Exponential asymptotics, which deals with the interpretation of divergent series, is a highly topical field in mathematics. Exponentially small quantities frequently arise in applications, and Poincar´e’s definition of an asymptotic expansion, unfortunately, fails to emphasise the importance of such small exponentials, as they are hidden behind the algebraic order terms. In this thesis, we introduce a new method of hyperasymptotic expansion by inspecting resultant remainders of series. We study the method from two different concepts. First, deriving the singularities and the late order terms, where we truncate expansions at the least value and observe if the remainder is exponentially small. Substitution of the truncated remainder into original differential equation generates an inhomogeneous differential equation for the remainders. We expand the remainder as an asymptotic power series, and then the truncation leads to a new remainder which is exponentially smaller whence the related error estimate gets smaller, so that the numerical precision increases. Systematically repeating this process of reexpansions of the truncated remainders derives the exponential improvement in the approximate solution of the expansions and minimises the ignored terms, i.e., error estimate. Second, in establishing the level one error, which is a function of level zero and level one truncation points, we study asymptotic behaviour in terms of the truncation points and allow them to vary. Writing the estimate as a function of the preceding level truncation point and varying the number of the terms decreases the error dramatically. We also discuss the Stokes lines originating from the singularities of the expansion(s) and the switching on and off behaviour of the subdominant exponentials across these lines. A key result of this thesis is that when the higher levels of the expansions are considered in terms of the truncation points of preceding stages, the error estimate is minimised. This is demonstrated via several differential equations provided in the thesis.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the construction of masculinity in the Xhosa initiation school (ulwaluko) in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa from a religio-cultural perspective. This ethnographic study utilized interviews with participants, observations of the initiation school, and is also complemented with documents that are written by Xhosa authors Thando Mqolozana, Nelson Mandela, Peter Mtuze, and A.N.N. Ngxamngxa. The documentary by Mayenzeke Baza and a blog post by Xhosa journalist Luzuko Pongoma were also used. The data collection and analysis was done with the Grounded Theory Approach using Atlas.ti version 7. The ontological and epistemological premise is of the constructivist understanding. The conceptual framework is grounded within the African philosophy of Ubuntu and African religio-cultural underpinnings. A new term, ancestral masculinity, was given to depict the type of masculinity described by the findings. It is marked by participating in a ‘manhood’ rites of passage and adhering to its prescribed processes and procedures, according to the ‘living and dead’ ancestors, in order for one to be accepted and recognized as part of the community. The findings show that ancestral masculinity, in its micro context of ‘boyhood’, is a searching route to acceptance. The initiate longs and finds acceptance in the initiation school through enduring pain and fostering a relationship with his guardian and teacher (ikhankatha). Secondly, ancestral masculinity is seen as the yearning to be African in its macro-context. It was demonstrated by admonishing (ukuyala) that helps the initiated to live an exemplary life of honouring (inhlonipho) those who are living and dead. This honouring is portrayed by doing everything possible to be helpful and to accord respect and care to elders. Inhlonipho also challenges individualist accomplishment and materialist flaunting and any ills that negate relational harmony. The study reveals challenges in the ulwaluko institution and construction