Nesta tese investiga-se uma nova abordagem visando implementar os conceitos propostos na Teoria da Evidencia para fins de classificação de imagens digitais em Sensoriamento Remoto. Propõe-se aqui a utilização de variáveis auxiliares, estruturadas na forma de Planos de Informação (P.I.s) como em um SIG para gerar dados de confiança e de plausibilidade. São então aplicados limiares aos dados de confiança e de plausibilidade, com a finalidade de detectar erros de inclusão e de omissão, respectivamente, na imagem temática. Propõe-se nesta tese que estes dois limiares sejam estimados em função das acurácias do usuário e do produtor. A metodologia proposta nesta tese foi testada em uma área teste, coberta pela classe Mata Nativa com Araucária. O experimento mostrou que a metodologia aqui proposta atinge seus objetivos. / In this thesis we investigate a new approach to implement concepts developed by the Theory of Evidence to Remote Sensing digital image classification. In the proposed approach auxiliary variables are structured as layers in a GIS-like format to produce layers of belief and plausibility. Thresholds are applied to the layers of belief and plausibility to detect errors of commission and omission, respectively on the thematic image. The thresholds are estimated as functions of the user’s and producer’s accuracy. Preliminary tests were performed over an area covered by natural forest with Araucaria, showing some promising results.

The period of Ottoman rule, pejoratively termed the ‘Turkish yoke’, is often regarded in the Balkans – a region divided by quests for self-definition – as a period of darkness and suffering. Given the paucity of South Slavic historical records, scholars have sought to corroborate evidence of the ‘yoke’ in ‘historical paratexts’, fragmentary records of historical events to be found in the margins of Church Slavonic manuscripts and early printed books. With the Ottoman Empire on the verge of collapse in the first decades of the twentieth century, scholars and folklorists from the several splintered nations that form the Balkans became very interested in archiving and compiling these paratextual materials into published compendia, a trend which continues up to the present day. They believed that conserving these presumed eyewitness testimonials would preserve the core of the nation, an idea that has been transmitted largely unchallenged. These paratexts are seen as ‘writing from below’ which records facts about the suffering brought about by Ottoman rule. Present scholarship in the Balkans has interpreted ‘znatise’ (‘let it be known’), the formulaic expression that announces some of these annotations, as indicative of a self-conscious tendency to create historically truthful records of the South Slavs under Ottoman rule. However, one only needs to sift through these various records to be struck by the repetitions and the limited scope of the patterns that pervade a majority of these inscriptions as opposed to the range of observations that could be expected to result from an autobiographical impulse. This thesis accounts for these patterns and challenges the dominant interpretation of these paratexts by locating them within the larger writing traditions to which they belonged. By interrogating the relationship between paratextual writing and Church Slavonic historiography, this study provides an alternative framework which explains and brings together sources that have otherwise been left disparate and scattered. The formula ‘let it be known’ is to be understood not as testimony but rather as apocalyptic prophecy. The thesis demonstrates that historical paratexts mainly recorded those events -- such as natural disaster, famine, the outbreak of disease and celestial phenomena -- that were understood as portents and figured in apocalyptic literature. In this light, the clergy’s tone towards the military successes and the Ottoman reign is shown to be determined by an apocalyptic understanding of history. We also see how South Slavic attitudes towards the Ottomans were diverse with references to the Sultan ranging from ‘son of perdition’ (Antichrist) to ‘Tsar’ depending on the political relations between a diocese and the Ottoman administration. The thesis also provides new readings of three important paratextual accounts: (i) Monk Isaija’s colophon of 1371 (ii) Deacon Dimitar’s colophon of 1466 and (iii) the self-narratives of Mihail of Kratovo written between 1649 and 1660. The labels of ‘truthfulness’, ‘factuality’, and ‘sincerity’ that have been attributed to these first person accounts are questioned by demonstrating the socially strategic and ambiguous nature of these paratexts.

