abstract: Females and underrepresented ethnic minorities earn a small percentage of engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States, earn an even smaller proportion of master's and doctoral degrees, and are underrepresented in the engineering workforce (Engineering Workforce Commission, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2012; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009a; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009b). Considerable research has examined the perceptions, culture, curriculum, and pedagogy in engineering that inhibits the achievement of women and underrepresented ethnic minorities. This action research study used a qualitative approach to examine the characteristics and experiences of Latina students who pursued a bachelor's degree in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU) as part of the 2008 first-time full-time freshman cohort. The researcher conducted two semi-structured individual interviews with seven undergraduate Latina students who successfully persisted to their fourth (senior) year in engineering. The researcher aimed to understand what characteristics made these students successful and how their experiences affected their persistence in an engineering major. The data collected showed that the Latina participants were motivated to persist in their engineering degree program due to their parents' expectations for success and high academic achievement; their desire to overcome the discrimination, stereotyping, and naysayers that they encountered; and their aspiration to become a role model for their family and other students interested in pursuing engineering. From the data collected, the researcher provided suggestions to implement and adapt educational activities and support systems within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering to improve the retention and graduation rates of Latinas in engineering at ASU. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Higher and Postsecondary Education 2012

abstract: The high rate of teacher turnover in the United States has prompted a number of studies into why teachers leave as well as why they stay. The present study aims to add to that knowledge specifically regarding why teachers choose to stay at urban schools. Several reasons teachers in general choose to stay have been identified in previous studies including faith in their students, continuing hope and sense of responsibility, and love among others. The importance of such a study is the possibility of designing programs that reinforce teacher success through understanding the personal and professional reasons teachers choose to stay. Getting teachers to stay is important to the nation's goal of providing equity in science education to all children. Important to this research is an understanding of motivational theories. Already a challenge in the over-busy modern world, the ability to self-motivate and motivate others is of particular importance to teachers in urban schools as well as teachers struggling against restrictive budgets. Studies have shown teachers extrinsically motivated will need external rewards to encourage them while teachers who are intrinsically motivated will have their own internal reasons such as satisfaction in contributing to the future, self-actualization, or the joy of accomplishment. Some studies have suggested that teachers who decide to remain teaching tend to be intrinsic motivators. Unfortunately, the environment in most Western country educational systems presents a challenge to achieving these intrinsic goals. As a result, self-determination theory should play a significant role in shaping educational programs. The following study examined the perspectives of secondary school science teachers, specifically regarding why they opted to remain within the classroom in urban districts. It was conducted utilizing interviews and surveys of teachers working within urban school districts in Arizona and California. The sample consisted of 94 science teachers. More than half of the participants were White females and 36 percent of them had been teaching for more than 15 years. Participation in the study was based on self-selected volunteerism. Survey questions were based on self-determination theory and used Likert scale responses. Follow-up audiotaped interview requested information regarding identity and their social interaction within the urban settings. The survey responses were analyzed using SPSS for descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression. The results of this study provide insight on what works to motivate science teachers to continue teaching in less than ideal school settings and with such high bureaucratic impediments as standardized testing and school rating systems. It demonstrates that science teachers do seem to be intrinsically motivated and suggests some areas in which this motivation can be fostered. Such results could help in the development of teacher support groups, professional development programs, or other programs designed to assist teachers struggling to deal with the specific problems and needs of inner city school students. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2012

