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Ozdaryal, Burak. "Exterior Penalty Approaches for Solving Linear Programming Problems." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/33862.
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In this research effort, we study three exterior penalty function approaches for solving linear programming problems. These methods are an active set l2 penalty approach (ASL2), an inequality-equality based l2 penalty approach (IEL2), and an augmented Lagrangian approach (ALAG). Particular effective variants are presented for each method, along with comments and experience on alternative algorithmic strategies that were empirically investigated. Our motivation is to examine the relative performance of these different approaches based on the basic l2 penalty function in order to provide insights into the viability of these methods for solving linear programs. To test the performance of these algorithms, a set of randomly generated problems as well as a set of NETLIB test problems from the public domain are used. By way of providing a benchmark for comparisons, we also solve the test problems using CPLEX 6.0, an advanced simplex implementation. While a particular variant (ALAG2) of ALAG performed the best for randomly generated test problems, ASL2 performed the best for the NETLIB test problems. Moreover, for test problems having only equality constraints, IEL2, and ASL2 (which is a finer-tuned version of IEL2 in this case) were comparable and yielded a second-best performance in comparison with ALAG2. Furthermore, a set of problems with relatively higher density parameter values, as well as a set of low-density problems were used to determine the effect of density on the relative performances of these methods. This experiment revealed that for linear programs with a high density parameter, ASL2 is the best alternative among the tested algorithms; whereas, for low-density problems ALAG2 is the fastest method. Moreover, although our implementation was rudimentary in comparison with CPLEX, all of the tested methods attained a final solution faster than CPLEX for the set of large-scale low-density problems, sometimes as fast as requiring only 16-23% of the effort consumed by CPLEX. Average rank tests based on the computational results obtained are performed using two different statistics, that assess the speed of convergence and the quality or accuracy of the solution, in order to determine the relative effectiveness of the algorithms and to validate our conclusions. Overall, the results provide insights into selecting algorithmic strategies based on problem structure and indicate that while this class of methods is viable for computing near optimal solutions, more research is needed to design robust and competitive exterior point methods for solving linear programming problems. However, the use of the proposed variant of the augmented Lagrangian method to solve large-scale low-density linear programs is promising and should be explored more extensively.Master of Science
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Floriani, Irene Claudia. "Statistical approaches to interim analysis a critical approach." Thesis, Open University, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.421960.
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Alberti, Viviana <1994>. "The Lean Startup Approach: an analysis of the approach." Master's Degree Thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/14175.
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This dissertation focuses on the analysis of the Lean Startup Approach, developed by Eric Ries in 2011, that has become popular among startups and incubators. Based on the Customer Development approach of Steve Blank, the Lean Startup Approach advocates itself as a practical tool that helps startups to find their business model, through customer understanding, continuous testing in a circular loop aimed at obtaining validated learning. The dissertation analyses the theoretical background of the approach, focusing on its limits and potentiality
In addition, previous entrepreneurial theories have been explored, offering a deeper overview of the entrepreneurial theroetical background to better understand the origin and the applicability of the Lean Startup Approach.
In particular, a chapter is dedicated to the theories that analyse whether opportunities are already existing in the market or created by entrepreneurs. In this scope, the search opportunity theory, the discovery opportunity approach, and finally, the creation opportunity theory have all been explored. Relating to this last theory, the Effectuation model by Sarasvathy and the entrepreneurial bricolage model by Baker and Nelson have been further observed in detail.
Finally, in the last part, an empirical study is presented that aims at exploring the adoption and the practical use of the Lean Startup Approach among existing startups and accelertors. The results are useful to clarify potentialities and limitations of the approach observed in a real environment and are useful to offer a better and more practical understanding of this tool.
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Sefiani, Naoufal. "Contribution au développement d’outils et méthodes de pilotage des compétences." Thesis, Lyon, INSA, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014ISAL0017.
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Bien que l’importance du pilotage des compétences soit reconnue, les approches existantes en la matière révèlent des déficits méthodologiques, la portée opératoire du concept compétence est souvent limitée et les chercheurs sont souvent désarmés face aux demandes des entreprises qui veulent s’engager dans cette démarche. C’est dans ce cadre que s’inscrit cette recherche dont l’objectif est d’apporter une contribution par le développement d’outils et méthodes opérationnelles pour un pilotage efficient des compétences. Nous proposons une formalisation du concept compétence décliné en trois niveaux : individuel, collectif et organisationnel. Nous contribuons à la modélisation du modèle générique de compétence et nous choisissons le modèle sur lequel nous nous appuyons dans ces travaux. Nous proposons d’une part une méthodologie d’identification des compétences basée sur l’analyse fonctionnelle permettant d’identifier les compétences individuelles requises en vue d’aider à la construction du référentiel de compétence et d’autre part une démarche globale intitulée « Roue des compétences » supportant le pilotage des compétences en s’appuyant sur la technique d’amélioration continue qui facilite les ajustements nécessaires et permet de construire un modèle de référence plus cohérent et mieux adapté à l’organisation. Cette démarche est structurée en cinq phases : Initialisation, planification, intégration et déploiement, évaluation et développement. L’identification des compétences constitue une étape inéluctable dont dépendent les décisions de pilotage des compétences dans le cadre de cette démarche. Ces deux approches peuvent fonctionner en complémentarité. Elles apportent une aide aux gestionnaires et preneurs de décisions pour gérer au mieux le recrutement, la formation et la mobilité afin de répondre aux besoins en compétences des entreprises et d’attacher une attention particulière à ses besoins en compétences critique. Différentes études empiriques ont été menées en entreprise dans le cadre de ce travail. De manière encourageante, elles confirment la cohérence et la pertinence des approches proposées. Elles ont permis entre autre de tester ces approches mais aussi de formuler des recommandations pour le développement d'un outil logiciel pour les gestionnaires des ressources humaines. Cet outil sera un support à l'identification des compétences requises et à la mise à jour du référentiel. Néanmoins, des études supplémentaires à l’échelle de l’entreprise entière nécessitent d’être réalisées pour garantir le meilleur impact de l’ensemble des travaux présentés. Finalement, ce travail reste une plate-forme pour des recherches futures pour expérimenter davantage les démarches proposées, et tester leur applicabilité au sein d’autres entreprises appartenant à d’autres secteurs industrielsAlthough the importance of competence management is recognized, existing approaches in this area reveal methodological deficits, the operating range of the competence concept is often limited and researchers are often helpless when faced with requests from companies that want to engage in this approach. It is in this context that this research aimed to contribute by developing tools and operational methods for efficient competence management. We propose a formalization of the concept of competence available in three levels: individual, group and organizational. We contribute to the modeling of generic competency model and we choose the model on which we rely in this work. Firstly, we propose a competence identification methodology based on the functional analysis to identify requisite individual competencies. This allows us to design and update the competence framework in response to changing work situations. Secondly, we present a comprehensive approach on "Wheel competencies "supporting the competence management based on the technique of continuous improvement that makes the necessary adjustments and helps to build a more coherent reference model and better suited to the organization. This approach is structured into five phases: initialization, planning, integration and deployment, evaluation and development. The competence identification is an inevitable stage whose depends competence management decisions under this approach. Both approaches can work in complementary. They provide support to managers and decision makers to manage better the recruitment, training and mobility to meet the competencies enterprises needs and to pay special attention to their needs in critical competencies. Various empirical studies have been conducted in company in the course of this work. In another encouraging development, they confirm the consistency and relevance of the proposed approaches. They have, among other test these approaches, but also to make recommendations for the development of a software tool for HR managers. This tool will support the competence identification and update the competence framework. However, further studies across the entire enterprise need to be done to ensure the greatest impact of all work submitted. Finally, this work is a platform for future research to test further the proposed approaches and test their applicability in the firms in other industries
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Bellon-Champel, Laura. "Dynamique familiale et stratégies d'adaptation chez les parents d'adolescents présentant un usage problématique de cannabis : facteurs associés à la détresse psychologique parentale." Thesis, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016USPCB227.
