As relativas de grau no português brasileiro : uma abordagem gerativista

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Letras, Departamento de Linguística, Português e Línguas Clássicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Linguística, 2015.

Trajectory prediction uncertainty modelling for Air Traffic Management

The anticipated growth of air traffic worldwide requires enhanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies and procedures to increase the system capacity, efficiency, and resilience, while reducing environmental impact and maintaining operational safety. To deal with these challenges, new automation and information exchange capabilities are being developed through different modernisation initiatives toward a new global operational concept called Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), in which aircraft trajectory information becomes the cornerstone of advanced ATM applications. This transformation will lead to higher levels of system complexity requiring enhanced Decision Support Tools (DST) to aid humans in the decision making processes. These will rely on accurate predicted aircraft trajectories, provided by advanced Trajectory Predictors (TP). The trajectory prediction process is subject to stochastic effects that introduce uncertainty into the predictions. Regardless of the assumptions that define the aircraft motion model underpinning the TP, deviations between predicted and actual trajectories are unavoidable. This thesis proposes an innovative method to characterise the uncertainty associated with a trajectory prediction based on the mathematical theory of Polynomial Chaos Expansions (PCE). Assuming univariate PCEs of the trajectory prediction inputs, the method describes how to generate multivariate PCEs of the prediction outputs that quantify their associated uncertainty. Arbitrary PCE (aPCE) was chosen because it allows a higher degree of flexibility to model input uncertainty. The obtained polynomial description can be used in subsequent prediction sensitivity analyses thanks to the relationship between polynomial coefficients and Sobol indices. The Sobol indices enable ranking the input parameters according to their influence on trajectory prediction uncertainty. The applicability of the aPCE-based uncertainty quantification detailed herein is analysed through a study case. This study case represents a typical aircraft trajectory prediction problem in ATM, in which uncertain parameters regarding aircraft performance, aircraft intent description, weather forecast, and initial conditions are considered simultaneously. Numerical results are compared to those obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation, demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method. The thesis includes two examples of DSTs (Demand and Capacity Balancing tool, and Arrival Manager) to illustrate the potential benefits of exploiting the proposed uncertainty quantification method.

GENERATIVE LEADERSHIP

This article presents the results of a research project that studied leadership from the standpoint of the personal conceptions that influence the behavior of local government leaders, as well as those conceptions desired to generate the social transformation processes required in communities. Qualitative methodology was used. Categories of analysis were created based on Pearson’s (1992) model of psychological archetypes. A relevant finding was the limited advance shown by interviewees regarding self-knowledge and a fragmented vision between the observer and the observee, which hinders their ability to take on the challenges that current reality demands from them.

A verdade (des)construída: a inserção da homossexualidade na comunidade cristã Nova Esperança, em Natal

The religious plurality has been increasingly intense in Brazil, while it has served as an object of study in various fields of knowledge. In this context, this paper aims to point out the general heterogeneity among experienced growth of Protestant and evangelical denominations, especially those who claim to be inclusive by attending to human diversity, seeking to understand the relationship between religion and homosexuality. Specific objectives aim to understand the functioning and speeches produced by Comunidade Cristã Nova Esperança in Natal. The theoretical framework was seated in the works of Bento (2008), Lima (2009), Goffman (2001), Natividade (2008), Musskopf (2008), Helminiak (1998), Foucault (1997), among others. We tried to discuss the trajectory and how is the process of organization of the Comunidade Cristã Nova Esperança in Natal, the social advances that have reached homosexuals in our country, how this institution has contributed to the shift in paradigm in Christianity in respect to matters pertaining to religion and homosexuality, and the meaning of being a homosexual christian from the viewpoint perceived by social subjects living this experience

The meaning of implied volatility in pricing stock options traded in options markets

Ph.D. in the Faculty of Business Administration

Trajetória profissional de professoras do ensino médio : sentidos e usos de tecnologias digitais na sala de aula

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Psicologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Processos de Desenvolvimento Humano e Saúde, 2016.