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Nossas análises de dados de sequenciamento de DNA metagenômico sugerem que a torta de filtro armazenada por 40 dias possui uma microbiota com características funcionais e ecológicas exclusivas em relação a outros ambientes com elevada disposição de material lignocelulósico. Assim como em ambientes de compostagem, os filos mais abundantes são Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes e Bacteroidetes. Dentre os principais genes que estes micro-organismos possuem, estão Glicosiltransferases, Carboidrato Esterases e Glicosil Hidrolases, que atuando em conjunto, são passíveis de desconstruírem a lignocelulose e participarem na liberação de açúcares menores, ácidos orgânicos e outros nutrientes. Neste trabalho, identificamos novas enzimas da família AA10 que oxidam a celulose cristalina, demostrando o potencial deste ambiente em possibilitar a adaptação de micro-organismos que expressam enzimas capazes de desestruturar a celulose altamente condensada, possibilitando a liberação de moléculas de glicose. A comunidade microbiana pode acessar nutrientes como Fósforo e Nitrogênio através da despolimerização da biomassa vegetal ou decomposição da microbiota morta. No ciclo biogeoquímico do nitrogênio, a evaporação de amônia é reduzida pela assimilação desta substância pela comunidade microbiana, sendo que a amônia é produzida pela via de amonificação de nitrato e nitrito. Outro ciclo biogeoquímico identificado na torta de filtro foi o do carbono, ocorrendo diminuição da emissão de metano e gás carbônico devido ao uso destas moléculas no metabolismo microbiano. Por apresentar muitas espécies de micro-organismos termofílicos e funções ecológicas similares a compostagens que alcançaram fase termofílica, a torta de filtro armazenada por 40 dias não aparenta conter micro-organismos patogênicos em elevada abundância, o que poderia ser um indício de sua segurança biológica se usado como adubo no solo. No entanto, recomenda-se que novos estudos sejam realizados neste tipo de ambiente agrícola, afim de avaliar como se comportam principalmente os fungos Neosartorya fumigata e Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, os quais são identificados como agentes patogênicos mas que também são encontrados vivendo na natureza como organismos saprofíticos e em interação com alguns mamíferos, sem causar doença. / The filter cake presents residual bagasse from the process of extracting the sugarcane juice and when stored for long periods, it becomes an ideal habitat for the development of microbial communities that act in the deconstruction of lignocellulose. Our analyzes of metagenomic DNA sequencing data suggest that the filter cake stored for 40 days has a microbiota with unique functional and ecological characteristics compared to other environments with high lignocellulosic material. Thus in composting environments, the most abundant phyla are Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Glycosyltransferases, Carbohydrate Estersases and Glycoside Hydrolases, which act together, are capable of deconstructing lignocellulose and participate in the release of smaller sugars, organic acids and other nutrients. In this work, we identify new enzymes of the AA10 family that oxidize crystalline cellulose, demonstrating the potential of this environment to enable the adaptation of microorganisms that express enzymes capable of destabilizing highly condensed cellulose, allowing the release of glucose molecules. The microbial community can access nutrients such as Phosphorus and Nitrogen through the depolymerization of the plant biomass or decomposition of the dead microbiota. In the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen, the evaporation of ammonia is reduced by the assimilation of this substance by the microbial community, and ammonia is produced by ammonification of nitrate and nitrite. Another biogeochemical cycle identified in the filter cake was that of carbon, with a decrease in the emission of methane and carbon dioxide due to the use of these molecules in microbial metabolism. Because it contains many species of thermophilic microorganisms and ecological functions similar to composting that reached the thermophilic phase, the filter cake stored for 40 days does not appear to contain pathogenic microorganisms in high abundance, which could be an indication of its biological safety if used as soil fertilizer. However, it is recommended that new studies be carried out in this type of agricultural environment, in order to evaluate the behavior of the fungi Neosartorya fumigata and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which are identified as pathogens but are also found living in nature as saprophytic organisms and in interaction with some mammals, without causing disease.