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Introduction : la période de l’adolescence constitue la tranche d’âge pour laquelle les consommations de cannabis sont les plus élevées en France. L’usage problématique de cannabis à l’adolescence représente un facteur de stress important pour les parents. Cette recherche a pour premier objectif d’identifier une dynamique familiale spécifique ainsi que les stratégies de coping (individuelles et dyadiques) mobilisées par les parents dont l’adolescent est consommateur de cannabis. Le second objectif vise à investiguer les facteurs associés à la détresse psychologique en termes de dynamique familiale et de stratégies de coping (individuelles et dyadiques). Méthode : au cours de cette étude quantitative et qualitative, 50 parents consultant pour l’usage problématique de leur adolescent et 67 parents témoins ont répondu à un questionnaire sociodémographique, au Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES IV) et au Family Relationship Index (FRI) pour évaluer la dynamique familiale, à la Brief Cope pour estimer les stratégies de coping situationnelles et au Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI) pour relever les stratégies de coping dyadique mobilisées par les parents de l’échantillon en couple. Résultats : les parents d’adolescents consommateurs de cannabis présentaient une détresse psychologique élevée et ont obtenu des scores significativement différents aux dimensions de la dynamique familiale en comparaison des parents du groupe contrôle. Ainsi, le fonctionnement familial des parents d’adolescents consommateurs de cannabis était défini par une cohésion et des capacités de communication plus basses mais aussi une intensité de conflit élevée par rapport aux parents du groupe contrôle. Une dimension de la dynamique familiale (conflits) et quatre stratégies de coping situationnelles (expression des sentiments, blâme, utilisation de substances, désengagement comportemental) étaient positivement liées à la détresse psychologique. Les stratégies de coping dyadique (communication autour du stress, stratégies négatives, ect) étaient positivement liées à la détresse psychologique ressentie par les parents en couple. Conclusion : ces résultats montrent l’intérêt de mieux comprendre le vécu des parents confrontés à l’usage problématique de cannabis de l’adolescent et suggèrent des pistes de futures prises en chargeIntroduction: the period of adolescence is the age group for which cannabis use is highest in France. Cannabis use in adolescence is an important stressor for parents. The first aim of the present study was to better identify specific family dynamics and coping strategies (individual and dyadic) mobilized by parents of adolescent cannabis users. Second, was to investigate the factors associated with psychological distress (family dynamics, coping strategies). Method: during this quantitative and qualitative study, 50 parents consult for a problematic adolescent cannabis use and 67 control parents answered at a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES IV) and the Family Relationship Index (FRI) to assess family dynamics, the Brief Cope to estimate situational coping strategies and dyadic coping Inventory (DCI) to address the dyadic coping strategies mobilized by the sample's parents couple. Results: parents of adolescent cannabis users had a high psychological distress and have obtained significantly different scores on the dimensions of family dynamics, compare at parental control group. Thus, family functioning of parents of adolescent cannabis users was defined as cohesion and lower communication capabilities but also high intensity conflict from parents in the control group. A dimension of family dynamics (conflicts) and four situational coping strategies (expressing feelings, blame, substance use, behavioral disengagement) were positively related to psychological distress. Dyadic coping strategies (communication about the stress, negative strategies, ect) were positively related to psychological distress experienced by parents couple. Conclusion: these results show the interest of better understanding the experiences of parents facing the adolescent problem cannabis use and suggest directions for future supported
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Gaston, Amelia. "Etude et compréhension du déterminisme génétique et moléculaire de la remontée florale chez le fraisier." Thesis, Bordeaux 1, 2010. http://www.theses.fr/2010BOR14206/document.
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La transition florale est un évènement clef dans la vie d’une plante. Chez le fraisier, la compréhension des mécanismes génétiques de cette transition est un enjeu majeur pour mieux contrôler la production de fruits. La transition florale peut être étudiée à travers la remontée florale, qui est la capacité d’une plante à fleurir tout au long de la période végétative. Le fraisier cultivé octoploïde, F. x ananassa, comme le fraisier diploïde, F. vesca, présentent des génotypes remontants capables de fleurir en continu. L’objectif de cette thèse est de comprendre le déterminisme génétique et moléculaire de la remontée florale chez Fragaria. Ce travail a montré que chez les fraisiers diploïde et octoploïde, le caractère ‘remontée florale’ est contrôlé par deux verrous génétiques différents localisés à des positions non orthologues. Chez le fraisier diploïde, le gène FvKSN responsable de la remontée florale a été identifié et code pour un homologue du répresseur floral TFL1. Chez les génotypes remontants, ce gène présente une délétion dans la partie codante conduisant à une protéine non fonctionnelle, incapable de réprimer la floraison. Chez le fraisier octoploïde, le QTL majeur détecté contrôlant la remontée florale est lié à la production de stolons de manière antagoniste, suggérant l’existence d’une région génomique où s'exerce une compétition entre multiplication végétative et la reproduction sexuée. Cette région génomique comprend plusieurs gènes candidats intéressants dont FT, activateur de la floraison.Une hypothèse suggérée par ce travail est que chez le fraisier, l’alternance entre phase végétative et phase reproductive est liée à l’équilibre entre les gènes FvKSN, homologue de TFL1, et FvFT, homologue de FT. La remontée florale serait la conséquence d’une modification de cet équilibre entre ces deux gènes en faveur du développement reproductifThe floral transition is a key event in plant life. In strawberry, understanding the genetic mechanisms of floral transition is a major issue for better control of fruit production. This transition is studied through the continuous flowering, which is the ability to flower throughout the growing season. Both, the octoploid cultivated strawberry, F. x ananassa, as the woody diploid strawberry, F. vesca, displayed continuous flowering genotypes. The objective of this work is to decipher the genetic and molecular mechanism of the continuous flowering in Fragaria.This work has shown that in diploid and octoploid strawberry the continuous flowering is controlled by two different genetic 'keys' located at non-orthologous position. In diploid strawberry, the gene FvKSN responsible of continuous flowering was identified and encodes a homologous to the TFL1 floral repressor. In the continuous flowering genotypes, this gene has a deletion in the coding region leading to a nonfunctional protein unable to repress flowering. In the octoploid strawberry, the major QTL controlling both the recurrent flowering and the runner production was identified. These traits were antagonist, which suggests competition between vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction in this region. This genomic region contains several interesting candidate genes whose FT, an activator of flowering.A hypothesis could be proposed. In strawberry, the switch between vegetative and reproductive phase is linked to balance between two genes, FvKSN, homologous to TFL1 and FvFT homologous to FT. Continuous flowering would be the consequence of balance modification between this two genes to the benefit of floral development
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Rey, Benjamin. "Résilience systémique d’un territoire composé d’activités essentielles suite à une perturbation majeure – Approches systémique et spatiale." Thesis, Saint-Etienne, EMSE, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015EMSE0781/document.
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De trop nombreux évènements survenus la décennie passée illustrent la gravité et l’étendue des impacts auxquels les territoires peuvent être confrontés. L'atteinte aux infrastructures critiques peut induire de très nombreux dysfonctionnements en cascade pouvant plonger ce territoire et sa société dans une crise de grande ampleur. Les interdépendances entre ces activités essentielles et celles avec la population accentuent leur fragilité. Afin d'évaluer les impacts directs et indirects d'une perturbation majeure, la méthodologie développée étudie la problématique sous un angle multisectoriel répondant ainsi à une prise en compte de la complexité des territoires. Dans un premier temps, le territoire via ses activités essentielles et sa population est modélisé en s'appuyant sur les liens d'interdépendance existants. Sur la base d'un évènement initial donné, la méthode identifie les scénarios de propagation possibles et leurs conséquences sur les "usagers" concernés par la délivrance des services touchés. Cette simulation permet ainsi d'apprécier la résilience systémique des enjeux du territoire. Basé sur une approche systémique et spatiale, ce travail a pour objectif de fournir une aide à la décision à la planification des mesures de continuité et de rétablissement d'activité ou à la mise en place de mesures de traitement des risquesToo many dramatic events occurred over the last ten years have demonstrated the severity and extent of impacts that territories may be confronted with. Damages to critical infrastructures may have a variety of downfall disturbing effects, which can lead territories and society into a huge crisis. Interdependency between these essential activities on the one hand, and between these activities and the population on the other hand, increases their vulnerability. This thesis presents a methodology to better assess direct and indirect impacts of a major disturbance. The issue is addressed from a multi-activity perspective, to take into account territories complexity.In the first stage, a territory is modeled using existing interdependency links between essential activities and the population. The methodology then identifies, based on a defined initial event, possible propagation scenarios and their consequences on services “users”. Finally, this simulation gives an assessment of the territory stakes resilience. This works provides a decision-making tool for the development of activity continuity plans, or risk assessment and mitigation policies
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Marcou, Quentin. "Probabilistic approaches to the adaptive immune repertoire : a data-driven approach." Thesis, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017USPCB029/document.
