A comunicação multilíngue é uma tarefa cada vez mais imperativa no cenário atual de grande disseminação de informações em diversas línguas. Nesse contexto, são de grande relevância os sistemas de tradução automática, que auxiliam tal comunicação, automatizando-a. Apesar de ser uma área de pesquisa bastante antiga, a Tradução Automática ainda apresenta muitos problemas. Um dos principais problemas é a ambigüidade lexical, ou seja, a necessidade de escolha de uma palavra, na língua alvo, para traduzir uma palavra da língua fonte quando há várias opções de tradução. Esse problema se mostra ainda mais complexo quando são identificadas apenas variações de sentido nas opções de tradução. Ele é denominado, nesse caso, \"ambigüidade lexical de sentido\". Várias abordagens têm sido propostas para a desambiguação lexical de sentido, mas elas são, em geral, monolíngues (para o inglês) e independentes de aplicação. Além disso, apresentam limitações no que diz respeito às fontes de conhecimento que podem ser exploradas. Em se tratando da língua portuguesa, em especial, não há pesquisas significativas voltadas para a resolução desse problema. O objetivo deste trabalho é a proposta e desenvolvimento de uma nova abordagem de desambiguação lexical de sentido, voltada especificamente para a tradução automática, que segue uma metodologia híbrida (baseada em conhecimento e em córpus) e utiliza um formalismo relacional para a representação de vários tipos de conhecimentos e de exemplos de desambiguação, por meio da técnica de Programação Lógica Indutiva. Experimentos diversos mostraram que a abordagem proposta supera abordagens alternativas para a desambiguação multilíngue e apresenta desempenho superior ou comparável ao do estado da arte em desambiguação monolíngue. Adicionalmente, tal abordagem se mostrou efetiva como mecanismo auxiliar para a escolha lexical na tradução automática estatística / Crosslingual communication has become a very imperative task in the current scenario with the increasing amount of information dissemination in several languages. In this context, machine translation systems, which can facilitate such communication by providing automatic translations, are of great importance. Although research in Machine Translation dates back to the 1950\'s, the area still has many problems. One of the main problems is that of lexical ambiguity, that is, the need for lexical choice when translating a source language word that has several translation options in the target language. This problem is even more complex when only sense variations are found in the translation options, a problem named \"sense ambiguity\". Several approaches have been proposed for word sense disambiguation, but they are in general monolingual (for English) and application-independent. Moreover, they have limitations regarding the types of knowledge sources that can be exploited. Particularly, there is no significant research aiming to word sense disambiguation involving Portuguese. The goal of this PhD work is the proposal and development of a novel approach for word sense disambiguation which is specifically designed for machine translation, follows a hybrid methodology (knowledge and corpus-based), and employs a relational formalism to represent various kinds of knowledge sources and disambiguation examples, by using Inductive Logic Programming. Several experiments have shown that the proposed approach overcomes alternative approaches in multilingual disambiguation and achieves higher or comparable results to the state of the art in monolingual disambiguation. Additionally, the approach has shown to effectively assist lexical choice in a statistical machine translation system

O uso cada vez maior de derivados de petróleo em processos industriais proporciona a geração de uma diversidade de produtos cada vez mais utilizados pela sociedade atual. As conseqüências negativas do uso e manipulação de hidrocarbonetos é a geração de resíduos e efluentes altamente poluidores. Atualmente, a utilização integrada de técnicas geofísicas podem se constituir em uma ferramenta eficiente na avaliação e caracterização de problemas ambientais. De uma forma geral a utilização da geofísica na caracterização de uma área afetada por substâncias poluentes consiste na detecção e mapeamento da extensão da área afetada e informações sobre a profundidade da zona saturada, direção do fluxo subterrâneo e profundidade do substrato rochoso inalterado. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi a caracterização geofísica de uma área contaminada por hidrocarbonetos derivados de petróleo, por meio da utilização dos métodos: Eletroresistividade, Polarização Induzida e Eletromagnético Indutivo. Esta caracterização foi realizada através de ensaios de campo e do uso de modelos bidimensionais, tendo como área de estudo uma indústria química localizada no município de São Paulo SP. Esta área foi escolhida com base em estudos precedentes que indicam a ocorrência de contaminação. Os resultados dos modelos de resistividade, cargabilidade e condutividade aparente sugerem a presença de contaminação e seu caminho preferencial, que segue o sentido do fluxo da água subterrânea. Três tipos de anomalias puderam ser individualizadas: a primeira, de baixa resistividade e baixa cargabilidade, que sugerem contaminação mais antiga e a relação com os processos de biodegradação, confirmada através das análises de bactérias; a segunda, de baixa resistividade e alta cargabilidade, geradas pela presença de materiais polarizáveis (metais); e a terceira, as anomalias de alta resistividade e baixa cargabilidade, geradas pela presença do contaminante bruto (sedimento impregnado por tinta), que confirma a contaminação mais recente onde não ocorre processo de biodegradação. / The increasing usage of petroleum derivatives in industrial processes provides a generation of products which are being increasingly used by the contemporary society. The negative consequence from the use and manipulation of hydrocarbons is the generation of residues and highly pollutant effluents. Nowadays, the integrated usage of geophysical techniques can become an efficient tool in the evaluation and characterization of environmental problems. In general, the usage of geophysical in the characterization of an area affected by pollutant substances consists in mapping and detecting the extension of the affected area and inform about the saturated zone deep, the underground flux direction and the deep of the unaltered rocky substrate. The main objective of this research was the geophysical characterization of contaminated area by hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, by the usage of the following methods: Electrical resistivity, Inducted Polarization, and Inductive Electromagnetic. This characterization was carried out through field rehearsals and the usage of two-dimensional models in a chemical industry as study area, placed in the city of São Paulo SP. This area was chosen as the basis in precedent studies which has indicated the event of contamination. The results from the resistivity, chargeability and apparent conductivity models, suggest the presence of contamination and its favorable way, which follows the underground water flux. Three kinds of anomalies could be individualized: first, low resistivity and low chargeability, which suggest older contamination and the relation with the biodegradation processes, confirmed thought the bacterial analysis; second, low resistivity and high chargeability, generated by the presence of polarizable materials (metals); and third, the high resistivity anomalies and low chargeability, generated by the presence of the raw contaminant (paint impregnated sediment), which confirms the most recent pollution where the biodegradation process does not occur.

La mise en oeuvre des véhicules électriques dans le secteur du transport de fret présente une solution durable qui répond aux objectifs environnementaux et économiques. Cette thèse s'oriente dans cette direction, elle porte sur l'étude des problèmes de transport électrique selon deux niveaux décisionnels à savoir le niveau stratégique et opérationnel.Au niveau stratégique, nous traitons le problème d'allocation des segments de recharge d'un véhicule électrique par des ondes électromagnétiques. Pour cela, nous proposons une modélisation du problème sous forme de programme mathématique mixte en nombre entier qui tient compte de la particularité du réseau routier et du véhicule. L'objectif est de déterminer; dans un réseau qui se compose de plusieurs chemins; une allocation stratégique qui constitue un compromis entre le coût d'achat du matériel de recharge et le coût de la batterie en satisfaisant un ensemble de contraintes liées au fonctionnement du système lors de l'exploitation et qui garantissent l'arrivée du véhicule à sa destination sans rupture de charge. Ainsi, nous montrons l'utilité de nos travaux dans un contexte industriel à travers le projet 'Green Truck'. Ce projet consiste à remplacer les camions à combustion par les camions électriques; adapté à la technologie d'alimentation par induction; dans la zone industrialo-portuaire du Havre. Dans cette optique et dans un premier temps, nous traitons le problème d'installation des segments de recharge dynamique. Dans un deuxième temps, nous intégrons le mode de rechargement statique dans la stratégie d'allocation. Nous adoptons la version multi-objective de l'algorithme d'optimisation par essaim de particules pour résoudre le problème. En effet, l'algorithme a montré sa robustesse et son efficacité vis-à-vis de problèmes d'optimisation non-linéaires. Après la linéarisation de notre modèle, nous comparons les résultats obtenus avec ceux