Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is very useful in collecting data from individuals in hidden populations, where a sampling frame does not exist. It starts with researchers choosing initial respondents from a group which may be involved in taboo or illegal activities, after which they recruit other peers who belong to the same group. Analysis results in unbiased estimates of population proportions though with strong assumptions about the underlying social network and RDS recruitment process. These assumptions bear little resemblance to reality, and thus compromise the estimation of any means, population proportions or variances inferred from studies. The topology of the contact network, denoted by the number of links each person has, provides insight into the processes of infectious disease spread. The overall objective of the thesis is to identify the topology of an injection drug use network, and critically review the methods developed to produce estimates. The topology of people who inject drugs (PWID) collected by RDS in Ottawa, 2006 was compared with a Poisson distribution, an exponential distribution, a power-law distribution, and a lognormal distribution. The contact distribution was then evaluated against a small-world network characterized by high clustering and low average distances between individuals. Last a systematic review of the methods used to produce RDS mean and variance estimates was conducted. The Poisson distribution, a type of random distribution, was not an appropriate fit for PWID network. However, the PWID network can be classified as a small world network organised with many connections and short distances between people. Prevention of transmission in such networks should be focussed on the most active people (clustered individuals and hubs) as intervention with any others is less effective. The systematic review contained 32 articles which included the development and evaluation of 12 RDS mean and 6 variance estimators. Overall, the majority of estimators perform roughly the same, with the exception of RDSIEGO which outperformed the 6 other RDS mean estimators. The Tree bootstrap variance estimate does not rely on modelling RDS as a first order Markov (FOM) process, which seems to be the main limitation of the other existing estimators. The lack of FOM as an assumption and the flexible application of this variance estimator to any RDS point estimate make the Tree bootstrapping estimator a more efficient choice.

Introduction: Limited facilities exist at rural hospitals for the management of newborn infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Furthermore, the secondary and tertiary hospitals are under severe strain to accept all the referrals from rural hospitals. Many of these infants require intubation and ventilation with a resuscitation bag which must be sustained for hours until the transport team arrives. Not only is lung damage inflicted by the prolonged ventilation, but transferring the infant by helicopter and ambulance is expensive. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), a non-invasive form of ventilatory support, has been used successfully at regional (Level 2) and tertiary (Level 3) neonatal units, to manage infants with RDS. It is cost-effective for infants with mild to moderate grades of RDS to be managed at the rural hospital instead of being transferred to the regional secondary or tertiary hospital. CPAP was introduced to Ceres Hospital, a rural Level 1 hospital, in February 2008 for the management of infants with RDS. Aim: To determine the impact of CPAP on the management of infants with RDS in a rural level 1 hospital and whether it can reduce the number of referrals to regional hospitals. Study setting: Nursery at Ceres District Hospital, Cape Winelands District, Western Cape. Study design: Prospective cohort analytical study with an historic control group (HCG). Patients and Methods: The study group (SG) comprised all neonates with respiratory distress born between 27/02/2008 and 26/02/2010. The infants were initially resuscitated with a Neopuff® machine in labour-ward and CPAP was commenced for those with RDS. The survival and referral rates of the SG were compared to an historic control group (HCG) of infants born between 1/2/2006 to 31/01/2008 at Ceres Hospital. Results: During the 2 years of the study, 51 neonates received CPAP (34 <1800g, 17>1800g). Twenty (83%) of the SG infants between 1000g and 1800g and 23 (68%) of the infants between 500g and 1800g survived. Those <1800g that failed CPAP, had either a severe grade of RDS which required intubation and ventilation or were <1000g. Seventeen (33%) of the infants that received CPAP, were in the >1800g group. Thirteen (76%) of these infants were successfully treated with CPAP only. The four infants that failed CPAP suffered from congenital abnormalities and would not have benefited from CPAP. There was no statistically significant difference in the survival between the SG and HCG (80%) (p=0.5490) but the number of referrals decreased significantly from 21% in the HCG to 7% in the SG (p=0.0003). No complications related to CPAP treatment, such as pneumothorax, were noted. The nursing and medical staff quickly became proficient and confident in applying CPAP and were committed to the project. Conclusion: CPAP can be safely and successfully practised in infants with mild to moderate RDS in a rural Level 1 hospital. The survival rate stayed the same as the HCG, even though a higher risk infants were treated in the SG. The transfers were significantly reduced from 21% to 7%. This resulted in significant cost savings for the hospital.

