Introdução: Já se sabe que as alterações na atuação da força da gravidade promovidas pela mudança de postura, influenciam os volumes e capacidades pulmonares, mas o comportamento das propriedades elásticas e plásticas do pulmão ainda não está bem esclarecido na literatura. Objetivo: Avaliar a resistência do sistema respiratório em sujeitos eutróficos e obesos nos diferentes decúbitos. Métodos: Os participantes foram alocados nos diferentes grupos, de acordo com o índice de massa corpórea (IMC Kg/m2 ), sendo eles: 18-25, 25-29, 30-39, 40-49 e >50. As posições foram avaliadas pelo Sistema de Oscilometria de Impulso (IOS) em ordem aleatória: sentada (Se), supina (Su) e decúbitos laterais, esquerdo (DLE) e direito (DLD), sendo obtidos os seguintes parâmetros: resistências total, central e periférica, reatância e frequência de ressonância. A espirometria foi realizada em seguida para a análise das seguintes variáveis: capacidade vital forçada, volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo, a relação VEF1/CVF e fluxo expiratório forçado médio. Resultados: Foram recrutados 110 voluntários, 36 com IMC de 18 a 25 Kg/m2 (26,8 anos; 21,7 Kg/m2 ), 19 com IMC de 25 a 29 Kg/m2 (26,1 anos; 26,6 Kg/m2 ), 21 com IMC de 30 a 39 Kg/m2 (30 anos; 34,5 Kg/m2 ), 21 com IMC de 40 a 49 Kg/m2 (35,4anos; 45 Kg/m2 ) e 13 com IMC>50 Kg/m2 (35,5 anos; 54,2Kg/m2 ). Não foram detectados distúrbios ventilatórios pela espirometria (médias acima de 80% do previsto). Os grupos começaram a se diferenciar a partir da faixa de 30-39 Kg/m2 , houve diferenças importantes entre os indivíduos com IMC>50 e 40-49 com aqueles com IMC<25 e 25-29 principalmente em vias periféricas (p<0,0001). A posição supina apresentou maiores valores de resistência para todos os grupos. Essas diferenças frente às mudanças de decúbito são mais frequentes nas faixas de IMC menores (<25 a 29 Kg/m2 ). Conclusão: Há maior impedância do sistema respiratório em sujeitos obesos, com maior contribuição da resistência periférica, porém com menores variações relacionadas à mudança de posição em comparação aos sujeitos eutróficos. / Background: It is known that changes in gravity force action, promoted by change of posture, influence volumes and capacities lung, but the behavior of lung elastic and plastic properties, has not yet well clarified in literature. Aim: To evaluate the effect of different positions on respiratory system resistance. Methods: Participants were allocated to different groups, according to the body mass index (BMI Kg/m2 ). The positions were evaluated by Impulse Oscillometry System (IOS) in a random order: seated (Se), supine (Su), left lateral (LL) or right lateral decubitus (RL) and following parameters was obtained: total, central and peripheral resistance, reactance and resonant frequency. Spirometry was then performed to analyze the following variables: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC and mean forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75%). Results: A total of 110 volunteers were recruited, 36 with BMI<25 kg/m2 (26.8 years, 21.7 kg/m2 ), 19 with BMI between 25-29kg/m2 (26.1 years, 26.6 kg/m2 ), 21 with BMI between 30-39 kg/m2 (30 years, 34.5 kg/m2 ), 21 with BMI between 40-49 kg/m2 (35.4 years, 45 kg/m2 ) and 13 with BMI> 50 kg/m2 (35.5 years, 54.2 kg/m2 ). No ventilatory disturbances were detected by spirometry, all higher than predicted (80%). The groups began to differentiate from the range of 30-39 kg/m 2 , there were important differences between individuals with BMI>50 and 40-49 with those with BMI <25 and 25-29, mainly in peripheral pathways (p<0.0001). The supine position presented higher resistance values for all groups. These differences compared to changes in decubitus are more frequent in the lower BMI ranges (<25 to 29 kg/m 2 ). It was also observed that overweight individuals tend to follow the same pattern as those with BMI within normal range. Conclusion: The respiratory impedance is higher in obese than eutrophic subjects, with more contribution of peripheral resistance, but with smaller variations related to position change when compared to eutrophic ones.

