This thesis presents a methodology for conducting logistic regression modeling of trip and household information obtained from household travel surveys and vehicle trip information obtained from global positioning systems (GPS) to better understand the trip underreporting that occurs. The methodology presented here builds on previous research by adding additional variables to the logistic regression model that might be significant in contributing to underreporting, specifically, trip purpose. Understanding the trip purpose is crucial in transportation planning because many of the transportation models used today are based on the number of trips in a given area by the purpose of a trip. The methodology used here was applied to two study areas in Texas, Laredo and Tyler-Longview. In these two study areas, household travel survey data and GPS-based vehicle tracking data was collected over a 24-hour period for 254 households and 388 vehicles. From these 254 households, a total of 2,795 trips were made, averaging 11.0 trips per household. By comparing the trips reported in the household travel survey with those recorded by the GPS unit, trips not reported in the household travel survey were identified. Logistic regression was shown to be effective in determining which household- and trip-related variables significantly contributed to the likelihood of a trip being reported. Although different variables were identified as significant in each of the models tested, one variable was found to be significant in all of them - trip purpose. It was also found that the household residence type and the use of household vehicles for commercial purposes did not significantly affect reporting rates in any of the models tested. The results shown here support the need for modeling trips by trip purpose, but also indicate that, from urban area to urban area, there are different factors contributing to the level of underreporting that occurs. An analysis of additional significant variables in each urban area found combinations that yielded trip reporting rates of 0%. Similar to the results of Zmud and Wolf (2003), trip duration and the number of vehicles available were also found to be significant in a full model encompassing both study areas.

This thesis presents a methodology for conducting logistic regression modeling of trip and household information obtained from household travel surveys and vehicle trip information obtained from global positioning systems (GPS) to better understand the trip underreporting that occurs. The methodology presented here builds on previous research by adding additional variables to the logistic regression model that might be significant in contributing to underreporting, specifically, trip purpose. Understanding the trip purpose is crucial in transportation planning because many of the transportation models used today are based on the number of trips in a given area by the purpose of a trip. The methodology used here was applied to two study areas in Texas, Laredo and Tyler-Longview. In these two study areas, household travel survey data and GPS-based vehicle tracking data was collected over a 24-hour period for 254 households and 388 vehicles. From these 254 households, a total of 2,795 trips were made, averaging 11.0 trips per household. By comparing the trips reported in the household travel survey with those recorded by the GPS unit, trips not reported in the household travel survey were identified. Logistic regression was shown to be effective in determining which household- and trip-related variables significantly contributed to the likelihood of a trip being reported. Although different variables were identified as significant in each of the models tested, one variable was found to be significant in all of them - trip purpose. It was also found that the household residence type and the use of household vehicles for commercial purposes did not significantly affect reporting rates in any of the models tested. The results shown here support the need for modeling trips by trip purpose, but also indicate that, from urban area to urban area, there are different factors contributing to the level of underreporting that occurs. An analysis of additional significant variables in each urban area found combinations that yielded trip reporting rates of 0%. Similar to the results of Zmud and Wolf (2003), trip duration and the number of vehicles available were also found to be significant in a full model encompassing both study areas.

This work aims to improve data collection by automating some parts of the manual work involve in managing survey projects with mixed-method data collection, furthermore, this work aims to improve response rate and response inflow by using historical data. Today, response rates have a downward trend and by analyzing previous data we investigate whether there are specific times or days where different groups are more willing to answer a survey. By making predictions on dispatches, the system also aims to be able to achieve a more even inflow of responses spread over several days. In this work, a web-based software is implemented and evaluated through tests on a real project. The tests shows that in the project the system is tested in, an increase in response rates can be achieved and prediction of responses can be made at sufficient level to achieve an even distribution.

