Surface coal mining has altered Appalachian landscapes, affecting water quality and aquatic ecology. Valley fills created from excess overburden are prominent features of many mined landscapes. Increased total dissolved solids (TDS), as measured by its surrogate specific conductance (SC), is a significant water quality concern related to the exposure of fresh mineral surfaces to weathering in valley fills. Specific conductance levels in waters draining Appalachian mined areas are highly variable, yet the causes for this variability are not well known. Here we sought to improve understanding of such variability by investigating the interior subsurface structure and hydrologic flowpaths within a series of valley fills and relating that to valley fill characteristics such as age and construction method. We used electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to investigate the subsurface structure of four valley fills in two dimensions. We combined ERI with artificial rainfall to investigate the location and transit time of hydrologic preferential infiltration flowpaths through the fills. Finally, we used our ERI results in conjunction with SC data from effluent streams to improve understanding of SC relationship to fill flowpaths and characteristics. ERI results indicated considerable variability in substrate type and widespread presence of preferential infiltration flowpaths among the valley fills studied. We estimated an average preferential flowpath length of 6.6 meters, average transit time of 1.4 hours, and average velocity of 5.1 m/h or 0.14 cm/s through preferential infiltration flowpaths. ERI successfully distinguished fills constructed using methods of conventional loose-dump and experimental controlled-material compacted-lift construction. Conventional fills had greater ranges of subsurface resistivity, indicating a wider range of substrate types and/or more variable moisture content. Conventional fills also showed more accumulation of water within the fill during artificial rainfall, possibly indicating more quick/deep preferential infiltration flowpaths than in the experimental fill. Relationships between other fill characteristics as well as stream effluent SC were not related in a statistically significant way to fill structure or flowpaths. ERI appears to be a robust non-invasive technique that provides reliable information on valley fill structure and hydrology, and experimental compacted-lift valley fill construction produces significantly altered hydrologic response, which in turn affects downstream SC. / MS / Surface coal mining has altered Appalachian landscapes, affecting water quality and aquatic ecology. Valley fills created from excess mine spoil are prominent features of many mined landscapes. The streams draining valley fills often have very poor water quality, including high levels of increased total dissolved solids (TDS) related to weathering of mine spoils within valley fills. In this work, we investigated the subsurface structure of a series of valley fills and identified preferential hydrologic flowpaths, which are the “paths of least resistance” water follows for rapid infiltration. We related our results to various valley fill characteristics such as age and construction method. We found that the subsurface of a conventionally built fill tends to have more variation in material and/or moisture content than a fill built with an experimental construction method. Conventional fills also showed more accumulation of water within the fill during artificial rainfall experiments, possibly indicating more quick/deep preferential infiltration flowpaths than in the experimental fill.

Preferential flow pathways (PFPs) are an export pathway for phosphorus (P) from forest soils. Within the scope of this work, the translocation of P into the subsoil with the potential of P export was investigated. For this purpose, experiments were conducted at three beech sites with different levels of soil P stock in Germany. Mitterfels (MIT) is a hillslope site in the Bavarian Forest (Southeast Germany). The predominant soil type is a Cambisol, which has developed on paragneiss. The P stocks here are comparatively high. Buchhübel (BUH) is located in the Tharandt Forest (Eastern Germany). The site is characterized by fluvially deposited sands, loess loam and basalt. From these, Cambisols