Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Latent space analysis'

Statistical modelling has become a ubiquitous tool for analysing of morphological variation of bone structures in medical images. For radiological images, the shape, relative pose between the bone structures and the intensity distribution are key features often modelled separately. A wide range of research has reported methods that incorporate these features as priors for machine learning purposes. Statistical shape, appearance (intensity profile in images) and pose models are popular priors to explain variability across a sample population of rigid structures. However, a principled and robust way to combine shape, pose and intensity features has been elusive for four main reasons: 1) heterogeneity of the data (data with linear and non-linear natural variation across features); 2) sub-optimal representation of three-dimensional Euclidean motion; 3) artificial discretization of the models; and 4) lack of an efficient transfer learning process to project observations into the latent space. This work proposes a novel statistical modelling framework for multiple bone structures. The framework provides a latent space embedding shape, pose and intensity in a continuous domain allowing for new approaches to skeletal joint analysis from medical images. First, a robust registration method for multi-volumetric shapes is described. Both sampling and parametric based registration algorithms are proposed, which allow the establishment of dense correspondence across volumetric shapes (such as tetrahedral meshes) while preserving the spatial relationship between them. Next, the framework for developing statistical shape-kinematics models from in-correspondence multi-volumetric shapes embedding image intensity distribution, is presented. The framework incorporates principal geodesic analysis and a non-linear metric for modelling the spatial orientation of the structures. More importantly, as all the features are in a joint statistical space and in a continuous domain; this permits on-demand marginalisation to a region or feature of interest without training separate models. Thereafter, an automated prediction of the structures in images is facilitated by a model-fitting method leveraging the models as priors in a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. The framework is validated using controlled experimental data and the results demonstrate superior performance in comparison with state-of-the-art methods. Finally, the application of the framework for analysing computed tomography images is presented. The analyses include estimation of shape, kinematic and intensity profiles of bone structures in the shoulder and hip joints. For both these datasets, the framework is demonstrated for segmentation, registration and reconstruction, including the recovery of patient-specific intensity profile. The presented framework realises a new paradigm in modelling multi-object shape structures, allowing for probabilistic modelling of not only shape, but also relative pose and intensity as well as the correlations that exist between them. Future work will aim to optimise the framework for clinical use in medical image analysis.

This diploma thesis is focusing on description of processing social network analysis, design and implementation of a model that simulates a particular social network and its analysis. Social networks are modern and very used in this time. They are very good point for exploring. This project deal with static analysis social network, where social network is constructed by graph. We nd out di erent properties of single component and than we establish signi cance of them. Relationships between components are important too for us, because they have a big influence on propagation information in network. Structural properties figure out existence of di fferent communities. We simulate social network with multi-agent systems, they are desirable for represent changes in network. Multi-agent systems have implemented a simulation model that represents a particular social network. His behaviour was analyzed and examinated by chosen methods.

Roll compaction is a continuous process commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry for dry granulation of moisture and heat sensitive powder blends. It is intended to increase bulk density and improve flowability. Roll compaction is a complex process that depends on many factors, such as feed powder properties, processing conditions and system layout. Some of the variability in the process remains unexplained. Accordingly, modeling tools are needed to understand the properties and the interrelations between raw materials, process parameters and the quality of the product. It is important to look at the whole manufacturing chain from raw materials to tablet properties. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the impact of raw materials, process parameters and system design variations on the quality of intermediate and final roll compaction products, as well as their interrelations. In order to do so, we have conducted a series of systematic experimental studies and utilized chemometric tools, such as design of experiments, latent variable models (i.e. PCA, OPLS and O2PLS) as well as mechanistic models based on the rolling theory of granular solids developed by Johanson (1965). More specifically, we have developed a modeling approach to elucidate the influence of different brittle filler qualities of mannitol and dicalcium phosphate and their physical properties (i.e. flowability, particle size and compactability) on intermediate and final product quality. This approach allows the possibility of introducing new fillers without additional experiments, provided that they are within the previously mapped design space. Additionally, this approach is generic and could be extended beyond fillers. Furthermore, in contrast to many other materials, the results revealed that some qualities of the investigated fillers demonstrated improved compactability following roll compaction. In one study, we identified the design space for a roll compaction process using a risk-based approach. The influence of process parameters (i.e. roll force, roll speed, roll gap and milling screen size) on different ribbon, granule and tablet properties was evaluated. In another study, we demonstrated the significant added value of the combination of near-infrared chemical imaging, texture analysis and multivariate methods in the quality assessment of the intermediate and final roll compaction products. Finally, we have also studied the roll compaction of an intermediate drug load formulation at different scales and using roll compactors with different feed screw mechanisms (i.e. horizontal and vertical). The horizontal feed screw roll compactor was also equipped with an instrumented roll technology allowing the measurement of normal stress on ribbon. Ribbon porosity was primarily found to be a function of normal stress, exhibiting a quadratic relationship. A similar quadratic relationship was also observed between roll force and ribbon porosity of the vertically fed roll compactor. A combination of design of experiments, latent variable and mechanistic models led to a better understanding of the critical process parameters and showed that scale up/transfer between equipment is feasible.

This study investigates geospatial relationships among Late Intermediate Period (1000–1400 CE) settlement patterns within the Moquegua River drainage of southern Peru which were first identified in the 1990s by the Moquegua Archaeological Survey (MAS). A prevalence of walls and defensive locations and a largely vacant no-mans-land between down valley Chiribaya and up valley Estuquiña settlements likely evidences an increased level of inter-cultural conflict in the region during the LIP that may have continued in the Late Horizon. Using viewshed analyses in ARC-GIS, this study proposes and compares two possible chronologies to explore how Chiribaya, Estuquiña, and Estuquiña -Inca settlements interacted or competed for the surrounding river valley through their direct or indirect control of resources, and their ability to defend against each other. Through the identification of these prime factors, this study aims to understand how the placement of settlements corresponds to the larger web of social interactions.

