Abstract In search for new investments, innovative investment corporations need to consider many factors, including, the market side, technology side, finance side, human resources quality level and so on¡K. However, with regards to Fuel Cell and similar new heavy duty products, it is not just a normal technology and 3-5 years investment analysis; as a technological researcher, the initial research ideology is to find a norm, which can be used as a lead target at the start of the new innovative technology investment. This is one of the issues besides technological analysis, that a company investing in fuel cell need to consider at the point of investment. This also can be used as a reference for normal public investors. This research takes the point of view of the technology growth curve. It makes an attempt by representing the growth curve with accumulated patent numbers. It also investigates whether the over rated remuneration for the fuel cell industry is supported by increase in technology levels and if there were significant increases. From historical data, the results were initially unexpected as there was a positive relationship. After investigation, the main reason was that related applicable products haven¡¦t reached mature levels. Hence using fuel cell cars as the research objective, with the assistance of a realistic growth curve, initial estimates predicts the product will mature around 2008 and will be in mass production in 2010 ~ 2012. This is very similar to the prediction of future new technology schedule provided by George Washington University. Therefore the conclusion of this thesis is as below: 1. Illustrate that accumulated patent numbers represents technological advancement which can be reflected in the industry¡¦s technology capability, the growth curve. 2. According to technological capability growth curve, the over rated remuneration stock prices will raise once it reaches the applicable growth period. This is generally predicted to be after the year 2012. Even if Honda¡¦s fuel cell car is in production, the investors will still continue to invest. Otherwise, according to each company¡¦s financial analysis the investment risks will be too high.

The current study evaluated a multiple-membership growth curve model that can be used to model growth in student achievement, in the presence of student mobility. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of ignoring multiple school membership when modeling student achievement across time. Part one of the study consisted of an analysis of real longitudinal student achievement data. This real data analysis compared parameter estimates, standard error estimates, and model-fit statistics obtained from a growth curve model that ignores multiple membership, to those obtained from a growth model that accounts for multiple school membership via the MMREM approach. Part two of the study consisted of a simulation study designed to determine the impact of ignoring multiple membership and the accuracy of parameter estimates obtained under the two modeling approaches, under a series of data conditions. The goal of the study was to assess the importance of incorporating a more flexible MMREM approach when modeling students’ academic achievement across time. Overall, the results of the current study indicated that the Cross-classified multiple membership growth curve model (CCMM-GCM) may provide more accurate parameter estimates than competing approaches for a number of data conditions. Both modeling approaches, however, yielded substantially biased estimates of parameters for some experimental conditions. Overall, results demonstrate that incorporating student mobility into achievement growth modeling can result in more accurate estimates of schools effects. / text

Misfolding and accumulation of insoluble protein aggregates in the form of amyloid fibrils is associated with a number of prevalent and debilitating mammalian disorders. In addition, amyloid-like nanostructures exhibit robust material properties, biological compatibility and replicative properties, making them of particular interest in the development of novel nanomaterials. Understanding fibril formation is essential to the development of strategies to control, manipulate or prevent fibril growth. The amyloid hypothesis is that since amyloid-like fibrils share a common core structure, they also share common formation mechanisms. Utilising a combination of turbidity and extrinsic fluorescence techniques this thesis provides insight into the diagnostic strength of simple, inexpensive kinetic measurements of aggregate growth. These simple techniques are found to be capable of delivering a substantial amount of information about the growth mechanisms controlling aggregation, and the effect of solution and environmental conditions, forming a solid basis for further investigation. Two competing fibrillar pathways are observed for hen egg white lysozyme at low pH in the presence of salt. These two pathways, leading to the formation of either curvilinear, worm-like fibrils or to the more widely recognised rigid, straight fibrils are not particular to hen egg white lysozyme, and similar competition may affect growth curve analysis in many other protein assays, including a-synuclein. Many proteins aggregate in the presence of membranes and detergents, and the kinetics of a-synuclein aggregation in the presence of SDS are strongly influenced by SDS concentration. Most descriptions of amyloid fibril growth currently lack heterogeneous nucleation events, and these may be important for predicting aggregation of membrane-active species in vivo. It is clear that simple analytical solutions to growth models are unable in many cases to capture the complexities of filament growth. Even in relatively simple in vitro experiments different growth processes can dominate growth rate over time, competing fibrillar species can result in composite kinetic growth signals and some growth mechanisms have not yet been sufficiently incorporated into an overall description of fibril growth.

