Dynamic cointegration and relevant vector machine: the relationship between gold and silver

We use the Relevant Vector Machine, a technique of supervised learning introduced by Tipping (2001), to conduct a dynamic cointegration analysis on the time series of the price of gold and silver over the period 1971-2004. Unlike the results of traditional cointegration analysis, this study reveals that there is a dynamic long run relationship over the whole periodDynamic cointegration, relevant vector machine

AKAP7γ Regulation of PKA Substrate Phosphorylation

In the cell, cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling is compartmentalized. Two different receptor types, both utilizing cAMP and PKA as second messenger and signal effector, are able to convey separate signals that result in phosphorylation of distinct substrates. Signal compartmentation is possible primarily because of A Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) that bind both PKA and a target substrate, effectively co-localizing them. AKAPs are also capable of binding to other necessary signaling components like adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase, thus enabling AKAPs to coordinate a signaling microdomain containing many of necessary components. In this thesis I present multiple lines of evidence demonstrating how AKAP7g is able to regulate PKA phosphorylation. First, I show that AKAP7g is able to self-associate, forming dimers and possibly higher order oligomers. I predict via computational modeling that this behavior will increase both the speed and magnitude of PKA signaling. Next, I demonstrate that AKAP7g participates in a highly dynamic phosphorylation-state dependent interaction with phospholamban (PLB), and predict via computational modeling that this allows low concentrations of AKAP7g to regulate phosphorylation of much higher concentrations of substrate. Finally I demonstrate via computational modeling that contrary to the widely accepted hypothesis of AKAP signaling, the catalytic subunit of PKA is likely retained within the AKAP-PKA complex during signaling events. I further show that the structure of the complex is an important determinant of substrate phosphorylation. This work offers new insight into the function of AKAPs and offers an update to the AKAP signaling hypothesis

Crossing the borderline takes you to heaven: working classes consumption tourism and frontier conurbations in South America

The borderline between Brazil and Uruguay (South America) is punctuated by “twin cities” settlements established for surveillance since late 19th century. Insulated from the denser urban net spreading from Porto Alegre / BRAZIL and from Montevideo / URUGUAY, they became important commercial nodes. Uruguay government created tax free zones in some of these towns from 1985 on, to strengthen the region economy. From 2005 on, Brazilian ever increasing economical stability and favorable exchange rates turned these borderline sleepy towns into overcrowded weekend bazaars. The discussion focuses on the “borderline conurbations” urban structures in consolidating trends and patterns of regional working classes consumption tourism and its impacts on built heritage conservation, land use patterns and centralities. Spatial transformations promoted by the allocation of touristic and shopping infrastructure are analyzed using Space Syntax methodology to describe the importance of spatial structure for tourist’s movement about the conurbations.Peer Reviewe

Crossing the borderline takes you to heaven: working classes consumption tourism and frontier conurbations in South America

The borderline between Brazil and Uruguay (South America) is punctuated by “twin cities” settlements established for surveillance since late 19th century. Insulated from the denser urban net spreading from Porto Alegre / BRAZIL and from Montevideo / URUGUAY, they became important commercial nodes. Uruguay government created tax free zones in some of these towns from 1985 on, to strengthen the region economy. From 2005 on, Brazilian ever increasing economical stability and favorable exchange rates turned these borderline sleepy towns into overcrowded weekend bazaars. The discussion focuses on the “borderline conurbations” urban structures in consolidating trends and patterns of regional working classes consumption tourism and its impacts on built heritage conservation, land use patterns and centralities. Spatial transformations promoted by the allocation of touristic and shopping infrastructure are analyzed using Space Syntax methodology to describe the importance of spatial structure for tourist’s movement about the conurbations.Peer Reviewe