Submitted by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2017-12-22T15:34:34Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Amazonino Castro.pdf: 2663364 bytes, checksum: 04f23b657d8554765118e1a6288876fe (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2017-12-22T15:35:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Amazonino Castro.pdf: 2663364 bytes, checksum: 04f23b657d8554765118e1a6288876fe (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2017-12-22T15:35:29Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Amazonino Castro.pdf: 2663364 bytes, checksum: 04f23b657d8554765118e1a6288876fe (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-22T15:35:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Amazonino Castro.pdf: 2663364 bytes, checksum: 04f23b657d8554765118e1a6288876fe (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-21 / FAPEAM - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas / The vast majority of family farming establishments in the Amazon region make use of the Itinerant Agriculture (IA), which is basically the use of an area, managed to cutting and burning of biomass, for a period of one or two years, followed by several years fallow. The communities included in the perimeter SDR of Juma make these techniques, considering that the form of production of riparian that populate the conservation Unit (CU) of the State of Amazonas is important for the conservation of these, prevent the growth of deforested areas already used for agriculture and increase agricultural productivity of this population is a real challenge, given the decline in production of these producers due to the applied management. Bear in mind this problem, this study aimed to study changes in soil due to the Itinerant Agriculture in the Juma Reserve located in the Novo Aripuanã-AM municipality. Collection was carried out in four areas, and the natural forest was used as a control and with two areas, six and ten years of fallow and physical and chemical analyzes were made of the soil. As main results, the study showed that shifting cultivation did not cause physical degradation, since the physical attributes were within the healthy range. However, adversely affect the chemical quality, evidenced by low nutrient availability. The various cycles of cultivation without replenishing the nutrients along with the use of fire in land management, caused the depletion of the chemical, which is a determining factor for the opening of new areas. / A grande maioria dos estabelecimentos de agricultura familiar da região Amazônica fazem uso da Agricultura Itinerante (AI), que é basicamente a utilização de uma área, manejada com corte e queima da biomassa, por um período de um ou dois anos, seguidos de vários anos de pousio. As comunidades inseridas no perímetro da RDS do Juma fazem dessas técnicas, tendo em vista que que a forma de produção dos ribeirinhos que povoam as Unidade de conservação (UC) do Estado do Amazonas é importante para a conservação destas, evitar o crescimento das áreas desflorestadas já utilizadas para a agricultura e aumentar a produtividade agrícola dessa população é um verdadeiro desafio, tendo em vista o decréscimo da produção desses produtores em razão do manejo aplicado. Tende em vista essa problemática, o presente estudo teve como objetivo estudar as alterações do solo em função da Agricultura Itinerante na RDS do Juma localizada no município de Novo Aripuanã-AM. Realizou-se coleta em quatro áreas, sendo que a floresta natural foi utilizada como testemunha e áreas com dois, seis e dez anos de pousio e foram realizadas análises físicas e químicas do solo. Como principais resultados, o referido estudo mostrou que a agricultura itinerante não causou degradação física do solo, pois os atributos físicos mostraram-se dentro da faixa considerada ideal. No entanto, afetou negativamente a qualidade química, evidenciada pela baixa disponibilidade de nutrientes. Os vários ciclos de cultivo sem a reposição dos nutrientes juntamente com a utilização do fogo no manejo do solo, causaram a depleção dos atributos químicos, sendo este um fator determinante para a abertura de novas áreas.