[pt] Nesta dissertação avaliamos a transmissão intergeracional de capital humano no Brasil, separando o efeito da escolaridade de mãe e pai sobre a defasagem idade-série de filhos e filhas na escola. A partir de dados das PNADs de 1988 e 1996, estimativas através do método de Mínimos Quadrados Ordinários indicam presença de fortes não-linearidades nessas relações e efeitos diferentes para meninos e meninas. Utilizando séries históricas de escolas e professores por Unidade da Federação do IBGE como fonte de identificação do efeito causal de escolaridade dos pais sobre o desempenho dos filhos, o método de Mínimos Quadrados em Dois Estágios com variáveis instrumentais aponta efeitos significantes tanto de escolaridade da mãe quanto do pai, mas não permite distingui-los adequadamente. / [en] In this work we study the intergenerational transmission of human capital in Brazil. We evaluate the effect of both mother and father`s education, measured as years of schooling, on their children`s school performance. Using data from 1988 and 1996 PNADs we find strong non-linearities in our OLS estimates, as well as different effects on boys and girls. We then isolate pure causal effect of parent´s schooling on their offpring´s by using historical series of schools and theachers as instruments for parent´s education in our 2SLS-IV strategy. The results show strong evidence of a direct causal effect of parent´s schooling on their children´s, though our strategy is unable to separate mother´s and father´s effects properly

In this inquiry I used Black Feminist Thought as the interpretive lens to investigate the characterizations and experiences of high achieving Black women undergraduate engineering and mathematics majors at a predominantly white institution. The qualitative inquiry considered intersecting oppressions to evaluate the experiences of this population. In particular, Black women operate in the intersection of race and gender, thus for a thorough analysis of their engineering and mathematics experiences to occur, the historical context of the United States and its oppressive structures must be considered. Stereotypes and systemic oppression follow this socially constructed identity as the participants enter the fields of engineering and mathematics as Black women. In order to develop relevant suggestions to increase the participation of this population in the field, I assert that the social construction of this intersectional identity must be considered. I evaluated the participants' experiences to determine its influence on their academic persistence and overall well-being. I implemented sista circle methodology, an ethnographic method that embodies a gender specific research methodology. Sista circle methodology expands beyond traditional methodology to draw on social relations, the wisdom of Black women in U.S. context, and functions as a medium for mentorship as a Black feminist practice. The data I collected as part of this study included a demographic survey, pre-interview, two sista circles, vision board collage, post-sista circle electronic reflection, "sista circle" alternative interview, and member checking. There were five participants in this study, and three of these participants engaged in the sista circle unity getaway and the remaining two participants completed the sista circle alternative interview. I analyzed the responses of all five participants in the interviews and sista circles to identify themes that emerged in this study. Eight themes emerged from the data: The first finding presented normalized policies and practices that reproduced an unwelcoming academic climate and specifically, 1) access to caring professors and the 2) competitive isolating environment. The academic climate forced the participants to negotiate self-doubt as they question if their program is the appropriate means to pursue their future career endeavors, in the second finding the participants experienced 3) variations in program expectations and reality, 4) a shift in academic self-concept, and 5) negotiated alternatives to persistence. In the third finding the participants responded to the conditions in the academic climate through forms of resistance, which include the construction of a 6) professional persona, 7) sense of community and peer bonds, and identifying 8) academic opportunities as motivational tools.

O paradigma da orientação a objetos esta se tomando a abordagem preferida para construção de sistemas em ambiente de banco de dados. Por outro lado, a tecnologia relacional e amplamente adotada para gerenciar dados corporativos. Os bancos de dados relacionais tornaram-se o padrão no armazenamento de dados para aplicações de processamento de transações on-line (OLTP). Estas tendências estão motivando a necessidade de construção de aplicações orientadas a objetos que acessem banco de dados relacionais. 0 uso de conceitos orientado a objetos, como herança, permitem uma modelagem !Dais adequada e uma melhor implementação da aplicação baseada em sistema de banco de dados orientado a objetos. Entretanto, os resultados do projeto orientado a objetos, podem também ser aplicados em sistemas clássicos de banco de dados. 