SOUZA, Ricardo Basto. Alga marinha vermelha Gracilaria cornea: novas perspectivas biotecnológicas e implicações neurofarmacológicas. 2015. 264 f. Tese (Doutorado em Bioquímica)-Universidade Federal do Ceará, 2015. / Submitted by Vitor Campos (vitband@gmail.com) on 2016-09-05T23:02:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_2015_rbsouza.pdf: 7781735 bytes, checksum: 354e9514a2e63488436ed8f7d6037c8c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jairo Viana (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-09-06T11:26:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_2015_rbsouza.pdf: 7781735 bytes, checksum: 354e9514a2e63488436ed8f7d6037c8c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-06T11:26:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_2015_rbsouza.pdf: 7781735 bytes, checksum: 354e9514a2e63488436ed8f7d6037c8c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / The red seaweed Gracilaria cornea is presented as a natural source still little explored, with potential bioactive, such as sulfated polysaccharides. Its sulfated polysaccharide, agaran-type (AS-Gc), wherein its structure and has anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activity reported in the literature. However, methodological evaluations in their extraction process as well as new potential biological activities are still little reported in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to analyze a new reagent for isolation of AS-Gc and then evaluate its effects and possible mechanisms of action on valuation models psychotropic activity and neuroprotective in vivo and in vitro. Initially, we evaluated the method for isolating sulfated polysaccharides from algae G. cornea using isoamyl alcohol (IAA), in relation to the classical method using 1-hexadecylpyridinium chloride (CPC), considering qualitative and quantitative parameters (percentage yield analysis, physical-chemical and structural characterization) and evaluation of anticoagulant activity in vitro. For analysis of psychotropic effects of AS-Gc, we evaluated the acute administration of three doses (0.3, 3 or 30 mg / kg) and two routes of administration (per os-p.o. or subcutaneous-s.c.) in mice. Then, animals were assessed in physiological and neurobehavioural tests indicative of action level on nervous system and locomotive disorders and behaviors associated with anxiety, depression and sedation. To investigate the potential neuroprotective, we carried out the Parkinson's disease model in rats induced by intrastriatal injection of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), followed by a single dose of ASGC (15, 30 or 60 μg) via intrastriatal. After 14 days, locomotives, neurobehavioral and physiological analyzes were performed. After euthanasia, brain areas (hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex and striatum) were dissected and used to neurochemical and transcriptional analyzes. Additionally, we evaluated the antioxidant potential of AS-Gc in in vivo and in vitro. The results suggest that the classical method using CCP has greater efficiency and quality to obtain a AS-Gc, in relation to the use of AIA. However, the alternative method, using AIA showed potential biotechnological applications to obtain other molecules of commercial and scientific interest. AS-Gc (30 mg / kg, p.o. and s.c.) presented a safety pharmacology and promoted increased exploratory activity in mice. AS-Gc (60 μg, intraestrital) promoted a neuroprotective activity in vivo and in vitro through mitochondrial protection, reduced glutathione induction, lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels reduction, and modulation of transcriptional pathways in the striatum of rats and returning locomotive and renal activities to normal conditions. Thus, this study show new perspectives for biotechnological obtaining chemically different molecules seaweed and suggests new neuropharmacological implications for the use of sulfated agaran from G. cornea. Furthermore, the AS-Gc present therapeutic potential against neurodegenerative disorders. / A alga marinha vermelha Gracilaria cornea apresenta-se como uma fonte natural ainda pouco explorada, com bioativos em potencial, como os polissacarídeos sulfatados. Seu