在資源有限，欲望無窮的情況下，分工合作與交易是人類為求生存必然採取的經濟活動。Buchanan(1975)認為若要達到交換的利益，即須有財產權(property right)的保障。新制度經濟學者認為，財產權的本質是一種排他性的權利，而政府基於其暴力潛能，在保護財產權方面，具有相對優勢，而成了保護財產權的組織。我國憲法第十五條規定：「人民之生存權、工作權及財產權，應予保障。」，明白指出保障人民財產權是政府的必要任務之一。 我國土地登記制度依民法第七百五十八條及第七百五十九條規定，正是政府界定財產權之後，於土地市場自行運作下，為執行保障財產權之輔助制度或正式規則。基於財產權保障之重要性，究竟土地登記制度如何保障不動產財產權？發揮什麼樣的功能？在什麼情況下，財產權會受到侵害？土地登記制度應如何有效保障財產權？值得進一步研究。 本研究以檢討現行土地登記制度保障財產權之功能，促使其能更有效保障財產權為研究目標，首先探討土地登記制度對財產權保障之基本理念，及該制度於財產權保障之執行機制及所發揮之功能，再藉由過去土地登記制度於財產權保障上之變遷，發掘財產權保障之課題，並輔以實務上所發生危害財產權之具體個案，分析危害財產權之原因，最後得到以下結論：登記要件主義、總登記、土地權利變更登記及土地登記絕對效力等機制具有確定產權、維護及保障交易安全，減少耗租行為、提供投資誘因、降低交易成本(transaction cost)，促成交易達成，進而提高經濟效益之積極功能。此外，限制登記、實質審查、異議案件列管、權利書狀之設置、更正登記、塗銷登記及損害賠償等機制能防免侵害財產權事件之發生或彌補因執行不力對權利人所造成之侵害，具有保障財產權之消極功能。 土地登記制度雖具有上述保障財產權之功能，但仍有未臻完善之空間，例如在正式規則方面，規定不明確或缺乏規定、缺乏協商機制及忽略解決問題所採用手段之交互性質(reciprocal nature)及未考量對整體經濟效益之影響，是對財產權保障不完全之主要因素。而在執行機制方面，登記審查人員自身效用函數、衡量及監督成本、其他制度之執行及與土地登記制度聯繫之緊密程度，則為影響執行機制對財產權保障之重要因素。故本研究建議在正式規則方面，應建立協商機制並注意交互性質問題及規定之明確性；在執行機制方面，建議運用代理理論(Principal-Agent Theory)之誘因機制及採用電腦科技及網路聯結，以提升土地登記制度保障財產權之功能。以上建議，期能提供政府未來改進土地登記制度，增進其對不動產財產權保障功能之參考。

<p>This thesis reports on the development of low-temperature processes for transition metal carbide and MAX-phase thin film growth. Magnetron sputtering and evaporation, far from thermodynamical equilibrium, have been utilised to engineer the properties of the films by physical and chemical control. Deposition of W, W₂C and β-WC_1-x films with controlled microstructure, from nanocrystalline to epitaxial, is shown in the W-C system down to 100 ^oC. W films with upto 20 at% C exhibited an extreme solid-solution hardening effect, with a nanoindentation hardness maximum of 35 GPa. Furthermore, the design of epitaxial ternary carbide films is demonstrated in the Ti_1-xV_xC_y system in the form of controlled unit-cell parameters, strain-free films with a perfect match to the substrate, and ternary epitaxial gradient films. Moreover, phase stabilisation and pseudomorphic growth can be tuned in (Nb,Mo)C and (Ti,W)C films. The results obtained can be used for example to optimise electrical contacts in SiC high-power semiconductor devices. </p><p>A large part of this thesis focuses on the deposition of MAX-phases. These compounds constitute a family of thermally stable nanolaminates with composition M_n+1AX_n, n=1, 2 or 3, where M is an early transition metal, A is generally a group 13-14 element, and X is C or N. They show a combination of typical ceramic and metallic properties and are also machinable by virtue of the unique deformation behaviour observed only in laminates. So far, the MAX-phases have almost exclusively been prepared by high-temperature sintering and studied in bulk form. However, this thesis establishes a patented seed layer approach for successful MAX-phase thin film depositions down to 750 ^oC. For the first time, single-phase and epitaxial films of Ti₃SiC₂, Ti₃AlC₂ and Ti₂AlC have been grown. The method has also been used to synthesise a new MAX-phase, Ti₄SiC₃. In addition, two previously unreported intergrown MAX-type structures are presented, Ti₅Si₂C₃ and Ti₇Si₂C₅. Combined theoretical and experimental results show the possibility to deposit films with very low bulk resistivity and designed mechanical properties. Furthermore, the demonstration of MAX-phase and carbide multilayer films paves the way for macrostructure engineering, for example, in coatings for low-friction or wear applications.</p>

