Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'PNGO'

In this thesis I examine the contemporary nexus between White women and the raced and classed institution of White womanhood. More specifically, I focus on White Australian women who are middle class, rich in cultural capital, and generally consider themselves to be progressive; that is race privileged women but women who are not usually associated with overt racism. My analysis unfolds White Australian women in the discursive context of the ideologies of feminism and feminist-influenced anti-racist politics, as well as the ideologies of femininity. The thesis shows how this nexus is enacted through a vision of White women as Good as expressed in the political commitments, mentalities, relationships, narratives and corporeality of such women. The research problem that I identified and worked through in the thesis is as follows: for middle class White women, (who can be seen and see themselves as generic 'women'), Whiteness has been seen and played out as Goodness. Further, in the playing out of this Goodness White women accumulate and defend the prestige and privileges of Whiteness. Specifically, I argue that Whiteness is reproduced in some of the discourses and practices of White feminism, by the progressive White women involved in anti-racist politics, and in the femininity industry and the ways it is taken up. The nub of the problem I identify is that White women's involvement in the structures and narratives that support Whiteness is often grounded in the very qualities of character and conduct that emerge from the colonial and class-constructed ideal of White womanhood and which have historically distinguished them from denigrated others. These qualities- notably virtue, innocence and self-restraint- whilst differently nuanced in other contexts are an ongoing expression of the uses made of White womanhood as the visible sign of race and class superiority. The work examines four key periods: the Australian colony of PNG during the decolonising 1960's and 1970's; the high years of 1970's and 1980's feminism; the race debates of the 1990's; and the bodily practices of present day White women gripped by fears of fat and aging. I explore the ways in which White women's Whiteness is played out in benevolent Black/White relationships, the over-reach of difference feminism, particular kinds of anti-racist identities and activism, and body-improvement practices. In all these cultural sites, White women's Whiteness is often represented as a kind of moral being and deployed as moral authority in ways that are consonant with the raced and classed construction of White women as moral texts. My research approach was determined by the research problem I identified. Given my argument that White women mis-recognise Whiteness as Goodness in a race-structured society, then the collecting of data through interviews or surveys would have yielded material subject to this blindness. Instead, I explored sites and material where moral claims were being pressed, and case studies where 'women' were enacting themselves or being represented or interpellated as moral texts. My selection of primary source material ranges from feminist newsletters, women's and other magazines, literature, film, event programs and flyers, radio and television broadcasts, newspapers and websites, as well as reflections on my own experiences. Secondary source material includes feminist theoretical texts as well as texts drawn from a range of other disciplines, and other historical background materials. I lay out and support my arguments using a technique not dissimilar to collage, aiming to construct a picture that is compelling in its detail as well as coherent in its overall effect. This thesis is a contribution to the de-naturalisation of Whiteness. Navigating a course between the opposing hazards of essentialising Whiteness and understating its effects in contemporary Australian society, I have brought into clearer view some of the strategies which maintain the authority of Whiteness.

Assembly of neuronal networks with distinct patterns of connectivity during nervous system development involves the growth, extension and branching of axons and dendrites. Over the years genetic and biochemical studies in model organisms have contributed significantly in identifying mechanisms regulating axon growth and extension. However the molecular mechanisms underlying axon branching remain unclear. The egg-laying neuronal circuitry in C. elegans has proven to be a robust system for identifying and characterizing novel genes involved in neuronal morphology. This circuitry which mediates egg-laying behavior in nematodes is composed of two families of motorneurons, HSNs and VCs, which are among the most branched neurons in C. elegans. A genetic screen for axon branch defects in the egg-laying neurons identified png-1 to disrupt neuronal morphology including axon branching. png-1 encodes a Peptide: N-glycanase (PNGase), a conserved cytosolic enzyme that removes N-linked sugar moieties from glycoproteins. In this thesis I present my work characterizing and examining png-1 and its role in mediating axon branching. Mutations in png-1 resulted in excessive ectopic axon branching in the VC4 and VC5 egg-laying neurons as well as branching in the normally unbranched AVL and DVB neurons. Behavioral analysis in these mutants revealed defects in egg-laying behavior and mild in-utero egg retention phenotypes. Cellular characterization shows ubiquitous expression of png-1 in many tissues including vulva cells, muscles, gonads, and neurons. My analysis also shows that png-1 acts both cell-autonomously and cell non-autonomously from neurons and epithelial cells to restrict axon branching around the vulva. Using a candidate gene approach I identified a deletion allele of the DNA repair gene, rad-23, to display axon branching defects and interact with png-1 within a common pathway to regulate axon branching. Additionally, through a genetic modifier screen for enhancers and suppressors of VC4-5 branching defects in png-1, I identified a new allele of sax-2 as an enhancer mutation. sax-2 encodes a scaffolding protein that regulates the activity and localization of sax-1, an NDR kinase. Examination of neuronal phenotypes in sax-1 and sax-2 mutants revealed similar png-1 like defects in VC4-5. Genetic analysis of the double mutants png-1;sax-1 and png-1;sax-2 revealed strong synergistic phenotypes suggesting that png-1 and sax-1/sax-2 function in parallel pathways to regulate axon branching. In summary, this thesis reveals novel components and pathways in the regulation of neuronal branching.