issus à partir du solveur CPLEX. Nous montrons la validité des résultats obtenus à travers leur analyse et leur discussion.Au niveau opérationnel, nous étudions le problème de tournées de véhicules dans le cas d'une flott( mixte composée de véhicules électriques et à combustion, ce qui est un véritable réseau industrie rencontré dans la pratique. La particularité de notre travail réside dans la considération du cas où le émissions sont limitées par un système de plafonnement d'émissions pour les véhicule conventionnels. Afin de résoudre le modèle mathématique que nous avons élaboré, nous avons indu trois heuristiques dans l'algorithme SPEA-II qui répondent aux contraintes engendrées par la batterie limitée des véhicules électriques. Après l'analyse des performances de l'algorithme résultant, nou, concluons que l'approche de résolution permet d'achever des résultats compétitifs. / The implementation of electric vehicles in the freight transport sector presents a sustainable solution that meets environmental and economic objectives. This thesis is oriented in this direction, it deals with the study of the problems of electric transportation according to two decisional levels namely the strategic and operational levels.At the strategic level, we study the problem of the location of the wireless charging infrastructure in a transport network composed of multiple routes between the origin and the destination. To find a strategic solution to this problem, we first and foremost propose a nonlinear integer programming solution to reach a compromise between the cost of the battery, which is related to its capacity, and the cost of installing the power transmitters, while maintaining the quality of the vehicle's routing. Thus, we show the utility of our work in an industrial context through the 'Green Truck' project. This project consists of replacing diesel trucks by inductive trucks in the industrial-port area of Le Havre. Initially, we are dealing with the problem of allocation of dynamic charging segments. In a second step, we integrate the static reload mode in the allocation strategy. We adapt the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MPSO) approach to our problem, as the particles were robust in solving nonlinear optimization problems. Since we have a multi-objective problem with two binary variables, we combine the binary and discrete versions of the particle swarm optimization approach with the multi-objective one. To assess the quality of solutions generated by the PSO algorithm, the problem is transformed into an equivalent linear programming problem and solved with CPLEX optimizer. The results are analyzed and discussed in order to point out the efficiency of our resolution method.At the operational level, we study a new version of the vehicle routing problem with a mix fleet of electric and combustion vehicles, which is a real industrial network encountered in practice. The particularity of our work lies in the consideration of the case where emissions are limited by an emission cap system for conventional vehicles. In order to solve the mathematical model that we have developed, we have included three heuristics in the SPEA-II algorithm that respond to the constraints generated by the limited battery of electric vehicles. After analyzing the performance of the resulting algorithm, we conclude that the resolution approach achieves competitive results.

Application of neural networks in deep learning is rapidly growing due to their ability to outperform other machine learning algorithms in different kinds of problems. But one big disadvantage of deep neural networks is its internal logic to achieve the desired output or result that is un-understandable and unexplainable. This behavior of the deep neural network is known as “black box”. This leads to the following questions: how prevalent is the black box problem in the research literature during a specific period of time? The black box problems are usually addressed by socalled rule extraction. The second research question is: what rule extracting methods have been proposed to solve such kind of problems? To answer the research questions, a systematic literature review was conducted for data collection related to topics, the black box, and the rule extraction. The printed and online articles published in higher ranks journals and conference proceedings were selected to investigate and answer the research questions. The analysis unit was a set of journals and conference proceedings articles related to the topics, the black box, and the rule extraction. The results conclude that there has been gradually increasing interest in the black box problems with the passage of time mainly because of new technological development. The thesis also provides an overview of different methodological approaches used for rule extraction methods.

