This dissertation, which consists of three essays, studies online auctions both theoretically and empirically. The first essay studies a special online auction format used by eBay, “Buy-It- Now” (BIN) auctions, in which bidders are allowed to buy the item at a fixed BIN price set by the seller and end the auction immediately. I construct a two-stage model in which the BIN price is only available to one group of bidders. I find that bidders cutoff is lower in this model, which means, bidders are more likely to accept the BIN option, compared with the models assuming all bidders are offered the BIN. The results explain the high frequency of bidders accepting BIN price, and may also help explain the popularity of temporary BIN auctions in online auction sites, such as eBay, where BIN option is only offered to early bidders. In the second essay, I study how bidders’ risk attitude and time preference affect their behavior in Buy-It-Now auctions. I consider two cases, when both bidders enter the auction at the same time (homogenous bidders) thus BIN option is offered to both of them, and when two bidders enter the auction at two different stages (heterogenous bidders) thus the BIN option is only offered to the early bidder. Bidders’ optimal strategies are derived explicitly in both cases. In particular, given bidders’ risk attitude and time preference, the cutoff valuation, such that a bidder will accept BIN if his valuation is higher than the cutoff valuation and reject it otherwise, is calculated. I find that the cutoff valuation in the case of heterogenous bidders is lower than that in the case of homogenous bidders. The third essay focuses on the empirical modeling of the price processes of online auctions. I generalize the monotone series estimator to model the pooled price processes. Then I apply the model and the estimator to eBay auction data of a palm PDA. The results are shown to capture closely the overall pattern of observed price dynamics. In particular, early bidding, mid-auction draught, and sniping are well approximated by the estimated price curve.

The present essay concerns Walter Benjamin’s thought regarding history and temporality as he articulated it in his last work that was only published posthumously: ”Über den Begriff der Geschichte”. The purpose is to analyze Benjamin’s construction of historical materialism and to suggest a reading of it as directed towards an opening of history. For Walter Benjamin, every moment presents itself as a possibility of radical otherness: a possibility for things to be different. In this essay, I therefore want to concentrate on key concepts constituting such possibility, namely, remembrance [Eingedenken] and redemption [Erlösung]. I will further examine their relation to the specific experience of the past. Following Benjamin, in this essay I am constructing a critique of positivist concepts of linear time and Marxist teleology in regard to history and temporality. Another purpose is to establish an alternative concept of history and temporality as it is to be found in Benjamin’s own thought. Furthermore, the essay seeks to engage in a dialog with Benjamin’s historical reflection in an attempt of capturing the Benjaminian concepts of dialectical image and now-time [Jetztzeit] and by doing this to envisage a genuine break from the notion of historical progress. In presenting such a break as a possibility of opening up history, I seek to raise the question of political action [Aktion]. As demonstrated in the essay, the notion of action, its ethics and politics, is to be found, both implicitly and explicitly, in the way Benjamin develops the persona of the historical materialist and in his concept of redemption, but the analysis must start with a thorough investigation of the concept of remembrance [Eingedenken], without which Benjamin’s meaning cannot be understood.

xii, 125 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This comparative semiotic study aims to examine and critically compare the portrayal of the Vietnam War in two award-winning films, one Vietnamese and the other American, both made in 1979: Canh Dong Hoang (The Wild Rice Field) and Apocalypse Now. This study employs semiology to examine the two films in the framework of postcolonial, ideology and hegemony theories to critically compare similarities and differences in the two films' portrayal of "the enemy," nationalism and individualism, and women, in order to understand how dominant perspectives of the times are reflected, reinforced, and challenged. In Apocalypse Now, the "other" is faceless, which reflects an imperialistic standpoint toward the Vietnamese people; nationalism is promoted by calling on individual suffering and sympathy; and women are diminished. Canh Dong Hoang gives "the enemy" a more balanced depiction; nationalism is woven naturally with individualism; and the women in the film play a much more significant role. / Committee in Charge: Dr. H. Leslie Steeves, Chair; Dr. Pat Curtin; Dr. Gabriela Martinez

