HIV-1 has claimed the lives of millions of people globally and continues to spread despite development of highly active antiretroviral therapy. In 2013, 2.1 million new infections occurred and over 35 million people were living with HIV-1 infection. A prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine that can prevent infection or reduce viremia and subsequent transmission will always be an important part of the solution to bring this epidemic under control. In this thesis, the first HIV-1 vaccine candidate to focus on conserved regions of the virus (HIVconsv) was assessed in a phase I clinical trial conducted in healthy HIV-1/2 negative volunteers in Oxford. The HIVconsv T-cell immunogen was delivered using three leading vaccine modalities (DNA (D), modified vaccinia virus Ankara (M) and chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (C)), in several novel heterologous prime-boost regimens. The frequency of T cells elicited through HIVconsv vaccination in the CM and DDDCM regimens surpassed that of previous HIV-1 cell-mediated vaccines. A large proportion of these T cells produced multiple cytokines and proliferated in response to recall peptides. The breadth of T-cell responses were also greater than the non-efficacious STEP study vaccine, with an average of 10 T-cell epitopes per vaccine recipient recognised across CM and DDDCM regimens. In vitro HIV-1 control mediated by CD8⁺ T cells was demonstrated for all vaccinees receiving the CM regimen, mainly against clade A (U455) and clade B (IIIB) isolates. Two vaccinees, demonstrated superior control of 6/8 and 7/8 viruses from the panel. The CM regimen induced significantly higher magnitudes of viral inhibition compared to the DDDCM or DDDMC regimens, with this regimen showing potential to overcome the disadvantage for subjects of carrying non-protective HLA alleles. Investigation of T-cell specificities revealed that the frequencies of T cells specific for conserved Gag but more so Pol regions significantly correlated with in vitro virus control. Direct examination of peptide expanded T-cell lines showed that all Pol pool- and limited Gag pool-specific cell lines reduced HIV-1 replication in vitro. In most individuals, targeting multiple HIV-1 epitopes concomitantly resulted in higher levels of virus inhibition than targeting a single viral epitope and two T-cell specificities showed enhanced control of HIV-1; the first within Pol (TAFTIPSI) and second from Gag (TERQANFL). These data support further development of the conserved region strategy for T-cell vaccines against HIV-1.

The atmosphere of the election campaign before the elections in October 2012 was not such fierce as during the last campaign. It was mainly due to absence of a major topic that would polarise the society, like the health fees in 2008. The ČSSD tried to find a similar controversial topic that might have been the church restitutions for a moment. The purpose of the negative campaign was to discourage people from voting the governmental parties ODS and TOP 09, but it also could weaken the KDU-ČSL that was and still is closely connected with churches, especially the catholic church. The representatives of the KDU-ČSL themselves didn't publish any opinions concerning this matter, with only few exceptions. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse and evaluate the media output of the KDU-ČSL during the election campaign that was run before the elections to the regional governments and the Senate. In the first part, the main leaders of the KDU-ČSL are introduced, following by a detailed description of the campaigns in the respective regions and the senate circuits. The next part is devoted to a quantitative content analysis that examines the influence of the election forecasting models presented in the media on the decision of the voters, or the outcomes of the KDU-ČSL. The following qualitative analysis...

We continue to build support for the proposal to use H II galaxies (HIIGx) and giant extragalactic H II regions (GEHR) as standard candles to construct the Hubble diagram at redshifts beyond the current reach of Type Ia supernovae. Using a sample of 25 high-redshift HIIGx, 107 local HIIGx, and 24 GEHR, we confirm that the correlation between the emission -line luminosity and ionized -gas velocity dispersion is a viable luminosity indicator, and use it to test and compare the standard model Lambda CDM and the R-h = ct universe by optimizing the parameters in each cosmology using a maximization of the likelihood function. For the flat Lambda CDM model, the best fit is obtained with Omega(m) = 0.40(-0.09)(+0.09). However, statistical tools, such as the Akaike (AIC), Kullback (KIC) and Bayes (BIC) Information Criteria favour R-h = Ct over the standard model with a likelihood of approximate to 94.8-98.8 per cent versus only per cent. For wCDM (the version of ACDM with a dark -energy equation of state wde = Pde/Pde rather than was t WA = 1), a statistically acceptable fit is realized with Omega(m) = 0.221(-0.14)(+0.16) and wde = 0.511'0'21-5" which, however, are not fully consistent with their concordance values. In this case, wCDM has two more free parameters than R-h = Ct, and is penalized more heavily by these criteria. We find that R-h = Ct is strongly favoured over wCDM with a likelihood of approximate to 92.9-99.6 per cent versus only 0.4-7.1 per cent. The current HIIGx sample is already large enough for the BIC to rule out ACDM/wCDM in favour of R-h = Ct at a confidence level approaching 3 sigma.

