L’Aide Multicritère à la Décision (AMCD) vise à aider un décideur (DM) confronté à un problème de décision impliquant plusieurs objectifs contradictoires. Les préférences du DM jouent un rôle important au sein du processus d'aide à la décision, puisque les recommandations ne sont pertinentes et acceptables que si le système de valeurs du DM est pris en considération. Un outil d'élicitation des préférences est donc nécessaire pour aider l'analyste à intégrer les préférences du DM de façon appropriée dans les modèles de décision. Nous sommes intéressés par le développement d’outils d'élicitation des préférences pour deux modèles d'agrégation basés sur des points de référence à savoir Electre Tri et une méthode de Rangement basé sur des Points de Référence multiples (RPM). Tout d'abord, nous considérons Electre Tri en utilisant la règle d’affectation optimiste. Nous proposons un outil d'élicitation des préférences, qui infère les paramètres de préférence de ce modèle à partir d’exemples d’affectation du DM, et analyse également la robustesse des affectations résultant de la nature imprécise de l'information préférentiel. En second lieu, un outil d'élicitation des préférences est développé pour le problème de sélection de portefeuille formulée comme des problèmes de tri contraint en utilisant Electre Tri. Les préférences du DM à la fois au niveau individuel et au niveau du portefeuille sont considérés pour infère le modèle Electre Tri. Le modèle élicité évalue intrinsèquement les individus et sélectionne simultanément un portefeuille satisfaisant comme un groupe. Troisièmement, nous nous intéressons à l’élicitation des préférences pour le modèle RPM, qui détermine un pré-ordre comparant des alternatives avec des points de référence. Nous proposons un outil qui infère un modèle RPM parcimonieux à partir de comparaisons par paires du DM. Enfin, trois web services implémentent des outils d'élicitation des préférences pour Electre Tri et ont été intégrées au logiciel de Decision Deck. Les outils d’élicitation des préférences proposés consistent en des algorithmes qui résolvent des programmes linéaires en nombres mixtes. Des expériences numériques approfondies ont été réalisées pour étudier la performance et le comportement des outils d'élicitation proposées. Ces expériences éclairent sur l’applicabilité pratique de ces outils. De plus, les outils ont été appliqués avec succès à trois cas. / Multiple Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) aims at supporting decision makers (DM) facing decisions involving several conflicting objectives. DM's preferences play a key role in the decision aiding process, since the recommendations are meaningful and acceptable only if the DM's values are taken into consideration. A preference elicitation tool is therefore necessary to help the analyst to incorporate appropriately the DM's preferences in the decision models. We are interested in developing preference elicitation tools for two aggregation models based on reference points, namely Electre Tri and a new Ranking method based on Multiple reference Points (RMP). Firstly, we consider Electre Tri using the optimistic assignment rule. We propose a preference elicitation tool which elicits the preference parameters of the model from assignment examples provided by the DM, and also analyzes the robustness of the assignments related to the imprecise nature of the preference information. Secondly, a preference elicitation tool is developed for portfolio selection problems. These problems are formulated as constrained sorting problems using Electre Tri. The DM's preferences both at the individual and portfolio level are considered to elicit the Electre Tri model. The elicited model evaluates intrinsically the individuals and simultaneously selects a satisfactory portfolio as a group. Thirdly, we are interested in preference elicitation for RMP model, which determines a weak order by comparing alternatives with reference points. A preference elicitation tool is provided which infers a parsimonious RMP model from the DM's pairwise comparisons. Lastly, three web services implementing the preference elicitation tools for Electre Tri have been developed and integrated to Decision Deck software. The proposed preference elicitation tools consist of algorithms solving mixed integer programs. Extensive numerical experiments have been performed to study the performance and behavior of the proposed elicitation tools to give insights into their applicability in practice. Moreover, the tools have been successfully applied to three real-world cases.

