Historians and social scientists are very interested in longitudinal data created from historical sources as the longitudinal data creates opportunities for studying people’s lives over time. However, its generation is a challenging problem since historical sources do not have personal identifiers. At the University of Guelph, the People-in-Motion group have currently constructed a record linkage system to link the 1871 Canadian census to the 1881 Canadian census. In this thesis, we discuss one aspect of linking historical census data, the problem of disambiguating multiple links that are created at the linkage step. We show that the disambiguating techniques explored in this thesis improve upon the linkage rate of the People-in-Motion’s system, while maintaining a false positive rate no greater than 5%.

Gentrification methodologies rarely intersect. Analysis of the process has been cornered to incorporate either in-depth, neighborhood case studies or large-scale empirical investigations. Understanding the timing and extent of gentrification has been limited by this dichotomy. This research attempts to fuse quantitative and qualitative methods to discern the impact of gentrification between census tracts in East Nashville, Tennessee. By employing archival research, field surveys, and census data analysis this project attempts to comprehend the conditions suitable for gentrification to occur and its subsequent effect on residents and the built environment. A model was generated to determine the relationship between a-priori knowledge and empirical indicators of gentrification. Trends were gleaned between these methods, although gentrification’s chaotic and complex nature makes it difficult to pin down.

A expansão dos centros urbanos, determinada pela demanda de áreas, está fortemente associada à vulnerabilidade da população. Este avanço, muitas vezes ocorre em direção a ambientes frágeis como margens de rios, encostas e mananciais. Desta maneira, as mudanças no ambiente, deflagradas pelas atividades antrópicas, têm contribuído fortemente para maior exposição da população e consequente impactos relacionados às inundações, em relação às inundações. Os mapeamentos de vulnerabilidade são medidas não estruturais muito importantes para avaliar as características de determinada população, que as tornam mais ou menos propensas aos impactos de uma inundação. Desta forma, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é propor uma metodologia, baseada na utilização de SIG, para mapeamento de vulnerabilidade à inundação a partir da integração de dados censitários e de outras fontes, usando como estudo de caso o município de Igrejinha, RS. Determinou-se- como unidade de estudo a mancha urbana presente em cada setor censitário do IBGE. Foram elaborados 10 indicadores distribuídos em 3 dimensões que buscaram avaliar aspectos demográficos, sociais e de infraestrutura e saneamento. Os dados utilizados são provenientes do IBGE e também de outras pesquisas realizadas no município por outros autores. Compreende-se nesta pesquisa que cada indicador possui uma importância diferente e atribui-se um peso especifico para cada indicador e dimensão pelo método Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Os pesos foram atribuídos por especialistas da área e por agentes de Proteção e Defesa Civil. Os pesos foram atribuídos para duas fases distintas do gerenciamento de um desastre: resposta e recuperação. Através de ferramentas presente em SIG, foi utilizado o método dasimétrico para os dados à mancha urbana de cada setor censitário. Como resultado obteve-se um mapa de cada indicador e dimensão, bem como o mapa final de vulnerabilidade à inundação. Foram gerados mapas com pesos atribuídos para resposta e para recuperação. Em cada mapa gerado pode-se obter as áreas mais vulneráveis da área de estudo, que corresponderam as Zonas de Interesse Social de Igrejinha. Para observar certos aspectos que poderiam acarretar na vulnerabilidade, segundo o indicadores utilizados, foi empregada a ferramenta Google Street View. Devido ao seu baixo custo, bem como a facilidade da obtenção dos dados, a metodologia proposta pode ser replicada em qualquer município brasileiro. / The expansion of urban centers, determined by area demand, is strongly associated with the vulnerability of the population. This breakthrough often occurs toward fragile environments such as riverbanks, slopes and springs. In this way, environmental changes triggered by anthropic activitythe changes in the environment, triggered by the anthropic activities, have contributed strongly to greater exposure of the population and consequent flood impacts. Vulnerability mappings are very important non-structural measures to assess the characteristics of a given population, which make them more or less prone to the impacts of a flood. Along these lines, the main objective of this work is to propose a methodology, based on the use of GIS, to map vulnerability to flood, from the integration of census data and other sources, using as a case study, the municipality of Igrejinha, RS. The urban spot present in each IBGE census tract was used as the unit of study. Ten indicators were elaborated in three dimensions that sought to evaluate demographic, social, and infrastructure and sanitation aspects. The data used come from IBGE and also from other surveys conducted in the municipality by other authors. It is understood in this research that each indicator has a different importance and is assigned a specific weight for each indicator and dimension by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The weights were assigned by specialists in the area and by Civil Protection and Defense agents to two distinct phases of disaster management: response and recovery. By means of tools present in GIS, the dasymetric method was used for the data to the urban spot of each census sector. As a result, a map of each indicator and size was obtained, as well as the final map of vulnerability to flooding. Maps with weights assigned for response and retrieval were generated. In each generated map, it is possible to observe the most vulnerable areas of the study area, which corresponded to the Igrejinha Social Interest Zones. In order to observe certain aspects that could lead to vulnerability, according to the indicators used, the Google Street View tool was used. Due to its low cost, as well as the ease of obtaining the data, the proposed methodology can be replicated in any Brazilian municipality.

