Análise de Agrupamentos Com Base na Teoria da Informação: Uma Abordagem Representativa

Currently, one of the biggest challenges for the field of data mining is to perform cluster analysis on complex data. Several techniques have been proposed but, in general, they can only achieve good results within specific areas providing no consensus of what would be the best way to group this kind of data. In general, these techniques fail due to non-realistic assumptions about the true probability distribution of the data. Based on this, this thesis proposes a new measure based on Cross Information Potential that uses representative points of the dataset and statistics extracted directly from data to measure the interaction between groups. The proposed approach allows us to use all advantages of this information-theoretic descriptor and solves the limitations imposed on it by its own nature. From this, two cost functions and three algorithms have been proposed to perform cluster analysis. As the use of Information Theory captures the relationship between different patterns, regardless of assumptions about the nature of this relationship, the proposed approach was able to achieve a better performance than the main algorithms in literature. These results apply to the context of synthetic data designed to test the algorithms in specific situations and to real data extracted from problems of different fields

Graph analysis of verbal fluency test discriminate between patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and normal elderly controls

Verbal fluency is the ability to produce a satisfying sequence of spoken words during a given time interval. The core of verbal fluency lies in the capacity to manage the executive aspects of language. The standard scores of the semantic verbal fluency test are broadly used in the neuropsychological assessment of the elderly, and different analytical methods are likely to extract even more information from the data generated in this test. Graph theory, a mathematical approach to analyze relations between items, represents a promising tool to understand a variety of neuropsychological states. This study reports a graph analysis of data generated by the semantic verbal fluency test by cognitively healthy elderly (NC), patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment – subtypes amnestic(aMCI) and amnestic multiple domain (a+mdMCI) - and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sequences of words were represented as a speech graph in which every word corresponded to a node and temporal links between words were represented by directed edges. To characterize the structure of the data we calculated 13 speech graph attributes (SGAs). The individuals were compared when divided in three (NC – MCI – AD) and four (NC – aMCI – a+mdMCI – AD) groups. When the three groups were compared, significant differences were found in the standard measure of correct words produced, and three SGA: diameter, average shortest path, and network density. SGA sorted the elderly groups with good specificity and sensitivity. When the four groups were compared, the groups differed significantly in network density, except between the two MCI subtypes and NC and aMCI. The diameter of the network and the average shortest path were significantly different between the NC and AD, and between aMCI and AD. SGA sorted the elderly in their groups with good specificity and sensitivity, performing better than the standard score of the task. These findings provide support for a new methodological frame to assess the strength of semantic memory through the verbal fluency task, with potential to amplify the predictive power of this test. Graph analysis is likely to become clinically relevant in neurology and psychiatry, and may be particularly useful for the differential diagnosis of the elderly.

Graph analysis of verbal fluency test discriminate between patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and normal elderly controls

Verbal fluency is the ability to produce a satisfying sequence of spoken words during a given time interval. The core of verbal fluency lies in the capacity to manage the executive aspects of language. The standard scores of the semantic verbal fluency test are broadly used in the neuropsychological assessment of the elderly, and different analytical methods are likely to extract even more information from the data generated in this test. Graph theory, a mathematical approach to analyze relations between items, represents a promising tool to understand a variety of neuropsychological states. This study reports a graph analysis of data generated by the semantic verbal fluency test by cognitively healthy elderly (NC), patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment – subtypes amnestic(aMCI) and amnestic multiple domain (a+mdMCI) - and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sequences of words were represented as a speech graph in which every word corresponded to a node and temporal links between words were represented by directed edges. To characterize the structure of the data we calculated 13 speech graph attributes (SGAs). The individuals were compared when divided in three (NC – MCI – AD) and four (NC – aMCI – a+mdMCI – AD) groups. When the three groups were compared, significant differences were found in the standard measure of correct words produced, and three SGA: diameter, average shortest path, and network density. SGA sorted the elderly groups with good specificity and sensitivity. When the four groups were compared, the groups differed significantly in network density, except between the two MCI subtypes and NC and aMCI. The diameter of the network and the average shortest path were significantly different between the NC and AD, and between aMCI and AD. SGA sorted the elderly in their groups with good specificity and sensitivity, performing better than the standard score of the task. These findings provide support for a new methodological frame to assess the strength of semantic memory through the verbal fluency task, with potential to amplify the predictive power of this test. Graph analysis is likely to become clinically relevant in neurology and psychiatry, and may be particularly useful for the differential diagnosis of the elderly.