have developed. Sandy deposits dominate the profiles investigated at the site, which is why the phosphorus supply here is low. Lüss (LUE) is located in the Lüneburg Heath (North German Lowlands). The parent material is a sandy till, from which Cambisols have developed. The site is characterized by low P stocks. In addition to the initial experiments, a nutrient manipulation experiment was conducted at two of those sites, MIT and LUE. Here, nitrogen (N), P and N+P were each applied to an experimental plot. The experimental setup is the same on all plots: To collect preferential flow (PF), zero-tension lysimeters were installed at different soil depths (below the mineral topsoil and at two positions in the subsoil). Before the experiments, an extended dry period was simulated by covering the area above the instruments. Following the drying of the soil, a heavy rainfall event was simulated by spreading artificial rainwater evenly over the test area. Preferential flow water was sampled and subsequently analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in the laboratory. The focus of the analyses was on P and its fractions. Total P (TP) as well as dissolved inorganic P (DIP), dissolved organic P (DOP) and particle-associated P (PP) were analyzed. The P loads were calculated from the concentrations and the sample volumes. The highest concentrations of P in preferential flow water were found in the upper lysimeters below the mineral topsoil. With increasing sampling depth, the collected P concentrations decreased. In the upper samplers, mainly high concentrations of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) were measured, while in the middle samplers particle-associated phosphorus (PP) dominates. In the lower position samplers (lower subsoil), only little PF could be sampled. In line with the high concentrations in the topsoil, the highest loads of P, especially DIP, were also found there. In the middle samplers, high loads of PP were observed. In the examined fractions, dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) played only a minor role. In the course of the nutrient manipulation experiment, the observed P dynamics in the PF were related to the initial P contents of the soils of each site. Both the concentrations and the loads differ more clearly between the sites than by the respective nutrient manipulations. This is also confirmed by the statistical analysis. However, at all sites the standard deviations of the results were very high due to the strong heterogeneity of preferential flow in forest soils. In this work, it is shown that zero-tension lysimeters are suitable for sampling PF in forest soils and to assess concentrations as well as loads of different P fractions in PF. Especially the possibility to sample PP is relevant for P budgets in forest ecosystems. In addition, first data on P fraction loads in PF in forest soil could be obtained. It has been shown that at low P sites, P losses from the topsoil are prevented despite large mobilization in the topsoil. At the same time, the potential for P translocation by PFP, especially in the fraction PP, could be detected. This potential should be further explored. From the manipulation experiments there was no indication of an influence of changing nutrient conditions on P in PF. However, the number of samples was very limited, so further studies would be necessary to generalize this statement. / Präferenzielle Fließwege (PFP) sind ein Exportweg für Phosphor (P) aus Waldböden. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde die Verlagerung von P in den Unterboden mit dem Potenzial des P-Exports untersucht. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Versuche an drei Buchenstandorten mit unterschiedlichem P-Vorrat im Boden in Deutschland durchgeführt. Mitterfels (MIT) ist an einem Hang im Bayerischen Wald (Südostdeutschland) gelegen. Der vorherrschende Bodentyp ist eine Braunerde, die sich auf Paragneis entwickelt hat. Die P-Vorräte sind hier vergleichsweise hoch. Der Standort Buchhübel (BUH) befindet sich im Tharandter Wald (Ostdeutschland). Er ist durch fluvial abgelagerte Sande, Lösslehm und Basalt gekennzeichnet. Aus diesen haben sich Braunerden entwickelt. In den untersuchten Profilen des Standortes dominieren sandige Ablagerungen, weshalb die P-Versorgung hier gering ist. Lüss (LUE) befindet