This research is an enquiry to find an electoral formula that conforms to Canadian constitutional values. Three core values that are pertinent to the issue of electoral systems are identified: democracy, diversity, and efficiency. Each of these core values is divided into different aspects. These aspects will form the backbone of the evaluation of different electoral systems in this work. I will begin with an evaluation of the plurality model of elections, which is currently used in Canada. I will demonstrate that many of the attributes of the current system are not in tune with Canadian constitutional values, in particular with the progressive interpretation that the Supreme Court of Canada has given to the right to vote as enshrined in Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Although the interpretation of the right to vote will be the main thrust of the constitutional scrutiny in this work, attention will also be given to other pertinent rights such as equality rights, minority rights, and the freedom of expression. Next, I will examine provincial electoral reform initiatives that were initiated in five Canadian provinces. All of these initiatives - three of which were put to referenda and eventually defeated - proposed adopting a variant of proportional representation. Accordingly, I will evaluate proportional systems according to the intended values. I will conclude that these systems have problems of their own and they also cannot strike a fine balance between competing values. In the final stage, I will make a new proposal for elections to the Canadian Parliament. First, I will demonstrate that majority systems are better candidates to attain the envisioned values. Then I will introduce a new variant of the majority model, which I call a majority-preferential two-round variant. I will demonstrate that this new variant will outperform the other variants in the attainment of values if adopted for elections to the House of Commons. Finally, I will argue that the combination of a House of Commons elected through the majority-preferential formula and a proportionally elected Senate will result in a more balanced approach to the relevant constitutional values.

In this Master's dissertation, I would like to explore a symbolic reading of John 11 (The raising of Lazarus) from the perspective of the church's mission to bring about the liberation of the poor. I believe that as one does so, one might discover that in the Gospel writer's original intention, the figure of Lazarus may never have been intended as a literal historical person, but rather as a symbolic representation of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. Such a reading of John 11 might throw new light on the Fourth Gospel's understanding of Jesus and his mission. In doing so, I believe that John 11 might become a foundational text to guide and motivate committed Christian mission in favour of the poor. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a crisis for the South African government, society and Church. About sixty percent of the HIV population are in Sub Saharan Africa with women being three times more likely to be infected with HIV than their male counterparts. Governmental, societal and Church responses seem to have had little effect in reducing the pandemic as can be seen from the rising prevalence rates. Responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic lack a gender focus. Some churches have not responded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Other Church-based responses have been isolated and simplistic in that they have concentrated on one aspect of the HIV illness. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a growing crisis to which the Church should respond. The hermeneutical point of departure in this thesis is to express a preferential option for the poor by standing in solidarity with a group of women living on the margins of society. To this end the perspectives of black people, who are materially poor, HIV positive and part of support groups are articulated in the study. The research project suggests that the preferential option for the poor has the potential to contribute to the personal and social transformation of society. Focussing on the deep-seated longing many desire for fullness of life, this thesis explores and describes a gendered Christian response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that could contribute to the full humanity of people. Full humanity is understood as transformation to wholeness and incorporates unity with God, others, creation and within oneself. A multifaceted, integrated and gendered response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic is suggested by way of a model of full humanity. The South African context of HIV/AIDS, patriarchy and poverty pose a challenge to the way that Christians develop their spirituality. This thesis aims to explore and describe aspects of a fully human spirituality emerging from the South African situation. The study suggests that a clearly integrative and holistic approach that embodies the gender perspective is necessary for churches to adopt in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th.(Christian Spirituality)

