Graphs are a fundamental and widely-used abstraction for representing data. We can analytically study interesting aspects of real-world complex systems such as the Internet, social systems, transportation networks, and biological interaction data by modeling them as graphs. Graph-theoretic and combinatorial problems are also pervasive in scientific computing and engineering applications. In this dissertation, we address the problem of analyzing large-scale complex networks that represent interactions between hundreds of thousands to billions of entities. We present SNAP, a new high-performance computational framework for efficiently processing graph-theoretic queries on massive datasets. Graph analysis is computationally very different from traditional scientific computing, and solving massive graph-theoretic problems on current high performance computing systems is challenging due to several reasons. First, real-world graphs are often characterized by a low diameter and unbalanced degree distributions, and are difficult to partition on parallel systems. Second, parallel algorithms for solving graph-theoretic problems are typically memory intensive, and the memory accesses are fine-grained and highly irregular. The primary contributions of this dissertation are the design and implementation of novel parallel graph algorithms for traversal, shortest paths, and centrality computations, optimized for the small-world network topology, and high-performance multithreaded architectures and multicore servers. SNAP (Small-world Network Analysis and Partitioning) is a modular, open-source framework for the exploratory analysis and partitioning of large-scale networks. With SNAP, we demonstrate the capability to process massive graphs with billions of vertices and edges, and achieve up to two orders of magnitude speedup over state-of-the-art network analysis approaches. We also design a new parallel computing benchmark for characterizing the performance of graph-theoretic problems on high-end systems; study data representations for dynamic graph problems on parallel systems; and apply algorithms in SNAP to solve real-world problems in social network analysis and systems biology.

Dans un contexte industriel où le partenariat d’entreprises devient une réponse stratégique aux exigences accrues du marché, le contrat d’approvisionnement apparaît progressivement comme un élément-clé de la gestion d’une chaîne logistique. La contribution de cette thèse comporte deux volets. Au plan méthodologique, il s’agit de fournir à l’entreprise un cadre d’analyse support à la contractualisation, permettant de relier clause, risque et performance en vue de définir, par une démarche instrumentée, les clauses pertinentes en adéquation avec le contexte industriel et la relation d’approvisionnement. Au plan des outils, un modèle de planification avec prise en compte des contraintes contractuelles et une plateforme de simulation ont été développés. Deux types de contrats d’approvisionnement (contrat d’engagement sur des quantités par période et contrat d’engagement sur des quantités par horizon) ont été simulés, mettant en évidence l’impact de ces derniers sur la performance locale (vue partenaire) et globale (vue de la chaîne logistique). / In high competitive industrial context where the collaborative partnership becomes a strategic answer to face the increased market requirements, supply contract gradually appears to be a key element in supply chain management. The contribution of this thesis is twofold. In one hand, methodological approach aims at providing deciders with contracting framework support that links clause, risk and performance in order to define, by instrumented approach, the relevant clauses to commit in adequacy with industrial context and supplying relationship. In the other hand, planning model including contractual constraints and simulation platform are developed. Two types of supply contracts (commitments on quantities per period and commitments on quantities per horizon) are simulated, highlighting the impact of these one on local performance (partner view) and global performance (supply chain view)

anglicky This thesis captures the media image of poverty in the Czech Republic, which is presented in four national daily newspapers on pages dealing with reporting. This work is divided into theoretical part, methodological part and research. The theoretical part deals with media concepts, such as representation of reality, framing, stereotyping, discourse, media image and interconnection issues of poverty and the media. The theoretical part also defines socio- political concepts associated with poverty, their definitions and detailed specification in the context of the Czech Republic. The methodological part defines the used methods, periodicals and investigated research, sample work attaching to the keyword poverty and its variations. Following part is the research, which deals with the quantitative content analysis and qualitative framework analysis, using which corresponds to a set of research questions. The work compares titles with each other, so in total. The conclusion summarizes all the knowledge.