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are the most abundant and widely-distributed wild felid species in North America. The current increase of population densities of bobcats raises concerns about their importance as reservoirs of pathogens and parasites that may affect the wildlife community. Although many parasites found in bobcats also infect other wild and domestic animals, knowledge of bobcat parasites and potential impacts on other species has received relatively little attention. My objectives were to determine the endoparasite species present in Illinois bobcats, compare them to previous records in the United States, and predict their potential presence in southern Illinois using the program MAXENT. To complete these goals, necropsies were performed on 67 road-killed or trapped bobcats collected during 2003-12. I found infections caused by cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes including Taenia rileyi (70.1%), Toxocara cati (25.3%), and Alaria marcianae (41.7%). The highest mean abundance was found for Alaria marcianae (81) followed by Taenia rileyi (4) and Toxocara cati (3). Alaria marcianae had the highest intensity (193) with a range of 1-2,872. The comparison of parasite communities across 10 geographic locations using Jaccard's similarity index showed low similarity among all regions with the most similar community between Nebraska and Texas (0.53) and Arkansas being the most similar to southern Illinois (0.74). Parasite presence data were then used with environmental data layers of water, soil, land cover, human density, and climate variables in MAXENT to create maps of potential presence of 3 parasite species in a 46,436-km2 portion of southern Illinois. Precipitation of seasonality, the change of average rainfall seasonally, and average precipitation were the highest contributing variables used by MAXENT when creating probability maps of Taenia rileyi (55.1%) and Alaria marcianae (58.4%). For Toxocara cati land cover (40.6%) and soil (27.6%) were the highest contributing variables. With the addition of a sampling bias layer (i.e., bobcat presence) all climatic variables were low contributors (0.0-2.0%) while land cover remained important for Alaria marcianae (7.6%) and Toxocara cati (6.3%); human density (4.8%) was of secondary importance for Taenia rileyi after including the bias layer. Variables of importance likely represent habitat requirements necessary for the completion of parasite life cycles. Larger areas of potential presence were found for generalist parasites such as Taenia rileyi (85%) while potential presence was less likely for parasites with complex life cycles such as Alaria marcianae (73%). My study provides information to wildlife biologists and health officials regarding the potential impacts of growing bobcat populations in combination with complex and changing environmental factors.

Submitted by Maraiza Almeida Ruiz de Castro null (maraiza_ruiz@hotmail.com) on 2018-03-05T18:35:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE PRONTA - EXEMPLAR FINAL.pdf: 2925131 bytes, checksum: 0dffc6105be2079a2d24f1720d7c4131 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Elza Mitiko Sato null (elzasato@ibilce.unesp.br) on 2018-03-06T18:00:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 castro_mar_dr_sjrp.pdf: 2925131 bytes, checksum: 0dffc6105be2079a2d24f1720d7c4131 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-06T18:00:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 castro_mar_dr_sjrp.pdf: 2925131 bytes, checksum: 0dffc6105be2079a2d24f1720d7c4131 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo visa mostrar como a loucura é representada nos romances brasileiros Quincas Borba (1891), do escritor carioca Machado de Assis, O louco do Cati (1942), do escritor gaúcho Dyonélio Machado e O Grande Mentecapto (1979), do escritor mineiro Fernando Sabino. Considerando estas três narrativas, situadas em um período que se estende desde o final do século XIX até o final do século XX, objetiva-se investigar as estratégias e recursos narrativos utilizados pelos narradores/autores para apresentar os protagonistas Rubião, o louco do Cati e Geraldo Viramundo como indivíduos loucos, inadaptados à realidade social com a qual se deparam e, consequentemente, marginalizados. Compreendendo o romance machadiano Quincas Borba como uma matriz formal e temática para a representação da loucura, esta pesquisa tem, ainda, o intuito de evidenciar o diálogo que este romance estabelece com os seus sucessores O louco do Cati e O Grande Mentecapto, apontando semelhanças e diferenças encontradas entre eles. Como apoio teórico, contribuem para essa empreitada os estudos de Michael Foucault a respeito da psiquiatria e sua relação com o poder e o saber, além da fortuna crítica de cada autor e obra discutidos. Os resultados mostram que os três romances utilizam elementos típicos da tradição literária dionisíaca, tais como: o jogo de mascaramentos dos narradores, o dialogismo, a polifonia, o humor por meio da forma narrativa tragicômica, dentre outros recursos, sobretudo no caso de Machado de Assis. Por meio da criação de uma forma narrativa singular, cada uma das três obras representa a loucura de modo que ela seja capaz de problematizar a falta de lógica dos discursos, das instituições, da política, da religiosidade, dos pressupostos psiquiátricos e da organização social vigente, em diferentes épocas. Nessa trajetória da Literatura Brasileira, Machado de Assis foi quem deu os primeiros e muito significativos passos, na medida em que a loucura dos protagonistas desnuda a loucura social brasileira e expõe os jogos de poder dissimulados sob as relações humanas e sob as sociabilidades. / This study aims to show how craziness is represented in the Brazilian novels Quincas Borba (1891), by the Rio writer Machado de Assis, O louco do Cati (1942), by the writer Dyonélio Machado, from Rio Grande do Sul, and O Grande Mentecapto (1979), by Fernando Sabino. Considering these three narratives, located