of masculinity, such as alcohol abuse; carelessness, neglect, and passivity by elders in the process; exclusivity that discriminates against others; and inflexibility toward other constructions of masculinity. However, opportunities are also present within this institution to encourage dialogue and reconciliation, to create flexibility, and to utilize existing values to promote social cohesion amidst the challenges of the contemporary South African context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die volgende tesis ondersoek die konstruksie van manlikheid binne die Xhosa inisiasieskool (ulwaluko) in die plakkerskampe en omligende gebiede van Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika. Hierdie etnografiese studie maak gebruik van onderhoude met vrywillige deelnemers, waarnemings binne die inisiasieskool en word ook verder gekomplimenteer deur dokumente wat geskryf is deur Xhosa outeurs onder andere Thando Mqolozana, Nelson Mandela, Peter Mtuze asook A.N.N. Ngxamngxa. Verder word die dokumentêr deur Mayenzeke Baza sowel as ’n “blogpost” deur Xhosa joernalis Luzuko Pongoma ook gebruik. Die versameling van data sowel as die analise daarvan was gedoen deur die Gefundeerde Teorie benadering en Atlas.ti weergawe 7 was gebruik. Die ontologiese sowel as epistemologiese premisse is van die konstruktivistiese paradigma. Die konsepsuele raamwerk is gegrond in die Afrika filosofie van Ubuntu sowel as Afrika godsdiens en kulturele onderbou. ‘n Nuwe term, voorvaderlike manlikheid, was gegee om die tipe manlikheid uit te beeld wat deur die bevindinge beskryf was. Dit word gekenmerk deur deelname in manlikheid rituele van deurgang asook voldoening aan die voorgeskrewe prosesse en prosedures volgens die “lewende en dooie” voorvaders, om aanvaar en erken te word as deel van die gemeenskap. Die bevindinge dui aan dat voorvaderlike manlikheid in sy mikro-konteks van “seunskap” ’n soekende roete tot aanvaarding is. Die persoon wat die inisiasie moet deurmaak smag na en verkry aanvaarding in die inisiasieskool deur pyn te verduur en om ’n verhouding te kweek met sy voog en leermeester (ikhankatha). Tweedens word hierdie voorvaderlike manlikheid aanskou as die hunkering om ’n Afrikaan te wees in sy makro-konteks. Dit was veral gedemonstreer deur vermaning (ukuyala), wat die geïnisieerde help om ’n voorbeeldige lewe te lei wat die lewendes sowel as die dooies vereer (inhlonipho). Die verering word uitgebeeld deur alles moontlik te doen om behulpsaam te wees en om respek sowel as versorging te verleen aan die bejaardes. Inhlonipho stel ook uitdagings aan die individuele prestasies, materialistiese spoggery asook enige euwels wat teenstrydig is met die relasionele harmonie. Die studie openbaar uitdagings in die ulwaluko instelling en konstruksie van manlikheid onder andere alkohol misbruik, roekeloosheid, nalatigheid asook passiwiteit onder die meer ouer en bejaarde geslag in die proses; uitsluiting wat diskrimineer teen andere, asook onbuigsaamheid teenoor die ander konstruksies van manlikheid. Ondanks die uitdagings is daar ook geleenthede in die instelling wat dialoog en versoening aanmoedig om buigsaamheid te skep sowel as die bestaande waardes aan te wend om sosiale kohesie te bevorder te midde van die uitdagings van die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse konteks.

Submitted by Marco Antônio de Ramos Chagas (mchagas@ufv.br) on 2017-02-17T16:30:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 7100001 bytes, checksum: a29460eeb9b40dfb84c0b0f6fc352842 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-17T16:30:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 7100001 bytes, checksum: a29460eeb9b40dfb84c0b0f6fc352842 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-02-25 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A batata é uma das mais importantes olerícolas cultivadas no Brasil. O cultivo acontece de maneira tradicional, sendo o preparo do solo feito convencionalmente, usando implementos de revolvimento e destorroamento em número e seqüências variadas. O revolvimento excessivo do solo é prática