Universiẗat, Diss., 2003--Freiburg (Breisgau).

Universiẗat, Diss., 2001--Tübingen.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Portland, 1965. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-60).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, March 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

L’évolution des infrastructures informatiques encourage la gestion séparée de l’infrastructure matérielle et de celle des logiciels. Dans cette direction, les infrastructures de cloud virtualisées sont devenues trés populaires. Parmi les différents modèles de cloud, les Infrastructures as a Service (IaaS) ont de nombreux avantages pour le fournisseur comme pour le client. Dans ce modèle de cloud, le fournisseur fournit ses ressources virtualisées et il est responsable de la gestion de son infrastructure. De son coté, le client gère son application qui est déployée dans les machines virtuelles allouées. Ces deux acteurs s’appuient généralement sur des systèmes d’administration autonomes pour automatiser les tâches d’administration. Réduire la quantité de ressources utilisées (et la consommation d’énergie) est un des principaux objectifs de ce modèle de cloud. Cette réduction peut être obtenue à l’exécution au niveau de l’application par le client (en redimensionnant l’application) ou au niveau du système virtualisé par le fournisseur (en regroupant les machines virtuelles dans l’infrastructure matérielle en fonction de leur charge). Dans les infrastructures de cloud traditionnelles, les politiques de gestion de ressources ne sont pas coopératives : le fournisseur ne possède pas d’informations détaillées sur les applications. Ce manque de coordination engendre des surcoûts et des gaspillages de ressources qui peuvent être réduits avec une politique de gestion de ressources coopérative. Dans cette thèse, nous traitons du problème de la gestion de ressources séparée dans un environnement de cloud virtualisé. Nous proposons un modèle de machines virtuelles élastiques avec une politique de gestion coopérative des ressources. Cette politique associe la connaissance des deux acteurs du cloud afin de réduire les coûts et la consommation d’énergie. Nous évaluons les bénéfices de cette approche avec plusieurs expériences dans un IaaS privé. Cette évaluation montre que notre politique est meilleure que la gestion des ressources non coordonnée dans un IaaS traditionnel, car son impact sur les performances est faible et elle permet une meilleure utilisation des ressources matérielles et logicielles. / Recent advances in computer infrastructures encourage the separation of hardware and software management tasks. Following this direction, virtualized cloud infrastructures are becoming very popular. Among various cloud models, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides many advantages to both provider and customer. In this service model, the provider offers his virtualized resource, and is responsible for managing his infrastructure, while the customer manages his application deployed in the allocated virtual machines. These two actors typically use autonomic resource management systems to automate these tasks at runtime. Minimizing the amount of resource (and power consumption) in use is one of the main services that such cloud model must ensure. This objective can be done at runtime either by the customer at the application level (by scaling the application) or by the provider at the virtualization level (by migrating virtual machines based on the infrastructure’s utilization rate). In traditional cloud infrastructures, these resource management policies work uncoordinated: knowledge about the application is not shared with the provider. This behavior faces application performance overheads and resource wasting, which can be reduced with a cooperative resource management policy. In this research work, we discuss the problem of separate resource management in the cloud. After having this analysis, we propose a direction to use elastic virtual machines with cooperative resource management. This policy combines the knowledge of the application and the infrastructure in order to reduce application performance overhead and power consumption. We evaluate the benefit of our cooperative resource management policy with a set of experiments in a private IaaS. The evaluation shows that our policy outperforms uncoordinated resource management in traditional IaaS with lower performance overhead, better virtualized and physical resource usage.

No description available.

