RCAAP Repository

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the 1985 “Employment Services for Ex-Offenders” (ESEO) program on recidivism. Initially, the sample has been split randomly in a control group and a treatment group. However, the actual treatment (mainly being job related counseling) only takes place conditional on finding a job, and not having been arrested, for those selected in the treatment group. We use a multiple proportional hazard model with unobserved heterogeneity for job search and recidivism time which incorporates the conditional treatment effect. We find that the program helps to reduce criminal activity, contrary to the result of the previous analysis of this data set. This finding is important for crime prevention policy.

In this paper we specify a semi-nonparametric competing risks (SNP-CR) model of recidivism, for misdemeanors and felonies. The model is a bivariate mixed proportional hazard model with Weibull baseline hazards and common unobserved heterogeneity. The distribution of the latter is modeled seminonparametrically, using orthonormal Legendre polynomials on the unit interval, and integrated out to make the two durations dependent, conditional on the covariates. The SNP-CR model involved corresponds to a Logit model for felony arrest; hence the validity of the SNP-CR model can be tested by testing the validity of the implied Logit model. The latter will be done by using the integrated conditional moment (ICM) test. In the first instance we have estimated and tested two versions of the SNP-CR model, without and with fixed state effects. However, the ICM test rejects these models. Therefore, we have estimated and tested the model for each state separately. These state models are not rejected by the ICM test. Indeed, the estimation results vary substantially per state.

The objectives of this study was to describe the profile and the standards of medical care in newborns with respiratory disorders admitted to intensive care units as well as analyze the risk factors associated to the death in low birth weight newborn with respiratory distress syndrome. It is a prospective cohort study hospitalar-based realized in 773 newborns in five hospitals from July and December 2007. Was two phases a described and the other, analytical. The majotity were premature (80.7%). Between the first and the fifth minute, the number of newborns with Apgar less than 3 decreased and the ones with Apgar above or equal to 7 increased. Respiratory distress syndrome was the most frequent disease (73%). For the newborns with very low weight and respiratory distress syndrome, 62.7% used mechanical ventilation, 53.7% surfactant and 19.9% died. The risk factors for death according to the bivariate analysis were: mother`s age less than 20 years (p=0.008), Apgar less than 7 in the fifth minute (p<0.001), the use of positive pressure ventilation in the delivery room (p<0.001), intubation in the delivery room (p<0,001) and the use of surfactant (p<0.001).The use of antenatal corticosteroids and use of surfactant was low. The newborns weighing less than 1500g needed more medical assistance than others and still presented a high death rate. According to the study, the respiratory disorders of the newborns and the outcome are strongly related to the prenatal factors, to the assistance in the delivery room and to the intensive care.

Obesity has become a serious public health problem in several countries, including Brazil, affecting children of all ages, social class and ethnicity. Consequently, nurseries have become an important element in preventing childhood excess weight and obesity. This study aimed to understand the perceptions of nursery professionals and the parents of children attending these facilities, for their views on the factors that may influence obesity and excess weight in children and the prevention methods used. The study was conducted from January to September 2010.The population consisted of parents of children aged 2-5 years and teachers who work in public nurseries, from urban and rural areas of the state of Ceara, using a qualitative approach. Focus groups with parents and teachers were held to collect the data, which was analyzed using discourse analysis. The study found that teachers use the most appropriate methods to evaluate children’s weight gain, while parents can identify excessive weight gain in children when there is an excess of fat on the abdomen and arms. However, both agree that obesity can cause both serious physical and emotional problems for children. Parents and teachers were unanimous in confirming that eating habits begin at home, together with family members, with the mother bearing the primary responsibility. It was observed that teachers presented themselves as strong allies in developing strategies for education on diet and encouraging healthy lifestyles, since these are closely linked to the educational process and teachers have the opportunity to interact with children during the learning process. The use of processed foods was reported by parents and teachers as a factor predisposing weight gain in children, thus contributing to the development of overweight and obesity. In addition, it was found that despite the provision of school meals, there are cases of processed foods and treats being sold at the door of daycare centers in rural areas. Both parents and teachers complained about the difficulty of access to these items, especially those in rural areas. Teachers participating in the study complained about the lack of enthusiasm and involvement of parents in the children’s educational process, as parent’s attention centers on feeding their children. One important finding in the study, was the role of school cooks in the prevention of childhood obesity, since they are closely linked to the production of the 10 food served in the nursery. Finally it can be concluded that that the study did not clarify all the problems that intertwine the issues surrounding childhood overweight and obesity in the current context, but it shows that there are several factors that may be contributing to the phenomenon of rising childhood obesity in our country. Thus, the nursery appears to be an excellent place for developing intervention programs to tackle the conditions and risk factors for childhood obesity.

