The thesis, on the subject of "The ideal nursery-school teacher in the eyes of parents", surveys the perspective of parents of children attending nursery school and investigates their point of view as to what the perfect nursery-school teacher should be like, while taking into consideration the gender of the respondents. The author focuses primarily on the theoretical specification of the nursery-school teacher's personality and professional competence, differentiation of teacher typology, education styles, the concept of authority and the related work agenda and demands connected with practising this profession. She also outlines the scientific discipline of pedeutology and existing research. In the practical section, a quantitative research investigation is made by way of questionnaire. The questionnaire is anonymous so as to protect the anonymity of the respondents. The research sample comprises the parents of children attending nursery school in the town of Písek. The responses reflect the respondents' opinions with respect to their idea of the perfect nursery-school teacher, and will be compared with hypotheses and then analysed. The thesis aims to ascertain the respondents' majority view as to the nursery-teacher ideal, the characteristics they most often want/prefer, the type of teacher (according to the typology in the theoretical section of the thesis) to which these characteristics best correspond, and whether or how ideas about the perfect nursery-school teacher vary.

abstract: Modern software and hardware systems are composed of a large number of components. Often different components of a system interact with each other in unforeseen and undesired ways to cause failures. Covering arrays are a useful mathematical tool for testing all possible t-way interactions among the components of a system. The two major issues concerning covering arrays are explicit construction of a covering array, and exact or approximate determination of the covering array number---the minimum size of a covering array. Although these problems have been investigated extensively for the last couple of decades, in this thesis we present significant improvements on both of these questions using tools from the probabilistic method and randomized algorithms. First, a series of improvements is developed on the previously known upper bounds on covering array numbers. An estimate for the discrete Stein-Lovász-Johnson bound is derived and the Stein- Lovász -Johnson bound is improved upon using an alteration strategy. Then group actions on the set of symbols are explored to establish two asymptotic upper bounds on covering array numbers that are tighter than any of the presently known bounds. Second, an algorithmic paradigm, called the two-stage framework, is introduced for covering array construction. A number of concrete algorithms from this framework are analyzed, and it is shown that they outperform current methods in the range of parameter values that are of practical relevance. In some cases, a reduction in the number of tests by more than 50% is achieved. Third, the Lovász local lemma is applied on covering perfect hash families to obtain an upper bound on covering array numbers that is tightest of all known bounds. This bound leads to a Moser-Tardos type algorithm that employs linear algebraic computation over finite fields to construct covering arrays. In some cases, this algorithm outperforms currently used methods by more than an 80% margin. Finally, partial covering arrays are introduced to investigate a few practically relevant relaxations of the covering requirement. Using probabilistic methods, bounds are obtained on partial covering arrays that are significantly smaller than for covering arrays. Also, randomized algorithms are provided that construct such arrays in expected polynomial time. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Computer Science 2016

L'objectif de cette thèse est de réussir à utiliser des décompositions de graphes afin de résoudre des problèmes algorithmiques sur les graphes. Notre objet d'étude principal est la classe des graphes de Berge apprivoisés. Les graphes de Berge sont les graphes ne possédant ni cycle de longueur impaire supérieur à 4 ni complémentaire de cycle de longueur impaire supérieure à 4. Dans les années 60, Claude Berge a conjecturé que les graphes de Berge étaient des graphes parfaits. C'est-à-dire que la taille de la plus grande clique est exactement le nombre minimum de couleurs nécessaire à une coloration propre et ce pour tout sous-graphe. En 2002, Chudnovsky, Robertson, Seymour et Thomas ont démontré cette conjecture en utilisant un théorème de structure: les graphes de Berge sont basiques ou admettent une décomposition. Ce résultat est très utile pour faire des preuves par induction. Cependant, une des décompositions du théorème, la skew-partition équilibrée, est très difficile à utiliser algorithmiquement. Nous nous focalisons donc sur les graphes de Berge apprivoisés, c'est-à-dire les graphes de Berge sans skew-partition équilibrée. Pour pouvoir faire des inductions, nous devons adapter le théorème destructure