The burden of neck pain: its meaning for persons with neck pain and healthcare providers, explored by concept mapping

PURPOSE: To empirically define the concept of burden of neck pain. The lack of a clear understanding of this construct from the perspective of persons with neck pain and care providers hampers adequate measurement of this burden. An additional aim was to compare the conceptual model obtained with the frequently used Neck Disability Index (NDI). METHODS: Concept mapping, combining qualitative (nominal group technique and group consensus) and quantitative research methods (cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling), was applied to groups of persons with neck pain (n = 3) and professionals treating persons with neck pain (n = 2). Group members generated statements, which were organized into concept maps. Group members achieved consensus about the number and description of domains and the researchers then generated an overall mind map covering the full breadth of the burden of neck pain. RESULTS: Concept mapping revealed 12 domains of burden of neck pain: impaired mobility neck, neck pain, fatigue/concentration, physical complaints, psychological aspects/consequences, activities of daily living, social participation, financial consequences, difficult to treat/difficult to diagnose, difference of opinion with care providers, incomprehension by social environment, and how person with neck pain deal with complaints. All ten items of the NDI could be linked to the mind map, but the NDI measures only part of the burden of neck pain. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the relevant domains for the burden of neck pain from the viewpoints of persons with neck pain and their care providers. These results can guide the identification of existing measurements instruments for each domain or the development of new ones to measure the burden of neck pain.

Trajectory of sedation assessment and sedative use in intubated and ventilated patients in intensive care: a clinical audit

Background: Sedation is crucial for the recovery of patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Maintaining comfort and safety promotes optimal care for critically ill patients. Purpose: To examine sedation assessment and management undertaken by health professionals for mechanically ventilated patients in one Australian ICU. Methods: A retrospective clinical audit was undertaken of medical records of all eligible, mechanically ventilated patients admitted to an ICU of an Australian metropolitan, teaching hospital over a 12-month period. A Sedation Audit Tool was used to collect data from the day of intubation to 5 days after intubation. Findings: Data were extracted from medical records of 150 patients. The Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS) was the scoring system used. Patients were unarousable or very sedated between 57% and 81% at some point during the study period, while between 5% and 11% were agitated, very agitated or extremely agitated across this time. Patients' sedation scores were not documented in between 3.3% and 23.3% of patients. Medications commonly used were propofol, midazolam, morphine, and fentanyl. There were 135 situations of adverse events, which related to patients pulling endotracheal tubes leading to malpositioning, patients biting endotracheal tubes causing desaturation, patient experiencing excessive agitation requiring restraint use, patients experiencing increased intracranial pressure above desired limits, patients self-extubating, and patients experiencing over-drowsiness leading to delays in extubation. Conclusions: Many patients were either very sedated or agitated at some point during the study period, and some patients experienced adverse outcomes associated with sedation practices. The findings inform future quality initiatives to improve sedation practices.

The trajectory of dispersal research in conservation biology. Systematic review

Dispersal knowledge is essential for conservation management, and demand is growing. But are we accumulating dispersal knowledge at a pace that can meet the demand? To answer this question we tested for changes in dispersal data collection and use over time. Our systematic review of 655 conservation-related publications compared five topics: climate change, habitat restoration, population viability analysis, land planning (systematic conservation planning) and invasive species. We analysed temporal changes in the: (i) questions asked by dispersal-related research; (ii) methods used to study dispersal; (iii) the quality of dispersal data; (iv) extent that dispersal knowledge is lacking, and; (v) likely consequences of limited dispersal knowledge. Research questions have changed little over time; the same problems examined in the 1990s are still being addressed. The most common methods used to study dispersal were occupancy data, expert opinion and modelling, which often provided indirect, low quality information about dispersal. Although use of genetics for estimating dispersal has increased, new ecological and genetic methods for measuring dispersal are not yet widely adopted. Almost half of the papers identified knowledge gaps related to dispersal. Limited dispersal knowledge often made it impossible to discover ecological processes or compromised conservation outcomes. The quality of dispersal data used in climate change research has increased since the 1990s. In comparison, restoration ecology inadequately addresses large-scale process, whilst the gap between knowledge accumulation and growth in applications may be increasing in land planning. To overcome apparent stagnation in collection and use of dispersal knowledge, researchers need to: (i) improve the quality of available data using new approaches; (ii) understand the complementarities of different methods and; (iii) define the value of different kinds of dispersal information for supporting management decisions. Ambitious, multi-disciplinary research programs studying many species are critical for advancing dispersal research.

