Ce travail de recherche se situe à un moment particulier de réforme du système éducatif algérien. Il prend sa source dans les difficultés suscitées par la mise en œuvre de cette réforme, du point de vue, pour l’enseignement des mathématiques, de l’approche par les compétences et de l’intégration des TICe. Il questionne le potentiel des ressources de Sésamath, une association française d’enseignants, pour soutenir le travail des professeurs confrontés à cette réforme.Ancrée dans l’approche documentaire du didactique, la thèse a suivi plus particulièrement trois professeurs d’un collège, à la fois dans leurs classes régulières et dans un atelier de mathématiques, laboratoire d’intégration des ressources de Sésamath.Elle considère particulièrement les systèmes de ressources des enseignants en analysant leur structure et leur évolution, dans la perspective d’une modélisation de ces systèmes. Elle exploite la notion de schème, et notamment d’invariants opératoires, pour décrire l’évolution des connaissances des professeurs.Elle montre comment l’intégration des ressources de Sésamath, dans un milieu arabophone, conduit à développer un travail collectif de sélection, d’adaptation, de traduction et de mise en œuvre de ses ressources. Elle montre comment l’intégration des activités de Sésamath basées sur la résolution de problèmes a soutenu les enseignants dans leur travail de mise en œuvre de la réforme. Elle met en évidence l’intérêt de ces interactions pour l’évolution des connaissances et le développement professionnel des enseignants impliqués.L’étude ouvre des pistes, aussi bien pour la formation des enseignants que pour la modélisation de leur système de ressources / This research is situated at a particular moment of reform of the Algerian educational system. It originates from the difficulties of implementing this reform from a point of view, for mathematics education, of the competency-based approach and the integration of ICT. It questions the potential of the resources of Sésamath, a French association of teachers, for supporting the work of teachers facing this reform.Anchored in the documentary approach to didactics, the PhD followed in particular three teachers from a college, both in their regular classes and in a mathematics workshop, the Sésamath resource integration laboratory.It particularly considers teacher resource systems by analyzing their structure and evolution, aiming to modelling these systems. It exploits the notion of scheme, and especially operational invariants, to describe the evolution of teachers' knowledge.It shows how the integration of Sésamath's resources, in an Arabic-speaking environment, leads to developing a collective work of selection, adaptation, translation and implementation of these resources. It shows how the integration of problem-based Sésamath activities has supported teachers in their work for implementing the reform. It highlights the value of these interactions for the evolution of knowledge and professional development of the teachers involved.The study opens ways, both for teacher training and for modelling their resource system

Flooding has the potential to have significant impact on the value of properties depending on the level of inherent vulnerability. Experts argue that it is not the actual risk but the perception of risk among property holders that influences vulnerability of value. The hypothesis that changing perception of flood risk could make property value vulnerable in the market is the main focus of the research. This dimension of research has received very low attention in commercial property literature. The existing knowledge base of flooding and property value reveals that focus has been largely associated with residential properties. Conceptual understanding of the extent and scale of the effect of flooding on the vulnerability of property value of commercial properties would be worthwhile for relevant stakeholders. The research methodology follows a quantitative approach with sequential application: of literature review, conceptual model generation, data collection from primary and secondary sources with remote questionnaire survey of selected study areas in the UK. The conceptual model was operationalised using analysis and interpretation of the collected data and finally cross validated with secondary data gained from commercial real estate experts . The strength of this research lies in the conceptualisation of the subject matter of property value in the context of flood vulnerability. This work provides innovative conceptual insight towards business vulnerability and vulnerability of value. The variables contributing towards vulnerability were hierarchically ranked using both collected data and deductive methods. The patterns of impact and recovery analysis emphasized that within the commercial sector indirect effects of flooding should be given equal importance with direct damages. The implication of perception on the vulnerability of property value showed a slightly different picture from business vulnerability in the chosen study areas when differentiated based on flood experience. In a nutshell the study reflected that the commercial property sector does not take flooding as one of their priorities. This is in part due to differential attitude towards risk of the population within the flood plain based on their knowledge and experience of flooding. The perception of stakeholders towards vulnerability of value can change with increasing magnitude and severity of floods and it is possible that the implications on market value of commercial properties will be visible in the future. Practitioners and researchers will find this study useful in developing an understanding of the vulnerability of commercial property value in the context of changing flood risk.