usual entre os bataticultores do Brasil, que vislumbram na grande fragmentação do solo a condição ideal para o desenvolvimento da cultura. Apesar do avanço em relação às técnicas alternativas de preparo do solo para culturas de cereais, como semeadura direta e cultivo mínimo, no Brasil, nada se faz neste aspecto, visando à cultura da batata. O presente trabalho teve como objetivos adaptar uma plantadora de batata existente no mercado para operar em solo cuja superfície não havia sido revolvida (plantio direto) ou pouco revolvida (cultivo mínimo); avaliar os desempenhos da plantadora e da cultura instalada por meio de modificações da máquina e pelo plantio convencional; e verificar a necessidade da amontoa, operação que normalmente é feita na cultura da batata. O experimento foi conduzido num delineamento em blocos casualizados, com as parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. Nas parcelas ficaram os sistemas de plantio (plantio direto, plantio convencional e cultivo mínimo), enquanto nas subparacelas ficaram as práticas da amontoa (sem e com amontoa). Avaliou-se o desempenho operacional do maquinário, características do solo e a produção classificada de tubérculos. Pelos resultados obtidos, conclui-se que: (a) O plantio de batata em solo não revolvido permitiu economia de até 35 L de óleo diesel ha - ; (b) as características do solo, Porcentagem acumulada (Pa), Módulo de finura (MF), Diâmetro médio ponderado (DMP), Densidade do solo (D), Micro e macro porosidade não foram influenciadas significativamente pelos tratamentos. O solo preparado com enxada rotativa para posterior plantio permitiu que as plantas de batata emergissem mais rapidamente do solo; (c) a produção de tubérculos comerciais não foi afetada pelos tratamentos e atingiu a média de 28.266 kg ha -1 ; (d) Sem a amontoa o cultivo mínimo (CM) propiciou maior número e massa de tubérculos não comerciais e (e) amontoa, operação considerada imprescindível por alguns autores se mostrou dispensável nas condições em que foi conduzido o experimento. / Potato is the most important vegetable cultivated in Brazil. Its cultivation is done in a traditional way, where the soil is prepared conventionally through plowing and harrowing that vary in number and sequence. Excessive soil plowing is a common practice among Brazilian potato growers because they understand that a greater soil fragmentation promotes a better crop development. Alternative techniques like non-tillage and minimum tillage, have had a significant progress for cereals in Brazil, but these conservational techniques had a negligible development for potato crop. The objectives of this research were to modify a commercial potato planter to make it able to operate in soils that had not been plowed (non-tillage) or little plowed (minimum tillage); to evaluate the planter and crop performance for conventional tillage, minimum tillage and non- tillage (for some modifications made on the machine); and to verify the need of pile, which is a typical operation done in potato crops. An experiment defined in casual blocks was carried out with subdividided plots and four repetitions. The tillage (non-tillage, conventional tillage and minimum tillage) were put in the plots, while the pile practice (without and with pile) was put in the split-plots. It was evaluated the machinery performance, the soil characteristics and the qualified production of tubers. The results showed that: (a) the potato planted in soil that was not plowed saved up to 35 l of diesel ha -1 ; (b) soil characteristics: accumulated percentage (AP), modulus of fineness (MF), dry mean weight diameter (DMWD), soil density (SD), micro and macro porosity were not significantly influenced by the treatments. The soil preparated with rotary hoe for the subsequent potato planting allowed the potato plants to emerge more quickly; (c) the production of commercial tubers was not affected by the treatments and it reached an average of 28266 kg ha -1 ; (d) the minimum tillage (MT) without the pile operation, provided greater number and mass of non-commercial tubers and (e) pile operation, wich is considered essential by some authors, showed dispensable for the conditions in which the experiment was carried out. / Tese importada do Alexandria

