Academic literature on the topic 'Programmes de convergence'

The following study was conducted over 21 months in the South Pacific. I served as Academic Coordinator for World Learning’s SIT’s Study Abroad program in Samoa for three semesters. While overseeing independent study projects, facilitating working relationships, and promoting cross-cultural communication among the American and Pacific Islander/Samoan tertiary students, I concluded that -- through cultural immersion, experiential education and deliberate, academically fostered communication and discussion both Western and Indigenous identities are capable of converging to better mutual and lasting understanding. I spent ten months in Samoa completing my field research and five months in New Zealand completing my library research. Over the course of three academic semesters, this study evolved through my volunteer work with the group Rotaract Samoa, my research and teaching experiences with an experiential education programme, and indirectly incorporating 36 American students from various US tertiary institutions participating in the SIT Study Abroad’s Pacific Communities and Social Change semester in Samoa, and over 120 Pacific Island students and staff on the University of the South Pacific (USP) campus in Alafua, Samoa. Encouraging American students to foster relationships with indigenous peoples offered insights into the process and progress of the students’ shared interactions. Students were uncomfortable and awkward in their initial associations, however, over time, through the program’s immersion techniques, the students learned valuable lessons, about Samoan culture and themselves as human beings. I found the use of experiential education programmes and convergence methodology in multicultural learning environments ultimately promoted multi-perspective, culturally responsive student development. I collected my data through interviews, participant-observations, surveys, questionnaires, volunteering and teaching. I analysed my data using a self-reflexive anthropological perspective.

This research investigates how the production and distribution of nationally produced television programmes, films and other audiovisual content can be promoted by regulation. The study identifies current regulatory tools to promote national content and differences in policy approaches. It also identifies new issues resulting from the substantial transformation the media environment has undergone in recent years. The audiovisual sector today is characterised by an abundance of television channels and telecommunication services and by ongoing digital convergence, all impacting on the effectiveness and rationale of content regulation. Focused on the UK, France and Brazil, this comparative research investigates the political, regulatory, socio-cultural, economic, technological and market changes of the communication services in the recent decades and how this has impacted on the provision of national audiovisual content. The starting point of the analysis are the 1980s, when broadcasting started to be gradually liberalised, and it concludes in the 2000s, when information technologies, telecommunications and broadcasting converge into interconnected, complementary and supplementary services. This research offers a three step method of analysis which contributes to a new understanding of the mechanisms and implications involved in the production and distribution of nationally produced content in digital times. In the first step, the various socio-cultural aims of communication services as enacted in legislation are analysed. The second step explores the consequent regulatory tools for the fulfilment of those objectives. The third step provides a market evaluation of the audiovisual industries, which broadcasters and other distribution platforms provide which kind of content, and also looks at audiences‟ viewing preferences to get a better understanding of what type of content should be supported through legislation. As outcomes, this research proposes to academics, policymakers and regulators a new definition for national content and a series of regulatory actions for fostering national audiovisual industries in times of digital convergence.

