Unravelling the migration decision-making process: English early retirees moving to rural mid-Wales

There are established migrant reasons to explain rural in-migration. These include quality of life, rural idyll and lifestyle motivations. However, such one-dimensional sound bites portray rural in-migration in overly simplistic and stereotypical terms. In contrast, this paper distinguishes the decision to move from the reason for moving and in doing so sheds new light on the interconnections between different domains (family, work, finance, health) of the migrant's life which contribute to migration behaviour. Focussing on early retirees to mid-Wales and adopting a life course perspective the overall decision to move is disaggregated into a series of decisions. Giving voices to the migrants themselves demonstrates the combination of life events necessary to lead to migration behaviour, the variable factors (and often economic dominance) considered in the choice of destination (including that many are reluctant migrants to Wales), and the perceived 'accidental' choice of location and/or property. It is argued that quality of life, rural idyll and lifestyle sound bites offer an inadequate understanding of rural in-migration and associated decision-making processes. Moreover, they disguise the true nature of migrant decision making.

A presença árabe-islâmica em Fernando Pessoa

Tese de doutoramento, Filosofia (Filosofia em Portugal), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, 2015

Vers une scène commune : rapports croisés entre poésie et chanson chez Raoul Duguay (1966-1970)

Ce mémoire porte sur les deux premiers recueils de Raoul Duguay (ruts et or le cycle du sang dure donc). Il cherche à examiner les liens étroits qu’entretient la poésie de Duguay avec la production parallèle du poète, qui s’oriente dès la fin des années 1960 vers la chanson. Le mémoire s’attachera d’abord, dans le premier chapitre, à présenter l’histoire des liens entre les poètes et la chanson au Québec afin de relever les points de contact significatifs au cours des années 1960 et de poser le cadre théorique de la chanson comme objet d’étude. Dans un deuxième temps, l’analyse des deux premiers recueils de poèmes de Duguay nous mènera à une réflexion sur la présence de la métaphore du chant, puis de la parole poétique en poésie québécoise, qui annonce un changement de paradigme dans l’approche du lyrisme et du sujet lyrique. Enfin, le troisième chapitre se penchera sur le contexte contre-culturel québécois, pour examiner le discours et le contre-discours sur la poésie, pour expliquer le phénomène de décloisonnement des genres qui conduit Raoul Duguay à investir le champ de la culture populaire de sa poésie. Il y sera aussi question du sujet « dans le langage », de l’expérience de la langue et de la subjectivité de la voix.

