This thesis focuses on stochastic dominance in portfolio selection problems. The thesis recalls basic knowledge from the area of portfolio optimization with utility functions and first, second, $N$-th and infinite order of stochastic dominance. It sumarizes Post's, Kuosmanen's and Kopa's criteria for portfolio efficiency and necessary and sufficient conditions of stochastic dominance for discrete and continuous probability distributions. The thesis also contains formulations of optimization problems with second order stochastic dominance constraints derived for discrete and continuous probability distributions. A practical application is also a part of the thesis, where the optimization problems for monthly returns of Czech stocks are solved using optimization software GAMS.

La réaction alcali-silice est une réaction endogène du béton qui peut contribuer à diminuer la durée de vie d'ouvrages coûteux. La modélisation est nécessaire pour pouvoir évaluer la durée de vie restante des ouvrages atteints. L'alcali-réaction provoque un gonflement du béton dû à une fissuration microscopique sous pression de produits de réaction qui sont des gels gonflant par absorption d'eau. Si le béton est chargé, la fissuration microscopique se développe en fonction du chargement local du béton, ce qui induit une anisotropie de comportement et de déformation du béton. L'objectif de notre travail est de simuler, à partir d'hypothèses simples sur les mécanismes réactionnels en jeu, pour une classe de granulats à réactivité rapide, le déroulement de la fissuration du béton au niveau microscopique, de façon à estimer les déformations et les propriétés mécaniques du béton attaqué. Nous utilisons pour cela une description micromécanique du béton qui nous permet de calculer les propriétés mécaniques et les déformations en fonction de l'état de fissuration, et un critère énergétique de fissuration de façon à faire évoluer l'état de fissuration. Le fonctionnement du modèle est testé sur de nombreux cas qui font apparaître que l'utilisation d'un critère de rupture énergétique en micromécanique est bien adaptée à l'alcali-réaction. L'identification des paramètres du modèle sur des essais en laboratoire donne de bons résultats pour des chargements en dessous de 10 MPa, mais conduit à des estimations très élevées des énergies mécaniques. Le modèle a en effet une tendance à surestimer l'anisotropie du gonflement qui est compensée par l'augmentation de l'énergie surfacique de fissuration / The alkali-silica reaction is an endogenous chemical reaction affecting concrete. Therefore, it is important to model the effects of the reaction so as to estimate the life span of the attacked structures. The reaction leads to a microscopic cracking, due to the pressure of the reaction products which swell by absorption of water, inducing swelling of the concrete. If the concrete is mechanically loaded, the orientation of the microscopic cracking is affected by the local stress state, which induces anisotropy of the mechanical properties and deformations of the concrete. Our work aims at simulating, starting from simple assumptions about the reaction mechanisms, and for a class of fast-reacting aggregates, the development of cracking at the microscopic scale, so as to estimate the deformations and mechanical properties of the attacked concrete. In this purpose, we use a micromechanical description of the concrete, thanks to which we can compute the mechanical properties and deformations from the state of cracking of the concrete. In addition to that, we use an energy fracture criterion to determine the evolution of cracking as the attack progresses. We tested our model on numerous cases. These tests show that this description is well adapted to studying alkali-silica reaction. The identification of the parameters using laboratory experiments yielded good results as far as compression stresses are below 10 MPa. However, the fracture energies identified are greater than accepted values for concretes. We think that our model overestimates the anisotropy of the reaction, which is balanced by higher fracture energies in the identification

Depuis une à deux décennies, l'âge est perçu comme un critère arbitraire pour encadrer des parcours individuels qui se singularisent. Cette mise en cause s'est cristallisée dans l'adoption de lois qui interdisent la discrimination sur l'âge sur le marché du travail, en 2001 en France et en 2006 au Royaume-Uni. Ce sont les tensions qui se font jour autour de cette moindre légitimité de l'âge que nous interrogeons dans ce travail de thèse. Pour ce faire, nous avons procédé à l'analyse des politiques qui encouragent les chômeurs âgés à se maintenir sur le marché de l'emploi. dans une démarche comparative, nous avons étudié ces politiques, le contexte dans lequel elles interviennent, nous avons analysé la manière dont ces politiques sont mises en oeuvre et, enfin, nous avons rencontré les chômeurs visés par ces dispositifs. Cette thèse met en évidence trois aspects majeurs. Tout d'abord, nous montrons que la dénonciation de ce critère survient en France et au Royaume-Uni dans un contexte particulier, qui permet de justifier la mise à mal de droits sociaux fondés sur l'âge et de légitimer les réformes des retraites. Ensuite, l'âge demeure dans les deux pays un critère d'organisation des existences puissant. Il résiste aussi bien au niveau des politiques de l'emploi qui continuent à se fonder sur ce critère, qu'à celui des individus qu ile mobilisent pour interpréter leur situation et donner du sens à leurs pratiques. Enfin, nous mettons en exergue que la mise en cause de l'âge s'enracine dans des rapports sociaux puissants, à l'oeuvre en France et au Royaume-Uni. Ce sont bien souvent les individus les plus diplômés et les plus qualifiés d'entre eux qui dénoncent ce critère. / Nowadays, age as criterion is criticized to structure individual lives. This suspicion has been