Une ontologie (ou base de connaissances) est une représentation formelle de connaissances sous la forme d'entités et de faits sur ces entités. Ces dernières années de nombreuses ontologies ont été développées dans des contextes académiques et industriels. Elles sont généralement définies à l’aide du langage forme lRDF et interrogées avec le langage de requêtes SPARQL. Une connaissance partielle du contenu et de la structure d’une ontologie peut amener les utilisateurs à exécuter des requêtes qui retournent un résultat vide de réponses, considéré comme insatisfaisant. Parmi les techniques d’interrogation coopératives développées pour résoudre ce problème se trouve la technique de relaxation de requêtes. Elle consiste à affaiblir les conditions exprimées dans les requêtes pour retourner des résultats alternatifs à l'utilisateur. En étudiant les travaux existants sur la relaxation de requêtes SPARQL nous avons constaté qu’ils présentent plusieurs limitations :(1) ils ne permettent pas de définir précisément la relaxation à effectuer tout en offrant la possibilité de contrôler le processus de relaxation (2) ils n’identifient pas les causes réelles d'échec de la requête formulée par l'utilisateur et (3) ils n’intègrent pas d’outils interactifs pour mieux exploiter les techniques de relaxation proposées. Pour répondre à ces limitations, ce travail de thèse propose un framework pour la relaxation de requêtes SPARQL. Ce framework inclut un ensemble d'opérateurs de relaxation des requêtes SPARQL permettant de relaxer incrémentalement des parties précises de la requête utilisateur tout en contrôlant la pertinence des réponses alternatives retournées par rapport aux besoins exprimés par l’utilisateur dans sa requête. Notre framework propose également plusieurs algorithmes qui identifient les causes d’échec de la requête utilisateur et les requêtes qui réussissent (c'est-à-dire, qui ont des résultats) ayant un nombre maximal de conditions de la requête initialement exprimée. Ces informations permettent à l’utilisateur de mieux comprendre pourquoi sa requête échoue et d’exécuter des requêtes qui retournent des résultats alternatifs.Enfin, notre framework propose des stratégies de relaxation qui élargissent les conditions de la requête utilisateur en s’appuyant sur les causes d’échec de celle-ci. Ces stratégies permettent de réduire le temps d’exécution du processus de relaxation par rapport à l’approche classique, qui consiste à exécuter les requêtes relaxées, en fonction de leur similarité avec la requête utilisateur, jusqu’à l’obtention d’un nombre satisfaisant de résultats alternatifs. Les contributions proposées dans ce framework ont été implémentées et validées par des scénarios et expérimentations basés sur le banc d'essai LUBM. Ils montrent l’intérêt de nos contributions par rapport à l'état de l'art. / Ontology (or Knowledge base) is a formal representation of knowledge as entities and facts related to these entities. In the past years, several ontologies have been developed in academic and industrial contexts.They are generally defined with RDF language and querying with SPARQL language. A partial knowledge of instances and schema of ontology may lead user to execute queries that result in empty answers, considered as unsatisfactory. Among cooperative querying techniques which have been developed to solve the problem of empty answers, query relaxation technique is the well-known and used. It aims at weakening the conditions expressed in the original query to return alternative answers to the user. Existing work on relaxation of SPARQL queries we suffer from many drawbacks : (1) they do not allow defining in precise way the relaxation to perform with the ability to control the relaxation process (2) they do not identify the causes of failure of the request expressed by the user and (3) they do not include interactive tools to better exploit the relaxation techniques proposed. To address these limitations, this thesis proposes an advanced framework forquery relaxation SPARQL. First, this framework includes a set of relaxation operators dedicated to SPARQLqueries, to incrementally relax specific parts of the user request while controlling the relevance of the alternative responses returned w.r.t. to the user needs expressed in his request. Our framework also provides both several algorithms that identify the causes of failure of the user query and queries that are successful with a maximum number of conditions initially expressed in the failing request. This information allows the user to better understand why his request fails and execute queries that return non-empty alternative results. Finally,our framework offers intelligent relaxation strategies that rely on the causes of query failure. Such strategies reduce the execution time of the relaxation process compared to the traditional approach, which executes relaxed requests, based on their similarity to the user request, until a number of satisfactory alternative results is obtained. All contributions proposed in this framework were implemented and validated by experiments and scenarios based on the tests bench LUBM. They show the interest of our contributions w.r.t. the state of theart.