Examining real time pricing in electricity usage

Demand Side Management (DSM) has been proposed to reduce energy load and provide savings to customers in deregulated markets. Currently, United States residential electric prices are not based on real-time. This paper explores potential customer preferences to Real Time Pricing (RTP), or different prices for electricity based on time of day and weather. A survey of 147 residential customers examined willingness to shift demand to off-peak hours for 11 typical household appliances. Price differentials were then developed to analyze effects. These preliminary results demonstrate potential for residential customers to shift demand if RTP was enacted in the United States

O turista, o morador e o uso do espaço urbano: interações espaciais em Gramado e Canela

O objetivo central deste trabalho é o de examinar as modalidades de estruturação espacial de cidades turísticas, verificando como o espaço se organiza de forma lógica para permitir o acesso e a movimentação dos turistas, ou os estranhos ao sistema espacial considerado, além de estruturar a vida cotidiana dos moradores. A partir do exame de duas cidades: Gramado e Canela, cidades gaúchas que possuem no turismo um forte componente de sua base econômica, pretende-se analisar em que medida o espaço atua como uma instância das relações entre estranhos e moradores.The main goal of this paper is to analyze the role played by space in the organization of patterns of movement and encounters between residents and strangers in cities where tourism is a key aspect of its economy. As a case study, two cities in the Rio Grande do Sul state are studied: Gramado and Canela

Apropriação social do espaço público um estudo comparativo

The main goal of this paper is to analyse the social use of the urban space by comparing two different urban areas. On the one had, a middle class residential area was chosen in a traditional urban fabric in São Paulo - part of Jardim Bonfiglioli. On the other hand, an ordinary housing estate occupied by working class was also examined - part of Carapicuíba Housing Estate. The comparison between these two areas was made by utilizing key concepts and methods from “space syntax”, originally developed in the Unit for Architectural Studies Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College, London, by Bill Hillier and Julienne Hanson. The analysis allows us to observe that in both cases people interact with urban space changing it in order to structure the social life required by the dwellers. This new structure is attained in many different ways, depending on the role public space takes in the communities’ social life. It is showed that the new urban space imposed by the dwellers tends to reinforce social relation in the housing estate. In contrast, physical changes introduced in jardim Bonfiglioli show the enhancement of private lifeO objetivo principal deste trabalho é examinar as formas de apropriação social do espaço urbano de uso público, analisando comparativamente áreas de diferentes morfologias. Uma delas faz parte de uma área residencial de classe média em tecido urbano tradicional, na cidade de São Paulo - setor do Jardim Bonfiglioli. A outra, é um setor do conjunto residencial Cohab de Carapicuíba, na Grande São Paulo. A análise utiliza-se, mesmo que de forma indireta, dos conceitos e instrumentos de “sintaxe espacial”, inicialmente desenvolvidos por Bill Hillier e Julienne Hanson na Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College de Londres. Da análise pode-se observar que em ambas as áreas existem processos de apropriação social do espaço urbano que se dão no sentido de organizar as sociedades de acordo com às necessidades de cada um dos segmentos sociais. A estruturação do espaço vai depender do papel desempenhado pela esfera pública na vida de relação dessas comunidades. O trabalho mostra que, no caso do conjunto Cohab, o novo espaço urbano construído pelos moradores tende a estruturar um reforço das relações coletivas enquanto que no bairro de classe média as alterações sugerem um reforço na vida privad

O Processo de desenho urbano em conjuntos habitacionais

This paper aims to deal with som e basic concepts concerning urban analysis such as urban space; configuration; order; structure; form ; function; am ong others. These concepts allow a more rigorous evaluation of urban desiqn in general and specially the design of housing estates. Particularly regarding som e recent experiences in designing housing estates in Brazil, it is sought to provide an analytical tool in order to understand the deep differences found when urban morphologies layed out by designers are compared to those actually built up by thed wellers of those settlements as they occupy spaceEste trabalh o tem por objetivo discutir alguns conceitos básicos relacionados com a análise urbana, como os de espaço urbano, configuração, ordem , estrutura, forma, função, entre outros, que permitem uma avaliação mais rigorosa dos aspectos de desenho urbano em geral e de conjuntos habitacionais em particular, considerado tanto com o produto quanto com o processo. Particularmente no que se refere aos conjuntos habitacionais no Brasil recente, busca-se identificar um referencial para a análise dos fenômenos que resultam nas profundas diferenças morfológicas existentes entre o espaço projetado e o que surge do processo de uso e ocupação desses assentamento

