O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estimar parâmetros genéticos de características de carcaça medidas por ultra-sonografia e de desenvolvimento ponderal em bovinos da raça Santa Gertrudis. O conjunto de dados é proveniente de 12 fazendas participantes do Programa de Melhoramento Animal da ABSG. As características analisadas foram, área de olho de lombo, espessura de gordura subcutânea, peso ao nascimento, peso aos 120 dias de idade, peso a desmama, peso aos 12 meses de idade, peso aos 18 meses de idade, peso aos 24 meses de idade e perímetro escrotal aos 18 meses de idade. Os dados foram pré-ajustados para o efeito de idade pela metodologia de polinômios segmentados. Os componentes de (co)variância foram estimados por máxima verossimilhança restrita utilizando-se o software MTDFREML. As estimativas de herdabilidade foram obtidas em análises uni-característica, e em análises bi-características, as quais geraram estimativas de correlações genéticas das características de AOL, EGS com as características de desempenho ponderal. As estimativas de herdabilidade para AOL e EGS foram de 0,23±0,10 e 0,05±0,04, respectivamente. Os parâmetros encontrados neste trabalho são estimativas para uma amostra da população da raça Santa Gertrudis e sugerem-se estudos adicionais, para confirmar as estimativas de parâmetros genéticos para estimativas de carcaça obtidas por ultra-sonografia, para esta raça. / The present study has as objectives to estimate genetic parameters of carcass traits measured by ultrasound and traits of ponderal development in Santa Gertrudis beef cattle. All data set evaluated was originated from 12 farms participating of the Animal Breeding Program conduced by Grupo de Melhoramento Animal of the Universidade de Sao Paulo. The traits analyzed were rib eye area (REA), fat thickness (FAT), birth weight, weight at 120 days, weaning weight, weight at 12, 18 and 24 months and scrotal circumference at 18 months of age. The data were pre-adjusted for age effect by segmented polynomials methodology. The co-variance components were estimated by Restricted Maximum Likelihood using the MTDFREML software. The estimates of heritability were obtained from univariate analysis, while the genetic correlations between REA and FAT with traits of ponderal development were calculated from bivariate analysis. The heritability estimated for REA and FAT were of 0.23±0.10 and 0.05±0.04, respectively. All genetic parameters reported in this present study are estimated from a population sampling of Santa Gertrudis animals, being suggested additional research for genetic parameters evaluation of carcass traits measured by ultrasound. In the breed.

Exchange rate economics has achieved substantial development in the past few decades. Despite extensive research, a large number of unresolved problems remain in the exchange rate debate. This dissertation studied three puzzling issues aiming to improve our understanding of exchange rate behavior. Chapter Two used advanced econometric techniques to model and forecast exchange rate dynamics. Chapter Three and Chapter Four studied issues related to exchange rates using the theory of New Open Economy Macroeconomics. Chapter Two empirically examined the short-run forecastability of nominal exchange rates. It analyzed important empirical regularities in daily exchange rates. Through a series of hypothesis tests, a best-fitting fractionally integrated GARCH model with skewed student-t error distribution was identified. The forecasting performance of the model was compared with that of a random walk model. Results supported the contention that nominal exchange rates seem to be unpredictable over the short run in the sense that the best-fitting model cannot beat the random walk model in forecasting exchange rate movements. Chapter Three assessed the ability of dynamic general-equilibrium sticky-price monetary models to generate volatile foreign exchange risk premia. It developed a tractable two-country model where agents face a cash-in-advance constraint and set prices to the local market; the exogenous money supply process exhibits time-varying volatility. The model yielded approximate closed form solutions for risk premia and real exchange rates. Numerical results provided quantitative evidence that volatile risk premia can endogenously arise in a new open economy macroeconomic model. Thus, the model had potential to rationalize the Uncovered Interest Parity Puzzle. Chapter Four sought to resolve the consumption-real exchange rate anomaly, which refers to the inability of most international macro models to generate negative cross-correlations between real exchange rates and relative consumption across two countries as observed in the data. While maintaining the assumption of complete asset markets, this chapter introduced endogenously segmented asset markets into a dynamic sticky-price monetary model. Simulation results showed that such a model could replicate the stylized fact that real exchange rates tend to move in an opposite direction with respect to relative consumption.

