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The aim of this thesis is to analyze the transnational family relationships of Czech pre-1989 political émigrés and post-1989 love/ economic migrants in Sweden and their homeland-based relatives, by looking at the practices via which these relationships are initiated and maintained and the role of materiality in these practices. The theoretical framework builds on the notion of “transnationalism from below” as a perspective which intersects migration and family studies, and posits the focus on material culture as an effective analytical tool. After setting the research in the context of Czech and Czechoslovak migration in the 20th century, qualitative analysis of life history narratives and ethnographic interviews is used to investigate the topic in question. Considering the influence of historical and individual factors, the study identifies the parallels and divergences in the two migrant groups’ practices of long-distance communication and mutual visits and in their attitudes to the role of materiality in transnational family relationships. The thesis concludes by stating that in contrast to the pre-1989 émigrés, the post-1989 migrants’ transnational connections with the homeland-based kin are more frequent and intensive. While material aspects play a more significant role in the post-1989 migrants’ transnational family relationships, material differences are more pronounced in the pre-1989 émigrés’ relationships. The historical circumstances of migration, the individuals’ perceptions of their own acts of migration as voluntary or forced and the question of whether or not they were given a license to leave by their homeland-based kin are said to have a significant impact on relationship initiation, the practices of relationship maintenance and the inherent role of materiality. The importance of individual-level enquiry of the migration experience is thus emphasized.

Southern Turkey’s Amuq Valley has been described as a point of convergence bridging distant regions within the ancient Near East. Through an in depth techno-typological and chemical characterization study of 290 obsidian artefacts, this research details changes in deep-time patterns of obsidian use from the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age (6000 BCE – 2400 BCE), arguing that shifting traditions of consumption reflect socio-economic developments both within and beyond the Northern Levant. These artefacts come from the three sites of Tell al-Judaidah, Tell Dhahab and Tell Kurdu, the material excavated during the 1930’s by the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute. Methodologically raw material sourcing was achieved using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF) in the well-established McMaster XRF Lab [MAX Lab]. With these artefacts’ raw materials all being exotic to the Amuq Valley, originating from various outcrops in Cappadocia, the Lake Van region and Transcaucasia (Turkey and Armenia), over 1000km away, this study not only offers new insight into how Amuq Valley communities engaged in long-distance relations, but also contributes to a larger, deep-time regional study of obsidian consumption as a proxy for understanding significant shifts in Near Eastern socio-economics, from hunter-gatherers to the earliest states. In turn, this study, by employing an Annales school framework to consider practice over deep time at the local and supra-regional level further contributes to an ‘archaeology of the long-term’. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / This research involved the chemical analysis of 290 artefacts of archaeological obsidian – a naturally occurring substance made of crystallized lava - as a means of studying ancient exchange systems in the Near East. More specifically, this study covers archaeological periods from 6000 B.C.E. (Late Neolithic) to 2400 B.C.E. (Early Bronze Age) in the Amuq Valley region of southern Turkey. These artefacts were procured during excavations under the Oriental Institute Museum (University of Chicago) beginning in the 1930s. All artefacts are exotic to the Amuq Valley from several known obsidian outcrops in Anatolia (Turkey), some over 1000km away. Analysis was conducted using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to match each artefact to its geological origin thereby identifying the range of exotic materials were exchanged across long-distances. The goal of this research was to uncover social and/or economic dynamics of the Amuq Valley through deep-time with regards to the greater obsidian trade network of the Near East.

No / People, systems, and things in the cities generate large amount of data which is considered to be the most scalable asset of any smart city. Linux users are rapidly increased in last few years, and many large multinational organizations are deploying long distance high bandwidth (LDHB) cloud networks for centralizing the data from various smart cities on a central location. TCP is responsible for reliable communication of data in these cloud networks. For reliability communication among various smart cities, a number of TCP congestion control mechanisms have been developed in the past. TCP Compound, TCP Fusion, and TCP CUBIC are the default TCP congestion control mechanisms for Microsoft Windows, Sun Solaris, and Linux operating systems respectively. The response function of TCP CUBIC is higher than the response function of Standard TCP, which is a trademark congestion control mechanism. As a result, TCP CUBIC does not behave friendly with Standard TCP in LDHB cloud networks. The Congestion Window (cwnd) reduction and growth of TCP CUBIC is very aggressive, which causes high packet loss rate and unfair share of available link bandwidth among competing flows from various smart cities. The aim of this research is to design a new TCP congestion control mechanism for Linux operating system to achieve maximum performance in LDHB cloud networks being used by smart cities. In this paper, congestion control module for slow start (CCM-SS) is designed by increasing the lower boundary limit of cwnd size in slow start phase of communication. Congestion control module for loss event (CCM-LE) is designed by increasing the cwnd reduction rate at each packet loss event and finally Advance Response Function for TCP CUBIC (ARFC) is proposed to design a new congestion control mechanism for Linux operating system. NS-2 is used to compare the performance of TCP CUBIC* with TCP CUBIC in short distance high bandwidth (SDHB) and long distance high bandwidth (LDHB) cloud networks. Results show that TCP CUBIC* has outperformed in LDHB networks, at least by a factor of 18% as compared to TCP CUBIC.