Introdução: Já se sabe que as alterações na atuação da força da gravidade promovidas pela mudança de postura, influenciam os volumes e capacidades pulmonares, mas o comportamento das propriedades elásticas e plásticas do pulmão ainda não está bem esclarecido na literatura. Objetivo: Avaliar a resistência do sistema respiratório em sujeitos eutróficos e obesos nos diferentes decúbitos. Métodos: Os participantes foram alocados nos diferentes grupos, de acordo com o índice de massa corpórea (IMC Kg/m2 ), sendo eles: 18-25, 25-29, 30-39, 40-49 e >50. As posições foram avaliadas pelo Sistema de Oscilometria de Impulso (IOS) em ordem aleatória: sentada (Se), supina (Su) e decúbitos laterais, esquerdo (DLE) e direito (DLD), sendo obtidos os seguintes parâmetros: resistências total, central e periférica, reatância e frequência de ressonância. A espirometria foi realizada em seguida para a análise das seguintes variáveis: capacidade vital forçada, volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo, a relação VEF1/CVF e fluxo expiratório forçado médio. Resultados: Foram recrutados 110 voluntários, 36 com IMC de 18 a 25 Kg/m2 (26,8 anos; 21,7 Kg/m2 ), 19 com IMC de 25 a 29 Kg/m2 (26,1 anos; 26,6 Kg/m2 ), 21 com IMC de 30 a 39 Kg/m2 (30 anos; 34,5 Kg/m2 ), 21 com IMC de 40 a 49 Kg/m2 (35,4anos; 45 Kg/m2 ) e 13 com IMC>50 Kg/m2 (35,5 anos; 54,2Kg/m2 ). Não foram detectados distúrbios ventilatórios pela espirometria (médias acima de 80% do previsto). Os grupos começaram a se diferenciar a partir da faixa de 30-39 Kg/m2 , houve diferenças importantes entre os indivíduos com IMC>50 e 40-49 com aqueles com IMC<25 e 25-29 principalmente em vias periféricas (p<0,0001). A posição supina apresentou maiores valores de resistência para todos os grupos. Essas diferenças frente às mudanças de decúbito são mais frequentes nas faixas de IMC menores (<25 a 29 Kg/m2 ). Conclusão: Há maior impedância do sistema respiratório em sujeitos obesos, com maior contribuição da resistência periférica, porém com menores variações relacionadas à mudança de posição em comparação aos sujeitos eutróficos. / Background: It is known that changes in gravity force action, promoted by change of posture, influence volumes and capacities lung, but the behavior of lung elastic and plastic properties, has not yet well clarified in literature. Aim: To evaluate the effect of different positions on respiratory system resistance. Methods: Participants were allocated to different groups, according to the body mass index (BMI Kg/m2 ). The positions were evaluated by Impulse Oscillometry System (IOS) in a random order: seated (Se), supine (Su), left lateral (LL) or right lateral decubitus (RL) and following parameters was obtained: total, central and peripheral resistance, reactance and resonant frequency. Spirometry was then performed to analyze the following variables: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC and mean forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75%). Results: A total of 110 volunteers were recruited, 36 with BMI<25 kg/m2 (26.8 years, 21.7 kg/m2 ), 19 with BMI between 25-29kg/m2 (26.1 years, 26.6 kg/m2 ), 21 with BMI between 30-39 kg/m2 (30 years, 34.5 kg/m2 ), 21 with BMI between 40-49 kg/m2 (35.4 years, 45 kg/m2 ) and 13 with BMI> 50 kg/m2 (35.5 years, 54.2 kg/m2 ). No ventilatory disturbances were detected by spirometry, all higher than predicted (80%). The groups began to differentiate from the range of 30-39 kg/m 2 , there were important differences between individuals with BMI>50 and 40-49 with those with BMI <25 and 25-29, mainly in peripheral pathways (p<0.0001). The supine position presented higher resistance values for all groups. These differences compared to changes in decubitus are more frequent in the lower BMI ranges (<25 to 29 kg/m 2 ). It was also observed that overweight individuals tend to follow the same pattern as those with BMI within normal range. Conclusion: The respiratory impedance is higher in obese than eutrophic subjects, with more contribution of peripheral resistance, but with smaller variations related to position change when compared to eutrophic ones.

