It has been widely accepted that profit maximisation the cornerstone of economic analysis. The prevalence of non profit maximising firms such as cooperatives, partnership and the increasing importance in stakeholders' interest has raised my interest in this topic. My thesis looks into the reasons that drive the prevalence of non-profit firms, such as the perception bias of managers, the special law and regulation in certain countries and the emphasis on the stakeholders' interests. I base my analysis mainly on the oligopoly model and provided analysis on how the market is like in non-profit maximising environment compared to profit maximsing environment. I find out that non-profit firm is not necessary less profitable under certain circumstance. First chapter introduces the related literature; second chapter focuses on the influence of managers' perception bias on firms' decision; chapter three applied a two stage model to see how for-profit firms and non-profit firms react under uncertainty and last chapter focus on the governance of cooperative/partnership.

This thesis introduces geometric dynamic active contours in the context of visual tracking, augmenting geometric curve evolution with physically motivated dynamics. Adding additional state information to an evolving curve lifts the curve evolution problem to space dimensions larger than two and thus forbids the use of classical level set techniques. This thesis therefore develops and explores level set methods for problems of higher codimension, putting an emphasis on the vector distance function based approach. This formalism is very general, it is interesting in its own right and still a challenging topic. Two different implementations for geometric dynamic active contours are explored: the full level set approach as well as a simpler partial level set approach. The full level set approach results in full topological flexibility and can deal with curve intersections in the image plane. However, it is computationally expensive. On the other hand the partial level set approach gives up the topological flexibility (intersecting curves cannot be represented) for increased computational efficiency. Contours colliding with different dynamic information (e.g., objects crossing in the image plane) will be merged in the partial level set approach whereas they will correctly traverse each other in the full level set approach. Both implementations are illustrated on synthetic and real examples. Compared to the traditional static curve evolution case, fundamentally different evolution behaviors can be obtained by propagating additional information along with every point on a curve.

Open clusters have long been objects of interest in astronomy. As a good approximation of essentially pure stellar populations, they have proved very useful for studies in a wide range of astrophysically interesting questions, including stellar evolution and atmosphere, the chemical and dynamical evolution of our Galaxy, and the structure of our Galaxy. Of fundamental importance to our understanding of open clusters, as well as many other questions in astrophysics, is the accurate determination of ages. Currently there are two main techniques for independently determining the ages of stellar populations: main sequence evolution theory (via cluster isochrones) and white dwarf cooling theory. Open clusters provide the ideal environment for the calibration of these two important clocks, as well as the unique opportunity to directly compare and refine our understanding of both theories. Here I present a photometric study of six open clusters, including both ground-based data, and new, deep photometric data from the Hubble Space Telescope. From the former I derive main sequence turn off ages, while the latter will be used to search for faint cluster white dwarfs. From these data I measure a white dwarf age for each cluster and directly compare these ages with those I find from the main sequence turn off age. For this analysis I employ a new Bayesian statistical technique that has been developed by our group. Additionally, I use this new technique to explore the feasibility of a new method to determine cluster white dwarf ages from the hot (bright) white dwarfs alone, and its first successful application to the Hyades. / text

