The central bank is not able to further ease monetary conditions once it ex- hausts the space for managing short-term policy rate. Then it has to turn its attention to unconventional measures. The thesis provides a discussion about the suitability of different unconventional policy tools in the Czech situation while the foreign exchange (FX) interventions have proven to be the most appropriate choice. A New Keynesian small open economy DSGE model estimated for the Czech Republic is enhanced to model the FX interventions and to compare dif- ferent monetary policy rules at the zero lower bound (ZLB). The thesis provides three main findings. First, the volatility of the real and nominal macroeconomic variables is magnified in the response to the domestic demand shock, the for- eign financial shock and the foreign inflation shock. Second, the volatility of prices decreases significantly if the central bank adopts price-level or exchange rate targeting rule. Third, intervening to fix the nominal exchange rate on some particular target or to correct a misalignment of the real exchange rate from its fundamentals serves as a good stabilizer of prices while intervening to smooth the nominal exchange rate movements increases the overall macroeconomic volatility at the ZLB. 1

This thesis focuses on the transfer of Czech linguistic and cultural characteristics through English subtitles. Using four Oscar-nominated Czech films, it endeavours to explain to what extent English subtitles can influence and assist the understanding and artistic values of a Czech feature film when screened to a foreign audience. The paper is of a theoretical- empirical nature. Firstly, the parameters of audiovisual translation are described, together with the technical and linguistic features of subtitling, followed by a definition of culture-bound references categories. As part of the research, Western understanding and appreciation of Czech artistic heritage is summarised. The empirical part presents an analysis of culture- bound references transfer. Excerpts are taken from the Czech films The Wild Bees (Divoké včely), Up and Down (Horem pádem), Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat) and I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále). The results of the analysis are contrasted with a survey on the reception of The Wild Bees film conducted with native speakers of English. Keywords audiovisual translation (AVT), subtitling, ideological and aesthetic reception, culture-bound references, Oscar, Czech feature film

While traditionally underrepresented groups are attaining degrees at a higher rate than ever before, these students still receive bachelor’s degrees at significantly lower rates than other groups of students (Avery & Kane, 2004; Wilds, 2000). As a result of the educational attainment gap in the United States, precollege outreach programs have been established to provide resources for underrepresented youth to aid them in completing a post-secondary degree. Current research focuses on these participants’ college enrollment and, as a result, minimal information is available to describe these programs and their outcomes concerning students’ first year experience and college success (Hooker & Brand, 2009; Orr et al., 2007; Swail & Perna, 2002; Yeung, 2010). Framed around resiliency theory, this phenomenological study exams college access program alumni’s acclimation process into a four-year, post-secondary institution. Through the data analysis, four essentials features emerged: 1) Program Connections as External Factors, 2) Connections as External Factors in the College Setting, 3) Determination, Self-Advocacy and Willingness to Try New Things as Internal Protective Factors, and 4) Nurturing College Knowledge. Recommendations are shared to further the program in being a degree attainment intervention, in addition to a college access strategy. These include: providing development to educators in behavior management and inclusion, integrating parent involvement throughout the curriculum, providing continual support to alumni and establishing stronger partnerships with surrounding colleges. As a result of this study, leaders in secondary and post-secondary education as well as policymakers are able to gain insight on how Upward Bound services in Louisiana can nurture external and internal protective factors of resiliency that assist participants in embracing constructive responses to stressors in the first year of college.

No description available.

Energy systems with a high portion of renewable energy from wind and solar power can suffer from fluctuations in production due to weak winds or cloudy weather, which may affect the electricity price. When producing heat and power in a combined heat and power plant, an additional heat storage tank can be used to store the heat surplus which is obtained when the power production is high, and the heat demand is low. To optimize heat and power production economically, short-term planning can be applied. Short-term planning covers the production in the near future of 1-3 days. The optimization in this degree project is based on the district heating production, which means that the heating demand always needs to be fulfilled. The district heating production is based on the weather. Therefore a suitable period for simulation is three days due to the accuracy of the weather forecasts are reasonable. The optimization is performed on the district heat system in Gävle, Sweden. The system comprises several different production units, such as combined heat and power plants, backup plants, and industrial waste heat recovery. Two different models are made, one using linear programming and one using mixed integer non-linear programming. The model stated as a linear programming problem is not as accurate as of the one stated as a mixed integer non-linear programming problem which uses binary variables. Historical input data from Bomhus Energi AB, a company owned together by the local heat and power supplier Gävle Energi AB and the pulp and paper manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs AB, was given to simulate different scenarios. The different scenarios have various average temperatures and in some scenarios are there some issues with the pulp and paper industry affecting the waste heat recovery. In all scenarios is the heat storage tank charged when the demand is low and then discharged when the demand increases to avoid starting some of the more expensive backup plants if possible. The simulation time varies a lot between the two approaches, from a couple of seconds to several hours. Particularly when observing scenarios with a rather high demand since the backup generators use binary variables which take a lot of time to solve.

