L’ouverture à la concurrence du transport de fret ferroviaire en Europe entraîne des évolutions de structures significatives. La SNCF - opérateur historique – doit engager une mutation sans précédent. De nouveaux opérateurs s’implantent en France et doivent recruter et former du personnel. Dans un premier temps, le fonctionnement de ces nouveaux acteurs s’effectue principalement grâce à du personnel retraité de la SNCF. On assiste également à la création d’Opérateurs Ferroviaires de Proximité (OFP). Ces entités, généralement de petite taille, viennent compléter le travail effectué par les entreprises ferroviaires sur des dessertes terminales. Les OFP ont également besoin de compétences ferroviaires. Notre recherche porte donc sur les moyens nécessaires pour construire des compétences ferroviaires dans le respect des principes de sécurité et en intégrant le fonctionnement spécifique des structures OFP. La création d’une structure virtuelle peut contribuer à l’identification et la construction de compétences ferroviaires. / The opening to compétition of rail freight in Europe leads to significant changes in structures. The SNCF, incumbent, must commit unprecedented change. New operators setting up in France and need to recruit and train staff. At first, these new operators mainly use SNCF retired staff. Furthermore, Short Lines establishing are observed. These entities, generally small, complement the work of railway undertakings for the last kilometres. Short Lines also need skills rail. Our research focuses on necessary means to acquire skills rail in accordance with safety principles and by working according to Short Lines specific operating. Virtual structure creation can help skills rail identification and définition.

Apresentamos neste trabalho uma investigação acerca de algumas das condições que compõem as aplicações da chamada Educação a Distância no Brasil. Interessa-nos, em particular, descobrir as potencialidades desta modalidade de ensino-aprendizagem que se dão através do uso de computadores atrelados à Internet. Porém, optamos por adotar uma perspectiva imanente de investigação, que engloba uma multiplicidade de questões que atravessam a Educação como um todo e não somente o seu modo de operação à distância. Para tanto, nós realizamos uma espécie de cartografia mezzo-histórica do ensinar-aprender à distância no nosso país com o intuito de mostrar como é longa a distância entre as primeiras experiências em Educação a Distância e o cenário atual propício a estas práticas. Discutimos a apropriação de técnicas, tecnologias e usos que ocorrem em meio a linhas políticas, econômicas, pedagógicas e, sobretudo, éticas, constituindo algumas das condições cruciais à invenção e captura deste modo de fazer educacional. Analisamos alguns dos possíveis impactos na Educação a Distância vigente em nosso país que são efeito do ressentimento oriundo do contínuo e inacabável processo de Globalização, que afeta diferentes segmentos da nossa sociedade, não deixando de forma alguma ilesos os processos de ensino-aprendizagem contemporâneos. Frente a esta conjectura, nós avançamos na tentativa de verificar até que ponto é possível extrair potências da suposta fragilidade imposta pela política neoliberal nos dias de hoje, amparados pelas pistas deixadas pelo trabalho de Deleuze e de Foucault no movimento que vai das Sociedades Disciplinares às de Controle misturadas às alternativas apontadas pelo que se convém denominar Capitalismo Cognitivo. As condições de experiência e de produção de sentido(s) possíveis em processos de Educação a Distância são problematizadas através da fabricação dos conceitos de distância, proximidade e velocidade, por um percurso que nos posiciona entre as duas margens mais comuns na discussão sobre esta referida modalidade de ensino-aprendizagem, que são compostas de um lado por entusiastas e de outro pelos algozes críticos. Apresentamos ainda neste estudo algumas noções de rede, considerando as suas possíveis conceituações, seja como parafernália técnica que viabiliza conexões informáticas, permitindo a comunicação na Internet, seja como modo de mobilização de coletivos que buscam a multiplicação de sentidos em suas práticas. Apostamos na capacidade inerente às redes de aumentar consideravelmente a potência de ação dos coletivos envolvidos com práticas de ensino-aprendizagem à distância, através da implementação de estratégias e táticas micropolíticas, conforme inspiração na análise acerca do processo de invenção do cotidiano registrado na obra de Michel de Certeau. / At this work we present an investigation about some of the conditions that make possible the applications of the Distance Education in Brazil in order to discover the potential of this teaching/learning method that occur through the use of computers linked to the Internet. However, we choose to adopt an immanent perspective in research, which includes a multiplicity of issues that cross the Education as a whole, and not just its distance operation mode. We build some kind of historical cartography of the Distance Education practices in our country considering their political, economical, educational and, above all, ethical lines of constitution. We have reviewed some of the impacts on Distance Education in our country that are effect of the resentment that comes from the continuous and endless process of globalization, which affects different segments of our society, focusing in the teaching/learning contemporary practices. Facing this conjecture, we move forward, verifying how can we extract potencies of the weakness which are imposed to us by the neoliberal policies of nowadays. We work with the support of the studies of Deleuze and Foucault regarding to the movement that goes from the Societies of Discipline to the Societies of Control, mixed with the arrangements and alternatives proposed by the event of the Cognitive Capitalism. The conditions of experience and production of meaning(s) that are possible in Distance Education processes are investigated through the production of the concepts of distance, speed and proximity, when we assume the position between the two usual sides at Distance Education discussions that are composed in one part by enthusiasts and in other by its exagerated critics. We work still with some conceptualizations for the term network, considering it as a technique paraphernalia that enables computer connections, allowing the communication through the Internet, and also as a way of collectives mobilization that seek to multiply the meanings in their practices. We believe in the inherent capacity of the networks to considerably increase the power of action of the collectives involved in distance teaching/learning practices, through the implementation of strategies and micropolitical tactics, under the inspiration on the analysis about the process of the invention of everyday life practices presented in the work of Michel de Certeau.