sich in der Lüneburger Heide (Norddeutsches Tiefland). Das Ausgangsmaterial ist ein sandiger Geschiebelehm, aus dem sich Braunerden entwickelt haben. Der Standort ist durch geringe P-Vorräte gekennzeichnet. Zusätzlich zu den ursprünglichen Versuchen wurde an zwei dieser Standorte, MIT und LUE, ein Experiment zur Nährstoffmanipulation durchgeführt. Dabei wurden Stickstoff (N), P und N+P jeweils auf eine Versuchsparzelle ausgebracht. Der Versuchsaufbau war auf allen Parzellen gleich: Zur Erfassung des präferentiellen Flusses (PF) wurden spannungsfreie Lysimeter in verschiedenen Bodentiefen (unter dem mineralischen Oberboden und in zwei Tiefenstufen im Unterboden) installiert. Vor den Versuchen wurde eine längere Trockenperiode simuliert, indem die Fläche über den Messgeräten abgedeckt wurde. Nach Austrocknung des Bodens wurde ein Starkregenereignis simuliert, indem künstliches Regenwasser gleichmäßig über die Testfläche verteilt wurde. Das mit den Lysimetern erfasste Sickerwasser wurde beprobt und anschließend im Labor qualitativ und quantitativ analysiert. Der Schwerpunkt der Analysen lag auf P und seinen Fraktionen. Es wurden der Gesamt-P (TP) sowie der gelöste anorganische P (DIP), der gelöste organische P (DOP) und der partikelassoziierte P (PP) analysiert. Die P-Frachten wurden aus den Konzentrationen und den Probenmengen berechnet. Die höchsten P-Konzentrationen wurden im PF der oberen Lysimetern gefunden und damit im Übergang vom mineralischen Oberboden zum Unterboden. Mit zunehmender Beprobungstiefe wurden abnehmende P-Konzentrationen beobachtet. In den oberen Lysimeters wurden hauptsächlich hohe Konzentrationen von DIP gemessen, während im Unterboden PP dominiert. In den tiefsten Lysimetern im Unterboden konnte nur wenig PF erfasst werden, da die Sickerwassermengen zur Beprobung nicht ausreichten. Übereinstimmend mit den hohen Konzentrationen im Oberboden wurden dort auch die höchsten P-Frachten, insbesondere von DIP, festgestellt. In den Lysimetern in mittlerer Tiefe wurden hohe Frachten an PP festgestellt. DOP spielte von den untersuchten Fraktionen nur eine geringe Rolle. Im Nährstoffmanipulationsexperiment wurde die P-Dynamik im PF in Bezug zu den P-Vorräten der einzelnen Standorte gesetzt. Sowohl die Konzentrationen als auch die Frachten unterscheiden sich deutlicher zwischen den Standorten als durch die jeweiligen Nährstoffmanipulationen. Dies wird auch durch die statistische Analyse bestätigt. Allerdings sind die Standardabweichungen der Ergebnisse an allen Standorten aufgrund der starken Heterogenität der Fließwege in Waldböden sehr hoch. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass spannungsfreie Lysimeter für die Beprobung von PF und die Erfassung sowohl von Konzentrationen als auch von Frachten verschiedener P-Fraktionen geeignet sind. Darüber hinaus konnten erste Daten über die mittels PF im Boden verlagerten P-Frachten gewonnen werden. Es wurde deutlich, dass an P-armen Standorten P-Verluste aus dem Oberboden trotz hoher Mobilisierung verhindert werden. Gleichzeitig konnte das Potenzial für eine P-Verlagerung durch PFP, insbesondere in der Fraktion PP, nachgewiesen werden. Dieses Potenzial sollte weiter erforscht werden. Die Manipulationsexperimente ergaben keinen Hinweis auf einen Einfluss der veränderten Nährstoffbedingungen auf den P-Gehalt in PF. Allerdings war die Zahl der Proben sehr begrenzt, so dass weitere Studien erforderlich sind, um diese Aussage zu verallgemeinern.

This master thesis deals with the origin of goods which is one of the key concepts in international trade. The origin of goods signifies the country where were acquired and processed. The country of origin is defined by the rules of origin and then it could be preferential or non-preferential. The first aim of this work is to explain correct proof and determination of the origin of goods, especially the emphasis is put on preferential origin of goods in the EU. The cumulation of goods is an important part of this thesis that plays the role by the producer's decision from where certain materials would be imported. The entry of the Czech Republic to the European Union stood for the acceptance of the common trade policy but also the Czech customs administration and customs policy as a whole were transformed. The final part of the work is dedicated to their competences and responsibilities.

