The purpose of this study was to examine personal, family, and curriculum variables among high school dropouts with mild disabilities. The review of research literature on dropouts from general and special education assisted in the selection of the variables. The outcome variable (high school dropouts with mild disabilities) and the relationship to the following variables: personal (age, attendance, gender, and ethnicity); family (parents' economic level, parents' educational level, and one vs. two-parent households) and curriculum (academic credits, vocational credits, support credits, and work experience credits) were examined. The research examined the relationship of selected variables to dropouts. Dropout status among students with mild disabilities was found to be 29 percent. When age was examined, increased age was weakly associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a dropout. Increased absenteeism was moderately associated with a higher likelihood of dropping out. However, the strength of the relationship between gender and the drop out status was not significant across any of the three categories of mild disabilities. The analysis of ethnicity found that African-Americans with learning disabilities were more likely to drop out. In addition, the drop out rates for Caucasian youth were statistically significantly lower than drop out rates for other groups. Higher economic level was associated with a lower likelihood of dropping out. Increased educational level and households with two parents were also associated with a lower likelihood of dropping out among students with learning disabilities or mental retardation. The higher the number of credits, the lower the likelihood of dropping out. Dropouts took fewer credits which is not surprising since dropouts by nature have fewer credits. / Ph. D.

In the United States, the living urban environment in the last two centuries has almost completely disappeared. Dense urban environments as viable and normal places to live have become a thing of the past. Living in the suburbs has become the trend and everyone has looked to the outskirts of the city to live. Downtown areas have become a place to work, and the suburbs a place to live. Downtowns have become ghost towns during the evenings, while little communal interaction can be found in the suburbs due to its inhuman scale and automobile dependence. Developers have marketed suburban living for their profits, offering no other alternative housing between suburban and urban living cores as they exist today. This thesis will explore an alternative prototypical housing type to promote vitality and livability in urban environments today. / Master of Architecture

Yes / This paper builds a framework to jointly examine the possibility of both `expansionary fiscal contractions' (austerity increasing output) and `fiscal free lunches' (expansions reducing government debt), arguments supported by the austerity and stimulus camps, respectively, in recent debates. We propose a new metric quantifying the budgetary implications of fiscal action, a key aspect of fiscal policy particularly at the monetary zero lower bound. We find that austerity needs to be highly persistent and credible to be expansionary, and stimulus temporary, responsive and well-targeted in order to lower debt. We conclude that neither are likely, especially during periods of economic distress.

Os sistemas não aderentes de fixação com placas de \"granito\", em comparação com os métodos que empregam argamassas, exigem maior acuidade no projeto e uma avaliação estrutural criteriosa. As metodologias empregadas no país consideram apenas o parâmetro de resistência à tração na flexão na ruptura, não levando em conta outros parâmetros estruturais importantes. Para preencher esta lacuna, o presente trabalho propõe uma metodologia para dimensionamento de três sistemas não aderentes de fixação: fachadas ventiladas, pisos elevados e lajes estruturais. Três \"granitos\" brasileiros de alto valor comercial - Vermelho Capão Bonito (VCB), Preto São Gabriel (PSG) e Branco Desireé (BD) - foram submetidos a ensaios laboratoriais para a determinação do comportamento tensão versus deformação, da tensão de ruptura, dos deslocamentos verticais, do módulo de Young e do coeficiente de Poisson. Estes parâmetros foram empregados para o dimensionamento de fachadas ventiladas e de pisos elevados. Os modelos computacionais do programa STRAP foram calibrados com dados obtidos do monitoramento de protótipos de fachadas e de pisos elevados. Para fachadas ventiladas (placas de 60 x 100 cm) as espessuras calculadas foram de 30 mm para o VCB, de 25 mm para o PSG e de 55 mm para o BD. Para pisos elevados (placas de 60 x 60 cm) as espessuras foram de 35 mm para o VCB, de 30 mm para o PSG e de 35 mm para o BD. Os resultados