2005年陳水扁總統，針對軍公教退休人員之退休金及公保養老給付，得以18％利率辦理優惠存款、降低所得替代率等，要求相關單位提出改革方案。銓敘部經與教育部、國防部及行政院人事行政局等相關主管機關組成專案小組，在公務人員方面擬具「公務人員退休所得合理化改革方案」報請考試院於同年11月10日確定方案內容；至部分執行內涵則於2006年1月5日決議由銓敘部依權責自行負責處理。案經銓敘部邀集相關主管機關開會研商後，決定軍公教人員改革方案於同年2月16日同步實施。 值此，軍公教退休人員多數表達無法接受，組織退休聯盟進行各項訴求與抗爭行動；同時立法院中國國民黨黨團及親民黨黨團多數委員支持退休聯盟之主張，運用預算審查權為手段，燃起本項改革方案再度討論的關鍵力量。 本文採文獻探討法針對公務人員退休所得合理化改革方案進行研究，筆者從相關文獻及媒體的報導中發現，本項改革方案的政策制訂過程乃是以菁英決策的方式出現，主要涉及行政官員、考試委員、立法委員及軍公教退休聯盟之間的互動過程。 爰此，筆者藉由菁英理論的觀點透過David Easton 所提出的政治系統理論為基礎，將「公務人員退休所得合理化改革方案」相關影響政策制訂過程之參與者納入，提出一整合性的研究架構進行論述，並依參與人員為標準，分為行政菁英、立法菁英、知識菁英及標的團體四類，試圖經由本項改革個案的探討，進一步對菁英理論相應於政策制訂過程有較為深入之瞭解。 本文以2005年9月陳總統對外界作出「政策」宣示，迄至2008年1月立法院第六屆立法委員任期屆滿止，為研究時間範圍。首先對政策制訂過程與菁英理論進行探討，並將四類菁英就其角色與影響政策制訂的方式與策略加以論述；其次對本項改革方案制訂過程及主要爭議作詳細闡述；接續對四類菁英運用之策略進行分析；最後作出結論，整合歸納前述之研究內容，提出研究發現與後續研究之建議。

Vertisols cover a hydrologically very significant area of semi-arid regions, and thus understanding of water flow and solute accumulation is very relevant to agricultural activity and water resources management. Previous works suggest a conceptual model of desiccation-crack-induced salinization where salinization of sediment in deep section of the vadose zone (up to 4 m) is induced by subsurface evaporation due to convective air flow in desiccation cracks. This thesis presents a conceptual model of water flow and solute transport in vertisols, and its numerical implementation. The model uses a single-porosity material but unconventionally prescribes a boundary condition representing a deep crack in soil and uses the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity as one of the fitting parameters. The numerical model is bound to one location close to a dairy farm waste pond, but the application of the suggested conceptual model could be possibly extended to all semi-arid regions with vertisols. Simulations were conducted using several modelling approaches with an ultimate goal of fitting the simulation results to the controlling variables measured in the field: water content, and chloride salinity of pore water. The development of the model was engineered in numerous steps; all computed as forward solutions by...

La symétrie est par définition un concept multidisciplinaire. Il apparaît dans de nombreux domaines. En général, elle revient à une transformation qui laisse invariant un objet. Le problème de satisfaisabilité (SAT) occupe un rôle central en théorie de la complexité. Il est le problème de décision de référence de la classe NP-complet (Cook, 71). Il consiste à déterminer si une formule CNF admet ou non une valuation qui la rend vraie. Dans la première contribution de ce mémoire, nous avons introduit une nouvelle méthode complète qui élimine toutes les symétries locales pour la résolution du problème SAT en exploitant son groupe des symétries. Les résultats obtenus montrent que l'exploitation des symétries locales est meilleure que l'exploitation des symétries globales sur certaines instances SAT et que les deux types de symétries sont complémentaires, leur combinaison donne une meilleure exploitation.En deuxième contribution, nous proposons une approche d'apprentissage de clauses pour les solveurs SAT modernes en utilisant les symétries. Cette méthode n'élimine pas les modèles symétriques comme font les méthodes statiques d'élimination des symétries. Elle évite d'explorer des sous-espaces correspondant aux no-goods symétriques de l'interprétation partielle courante. Les résultats obtenus montrent que l'utilisation de ces symétries et ce nouveau schéma d'apprentissage est profitable pour les solveurs CDCL.En Intelligence Artificielle, on inclut souvent la non-monotonie et l'incertitude dans le raisonnement sur les connaissances avec exceptions. Pour cela, en troisième et dernière contribution, nous avons étendu la notion de symétrie à des logiques non classiques (non-monotones) telles que les logiques préférentielles, les X-logiques et les logiques des défauts.Nous avons montré comment raisonner par symétrie dans ces logiques et nous avons mis en évidence l'existence de certaines symétries dans ces logiques qui n'existent pas dans les logiques classiques. / Symmetry is by definition a multidisciplinary concept. It appears in many fields. In general, it is a transformation which leaves an object invariant. The problem of satisfiability (SAT) is one of the central problems in the complexity theory. It is the first decision Np-complete problem (Cook, 71). It deals with determining if a CNF formula admits a valuation which makes it true. First we introduce a new method which eliminates all the local symmetries during the resolution of a SAT problem by exploiting its group of symmetries. Our experimental results show that for some SAT instances, exploiting local symmetries is better than exploiting just global symmetries and both types of symmetries are complementary. As a second contribution, we propose a new approach of Conflict-Driven Clause Learning based on symmetry. This method does not eliminate the symmetrical models as the static symmetry elimination methods do. It avoids exploring sub-spaces corresponding to symmetrical No-goods of the current partial interpretation. Our experimental results show that using symmetries in clause learning is advantageous for CDCL solvers.In artificial intelligence, we usually include non-monotony and uncertainty in the reasoning on knowledge with exceptions. Finally, we extended the concept of symmetry to non-classical logics that are preferential logics, X-logics and default logics. We showed how to reason by symmetry in these logics and we prove the existence of some symmetries in these non-classical logics which do not exist in classical logics.

