We build a general Ricardian model of international trade, which extends Eaton and Kortum (2002), in order to analyze the sources of the gains from trade, the effects of trade openness on productivity, and the role of nominal exchange rates. For general distributions of industry efficiencies, welfare gains can always be de- composed into a selection and a reallocation effect. The former is the change in average efficiency due to the selection of industries that survive international competition. The latter is the rise in the weight of exporting industries in domestic production, due the reallocation of workers away from non-exporting industries. This decomposition, which is hard to calculate in the general case, simpli es dramatically with Fréchet- distributed efficiencies, providing easy-to-quantify model-based measures of these two effects. For an average of 46 countries in 2000 and 2005, the selection effect turns out to be somewhat more important than the reallocation effect. By analyzing the relationship between trade openness and total factor productivity (TFP), we propose a novel methodology to measure the latter. The logic of our approach is to use a structural model and measure TFP not from its "primitive" (the aggregate production function), but from its observed implications. We estimate TFP levels of the manufacturing sector of 19 OECD countries, relative to the United States, in 1985-2002, as the average productivity a proxy for aggregate TFP that best ts data on trade, production and wages. Our measures turn out to be easy to compute and are no longer mere residuals. To examine the role exchange rates in a model of real consumption and production decisions with no money, we follow an insight of Keynes (1931) and replicate a currency depreciation with an increase in import barriers and a symmetric decline in export barriers. By mimicking changes in exchange rates with changes in the model parameters, we can demonstrate a series of classical results and conjectures, in a very general framework with many countries, tradeable goods and non-tradeable goods. We show not only that a depreciation has no real effects with flexible wages, but, with sticky wages, we are able to prove that an undervalued currency causes involuntary unemployment abroad, while at home it determines inefficiently high employment in the export sector, raising real GDP but lowering welfare. If the currency is overvalued, we also show that there exists an appropriate depreciation that restores competitive prices, with welfare-enhancing effects, proving Friedman's conjecture (1953).

Probabilistic topic models are a versatile class of models for discovering latent themes in document collections through unsupervised learning. Conventional inferential methods lack the scaling capabilities necessary for extensions to large-scale applications. In recent years Stochastic Expectation Maximization has proven scalable for the simplest topic model: Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Performing analytical maximization is unfortunately not possible for many more complex topic models. With the rise of probabilistic programming languages, the ability to infer flexibly specified probabilistic models using sophisticated numerical optimization procedures has become widely available. These frameworks have however mainly been developed for optimization of continuous parameters, often prohibiting direct optimization of discrete parameters. This thesis explores the potential of utilizing probabilistic programming for generic topic modeling using Stochastic Expectation Maximization with numerical maximization of discrete parameters reparameterized to unconstrained space. The method achieves results of similar quality as other methods for Latent Dirichlet Allocation in simulated experiments. Further application is made to infer a Dirichlet-multinomial Regression model with metadata covariates. A real dataset is used and the method produces interpretable topics.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T21:00:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 marcelofatioturma2004.pdf.jpg: 16086 bytes, checksum: 5090b863d17b5ef434673e8759006297 (MD5) marcelofatioturma2004.pdf: 214712 bytes, checksum: 0f0a15eb1acc24638d6ff471a67fc55b (MD5) marcelofatioturma2004.pdf.txt: 66846 bytes, checksum: 685e8939ce9226930820f666f977e5bb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-13T00:00:00Z / O presente trabalho utiliza a 'Contabilidade do crescimento' para analisar e explicar as diferenças nas taxas de crescimento do PIB per capita dos países Brasil, Chile, China, Índia e Coréia no período compreendido entre os anos 1960 e 2000. Descrevendo os quatro fatos estilizados do crescimento econômico, a 'Contabilidade do crescimento de Solow', bem como a função de produção Cobb-Douglas, buscou-se dar o embasamento teórico para o modelo utilizado de fato no presente