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An increasing number of application fields represent dynamic and open discourses characterized by high mutability, variety, and pluralism in data. Data in dynamic and open discourses typically exhibits an irregular schema. Such data cannot be directly represented in the traditional relational data model. Mapping strategies allow representation but increase development and maintenance costs. Likewise, NoSQL systems offer the required schema flexibility but introduce new costs by not being directly compatible with relational systems that still dominate enterprise information systems. With the Flexible Relational Data Model (FRDM) we propose a third way. It allows the direct representation of data with irregular schemas. It combines tuple-oriented data representation with relation-oriented data processing. So that, FRDM is still relational, in contrast to other flexible data models currently in vogue. It can directly represent relational data and builds on the powerful, well-known, and proven set of relational operations for data retrieval and manipulation. In addition to FRDM, we present the flexible constraint framework FRDM-C. It explicitly allows restricting the flexibility of FRDM when and where needed. All this makes FRDM backward compatible to traditional relational applications and simplifies the interoperability with existing pure relational databases.

隨著網際網路的蓬勃發展，傳統的地理資訊系統也從早期的單機系統朝Web GIS的方向發展，但是關於地理資料的格式卻仍舊莫衷一是，沒有一個為業界所共同遵從的標準，其結果除了人力與財力資源的浪費，也造成不同單位間的地理資料整合上的困難。傳統的電子地圖採用點矩陣的圖形格式，因檔案太大而常造成資料傳輸上的延遲，而且圖形的解析度與品質不佳；此外在建置上十分不便，需要專門的處理軟體才能進行編輯修改。因此傳統GIS的處理方式已經不能滿足網路化的GIS應用系統的資訊需求。 　在XML出現之後，W3C與業界也體認到這樣的需求，因此新一代的網路二維圖形標準，可變動向量圖形（Scalable Vector Graphics，SVG）便應運而生，雖然目前SVG仍在候選建議階段，但鑑於它的諸多特點與優越性，目前已獲得業界各大公司的支持。本論文便在此種情況下產生研究動機，我們期望透過SVG這種新興的向量圖形格式，找出解決目前GIS在地理空間資料上所面臨的困境。經過本研究所實作出來的雛形系統顯示，以SVG作為新一代的Web GIS地理空間資料格式不但可行，而且突破許多傳統方式的瓶頸和缺點。 / With the development of Internet, traditional GIS was being changed from single user to Web GIS. But the file formats of geographic spatial data are still various. We don’t have a simple and effective standard. The result are financial and manpower resource wasting. It is inconvenient and difficult to integrate geographic spatial data between different GIS and organizations. Traditional maps are bitmapped format, with lower quality at high resulation. We have to use particular tools when modifying bitmaps. Therefore, traditional way in GIS should be improved. 　The Scalable Vector Graphics（SVG） format is a new XML grammer for defining vector-based 2D graphics of the Web and other applications. SVG was created by World Wide Web Consortium（W3C）, the non-profit, industry-wide, open–standards consorium. Over twenty organizations, including Sun Microsystems, Adobe, Apple, IBM, and Kodak, have been involved in defining SVG. SVG is a subset of XML, which is rapidly becoming the foundation for all modern Web applications. SVG gave us a motive to do the investigation. We hope to use the SVG format to solve the problems in GIS. In the result of the prototype system in our thesis, we find out that SVG should be the better, effective spatial data format of Web GIS.

