O desenvolvimento pode ser estudado sob diversas perspectivas. Dentre estas, destaca-se a de Amartya Sen, na qual o objetivo maior de uma política de desenvolvimento é o de expandir a liberdade de escolha dos indivíduos. Partindo da ideia de ampliação das capabilities, define-se uma das dimensões consideradas como essenciais, a saúde, mais especificamente a mortalidade infantil, como objeto de estudo. Um dos papéis do Estado deve ser o de garantir a provisão de serviços de saúde para todos os indivíduos, já que ela pode ser classificada como um bem meritório. Em busca dos determinantes do padrão regional recente da mortalidade infantil no Brasil, utiliza-se o modelo de determinantes proximais proposto por Mosley e Chen (1984), no qual os fatores socioeconômicos influenciam indiretamente o resultado observado da variável de interesse. No Brasil, houve uma redução expressiva dos níveis de mortalidade infantil nas últimas décadas, mas ainda assim persiste uma intensa desigualdade regional. Com o objetivo de comparar os resultados alcançados localmente no país, é necessário incluir a dimensão espacial em um modelo econométrico para que os problemas decorrentes da dependência espacial possam ser evitados. Após utilizar o filtro espacial para tanto, estimando cross-sections para 1980, 1991 e 2000, o trabalho conclui que a infraestrutura de saúde, enquanto medida pelo número de leitos e de estabelecimentos perdeu importância na explicação do padrão da mortalidade infantil ao longo do tempo. Em contrapartida, as variáveis socioeconômicas tornaram-se mais relevantes e significativas. A implicação mais direta disso é que futuras políticas devem buscar melhorar o acesso das famílias aos serviços públicos de saneamento, reduzir a pobreza e a desigualdade e aumentar o nível educacional da população. Ou seja, o estímulo à prevenção familiar contra problemas que possam ocasionar a morte prematura torna-se cada vez mais essencial. / Development can be understood from many perspectives. Among those, the one proposed by Amartya Sen states that a development policy should aim at expanding the freedom of individuals, and this goal can be achieved by the expansion of capabilities. With this conceptual framework in mind, health, more specifically infant mortality, is chosen as a measure of development and as the object of study. The Government should guarantee the provision of health services, as they consist in meritory goods. Mosley and Chen (1984) propose a theoretical framework to study infant mortality based on the proximal determinants, in which the socioeconomic factors affect the result observed indirectly. In Brazil there has been a substantial reduction of the average levels of infant mortality rates in the last decades. However, there is still a significant regional inequality. Econometric models for 1980, 1991 and 2000 are estimated including a spatial filter in order to account for the spatial dependency observed in the data. The study concludes that health infrastructure lost its explanative power for the differences in infant mortality rate among the localities. On the other hand, socioeconomic variables have become more relevant and significant. It means that future public policies must try to improve the access of the families to public facilities, reduce poverty and inequality and improve educational levels. Therefore, the family-based prevention against health problems should be stimulated, helping to avoid premature death

O desenvolvimento pode ser estudado sob diversas perspectivas. Dentre estas, destaca-se a de Amartya Sen, na qual o objetivo maior de uma política de desenvolvimento é o de expandir a liberdade de escolha dos indivíduos. Partindo da ideia de ampliação das capabilities, define-se uma das dimensões consideradas como essenciais, a saúde, mais especificamente a mortalidade infantil, como objeto de estudo. Um dos papéis do Estado deve ser o de garantir a provisão de serviços de saúde para todos os indivíduos, já que ela pode ser classificada como um bem meritório. Em busca dos determinantes do padrão regional recente da mortalidade infantil no Brasil, utiliza-se o modelo de determinantes proximais proposto por Mosley e Chen (1984), no qual os fatores socioeconômicos influenciam indiretamente o resultado observado da variável de interesse. No Brasil, houve uma redução expressiva dos níveis de mortalidade infantil nas últimas décadas, mas ainda assim persiste uma intensa desigualdade regional. Com o objetivo de comparar os resultados alcançados localmente no país, é necessário incluir a dimensão espacial em um modelo econométrico para que os problemas decorrentes da dependência espacial possam ser evitados. Após utilizar o filtro espacial para tanto, estimando cross-sections para 1980, 1991 e 2000, o trabalho conclui que a infraestrutura de saúde, enquanto medida pelo número de leitos e de estabelecimentos perdeu importância na explicação do padrão da mortalidade infantil ao longo do tempo. Em contrapartida, as variáveis socioeconômicas tornaram-se mais relevantes e significativas. A implicação mais direta disso é que futuras políticas devem buscar melhorar o acesso das famílias aos serviços públicos de saneamento, reduzir a pobreza e a desigualdade e aumentar o nível educacional da população. Ou seja, o estímulo à prevenção familiar contra problemas que possam ocasionar a morte prematura torna-se cada vez mais essencial. / Development can be understood from many perspectives. Among those, the one proposed by Amartya Sen states that a development policy should aim at expanding the freedom of individuals, and this goal can be achieved by the expansion of capabilities. With this conceptual framework in mind, health, more specifically infant mortality, is chosen as a measure of development and as the object of study. The Government should guarantee the provision of health services, as they consist in meritory goods. Mosley and Chen (1984) propose a theoretical framework to study infant mortality based on the proximal determinants, in which the socioeconomic factors affect the result observed indirectly. In Brazil there has been a substantial reduction of the average levels of infant mortality rates in the last decades. However, there is still a significant regional inequality. Econometric models for 1980, 1991 and 2000 are estimated including a spatial filter in order to account for the spatial dependency observed in the data. The study concludes that health infrastructure lost its explanative power for the differences in infant mortality rate among the localities. On the other hand, socioeconomic variables have become more relevant and significant. It means that future public policies must try to improve the access of the families to public facilities, reduce poverty and inequality and improve educational levels. Therefore, the family-based prevention against health problems should be stimulated, helping to avoid premature death

