Building materials, lack of vegetation and absence of open spaces in urban areas cause surfaces such as asphalt to become warmer than nearby vegetated surfaces that surround the city, creating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Little investigation has been done regarding temperature changes across these surfaces before and after frontal passages. This study analyzes the 24-hour temperature difference as a result of a cold front passage by examining the transitional seasons (Spring and Fall) for Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Kansas City, Missouri. This research focused on investigating the pattern of moist and dry tropical air masses preceding a transitional air mass and moist and dry polar air masses the proceeding 24-hours. Using recorded hourly data from Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) stations during these events one can visualize the time lag in temperature change between sites in developed urban areas and surrounding more vegetated surfaces outside the city.

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Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-13T17:10:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CarlosEF_DISSERT.pdf: 3448724 bytes, checksum: 5e204d609ada7e26f1a3ce0d50184ad4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-22 / This research arose from the interest on the investigation about urban expansion from Caic?. Since its creation as a village and its ascent to the condition of city, but especially , the occurred expansion from the 70s, when the local cotton economy begins to present signs of exhaustion. The central theme of this work consists on the importance of the geographical events and its relations with the phenomenon of the urban expansion from Caic? that served us as empirical basis. In relation to the events, that appear as elements of analysis on the works from the Professor Milton Santos, especially on the book Nature of Space , they appear as a kind of urban extensors energizing the areas where are installed. Understood by us as a vehicle of one or more possibilities, according to Santos, (1999) we listed some events occurred in the caicoense urbs a nd we divided them into principal and derivative ones, such events implemented from their structures, forms and functions, through processes that resulted and still continue to result the enlargement of the caicoense urban perimeter , densifications enough important for this urban expansion. The technical periods of cattle raising , cotton, as well as the tertiary city and its connections with the role of fast men, as well as slow men is also important aspect in the body of this work. It is still pointed out the inequalities and the coexistences that are generated on the basis of these connections and finally we discussed the positive and negative consequences elapsed from the phenomenon of the urban expansion / Esta pesquisa surgiu a partir do interesse pela investiga??o acerca da expans?o urbana de Caic?, desde a sua forma??o, como vila, e a sua ascens?o ? condi??o de cidade, mas, especialmente, a expans?o ocorrida a partir dos anos de 1970, quando a economia algodoeira local come?a a apresentar sinais de esgotamento. O tema central, deste trabalho, consiste na import?ncia dos eventos geogr?ficos e suas rela??es com o fen?meno da expans?o urbana da cidade que nos serviu de base emp?rica. Com rela??o aos eventos que aparecem como elementos de an?lise nas obras do Professor Milton Santos, em especial, no livro Natureza do Espa?o, eles aparecem como uma esp?cie de extensores urbanos, dinamizando as ?reas onde s?o instalados. Entendidos, por n?s, como um ve?culo de uma ou mais possibilidades, conforme Santos (1999), elencamos alguns eventos ocorridos na urbe caicoense e os dividimos em principais e derivados. Tais eventos implementaram, a partir de suas estruturas, formas e fun??es, atrav?s de processos que desencadearam e continuam a desencadear o alargamento do per?metro urbano caicoense, adensamentos bastante importantes para essa expans?o urbana. Os per?odos t?cnicos da pecu?ria, do algod?o, como da cidade terci?ria e suas conex?es com o papel dos homens r?pidos, como dos homens lentos, ? tamb?m aspecto importante no corpo deste trabalho. Mereceram destaques, ainda, as desigualdades e as coexist?ncias que s?o geradas na base destas conex?es e, por fim, discutimos as consequ?ncias positivas e negativas decorridas do fen?meno da expans?o urbana

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The modern public sector and system of administration in Ethiopia began at the time of the imperial period, in the early 1960s. But this sector and the tradition of administration itself, compared with other countries, is not yet strong enough to play its role as a catalyst in the development and growth of the country. This study explores the wide array of public sector administration and reform practices in other countries and compares them with Ethiopia. More specifically, it looks into Business Process Re-engineering, a recently adopted type of reform, which originated in the private sector. Commonly termed BPR, Business Process Re-Engineering is a reform mechanism to uproot age-old systems of thinking and functioning in any organization and replace them with new paradigms and more efficient and lean systems that will lead to visible results. The literature reveals that it has had mixed results of improvement, both in the private sector and in the public sector in many countries. This study sets out to analyse whether this is just another fad of reform being adopted in order to fulfil a completely different objective of political reform, or whether it is a real effort to bring about changes in the way the public sector conducts its business. From its wide application in the country, two varying sectors have been chosen for this analysis. One is a service-giving institution in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which has frequent interaction with citizens and, most importantly, investors and business organizations. The other sector is the policy, programming and legal framework designing institution in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, an institution that depicts one of the core tasks of the public sector. As a result, the findings indicate mixed results in its application. In an institution where there are clearly defined tasks and deliverables, the BPR application seems to have generated visible results with potential continuity. On the other hand, in core public sector tasks, where government plays the regulatory and policy guiding roles, the initial outcomes of the re-engineering process do not look that promising. The newly designed and presented processes seem to be quite superficial, contrary to the principles of the BPR concept. In conclusion, re-engineering is not an across-the-board application when it comes to the public sector, as there are core functions of the government to which it does not apply. In addition, this leads the study to the conclusion that reforms are appropriate in the public sector, so long as they generate tangible results and changes.