People and the surrounding environment are affected by development. In striving to improve their livelihoods, people have through their development activities and exploitation of natural resources contributed to the degradation of the environment. The environment is seen as the totality of the biosphere within which anthropological and ecological activities take place. These activities are influenced by forces of nature, and in some events referred to as hazards, which can cause disruption, injury and loss of life. This premise forms the basic concept of disaster, to which people and the environment react from a position of vulnerability. Vulnerability is multi-faceted construct that is primarily associated with social conditions. It relates to concepts of development planning and environmental management from a causal as well as a preventative perspective. Since disaster risk reduction has become the key focus of mankind’s reaction to disasters, the concept of vulnerability has also become a key focus for research, and has linked various research communities, particularly those involved in disaster risk management, climate change adaption and development research in a multi-disciplinary research environment. Socio-economic developments inspired mainly by the Second World War have since the 1940s focused research attention on development planning and disaster risk management. Hazards-based research made way for a focus on vulnerability research so as to reduce disaster risk. At the same time, an increased focus on development planning triggered a shift in philosophy away from a procedural rational planning approach to strategic, communicative planning. Disaster risk reduction along the lines of development planning has seen the emergence of a multi-disciplinary approach to vulnerability research. An apparent increase in disaster-related losses and environmental degradation has nonetheless changed people’s thoughts and alerted them to the unsustainability of the course of development. With the introduction of the Bruntland Report in 1987, the concept of sustainable development was introduced as a long-term environmental strategy. Sustainable development objectives have created a focus on the human–environment system and an understanding of relationships between anthropological and ecological entities. A special interest in spatial patterning and the geographic distribution of organisms has led to the development of landscape ecology as a study of spatial patterns and ecological processes. A need to capture environmental criteria in a computerised spatial database emerged in the 1960s, and gave rise to the development of geographic information systems (GIS) technology. GIS-based thinking about how the real world can be presented in various conceptualisations of data structures, led to the development of GIS science (GIScience). The latter was based on research by Michael Goodchild who seeks to redefine geographic concepts and their use in the context of geographic information systems. Hence GIS should be defined as a data-processing tool, as opposed to the popular view of a map-making tool. By approaching GIS from an information system perspective that includes the development of conceptual, logical and physical data models, a platform is provided for the integration of spatial-based disciplines such as development planning, environmental management and disaster risk management. A synthesis of the theoretical foundation of these three disciplines shows commonalities in terms of a multi-disciplinary approach, as well as a concern for the environment and for social upliftment based on sustainable development principles. They also share a strong spatial orientation, which provides for GIS technology to serve as an entry point for the integration of these disciplines. The aim of the current research was therefore to develop a GIS-based data model that would address the landscape-based relationships between spatial entities from a database design point of view. The model is founded on the principles of database design, specifically the concept of entity-relationship modelling. It also incorporates basic Boolean logic to identify the functioning of an entity in its landscape setting as either acceptable or unacceptable. This concept supports the analysis of environmental sensitivity and disaster risk from the level of small geographic units, thereby enabling vulnerability reduction efforts at a local scale. The research in hand was useful to define and investigate the theoretical grounding of development management, environmental management, disaster risk reduction and geographic information systems, as well as to identify their common focus areas. An analysis of GIS technology and the development of a data model provided a focus on database development as the key for providing an information-based entry point and integration of development management, environmental management, disaster risk management. A case study for an area near Richards Bay, where development affected a wetland by increased vulnerability to flooding, has proven the GIS-based data model to be valuable as a tool that can be implemented to reduce vulnerability through informed and improved planning practices. / PhD (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. 2015

People and the surrounding environment are affected by development. In striving to improve their livelihoods, people have through their development activities and exploitation of natural resources contributed to the degradation of the environment. The environment is seen as the totality of the biosphere within which anthropological and ecological activities take place. These activities are influenced by forces of nature, and in some events referred to as hazards, which can cause disruption, injury and loss of life. This premise forms the basic concept of disaster, to which people and the environment react from a position of vulnerability. Vulnerability is multi-faceted construct that is primarily associated with social conditions. It relates to concepts of development planning and environmental management from a causal as well as a preventative perspective. Since disaster risk reduction has become the key focus of mankind’s reaction to disasters, the concept of vulnerability has also become a key focus for research, and has linked various research communities, particularly those involved in disaster risk management, climate change adaption and development research in a multi-disciplinary research environment. Socio-economic developments inspired mainly by the Second World War have since the 1940s focused research attention on development planning and disaster risk management. Hazards-based research made way for a focus on vulnerability research so as to reduce disaster risk. At the same time, an increased focus on development planning triggered a shift in