Gestão Social em Empreendimentos Econômicos Solidários: uma abordagem no Oeste Potiguar

The central research question was to search for data to ratify the theory and discourse of the so-called practitioners of economic solidarity, by defending the substantive rationality should guide the principles of economic solidary, designing the space economy incidental and not the primacy of relations in determining social as well, reflecting the predominance of dimensions of social management in administrative practices of ESS's. For both analyzed the theoretical dimensions of social management - sociopolitical, economic, organizational and environmental - manifested in organizational practices supportive of economic organization Potiguar West. For the success of the research realized the triangulation involving a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches. At first the research will use a quantitative approach, from the cluster analysis, to verify the behavior of the sample chosen for this study. In the second stage of the qualitative study was carried out focus group technique (FLICK, 2002) for further analysis of the dimensions of social management on organizational practices supportive of economic organization, related to the principles of Solidary Economy, established in a quantitative approach. In quantitative analysis, the socio-political dimension, it was clear that the more equity instruments of internal and external, from the purposeful living in public spaces, the best monetary results. Another point worth stressing concerns the economic dimension, with the practice reciprocity prevailing in market. Thus, the qualitative approach was possible to understand the processes of exchange of product or service. Rural enterprises surveyed in the allocation of the agro-ecological products have the following scale of priority, sequentially: self-consumption (domestic), market and exchange. The research leads to the fact that training and practices that enhance the socio-political dimension (knowledge, empowerment, sense of belonging) become the guiding principle for the strengthening of the social management in the context of other dimensions, leading to gains sociopolitical, economic, organizational and environmental. Despite the weaknesses found in the organizational dimension and environment, both in a quantitative as in qualitative, we determined that the practices of ESS's Potiguar West incorporate predominantly elements of social management and economic solidarity, with a preponderance of substantive rationality in the primacy of the instrumental. Finally, research has brought information that the participants of the ESS's do not give the money economy primacy in determining social relations, which in turn leads to the confirmation that, in practice the solidarity economy, prevailing the dominance of substantive rationality, as a guide for organizational practices

Gestão Social em Empreendimentos Econômicos Solidários: uma abordagem no Oeste Potiguar

The central research question was to search for data to ratify the theory and discourse of the so-called practitioners of economic solidarity, by defending the substantive rationality should guide the principles of economic solidary, designing the space economy incidental and not the primacy of relations in determining social as well, reflecting the predominance of dimensions of social management in administrative practices of ESS's. For both analyzed the theoretical dimensions of social management - sociopolitical, economic, organizational and environmental - manifested in organizational practices supportive of economic organization Potiguar West. For the success of the research realized the triangulation involving a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches. At first the research will use a quantitative approach, from the cluster analysis, to verify the behavior of the sample chosen for this study. In the second stage of the qualitative study was carried out focus group technique (FLICK, 2002) for further analysis of the dimensions of social management on organizational practices supportive of economic organization, related to the principles of Solidary Economy, established in a quantitative approach. In quantitative analysis, the socio-political dimension, it was clear that the more equity instruments of internal and external, from the purposeful living in public spaces, the best monetary results. Another point worth stressing concerns the economic dimension, with the practice reciprocity prevailing in market. Thus, the qualitative approach was possible to understand the processes of exchange of product or service. Rural enterprises surveyed in the allocation of the agro-ecological products have the following scale of priority, sequentially: self-consumption (domestic), market and exchange. The research leads to the fact that training and practices that enhance the socio-political dimension (knowledge, empowerment, sense of belonging) become the guiding principle for the strengthening of the social management in the context of other dimensions, leading to gains sociopolitical, economic, organizational and environmental. Despite the weaknesses found in the organizational dimension and environment, both in a quantitative as in qualitative, we determined that the practices of ESS's Potiguar West incorporate predominantly elements of social management and economic solidarity, with a preponderance of substantive rationality in the primacy of the instrumental. Finally, research has brought information that the participants of the ESS's do not give the money economy primacy in determining social relations, which in turn leads to the confirmation that, in practice the solidarity economy, prevailing the dominance of substantive rationality, as a guide for organizational practices