No Laughing Matter: Shakespearean Melancholy and the Transformation of Comedy

Mon projet de thèse démontre le rôle essentiel que tient la mélancolie dans les comédies de Shakespeare. J’analyse sa présence au travers de multiples pièces, des farces initiales, en passant par les comédies romantiques, jusqu’aux tragicomédies qui ponctuent les dernières années de sa carrière. Je dénote ainsi sa métamorphose au sein du genre comique, passant d’une représentation individuelle se rapportant à la théorie des humeurs, à un spectre émotionnel se greffant aux structures théâtrales dans lesquelles il évolue. Je suggère que cette progression s’apparent au cycle de joie et de tristesse qui forme la façon par laquelle Shakespeare dépeint l’émotion sur scène. Ma thèse délaisse donc les théories sur la mélancolie se rapportant aux humeurs et à la psychanalyse, afin de repositionner celle-ci dans un créneau shakespearien, comique, et historique, où le mot « mélancolie » évoque maintes définitions sur un plan social, scientifique, et surtout théâtrale. Suite à un bref aperçu de sa prévalence en Angleterre durant la Renaissance lors de mon introduction, les chapitres suivants démontrent la surabondance de mélancolie dans les comédies de Shakespeare. A priori, j’explore les façons par lesquelles elle est développée au travers de La Comedie des Erreurs et Peines d’Amour Perdues. Les efforts infructueux des deux pièces à se débarrasser de leur mélancolie par l’entremise de couplage hétérosexuels indique le malaise que celle-ci transmet au style comique de Shakespere et ce, dès ces premiers efforts de la sorte. Le troisième chapitre soutient que Beaucoup de Bruit pour Rien et Le Marchand de Venise offrent des exemples parangons du phénomène par lequel des personnages mélancoliques refusent de tempérer leurs comportements afin de se joindre aux célébrations qui clouent chaque pièce. La mélancolie que l’on retrouve ici génère une ambiguïté émotionnelle qui complique sa présence au sein du genre comique. Le chapitre suivant identifie Comme il vous plaira et La Nuit des Rois comme l’apogée du traitement comique de la mélancolie entrepris par Shakespeare. Je suggère que ces pièces démontrent l’instant où les caractérisations corporelles de la mélancolie ne sont plus de mise pour le style dramatique vers lequel Shakespeare se tourne progressivement. Le dernier chapitre analyse donc Périclès, prince de Tyr et Le Conte d’Hiver afin de démontrer que, dans la dernière phase de sa carrière théâtrale, Shakespeare a recours aux taxonomies comiques élucidées ultérieurement afin de créer une mélancolie spectrale qui s’attardent au-delà des pièces qu’elle hante. Cette caractérisation se rapporte aux principes de l’art impressionniste, puisqu’elle promeut l’abandon de la précision au niveau du texte pour favoriser les réponses émotionnelles que les pièces véhiculent. Finalement, ma conclusion démontre que Les Deux Nobles Cousins représente la culmination du développement de la mélancolie dans les comédies de Shakespeare, où l’incarnation spectrale du chapitre précèdent atteint son paroxysme. La nature collaborative de la pièce suggère également un certain rituel transitif entre la mélancolie dite Shakespearienne et celle développée par John Fletcher à l’intérieure de la même pièce.

Actitudes hacia el VIH/SIDA, el cáncer y la enfermedad de Alzheimer

Esta revisión de la literatura tuvo como objetivo describir las actitudes hacia el VIH/SIDA, el cáncer y la Enfermedad de Alzheimer desde el modelo tripartito. Se revisaron 109 artículos publicados entre 2005 y 2015 en algunas bases de datos especializadas y herramientas de análisis de impacto. También se incluyeron fuentes secundarias ampliándose la búsqueda a los últimos 20 años (1995-2015). Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los estudios realizados sobre las actitudes hacia estas tres enfermedades son de tipo cuantitativo y la información se analizó con base en los componentes del modelo tripartito. Algunos aspectos sociodemográficos como el sexo y la edad están asociados con las actitudes hacia las tres enfermedades y predominan las creencias erróneas sobre ellas respecto a sus causas, curso y tratamiento. También predominan actitudes negativas hacia las tres enfermedades y las conductas e intenciones conductuales son diversas hacia cada una de ellas. No se hallaron antecedentes empíricos del estudio de la estructura de las actitudes propuesta por el modelo tripartito hacia las tres enfermedades. La Salud Pública ha liderado la investigación con base en el modelo de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas propuesto por la OMS.

Geoarchaeological investigations of midden-formation processes in the early to late Neolithic levels at Catalhoyuk, Turkey ca. 8550-8370 cal BP.

Anthropogenic midden deposits are remarkably well preserved at the Neolithic settlement of atalhöyük and provide significant archaeological information on the types and nature of activities occurring at the site. To decipher their complex stratigraphy and to investigate formation processes, a combination of geoarchaeological techniques was used. Deposits were investigated from the early ceramic to late Neolithic levels, targeting continuous sequences to examine high resolution and broader scale changes in deposition. Thin-section micromorphology combined with targeted phytolith and geochemical analyses indicates they are composed of a diverse range of ashes and other charred and siliceous plant materials, with inputs of decayed plants and organic matter, fecal waste, and sedimentary aggregates, each with diverse depositional pathways. Activities identified include in situ burning, with a range of different fuel types that may be associated with different activities. The complexity and heterogeneity of the midden deposits, and thus the necessity of employing an integrated microstratigraphic approach is demonstrated, as a prerequisite for cultural and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.