Ce travail porte sur la mise au point et l’étude d’un nouveau système de culture in vitro permettant une production efficace de dérivés de t-resvératrol. Pour cela, des lignées de racines transformées de Vitis vinifera L. ont été établies, stabilisées et criblées. Le faible taux de croissance a été amélioré par criblage de différents milieux de cultures et différentes concentrations en saccharose, montrant une préférence pour le milieu ½ SH avec 2% (p/v) de saccharose. Les cinétiques de croissance et de production de stilbènes ont ensuite été évaluées dans ces conditions. Nous avons mis en évidence une production basale de stilbènes par les racines, bien que celles-ci soient aussi fortement inductibles par des traitements d’élicitation par du méthyl jasmonate et des cyclodextrines. Dans ces conditions, les racines transformées de vigne ont montré une forte capacité de production et d’excrétion de différents stilbènes. Un profilage phytochimique des racines et de leur milieu de culture a été réalisé par CPC-RMN et LC-MS pour illustrer cette diversité. En parallèle des études sur un modèle simplifié, les cultures de cellules en suspension ont été réalisées pour rechercher des transporteurs candidats pour l’excrétion active du t-resvératrol vers son lieu d’action. Une approche de protéomique globale de la membrane plasmique par iTRAQ a permis de cibler des candidats de type ABC transporteurs, qui ont ensuite été caractérisés par des approches d’étude de l’expression de leurs transcrits. Ensemble, ces résultats soutiennent l’intérêt de cet outil pour l’étude du métabolisme ainsi que pour la bioproduction de stilbènes. / This work aims at the setting up and the study of a new in vitro culture for a cost-effective production of highly pure resveratrol derivatives. To answer that need, hairy root lines of Vitis vinifera L. were established, stabilized and screened. Their low growth rate was improved by testing various culture media and different sucrose concentrations. The best growth rate was obtained with ½ SH medium with 2% (w/v) sucrose. The growth and stilbene production kinetics were assessed in these conditions. A constitutive production of stilbenes was observed in roots, though they showed a strong response to eliciting treatments such as methyl jasmonate and cyclodextrines. In these conditions, the hairy roots yielded high stilbene production in terms of concentrations as well as diversity. The diversity of the stilbenes obtained has been described by biochemical profiling of both root and their culture medium extracts using CPC-NMR and LC-MS. Together with the study of hairy roots, we used cell suspensions cultures as a simplified model to study the excretion of t-resveratrol. Candidate transporters have been screened for using a global plasma membrane proteomic approach based of iTRAQ. ABC G transporters were pointed out as promising candidates and were further characterized by studying their gene expression. Together, these results support the interest of grapevine hairy root cultures for the study of stilbenes metabolism and their bioproduction.

Context: In the requirements engineering phase, requirements elicitation is considered as the most important task as it is the initial phase in which the requirements are gathered and prioritised. Changes in requirements may lead to project failure or delay in project deliveries. So, it is essential to elicit the requirements at the early stage to avoid changes in requirements in the later stage of development. Therefore, there is a need to study the impact of volatility in elicitation techniques to gather requirements appropriately in the early stages. Objectives: In the present thesis, we focused on the analysis of the requirements volatility in the requirement elicitation phase. The main objectives we have formulated to achieve our goal are Objective 1: To identify and determine the various causes of requirement volatility. Objective 2: To examine the impact of requirement volatility in the requirement elicitation process. Objective 3: To examine whether the procedure of elicitation techniques differ if volatility occurs while eliciting the requirements. Methods: In this thesis, we have implemented a Systematic Literature Review(SLR) and Survey research methods in order to attain our aim and objectives. SLR is performed for objective 1, to receive the data about the causes of volatility in various development life cycle phases. A survey is conducted to identify the causes of volatility in all phases of development, in the elicitation phase, and check whether the process of elicitation techniques differ if volatility occurs while eliciting the requirements. Results: From the SLR and survey, numerous factors of causes of volatility on the software development lifecycle were identified. Several new factors were identified from both the research methods. The factors have its own interpretation for the cause of volatility. Moreover, from the survey results, we can determine that the volatility occurs in the elicitation phase and has a huge impact while eliciting the requirements. Most of the practitioners working with the agile development process and waterfall model have stated that the impact of volatility results in prolonging the elicitation phase, slowing down the project, etc. Conclusions: For this research, our contribution is to provide insights on the impact of volatility in the elicitation process and check whether the elicitation techniques and its process change due to volatility. Based on the results of the respondents, we can conclude that the elicitation techniques procedure change is not intentional and not only because of the volatility but also due to some external factors while eliciting the requirements.

The following research presents a study of communication in requirement elicitation meetings. Achieving consensus of requirements is difficult in mostsituations, but even more so in requirement elicitation meetings. This report proposes and validates questions regarding requirement elicitation meetings between different stakeholders by modelling their subjective perspectives using the conceptual metaphor theory. Through a case study, qualitative data was collected from project managers and communicators from 5 Swedish companies. The result shows that misunderstanding is not detected until further into the process as a result of carrying different notions behind terms. The importance of shared experiences of words presents itself, and the use of metaphorisation is suggested as a useful approach to reach consensus.

