The steep forearc slope along the northern sector of the obliquely convergent Hikurangi subduction zone is characteristic of non-accretionary and tectonically eroding continental margins, with reduced sediment supply in the trench relative to further south, and the presence of seamount relief on the Hikurangi Plateau. These seamounts influence the subduction process and the structurally-driven geomorphic development of the over-riding margin of the Australian Plate frontal wedge. The Poverty Indentation represents an unusual, especially challenging and therefore exciting location to investigate the tectonic and eustatic effects on this sedimentary system because of: (i) the geometry and obliquity of the subducting seamounts; (ii) the influence of multiple repeated seamount impacts; (iii) the effects of structurally-driven over-steeping and associated widespread occurrence of gravitational collapse and mass movements; and (iv) the development of a large canyon system down the axis of the indentation. High quality bathymetric and backscatter images of the Poverty Indentation submarine re-entrant across the northern part of the Hikurangi margin were obtained by scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) (Lewis, 2001) using a SIMRAD EM300 multibeam swath-mapping system, hull-mounted on NIWA’s research vessel Tangaroa. The entire accretionary slope of the re-entrant was mapped, at depths ranging from 100 to 3500 metres. The level of seafloor morphologic resolution is comparable with some of the most detailed Digital Elevation Maps (DEM) onshore. The detailed digital swath images are complemented by the availability of excellent high-quality processed multi-channel seismic reflection data, single channel high-resolution 3.5 kHz seismic reflection data, as well as core samples. Combined, these data support this study of the complex interactions of tectonic deformation with slope sedimentary processes and slope submarine geomorphic evolution at a convergent margin. The origin of the Poverty Indentation, on the inboard trench-slope at the transition from the northern to central sectors of the Hikurangi margin, is attributed to multiple seamount impacts over the last c. 2 Myr period. This has been accompanied by canyon incision, thrust fault propagation into the trench fill, and numerous large-scale gravitational collapse structures with multiple debris flow and avalanche deposits ranging in down-slope length from a few hundred metres to more than 40 km. The indentation is directly offshore of the Waipaoa River which is currently estimated to have a high sediment yield into the marine system. The indentation is recognised as the “Sink” for sediments derived from the Waipaoa River catchment, one of two target river systems chosen for the US National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded MARGINS “Source-to-Sink” initiative. The Poverty Canyon stretches 70 km from the continental shelf edge directly offshore from the Waipaoa to the trench floor, incising into the axis of the indentation. The sediment delivered to the margin from the Waipaoa catchment and elsewhere during sea-level high-stands, including the Holocene, has remained largely trapped in a large depocentre on the Poverty shelf, while during low-stand cycles, sediment bypassed the shelf to develop a prograding clinoform sequence out onto the upper slope. The formation of the indentation and the development of the upper branches of the Poverty Canyon system have led to the progressive removal of a substantial part of this prograding wedge by mass movements and gully incision. Sediment has also accumulated in the head of the Poverty Canyon and episodic mass flows contribute significantly to continued modification of the indentation by driving canyon incision and triggering instability in the adjacent slopes. Prograding clinoforms lying seaward of active faults beneath the shelf, and overlying a buried inactive thrust system beneath the upper slope, reveal a history of deformation accompanied by the creation of accommodation space. There is some more recent activity on shelf faults (i.e. Lachlan Fault) and at the transition into the lower margin, but reduced (~2 %) or no evidence of recent deformation for the majority of the upper to mid-slope. This is in contrast to current activity (approximately 24 to 47% shortening) across the lower slope and frontal wedge regions of the indentation. The middle to lower Poverty Canyon represents a structural transition zone within the indentation coincident with the indentation axis. The lower to mid-slope south of the canyon conforms more closely to a classic accretionary slope deformation style with a series of east-facing thrust-propagated asymmetric anticlines separated by early-stage slope basins. North of the canyon system, sediment starvation and seamount impact has resulted in frontal tectonic erosion associated with the development of an over-steepened lower to mid-slope margin, fault reactivation and structural inversion and over-printing. Evidence points to at least three main seamount subduction events within the Poverty Indentation, each with different margin responses: i) older substantial seamount impact that drove the first-order perturbation in the margin, since approximately ~1-2 Ma ii) subducted seamount(s) now beneath Pantin and Paritu Ridge complexes, initially impacting on the margin approximately ~0.5 Ma, and iii) incipient seamount subduction of the Puke Seamount at the current deformation front. The overall geometry and geomorphology of the wider indentation appears to conform to the geometry accompanying the structure observed in sandbox models after the seamount has passed completely through the deformation front. The main morphological features correlating with sandbox models include: i) the axial re-entrant down which the Poverty Canyon now incises; ii) the re-establishment of an accretionary wedge to the south of the indentation axis, accompanied by out-stepping, deformation front propagation into the trench fill sequence, particularly towards the mouth of the canyon; iii) the linear north margin of the indentation with respect to the more arcuate shape of the southern accretionary wedge; and, iv) the set of faults cutting obliquely across the deformation front near the mouth of the canyon. Many of the observed structural and geomorphic features of the Poverty Indentation also correlate well both with other sediment-rich convergent margins where seamount subduction is prevalent particularly the Nankai and Sumatra margins, and the sediment-starved Costa Rican margin. While submarine canyon systems are certainly present on other convergent margins undergoing seamount subduction there appears to be no other documented shelf to trench extending canyon system developing in the axis of such a re-entrant, as is dominating the Poverty Indentation. Ongoing modification of the Indentation appears to be driven by: i) continued smaller seamount impacts at the deformation front, and currently subducting beneath the mid-lower slope, ii) low and high sea-level stands accompanied by variations on sediment flux from the continental shelf, iii) over-steepening of the deformation front and mass movement, particularly from the shelf edge and upper slope.

