Today, groups considered Hispanic in the United States consist of populations whose complex genetic structures reflect intermixed diverse groups of people who came in contact during Spanish colonization in Latin America. After coming in contact and wiping out most of the Native Americans who occupied North and Latin America, the Spanish also introduced West African individuals for labor to begin developing crops to be shipped back to Europe, resulting in the Trans-Atlantic African slave trade. These migration events and differential gene flow among males and females that occurred throughout Latin America have led to populations that have been genetically transformed from what they were prior to Spanish arrival (Madrigal, 2006). Genetic research commonly refers to individuals considered Hispanic as "tri-hybrids" of Native American, European, and African ancestry (Bertoni et al., 2003; Gonz[aacute]lez-Andrade et al., 2007). This research focuses on populations from present-day Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, all of whom experienced various population histories as these three ancestral groups came in contact. Published genetic research demonstrates that individuals from Mexico tend to have the highest mean proportion of Native American ancestry, while Puerto Rican individuals have the highest mean proportion of European ancestry, and Cuban individuals have the highest mean proportion of African ancestry (Bonilla et al., 2005; Lisker et al., 1990; Mendizabal et al., 2008; Tang et al., 2007; Via et al., 2011). The present research utilizes craniometric data from these three groups to determine whether the cranial morphology reflects similar population relationships and mean ancestry proportions as found in genetic research through Mahalanobis distance (D2), canonical discriminant function, and normal mixture cluster analyses. Sex-biased ancestry asymmetry was also tested by separating each group by sex and running the same analyses. The results show that all three groups considered Hispanic (Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba) are significantly different from each other; however, when proxy ancestral groups are included (Guatemalan Mayan, Indigenous Caribbean, Spanish, and West African), the Mexican and Guatemalan Mayan samples are the most similar, followed by the Mexican and Indigenous Caribbean samples and the Puerto Rican and Cuban samples. The results of the normal mixture analyses indicate that Mexico has the highest mean ancestry proportion of Native American (Guatemalan Mayan) (72.9%), while the Puerto Rican and Cuban samples both have a higher mean European ancestry proportion, with 81.34% and 73.6% respectively. While the Cuban sample is not reflective of the genetic research in regards to ancestry proportion results, with the highest proportion of African ancestry over European and Native American ancestry, it does have the highest proportion of African ancestry among the three groups (18.4%). When separated by sex, the results indicate that the Mexican and Puerto Rican samples may show some evidence in sex-biased ancestry proportions, with the male individuals having a larger proportion of European ancestry and the female individuals having a larger proportion of Native American or African ancestry. Cuba, on the other hand, does not follow this trend and instead displays a higher proportion of European ancestry in females and a higher proportion of Native American and African ancestry in the males. Techniques in the field of forensic anthropology in the United States are constantly being reanalyzed and restructured based on the changing demographics of the population, especially with the arrival of individuals from Latin America (Ennis et al., 2011). Recent samples of American Black and White individuals were included in the Mahalanobis distance (D2) and canonical discriminant function analyses in place of the ancestral proxy groups to determine the craniometric relationship of the groups within the United States. The results show that the Mexico and Guatemala samples are the most similar (D2=2.624), followed by the Cuba and American Black samples (D2=3.296) and the Puerto Rico and American White samples (D2=4.317), which each cluster together in pairs. These results reflect the population histories that took place during colonialism, with the largest amount of slave trade occurring in Cuba over the other two countries. From an applied perspective, clarification is needed in the biological definition of Hispanic and the degree of heterogeneity in each social group, as well as the relationship among groups, in order to accurately develop techniques in forensic anthropology for human identification.