O aproveitamento da energia luminosa por bactérias que produzem hidrogenases poderia aumentar a eficiência do processo de produção de biohidrogênio. Neste trabalho, foi realizada a clonagem do gene que codifica a proteorrodopsina (PR) do isolado metagenômico SAR86 num plasmídeo de expressão para bactérias Gram-negativas. PR é uma proteína ligada ao cromóforo retinal, que, sob iluminação, promove o efluxo de prótons através da membrana celular. O excesso de prótons na face externa da membrana pode servir como substrato para a hidrogenase, resultando em maior eficiência na produção de hidrogênio (2H+ + 2e→ H2). O plasmídeo contendo o gene da PR foi utilizado na transformação genética das bactérias Cupriavidus necator e Escherichia coli, que produzem diversas hidrogenases. Enquanto a PR não se mostrou funcional em C. necator, na linhagem recombinante de E. coli, cultivada em presença de luz e retinal, foi obtido um aumento de até 2,17 vezes na produção de H2 em relação ao cultivo no escuro, desde que a linhagem estivesse produzindo a hidrogenase endógena HYD-4. / The utilization of light energy by hydrogenase producing bacteria could increase the efficiency of the biohydrogen production process. In the present work, the gene coding for proteorhodopsin (PR) of the SAR86 metagenomic lineage was cloned in an expression plasmid for Gram-negative bacteria. PR is an apoprotein linked to the chromophore retinal, which, upon illumination, promotes proton efflux across the cell membrane. The excess of protons on the plasma membrane surface may serve as a substrate for hydrogenases, resulting in a higher efficiency of hydrogen production (2H+ + 2e→ H2). The plasmid containing the PR gene was used to transform the Gram-negative bacteria Cupriavidus necator and Escherichia coli which produce several hydrogenases. Whereas PR did not display functionality in C. necator, in the recombinant E. coli cells, grown under illumination in the presence of retinal, an enhancement up to 2.17 fold in H2 production was found, relative to cells grown under darkness, provided that the cells were expressing the endogenous HYD-4 hydrogenase.

Nesta tese obtemos, de um ponto de vista matemáticamente rigoroso, a parte inferior do espectro de energia-momento de dois modelos de teorias quânticas de campo com tempo imaginário em redes de dimensão $d+1$ (resultados explícitos para o caso $d = 3$ e matrizes de Dirac) que contém férmions: um modelo puramente fermiônico com interação quártica nos campos fermiônicos de $N$ componentes (modelo de Quatro-Férmions) e um modelo de cromodinâmica quântica. Para o modelo de Quatro-Férmions, $\\kappa$ é o parâmetro de hopping, $M_0$ é a massa bare dos férmions e $\\lambda$ é o parâmetro de interação. Uma expansão de polímeros garante a existência das funções de correlação no limite termodinâmico, na região onde $|\\frac{\\kappa}|$ é pequeno. A análise do espectro é baseada em representações espectrais para funções de correlação de dois e quatro férmions. A análise das funções de correlação adequadas é simplificada pelo uso de simetrias, em particular, de uma {\\em nova} simetria de Reflexão Temporal que aparece no nível das funções de correlação. A determinação do espectro é executada através de um estudo detalhado das taxas de decaimento das funções de correlação. Até próximo ao limiar de três partículas, o espectro de energia e momento exibe curvas de dispersão isoladas que são identificadas com partículas e estados ligados de duas partículas. No subespaço de uma partícula, o espectro consiste em uma curva de dispersão isolada. A massa da partícula é de ordem $-\\ln \\kappa$. O espectro de duas partículas aparece como soluções de uma equação de Bethe-Salpeter, resolvida primeiro em uma aproximação em escada. O espectro de duas partículas contém uma banda de duas partículas livres de largura finita. A existência de estados ligados acima ou abaixo da banda de duas partículas depende do fato do modelo apresentar ou não dominação gaussiana. Um parâmetro $\\aleph$ é dado para medir a dominação gaussiana. Para $\\aleph=0$, nenhum estado ligado ocorre. Para $\\aleph>0$, o estado ligado ocorre abaixo da banda de duas partículas. Para $\\aleph<0$, o estado ligado aparecem acima desta banda. Os resultados obtidos nesta aproximação em escada podem ser estendidos para o modelo completo através de um