Predicting early data revisions to US GDP and the effects of releases on equity markets

The effects of data uncertainty on real-time decision-making can be reduced by predicting early revisions to US GDP growth. We show that survey forecasts efficiently anticipate the first-revised estimate of GDP, but that forecasting models incorporating monthly economic indicators and daily equity returns provide superior forecasts of the second-revised estimate. We consider the implications of these findings for analyses of the impact of surprises in GDP revision announcements on equity markets, and for analyses of the impact of anticipated future revisions on announcement-day returns.

The Role of Motivational Strategies in the Upper Elementary Classroom : A systematic literature review about teacher strategies that promote self-confidence, motivation and a conducive learning environment

The aim of this literature review is to investigate which strategies teachers use to motivate pupils to communicate orally in English. The literature review also investigates how these teacher strategies affect pupils. The methodology used for this investigation is a systematic literature review. Various databases have been used when searching for literature. Scientific articles and theses have been searched for. They have also been read and analyzed before they have become a part of this review. The results indicate that some teachers feel insecure when speaking English. Therefore Swedish is spoken in many language classrooms. Teachers speaking in front of the class is the traditional way of teaching, and it does not seem to be a strategy who influences pupils positively. If teachers speak the target language among pupils they often get more motivated and focused pupils who feel comfortable speaking English. Young pupils are fast learners. By exposing them to the English language in early ages they receive great opportunities to learn a foreign language and strengthen their self-confidence. Drama, songs and rhymes are preferable strategies to use when teaching young learners. What position teachers decide to take in the classroom is also a significant element when teaching foreign languages.

The Tastes of a Nation: M.F.K. Fisher and the Genre of Culinary Literature

This project works to situate this gastronomic revolution within a historical context, arguing at greater length that our contemporary food culture in the United States is in part the legacy of the body of food representations. Here we witness the evolution of a particular culinary sensibility that appealed to readers differently in different historical moments, as exhibited by the variety of ways that Fisher’s body of work was publicly received. By the end of the twentieth century, Fisher’s ethos reigned supreme, because Americans began to view food with less fear and anxiety as they slowly became more comfortable expressing their physical appetites and desires. By the millennium, Americans began to respect and honor the physical appetite and give more consideration to the quality and origin of the foods that they consumed. Feelings of guilt associated with the enjoyment of food began to diminish as well.

Essays in Corporate Bankruptcy

Esta tese é composta por três ensaios sobre o mercado de crédito e as instituições que regem bancarrota corporativa. No capítulo um, trazemos evidências que questionam a ideia de que maiores níveis de proteção ao credor sempre promovem desenvolvimento do mercado de crédito. Desde a publicação dos artigos seminais de La Porta et al (1997,1998), a métrica de proteção ao credor que os autores propuseram -- o índice de proteção ao credor -- tem sido amplamente utilizada na literatura de Law and Finance como variável explicativa em modelos de regressão linear em forma reduzida para determinar a correlação entre proteção ao credor e desenvolvimento do mercado de crédito. Neste artigo, exploramos alguns problemas com essa abordagem. Do ponto de vista teórico, essa abordagem geralmente supõe uma relação monotônica entre proteção ao credor e expansão do crédito. Nós apresentamos um modelo teórico para um mercado de crédito com seleção adversa em que um nível intermediário de proteção ao credor é capaz de implementar equilíbrios first best. Este resultado está de acordo com diversos outros artigos teóricos, tanto em equilíbrio geral quanto em equilíbrio parcial. Do ponto de vista empírico, tiramos proveito das reformas realizadas por alguns países durante as décadas de 1990 e 2000 para implementar uma estratégia inspirada na literatura de treatment effects e estimar o efeito sobre o valor de mercado e sobre a dívida de: i) permitir automatic stay a firmas em recuperação; e ii) conceder aos credores o direito de afastar os administradores. Os resultados que obtivemos apontam para um impacto positivo de automatic stay sobre todas as variáveis que dependem do valor de mercado da firma. Não encontramos efeito sobre dívida, e não encontramos efeitos significativos do direito de afastar administradores sobre valor de mercado ou dívida. O capítulo dois avalia as consequências empíricas de uma reforma na lei de falências sobre um mercado de crédito pouco desenvolvido. No início de 2005, o Congresso Nacional brasileiro aprovou uma nova lei de falências, a lei 11.101/05. Usando dados de firmas brasileiras e não-brasileiras, nós estimamos, usando dois modelos diferentes, o efeito da reforma falimentar sobre variáveis contratuais e não-contratuais de dívida. Ambos os modelos produzem resultados similares. Encontramos um aumento no volume total de dívida e na dívida de longo prazo, e uma redução no custo de dívida. Não encontramos efeitos significativos sobre a estrutura de propriedade da dívida. No capítulo três, desenvolvemos um modelo estimável de equilíbrio em search direcionado aplicado ao mercado de crédito, modelo este que pode ser usado para realizar avaliações ex ante de mudanças institucionais que afetem o crédito (como reformas em leis de falência). A literatura em economia há muito reconhece uma relação causal entre instituições (como leis e regulações) e desenvolvimento dos mercados financeiros. Essa conclusão qualitativa é amplamente reconhecida, mas há pouca evidência de sua importância quantitativa. Com o nosso modelo, é possível estimar como contratos de dívida mudam em resposta a mudanças nos parâmetros que descrevem as instituições da economia. Também é possível estimar o impacto sobre investimentos realizados pelas firmas, bem como caracterizar a distribuição do tamanho, idade e produtividade das firmas antes e depois da mudança institucional. Como ilustração, realizamos um exercício empírico em que usamos dados de firmas brasileiras para simular o impacto de variações na taxa de recuperação de créditos sobre os valores médios e totais de dívida e capital das firmas. Encontramos dívida crescente e capital quase sempre também crescente na taxa de recuperação.