polissacarídeo sulfatado, do tipo agarana (AS-Gc), possui sua estrutura caracterizada e atividade anti-inflamatória e anti-nociceptiva reportada na literatura. Entretanto, avaliações metodológicas no seu processo de extração, bem como novas atividades biológicas em potencial ainda são pouco reportadas na literatura. Deste modo, o presente estudo objetivou analisar um novo reagente para o isolamento de AS-Gc e, posteriormente, avaliar seus efeitos e possíveis mecanismos de ação em modelos de avaliação de atividades psicotrópicas e neuroprotetoras in vivo e in vitro. Inicialmente, realizou-se uma avaliação da metodologia de isolamento de polissacarídeos sulfatados isolados da alga G. cornea utilizando álcool isoamílico (AIA), em relação ao método clássico utilizando cloreto de 1-hexadecilpiridinio (CCP), considerando parâmetros qualitativos e quantitativos (análises de percentual de rendimento, de caracterização físico-química e estrutural) e de uma avaliação de atividade anticoagulante in vitro. Para análise de efeitos psicotrópicos de AS-Gc, avaliou-se a administração aguda de três doses (0,3; 3 ou 30 mg/Kg) e duas vias de administração (oral-v.o. ou subcutânea-s.c.) em camundongos. Em seguida, os animais foram submetidos a avaliação fisiológica e a ensaios neurocomportamentais, indicativo de nível de ação no sistema nervoso e relacionados a alterações locomotoras e de comportamentos associados de ansiedade, depressão e sedação. Para a investigação do potencial neuroprotetor, realizou-se o modelo de indução de doença de Parkinson em ratos com injeção intraestriatal da neurotoxina 6-hidroxidopamina (6-OHDA), seguido por única administração de AS-Gc (15, 30 ou 60 µg), via intraestriatal. Após 14 dias, os animais foram submetidos a análises locomotoras, neurocomportamentais e fisiológicas. Após eutanásia, áreas cerebrais (hipocampo, córtex pré-frontal e corpos estriados) foram dissecadas e utilizadas para análises neuroquímicas e transcricionais. Adicionalmente, avaliou-se o potencial antioxidante de AS-Gc em ensaios in vivo e in vitro. Os resultados sugerem que o método clássico, utilizando CCP, apresenta maior eficiência e qualidade para obtenção de AS-Gc, em relação ao uso de AIA. Entretanto, o método alternativo, utilizando AIA, demonstrou potenciais aplicações biotecnológicas para obtenção de outras moléculas de interesse comercial e científico. AS-Gc (30 mg/kg, v.o. e s.c.) apresentou uma segurança farmacológica e promoveu o aumento da atividade exploratória em camundongos. AS-Gc (60 µg, intraestrital) promoveu uma atividade neuroprotetora in vivo e in vitro, através de proteção mitocondrial, indução de glutationa reduzida, redução dos níveis de peroxidação lipídica e de nitrito, e modulação de vias transcricionais em corpo estriado de ratos, retornando atividades locomotoras e renais a condições normais. Desta forma, o presente estudo apresenta novas perspectivas biotecnológicas para obtenção de moléculas quimicamente diferentes de algas marinhas e sugere novas implicações neurofarmacológicas para o uso da agarana sulfatada de G. cornea. Adicionalmente, AS-Gc apresenta potencial terapêutico contra desordens neurodegenerativas.

The current Japanese counseling profession is in the process of reforming and uniting the system and training together for counseling and related professions. Supervision is one of significant training piece in this profession; however, its familiarity among Japanese counseling professionals is very unclear. This study explored how Japanese counseling professionals conceptualize the ideal figure of a clinical supervisor based on the identified fundamental elements of clinical supervision in the US. The preliminary analysis indicates that each aspect of the U.S. clinical supervision models might be adoptable to Japanese counseling professionals. Yet the small sample size does not confirm the conceptual framework of the ideal clinical supervisor for Japanese counseling professionals, the main analysis indicated an alternative culturally appropriate conceptual framework. Further research embracing Japanese cultural characteristics and sound ethical manner in the professional counseling and supervisory relationship would enrich the clinical supervision in Japan.

[pt] O objetivo desta dissertação foi aprofundar meus entendimentos acerca do processo de construção do plano de aula e entender como os professoresaprendizes viam o ato de planejar. É fruto de um trabalho exploratório realizado em minha própria turma de Estágio Curricular Supervisionado em Língua Inglesa no contexto de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior durante o primeiro bimestre do segundo semestre letivo do ano de 2007. Para atender a esse propósito, foram analisados os dados obtidos por meio de duas Atividades Pedagógicas com Potencial Exploratório (APPE): uma discussão realizada no primeiro dia de aula sobre as características dos professores de língua inglesa desse novo século (registradas em transparências) e um relatório escrito pelos professores-aprendizes no fim do curso, no qual narraram ou descreveram como foi o processo de construção do plano de aula. A percepção de que os professores-aprendizes se utilizavam de seus sistemas de crenças, consciente ou inconscientemente, para planejar suas aulas, levou-me a elaborar este trabalho tendo como base os princípios da Prática Exploratória. Minha dissertação visava entender com mais profundidade a natureza do ato de planejar e a qualidade da vida na sala de aula de Estágio Curricular Supervisionado, buscando, para tal, preencher uma lacuna no campo da formação inicial de professores de língua inglesa dada à escassez de teorias que partam da prática profissional do professor-investigador nessa área. / [en] The objective of this dissertation was to enhance my understanding about the process of construction of lesson plans and understand how teacher-learners view planning. This is the result of an exploratory practice process performed with my own group of English Language Teaching Practice in the context of a Higher Education Institute during the first bimester of the second term in 2007. In order to achieve this aim, two Potentially Exploitable Pedagogic Activities (PEPAs) were developed: a discussion held on the first day of classes about the characteristics of English teachers in the new century (registered in OHTs) and the teacher-learners’ end-of-term written report, in which they narrated or described their personal understandings of how the lesson plan construction was developed. All the generated written data were gathered and analyzed. The perception that, in order to plan lessons, teacher-learners used their belief system, at a conscious or unconscious level, led me to the construction of this practitioner research work. Oriented by the principles of Exploratory Practice, I also based my analysis on studies on teacher and learner beliefs as well as on pre-professional teacher preparation. My dissertation aimed at deepening my understanding on the nature of planning and the quality of life in my English Language Teaching Practice classroom, seeking to fill a gap in the area of preprofessional English teacher preparation on account of the scarcity of theories that derive from teacher-research of professional practices in this field.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo descrever o valor percebido dos consumidores das camadas de baixa renda, moradores de bairros notadamente pobres de Porto Alegre, sobre o seu consumo de alimentos e produtos de limpeza, adquiridos preferencialmente em estabelecimentos comerciais (pequenos mercados) de bairros. Ao partir da premissa de que os consumidores das camadas de baixa renda pagam mais por seus alimentos e produtos de limpeza, se buscou investigar seus hábitos de consumo, procurando entender as motivações que norteiam seu consumo, aspectos cujo entendimento nos leva também a compreender o valor percebido que estes consumidores atribuem ao seu universo de consumo. Para tanto, o trabalho foi apoiado num referencial teórico essencialmente da área de marketing, transitando por aspectos essenciais da disciplina, como preço, comportamento de consumo, níveis de envolvimento e percepção de valor (noção de justiça X noção de injustiça). A opção pela abordagem qualitativa deve-se ao fato de que o objeto de estudo não demanda um resultado que possa ser expresso em números, mas a descrição e o melhor entendimento de um fenômeno social. Recentemente, Deighton; MacInnis; McGill & Shiv (2010) destacaram as pesquisas conceituais como ricas em ideias, na maior parte das vezes inovadoras, interessantes, fundamentadas teoricamente e capazes de estimular outras pesquisas, além de proporcionarem novas maneiras de se pensar o comportamento do consumidor. A utilização de uma etapa de observação ao trabalho proporcionou uma vivência fundamental do universo de estudo e sedimentou o terreno para a elaboração e execução das entrevistas em profundidade, instrumento este que propiciou uma riqueza significativa de informações na sua coleta. Por fim, a análise de conteúdo, apoiada nos trabalhos de Bardin (1979) e Minayo (2012), trouxe à tona resultados que demonstram um valor percebido de seu consumo altamente positivo pelas camadas de baixa renda da população, afastando a ideia de injustiça pelos preços mais altos que pagam e colocando os estabelecimentos comerciais (pequenos mercados) de bairros de baixa renda no centro de um processo de sociabilização das comunidades, aonde as pessoas encontram confiança, ética e, em especial, um universo de consumo com o qual tem afinidade cultural, colocando o valor percebido em um patamar muito distante dos modelos tradicionais de preço, qualidade e conveniência. / This monograph aims to describe the perceived value of low-income consumers, residents of poor neighborhoods in Porto Alegre, on their consumption of food and cleaning products, preferably acquired in neighborhood’s shops (small markets). Based on the premise that consumers of low income populations pay more for their food and cleaning products, seek to investigate their consumption habits, trying to understand the motivations that guide their consumption, aspects whose understanding leads us also to understand the perceived value these consumers attach to their universe of consumption. Therefore, the work was supported by a theoretical framework mainly in the area of marketing, moving through the essential aspects of the discipline, such as price, to consumer behavior, levels of involvement and perceived value (notion of justice X notion of injustice). The choice of a qualitative approach is due to the fact that the object of study does not require a result that can be expressed in numbers, but an understanding, as it is a description of a social phenomenon at its best. Recently, Deighton; MacInnis; Shiv & McGill (2010) highlighted the research conceptual as rich in ideas, in most cases innovative, interesting, theoretically grounded and able to stimulate further research, in addition to providing new ways of thinking about the behavior of consumer. Using an observation phase the work experience provided a fundamental study of the universe and cemented the ground for the development and implementation of in-depth interviews, this instrument that provided a significant wealth of information in its collection. Finally, content analysis, supported by the work of Bardin (1979) and Minayo (2012), brought up results that demonstrate a perceived value of their consumption highly positive by layers of low-income population, pushing the idea of injustice by higher prices they pay and putting commercial establishments (small markets) of low-income neighborhoods in the center of a process of socialization of communities, where people are trusted, ethical and, in particular, a universe with which the consumer has an cultural affinity, placing the perceived value at a level far away from the traditional models of price, quality and convenience.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-08-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:41:03Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 saquetti_chc_dr_jabo.pdf: 1169847 bytes, checksum: 05041918b8065c6c2eb2ac16c906dcb9 (MD5) / Este estudo teve como objetivo geral comparar os efeitos da laparotomia exploratória e do uso da fenilbutazona em bovinos e bubalinos. Para isso foram avaliados o perfil bioquímico, o proteinograma e o hemograma de 28 animais dos quais 14 eram búfalas e 14 vacas, todas fêmeas não lactantes, distribuídas em quatro grupos - VT: vacas tratadas com fenilbutazona; VC: vacas controle; BT: búfalas tratadas com fenilbutazona e BC: búfalas controle. Os animais dos grupos VT e BT receberam dose única de 10 mg/kg de fenilbutazona, por via intravenosa, uma hora antes da cirurgia. Foram coletadas amostras de sangue antes da laparotomia (0h) e 1(1h), 6(6h), 12(12h), 24(24h), 48(48h), 72(72h), 96(96h) e 120 horas (120h) e 15(15d) e 30(30d) dias após a intervenção. Os valores de creatinina foram mais elevados nas búfalas, e não sofram alteração devido à cirurgia, ou ao tratamento. O tratamento com fenilbutazona aumentou a concentração sérica de HDL em vacas e búfalas. Dentre as proteínas de fase aguda, a concentração de ceruloplasmina se elevou em todos os grupos de 48 horas a 120 horas após a cirurgia. A concentração sérica de haptoglobina se elevou mais nos grupos das búfalas do que nas vacas. A hemopexina foi verificada apenas na espécie bubalina e apenas até o 5º dia. O tratamento com fenilbutazona não alterou a contagem de hemácias nem o volume globular. Todas as vacas e búfalas apresentaram neutrofilia 12 horas após a laparotomia. O teor de fósforo aumentou no grupo controle das búfalas (BC) e no grupo tratado (BT), às 72h e 96h, respectivamente. O magnésio se apresentou, no início do experimento (0h) e ao final (30d), significativamente maior nos grupos das búfalas (BT e BC). A laparotomia e ou o tratamento com fenilbutazona não interferiram nas concentrações de sódio, potássio e cálcio ionizado / This study aims to compare the effect of exploratory laparotomy and treated with phenylbutazone in bovine and buffaloes. To pursue this purpose, biochemical profile, proteinogram and blood count cell tests were performed in 28 animals, of which 14 were buffaloes and 14 cows, all of then non-nursing, distributed in four groups - VT: cows treated with phenylbutazone; VC: control cows; BT: buffaloes treated with phenylbutazone and BC: control buffaloes. Animals from VT and BT received a single administration of 10 mg/kg of phenylbutazone, intravenously one hour before surgery. Blood samples were taken before laparotomy (0h) and 1(1h), 6(6h), 12(12h), 24(24h), 48(48h), 72(72h), 96(96h) e 120 horas (120h) e 15(15d) e 30(30d) days after surgery. Creatinine values were higher in buffaloes, and there were no changes, despite surgery or treatment. HDL showed different values in both species, due to surgical procedure. The use of phenylbutazone increased serum HDL in cows and buffaloes. Among acute phase proteins, serum haptoglobin showed higher values in buffaloes than in cows. Hemopexina was foundetected only in buffaloes and until the 5th day. Treatment with phenylbutazone did not change RBCs or globular volume values. Cows and buffaloes showed neutrophilia 12 hours after laparotomy. Phosphorus content increased in control buffaloes (BC) and in the treated buffaloes (BT) at 72h and 96h, respectively. Magnesium presented higher itself at the beginning of the experiment (0h) and end (30d) in buffaloes groups (BT and BC). Laparotomy or treatment with phenylbutazone did not changed sodium, potassium and calcium ionized values

Análise exploratória visual e simulação interativa visual são duas áreas afins, porém tratadas separadamente até o momento. 0 trabalho relatado neste texto objetivou a abordagem unificada destas duas classes de problemas, a partir da identificação de ambas com as questões de linguagens visuais, visualização de dados e de programas. A partir de estudos de casos considerados representativos destas duas classes (análise de dados multivariados populacionais, análise de dados multivariados espaciais, análise de dados univariados, estudo de campos eletromagnéticos a partir de resultados da análise de elementos finitos, simulação interativa visual de objetos animados dinamicamente e simulação interativa de sistemas discretos) é estabelecida uma classificação de entidades e atributos. Entidades são consideradas como pertencendo a três grandes classes: sistemas compostos por múltiplas entidades, objetos manufaturáveis e entidades ou fenômenos naturais, e são caracterizadas por atributos que podem ser analisados de acordo com sua natureza, o tipo dos valores que podem assumir, a natureza e dimensão do domínio no qual estão definidos. A seguir, são identificados os objetivos e tarefas no tratamento das entidades e atributos. Como objetivos considera-se observação de objetos num contexto, analise da estrutura dos objetos, analise das suas propriedades estáticas ou dinâmicas, analise comparativa de vários objetos e comunicação de informações. Tarefas básicas que servem a realização dos diversos objetivos são navegação, seleção, consulta, preparação e controle de processamento, anotação de textos e armazenamento de resultados. Esta classificação de tarefas permite a determinação das ferramentas básicas necessárias a realização tanto de analise exploratória como de simulação interativa, ambas visuais. E estabelecido um conjunto coordenado de ferramentas que permitem a realização das tarefas mencionadas com as diferentes classes de entidades. Essencial a estas classes de problemas é a representação visual a ser adotada como forma de transmissão de uma informação a respeito de uma entidade. Este aspecto é enfatizado neste trabalho; é estabelecida uma taxonomia para representações visuais, a saber, Ícones, gráficos e tabelas, diagramas e redes, modelos geométricos, mapas e seqüencias. de acordo com a informação fornecida e com o atendimento dos objetivos identificados anteriormente. Na seqüência, é proposta uma metodologia para a escolha de representações visuais baseada na classe das entidades sob estudo e nos objetivos do estudo (ou de uma face do estudo), numa primeira etapa, e na natureza dos atributos e dimensão de seu domínio, numa segunda etapa. A tese apresenta a abordagem baseada em ferramentas como paradigma básico de linguagem visual para analise exploratória e simulação interativa visual e estende o use da abordagem declarativa de visualização de programas a questão de visualização de dados. As classes de entidades reconhecidas ao longo do estudo são modeladas de acordo com a abordagem orientada a objetos: da mesma forma, o conjunto de ferramentas é organizado numa plataforma orientada a objetos. Esta plataforma é comparada, do ponto de vista funcional e considerando diferentes classes de usuários, com sistemas existentes. A estrutura proposta é, ainda, discutida como um modelo de referência para analise exploratória e simulação interativa visual. / Two related areas, visual exploratory analysis and visual interactive simulation, have been handled separately until now. This thesis gives an integrated approach to these two classes of problems, based on their relationships to visual languages, data visualization and program visualization. Case studies representing both areas like multivariate analysis of populational data, multivariate analysis of spatial data, analysis of univariate data, study of electromagnetic fields based on finite element analysis, dynamic graphical simulation and interactive visual discrete-event simulation, allow the construction of a taxonomy for entities and attributes. Entities are considered to belong to three classes: multiple-entity systems, manufacturable objects, and natural entities or phenomena. They are characterized by their attributes, which in turn are classified by nature, value types and nature and dimension of their definition domain. The goals and tasks in the study of entities and attributes are identified. Goals are observing an object in a context, analyzing an object structure, analyzing their static and dynamic properties, comparing objects or different states of objects and communicating information. Tasks are elementary procedures employed to achieve certain goals: navigation, selection, query, modification, processing control, text annotation and data storage. This classification of tasks determine the basic tools that a scientific user needs to visually explore data or conduct visual interactive simulation studies. These tools are organized as a set of interactive procedures that can be applied to visual representations of entities or their attributes. Visual representations are, of course, essential to visual exploratory analysis and visual interactive simulation, in order to precisely and adequately represent information about entities. This question is emphasized in this work. Based on the information conveyed by the several existing graphical representations as well as the goals established earlier, six classes of visual representations are considered: icons, graphs and tables, diagrams and networks, geometric models, maps, and sequences of these representations. A methodology for selecting the appropriate visual representation is then proposed, based firstly on the goals of the study and the classes of entities and attributes, and secondly on the nature and dimension of the attributes domain. This thesis presents a tool-centered approach as the paradigm for both visual exploratory analysis and visual interactive simulation. The thesis also extends the concept of declarative visualization employed for program visualization to scientific data visualization. The classes of entities identified in the case studies are modeled using the object-oriented approach; the set of tools defined here is also organized in an objectoriented framework. Our proposal is discussed as a reference model for visual exploratory analysis and visual interactive simulation.

abstract: This study explored the Web resources used by four students enrolled in an introductory university-level Medical Translation course over a period of one semester. The research examined the students’ use of time, information needs and searches, and whether user attributes (translation experience and training, specialization and familiarity with the text, previous Web search training, and effort) or task-related factors (perceived task difficulty) had a relationship with the Web searching behavior of the participants. The study also investigates how this behavior might have been reflected in the quality of the product. The study focused on two translation tasks extracted from medical texts selected by the instructor that had to be translated from English into Spanish. Data was gathered by means of various instruments: translated texts, Think-Aloud Protocols, computer screen recordings, and questionnaires. The results of the data gathered from these instruments were triangulated in an effort to find relationships between the translation process and the translation product. Results were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings of the study revealed that the students spent a considerable amount of time looking for information on the Web during their translation assignments, and that the students exhibited an inclination toward bilingual Web sources. An analysis of user attributes suggested that translation experience might have had a relationship with the resources used, and the frequency of their use. Data showed that the more experienced students in the translation program received higher scores in their translations. It was also found that the higher the level of familiarity with the topic, the fewer the number of total searches. In addition, previous Web search training appeared to have a relationship with where and how information was sought. It was observed that in one of the two translation tasks, the more effort the students declared, the more Web searches they carried out. A look at perceived task difficulty indicated that in one of two tasks, this factor had an impact on the number of Web searches, which in turn, seemed to influence the time spent on the translation process, and the translation scores. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Spanish 2015

abstract: Gerrymandering is a central problem for many representative democracies. Formally, gerrymandering is the manipulation of spatial boundaries to provide political advantage to a particular group (Warf, 2006). The term often refers to political district design, where the boundaries of political districts are “unnaturally” manipulated by redistricting officials to generate durable advantages for one group or party. Since free and fair elections are possibly the critical part of representative democracy, it is important for this cresting tide to have scientifically validated tools. This dissertation supports a current wave of reform by developing a general inferential technique to “localize” inferential bias measures, generating a new type of district-level score. The new method relies on the statistical intuition behind jackknife methods to construct relative local indicators. I find that existing statewide indicators of partisan bias can be localized using this technique, providing an estimate of how strongly a district impacts statewide partisan bias over an entire decade. When compared to measures of shape compactness (a common gerrymandering detection statistic), I find that weirdly-shaped districts have no consistent relationship with impact in many states during the 2000 and 2010 redistricting plan. To ensure that this work is valid, I examine existing seats-votes modeling strategies and develop a novel method for constructing seats-votes curves. I find that, while the empirical structure of electoral swing shows significant spatial dependence (even in the face of spatial heterogeneity), existing seats-votes specifications are more robust than anticipated to spatial dependence. Centrally, this dissertation contributes to the much larger social aim to resist electoral manipulation: that individuals & organizations suffer no undue burden on political access from partisan gerrymandering. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geography 2017

abstract: Native American students often enter postsecondary education as means of serving a broader community. Studies among a broad base of tribes found that the desire to serve a larger community acts as a motivation to persist through college. However, institutions of higher education often center on individualistic empowerment rather than focusing on how to empower tribal communities. Due to the lack of quality datasets that lend to quantitative research, our understanding of factors related to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) postsecondary persistence has primarily been based on qualitative studies The purpose of this study is to understand how the desire to serve a larger community influences current and former Cocopah and Quechan undergraduate students’ college persistence. The study adds