Limportance des différentes sources de variation phénotypique que sont ladaptation, la plasticité phénotypique, les effets maternels environnementaux, le niveau de ploïdie et la dérive génétique, a été analysée pour différents traits dhistoire de vie, au sein de laire colonisée par une espèce végétale invasive. A cette fin, plusieurs expériences en jardins communs ont été installées, dont deux en transplantations réciproques. Les populations considérées étaient localisées en Belgique, en France, ainsi que dans laire dindigénat de lespèce. Senecio inaequidens DC. (Asteraceae), lespèce étudiée dans ce travail, est une plante dorigine africaine accidentellement introduite en Europe par le commerce lainier, vers la fin du 19ème siècle. Dans son aire dindigénat, elle présente deux niveaux de ploïdie, diploïde et tétraploïde. Seuls des plants tétraploïdes sont recensés en Europe. Lespèce présente un historique de colonisation particulier, bien documenté, qui en fait un modèle idéal pour les études évolutives. Les traits dhistoire de vie considérés ont été scindés en deux groupes. Les premiers concernaient la germination, la croissance et la reproduction sexuée. Les sources de variation phénotypique dans ces traits ont été principalement analysées en relation avec les variations climatiques dans laire dinvasion, le long de gradients daltitude, ainsi quen relation avec le niveau de ploïdie et laire dorigine (aire dindigénat vs aire dinvasion). Le deuxième groupe de traits considérés concernaient les capacités de dispersion de lespèce. Celles-ci ont été modélisées. La variabilité phénotypique dans ces traits a ensuite été analysée, parmi les populations françaises, en relation avec léloignement depuis le site de première introduction. Les résultats ont montré des différences entre les cytotypes de lespèce, principalement dans les capacités de survie hivernale. Le long des gradients daltitude, les populations de S. inaequidens présentaient des différenciations phénotypiques de type clinal, dans les traits de croissance. Ces différenciations étaient dorigine génétique, même si les effets maternels environnementaux sont apparus comme des sources non-négligeables de variation phénotypique dans les zones à climat rigoureux. Parmi les traits liés à la dispersion, le plume loading était le mieux corrélé aux capacités de dispersion par le vent. Des différenciations clinales ont été détectées dans les traits de dispersion, en jardin commun, mais nont pas été vérifiées en populations naturelles.

Die Arbeit stellt neu entwickelte Röntgenbeugungsmethoden vor, mit deren Hilfe der Verzerrungszustand des Kristallgitters von Halbleiter-Wafern und -Bauteilen im Detail charakterisiert werden kann. Hierzu werden die aussergewöhnlichen Eigenschaften der an modernen Synchrotrons wie der ESRF (Grenoble) verfügbaren Röntgenstrahlung genutzt. <br>Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden Röntgen-Diffraktometrie und -Topographie zu einer Untersuchungsmethode kombiniert, mit der die makroskopische Krümmung von Halbleiter-Wafern ebenso wie ihre mikroskopische Defektstruktur abgebildet werden kann. Der zweite Teil ist der Untersuchung von epitaktisch gewachsenen und geätzten Oberflächengittern mit Abmessungen im Submikrometer-Bereich gewidmet. Die unterschiedlichen Gitterkonstanten der beteiligten Halbleitermaterialien führen zu einem inhomogenen Verzerrungsfeld in der Probe, das sich im Röntgenbild durch eine charakteristische Verformung des Beugungsmusters in der Umgebung der Bragg-Reflexe äussert. Die Analyse der experimentell gemessenen Beugungsmuster geschieht mit Hilfe eines neu entwickelten Simulationsverfahrens, das Elastizitätstheorie und eine semi-kinematische Röntgenbeugungstheorie miteinander verbindet. Durch quantitativen Vergleich der Simulationsergebnisse mit den Messdaten kann auf den genauen Verlauf des Verzerrungsfeldes in den Proben zurückgeschlossen werden. Dieses Verfahren wird erfolgreich auf verschiedene Halbleiter-Probensysteme angewendet, und schliesslich auch auf die Untersuchung von akustischen Oberflächenwellen in Halbleiterkristallen übertragen. / This thesis presents newly developed X-ray methods which can be