The unique problems encountered when analyzing weather data sets - that is, measurements taken while conducting a meteorological experiment- have forced statisticians to reconsider the conventional analysis methods and investigate permutation test procedures. The problems encountered when analyzing weather data sets are simulated for a Monte Carlo study, and the results of the parametric and permutation t-tests are compared with regard to significance level, power, and the average coilfidence interval length. Seven population distributions are considered - three are variations of the normal distribution, and the others the gamma, the lognormal, the rectangular and empirical distributions. The normal distribution contaminated with zero measurements is also simulated. In those simulated situations in which the variances are unequal, the permutation test procedure was performed using other test statistics, namely the Scheffe, Welch and Behrens-Fisher test statistics. / Mathematical Sciences / M. Sc. (Statistics)

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of effect sizes to report the results of statistical credit rating models in a more practical way. Rating systems in the form of statistical probability models like logistic regression models are used to forecast the behaviour of clients and guide business in rating clients as “high” or “low” risk borrowers. Therefore, model results were reported in terms of statistical significance as well as business language (practical significance), which business experts can understand and interpret. In this thesis, statistical results were expressed as effect sizes like Cohen‟s d that puts the results into standardised and measurable units, which can be reported practically. These effect sizes indicated strength of correlations between variables, contribution of variables to the odds of defaulting, the overall goodness-of-fit of the models and the models‟ discriminating ability between high and low risk customers. / Statistics / M. Sc. (Statistics)

L’architecture au sens strict, qui renvoie à la construction, n’est pas indépendante des déterminations mentales, des images et des valeurs esthétiques, comme références, amenées par divers champs d’intérêt au problème du sens. Elle est, de par ce fait, un objet d’interprétation. Ce qu’on appelle communément « signification architecturale », est un univers vaste dans lequel sont constellées des constructions hypothétiques. En ce qui nous concerne, il s’agit non seulement de mouler la signification architecturale selon un cadre et des matières spécifiques de référence, mais aussi, de voir de près la relation de cette question avec l’attitude de perception de l’homme. Dans l’étude de la signification architecturale, on ne peut donc se détacher du problème de la perception. Au fond, notre travail montrera leur interaction, les moyens de sa mise en œuvre et ce qui est en jeu selon les pratiques théoriques qui la commandent. En posant la question de l’origine de l’acte de perception, qui n’est ni un simple acte de voir, ni un acte contemplatif, mais une forme d’interaction active avec la forme architecturale ou la forme d’art en général, on trouve dans les écrits de l’historien Christian Norberg-Schulz deux types de travaux, et donc deux types de réponses dont nous pouvons d’emblée souligner le caractère antinomique l’une par rapport à l’autre. C’est qu’il traite, dans le premier livre qu’il a écrit, Intentions in architecture (1962), connu dans sa version française sous le titre Système logique de l’architecture (1974, ci-après SLA), de l’expression architecturale et des modes de vie en société comme un continuum, défendant ainsi une approche culturelle de la question en jeu : la signification architecturale et ses temporalités. SLA désigne et représente un système théorique influencé, à bien des égards, par les travaux de l’épistémologie de Jean Piaget et par les contributions de la sémiotique au développement de l’étude de la signification architecturale. Le second type de réponse sur l’origine de l’acte de perception que formule Norberg-Schulz, basé sur sur les réflexions du philosophe Martin Heidegger, se rapporte à un terrain d’étude qui se situe à la dérive de la revendication du fondement social et culturel du langage architectural. Il lie, plus précisément, l’étude de la signification à l’étude de l’être. Reconnaissant ainsi la primauté, voire la prééminence, d’une recherche ontologique, qui consiste à soutenir les questionnements sur l’être en tant qu’être, il devrait amener avec régularité, à partir de son livre Existence, Space and Architecture (1971), des questions sur le fondement universel et historique de l’expression architecturale. Aux deux mouvements théoriques caractéristiques de ses écrits correspond le mouvement que prend la construction de notre thèse que nous séparons en deux parties. La première partie sera ainsi consacrée à l’étude de SLA avec l’objectif de déceler les ambiguïtés qui entourent le cadre de son élaboration et à montrer les types de legs que son auteur laisse à la théorie architecturale. Notre étude va montrer l’aspect controversé de ce livre, lié aux influences qu’exerce la pragmatique sur l’étude de la signification. Il s’agit dans cette première partie de présenter les modèles théoriques dont il débat et de les mettre en relation avec les différentes échelles qui y sont proposées pour l’étude du langage