Bei der Suche nach einem geologischen Tiefenlager für radioaktive Abfälle müssen alle Risiken für die Integrität des Endlagers und die Sicherheit der umgebenden Biosphäre berücksichtigt werden. Nach der Einlagerung radioaktiver Abfälle kommt es durch verschiedene chemische und physikalische Prozesse innerhalb des Endlagers zur Gasbildung. Die kontinuierliche Gasbildung kann den Gasdruck im verschlossenen Endlager erheblich erhöhen. Das Multibarrierensystem des Endlagers, das häufig aus tonhaltigen Materialien besteht, verhindert, dass sich das Gas verflüchtigt. Die Auswirkungen eines hohen Gasdrucks und die damit verbundenen mechanischen Verformungen können sich negativ auf das Barrieresystem des Endlagers auswirken. Ein genaues Verständnis und die Reproduzierbarkeit der gekoppelten Prozesse ist daher unerlässlich.\\ Experimentelle Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Gasmigration bei hohen Gasdrücken über lokal begrenzte, preferentielle Strömungs-pfade erfolgt. In dieser Arbeit wurden verschiedene numerische Ansätze entwickelt, um diese Strömungspfade in numerischen Modellen effektiv zu reproduzieren. Ein entwickelter Ansatz nutzt mikroskalige Eigenschaften, die aus Messungen der Porengrößendichte gewonnen werden. Diese werden hochskaliert und in die Eigenschaften des porösen Mediums integriert. Darüber hinaus ist ein bimodales Porenmodell entwickelt worden, das speziell das dehnungsabhängige Wasserrückhaltevermögen beschreibt und einen verringerten Gaseintrittsdruck und erhöhten Anteil der Makroporosität simulieren kann. Die Simulationsmethoden beinhalten zusätzlich die Verwendung von dehnungsabhängigen Permeabilitätsmodellen für die implizite Darstellung der Strömungspfade. Diese Modellierungsansätze werden dann zur Simulation verschiedener Experimente angewandt, wodurch ein detaillierter Vergleich zwischen berechneten Parametern und experimentellen Ergebnissen ermöglicht wird.\\ Die mit dem Open-Source-Code OpenGeoSys durchgeführten Simulationen zeigen, dass bestimmte Merkmale der Gasmigration durch gesättigten Bentonit oder Tonstein erfolgreich reproduziert werden können. Heterogene Verteilungen der Materialeigenschaften können genutzt werden, um bevorzugte Strömungspfade und plötzliche Gasdurchbrüche zu simulieren. Eine Kombination aus dehnungsabhängigen Modifikationen der intrinsischen Permeabilität und der Wasserrückhalte-kurve ermöglicht eine verbesserte Modellierung impliziter präferentieller Pfade. Das sich daraus ergebende tiefere Verständnis der zugrundeliegenden Prozesse der Gasmigration kann das Sicherheitsanalyse für ein geologisches Tiefenlager für radioaktive Stoffe verbessern.:I Background 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Motivation 2 1.2 Objectives 4 1.3 Structure 5 II Theory and Numerics 2 GEOTECHNICAL CONTEXT AND FLUID TRANSPORT 2.1 Deep Geological Repository 9 2.2 Gas production in a DGR 11 2.2.1 Anaerobic metal corrosion 12 2.2.2 Water radiolysis 12 2.2.3 Biodegradation 13 2.3 Fluid transport mechanisms 13 2.3.1 Unsaturated initial conditions 13 2.3.2 Saturated initial conditions 14 2.3.2.1 Advective or diffusive transport of dissolved gas 14 2.3.2.2 Visco-capillary two-phase flow 16 2.3.2.3 Dilatancy-controlled gas flow 18 2.3.2.4 Fracture-controlled gas flow 19 3 NUMERICS AND METHODOLOGY 3.1 Balance equations 21 3.2 Mechanical models 23 3.3 Enhanced permeability functions 24 3.4 Spatial heterogeneity 27 3.5 Bimodal water retention in bentonite 29 4 APPLICATION AND MODEL DESCRIPTION 36 4.1 Application within the DECOVALEX Project 36 4.1.1 Task A – COx claystone 37 4.1.2 Task B – MX-80 Bentonite 38 4.2 Additional gas flow tests 40 III Simulations 5 RESULTS OF GAS FLOW TESTS WITH MX-80 BENTONITE 5.1 Heterogeneous Gas Entry Pressure from Measurements (Paper I) 45 5.2 Bimodal Heterogeneous Gas Entry Pressure (Paper II) 46 5.3 Strain-dependent Bimodal Water Retention Model (Paper III) 47 5.4 Strain-dependent Pore-Model with Heterogeneity 48 6 RESULTS OF GAS FLOW TESTS WITH COX CLAYSTONE (PAPER IV) 51 7 DISCUSSION 53 IV Summary 8 CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK 57 A APPENDIX A 72 A.1 List of Publications 72 B APPENDIX B B.1 Paper I 75 B.2 Paper II 87 B.3 Paper III 109 B.4 Paper IV 121 / In the search for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste, all risks to the integrity of the repository and the safety of the surrounding biosphere must be considered. Following the emplacement of radioactive waste, various chemical and physical processes within the repository induce gas generation. Continuous gas generation can significantly increase the gas pressure in the sealed repository. The repository's multi-barrier system, which often consists of clayey materials such as clayrock and bentonite, prevents the gas from dissipating. The resulting high gas pressure and the associated mechanical deformations can have a negative impact on the multi-barrier system of the repository, e.g. by creating fluid pathways. A sufficiently precise understanding and reproducibility of the processes associated with gas migration through clayey materials is therefore essential for the safety analysis of a repository for radioactive waste.