A CONSTRUÇÃO DISCURSIVA E A RECEPÇÃO DA HOMOAFETIVIDADE NA TELEDRAMATURGIA BRASILEIRA: consumo, representação e identidade homossexual

Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a representação e discurso dos personagens homossexuais da teledramaturgia brasileira e sua potencial relação com as demandas da comunidade homossexual na sua luta por maior tolerância e emancipação. A metodologia inclui dois enfoques analíticos: o primeiro centra-se no campo da produção, a partir dos pressupostos da Análise do Discurso e dos Estudos Queer, verificando os aspectos textuais do discurso e da representação dos personagens gays das telenovelas. O segundo enfoque centra-se no campo da circulação e consumo, mediante os pressupostos dos Estudos de Recepção, a fim de avaliar como os receptores realizam a apropriação do discurso e representação homossexual da telenovela. Esse segundo enfoque conta com um instrumento quantitativo e uma entrevista qualitativa semidirigida, aplicados a uma amostra de 402 participantes, hétero e homossexuais, a maioria jovens estudantes de graduação em Belo Horizonte, MG. Quanto às análises discursivas, os resultados demonstram uma mudança no padrão de representação dos personagens homossexuais, deslocando-se do padrão heteronormativo para uma representação mais humanizada, seguindo o momento histórico de maturidade política da sociedade e a aprovação de marcos legais favoráveis aos sujeitos homossexuais. Quanto aos estudos de recepção, os resultados confirmam o potencial pedagógico da telenovela em ampliar a discussão sobre a questão homoafetiva; auxiliar o sujeito homossexual em aceitar sua identidade sexual e encorajá-lo a assumir sua orientação sexual.

Data visualization with simultaneous feature selection

Data visualization algorithms and feature selection techniques are both widely used in bioinformatics but as distinct analytical approaches. Until now there has been no method of measuring feature saliency while training a data visualization model. We derive a generative topographic mapping (GTM) based data visualization approach which estimates feature saliency simultaneously with the training of the visualization model. The approach not only provides a better projection by modeling irrelevant features with a separate noise model but also gives feature saliency values which help the user to assess the significance of each feature. We compare the quality of projection obtained using the new approach with the projections from traditional GTM and self-organizing maps (SOM) algorithms. The results obtained on a synthetic and a real-life chemoinformatics dataset demonstrate that the proposed approach successfully identifies feature significance and provides coherent (compact) projections. © 2006 IEEE.

Modeling foreign exchange rate pass-through using the exponential GARCH

In this chapter, the authors use an EGARCH-ECM to estimate the pass-through effects of Foreign Exchange (FX) rate changes and changes in producers' prices for 20 U.K. export sectors. The long-run adjustments of export prices to FX rate changes and changes in producers' prices are within the range of -1.02% (for the Textiles sector) and -17.22% (for the Meat sector). The contemporaneous Pricing-To-Market (PTM) coefficients are within the range of -72.84% (for the Fuels sector) and -8.05% (for the Textiles sector). Short-run FX rate pass-through is not complete even after several months. Rolling EGARCH-ECMs show that the short and long-run effects of changes in FX rate and producers' prices vary substantially, as do asymmetry and volatility estimates before equilibrium is achieved.

Creating research collaboration among the global community of sales scholars:key takeaways from the 2013 AMA faculty consortium

Within the contemporary business milieu, the discipline of selling and sales management has taken on a more prominent role in recent years. Myriad factors have contributed to the rise of interest in sales including globalization, technology, more sophisticated analytical approaches and new opportunities for co-creation of value between organizations and their customers. Over the past three decades, seven faculty consortia in sales have served as milestones to document the progress 2of the field, particularly the evolution of academic research. This article provides key takeaways from the most recent American Marketing Association (AMA) Faculty Consortium in Selling and Sales Management, which had the overarching goal of fostering new opportunities for building intercontinental research teams to effectively address the substantive issues for the future of the field. © 2014 Pi Sigma Epsilon National Educational Foundation.