architectural, notamment avec l’échelle sociale. Celle-ci implique l’étude de la fonctionnalité de l’architecture et des moyens de recherche sur la typologie de la forme architecturale et sur sa schématisation. Notre approche critique de cet ouvrage prend le point de vue de la recherche historique chez Manfredo Tafuri. La seconde partie de notre thèse porte, elle, sur les fondements de l’intérêt chez Norberg-Schulz à partager avec Heidegger la question de l’Être qui contribuent à fonder une forme d’investigation existentielle sur la signification architecturale et du problème de la perception . L’éclairage de ces fondements exige, toutefois, de montrer l’enracinement de la question de l’Être dans l’essence de la pratique herméneutique chez Heidegger, mais aussi chez H. G. Gadamer, dont se réclame aussi directement Norberg-Schulz, et de dévoiler, par conséquent, la primauté établie de l’image comme champ permettant d’instaurer la question de l’Être au sein de la recherche architecturale. Sa recherche conséquente sur des valeurs esthétiques transculturelles a ainsi permis de réduire les échelles d’étude de la signification à l’unique échelle d’étude de l’Être. C’est en empruntant cette direction que Norberg-Schulz constitue, au fond, suivant Heidegger, une approche qui a pour tâche d’aborder l’« habiter » et le « bâtir » à titre de solutions au problème existentiel de l’Être. Notre étude révèle, cependant, une interaction entre la question de l’Être et la critique de la technique moderne par laquelle l’architecture est directement concernée, centrée sur son attrait le plus marquant : la reproductibilité des formes. Entre les écrits de Norberg-Schulz et les analyses spécifiques de Heidegger sur le problème de l’art, il existe un contexte de rupture avec le langage de la théorie qu’il s’agit pour nous de dégager et de ramener aux exigences du travail herméneutique, une approche que nous avons nous-même adoptée. Notre méthode est donc essentiellement qualitative. Elle s’inspire notamment des méthodes d’interprétation, de là aussi notre recours à un corpus constitué des travaux de Gilles Deleuze et de Jacques Derrida ainsi qu’à d’autres travaux associés à ce type d’analyse. Notre recherche demeure cependant attentive à des questions d’ordre épistémologique concernant la relation entre la discipline architecturale et les sciences qui se prêtent à l’étude du langage architectural. Notre thèse propose non seulement une compréhension approfondie des réflexions de Norberg-Schulz, mais aussi une démonstration de l’incompatibilité de la phénoménologie de Heidegger et des sciences du langage, notamment la sémiotique. / Architecture, being strictly a means of construction, is not independent of mental decisions, images, and esthetic values coming from various fields of references. It is in fact, as a result of all that, subject to various interpretations. We commonly call the universe where reside these hypothetical constructions: Architectural significance. Talking about architectural significance does not only belong to a specific framework of reference materials but also to its relationship with the attitude of man vis-à-vis “perception”. Studying architectural significance could not therefore ignore the question of “perception” and our research will demonstrate their interaction, and the theoretical and practical means, which allow their realization. In asking the question about the origin of “perception”, which is not a simple act, nor a contemplative one, but rather a moment of an active interaction with the architectural form or the form of art in general, we find in the writings of the historian, Christian Norberg-Schluz two types if works; hence two types of responses that we underline the antinomian character towards each others. It is that Norberg-Schluz leads a reflection in the first book he wrote; Intentions in Architecture (1962), known in French as Système logique de l’architecture (1974), here after referred to as SLA, that treats significance as if a continuum exists between architectural expression and “modes de vie” in society, benefiting as a result a cultural approach to the question. His SLA consists of a theoretical system, which seems to be influenced at many fronts, by works of the epistemology of Jean Piaget and the contributions of semiotics to the development of the studies on architectural significance. The second type of response that formulates Norberg-Schulz regarding the origin of the act of perception in which he aligns himself with the reflections of the Philosopher Martin Heidegger, takes us to a new ground of study which lays the ground for the social and cultural foundations of architectural language and which relates the study of significance to the study of the human being. The step is then ceded to an ontological research; Norberg Schulz would lead with consistence starting with his book Existence, Space, and Architecture (1971) the question about the historical and universal foundations of architectural expression. The construction of this thesis, which we separate into two parts, corresponds to two theoretical movements characterizing the writings of Norberg-Schulz. The first part of this thesis will therefore; be devoted to studying the SLA of Norberg Schulz. Our objective consists of unveiling the ambiguities surrounding the framework of his work and the heritage he left to the architectural theory. Our study will