"Forests Full of Beasts" analyzes late-Shakespearean thought as represented in "Timon of Athens" and "King Lear," focusing on expressions of madness. Applying an Aristotelian framework, each chapter examines the two plays through a different lens, applying the "Nicomachean Ethics," "Politics" and "Poetics" in turn. Looking at these plays through the "Ethic"s shows that Timon and Lear miss the mark of happiness through excessive action, and their madness is therefore construed as deliberately maintaining unsustainable behaviour. The Politics foregrounds humanity's social nature, and it is in their rejection of society's provisions and friendship that Timon and Lear are seen to be most mad. Following the Poetics' prioritization of plot, both plays are analyzed in terms of the unified whole, and their madness is seen as seamlessly interwoven with the overall action. The conclusion ties these analyses together, understanding Timon's and Lear's madness as the deliberate choice to pursue excessive, antisocial behaviour.

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This thesis contributes to influence analysis in nonlinear regression and in particular the detection of influential observations. The focus is on a regression model with a known mean function, which is nonlinear in its parameters and where the function is chosen according to the knowledge about the process generating the data. The error term in the regression model is assumed to be additive. The main goal of this thesis is to work out diagnostic measures for assessing the influence of observations on various results from a nonlinear regression analysis. The obtained results comprise diagnostic tools for detecting observations that, individually or jointly with some other observations, are influential on the parameter estimates. Moreover, assessing conditional influence, i.e. the influence of an observation conditional on the deletion of another observation, is of interest. This can help to identify influential observations which could be missed due to complex relationships among the observations. Novelties of the proposed diagnostic tools include the possibility to assess influence of observations on a specific parameter estimate and to assess influence of multiple observations. A further emphasis of this thesis is on the observations' influence on the outcome of a hypothesis testing procedure based on Rao's score test. An innovative solution to the problem of visual identification of influential observations regarding the score test statistic obtained in this thesis is the so called added parameter plot. As a complement to the added parameter plot, new diagnostic measures are derived for assessing the influence of single and multiple observations on the score test statistic.

Actuellement, les moules utilisés pour la réalisation de pièces composites aéronautiques sont à base d'alliages métalliques (FeNi, Invar) très appréciés pour leur faible coefficient de dilatation. Toutefois, ces alliages présentent plusieurs inconvénients (poids, prix, délais de livraison) qui incitent les industriels à se toumer vers d'autres matériaux. Dans ce contexte, les matériaux composites époxy/fibres de carbone sont une altemative intéressante compte tenu de leurs propriétés mécaniques proches del'Invar tout en alliant légèreté et facilité de mis en æuvre. Cependant, avec de tels moules des phénomènes d'adhésion risquent d'intervenir entre la résine époxyde infusée, constituant la future pièce, et le moule lui-même composé d'une résine époxyde. Leur nature proche est susceptible de favoriser des phénomènes de diffusion ou d'interactions moléculaires impliqués dans l'adhésion des polymères.Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse ont donc pour but de minimiser l'ensemble des phénomènes favorisant I'adhésion entre deux résines époxydes (l'une étant réticulée au contact de la seconde). Pour cela, les travaux sont concentrés sur la modification pérenne de la physicochimie ainsi que de la topographie de surface de la résine époxyde composant le moule. Ces deux paramètres sont en effet identifiés comme indispensables pour l'obtention de surfaces au caractère faiblement mouillant, pré-requis pour une bonne adhésion avec un tiers corps. Dans un premier temps, la physicochimie de surface de la résine du moule a étémodifiée durablement grâce à un additif fluoré préalablement greffé à la résine époxyde. Le mécanisme de fluoration de la surface a été étudié et une étape cruciale de migration de l'additif fluoré vers I'interface air / résine au cours de réticulation a été identifiée. Dans un deuxième temps, une rugosité contrôlée à l'échelle micrométrique est appliquée à la surface de la résine ainsi modifiée. Les propriétés de surface qui en découlent sont étudiées et montrent une accentuation du caractère faiblement mouillant des résines fluorées. Enfin, les propriétés d'interfaces entre les résines époxydes modifiées constituant le moule et une résine époxyde vierge représentant une pièce injectée sont étudiées via un test mécanique. Les résultats obtenus (force et type de rupture) sont mis en relation avec les propriétés superficielles de la résine époxyde modifiée.

