L’esperienza estetica è un fenomeno complesso e articolato, caratterizzato da un particolare intreccio di processi percettivi, emotivi, cognitivi. Il dibattito sulla definizione del ruolo dei fattori che intervengono nell’esperienza estetica è molto controverso: diverse cornici teoriche enfatizzano o il ruolo dei fattori "bottom-up", riguardanti le caratteristiche visive e strutturali dell'opera d'arte come il colore e simmetria, o il ruolo dei fattori "top-down", relativi al bagaglio di conoscenze ed esperienze personali. Questa tesi presenta due studi volti ad approfondire, attraverso l'analisi dei movimenti oculari, l'influenza dei processi "bottom-up" e "top-down" sul comportamento visivo di adolescenti o adulti non esperti d’arte durante l'osservazione di opere d’arte pittorica. I dati ottenuti suggeriscono che processi intersoggettivi e relazionali giocano un ruolo essenziale nel guidare l’apprezzamento estetico di un quadro. Questi risultati innovativi supportano alcune recenti ipotesi teoriche relative alla natura intrinsecamente intersoggettiva dell’esperienza estetica. / Experiencing art is a complex and articulated phenomenon characterized by a peculiar weaving of perceptive, emotional, and cognitive processes. The debate on the definition of factors that contribute to the surfacing of an aesthetic experience is very controversial, partly because of the different weights assigned to the elements in the competition between “bottom-up” and “top-down” processes. Different theoretical frames emphasize the role of bottom-up factors - concerning the visual and structural characteristics of the artwork such as colour and symmetry - or top-down cognitive processes - concerning the cognitive feedback deriving from everyone’s cultural background and knowledge - in the building up of an aesthetic experience. In this work, two studies aiming at shedding some light on art appreciation are presented. These studies were designed to investigate, by means of the analysis of eye-movements, the influence of bottom-up and top-down processes on visual behavior while adolescents or adults naïve to art criticism were presented with representational paintings. Data suggest that intersubjective and relational processes intervene in first stages of aesthetic experience. These important and novel results support new theoretical proposals, which consider embodied intersubjective processes underpinning aesthetic experience.

Risk management has become an important topic for financial institutes, especially since the business sector of financial services is related to conditions of uncertainty. The turmoil of the financial industry emphasizes the importance of effective risk management procedures. Consequently, this thesis studies “What are the critical success factors for effective risk management procedures in financial industries?” This research question was formulated in order to gain a better understanding of risk management procedures and to examine the critical success factors for effective risk management procedures. To explore the importance of critical success factors in a practical context, we used the quantitative method of a self-completion questionnaire in order to collect data from a selection of financial institutions in Thailand. Financial institutions include banks, the stock exchange, insurance, stock securities, asset management and so on. Due to the fact that top-level management is directly responsible for risk management, the target groups included a range of positions from supervisors to board of directors. This research found a set of seven critical success factors which can be used as a guideline on how to increase the effectiveness of risk management procedures. These factors are (1). Commitment and support from top management, (2) Communication, (3) Culture, (4) Information technology (IT), (5) Organization structure, (6) Training and (7) Trust. Because risk management is an important part of the financial industry, effectiveness is vital to increase project success. These seven factors can increase the effectiveness of risk management procedures from the perspective of the financial industry in Thailand.

Tree series transformations computed by bottom-up and top-down tree series transducers are called bottom-up and top-down tree series transformations, respectively. (Functional) compositions of such transformations are investigated. It turns out that the class of bottomup tree series transformations over a commutative and complete semiring is closed under left-composition with linear bottom-up tree series transformations and right-composition with boolean deterministic bottom-up tree series transformations. Moreover, it is shown that the class of top-down tree series transformations over a commutative and complete semiring is closed under right-composition with linear, nondeleting top-down tree series transformations. Finally, the composition of a boolean, deterministic, total top-down tree series transformation with a linear top-down tree series transformation is shown to be a top-down tree series transformation.

The prevalent view in computer vision since Marr is that visual perception is a data-driven bottom-up process. In this view, image data is processed in a feed-forward fashion where a sequence of independent visual modules transforms simple low-level cues into more complex abstract perceptual units. Over the years, a variety of techniques has been developed using this paradigm. Yet an important realization is that low-level visual cues are generally so ambiguous that they could make purely bottom-up methods quite unsuccessful. These ambiguities cannot be resolved without taking account of high-level contextual information. In this thesis, we explore different ways of enriching early and mid-level computer vision modules with a capacity to extract and use contextual knowledge. Mainly, we integrate low-level image features with contextual information within uni&amp / #64257 / ed formulations where bottom-up and top-down processing take place simultaneously.

