As the nation's largest and fastest growing marginalized ethnic group, Latina/os play an increasingly crucial role in the economic and social life of the nation, highlighting the need for education systems to re-evaluate and expand their efforts in supporting and retaining this growing population. A number of contextual factors have been identified that influence the college experience and academic persistence of Latina/o students, including campus racial climate, perceptions of university environment, cultural congruity, interpersonal racism, and structural racism. An emerging area of research is racial/ethnic microaggressions (i.e., subtle forms of racism). In the face of these challenges, many Latina/os learn to critically navigate and negotiate the cultural environment of college, drawing on cultural strengths as well as cultural knowledge and skills gained in overcoming previous structural barriers to education. The focus of the present study is on Latina/o students and factors that influence their academic persistence intentions. Structural equation modeling techniques were performed to test a hypothesized structural model of the mechanisms by which racial/ethnic microaggressions, protective factors (i.e., resilience, mentor support, social support from family and friends), and sociopolitical development (i.e., ethnic identity, critical consciousness) influence Latina/o students' intentions to persist in academia. The hypothesized structural model tested indicated a good fit to the data. Study results were consistent with several study hypotheses: (a) the hypothesized structural model provided a good fit to the data; (b) the proposed set of relationships between resilience, mentor support, social support from family and friends, critical consciousness, ethnic identity, and intentions to persist accounted for significant variance in the model; (c) perceptions of university environment was directly related to intentions to persist; (d) protective factors (resilience, mentor support, social support from friends and family), sociopolitical development (ethnic identity and critical consciousness), and perceptions of university environment fully mediated the relationship between racial/ethnic microaggressions and intentions to persist; (e) protective factors mediated the relationship between perceptions of university environment and intentions to persist. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are discussed. / 2015-10-10

This article examines the dynamics of bank profitability in the USA, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Switzerland over the period 1993-2014. We find long-run bank profit persistence in all six countries in the period before the financial crisis in 2008. Banks with large capital ratios are persistently more profitable, and there is little evidence of a link between bank size and the persistence of bank profits. Commercial (saving) banks are persistently more (less) profitable in four of the six countries. The effects of the financial crisis in 2008 differed dramatically across countries as well as across ownership types. While US banks experienced dramatic declines in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, they recovered much faster than their European counterparts and essentially retain their long run profit potential by the year 2014.

O presente trabalho realizou uma aplicação empírica do modelo de Ohlson (1995) para as principais empresas brasileiras listadas na BM&FBovespa no período de 1996 a 2010, buscando verificar a consistência do modelo na previsão dos preços das ações. Dado que o método para utilização deste modelo é divergente na literatura, para este estudo decidiu-se pela metodologia de dados em painel, a qual considera tanto as características individuais de cada empresa, quanto à fatores específicos de determinados períodos. Foram desenvolvidos dois testes empíricos para o modelo, um para a função de preço e outro para a função de retorno. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que o modelo foi rejeitado no mercado de capitais brasileiro para as duas funções. / This paper conducted an empirical application of the Ohlson model (1995) for the main Brazilian companies listed on the BM&FBovespa in the period 1996-2010, in order to verify the consistency of the model in predicting stock prices. Since the method for using this model is divergent in the literature, it was decided the use of panel data methodology for this study, which considers both, the individual characteristics of each company and the specific factors for certain periods. It was developed two empirical tests for the model, one for the price function and another for the return function. The results showed that the model was rejected in the Brazilian capital market for both functions.