The aim of this study is to analyse political-security risk in Uganda. It emanates from the research question: Does Uganda pose a political-security risk to prospective foreign investment or involvement? The need to move beyond a political risk analysis without entering into a country risk analysis, poses the research problem to develop a political-security risk analysis framework and to apply it to Uganda. This problem generates three subsidiary questions: How appropriate (or inappropriate) are existing risk analysis frameworks? Do existing frameworks contain generic elements that can provide a basis for a synthesised framework? To what extent is a country specific framework applicable to other countries? Therefore, three sub-problems are addressed, namely to determine the appropriateness of selected frameworks; to identify generic elements to construct a synthesised framework; and to assess the applicability of this framework for the analysis of political-security risk in other African countries. Following a definition of the concepts risk, country risk, political risk and political-security risk (analysis), selected frameworks for risk analysis were analysed. The generic elements of these frameworks, namely The Economist (EIU), Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI), International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) and Political Risk Services (PRS) frameworks, were reduced to three categories and synthesised into a single framework which was applied to Uganda. The categories of risk indicators pertained to security, political and socio-economic risks respectively. These indicators and the allocated risk scores were used to construct a political-security risk index in respect of which the summed scores provided an index figure of risk that was interpreted in accordance with an interpretation scale. In respect of Uganda, its more recent political history was described and the political, security and socio-economic circumstances prevailing in the country analysed. These conditions were assessed and measured against the indicated risk factors and according to the risk index. The summed political-security risk index score for Uganda was 55.5 out of a maximum of 100. In accordance with the interpretation scale, this constitutes an intermediate risk. Based on this Uganda is not, at present, the most suitable destination for foreign investment or involvement. This does not disallow investment or involvement but if indeed the case, it should be done with circumspection. The situation is volatile to the extent that it can rapidly change for the better or the worse, depending on trends concerning the risk categories, or more specifically a turn of events in respect of a particular key risk indicator. Since the synthesised risk analysis framework is able to accommodate key variables pertaining to politics and security in African states, and since it has provided an indication of risk in respect of Uganda, it is suggested for application to other African states. The need for modification, based on the particularities of other countries, is not excluded. It is also proposed that similar exercises be conducted at intervals of six months. This will indicate whether the variables used were, in fact, valid and reliable, and whether additional variables should be included. The repetition of the analysis also indicates risk trends and allows for the monitoring of risks, which will be conducive to risk management. / Dissertation (MSS (Political Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

This master's thesis deals with the analysis of dynamic linked data structures using shape analysis used in the Predator tool. It describes the chosen abstract domain for heap representation - symbolic memory graphs. It deals with the design of framework for the development of static analyzers based on Clang/LLVM. The main contribution is implementing and testing LLVM's transformation passes that simplify the LLVM IR. Second contribution is the optimization of parameters for parallel run of several variants of the Predator tool. Parameters are tuned for benchmark from SV-COMP'16, where our tool won gold medal in Heap Data Structures category. Last contribution is the design of verification core with the focus on the SMG domain.

Possibilities of demography implementation in the classes at higher secondary education level Abstract The main goals of the diploma thesis are to evaluate the degree of implementation and the potential of demography during lessons at the higher secondary school level and to suggest specific activities that can be implemented within the lessons. It is the first thesis aimed solely at the didactics of demography. The work uses publicly available online databases of the Czech Statistical Office, the United Nations and the Population Reference Bureau. An analysis of syllabi of subjects from the first years of selected universities, a content analysis of selected secondary school textbooks and a Framework Education Programme were performed. The analyses show a large scope for the implementation of demography not only in the teaching of geography. The work is complemented by specific proposals of activities that can be used in teaching at upper secondary schools. Keywords: Czechia, demography, teaching demography, implementation, upper secondary schools, textbook analysis, Framework Education Programme

Organization Performance Analysis Framework (OPAF) is a Metamodel which analyzes performance of organizational structure using Enterprise Architecture Analysis Tool (EAAT). This quantitative analysis is used to find out which structure is good at learning, motivation, efficiency, productivity, etc. and how to change it. Current framework does not include IT and how it affects the organizational structure. This thesis work will try to find out how IT affects organizational structure, directly and indirectly. The effect is translated in Object Constraint Language (OCL) and inserted in the model. The framework IT-OPAF is used to analyze three real life organizations and see the changes in performance when IT is introduced. This will validate the findings and also recognize pattern of the effect of IT on organizational structure.