Today’s surveys face a growing problem with increasing nonresponse.  The increase in nonresponse rate causes a need for better and more effective ways to reduce the nonresponse bias.  There are three major scientific orientation of today’s research dealing with nonresponse. One is examining the social factors, the second one studies different data collection methods and the third investigating the use of weights to adjust estimators for nonresponse.  We would like to contribute to the third orientation by evaluating estimators which use and adjust weights based on auxiliary variables to balance the survey nonresponse through simulations. For the simulation we use an artificial population consisting of 35455 participants from the Representativity Indicators for Survey Quality project. We model three nonresponse mechanisms (MCAR, MAR and MNAR) with three different coefficient of determination s between our study variable and the auxiliary variables and under three response rates resulting in 63 simulation scenarios. The scenarios are replicated 1000 times to acquire the results. We outline our findings and results for each estimator in all scenarios with the help of bias measures.

A demanda por fontes renováveis de energia juntamente com o esgotamento das reservas de combustíveis fósseis e do aquecimento global tem despertado grande interesse. A degradação da biomassa lignocelulósica para a produção de biocombustíveis tem se revelado uma alternativa viável, contudo tem enfrentado desafios em função de sua recalcitrância. Novos preparados enzimáticos envolvendo não só celulases com mecanismo hidrolítico, mas também proteínas com atividade auxiliares têm sido desenvolvidas e comercializadas. Contudo a adição de enzimas oxidativas nestes coquetéis ainda é passível de desenvolvimento e otimização. Nesse âmbito, o objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar três possíveis abordagens para a resolução desse problema. A primeira através do isolamento de fungos filamentosos de compostagem com o intuito de obter novas enzimas com função oxidativa. A segunda, constituiu o estudo de sinergismo de uma enzima acessória da família GH43 com o coquetel enzimático industrial Accellerase e a terceira no estudo da enzima oxidativa monooxigenases lítica de polissacarídeo (Lpmo) assim como sua interação sinérgica com uma endoglucanase de Trichoderma harzianum. A atividade celulolítica dos fungos foi determinada por análise do halo hidrolítico, assim como por reações enzimáticas utilizando substratos específicos. Os potenciais fungos produtores de enzimas oxidativas foram identificados por amplificação e sequenciamento da região ITS3. Dezesseis fungos foram isolados e testados, destes três apresentaram atividade positiva para a enzima lacase. O sequenciamento revelou que todos os fungos pertencem à mesma espécie patogênica Scedosporium prolificans, A enzima BlAbn1 (GH43) foi expressa em células de E. coli (BL21) e purificada para análise do sinergismo com o coquetel enzimático Accellerase em diferentes condições como sinergismo sequencial ou simultâneo, diferentes pH´s, tempo de reação e concentração enzimática. No sinergismo simultâneo e análises em pH 5 e pH 8 a taxa de sinergismo encontrada foi muito baixa apenas 4 %. Contudo no sinergismo sequencial com diferentes tempos e concentrações enzimáticas foi encontrado um aumento de 30 % na liberação de açúcares redutores na reação de 20 horas, mostrando que há ação sinérgica. O estudo da enzima oxidativa Lpmo foi realizado utilizando a enzima purificada após expressão heteróloga em Aspergillus nidulans. Análises com diferentes substratos e doadores de elétrons assim como sinergismo com uma endoglucanases foram realizados. Ácido ascórbico e pirogalol apresentaram-se como doadores de elétrons utilizando celulose amorfa (PASC), xilano e arabinoxilano como substratos. Ação sinérgica entre a endoglucanase e Lpmo foi observada, apresentando um aumento na liberação de açúcares redutores na ordem de 15 %. Em habitats naturais os microrganismos produtores de enzimas hidrolíticas e auxiliares apresentam ação sinérgica como demonstrado para enzimas da família GH43 com coquetéis enzimáticos e de enzimas oxidativas com endoglucanases. Este efeito pode ser explorado e utilizado na melhora da composição dos coquetéis enzimáticos dedicados á produção de biocombustíveis lignocelulósicos. / The demand for renewable energy sources coupled with the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and global warming has aroused great interest. The degradation of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of biofuels has proved to be a viable alternative, however it has faced challenges due to its recalcitrance. New enzymatic preparations involving not only cellulases with a hydrolytic mechanism, but also proteins with an auxiliary activity have been developed and commercialized. However the addition of oxidative enzymes in these cocktails is still amenable to development and optimization. In this context, the objective of this work was to analyze three possible