Análise de DFA e de agrupamento do perfil de densidade de poços de petróleo

In recent years, the DFA introduced by Peng, was established as an important tool capable of detecting long-range autocorrelation in time series with non-stationary. This technique has been successfully applied to various areas such as: Econophysics, Biophysics, Medicine, Physics and Climatology. In this study, we used the DFA technique to obtain the Hurst exponent (H) of the profile of electric density profile (RHOB) of 53 wells resulting from the Field School of Namorados. In this work we want to know if we can or not use H to spatially characterize the spatial data field. Two cases arise: In the first a set of H reflects the local geology, with wells that are geographically closer showing similar H, and then one can use H in geostatistical procedures. In the second case each well has its proper H and the information of the well are uncorrelated, the profiles show only random fluctuations in H that do not show any spatial structure. Cluster analysis is a method widely used in carrying out statistical analysis. In this work we use the non-hierarchy method of k-means. In order to verify whether a set of data generated by the k-means method shows spatial patterns, we create the parameter Ω (index of neighborhood). High Ω shows more aggregated data, low Ω indicates dispersed or data without spatial correlation. With help of this index and the method of Monte Carlo. Using Ω index we verify that random cluster data shows a distribution of Ω that is lower than actual cluster Ω. Thus we conclude that the data of H obtained in 53 wells are grouped and can be used to characterize space patterns. The analysis of curves level confirmed the results of the k-means

Uma análise sociodemográfica dos cuidadores formais de idosos institucionalizados no município de Natal/RN, 2012

The aging population and individual have been the subject of a multitude of studies nowadays. This is probably due to the impact of this phenomenon in various sectors of society, like social security, social assistance and public health. The process of aging of the individual imply the demand for specific services, considering the limitations and vulnerabilities of the individual at that stage of life cycle. The growth of the elderly contingent in the last decades raises challenges for policymakers, the family and also for the society at large. In this scenario, long-stay institutions for the elderly (LSIEs) appear as an option to aid and support the elderly and their family, assisting in all or part in the activities of daily living and self-care. Inside these LSIEs we find the professional responsible for the direct care of the elderly, the formal caregiver. In this context, this dissertation presents two main objectives: an analysis of the phenomenon of population aging in a given brazilian municipality Natal / RN, based on the Demographic Censuses of 2000 e 2010; and a social, demographic and economic characterization of the Formal caregiver for the institutionalized elderly in the municipality, evaluating aspects of his quality of life and also analyzing the institutions where they are inserted. Furthermore, we intend to identify demographic, socioeconomic and quality of life factors that are correlated with caregivers quitting the job. The data used in the second part of this work comes from the research project named Long-Stay Institutions for Elderly: abandonment or a family need? . This survey interviewed 92 caregivers in eleven LSIEs in Natal/RN. In the data treatment logistic regressions, cluster analysis and statistical tests were used. The survey revealed that aging in Natal is more pronounced in the older, more traditional districts: Petrópolis, Lagoa Seca and Tirol. It also allowed a broad characterization of the formal caregivers in LSIEs. Most of these professionals are female. The educational level is predominantly complete high school and more. Most caregivers reported being married or in union, or have ever been in a union. Family monthly income is under three times the minimum wage. The mean age is of 37.4 years. The mean time of work as a caregiver was 5.93 years. The associations showed that being woman, not being single, having caregiving training and physical limitations (regarding quality of life) are related to wanting to quit the caregiving job. As for the characterization of the LSIEs, it was found that the philanthropic ones are older and have most (62.5%) of the institutionalized elderly. The institutions managers gave social interaction and affinity with the elderly as the main criteria with which to evaluate and hire caregivers. It is intended with this study to contribute to improving the quality of life of the elderly and their caregiver, providing information on aspects of institutionalization of elderly both in the philanthropic and particular institutions, in Natal/RN; this dissertation may also be used as a starting point for later works

