A reforma do sistema de saúde brasileiro é um dos mais bem-sucedidos exemplos de descentralização institucional, a despeito de ser urna experiência que contém limites. Esses limites estão relacionados com a natureza das instituições responsáveis pela prestação dos serviços, e pelas demandas apresentadas pela população. Na Constituição de 1998 que deu forte ênfase a democratização das relações políticas, ocorreu a incorporação da saúde enquanto direito de cidadania, através do qual foram fixados atributos para o Estado, de modo a definir um outro patamar em seu relacionamento com a sociedade. O direito a saúde conduziu a uma centralidade nas questões relativas ao acesso aos serviços de saúde. Assim, produziu-se um reordenamento político e institucional do aparato estatal, orientado para potencializar a ação dos municípios, pois essa era a esfera de governo que caberia ampliar a oferta local de serviços básicos de saúde. Neste sentido, o direito a saúde torna-se direito universal a serviços locais de atenção a saúde. O presente estudo é uma investigação exploratória sobre a relação da demanda e oferta, na perspectiva da prática quotiadiana dos diversos atores. Essa relação foi examinada através de um estudo de um caso concreto, de reforma do sistema de saúde do município de Volta Redonda, o qual se desenvolveu um modelo de SUS denominado Em Defesa da Vida, que é a base dessa investigação. A experiência de Volta Redonda revelou que nesse município os preceitos institucionais do SUS universalidade, integralidade, descentralização e participação social foram plenamente incorporados, em paralelo à adoção de iniciativas inovadoras de reorganização das práticas em saúde e medicina, tais corno: o Programa Saúde da Família e a medicina homeopática. Esse êxito, no entanto foi limitado pela presença de variáveis relacionadas não somente ao campo biomédico, mas também aos contextos econômico, político e social.

A reforma do sistema de saúde brasileiro é um dos mais bem-sucedidos exemplos de descentralização institucional, a despeito de ser urna experiência que contém limites. Esses limites estão relacionados com a natureza das instituições responsáveis pela prestação dos serviços, e pelas demandas apresentadas pela população. Na Constituição de 1998 que deu forte ênfase a democratização das relações políticas, ocorreu a incorporação da saúde enquanto direito de cidadania, através do qual foram fixados atributos para o Estado, de modo a definir um outro patamar em seu relacionamento com a sociedade. O direito a saúde conduziu a uma centralidade nas questões relativas ao acesso aos serviços de saúde. Assim, produziu-se um reordenamento político e institucional do aparato estatal, orientado para potencializar a ação dos municípios, pois essa era a esfera de governo que caberia ampliar a oferta local de serviços básicos de saúde. Neste sentido, o direito a saúde torna-se direito universal a serviços locais de atenção a saúde. O presente estudo é uma investigação exploratória sobre a relação da demanda e oferta, na perspectiva da prática quotiadiana dos diversos atores. Essa relação foi examinada através de um estudo de um caso concreto, de reforma do sistema de saúde do município de Volta Redonda, o qual se desenvolveu um modelo de SUS denominado Em Defesa da Vida, que é a base dessa investigação. A experiência de Volta Redonda revelou que nesse município os preceitos institucionais do SUS universalidade, integralidade, descentralização e participação social foram plenamente incorporados, em paralelo à adoção de iniciativas inovadoras de reorganização das práticas em saúde e medicina, tais corno: o Programa Saúde da Família e a medicina homeopática. Esse êxito, no entanto foi limitado pela presença de variáveis relacionadas não somente ao campo biomédico, mas também aos contextos econômico, político e social.

Der Klimawandel und insbesondere die globale Erwärmung gehören aktuell zu den größten Herausforderungen an Politik und Wissenschaft. Steigende CO2-Emissionen sind hierbei maßgeblich für die Klimaerwärmung verantwortlich. Ein regulierender Faktor beim CO2-Austausch mit der Atmosphäre ist die Vegetation, welche als CO2-Senke aber auch als CO2-Quelle fungieren kann. Diese Funktionen können durch Analysen der Landbedeckungsänderung in Kombination mit Modellierungen der Kohlenstoffbilanz quantifiziert werden, was insbesondere von aktuellen und zukünftigen politischen Instrumenten wie CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) oder REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) gefordert wird. Vor allem in Regionen mit starker Landbedeckungsänderung und hoher Bevölkerungsdichte sowie bei geringem Wissen über die Produktivität und CO2-Speicherpotentiale der Vegetation, bedarf es einer Erforschung und Quantifizierung der terrestrischen Kohlenstoffspeicher. Eine Region, für die dies in besonderem Maße zutrifft, ist Westafrika. Jüngste Studien haben gezeigt, dass sich einerseits die Folgen des Klimawandels und Umweltveränderungen sehr stark in Westafrika auswirken werden und andererseits Bevölkerungswachstum eine starke Änderung der Landbedeckung für die Nutzung als agrarische Fläche bewirkt hat. Folglich sind in dieser Region die terrestrischen Kohlenstoffspeicher durch Ausdehnung der Landwirtschaft und Waldrodung besonders gefährdet. Große Flächen agieren anstelle ihrer ursprünglichen Funktion als CO2-Senke bereits als CO2-Quelle. [...] / Global warming associated with climate change is one of the greatest challenges of today's world. One regulating factor of CO2 exchange with the atmosphere is the vegetation cover. Measurements of land cover changes in combination with modeling of the carbon balance can therefore contribute to determining temporal variations of CO2 sources and sinks, which is an essential necessity of existing and prospective political instruments like CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) or REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). The need for quantifiable terrestrial carbon stocks is especially high for regions, where rates of land cover transformation and population density are high and knowledge on vegetation productivity is low. One region which is characterized by these criteria is West Africa. Therefore, carbon stocks in this region are seriously endangered by land cover change like the expansion of agriculture and forest logging. Large areas already act as carbon sources on a yearly basis instead of their previous function as carbon sink. Since only a few studies have analyzed the terrestrial carbon stocks in Africa and especially regional analysis in West Africa are missing, the following study focuses on regional scale modeling of the actual terrestrial carbon stocks. Additionally, the potential carbon stocks of unmanaged land cover and the potential for CO2 payments have been analyzed in this work. To quantify and assess carbon fluxes as well as the loss of carbon, net primary productivity of vegetation has been modeled, based on the plants characteristics to fix carbon from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Modeling vegetation dynamics and net primary productivity has been realized by using MODIS 250m time series for semi-humid and semi-arid savanna ecosystems in West Africa. This study aimed to quantify CO2 exchanges of the Savanna regions in the Volta basin by applying and adapting the Regional Biomass Model (RBM). The RBM was developed by Jochen Richters (2005) at a resolution of 1000m for the Namibian Kaokoveld. In this study the model was optimized to the scale of 232m to consider the heterogeneous landscape in West Africa (RBM+). New input parameters with higher accuracies and resolution were generated instead of using the global standard products. The most important parameters for the modeling are FPAR and the fractional cover of herbaceous and woody vegetation. To enhance the MODIS FPAR product, linear interpolation and downscaling algorithms were applied. The main objective of the downscaling is a better representation of the finely scattered vegetation by the 232m resolution FPAR. The second optimized parameter, the fractional cover of herbaceous and woody vegetation was represented by the Vegetation Continuous Fields product (VCF) from MODIS in the originally version of the RBM. This global product reflects the vegetation structure of West Africa poorly, since few high resolution training data is available for this region, and the dynamic savanna vegetation can hardly be classified by not regionally adapted methods. Additionally, the data is only available with 500m resolution. Therefore, in this study a new product with 232m resolution was developed which represents the spatial heterogeneity well and, due to the regional adaptation, shows higher accuracies. The percentage cover of woody and herbaceous vegetation and bare soil on 232m MODIS data was calculated in a multi scale approach. Based on very high resolution data, represented by Quickbird and Ikonos with 0.6-4m resolution, and high resolution data from Landsat with 30m resolution, the percentage coverage was estimated for representative focus regions. These classifications were used as a training data set to determine the percentage coverage on the 232m scale with MODIS time series for the whole study region. Based on these optimized and adapted input parameters, the net primary productivity was modeled. Data from a meteorological station and an Eddy-Covariance-Flux allowed a detailed validation of the input parameters and of the model results. The model led to good results as it only overestimated the net primary productivity for the two analyzed years 2005 and 2006 by 8.8 and 2.0 %, respectively. The second aim of the study was an analysis of the potential for long term terrestrial carbon sinks. Classifications of the actual and of the potential land cover were calculated for this analysis. Considering the overall long time CO2 fixation behavior of trees, which depends on their age, longterm carbon stocks for 100 years were simulated. As carbon fixing could be paid by emission trading, which is in future depending on the political Post-Kyoto programs, potential alternative income was calculated with different price scenarios for the three countries. A comparison with the gross domestic products of these countries and with developing aid, showed the significance of CO2 trading in this region.

This study addresses the development of a sensor to monitor chemical adsorption and charge transfer processes on a surface using a contact potential difference probe (CPD). The current investigation is an outgrowth of ongoing research on non-vibrating CPD probes (nvCPD) which led to the recent development of a novel measurement technique utilizing optical stimulation: optically stimulated CPD (osCPD). Primary outcomes of this thesis are the theoretical modeling, fabrication and demonstration of a functional osCPD sensor. The research also involved significant engineering and experimentation in the design, development, and application of this sensor to oil condition monitoring. This technique measures dielectric and chemical properties of a fluid at the interface between the fluid and a semiconductor substrate. Chopped visible light is used to stimulate the rear surface of a semiconductor substrate, and a CPD probe measures the work function response of the semiconductor on the front surface of the substrate. The work function response is influenced by the nature and quantity of adsorbed species on the top surface, allowing the probe to detect changes in chemical composition at the substrate/fluid interface. An analytical model is developed that relates the osCPD sensor output signal to the chemical and dielectric properties of the oil sample, as well as to the geometry, composition, and control inputs of the silicon substrate and test fixture. In this investigation, the osCPD sensor was used to evaluate dielectric and chemical properties of commercially available engine oil. Oil samples were intentionally degraded through thermal aging (oxidation) and through addition of known contaminants. The osCPD sensor shows good sensitivity to depletion of antioxidants in the oil, as well as to the presence of ferric chloride, an oil-soluble salt typically used to calibrate laboratory test equipment.

Mestre -- Escola Nacional de Saude Publica, Rio de Janeiro, 1998.

Mestre -- Escola Nacional de Saude Publica, Rio de Janeiro, 2003.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, March, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Population Resettlement forms the general subject area of this study. This topic is described in general terms to establish the fact that population resettlement is a problem common to many developing countries. Since the importance which a nation attaches to population resettlement depends on national circumstances, the significance of the problem of population resettlement in Ghana is reviewed as a case study. Ghana is a developing country which is currently implementing a multi-purpose river basin development scheme, called the Volta River Project. Basically, it is a hydroelectric power project. The Volta Lake has displaced some 80,000 riparian settlers in the Volta Basin. The displaced people should be resettled in new settlements, and they should be provided with satisfactory housing, employment, and social facilities and amenities. All these aspects of population resettlement call for the formulation of major governmental policies. It is hypothesized that the Volta Basin Population Resettlement Scheme must contribute towards the attainment of Ghana's social, economic, and physical planning objectives. The method of investigation is based on the premise that population resettlement is not an isolated problem, and that it should be examined within a national framework. Consequently, the highlights of the national objectives and policies of Ghana, as defined in the Ghana Seven-Year Development Plan, 1963/64 to 1969/70, are stated. To put the population resettlement scheme in perspective, the Volta River Project is analyzed to show its national importance and its compatibility with the national objectives of Ghana. Multi-purpose river basin development projects, carried out in India and the United States of America, involved the relocation of families in potential reservoir areas. A review of the Damodar Valley Project in India and the Tennessee Valley Project in the United States of America indicate that population resettlement is a national problem, the solution of which requires the formulation of policies by the highest level of government in a country. On the basis of experience in India and the United States of America, the following criteria for evaluating Ghana's population resettlement scheme are evolved: (1) Declared National Objectives; (2) Regional Development Project as part of a National Plan; (3) Education for Population Resettlement; (4) Planned Settlements; (5) Consistency of Project Administration with National Policies; and (6) Devolution of Functions. The criteria are applied to the Volta Basin Population Resettlement Scheme. The findings of this application tend to substantiate the hypothesis, that the Volta Basin Population Resettlement Scheme must contribute towards the attainment of Ghana's social, economic, and physical planning objectives. Nevertheless, the method of investigation is evaluated. Its shortcomings stem from the lack of sufficient data for detailed regional analysis of the population resettlement scheme. Other ways of implementing a population resettlement scheme are evaluated. It is concluded from this evaluation that Ghana's approach to population resettlement will most probably contribute to the attainment of her national objectives. It is, however, recommended that education for population resettlement should be a continuing process. It is further recommended that the Volta River Development Act should be amended to enable the Volta River Authority to transfer some of its functions to the Urban and Local Councils in the Volta Basin Planning Region. In the final analysis, it is the people in the new settlements who will ensure the success of the population resettlement scheme. It is therefore recommended that there should be permanent machinery for carrying out continuing evaluations of the people's reactions to changes to be brought about by the Volta River Project. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