This dissertation investigates the use of the subjunctive in completive clauses governed by verbs in Italian, both synchronically and diachronically, and in Vulgar Latin. By making use of the tools provided by the Variationist Sociolinguistic framework (Labov 1972, 1994), the current study sheds light on the underlying conditioning on variability using actual usage and speech-surrogate data. Contemporary actual speech data comes from LIP (De Mauro et al. 1993) and C-ORAL-ROM (Cresti & Moneglia 2005) corpora, providing spontaneous discourse in casual and careful speech as well as sub-sample divisions representative of geographical variation. In order to measure any changes in the underlying conditioning on subjunctive selection, a diachronic benchmark is established: a corpus of speech-like surrogates of 16th to 20th century Italian, COHI (Corpus of Historical Italian), and a corpus of Vulgar Latin (Cena Trimalchionis, from the Satyricon by Petronius). The subjunctives were extracted in adherence to the principle of accountability (Labov 1972), using the method developed by Poplack (1992): every complement clause governed by a matrix verb (governor) that triggered the subjunctive at least once was included. This method enables us to circumvent the issue of the lack of consensus in the literature on exactly which contexts, i.e. verbs and/or meanings, should trigger the subjunctive in discourse. This issue surfaces as well from the meta-linguistic analysis of a compendium of 58 Italian grammars and treaties (CSGI, Collezione Storica di Grammatiche Italiane), constructed for the purpose of this research. A series of linguistic and extra-linguistic factors proposed by formal and prescriptive literature are operationalized and tested against the corpora of both Italian and Vulgar Latin, in order to ascertain the nature of variability in discourse: i.e. whether the use of the subjunctive is semantically motivated, productive in speech or undergoing desemanticization and lexicalization. Despite widespread assumption of a change that occurred after the political and the subsequent linguistic unification of Italy, i.e. that the subjunctive has lost ground in favour of the indicative when it was supposedly used categorically in the past, quantitative and statistical evidence shows that subjunctive selection is largely determined by lexical identity of the governor as well as embedded suppletive forms of essere, and that this pattern has been operative at least since the 16th century. On a more socio-linguistic aspect, this study confirms the linguistic prestige that the subjunctive has acquired in contemporary speech, being selected with a wider range of infrequent and singleton governors by highly educated speakers. Also, the highly lexicalized pattern on variability was found to be largely shared amongst the four main urban centres of Florence, Milan, Rome, and Naples, thus countering the assumption of divergent linguistic behaviour between northern and southern varieties of Italian. The study also shows that despite the significant time span targeted, no evidence of desemanticization has been found. Likewise, the variationist analysis on the Vulgar Latin subjunctive shows that subjunctive choice was already largely determined by, and restricted, to a few governors, identified as ‘volitive’ and ‘emotive’ matrices. These governors remained strong predictors for the selection of the subjunctive in Italian as well, suggesting that this lexical pattern has been transferred and consistently retained in the daughter language.

This thesis investigates the affects of the French Revolution of 1789 and the Mexican Revolution of 1910 on gender roles in their respective societies. Women that contributed to political discourse challenged separations of public and private spheres, which dictated order in the late and postrevolutionary periods of France and Mexico. Given the deliberate acts by both postrevolutionary governments to send women to the periphery of their respective societies, it is vital to revisit the examples of female influence that shaped the early French and Mexican Revolutions. The understanding that comes from a detailed analysis of the parameters of gendered spaces before, during, and after revolution sheds light on the relationships between order and gender that determined the future of women in their respective postrevolutionary worlds.

The present work introduces a methodology to obtain a discrete time state space representation of an electrical network using the nodal [G] matrix of the Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMTP) solution. This is the first time the connection between the EMTP nodal analysis solution and a corresponding state-space formulation is presented. Compared to conventional state space solutions, the nodal EMTP solution is computationally much more efficient. Compared to the phasor solutions used in transient stability analysis, the proposed approach captures a much wider range of eigenvalues and system operating states. A fundamental advantage of extracting the system eigenvalues directly from the EMTP solution is the ability of the EMTP to follow the characteristics of nonlinearities. The system's trajectory can be accurately traced and the calculated eigenvalues and eigenvectors correctly represent the system's instantaneous dynamics. In addition, the algorithm can be used as a tool to identify network partitioning subsystems suitable for real-time hybrid power system simulator environments, including the implementation of multi-time scale solutions. The proposed technique can be implemented as an extension to any EMTP-based simulator. Within our UBC research group, it is aimed at extending the capabilities of our real-time PC-cluster Object Virtual Network Integrator (OVNI) simulator.