0 trabalho apresenta o uso de padrões de projeto na construção de una arquitetura de um framework que auxilie o mapeamento de uma aplicação 00 a um SGBD relacional. Esta arquitetura segue a abordagem de persistência de objetos baseada em gateways, que é uma camada de software inserida entre o sistema gerenciador de banco de dados e a aplicação orientada a objetos, cujo o objetivo é dar suporte a um modelo de programação de aplicações 00. A característica principal desta arquitetura é a separação clara das classes que tratam da base de dados em relação as classes que tratam do domínio do problema da aplicação. Esta divisão de responsabilidades permite a substituição das classes referentes a base de dados por outras, permitindo a migração da aplicação entre bases de dados diferentes. São apresentados neste trabalho, formas de mapeamentos de esquemas orientados a objetos para esquemas relacionais. Estes mapeamentos acontecem do modelo 00 para o modelo relacional. E importante salientar, que a arquitetura que esta sendo proposta, não vai impedir que aplicações estruturadas deixem ter acesso a base de dados relacional mapeada, pois esta abordagem foi escolhida para permitir que novas aplicações 00 tenham acesso a base de dados relacionais já existentes. Como a implementação deste trabalho segue a abordagem de gateway, são apresentados os conceitos de orientação objetos, e como estes serão suportados na arquitetura, ou seja, o que o gateway devera implementar. / The paradigm of the object-oriented is becoming the approach preferred for construction of systems in database environment. On the other hand, the technology relational is adopted thoroughly for management corporate data. The relational databases they became the pattern in the storage of data for applications of processing of transactions on-line (OLTP). These tendencies are motivating the need of construction of applications object-oriented that acessem relational databases. The way of using object-oriented conception, how inheritance, to make possible the better modeling and implementation based in object-oriented database systems. Therefore, the objetc-oriented design results, also is possible to application in classics database systems. The work presents the use of project patterns in the construction of an architecture of a framework that aids the mapeamento of an application 00 to a SGBD relacional. This architecture follows the approach of set persistence of objects in gateways, that is a software layer inserted among the system database manager and the object-oriented application, whose the objective is to give support to a model of programming of applications 00. The main characteristic of this architecture is the clear separation of the classes that are about the database in relation to the classes that are about the domain of the problem of the application. This division of responsibilities allows the substitution of the referring classes the database for other, allowing the migration of the application among different databases. They are presented in this work, forms of mapping the object-oriented model for relational model. These mappings happens of the model 00 for the model relational. It is important to point out, that the architecture that it is being proposed, won't impede that structured applications let to have access to the relational database, because this approach was chosen to allow that new applications 00 has access the relational database already existent. As the implementation of this work follows the gateway approach, the concepts of object-oriented are presented, and as these they will be supported in the architecture, that is to say, which the gateway should implement.

A abordagem de desenvolvimento dirigido por modelos (DDM) propõe que modelos (e transformações entre modelos) assumam o papel principal no desenvolvimento de sistemas. Entretanto, não há uma notação consensual para modelagem de persistência baseada em arcabouços de mapeamento objeto-relacional: enquanto a UML não possui recursos específicos para a modelagem de persistência, o modelo entidade-relacionamento não expressa os conceitos dinâmicos existentes na UML. Este trabalho propõe o perfil UML MD-JPA (Model Driven JPA) para a modelagem de persistência baseada na já difundida API de persistência Java (JPA), buscando a modelagem dos elementos persistentes e transientes de forma mais coerente e integrada. São especificadas as principais características do perfil MD-JPA, assim como a maneira pela qual modelos que adotam este perfil podem ser transformados em implementação Java, através de transformações de modelos propostas em uma abordagem DDM. Por fim, uma ferramenta de código livre foi desenvolvida para disponibilizar para comunidade os resultados deste trabalho. / The model driven development (MDD) approach proposes that models (and modelto- model transformations) play the main role on system development. However, there is not a consensual notation to model persistence based upon object relational mapping frameworks: while UML lacks specific resources for persistence modeling, the entityrelationship model does not make reference to the dynamic concepts existing in UML. This work proposes MD-JPA, a UML profile for persistence modeling based on the well-known Java Persistence API (JPA), pursuing the modeling of transient and persistent elements in a more coherent and integrated way. This work describes the main characteristics of MD-JPA as well as the way that models that adopt such profile can them be used to generate a Java implementation by the application of the proposed model transformations on a MDD approach. Finally, an open source tool was developed to make the results of this work available to the community.