in a period that extends from the end of the nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century, the objective is to investigate the strategies and narrative resources used by the narrators/authors to present the protagonists Rubião, Cati, and Geraldo Viramundo as crazy individuals, unsuited to the social reality that they encounter and, consequently, marginalized. Understanding the novel Quincas Borba, by Machado de Assis, as a formal and thematic matrix for the representation of craziness, this research also has the intention of highlighting the dialogue that this novel establishes with its successors O louco do Cati and O Grande Mentecapto, pointing out similarities and differences found among them. As a theoretical support, Michael Foucault’s studies on psychiatry and its relation to power and knowledge, as well as the critical fortune of each author and work discussed, contribute to this thesis. The results show that the three novels use elements typical of the Dionysian literary tradition, such as: the masquerading game of narrators, dialogism, polyphony, humor through the tragicomic narrative form, among other resources, especially in the case of Machado de Assis. Through the creation of a singular narrative form, each of the three works represents craziness so that it is capable of problematizing the lack of logic of discourses, institutions, politics, religiosity, psychiatric presuppositions and current social organization, at different times. In this trajectory of the Brazilian Literature, Machado de Assis was the one who gave the first and very significant steps, insofar as the protagonists’ craziness undresses the Brazilian social craziness and exposes the games of power concealed under human relations and under the sociabilities. / 3300415-3

Marketing research is the core business of the STEM/MARK, a. s. The introductory part is about the theoretical basis for analyzing processes of the marketing research company and introduction of the company. The main goals are the analysis of processes with a focus on marketing research workers in CATI studio (especially the definition of their roles in processes), identification of narrow parts of processes, description of the fundamental problems and creating corrective arrangements. Used methods are standardization of work and working time balance. In the final section are presented verifying the functionality of models and standards in practice.

No description available.

A pesquisa ocupa-se da investigação sobre a construção do ponto de vista por Dyonélio Machado em seu segundo romance, O louco do Cati, publicado em 1942. Entende-se por ponto de vista o conjunto formado por narrador, foco narrativo e ângulo de acompanhamento em que se coloca o leitor. No romance em estudo a configuração do ponto de vista é peculiar, vez que apresenta a matéria narrada de modo tensionado entre narrador e ângulo de visão, como um objeto situado entre dois pontos de fuga, culminando em desfecho convergente ao final. Ainda assim, é pela exploração do ponto de vista que se obtém a unidade do romance, já que há dificuldade na identificação dos contornos e relações entre os elementos fundamentais da narrativa, a saber, enredo, personagem, tempo e espaço. Na aventura narrada, o desenrolar dos fatos não parece seguir nenhuma lógica, posto que tem ponto de partida desconhecido, ida para destino incerto, entraves diversos no meio do caminho e volta para ponto que não coincide com o de saída. Durante a narração, o personagem principal parece ausente, com limitações para perceber a realidade e interagir com ela e, ao mesmo tempo, está o tempo todo ali, quase ao fundo da ação. Esse indivíduo é visto e comentado pelo narrador e pelos demais personagens responsáveis pelo andamento da narrativa, porém ao mesmo tempo está sofrendo um processo que altera sua consciência e subjetividade. Descrever e analisar a construção do ponto de vista na obra, verificar as implicações que esse modo de composição traz para os elementos fundamentais da narrativa e apontar para possíveis efeitos de sentido decorrentes desta configuração formal é o que pretende o trabalho. / This research investigates the construction of the point of view by Dyonélio Machado in his second novel, O louco do Cati, published in 1942. It is understood by point of view the set formed by narrator, narrative focus and angle of accompaniment in which the reader is placed. In the novel under study the configuration of the point of view is peculiar, since it presents the matter narrated in a tensioned way between narrator and viewing angle, as an object located between two vanishing points, culminating in a convergent point of closure at the end. Nevertheless, it is due to the exploration of the point of view that the unity of the novel is obtained, since there is some difficulty in identifying the contours and relations between the fundamental elements of the narrative, namely, plot, character, time and space. In the narrated adventure, the sequence of the facts does not seem to follow any logic, since it begins at an unknown starting point, goes to an uncertain destination, deals with several obstacles in the middle of the path and goes back to a point that does not coincide with its first start. During the narration, the main character seems absent, with limitations to perceive reality and interact with it, and, at the same time, he is all the time there, almost at the background of the main action. This individual man is seen and commented by the narrator and by the other characters responsible for the progress of the narrative, but at the same time he is suffering a process that changes his consciousness and subjectivity. This research intends to describe and analyze the construction of the point of view in the mentioned novel, as well as to verify the implications that this mode of composition brings to the fundamental elements of the narrative and, yet, to point out possible effects of meaning resulting from this formal configuration.