This paper formally analyzes the role of yearly snowfall in explaining the changes in home valuations near ski resorts in the western United States. Using data on housing values for selected U.S. Census tracts, combined with detailed weather data, passenger arrival data from 10% of all commercial air traffic, and characteristics of nearby ski resorts, I find precise and consistent estimates of days of snowfall and number of available destinations by airport on housing values.

A expansão dos centros urbanos, determinada pela demanda de áreas, está fortemente associada à vulnerabilidade da população. Este avanço, muitas vezes ocorre em direção a ambientes frágeis como margens de rios, encostas e mananciais. Desta maneira, as mudanças no ambiente, deflagradas pelas atividades antrópicas, têm contribuído fortemente para maior exposição da população e consequente impactos relacionados às inundações, em relação às inundações. Os mapeamentos de vulnerabilidade são medidas não estruturais muito importantes para avaliar as características de determinada população, que as tornam mais ou menos propensas aos impactos de uma inundação. Desta forma, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é propor uma metodologia, baseada na utilização de SIG, para mapeamento de vulnerabilidade à inundação a partir da integração de dados censitários e de outras fontes, usando como estudo de caso o município de Igrejinha, RS. Determinou-se- como unidade de estudo a mancha urbana presente em cada setor censitário do IBGE. Foram elaborados 10 indicadores distribuídos em 3 dimensões que buscaram avaliar aspectos demográficos, sociais e de infraestrutura e saneamento. Os dados utilizados são provenientes do IBGE e também de outras pesquisas realizadas no município por outros autores. Compreende-se nesta pesquisa que cada indicador possui uma importância diferente e atribui-se um peso especifico para cada indicador e dimensão pelo método Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Os pesos foram atribuídos por especialistas da área e por agentes de Proteção e Defesa Civil. Os pesos foram atribuídos para duas fases distintas do gerenciamento de um desastre: resposta e recuperação. Através de ferramentas presente em SIG, foi utilizado o método dasimétrico para os dados à mancha urbana de cada setor censitário. Como resultado obteve-se um mapa de cada indicador e dimensão, bem como o mapa final de vulnerabilidade à inundação. Foram gerados mapas com pesos atribuídos para resposta e para recuperação. Em cada mapa gerado pode-se obter as áreas mais vulneráveis da área de estudo, que corresponderam as Zonas de Interesse Social de Igrejinha. Para observar certos aspectos que poderiam acarretar na vulnerabilidade, segundo o indicadores utilizados, foi empregada a ferramenta Google Street View. Devido ao seu baixo custo, bem como a facilidade da obtenção dos dados, a metodologia proposta pode ser replicada em qualquer município brasileiro. / The expansion of urban centers, determined by area demand, is strongly associated with the vulnerability of the population. This breakthrough often occurs toward fragile environments such as riverbanks, slopes and springs. In this way, environmental changes triggered by anthropic activitythe changes in the environment, triggered by the anthropic activities, have contributed strongly to greater exposure of the population and consequent flood impacts. Vulnerability mappings are very important non-structural measures to assess the characteristics of a given population, which make them more or less prone to the impacts of a flood. Along these lines, the main objective of this work is to propose a methodology, based on the use of GIS, to map vulnerability to flood, from the integration of census data and other sources, using as a case study, the municipality of Igrejinha, RS. The urban spot present in each IBGE census tract was used as the unit of study. Ten indicators were elaborated in three dimensions that sought to evaluate demographic, social, and infrastructure and sanitation aspects. The data used come from IBGE and also from other surveys conducted in the municipality by other authors. It is understood in this research that each indicator has a different importance and is assigned a specific weight for each indicator and dimension by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The weights were assigned by specialists in the area and by Civil Protection and Defense agents to two distinct phases of disaster management: response and recovery. By means of tools present in GIS, the dasymetric method was used for the data to the urban spot of each census sector. As a result, a map of each indicator and size was obtained, as well as the final map of vulnerability to flooding. Maps with weights assigned for response and retrieval were generated. In each generated map, it is possible to observe the most vulnerable areas of the study area, which corresponded to the Igrejinha Social Interest Zones. In order to observe certain aspects that could lead to vulnerability, according to the indicators used, the Google Street View tool was used. Due to its low cost, as well as the ease of obtaining the data, the proposed methodology can be replicated in any Brazilian municipality.