sugerem que a especificação da espessura mínima de 20 mm, comumente usada em diversos projetos nacionais, não considera aspectos estruturais importantes. / Design on \"granite\" plates for non adherent covering systems, in comparison with mortar methods, needs a structural evaluation. The Brazilian design methodology considers only the breaking load bending tensile strength and do not consider another important structural characteristics. To fill this gap, this thesis presents a methodology for design on three \"granite\" plates for non adherent covering systems: ventilated façades, pedestal paving system and structural slab. Three Brazilian \"granites\" with great commercial acceptance - Capão Bonito Red (CBR), São Gabriel Black (SGB) and Desireé White (DW) were tested to obtain the strength versus strain behavior, the breaking load strength, the modulus of Young and the Poisson coefficient. To structural design this characteristics were applied in computational models, that were calibrated with tests data. The thickness calculated for ventilated façades (slab of 60 x 100 cm) is 30 mm for CBR, 25 mm for SGB and 55 mm for DW. The thickness calculated for pedestal paving system (slab of 60 x 60 cm) is 35 mm for CBR, 30 mm for SGB and 35 mm for DW. This results show that the thickness of 20mm applied for Brazilian practice design criteria do not consider important structural issues.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:27:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adriano Correa da Silva.pdf: 767159 bytes, checksum: 98715671b34dc515d4c05204b457d9e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-15 / ADVENIAT / Amid the various threats that human life is, the Catholic Church cools further its mission inherited by Christ to proclaim the Gospel of Life to the universality of the people, for she firmly believes that human life, even when marked by weaknesses, and even by physical or mental disabilities, pre-and postnatal, is always a splendid gift of God to be protected. This is the horizon of the defense of human life, and more precisely, the cases of fetal anencephaly, that their dissertation converges to evidence in the light of Christian revelation, but also through interdisciplinarity, that human life is a fundamental principle and primary among all values between different cultures. Therefore, the first chapter is about an expression often used by John Paul II - "culture of life" - which, in turn, must be cultivated and propagated throughout the world as the center of the message proclaimed by Christ and his Church as delegated depository of Evangelium Vitae and in time in the history of mankind, for man alive is the first and fundamental way for the Church. For this purpose, the respective chapter discusses the aspect of biblical-theological conception of human life and human being. In the second chapter, in contrast to the first, is the explanation of the terminology - "culture of death" - since there are numerous signs that arise to threaten human life, and nascent human life, God-given as a gift. And one of the threats to human dignity still in its early uterine culture is the death of abortion legislation that attempts to expand worldwide, including in the current Brazilian Congress, to include cases of fetal anencephaly. Finally, the third chapter, such as character conclusion reaffirms the defense of human life as a task and responsibility that must be taken not only by the Church of Christ, but for all people of good will as a way to go before a question of survival of humanity itself, which must be awakened, increasingly, develop an ethical principle against the defense of human life, especially the helpless intra-uterine life / Em meio às diversas ameaças em que a vida humana se encontra, a Igreja Católica arrefece ainda mais a sua missão herdada por Cristo de anunciar o Evangelho da Vida à universalidade dos povos, pois ela crê firmemente, que a vida humana, mesmo quando marcada por fragilidades, e até mesmo por deficiências físicas ou mentais, pré e pósnatal, é sempre um dom esplêndido de Deus a ser protegido. É neste horizonte de defesa da vida humana, e mais precisamente, dos casos de anencefalia fetal, que esta respectiva dissertação se converge para evidenciar sob a luz da Revelação cristã, mas também por meio da interdisciplinaridade, que a vida humana consiste em um princípio fundamental e primário entre todos os valores existentes entre as diversas culturas. Portanto, o primeiro capítulo fala sobre uma expressão muito usada por João Paulo II - cultura da vida - que, por sua vez, deve ser cultivada e propagada em todo o mundo como centro da mensagem anunciada por Cristo e delegada à sua Igreja como depositária deste Evangelium Vitae no tempo e na história da humanidade, pois o homem vivo constitui o primeiro e fundamental caminho eclesial. Para este objetivo, o respectivo capítulo aborda o aspecto bíblico-teológico da concepção da vida humana e do ser humano. No segundo capítulo, em contraposição ao primeiro, faz a explanação da terminologia - cultura de morte uma vez que existem inúmeros sinais que se levantam para ameaçar a vida humana, e a vida humana nascente, recebida de Deus como dom. E uma das ameaças contra a dignidade do homem ainda na sua fase uterina é a cultura de morte do aborto, que tenta ampliar a legislação em todo o mundo, inclusive no atual Congresso Brasileiro, para incluir os casos de anencefalia fetal. Por fim, o terceiro capítulo, já como caráter de conclusão, reafirma a defesa da vida humana como tarefa e responsabilidade, que deve ser assumida, não somente pela Igreja de Cristo, mas por todas as pessoas de boa vontade como caminho a ser percorrido para uma questão de sobrevivência da própria humanidade, que deve se despertar, cada vez mais, para o amadurecimento ético frente ao princípio de defesa da vida humana, principalmente a vida indefesa intra-uterina

[pt] O presente trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar a influência de heterogeneidades metalúrgicas sobre o limiar de propagação de trincas de fadiga e apresentar alternativas de materiais para a fabricação de eixos virabrequins de motores Diesel / gás natural de unidades geradoras de plantas termoelétricas, uma vez que tais componentes mecânicos fabricados com aço DIN 34CrNiMo6 vêm apresentando falhas por fadiga com baixo número de ciclos de carregamento. Corpos de prova foram usinados de aços SAE 4140, SAE 4340 e DIN 42CrMo4. Inicialmente, conduziram-se ensaios de tração para a determinação das propriedades mecânicas dos materiais. Ensaios de propagação de trincas de fadiga foram realizados em espécimes do tipo C(T) entalhados, submetidos a um carregamento cíclico. Pré-trincas de fadiga, com comprimentos variando entre 1,3 mm e 1,6 mm, foram induzidas nos corpos de prova de acordo com a norma ASTM E647. Em sequência, foram levantadas as curvas da/dN versus delta K dos materiais, com ênfase para a determinação da variação do fator de intensidade de tensão do limiar de propagação (delta Kth) de cada aço. Neste contexto, o aço SAE 4140 apresentou um valor de (delta Kth) superior aos demais, o que significa que suporta maiores tamanhos de trinca antes do início da propagação. Análises por técnicas de microscopia evidenciaram a presença de inclusões na região de propagação das trincas, dando origem a um caminho preferencial para o crescimento das mesmas. Os resultados destas análises indicaram a presença de uma menor quantidade de inclusões no aço SAE 4140, permitindo uma associação desta característica microestrutural com o valor do delta Kth do material. Desta maneira, no que se refere à iniciação de trincas de fadiga, o aço SAE 4140 apresenta-se como alternativa viável para substituição do aço 34CrNiMo6 na fabricação de eixos virabrequins para motores de usinas termoelétricas. / [en] The present study had as objectives to evaluate the influence of metallurgical heterogeneities on the fatigue cracking propagation threshold and to present alternative materials for the manufacture of crankshafts of diesel / natural gas engines of thermoelectric plants generating units, since such components mechanics manufactured with DIN 34CrNiMo6 steel has been presenting faults due to fatigue with a low number of loading cycles. Test specimens were machined from SAE 4140, SAE 4340 and DIN 42CrMo4 steels. Initially, tensile tests were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of the materials. Fatigue crack propagation tests were performed on C(T) specimens subjected to cyclic loading. Fatigue pre-cracks, with lengths ranging from 1.3 mm to 1.6 mm, were induced in the test specimens according to ASTM E647. In sequence, da/dN versus delta K curves of the materials were raised, with emphasis on the determination of the tensile strength factor of the propagation threshold (delta Kth) of each steel. In this context, the steel SAE 4140 presented a value of (delta Kth) superior to the others, which means to support larger crack sizes before the beginning of the propagation. Analysis by microscopy techniques evidenced the presence of inclusions in the region of crack propagation, giving rise to a preferential path for their growth. The results of these analyzes indicated the presence of a smaller number of inclusions in the steel SAE 4140, allowing an association of this microstructural characteristic with the value of the delta Kth of the material. In this way, with regard to the initiation of fatigue cracks, the SAE 4140 steel is presented as a viable alternative for the replacement of 34CrNiMo6 steel in the manufacture of crankshafts for motors of thermoelectric power plants.

L’objet de cette thèse est d’étudier dans un contexte de financiarisation des marchés de matières premières, certaines stratégies adoptées par les investisseurs et leurs impacts sur la volatilité et le co-mouvement excessif entre les marchés énergétiques et financiers. Pour ce faire, trois études sont proposées. La première fait appel aux modèles à changement de régime (MS-VAR) appliqués sur un ensemble des produits énergétiques et couvre la période 1992-2017. Les résultats obtenus suggèrent qu’en période de forte volatilité, les agents commerciaux (agents de couverture) jouent un rôle crucial dans la découverte des prix du marché du gaz. Cependant, ces agents de couverture affectent le bon fonctionnement des autres marchés (pétrole, essence, fioul) et amplifient leur volatilité. La deuxième étude traite les modèles GARCH ADCC versus GARCH DCC sur un échantillon de 17 pays et sur la période 1997-2016. Cette étude met en avant l’effet asymétrique des chocs pétroliers sur les corrélations conditionnelles des marchés asiatiques et africains, qui s’expliquent notamment par les activités d’arbitrage et les comportements hétérogènes des investisseurs. La troisième étude porte sur les modèles autorégressifs à retards échelonnés (ARDL) et révèle qu’après la crise financière, et au-delà des fondamentaux macro-économiques et financiers, l’indice de la spéculation excessive explique, aussi bien à long terme qu’à court terme, la corrélation entre le marché pétrolier et les marchés financiers de certains pays. Ceci génère un phénomène de co-mouvement excessif, et donc un effet de financiarisation sur ces marchés. Enfin, nous concluons les éléments suivantes : premièrement, en période de forte volatilité, le marché du gaz constitue une valeur refuge pour les investisseurs financiers ; deuxièmement, le comportement de l’investisseur explique l’effet de co-mouvement excessif entre le marché pétrolier et certains marchés financiers ; troisièmement, ce phénomène de co-mouvement excessif limite les avantages de la diversification internationale des portefeuilles notamment au moment des turbulences financières. / The object of this thesis is to study in a context of financialization of commodity markets, some strategies adopted by investors and their impact on volatility and excess co-movement between energy markets and financial markets. To this end, three studies are proposed. The first study uses the approach VAR with Switching Regime (MS-VAR) applied to energy markets during the period 1992-2017. The results suggest that during high volatility period, commercial agents (hedging agents) play a crucial role in the discovery of gas market prices. However, these agents affect the efficiency of other markets (crude oil, gasoline, heating oil) and amplify their volatilities. The second study employs GARCH ADCC versus GARCH DCC models for a sample of 17 countries and covering the period 1997-2016. This study highlights the asymmetric effect of oil shocks on the conditional correlations of the Asian and African markets, which can be explained in particular by the arbitrage activities and the heterogeneous behavior of investors. The third study focuses on Autoregressive Distributed Lag models (ARDL) and reveals that after the financial crisis, and beyond the macroeconomic and financial fundamentals, the index of excessive speculation, explains in long term as well as in short term, the correlation between oil market and some financial markets. This generates a phenomenon of excess co-movement, and therefore a financializing effect on these markets. Finally, we can conclude that : firstly, during high volatility period, gas market is a safe haven for financial investors ; secondly, the behavior of the investor explains the effect of excess co-movement between the oil market and some financial markets ; thirdly, this phenomenon of excess co-movement limits the benefits of international portfolio diversification especially during financial turbulences.