de Chudnovsky et al à notre classe. Nous prouvons un résultat plus fort: les graphes de Berge apprivoisés sont basiques ou admettent une décomposition telle qu'un côté de la décomposition soit toujours basique. Nous avons de plus un algorithme calculant cette décomposition. Nous utilisons ensuite notre théorème pour montrer que les graphes de Berge apprivoisés admettent la propriété du grand biparti, de la clique-stable séparation et qu'il existe un algorithme polynomial permettant de calculer le stable maximum. / The goal of this these is to use graph's decompositions to solve algorithmic problems on graphs. We will study the class of Berge tame graphs. A Berge graph is a graph without cycle of odd length at least 4 nor complement of cycle of odd length at least 4.In the 60's, Claude Berge conjectured that Berge graphs are perfect graphs. The size of the biggest clique is exactly the number of colors required to color the graph. In 2002, Chudnovsky, Robertson, Seymour et Thomas proved this conjecture using a theorem of decomposition: Berge graphs are either basic or have a decomposition. This is a useful result to do proof by induction. Unfortunately, one of the decomposition, the skew-partition, is really hard to use. We arefocusing here on Berge tame graphs, i.e~Berge graph without balanced skew-partition. To be able to do induction, we must first adapt the Chudnovsky et al's theorem of structure to our class. We prove a stronger result: Berge tame graphs are basic or have a decomposition such that one side is always basic. We also have an algorithm to compute this decomposition. We then use our theorem to prouve that Berge tame graphs have the big-bipartite property, the clique-stable set separation property and there exists a polytime algorithm to compute the maximum stable set.

Nesta dissertação tratamos de questões relativas às dificuldades de ensino dos tempos verbais pretérito indefinido e pretérito perfecto compuesto do modo indicativo nas aulas de Espanhol Língua Estrangeira ELE para falantes do português brasileiro. Partimos do pressuposto de que a Linguística Contrastiva pode contribuir de maneira eficaz visto que possibilita ao estudante contrastar as convergências bem como as divergências inerentes ao uso de sua língua materna em relação à língua espanhola, especialmente devido à relativa semelhança existente entre os idiomas em destaque. Nossos objetivos consistiram em: a) observar e buscar preencher as lacunas relacionadas ao ensino dos tempos verbais pretérito indefinido e pretérito perfecto compuesto; b) descrever quais são suas semelhanças e diferenças em relação ao uso em língua portuguesa; c) analisar de que maneira a Linguística Contrastiva pode contribuir quando do tratamento dos tempos verbais destacados nas aulas de ELE, além de analisar sua abordagem em alguns materiais didáticos; d) detectar quais procedimentos de ensino são mais cabíveis para o ensino desse tema. O arcabouço teórico utilizado fundamentou-se, principalmente, nos conceitos propostos e/ou defendidos por Bello e Cuervo (1943), RAE (2010), Alarcos Llorach (1995), Matte Bon (2010a), Cunha e Cintra (2007), Bechara (2009), Luft (1996), Almeida (1973), Durão (2004a) e Santos Gargallo (1993), bem como nas reflexões contidas nas OCEM (BRASIL, 2006). Os resultados obtidos por meio da pesquisa revelaram que os professores de ELE ensinam os tempos verbais em destaque apoiados na definição básica apresentada nas gramáticas, isto é, a forma simples deve ser empregada para fazer referência a situações passadas ocorridas em um espaço de tempo encerrado e a forma composta deve ser utilizada para expressar acontecimentos pretéritos realizados em um espaço-temporal ainda não concluído e, portanto, não esclarecem a seus alunos as diferentes possibilidades de uso dos dois tempos verbais. Os docentes-colaboradores também acreditam que os materiais didáticos abordam o assunto de maneira superficial, pois oferecem poucas explicações e/ou sugestões de atividades. Os manuais, por sua vez, utilizam a abordagem contrastiva, mas não enfocam os tempos verbais em pauta de maneira abrangente. Por fim, verificamos que os docentes, em geral, fazem uso de procedimentos de ensino que remetem à metodologia Tradicional e Áudio-oral de ensino. Julgamos que os 11 resultados desta pesquisa contribuem para o ensino do pretérito indefinido e pretérito perfecto compuesto nas aulas de ELE na medida em que enfatizam e valorizam as diferentes possibilidades do uso real que o falante faz da língua e salientam a importância do aperfeiçoamento contínuo do professor para o desenvolvimento de sua função. / This thesis is about the questions related to the difficulties encountered in the teaching of the verb tenses pretérito indefinido and pretérito perfecto compuesto in the Spanish as a foreign language classes SFL for Brazilian Portuguese speaker students. We assume that the Contrastive Linguistics approach can effectively contribute as it gives the students the chance to contrast the differences and similarities in the structures and usage of their mother tongue and the Spanish language, due to the alikeness existent