Which strategies can an educational business, such as a kindergarten in Germany, develop to foster employee engagement?

Which strategies can an educational business, such as a Kindergarten in Germany, develop to foster employee engagement? The goal of this master thesis is to identify effective and viable measures to engage employees, that could be potentially implemented in a Kindergarten in Germany. The literature concerning the notion of employee engagement is so inconsistent that even studies about the subject fail to find one common definition and have to acknowledge the variety of existing definitions (IES, 2014, p.52-53). This reflects the youth of the concept, which has only been partially studied by academics and practitioners in recent years. The literature gap about employee engagement concerns many aspects, among which small companies and educational businesses, in particular those focusing on early child development. Considering the low levels of employee engagement in Germany combined with the absence of studies on educational organizations focusing in early child development this master thesis studies engagement in German Kindergärten(s). This master thesis is divided in two parts consisting of a literature review and a case study. The literature review allows to follow the evolution of the concept along the years, while the case study focuses on assessing employee engagement in Montessori Kindergärten(s) in Munich & elaborating potential measures to increase engagement levels. Double sided research was undertaken for this case study. On the one hand a quantitative research was performed, through a survey, in order to uncover which strategies would be viable to foster employee engagement. On the other hand a qualitative research was undertaken, consisting in an internship in a Kindergarten, in order to shed light on how to do so. Findings in the quantitative research indicate overall engagement levels average to low. Results related to specific statements bring out the originality of the educational sector, which is in some aspects intrinsically engaging, similarly to the medical field (Seijts & Crim, 2006). Furthermore low engagement levels led to a conversely high number of positives responses to potential engagement strategies suggesting their potential effectiveness. Findings in the qualitative research are coherent with qualitative results and complement them

