Nas ultimas décadas, houve um aumento na diversidade do perfil dos moradores bem como nos seus requisito específicos em decorrência de mudanças no estilo de vida contemporâneo. Tais mudanças vem tornando a provisão tradicional de habitações padronizadas inadequadas e demandam o desenvolvimento de estratégias de customização capazes de responder aos requisitos específicos dos moradores. Neste contexto, a abordagem da customização em massa (CM) e conceitos relacionados pode potencialmente aumento o valor do produto habitacional através do atendimento dos requisitos específicos do moradores. Apesar disto, a literatura é ainda limitada em termos de estudos que auxiliem organizações a desenvolver estratégias de customização, especialmente no setor habitacional. Visando responder este problema de pesquisa, esta investigação adota a abordagem da design science. Esta abordagem tem por objetivo desenvolver soluções (artefatos, modelos, software, entre outros) que resolvam problemas práticos e ao mesmo tempo tenham potencial para uma contribuição teórica. A solução desenvolvida nesta pesquisa é um modelo conceitual com categorias de decisão para definição de estratégias de customização no contexto habitacional. O modelo contém dez categorias de decisão, que definem o escopo de uma estratégia de customização e abordam aspectos relacionados a interface com o cliente, design do produto, e operações. Outros resultados da pesquisa, além deste modelo, incluem implementações (operacionalizações que demonstram que a solução funciona), avaliação da utilidade da solução, e avaliação da contribuição teórica da solução. O processo de pesquisa envolveu etapas chave da design science: encontrar um problema prático e com potencial para contribuição teórica, obter um entendimento deste problema, desenvolver uma solução, testar a solução, avaliando sua utilidade, e avaliar a contribuição teórica desta solução. Quatro estudos de caso com organizações envolvidas no setor da construção habitacional (no Brasil e no Reino Unido) também foram desenvolvidos. Em termos da contribuição teórica do modelo, algumas categorias (classes de itens, combinações de módulos, unidades de customização, e sequências de configuração) foram desenvolvidas com base em dados empíricos e constituem nova conceitualizações relacionadas a abordagem da CM que podem ser usadas no desenvolvimento de estratégias de customização. Outras categorias (espaço de solução, interface entre módulos, ponto de entrada do pedido, tipos de customização, e abordagens de visualização) baseiam-se em conceitos já disponíveis na literatura. A contribuição destas categorias é adaptar tais conceitos, através da proposição de constructos, visando facilitar a aplicação dos mesmos na definição de estratégias de customização. / There has been an increasing diversity on dwellers profiles and on their requirements in the last few decades, due to major changes in contemporary lifestyles. Such changes are making the traditional provision of standardised houses inadequate, requiring the development of new strategies able to provide customised dwellings. In this context, the application of the mass customisation (MC) approach and related concepts can potentially increase the value of housing through the fulfilling of the specific requirements of dwellers. In spite of that, the literature on the MC approach is limited in providing guidance to organisations in developing customisation strategies, particularly in the house-building sector. In order to address such a problem, a design science approach is adopted in this investigation. Such an approach deals with the construction of solutions (artefact, models, software, among other) for problems with practical relevance and potential for theoretical contribution. The solution devised in this investigation is a conceptual framework to be used by organisations of the house-building sector in defining customisation strategies. The framework entails ten decision categories that define the scope of a customisation strategy and also address some aspects of the clients’ interfaces, product design, and operations areas. Other outputs of this research include (i) instantiations (implementations that demonstrate that the solution works), (ii) evaluation of the solution utility, and (iii) evaluation of the theoretical contribution of the solution. The research process undertaken involved keys steps of the design science approach: find a practical problem with potential for a theoretical contribution, obtain an understanding of such a problem, develop a solution, test the solution and evaluate its utility, and assess the theoretical contribution of the solution. Four case studies with organisations (in Brazil and in the U.K.) of the house-building sector were also carried out and were particularly important in the solution devising and solution testing steps. In terms of theoretical contribution of the solution, some of the categories developed (classes of items, module combinations, customisation units, and configuration sequence) are grounded on empirical data and provide new conceptualisations related to the MC approach and which can be used in defining customisation strategies. Other categories (solution space, modules, module interfaces, order penetration point, types of customisation, and visualisation approaches) rely on existing concepts and underpinnings available on the literature on the MC approach. The main contribution of those categories is to adapt such concepts by proposing operational constructs, enabling such knowledge to be more applicable in devising customisation strategies.

