As the availability of unstructured data on the web continues to increase, it is becoming increasingly necessary to develop machine learning methods that rely less on human annotated training data. In this thesis, we present methods for learning from weakly labeled data. We present a unifying framework to understand weakly labeled data in terms of bias and noise and identify methods that are well suited to learning from certain types of weak labels. To compensate for the tremendous sizes of weakly labeled datasets, we leverage computationally efficient and statistically consistent spectral methods. Using these methods, we present results from four diverse, real-world applications coupled with a unifying simulation environment. This allows us to make general observations that would not be apparent when examining any one application on its own. These contributions allow us to significantly improve prediction when labeled data is available, and they also make learning tractable when the cost of acquiring annotated data is prohibitively high.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Ce travail est axé vers la compréhension détaillée des propriétés de luminescence de composés de certains métaux lourds. La première partie de ce mémoire décrit la caractérisation spectroscopique d'un radical de type nitronyle nitroxyde, 2-(2-pyridinyl)-4,4,5,5-tétraméthyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazolyl-1-oxyl-3-oxyde, abrégé (NIT2-Py), et de ses complexes avec les cations Tb(III), [Tb(hfac)3NIT2-Py], et Y(III), [Y(hfac)3NIT2-Py]. La variation de la température affecte les spectres de luminescence qui montrent de la structure vibronique résolue. Les maxima de ces transitions vibroniques se rapprochent au fur et à mesure que la température augmente. Ces variations des maxima en fonction de la température ne correspondent pas à des variations de fréquences vibrationnelles et sont de l'ordre de 200 cm-1 entre 80 K et 240 K. La variation de la température n'a pas d'influence significative sur la structure moléculaire, comme atteste la variation mineure des maxima des spectres Raman entre 80 K et 300 K. La comparaison des spectres expérimentaux à des spectres calculés montre que ces variations peuvent être reproduites par l'utilisation d'une combinaison de fréquences vibrationnelles. Le paramètre dont la variation est très significative est la résolution du spectre de luminescence, représentée par la largeur à mi-hauteur des transitions vibroniques qui forment le spectre de luminescence. La deuxième partie de ce mémoire décrit les propriétés de luminescence d'une série de complexes d’or(I). Elles sont comparées aux changements structuraux à pression et température variable. Les interactions aurophiles ont une grande influence sur la luminescence. La variation de la température et de la pression est une approche efficace pour varier la luminescence. Les effets observés dans les spectres d'émission de ces complexes dépendent des changements de structure induits par variation de la température et de la pression. Ces petites variations structurales mènent à des changements importants, à titre d'exemple à un déplacement du maximum de la bande de luminescence de 60 cm-1/ kbar vers les faibles énergies pour un des complexes de l'or(I) étudiés au cours de ce projet. / The overall goal of this work is to contribute to the understanding of luminescence properties of transition metal compounds. The first part of this thesis describes the spectroscopic characterization of a pyridine-substituted nitronyl nitroxyde radical 2-(2-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazolyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl abbreviated (NIT2-Py) and its complexes with Tb(III) and Y(III), [Tb(hfac)3NIT2-Py] and [Y(hfac)3NIT2-Py], respectively. Their luminescence spectrum show resolved vibronic structure and variations with temperature The energy difference between vibronic luminescence maxima decreases with increasing temperature. This decrease is on the order of 200 cm-1 between 80 K and 240 K and is not due to decreasing Raman frequencies. The variations of temperature do not have a significant influence on the molecular structures, as illustrated by the very small variation of Raman maxima between 80 K and 300 K. Luminescence spectra were calculated using the time dependent theory of spectroscopy. Calculated luminescence spectra show that the variations with temperature are reproduced by using specific combinations of experimental frequencies and by adjusting the width of the vibronic transitions, determining the resolution of the luminescence spectrum. The second part of the thesis describes the luminescence spectroscopic properties of a series of trimetallic gold(I) complexes at variable temperature and pressure. Aurophilic interactions are very important for these compounds and influence the luminescence spectra. The spectroscopic features are compared to structural changes at variable temperature and pressure. Even small changes in structure lead to significant changes in luminescence, for example a shift of the maximum of the luminescence band by 60 cm-1/ kbar to lower energy for one of the gold(I) complexes studied.

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

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

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

The aim of this thesis is to gain insight into the problems that pupils have when switching between verbal and algebraic expressions, through the analysis of their problem-solving processes. The work is divided into theoretical and experimental parts. The theoretical part of the paper contains three sections. The first describes the analysis of three selected Czech textbooks series for primary schools in terms of teaching the concept of variables and algebraic expressions. The next section deals with international comparative research TIMSS and the success of Czech pupils of year 8 in algebra. In the third section, results of international research concerning the issue of transition between verbal and algebraic expressions are described. The main part of the work is the experimental part, it aims to describe the difficulties encountered by pupils in algebra and to identify their likely sources. The basis for the own research was a set of 9 problems based on released TIMSS problems. The target group of pupils was year 9 of primary school, with whom the investigation was carried out via think-aloud interviews. First, a pilot study was conducted on a sample of 3 pupils, during which a set of test problems was checked. The main study involved 8 pupils. The think-aloud interviews were recorded and later...