This thesis studies the effect of using delta encoding to compress archivesof images. The results are compared with two types of lossless PNGcompression. The tests show that the most sophisticated PNG methodtested compresses the archives around 2-12% higher than the delta encodingmethods, but at the cost of taking more than 10 times as long.The conclusion is therefore drawn that delta encoding could be a usefulmethod for compressing image archives in environments where speed ismore important than storage.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:27:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sonia.pdf: 3738803 bytes, checksum: 6333592137b53630298488c4d8fbdd6b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-27<br>The breast cancer is the most feared by women, due to its high frequency. There is a good prognosis if properly diagnosed and treated. In Brazil the mortality rates caused by breast cancer are still high, probably because the disease is diagnosed in advanced stages. The Política Nacional de Atenção Oncológica - Oncological Attention National Policy (PNAO) was instituted by the Ordinance N. 2.439/2005. It comprises promotion, prevention, diagnosis, rehabilitation and palliative care, to be implanted at all federal units, respecting the competence of all three management levels. It is organized in coordination with the Health Ministry and States and Cities Health Departments. It aims to organize a line care that permeates all levels of care and service. The line care describes the set of actions and activities to be carried out at each health care unit and diagnostic support which forms a certain system, as well as it points out the professionals involved and the necessary resources, including medication and inputs. This study aimed to promote an evaluation of the PNAO - through checking service records - concerning the time between the diagnostic and the treatment of breast cancer patients, in order to identify the possible barriers in the access. A retrospective study was carried out, where the breast cancer patients medical records at the Oncology Service at the School Hospital from the Federal University of Pelotas were analyzed, in the year of 2011, identifying the time intervals between the suspicion, the diagnosis and the beginning of the chemotherapy treatment. A data collection tool was used to collect variables such as: age, skin color, date of birth, marital status, and the dates concerning the diagnosis stages - exams and therapy sessions - beginning of the oncological treatment. Forty-nine women were included in the study. The ages ranged between 35 and 81 with an average age of 58,9 and the standard deviation of 12, 02 years. The predominant age range was 60 to 69 years old in 32% of the cases. The predominant skin color was white in 84% of the cases, followed by black in 14%. Variables such as marital status (96%) and occupation (78%) presented high levels of absence of such information. Concerning staging, 25% and 47% of the cases were, respectively in the stadiums I and II, whereas 28% of the total was in the stadiums III or IV. In terms of the exams taken 67% used the SUS Service. The interval between the mammography and the oncological treatment was the biggest interval found, in a total of 160,5 days. When comparing this interval to the initial and advanced stadium, it was bigger in patients in the advanced stadium of the disease. The time interval between the diagnosis and the chemotherapy is too long for most patients. This causes a late breast cancer diagnosis and the patients reach an advanced stadium of the disease. When there is an early diagnosis, it decreases the mortality, improves the survival and the treatment is less complex. The health public system needs to be organized so that there is a better integration between the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, where the patients go pursuing diagnosis and treatment<br>O câncer de mama é o mais temido pelas mulheres, devido a sua alta frequência. Tem bom prognóstico se diagnosticado e tratado oportunamente. No Brasil as taxas de mortalidade por câncer de mama continuam elevadas, provavelmente porque a doença é diagnosticada em estágios avançados. A Política Nacional de Atenção Oncológica (PNAO) foi instituída pela Portaria Nº 2.439/2005. Ela contempla promoção, prevenção, diagnóstico, reabilitação e cuidados paliativos, a ser implantada em todas as unidades federadas, respeitadas as competências das três esferas de gestão. Está organizada de forma articulada com o Ministério da Saúde e Secretarias de Saúde dos estados e municípios. Tem como objetivo organizar uma linha de cuidados que perpasse todos os níveis de atenção e de atendimento. A linha de cuidados descreve o conjunto de ações e atividades a serem desenvolvidas em cada unidade de atenção à saúde e de apoio diagnóstico que compõe um determinado sistema, bem como aponta os profissionais envolvidos e os recursos necessários, incluindo medicamentos e insumos. Este estudo teve como objetivo promover uma avaliação da PNAO - através da verificação nos registros do serviço - do tempo decorrido entre o diagnóstico e o tratamento das pacientes com câncer de mama, de modo a identificar possíveis barreiras no acesso. Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo, onde foram analisados os prontuários das pacientes com câncer de mama atendidas no Serviço de Oncologia do Hospital Escola da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, no ano de 2011, identificando os intervalos de tempo transcorridos entre a suspeita, o diagnóstico e o início do tratamento oncológico. Utilizou-se um instrumento de coleta de dados para coletar variáveis como: idade, cor da pele, data de nascimento, estado civil, e datas das etapas diagnósticas - realização dos exames e terapêuticas - início do tratamento oncológico. Quarenta e nove mulheres foram incluídas no estudo. As idades variaram entre 35 e 81 anos com média de idade foi de 58,9 anos e o desvio padrão de 12, 02 anos. A faixa etária predominante foi a dos 60 a 69 anos com 32% dos casos. A cor da pele predominante foi a branca com 84% dos casos, seguida de preta com 14%. Variáveis como estado civil (96%) e ocupação (78%) apresentaram altos índices de ausência dessas informações. Quanto ao estadiamento, 25% e 47% dos casos encontravam-se, respectivamente, nos estádios I e II, enquanto 28% do total apresentavam-se nos estádios III ou IV. Quanto à realização de exames 67% utilizaram o SUS. O intervalo de tempo entre a realização da mamografia e o tratamento oncológico foi o maior intervalo encontrado sendo de 160,5 dias. Este intervalo quando comparado ao estádio inicial e avançado, foi maior na pacientes com estádio avançado da doença. O intervalo de tempo entre o diagnóstico e o tratamento oncológico é muito longo para a maioria das pacientes. Isto resulta em um diagnóstico do câncer de mama realizado tardiamente e as pacientes apresentam estádio avançado da doença. Quando o diagnóstico é precoce, diminui a mortalidade, melhora a sobrevida e o tratamento é menos complexo. O sistema público de saúde necessita se organizar para que tenha uma maior integração entre os níveis primário, secundário e terciário, níveis estes por onde transitam as pacientes em busca de diagnóstico e tratamento

This survey study on students attitudes towards science was conducted in Papua New Guinea. It involved 200 randomly selected grade six students in eight selected community (primary) schools (4 urban and 4 rural) of four provinces. There were six research questions to focus the study. The instruments consisted of 9 Students Background Questions, 9 interview questions, 43 Students Science Attitude Questionnaire Items, and a 20-item cognitive test. The former three sets of instruments were trialled in two schools. The test questions were not trialled as they were trialled previously in several schools within PNG. The 43 Likert-type items were divided into five categories - curiosity, enjoyment, science learning, perceived achievement, and relevance. Each category was assigned 10 items, with the exception of perceived achievement which had three items. About half of the the statements in a category were negatively worded. A student had to put a tick in a box next to a statement according to his or her feelings. The choices were given by the five-point scale - Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Hot Sure (NS), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD) along with three laces (smiling, uncertain and frowning) which were added as interest, From the twenty five students in a study school, a group of 6 students (3 males and 3 females) was randomly selected for face to face interview. The responses in the items associated with the five categories (dependent variables) were used to assess various student characteristics (independent variables) of parent and home background (i.e. parent educational levels and language use at home), gender (male and female), biogeographical location (urban and rural), and level of performance in standardized cognitive test (above average, average and below average). Statistical techniques of correlation coefficient, analysis of variance and factor analysis were used in analysing the responses but the results were not clear due insufficient trialling and test of reliability with the limited period in which the data had to be collected. As consequence, chi-square test (contingency tables) was used as alternative statistical test to determine significant differences in responses to the items at 0.05 level. With the exception of perceived achievement, student responses to the items on the categories were generally and satisfactorily positive. The mean levels of attitudes in the categories were not as high as one may expect (Table 5.1). Relatively, few of the items associated with student independent variables showed significant differences. There was generally no significant differences in parent and home backgrounds (i.e. language use and parent educational background). Urban students tended to be more positive than the rural students, but. this not could be generalised due to a small number of items with significant differences. Male students showed more positive attitudes to science than female students, but this was limited to a small number of items. The students with above average scores in the cognitive test showed more positive attitudes to science than those of average and below verage scores. However, the number of items were quite small, and therefore could not be generalised. Points of improvement in the practice of teaching and future research in attitudes to science are recommended. For instance, the present officially prescribed time of 40 minutes per week for science should be changed to 1.5 to 2 hours after further investigation. The reason for this is that it requires some preparation before actual lessons begin (e.g. collecting materials by groups) and the students are generally slow.