International migration to Chile and to the Santiago Metropolitan Area (SMA), its major point of attraction, is a rather recent phenomenon which is gaining more and more attention. According to the latest population census the number of foreigners who were born abroad and permanently live in Chile, has increased by 75% between 1992 and 2002. Parallel to this, the national policy debate about immigration is becoming more intensive. However, until now there is only little evidence concerning the patterns of international migration and the characterization of the immigrants’ social space. This study is oriented towards reducing this deficit. Based on a thorough theoretical discussion, recent research publications and international reports, the study pursues mainly four objectives: The first objective is to identify major patterns of international migration as a context for the immigration to Chile and the SMA. The second objective is to understand the main features of international migration to the SMA. The third objective is to analyze the immigrants’ social space and its contribution to the overall urban development patterns in the SMA. And finally, the research results are linked with the national policy debate about immigration, and a number of policy recommendations are made. The study applies a mix of – mainly quantitative – methods, such as descriptive and analytical statistics including factor and cluster analyses using Chilean census data and visa records. The current immigration situation in Chile is characterized by a notable increase in the number of South American migrants, being attracted by better job opportunities. Moreover, there are growing numbers of young migrants for educational reasons. Chile appears to present an “intervening opportunity” in the migrants’ decision-making process, where a number of factors, such as new policy regulations in industrialized countries, the time/cost distance, as well as the economic development and political stability in the country, increasingly seem to turn into competitive advantages as compared to countries like the US, Spain or Italy. The qualification profiles of migrants in the SMA sharply contrast with the situation in most industrialized countries. In general, the educational level of immigrants is rather high. In general, immigrants strongly contribute to the educational level of the population in the SMA. Like in most global cities, two major streams of international migrants can be found in the SMA, on the one hand those who belong to the upper levels of the occupational hierarchy and on the other hand marginalized low-skill employees. The related data can be taken as an indication for the fact that a large group of immigrants is employed below their qualification levels. In the SMA, professionals and technicians play a very important role, and, except for some of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian migrants, there is little evidence of labour market segmentation. Skilled migrants contribute to reducing gaps of labour market supply in some sectors of the economy, such as public health and private education. Low-skilled migrants contribute to the labour market supply in fields where there is a growing demand, e.g. in the domestic services. Almost 50% of the international migrants live in five of the 34 communes of the SMA. This seems to be largely determined by two main factors: Migrants are found where job opportunities are, and they follow similar patterns like the Chilean population regarding their socio-spatial differentiation. Furthermore, despite the relatively high spatial concentration of migrants, the SMA shows less evidence of residential segregation than many European and US cities. The highest segregation indexes are associated with European and US immigrants with a high socioeconomic status (“voluntary ghettos”). Factor and cluster analyses show major patterns of the socio-spatial distribution of migrants in the SMA: a rather large zone of low attraction for migrants, the downtown area concentrating recent flows, and a series of semi-concentric zones around the centre where the migrants’ socio-economic and residential status increases with distance from the city centre. This is consistent with models of urban dynamics of Latin American cities. Based on the results of this study, four major recommendations for the policy debate about immigration can be derived. There is a need for (1) strengthening the diagnosis regarding immigration, (2) the improvement of the institutional framework and the participation of stakeholders, (3) fostering international cooperation regarding issues of immigration, as well as (4) shaping public opinion and strengthening the integration of immigrants
Zuwanderung nach Chile und in den Großraum Santiago, dem wichtigsten Attraktionspol des Landes, ist ein relativ junges Phänomen, gewinnt aber zunehmend an Bedeutung. Laut dem letzten Bevölkerungszensus des Landes hat sich die Zahl der Zuwanderer, d.h. nach chilenischer Definition der Personen, die im Ausland geboren wurden und permanent in Chile leben, zwischen 1992 und 2002 um 75% erhöht. Parallel zu dieser Entwicklung, hat eine nationale Politikdebatte eingesetzt, die derzeit an Fahrt gewinnt. Allerdings gibt es bis heute nur wenig gesichertes Wissen über die Zuwanderung in Chile und deren sozialräumliche Charakteristika. Diese Arbeit soll einen Beitrag zur Verringerung dieses Defizits leisten. Auf der Grundlage einer Diskussion theoretischer Ansätze sowie von Studien und internationalen Berichten jüngeren Datums zu Fragen der Zuwanderung verfolgt die vorliegende Arbeit im Wesentlichen vier Ziele: Erstens sollen die Grundlinien internationaler Wanderungsprozesse als Rahmen für die Diskussion der Entwicklungstrends in Chile und im Großraum Santiago nachgezeichnet werden. Zweitens sollen Charakteristika der Zuwanderung im Großraum Santiago herausgearbeitet werden. Drittens geht es um die Identifizierung sozialräumlicher Strukturen der Zuwanderung und ihren Beitrag zur Stadtentwicklung im Großraum Santiago. Und schließlich werden aus den Ergebnissen der Studie Empfehlungen an die Politik als Beitrag zur Zuwanderungsdebatte in Chile abgeleitet. In der Arbeit werden unterschiedliche – überwiegend quantitative – Methoden verwendet, so zum Beispiel der deskriptiven und analytischen Statistik einschließlich einer Faktoren- und Clusteranalyse. Der Autorin standen hierfür umfangreiche chilenische Zensus- und Visadaten zur Verfügung. Die Zuwanderung nach Chile ist gegenwärtig insbesondere von einem starken Anstieg des Anteils von Migranten aus Lateinamerika gekennzeichnet. Dabei spielen vor allem die vergleichsweise großen Arbeitsmarktpotenziale des Landes eine Rolle. Zudem steigt die Zahl jüngerer Zuwanderer, für die Chile attraktive Ausbildungs- und Studienmöglichkeiten bietet. Im Entscheidungsprozess von Migranten kommt Chile zunehmend die Rolle einer „intervening opportunity“ zu, wobei eine Reihe von Faktoren dem Land komparative Vorteile gegenüber traditionellen Zuwanderungsländern für Migranten aus Lateinamerika wie den USA, Spanien oder Italien verschafft. Hierzu gehören u.a. die verschärften Zuwanderungsbeschränkungen in vielen Industrieländern, die günstigen Voraussetzungen hinsichtlich Zeit-/ Kosten-Distanzen sowie das anhaltende Wirtschaftswachstum und die politische Stabilität in Chile. Das allgemeine Qualifikationsprofil der Zuwanderer im Großraum Santiago unterscheidet sich deutlich von dem der Migranten in den meisten Industriestaaten. Im Allgemeinen ist das Bildungsniveau der Zuwanderer hoch. Wie in den meisten Weltstädten wird das Gros der Zuwanderer im Großraum Santiago insbesondere von zwei Gruppen gestellt, zum einen von Hochqualifizierten in Führungspositionen und zum anderen von gering qualifizierten und häufig marginalisierten Zuwanderern. Die entsprechenden Daten können im Übrigen auch als ein Indiz dafür angesehen werden, dass im Großraum Santiago viele Zuwanderer unterhalb ihres Qualifikationsniveaus beschäftigt zu sein scheinen. Akademiker und Fachkräfte spielen unter den Zuwanderern im Großraum Santiago eine große Rolle und –mit Ausnahme von Zuwanderern aus Peru und Ecuador – gibt es kaum Anzeichen für eine Segmentierung des Arbeitsmarktes. Qualifizierte Zuwanderer tragen in einigen Bereichen wie zum Beispiel bei der öffentlichen Gesundheitsvorsorge oder in Privatschulen zum Abbau von Arbeitsmarktengpässen bei. Geringer Qualifizierte erhöhen das Arbeitskräftepotenzial in Bereichen, in denen es u.a. aufgrund des Wirtschaftsaufschwungs in Chile eine steigende Nachfrage nach Arbeitskräften gibt, zum Beispiel im Bereich der Haushaltshilfen. Fast 50% aller Zuwanderer wohnen in fünf der 34 Kommunen des Großraums Santiago. Dies ist im Wesentlichen auf zwei Faktoren zurückzuführen: Migranten lassen sich dort nieder, wo es Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten gibt und sie entwickeln ähnliche sozialräumliche Verteilungsmuster wie die chilenische Bevölkerung. Weiterhin ist festzustellen, dass die Zuwanderung trotz der relativ starken räumlichen Konzentration von Migranten im Großraum Santiago im Vergleich zu Großstädten in den USA oder in Europa kaum zu Segregation führt. Quer über verschiedene Segregationsindices sind jeweils die höchsten Werte bei Zuwanderern aus Europa und aus den USA mit hohem sozioökonomischem Status festzustellen („volontary ghettos“). Mit Hilfe von Faktoren- und Clusteranalysen lassen sich räumliche Verteilungsmuster von Zuwanderern im Großraum Santiago nachweisen: Ein weiter Bereich des Großraums Santiago (insbesondere im Westen und Süden) bietet offensichtlich nur wenig Attraktivität für Migranten; das Zentrum des Großraums bildet einen kernstädtischen Bereich mit relativ junger Zuwanderung; daran schließen mehrere halbkreisförmige Gebieten um das Zentrum an, in denen der Sozialstatus und die Wohnverhältnisse der Migranten nach außen hin zunehmen. Diese Struktur ist weitgehend vergleichbar mit lateinamerikanischen Stadtentwicklungsmodellen. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Arbeit legen im Hinblick auf die Zuwanderungsdebatte in Chile eine Reihe von Empfehlungen nahe. Dabei geht es im Wesentlichen um die folgenden Aspekte: (1) die Verbesserung der Informationsgrundlagen über Zuwanderung, (2) die Verbesserung der institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen und die Einbeziehung aller Beteiligten, (3) die Stärkung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit im Hinblick auf Migrationsfragen und (4) die Versachlichung der öffentlichen Debatte über Migration und die effizientere Integration von Zuwanderern