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Le système immunitaire de chaque individu doit faire face à des agressions répétées d'un environnement en constante évolution, constituant ainsi un nombre de menaces virtuellement infini. Afin de mener ce rôle à bien, le système immunitaire adaptatif s'appuie sur une énorme diversité de lymphocytes T et B. Chacune de ces cellules exhibe à sa surface un récepteur unique, créé aléatoirement via le processus de recombinaison V(D)J, et spécifique à un petit nombre de pathogènes seulement. La diversité initiale générée lors de ce processus de recombinaison est ensuite réduite par une étape de sélection fonctionnelle basée sur les propriétés de repliement du récepteur ainsi que ses capacités à interagir avec des protéines du soi. Pour les cellules B, cette diversité peut être à nouveau étendue après rencontre d'un pathogène lors du processus de maturation d'affinité durant lequel le récepteur subit des cycles successifs d'hypermutation et sélection. Ces travaux présentent des approches probabilistes visant à inférer les distributions de probabilités sous-tendant les processus de recombinaison et d'hypermutation à partir de données de séquençage haut débit. Ces approches ont donné naissance à IGoR, un logiciel polyvalent dont les performances dépassent celles des outils existants. En utilisant les modèles obtenus comme base, je présenterai comment ces derniers peuvent être utilisés afin d'étudier le vieillissement et évolution du répertoire immunitaire, la présence d'emprunte parentale lors de la recombinaison V(D)J ou encore pour démontrer que les jumeaux échangent des lymphocytes au cours de la vie fœtaleAn individual’s adaptive immune system needs to face repeated challenges of a constantly evolving environment with a virtually infinite number of threats. To achieve this task, the adaptive immune system relies on large diversity of B-cells and T-cells, each carrying a unique receptor specific to a small number of pathogens. These receptors are initially randomly built through the process of V(D)J recombination. This initial generated diversity is then narrowed down by a step of functional selection based on the receptors' folding properties and their ability to recognize self antigens. Upon recognition of a pathogen the B-cell will divide and its offsprings will undergo several rounds of successive somatic hypermutations and selection in an evolutionary process called affinity maturation. This work presents principled probabilistic approaches to infer the probability distribution underlying the recombination and somatic hypermutation processes from high throughput sequencing data using IGoR - a flexible software developed throughout the course of this PhD. IGoR has been developed as a versatile research tool and can encode a variety of models of different biological complexity to allow researchers in the field to characterize evermore precisely immune receptor repertoires. To motivate this data-driven approach we demonstrate that IGoR outperforms existing tools in accuracy and estimate the sample sizes needed for reliable repertoire characterization. Finally, using obtained model predictions, we show potential applications of these methods by demonstrating that homozygous twins share T-cells through cord blood, that the public core of the T cell repertoire is formed in the pre-natal period and finally estimate naive T cell clone lifetimes in human
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Oliveira, José António Barata de. "Coalition based approach for shop floor agility – a multiagent approach." Doctoral thesis, FCT - UNL, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/2483.
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Dissertation submitted for a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, speciality of Robotics and Integrated Manufacturing from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e TecnologiaThis thesis addresses the problem of shop floor agility. In order to cope with the disturbances and uncertainties that characterise the current business scenarios faced by manufacturing companies, the capability of their shop floors needs to be improved quickly, such that these shop floors may be adapted, changed or become easily modifiable (shop floor reengineering). One of the critical elements in any shop floor reengineering process is the way the control/supervision architecture is changed or modified to accommodate for the new processes and equipment. This thesis, therefore, proposes an architecture to support the fast adaptation or changes in the control/supervision architecture. This architecture postulates that manufacturing systems are no more than compositions of modularised manufacturing components whose interactions when aggregated are governed by contractual mechanisms that favour configuration over reprogramming. A multiagent based reference architecture called Coalition Based Approach for Shop floor Agility – CoBASA, was created to support fast adaptation and changes of shop floor control architectures with minimal effort. The coalitions are composed of agentified manufacturing components (modules), whose relationships within the coalitions are governed by contracts that are configured whenever a coalition is established. Creating and changing a coalition do not involve programming effort because it only requires changes to the contract that regulates it.
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Keleme, Mamontshi G. "Cartel detection in the South African bread market : a review of the studies by the Competition Commission and National Agricultural Marketing Council." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46271.
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The South African Competition Commission has analysed most levels of the food supply chain by investigation of alleged anti-competitive behaviour by producers, input suppliers, storage companies, processors and retailers. The numbers of these cases include cartels and, to a lesser extent, restrictive vertical constraints and abuse of dominance position. Sexton (2012) states that the recent development in the agricultural market, where large companies are vertically integrating, renders the perfect competition model inappropriate. This brings doubt that the law based on perfect competition will work in oligopolistic markets. Despite the identified number of detected cartels in the grain industry, it might be possible that some cartels in other food chains are still undetected.
Through the application of the market screening approach, the aim of this study is to establish whether the National Agricultural Marketing Council (“NAMC”) and the Competition Commission could have detected the bread cartel using secondary data in the absence of the information from the whistle-blower. As the first step, the study carried out a structural assessment of the bread industry. This assessment indicated that the bread market has a number of factors that may facilitate collusive behaviour. The study found that the history of information sharing played a crucial role for bakeries to coordinate their conduct. The second step was to conduct an in-depth behavioural assessment that focused on bread prices to see whether there has been a structural break in the period under investigation. The idea was to estimate the price equation of brown bread as a function of the SAFEX wheat price, petrol price (cost shifters), and 1 kg of maize meal (demand shifters). The study used the OLS to estimate three regressions using the data for the whole period and two sub-breaks (before the break point, and after the break point) to perform a Chow test. The question that the Chow test asked is: was there a structural break in March 2007, after the Competition Commission received the information from the whistle-blower? In other words, had the price of bread increased or decreased at a certain period without any changes in the demand or cost variable. The Null hypothesis states that there was no structural break, while the alternative hypothesis states that there was a structural break in March 2007.
The Chow test result shows that at a 5 per cent significant level, the F-critical value is F_5, 90 = 2.68 and the F test statistics is 20.59 with a p value of 0.00. This indicates that we cannot reject the null hypothesis and conclude that a structural break did not occur in March 2007. The screening approached failed to prove the existence of cartel in the bread industry.
Therefore, the study concludes that in the absence of the whistle-blower, it would not have been easy for the Competition Commission and the NAMC (2009) to detect a cartel by just using secondary data. This proves that screening alone cannot prove the existence of cartel without prior knowledge of the conduct and of the industry as a whole. Nevertheless, a market screening approach is important as it can be used as a warning mechanism to detect an emerging cartel, since it can flag potentially suspicious behaviour. Nevertheless, this calls for the policy makers to combine the scoping study by the Competition Commission and the monitoring of food prices by the NAMC, as this will provide the best enforcement tool in detecting cartel behaviour in the food industry.Dissertation (MInst Agrar)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
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Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
MInst Agrar
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Cody, Fonda. "An Intuitive Approach." VCU Scholars Compass, 2014. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3311.
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Artist Statement I explore the inherent features of painting, glass, and ceramics. I focus on the materials and work in a spontaneous, exploratory manner. This process of discovery fuels my creativity in working with each media as I develop an awareness of their possibilities and limitations. The better I know my materials, the easier it becomes to be expressive with them. In my paintings, I am interested in exploring my own personal response to paint and the weight of color on canvas. In these works, I often depict stylized architecture in a landscape. My glasswork focuses on color as inspired by my paintings, and in addition is an investigation of textures and patterns. I often create modular tiles, which I arrange to form larger compositions. Glass allows me to use brilliant, transparent colors no other material offers. In clay, I shift attention from color to basic forms. I combine and contrast textural elements as I investigate the clay and its features. Each of these media offers me an opportunity to intuitively express my creative impulses while allowing for a variety of outcomes.
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Meyer, Douglas. "Approach at marketing /." Click here to view, 2009. http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/artsp/21.
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Thesis (B.F.A.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009.Project advisor: Kathryn McCormick. Title from PDF title page; viewed on Jan. 21, 2010. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on microfiche.
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Chollet, Stéphanie. "Orchestration de services hétérogènes et sécurisés." Grenoble 1, 2009. http://www.theses.fr/2009GRE10283.