L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier les propriétés de variétés toriques particulières. La thèse est divisée en trois parties, les deux premières étant fortement liées. Dans la première partie, nous étudions des variétés algébriques associées aux processus de Markov sur les arbres. A chaque processus de Markov sur un arbre on peut associer une variété algébrique. Motivé par la biologie, nous nous concentrons sur les processus de Markov dé finis par une action de groupe. Nous étudions les conditions pour que la variété obtenue soit torique. Nous donnons un résultat où les variétés obtenues sont normales, ainsi que des exemples où elles ne le sont pas. L'une des principales méthodes que nous utilisons est la généralisation des notions de prises et de réseaux introduites dans [BW07] à des groupes abéliens arbitraires. Dans notre contexte, les réseaux forment un groupe qui agit sur la variété. Par ailleurs, l'espace ambiant de lavariété est la représentation régulière de ce groupe. Le principal problème ouvert que nous essayons de résoudre dans cette partie est une conjecture de Sturmfels et Sullivant [SS05, Conjecture 2] indiquant que le schéma a fine associé au modèle 3-Kimura estdé fini par un idéal engendré en degré 4. Notre meilleur résultat dit que le schéma projectif associé peut être dé fini par un idéal engendré en degré 4. Avec Maria Donten -Bury, nous proposons une méthode pour engendrer l'idéal associé à la variété pour tous les modèles. Nous montrons que notre méthode fonctionne pour de nombreux modèles ainsi que pour les arbres si et seulement si la conjecture de Sturmfels et Sullivant est vraie. Nous présentons quelques applications, par exemple au problème d'identi abilité en biologie. La deuxième partie concerne les variétés algébriques associées aux graphes trivalents pour le modèle de Jukes-Cantor binaire. Il s'agit d'un travail en commun avec Weronika Buczyńska, Jarosław Buczyński et Kaie Kubjas. La variété associée á un graphe peut être représentéevpar un semi-groupe gradué. Nous étudions les liens entre les propriétés du graphe et le semigroupe. Le théorème principal borne le degré en lequel le semi-groupe est engendré par le premier nombre de Betti du graphe, plus un. Dans la dernière partie, nous étudions la structure de la catégorie dérivée des faisceaux cohérents des variétés toriques lisses. Dans un travail commun avec Michał Lasoń [LM11], nous construisons une collection fortement exceptionnelle complète de fi brés en droites pour une grande classe de variétés toriques complètes lisses dont le nombre de Picard est égal á trois. De nombreuses questions concernant le type de collections auxquelles on peut s'attendre sur les variétés toriques de certains types sont encore ouvertes. A ce titre, nous prouvons que Pn éclaté en deux points ne possède pas de collection fortement exceptionnelle complète de fibrés en droites pour n assez grand. Ceci fournit une collection infi nie de contre-exemples à la conjecture de King. Le premier contre-exemple est dû à Hille et Perling [HP06]. Récemment, des contre-exemples ont également été trouvés par E mov [E ] dans le cadre des variétés de Fano. Nous allons travailler sur le corps des nombres complexes C. Toutes les variétés considérées sont des variétés algébriques dans le sens de [Har77]. / The aim of this thesis is to investigate the properties of special toric varieties. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first two of them are strongly related to each other.In the fi rst, main part we study algebraic varieties associated to Markov processes on trees. To each Markov process on a tree one can associate an algebraic variety. Motivated by biology, we focus on Markov processes de fined by a group action. We investigate underwhich conditions the obtained variety is toric. We provide conditions ensuring that the obtained varieties are normal, as well as give examples when they are not. One of the main tools we use is the generalization of the notions of sockets and networks introduced in [BW07] to arbitrary abelian groups. In our setting the networks form a group, that acts on the variety. Moreover the ambient space of the variety is the regular representation of this group. The main open problem that we address in this part is a conjecture of Sturmfels and Sullivant [SS05, Conjecture 2] stating that the afi ne scheme associated to the 3-Kimura model is de fined by an ideal generated in degree 4. Our strongest result states that the associated projective scheme can be generated in degree 4. Together with Maria Donten -Bury we also propose a method for generating the ideal defi ning the variety for any model. We prove that our method works for many models and trees if and only if the conjecture of Sturmfels and Sullivant holds. We present some applications, for example to theidenti ability problem in biology. The second part concerns algebraic varieties associated to trivalent graphs for the binary Jukes-Cantor model. It is a joint work with Weronika Buczyńska, Jarosław Buczyński and Kaie Kubjas. In case of the graph, the associated variety can be represented by a graded semigroup. We