Face aux enjeux de conciliation entre production agricole et protection des écosystèmes, l'organisation spatiale et temporelle des cultures à l'échelle des paysages peut être un levier d'action privilégié. Les décisions d'assolement que prennent les agriculteurs au niveau de leurs exploitations individuelles sont un des moteurs de cette organisation. L'objectif général de cette thèse était d'étudier en quoi la modélisation des décisions d'assolement dans leurs dimensions spatiale et temporelle au niveau de l'exploitation permet de rendre compte de l'organisation spatiale des cultures au niveau du paysage. Dans la plaine de Niort (Poitou-Charentes), nous avons tout d'abord identifié (i) des régularités d'organisation des cultures au niveau paysage et (ii) des règles de décisions d'agriculteurs au niveau exploitation. La comparaison de ces deux éléments a confirmé que les régularités d'organisation spatiale et temporelle des cultures pouvaient relever de décisions qui étaient communes entre agriculteurs. A partir d'enquêtes dans 12 exploitations, nous avons ensuite construit le modèle DYSPALLOC. Ce modèle conceptuel permet de simuler l'organisation spatiale des cultures d'une année à l'autre à l'échelle de l'exploitation, via la représentation spatiale et temporelle des décisions de planification d'assolement. Applicable aux exploitations de grandes cultures et de polyculture-élevage, ce modèle a en outre permis d'expliciter les règles de délimitation des parcelles au sein des EA. Nous avons défini trois types de parcelles en fonction de leurs limites : îlots élémentaires, parcelles fixes et parcelles temporaires. L'évaluation du modèle a montré que l'allocation des cultures simulée était correcte dans 83% des parcelles. Une expérimentation virtuelle a de plus permis de valider les concepts de parcelles fixes et parcelles temporaires. Enfin, nous avons utilisé le modèle à l'échelle d'un paysage composé d'exploitations, avec des données d'entrée construites à partir de bases de données spatialisées. Nous avons montré que l'organisation spatiale des cultures simulée à partir de la prise en compte des décisions d'assolement était plus proche de l'organisation réelle observée, que ne l'était l'organisation simulée aléatoirement, même en intégrant des contraintes agronomiques. Ce travail pourrait donc contribuer à favoriser la coordination des décisions d'assolement individuelles des agriculteurs pour générer des organisations spatiales de cultures favorables au fonctionnement des écosystèmes à l'échelle des paysages agricoles. / In order to conciliate agricultural production and ecosystem protection, managing the spatial and temporal organization of crops at the landscape level could be an interesting option. Decisions farmers make for their cropping plan at the farm level are among the underlying controlling factors of this organization. The main aim of this thesis was to analyse how the modelling of farmer cropping plan decisions in their spatial and temporal dimensions could explain the spatial crop organization at the landscape level. In the Niort plain (Poitou-Charentes region), we first identified (i) landscape regularities in crop organization and (ii) farmer decision rules at the farm level. The comparison of these two elements confirmed that regularities in spatial and temporal crop organization could be explained by generic farmer decisions. Based on 12 on-farm surveys, we then built the DYSPALLOC model. This conceptual model can simulate the spatial crop organization from one year to another at the farm level, through the spatial and temporal representation of the farmer cropping plan decision process. This model, suitable for both arable and mixed crop-livestock farms, gave the possibility to specify the rules for defining plot limits inside the farming territory. We defined three types of plots based on their boubdaries: elementary islets, permanent plots and temporary plots. The evaluation of the model showed an 83% rate of success in the crop allocation to plots. A virtual experimentation also validated the concepts of permanent and temporary plots. We finally used the model at the level of a landscape composed of several farms, using input data built on the basis of spatial data-bases. We demonstrated that the spatial crop organization was closer to the real one when simulated taking farmer cropping plan decisions into account than when simulated randomly, even when introducing agronomic constraints. This work could thus support the coordination of individual farmer cropping plan decisions at the landscape level for building spatial crop organization favourable to ecosystem services.

The Higher Education (HE) sector of a country is a key area indicating the progress of cultural, political and social growth and development. Public and social demands as well as technological developments add new challenges for this sector. Consequently, higher education institutions have changed and a more flexible IT infrastructure is required to enable them to adapt efficiently to competitive business challenges. Enterprise application integration (EAI) is a technology that effectively integrates intra- and inter-organizational systems. Firstly a systematic review of the EAI literature was conducted. From this review, it was apparent that there are no theoretical models for EAI adoption and evaluation for higher education. Hence, this research contributes a conceptual model that includes influential factors derived from the literature and combines them with the proposed classification of influential factors for HE to produce an EAI conceptual model for the HE domain. To validate this proposed model empirical research was conducted. Then, the model was tested using a qualitative case study approach by means of three case studies that were conducted at different universities. Exploratory, explanatory and interpretive data analysis phases were implemented to find what is the current EAI process of HE and how these institutions currently work. In addition, these phases were employed to identify the EAI adoption factors in HE. As a result of this analysis the conceptual model was modified because of complementary factors that emerged. Therefore, the main contribution of this research is a comprehensive and novel model for EAI adoption in higher education area. The adoption EAI factors were identified by extracting a number of parameters from the empirical data. Several important factors that influence and assist the adoption of EAI in HE were identified. Hence, an additional contribution is the classification of factors in EAI adoption into technical and social factors which provides a better understanding of these factors. A further contribution is the derivation of a new classification of the EAI external and internal pressure factors. The development of a consistent model for the adoption and evaluation of EAI in HE is based on these factors.