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Récemment, l'approche à services est apparue en ayant pour but de construire des applications à partir d'entités logicielles, nommées services. Un service fournit un ensemble de fonctionnalités définies par une description de services. A partir de cette description, un consommateur de service peut rechercher un service qui corresponde à ses besoins, le sélectionner et l'invoquer. La construction d'applications par composition de services demeure néanmoins une activité complexe puisqu'il faut traiter conjointement les aspects métier et techniques ; la composition doit satisfaire aux exigences fonctionnelles et non-fonctionnelles ainsi que respecter les contraintes des technologies à services liées, notamment, à l'hétérogénéité des plates-formes. Par ailleurs, les points forts de l'architecture à services, qui sont la distribution et le déploiement des services sur des plateformes hétérogènes, ouvrent d'importantes failles de sécurité. Nous proposons une approche dirigée par les modèles pour simplifier la réalisation d'applications basées sur une orchestration de services hétérogènes en prenant en considération les aspects de sécurité dès l'étape de conception. Pour cela, nous avons défini deux méta-modèles : l'un pour l'orchestration de services et l'autre pour la sécurité, ainsi que des liens entre ces méta-modèles dans le but d'étendre l'orchestration avec des propriétés de sécurité. Ainsi, il est possible de réaliser des modèles d'orchestration de services hétérogènes et sécurisés conformes aux méta-modèles. A partir de ces modèles, nous générons le code nécessaire à l'exécution de l'orchestration. L'exécution se fait en fonction des modèles définis dans la phase de conception et des services disponibles qui répondent aux spécifications. Notre approche a été validée avec la plate-forme Secure FOCAS, qui a été réalisée dans le cadre du projet Européen ITEA SODAService-oriented Computing (SOC) has appeared recently as a new software engineering paradigm. The very purpose of this reuse-based approach is to build applications through the late composition of independent software elements, called services, which are made available at run-time by internal or external providers. SOC brings properties of major interest. First, it supports rapid application development. Using existing, already tested, services is likely to reduce the time needed to build up an application and the overall quality of this application. SOC also improves software flexibility through late binding. A service to be used by an application is chosen at the last moment, based on its actual availability and on its properties at that moment. The service orientation has also to face thorny problems, as in any reuse-based approach. In this work, we focus on two major issues: the integration of heterogeneous service-oriented technologies and the management of security aspects when invoking a service. Security is actually a major concern to SOC practitioners. SOC technologies have allowed companies to expose applications, internally and externally, and, for that reason are heavily used. However, in some distributed environments, software services and process engines can be alarmingly vulnerable. Service-based processes can expose organizations to a considerable amount of security risk and dependability degradation. We propose to use a model-driven approach for solving this problem. During system design, paradigms such as abstraction, separation of concerns and language definition are used to define a model of the service composition with security properties. This model is transformed into an execution model. We present a generative environment applying these principles for service composition. This environment has been built as part of the SODA European project and validated on several industrial use cases
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Wu, Xiaoming. "Approximation using linear fitting neural network polynomial approach and gaussian approach." Ohio : Ohio University, 1991. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1183989182.
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Kermanshahani, Shokoh. "IXIA (IndeX-based Integration Approach) : une approche hybride pour l'intégration des données." Université Joseph Fourier (Grenoble), 2009. http://www.theses.fr/2009GRE10114.
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Aujourd'hui, il existe un nombre important et croissant de sources de données, qui peuvent être des documents et des données structurées ou semi-structurées. En général, aussi bien les documents que les bases de données sont autonomes et gérés par des systèmes différents. D'autre part, beaucoup de ces sources sont reliées tout en étant sémantiquement hétérogènes : elles modélisent la même réalité externe tout en utilisant des concepts et des structures distincts. Or, les organisations et les entreprises qui sont confrontées à de telles sources de données ont besoin d'en avoir une vision homogène et cohérente. La conséquence est qu'il est nécessaire de les intégrer et de disposer d'un système qui gère ces données. L'objectif d'un système d'intégration des données est de proposer une interface homogène pour interroger plusieurs sources, qui peuvent être hétérogènes et autonomes. Derrière une telle interface il y a plusieurs défis, parmi lesquels nous soulignons l'hétérogénéité structurelle et sémantique des sources de données, la fragmentation des données, le traitement et l'optimisation des requêtes. Il existe de nombreux travaux qui présentent des approches distinctes pour l'intégration des données, et chaque approche propose des solutions spécifiques à chacun des problèmes évoqués. On considère en général que ces approches appartiennent à deux grandes catégories : l'approche matérialisée et l'approche virtuelle. Cependant, on peut aussi considérer une troisième approche, dite hybride, qui propose qu'une partie des données du système intégré soit matérialisée et qu'une autre partie des données soit virtuelle. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons une architecture hybride pour un système d'intégration de sources de données hétérogènes, qui vise à étendre l'optimisation des requêtes à toutes les requêtes du système d'intégration. Elle permet aussi de fournir un mécanisme flexible pour traiter la mise à jour des données afin de tolérer les différentes caractéristiques des sources et de leurs données. Cette approche est basée sur un système d'indexation d'objets multicritères au niveau de la médiation. Dans notre approche, nous utilisons le système Osiris et son mécanisme d'indexation. Osiris est un système de gestion de bases de données et de bases de connaissance orienté objet, où une famille d'objets est définie par une hiérarchie de vues " object-preserving ". Le système d'indexation d'Osiris est un système multi-attributs, et notre approche propose la matérialisation du sous-ensemble des données directement reliées aux attributs d'indexation. Le système d'intégration des données proposé, IXIA, matérialise la structure d'indexation des objets sous-jacents au niveau du médiateur. Les Oids des objets, leur correspondance avec les objets des sources et les données nécessaires pour la mise à jour de l'indexation des données sont aussi matérialisées. Cette approche offre une plus grande flexibilité de rafraîchissement des données qu'une approche entièrement matérialisée, et une meilleure optimisation des requêtes que les méthodes entièrement virtuellesThere is a large and increasing volume of documents, data sources and data base management systems available in the world, and many autonomous and heterogeneous sources speak of a same reality while using different words and conceptual structures. Many organizations need to dispose of a system that handles such data in a homogeneous way, which necessitates the integration of these data sources. The goal of a data integration system is to develop a homogeneous interface for the end users to query several heterogeneous and autonomous sources. Building such a homogeneous interface raises many challenges among which the heterogeneity of data sources, the fragmentation of data, the processing and optimization of queries appear to be the most important. There are many research projects that present different approaches and each of them proposes a solution to each of these problems. Depending on the integrated view, these approaches can be categorized into two main categories: materialized and virtual approaches; there are also some hybrid approaches when there is a composition of materialized and virtual views. The main advantage of a hybrid approach is to offer a trade-off between the query response time and data freshness in a data integration system. In the existing approaches, query optimization is often privileged for the materialized part of the system. In this thesis, we develop a hybrid approach which aims to extend query optimization to all the queries of the integration system. It also provides a flexible data refreshing mechanism in order to tolerate different characteristics of sources and their data. This approach is based on the Osiris object indexing system. Osiris is a database and knowledge base platform with a specific object data model based on a hierarchy of views. Its indexation system relies on the partitioning of the object space using the view constraints. IXIA, the hybrid approach presented in this thesis, materializes the indexation structure of the underlying objects at the mediator level. The Oids of objects, their correspondence with the source objects and the needed data to refresh the indexation data are also materialized. Our index-based data integration approach offers more flexibility in data refreshing than a fully materialized approach and a better query response time in comparison with a fully virtual data integration system
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Ali, Abdunnabi M. Carleton University Dissertation Mathematics. "Interface of preliminary test approach and empirical Bayes approach to shrinkage estimation." Ottawa, 1990.
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Mauri, Christian John. "The medical approach and the social approach to disability: A descriptive analysis." Thesis, Mauri, Christian John ORCID: 0000-0003-3245-1044 (2011) The medical approach and the social approach to disability: A descriptive analysis. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 2011. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/6501/.
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The thesis offers a descriptive analysis of how the “medical approach” to disability and the “social approach” to disability understand and analyse disability as an area of inquiry. The medical approach treats disability as a pathological, deviant state caused by biological and physiological dysfunctions. This approach is discussed in regard to medical sociology, which treats disability primarily as a form of social deviance, and the individual model, which uses medical language to categorise disability based on functional limitations. The social approach treats disability as a social issue, with social forces influencing experiences of disability. This approached is used within disability studies, which argues that disabled individuals represent an oppressed social group, and the social model, which distinguishes between “impairment” and “disability” in order to treat disability as a social entity characterised by a range of social and material conditions.
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Hamamura, Takeshi. "Approach-avoidance motivation across cultures." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/1012.
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People everywhere strive for an ideal view of the self, but the conception of “ideal” differs importantly across cultures. In Western societies, the ideal self entails the possession of high self-esteem, whereas in East Asian cultures the ideal self entails maintenance of “face,” or successful performance of social roles and obligations. Within each cultural context, aspirations for an ideal self are facilitated by a network of psychological processes. One such psychological process is approach and avoidance motivations: approach motivation is useful for Westerners’ pursuit of high self-esteem whereas avoidance motivation is useful for East Asians’ concerns for face maintenance. Review of prior research renders support to this theorizing. Because approach and avoidance motivations are fundamental psychological processes, cross-cultural research on this topic is a great venue for investigating the ways in which culture shapes psychological processes. This dissertation examines the implication of cultural differences in approach and avoidance motivations in two domains. Studies 1 and 2 investigated the motivational consequences of a fit between culturally encouraged motivation and focus of self-regulation that a task at hand calls for. In comparisons of Canadians and Japanese, these studies found that individuals’ motivation for a task is enhanced when culturally encouraged motivation matched with focus of self-regulation required for the task. The second set of studies (Study 3 and 4) examined cognitive consequences of approach-avoidance motivation cultural difference. These studies found that a type of information that people are attuned to differs as a function of cultural differences in approach-avoidance motivations. Implications of the findings and future directions are discussed.