demonstrate the controversial aspect of his SLA related to influences that practice the “pragmatic” on the study of significance. In this first part, it is suggested that we present the theoretical models contained in the SLA and to put them in association with the different dimensions, which are being proposed for the study of architectural language, and especially the social dimension, as a result of formalizing the language of art, initiated by the semiotics and psychology on the meaning of significance. This involves studying the functionality of architecture and the research instruments of the typology of the architectural form and its schematization. Our critical approach of the SLA is based on evaluation that adopts the standpoint of the historical research of Manfredo Tafuri. The second part of our thesis focuses on the foundations of Norberg-Schulz’ interest in sharing with Heidegger the question of the human being, which contributes to the foundations of an existentialist investigation on “significance” and “architectural perception”. Throwing light on these foundations requires demonstrating the roots of the question on the human being in the essence of the hermeneutic practice of Heidegger, and also that of H. G. Gadamer, and it requires revealing the importance of “image” as a foundation for the question of the “human being”. Research on trans-cultural esthetic values allows reducing the study of significance to the only dimension that is of the human being. It’s by taking this direction that Norberg-Schulz along with Heidegger puts the foundations of his approach; the “dwell” and the “build” as means or mediums of manifestations of the question of the human being. Our study reveals in the meantime, the interaction between the question of the “human being” and the critique of the technique in its present form being based on reproducibility. Between the writings of Norberg-Schulz and the specific analysis of Heidegger of the problem of art, there is a context of interruption with the language of the theory that matters for us to clarify and bring closer to the requirements of the hermeneutic, an approach which we also have adopted. Our method is essentially qualitative. It is inspired by the methods of interpretation and works of Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida and also other works annexed to these types of analysis. In the meantime, our research remains attentive to questions of epistemological order concerning the relation between architectural discipline and sciences that study the architectural language. Our thesis suggests not only a deep understanding of Norberg-Schulz’s reflections but also a demonstration of the incompatibility of the phenomenology of Heidegger vis-à-vis the sciences of language, notably semiotics.

Title: Evaluation of body composition analysis using anthropometric measurements and methods based on bioimpedance Aims: The main goal of this study is to analyze correlations of the data from bioimpedance with direct anthropometric measurements using statistical data analysis taking into consideration that the latter data is recognized as a gold standard. Methods: The sample of 42 men and 20 women was evaluated using standard anthropometric techniques. In addition, the dimensions, which are necessary to establish the weight of segments in upper and lower arms. The obtained data was firstly evaluated using a universal software ANTROPO. The both samples were concurrently investigated using the bioimpedance methods and the relationships between the aforementioned data and data from InBody was evaluated by three independent statistical methods such as substantive significance (Cohen's d), two-parameter linear regression and robust Passing- Bablok regression. Results: The results obtained enable to conclude that (with the exception of body height and BMI) the remaining parameters do not sufficiently correlate when using anthropometric measurements and data from InBody. As the relatively low number of participants may result in certain misrepresentation of the results, particularly in women, the...

The thesis adresses the play in role during spontaneous activities children of preschool age in the theoretical and practical dimension. In my mind I have play and activities, where children are not organized or managed and have possibility to freely decided what to do. The introduction of theoretical part of thesis focuses on the importace and meaning of play in human life with insight into the history of games and lists some of its theories. The work is based on theory pf Jean Piaget, who conect the child's play with its intellectual evolution. The second chapter deals with the specific personality of the child of preschool age from the perspective of developmental psychology and development of society focusing on current needs of child to play. The next part of the thesis is related to basic characteristics of current- day nursery schools with respect pre - revolutionary period. The fourth chapter focuses on the meaning of spontaneous activities in nursery school. It identifies the role of adult in these activities, the influence of individual and social differenties of children on play and how influence heterogeneity and homogeneity of this group. The theoretical part concludes with a chapter about the game in the role and its significance for pre-school child. The practical part of the thesis...