The introduction of initial margin requirements for non-cleared OTC derivatives has made it possible to optimize initial margin when considering a network of trading participants. Applying CMA-ES, this thesis has explored a new method to handle the nonlinear constraints present in the initial margin optimization problem. The idea behind the method and the research question in this thesis are centered around leveraging data created during optimization. Specifically, by creating a linear approximation of the feasible region using support vector machines and in turn applying a repair strategy based on projection. The hypothesis was that by repairing solutions an increase in convergence speed should follow. In order to answer the research question, a reference method was at first created. Here CMA-ES along with feasibility rules was used, referred to as CMA-FS. The proposed method of optimization data leveraging (ODL) was then appended to CMA-FS, referred to as CMA-ODL. Both algorithms were then applied to a single initial margin optimization problem 100 times each with different random seeds used for sampling in the optimization algorithms. The results showed that CMA-ODL converged significantly faster than CMA-FS, without affecting final objective values significantly negatively. Convergence was measured in terms of iterations and not computational time. On average a 5% increase in convergence speed was achieved with CMA-ODL. No significant difference was found between CMA-FS and CMA-ODL in terms of the percentage of infeasible solutions generated. A reason behind the lack of a reduction in violations can be due to how ODL is implemented with the CMA-ES algorithm. Specifically, ODL will lead to a greater number of feasible solutions being available during recombination in CMA-ES. Although, due to the projection, the solutions after projection are not completely reflective of the actual parameters used for that generation. The projection should also bias the algorithm towards the boundary of the feasible region. Still, the performative difference in terms of convergence speed was significant. In conclusion, the proposed boundary constraint handling method increased performance, but it is not known whether the method has any major practical applicability, due to the restriction to only considering the number of iterations and not the computational time. / Införandet av initial margin för non-cleared OTC derivatives har gjort det möjligt att optimera initial margin när ett flertal marknadsdeltagare tas till hänsyn. Denna uppsats har applicerat CMA-ES och specifikt undersökt en ny metod för hantering av de icke-linjära bivillkoren som uppstår när initial margin optimeras. Idén bakom metoden och forskningsfrågan i rapporten bygger på att utnyttja data som generas vid optimering. Detta görs specifikt genom att den icke-linjära tillåtna regionen approximeras linjärt med support vector machines. Därefter används en reparationsstrategi bestående av projicering för att reparera otillåtna lösningar. Hypotesen i uppsatsen var att genom att reparera lösningar så skulle konvergenshastigheten öka. För att svara på forskningsfrågan så togs en referensmetod fram, där CMA-ES och feasibility rules användes för att hantera icke-linjära bivillkor. Denna version av CMA-ES kallades CMA-FS. Sedan integrerades den nya metoden med CMA-FS, denna version kallades för CMA-ODL. Därefter så applicerades båda algoritmer 100 gånger på ett initial margin optimeringsproblem, där olika seeds användes för generering av lösningar i algoritmerna. Resultaten visade att CMA-ODL konvergerade signifikant snabbare än CMA-FS utan att påverka optimeringsresultatet negativt. Med CMA-ODL så ökade konvergenshastigheten med ungefär 5%. Konvergens mättes genom antal iterationer och inte beräkningstid. Ingen signifikant skillnad mellan CMA-ODL och CMA-FS observerades när de jämfördes med avseende på mängden icke-tillåtna lösningar genererade. En anledning varför ingen skillnad observerades är hur den nya metoden var integrerad med CMA-ES algoritmen. Den tilltänkta metoden leder till att fler tillåtna lösningar är tillgängliga när CMA-ES ska bilda nästa generation men eftersom lösningar projiceras så kommer dom inte att reflektera dom parametrar som användes för att faktiskt generera dom. Projiceringen leder också till att fler lösningar på randen av det tillåtna området kommer att genereras. Sammanfattningsvis så observerades fortfarande en signifikant ökning i konvergenshastighet för CMA-ODL men det är oklart om algoritmen är praktiskt användbar p.g.a. restriktionen att enbart betrakta antalet iterationer och inte total beräkningstid.