PEREIRA, Dionisio do Reino. Uso da Geomática como Suporte para Gestão Integrada de Recursos Naturais no Parque Nacional de Orango (PNO), Guiné-Bissau. 2015. 82 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Geologia)-Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2015.<br>Submitted by Jairo Viana (jairo@ufc.br) on 2017-05-23T22:13:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_drpereira.pdf: 4023602 bytes, checksum: ec824762d9d9db4d6bcde3361db67d53 (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Jairo Viana (jairo@ufc.br) on 2017-05-23T22:13:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_drpereira.pdf: 4023602 bytes, checksum: ec824762d9d9db4d6bcde3361db67d53 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-23T22:13:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_drpereira.pdf: 4023602 bytes, checksum: ec824762d9d9db4d6bcde3361db67d53 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015<br>This paper presents a study on the use of geomatics as support for Integrated Management of Natural Resources in Orango National Park (PNO), Republic of Guinea-Bissau. The study is focused on interference in landscape conditions, and its amendment, the following factors: the degradation of vegetation; ecological and tourist value of the region and the rapid growth of population. Conventional and remote sensing data were analyzed through modeling techniques using the ArcGIS software, ER-Mapper and ENVI. Digital images were first processed by Principal Component Analysis and transformation of the maximum noise fraction, then all the bands were normalized to reduce errors caused by bands of different sizes. Then they were held in Geographic Information System the change detection analysis, and other variables of the study area. A colorful combination of multispectral bands was used to monitor changes of use / land cover and vegetation cover between the years 2003 to 2013. This task also included the analysis of various secondary data, as field data, socio-economic data, environmental data and growth prospects. The intention was to improve the understanding of natural and environmental vulnerability and their influence on the risk assessment, defining the intensity, distribution and effects on ecosystems, through the high areas of identification and low sensitivity and land losses coastal erosion in PNO to establish in order a sustainable use strategy earth. The developed model integrates some basic factors such as geology, geomorphology, soils, use / land cover, vegetation cover, slope and topography. The numerical results indicated that the natural vulnerability demonstrated a predominance of environments with low vulnerability to 80.7%, up 15.8% and very high at 3.5%. This result shows the possibility of use and occupancy of up to 80% of the territory, through planning and management of activities. The environmental vulnerability map showed a preponderance of areas with very low vulnerability (29.2%) and low (53.8%), indicating that the study area was slightly modified by man.<br>Este trabalho apresenta o estudo sobre o uso da geomatica como Suporte para Gestão Integrada de Recursos Naturais no Parque Nacional de Orango (PNO), Republica da Guiné-Bissau. O estudo está enfocada na interferência nas condições da paisagem, e na sua alteração, dos seguintes fatores: a degradação da vegetação; valor ecológico e turístico da região e o rápido crescimento da população. Dados convencionais e de sensoriamento remoto foram analisadas através das técnicas de modelagem usando os software ArcGIS, ER-Mapper e ENVI. As imagens digitais foram inicialmente processadas por Análise de Componentes Principais e transformação da fração máxima de ruído, então todas as bandas foram normalizadas para reduzir os erros causados por bandas de diferentes dimensões. Em seguida foram realizadas em Sistema de Informações Geográficas as análises de detecção de alterações, e as demais variáveis da área de estudo. A combinação colorida de bandas multiespectrais foi empregada para acompanhar mudanças de uso/ocupação do solo e da cobertura vegetal entre os anos de 2003 a 2013. Essa tarefa também abrangeu a análise de vários dados secundários, como dados de campo, dados socioeconômicos, dados ambientais e perspectivas de crescimento. A intenção foi aprimorar a compreensão da vulnerabilidade natural e ambiental e a influência destas na avaliação de riscos, definindo a intensidade, a distribuição e os efeitos sobre os ecossistemas, por meio da identificação de áreas de alta e baixa sensibilidade e as perdas de terras devido à erosão costeira no PNO, de modo a se estabelecer uma estratégia de uso sustentável da terra. O modelo elaborado integra alguns fatores básicos como a geologia, a geomorfologia, os solos, o uso/cobertura do solo, a cobertura vegetal, a declividade e a topografia. Os resultados numéricos indicaram que a vulnerabilidade natural demonstrou um predomínio de ambientes com vulnerabilidade baixa em 80,7%, alta em 15,8% e muito alta em 3,5%. Tal resultado mostra a possibilidade de utilização e ocupação de até 80% do território, através de planejamento e ordenamento das atividades. O mapa de vulnerabilidade ambiental demonstrou uma preponderância de áreas com vulnerabilidade muito baixa (29,2%) e baixa (53,8%), indicando que a área de estudo foi pouco modificada pelo homem.

The study combined qualitative methods (observation, interview and case study techniques) and quantitative methods (use of questionnaire and survey instruments) methods to (a) identify and describe current teaching practices in Papua New Guinea (PNG) secondary science laboratory classrooms; (b) investigate the effect of specific teaching practices on academic success on an external science achievement examinaton; and (c) investigate whether an educational productivity model for investigating factors associated with learning is applicable to a developing country context, namely, PNG. Analysis of data from 3,182 Papua New Guinea secondary students, generated revealed similar science laboratory learning environments across most high schools with Open-Endedness having the lowest score. Overall students' attitudes towards science were favourable, with boys having a more favourable attitudes than girls. Multivariate analyses showed that science academic achievement, science practical achievement and attitudes were related to quality and quantity of instruction, the science laboratory learning environment and gender. As in similar studies in other countries, male students performed significantly better than female students in external science achievement examinations. But female students achieved significantly better on a practical science process test. Finally, the study identified some specific aspects of current teaching practices in a developing country context, involving science learning environments and students' attitudes towards science.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T17:40:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo7042_1.pdf: 3910655 bytes, checksum: 9a5e52d2535f94f8e232ee5d957d91ee (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005<br>Recentemente, foram desenvolvidos algoritmos iterativos de compressão destinados à transmissão de imagens estáticas via rede tais como: JPEG progressivo, JPEG2000 progressivo, PNG entrelaçado e GIF entrelaçado. Esses algoritmos decompõem a imagem e a transmitem de forma não seqüencial. O propósito desta dissertação consiste em efetuar um estudo comparativo desses algoritmos. A metodologia adotada consiste em fazer uma análise das imagens parciais obtidas para cada formato. Em cada etapa, faz-se uma inspeção visual da imagem e mede-se o PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) em relação à imagem final, um fator objetivo de qualidade de imagens. Parâmetros como tamanho do arquivo parcial, natureza da imagem e inspeção visual também são alvo de estudo. Através de uma análise detalhada das imagens parciais obtidas somos capazes de definir então qual algoritmo é mais apropriado em cada etapa da transmissão de acordo com a natureza da imagem analisada

Guided missiles are among the most effective threats against air platforms. Aircraft and helicopter losses in the last decades were mostly due to guided missiles, 70% of which were infrared guided missiles. Today, there are as many as 500,000 shoulder-fired missiles in military arsenals around the world, whose guidance algorithms enable them to track the desired trajectories very precisely. In this thesis, main focus is on defining infrared missile guidance and control algorithms in order to study on various target-missile scenarios for the effectiveness of these algorithms. First, a mathematical model of a generic missile is given. Then the flight control system of the missile is created by using LQR and PID controllers. Different kinds of PNG algorithms applied to an infrared missile are presented. The seeker part of the infrared missile is also discussed. The effectiveness of guidance algorithms are studied based on different target &ndash<br>missile scenarios and the responses of them to IR countermeasures are also observed. This study shows that different guidance algorithms can be used for different scenarios. If suitable algorithms are combined and suitable constants are applied, the guided missile can track the target very precisely. In addition, the seeker part has to be improved with tracking algorithms in order to recognize IR-countermeasures and not to follow them.