\\ Experimental evidence suggests that, under high gas pressure, gas migration predominantly occurs through localized, preferential pathways characterised by spontaneous breakthroughs. In this work, various numerical approaches have been developed to effectively reproduce these pathways in numerical models. One developed approach utilises microscale properties obtained from measurements of pore size density. These are upscaled and integrated into the properties of the porous medium. Additionally, a bimodal pore model is developed specifically to capture strain-dependent water retention, allowing the simulation of gas entry pressure reduction and macroporosity increase within preferential pathways. The simulation methods include the use of strain-dependent permeability models for the implicit representation of these pathways. These modelling approaches are then applied to replicate different experiments, allowing a detailed comparison between calculated parameters and experimental results.\\ The simulations, performed with the open-source code OpenGeoSys, show that certain features of gas migration through saturated bentonite or claystone can be successfully reproduced. Heterogeneous distributions of material properties can be used to simulate preferential pathways and sudden gas breakthroughs. A combination of permeability models as well as strain-dependent modifications of the intrinsic permeability and the water retention curve provide opportunities for improved modelling of implicit preferential pathways. The resulting deeper understanding of the underlying processes of gas migration can strengthen the safety case for a deep geological repository for radioactive materials.:I Background 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Motivation 2 1.2 Objectives 4 1.3 Structure 5 II Theory and Numerics 2 GEOTECHNICAL CONTEXT AND FLUID TRANSPORT 2.1 Deep Geological Repository 9 2.2 Gas production in a DGR 11 2.2.1 Anaerobic metal corrosion 12 2.2.2 Water radiolysis 12 2.2.3 Biodegradation 13 2.3 Fluid transport mechanisms 13 2.3.1 Unsaturated initial conditions 13 2.3.2 Saturated initial conditions 14 2.3.2.1 Advective or diffusive transport of dissolved gas 14 2.3.2.2 Visco-capillary two-phase flow 16 2.3.2.3 Dilatancy-controlled gas flow 18 2.3.2.4 Fracture-controlled gas flow 19 3 NUMERICS AND METHODOLOGY 3.1 Balance equations 21 3.2 Mechanical models 23 3.3 Enhanced permeability functions 24 3.4 Spatial heterogeneity 27 3.5 Bimodal water retention in bentonite 29 4 APPLICATION AND MODEL DESCRIPTION 36 4.1 Application within the DECOVALEX Project 36 4.1.1 Task A – COx claystone 37 4.1.2 Task B – MX-80 Bentonite 38 4.2 Additional gas flow tests 40 III Simulations 5 RESULTS OF GAS FLOW TESTS WITH MX-80 BENTONITE 5.1 Heterogeneous Gas Entry Pressure from Measurements (Paper I) 45 5.2 Bimodal Heterogeneous Gas Entry Pressure (Paper II) 46 5.3 Strain-dependent Bimodal Water Retention Model (Paper III) 47 5.4 Strain-dependent Pore-Model with Heterogeneity 48 6 RESULTS OF GAS FLOW TESTS WITH COX CLAYSTONE (PAPER IV) 51 7 DISCUSSION 53 IV Summary 8 CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK 57 A APPENDIX A 72 A.1 List of Publications 72 B APPENDIX B B.1 Paper I 75 B.2 Paper II 87 B.3 Paper III 109 B.4 Paper IV 121

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Paul E. Smith / In the study of biological systems, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have played an important role in providing atomic details for phenomena of interest. The force field used in MD simulations is a critical factor determining the quality of the simulations. Recently, Kirkwood-Buff (KB) theory has been applied to study preferential interactions and to develop a new force field. KB theory provides a path from quantities determined from simulation data to the corresponding thermodynamic data. Here we combine KB theory and molecular simulations to study a variety of intermolecular interactions in solution. First, recent results concerning the formulation and evaluation of preferential interactions in biological systems in terms of KB integrals are