crystallized in the adoption of laws that prohibit age discrimination in the labour market, in 2001 in France and 2006 in the United Kingdom. In this dissertation, we question the tensions that have emerged around the legitimacy of age. To that purpose, we analyze the policies that encourage older workers to stay in work. In a comparative perspective, we studied these policies, the context within they emerge, we analyze how these policies are implemented, and finally we met older workers targeted by theses policies. This thesis highlights three major results. First, we show that the condemnation of this criterion occurs in France and the United Kingdom in a particular context which tends to justify to undermine social rights based on age and to legitimise pension reforms. Next, age remains in both countries as a powerful criterion to organise individual lives. Employment policies continue to rely on this criterion and individuals also mobilize age to interpret their situation and give meaning to their practices. Finally, we highlights that the denunciation of age is deeply rooted in social relation, in France and in the United Kingdom. The highly qualified people are in fact those which denounce this criterion.

Public procurement in the Czech Republic is a complex process directly settled by the legal procurement framework which defines various contract-awarding procedures. This study focuses on the part of selection process when procurers can decide between using lowest price criterion or most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). We found an evidence of preference of lowest price criterion, especially in the recent years. The main goal of the study is therefore to provide a comprehensive analysis of the leading drivers of selection of specific criteria and their consequential effects. Taking into account various characteristics of public procurement processes, we found out that in general lowest price criterion is preferred by public contracting authorities and by procurers with larger number of employees. This type of selection process also consequently provides an interesting trade-off between higher competition in terms of number of bidders, higher stability in terms of less interventions by the Office for the Protection of Competition (OPC) but also higher probability of consequent extraworks.

Stability analysis methods may be categorized by two major stability analysis methods: small-signal stability and transient stability analyses. Transient stability methods are further categorized into two major categories: numerical methods based on numerical integration, and direct methods. The purpose of this thesis is to study and investigate transient stability analysis using a combination of step-by-step and direct methods using Equal Area Criterion. The proposed method is extended for transient stability analysis of multi machine power systems. The proposed method calculates the potential and kinetic energies for all machines in a power system and then compares the largest group of kinetic energies to the smallest groups of potential energies. A decision based on the comparison can be made to determine stability of the power system. The proposed method is used to simulate the IEEE 39 Bus system to verify its effectiveness by comparison to the results obtained by pure numerical methods.

The promise of increased student achievement through educational reform is delivered still-born if teachers do not know how to implement complex instructional practices and sophisticated analysis of student performance. Metacognitive awareness is crucial to the adoption and application of proven educational initiatives. Teachers who successfully implement criterion-referenced assessment instruction, scoring rubrics, transfer to their students the metacognitive knowledge and skills of how to learn. This study is predicated on the research assumptions that metacognition and its attendant skills are critical to the successful implementation of scoring rubrics. A researcher-developed instrument, the Scoring Rubrics Inventory (SRI) and the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) were distributed to core-subject teachers from three large public schools in Southwest Louisiana. From a population of sixty-eight (N=68) voluntary participants, eighteen teacher-participants self-reported as high implementers of scoring rubrics, thirty-nine as mid-level implementers and eleven as low-level implementers. From this population, twelve subjects were randomly selected (four high, four mid-level, and four lowlevel implementers) by an outside rater for double-blind observations and interviews. Pearson Product Moment correlations of the SRI and the MAI revealed five significant pairings using an alpha level of .05. The statistical results, coupled with the observation and interview findings from the sample-subjects established the consistency and stability of the Scoring Rubrics Inventory. Further, the totality of the results reported here support the research hypothesis of the study: H1: There is a significant correlation between the metacognitive awareness of secondary school core-subject teachers and the successful implementation of scoring rubrics. The results of the study indicated that secondary school core-subject teachers who successfully implement scoring rubrics possess a metacognitive awareness that transcends professional development training. The findings also suggested that teacher-participants who do not implement scoring rubrics either cannot or lack commitment to the innovation. Implications for teacher educators and school leaders indicated the need to: identify those persons who require additional professional development training; include operational strategies and modeling of successful implementation during training; and maintain a consistent training program in scoring rubrics. Recommendations for future research were offered.

