[pt] Segundo a ONU, presenciamos a pior crise humanitária do século. Esse quadro torna-se ainda mais grave quando envolve o deslocamento de crianças. O Fundo das Nações Unidas para a Infância (UNICEF) afirma que conflitos, violência e outras crises deixaram um recorde de 36,5 milhões de crianças deslocadas no final do ano de 2021, o número mais alto já registrado desde a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Desse total ainda se encontram excluídas as deslocadas por desastres naturais ou mudança climática, assim como as recém deslocadas em 2022 pela invasão russa na Ucrânia. Diante da desordem do quadro internacional, organizações multilaterais, responsáveis pela gestão das vidas precárias (Butler, 2018), mais do que nunca precisam arrecadar fundos para a implementação de projetos e programas de assistência a essa população através da sensibilização pública. Este presente estudo elegeu como objeto analítico campanhas de organizações multilaterais – Fundo das Nações para a Infância (UNICEF), Organização Internacional para as Migrações (OIM) e Alto Comissariado das Nações Unidas para Refugiados (ACNUR) – veiculadas pela plataforma YouTube, cuja temática centra-se na infância em deslocamento forçado. A partir da análise de quatro produções fílmicas selecionadas, procuramos investigar como a criança/infância, em contexto de refúgio, é representada em interface com a grande narrativa (Lyotard, 2009; Shoshana, 2013) hegemônica que, ao essencializá-la e normatizá-la, produz dicotomias que separam o que está dentro ou fora de lugar, trazendo consequências importantes para a imaginação e gestão da infância em tal contexto. Tratando-se de produções fílmicas, palavra e imagem articulam-se na construção de significados tanto sobre a infância como sobre o próprio processo migratório, geralmente apagando os aspectos macrossociais, sob a égide da linguagem humanitária. A fim de iluminar tais questões, lançamos mão de categorias analíticas da Análise de Narrativas (Labov e Waletsky, 1969 e Labov, 1972; Bamberg e Georgakopoulou, 2008; Bastos e Biar, 2015; Bucholtz e Hall, 2005) transpostas ao contexto multimodal (Kress e Van Leeuwen, 2006). A análise, além de problematizar certas representações que reforçam estereótipos (Bhabha, 2006, 2009; Chouliaraki, 2006, 2010; Tabak e Carvalho, 2018, entre outros), procurou identificar os processos que produzem diferentes afetos entre espectadores e representados. A ambivalência da vítima essencializada, que gera piedade e/ou medo, solidariedade e/ou repressão está no cerne da questão da representação dos refugiados (Chouliaraki, 2006, 2010), e a imagem da criança, além de intensamente explorada, é hoje, cada vez mais, disputada no mercado de doações transnacional. Simultaneamente, no entrelace com teorias da visualidade (Sontag, 2003; Chouliaraki, 2006, 2010; Rancière, 2014; Lenette, 2017; Butler, 2018), buscou-se refletir, a partir dos dados, sobre as limitações, os desafios e tensionamentos inerentes à representação daqueles que sofrem, sem deixar de lançar luz sobre o protagonismo e a resistência que ecoaram na voz e na imagem das crianças no espaço micro da representação. / [en] According to the UN, we are witnessing the worst humanitarian crisis of the century. This situation becomes even more serious when it involves the displacement of children. The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) states that conflict, violence and other crises have left a record 36.5 million children displaced by the end of 2021, the highest number ever recorded since the Second World War. This total does not include those displaced by natural disasters or climate change, as well as those newly displaced in 2022 by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Faced with the disorder in the international situation, multilateral organizations, responsible for managing precarious lives (Butler, 2018), more than ever need to raise funds to implement assistance projects and programs for this population through public awareness. This study chose as its analytical object campaigns by multilateral organizations – the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – broadcast on the YouTube platform, whose theme focuses on children in forced displacement. Based on the analysis of four selected film productions, we sought to investigate how the child/childhood, in the context of refuge, is represented in interface with the hegemonic grand narrative (Lyotard, 2009; Shoshana, 2013) which, by essentializing and normalizing it, produces dichotomies that separate what is in or out of place, bringing important consequences for the imagination and management of childhood in such a context. In the case of film productions, word and image come together in the construction of meanings about both childhood and the migratory process itself, generally erasing macrosocial aspects, under the aegis of humanitarian language. In order to shed light on such questions, we make use of analytical categories from Narrative Analysis (Labov and Waletsky, 1969 and Labov, 1972; Bamberg and Georgakopoulou, 2008; Bastos and Biar, 2015; Bucholtz and Hall, 2005) transposed to the multimodal context (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2006). In addition to problematizing certain representations that reinforce stereotypes (Bhabha, 2006, 2009; Chouliaraki, 2006, 2010; Tabak e Carvalho, 2018, among others), the analysis sought to identify the processes that produce different affects between spectators and those represented. The ambivalence of the essentialized victim, which generates pity and/or fear, solidarity and/or repression, is at the heart of the issue of refugee representation (Chouliaraki, 2006, 2010), and the image of the child, in addition to being intensely exploited, is now increasingly disputed in the transnational donation market. At the same time, in the interweaving of theories of visuality (Sontag, 2003; Chouliaraki, 2008, 2010; Rancière, 2014; Lenette, 2017; Butler, 2018), we sought to reflect, based on the data, on the limitations, challenges and tensions inherent to the representation of those who suffer, while shedding light on the protagonism and resistance that echoed in the voice and image of children in the micro space of representation.