presented. In particular, experimental and simulated preferential interactions of a cosolvent with a biomolecule in the presence of water are described. Second, a force field for the computer simulation of aqueous solutions of amides is presented. The force field is designed to reproduce the experimentally observed density and KB integrals for N-methylacetamide (NMA), allowing for an accurate description of the NMA activity. Other properties such as the translational diffusion constant and heat of mixing are also well reproduced. The force field is then extended to include N,N'-dimethylacetamide and acetamide with good success. The models presented here provide a basis for an accurate force field for peptides and proteins. Comparison between the developed KB force fields (KBFF) and existing force fields is performed for amide and glycine and proves that the KBFF approach is competitive. Also, explicit expressions are developed for the chemical potential derivatives, partial molar volumes, and isothermal compressibility of solution mixtures involving four components at finite concentrations using the KB theory of solutions. A general recursion relationship is also provided which can be used to generate the chemical potential derivatives for higher component solutions. Finally, a pairwise preferential interaction model (PPIM), described by KB integrals is developed to quantify and characterize the interactions between functional groups observed in peptides.

Preferential weld corrosion (PWC) remains a major operational challenge that jeopardizes the integrity of oil and gas production facilities. It is the selective dissolution of metal associated with welds, such that the weld metal (WM) and / or the adjacent heat-affected zone (HAZ) corrode rather than the parent metal (PM). Corrosion inhibition is conventionally used to mitigate this problem however several indications suggest that some corrosion inhibitors may increase PWC. Furthermore, it is not possible to detect systems that are susceptible to PWC and or to understand the apparent ineffectiveness of some corrosion inhibitors at high flow rates. Consequently, the aim of this research is to assess the suitability of submerged jet impingement method to study flow accelerated preferential weld corrosion, which is critical to safe and economic operations of offshore oil and gas facilities. In this research, a submerged jet-impingement flow loop was used to investigate corrosion control of X65 steel weldment in flowing brine, saturated with carbon dioxide at 1 bar, and containing a typical oilfield corrosion inhibitor. A novel jet-impingement target was constructed from samples of parent material, heat affected zone and weld metal, and subjected to flowing brine at velocities up to 10 ms- 1 , to give a range of hydrodynamic conditions from stagnation to high turbulence. The galvanic currents between the electrodes in each hydrodynamic zone were recorded using zero-resistance ammeters and their self-corrosion rates were measured using the linear polarisation technique. At low flow rates, the galvanic currents were small and in some cases the weld metal and heat affected zone were partially protected by the sacrificial corrosion of the parent material. However, at higher flow rates the galvanic currents increased but some current reversals were observed, leading to accelerated corrosion of the weld region. The most severe corrosion occurred when oxygen was deliberately admitted into the flow loop to simulate typical oilfield conditions. The results are explained in terms of the selective removal of the inhibitor film from different regions of the weldment at high flow rates and the corrosion mechanism in the presence of oxygen is discussed.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The objectives of this study were: To review and understand flow and transport processes in unsaturated zones. In this study, particular emphasis is placed on understanding mechanisms that cause non-uniform (preferential) flow for two casestudies, namely the Cape Flats sandy environment and the Mpumalanga Highveld fractured rock environment. To evaluate the adequacy of models, in particular MACRO 5.0, in simulating flow and transport in the vadose zone, by making use of two case study sites (Cape Flats and Mpumalanga Highveld). Of particular importance is the evaluation of transfer coefficients to represent fluid and solute exchange between macropores and matrix. To run a sensitivity analysis with MACRO 5.0 in order determine which input model parameters are the most relevant in describing the effects of preferential flow in water and solute transport.