The diploma thesis deals with the importance of tourism for the Czech Republic and barriers that hinder from its optimal development. Within the thesis, the document called "55 barriers of tourism in Czech Republic" is analysed and individual barriers are described in details. On the basis of a survey among tourism experts and specialists, the significance of these barriers was updated and evaluated.

Se a publicação dos dois volumes dos Problemas de linguística geral de Émile Benveniste (1966; 1974) se configura em um marco para os estudos enunciativos, a publicação de suas Últimas aulas no Collège de France (1968 e 1969) (2012) – obra estabelecida geneticamente por Jean-Claude Coquet e Irène Fenoglio a partir de manuscritos do linguista e de seus ouvintes – marca, por sua vez, uma volta à discussão de sua reflexão semiológica. Reflexão formulada por Benveniste no decorrer dos anos 60 e apresentada, sobretudo, em seu artigo “Semiologia da língua” (1969/1974). Nessa perspectiva, no presente trabalho, propõe-se a semiologia da língua de Benveniste como objeto de pesquisa. Ao contrário dos estudos correntes na área, neste, não é enfatizado o projeto da metassemântica apresentado programaticamente no final de “Semiologia da língua”, mas se busca compreender a ideia de uma semiologia da língua e o efeito dessa reflexão semiológica sobre o lugar da linguagem nas ciências humanas. Para tanto, de um ponto de vista que parte da noção de historicidade (MESCHONNIC, 1995) e que, através de uma composição vida-obra-teoria (condições de enunciação), busca aprofundar a discussão a respeito do pensamento de Benveniste, realiza-se um estudo teórico de diferentes textos de seus Problemas de linguística geral tomados em contraponto com os manuscritos que compõem suas Últimas aulas. O trabalho se apresenta em três capítulos, ao longo dos quais são formuladas e defendidas duas hipóteses, a primeira referente à ideia de que, além da metassemântica, a semiologia da língua desenvolvida pelo linguista engloba outras relações envolvendo a língua; a segunda referente à ideia de que, com a semiologia da língua, Benveniste torna incontornável uma reflexão a respeito da linguagem nas ciências humanas, uma vez que a língua (e somente a língua, devido a sua dupla significância) é o único sistema que pode interpretar a si mesmo e aos outros sistemas semiológicos. Esse fato faz com que o linguista confira um lugar central à língua em campos do saber fora da linguística. / If the publication of the two volumes of Problems in General Linguistics by Émile Benveniste (1966; 1974) is a landmark for enunciative studies, the publication of his Dernières Leçons. Collège de France 1968 et 1969 [Last Lectures at Collège de France (1968 and 1969)] (2012) – work genetically established by Jean-Claude Coquet and Irène Fenoglio based on the manuscripts of the linguist and his listeners – marks a return to the discussion of his semiological reflection. A reflection Benveniste developed during the 1960s and presented mainly in his article “The Semiology of Language” (1969/1974). Within this perspective, the object of research in this paper is Benveniste's semiology of language. Unlike current studies in this area, this one does not emphasize the project of meta-semantics presented programmatically at the end of “The Semiology of Language”, but seeks to understand the idea of a semiology of language and the effect of this semiological reflection on the place of language in the human sciences. In order to do that, from a standpoint that is based on the notion of historicity (MESCHONNIC, 1995) and that seeks to further the discussion on Benveniste’s thinking through a composition life-work-theory (conditions of enunciation), a theoretical study of different texts of his Problems in General Linguistics is carried out, taken in contrast with the manuscripts that make up his Dernières Leçons. The study is developed in three chapters, along which two hypotheses are formulated and defended. The first refers to the idea that, in addition to the meta-semantics, the semiology of language developed by the linguist includes other relationships involving language. The second refers to the idea that, with the semiology of language, Benveniste makes a reflection on language in the human sciences inevitable, since language (and only language, because of its double significance) is the only system that can interpret itself and other semiological systems. This fact leads the linguist to put language in a central place in fields of knowledge other than linguistics.