O presente estudo discute os laços entre o tratar e o educar na obra freudiana. A partir da constatação de certa confusão entre tratar e educar, verificada por meio das publicações a respeito do assunto, bem como pelas queixas daqueles que se ocupam do tratamento e da educação, partimos do questionamento sobre a existência da proximidade entre essas duas posições e propusemos uma discussão que, por esse viés, pudesse ajudar a desfazer a mencionada confusão. A escolha por esse percurso revelase interessante porque as produções que discutem o assunto parecem sublinhar a diferença em detrimento da proximidade entre tratar e educar. Caracterizamos a proximidade em termos de tipos de laços diferentemente qualificados: um laço inicial denominado simbiótico, em que o educar é tomado pelo tratar, em termos de um fim instrumental, e essa relação, do ponto de vista do tratar, fica caracterizada pela complementaridade o tratamento analítico é definido a partir de expressões próprias ao campo do educar e o caráter profilático que por um longo período definiu o tratamento é atribuído à educação; o outro laço é definido a partir da distinção entre tratar e educar. Num percurso genealógico pelos textos freudianos, foi possível acompanhar a construção do tratar e o interesse específico de Freud pelo educar, bem como as conseqüências das mudanças que esse processo implica. A mudança de um tipo de laço para outro não se dá de uma só vez, e é resultado das reformulações na concepção do tratamento frente aos impasses que Freud vai encontrando. Nesta pesquisa, que aborda o tratar e o educar como práticas distintas, discutimos a questão da aplicação da psicanálise à educação e a forma rigorosa e cuidadosa como Freud aborda o assunto, questionando não só a possibilidade de uma intersecção entre psicanálise e educação, mas também o modo como tal relação poderia se dar. A partir desse ponto, foi possível dialogar com os textos que tomam tal intersecção predominantemente do ponto de vista da diferença, mas buscando fomentar, seguindo o próprio trajeto freudiano, outros modos de discutir o assunto, considerando a proximidade entre tratar e educar. Encerramos este estudo com a discussão da proximidade a partir da atribuição do estatuto de impossível, tanto para a psicanálise como para a educação. / This study discusses the laces between treating and educating in Freuds work. From the verification of some confusion between treating and educating, checked over the publications about the subject, as well as the reports of the ones who are in charge of treatment and education, a question on the existence of proximity between these two positions is begun and it is proposed a discussion that by this way could help to undo the mentioned confusion. The choice of this trajectory appears to be interesting for the productions that debate the theme seem to emphasize the difference to the detriment of the proximity between treating and educating. The proximity is characterized in terms of laces differently categorized: an initial lace called symbiotic in which educating is taken by treating for an instrumental purpose, and this relation, from the point of view of treating, is characterized for the complementarity the analytical treatment is defined according to peculiar expressions of educating area and the prophylactic character which defined the treatment for a long period is attributed to education; the other lace is described from the distinction between treating and educating. Through a genealogical course of Freuds texts, it was possible to follow the construction of treating and the specific interest of Freud in educating, as well as the consequences of the rearrangements that this process involves. The change from one type of lace to another does not happen at once, it is the result of re-formulations in the concept of treatment before the impasses Freud was facing. In this research, which approaches treating and educating like distinguished practices, it is discussed the matter of the application of psychoanalysis to education and the rigorous and careful manner that Freud deals with the subject, questioning not only the possibility of an intersection between psychoanalysis and education, but also the way this relationship could happen. From then on, it was possible to discuss with the texts that take predominantly that intersection from the point of view of difference, but trying to stimulate, according to Freuds own trajectory, other means of debating the subject, considering the proximity between treating and educating. This paper ends with the discussion of proximity considering the attribution of the characteristic of impossible for psychoanalysis and as well to education.

