the wage distribution in most countries. Furthermore, we find that in most countries inter-quantile differences in pay between mothers and non-mothers are mainly due to differences in human-capital. Differences in their occupational and sectoral segregation further shape these wage differentials along the wage distribution in the UK, Germany and Portugal in our sample of young mothers and in Spain in the sample of old mothers. In the fourth chapter, we analyse the combined effect of motherhood and the family status on women’s wage. Our fourth question is : Is there a lone motherhood pay gap in Europe? And does it vary along the wage distribution of mothers? Substantial research has been devoted to the analysis of poverty and income gaps between households of different types. The effects of family status on wages have been studied to a lesser extent. In this chapter, we present a selectivity corrected quantile regression model for the lone motherhood pay gap – the differential in hourly wage between lone mothers and those with partners. We used harmonized data from the European Community Household Panel and present results for a panel of European countries. We found evidence of lone motherhood penalties and bonuses. In our analysis, most countries presented higher wage disparities at the top of the wage distribution rather than at the bottom or at the mean. Our results suggest that cross-country differences in the lone motherhood pay gap are mainly due to differences in observed and unobserved characteristics between partnered mothers and lone mothers, differences in sample selection and presence of young children in the household. We also investigated other explanations for these differences such as the availability and level of childcare arrangements, the provision of gender-balanced leave and the level of child benefits and tax incentives. As expected, we have found significant positive relationship between the pay gap between lone and partnered mothers and the childcare, take-up and cash and tax benefits policies. Therefore improving these family policies would reduce the raw pay gap observed.

This paper analyses rural poverty in Ethiopia using the 1997 round of household survey data from the Ethiopian Rural Household Survey. Poverty measurements are estimated using a consumption based two-step procedure through the implementation of the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke model. The results indicate that the incidence of rural poverty is high for villages that have lower conditions for agriculture. These findings imply that poverty reduction can be possible through effective policies toward improving the conditions for agriculture in the rural areas. Moreover, examination of the connection between different socioeconomic characteristics and poverty indicates that households consisting of household heads with a higher age and availability of farmland are relatively less poor. However, households where the household head has completed at least primary school suffer from most incidence of poverty. Furthermore, this study use three different definitions of poverty in connection to well-being to determine poverty. It is possible to state that these measurements are different modifications of each other with common variables and follow the same trend. The results of the paper may increase our understanding of the nature of rural poverty in Ethiopia and help in providing different poverty reducing policies, for the specific survey round.

One of the main purposes of this dissertation was to examine gender- and socioeconomic status (SES)-related mathematics achievement gaps among Turkish middle-school students compared to achievement gaps in European Union (EU) countries. A further purpose of the present study was to investigate qualified mathematics teachers’ distribution in relation to student SES among Turkish middle schools. Finally, relationships between mathematics teacher quality indicators and students’ mathematics achievement within Turkish middle-school classrooms were explored. In this dissertation, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007 data were used. Sample countries were Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and Slovenia. Achievement gaps by gender and SES were examined using Cohen’s d effect sizes and 95 percent confidence intervals. Relationships between mathematics teacher quality and students’ mathematics achievement were investigated using hierarchical linear modeling. Results showed none or only negligible gender differences but substantial SES-related gaps in Turkish students’ achievement in mathematics, overall, or in various content and cognitive domains. Correlations between students’ SES levels and their achievement were the largest in Turkey compared to the sample EU countries. Among the sample EU countries, only Hungary had as large or even somewhat larger disparities as Turkey between low- and high-SES students’ mathematics achievement. The current study also identified SES-related inequities in access to qualified mathematics teachers in Turkey. Low-SES students were more likely to be taught by mathematics teachers who had less than 3 years of experience or who did not hold a degree in mathematics or mathematics education. On the other hand, years of experience and a degree in mathematics or mathematics education were found to be substantially related to Turkish eighth-grade students’ mathematics achievement. Low-SES students’ mathematics teachers were also more likely to report lack of confidence in their preparation to teach various mathematics contents. To narrow achievement gaps, Turkish policy-makers can explore and benefit from policies of the countries identified in the present study as more equitable in terms of student achievement than Turkey. The current study also shows Turkish policy-makers importance of the equitable distribution of qualified mathematics teachers in closing the mathematics achievement gap in middle schools.

This thesis examines the territorial, spatial, and political Gaps inherent in the Embassy as program and type. Located in Havana, the project transforms such Gaps into an architectural strategy for the Embassy of the 21st century. An Embassy serves a practical and symbolic purpose. It administrates Visa applications, at the same time representing a country’s culture and projecting its political power. In an Embassy one country’s sovereign territory is embedded in the physical territory of another, making the Embassy the spatial embodiment of a political boundary. The exterior is charged with the politics of the boundary while the space inside is a neutral limbo – a territorial and political Gap. The Embassy is sited in Havana. A politically isolated country, Cuba provides a fertile ground to explore the changing Cuban-American relations. There is now the political possibility for diplomatic interaction, but without an American Embassy in Cuba, there is no physical space for this exchange. An Embassy is needed to facilitate Cuban immigration while at the same time engaging a new diplomatic relationship between the two countries. The time is ripe for a new Embassy.