Résumé : S'intéressant à l'action administrative de premier niveau, ce mémoire tente de mettre en lumière les limites juridiques et les facteurs organisationnels qui influent sur l'exercice par les agents d'indemnisation et les conseillers en réadaptation de la CSST de leurs fonctions. Tout comme des études empiriques réalisées dans d'autres juridictions à l'égard de différents régimes de sécurité sociale et desquelles elle est inspirée, cette étude révèle que l'exercice d'une discrétion administrative est inévitable. Y sont décrites et commentées les méthodes de gestion privilégiées par l'organisme et les fonctions exercées par les décideurs de manière à identifier la part d'appréciation ou de jugement que peuvent exercer les agents et les conseillers dans le cadre du régime québécois de réparation des lésions professionnelles, ainsi que les processus décisionnels, variables selon les fonctions particulières exercées, qui y mis en œuvres. Cette étude démontre également comment la structure administrative privilégiée par l'organisme est susceptible de contribuer au respect des droits des administrés, tout en comportant certains risques d'atteinte à l'équité des processus. / Abstract : This aim of this study is to expose the legal limits and organisational factors which may affect decision-makers' discretion in the context of the employment injuries compensation system in the province of Québec. The findings of this study align with some empirical studies concerning different social security regimes in other jurisdictions from which it is inspired. Indeed, it reveals that administrative discretion is inevitable. It describes and comments the management techniques implemented in the organization. It also describes the particular functions of two categories of street-level workers, the agents d'indemnisation and the conseillers en réadaptation, in order to identify the matters about which they may use their judgment or exercise a discretion, as well as the particular decision-making processes that occur at the front lines of service delivery. It shows how the administrative structure concurs to the respect of the clients rights but may neverheless undermine the processes fairness.

本論文採用民國六十七年至九十一年人力資源調查五月份的資料，建構人力資源調查合併資料檔案，根據相異指數、以及Tam（2001b）的標準化女性比例，進行職業層次、產業層次、工作層次性別隔離的程度和樣貌的趨勢分析，並以三維立體圖形方法呈現結果。研究結果顯示，職業層次的性別隔離近乎整合且標準化女性比例的百分比座落在60％至70％之職業有逐漸增多的趨勢、產業層次的性別隔離也呈現整合而中性職業增加的趨勢、至於工作層次性別隔離程度則逐漸下降且也呈現出整合的趨勢變化，而工作層次性別隔離程度高過職業層次性別隔離程度。另採用民國六十九年與七十九年台閩地區戶口及住宅普查資料完整母體資料所建構的工作層次資料，以檢驗使用人力運用調查的樣本資料得出之工作層次資料的結果，證明後者的分析具有效度。而採用普查資料進行探究也發現，無論是在更細緻的職業層次（三分位職業代碼）和工作層次（三分位職業代碼與二分位行業代碼的工作代碼組合）、或者是在與人力資源調查相同的職業層次（二分位職業代碼）和工作層次（二分位職業代碼與二分位行業代碼的工作代碼組合）的分析層次下，採用相異指數和標準化女性比例的結果皆是性別隔離程度下降、也呈現出整合的趨勢變化，工作層次性別隔離程度也高過職業層次性別隔離程度，然其僅提供十年間的資訊，實為可惜之處。 / This study uses data from 1978-2002 Manpower Utilization Survey (MUS) for analyzing, ultimately, job-level sex segregation in Taiwanese workplace. Taking into account the limitation of large amount of small-N job cells due to the relatively smaller sample sizes, the method of mid-point of interval estimation and 5-year aggregation is applied with its strength of consecutive data series: pooling data across 1978 to 1982 as estimation for year 1980, and so on, to construct 5-year aggregated MUS data. To view the job-level sex segregation pattern, job-level datasets are established by the “combination of occupation and industry codes”, from which there are units of analysis, job cells. And discarding small-N reliable sampled jobs in MUS is essential to avoid biased results for they contain extreme sex composition after comparing with those from population data of 1980 and 1990 Taiwanese Censuses. Findings indicate that the degree of occupational, industrial, and job-level sex segregation is somewhat increasing by Duncan and Duncan’s Dissimilarity Index, by which it is unable to measure the exact segregation degree because of its margin-dependent trait. However, by using Tam’s margin-free index: Standardized Percent Women, findings indicate that: (1) for occupational-level sex segregation, there is a trend of integration, and those occupations with 60%- 70% SPWOM shows a slight increase; (2) for industrial sex segregation, the trend almost remain the same, just that gender-neutral industries increase a bit, especially in recent years; (3) as for the degree of job-level sex segregation, it is declining, and there is a long-term trend of integration in Taiwanese workplace over the past 25 years. Therefore, job-level analysis does show what the past occupational and industrial analysis cannot present. And the findings from MUS are robust, based on the contrast analysis from population data of 1980 and 1990 Taiwanese Censuses; in addition, research outcomes from Census data also show integrated pattern in occupational and job-level sex segregation in that decade.