In recent years, the growing importance of environmental and social issues has put pressure on companies to implement environmental and social systems. With the pressure on companies to improve environmental performance, environmental management accounting can provide a valuable tool that enables companies to respond to environmental challenges. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in the South African mining industry and also to identify and evaluate the opportunities to improve both a company's environmental performance and economic performance. In this study, scatter plot diagrams were used to determine the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in the South African mining industry. Ten South African mining companies were selected for the study and their financial information as well as environmental information for the period 2005 to 2009 was used. After the analysis of the scatter plot diagrams was done, it was found that it pays to be green for coal–mining companies, but not for gold– and platinum–mining companies. This study also identified that environmental management accounting is essential to identify and effectively manage environmental costs to improve environmental performance and that it is a very important tool to help companies to implement environmentally friendly programmes for ensuring a company's long–term strategic position. Despite all the risks and challenges facing the mining industry, opportunities to improve a company's environmental performance and economic performance, include emissions trading, development of new technologies, investing in projects in renewable energy and an increase in demand of mining products due to the effects of climate change. ii The value of the study is that it is the first study to investigate the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in the South African mining industry. This study is also unique as it takes into account how investors see the company in terms of environmental performance. This study uses economic performance measures from an internal and external point of view and not merely from an internal point of view like the previous studies. Companies in the mining industry as well as investors can use the findings presented in this study to realise the importance of preserving the environment as well as the importance of triple bottom line accounting. / Thesis (M.Com. (Management Accounting))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

In recent years, the growing importance of environmental and social issues has put pressure on companies to implement environmental and social systems. With the pressure on companies to improve environmental performance, environmental management accounting can provide a valuable tool that enables companies to respond to environmental challenges. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in the South African mining industry and also to identify and evaluate the opportunities to improve both a company's environmental performance and economic performance. In this study, scatter plot diagrams were used to determine the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in the South African mining industry. Ten South African mining companies were selected for the study and their financial information as well as environmental information for the period 2005 to 2009 was used. After the analysis of the scatter plot diagrams was done, it was found that it pays to be green for coal–mining companies, but not for gold– and platinum–mining companies. This study also identified that environmental management accounting is essential to identify and effectively manage environmental costs to improve environmental performance and that it is a very important tool to help companies to implement environmentally friendly programmes for ensuring a company's long–term strategic position. Despite all the risks and challenges facing the mining industry, opportunities to improve a company's environmental performance and economic performance, include emissions trading, development of new technologies, investing in projects in renewable energy and an increase in demand of mining products due to the effects of climate change. ii The value of the study is that it is the first study to investigate the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in the South African mining industry. This study is also unique as it takes into account how investors see the company in terms of environmental performance. This study uses economic performance measures from an internal and external point of view and not merely from an internal point of view like the previous studies. Companies in the mining industry as well as investors can use the findings presented in this study to realise the importance of preserving the environment as well as the importance of triple bottom line accounting. / Thesis (M.Com. (Management Accounting))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This research contains three essays that explore the speed of adjustment, volatility and noise in the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The first essay explores the speed of adjustment in the Indonesia Stock Exchange at daily interval from 2000 to 2004. The model employed is the speed of adjustment with noise. Firstly, I work on the estimation of the speed of adjustment. The estimated speed of adjustment coefficient concludes that the large size leads the smaller size group to adjust to new information. Secondly, I analyse the component in the noise that contributes significantly to the speed of adjustment level. It is confirmed that the factor determining the noise is bid-ask fluctuations. Therefore, it is reasonable to infer the component in the noise from bid-ask component. The decomposition of bid-ask spread into transaction cost and asymmetric information reveals that the latter is found to be a significant component determining the speed of adjustment level. The second essay analyses the fine grain dynamics of the speed of price adjustment to new information from 2000 to 2007. The exact time of adjustment is estimated at intraday frequency instead of at daily frequency. In this work, as an alternative of first moment estimation, second moment model-free estimation using volatility signature plot to estimate of the speed of adjustment is proposed. Both first and second moment estimation of the speed of adjustment provide consistent result of 30 minute adjustment period. Negative relation after 5-minute return interval between speed of adjustment estimate and realized variance is found implying lower noise leads to smaller deviation between observed and equilibrium price. In the third essay, I concentrate the work on the second moment of continuously compounded returns from 2000 to 2007 in the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The main purpose of the last essay is to estimate the noise and efficient variance in the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The realized variance based estimator is employed in the third essay. During the period of the study, noise variance decreases indicating smaller deviation between the observed and equilibrium price, hence improving market quality in the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The optimal frequency to estimate the efficient variance, on average, is nine minutes. The variance ratio of daily efficient variance to daily open-to-close reveals significant private information underlying price process in the Indonesia Stock Exchange.