Esta tese aborda o desenvolvimento da regulação internacional sobre o comércio de serviços educacionais, em especial nos acordos preferenciais de comércio de Austrália, Chile, China, Cingapura, Estados Unidos, Índia e União Europeia. O seu objetivo foi avaliar o atual nível de liberalização comercial da educação superior no plano global, de modo que sua compatibilidade com o direito à educação pudesse ser criticamente analisada, assim como os seus possíveis impactos sobre a regulação da educação superior no Brasil. Para tanto, a pesquisa começa pela realização de entrevistas com atores que acompanham o processo de comercialização da educação superior no Brasil. Os passos seguintes envolvem a compreensão do funcionamento das disciplinas internacionais sobre o comércio de serviços, da formulação das posições no processo negociador e, finalmente, dos compromissos em serviços de educação superior em acordos preferenciais de comércio. Uma primeira hipótese é de que, mesmo sem acordos de comércio, o mercado brasileiro já se encontra significativamente liberalizado no que diz respeito aos investimentos estrangeiros em educação superior, sem qualquer restrição ao ingresso de capital internacional. Ainda assim, a regulação internacional do comércio de serviços aprofundaria esse processo a partir da ideia de consolidação do marco regulatório liberal doméstico e de mecanismos que conduzem à aceleração do processo de liberalização comercial. / This thesis analyses the development of international regulation on trade in educational services, especially in preferential trade agreements signed by Australia, Chile, China, Singapore, United States, India and the European Union. The goal was to determine a parameter of the current global level of trade liberalization on higher education, so that the compatibility between trade agreements and the right to education could be critically examined, as well as their possible impacts on the regulation of higher education in Brazil. Therefore, the research began by conducting interviews with professionals that accompany the commercialization process in the Brazilian higher education sector. The following steps involved understanding the operation of international disciplines on trade in services, the formulation of positions in the negotiating process, and finally, the commitments on higher education services in preferential trade agreements. A first hypothesis is that, even without trade agreements, the Brazilian market is already significantly liberalized regarding foreign investment on higher education, without any restriction on the inflow of international capital. Even so, international regulation on trade in services would deepen this process from an idea of consolidation of a liberal domestic regulatory framework and mechanisms leading to accelerate trade liberalization process.