International migration to Chile and to the Santiago Metropolitan Area (SMA), its major point of attraction, is a rather recent phenomenon which is gaining more and more attention. According to the latest population census the number of foreigners who were born abroad and permanently live in Chile, has increased by 75% between 1992 and 2002. Parallel to this, the national policy debate about immigration is becoming more intensive. However, until now there is only little evidence concerning the patterns of international migration and the characterization of the immigrants’ social space. This study is oriented towards reducing this deficit. Based on a thorough theoretical discussion, recent research publications and international reports, the study pursues mainly four objectives: The first objective is to identify major patterns of international migration as a context for the immigration to Chile and the SMA. The second objective is to understand the main features of international migration to the SMA. The third objective is to analyze the immigrants’ social space and its contribution to the overall urban development patterns in the SMA. And finally, the research results are linked with the national policy debate about immigration, and a number of policy recommendations are made. The study applies a mix of – mainly quantitative – methods, such as descriptive and analytical statistics including factor and cluster analyses using Chilean census data and visa records. The current immigration situation in Chile is characterized by a notable increase in the number of South American migrants, being attracted by better job opportunities. Moreover, there are growing numbers of young migrants for educational reasons. Chile appears to present an “intervening opportunity” in the migrants’ decision-making process, where a number of factors, such as new policy regulations in industrialized countries, the time/cost distance, as well as the economic development and political stability in the country, increasingly seem to turn into competitive advantages as compared to countries like the US, Spain or Italy. The qualification profiles of migrants in the SMA sharply contrast with the situation in most industrialized countries. In general, the educational level of immigrants is rather high. In general, immigrants strongly contribute to the educational level of the population in the SMA. Like in most global cities, two major streams of international migrants can be found in the SMA, on the one hand those who belong to the upper levels of the occupational hierarchy and on the other hand marginalized low-skill employees. The related data can be taken as an indication for the fact that a large group of immigrants is employed below their qualification levels. In the SMA, professionals and technicians play a very important role, and, except for some of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian migrants, there is little evidence of labour market segmentation. Skilled migrants contribute to reducing gaps of labour market supply in some sectors of the economy, such as public health and private education. Low-skilled migrants contribute to the labour market supply in fields where there is a growing demand, e.g. in the domestic services. Almost 50% of the international migrants live in five of the 34 communes of the SMA. This seems to be largely determined by two main factors: Migrants are found where job opportunities are, and they follow similar patterns like the Chilean population regarding their socio-spatial differentiation. Furthermore, despite the relatively high spatial concentration of migrants, the SMA shows less evidence of residential segregation than many European and US cities. The highest segregation indexes are associated with European and US immigrants with a high socioeconomic status (“voluntary ghettos”). Factor and cluster analyses show major patterns of the socio-spatial distribution of migrants in the SMA: a rather large zone of low attraction for migrants, the downtown area concentrating recent flows, and a series of semi-concentric zones around the centre where the migrants’ socio-economic and residential status increases with distance from the city centre. This is consistent with models of urban dynamics of Latin American cities. Based on the results of this study, four major recommendations for the policy debate about immigration can be derived. There is a need for (1) strengthening the diagnosis regarding immigration, (2) the improvement of the institutional framework and the participation of stakeholders, (3) fostering international cooperation regarding issues of immigration, as well as (4) shaping public opinion and strengthening the integration of immigrants.
Zuwanderung nach Chile und in den Großraum Santiago, dem wichtigsten Attraktionspol des Landes, ist ein relativ junges Phänomen, gewinnt aber zunehmend an Bedeutung. Laut dem letzten Bevölkerungszensus des Landes hat sich die Zahl der Zuwanderer, d.h. nach chilenischer Definition der Personen, die im Ausland geboren wurden und permanent in Chile leben, zwischen 1992 und 2002 um 75% erhöht. Parallel zu dieser Entwicklung, hat eine nationale Politikdebatte eingesetzt, die derzeit an Fahrt gewinnt. Allerdings gibt es bis heute nur wenig gesichertes Wissen über die Zuwanderung in Chile und deren sozialräumliche Charakteristika. Diese Arbeit soll einen Beitrag zur Verringerung dieses Defizits leisten. Auf der Grundlage einer Diskussion theoretischer Ansätze sowie von Studien und internationalen Berichten jüngeren Datums zu Fragen der Zuwanderung verfolgt die vorliegende Arbeit im Wesentlichen vier Ziele: Erstens sollen die Grundlinien internationaler Wanderungsprozesse als Rahmen für die Diskussion der Entwicklungstrends in Chile und im Großraum Santiago nachgezeichnet werden. Zweitens sollen Charakteristika der Zuwanderung im Großraum Santiago herausgearbeitet werden. Drittens geht es um die Identifizierung sozialräumlicher Strukturen der Zuwanderung und ihren Beitrag zur Stadtentwicklung im Großraum Santiago. Und schließlich werden aus den Ergebnissen der Studie Empfehlungen an die Politik als Beitrag zur Zuwanderungsdebatte in Chile abgeleitet. In der Arbeit werden unterschiedliche – überwiegend quantitative – Methoden verwendet, so zum Beispiel der deskriptiven und analytischen Statistik einschließlich einer Faktoren- und Clusteranalyse. Der Autorin standen hierfür umfangreiche chilenische Zensus- und Visadaten zur Verfügung. Die Zuwanderung nach Chile ist gegenwärtig insbesondere von einem starken Anstieg des Anteils von Migranten aus Lateinamerika gekennzeichnet. Dabei spielen vor allem die vergleichsweise großen Arbeitsmarktpotenziale des Landes eine Rolle. Zudem steigt die Zahl jüngerer Zuwanderer, für die Chile attraktive Ausbildungs- und Studienmöglichkeiten bietet. Im Entscheidungsprozess von Migranten kommt Chile zunehmend die Rolle einer „intervening opportunity“ zu, wobei eine Reihe von Faktoren dem Land komparative Vorteile gegenüber traditionellen Zuwanderungsländern für Migranten aus Lateinamerika wie den USA, Spanien oder Italien verschafft. Hierzu gehören u.a. die verschärften Zuwanderungsbeschränkungen in vielen Industrieländern, die günstigen Voraussetzungen hinsichtlich Zeit-/ Kosten-Distanzen sowie das anhaltende Wirtschaftswachstum und die politische Stabilität in Chile. Das allgemeine Qualifikationsprofil der Zuwanderer im Großraum Santiago unterscheidet sich deutlich von dem der Migranten in den meisten Industriestaaten. Im Allgemeinen ist das Bildungsniveau der Zuwanderer hoch. Wie in den meisten Weltstädten wird das Gros der Zuwanderer im Großraum Santiago insbesondere von zwei Gruppen gestellt, zum einen von Hochqualifizierten in Führungspositionen und zum anderen von gering qualifizierten und häufig marginalisierten Zuwanderern. Die entsprechenden Daten können im Übrigen auch als ein Indiz dafür angesehen werden, dass im Großraum Santiago viele Zuwanderer unterhalb ihres Qualifikationsniveaus beschäftigt zu sein scheinen. Akademiker und Fachkräfte spielen unter den Zuwanderern im Großraum Santiago eine große Rolle und –mit Ausnahme von Zuwanderern aus Peru und Ecuador – gibt es kaum Anzeichen für eine Segmentierung des Arbeitsmarktes. Qualifizierte Zuwanderer tragen in einigen Bereichen wie zum Beispiel bei der öffentlichen Gesundheitsvorsorge oder in Privatschulen zum Abbau von Arbeitsmarktengpässen bei. Geringer Qualifizierte erhöhen das Arbeitskräftepotenzial in Bereichen, in denen es u.a. aufgrund des Wirtschaftsaufschwungs in Chile eine steigende Nachfrage nach Arbeitskräften gibt, zum Beispiel im Bereich der Haushaltshilfen. Fast 50% aller Zuwanderer wohnen in fünf der 34 Kommunen des Großraums Santiago. Dies ist im Wesentlichen auf zwei Faktoren zurückzuführen: Migranten lassen sich dort nieder, wo es Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten gibt und sie entwickeln ähnliche sozialräumliche Verteilungsmuster wie die chilenische Bevölkerung. Weiterhin ist festzustellen, dass die Zuwanderung trotz der relativ starken räumlichen Konzentration von Migranten im Großraum Santiago im Vergleich zu Großstädten in den USA oder in Europa kaum zu Segregation führt. Quer über verschiedene Segregationsindices sind jeweils die höchsten Werte bei Zuwanderern aus Europa und aus den USA mit hohem sozioökonomischem Status festzustellen („volontary ghettos“). Mit Hilfe von Faktoren- und Clusteranalysen lassen sich räumliche Verteilungsmuster von Zuwanderern im Großraum Santiago nachweisen: Ein weiter Bereich des Großraums Santiago (insbesondere im Westen und Süden) bietet offensichtlich nur wenig Attraktivität für Migranten; das Zentrum des Großraums bildet einen kernstädtischen Bereich mit relativ junger Zuwanderung; daran schließen mehrere halbkreisförmige Gebieten um das Zentrum an, in denen der Sozialstatus und die Wohnverhältnisse der Migranten nach außen hin zunehmen. Diese Struktur ist weitgehend vergleichbar mit lateinamerikanischen Stadtentwicklungsmodellen. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Arbeit legen im Hinblick auf die Zuwanderungsdebatte in Chile eine Reihe von Empfehlungen nahe. Dabei geht es im Wesentlichen um die folgenden Aspekte: (1) die Verbesserung der Informationsgrundlagen über Zuwanderung, (2) die Verbesserung der institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen und die Einbeziehung aller Beteiligten, (3) die Stärkung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit im Hinblick auf Migrationsfragen und (4) die Versachlichung der öffentlichen Debatte über Migration und die effizientere Integration von Zuwanderern.