No / This chapter gives an introduction to protein simulation methodology aimed at experimentalists and graduate students new to in silico investigations. More emphasis is placed on the knowledge needed to select appropriate simulation protocols, leaving theoretical and mathematical depth for other texts to take care of. The chapter explains some of the more practical considerations of performing simulations of proteins, in particular, the additional considerations required when studying protein folding where nonnative environments are modeled. Forced unfolding simulations are highly relevant and invaluable in characterizing proteins naturally exposed to mechanical stress as a component of their biological function. The chapter illustrates this utility by discussing research that has been done primarily on the giant muscle protein titin. Using Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate protein folding faces two main challenges. The most obvious relates to the timescale of protein folding and the computational expense required for adequate sampling. / NIH

Yes / In this work, a compression-induced percolation threshold was found when the thickness of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite samples was reduced via a spatial confining forced network assembly (SCFNA) process from 1.0 mm to 0.1 mm. Such as for PDMS/2 wt% short carbon fiber/4 wt% carbon nanotube (CNT) composite, its conductivity was more than 8 times enhanced to 487 S/m from 59.5 S/m, and the mechanical properties of composites have been improved by more than 15% accordingly. Comparatively, when increased the concentration of CNT or Gr from 1 to 4 wt%, the electrical conductivity of PDMS nanocomposites at 1 mm thickness was barely changed as it generally reached saturation and became independent of filler loading. Compared with the traditional blending method, it indicates that the SCFNA process can further promote the maximum electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites when the filler concentration has little effect on the conductivity. Especially under the condition of relatively high filler concentration, the electrical conductivity enhancement effect becomes more significant that is contrary to the classical percolation theory. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites can be slightly improved by the mechanical compression, which makes it more suitable for flexible electronic devices' applications.

This thesis aims to uncover key factors shaping patterns of forced human mobility within and across borders. A panel dataset was constructed covering 161 countries during 2009 - 2021. The dataset includes country-level statistics on internally displaced persons and cross-border refugees, as well as indicators capturing economic, sociopolitical, and climate/environmental conditions in each country. Leveraging this multidimensional dataset, a gravity-type migration model was estimated to infer how different factors may operate in tandem in driving internal displacements and refugee migration. For internal displacements, conflict, age-dependency ratio, arid environment, and economic conditions play key roles. For cross-border refugee migration, political instability is a primary driver, followed by climate vulnerability, lower urbanization, and socioeconomic factors. The findings imply the mechanisms underlying human mobility can be complex, differing depending on whether the movement is within or across borders. Such difference underscores the need for comprehensive modeling approaches that can recognize refugee migration as a multi-stage process from initial displacement to onward migration and identify distinctive drivers at each stage of mobility.

The severity of the phenomenon of forced labour, among other forms of human exploitation, has garnered paramount significance in the context of contemporary socioeconomic changes. For this reason, the present work seeks to address the issue through the lens of international law with two primary objectives. Firstly, to delineate the actual legal status surrounding the prohibition of forced labour and secondly, to clarify the nature of State responsibility for the utilisation of forced labour by private actors. Built upon this foundation, the research unfolds in a tripartite structure. The first chapter is introduced by an historical overview focused on States’ acknowledgement of forced labour alongside abolitionist movements against slavery between the XIX and XX centuries. The overview serves as a basis for an in-depth examination of relevant key international agreements drafted within the League of Nations and later the United Nations, as well as the International Labour Organization, up to the latest developments. The analysis then extends to forced labour provisions enshrined in regional human rights conventions and other pertinent international agreements as well as to the most recent contribution developed within practice of international organisations. The second chapter is divided into two sections. In the first part, the focus lies on the case law on the prohibition of forced labour as interpreted by the International Court of Justice and regional human rights courts. In the subsequent part, examples of national legislation aimed at combating forced labour through corporate accountability are outlined, alongside supranational initiatives aligned with this overarching objective. Drawing from the insights garnered in the preceding chapters, the concluding chapter presents an exploration of the status of the prohibition of forced labour within the framework of international law. This is followed by the analysis of three potential hypotheses aimed at elucidating the nature of State responsibility regarding the employment of forced labour by private actors. On these grounds, the prominence of forced labour in contemporary international law and the critical role of States in addressing it is ultimately unveiled. The outcomes of the work assess if States’ strategies align with the urgency of the issue, suggesting future approaches to effectively tackle forced labour in the actual global landscape.

