Software effort estimation by analogy is a viable alternative method to other estimation techniques, and in many cases, researchers found it outperformed other estimation methods in terms of accuracy and practitioners¿ acceptance. However, the overall performance of analogy based estimation depends on two major factors: similarity measure and attribute selection & weighting. Current similarity measures such as nearest neighborhood techniques have been criticized that have some inadequacies related to attributes relevancy, noise and uncertainty in addition to the problem of using categorical attributes. This research focuses on improving the efficiency and flexibility of analogy-based estimation to overcome the abovementioned inadequacies. Particularly, this thesis proposes two new approaches to model and handle uncertainty in similarity measurement method and most importantly to reflect the structure of dataset on similarity measurement using Fuzzy modeling based Fuzzy C-means algorithm. The first proposed approach called Fuzzy Grey Relational Analysis method employs combined techniques of Fuzzy set theory and Grey Relational Analysis to improve local and global similarity measure and tolerate imprecision associated with using different data types (Continuous and Categorical). The second proposed approach presents the use of Fuzzy numbers and its concepts to develop a practical yet efficient approach to support analogy-based systems especially at early phase of software development. Specifically, we propose a new similarity measure and adaptation technique based on Fuzzy numbers. We also propose a new attribute subset selection algorithm and attribute weighting technique based on the hypothesis of analogy-based estimation that assumes projects that are similar in terms of attribute value are also similar in terms of effort values, using row-wise Kendall rank correlation between similarity matrix based project effort values and similarity matrix based project attribute values. A literature review of related software engineering studies revealed that the existing attribute selection techniques (such as brute-force, heuristic algorithms) are restricted to the choice of performance indicators such as (Mean of Magnitude Relative Error and Prediction Performance Indicator) and computationally far more intensive. The proposed algorithms provide sound statistical basis and justification for their procedures. The performance figures of the proposed approaches have been evaluated using real industrial datasets. Results and conclusions from a series of comparative studies with conventional estimation by analogy approach using the available datasets are presented. The studies were also carried out to statistically investigate the significant differences between predictions generated by our approaches and those generated by the most popular techniques such as: conventional analogy estimation, neural network and stepwise regression. The results and conclusions indicate that the two proposed approaches have potential to deliver comparable, if not better, accuracy than the compared techniques. The results also found that Grey Relational Analysis tolerates the uncertainty associated with using different data types. As well as the original contributions within the thesis, a number of directions for further research are presented. Most chapters in this thesis have been disseminated in international journals and highly refereed conference proceedings. / Applied Science University, Jordan.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:46:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabiana_Jorge_Silva_Dissertacao.pdf: 3636044 bytes, checksum: bf3ddca5478c807852904c62b19ca9d4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-26 / The city of Rio Grande, through its managers developed since 2002, a networking violence prevention and care of children and adolescents. In 2007 the State Government of Rio Grande do Sul implements in Rio Grande, with support from UNESCO, the Violence Prevention Program - PPV, in the neighborhoods Castelo Branco I, Castelo Branco II and Santa Rita, which consisted to create networks for the prevention of violence with social actors. After some years of development, it was necessary to see if the actions of the network wereable to change the perception and experience of residents of those neighborhoods of Rio Grande on the violence. Through semi-structured interviews and following a methodology of analysis based on the works of authors Adrián Gurza Lavalle and Robert A. Hanneman, noted that violence and crime, introduced breaks arrangements in the daily life of residents of those neighborhoods studied leading to the emergence of new forms of sociability. We also observed that prevention networks analyzed are insufficient to change the perception of residents about the violence. The institutions that make up these networks have a low technical capacity for action and underrepresented among the residents. We also verified through interviews withsocial actors, they prefer to stay out of the debate on public policy. The relationships between the organizations of the network to prevent violence are mostly mandatory, ie when there is a legal determination or protocols to work together, as theGuardian Council and the Prosecutor, for example. The relationships are one-sided, when only one actor can identify each other as partners and are reciprocal,when social actors are able to identify each other / O Município de Rio Grande, através de seus gestoresdesenvolve desde 2002, um trabalho em rede de prevenção de violência e atenção à criança e ao adolescente. Em 2007 o Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul implementa na cidade de Rio Grande, com o apoio da UNESCO, o Programa de Prevenção da Violência - PPV, nos bairros Castelo