The thesis is focused on the possibilities of municipal cooperation in the Czech Republic, specifically on voluntary groups of municipalities. The aim is to analyse their activities and the advantages they bring to the involved municipalities. In the theoretical part, the various possibilities of municipal cooperation are generally outlined. Further, some important terms and aspects of regional development and municipal cooperation are explained, including the most important preconditions for such cooperation. In the practical part two examples of municipal cooperation are shown - The group of municipalities of the river Desná valley and Jesenicko Micro-region. Basic information about those subjects, their formation and activities including their most important projects can be found in here. The last two chapters deal with comparison of both micro-regions, especially in the fields of fundraising and management. They include also the results of the structured interviews with some of the representatives of involved municipalities and the data gained from a survey carried out among the citizens of some of those municipalities.

This paper begins with looking into the history of cross-border cooperation. It also includes a preview of the development of cross-border cooperation in Europe and a promotion of cross-border cooperation in the European Union. Subsequently, there is a view of cross-border cooperation in the Czech Republic in the paper. The paper itself is focused on a comparison of cross-border operational cooperation programs, The Czech Republic -- The Republic of Poland and The Czech Republic -- The Free State of Saxony, in terms of administrative and content parameters. Administrative and content parameters are compared in the new programming period, i.e. the programming period 2007 -- 2013. This paper aims to describe the set of administrative and content parameters in both programs and identify the cross-border cooperation operational program with better defined parameters.

Estudos que abordam o consumo familiar possuem grande importância para o entendimento dos perfis de gastos dos indivíduos brasileiros de diversas regiões e classes econômicas, pois contribuem para compreender os diferentes níveis de desenvolvimento social e econômico nos quais se encontram. Posto isso, o trabalho busca contribuir com esses desenvolvimentos relacionados ao consumo dos indivíduos e famílias na forma de dois ensaios científicos, os quais podem ser lidos individualmente sem perdas de conteúdo entre um e outro. O primeiro capítulo tem como objetivo analisar se os consumidores que vivem em regiões metropolitanas são compensados em seus salários por viver em condições de maiores custos de vida. Devido ao problema de endogeneidade das variáveis de custo e salários, que são determinados simultaneamente no mercado, empregaram-se os métodos dos Momentos Generalizados (GMM) e Mínimos Quadrados em Dois Estágios (2SLS), juntamente com uma estrutura de dados empilhados. Os resultados encontrados indicam que a hipótese de compensação plena é satisfeita estatisticamente apenas para os custos de habitação e saúde, e não para os custos de educação, alimentação e transporte. Já o segundo capítulo tem como objetivo verificar se há diferença entre o impacto da renda masculina e feminina sobre o consumo familiar e, também, analisar o comportamento da família sobre as decisões de consumo. Para alcançar o objetivo, foram estimadas Curvas de Engel na forma linear para doze grupos de consumo e o método de estimação utilizado foi o modelo de Tobit, devido à característica censurada da amostra que continha valores positivos e zero. Neste segundo estudo, verificou-se que o comportamento da família acerca das decisões de consumo difere conforme o grupo de produtos analisado, sendo que as rendas masculinas e femininas são consideradas agrupadas para os grupos de alimentação dentro de casa, roupa de homem, roupa de mulher, gastos escolares, transporte e saúde e não agrupadas para os grupos de alimentação fora, gastos com crianças, cultura e recreação, fumo e álcool, habitação e doações. Para ambos os capítulos a principal base de dados utilizada foi a POF (Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares) feita pelo IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) para os anos de 1995-1996, 2002-2003 e 2008-2009. / Studies dealing with household consumption are of great importance for understanding the consumption profiles of Brazilian individuals from different regions and economic classes. Hence, this work, divided in two scientific papers, which can be read independently seeks to contribute with these developments related to the consumption of individuals and families. The first chapter aims to analyze if consumers living in metropolitan areas are compensated for their wages to live in areas of higher living costs. Due to the endogeneity problem of variables cost and wages, which are determined simultaneously in the market, the generalized moment (GMM) and Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) methods were applied. The results indicate that full compensation hypothesis is satisfied only statistically for housing and health costs, and not for education, food and transportation. The second chapter aims to determine if there is any different impact between male and female income on household consumption and, consequently review the family\'s behavior on consumption decisions. To achieve the goal, it was estimated Engel curves in linear fashion for twelve group consumption, and the estimation method used was the Tobit model, due to nature of data, i.e., censored observations. In this second study, it was found that the behavior of the family about the consumption decisions differ according to the group analyzed products, and the male and female incomes are considered grouped for household food, men\'s clothing, women\'s clothing, school fees, transport and health and not grouped for eating out, spending on children, culture and recreation, tobacco and alcohol, housing and donations. For both chapters the main database used was the POF (Household Expenditure Surveys) undertaken by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) for the years 1995-1996, 2002- 2003 and 2008-2009.