investigate the connections between properties of the graph and the semigroup. The main theorem bounds the degree in which the semigroup is generated by the first Betti number of the graph plus one. Due to connections with the first part much of the terminology that we use is either a specialization or generalization of previous de finitions. From the one hand, as we are working with graphs with possible loops the notions of leaves, nodes and valency are more subtile than for trees. From the other hand, as we are dealing only with the binary Jukes-Cantor model, sockets and networks have got a very special form. In the last part we study the structure of the derived category of coherent sheaves for smooth toric varieties. As a result of a joint work with Michał Lasoń [LM11] we construct a full, strongly exceptional collection of line bundles for a large class of smooth, complete toric varieties with Picard number three. Many questions concerning what kind of collections should be expected on toric varieties of certain types are still open. As a contribution we prove that Pn blown up in two points does not have a full, strongly exceptional collection of line bundles for n large enough. This provides an in finite collection of counterexamples to King's conjecture. The first such counterexample is due to Hille andPerling [HP06]. Recently also counterexamples in the Fano case were found by E mov [E ].

Previous models of language acquisition have had partial success describing the processes that children use to acquire knowledge of the grammatical categories of their native language. The present study used a computer model based on the evolutionary principles of adaptation and selection to gain further insight into children's acquisition of grammatical categories. Transcribed language samples of eight parents or caregivers each conversing with their own child served as the input corpora for the model. The model was tested on each child's language corpus three times: two fixed mutation rates as well as a progressively decreasing mutation rate, which allowed less adaptation over time, were examined. The output data were evaluated by measuring the computer model's ability to correctly identify the grammatical categories in 500 utterances from the language corpus of each child. The model's performance ranged between 78 and 88 percent correct; the highest performance overall was found for a corpus using the progressively decreasing mutation rate, but overall no clear pattern relative to mutation rate was found.

Nous generalisons la definition de la K-theorie hermitienne des anneaux avec involution aux categories exactes avec dualite. Ensuite nous demontrons des theoremes de localisation et de devissage pour les anneaux de Dedekind, ce qui resolut une conjecture de Karoubi de 1974. Enfin nous etudions la K-theorie hermitienne des corps de nombres.

Curriculum review projects ensure updated material that meets the needs of students and employers. Most projects report what was accomplished in terms of how the new curriculum will better meet these needs. Few studies have explored the curriculum change process from the faculty perspective. Few studies have explored the leadership of these projects, and very few studies have examined curriculum development processes in higher education from a faculty perspective. This case study allowed for in-depth exploration of the faculty experience of the curriculum development process, of the project's leadership, and of the perceptions of change held by faculty. Faculty members were interviewed about the project, and minutes from committee meetings as well as other departmental documents were used to triangulate faculty feedback to paint a comprehensive picture of the experience of these faculty development projects. First, the entire case study explores the range of responses faculty provided in their interviews. Themes that emerged included comments about the effectiveness of individual pieces of the program as well as extended discussion about the benefits of the opportunity to network among the committee about teaching and learning. Faculty reflected at length about the positive influence of the leaders and about their response to the amount of change required of them individually and of the department. Next, analytic induction of the interview data resulted in a match between the leadership data and transformational leadership. The leaders of this project used delegation to direct the energy of the committee, invited inclusive participation, and promoted a shared vision for the department. As successful change leaders, they were able to build on the existing relationships in the department to achieve more than they had originally planned. Finally, individual stories exemplify the experience of change for different faculty members. These exemplars demonstrate the full spectrum of response to change, from quick to join in to slow and even one faculty member who chose remove himself from the program. These individual cases explore the ways in which they have dealt with the innovation of curriculum change, changes in teaching and new ideas about assessment.