Submitted by Fernando Souza (fernandoafsou@gmail.com) on 2017-08-15T14:38:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1777278 bytes, checksum: 2196e7f609f737e29db2451204418d72 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-15T14:38:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1777278 bytes, checksum: 2196e7f609f737e29db2451204418d72 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This study suggests the use of a approach to initial urban sensing, in the context of intelligent cities, by data collectors. The approaches currently used for the instrumentation of the cities are usually based on fixed sensors and present challenges relating to power-up, security, maintenance and communication of the sensors, resulting on the increase of the project’s cost. In order to decrease the complexity and costs observed in current models, we propose the use of existing mobility agents (such as metropolitan buses, for example) to provide mobility to traditional sensors. We believe this strategy can help overcome some of the existing challenges and allow a preliminary sensing of the cities in a more affordably way. To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach, a series of experiments were conducted using climate microstations positioned statically and also in motion. One of the evaluation fronts was to compare the change in average physical quantities obtained through frequent readings versus more sporadic readings that were collected by stationary sensors. Then the results obtained were compared with samples collected in a mobile way with the use of mobile agents equipped with sensors acting as urban data collectors. The results indicate that the approach is very promising and may be used in combination with conventional approaches, such as the initial detection of heat islands, pollution or traffic jam which can subsequently be monitored with equipments of greater precision. / Este estudo sugere o uso de uma abordagem para o sensoriamento urbano preliminar, no contexto de cidades inteligentes, através do uso de coletores de dados. As abordagens atualmente utilizadas para a instrumentação das cidades normalmente se baseiam em sensores fixos e apresentam desafios referentes à energização, segurança, manutenção e comunicação dos sensores, resultando em aumento de custo dos projetos. Visando à diminuição da complexidade e dos custos observados nos modelos atuais, propomos a utilização de agentes de mobilidade já existentes (como ônibus metropolitanos, por exemplo) para proporcionar mobilidade a sensores tradicionais. Acreditamos que esta estratégia possa ajudar a superar alguns dos obstáculos existentes e permitir um sensoriamento preliminar das cidades de forma mais acessível. Para avaliar a viabilidade da abordagem proposta, uma série de experimentos foi conduzida utilizando-se microestações meteorológicas posicionadas de forma estática e também em movimento. Uma das frentes de avaliação foi comparar a variação das médias de grandezas físicas obtidas através de leituras frequentes versus leituras mais esporádicas, coletadas por sensores estacionários. Em seguida, os resultados obtidos foram comparados com amostras coletadas de forma móvel com a utilização de agentes de mobilidade equipados com sensores e atuando como coletores de dados urbanos. Os resultados apontam que a abordagem é bastante promissora e pode ser usada de forma combinada com estratégias tradicionais, como por exemplo na detecção inicial de ilhas de calor, poluição ou congestionamentos que podem ser, posteriormente, monitoradas com equipamentos de maior precisão.