[pt] Esta dissertação examina a política de deslocamento de pessoas no contexto do projeto da Usina Hidrelétrica Belo Monte, região Norte do Brasil. Especificamente, eu investigo a política de deslocamento de ribeirinhos, pequenos agricultores e populações indígenas em Belo Monte. À luz do entendimento de política de Jacques Rancière, faço minha análise olhando para os males do deslocamento ao invés de para os direitos que alegadamente pertencem aos atingidos. Ao trazer isto ao debate, proponho reformular deslocamento como uma questão de exclusão política, não um problema de natureza técnica ou social. Embora remonte aos tempos coloniais, migração forçada raramente é um tópico discutido no Brasil. O país possui 1268 centrais elétricas de alguma escala, das quais 219 são hidrelétricas. Construir essas barragens exige, em quase todos os casos, pessoas e lugares sacrificiais. Em consequência, laços familiares são desfeitos, formas de vida extinguidas, lares são mortos. A literatura sobre pessoas deslocadas por projetos de desenvolvimento a partir de uma abordagem baseada em direitos não conseguiu dar conta da política de deslocamento. A terceira maior barragem do mundo em capacidade instalada trouxe com seus 11.233 MW as mesmas violações de direitos, anunciadas por projetos anteriores. Ao longo do tempo, estima-se que um milhão de pessoas tenham sido expulsas de suas casas devido a projetos de barragens hidrelétricas e sua migração para outras áreas, ou seu abandono e empobrecimento, foram tratados como apenas mais um exemplo de exclusão social em meio ao portfólio brasileiro de problemas sociais. Isso, no entanto, pode não ajudar a abordar as causas da migração forçada nesses casos. Situado no âmbito mais amplo da política mundial moderna, em suas formas de ler e pensar o Estado, as implicações da política na (re)produção da condição de deslocado são constitutivas. Este trabalho argumenta, portanto, que os deslocados de Belo Monte são a parte sem-parte na democracia brasileira. Eles são feitos povo suplementar pelos danos de uma obra de desenvolvimento, mas é também através da sua resistência a esses danos que denunciam a desigualdade na democracia. Ao resistir a essa partição e ao espaço de negligência atribuídos à sua existência, eles fazem mais do que o designado. Enquadrando deslocamento como um conflito sobre a produção do espaço, então, a dissertação sugere como as pessoas resistem, intervêm e contestam a representação de seu espaço. Deslocados resistem ao seu status suplementar criando espaços alternativos de representação. Suas práticas de resistência, portanto, evidenciam seu status político e desafiam a vida democrática a garantir sua parte em casos futuros. Concluo trazendo insights práticos inspirados por essas críticas teóricas para os próximos projetos hidrelétricos no Brasil; já anunciados e, até agora, inevitáveis. / [en] This dissertation examines the politics of the displacement of people in the context of the Belo Monte Complex project in the North of Brazil. Specifically, I investigate the politics of the displacement of riparian, small farmers and Indigenous populations in Belo Monte. In light of Jacques Rancière understanding of politics, I do so by looking at the wrongs of displacement rather than to the alleged rights belonging to subjects. Bringing this to the debate will reframe displacement as a matter of political exclusion, not a social or technical problem. Although it goes back to colonial times, forced migration is a rarely discussed topic in Brazil. The country has 1268 hydroelectric plants of some scale, among which 219 are hydroelectric dams. Building those dams requires, in almost every case, sacrificial people and places. As consequences, family ties are undone, ways of living extinguished, homes are killed. Literature on people displaced by development projects grounded on a rights based approach has not been able to address the politics of displacement. The world s third largest dam in installed capacity brought with its 11,233 MW the very same old, foreseen and announced rights violations of previous projects. Over time, it is estimated that one million people have been put out from their homes because of hydroelectric dam projects and their migration to other areas, or their abandonment and impoverishment, have been treated as only one more example of social exclusion amidst the vast Brazilian portfolio of social problems. That might not help to address the causes of forced migration in these cases, though. Situated in the broader scope of modern world politics, in its ways to read and think the State, the implications of politics in the (re)production of the displaced condition are constitutive. This work argues, therefore, that Belo Monte displacees are the part with no-part in Brazilian democracy. They are made supplementary people by the wrongs of a development work but it is also through their resistance to those wrongs that they denounce the inequality in democracy. In resisting this partition and the space of neglect attributed to their existence, they do more than the assigned. By framing displacement as a conflict over the production of space, then, the dissertation shows how people resist, intervene and contest the representations of their space. Displacees themselves resist to their supplementary status, creating alternative spaces of representation. Therefore, their practices of resistance make evident their political status and challenge democratic life to guarantee their part’in future cases alike. I conclude by bringing practical insights inspired by these theoretical critiques to forthcoming hydroelectric projects in Brazil; already announced and, so far, inevitable.

