Cooperative wireless communication has received significant attention during recent years due to several reasons. First, since the received power decreases rapidly with distance, the idea of multi-hopping is becoming of particular importance. In multi-hopped communication, the source exploits some intermediate nodes as relays. Then the source sends its message via those relays to the destination. Second, relays can emulate some kind of distributed transmit antennas to form spatial diversity and combat multi-path fading effect of the wireless channel. Parallel Relay Channel is an information theoretical model for a communication system whereby a sender aims to communicate to a receiver with the help of relay nodes. It represents the simplest model for a multi–hop wireless network and a full understanding of the limits of communication over such a channel can potentially shed light on the design of more efficient wireless networks. However, the capacity of the relay channel has been established only for few special cases and little progress has been made toward solving the general case since the early 1980s. In this dissertation, motivated by practical constraints, we study the information theoretical limits of the half-duplex Gaussian Parallel Relay channel , as well as, the transmission strategies for the parallel relay channel with bandwidth mismatch between the first and the second hops. Chapter 2 investigates the problem of communication for a network composed of two half-duplex parallel relays with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). There is no direct link between the source and the destination. However, the relays can communicate with each other through the channel between them. Two protocols, i.e., \emph{Simultaneous} and \emph{Successive} relaying, associated with two possible relay scheduling are proposed. The simultaneous relaying protocol is based on \emph{Broadcast-multiaccess with Common Message (BCM)} scheme. For the successive relaying protocol: (i) a \emph{Non-Cooperative} scheme based on the \emph{Dirty Paper Coding (DPC)}, and (ii) a \emph{Cooperative} scheme based on the \emph{Block Markov Encoding (BME)} are considered. The composite scheme of employing BME in \emph{at most} one relay and DPC in \emph{at least} another one is shown to achieve at least the same rate when compared to the \emph{Cooperative} and \emph{Non-Cooperative} schemes. A \emph{``Simultaneous-Successive Relaying based on Dirty paper coding scheme" (SSRD)} is also proposed. The optimum scheduling of the relays and hence the capacity of the half-duplex Gaussian parallel relay channel in the low and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) scenarios is derived. In the low SNR scenario, it is revealed that under certain conditions for the channel coefficients, the ratio of the achievable rate of the simultaneous relaying based on BCM to the cut-set bound tends to be 1. On the other hand, as SNR goes to infinity, it is proved that successive relaying, based on the DPC, asymptotically achieves the capacity of the network. Schein and Gallager introduced the Gaussian parallel relay channel in 2000. They proposed the Amplify-and-Forward (AF) and the Decode-and-Forward (DF) strategies for this channel. For a long time, the best known achievable rate for this channel was based on the AF and DF with time sharing (AF-DF). Recently, a Rematch-and-Forward (RF) scheme for the scenario in which different amounts of bandwidth can be assigned to the first and second hops were proposed. In chapter 3, we propose a \emph{Combined Amplify-and-Decode Forward (CADF)} scheme for the Gaussian parallel relay channel. We prove that the CADF scheme always gives a better achievable rate compared to the RF scheme, when there is a bandwidth mismatch between the first hop and the second hop. Furthermore, for the equal bandwidth case (Schein's setup), we show that the time sharing between the CADF and the DF schemes (CADF-DF) leads to a better achievable rate compared to the time sharing between the RF and the DF schemes (RF-DF) as well as the AF-DF.

This research investigates the use of G-M counters to triage the individuals who have been exposed to a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD). Upon being exposed to an RDD, inhalation of the airborne radionuclide is a method which someone can receive a considerable amount of dose. Bioassay via analysis of excreta is a commonly used method of determining the dose received, yet it would be cumbersome if there are a large number of people needing to be screened. An in vivo method must be considered so that a non-intrusive and more efficient triaging method can be implemented. Whole body counters are commonly used in counting facilities as an in vivo bioassay method, yet they are limited in number and not easily portable. Therefore, a more portable and more common detection device should be considered. G-M survey meters are common devices that are highly portable, making them ideal candidates to fulfill this necessity. The ease of use contributes to the viability of the device as a portable, in vivo screening device. To analyze this detector, a Monte Carlo model of the detector was created to be used in simulations with the Medical Internal Radiation Dose phantoms. The detector was placed in a few locations on the phantoms. Four locations were strategically chosen for detector placement: the posterior upper right torso, the anterior upper right torso, the lateral upper thigh, and the anterior of the neck. Six phantoms were considered: Reference Male, Female, Adipose Male, Adipose Female, Post Menopausal Adipose Female, and a Child. Six radionuclides were investigated: Am-241, Co-60, Cs-137, I-131, Ir-192, and Sr-90. The nuclides were distributed throughout the phantoms according to Dose and Risk Calculation Software, a code that determines how a radionuclide is distributed over time upon inhalation, ingestion, or injection. A set of time dependent guidelines were developed, determining the count rate per unit dose inhaled for each detector location and phantom type.