Après sa découverte, les choix relatifs au développement d'un gisement se prennent sur la base de représentations incertaines du champ. En effet, sa caractérisation utilise des modèles numériques spatiaux porteurs de l'incertitude liée à la complexité du milieu souterrain. D'ordinaire, les méthodes de simulations stochastiques, qui génèrent des modèles équiprobables du sous-sol, sont supposées les quantifier. Néanmoins, ces images alternatives du champ renvoient à des tirages au sein d'un modèle probabiliste unique. Elles oublient l'incertitude relative au choix du modèle probabiliste sous-jacent, et tendent à la sous-estimer. Ce travail de recherche vise à améliorer la quantification de cette incertitude. Elle retranscrit la part de doute relative à la compréhension des propriétés du milieu sur les modèles probabilistes, et propose de l'intégrer à ce niveau. Cette thèse précise d'abord la notion d'incertitude en modélisation pétrolière, en particulier sur les modèles géologiques 3D comprenant différents faciès. Leur construction demande au préalable de définir en tout point de l'espace leur probabilité d'existence : c'est le cube de proportions. Généralement, bien que ces probabilités soient peu connues, les méthodes actuelles d'évaluation de l'incertitude sédimentaire les gardent figées. De fait, elles oublient le caractère incertain du scénario géologique et son impact sur le cube de proportions. Deux méthodes stochastiques de simulation ont été développées afin de générer des modèles équiprobables en termes de cubes de proportions. Elles intègrent la variabilité liée aux proportions de faciès, et explorent dans son ensemble un tel domaine d'incertitude. La première reste relativement attachée à la géologie. Elle intègre directement l'incertitude liée aux paramètres qui composent le scénario géologique. Elle décrit sa mise en oeuvre sur les divers paramètres du scénario géologique, qu'ils prennent la forme de signaux aux puits, de cartes ou d'hypothèses plus globales à l'échelle du réservoir. Une démarche de type Monte-Carlo échantillonne les composantes du schéma sédimentaire. Chaque tirage permet de construire un cube de proportions par l'intermédiaire d'un géomodeleur qui intègre de façon plus ou moins explicite les paramètres du scénario géologique. La méthodologie est illustrée et appliquée à un processus inédit de modélisation des dépôts carbonatés en milieu marin. La seconde revêt un caractère plus géostatistique en se concentrant davantage sur le cube de proportions. Elle vise plutôt à réconcilier les différents modèles sédimentaires possibles. Dans le modèle maillé de réservoir, elle estime la loi de distribution des proportions de faciès cellule par cellule - supposées suivrent une loi de Dirichlet, à partir de quelques modèles, construits sur la base de scénarios géologiques distincts. Elle simule alors les proportions de façon séquentielle, maille après maille, en introduisant une corrélation spatiale (variogramme) qui peut être déterministe ou probabiliste. Divers cas pratiques, composés de réservoirs synthétiques ou de champs réels, illustrent et précisent les différentes étapes de la méthode proposée.

This thesis contains three essays on topics in agricultural economics. Essays one and two share a focus on international trade and economic development, and essays two and three apply dynamic tools to agricultural economic policy issues.<p>Essay one analyses trade-related implications of a developing country's decision to adopt genetically-modified crop technology. A fixed-proportions model is constructed that evaluates the welfare implications of a range of adoption policies and export market responses. The model in this essay illustrates the importance of the prospective adopter formulating a projection of probable export market effects before making an adoption decision and of the role that high transaction costs may play in a developing country's adoption decision. The model also considers the effects of a new policy tool; a check-off style levy on genetically-modified technology in place of a technology-use agreement. A levy could be useful tool in developing countries, which are characterised by high transaction costs. <p>Essay two models the effects of emergency food aid on a recipient country's agricultural industry. This essay formulates a definition of needed aid in the context of a food emergency and constructs an optimal control model that solves a path of aid shipments that best meets that need. The effects of a range of food aid paths on recipient-country agricultural production are illustrated through numerical simulations. There are two key results. First, a non-optimal amount of aid can hinder a recipient-country's recovery from an exogenous food shock. Second, an exogenous shock can affect farmer revenue and therefore impact planting decisions. This effect must be considered in aid allocation policies. <p>Essay three uses time-series econometric techniques to develop a demand model that assesses the effectiveness of commodity advertising. This essay describes the importance of considering long-run and dynamic effects in demand systems, especially in the case of closely substitutable commodities. A demand system that tests for and accommodates dynamic and time-series properties is developed and applied to US meat data. The results of this model are compared to a traditional static demand system. The dynamic model produces econometrically and theoretically sound results and generates some more intuitively appealing estimates.