The epidemiology of prostate cancer among multiethnic men

The research goal was to document differences in the epidemiology of prostate cancer among multicultural men [non-Hispanic White (NHW), Hispanic (H), non-Hispanic Black (NHB)], and Black subgroups, particularly among NHB subgroups [US-born (USB) and Caribbean-born (CBB)]. Study findings will be useful in supporting further research into Black subgroups. Aim 1 explored changes over time in reported prostate cancer prevalence, by race/ethnicity and by birthplace (within the Black subgroups). Aim 2 investigated relationships between observed and latent variables. The analytical approaches included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA for measurement models) and structural equation modeling (SEM for regression models). National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 1999–2008 were used. The study sample included men aged 18 and older, grouped by race/ethnicity. Among the CBB group, survey respondents were limited to the English-speaking Caribbean. Prostate cancer prevalence, by race showed a higher trend among NHB men than NHW men overall, however differences over time were not significant. CBB men reported a higher proportion of prostate cancer among cancers diagnosed than USB men overall. Due to small sample sizes, stable prostate cancer prevalence trends could not be assessed over time nor could trends in the receipt of a PSA exam among NHB men when stratified by birthplace. USB and CBB men differ significantly in their screening behavior. The effect of SES on PSA screening adjusted for risk factors was statistically significant while latent variable lifestyle was not. Among risk factors, family history of cancer exhibited a consistent positive effect on PSA screening for both USB and CBB men. Among the CBB men, the number of years lived in the US did not significantly affect PSA screening behavior. When NHB men are stratified by birthplace, CBB men had a higher overall prevalence of prostate cancer diagnoses than USB men although not statistically significant. USB men were 2 to 3 times more likely to have had a PSA exam compared to CBB men, but among CBB men birthplace did not make a significant difference in screening behavior. Latent variable SES, but not lifestyle, significantly affected the likelihood of a PSA exam.

Application of Numerical Methods to Study Arrangement and Fracture of Lithium-Ion Microstructure

The focus of this work is to develop and employ numerical methods that provide characterization of granular microstructures, dynamic fragmentation of brittle materials, and dynamic fracture of three-dimensional bodies.

We first propose the fabric tensor formalism to describe the structure and evolution of lithium-ion electrode microstructure during the calendaring process. Fabric tensors are directional measures of particulate assemblies based on inter-particle connectivity, relating to the structural and transport properties of the electrode. Applying this technique to X-ray computed tomography of cathode microstructure, we show that fabric tensors capture the evolution of the inter-particle contact distribution and are therefore good measures for the internal state of and electronic transport within the electrode.

We then shift focus to the development and analysis of fracture models within finite element simulations. A difficult problem to characterize in the realm of fracture modeling is that of fragmentation, wherein brittle materials subjected to a uniform tensile loading break apart into a large number of smaller pieces. We explore the effect of numerical precision in the results of dynamic fragmentation simulations using the cohesive element approach on a one-dimensional domain. By introducing random and non-random field variations, we discern that round-off error plays a significant role in establishing a mesh-convergent solution for uniform fragmentation problems. Further, by using differing magnitudes of randomized material properties and mesh discretizations, we find that employing randomness can improve convergence behavior and provide a computational savings.

The Thick Level-Set model is implemented to describe brittle media undergoing dynamic fragmentation as an alternative to the cohesive element approach. This non-local damage model features a level-set function that defines the extent and severity of degradation and uses a length scale to limit the damage gradient. In terms of energy dissipated by fracture and mean fragment size, we find that the proposed model reproduces the rate-dependent observations of analytical approaches, cohesive element simulations, and experimental studies.

Lastly, the Thick Level-Set model is implemented in three dimensions to describe the dynamic failure of brittle media, such as the active material particles in the battery cathode during manufacturing. The proposed model matches expected behavior from physical experiments, analytical approaches, and numerical models, and mesh convergence is established. We find that the use of an asymmetrical damage model to represent tensile damage is important to producing the expected results for brittle fracture problems.

The impact of this work is that designers of lithium-ion battery components can employ the numerical methods presented herein to analyze the evolving electrode microstructure during manufacturing, operational, and extraordinary loadings. This allows for enhanced designs and manufacturing methods that advance the state of battery technology. Further, these numerical tools have applicability in a broad range of fields, from geotechnical analysis to ice-sheet modeling to armor design to hydraulic fracturing.

Quantitative Analysis and Determination of Microcystin in water by Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry

The presence of harmful algal blooms (HAB) is a growing concern in aquatic environments. Among HAB organisms, cyanobacteria are of special concern because they have been reported worldwide to cause environmental and human health problem through contamination of drinking water. Although several analytical approaches have been applied to monitoring cyanobacteria toxins, conventional methods are costly and time-consuming so that analyses take weeks for field sampling and subsequent lab analysis. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) becomes a particularly suitable analytical separation method that can couple very small samples and rapid separations to a wide range of selective and sensitive detection techniques. This paper demonstrates a method for rapid separation and identification of four microcystin variants commonly found in aquatic environments. CE coupled to UV and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF) procedures were developed. All four analytes were separated within 6 minutes. The ESI-TOF experiment provides accurate molecular information, which further identifies analytes.