O conhecimento sobre o curso dos transtornos mentais durante a vida e os fatores que influenciam o seu comportamento fazem parte das primeiras informações buscadas por pacientes e por profissionais de saúde, objetivando um melhor planejamento e intervenções mais acuradas. No caso do Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH), as informações existentes limitam-se a responder sobre o prognóstico do TDAH para amostras de crianças e adolescentes. Estudos longitudinais prospectivos a partir de amostras clínicas de adultos possuem um delineamento capaz de trazer informação sobre o comportamento do TDAH durante a vida adulta. A amostra de Porto Alegre de adultos com TDAH, coletada nos últimos 12 anos no ambulatório de TDAH em adultos do HCPA, possui extensa caracterização em nível fenotípico e genético. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é investigar em pacientes adultos o curso do TDAH e as características sociais e psiquiátricas envolvidas em sua trajetória, sete anos após a avaliação inicial. Para isso, foram realizados dois estudos a fim de observar o comportamento do transtorno e dos seus domínios durante a vida adulta. O primeiro artigo investiga a persistência do diagnóstico formal do TDAH e a possibilidade de remissão completa sete anos após a primeira avaliação. Mesmo após o período de maior neurodesenvolvimento cerebral, e independentemente da idade dos indivíduos, em torno de 30% da amostra perdeu o diagnóstico do transtorno. A remissão completa ocorreu em 12.4% dos pacientes. Indivíduos com diagnóstico de TOD e Fobia Social, maior número de sintomas de hiperatividade/impulsividade e os que se apresentavam no maior quartil de desatenção durante a avaliação inicial persistiram mais frequentemente com o diagnóstico. Nível de prejuízo pelo TDAH, gênero e tempo de uso de metilfenidato não tiveram efeito significativo. No segundo artigo, analisamos separadamente o comportamento dos dois domínios do TDAH e os possíveis moderadores do seu curso, incluindo o efeito de um grupo de sintomas sobre o outro. Diferentemente dos resultados encontrados nos estudos que avaliaram os períodos da infância e adolescência, os sintomas de hiperatividade/impulsividade declinaram na mesma proporção que os de desatenção. A análise dos domínios individualmente também permitiu identificar que cada grupo de sintomas possui moderadores distintos. O declínio dos sintomas de desatenção foi menor nos pacientes com história de suspensão escolar, enquanto que a hiperatividade/impulsividade declinou menos nos indivíduos que possuem história de problemas com álcool e maior número de sintomas de desatenção. A partir dos resultados encontrados e da literatura existente, esta Tese propõe questionamentos sobre variáveis que podem influenciar o curso do TDAH na vida adulta, bem como perspectivas para intervenções preventivas. / A better comprehension regarding the course of mental disorders across the lifespan and the factors that influence its trajectory are among the first goals sought by patients and health professionals in the intent to improve planning and interventions. In the case of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), prognosis information is limited to data derived from samples of children and adolescents. Prospective longitudinal studies from clinical samples of adults have the appropriate design to provide information of ADHD trajectory during adulthood. The Porto Alegre sample of adults with ADHD, collected over the past 12 years at the ADHD Outpatient Program – Adult division at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), has an extensive phenotypic characterization and genetic level. The main goal of this work is to investigate the course of ADHD, as well as other psychiatric and social characteristics involved in its trajectory, in a sample of adult patients seven years after the initial assessment. For this purpose, two studies were conducted to examine the course of the disorder and its domains during adulthood. The first paper investigates the persistence of formal ADHD diagnosis and the possibility of complete remission seven years after the first evaluation. It shows that, even after the most intense period of brain neurodevelopment, and regardless of the age of the individuals, around 30% of the sample no longer fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Complete remission occurred in 12.4% of patients. Individuals diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Social Phobia, with more symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and those who performed in the top quartile of inattention symptoms during the initial evaluation were more likely to persist with the diagnosis. Level of impairment due to ADHD symptoms, gender and the extent of methylphenidate use (months) had no significant effect. In the second article, the trajectory of the two ADHD domains (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity), along with their possible moderators, were analysed separately. Differently from the results found by studies evaluating the course of ADHD domains during childhood and adolescence, this study indicated that symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity declined in the same proportion as inattention during adulthood. The analysis of the two ADHD domains separately also identified that each group of symptoms has distinct moderators. The decline of inattention symptoms was lower in patients with a history of school suspension, whereas hyperactivity/impulsivity decline was lower in individuals with a history of problems with alcohol use and more symptoms of inattention. Based on the overall results and the existing literature, this Thesis raises questions about characteristics that may influence the course of ADHD during adulthood, as well as perspectives for preventive interventions.