Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2017-02-02T17:00:32Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Marina final.pdf: 996056 bytes, checksum: 367af6eebf7daf0cf46adf145aa4c32c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-02T17:00:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Marina final.pdf: 996056 bytes, checksum: 367af6eebf7daf0cf46adf145aa4c32c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-01 / CNPQ / Vários estudos têm sugerido que o cerebelo tem um papel crucial no aprendizado motor. Pesquisas sobre o efeito da estimulação cerebelar na excitabilidade cortical vêm sendo desenvolvidas, porém, a influência da polaridade da estimulação, assim como a lateralidade dos efeitos não são bem esclarecidos. Outra lacuna é o efeito da estimulação sobre funções motoras não específicas, como o aprendizado motor medido através do tempo de reação serial (TRS), e tarefas motoras complexas, como o teste de escrita, podendo ter estes teste resultados divergentes devido a diferentes mecanismos responsáveis por sua execução. Portanto, a presente dissertação é composta de dois estudos. O primeiro estudo teve como objetivo investigar os efeitos da estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua cerebelar (ETCCc) sobre a excitabilidade do córtex motor primário ipsilateral e o aprendizado motor realizado com o membro superior contralateral em indivíduos saudáveis. Nele foram analisados os efeitos polaridade-dependente da ETCCc sobre o aprendizado e sobrea excitabilidade cortical de 15 indivíduos saudáveis. Para isso, um estudo crossover, controlado, pseudo-randomizado e triplo cego foi realizado. Os resultados deste estudo são apresentados no artigo original intitulado “Effect of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) on ipsilateral primary motor cortex excitability and on motor learning in the contralateral upper limb.” e sugerem que a ETCCc independente da polaridade não foi capaz de modular a excitabilidade do córtex motor primário ipsilateral à estimulação, mas atrapalhou o aprendizado motor implícito do membro superior contralateral.O segundo estudo teve como objetivo investigar os efeitos dependente da polaridade da modulação cerebelar induzida pela ETCCc sobre duas formas de aprendizado, um implícito e não específico, medido através do TRS, e um complexo, observado no teste de escrita de indivíduos saudáveis. Tratou-se de um estudo crossover, controlado, pseudo-randomizado e triplo cego, no qual 12 voluntários saudáveis foram submetidos a três sessões de ETCCc (anódica, catódica e sham) e avaliados através de parâmetros da escrita e do TRS. Os resultados deste estudo são apresentados no artigo original “Effect of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) on procedural learning and handwriting” e apontam para uma piora no aprendizado motor medido pelo tempo de reação serial e melhora no teste de escrita após de estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua cerebelar catódica, e uma piora no teste de escrita após estimulação anódica. Os resultados apresentados nesta dissertação confirmam a influência do cerebelo tanto no membro contralateral como no ipsilateral, sendo o último com o qual tem ligações diretas. Também foi possível confirmar que tarefas com diferentes complexidades podem apresentar desempenhos divergentes após ETCCc. Esses achados contribuem para compreensão das funções cerebelares e podem, futuramente, guiar o desenvolvimento de protocolos ideias para o uso da ETCCc como ferramenta de reabilitação de pacientes com desordens cerebelares. / Several studies have suggested that the cerebellum plays a crucial role on motor learning. Research about the effect of cerebellar stimulation on cortical excitability have been developed, however, the influence of the stimulation polarity, and the laterality of the effects are not fully understood. Another gap is the effect of stimulation on non-specific motor functions, such as the motor learning measured by serial reaction time (SRT), and complex motor tasks such as handwriting test. Those tests might have divergent results due to different mechanisms responsible for their implementation. Thus, the present thesis is composed of studies. The first one aimed to investigate the effects of transcranial stimulation current cerebellar continuous (ctDCS) on the cortical excitability of contralateral M1 and motor learning on contralateral limb in healthy subjects. For this, the effects of ctDCS on motor learning and cortical excitability were assessed in 15 health subjects in a crossover and sham controlled design. The results for this study are presented on the original research paper “Effect of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) on