The focus of this paper is second-generation immigrants and their labor market performance. With increased immigration from a more diverse ethnic background during the latest decades, it has become apparent that there is a difference between immigrant ethnic groups in labor market performance, in which some groups are more disadvantaged. Now more of these children have grown up, and research shows that the difficulties their parents had, affects the second generation. It is therefore of interest to understand what causes problems and generates opportunities for the second generation and try to understand the division between groups. One theory regarding the integration over generations and the differences between groups is segmented assimilation theory, proposed by Portes and Zhous (1993). According to this theory, both individual characteristics, and the context of immigrant lives are important. Starting with this theory, this paper looks deeper into individual characteristics and context, with special attention towards the implication of the context and the labor market. The thesis does this by testing if “local context,” a concept by Ellis & Almgren (2009) branched to understand the local geographical dimension at a smaller scale than national matter, in the shape of regions. The focus toward context and labor market is due to a small degree of research that attempts to explain how well the second-generation succeeds, depending on the labor market. The method for this is quantitative and builds on comparisons between regressions. A measurement called International Socioeconomic Index (ISEI) is used to explain the impact of the differences between ethnic groups. First are ordinary least square regressions with only ethnic groups, individual characteristics and no spatial aspect compared to a multilevel model based on labor market regions. Further are the spatial characteristics (whether a region is a big city or not), and the degree to which a region is knowledge-based. These factors are added in a multilevel regression to see if these spatial aspects can explain what it is about the regions that have an impact. The result shows a difference between both ethnic groups and regions, and that regions do explain some of the difference between the ethnic groups. The data also show that some non-European groups have higher status occupation than previous research has indicated. Other factors affecting immigrant groups are whether they live in a big city region or not, and how knowledge-based a region is, there it is an advantage living in regions with these factors. However, there is still an unexplained difference between ethnic groups, due to unknown factors. The result are also influenced of sample selection, it is therefore important to be aware that this result only show people with occupation and not labor market performance overall, as unemployment is not taken into account.

Orientador: Maria Isabel Felisberti / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T18:00:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Trinca_RafaelBergamo_D.pdf: 7109183 bytes, checksum: 36f8cbad69a4e17b2adb60ccbc082e94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo a síntese e a caracterização de poliuretanas segmentadas (SPUs), baseadas em macrodióis de baixa massa molar (2 kDa) ¿ poli(etileno glicol), poli(L-lactídeo) e poli(carbonato de trimetileno) (PEG, PLLA e PTMC, respecti- vamente) ¿ e diferentes diisocianatos (2,4-diisocianato-tolueno e 1,6-diisocianato-hexano, 2,4-TDI e HDI, respectivamente) e extensores de cadeia (1,4-butanodiol e ácido-2,2-bis(hidroximetil)-propanóico BDO e DMPA, respectivamente). Os macrodióis PLLA e PTMC foram sintetizados por polimerização por abertura de anel (ROP). As SPUs foram obtidas por uma rota de duas etapas: pré-polimerização dos macrodióis com diisocianatos e extensão de cadeia. Estudou-se os efeitos da razão mássica entre os macrodióis sobre as propriedades físico-químicas e morfológicas de SPUs mono, bi e tricomponentes baseadas em 2,4-TDI e BDO. Análises de ¹H NMR e GPC revelaram diferenças na reatividade dos macrodióis, que resultaram em diferenças de composição das SPUs em relação ao meio reacional e na distribuição de massa molar. Análises por DSC, DMTA, AFM e ensaios de intumescimento revelaram que as propriedades intrínsecas dos precursores foram combinadas e moduladas nas SPUs. A combinação dos três macrodióis resultou em SPUs com propriedades únicas, não encontradas nas SPUs binárias e monocomponentes. Os efeitos da natureza de diisocianatos e extensores de cadeia sobre as propriedades de SPUs ternárias também foram estudados. As SPUs baseadas em diisocianatos simétricos (HDI) apresentam temperatura de transição vítrea inferior aos baseados em 2,4-TDI, além disso, essas SPUs são semicristalinas, enquanto as baseadas em 2,4-TDI são essencialmente amorfas. A morfologia das SPUs, tipicamente de fase dispersa em uma matriz, é afetada pela proporção entre os macrodióis e pela natureza dos diisocianatos e dos extensores de cadeia. A capacidade das SPUs em intumescer em água é governada pelo teor de PEG e varia com a temperatura (SPUs termo-responsivas) enquanto as SPUs baseadas em DMPA apresentaram intumescimento dependente do pH do meio (SPUs responsivas ao pH). SPUs com menor teor de PEG e ricas em PLLA foram processadas pela técnica de eletrofiação, resultando em filmes nano fibrosos e porosos com propriedades elastoméricas / Abstract: This study aimed at the synthesis and characterization of segmented polyurethanes (SPUs), based on low molecular weight (2 kDa) macrodiols ¿ poly(ethylene glycol), poly(L-lactide) and poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PEG, PLLA and PTMC, respectively) - and different diisocyanates (2,4-diisocyanato-toluene and 1,6-diisocyanato-hexane, 2,4-TDI and HDI, respectively) and chain extenders (1,4-butanediol and 2,2-bis-hydroxymethyl-propanoic acid, DMPA and BDO respectively). The PLLA and PTMC macrodiols were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization (ROP). The SPUs were obtained by a two-step route: synthesis of prepolymers from diisocyanates and macrodiols, followed by a chain extension step. The effects of the weight ratio of macrodiols on the physico-chemical and morphological properties of SPUs based on 2,4-TDI and BDO were studied. The ¹H NMR and GPC analysis revealed differences in reactivity of macrodióis, which resulted in differences in composition of the SPUs in relation to the reaction medium and in the molar mass distribution. Analysis by DSC, DMTA, AFM and swelling assays revealed that the intrinsic properties of the precursors were combined and modulated in SPUs. The combination of the three macrodiols results in SPUs with unique properties not found in binary and single component SPUs. The effects of the nature of the chain extenders and diisocyanates on the properties of ternary SPUs were also studied. The SPUs based on symmetrical diisocyanates (HDI) presents lower glass transition temperatures than those based on 2,4-TDI. Moreover, they are semi crystalline while SPUs based on 2,4-TDI are essentially amorphous. The morphology of the SPUs, typically of a dispersed phase in a matrix, is affected by the macrodiols ratio and by the nature of diisocyanates and chain extenders. The water swelling capability of the SPUs is governed by the PEG content and varies with temperature (temperature responsive SPUs) as well as with pH (pH responsive SPUs) when BDO is replaced with DMPA. SPUs with low PEG content and rich in PLLA were processed by electrospinning technique, resulting in nanofibrous porous films with elastomeric properties / Doutorado / Físico-Química / Doutor em Ciências