controle rigoroso das contribuições que diferenciam essas duas situações. Em uma segunda parte, idéias análogas são aplicadas para analisar o espectro do modelo de cromodinâmica quântica. Em particular, nós mostramos a existência dos pentaquarks no regime de acoplamento forte (acoplamento entre as plaquetas $0 <\\beta= \\frac{g^2_0} \\ll \\kappa $). O modelo possui simetria de calibre $SU(3)_c$ e de sabor $SU(2)_f$. Os pentaquark revelados são superposições de estados ligados de mésons e bárions. Apenas estados com um número ímpar de férmions e abaixo do limiar de energia meson-bárion são considerados. O pentaquark é determinado usando uma aproximação em escada para uma equação Bethe-Salpeter. Na ordem dominante em $\\beta$, a massa deste estado é aproximadamente $-5 \\ln\\kappa$ e sua energia de ligação é de ordem $\\textrm(\\kappa^2)$. O estado mais fortemente ligado tem isospin $I=\\frac$. Para $I=\\frac$ não há estados ligados. Estes resultados mostram uma dependência nos spins dos méson e bárion. Esta análise mostra que um potencial de troca de quark-anti-quark de $\\textrm(\\kappa^2)$ é a interação dominante, mas não há uma interpretação de troca de mésons. / In this thesis, we obtain, from a mathematically rigorous point of view, the low-lying energy-momentum spectrum of two $3+1$ dimensional imaginary time lattice quantum filed theory with fermion fields (we give explicit results for the case $d = 3$ and Dirac matrices): a pure fermionic model with quartic interaction in the $N$-component fermion field and a quantum chromodynamics model. For the Four-Fermion model, $\\kappa$ denotes the hopping parameter, $M_0$ the fermion bare mass and $\\lambda$ the interaction parameter. A polymer expansion show the existence of the model correlation functions in the thermodynamic limit, in the region where $|\\frac{\\kappa}|$ is small enough. The analysis of the spectrum is based on spectral representations of two- and four- point correlation functions. The analysis of such adequate correlation functions is simplified by the help of symmetries, in particular, by a {\\em new} Time Reflection symmetry, which appear in the level of correlation functions. The exact determination of the spectrum is done using a detailed study of the decay rates of the correlations. Up to near the 3 particle threshold, the energy-momentum spectrum exhibits isolated dispersion curves that are identified as particles and bound states. In the one-particle subspace, the spectrum consist in just a isolated dispersion curve. The mass of the associated particle is of order $-\\ln \\kappa$. The two-particle spectrum shows up as solutions of a Bethe-Salpeter equation, which is solved first in a ladder approximation. The two-particle spectrum contains a two free particles band of finite width. The existence of bound states above or below the band depends on wherever the model Gaussian domination holds. A parameter $\\aleph$ is given to measure the Gaussian domination. For $\\aleph=0$, no bound state occurs. For $\\aleph>0$, a bound state appears bellow the two-particles band. For $\\aleph<0$, the bound state appears above this band. The result obtained in this ladder approximation can be extended to the full model by a rigorous control of the contributions that differ these two cases. In a second part, analog ideas are applied to analyze the spectrum of a quantum chromodynamics model. In particular, we show the existence of pentaquarks in the strong coupling regime (plaquette coupling $0 <\\beta= \\frac{g^2_0} \\ll \\kappa $). The model has a $SU(3)_c$ gauge symmetry and a $SU(2)_f$ flavor symmetry. The reveled pentaquarks are superpositions of meson-baryon bound states. Only states with an odd number of fermions and bellow the meson-baryon threshold are considered. The pentaquark are determined using a ladder approximation to the Bethe-Salpeter equation. In the dominant order in $\\beta$, the bound state mass is $\\approx -5 \\ln\\kappa$ and the binding energy is of order $\\textrm(\\kappa^2)$. The most strongly bounded bound state has isospin $I=\\frac$. For $I=\\frac$, there is no bound state. These results shows a dependence in the spins of the meson and baryon. This analysis show that a $\\textrm(\\kappa^2)$ quark-anti-quark exchange potential is the dominant interaction, although there is not a meson exchange interpretation.