Clinicians use growth curves to assess infant health. Most children are measured on growth curves that contain percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference by sex. Preterm infants have their own growth curves. Infants who present with measurements below the 10th percentile are considered small-for-gestational age (SGA), and infants who present with measurements above the 90th percentile are considered large-for-gestational age (LGA). Growth curves and centiles can be generated using 3 and 4 parameter distribution models. To date, no studies have been published to investigate whether growth curves generated using a 3- or 4-parameter model differ significantly. Additionally, researchers have found mixed results when exploring the association between race and pregnancy/delivery. Black mothers may have greater risks and babies with lower weights than babies born to White mothers (Borrell, Rodriguez-Alvarez, Savitz, & Baquero, 2016), and growth curves that do not consider race may misclassify non-White babies (Buck-Louis et al., 2015). In this study, I had two specific aims: (1) to compare the preterm infant growth curves and centiles generated using 3 and 4 parameter methods (Lamba Mu Sigma [LMS] and Box-Cox Power Exponential [BCPE], respectively) and assess each model for adequate fit, and (2) to use percentile cut points from race-specific and non-race-specific LMS curves to classify babies in a validation dataset as SGA or LGA. Regarding the differences in curves generated from the LMS and BCPE distributions, the curves produced using the BCPE distribution had a lower GAIC in some cases but model fit criteria for the LMS curves were adequate. The simpler models generated by the LMS method were retained for birth length, head circumference, and weight by sex with an explanatory variable of gestational age. For aim 2, results indicated that race-specific curves classified babies within expected ranges. Non-race-specific curves overidentified Black babies as SGA and underidentified them as LGA. More research is required to test if this relationship persists for babies delivered at full term.

No description available.

Using the perspective of sexual script theory (Gagnon & Simon, 1973) and growth curve modeling, this study examined whether characteristics of parents and parent-adolescent connectedness influence change in lifetime number of sexual partners from adolescence through young adulthood. Living in a blended family, having at least one college-educated parent and on-time parent-adolescent sexual communication positively predicted later lifetime number of sexual partners. Parent religiosity and parent-adolescent connectedness negatively predicted later lifetime number of sexual partners. Parent-adolescent sexual communication that focused on negative consequences of sex and parent disapproval of adolescent sexual activity were not significant in the overall model. Control variables included adolescent race/ethnicity, gender, physical maturity, marriage history, virginity pledge history, and expectations of positive consequences of sex. Physical maturity and gender were not significant in the overall model. In conclusion, parents have significant and far-reaching influence on their children's later sexual behavior. This study extended research in the field by examining lifetime number of sexual partners across four time points, which allowed observation of change in this outcome variable with age and accounted for the nested nature of the data. / Master of Science

Adolescence is a period of heightened risk for substance use and heightened vulnerability to substance exposure. Yet, little is known about how socioeconomic status (SES) influences adolescent decision making and behavior across development to add to these risks. This prospective longitudinal study used latent growth curve modeling (GCM) to examine the contributions of SES on adolescent delay discounting and substance use in a sample of 167 adolescents (52% male). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compute SES factor scores across three waves using a composite of parent and spouse education years and combined annual household income. Adolescent delay discounting and substance use were measured annually across three waves. The main goal of this study is to examine how SES may explain individual differences in growth trajectories of delay discounting and substance use. We used parallel process growth curve modeling with SES as a time-varying and time-invariant covariate to examine the associations between adolescent SES, delay discounting, and substance use onset as well as frequency. These results reveal that delay discounting exhibits a declining linear trend across adolescent development whereas cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, and polysubstance use exhibit increasing linear trends across adolescent development. Furthermore, low SES (as a time-invariant covariate) may lead to earlier onset adolescent alcohol and polysubstance use by way of heightened levels of delay discounting. These findings suggest that delay discounting interventions may be a promising avenue for reducing socioeconomic disparities in early onset alcohol and polysubstance use, while delay discounting development is still underway. / Master of Science / Adolescence is a period of heightened risk for substance use and heightened vulnerability to the effects of substances. Yet, little is known about how socioeconomic status (SES) influences adolescent decision making and behavior to add to these risks. This study used latent growth curve modeling (GCM) to examine the role of SES on adolescent decision making and substance use in a sample of 167 adolescents (52% male). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compute SES factor scores across three time points using an average of parent and spouse education years and income. Adolescent delay discounting and substance use were measured annually across three time points. The main goal of this study is to examine how SES may explain individual differences in delay discounting and substance use across adolescence. We used parallel process growth curve modeling with SES as a time-varying and time-invariant covariate to examine the links between adolescent SES, delay discounting, and substance use age of onset and frequency. These results reveal that delay discounting shows linear decreases in growth across adolescence whereas cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, and polysubstance use show increasing linear growth across adolescence. Additionally, low SES may lead to earlier onset adolescent alcohol and polysubstance use by way of heightened levels of delay discounting. These findings suggest that delay discounting interventions may help reduce socioeconomic differences in early onset alcohol and polysubstance use, while delay discounting development is still in progress.

Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) catalyzes the first committed step in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway. Bacterial ATCases have been divided into three classes, class A, B, and C, based on their molecular weight, holoenzyme architecture, and enzyme kinetics. Moraxella bovis is a fastidious organism, the etiologic agent of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK). The M. bovis ATCase was purified and characterized for the first time. It is a class A enzyme with a molecular mass of 480 to 520 kDa. It has a pH optimum of 9.5 and is stable at high temperatures. The ATCase holoenzyme is inhibited by CTP > ATP > UTP. The Km for aspartate is 1.8 mM and the Vmax 1.04 µmol per min, where the Km for carbamoylphosphate is 1.05 mM and the Vmax 1.74 µmol per min.

Orientador: Carlos Roberto Padovani / Banca: Carlos Roberto Padovani / Banca: Adalberto José Crocci / Banca: Jacinta Ludovico Zambotti / Banca: Luciano Soares de Souza / Banca: José Carlos Martinez / Resumo: O presente trabalho discutiu aspectos teóricos e práticos do comportamento da variável resposta nos diferentes grupos e condições de avaliação utilizando o Ajuste de Curvas de Crescimento, procedimento multivariado de análise de dados experimentais que possibilita fazer previsões sobre o comportamento médio da resposta para situações diferentes daquelas para as quais o estudo foi planejado, além de propiciar análise comparativa das curvas dos grupos de interesse. Considerando a dificuldade existente quanto a programas computacionais acessíveis a pesquisadores das áreas agronômicas, biológicas e da saúde, e a falta de entendimento da complexidade da estrutura de análise dos dados longitudinais, elaborou-se programa computacional em linguagem que permita ao usuário facilidade de manuseio, e torná-lo disponível, para pesquisadores das áreas aplicadas e, finalmente, discutir as vantagens do procedimento multivariado na preservação da estrutura de dependência dos dados em relação aos procedimentos convencionais utilizados na experimentação agronômica. / Abstract: The purpose of the present paper is to discuss theoretical and practical aspects of the behavior of response variables in different groups and evaluation conditions by using Growth Curves methodology. This methodology refers to a multivariate procedure of experimental data analysis that makes forecasts about the average behavior of the response variable for different situations from that for which the study was planned. In additien, the methodology enables comparative analysis of the curves between each of the experimental groups. Considering the lack of easy-use computer programs for researchers in the agronomical, biological and health fields, and the difficulty to understand the complexity of the data structure in longitudinal studies, a computer program will be proposed and written using high level language. The software will be of simple handling, easy access to researchers of applied areas and available. This work will also discuss the advantages of using the multivariate procedure of analysis compared to the conventional procedures commonly used in agronomic experimentation, related to the preservation of the structure of data dependence. / Doutor

