Network based services are expanding scale at an unprecedented speed currently. With the continuously strengthen of user’s dependence on these, performance issues are becoming more and more important. Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a negotiated contract between service provider and customer in the way of service quality, priority, responsibility, etc. In this thesis, we designed and implemented a prototype for a SLA driven transmission service, which can deliver a file from one host to another, using a combination of different transport protocols. The proposed service measures the network conditions, and based on these and user’s requirement, it dynamically evaluates if it can meet the user SLA. Once a transmission has been accepted, it uses this information to adjust the usage of different transfer layer protocols, in order to meet the agreed SLA. The thesis work is based on the investigating of network theory and experimental results. We research how the SLA driven transmission service is affected by various factors, they include user’s requirements, network conditions, and service performance, etc. We design and implement an evaluation model for the network performance. It reveals how network performance is influenced by different network metrics, such as Round-Trip-Time (RTT), Throughput, and Packet Loss Rate (PLR), etc. We implement a transmission service on real test-bed, which is a controllable environment. We can alter the network metrics and measuring frequency of our evaluation model. Then, we evaluate these changes with our evaluation model and improve the performance of the transmission service. After that, we propose a calculating method for the service cost. At last, we can summarize the feasibility of this SLA driven transmission service. In the experiments, we obtain the variable delivery time and packet loss of the transmission service, which are changed with RTT and PLR of network. We analyze the different performance of transmission service, which uses TCP, UDP, and SCTP separately. Also a suitable measuring frequency and the cost for the usage of transmission service on this frequency are pointed out. Statistical analysis on the experiment results show that such SLA driven transmission service is feasible. It brings improved performance for user’s requirements. In addition, we come up with some useful suggestions and future work for the transmission service.

The critical aim of this dissertation is to show the lack of explanatory value of typological generalizations in generative research paradigms, and the constructive aim is to propose an alternative conception of typology which gives a justifiable place to typological facts. My contention is that we cannot conclude that the human language faculty (HLF) lacks the means to generate a linguistic phenomenon from only the lack of such a phenomenon in the languages of the world. The temptation to do so arises from equivocation regarding the term Language as used within different generative paradigms: the classical generative paradigm, and the generative-parametric paradigm. The former characterizes Language, understood as HLF, the mental object which allows us to produce and understand languages. For the latter, however, Language also includes the distribution of linguistic structures in the world. HLF is a natural kind; the distribution of linguistic structures in the world is not. Equivocation of the term ‘Language’; occurs when one notion is exchanged for the other within an argument. The problem: only natural kinds support induction. The goal of characterizing HLF is discovering what is necessarily true of HLF. The distribution of linguistic phenomena in the world, although constrained by what HLF allows us to acquire, is also constrained by historical contingency. Generalizations based on these accidental factors are valueless in characterizing HLF: I show this in two case studies, which deal with syllable structure and verbal morpheme order. I argue that the study of the distribution of linguistic phenomena in the world is a historical science, which requires a different set of assumptions than an experimental science such as the classical generative paradigm. The alternative I offer is called ideal-typology. Ideal-typology replaces inductive inference based on natural kinds with pragmatic explanation based on ‘ideal-types’. Ideal-types are convenient fictions, purpose-built to manipulate our cognitive systems into understanding the diversity of historical-scientific data. I illustrate the practice of ideal-typology by showing how the diversity of Chinese tone systems can be measured and organized by the use of ideal-types. Beyond increasing understanding of the data themselves, ideal-typology yields hypotheses that experimental sciences can test.

In this thesis, I propose a theory of ergativity in which NP arguments are checked for Case by moving to projections of agreement at LF. The Case-marking pattern of an ergative language arises when transitive subjects move to the projection of agreement usually associated with objects (AGR.o), while transitive objects and intransitive subjects move to the projection of subject agreement (AGR.s). While this proposal assigns the same underlying structure to clauses in an ergative language (unlike Marantz, 1984), it does have distinctive syntactic effects. In this it contrasts with a purely morphological approach to ergativity, such as that of Anderson (1976). / Arguments can move to the specifier position of agreement, or adjoin to its maximal projection. Movement cannot take place across the same kind of position as the landing site, which leads us to predict that transitive subjects cannot undergo grammatical extraction in an ergative language. This prediction turns out to be correct in a number of languages, including Chamorro, Mam, and other members of the Mayan group. Our theory also allows for a plausible account of split ergativity--non-canonical patterns in an otherwise ergative language where transitive and intransitive subjects are marked the same, but behave differently under extraction. / The proposal that NPs are not checked for Case until LF entails that they remain in their base positions at S-structure. Evidence for this claim is adduced from the distribution of empty pronoun arguments whose contents must be identified. Our prediction is that transitive subjects in an ergative language will interfere in the identification of an empty object pronoun, since it is closer to the pronoun than its legitimate identifier, AGR.s. This is also shown to be the case.