<p>U na&scaron;em radu poku&scaron;aćemo da, na korpusu drama za odrasle, koje su u &scaron;tampanom obliku dostupne javnosti, izdvajanjem samo nekih interpretativnih problema, ukažemo na ono za &scaron;ta pretpostavljamo da je po-etička osnova Popovićevog rukopisa. Njihova priroda nametnula je aparaturu i strategije koje pripadaju postmodernizmu. To je stoga &scaron;to i sam pisac, verujemo, jeste postmoderni pisac.<br />Pre svega, Popovićev opus hronolo&scaron;ki posmatrano, interferira s postmodernizmom u srpskoj književnosti, pa nas zanima priroda veze ove dve pojave. Takođe, u Popovićevom delu značajno je prisutna, prvenstveno jezička, građa preuzeta iz srpskog književnog nasleđa, te tradicionalne kulture, a upravo je odnos prema tradiciji jedno od relevantnih pitanja koje postmoderna postavlja. Slično se može reći i za problem književnog redefinisanje obrazaca kulture. Doslednim preoblikovanjem farse, temeljnim postupka prema žanru kojim se A. Popović služi, on je ne samo na tragu op&scaron;tih književnih težnji dvadesetog veka, nego posebnim poetskim postupcima čini vidljivim one kulturne pojave koje su u vreme nastanka Popovićevog opusa bitno uticale na kulturnu matricu Srbije, ali i naznačile ono &scaron;to će se u kulturi (pa tako i u književnosti) tek dogoditi.<br />U hermetičnim tekstovima, dakle onima koje smo svrstali u drugu tendenciju Popovićevog opusa, predstavljanje značenja kao nepredstavljivog, realizovano je i kao igranje (jezičkih) igara, &scaron;to je drugo ime za apofatičku misao koja, verujemo, prožima Popovićevo celokupno delo. Nihilizam neće zavr&scaron;iti u samoubistvu nijednog njegovog lika (&scaron;to bi predstavljalo tragičnu preteču postdramskog teatra u verziji Sare Kejn), nego u samožrtvovanju (u drami Afera Ljiljak i njenom negativu &ndash; Ružičastoj noći), svojevrsnoj razradi Popovićeve teme potrage, koja signalizira su&scaron;tinsko nepristajanje na logos vidljive stvarnosti. On zna da je nasleđeni koncept o diskurzivnim hijerarhijama &ndash; obmana, ali nije napustio ideju potrage za aksisom.<br />Time &scaron;to problematizuje binom centar-margina, &scaron;to dekonstrui&scaron;e velike narative kulture uspostavljajući tako svojevrsni kontinuitet s nasleđem (i onim koje je ostalo skrajnuto), &scaron;to ukida hijerarhije kulturnih kodova, &scaron;to tematizacijom jezika diskutuje metafiziku prisustva i označiteljske prakse kulturnog kanona kojem pripada, Popović postavlja okvir za (re)konstrukciju poetičkih načela svog opusa. Konačno, tezom o apofatizmu, koja svoju paralelu ima u ruskom postmodernizmu, ma koliko na prvi pogled bila nespojiva s Popovićem i njegovim dramama, onakvim kako ga pamti ideolo&scaron;ki opterećeno književnoj nasleđe, verujemo da odgovaramo na pitanje za&scaron;to Popović pi&scaron;e, tada i tako.</p> / <p>In our paper-work we shall try, concerning the corpus of dramas for adults, which are in printed forms available to the public, to point to what we assume is po-etic basis of Popovic&#39;s writings, by singling out certain interpretative problems. The nature of those works imposed apparatus and strategies that belong to the postmodernism. It is because the writer himself, as we belive, is postmodern writer.<br />First of all, Popovic&#39;s oeuvre, chronologically speaking, interferes with postmodernism in Serbian literature and we are interested in the conection between these two phenomena. Also, in his literary work there is a significal presence of, primarly linguistic, material taken from Serbian literary heritage and traditional culture, and the relationship to the tradition is the one of the relevant questions that postmodernism raises. The same can be said about the problem of literary redefining cultural patterns. By consequent reshaping of farce genre аs the fundamental Popovic`s mood, he is not just on the trail of XXth century<br />literary aspiration, but through special poetic procedures he makes visible those cultural phenomena that had, at the time when Popovic`s oeuvre appeared, significant impact on cultural matrix of Serbia and indicate what in culture (incuding literature) will only happen in the future.<br />In hermetic texts, those considered as the second tendency of Popovic`s oeuvre, representing void as unimaginable, implemented as a play (language) games, is another name for the apophatism, which, we believe, permeates entire Popovic`s oeuvre. Nihilism will not end up in suicide of any of his characters (which would be a tragic forerunner of postdramatic theater in Sarah Kane`s version) but in self-sacrificing (in drama Afera Ljiljak and its opposite &ndash; Ružičasta noć), a kind of working out of Popovic`s theme &ndash; quest, which signals a fundamental refusa of visible reality. He knows that inherited concept of discursive hierarchies is deception but he did not abandon the idea of searching for Axis.