Essa pesquisa teve como objetivos avaliar o desempenho, perfil do crescimento, qualidade do ovo, composição corporal e características ósseas e reprodutivas de poedeiras alimentadas com diferentes programas nutricionais, no período de 1 dia até 72 semanas de idade. Foram utilizadas 1656 aves distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3x2 com os fatores: Programas nutricionais (P1 - 95% das exigências nutricionais, P2 - 100% das exigências nutricionais e P3 - 105% das exigências nutricionais preconizadas pelo Manual Hy-Line) e variedades da linhagem Hy-Line (W36 e Brown), totalizando seis tratamentos com seis repetições de 46 aves cada. Para obter as curvas de crescimento utilizou-se a equação de Gompertz e modelo matemático multifásico. O programa P3 proporcionou melhor ganho de peso na fase de cria (0 - 6 semanas) e, similarmente os programas P2 e P3 na fase de recria (7 - 17 semanas). Em ambas as fases (cria e recria), o consumo de ração não foi influenciado pelos programas nutricionais. No entanto, as aves da variedade Brown apresentaram maior consumo de ração e maior ganho de peso em relação às aves da variedade W36. Verificou-se que durante a fase de produção, os programas nutricionais não afetaram a produção de ovos, peso dos ovos e conversão alimentar. Como esperado, as poedeiras Brown apresentaram maiores valores para as características consumo de ração e produção, peso e massa de ovos em relação às poedeiras W36. As características de qualidade interna dos ovos (porcentagens de gema e albúmen, unidade Haugh e índice gema), de qualidade externa dos ovos (porcentagem de casca, espessura de casca e densidade aparente do ovo), ósseas (resistência à quebra, concentrações de cálcio e fósforo e densitometria) e reprodutivas (peso e diâmetro dos folículos ovarianos e peso e comprimento dos segmentos do oviduto) não foram influenciadas pelos programas nutricionais, no período de 18 a 72 semanas de idade. As poedeiras W36 apresentaram maiores valores para o percentual de gema, resistência óssea à quebra e densitometria óssea. Por outro lado, as poedeiras Brown apresentaram maiores valores para o percentual de albúmen, espessura da casca, densidade aparente dos ovos, peso e comprimento do magno, útero e vagina. A taxa máxima de crescimento do peso vivo e dos nutrientes na carcaça (proteína, gordura, cinzas e água) ocorre em idades diferentes. No geral, a equação de Gompertz proporcionou melhor ajuste dos dados em relação ao modelo matemático multifásico. Conclui-se que o programa P3 é o mais indicado para a fase de cria e que o programa P2 atende as exigências nutricionais para as fases de recria e produção. As variedades W36 e Brown apresentam diferentes perfis de desempenho, crescimento, resistência óssea, reprodutivo e de qualidade dos ovos. / This study was carried out to evaluate the performance, growth profile, egg quality, body composition, and bone and reproductive characteristics of hens fed different nutritional programs from day-one to 72 weeks of age. 1656 birds were randomly assigned in a factorial scheme 3x2: nutritional programs (P1 - 95% of the requirements, P2 - 100% of the requirements, and P3 - 105% of the requirements according to Hy-Line Manual) and Hy-Line strains (W36 and Brown), resulting six treatments with six replicates of 46 birds each. To obtain the growth curves was used the equation of Gompertz and multiphase mathematical model. P3 program provided better weight gain in the starter phase (0 - 6 weeks) and, similarly, P2 and P3 programs for the grower phase (7 - 17 weeks). In both phases (starter and grower), feed intake was not influenced by the nutritional programs. However, the Brown pullets showed higher feed intake and weight gain than W36 pullets. It was verified, during the production phase, that egg production, egg weight, and feed conversion were not affected by the nutritional programs. As expected, the Brown hens showed higher values for feed intake, egg production, egg weight, and egg mass than W36 hens. Egg internal (yolk and albumen percentages, Haugh unit, and yolk index), egg external (shell percent, shell thickness, and egg specific gravity), bone (breaking force resistance, calcium and phosphorus concentrations, and bone densitometry), and reproductive characteristics (weight and length of follicles ovarian and of the oviduct segments) were not influenced by the nutritional programs, from 18 to 72 weeks of age. W36 hens showed higher values for yolk percent, bone breaking force resistance, and bone densitometry. On the other hand, Brown hens showed higher values for albumen percent, shell thickness, egg specific gravity, weight and length of magnum, uterus, and vagina. The maximum rates of body growth and nutrients of carcass (protein, fat, ash and water) occurs in different ages. In general, the equation of Gompertz provided better adjust of the data than multiphase mathematical model. It was concluded that the P3 program is indicated for starter phase and P2 program is able to support the nutritional requirements for grower and production phases. The varieties W36 and Brown show different performance, growth, bone strength, reproductive and egg quality profiles.