FRANCO JUNIOR, Arnaldo. Romance engajado, folhetim/melodrama e metaficção: A hora da estrela. Revista de Letras, Fortaleza, v.1-2, n. 29, p. 59-66, 2008.

COSTA, Maria Edileuza da; MANGUEIRA, José Vilian; FERREIRA, Maria Aparecida da Costa Gonçalves. Duas mulheres, dois mundos diferentes, um mesmo destino: análise dos contos "A fuga" de Clarice Lispector e "Eveline" de James Joyce. Revista de Letras, Fortaleza, v. 1-2, n. 29, p.103-107, 2008.

The breast cancer is a pathology that has crescent incidence, in the countries of higher degree of development like in the countries in development. There are evidences that its causes seem to have relation to modern life style, of difficult control. In this context, the efforts are direct to secondary prevention, in order to make an early diagnosis of tumors, trying to avoid a great number of mutilations and ensure higher survival and a better quality of life for women with this type of neoplasy. Among of the methods of precocious detection that had been recommended by Cancer National Institute, until the launch of Consensus to the Control of Breast Cancer, in April 2004, the breast self-examinations had prominence of place, beside medical exam and mammography. However, researches show the women are difficult of breast self- examination adhesion, although this is a painless, fast and free technique. The aim of this study was the comprehension of the psicossociais aspects involved in breast self-examination, in order to offer subsidy to prevention practices in breast of cancer. To realization this study, we based on the Qualitative Epistemology, Gonzalez Rey (2002). It is based on Dialectic Method and shows that the quality and quantity of facts are inseparable and interpedent. In this direction, our study pondered either the structure reality through the numbers as the qualitatives aspects. We accomplished a transversal study, of population base, with 561 women in the Sobral city, state of Ceará, Brazil. 13 women were interviewed. They were considered key – informers for survey. It was made still a group meeting with women who had the breast cancer. The process of the construction of information allowed the identification of six themes: 1. knowledge and frequency of breast self-examination and variable correlated; 2. Imputed meaning and produced sense about breast self-examination; 3. Motivation of the practice breast self-examination; 4. Resistance to practice of the breast self-examination; 5. Talks and insight sense in the education actions; 6. Re-think the preventive practices in breast cancer. Based on the process of information construction, we understand the cancer social representation, which influences the acceptation of breast self-examination. The breast self-examination is associated with breast cancer and this fact increases the fear of women. We conclude that the breast self-examination isn’t a simple technique to make. It needs support to find any alteration in breast. We also conclude that there is sufficient knowledge to make primary prevention in breast cancer. It is necessary to understand that the illness process is complex and involves subjective, physics, social and environmental aspects.

In this paper we develop and apply the theory of homology metric, created by Jean Paul Brasselet and Lev Birbrair. Each set semialgébrico X associate a collection of real vector spaces (or abelian groups) ^ {MH_k ν (X)} _ {k} є Z so that it is given another semialgébrico X 'semialgebricamente which is bi-Lipschitz equivalent to X, then ν MH_k ^ (X) is isomorphic to MH_k ν ^ (X ') for all k. Thus, the collection {^ MH_k ν (X)} carries some information metric semialgébrico X. In particular, we have necessary conditions for an isolated singularity x_0 belonging to X is conical. More precisely, given a submanifold compact L of a sphere S_ {x_0, r}, we compute the groups MH_k ^ ν (x_0 * L) in terms of singular homology of L, where x_0 * L denotes the cone {tx_0 + (1-t ) x, x belonging to L, t belonging to [0,1]}. Allied to the metric we have the homology cycles Chegger, geometric objects that obstruct the nature of a conical singularity. As an application of the theory, we present a class of complex surfaces whose singularities (isolated) are non-tapered.