Dissertação(mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gerenciamento Costeiro, Instituto de Oceanografia, 2012.<br>Submitted by Cristiane Gomides (cristiane_gomides@hotmail.com) on 2013-09-19T19:00:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 rossana.pdf: 3764684 bytes, checksum: 673b205e7d0563ce203d56d05249d055 (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Sabrina Andrade (sabrinabeatriz@ibest.com.br) on 2013-10-17T17:47:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rossana.pdf: 3764684 bytes, checksum: 673b205e7d0563ce203d56d05249d055 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2013-10-17T17:47:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rossana.pdf: 3764684 bytes, checksum: 673b205e7d0563ce203d56d05249d055 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012<br>Este trabalho trata de inserir os Planos de Manejo de Dunas no contexto do Gerenciamento Costeiro Integrado, buscando dessa forma integrá-los nas políticas públicas dos municípios analisados, utilizando as ferramentas das quais o Plano Nacional de Gerenciamento Costeiro (PNGC) dispõe, que vão desde as articulações políticas que são a base para a Gestão até o uso das geotecnologias no manuseio dos dados. Diante do exposto a idéia é utilizar os Planos de Manejo de Dunas como um instrumento base para a elaboração dos Planos de Gestão Integrada da Zona Costeira. O trabalho demonstrou que o uso de da ferramenta de Sistema de Informação Geográfica foi de grande utilidade tanto na fase de elaboração dos Planos como na apresentação destes em audiências públicas. Além desse resultado ficou claro que para que a gestão integrada desse trecho da zona costeira depende não só de vontade política ou de alguma demanda da sociedade, mas sim de uma melhor articulação e integração entre as políticas públicas e os órgãos gestores municipais, estaduais e federais<br>This study is entering the Dune Management Plans in the context of Integrated Coastal Management, seeking thereby to integrate them into public policies of the municipalities analyzed using the tools of which the National Plan of Coastal Management (PNGC) states, ranging from joints policies that are the basis for management by the use of geo-technologies in data handling. In this light the idea is to use the Dune Management Plans as a basic instrument for the preparation of Management Plans Integrated Coastal Zone. The study demonstrated that the use of the tool Geographic Information System was useful both in the preparation of plans and their presentation in public hearings. In this result it became clear that for the integrated management of this stretch of the coastal zone depends not only on political will or some demands of society, but better coordination and integration between public policies and municipal agencies, state and federal.

Les travaux développés dans ce mémoire se situent dans le cadre de l'analyse et de la conception des systèmes temps réel. Nous proposons une approche d'aide à la translation entre analyse fonctionnelle et analyse orientée objet. L'utilité d'une telle démarche ainsi que les différents travaux effectués dans ce domaine sont d'abord étudiés. Ensuite, nous exposons les différentes étapes de la démarche. Son originalité découle de l'utilisation des réseaux de Petri comme moyen de translation. D'abord, les spécifications fonctionnelles (de type SA-RT) sont décrites par réseaux de Petri. Les composantes conservatives de ces derniers sont alors utilisées pour identifier et définir les objets. Le formalisme HOOD/PNO est adopté pour la spécification des objets. L'approche proposée peut s'appuyer sur l'aspect statique des spécifications ou sur l'aspect dynamique. Il est également possible d'adopter une approche mixte. Les différentes étapes de la démarche et les approches possibles sont illustrées par des exemples significatifs. Nous étudions également les limites de la démarche proposée, ses parties automatisables et la possibilité de l'utiliser avec d'autres techniques. Par ailleurs, nous nous intéressons à la possibilité d'exploiter les résultats obtenus dans des objectifs d'évaluation des spécifications fonctionnelles. L'apport de certaines extensions temporelles des réseaux de Petri est mis en évidence.

Introdução - É realizada uma reflexão sobre o significado das palavras avaliação e gestão e sua contextualização em um complexo hospitalar e faculdade de medicina. Analisa-se a contribuição para o aprimoramento contínuo da qualidade de serviços de saúde por meio de processo sistemático de avaliação da gestão, em que são apontados pontos fortes e oportunidades de melhoria. Objetivo - Analisar o processo interno de avaliação da gestão utilizado pelo Sistema Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo - Hospital das Clínicas (FMUSP/HC) no período de 2003 a 2006. Método - A avaliação interna da gestão é realizada anualmente, baseada nos fundamentos da excelência do Prêmio Nacional da Qualidade em sua versão para a saúde: Prêmio Nacional da Gestão em Saúde. Foram analisadas as pontuações obtidas nos oito critérios, a saber: liderança, estratégias e planos, clientes, sociedade, informação e conhecimento, pessoas, processos e resultados. Por se tratar de um Sistema que utiliza o mesmo modelo de avaliação da gestão, os dados foram analisados em conjunto, não individualizando cada uma das dez Unidades que compõem o Sistema FMUSP/HC (oito hospitais de alta complexidade, uma unidade de reabilitação e a faculdade de medicina). Foi utilizada a correlação de postos de Spearman para avaliar as correlações entre os critérios referentes a processos e respectivos resultados e o teste não paramétrico de Friedman para análise longitudinal no período de quatro anos. Resultados - Na análise longitudinal o critério resultados apresentou evolução com alteração significativa: p < 0,001; o critério liderança apresentou uma tendência favorável (p=0,056) e o critério estratégias e planos uma evolução significativa (p=0,030). Os critérios liderança e estratégias e planos não apresentaram correlação com o critério resultados. Observou-se uma correlação positiva e significativa entre as pontuações obtidas nos processos relativos a clientes, financeiros e fornecedores e seus respectivos resultados. Não houve correlação entre as pontuações obtidas nos processos relativos a produtos, pessoas, sociedade e de apoio com seus respectivos resultados. Conclusão - houve uma melhoria significativa na pontuação do critério resultados da avaliação da gestão como um todo no Sistema FMUSP/HC, no período de 2003 a 2006. Foi evidenciada uma correlação significativa com as pontuações obtidas nos critérios clientes, fornecedores e processos financeiros e respectivos resultados. Apesar das pontuações obtidas nos critérios liderança e estratégias e planos apresentarem uma evolução favorável, os métodos existentes avaliam os atributos de um objeto e não o objeto em si. Contudo, o processo de avaliação contribui para homogeneizar a linguagem na organização, manter as pessoas estimuladas em suas atividades rotineiras e é coadjuvante na promoção de mudanças organizacionais em um sistema acadêmico de saúde, composto por um complexo hospitalar e uma faculdade de medicina.<br>Introduction - Consideration was given to the meaning of the words assessment and management and, their context in an academic health system was carried out. The contribution for the continuous improvement of the quality of the health care system is analyzed through a systematic procedure of management assessment, in which strong points and opportunities for improvement are highlighted. Objective - To analyze the internal procedure of management assessment used by "Sistema Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo - Hospital das Clínicas (FMUSP/HC)" from 2003 to 2006. Method - The internal assessment of the management is carried out annually, based on the core values of the "Prêmio Nacional da Qualidade" [National Quality Award] in its health version: "Prêmio Nacional da Gestão em Saúde" [National Award in Health Care Management]. The eight categories in which the punctuation was awarded were analyzed: leadership, strategies and plans, clients, society, information and knowledge, people, procedures and, the results. Once the above mentioned system uses the same assessment management pattern, the databases was analyzed concurrently, not taking into consideration each and every individual part of the ten units the "Sistema FMUSP/HC" consists of (eight public high complexity hospitals, a rehabilitation unit and the medical school). The Spearman's correlation of places was used to assess the correlations between the criteria related to procedures and their respective results and, the non parametric test of Friedman on longitudinal analysis, during a four year period. Results - In the longitudinal analysis, the performance results presented a remarkable change in their evolution: p < 0,001; the leadership criterion presented a favorable tendency (p=0,056) and, the 8 strategies and plans criteria presented a remarkable evolution (p=0,030). The leadership and, strategies and plans criteria did not present correlation with the results criterion. It was observed a positive and significant correlation between the procedures related to clients, finance and suppliers and their respective results. There was no correlation between the procedures related to products, people, society and support and, their respective results. Conclusion - There was a remarkable improvement in the "results" criterion of the management assessment in the "Sistema FMUSP/HC", from 2003 to 2006. A remarkable correlation with the clients, suppliers and financial procedures and their respective results was evidenced. Even though the leadership and, strategies and plans criteria presented a favorable evolution, the existing methods assess the attributes of an object instead of the object itself. Nevertheless, the assessment procedure contributes to standardize the communication in the organization, to keep people motivated in their routine activities and, cooperates with the promotion of organizational changes in a large size public hospital.