A component-oriented tool for hierarchical modeling of instructional designs is developed. The motivation is to show that hierarchical representation of instructional designs is easier, better and more effective for modeling. Additionally a modeling language is developed to provide an effective, flexible and easy to use integration model in which all teaching components are discovered, defined and connected. In order to fulfill the above purposes an abstract notation is developed that is sufficiently general and adapting top-down hierarchic approach to represent Units of Learning (UoL), Operational Knowledge Units (OKU), Learning Objects (LO), and Learning Components (LC) with respect to the common structures found in different instructional models. COSEML, a top-down hierarchic, and component oriented modeling language has been used as a reference and the core concept in developing the Educational Component Oriented Modeling Language (ECOML). The high-level architecture of ECOML provides the means for designing instructional structures. It describes how LOs, UoLs, OKUs and LCs are sequenced in a certain context or knowledge domain. The resulting model can be reused in different contexts and across different educational platforms.

ABSTRACT Human capital comprises not only man power but also brain power which implies people¡¦s intelligence, potentiality, intellect¡K.etc. Nowadays the world has been getting into the new era of knowledge economy; and the competency of brain power instead of financial capital, land, facility/equipment becomes the core element of competition among enterprises. In this context, human capital in organizations is considered as the valuable assets, which are critically influential and significant. Organizations aiming at best performance admit the vital importance of the innovation and make every endeavor to maintain their competitive strengths and advantages by means of innovative management to achieve the goal of organizational innovations. The thesis focuses on the correlation between human capital and organizational innovation, in conjunction with organizational characteristics and industrial environment which might interfere with the correlation. After empirical study & statistical analysis, the thesis reveals as following: I. Five dimensions of human capital in organizations--- 1. Top management¡¦s knowledgeable & visionary leadership; 2. Employees¡¦ enterpreneurship & innovativeness; 3. Rejuvenesce of human capital; 4. Upgrading of human capital; 5. Deposit of human capital II. Differenciation analysis on the five dimensions of human capital by organizational characteristics--- 1. The organizations in various industries indicate slightly obvious differentiation in the upgrading degrees of human capital; in comparison, the organizations in service industry invest more in employees¡¦ training & cultivation than those in manufacturing industry. 2. The organizations with bigger capital amounts obviously put much more emphasis on rejuvenesce as well as deposit of human capital. 3. The organizations in the maturity period of life cycle comparatively concentrate much more of their attention on deposit of human capital; whereas those in the growing period of life cycle emphasize much more on upgrading human capital. 4. Over-20-years-old organizations lay much more emphasis on deposit of human capital than those at the ages less than 15 years. III. Human capital¡¦s direct influence on organizational innovation--- Top management¡¦s knowledgeable & visionary leadership exerts obviously positive effect on the innovation of management as well as technique. IV. The interaction of organizational characteristics and human capital has obviously positive effect on the organizational innovation--- 1. The interaction of the ages of the organization and rejuvenesce of human capital has obviously positive effect on the innovation of management. 2. The interaction of the capital amount of the organization and top management¡¦s knowledgeable & visionary leadership has obviously positive effect on the innovation of management. Key words: human capital, organizational innovation, top management¡¦s knowledgeable & visionary leadership, employees¡¦ enterpreneurship & innovativeness, rejuvenesce of human capital, upgrading of human capital, deposit of human capital

CSR approach is getting noticed by more and more scholars and practitioners to assist MNC subsidiaries¡¦ performance and survival. Prahalad (2004) argued MNCs need to be able to explore and exploit opportunities from undeveloped or developing countries in pursuit of their continuous profitability and sustainability. However, how MNC subsidiaries can be organized to approach and discover the local people and social needs from emerging economies is still a question to be answered. Porter & Kramer (2002) proposed strategic CSR approach for firms to getting into sustainability. By all means of strategic CSR, firms truly realize sustainability that simultaneously obtaining economic, social and environmental performance when the CSR activities are practiced from inside out that involves the whole organization, structure, and system, and meanwhile links with firm strategies. This research adopted system perspective incorporating RBV and stakeholder perspective to systematically examine how internal CSR-related processes interact to influence MNC subsidiaries¡¦ sustainability in host country. We accordingly looked into the CSR practices and the related management processes implemented by XI MNC subsidiaries in China and Taiwan through case interviews. We identified that CSR international coordination mechanism, HRM, and TMT leadership are all important processes through which MNC subsidiaries reach sustainability in host countries by CSR practices. Besides, we found that a strong corporate social culture within subsidiaries built up through the abovementioned processes is an important factor that leads to subsidiaries¡¦ sustainability. In addition, we identified stakeholder relational capital derived from these CSR-related processes is another critical, firm-specific resource to facilitate MNC subsidiaries¡¦ sustainable performance. On the whole, the findings upon the case studies of our research proposed a systematic MNC subsidiaries CSR framework that explains how, why, and under which influential factors CSR practices are implemented. This research therefore can contribute to the theoretical developments in CSR theories, RBV, and international management theories as well as firms¡¦ management practices in conducting CSR for sustainability.