Manufacturing processes are getting more and more complex with increasing demands of advanced and light weight engineering components, especially in aerospace industry. The global requirements on lower fuel consumption and emissions are increasing the demands in lowering weight of cast components. Ability to produce components in lower wall thickness will not only help to reduce the cost of production but also help to improve the efficiency of engineering systems resulting in lower fuel consumption and lesser environmental hazardous emissions. In order to produce thin-walled components, understanding of mechanism behind fluidity as it is effected by casting parameters is very important. Similarly, for complex components study of solidification morphology and its effects on castability is important to understand. The aim of this work was to investigate casting of thin-walled test geometries (less than 2mm) in aero-space grades of alloys. The casting trials were performed to investigate the fluidity as a function of casting parameters and filling system in thin-walled sections. Test geometries with different thickness were cast and evaluated in terms of filled area with respect to casting parameters, ı.e. casting temperature and shell preheat temperature. Different feeding systems were investigated to evaluate effects of filling mode on castability. Similarly for complex components where geometries are very organic in shape, solidification morphology effects the quality of castings. Process parameters, that effect the solidification morphology were identified and evaluated. In order to develop a relation between defect formation and process parameters, solidification behaviour was investigated using simulations and casting trials. Similarly the effect of factors that influence grain structure and flow related defects were studied. It was observed that fluidity is affected by the mode of geometry filling in investment casting process. The filling mode also have different effect on defect formation. A top-gated configuration is strongly affected by casting parameters where as a bottom-gated configuration is more stable and thus fluidity is not significantly affected by variation in casting parameters. Less porosity and flow-related defects were observed in the bottom-gated system as compared to top-gated system. In the study about casting defects as affected by process parameters, it was observed that shell thickness is important to avoid interdendritic shrinkage. It was observed that the increased shell thickness induces a steeper thermal gradient which is essential in order to minimize the width of the mushy zone. It was also observed that a slower cooling rate along with a steeper thermal gradient at the metal-mould interface not only helps to avoid shrinkage porosity but also increases fill-ability in thinner sections. The work presented here is focused on the optimization of process parameters, in order, for instance, to improve castability and reduce the casting defects in investment casting process. The work, however, does not focus on externally influencing the casting conditions or modifying the casting/manufacturing process. The future work towards PhD will be focused on externally improving the casting conditions and investigating other possible route of manufacturing for thin, complex components.