Linking Parametric CAD with Adjoint Surface Sensitivities

The goal of this work is to present an efficient CAD-based adjoint process chain for calculating parametric sensitivities (derivatives of the objective function with respect to the CAD parameters) in timescales acceptable for industrial design processes. The idea is based on linking parametric design velocities (geometric sensitivities computed from the CAD model) with adjoint surface sensitivities. A CAD-based design velocity computation method has been implemented based on distances between discrete representations of perturbed geometries. This approach differs from other methods due to the fact that it works with existing commercial CAD packages (unlike most analytical approaches) and it can cope with the changes in CAD model topology and face labeling. Use of the proposed method allows computation of parametric sensitivities using adjoint data at a computational cost which scales with the number of objective functions being considered, while it is essentially independent of the number of design variables. The gradient computation is demonstrated on test cases for a Nozzle Guide Vane (NGV) model and a Turbine Rotor Blade model. The results are validated against finite difference values and good agreement is shown. This gradient information can be passed to an optimization algorithm, which will use it to update the CAD model parameters.

Evaluation of an alternative spectroscopic approach for aflatoxin analysis: Comparative analysis of food and feed samples with UPLC-MS/MS

Increasing research has highlighted the effects of changing climates on the occurrence and prevalence of toxigenic Aspergillus species producing aflatoxins. There is concern of the toxicological effects to human health and animal productivity following acute and chronic exposure that may affect the future ability to provide safe and sufficient food globally. Considerable research has focused on the detection of these toxins, based on the physicochemical and biochemical properties of the aflatoxin compounds, in agricultural products for human and animal consumption. As improvements in food security continue more regulations for acceptable levels of aflatoxins have arisen globally; the most stringent in Europe. These regulations are important for developing countries as aflatoxin occurrence is high significantly effecting international trade and the economy. In developed countries analytical approaches have become highly sophisticated, capable of attaining results with high precision and accuracy, suitable for regulatory laboratories. Regrettably, many countries that are affected by aflatoxin contamination do not have resources for high tech HPLC and MS instrumentation and require more affordable, yet robust equally accurate alternatives that may be used by producers, processors and traders in emerging economies. It is especially important that those companies wishing to exploit the opportunities offered by lucrative but highly regulated markets in the developed world, have access to analytical methods that will ensure that their exports meet their customers quality and safety requirements.

This work evaluates the ToxiMet system as an alternative approach to UPLC–MS/MS for the detection and determination of aflatoxins relative to current European regulatory standards. Four commodities: rice grain, maize cracked and flour, peanut paste and dried distillers grains were analysed for natural aflatoxin contamination. For B1 and total aflatoxins determination the qualitative correlation, above or below the regulatory limit, was good for all commodities with the exception of the dried distillers grain samples for B1 for which no calibration existed. For B1 the quantitative R² correlations were 0.92, 0.92, 0.88 (<250 μg/kg) and 0.7 for rice, maize, peanuts and dried distillers grain samples respectively whereas for total aflatoxins the quantitative correlation was 0.92, 0.94, 0.88 and 0.91. The ToxiMet system could be used as an alternative for aflatoxin analysis for current legislation but some consideration should be given to aflatoxin M1 regulatory levels for these commodities considering the high levels detected in this study especially for maize and peanuts

Les stratégies syndicales face aux restructurations d’entreprises : une étude comparative des contre-pouvoirs syndicaux dans le secteur des équipementiers automobiles en France et au Canada