Les statistiques de mortalité permettent à l'OMS de mesurer l'ampleur des problèmes de santé dans les pays. Leur fiabilité est fonction de la qualité du certificat de décès. Il ressort que plus de 25% des données des pays Africains ne sont pas utilisables. La principale raison de ce déficit d'information serait la non-performance des systèmes et outils d'enregistrement des données. Notre travail avait pour objectif d'étudier un modèle d'enregistrement des décès qui tienne compte à la fois des normes de l'OMS et des réalités de l'Afrique. Nous avons cherché à savoir comment la certification des causes de décès pouvait améliorer la production des statistiques de mortalité en Afrique. Comme méthodologie, nous avons utilisé une recherche interventionnelle combinée à une démarche projet et à une approche épidémiologique. L'étude a eu comme résultat la conception et l'implémentation d'un modèle à trois scénarii de déploiement en fonction du niveau d'équipement des établissements de soins en TIC et en personnel qualifié. Le système a été validé et implémenté au CHU de Bobo Dioulasso. Les acteurs ont été formés et le dispositif fonctionne depuis le 1er janvier 2014. Une première évaluation du modèle a été réalisée après trois mois de fonctionnement. La mise en place d'un comité de suivi et d'un plan annuel de formation, l'implication du Ministère de la santé et de l'Organisation Ouest Africaine de la Santé, l'assistance technique de la Direction Générale de la Modernisation de l'Etat Civil et du CepiDc (France) sont des éléments d'appropriation, de pérennisation et d'espoir. Cependant, l'enregistrement des décès survenus hors des hôpitaux reste un autre défi à relever. / Mortality statistics are basic data the WHO employs to measure health problems in different countries. However, their reliability depends on the quality of death data collected by different doctors. It appears, however, that over 25% African data are of no use because they are not available on time or lack quality. The main reason for this lack of information could be the nonperformance of data logging systems and tools. Our work aimed at investigating a death registration model taking into account both WHO's standards and the realities of Africa. We tried to understand if certification of death causes could improve mortality statistics production in Africa. Our methodology was based on a combination of interventional research, project process, and an epidemiological approach. The study resulted in the design and implementation of a three scenarios model, depending on ICT equipment and qualified staff level of health care facilities. The system has been validated and implemented in the University Hospital of Bobo Dioulasso. All the actors were trained and the device operates since January 1st, 2014, after the training of the actors. A first evaluation of the model was performed after three months of operation. The establishment of a monitoring committee and of an annual training plan, the involvement of the Ministry of Health and of the West African Health Organization, the technical assistance of CepiDc (France) and of the General Directorate for Modernization of Civil Status, are elements of appropriation, sustainability and hope. However, deaths registration outside hospitals remains an active challenge.

The study analyzes legal aspects of juveniles’ violence (PSM) at school, psychological and social assumptions, with the emphasis put on pedagogical factors. This choice was influenced by juvenescent age of criminals and the increasing number of crimes committed by juveniles. Analysis of central legal acts related to education, it became apparent that part of provi-sions are not respectively implemented, i.e. there is not guarantee for the educators’ and pupils’ right to study and work in a psychologically, spiritually and physically safe school environment.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Sunanda Dissanayake / One-ninth of all traffic fatalities in the United States (U.S.) in the past five years have involved large trucks, although large trucks contributed to only 3% of registered vehicles and 7% of vehicle miles traveled. This crash overrepresentation indicates that truck crashes in general tend to be more severe than other crashes, though they constitute a smaller portion of vehicles on the road. To study this issue, fatal crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) was used to analyze characteristics and factors contributing to truck-involved crashes. Driver, vehicle, and crash-related contributory causes were identified, and as an extension, the likelihood of occurrence of these contributory causes in truck-involved crashes (with respect to non-truck crashes) was evaluated using the Bayesian Statistical approach. Likelihood ratios indicated that factors such as stopped or unattended vehicles and improper following have greater probability of occurrence in truck crashes than in non-truck crashes. Also, Multinomial Logistic Regression was used to model the type of fatal crash (truck vs. non-truck) to compare the relative significance of various factors in truck and non-truck crashes. Factors such as cellular phone usage, failure to yield right of way, inattentiveness, and failure to obey traffic rules also have a greater probability in fatal truck crashes. Among several other factors, inadequate warning signs and poor shoulder conditions were also found to have greater predominance in contributing to truck crashes than non-truck crashes. By addressing these factors through the implementation of appropriate remedial measures, the truck safety experience could be improved, which would eventually help in improving overall safety of the transportation system.