This thesis focuses on a close analysis of A.L. Kennedy's fictional work, both novels and short stories, examining the author’s portrayals of love and placing them in a cultural and historical context. Kennedy's fiction invariably centres on the complex nature of human relationships, with protagonists frequently placed in an isolated situation (physically, mentally, or both) and yearning for some deep emotional connection, through love or sex, to form a link with the world which surrounds them. This thesis pays close attention to character and plot development, use of language and connections between Kennedy's texts, alongside a discussion of various sociological, philosophical or psychological works which tie Kennedy's fiction to both current and historical analyses of sexual behaviour, love and gender relationships. Different aspects of love and relationships are explored within each chapter, divided as follows: Belonging, Identity, Place – examining how far and how useful it is to view Kennedy as a Scottish writer, going on to explore how notions of place and belonging affect her characters, beginning with the body-as-place and working outwards, through contrasting urban and rural locations to return to questions of nation, and how a sense of belonging can enhance the feeling of connectedness central to love. Sex and Violence – analysing the relationship between sex and violence and questioning whether the two are opposing or may actually stem from the same desire to reconnect with the body and thus link the body more closely to the mind, whilst simultaneously connecting with others. Unity and Isolation – more closely examining this powerful conflict within Kennedy's work; the fear of being alone and the opposing fear of losing one's individuality, one's self, through being open with and giving love to another, and exploring how such conflict may be resolved. Desire and Addiction – exploring the relationship between desire and addiction and considering whether the terms can be interchangeable, and which of Kennedy's characters may be considered desiring or addicted. Ultimately this chapter argues that while desire and addiction may have similarities, desire itself is more desirable, because it relies upon some degree of connection not necessary within addiction. Trauma, 'Madness' – examining the boundaries between trauma and the concept of 'madness', this chapter argues the possibility that many of Kennedy's characters could be seen as traumatised in one way or another, and looks at how this may affect their ability to love, and their attitudes towards it. Romance – attempting to place a definition of romance within the context of British fiction, this chapter considers the development of the romantic narrative, including contemporary 'Chick-Lit', to argue that it is possible to view Kennedy herself as a romantic writer, given the questing nature of her fictions and the love towards which her characters ultimately strive. Within Kennedy's writing there is a contradiction expressed in the portrayal of characters simultaneously desperate for love and fighting against the loss of their (often miserable) individuality. The purpose throughout these chapters is to emphasise the many elements which can constitute the notion of 'love', and the ways in which these can either threaten or enhance the development of a sense of self, through developing connection with another. The aim of this research is to provide a new perspective on Kennedy's work, acknowledging the somewhat bleak nature of her writing but examining more specifically the romantic attitudes expressed within her fiction, the manner in which she explores the boundaries between realism and the concept of romance, and the question of whether she may be defined as a romantic writer, which will draw upon the history of romantic literary tropes and structures.

abstract: The emergence of new technologies as well as a fresh look at analyzing existing processes have given rise to a new type of response characteristic, known as a profile. Profiles are useful when a quality variable is functionally dependent on one or more explanatory, or independent, variables. So, instead of observing a single measurement on each unit or product a set of values is obtained over a range which, when plotted, takes the shape of a curve. Traditional multivariate monitoring schemes are inadequate for monitoring profiles due to high dimensionality and poor use of the information stored in functional form leading to very large variance-covariance matrices. Profile monitoring has become an important area of study in statistical process control and is being actively addressed by researchers across the globe. This research explores the understanding of the area in three parts. A comparative analysis is conducted of two linear profile-monitoring techniques based on probability of false alarm rate and average run length (ARL) under shifts in the model parameters. The two techniques studied are control chart based on classical calibration statistic and a control chart based on the parameters of a linear model. The research demonstrates that a profile characterized by a parametric model is more efficient monitoring scheme than one based on monitoring only the individual features of the profile. A likelihood ratio based changepoint control chart is proposed for detecting a sustained step shift in low order polynomial profiles. The test statistic is plotted on a Shewhart like chart with control limits derived from asymptotic distribution theory. The statistic is factored to reflect the variation due to the parameters in to aid in interpreting an out of control signal. The research also looks at the robust parameter design study of profiles, also referred to as signal response systems. Such experiments are often necessary for understanding and reducing the common cause variation in systems. A split-plot approach is proposed to analyze the profiles. It is demonstrated that an explicit modeling of variance components using generalized linear mixed models approach has more precise point estimates and tighter confidence intervals. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Industrial Engineering 2010