Cette recherche vise à étudier les processus de transformation du « sale boulot » en « bel ouvrage » et ce en privilégiant la problématique de la reconnaissance de soi au travail, entendue comme résultant d’une tension entre les « usages de soi ». La division morale du travail à l'hôpital ordonne les tâches, mais aussi les métiers autour d’une répartition clivant les activités au service de la vie et les activités au service de l’épuration des traces de la mort. L’ investigation part de la notion de « sale boulot » et analyse les traces de cette division morale et psychologique du travail, ici celles qui se réfèrent à des activités de confrontation à la mort.Le cadre théorique retenu articule l’éclairage anthropologique et historique du traitement de la mort dans la société et dans l’hôpital, le concept de négatif psychosocial comme analyseur de la hiérarchisation morale du travail et la reconnaissance de soi, discutée par les théories de la clinique du travail. Ici, l’activité est l’unité d’analyse fondamentale et le collectif de travail est conceptualisé comme espace transitionnel où les usages de soi sont dialectalisés. Les activités analysées et comparées sont les Interruptions Médicales de Grossesse (IMG) et les Interruptions Volontaires de Grossesse (IVG) dans une unité de gynécologie ainsi que celles d’accompagnement de la fin de vie en équipe mobile de soins palliatifs. La méthodologie s’inscrit dans la tradition de la recherche action et s’appuie sur l’observation-participante et la conduite d’entretiens semi-structurés auprès de soignants et de leur encadrement. Les résultats de cette recherche sont présentés selon trois axes : la hiérarchisation morale des unités, des professionnels et des activités est articulée aux stratégies défensives collectives, aux idéologies de métier: elles contribuent à la définition et à la délégation du « sale boulot » dans l’organisation du travail. Le deuxième axe présente les différentes configurations groupales en fonction de la sollicitation d’affects archaïques dans les activités, liant ou déliant les collectifs de travail. Des stratégies de dégagement ont été identifiées : elles ouvrent la voie à la construction des trames symboliques qui permettent de domestiquer les résonances fantasmatiques de la confrontation avec « l’objet » de travail, la mort et ses équivalents symboliques, la maladie, la vieillesse, la déficience, la perte, le manque ... La capacité d’instituer de nouvelles normes et de se reconnaître dans son travail puise dans des configurations collectives fondées sur des règles partagées. Dans les cas de défaillances du collectif de travail, le recours aux ressources trans-individuelles permet de subvertir le négatif en travail estimable : elles renvoient au travail de civilisation, dans ses différentes dimensions. / This research aimed at studying the process of transformation of “dirty work” into “commendable work”. This was done by highlighting self-recognition at work, understood as the result of self-agency tensions. Work moral division at the hospital organizes tasks as well as careers through the separation of life-preserving related activities from death-reminiscence related ones. The research focuses on the notion of “dirty work” and analyzes, through death-related activities, work’s moral and psychological division.The theoretical framework used articulates anthropological and historical views on how modern society and thereby, the hospital deals with death; intertwining theories derived from “work’s clinical psychology” with the concept of psychosocial negative, analyzer of both work’s moral hierarchy and self-recognition. Herein, activity is the fundamental unit of analysis and the “collective work arrangements” are conceptualized as transitional space for the emergence of self-agency dialectics. The activities analyzed and compared are medical termination of pregnancy, abortion at the gynecological unit and accompanying the dying at the palliative care mobile team. The method subscribes to the action-research tradition, whereby participant-observation and semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers as well as chief-nurses were used. The results of this research are presented under three main axes: Firstly, the moral hierarchization of the medical units, of the professions and of the activities is articulated to the collective defense strategies as well as to professional ideology, which contribute to the definition and to the banishment of “dirty work”, thus structuring the organization of work itself. Secondly, the different group configurations are a function of archaic affects emerging from dealing with death-related activities. These may involve, but also encumber healthcare professionals, thus disorganizing the “collective work arrangements”. Strategies to disengage were identified: they open up to symbolic resources which allow restraining fantasmatic resonance induced by the confrontation of the object of their work, i.e. death, and its symbolic equivalents, disease, old-age, deficiency, loss… Moreover, the capacity to institute new norms and to recognize oneself while working has its bearing on collective configuration founded upon shared norms. Finally, should “collective work arrangements” fail to be created, trans-individual resources are called upon to subvert negative into estimable work, based on the different dimensions of “Civilization work”.