A garantia da igualdade implica a proibição da discriminação. Algumas normas internacionais criaram exceções à proibição de discriminar com o objetivo de permitir a adoção de medidas especiais ou positivas de caráter transitório para acelerar o desenvolvimento e a representação de grupos e categorias que, por motivos discriminatórios, se encontrem em posição de desvantagem diante dos demais. Cabe ao Estado eleger os grupos beneficiários e as medidas de ação afirmativa adequadas para atingir o fim almejado. A constitucionalidade das medidas de ação afirmativa depende da análise em concreto de cada tipo quanto à compatibilidade com os demais direitos e garantias fundamentais por se tratar de medida de exceção quanto à proibição de discriminar. As políticas públicas que incluam medidas de ação afirmativa devem se pautar pelos princípios da razoabilidade e da proporcionalidade, para que a busca da igualdade material não implique o paradoxo de criar novas desigualdades. A política de reserva de vagas por meio de cotas não é o tipo de ação afirmativa mais adequada ao Brasil. As cotas raciais são incompatíveis com a realidade brasileira, carecendo de proporcionalidade na medida em que não se prestam ao fim colimado no tocante ao combate à discriminação e ao preconceito. A formulação de uma política participativa com incentivos à representatividade de grupos sub-representados por meio de metas e cronogramas sem qualquer viés racial tende a atingir melhores resultados sem que o Estado institucionalize a racialização por meio da discriminação reversa. / The equality safeguard implies a ban on discrimination. Some international standards have created exceptions to the ban on discrimination to enable the adoption of special or positive measures, transient in nature, and speed up the development and representation of groups and segments that, because of discrimination, would be at a disadvantage before others. It falls to the government to choose the beneficiaries as well as the appropriate affirmativeaction measures to achieve the desired outcome. The constitutionality of affirmative-action measures depends on a concrete analysis of the compatibility of each type with the other fundamental rights and safeguards since this is an exception to the ban on discrimination. Any policies that include affirmative-action measures must follow the principles of reasonableness and proportionality so that the search for material equality does not entail an inequality-creating paradox. The racial-quota policy is not the appropriate type of affirmative action for Brazil. Racial quotas are incompatible with the Brazilian reality and lack proportionality as they fail to counter discrimination and bigotry. Devising a participatory policy that encourages the representation of underrepresented groups through goals and timetables without any racial bias tends to achieve better results and the government does not have to institutionalize racialization through reverse discrimination.