A pesquisa ocupa-se da investigação sobre a construção do ponto de vista por Dyonélio Machado em seu segundo romance, O louco do Cati, publicado em 1942. Entende-se por ponto de vista o conjunto formado por narrador, foco narrativo e ângulo de acompanhamento em que se coloca o leitor. No romance em estudo a configuração do ponto de vista é peculiar, vez que apresenta a matéria narrada de modo tensionado entre narrador e ângulo de visão, como um objeto situado entre dois pontos de fuga, culminando em desfecho convergente ao final. Ainda assim, é pela exploração do ponto de vista que se obtém a unidade do romance, já que há dificuldade na identificação dos contornos e relações entre os elementos fundamentais da narrativa, a saber, enredo, personagem, tempo e espaço. Na aventura narrada, o desenrolar dos fatos não parece seguir nenhuma lógica, posto que tem ponto de partida desconhecido, ida para destino incerto, entraves diversos no meio do caminho e volta para ponto que não coincide com o de saída. Durante a narração, o personagem principal parece ausente, com limitações para perceber a realidade e interagir com ela e, ao mesmo tempo, está o tempo todo ali, quase ao fundo da ação. Esse indivíduo é visto e comentado pelo narrador e pelos demais personagens responsáveis pelo andamento da narrativa, porém ao mesmo tempo está sofrendo um processo que altera sua consciência e subjetividade. Descrever e analisar a construção do ponto de vista na obra, verificar as implicações que esse modo de composição traz para os elementos fundamentais da narrativa e apontar para possíveis efeitos de sentido decorrentes desta configuração formal é o que pretende o trabalho. / This research investigates the construction of the point of view by Dyonélio Machado in his second novel, O louco do Cati, published in 1942. It is understood by point of view the set formed by narrator, narrative focus and angle of accompaniment in which the reader is placed. In the novel under study the configuration of the point of view is peculiar, since it presents the matter narrated in a tensioned way between narrator and viewing angle, as an object located between two vanishing points, culminating in a convergent point of closure at the end. Nevertheless, it is due to the exploration of the point of view that the unity of the novel is obtained, since there is some difficulty in identifying the contours and relations between the fundamental elements of the narrative, namely, plot, character, time and space. In the narrated adventure, the sequence of the facts does not seem to follow any logic, since it begins at an unknown starting point, goes to an uncertain destination, deals with several obstacles in the middle of the path and goes back to a point that does not coincide with its first start. During the narration, the main character seems absent, with limitations to perceive reality and interact with it, and, at the same time, he is all the time there, almost at the background of the main action. This individual man is seen and commented by the narrator and by the other characters responsible for the progress of the narrative, but at the same time he is suffering a process that changes his consciousness and subjectivity. This research intends to describe and analyze the construction of the point of view in the mentioned novel, as well as to verify the implications that this mode of composition brings to the fundamental elements of the narrative and, yet, to point out possible effects of meaning resulting from this formal configuration.