ipsilateral primary motor cortex excitability and on motor learning in the contralateral upper limb“ and suggest that ctDCS, regardless polarity, was not able to modulate ipsilateral M1 cortical excitability while both anodal and cathodal ctDCS over the cerebellar cortex have disrupted motor learning with contralateral limb. The second study aimed to investigate the effects of cerebellar modulation induced by ctDCS on two forms of learning, the first implicit and nonspecific, measured by the serial reaction time task (SRTT), and the second a complex, assessed by handwriting test in healthy subjects. For this, it was adopted a crossover and sham controlled design, in which 12 healthy volunteers underwent three tDCS sessions (anodal, cathodal and sham stimulation) and assessed by SRTT and handwriting test. Results for this study are presented on the original research paper “Effect of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) on procedural learning and handwriting” and show that both anodal and cathodal ctDCS impaired the procedural learning assessed by SRTT. For the handwrite teste, cathodal cerebellar tDCS enhanced motor learning while anodal stimulation impaired it. The results shown in this thesis confirm the cerebellar influence in both ipsi and contralateral limbs, the latter being the on it has direct connections. It was also possible to confirm that tasks with different complexities can have divergent performances after ctDCS. This findings contribute to an understanding of cerebellar functions and could, in the future, guide the development of optimal protocols for ctDCS in patients with cerebellar disorders.

O objetivo do trabalho é compreender alguns princípios norteadores do habitat na década de 1960 através da análise da cidade com as megaestruturas de Yona Friedman; da análise do material teórico de Kisho Kurokawa sobre as cápsulas; e sobre o processo de produção através da industrialização de João Filgueiras Lima - Lelé. As megaestruturas de Yona Friedman eram estruturas com funções de cidade, utilizavam tecnologias emergentes e o objetivo era acolher a população como espaço do habitar. As cápsulas eram componentes do habitar, envoltórios ou invólucros para o habitar humano, produzidos industrialmente, propunham a autonomia e simbiose entre máquina e homem. A industrialização para João Filgueiras Lima era compreendida como instrumento para atingir a equidade e resultado da consciência social e coletiva. Para Lima, o habitat era constituído pelas partes necessárias para o desenvolvimento do ser humano, composto pela urbanização, habitação e equipamentos sociais. / The objective of this essay is to comprehend the guiding principles of habitation in the 1960s through the analysis of the city with Yona Freidman\'s megastructures; of Kisho Kurokawa didatic materials regarding capsules; and João Filgueiras Limas production process through industrialization. The megastructures of Yona Friedman were structures with functions of a city, utilized emerging technologies and their objective was to shelter the population in a living space. The flexibility of the environments, the users mobility and participation were fundamental. The capsules, components of the living, involucres to the human living and industrially produced, proposed autonomy and symbiosis between man and machine. The industrialization was comprehended as an instrument to achieve fariness and result of the collective social conscience. To Lima, the habitat is composed by the necessary parts for the human development, composed by the urbanization, habitation and social equipments.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-03-16T15:56:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 joaocarlosdeoliveirajunior.pdf: 1174278 bytes, checksum: 92bd1d39125d3153f880b5d2e3774665 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-03-17T12:26:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 joaocarlosdeoliveirajunior.pdf: 1174278 bytes, checksum: 92bd1d39125d3153f880b5d2e3774665 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-17T12:26:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 joaocarlosdeoliveirajunior.pdf: 1174278 bytes, checksum: 92bd1d39125d3153f880b5d2e3774665 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-23 / Esta dissertação de mestrado busca entender como é realizada a preparação dos atores para telenovelas da Rede Globo. Como ponto inicial, parte-se de um breve histórico acerca da estabilização do formato no Brasil e da hegemonia alcançada no país pela emissora carioca no que tange este tipo de ficção televisiva seriada. Para isso, utilizamos como base os dados apresentados pelo Observatório Ibero-Americano