This thesis compares the political development of racial categories employed by the United States, Canada and Great Britain on their national censuses, particularly focusing on the enumeration of mixed-race individuals in the late 20th century. Though literature on race and the U.S. census often stresses the causal influence of social mobilization, this analysis reveals that the common explanations for the development of racial classifications such as interest group mobilization, demography and civil rights legislation are not viable in comparative context. To explore and explain how the racial state sees, this thesis conceptualizes race as a system of power relations and develops a framework of the schematic state, which operates concurrently as both an actor responsible for putting the underlying organizational pattern of race into place, solidifying a particular set of racial meanings, and implementing a scheme for the racial configuration of society, and an arena in which policy alternatives are contested and where the state itself participates among other actors. This characterization demonstrates that the schematizing impetus of the census is not an exemplar of a dichotomous relationship between an all-powerful state and powerless racial subjects; instead, the power and meaning of race exist well beyond the control of the fragmented and sometimes contradictory schematic state, from the transnational realm to the level of the group or individual. Contrary to the majority of the literature on race, this thesis demonstrates that state institutions do not act for purely domestic reasons; rather, institutions mediate between national nuances and transnational ideas about race that exist in excess of national boundaries. Thus, while the decision to count mixed-race can be explained by a crystallization of transnational ideational trends that are mediated by national politics, the domestic arena of policy making – or the policy network itself – emerges as a key factor that determines the method of multiracial enumeration. However, these domestic political and policy outcomes are not contained by borders. Once a policy is in place, it has the potential to reinforce domestic policy and contribute to the global discourse of race itself – and in its travels among these levels of abstraction, race transforms.

This thesis compares the political development of racial categories employed by the United States, Canada and Great Britain on their national censuses, particularly focusing on the enumeration of mixed-race individuals in the late 20th century. Though literature on race and the U.S. census often stresses the causal influence of social mobilization, this analysis reveals that the common explanations for the development of racial classifications such as interest group mobilization, demography and civil rights legislation are not viable in comparative context. To explore and explain how the racial state sees, this thesis conceptualizes race as a system of power relations and develops a framework of the schematic state, which operates concurrently as both an actor responsible for putting the underlying organizational pattern of race into place, solidifying a particular set of racial meanings, and implementing a scheme for the racial configuration of society, and an arena in which policy alternatives are contested and where the state itself participates among other actors. This characterization demonstrates that the schematizing impetus of the census is not an exemplar of a dichotomous relationship between an all-powerful state and powerless racial subjects; instead, the power and meaning of race exist well beyond the control of the fragmented and sometimes contradictory schematic state, from the transnational realm to the level of the group or individual. Contrary to the majority of the literature on race, this thesis demonstrates that state institutions do not act for purely domestic reasons; rather, institutions mediate between national nuances and transnational ideas about race that exist in excess of national boundaries. Thus, while the decision to count mixed-race can be explained by a crystallization of transnational ideational trends that are mediated by national politics, the domestic arena of policy making – or the policy network itself – emerges as a key factor that determines the method of multiracial enumeration. However, these domestic political and policy outcomes are not contained by borders. Once a policy is in place, it has the potential to reinforce domestic policy and contribute to the global discourse of race itself – and in its travels among these levels of abstraction, race transforms.