Women in South Africa are discriminated against in various areas of their lives, specifically in the workplace where the power dynamics between men and women are not equally distributed. This qualitative research study in a critical phenomenological research paradigm has allowed me to explore, describe, explain and gain an understanding of the nature of female teachers‟ lived experiences of senior male colleagues‟ exercising of power. It has also allowed me to critically challenge and question female teachers‟ lived experiences by interpreting and making meaning or the power conundrum within a school context. Using a qualitative research design and methodology, I interrogated the power hierarchy in schools by initiating critical dialogue with the participants. This study serves as a voice for female teachers‟ lived experiences regarding the power conundrum. Data was generated by 16 purposefully selected female teachers from various primary and secondary schools in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district in the North-West Province, more specifically the Matlosana area. The data generation phases consist of two consecutive phases each with different stages. The first phase concerns the photo-elicitation-narratives (written). This is followed by individual photo-elicitation-interviews during the second phase. The data is analysed by means of interpretive phenomenology analysis (IPA). Thereafter themes and categories are identified, and verified during a consensus meeting with independent coders. Two main themes are identified: Theme one is that female teachers experience power as a behaviour that has the potential to evoke feelings that are (im)balanced, thus power evokes feelings of either being nurtured or feelings that are seen as degrading or destructive in nature. Theme two reflects female teachers‟ suggestions of promoting their own well-being. As wellbeing evokes a sense of meaningfulness and belonging in the workplace, it can lead to positive work relationships. When power is misused or abused in the workplace, it results in workplace bullying and abusive behaviour, which has a negative effect not only on employees‟ work performance, but also on their personal life and own health. If the detrimental effects of this phenomenon of power in a school context are ignored, female teachers will continue to experience loss of self-esteem and work withdrawal, and show signs of increased depression as well as high stress levels. / MEd (Learner Support), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Women in South Africa are discriminated against in various areas of their lives, specifically in the workplace where the power dynamics between men and women are not equally distributed. This qualitative research study in a critical phenomenological research paradigm has allowed me to explore, describe, explain and gain an understanding of the nature of female teachers‟ lived experiences of senior male colleagues‟ exercising of power. It has also allowed me to critically challenge and question female teachers‟ lived experiences by interpreting and making meaning or the power conundrum within a school context. Using a qualitative research design and methodology, I interrogated the power hierarchy in schools by initiating critical dialogue with the participants. This study serves as a voice for female teachers‟ lived experiences regarding the power conundrum. Data was generated by 16 purposefully selected female teachers from various primary and secondary schools in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district in the North-West Province, more specifically the Matlosana area. The data generation phases consist of two consecutive phases each with different stages. The first phase concerns the photo-elicitation-narratives (written). This is followed by individual photo-elicitation-interviews during the second phase. The data is analysed by means of interpretive phenomenology analysis (IPA). Thereafter themes and categories are identified, and verified during a consensus meeting with independent coders. Two main themes are identified: Theme one is that female teachers experience power as a behaviour that has the potential to evoke feelings that are (im)balanced, thus power evokes feelings of either being nurtured or feelings that are seen as degrading or destructive in nature. Theme two reflects female teachers‟ suggestions of promoting their own well-being. As wellbeing evokes a sense of meaningfulness and belonging in the workplace, it can lead to positive work relationships. When power is misused or abused in the workplace, it results in workplace bullying and abusive behaviour, which has a negative effect not only on employees‟ work performance, but also on their personal life and own health. If the detrimental effects of this phenomenon of power in a school context are ignored, female teachers will continue to experience loss of self-esteem and work withdrawal, and show signs of increased depression as well as high stress levels. / MEd (Learner Support), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The application of Bayesian networks within the field of institutional research is explored through the development of a Bayesian network used to predict first- to second-year retention of undergraduates. A hybrid approach to model development is employed, in which formal elicitation of subject-matter expertise is combined with machine learning in designing model structure and specification of model parameters. Subject-matter experts include two academic advisors at a small, private liberal arts college in the southeast, and the data used in machine learning include six years of historical student-related information (i.e., demographic, admissions, academic, and financial) on 1,438 first-year students. Netica 5.12, a software package designed for constructing Bayesian networks, is used for building and validating the model. Evaluation of the resulting model’s predictive capabilities is examined, as well as analyses of sensitivity, internal validity, and model complexity. Additionally, the utility of using Bayesian networks within institutional research and higher education is discussed. The importance of comprehensive evaluation is highlighted, due to the study’s inclusion of an unbalanced data set. Best practices and experiences with expert elicitation are also noted, including recommendations for use of formal elicitation frameworks and careful consideration of operating definitions. Academic preparation and financial need risk profile are identified as key variables related to retention, and the need for enhanced data collection surrounding such variables is also revealed. For example, the experts emphasize study skills as an important predictor of retention while noting the absence of collection of quantitative data related to measuring students’ study skills. Finally, the importance and value of the model development process is stressed, as stakeholders are required to articulate, define, discuss, and evaluate model components, assumptions, and results.