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Liu, Kefeng. "A capacitance approach to electromagnetic tomography." Ohio : Ohio University, 1987. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1183048840.
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Earley, Steven H. "DecisionNet : a database approach /." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 1996. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA318328.
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Thesis (M.S. in Information Technology Management) Naval Postgraduate School, September. 1996.Thesis advisor(s): H.K. Bhargava, S. Sridhar. "September 1996." Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-238). Also available online.
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Winkrantz, Hogg Linda. "Asymptotic approach to aeroacoustics." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/1251.
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The present thesis is concerned with mechanisms of sound generation by unsteady hydrodynamic motions in shear flows. Such problems are of great importance for the aviation industry, where noise reduction has long been a serious concern. The current state of the art in this field primarily rests on the acoustic analogy theory initiated by Lighthill (1952) and its numerous variants. An alternative method, based on matched asymptotic expansions, was developed by Crow (1970) among others. It was recently further advanced further within the framework of triple-deck theory to predict sound emission from certain viscous flows in the presence of a boundary (Wu 2002). We apply this approach to three aeroacoustic problems, which are deemed suitable for a triple-deck approach, with a view to analyze some fundamental sound generation processes on a self-consistent first-principle basis. The first problem addresses sound generation in a transonic boundary layer subjected to unsteady suction and injection. The analogous problem was analysed by Wu (2002) for subsonic flows but the theory breaks down at transonic speeds. The transonic effect first manifests itself when 1 −M2 = O(R−1/9), where M is the free-stream Mach number and R the global Reynolds number, which is assumed large. The unsteady flow due to the suction/injection is accommodated by a somewhat different triple-deck structure, in which the unsteady effect appears at the leading order in the upper deck, as was found by Bowles & Smith (1993). It is found that the resulting sound field is fundamentally different from its subsonic counterpart. The subsonic flow field involves an outer region, in which the pressure assumes an acoustic character. Such an outer region is not present in the transonic case, and it is not possible to express the solution in terms of multipoles since the source is not compact. Most importantly, it is found that the radiated sound produces a leading-order ‘back action’ effect on the source. The second problem is concerned with the acoustic radiation emitted by instability waves as they undergo rapid distortion, which has been recognized as one of prime mechanisms by which instability waves generate sound. We consider the situation where the rapid distortion in the Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) waves is caused by a localized surface roughness in a compressible subsonic boundary layer. We find that in order to predict the leading-order acoustic pressure fluctuation, the first four terms in the expansion for the hydrodynamic field have to be determined. They contribute equally to the radiated sound because they act as octupole, quadrupole, dipole and monopole sources respectively. The analysis reveals two types of cancellations, which may explain the difficulties in accurately predicting aerodynamic sound. The first occurs in spectral space in the small-wavenumber limit; this cancellation renders the leading-order source to act as an octupole rather than a quadrupole source. The second type occurs in physical space, among the sources in different regions of the flow. The analysis also shows that a localized roughness influences the energetics of a T-S wave and this effect can be characterized by a transmission coefficient. The third problem that we analyze is that of sound emission due to a stationary source embedded in a boundary layer. Our aim is to obtain some generic results, which generalise the studies of individual cases to encompass a broad class of flows. For that purpose, we seek Green’s functions corresponding to an arbitrarily specified source located in the main deck. The temporal and spatial scales of the source are assumed to be compatible with those of triple-deck theory so that the near-field hydrodynamics can be described by a triple-deck structure and a fourth, outer region accommodates the acoustic pressure. The solution is sought in terms of an asymptotic series for the pressure. The required order of approximation depends on the radiating nature of the effective source q, which can be characterized by its behaviour in the small wavenumber k limit. If q = O(1) for k = 0, the first two terms are needed. They act as dipole and monopole sources respectively and so contribute equally to the sound in an asymptotic sense. If q = O(k) for k 1, the first three terms have to be obtained, which act as quadrupole, dipole and monopole sources respectively.
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Akbarov, Artur. "Probability elicitation : predictive approach." Thesis, University of Salford, 2009. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/26502/.
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Probability elicitation is an important area of research with a wide scope for investigation and experimentation. The existing literature on the subject is vast and spread over many disciplines. This indicates the importance of the subject and the ubiquitous nature of the concept of probability. In this thesis, we focus on a probability elicitation method known as predictive elicitation. Predictive elicitation is a method for estimating hyperparameters of prior distributions by inverting corresponding prior predictive distributions. The uncertainty associated with prior predictive distributions is the uncertainty associated with socalled observable quantities. This uncertainty is generally accepted to be fundamentally more robust for elicitation than the uncertainty about unobservable parameters associated with prior distributions. Although predictive elicitation is the most natural way for eliciting probabilities for Bayesian models, it has two major difficulties for practical implementation. The first of these difficulties is related to inverting integral equations. Here, we deal with this difficulty by restricting the space of possible classes of prior distributions into three families, namely the beta, gamma and normal families as suggested by Percy (2002- 2004). The second difficulty is the problem of constraints on eliciting quantiles of the prior predictive distribution. In this thesis, we propose a method for identifying such constraints for single parameter models. We also propose a computational algorithm that makes predictive elicitation accessible for two-parameter models. We demonstrate that using the proposed elicitation method for two-parameter models it is possible to identify associated constraints. In summary, we extend the current literature related to predictive elicitation by adding to it the following main points: We propose a method for identifying constraints on the elicitation of quantiles for single parameter models. We propose the use of a new hybrid elicitation procedure for two-parameter models. We also investigate a method for identifying constraints on the elicitation process posed by the hybrid elicitation strategy. We provide numerical algorithms, programmed using MathCAD software, that enable full implementation of predictive elicitation for single parameter models. We also provide similar programs for selected two-parameter models that enable implementation of the proposed hybrid elicitation method. These algorithms can be used as bases for developing generic software for implementing predictive elicitation. Further research is needed to address the issue of the practical applicability of predictive elicitation to multi-parameter and multivariate models. The advancements made in this thesis provide foundations and an approach for dealing with the problem of constraints that can be extended to solve similar problems for multi-parameter and multivariate models.
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Page, Roderic D. M. (Roderic Dugald Morton). "Panbiogeography: a cladistic approach." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1999.
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This thesis develops a quantitative cladistic approach to panbiogeography. Algorithms for constructing and comparing area cladograms are developed and implemented in a computer program. Examples of the use of this software are described. The principle results of this thesis are: (1) The description of algorithms for implementing Nelson and Platnick's (1981) methods for constructing area cladograms. These algorithms have been incorporated into a computer program. (2) Zandee and Roos' (1987) methods based on "component-compatibility" are shown to be flawed. (3) Recent criticisms of Nelson and Platnick's methods by E. O. Wiley are rebutted. (4) A quantitative reanalysis of Hafner and Nadler's (1988) allozyme data for gophers and their parasitic lice illustrates the utility of information on timing of speciation events in interpreting apparent incongruence between host and parasite cladograms. In addition the thesis contains a survey of some current themes in biogeography, a reply to criticisms of my earlier work on track analysis, and an application of bootstrap and consensus methods to place confidence limits on estimates of cladograms.
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Roberts, Sean Geraint. "Evolutionary approach to bilingualism." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7995.
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The ability to learn multiple languages simultaneously is a fundamental human linguistic capacity. Yet there has been little attempt to explain this in evolutionary terms. Perhaps one reason for this lack of attention is the idea that monolingualism is the default, most basic state and so needs to be explained before considering bilingualism. When thinking about bilingualism in this light, a paradox appears: Intuitively, learning two languages is harder than learning one, yet bilingualism is prevalent in the world. Previous explanations for linguistic diversity involve appeals to adaptation for group resistance to freeriders. However, the first statement of the paradox is a property of individuals, while the second part is a property of populations. This thesis shows that the properties of cultural transmission mean that the link between individual learning and population-level phenomena can be complex. A simple Bayesian model shows that just because learning one language is easier than two, it doesn't mean that monolingualism will be the most prevalent property of populations. Although this appears to resolve the paradox, by building models of bilingual language evolution the complexity of the problem is revealed. A bilingual is typically defined as an individual with "native-like control of two languages" (Bloomfield, 1933, p. 56), but how do we define a native speaker? How do we measure proficiency? How do we define a language? How can we draw boundaries between languages that are changing over large timescales and spoken by populations with dynamic structures? This thesis argues that there is no psychological reality to the concept of discrete, monolithic, static `languages' - they are epiphenomena that emerge from the way individuals use low-level linguistic features. Furthermore, dynamic social structures are what drives levels of bilingualism. This leads to a concrete definition of bilingualism: The amount of linguistic optionality that is conditioned on social variables. However, integrating continuous variation and dynamic social structures into existing top-down models is difficult because many make monolingual assumptions. Subsequently, introducing bilingualism into these models makes them qualitatively more complicated. The assumptions that are valid for studying the general processes of cultural transmission may not be suitable for asking questions about bilingualism. I present a bottom-up model that is specifically designed to address the bilingual paradox. In this model, individuals have a general learning mechanism that conditions linguistic variation on semantic variables and social variables such as the identity of the speaker. If speaker identity is an important conditioning factor, then `bilingualism' emerges. The mechanism required to learn one language in this model can also learn multiple languages. This suggests that the bilingual paradox derives from focussing on the wrong kind of question. Rather than having to explain the ability to learn multiple languages simultaneously as an adaptation, we should be asking how and why humans developed a flexible language learning mechanism. This argument coincides with a move in the field of bilingualism away from asking `how are monolinguals and bilinguals different?' to `how does the distribution of variation affect the way children learn?'. In this case, while studies of language evolution look at how learning biases affect linguistic variation, studies of bilingualism look at how linguistic variation affects learning biases. I suggest that the two fields have a lot to offer each other.