da Ficção Televisiva nos anos de 2014 e 2015, respectivamente publicados em 2015 e 2016. Por conseguinte, traçamos um sucinto panorama sobre as técnicas de preparação de atores nascidas no teatro, necessário para o entendimento da abordagem dos instrutores de dramaturgia em seu trabalho na televisão. Da mesma forma, tratamos sobre as questões da mediação tecnológica e suas implicações no trabalho dos atores. Através de entrevistas realizadas com instrutores de dramaturgia, mediante convênio de pesquisa realizado com o projeto Globo Universidade, buscamos identificar as técnicas por eles utilizadas na preparação do elenco de telenovelas, tomando como base comparativa as técnicas de preparação de elenco advindas do teatro. Para tal, usa-se o conceito de evidência cunhado por Max Weber. Os preparadores estudados são Chico Accioly, Andrea Cavalcanti, Sérgio Penna e Rossela Terranova. / This Masters’ dissertation seeks to understand how the preparation of actors for Rede Globo’s telenovelas is carried out. As a starting point, we go from a brief historical background on the stabilization of the format in Brazil and the hegemony reached on the country by the carioca network regarding this type of serial fictional television. In order to do that, we used as base the data presented by the Ibero-American Observatory of Television Fiction in the years of 2014 and 2015, published respectively in 2015 and 2016. Ergo, we outlined a brief panorama about the techniques of actors’ preparation born in theater, necessary to understand the approach of the instructors of dramaturgy in their work on television. Likewise, we covered the issues of technological mediation and its implications on the actors’ work. Through interviews held with instructors of dramaturgy, through research agreement with the project Globo University, we aimed to identify the techniques used by them on the preparation of the cast of telenovelas, taking as comparative base the techniques of cast preparation in theater. To do so, it is used the concept of evidence coined by Max Weber. The coaches studied are Chico Accioly, Andrea Cavalcanti, Sérgio Penna and Rossela Terranova.

Manufacturing systems have developed both physically and technologically, allowing production of innovative new products in a shorter lead time, to meet the 21st century market demand. Flexible flow lines for instance use flexible entities to generate multiple product variants using the same routing. However, the variability within the flow line is asynchronous and stochastic, causing disruptions to the throughput rate. Current autonomous variability control approaches decentralise the autonomous decision allowing quick response in a dynamic environment. However, they have limitations, e.g., uncertainty that the decision is globally optimal and applicability to limited decisions. This research presents a novel formula-based autonomous control method centered on an empirical study of the effect of stochastic variability on the performance of flexible human-dependent serial flow lines. At the process level, normal distribution was used and generic nonlinear terms were then derived to represent the asynchronous variability at the flow line level. These terms were shortlisted based on their impact on the throughput rate and used to develop the formula using data mining techniques. The developed standalone formulas for the throughput rate of synchronous and asynchronous human-dependent flow lines gave steady and accurate results, higher than closest rivals, across a wide range of test data sets. Validation with continuous data from a real-world case study gave a mean absolute percentage error of 5%. The formula-based autonomous control method quantifies the impact of changes in decision variables, e.g., routing, arrival rate, etc., on the global delivery performance target, i.e., throughput, and recommends the optimal decisions independent of the performance measures of the current state. This approach gives robust decisions using pre-identified relationships and targets a wider range of decision variables. The performance of the developed autonomous control method was successfully validated for process, routing and product decisions using a standard 3x3 flexible flow line model and the real-world case study. The method was able to consistently reach the optimal decisions that improve local and global performance targets, i.e., throughput, queues and utilisation efficiency, for static and dynamic situations. For the case of parallel processing which the formula cannot handle, a hybrid autonomous control method, integrating the formula-based and an existing autonomous control method, i.e., QLE, was developed and validated.