Representação social do ensinar: a dimensão pedagógica do habitus professoral

Teaching is an activity inherent to the human condition. Historically, from the institutionalization of education, the key role to pursue that activity has been attributed to the teacher, who is required to adapt to the demands of each historical conjuncture. Currently, according to the new paradigmatic requirements, the teacher must possess various skills in order to handle the complex and challenging act of teaching. Assuming the existence of a gap between what the State and the scientific discourse recommend the teacher act upon in the classroom, a decision was made to identify the configuration and structure of social representation in the act of teaching, put forth by elementary school teachers in the public schools of Natal, RN, Brazil. Therefore, the research relied on the theoretical model developed by Domingos Sobrinho (1998, 2000, 2003), which articulates the praxeology of Pierre Bourdieu with the theory of social representations of Serge Moscovici (1978). It was intended to demonstrate how teachers habitus, in its due historical context, directs the construction of social representations in the act of teaching which guides the actions of the teacher, particularly in the classroom context. At the methodological level, the following methods and techniques were used: bibliographic and documentary review in order to identify the scientific discourse on the subject matter and the official parameters of educational regulation and the act of teaching; the Procedure of Multiple Classifications PMC in order to capture the configuration and structure of the representational content in focus, the direct observation of the classroom to identify in actual terms the social representation as "guide to action" as the theory preaches. From the standpoint of the analysis, quantitative data were analysed through Multidimensional Scaling MDS, covering in this study the Multidimensional Scale Analysis MSA and Smallest Space Analysis SSA; and non-parametric statiscal techniques. Additional data of qualitative value had to undergo categorical content analysis. It was then concluded that the teachers investigated guided themselves by social representation, the product of collectively constructed and shared assumptions about the act of teaching, forming a synthesis of different sources of information and knowledge acquirement, involving elements of common sense, religious habitus, pedagogic models considered outdated, the agencies responsible for teacher training and the hegemonic discourse about education today

Fatores influenciadores da implementação de ações de gestão de segurança da informação :um estudo com executivos e gerentes de tecnologia da informação das empresas do Rio Grande do Norte

Information is one of the most valuable organization s assets, mainly on a global and highly competitive world. On this scenery there are two antagonists forces: on one side, organizations struggle for keeping protected its information, specially those considered as strategic, on the other side, the invaders, leaded by innumerous reasons - such as hobby, challenge or one single protest with the intention of capturing and corrupting the information of other organizations. This thesis presents the descriptive results of one research that had as its main objective to identify which variables influence the Executives´ and CIOs´ perceptions toward Information Security. In addition, the research also identified the profile of Rio Grande do Norte s organizations and its Executives/CIOs concerning Information Security, computed the level of agreement of the respondents according to NBR ISO/IEC 17799 (Information technology Code of practice for information security management) on its dimension Access Control. The research was based on a model, which took into account the following variables: origin of the organization s capital, sector of production, number of PCs networked, number of employees with rights to network, number of attacks suffered by the organizations, respondent´s positions, education level, literacy on Information Technology and specific training on network. In the goal´s point of view, the research was classified as exploratory and descriptive, and, in relation of the approach, quantitative. One questionnaire was applied on 33 Executives and CIOs of the 50 Rio Grande do Norte s organizations that collected the highest taxes of ICMS - Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias on 2000. After the data collecting, cluster analysis and chi-square statistical tools were used for data analysis. The research made clear that the Executives and CIOs of Rio Grande do Norte s organizations have low level of agreement concerning the rules of the NBR ISO/IEC 17799. It also made evident that the Executives and CIOs have its perception toward Information Security influenced by the number of PCs networked and by the number of attacks suffered by the organizations