O artigo analisa os capítulos sobre propriedade intelectual dos acordos preferenciais de comércio firmados pelos Estados Unidos com países da América Latina na década de 2000, discutindo tanto as motivações do país para a assinatura dos mesmos (e inserindo tal discussão em um framework teórico) quanto as implicações dos acordos para os direitos de propriedade intelectual de seus signatários. Nesse sentido, apresenta algumas teorias acerca das características intrínsecas a instituições internacionais multilaterais, em contraste com as bilaterais e regionais; tais teorias afirmam que os estados, ao lidarem com resultados indesejados de características institucionais, modificam instituições (ou criam novas instituições) de acordo com seus objetivos. Em seguida, apresenta o resultado de um levantamento bibliográfico acerca das motivações estadunidenses para a assinatura dos mencionados acordos preferenciais de comércio, com ênfase nas relacionadas aos direitos de propriedade intelectual; tal resultado é complementado com a análise dos documentos primários pertinentes. Por fim, compara o conteúdo dos mencionados capítulos entre si; também os compara com o Acordo TRIPS da OMC. O artigo conclui que as motivações estadunidenses coincidem com as expectativas teóricas; que os capítulos analisados são substancialmente diferentes do Acordo TRIPS; que eles contêm diversas diferenças entre si (as quais são, em parte, decorrentes de exigências do legislativo estadunidense); e que ainda há espaço para pesquisas sobre a política comercial estadunidense praticada no período, no que tange à sua interface com os direitos de propriedade intelectual. / The article analyzes the intellectual property rights chapters of the preferential trade agreements signed by the United States with Latin American countries during the 2000s, discussing both the country\'s reasons for signing such agreements (and inserting such discussion in a theoretical framework) and their implications to the intellectual property rights of its signatories. In this regard, it presents some theories about the features intrinsic to the multilateral international institutions, when contrasted with the bilateral and regional ones; such theories claim that states, when dealing with undesired effects of institutional features, modify institutions (or create new ones), in accordance with their objectives. Then, the article presents the findings of a literature review about the U.S. reasons for signing the aforementioned preferential trade agreements, emphasizing those reasons related to intellectual property rights; such findings are complemented by the analysis of the pertinent primary documents. Finally, it compares the content of the chapters with each other; it also compares them with the WTO TRIPS Agreement. It concludes that the U.S. reasons presented coincide with the theoretical expectations; that the analyzed chapters are substantially different from the TRIPS Agreement; that the chapters have many differences with each other (which are, in part, due to U.S. Congress requirements); and that there is still room for new researches on the U.S. trade policy practiced during the analyzed period, when it comes to its interface with intellectual property rights.

A América do Sul, na história recente, foi palco de diversas ações de integração regional relacionadas ao comércio, influenciando os posicionamentos dos países em matéria de políticas de comércio interncional bem como formando um emaranhado de relações que se sobrepõe muitas vezes de formas antagônicas. Neste contexto, a presente dissertação aborda o histórico das principais blocos regionais que envolvem a América do Sul como base para mostrar a atual fragmentação deste subcontinente em três visões principais de política de comércio internacional, sendo uma visão intermediária caracterizada pelo Brasil e acompanhada pelos membros do MERCOSUL em uma vertente regional-multilateralista. Em um extremo estão Venezuela, Equador e Bolívia, representantes da ALBA, com seus governos de posicionamento extremo-nacionalista. E em posição antagônica a estes estão Chile, Peru e Colômbia, que conformam o eixo liberal-bilateralista. Objetivando comprovar que há uma tendência de fortalecimento da visão liberal-bilateralista na região será feito um estudo com base nas suas principais formas de atuação, ou seja, por meio da análise de Acordos Preferenciais de Comércio, mais especificamente FTAs bilaterais celebrados com países de distintas regiões com foco especial ao período imediatamente após a eclosão da crise de 2008, de 2009-2014. Finalmente, se a hipótese se confirmar, restando evidenciada a retomada do posicionamento bilateralista, após período de predominância da visão multilateralista na América do Sul, é importante apontar os desafios para o Brasil neste cenário. / South America, in recent history, has had several regional integration actions related to trade, influencing the countries positions in terms of international trade policies as well as forming a tangle of relationships that often overlaps with contrary views. In this context, this thesis addresses the history of the main regional blocs involving South America as a basis to show the current fragmentation of this subcontinent in three main views of international trade policy, with an intermediate vision characterized by Brazil and followed also by members of the MERCOSUR in a regional-multilateralist position. At one extreme, the countries Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia, ALBA representatives, present their extreme-nationalist position. And in an antagonistic position, Chile, Peru and Colombia constitute the liberal-bilateralist axis. In order to prove that there is a trend towards the strengthening of the liberal-bilateralist vision in the region, a research based on analysis of Preferential Trade Agreements will be held, focusing bilateral FTAs concluded with different countries regions with special attention to the period immediately after the outbreak of the 2008 crisis, from 2009 to 2014. Finally, if the hypothesis is confirmed, demonstrating the resumption of the bilateralist position after a period in which the multilateralist vision was predominant in South America, it is important to point the challenges of this scenario for Brazil.