Since 1989, the Czech Republic has undergone many changes not only in politics and economics, but society has also undergone a major transformation. As a result of the second demographic transition, the number of complete family households has been decreasing and at the same time new forms of households such as singles or transitory urbanites have been emerging during the transformation period. The population has been going old. Since the end of socialism, together with urban processes such as suburbanization, gentrification, or international migration, Prague has undergone changes in the spatial differentiation of the city. The aim of this thesis is to find out changes of households deployment in the capital city Prague, in the period between 1991 and 2011 and reasons for these changes, as well. The first part of the thesis presents the theoretical background focused on the second demographic transition, processes that form today's city and theoretical concepts regarding residential mobility. The empirical part, based on data from the population census analyzes the change of individual types of households in Prague. According to the typology of the housing development in Prague, the evolution of the individual types of households in them is further interpreted, followed by an analysis of the...

This thesis determines the extent to which internal migration affects the socioeconomic composition of neighbourhoods in England and how its impact compares with that of other components of area change. It is hypothesised that the selective character of internal migration contributes to increased concentration of poverty in the most deprived neighbourhoods. The focus of the analysis at this small spatial scale will interest policy makers who have sought to reverse the spiral of socioeconomic decline in selected neighbourhoods through area-based regeneration initiatives. It will also add to neighbourhood change theory that assumes internal migration is widening spatial inequalities, which has rarely been empirically tested. The analysis is conducted using an administrative dataset called the School Census. The School Census enables detailed geographical analysis that is not possible with existing datasets used to measure internal migration in the UK. The thesis demonstrates the potential of the School Census for migration research and its usefulness in shaping policy. Change in the socioeconomic composition of a neighbourhood can be measured using the proportion of pupils claiming Free School Meals (FSM), which is widely used as a measure of poverty in educational research. The change in the concentration of FSM pupils is uniquely analysed at varying spatial scales to determine an appropriate neighbourhood level at which to conduct further analysis. The effect of internal migration on neighbourhood socioeconomic change is analysed using a growth model for Lower Super Output Areas. It shows that internal migration contributes to increased concentration of FSM pupils in the most deprived neighbourhoods. However, the effect is small. The effect of pupils changing their FSM status but not moving (in-situ change) is more dominant and reduced the concentration of FSM pupils in the most deprived neighbourhoods during the period 2002-2007. These findings contribute to a small but growing literature that suggests the effect of internal migration is minor when compared with in-situ change. Factors related to internal migration at the neighbourhood level are modelled using linear and spatial regression. A number of characteristics are found to be similarly associated with net migration of FSM and non-FSM pupils. This suggests there is an element of choice exercised by all families with school children when they move. However, there are discriminating effects, including school quality, that are related to higher net migration of non-FSM pupils but not FSM pupils. Moreover, the effects of some neighbourhood characteristics on migration including worklessness are shown to vary across different parts of the country. These findings suggest policy makers should be sensitive to local contexts when planning public service provision.