This thesis contains three essays on topics in agricultural economics. Essays one and two share a focus on international trade and economic development, and essays two and three apply dynamic tools to agricultural economic policy issues.<p>Essay one analyses trade-related implications of a developing country's decision to adopt genetically-modified crop technology. A fixed-proportions model is constructed that evaluates the welfare implications of a range of adoption policies and export market responses. The model in this essay illustrates the importance of the prospective adopter formulating a projection of probable export market effects before making an adoption decision and of the role that high transaction costs may play in a developing country's adoption decision. The model also considers the effects of a new policy tool; a check-off style levy on genetically-modified technology in place of a technology-use agreement. A levy could be useful tool in developing countries, which are characterised by high transaction costs. <p>Essay two models the effects of emergency food aid on a recipient country's agricultural industry. This essay formulates a definition of needed aid in the context of a food emergency and constructs an optimal control model that solves a path of aid shipments that best meets that need. The effects of a range of food aid paths on recipient-country agricultural production are illustrated through numerical simulations. There are two key results. First, a non-optimal amount of aid can hinder a recipient-country's recovery from an exogenous food shock. Second, an exogenous shock can affect farmer revenue and therefore impact planting decisions. This effect must be considered in aid allocation policies. <p>Essay three uses time-series econometric techniques to develop a demand model that assesses the effectiveness of commodity advertising. This essay describes the importance of considering long-run and dynamic effects in demand systems, especially in the case of closely substitutable commodities. A demand system that tests for and accommodates dynamic and time-series properties is developed and applied to US meat data. The results of this model are compared to a traditional static demand system. The dynamic model produces econometrically and theoretically sound results and generates some more intuitively appealing estimates.

<p>According to the Globalizations Council the most important task Sweden has is to assess the opportunities and challenges presented by the global economy to a small, open country like Sweden. There has been dual competition, some has been able to sell the resource services of human and physical knowledge capital, and others offering to sell unskilled labor at wages way below Swedish standards. This thesis will examine the changes in market position in the manufacturing sector, and how comparative advantage and the role of technology have impacted the changes.</p><p>The empirical analysis is based on the relative international competitiveness index to examine how market position in different sectors has changed during the time-period 1985-2003. In the regression measures for human and physical capital has been included as well as R&D expenditure for both Sweden and the OECD countries.</p><p>The results show that the changes in market position for most products are relatively small. What can be concluded is that it is not the sector as a whole that experience improving market positions instead it is certain products such as pharmaceutical, sulphate and electronic components among others.</p><p>Sweden ranks very high in terms of resources dedicated to production of new technology and there are proofs on both side of the "Swedish Paradox"; which states that high technology exports are low given the high R&D investment.</p><p>The result also indicates that Sweden has a labor-intensive disadvantage, i.e. indications that the market position for industries with high total capital-intensity has increased.</p>

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία αφορά στη μελέτη της ανάπτυξης της πολλαπλασιαστικής σκέψης των μαθητών του Δημοτικού Σχολείου. Σκοπός της έρευνας ήταν η αξιολόγηση της επίδοσης των μαθητών των δύο τελευταίων τάξεων του Δημοτικού Σχολείου σε προβλήματα αναλογίας, ως χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα προβλημάτων πολλαπλασιαστικής σκέψης, όσο και η διερεύνηση των μαθηματικών στρατηγικών που χρησιμοποιούν για την επίλυση αυτών. Η πολλαπλασιαστική σκέψη αποτελεί μία ιδιαίτερα σημαντική ικανότητα που παρέχει τη δυνατότητα στους μαθητές να σχεδιάζουν εύστοχες στρατηγικές λύσης σε κατηγορίες προβλημάτων που έχουν αυξημένες δυσκολίες δομής και περιεχομένου. Τα δεδομένα που συλλέχθηκαν συγκρίθηκαν μεταξύ των μαθητών των δύο τάξεων και διαπιστώθηκαν οι διαφορές μεταξύ αυτών. Με τον τρόπο αυτό, ερμηνεύθηκε ο ρόλος της ηλικίας των μαθητών, ως παράγοντας που συνδέεται με την ανάπτυξη της πολλαπλασιαστικής σκέψης. Η έρευνα έδειξε ότι οι μαθητές και των δύο τάξεων παρουσιάζουν ιδιαίτερα σημαντικές δυσκολίες στην επίλυση προβλημάτων αναλογίας. Ταυτόχρονα, φαίνεται ότι οι μεγαλύτεροι σε ηλικία μαθητές έχουν μεγαλύτερη ικανότητα στη λύση των προβλημάτων. Τέλος, η έρευνα δείχνει ότι η δομή και το περιεχόμενο των προβλημάτων αυτών αποτελούν παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν τους μαθητές στη διαδικασία επίλυσης που επιλέγουν να εφαρμόσουν. / This thesis concerns the study of the development of multiplicative thinking of primary school students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of grade 5 and grade 6 students on proportional problems, as an example of multiplicative thinking problems, and exploring mathematical strategies used to solve them. The multiplicative thinking is a very important skill that enables students to design targeted strategies in different categories of proportional problems which have increased difficulties in structure and content. The collected data were compared between students of the two grades and found the differences between them. In this way interpreted the role of students’ age, as a factor associated with the development of multiplicative thinking. The survey shows that the students of both grades have substantial difficulties in solving proportional problems. At the same time, the survey appears that the older students have greater ability in problem solving. Finally, research shows that the structure and the content of these problems are factors that affect students in the process of resolving which they choose to apply.