L'any 1967, D. Quillen introduí la noció de categoria de models, estructura adaptada a l'estudi de l'àlgebra homotòpica. Una estruc¬tura de categoria de models en una categoria donada consisteix en l'elecció de tres classes de morfismes distingits, sotmeses a uns certs axiomes, que permeten definir una teoria d'homotopia en la categoria i representacions concretes de la categoria homotòpica. Així mateix, una estructura de categoria de models dóna criteris per a l'existència i el càlcul dels functors derivats de functors definits entre categories que posseixen la dita estructura. Aquest és el context de la memòria.Pel que fa a les categories de models, s'hi demostra que cate¬gories habituals de l'àlgebra homològica diferencial i de l'homotopia racional, com són la de mòduls dg a coeficients en una àlgebra dgc, o la d'extensions d'una àlgebra dgc fixada, tenen una tal estructura. Com a aplicació, es demostra l'existència dels functors derivats dels functors "producte tensorial" i "indescomponibles" (cap. II).Un tipus de models particulars són els models minimals, in¬troduïts a l'homotopia racional per Sullivan. En la memòria es proposa una definició categòrica dels mateixos, que comprèn altres models "minimals" de la literatura (resolucions minimals de Tate-Jozefiak, per exemple). Així mateix es demostra l'existència de tals models en les categories de complexos de cocadenes a coeficients en un anell local i en la de mòduls dg a coeficients en una àlgebra dgc (cap. IV).El punt central de la memòria és l'estudi de les estructures de categories de models i dels models minimals en les categories bifi-brades, la definició de les quals és deguda a Grothendieck. Una cate¬goria bifibrada pot pensar-se com una família de categories parame-tritzada per una altra categoria. Així, per exemple, les categories de mòduls dg a coeficients en una àlgebra dgc qualsevol o la categoria de morfismes d'àlgebres dgc són categories bifibrades. En la memòria es demostra que tals categories admeten una estructura natural de categoria de models i es caracteritzen els seus models minimals (cap. III i IV).Entre els diversos tipus d'homotopia racional, Sullivan distingeix els formals, com aquells determinats completament per l'àlgebra de cohomologia. Aquesta noció prové d'una obstrucció homotòpica a l'existència d'estructures kälherianes sobre una varietat. En la memòria, es dóna una definició categòrica de formalitat. Aplicada a les categories bifibrades anteriors, permet generalitzar el resultat de Sullivan: la formalitat dels morfismes d'àlgebres dgc és independent del cos base (cap. IV, teorema V).L'últim capítol està dedicat al tor diferencial, functor derivat del producte tensorial de mòduls dg i àlgebres dgc. Els principals resul¬tats són la comparació de les diferents defincions del tor diferencial i la compatibilitat amb els functors d'oblit i dels indescomponibles (cap. V). / On 1967 D. Quillen introduced the notion of model category, a structure adapted for the study of homotopical algebra. A model category structure in a given category consists in the election of three types of distinguished morphisms, subject to certain axioms, which allow to define an homotopy theory in the category and specific representations of the homotopy category. Also, a structure of model category provides with criteria for the existence and calculation of derived functors of functors defined among categories which share the above mentioned structure. This is the context to this report.Regarding the model categories, we prove here that, usual categories in diferential homological algebra and in rational homotopy, such as the category of dg-modules over a dgc-algebra, or the category of extensions of a fixed dgc-algebra have such a structure. As an application, we prove the existence of the derived functors of "tensorial product" and "indecomposables" (chapter II).A particular type of models are minimal models, introduced in rational homotopyby Sullivan. In this report we suggest a categorical definition of these models, which includes other minimal models already written about (as, for example Tate-Jozefiakminimal resolutions). Also, we prove the existence of these models in the category of cochain complexes over a local ring and in the category of dg-modules over adgc-algebra.The central theme in this report is the study of the structures of model categories and of minimal models in bifibred categories. We owe the definition of these to Grothendieck. We can consider a bifibred category as a family of categories parametrized by another category. For example, the category of dg-modules over anydgc-algebra or the category of morphisms of dgc-algebras are bifibred categories. In the report we prove that such categories admit a natural structure of model category and we characterize their minimal models (chapters III and IV).Among the diferent types of rational homotopy , Sullivan points out the formals as the ones being determinated entirely by the cohomology algebra. This notion derives from the existence of an homotopic obstruction to the existence of k¨alherianstructures on a variety. In this report we give a categorical definition of formality. This definition, applied to the above mentioned bifibred categories, allows a generalization of the results of Sullivan: formality of dgc-algebra morphisms does not depend on theground field (chapter IV, theoreme V).The last chapter centres on the diferential tor, the derived functor of tensorial product of dg-modules and dgc-algebras. The main results are the comparison between the diferent definitions of this diferential tor and the compatibility with the forgetful functor and the indecomposable functor (chapter V).

