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L’émergence et l’évolution des réseaux de nouvelles génération (NGN) a soulevé plusieurs défis surtout en termes d’hétérogénéité, de mobilité et de sécurité. En effet, l’utilisateur est capable, dans un tel environnement, d’avoir accès à plusieurs réseaux, à travers différents terminaux, avec un choix vaste de services fournis par différents fournisseurs. De plus, les utilisateurs finaux demandent à être constamment connectés n’importe où, n’importe quand et n’importe comment. Ils désirent également avoir un accès sécurisé à leurs services à travers une session dynamique, seamless et continue selon leurs préférences et la QoS demandée. Dans ce contexte, la sécurité représente une composante majeure. Face à cette session user-centric sécurisée, plusieurs défis se posent. L’environnement est de plus en plus ouvert, de multiples services ne sont pas connus d’avance et nous avons une diversité de communications entre les services et les utilisateurs. L’hétérogénéité des ressources (terminaux, réseaux et services) impliquées dans la session de l’utilisateur accentue la complexité des tâches de sécurité. Les différentes déclinaisons de mobilité (mobilité de l’utilisateur, mobilité du terminal, mobilité du réseau et mobilité du service) modifient la session user-centric que l’on veut unique, sécurisée et seamless avec la délivrance d’un service continu. / The emergence and evolution of Next Generation Networks (NGN) have raised several challenges mainly in terms of heterogeneity, mobility and security. In fact, the user is able, in such environment, to have access to many networks, via multiple devices, with a vast choice of services offered by different providers. Furthermore, end-users claim to be constantly connected anywhere, anytime and anyhow. Besides, they want to have a secure access to their services through a dynamic, seamless and continuous session according to their preferences and the desired QoS. In this context, security represents an important concern. In fact, this user-centric session should obviously be secured. However, many challenges arise. In such environment, system boundaries, which were well delimited, become increasingly open. Indeed, there are multiple services which are unknown in advance and multiple communications between services and with users. Besides, heterogeneity of involved resources (terminals, networks and services) in the user session increases the complexity of security tasks. In addition, the different types of mobility (user, terminal, network and service mobility) affect the user-centric session that should be unique, secure and seamless and ensure continuity of services.

En raison de circonstances historiques et sociales difficiles, la littérature haïtienne s'est enfermée pendant environ un siècle dans le patriotisme et le nationalisme. Rejet de l'indépendance par les nations occidentales, affaires judiciaires et diplomatiques louches, instabilités politiques et sociales ont marqué tout le XIXe siècle haïtien. A la fin du siècle, une nouvelle génération d'écrivains a opté pour la rénovation en proscrivant la matière nationale, notamment la veine nationaliste, et s'est tournée vers l'universalisme. Il s'en est suivi un remaniement de la pensée ou de la vision haïtienne dont les répercussions se feront ressentir même dans les relations internationales avec les nations autrefois vues de très mauvais oeil. Haïti cherche, et Etzer Vilaire notamment s'y attachera avec une inépuisable énergie, ses racines latines au rejet et parfois au refus même de ses racines africaines. / Haitian literature locked itself for almost a century in patriotism and nationalism for socio-historical reasons. The rejection of her independence by the West, questionable judicial and diplomatic transactions, social and political instabilities all characterized 19th century Haiti. At the end of the 19th century a new generation of writers opted for reinvention, advocating a shift from national affairs, most especially the nationalist trend. They turned towards universalism. Consequently, a total reshuffle of Haitian thinking and vision followed and the repercussions of this will be felt in areas of international relations with nations which at one point were not considered friends. Haiti in search of her roots, as Etzer Vilaire specifically clings on to the Latin roots while rejecting and at times denying its African roots.

Increased growth rates, wood quality, and disease resistance have been accomplished within loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) through genetic selection and improved management practices. Genetic engineering of trees has the potential to further improve these selections but also needs to be tested. Two studies were conducted. Study one compares three levels of genetic improvement: Mass-Control Pollinated (MCP), Second Generation Op (2nd gen), and Varietal Material. After three years the MCP material had larger mean heights, mean diameters, and mean volume than the other two genetic entities. However the top five performing varietals were about 0.5 feet taller than the MCP material. Study two tested two contrasting loblolly pine ideotypes across different spacings and management intensities. After two years the crop tree ideotype and the intensive management plots had larger mean heights, mean ground-line diameters, mean volumes, and mean crown widths. Mean branch angle differed significantly between the two crown ideotypes.