between both languages. Our objectives were: a) observe and fill in the gaps related to the teaching of the two verb tenses mentioned above; b) describe the similarities and differences in their usage in relation to the usage in Portuguese; c) analyze in which ways Contrastive Linguistics can contribute to the teaching of those verb tenses in the SFL classes, besides analyzing its approach in some teaching materials; d) detect which teaching procedures are better for the teaching of those verb tenses. The theory in this essay was mainly based on the concepts proposed and/or endorsed by Bello and Cuervo (1943), RAE (2010), Alarcos Llorach (1995), Matte Bon (2010a), Cunha and Cintra (2007), Bechara (2009), Luft (1996), Almeida (1973), Durão (2004a) and Santos Gargallo (1993), as well as the reflections enclosed in the OCEM (BRASIL, 2006). The results found in this research revealed that SFL teachers, teach these verb tenses based on the basic definition presented in grammar books, that is to say, the simple form should be used with reference to finished periods, whereas the compound form suggests a connection between the past event and the present. Therefore, teachers do not point out the different possibilities of the use of both verb tenses. Teachers who helped in this research also believe that teaching materials approach this subject in a superficial way as they offer very few explanations and/or suggestions of activities. Teachers guides use the contrastive approach but they do not focus deeply on the verb tenses. Lastly we observed that teachers in general either use Traditional procedures, or the Audio-oral teaching approach. We believe that the results of this research can contribute to the teaching of the verb tenses pretérito indefinido and pretérito perfecto compuesto in the SFL classes as they emphasize and value the different possibilities of the real use the native speaker makes of the language and point out how important continuous teachers development is for their career.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:34:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 renatabomfim.pdf: 583145 bytes, checksum: 85156f032a2bfc6e29911dc483ff91f7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-09-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Propõe reflexões acerca das vozes sociais e arquetípicas presentes nos livros de soneto Livro de Mágoas (1919), Livro de Sóror Saudade (1921), Charneca em Flor (1930) e Reliquiae (1931), da poeta portuguesa Florbela Espanca. Para tal utilizam-se como arcabouços teóricos básicos, as obras de Mikhail Bakhtin, especialmente os conceitos de dialogismo e polifonia, e de Carl Gustav Jung, os conceitos de arquétipos e inconsciente coletivo. A poética de Florbela Espanca é polifônica por abarcar uma multiplicidade de vozes sociais e seus respectivos discursos, ela é também arquetípica, pois reproduz experiências que extrapolam o âmbito pessoal, encontrando ressonância no coletivo de diferentes épocas. Dentre estas vozes arquetípicas femininas expressas na sua poesia, analisa-se as de Lilith, Eva e Maria, por abarcarem aspectos como a sensualidade, o erotismo, a aspiração sacerdotal e virginal, a dor, a angústia, o desejo, o sonho e a vaidade, temas que refletem certos desejos de fazer dialogar dicotomias, termos opostos que, em uma sociedade patriarcal não conseguem alcançar expressão plena. A dificuldade de realização profissional e pessoal da mulher numa sociedade tradicional e falocrata como a do primeiro quartel do século XX, no caso de Florbela é, possivelmente, a geradora de uma angústia tal na poeta que levou-a ao suicídio, destino interpretado como tragédia moderna aos moldes raymondianos. A dificuldade de enquadramento do feminino na ordem patriarcal do mundo, é poeticamente trabalhada por Florbela que responde com um texto marcado pela inquietação, pela busca e pela arrância, e encontra na utopia de Fredric Jameson, um caminho de expressão, a partir da denúncia do paradigma exaurido da dualidade, demonstrado pelo desejo de infinito e de integração com a natureza. A crítica literária Maria Lúcia Dal Farra é o aporte fundamental no que diz respeito à obra e a vida de Florbela Espanca, e outros autores auxiliarão na construção dessa pesquisa mosaico que objetiva ser interdisciplinar. / This research proposes some reflections regarding de social voices and perfect models present in the sonnet books Livro de Mágoas (1919), Livro de Sóror Saudade (1921), Charneca em Flor (1930) e Reliquiae (1931), from the Portuguese poetess Florbela Espanca. Therefore we will use as basic theoretical mark, the works of Mikhail Bakthin, specially the concepts of dialogism and polyphony, and of Carl Gustav Jung, the concepts of perfect models and collective unconscious. The poetic of Florbela Espanca is polyphony because it embraces a multiplicity of social voices and its respective speeches, she is also a perfect model, because she reproduces experiences that go beyond the personal ambit, finding resonance in t e collective of different times. Among those perfect models feminine voices expressed into her