A tradição Borda Incisa envolve um debate intenso entre os pesquisadores por uma série de motivos, dentre os quais, por suas cerâmicas apresentarem uma grande variabilidade estilística e morfológica, devido sua ampla distribuição geográfica e sua associação aos contextos de terra preta. Na Amazônia Central o período relacionado às ocupações Borda Incisa é considerado de adensamento populacional e quando as mudanças nas paisagens são mais intensas, associadas aos falantes de línguas Arawak que teriam desenvolvido um sistema regional multiétnico com circulação de cerâmicas e compartilhamento de uma mesma cosmologia baseada na ocupação de aldeias circulares. A Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Amanã, área focal dessa pesquisa, é uma unidade de conservação localizada na porção central do Estado do Amazonas. O objetivo da dissertação é contribuir para a construção de uma história cultural do Lago Amanã e a compreensão de sua antiga e intensa ocupação pré-colonial. A fase Caiambé é o recorte de análise, a partir do refinamento de suas características estilísticas e contextuais, procura-se compreender seus significados no quadro cronológico da Amazônia Central e suas relações com os complexos culturais anteriores e posteriores a ela. Através de escavações, datações e tratamento do material cerâmico, buscou-se oferecer refinamento da cronologia de ocupação. Alguns dos resultados apresentados são: contemporaneidade de assentamentos, caracterização de sítios com diferentes funções e maior caracterização da tecnologia de produção cerâmica. Com base nessas informações sugere-se a fase Caiambé no lago Amanã representa o ápice da ocupação integral de um território, com a formação de diferentes aldeias e espaços públicos e rituais. / The Incised Rim tradition involves an intense debate among researchers for a number of reasons, among which, for its ceramics present a great stylistic and morphological variability due to its wide geographic distribution and their association with terra preta contexts. In central Amazonia the period related to occupations Incised Rim is considered population density and when changes in the landscapes are more intense, associated with the Arawak language speakers who have developed a multi-ethnic regional system with circulation ceramics and sharing the same cosmology based on occupation of circular villages. The Amana Sustainable Development Reserve, focal area of this research is a protected area located in the central portion of the state of Amazonas. The purpose of this work is to contribute to building a cultural history of the Lake Amana and understanding of its ancient and intense precolonial occupation. The Caiambé phase is the analysis of cut from the refinement of its stylistic and contextual features, try to understand their meaning in the chronological framework of the Central Amazon and its relations with the previous cultural complexes and subsequent to it. Through excavation, dating and treatment of ceramic material, it sought to provide refinement of the chronology of occupation. Some of the results are presented: contemporary settlements, characterization of sites with different functions and improved characterization of pottery production technology. Based on this information it is suggested to Caiambé phase at Lake Amana is the culmination of the full occupation of a territory, with the formation of different villages and public spaces and rituals.

Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare clinical outcomes and cost involved with use of poractant versus beractant for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in a level III, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within an academic medical center. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients if they were admitted to the NICU for RDS between April 1, 2010 to November 30, 2010 and December 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 treated with beractant and poractant respectively. Patients were excluded from the study if they were greater than 35 weeks gestational age and survived less than 48 hours. This is a review and the information needed from the patients was submitted in a data extraction form. Data collected included demographic variables (age, birthweight, birth length, gender, and race/ ethnicity), FiO2 measurement, mechanical ventilation time, length of hospitalization in the NICU, the incidence complications in the first 28 days, number of doses given, use of the nasal CPAP, concurrent complications or comorbidites such as pulmonary hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and retinopathy of maturity. Main Results: Data from 27 neonates in beractant and 13 in poractant groups were collected. The FiO2 measurements in both groups were generally similar. However, FiO2 was consistently lower in the poractant group. (p = 0.044 from a runs statistical test) Conclusions: The FiO2 measurement is poractant group was lower compared with beractant group, however the difference was noted to be not statistically significant.

This thesis deals with demodulation, decoding RDS messages and an FM receiver in FPGA. It is the processing of data after A/D conversion of radio stereo signal. This work contains detailed theoretical knowledge of the RDS system, of the individual types of messages, their demodulation and subsequent decoding of individual services. There is theoretically analyzed in FPGA platform and implementation of RDS System and FM receiver.