Depuis quelques années, la méthode de séparation et évaluation par intervalles (Interval Branch and Bound) est de plus en plus utilisée pour résoudre les problèmes d’optimisation globale sous contraintes (Constrained Global Optimisation), notamment ceux qui sont non convexes. Contrairement à un grand nombre de ses concurrents, cette méthode permet de prouver l’optimalité d’une solution avec un niveau de précision donné. En revanche, son processus d’exploration arborescent implique une complexité exponentielle en temps et en mémoire dans le pire cas. De ce fait, le développement de techniques permettant d’accélérer la convergence de cette méthode définit un pan de recherche important.Une première contribution concerne les méthodes de contraction destinées à réduire l’espace de recherche. Nous proposons une nouvelle méthode de contraction, nommée TEC, qui généralise à plusieurs dimensions le principe de la disjonction constructive utilisée par la méthode de contraction CID. TEC construit un sous- arbre d’exploration par un processus de bissection et de contraction avant d’effectuer l’union des espaces de recherche associés aux feuilles de ce sous-arbre. Nous proposons deux variantes de TEC exploitant sa structure arborescente. La première, nommée Graham-TEC, permet d’apprendre des contraintes linéaires implicites utilisées pour améliorer la contraction. La seconde, nommée TEC-UB, permet d’apporter une amélioration à la recherche de solutions en faisant appel à une heuristique de recherche de solutions sur les feuilles du sous-arbre.Une deuxième contribution concerne les stratégies de parcours de l’arbre d’exploration. Nous étudions une stratégie récente qui fait un compromis entre un parcours en meilleur d’abord et un parcours en profondeur d’abord. Nous proposons des variantes de cet algorithme qui privilégient l’exploration des régions faisables.Les algorithmes proposés, testés sur un banc d’essai reconnu par la communauté, obtiennent des temps comparables à l’état de l’art. / In recent years, the Interval Branch and Bound method has been used more and more to solve constraint global optimization problems, especially those which are non-convex. Unlike many of its competitors, this method makes it possible to prove the optimality of a solution with a given level of accuracy. On the other hand, its tree exploration process implies an exponential complexity in time and memory in the worst case. That is why, the development of acceleration techniques defines an important piece of research.A first contribution concerns the interval filtering operators designed to reduce the search space. We propose a new interval filtering operator, named TEC, that generalizes to several dimensions the constructive disjunction principle used by the existing CID operator. TEC constructs a bounded subtree using a branch and contract process and returns the parallel-to-axes hull of the leaf domains/boxes. We propose two variants of TEC exploiting its tree structure. The first variant, named Graham-TEC, learns implicit linear constraints, used for improving the contraction. The second one, named TEC-UB, searches for a good feasible point inside a leaf box of the TEC subtree.A second contribution concerns the node selection strategies. We have studied a recent strategy that makes a compromise between a best-first search and a depth-first search and have proposed variants of this algorithm that favor the exploration of feasible regions.

[pt] Esta tese é composta por 3 capítulos. No primeiro capítulo mostro que quando um banco central não é totalmente apoiado financeiramente pelo tesouro e enfrenta uma restrição de solvência, um aumento no tamanho ou uma mudança na composição de seu balanço pode servir como um mecanismo de compromisso em um cenário de armadilha de liquidez. Em particular, quando a taxa de juros de curto prazo está em zero, operações de mercado aberto do banco central que envolvam compras de títulos de longo prazo podem ajudar a mitigar a deflação e recessão sob um equilíbrio de política discricionária. Usando um modelo simples com produto exógeno, mostramos que uma mudança no balanço do banco central, que aumenta seu tamanho e duração, incentiva o banco central a manter as taxas de juros baixas no futuro, a fim de evitar perdas e satisfazer a restrição de solvência, aproximando-se de sua política ótima de commitment. No segundo capítulo da tese, eu testo a validade do novo mecanismo desenvolvido no capítulo 1, incorporando um banco central financeiramente independente em um modelo DSGE de média escala baseado em Smets e Wouters (2007), e calibrando-o para replicar principais características da expansão do tamanho e composição do balanço do Federal Reserve no período pós-2008. Eu observo que os programas QE 2 e 3 geraram efeitos positivos na dinâmica da inflação, mas impacto modesto no hiato do produto. O terceiro capítulo da tese avalia as consequências em termos de bem-estar de regras fiscais simples em um modelo de um pequeno país exportador de commodities com uma parcela da população sem acesso ao mercado financeiro, onde a política fiscal assume a forma de transferências. Uma constatação principal