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:18:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LourenaMV.pdf: 713655 bytes, checksum: d2c61219ecefc4633620bb6eebd45325 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-26 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Broadly speaking, the concept of gene therapy involves the transfer of a genetic material into a cell, tissue, or organ in order to cure a disease or at least improve the clinical status of a patient. Making it simple, gene therapy consists in the insertion of functional genes into cells containing defective genes by substituting, complementing or inhibiting them. The achievement of a foreigner DNA expression into a population of cells requires its transfer to the target. Therefore, it is a key issue to create systems able to transfer and protect the DNA until it reaches the target, the vectors. The disadvantages related to the use of viral vectors have encouraged efforts to develop emulsions as non-viral vectors. In fact, they are easily produced, present controllable stability and enable transfection. The aim of this work was to develop an emulsion for gene therapy and evaluate its ability to compact nucleic acids by the development of a complex with the plasmid pIRES2-EGFP. The first step was to determine the Hydrophilic Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of the Captex? 355 (oily internal phase of the emulsion) through long and short term stability assays. Based on the results, emulsions composed of Captex? 355, Tween 20? and Span 60? with 10.7 HLB were produced by three different methods: phase inversion, spontaneous emulsification and sonication. The results showed that the lowest diameter and best stability of the emulsions were achieved by the sonication method. The cationic emulsions were made by adding DOTAP to the basic emulsion. Its association with pIRES2-EGFP was evaluated by electrophoresis. Several rates of emulsion and DNA were evaluated and the results showed that 100% of the complex was formed when the rate DOTAP/DNA(nmol/?g) was 130. In conclusion, the overall results show the ability of the proposed emulsion to compact pIRES2-EGFP, which is a requirement to a successful transfection. Therefore, such formulation may be considered a promising candidate for gene therapy / Terapia g?nica, em uma ampla defini??o, ? o tratamento de doen?as baseado na transfer?ncia de material gen?tico a uma c?lula, tecido ou ?rg?o com o intuito de curar ou melhorar o estado cl?nico do paciente. Em sua forma mais simples, a terapia g?nica consiste na inser??o de genes funcionais em c?lulas com genes defeituosos objetivando substituir, complementar ou inibir esses genes causadores de doen?as. Para que o DNA ex?geno seja expresso em uma popula??o celular faz-se necess?ria a sua transfer?ncia at? o local. Assim, ? necess?rio criar ve?culos, os vetores, que transportem e protejam o DNA at? que este chegue a uma popula??o celular alvo. Os obst?culos encontrados com a utiliza??o de vetores virais t?m proporcionado o interesse no desenvolvimento de emuls?es cati?nicas como vetores n?o-virais, por serem f?ceis de produzir, apresentarem estabilidade control?vel e facilitarem a transfec??o g?nica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um sistema emulsionado para terapia g?nica e avaliar sua capacidade de compacta??o de ?cidos nucl?icos atrav?s da sua associa??o com o plasm?deo pIRES2-EGFP. Primeiramente o EHLc do TCM utilizado, o Captex? 355, foi determinado atrav?s de ensaios de estabilidade acelerada e a longo termo. Com base nos resultados obtidos, emuls?es de EHL 10,7 compostas de Captex? 355, Tween 20? e Span 60? foram preparadas pelos m?todos de invers?o de fases, emulsifica??o espont?nea e sonica??o e elegeu-se o melhor m?todo para o preparo das emuls?es cati?nicas. As emuls?es de menor granulometria e maior estabilidade foram obtidas atrav?s do m?todo de sonica??o. As emuls?es cati?nicas foram preparadas acrescendo-se ? emuls?o base o DOTAP e a sua associa??o com o pIRES2-EGFP foi avaliada atrav?s da t?cnica de eletroforese em gel de agarose. V?rias propor??es de emuls?o e DNA foram testadas e os resultados demonstraram que houve forma??o de 100% dos complexos quando a propor??o DOTAP/DNA(nmol/?g) foi igual a 130. Em conclus?o, o conjunto dos resultados obtidos demonstra a capacidade da emuls?o proposta neste trabalho de compactar o DNA, requisito necess?rio para uma boa transfec??o, tornando a formula??o uma forte candidata ? utiliza??o em terapia g?nica