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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-109). Also available in electronic version.

Decoupling control is widely applied to multi-input multi-output industrial processes. The traditional decoupling control methods are based on accurate models, however it is difficult or impossible to obtain accurate models in practice. Moreover, the traditional decoupling control methods are not suitable for the analysis of the couplings among system outputs which are subjected to the random noises. To solve the problems mentioned above, we will look into the decoupling control problem in probability sense. To describe this control problem, probabilistic decoupling has been presented as a novel concept based on statistical independence. Using probability theory, a set of new control objectives has been extended by this presented concept. Conditions of probabilistic complete decoupling are given. Meanwhile, the relationship between the traditional decoupling and probabilistic decoupling has been analyzed in this thesis, theoretically. To achieve the control objectives of probabilistic decoupling, various control algorithms are developed for dynamic multi-variable stochastic systems, which are represented by linear stochastic models, bilinear stochastic models and stochastic nonlinear models, respectively. For linear stochastic models subjected to Gaussian noises, the covariance control theory has been used. The Output-feedback stabilization via block backstepping design has been considered for bilinear stochastic systems subjected to Gaussian noises. Furthermore, the minimum mutual information control has been proposed for stochastic nonlinear systems subjected to non-Gaussian noises. Some advanced topics are also considered in this thesis. The stochastic feedback linearization can be applied to a class of stochastic nonlinear systems and the reduced-order closed-form covariance control models are also presented, which can be applied in covariance control theory. Using kernel density estimation, data-based minimum mutual information control is given to extend the presented minimum mutual information control algorithm.

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South Africa is a country burdened by the overhang of apartheid and recent state capture, and desperately trying to balance economic growth with well-being of all stakeholders. This has opened the door for ESG practices to provide holistic solutions for both society and business. This is made particularly relevant by applying business resources to the most relevant ESG issues facing companies, the focus of this study. To achieve the objective of promoting positive societal outcomes through better corporate engagement with ESG, the study analysed 22 asset managers, 25 companies and 25 earnings call transcripts for the opinions of asset managers, companies and analysts on which issues were material to them across five industries. Alongside this analysis, asset managers were interviewed for their opinion of ESG as it is currently practiced in the South African market, where they saw barriers to its practice and where potential improvements could be made. The study found alignment between asset managers and companies on the majority of material issues, but little alignment with analysts, suggesting a break-down in conversation between investors and companies. In particular, the issue of governance was stressed as the most important issue category by asset managers across all industries, but was given little air-time by both companies and analysts. These findings were consistent with the literature on investor perspectives of ESG, company ESG disclosure and materiality. The author suggests a model for materiality be developed to gauge company response to material ESG issues more consistently and aide engagement. Key words: ESG, sustainability, materiality, decoupling, disclosure

Studying the effectiveness of environmental policies is of primary importance to address the unsustainable use of resources that threatens the entire society. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate on the effectiveness of environmental policy instruments to decouple waste generation and landfilling from economic growth. In order to do so, the paper analyzes the case study of the Slovakian municipality of Palarikovo, which has drastically improved its waste management system between 2000 and 2012, through the utilization of differentiated waste taxes and awareness-raising and education campaigns, as well as targeting increased recycling and municipal composting. We find evidence of absolute decoupling for landfilled waste and waste generation, the latter being more limited in time and magnitude. These policy instruments could therefore play an important role in municipalities that are still lagging behind in waste management. More specifically, this policy mix was effective in moving away from landfilling, initiating recycling systems, and to some extent decreasing waste generation. Yet, a more explicit focus on waste prevention will be needed to address the entirety of the problem effectively. (author's abstract)

The purpose of the thesis was to develop a method that simplifies the analysis between reduction of delivery lead time and inventory costs, when the reduction of delivery lead time is achieved through repositioning of the customer order decoupling point.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Entomology / Yoonseong Park / Complex life cycles (CLCs), developmental programs in which life-history stages are distinct in morphology, behavior, and physiology, are common throughout the biosphere. However, it is still unclear why and how CLCs evolve. The adaptive decoupling hypothesis (ADH) postulates that CLCs evolve to decouple the developmental processes that underlie traits across ontogeny to allow for independent, stage-specific responses to selection. This ultimately could lead to alternate life-history stages adapting to unique environments, thus optimizing fitness across development. However, few empirical tests of the ADH are available. Detecting genetic and transcriptomic decoupling of thermal hardiness using robust techniques in a model system, D. melanogaster, was the goal of this dissertation. Furthermore, this work illustrates that different life-history stages have the potential to become adapted to unique ecological niches. I performed three primary studies to test the ADH: 1.) estimation of the genetic correlation for cold hardiness between larvae and adults using isogenic lines of D. melanogaster to determine if unique genetic architectures underlie variation in cold stress response using standard quantitative genetic and Genome-Wide Association (GWA) methods, 2.) testing whether developmental acclimation is genetically correlated across stages, and whether acclimation alters cross-stage correlations in cold hardiness, and 3.) analysis of the transcriptional responses of both larvae and adults to extreme cold to determine if stage-specific stress response mechanisms exist across development.

Tent cities date back to the 1930s; however, the past decade has seen a rise in formalized camps, many attempting to function as democratic communities. Here, democratic communities refer to temporary spaces in which people without homes (PWH) live together with the goal of governing their own affairs (horizontal rather than top-down). Findings of the first “village” for the homeless indicate mixed results with self-governance among PWH in terms of the autonomy of individuals or as a method to mitigate homelessness. Given decline of social welfare budgets, as well as criticisms that shelterization and criminalization try to control the poor, government-sanctioned camps have provided safe, legal, dignified spaces for PWH. Studies of tent cities are growing, yet few follow their attempt to implement self-governance within the first few years of existence. This ethnography of a transitional “village” in the Pacific Northwest fills a gap by uncovering socio-cultural and organizational processes that facilitate and impede self-organization. The village is collaborative; a nonprofit provides oversight to residents dwelling in tiny houses. The village is neither run exclusively by the homeless nor directly managed by housed “outsiders.” Using participant-observation, interviews, and documents, I study the development of the village’s vision, rooted in Occupy yet influenced by neoliberal principles. Some view this village as a safe, stable place in which to secure future housing while providing dignity and autonomy; residents themselves were divided in how they experienced autonomy. For some, living there can be difficult since they have the authority to enforce community rule violations on fellow residents but often do not out feeling threatened or uneasy about putting a fellow resident in check. Some residents perceive a lack of power in regulating others. The authority of the nonprofit board is inadvertently reproduced even as it seeks to relinquish that authority. My work also has implications for research on relations between “housed” and “homeless”, and for decoupling processes that focus on divergence between stated organizational policies and actual practices. Materials related to this work (Appendices A-E) are included as supplemental files with this dissertation.

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