Multidimensional forced-choice questionnaires can reduce the impact of numerous response biases typically associated with Likert scales. However, if scored with traditional methodology these instruments produce ipsative data, which has psychometric problems, such as constrained total test score and negative average scale inter-correlation. Ipsative scores distort scale relationships and reliability estimates, and make interpretation of scores problematic. This research demonstrates how Item Response Theory (IRT) modeling may be applied to overcome these problems. A multidimensional IRT model for forced-choice questionnaires is introduced, which is suitable for use with any forced-choice instrument composed of items fitting the dominance response model, with any number of measured traits, and any block sizes (i.e. pairs, triplets, quads etc.). The proposed model is based on Thurstone's framework for comparative data. Thurstonian IRT models are normal ogive models with structured factor loadings, structured uniquenesses, and structured local dependencies. These models can be straightforwardly estimated using structural equation modeling (SEM) software Mplus. Simulation studies show how the latent traits are recovered from the comparative binary data under different conditions. The Thurstonian IRT model is also tested with real participants in both research and occupational assessment settings. It is concluded that when the recommended design guidelines are met, scores estimated from forced-choice questionnaires with the proposed methodology reproduce the latent traits well.

Soil spectroscopy is a promising technique for soil analysis, and has been successfully utilized in the laboratory. When it comes to space, the presence of vegetation significantly affects the performance of imaging spectroscopy or hyperspectral imaging on the retrieval of topsoil properties. The Forced Invariance Approach has been proven able to effectively suppress the vegetation contribution to the mixed image pixel. It takes advantage of scene statistics and requires no specific a priori knowledge of the referenced spectra. However, the approach is still mainly limited to lithological mapping. In this case study, the objective was to test the performance of the Forced Invariance Approach to improve the estimation accuracy of soil salinity for an agricultural area located in the semi-arid region of Northwest China using airborne hyperspectral data. The ground truth data was obtained from an eco-hydrological wireless sensing network. The relationship between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and soil salinity is discussed. The results demonstrate that the Forced Invariance Approach is able to improve the retrieval accuracy of soil salinity at a depth of 10 cm, as indicated by a higher value for the coefficient of determination (R2). Consequently, the vegetation suppression method has the potential to improve quantitative estimation of soil properties with multivariate statistical methods.