This work deals with theory of wavelet transform and Mallat’s algorithm. It also includes the programming method of creating VST plug-in modules and describes the developement of the plug-in module, witch uses the modificated coeficients of wavelet transform to applicate the music effect.

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This exploratory descriptive study looks at the characteristics of immigrant children in the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area who participate in organizations associated with their parents' country of origin. By drawing on the 2004 Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) survey dataset, I bring together aspects of the participation and assimilation literatures in order to better understand who participates in ethnic organizations. Results provide evidence that ethnic organization participants differ from the full sample and from respondents who participate in community organizations; they exhibit more ethnic resource characteristics. Significant determinants of participation in ethnic organizations include having a larger numbers of close relatives in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, literacy in their parents' native language, higher education levels, and being married. These findings indicate that ethnic resources are more important to immigrant children who participate in ethnic organizations than attaining dominant characteristics or straight-line assimilation in society.

This essay aims to explore the migration from Kalmar and Karlskrona city parishes during the first half of the 20th century divided into three intervals 1915-1920, 1930-1935 and 1943-1948. As stated above the main part of the study aims to map the migration flows to and from Kalmar and Karlskrona and furthermore compare the empirical data to Swedish national statistics. To be able to correctly compare the data gathered the empirical data of the essay is divided into four variables; age, sex, professional or other titles and whether the individuals migrated alone or with family. A comparison between Kalmar, Karlskrona and national statistics will be made to investigate whether the two city parishes are able to act as representations of the national statistics or if the two city parishes have a different outcome than what the national statistical data presents. The results show that the migratory patterns differ both between Kalmar and Karlskrona and in the national statistics of migration in regard to the city parishes. With the usage of migration theories and perspectives such as the migration transition, secondary labor market theory and push- and pull perspective and concepts such as voluntary migration and chain migration the study was able to both analyze and understand the data provided from the city parishes archives