This diploma thesis deals with the question of simulation models. It is divided into the theoretical and practical part. The aim of the opening part, in which the fundamental theory is defined, is to familiarize the readers with the ideas and advantages which simulation models can offer. In its practical part the work already focuses on the particular simulation project which should point out the possibilities of utilization of these models in practice. The subject of this project is the simulation of the course of the cultural event in the O2 Arena stadium. The main goal of this project is creation of the authentic simulation model which would on the basis of the later analysis enable the elimination or optimalization of the predefined major problems that are connected with organizing big cultural events in this arena.

This study addresses the rationale of using partners in relationship initiation with potential buyers and how relationship initiation takes place in triadic settings. As the authors have identified relationship initiation as an under-researched area, further research in this field is needed in order to enhance knowledge regarding the use of partners in the relationship initiation with potential buyers. Based on a case study, the authors investigate a company, their partners and potential buyers during the relationship initiation process. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and analysis of documents. A model was developed based on existing literature in order to allow the authors to analyse the data. The analysis provides an overview of how and why companies use partners to initiate relationships with buyers and how relationship initiation occurs in triadic settings. A new conceptual model was developed suggesting that any actor within this triadic setting can trigger the relationship initiation and that this process shouldn’t necessarily be regarded as sequential. This study also shows that the degree of brand awareness that a company possess can influence their relationship initiation processes.

Os investimentos no setor de água potável no Brasil, apesar de significativos, ainda não apresentam os resultados esperados na melhoria da saúde e da qualidade de vida da população, especialmente nas pequenas comunidades do país. A aplicação de recursos continuará limitada enquanto não forem fortalecidos os aspectos técnicos, econômicos, institucionais, ambientais, sociais e culturais que permitam a seleção de obras sanitárias eficientes e sustentáveis. Neste contexto, foi desenvolvido um modelo conceitual de seleção de tecnologias de tratamento de água constituído por 17 sub-níveis que progressivamente \"filtram\" as opções tecnológicas aplicáveis em comunidades brasileiras inferiores a 20.000 habitantes. Os aspectos envolvidos no modelo se relacionam: i) ao risco presente na fonte de abastecimento superficial; ii) à eficiência das tecnologias para eliminar ou reduzir o risco a valores de acordo à Portaria no 518 (2004); iii) ao tratamento, aproveitamento e disposição dos resíduos gerados e iv) aos custos dos sistemas com vazões de projeto de 10 a 40 L/s. As principais conclusões da pesquisa foram: i) a aplicabilidade do modelo está restrita à estações de tratamento de água - ETAs que cumprem todos seus requisitos de domínio, ii) os valores-limite das variáveis de risco podem conduzir o engenheiro a uma seleção preliminar das possíveis alternativas de tratamento; entretanto, somente a partir de estudos de tratabilidade da água e de testes em instalação piloto será possível definir a ETA mais conveniente, iii) as seleções das tecnologias para tratamento, aproveitamento e disposição do resíduo não devem ser avaliadas de forma independente às empregadas nas ETA; iv) Os custos calculados pelo modelo dificilmente podem ser comparados com sistemas já existentes; v) os resultados do modelo variam em função dos dados de entrada; assim, o usuário deve ter consciência da qualidade da informação fornecida para obter resultados satisfatórios. / Despite being significant the investments in the brazilian drinking water sector still have not presented the expected results regarding the improvement of both health and population\'s life quality, especially in the small communities of the country. The application of resources will continue limited while the technical, economical, institutional, environmental, social and cultural aspects that allow for the selection of efficient and maintainable sanitary works are not strengthened. In this context, a conceptual model to select technologies for water treatment has been developed. It consists of 17 sub-levels that progressively \"filter\" the applicable technological options in brazilian communities of under 20.000 inhabitants. The aspects involved are related to: i) the risk present in the source of superficial supply; ii) the efficiency of the technologies to lither eliminate or reduce the risk to the values according law no 518 (2004); iii) the treatment, use and disposition of the generated residues and iv) the costs of the systems with project flows from 10 L/s to 40L/s. The main conclusions of the research were: i) the applicability of the model is restricted to water treatment plants - WTPs that accomplish all their domain requirements, ii) the limit values of the risk variables can lead the engineer to a preliminary selection of the possible treatment alternatives; however, only from studies of water treatment and tests in pilot installations it will be possible to define the most convenient WTP, iii) the selections of the technologies for treatment, use and disposition of residues should not be appraised in an independent way of the ones employed in WTPs, iv) the costs calculated by the model can hardly be compared with systems already existent; v) the results of the model vary in function of the input data; therefore, the user should be aware of the quality of the information supplied to obtain satisfactory results.

