This master thesis is focused on current technologies that are used for downloading web pages and extraction of structured information from them. The paper describes available tools to make this process possible and easier. Another part of this document provides the overview of technologies that can be used for creating web pages. Also, there is an information about development of information systems with web user interface based on Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) platform. The main part of this master thesis describes design and implementation of application used to specify and manage extraction tasks. The last part of this project describes application testing on real web pages and evaluation of achieved results.

Management consulting is a growing field [1] that is of great importance for organisations to optimise their performance and develop plans for future improvements. In the recent years, many companies use experienced consultants in order to create a strong competitive advantage to withstand the competition and to easily find solutions suitable to different problems. Customer Value Sweden AB is a - start-up - consultancy firm that have been operating the last years in the Swedish market and offers customer database analyses to the e-commerce market. They become valuable tools for the retailers, by improving marketing activities directed toward present customers. By adopting a segmented marketing strategy, companies can target customers in a different way, thus enchanting their business [2]. This Master thesis work tries to introduce a new efficient and automated way for the company to increase its capacity and quality of the provided services. It is done by deploying an IT product realisation process that conceptualizes, designs and implements a new online web service that aims to automate the report generation process, which was carried out manually until now. This system will try to solve complexity, availability, and performance problems that occur in the current system and also open up now possibilities for future development and expansion. The key benefits of the new solution in contrast to the old one will be highlighted, as well as the process that was followed to realise it.

Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs) are the heavier counterparts of the light neutrinos of the Standard Model of particle physics. HNLs can simultaneously solve several of the problems the Standard Model cannot yet resolve, one example being that they provide a candidate for Dark Matter. This thesis work aims to shed light on the nature of HNLs and study the displaced signature the particle gives rise to at colliders. The collider of interest is the Future Circular Collider that will be colliding electrons and positrons and the signal studied is the production of an HNL and a light neutrino from an intermediate Z boson, produced from the collision of an electron and a positron. The event generation was set up through MadGraph and PYTHIA and for the detector simulations DELPHES was used. Validation of three HNL samples were carried out in a standalone framework and in the FCC framework. The samples were validated by comparing theoretically calculated lifetimes with the lifetimes attained by simulation. Kinematic studies of the transverse momentum of the HNL and its decay particles showed correlation to the mass of the HNL. Reconstruction of the number of tracks created by the HNL decay was possible and the results of two track dominance were found to correlate with theory. For the vertexing study, the reconstruction of the production vertex of the decay particles was possible where displaced vertices were observed, hence proving the possibility of implementing displaced signatures in the FCC framework for the very first time. The next step in this trajectory of the study would be to investigate vertex fitting of the reconstructed vertices in order to carry out tracking studies of the HNL. This work hence sets the foundation for further exploration of HNLs and provides stepping stones for the possibility of discovery of HNLs in the FCC-ee.

Application frameworks are tools that enable easier development of web applications and enhance their quality. Because there are so may Java web application frameworks in existence it is difficult at times to choose the correct one to suit a particular application. This thesis examines frameworks from a general point of view. Descriptions of the characteristic functions of frameworks are also covered, along with functions, and the ways in which they differ from each other; and thus it enables the most appropriate framework to be chosen. The thesis also analyses typical representatives of frameworks for certain uses, it demonstrates their activity by means of standardized applications and compares them in terms of practical use.

The present study aims to examine the linguistic features of hedges, minimal responses and interruptions used by the female and male participants in the possible extramural activity of the reality-TV show Love is Blind. The term Extramural English (EE) refers to English that students are exposed to outside the classroom. According to previous research, Swedish teenagers watch a considerable amount of TV, which is a potential EE activity. By possible exposure to EE activities, such as watching TV, learners might gain pragmatic competence that might result in them improving their communicative abilities in the English language. Furthermore, the Swedish school openly strives for gender equality and, therefore, this study investigates the gender characteristics of linguistic features that are categorized as often employed by either females or males. The methodology of the study includes transcribing, counting the linguistic features, color coding and analyzing the findings in relation to previous research. Regarding speech distribution, results show that the male participants speak 5.1 percentage units more than female participants. Furthermore, female participants use hedges 33.4 percentage units more often than the male participants and minimal responses 24 percentage units more often. Additionally, the male participants interrupt 25 percentage units more often than the female participants.