Viena iš ūkio subjektų bendradarbiavimo formų, reglamentuojama Europos Bendrijos ir Lietuvos konkurencijos teisėje, yra horizontalieji ūkio subjektų susitarimai. Pagrindinės normos, reglamentuojančios horizontaliuosius susitarimus, įtvirtintos Europos Bendrijos sutartyje, o minėtas normas detalizuoja gausybė antrinių teisės aktų. Lietuvai įstojus į Europos Sąjungą tapo privaloma taikyti Europos Bendrijos sutartį ir daugelį kitų teisės aktų, todėl iškyla būtinybė gilintis į horizontaliuosius susitarimus reglamentuojančias teisės normas. Šiame darbe analizuojami pagrindiniai Europos Bendrijos ir Lietuvos teisės aktai, reglamentuojantys horizontaliuosius susitarimus. Vadovaujantis Europos Teisingumo teismo, Europos Komisijos praktika, atskleidžiamas minėtuose teisės aktuose įtvirtintų teisės normų turinys. Darbe pateikiama horizontaliojo susitarimo sąvoka bei nagrinėjami pagrindiniai horizontaliojo susitarimo požymiai, aptariami konkurencijos teisės draudžiami susitarimai, o taip pat išimtys iš draudžiamų horizontaliųjų susitarimų. Autorius aptaria konkurencijos teisės reformą išimčių taikymo srityje bei atskleidžia pagrindines horizontaliųjų susitarimų reglamentavimo tendencijas. / Horizontal agreements are one of cooperation forms regulated by the competition law in European Community and the Republic of Lithuania. The main rules, regulating horizontal agreements, are placed into the Treaty of European Community. These rules are supplemented by many secondary laws. Since Lithuania became a member of The European Union, it is obliged to apply the Treaty of European Community and many other legal instruments. Therefore, it is mandatory to analyze the rules of law on the horizontal agreements. This work includes analysis of the basic rules of the competition law in European Community and the Republic of Lithuania, those concerned to the horizontal agreements. The author, following the Case – law of the European Court of Justice and legislature of the European Commission, reveals the content of the rules in the above – mentioned instruments. The author provides the concept of the horizontal agreements, examines the main features of the horizontal agreements. This work also includes analysis of different type of horizontal agreements. First of all, the author deals with so called “object”- type agreements which are likely to infringe competition rules. Secondly, the author analyses so called “co-operation” agreements, which usually benefit from the exception.

Intensyvėjant ekonominiams santykiams preliminariosios sutarties institutas kelia vis didesnį teorinį susidomėjimą, vis dažniau yra taikomas civilinės apyvartos dalyvių civiliniuose teisiniuose santykiuose, o jų turinys dažnai tampa vis sudėtingesnis. Neretai civilinių santykių subjektai, siekdami suderinti daugiaplanius interesus, atlieka daugybę veiksmų, kuriuos bendrąja prasme galima vadinti ikisutartiniais santykiais. Pripažintina, jog tam tikrais atvejais ikisutartinių santykių bei teisiškai neįpareigojančių dokumentų atskyrimas nuo sutartinių bei teisiškai įpareigojančių dokumentų yra sudėtingas. Preliminariosios sutarties pripažinimo pagrindine klausimas aktualus tuo, kad šio instituto teisinis reguliavimas nėra iki šiol tiksliai apibrėžtas, reglamentavimas kontraversiškas. Dažnai civilinių santykių subjektai, sudarydami preliminariąsias sutartis, jaučiasi nesaugiai. Neretai abejojama, nuo kada ikisutartiniai santykiai bei pasirašyti dokumentai tampa teisiškai įpareigojančiais bei varžančiais šalies sutartinę laisvę, ar apskritai gali tokiais tapti. / Considering the importance of pre-contractual civil juridical relationship between participants of civil circulation, as well as contradictory interpretations of Lithuanian courts concerning preliminary agreements and pre-contractual liability, the primary goal of this work is to determine, whether the confirmation of preliminary agreement as a principal contract contradicts the principle of freedom of contract. Moreover, the right to demand specific performance resulting from a breach of preliminary contract as an essential part of confirmation of preliminary agreement being a principal contract shall be clearly discussed.