Apresenta-se, neste trabalho, o desenvolvimento de um modelo bioinspirado a partir do circuito neural de insetos. Este modelo é obtido através da análise de primeira ordem dada pelo STA (Spike Triggered Average) e pela transferência de informação entre os sinais neurais. São aplicadas técnicas baseadas na identificação dos atrasos de tempo da máxima coerência da informação. Utilizam-se, para esta finalidade, os conceitos da teoria de informação: a DMI (Delayed Mutual Information) e a TE (Transfer Entropy). Essas duas abordagens têm aplicação em transferência de informação, cada uma com suas particularidades. A DMI é uma ferramenta mais simples do que a TE, do ponto de vista computacional, pois depende da análise estatística de funções densidades de probabilidades de segunda ordem, enquanto que a TE, de funções de terceira ordem. Dependendo dos recursos computacionais disponíveis, este é um fator que deve ser levado em consideração. Os resultados de atraso da informação são muito bem identificados pela DMI. No entanto, a DMI falha em distinguir a direção do fluxo de informação, quando se tem sistemas com transferência de informação indireta e com sobreposição da informação. Nesses casos, a TE é a ferramenta mais indicada para a determinação da direção do fluxo de informação, devido à dependência condicional imposta pelo histórico comum entre os sinais analisados. Em circuitos neurais, estas questões ocorrem em diversos casos. No gânglio metatorácico de insetos, os interneurônios locais possuem diferentes padrões de caminhos com sobreposição da informação, pois recebem sinais de diferentes neurônios sensores para o movimento das membros locomotores desses animais. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é propor um modelo do circuito neural do inseto, para mapear como os sinais neurais se comportam, quando sujeitos a um conjunto de movimentos aleatórios impostos no membro do inseto. As respostas neurais são reflexos provocados pelo estímulo táctil, que gera o movimento na junção femorotibial do membro posterior. Nestes circuitos neurais, os sinais neurais são processados por interneurônios locais dos tipos spiking e nonspiking que operam em paralelo para processar a informação vinda dos neurônios sensores. Esses interneurônios recebem sinais de entrada de mecanorreceptores do membro posterior e da junção motora dos insetos. A principal característica dos interneurônios locais é a sua capacidade de se comunicar com outros neurônios, tendo ou não a presença de impulsos nervosos (spiking e nonspiking). Assim, forma-se um circuito neural com sinais de entradas (neurônios sensores) e saídas (neurônios motores). Neste trabalho, os algoritmos propostos analisam desde a geração aleatória dos movimentos mecânicos e os estímulos nos neurônios sensores que chegam até o gânglio metatorácico, incluindo suas respostas nos neurônios motores. São implementados os algoritmos e seus respectivos pseudocódigos para a DMI e para a TE. É utilizada a técnica de Surrogate Data para inferir as medidas de significância estatística em relação à máxima coerência de informação entre os sinais neurais. Os resultados a partir dos Surrogate Data são utilizados para a compensação dos erros de desvio das medidas de transferência de informação. Um algoritmo, baseado na IAAFT (Iterative Amplitude Adjusted Fourier Transform), gera os dados substitutos, com mesmo espectro de potência e diferentes distribuições dos sinais originais. Os resultados da DMI e da TE com os Surrogate Data fornecem os valores das linhas de base quando ocorre a mínima transferência de informação. Além disso, foram utilizados dados simulados, para uma discussão sobre os efeitos dos tamanhos das amostras e as forças de associação da informação. Os sinais neurais coletados estão disponíveis em um banco de dados com diversos experimentos no gânglio metatorácico dos gafanhotos. No entanto, cada experimento possui poucos sinais coletados simultaneamente; assim, para diferentes experimentos, os sinais ficam sujeitos às variações de tamanho de amostras, além de ruídos que interferem nas medidas absolutas de transferência de informação. Para se mapear essas conexões neurais, foi utilizada a metodologia baseada na normalização e compensação dos erros de desvio para os cálculos da transferência de informação. As normalizações das medidas utilizam as entropias totais do sistema. Para a DMI, utiliza-se a média geométrica das entropias de X e Y , para a TE aplica-se a CMI (Conditional Mutual Information) para a sua normalização. Após a aplicação dessas abordagens, baseadas no STA e na transferência de informação, apresenta-se o modelo estrutural do circuito neural do sistema neuromotor de gafanhotos. São apresentados os resultados com o STA e a DMI para os neurônios sensores, dos quais são levantadas algumas hipóteses sobre o funcionamento desta parte do FeCO (Femoral Chordotonal Organ). Para cada tipo de neurônio foram identificados múltiplos caminhos no circuito neural, através dos tempos de atraso e dos valores de máxima coerência da informação. Nos