With the declining presence of African-American teachers in the teacher workforce, it is necessary to examine plausible causes for this phenomenon. Previous research suggests that most African-American teachers teach in high minority, high poverty schools. Consequently, they face substantial challenges related to student achievement and social and cultural disparities. No Child Left Behind is an education reform policy designed to bridge the gap between the educational disparities which exist, placing emphasis on teacher accountability and student achievement. The accountability requirements established by NCLB have generated significant pressure for teachers, particularly African-American teachers in struggling schools who must make Adequate Yearly Progress in order to avoid federal sanctions and public labeling as failing schools. Therefore, since African-American teachers often teach in schools most affected by NCLB, an examination of their experiences regarding various aspects of the law and its affect on teacher morale is essential to understanding the far-reaching implications of education reform. The focus of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how NCLB has affected teacher morale for African-American teachers in low-performing middle schools. Specifically, a phenomenological, qualitative method was used to capture their experiences in an effort to uncover the realities these teachers face in the classroom. The overall objective of this study was to develop a richer awareness of what it means to teach in underperforming schools, while seeking academic excellence within them. Results from this study generated five themes related to teacher morale among African-American teachers in low performing middle schools. An examination of these themes indicated that teacher morale among African-American teachers in low performing middle schools was influenced by NCLB due to published test scores and NCLB’s inability to address the social and cultural disparities that exist in education. However, despite the challenges of NCLB, African-American teachers remained dedicated to their calling as teachers seeking to help their students succeed despite the odds.

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Spectral reflectance of the Earth surface, obtained from the satellite images, should be independent from the external influences and should reflect the surface properties, specifically the proportion of the radiance reflected from the object. It was proved in this paper that the time series of the 63 images from the Landsat 5 satellite were visibly influenced by the external factors even in the case of the images already atmospherically corrected. These external factors were age of the image and WRS-2 position from which the image was obtained. Age of the image was documented with the steady decrease of the spectral reflectance values of the invariant features, especially in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, caused by the sensor degradation. The influence of the WRS-2 position was documented especially in the infrared bands. The western parts of the images are lighter (have higher values of the surface reflectance) than the eastern parts. That may cause the difference between values when monitoring one spot in two overlapping WRS-2 positions. The method originally used for the relative radiometric normalization IR-MAD was here applied to normalize the surface reflectance data, and resulted in the fact that these influences did not show up any more. In order to extend the time...

Submitted by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2016-12-13T15:34:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Mitsuyoshi N. Carvalho.pdf: 2218487 bytes, checksum: dee728ee846d66a58515c2e64c63ff4f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2016-12-13T15:35:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Mitsuyoshi N. Carvalho.pdf: 2218487 bytes, checksum: dee728ee846d66a58515c2e64c63ff4f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2016-12-13T15:35:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Mitsuyoshi N. Carvalho.pdf: 2218487 bytes, checksum: dee728ee846d66a58515c2e64c63ff4f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-13T15:35:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Mitsuyoshi N. Carvalho.pdf: 2218487 bytes, checksum: dee728ee846d66a58515c2e64c63ff4f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-28 / FINEP - Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) is one of the most important signaling systems used in today’s telecommunication networks and continues to be used on new architectures of fixed and mobile telephony. This dissertation presents an implementation for the control functions of the Signaling System Number 7 level 2 (referred in this work as MTP2-H) using the VHDL as the hardware description language. The specification of the control functions for the SS7 level 2 is made by using SDL diagrams described in Recommendation Q.703 of ITU-T. To accomplish the implementation, a methodology was developed for conversion of systems described in SDL to VHDL, consisting of a set of rules and a standard VHDL model that were applied on those SDL diagrams. The implementation was performed in order to provide the modularity and portability characteristics to the generated code. This way, the developed module can be replicated as many times as necessary in a programmable logic component (respecting the limitations of the component) and can also be synthesized in components from different manufacturers. The validation of implementation was done by means of functional tests using the Modelsim simulation tool. The developed code was compiled in development tools from different manufacturers to validate the portability feature and to estimate the amount of resources required in programmable logic components. / O Sistema de Sinalização por Canal Comum número 7 (SS7) é um dos mais importantes sistemas de sinalização utilizado em redes atuais de telecomunicações e continua a ser usado em novas arquiteturas tanto de telefonia fixa como móvel. O presente trabalho de dissertação apresenta a implementação das funções de controle do nível 2 do Sistema de Sinalização número 7 (denominado nesse trabalho como MTP2-H) utilizando a linguagem de descrição de hardware VHDL. A especificação das funções de controle do nível 2 do SS7 é feita através de diagramas em linguagem SDL na recomendação Q.703 do ITU-T. Para realizar a implementação, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia para conversão de sistemas descritos em SDL para VHDL, composta por um conjunto de regras e um modelo padrão em VHDL que foram aplicados nos referidos diagramas SDL. A implementação foi realizada de forma a proporcionar características de modularidade e portabilidade ao código gerado. Com isso, o módulo desenvolvido poderá ser replicado o número de vezes em que for necessário em um componente de lógica programável (respeitando as limitações do componente) e também poderá ser sintetizado em componentes de diferentes fabricantes. A validação da implementação foi feita por meio de testes funcionais utilizando a ferramenta de simulação Modelsim. O código desenvolvido foi compilado em ferramentas de desenvolvimento de diferentes fabricantes para validar a característica de portabilidade e para estimar a quantidade de recursos necessários nos componentes de lógica programáveis.