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

The target of this thesis is to examine the W32 four-stroke engine and the four-stroke engine in general, with regard to its different operation modes and their effect on cylinder pressure. The cylinder pressure curves used in this thesis are simulated for the W32 engine using the GT-Power software. Previously, the cylinder pressure curve and the parameters affecting its shape have been partly unknown. This thesis aims to clarify the effect of different parameters on the cylinder pressure curve and investigate further how they affect component dimensioning. The following parameters are investigated: compression ratio, charge air pressure and different valve timings (VIC and Miller). Three components are chosen for this thesis: piston, crankshaft and connecting rod big end bearing (BEB). The crankshaft torsional vibration are calculated using Torsio software and the crankshaft bending has been calculated using the IACS classification software. Bearing calculations, minimum oil film thickness and peak oil film pressure have been calculated using the AVL Excite software. The piston is calculated according to cylinder pressure forces acting on piston crown and piston side. The cylinder pressure curve shape, the width of the maximum pressure and the variation on pressure during gas exchange have influence on component dimensioning. The complete cylinder pressure curve must be taken into consideration in component dimensioning. A piston crown is dimensioned by the maximum cylinder pressure only, but for connecting rod big end (BEB) bearing the whole pressure curve has an effect on the dimensioning. It has been found out that the bearing oil film thickness in gas and diesel operating mode with full load operation is different during gas load even though the maximum pressure is the same in cylinder pressure curves. For crankshaft torsional vibration the power output is important. For bending stress the cylinder pressure curve compression, combustion and expansion stroke has the impact on dimensioning. / Työn tavoitteena on tutkia W32 nelitahtimoottoria ja yleisesti nelitahtimoottorin eri vaihteita ja näiden vaikutusta sylinteripaineeseen. Työssä käytetyt sylinteripainekäyrät on simuloitu W32-moottorille käyttäen GT-Power-ohjelmaa. Luokitukseen vaadittava sylinteripainekäyrä ja siihen vaikuttavat eri ilmiöt ovat olleet aiemmin osittain tuntemattomia. Tässä työssä on pyritty selventämään eri ilmiöiden vaikutusta sylinteripainekäyrään ja edelleen tutkia niiden vaikutusta eri komponentteihin. Seuraavia ilmiöitä tutkitaan: puristussuhde, ahtopaine sekä eri venttiilien ajoitukset (VIC ja Miller). Tähän työhön on koottu kolme eri komponenttia: mäntä, kampiakseli sekä kiertokangen alasilmän laakeri. Kampiakselin vääntövärähtelylaskelmat on laskettu Torsio-ohjelmalla, kampiakselin taipuma on laskettu IACS-luokitustyökalun avulla. Laakerilaskut, öljyfilmin minimipaksuus (minimum oil film thickness) sekä öljyfilmin huippupaine (peak oil film pressure) on laskettu AVL Excite -ohjelmalla. Mäntä on laskettu sylintetripaine voimien mukaan sekä männän lakiin, että männän helmaan kohdistettuna. Sylinteripainekäyrän muoto, huippupainealueen leveys sekä kaasunvaihdonaikainen paineenvaihtelu vaikuttaa komponenttien mitoitukseen. Komponenttien laskussa koko sylinteripainekäyrän muodolla on merkitystä. Siinä missä esimerkiksi männän laki mitoitetaan sylinteripaineen maksimiarvon perusteella, kiertokangen alasilmän laakeri mitoitetaan koko sylinteripainekäyrän perusteella. On huomattu, että täydellä kuormalla laakerin öljyfilmin kaasunpaineen aikainen minimipaksuus kaasu- ja diesel käytössä poikkeaa toisistaan siitä huolimatta, että kaasu- ja diesel sylintetripainekäyrässä on sama maksimipaine. Kampiakselin vääntövärähtelylle tehon suuruus on tärkeä. Kampiakselin taivutusjännitykseen puolestaan puristustahti, palaminen, sekä paisunta vaikuttavat mitoitukseen.