used to characterize in detail the state of distortion of the crystal lattice in semiconductor wafers, devices and nanostructures. The methods use the extraordinary properties of the X-rays available from modern synchrotron sources such as the ESRF (Grenoble). <br>In the first part of the thesis, X-ray diffractometry and X-ray topography are combined into a new method, called X-ray rocking curve imaging, which allows to image the macroscopic curvature of semiconductor wafers as well as the underlying microscopic defect structure. The second part of the thesis deals with the investigation of epitaxially grown and subsequently etched semiconductor gratings with lateral periods below the micrometer. The lattice mismatch between the different materials used in heteroepitaxy leads to a non-uniform strain field in the sample, which is reflected in a characteristic distortion of the X-ray diffraction pattern around each Bragg peak. The experimental data are evaluated with the help of a newly developed simulation procedure which combines elasticity theory with a semi-kinematical theory of X-ray diffraction. From a quantitative comparison of measured and simulated data the detailed shape of the strain field in the samples can be deduced. This procedure is used successfully for the structural characterization of different types of semiconductor gratings, and is finally applied also to the investigation of surface acoustic waves in crystals.

Host-Associated Differentiation (HAD) is the formation of genetically divergent hostassociated lineages maintained by ecological isolation. HAD is potentially an important route to ecological speciation in parasites including many insects. While HAD case studies are accumulating, there is a dearth of negative results in the literature making it difficult to know how common the phenomenon really is or whether there are specific traits of parasites which promote HAD. To address these two problems, studies are needed which both publish negative results (i.e., parasites not showing HAD) and test for HAD in multiple parasite species on the same pair of host species (i.e., control for host plant effects). In this study, HAD was tested in three species of herbivorous insects and one parasitoid species on the same two host tree species: pecan and water hickory. The insects were selected based on the presence or absence of two traits, parthenogenesis and endophagy. A test for HAD was considered “positive” when population substructure was explained by host-association. To test for the presence of HAD, insects were sampled sympatrically to eliminate geographical isolation as a confounding factor, sampling was replicated spatially to assure that HAD persisted, and multiple loci were sampled from each individual. Genetic data was analyzed using cluster analyses. HAD was found in both pecan leaf phylloxera and yellow pecan aphid but not in pecan bud moth or in the parasitoid of the yellow pecan aphid, Aphelinus perpallidus. Interestingly, both taxa showing HAD are parthenogenetic and both taxa not showing HAD reproduce sexually. Species showing HAD were tested for the presence of a pre-mating reproductive isolating mechanism (RIM) which could be maintaining HAD despite the potential for gene flow. Selection against migrants to the alternative host was tested in yellow pecan aphid using a no-choice fitness experiment. The overall contribution of this RIM to total isolation was positive and ranged from 0.614 to 0.850. The RIM of “habitat preference” was tested in pecan leaf phylloxera using a dual-choice preference experiment. In this species, preference was only detected for phylloxera originating from water hickory suggesting that host discrimination ability may be a less important factor promoting differentiation in phylloxera.