Nosso objetivo neste trabalho é acompanhar os rumos percorridos pela violência no discurso das personagens de Plínio Marcos, em Homens de papel. Neste sentido, procuramos defender a tese de que a violência segue rumos diversificados na ação do opressor e na ação do oprimido. Para comprovarmos nosso intento, recorremos ao apoio teórico da Análise da Conversação Etnometodológica, da Sociolinguística Interacional e da Análise do Discurso. Nesta linha de pensamento, elaboramos a análise da linguagem das personagens, levando em consideração o contexto interacional, valorizando elementos lingüísticos e extralinguísticos importantes para a produção de efeitos de sentido. Entre esses elementos, incluem-se fatores relacionados com a identidade social, com a situação enunciativa e com o estado interior que contribuem para a instalação da violência no discurso. Partimos da hipótese de que a ação violenta do opressor é calculada e medida, enquanto a ação do oprimido é impulsiva e precipitada. Seguindo essa direção, tentamos mostrar como a intenção no uso da linguagem representa fator decisivo na construção de efeitos de sentido. Na voz do opressor, a intenção de dominar se manifesta por meio de estratégias e referências que, além de intimidar e aterrorizar os catadores, têm como objetivo alimentar um esquema de simulação. Na ação do oprimido, os insultos e as ofensas, imersos em clima de total descontrole, representam um meio de extravasar sentimentos e emoções desequilibradas que se acumulam e explodem com o apelo à brutalidade em um ato de linchamento. Tudo isso se manifesta na expressividade da linguagem que dá vida ao texto, graças à habilidade do autor em construir diálogos espontâneos, bem próximos da naturalidade da vida real. / Our purpose in this work is to follow the paths covered by violence in the speech of Plínio Marcos characters, in Paper Men. In this sense we defend the thesis that, violence follows a different way in the action of the oppressor and in the action of the oppressed.. To prove our intent, we rely on the theoretical support of the Ethno Methodological Conversation Analysis, Interactional Sociolinguistics and Speech Analysis. Having this in mind, we designed the analysis of the characters language, taking into account the interaction context, increasing the value of linguistics and extra linguistics facts that are important for the production of sense effects. Among these facts, there are factors related to social identity and to internal conditions which contribute to the onset of violence in the speech. We start from the assumption that the violent action of the oppressor is calculated and measured whereas the action of the oppressed is impulsive and hasty. In this way, we try to show how the intention represents a decisive factor in producing sense effects within the language usage. In the voice of the oppressor, the intention of dominating is shown by means of strategies and references whose objective is to feed the simulation scheme, besides embarrassing and terrifying the pickers. In the action of the oppressed, immersed in a complete breakdown, the insults and offenses represent a way of expressing feelings and unbalanced emotions that pile up and explode with a call for a brutal act and lynching. All that is expressed through the language that gives life to the text, thanks to the authors ability in building up spontaneous dialogues that are very close to the real life.