Large individual differences in cooperative contributions are common within animal societies such as cooperative breeders, where helpers care for offspring which are not their own. Understanding this variation has been a major focus in behavioural ecology and while evidence has shown that individuals are capable to adaptively adjust their cooperative behaviours, the physiological mechanisms underlying such adjustments remain poorly understood. Steroid hormones are prominent candidates to regulate cooperative behaviours due to their ability to integrate internal physiological state and environmental stimuli to produce an adaptive behavioural response. In this thesis, I investigate the effects of two steroid hormones, Cortisol (CORT) and Testosterone (T), in the regulation of cooperative behaviours in the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis). Because these hormones are susceptible to both modulate and be modulated by cooperative contributions, I experimentally tested both sides of this relationship. I show that, despite the absence of correlation between CORT and T and cooperative contributions, experimental increases of cooperative contributions elevate CORT levels, but not T (Chapter 3). Additionally, experimental increases of CORT levels in female helpers raised their cooperative contributions by more than one half demonstrating the regulatory effect of CORT on cooperative behaviours (Chapter 4). As breeding opportunities are likely to affect cooperative contributions and because T is a likely candidate to mediate a trade-off between future reproduction and current cooperation, I tested the effects of experimental increases of T levels in female helpers. I show that such elevations have no measurable effect of aggression, dispersal tendencies (both important to attain a breeding position) or cooperative contributions (Chapter 5). Taken together, the results of this thesis demonstrate that CORT can both respond to and regulate cooperative behaviours and suggest that this hormone may play a major role in the adaptive regulation of cooperative behaviour.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Brian C. Briggeman / Grain Elevators have towered the plains of Southwest Kansas for over the last half of a century. Many of these large white concrete structures were built during the 1950s using a slip form concrete design. While new grain storage has been built over time, many of the original slip form structures remain a large part of the farm cooperatives storage capacity. Grain production has continued to increase and put greater demand on storage facilities and handling capabilities. Thus, there is a need for cooperatives to meet the future demands of farmers by replacing or updating grain storage assets. The objective of this project is to provide a comparative analysis of grain storage options that a cooperative, primarily the Garden City Co-op, Inc. (GCC), could utilize in making a decision to update or replace grain storage assets. The project examines three different options for grain storage including concrete, steel, and bunker storage. The project will also examine extending the life of an original slip form elevator by installing a gunite bin liner. To determine which option that provides the most economic benefit to GCC and its members, Net Present Value and the Internal Rate of Return are estimated for each grain storage option. GCC historical grain handling margins and grain storage costs were derived from historical averages and bids from projects GCC has undertaken in the past five years, respectively. The model assumes receipts as a percentage of storage to accurately represent bushels handled by a facility. Grain storage is highly variable in initial cost and the operational needs will change in every circumstance. The results indicate that a large volume of grain is needed before economic profits will be realized.

Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 2003 / Co-operative education is an important sub-system of education that plays an essential role in the development of students' critical and creative thinking skills. The idea behind any co-operative education programme is that students alternate their academic periods at the academic institution with periods in the world of work, with the aim of implementing their theoretical knowledge in practical situations. The Co-operative Education lecturer plays an integral role in the co-operative education programme. He is an indispensable link in the interaction between the student the employer and the academic institution. The changing circumstances in South Africa's labour and education sectors warrant research into methods of improving current education systems and processes. A better understanding of what exactly a Co-operative Education lecturer is responsible for can lead to an improvement of the co-operative education process. Before the researcher undertook this study, there was no specific scientifically established model pertaining to the profile of a Co-operative Education lecturer in South Africa. Therefore, there were no set guidelines for the effective recruitment, remuneration, training and assessment of such a person. The objectives of this study were fourfold: • To define the current role, responsibilities, personality traits, abilities, characteristics, types of experience and level of qualifications of a Co-operative Education Lecturer. • To establish a profile of an ideal Co-operative Education Lecturer. • To create a job description that can be used as a guideline for the effective recruitment, remuneration, assessment and training of Co-operative Education Lecturers. • To identify areas for further research. The researcher investigated the roles and responsibilities; personality traits; abilities and characteristics; types of experience; and qualifications needed by the Co-operative Education Lecturer to complete his job successfully. From the investigation it is evident that the Co-operative Education Lecturer's function in the total co-operative education process is multi-dimensional. He plays an integral role in the effective functioning of the co-operative education programme and is an indispensable link in the interaction between the student, the employer and the academic institution. A profile of a Co-operative Education Lecturer was created as part of the research project This profile can be seen as a benchmark for Co-operative Education Lecturers in South Africa. The profile made it possible to obtain a holistic picture of the Co-operative Education Lecturer and what is expected of him to ensure that the co-operative education process is implemented successfully. The job description developed as a product of the research can be utilised as a tool in the effective recruitment, remuneration, training and assessment of Co-operative Education Lecturers in South Africa

Thesis (PhD (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 1990. / This study has focused on two aspects. In the first instance an attempt was made to create a theoretical model which could serve as a guideline for implementing cooperative education in the commercial sc iences. Secondly, it was determined to which extent cooperative education was feasible in the commercial sciences at technikons. In the first component, a literature study was undertaken as starting point for the development of a model according to which cooperative education could be applied. The focus was predominantly on commercial courses up to diploma level offered at technikons in the RSA. The basic premise was that it would be desirable for commercial courses to conta i n a component of cooperative educati on, spec ifica 11y that of in-service training as a subdivision thereof. At present cooperative education is not a requirement for commercial courses at technikons, though it is compulsory in courses in engineering and the sciences. The study of literature revealed that there are certain methods according to which commercial courses are presented when implementing cooperative education in other countries. It was evident that a model containing certain components could be developed. The concepts of cooperative education, vocational education and competency-based education should form the basis of all technikon education and the total model can be constructed on these principles.