trabalho, que decompôs o crescimento dos diferentes países para identificar qual fator mais contribuiu ou quais fatores de produção mais contribuíram para os diferentes níveis de crescimento econômico dos países analisados. A metodologia utilizada no trabalho baseia-se em pesquisas bibliográficas, que visam primordialmente a fundamentação conceitual e teórica de alguns conceitos utilizados e em pesquisas às diferentes bases de dados históricos referentes aos países e variáveis analisadas. Pode-se afirmar que as principais fontes de consulta foram a 'Penn World Table' da Universidade da Pensilvânia e o Banco Mundial. O estudo irá demonstrar, além dos diferentes níveis de cada um dos fatores (capital humano, físico e progresso tecnológico ou 'TFP – Total Factor Productivity' ) nos países, como cada um desses fatores evoluiu ao longo dos anos e qual a contribuição de cada um nas taxas de crescimento do PIB per capita de cada um dos países analisados. É feito um estudo da variância do crescimento do PIB per capita, onde ficará claro que boa parte das diferenças apresentadas nas taxas de crescimento dos países vem do progresso tecnológico ou da covariância dos fatores, que são progresso tecnológico e o agrupamento do capital físico e humano. Também verificou-se a correlação existente entre a variação do PIB per capita e as variáveis que o compõe, permitindo a visualização do alto grau de correlação existente, principalmente com o progresso tecnológico ou 'TFP'. / This study applies the “Growth Accounting” to Brazil, Chile, China, India and Korea, intending to explain the differences in the GDP per capita growth rates of these countries from 1960 to 2000. Describing the four “Stylized Facts” of Economic Growth, the “Solow Growth Accounting” and also the “Cobb-Douglas” Production Function, a theoretical support for the model was used in the present study, which segmented the different growth rates for the focused countries in order to identify which factor or which factors have contributed more for their different levels of economic growth. The methodology is based on bibliographic research that provided the theoretical support for the analysis and also on historical data research for the countries that are part of this study. The main sources of data were the World Bank and the “Penn World Table” provided by the University of Pennsylvania. The study will demonstrate the different levels of each production factor (human and physical capital and technological progress or “TFP – Total Factor Productivity”) country by country, the evolution of these factors in the period and also how each factor has contributed for the growth of the GDP per capita of the focused countries. Through a variance analysis of the rate of GDP per capita growth, it can be shown that the technological progress and the covariance between technological progress and a composition of physical and human capital, are the main sources which explain the differences in the rates of economic growth. Furthermore, the correlation among the changes in the GDP per capita and the variables which compose that figure that were analyzed, allow for the perception of a high degree of correlation, especially between the GDP per capita growth rate and the “TFP – Total Factor Productivity”.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:52:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Valeria de Luca Penha.pdf: 473321 bytes, checksum: 698ab997bfe2e2fa312407b83871af2a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-30 / This paper examines the effects of infrastructure investments and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) based on international comparison. We use panel data for 50 countries, classified into three different categories - BRIC, fast growing countries and developed countries - from 1990 to 2010. We estimate impacts on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) by two steps. First, we investigate the role of infrastructure investments on TFP growth. Second, we extend the previous studies to examine whether Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) affect the development of TFP. The result indicates that the relationship among the data analyzed is significant, although improvements in infrastructure investments may enhance countries productivity more than an increase in FDI inflows does / Esta dissertação analisa os efeitos dos investimentos em infraestrutura e do Investimento Direto Estrangeiro (IDE) na Produtividade Total de Fatores (PTF) com base em comparação internacional. Foram usados dados de painel para 50 países, divididos em três diferentes categorias - BRIC, países de crescimento rápido e países desenvolvidos - para o período de 1990 a 2010. Para esta analise, os impactos na Produtividade Total de Fatores (PTF) foram estimados em duas etapas. Em primeiro lugar, investigamos o papel dos investimentos de infraestrutura sobre o crescimento da PTF e, em seguida, examinamos como o Investimento Direto Estrangeiro (IDE) afeta o desenvolvimento da PTF no mundo. Os resultados indicam que a relação entre o os dados analisados é significativa, embora aumentos nos investimentos em infraestrutura tenham maior impacto na produtividade dos países do que incrementos nos fluxos de IDE

DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) is a liquid with a high boiling point (189 oC) that has been extensively utilized in various industries owing to its ability to dissolve various organic and inorganic compounds. DMSO is increasingly being adopted as a detergent or a photo-resistant stripping solvent in manufacturing semiconductors and liquid crystal displays (LCD). Therefore, DMSO is now a major component of wastewater. The biological treatment of DMSO-containing wastewater generates noxious DMS (dimethyl sulfide) and other compounds that may cause odor problems. Also having a high water solubility and a moderate boiling point (110 oC), tetrafluoro propanol (TFP) has been extensively applied in the manufacture of CD-R and DVD-R, due to its ability to dissolve organic dyes. The spin coating process produces a large amount of wastewater containing TFP. No reports have been written on the biodegradability of TFP to the authors¡¦ knowledge. Additionally, HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) has been extensively used in life science microscopy and material science. For instance, the semiconductor industry employs HMDS to promote the adhesion of photo-resistant material to oxide(s). HMDS is classified as a carcinogen, and has an ammonia odor. Condensing incinerators have been found to be unsuitable for treating HMDS-containing waste gases, because of the formation of silicon dioxide, which blocks porous adsorbents. Biological treatment also appears to be unpromising due to its low water solubility and limited biodegradability. This investigation evaluates the feasibility, effectiveness and oxidation characteristics of aqueous DMSO, TFP and gaseous HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) by UV/O3 processes. A reactor made entirely of acrylic plastic with an effective volume of 10 L was employed for the reactions. The tested VOCs concentrations were adjusted to 400¡V890mg/L and 772¡V887 mg/L for DMSO and TFP, respectively, and the gas (ozone-enriched air) flow rate was controlled at 3L/min. The effects of various solution pH values (acidic, alkaline, uncontrolled), solution temperatures (26 oC, 37 oC, 48 oC and 60 oC), and UV wavelengths (254 nm and 185+254 nm) on the removal of tested VOCs were studied . Additionally, the operation costs of treating DMSO and TFP by UV/O3 were estimated. Experimental results demonstrate that acidic conditions (pH = 3.6) favored the degradation of DMSO, and that the removal efficiency could reach 95% at a volumetric UV intensity P/V of 2.25 W/L and a reaction time of 120 min. However, alkaline conditions (pH = 9.5) favored the decomposition of TFP, with the removal efficiency reaching 95% at P/V = 2.5 W/L and a reaction time of 60 min. Both DMSO and TFP exhibited zero-order degradation kinetics when sufficient ozone was supplied. Raising the oxidation temperature did not increase the UV/O3 oxidation of TFP in the tested concentration and temperature ranges. Operation costs of the UV/O3 per unit volume of wastewater with DMSO or TFP are comparable to those of the methods described in the literature. For the gaseous HMDS oxidation, two batch reactors with effective volumes of 1.2 and 5.8 L were used employed with the decomposition occurred under UV (185+254 nm) irradiation and UV (254 nm)/O3 processes. Tests were performed with initial HMDS concentrations of 32¡V41mg/m3 under various initial ozone dosages (O3 (mg)/HMDS (mg) =1¡V5), atmospheres (N2, O2, and air), temperatures (28 oC, 46 oC, 65 oC and 80 oC), relative humilities (20%, 50%, 65% and 99%) and volumetric UV power inputs (0.87 W/L, 1.74 W/L, 4.07 W/L and 8.16 W/L) to assess their effects on the HMDS degradation rate. Results of this study demonstrate that the decomposition rates for the UV (185+254 nm) irradiation exceeded those for the UV (254 nm)/O3 process for all conditions. UV (185+254 nm) decompositions of HMDS displayed apparent first-order kinetics. A process with irradiation of UV (185+254 nm) to HMDS in air saturated with water at temperatures of 46¡V80 oC favors the HMDS degradation. With the above conditions and a P/V of around 8 W/L, k≈ 0.20 s−1, and over 90% of the initial HMDS was degraded in a time of 12s. The main mechanisms for the HMDS in wet air streams irradiated with UV (185+254 nm) were found to be caused by OH free radical oxidation produced from photolysis of water or O (1D) produced from photolysis of oxygen. Economic evaluation factors of UV (185+254 nm) and UV (254 nm)/O3 processes at various UV power inputs were also estimated.