The objective of this research is to devise a procedure to generate random Set Covering Problem (SCP) instances with known optimal solutions and correlated coefficients. The procedure presented in this work can generate a virtually unlimited number of SCP instances with known optimal solutions and realistic characteristics, thereby facilitating testing of the performance of SCP heuristics and algorithms. A four-phase procedure based on the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions is proposed to generate SCP instances with known optimal solutions and correlated coefficients. Given randomly generated values for the objective function coefficients and the sum of the binary constraint coefficients for each variable and a randomly selected optimal solution, the procedure: (1) calculates the range for the number of possible constraints, (2) generates constraint coefficients for the variables with value one in the optimal solution, (3) assigns values to the dual variables, and (4) generates constraint coefficients for variables with value 0 in the optimal solution so that the KKT conditions are satisfied. A computational demonstration of the procedure is provided. A total of 525 SCP instances are simulated under seven correlation levels and three levels for the number of constraints. Each of these instances is solved using three simple heuristic procedures. The performance of the heuristics on the SCP instances generated is summarized and analyzed. The performance of the heuristics generally worsens as the expected correlation between the coefficients increases and as the number of constraints increases. The results provide strong evidence of the benefits of the procedure for generating SCP instances with correlated coefficients, and in particular SCP instances with known optimal solutions.

Role-playing games (RPGs) rely on interesting and varied experiences to maintain player attention. These experiences are often provided through quests, which give players tasks that are used to advance stories or events unfolding in the game. Traditional quests in video games require very specific conditions to be met, and for participating members to advance them by carrying out pre-defined actions. These types of quests are generated with perfect knowledge of the game world and are able to force desired behaviors out of the relevant non-player characters (NPCs). This becomes a major issue in massive multiplayer online (MMO) when other players can often disrupt the conditions needed for quests to unfold in a believable and immersive way, leading to the absence of a genuine multiplayer RPG experience. Our proposed solution is to dynamically create quests from real-time information on the unscripted actions of other NPCs and players in a game. This thesis shows that it is possible to create logical quests without global information knowledge, pre-defined story-trees, or prescribed player and NPC behavior. This allows players to become involved in storylines without having to perform any specific actions. Results are shown through a game scenario created from the Panoptyk Engine, a game engine in early development designed to test AI reasoning with information and the removal of the distinction between NPC and human players. We focus on quests issued by the NPC faction leaders of several in-game groups known as factions. Our generated quests are created logically from the pre-defined personality of each NPC leader, their memory of previous events, and information given to them by in-game sources. Long-spanning conflicts are seen to emerge from factions issuing quests against each other; these conflicts can be represented in a coherent narrative. A user study shows that players felt quests were logical, that players were able to recognize quests were based on events happening in the game, and that players experienced follow-up consequences from their actions in quests.

We introduce an alternative method for open-world scene generation. In this thesis, Graph-based Wave Function Collapse (GWFC) is integrated with Space Colonization Algorithm (SCA) and used to place objects in an unstructured 3D environment. This combined algorithm, Space Colonization Graph-based Wave Function Collapse (SC-GWFC), leverages the constraint-based capabilities of GWFC and the ability of SCA to populate arbitrary 3D volumes. We demonstrate that objects of variable scale can be successfully used with SC-GWFC. Since this algorithm is run in an interactive environment, we demonstrate iterative modifications to a partially complete scene and incorporate PCG into a scene editing process. As part of the implementation, we also introduce our Scene Modeling Application for rendering and editing 3D scenes. This modeling application allows for editing and viewing constraints for our SC-GWFC scene generator. We evaluate the performance characteristics of SC-GWFC in the Scene Modeling Application to demonstrate that SC-GWFC can be used interactively. Through the application, users can specify adjacency requirements for objects, and SC-GWFC will attempt to place objects in patterns that respect these rules. We demonstrate the ability to place up to 5000 items on a terrain using our proposed SC-GWFC technique.