interneurônios spiking obtiveram-se dois padrões de caminhos, enquanto que para os interneurônios nonspiking identificaram-se três padrões distintos. Esses resultados são obtidos computacionalmente e condizem com que é esperado a partir dos modelos biológicos descritos em Burrows (1996). / Herein, we present the development of a bioinspired model by the neural circuit of insects. This model is obtained by analyzing the first order from STA (Spike Triggered Average) and the transfer of information among neural signals. Techniques are applied based on the identification of the time delays of the information maximum coherence. For this purpose we use the concepts of the theory of information: DMI (Delayed Mutual Information) and TE (Transfer Entropy). These two approaches have applications on information transfer and each one has peculiarities. The DMI is a simpler tool than the TE, from the computational point of view. Therefore, DMI depends on the statistical analysis of second order probability density functions, whereas the TE depends on third order functions. If computational resources are a problem, those questions can be taken into consideration. The results of the information delay are very effective for DMI. However, DMI fails to distinguish the direction of the information flow when we have systems subjected to indirect information transfer and superposition of the information. In these cases, the TE is the most appropriate tool for determining the direction of the information flow, due to the conditional dependence imposed by a common history among the signals. In neural circuits, those issues occur in many cases. For example, in metathoracic ganglion of insects, the local interneurons have different pathways with superposition of the information. Therefore, the interneurons receive signals from different sensory neurons for moving the animals legs . The main objective of this work is propose a model of the neural circuit from an insect. Additionally, we map the neural signals when the hind leg is subjected to a set of movements. Neural responses are reflexes caused by tactile stimulus, which generates the movement of femoro-tibial joint of the hind leg. In these neural circuits, the signals are processed by neural spiking and nonspiking local interneurons. These types of neurons operate in parallel processing of the information from the sensory neurons. Interneurons receive input signals from mechanoreceptors by the leg and the insect knees. The main feature of local interneurons is their ability to communicate with others neurons. It can occur with or without of the presence of impulses (spiking and nonspiking). Thus, they form a neural circuit with input signals (sensory neurons) and outputs (motor neurons). The proposed algorithms analyze the random generation of movements and mechanical stimuli in sensory neurons. Which are processing in the metathoracic ganglion, including their responses in the motor neurons. The algorithms and the pseudo-code are implemented for TE and DMI. The technique of Surrogate Data is applied to infer the measures of statistical significance related to the information maximum coherence among neural signals. The results of the Surrogate Data are used for bias error compensation from information transfer. An algorithm, based on IAAFT (Iterative Amplitude Adjusted Fourier Transform), generates Surrogate Data with the same power spectrum and different distributions of the original signals. The results of the surrogate data, for DMI and TE, achieve the values of baselines when there are minimum information transfer. Additionally, we used simulated data to discuss the effects of sample sizes and different strengths of information connectivity. The collected neural signals are available from one database based on several experiments of the locusts metathoracic ganglion. However, each experiment has few simultaneously collected signals and the signals are subjected of variations in sample size and absolute measurements noisy of information transfer. We used a methodology based on normalization and compensation of the bias errors for computing the information transfer. The normalization of the measures uses the total entropy of the system. For the DMI, we applied the geometric mean of X and Y . Whereas, for the TE is computed the CMI (Conditional Mutual Information) for the normalization. We present the neural circuit structural model of the locusts neuromotor system, from those approaches based on STA and the information transfer. Some results are presented from STA and DMI for sensory neurones. Then, we achieve some new hypothesis about the neurophisiology function of FeCO. For each type of neuron, we identify multiple pathways in neural circuit through the time delay and the information maximum coherence. The spiking interneurons areyielded by two pathways, whereas the nonspiking interneurons has revealed three distinct patterns. These results are obtained computationally and are consistent with biological models described in Burrows (1996).