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio (fiscina@bahia.fiocruz.br) on 2013-11-07T17:54:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Romulo Carvalho Santiago A relação arginase-óxido nítrico na infecção experimental...pdf: 2942021 bytes, checksum: 81ffaf4770b56567bb2217f9add6a63b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-07T17:54:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Romulo Carvalho Santiago A relação arginase-óxido nítrico na infecção experimental...pdf: 2942021 bytes, checksum: 81ffaf4770b56567bb2217f9add6a63b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / A arginase é uma importante enzima envolvida no processo de desintoxicação, eliminando amônia via ciclo da ureia, hidrolisando a L-arginina à L-ornitina e ureia. L-ornitina pode ser metabolizada pela ornitina descarboxilase (ODC), dando origem a poliaminas, que são importantes para divisão e proliferação celular. A L. major usa esta via metabólica para proliferar dentro do macrófago durante a infecção. Por outro lado, a óxido nítrico sintase (NOS) oxida a L-arginina à citrulina e óxido nítrico, participando, desta forma, da eliminação do parasita. Estas enzimas podem ser moduladas na presença de citocinas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a relação entre arginase e óxido nítrico durante a infecção experimental causada por L. braziliensis. No modelo cutâneo de infecção por L. braziliensis, camundongos BALB/c desenvolvem uma lesão que cura espontaneamente na décima semana após infecção. Os parasitas, no entanto, persistem no linfonodo de drenagem (LNd) até 6 meses após a infecção. Camundongos BALB/c foram infectados com L. braziliensis, na derme da orelha, e o desenvolvimento da lesão, a carga parasitária, a atividade da arginase e a produção de óxido nítrico (NO) foram avaliados, assim como a produção de citocinas. A atividade da arginase na orelha aumenta com o desenvolvimento da lesão e diminui com a cura da mesma. No LNd, a atividade da arginase foi detectada junto com a persistência do parasita. A presença de NO na orelha foi maior no pico de desenvolvimento da lesão, acompanhando a presença de IFN-g, no LNd. Com a cura da clínica, houve redução dos níveis de NO na orelha, acompanhado de aumento na produção de TGF-b no LNd. A inibição da arginase, utilizando Nor-NOHA, reduziu significativamente o tamanho da lesão e a carga parasitária na orelha e no LNd. Curiosamente, este efeito foi associado a uma maior produção de IL-4 e IL-10. Por outro lado, a suplementação com L-arginina, o substrato comum para as enzimas iNOS e arginase exacerbou o tamanho da lesão e elevou a carga parasitária. Nossos dados sugerem que a arginase está envolvida com a multiplicação de L. braziliensis, causando a lesão na orelha e, posteriormente, está envolvida com a persistência do parasita no LNd. / Arginase is an important enzyme involved in the detoxification process, eliminating ammonia via the urea cycle, hydrolyzing L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea. L-ornithine can be metabolized by ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) to give polyamines, which are important for cellular division and proliferation. It has been demonstrated that L. major uses this pathway to proliferate within macrophages during infection. On the other hand, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) oxidizes L-arginine to citrulline and nitric oxide, participating in the elimination of parasites. These enzymes can be modulated in presence of cytokines. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between arginase and nitric oxide during the experimental infection caused by L. braziliensis. In the cutaneous model of infection with L. braziliensis, there is a development of a lesion that heals spontaneously in the second month of infection. The parasites, however, persist in draining lymph nodes (dLN) until 6 months after infection. BALB/c mice were infected with L. braziliensis in the ear dermis and the lesion development, parasite load, arginase activity and the nitric oxide (NO) production were evaluated, as well as cytokine production. Arginase activity in the ear increased with lesion development and decreased at the time of lesion healing. In dLNs, arginase activity was detected in parallel to the persisting parasites. The presence of NO in the ear was higher at the peak of lesion development, accompanying the presence of IFN-g in dLNs. With clinical cure, decreased NO levels were detected in the ear parallaled by an increase in the production of TGF-b in the dLNs. The competitive inhibition of arginase, using Nor-NOHA, significantly reduced lesion size and parasite load in the ear and in dLNs. Interestingly, this effect was associated with increased production of IL-4 and IL-10. Furthermore, supplementation with L-arginine, the common substrate for both enzymes, iNOS and arginase, exacerbated lesion size and the parasite load. Our data suggest that arginase is involved with the multiplication of L. braziliensis, causing injury in the ear and it is involved with the persistence of the parasite in the dLN.