Grandes eventos e a mobilidade urbana: o caso de Porto Alegre e a Copa do Mundo de 2014

The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the impacts on the urban structure and on aspects related to urban mobility of the city of Porto Alegre as a result of the works for the 2014 World Cup. Space syntax techniques (Hillier and Hanson, 1984) are used as tools to analyze three different moments: (a) how the city used to be before the works for the World Cup; (b) how the city looks like during the works; (c) how the city will be after the completion of the works. In addition, indexes of urban resilience as proposed by Cutini (2013) are used. It is possible to identify the impacts on the overall urban mobility in the city’s urban fabric and its resilience to the changes introduced by the works for the World Cup. As a result of the high level of ringiness of the urban fabric of Porto Alegre, it is possible to infer that the works for the World Cup have little impact on the mobility system as a whole, in comparison to what the city used to be previous to the works. In addition, it is possible to observe that the urban fabric shows a high resilience to the changes.Keywords: urban resilience, space syntax, Porto Alegre City, 2014’s World Cup.O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar os impactos das alterações introduzidas na cidade de Porto Alegre pelas obras para a Copa do Mundo de 2014 na sua estrutura e dinâmica da mobilidade urbana. São utilizadas as técnicas de sintaxe espacial (Hillier e Hanson, 1984) como ferramentas para avaliar três diferentes momentos: (a) antes da realização dos trabalhos de intervenção; (b) durante a realização das intervenções urbanas; (c) depois da realização das obras. São utilizados indicadores de resiliência urbana propostos por Cutini (2013). É possível identificar os impactos na mobilidade geral urbana de Porto Alegre e a resiliência do tecido às mudanças. Em função da malha urbana de Porto Alegre, com grande anelaridade geral, as obras possuem um impacto reduzido no sistema de mobilidade, com um tecido urbano que apresenta grande resiliência a alterações. A nova infraestrutura de mobilidade implantada possui um efeito muito limitado no sistema de mobilidade geral da cidade, comparativamente ao que a cidade apresentava antes das obras.Palavras-chave: resiliência urbana, sintaxe espacial, Porto Alegre, Copa do Mundo de 2014

Tipologia espacial como uma instância dos layouts urbanos

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo discutir iayouts urbanos a partir de propriedades locais dos espaços, examinando como estes espaços podem ser descritos enquanto tipos (Hillier, 1997), segundo condições particulares de movimento e controle possíveis, a partir de cada tipo identificado. A importância dessa possibilidade de exame do espaço urbano fica evidenciada pela análise da tipologia espacial proposta para dois conjuntos residenciais de Porto Alegre/RS, de padrão semelhante, mas com propostas de projetos diferenciados. Observa-se, nas transformações implementadas pela população desses conjuntos, que os aspectos de tipologia espacial são genotípicos para os conjuntos estudados e comparecem como aspectos de projeto que sâo cruciais para as possibilidades de uso e ocupação do espaço urbano por parte dos moradoresThis paper aims to analyse urban layouts according to local properties of space, trying to describe these local space as types (Hiiiier, 1997j, taking into account the way movement and space control can occur in any of these types of spaces. The relevance of this study can be understood through the analysis of the space typology of two different housing estates built in Porto Alegre/RS with different design approaches and occupied by people with similar income, it's possible to observe that space typology seems to be a genotypical aspect of these urban layouts when we look at the outcome of the process of spatial transformation held in the estates overtime. At the same time, it seems that the way space typology is used to designing housing estates is a crucial aspect of the potential use of urban spac