<br />By problematizing binary opposition center &ndash; margine, by deconstruction of the grand narratives of culture which means establishing specific kind of continuity with legacy (even with those remained sidelined), by terminating the hierarchy of cultural codes, by discussing the metaphysics of presence and practice of signification to which he belongs (by focussing language), Popovic sets the framework for (re)construction оf poetic principles of his ouvre.<br />Finally, through the thesis on apophatism which has its parallel in Russian postmodenism, although, at first glance, that thesis is incompatible with Popovic and his dramas, as it is remembered by ideologically laden literary legacy, we believe that we have answered the question why Popovic has been writing, then and so.</p>

L'une des critiques fondamentales adressées au mécanisme de contrôle et de surveillance de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme en matière électorale tient au risque qu'il portera atteinte à la souveraineté de l'État. En effet, certains auteurs estiment que l'autonomie constitutionnelle de l'État dans le domaine électoral, jusqu'à tout récemment strictement protégée, s'affaiblit sous l'influence de la protection des droits de l'homme dans le système européen. Le présent mémoire a pour but de déterminer les conditions imposées aux autorités étatiques par la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme en vue d'assurer l'exercice efficace du droit à des élections libres. Ensuite, il analysera les effets de ces conditions sur la souveraineté des États parties à la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme. Notre étude s'intéresse, dans un premier temps, à l'examen du principe de la souveraineté de l'État et de son évolution progressive sous l'influence des droits de l'homme. Dans un deuxième temps, elle présentera le droit à des élections libres et ses manifestations théoriques et jurisprudentielles. L'étude des affaires tranchées par la Cour européenne permettra de remarquer que la déférence qui est accordée à la souveraineté des États s'accompagne d'une certaine limitation de la marge d'appréciation des autorités étatiques en cas de privation de l'exercice efficace du droit à des élections libres. Ensuite, les acquis théoriques et conceptuels seront appliqués à l'étude des restrictions électorales relevant des mesures législatives, administratives et judiciaires des États ainsi que des conditions imposées par la Cour européenne. À cet égard, l'analyse de ces conditions nous permettra de saisir l'étendue de la limitation de la liberté d'action des États en matière électorale. Cette recension analytique nous permettra de conclure que le mécanisme de contrôle de la Cour européenne entraîne de multiples effets limitatifs sur la souveraineté des États. / One of the fundamental criticisms levelled at the ECtHR review mechanism relates to the fact that it is jeopardizing State's sovereignty. According to some commentators the State's constitutional autonomy, untill recently strictly preserved under international law, is now questioned as a result of the international protection of human rights. This study aims to identify the link between the principle of State sovereignty, the guarantee of the electoral rights, and the role of the ECtHR. Our study will be divided into three chapters. Chapter l, "Progressive evolution of the principle of State sovereignty and the European mechanism for the protection of fundamental human rights", discusses the principle of State sovereignty and its interpretations in contemporary international law. The chapter traces the evolution of the principle and links it with the progressive development of fundamental human rights. Chapter II, "The interaction between the State's margin of appreciation and the European supervisory mechanism", considers what role the positive obligations of States may have played in the crystallization of States' attitudes towards the application of international human rights instruments. After a brief discussion of the doctrine of the margin of appreciation and States' obligations under the European Convention, the chapter focuses on the ECtHR's control and supervision of the States' electoral restrictions. Chapter III, "Electoral restrictions and the scope of limits imposed on the State sovereignty", is central to our study. This chapter examines the ECtHR case-Iaw on electoral rights (1987-2008) and draws attention to some electoral restrictions in legislative, administrative and judicial matters. This study looks at the challenges which surround the application of the right to free elections, focusing on electoral rights in national political discourse, and the development of the ECtHR's enhanced role in protecting electoral rights in Europe. It draws conclusions as to the relationships between the development of an effective protection of electoral rights and the resultant limitations to the State sovereignty.

