Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'ROMS model'

We study different models of Schistosomiasis transmission a water borne disease. Modeling tools as well as analysis of differential equations are presented and various scenarios are simulated (with Python).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-07-01Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:47:16Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pereira_gj_me_rcla.pdf: 459083 bytes, checksum: 3845c68530aed83ffa2e07f2437b7007 (MD5)<br>Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)<br>Neste trabalho apresentamos um estudo qualitativo do modelo feito por Ronald Ross sobre a propagação da malária em uma comunidade. O modelo encontra-se no artigo “Contribution to the Analysis of Malaria Epidemiology” de Alfred J. Lotka [1] e é dado por um sistema não linear de duas equações diferenciais ordinárias<br>In this work we present a qualitative study of the model developed by Ronald Ross about the propagation of malaria in a community. The model is presented by the article “Contribution to the Analysis of Malaria Epidemiology” of Alfred J. Lotka [1] and it is given by a nonlinear system of two ordinary differential equations

Malaria is a vector borne disease that has been plaguing mankind since before recorded history. The disease is carried by three subspecies of mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestu. These mosquitoes carry one of four type of Plasmodium specifically: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae or P. ovale. The disease is a killer; the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 40% of the world's total populations live in areas where malaria is an endemic disease and as global warming occurs, endemic malaria will spread to more areas. The malaria parasite kills a child every 30 seconds. In Africa alone, as many as one million children die annually from malaria before they reach the age of 5. The World Health Organization has an estimate of 100-200 million victims annually. Malaria has many mathematical models and this paper will examine several different models in order to achieve a greater understanding of this disease.<br>M.S.<br>Department of Mathematics<br>Sciences<br>Mathematics

Orientador: Suzinei Aparecida Siqueira Marconato<br>Banca: Marta Cilene Gadotti<br>Banca: Sandra Maria Semensato de Godoy<br>Resumo: Neste trabalho apresentamos um estudo qualitativo do modelo feito por Ronald Ross sobre a propagação da malária em uma comunidade. O modelo encontra-se no artigo "Contribution to the Analysis of Malaria Epidemiology" de Alfred J. Lotka [1] e é dado por um sistema não linear de duas equações diferenciais ordinárias<br>Abstract: In this work we present a qualitative study of the model developed by Ronald Ross about the propagation of malaria in a community. The model is presented by the article "Contribution to the Analysis of Malaria Epidemiology" of Alfred J. Lotka [1] and it is given by a nonlinear system of two ordinary differential equations<br>Mestre

This thesis deals with the design of the protective frame protecting occupants in rollover (ROPS). The creation of the calculation model, in order to perform a stress-strain analysis of the frame under the conditions of the homologation test. Execution modal analysis with the inclusion of the mass of the auxiliary device. A motion for a protective frame is designed so that it can be subjected to destructive test according to standards ČSN EN ISO 3471. The strength and modal analysis was carried out using the finite element method (FEM). The diploma thesis was conducted in cooperation with the company, the Tatra Truck a.s.

Ross River virus is one of the most severe communicable diseases in Australia. During the 1995/96 outbreak of Ross River virus in south-western Australia, over 1 ,300 human cases were reported. Since the symptoms of the disease are sometimes too weak to be diagnosed, it is important to determine the number of humans who actually contracted the virus during outbreaks. To do this, several mathematical models with different hypotheses are constructed and analysed mathematically. The threshold mathematical conditions of these models suggest that as well as the size of the vector mosquito population, the population size and length of viraemia periods; of host populations and the infection rates between the hosts and vectors play the main roles in the transmission. Several parameters in the transmission are currently unknown, so only simple models of RRV transmission are computer-simulated. Some of the unknown parameters are extrapolated from published studies of other arboviruses. The sensitivities of the models to some of the unknown parameters are also examined. Simulation results indicate the sero-conversion rates and ratios of clinical to subclinical human infections during the outbreaks which occurred in the Peel and Leschenault districts in Southwestern Australia.

Ce travail de thèse vise à proposer un modèle pouvant prédire l’intelligibilité d’une voix cible masquée par des sources concurrentes dans les salles. Un modèle a déjà été développé par Lavandier et Culling (2010) et est capable de prédire l’intelligibilité d’une cible en champ proche perturbée par plusieurs sources de bruit. Le travail présenté ici traite des nouvelles implémentations et expérimentations nécessaires pour étendre le modèle au cas de cibles distantes et au cas de voix concurrentes, qui présentent des propriétés acoustiques différentes des bruits stationnaires (fluctuation d’enveloppe, fréquence fondamentale, modulations de fréquence fondamentale). L’effet nuisible de la réverbération sur la parole cible a été implémenté avec succès. Cette nouvelle version du modèle permet une interprétation unifiée de plusieurs effetsperceptifs observés dans la littérature mais il présente une dépendance de la salle, ce qui limite son aspect prédictif. Des travaux expérimentaux ont été menés pour déterminer comment le modèle pourrait prendre en compte le cas de sources cibles et masquantes avec des spectres différents ainsi que le cas où plusieurs mécanismes auditifs opèrent simultanément (ségrégation par F0, démasquage spatialet écoute dans les creux de modulation)<br>This PhD work aims to propose a model predicting the perceived intelligibility of a target speech masked by competing sources in rooms. An existing model developed by Lavandier and Culling (2010) is already able to predict speech intelligibility of a near-field target in the presence of multiple noise sources. The present work deals with new implementations and experimental work needed to extend the model tothe case of a distant target and to the case of masking voices, which present different acoustical properties than noises (envelope fluctuations, fundamental frequency, modulations of fundamental frequency). The detrimental effect of reverberation on the target speech has been successfully implemented. This new version of the model provides a unified interpretation of several perceptual effects previously observed in the literature but it presents a room dependency which limits its predictive power. Experimental work has been conducted to determine how the model could account for sources presenting different spectra, and to account for several auditory mechanisms operating simultaneously (F0 segregation, spatial unmasking and temporal dip listening)