[pt] A Mata Atlântica representa uma das regiões mais biodiversas e únicas do planeta e atualmente restam menos de 25 por cento de sua cobertura original. O Caminho da Mata Atlântica (CMA) é uma iniciativa de conservação que tem como missão engajar a sociedade na conservação e recuperação do bioma, por meio de atividades ao ar livre e da conexão de áreas naturais ao longo de uma trilha de longo curso (TLC). As TLC s, por sua vez, têm sido mundialmente reconhecidas como importantes ferramentas de conservação da biodiversidade e dos ecossistemas, uma vez que formam grandes corredores ecológicos. As rodovias são uma das principais causas de fragmentação de habitats naturais em todo o mundo e pioram ainda mais a situação de isolamento de áreas no bioma. Para mitigar os impactos negativos das estradas, algumas medidas compensatórias podem ser implementadas. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a legislação ambiental existente no âmbito federal e estadual do Rio de Janeiro relativa à restauração florestal, ao licenciamento ambiental e à concessão de rodovias, com o intuito de trabalhar estratégias para reduzir os impactos causados pela existência dessas estradas nas proximidades do traçado do CMA. Como resultado, podemos dizer que são poucos os contratos que trazem inovações nesse sentido. Considerando as graves consequências causadas pela fragmentação de habitats para a biodiversidade, é de extrema importância que seja dada mais atenção à construção das condicionantes de licença e das medidas compensatórias presentes nos contratos de concessão. O CMA pode ser uma solução, de forma a aumentar a conectividade entre os fragmentos e consolidar a trilha como um grande corredor funcional para a conservação da biodiversidade. / [en] The Atlantic Forest represents one of the most biodiverse and unique regions on planet Earth and less than 25 percent of its original coverage currently remains. The Atlantic Forest Trail (CMA) is a conservation initiative whose mission is to engage society in the conservation and recovery of the biome, through outdoor activities and the connection of natural areas along a long-distance trail. These, in turn, have been recognized worldwide as important tools for conserving biodiversity and ecosystems, as they form large ecological corridors. Highways are one of the main causes of fragmentation of natural habitats around the world and further worsen the situation of isolated areas in the biome. To mitigate the negative impacts of roads, some compensatory measures can be implemented, such as the creation of ecological corridors, based on forest restoration. The objective of this study was to analyze the existing environmental legislation at the federal and Rio de Janeiro state levels regarding forest restoration, environmental licensing and highway concessions, with the aim of working on strategies to reduce the impacts caused by the existence of these roads nearby the CMA route. As a result, we can say that few agreements bring innovations in this sense. Considering the serious consequences for biodiversity caused by habitats fragmentation, it is extremely important to give more attention to the construction of license conditions and compensatory measures present in concession agreements. CMA can be a solution, in order to increase connectivity between the fragments and consolidate the trail as a large functional corridor for biodiversity conservation.