The research presented in this thesis focuses on the development of wireless, real time performance monitoring technology within the resistance training domain using a user-centred design methodology. The functionality of current performance monitoring technology and differences in monitoring ability is investigated through comparative force platform, video and accelerometer testing and analysis. Determining the complexity of resistance training exercises and whether performance variable profiles such as acceleration, velocity and power can be used to characterise lifts is also investigated. A structured user-centred design process suitable for the sporting domain is proposed and followed throughout the research to consider the collection, analysis and communication of performance data. Identifying the user requirements and developing both hardware and software to meet the requirements also forms a major part of the research. The results indicate that as the exercise complexity increases, the requirement for sophisticated technology increases. A simple tri-axial accelerometer can be used to monitor simple linear exercises at the recreational level. Gyroscope technology is required to monitor complex exercises in which rotation of the bar occurs. Force platform technology is required at the elite level to monitor the distribution of force and resultant balance throughout a lift (bilateral difference). An integrated system consisting of an Inertial Measurement Unit (both accelerometer and gyroscope technology) and a double plate force platform is required to accurately monitor performance in the resistance training domain at the elite level.

Since microorganisms normally co-exist with other species in nature, they have developed complex metabolic and physiological responses as a result of such inter-species interactions. Biotic elicitation mimics the inter-species interactions in nature by introducing cell extracts, parts of cell wall, or dead cells into the culture of another species thus resulting in complex metabolic responses in the elicited microorganisms. In this thesis we report the exploitation of the interspecies interaction in order to enhance the antibiotic production by the model organism Streptomyces coelicolor. It produces four known antibiotics: actinorhodin, undecylprodigioisn, methylenomycin and the calcium dependent antibiotic. We investigated the production of actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin only because of the lack of quantitative analytical methods for the other two. The pure cultures of S. coelicolor in a defined medium produce higher concentrations of actinorhodin compared with undecylprodigiosin. However, undecylprodigiosin is more important due to its antitumor activities. We introduced live and dead cells of E. coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, separately, to the S. coelicolor culture. Investigations were performed on Petri dishes, shake flasks and 2 L bioreactors. The suitable amount of each elicitor bacterium was first determined based on its ability to grow in the S. coelicolor medium so that it did not overtake the growth of S. coelicolor. Growth of S. coelicolor and glucose consumption of the elicited cultures were studied and compared with those in the pure culture. Our results revealed an alteration in the antibiotic production pattern by S. coelicolor, such that undecylprodigiosin production was significantly enhanced and actinorhodin decreased. The maximum enhancement occurred in the culture elicited with the live cells of E. coli with an increase of 3.5-fold, whereas the minimum was with elicitation using S. aureus cells (2.1-fold increase). Also, a considerable suppression in the production of actinorhodin was observed upon elicitation with live cells of E. coli or S. aureus. Furthermore, another positive outcome of the elicitation was the earlier onset of undecylprodigiosin production by 24-35h compared to the pure culture of S. coelicolor. Moreover, this study showed that the dead cells of B. subtilis and S. aureus had the same elicitation effects as the live cells, contrary to the heat-killed cells of E. coli that had no such effect. Some optimisation experiments on the amount and the timing of the elicitation were performed and the optimal conditions were chosen that would increase undecylprodigiosin production. Elicitation in the bioreactor resulted in as much as six-fold increase in the production of undecylprodigiosin compared with the pure culture and approximately double that obtained in the shake flasks. The antimicrobial activities of the extracted actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin on the elicitor bacteria were tested in agar diffusion tests. Undecylprodigiosin always inhibited the growth of the elicitor bacteria whereas actinorhodin was less effective. In addition, our results indicated that the interaction between S. coelicolor and E. coli was mediated via a molecule present in the E. coli culture, while no such evidence was found in the case of interaction with B. subtilis or S. aureus. The results showed that the elicitation with the cells of B. subtilis and S. aureus was not due to peptidoglycan or N-acetyl glucoseamine which is the constituents of the cell wall that may have been released by lyses during the culture process. Such inter-species interactions may form the basis of new strategies in the search for novel antibiotics and other bioactive compounds. They can also be used to increase the productivity of existing processes for antibiotics as it was found in this work.

Social stigma against gender diverse people continues to exist (Rieger & Savin-Williams, 2012), and this extends to gender nonconforming youth (D’Augelli, Grossman, & Starks, 2006). Expression and exploration of fluid gender identity and gender roles are part of typical human development (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Childhood gender nonconformity is defined as variation from norms in gender role behavior (Adelson & The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2012). Recommendations for research with gender nonconforming youth include gaining a clearer understanding of safe relationships, which currently lacks in the counseling literature (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Safety occurs when an individual takes psychological and interpersonal risks without fearing negative consequences (Edmondson, 1999). This study explores safety among gender nonconforming youth through the theoretical perspective of constructivism (Lincoln, Lynham, & Guba, 2011) and queer theory (Plummer, 2011) and will utilize the qualitative methods of photo-elicitation (Harper, 2002) and thematic analysis (Boyatiz, 1998). Implications for counseling practitioners, counselor educators, and future research will be discussed.