Two room-acoustical prediction models were previously developed in the UBC Acoustics and Noise Research Group and used for studying the steady-state responses of various room configurations. The first is a wave-based beam-tracing model for empty rooms with specularly-reflecting, extended-reaction surfaces. Room surfaces were modeled as multiple layers of elastic solid, fluid and poroelastic materials, and their acoustical properties were calculated using a transfer-matrix approach. The second model, PRAY, is a wave-based ray-tracing model which can account for fittings, diffuse surface reflection and sound diffraction. This thesis presents further development of the existing beam-tracing model, incorporating features from PRAY such as diffuse reflection. The computational efficiency of the existing model has been improved and energy-based prediction has been implemented. Both wave- and energy-based modeling have been validated against theory for the case of sound propagation above a rigid plane. The new model can predict the pressure impulse response between the source and receiver, which is required for obtaining the temporal response of rooms to other sound sources, as well as for deriving room-acoustical parameters that correlate with subjective perception of sound. The new model is used to compare the effects of different surface-reaction models on the transient response and derived room-acoustical parameters. In addition to investigating the significance of modeling room surfaces as of extended or local reaction, effects of phase changes due to surface reflections have been studied by considering real and complex reflection coefficients. Moreover, wave-based energy impulse responses and room-acoustical parameters have been compared with those obtained from energy-based modeling. Modeling of diffuse surface reflections has been implemented in the model and validated against existing experimental results. The model has been further extended to include sound diffraction around wedges based on an exact formulation. This broadens the application of the model to situations with more realistic features, such as sound propagation in fitted rooms or in long enclosures with bends, and evaluation of screen barriers in open-plan offices. The implemented diffraction model has been validated through comparison with existing results in the literature, and by comparing prediction results with experiments on a finite-length barrier over a flat surface.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 16, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Debra Oliver. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Model Predictive Control is a receding horizon control technique that is based on making predictionsin the future for a determined number of steps, using a model of the system to be controlled. Thisthesis report is centered around Model Predictive Control (MPC) and its application. In this thesis,there are two main goals: firstly, is the development of a software structure that uses the properties ofObject Oriented Programming (OOP) and the Robot Operative System (ROS) to ease the use of MPCapplications. Secondly, the use and verification of the capabilities of MPC controllers in plants with fastdynamics, such as the quadrotor. A linearized model of the quadrotor is developed for the controllerto perform the predictions, and the non-linear version is used to make a numerical simulator to test theapplication. The MPC software structure works as it successfully integrates information from the classesthat represent the model and optimization method to solve the quadratic problem. The resulting MPCcontroller shows a good response when following simple trajectories in the presence of simulated noise.However, when more complex trajectories are used, a considerable offset from the reference is obtained.Such behavior mostly caused by the use of a very limited model, which demonstrates the considerablesensibility of the controller to the accuracy of the used model.