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Yung, Chung-kwong Sunny, and 翁松光. "Kindergarten: a podium approach." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2000. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31986262.
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Ožana, Marek. "Mesoscopic superconductivity : quasiclassical approach." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för fysik, 2001. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-91484.
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This Thesis is concerned with the quasiclassical theory of meso-scopic superconductivity. The aim of the Thesis is to introduce the boundary conditions for a quasiclassical Green’s function on partially transparent interfaces in mesoscopic superconducting structures and to analyze the range of applicability of the quasiclassical theory. The linear boundary conditions for Andreev amplitudes, factoring the quasiclassical Green’s function, are presented. The quasiclassical theory on classical trajectories is reviewed and then generalized to include knots with paths intersections. The main focus of the Thesis is on the range of validity of the quasiclassical theory. This goal is achieved by comparison of quasiclassical and exact Green’s functions. The exact Gor’kov Greens function cannot be directly used for the comparison because of its strong microscopic variations on the length-scale of λF. It is the coarse-grain averaged exact Green’s function which is appropriate for the comparison. In most of the typical cases the calculations show very good agreement between both theories. Only for certain special situations, where the classical trajectory contains loops, one encounters discrepancies. The numerical and analytical analysis of the role of the loop-like structures and their influence on discrepancies between both exact and quasiclassical approaches is one of the main results of the Thesis. It is shown that the terms missing in the quasiclassical theory can be attributed to the loops formed by the interfering paths. In typical real samples any imperfection on the scale larger than the Fermi wavelength disconnects the loops and the path is transformed into the tree-like graph. It is concluded that the quasiclassical theory is fully applicable in most of real mesoscopic samples. In the situations where the conventional quasiclassical theory is inapplicable due to contribution of the interfering path, one can use the modification of the quasiclassical technique suggested in the Thesis.
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Swain, Philip Andrew. "Lophotoxin - a synthetic approach." Thesis, University of Salford, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.258343.
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Sandman, Aubrey Max. "Errors - a positive approach." Thesis, City University London, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.255353.
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Faller, A. "Pederin : The degradative approach." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.234161.
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Osbourne, Rachel. "Homelessness : a contextual approach." Thesis, University of East London, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.532397.
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Particular characteristics are frequently assigned to homeless people by virtue of the fact they are labelled as 'the homeless'. There are numerous functions that such terms and definitions fulfil. In general, they serve to promote perceptions of people with particular characteristics as different, distinct and distanced from others in society. In addition they may obscure structural inequalities, maintain and reinforce the interests of dominant groups in society. These definitions do not develop in a vacuum, they are constructed throughout centuries within a social system. The aim of this research was to explore how people make sense of their experience of homelessness in the context of the constructions operating within the social realm. It was suggested that these constructions have contributed to a representation of homeless people in individualistic and pathological terms and thus had a negative impact on this population. An analysis of some of the discourses used by members of this population suggested that this was indeed the case; however, the analysis also indicated that people often refused the 'helpless and hopeless' position associated with being 'homeless'. There was evidence that they sought avenues of empowerment. Implications of this alternative discourse regarding 'homelessness' in terms of current service provision for this population were identified. In addition, it was argued that a more contextualised approach will be necessary within clinical practice and research in order to move towards developing a more meaningful and useful way of conceptualising the experiences of people who are homeless. The role of Psychology was discussed.
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Grebenkov, Denis S. "Multiple correlation function approach." Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, 2016. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:15-qucosa-194264.
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The multiple correlation function approach is briefly presented and applied to investigate spin-echo signal attenuation due to restricted diffusion in simple geometries (slab, cylinder, and sphere) in the presence of surface relaxation. Exact and explicit
representations for the zeroth and second moments of the total phase accumulated by diffusing spins are derived by using the Laplace transform summation technique. Within the Gaussian phrase approximation, these two moments determine the reference and diffusion-weighted signals, respectively. In the slow-diffusion or short-time regime, the series expansion in half-integer powers of the diffusion coefficient is generalized to arbitrary temporal profile of a linear magnetic field gradient. In the motional-narrowing or long-time regime, it is shown how the presence of surface relaxation modifies the classical Robertson’s relation. Practical consequences of these findings are discussed.
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Bilock, Alexander. "Probabilistic Approach to InsulationCoordination." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Elektricitetslära, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-296483.
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The present work was performed at HVDC ABB as an initial study on how to adopt probabilistic concepts into the VCSHVDC insulation coordination. Due to large voltage levels in HVDC applications the corresponding insulation need to be properly addressed to ensure a safe, economical and reliable operation. Traditionally, only the maximum overvoltage is considered, where no adoption to the shape of the overvoltage distribution is regarded. Use of probabilistic concepts in the insulation coordination procedure can ideally reduce insulation margins with a maintained low risk of flashover. Analysis and understanding of probabilistic concepts of AC systems is needed in order to implement the concepts into VSC-HVDC. With use of advanced VSC-HVDC models, faults are simulated with varied fault insertion time in PSCAD. The resulting overvoltages from the simulation is gathered using different statistical methods in order to obtain the approximated overvoltage distribution. It was found from the simulation results that use of a Gaussian distribution is inappropriate due to shape variety in the overvoltage distributions. Instead, Kernel Density Estimate can serve as a flexible tool to approximate overvoltage distributions with a variety in number of modes and shape. The retrieved approximated overvoltage distributions are compared with the insulation strength in order to calculate the risk of flashover. The comparison shows that the insulation can be tuned in order to match set requirements. The thesis work should be seen as pilot study, where key problems have been pointed out and recommended further studies are proposed.
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Gallagher, Alexis. "Evolvability : a formal approach." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2009. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d3b0511e-bee5-4778-8822-703c514c1c1d.
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This dissertation clarifies the concept of evolvability, the increased capacity of some organisms or systems to support evolution, especially the evolution of life-like complexity. I survey the literature, which is spread over the fields of population genetics, developmental biology, artificial life, and microbial and molecular evolution. Finding that researchers have often used the term vaguely and incompatibly I identify five distinct kinds or senses of evolvability. I also identify five key constituent ideas, which I discuss in the context of organismic evolvability, a sense of evolvability with deep roots in the traditional fields of animal development and macroevolution. In these fields research into evolvability has historically been hampered by an insufficiently detailed knowledge of development. Research in molecular evolution has produced a thorough knowledge of the folding of RNA into secondary structure, which can be regarded as a model of development. This has motivated new approaches to evolvability based on representing development via a single genotype-phenotype mapping function. I build on these approaches to invent new mathematical methods to formalise the traditional ideas. I create an exact model illustrating a classic example of evolvability, the capacity for repeated segmentation and simple modularity. I analyse this with two new formal approaches. First is the genospace algebra, a propositional calculus based on graph theory. It is a formal language for describing genotype-phenotype maps. It provides a system for making calculations, proofs, and diagrams about mutational structures in genotype space, and it is flexible enough to allow description at arbitrary degrees of resolution. Second is a pair of concepts, the genetic leverage and the genetic fulcrum. The leverage provides a crude numerical measure of evolvability, and the fulcrum provides a heuristic for identifying the genomic and developmental causes of evolvability. Besides its specific relevance to diversification and development, evolvability is also crucial to the fundamental question of how evolution produces ordinary biological life. Simulation systems that implement only a conventional textbook model of evolution -– systems possessing only variation, inheritance, and selection –- fail to evolve anything resembling the complexity of the biological world. Research into evolvability is our best bet to illuminate the "missing ingredient" for life-like evolution.
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Sooter, Jan E. "Kinship: A Pastoral Approach." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2013. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/38.