This June one of the biggest and most popular sports tournaments will take place in Austria and Switzerland, the European soccer championship 2008 (UEFA EURO 2008). Therefore millions of soccer fans in Europe and throughout the world are asking themselves: "Who is going to win the EURO 2008?" Many people, including sports experts and former players, give their guesses and expectations in the media, but there is also a group with financial incentives, like some economists who expect economical increases for the country of the winning team and bookmakers and their customers who directly make money with their beliefs. Some predictions are only guesses, but other predictions are based on quantitative methods, such as the studies of UBS Wealth Management Research Switzerland and the Raiffeisen Zentralbank. In this report we will introduce a new method for predicting the winner. Whereas other prediction methods are based on historical data, e.g., the Elo rating, or the FIFA/Coca Cola World rating, our method is based on current expectations, the bookmakers odds for winning the championship. In particular we use the odds for winning the championship for each of the 16 teams of 45 international bookmakers. By interpreting these odds as rating of the expected strength of the teams by the bookmakers, we derive a consensus rating by modelling the log-odds using a random-effects model with a team-specific random effect and a bookmaker-specific fixed effect. The consensus rating of a team can be used as an estimator for the unknown "true" strength of a team. Our method predicts team Germany with a probability of about 18.7% as the EURO 2008 winner. We predict also that the teams playing the final will be Germany and Spain with a probability of 13.9%, where Germany will win with a probability of 55%. In our study, Italy, the favorite according to the current FIFA/Coca Cola World ranking and Elo ranking, has a much lower probability than these teams to win the tournament: only 10.6%. The defending champion Greece has low chances to win the title again: about 3.4%. Furthermore, the expected performance of the host countries, Austria and Switzerland, is much better in the bookmakers consensus than in the retrospective Elo and FIFA/Coca Cola World ratings, i.e., indicating an (expected) home court advantage. Despite the associated increase in the winning probabilities, both teams have rather poor chances to win the tournament with probabilities of 1.3% and 4.0%, respectively. In a group effect study we investigate how much the classification into the four groups (A-D) affects the chance for a team to win the championship. / Series: Research Report Series / Department of Statistics and Mathematics

A two-dimensional mathematical model is adopted to investigate the development of buoyancy driven circulation patterns and temperature contours inside a rectangular enclosure filled with a compressible fluid where one of the vertical walls of the enclosure is kept at a higher temperature than the opposite one. Fluid thermodynamic and transport properties are assumed to be functions of temperature. The governing equations are discretized using second order accurate differencing for spatial and temporal derivatives and then linearized using Newton's linearization method. The resulting set of algebraic equations is solved using the Coupled Modified Strongly Implicit Procedure for the unknowns of the problem. The results of this study show that the variable property model predicts lower values for wall heat fluxes and Nu number than the constant property one for Rayleigh numbers between 104 and 105.

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como finalidad analizar si el salario y flexibilidad horaria influyen en la rotación del personal del área de salón, en los restaurantes de 24 horas de Lima Metropolitana, motivo que pone en peligro la operatividad y permanencia de toda una empresa en este rubro. En el primer capítulo sea ha trabajado el marco teórico, y la problemática. En este capítulo se ha considerado la parte legal, los ministerios como el MINCETUR (Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo) y el MTPE (Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo); así como, la gastronomía en el Perú y su influencia internacional. De igual forma, se desarrolla la estructura de los establecimientos de restauración y el comportamiento humano. En el segundo capítulo, se ha considerado la metodología de la investigación, el planteamiento de la misma, la descripción del contexto interno, externo de las entrevistas, los segmentos a analizarse y por último el procesamiento de las entrevistas que se dieron durante la investigación. En el capítulo tres, se muestra el análisis de las entrevistas realizadas y los datos; así como la obtención de los resultados a fin de dar respuesta a nuestras preguntas de investigación planteadas en la investigación, las mismas que están alineadas a nuestros objetivos específicos. Así mismo, en el capítulo cuatro, se ha detallado los hallazgos, barreras y brechas que se encontraron en las entrevistas realizadas. Y por último, en el quinto capítulo, se ha considerado las conclusiones y recomendaciones para la presente investigación. / The present research work aims to analyze if the salary and flexible hours influence lto the turnover of the lounge, area in restaurants in 24 hours of Metropolitan Lima, which threatens the operability and permanence of a undertaking in this area. In the first chapter is has worked the theoretical framework, and the problems. This chapter has been considered the legal part, the ministries as the MINCETUR (Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo) and the MTPE (Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo); as well as the gastronomy in the Peru and its international influence. Similarly, the structure of establishments catering and human behavior develops. In the second chapter, has been considered the methodology of research, the same approach, the description of the internal, external context of interviews, segments to be analyzed and finally processing of interviews which occurred during the research. Chapter three, shows the analysis of the interviews and data; as well as the results in order to provide answers to our research questions raised in the research, which are aligned to specific goals. Likewise, in chapter four, it has detailed findings, barriers and gaps that were found in the interviews. And finally, in the fifth chapter, has been considered the conclusions and recommendations to the present investigation. / Tesis