A case study research design was employed to examine the cultural reproduction, segmented assimilation and religious schooling experiences of immigrant Muslim parents and students at an Islamic day school. Research Site: The research site was the Nur Islamic Academy, a Pre-school-12th grade licensed private Islamic day school located in a north-eastern city in the United States. The student body composition was 55% immigrant and 45% African-American Muslims. The school was an edifice in an urban Arab enclave. This ethnic neighborhood was experiencing capital flight, uneven development and urban decay. Research Questions: Three core questions guided this study. What is the functionality of Islamic schooling as a vehicle of cultural reproduction? How do religiosity and the presentation of Islamic rituals serve students and families as opportunities for affirmation? What experiences carry the immigrant's identity? Research Design: The case study research design consisted of interviews, an immigrant student focus group, attitudinal parental survey, observations and archival investigations. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework of this study was cultural reproduction. Segmented assimilation, urban, ethnic, Muslim and immigrant identity theories were incorporated throughout this discourse. Data Analysis: Content Analysis methodologies were used to classify transcribed audio-taped interviews,observations and archival investigations into themes. The targeted population of this study did not respond well to survey data collection. Therefore the survey results were inconclusive. Outliers were identified and noted. The interpretations, conclusions, and discussions were supported with a literature synthesis. All participants were anonymous Findings: The findings of this study suggest that the Muslim expatriates in this urban immigrant settlement consciously used Islamic schooling as an institutional mode of intergenerational cultural reproduction. They elected to carry and hold their home cultures and Arabian heritage as they nestled into this urban landscape. Conclusions:The Nur Islamic Academy created an ethos that affirmed the parents, students and community member's Islamic belief system and Arabian heritage. Parents and students choose religious schooling as a means to ward-off the downward mobility that they associated with their neighborhood schools. Staff members and parents related that they have forgone full mainstream assimilation. Their preference was to actively participate in selective acculturation and incorporation processes as a segmented component of their day to day lives. 1. The Nur Islamic Academy and all other individual, organizational and institutional names are pseudonyms to maintain their anonymities. / Urban Education

Commercially available 4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone (DCDPS) was successfully disulfonated with fuming sulfuric acid to yield 3,3′-disodiumsulfonyl-4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone (SDCDPS). Subsequently, DCDPS and SDCDPS were systematically reacted with 4,4′-biphenol under nucleophilic step polymerization conditions to generate a series of high molecular weight, film-forming, ductile, ion conducting copolymers. These were converted to the acid form and investigated as proton exchange membranes for fuel cells. Hydrophilicity increased with the level of sulfonation. However, water sorption increased gradually until about 50 mole percent SDCDPS was incorporated, and thereafter showed a large increase to yield water soluble materials for the 100% SDCDPS system. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed that the morphology of the copolymers displayed continuity of the hydrophilic phase at 60 mole percent SDCDPS. Conductivity measurements in the 40-50 mole percent SDCDPS range, where excellent mechanical strength was maintained, produced values of 0.1 S/cm or higher which were comparable to the control, Nafion™. These compositions also show a high degree of compatibility with heteropolyacids such as phosphotungstic acid. These inorganic compounds provide a promising mechanism for obtaining conductivity at temperatures well above the boiling point of water and membrane compositions containing them are being actively pursued. The water soluble 100% SDCDPS system was further investigated by successfully functionalizing the endgroups to afford aromatic amines via appropriate endcapping with m-aminophenol. Oligomers and polymers from 5-30 kg/mole number average molecular weight were synthesized and well characterized by NMR spectroscopy, endgroup titrations and size exclusion chromatography. The diamino-telechelic sulfonated segment was reacted with several dianhydrides and diamines to produce multiblock, hydrophobic polyimide-hydrophilic sulfonated polyarylene ether copolymers. Both ester-acid and amic acid synthesis routes were utilized in combination with spin-casting and bulk imidization. A series of tough, film-forming segmented copolymers was prepared and characterized. AFM measurements demonstrated the generation of quite well defined, nanophase-separated morphologies which were dependent upon composition as well as aging in a humid environment. Characterizations of the segmented copolymers for conductivity, and water and methanol sorption were performed and comparisons to state-of-the-art perfluorinated Nafion™ systems were made. It is concluded that the segmented or block systems have the potential to enhance certain desirable PEM characteristics in fuel cells, particularly those related to swelling, retention of mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, and critical adhesion issues in membrane electrode assemblies. / Ph. D.