Gestão ambiental em cadeias produtivas agroindustriais: um estudo em um aglomerado produtivo da caprinovinocultura no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This thesis aims to investigate the perception and behavior of goat and sheep rural producers from Central Cabugi Region of Rio Grande do Norte state, in terms of the sector competitiveness, the cooperation mechanisms, information and environmental practices integration in the supply chain, including their customers, and also among the local producers and other institutions that support this agribusiness cluster. The research problem is related to the environmental impacts from goat and sheep breeding. This problem can also be intensified by the organization of producers in a cluster. Then, it is important to examine how the environmental issues are considered by the rural producers and their perception of their suppliers, customers and the institutions that support this activity. The methodology used in this work involved literature review of the topics of supply chain management, green supply chain, clusters development and sustainable livestock. An exploratory survey research was also conducted by personal interviews using questionnaires. Three statistic techniques were used to compile the gathered data: descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and Chi-square tests. Two clusters were found in this study, however, the entire sample believes the sector of goat and sheep breeding is a medium competitive activity. On the other hand, for the variables of the importance of environmental practices for competitiveness , perception of environmental impacts and environmental benefits from farm vegetation management , the research found 2 distinct groups of individuals when those variables were analyzed together the green supply chain management group of variables in the cluster analysis. Beyond competitiveness perception, no degree of difference was found for the use of insecticides too. The chi-square tests present that producers having at least elementary education, lands bigger 100 hectares and located in the cities of Angicos or Lajes tend to have a higher perception to supply chain management and environmental awareness issues than those with no or incomplete first-level education, producing in lands smaller than 100 hectares and located in the cities of Afonso Bezerra or Pedro Avelino. The chi-square tests also show the amount of milk produced, family s income and associational condition are not related with the variables used in the clusters composition. In this context, this work contributes to planning clusters development strategies and enhancing the production chain sustainability. This Master of Science Thesis can also help to introduce the environmental variable in the project, assessment and monitoring of development policies as well

Metodologia estatística na solução do problema do caixeiro viajante e na avaliação de algoritmos : um estudo aplicado à transgenética computacional

The problems of combinatory optimization have involved a large number of researchers in search of approximative solutions for them, since it is generally accepted that they are unsolvable in polynomial time. Initially, these solutions were focused on heuristics. Currently, metaheuristics are used more for this task, especially those based on evolutionary algorithms. The two main contributions of this work are: the creation of what is called an -Operon- heuristic, for the construction of the information chains necessary for the implementation of transgenetic (evolutionary) algorithms, mainly using statistical methodology - the Cluster Analysis and the Principal Component Analysis; and the utilization of statistical analyses that are adequate for the evaluation of the performance of the algorithms that are developed to solve these problems. The aim of the Operon is to construct good quality dynamic information chains to promote an -intelligent- search in the space of solutions. The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is intended for applications based on a transgenetic algorithmic known as ProtoG. A strategy is also proposed for the renovation of part of the chromosome population indicated by adopting a minimum limit in the coefficient of variation of the adequation function of the individuals, with calculations based on the population. Statistical methodology is used for the evaluation of the performance of four algorithms, as follows: the proposed ProtoG, two memetic algorithms and a Simulated Annealing algorithm. Three performance analyses of these algorithms are proposed. The first is accomplished through the Logistic Regression, based on the probability of finding an optimal solution for a TSP instance by the algorithm being tested. The second is accomplished through Survival Analysis, based on a probability of the time observed for its execution until an optimal solution is achieved. The third is accomplished by means of a non-parametric Analysis of Variance, considering the Percent Error of the Solution (PES) obtained by the percentage in which the solution found exceeds the best solution available in the literature. Six experiments have been conducted applied to sixty-one instances of Euclidean TSP with sizes of up to 1,655 cities. The first two experiments deal with the adjustments of four parameters used in the ProtoG algorithm in an attempt to improve its performance. The last four have been undertaken to evaluate the performance of the ProtoG in comparison to the three algorithms adopted. For these sixty-one instances, it has been concluded on the grounds of statistical tests that there is evidence that the ProtoG performs better than these three algorithms in fifty instances. In addition, for the thirty-six instances considered in the last three trials in which the performance of the algorithms was evaluated through PES, it was observed that the PES average obtained with the ProtoG was less than 1% in almost half of these instances, having reached the greatest average for one instance of 1,173 cities, with an PES average equal to 3.52%. Therefore, the ProtoG can be considered a competitive algorithm for solving the TSP, since it is not rare in the literature find PESs averages greater than 10% to be reported for instances of this size.