L'amélioration de la vie des personnes en situation d'handicap est un défi majeur dans notre société. Dans le cas d'un handicap dû à des déficiences du système sensori-moteur, les solutions chirurgicales ou médicamenteuses peuvent rarement restaurer les fonctions altérées. Des solutions plus technologiques peuvent, dans certains cas, être utilisées afin de contourner les problématiques de dysfonctionnement du système nerveux. Une des solutions envisageables consiste à contrôler certaines fonctions par stimulation électrique fonctionnelle. Pour que cette stimulation soit efficace et se rapproche du contrôle naturel une approche intéressante consiste à utiliser les capteurs sensoriels naturels dans la boucle de contrôle du système. Dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, nous nous intéressons aux systèmes d'acquisition électriques des signaux neurologiques provenant du système nerveux périphérique. L’idée est que les informations issues des fibres nerveuses afférentes obtenues à l’aide d’électrodes extra-neurales (ex. Cuff) pourraient permettre de « capter » l’information sensorielle provenant de plusieurs capteurs naturels sans être trop invasif.La principale difficulté de cette technique et de discriminer l'activité d'une fibre ou d’un groupe de fibres à partir du signal composite recueilli par l’électrode. Ce signal regroupe, en effet, l’information provenant d’un grand nombre de fibres afférentes et efférentes d’origine très différentes. Une des approches envisageables consiste à discriminer l’information des différentes fibres à partir de leurs caractéristiques physiologiques ou anatomiques. Les travaux présentés dans ce manuscrit cherchent à améliorer la sélectivité du recueil en fonction de la vitesse de propagation des différentes fibres. A noter qu’aucune solution réellement viable n’existe dans la littérature sur ce principe de sélectivité. Le premier objectif a donc été de prouver que dans un cas idéal (filtre parfait), il serait possible d’effectuer une discrimination efficace. Nos travaux sont basés sur des études temporelles, spatiales et spatio-temporelles afin d’évaluer les possibilités d'extraction de l'information utile à partir des potentiels extracellulaires simulés. Les simulations ont été effectuées à partir d'un modèle de système d'acquisition réaliste développé à partir des paramètres du modèle biophysiologique et du modèle d’électrode et du préamplificateur associé. Partant des résultats prometteurs obtenus dans un cas d’un filtre idéal, des implémentations de filtres IIR et FIR spatio-temporel du premier et second ordre ont été proposées. Les paramètres de stabilité des filtres proposés ont été étudiés et permettent d’envisager une implémentation physique efficace. / Improving the lives of people with disabilities is a major challenge in our society. In the case of a handicap due to deficiencies of the sensory-motor system, surgical or drug solutions can rarely restore the altered functions. More technological solutions may in some cases be used to bypass problematic malfunction of the nervous system. One solution is to control certain functions by functional electrical stimulation. For this to be effective stimulation and approaches the natural control an interesting approach is to use natural touch sensors in the system control loop. As part of this thesis, we focus on electrical systems acquisition neurological signals from the peripheral nervous system. The idea is that the information from the afferent nerve fibers obtained using extra-neural electrodes (eg. Cuff) could help to "capture" the sensory information from several sensors natural without being too invasive. The main difficulty of this technique and to discriminate the activity of a fiber or group of fibers from the composite signal received by the electrode. This signal includes, in fact, information from a large number of afferent and efferent very different origin. One possible approach is to discriminate the information of different fibers from their physiological and anatomical features. The work presented in this manuscript are looking to improve the selectivity of the collection based on the propagation speed of the different fibers. Note that no truly viable solution exists in the literature on this principle of selectivity. The first objective was therefore to prove that in an ideal case (ideal filter), it would be possible to make effective discrimination. Our work is based on studies of temporal, spatial and spatio-temporal order to assess the possibilities of extracting useful information from the simulated extracellular potentials. The simulations were performed from a realistic acquisition system model developed from the parameters of the model and biophysiological electrode model and associated preamplifier. Based on the promising results obtained in a case of an ideal filter, IIR filter implementations and spatiotemporal FIR of first and second order have been proposed. The proposed filter stability parameters have been studied and possible to envisage an effective physical implementation.