The surface gliding motility of Myxococcus xanthus is required for a multicellular developmental process initiated by unfavorable growth conditions. One form of the M. xanthus surface motility, social (S) gliding, is mediated by the extension and retraction of polarly localized type IV pili (Tfp). Besides Tfp, exopolysaccharides (EPS), another cell surface associated component, are also required for M. xanthus S motility. Previous studies demonstrated that the Dif chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathway is central to the regulation of EPS production in M. xanthus. Specifically, difA, difC and difE mutants were found to be defective in EPS production and S motility. DifA, DifC and DifE, homologous to methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), CheW and CheA, respectively, are therefore positive regulators of EPS. This study, undertaken to better understand the regulation of EPS production, led to a few major findings. First, DifD and DifG, homologous to CheY and CheC, respectively, were found to be negative regulators of EPS production. Both DifD and DifG likely function upstream of the DifE kinase in EPS regulation. DifB, which has no homology to known chemotaxis proteins, was found not to be involved in EPS production. Secondly, this study led to the recognition that Tfp likely function upstream of the Dif pathway in the regulation of EPS production. Extracellular complementation experiments suggest that Tfp may act as sensors instead of signals for the Dif chemotaxis-like pathway. We propose a regulatory feedback loop that couples EPS production with Tfp function through the Dif signaling proteins. Lastly, we sought to identify additional genes involved in EPS production. Our efforts identified a mutation in a separate chemotaxis gene cluster as a suppressor of difA mutations, suggesting potential cross-talks among the multiple chemotaxis-like pathways in M. xanthus. In addition, we identified twenty-five previously uncharacterized genes that are predicted to be involved in M. xanthus EPS production. These genes appear to encode additional EPS regulators and proteins with biosynthetic function. / Ph. D.

自1970年代起，政府鬆綁了許多金融管制與政策限制，國內的銀行產業環境有所改變，再加上逐漸自由化與國際化的趨勢，導致國內的銀行業日益競爭，在如此競爭的環境中，銀行要生存的關鍵在於本身的經營績效是否禁得起市場考驗。 本文有鑑於銀行經營績效的重要性，採用Balk﹝2001﹞定義將總要素生產力變動分解為技術改變、純技術效率改變，規模效率改變及產出組合效果來進行分析。以本國53家一般銀行，選取1997-2005年共9年資料進行分析，並以不同面向進一步探討銀行生產力差異，最後以營運績效管理矩陣討論哪些銀行具有競爭優勢及發展的潛力。 本研究主要實證結果如下： 1、從整體銀行產業各年度生產力來看，整體銀行的經營效率在觀察期間的前半段是呈現退步，但後半段則是呈現成長的反方向變動；至於規模效率與產出組合效果方面則幾乎呈現退步；而技術面則與效率變動恰巧呈現反方向狀態，可見對整體銀行產業來說，規模效率的提昇及產出組合的最適選擇仍有相當大的努力空間。 2、以外資持股比例的面向來看，外資持股比例較高的銀行其生產力並未較外資持股比例較低的銀行生產力高。以公、民營銀行面向來探討，公營銀行的總要素生產力變動較民營銀行的生產力變動高。加入金控後對於技術變動有所提升，但就整體生產力來看加入前後並無顯著差異。 3、以營運績效管理矩陣來分析銀行廠商的表現可知，最多銀行廠商落在象限Ⅵ(TFPC<1，0.75<TE<0.9)，佔所有廠商家數的比率為26.3%，而落於第Ⅰ象限(TFPC>1，TE>0.9)的銀行所佔的比率為14.3%。我們可以看到以縱軸為劃分基準來看，分佈於跨期生產力變動表現不佳的第ⅡⅣ及Ⅵ象限(TFPC<1)的銀行數目佔銀行總家數高達71.5%，顯示對大部分的銀行來說，都不具長期的發展潛力。 / In accordance with the policy of economic liberalization and internationalization, the Taiwan government released the banking industry from lots of financial regulations since 1970. The deregulation has exerted significant structural changes of financial institutions and imposed competitive pressure on the operation of banking industry. It follows that promoting efficiency and productivity of banking are the key factors for the banks to survive in the keen competitive environment. This study investigated the productivity and efficiency issues and decomposed total factor productivity change (TFPC) into technical change (TC), pure technical efficiency change (PTE), scale efficiency change (SEC) and output mix effect (OME) following Balk (2001). Then we proceeded to apply DEA method to estimate and analyze the productivity growth of the 53 sample banks in 1997-2005. The study also constructed an operational performance management matrix to classify and discuss the banks’ competitive advantage and the strategy of future development. The major empirical results were as follows: 1.Operational efficiency of whole banking industry showed a decline tendency in the anterior half of observation period, but the posterior half presented the reverse direction change. The SEC and the OME were declining. The TC presented an increase tendency in the anterior half of observation period, but the posterior half presented the reverse direction change. Therefore, it indicates there are a lot of spaces for the industry to improve its performance. 2.The banks with a higher proportion of foreign shareholdings didn’t have higher TFPC compared to those with lower proportion of foreign shareholdings. The TFPC of the publicly-owned banks was higher than the private banks. We also found that there were no difference in the operation efficiency before and after banks become the subsidiary banks of financial holding corporations. 3.Using operational performance management matrix to classify and discuss banks’ performance, we found that 26.3% of the total banks belong to quadrant Ⅵ (TFPC<1，0.75<TE<0.9). 14.3% of banks belong to quadrantⅠ(TFPC>1，TE>0.9). The banks which located on quadrants Ⅱ, Ⅳ and Ⅵ (TFPC<1) account for 71.5%, which indicates that most of banks lose their long-run competitiveness.