Signal compression is necessary part for ECG scanning, because of relatively big amount of data, which must be transmitted primarily wirelessly for analysis. Because of the wireless sending it is necessary to minimize the amount of data as much as possible. To minimize the amount of data, lossless or lossy compression algorithms are used. This work describes an algorithm SPITH and newly created experimental method, based on PNG, and their testing. This master’s thesis there is also a bank of ECG signals with parallel sensed accelerometer data. In the last part, modification of SPIHT algorithm, which uses accelerometer data, is described and realized.

An evaluation of how sensitive some ATLAS searches for new physics are to a new beyond standard model (BSM) vector-like quark (VLQ) and a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB) scalar. This was done by simulating a signal containing these new particles and making a recast of it onto existing verified ATLAS searches for new physics at center-of-mass (CM) energy of 13 TeV (Run 2) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Signals for recasting were tailored such that their final states would be appropriate in relation to each respective ATLAS search in order to use the same selection criteria as applied in the existing searches. The results are summarized in the form of significances (Z) for each masspoint of the new top-partner and S particle. Significances did not show any expectiation of excluding any masspoint in the examined mass range for the recasts at 95% CL. This suggests that a dedicated search for these particles in the considered masspoints would be required.

碩士<br>美和科技大學<br>經營管理研究所<br>99<br>Brands play an important role for businesses, for consumers and for the economy. Brands are intangible assets, but have great value of the business. There are many famous companies in the world not only by the scale of investment, technological innovation, which is due to the brand. Such as coca-cola brand value in 2010 was 70.4 billion dollars; IBM brand is worth 64.7 billion dollars. (Interbrand 2010) - Brands contributed significantly increase in turnover and profit. - Brands to help businesses easily perform the contract, maintain traditional customers while attracting new customers, potential customers. In fact, consumers are often drawn, conquered by goods brands, popular and stable. For example, when it comes to beer consumers think of Heineken beer brand, Saigon etc. These businesses have long known brands will create and reinforce the loyalty of large traditional customers, attracting more potential customers, even customers of rival firms’ competition. Strong brands, sustainable help businesses to create its image, reduce costs for trade promotion activities, marketing activities; support businesses implement policy to penetrate and expand markets and distribution process favorable product distribution efficiency. Brands delivers competitive advantage for businesses, helping business has conditions and defense against other competitors. Brands create a brand consumers trust for quality, good prices. Consumers know the origin of products and help consumers reduce costs, time to learn the product. Brands help protect the interests of consumers. State trademark protection situation will prevent counterfeit, fake consumer fraud. Famous brand encourage consumer psychology, consumers are not only willing to pay for the product value but also pay for their satisfaction when buying products with famous brand. In economies market, opening up and integration of the brand is a symbol of strength and national pride. Comes to electronic goods that people are talking about Japan or wine is said to be thinking of France. A country with many famous brands and with long tradition is a manifestation of the survival and development. Thus, we can say that the brand is a great valuable asset of a business, because it can affect attitudes and behavior of consumers. The relationship between brands and customers can see as the conclusion. Customer trust and loyalty in the brand and understand that the brand will benefit themselves through the use of products and services with reasonable prices, marketing programs, promotions and other support services. Besides, brands also assumed an important role for the enterprise, which is to bring all staff aware and proud to work for companies with famous brands.

碩士<br>國立高雄餐旅大學<br>台灣飲食文化產業研究所<br>101<br>The research studies a local common dish- Png4-thng in Wandan Township, Pingtung County. The main purpose is to record the development of Png4-thng and the rice-reaping experience, which are the unique features of Png4-thng for Wandan local character. Furthermore, the research shows how the local food, Png4-thng , appears in the Wandan locals’ daily lives and has become a token of Wandan food culture. Purposive sampling was used in the research to select subjects.Sixteen local citizens from four different backgrounds and generations were chosen to conduct an in-depth interview. The research found that the traditions of peasant farming and worker exchange in Wandan led to a type of rice-reaping way, making rice stalks fallen while reaping. Unlike the traditional rice-reaping practice providing five meals a day, a new dietary habits was developed: three main meals and a snack per day. The local people prefer haivng hot, soupy, and easily-filled food, thus developing some typical rice dishes based on the rules of “mixture of rice and vegetabels ” and “rice served in soup.” Png4-thng used to be a kind of “snack” served in fields when farmers farmed. Due to the life experience of sharing the same pot of Png4-thng beside ridges between fields, Png4-thn has gradually become a synonym for the local rice-reaping food. Png4-thng deeply influences Wandan locals in various aspects such as wedding, funerals, temple fairs, festivals, daily lives, and other diets.Therefore, Png4-thng can be considered as a representation of the local food culture. Economy is the main consideration when choosing ingredients for Png4-thng. Pork, tuna, bean jujubes, and local vegetables are the main required ingredients. No lavish ingredients, fine culinary technoques, and complicated table manners are needed in the proceses of making and having Png4-thng, which totally expresses its local character .