A need to find better achievement has always been required in the space industrythrough time. Advanced technologies are provided to accomplish goals for humanityfor space explorer and space missions, to apprehend answers and widen knowledges. These are the goals of improvement, and in this thesis, is to strive and demandto understand and improve the mass of a space nozzle, utilized in an upperstage of space mission, with an expander cycle engine. The study is carried out by creating design of experiment using Latin HypercubeSampling (LHS) with a consideration to number of design and simulation expense.A surrogate model based optimization with Multidisciplinary Design Optimization(MDO) method for two different approaches, Analytical Target Cascading (ATC) and Multidisciplinary Feasible (MDF) are used for comparison and emend the conclusion. In the optimization, three different limitations are being investigated, designspace limit, industrial limit and industrial limit with tolerance. Optimized results have shown an incompatibility between two optimization approaches, ATC and MDF which are expected to be similar, but for the two limitations, design space limit and industrial limit appear to be less agreeable. The ATC formalist in this case dictates by the main objective, where the children/subproblems only focus to find a solution that satisfies the main objective and its constraint. For the MDF, the main objective function is described as a single function and solved subject to all the constraints. Furthermore, the problem is not divided into subproblems as in the ATC. Surrogate model based optimization, its solution influences by the accuracy ofthe model, and this is being investigated with another DoE. A DoE of the full factorial analysis is created and selected to study in a region near the optimal solution.In such region, the result has evidently shown to be quite accurate for almost allthe surrogate models, except for max temperature, damage and strain at the hottestregion, with the largest common impact on inner wall thickness of the space nozzle. Results of the new structure of the space nozzle have shown an improvement of mass by ≈ 50%, ≈ 15% and ≈ -4%, for the three different limitations, design spacelimit, industrial limit and industrial limit with tolerance, relative to a reference value,and ≈ 10%, ≈ 35% and ≈ 25% cheaper to manufacture accordingly to the defined producibility model.

This thesis develops and applies statistical methods for the analysis of neural data. In the second chapter we incorporate a latent process to the Generalized Linear Model framework. We develop and apply our framework to estimate the linear filters of an entire population of retinal ganglion cells while taking into account the effects of common-noise the cells might share. We are able to capture the encoding and decoding of visual stimulus to neural code. Our formalism gives us insight into the underlying architecture of the neural system. And we are able to estimate the common-noise that the cells receive. In the third chapter we discuss methods for optimally inferring the synaptic inputs to an electrotonically compact neuron, given intracellular voltage-clamp or current-clamp recordings from the postsynaptic cell. These methods are based on sequential Monte Carlo techniques ("particle filtering"). We demonstrate, on model data, that these methods can recover the time course of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs accurately on a single trial. In the fourth chapter we develop a more general approach to the state-space filtering problem. Our method solves the same recursive set of Markovian filter equations as the particle filter, but we replace all importance sampling steps with a more general Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) step. Our algorithm is especially well suited for problems where the model parameters might be misspecified.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
英語學系
100
In the field of Natural Language Processing, lexical patterns are often applied in many experiments that involve similarity measure among word relations. Despite their growing importance, however, these patterns are rarely examined in terms of what aspect they inherit from the word relation they are claimed to represent. In the thesis, it is proposed that lexical patterns exhibit the same conceptual nature as word relations do. They both display conceptual qualities when they are applied in language use. It is also proposed in this thesis that the conceptual nature of lexical patterns can be captured and implemented in a computational model, latent conceptual analysis (LCA), to calculate similarity among the patterns. LCA is an automatic algorithm that relies on singular vector decomposition (SVD) to reduce the high dimensionality resulted from large-scale corpus. In the thesis, after 35 lexical patterns are generated semi-automatically, each of them is sent to LCA as input data, whose distance from the other 34 patterns will be subsequently determined. To validate the performance of LCA, the result is compared to that of a manual clustering method whose standards are based on principles applied in FrameNet. As revealed from the comparison, LCA has achieved a result similar to that of manual clustering. The approach adopted in the thesis is similar to that applied by Turney (2006) and Bollegala et al. (2009). However, instead of relying solely on frequency distribution, language users’ conceptual knowledge about lexical patterns is also taken into consideration in LCA. Because LCA uses Web contents as its corpus, the dynamic and constantly changing nature of data collected from the Web can sometimes affect the performance of LCA. Therefore it is suggested that future studies applying LCA should collect data in a long-term fashion to alleviate this problem.