Les exploitations mixtes d'agriculture-élevage sont le pilier des systèmes agricoles des pays en développement. Dans les hauts plateaux de Madagascar, les exploitations familiales d'agriculture-élevage sont basées sur l'association riz et élevage bovin. Les bovins ont un rôle central dans l'économie et la reconnaissance sociale de ces exploitations malgaches. Cependant ces exploitations sont souvent confrontées à des problèmes de faibles productivités liés à la dégradation de la fertilité des sols et à un accès limité aux intrants. Dans ce contexte, les exploitants doivent gérer les ressources végétales pour trouver un compromis entre alimentation humaine, alimentation animale et retours aux sols. Certaines pratiques de gestion des biomasses peuvent aggraver les phénomènes de dégradation de la fertilité des sols et remettre alors en cause la durabilité des exploitations. L'objectif de cette thèse est de montrer que la diversité des pratiques de gestion des biomasses au sein des exploitations familiales d'agriculture-élevage des hauts plateaux de Madagascar conditionne la durabilité des systèmes en termes de fertilité des sols, de recyclage des éléments nutritifs, de revenus et de sécurité alimentaire. Pour cela, il a été nécessaire de : i) caractériser au préalable la diversité des exploitations familiales d'agriculture-élevage du Vakinankaratra et de comprendre le fonctionnement de ces exploitations mixtes ; ii) étudier les effets des pratiques de gestion des parcelles sur la variabilité de la fertilité des sols des exploitations ; iii) évaluer la durabilité des exploitations d'agriculture-élevage et tester l'impact d'améliorations des pratiques d'alimentation animale, de gestion des effluents et de fertilisation sur la durabilité des exploitation. Quatre exploitations d'agriculture-élevage du Vakinankaratra, sélectionnées à dires d'experts, ont été enquêtées par immersion. Une étude typologique des exploitations d'agriculture-élevage du Vakinankaratra a été effectuée. Des prélèvements de sol ont été effectués pour l'ensemble des parcelles des quatre exploitations d'agriculture-élevage étudiées. Un outil de calcul des flux d'azote au sein des exploitations a été élaboré, puis a été associé aux matrices du Network Analysis afin de générer des indicateurs environnementaux, sociaux et économiques. Cet outil a été utilisé pour simuler les options d'améliorations des pratiques d'alimentation animale, de gestion des effluents et de fertilisation.L'étude typologique a identifié six types d'exploitations d'agriculture-élevage au Vakinankaratra. L'étude du fonctionnement des exploitations sélectionnées a mis en évidence d'une grande diversité des pratiques d'alimentation des animaux, de gestion des effluents d'élevage et de fertilisation. Une hétérogénéité de la fertilité des sols induite par les pratiques de gestion des parcelles a été révélée. Pour les quatre exploitations étudiées, l'amélioration des pratiques d'alimentation du troupeau bovin laitier associée à l'amélioration des pratiques de gestion des effluents d'élevage a permis d'améliorer la durabilité environnementale (efficience azotée globale, recyclage de l'azote, bilan azoté du sol), économique (marge brute agricole) et sociale (autosuffisance alimentaire).Ce travail a permis de caractériser la diversité des exploitations d'agriculture-élevage du Vakinankaratra, la diversité des pratiques et leurs effets sur la fertilité du/des sol. Cette étude s'est avérée être une approche intéressante pour évaluer des options d'amélioration de la durabilité des exploitations d'agriculture-élevage dans un contexte peu documenté. / Mixed crop-livestock systems constitute the backbone of agriculture in developing countries. In highlands of Madagascar, crop–livestock systems are based on rice and cattle. Cattle play a major role in the economy and the social recognition of these smallholder farms. Smallholder farms used to face with low crop productivity related to soil fertility degradation and to low access to inputs. In this context, smallholders have to manage plant resources in order to find a trade-off between food, feed and soil returns. Some biomass management may increase soil fertility degradation and then compromise farms sustainability.The objective of this thesis is to show that the diversity of biomass management on smallholder crop–livestock systems of highlands of Madagascar