In this thesis the performances of different approximations are compared for a standard actuarial and financial problem: the estimation of quantiles and conditional tail expectations of the final value of a series of discrete cash flows. To calculate the risk measures such as quantiles and Conditional Tail Expectations, one needs the distribution function of the final wealth. The final value of a series of discrete payments in the considered model is the sum of dependent lognormal random variables. Unfortunately, its distribution function cannot be determined analytically. Thus usually one has to use time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations. Computational time still remains a serious drawback of Monte Carlo simulations, thus several analytical techniques for approximating the distribution function of final wealth are proposed in the frame of this thesis. These are the widely used moment-matching approximations and innovative comonotonic approximations. Moment-matching methods approximate the unknown distribution function by a given one in such a way that some characteristics (in the present case the first two moments) coincide. The ideas of two well-known approximations are described briefly. Analytical formulas for valuing quantiles and Conditional Tail Expectations are derived for both approximations. Recently, a large group of scientists from Catholic University Leuven in Belgium has derived comonotonic upper and comonotonic lower bounds for sums of dependent lognormal random variables. These bounds are bounds in the terms of "convex order". In order to provide the theoretical background for comonotonic approximations several fundamental ordering concepts such as stochastic dominance, stop-loss and convex order and some important relations between them are introduced. The last two concepts are closely related. Both stochastic orders express which of two random variables is the "less dangerous/more attractive" one. The central idea of comonotonic upper bound approximation is to replace the original sum, presenting final wealth, by a new sum, for which the components have the same marginal distributions as the components in the original sum, but with "more dangerous/less attractive" dependence structure. The upper bound, or saying mathematically, convex largest sum is obtained when the components of the sum are the components of comonotonic random vector. Therefore, fundamental concepts of comonotonicity theory which are important for the derivation of convex bounds are introduced. The most wide-spread examples of comonotonicity which emerge in financial context are described. In addition to the upper bound a lower bound can be derived as well. This provides one with a measure of the reliability of the upper bound. The lower bound approach is based on the technique of conditioning. It is obtained by applying Jensen's inequality for conditional expectations to the original sum of dependent random variables. Two slightly different version of conditioning random variable are considered in the context of this thesis. They give rise to two different approaches which are referred to as comonotonic lower bound and comonotonic "maximal variance" lower bound approaches. Special attention is given to the class of distortion risk measures. It is shown that the quantile risk measure as well as Conditional Tail Expectation (under some additional conditions) belong to this class. It is proved that both risk measures being under consideration are additive for a sum of comonotonic random variables, i.e. quantile and Conditional Tail Expectation for a comonotonic upper and lower bounds can easily be obtained by summing the corresponding risk measures of the marginals involved. A special subclass of distortion risk measures which is referred to as class of concave distortion risk measures is also under consideration. It is shown that quantile risk measure is not a concave distortion risk measure while Conditional Tail Expectation (under some additional conditions) is a concave distortion risk measure. A theoretical justification for the fact that "concave" Conditional Tail Expectation preserves convex order relation between random variables is given. It is shown that this property does not necessarily hold for the quantile risk measure, as it is not a concave risk measure. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of two moment-matching, comonotonic upper bound, comonotonic lower bound and "maximal variance" lower bound approximations are examined for a wide range of parameters by comparing with the results obtained by Monte Carlo simulation. It is justified by numerical results that, generally, in the current situation lower bound approach outperforms other methods. Moreover, the preservation of convex order relation between the convex bounds for the final wealth by Conditional Tail Expectation is demonstrated by numerical results. It is justified numerically that this property does not necessarily hold true for the quantile.

Four years ago, on May 15th 2011, we witnessed in the Spanish State ‘something’ that was quickly and popularly referred to as 15M or the Indignados. Since that day, 15M has had a tremendous impact on the way a large part of the Spanish population understands itself and its response-abilities and rights. In addition, 15M has affected the way in which a large part of the Spanish population understands its environment and those living-beings with whom said environment is co-created and co-inhabited. In this essay I immerse myself in an on-going non-disciplinary, multi-traditional multilogue with individuals being 15M. What I witness, feels and looks like a complex; mutating and dialogic; collective and cooperative; agonistic and transformative 'climate' that many refer to as el clima 15M (15m climate). Allowing different 15M wisdoms to frame the research, I envision this essay as an attempt at gaining a dialogical understanding of what it is that we might be speaking of when referring to 15M. Through this exploration, I seek to place my work within the sketched parameters of what James Tully refers to as public philosophy. The essay engages with individuals being 15M and with the vast literature in Spain around 15M and party-movement Podemos by academics