[pt] Este trabalho apresenta resultados do comportamento do sensor de proximidade indutivo em medição de oscilação de geradores hidroelétricos do sistema de geração de FURNAS CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS S.A. Para o desenvolvimento deste estudo, foram utilizados dois (2) sensores de proximidade indutivos. A metodologia consistiu em calibrar estaticamente e dinamicamente o sensor de proximidade indutivo. Para isto, foi utilizada a giga de teste: um sistema composto por um motor com velocidade variável e tendo acoplado a seu eixo um disco com excentricidade variável e controlada. Ajustou- se a excentricidade da giga de teste e foram marcados pontos no disco de 30° em 30°. Foi feita a calibração estática da giga de teste, medindo o deslocamento em cada um destes treze (13) pontos com um relógio comparador calibrado. Para a calibração estática do sensor, este foi posicionado à frente do disco da giga de teste a uma distância conhecida, deslocou-se o eixo manualmente para cada um dos pontos e obteve-se o sinal de saída do sensor com o analisador de sinal calibrado. A curva de calibração estática foi então determinada com a respectiva incerteza de medição. Para a calibração dinâmica, o mesmo sistema foi posto em rotação nas velocidades nominais dos geradores hidroelétricos de FURNAS CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS S.A. (90 rpm, 120 rpm, 150 rpm e 180 rpm). A resposta do sensor foi então comparada nas diferentes rotações, com o que se determinou a atenuação do sinal devido ao aumento da freqüência de operação. Os dados obtidos estaticamente e dinamicamente foram avaliados, e as incertezas determinadas. As calibrações estáticas realizadas pelo procedimento de FURNAS e deste trabalho produziram os mesmos resultados, considerando a faixa de incerteza de medição. Para reduzir a incerteza de calibração do procedimento de FURNAS, propõe-se que seus resultados sejam ajustados por um polinômio do segundo grau. A calibração dinâmica realizada em várias freqüências mostrou que não existe diferença entre os valores obtidos estaticamente e dinamicamente, muito embora esta tenha uma incerteza mais elevada. Para simplificação da calibração dos sensores, propõe-se que ela seja, portanto, realizada estaticamente. / [en] This work presents the results of the behavior of the inductive proximity sensor at the measurement of oscillation in hydroelectric generators from the generation system of Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A.. To develop this study, two (2) inductive proximity sensors were used. The methodology consisted of calibrating statically and dynamically the inductive proximity sensor. For this, it was used a test mockup: a system composed by an engine with variable speed and a disc with variable and controlled eccentricity connected to the axle. The eccentricity of the test mock-up was adjusted and thirteen (13) points were marked on the disc, every 30°. The static calibration of the test mock-up has been made, by measuring the displacement in each one of these thirteen (13) points with a calibrated dial indicator. For the static calibration of the sensor, the sensor itself was positioned in front of the test mock-up disc at a known distance, the axle was dislocated manually for each one of the points and the output signal of the sensor was measured with a calibrated signal analyzer. The curve of the static calibration then was determined with the respective uncertainty of the measurement. For the dynamic calibration, the same system was run in the nominal speeds of the hydroelectric generators from Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A. (90 rpm, 120 rpm, 150 rpm and 180 rpm). The response of the sensor was then compared at the different rotations, being determined the attenuation of the signal due to the increase of the operation frequency. The static and dynamic data were evaluated, and the uncertainties determined. The static calibrations carried through by the procedure of FURNAS and by this work produced the same results, considering the range of measurement uncertainty. To reduce the calibration uncertainty of the FURNAS procedure, it is proposed that its results be adjusted by a polynomial of second degree. The dynamic calibration carried at several frequencies showed that there is no difference between the static and dynamic values, even though the dynamic calibration has a more elevated uncertainty. To simplify the calibration of the sensors, it is proposed then that it is carried statically only.

Ce travail a pour thème l'extraction de connaissances à partir de données provenant de plusieurs sources reflétant un même phénomène. L'objectif visé est l'amélioration de la qualité des systèmes de surveillance. Lorsque les données sont redondantes, l'utilisation de plusieurs sources permet de pallier aux problèmes de perte de signal et de bruit. Lorsque les données sont complémentaires, l'utilisation conjointe des différentes sources permet d'augmenter les performances en détection de ces systèmes. Nous appliquons nos travaux au domaine du diagnostic d'arythmies cardiaques. Nous utilisons une technique d'apprentissage artificiel relationnel (la programmation logique inductive) pour apprendre des règles discriminantes permettant de caractériser les arythmies à partir de plusieurs voies d'un électrocardiogramme et de mesures de pression artérielle. Pour exploiter la redondance des sources, nous apprenons dans un premier temps, des règles à partir des données des différentes sources prises séparément. Pour exploiter la complémentarité des sources, un