Le travail présenté dans cette thèse porte sur le rôle du cortex prémoteur dorsal (PMd) au sujet de la prise de décision (sélection d’une action parmis nombreux choix) et l'orientation visuelle des mouvements du bras. L’ouvrage décrit des expériences électrophysiologiques chez le singe éveillé (Macaca mulatta) permettant d’adresser une fraction importante des prédictions proposées par l'hypothèse des affordances concurrentes (Cisek, 2006; Cisek, 2007a). Cette hypothèse suggère que le choix de toute action est l’issue d'une concurrence entre les représentations internes des exigences et des atouts de chacune des options présentées (affordances; Gibson, 1979). Un intérêt particulier est donné au traitement de l'information spatiale et la valeur des options (expected value, EV) dans la prise de décisions. La première étude (article 1) explore la façon dont PMd reflète ces deux paramètres dans la période délai ainsi que de leur intéraction. La deuxième étude (article 2) explore le mécanisme de décision de façon plus détaillée et étend les résultats au cortex prémoteur ventral (PMv). Cette étude porte également sur la représentation spatiale et l’EV dans une perspective d'apprentissage. Dans un environnement nouveau les paramètres spatiaux des actions semblent être présents en tout temps dans PMd, malgré que la représentation de l’EV apparaît uniquement lorsque les animaux commencent à prendre des décisions éclairées au sujet de la valeur des options disponibles. La troisième étude (article 3) explore la façon dont PMd est impliqué aux “changements d'esprit“ dans un procès de décision. Cette étude décrit comment la sélection d’une action est mise à jour à la suite d'une instruction de mouvement (GO signal). I II Les résultats principaux des études sont reproduits par un modèle computationnel (Cisek, 2006) suggérant que la prise de décision entre plusieurs actions alternatives peux se faire par voie d’un mécanisme de concurrence (biased competition) qui aurait lieu dans la même région qui spécifie les actions. / This thesis examines the role of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in the process of decision making (action selection) and visual guidance of arm movements. The work describes electrophysiological experiments conducted in awake monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and tests a number of important predictions suggested by the affordance competition hypothesis (Cisek, 2006; Cisek, 2007a). This hypothesis suggests that decisions can be viewed as the result of a competition between internal representations of conflicting demands and opportunities for actions or affordances (Gibson, 1979). Specific interest is given to the interaction between spatial information and expected value (EV) in a proposed affordance competition mechanism for action selection. The first study presented (article 1) explores how EV is represented during the delay period in PMd. This study also describes how this area reflects the spatial metrics of the options and examines the interaction between value and spatial information. The second study (article 2) explores the mechanism of action selection in more detail and extends the results to ventral premotor cortex (PMv). This study also addresses the nature of value and spatial representations from a learning perspective. In a novel environment the spatial metrics of the actions seem to be invariably present in PMd, meanwhile EV representations appear only once the animals make behaviorally informed decisions about the value of the available options. The third study (article 3) explores how PMd is involved in “changes of mind” in which action selection is updated following a movement instruction (GO signal). III IV The major findings in all these studies are reproduced by a computational model (Cisek, 2006) suggesting that decisions between actions can be made through a biased competition process that takes place in the same region that specifies the actions.

The thesis considers two pertinent questions about poverty in Fiji. One is about the accuracy of the poverty measures calculated by the concerned organisations and this relates to the use of equivalence scales and the general style of analysis. The other more intricate question is the disregard for poverty due to intra-family distribution asymmetries. Such miscalculations of poverty arise due use of average household per capita expenditure to represent consumption. This research attempts to answer the question of whether the tendency to underestimate the incidence of poverty by disregarding intra-family inequality is significant. Furthermore, it attempts to determine the causes of these inequalities. The issue is whether the classical method of data analysis (using the family as a unit) is the ideal way of analysing poverty and distribution in societies where large family structures exist and government relief remains minimal. To determine the household inequalities, household expenditures have been disaggregated into individualised expenditures. The individualised consumption expenditure is analysed and compared with the outcomes of aggregate household expenditure data. The analysis provides overwhelming evidence for underestimation of poverty when household consumption expenditures are used.

The thesis considers two pertinent questions about poverty in Fiji. One is about the accuracy of the poverty measures calculated by the concerned organisations and this relates to the use of equivalence scales and the general style of analysis. The other more intricate question is the disregard for poverty due to intra-family distribution asymmetries. Such miscalculations of poverty arise due use of average household per capita expenditure to represent consumption. This research attempts to answer the question of whether the tendency to underestimate the incidence of poverty by disregarding intra-family inequality is significant. Furthermore, it attempts to determine the causes of these inequalities. The issue is whether the classical method of data analysis (using the family as a unit) is the ideal way of analysing poverty and distribution in societies where large family structures exist and government relief remains minimal. To determine the household inequalities, household expenditures have been disaggregated into individualised expenditures. The individualised consumption expenditure is analysed and compared with the outcomes of aggregate household expenditure data. The analysis provides overwhelming evidence for underestimation of poverty when household consumption expenditures are used.