The advances in three related areas of state-space modeling, sequential Bayesian learning, and decision analysis are addressed, with the statistical challenges of scalability and associated dynamic sparsity. The key theme that ties the three areas is Bayesian model emulation: solving challenging analysis/computational problems using creative model emulators. This idea defines theoretical and applied advances in non-linear, non-Gaussian state-space modeling, dynamic sparsity, decision analysis and statistical computation, across linked contexts of multivariate time series and dynamic networks studies. Examples and applications in financial time series and portfolio analysis, macroeconomics and internet studies from computational advertising demonstrate the utility of the core methodological innovations.

Chapter 1 summarizes the three areas/problems and the key idea of emulating in those areas. Chapter 2 discusses the sequential analysis of latent threshold models with use of emulating models that allows for analytical filtering to enhance the efficiency of posterior sampling. Chapter 3 examines the emulator model in decision analysis, or the synthetic model, that is equivalent to the loss function in the original minimization problem, and shows its performance in the context of sequential portfolio optimization. Chapter 4 describes the method for modeling the steaming data of counts observed on a large network that relies on emulating the whole, dependent network model by independent, conjugate sub-models customized to each set of flow. Chapter 5 reviews those advances and makes the concluding remarks.

Dissertation

Cette thèse est organisée en trois chapitres où sont développées des méthodes de simulation à posteriori pour inférence Bayesienne dans des modèles espace-état ainsi que des modèles économétriques pour l’analyse de données financières. Au chapitre 1, nous considérons le problème de simulation a posteriori dans les modèles espace-état univariés et non-Gaussiens. Nous proposons une nouvelle méthode de Monte-Carlo par chaînes de Markov (MCMC) mettant à jour le vecteur de paramètres de la dynamique d’état ainsi que la séquence de variables d’état conjointement dans un bloc unique. La proposition MCMC est tirée en deux étapes: la distribution marginale du vecteur de paramètres de la dynamique d’état est construite en utilisant une approximation du gradient et du Hessien du logarithme de sa densité a posteriori, pour laquelle le vecteur de variables d’état a été intégré. La distribution conditionnelle de la séquence de variables d’état, étant donné la proposition du vecteur de paramètres, est telle que décrite dans McCausland (2012). Le calcul du gradient et du Hessien approximatif combine des sous-produits de calcul du tirage d’état avec une quantité modeste de calculs supplémentaires. Nous comparons l’efficacité numérique de notre simulation a posteriori à celle de la méthode Ancillarity-Sufficiency Interweaving Strategy (ASIS) décrite dans Kastner & Frühwirth-Schnatter (2014), en utilisant un modèle de volatilité stochastique Gaussien et le même panel de 23 taux de change quotidiens utilisé dans ce même article. Pour calculer la moyenne a posteriori du paramètre de persistance de la volatilité, notre efficacité numérique est de 6 à 27 fois plus élevée; pour la volatilité du paramètre de volatilité, elle est de 18 à 53 fois plus élevée. Nous analysons dans un second exemple des données de compte de transaction avec un modèle Poisson et Gamma-Poisson dynamique. Malgré la nature non Gaussienne des données de compte, nous obtenons une efficacité numérique élevée, guère inférieure à celle rapportée dans McCausland (2012) pour une méthode d’échantillonnage impliquant un calcul préliminaire de la forme de la distribution a posteriori statique des paramètres. Au chapitre 2, nous proposons un nouveau modèle de durée conditionnelle stochastique (SCD) pour l’analyse de données de transactions financières en haute fréquence. Nous identifions certaines caractéristiques indésirables des densités de durée conditionnelles paramétriques existantes et proposons une nouvelle famille de densités conditionnelles flexibles pouvant correspondre à une grande variété de distributions avec des fonctions de taux de probabilité modérément variable. Guidés par des considérations théoriques issues de la théorie des files d’attente, nous introduisons des déviations non-paramétriques autour d’une distribution exponentielle centrale, qui, selon nous, est un bon modèle de premier ordre pour les durées financières, en utilisant une densité de Bernstein. La densité résultante est non seulement flexible, dans le sens qu’elle peut s’approcher de n’importe quelle densité continue sur [0, ∞) de manière arbitraire, à condition qu’elle se compose d’un nombre suffisamment grand de termes, mais également susceptible de rétrécissement vers la distribution exponentielle. Grâce aux tirages très efficaces des variables d’état, l’efficacité numérique de notre simulation a posteriori se compare très favorablement à celles obtenues dans les études précédentes. Nous illustrons nos méthodes à l’aide des données de cotation d’actions négociées à la Bourse de Toronto. Nous constatons que les modèles utilisant notre densité conditionnelle avec moins de qua- tre termes offrent le meilleur ajustement. La variation régulière trouvée dans les fonctions de taux de probabilité, ainsi que la possibilité qu’elle ne soit pas monotone, aurait été impossible à saisir avec une spécification paramétrique couramment utilisée. Au chapitre 3, nous présentons un nouveau modèle de durée stochastique pour les temps de transaction dans les marchés d’actifs. Nous soutenons que les règles largement acceptées pour l’agrégation de transactions apparemment liées induisent une inférence erronée concernant les durées entre des transactions non liées: alors que deux transactions exécutées au cours de la même seconde sont probablement liées, il est extrêmement improbable que toutes paires de transactions le soient, dans un échantillon typique. En plaçant une incertitude sur les transactions liées dans notre modèle, nous améliorons l’inférence pour la distribution de la durée entre les transactions non liées, en particulier près de zéro. Nous proposons un modèle en temps discret pour les temps de transaction censurés permettant des valeurs nulles excessives résultant des durées entre les transactions liées. La distribution discrète des durées entre les transactions indépendantes découle d’une densité flexible susceptible de rétrécissement vers une distribution exponentielle. Dans un exemple empirique, nous constatons que la fonction de taux de probabilité conditionnelle sous-jacente pour des durées (non censurées) entre transactions non liées varie beaucoup moins que celles trouvées dans la plupart des études; une distribution discrète pour les transactions non liées basée sur une distribution exponentielle fournit le meilleur ajustement pour les trois séries analysées. Nous prétendons que c’est parce que nous évitons les artefacts statistiques qui résultent de règles déterministes d’agrégation des échanges et d’une distribution paramétrique inadaptée.
This thesis is organized in three chapters which develop posterior simulation methods for Bayesian inference in state space models and econometrics models for the analysis of financial data. In Chapter 1, we consider the problem of posterior simulation in state space models with non-linear non-Gaussian observables and univariate Gaussian states. We propose a new Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method that updates the parameter vector of the state dynamics and the state sequence together as a single block. The MCMC proposal is drawn in two steps: the marginal proposal distribution for the parameter vector is constructed using an approximation of the gradient and Hessian of its log posterior density, with the state vector integrated out. The conditional proposal distribution for the state sequence given the proposal of the parameter vector is the one described in McCausland (2012). Computation of the approximate gradient and Hessian combines computational by-products of the state draw with a modest amount of additional computation. We compare the numerical efficiency of our posterior simulation with that of the Ancillarity-Sufficiency Interweaving Strategy (ASIS) described in Kastner & Frühwirth-Schnatter (2014), using the Gaus- sian stochastic volatility model and the panel of 23 daily exchange rates from that paper. For computing the posterior mean of the volatility persistence parameter, our numerical efficiency is 6-27 times higher; for the volatility of volatility parameter, 18-53 times higher. We analyse trans- action counts in a second example using dynamic Poisson and Gamma-Poisson models. Despite non-Gaussianity of the count data, we obtain high numerical efficiency that is not much lower than that reported in McCausland (2012) for a sampler that involves pre-computing the shape of a static posterior distribution of parameters. In Chapter 2, we propose a new stochastic conditional duration model (SCD) for the analysis of high-frequency financial transaction data. We identify undesirable features of existing parametric conditional duration densities and propose a new family of flexible conditional densities capable of matching a wide variety of distributions with moderately varying hazard functions. Guided by theoretical consideration from queuing theory, we introduce nonparametric deviations around a central exponential distribution, which we argue is a sound first-order model for financial durations, using a Bernstein density. The resulting density is not only flexible, in the sense that it can approximate any continuous density on [0,∞) arbitrarily closely, provided it consists of a large enough number of terms, but also amenable to shrinkage towards the exponential distribution. Thank to highly efficiency draws of state variables, numerical efficiency of our posterior simulation compares very favourably with those obtained in previous studies. We illustrate our methods using quotation data on equities traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. We find that models with our proposed conditional density having less than four terms provide the best fit. The smooth variation found in the hazard functions, together with the possibility of it being non-monotonic, would have been impossible to capture using commonly used parametric specification. In Chapter 3, we introduce a new stochastic duration model for transaction times in asset markets. We argue that widely accepted rules for aggregating seemingly related trades mislead inference pertaining to durations between unrelated trades: while any two trades executed in the same second are probably related, it is extremely unlikely that all such pairs of trades are, in a typical sample. By placing uncertainty about which trades are related within our model, we improve inference for the distribution of duration between unrelated trades, especially near zero. We propose a discrete model for censored transaction times allowing for zero-inflation resulting from clusters of related trades. The discrete distribution of durations between unrelated trades arises from a flexible density amenable to shrinkage towards an exponential distribution. In an empirical example, we find that the underlying conditional hazard function for (uncensored) durations between unrelated trades varies much less than what most studies find; a discrete distribution for unrelated trades based on an exponential distribution provides a better fit for all three series analyzed. We claim that this is because we avoid statistical artifacts that arise from deterministic trade-aggregation rules and unsuitable parametric distribution.