Orientador: Dagoberto José Fonseca / Banca: Osvaldo Martins de Oliveira / Banca: Claude Lépine / Banca: Carla Giandini Martelli / Banca: Renata Medeiros Paoliello / Resumo: A pesquisa na Comunidade Mumbuca, situada na cidade de Mateiros no Estado do Tocantins tem como objetivo compreender a dinâmica das relações entre Estado (políticas públicas) e sociedade (Comunidade Mumbuca), no que se refere à identidade étnico-racial da comunidade, sua situação de vulnerabilidade social e insegurança alimentar e nutricional, bem como as políticas públicas desenvolvidas no período de 2003 a 2010. Verifica-se através da metodologia da pesquisa etnográfica, com a utilização dos instrumentos de coleta de dados baseados em entrevistas semiestruturadas, observação direta e formulário de investigação social que a comunidade habita esta localidade há mais de um século. Historicamente praticava uma economia de subsistência baseada na agricultura, na criação de animais e no extrativismo. O estudo verifica também que, no que se refere à insegurança alimentar e nutricional, a utilização da escala EBIA - Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar e Nutricional, permitiu averiguar o grau de insegurança alimentar leve, moderada e grave nos domicílios, atestando a não existência de um único domicílio em situação de segurança alimentar. As políticas públicas recentes, tais como a criação do Parque Estadual do Jalapão; o reconhecimento da comunidade como remanescente de quilombo e a potencialização da reorganização produtiva local em torno do capim dourado e do turismo vem impactando a cultura e organização da comunidade sem necessariamente melhorar a qualidade de vida da maioria desta população. A demora na titulação definitiva do território e a falta de equacionamento do conflito entre a área de preservação ambiental do Parque Estadual e da produção efetiva de alimentos das famílias, conforme a tradição e organização produtiva local têm agravado a situação de vulnerabilidade social dos moradores da comunidade / Abstract: This research was made in Mumbuca Community, in the city of Mateiros in the State of Tocantins; we need to understand what the dynamics of relationships between state (public policy) and society (Mumbuca Community) in relation toethno-racial community, their situation social vulnerability and food insecurity and nutrition, as well as public policies developed in the period 2003 to 2010. It is through the methodology of ethnographic research with the use of instruments to collect some information based on semi-structured interviews, direct observation and form social research that the community this locality has a century more than. Historically practiced a subsistence economy based on agriculture, animal husbandry and harvesting.The study also notes that, in relation to food and nutrition insecurity, using the scale EBIA-Brazilian Scale of Food Insecurity and Nutrition, allowed to as certain the degree of food insecurity, moderate and severe inhouse holds, confirming the absence of in a singlehouseholdfood security situation. Recent publicpolicies, suchas the creation ofthe JalapãoState Park, the community's recognition as aremnant of Quilombo reorganization and enhancement of local production around the Capim Dourado and tourism is impacting the culture and organization of the community without necessarily improving the quality life of the majority of this population. The delay indefinitive titling of the territory and the lack of addressing the conflict between environmental preservation area of the State Park and the effective production of food by families, according to local tradition and organization of production have exacerbated the situation of socially vulnerable community residents / Doutor

Orientador: Juércio Tavares de Mattos / Banca: Paulina Setti Riedel / Banca: Sérgio dos Anjos Ferreira Pinto / Banca: Ricardo Vedovello / Banca: Valter Casseti / Resumo: Apresenta-se a problemática do assunto Zoneamento Ecológico-Econômico (ZEE), a polêmica em torno dele e suas atribuições como instrumentos político e técnico para ordenamento territorial. A hipótese do trabalho foi definida com base na situaçãoproblema ZEE Tocantins, discutindo-se os procedimentos metodológicos e métodos usados. Assumiu-se que o mapeamento e o zoneamento geotécnico tenham uma importante aplicação no ZEE, sobretudo pela forma com que as unidades são caracterizadas, quer seja diretamente ou indiretamente. Demonstrou-se que o mapeamento geotécnico, embasado em unidades de compartimentação do meio físico classificadas por atributos inerentes ao ZEE, permite melhorar a percepção acerca dos usos potenciais da terra, pretendidos em um projeto de ZEE, principalmente pela possibilidade de elaboração de cartas específicas ou de síntese. Trabalhou-se criteriosamente na descrição dos processos de: (i) montagem e organização de uma base de dados geográficos para facilitar e permitir o desenvolvimento das atividades que se apóiam tecnologicamente em SIG e sistema de processamento digital de imagens de sensores remotos; (ii) aplicação do método Seplan-TO usado no ZEE Norte do Estado do Tocantins para a geração do plano de zoneamento ambiental, com ênfase na compartimentação