Abstract: Modern readers frequently perceive female characters in Victorian novels as insipid and inane, blaming the static portrayals on the angel in the house stereotype attributed to Coventry Patmore's poem of the same name. The stereotype does not accurately reflect the actual Victorian woman's life, however. Examining how the stereotype evolved and how the middle-class Mid-Victorian woman really lived provides insight into literary devices authors employed either to reinforce the angel ideal or to reconcile the ideal with the real. Wilkie Collins's portrayal of Marian Halcombe in The Woman in White features a dynamic female who has both androgynous characteristics and angel-in-the-house qualities, exemplifying one more paradox in a society riddled with contradictions.

The wheel-rail contact mechanics and dynamics that are of great importance to the railroad industry are evaluated by applying statistical methods to the large volume of data that is collected on the VT-FRA state-of-the-art roller rig. The intent is to use the statistical principles to highlight the relative importance of various factors that exist in practice to longitudinal and lateral tractions and to develop parametric models that can be used for predicting traction in conditions beyond those tested on the rig. The experiment-based models are intended to be an alternative to the classical traction-creepage models that have been available for decades. Various experiments are conducted in different settings on the VT-FRA Roller Rig at the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety at Virginia Tech to study the relationship between the traction forces and the wheel-rail contact variables. The experimental data is used to entertain parametric and non-parametric statistical models that efficiently capture this relationship. The study starts with single regression models and investigates the main effects of wheel load, creepage, and the angle of attack on the longitudinal and lateral traction forces. The assumptions of the classical linear regression model are carefully assessed and, in the case of non-linearities, different transformations are applied to the explanatory variables to find the closest functional form that captures the relationship between the response and the explanatory variables. The analysis is then extended to multiple models in which interaction among the explanatory variables is evaluated using model selection approaches. The developed models are then compared with their non-parametric counterparts, such as support vector regression, in terms of "goodness of fit," out-of-sample performance, and the distribution of predictions. / Master of Science / The interaction between the wheel and rail plays an important role in the dynamic behavior of railway vehicles. The wheel-rail contact has been extensively studied through analytical models, and measuring the contact forces is among the most important outcomes of such models. However, these models typically fall short when it comes to addressing the practical problems at hand. With the development of a high-precision test rig—called the VT-FRA Roller Rig, at the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety (CVeSS)—there is an increased opportunity to tackle the same problems from an entirely different perspective, i.e. through statistical modeling of experimental data. Various experiments are conducted in different settings that represent railroad operating conditions on the VT-FRA Roller Rig, in order to study the relationship between wheel-rail traction and the variables affecting such forces. The experimental data is used to develop parametric and non-parametric statistical models that efficiently capture this relationship. The study starts with single regression models and investigates the main effects of wheel load, creepage, and the angle of attack on the longitudinal and lateral traction forces. The analysis is then extended to multiple models, and the existence of interactions among the explanatory variables is examined using model selection approaches. The developed models are then compared with their non-parametric counterparts, such as support vector regression, in terms of "goodness of fit," out-of-sample performance, and the distribution of the predictions. The study develops regression models that are able to accurately explain the relationship between traction forces, wheel load, creepage, and the angle of attack.

The “Trust to Invest in Early Stage Businesses” is a government project based in a public bank of Paraguay. This “Trust” aims to become the first and the best landmark of “Angel Investor” to foster entrepreneurial culture and help in the development of the stock market and the economy of the country. There is no similar fund in the market, therefore there is no regulation about this type of investment; as a consequence, the “Trust” will start to work with the institutions in charge to establish the basis for this new industry. The special purpose of the “Trust” is to target the most vulnerable of the businesses, the seed and the start-up stages. Those segments are not covered by the banks or any other financial institution. This project is an opportunity for the government to foster the “Inclusive Economic Growth” that is one of the pillars of the “National Development Plan 2014-2030” because start-ups maybe are small companies but they can play a significant role in the economic growth. I believe that the “Trust” will receive back his investment with profit, so, there will be more money to invest in early stage businesses and the cycle will continue.