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An exquisite example of kinship between women is in Luke 1:39-45 when Elizabeth, pregnant through miraculous means, greets Mary, also miraculously blest with child. This encounter is replayed today as homeless women and their caretakers are greeted and welcomed into a room where they listen to scripture of God’s love for them and a reflection of daily hope. We provide an environment of comfort and trust as a setting for these women to share their life’s stories. This is the foundation of a new ministry at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament. The theologies of Edward P. Hahnenberg, Maria Harris, Michael Horan and Rosemary Radford Ruether provide foundational evidence that support the development of this ministry and provision of ministerial leadership. Establishing a ministry for women can be challenging due to the male only construct of the Church hierarchy to include the pastor and parish priest. The theologies of Augustine, Aquinas and Balthasar are rooted in human dualism favoring men over women. This view does not favor equality for women within the confines of church structure but rather views them using classical Christian theology. Protestant theologian Paul Tillich envisioned a practical scrutiny that theology is most effective if viewed within a contemporary context. It is evident to me as a Pastoral Associate candidate for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, that the theology of Paul Tillich would allow women to become Pastoral Associates and Parish Life Directors unlike classical Christian Theologians.
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Sharova, O. "Osteopathic approach in Ukraine." Thesis, Sumy State University, 2017. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/62561.
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Schachtel, Bernard 1943. "Bulimia: a Phenomenological Approach." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1988. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc331020/.
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This study used a qualitative/phenomenological research methodology to examine the perspective of five bulimic subjects about their lives in order to understand the bulimic individual's point of view and develop a clearer picture of the world of the bulimic. This approach involved three interviews for each of the five subjects totalling 22 1/2 hours. The three interviews dealt with the subjects' past and present experiences and their ideas about the future. The qualitative/phenomenological methodology created an in-depth view of each subject's relationship to the beginning of her bulimia and its subsequent development. During the period when the interviews were being transcribed, patterns and concepts emerged and were examined. Nine categories were developed from this data reflecting some of the characteristics of a bulimic's personality. Six research questions were formulated and then answered by evaluating them in the light of the nine categories as well as data and descriptions from the interviews. No one single category was found to be uniquely dominant, but rather the categories tended to appear in a cluster-like fashion depending on the individual personality of the bulimic. The data of this study revealed a distinction between the personality and the behavior of the bulimic. A form with a Likert-like response was developed by the researcher and given out to 11 raters in order to evaluate the presence or non-presence of the categories in selected passages. On the basis of the findings of this study, with its limited subject pool, certain recommendations are presented for the reader that might perhaps be of some use in understanding bulimia.
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Blackwelder, Reid B. "Practical Approach to CAM." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2005. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6992.
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Rocci, Lisa. "Locomotion: A Cinematic Approach." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32428.
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The landscape is not static, but perceived dynamically and should be designed for the unique sorts of movement that occur. Within the site of Carpinteria, Californiaâ s Amtrak train station lies an opportunity to maximize public space through an investigation of those in motion at this place of convergence, including cars, busses, pedestrians, skateboarders, bicyclists, and trains. A cinematic process of design allows for exploration of distinct character movements and resulting unique perceptions of the site in terms of scale, rhythm, texture, color, and perceived desire or needs. These stories are then sculpted onto the land, recording physically threads of speed, moments of pause, and elements of fascination. The â newâ station is presented as a movie, unveiling a landscape perceived and created dynamically through the eyes of those in motion.Master of Landscape Architecture
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Pareti, Silvia. "Attribution : a computational approach." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/14170.
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Our society is overwhelmed with an ever growing amount of information. Effective management of this information requires novel ways to filter and select the most relevant pieces of information. Some of this information can be associated with the source or sources expressing it. Sources and their relation to what they express affect information and whether we perceive it as relevant, biased or truthful. In news texts in particular, it is common practice to report third-party statements and opinions. Recognizing relations of attribution is therefore a necessary step toward detecting statements and opinions of specific sources and selecting and evaluating information on the basis of its source. The automatic identification of Attribution Relations has applications in numerous research areas. Quotation and opinion extraction, discourse and factuality have all partly addressed the annotation and identification of Attribution Relations. However, disjoint efforts have provided a partial and partly inaccurate picture of attribution. Moreover, these research efforts have generated small or incomplete resources, thus limiting the applicability of machine learning approaches. Existing approaches to extract Attribution Relations have focused on rule-based models, which are limited both in coverage and precision. This thesis presents a computational approach to attribution that recasts attribution extraction as the identification of the attributed text, its source and the lexical cue linking them in a relation. Drawing on preliminary data-driven investigation, I present a comprehensive lexicalised approach to attribution and further refine and test a previously defined annotation scheme. The scheme has been used to create a corpus annotated with Attribution Relations, with the goal of contributing a large and complete resource than can lay the foundations for future attribution studies. Based on this resource, I developed a system for the automatic extraction of attribution relations that surpasses traditional syntactic pattern-based approaches. The system is a pipeline of classification and sequence labelling models that identify and link each of the components of an attribution relation. The results show concrete opportunities for attribution-based applications.
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Gaulden, Charles H. "The master teacher approach." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1996. http://www.tren.com.
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Vogel, Susan Carter. "Humor : a semiogenetic approach /." Bochum : Brockmeyer, 1989. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb355389499.
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Yung, Chung-kwong Sunny. "Kindergarten : a podium approach /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2000. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25949585.
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Yunus, Kamran. "Electrochemical approach to microfluidics." Thesis, University of Bath, 2003. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.426200.
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Quintanilha, Tânea Mara Rondon. "An approach to fluency." reponame:Repositório Institucional da UFSC, 2013. https://repositorio.ufsc.br/handle/123456789/106210.
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Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 1983.Made available in DSpace on 2013-12-05T19:41:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 321769.pdf: 18622548 bytes, checksum: eea678133582709b19b9492e87145969 (MD5)
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Williams, A. Lynn. "The Multiple Oppositions Approach." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://www.amzn.com/1118634020.
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Book Summary: Speaking directly to experienced and novice clinicians, educators and students in speech-language pathology/speech and language therapy via an informative essay-based approach, Children’s Speech Sound Disorders provides concise, easy-to-understand explanations of key aspects of the classification, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of articulation disorders, phonological disorders and childhood apraxia of speech. It also includes a range of searching questions to international experts on their work in the child speech field.
This new edition of Children’s Speech Sound Disorders is meticulously updated and expanded. It includes new material on Apps, assessing and treating two-year-olds, children acquiring languages other than English and working with multilingual children, communities of practice in communication sciences and disorders, distinguishing delay from disorder, linguistic sciences, counselling and managing difficult behaviour, and the neural underpinnings of and new approaches to treating CAS.
This bestselling guide includes: Case vignettes and real-world examples to place topics in context Expert essays by sixty distinguished contributors A companion website for instructors at www.wiley.com/go/bowen/speechlanguagetherapy and a range of supporting materials on the author’s own site at speech-language-therapy.com
Drawing on a range of theoretical, research and clinical perspectives and emphasising quality client care and evidence-based practice, Children’s Speech Sound Disorders is a comprehensive collection of clinical nuggets, hands-on strategies, and inspiration.
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Becker, Saskia. "The Propagation-Separation Approach." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät II, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/16960.