Student Number: 9710860W School of Education Doctor of Philosophy / The study investigates the extent to which primary school teachers understood and implemented the requirements of the continuous assessment programme that has been introduced in primary schools in Swaziland. By focussing on teaching and learning activities that occurred during eight teachers’ lessons within the Salesian-Ekutsimuleni zone in Manzini, and what they expressed as intentions and justifications for these activities, it tries to clarify, in particular, the relationship between their assessment strategies and the broader educational principles promoted by the programme. Classroom observations and stimulated interviews were used to capture, respectively, data on what teachers did and principles that informed their behaviour. Codes abstracted from classroom observations and grounded on the views expressed by teachers indicate that they followed slavishly what was contained in the curriculum support materials with which they had been provided. Even though they used assessment strategies promoted by the Continual Assessment (CA) programme, their assessment strategies prioritized knowledge-retention rather than the cognitive development advocated by the programme and, in a specific sense, implied by lesson objectives they had to fulfil. The conclusion is that teachers could not translate the rhetoric of the CA programme into relevant professional judgement, decisions and practices without exposure to meaningful development programmes. Key Words Swaziland, Continuous Assessment, Criterion - Referenced Assessment, Mastery learning, Fordism, Post-Fordism

Em experimentos anteriores utilizando tarefa de tempo de reação (TR) vai/não-vai com diferentes estímulos-alvo aparecendo após um estímulo precedente, observamos efeito positivo do estímulo precedente quando o estímulo-alvo era uma linha dentro de um anel, mas não quando era uma cruz dentro de um anel. Este resultado foi atribuído a uma diferença nas discriminabilidades dos dois estímulos em relação ao estímulo negativo, um anel pequeno dentro do anel. A discriminação da cruz seria mais fácil, o que levaria os indivíduos a ignorar o estímulo precedente, resultando em ausência do efeito positivo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar as discriminabilidades da linha e da cruz em relação ao estímulo negativo, o anel, para dar suporte à hipótese considerada, e a partir deste resultado discutir os processos responsáveis pela manifestação ou não de eventuais diferenças de discriminabilidade no comportamento. Nos experimentos 1, 2 e 3 utilizamos tarefas de tempo de reação vai/não-vai sem estímulo precedente, e nos experimentos 4 e 5 utilizamos tarefas com ênfase na acurácia das respostas. No primeiro experimento linha e cruz foram apresentadas em blocos de tentativas diferentes. Nestas condições, os TR à linha e à cruz se igualaram na segunda sessão, mas na primeira sessão o grupo que respondeu primeiro à linha e depois à cruz teve TR menores para a cruz. No segundo experimento, linha e cruz foram apresentadas aleatoriamente nos mesmos blocos de tentativas, para induzir a adoção de estratégia de resposta comum aos dois estímulos. Desta forma evidenciamos uma diferença nos TR, sendo que estes foram menores para a cruz, indicando que esta é mais discriminável que a linha. No terceiro experimento grupos diferentes de voluntários responderam à linha e à cruz. Os TR assim obtidos, iguais para linha e para cruz, indicam que as igualdades nos TR aos dois estímulos-alvo encontradas no primeiro experimento independem da exposição prévia a outro estímulo-alvo. O conjunto destes resultados sugere que linha e cruz têm discriminabilidades diferentes, sendo a cruz mais discriminável que a linha. Esta diferença, no entanto, é evidenciada apenas quando uma mesma estratégia de resposta é adotada para lidar com os dois estímulos. No quarto experimento construímos curvas psicométricas e observamos valores iguais de sensibilidade para a linha e para a cruz. No quinto experimento utilizamos uma tarefa de escolha. Uma análise por meio da Teoria de Detecção de Sinais forneceu medidas do parâmetro sensorial d´ maiores para a linha que para a cruz, indicando que a linha é mais discriminável que a cruz, além de medidas do parâmetro decisional critério iguais para os dois estímulos. Este padrão de resultados, contrário aos obtidos nos experimentos 1 a 3, foi atribuído às diferentes condições de estimulação com cada metodologia: em condições de estimulação supra-limiar como as utilizadas nas tarefas de TR a cruz é mais discriminável (em relação ao anel) que a linha, mas em condições de estimulação próximas do limiar a linha passa a ser mais discriminável. / In a former study in a go/no-go task, we found a reduction in reaction times (RT) at a cued position when the target stimulus was a line inside a ring but not when the target stimulus was a cross inside a ring. We hypothesized that this was due to a difference in the discriminabilities of the target stimuli from the no/go stimulus, a small ring inside a ring. The cross would be more easily discriminated from the no/go stimulus, causing the cue to lose its relevance and to be ignored. The goal of the present study was to compare the discriminabilities of the line and of the cross to support that hypothesis, and to determine the relative contributions of the attentional strategy and of the criterion to prevent such an existing difference from manifesting itself behaviorally. We ran three experiments with a go/no-go RT task with no cue and two experiments in which the accuracy of the responses was the dependent variable. In the first experiment the line and cross were presented in different blocks of trials. RT to both stimuli were equal in the second session of trials, but