apprentissage multisource naïf consisterait à apprendre globalement sur l'ensemble des données et avec un langage d'expression des concepts permettant de couvrir toute la richesse des données représentées. En alternative à un tel type d'apprentissage, nous proposons une méthode plus efficace qui s'appuie sur des apprentissages monosources, ie. effectués sur chacune des sources séparément, pour biaiser l'espace de recherche multisource. Le fait de s'appuyer sur les règles monosources permet de restreindre le langage des hypothèses ainsi que le nombre de relations possibles entre les objets représentés sur les différentes sources. Ce travail a été effectué dans le cadre du projet RNTS (Réseau National des Technologies et de la Santé) Cepica. Les résultats montrent que les règles apprises par apprentissage multisource sont au moins aussi bonnes que les règles monosources dans le cas où les données sont redondantes et meilleures dans les cas où les sources sont complémentaires. La technique d'apprentissage biaisé permet en outre d'apprendre des règles de manière beaucoup plus efficace que dans le cas naïf en bénéficiant d'un biais de langage généré automatiquement. Ces nouvelles règles sont incorporées au système Calicot pour la surveillance de patients souffrant de troubles du rythme cardiaque.<br />~

De nombreuses applications du traitement automatique des langues (recherche d'information, traduction automatique, etc.) requièrent des ressources sémantiques spécifiques à leur tâche et à leur domaine. Pour répondre à ces besoins spécifiques, nous avons développé ASARES, un système d'acquisition d'informations sémantiques lexicales sur corpus. Celui-ci répond à un triple objectif : il permet de fournir des résultats de bonne qualité, ses résultats et le processus ayant conduit à leur extraction sont interprétables, et enfin, il est assez générique et automatique pour être aisément portable d'un corpus à un autre. Pour ce faire, ASARES s'appuie sur une technique d'apprentissage artificiel symbolique --- la programmation logique inductive --- qui lui permet d'inférer des patrons d'extraction morphosyntaxiques et sémantiques à partir d'exemples des éléments lexicaux sémantiques que l'on souhaite acquérir. Ces patrons sont ensuite utilisés pour extraire du corpus de nouveaux éléments. Nous montrons également qu'il est possible de combiner cette approche symbolique avec des techniques d'acquisition statistiques qui confèrent une plus grande automaticité à ASARES. Pour évaluer la validité de notre méthode, nous l'avons appliquée à l'extraction d'un type de relations sémantiques entre noms et verbes définies au sein du Lexique génératif appelées relations qualia. Cette tâche d'acquisition revêt deux intérêts principaux. D'une part, ces relations ne sont définies que de manière théorique ; l'interprétabilité linguistique des patrons inférés permet donc d'en préciser le fonctionnement et les réalisations en contexte. D'autre part, plusieurs auteurs ont noté l'intérêt de ce type de relations dans le domaine de la recherche d'information pour donner accès à des reformulations sémantiquement équivalentes d'une même idée. Grâce à une expérience d'extension de requêtes, nous vérifions expérimentalement cette affirmation : nous montrons que les résultats d'un système de recherche exploitant ces relations qualia, acquises par ASARES, sont améliorés de manière significative quoique localisée.

<p>The overall purpose of this study is to illuminate the changeover process experienced by individuals who as adults acquired a traumatic brain injury (TBI), to increase the knowledge and the understanding of this process, and describe the meaning of support in every day life.</p><p>Persons who acquired a TBI as adults were administered a semi-structured interview covering six areas: consequences of TBI, family and social networks, working life and occupation, life-changes, support from society and everyday life. The interviews were qualitative and in-depth. A total of 15 informants participated, aged between 19-53 years when injured. Data were structured and underwent two phases of analysis. In the first phase, data underwent latent content analysis, underpinned by a hermeneutic approach, and in the subsequent phase, reanalysed within a framework derived from the theory of social recognition.</p><p>Findings from the first phase of inductive analysis elicited key themes: (i) the meaning of care, a question of formal and/or informal support; (ii) the meaning of action, a question of activity versus inactivity; (iii) autonomy, a question of dependence versus independence; (iv) social interaction, a question of encounter and/or treatment; (v) the theme of changes, a question of process versus stagnation; and (vi) emotions, an oscillation between hope versus hopelessness. After the construction of the six themes each of them were, through a discursive analysis, connected with theories, earlier studies in the field of brain injuries and important interview quotations from the empirical material. During this phase, an interest developed to study the material from a new theoretical point of view. The second phase of analysis therefore involved the development of a framework derived from Honneth’s (1995) theory of social recognition. The central construct of ‘recognition’ was analysed from three different dimensions proposed by Honneth: the individual dimension, the legal dimension, the value dimension. Using this framework, the data were reanalysed. The scientific term for this process of re-contextualisation and re-description of data is abduction inference.