Atividade do professor na educação a distância: interações com o gênero profissional docente

This research aimed to analyze the dynamics established between the activity of the teacher in Distance Education (DE) and professional gender of teaching, in terms of impact of DE in teacher s usual professional activity. Previous studies showed that one of the central discussions concerning DE refers to the role that the teacher is called to perform. The present research, based on theoretical and methodological assumptions issued from Clinic of Activity, analyzed the impact referred above. This central aim was operationally executed along three main stages: 1) survey study for description of socio-professional profile of teachers working in DE in two universities from Natal (RN-Brazil), 2) clinical analysis of professional activity of teachers working in DE, taking into account four simultaneous levels of psychological constitution and development of human activity: personal, interpersonal, transpersonal and impersonal; 3) analytical focus on transpersonal context in order to understand the influence of pedagogical practice in DE on professional gender of teaching. Documental research, audio recorded voice data and a multiple choice Likert scale questionnaire concerning socio-professional information were used as procedural tools. The qualitative-clinical procedural tool of instruction to the double , firstly proposed by Clinic of Activity research group, was used in order to obtain oral productions concerning professional activity. Data issued from stage 1 (n=70, 28 men and 41 women) was submitted to descriptive and inferential statistical analyzes. 65.7% of the sample worked in a public institution, 30% in a private institution, and 4.3% in public and private institutions. 31.4% of the sample of participants was formed by teachers having a master degree, 28.6% were doctors and 26.3% had degrees of specialists. 54.3% of participants acted as remote tutor, and 44.3% were regents teachers. After descriptive multidimensional cluster analysis, two groups emerged (remote tutors and regents teachers), the most important variables in terms of contributions to this distinction being: professional function, level of graduate formation, level of income, activities and forms of entry in DE. Clinical analysis of data produced by two participant-teachers of each group, issued from instruction to the double technique, was performed. This analysis indicated the existence of different models of distance education. A general concern referring to the need of both taking into account information technology and pedagogical attitudes was detected. On the other hand, participant-teachers considered that participation in DE activities could bring relevant contributions to general professional gender of teaching. . Finally, teachers warned against certain formats of organization of teachers professional activity, as found in the domain of DE, since these activities could promote the intensification and individualization of teachers` work activity, and even the worsening of relations, rather than exchanges and shares through collective bargaining. This process could compromise the renew of the professional gender, by losing its historical roots and diminishing activity possibilities of teachers in their labor context

Saúde mental em operadores de petróleo do Rio Grande do Norte

The importance of identifying the consequence of the hours worked on people in society has been well recognized within Organizational and Work Psychology. From this point of view, the present research had the objective of analysing the effects of work regimes on the mental health of petroleum operators of Petrobrás. The sample totaled 144 subjects, corresponding to 27% of the work population. The mental health of the participants was evaluated using the following instruments of measurement: QSG-12, Scale of self-esteem, Scale of Positive and Negative Affections and the Scale of Valuable Attributes of IMST, each representing an empirical factor used to indicate and measure the five dimensions of mental health. The subjects perceptions of their work regime and the rest of their conditions of work were evaluated using scales of descriptive attributes of IMST, by applying a semi-structured questionnaire and by use of interviews. A socio-demographic file was used to collect information related to the biographical and socio-occupational profile of the worker sample. The answers to the questionnaire were inserted into the data bank of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), for statistical analysis, and the interviews were analised based on the technique of Contents Analysis recommended by Bardin (1995). The main results revealed that one third of the worker sample were tense; however, the mental health of the majority was preserved. Cluster Analysis applied to the group of seven factors which measured the five dimensions of mental health identified four profiles of psychological well-being shared between members of the sample. It was observed that the people working in the system of Continuous Shift Alternation (TIR) and in the system of Pre-advising tended to present balanced and satisfactory profiles, while the ones which worked in the Administrative Field tended to present anxious and oscillating profiles, and thus were more affected psychologically. These were also the ones that also perceived the more negative aspects of their laborious conditions (reduced chances of self-improvement, physically stressful and financial resources below expectations with which to supply family and personal necessities. In agreement with the ecological model formulated by Warr (1987), the present study concluded that the positive and negative effects on the psychological well-being tended to occur as a consequence of the perceptions the petrol operators developed to face their work conditions