Cette thèse tente de comprendre l’impact des restructurations des entreprises multinationales sur les stratégies syndicales. Les acteurs syndicaux locaux sont-ils déterminés par l’appartenance à des régimes nationaux et à des contingences organisationnelles ou peuvent-ils influencer des décisions objectives comme les restructurations ? Cette recherche s’insère dans une problématique large qui fait la jonction entre la mondialisation économique sur une base continentale, la réorganisation productive des entreprises multinationales et l’action syndicale. Au plan théorique, nous confrontons trois grandes approches analytiques, à savoir : le néo-institutionnalisme et les structures d’opportunités ; l’économie politique critique et la question du pouvoir syndical ; la géographie économique critique mettant de l’avant les contingences, l’encastrement et l’espace concurrentiel. Sur la base de ces trois familles, nous présentons un modèle d’analyse multidisciplinaire. Au plan méthodologique, cette thèse est structurée autour de quatre études de cas locales qui ont subi des menaces de restructurations. Cette collecte a été effectuée dans deux pays (la France et le Canada) et dans un secteur particulier (les équipementiers automobiles). Trois sources qualitatives forment le cœur empirique de cette thèse : des statistiques descriptives, des documents de sources secondaires et des entretiens semi-dirigés (44), principalement avec des acteurs syndicaux. L’analyse intra et inter régime national éclaire plusieurs aspects de la question des stratégies syndicales en contexte de restructurations. Les principales contributions de cette thèse touchent : 1. l’impact des facteurs relationnels et des ressources de pouvoir développées par les syndicats locaux sur les structures d’opportunités institutionnelles; 2. l’importance des aspects « cognitifs » et d’envisager le pouvoir de manière multi-niveaux; 3. l’importance de l’encastrement social et des dynamiques relationnelles entre syndicats et patronats; 4. l’influence de la concurrence internationale/nationale/régionale/locale dans le secteur des équipementiers automobiles; et 5. l’importance des arbitrages et des relations entre les acteurs de l’entreprise par rapport à la théorie de la contingence pour comprendre les marges structurelles des syndicats locaux. Notre recherche invite les acteurs sociaux à repenser leur action dans le cadre des restructurations. En particulier, les syndicats locaux se doivent d’explorer de nouveaux répertoires stratégiques pour répondre aux nombreux défis que posent le changement économique et les restructurations.

Critical incident analysis: reflections of a teacher educator

As a teacher educator I consider myself an advocate for research-informed education, and strongly believe that it starts with one’s own critical self-reflection and analysis of one’s own teaching practice. Critical incident analysis is a pedagogical theory developed by Tripp (1993), whose analytical approaches allow reflection on teaching situations – ‘the critical incident’ – so that teachers can develop their professional judgments and practices. This article examines the concept of critical incident analysis through a teaching situation, with the aim of improving the teaching practice of students on teacher education programmes. I conclude that although critical incident analysis is a useful tool in navigating teaching practices, often challenges need to be addressed at much broader levels than the teaching context itself.

Les stratégies syndicales face aux restructurations d’entreprises : une étude comparative des contre-pouvoirs syndicaux dans le secteur des équipementiers automobiles en France et au Canada

Cette thèse tente de comprendre l’impact des restructurations des entreprises multinationales sur les stratégies syndicales. Les acteurs syndicaux locaux sont-ils déterminés par l’appartenance à des régimes nationaux et à des contingences organisationnelles ou peuvent-ils influencer des décisions objectives comme les restructurations ? Cette recherche s’insère dans une problématique large qui fait la jonction entre la mondialisation économique sur une base continentale, la réorganisation productive des entreprises multinationales et l’action syndicale. Au plan théorique, nous confrontons trois grandes approches analytiques, à savoir : le néo-institutionnalisme et les structures d’opportunités ; l’économie politique critique et la question du pouvoir syndical ; la géographie économique critique mettant de l’avant les contingences, l’encastrement et l’espace concurrentiel. Sur la base de ces trois familles, nous présentons un modèle d’analyse multidisciplinaire. Au plan méthodologique, cette thèse est structurée autour de quatre études de cas locales qui ont subi des menaces de restructurations. Cette collecte a été effectuée dans deux pays (la France et le Canada) et dans un secteur particulier (les équipementiers automobiles). Trois sources qualitatives forment le cœur empirique de cette thèse : des statistiques descriptives, des documents de sources secondaires et des entretiens semi-dirigés (44), principalement avec des acteurs syndicaux. L’analyse intra et inter régime national éclaire plusieurs aspects de la question des stratégies syndicales en contexte de restructurations. Les principales contributions de cette thèse touchent : 1. l’impact des facteurs relationnels et des ressources de pouvoir développées par les syndicats locaux sur les structures d’opportunités institutionnelles; 2. l’importance des aspects « cognitifs » et d’envisager le pouvoir de manière multi-niveaux; 3. l’importance de l’encastrement social et des dynamiques relationnelles entre syndicats et patronats; 4. l’influence de la concurrence internationale/nationale/régionale/locale dans le secteur des équipementiers automobiles; et 5. l’importance des arbitrages et des relations entre les acteurs de l’entreprise par rapport à la théorie de la contingence pour comprendre les marges structurelles des syndicats locaux. Notre recherche invite les acteurs sociaux à repenser leur action dans le cadre des restructurations. En particulier, les syndicats locaux se doivent d’explorer de nouveaux répertoires stratégiques pour répondre aux nombreux défis que posent le changement économique et les restructurations.