One of the relatively cheap and easily available instruments suitable for a terrorist attack is the dirty bomb. Using conventional charges (TNT, Semtex etc.) it disperses radioactive materials. Its use is based on contamination of the area where the explosion took place and on creating a radioactive cloud, which may travel rather fast depending on the wind, and which pollutes other areas with its fall-out particles. Such areas become dangerous to live or stay in for a longer period due to the danger of irradiation sickness and cancer. The polluted areas must be decontaminated, which is a very difficult task. Another problem that may occur after the explosion of such a bomb is also panic as well as burns and injuries caused by shells. This work deals with possibilities of radiological weapon construction, the results of using a dirty bomb and with the work of integrated emergency services on such an occasion.

The current Peruvian exchange regime is neither pegged nor free-floating. The Peruvian Central Bank sails against the wind in the exchange market, tending to buy dollars when the exchange rate falls, and tending to sell when the exchange rate rises. It is a dirty float regime.  In this paper we present a simple macroeconomic model where the central bank fixes the interest rate and maintains a dirty floating exchange rate regime, assuming a small, open, and partiallydollarized economy that exports raw materials, faces imperfect capital mobility, and has a structural fiscal deficit limit as a rule for its fiscal policy. The predictions of the model are consistent with the rule of foreign exchange intervention by the Central Bank and the main stylized facts of the Peruvian economy since the decline in the international price of raw materials in late 2011: drastic fall in private investment, decline of GDP growth, rising nominal exchange rate and reduction of international reserves. / El régimen de tipo de cambio en el Perú no es fijo ni flotante. El Banco Central de Reserva del Perú (BCRP) rema en contra de la corriente en el mercado cambiario. Tiende a comprar dólares cuando el tipo de cambio baja, y tiende a vender cuando el tipo de cambio sube. Es un esquema de flotación sucia. En este artículo se presenta un modelo macroeconómico sencillo donde el banco central fija la tasa de interés y mantiene un régimen cambiario de flotación sucia, en el contexto de una economía pequeña, abierta, parcialmente dolarizada, exportadora de materias primas, con movilidad imperfecta de capitales y una política fiscal que opera con un límite al déficit fiscal estructural. Las predicciones del modelo son consistentes con la regla de intervención del BCRP y los principales hechos estilizados de la economía peruana desde el inicio del descenso del precio internacional de las materias primas a fines de 2011: caída drástica de la inversión privada, descenso del crecimiento del PBI, alza del tipo de cambio nominal y reducción de las reservas internacionales.