determines the sustainability of farming systems in terms of soil fertility, nutrients recycling, incomes and food security. For this, it was necessary to: i) characterize the diversity of crop-livestock systems in the region of Vakinankaratra and understand how smallholder farms are managed; ii) study the effects of soil management on the soil variability; iii) assess the farms sustainability and explore improvements of feeding, manure management and fertilization.Four crop-livestock farms of the Vakinankaratra (selected with local experts) were surveyed using participant observation methodology. A typology of crop-livestock farms was performed. Topsoil samples were collected in all plots of the four cases studies. A nitrogen flows calculating tool was developed and has been associated with Network Analysis matrices to generate environmental, social and economic indicators. This tool was used to simulate improvements in feeding, manure management and fertilization.The typology identified six farm types of crop-livestock systems in the Vakinankaratra. The farms study revealed a great diversity of animal feeding practices, manure management and fertilization. Heterogeneity of soil fertility induced by farmer management was shown. For the four case studies, improved feeding practices on dairy combined with improved manure management have increased environmental (farm nitrogen efficiency, nitrogen recycling, soil nitrogen balance), economic (agricultural gross margin) and social (food self-sufficiency) sustainability.This study characterized the diversity of crop-livestock farms of the Vakinankaratra, the diversity of practices and their effects on soil fertility. It proved to be an interesting approach to explore options for improving sustainability of crop-livestock farms in context of data scarcity.

Le Brésil et la France partagent une frontière commune sur plus de 700 kilomètres, via la Guyane, région monodépartementale d’Outre-Mer française, et l’Amapá, Etat de la République fédérative du Brésil. Réalité socio-spatiale en marges à toutes les échelles malgré le différentiel socio-économique fort qu’elle marque, la frontière franco-brésilienne est devenue, depuis les années 1990, une interface politique, support de la relance des relations internationales franco-brésiliennes et des relations entre Guyane et Amapá.La thèse pose la question de cet écart en se concentrant sur la partie estuarienne de la frontière fluviale de l’Oyapock, autour des bourgs riverains de Saint-Georges (Guyane française) et d’Oiapoque (Brésil), entre lesquels un pont binational d’envergure est en construction, malgré leur rattachement routier à la marge aux polarités régionales de Cayenne et de Macapá. / Brazil and France share a common border of over 700 km via French Guiana, a French Overseas monodepartmental region, and Amapá, State of the Federal Republic of Brazil. Socio-spatial margin at all scales despite the strong socio-economic differential it marks, the Franco-Brazilian border has become since the 1990s a political interface, support for the revival of the Franco-Brazilian international relations and of the relations between French Guiana and Amapá. The thesis raises the question of this gap, focusing on the estuarine portion of the border river of the Oyapock, around the towns of Saint-Georges (French Guiana) and Oiapoque (Brazil) ; a significant bi-national bridge is under construction between these two towns, despite their road connection as margins to the regional polarities of Cayenne and Macapá. / Brasil e França compartilham uma fronteira comum com mais de 700 km através da Guiana Francesa, Região monodepartamental ultramarina francesa, e do Amapá, Estado da República Federativa do Brasil. Realidade sócio-espacial à margem a todas as escalas, apesar do forte diferencial sócio-econômico que a marca, a fronteira franco-brasileira tornou-se, desde os anos 90, uma interface política, suporte para a retomada das relações internacionais franco-brasileiras e das relações entre a Guiana Francesa e o Amapá. A tese expõe a questão deste desnível, centrando-se na porção estuarina da fronteira fluvial do Oiapoque, ao redor das pequenas cidades de Saint-Georges (Guiana Francesa) e de Oiapoque (Brasil), entre as quais uma ponte binacional de grande porte está em construção, apesar da ligação rodoviária delas como margens aos pólos regionais de Caiena e Macapá.