La thèse traite le sujet de la formation du capital humain en Europe au niveau régional et ses implications sur la croissance économique. Elle est caractérisée par son approche à la fois régionale, à long terme et européenne. A cet effet, je me réfère à la Théorie de la Croissance Unifiée et à la Nouvelle Economie Géographique qui sont les contributions théoriques les plus importantes dans le domaine et je construis une nouvelle grande base de données sur la formation du capital humain et d’autres facteurs à partir de nombreuses sources diverses. Pour les analyses empiriques, des méthodes spatiales et SIG ont été employées en plus des modèles économétriques standards. Ainsi, la thèse explore la formation du capital humain dans les régions du continent européen entre 1790 et 2010. Par ailleurs, elle souligne la relation entre les indicateurs du capital humain ainsi que les déterminants du capital humain et les implications du capital humain sur la croissance économique à long terme. / This thesis highlights the formation of human capital in the European regions and its implications for economic growth. It is characterised by its combined regional, long-term and European approach. To this end, I refer to Unified Growth Theory and New Economic Geography as the most important recent theoretical contributions and construct an unparalleled new and large database on regional human capital and other economic factors from numerous diverse sources. For the empirical analysis, spatial and GIS methods are employed in addition to standard econometric models. In this way, the thesis explores human capital formation in the regions of the European continent between 1790 and 2010. Moreover, it underlines the relationship between human capital proxies, the determinants of human capital and the long-run impact of human capital on economic growth.

"We address the problem of performing complex tasks for a robot operating in changing environments. We propose two approaches to the following problem: 1) define task-specific cost functions for motion planning that represent path quality by learning from an expert's preferences and 2) using constraint-based representation of the task inside learning from demonstration paradigm. In the first approach, we generate a set of paths for a given task using a motion planner and collect data about their features (path length, distance from obstacles, etc.). We provide these paths to an expert as a set of pairwise comparisons. We then form a ranking of the paths from the expert's comparisons. This ranking is used as training data for learning algorithms, which attempt to produce a cost function that maps path feature values to a cost that is consistent with the expert's ranking. We test our method on two simulated car-maintenance tasks with the PR2 robot: removing a tire and extracting an oil filter. We found that learning methods which produce non-linear combinations of the features are better able to capture expert preferences for the tasks than methods which produce linear combinations. This result suggests that the linear combinations used in previous work on this topic may be too simple to capture the preferences of experts for complex tasks. In the second approach, we propose to introduce a constraint-based description of the task that can be used together with the motion planner to produce the trajectories. The description is automatically created from the demonstration by performing segmentation and extracting constraints from the motion. The constraints are represented with the Task Space Regions (TSR) that are extracted from the demonstration and used to produce a desired motion. To account for the parts of the motion where constraints are different a segmentation of the demonstrated motion is performed using TSRs. The proposed approach allows performing tasks on robot from human demonstration in changing environments, where obstacle distribution or poses of the objects could change between demonstration and execution. The experimental evaluation on two example motions was performed to estimate the ability of our approach to produce the desired motion and recover a demonstrated trajectory."