Le GIEC (groupe d’expert Intergouvernemental sur l’Evolution du Climat) dans leur 4 ème rapport souligne que les villes européennes seront impactées par des épisodes caniculaires plus fréquents et plus intenses dû aux modifications climatiques ayant lieu au cours du XXI ème siècle. La ville, espace climatique particulier, sensiblement plus chaud que son espace environnant amplifie le phénomène de l’îlot de chaleur urbain (ICU). Pour la ville de Paris, les îlots de chaleur urbains peuvent dépasser de 8 à 10°C les températures relevées quelques kilomètres plus loin. Cet effet est d’autant plus néfaste lors de période caniculaire comme a connu la France en 2003, 2006, 2010 ou bien même en 2015. La connaissance sur le phénomène de la canicule nécessite de mettre en relation des données autant spatiales que temporelles afin de définir des zones à risques .Pour pouvoir simuler une canicule, le modèle SURFEX-TEB, conçu par Météo-France, CNRS, a été choisi. Il permet d’estimer la température en ville à partir de conditions climatiques des plus hautes atmosphères. Ces prévisions sont importantes notamment en période de canicule où les écarts de température entre la ville et sa banlieue peuvent dépasser 8C°. Le risque caniculaire, induit par les ICU, est complexe à appréhender et à représenter.Pour caractériser, appréhender et représenter la canicule, avec l’aide du modèle SURFEX-TEB, nous avons effectué une assimilation avec des mesures réalisées pendant la canicule de 2015 sur Paris. Cette assimilation met en évidence par exemple les phénomènes d’accumulation et l’impact des configurations des appartements sur les températures intérieures et extérieures. Nos différentes configurations ont permis de confirmer l’importance de considérer les températures intérieures lors de périodes caniculaires.Ce travail de recherche propose donc un éclairage spécifique et technique de la représentation des canicules. Son objectif est une meilleure représentation des canicules et l’estimation de leur dangerosité en fonction de la durée du phénomène, de son intensité et des caractéristiques urbaines et humaines. Des cartes décrivant la canicule et sa dangerosité sont mises en valeur grâce à l’élaboration d’un site web grand public.Les résultats de cette recherche soulèvent une interrogation sur les seuils de canicule. Ils soulignent l’importance d’introduire un seuil de canicule intérieur et démontrent le rôle de la configuration urbaine et en particulier des types d’habitation pour mieux prendre en compte la dangerosité des canicules et espérer mieux atténuer leurs effets / The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in its 4th report underlines that the European cities will be impacted by more frequent and more intense scorching episodes due to the climatic modifications taking place during the XXIth century. Peculiar climatic areas, significantly hotter than their surroundings, cities amplify the phenomenon of the urban heat island (UHI). In the example of Paris, the urban islands of heat can exceed by 8°C to 10°C the temperatures measured a few kilometers away. This effect is all the more fatal as heat wave periods become more and more regular (2003, 2006, 2010, 2015). The knowledge on the heat wave phenomenon requires to put in relation spatial and temporal data so as to define high-risk areas.To be able to simulate a heat wave, the SURFEX-TEB model, designed by Météo-France, and CNRS, was chosen. It allows to estimate the temperature in town from weather conditions of the highest atmospheres. These forecasts are particularly important in heat wave periods where temperature differences between cities and suburban areas can exceed 8°C. The heat wave risk, resulting from the UHI, is complex to both understand and represent.To characterize, understand and represent the heat wave by the means of the SURFEX-TEB model, we made a data fusion with measures realized during the 2015 heat wave in Paris. This assimilation highlights, for instance, the accumulation phenomena and the impact of the apartments configuration on the inside and outside temperatures. Our various configurations allowed to confirm the importance of taking into account the internal temperatures during heat waves periods.This research thus proposes a specific and technical perspective of the heat waves representation. Its objectives are a better representation of heat waves and a sharper estimation of their dangerousness according to the phenomenon duration, its intensity and the urban and human features. Maps describing the heat wave and its dangerousness are highlighted thanks to the elaboration of a public Web site.The results of this research rise an interrogation on the thresholds of heat wave. They underline the importance to introduce an internal threshold of heat wave and demonstrate the role of the urban configuration, particularly the types of house. This should contribute to better take into account the dangerousness of heat waves and to improve the mitigation of their effects

This dissertation utilized constructivism and identity frameworks to describe educators' interpretations of their work in an urban school located on a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street (MLK Streets). MLK Streets have become more associated with the locality rather than the ideas of the late civil rights leader. Accordingly, how educators construct their knowledge of the community is as important as the development of instructional practices. The present case study analyzed data to explore the overarching research question: What are educators' interpretations of the work, the school, and community surrounding their school located on an MLK Street in the Central Valley of California? Emergent themes included urban teacher identity formation, teaching beyond academics, making connections, understanding community layers, and constructing knowledge of MLK Street localities. Findings indicated educators had an implied social justice awareness that led to significant understandings of the socio-cultural, economic, pedagogical influences, and historical understanding within the MLK Street community.

