In spite of its 150 years history, the problem of classifying all finite-dimensional division algebras over a field k is still unsolved whenever k is not algebraically closed. The present thesis concerns some different aspects of this problem, and the related problems of classifying all composition and absolute valued algebras. A tripartition of the class of all fields is given, based on the dimensions in which division algebras over a field exist. Moreover, all finite-dimensional flexible real division algebras are classified. This class includes in particular all finite-dimensional commutative real division algebras, of which two different classifications, along different lines, are presented. It is shown that every vector product algebra has dimension zero, one, three or seven, and that its isomorphism type is determined by its adherent quadratic form. This yields a new and elementary proof for the corresponding, classical result for unital composition algebras. A rotation in a Euclidean space is an orthogonal map that locally acts as a plane rotation with a fixed angle. All pairs of rotations in finite-dimensional Euclidean spaces are classified up to orthogonal similarity. A description of all composition algebras having an LR-bijective idempotent is given. On the basis of this description, all absolute valued algebras having a one-sided unity or a non-zero central idempotent are classified.

Many real world problems in science and engineering can be treated as optimization problems with multiple objectives or criteria. The demand for fast and robust stochastic algorithms to cater to the optimization needs is very high. When the cost function for the problem is nonlinear and non-differentiable, direct search approaches are the methods of choice. Many such approaches use the greedy criterion, which is based on accepting the new parameter vector only if it reduces the value of the cost function. This could result in fast convergence, but also in misconvergence where it could lead the vectors to get trapped in local minima. Inherently, parallel search techniques have more exploratory power. These techniques discourage premature convergence and consequently, there are some candidate solution vectors which do not converge to the global minimum solution at any point of time. Rather, they constantly explore the whole search space for other possible solutions. In this thesis, we concentrate on benchmarking three popular algorithms: Real-valued Genetic Algorithm (RGA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Differential Evolution (DE). The DE algorithm is found to out-perform the other algorithms in fast convergence and in attaining low-cost function values. The DE algorithm is selected and used to build a model for forecasting auroral oval boundaries during a solar storm event. This is compared against an established model by Feldstein and Starkov. As an extended study, the ability of the DE is further put into test in another example of a nonlinear system study, by using it to study and design phase-locked loop circuits. In particular, the algorithm is used to obtain circuit parameters when frequency steps are applied at the input at particular instances.

The accumulating impacts from human development are threatening water quality and availability in the watersheds of Western Canada. While environmental impact assessment (EIA) is tasked with identifying such cumulative impacts, the practice is limited to individual projects, is not widely applied, overlooks activities occurring on the landscape, and fails to capture the effects of multiple projects over time. Limitations of the project-by-project approach are spurring the emergence of a regional framework for assessing aquatic cumulative effects within watershed boundaries. Watershed-based cumulative effects assessment (WCEA) will need a standard set of ecosystem components and indicators for assessment across the watershed, but it is not clear how such valued ecosystem components (VECs) and related measurable parameters should be identified. This study examined how aquatic VECs and indicators were used within project-based EIA in the South Saskatchewan River watershed and considered whether they could be scaled up for use in WCEA. A semi-quantitative analysis compared a hierarchy of assessment components and measurable parameters identified in the environmental impact statements of 28 federal screening, 5 federal comprehensive and 2 provincial environmental assessments from the South Saskatchewan River watershed, and examined factors affecting aquatic VEC selection. While provincial assessments were available online or at a central archive, federal assessments were difficult to access. Results showed that regulatory compliance was the dominant factor influencing VEC selection, followed by the preferences of government agencies with different mandates, and that provincial licensing arrangements interfered with VEC selection. The frequency of VECs and indicators used for aquatic assessment within EIA does not reflect the aquatic cumulative effect assessment (CEA) priorities for the watershed. The effective selection of VECs and indicators for aquatic cumulative effects assessment in practice requires both the implementation of WCEA and updating of guidelines for project-based EIA.

