Esta pesquisa tematiza os estudos sobre a relação entre Geografia e Literatura, a partir da análise das interpretações sobre o romance Grande Sertão: Veredas, de João Guimarães Rosa, por meio da qual elaboramos uma reflexão crítica à modernização entendida como formação e generalização das relações sociais capitalistas. Para isso, investigamos algumas interpretações que relacionam a prosa rosiana e a literatura regionalista, apresentando alguns nexos para pensar a noção de região sistematizada na Geografia. Nesse percurso, situamos algumas questões acerca do tratamento recorrente da questão regional no Brasil, aprofundando o estudo da obra de Guimarães Rosa em relação aos debates sobre a formação do país. Discutimos o processo de formação da aparência de autonomia entre as esferas política e econômica, expondo criticamente os discursos sobre a região e a necessidade do planejamento estatal, problematizando também a aparência de autonomia dos campos intelectual e artístico. / This research thematizes the studies about the relation between Geography and Literature, from the analysis of the novels interpretations Grande Sertão: Veredas, from João Guimarães Rosa. Based on these readings we developed a critical reflexion of modernization, understood as formation and generalization of capitalist social relations. We investigate some interpretations that relate Rosa\'s narratives and regionalist literature, presenting some connections to think the notion of region, in systematized in Geography. Along the way, we situate some questions about the recurrent treatment of regional question in Brazil, deepening the study of the Rosa\'s narratives in relation to debates about the formation of the country. We discuss the process of formation of the apparent autonomy between the political and the economical sphere, exposing the discourses about the region and necessity for state planning, also questioning the apparent autonomy of the intellectual and artistic fields.

A bacia hidrográfica do Mogi Guaçu é um importante sistema de sustento para diversas atividades econômicas regionalizadas. Em decorrência de atividades antrópicas como, uso e ocupação inadequada do solo, utilização de pesticidas e fertilizantes nas lavouras, lançamento de efluentes domésticos (in natura) e industriais, sem tratamento; dentre outras, verificou-se que o rio Mogi Guaçu é acometido por diferentes graus de degradação ao longo do seu curso; e, por conseguinte, as lagoas de piscicultura da área de drenagem. Este trabalho objetiva analisar a concentração de metais na água, sedimentos e rações de lagoas de pesque-pagues, no intuito de avaliar o nível de impacto dos metais sobre o ambiente. Foram feitas coletas de água e sedimentos, em quatro épocas diferentes, duas no período seco e duas no chuvoso, precisamente em dez pontos, distribuídos desde a nascente até a foz. As rações foram coletadas em cada um dos pesque-pagues. Análises das percentagens de matéria orgânica e inorgânica foram executadas, bem como análise granulométrica dos sedimentos. A análise quantitativa dos metais foi efetuada pela técnica espectroscópica de absorção atômica, tanto em água, sedimentos e ração. Os resultados demonstram que as percentagens de matéria orgânica são elevadas, ocorrendo em todos os períodos de amostragem. A elevada fração de argila e areia, na grande maioria dos pontos de amostragem, indica que os sedimentos têm mérito considerável na redistribuição dos metais na coluna d\'água. A concentração de metais em água excedeu os limites da resolução CONAMA 20/86 para águas de classe 2, com destaque para Cd (P1: Inconfidentes; 0,049 mg/kg), Cr (P9: Jacutinga; 0,190 mg/kg) e Fe (P8: Itapira; 9,60 mg/kg). Em sedimentos na totalidade dos pontos e, pelo menos, em um período, houve indicativo de contaminação. Para a análise das rações, segundo a IFOAM, níveis abaixo para Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn e Zn, considerados metais essenciais. Portanto, as análises indicam ambientes impactados negativamente, com grau elevado de interferência antrópica. / The hydrographic basin of Mogi Guaçu is an important sustenance system for a lot of local economic activities. In result