<p>The first part of this study evaluates the historical events that led to the referral of the DRC situation to the ICC. This includes the background of the conflict and the extent to which international crimes have been committed. Both regional and domestic attempts and initiatives to address the conflict are discussed, with specific reference to peace agreements and restorative justice mechanisms. The second part of the study deals with the prosecution of the perpetrators by the ICC. It examines the approach of the Pre- Trial Chamber to two legal issues, the principle of complementarity and modes of criminal participation as part of the ICC Statute. In this regard, the study makes a critical evaluation of two preliminary decisions confirming the charges against Lubanga, Katanga and Chui before the cases proceeded to the trial stage.</p>

La tesis aborda el problema de la conservación de la biodiversidad acuática en la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares desde una doble perspectiva, estableciendo prioridades de conservación para espacios y especies utilizando inventarios de coleópteros acuáticos. En primer lugar, se evalúa si los coleópteros acuáticos pueden ser utilizados como buenos indicadores de biodiversidad en ecosistemas acuáticos mediterráneos. Posteriormente, se seleccionan áreas prioritarias para la conservación de la biodiversidad acuática usando coleópteros como indicadores. Se crea una base de datos de coleópteros acuáticos ibéricos y se evalúa tanto el esfuerzo de muestreo, como la cantidad y naturaleza de los posibles sesgos de los datos. Se ha obtenido una función basada en variables ambientales y espaciales capaz de predecir la distribución de la riqueza de especies en la Península Ibérica. Por último se identifican las especies endémicas mas amenazadas, y se evalúa la efectividad de la Red Natura 2000 en su protección. / This thesis comprises the problem of freshwater biodiversity conservation in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands using inventories of water beetles as surrogates of biodiversity. The thesis involves different approaches and methods from the double perspective of setting conservation priorities for species and areas. Firstly, the use of water beetles as reliable biodiversity indicators in Maditerranean aquatic ecosystems was assessed. Then, areas for freshwater biodiversity conservation at regional scale were selected using water beetles as biodiversity surrogates. Afterwards, a database of Iberian water beetles was compiled. The survey effort, the degree of geographical coverage and the amount and nature of bias in this database were assessed. Subsequently, a function based on environmental and spatial variables able to predict species richness distribution in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands were obtained. Lastly, the most threatened endemic water beetles were identified and the effectiveness of existing reserve network (Natura 2000) in protecting them was evaluated.

Suppliers in competitive electricity markets regularly respond to prices that change hour by hour or even more frequently, but most consumers respond to price changes on a very different time scale, i. e. they observe and respond to changes in price as reflected on their monthly bills. This thesis examines mixed complementarity programming models of equilibrium that can bridge the speed of response gap between suppliers and consumers, yet adhere to the principle of marginal cost pricing of electricity. It develops a computable equilibrium model to estimate the time-of-use (TOU) prices that can be used in retail electricity markets. An optimization model for the supply side of the electricity market, combined with a price-responsive geometric distributed lagged demand function, computes the TOU prices that satisfy the equilibrium conditions. Monthly load duration curves are approximated and discretized in the context of the supplier's optimization model. The models are formulated and solved by the mixed complementarity problem approach. It is intended that the models will be useful (a) in the regular exercise of setting consumer prices (i. e. , TOU prices that reflect the marginal cost of electricity) by a regulatory body (e. g. , Ontario Energy Board) for jurisdictions (e. g. , Ontario) where consumers' prices are regulated, but suppliers offer into a competitive market, (b) for forecasting in markets without price regulation, but where consumers pay a weighted average of wholesale price, (c) in evaluation of the policies regarding time-of-use pricing compared to the single pricing, and (d) in assessment of the welfare changes due to the implementation of TOU prices.

Suppliers in competitive electricity markets regularly respond to prices that change hour by hour or even more frequently, but most consumers respond to price changes on a very different time scale, i. e. they observe and respond to changes in price as reflected on their monthly bills. This thesis examines mixed complementarity programming models of equilibrium that can bridge the speed of response gap between suppliers and consumers, yet adhere to the principle of marginal cost pricing of electricity. It develops a computable equilibrium model to estimate the time-of-use (TOU) prices that can be used in retail electricity markets. An optimization model for the supply side of the electricity market, combined with a price-responsive geometric distributed lagged demand function, computes the TOU prices that satisfy the equilibrium conditions. Monthly load duration curves are approximated and discretized in the context of the supplier's optimization model. The models are formulated and solved by the mixed complementarity problem approach. It is intended that the models will be useful (a) in the regular exercise of setting consumer prices (i. e. , TOU prices that reflect the marginal cost of electricity) by a regulatory body (e. g. , Ontario Energy Board) for jurisdictions (e. g. , Ontario) where consumers' prices are regulated, but suppliers offer into a competitive market, (b) for forecasting in markets without price regulation, but where consumers pay a weighted average of wholesale price, (c) in evaluation of the policies regarding time-of-use pricing compared to the single pricing, and (d) in assessment of the welfare changes due to the implementation of TOU prices.