Avaliação da informação de websites turísticos das cidades-sede da copa 2014

This study aims to analyze tourist information provided by the official websites of the 2014 FIFA World Cup host cities. The framework developed by Díaz (2005) was applied to analyze different aspects, such as: local tourist information, tourist services distribution, communication and interaction between website and users, and website foreign language versions. This dissertation describes how society and tourism are related by analyzing the consequences of technological evolution in the travel and tourism sector, showing the importance of the use of information and communication technology to provide accurate, upto- date and low-cost information to tourist destinations. Because of the nature of the study, the research subjects are the 12 Brazilian host cities represented by their respective official webpages (cities, states and convention bureaus), and also Brazil s official website, totalizing 36 elements to be analyzed. The methodology has been characterized as descriptive and exploratory with quantitative analysis, and also using desk research and survey literature review. In order to analyze the data collected, parametric and nonparametric statistics tests were used, such as: variance analysis (ANOVA and KRUSKAL-WALLIS) to measure means variance between groups combined with multiple comparison tests (Tukey and Games Howell); nonparametric correlations tests (Kendall s Tau b); and cluster analyses. Finally, Microsoft Excel was used to collect data and SPSS for managing data through quantitative analyses tests. Overall, the websites of the south region showed better results than the other Brazilian regions. Despite this result, the data analysis demonstrated that the available tourist information are incomplete as it was verified that tourist host cities websites are unable to provide all the information needed for the web visitors to organize and plan their journey. This means that visitors have to look for more information in other sources

HIV/AIDS: um perfil epidemiológico do vírus e uma análise das práticas seguras, conhecimento e percepção de mulheres

In recent decades, the debate surrounding the consequences of the HIV has passed by great changes. Earlier, prevention campaigns focused risk groups then risk behaviors and ultimately vulnerability. Furthermore, over the years, the dimensions of HIV that emerged in the social environment are these: internalization, heterosexualization, impoverishment and feminization. Based on these contexts, the composition of this study comprises two papers: the former has the overall objective to analyze the epidemiology and incidence of HIV in Brazilian regions in the period from 1980 to 2012; the latter, it aims to find out whether there is the relationship among safe practices, knowledge and perception of women residents in Manaus and Boa Vista cities on the infection by HIV. In paper 1, it was used information from the Health Ministry, as a data source. Besides, it was developed an exploratory and spatial analysis of incidence rates and relative proportion of notified cases. In paper 2, was used as a source of data, the research "Evaluating the process of spatial and epidemic diffusion of HIV in the federal units of Brazil-Northern Region" in 2008. Furthermore, Statistical Techniques of Cluster Analysis, Analysis of Variance, Chi-Square and Logistic Regression were applied. In this paper, it was found that, in Brazilian Regions, the prevalence of reported cases occurred among heterosexuals in men 20-40 year age group and residing in metropolitan areas. It was observed a significant spatial correlation of the incidence rate of reported cases of HIV. It was also noted by the results that have good knowledge and awareness about HIV does not imply, essentially, in a safe sexual intercourse. These results have shown the need public policies geared to the guiding of society, based in educational strategies aiming both information about the virus and its prevention, as well as public awareness for safe sex practices or in stable or not intercourses