approaches to solve this problem. The first one through the isolation of filamentous fungi from composting in order to obtain new enzymes with oxidative function. The second was the synergism study of an accessory enzyme of the GH43 family with the industrial enzymatic cocktail Accellerase and the third in the study of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (Lpmo) oxidative enzyme as well as its synergistic interaction with a Trichoderma harzianum endoglucanase. The cellulolytic activity of the fungi was determined by analysis of the hydrolytic halo, as well as by enzymatic reactions using specific substrates. Potential fungi producing oxidative enzymes were identified by amplification and sequencing of the ITS3 region. Sixteen fungi were isolated and tested, of these three showed positive activity for the lacase enzyme. Sequencing revealed that all fungi belong to the same pathogenic species Scedosporium prolificans. The enzyme BlAbn1 (GH43) was expressed in E. coli cells (BL21) and purified for synergism analysis with the enzymatic cocktail Accellerase under different conditions such as sequential synergism or Different pH, reaction time and enzymatic concentration. In simultaneous synergism and analyzes at pH 5 and pH 8 the synergism rate found was very low, only 4%. However in the sequential synergism with different times and enzymatic concentrations a 30% increase in the release of reducing sugars in the reaction of 20 hours was found, showing that there is synergistic action. The study of the oxidative enzyme Lpmo was performed using the enzyme purified after heterologous expression in Aspergillus nidulans. Analyzes with different substrates and electron donors as well as synergism with an endoglucanase were performed. Ascorbic acid and pyrogallol were presented as electron donors using amorphous cellulose (PASC), xylan and arabino-xylan as substrates. Synergistic action between endoglucanase and Lpmo was observed, with an increase in the release of reducing sugars approximately 15%. In natural habitats, the microorganisms producing hydrolytic and auxiliary enzymes present synergistic action as demonstrated for enzymes of the GH43 family with enzymatic cocktails and oxidative enzymes with endoglucanases. This effect can be exploited and used in improving the composition of the enzymatic cocktails dedicated to the production of lignocellulosic biofuels.

Orientador: Euclides de Mesquita Neto / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T22:28:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Labaki_Josue_M.pdf: 3947759 bytes, checksum: c5da0923c5de9a3144d7bb1d71187a9e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Estados auxiliares são soluções analíticas ou numéricas para operadores matemáticos, sujeitas às condições de contorno de um determinado problema da física matemática. Embora a solução de tais estados tenha aplicação prática limitada a problemas elementares, pode ser utilizada para resolver problemas reais de engenharia através de formulações como o Método dos Elementos de Contorno (MEC). Neste trabalho, usa-se a linguagem Fortran para implementar uma formulação indireta do MEC, utilizando um estado auxiliar viscoelastodinâmico não-singular, com o objetivo de analisar problemas de domínios limitados ou ilimitados, sujeitos a carregamentos estacionários, discretizados somente no contorno por elementos retangulares, constantes e descontínuos. Valida-se minuciosamente uma implementação para este estado auxiliar, e para isso desenvolve-se um estudo sobre quais são, como utilizar e quais as limitações das fontes de validação disponíveis para este tipo de problema. Ao fim, compara se alguns resultados obtidos com o programa em Fortran frente às respostas clássicas da bibliografia para problemas dinâmicos de barra, viga e domínios ilimitados. / Abstract: Auxiliary states are numerical or analytical solutions for mathematical operators, subjected to the boundary conditions of a given problem. Although the solution of these states has its utility limited to elementary problems, it can be used to solve a more real sort of engineering problems through formulations such as the Boundary Element Method (BEM). This work describes an implementation of BEM's Indirect formulation, based on a non-singular, viscoelastodynamic auxiliary state, aiming the analysis of both limited- and unlimited-domain problems, subjected to stationary loadings. The problem is modeled by means of constant, discontinuous, rectangular boundary elements. The present implementation for the viscoelastodynamic auxiliary state is carefully validated. For this purpose, this work also describes a study on validation sources for this kind of states, including their uses and limitations. The final program, written in the Fortran programming language, is used to analyze classic elementary engineering problems, such as bars and beams, and also the case of unlimited domains. / Mestrado / Mecanica dos Sólidos e Projeto Mecanico / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