Trajectory and predictors of quality of life in first episode psychotic mania

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the trajectory of quality of life (QoL) following a first episode of psychotic mania in bipolar disorder (BD). This 18-month longitudinal study investigated the trajectory of QoL, and the influence of premorbid adjustment and symptoms on 18-month QoL in a cohort of young people experiencing a first episode of psychotic mania. METHODS: As part of an overarching clinical trial, at baseline, sixty participants presenting with a first episode of psychotic mania (BD Type 1 - DSM-IV) completed symptomatic and functional assessments in addition to the Premorbid Adjustment Scale - General Subscale. Symptom measures were repeated at 18-month follow up. QoL was rated using the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) at designated time points. RESULTS: Mean QLS scores at initial measurement (8 weeks) were 61% of the maximum possible score, increasing significantly to 70% at 12 months, and 71.2% at 18-month follow-up. Premorbid adjustment and 18-month depressive symptoms were significantly associated with QoL at 18-month follow-up. LIMITATIONS: Study limitations include the small sample size, inclusion of participants with psychotic mania only, use of measures originally designed for use with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and lack of premorbid or baseline measurement of QoL. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that QoL can be maintained early in BD, and reinforce the importance of assertively treating depressive symptoms throughout the course of this disorder. The emergence of a link between premorbid adjustment and poorer QoL in this cohort highlights the importance of assessing facets of adjustment when planning psychological interventions.

Motion trajectory analysis for evaluating the performance of functional upper extremity tasks in daily living : a pilot study

Since 1998, tele-rehabilitation has been extensively studied for its potential capacity of saving time and cost for both therapists and patients. However, one gap hindering the deployment of tele-rehabilitation service is the approach to evaluate the outcome after tele-rehabilitation exercises without the presence of professional clinicians. In this paper, we propose an approach to model jerky and jerky-free movement trajectories with hidden Markov models (HMMs). The HMMs are then utilised to identify the jerky characteristics in a motion trajectory, thereby providing the number and amplitude of jerky movements in the specific length of the trajectory. Eventually, the ability of performing functional upper extremity tasks can be evaluated by classifying the motion trajectory into one of the pre-defined ability levels by looking at the number and amplitude of jerky movements. The simulation experiment confirmed that the proposed method is able to correctly classify motion trajectories into various ability levels to a high degree.

Depression screening and referral in cardiac wards: A 12-month patient trajectory

Background: Depression is common among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and has a major impact on their quality of life, morbidity and mortality. Aim: The aim of this study was to map the 12-month psychosocial outcomes of patients with CHD who were screened positive for depression in an acute cardiac ward.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted of the psychosocial trajectory (depression, anxiety, wellbeing, social support, mental health service access) of 212 patients with CHD who were screened for depression after being admitted to acute cardiac wards of a major metropolitan hospital. Outcomes were assessed before hospital discharge and at one, three, six and 12 months post-discharge.

Results: Linear mixed models identified that those patients screened at ‘moderate to high’ risk of depression at baseline had higher levels of depression (F(1,173)=53.93, p<0.0001) and anxiety (F(1,180)=67.01, p<0.001), and lower levels of wellbeing (F(1,186)=42.47, p<0.001) and social support (F(1,177)=25.40, p<0.0001), compared to those at ‘no to low’ risk of depression. Levels of depression and wellbeing remained fairly constant over the 12-month trajectory. Surgical and medical treatment groups were of similar psychological composition over the 12-month period.

Conclusions: These findings attest to the effectiveness and predictive validity of a simple nurse-administered screening tool designed to identify depression in hospital patients with CHD and also indicate that a screening and referral tool alone is not sufficient to achieve optimal disease management. A collaborative care model involving family members and integrated pathways to primary care is recommended.