This bachelor thesis portray a project where the main task were to develop a computer based system prototype for handling of absence report at the upper secondary school af Chapman in Karlskrona. The project has been conducted in cooperation with students from the university programs software engineering and information economy at Blekinge Institute of Technology. Our task as MDA-students have been to survey the process of absence report of today through field studies and give a proposal of a graphical user interface which later were developed by the software engineers. The thesis also handles the cooperation with other students from other university programs. / Denna kandidatuppsats beskriver arbetet i ett projekt där målet var att ta fram en datorbaserad systemprototyp för hantering av frånvarorapportering på gymnasieskolan af Chapman i Karlskrona. Projektet har utförts i samarbete med studenter från högskoleprogrammen programvaruteknik och informationsekonomi på Blekinge Tekniska Högskola. Vår uppgift som MDA-studenter har varit att kartlägga dagens arbetsprocess kring frånvarorapporteringen genom fältstudier på skolan samt ge ett förslag på det grafiska gränssnitt som sedan utvecklades av programvaruteknikerna. Uppsatsen behandlar även hur det är att samarbeta med studenter från andra högskoleprogram.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att diskutera några av de minnespraktiker i efterdiktaturens Argentina som behandlar det kollektiva minnet av det Smutsiga Kriget och de som blev utsatta för tvångsförsvinnande. Praktikerna som studerats är Madres de Plaza de Mayo, minnesplatser upprättade i före detta fångläger och Parque de la Memoria. Uppsatsen anknyter till ett teoretiskt ramverk för kollektivt minne och kollektivt trauma, minnesmuseer och materiell kultur. Studien har utformats som en fallstudie. Materialet består av observationer, intervjuer och fotografier insamlade under fältarbete i Argentina 2017. Madres de Plaza de Mayo analyserades genom att använda teorier om lieux de mémoire framförda av Pierre Nora och minnesceremonier framförda av Paul Connerton. Minnesplatserna studerades utifrån ett minnesmuseumsperspektiv med hjälp av teorier av Paul Williams. Parque de la Memoria studerades utifrån teorier om krigsmonument framförda av Jay Williams. Madres de Plaza de Mayo kan förstås som lieu de mémoire eftersom de i sina artikulationer och aktioner är materiella, symboliska och funktionella. Genom dem bevaras de försvunna vid liv. Minnesplatserna presenterar ett mer ambivalent narrativ som placerar de försvunna i limbo. Parque de la Memoria är en plats för sorg och för att offentligt hedra dem som föll offer under det Smutsiga Kriget. Kontexten som dessa praktiker befinner sig i är komplex och de olika praktikerna uttrycker tre olika narrativ över de försvunna, som sträcker över spektrumet från liv till död. Detta är en tvåårig mastersuppsats i ämnet musei- och kulturarvsvetenskap / The purpose of this thesis is to discuss some of the memory-practices in post-dictatorial Argentina regarding the collective memory of the Dirty War and the people who were objects of forced disappearances. The practices studied are Madres de Plaza de Mayo, sites of memory established in former centres of detention and Parque de la Memoria. The thesis draws upon the theoretical framework of collective memory and collective trauma, memorial museums and material culture. The study was formed as a case study. The materials are observations, interviews and photographs, and were gathered through field work in Argentina in 2017. The Madres de Plaza de Mayo were analysed using theories on lieux de mémoire brought forward by Pierre Nora and commemoration ceremonies brought forward by Paul Connerton. The sites of memory were studied out of the perspective on memorial museums by Paul Williams. Parque de la Memoria was studied with theories on war memorials by Jay Winter. The Madres de Plaza de Mayo can be interpreted as lieu de mémoire due to their material, symbolic and functional dimensions. Through them, the disappeared are alive. The sites of memory present an ambivalent narrative. The narrative of the disappeared is that of a state of limbo. Parque de la Memoria is a park of mourning, placing the disappeared in a narrative of death. The situation of memory-practices in post-dictatorial Argentina is complex and the practices articulates three different narratives of the disappeared, ranging from life to death. This is a two-year master’s thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies

When faced with an emergency situation, politicians are often forced to sacrifice their core moral principles in order to better serve the immediate public interest. This is commonly described as the Dirty Hands dilemma. Dirty Hands theorists conditionally defend politicians, but they leave the dilemma under-defined. Realists think that politicians do not even need defence, but their approach is overly relativistic and fails to distinguish between moral and immoral exercises of political authority. The present study critically engages with both sides of the debate in two parts. First, I use the method of conceptual analysis — and specifically conceptual disambiguation — to find out how each side conceives of the nature of the Dirty Hands dilemma. I find that (1) the dilemma emerges when a politician is forced to disregard the core human rights of certain individuals or groups to safeguard similar rights of others, and (2) the Realists fail to distinguish the concept of Dirty Hands from the concept of Political Compromise and Dirty Hands dilemmas from ordinary moral dilemmas. Second, using the method of reflective equilibrium, I advance the normative judgement that, instead of expressing guilt and paying the price, politicians should commit to not making their actions easy precedents when they confront a Dirty Hands dilemma. This study offers a better theoretical understanding of the Dirty Hands dilemma and a practical approach to distinguishing between moral and immoral exercises of political authority.