Zugl.: Köln, Univ., Diss., 2006

The subject of this dissertation is an analysis of the use of verbal tenses in Czech subordinate clauses. This analysis is based on the notions of relative and absolute tenses and on the distinction between content and adjunct clauses. We test the hypothesis about the connection of relative and absolute tense with the type of a subordinated clause (content and adjunct) and propose a revised version of the views presented in Czech grammars, monographs and articles based on a detailed analysis of the data from the Czech National Corpus. The syntactic and semantic criteria for the classification of dependent clauses into content and adjunct classes are studied together with the conditions for the application of relative or absolute tense. The great amount of data exploited from the Czech National Corpus support the idea that beside the expected forms of tense (relative in content clauses, absolute in adjunct clauses) there exists some shifting of the presupposed forms of verbal tenses. The explanation of these shifts is presented in this dissertation as a new contribution to the study of the interplay between Czech morphology and syntax. Key Words: subordinate content clause, relative tense, absolute tense, factual predicate, indirect speech

Thin and slender structures are widely occurring both in nature and in human creations. Clever geometries of thin structures can produce strong constructions while using a minimal amount of material. Computer modeling and analysis of thin and slender structures has its own set of problems stemming from assumptions made when deriving the equations modeling their behavior from the theory of continuum mechanics. In this thesis we consider two kinds of thin elastic structures; threads and plates. Real-time simulation of threads are of interest in various types of virtual simulations such as surgery simulation for instance. In the first paper of this thesis we develop a thread model for use in interactive applications. By viewing the thread as a continuum rather than a truly one dimensional object existing in three dimensional space we derive a thread model that naturally handles both bending, torsion and inertial effects. We apply a corotational framework to simulate large deformation in real-time. On the fly adaptive resolution is used to minimize corotational artifacts. Plates are flat elastic structures only allowing deflection in the normal direction. In the second paper in this thesis we propose a family of finite elements for approximating solutions to the Kirchhoff-Love plate equation using a continuous piecewise linear deflection field. We reconstruct a discontinuous piecewise quadratic deflection field which is applied in a discontinuous Galerkin method. Given a criterion on the reconstruction operator we prove a priori estimates in energy and L2 norms. Numerical results for the method using three possible reconstructions are presented.

The main objective of this paper is to construct a site chronology of the Campanayuq Rumi site which is a large ceremonial center of the Formative Period located in the Peruvian south-central highlands. For this purpose, 12 radiocarbon dates obtained from our excavations will be considered in combination with the data of both architectural and ceramic sequences of the site. Through the comprehensive interpretation of these data, we will present a new site chronology of the Campanayuq Rumi site. / El objetivo principal de este artículo es la construcción de la cronología del sitio arqueológico de Campanayuq Rumi, un gran centro ceremonial del Periodo Formativo ubicado en la sierra centro-sur del Perú. Para ello se tomó como base 12 fechados radiocarbónicos obtenidos de las excavaciones de los autores en combinación con los datos de las secuencias arquitectónica y cerámica. Mediante una interpretación integral, se pretende presentar una nueva cronología para este complejo.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo confrontar a teoria da renda da terra de David Ricardo com a análise de Adam Smith sobre este mesmo assunto. Isto significa que este trabalho irá encontrar na obra “A Riqueza das Nações” uma suposta teoria da renda da terra e mostrar que Adam Smith possui uma teoria tão rica quanto à análise de David Ricardo sobre a renda da terra. Será abordada a análise da renda da terra sob o enfoque do desenvolvimento econômico, ou seja, será verificada qual das teorias têm melhores condições de explicar a temática do desenvolvimento econômico sob a ótica da fertilidade da terra e seus rendimentos. Os objetivos específicos serão comprovar a importância do progresso técnico e dos rendimentos crescentes da terra como enfoque de confrontação da teoria da renda da terra de David Ricardo e também verificar a importância da produtividade da terra, inserida na análise de ambos os autores, para o progresso contínuo do desenvolvimento econômico. Para tanto, foram buscadas referências nas próprias obras de Adam Smith e David Ricardo, textos que abordassem o pensamento destes autores e trabalhos que relacionassem o tema progresso técnico e fertilidade da terra. / The aim of this dissertation is to confront the theory of land rent of David Ricardo with the theory of Adam Smith. It means that this dissertation will try to find in the “Wealth of Nation” a theory of land rent and show that Adam Smith have a theory as better as the analyze of land rent by David Ricardo. The dissertation will analyze the land rent by the conception of economic development. It means verify what theory has more condition to explain the economic development by optic of the land fertility. The specific aim will be prove that technical progress and increase fertility, inside analyze of Smith, can confront Ricardo’ theory and verify that land productive, inside analyze of both authors, is important to keep economic development and progress of nations. To build this work, it will be find references own by Adam Smith and David Ricardo, papers by others authors that study the theory of this two authors and books that make connection between technical progress and land fertility.