[pt] Este estudo apresenta o Transtorno do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem (TDL), caracterizando suas manifestações nos diferentes subdomínios linguísticos e o estado-da-arte da pesquisa sobre este em diferentes línguas. Foca-se, sobretudo, no impacto do TDL no domínio sintático, destacando estruturas que requerem processamento de dependências de longa distância, sob a ótica da computação sintática em tempo real, em uma abordagem psicolinguística que incorpora uma concepção minimalista de língua. Em relação ao rastreio do TDL, 49 escolares com idades entre 6 e 12 anos, sem diagnóstico prévio, foram testados por meio do módulo sintático da bateria MABILIN (Módulos de Avaliação de Habilidades Linguísticas) e pela Tarefa de Repetição de Sentenças (TRS) proposta neste estudo. 34,6 por cento dos escolares apresentaram risco, segundo resultados do MABILIN I. Acrescentam-se ao estudo 18 crianças diagnosticadas com TDL que foram submetidas aos mesmos instrumentos, investigando-se a sensibilidade do TRS na detecção de riscos para TDL. Crianças com desempenho atípico no MABILIN tendem a exibir múltiplas alterações sintáticas no TRS, sugerindo ser este teste instrumental para rastreio e diagnóstico do TDL. Alterações morfológicas adicionais estiveram associadas a graus mais severos de TDL. Quanto ao acompanhamento clínico, o estudo investiga se intervenções focadas em sentenças de alto custo podem beneficiar o desempenho linguístico de crianças com TDL. Um estudo longitudinal com 6 dos 18 pacientes com TDL utilizou o módulo sintático do MABILIN como norteador para intervenção. Conclui-se que a integração da TRS à bateria MABILIN pode ser eficaz para o diagnóstico do TDL. Intervenções direcionadas a sentenças de alto custo demonstram potencial para instrumentalizar o avanço no desempenho linguístico de crianças com TDL. / [en] This study explores the Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), characterizing its manifestations across various linguistic subdomains and reviewing current research in different languages. The primary focus is on the impact of DLD on syntactic structures, particularly those involving long-distance dependencies. This is analyzed based on a model of real-time syntactic processing in a psycholinguistic framework that embraces a minimalist view of language. For DLD screening, 49 schoolchildren (6-12 years old) without prior diagnosis underwent testing using the syntactic module of the MABILIN battery (Language Skills Assessment Modules) and the Sentence Repetition Task (TRS) proposed here. 34.6 percent of students were at risk, according to MABILIN I results. Children with atypical performance on MABILIN tend to exhibit multiple syntactic alterations in the TRS, suggesting that this test is instrumental for screening and diagnosing DLD. 18 children diagnosed with DLD were included in the study, who were subjected to the same instruments, in order to investigate the sensitivity of the TRS in detecting risks for DLD. The number of morphological alterations was associated with the severity of DLD. In terms of clinical monitoring, the study examines whether interventions targeting complex sentences can enhance the linguistic abilities of children with DLD. A longitudinal study with 6 out of 18 patients with DLD used the MABILIN syntactic module as a guide for intervention. It is argued that, integrating the TRS with the MABILIN battery can contribute to the diagnosis of DLD and that interventions targeting costly sentences are potentially useful for promoting improvement in the linguistic performance of children with DLD.

More and larger wind farms are planned offshore. As the most suitable build sites are limited wind farms will be constructed near to each other in so called wind farm clusters. Behind the wind turbines in these farms there is a disrupted flow of air called a wake that is characterized by reduced wind speed and increased turbulence. These individual turbine wakes combine to form a farm wake that can travel a long distance. In wind farm clusters farm to farm interaction will occur, i.e. the long distance wake from one wind farm will impact the wind conditions for other farms in the surrounding area. The thesis contains numerical studies of these long distance wakes. In this study Large Eddy Simulations (LES) using an Actuator Disc method (ACD) are used. A prescribed boundary layer is used where the wind shear is introduced using body forces. The turbulence, based on the Mann model, is introduced as fluctuating body forces upstream of the farm. A neutral atmosphere is assumed. The applied method has earlier been used for studies of wake effects inside farms but not for the longer distances needed for farm to farm interaction. Numerical studies are performed to get better knowledge about the use of this model for long distance wakes. The first study compares the simulation results with measurements behind an existing farm. Three parameter studies are thereafter setup to analyze how to best use the model. The first parameter study examines numerical and physical parameters in the model. The second one looks at the extension of the domain and turbulence as well as the characteristics of the flow far downstream. The third one gathers information on the downstream development of turbulence with different combinations of wind shear and turbulence level. The impact of placing the turbines at different distances from the turbulence plane is also studied. Finally a second study of an existing wind farm is performed and compared with a mesoscale model. The model is shown to be relevant also for studies of long distance wakes. Combining LES with a mesoscale model can be of interest.