Duplicity of meaning

This article considers the ‘duplicitous’ functions of the word ‘wild’ in the arguments over the Queensland’s Wild Rivers Act 2005. Certain traditional owners, environmentalist and state groups have deployed the term pragmatically, simultaneously endorsing its usage (through repetition) and disavowing its colonial associations (through explanation) against protestations by Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders. In a sense, this ambivalent ‘duplicity’ is entirely consistent with relations between the settler-colonial nation state and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander polities – relations aptly characterised by Povinelli as shaped by ‘the cunning of recognition’ – which stratify relations between groups through the endorsing of ‘tradition’. Thus ‘the Indigenous’ can be posited both as one political minority amidst a multicultural polity and as a pre-modern and endemic precursor of the settler-colonial nation, constitutively conservationist ‘first Australians’. Arguably, in the legislation’s ‘recognition’ of the ‘wild’ past, Indigenous peoples – who were known in nineteenth century Queensland as ‘wild blacks’ or ‘myalls’ (meaning those who resisted leaving their lands – and ‘could be shot with impunity’) are recouped as the nation’s first caretakers of ‘pristine’ waterways. However, this article regards the current use of this ambivalent word as also potentially authorising those recognised through this mythic form, providing a limited and uncertain opportunity for traditional owners to ground a form of sovereign right in lands and waterways. Against totalising settler-colonial critiques of hegemony, this article argues that the Wild Rivers legislation does not forget indigeneity, but rather relies on indigeneity. While much research concerning ‘natural’ ideologies such as ‘the noble savage’ has worked to show that faith in a belated era of historical fullness or presence can serve to evacuate the present of material details, it may also be that the ‘wild’ can also offer Indigenous peoples a valuable political authority to, in the words of Courtney Jung, ‘contest the exclusions through which it has been constituted’.

A visual-numeric approach to clustering and anomaly detection for trajectory data

This paper proposes a novel application of Visual Assessment of Tendency (VAT)-based hierarchical clustering algorithms (VAT, iVAT, and clusiVAT) for trajectory analysis. We introduce a new clustering based anomaly detection framework named iVAT+ and clusiVAT+ and use it for trajectory anomaly detection. This approach is based on partitioning the VAT-generated Minimum Spanning Tree based on an efficient thresholding scheme. The trajectories are classified as normal or anomalous based on the number of paths in the clusters. On synthetic datasets with fixed and variable numbers of clusters and anomalies, we achieve 98 % classification accuracy. Our two-stage clusiVAT method is applied to 26,039 trajectories of vehicles and pedestrians from a parking lot scene from the real life MIT trajectories dataset. The first stage clusters the trajectories ignoring directionality. The second stage divides the clusters obtained from the first stage by considering trajectory direction. We show that our novel two-stage clusiVAT approach can produce natural and informative trajectory clusters on this real life dataset while finding representative anomalies.

When the private becomes public: commodity activism, endorsement, and making meaning in a privatised world

The divide between the public realm and the private realm is a both a moveable and permeable boundary. One of the reasons for this fluidity as to what constitutes these two realms is driven by different political postures. From a neoliberal position, the private—be that private industry, the individual self, the engines of the economy—is better able to produce the Benthamite characterisation of happiness for the greatest number. In contrast, from a socialist to social democratic position, an expanded public disbursement of commonwealth is seen to produce a more equitable, just, and ultimately happy society. Somewhere between these two extremes is a regulated marketplace which more or less describes the organisation of most Western polities.This paper investigates a relatively new form of public activism that, in a sense, emerges from a cultural condition of the ascendancy of the privatisation of politics and culture. Commodity activism, as it is now called by researchers, begins with a politics of the marketplace and turns it into a normative position or posture related to the public sphere. This kind of politics has emerged from consumer movements that have a long history of turning the private into the domain of the public through boycotts, forms of usually negative publicity, and an active engagement of appropriating the key identity of “privatisation,” which is that of the consumer, and re-politicising it into something akin to a form of active citizen. The paper is a study of this changing of the private into the public and how this process relies on the concept of endorsement—particularly high-profile celebrity figures who have gained their power as individuals in this privatised space and now use that form of power for other purposes—in order to gain attention and circulation in this now privatised public sphere.