poetry, we will analyze those of Lilith, Eva and Mary. This representations embrace aspects such as the sensuality, the eroticism, the clerical and virginal aspirations, the pain, the anxiety, the desire and the vanity, themes that reflect certain desires of making dialectics dialog, we have opposites that, in a father based society can t reach the complete expression. The hardship of professional and personal realization of a woman in a traditional society like the one in the first quarter of the 20th century, in that case Florbela, was generated from a anxiety in the poetess that drove her to suicide, fate that we interpreter as modern tragedy , in the raymondian framework. The difficulties found by woman in a patriarchal world, is poetically worked by Florbela that respond with a text marked by the uneasiness, by the search and by wish of finding, in the utopia of Frederic Jameson, a way of expression from the plea of the paradigm that come from duality, demonstrated by the desire of infinity and integration with nature. The literate critic, Maria Lúcia Dal Farra, will be the base fundament in what approaches the life and work of Florbela Espanca, and other authors will help in the construction of this mosaic research that, has as a goal to be interdisciplinary.

Este projeto objetivou desenvolver um marcador molecular ligado ao gene de resistência a Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), em vista da necessidade de aprimorar os métodos de melhoramento de plantas para atender crescentes demandas de produtividade. O outro objetivo deste trabalho foi a avaliação de uma população segregante F2 e de retrocruzamento (RC1F1) a Meloidogyne incognita raça 3, oriunda do cruzamento das cultivares comerciais Coker 176 (C176) e Coker 371 Gold (C371G). Para o desenvolvimento do marcador ligado ao gene de resistência a TMV, o gene N, foram desenvolvidos iniciadores específicos para regiões conservadas (TIR, NBS e LRR) deste gene com base em sua seqüência. Estes iniciadores foram utilizados para amplificar um marcador cuja ligação ao referido gene foi confirmada em 200 indivíduos de população segregante F2 oriunda do cruzamento entre uma linhagem resistente (Coker176) e outra suscetível ao vírus (Kentucky326). A proporção entre o número de plantas resistentes e suscetíveis (154:46) não diferiu estatisticamente daquela esperada no caso de segregação de um gene dominante de resistência, que seria de 3:1. Os resultados indicaram que o marcador e o gene estão proximamente ligados segundo taxa de recombinação, que foi de 1%. Na avaliação da hereditariedade a M.incognita utilizou-se 141 indivíduos da população segregante F2 oriunda do cruzamento entre uma linhagem resistente (Coker176) e suscetível (Coker 371G) e 138 indivíduos de RC1F1 ([C176 X C371G] X C371G). Os resultados obtidos entre a proporção entre o número de plantas resistentes e suscetíveis da população F2 (102:39) e da RC1F1 (67:71) não diferiu estatisticamente daquela esperada no caso de segregação de um gene dominante de resistência. / The aim of this study is to develop a molecular marker linked to the resistant gene to Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) considering the necessity to improve plant breeding to meet growing demands of productivity. The other goal of this study is to evaluate the mode of inheritance of an F2 segregating population and backcross (BCF1) population of Meloidogyne incognita race 3 originated from cross breeding between commercial cultivars Coker 176 and Coker 371 Gold. For the development of the marker linked to the TMV resistant gene, the N gene, specific primers of this gene were developed for conserved regions (TIR, NBS and LRR) based on their sequence. These primers were used to amplify a marker whose connection with the aforementioned gene was confirmed in 200 individuals in a segregating F2 population originated from the cross breeding between a resistant cultivar (Coker176) and another cultivar which is susceptible to the virus (Kentucky326). The proportion between the number of resistant and susceptible plants (154:46) did not statistically differ from the one expected in the segregation of one dominant resistance, which would be a 3:1 segregation ratio. The results indicated that the marker and the gene are narrowly linked according to recombination ratio 1%. In the heredity evaluation of resistance to M.incognita 141 plants of the segregating F2 population originated from the cross breeding of a resistant (Coker176) and susceptible cultivar (Coker 371G) and 138 plants of backcross BC1F1 ([C176 X C371G) X C3371G) were used. The outcome of the proportion between the number of resistant and susceptible plants of segregating F2 (102:39) and BC1F1 population (67:71) were not statistically different from the ones expected for a monogenic dominant resistance.