As tecnologias verdes assumiram uma posição importante para o desenvolvimento da sustentabilidade global, e a transferência de tecnologias pode ser um mecanismo pelo qual as indústrias podem conquistar e manter sua competitividade no mercado e garantir a sustentabilidade, promovendo uma atitude de mudança e de acompanhamento das necessidades humanas, econômicas, sociais e ambientais da era atual. O objetivo geral da tese consistiu em desenvolver um modelo conceitual de processo de transferência de tecnologia verde para os Institutos de Ciência e Tecnologia brasileiros, tendo o NIT como o agente facilitador para a cooperação. Com a revisão sistemática da literatura realizada sobre os processos e modelos de transferência de tecnologia, foi possível verificar que ainda não existem modelos aplicados para tecnologias verdes. Através da ferramenta proposta para avaliar a estrutura de transferência de tecnologia, identificou-se quais as dimensões que integram o modelo e sua relação com os grupos de pesquisa e NITs. O modelo proposto elaborado consistiu em três macrofases: pré-transferência, desenvolvimento e pós-transferência. Através deste modelo é possível apontar, antecipadamente, as principais barreiras que impedem esse processo, além de fomentar desenvolvimentos científicos e tecnológicos futuros, capazes de influenciar de forma significativa nas indústrias, uma vez que anteciparia futuros problemas relativos à propriedade intelectual que possam inviabilizar a cooperação entre universidade-indústria no Brasil. / Green technologies have assumed an important role towards global sustainability development. Technology transfer processes could become the responsible mechanism for industries to assure and keep market competitiveness and sustainability, promoting a change of attitude and monitoring nowadays economical, social and human needs. The main purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model of green technology transfer process for Brazilian Science and Technology Institutes, focusing on the Technology Transfer Offices (TTO) as the facilitators of such cooperation. Literature review on processes and methodology for technology transfer showed that there is no specific methods for green technologies. Through the proposed tool designed to evaluate technology transfer processes, it was possible to identify the dimensions integrated into the model and into the research group and TTOs. The elaborated model consists of three distinct phases: before, during and after technology transfer process. Such tool besides being able to point out, beforehand, the barriers which interfere negatively on such process, it is able to promote future scientific and technological development capable of significantly influence on industries specially because it can anticipate intellectual property issues that could undermine industry-university cooperation in Brazil.

<p><font face="TimesNewRoman"> <p align="left">Research findings in current study provide a new insight into the fractured rock aquifers in the TMG area. Some of the results will have wide implications on the groundwater management and forms a solid basis the further study of the TMG aquifers.</p> </font></p>

Understanding complex Earth systems is challenging for scientists and students alike, because of the characteristics (e.g. bifurcations, self-organization, chaotic response) that are associated with these systems. This research integrates two research strands which contribute to the scientific and pedagogical understanding of complex Earth systems. In the first strand, a method that characterizes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as ecological proxies of soil microbial ecosystems was validated. Unlike other measures of microbial community structure (e.g. Biolog and FAME), VOCs are advantageous because they are non-destructive and can provide temporal and spatial data. Additionally they are rich sources of information that describe the microbial metabolism, community structure, and organic carbon substrates utilized by soil microorganisms. Statistical results indicate that the detected and identified VOCs were significant (p < 0.05) indicators of microbial community composition shift in soil microcosm studies. Geographical information systems (GIS) illustrates that VOCs varied with space and time in south Texas soils. The second strand focuses on a geoscience education study exploring student conceptual model development of complex Earth systems. The efficacy of multiple representations and inquiry was tested as the pedagogical strategy in upper and lower level undergraduate courses to support students’ conceptual model development of complex Earth systems. Comparisons in student performance were based on prior knowledge (low and high) and on exposure to the implemented pedagogy (control and experimental groups). Results indicate that an inquiry-based learning model coupled with the use of multiple representations had significant positive performance impacts on students’ conceptual model development and content knowledge. This dissertation model integrates science and education research and is particularly useful for graduate students who intend to pursue a career in academia and envision teaching as part of their professional duties. It allows for synergy between teaching and research to be achieved where the classroom becomes a laboratory for research. Ultimately, the research conducted in the classroom informs pedagogy and enhances scholarship. Graduates learn to bridge the gap between education and science departments where they become leaders in science who conduct cutting-edge scientific research and also value making a broader impact on society through enhancing public education.