Patients who suffer from motion-sickness, visual vertigo and other conditions relating to visual hypersensitivity will often feel dizzy when exposed to rapid visual motion or cluttered fields-of-view. Previous studies indicate that attentiveness to these stimuli influence the intensity of discomfort for these individuals, which suggests that mentally ignoring visual stimuli might help make them more tolerable. This thesis project had two goals. The primary goal was the development of a visual biofeedback system for use with a commercial electroencephalographic headset and a personal computer. The secondary goal was to evaluate its usefulness for treating motion-sickness and other related illnesses through regular training sessions. A neurofeedback program was constructed using MATLAB and a Muse 2 Brain Sensing Headband (Muse). The program projected a spinning maze like pattern on a monitor where increase in velocity was proportional to increase in theta wave activity (3.5-6.5 Hz) detected by the Muse. Five test subjects (three men and two women) were given a copy of the program and a Muse, and then instructed to practice reducing their EEG activity (e.g. by calming themselves), which would be reflected in the program as a slower spin velocity of the maze. These practice sessions took place daily for seven days. Neurofeedback proficiency and body sway data was collected before and after. Mean spectral power data from the training regimen shows a 23.7% drop in theta wave activity from first session to last (p = 0.005). Using Pearson’s correlation, no significant results were obtained while comparing training improvements and proficiency test improvements (r = -0.22, p = 0.72) or reduction in body sway (r = 0.78, p = 0.12).

L'objectif de cette thèse est d'apporter un éclairage sur l'efficacité des politiques publiques sur le marché du travail. Dans les deux premiers chapitres, nous proposons des évaluations empiriques de deux politiques publiques sur le marché du travail français: * le CV anonyme: le bloc état-civil est supprimé du CV (premier chapitre). L'anonymisation réduit les écarts d'accès aux entretiens entre les femmes et les hommes. Cet effet limité aux offres d'emploi pour lequelles à la fois des hommes et des femmes postulent semble se prolonger aux phases ultérieures du recrutement, jusqu'à l'embauche; * générosité de l'assurance chômage : une augmentation de 8 mois de durée maximale d'assurance chômage n'affecte pas la qualité de l'emploi trouvé, même si elle ralentit le retour à l'emploi (second chapitre). Ces évaluations s'appuient sur des données expérimentales ou quasi expérimentales permettant l'identification de causalité. A cet effet, nous comparons un groupe traité et un groupe de contrôle qui sont statistiquement identiques avant la mise en place du traitement. Ce cadre d'analyse n'est pour autant pas exempt de difficultés méthodologiques. Dans les deux derniers chapitres, nous abordons deux difficultés méthodologiques des évaluations micro économétriques des programmes d'assistance aux chômeurs: * comparabilité ex post des groupes traité et témoin en présence d'attrition différenciée entre groupes expérimentaux (troisième chapitre) ; * effets d'équilibre affectant le groupe témoin (quatrième chapitre).

[pt] A produção acadêmica e científica sobre a Educação Ambiental (EA) no Brasil é grande e significativa. O objetivo deste estudo é realizar uma análise preliminar da produção acadêmica em EA, a partir de uma visão teórica crítica. A EA é qualificada, por alguns autores aqui estudados, como um campo teórico em construção, o que aponta para a importância da realização de balanços periódicos desse conhecimento que podem proporcionar o avanço para a compreensão do campo de estudo e ampliação do acesso à informação. Esta Dissertação é um estudo exploratório, com inspiração metodológica em pesquisas do tipo estado da arte que, além da revisão da literatura pertinente ao seu objeto de estudo, tomou por base três fontes de dados: o Banco de Teses da CAPES, entre 1988 e 2004, o V Congresso Ibero-Americano de Educação Ambiental, de 2006, e 12 Dissertações do Município do Rio de Janeiro, defendidas entre os anos 2000 e 2004. Cada uma destas fontes mereceu tratamento diverso. O Banco de Teses foi apenas apresentado em sua expressão numérica, agrupadas as teses sob diversas categorias: autoria, título, orientador, nível do curso, origem instituc ional, época e área do Curso de que se originou. Criou-se para os trabalhos do Congresso, um outro banco de dados com informações, além da sua origem, relacionadas às áreas de atuação da EA, e à metodologia do estudo apresentado. Finalmente, as 12 Dissertações cariocas analisadas o foram em suas relações com a produção do país, e descritas em seus elementos pré-textuais, textuais e pós-textuais. Destaque especial foi feito em relação aos seus objetivos, à metodologia usada, à bibliografia consultada, ao seu quadro teórico e aos resultados alcançados. Concluiu-se, na presente Dissertação, que, o olhar panorâmico, gerador de dois novos bancos de dados, e o olhar focalizado, que possibilitou melhor compreensão do quadro conceitual em EA de pesquisas realizadas, contribuíram para confirmar as diversas correntes de pensamento presentes no campo da EA, complementando os estudos anteriores, e trazendo novas possibilidades de reflexão. / [en] The academic and scientific production about Environmental Education (EE) in Brazil is large and significant. The aim of this study is to accomplish an introductory analyze of the academic production about EE, concerning a theoretical and critical view. The EE is qualified as a theoretical field in progress by some authors below-mentioned and this is a sign of the importance of a periodic knowledge evaluation to provide both the advance of understanding in this field of study and to amplify the access to information. This Dissertation is an exploratory study, with a methodological inspiration from researches called art state. Besides revising the pertinent literature to its object of study, it is based on three fountains: the CAPES data basis during 1988/2004, the Fifth EE Iberian- American Congress, in 2006 and twelve theses from Rio de Janeiro City, between 2000 and 2004. Each of these fountains deserved a special approach. The CAPES data bank was shown in numbers, the theses were classified according to different categories: author, title, instructor, level of the course, institutional origin, period of time and area of the course they had come from. To the Congress Works, another data bank was created informing not only their origin but the areas where the EE had acted and the employed methodology too. At last, the twelve Dissertations from Rio de Janeiro were analyzed in relation to the production all over the country. They were described including the pre- textual elements, the textual ones and the post-textual ones. A special attention was given to their objectives , the methodology they followed, the bibliography, the theoretical views and the results they reached. In this Dissertation, we came to an evidence: the panoramic observation created two new data banks and the focused observation brought a better comprehension of the EE concepts. Both of them gave a contribution to confirm the various streams of thoughts found in the field of the EE, complemented the previous studies and brought new possibilities of reflection.