碩士<br>國立交通大學<br>資訊學院資訊科技產業專班<br>97<br>With the convenience and fast speed on the Internet, exchanges of multimedia become more and more frequent nowadays. PNG images are used in a wide variety of applications. In this study, we propose several methods for data hiding applications via PNG images, including copyright protection, secret sharing, and covert communication. For copyright protection, we propose a block-based method for file authentication, which can authenticate the integrity and fidelity of PNG images by adjusting pixel values to meet some constraints in the three color channels (red, green, and blue) and the alpha channel. For secret sharing, we propose a method by solving three simultaneous equations to generate n shares from n 讣汹轨 cover images, and embedding the shares in the alpha channels of the color images. We can recover the secret by collecting all the shares. For covert communication, we propose two data hiding methods which are based on the proposed authentication method and the proposed secret sharing method. We also apply the two methods to yield a combined data hiding and authentication method to authenticate hidden data. Good experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed methods.

Despite the complexity of biological networks, we find that certain common architectures govern network structures. These architectures impose fundamental constraints on system performance and create tradeoffs that the system must balance in the face of uncertainty in the environment. This means that while a system may be optimized for a specific function through evolution, the optimal achievable state must follow these constraints. One such constraining architecture is autocatalysis, as seen in many biological networks including glycolysis and ribosomal protein synthesis. Using a minimal model, we show that ATP autocatalysis in glycolysis imposes stability and performance constraints and that the experimentally well-studied glycolytic oscillations are in fact a consequence of a tradeoff between error minimization and stability. We also show that additional complexity in the network results in increased robustness. Ribosome synthesis is also autocatalytic where ribosomes must be used to make more ribosomal proteins. When ribosomes have higher protein content, the autocatalysis is increased. We show that this autocatalysis destabilizes the system, slows down response, and also constrains the system’s performance. On a larger scale, transcriptional regulation of whole organisms also follows architectural constraints and this can be seen in the differences between bacterial and yeast transcription networks. We show that the degree distributions of bacterial transcription network follow a power law distribution while the yeast network follows an exponential distribution. We then explored the evolutionary models that have previously been proposed and show that neither the preferential linking model nor the duplication-divergence model of network evolution generates the power-law, hierarchical structure found in bacteria. However, in real biological systems, the generation of new nodes occurs through both duplication and horizontal gene transfers, and we show that a biologically reasonable combination of the two mechanisms generates the desired network.

Computation technology has dramatically changed the world around us; you can hardly find an area where cell phones have not saturated the market, yet there is a significant lack of breakthroughs in the development to integrate the computer with biological environments. This is largely the result of the incompatibility of the materials used in both environments; biological environments and experiments tend to need aqueous environments. To help aid in these development chemists, engineers, physicists and biologists have begun to develop microfluidics to help bridge this divide. Unfortunately, the microfluidic devices required large external support equipment to run the device. This thesis presents a series of several microfluidic methods that can help integrate engineering and biology by exploiting nanotechnology to help push the field of microfluidics back to its intended purpose, small integrated biological and electrical devices. I demonstrate this goal by developing different methods and devices to (1) separate membrane bound proteins with the use of microfluidics, (2) use optical technology to make fiber optic cables into protein sensors, (3) generate new fluidic devices using semiconductor material to manipulate single cells, and (4) develop a new genetic microfluidic based diagnostic assay that works with current PCR methodology to provide faster and cheaper results. All of these methods and systems can be used as components to build a self-contained biomedical device.

碩士<br>國立陽明大學<br>公共衛生研究所<br>93<br>Women’s health is one of the most important health problems in Papua New Guinea（PNG）. Obstetrical complications are also recognized as a major health problem and improving reproductive health in PNG communities is imperative. Improvement of women and children’s health involves an integration of the services provided by government, community groups, churches and non-governmental organizations. The aim of this study is first to establish a common country profile report of PNG and then to develop strategies for building bilateral cooperation that will enhance reproductive health programs in PNG. Methods: (1) Priority setting: A comprehensive review of literature to collect health related information in PNG was performed and a field visit to PNG by the author and medical personnel from the Changhua Christian Hospital in Taiwan was conducted to have direct contact with local communities, government authorities, and citizens. The information collected was used for the application of priority setting. (2) Preliminary assessment: Used Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis to evaluate the most appropriate topic for initial research and the best strategy for the method to implement bilateral cooperative project. (3) Feasibility assessment: Developed strategies to assess potential collaborative counterparts, technical issue, related environment and regulation, and administration and financial support to delineate the acceptance of this program. （4） Seeking potential sponsors for authority and financial support to put this program into practice. (5) Further communication will be undertaken to establish international cooperative models between institutions. Among the agenda are advisory of proposal, policy and strategy for programs, information and data sharing, details of fieldwork implementation, and technical and financial support for the programs. Results: (1) Achieved a more profound understanding of the PNG and established a common country profile report of PNG. (2) Achieved initial agreement on establishing bilateral collaboration with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of PNG. (3) Gained the support from school authorities and submitted a proposal applying for grant support. （4）Formulated strategies for developing a successful collaborative model, combating obstacles involved in the process, and evaluation methods. (5) Continued ongoing communication for mutual exchanges and visits in the future to discuss details about international cooperative research programs. Prospects: Conducting the present assessment program can actually open up channels for professors and students who are interested in further research and study in PNG. In addition to the initial reproductive health program, there are many other programs forming, such as HIV/AIDS studies and tropical medical researches.