Forskning om det mänskliga minnet är omfattande och likaså forskning kring evolutionsteorin, men studier som undersöker hur människors barndomsminnen har påverkat deras beteenden och synsätt i vuxen ålder utifrån evolutionsteorin är mer sällsynta. Avsikten med den föreliggande studien var att bidra till att denna kunskapslucka fylls igen. Semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre pedagoger, en socialpedagog, två psykologistudenter, två sociologistudenter samt en sjuksköterskestudent genomfördes med fokus på vilka barndomsminnen de haft, negativa eller positiva, samt hur de upplevt att det påverkat deras beteenden och synsätt i vuxna livet. Informanternas ålder var mellan 25 – 66 år och det var fem män och fyra kvinnor. Utifrån informanternas svar undersöktes om dessa kunde kopplas till evolutionsteorin och om barndomsminnena hade överlevnadsvärden. I resultatet av den tematiska analysen framträdde sju teman: 1. Rädsla, 2. Utanförskap, 3. Hjälpsamhet, 4. Föräldra-/vuxenroll, 5. Tillhörighet, 6. Svek/brist på tillit och 7. Negativa erfarenheter. Studiens resultat ger förståelse för hur barndomsminnen kan påverka människors beteenden samt hur evolutionsteorin kan ta sig uttryck hos människor idag. Resultatet visar människors strävan att ständigt förbättra sina egenskaper genom att lära sig av sina eller andras misstag. Studien ger därmed ett psykologiskt bidrag till den kvalitativa forskningen om hur människors minnen kan anpassas genom generationer utifrån evolutionsteorin. / Research in human memory is extensive and so is research on the theory of evolution, but studies that investigate how people's childhood memories have influenced their behaviors and approaches in adulthood based on the theory of evolution are rare. The purpose of the present study was to contribute to the completion of this knowledge gap. Semi-structured interviews with three educators, a social educator, two psychology students, two sociology students and a nursing student were conducted focusing on which childhood memories they have had, negative or positive, and how they have experienced how it has affected their behavior and approach in adult life. The informants were between 25 and 66 and there were five men and four women. Based on the informants' answers, we examined whether these could be linked to the theory of evolution and if childhood memories has survival values whether these could be linked to the theory of evolution and if childhood memories has survival values. In the result of the thematic analysis, seven themes emerged: 1. Fear, 2. Alienation, 3. Helpfulness, 4. Parental / Adult Role, 5. Belonging, 6. Betrayal / Lack of Trust and 7. Negative experiences. The study's results give an understanding of how childhood memories can affect people's behavior and how evolution  theory can be applied in people today. The result shows people's efforts to constantly improve their characteristics by learning from their or other’s mistakes. The study thus makes a psychological contribution to the qualitative research on how people's memories can be adapted through generations based on the theory of evolution.