A presente tese trata de analisar, a partir da situação das Regiões Ártica e Antártica, questões ambientais que se inserem no campo das relações e dos estudos de segurança internacionais. Neste sentido, através de uma abordagem comparativa, ajusta-se, metodológica e teoricamente, as relações entre questões ambientais e de segurança e sua intersecção com os estudos sobre regimes internacionais. O objetivo é a partir de uma concepção de que são o Ártico (parcialmente) e a Antártica, áreas internacionais, examinar a relação existente entre a exploração de recursos naturais e questões ambientais (mudanças climáticas) e as possibilidades de conflitos e sua superação ou adiamento, em função do exame intrínseco da competição por recursos naturais (petróleo, gás, hidratos de gás, bioprospecção, recursos marinhos, água doce, turismo e rotas polares, esse último somente para o Ártico) e das mudanças climáticas e dos regimes concebidos nas Regiões Polares. Foram examinadas, ao mesmo tempo, dificuldades econômicas, ambientais, técnicas e políticas (dificuldades intrínsecas) à exploração de recursos ambientais, os efeitos das mudanças climáticas e a força dos regimes das Regiões Polares, verificando-se as respectivas capacidades de adiar ou evitar conflitos. Sendo que a força do regime foi examinada a partir do grau de impacto dos elementos que a formam: 1) efetividade do regime, 2) a resiliência do regime, 3) resistência do regime, 4) a presença do hegemon e outros Estados protagonistas, 5) mecanismos de aquiescência, que incentivem ou obriguem o respeito as regras do regime, e 6) existência de uma organização internacional vinculada. Partiu-se do pressuposto de que quanto maiores as dificuldades para exploração, menor seria a competição e, portanto, menores as possibilidades de ocorrerem conflitos. A possibilidade de ocorrência de conflitos também foi cotejada com o grau de fortalecimento dos regimes instalados nas Regiões Polares. A tese conclui que no Ártico e na Antártica as dificuldades para a exploração dos recursos naturais se equivalem. Especificamente no campo político e econômico, quanto aos minerais (inclusive água) na Antártica a dificuldade é maior na atualidade em função da vedação da exploração até 2048 e porque as pesquisas ainda são insuficientes para comprovar a viabilidade da exploração; em compensação no Ártico a localização dos recursos em áreas sob soberania ou no espaço que compreende a ZEE não enseja dificuldades políticas e jurídicas para exploração em função da aplicação da CNUDM. Por sua vez, em especial, as externalidades dos efeitos das mudanças climáticas nas Regiões Polares podem provocar o aumento do n.m.m. e alterações dos padrões climáticos, contudo conflitos não seriam inevitáveis. Em relação aos Regimes Polares ambos foram considerados fortes, contudo o regime antártico foi considerado mais fortalecido. O exame dos elementos, principalmente, a resiliência e efetividade do STA e cotejamento com o processo de consolidação do regime complexo do Ártico justificam a conclusão. Por fim conclui esta tese que as condições para exploração dos recursos naturais, os efeitos das mudanças climáticas nas e a partir das Regiões Polares e o grau de fortalecimento dos regimes internacionais lá constituídos revelam, que os conflitos, ainda que possíveis não são prováveis. / This thesis analyzes, from Arctic and Antarctic regions, environmental issues which fall within the field of international relations and security studies. In this sense, through a comparative approach sets, intends to, methodological and theoretically, the relationship between environmental and security issues and its intersection with studies on international relations. The goal is, from a design which are the Arctic (in part) and Antarctica, international areas, examining the links between the exploitation of natural resources and environmental issues (climate change) and the potential for conflicts and overcome them or postponement, due to the intrinsic exam competition for natural resources (oil, gas, gas hydrates, bioprospecting, marine resources, freshwater, tourism and polar routes, the latter only for the Arctic) and climate change and regimes in the polar regions. Were examined at the same time, economic, environmental, technical and policy difficulties (intrinsic difficulties) the exploitation of environmental resources, the effects of climate change and the strength of the polar regions regimes, verifying their ability to delay or avoid conflicts. The strength of the system was examined from the degree of impact of the elements that form it: 1) effectiveness of the system, 2) the resilience of the system, 3) regime resistance, 4) the presence of the hegemon and other protagonists States 5) compliance mechanisms that encourage or force respect the rules of the regime, and 6) the existence of a linked international organization. It started with the assumption that the greater the difficulties for exploration, would be less competition and therefore lower the chances of occurrence of conflicts. The possibility of conflict was also checked against the degree of strengthening of systems installed in the polar regions. The thesis concludes that the Arctic and Antarctic difficulties for the exploitation of natural resources are equivalent. Specifically, in the political and economic field, as minerals (including water) in Antarctica the difficulty is greater today due to the operations are prohibited up to 2048 and because the research is still insufficient to prove the viability of the exploitation; in compensation in the Arctic location of resources in areas under the sovereignty or within the EEZ that comprises not entails political and legal difficulties to exploitation due to the implementation of UNCLOS. In turn, in particular, the externalities of the effects of climate change on the polar regions can cause an increase in sea level and changes in weather patterns, however conflicts would not inevitable. Regarding the polar regimes both were considered strong, however the Antarctic regime was considered more strong. Examination of the components, especially the resilience and effectiveness of ATS and mutual comparison with the consolidation of the complex Arctic regime justify the conclusion. Finally, this thesis concludes that the conditions for exploitation of natural resources, the effects of climate change on and from the polar regions and the degree of strengthening international regimes established their reveal that the conflicts, although possible is not probable.