Changes in intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]I) homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generally intertwined. Therefore, it is difficult to establish sequence of events and causal relationships. For instance, an increase in [Ca2+]I affects mitochondrial [Ca2+] and in most cases it is associated with an increased mitochondrial ROS formation, leading to the opening of the permeability transition pore (PTP), mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. On the other hand, ROS modify [Ca2+]I homeostasis by acting at various sites involved in intracellular Ca2+ fluxes. The changes induced by [Ca2+]I on ROS generation and vice versa are very rapid, making it difficult to elucidate the primary event under both physiological and pathological conditions. ROS are produced at several intracellular sites, and in cardiac myocytes mitochondria are the most redox-active compartment. Mitochondria are very susceptible to oxidation, representing both a source and a target of ROS. Although the enzymes responsible for mitochondrial ROS formation under physiopathological conditions are still a matter of investigation. An additional matter of complexity is related to available techniques. While various methods are available to induce a primary and direct rise in [Ca2+]I, the existing protocols to trigger ROS production are far from being specific. An increase in ROS is generally obtained as a consequence of the exogenous administration of an oxidant (mostly H2O2) or by applying pathological stimuli (i.e., respiratory chain inhibition) that inevitably trigger several other effects, including alterations in [Ca2+]I homeostasis. Here we aimed at solving these issues by evaluating the effects of a primary dose-dependent increase in mitochondrial ROS levels on cell physiology, especially in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). In order to induce a primary increase in mitochondrial ROS levels, we treated NRVMs with a paraquat analogue targeted to mitochondria (Mitochondrial Paraquat, MitoPQ). This compound accumulates selectively in the mitochondrial matrix and elicits ROS formation by means of redox cycling at the flavin site of Complex I of the electron transport chain (ETC). Initially, we established a dose-response curve with different doses of MitoPQ by evaluating ROS formation, mitochondrial function and cell function. We observed that cells exposed to high doses of MitoPQ displayed a dose-dependent increase in mitochondrial ROS levels. High doses led to decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), PTP opening, impaired cytosolic [Ca2+] homeostasis and cell death. Subsequently, we wondered whether high doses of MitoPQ could trigger mitochondrial pathway involved in ROS formation. We focused our attention on the activity of monoamine oxidases (MAOs) that have been recently shown to contribute to oxidative stress in cardiac diseases. MAO inhibition prevented MitoPQ-induced ROS formation along with mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Besides this amplification pathway, these findings provide the direct evidence that ROS produced within mitochondria can affect cytosolic processes and especially [Ca2+]I. The cross-talk between Ca2+, ROS and mitochondrial function plays an essential role in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Therefore we extended the results obtained with MitoPQ, and especially MAO-induced amplification and alterations in [Ca2+]I homeostasis induced by mitochondrial ROS to a cellular model of DCM. NRVMs treated with high glucose (HG) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) displayed a significant increase in mitochondrial H2O2 levels, both after prolonged (48 h) and short (1 h) treatment. MAO inhibitor pargyline prevented this observed increase in ROS levels. Hence, we tested the effect of MAO inhibition on cytosolic [Ca2+] homeostasis in cells exposed to the diabetes-like protocol. Surprisingly, HG and IL-1β did not perturb significantly Ca2+ oscillatory parameters (i.e. amplitude, frequency and area under curve), while pretreatment with pargyline or N-(2-Mercaptopropionyl)glycine (MPG) worsened contractility defects induced by HG and IL-1β, compromising the oscillatory pattern. These unexpected findings suggest that a basal oxidative tone is necessary for a proper Ca2+ cycling in cardiomyocytes exposed to HG and IL-1β. Noteworthy, diabetes is related to pancreatic β-cells dysfunction. In pancreatic β-cell, short bursts of ROS have been shown to contribute to [Ca2+]I homeostasis and Ca2+-dependent insulin secretion. Although in diabetes a sustained oxidative stress leads to β-cell dysfunction, a primary and moderate increase in ROS levels could shape Ca2+ transients promoting insulin secretion. We tested this hypothesis on Min6 β-cells, an insulinoma cell line that can be used as a model of diabetes applied to pancreatic β-cells. We evoked a primary increase in intracellular ROS levels by treating Min6 β-cells with aluminium phthalocyanine chloride (AlClPc), a photosensitizer commonly used in photodynamic therapy. Photoactivation of AlClPc induces chemical changes into neighboring molecules leading to ROS production in amount depending on the intensity of the LED illumination. Results obtained showed that modulation of ROS induced by photoactivation of AlClPc or Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ ATPases (SERCA) inhibition by thapsigargin (Tg) resulted in acceleration of Ca2+ to a similar degree, indicating that a primary and controlled increase in cytosolic ROS levels modifies but not abolishes Ca2+ oscillation via a modulation of SERCA. Overall, our data showed that low levels of mitochondrial ROS slightly modulate [Ca2+]I homeostasis without affecting mitochondrial and cell function. On the other hand, mitochondrial ROS can be elevated by increase in mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. We used this notion to investigate whether mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) overexpression could modify mitochondrial ROS formation and consequently mitochondrial and cardiomyocyte viability. Cells overexpressing MCU displayed an increase in ROS levels that was causally related to an increased tolerance to anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) injury in a process that involved AKT activation. These findings demonstrate that a slight increase in mitochondrial ROS formation exerts a protective effect. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether mitochondrial ROS induced by low doses of MitoPQ could decrease the susceptibility to A/R injury. Not only this hypothesis was verified, but also in this case protection was due to AKT activation. The data from this work demonstrate that mitochondrial ROS formation can trigger a wide array of responses with a clear separation between ROS levels required to elicit beneficial or detrimental effects. Changes in [Ca2+]I homeostasis can be upstream but also downstream of mitochondrial ROS formation and the cardioprotective effect linked to a slight increase in mitochondrial ROS levels appears to depend on AKT activation.<br>Variazioni dell’omeostasi del [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]I) intracellulare, disfunzione mitocondriale e specie reattive dell’ossigeno (ROS) sono generalmente interconnessi. Di conseguenza, è difficile stabilire una sequenza di eventi e relazioni di causa ed effetto. Per esempio, un aumento di [Ca2+]I influenza il [Ca2+] mitocondriale e, in molti casi, è associato con un aumento di ROS mitocondriali che portano all’apertura del poro di transizione mitocondriale (PTP), disfunzione mitocondriale e morte cellulare. D’altro canto, i ROS modificano l’omeostasi del [Ca2+]I interagendo con vari siti coinvolti nei flussi di Ca2+ intracellulari. I cambiamenti indotti dal [Ca2+]I sulla formazione dei ROS e viceversa sono molto rapidi, rendendo difficile definire l’evento primario sia in seguito sia ad un evento fisiologico che ad un evento patologico. I ROS sono prodotti in vari siti intracellulari e nei cardiomiociti i mitocondri sono il compartimento a più alto potenziale ossidoriduttivo. I mitocondri sono molto sensibili all’ossidazione, rappresentando sia una fonte che un bersaglio dei ROS. Tuttavia gli enzimi responsabili per la formazione dei ROS mitocondriali in condizioni patofisiologiche sono ancora motivo di discussione. Un’ulteriore complicazione è legata alle tecniche disponibili. Mentre esistono vari metodi per indurre un aumento primario e diretto di [Ca2+]I, i protocolli esistenti per innescare una produzione di ROS sono tutt’altro che specifici. Un aumento di ROS è in genere ottenuto come conseguenza della somministrazione di un ossidante esogeno (soprattutto H2O2) o applicando stimoli patologici (i.e. inibizione della catena respiratoria) che innescano inevitabilmente diversi altri effetti, incluse alterazioni nell’omeostasi del [Ca2+]I. In questo lavoro ci poniamo come obiettivo la risoluzione di questi problemi valutando gli effetti di un aumento primario dose-dipendente dei livelli di ROS mitocondriali sulla fisiologia cellulare, specialmente in cardiomiociti neonatali di ratto (NRVMs). Per indurre un aumento primario dei livelli di ROS mitocondriali, abbiamo trattato i NRVMs con un analogo del paraquat diretto ai mitocondri (Mitochondrial Paraquat, MitoPQ). Questo composto si accumula selettivamente nella matrice mitocondriale e provoca la formazione di ROS per mezzo di un meccanismo ossidoriduttivo che coinvolge il complesso flavinico del complesso I della catena di trasporto degli elettroni (ETC). Inizialmente, abbiamo stabilito una curva dose-risposta con dosi diverse di MitoPQ valutando la formazione di ROS, la funzione mitocondriale e la funzione della cellula. Abbiamo osservato che cellule trattate con alte dosi di MitoPQ mostravano un aumento dose-dipendente dei livelli di ROS mitocondriali. Alti dosaggi hanno portato ad una diminuzione del potenziale di membrana mitocondriale (ΔΨm), apertura del PTP, omeostasi citosolica del [Ca2+] compromessa e morte cellulare. Successivamente, ci siamo chiesti se alte dosi di MitoPQ potessero innescare vie di segnalazione mitocondriali coinvolte nella formazione dei ROS. Ci siamo focalizzati sull’attività delle monoammino ossidasi (MAOs) che sono state recentemente identificate come contribuenti dello stress ossidativo nelle patologie cardiache. L’inibizione della MAO ha prevenuto la formazione di ROS indotta dal MitoPQ, così come la disfunzione mitocondriale e la morte cellulare. Oltre a questa via di amplificazione, questi risultati forniscono la prova diretta che i ROS prodotti nei mitocondri possono influenzare i processi citosolici, specialmente l’omeostasi del [Ca2+]I. L’interazione tra Ca2+, ROS e funzione mitocondriale ha un ruolo essenziale nella cardiomiopatia diabetica (DCM). Pertanto abbiamo esteso i risultati ottenuti con il MitoPQ, specialmente l’amplificazione indotta dalla MAO e l’alterazione dell’omeostasi del [Ca2+]I indotta dai ROS mitocondriali, a un modello cellulare di DCM. NRVMs trattati con alti livelli di glucosio (HG) e interleuchina-1β (IL-1β) hanno manifestato un aumento significativo di livelli di H2O2 mitocondriale, sia dopo un trattamento prolungato (48 h) che breve (1 h). L’inibitore della MAO pargilina ha prevenuto questo aumento dei livelli di ROS. Quindi, abbiamo testato l’effetto dell’inibizione della MAO sull’omeostasi del [Ca2+] citosolico in cellule trattate con il protocollo diabetico. Sorprendentemente, HG e IL-1β non hanno modificato significativamente i parametri oscillatori del Ca2+ (i.e. ampiezza, frequenza, area sotto la curva), mentre il pretrattamento con la pargilina o con la N-(2-Mercaptopropionil)glicina (MPG) ha peggiorato il difetto di contrattilità indotto da HG e IL-1β, compromettendo le oscillazioni. Questo risultato inaspettato suggerisce che un tono ossidativo di base sia necessario per un appropriato riciclo del Ca2+ in cardiomiociti trattati con HG e IL-1β. Bisogna sottolineare che il diabete è correlato alla disfunzione delle β cellule pancreatiche. Nelle β cellule pancreatiche è stato dimostrato che lievi scariche di ROS contribuiscono all’omeostasi del [Ca2+]I e la secrezione di insulina dipendente dal Ca2+. Nonostante nel diabete un marcato stress ossidativo conduca alla disfunzione delle β cellule, un aumento primario e moderato di ROS potrebbero modulare i transienti di Ca2+ promuovendo la secrezione di insulina. Abbiamo testato quest’ipotesi sulle β cellule Min6, una linea cellulare di insulinoma che può essere usata come modello di diabete applicato alle β cellule pancreatiche. Abbiamo innescato un aumento di livello di ROS intracellulari trattando le Min6 con alluminio ftalocianina cloruro (AlClPc), un fotosensitizzatore comunemente usato in terapia fotodinamica. La fotoattivazione dell’AlClPc induce cambiamenti chimici nelle molecole circostanti inducendo la produzione di ROS in quantità dipendente dall’intensità dell’illuminazione del LED. I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato che la modulazione dei ROS indotta dalla fotoattivazione dell’AlClPc o l’inibizione della pompa Calcio/ATPasi del reticolo endoplasmico (SERCA) per mezzo della tapsigargina (Tg) hanno indotto una simile accelerazione delle oscillazioni di Ca2+, suggerendo che un aumento primario e controllato dei livelli di ROS citosolici modificano ma non bloccano le oscillazioni di Ca2+ modulando la SERCA. I nostri dati mostrano che bassi livelli di ROS mitocondriali modulano leggermente l’omeostasi di [Ca2+]I senza interferire con la funzione mitocondriale e citosolica. Abbiamo usato quest’informazione per studiare se la sovraespressione del trasportatore di Ca2+ mitocondriale (MCU) potesse modificare la formazione di ROS mitocondriali e conseguentemente la sopravvivenza mitocondriale e cellulare dei cardiomiociti. Cellule sovraesprimenti MCU hanno mostrato un aumento nei livelli di ROS che era correlato causalmente ad un aumento della tolleranza al danno da anossia/riossigenazione (A/R) in un processo che ha coinvolto l’attivazione di AKT. Queste scoperte dimostrano che un leggero aumento della formazione di ROS mitocondriali produce un effetto protettivo. Per testare quest’ipotesi, abbiamo studiato se i ROS mitocondriali indotti da basse dosi di MitoPQ potessero diminuire la suscettibilità al danno da A/R. Non solo quest’ipotesi è stata verificata, ma anche in questo caso la protezione è stata attribuita all’attivazione di AKT. I dati di questo lavoro dimostrano che la formazione di ROS mitocondriali può innescare un ampio spettro di risposte con una chiara separazione tra livelli di ROS richiesti per evocare effetti benefici o dannosi. Cambiamenti nell’omeostasi del [Ca2+]I possono essere a monte ma anche a valle della formazione dei ROS mitocondriali e l’effetto cardioprotettivo collegato al leggero aumento dei livelli di ROS mitocondriali sembra dipendere dall’attivazione di AKT.