Geochemical analysis at ODP Site 207-1259 from the Demerara Rise in the western equatorial Atlantic

Organic carbon-rich shales deposited during the Coniacian-Santonian Oceanic Anoxic Event 3 were drilled during ODP Leg 207 at Demerara Rise. We present integrated high-resolution geochemical records of core intervals from ODP Sites 1259 and 1261 both from nannofossil biozone CC14. Our results reveal systematic variations in marine and detrital sediment contribution, depositional processes, and bottom water redox conditions during black shale formation at two locations on Demerara Rise in different paleo-water depths. A combination of redox proxies (Fe/S, P/Al, C/P, redox-sensitive/sulfide-forming trace metals Mn, Cd, Mo, Ni, V, Zn) and other analytical approaches (bulk sediment composition, P speciation, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction) evidence anoxic to sulfidic bottom water and sediment conditions throughout the deposition of black shale. These extreme redox conditions persisted and were periodically punctuated by short-termed periods with less reducing bottom waters irrespective of paleo-water depth. Sediment supply at both sites was generally dominated by marine material (carbonate, organic matter, opal) although relationships of detrital proxies as well as glauconitic horizons support some influence of turbidites, winnowing bottom currents and/or variable detritus sources, along with less reducing bottom water at the proposed shallower location (ODP Site 1259). At Site 1261, located at greater paleo-depth, redox fluctuations were more regular, and steady hemipelagic sedimentation sustained the development of mostly undisturbed lamination in the sedimentary record. Strong similarities of the studied deposits exist with the stratigraphic older Cenomanian-Turonian OAE2 black shale sections at Demerara Rise, suggesting that the primary mechanisms controlling continental supply and ocean redox state were time-invariant and kept the western equatorial Atlantic margin widely anoxic over millions of years.

Combined Use of NMR, LC-ESIMS and Antifungal Tests for Rapid Detection of Bioactive Lipopeptides Produced by Bacillus

The science and technology interact with the art in several ways. Biotechnological coupled with analytical approaches can play an important role in protecting and preserving cultural heritage for future generations. Many microorganisms influenced by environmental conditions are the main responsible for biological contamination in built heritage. Biocides based on chemical compounds have been used to mitigate this problem. Thus, it is vitally important to develop proper remediation actions based on environmentally innocuous alternative. Bacillus specie is emerging as an optimistic alternative for built heritage treatment due to their capacity to produce secondary metabolites with antagonistic activities against many fungal pathogens. Therefore, the intent of this work was to access a rapid evaluation of antifungal potential of bioactive metabolites produced by Bacillus strains and simultaneously their characterization using spectroscopic (NMR) and chromatographic techniques (LCESI- MS). The high antifungal activity obtained for Bacillus sp. active compounds produced in this study confirms the great potential to suppress biodeteriogenic fungi growth on historical artworks. Additionally, the proposed methodology allowed to access bioactive metabolites produced without need of the laborious total previous isolation and could be used as a viable alternative to be employed for screening and production of new green biocides.

Approaches for multicopper oxidases in the design of electrochemical sensors for analytical applications

We report an effective approach for the construction of a biomimetic sensor of multicopper oxidases by immobilizing a cyclic-tetrameric copper(II) species, containing the ligand (4-imidazolyl)ethylene-2-amino-1-ethylpyridine (apyhist), in the Nafion (R) membrane on a vitreous carbon electrode surface. This complex provides a tetranuclear arrangement of copper ions that allows an effective reduction of oxygen to water, in a catalytic cycle involving four electrons. The electrochemical reduction of oxygen was studied at pH 9.0 buffer solution by using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, rotating disk electrode voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy techniques. The mediator shows good electrocatalytic ability for the reduction of O(2) at pH 9.0, with reduction of overpotential (350 mV) and increased current response in comparison with results obtained with a bare glassy carbon electrode. The heterogeneous rate constant (k(ME)`) for the reduction of O(2) at the modified electrode was determined by using a Koutecky-Levich plot. In addition, the charge transport rate through the coating and the apparent diffusion coefficient of O(2) into the modifier film were also evaluated. The overall process was found to be governed by the charge transport through the coating, occurring at the interface or at a finite layer at the electrode/coating interface. The proposed study opens up the way for the development of bioelectronic devices based on molecular recognition and self-organization. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.