Submitted by silvia matos (silvia.matos@fgv.br) on 2011-05-11T12:11:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_SilviaMatos.pdf: 612943 bytes, checksum: afbbe0d255820e85eb4639ae4f0ef00e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Andrea Virginio Machado(andrea.machado@fgv.br) on 2011-05-11T12:35:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_SilviaMatos.pdf: 612943 bytes, checksum: afbbe0d255820e85eb4639ae4f0ef00e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-11T18:12:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_SilviaMatos.pdf: 612943 bytes, checksum: afbbe0d255820e85eb4639ae4f0ef00e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-08 / The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the price-setting behavior in Brazil and, in particular, the effects on inflation and good-level real exchange rate persistence. This thesis is composed by three Chapters. In the first Chapter, we present the main stylized facts about the behavior of retail prices in Brazil using micro data from the CPI index computed by the Fundação Getulio Vargas. Moreover we construct time series of price-setting statistics and relate them to macroeconomic variables using regression analyses. In Chapter 2, we investigated the relevance of heterogeneity in countries price stickiness on good-level real exchange rate persistence, considering a newly constructed panel data set of relative prices of 115 common products between the U.S. and Brazil. Chapter 3 is devoted to the relation between sectoral price stickiness and inflation persistence. / O objetivo desta tese é investigar as estratégias de precificação no Brasil, enfatizando os efeitos sobre a persistência da inflação e da taxa de câmbio real setorial. Esta tese é composta por três capítulos. No primeiro capítulo, nós apresentamos as principais características do comportamento dos preços no Brasil, utilizando os microdados do Índice de Preços ao Consumidor, computado pela Fundação Getúlio Vargas. Adicionalmente, nós construímos as séries de tempo das estatísticas de price-setting e as relacionamos com as variáveis macroeconômicas utilizando análise de regressão. No capítulo 2, nós investigamos o efeito da heterogeneidade da rigidez de preços entre países sobre a persistência da taxa de câmbio real setorial, considerando um painel de preços relativos de 115 produtos comuns entre Brasil e EUA. Por fim, o capítulo 3 explora a relação entre rigidez de preço setorial e persistência inflacionária.

Several variables have been shown to influence resistance to change including rate, magnitude, and delay to reinforcement (Nevin, 1974). One variable that has not been studied with humans concerns the evaluation of resistance to change with unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers. In Experiment 1 (Resistance to Extinction Assessment), 5 participants' behaviors were reinforced during a baseline phase on a mult VI 30 s VI 30 s schedule with either a conditioned (i.e., token) or unconditioned reinforcer (i.e., food). Following equal reinforcement rates across components, extinction was introduced as a disruptor. All participants showed greater resistance to extinction in the component associated with conditioned reinforcers than unconditioned reinforcers. In Experiment 2 (Varied Distractors Assessment), 4 participants experienced a baseline phase the same as Experiment 1 (i.e., mult VI 30 s VI 30 s). Each participant was then exposed to prefeeding and distraction as disruptors in separate analyses. Results showed that behaviors were more resistant to distraction with conditioned than unconditioned reinforcers, similar to Experiment 1. However, when prefeeding disrupted responding, greater resistance to change was observed with unconditioned reinforcers than conditioned reinforcers. Implications of the results are discussed.

This mixed methods study, a concurrent triangulation design, explored Tinto's integration theory as it relates to nontraditional students. The study explored the relationship of academic and social integration, defined by classroom active learning strategies and sense of belonging, with persistence. The study also expanded upon the idea of socio-academic integrative moments which might occur when social and academic integration converge or overlap. Consistent with Tinto's model, factors including initial institutional commitment, initial goal commitment, and subsequent institutional commitment were also analyzed. Multiple regression analysis of data obtained from a 38-question survey (n=299) revealed one common predictor of persistence among the three research questions: initial commitment to the educational goal. Qualitative data, interpreted from a diverse group of 10 nontraditional students, confirmed the quantitative findings and revealed that, in relation to persistence, initial commitment to the educational goal seemed to transcend all other theoretical factors including institutional commitment, social integration, academic integration, and student entry characteristics such as race, gender, parents' educational attainment, first-generation status, and high school GPA. In addition, focus group findings indicated the presence of socio-academic integrative described as academically-focused social integration. Recommendations for further exploration into the integrational convergence or non-linearity of Tinto's model are included. Recommendations for practice and future research prompt additional exploration into nontraditional student persistence including suggestions to identify factors related to meaningful integration for nontraditional students and how those factors might influence persistence.