é que as regras orçamentárias equilibradas para as receitas de commodities geralmente superam as regras fiscais mais sofisticadas, em que as receitas de commodities são salvas em um Fundo de Riqueza Soberana. Como os choques nos preços das commodities são tipicamente altamente persistentes, a renda atual das famílias está próxima de sua renda permanente, tornando as regras orçamentárias equilibradas próximas do ideal. / [en] This thesis is composed of 3 chapters. In the first chapter, It s shown that when a central bank is not fully financially backed by the treasury and faces a solvency constraint, an increase in the size or a change in the composition of its balance sheet (quantitative easing - QE) can serve as a commitment device in a liquidity trap scenario. In particular, when the short-term interest rate is at the zero lower bound, open market operations by the central bank that involve purchases of long-term bonds can help mitigate deflation and recession under a discretionary policy equilibrium. Using a simple endowment-economy model, it s shown that a change in the central bank balance sheet, which increases its size and duration, provides an incentive to the central bank to keep interest rates low in the future to avoid losses and satisfy its solvency constraints, approximating its full commitment policy. In the second chapter, the validity of the novel mechanism developed in chapter 1 is tested by incorporating a financiallyindependent central bank into a medium-scale DSGE model based on Smets and Wouters (2007), and calibrating it to replicate key features of the expansion of size and composition of the Federal Reserve s balance sheet in the post-2008 period. I find that the programs QE 2 and 3 generated positive effects on the dynamics of inflation, but mild effects on the output gap. The third chapter of the thesis evaluates the welfare consequences of simple fiscal rules in a model of a small commodity-exporting country with a share of financially constrained households, where fiscal policy takes the form of transfers. The main finding is that balanced budget rules for commodity revenues often outperform more sophisticated fiscal rules where commodity revenues are saved in a Sovereign Wealth Fund. Because commodity price shocks are typically highly persistent, the households current income is close to their permanent income, so commodity price shocks don t need smoothing, making simple balanced budget rules close to optimal.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T19:25:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vinicius Salem.pdf: 2842532 bytes, checksum: 22444ff7cd1897f8dc66bfd6a1f84a65 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In the present work, it is explained in a concise way the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) Efect in the magnetic case. Possible interpretations envolving the phenomena are discussed too, through a carefull review about the theme in literature, in purpose to sumarize the diferent interpretations concerning the possible physical reality of electromagnetic potentials in physics, in special the case of the vector potential, since this work focuses in the magnetic AB eect. Also, the construction and solution of Dirac equation is studied in details for the non-relativistic limit case of an electron possessing anomalous magnetic moment (i.e., g 6=2) in a conical space. For this purpose, the self-adjoint extensions method as developed by Bulla and Gesztesy is used in order to obtain expressions for bound states energies and scattering. The self-adjoint extension parameter obtained in the study of bound states and scattering showed very plausible physical results, consonant with the literature in general, as exposed in detail in chapter four. Finally, it is discussed the role of anomaly of the electron magnetic moment in providing bound states energies, a theme rarely discussed in literature since now. / No presente trabalho, procura-se explicar de forma concisa a fenomenologia do Efeito Aharonov-Bohm (AB) magnético, bem como o sistema aplicado a partículas de spin 1/2. Também são discutidas possíveis interpretações para o fenômeno através de uma cuidadosa revisão sobre o tema na literatura, buscando sumarizar as distintas opiniões sobre a possível realidade física dos potenciais eletromagnéticos, em especial do potencial vetor, uma vez que o foco neste trabalho concentra-se no Efeito AB magnético. Posteriormente,é estudada em detalhes a construção e solução da Equação de Dirac para o caso limite não-relativístico do elétron com anomalia do momento magnético (i.e., g 6= 2) em uma topologia cônica. Para isto é utilizado o método de extensão auto-adjunta de operadores na versão desenvolvida por Bulla e Gesztesy, afím de obter expressões para as energias de estados ligados e espalhamento. O parâmetro de extensão obtido no estudo de estados ligados e espalhamento apresentou resultados físicos consistentes com a literatura em geral. Por fím, o papel da anomalia no momento magnético do elétron em proporcionar estados ligados no sistema é discutido detalhadamente, algo até então pouco abordado na literatura.