This thesis focuses on the creation of a systems architecture to help inform development of next generation knowledge-building environments. The architectural model consists of three components: an infrastructure layer, a discourse layer, and a visualization layer. The Knowledge Space Visualizer (KSV), which defines the top visualization layer, is a prototypic system for showing reconstructed representations of discourse-based artifacts and facilitating assessment in light of patterns of interactivity of participants and their ideas. The KSV uses Latent Semantic Analysis to extend techniques from Social Network Analysis, making it possible to infer relationships among note contents. Thus idea networks can be studied in conjunction with social networks in online discourse. Further, benchmark corpora can be used to determine knowledge advances, and systems of interactivity leading to them. Results can then provide feedback to students and teachers to support them in obtaining continually higher level achievements. In addition to visual representations, the KSV provides quantitative network metrics such as degree and density. Data drawn from 9- and 10-year-old students working on a six-week unit on optics were used to illustrate some of the functionality of the KSV. Three studies show ways in which new visualizations can be used: (a) to highlight relationships among notes, (b) as a way of tracking the development of discourse over time, and (c) as an assessment tool. Implications for the design of knowledge building environments, assessment tools, and design-based research are discussed.

The present thesis describes the development and assessment of the Semantic Fields Model of visual salience. The Semantic Fields model provides estimates of visual salience in relation to goal-oriented Web site search tasks. The development and assessment of this model is reported over seven studies that are presented in two journal articles and two peer-reviewed conference papers. In Paper 1 (N=50), pupil dilation is validated as a measure of cognitive load for use in later studies. While it has been found previously that a participant’s pupil dilation will be larger during more complex tasks, these experiments have not generally been conducted under the environmental condition of light radiated from a computer monitor. The findings of this experiment indicate that computer monitor radiance in our experimental setting did not interfere with the ability to discriminate successfully between task-related pupil dilation. Paper 2 (N=49) introduces the Semantic Fields model for estimating the visual salience of different areas displayed on a Web page. Latent Semantic Analysis and the Touchstone Applied Science Associates (TASA) corpus were used to calculate Semantic Field values for any (x, y) coordinate point on a Web page based on the structure of that Web page. These Semantic Field values were then used to estimate eye-tracking data that was collected from participants’ goal-oriented search tasks on a total of 1842 Web pages. Semantic Field values were found to predict the participants’ eye-tracking data. In Paper 3 (N=100), four studies are present in which improvements are made to the semantic component of the Semantic Fields model. Estimates of textual similarity generated from six semantic models were compared to human ratings of paragraph similarity on two datasets. Results suggest that when single paragraphs are compared, simple non-reductive models (word overlap and vector space) can provide better similarity estimates than more complex models (Latent Semantic Analysis, Topic Model, Sparse Non-negative Matrix Factorization, and the Constructed Semantics Model). Various methods of corpus creation were explored to facilitate the semantic models’ similarity estimates. Removing numeric and single characters, and also truncating document length improved performance. Automated construction of smaller Wikipedia-based corpora proved to be very effective even improving upon the performance of corpora that had been chosen for the domain. Model performance was further improved by augmenting corpora with dataset stimulus paragraphs. In Paper 4 (N=49), ten models are compared in their ability to predict eye-tracking data that was collected from participants’ goal-oriented search tasks on a total of 1809 Web pages. Forming the basis of six of these models, three semantic models and two corpus types are compared as semantic components for the Semantic Fields model. Latent Semantic Analysis, Sparse Non-Negative Matrix Factorization, vector space, and word overlap were used to generate similarity comparisons of goal and Web page text in the semantic component of the Semantic Fields model. Vector space was consistently the best performing semantic model in this study. Two types of corpora or knowledge-bases were used to inform the semantic models, the well known TASA corpus and other corpora that were constructed from the Wikipedia encyclopedia. In all cases the Wikipedia corpora out performed the TASA corpora. The noncorpus based Semantic Fields model that incorporated word overlap performed more poorly at these tasks. Three display-based models were also included as a point of comparison to evaluate the effectiveness of the Semantic Fields models. In all cases the corpus-based Semantic Fields models outperformed the solely display-based models when predicting the participants’ eye-tracking data. Both final destination pages and pupil data (dilation) indicated that participants’ were actively performing goal-oriented search tasks. Based on this research, it is concluded that the Semantic Fields model provided useful estimates of visual salience during participants’ goal-oriented search of Web sites.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2010