A principal característica de cabos é a sua capacidadede suportar grande carga na direção longitudinal e são utilizadas em, por exemplo, concreto comprimido, plataformas e pontes. Usualmente, sua estrutura básica é formada por um elemento central (núcleo) e reto juntamente com outros componentes dispostos ao seu redor em forma de hélice. Existe uma variedade de geometrias que podem ser utilizadas, assim como número de camadas. Seguindo a teoria de vigas espaciais e parametrizando a geometria, a linha média de apenas uma dessas hélices foi analisada analiticamente. Essa simplificação é valida visto que o contato e deslizamento não são incluídos nesta teoria, produzindo uma primeira abordagem ao problema da modelagem dessas estruturas. Sendo assim, as equações de equilíbrio foram deduzidas e seu sistema diferencial foi resolvido com o objetivo de representar o comportamento mecânico da estrutura. Utilizando a tríade de Frenet-Serret para definir um sistema de coordenadas local, as condições de contorno foram aplicadas buscando determinar as constantes de integração resultantes da solução analítica das equações diferenciais. Essa solução foi comparadas com resultados numéricos obtidos pelo Método dos Elementos Finitos (FEM) para validação dos casos de carga concentrada e distribuída em duas geometrias, o arco plano e a hélice. Em ambos os casos resultados apresentaram boa concordância para forças, momentos, rotações e deslocamentos. Considerando o caso do arco, o seu raio foi aumentado, de forma que a geometria se aproximasse de uma viga reta. O modelo proposto também foi utilizado para simular uma mola sob compressão.<br>A high number of structures uses cables due to their ability to bear large load in the longitudinal direction, for example, prestressed concrete, offshore systems and bridges. Its basic structure is formed by a central straight element surrounded by strands laid helically. A variety of geometries can be used, as well as the number of layers. Using the theory of spatial beams and parameterizing the geometry, the center line of only one of these helixes was analyzed analytically, since contact and slip are not included in this theory, obtaining a first approach in order to model these structures and to determine its mechanical behavior. Thus, the equilibrium equations were deduced and the differential system was solved with the objective of representing the mechanical behavior of the structure. Using the Frenet-Serret triad to define a local coordinate system, the boundary conditions were applied aiming the determination of the integration constants. The expressions obtained were compared with results obtained by the Finite Element Method (FEM) for validation applying concentrated and distributed loads. All cases presented good agreement FOR forces, moments, rotations and displacements. Considering the arc case, its radius was increased until a straight beam. The proposed model was also used to simulate a spring under compression.

Model Predictive Control is a receding horizon control technique that is based on making predictions in the future for a determined number of steps, using a model of the system to be controlled. This thesis report is centered around Model Predictive Control (MPC) and its application. In this thesis, there are two main goals: firstly, is the development of a software structure that uses the properties of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and the Robot Operative System (ROS) to ease the use of MPC applications. Secondly, the use and verification of the capabilities of MPC controllers in plants with fast dynamics, such as the quadrotor. A linearized model of the quadrotor is developed for the controller to perform the predictions, and the non-linear version is used to make a numerical simulator to test the application. The MPC software structure works as it successfully integrates information from the classes that represent the model and optimization method to solve the quadratic problem. The resulting MPC controller shows a good response when following simple trajectories in the presence of simulated noise. However, when more complex trajectories are used, a considerable offset from the reference is obtained. Such behavior mostly caused by the use of a very limited model, which demonstrates the considerable sensibility of the controller to the accuracy of the used model.<br>Model Predictive Control är en vikande horisont styrteknik som är baserad på att göra förutsägelser i framtiden för ett bestämt antal steg, med användning av en modell av systemet som skall styras. Denna avhandling rapport är centrerad kring Model Predictive Control (MPC) och dess tillämpning. I denna avhandling, finns det två huvudsakliga mål: för det första, är utvecklingen av en programvara struktur som använder egenskaper objektorienterad programmering (OOP) och Robot Operativ System (ROS) för att underlätta användningen av MPC-program. För det andra, användning och kontroll av funktionerna i MPC regulatorer i system med snabba dynamik, såsom quadrotor. En linjär modell av quadrotor är utvecklad för styrenheten att utföra de förutsägelser, och den icke-linjära versionen används för att göra en numerisk simulator för att testa programmet. MPC mjukvara struktur fungerar som det framgångsrikt integrerar information från de klasser som representerar modellen och optimering metod för att lösa andragrads problemet. MPC regulatorn visar en god respons när man följer enkla banor i närvaro av simulerad brus. Emellertid, när mer komplexa banor används, en avsevärd förskjutning från referens erhålles. Ett sådant beteende oftast orsakas av användningen av en mycket begränsad modell, vilket visar på betydande känslighet styrenheten för riktigheten av den använda modellen.