Submitted by Setor de Tratamento da Informa??o - BC/PUCRS (tede2@pucrs.br) on 2015-06-10T12:57:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 470260 - Texto Completo.pdf: 936714 bytes, checksum: b12b9576b3d9ed54a16c6ec463e42d0c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-10T12:57:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 470260 - Texto Completo.pdf: 936714 bytes, checksum: b12b9576b3d9ed54a16c6ec463e42d0c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-01-01 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / This dissertation aims to study power and genre in three Latin American novels: Mister President, by Miguel ?ngel Asturias, His Excellency, the Ambassador, by Erico Verissimo and A women?s country, by Gioconda Belli. Dealing with the definition of concepts of the literary field of Guatemala, Brazil and Nicaragua, from the year of publication of the analyzed works, the textual analyses are directed towards the perception of the way power stablishes itself under the form of dictatorship oppression in Latin America, and how female characters are presented in these narratives according to this oppression. There is also the identification of the speeches of possible worlds of equality and social justice in Latin America, as produced by the authors. / O objetivo dessa disserta??o ? o estudo dos temas poder e g?nero em tr?s romances latino-americanos: O Senhor Presidente, de Miguel ?ngel Asturias; O Senhor Embaixador, de Erico Verissimo; e O Pa?s das mulheres, de Gioconda Belli. Tratando de definir os conceitos de campo liter?rio da Guatemala, do Brasil e da Nicar?gua, a partir do ano de publica??o das obras estudadas, as an?lises textuais se direcionam ? percep??o de como o poder se estabelece sob forma de opress?o nas ditaduras das Am?ricas, e de como as personagens femininas se apresentam nessas narrativas segundo essa opress?o, al?m da identifica??o dos discursos dos mundos poss?veis de igualdade e de justi?a social na Am?rica Latina, produzidos pelos autores.

In 2001, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints announced in an opening statement at General Conference, "The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared," he then quoted the KJV of Joel 2:28–32. Throughout the remaining six and a half years of his life, he provided no commentary on the fulfillment of this passage. Fulfillment of the passage is also referenced in the standard works for The LDS Church in Joseph Smith—History (JS—H 1:41) and in the New Testament (Acts 2:17–21). An array of publications before and after President Hinckley's statement, comment on the fulfillment of Joel 2:28–32. This thesis is not another voice commenting on the fulfillment of Joel's ancient message. However, in the many statements made on the fulfillment of Joel 2:28–32 a gap exists, in that, no study has been conducted looking specifically at the perceptions and all of the statements of Joseph Smith on the fulfillment of this passage. This thesis seeks to fill that gap. In this thesis I contend that Joseph Smith did not believe that Joel 2:28–32 had ever been fulfilled prior to his lifetime, and that Joseph utilized the prophecy and its fulfillment as a form of motivation for his followers to preach, gather, and build up Zion. Chapter one summarizes some of the history of Christianity's view of fulfillment of Joel 2:28–32. Because Joseph Smith was not raised in a vacuum, chapter two unfolds the Christian commentary on Joel's prophecy found in Bibles produced in the antebellum era that Joseph Smith lived in. Chapter three elucidates the beliefs about the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy which two contemporary Christians had—Alexander Campbell and William Miller—to show how distinct Joseph Smith's teachings and beliefs were in his time–period. Chapter four provides every documented statement Joseph Smith made on Joel's prophecy, and every primary allusion that points back to Joel 2:28–32. It provides analysis to show what connections Joseph did and did not make with fulfillment of Joel 2:28–32 and shows that Joel 2:28–32 was one of the several primary scriptural texts for the restoration. Chapter five demonstrates that other early leaders within Joseph's church also saw the fulfillment of Joel taking place in their day and as a part of their experiences. This thesis shows that Joseph Smith did not consider the fulfillment of Joel on a single occasion, as many of his predecessors and contemporaries had, but through publications and sermons he produced a more thorough structure of belief's regarding its place in the world and especially his church than any other up–start evangelical Christian leader in the antebellum era. He produced a number of revelations, which quote the unique language of Joel. He also pointed people to the ongoing fulfillment of the passage multiple times between 1830 and 1839, showing that he did not believe that fulfillment would come in a specific singular event.