Stucture simple, faible coût, grand espace de travail et technologie mature, ces avantages font que les manipulateurs sériels sont largement utilisés dans de nombreux domaines industriels. Avec le développement rapide de l'industrie et les diverses applications des manipulateurs sériels, de nouvelles exigences strictes sont souhaitées, telles que la stabilité robuste, la grande précision de positionnement et la cadence élevée.Un des moyens efficaces pour améliorer les performances mentionnées est la conception de manipulateurs sériels à découplage dynamique. Dans ce cadre, l'objectif de cette thèse est de valider une structure simple permettant de réaliser un découplage dynamique complet des manipulateurs sériels en tenant compte de la charge embarquée.Le chapitre 1 présente les solutions connues et décrit les inconvénients liés aux différentes techniques permettant une simplification de la dynamique des manipulateurs. L'étude de la bibliographie a permis d'affiner les objectifs à atteindre. Le chapitre 2 traite de la conception de manipulateurs sériels réglables à dynamique linéarisée et découplée. Sans la charge embarquée, la méthode développée réalise le découplage dynamique par rotation inverse des bras et par redistribution optimale des masses. La charge embarquée qui conduit à une perturbation au niveau des équations dynamiques dedécouplage est compensée par la commande.Le chapitre 3 envisage un nouveau concept de découplage dynamique qui consiste à relier aux bras initiaux d'un manipulateur sériel, deux bras additionnels pour réaliser un mécanisme Scott-Russell. Les mouvements opposés des bras du mécanisme Scott-Russell associés à une redistribution optimale des masses permettent de supprimer les termes non linéaires des équations dynamiques du manipulateur. Le modèle linéaire et découplé ainsi obtenu permet de tenir compte de la charge embarquée.Dans le chapitre 4, on considère les propriétés de robustesse (incertitudes paramétriques) de quatre modèles de manipulateurs sériels (un manipulateur couplé, un manipulateur découplé par la commande et les deux manipulateurs découplés qui sont issus des chapitres 2 et 3). Les études qualitatives sont effectuées par simulation en utilisant la même loi de commande optimale et la même trajectoire de référence. Les résultats des simulations permettentde conclure sur la robustesse des manipulateurs décrits aux chapitres 2 et 3 par rapport au manipulateur couplé et au manipulateur découplé par la commande.La méthodologie de conception et les techniques de commande proposées sont illustrées par des simulations réalisées à l'aide des logiciels ADAMS et MATLAB. Les simulations ont confirmé l'efficacité des approches développées. / Simple structure, low cost, large workspace and mature technology, these advantages make the serial manipulators are widely used in many industrialfields. With the rapid development of industry and various applications of serial manipulators, new strict requirements are proposed, such as highstability, high positioning accuracy and high speed operation.One of the efficient ways to improve the mentioned performances is the design of manipulators with dynamic decoupling. Therefore, the goal in thisthesis is to find simple structure pennitting to carry out complete dynamic decoupling of serial manipulators taking into account the changing payload.The review, given in Chapter I, sunmarizes the known solutions and discloses the drawbacks of different techniques permitting a simplification of thedynamics of manipulators. lt allows an identification of objectives that are of interest and should be studied \within the framework of this thesis.Chapter 2 deals with the design of adjustable serial manipulators with linearized and decoupled dynamics. Without payload, the developed methodaccomplishes the dynamic decoupling via opposite rotation of links and optimal redistribution of masses. The payload which leads to the perturbation ofThe dynamic decoupling equations is compensated by the optimal control technique.Chapter 3 deals with a new dynamic decoupling concept, which involves connecting to a serial manipulator a two-link group forming a Scott-Russell mechanism combined with optimal redistribution of masses allows the cancellation of the coefficients of nonlinear terms in the manipulator's dynamic equations. Then, by using the control, the dynamicdecoupling taking into account the changing payload is achieved.In chapter 4, robustness properties (parametric uncertainties) of four various models of serial manipulators (one coupled manipulator, one decoupled manipulator by feedback linearization and the two decoupled manipulators that modeled in chapters 2 and 3) are considered. The given comparison performed via simutations is achieved with the same optimal control law and the same reference trajectory. Simulation results allow one to derive robustness assessments of manipulators described in chapters 2 and 3.The suggested design methodology and control techniques are illustrated by simulations carried out using ADAMS and MATLAB software, which have confirmed the efficiency of the developed approaches.

Aluminium sheet production is a multi-stage process in which altering processing conditions can drastically alter the size and type of second phase particles found in the final product. The properties of these second phase particles also affects deformation and annealing processes, meaning that any attempt to create a through process model would require the ability to predict both how the particles would develop in the material, and how these particles then affect the alloy moving forward. This project first focuses on gaining insight into how the particles in a model aluminium alloy change during homogenisation heat treatment and hot rolling. This has been accomplished by utilising serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM), a technique which allows the capture of 3D data sets at sub micron resolutions. This has allowed the populations of primary (constituent) and secondary (dispersoid) particles to be analysed at different stages of sheet production, and thus allowing the effects of homogenisation and hot rolling on particle populations to be quantified. To discover how the particles would go on to affect further processing, digital image correlation has been used to examine the localised strain in the alloy near to a selection of particle configurations. This highlighted the heterogeneity in slip behaviour within the alloy and illustrated that plumes of rotation develop near to non deformable regions. Rotation plumes have previously been modelled using a crystal plasticity model, and so further work is also presented expanding upon this model to simulate a variety of particle configurations. This has shown that in the case of single particles, local deformation is dependent on both the aspect ratio of the particle and how it is aligned to the active slip system. With the incorporation of a second particle, the interparticle spacing must also be considered.

Marie Štenglová, 19. 5. 2017 Abstract The diploma thesis Variety of Genres within Czech Internet Televisions analyses the programme of three major internet televisions in the Czech Republic - Stream, Aktuálně.TV and Playtvak. The aim of the thesis is to detect the differences between the programmes offered by internet televisions and by conventional televisions. One of the principal questions is whether these differences are caused by the specific character of internet television as an online medium, or by the change in the genre perception in general. The programmes dealt with in the thesis are serials A bude hůř and Semestr, a talk show Kafe s Jolanou, a lifestyle magazine Telebrity, and cooking shows Šéfkuchařovy recepty and MENU domů. These formats, belonging to fictional or factual TV, are analysed from the narrative, semiotic, and visual points of view and are compared with each other and also with similar formats in conventional televisions. The theoretical part of the thesis describes Czech internet televisions in the era of media convergence. The research part reveals that the form and the content of the programmes are influenced by the specificities of the internet as a type of medium, but at the same time that the crossing of genre boundaries and the originality of the formats on Stream,...

The main aim of this project was to find a practical and accurate method to determine the parameters of a transmission line by using current and voltage measurements. The term line parameters refer to the inherent series resistance and inductance that is found on transmission lines. The line parameters were determined by using the voltage and current measurements from either side of the transmission line. An accurate reference signal is needed to precisely compare the measured signals. The timing signals from GPS units were used to reference the measurements. In a field implementation data transfer of the measured signals would be a necessity which can be accomplished by GPRS modems. Three methods are proposed for determining line parameters. These methods were thoroughly tested in the following ways: 1. A model was built in SIMULINK with known elements and values. The three methods were then applied to the model and simulations were run. The results from the simulations are compared to the known values. 2. A system was built in the laboratory with known parameters. The results gathered from testing the system on all three methods are compared to known values. 3. Finally, the methods were applied to field data from recorders of a utility. This was done to see how well the methods would perform on a real system. Accuracy was determined from what the utility accepts as the correct values. Another focus of the project was to determine the surge impedance loading (SIL) curve from measured data. This curve can be used to determine the loadability limit of the transmission line as well as to visually show at what point the line is operating at any given time. The curve is also useful as it provides insight into the additional reactive power needed for a certain active power transfer. The concept of drawing a SIL curve from actual measurements was first tested by means of simulation. The drawing of the proposed curve is also tested on actual measurements from a transmission line. This investigation posed many challenges. These challenges are discussed in detail in the dissertation. Some of these challenges have easily implementable solutions while others still leave room for further research. The results and findings are published in this document. / Dissertation (MEng (Electrical))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / MEng / unrestricted