Ce mémoire porte sur les relations phylogénétiques, géographiques et historiques du genre afro-malgache Delonix qui contient onze espèces et des genres monospécifiques et endémiques Colvillea et Lemuropisum. Les relations intergénériques et interspécifiques entre les espèces de ces trois genres ne sont pas résolues ce qui limite la vérification d’hypothèses taxonomiques, mais également biogéographiques concernant la dispersion de plantes depuis ou vers Madagascar. Une meilleure compréhension des relations évolutives et biogéographiques entre ces espèces menacées d’extinction permettrait une plus grande efficacité quant à leur conservation. L’objectif de ce mémoire est de reconstruire la phylogénie des espèces à l’aide de régions moléculaires des génomes chloroplastique et nucléaire, d’identifier les temps de divergences entre les espèces et de reconstruire l’aire géographique ancestrale pour chacun des groupes. Ce projet démontre que le genre Delonix n’est pas soutenu comme étant monophylétique et qu’une révision taxonomique s’impose. Les relations intergénériques demeurent floues quant à la position phylogénétique de Colvillea et nos résultats suggèrent de l’hybridation ou un assortiment incomplet de cette lignée. Les espèces sont apparues et se sont diversifiées au Miocène à partir d’un ancêtre commun du sud de Madagascar. La phylogénie montre deux clades associés aux aires géographiques de répartition des espèces opposant les espèces largement répandues à celles majoritairement restreintes au fourré aride. Différentes hypothèses afin d’expliquer la dispersion des Delonix africains au Miocène à partir de Madagascar sont discutées. Un point de mire sur les interactions biotiques et abiotiques, passées et présentes, dans le fourré aride de Madagascar est recommandé en terme de conservation. / This thesis discusses the phylogenetic, geographic, and historic relationships of the eleven species of the afro-madagascan genus Delonix, as well as the endemic, monospecific genera Colvillea and Lemuropisum. The intergeneric and interspecific relationships of these taxa are unresolved which limits the evaluation of taxonomic changes suggested by some studies and of conflicting biogeographical hypotheses regarding plant dispersal around Madagascar. These species are all endangered, therefore a better understanding of their evolutionary pattern would benefit conservation efforts in Madagascar. The objective of this thesis is to reconstruct a phylogeny using multiple loci from two distinct genomes, and to use it to reconstruct the ancestral geographic range of species and estimate the times of divergence of the lineages. Results indicate that genus Delonix is not supported as monophyletic and a taxonomic revision is necessary. The exact position for Colvillea is ambiguous and suggests hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting for this taxon. Species evolved mostly during the Miocene from southern Madagascan ancestors. The phylogeny shows two clades associated with the geographic distribution of species, opposing the widespread species to the rare and mostly southern, endemic, spiny thicket species. The different hypotheses that could explain the Miocene long distance dispersal of the two African Delonix species from Madagascar are discussed. We recommend that conservation efforts should focus on past and present biotic and abiotic interactions in the Madagascar spiny thicket, considering that this unique habitat is an evolutionary cradle for at least three genera.

: The theses deals with long-distance contacts in Bylany culture in the Early Iron Age (Ha C1-Ha D1). The research is based on detailed typological and chronological analysis of exogenous material artefacts and their comparation with other analogical european finds. The invisible evidence of long-distance contacts (technology, art, burial practices, life style) is also included.

Cette thèse porte sur l'analyse mathématique de modèles de réaction-dispersion de la forme [delta]tu=D(u) +f(x,u). L'objectif est de comprendre l'influence du terme de réaction f, de l'opérateur de dispersion D, et de la donnée initiale u0 sur la propagation des solutions de ces équations. Nous nous sommes intéressés principalement à deux types d'équations de réaction-dispersion : les équations de réaction-diffusion où l'opérateur de dispersion différentielle est D=[delta]2z et les équations intégro-différentielles pour lesquelles D est un opérateur de convolution, D(u)=J* u-u. Dans le cadre des équations de réaction-diffusion en milieu homogène, nous proposons une nouvelle approche plus intuitive concernant les notions de fronts progressifs tirés et poussés. Cette nouvelle caractérisation nous a permis de mieux comprendre d'une part les mécanismes de propagation des fronts et d'autre part l'influence de l'effet Allee, correspondant à une diminution de la fertilité à faible densité, lors d'une colonisation. Ces résultats ont des conséquences importantes en génétique des populations. Dans le cadre des équations de réaction-diffusion en milieu hétérogène, nous avons montré sur un exemple précis comment la fragmentation du milieu modifie la vitesse de propagation des solutions. Enfin, dans le cadre des équations intégro-différentielles, nous avons montré que la nature sur- ou sous-exponentielle du noyau de dispersion J modifie totalement la vitesse de propagation. / This thesis deals with the mathematical analysis of reaction-dispersion models of the form [delta]tu=D(u) +f(x,u). We investigate the influence of the reaction term f, the dispersal operator D and the initial datum u0 on the propagation of the solutions of these reaction-dispersion equations. We mainly focus on two types of equations: reaction-diffusion equations (D=[delta]2z and integro-differential equations (D is a convolution operator, D(u)=J* u-u). We first investigate the homogeneous reaction-diffusion equations. We provide a new and intuitive explanation of the notions of pushed and pulled traveling waves. This approach allows us to understand the inside dynamics the traveling fronts and the impact of the Allee effect, that is a low fertility at low density, during a colonisation. Our results also have important consequences in population genetics. In the more general and realistic framework of heterogeneous reaction-diffusion equations, we exhibit examples where the fragmentation of the media modifies the spreading speed of the solution. Finally, we investigate integro-differential equations and prove that emph{fat-tailed} dispersal kernels J, that is kernels which decay slower than any exponentially decaying function at infinity, lead to acceleration of the level sets of the solution u.