No keywords provided in thesis / The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the curriculum and supplementary materials for the teaching and learning of English in five junior high schools in Ghana to ascertain the extent to which the curriculum promotes academic literacy in the pupils. Hence, five schools were selected by purposive sampling. Four poorly performing schools and a relatively well performing school were selected for the study. Thus, the problem investigated in this study was academic literacy development, with particular reference to English language teaching. The study area was the Ho West district of the Volta Region of Ghana. The study adopted a mixed methods approach which investigated academic literacy development by evaluating the syllabus and textbooks, and by interviewing English teachers in the selected schools. The interview schedule contained both open ended questions for qualitative analysis as well as multiple choice questions based on a four-item Likert scale for quantitative analysis. The study found that the various aspects of the curriculum had shortcomings in adequately supporting the development of academic literacy in the junior high school pupils in Ghana. Moreover, the factors required for critical language awareness were not present in the textbooks. / English Studies / Ph. D. (English)

Nas últimas décadas, a assistência à saúde mental no Brasil, sustentada pelo modelo convencional de exclusão social, que retira a pessoa do seu convívio, por meio de internações em instituições psiquiátricas, vem passando por transformações, sendo que a ênfase está em uma assistência comunitária e territorial, com a inclusão dessa pessoa nos planos dos direitos e do convívio social. Essas mudanças caracterizam o movimento pela Reforma Psiquiátrica, a qual inclui ações políticas de desinstitucionalização e propõe a ressignificação do sujeito, não apenas a partir da doença, mas considerando também que há implicações culturais, sociais, éticas, políticas e humanas e, principalmente, valorizando a idéia de fazer valer seus direitos de cidadania, preocupando-se com a sua saída das instituições psiquiátricas e com a viabilização dos instrumentos de suporte financeiro e social. Nesse contexto, o Programa De Volta para Casa insere-se como estratégia política no Brasil desde 2003 e tem como meta a inserção social de pessoas egressas de longas internações em hospitais psiquiátricos, por meio do auxílio- reabilitação psicossocial. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de analisar o processo de implementação do Programa De Volta para Casa no município de Ribeirão Preto- SP, apontando as suas possibilidades e limites. A metodologia, de natureza qualitativa, foi conduzida por meio de seis (6) entrevistas semi-estruturadas com a equipe de saúde que coordena o referido Programa. Nos resultados e discussão são apresentados o processo de implantação do Programa De Volta para Casa no município de Ribeirão Preto e os seguintes temas de análise: o uso do auxílio reabilitação psicossocial, as limitações dos beneficiários decorrentes da institucionalização e o Programa De Volta para Casa - seus avanços e desafios. Diante da análise realizada, o processo de implantação ocorreu com dificuldades e seu desenvolvimento inicial mostrou incoerência entre a proposta de reinserção social e sua execução no município. O Programa abre possibilidades aos beneficiários de participação nos espaços sociais e ampliação do poder de troca; entretanto, alguns limites foram expostos com relação às limitações físicas e psicossociais dos usuários, o que exige, da equipe de saúde, o desenvolvimento de ações não apenas centradas no assistencialismo, mas que envolvam o acompanhamento, com criatividade e flexibilidade no cotidiano dos beneficiários, além de avaliações contínuas dos mesmos e do Programa como um todo. / In recent decades, assistance to mental health in Brazil, backed by the conventional model of social exclusion, which cut the person of their daily living, through hospitalizations in psychiatric institutions, is going through changes, and the emphasis is on a community assistance and territorial, with the inclusion of that person in the plans of rights and social life. These changes characterizing the movement for deinstitutionalization, which includes shares of deinstitutionalization policies and proposes to rethink the subject, not only from the disease, but considering that there are also implications cultural, social, ethical, political and human and, especially, valuing the idea of asserting their rights of citizenship, concerning itself with its exit from psychiatric institutions and the development of instruments of financial and social support. In this context, the programme \"De Volta para Casa\" is part of strategy and policy in Brazil since 2003 and aims to social inclusion from people of long hospitalizations in psychiatric hospitals, through the aidpsychosocial rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to examine the process of implementing the programme \"De Volta para Casa\" in the city of Ribeirão Preto-SP, pointing their possibilities and limits. The methodology of a qualitative nature, was conducted by six (6) semi-structured interviews with the health team that coordinates the program. The results are presented and discussed the process of implementation of the Programme \"De Volta para Casa\" in the city of Ribeirão Preto and analysis of the following topics: the use of aid psychosocial rehabilitation, the limitations of the beneficiaries resulting from the institutionalization and \'De Volta para Casa\"- their progress and challenges. Given the analysis, the process of deployment and difficulties occurred with its initial development showed inconsistency between the proposed social reintegration and their implementation in the municipality. It opens opportunities for beneficiaries to participate in social spaces and expansion of power exchange, but some limits were set in relation to psychosocial and physical limitations of users, which requires, the team of health, the development of actions not only focus no welfarism, but involving the monitoring, with creativity and flexibility in the daily lives of beneficiaries, as well as continuous assessments of them and the programme as a whole.