of human activities as use and inadequate occupation of the ground, pesticides and fertilizers in the farmings, launching of domestic and industrials effluent servants, without treatment; amongst others, it was verified that the Mogi Guaçu river must be submitted by different degrees of degradation to the long on its course; and, therefore, the fish culture on draining area. This work\'s purpose is to analyse the metal concentration in the water, sediments and rations on fish & pay lagoons, in intention to evaluate the level of impact of metals on the environment. There was water collect and sediments, at four different times, two in dry period and two in the rainy one, necessarily in ten points, distributed since the spring until the estuary. The rations had been collected in each one of fish & pay. Analyses of the percentages of organic and inorganic substance had been executed, as well as grain sized analyses of the sediments. The quantitative analysis of the metals was effected by atomic absorption spectroscopic technique, as much in water, sediments and ration. The results demonstrate that the percentages of organic substance are been raised, occurring in all the periods of sampling. The raised fraction of clay and sand, in the great majority of the sampling points, suggesting that the sediments have considerable importance in the redistribution of the metals in the water\'column. The metal concentration in water exceeded the limits of CONAMA, 20/86, with prominence to Cd (P1: Inconfidentes; 0.049 mg/kg), Cr (P9: Jacutinga; 0.190 mg/kg) and Fe (P8: Itapira; 9.60 mg/kg). In sediments on totality of the points, at least in a period, indicative contamination. For rations anylises, by IFOAM, low levels to Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn and Zn, considered essential metals. Therefore, the analysis indicate negative environmental impacts, with high degree of human interference.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le débat scientifique actuel autour de l’évaluation économique des services écosystémiques fournis par les aires marines protégées (AMP) dans les pays en voie de développement. Appliquant la méthode de l’évaluation contingente, elle s’est intéressée à l’analyse de la perception de la population mauritanienne des services écosystémiques fournis par l’aire marine protégée du parc national du banc d’arguin (PNBA) en Mauritanie et la valeur qu’elle consente à payer pour maintenir l’offre de ces services dans son état actuel. A travers l’analyse des résultats de trois enquêtes réalisées au PNBA (niveau local), à Nouakchott (zone adjacente) et à Tidjikja (arrière-pays), la thèse discute l’impact de la distance, dans le sens de l’éloignement et du temps nécessaire pour accéder à l’AMP, tant sur la perception des services écosystémiques fournis par le PNBA que sur le consentement à payer pour sa conservation. Par ailleurs, elle aborde l’applicabilité de la méthode de l’évaluation contingente dans les pays en voie de développement et propose quelques améliorations du protocole de l’enquête pour améliorer la fiabilité des résultats. / This thesis is part of the current scientific debate around the economic evaluation of ecosystem services provided by marine protected areas in developing countries. Using the contingent valuation method, it focused on the analysis of the Mauritanian population's perception of ecosystem services provided by the marine protected area of Banc d'Arguin National Park in Mauritania and the value that this population agrees to pay to maintain the supply of these services in its current state. Through the analysis of the results of three surveys conducted at the PNBA (local level), Nouakchott (adjacent zone) and Tidjikja (inland), the thesis discusses the impact of distance, in the sense of the remoteness and the time required to access the MPA, both on the perception of the ecosystem services provided by the PNBA and on the Willingness To Pay for its conservation.In addition, it discusses the applicability of the contingent valuation method in developing countries and proposes some improvements to the survey protocol to enhance the reliability of the results.