Dans ce memoire, une analyse sur la relation entre certaines desinences verbales du Mohawk est proposee a l'interieur du cadre d'analyse pour les langues "polysynthetiques" developpe dans Baker (1993). Il est montre que la desinence aspectuelle "statique", qui affecte les formes d'accord, peut etre traitee comme un predicat contenant un quasi-argument. Cette caracteristique rend compte du changement d'accord sur le verbe principal lorsque le morpheme statique s'allie avec celui-ci pour former un predicat complexe et ce, conformement aux principes qui regissent l'accord dans la langue. Nous defendons ensuite l'hypothese que la presence des prefixes modaux depend de la presence d'un role evenementiel $ langle$ e$ rangle$ dan un syntagme verbal. Enfin, il est montre que le morpheme e?, traditionellement analyse comme la forme du "ponctuel", apparai t en realite pour des raisons phonologiques. Nous montrons que les anomalies apparentes qui caracterisent le systeme flexionnel du Mohawk peuvent recevoir un traitement systematique a l'interieur du cadre qui est adopte.* ftn *Originally published in MAI Vol. 33, No. 4. Reprinted here with corrected author name.

<p>A lot of work has been done regart=ding the SPS agreement and its impact on iternational trade, though not so connclusive. The study, however, is going to deal specifically with an impact of the SPS agreement to the SSA countries, by analysing the balance beween protection of human, animal and plant life or health on the one hand and promotion of international trade in this region.</p>

The intensification of agriculture through Europe has led to a lot of environmental issues. Among these are the increased use of fertilizer and pesticides which also constitutes a risk for many water resources. This is mainly due to the leakage of nitrate and pesticides to the water which makes it unsuitable for drinking. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the nearby agriculture constituted a risk in the catchment of Skottorp. If risks were found, the study was also aiming to evaluate possible measures that could be taken. An additional aim was to find out whether a co-operative agreement between the local authorities responsible for the catchment and the farmers would be a possible solution in case of future problems. For the study, water data related to agriculture was analyzed statistically and interviews were performed with the farmers. The study shows that there are no imminent risks to the water in the catchment related to agriculture, which makes measures unnecessary. If problems would arise in the future the study also shows that co-operative agreements are a suitable course of action.

The dissertation deals with credit risk and default prediction for software companies in the light of Basel II, the new capital accord for financial institutions. A credit risk model was developed which can be used by lenders to predict the default of software companies. Such model was developed by using three independent approaches: In a first approach, a model was created which was based solely on quantitative data (i.e. accounting data). In a second approach, a model was developed which was based entirely on qualitative information, including management skills, know how, quality of services and others. In a third approach, the quantitative and the qualitative models were combined. The results indicate that a credit risk model which is based on both quantitative and qualitative information yields the strongest predictive power. (author´s abstract)

In the aftermath of armed conflict, peace and justice are no longer perceived as contradictory. Scholars and practitioners alike have increasingly argued that societies emerging from periods of conflict or repression need to address legacies of past mass violence and human rights abuses in order to sustain peace. This is the rationale behind the evolving field of transitional justice. While it is stated that transitional justice also makes headway in contemporary peace agreements, existing literature tends to remain unspecific. Albeit being the most victim-centred among the range of transitional justice mechanisms, the incorporation of reparation for victims of mass violence into peace agreements is particularly under-researched. This research gap is even more puzzling as it is a “basic maxim of law that harms should be remedied” (Roht-Arriaza 2004: 121). In response to this, this thesis establishes that only around a third of intra-state peace agreements signed from 2000 to 2009 have addressed reparation. Further, by means of an analytical framework that embeds thematic analysis within the structure of framing theory’s model of meaning-making, it maps how the studied peace agreements assign meaning to reparation in their texts. As a result, two themes labelled ‘reparation as the fulfilment of basic needs’ and ‘reparation as an act of justice’ are identified as constituting the broader patterns of meaning held within peace agreements’ reparation provisions. While the language of the latter equips harmed individuals with rights as victims, the former theme focuses instead on individual vulnerability and collective development needs. It deemphasises the link between harm experienced and violation committed. As it is suggested that the employment of particular themes and terminology lifts certain issues up the agenda while marginalising others, peace agreements’ authoritative meaning-making directly impacts on the lives of those victimised during conflict. Hence, this thesis highlights the need for more systematic research in this area to strengthen evidence-based reparation advocacy during peace processes.