Radio broadcasting is the primary part of the infotainment system in automobile and nowadays it is not only uses for the entertainment but facilitate the users by broadcasting digital information along with audio data. Radio Data System (RDS) is the radio broadcasting communication standard that broadcasts the digitally encoded data on the conventional band of the analogue FM radio. It transfers different type of data that uses for various applications along with audio channel of the FM radio station and overcome the glitches of the car radio to big scope. It is using commercially in the infotainment system of the automobile with basic features of the RDS since fifteen years. However, it is facing issues with lower data rates as compared to other digital radio broadcasting technologies that are also using in many countries. To confront this issue, RDS forum proposed the standardization of RDS with RDS2 in 2018, So RDS2 has been standardized and published that improves the data capacity by adding more channels. Hence, developers can use these channels for broadcasting the additional information. The ultimate goal of thesis is the development of RDS2 encoder, which increases the data capacity up to four times as compared to currently RDS encoder by upgrading the data channels with the modeling of additional RDS2 features and services. This thesis proposes an approach for the implementation and validation of encoder with complete simulation of FM-RDS2 transmitter under all standardized feature modeling in the Software Defined Radio (SDR) environment. For this purpose, GNU Radio Companion (GRC) is used which offers the signal processing blocks to construct SDR modules. Using GRC, three main steps will be completed by using different libraries and tools. Implementation of RDS2 encoder and data-rate enforcer blocks with features modeling are written in C++ language. GUI designing of each block is executed in XML script language and simulation of complete FM-RDS2 transmitter using all-new custom and predefined signal processing blocks. Our determinative observation shows this approach remarkable improvements in terms of a prototype of new standard’s encoder, interpolating property of framework and decreasing the cost.

In construction projects, effective communication and categorization are vital. CoClass and the Reference DesignationSystem (RDS) provide clear frameworks to facilitate this. CoClass is a classification system created to uniformlydescribe construction systems, aiming to avoid misunderstandings and ensure precise representation. RDS is aninternational naming convention for labelling systems and their elements. Reference Designation (RD), the outcomeof RDS, is a unique identifier that is both human and machine readable. To access or reuse this data in the future, itcan be published on the web. Despite the availability of modern classification systems for years, many companies stickto their old classification systems due to the significant time and cost required for upgrading. Therefore, this studyaims to explore the automation of RD generation in construction projects utilizing CoClass and RDS. Additionally, itseeks to enhance data accessibility and integration by generating URIs for RDs using ontology. The objective is todemonstrate the potential for cost and time savings through automation. A case study investigating six buildingcomponents within an office space, extracted from a BIM model, is carried out. Leveraging IfcOpenShell and Dynamoscripts, CoClass parameters are added to BIM model and used to automate RDs. The BIM data, structured as aknowledge graph, which then supported the development of ontology. The study results demonstrate successful partialautomation of RDs and RD based URIs, showcasing the potential for efficient data representation and exploration inSemantic Web applications. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and the importance ofAutomating RDs within the CoClass Framework.

En aquesta tesis s'ha desenvolupat un sistema de control capaç d'optimitzar el funcionament dels Reactors Discontinus Seqüencials dins el camp de l'eliminació de matèria orgànica i nitrogen de les aigües residuals. El sistema de control permet ajustar en línia la durada de les etapes de reacció a partir de mesures directes o indirectes de sondes. En una primera etapa de la tesis s'ha estudiat la calibració de models matemàtics que permeten realitzar fàcilment provatures de diferents estratègies de control. A partir de l'anàlisis de dades històriques s'han plantejat diferents opcions per controlar l'SBR i les més convenients s'han provat mitjançant simulació. Després d'assegurar l'èxit de l'estratègia de control mitjançant simulacions s'ha implementat en una planta semi-industrial. Finalment es planteja l'estructura d'uns sistema supervisor encarregat de controlar el funcionament de l'SBR no només a nivell de fases sinó també a nivell cicle. / In this Thesis a control system has been developed which permits optimizing the performance of the Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR) within the field of organic matter and nitrogen removal from the wastewater. This control system is based on the on-line adjustment of the length of the reaction phases using directly or indirectly the data acquired from the sensors. In a first stage of the Thesis the calibration of the activated sludge models is studied what permits obtaining models for testing different operating and control strategies. From the analysis of historical data several options for controlling the SBR are obtained and most suitable is tested using a simulation approach. Afterwards, the control strategy is implemented in a semi-industrial plant obtaining promising results. Finally, a proposal for a supervisory control system is presented which can be in charge of controlling the performance of the SBR not only at a phase level but also at cycle level.

This term paper is the second part of the dissertation FM RDS signal processing using FPGAs. In the first half of the work is processed the information needed before the actual design and implementation. These can be divided into three themes. The first theme is the received signal VHF / FM + RDS, the second one handles the problem of software radio and last topic concerns FPGAs. The second half deals with the solution implementation and receiver radio VHF / FM and bitrate optional RDS to digital form and its implementation on FPGA. This section also includes the measurement of results.