Oligomers and polymers based on functionalized Rf-amides were successfully synthesized for the fabrication of hydrophobic surfaces with either linear or network structure. Firstly, new functionalized Rf-amides (RfCONH-, Rf is a perfluoroalkyl segment) were developed in most cases by a one step reaction and a simple work-up procedure. The reaction behaviors of synthesized Rf-amides in polyreactions were well understood. New fluorinated oligoester polyols, blocked IPDI's, and end-hydroxyl terminated oligo(urea urethane)s have been synthesized, the detail structures and properties are well understood. These materials could be suitable components of powder coatings. On the other hand, the end-hydroxyl terminated oligo(urea urethane)s could be used as reactive additives in high solid content and water-borne coatings. Hydrophobic smooth surfaces based on linear polymers, poly(urea urethane)s and alternating MI copolymers, containing fluorinated side groups were successfully constructed. The attachment of fluorinated side groups into polymers can dramatically alter the surfaces of corresponding polymers from more hydrophilic to hydrophobic due to the enrichment of fluorinated side groups on the top of the surface. The backbone configuration, the polarity of backbones, and the thermal treatment on surfaces can influence the surface properties of corresponding materials. Finally, hydrophobic surfaces of cross-linked polyurethanes as model top coatings were constructed under melt condition at high temperature (180 and 190 oC) using the combination of fluorinated oligouretdiones and non-fluorinated oligoester polyols. It was found that the hydrophobicity of resulting cured films is a matter of the competition between the formation of cross-linking network and the segregation of fluoromoieties on the top of the surface.

<p>An IPTV Set-top box enables the possibility of doing much more than decodingtelevision content. Its Ethernet interface gives it the same possibilities to communicatewith the outside world as any network device. This enables a wide rangeof services from internet radio to acting as a digital media receiver in your homenetwork. These highly interactive services increase the demands for responsiveand visually attractive user interfaces.Due to the cost-sensitive market of IPTV STBs the preferred platform to developthe user interface is the HTML browser as it allows for fast developmenttimes and low costs. As a W3C standard it also offers high portability and hardwareabstraction making it easy to use more than one STB vendor. The cons ofHTML based GUIs are low performance and lacklustre graphics.This thesis aims to find out if SVG can be used to achieve rich, scalable and animatedgraphics with high performance and still keep the attractive characteristicsof HTML.To do this much effort was put into identifying the strenghts and weaknesses ofSVG. The lessons learned resulted in an SVG AJAX framework called TOIXSVGmaking it possible to develop SVG GUIs in the same manner as modern Rich InternetApplications, enabling component reuse to make sure development time scalespreferably with the scope and complexity of the user interface. Along with theframework several new widgets had to be developed to achieve the targeted functionality.As a proof of concept a mock-up GUI was created with the frameworkand widgets.</p>

Cette thèse a pour objectif d'éprouver la pertinence d'une approche hybride top-down / bottom-up pour évaluer les projets miniers dans l'optique du développement durable. Avec l'avènement des concepts de responsabilité sociale d'entreprise et de développement durable, de nouvelles attentes sociétales pèsent en effet sur les entreprises qui vont au-delà d'une simple exigence de rentabilité économique. Des réponses doivent être apportées par les entreprises, au risque de perdre leur légitimité sociale. Traditionnellement associée à des risques et des impacts sociaux, environnementaux, économiques et politiques jugés traditionnellement comme importants, l'activité minière est particulièrement concernée par ces nouveaux enjeux. Alors que les besoins en ressources minérales n'ont jamais été aussi élevés, on attend désormais des entreprises qu'elles limitent leurs effets négatifs et prennent en compte les préoccupations de leurs différents publics afin de définir ensemble les termes d'un accord conférant à l'entreprise sa légitimité. Au vu de la diversité des enjeux, des échelles, des contextes et des acteurs concernés, le défi est de taille et nécessite des outils visant à mieux cerner les enjeux et structurer les dialogues. Basé sur l'étude de cas des mines d'uranium d'Arlit au Niger, ce travail montre qu'associer des démarches participatives à des outils de structuration et des propositions issus de la littérature apparaît comme une formule efficace pour mieux organiser la diversité des enjeux associés au projet et construire une négociation structurée entre les entreprises minières et leurs parties prenantes. La Première Partie, (Cadrages), a pour objectif de présenter les contextes théoriques, institutionnels et sectoriels dans lesquels s'ancre la thèse. La Deuxième Partie, (Application de la démarche sur les mines d'Arlit), expose les travaux et les résultats de l'évaluation réalisée au Niger. Enfin, la Troisième Partie, (Recadrages), dresse le bilan des enseignements et des conclusions que l'on peut tirer de ce travail de recherche et présente une proposition de démarche potentiellement applicable à d'autres sites miniers.