The imagistic language of Tang poetry can be defined as the language of Tang poetry that presents directly the immediate sensory/emotive experience, which is the early, unprocessed inner response of an external experience that involves what is previously unknown. The primary purpose of my thesis is to explore a theoretical definition of two characteristics: “now-ness” and “continuity” in the immediate sensory/emotive experience as well as to explore how the two characteristics are generally demonstrated in the imagistic language of Tang poems. Through the demonstration of seven individual analyses of Tang poems and their translations from the perspective of now-ness and continuity, this thesis also intends to foster now-ness and continuity as a particular perspective that assists us with the reading, understanding and translation of the imagistic language of Tang poetry.

This study will focus on confined, negative space, the claustrum, in its varied manifestations, and on ascents and descents within both the cities themselves and the specific buildings which house these claustra. By definition, the claustrum signifies psychological and often physical confinement. In both films, the major characters are restricted by claustra which simultaneously reflect their psychological conditions or stages of development and also confine them physically. Both Roeg and De Palma are keenly aware of how to manipulate the spectator’s own fears of claustra and exploit them to the full in all of their films. This analysis deals with the aesthetics of space interpreted towards psychological ends: the malevolent space of the claustrophobic nightmare, rather than the positive space of the felicias dream. One model of positive psychological space can be found in Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space (1964). His essential comments on enclosed spaces - especially on the diametric opposition of garret and cellar - and his insights into the nature of the city and its influence on its inhabitants are briefly examined and then inverted to provide a starting point for this study.

This thesis is focused on knowledge management as seen in ITIL library. It includes analysis of knowledge management solutions: knowledge base in the Service Now system and actual solution of knowledge base in the ALVAO system. Furthermore, there is a design and implementation of an extension from knowledge base to knowledge management in the ALVAO system described. It has also been designed and implemented integration with the Microsoft SharePoint .

Directions, where my practical part of thesis lead me, is preset moment "now", its understanding in different disciplines and also empiric examination of collision between the time of inside quality and time, which has set independent scale into our world - chronological time. Motive for choosing such topic is mainly my own experience, but it is also reaction to contemporary tendencies in art scene, which (by my opinion) are turning away from present. The outcome of this interest is a video Uchopit okamžik/hold the moment ( 08'30 '' , 2016) filmed at studio keying screen accompanied by audio commentary. The second video Natáhnout okamžik/extend the moment ( 01'00 '', 2016) is a video recording of my own experience with time. I came out from my own experience and also resources and nonfiction of the phenomenological texts by authors such as Emmanuel Lévians or Jan Sokol.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

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Cette thèse examine la manière dont les poètes iraniens du XXe siècle ont reçu la littérature française et le rôle que celle-ci a joué, d'une part dans le processus de modernisation de la poésie persane et d'autre part dans l'émergence d'une nouvelle poétique. À cet égard, elle cherche à analyser et à comprendre les rapports que les auteurs iraniens ont entretenus avec les œuvres littéraires françaises et comment ils ont tenté d'imprégner leurs propres productions de cette influence issue de l'Occident. Ce travail de recherche relate l'histoire d'une littérature, en quête de renouvellement, qui conduit finalement, par le biais du poète Nima, à l'avènement d'une Poésie Nouvelle (Še’r-e now). La thèse propose une lecture de cette poésie, à la lumière des œuvres françaises qui l'ont influencée, et donne des clés de compréhension de la poétique nimaïenne et de ses concepts. / This thesis examines the way Iranian poets of XXth century welcomed French literature and the role it played, first in the modernisation process of Persian poetry and secondly, in the emergence of a new poetics. In this regard, this thesis seeks to analyse and to understand the relationships that Iranian authors developed with French literary works and how its western influence pervaded their own productions. This research relates the story of a literature in search of renewal, which finally leads, through the poet Nima, to the rise of a New Poetry (Še’r-e now). This thesis offers a lecture of this poetry, in the light of the French works that influenced it, and gives keys to comprehend Nimaian poetics and its concepts.