A number of books in recent years have analysed the reasons behind R.B.Haldane's radical decision to create a home defence auxiliary designed to replace the Militia, Yeomanry and Rifle Volunteers. Rather than cover again material which has already been extensively examined, this study concentrates on the formation of the several auxiliary bodies which were intended to assist the new Territorial Force in its defence of mainland Britain. The thesis also looks at the dynamics which, in 1914, prompted the spontaneous emergence of another, unofficial auxiliary, the Volunteer Training Corps. Regarded with disdain and contempt by the War Office, the VTC, later the Volunteer Force, was used by the political authorities as a means by which the civilian population could, without excessive government expenditure, be encouraged to take an active part in the defence of its country. The Volunteer Force developed into a recognized body of part-time auxiliary soldiers which became, in time, intimately involved with the workings of the tribunal system and with the concepts of total war and universal sacrifice. In contrast to the military authorities' distrust of the Volunteers, the Government decided that political expediency demanded it partially support and eventually fund the movement. Although awarded a post-war certificate of appreciation, the Volunteers were denied any real official recognition of their patriotism and commitment. Research into Britain's auxiliary forces of the early twentieth century has largely ignored the contribution of the National Reserve, Corps of Guides, Royal Defence Corps and the Volunteer Force: their existence has occasionally been acknowledged but there has been no adequate study of the role of these bodies in the context of what some historians regard as a nation-in-arms. An examination of government documents, the papers of individuals closely involved in home defence and, in particular, the minute books of the County Territorial Associations, has revealed a sometimes bizarre and occasionally bewildering picture of Government and War Office contradictions. By unravelling the nature and complications of the political and military difficulties involved in raising and maintaining Britain's auxiliary forces, this thesis attempts to develop recent research on the character, controversies and contribution of Britain's part-time amateur soldiers.

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has received much attention over several decades. This research aimed at investigating the impact of CSR on organisational brand value. This thesis conceptualises CSR using the stakeholder theory approach as a brand building tool to increase organisational brand value emphasising the strategic importance of CSR and its potential to create mutually beneficial outcomes for organisations and their stakeholders. This thesis proposes that firms can gain increased organisational brand value and enjoy superior performance by incorporating CSR as an integral component of their corporate brand building strategy. A new and empirically tested CSR-brand strength-organisational brand value conceptual framework was developed in this thesis. The data was analysed to identify the significant relationships amongst these three main variables using the structural equation model (SEM) PLS.The first round of data collected were qualitative and was subjected to content analysis. It comprised of responses from the general public, customers, academic and industry practitioners. The results pointed out that most respondents understood what CSR is about and were aware of Vodafone‘s CSR activities in Ghana. They also indicated that culture has an effect on organisational CSR practice and CSR practice is more proactive in the Western world. The purpose of the second round of data analysis was twofold: to perform confirmatory factor analysis for each of the 65 variable in the model; and to use the structural equation model to examine the hypothesised relationships between CSR, brand strength and organisational brand value. By using the discriminant validity correlation matrix table, a positive relationship between all the variables of brand strength and organisational brand value was established. However, no evidence was found to support the mediating effect of brand awareness, on organisational brand value when SEM was used. Importantly, of the seven variables of brand strength only brand awareness did not significantly contribute to organisational brand value. Moreover, brand knowledge was found to make the greatest contribution to organisational brand value. In summary, this thesis argues that the results support the proposition that CSR has a direct and positive impact on organisational brand value, therefore management of firms in the telecommunications industry in Ghana can use CSR to increase organisational brand value if they incorporate CSR activities appropriately into their brand building efforts. This thesis concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and provides recommendations for future research.