Sverige kommer inom en snar tid att stå inför stora förändringar på arbetsmarknaden gällande generationer. Baby boom generationen kommer att gå i pension och arbetsmarknaden tas över av generation X och Y. Genom att baby boomers lämnar arbetslivet och tar med sig sina kunskaper, blir det ett stort tomrum som kan vara svårt att fylla av de nästkommande generationerna. Emellertid har generation X och Y andra kunskaper som baby boomers saknar. Karakteristiska värderingar återfinns hos de olika generationerna, exempelvis värdesätter baby boomers hårt arbete och lojalitet. Generation Y tycker däremot att tillfredställelse i arbetet samt fritid är av betydelse. Vårt syfte är att undersöka huruvida det finns skillnader mellan generationerna inom arbetslivet kring värderingar och attityder. Värderingar kan liknas vid begreppet organisationskultur eftersom det hjälper medarbetare att få en känsla av identitet och samhörighet inom arbetslivet. Detta leder till gemensamma mål och visioner, vilket på sikt ökar produktiviteten. Både en kvalitativ samt kvantitativ metod tillämpades, vilket genomfördes med hjälp av tre intervjuer samt 68 enkäter på både kundsupport och bankkontor. Undersökningen visar att det inte finns stora skillnader mellan generationernas värderingar och attityder inom den undersökta banken. Organisationskulturen är stark vilket leder till att värderingarna inte syns. Fortsättningsvis visar resultatet att kulturen är starkare än egenskaperna som är karakteristiska för varje enskild generation. Resultatet visar slutligen att ett flertal av de teoretiska värderingarna inte stämmer överens med medarbetarnas svar. Det finns en märkbar skillnad mellan de båda avdelningarna, vilket kan förklaras genom arbetsgruppens storlek samt den egna organisationskulturen. / Within a short time, Sweden will be undergoing major changes on the labor market regarding generations. The Baby boom generation will retire soon and the labor market will mostly consist of Generation X and Y. By leaving the labor market, the Baby boomers are taking their knowledge with them; consequently there will be a huge void, which can be difficult to fill by the next generations. However, Generation X and Y have other knowledge, which the Baby boomers lack. Characteristic values are found among the generations. The Baby boomers value hard work and loyalty while Generation Y value a balance between the private and working life. Our purpose is to examine whether generational differences in the workplace on values and attitudes exist. Values can be similar to the organizational culture because it helps the employees to gain a sense of identity and belonging in the workplace. This leads to common goals and visions, which eventually increases productivity. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, which was implemented through three interviews and 68 surveys on both the customer service and bank office. The study shows that there are not major differences between the values and attitudes of the generations within the examined bank. The organizational culture is strong, leading to values being hidden. Furthermore, the result shows that the culture is stronger than the traits, which are characteristic of each generation. Lastly, the results indicate a number of the theoretical values do not agree with what the employees responded. A notable difference between the two departments can be explained by the size of the working group and their own organizational culture.

Sweden is often constructed as a place absent of race, due to formal abolishment and popular rejection of the concept. Despite this positioning, the presence of a racial regime in Sweden has been studied and documented. This thesis investigates negotiations of race and identity among 1.5- and second-generation immigrants who identify as persons of color, to determine how they make sense of race in a colorblind society and how understandings of race come to affect identity and perceptions of self. In utilization of an interpretive phenomenological approach, 10 semi-structured interviews, with integrated photo-elicitation methods, were conducted and analyzed. Theoretical understandings of the stranger, social and symbolic boundaries, and phenomenological perspectives on whiteness and non-whiteness helped to illuminate three central themes in the data: the Swedish racial regime, immigrant identities, and colorblindness. Results make clear that negotiations of race and identity were co-constitutive processes among this demographic, as race was imbued onto respondents and internalized. Respondents expressed a racially aware view of the self and persistent confrontations with the orientations of Swedish society towards and around whiteness. Ultimately, respondents came to recognize Swedishness as only attainable upon meeting the principal criteria of whiteness. This led respondents to reject colorblind discourses, though colorblindness played a role in negotiations of identity and understandings of how to discuss race in Sweden.