Introdução: A DPOC caracteriza-se pela limitação ao fluxo aéreo associada à resposta inflamatória anormal dos pulmões a partículas ou gases nocivos. As alterações mecânicas decorrentes da DPOC estão relacionadas com a disfunção mecânica das fibras do diafragma, já observadas nas fases iniciais da doença. Alguns estudos têm demonstrado o elevado potencial da Técnica de Oscilações Forçadas (FOT) na detecção das alterações mecânicas da DPOC. Contudo, tais aplicações da FOT não permitiam a análise em tempo real das alterações do sistema respiratório, bem como da mobilidade toracoabdominal destes indivíduos. Desta forma, os objetivos desta pesquisa foram analisar, em tempo real, as alterações de impedância do sistema respiratório nas distintas fases do ciclo em portadores de DPOC, assim como avaliar a movimentação toracoabdominal destes indivíduos. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo observacional controlado, prospectivo onde foram analisados 48 indivíduos, 23 indivíduos controles e 25 portadores de DPOC com grau de obstrução acentuado. Os indivíduos realizaram exames de FOT para análise da impedância do sistema respiratório e mobilidade toracoabdominal, simultaneamente. Posteriormente aos exames da FOT os indivíduos foram submetidos à Espirometria. Resultados: Os resultados demonstraram aumento da impedância do sistema respiratório nos indivíduos com DPOC em comparação ao grupo controle, em nos parâmetros estudados (Zt, Zi, Ze, Zii, Zie, Zrs e Zpp) (p<0,0001). Em relação às distintas fases do ciclo, os indivíduos deste estudo apresentaram impedâncias maiores na fase inspiratória quando comparadas à fase expiratória (p<0,004). Somente 10% dos portadores de DPOC apresentaram assincronia toracoabdominal (&#966; &#8805; 45), sendo que os valores médios não apresentaram diferença estatística quando comparados ao grupo controle. Discussão: A impedância total do sistema respiratório (Zt) aumentada nos portadores de DPOC confirma o aumento da carga mecânica do sistema respiratório destes indivíduos. Essas alterações são coerentes com o processo fisiopatológico, evidenciado pela obstrução ao fluxo aéreo e destruição do parênquima pulmonar. O aumento da impedância na fase inspiratória quando comparada à fase expiratória, sugere um aumento no trabalho resistivo e elástico. Não foram evidenciados sinais de assincronia na mobilidade toracoabdominal na maior parte dos indivíduos, sugerindo que alguns mecanismos adaptativos atuam na tentativa de evitar a fadiga do músculo respiratório. Conclusões: A DPOC resulta no aumento da carga mecânica do sistema respiratório, alterações identificadas pelo aumento da impedância do sistema respiratório, medida pela FOT em tempo real. Este aumento foi mais evidente durante a fase inspiratória. A mobilidade toracoabdominal não se mostrou alterada na maior parte dos indivíduos com DPOC. Estes resultados são consistentes com publicações prévias e fundamentos fisiopatológicos, confirmando o potencial da FOT monofreqüência na avaliação das modificações relacionadas à DPOC. / Introduction: COPD is carachterized by airflow limitation associated abnormal inflammatory response of the lung to noxious particles or gases. The mechanical alterations associated with COPD have been related with dysfunction of the diaphragm, observed since the initial phases of the disease. Several studies have confirmed the high potential of FOT in the assessment of the mechanics modifications related to COPD. However, such studies did not allow a real-time analysis of the changes in the respiratory system, and the thoracoabdominal mobility of these individuals. Thus, the goals of the present study were to analyze, in real-time, the impedance alterations of the respiratory system in different phases of the respiratory cycle of COPD patients. Methodology: This research consists of a controlled observational study where 48 individuals were analyzed, 23 controls and 25 individuals with COPD and severe airway obstruction. Firstly, they performed simultaneous analysis of impedance of the respiratory system and thoracoabdominal motion. In subsequent examinations, these subjects were submitted to spirometry. Results: The results demonstrated an increase of the respiratory system impedance in individuals with COPD compared with the control group in all of the studied parameters (Zt, Zi, Ze, Zii, Zie, &#916;Zrs e Zpp) (p<0.0001). Considering the different phases of the respiratory cycle, higher impedances were observed in the inspiratory phase (p<0.004). Only 10% of individuals with COPD showed thoracoabdominal asynchrony (&#966;&#8805; 45), and the mean values showed no statistical difference when compared to the control group. Discussions: The total impedance of the respiratory system increased in individuals with COPD, which describes the increase of the mechanic load of the respiratory system in these individuals. These alterations are coherent with the physiopathology of COPD, associated with airflow obstruction and lung parenchyma destruction. The increase of the impedance in the inspiratory phase suggests an increase of the resistive and elastic work. There were not signals of thoracoabdominal asynchrony in the major part of the studied individuals, suggesting that some adaptation mechanisms act to compensate respiratory muscle fatigue. Conclusion: The COPD results in the increase of the mechanic load of the respiratory system. These alterations were identified by the increase of the respiratory system impedance, which was more evidence in the inspiratory phase. The thoracoabdominal asynchrony was not usual in individuals with COPD. Those results are consistent with previously published data and physiopathological fundamentals, confirming the potential of monofrequency FOT in the assessment of the modifications related to COPD.

The aim of this master's thesis is to ascertain knowledge of Czech students in secondary schools, or more precisely in Grammar school, about the issue of forced labour during World War II. The master's thesis is based primarily on literature and own research and is divided into two parts. The first part is the theoretical part where is briefly introduced the history of forced labour in the general level (definition, type of work, working conditions, division of workers, etc.) and the second part where is conduct social research which is oriented only to Czech students. This research is conducted through a questionnaire survey that has the form of mixed research (questions and its evaluation is both quantitative and qualitative). Based on this research is evaluated both the overall state of knowledge of this issue (it compares the first-years students and fourth -years students of secondary schools), and is also taken account of the issue of the topic processing in secondary school textbooks.