Branco I, Castelo Branco II e Santa Rita, que consistia em criar redes de prevenção da violência com os atores sociais. Após alguns anos de desenvolvimento, se fez necessário ver se as ações em rede desenvolvidas pelo município eram capazes de alterar a percepção e a vivência dos moradores daqueles bairros de Rio Grande quanto à violência. Através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e seguindo uma metodologia de análise baseada nas obras dos autores Adrián Gurza Lavalle e Robert A. Hanneman, observamos que a violência e o crime, introduziram quebras de arranjos na vida cotidiana dos moradores daqueles bairros estudados levando ao surgimento de novas formas de sociabilidades. Observamos também que a rede de prevenção analisadaé insuficiente para mudar a percepção dos moradores quanto à violência. As instituições que integram essas redes possuem uma baixa capacidade técnica de atuação e pouca representação entre os moradores. Também, constatamos através dasentrevistas com os atores sociais das instituições, que eles preferem ficar fora do debate sobre políticas públicas. As relações entre as organizações da redede prevenção da violência são na sua maior parte obrigatórias, isto é, quando existe uma determinação legal ou protocolar para que trabalhem juntas, como o Conselho Tutelar e o Ministério Público, por exemplo. Também as relações se apresentam unilaterais, quando apenas um ator consegue identificar o outro como parceiro e outras são recíprocas, quando os atores sociais são capazes de se identificar mutuamente

abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore how internationalization is formed and operationalized in the Intensive English Programs (IEPs) at three Michigan higher education institutions. Drawing from Latour’s (2005) actor-network theory, this study examined the human and non-human actors involved in constructions of internationalization, which was defined as relational processes (programs and policies) that define and deliver international, intercultural, or global elements into the purpose, function and delivery of postsecondary education (Altbach, 2007; Knight, 2003). As an entry point into the study, I focused on the director of the programs and their mission statements, a written articulation of beliefs, as suggested by Childress (2007; 2009). To explore these potential networks, I utilized Comparative Case Study (Bartlett and Vavrus, 2016), which allowed for more unbounded cases; Actor-Network Theory (Latour, 1999; Latour, 2005) which allowed for agency among non-human actors that also coexist, transform, translate or modify meaning; and relational network analysis methods (Herz et al. 2014; Heath et al. 2009; Clarke 2005), which helped to explore and make sense of complex relational data. This was in the effort to construct an understanding of the “processual, built activities, performed by the actants out of which they are composed” (Crawford, 2004, p. 1). I mapped actors within each site who were performing their local and contingent processes of internationalization. The results indicate the formation of complex and far reaching webs of actors and activities that accomplish a form of internationalization that is highly localized. While each program under investigation responded to similar pressures, such as funding shortfalls via student enrollment declines, the responses and networks that were created from these constraints were wildly different. Indeed, the study found these programs engaged in international activities that enrolled various external actors, from campus departments to local community groups. In engaging in relational connections that moved beyond their primary instructional purpose, English language instruction and cultural acclimatization, the IEPs in this study were able to 1) contribute to the internationalization of university departmental curricula, 2) serve their communities in dynamic and impactful ways and 3) develop their own sense of internationalization in a university setting. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Learning, Literacies and Technologies 2020

不同股市的報酬關聯隨時間動態改變，本研究欲了解近期美國、台灣與亞太地區的中國大陸、香港、日本及韓國的報酬連動關係，並進一步觀察次級房貸風暴期間美股對這些地區的關聯改變趨勢。本論文採用灰色理論與時間序列兩種方法，實證發現次級房貸風暴發生期間，台股及亞太地區主要指數不論在報酬率或是報酬率波動性受美股影響的程度大多增強。 實證結果顯示，在風暴期間的報酬率傳導關係，亞太以韓國影響台股最顯著，美股則全面影響亞太指數；在報酬率波動性溢傳上，亞太以日本、美股以道瓊工業影響台股最強，台股則是電子類股被美股影響最重，但營建類股在與美股或是亞太指數的關聯趨勢變化卻最明顯。另外，灰關聯分析對時間序列檢定的關聯組合可以提供互補的關聯強弱關係說明，且具有相當的正確性。 / Connections between stock markets are dynamically changing, and it affects investor's transnational investment portfolio. We focus on the relationships of stock markets among the United States, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong, and eager to understand the connection tendency between Untied States and Asian-Pacific area during the subprime mortgage crisis period. The identified research methods are time series and grey theory, including Granger causality test, GARCH model and grey relational analysis. We find out the returns and volatility in Asian-Pacific stock markets were all affected increasly by U.S. market during the subprime mortgage crisis. The main empirical results are as follows: In the relationships of returns, Korea affects Taiwan mostly in the Asian-Pacific area, and U.S. market affects all the others entirely during the subprime crisis. In the relationships of volatility, Japan and Dow Jones index affects Taiwan deeply during the period; within all the Taiwan indexs, Electronic Sector Index was affected by the U.S. market mostly than others during the same period, but the connection tendency in the Construction Sector Index with other markets changes more obviously. Otherwise, grey relational analysis can provide complementary explainations as compared to time sereies in the strength of relationships, and the explainations are with plenty credibility.