App 內購買(In-App Purchase, IAP)已成為現今App 營收的主要模式，而過 去針對此一現象的研究大多集中於遊戲類的App，較少針對其他類型App(工 具、資訊、社交)進行探討。 本研究先利用文獻歸納的方式，整理出可能影響使用者App 內購買的因 素，再透過深度訪談法，針對曾經進行過App 內購買的使用者進行訪問，歸納 出App 使用動機、販售商品與App 的互補性與口碑情緒三個因素會影響使用者 對商品的知覺價值與購買意圖，並依此建構本研究的研究模型，並進行實驗設 計。在實驗中，本研究挑出四種不同類型的App，並以高低互補性、正面口碑 的有無為操弄變項，搭配App 使用動機來搜集資料並進行分析。 研究結果發現：(1) 部分App 使用動機會對知覺價值與購買意圖有顯著影響。 (2) App 與商品的互補性對於知覺價值與購買意圖皆有顯著影響。(3) 口碑對於 商品的知覺價值有顯著影響，但是對於購買意圖沒有顯著影響。顯示IAP 商品 是否能與App 有效整合，為App 帶來更多的價值，才是影響使用者購買意圖的 最大因素。 / In-App purchase(IAP) has become the main revenue model in App market. Previous studies on this issue are mostly focused on game Apps, and rarely explored other types of Apps such as productivity tools, information or social networking tools. In this study, we use literature analysis and in-depth interviews to find factors that may affect users’ in-app purchase intention. User motivation, product complementarity, and word-of-mouth are found to affect users’ perceived value and in-app purchase intention. We developed a theoretical model and designed an experiment to test the model. In the experiment, we chose four different types of Apps, designed with different levels of complementarity and different sentiment of word-of-mouth (user comments) as the treatment. The results indicated that: (1) Certain motivations significantly affected the perceived value and purchase intention of IAP products. (2) Complementarity between IAP products and the App significantly affected the perceived value and purchase intentions of IAP product. (3) word-of-mouth significantly affected perceived value but not affecting the purchase intention of IAP products.

<p>The first part of this study evaluates the historical events that led to the referral of the DRC situation to the ICC. This includes the background of the conflict and the extent to which international crimes have been committed. Both regional and domestic attempts and initiatives to address the conflict are discussed, with specific reference to peace agreements and restorative justice mechanisms. The second part of the study deals with the prosecution of the perpetrators by the ICC. It examines the approach of the Pre- Trial Chamber to two legal issues, the principle of complementarity and modes of criminal participation as part of the ICC Statute. In this regard, the study makes a critical evaluation of two preliminary decisions confirming the charges against Lubanga, Katanga and Chui before the cases proceeded to the trial stage.</p>

But : Ce projet de recherche a comme objectif principal de mieux comprendre diverses facettes de la relation entraîneur-entrainée. Cette relation entre un entraîneur masculin et une athlète féminine en volleyball sera observée selon trois niveaux de compétition des athlètes – secondaire, collégial et universitaire. Trois aspects seront étudiés à travers les questions posées dans cette recherche : (1) Est-ce que la perception que les athlètes ont de la relation entraîneur-entraîné est différente selon le niveau de compétition de l’athlète? (2) Existe-il des différences dans la nature de la relation à l’intérieur d’un même niveau? (3) Est-ce que le nombre d’années qu’une athlète a passé avec le même entraîneur affecte la qualité de la relation?. Méthodologie : Évoluant sur le circuit québécois, les six équipes de volleyball et leur entraîneur respectif représentent l’échantillon de la présente étude. Les tests utilisés afin de réaliser les analyses univariées et bivariées de cette étude sont : le Test de Welch, les corrélations de Pearson ainsi que les tests post-hoc de Games-Howell. Résultats : (1) Les athlètes du secondaire partagent une relation de meilleure qualité avec leur entraîneur que celles du cégep et de l’université. (2) Dans un même niveau de compétition, ce qui différencie la qualité de la relation est : le rôle de la joueuse dans son équipe ainsi que le nombre de sports organisés dans lesquels elle participe (relations proportionnelles). (3) Une relation inverse existe entre le nombre d’années vécues par la dyade entraîneur-athlète et la qualité de la relation. / Objective : The main purpose of this study is to better understand certain aspects of the coach-athlete relationship. The relationship between a male coach and a female athlete in volleyball will be analyzed based on three different levels of competition: high school, cegep and university. The specific objectives of this study will be examined through three research questions: (1) Is the athlete’s perception of the coach-athlete relationship different based on the level of competition in which the athlete participates? (2) Is there any difference in the nature of the coach-athlete relationship within the same level of competition? (3) Does the number of years that an athlete plays for the same coach affect the nature of the relationship? Method: The sample of this study consists of six volleyball teams, playing within the Quebec conference, and their respective coaches. The univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted using the following tests: the Welch test, the Pearson correlations and the Games-Howell post-hoc tests. Results: (1) High school athletes have a relationship with their coach that is of higher quality than athletes from cegep and university. (2) The quality of the coach-athlete relationship differs within a same level of competition based on the athlete’s role in her team as well as the number of organised sports in which she participates (proportional relationships). (3) There is an inverse relationship between the number of years the athlete and the coach have been working together and the quality of their relationship.