This paper directs interest on country-specific labour market discrimination Roma may suffer in South East Europe. The study lies in the tradition of statistical Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis. We use microdata from UNDP's 2004 survey of Roma minorities, and apply a Bayesian approach, proposed by Keith and LeSage (2004), for the decomposition analysis of wage differentials. This approach is based on a robust Bayesian heteroscedastic linear regression model in conjunction with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation. The results obtained indicate the presence of labour market discrimination in Albania and Kosovo, but point to its absence in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Serbia. (authors' abstract)

ABSTRACT THE SURVIVORS: ROMA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN TURKEY Diler, Melike M.Sc., Department of Sociology Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. AySe G&uuml<br>nd&uuml<br>z HoSg&ouml<br>r December 2008, 147 pages This study has two aims regarding the Roma university students in Turkey. First, it attempts to discover the characteristics of their life courses in order to identify the success factors paving the way for their participation in higher education, specifically when the low education level of the Roma people, including even their own families, is concerned. Therefore, their socio-economic environment, early childhood years and school experiences are focused and analyzed respectively to expose the actors and processes making their life stories appear as success stories. Second, it aims to expose whether there are differences between the ones involved in the Roma Rights Movement and the ones not involved in terms of their ethnic identity status. That is, most of the better-off Roma, previously, preferred hiding their ethnic identity not to be excluded from participation in social, economic and political spheres. However, the Roma university students participating in the Roma Rights Movement refuse to hide their identity as they do not want to be assimilated, but integrated into the majority society. That point has a first-rate importance, as the low educational level of the Roma people, especially that of the Roma children, are closely associated with the lack of positive role models showing them how and what education pays off. On the basis of the conclusions drawn from the data analysis collected through in-depth interviews, it is exposed that these Roma youngsters demonstrate high levels of agency for their own social inclusion through education. Although they are all supported by their families<br>most of their Roma school peers dropped out of either primary or high school due to poverty and discriminative attitudes of their teachers and school administrators. The stigma of inferiority attached to the Roma is so strong that the survivors, who manage to attend the high school, hide their ethnic identity from this point onwards. Therefore, the demand of the Roma university students, participating in Roma Rights Movement, for integration into the majority society appears as an exceptional case among the well-educated Roma, but making them the pioneers of a new Roma identity in Turkey: Roma intelligentsia.

The significant decrease in manufacturing costs of hardware components for quadrotors has greatly encouraged research into the design of flight control algorithm for quadrotors, which has seen great growth in recent years. One of the key aspects of the research is the communication between the quadrotors. Nowadays it is considered essential that the quadrotors can communicate with each other. This feature allows numerous advantages: it is possible to generate a network capable of collaborating to solve complex tasks that single quadrotors would not be able to perform, or complete them in a shorter time. The objective of this thesis is the design of a distributed algorithm to control the navigation of a set of quadrotors flying through the same navigation space. A surveillance task has been chosen as a case study, where quadrotors are in charge of arranging themselves in order to protect a target from intruders. Each quadrotor needs to complete both a specific task assigned to it (prevent a certain intruders from reaching the target) and a task in common with the other quadrotors (make sure that the center of the drones coincides with the target and the quadrotors do not collide). With this goal in mind, the project starts with the design of the quadrotor model, controller and trajectories from scratch. Then a Distributed Model Predictive Control algorithm is designed ad hoc to control the navigation of quadrotors. One of the challenges in the creation of this algorithm is the adaptation of the control algorithm to the simultaneous use of Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Online Distributed Gradient Tracking (O-DGT). Indeed, the speed required for the optimization calculations led us to reformulate the MPC in order to make the calculations faster and thus satisfy the limits imposed by the chosen time-step. The proposed model is tested with numerical examples, analyzing a series of cases that allowed us to test different combinations of the developed algorithms.

As empresas de manufatura necessitam integrar seus processos internos digitalmente para se tornarem mais competitivas e entregarem produtos com maior qualidade ao mercado consumidor. Informações definidas nas primeiras etapas de projeto precisam ser recuperadas em todas as fases do ciclo de vida de um produto. Para alcançar este objetivo são necessários modelos de informação que incorporem inteligência e permitam a representação do mundo real. Por outro lado, fabricantes de produtos eletroeletrônicos precisam cumprir requisitos ambientais presentes em marcos regulatórios, como a Diretiva RoHS, para poderem vender seus equipamentos em diversos países. O presente trabalho propõe a aplicação de modelos semânticos para ajudar as empresas a cumprir os requisitos estabelecidos pela Diretiva RoHS. O modelo, criado usando uma ontologia de referência, estabelece relações semânticas entre entidades que representam fases do ciclo de vida do produto, estruturas de produtos e objetos de negócios. Processos de negócio modelados permitem identificar fluxos de informação, bem como atividades que estão ligadas aos requisitos RoHS, percebidas por meio da geração de relatórios disponíveis no framework denominado Projeto Essential. O modelo semântico resultante é, portanto, útil para converter as necessidades relacionadas com o meio ambiente, endereçando requisitos através de um processo de desenvolvimento de produtos que aborda a diretiva RoHS. Um produto eletroeletrônico fabricado por indústrias nacionais foi selecionado para demonstrar a viabilidade da solução proposta.<br>Manufacturing companies need to integrate their internal processes digitally to become more competitive and deliver higher quality products to the consumer market. Information defined at early design stages needs to be recovered at all stages of the life cycle of a product. To accomplish this, information models that incorporate intelligence and enable the representation of the real world are necessary. On the other hand, electronic products manufacturers need to comply with environmental requirements present in regulatory frameworks as the RoHS Directive in order to offer their products in several countries. The present work proposes the application of semantic models for helping companies meet the requirements established by the RoHS Directive. A model, created using a reference ontology, establishes semantic relationships between entities that represent product lifecycle stages, product structure and business objects. Business processes, modeled in the form of activity and information flows, are linked to RoHS requirements that can be viewed through the reports in the Essential Project open source framework. The resulting semantic model is, therefore, useful for converting environment-related needs to design requirements through a product development process that addresses the RoHS Directive. A consumer electronics product has been selected for demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed solution.