Submitted by CARLA MARIA GOULART DE MORAES (carlagm) on 2015-04-14T17:04:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ArielKochGomesDireito.pdf: 1457644 bytes, checksum: 87611ee11cc50a182f81eb26a8af7fb4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-14T17:04:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArielKochGomesDireito.pdf: 1457644 bytes, checksum: 87611ee11cc50a182f81eb26a8af7fb4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-01 / Nenhuma / A pesquisa tem por objetivo a análise da possibilidade de um paradigma contemporâneo que insira o Direito e o Homem dentro da Natureza em evolução e suas leis. Insere-se a investigação no quadro do debate contemporâneo sobre os problemas ambientais e a relação entre Natureza, Direito e Homem. A hipótese a ser analisada é a de que é possível, com base no sistema filosófico de Carlos Cirne-Lima (que tem em si a Teoria da Evolução através da Seleção Natural de Darwin e de neodarwinistas), propor uma fundamentação para o Direito. A metodologia adotada é Dialética (Tese, Antítese e Síntese). O paradigma pós-moderno nega a existência de princípios ou leis que sejam universalíssimos, que interliguem os diversos subsistemas, ou seja, que sejam válidos sempre, em todos os âmbitos, em todos os interstícios e para todas as coisas. Mais, ele diz que não há proposição que seja universalmente válida. E, nessa lógica, o Direito perde a sua racionalidade, fica sem verdades e, assim, qualquer decisão e/ou interpretação é válida. Mas, quem faz tal afirmação, ao dizê-la, se desdiz. Tal afirmação é uma contradição em si mesma, pois detona uma implosão lógica. Tomemos a proposição: Não existe nenhuma proposição verdadeira. Quem afirma isto está implicitamente dizendo: Não existe nenhuma proposição que seja verdadeira, exceto esta mesma que agora estou dizendo. Assim, entra em autocontradição. Não podemos ficar na contradição, porque quem assim fica perde a razão, não consegue pensar e nem falar. Com isto, já temos um dever-ser, uma regra moral que vale para todos seres humanos, o dever-ser de não-contradição, a contradição a ser evitada. Deste primeiro princípio de não-contradição se deduzem os princípios da Lógica (Identidade, Diferença e Coerência), e estes se aplicam aos princípios da Natureza (Teoria da Evolução de Darwin e neodarwinistas) e aos princípios da Ética (Coerência universal concreta). Os seres humanos, deste modo, estão inseridos dentro: da Lógica (só com ela é possível pensar e falar); da Natureza, na qual se encontram todos os seres que evoluíram e sofrem as consequências da Evolução pela Seleção Natural; da Ética, que está inserida tanto na Lógica quanto na Natureza; e do Direito que, deste modo, também está inserido na Lógica e na Natureza, tendo que estar de acordo com ambas – e, ainda, causa e sofre alterações da Ética. Assim, o Direito, uma criação da espécie humana, fica inserido na Natureza (Meio Ambiente). A espécie humana está inserida na Natureza e nos seus ecossistemas equilibrados e tem uma relação de dependência e de interdependência em relação ao Meio Ambiente, às demais espécies e aos seres existentes no planeta. Todos estão imersos na Natureza. Portanto, sem a Natureza, não há Direito, nem Ética e nem Ser Humano. Consequentemente, deve-se reconhecer a Natureza com o pessoa jurídica. Então, tem-se aqui uma proposta de fundamentação para o Direito de forma que fique inserido na Natureza em Evolução pela Seleção Natural e, assim, coloca a Natureza como sujeito de direitos. / The research aims to examine the possibility of a contemporary paradigm that places the Law and the Man in the Nature in Evolution and its Laws. This investigation is about the contemporary debate about environmental problems and the relationship between Nature, Law and Human. The examined hypothesis is that it is possible, based on the philosophical system of Carlos Cirne-Lima (which itself has the Evolution by Natural Selection theory of Darwin and neo-Darwinians), to propose a fundament for the Law. The adopted methodology is Dialectic (Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis). The postmodern paradigm denies the existence of principles or laws that are universal, which interconnect the various subsystems, i.e., that are always valid, in all spheres, in all the interstices and to all things. More, it says there is no proposition that is universally valid. And, in this logic, the Law loses its rationality, stays without truth and, therefore, any decision and/or interpretation is valid. But who does such statement, in doing so he ends on refuting the statement itself. This statement is a contradiction in itself, it causes a logic implosion. Consider the proposition: There is no true proposition. Who says that is implicitly saying: There is no true proposition, except this one I’m saying now . In this way the person enters into a self-contradiction. We can’t stay in contradiction, because who does so loses its reason, he can’t think or talk. With this, we already have a should-be rule, a moral rule that applies to all human beings, the Should-be of Non-Contradiction, the contradiction to be avoided. From this first Principle of Non-Contradiction it is deductable the principles of Logic (Identity, Difference and Coherence), and the same principles are applied on Nature (Evolution Theory of Darwin and Neo-Darwinians) and also applied on Ethics (concrete universal Coherence). This way, human beings are placed inside: the Logic (only with it is possible to think and talk); the Nature, in which all beings that have evolved are and suffering the consequences of Evolution by Natural Selection; the Ethics, which is embedded in both Logic and Nature; and the Law thus is also placed into the Nature and Logic, having to be according with both – the Law changes the Ethics and suffers changes from it. Thus, the Law, a creation of the human species, is placed in Nature (Environment). The human species is placed in Nature and in its balanced ecosystems and has a relationship of dependence and interdependence with: the Environment, the other species and every being that exists on planet. Everything is immersed in Nature. Therefore, without Nature, there is no Law, nor Ethics, nor Human Being. Consequently, it must be recognized the nature as a legal entity. So here it is a fundament proposal to the Law so that it is placed into the Evolving Nature by Natural Selection, and thus puts Nature as subject of rights.

本篇之研究目的有兩個層次：首先是探討三民主義之人類進化論與人性論。其次是研究三民主義之人類進化論與人性論的關聯。以見三民主義的人類進化論，是以其人性論為基礎。 　　本研究認為，三民主義的人性論肯定人性為：「人皆有之的自覺認識、自覺實踐能力。但各人所稟程度不同。此一能力是本之生元，源之於生物進化。並使人異於萬物，優於萬物。」 　　三民主義的人類進化論則是：「主張人類及其所創造物逐漸滿足人類互助圖存的目的之變化過程的理論。」 　　由人性論與人類進化論的關聯可知，三民主義的人類進化論在其人性論的主導貫串下，成為「人本的人類進化論」。即人類進化乃是人性自然發抒、自我完善的外顯現象。人類進化乃是發於人性，亦為人性所成就。是以人類進化的意義，在於其符合人性。人類進化的一切製作，皆必須有助人性發展。 　　此外，本研究認為三民主義欲在實際作用中豁顯其正面意義，必須先由學術上加以揚棄、重建，方可修整出可資運用、認知的體系。因此，傳承前賢的研究，將三民主義更加學術化、理論化，應具有為人類未來找尋出路的意義。這是本研究的未來展望所在。