This thesis aims to study Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a General Purpose Technology (GPT) and their role in the labor productivity evolution in the United States and Europe during recent decades. This thesis is organized in three parts corresponding to the fundamental GPT features: the wide possibilities for development, the ubiquity of the technology and the ability to create large technological opportunities. The first part depicts, at first, the innovation in ICT, beginning with a short historical review of ICT inventions followed by the analysis of current data on innovation in this field. In particular, it shows how the US was better than the European countries in inventing ICT until now. Second, this first part makes an inventory of measurement difficulties due to the rate and the nature of the change created by such technologies. The second part of the thesis deals with the ubiquitous nature of ICT. It first describes the ICT diffusion across countries and industries and reviews the economic literature on the direct contribution of ICT on labor productivity growth in the US and Europe. The next chapter studies the factor demand's behaviour in sectors that are either ICT producers or ICT intensive users. The third part focuses on the ICT ability to create opportunities for complementarity innovations. Firstly, it identifies the nature of ICT complementary innovations and the corresponding efforts. It shows, then, that national accounts must be improved in order to take these efforts into account as investments. Secondly, this part shows that, among the eleven European countries studied, the problem is highly concentrated in a few countries that invest less both in ICT and in innovative assets and that these two types of effort are complementary.

This Ph.D. thesis comprises of two parts. Part I develops a framework to provide insights into the understanding of several political macro-economy issues related to fiscal policy making. This framework links the overall macroeconomic performance to the public spending and borrowing decisions. The key feature of this framework is that it makes a distinction between productive (e.g. public investment) and non-productive public spending (e.g. popular spending). It is shown that a high level of political instability may lead to myopic and populist policies and may be associated with less favorable macroeconomic performance in terms of not only future output and inflation but also future popular spending. Part I also suggests an alternative channel for expansionary or Non-Keynesian fiscal contractions based on the productivity enhancing role of productive public spending. It is shown that if the incumbent government reduces popular (productive) spending rather than productive (popular) spending, then Non-Keynesian (Keynesian) effects are achieved. Furthermore, it is shown that the favorable effects of public investment depends positively on its quality in this framework. Moreover, the net effect of productive spending financed by borrowing on the next period&#039 / s macroeconomic performance depends on the benefits of productive spending relative to the costs of borrowing. Even under a capital borrowing rule higher public investment may yield unfavorable effects and also it may not necessarily prevent the strategic use of public investment, even though it prevents strategic debt accumulation. Part II investigates the effects of macroeconomic instability on capital accumulation and economic growth in the Turkish economy over the 1963-1999 period. Descriptive and econometric (time series) analyses suggest that macroeconomic instability not only deters capital accumulation and economic growth but it may also reverse the complementarity between public and private investment in the long-run.

The aims of this thesis are to study the fracture behaviour in unreinforced masonry, to carry out a limited experimental program on three-point bending (TPB) masonry panels and to develop a time-dependent fracture formulation for the study of mode I fracture in quasi-brittle materials. A micro-model for fracture in unreinforced masonry is developed using the concept of the discrete crack approach. All basic masonry failure modes are taken into account. To capture brick diagonal tensile cracking and masonry crushing, a linear compression cap is proposed with a criterion for defining the compression cap. The failure surface for brick and brick-mortar interfaces are modelled using a Mohr-Coulomb failure surface with a tension cut-off and a linear compression cap. The fracture formulation, in nonholonomic rate form within a quasi-prescribed displacement approach, is based on a piecewise-linear constitutive law and is in the form of a so-called ?linear complementarity problem? (LCP). The proposed model has been applied to simulating fracture in masonry shear walls and masonry TPB panels. An experimental program was undertaken to investigate the failure behaviour of masonry panels under TPB with relatively low strength mortar. The basic material parameters were obtained from compression, TPB and shear tests on bricks, mortar and brick-mortar interfaces. The experimental results showed that the failure of masonry TPB panels is governed by both tensile and shear failure rather than just tensile failure. The simulation of the masonry TPB tests compared well with the experimental results. In addition, the LCP fracture formulation is enhanced to study the time-dependent mode I fracture in quasi-brittle materials. Two main time-dependent sources, the viscoelasticity of the bulk material and the crack rate dependent opening, are taken into account. A simplified crack rate model is proposed to include the rate-dependent crack opening. The model is applied to predicting time-dependent crack growth in plain concrete beams under sustained loading. The model captures the essential features including the observed strength increase with loading rate, the load-deflection and load-CMOD responses, the deflection-time and CMOD-time curves, the predicted time to failure and the stress distributions in the fracture zone.