The accumulating impacts from human development are threatening water quality and availability in the watersheds of Western Canada. While environmental impact assessment (EIA) is tasked with identifying such cumulative impacts, the practice is limited to individual projects, is not widely applied, overlooks activities occurring on the landscape, and fails to capture the effects of multiple projects over time. Limitations of the project-by-project approach are spurring the emergence of a regional framework for assessing aquatic cumulative effects within watershed boundaries. Watershed-based cumulative effects assessment (WCEA) will need a standard set of ecosystem components and indicators for assessment across the watershed, but it is not clear how such valued ecosystem components (VECs) and related measurable parameters should be identified. This study examined how aquatic VECs and indicators were used within project-based EIA in the South Saskatchewan River watershed and considered whether they could be scaled up for use in WCEA. A semi-quantitative analysis compared a hierarchy of assessment components and measurable parameters identified in the environmental impact statements of 28 federal screening, 5 federal comprehensive and 2 provincial environmental assessments from the South Saskatchewan River watershed, and examined factors affecting aquatic VEC selection. While provincial assessments were available online or at a central archive, federal assessments were difficult to access. Results showed that regulatory compliance was the dominant factor influencing VEC selection, followed by the preferences of government agencies with different mandates, and that provincial licensing arrangements interfered with VEC selection. The frequency of VECs and indicators used for aquatic assessment within EIA does not reflect the aquatic cumulative effect assessment (CEA) priorities for the watershed. The effective selection of VECs and indicators for aquatic cumulative effects assessment in practice requires both the implementation of WCEA and updating of guidelines for project-based EIA.

<p>When behavior is directed toward activities, people, and experiences that people find most important in their lives, they are engaged in valued living. Given that valued living is associated with well-being, quality of life, and happiness, understanding ways in which value-concordant behavior can be promoted, enhanced, and maintained is of utmost importance. Two studies sought to examine the associations between mindfulness--as a dispositional trait and as developed through training--and valued living. In Study 1 dispositional mindfulness was strongly related to three aspects of valued living: the general tendency for people to understand their values and act in value-consistent ways; directing behavior toward valued activities; and clarity of, action toward, and feelings of success and satisfaction with action toward specific important values. Study 2 compared valued living scores of people participating in a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program to a control group. Mindfulness training was related to increased general valuing processes and value-relevant behavior but was not related to increased clarity of, action, or success or satisfaction with action toward specific values. </p><p>The two studies also explored the mechanisms underlying the relationship between mindfulness and valued living. In Study 1, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and self-clarity each partially mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and valued living, but decentering did not. In Study 2, change in attention mediated the relationship between group (MBSR or control) and valued living, but acceptance, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, self-clarity, and decentering did not. Lastly, both studies found that valued living mediated the relationship between mindfulness and well-being. Taken together, these findings add to the growing body of literature demonstrating the benefits of mindfulness and highlight the important influence that clearly identifying and behaving in accordance with important values has on well-being.</p> / Dissertation

We propose a paraconsistent declarative semantics of possibly inconsistent generalized logic programs which allows for arbitrary formulas in the body and in the head of a rule (i.e. does not depend on the presence of any specific connective, such as negation(-as-failure), nor on any specific syntax of rules). For consistent generalized logic programs this semantics coincides with the stable generated models introduced in [HW97], and for normal logic programs it yields the stable models in the sense of [GL88].

