Master of Science / Department of Statistics / Weixing Song / A nonparametric lack-of-fit test is proposed to check the adequacy of the presumed parametric form for the regression function in Tobit regression models by applying Zheng's device with weighted residuals. It is shown that testing the null hypothesis for the standard Tobit regression models is equivalent to test a new null hypothesis of the classic regression models. An optimal weight function is identified to maximize the local power of the test. The test statistic proposed is shown to be asymptotically normal under null hypothesis, consistent against some fixed alternatives, and has nontrivial power for some local nonparametric power for some local nonparametric alternatives. The finite sample performance of the proposed test is assessed by Monte-Carlo simulations. An empirical study is conducted based on the data of University of Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the year 1975.

Submitted by Edileide Reis (leyde-landy@hotmail.com) on 2013-04-11T17:20:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre.pdf: 389784 bytes, checksum: 59f1781890e7588ac36502477051339a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Meirelles(rodrigomei@ufba.br) on 2013-05-09T17:30:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre.pdf: 389784 bytes, checksum: 59f1781890e7588ac36502477051339a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-09T17:30:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre.pdf: 389784 bytes, checksum: 59f1781890e7588ac36502477051339a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / O legislador atual do Timor Leste ainda não cumpriu o seu dever obrigatório de editar as leis ordinárias previstas no texto constitucioanal, principalmente aquelas relacionadas à instalação e implementação da política de descentralização político-administrativa em Timor Leste, em consonância com a Constituição nacional. Por esse motivo, o Governo Central ainda acumula todo o poder. Para alterar este quadro, é urgente que o atual legislador ordinário crie leis relativas à descentralização, para que assim possa fortalecer a existência do Poder Local, e, consequentemente, chegar-se à democratização. / Salvador

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Statistics / Weixing Song / In this dissertation, goodness-of-fit tests are proposed for checking the adequacy of parametric distributional forms of the regression error density functions and the error-prone predictor density function in measurement error models, when replications of the surrogates of the latent variables are available. In the first project, we propose goodness-of-fit tests on the density function of the regression error in the errors-in-variables model. Instead of assuming that the distribution of the measurement error is known as is done in most relevant literature, we assume that replications of the surrogates of the latent variables are available. The test statistic is based upon a weighted integrated squared distance between a nonparametric estimate and a semi-parametric estimate of the density functions of certain residuals. Under the null hypothesis, the test statistic is shown to be asymptotically normal. Consistency and local power results of the proposed test under fixed alternatives and local alternatives are also established. Finite sample performance of the proposed test is evaluated via simulation studies. A real data example is also included to demonstrate the application of the proposed test. In the second project, we propose a class of goodness-of-fit tests for checking the parametric distributional forms of the error-prone random variables in the classic additive measurement error models. We also assume that replications of the surrogates of the error-prone variables are available. The test statistic is based upon a weighted integrated squared distance between a non-parametric estimator and a semi-parametric estimator of the density functions of the averaged surrogate data. Under the null hypothesis, the minimum distance estimator of the distribution parameters and the test statistics are shown to be asymptotically normal. Consistency and local power of the proposed tests under fixed alternatives and local alternatives are also established. Finite sample performance of the proposed tests is evaluated via simulation studies.