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:44:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_joao_carlos_pinto_oliveira.pdf: 519065 bytes, checksum: ed0bffd2827af753d977a5131f02d16b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-08 / The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality and the yield compounds of seed of rice when different levels of phosphorus are applied to the soil. The utilization of rock phosphates as source of phosphorus on rice crop has been a growing recommendation, considering the low availability of phosphorus in the system. Besides the majority of bibliographies do not report any effect on grain yield with higher levels of phosphorus in the soil, there is no information on how the seeds of flooding rice behave with respect to the quality and components of production under these conditions. The soil was prepared in the conventional method and fertilized before sowing according the analysis recommendation of soil (55kg.ha-1 of K2O in form of KCl) and phosphorus in form of rock phosphate in the levels: zero, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90kg.ha-1 of P2O5 and 90kg.ha-1 of nitrogen in surface dressing in form of urea in two times. It was used cv. BRS Querência in sowing density of 90kg.ha-1 of viable seeds, sowed on November, 23, 2007. The experiment was carried out in Estação de Terras Baixas of Embrapa Clima Temperado and at the Laboratory of Seed Analysis Flávio Farias Rocha of Agronomy College at the Universidade Federal de Pelotas. The analysis of flag leaf was carried out in Plant Nutrition Laboratory of Embrapa Clima Temperado. The experimental design was with randomized complete blocks design with four repetitions. The seeds were harvest on April, 2, 2008 and presented 23% of moisture, and they dried in a forced-air stationary dryer at 40oC until 15% of moisture. It was evaluated for seed yield per hectare, yield compounds and the levels of phosphorus in a flag leaf, collected at the flowering stage. Two germination tests were carried out 90 and 450 days after the harvest. The last one was considered as a vigor test in seeds harvested and stored. The seed yield per hectare and the percent of germination in vigor test showed fit quadratic regression models. The percent of perfect grains and the levels of phosphorus and magnesium in flag leaves fit linear regression models. A significant correlation was found (P<0.05%) between phosphorus and magnesium levels in flag leaves and the percentage of germination in vigor test. The use of Arad rock phosphate affected the yield and quality of rice seeds on Planossoil of Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul. / O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade e a produção de sementes de arroz irrigado, quando diferentes doses de fósforo são aplicadas ao solo. A utilização de fosfato natural como fonte de fósforo na cultura do arroz irrigado vem sendo uma recomendação crescente, considerando a baixa disponibilidade do fósforo no sistema. Além da maioria das bibliografias não relatarem algum efeito sobre a produção de grãos quando se elevam os níveis de fósforo no solo, não se têm informações sobre como se comportam as sementes de arroz irrigado com relação a sua qualidade e aos componentes da produção nestas condições. O preparo do solo foi convencional, adubado antes da semeadura conforme recomendação da análise de solo (55kg.ha-1 de K2O na forma de KCl) e fósforo na forma de fosfato natural variando segundo os tratamentos: zero, 30, 45, 60, 75 e 90kg.ha-1 de P2O5 e 90kg.ha-1 de nitrogênio na forma de ureia em cobertura, em duas vezes. Utilizou-se a cv. BRS Querência na densidade de 90kg.ha-1 de sementes viáveis, semeada em 23 de novembro de 2007. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação de Terras Baixas da Embrapa Clima Temperado e no Laboratório de Análise de Sementes Flávio Farias Rocha, da Faculdade de Agronomia Eliseu Maciel da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. As análises das folhas bandeira foram realizadas no Laboratório de Nutrição Vegetal da Embrapa Clima Temperado. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos completos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. As sementes foram colhidas em dois de abril de 2008 quando apresentavam 23% de umidade, sendo secadas em secador estacionário com ar forçado a 40oC até 13% de umidade. Foi avaliado o rendimento de sementes por hectare, os componentes da produção de sementes e os teores de fósforo na folha bandeira coletada na fase do florescimento. Foram realizados dois testes de germinação. O primeiro, 90 dias após a colheita das sementes, e o segundo, 450 dias após a colheita. Este último foi considerado como avaliação do vigor nas sementes colhidas e armazenadas. O rendimento de sementes por hectare e a percentagem de germinação no teste de vigor apresentaram respostas que se ajustaram a modelos de regressão quadráticos. Já a percentagem de grãos inteiros e quebrados e os teores de fósforo e de magnésio nas folhas bandeira se ajustam a modelos de regressão linear. Também se encontrou uma correlação significativa e positiva (P<0,05%) entre os teores de fósforo e de magnésio nas folhas bandeira e a percentagem de germinação no teste de vigor. O uso do fosfato natural de Arad teve influência na produção e qualidade de sementes de arroz irrigado em Planossolos da Planície Costeira do Rio grande do Sul.