The reactive strength index (RSI) is the current “gold standard” assessment of reactive strength. Traditional measures of reactive strength, including the RSI, are not strength-based and are founded using untested theoretical assumptions. The purpose of this study was to develop two versions of a kinetic-based paradigm of reactive strength (New and AdjNew) and compare them against the Coefficient of Reactivity (CoR) and the RSI. Twenty one NCAA Division I basketball players and 59 young adults from the general population performed two reactive strength protocols: Progressive drop jumping and repetitive countermovement jumping. For every jump, the CoR, RSI, New, and AdjNew were computed. Measure agreeability was assessed using the Bland-Altman approach and linear regressions. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) assessed the effect of sport participation, age, and sex on the four measures of reactive strength. Lastly, effects of self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using stepwise linear regressions. The strongest association was observed between AdjNew and the RSI (R2= 0.636). All NCAA > young adults). The RSI, New, and AdjNew were sensitive to effects of sex and sport participation in repetitive countermovement jumping (males > females; NCAA > young adults). There are theoretical issues with the computation and implementation of the CoR and RSI. For example, the CoR and RSI are non-strength based measures that attempt to measure a strength construct. Further, the CoR, RSI, and New make the theoretical assumption that no biological variability exists in human movement. The AdjNew paradigm addresses and solves the theoretical issues with the CoR, RSI, and New. Therefore it may be argued that the AdjNew paradigm improves the theoretical validity of reactive strength assessment and is preferred over the RSI. The AdjNew is kinetic based, comprised of only measured component variables, and is not founded in assumptions of theory. This dissertation provides objective theoretical evidence to suggest that the AdjNew paradigm is an improvement over the RSI as a model of reactive strength.

This study investigated the effect of caffeine on airway resistance. The subjects were drawn from volunteers (18-90 years old) in good health, with no major cardiopulmonary conditions. We found no association between the consumption of a single cup of the caffeinated beverage coffee and a decrease in airway resistance within one hour in a normal sample of subjects as measured by impulse oscillometry nor with conventional spirometry . It appears that any possible bronchodilatory effect of the caffeine from a single cup of coffee in a normal population is below the limit of detection of spirometry and impulse oscillometry or is not sufficiently expressed in the one hour time frame of the study. The study did validate currently accepted methods of using the Jaeger impulse oscillometry (IOS) measurement for use at the University of South Florida (USF). The impulse oscillometry technique was found to be a useful adjunct to conventional pulmonary function testing. Conventional pulmonary function testing provides a useful measure of a person's ability to breathe yet is difficult to perform and only indirectly guides the physician to the diagnosis of the pathology behind the person's breathing difficulties. The impulse oscillometry technique may help the physician to noninvasively determine the location of a pulmonary obstruction by measurement of the dynamics of sound wave travel through the airways of the lungs.

Rapid increases in consumer food price beginning in 2007 generated interest in identifying the main factors influencing these increases. In subsequent years, food prices have fluctuated, but generally have continued their ascent. The effects of crude oil, gasoline, corn, and ethanol prices, as well as, the relative foreign exchange rate of the U.S. dollar and producer price indexes for food manufacturing and fuel products on domestic food prices are examined. Because the data series are non-stationary and cointegrated, a vector error correction model is estimated. Weak exogeneity and exclusion tests in the cointegration space are performed. Directed acyclical graphs are used to specify contemporaneous causal relationships. Dynamic interactions among the series are given by impulse response functions and forecast error variance decompositions. Weak exogeneity tests indicate all eight series work to bring the system back into equilibrium following a shock to the system. Further, exclusion tests suggest crude oil, gasoline, food CPI, ethanol, and food PPI variables are not in the long-run relationships. Dynamic analyses suggest the following relationships. Ethanol price is not a major factor in domestic food prices, suggesting that food prices are largely unaffected by the recent increased use of corn-based ethanol for fuel. Crude oil prices, corn prices, and the relative foreign exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, however, do influence domestic food prices with corn price contributing the most to food price variability. Innovation accounting inferences are robust to potential different contemporaneous causal specifications.