This report examines all the occurrences of the atrium in Latin literature and the context for each occasion. It begins with an overview of the etymology of atrium and the development of the atrium-house plan then analyzes the use of the word atrium in terms of theories of spatial conception. The results are that the atrium as a cognitive model is restricted to an upper class, elite mindset and that the space appears to be more multifunctional in nature than is usually thought.
text

In addition to labor market factors, the informal economy in Latin America is explained as a product of a weak state capacity to enforce regulation and a networked and resourceful community that enables self-sustained economic activities. Theoretically,informal self-employment flourishes where these conditions prevail. However, as urban renewal advances and business chains expand thorough the city, street trade, one of the most typical informal occupations is persecuted more aggressively, questioning its legitimacy as a spatial practice and source of employment for the urban poor. This dissertation examines the changes in the conception of street trade as a subject of policy, by analyzing closely how current transformations in the urban structure, ideologies of urban development and planning have impacted in the way policy makers intervene in public space and have redefined practices of street trade. It compares the cities of Bogotá and Lima, contributing respectively, to the understanding of progressive and neoliberal styles of urban planning. Using a mixed methods research design, it articulates citywide trends with local conditions and individual experiences, following three stages of analysis: (1) A comparative policy analysis based on a descriptive analysis of its evolution across scales and a spatial analysis of the local variability of enforcement patterns, identifying not only vendors’ agglomeration factors but also where enforcement matches the expansion of large retailers; (2) a comparative analysis based on public officials interviews of current rationales behind placemaking strategies at the city and local level; and (3) a comparative analysis of street vendors spatial practices as well as economic and political choices given the different city policy frameworks and their exposure to distinctive enforcement patterns as identified in the spatial analysis. The findings of this study provide a baseline for further theorization of the role of spatial dimension as it relates to the informal sector. The systematic comprehension of the relationship between city regulation of space and its actual use aims to contribute to a more integrative approach to policy making seeking to ensure that regulation and commercial growth complement and do not burden opportunities for self-employment among the urban poor.
text

Over 11,000 graffiti once covered the site of ancient Pompeii, inscribed upon many buildings in the city including houses, temples, and public buildings. Their messages include greetings, proclamations of love and desire, and bits of poetry. These inscriptions have fascinated scholars since the first walls were unearthed at Pompeii in the eighteenth century and this interest has yielded a wide array of methodologies and approaches. As archaeology has evolved over the centuries, so too has the approach to this material. The unique position of graffiti as objects of both philological and archaeological study has necessitated the need for a multidisciplinary approach. This dissertation recontextualizes Pompeian graffiti as artifacts and examines the distribution of graffiti within domestic space in Pompeii including the relationship between content and context. Specifically, this dissertation examines a corpus of graffiti from twelve buildings in Pompeii. I analyze the locations of the graffiti and the rationale for these locations using space syntax, a theory for analyzing the configuration of space. From an examination of their locations, I propose how the Pompeians used the spaces within these buildings and postulate how their use may have changed over time. This analysis indicates that, in general, Pompeians chose highly visible, accessible, and well-trafficked locations in which to write graffiti, indicating that writers of ancient graffiti, unlike many modern, wrote these messages in areas under surveillance. Visitors and inhabitants wrote them in areas where they would be seen doing so. Further analysis of the interaction between graffiti and their context shows that while these messages occupy highly visible areas, they were written in such a way as to not detract from the overall aesthetic appearance of the space. Close study of the content of the individual messages shows how the substance of the graffiti responded to the spaces in which they were written and the other graffiti written around them. This combination of archaeological and philological inquiry allows an identification of types of space and, to some degree, organization of movement within a space, which, in the absence of other artifacts, has been difficult to interpret.

abstract: As a result of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs, works can be distributed and viewed at a global scale with the simple click of the mouse. One can even visit entire museums and virtually walk through their collections without having to leave one’s own seat. Furthermore, new software, programs, and digital tools facilitate and make possible the ability to experiment and create one’s art in ways that were previously unimaginable or even unheard of. This is also true with the dissemination of one’s art and the visibility of contemporary artists who create works pertaining to the digital realm. However, the availability, usage, and training associated with such technologies do not come without its own implications and drawbacks. Unfortunately, there exists a great disparity not only with access and availability of the Internet at a global level, but also a digital divide, which indicates that the technologies and sciences are “gendered”—for instance, the male majority in STEM professions and fields of study. When considering the Humanities, specifically the genre of contemporary art and literature, women’s marginalization is witnessed there too, as distinguished canonical works belong to predominantly Caucasian, Anglo-Saxon men. In the digital age then, Iberian and Latin American women writers and artists face the challenge of visibility and recognition in two territories—technology and contemporary artistic creation—dominated by men. This study gathers contemporary female artists of digital works originating from North America, the Caribbean, South America, and Spain who utilize a wide variety of tools to conduct and create their artwork. The artists and authors analyzed in this project include: Teresa Serrano (México, D.F. 1936-), Adriana Calatayud (México, D.F. 1967-), Ana Mendieta (Havana, 1948-1985), Maritza Molina (Havana), Yasmín S. Portales Machado (Havana, 1980-), María María Acha-Kutscher (Lima, 1968-), Praba Pilar (Colombia), María Cañas (Seville, 1972-), and Pilar Albarracín (Arcena, Huelva 1968-), with the objective of investigating the manner in which digital tools are being used by these women artists and writers for the purpose visibility, identity (de)construction, as spaces of resistance, and to explore how those messages are transmitted and transformed through digital mediums.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Spanish 2019