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Lokal parametrische Modelle werden häufig im Kontext der nichtparametrischen Schätzung verwendet. Bei einer punktweisen Schätzung der Zielfunktion können die parametrischen Umgebungen mithilfe von Gewichten beschrieben werden, die entweder von den Designpunkten oder (zusätzlich) von den Beobachtungen abhängen. Der Vergleich von verrauschten Beobachtungen in einzelnen Punkten leidet allerdings unter einem Mangel an Robustheit. Der Propagations-Separations-Ansatz von Polzehl und Spokoiny [2006] verwendet daher einen Multiskalen-Ansatz mit iterativ aktualisierten Gewichten. Wir präsentieren hier eine theoretische Studie und numerische Resultate, die ein besseres Verständnis des Verfahrens ermöglichen. Zu diesem Zweck definieren und untersuchen wir eine neue Strategie für die Wahl des entscheidenden Parameters des Verfahrens, der Adaptationsbandweite. Insbesondere untersuchen wir ihre Variabilität in Abhängigkeit von der unbekannten Zielfunktion. Unsere Resultate rechtfertigen eine Wahl, die unabhängig von den jeweils vorliegenden Beobachtungen ist. Die neue Parameterwahl liefert für stückweise konstante und stückweise beschränkte Funktionen theoretische Beweise der Haupteigenschaften des Algorithmus. Für den Fall eines falsch spezifizierten Modells führen wir eine spezielle Stufenfunktion ein und weisen eine punktweise Fehlerschranke im Vergleich zum Schätzer des Algorithmus nach. Des Weiteren entwickeln wir eine neue Methode zur Entrauschung von diffusionsgewichteten Magnetresonanzdaten. Unser neues Verfahren (ms)POAS basiert auf einer speziellen Beschreibung der Daten, die eine zeitgleiche Glättung bezüglich der gemessenen Positionen und der Richtungen der verwendeten Diffusionsgradienten ermöglicht. Für den kombinierten Messraum schlagen wir zwei Distanzfunktionen vor, deren Eignung wir mithilfe eines differentialgeometrischen Ansatzes nachweisen. Schließlich demonstrieren wir das große Potential von (ms)POAS auf simulierten und experimentellen Daten.In statistics, nonparametric estimation is often based on local parametric modeling. For pointwise estimation of the target function, the parametric neighborhoods can be described by weights that depend on design points or on observations. As it turned out, the comparison of noisy observations at single points suffers from a lack of robustness. The Propagation-Separation Approach by Polzehl and Spokoiny [2006] overcomes this problem by using a multiscale approach with iteratively updated weights. The method has been successfully applied to a large variety of statistical problems. Here, we present a theoretical study and numerical results, which provide a better understanding of this versatile procedure. For this purpose, we introduce and analyse a novel strategy for the choice of the crucial parameter of the algorithm, namely the adaptation bandwidth. In particular, we study its variability with respect to the unknown target function. This justifies a choice independent of the data at hand. For piecewise constant and piecewise bounded functions, this choice enables theoretical proofs of the main heuristic properties of the algorithm. Additionally, we consider the case of a misspecified model. Here, we introduce a specific step function, and we establish a pointwise error bound between this function and the corresponding estimates of the Propagation-Separation Approach. Finally, we develop a method for the denoising of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance data, which is based on the Propagation-Separation Approach. Our new procedure, called (ms)POAS, relies on a specific description of the data, which enables simultaneous smoothing in the measured positions and with respect to the directions of the applied diffusion-weighting magnetic field gradients. We define and justify two distance functions on the combined measurement space, where we follow a differential geometric approach. We demonstrate the capability of (ms)POAS on simulated and experimental data.
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Rose, Jason Paul. "Approach-avoidance and optimism." Diss., University of Iowa, 2009. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/317.
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It is a widely assumed principle that organisms reflexively approach possibilities for pleasure and avoid possibilities for pain. However, highly evolved organisms not only reflexively react to future possibilities of pleasure vs. pain, but also evaluate the chance or risk of actually experiencing such possibilities. Given the import of optimism judgments in shaping behavior and other outcomes, the main goal of the current research was to examine the relationship between the rudimentary systems of approach-avoidance that orient us toward possible outcomes in the environment and the higher-order optimism judgments we make when evaluating whether such outcomes are likely to occur. To this end, two experiments examined the impact of approach-avoidance cues in shaping participants' optimism judgments about experiencing positive and negative future life events. For the primary operationalization of approach-avoidance, college student participants engaged in arm flexion (a motor movement associated with approach) or arm extension (a motor movement associated with avoidance) while simultaneously making optimism judgments about experiencing a range of positive and negative events in the future. A secondary operationalization involved correlations computed between participants' chronic personality tendencies related to approach-avoidance (e.g., positive vs. negative affectivity) and their optimism judgments. The results of these experiments revealed complexities in the relationship between approach-avoidance and optimism, suggesting that when, how and why approach-avoidance cues will shape optimism may critically depend upon 1) the specific operationalization of approach-avoidance, 2) how optimism is measured, and 3) characteristics of the outcomes under consideration. Explanations for the complexities in the results are offered, and attempts are made to link the current work to broader theoretical and practical aspects of the connection between approach-avoidance and optimism.
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Lundqvist, Erika. "Intervening Religious and Cultural Based Violence Against Children in Indonesia : A Theortical Analysis." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Teologiska institutionen, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-295422.
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This research is a case-study based primarily on theory and pre-existing documents describing the history and the current situation in regards to violence against children in Indonesia. The theory of intervention is analysed against the context of Indonesia with an aim to find which of the selected intervention approaches – the systems approach, the human ecology approach, the lifecycle approach and the community based approach – are considered most appropriate, in terms of minimal obstacles or barriers, for recommendation to be implemented by religious leaders to eliminate violence against children. Furthermore, this research finds which types of violence against children – those with religious motivation or those with cultural motivation – each of these four intervention approaches are best suited for. The study finds that the former two approaches are lesser recommended for religious leaders on their own to lead, and that the latter two are better able to provide the necessary social programming. While conditions apply, each of the approaches are capable of intervening violence motivated by both religious and cultural norms.
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Simó, i. Sanchez Ricard. "Intrathoracic Goitres: Comparative study of the transcervical approach versus the combined cervicothoracic approach." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/405255.
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Els golls amb extensió intratoràcica es presenten sovint amb símptomes compressius i
comporten reptes en el seu maneig requerint atenció per equips quirúrgics amb
experiència. La majoria dels golls intratoràcics poden accedir-se amb un abordatge
transcervical i nomes d’entre el 5 i el 15% requereixen abordatges extracervicals.
Existeixen moltes controvèrsies referents a la presentació clínica, avaluació, selecció de
casos per abordatges extracervicals, tècnica quirúrgica i resultats.
Objectiu
L’objectiu d’aquest estudi és avaluar, analitzar i comparar els resultats dels pacients
sotmesos a cirurgia per golls intratoràcics pels dos abordatges principals.
Materials i Mètodes
S’ha fet una revisió de 237 pacients sotmesos a cirurgia per golls intratoràcics. 27 pacients
varen ser operats per via cervical i esternotomia mitja, 2 per via cervical i toracotomia
lateral dreta i la resta per via transcervical. Es varen recollir prospectivament dades de la
presentació clínica, exploracions, tractament, complicacions i resultats.
Resultats
L’índex de malignitat en golls intratoràcics va ser del 8.01% i l’índex de malignitat oculta
del 5.0%. L’ecografia amb punció d’agulla fina te una sensitivitat dolenta (33%) però una
especificitat alta (93.3%) per excloure càncer. El risc d’esternotomia fou del 12.2% i
l’extensió per sota de l’arc de l’aorta (p<0.001), la forma d’iceberg (p<0.001) i la cirurgia
de revisió (p<0.001) van ser els millors predictors de necessitar un abordatge extracervical.
El risc de lesió recurrencial i hipocalcemia va ser més alt en els abordatges extracervicals
(p<0.003 i p<0.002, respectivament). L’índex de traqueomalacia va ser del 1.6% i el risc
de traqueotomia del 2.5%. La mitjana en els períodes d’ingrés en els abordatges
transcervicals va ser de 3 dies, i de 6 dies en els extracervicals (p<0.0001).
Conclusions
La cirurgia per golls intratoràcics representa un repte. Requereix un avaluació acurada i un
abordatge multidisciplinar amb equips especialitzats. A pesar de les característiques I de
les complexitats anatòmiques d’aquest golls, la majoria es poden abordar per una via
transcervical. L’índex de complicacions es baix però mes alt en pacients que necessiten un
abordatge extracervical.MNGs with intrathoracic extension often present with compressive symptoms and pose specific management challenges requiring specialised care by experienced surgical teams. Most ITG can be accessed by a TCA and only between 5 and 15% will require an ECA. Many controversies exist regarding the clinical presentation, evaluation, and selection of cases for ECA, surgical technique and outcomes. Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate, analyse and compare the outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for ITG by the two main approaches. Materials and Methods An ambispective study of 237 patients undergoing surgery for ITG was undertaken. 27 patients underwent a combined cervical and midline sternotomy and 2 underwent a combined cervical and right lateral thoracotomy and the rest by a TC approach. Data on clinical presentation, investigations, complications and outcomes was collected prospectively and analysed. Results The rate of malignancy in ITG was 8.01% with a rate of occult malignancy of 5.0%. The USS FNA had poor sensitivity (33%) but high specificity (93.3%) to exclude cancer. The risk of sternotomy was 12.2% and the extension BAA (p<0.001), iceberg shape (p<0.001) and reoperation (p<0.001) were the best predictors of needing an ECA. The risk of RLNP and hypocalcaemia are higher in ECA (p<0.003 and p<0.002). The risk of tracheomalacia was 1.6% and the risk of tracheostomy was 2.5%. The median LOS in TCA was 3 days and 6 days in the ECA (p<0.0001). Conclusions Surgery for ITG is challenging. It requires accurate evaluation and a multidisciplinary approach by specialised teams. Despite the nature and anatomical complexities of these goitres most of them can be excised via a TCA. The rate of complications is relatively low but higher in patients undergoing ECA.
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Holmqvist, Lucas, and Eric Ahlström. "Comparing Traditional Key Frame Animation Approach and Hybrid Animation Approach of Humanoid Characters." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Institutionen för kreativa teknologier, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-14813.
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