There are several clinical methods to evaluate obesity, it being used mainly the body mass index (BMI) and the waist circumference (WC), this one reflecting central obesity. Recent studies have suggested that an upper body obesity distribution also have relationship with high cardiovascular risk (CVR). This study aimed to evaluate neck circumference (NC) and scapular circumference (SC) as upper body obesity indexes, and their relationships with others anthropometrics parameters and CVR factors. Eighty-eight adults voluntaries were evaluated, since 2008 October to 2009 January, at the CSAM-SMS/UFC; 24/88 (27,3%) were males and 64/88 (72,7%) were females. The main means were: age - 39,1 ± 10,9 years old (men - 36,5 ± 10,1 and women - 40,0 ± 11,1; p=0,2); BMI (kg/m²) - 28,9 ± 4,7 (men - 28,7 ± 4,6 and women - 29,0 ± 4,8); NC (cm)- 35 ± 3,4 (men – 39 ± 2,6 and women - 33,5 ± 2,0); SC (cm)- 94,1 ± 8,4 (men - 99,8 ± 8,2 and women - 92,0 ± 7,4); WC (cm) - 94,2 ± 11,3 (men - 98,7 ± 11,0 and women – 92,6 ± 11,0). In this group, 38/88 (43,2%) voluntaries had metabolic syndrome (MS) (IDF criteria). There was a significant correlation (p<0,05) between NC and: WC, braquial circumference (BC), SC, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), SBP, DBP, uric acid, AST, ALP, ferritin, HDL-Chol, triglycerides and fasting glucose; and with SC: WC, BC, BMI, WHR, SBP, uric acid, GT, AST, ALP, ferritin, HDL-Chol, triglycerides, fasting glucose and HOMA. NC and SC as upper body obesity indexes in this group showed correlations with other obesity anthropometrics parameters, with MS components and with laboratories parameters of MS associated diseases, hyperuricemia and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. These data suggest the utility these circumferences and, particularly NC, would be an important tool to evaluated obesity and MS, due your simplicity and easy execution. However, subsequent studies are necessary to confirm these data and to define NC and SC cut points in both sexes to predict overweight, obesity and MS.

The problems which we address in this work are directly related to the existence of elements in the derived subgroup that are not commutators. Our purpose is to present the results of Tim Bonner [1]. In his paper, one finds estimates for the ratio between the commutator length and the order of group (more precisely, upper limits and the establishment of its asymptotic behavior), leading to the proof of Bardakov's Conjecture.

VEIGA, Márcia Pereira da . A ironia pragmática em A hora da estrela. Revista de Letras, Fortaleza, v. 1/2, n. 29, p. 33-41, 2008.

VIANA, M. N. Avaliação de práticas de logística reversa para resíduos sólidos no setor hoteleiro: pousadas da praia de Canoa Quebrada - Aracati. 2009. 143 f. Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará. Programa de Mestrado em Logística e Pesquisa Operacional, Fortaleza-CE, 2009.

The program for control of Chagas disease (PCCD) was implemented in the State of Ceara in 1975. The cities involved had a follow-up concerning the capture of triatomines, initially by a triatominic survey followed by several evaluations in periodic cycles between 1975 and 2002. During this period there was no systematic evaluation of the program activities or about its impact on the vectorial control, exiting, therefore, a shortage of scientific production regarding the epidemiology of the vectorial control of Chagas disease. It was necessary to have an updated evaluation of the epidemiological situation in the State of Ceara. The research aimed at describing the actions carried out to evaluate indicators of structure-process and of impact of the PCCD in the period from 1975 to 2002. Moreover, another objective of this investigation is to describe some epidemiological characteristics of the disease vector (main species found, index of natural infection of vector and its geographic distribution). We conducted an ecological-descriptive epidemiological study through the survey of the information collected in the routine of the control program recorded in the annual reports of activities of the PCCD of the National Foundation of Health ? FUNASA at the State of Ceara in the period from 1975 to 2002. The indicators relevant for the study were: the indexes of dispersion (positive places), vectorial infestation (at the domiciliary units and in the intradomiciliary environments), coverage of places and domiciliary units in the activities of research and spraying, index of infection by triatomines and major species captured. The methodology of PCCD applied at Ceara State was presented by a description of the program activities. The secondary data presented outline a profile of the current situation of the mentioned program at Ceara State. The major species are: Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma pseudomaculata, Panstrongylus megistus, Rhodnius nasutus e Panstrongylus lutzi. Until 2002 it was implemented the Epidemiological Watch (EW) in 13 towns: Aracoiaba, Baturite, Guaramiranga, Mulungu, Pacoti, Maranguape, Pacatuba, Camocim, Martinopole, Chaval, Sobral, Meruoca e Alcantara. We conclude that during the 27 years of activities of the PCCD, there was a high coverage of the program activities in all of Ceara State. There was a significant reduction in the index of infestation in some towns and we found a smaller number of specimens naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi among the major species captured in Ceará.