Cette thèse propose de renforcer les liens entre les études sur l’œuvre d’art et les recherches sur le curatorial par le biais des études en communication, et plus précisément de l’analyse des interactions qui se déroulent entre les acteur·e·s humain·e·s et autre qu’humain·e·s composant le processus de conception et de réalisation d’une exposition d’arts. L’exposition Femynynytees, dont j’étais la co-curatrice, a été à l’affiche durant l’été 2018 à Montréal et fut spécialement conçue comme le terrain de recherche de cette expérience. Tout au long de la création de Femynynytees, j’ai pu observer un phénomène que j’ai appelé le devenir-œuvre d’art, auquel cette thèse consacre une attention particulière. Il s’agit d’un phénomène relationnel dans le cadre duquel l’œuvre, telle que créée par l’artiste, est mise en relation avec le « curatorial » (von Bismarck et Rogoff, 2012 ; Martinon, 2013), envisagé ici comme les connaissances produites pendant la réalisation d’un projet curatorial spécifique. Ces rencontres engendrent des transitions qui permettent que l’œuvre soit comprise non pas comme un objet, mais comme un trajet (Souriau, 2009), devenant ainsi un processus qui peut donc être défini comme étant, en même temps, œuvre et curatorial. Pour observer ce phénomène, j’adopte une approche théorique liée aux nouveaux matérialismes, en proposant que le curatorial soit conçu comme un ensemble de « pratiques matérielles-discursives » (Barad, 2003). Ces pratiques sont à l’origine des changements qui se produisent avec l’œuvre lorsqu’elle est mise en contact avec un processus curatorial. Selon cette perspective, les artistes, les curateur·e·s, les visiteur·e·s, les choix d’installation, les espaces d’exposition, et tout autre élément lié à la mise en branle d’un tel évènement, font partie du curatorial et sont ainsi parties prenantes de ses pratiques matérielles-discursives. Par ailleurs, cette recherche se concentre sur les pratiques en arts médiatiques, des œuvres envisagées comme matériellement plus perméables au curatorial par la relative flexibilité de leur processus de matérialisation, ainsi que par l’aspect collaboratif du système dans lequel elles sont généralement produites. Le terme « arts médiatiques » est prédominant au Québec et fait référence aux pratiques mobilisant des technologies médiatiques – soit des technologies électriques, électroniques ou numériques – dans la création d’une œuvre. D’un point de vue méthodologique, le devenir-œuvre d’art est analysé à partir d’une perspective ventriloque (Cooren, 2013) de la communication, une approche permettant d’identifier la complexité des voix (Mazzei et Jackson, 2012) qui participent de ce phénomène. Suite à l’examen des conversations tenues pendant les visites d’atelier et les réunions organisées entre curatrices et artistes, des courriels échangés entre artistes et curatrices et des entretiens réalisés avec une trentaine de visiteur·e·s, cette thèse montre comment s’opèrent concrètement les mises en relation du devenir-œuvre dans le cas d’une exposition d’arts médiatiques. Il s’agit donc d’une recherche située (Haraway, 1988), relationnelle et processuelle qui positionne la communication comme constitutive de toute réalité (Cooren, 2012). / This dissertation aims to strengthen the existing dialogue between art studies and curatorial studies through communication sciences, and more precisely, through the analysis of the interactions that take place between human and other-than-human actors composing the process of conception and realization of an art exhibition. The exhibition Femynytees, that I co-curated, was on display during the summer of 2018 in Montreal and was specially conceived as the fieldwork for this experience. Throughout the creation of Femynytees, I was able to observe a phenomenon that I propose to call the becoming-artwork, to which this dissertation devotes particular attention. By this, I mean a relational phenomenon by which the work, as created by the artist, is put in relation with the "curatorial" (von Bismarck and Rogoff, 2012; Martinon, 2013), considered here as a mode of knowledge engendered during the production of a specific curatorial project. This encounter generates transitions in the work that allow it to be understood as a path (Souriau, 2009), thus becoming a process that can be defined as both artwork and curatorial at the same time. To observe this phenomenon, I adopt a theoretical approach, inspired by the new materialisms, which proposes that the curatorial be conceived as a set of “material-discursive practices” (Barad, 2003). These practices are at the origin of the changes that occur with the artwork when it is brought into contact with a particular curatorial process. According to this perspective, artists, curators, visitors, installation choices, exhibition spaces, and any other element related to the setting in motion of such an event, are part of the curatorial and are thus taking part in its material-discursive practices. Moreover, this research focuses on media art practices, as this type of art is considered to be more permeable to the curatorial because of the relative flexibility of its materialization process, as well as the collaborative aspect of the system in which it is generally produced. The term "media arts" refers here to practices that mobilize media technologies – that is, electrical, electronic or digital technologies – in the creation of an artwork. From a methodological point of view, the becoming-artwork is analyzed from a ventriloqual perspective on communication (Cooren, 2013), an approach that makes it possible to identify the complexification of voices (Mazzei and Jackson, 2012) that participate in this phenomenon. Following an analysis of conversations held during studio visits and meetings between curators and artists, emails exchanged between artists and curators, and interviews with 30 of the visitors, this dissertation shows how the fundamental relationships at the heart of the becoming-artworks concretely operate in the case of a media art exhibition. It is thus a situated (Haraway, 1988), relational, and processual research that positions communication as constitutive of all reality (Cooren, 2012).