O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar se ações de companhias que adotam boas práticas de governança corporativa proporcionam maiores retornos e menor risco aos investidores ao compará-las com ações de empresas que não se comprometeram a adotar tais práticas. Para cumprir este objetivo são utilizados três modelos de otimização de portfolios. O primeiro modelo, o modelo Maxmin, maximiza o menor retorno mensal, enquanto o segundo maximiza o retorno anual. Já o terceiro modelo minimiza o desvio médio absoluto da carteira, que é considerado como uma medida de risco. Todos os modelos serão solucionados por métodos de programação linear (PL), em que não é considerado o número de ações da carteira, e de programação inteira mista (PIM), em que são inseridas restrições nos modelos que permitem especificar o número mínimo e máximo de ações. Os modelos são aplicados para uma carteira composta por ações que estão no IGC e para uma carteira formada por ações que estão no IBOVESPA. Os resultados obtidos para as duas carteiras são comparados, buscando evidenciar a idéia de que a boa governança corporativa está relacionada com maiores retornos e menores riscos. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho busca verificar empiricamente se, realmente, as ações de empresas com boa governança proporcionam maiores retornos e menor risco aos acionistas e, desta forma, fornecer novas informações que contribuam com o conhecimento e maior desenvolvimento do tema. Os resultados deste trabalho evidenciam o melhor desempenho da carteira formada pelas ações do IGC, que apresentaram maiores retornos e menores riscos. Diante destes resultados, há indícios de que o compromisso com práticas adicionais de boa governança corporativa pode estar proporcionando maior retorno e menor risco. / The objective of this work is to verify if shares of companies that adopt good corporate governance practice provides greater returns and lower risks to investors when compared with shares of companies that do not adopt these set of practices. Three optimization portfolios models were used to accomplish this objective. The first model, the maxmin model, maximizes the smallest monthly return, while the second maximizes the annual return. The third model minimizes the mean absolute deviation, which is considered a risk measure. All the models will be solved by linear programming (LP) methods, when it is not possible to determinate the number of shares in the portfolio, and mixed integer programming (MIP) methods, in which are inserted constraints that permit specify the minimum number and maximum number of shares in the models. The three models are applied to a portfolio formed by shares that are in IGC and to a portfolio formed by shares that are in IBOVESPA. The obtained results for both portfolios will be compared, willing to evidence the idea that good corporate governance is related with greater returns and lower risks. This study has the purpose to verify empirically if shares of companies with good governance provides greater returns and lower risks to investors and, this way, supplies new information that contribute with knowledge and greater development of the theme. The results of this work show that the better performance of portfolio formed by shares of IGC, that presented greater returns and lower risks. According to these results, there are indicators that the commitment with additional corporate governance practices can be providing greater returns and lower risks.