Federal mandates ensure that each and every child regardless of race, national origins, and socioeconomic status, is entitled to a high-quality education. Reports from the Department of Education have stated that over 80% of exceptional students receive their academic instructions within general education classrooms. There is limited research on exceptional students learning outcomes in general education classrooms with general education curriculum. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test the theory of self-determination that explains the impact of teacher characteristics (N = 85 educators) on the academic outcomes of exceptional students in the special and general education classrooms. Teacher characteristics such as, experience, training, and attitude were measured by the Teacher's Attitude Towards Inclusion scale (TAIS) scores, and student learning outcomes, were reports of student performance ratings and standardized scores, of the exceptional students. Results revealed significant correlations between specific inclusive TAIS attitudes and student learning outcomes. The independent sample t test results indicated that the years of experience and student outcomes of students of general education teachers were significantly higher in comparison to special education teachers. Availability of Instructional Options was also measured; it did not moderate the relationship between teachers' characteristics and academic outcomes of exceptional students. Positive social change thus can be initiated by training teachers in the instructional practices, identified by this study, who deliver the optimal academic outcomes for the exceptional students. This will initiate positive social change for the special child, their families, and the community as a whole.

No description available.

[pt] Este trabalho apresenta uma análise detalhada de uma recente proposta de combinação da transmissão em blocos com portadora única e a técnica CDMA, referida como CS-CDMA (Chip Spread CDMA). Uma característica marcante desta técnica de transmissão é que diferentemente do que ocorre nos sistemas DS-CDMA, a ortogonalidade entre os códigos dos diferentes usuários é mantida mesmo quando a transmissão é feita através de um canal multipercurso seletivo em frequência, suposto invariante no tempo, permitindo assim que os usuários possam ser identicamente desacoplados na recepção. Além desta vantagem, resultados de desempenho indicaram uma significativa superioridade deste sistema sobre o tradicional DS-CDMA. Entretanto comparações existentes, consideraram apenas o up-link, do sistema e adotaram algumas premissas, que incluem, a utilização de códigos ortogonais pelos diversos usuários e a suposição de canais de transmissão invariantes no tempo. O presente trabalho apresenta uma análise detalhada da técnica (CS-CDMA e uma análise comparativa dos sistemas em condições menos favoráveis. Os sistemas operam em ambientes invariante e variante no tempo, com códigos ortogonais e não ortogonais e em dois cenários diferentes, down- link e up-link. Os resultados consideram recepção com equalização no domínio da frequência utilizando equalizadores do tipo ZF (Zero Forcing) e MMSE (Minimum Mean Squared Error). Simulações foram realizadas no intuito de se avaliar o desempenho dos dois sistemas considerados. Curvas de probabilidade de erro foram obtidas e ilustram e comparam tais desempenhos em diferentes situações e cenários de interesse. / [en] This dissertation proposes detailed analysis of a recent combined mechanism for transmission in blocks with a single carrier and CDMA technique known as Chip Spread CDMA (CS-CDMA). An important feature of this transmission technique is that unlike what happens in Direct Sequence (DS-CDMA) systems, the orthogonality between codes of different users is maintained even when the transmission, considered time-invariant, is made through a selective multipath channel frequency, which ideally allows users to be uncoupled in reception. However, existing comparisons only consider the up-link transmission and adopt certain assumptions, which include orthogonal codes for different users and time invariant channels. This technique have shown a significant superiority as compared with the traditional DS-CDMA. A comparison of (CS-CDMA systems in more realistic conditions are presented in this work. Various environments were tested in the presence of BPSK modulation systems, as well as invariant and time-varying transmission. Comparison between scenarios down-link and up-link are also presented. The results consider equalized reception in the frequency domain using the ZF (Zero Forcing) equalizers and MMSE (Minimum Mean Squared Error). Simulations were carried out in order to evaluate the performance of the two systems considered. Error probability curves were obtained to illustrate and compare the performances in different situations and scenarios.