Desde a década de 1990, a violência contra mulheres vem sendo tomada como um tema da saúde pública, pela sua magnitude e repercussões na saúde dos indivíduos. Apesar do reconhecimento da influência das características da vizinhança na violência por parceiro íntimo (VPI), poucos estudos exploram como o contexto e a inserção da mulher em redes pessoais e sociais afetam a probabilidade individual de sofrer este tipo de violência. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a distribuição de VPI contra mulheres e sua relação com desigualdade socioeconômica, violência urbana e capital social no Município de São Paulo. Para tanto, foram utilizados o banco de dados do estudo multipaíses sobre saúde da mulher e violência doméstica contra mulheres da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), informações do censo do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) e taxas de homicídios do banco do Programa de Aperfeiçoamento das Informações de Mortalidade (PROAIM). Os dados foram analisados através de técnicas de modelagem multinível. Os achados mostraram que não há variação significativa entre as vizinhanças na ocorrência de VPI. Além disso, indicaram que viver em contextos de privação socioeconômica, altas taxas de homicídio e baixos níveis de capital social não está associado com maior probabilidade individual de sofrer VPI. Entre as variáveis estudadas no nível individual, destacaram-se comportamentos do parceiro e experiência de VPI pelas mães dele e dela como importantes fatores associados à VPI. Os resultados deste estudo apontam para a centralidade do conceito de gênero no estudo da violência e sugerem que, em São Paulo, o contexto tem influência limitada na dinâmica das relações de intimidade. / Since the 1990s, violence against women has been recognized as a public health matter because of its magnitude and health consequences for individuals. Although research acknowledges the influence of neighbourhood factors on intimate partner violence (IPV), few studies investigate how the context and the woman\'s participation in personal and social networks affect her individual probability of experiencing this type of violence. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of IPV against women and its relations with social inequalities, urban violence, and social capital in the City of Sao Paulo. Datasets used included: the WHO multi-country study on women\'s health and domestic violence against women; the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) census; and homicide rates from PROAIM (Program for the Improvement of Mortality Data). Data was analyzed using multilevel modeling techniques. The findings show that there is no significant variation in IPV between neighbourhoods. The study also found that socioeconomic deprivation, high rates of homicides, and low levels of social capital in a neighbourhood were not associated with a woman\'s individual probability of experiencing IPV. Among the individual-level variables, IPV was associated with partner behaviors and having a mother who experienced IPV. These results reinforce the assumption that gender is a core concept to understanding violence, and suggest that in Sao Paulo, neighbourhood factors have limited influence in the dynamics of intimate relationships.

Desde a década de 1990, a violência contra mulheres vem sendo tomada como um tema da saúde pública, pela sua magnitude e repercussões na saúde dos indivíduos. Apesar do reconhecimento da influência das características da vizinhança na violência por parceiro íntimo (VPI), poucos estudos exploram como o contexto e a inserção da mulher em redes pessoais e sociais afetam a probabilidade individual de sofrer este tipo de violência. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a distribuição de VPI contra mulheres e sua relação com desigualdade socioeconômica, violência urbana e capital social no Município de São Paulo. Para tanto, foram utilizados o banco de dados do estudo multipaíses sobre saúde da mulher e violência doméstica contra mulheres da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), informações do censo do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) e taxas de homicídios do banco do Programa de Aperfeiçoamento das Informações de Mortalidade (PROAIM). Os dados foram analisados através de técnicas de modelagem multinível. Os achados mostraram que não há variação significativa entre as vizinhanças na ocorrência de VPI. Além disso, indicaram que viver em contextos de privação socioeconômica, altas taxas de homicídio e baixos níveis de capital social não está associado com maior probabilidade individual de sofrer VPI. Entre as variáveis estudadas no nível individual, destacaram-se comportamentos do parceiro e experiência de VPI pelas mães dele e dela como importantes fatores associados à VPI. Os resultados deste estudo apontam para a centralidade do conceito de gênero no estudo da violência e sugerem que, em São Paulo, o contexto tem influência limitada na dinâmica das relações de intimidade. / Since the 1990s, violence against women has been recognized as a public health matter because of its magnitude and health consequences for individuals. Although research acknowledges the influence of neighbourhood factors on intimate partner violence (IPV), few studies investigate how the context and the woman\'s participation in personal and social networks affect her individual probability of experiencing this type of violence. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of IPV against women and its relations with social inequalities, urban violence, and social capital in the City of Sao Paulo. Datasets used included: the WHO multi-country study on women\'s health and domestic violence against women; the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) census; and homicide rates from PROAIM (Program for the Improvement of Mortality Data). Data was analyzed using multilevel modeling techniques. The findings show that there is no significant variation in IPV between neighbourhoods. The study also found that socioeconomic deprivation, high rates of homicides, and low levels of social capital in a neighbourhood were not associated with a woman\'s individual probability of experiencing IPV. Among the individual-level variables, IPV was associated with partner behaviors and having a mother who experienced IPV. These results reinforce the assumption that gender is a core concept to understanding violence, and suggest that in Sao Paulo, neighbourhood factors have limited influence in the dynamics of intimate relationships.