This thesis used theories of historical memory studies to examine the ways in which the American writer/director/showrunner Joss Whedon uses American memories, particularly those associated with American experiences in the Civil War and World War II, in his works of fictional, genre television and film. Emphasis was placed on the manner in which Whedon engages in the construction of popular memory, how his work challenges and/or reinforces existing memory narratives, and how Whedon uses historical memories to comment on and influence political, social, and cultural issues in the present. This investigation shows how at least certain productions of American popular culture are increasingly dominant forces in the construction of public memory. The major theoretical underpinnings of this examination are provided by the works of John Bodnar, Richard Slotkin, and Jeanine Basinger.

This document represents an initial endeavor in a long-lasting aspiration to pursue the study and collection of Latin American choral literature. This essay compiles the most complete and current catalogue possible of choral works written by nine Venezuelan composers born in the twentieth century and presents it in a simple and accessible format so it can be used by a variety of school teachers, choral conductors, church musicians, college directors, and professional musicians. Each composer entry presents a brief biographical note and a list of works organized in alphabetical order. The annotation for each composition includes information in eighteen categories. It also includes an extensive list of biographical resources. In addition, a list of terms and definitions of folkloric and traditional genres will help the reader understand the diversity of Venezuelan musical styles and dances; there is some additional information with regard to performance practice.

Master Evil plans to rule the earth and set up his evil empire so that all may worship and adore him. However, six teenagers discover six crosses that have powers that will help them defeat the evil that will soon cross their path. Each cross possesses a quality of God that each of these teenagers must develop in order to stop Master Evil: faith, peace, salvation, truth, righteousness, and the Spirit. These six teenagers pose as a threat to Master Evil's plans, and he'll stop at nothing to defeat them and rule the world. It is the ultimate battle between good and evil. These six young people must have faith themselves and each other, but most importantly, they must have faith in God in order to defeat the ultimate evil.

Emma Eriksson and Christina Henriksson: Mirror mirror on the wall: A study on how ballad texts reflect women as carriers of tradition in nineteenth century Sweden, Växjö: Musikvetenskap C, 10 p 2005. The aim of this essay is to analyze relations between ballad texts and the lives of female carriers of tradition in nineteenth century Sweden. Four carriers of tradition have been chosen, connected by being informants to Gunnar Olof Hyltén Cavallius, a collector of medieval ballads in Sweden around 1850. The four women are Anna Ehrenström (1786-1857), Catarina Andersdotter (1792-1857), Johanna Gustafva Angel (1791-1869) och Wendela Hebbe (1808-1899). Their lives are seen from a women’s historical perspective. Although there are uncertainties regarding to what extent the collected repertoire of the four women reflects their repertoire as a whole, some conclusions can be drawn regarding relations between remaining ballads and their lives as women. These relations are traced in textual themes and in textual form (e.g. repetition of words and phrases). The closeness between life situation, and choice and shape of ballad texts, leads us to conclude that these occurrences are due to deliberate choices, and that the ballad text thus mirror the lives of these women.

<p>Emma Eriksson and Christina Henriksson: Mirror mirror on the wall: A study on how ballad texts reflect women as carriers of tradition in nineteenth century Sweden, Växjö: Musikvetenskap C, 10 p 2005.</p><p>The aim of this essay is to analyze relations between ballad texts and the lives of female carriers of tradition in nineteenth century Sweden. Four carriers of tradition have been chosen, connected by being informants to Gunnar Olof Hyltén Cavallius, a collector of medieval ballads in Sweden around 1850. The four women are Anna Ehrenström (1786-1857), Catarina Andersdotter (1792-1857), Johanna Gustafva Angel (1791-1869) och Wendela Hebbe (1808-1899). Their lives are seen from a women’s historical perspective.</p><p>Although there are uncertainties regarding to what extent the collected repertoire of the four women reflects their repertoire as a whole, some conclusions can be drawn regarding relations between remaining ballads and their lives as women. These relations are traced in textual themes and in textual form (e.g. repetition of words and phrases). The closeness between life situation, and choice and shape of ballad texts, leads us to conclude that these occurrences are due to deliberate choices, and that the ballad text thus mirror the lives of these women.</p>