According to the Globalizations Council the most important task Sweden has is to assess the opportunities and challenges presented by the global economy to a small, open country like Sweden. There has been dual competition, some has been able to sell the resource services of human and physical knowledge capital, and others offering to sell unskilled labor at wages way below Swedish standards. This thesis will examine the changes in market position in the manufacturing sector, and how comparative advantage and the role of technology have impacted the changes. The empirical analysis is based on the relative international competitiveness index to examine how market position in different sectors has changed during the time-period 1985-2003. In the regression measures for human and physical capital has been included as well as R&amp;D expenditure for both Sweden and the OECD countries. The results show that the changes in market position for most products are relatively small. What can be concluded is that it is not the sector as a whole that experience improving market positions instead it is certain products such as pharmaceutical, sulphate and electronic components among others. Sweden ranks very high in terms of resources dedicated to production of new technology and there are proofs on both side of the "Swedish Paradox"; which states that high technology exports are low given the high R&amp;D investment. The result also indicates that Sweden has a labor-intensive disadvantage, i.e. indications that the market position for industries with high total capital-intensity has increased.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-129).

This master thesis is focused on fractions as a problematic area of mathematics education. The goal of the thesis is to find out which mistakes students make and which wrong strategies they adopt in dealing with fractions. Another aim is to study how the historical ways of dealing with fractions could help the students nowadays. The thesis consists of a theoretical part introduces the matematical thinking of the Ancient Mesopotomia and Egypt periods, as well as present day teaching of fractions, using analysis of the textbooks and a brief glimpse into Czech as well as international researches. The practical part is based on an investigation in three different seventh grade classes in two primary schools and one high school class of the prima grade. In total 73 students participated in the research which cotains a diagnostic test, a series of individual interviews and an educational experiment with historical tasks. The result of this thesis is the finding that most of the mistaken strategies are not connected with only one particular school, because they appear in all of the schools and the Ancient Egyptian methods could be helpful in teaching fractions today as well. For this reason I recommend to spend more time in the educational proces with unit fractions (fractions of the form 1 n ), which are...

The aim of this thesis was to determine whether there are differences in the length of a jump among individual breeds and whether the proportions of the body and body indices influence the length of the jump. In total 84 individuals of three model breeds (German Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd and Border Collie) were studied. For each individual dog six body measurements were taken and used to calculate the ratios of physical parameters (indices). In addition to the measuring, the jump over an obstacle was video recording for ad-hoc analysis of the jump parameters. Using the described methods was proven that the breed, individual training experience and body measurements have significant influence on jump performance, or more precisely on take-off and jump length. The impact of analyzed aspects on landing was significantly lower. Jump length is closely related to the depth/height index and the width of the chest. The worst performance was statistically identified at dogs with low value of the balance index. The results indicate that characteristics examined in this thesis (namely breed and the body measurements and indices) can be used for preselecting individuals with higher jump potential.