The incidence of many arboviral diseases is largely associated with social and environmental conditions. Ross River virus (RRV) is the most prevalent arboviral disease in Australia. It has long been recognised that the transmission pattern of RRV is sensitive to socio-ecological factors including climate variation, population movement, mosquito-density and vegetation types. This study aimed to assess the relationships between socio-environmental variability and the transmission of RRV using spatio-temporal analytic methods. Computerised data files of daily RRV disease cases and daily climatic variables in Brisbane, Queensland during 1985-2001 were obtained from the Queensland Department of Health and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, respectively. Available information on other socio-ecological factors was also collected from relevant government agencies as follows: 1) socio-demographic data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics; 2) information on vegetation (littoral wetlands, ephemeral wetlands, open freshwater, riparian vegetation, melaleuca open forests, wet eucalypt, open forests and other bushland) from Brisbane City Council; 3) tidal activities from the Queensland Department of Transport; and 4) mosquito-density from Brisbane City Council. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used as an exploratory technique for discovering spatial and temporal pattern of RRV distribution. The PCA results show that the first principal component accounted for approximately 57% of the information, which contained the four seasonal rates and loaded highest and positively for autumn. K-means cluster analysis indicates that the seasonality of RRV is characterised by three groups with high, medium and low incidence of disease, and it suggests that there are at least three different disease ecologies. The variation in spatio-temporal patterns of RRV indicates a complex ecology that is unlikely to be explained by a single dominant transmission route across these three groupings. Therefore, there is need to explore socio-economic and environmental determinants of RRV disease at the statistical local area (SLA) level. Spatial distribution analysis and multiple negative binomial regression models were employed to identify the socio-economic and environmental determinants of RRV disease at both the city and local (ie, SLA) levels. The results show that RRV activity was primarily concentrated in the northeast, northwest and southeast areas in Brisbane. The negative binomial regression models reveal that RRV incidence for the whole of the Brisbane area was significantly associated with Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) at a lag of 3 months (Relative Risk (RR): 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06 - 1.17), the proportion of people with lower levels of education (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.03), the proportion of labour workers (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95 - 1.00) and vegetation density (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00 - 1.04). However, RRV incidence for high risk areas (ie, SLAs with higher incidence of RRV) was significantly associated with mosquito density (RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00 - 1.01), SOI at a lag of 3 months (RR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.23 - 1.78), human population density (RR: 3.77; 95% CI: 1.35 - 10.51), the proportion of indigenous population (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.87) and the proportion of overseas visitors (RR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.35 - 0.92). It is acknowledged that some of these risk factors, while statistically significant, are small in magnitude. However, given the high incidence of RRV, they may still be important in practice. The results of this study suggest that the spatial pattern of RRV disease in Brisbane is determined by a combination of ecological, socio-economic and environmental factors. The possibility of developing an epidemic forecasting system for RRV disease was explored using the multivariate Seasonal Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) technique. The results of this study suggest that climatic variability, particularly precipitation, may have played a significant role in the transmission of RRV disease in Brisbane. This finding cannot entirely be explained by confounding factors such as other socio-ecological conditions because they have been unlikely to change dramatically on a monthly time scale in this city over the past two decades. SARIMA models show that monthly precipitation at a lag 2 months (=0.004,p=0.031) was statistically significantly associated with RRV disease. It suggests that there may be 50 more cases a year for an increase of 100 mm precipitation on average in Brisbane. The predictive values in the model were generally consistent with actual values (root-mean-square error (RMSE): 1.96). Therefore, this model may have applications as a decision support tool in disease control and risk-management planning programs in Brisbane. The Polynomial distributed lag (PDL) time series regression models were performed to examine the associations between rainfall, mosquito density and the occurrence of RRV after adjusting for season and auto-correlation. The PDL model was used because rainfall and mosquito density can affect not merely RRV occurring in the same month, but in several subsequent months. The rationale for the use of the PDL technique is that it increases the precision of the estimates. We developed an epidemic forecasting model to predict incidence of RRV disease. The results show that 95% and 85% of the variation in the RRV disease was accounted for by the mosquito density and rainfall, respectively. The predictive values in the model were generally consistent with actual values (RMSE: 1.25). The model diagnosis reveals that the residuals were randomly distributed with no significant auto-correlation. The results of this study suggest that PDL models may be better than SARIMA models (R-square increased and RMSE decreased). The findings of this study may facilitate the development of early warning systems for the control and prevention of this widespread disease. Further analyses were conducted using classification trees to identify major mosquito species of Ross River virus (RRV) transmission and explore the threshold of mosquito density for RRV disease in Brisbane, Australia. The results show that Ochlerotatus vigilax (RR: 1.028; 95% CI: 1.001 - 1.057) and Culex annulirostris (RR: 1.013, 95% CI: 1.003 - 1.023) were significantly associated with RRV disease cycles at a lag of 1 month. The presence of RRV was associated with average monthly mosquito density of 72 Ochlerotatus vigilax and 52 Culex annulirostris per light trap. These results may also have applications as a decision support tool in disease control and risk management planning programs. As RRV has significant impact on population health, industry, and tourism, it is important to develop an epidemic forecast system for this disease. The results of this study show the disease surveillance data can be integrated with social, biological and environmental databases. These data can provide additional input into the development of epidemic forecasting models. These attempts may have significant implications in environmental health decision-making and practices, and may help health authorities determine public health priorities more wisely and use resources more effectively and efficiently.