</p><p>Reported consequences were negative as well as positive. Significant others (e.g. next of kin) had an important function as a driving force for training and preparation for life-situation after injury. A majority of the informants were satisfied with support from society, such as hospital-care, rehabilitation and community support. Such support, initially, proceeded without problems but as time passed, the responsibility shifted to the person with TBI to take the initiative in arranging longer-term services. Long-term support which addresses physical, cognitive as well as psychosocial consequences of the TBI is important for outcomes. The majority of the informants had difficulties in returning to working life after the injury. The outcomes and recovery seemed to be a prolonged process, probably never ending, but which gradually over time becomes integrated as a part of life. The informants gave varying accounts of the extent to which they experienced social recognition.</p>

The Ph.D. dissertation encompasses an interdisciplinary study exploring qualitative, holistic strategies for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in integrated areas of law, medicine, education, psychology and justice, through both inductive analysis of field research as well as through relevant documentary analysis, incorporating a global or comparative component. Compliance with Guidelines for Research Involving Aboriginal Peoples has been sustained through community partnerships with various First Nations and Métis Communities, Elders and Parents, as well as with an FASD Parental Advocacy Group, advised by a team of interdisciplinary researchers in the academy. Accordingly, emergent research protocols were co-constructed through ongoing collaboration with the various community partners. In Aboriginal research, it is essential not to parachute in and out of communities with the data, but rather to forge genuine, collaborative, long term partnerships, and to build capacity in those communities.<p> The dissertation format approved by the Student Advisory Committee is Manuscript Style, a format approved by the University of Saskatchewans College of Graduate Studies and Research (formerly referred to as X-Format) similar to a self-edited book or collection of articles with introduction, sub-text, intra-text and general discussion to link the manuscripts. The various manuscripts comprising the present thesis include:<p> 1.Framing the Research Anthology: A Vision Quest, Ékehohksimoht Ke-kiss-see Muya<p> Section One situates the research style, process, approach, substance and rationale of the dissertation. It is largely situated within holistic Indigenous epistemologies, which may require a paradigm shift, in contrast to more bounded western world views.<p> Interdisciplinary, holistic, community-based research on the topic of FASD, including a search for solutions, extends globally, across the lifespan, and across sectors.<p> II. Indigenous Disadvantage and Despair, An Evaluation of Recent Strategies and Alternatives: Healing and Transformation, Pluralism and Reconciliation, Ne wah kuma ka tik<p> Section Two explores historical and contextual factors leading to a high prevalence of FASD, as well as strategies to overcome disadvantage, including Reconciliation, Treaty Processes, and Research as Reconciliation. Local Narratives are privileged over Meta-narratives, to counter the power of global market forces usurping the sphere of family, community and culture.<p> III. Disjunctures and Discontinuities in the Law of Mental Intent: FASD as a Site of Resistance and Transformation, Esquiskuit<p> Section Three examines the disconnect between medical knowledge of FASD, on the one hand, and the Laws of Mental Intent, on the other, inspiring a search for a unified, integrated theory of mental disorder and criminal responsibility that takes into account modern neurocognitive conditions like FASD. Section Three further explores the present piecemeal and compartmentalized rules for fitness, responsibility, various levels of mental intent, and a resultant rationale, substance and process of law reform and systemic change.<p> IV. FASD and Holistic Literacies: A Talking or Sharing Circle, Wa-sa-cam-e-be-ke-skue<p> Section Fours inductive themes comprise model practice guidelines for the gestalt of Literacy and FASD, derived from inductive analysis of qualitative data collected in the field research. The data was collected using Sharing Circles with Aboriginal Elders, Parents, and Mentors of Individuals with FASD; Conversational Interviews with Parents and Children with FASD; as well as Interviews and Focus Groups with various Professionals who support individuals with FASD and their Families. Special protocols were followed in creating and participating in the Indigenous Research, Sharing Circles and Conversational Interviews. Meta-paradigmatic analysis situates Indigenous Research Methodologies among emerging, multi-disciplinary, inductive methodologies suitable for understanding the infinite complexity of natural phenomena, such as FASD.<p> V. Epilogue: An Honour Song, Kethou-ne-ka-mon<p> Circles of healing, transformation and reconciliation heal wounds, reconcile differences, and transform paradigms of justice, health, education and governance, through the incorporation of models of equitable, holistic relationships with one another and with Mother Earth. Multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives, dialogues between local and global, and particular and universal, become matrices to support new paradigms embodying broader reflections of reality.