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The objective of this project was to investigate the impact of different pesticides used in the ricefield on the density and diversity of benthic organisms. In the experiment, two collects of soil were made to identify and quantify benthic organisms, one in the 28th and other in the 84th days after the entry of water in the ricefield. We used a cylindrical collector of PVC (Curer) with 0.10 m in diameter (0.01 m2) at a depth of 0.10 m. Samples were collected in the irrigated plots that received the following treatments: TO - Imazethapyr + Imazapic (ONLY ®), TB - Bispyribac-sodium (NOMINEE 400SC), TQ - Quinclorac (FACET PM), TF - Fipronil (STANDACK) and TC - control. The number of replicates for each treatment was 12 samples per day. The collected material was stored in plastic bags and taken to the laboratory, where it was washed in sieves of 0.25 mm and re-packed in plastic bottles and then immediately stained (Rose-Bengal), and fixed with absolute ethanol. After fixing, the organisms were separated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, using specialized bibliographies. Throughout the period of ricefield, data on the following parameters of irrigation water were recorded: dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, conductivity and persistence of pesticides used. To verify differences in the physical-chemical, between treatments, we used a TWO-WAY-ANOVA (treatment and time) and a PCA. An ANOVA one criterion was used to verify differences in taxa between treatments and a MANOVA was used to examine differences in fauna composition between treatments and trophic guilds. There were no differences among abiotic data and the treatment, but differences were found in the time of cultivation. Concerning the persistence of pesticides, the herbicide quinclorac was the most persistent, detected up to the 84th day. The lower persistence of the herbicide ONLY® was detected until the 21st day. In the first sample a total of 1971 animals was collected from all treatments, separated into four phyla: Arthropoda (Insecta, Arachnida and Crustacea), Mollusca (Gastropoda), Anellida (Oligochaeta and Hirudinea) and Nematoda. In the second group of samples, 2295 individuals were identified among all treatments. The same phyla were present, but the diversity of insects was higher than in the previous collection. The MANOVA showed differences between the fauna composition of the treatments evaluated, and between collections, as well as among the fauna composition of the same trophic guild in the different treatments. Based on these results we conclude that the pesticides did not affect the physical and chemical parameters of water, however, these products can cause stress on the benthic community at the beginning of culture for a period of approximately one month after the entry of water in the plots. This effect is reduced over time so that the benthic community tends to restructure after the period of greatest activity of pesticides in water. / O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o impacto da utilização de diferentes agroquímicos, empregados na lavoura de arroz irrigada por inundação, sobre a densidade e riqueza de organismos bentônicos. No experimento, foram realizadas duas amostragens de solo para identificar e quantificar organismos bentônicos, uma no 28º e outra no 84º dia após a entrada de água na lavoura. Utilizou-se um coletor cilíndrico de PVC (Corer) com 0,10 m de diâmetro (0,01 m2) na profundidade de 0,10 m. As amostragens foram realizadas em parcelas que receberam os seguintes tratamentos: TO -imazethapyr + imazapic (ONLY®); TB - bispyribac-sodium (NOMINEE 400SC); TQ - quinclorac (FACET PM); TF - fipronil (STANDACK) e TC - controle. O número de réplicas para cada tratamento foi de 12 amostras por dia amostral. O material coletado foi armazenado em sacos plásticos e levado para o laboratório, onde foi lavado em peneiras de 0,25mm, reacondicionado em frascos plásticos e logo em seguida corado (Rosa-de-Bengala) e fixado com álcool etílico absoluto. Após a fixação os organismos foram triados e identificados até o menor nível taxonômico possível, utilizando-se bibliografias especializadas. Durante todo o período da cultura do arroz foram registrados os dados dos seguintes parâmetros da água de irrigação: Oxigênio dissolvido, pH, temperatura, alcalinidade, dureza, turbidez, condutividade e persistência dos pesticidas utilizados. Para verificar diferenças quanto aos fatores físico-químicos, entre os tratamentos, utilizou-se uma ANOVA de dois critérios (tratamento e tempo) e uma PCA. Uma ANOVA de um critério foi utilizada para verificar diferenças dos táxons entre os tratamentos e uma MANOVA foi empregada para analisar diferenças na composição da fauna entre os tratamentos e guildas tróficas. Não se observou diferenças nos dados abióticos em relação aos tratamentos, mas sim em relação ao tempo de cultivo. Com relação à persistência dos pesticidas, o herbicida Quinclorac foi o mais persistente, detectado até o 84º dia. A menor persistência foi do herbicida Only, detectado até o 21º dia. Na primeira amostragem foram coletados um total de 1971 organismos entre todos os tratamentos, pertencentes a quatro filos: Arthropoda (Insecta, Arachnida e Crustacea), Mollusca (Gastropoda), Anellida (Hirudinea e Oligochaeta) e Nematoda. Na segunda coleta foram identificados 2295 organismos entre todos os tratamentos. Os mesmos filos estiveram presentes, porém a riqueza de insetos foi maior que na coleta anterior. A Manova mostrou haver diferenças entre as composições da fauna dos tratamentos avaliados, e entre as coletas, bem como na composição da fauna, de uma mesma guilda trófica, nos diferentes tratamentos. Com base nestes resultados é possível concluir que os pesticidas utilizados não afetaram os parâmetros físico-químicos da água, entretanto, esses produtos podem causar estresse na comunidade bentônica no início da cultura, por um período de aproximadamente um mês após a entrada de água nas parcelas. Este efeito é reduzido com o passar do tempo, de maneira que a comunidade bentônica tende a se reestruturar após o período de maior ação dos pesticidas na água.