O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar se ações de companhias que adotam boas práticas de governança corporativa proporcionam maiores retornos e menor risco aos investidores ao compará-las com ações de empresas que não se comprometeram a adotar tais práticas. Para cumprir este objetivo são utilizados três modelos de otimização de portfolios. O primeiro modelo, o modelo Maxmin, maximiza o menor retorno mensal, enquanto o segundo maximiza o retorno anual. Já o terceiro modelo minimiza o desvio médio absoluto da carteira, que é considerado como uma medida de risco. Todos os modelos serão solucionados por métodos de programação linear (PL), em que não é considerado o número de ações da carteira, e de programação inteira mista (PIM), em que são inseridas restrições nos modelos que permitem especificar o número mínimo e máximo de ações. Os modelos são aplicados para uma carteira composta por ações que estão no IGC e para uma carteira formada por ações que estão no IBOVESPA. Os resultados obtidos para as duas carteiras são comparados, buscando evidenciar a idéia de que a boa governança corporativa está relacionada com maiores retornos e menores riscos. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho busca verificar empiricamente se, realmente, as ações de empresas com boa governança proporcionam maiores retornos e menor risco aos acionistas e, desta forma, fornecer novas informações que contribuam com o conhecimento e maior desenvolvimento do tema. Os resultados deste trabalho evidenciam o melhor desempenho da carteira formada pelas ações do IGC, que apresentaram maiores retornos e menores riscos. Diante destes resultados, há indícios de que o compromisso com práticas adicionais de boa governança corporativa pode estar proporcionando maior retorno e menor risco. / The objective of this work is to verify if shares of companies that adopt good corporate governance practice provides greater returns and lower risks to investors when compared with shares of companies that do not adopt these set of practices. Three optimization portfolios models were used to accomplish this objective. The first model, the maxmin model, maximizes the smallest monthly return, while the second maximizes the annual return. The third model minimizes the mean absolute deviation, which is considered a risk measure. All the models will be solved by linear programming (LP) methods, when it is not possible to determinate the number of shares in the portfolio, and mixed integer programming (MIP) methods, in which are inserted constraints that permit specify the minimum number and maximum number of shares in the models. The three models are applied to a portfolio formed by shares that are in IGC and to a portfolio formed by shares that are in IBOVESPA. The obtained results for both portfolios will be compared, willing to evidence the idea that good corporate governance is related with greater returns and lower risks. This study has the purpose to verify empirically if shares of companies with good governance provides greater returns and lower risks to investors and, this way, supplies new information that contribute with knowledge and greater development of the theme. The results of this work show that the better performance of portfolio formed by shares of IGC, that presented greater returns and lower risks. According to these results, there are indicators that the commitment with additional corporate governance practices can be providing greater returns and lower risks.

本研究的主要目的是藉由實徵的PISA資料庫資料將多層次結構方程式模型的方法學介紹到台灣的教育領域。多層次結構方程式模型適合應用在大型且具階層或巢狀結構的資料，可以解決因群集性抽樣設計所導致的樣本點相依的問題。 本研究中包含三個小研究。在研究一中，實徵的資料經由多層次結構方程式模型步驟化的分析，並與傳統的結構方程式模型的分析結果相互比較。一共有五個構念及其測量指標從PISA 2003資料庫中被選取來建構多層次結構方程式模型。樣本包含948個學校共26,884位15歲來自加拿大的學生。研究結果顯示某些結構係數的正負向關係在組內層次與組間層次是十分不同的，這也彰顯出多層次結構方程式模型與傳統結構方程式模型比較下的價值。研究一的發現指出，在數學興趣與數學工具性動機控制的條件下，教師的支持對學生的數學成績及數學自我效能在組間層次並無效果，但教師的支持對學生的數學自我效能在組內層次具有正向顯著的效果。此外，除了在組間層次上數學興趣對數學成績有顯著的負向效果以及數學工具性動機對數學自我效能沒有顯著效果外，數學興趣與數學工具性動機對數學成績及數學自我效能具有顯著的正向效果。另外，數學成績對數學自我效能具有很大的效果，特別是在組間層次。 在研究二中，藉由評估跨越不同層級二樣本大小（即120、240、360、480、600、720、840、948個學校）時的模式適配度及參數估計值的穩定性，來決定一個最小較佳的層級二樣本數相對於層級二估計參數數目的比值。研究結果顯示，該比值大約至少8：1是較可以被接受的結果。在研究三中，藉由多群組多層次結構方程式模型進行跨國家的比較。根據研究二的較佳最小比例以及亞洲國家在PISA 2003資料庫中有限的層級二樣本數，一個將焦點集中在數學興趣對數學成績的不同層次預測關係之新多層次結構方程式模型被提出。由再次隨機取樣的加拿大145所學校作為西方國家的代表樣本，而由只有143所學校的日本樣本作為東方國家的代表。研究結果顯示，跨越加拿大與日本樣本，在任一層級中出現十分不同的預測效果。數學興趣對數學成績的預測效果在加拿大樣本中的兩層級皆是正向地顯著，但在日本樣本中卻都是負向地顯著。這意謂著未來某些重要的教育及心理學變項之間關係的跨國研究應該在被重視。 / The main purpose of this research was to introduce multilevel structural equation modeling methodology to Taiwan education field by applying empirical example from PISA 2003 database. Multilevel structural equation modeling was suitable to be applied to the large-scale and hierarchical or nested data structure. It could solve the problem of dependency among sample units resulted from clustered sampling design. There were three studies in the research. In study one, the empirical data dealt with multilevel structural equation modeling analysis was undertaken step by step and compared with conventional structural equation modeling analysis. There were five constructs and their measurement indicators from PISA 2003 database mapped to form the multilevel structural equation model. The sample was 948 schools with 26884 15-year-old students from Canada. The result showed the valences of some structural coefficients were quite different in between-level and within-level structural equation models, which characterisized the value of multilevel structural equation modeling when compared with the outcomes from conventional structural equation modeling analysis. The findings of study one indicated that teacher support had no effect on students’ mathematics grades and mathematics self-efficacy in between-level part but had a significant positive effect on mathematics self-efficacy in within-level part when both interest in mathematics and instrumental motivation to mathematics grades were considered in the model. Besides, interest in mathematics and instrumental motivation had positive effects on mathematics grades and mathematics self-efficacy except for negative effect from interest in mathematics to mathematics grades and no effect from instrumental motivation to mathematics self-efficacy in between-level part. In addition, mathematics grades had great influences on mathematics self-efficacy, especially in between-level part. In study two, a better minimum ratio of the number of level-2 units relative to the number of parameter estimates in between-level part was searched by evaluating the model-fit and stability of parameter estimates across several Canada samples with 120, 240, 360, 480, 600, 720 ,840, and 948 schools. The result showed that the ratio at least about 8:1 was appreciated. In study three, cross-national comparisons were processed by multiple group multilevel structural equation modeling. Based on the better minimum ratio from study two and limited level-2 sample sizes from Asian countries in PISA 2003, a new multilevel structural equation model was proposed focusing on the structural coefficient of mathematics grades regressed on interest in mathematics in each level. A random resampling Canada sample with 145 schools was served as the representative of the West nations and the Japan sample with only 143 schools was on behalf of the East nations. The result showed that quite different predictive effect in either level across the Canada sample and the Japan sample. The predictive effects of the interest in mathematics to mathematics grades were positively significant in the Canada sample in each level but were negatively significant in the Japan sample in each level, which implied that cross-national studies in some important relationships among educational and psychological variables should be emphasized in the future.