Esse trabalho tem como objetivo contribuir para a literatura empírica dos retornos do P&D no Brasil, em particular, dos incentivos fiscais da Lei do Bem (Lei no 11.196/2005) sobre a sobre a produtividade total dos fatores (PTF) das firmas beneficiárias. Para isso, desenvolvemos nosso trabalho em torno de dois objetivos específicos: o primeiro é verificar o impacto do incentivo fiscal sobre os esforços em P&D das firmas beneficiárias por meio do teste de adicionalidade. O segundo é estimar a elasticidade da PTF com relação ao P&D e o impacto do tratamento da Lei do Bem sobre essa elasticidade. Por fim, analisamos o impacto indireto da Lei do Bem sobre a PTF que ocorre por meio do aumento dos dispêndios em P&D. Essa avaliação foi conduzida a partir de estimações de modelos econométricos com microdados de firmas industriais brasileiras para o período de 2003 a 2013, aplicando o procedimento de Propensity Score Matching (PSM) associado a estimações de Efeitos Fixos e de Blundell e Bond (1998). Entre os resultados encontrados, verificamos que apenas as estimações para o período de 2006 a 2009 ultrapassaram o limite superior da renúncia fiscal, o que significa que uma parte do aumento verificado para o período de 2010 a 2013 deva ter ocorrido como substituição do gasto público, evidenciando, pelo menos parcialmente, o efeito de crowding out. Os resultados da segunda etapa do trabalho sugerem que a lei tem efeitos indiretos positivos sobre a produtividade das firmas, mas, apesar disso, a elasticidade da PTF se encontra abaixo da mediana dos estudos internacionais / The objective of this dissertation is to contribute to the empirical literature on returns to R&D in Brazil, in particular, the tax incentives of Lei do Bem (Lei no 11.196/2005) on the total factor productivity (TFP) of the beneficiary firms. In order to do this, we have organized this study around two specific objectives: the first is to verify the impact of the tax incentive on the R&D efforts of the beneficiary firms through the additionality test. The second is to estimate the elasticity of TFP with respect to R&D and the impact of the treatment of the Lei do Bem on this elasticity. Finally, we analyze the indirect impact of the Lei do Bem on TFP that occurs through the increase in expenditures in R&D. This evaluation was carried out based on estimations of econometric models with microdata from Brazilian industrial firms for the period 2003 to 2013, applying the procedure of Propensity Score Matching (PSM) associated with estimates of Fixed Effects, and Blundell and Bond (1998). Among the results, we found that only the estimates for the period from 2006 to 2009 exceeded the upper limit of the tax waiver, which means that part of the increase observed for the period from 2010 to 2013 must have occurred as a substitution of public expenditure, evidencing, at least partially, the crowding-out effect. The results of the second stage of the study suggest that the law has positive indirect effects on firm productivity, but nonetheless, the elasticity of TFP is below the median of international studies.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T19:30:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiz Felipe Loureiro Foresti.pdf: 3462482 bytes, checksum: 59558d077bf47aaf973196f6a7468032 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation seeks to undertake through immanent analysis of its production a study regarding the speech of Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, the founder of the Sociedade Brasileira de Defesa da Tradição, Família e Propriedade (TFP), from 1968 to 1976, the harshest period of the dictatorship started in 1964 in Brazil. Polemicist of vast production, Oliveira had since 1968 a weekly column in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, which served as a vehicle for spreading his ideas to a substantially larger audience than hitherto achieved by his writings. Before that, he has struggled since the 1930 s in order to set down a statement ruled by a Catholic thought of conservative bias able to reconfigure the society, and adapt it to the medieval way of life. However, in defense of these principles the author turns out to sanction the status quo conservation of the existing society. Inserted within this area of conservative thought, the author formulates judgments on major national and international issues of his time, denoting a unique and correct