Multimodal theory has developed out of social semiotics and can be seen as a response to the rise in the use of new technologies for the creation, distribution and consumption of media texts and the need to find new ways of describing and explaining their role in representation and communication. Its development is historical. It is a response to change over time. The incorporation of the visual into social semiotics marks a key moment in the development of multimodal theory. Visual literacy is discussed in relation to changes in modes of representation and a critique of this concept is provided. This is conducted in relation to how the visual modality has been integrated into social semiotics as a platform for research into multimodal communication more generally. Framing is developed along three main lines of enquiry (semiotic, cognitive and affective) as alternative ways of accounting for some of these shifts in communication and each are presented in the form of case studies. Framing and its close relationship with composition in media texts is discussed and this understanding, one that emphasise proximity as a multimodal principle, is applied to the visual design of content, the realisation of context through the provision visual cues, and later to embodiment and urban space. The three case studies, the application of framing to a range of media texts, the critical judgements made about the role visual in contemporary theory and the application of these concepts to multimodality are presented as part of an intellectual journey.

In this work, we focus on two kinds of problems involving the proximity of geometric objects. The first part revolves around intersection detection problems. In this setting, we are given two (or more) geometric objects and we are allowed to preprocess them. Then, the objects are translated and rotated within a geometric space, and we need to efficiently test if they intersect in these new positions. We develop representations of convex polytopes in any (constant) dimension that allow us to perform this intersection test in logarithmic time.In the second part of this work, we turn our attention to facility location problems. In this setting, we are given a set of sites in a geometric space and we want to place a facility at a specific place in such a way that the distance between the facility and its farthest site is minimized. We study first the constrained version of the problem, in which the facility can only be place within a given geometric domain. We then study the facility location problem under the geodesic metric. In this setting, we consider a different way to measure distances: Given a simple polygon, we say that the distance between two points is the length of the shortest path that connects them while staying within the given polygon. In both cases, we present algorithms to find the optimal location of the facility.In the process of solving facility location problems, we rely heavily on geometric structures called Voronoi diagrams. These structures summarize the proximity information of a set of ``simple'' geometric objects in the plane and encode it as a decomposition of the plane into interior disjoint regions whose boundaries define a plane graph. We study the problem of constructing Voronoi diagrams incrementally by analyzing the number of edge insertions and deletions needed to maintain its combinatorial structure as new sites are added. / Option Informatique du Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study is an attempt to determine the effects of proximity to a large urban center on selected changes in agriculture.

Purpose: The study aims to explore the supply chain factors that impacts reshoring decisions.Methods: The study followed a qualitative research method based on exploratory research. In order to attain the context of situation-based interpretation, semi-structured interviews were conducted based on two Swedish firms engaged in reshoring initiatives. The collected data were individually analysed followed by a cross-case analyses.Findings: The research findings identified several experiences within the supply chain factors that have an influence over the reshoring decision. Firstly, firms are required to secure the replacement of offshored suppliers in their home country and ensure the access to the abundance of raw materials while reshoring. Secondly, realignments are needed for components to suit with organizational values, integrate to obtain independence from external entities and utilize pre-existing assets to mitigate challenges. Thirdly, increase in customer participation for firm’s product decision and locally produced goods can further enhance brand perception. Lastly, proximity allowed firms to streamline logistical communication, deter investment cost and promote R&D capabilities.Contribution: The study contributes in the knowledge of reshoring through the lens of supply chain management and also provides managerial context for reshoring decisions. The sole focus on supply chain factors enhances the theoretical expansion of reshoring and allowing further study materials into the emerging research field of reshoring. In addition, the research findings from four different supply chain factors allows a multifaceted contribution for organizational managers. Managers can individually or conjointly utilize the ideas on resource, reconfiguration, customer and proximity for reshoring decisions.Conclusions: The results from the study and the fulfilment of the aim shows that reshoring is a case of strategic decision making by firms who aim to secure a better competitive standpoint by repatriating production back to the home country.