Povoações, freguesias e vilas na Paraíba Colonial: Pombal e Sousa, 1697-1800

The towns presently named Pombal and Sousa, located in the hinterland of the State of Paraíba, Brazil, still keep vestiges of the colonization process they went through along the 18th and 19th centuries, when they both emerged as settlement nuclei in the extreme West of the then captaincy of Paraíba and attained the status of freguesia and vila in a later period. This research aims to comprehend the process of urban formation and development of the colonial urban nuclei of Pombal and Sousa as they became povoados (hamlets), freguesias (parishes) and vilas (small urban communities with a local government), according to territorial expansion policies implemented by the Portuguese government from 1697 to 1800. The choice of the two urban settlements for this survey lies in the fact that they were part of the great conquest and colonization program undertaken by the Portuguese Crown. Another aspect that was considered was the fact that those towns are the oldest urban nuclei of Paraíba s hinterland. They came into being as early as in the times of the colony, thus producing a favorable environment to the study of the changes that occurred in the captaincy s hinterland scenery resulting from the process of formation and development of the colonial urban space. Three fundamental categories of analysis were defined since they have a direct bearing upon the urban configuration of the two colonization nuclei: povoado, freguesia and vila. The three of them are related to civil and ecclesiastic jurisdictions. Field, documentation and bibliography surveys were undertaken in order to develop the study. They allowed for the finding of vestiges of the old, colonial urban structures and for the development of theoretical analysis based on present-day studies of issues relating to the colonial urban history. The study purposes were, therefore, to try to understand how the old urban nuclei of Pombal and Sousa fit in the territorial expansion policies undertaken by the Portuguese government; to relate the process of urban formation and development of such nuclei with the categories of analysis povoação-freguesia-vila by discussing the relations and influences they exert over one another and their territory, as well as to unveil, as much as possible, the configuration the urban spaces that were shaped along the 18th century

The Serido Group of NE Brazil, a late Neoproterozoic pre- to syn-collisional basin in West Gondwana: insights from SHRIMP U-Pb detrital zircon ages and Sm-Nd crustal residence (T-DM) ages

The Serido Group is a deformed and metamorphosed metasedimentary sequence that overlies early Paleoproterozoic to Archean basement of the Rio Grande do Norte domain in the Borborema Province of NE Brazil. The age of the Serido Group has been disputed over the past two decades, with preferred sedimentation ages being either Paleoproterozoic or Neoproterozoic. Most samples of the Serido Formation, the upper part of the Serido Group, have Sm-Nd T-DM ages between 1200 and 1600 Ma. Most samples of the Jucurutu Formation, the lower part of the Serido Group, have T-DM ages ranging from 1500 to 1600 Ma; some basal units have T-DM ages as old as 2600 Ma, reflecting proximal basement. Thus, based on Sm-Nd data, most, if not all, of the Serido Group was deposited after 1600 Ma and upper parts must be younger than 1200 Ma.Cathodoluminescence photos of detrital zircons show very small to no overgrowths produced during ca. 600 Ma Brasiliano deformation and metamorphism, so that SHRIMP and isotope dilution U-Pb ages must represent crystallization ages of the detrital zircons. Zircons from meta-arkose near the base of the Jucurutu Formation yield two groups of ages: ca. 2200 Ma and ca. 1800 Ma. In contrast, zircons from a metasedimentary gneiss higher in the Jucurutu Formation yield much younger ages, with clusters at ca. 1000 Ma and ca. 650 Ma. Zircons from metasedimentary and metatuffaceous units in the Serido Formation also yield ages primarily between 1000 and 650 Ma, with clusters at 950-1000, 800, 750, and 650 Ma. Thus, most, if not all, of the Serido Group must be younger than 650 Ma. Because these units were deformed and metamorphosed in the ca. 600 Ma Brasiliano fold belt during assembly of West Gondwana, deposition probably occurred ca. 610-650 Ma, soon after crystallization of the youngest population of zircons and before or during the onset of Brasiliano deformation.The Serido Group was deposited upon Paleoproterozoic basement in a basin receiving detritus from a variety of sources. The Jucurutu Formation includes some basal volcanic rocks and initially received detritus from proximal 2.2-2.0 Ga (Transamazonian) to late Paleoproterozoic (1.8-1.7 Ga) basement. Provenance for the upper Jucurutu Formation and all of the Serido Formation was dominated by more distal and younger sources ranging in age from 1000 to 650 Ma. We suggest that the Serido basin may have developed as the result of late Neoproterozoic extension of a pre-existing continental basement, with formation of small marine basins that were largely floored by cratonic basement (subjacent oceanic crust has not yet been found). Immature sediment was initially derived from surrounding land; as the basin evolved much of the detritus probably came from highlands to the south (present coordinates). Alternatively, if the Patos shear zone is a major terrane boundary, the basin may have formed as an early collisional foredeep associated with south-dipping subduction. In any case, within 30 million years the region was compressed, deformed, and metamorphosed during final assembly of West Gondwana and formation of the Brasiliano-Pan African fold belts. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TICs) e literatura, uma aposta notável