The frozen plasticity theory is a punctuationalist theory of adaptive evolution. It states that long periods of stasis, during which populations respond to selection pressures only by elastic change in the frequency of already present alleles, alternate in the evolution of sexual species with short periods of plastic evolution, during which alleles can get fixed or eliminated by directed selection. Asexual species are not expected to maintain such high genetic polymorphism in the long term. They should, however, be able to plastically respond to selection pressures throughout their whole existence. This difference between the evolutionary dynamics of sexual and asexual clades has a number of ecological and macroevolutionary implications. Concerning ecology, we could expect different environmental preferences of sexual and asexual species. Accordingly, in our first work that was based on a comparative study, we statistically significantly supported the hypothesis that (ancient) asexual groups of (eukaryotes) inhabit more stable and homogeneous habitats than their related sexual controls. Focusing on actually experienced, i.e. subjective, heterogeneity of the environment turned out to be the crucial factor of this type of research. From the viewpoint of macroevolutionary implications of the frozen...

Denna essä är en ontologisk och epistemologisk undersökning av bland annat etiska och medvetandefilosofiska implikationer av en konsekvent fysikalistisk hållning. I detta kontrasteras mot en transcendentalistisk hållning, som den av T. M. Scanlon, den skeptiska empirismen av David Hume, reciprokt baserade moraliska system (e.g. J. L. Mackies självreferentiella altruism) samt en medvetandesyn i linje med Galen Strawsons kriterier för en realistisk fysikalism som i min mening löser alla så kallade psykofysiska problem. / This paper contains an ontological and epistemic analysis of the implication of a consistently physicalist view of reality. This in polemic contrast with transcendentalist positions as that of T. M. Scanlon. I follow along the lines of a sceptical empiricism that I ascribe to Hume and from which, I argue, consistently follows guidelines as set by for example J. L. Mackie and Galen Strawson on topics of self-referential altruism and realistic physicalism respectively.

The discourse that surrounds and constitutes the post-human emerged as a response to earlier claims of an essential or universal human or human nature. These discussions claim that the human is a discursive construct that emerges from various configurations of nature, embodiment, technology, and culture, configurations that have also been variously shaped by the forces of social history. And in the absence of an essential human figure, post-human discourses suggest that there are no restrictions or limitations on how the human can be reconfigured. This axiom has been extended in light of a plethora of technological reconfigurations and augmentations now potentially available to the human, and claims emerge from within this literature that these new technologies constitute a range of possibilities for future human biological evolution. This thesis questions the assumption contained within these discourses that technological incursions or reconfigurations of the biological human necessarily constitute human biological or human social evolution by discussing the role the evolution theories plays in our understanding of the human, the social, and technology. In this thesis I show that, in a reciprocal process, evolution theory draws metaphors from social institutions and ideologies, while social institutions and ideologies simultaneously draw on metaphors from evolution theory. Through this discussion, I propose a form of evolution literacy; a tool, I argue, is warranted in developing a sophisticated response to changes in both human shape and form. I argue that, as a whole, our understanding of evolution constitutes a metanarrative, a metaphor through which we understand the place of the human within the world; it follows that historical shifts in social paradigms will result in new definitions of evolution. I show that contemporary evolution theory reflects parts of the world as codified informatic systems of associated computational network logic through which the behaviour of participants is predefined according to an evolved or programmed structure. Working from within the discourse of contemporary evolution theory I develop a space through which a version of the post-human figure emerges. I promote this version of the post-human as an Artificial Intelligence computational programme or autonomous agent that, rather than seeking to replace, reduce or deny the human subject, is configured as an exosomatic supplement to and an extension of the biological human.