<p>In the Central Hardwood Region, the quantity and quality of hardwood timber critically depend on forest management decisions made by private landowners, since they hold the largest share of woodlands, some of which are plantations. These plantations are in a unique and critical position to provide much-needed hardwood resources. However, there is a lack of research and tools enabling rigorous assessments of profitability of long-term investments in hardwood plantations. Partially due to this, the majority of these privately held plantations remain unmanaged.</p> <p>This study aims at providing scientific evidence and tools to help promote forest management on hardwood plantations held by private landowners. To this end, I demonstrate in Chapter 1 an economic-modeling approach that minimizes establishment costs while ensuring free-to-grow status by year 5, and crown closure by year 10. Using temperate hardwoods such as black walnut and red oak as focal species, I find a black walnut plantation can attain crown closure in year six at the lowest cost ($4,540/ha) with 6 feet x 7 feet spacing, herbicide application for the first year, and fencing. For red oak, the minimum-cost option ($5,371/ ha) which achieves crown closure in year 10 requires a planting density of 6 feet x 7 feet, herbicide application for the first three years, and fencing. Modelling uncertainty in growth and mortality in a stochastic counterpart shifts optimal solutions to denser plantings for black walnut; planting more trees is, thus, risk mitigative. Based upon these research outcomes, I identify the tradeoffs between efficacy of treatments towards establishment success viz a viz their relative costs which serve as a solid foundation for the assessment of subsequent management strategies.</p> <p>Next, in chapter 2, I first calibrate growth, yield, and crown-width models for black walnut trees with existing and new tree measurements on selected Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC) plots. Using spatial information on trees, I develop an individual tree level thinning model and simulate their post-thinning growth and yield. Significant predictors of annual diameter growth between years 10 to 18 include the initial tree DBH, forest edge effects, distance-dependent neighborhood competition, and tree age. Significant edge effects exist up to 3 rows and 3 trees from the non-forested edge. A tree on the perimeter rows grows 0.30 cm (0.12in.) in DBH more per year than the interior trees, between years 10 to 18. Next, I dovetail my results from the spatially explicit thinning model with the USFS Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to understand the impacts of different scenarios of planting densities, site productivities, thinning treatments, and expected yields (as percentage of the total volume) of veneer sawlogs to quantify the growth and profitability from the mid-rotation until the final harvest. To support the attendant financial analyses, I incorporate risk into these projections by simulating stochastic windthrows based on certain assumptions. My projections suggest that, without the threat of windthrow damage, the net present day value (NPV) could exceed $4,900 per acre on the highest quality sites (SI =100) and high densities at planting (6 feet x 6 feet), assuming 10% or more of final volume was veneer and using a 3% discount rate. In contrast, under simulations of probable windthrow disturbances from mid-rotation to final harvest, the chances that standing timber value at harvest exceeds $5,000 per acre are 43.13% for a 96- and 90-year rotation and increase to 45.48% for 75 and further to 56.04% for 60.</p>

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non / Statistics in the 2008 World Leasing Yearbook showed that China’s leasing volume was only US$5.35 billion for the year 2006, lagging far behind that of other high-GDP countries. However, leasing in China did experience extraordinary high growth rates over the past few years and seems to have ample room for growth in the future. As we know, each industry has its own set of critical success factors (CSFs) and a match between these factors and a firm’s strengths may ensure the firm’s successful performance. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to explore CSFs for leasing in China and explain the major influences behind these factors. This research is analyzed based on the PEST analysis framework and Porter’s five forces model. The CSFs identified in this study can provide guidelines to develop leasing in China as well as for those planning to enter China’s leasing market. Based on the findings, the business environment for leasing in China, though better than it has ever been, still leaves much to be desired. For leasing to further develop, the following CSFs must be handled with care: Public awareness and understanding; An enabling legal framework; Credit risk management capabilities; Diversified funding sources; Qualified and well-trained staff; A vibrant second-hand equipment market, and Information technology infrastructure and know-how. The identified CSFs also lead to several strong policy recommendations. Among these are the following: Embarking on campaigns promoting leasing; Passing the Financial Leasing Law as soon as possible; Removing tax disincentives to leasing; Establishing a national credit information center; Providing funding support and credit guarantee schemes in favor of SME leasing; and Strengthening information technology infrastructure. Without improvement of these critical elements, the outlook for China’s leasing sector may not be so promising after all.