This dissertation is about biological sex and how we ought to make sense of it. By biological sex I mean those elements of an individual’s body that are involved in reproduction of the individual’s species; by make sense of it I mean the way in which the occurrence of these elements and their interactions are conceptualized in our minds. Given certain things that are known about sex and reproduction, I argue in this dissertation that sex, maleness, and femaleness ought to be conceptualized in a specific way: this specific way is what I call the multidimensional model of sex. My argument challenges what I call the folk understanding of biological sex, which is (generally speaking) the understanding that most people in most places have about what makes a person male or female. This understanding, I argue, takes the concepts MALE and FEMALE to be logically opposed and atomistic, and constitutive of categories with homogeneous members. I explore three important facts that challenge this understanding: 1) the emphasis on continuity within biological thought, 2) the understanding of sex differences within biology, and 3) the occurrence of intersexuality in human beings. Some authors have already proposed continuum-based understandings of SEX as a replacement for the folk understanding. I identify and discuss three of these: 1) the basic continuum model (Fausto-Sterling 1993, 2000; Blackless, et al. 2000; Kessler 1998; Preves 2003; Intersex Society of North America 2011a; Organisation International des Intersexués 2011a), 2) the multiple continua model (Stoltenberg 1989), and 3) the hybrid model (Stein 2001; Dreger 1998). Inherent to different degrees within each of these models is the belief that maleness and femaleness are somehow conceptually opposite (which is a belief also shared by the folk understanding). This belief, I argue, is not borne out in nature, as demonstrated in part by the occurrence of intersexuality in the species Homo sapiens, and the occurrence of hermaphroditism in other species. These occurrences, I argue, suggest another way to make sense of sex. The model of sex that I present is inspired by the occurrence of intersexuality and hermaphroditism, and also by Sandra Bem’s (1974) work on the concept ANDROGYNY. Bem reconceptualized masculinity and femininity as dimensions of psychological androgyny. I argue that the concepts MALE and FEMALE, and thus BIOLOGICAL SEX, can be understood in a similar way. I propose a multidimensional model of SEX that includes the concepts MALE and FEMALE as intersecting continua that create a space in which the separate features of an individual’s sex are each individually located. The dissertation concludes by discussing the moral implications of the multidimensional model, as some of our judgments about the rightness or wrongness of a person’s actions are related to our understanding of that person’s sex. But if the words male and female come to refer to individual parts of the body and not whole people (as I argue they would, if the multidimensional model were adopted), how would our ideas about the moral acceptability of certain actions and practices change? By examining this general question, I show that adoption of the multidimensional model of sex is important not just because it offers a more biologically accurate representation of sex: it is also important, I conclude, because there is good reason to think that adopting it could improve the quality of life for many.

This study is based on the Strategic Experiential Modules (sense / feel / think / act / relate). The main purpose of this study is to understand the relationships between blog experiential strategies and blog users¡¦ loyalty. Furthermore, this study classifies which experiential strategies are best for various categories of blogs. Four findings are revealed. First, sense, feel- and think-experience-strategies have significant positive effects on blog users¡¦ loyalty, except relate-experience-strategies. Second, the professional blogs are best for sense- and feel-experience-strategies; the personal space blogs and the public relation blogs are best for relate-experience-strategies. Third, the unit of blog has no significant effect on experiential strategies. Fourth, the commercial blogs are best for sense- and feel-experience-strategies. This study can help bloggers to formulate their blogs in ¡§experience¡¨ way which leads to the enhancement of blog users¡¦ loyalty.