Condensed matter systems undergoing phase transitions rarely allow exact solutions. The presence of disorder renders the situation  even worse but collective Monte Carlo methods and parallel algorithms allow numerical descriptions. This thesis considers classical phase transitions in disordered spin systems in general and in effective models of superfluids with disorder and novel interactions in particular. Quantum phase transitions are considered via a quantum to classical mapping. Central questions are if the presence of defects changes universal properties and what qualitative implications follow for experiments. Common to the cases considered is that the disorder maps out correlated structures. All results are obtained using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations of effective models capturing the relevant degrees of freedom at the transition. Considering a model system for superflow aided by a defect network, we find that the onset properties are significantly altered compared to the $\lambda$-transition in $^{4}$He. This has qualitative implications on expected experimental signatures in a defect supersolid scenario. For the Bose glass to superfluid quantum phase transition in 2D we determine the quantum correlation time by an anisotropic finite size scaling approach. Without a priori assumptions on critical parameters, we find the critical exponent $z=1.8 \pm 0.05$ contradicting the long standing result $z=d$. Using a 3D effective model for multi-band type-1.5 superconductors we find that these systems possibly feature a strong first order vortex-driven phase transition. Despite its short-range nature details of the interaction are shown to play an important role. Phase transitions in disordered spin models exposed to correlated defect structures obtained via rapid quenches of critical loop and spin models are investigated. On long length scales the correlations are shown to decay algebraically. The decay exponents are expressed through known critical exponents of the disorder generating models. For cases where the disorder correlations imply the existence of a new long-range-disorder fixed point we determine the critical exponents of the disordered systems via finite size scaling methods of Monte Carlo data and find good agreement with theoretical expectations. / <p>QC 20150306</p>

Les réformes et la nécessité de réduction des coûts dans le secteur médico-social amènent à repenser la logique des qualifications en fonctions des tâches à exercer. depuis une dizaine d'années, certains établissements ont introduit dans leur organisation des « coordinateurs », éducateurs spécialisés ayant des tâches supplémentaires, visant à faire le lien entre les chefs de service et des équipes de professionnels moins « coûteux » sur le terrain. cette fonction, très floue, n'est pas la résultante d'une formation, n'a pas d'existence dans les diverses conventions, et pose souvent question à la fois aux personnes exerçant ce rôle, et aux collègues ne l'exerçant pas. ces questionnements, fréquents dans les sites d'éducation spécialisés, ne bénéficient pourtant d'aucun écho dans la presse spécialisée depuis 10 ans. ma thèse visera à étudier de façon plus approfondie, et questionner ces fonctions dans les établissements, en me rapprochant de tous les acteurs en présence. / This thesis concerns the role of coordinators as created and developed within residential care homes in specialised education during the 21st Century. We will be investigating a role that is invisible in the professional sector, existing neither in legislation or in Collective Agreements, and to which very few industry journals are devoted. This research was carried out against a historical perspective of professions in the specialised education industry, but also from a multiscalar perspective, articulating macro-, meso- and microsocial perspectives to gain a better view of the changes associated with the division of labour within organisations. By mobilising the sociology of professions and the sociology of organisations, and via an ethnographical survey, this thesis shows that the role of coordinators reveals a shift in the references of professionals in the closed sector of specialised education towards the commercial world. This analysis is centred on two major themes, which depict a role founded in the logic of competence. The former theme considers the plurality of formal attributes, activities and profiles amongst coordinators. The latter theme reveals a genuine activity governed by institutional contexts, changes in the division of labour, interplay among actors and interactions with professionals, coaching and field work. We will thus show that, by modelling themselves on the organisation, coordinators fulfil a role of translation and crystallisation that facilitates relations between professionals. We view the silence on the subject of this role as a strategic choice, facilitated by an individualisation of the role, an isolation of coordinators, and by determinist statements addressed to professionals in the field.