<p>It has been observed by researchers that periodic auditory stimuli can cause the activities in different brain areas to be periodically synchronized. Fast auditory stimuli have been shown to cause the brain sources to synchronize at the rate of stimuli. Brain sources respond to them not only by increase in local synchronization, but also in the global synchronization of cortical regions often regarded as functional connectivity. Spectral power and coherence are often used to characterize such neural synchronization. Beta band oscillations have been reported to underlie the neural mechanism during repetitive auditory stimuli. Cortical generators of these underlying beta oscillations were investigated in several studies based on MEG measurements. This research is intended to investigate (1) EEG can be used to detect and localize neural sources changing in power and coherence and (2) beta oscillations underlie such neural synchronization during fast repetitive auditory stimuli based on EEG measurements. The procedure of this study consists of several steps. First, the minimum variance (MV) scalar beamformer, an adaptive spatial filter, is used to estimate the temporal signals in the brain source space, given EEG recordings. The analysis of the estimated source temporal signals then consists of two stages firstly the power analysis and secondly the coherence analysis. The dynamics of power and coherence is investigated instantaneously over time and in the lower beta frequency band [14,20Hz]. This is done by detecting the most prominent changes in the two spectral parameters through singular value decomposition (SVD). Two coherence measures imaginary component (IC) and magnitude-squared coherence (MSC) are employed and compared in terms of their performance both mathematically and experimentally. In the simulations, we show the capability of using EEG to detect and localize power co-variations and dynamic functional connectivity in the cortical regions. We also perform the procedure on the recorded real data from subjects passively listening to rhythmic auditory stimuli. Beta oscillations are found to underlie the neural activity to percept auditory stimuli. This is shown by localization of auditory cortices and detection of power co-variation in this frequency band. We demonstrate the feasibility of using EEG to identify coupled and co-activated brain sources similar to those obtained from MEG signals in the previous studies. These include auditory and motor regions which were found to be functionally coherent and have a functional role in the auditory perception. The superiority of IC over MSC measure is proven mathematically and validated in both simulations and real data experiments.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

This thesis studies spatial and temporal filtering techniques and their applications in fiber optic communication systems. Differential mode delay (DMD) in multimode fibers (MMFs) and multipath interference (MPI) are two major impairments in fiber optic communication systems. DMD lends to inter symbol interference in MMF communication systems which seriously limit the bit rate-distance product of the system. MPI leads to interference pattern at the output of a single mode fiber link which increases the bit error rate of the system. In this thesis, we propose a method which uses spatial filtering technique in a 4F system to reduce DMD and MPI effects. Typically, higher order modes have higher spatial frequency components and therefore, they are spatially separated from the lower mode after Fourier transform. By optimizing the bandwidth of a spatial filter, unwanted higher order modes can be suppressed. Therefore, DMD and MPI effects in fiber optic communication systems can be reduced at the cost of losing some fraction of the signal power. In this thesis, we also propose a new application of temporal filtering technique. A time lens is a phase modulator which introduces a quadratic phase factor in time domain. Combined with single mode fibers, a time lens can be used to perform Fourier transform in time domain. A tunable optical filter can be implemented using a modified temporal 4F system which is analogy with the spatial 4F system. The merit of this method is that no additional signal processing is needed to reverse the bit sequence at the output of the 4F system and that the channels to be demultiplexed at a node can be dynamically reconfigured. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Spatial analysis of species for which there is limited quantity of data, termed as the data-poor species, has been challenging due to limited information, especially lack of spatially explicit information. However, these species are frequently of high ecological, conservation and management interest. In this study, I used two empirical examples to demonstrate spatial analysis for two kinds of data-poor species. One example was seabird bycatch from the U.S. Atlantic pelagic longline fishery, which focused on rare events/species for which data are generally characterized by a high percentage of zero observations. The other example was endangered white abalone off the California coast, which focused on endangered species whose data are very limited. With the seabird bycatch example, I adopted a spatial filtering technique to incorporate spatial patterns and to improve model performance. The model modified with spatial filters showed superior performance over other candidate models. I also applied the geographically weighted approach to explore spatial nonstationarity in seabird bycatch, i.e., spatial variation in the parameters that describe relationships between biological processes and environmental factors. Estimates of parameters exhibited high spatial variation. With the white abalone example, I demonstrated the spatially explicit hierarchical demographic model and conducted a risk assessment to evaluate the efficacy of hypothetical restoration strategies. The model allowed for the Allee effect (i.e., density-dependent fertilization success) by using spatial explicit density estimates. Restoration efforts directed at larger-size individuals may be more effective in increasing population density than efforts focusing on juveniles. I also explored the spatial nonstationarity in white abalone catch data. I estimated the spatially explicit decline rate and linked the decline rate to environmental factors including water depth, distance to California coast, distance to land, sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentration. The decline rate showed spatial variation. I did not detect any significant associations between decline rate and these five environmental factors. Through such a study, I am hoping to provide insights on applying or adapting existing methods to model spatial dynamics of data-poor species, and on utilizing information from such analyses to aid in their conservation and management. / Ph. D.

No description available.

The focus of this paper is on cross-region R&D collaboration funded by the 5th EU Framework Programme (FP5). The objective is to measure distance, institutional, language and technological barrier effects that may hamper collaborative activities between European regions. Particular emphasis is laid on measuring discrepancies between two types of collaborative R&D activities, those generating output in terms of scientific publications and those that do not. The study area is composed of 255 NUTS-2 regions that cover the pre-2007 member states of the European Union (excluding Malta and Cyprus) as well as Norway and Switzerland. We employ a negative binomial spatial interaction model specification to address the research question, along with an eigenvector spatial filtering technique suggested by Fischer and Griffith (2008) to account for the presence of network autocorrelation in the origin-destination cooperation data. The study provides evidence that the role of geographic distance as collaborative deterrent is significantly lower if collaborations generate scientific output. Institutional barriers do not play a significant role for collaborations with scientific output. Language and technological barriers are smaller but the estimates indicate no significant discrepancies between the two types of collaborative R&D activities that are in focus of this study. (authors' abstract) / Series: Working Papers in Regional Science

<p>A critical factor in transit mode share analysis is the level of accessibility to transit services. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between accessibility and the built environment, and the use of transit. To do so, the proportion of transit users is modeled as a function of socio-economic characteristics, transit level of service, and built environment characteristics. While accessibility to transit has been the object of previous research, accessibility <em>by</em> transit is a factor that has received only limited attention in prior transit modal share research. The case study is the city of Hamilton, and the geographic unit of analysis is the Dissemination Area. A logistic model for proportions with a spatial filter (for spatial autocorrelation) and an over-dispersion parameter is found to provide the best fit and statistical properties. The results of analysis at the meso-scale show that accessibility by transit contributes positively to usage of transit. The possibility that factors at the micro-scale may also influence use of transit, suggests the development of a methodology, based on the use of spatial filtering, to systematically select walkability audit sites. The proposed methodology is demonstrated by means of a case study of neighborhoods in Hamilton. Statistical analysis of walkability audit information shows that the proposed selection strategy can be used to better target limited resources for field-based work, and produce valuable insights into the micro-level factors that may affect transit use.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

This dissertation contains work that addresses both theoretical and numerical aspects of reduced order models (ROMs). In an under-resolved regime, the classical Galerkin reduced order model (G-ROM) fails to yield accurate approximations. Thus, we propose a new ROM, the data-driven variational multiscale ROM (DD-VMS-ROM) built by adding a closure term to the G-ROM, aiming to increase the numerical accuracy of the ROM approximation without decreasing the computational efficiency. The closure term is constructed based on the variational multiscale framework. To model the closure term, we use data-driven modeling. In other words, by using the available data, we find ROM operators that approximate the closure term. To present the closure term's effect on the ROMs, we numerically compare the DD-VMS-ROM with other standard ROMs. In numerical experiments, we show that the DD-VMS-ROM is significantly more accurate than the standard ROMs. Furthermore, to understand the closure term's physical role, we present a theoretical and numerical investigation of the closure term's role in long-time integration. We theoretically prove and numerically show that there is energy exchange from the most energetic modes to the least energetic modes in closure terms in a long time averaging. One of the promising contributions of this dissertation is providing the numerical analysis of the data-driven closure model, which has not been studied before. At both the theoretical and the numerical levels, we investigate what conditions guarantee that the small difference between the data-driven closure model and the full order model (FOM) closure term implies that the approximated solution is close to the FOM solution. In other words, we perform theoretical and numerical investigations to show that the data-driven model is verifiable. Apart from studying the ROM closure problem, we also investigate the setting in which the G-ROM converges optimality. We explore the ROM error bounds' optimality by considering the difference quotients (DQs). We theoretically prove and numerically illustrate that both the ROM projection error and the ROM error are suboptimal without the DQs, and optimal if the DQs are used. / Doctor of Philosophy / In many realistic applications, obtaining an accurate approximation to a given problem can require a tremendous number of degrees of freedom. Solving these large systems of equations can take days or even weeks on standard computational platforms. Thus, lower-dimensional models, i.e., reduced order models (ROMs), are often used instead. The ROMs are computationally efficient and accurate when the underlying system has dominant and recurrent spatial structures. Our contribution to reduced order modeling is adding a data-driven correction term, which carries important information and yields better ROM approximations. This dissertation's theoretical and numerical results show that the new ROM equipped with a closure term yields more accurate approximations than the standard ROM.

La maîtrise de la communication et de l'information est un atout primordial dans les stratégies de pouvoir, qu'elles soient militaires, politiques ou commerciales. Celui qui est capable de transmettre l'information plus vite prend l'avantage sur les autres. Tel est le moteur de la croissance et du progrès dans le domaine des télécommunications. L'omniprésence grandissante des dispositifs communicants témoigne de l'expansion exponentielle qu'a connu ce domaine depuis les premières communications sans fil. À l'époque du all-in-one, la multiplication des applications au sein d'un même appareil nécessite l'utilisation de composants toujours plus performants et petits . Au cœur de ces systèmes, les filtres ont une importance grandissante. Dans un environnement spatial, les contraintes de fiabilité et d'encombrement sont particulièrement drastiques. Le choix des matériaux est par ailleurs limité, ce qui réduit les possibilités d'innovation. Cependant, l'amélioration de la précision et de la fiabilité dans les technologies de fabrication ouvre de nouvelles perspectives d'innovation et d'amélioration des composants. Ces travaux ont ainsi été motivés par ce souci d'apporter toujours plus de performance et de fiabilité, pour un encombrement moindre en tirant profit du potentiel offert par l'association du concept SIW et de la technologie LTCC. Les résultats mettent à jour de sérieuses dispersions technologiques. Cependant, le potentiel de l'association SIW/LTCC est démontré, et les difficultés rencontrées sont surmontables. Les filtres SIW en technologie LTCC présentent donc des atouts pour s'imposer comme une alternative sérieuse aux solutions existantes. / Control of communication and information is a key asset in the strategies of power, whether military, political or commercial. Whoever is able to transmit information faster takes advantage of others. This is the engine of growth and progress in the field of telecommunications. The growing ubiquity of communicating devices demonstrates the exponential growth experienced by this area since the first wireless communications. At the time of all-in-one, multiple applications within a single device requires the use of ever more powerful and small components. At the heart of these systems, filters are becoming increasingly important. In a space environment, reliability constraints and space are particularly dramatic. The choice of materials is also limited, which reduces the possibilities of innovation. However, the improvement of accuracy and reliability in manufacturing technologies opens new opportunities for innovation and improved components. This work has been motivated by the desire to bring more performances and reliability, a smaller footprint by taking advantage of the potential offered by combining the concept SIW and LTCC. The results update serious technological dispersions. However, the potential association SIW / LTCC is shown, and the difficulties are surmountable. SIW filters in LTCC therefore have advantages for itself as a serious alternative to existing solutions.