The aim of this study was to develop a qualitative research of bibliographic nature, in order to verify how has been the use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and literary reading in early childhood education.. It is believed to be necessary for children, since their early childhood, to, be in contact with various literary works of aesthetic value, which will enable them to understand this particular literary language - and the imagery that comes with it - what can instigate appreciate literature and get the reading habit. The use of ICTs by children beyond the use of games and watching stories on computers, tablets and smartphones, for example, for the production of videos and slides or creating stories, enable new experiences of redesigning and construction of knowledge and culture. The idea for this research came from reading the numerous texts that deal with the need to understand the child as an active subject in the construction of culture and society, rather than as receiving reproductive and cultural orders (CRIANÇAS, 2012). In this sense, in addition to the newsletters Equity For Children: Latin America (CRIANÇAS, 2012), the understanding of childhood and child in the works of Walter O. Kohan (2005; 2006) supports this study. This research proposal was also based on authors and documents that point to the need to promote, since the first stages of Basic Education, the literary reading as a means of enjoyment and emancipation (LAJOLO 2001a; Barthes, 2007; FILIPOUSKY, 2009; BRAZIL, 2010; MACHADO, 2011; VASQUES, 2013), and an education connected to the technological advances of the twenty-first century (BRAZIL, 1997, CHAVES, 1998; DEMO, 2008)

Use of VEGFR-2 targeted microbubbles (BR55, Bracco imaging) for the early ultrasound evaluation of response to antiangiogenic treatment in a xenograft model of hepatocarcinoma

Aim: To evaluate the early response to treatment to an antiangiogenetic drug (sorafenib) in a heterotopic murine model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using ultrasonographic molecular imaging. Material and Methods: the xenographt model was established injecting a suspension of HuH7 cells subcutaneously in 19 nude mice. When tumors reached a mean diameter of 5-10 mm, they were divided in two groups (treatment and vehicle). The treatment group received sorafenib (62 mg/kg) by daily oral gavage for 14 days. Molecular imaging was performed using contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), by injecting into the mouse venous circulation a suspension of VEGFR-2 targeted microbubbles (BR55, kind gift of Bracco Swiss, Geneve, Switzerland). Video clips were acquired for 6 minutes, then microbubbles (MBs) were destroyed by a high mechanical index (MI) impulse, and another minute was recorded to evaluate residual circulating MBs. The US protocol was repeated at day 0,+2,+4,+7, and +14 from the beginning of treatment administration. Video clips were analyzed using a dedicated software (Sonotumor, Bracco Swiss) to quantify the signal of the contrast agent. Time/intensity curves were obtained and the difference of the mean MBs signal before and after high MI impulse (Differential Targeted Enhancement-dTE) was calculated. dTE represents a numeric value in arbitrary units proportional to the amount of bound MBs. At day +14 mice were euthanized and the tumors analyzed for VEGFR-2, pERK, and CD31 tissue levels using western blot analysis. Results: dTE values decreased from day 0 to day +14 both in treatment and vehicle groups, and they were statistically higher in vehicle group than in treatment group at day +2, at day +7, and at day +14. With respect to the degree of tumor volume increase, measured as growth percentage delta (GPD), treatment group was divided in two sub-groups, non-responders (GPD>350%), and responders (GPD<200%). In the same way vehicle group was divided in slow growth group (GPD<400%), and fast growth group (GPD>900%). dTE values at day 0 (immediately before treatment start) were higher in non-responders than in responders group, with statistical difference at day 2. While dTE values were higher in the fast growth group than in the slow growth group only at day 0. A significant positive correlation was found between VEGFR-2 tissue levels and dTE values, confirming that level of BR55 tissue enhancement reflects the amount of tissue VEGF receptor. Conclusions: the present findings show that, at least in murine experimental models, CEUS with BR55 is feasable and appears to be a useful tool in the prediction of tumor growth and response to sorafenib treatment in xenograft HCC.