Les Etudes Probabilistes de Sûreté (EPS) de niveau 2 en centrale nucléaire visent à identifier les séquences d’événements pouvant correspondre à la propagation d’un accident d’un endommagement du cœur jusqu’à une perte potentielle de l’intégrité de l’enceinte, et à estimer la fréquence d’apparition des différents scénarios possibles. Ces accidents sévères dépendent non seulement de défaillances matérielles ou d’erreurs humaines, mais également de l’occurrence de phénomènes physiques, tels que des explosions vapeur ou hydrogène. La prise en compte de tels phénomènes dans le cadre booléen des arbres d’événements s’avère difficile, et les méthodologies dynamiques de réalisation des EPS sont censées fournir une manière plus cohérente d’intégrer l’évolution du processus physique dans les changements de configuration discrète de la centrale au long d’un transitoire accidentel. Cette thèse décrit l’application d’une des plus récentes approches dynamiques des EPS – la Théorie de la Dynamique Probabiliste basée sur les Stimuli (SDTPD) – à différents modèles de déflagration d'hydrogène ainsi que les développements qui ont permis cette applications et les diverses améliorations et techniques qui ont été mises en oeuvre. Level-2 Probabilistic Safety Analyses (PSA) of nuclear power plants aims to identify the possible sequences of events corresponding to an accident propagation from a core damage to a potential loss of integrity of the containment, and to assess the frequency of occurrence of the different scenarios. These so-called severe accidents depend not only on hardware failures and human errors, but also on the occurrence of physical phenomena such as e.g. steam or hydrogen explosions. Handling these phenomena in the classical Boolean framework of event trees is not convenient, and dynamic methodologies to perform PSA studies are expected to provide a more consistent way of integrating the physical process evolution with the discrete changes of plant configuration along an accidental transient. This PhD Thesis presents the application of one of the most recently proposed dynamic PSA methodologies, i.e. the Stimulus-Driven Theory of Probabilistic Dynamics (SDTPD), to several models of hydrogen explosion in the containment of a plant, as well as the developed methods and improvements.

Tasks for different years of the secondary level II are presented on the basis of long lasting experience with computer-assisted mathematics instruction. They include applications of mathematical skills as well as the testing of theoretical knowledge. Finally relevant A-levels tasks are presented that integrate different mathematical contents into every day connections from economy, medical science, sports asf.

Tasks for different years of the secondary level II are presented on the basis of long lasting experience with computer-assisted mathematics instruction. They include applications of mathematical skills as well as the testing of theoretical knowledge. Finally relevant A-levels tasks are presented that integrate different mathematical contents into every day connections from economy, medical science, sports asf.