The incidence of many arboviral diseases is largely associated with social and environmental conditions. Ross River virus (RRV) is the most prevalent arboviral disease in Australia. It has long been recognised that the transmission pattern of RRV is sensitive to socio-ecological factors including climate variation, population movement, mosquito-density and vegetation types. This study aimed to assess the relationships between socio-environmental variability and the transmission of RRV using spatio-temporal analytic methods. Computerised data files of daily RRV disease cases and daily climatic variables in Brisbane, Queensland during 1985-2001 were obtained from the Queensland Department of Health and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, respectively. Available information on other socio-ecological factors was also collected from relevant government agencies as follows: 1) socio-demographic data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics; 2) information on vegetation (littoral wetlands, ephemeral wetlands, open freshwater, riparian vegetation, melaleuca open forests, wet eucalypt, open forests and other bushland) from Brisbane City Council; 3) tidal activities from the Queensland Department of Transport; and 4) mosquito-density from Brisbane City Council. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used as an exploratory technique for discovering spatial and temporal pattern of RRV distribution. The PCA results show that the first principal component accounted for approximately 57% of the information, which contained the four seasonal rates and loaded highest and positively for autumn. K-means cluster analysis indicates that the seasonality of RRV is characterised by three groups with high, medium and low incidence of disease, and it suggests that there are at least three different disease ecologies. The variation in spatio-temporal patterns of RRV indicates a complex ecology that is unlikely to be explained by a single dominant transmission route across these three groupings. Therefore, there is need to explore socio-economic and environmental determinants of RRV disease at the statistical local area (SLA) level. Spatial distribution analysis and multiple negative binomial regression models were employed to identify the socio-economic and environmental determinants of RRV disease at both the city and local (ie, SLA) levels. The results show that RRV activity was primarily concentrated in the northeast, northwest and southeast areas in Brisbane. The negative binomial regression models reveal that RRV incidence for the whole of the Brisbane area was significantly associated with Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) at a lag of 3 months (Relative Risk (RR): 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06 - 1.17), the proportion of people with lower levels of education (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.03), the proportion of labour workers (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95 - 1.00) and vegetation density (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00 - 1.04). However, RRV incidence for high risk areas (ie, SLAs with higher incidence of RRV) was significantly associated with mosquito density (RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00 - 1.01), SOI at a lag of 3 months (RR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.23 - 1.78), human population density (RR: 3.77; 95% CI: 1.35 - 10.51), the proportion of indigenous population (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.87) and the proportion of overseas visitors (RR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.35 - 0.92). It is acknowledged that some of these risk factors, while statistically significant, are small in magnitude. However, given the high incidence of RRV, they may still be important in practice. The results of this study suggest that the spatial pattern of RRV disease in Brisbane is determined by a combination of ecological, socio-economic and environmental factors. The possibility of developing an epidemic forecasting system for RRV disease was explored using the multivariate Seasonal Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) technique. The results of this study suggest that climatic variability, particularly precipitation, may have played a significant role in the transmission of RRV disease in Brisbane. This finding cannot entirely be explained by confounding factors such as other socio-ecological conditions because they have been unlikely to change dramatically on a monthly time scale in this city over the past two decades. SARIMA models show that monthly precipitation at a lag 2 months (=0.004,p=0.031) was statistically significantly associated with RRV disease. It suggests that there may be 50 more cases a year for an increase of 100 mm precipitation on average in Brisbane. The predictive values in the model were generally consistent with actual values (root-mean-square error (RMSE): 1.96). Therefore, this model may have applications as a decision support tool in disease control and risk-management planning programs in Brisbane. The Polynomial distributed lag (PDL) time series regression models were performed to examine the associations between rainfall, mosquito density and the occurrence of RRV after adjusting for season and auto-correlation. The PDL model was used because rainfall and mosquito density can affect not merely RRV occurring in the same month, but in several subsequent months. The rationale for the use of the PDL technique is that it increases the precision of the estimates. We developed an epidemic forecasting model to predict incidence of RRV disease. The results show that 95% and 85% of the variation in the RRV disease was accounted for by the mosquito density and rainfall, respectively. The predictive values in the model were generally consistent with actual values (RMSE: 1.25). The model diagnosis reveals that the residuals were randomly distributed with no significant auto-correlation. The results of this study suggest that PDL models may be better than SARIMA models (R-square increased and RMSE decreased). The findings of this study may facilitate the development of early warning systems for the control and prevention of this widespread disease. Further analyses were conducted using classification trees to identify major mosquito species of Ross River virus (RRV) transmission and explore the threshold of mosquito density for RRV disease in Brisbane, Australia. The results show that Ochlerotatus vigilax (RR: 1.028; 95% CI: 1.001 - 1.057) and Culex annulirostris (RR: 1.013, 95% CI: 1.003 - 1.023) were significantly associated with RRV disease cycles at a lag of 1 month. The presence of RRV was associated with average monthly mosquito density of 72 Ochlerotatus vigilax and 52 Culex annulirostris per light trap. These results may also have applications as a decision support tool in disease control and risk management planning programs. As RRV has significant impact on population health, industry, and tourism, it is important to develop an epidemic forecast system for this disease. The results of this study show the disease surveillance data can be integrated with social, biological and environmental databases. These data can provide additional input into the development of epidemic forecasting models. These attempts may have significant implications in environmental health decision-making and practices, and may help health authorities determine public health priorities more wisely and use resources more effectively and efficiently.

The aim of this study is to compare the performance of the four interest rate models (Vasicek Model, Cox Ingersoll Ross Model, Ho Lee Model and Black Der- man Toy Model) that are commonly used in pricing zero coupon bond options. In this study, 1{5 years US Treasury Bond daily data between the dates June 1, 1976 and December 31, 2007 are used. By using the four interest rate models, estimated option prices are compared with the real observed prices for the begin- ing work days of each months of the years 2004 and 2005. The models are then evaluated according to the sum of squared errors. Option prices are found by constructing interest rate trees for the binomial models based on Ho Lee Model and Black Derman Toy Model and by estimating the parameters for the Vasicek and the Cox Ingersoll Ross Models.

Through this work a database and an ARCVIEW tutorial based on a Senegalese local community cartographic model is developed. The Ross-Bethio rural community model was selected as an example of solving methodological problems in natural resources management at the scale of a rural local community. The tutorial developed will also support Geographic Information Systems Instruction for natural resources management in Senegal using a local known database model. The process of solving the problems identified are based mostly on natural resources management concerns of the local community council and will help users to learn and understand the use of ARCVIEW GIS for spatial analysis. A solution is provided that will help the instructors to evaluate their results with these in this study. However, the tutorial is not a self-taught one for ARCVIEW GIS, but an instructional supervised one.

This master's thesis focuses on representation of geometric information about the surrounding environment for robotic systems. Instead of a common point-cloud based representation, an environment model that stores information about objects described by bounding boxes and planes is proposed. These objects can be obtained from trained object detectors, planar surface detectors, etc. processing data from sensors (e.g. RGB-D camera). The information about the objects (position, etc.) stored in the model is constantly changing according to data obtained from detectors. The environment model is implemented as a module for Robot Operating System. To illustrate and visualize features of the model, a demonstration application was also prepared.

Eco-design is relatively new and fast growing field of research due to its vital importance to the manufacturing industry and its related environmental issues such as reducing waste, and CO2 emission. A major EU programme relating to the environment is the waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. The (WEEE) directive specifies ten categories and a voltage range which is up to 1.000 volts AC or 1.500volts DC. The developed framework came for the implementation of Eco-design principles that helps to take into account the adaption of the (WEEE) directive and the restriction of hazard substances (RoHS) used in electrical and electronic equipments. As a result of identify gaps and needs such as a lack of a comprehensive Eco-design framework and the need to integrate it to the normal business operation. In this research the PDCA framework for Eco-design and WEEE directive will be discussed. The framework will encompass all of the Eco-design¿s implementation and integration factors and activities such as WEEE and RoHS directives, Eco-design management, Environmental legislations, Eco-design tools and considerations. The literature review covers the topic of Eco-design¿s related issues, and WEEE and RoHS directives rules. Based on comprehensive questionnaire survey of Eco-design, WEEE and RoHS issues and activities among a sample of environmentally aware companies, statistical analysis is carried out using SPSS software. Then the findings of the survey triangulated with the findings of the literature review formed the basis of the design and implementation plan of the proposed framework