philosophy away from a procedural rational planning approach to strategic, communicative planning. Disaster risk reduction along the lines of development planning has seen the emergence of a multi-disciplinary approach to vulnerability research. An apparent increase in disaster-related losses and environmental degradation has nonetheless changed people’s thoughts and alerted them to the unsustainability of the course of development. With the introduction of the Bruntland Report in 1987, the concept of sustainable development was introduced as a long-term environmental strategy. Sustainable development objectives have created a focus on the human–environment system and an understanding of relationships between anthropological and ecological entities. A special interest in spatial patterning and the geographic distribution of organisms has led to the development of landscape ecology as a study of spatial patterns and ecological processes. A need to capture environmental criteria in a computerised spatial database emerged in the 1960s, and gave rise to the development of geographic information systems (GIS) technology. GIS-based thinking about how the real world can be presented in various conceptualisations of data structures, led to the development of GIS science (GIScience). The latter was based on research by Michael Goodchild who seeks to redefine geographic concepts and their use in the context of geographic information systems. Hence GIS should be defined as a data-processing tool, as opposed to the popular view of a map-making tool. By approaching GIS from an information system perspective that includes the development of conceptual, logical and physical data models, a platform is provided for the integration of spatial-based disciplines such as development planning, environmental management and disaster risk management. A synthesis of the theoretical foundation of these three disciplines shows commonalities in terms of a multi-disciplinary approach, as well as a concern for the environment and for social upliftment based on sustainable development principles. They also share a strong spatial orientation, which provides for GIS technology to serve as an entry point for the integration of these disciplines. The aim of the current research was therefore to develop a GIS-based data model that would address the landscape-based relationships between spatial entities from a database design point of view. The model is founded on the principles of database design, specifically the concept of entity-relationship modelling. It also incorporates basic Boolean logic to identify the functioning of an entity in its landscape setting as either acceptable or unacceptable. This concept supports the analysis of environmental sensitivity and disaster risk from the level of small geographic units, thereby enabling vulnerability reduction efforts at a local scale. The research in hand was useful to define and investigate the theoretical grounding of development management, environmental management, disaster risk reduction and geographic information systems, as well as to identify their common focus areas. An analysis of GIS technology and the development of a data model provided a focus on database development as the key for providing an information-based entry point and integration of development management, environmental management, disaster risk management. A case study for an area near Richards Bay, where development affected a wetland by increased vulnerability to flooding, has proven the GIS-based data model to be valuable as a tool that can be implemented to reduce vulnerability through informed and improved planning practices. / PhD (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. 2015

The main part in the testing of the software is in the generation of test cases suitable for software system testing. The quality of the test cases plays a major role in reducing the time of software system testing and subsequently reduces the cost. The test cases, in model de- sign stages, are used to detect the faults before implementing it. This early detection offers more flexibility to correct the faults in early stages rather than latter ones. The best of these tests, that covers both static and dynamic software system model specifications, is one of the chal- lenges in the software testing. The static and dynamic specifications could be represented efficiently by Unified Modelling Language (UML) class diagram and sequence diagram. The work in this thesis shows that High Level Petri Nets (HLPN) can represent both of them in one model. Using a proper model in the representation of the software specifications is essential to generate proper test cases. The research presented in this thesis introduces novel and automated test cases generation techniques that can be used within a software sys- tem design testing. Furthermore, this research introduces e cient au- tomated technique to generate a formal software system model (HLPN) from semi-formal models (UML diagrams). The work in this thesis con- sists of four stages: (1) generating test cases from class diagram and Object Constraint Language (OCL) that can be used for testing the software system static specifications (the structure) (2) combining class diagram, sequence diagram and OCL to generate test cases able to cover both static and dynamic specifications (3) generating HLPN automat- ically from single or multi sequence diagrams (4) generating test cases from HLPN. The test cases that are generated in this work covered the structural and behavioural of the software system model. In first two phases of this work, the class diagram and sequence diagram are decomposed to nodes (edges) which are linked by Classes Hierarchy Table (CHu) and Edges Relationships Table (ERT) as well. The linking process based on the classes and edges relationships. The relationships of the software system components have been controlled by consistency checking technique, and the detection of these relationships has been automated. The test cases were generated based on these interrelationships. These test cases have been reduced to a minimum number and the best test case has been selected in every stage. The degree of similarity between test cases is used to ignore the similar test cases in order to avoid the redundancy. The transformation from UML sequence diagram (s) to HLPN facilitates the simpli cation of software system model and introduces formal model rather than semi-formal one. After decomposing the sequence diagram to Combined Fragments, the proposed technique converts each Combined Fragment to the corresponding block in HLPN. These blocks are con- nected together in Combined Fragments Net (CFN) to construct the the HLPN model. The experimentations with the proposed techniques show the effectiveness of these techniques in covering most of the software system specifications.