This three-year PhD study looks at heritage performance in impact assessment (IA) practices, analysing the urban planning context and management experiences of selected urban World Heritage (WH) sites in the UK. The research develops recommendations for assessing the impact of plans, programmes and projects on heritage values in culturally significant urban areas with the emphasis on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of large-scale projects in an urban environment. The research analyses theoretical and empirical approaches to heritage management, investigates methodologies for heritage IA and explores opportunities for and barriers to improved heritage IA in the context of current UK policy. In particular, the research contributes with the conceptual framework of identification, interpretation and management of the cultural heritage in the urban planning system. The review of academic and other relevant literature helped to develop the conceptual framework. The data was collected by means of desk-based documents analysis, case studies, focus-group seminars and an on-line Questionnaire with the experts in the heritage and IA fields. The world’s most well-known and arguably most protected sites with officially identified Outstanding Universal Value – WH sites – provide general lessons for the heritage management and IA of new developments and infrastructure projects. The management of UK WH sites could be said to have the features of what is known as a values-based approach to conservation. This approach emphasises the identification of cultural heritage significance with the early participation of different stakeholders in the planning process; the latter has a scope for improvement in the UK context. Research on the boundaries of the heritage and IA fields leads to an improved understanding of cultural heritage and provides a framework for the IA process. The developed framework and the criteria for an enabling environment could be useful for achieving agreement between the different stakeholders, and could allow a smoother planning decision-making process, leading in turn to a reduced need for monitoring from international bodies. The results are useful for planners and developers in the context of western practice, and could also be relevant to the development of international guidelines.

Economics plays a significant role in decision-making in contemporary western societies, but its role is increasingly questioned. A recurring topic among the challenges raised by critics is that economics as a discipline lacks sufficient pluralism. That is, it fails to enable, encourage, and respect the use of different ontologies, methodologies, theories, and/or schools of thought to study economic reality. Has this been a productive critique? Does talk about pluralism help identify genuine problems in the discipline? Pluralism in economics could draw support from the current consensus in philosophy that pluralism in science is a good thing. I argue, however, that the claim that economic research is insufficiently pluralist is unlikely to convince economists who believe economics is already pluralist enough and that it does not offer unambiguous recommendations for change. This is because there are too many legitimate ways to interpret how pluralism maps to practice. There are numerous variables that pluralist ideals might focus on-the things that they seek multiple rather than one of-and different interpretations of how many of those variables economics has in practice. Yet, as I go on to argue, this does not mean that talk of pluralism is entirely beside the point, since the reasons pluralists offer for their ideals do help to identify genuine problems in economics. The social epistemic strategies that arguments for pluralism recommend point us to three concrete issues in the way economic research is organised: gender imbalances, a steep internal hierarchy, and a dismissive attitude to outsiders. I show that economic research could be more progressive, representative of the interests of those in society, accepted, and legitimate and less likely to fall into bias if the discipline alleviated its gender imbalances, if it were less hierarchical, and if it had a healthier relationship with outsiders. In chapter 1, I outline the debate about pluralism in economics and explain how my thesis utilises a novel approach to social epistemology to offer a way out of the impasse in which that the debate presently resides. In chapter 2, I explain the different philosophical arguments for pluralism in science and categorise them using the variables they focus on and the reasons they give for pluralism. In chapter 3, I argue that interpreting pluralism as a particular arrangement of variables for economics to attain does not lead to unambiguous recommendations for change because it leaves too much open. Yet, I go on to argue, in chapter 4, that drawing on the reasons for pluralism can provide a set of heuristics for piecemeal evaluations of the social epistemic practices in economics. In chapters 5, 6, and 7, I apply these heuristics to economics. I provide evidence that [a] women are outnumbered in economics and face an adverse environment in the discipline, that [b] economics is steeply hierarchical, and that [c] economists form an in-group that assumes superiority and frequently dismisses outside voices. I argue that these three features of economic research block avenues for productive forms of feedback (mechanisms that help to challenge, justify, and refine scientific knowledge), block the interests of certain perspectives being heard, and block public scrutiny of the decisions made by economists.