and participants, and the European literature around populism, horizontality and Podemos grounded in Antonio Gramsci. It also draws on reciprocal elucidation literature in theory and in participatory, community-based social science. Moreover, the essay enters into dialogue with a whole body of literature on instrumental versus constitutive means-ends views of political change going back to Mahatma Gandhi and forward to Aldous Huxley, Richard Gregg, Hannah Arendt, Robert Young, Gene Sharp and Cesar Chavez. By giving ‘perspicuous representation’ or thick description of 15M by means of reciprocal elucidation, I am able to make a unique contribution to the theoretical literature on reciprocal elucidation and public philosophy. I am also able to disclose the field of 15M (the phenomenon) in a way that shows it to be different from the way 15M appears in other theoretical frames. Finally, the use of this method of reciprocal elucidation makes a unique contribution to community-based and engaged forms of social scientific research. / Graduate / 0422 / 0615 / 0344 / pouziel@uvic.ca

No description available.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the factors affecting mathematical literacy of 15-year-old students in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) across different cultural settings. The present study was conducted across three countries. These countries are Brazil, Japan and Norway. The countries were selected on the basis of their rankings in PISA 2000 study. Japan represented a high performing country with an average score of 557, Norway represented an average performing country with an average score of 499, and Brazil represented a low performing country with an average score of 334. The study explored how mathematical literacy is stimulated by predictors related to the students, the families and the school. A separate factor analysis was carried out for each questionnaire such as student questionnaire and cross curricular competencies questionnaire within the data of each country. Since the results of factor analyses of three countries were parallel, the observed variables representing the latent variables were selected from the student questionnaire and cross curricular competencies questionnaire administered in PISA 2000 in order to be used in the structural equation modeling. The included factors affecting mathematical literacy in PISA 2000 are attitudes towards reading, student-teacher relations, climate, communication with parents, usage of technology and facilities, attitudes towards mathematics and reading literacy. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling across three different cultures with different performance levels in PISA 2000. The findings of the study show that the latent independent variable having the strongest effect on mathematical literacy is the usage of technology and facilities in Brazil, communication with parents in Japan and attitudes towards reading in Norway. Moreover, the results were as follows: (1) Reading literacy significantly and positively influences mathematical literacy in all three countries. (2) There is a reciprocal relationship between the attitudes towards mathematics and mathematical literacy. In Brazil, the influence of attitudes towards mathematics on mathematical literacy is higher. However, the influence of mathematical literacy on attitudes towards mathematics is higher in Norway. (3) The attitudes towards reading have a negative direct effect and a positive indirect effect on mathematical literacy. (4) The student-teacher relations have a positive effect on mathematical literacy in Japan and Norway. But, in Brazil, this effect is negative. (5) The student-related factors affecting school climate are significantly and positively related to mathematical literacy in Brazil. On the other hand, the effect of climate on mathematical literacy is negative in Japan and non-significant in Norway. (6) Communication with parents significantly and positively influences the mathematical literacy in all three countries. (7) The usage of technology and facilities significantly and positively affects mathematical literacy in Brazil. However, this effect is negative in Japan and non-significant in Norway.

This thesis is a critical evaluation of the content, form and technique of traditional and modern praise poetry in Northern Sotho. Chapter 1 presents the aim of the study and the method of research and defines the concepts of poetry and praise poetry. Praise poetry is viewed from a traditional and modern perspective. Chapter 2 deals with the content and technique of praise poetry. Content consists of oral praise poetry lauding the heroic deeds of men in battles and casual encounters. Modern praise poetry comments on current events. Devices for rapid composition of the praises are discussed. Techniques differ between poets and according to time, place and occasion. Chapter 3 covers the traditional praises of chiefs, warriors, initiates, animals, birds, divining bones and totem praises, examining them from the perspective of content and form. The praises extol human achievements, peculiar animal characteristics and the interpretation of "mawa" of divining bones. Chapter 4 deals with the development and transition from traditional to modern form as well as the reciprocal influence. The content and form of modern praises of chiefs, academics, community leaders, animals, birds, divining bones, man-made objects and some natural phenomena are discussed. Many modern poets have also written praises of fictional characters. Chapter 5 compares oral and written praise poetry by concentrating on the similarities and differences between traditional and modern praise poetry. This study shows that there are differences in of theme, rhyme, beginning and ending, sentence length and significant emphasis on man-made objects such as cars and locomotives as exceptional modes of transport for commuters. Chapter 6 concludes the study and proves that praise poetry is a living or dynamic entity which will continue to exist. Praise poetry highlights persons, interpersonal relationships, attitudes and values derived from an African conceptions of the universe. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil (African Languages)