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.

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.

This dissertation explores how students’ beliefs and attitudes interact with their identities as physics people, motivated by calls to increase participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This work combines several theoretical frameworks, including Identity theory, Future Time Perspective theory, and other personality traits to investigate associations between these factors. An enriched understanding of how these attitudinal factors are associated with each other extends prior models of identity and link theoretical frameworks used in psychological and educational research. The research uses a series of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including linear and logistic regression analysis, thematic interview analysis, and an innovative analytic technique adapted for use with student educational data for the first time: topological data analysis via the Mapper algorithm. Engineering students were surveyed in their introductory engineering courses. Several factors are found to be associated with physics identity, including student interest in particular engineering majors. The distributions of student scores on these affective constructs are simultaneously represented in a map of beliefs, from which the existence of a large “normative group” of students (according to their beliefs) is identified, defined by the data as a large concentration of similarly minded students. Significant differences exist in the demographic representation of this normative group compared to other students, which has implications for recruitment efforts that seek to increase diversity in STEM fields. Select students from both the normative group and outside the normative group were selected for subsequent interviews investigating their associations between physics and engineering, and how their physics identities evolve during their engineering careers. Further analyses suggest a more complex model of physics and engineering identity which is not necessarily uniform for all engineering students, including discipline-specific differences that should be further investigated. Further, the use of physics identity as a model to describe engineering student choices may be limited in applicability to early college. Interview analysis shows that physics recognition beliefs become contextualized in engineering as students begin to view physics as an increasingly distinct domain from engineering.

abstract: Six high-production-volume neonicotinoids were traced through a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and engineered wetland located downstream, in a study motivated by reports on these insecticides posing threats to non-target invertebrate species and potentially playing a role in the global honeybee colony collapse disorder. An array of automated samplers was deployed in a five-day monitoring campaign and resultant flow-weighted samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using the isotope dilution method. Concentrations in WWTP influent and effluent were 54.7 ± 2.9 and 48.6 ± 2.7 ng/L for imidacloprid, respectively, and 3.7 ± 0.3 and 1.8 ± 0.1 ng/L for acetamiprid, respectively. A mass balance over the WWTP showed no (p=0.09, CI = 95%) removal of imidacloprid, and 56 ± 6% aqueous removal of acetamiprid. In the constructed wetland downstream, a lack of removal was noted for both imidacloprid (from 54.4 ± 3.4 ng/L to 49.9 ± 14.6 ng/L) and acetamiprid (from 2.00 ± 0.03 ng/L to 2.30 ± 0.21 ng/L). Clothianidin was detected only inconsistently in the WWTP and wetland (>2 to 288 ng/L; 60% detection frequency), whereas thiamethoxam (<10 ng/L), thiacloprid (<2 ng/L), and dinotefuran (<180 ng/L) were not detected at all. Thus, imidacloprid and acetamiprid were identified as recalcitrant sewage constituents (estimated U.S. WWTP discharge of 1920- 4780 kg/y) that persist during conventional wastewater treatment to enter U.S. surface waters at potentially harmful concentrations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Civil and Environmental Engineering 2015

abstract: In recent decades, marine ecologists have conducted extensive field work and experiments to understand the interactions between bacteria and bacteriophage (phage) in marine environments. This dissertation provides a detailed rigorous framework for gaining deeper insight into these interactions. Specific features of the dissertation include the design of a new deterministic Lotka-Volterra model with n + 1 bacteria, n/n + 1 phage, with explicit nutrient, where the jth phage strain infects the first j bacterial strains, a perfectly nested infection network (NIN). This system is subject to trade-off conditions on the life-history traits of both bacteria and phage given in an earlier study Jover et al. (2013). Sufficient conditions are provided to show that a bacteria-phage community of arbitrary size with NIN can arise through the succession of permanent subcommunities, by the successive addition of one new population. Using uniform persistence theory, this entire community is shown to be permanent (uniformly persistent), meaning that all populations ultimately survive. It is shown that a modified version of the original NIN Lotka-Volterra model with implicit nutrient considered by Jover et al. (2013) is permanent. A new one-to-one infection network (OIN) is also considered where each bacterium is infected by only one phage, and that phage infects only that bacterium. This model does not use the trade-offs on phage infection range, and bacterium resistance to phage. The OIN model is shown to be permanent, and using Lyapunov function theory, coupled with LaSalle’s Invariance Principle, the unique coexistence equilibrium associated with the NIN is globally asymptotically stable provided that the inter- and intra-specific bacterial competition coefficients are equal across all bacteria. Finally, the OIN model is extended to a “Kill the Winner” (KtW) Lotka-Volterra model of marine communities consisting of bacteria, phage, and zooplankton. The zooplankton acts as a super bacteriophage, which infects all bacteria. This model is shown to be permanent. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Applied Mathematics 2016