ambiental (unidade territorial básica - UTB); (iii) aplicação do mapeamento geotécnico com base no Método Vedovello para a geração de um plano de zoneamento geoambiental, com ênfase na compartimentação ambiental (unidade básica de compartimentação - UBC) e inclusão de fatores bióticos; e (iv) comparação e avaliação dos resultados obtidos pela aplicação dos diferentes métodos com o intuito de indicar aquele que deve ser usado para estudos de ZEE no Tocantins. Os focos da avaliação foram a compartimentação do meio físico e a execução do ZEE em termos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The problematics of the subject Ecological-Economic Zoning (EEZ) is presented, as well as the controversy about it and its role as a political and technical instrument for a territorial ordenation. The hypothesis was defined based on the EEZ Tocantins problem-situation, discussing the methodological procedures and methods used. It was assumed that geotechnical mapping and zoning have an important application in the EEZ, particularly by the way the units are characterized, whether directly or indirectly. It was demonstrated that a geotechnical mapping based on compartmentalization units of the physical medium and classified by attributes inherent to the EEZ permits to improve the perception about the potential uses of land as intended in a EEZ project, particularly due to the possibility of preparing specific or synthetic charts. A judicious work was performed in the description of the processes of: (i) assembly and organization of a geographic data bank in order to facilitate and permit the development of the activities technologically supported by SIG and a digital image-processing system with remote sensors; (ii) application of the Seplan-TO method used at EEZ Northern of the State of Tocantins for generating the environmental zoning plan, emphasizing the environmental compartmentalization (basic territorial unit - BTU); (iii) application of the geotechnical mapping based on Vedovello Method for generating a geoenvironmental zoning plan emphasizing the environmental compartmentalization (basic compartmentalization unit - BCU) and inclusion of biotic factors; and (iv) comparison and assessment of the results obtained by the application of the different methods, with the intent of indicating that one that should be used for EEZ studies at Tocantins. The assessment was focused on the compartmentalization of the physical medium and the execution of the EEZ in terms of repeatability ...(Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

This thesis consists of three independent chapters on entry deterrence. The first two chapters consider the use of contracts as a barrier to entry, while the final chapter examines the possibility of firms expanding their product lines to deter entry in a vertical differentiation model. In Chapter 1, the role of exclusive dealing contracts in the liner shipping industry is investigated. It is shown that if the entrant is capacity-constrained, exclusive dealing contracts can be an effective entry barrier, even if the entrant has a lower cost. Chapter 2considers an industry with two stages of production. It is shown that an upstream incumbent is able to deter the entry of a more efficient producer by establishing long-term contractual relations with downstream firms, provided the downstream firms are in direct competition against each other. Chapter 3 considers the question of entry deterrence in a one-dimensional market where goods are differentiated by quality. It is shown that an incumbent firm may decide to produce several products solely for the purpose of deterring entry. Again, it is possible that a lower-cost entrant is deterred. In all three chapters, the welfare consequence is clear: social welfare is lower, since more efficient entrants are excluded from the market.

This thesis consists of three independent chapters on entry deterrence. The first two chapters consider the use of contracts as a barrier to entry, while the final chapter examines the possibility of firms expanding their product lines to deter entry in a vertical differentiation model. In Chapter 1, the role of exclusive dealing contracts in the liner shipping industry is investigated. It is shown that if the entrant is capacity-constrained, exclusive dealing contracts can be an effective entry barrier, even if the entrant has a lower cost. Chapter 2considers an industry with two stages of production. It is shown that an upstream incumbent is able to deter the entry of a more efficient producer by establishing long-term contractual relations with downstream firms, provided the downstream firms are in direct competition against each other. Chapter 3 considers the question of entry deterrence in a one-dimensional market where goods are differentiated by quality. It is shown that an incumbent firm may decide to produce several products solely for the purpose of deterring entry. Again, it is possible that a lower-cost entrant is deterred. In all three chapters, the welfare consequence is clear: social welfare is lower, since more efficient entrants are excluded from the market. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate