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In his paper, The Paradoxes of Time Travel, David Lewis posits a defense for the possibility of time travel by arguing that the grandfather 'paradox' is not, in fact, paradoxical at all. Two alternative solutions to the grandfather paradox are discussed in this paper. The first is a result of Paul Horwich’s reply to Lewis and aims to pit the Lewisian conception of compatibility against Horwich’s improbability defense. Proposed by Nicholas Smith and C.G. Goddu, this theory explains that any attempt at backward time travel will lead to the creation of long strings of improbable coincidences. An alternative thesis of the multiverse is also discussed, wherein it was proposed that instead of traveling into his past, the time traveler enters an alternate, yet completely identical universe. The multiverse thesis did not stand up to any philosophical critique, and it was posited that the thesis changes the nature of the question entirely. It is evident that Lewis’ discussion of the grandfather paradox raises several fundamentally interesting philosophical questions regarding the logical and causal irregularities of changing the past. This paper aims to adress some of these questions through a metaphysical analysis of Lewis' view, backwards causality, and the nature of time itself.

C4.5 is a decision tree learning algorithm that was developed by Ross Quinlan based on his earlier algorithm ID3. C4.5 is one of the most popular algorithms used to solve classification problems. Classification problems are problems of interest in a variety of disciplines. C4.5 is a supervised learning algorithm which uses a set of training patterns to build a decision tree. The algorithm uses the patterns and analyzes their individual attributes to partition the pattern data. The popularity of C4.5 stems from the fact that it can handle both continuous and categorical attributes, and it can deal with missing attribute values, while at the same time providing an easy interpretation for the answers that it produces. There are two objectives of this thesis. The first is to implement C4.5 in C++ within a generic architecture to allow for additional modules to be added. The second is to use this generic architecture to implement an innovative post induction phase which adjusts splits to minimize the error of the C4.5 tree. The C4.5 code and the post induction phase will be compiled into a MEX DLL for use as functions within MATLAB. Experimentation is performed using MATLAB to verify the advantages of this post induction phase.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The production of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Brazil is booming, in emphasis there is the south with an acreage of 17% with the oilseed. The performance of sunflower is directly related to the choice about many factors like sowing date, genotype, the appropriate management and soil fertility, crop rotation, crop succession and especially environmental factors. This culture adapts to different soil and edaphoclimatic conditions and can be cultivated in almost all over Brazil. On this basis, the aim of this work was to evaluate the cultivation environment influence and sowing date on phonology and morphology traits of sunflower. Besides identifying the main stages of culture development within sowing dates tested. It also aimed to build a model based on multiple linear regression equations that express the growth of sunflower under field conditions. And this way can be used as a tool to estimate the potential yield of sunflower to the Northwestern of RS, based on the projection of meteorological variables for the period and management since the establishment to harvest this important oilseed. For this, was evaluated the genotypes Hélio 250, 251, 358, 884 and 885 in the 2008-09 harvest and genotypes Hélio 250, 251, 253, 360, 211, and HLA 211, and Paraíso 33 in the 2009-10 harvest in three seasons (August, October and December). The experiment was conducted in Random Block Complete with four replications on the UFSM Campus in Frederico Westphalen, in Northwestern Brazil. The morphological traits measured were plant height, chapter size, a thousand seeds weight and yield. Phenological characters were days of sowing emergence (S-E), days from emergence to early flowering (E-FI) days from initial flowering to full flowering (FI-FP) and days of full flowering to physiological maturity (FP-MF). Individual analysis and combined and the averages compared by Tukey test at 5% were realized. The models estimated form multiple linear regression equations, using, the method Backward in the 5% level of error probability. The independent variables in models of entry were: TM, Tmin, Tmax, PP and GD of each phonologic stage. The phonologic stage and yield were the dependent variables. Based on results, concludes that the morphological traits plant height, is influenced by the environment and sowing dates, for the chapter size there is the environment influence and was found that the yield has positively answers to environmental conditions and sowing times. For the studied phonological traits also occurs influence of environmental conditions and sowing date. With the exception onset flowering to full flowering witch presents no interference form the sowing time. When evaluated the agrometeorological variables interference, we can say that there was no interaction between them and the dependent variables, it can be said that the thermal plus and the maximum and minimum temperatures are crucial for the phonological sub-stages of sunflower, been the achene yield influenced just for the thermal plus for the sub-stages form sowing to emergence and since this with the initial flowering and full flowering. About the sowing stages, the August present an increase of the plant cycle, while in the December suggests a cycle reduction, and that the sowing in October is the culture preferred phase to Northwestern region of the RS. / A produção de girassol (Helianthus annuus L) no Brasil está em expansão, destaca-se o Sul com uma área cultivada de 17% com a oleaginosa. O desempenho do girassol está diretamente relacionado à escolha da época de semeadura, do genótipo, do manejo adequado do solo e fertilidade, sistema de rotação, da sucessão de culturas e especialmente dos fatores ambientais. A cultura que se adapta a diferentes condições edafoclimáticas, podendo ser cultivada em quase todo o Brasil. Com base nisto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a interferência do ambiente de cultivo e da época de semeadura sobre caracteres morfológicos e fenológicos da cultura do girassol. Além de identificar as principais fases do desenvolvimento da cultura dentro das épocas de semeadura testadas. Também se objetivou construir um modelo com base em equações de regressão linear múltipla que expressem o crescimento da cultura do girassol nas condições de campo. E, desta forma possa ser empregado como ferramenta para se estimar o potencial produtivo da cultura do girassol para a região Noroeste do RS, com base na projeção das variáveis meteorológicas para o período e do manejo desde a implantação até a colheita desta importante oleaginosa. Para isto, foram avaliados os genótipos Hélio 250, 251, 358; 884 e 885 na safra 2008-09 e os genótipos Hélio 250, 251, 253; 360, HLA 211 e Paraíso 33 na safra 2009-10 em três épocas (agosto, outubro e dezembro). O experimento foi conduzido em blocos completos com quatro repetições no Campus da UFSM em Frederico Westphalen, na região noroeste do RS. As variáveis avaliadas foram altura de planta, tamanho do capítulo, massa de mil aquênios e o rendimento. As variáveis morfológicas avaliadas foram altura de planta (AP), tamanho do capítulo (TC), massa de mil aquênios (MMA) e o rendimento (REND). Os caracteres fenológicos foram dias da semeadura a emergência (S-E), dias da emergência a floração inicial (E-FI), dias da floração inicial a floração plena (FI-FP) e dias da floração plena a maturação fisiológica (FP-MF). Realizaram-se análises individuais e conjuntas e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5%. Os modelos estimados a partir de equações de regressão linear múltipla, através do método Backward, em nível de 5% de probabilidade de erro. As variáveis independentes de entrada nos modelos foram: a TM, TMin, TMax, PP, e a GD de cada fase fenológica. As variáveis dependentes foram às fases fenológicas e o rendimento. A variável morfológica altura de planta é influenciada pelo ambiente e por épocas de semeadura, para o tamanho do capítulo ocorre influência do ambiente e para o rendimento verificou-se que responde positivamente a condições ambientais e a épocas de semeadura. Para os caracteres fenológicos estudados ocorre também influência da época de semeadura, com exceção da variável início da floração a floração plena que não apresenta interferência da época de semeadura. Quando avaliado a interferência das variáveis agrometeorológicas, pode-se afirmar que não houve interação entre estas e as variáveis dependentes, podendo-se dizer que a soma térmica e as temperaturas máximas e mínimas são determinantes para os subperiodos fenológicas da cultura do girassol, sendo o rendimento de aquênios influenciado somente pela soma térmica dos subperiodos da semeadura a emergência, desta com a floração inicial e a floração plena. Quanto às épocas de semeadura, a de agosto acarreta aumento do ciclo da planta, enquanto que a de dezembro determina redução do ciclo, e que, a época de semeadura de outubro é a fase preferencial da cultura para a região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul.

At the large watershed scale, we emphasize the effects of flow through a river network on streamflow under dry conditions. An immediate consequence of assuming dry conditions is that evapotranspiration causes flow in the river network to exhibit oscillations. When all links in the river network combine their flow patterns, the oscillations interact in ways that change the timing and amplitude of the streamflow waves at the watershed outlet. The geometric shape of the river network is particularly important, so we develop an analytic solution for streamflow which emphasizes that importance. Doing hydrology backward is a strategy recently developed by several researchers to deal with uncertainty in measurements of forcing terms applied to hydrologic models. The strategy has also been applied to resolve the assumption of homogeneity on realistic catchments that exhibit many heterogeneous properties. In this work, we demonstrate hydrology in the backward direction applied to two examples: using streamflow at the catchment scale to determine runoff at the hillslope scale and using the hillslope runoff to infer the applied evapotranspiration forcing under the assumption of dry conditions. In order to work across scales, we utilize the analytic solution for streamflow at the outlet of a river network. At the hillslope scale, we develop a soil model to create fluxes consistent with observed soil processes.

Jean Epstein place l’inversion temporelle au cœur de la révolution cinématographique. Le cinéma est la seule expérience qui nous donne non seulement le temps mais aussi l’inversion temporelle comme une perception. Il s’agit de reprendre et de continuer la pensée de Epstein par une redéfinition du temps propre au cinéma à partir de la notion d’inversion temporelle conçue de la façon la plus transversale : de l’inversion pelliculaire à la rétrotemporalité narrative, au temps de la pensée. On convoque la relecture de grands textes classiques, l’analyse de films et de vidéos expérimentales, la musique, des exemples littéraires.Les points d’ancrage théoriques sont le mythe rétrotemporel du Politique de Platon, la conception du temps irréversible de Vladimir Jankélévitch, les écrits théorico-poétiques de Jean-Louis Schefer, la notion d’Aiôn chez Gilles Deleuze, la psychanalyse issue de Jacques Lacan.On aborde d’abord le cinéma comme un contre-temps inséparable de renversements philosophiques, esthétiques, moraux, politiques. En partant de Platon, on explore ensuite les différentes formes de retours dans le passé, de la rétrotemporalité narrative aux voyages dans le temps. Puis on approche les images sans causes, avec les aberrations burlesques ou oniriques, l’unité des temps contraires, l’inversion temporelle qui se spatialise. Enfin, l’inversion temporelle du cinéma non seulement nous montre que penser c’est régresser dans le temps, mais concerne le dur mystère d’une pensée à rebours. La réversibilité de l’acte intellectuel est le seuil ultime où apparaissent les idées, sans envers et sans endroit. / Jean Epstein places backwards time in the heart of the revolution of film. The cinema is the only experience that delivers time as a perception to us, and backwards time too. The purpose is to follow and continue Epstein’s thought ; we elaborate a redefinition of the proper time of cinema intimately linked to the concept of backwards time in its various meanings : i.e. from the film backwards time to the narrative retrotemporality towards the thought time. We help us with famous classical texts, films and experimental video analysis, music, litterary examples. The theorical anchorage points are : the backwards time myth in Plato’s Politic, Vladimir Jankélévitch’s conception of irreversible time, Jean-Louis Schefer’s theorical-poetical works, GillesDeleuze Aiôn’s notion, and Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytical studies. We first consider the cinema as a counter-time that can not be detached from philosophical, aesthetical, moral, and political reversal. Examining Plato’s theory we then explore the different forms of retrieving the Past, from the narrative retrotemporality to the time travels. Then we analyse the without causes pictures with the comical, onirical aberrations, the contrary times unity, the temporal inversion which spatialises. At last, the cinema’s backwards time not only shows us that thinking is regressing in time, but concerns the hard mystery of an inverse thought. The reversibility of the intellectual act is the ultimate threshold where the ideas appear, without a wrong or a right side.

A MATLAB model was developed for the smoldering combustion of wastewater in the context of a decentralized residential wastewater treatment appliance. Data from a batch process sewage smoldering experiment was simulated using implicit finite-difference approximations, assuming one-dimensional transient conductive heat transfer. The time-dependent temperature profiles within the column represented the main parameters of interest and were used to verify recoverable heat energy estimations. Given that the modeling method used for this thesis represents a unique approach, the assumptions and limitations of this model are thoroughly described in the context of reproducing results for other smoldering setups. A lack of convergence is seen in the model validation section of this report. Consequently, the practicality of this particular model contains significant limitations. Theoretical applications are also discussed and analyzed in terms of comparisons to modern alternatives and prototype feasibility.

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Globalization transformed supply chains, resulting in increased productivity, complexity, and risk exposure. Textile supply chains are complex and facing similar challenges along with more specific for the industry. Africa is of increasing interest in textile supply chains due to low cost of production. Participating in supply chains through manufacturing, and infrastructural issues limit the possibility of adding value, which is an issue for African countries. The aim of this thesis is to analyze effects of participating in a global textile supply chain, current trends in textile manufacturing, and African countries’ role. Especially of concern for this thesis are South Africa, eastern African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and northern African countries such as Morocco. The questions that have been answered are; (1) what trends are impacting textile supply chain manufacturing from a global perspective? and (2) what role does the African region play in textile manufacturing within global supply chains? For this thesis inductive research was performed with relativistic ontology, constructionist epistemology and single case study methodology. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and secondary data, and that data will be thematically analyzed with triangulation between the primary and secondary data. The research found and concluded that the major trends in textile manufacturing are sustainability and nearshoring. Africa’s role in global textile supply chains is mainly through manufacturing with complex supply chains, low education levels, and limited value adding activities. Due to young populations and sustainable practices, there are opportunities for the continent to continue to develop and add more value in the future.