<p>During animal development from zygote to adult, a limited set of regulatory molecules are autonomously deployed in the service of tissue-specific gene expression (reviewed in chapter 1). Inherent in the process is the tension that single cells sample heterogeneous expression states while robustly maintaining a collective final outcome. This thesis addresses theoretical issues that help resolve the paradox that one cell simultaneously contains the fate information of many. </p> <p>Previous models of development have likened cell fate to minima on a smooth potential energy surface. Such static pictures can be misleading because they suggest the egg knows the path it will take to the adult before it divides even once. Recognition that the potential analogy is an oversimplification has led others to propose that the surface is actually nonsmooth. Chapter 2 reviews the theoretical basis for smooth potentials and resolves these problems by appealing to the tangent space of gene expression. It is then shown that if the potential difference is sufficient to characterize the difference between egg and adult, then the tangent space controls on gene expression are one-dimensional. Furthermore, a shortcoming of models ignoring the connectivity and common origin of dividing cells is that they erect artificial barriers between alternative fates. A fundamentally different picture is sketched wherein the difference between egg and adult is schematized as the shape of the locus of equipotential fates accessible at the same point in time. The conjugacy of space and time is invoked to explain how the requirement that each fate be on a line of equipotential is the same as requiring that each alternative fate move the same distance down the surface at each step. The developmental trajectory is deterministic but not known in advance because it needs to be ascertained at each step which way cells "turn" in order to maintain their equipotential relationship. Chapters 3 and 4 refine this sequential model of collective development with specific examples.</p> <p>A simple solution to the problem of cell-type specific gene expression is combinatorial binding of transcription factors at promoters. It is shown in chapter 3 that such models result in substantial information bottlenecks, because all cell fate information is concentrated at the start. We explore a novel, noncommutative model of gene regulation&#8212;known as sequential logic&#8212;that spreads the information out over time. It is shown using time sequences of noncommutative controllers that targets which otherwise would have been activated together can be regulated independently. We derive scaling laws for two noncommutative models of regulation, motivated by phosphorylation/neural networks and chromosome folding, respectively, and show that they scale super-exponentially in the number of regulators. It is also shown that specificity in control is robust to loss of a regulator. Consequently, sequential logic overcomes the information bottleneck in complex problems and enables novel solutions through roundabout strategies. The theoretical results are connected to real biological networks demonstrating specificity in the context of promiscuity.</p> <p>Noncommutative sequential logic has improved storage capacity, but it does not specify who or what supplies the sequences of input that determine cell fate. Chapter 4 offers a solution by way of the seemingly unrelated problem of looping in twisted strings. Cells and strings obey a set of common space-time constraints, ultimately due to the conservation of energy. It is argued that the most parsimonious allocation of energy from the straight to strained string is the one in which each segment sees the same share of the total. Planar looping is shown to be a consequence of the parsimony principle and the Euler-Poincar&#233; equations for rotational motion in the presence an applied torque. We then solve the problem for the looping of a twisted string; with two strains, the Euler-Poincar&#233; predict a different answer than the classical Frenet-Serret equations. Using the results of chapter 2, it is concluded that the Frenet-Serret curvatures assigned ahead of time are not guaranteed to generate space curves that conserve energy: the predicted string has localized strains the Euler-Poincar&#233; solution lacks. Rotational dynamics of strings are connected to developing organisms by postulating conserved RNA polymerase as an analog of angular momentum, and transcriptional activity as energy. Alternative fates along a one-dimensional "string" of dividing cells are possible by finding the RNAP distribution that conserves transcriptional activity along a curve of constant developmental potential. Consequently, each alternative fate samples a different sequence of changes to the distribution as it follows a local gradient downhill from high to low developmental potential over time.</p> <p>In conclusion, regulation in the tangent space of gene expression resolves the paradox that development has a unique solution specified in the DNA of the egg which cannot be determined with certainty until completion of the adult. Noncommutative sequential logic generates complexity that cannot be realized at the start, while interdependent cells (and strings) require time to ensure that each fate is at the same potential difference from a common ancestor. This fundamental reimagining of the Waddington framework can be tested using new multiplexed mRNA imaging technologies that preserve the spatial context of cells in developing tissue.</p>

This thesis deals with development of guidance laws for advanced applications. Two class of guidance problems, namely, impact angle constrained guidance and pulsed guidance for exo-atmospheric engagements, are considered here. Three impact angle constrained guidance schemes are developed using (i) Proportional navigation guidance (PNG), (ii) State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) technique and (iii) geometric concepts, respectively. A collision course based pulsed guidance law is presented for exo-atmospheric interceptors. Proportional Navigation Guidance (PNG) law is the most widely used guidance law because of its ease of implementation and efficiency. However, in its original form, it achieves only a limited set of impact angles. A two stage PNG law is presented for achieving all impact angles against a stationary target. In the first phase of guidance, an orientation PNG command is used. The orientation navigation constant (N ) is a function of the initial engagement geometry and has a lower value (N less than 2). It is proved that following the orientation trajectory, the interceptor can switch to N = 2 and achieve the desired impact angle. Simulations, with a constant speed and with a realistic interceptor model, show successful interception of the target with all desired impact angles. Feedback implementation of the guidance law results in negligible errors in impact angle with uncompensated autopilot delays. The idea of a two-stage PNG law with impact angle constraint is further used to develop a guidance law for intercepting moving targets. Following the orientation trajectory, the interceptor can switch to N = 3 and achieve the desired impact angle. It is proved that the guidance achieves all impact angles in a surface-to-surface engagement scenario with receding and approaching targets, respectively. In a air-to-surface engagement scenario, it is proved that the guidance law achieves all impact angles in a deterministic set. Constant speed and realistic interceptor models are used for simulations. Results show negligible error in impact angle and miss distance for moving targets. The guidance law, in its feedback implementation form, achieves the desired impact angle for interceptors with delay and with a maneuvering target. The impact angle errors are low with negligible errors in miss distance. Next, the impact angle constrained guidance problem against a stationary target is solved as a non-linear regulator problem using the SDRE technique. The interceptor guidance problems are of finite time nature. As the main contribution of this part of the work, we solve a finite time interceptor guidance problem with infinite horizon SDRE formulation by choosing the state weighting matrix as a function of time-to-go. Numerical simulations are carried out both for a constant speed interceptor model and a realistic interceptor model. Simulations for both the models are carried out for various impact angles and firing angles. Robustness of the proposed guidance law with respect to autopilot lag is also verified by simulations. Results obtained show the efficiency of the SDRE approach for impact angle constrained missile guidance. A geometric guidance scheme is proposed for lateral interception of targets in a planar engagement scenario in the absence of line-of-sight rate information. A kill-band is defined for target initial positions capturable by an arc maneuver, followed by a straight line path by the interceptor. Guidance law for capturing targets inside the kill-band is presented and is further modified for targets outside the kill-band. Based on analytical studies on the kill-band, a guidance law is proposed for lateral interception of maneuvering targets. Simulations are carried with for typical low speed engagements. The concept of kill-band provides an inherent robustness to the proposed guidance law with respect to uncompensated system delays and target maneuver. As the final part of the work, an interceptor endgame pulsed guidance law for exoatmospheric engagements is derived by using the notion of collision heading. The proposed guidance law is derived in steps by (i) Obtaining the collision heading based on the collision triangle engagement geometry and then (ii) Computing the width of the pulse fired by the divert thruster to attain the collision heading. It is shown that this strategy is more effective than the existing zero effort miss (ZEM) based guidance laws for intercepting targets with higher heading angles off the nominal head-on collision course. A result on pulse firing sequence is also presented showing that firing pulses in quick succession results in minimum pulse widths and hence minimum control effort for a desired miss distance. Simulations are carried out for various engagement scenarios. Results show better miss-distance and divert thrust performance as compared to the existing ZEM based law.