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior<br>A presente tese aborda o tema do amor divino de forma muito pontual, tendo como ênfase o amor que se doa; seria, mais especificamente, o amor que vai até as últimas consequencias presente na entrega de Cristo. Seu objetivo é explicar este tema extremamente abstrato e, ao mesmo tempo, profundamente perceptível através dos olhos da fé. Para tanto, este trabalho foi distribuído em três partes (capítulos) essenciais para desenvolver uma tese em forma de exegese de novo testamento. Pretende-se, primeiramente, explicar como amor de Deus se fez presente em (1) momentos de dificuldade para os cristãos romanos do primeiro século (história), em segundo lugar, como a (2) pregação do apóstolo Paulo, ao falar de agápe, foi importante e fez sentido ao tratar de temas citados em sua epístola com os mesmos (exegese) e, por último, como desenvolveu-se a ideia de que Deus (3) se entrega por amor através dos modelos salvíficos (sistemática) para manter vivo o amor naqueles que colocaram fé, desde os primórdios, nesta palavra apostólica, bem como, na proposta de relacionar-se com Deus. Com base em três textos selecionados da carta aos Romanos, deseja-se clarear quem foram, como viveram e o que superaram os primeiros cristãos em termos de perseguição nesta época tão difícil, característica do aguerrido Império Romano. Por mais desafiadoras que foram estas dificuldades, ainda assim, Paulo deixa uma palavra de ânimo e sabedoria: &#8213;não há nada maior que o amor de Deus por vocês e, ancorados neste amor, não existe tribulação, angústia, perigo ou dor que poderá derrotá-los. Vocês são mais que vencedores!&#8214; (Rm 8.31-39) É graças a este amor derramado no coração dos seres humanos que a pessoa cristã está capacitada e preenchida para amar sem limites, acepção, bloqueios, preconceito ou aversão (Rm 5.6-11). E quão importante foi este amor gerador de unidade para os cristãos que se reconheciam falhos, incapazes de cumprir a lei ou mesmo de justificarem-se diante de Deus (Rm 3.21-26). Por eles e pela manutenção da sua fé, os modelos de expiação, reconciliação e justificação foram desenvolvidos; na certeza de que Deus alcança e salva os seus, independente de qualquer pretensão humana. A certeza de que Deus esteve sempre ao seu lado sustentou a todos em amor e contribuiu para gerar o perdão incondicional em seus corações; esta é a mensagem bem como a conclusão da pesquisa sobre amor divino feita nesta tese.<br>The present dissertation deals with the subject of divine love in a very specific way, having as emphasis the love that gives of itself; more specifically, the love which goes to the ultimate consequences present in Christ's self-giving. Its objective is to explain this extremely abstract theme which is, at the same time, deeply perceptible through the eyes of faith. To do this, the paper was distributed in three essential parts to develop a dissertation in the form of an exegesis of the New Testament. First, it intends to explain how God's love was present in the moments of difficulty of the Roman Christians of the first century (history); in second place, how the preaching of the apostle Paul, in talking about agape, was important and made sense in dealing with the subjects quoted in several of his epistles (exegesis) and, last, how the idea that God gives himself up for love through salvific models (systematics) was developed in order to maintain the love alive in those who put their faith, since the origins, in his apostolic word, as well as, in the proposal of having a relationship with God. Based on three selected texts of the letter to the Romans, we wish to demonstrate who the first Christians were, how they lived and what they overcame in terms of persecution in those difficult times, characteristic of the warmongering Roman Empire. However challenging these difficulties were, even so, Paul left a word of encouragement and wisdom: &#8213;there is nothing greater than God's love for you and, anchored in this love, there exists no tribulation, anguish, danger or pain that will be able to defeat you. You are more than winners!&#8214; (Rom. 8:31-39) It is thanks to the love that was poured into the human beings heart that the Christian person is enabled and filled to love without limits, preferences, barriers, prejudice or aversion (Rom. 5:6-11). And how important was this love, creator of unity for the Christians who recognized themselves as faulty, incompetent of carrying out the law or even of justifying themselves before God (Rom. 3:21-26). For them, and for the maintenance of their faith, the models of expiation, reconciliation and justification were developed; in the certainty that God reaches and saves his/her own, independently of any human claim. The certainty that God was always at their side supported all of them in love and contributed to produce unconditional pardon in their hearts; this is the final message, as well as the conclusion of the research done in this dissertation.

Le territoire de la péninsule Sallentine (province de Lecce, Italie), est l'objet d'une recherche sur l'identification des formes cadastrales romaines, leur signification historique et leur évolution. Les limites du cadastre de la ville antique de Lypiae (Lecce), datable à l'époque des Gracques, avec un module de 20 actus, qui couvre une superficie de 1000km2 environ, ont été définies à partir de l'analyse de la cartographie IGM 1:25000, des couvertures aerophotographiques verticales et obliques. Un modèle d'étude des modalités de fonctionnement d'un cadastre antique est proposé à partir de l'utilisation de différentes sources et méthodes telles que les sources littéraires antiques ou d'archives, les plans cadastraux et les cartes pédologiques actuelles, la prospection archéologique aérienne à basse altitude et au sol, la métrologie périmétrique de la région, le traitement informatique et statistique de l'information. L'application de ces méthodes permet de reconstituer les modes romains de bornage et de limitation du cadastre, de retrouver les rythmes du bornage parcellaire à l'intérieur de la centurie, d'avancer quelques hypothèses sur la reconstitution des espaces forestiers antiques, et de mettre en évidence les rapports entre nature pédologique des sols, phénomènes d'érosion, degré de conservation et limites du cadastre.

The subject of this thesis are selected interest rate models and valuation of interest rate derivatives, especially interest rate options. Time-homogeneous one-factor short rate models, Vasicek and Cox-Ingersoll-Ross, and time-inhomogeneous short rate model, Hull{White, are treated. Heath-Jarrow-Morton framework is introduced as an alternative to short rate models, evolving the entire term structure of interest rates. The short rate models are shown to be special cases of models within the framework. The models are derived using the risk-neutral pricing methodology.

<p><strong>Bakgrund: </strong>en amputation innebär inte enbart en förlust av en kroppsdel utan kan innebära att människans livsvärld förändras. En människa som förlorat en kroppsdel kan bli en lidande människa och resultatet kan bli att anpassningsförmågan förhindras. Att vara en lidande människa kan innebära att individen känner sig kränkt och integriteten kan hotas. <strong>Syfte: </strong>Syftet med litteratur studien är att få en ökad förståelse för hur Roys anpassningsmodell kan integreras i personers upplevelser av att ha genomgått en benamputation. <strong>Metod: </strong>den här litteraturstudien har genomförts med inspiration av Evans analys metod integrerad med Roys anpassningsmodell av vårdvetenskapliga artiklar som sökts i olika databaser. <strong>Resultat: </strong>utifrån personers upplevelser av amputation integrerat med Roys anpassningsmodell blev resultatet att fyra teman kunde skapas som bygger på Roys anpassningsmodell. Slutsats<strong>: </strong>Roys anpassningsmodell kan användas som en modell för sjuksköterskor vid omvårdnad av personer som genomgått en amputation.</p>

The Kinematic-wave model is one of the models proposed to simulate vehicular traffic. It has not received widespread use because of poor understanding of associated interface conditions and early use of incorrect numerical schemes used. This thesis analyzes mathematically correct boundary and interface conditions in the context of the Godunov method as the numerical scheme for the simulation software created. This thesis simulates a set of scenarios originally proposed by Ross, to verify the validity of simulation. The results of the simulation are compared against the corresponding results of Ross, and against intuitive expectation of the behavior of actual traffic under the scenarios. Our results tend either to agree with or improve upon those reported by Ross, who used alternate models.