in the first session the group that responded first to the line (and later to the cross) had smaller RT to the cross. In the second experiment, line and cross were randomized in the same blocks of trials to force participants to respond to both stimuli with the same attentional strategy and/or criterion. This led to faster RT to the cross, indicating that it is easier to discriminate it than the line. In the third experiment the line and the cross were presented to different participants. This led to equal RT to both stimuli, indicating that the equality of RT found in Experiment 1 was not dependent on former experience with a different target stimulus. The results from these three experiments suggest that the cross is in fact easier to discriminate than the line, but this difference can only be expressed behaviorally if participants use the same attentional strategy and/or criterion to handle both stimuli. In the fourth experiment we used the accuracy data to build psychometric functions and we found no difference between responses to the line and to the cross on the slope of the curves or on the points of subjective equality. In the fifth experiment we used a Signal Detection Theory analysis to compare the sensitivity parameter d` and the bias parameter criterion and found bigger d` values to the line and no bias difference. These results are opposite to the RT results, probably because of differing stimulatory conditions. In high intensities such as the ones used in experiments 1, 2 and 3 the cross is more easily discriminated from the negative stimulus than the line, but in near-threshold intensities the line is more easily discriminated.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:25:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 iss2005.pdf: 1124516 bytes, checksum: 715c2432b36d257eab548dc7aea4adde (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-04-11 / The present paper aims to construct the sense and the reach of the material criterion of the hypothesis of tax incidence over services, established by the constitutional competence norm, comparing the concept of services rendered and the infra-constitutional legislation. We must emphasize that the material criterion of the tax incidence of hypothesis over services involves both the concept of services rendered and the services list function and that both have been an object of controversy between legal doctrine and jurisprudence. In view of this, we have proposed the adoption of a new concept of service rendered: the logical-semantic, where to render service is the legal relation that has as aim the action or the effect of serve, provide, give, concede, excuse, give oneself something in activity form, to execute an intellectual work or material construction. Regarding the services list, we have elaborated the comprehension that its function is to establish the criteria so that the events of the real world can be identified by law operators as legal facts. As it composes the incidence hypothesis of an abstract and general norm, the list describes the criteria to the identification of a fact, in other words, connotative. To realize the proposed task on a scientific way, we have started from the analysis of law general categories, stipulating the comprehension of relevant subjects to investigation, as the concepts of Science of Law, positive law, legal system, legal norm and tributary incidence. We have elected the semiotics as theoretical instrument to realize the logical-semantic and pragmatic analysis of the concept of services rendered, list services function and the items described by this list. Finally, we have established the material criterion of the hypothesis of tax incidence as being the legal relation to render services described by the services list introduced on legal ordinance by the Complementary law n. 116/03. / O presente trabalho tem por objetivo construir o sentido e o alcance do critério material da hipótese de incidência do imposto sobre serviços, estabelecido pela norma de competência constitucional, cotejando o conceito de prestação de serviços e a legislação infraconstitucional. Convém ressaltar que o critério material da hipótese de incidência do imposto sobre serviços envolve tanto o conceito de prestação de serviços quanto a função da lista de serviços e que ambos têm sido objeto de polêmica entre a doutrina jurídica e a jurisprudência. Em vista disso propomos a adoção de um novo conceito de prestação de serviço: o lógico semântico, segundo o qual prestar serviços é a relação jurídica que tem como objeto a ação ou o efeito de servir, propiciar, dar, conceder, dispensar, dar de si algo em forma de atividade, executar trabalho intelectual ou obra material. Quanto à lista de serviços, elaboramos o entendimento de que sua função é a de estabelecer os critérios para que os eventos do mundo real possam ser identificados pelos operadores do direito como fatos jurídicos. Na medida em que compõe a hipótese de incidência de uma norma geral e abstrata, a lista descreve critérios para identificação de um fato, ou seja, é conotativa. Para que a tarefa proposta pudesse ser realizada de modo científico, partimos da análise das categorias gerais do direito, estipulando o entendimento sobre temas relevantes para a investigação como os conceitos de Ciência do Direito, direito positivo, sistema jurídico, norma jurídica e incidência tributária. Elegemos a semiótica como instrumental teórico para realizar a análise lógico-semântica e pragmática do conceito de prestação de serviços, da função da lista de serviços e dos itens descritos por essa lista. Finalmente, estabelecemos o critério material da hipótese de incidência tributária como sendo a relação jurídica de prestar serviços descrita pela lista de serviços introduzida no ordenamento