Yes / The use of Reverse Osmosis (RO) process in seawater desalination to provide high-quality drinking water is progressively increased compared to thermal technologies. In this paper, multistage spiral wound RO desalination process is considered. Each stage consists of several pressure vessels (PVs) organised in parallel with membrane modules in each PV being organised in series. This allows disconnecting a set of PVs and membrane modules depending on the requirement of cleaning and maintenance. While this flexibility offers the opportunity of generating several RO configurations, we presented only four such configurations of the RO system and analysed them via simulation and optimisation. Production of different grades of water catering different needs of a city is also considered for each of these configurations. The optimisation has resulted in the optimal operating conditions, which maximises the water productivity and minimises the specific energy consumption of the proposed configurations for a given water grade in terms of salinity. For instance, the results indicate that the proposed RO networks can produce drinking water of 500 ppm salinity with a minimum specific energy consumption of 3.755 kWh/m3. The strategy offers the production of different grades of water without plant shutdown while maintaining the membrane modules throughout the year.

Poverty is a social context that has direct impact on students' performance since the conditions associated with poverty (brain development, social interactions, nutrition, and emotional environment) all play a role in developmental outcomes. Head Start is an early intervention program designed to address the unique needs of students from poverty. The Head Start Impact Study (DHHS, ACF, 2012) and other research (Lee, Brooks-Gunn, and Schnur, 1988; Ramey and Ramey, 2004) indicate that the academic achievement of low-income students who participated in Head Start is mixed as they move through elementary school. The purpose of the Head Start program is to prepare students with skills so that they begin kindergarten on an even playing field with their more advantaged peers (DHHS, ACF, 2013). Although students who participate in Head Start begin kindergarten with the appropriate readiness skills, initial gains are not maintained as they move through elementary school (Burkham and Lee, 2002). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effects of the Head Start program as its students move through kindergarten and first grade. In the study, I analyzed data to find relationships between student performance on the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) (University of Virginia, 2010) and classroom practices that led to high achievement. Two Title I schools were studied. PALS scores were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVAs and multiple regressions. Reading performance in second grade was measured using scores from the Developmental Reading Assessment (Beave, 2006). Qualitative data were collected through interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. These data were utilized to make connections between the results of PALS and reading scores and the best practices being used in schools that showed strong results for the kindergarten and first grade students in the study. By triangulating data, I uncovered relationships between best practice strategies being used in high performing schools and achievement of former Head Start enrollees. / Ed. D.

O domínio de grades computacionais é fortemente associado ao compartilhamento de recursos para a resolução de problemas em ambientes dinâmicos e heterogê- neos. Reutilizar aplicações armazenadas na grade e alocar recursos para atender os requisitos das aplicações são tarefas essenciais na grade e dependem da qualidade das informações disponíveis. O presente trabalho propõe uma abordagem semântica para a construção de um serviço de metadados sobre grades e sobre as aplicações nelas disponibilizadas. A abordagem proposta explora a realização de inferência sobre ontologias de aplicações e recursos computacionais da grade e a realização de consultas sobre a base inferida para promover a realização de tarefas, tais como escalonamento de recursos para execução de aplicações na grade, de modo e_ciente. O middleware para Grades oportunistas, InteGrade, foi a base a para o desenvolvimento desse projeto. / The grid computing domain is strongly related to resource sharing for problem resolution in dynamic and heterogeneous environments. The reuse of applications stored on grids and the allocation of resources to meet application requirements are essential grid tasks. These tasks depend on the quality of available information. This work proposes a semantic approach to build a metadata service about grid models, resources and applications. This approach explores inference and queries on ontologies about applications and grid computational resources aiming to enhance the execution of grid tasks, such as resource scheduling on grids. We used InteGrade, an opportunistic grid middleware, as the ground for the development of our project. The metadata integration will contribute to promote the e_cient usage of grid resources and applications.

O domínio de grades computacionais é fortemente associado ao compartilhamento de recursos para a resolução de problemas em ambientes dinâmicos e heterogê- neos. Reutilizar aplicações armazenadas na grade e alocar recursos para atender os requisitos das aplicações são tarefas essenciais na grade e dependem da qualidade das informações disponíveis. O presente trabalho propõe uma abordagem semântica para a construção de um serviço de metadados sobre grades e sobre as aplicações nelas disponibilizadas. A abordagem proposta explora a realização de inferência sobre ontologias de aplicações e recursos computacionais da grade e a realização de consultas sobre a base inferida para promover a realização de tarefas, tais como escalonamento de recursos para execução de aplicações na grade, de modo e_ciente. O middleware para Grades oportunistas, InteGrade, foi a base a para o desenvolvimento desse projeto. / The grid computing domain is strongly related to resource sharing for problem resolution in dynamic and heterogeneous environments. The reuse of applications stored on grids and the allocation of resources to meet application requirements are essential grid tasks. These tasks depend on the quality of available information. This work proposes a semantic approach to build a metadata service about grid models, resources and applications. This approach explores inference and queries on ontologies about applications and grid computational resources aiming to enhance the execution of grid tasks, such as resource scheduling on grids. We used InteGrade, an opportunistic grid middleware, as the ground for the development of our project. The metadata integration will contribute to promote the e_cient usage of grid resources and applications.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T14:53:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bysmarck Barros de Sousa.pdf: 4248162 bytes, checksum: 1b6440a084fcf6e55f08f5faaa29694e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-07-10 / The computation in grating allows to the integration and sharing of resources as softwares, data and hardware, in institucional and multiinstitucional environments. Recently, had to the great volume of generated data the most varied dominios of application, applications that carry through intensive computation has been wide used. The Mag Cat foca in the challenge of the discovery and publication of the data shared in a grating of computers. MagCat was developed using the technology of software agents, using the great capacity of abstraction of this technology. / A computação em grade permite a integração e compartilhamento de recursos como softwares, dados e périfericos, em ambientes institucionais e multiinstitucionais. Recentemente, devido ao grande volume de dados gerados os mais variados dominios de aplicação, aplicações que realizam computação intensiva tem sido largamente utilizadas. O Mag Cat foca no desafio da descoberta e publicação dos dados compartilhados em uma grade de computadores. MagCat foi desenvolvido usando a tecnologia de agentes de software, utilizando a grande capacidade de abstração desta tecnologia.

<p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om det sydafrikanska skolväsendet bygger på teorierom det individuella lärandet. Undersökningen genomförs med tre metoder, en textanalys avläroplanen, intervjuer av lärare i Sydafrika och observationer av undervisning i ensydafrikansk skola. Resultatet är att det finns vissa spår av individuellt lärande i läroplanen,hos lärarnas svar och i viss undervisning. I diskussionen kommer jag fram till att även om detfinns frön av individuellt lärande i den sydafrikanska skolan så är det inte tillräckligt för attsäga att hela det sydafrikanska skolväsendet bygger på tankar om det individuella lärandet.Nyckelord: Individuellt lärande, Lärstilar, Revised National Curriculum StatementGrades R-9, Sydafrika.</p> / <p>The purpose of this essay is to investigate whether or not the South African school systempredicates upon theories of individual learning. The investigation is carried out using threemethods, a textual analysis of the Curriculum, interviews with South African teachers andclassroom observations. The resulat is that there are some traits of individual learning in thecurriculum, in the answers of the teachers and in some of the education. In my conclusivediscussion I find that even if there are some traces of individual learning in the South Africanschool system it is not enough to say that the South African school system predicates upontheories of individual learning.</p>

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om det sydafrikanska skolväsendet bygger på teorierom det individuella lärandet. Undersökningen genomförs med tre metoder, en textanalys avläroplanen, intervjuer av lärare i Sydafrika och observationer av undervisning i ensydafrikansk skola. Resultatet är att det finns vissa spår av individuellt lärande i läroplanen,hos lärarnas svar och i viss undervisning. I diskussionen kommer jag fram till att även om detfinns frön av individuellt lärande i den sydafrikanska skolan så är det inte tillräckligt för attsäga att hela det sydafrikanska skolväsendet bygger på tankar om det individuella lärandet.Nyckelord: Individuellt lärande, Lärstilar, Revised National Curriculum StatementGrades R-9, Sydafrika. / The purpose of this essay is to investigate whether or not the South African school systempredicates upon theories of individual learning. The investigation is carried out using threemethods, a textual analysis of the Curriculum, interviews with South African teachers andclassroom observations. The resulat is that there are some traits of individual learning in thecurriculum, in the answers of the teachers and in some of the education. In my conclusivediscussion I find that even if there are some traces of individual learning in the South Africanschool system it is not enough to say that the South African school system predicates upontheories of individual learning.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T14:53:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Diego_Souza_Gomes.pdf: 2086164 bytes, checksum: d2a9f245dd16522cb21c6fcb10bb8447 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-07 / Mobile computing technologies and wireless networks have evolved very quickly. Nowadays, many of the portable devices have significant processing power, storage and communication capacity. At the same time, grid computing technology became an important tool for collaborative work among users and organizations enabling the sharing of computing resources and services through multiple administrative domains. Due to the popularity of mobile computing, users of handheld devices form an important and new segment of the computing grid, assuming both the role of consumers and providers of resources and services. The integration of these two categories of distributed systems aims to extend the capabilities of portable devices, enabling access to a infrastructure of shared resources, as well as provide faster and easier means for grid services users to access information produced by these systems at any time and place. This work describes the MInteGrade (Mobile InteGrade), a software infrastructure that provides access to the InteGrade grid middleware from mobile devices connected through IEEE 802.11 wireless networks in infrastructure mode, and Bluetooth networks in Ad hoc mode. Through this mechanism for access to a computational grid, mobile clients can request the execution of applications on the grid, monitor the execution of applications and view the computation results already completed. The MInteGrade was designed so as to consider the dynamics of wireless networks. Specifically, it supports disconnections of devices and dynamic changes of the Ad hoc network topology, aswell as content adaptation of the output of the grid computations. / Tecnologias de computação móvel e de redes sem fio têm evoluído muito rapidamente, de forma que muitos dos dispositivos portáteis possuem atualmente considerável capacidade de processamento, armazenamento e comunicação. Paralelo a isso, a tecnologia de grades computacionais se consolidou como um ferramental importante para o trabalho colaborativo entre usuários e organizações, através do compartilhamento de recursos e serviços computacionais entre múltiplos domínios administrativos. Devido a esta popularização da computação móvel, usuários de dispositivos portáteis formam um importante e novo segmento da computação em grade, assumindo tanto o papel de usuários como também de provedores de recursos e serviços. A integração dessas duas categorias de sistemas distribuídos, objetiva estender as capacidades dos dispositivos computacionais móveis através do acesso a uma infra-estrutura de recursos compartilhados, além de fornecer aos usuários de serviços de grade meios mais rápidos e fáceis de acesso as informações produzidas por estes sistemas em qualquer hora e lugar. Este trabalho descreve oMInteGrade (Mobile InteGrade), uma infra-estrutura de software para acesso aos serviços do middleware de grade InteGrade a partir de dispositivos móveis conectados através de redes sem fio IEEE 802.11 em modo infraestruturado e redes bluetooth em modo Ad hoc. Através deste mecanismo para acesso a uma grade de computadores, clientes móveis podem solicitar a execução de aplicações na grade, realizar o acompanhamento da execução das aplicações e visualizar o resultado de computações já concluídas. O MInteGrade foi projetado para levar em consideração o dinamismo das redes sem fio, provendo suporte a períodos de desconexão e variações na topologia das redes Ad hoc, bem como a adaptação de conteúdo dos resultados das computações realizadas pela grade.

La relation qu’entretint la divinité mithriaque avec le pouvoir impérial romain fut longtemps négligée du fait de la rareté des sources directes, ne donnant lieu, le plus souvent, qu’à quelques lignes dans les ouvrages généraux consacrés à Mithra. Si le mithriacisme romain fut avant tout un culte à mystères, à ses origines, il n’était pas que cela. Son succès en Perse reposa d’abord sur une manifestation publique utile au pouvoir politique, dont le plus auguste témoignage est Persépolis. Assurément, le mithriacisme romain fut étroitement lié à ses racines perses. Souvent niée, parfois minorée, cette origine fut au cœur d’une ouverture doctrinale des mystes ce qui explique l’hellénisation philosophique du mithriacisme et prépara, plus tard, le terrain du succès politique du christianisme. La cosmogonie mithriaque influença aussi mythes, cultes et philosophies gréco-romaines. Dès lors, à Rome, la tendance du mithriacisme à sortir du cadre mystérique pour mieux s’attacher au pouvoir apparaissait logique. Plus lisible aussi, fut la proximité cultuelle de Cybèle/Mithra avec le couple Anâhitâ/Mithra dont nous avons démontré la réalité jusqu’au Phrygianum Vaticanum. Parallèlement la fusion de Mithra et de la figure de Sol invictus, origine de la mutation de la relation qu’entretint le pouvoir romain avec Mithra devenait indéniable. Seuls Aurélien et Julien correspondirent véritablement aux critères élevés de la morale mithriaque. Mais ils ne pouvaient à eux seuls inverser un mouvement devenu inéluctable. Le IVe siècle apparaît alors, dans l’histoire mouvementée de la religion romaine, comme le tournant dramatique qui mit fin aux espérances des mithriastes de l’Occident. / The relationship between the mithraic divinity and Roman imperial power has long been neglected because of the scarcity of direct sources, only allowing for rare lines in general works devoted to Mithras. If Roman mithraism was indeed a religion of mysteries at its origins, it was not limited to that. Its success in Persia was above all based on a public demonstration useful to those holding political power, whose most majestic testimony is Persepolis. Undoubtedly, Roman mithraism was closely linked to its Persian roots. Often denied, sometimes underestimated, this origin explains followers’ openness towards other doctrinal influences, which led to the philosophical hellenization of Mithraism and later laid the groundwork for the political success of Christianity. Mithraic cosmogony also influenced Greco-Roman myths, cults and philosophies. From that time on, in Rome, the tendency of mithraism to go beyond the mysteric framework in order to strengthen its link to political authority appeared logical. We also demonstrated that the worship of Cybele/Mithra was associated with that of Anâhitâ/Mithra up to the Phrygianum Vaticanum. In parallel, the fusion of Mithra and the figure of Sol invictus, at the origin of the evolution of the relationship between Roman imperial authority and Mithras, became undeniable. Only Aurelian and Julian the Apostate, corresponded truly to the exacting criteria of mithraic morals. But they could not alone reverse a movement that had become inescapable. The fourth century appears then, in the turbulent history of Roman religion, as the dramatic turning point which put an end to the hopes of western mithriasts.

This study examined how self-efficacy beliefs, a central construct of social cognitive theory, might be used to inform educational leadership and policy decisions related to school accountability measures. A survey of 112 principals in Florida was used to investigate the degree to which principals believed the goals of federal and state school accountability measures (the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Florida School Grades Plan) were actually attainable, and to what degree they believed their leadership actually helped achieve these goals. A large majority (83.8%) of respondents believed the state goals to be attainable, whereas only a minority (20.7%) believed the federal goals could be attained. This disparity was associated with a significant difference in self-efficacy beliefs related to the plans, and in the associated leadership behavior of principals. This significant difference in principal self-efficacy beliefs could predict a disparity in leadership effort toward goal attainment. The study suggested that policymakers should be cautious about revising the goals of the Florida School Grades Plan, since principals' self-efficacy beliefs related to the plan were already quite high. In contrast, the findings suggested that policymakers should look to revising the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to correct the dearth of principal belief in the actual attainability of its goals.