Depuis ses origines, la Colombie a souvent eu des gouvernants dont l’exercice du pouvoir n’a pas toujours visé le bien-être des citoyens sous toutes ses formes. Un clair exemple de cela, c’est la pratique concernant le choix de ceux qui assument des fonctions diplomatiques qui par règle générale n’accomplissent pas les demandes de capacités exigées pour une telle responsabilité ; il s’agit plutôt des personnes proches du haut pouvoir et qui reçoivent ces nominations comme faisant partie d’une rétribution de l’État. Le résultat de cette démarche se traduit dans la pratique d’une diplomatie encombrée d’entraves dont les projections pour l’avenir se limitent aux périodes présidentielles en cours. Les représentations stéréotypiques négatives ou l’absence de crédibilité dans la capacité de l’État colombien et de ses fonctionner pour diriger des actions internationales sont le résultat d’un « nanisme auto-imposé » (selon la formule de B. Bagley), résultat de toute une série de méfaits historiques. Par ailleurs, l’absence des capacités de direction des hommes colombiens d’état a contribué à renforcer cette mauvaise image et à créer un état de soumission dans le contexte mondialisé d’aujourd’hui. C’est ainsi que la construction des stratégies de la part des acteurs colombiens engagés dans les affaires internationales pourrait être un repère pour ouvrir des perspectives par rapport à la politique étrangère dans l’oscillation entre la soumission et l’auto-détermination. Le débat concernant le pouvoir discrétionnaire du président de la République dans la prise des décisions internationales et aussi l’existence d’une académie de formation de fonctionnaires diplomatiques, constituent la problématique générale de notre recherche. Dans la mesure où le système présidentiel exercé en Colombie octroie un caractère discrétionnaire au Président, en particulier dans la gestion de la politique extérieure et dans la nomination de ses fonctionnaires, les efforts visant à sélectionner le corps diplomatique possédant les études adéquates, à évaluer leurs services et à améliorer leurs compétences, seraient plus performatifs si l’on dépassait les particularités conjoncturelles pour déboucher sur une politique extérieure enrichissante au service des institutions et des Colombiens. / Colombia from its origins has been characterized to have rulers who do not manage the power looking for the benefit of the majority of citizens. A clear manifestation of this situation is evident in the designation of the diplomats, in general, those who represent the country are not the best and nor the best trained, but the closest to the power. They are the ones to whom, as a reward, and being close to the executive are send as part of the Foreign Service. This situation is translated in the execution of a failed diplomatic work, where there are not any long term planning, but it is limited to the presidential conjuncture. The Colombian bad image or the lack of credibility in the Colombian State capacity and of its functionaries to lead international processes, are the result of a “dwarfism auto-imposed” as an answer of a series of historical failures. The submission condition that the Colombians have reached thanks to the absence of a leadership along the way, and on time. It, has given Colombia a bad image in the global context and an important distance towards the international potential of the country. The construction of a joined strategy among many linked actors with the international topics, could be useful to the country like a reference point to address in the time the foreign policy management that have vacillated between the submission and the auto-determination. The debate between the margins of discretion of the President regarding the foreign taking of decisions and the existence of a diplomatic academy, are the central problem of this research. As far as the presidential system exercised in Colombia grants a discretionary character to the President, in particular in the management of the foreign policy and in the designation of the diplomatic functionaries, the efforts to select the diplomatic corps possessing the adequate studies, to estimate their services and to improve their skills, would be more performative if we exceeded the cyclical peculiarities to uncork in an enriching foreign policy in the service of institutions and Colombians.

Les systèmes de production actuels sont soumis à des contraintes de réactivité et de productivité. Par conséquent, les variabilités du flux physique sont de plus en plus prononcées. Ces variabilités s’amplifient en raison d’un ensemble de facteurs humains. Elles impactent la productivité et peuvent donner lieu à des facteurs de risque qui peuvent contribuer dans la genèse des maladies professionnelles. Par conséquent, les systèmes de production doivent offrir la flexibilité nécessaire afin de mieux amortir cette variabilité et en particulier, son incidence sur l’opérateur. Dans ce contexte, ces travaux de thèse proposent une approche pour instaurer la flexibilité temporelle nécessaire dans un système de production : les marges de manœuvre temporelles. Ce travail décrit le développement d’un outil permettant de simuler un système afin d’évaluer son comportement. L’outil développé est baptisé AEN-PRO : Agent based ENgine for PROduction system simulation. Ces travaux proposent également la définition d’un indicateur permettant de mesurer les marges de manœuvre temporelles disponibles sur un poste de travail. L’analyse par états élémentaires est aussi proposée pour évaluer le comportement des entités du système afin de proposer des modifications de la conception qui améliorent les marges de manœuvre et la productivité du système. / Today's production systems are subject to reactivity and productivity constraints. Consequently, variability in the physical flow are increasingly pronounced. This variability affects productivity and may contribute to occupational diseases through different kind of risk factors. Therefore, production systems must have the needed flexibility to better cushion this variability and its impact on workers. In this context, this article proposes a tooled approach to establish temporal flexibility in production system: temporal margins of maneuver. The developed tool is used to simulate a production system and assess its behavior with respect to variability. This work also proposes the definition of an indicator to measure the temporal margins of maneuver in the simulated system. Elementary states analysis is proposed to evaluate the behavior of the system’s entities. This analysis leads to improvements that aim to enhance the temporal margins of maneuver and the productivity of the system as well.