The political and economic pressures for transformation in South Africa have been documented in an array of policies, pieces of legislation, regulatory and statutory frameworks, and also in governance codes for both public and private companies. Specifically for the mining industry, the Mining Charter comprises of transformation targets and measurement criteria that are presented in a scorecard to be achieved by the mining industry by 2014. Additionally, the King reports on governance have specific requirements that listed companies must meet in terms of employment equity and demographic representation to achieve board diversity and independent boards. The aim of this study was to report on the board transformation status in the mining industry, as well as the progress that has been made towards meeting transformation targets. The 2011 annual reports were used to capture profiles and composition of board of directors in Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed mining companies. Interviews were used to gain insight on the transformation status, initiatives undertaken and challenges of transformation in the mining industry. The research findings from the analysis of board members demographic and career profiles shows that little has been achieved to ensure equal representation and diversity on the boards of directors. Further analysis of the status of transformation by JSE listed mining companies to realise transformation, shows that transformation in the mining industry is still a major challenge. Whilst some initiatives have been undertaken and some progress has been made, this study reveals that the barriers to transformation in the South African mining industry are racial issues and tensions based on colour, the lack of skills caused by the education system, a war for talent, a lack of mentorship and no stakeholder engagement between the mining industry and government / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

L'objet de ce mémoire est l'analyse des schémas de subdivision, outil de modélisation de surface lisse multi-résolution. Nos travaux se sont tout d'abord consacrés à l'étude du comportement géométrique de ces surfaces au voisinage des sommets extraordinaires du maillage de contrôle. La géométrie d'une surface de subdivision présente un comportement complexe au voisinage de ces sommets, et ces effets parfois néfastes sont pour certains encore mal connus. Nous avons proposé un cadre d'évaluation du comportement géométrique d'une surface de subdivision à travers une mesure de qualité adaptée : le gradient de courbure absolue. Nous avons ensuite proposé un espace de visualisation adapté à l'analyse du voisinage d'un sommet extraordinaire.Celui-ci étant indépendant du schéma de subdivision utilisé, ce cadre d'analyse nous permet de les comparer. Nos travaux se sont alors portés sur une analyse fréquentielle polaire des comportements géométriques, en tenant compte de leurs caractéristiques radiales et angulaires par rapport à la topologie du voisinage d'un sommet extraordinaire. Notre analyse étend les études existantes pour l'évaluation des comportements géométriques de cet outil de modélisation. De plus, nous avons proposé un systàme de description de la phase de subdivision topologique d'un schéma de subdivision. Notre systàme prend la forme d'un codage compact et flexible, il généralise les descriptions existantes. Ce codage permet la description des phases topologiques de tous les schémas de subdivision connus, ainsi que de nombreuses autres.