The scope of this paper is to assess how far the Brazilian constitution goes in protecting the fundamental rights of children and teenagers. Such is accomplished through an axiologic, dogmatic, and sociological perspective. This latter aspect mainly concerns the services provided by the public sector in the city of Maceió. By examining the Brazilian juridical framework, the first perspective is aimed at showing the paradigmatic change when approaching the rights of children and teens. A juridical analysis of the topic may effectively be made through the prism of the paradigmatic crisis. After the promulgation of the new Federal Constitution, the so-called old paradigm, representing the entire legislative output pertaining to the doctrine of irregular situation, was superseded by a new system based on popular participation and social mobilization. Emphasis is also given to the constitutional regime and its repercussion upon ordinary legislation concerning the rights of children and teens. It begins with the broad concept of fundamental rights and of resolving the dichotomy between rights of the individual, of defense, and social rights. The paper also analyzes the modern state system in an attempt to ensure the effectiveness of that which is constitutionally accepted, with special attention given to the situation encountered in the city of Maceió, primarily on how to deal with the public and those mechanisms that afford special protection. Its inefficacy is thus made clear in view of incipient jurisprudence to secure absolute priority, in addition to difficulties in the organizational structure of childhood protection as well as the lack of funds and qualified personnel. Statistics about violence against children and teens perpetrated by adults (criminally imputable) in the state capital of Alagoas have also attested to the need for public intervention. / A presente dissertação tem como escopo a análise da proteção constitucional brasileira aos direitos fundamentais de crianças e adolescentes, valendo-se de uma perspectiva axiológica, dogmática e sociológica. Nesse último aspecto, o estudo refere-se, principalmente, ao tratamento estatal ofertado no município de Maceió. O desiderato da primeira perspectiva é a demonstração da mudança paradigmática ínsita na abordagem do direito da criança e do adolescente, num exame do ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Efetivamente, a análise jurídica do tema pode ser estudada sob o prisma da crise paradigmática, pois de um lado tem-se o que se convencionou chamar de velho paradigma, representando toda a produção legislativa pertinente à doutrina da situação irregular, e, a partir da Constituição Federal, surge um novo sistema calcado na participação popular e na mobilização social. É dada ênfase, também, ao regime constitucional e sua repercussão na legislação ordinária dos direitos de crianças e adolescentes, a partir do conceito materialmente aberto dos direitos fundamentais e da superação nessa área da dicotomia entre os direitos individuais, ou de defesa, e os direitos sociais, reputados como prestacionais. Ademais, apresenta uma análise do sistema estatal hodierno, com vistas a assegurar a efetividade do consagrado constitucionalmente, sendo dada especial atenção à realidade existente no município de Maceió, mormente nos mecanismos de proteção especial e nas políticas de atendimento. Nessa seara, evidencia sua ineficácia, diante da incipiente jurisprudência garantidora da prioridade absoluta, além das dificuldades encontradas na estrutura organizacional de proteção à infância, com investimento financeiro insuficiente e necessidade de capacitação funcional. Os dados estatísticos acerca da violência contra crianças e adolescentes praticada por adultos (penalmente imputáveis) na capital alagoana também comprovam a necessidade de intervenção estatal.

Is there a world in G. W. F. Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit? This is the central question my doctoral thesis aims to address. Both scholars and philosophers alike tend to consider Hegel a thinker who, having formulated the philosophy of absolute spirit, has surrendered the world. Despite this suspicion, the consciousness finds itself at nearly every level of Hegel's oeuvre in a place called "the world". At every stage, the world changes its shape - along with the consciousness - but its function seems to remain the same. The world is a conception of totality; thus, the world is an object of the consciousness that, by definition, surpasses the consciousness and thus reveals its limits. This moment of a "worldly" estrangement is especially pronounced as the consciousness sets itself into action. One of the most recurring motives in Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit is the inability of the consciousness to realize its intentions as planned. The consciousness fails to recognize itself in the deed, and thus devises strategies to distance itself from the deed. In my interpretation, this testifies that the deed is the door to the world, and obviously this world is not one that would be in the power of the consciousness. Instead, it is the consciousness that needs to subordinate itself to the deed...