This thesis reports on the investigations of resistive-capacitive (RC) loaded bow-tie antennas with special emphasis on impulse ground penetrating radar applications. Impulse radiation for ground penetrating radar is a challenging research topic because of the unique problem arising from impulse radiation: late-time ringing, which usually masks the important echo signals from the targets. While resistive loading is a common solution for eliminating late-time ringing, use of resistive loading typically sacrifices the radiation efficiency. In this thesis, a resistive-capacitive loading technique is investigated for a circular bow-tie antenna in the attempt to reduce/suppress the late-time ringing as well as to maintain a relatively high radiation efficiency. To implement the system, a microstrip differentiator, which converts a monopulse into a Gaussian-like monocycle to be used as input impulse, is presented. Further, specially designed coplanar waveguide/coplanar strip (CPW/CPS) baluns embedded with Chebyshev transformers of characteristic impedance up to 120 have been constructed and tested. To evaluate the system, instead of using the conventional peak voltage value of the radiated waveform, average radiated energy, average ringing energy, relative radiation efficiency and relative ringing efficiency are utilized and these metrics are easily established using low-cost low-sensitivity probes. Measurement results show that the RC-loading scheme is functioning as expected and the impulse system as a whole is capable of reducing the late-time ringing energy to 50% while maintaining average radiation energy as 83% when compared with capacitive loading cases. / October 2006

No description available.

Several of the more complex optimization problems in finance can be characterized as impulse control problems. Impulse control problems can be written as quasi-variational inequalities, which are then solved to determine the optimal control strategy. Since most quasi-variational inequalities do not have analytical solutions, numerical methods are generally used in the solution process. In this thesis, the impulse control problem framework is applied to value two complex long-term option-type contracts. Both pricing problems considered are cast as impulse control problems and solved using an implicit approach based on either the penalty method or the operator splitting scheme. The first contract chosen is an exotic employee stock option referred to as an infinite reload option. This contract provides the owner with an infinite number of reload opportunities. Each time a reload occurs, the owner pays the strike price using pre-owned company shares and, in return, receives one share for each option exercised and a portion of a new reload option. Numerical methods based on the classic Black-Scholes equation are developed while taking into account contract features such as vesting periods. In addition, the value of an infinite reload option to it's owner is obtained by using a utility maximization approach. The second long-term contract considered is a variable annuity with a guaranteed minimum death benefit (GMDB) clause. Numerical methods are developed to determine the cost of the GMDB clause while including features such as partial withdrawals. The pricing model is then used to determine the fair insurance charge which minimizes the cost of the contract to the issuer. Due to the long maturity of variable annuities, non-constant market parameters expressed through the use of regime-switching are included in the GMDB pricing model.

After Harberger published his influential paper in 1962, many authors have assessed empirically whether the incidence of the corporate income tax (CIT) falls on capital owners, consumers, or workers (Krzyzaniak and Musgrave, 1963; Gordon, 1967; Arulampalam et al., 2008). Today, there is little agreement among economists about who bears the incidence of the CIT (Gruber, 2007; Harberger, 2008a,b). The reason for the little convincing evidence is that the econometric models used in the literature ignore that the factors that motivate changes in corporate tax policy are sometimes correlated with other developments in the economy and disentangling those effects from exogenous policy changes requires tremendous effort. Using annual information at the industry level for the United States, I propose to investigate the consequences of exogenous changes in corporate tax policy. The identification of these exogenous events follows the work of Romer and Romer (2009, 2010), who provide an extensive analysis of the U.S. federal tax legislation using narrative records from presidential speeches and congressional reports, among other documentations. The results validate the original predictions from Harberger (1995, 2008a). That is, in the short-term, capital owners bear the full burden of the tax. Over time, however, capital owners are able to shift this burden either by raising consumers' goods prices, or decreasing workers' wages. The magnitude of these e ects depends on the degree of capital intensity as well as the access to international markets and the availability of substitutes for the industry under consideration.