In recent years, new regulations and stronger competition have further increased the importance of stochastic asset-liability management (ALM) models for life insurance firms. However, the often complex nature of life insurance contracts makes modeling to a challenging task, and insurance firms often struggle with models quickly becoming too complicated and inefficient. There is therefore an interest in investigating if, in fact, certain traits of financial ratios could be exposed through a more efficient model. In this thesis, a discrete time stochastic model framework, for the simulation of simplified balance sheets of life insurance products, is proposed. The model is based on a two-factor stochastic capital market model, supports the most important product characteristics, and incorporates a reserve-dependent bonus declaration. Furthermore, a first approach to endogenously model customer transitions is proposed, where realized policy returns are used for assigning transition probabilities. The model's sensitivity to different input parameters, and ability to capture the most important behaviour patterns, are demonstrated by the use of scenario and sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, based on the findings from these analyses, suggestions for improvements and further research are also presented. / Införandet av nya regelverk och ökad konkurrens har medfört att stokastiska ALM-modeller blivit allt viktigare för livförsäkringsbolag. Den ofta komplexa strukturen hos försäkringsprodukter försvårar dock modelleringen, vilket gör att många modeller anses vara för komplicerade samt ineffektiva, av försäkringsbolagen. Det finns därför ett intresse i att utreda om egenskaper hos viktiga finansiella nyckeltal kan studeras utifrån en mer effektiv och mindre komplicerad modell. I detta arbete föreslås ett ramverk för stokastisk modellering av en förenklad version av balansräkningen hos typiska livförsäkringsbolag. Modellen baseras på en stokastisk kapitalmarknadsmodell, med vilken såväl aktiepriser som räntenivåer simuleras. Vidare så stödjer modellen simulering av de mest väsentliga produktegenskaperna, samt modellerar kundåterbäring som en funktion av den kollektiva konsolideringsgraden. Modellens förmåga att fånga de viktigaste egenskaperna hos balansräkningens ingående komponenter undersöks med hjälp av scenario- och känslighetsanalyser. Ytterligare undersöks även huruvida modellen är känslig för förändringar i olika indata, där fokus främst tillägnas de parametrar som kräver mer avancerade skattningsmetoder.

This study explores natural convection heat transfer and fluid flow from a vertical plate in a radiating gas accounting for real gas spectral behavior. Finite volume techniques are used to solve the coupled nonlinear partial differential equations for mass, momentum, and energy conservation, while radiation transfer is modeled using the Discrete Ordinates finite volume finite angle method. Real gas spectral behavior is accounted for using the Rank Correlated Spectral Line Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases method. It is found that gas temperature and velocity are higher in the boundary layer, thickening the thermal and hydrodynamic boundary layers compared to the limiting case of pure convection. Gas species and concentration significantly impact boundary layer development, affecting radiative heating, temperature, velocity, and wall heat fluxes. Wall radiation transport dominates over convective transport. Increasing the wall temperature for the same wall-quiescent surroundings temperature difference increases local radiative heating, temperature, and velocity, and results in higher wall heat fluxes. As Rayleigh number increases, convection gains importance relative to radiation. Higher total gas pressures moderately increase radiative heating, temperature, and velocity, while reducing wall heat fluxes and convective transport. Increased wall emissivity raises radiative heating, temperature, and velocity, while raising wall heat flux and reducing convective flux. It is concluded that the neglect of participating gas radiation effects can result in significant errors in the predicted flow and thermal behavior, and the total transport. These insights advance understanding of radiation-convection interplay in radiating gas scenarios.