to the Native American postsecondary persistence literature base, that up till now, has not quantitatively examined students’ desire to serve a larger community as a persistence factor while intentionally sampling two smaller tribes with tribal enrollments less than four thousand. This dissertation presents a Native American persistence model and alternative method of sampling small Indigenous nations, establishes construct validity for an instrument measuring the proposed persistence model and provides evidence the proposed model predicts postsecondary persistence and academic performance. The design of the model derives from a review theories and scholarship on Native American persistence. Subsequently, construction of an instrument measuring the model emerged from the theories, literature, expert feedback, and pilot testing. Using data collected from an online survey of a sample of Cocopah and Quechan students (n=117), the study provides evidence of construct validity of the instrument through an exploratory factor analysis. Following the instrument validation, regression analyses indicates that AI/AN postsecondary persistence within both two-year and four-year institutions is positively associated with student desire to give back. The evidence further suggests that researchers, practitioners, and administrators should expand programs that center on nation-building to increase the persistence of Native American students while simultaneously meeting the needs of tribal nations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Policy and Evaluation 2018

[pt] Este trabalho investiga a noção de entendimento em textos seminais da Prática Exploratória. Reconhecendo que se busca renunciar ali a uma visão tradicional de entendimento, sem que, contudo, se elabore uma concepção alternativa capaz de fundamentar teoricamente essa nova abordagem pedagógica, esta pesquisa busca contribuir para a superação de tal lacuna. Parte-se do pressuposto de que há uma substantiva afinidade entre a Prática Exploratória e a filosofia de Ludwig Wittgenstein, filósofo que dedicou particular atenção à noção que se toma aqui como foco de investigação. O objetivo desta pesquisa é, pois, explorar afinidades e discrepâncias que se podem discernir entre o programa da Prática Exploratória e a perspectiva wittgensteiniana de linguagem, tendo como foco o conceito de entendimento. Busca-se, mais especificamente, desenvolver uma reflexão conceitual acerca da noção de entendimento, a partir de uma concepção wittgensteiniana de linguagem. A análise dos textos seminais da Prática Exploratória aqui realizada mostrará que é compatível com os princípios norteadores desse programa uma caracterização wittgensteiniana do entendimento, como conceito que, entre outras coisas, é: (a) invulnerável simultaneamente ao essencialismo e ao ceticismo; (b) apreensível por semelhança de família; (c) visto como condição permanente e não como acontecimento mental; (d) determinado por atuações reguladas e públicas, compartilhadas entre os membros da comunidade exploratória; e (e) tomado como ocasião eventualmente propícia à desnaturalização de práticas culturais arraigadas. Apontam-se, por outro lado, pontos de discrepância entre os discursos exploratório e wittgensteiniano, sobretudo no que tange à questão da autonomia da linguagem em relação ao pensamento. / [en] This thesis investigates the notion of understanding in the seminal texts of Exploratory Practice. Despite its attempts to shift from a traditional view of understanding, Exploratory Practice does not elaborate an alternative concept to ground theoretically this new pedagogical approach. This work attempts to contribute to fill this gap, based on the assumption that there is substantial affinity between Exploratory Practice and the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, who devoted special attention to the notion under investigation in this thesis. Thus, the objective of this research work is to explore affinities and discrepancies between the Exploratory Practice program and the Wittgensteinian perspective of language, with focus on the concept of understanding. More specifically, it attempts to develop a conceptual reflection on the notion of understanding on the basis of a Wittgensteinian conception of language. The analysis of seminal texts of Exploratory Practice accomplished in this work will demonstrate that the guiding principles of this program are compatible with a Wittgensteinian-oriented characterization of understanding as a concept that, among other factors: (a) is simultaneously invulnerable to essentialism and skepticism; (b) is apprehensible by family resemblance; (c) is taken as an abiding condition and not as a mental occurrence; (d) is determined by regulated and public actions shared by members of the exploratory community; and (e) is considered as an occasion ultimately favorable to denaturalization of well established cultural practices. Furthermore, the analysis points towards discrepancies between exploratory and Wittgensteinian discourses, with specific reference to the issue of autonomy of language in relation to thinking.