This work shows results existence and uniqueness of graphs with prescribed mean curvature. We demonstrate that a natural fixation Dirichlet problem for graphs of average curvature is required to consider those graphs like leaves on a Riemannian submersion Killing transversal cylinder, the cylinder given by flow lines of a Killing vector field. Using this approach, we are able to solve the problem in a way more comprehensive, giving a unified proof and existence results.

In this paper, we prove theorems establishing sufficient conditions to existence for isometric immersions with prescribed extrinsic curvature in two-step nilpotent Lie groups and solvmanifolds. We obtain a generalization of the Fundamental Theorem of Submanifold Theory in Rn and, in particular, we one has immersion results in the generally Heisenberg type groups and Damek-Ricci spaces.

In this work we develop a fully nonlinear theory for singularly perturbed elliptic equations problems with high energy activation. We esta-blish uniform and optimal gradient estimates of solutions and prove that minimal solutions are non-degenerated. For problems governed by concave equations, we establish uniform weak geometric properties of approximating level surfaces. We also provide a thorough analysis of the free boundary problem obtained as a limit as the parameter term goes to zero. We find the precise jumping condition of limiting solutions through the phase transi-tion, which involves a subtle homogenization process of the governing fully nonlinear operator. In particular, for rotational invariant operators, $F(D^2u)$, we show the normal derivative of limiting function is constant along the interface. Smoothness properties of the free boundary are also addressed.

This paper analyses the technological adoption process in culture of cashew from Ceará. To reach this objective a survey was made from producers located in Ceará. As for measuring the technological level of roducers were analyzed variables related to the practices of the system of culture of cashew. Moreover, we estimated the coefficients of the variables that influence the likelihood of technology adoption by regression function Cumulative Distribution Logistics Standard (Logit). It was observed that the farms occupied by the in nature cashew has the best technology level, using the recommended 46.7%, while those occupied with cashew for nuts and juice use only 36.4 and 30.1%, respectively. The access to credit, the price of nuts and the peduncle were the main factors decision of technological adoption process in culture of cashew from Ceará.

This study analyzes social benefits created by Ceará government incentives to papaya producers from 2001 to 2006. As theoretical basis, it was considered an approach of the economic surplus of Marshall and simultaneous equations model. Results indicate that the supply price-elasticity of papaya is very high. In spite of the decrease in quotes, there was a boost in the average amount supplied. The reduction in prices and increases in quantity are responsible for the rise in the society welfare. The aggregate value of total and per capita social benefits were of 3,163,045.00 reais and 39 cents of real, respectively. It shows the importance of actions taken by the government to reduce the cost of production in order to stimulate the development of fruit crops at Ceara state. The total social benefits of 4,690,042.00 reais were obtained by creating direct job opportunities of 1,876,016.00 reais and indirect employments of 2,814,025.00 reais. The producers received a boost in their average per capita income and total revenue of 167.05 percent and 282.74 percent, respectively. As a result, it is possible to conclude that many programs related to promote fruit production in Ceará have showed a boosting trend in production of papaya and in number of employments created.

The aim of this paper is to econometrically evaluate the efficacy of the Industrial Development Fund of Ceará (FDI) regarding its objective of job creation. The analysis comprehends the period 1995 - 2001, where the mechanism of incentives was largely utilized. By means of a data base containing information about firms that received incentives and decided to locate in the state, three different specifications are estimated: a first one, uses only a cross-section of the complete data set and the other two employ the whole sample. To handle the problem of endogeneity inherent to the cross-section model, an unusual instrumental variable is employed: the political configuration in the state and counties. As to the panel data specifications, the endogeneity problem can be handled by means of a fixed effects model. As a general result, the econometric evaluation concludes that the industrial program did not help to generate jobs. This conclusion is important for future elaborations of changes in the industrial policy of the state of Ceará and other states of the northeast of Brazil.

The objective of this paper is to re-evaluate the effect of the 1985 ”Employment Services for Ex-Offenders” (ESEO) program on recidivism, in San Diego, Chicago and Boston. The initial group of program participants was split randomly in a control group and a treatment group. The actual treatment (mainly being job related counseling) only takes place conditional on finding a job, and not having been arrested, for those selected in the treatment group. We use interval-censored proportional hazard models for job search and recidivism time, where the latter model incorporates the conditional treatment effect, depending on covariates. We find that the effect of the program depends on location and age. The ESEO program reduces the risk of recidivism only for ex-inmates over the age of 27 in San Diego and Chicago, and over the age of 36 in Boston, but increases the risk of recidivism for the other ex-inmates in the treatment group.