Les objectifs de la thèse sont de (i) modéliser le transport de l’eau, d’un traceur et des polluants dans les sols contaminés, (ii) étudier l’estimabilité des paramètres et les corrélations entre les paramètres, (iii) optimiser les paramètres. Les différents modèles implantés dans le logiciel HYDRUS qui permettent de rendre compte ou pas de l’écoulement préférentiel et du transport hors équilibre physique et chimique sont choisis. Les études concernant le transport d’eau dans un lysimètre de terrain ont montré que les données quotidiennes de pressions et de teneurs en eau volumique contiennent plus d’information que les données horaires, que les pressions ont plus d’information que les teneurs en eau volumique, et que les corrélations des paramètres ont fait perturber les résultats de l’optimisation. Sur le même lysimètre, l’étude d’estimabilité des paramètres caractéristiques pour le transport du traceur (bromure) a montré que les concentrations dans les solutions de percolation ne sont pas suffisantes pour estimer le paramètre de transfert de l’eau entre les zones mobile et immobile car ce paramètre est fortement corrélé avec le paramètre de transfert de soluté. Pour le transport des hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques (HAP) dans les colonnes de laboratoire sous différentes conditions de saturation en eau, quand le degré de transport hors équilibre chimique des HAP est élevé, les concentrations en HAP dans les solutions de percolation de la colonne non saturée contiennent plus d’information que celles dans la colonne saturée / Preferential flow and nonequilibrium transport are probably the most frustrating in terms of hampering accurate predictions of contaminant transport through the vadose zone. The mathematical description of preferential flow and nonequilibrium transport needs many parameters that are not measurable. Therefore, the inverse method is a promising way to estimate model parameters. The main objectives of this work are to (i) study the water flow using the uniform flow and dual-porosity models, tracer and contaminant transport using the uniform transport model and/or physical and chemical nonequilibrium transport models, (ii) investigate parameter estimability and correlations between different parameters, and (iii) optimize the hydraulic properties and solute transport parameters. The results concerning the water flow in the bare field lysimeter show that daily data contained much more information than hourly data, daily pressure heads contained more information than daily water contents; the correlations between different parameters hamper the optimization results strongly. Basing on the tracer concentrations in the leaching solution of the lysimeter, the first-order rate water transfer coefficient was not estimable since this parameter was highly correlated with the solute transfer coefficient. PAH concentrations in the leaching solution of the contaminated soil column under saturated and nonsaturated flow conditions show that when the degree of chemical nonequilibirum transport is high, the solute leaching of the nonsaturated column contained more information than those of the saturated column. In addition, the fraction of sites with instantaneous sorption and the linear adsorption distribution coefficient always showed a very strong correlation, they were impossible to optimize simultaneously

Real-world large-scale complex networks such as the Internet, social networks and biological networks have increasingly attracted the interest of researchers from many areas. Accurate modelling of the statistical regularities of these large-scale networks is critical to understand their global evolving structures and local dynamical patterns. Traditionally, the Erdos and Renyi random graph model has helped the investigation of various homogeneous networks. During the past decade, a special computational methodology has emerged to study complex networks, the outcome of which is identified by two models: the Watts and Strogatz small-world model and the Barabasi-Albert scale-free model. At the core of the complex network modelling process is the extraction of characteristics of real-world networks. I have developed computer simulation algorithms for study of the properties of current theoretical models as well as for the measurement of two real-world complex networks, which lead to the isolation of three complex network modelling essentials. The main contribution of the thesis is the introduction and study of a new General Two-Stage growth model (GTS Model), which aims to describe and analyze many common-featured real-world complex networks. The tools we use to create the model and later perform many measurements on it consist of computer simulations, numerical analysis and mathematical derivations. In particular, two major cases of this GTS model have been studied. One is named the U-P model, which employs a new functional form of the network growth rule: a linear combination of preferential attachment and uniform attachment. The degree distribution of the model is first studied by computer simulation, while the exact solution is also obtained analytically. Two other important properties of complex networks: the characteristic path length and the clustering coefficient are also extensively investigated, obtaining either analytically derived solutions or numerical results by computer simulations. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the hub-hub interaction behaves in effect as the link between a network's topology and resilience property. The other is called the Hybrid model, which incorporates two stages of growth and studies the transition behaviour between the Erdos and Renyi random graph model and the Barabasi-Albert scale-free model. The Hybrid model is measured by extensive numerical simulations focusing on its degree distribution, characteristic path length and clustering coefficient. Although either of the two cases serves as a new approach to modelling real-world large-scale complex networks, perhaps more importantly, the general two-stage model provides a new theoretical framework for complex network modelling, which can be extended in many ways besides the two studied in this thesis.

作為世界經濟的全球化和區域化趨勢的一部分，哥倫比亞和台灣開始的優惠貿易協定的談判與各自的周邊大國 - 美國和中國。 / As part of the globalization of world economy and the growing regionalization trend, Colombia and Taiwan started the negotiation of Preferential Trade Agreements with their respective neighboring powers -the United States and China-, in a process in which individual and regional interests are at stake. This work argues that the will of creating a PTA is motivated by strategic interaction and strong political consideration under the logic of “politicized trade”from the US and China's side; while for Taiwan and Colombia it is the need of improving their economic ties with the rest of the world as well as their positions in the international order.