The flow of genetic information from genes to proteins is mediated through proteins which interact with the nucleic acids at several stages to successfully transmit the information from the nucleus to the cell cytoplasm. Unlike in the case of protein-protein interactions, the principles behind protein-nucleic acid interactions are still not very (Pabo and Nekludova, 2000) and efforts are still underway to arrive at the basic principles behind the specific recognition of nucleic acids by proteins (Prabakaran et al., 2006). This is mainly due to the innate complexity involved in recognition of nucleotides by proteins, where, even within a given family of DNA binding proteins, different modes of binding and recognition strategies are employed to suit their function (Luscomb et al., 2000). Such difficulties have also not made possible, a thorough classification of DNA/RNA binding proteins based on the mode of interaction as well as the specificity of recognition of the nucleotides. The availability of a large number of structures of protein-nucleic acids complexes (albeit lesser than the number of protein structures present in the PDB) in the past few decades has provided the knowledge-base for understanding the details behind their molecular mechanisms (Berman et al., 1992). Previously, studies have been carried out to characterize these interactions by analyzing specific non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonds, van der Walls, and hydrophobic interactions between a given amino acid and the nucleic acid (DNA, RNA) in a pair-wise manner, or through the analysis of interface areas of the protein-nucleic acid complexes (Nadassy et al., 1998; Jones et al., 1999). Though the studies have deciphered the common pairing preferences of a particular amino acid with a given nucleotide of DNA or RNA, there is little room for understanding these specificities in the context of spatial interactions at a global level from the protein-nucleic acid complexes. The representation of the amino acids and the nucleotides as components of graphs, and trying to explore the nature of the interactions at a level higher than exploring the individual pair-wise interactions, could provide greater details about the nature of these interactions and their specificity. This thesis reports the study of protein-nucleic interactions using graph and network based approaches. The evaluation of the parameters for characterizing protein-nucleic acid graphs have been carried out for the first time and these parameters have been successfully employed to capture biologically important non-covalent interactions as clusters of interacting amino acids and nucleotides from different protein-DNA and protein-RNA complexes. Graph and network based approaches are well established in the field of protein structure analysis for analyzing protein structure, stability and function (Kannan and Vishveshwara, 1999; Brinda and Vishveshwara, 2005). However, the use of graph and network principles for analyzing structures of protein-nucleic acid complexes is so far not accomplished and is being reported the first time in this thesis. The matter embodied in the thesis is presented as ten chapters. Chapter 1 lays the foundation for the study, surveying relevant literature from the field. Chapter 2 describes in detail the methods used in constructing graphs and networks from protein-nucleic acid complexes. Initially, only protein structure graphs and networks are constructed from proteins known to interact with specific DNA or RNA, and inferences with regard to nucleic acid binding and recognition were indirectly obtained . Subsequently, parameters were evaluated for representing both the interacting amino acids and the nucleotides as components of graphs and a direct evaluation of protein-DNA and Protein-RNA interactions as graphs has been carried out. Chapter 3 and 4 discuss the graph and network approaches applied to proteins from a dataset of DNA binding proteins complexed with DNA. In chapter 3, the protein structure graphs were constructed on the basis of the non-covalent interactions existing between the side chains of amino acids. Clusters of interacting side chains from the graphs were obtained using the graph spectral method. The clusters from the protein-DNA interface were analyzed in detail for the interaction geometry and biological importance (Sathyapriya and Vishveshwara, 2004). Chapter 4 also uses the same dataset of DNA binding proteins, but a network-based approach is presented. From the analysis of the protein structure networks from these DNA binding proteins, interesting observations relating the presence of highly connected nodes(or hubs) of the network to functionally important amino acids in the structure, emerged. Also, the comparison between the hubs identified from the protein-protein and the protein-DNA interfaces in terms of their amino acid composition and their connectivity are also presented (Sathyapriya and Vishveshwara, 2006) Chapter 5 and 6 deal with the graph and network applications to a specific system of protein-RNA complex (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases) to gain insights into their interface biology based on amino acid connectivity. Chapter 5 deals with a dataset of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) complexes obtained with various ligands like ATP, tRNA and L-amino acids. A graph based identification of side chain clusters from these ligand-bound aaRS structures has highlighted important features of ligand-binding at the catalytic sites of the two structurally different classes of aaRS (Class I and Class II). Side chain clusters from other regions of aaRS such as the anticodon binding region and the ligand-activation sites are discussed. A network approach is used in a specific system of aaRS(E.coli Glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) complexed with its ligands, to specifically understand the effects of different ligand binding., in chapter 6. The structure networks of E.coli GlnRS in the ligand-free and different ligand-bound states are constructed. The ligand-free and the ligand-bound complexes are compared by analyzing their network properties and the presence of hubs to understand the effect of ligand-binding. These properties have elegantly captured the effects of ligand-binding to the GlnRS structure and have also provided an alternate method for comparing three dimensional structures of proteins in different ligand-bound states (Sathyapriya and Vishveshwara, 2007). In contrast to protein structure graphs (PSG), both the interacting amino acids and nucleotides (DNA/RNA) form the components of the protein-nucleic acid graphs (PNG) from protein-nucleic acid complexes. These graphs are constructed based on the non-covalent interactions existing between the side chains of the amino acids and nucleotides. After representing the interacting nucleotides and amino acids as graphs, clusters of the interacting components are identified. These clusters are the strongly interacting amino acids and nucleotides from the protein-nucleic acid complexes. These clusters can be generated at different strengths of interaction between the amino acid side chain and the nucleotide (measured in terms of its atomic connectivity) and can be used for detecting clusters of non-specific as well as specific interactions of amino acids and nucleotides. Though the methodology of graph construction and cluster identification are given in chapter 2, the details of the parameters evaluated for constructing PNG are given in chapter 7. Unlike in the previous chapters, the succeeding chapters deal exclusively with results that are obtained from the analyses of PNG. Two examples of obtaining clusters from a PNG are given, one each for a protein-DNA and a protein-RNA complex. In the first example, a nucleosome core particle is subjected to the graph based analysis and different clusters of amino acids with different regions of the DNA chain such as phosphate, deoxyribose sugar and the base are identified. Another example of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complexed with its cognate tRNA is used to illustrate the method with a protein-RNA complex. Further, the method of constructing and analyzing protein-nucleic acid graphs has been applied to the macromolecular machinery of the pre-translocation complex of the T. thermophilus 70S ribosome. Chapter 8 deals exclusively with the results identified from the analysis of this magnificent macromolecular ensemble. The availability of the method that can handle interactions between both amino acids and the nucleotides of the protein-nucleic acid complexes has given us the basis fro evaluating these interactions in a level higher than that of analyzing pair-wise interactions. A study on the evaluation of short hydrogen bonds(SHB) in proteins, which does not fall under the realm of the main objective of the thesis, is discussed in the Chapter 9. The short hydrogen bonds, defined by the geometrical distance and angle parameters, are identified from a non-redundant dataset of proteins. The insights into their occurrence, amino acid composition and secondary structural preferences are discussed. The SHB are present in distinct regions of protein three-dimensional structures, such that they mediate specific geometrical constraints that are necessary for stability of the structure (Sathyapriya and Vishveshwara, 2005). The significant conclusions of various studies carried out are summarized in the last chapter (Chapter 10). In conclusion, this thesis reports the analyses performed with protein-nucleic acid complexes using graph and network based methods. The parameters necessary for representing both amino acids and the nucleotides as components of a graph, are evaluated for the first time and can be used subsequently for other analyses. More importantly, the use of graph-based methods has resulted in considering the interaction between the amino acids and the nucleotides at a global level with respect to their topology of the protein-nucleic acid complexes. Such studies performed on a wide variety of protein-nucleic acid complexes could provide more insights into the details of protein-nucleic acid recognition mechanisms. The results of these studies can be used for rational design of experimental mutations that ascertain the structure-function relationships in proteins and protein-nucleic acid complexes.