Dans cette thèse nous combinons les processus à mémoire longue ainsi que les modèles à changement de régime markovien afin d’étudier la dynamique non linéaire des rentabilités des hedge funds et leur exposition au risque de marché. L’attractivité des hedge funds réside dans leur capacité à générer des rentabilités décorrélées avec celles des actifs traditionnels tout en permettant d’améliorer les rentabilités et/ou de réduire le risque, indépendamment des conditions de marché. Cependant, certaines spécificités des rentabilités des hedge funds (non linéarité, asymétrie et présence d’une forte autocorrélation émanant des problèmes d’illiquidités) remettent en cause cet aspect qui n’est valable que dans un univers gaussien. Nous adoptons de ce fait une approche économétrique permettant de réconcilier la notion de mémoire longue et celle de la persistance pure des performances. Nous mettons l’accent sur le risque de confusion entre vraie mémoire longue et mémoire longue fallacieuse dans la mesure où certains processus peuvent générer des caractéristiques similaires à celles des processus à mémoire longue. Il ressort de cette étude non seulement l’insuffisance des modèles standards à prendre en compte les caractéristiques des séries des rentabilités financières mais aussi la pertinence du recours aux modèles mixtes pour mieux cerner l’ensemble de ces spécificités dans un cadre unifié. Le modèle Beta Switching ARFIMA-FIGARCH que nous proposons révèle la complexité de la dynamique des rentabilités des hedge funds. Il est donc nécessaire de mieux appréhender cette dynamique afin d'expliquer convenablement les interactions qui existent entre les hedge funds eux-mêmes et entre les hedge funds et les marchés standards. La composante mémoire longue est prise en compte à la fois au niveau de la moyenne conditionnelle à travers le processus ARFIMA ainsi qu’au niveau de la variance conditionnelle à travers plusieurs spécifications des processus hétéroscédastiques fractionnaires notamment les processus FIGARCH, FIAPARCH et HYGARCH. Cette modélisation mieux adaptée aux spécificités des hedge funds met en évidence le risque caché de ces derniers et représente une nouvelle perspective vers laquelle les gérants et les responsables d’agence pourraient s’orienter. / In this thesis we combine long memory processes and regime switching models to study the nonlinear dynamics of hedge funds returns and their exposure to market risk. The attractiveness of hedge funds lies in their ability to generate returns uncorrelated to those of traditional assets while allowing to improve returns and/or reduce the risk, regardless of market conditions. However, some specificity of returns of hedge funds as their nonlinear and asymmetric nature as well as the presence of a strong autocorrelation in related to illiquidity problems make this aspect only valid in a Gaussian framework. In this study, we adopt an econometric approach that reconciles the notion of long memory and that of pure performance persistence. In this regard, we focus on the risk of confusion between real and spurious long memory long memory since certain processes can generate similar characteristics to that of long memory processes. It appears from this study not only the inadequacy of standard models to take into account the characteristics of the series of financial returns but also the relevance of using mixed models to better understand all of these features within a unified framework. The Beta Switching ARFIMA-FIGARCH mode we suggest reveals the complexity of hedge fund return dynamics and proves the need to better understand the dynamics of returns of hedge funds in order to explain the interactions between hedge funds themselves and between hedge funds and standard markets. The long memory component is taken into account both at the conditional mean through the ARFIMA process and at the conditional variance through several specifications heteroscedatic fractional processes including FIGARCH, FIAPARCH and HYGARCH models. This model take into account several features of hedge fund returns, highlights their hidden risks and represents a new perspective to which managers could move.

Academic achievement and educational expectations as a function of parental absence were examined among 268 newly immigrant elementary, middle, and high-school students from Spanish-speaking countries. Data collected as part of a longitudinal study of adaptation and achievement in newly immigrant students were analyzed. Participants had varying experiences with parental absence, in terms of length of absence, gender of absent parent, and reason for absence. Reasons for parental absence included parental divorce, parental death, and serial migration, a cause unique to immigrant children. Students who experienced parental absence reported lower educational expectations. Students who experienced the death of a parent had lower achievement scores and lower expectations than students who did not experience parental death. Prolonged absence was also important, with students who experienced parental absence for more than one year performing worse than students who had minimal parental separation. In addition, boys who experienced parental absence because of serial migration performed worse academically than boys who did not have this occurrence. Educational expectations were reduced among students who experienced parental absence as a result of the migratory process, especially for younger students. The extent to which parental absence related to achievement and expectations through potential mediating factors, such as economic hardship, perceived school support, and parental school involvement was assessed with structural equation modeling. Overall, the model was able to explain some of the relationship between parental absence and the academic achievement and educational expectations of immigrant students from Spanish-speaking countries.