European legal regulation of the remuneration of women and men Abstract This thesis focuses on the legal regulation of the principle of equal pay in European law. Despite the fact that the priciples of equality of men and women are anchored in the international, regional and national laws, the actual fulfulment of the principle of equal pay in the European countries is not satisfactory. This thesis is trying to provide a systematic overview of the relevant legal regulation of the principle of equal pay on the international and European level. Within the respective legal systems, this thesis focuses on the particularity of the regulation, on the existence of controll and enforcing mechanism and on the actual aplication of the principle of equal pay through these mechanisms. The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter defines the concepts essential for this thesis. In particular, it contains definitions of concepts of equality and discrimination. Furthermore, the concepts of sex, gender and diferences in remuneration are defined. The second chapter focuses on the legal regulation of equal pay as adopted by the UN. It analyses the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the relevant treaties of the International labour organisation, including the overview...

The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP), created by Section 3001 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, enacted a major industry shift in Medicare towards "pay for performance," or paying for high marks on a variety quality metrics rather than the traditional reliance on volume of care delivered. This study examines one of these quality metrics in particular: patient satisfaction. The trajectory of this paper begins with an overview of the current focus on patient satisfaction as a modern quality metric in American healthcare, contextualizes this emphasis on satisfaction within the intellectual movement of "patient-centered care," and moves on to a review of the relevant scholarship that attempts to explain the numerous determinants of patient satisfaction scores (with special attention to the inpatient hospital setting), as well as the robust academic debate over whether satisfaction is even an appropriate quality metric at all relative to clinical outcomes in care. The second half of my discourse moves on to more practical applications - first I break down the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and the impact of its methodology on providers, then the Medicare HVBP program itself and its various directions towards the value-based care model. I conclude with a quantitative analysis of trends in patient satisfaction over time between 1) HVBP-participating providers (as of FY2014) and 2) those providers who have not opted in (including those ineligible to do so). My comparison aims to study the strength of the HVBP incentives to improve patient satisfaction in those subject to the financial incentive relative to those who are not. Additionally, I preface this analysis whether patient satisfaction scores are associated with either clinical process of care scores or outcome scores in the HVBP program. My research questions aim to shed light on the academic debate between patient satisfaction and more traditional clinical outcomes - are they related in the context of FY2014 HVBP? Are the new incentives to improve patient satisfaction actually doing so in a meaningful way among providers newly accountable to these incentives? Finally, in a market defined by zero-sum resources, is there evidence that a financial incentives around patient satisfaction are channeling resources and by extension improvement away from clinical outcome performance? I believe this last question is the true concern of patient satisfaction skeptics, and hope to address it with applicable data. By providing a thorough qualitative grounding in the topic followed by current quantitative analysis, my goal is to create an informed perspective on the use of patient satisfaction as a quality metric in U.S. healthcare, which can be applied meaningfully from policy, provider, and consumer vantage points. With patient satisfaction becoming increasingly more internalized in the value-based care model, these analyses of the initial results in HVBP potentially serve as predictive insight into provider behavior in this area moving forward.

United States agriculture is continuing to shift toward organic production techniques to align with consumer demand, yet organic products make up an insignificant portion of the food market. This disparity has been examined via consumer willingness to pay for organic products and research on the costs and benefits of organic operations; however, little has been investigated about a potential transitional organic market. In shifting from conventional to organic agriculture there is a substantial transition phase of at least three years, during which producers cannot label their products as USDA organic. This research therefore examines consumer willingness to pay for transitional organic produce based on a Lane County representative adult population (n = 200). Results of the conjoint choice stated preference survey suggest that there exists a viable market for transitional organic products, revealing systematic heterogeneity in preferences for produce labeled as transitional USDA organic.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:22:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carolina Rocha Malheiros.pdf: 1208448 bytes, checksum: 374a2b1b28c96272dc6000bb9f1c7194 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-05 / The present work aims to study the progressive taxation on the Brazilian Statutory Law and it will be treated under the focus of the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988. The progressivity applied in taxes is an issue that demands the study of the Brazilian Constitutional System, integrated by principles, which are rules of the highest hierarchy guiding the application of the other rules within the legal system. There are several constitutional principles that inform the legal system and guide the taxation. Due to the specificity of each principle and seeking the best understanding of the proposed issue, we believe that the principles of equality and ability to pay, which more closely rules the progressivity of taxes, deserve a special highlight. In order to achieve such objective, it is necessary to analyze the principle of ability to pay (contained in the principle of equality), which requires all taxpayers, via tax payment, to contribute to the extent of their outward manifestations of wealth. For this purpose, we have investigated the criteria for the assessment and effective application of the principle of ability to pay in taxes. In view of these elements, being the progressivity the vector for the exercise of a fair and equitable taxation in tax matters, we will implement our studies on progressivity with tax purpose (arising from the principle of ability to pay) and extra fiscal. Thus, once analyzed all the criteria that the subject requires, the result to be achieved is the application of progressive taxation in each of the taxes set forth on articles 153 to 156 of the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 / O presente trabalho tem por finalidade o estudo da tributação progressiva no direito positivo brasileiro e será tratado sob o enfoque da Constituição Federal de 1988. A progressividade aplicada aos impostos é tema que demanda o estudo do sistema constitucional brasileiro, integrado pelos princípios, normas de maior hierarquia que orientam a aplicação das demais normas dentro do ordenamento jurídico. São diversos os princípios constitucionais que informam o sistema jurídico e orientam a tributação. Dada a especificidade de cada princípio, e visando a melhor compreensão do tema proposto, temos que merecem especial destaque os princípios da igualdade e da capacidade contributiva, os quais mais de perto regem a progressividade nos impostos. Com o escopo de conferir êxito a esse objetivo, faz-se necessária a análise do princípio da capacidade contributiva (contido no da igualdade), exigindo que todos os contribuintes, por via dos impostos, contribuam na medida de suas manifestações exteriores de riqueza. Para tanto, procuramos investigações nos critérios para aferição e efetiva aplicação da capacidade contributiva nos impostos. Diante desses elementos, tratando a progressividade do vetor para o exercício de uma tributação justa e equitativa em matéria de tributária, empreenderemos nossos estudos à progressividade com finalidade fiscal (decorrente do princípio da capacidade contributiva) e extrafiscal. E, uma vez analisados todos os critérios que o tema requer, o resultado que se pretende atingir é a aplicação da tributação progressiva em cada um dos impostos elencados nos artigos 153 a 156 da Constituição Federal de 1988