Channel State Information (CSI) refers to a set of measurements used to characterize a radio communication link. Radio infrastructure collects CSI and derives useful metrics that indicate changes to modulation and coding to be made to improve the link performance (e.g. throughput, reliability). The CSI, however, has a wider potential use. It contains an environment-specific signature that can be used to extract information about users’ position and activity. In our work, we explore the problem of proximity estimation, which consists of identifying how close a pair of devices are to each other. By assuming that Cellular Base Stations (BSs) are distributed spatially according to a Poisson Point Process (PPP), and that the channel is under Rayleigh fading, we were able to probabilistically model radio measurements and use Bayesian inference to estimate the separation between two devices given their measurements only. We first explore a shadowless channel model, then we investigate how spatially-correlated shadowing can prove useful for estimation. For both cases, Bayesian estimators are proposed and tested through simulations. We also perform experiments and evaluate how well the estimators fit to actual data.

Anomaly detection generally refers to algorithmic procedures aimed at identifying relatively rare events in data sets that differ substantially from the majority of the data set to which they belong. In the context of data series generated by sensors mounted on mobile devices for non-destructive inspection and monitoring, anomalies typically identify defects to be detected, therefore defining the main task of this class of devices. In this case, a useful way of operationally defining anomalies is to look at their information content with respect to the background data, which is typically noisy and therefore easily masking the relevant events if unfiltered. In this thesis, a Kullback-Leibler (KL) Divergence filter is proposed to detect signals with relatively high information content, namely anomalies, within data series. The data is generated by using the model of a broad class of proximity sensors that apply to devices commonly used in engineering practice. This includes, for example, sensory devices mounted on mobile robotic devices for the non-destructive inspection of hazardous or other environments that may not be accessible to humans for direct inspection. The raw sensory data generated by this class of sensors is often challenging to analyze due to the prevalence of noise over the signal content that reveals the presence of relevant features, as for example damage in gas pipelines. The proposed filter is built to detect the difference of information content between the data series collected by the sensor and a baseline data series, with the advantage of not requiring the design of a threshold. Moreover, differing from the traditional filters which need the prior knowledge or distribution assumptions about the data, this KL Divergence filter is model free and suitable for all kinds of raw sensory data. Of course, it is also compatible with classical signal distribution assumptions, such as Gaussian approximation, for instance. Also, the robustness and sensitivity of the KL Divergence filter are discussed under different scenarios with various signal to noise ratios of data generated by a simulator reproducing very realistic scenarios and based on models of real sensors provided by manufacturers or widely accepted in the literature.

The topic of this thesis is on-board estimation of spacecraft collision probability for orbital rendezvous and proximity operations. All of the examples shown in this work assume that the satellite dynamics are described by the Clohessy-Wiltshire equations, and that the spacecraft are spherical. Several collision probability metrics are discussed and compared. Each metric can be placed into one of three categories. The first category provides an estimate of the instantaneous probability of collision, and places an upper bound on the total probability of collision. The second category provides an estimate of total collision probability directly. The last category uses Monte Carlo analysis and a novel Pseudo Monte Carlo analysis algorithm to determine total collision probability. The metrics are compared and their accuracy is determined for a variety of on-orbit conditions. Lastly, a method is proposed in which the metrics are arranged in a hierarchy such that those metrics that can be computed quickest are calculated first. As the proposed algorithm progresses the metrics become more costly to compute, but yield more accurate estimates of collision probability. Each metric is compared to a threshold value. If it exceeds the limits determined by mission constraints, the algorithm computes a more accurate estimate by calculating the next metric in the series. If the threshold is not reached, it is assumed there is a tolerable collision risk and the algorithm is terminated. In this way the algorithm is capable of adapting to the level of collision probability, and can be sufficiently accurate without needless calculations being performed. This work shows that collision probability can be systematically estimated.