This research explores the interactions of people across cultures. It looks into how cultural distinctiveness and cultural characteristics may serve as a strategic resource for organisations. The research investigates whether the sustained success of South East Asian Airlines in achieving high levels of customer satisfaction is influenced by the application of distinctive cultural traditions and values in the delivery of customer service. Given that this service is delivered by a predominantly female workforce, the research explores cabin crew behaviours and values in relation to assumptions about gender roles that are found within the airline industry generally and South-East Asian cultures specifically. The research is based on a case study of one company, Thai Airways. A triangulated methodology was applied, using a mixture of company documentation, observations and semi-structured interviews. The research aims to inform our understanding of the service interface in a cross-cultural airline environment. Of particular emphasis in this study is the connection between spiritual, cultural values and traditional gender roles within Thai society, which has an impact on the relationship between passengers and cabin crew. The thesis illustrates how the understanding of the relationship between national cultures and individual characteristics can be refined through the use of a conceptual framework. The findings imply that traditional Thai cultural values underpinned by Buddhist spirituality play a part in shaping the way cabin crew think about their work. These influences help them to respond positively to company policy, which in turn can help to achieve Thai Airways’ corporate goals. This synergy between company policy, national culture and spirituality may shape the quality of the service and help to create customer satisfaction. The findings demonstrate that there is a relationship between the satisfaction of basic Thai female needs and work-life balance. Thai cabin crews who work in a female environment tend to balance their career, finances and family so that these needs are met.

L’étude du système verbal du tibétain littéraire présente un intérêt typologique à plus d’un titre. D’une part, elle permet d’observer l’évolution du système verbal, notamment les constructions avec un auxiliaire et les connecteurs verbaux, sur une période de plus de mille ans. Cette langue classique a l’avantage d’avoir quasiment préservé la même orthographe au cours de cette très longue période. J’ai choisi de me concentrer sur la période du quinzième siècle en choisissant pour corpus principal une œuvre très célèbre : la biographie de Milarépa. J’ai ensuite comparé le système verbal de cette période avec le tibétain littéraire contemporain. La principale raison qui a motivé cette étude, est l’émergence en tibétain moyen d’un système d’auxiliaires indiquant l’évidentialité, c'est-à-dire la grammaticalisation de la source épistémologique et de l’accès à l’information. Le tibétain est la seule langue littéraire d’Asie ayant une grande ancienneté qui ait développé un système verbal évidentiel complexe. Outre l’étude de la sémantique grammaticale, la deuxième motivation à l’origine de cette étude est la syntaxe des constructions avec un auxiliaire et des connecteurs du tibétain moyen et leur évolution en tibétain littéraire contemporain. Les données du tibétain littéraire et les analyses synchronique et diachronique sont susceptibles d’apporter une contribution à la typologie aussi bien en ce qui concerne l’évidentialité et les modalités épistémiques qu’en ce qui concerne la syntaxe des auxiliaires et des connecteurs. / The analysis of the literary Tibetan verb system is an object of typological interest for several reasons. Firstly, it allows us to look at the evolution of the verb system notably auxiliary verb constructions and clause linking during a period of more than a thousand years. Classical Tibetan has the advantage of having preserved almost the same orthography during this very long period of time. I decided to focus on the fifteenth century by selecting a well-known book as a main corpus: the Life of Milarepa. I then compared the verb system of this period with contemporary literary Tibetan. The main reason for this study is to better understand the emergence of an auxiliary verb system in middle Tibetan which marks evidentiality, that is to say the grammaticalization of the epistemological source and the access to information. Literary Tibetan is the only language in Asia with an ancient history which has developed a complex evidential verb system. Apart from the analysis of grammatical semantics, the second reason for this study is my interest in the syntax of auxiliary verb constructions and of clause linking in middle Tibetan and their evolution in contemporary Tibe! tan. My data on literary Tibetan and my synchronic and diachronic analysis may make a significant contribution to the typological studies of evidentiality and epistemic modality as well as of the syntax of auxiliary verb constructions and clause linking.