Esta pesquisa tematiza os estudos sobre a relação entre Geografia e Literatura, a partir da análise das interpretações sobre o romance Grande Sertão: Veredas, de João Guimarães Rosa, por meio da qual elaboramos uma reflexão crítica à modernização entendida como formação e generalização das relações sociais capitalistas. Para isso, investigamos algumas interpretações que relacionam a prosa rosiana e a literatura regionalista, apresentando alguns nexos para pensar a noção de região sistematizada na Geografia. Nesse percurso, situamos algumas questões acerca do tratamento recorrente da questão regional no Brasil, aprofundando o estudo da obra de Guimarães Rosa em relação aos debates sobre a formação do país. Discutimos o processo de formação da aparência de autonomia entre as esferas política e econômica, expondo criticamente os discursos sobre a região e a necessidade do planejamento estatal, problematizando também a aparência de autonomia dos campos intelectual e artístico. / This research thematizes the studies about the relation between Geography and Literature, from the analysis of the novels interpretations Grande Sertão: Veredas, from João Guimarães Rosa. Based on these readings we developed a critical reflexion of modernization, understood as formation and generalization of capitalist social relations. We investigate some interpretations that relate Rosa\'s narratives and regionalist literature, presenting some connections to think the notion of region, in systematized in Geography. Along the way, we situate some questions about the recurrent treatment of regional question in Brazil, deepening the study of the Rosa\'s narratives in relation to debates about the formation of the country. We discuss the process of formation of the apparent autonomy between the political and the economical sphere, exposing the discourses about the region and necessity for state planning, also questioning the apparent autonomy of the intellectual and artistic fields.

Thesis was carried out to make an estimation of the willingness of consumers to buy the clothes produced under eco-friendly and decent way. Neoclassic demand theory was used and basic idea was to know that either moral effects on a consumer’s individual decision while choosing the products manufactured under friendly environment or not; if yes, then how and how much. Survey method along with choice experiment analysis was used to collect the data. Selected area was Boras Sweden and 50 respondents were considered for the survey. To estimate the degree of willingness of a consumer to pay for a Swan labeled and/or Fairtrade labeled jeans, choice experiments was used. Afterwards, the collected data was used within econometric models. It has been observed from results that consumers were more willing to pay for a Swan labeled and/or Fairtrade labeled jeans than non-labeled jeans. The responsible individuals regarding environment were much more willing to pay for Fairtrade and/or Swan labeled clothes, considering the factor that production does not affect the environment in negative way and it was done under socially acceptable conditions. / Program: Magisterutbildning i Fashion Management

M. Tech. (Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / Organisations need employees who are willing to go beyond the requirements of the job to contribute to the organisation’s effectiveness. An evolving trend in the organisational behaviour literature indicates that job satisfaction (JS) and organisational commitment (OC) are attitudes that have a major impact on organisational outcomes such as productivity, job performance, turnover intentions and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Although the relationship between the aforementioned constructs is considered important, there is a paucity of research about the relationship between these constructs in the context of the water utility company. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of organisational commitment and job satisfaction on organisational citizenship behaviour at the water utility company in Gauteng. A quantitative research approach and a survey-based descriptive research method were used to achieve the primary objective. A structured questionnaire was issued to 400 randomly sampled respondents. Furthermore, means and factor analysis were performed to determine the level of job satisfaction, organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour of employees and to establish the underlying factors of the constructs respectively. Additionally, a correlation analysis was conducted to establish the strength and direction of the relationship between the factors. Finally, a regression analysis was performed to confirm the predictive relationship between factors. The findings of this study showed a positive correlation between affective commitment, indebted obligation and moral imperative; JS and OCB; and no predictive relationship was observed between continuance commitment and OCB. Based on the findings, it was recommended that JS should be improved through mechanisms such as job-fit, job enrichment and career advancement. Furthermore, performance-related pay and mentorship programmes should be introduced to improve employees’ organisational commitment. Finally, recognition should be given to employees to encourage them to maintain their willingness to display citizenship behaviours.