Published Article / This article reports the findings and results of the Masters study on the causes of poor performance of learners in English in primary schools in Leribe district. A literature study was conducted to explore and to identify the causes of poor performance of learners in English in the literature. The findings of the study were collected by means of in-depth individual interviews the manifestation of the causes of poor performance of learners in English was investigated from the participants. Based on interpretive theory employing qualitative research approach, data collected and analysed from the individual interviews were analysed as emerging and themes. The findings of the study repudiate the argument that existence of the Education policy inevitably leads to sound improvement of learners in English in primary schools and consequently quality education improved.

This is an in-depth comparative study of the strategies used to counteract bullying at schools. It provides an international perspective on such strategies: Studies in South African schools are used to provide an African perspective: Australian research is used to provide an Oceanian perspective: Japanese research to provide an Asian perspective; and research conducted in England is used to provide an European perspective on bullying at schools. The extent and nature of bullying in schools was discussed in great detail, as well as the characteristics of bullies and their victims. The causes of bullying, as well as the effects of bullying on learners in the school situation are reviewed. The concept of cyberbullying was expanded upon. The role of the governments, the schools and independent organizations in combating bullying was investigated. To conclude the study, the laws concerning bullying at schools in the four countries are scrutinized and recommendations are made, based on the conclusion that bullying at school can indeed be counteracted successfully. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Previous work relating postmortem findings with cause of death have focused on the vitreous portion of the body. This research investigated the link between phospholipids in the brainstem and cause of death. The lipids were extracted by the Folch extraction method and then separated by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. These techniques gave excellent separation and resolution. Results showed no link between cause of death and the type of lipids found in the brainstem after death.

Summary: Traffic belongs to humanity since time immemorial. First people relied on their own feet, later on animal power. The biggest change came with the invention of the wheel 3,500 years BC. In the 19th century, first car was invented. Ever since the vehicles are constantly being improved. Simultaneously with traffic the traffic crime originated too. The topic of my thesis is Traffic crime and its prevention. I have chosen this topic because I think that it is a current issue and because transport is a normal part of our every- day lifes. The purpose of my thesis is to analyse main causes of traffic crime and clarify basic preventive activities on the national and international level. This thesis is composed of five chapters, each of them dealing with different issues relating to transport crime a its prevention. Chapter one is about fenomenology and explanation of the concept of transport crime, its specialities and on the most frequent transport crime. Chapter two are transport's statistic, which are available especially at the Police, courts and The Ministry of Transport website. Chapter three deals with structure of traffic crime. Chapter four is about causes of traffic crime and highligts on main cause, which is traffic accident and in detail describe aspects, which are on its rise a significant...

Zusammenfassung Das Thema der Diplomarbeit ist Verkehrskriminalität und ihre Prävention. Ich habe dieses ausgewählt, weil ich es sehr aktuell betrachte. Der Verkehr ist gegenwärtig ein üblicher Bestandteil unseres Lebens. Verkehrkriminalität betrifft fast alle Menschen. Jeder von uns kann sowohl Obfer, als auch Täter werden. Zugleich handelt es sich um das Thema. Das die Aufmerksamkeit noch nicht verdient. Angesichts der Schadenhöhen, der Anzahl der Todesfälle und der Verletzten handelt es sich um einen Bereich, der einen erheblichen Einfluss auf das Leben sowohl der ganzen Gesellschaft, als auch einer individuellen Person hat. Das Hauptziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Hauptuhrsachen der Verkehrkriminalität zu analysieren und anschlieβend die Vorbeugungen zu erzielen. Die Diplomarbeit besteht aus Einleitung, 3 Kapitel und Schlussvollgerung. Das erste Kapitel widmet sich Fenomenologie der Verkehrskriminalität. Es werden hier die Fachbegriffe von Vekehrsdelikten erklärt, die üblichsten Verkehrsstraftaten beschrieben und es wird auch aufmerksam auf Besonderheiten dieser Art von Straftaten gemacht. Das 2. Kapitel gibt einen überblick über die Ursachen und bedingungen der Verkehrskriminalität. Es wird hier der Begriff Verkehrsunfall, als die Hauptuhrsache der Verkehrkriminalität, definiert. Im Weiteren...