This study presents a methodology and the necessary analytical tools to evaluate the alternatives to provide Internet access with embedded power generation in remote areas. The objective is to provide a screening tool for policy makers to analyze possible telecom and power alternatives. Results from the study demonstrate the technical alternatives to providing sustainable Internet and power access. The dissertation investigates innovative telecom technologies currently available on the market, and develops a model that generates a Telecom-and-Internet access map of a region or a small country. The map illustrates the combination of technologies and their locations that can provide wide-area Internet access to cover a majority of the population at the least cost. The model then looks at the design of a small-scale power system for a remote location where grid power is unavailable or unreliable. The methodology takes into account locally available energy resources, technical and economic parameters of each power generating technology, and the trade-off among investment costs, environmental costs and system robustness. Lastly, a computer simulation is conducted to verify that the power system design has the ability to meet the demand at the level of required reliability. A remote area of a developing country (Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts - Bangladesh) is selected as a case study. Several scenarios are simulated in order to explore the possibility of extending the reach of the Internet and electric power to the remote area, and to conceptualize pilot projects as building blocks to build a countrywide infrastructure. Since the selected area is one of the least developed and most difficult to access in Bangladesh, demonstrating that the Internet and local power access can be provided to this area can serve as a model for similar places around the world. / Ph. D.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Statistics / Weixing Song / The regression model has been given a considerable amount of attention and played a significant role in data analysis. The usual assumption in regression analysis is that the variances of the error terms are constant across the data. Occasionally, this assumption of homoscedasticity on the variance is violated; and the data generated from real world applications exhibit heteroscedasticity. The practical importance of detecting heteroscedasticity in regression analysis is widely recognized in many applications because efficient inference for the regression function requires unequal variance to be taken into account. The goal of this thesis is to propose new testing procedures to assess the adequacy of fitting parametric variance function in heteroscedastic regression models. The proposed tests are established in Chapter 2 using certain minimized L[subscript]2 distance between a nonparametric and a parametric variance function estimators. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistics corresponding to the minimum distance estimator under the fixed model and that of the corresponding minimum distance estimators are shown to be normal. These estimators turn out to be [sqrt]n consistent. The asymptotic power of the proposed test against some local nonparametric alternatives is also investigated. Numerical simulation studies are employed to evaluate the nite sample performance of the test in one dimensional and two dimensional cases. The minimum distance method in Chapter 2 requires the calculation of the integrals in the test statistics. These integrals usually do not have a tractable form. Therefore, some numerical integration methods are needed to approximate the integrations. Chapter 3 discusses a nonparametric empirical smoothing lack-of-fit test for the functional form of the variance in regression models that do not involve evaluation of integrals. empirical smoothing lack-of-fit test can be treated as a nontrivial modification of Zheng (1996)'s nonparametric smoothing test and Koul and Ni (2004)'s minimum distance test for the mean function in the classic regression models. The asymptotic normality of the proposed test under the null hypothesis is established. Consistency at some fixed alternatives and asymptotic power under some local alternatives are also discussed. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the nite sample performance of the test. The simulation studies show that the proposed empirical smoothing test is more powerful and computationally more efficient than the minimum distance test and Wang and Zhou (2006)'s test.

Master of Science / Department of Statistics / Weixing Song / The purpose of this report is to propose and evaluate two lack-of-fit test procedures to check the adequacy of the regression functional forms in the standard Tobit regression models. It is shown that testing the null hypothesis for the standard Tobit regression models amounts testing a new equivalent null hypothesis of the classic regression models. Both procedures are constructed based on the empirical variants of a minimum distance, which measures the squared difference between a nonparametric estimator and a parametric estimator of the regression functions fitted under the null hypothesis for the new regression models. The asymptotic null distributions of the test statistics are investigated, as well as the power for some fixed alternatives and some local hypotheses. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the finite sample power performance and the robustness of the tests. Comparisons between these two test procedures are also made.