本研究採取固定效果( fixed effect ) panel data模型，分析影響中國大陸外商直接投資( FDI )的決定性因素，共分為三個面向進行實證，第一個面向係按FDI投資區域之不同，而分為東部沿海與中西部地區進行估計；第二個面向則按FDI投資產業之不同，分為三大產業進行分析；第三個面向係以FDI之來源地區為依據，共分為八個主要FDI來源地區探討其決定性因素。 在分區估計方面，透過一般化最小平方法( generalized least squares, GLS )進行估計，得到的結果顯示，東部地區係以市場區位來吸引FDI前來投資，例如市場商機與較高的對外開放程度；而中西部地區則以生產區位來吸引FDI，如低廉的勞動成本、地方基礎建設水準，換言之，兩地區之間在影響FDI的因素上完全不同，另一方面，針對固定效果的觀察發現，地理位置位在東部地區的省市，固定效果明顯高於中西部地區，因此東部地區的確比中西部地區具有較佳的條件以吸引FDI。 若按FDI所投資的三大產業進行實證，以探討FDI之決定性因素，其估計結果顯示，第一產業( 農、林、漁、牧業 ) FDI的影響因素為對外開放程度，具有負面排擠FDI的效果，而第二產業( 製造業、建築業等 ) FDI的影響因素則為市場規模、工資率、高品質勞動力供應與對外開放程度，除工資率為負面影響外，其他因素皆為正向效果，第三產業( 服務業 )因樣本期間中國大陸尚未放寬外資的進入限制，故僅有基礎建設與高品質勞動力供應是影響FDI的決定性因素。 在中國大陸不同來源國FDI之決定性因素方面，實證結果發現，中國大陸高速的經濟成長率會吸引美國、新加坡、台灣的廠商前來投資，低廉的工資水準則形成對美國、南韓、新加坡以及台灣的吸引力，而中國大陸若加強研發能力，可促使美國、日本、南韓、新加坡、台灣增加直接投資，但廠商過度集中所導致的高度競爭環境，卻會排擠掉英國、香港的FDI，本研究也考慮高品質勞動供應的影響，以香港、台灣廠商較注重高品質勞動力是否充分供應，另一方面，對外開放程度的高低對日本、新加坡、香港、台灣的廠商具有正面效果，對德國廠商則有負面影響。 隨著中國大陸加入世界貿易組織( WTO )後，中國政府對外資的政策勢必更加開放，在中國大陸龐大市場與廉價生產要素的誘惑下，預期會有更多外國資金投入中國大陸，中國做為世界工廠的地位將更加穩固，對我國而言，面對中國經濟崛起所導致的全球經濟整合以及產業分工趨勢，我國必須採取正面的態度來思考中國大陸問題，善用本身所具備的充沛資金與研發能力，以及與中國大陸同文同種的優勢，積極進入大陸市場，一方面應用其廉價勞動力，一方面搶佔大陸市場佔有率，將中國大陸做為我國經濟實力的延伸，我國廠商方能在國際競爭潮流下取得生存利基，進而從中國市場打入全球市場，則我國未來的經濟前景必將大有可為！

This thesis focuses on the development of credit to the private sector in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Although the speed of credit growth in these countries has recently slowed down as the consequence of the global financial crisis, the overall increase in credit to the private sector over the past decades has been immense. As a result, the thesis examines whether this substantial increase in credit is linked to the convergence of the CEE countries towards the equilibrium or whether it represents an excessive credit growth that could threaten the macroeconomic and financial stability in these countries. We estimate the equilibrium credit levels for 11 transition countries by applying a dynamic panel data model. Since in-sample approach may bias the estimation results we perform the estimates out-of-sample using a panel of selected developed EU countries as a benchmark. The difference between the actual and estimated credit-to-GDP ratios serves as a measure of private credit excessiveness. The results indicate a slightly excessive or close to the equilibrium credit-to-GDP ratios in Bulgaria, Estonia, and Latvia prior to the financial crisis. With regard to the significant decline in GDP during the crisis this measure of credit excessiveness in these countries have further increased.