Scholars debate the importance of multiracial identity recognition as the increasing number of self-identified multiracial individuals challenges traditional racial categories. Two reasons justify the count of multiracial individuals on censuses. One is the right to self-identification, derived from personal autonomy. The other is social: the category allows governments to accurately assess affirmative action programs’ results and society’s acceptance of multiracialism. Critical Race Theory and Critical Mixed-Race Studies serve as basis for my analysis over multiracial identity formation and its recognition. Comparing multiracialism in America and Brazil, I verify that both countries are in different stages regarding categorization and social acceptance of multiracial identity. Neither uses multiracial data for social programs, though. I conclude that the growth of mixed-race individuals makes the identification of race-based social programs’ beneficiaries difficult, which demands the use of diverse criteria. Moreover, official recognition can serve to improve the way society deals with race.

Background Nigeria, with a population growth rate (2000-2005) of 2.5% and with 5% of the total population aged 60 years and above, has the potential for a rapid growth rate of the older population in coming years.1 The implication of this in a country with large population as reported by the National Population Census 2006, limited number of health care professionals and care homes, is difficulty in meeting the various needs of the elderly, hence, the importance of identifying the palliative care needs of the elderly. Aim The study was set out to assess the palliative care needs of and provision of care to elderly patients seen in the selected clinics of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Objectives 1. To describe characteristics of elderly patients seen in the selected clinics. 2. To explore the current use of the hospital palliative care team in the care of geriatric patient. 3. To explore the current use of the hospital palliative care team in the care of geriatric patient. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over a 3-month period using an interviewer administered questionnaire after full consent was given by participants. The questionnaire was a combination of the Africa Palliative Care Outcome Scale (APCA-POS), the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Hope Spiritual Assessment Tool. Demographic information regarding gender, age, nationality, abode and referral to the Care Centre was obtained. Scaled questions from selected tools were ticked with respect to physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs and expectations of palliative care. The validated data collection tools (APCA-POS, ESAS, HOPE) were used in the questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the relevant organizations. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS statistics 21. Results 424 participants completed the questionnaire and most patients (330; 77.8%) were recruited from the geriatric wards with a 2:1 female to male ratio. Most participants fell in the 60 -69 year-old age group. The most common symptom was pain in 240 patients with moderate pain in single or multiple areas. A high percentage (45.8%) were moderately worried about their disease condition and only 66 out of 422 freely discussed this feeling with their family members. Other symptoms observed were nausea, vomiting, constipation and loss of appetite. Conclusion The study showed the palliative care needs of the elderly and calls for collaboration between the palliative care team and the physicians in the geriatric unit for better management of the needs of the elderly.

Witchweeds and broomrapes are root parasitic weeds that represent one of the main threats to global food security. By drastically reducing host crops’ yield, the parasites are often responsible for enormous economic losses estimated in billions of dollars annually. Parasitic plants rely on a chemical cue in the rhizosphere, indicating the presence of a host plant in proximity. Using this host dependency, research in parasitic plants focuses on understanding the necessary triggers for parasitic seeds germination, to either reduce their germination in presence of crops or provoke germination without hosts (i.e. suicidal germination). For this purpose, a number of synthetic analogs and inhibitors have been developed and their biological activities studied on parasitic plants around the world using various protocols. Current studies are using germination-based bioassays, where pre-conditioned parasitic seeds are placed in the presence of a chemical or plant root exudates, from which the germination ratio is assessed. Although these protocols are very sensitive at the chemical level, the germination rate recording is time consuming, represents a challenging task for researchers, and could easily be sped up leveraging automated seeds detection algorithms. In order to accelerate such protocols, we propose an automatic seed censing tool using computer vision latest development. We use a deep learning approach for object detection with the algorithm Faster R-CNN to count and discriminate germinated from non-germinated seeds. Our method has shown an accuracy of 95% in counting seeds on completely new images, and reduces the counting time by a significant margin, from 5 min to a fraction of second per image. We believe our proposed software 5 “SeedQuant” will be of great help for lab bioassays to perform large scale chemicals screening for parasitic seeds applications.