The aim of this study is to investigate teachers' ways of working with participation in English inprimary school and to contribute knowledge about which strategies teachers use to encouragestudents to participate. In order to explore the participants’ descriptions, a qualitative approachis used on semi-structured interviews with eight English teachers who teach in different primaryschools. National and international research was used in the background section in order toprovide a context to the present study. The results have been analysed with the help of atheoretical framework combining a sociocultural perspective, a differentiation perspective, andlanguage learning theories. From language learning theories, I use the following three concepts:“Condition-Oriented Ideas”, “Condition-Oriented Ideas” and “Top- Down Language-FocusedReasons”.The results of this study show that relations between teachers and students, students’motivation, materials that are customized to each student, and to have democratic in Englishlessons are very important to make students participate in the English lesson and communicatein English. There are some strategies to help teachers build a good relationship with students, toencourage them, and to make materials that are customized to each student. The results showthat teachers have to listen to students very carefully, and have to spend time with them to showthem that they care about them. Furthermore, teachers have to make activities that increasestudents’ motivation, and teachers have to know the level of each student because that makesteachers able to customize materials adapted to each student’s knowledge level. Each student isspecial in knowledge, experiences, and feelings.The conclusion of this study is that teachers have to find strategies to build good relationswith students. Teachers also have to find strategies to encourage students and to customizeteaching materials for the English lessons. The benefits of student participation are several,including a positive atmosphere in the English classes. In addition, the students achieve betterresults in English language

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Cette thèse traite de la modélisation, l'illumination et le rendu temps-réel de milieux participants à l'aide du GPU. Dans une première partie, nous commençons par développer une méthode de rendu de nappes de brouillard hétérogènes pour des scènes en extérieur. Le brouillard est modélisé horizontalement dans une base 2D de fonctions de Haar ou de fonctions B-Spline linéaires ou quadratiques, dont les coefficients peuvent être chargés depuis une textit{fogmap}, soit une carte de densité en niveaux de gris. Afin de donner au brouillard son épaisseur verticale, celui-ci est doté d'un coefficient d'atténuation en fonction de l'altitude, utilisé pour paramétrer la rapidité avec laquelle la densité diminue avec la distance au milieu selon l'axe Y. Afin de préparer le rendu temps-réel, nous appliquons une transformée en ondelettes sur la carte de densité du brouillard, afin d'en extraire une approximation grossière (base de fonctions B-Spline) et une série de couches de détails (bases d'ondelettes B-Spline), classés par fréquence.%Les détails sont ainsi classés selon leur fréquence et, additionnées, permettent de retrouver la carte de densité d'origine. Chacune de ces bases de fonctions 2D s'apparente à une grille de coefficients. Lors du rendu sur GPU, chacune de ces grilles est traversée pas à pas, case par case, depuis l'observateur jusqu'à la plus proche surface solide. Grâce à notre séparation des différentes fréquences de détails lors des pré-calculs, nous pouvons optimiser le rendu en ne visualisant que les détails les plus contributifs visuellement en avortant notre parcours de grille à une distance variable selon la fréquence. Nous présentons ensuite d'autres travaux concernant ce même type de brouillard : l'utilisation de la transformée en ondelettes pour représenter sa densité via une grille non-uniforme, la génération automatique de cartes de densité et son animation à base de fractales, et enfin un début d'illumination temps-réel du brouillard en simple diffusion. Dans une seconde partie, nous nous intéressons à la modélisation, l'illumination en simple diffusion et au rendu temps-réel de fumée (sans simulation physique) sur GPU. Notre méthode s'inspire des Light Propagation Volumes (volume de propagation de lumière), une technique à l'origine uniquement destinée à la propagation de la lumière indirecte de manière complètement diffuse, après un premier rebond sur la géométrie. Nous l'adaptons pour l'éclairage direct, et l'illumination des surfaces et milieux participants en simple diffusion. Le milieu est fourni sous forme d'un ensemble de bases radiales (blobs), puis est transformé en un ensemble de voxels, ainsi que les surfaces solides, de manière à disposer d'une représentation commune. Par analogie aux LPV, nous introduisons un Occlusion Propagation Volume, dont nous nous servons, pour calculer l'intégrale de la densité optique entre chaque source et chaque autre cellule contenant soit un voxel du milieu, soit un voxel issu d'une surface. Cette étape est intégrée à la boucle de rendu, ce qui permet d'animer le milieu participant ainsi que les sources de lumière sans contrainte particulière. Nous simulons tous types d'ombres : dues au milieu ou aux surfaces, projetées sur le milieu ou les surfaces / This thesis deals with modeling, illuminating and rendering participating media in real-time using graphics hardware. In a first part, we begin by developing a method to render heterogeneous layers of fog for outdoor scenes. The medium is modeled horizontally using a 2D Haar or linear/quadratic B-Spline function basis, whose coefficients can be loaded from a fogmap, i.e. a