Orientador: Jayro Gonçalves Melo / Banca: Eda Maria Góes / Banca: Raul Borges Guimarães / Banca: Joseli Maria Silva / Banca: Olga Lucia Castrechini de Freitas Firkowski / Resumo: Esta pesquisa, pautada nas relações entre poder e espaço, tem como objetivo principal compreender como se dá a formação dos aqui denominados territórios conservadores de poder. O compilamento de dados secundários, as análises de jornais e das entrevistas, bem como a fundamentação conceitual, direcionaram a pesquisa. Assim, este trabalho, que tem como recorte territorial o centro-sul do estado do Paraná e mais propriamente o município de Guarapuava, aborda três linhas principais, em sentido amplo, que fundamentam a formação desses territórios. A primeira delas diz respeito à ocupação histórico-geográfica que, entende-se, se deu de maneira diferenciada regionalmente. A segunda se motiva nas características sócio-econômicas recentes, produto desse primeiro processo e de outros que ajudaram a evidenciar suas diferenças e similitudes. A terceira linha está motivada na vinculação política e nas relações conservadoras de poder, com elementos referidos às práticas clientelistas, à política sustentada na troca de favores com elevada associação personificada do poder em oposição a pouca ou a nenhuma mediação das instituições. Assim, são duas as abordagens vinculadas ao conservadorismo: uma no sentido de relações economicamente menos dinâmicas e outra no sentido de relações de poder politicamente arcaicas ou tradicionais. Esses aspectos foram considerados segundo a metodologia das redes sociais. Através das redes foi possível observar as articulações dos grupos de poder político locais e dar conta de uma realidade que não se revela de imediato. E se a rede representa a realidade, representa também, aqui, os territórios conservadores de poder, numa articulação que permite confundi-los e concebê-los num misto território-rede. Este trabalho tem... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This research, based upon power and space relations, establishes as a main objective to understand how happen the formation of the territories, here named conservative of power. The secondary data compilation, the newspapers and interviews analysis, as well as the fundamentality conceptual, gave direction to the research. So, this work, which has, as a territorial clip, the center south of Paraná State and more appropriate Guarapuava municipal district, approaches three main master lines, in an extensive sense, that justify or substantiate the formation of these territories. The first of them concerns to the historical-geographical occupation that, as understood, happened regionally by a distinguished way. The second motivates itself in the recent social-economic characteristics, as a product of this first process and others which helped to evidence their differences and similarities. The third line is motivated in the political link and power conservative relations, with elements referred to clientele practices, the politics supported by exchange favors, with high association personified of power, in opposite of little or no mediation of the institutions. So, two approaches are linked to the conservatism: one in order to relations economically less dynamics and other in order to power relations politically archaic or traditional. These aspects were considered according to the methodology of social nets. Through the nets was possible to notice the articulations of local politic power groups and show a reality that is not revealed immediately. And if the net represents the reality, it also represents, here, the power conservatism territories, in an articulation that allow to confuse and conceive themselves in a mixture territories-net. This work aims, still, to contribute to strength of studies between power and space relations in the ambit of Geography, therefore, Political Geography. / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T18:13:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Emerson Rigoni.pdf: 3677961 bytes, checksum: 4577075b5762764e9ba349050532fd90 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-30 / This study aimed to demonstrate and analyze the relations of political power in Irati-PR from the identification of partidary political groups, conflicts and alliances between them. The time frame is limited to the years 1988 to 2008 and the periods of municipal elections, limits of exaltation in the relations of local power. The historical construction of local politics became the conducting wire for this study because it represented the actions of multiple local actors in the seek for power. The local politics history presented unique moments in its development where what stood out most were the moments of change by which the local political power passed, being switched between the different groups. The period from 1988 to 2004 showed a close race around two local groups, the "Red Feet" and "White Hands" having, at times, a third force, expressed in the "Partido dos Trabalhadores". In the elections of 2004, an amendment of the main groups gave the appearance of a fourth force, composed of two main dissident coalitions of the city. In 2008, another significant change ended the dichotomy between the main groups providing the annihilation in the dispute between the "Red Feet" and "White Hands". Given this context, the work was built looking initially to present some guiding concepts about the politics, the state and local government followed by a brief description of the historical city of Irati and local politics. Further, the research presents the relations between local groups, showing their alliances and conflicts. The conclusion of this study demonstrates that the politics in Irati does not present itself as the sole and exclusive in the political setting and resembles, in many respects, with the municipalities that make up "Paraná Tradicional", however what distinguishes it from others are the local specificities. / Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar as relações de poder político em Irati-PR a partir da identificação de grupos político-partidários e dos conflitos e alianças existentes entre os mesmos. O recorte temporal contempla o período de 1988 a 2008, e as eleições municipais, marcos de efervescência nas relações de poder local. A construção histórica da política local serviu de fio condutor para esse estudo, pois a mesma apresentou as ações dos diversos atores locais na busca pelo poder. A história política local apresentou momentos peculiares em seu desenvolvimento onde o que mais se destacou foram os instantes de mudanças pelo qual o poder político passou, sendo alternado entre os diferentes grupos. O período de 1988 a 2004 apresentou uma disputa acirrada em torno de dois grupos locais, os “Pés vermelhos” e os “Mãos Brancas” tendo, em determinados momentos, uma terceira força, expressa no Partido dos Trabalhadores. No pleito de 2004, uma fragmentação ocorrida nos dois principais grupos proporcionou o aparecimento de uma quarta força, composta por dissidentes das duas principais coligações da cidade. Em 2008, outra mudança significativa findou a dicotomia existente entre os principais grupos proporcionando o aniquilamento na disputa entre os “Pés Vermelhos” e os “Mãos Brancas”. Considerando esse contexto, o trabalho foi construído procurando apresentar inicialmente alguns conceitos norteadores sobre a política, o Estado e o poder local seguidos de uma breve descrição histórica da cidade de Irati e da política local. Na sequência, o trabalho apresenta as relações entre os grupos locais, evidenciando suas alianças e conflitos. A conclusão desse estudo demonstra que a política iratiense não se apresenta como única e exclusiva no cenário político e se assemelha, em muitos aspectos, com os municípios que compõe o “Paraná Tradicional”, entretanto o que a diferencia dos demais são as especificidades locais.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T19:30:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cassio Marafante.pdf: 847600 bytes, checksum: 68ba430ff87f81bccfb234fb695c1629 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present work introduces the judgment experience`s aspects of a homicidal slave, from Bahia, judged by the Emperor State s Justice between the years of 1978 and 1880, at Piracicaba s County, São Paulo s Province countryside. It probemizes the relations between some protagonists evolved in this episode, focusing your performances and your functions in the justice arena and the action strategies taken by them, in a battle field of political power and the local tyranny (mandonismo). Examinations about the way they interact with social dynamics and politics from the issued ages are discussed in this work: like the situation understanding of what the public and private slave control politics were inserted, such as the tensions and settle downs from the same people in the society, in the local politic and Emperor. The study intends, still, to deal with the idea and the existence of a fatherly logical (lógica paternalista) to control the slaves and of other local politic power settle down of people involved in the slave judgment in São Paulo West zone / O presente trabalho apresenta aspectos da experiência do julgamento de um escravo homicida, natural da Bahia, julgado pela Justiça do Estado Imperial entre os anos de 1878 e 1880, na comarca de Piracicaba, interior da província de São Paulo. Problematiza as relações entre alguns dos protagonistas envolvidos nesse episódio, focando suas atuações e seus papéis nas arenas da justiça e as estratégias de ação adotadas pelos mesmos, num campo de disputa de forças políticas e de mandonismo local. Observações sobre a forma com que interagiam com as dinâmicas sociais e políticas do período em questão são discutidas neste trabalho: como o entendimento de situações nas quais se inseriam as políticas públicas e privadas de controle de escravos, assim como as tensões e acomodações dos mesmos sujeitos na sociedade, na política local e Imperial. O estudo trata, ainda, da ideia e existência de uma lógica paternalista de controle dos escravos e de outra de acomodação de poder político local dos sujeitos envolvidos no julgamento do escravo na região do Oeste Paulista

In their struggle for equality in Tamil Nadu, Dalits (ex-untouchables) often challenge prevailing caste norms by appropriating practices and conventions of locally dominant groups. This study examines how the Dalit Pallars of Tamil Nadu engage in various forms of socio-cultural and political assertions to challenge their marginality. It looks at the performative aspects of such struggles by focusing on Guru Pujas; public performances undertaken to pay homage to late social and political icons/leaders. As annual events these pujas have enabled Thevars, the local dominant caste, to showcase their community’s strength and power through the appropriation of public space. However, the same mode of public performance, which was integral to the public production and consolidation of the dominant caste as a political community, has been replicated by historically marginalised castes. This is reflected tangibly through visual aesthetics during commemorations. Following the Thevars and Nadars, a section of the Pallars are engaged in proclaiming the historical past by asserting that they too form the royal lineage and are competing with Thevar iconography to challenge the cultural dominance of Thevars. As quotidian forms of oppression and violence mark the spatial relationship between these castes, these performances provide a micro-lens to understand the dynamics of how local power is generated and made visible through a politics inscribed in space. Recent decades have witnessed increased competition over public symbols and the strategic location of caste-specific cultural signifiers – including competition over style and performance – and a heightened contest over the occupation of public space. Thus, the study maps the Pallar assertion and the challenges posed by Thevar retaliation.