A análise da continuidade espacial inclui uma série de ferramentas para estimar e modelar a continuidade de variáveis aleatórias regionalizadas. Ela é a base para muitas das avaliações de depósitos minerais baseadas na geoestatísitca. O modelo ajustado é de grande importância e influencia nos resultados em vários algoritmos de krigagem e simulações subsequentes. Tanto os softwares acadêmicos e comerciais podem melhorar no desenvolvimento dos gráficos, na interatividade com o usuário e no uso de formas automáticas de modelagem. O SGeMS (Stanford Geoestatistical Modeling Software) é um programa gratuito usado entre a comunidade de geoestatísticos ao qual tem um grande potencial de desenvolvimento, mas que, no entanto, ainda não possui todas as ferramentas de análise da continuidade espacial incorporadas. Diferentemente do SGeMS, o GSLIB é uma boa biblioteca gratuita para análise geoestatística e é mais completa, mas as estradas do programa são modificadas pela edição de arquivos .txt e usando linhas de comando o que torna a utilização do software pouco amigável com o usuário, apesar da robustez e qualidade dos programas da biblioteca. Dada as limitações dos mais usados e completos softwares gratuitos de geoestatística, essa dissertação objetiva a transcrição e adaptação do algoritmo do GSLIB (GamV .f) para o software SGeMS, modificando a lógica de programação para criar diferentes ferramentas auxiliares como h-scatterplots e mapas de variograma e covariograma. Os resultados demonstraram que a adaptação de algoritmos antigos leva a uma solução gratuita. Além disso, um algoritmo para a otimização da modelagem de variogramas pelo método dos mínimos quadrados foi desenvolvido. As rotinas foram desenvolvidas ambas em C++ e em Python. Os algoritmos foram validados com os valores obtidos pelo software GSLIB. Todos os desenvolvimentos dos plug-ins foram testados e validados usando dois casos ilustrativos: um depósito de ferro e um caso polimetálico. Os resultados provaram ser consistentes e similares com aqueles obtidos com softwares comerciais e renomados. / The spatial continuity analysis includes a serie of tools to estimate and model the continuity of regionalized random variables. It is the basics for many mineral deposit evaluation methods based on geostatistics. The model adjusted is of paramount importance and influences the results in many subsequent kriging and simulation algorithms. Both commercial and academic softwares can be improved in graphics, users interactivity with and automated tools for modeling spatial continuity. SGeMS (Stanford Geoestatistical Modeling Software) is a freeware program used among the geostatistical community which has an extremely potential for development however it does not have enough variographic or graphical tools. Unlike SGeMS, GSLIB is a good and more complete free library for geostatistical analysis, however the program inputs are modified by editing of .txt files and uses DOS command lines. This makes the software less user friendly, despite its robustness and quality. Given the limitation on both most used and complete freeware geostatistical softwares, this dissertation aims at transcripting and adpating an algorithm from GSLIB(GamV.f) into SGeMS software, handling the programming logic to create different auxiliary tools as h-scatterplot and variomaps. The results demonstrated that the adaptation of the old and stable algortihms lead to an inexpensive solution. Futhermore, an algorithm was developed for optimizing variogram modeling based on weigthed least squares method. The routines were developed in both C++ and Phyton. The algorithms were validated against actual values generated by GSLIB. All developed of plug-ins were tested and validated using two illustration studies: an iron ore deposit and a polymetallic one. The results proved to be consistent and similar to the ones obtained by commercial well known sofwares.