manner of action that would fit in his conception of Christian values. Thus we seek to understand the role of Plinio Correa as a conservative ideologist as well as the intervention strategies of the social organization he founded / A presente dissertação busca empreender por meio da análise imanente de sua produção um estudo sobre o discurso do fundador da Sociedade Brasileira de Defesa da Tradição, Família e Propriedade (TFP), Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, dos anos de 1968 a 1976, período de maior fechamento da ditadura iniciada no Brasil em 1964. Polemista de vasta produção, Oliveira teve a partir de 1968 uma coluna semanal no jornal Folha de São Paulo, que serviu como veículo de divulgação de suas ideias para um público substantivamente maior do que o até então atingido por seus escritos. Antes disso, ele já batalhava desde a década de 1930 pela afirmação de um pensamento católico de viés conservador capaz de re-configurar a sociedade, e adequá-la ao modo medieval de vida. Todavia, na defesa desses princípios o autor acaba por sancionar a manutenção do status quo da sociedade existente. Inserido dentro desse campo conservador de pensamento, o autor formulará julgamentos sobre os grandes temas nacionais e internacionais de seu tempo, emitindo indicações de um modo de agir único e correto que se enquadraria na sua leitura dos valores cristãos. Desta forma buscamos compreender o papel de Plínio Corrêa como ideólogo conservador, bem como as estratégias de intervenção social da organização por ele fundada

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Joao Geraldo dos Santos Junior.pdf: 372757 bytes, checksum: 221badb81702bc0909050d4e60610cce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This paper discusses the institution TFP and repeats, in principle, the history of the Catholic Church in Brazil and the world in the years preceding the founding of the TFP (1960). The purpose of this is precisely analyze the TFP as a movement within the Catholic Church over the years that lived its founder, Plínio Corrêa de Oliveira. Although externally Catholic, the TFP, often showed discrepancies between their ideas and practices and preaching of the Church. It then traditional ultramountainous movement or a sect? Simply say that the TFP has been a ultramountainous sanctuary or a sectarian or not to characterize correctly, because they are different concepts, and theoreticalment incompatible, but that seemed TFP reconcile internally, making it and odd move, with characteristic very own. This work used in its analysis of the references your TFP, as well as works published by egresses the institution, in addition to books of authors who generally already discussed the issue and Ultramountainism or sect in other contexts. The TFP, considered in this study, was officially Catholic, the Church never has spoken to the contrary, had strong sectarian characteristics and even time of the traditional Ultramountainism was thus a movement, not classifiable generalized manner, but only in their postures / Este trabalho discute a instituição TFP e retoma a história da Igreja Católica no Brasil e no mundo nos anos que antecederam sua fundação (1960). O objetivo deste é justamente analisar a TFP enquanto um movimento dentro da Igreja Católica durante os anos em que viveu seu fundador, Plínio Corrêa de Oliveira. Embora externamente católica, a TFP muitas vezes demonstrou discrepância entre suas idéias e práticas e a pregação da Igreja. Seria então um movimento ultramontano conservador ou uma seita? Simplesmente afirmar que a TFP foi um reduto ultramontano ou sectário não a caracterizaria corretamente, dado que são características diferentes e, teoricamente, incompatíveis. Porém, podemos dizer que a TFP conciliou o Ultramontanismo, externamente, com um Sectarismo, internamente, fazendo dela um movimento ímpar, com características muito próprias. Este trabalho utilizou em sua análise referências bibliográficas da própria TFP, bem como obras publicadas por ex-membros da instituição, além de livros de autores que de maneira geral já discutiram o tema seita e ultramontanismo em outros contextos. A TFP, considerada assim neste trabalho, foi católica oficialmente, jamais a Igreja se pronunciou ao contrário, teve fortes características sectárias e ao lado do ultramontanismo tradicional, foi um movimento não classificável de maneira generalizada, mas único em suas posturas