[pt] O desenvolvimento de conteúdos instrucionais utilizando as novas tecnologias de informação é um processo caro, demorado e complexo, que aponta para o estabelecimento de novas metodologias. É neste contexto que surge o conceito de Objeto de Aprendizagem (LO), cujo enfoque está em promover a reutilização do conteúdo. Entretanto, ao considerar o reuso de conteúdo, também se observa uma necessidade de seqüência - lo para formar conteúdos mais elaborados ou mais complexos. Nesta tese adota-se uma estratégia de representar LOs cada vez menores, representando separadamente conteúdo e prática, aqui denominados Objetos Componentes (OCs). Para a estruturação do conteúdo, adaptou-se uma proposta já existente e definiu-se um esquema conceitual adequado à representação de atividades (ou práticas) de aprendizagem. Com vista à composição dos OCs, foi igualmente definido um esquema conceitual envolvendo conteúdos e práticas. Assim, com base em um algoritmo de seqüenciamento de OCs, um professor pode compreender melhor a forma de implementar um objeto complexo, como uma aula ou um curso, reduzindo erros e eventuais omissões na implementação da solução. Este seqüenciamento deve seguir uma metodologia e deve ser especificado de modo não ambíguo. É neste contexto que também é apresentada uma linguagem para especificação de seqüências de objetos de aprendizagem, com uma sintaxe adequada à descrição das possíveis formas de seqüenciamento de LOs. Finalmente, descreve-se um estudo de caso ilustrando a utilização dos esquemas conceituais desenvolvidos, do algoritmo proposto e da linguagem de especificação de seqüências OCs. / [en] The development of instructional content using new Information Technologies is an expensive, time-consuming and complex process that leads to the development of new methodologies. It was in this context that the concept of Learning Objects (LOs) was proposed as an approach that promotes content reuse. However, if content is expressed as small LOs, it is also necessary to sequence them in order to build more elaborated and complex content. In this thesis we adopt a strategy to represent smaller LOs, modeling not only content but also practice, called Component Objects (COs) herein. In order to structure content we adapted an existing proposal and defined a conceptual schema to structure learning practices (or activities). We also defined a conceptual schema for composing these COs. Then, based on these conceptual schemas it was possible to propose an algorithm for sequencing COs, which supports a teacher/professor to better control the implementation of a complex content such as a class or a course, thus reducing errors and eventual omissions in its implementation. The sequencing process must follow a methodology and must be specified in a nonambiguous way. It is in this context that we also present a specification language for sequences of LOs, with a syntax that is adequate to the description of the possible ways of sequencing LOs. Finally, we describe a case study that shows the conceptual schemas that were proposed and the use of the sequencing algorithm and the specification language.

Mit der aktuellen Überarbeitung der Sprache SDL (Specification and Description Language) der ITU-T wurde die semantische Fundierung der formalen Definition dieser Sprache vollständig überarbeitet; die formale Definition basiert nun auf dem Kalkül der Abstract State Machines (ASMs). Ebenfalls neu definiert wurde das um objekt-orientierte Konzepte erweiterte Datentypsystem. Damit musste eine formale semantische Fundierung für diese neuen Konzepte gefunden werden. Der bisher verwendete Kalkül ACT.ONE sollte nicht mehr verwendet werden, da er schwer verwendbar, nicht implementierbar und nicht auf Objektsysteme erweiterbar ist. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Prinzipien einer formalen Sprachdefinition dargelegt und die Umsetzung dieser Prinzipien für die Sprache SDL-2000 vorgestellt. Dabei wird erläutert, dass eine konsistente Sprachdefinition nur dadurch erreicht werden konnte, dass die Definition der formalen Semantik der Sprache parallel mit der Entwicklung der informalen Definition erfolgte. Dabei deckt die formale Sprachdefinition alle Aspekte der Sprache ab: Syn-tax, statische Semantik und dynamische Semantik. Am Beispiel der Datentypsemantik wird erläutert, wie jeder dieser Aspekte informal beschrieben und dann formalisiert wurde. Von zentraler Rolle für die Anwendbarkeit der formalen Semantikdefinition in der Praxis ist der Einsatz von Werkzeugen. Die Arbeit erläutert, wie aus der formalen Sprachdefinition voll-automatisch ein Werkzeug generiert wurde, das die Sprache SDL implementiert, und wie die durch die Umsetzung der formalen Semantikdefinition in ein Werkzeug Fehler in dieser Definition aufgedeckt und behoben werden konnten. / With the latest revision of ITU-T SDL (Specification and Description Language), the semantic foundations of the formal language definition were completely revised; the formal definition is now based on the calculus of Abstract State Machines (ASMs). In addition, the data type system of SDL was revised, as object-oriented concepts were added. As a result, a new semantical foundation for these new concepts had to be defined. The ACT.ONE calculus that had been used so far was not suitable as a foundation any more, as it is hard to use, unimplementable and not extensible for the object oriented features. In this thesis, we elaborate the principles of a formal language definition, and the realisation of these principles in SDL-2000. We explains that a consistent language definition can only be achieved by developing the formal semantics definition in parallel with the development of the informal definition. The formal language definition covers all aspects of the language: syntax, static semantics, and dynamic semantics. Using the data type semantics as an example, we show how each of these aspects is informally described, and then formalized. For the applicability of the formal semantics definition for practitioners, usage of tools plays a central role. We explain how we transform the formal language definition fully automatically into a tool that implements the language SDL. We also explain how creating the tool allowed us to uncover and correct errors in the informal definition.