This study explores grammatical markers with meanings similar to the English perfect tense and words like already, as found in numerous languages across the world, and perhaps especially in languages of Southeast Asia, with the aim of describing the main function of these markers. Such items have previously been treated as belonging to the same category as the perfects of European languages but are tentatively termed "iamitives" in this study (from Latin iam 'already') since they differ from perfects in many respects. The investigation focusses on the semantic and pragmatic factors that determine the use of iamitive-like markers in Indonesian/Malay, Thai, Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese, based on questionnaire data obtained through work with native speakers of the languages, with additional data coming from a number of languages spoken in other parts of the world. The results highlight the differences and similarities that can be found between iamitives, perfects and 'already', and explicates a number of conditions that are crucial for the use of iamitives, notably involving notions such as change-of-state and speaker expectations

Berge and Fulkerson conjectured that for each cubic bridgeless graph there are six perfect matchings such that each edge is contained in exactly two of them. Another conjecture due to Berge says that we can cover cubic bridgeless graphs by five perfect matchings. Both conjectures are studied for over forty years. Abreu et al. [2016] introduce a new class of graphs (called treelike snarks) which cannot be covered by less then five perfect matchings. We show that their lower bound on number of perfect matchings is tight. Moreover we prove that a bigger class of cubic bridgeless graphs admits Berge conjecture. Finally, we also show that Berge-Fulkerson conjecture holds for treelike snarks.

In this thesis, we present our original theoretical investigations of SiC microstruc-tures for extreme light control in the Reststrahlen band of Silicon Carbide (SiC), that occurs in the Mid-IR spectral regime. In this frequency regime, most of the light will be reflected from bulk SiC, due to the extreme permittivity response of SiC. However, we demonstrate that it is possible to control light to be absorbed or ultra refracted within the microstructures constructed from SiC in the Reststrahlen band of SiC. In particular, we show that this high reflective behaviour of SiC can be over-come via different mechanisms: by achieving a Photonic Crystal (PC) band-edge reflectionless condition in a SiC terminated one-dimensional (1D)-PC, by tailoring the effective phonon-polariton gap in SiC-based effective metamaterials, or by cou-pling to cavity modes in SiC structures made of rectangular-cross-section pillars. Furthermore, we demonstrate that by varying the thickness of SiC layers and filling ratio throughout SiC 1D-PC structures or by using SiC pillars of different size in a pyramid arrangement, we can achieve a broad absorption bandwidth with the SiC microstructures. This absorption control provides insight for the design of efficient thermal emitters, which can be used in thermal conversion devices. Moreover, us-ing the concept of Bloch impedance, we find that translucent spectral regions can exist in SiC 1D-PCs. This possibility is highly desirable for constructing optical components in the Mid-IR spectrum where suitable bulk highly refractive materials are rare. In addition, we also present a complete theory of propagation in lossy 1D-PCs, by systematically extending the comprehensive theory for lossless 1D-PCs. Relying on this theory, we report superbending of light, beyond 90 0 in a judiciously designed superprism constructed with a SiC 1D-PC. Since, the findings reported in this thesis are in principle applicable to any polar material, we believe that our work will inspire the design of a variety of absorptive/emissive and ultra-refractive devices across the THz/Mid-IR spectrum.