The Ph.D. dissertation encompasses an interdisciplinary study exploring qualitative, holistic strategies for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in integrated areas of law, medicine, education, psychology and justice, through both inductive analysis of field research as well as through relevant documentary analysis, incorporating a global or comparative component. Compliance with Guidelines for Research Involving Aboriginal Peoples has been sustained through community partnerships with various First Nations and Métis Communities, Elders and Parents, as well as with an FASD Parental Advocacy Group, advised by a team of interdisciplinary researchers in the academy. Accordingly, emergent research protocols were co-constructed through ongoing collaboration with the various community partners. In Aboriginal research, it is essential not to parachute in and out of communities with the data, but rather to forge genuine, collaborative, long term partnerships, and to build capacity in those communities.<p> The dissertation format approved by the Student Advisory Committee is Manuscript Style, a format approved by the University of Saskatchewans College of Graduate Studies and Research (formerly referred to as X-Format) similar to a self-edited book or collection of articles with introduction, sub-text, intra-text and general discussion to link the manuscripts. The various manuscripts comprising the present thesis include:<p> 1.Framing the Research Anthology: A Vision Quest, Ékehohksimoht Ke-kiss-see Muya<p> Section One situates the research style, process, approach, substance and rationale of the dissertation. It is largely situated within holistic Indigenous epistemologies, which may require a paradigm shift, in contrast to more bounded western world views.<p> Interdisciplinary, holistic, community-based research on the topic of FASD, including a search for solutions, extends globally, across the lifespan, and across sectors.<p> II. Indigenous Disadvantage and Despair, An Evaluation of Recent Strategies and Alternatives: Healing and Transformation, Pluralism and Reconciliation, Ne wah kuma ka tik<p> Section Two explores historical and contextual factors leading to a high prevalence of FASD, as well as strategies to overcome disadvantage, including Reconciliation, Treaty Processes, and Research as Reconciliation. Local Narratives are privileged over Meta-narratives, to counter the power of global market forces usurping the sphere of family, community and culture.<p> III. Disjunctures and Discontinuities in the Law of Mental Intent: FASD as a Site of Resistance and Transformation, Esquiskuit<p> Section Three examines the disconnect between medical knowledge of FASD, on the one hand, and the Laws of Mental Intent, on the other, inspiring a search for a unified, integrated theory of mental disorder and criminal responsibility that takes into account modern neurocognitive conditions like FASD. Section Three further explores the present piecemeal and compartmentalized rules for fitness, responsibility, various levels of mental intent, and a resultant rationale, substance and process of law reform and systemic change.<p> IV. FASD and Holistic Literacies: A Talking or Sharing Circle, Wa-sa-cam-e-be-ke-skue<p> Section Fours inductive themes comprise model practice guidelines for the gestalt of Literacy and FASD, derived from inductive analysis of qualitative data collected in the field research. The data was collected using Sharing Circles with Aboriginal Elders, Parents, and Mentors of Individuals with FASD; Conversational Interviews with Parents and Children with FASD; as well as Interviews and Focus Groups with various Professionals who support individuals with FASD and their Families. Special protocols were followed in creating and participating in the Indigenous Research, Sharing Circles and Conversational Interviews. Meta-paradigmatic analysis situates Indigenous Research Methodologies among emerging, multi-disciplinary, inductive methodologies suitable for understanding the infinite complexity of natural phenomena, such as FASD.<p> V. Epilogue: An Honour Song, Kethou-ne-ka-mon<p> Circles of healing, transformation and reconciliation heal wounds, reconcile differences, and transform paradigms of justice, health, education and governance, through the incorporation of models of equitable, holistic relationships with one another and with Mother Earth. Multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives, dialogues between local and global, and particular and universal, become matrices to support new paradigms embodying broader reflections of reality.