grayscale density image. In order to give to the fog its vertical thickness, it is provided with a coefficient parameterizing the extinction of the density when the altitude to the fog increases. To prepare the rendering step, we apply a wavelet transform on the fog's density map, and extract a coarse approximation and a series of layers of details (B-Spline wavelet bases).These details are ordered according to their frequency and, when summed back together, can reconstitute the original density map. Each of these 2D function basis can be viewed as a grid of coefficients. At the rendering step on the GPU, each of these grids is traversed step by step, cell by cell, since the viewer's position to the nearest solid surface. Thanks to our separation of the different frequencies of details at the precomputations step, we can optimize the rendering by only visualizing details that contribute most to the final image and abort our grid traversal at a distance depending on the grid's frequency. We then present other works dealing with the same type of fog: the use of the wavelet transform to represent the fog's density in a non-uniform grid, the automatic generation of density maps and their animation based on Julia fractals, and finally a beginning of single-scattering illumination of the fog, where we are able to simulate shadows by the medium and the geometry. In a second time, we deal with modeling, illuminating and rendering full 3D single-scattering sampled media such as smoke (without physical simulation) on the GPU. Our method is inspired by light propagation volumes, a technique whose only purpose was, at the beginning, to propagate fully diffuse indirect lighting. We adapt it to direct lighting, and the illumination of both surfaces and participating media. The medium is provided under the form of a set of radial bases (blobs), and is then transformed into a set of voxels, together with solid surfaces, so that both entities can be manipulated more easily under a common form. By analogy to the LPV, we introduce an occlusion propagation volume, which we use to compute the integral of the optical density, between each source and each other cell containing a voxel either generated from the medium, or from a surface. This step is integrated into the rendering process, which allows to animate participating media and light sources without any further constraint

In the present thesis we study with-profit policy in life insurance. First we intro- duce general information about profit sharing and basic terms. We shortly look at the life insurance legislation. In the main part of thesis we look at three me- thods of calculation profit sharing and thereafter own method will be suggested. In second part of thesis we describe cash-flow model of life insurance implemented in iWorks Prophet Software. All methods with various economic scenarios and with various parameters settings will be tested in this model. Finally we analyse results of projections, we compare cash-flow for important variables a we describe advantages and disadvantages for every method.

Cette thèse, qui s’inscrit dans une démarche clinique d’orientation psychanalytique en sciences de l’éducation se propose de réaliser une étude clinique de conseils de classe en lycée, à partir de l’analyse d’observations participantes effectuées par la chercheure, elle-même conseillère principale d’éducation, ainsi qu’à partir d’entretiens cliniques de recherche réalisés auprès d’enseignants du second degré. Il s’agit de porter un regard sur les enjeux conscients et inconscients à l’œuvre au cours d’un conseil de classe pour les enseignants qui y participent ainsi que sur les processus psychiques groupaux qui sous-tendent les réunions de cette instance institutionnelle. La thèse comporte cinq parties : la première partie analyse des éléments du parcours scolaire et professionnel de la chercheure et montre la manière dont elle est passée de la position d’être en recherche à celle de faire de la recherche. La deuxième partie présente le champ disciplinaire dans lequel s’inscrit ce travail ainsi que des éléments concernant la démarche et la méthodologie de recherche utilisées. La troisième partie est composée de l’ensemble des observations et de leur analyse. La quatrième partie est consacrée aux cinq entretiens cliniques et à leur analyse. Et, enfin, la cinquième partie propose une mise en perspective des analyses dans laquelle sont avancées des hypothèses de compréhension de ce qui peut se jouer en conseil de classe pour les enseignants. / This thesis is a clinical approach with a psychoanalytical orientation in education science. It proposes to carry out a clinical study of high school class councils. It is based on the analysis of participating observations carried out by the researcher, who is also a senior education advisor, as well as clinical research interviews with high school teachers. It is deals with the conscious and unconscious mechanisms at work during a class council for the teachers who participate in it as well as the group psychical processes that underlie the meetings of this institutional body. The thesis is divided into five parts. The first part analyses elements of the researcher's academic background and professional career and shows how she moved on from being in a personal research to being a researcher. The second part presents the disciplinary field of this work as well as elements concerning the approach and research methodology used. The third part is composed of all the participating observations and their analysis. The fourth part is devoted to the five clinical interviews and their analysis. And, finally, the fifth part puts the analysis in perspective and proposes hypothesis to understand what can be at stake in class councils for the teachers.