Este trabalho analisou o cenário em que está inserida a comercialização de bovinos para abate, no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para isto, foram utilizados dados obtidos através das Guias de Trânsito Animal (GTAs), entre os anos de 2010 (ano em que o sistema informatizado para GTAs foi implantado na Secretaria da Agricultura, Pecuária e Agronegócio - SEAPA) a 2013. Também foram utilizados dados da Declaração Anual de Rebanho, fornecidos pela SEAPA. Um dos diferenciais deste trabalho é esta fonte única, com documentos obrigatórios a todos que comercializam animais e o agrupamento por mesorregião geográfica das informações obtidas. Para o entendimento deste cenário, foram utilizadas como aporte teórico a Teoria da Localização, que considera a otimização da localização de uma firma, e a Organização Industrial, que através do Modelo E-C-D proporciona subsídios para caracterização da concentração em uma indústria. Os resultados mostraram que o número de animais abatidos é diferente entre as mesorregiões geográficas. Os matadouros-frigoríficos recebem animais para abate provenientes da mesorregião geográfica em que se estão localizados, mas também de outras mesorregiões do RS, em diferentes proporções. Nas análises, as mesorregiões geográficas Centro Oriental e Metropolitana destacaram-se pelo maior número de animais abatidos. No entanto, o rebanho nestas mesorregiões ainda não foi o suficiente para a demanda gerada pelo mercado consumidor, que está muito próximo devido as grandes cidades que compõem estas mesorregiões, como Santa Maria e Porto Alegre. A Mesorregião Sudoeste é a terceira que mais abateu animais. A quantidade abatida nesta mesorregião é composta por 74% de animais da própria mesorregião Sudoeste, porém, o seu rebanho foi uma importante fonte de animais para as demais mesorregiões. Neste cenário, o estado do RS apresentou mais de 60 mil ofertantes (pecuaristas) em 2013, e o número de demandantes (matadouros-frigoríficos) chegou a 459. O matadouro-frigorífico que mais abateu em 2010 perdeu participação de mercado até 2013, e frigoríficos menores conseguiram aumentar as suas participações, havendo uma tendência de maior equilíbrio entre as empresas. Não existe concentração na indústria de carne bovina, e as medidas de concentração analisadas mostram índices cada vez menores. / This study analyzed the scenario in which the marketing of cattle for slaughter is inserted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For this, it was used data of Animal Transit Guides (GTAs) for slaughter since 2010 - year that these guides were made available electronically by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Agribusiness (SEAPA) - to 2013. It was also used data from Herd Annual Statement, supplied by SEAPA, which is one of the remarkable points of this paper, the unique and reliable source that was provided with a set of mandatory documents that all cattle sellers must have. Based on information that was founded, it was used the theory of location, considering the optimization of the location of a firm, and the Industrial Organization, through the S-C-P model, focusing on the structure that allows one to see if there was concentration in the industry. The Metropolitan ant Eastern Center Mesoregions are the ones that slaughter the most, having their own production as their raw material. However, these cattle are still not enough for the demand generated by the consumer market, which live close to these centers. The Southwest Mesoregion slaughters a great number of animals, with 74% of these slaughtered cattle coming from their own production and it is still an important source of animals for other Mesoregions. The number of suppliers (farmers) exceeded 60,000 in 2013, and the slaughter houses had reached 459. There is no concentration in the beef industry, and analyzed concentration measurements show dwindling numbers. The most important slaughterhouse in 2010 lost market by 2013, and smaller slaughterhouses were able to increase their holdings, with a trend towards greater balance between companies.