Tyrimo tikslas - įvertinti vyresnio amžiaus žmonių subjektyvią sveikatą, dvasingumą, laimingumą bei socialinį aktyvumą ir nustatyti subjektyviai vertinamos sveikatos sąsajas su dvasingumu, laimingumu, socialiniu aktyvumu. Ilgėjant gyvenimo trukmei ir senstant visuomenėms, ypač Vakarų Europoje, vis aktualesne tema tampa vyresnio amžiaus žmonių aktyvus ir sveikas gyvenimas. Tobulėjant medicinai ir augant medikamentinių priemonių pasirinkimui ieškoma alternatyvių vyresnio amžiaus žmonių sveikatą palaikančių ir stiprinančių būdų. Žinoma, tarp pastarųjų ne išimtis, o gal net vienas iš svarbiausių yra ir paties žmogaus elgesys skatinantis sveikatą. Tyrime dalyvavo 173 (102 moterys ir 71 vyras) Šilutės miesto ir rajono gyventojai nuo 59 iki 85 metų amžiaus. Subjektyviai vertinama sveikata matuota sudaryta keturių klausimų skale paimta iš A. Goštauto (1999 m.) mokomosios medžiagos sveikatos psichologijos kursui. Dvasingumas tirtas trumpa plataus profilio religingumo/dvasingumo matavimo skale sudaryta 1999 metais bendradarbiaujant Fetzer istitutui su Nacionaliniu senėjimo instituto darbo grupe. Respondentų laimingumas apskaičiuotas Subjektyvaus laimingumo skale, sukurta S. Lyubomirsky 1999 m. Socialinis aktyvumas matuotas naudojant modifikuotus klausimus sudarytus 2008 m. doc. dr. Loretos Gustainienės ir Vilijos Banevičienės. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad subjektyviai vertinamai sveikatai įtakos turi amžius, išsilavinimas, darbinė veikla ir gyvenamoji vieta. Dvasingumas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The purpose of this study is assess subjective health, spirituality, happiness, social activity and estimate subjective valued health relations with spirituality, happiness and social activity between older people. At the last time when the life expectancy is rising and the societies are aging constantly especially in western Europe, one of the more relevant topic becomes active and healthy life of elderly‘s. Here helps advance of medicine and growing choise of medical devices. Furthermore there are looking for alternative choices for older people in health – supporting and enhancing ways. And of course the own human behavior is not an exception as it can promote the health too. The study included 173 (102 women and 71 men) residents of Šilute town and district whose age was from 59 to 85 years old. Subjectively assessed health measured by a scale consisting of four questions taken from A. Goštautas (1999) teaching materials health psychology course. Spirituality was studied in a short broad profile of religious/ spirituality dimension scale formed in 1999 in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute and National Institute on Aging Worging Group. Happiness of the respondents estimated with subjective happiness scale developed by S. Lyubomirsky 1999. Social activity was measured using a modified version of the questions drawn up by doc. Dr. Loreta Gustainienė and Vilija Banevičienė in 2008. The results of the research showed that the subjectively valued health of the... [to full text]

An integer-valued polynomial is a polynomial with rational coefficients that takes an integer value when evaluated at an integer. The binomial polynomials form a regular basis for the Z-module of all integer-valued polynomials. Using the idea of a p-ordering and a p-sequence, Bhargava describes a similar characterization for polynomials that are integer-valued on some subset of the integers. This thesis focuses on characterizing the polynomials that are integer-valued on the Fibonacci numbers. For a certain class of primes p, we give a formula for the p-sequence of the Fibonacci numbers and an algorithm for finding a p-ordering using Coelho and Parry’s results on the distribution of the Fibonacci numbers modulo powers of primes. Knowing the p-sequence, we can then find a p-local regular basis for the polynomials that are integer-valued on the Fibonacci numbers using Bhargava’s methods. A regular basis can be constructed from p-local bases for all primes p.

In this thesis we discuss amenability properties of the Banach algebra-valued continuous functions on a compact Hausdorff space X. Let A be a Banach algebra. The space of A-valued continuous functions on X, denoted by C(X,A), form a new Banach algebra. We show that C(X,A) has a bounded approximate diagonal (i.e. it is amenable) if and only if A has a bounded approximate diagonal. We also show that if A has a compactly central approximate diagonal then C(X,A) has a compact approximate diagonal. We note that, unlike C(X), in general C(X,A) is not a C*-algebra, and is no longer commutative if A is not so. Our method is inspired by a work of M. Abtahi and Y. Zhang. In addition to the above investigation, we directly construct a bounded approximate diagonal for C0(X), the Banach algebra of the closure of compactly supported continuous functions on a locally compact Hausdorff space X.

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