Uppsatsen hade sin utgångspunkt i hur lärarens val av matematikdidaktik skapade möjlighettill pedagogisk och social delaktighet, för elever som hade uttalade koncentrationssvårigheter.Denna definition innefattade elever som uppvisade svårigheter att genomföra och slutförauppgifter och elever som inte behövde ha en fastställd diagnos. Jag har även valt att studeraelevernas möjlighet till måluppfyllelse beroende på lärarens didaktik och måluppfyllelsenutgick ifrån strävansmålen för ämnet matematik.Studien innefattade observationer under tre lärares matematiklektioner i klasser på högstadiet.Efter observationerna har sedan intervjuer med lärarna genomförts. Resultatet visade attrespondenterna gemensamt var övertygade om att läraren som person hade en stor inverkan påelevernas lärandeprocess samt möjlighet till delaktighet och måluppfyllelse i undervisningen.Däremot valde respondenterna olika motiveringar som stödde denna åsikt. Meningarna bestodav ett vitt spektrum från lärarens personlighet till didaktikens innebörd. Lärarens reflektionkring val av didaktik samt elevsyn inverkade på elevernas möjlighet till utrymme iundervisningen för måluppfyllelse och delaktighet. Denna reflektion speglade även hurläraren såg på elever med koncentrationssvårigheter samt individens behov ochförutsättningar inför lärarens val av undervisningsform. Lärarens didaktik kunde sålundastärka eller försvaga elevens självförtroende och inställning till matematiken. Genom dessaresultat diskuteras att läraren i sitt arbete aktivt kan utveckla reflektioner över sin didaktik.Läraren kan även bli medveten om vilka dörrar de öppnar respektive stänger för elevenslärandeprocess. Resultaten ifrån studien synliggjorde aspekten att respondenterna glömde sinegen roll att kunna påverka sin situation genom att fokusera på möjligheterna i verksamhetenoch hos eleven, istället för att endast se hindren. / The essay was based on the teacher's choice of mathematics education created opportunitiesfor educational and social inclusion, for students who had expressed difficulty inconcentration. This definition included the students who showed difficulties in implementingand completing tasks, and students who did not have to have a positive diagnosis. I have alsodecided to study students' ability to goal attainment according to teacher teaching and thecompliance rate was based on the goals to strive for mathematics.The study included observations through three teachers' math lessons in classes in highschool. After the observations have since conducted interviews with teachers. The resultsshowed that the respondents shared conviction that the teacher as a person had a big impacton students' learning process and the opportunity for participation and achievement ineducation. However, respondents chose various reasons that supported this view. Thesentences consisted of a broad spectrum from the teacher's personality to the meaning ofdidactics. The teacher's reflection on the choices of education and pupil view affect students'ability to place in programs for effectiveness and participation. This reflection also reflectedhow the teacher looked at students with attention deficit and individual needs andcircumstances before the teacher's choice of teaching method. Teacher education was able tostrengthen or weaken students' confidence and attitude toward mathematics. These results arediscussed for the teacher in its work actively to develop reflections on their education. Theteacher may also become aware of the doors they open and close the student's learningprocess.

Background. Globalization and growing concerns for good governance and effectivenessput emphasis on addressing cross-border challenges to which single public organizationsor private companies face barriers. Transnational public-private partnerships (PPPs) areincreasingly used to bring multi-actor and cross-sector solutions to global issues rangingfrom economic development to environmental sustainability to social policies. As privateand public actors participating in transnational PPPs are guided by their own motives thatsignificantly differ from each other, they might enter into conflict with those of thecollaborating sector. Moreover, attention paid by private and public actors to sustainingtheir own identities and fulfilling their own motives might lead to a situation when actorswould be more oriented to achieving their specific goals that are not closely related to thepurposes of partnerships. Partners should consider possible impacts of their decisions onthe overall purpose of partnership in order to not undermine the ability to deliver theexpected results and services.Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the motives of private actors forparticipating in short-term transnational PPPs and their influence on the achievement ofpurposes of such partnerships.Hypotheses. Based on the literature review, three research hypotheses are formulated: 1.Private actors participating in short-term transnational PPPs are guided by financialmotives to the least extent. 2. The specific motives of private actors differ considerablydepending on which type of short-term transnational PPPs they participate in. 3. Themotives of private actors except from financial motives have a positive influence on theachievement of purposes of short-term transnational PPPs.Method: Primary data have been gathered through a questionnaire-based surveyconducted among private companies participating in North Sea Region and CentralEurope programmes within INTERREG B - initiative for transnational cooperation.Empirical data have been analyzed using statistical methods such as factor analysis andmultiple regression analysis.Conclusion. By examining the underlying structure through factor analysis, the motivesof private actors have been divided into four groups such as financial, market-related,capacity building and social and political motives. According to the results of the analysis,private actors participating in short-term transnational PPPs consider financial motives asless important than capacity building, social and political and market-related motives.ivComparisons of the most important motives indicated by private actors have not detectedconsiderable differences depending on the types of PPPs. As identified through regressionanalysis, the influence of capacity building and market-related motives of private actors onthe achievement of overall purpose of partnership is positive, while their financial motivesaffect negatively the result of short-term transnational PPPs.

O trabalho apresenta uma modificação do modelo do número de onda cumulativo (CW – Cumulative Wavenumber) para atender ao balanço de energia na determinação da transferência radiante de gases participantes não uniformes. De um modo geral, o modelo CW fornece resultados que se mostram precisos para o divergente do fluxo de calor radiante (ou taxa volumétrica de geração de energia) quando comparados à solução benchmark (integração linhapor- linha). No entanto, conforme é apresentado nesta pesquisa, uma hipótese importante feita pelo modelo o torna não conservativo e, não garantindo o balanço de energia radiante quando um meio não uniforme é considerado. Como conseqüência, o fluxo de calor radiante pode apresentar desvios consideráveis em relação à solução exata. O modelo do número de onda cumulativo modificado (CWM) foi desenvolvido de forma a manter o mesmo valor para a taxa volumétrica de geração de energia, mas satisfazendo ao balanço de energia radiante. O modelo CWM é aplicado juntamente com o método das ordenadas discretas para resolver a transferência de calor radiante em sistemas unidimensionais formados por placas planas infinitas e paralelas, contendo camadas uniformes e não uniformes de gases típicos da combustão de metano ou óleo combustível. As paredes são negras para a radiação térmica. A aquisição de dados das linhas de absorção espectrais é feita pela utilização dos bancos de dados HITRAN e HITEMP. São apresentados os bancos de dados, bem como a forma em que é efetuada a extração destes e, posteriormente, a elaboração dos espectros de absorção das espécies químicas. São analisados meios uniformes (isotérmicos e homogêneos) primeiramente, evidenciando que o modelo original (CW) não apresenta problemas nesses casos. Posteriormente, meios não uniformes (nãoisotérmicos e homogêneos; ou não-isotérmicos e não homogêneos) são avaliados. Os resultados para ambos os modelos, CW e CWM, são comparados com a solução linha-por-linha (LBL). Casos com diferentes perfis de temperatura e concentração da espécie química são considerados. A solução a partir da nova metodologia se apresentou mais dispendiosa computacionalmente devido ao acréscimo de novos passos iterativos. Os resultados mostram que o CWM leva a resultados mais precisos para o fluxo de calor radiante, satisfazendo ao balanço de energia com um desvio que se deve principalmente à discretização espacial da equação de transporte radiante. / This work presents a modification of the cumulative wavenumber (CW) method to determine the radiative transfer in non-uniform participating gases to enforce the radiative energy balance to be satisfied. In particular, the CW model leads to results for the divergent radiative heat flux (or radiative volumetric heat source) that proved accurate in comparison to the benchmark solution ( LBL integration) for non-isothermal medium. However, as will be shown in this work, one important assumption of the method prevents it of satisfying the radiative energy balance when a non uniform medium is considered. As consequence, the radiative heat flux can present considerable deviation of the correct solution. The modified cumulative wavenumber (CWM) model was developed to keep the same value of the radiative volumetric heat source, but also to satisfy the radiative energy balance. The CWM model is applied together with the discrete ordinates method to solve the radiation heat transfer in a one-dimentional slab containing a uniform/non-uniform layer of typical gases from the methane or fuel oil combustion. The walls are black for the thermal radiation. The HITRAN and HITEMP are used to extract the spectral lines information that is required for modeling. The database are briefly presented as well as the procedure that is used to extract the data and the spectra drawing. Firstly, uniform media (isothermal and homogeneous) are analyzed proving that the original model (CW) presents accurate results in those cases. Next, non-uniform media (non-isothermal and homogeneous; or non-isothermal and non-homogeneous) are taken into account. The results of both the CW and the CWM modeling are compared to the benchmark line-by-line (LBL) integration. Different temperature and concentration profiles are considered. The solution obtained from the new model presents an increase in the computational time due to the insertion of new iterative loops. The results show that the CWM leads to accurate estimation of both the radiative heat flux and volumetric heat source, satisfying the radiative energy balance with an error that is mostly due to the spatial discretization of the radiative transfer equation.