Cette thèse comporte des résultats théoriques et pratiques sur deux métaheuristiques, la Recherche Dispersée et la Recherche Voisinage variable (RVV), ainsi que sur des Matheuristiques. Au niveau théorique, la contribution principale de cette thèse est la proposition d’un algorithme de recherche dispersée avec l’arrondi directionnel convergent pour les programmes en nombres entiers mixtes (0-1 MIP), avec une preuve de cette convergence en un nombre fini d’itérations. En se basant sur cet algorithme convergeant, deux implémentations et plusieurs heuristiques sont proposées et testées sur des instances de 0-1 MIP. Les versions testées reposent sur des implémentations non optimisées pour mettre en évidence la puissance des approches dans une forme simplifiée. Nos résultats démontrent l’efficacité de ces approches initiales, ce qui les rend attractives lorsque des solutions de très haute qualité sont recherchées avec un investissement approprié en termes d’effort de calcul. Cette thèse inclut également quelques nouvelles variantes de la métaheuristique Recherche Voisinage Variable telles qu’une recherche voisinage variable deux niveaux, une recherche voisinage variable imbriquée, une descente voisinage variable cyclique et une heuristique de plongée voisinage variable. En outre, plusieurs implémentations efficaces de ces algorithmes basés sur la recherche voisinage variable ont été appliquées avec succès à des problèmes NP-Difficiles apparaissant en transport, logistique, production d’énergie, ordonnancement, et segmentation. Les heuristiques proposées se sont avérées être les nouvelles heuristiques de référence sur tous les problèmes considérés. La dernière contribution de cette thèse repose sur la proposition de plusieurs matheuristiques pour résoudre le problème de Conception de Réseau Multi-flots avec Coût fixe (CRMC). Les performances de ces matheuristiques ont été évaluées sur un ensemble d’instances de référence du CRMC. Les résultats obtenus démontrent la compétitivité des approches proposées par rapport aux approches existantes de la littérature<br>This thesis consists of results obtained studying Scatter Search, Variable Neighbourhood Search (VNS), and Matheuristics in both theoretical and practical context. Regarding theoretical results, one of the main contribution of this thesis is a convergent scatter search with directional rounding algorithm for 0-1 Mixed Integer Programs (MIP) with the proof of its finite convergence. Besides this, a convergent scatter search algorithm is accompanied by two variants of its implementation. Additionally, several scatter search based heuristics, stemming from a convergent scatter search algorithm have been proposed and tested on some instances of 0-1 MIP. The versions of the methods tested are first stage implementations to establish the power of the methods in a simplified form. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of these first stage methods, which makes them attractive for use in situations where very high quality solutions are sought with an efficient investment of computational effort.This thesis also includes new variants of Variable Neighborhood Search metaheuristic such as a two-level variable neighborhood search, a nested variable neighborhood search, a cyclic variable neighborhood descent and a variable neighborhood diving. Additionally, several efficient implementation of those variable neighborhood search algorithms have been successfully applied for solving NP-Hard problems appearing in transportation, logistics, power generation, scheduling and clustering. On all tested problems, the proposed VNS heuristics turned out to be a new state-of-the art heuristics. The last contribution of this thesis consists of proposing several matheuristics for solving Fixed-Charge Multicommodity Network Design (MCND) problem. The performances of these matheuristics have been disclosed on benchmark instances for MCND. The obtained results demonstrate the competitiveness of the proposed matheuristics with other existing approaches in the literature

La politique fiscale est importante pour le financement du développement, en particulier dans le contexte d'une marge de manœuvre fiscale limitée, comme c'est le cas dans de nombreux pays en développement. Cette thèse étudie le potentiel de la politique fiscale en tant qu'atout pour financer le développement. Elle explore quatre questions fondamentales sur l'efficacité de cet outil politico-économique et la mobilisation des ressources. Le premier essai analyse l'impact des transferts de fonds des migrants sur les recettes fiscales non liées aux ressources naturelles des pays bénéficiaires de ces transferts et la manière dont la stabilité des institutions modifie cette relation. Les résultats montrent une association positive principalement à travers son effet sur les impôts indirects. En outre, la qualité des institutions n'augmente pas la relation entre les envois de fonds et la fiscalité, car cet effet positif diminue à mesure que les institutions se stabilisent. Le deuxième essai étudie la contribution des programmes de convergence macroéconomique à la convergence fiscale et à la viabilité fiscale des communautés économiques régionales africaines. Malgré l'absence de convergence fiscale absolue au niveau de la dette publique, des recettes et des dépenses, les tests log-t montrent une convergence conditionnelle. En outre, l'analyse qui suit ne parvient pas à valider l'hypothèse selon laquelle l'appartenance à une zone monétaire, qui est perçue comme la forme la plus profonde d'intégration, améliore la réponse de la politique fiscale à l'augmentation de la dette publique. Le troisième essai examine les effets de la décentralisation des dépenses et de l'autonomie des recettes sur la performance fiscale du gouvernement central (CG) et des gouvernements locaux (SNG). Les résultats montrent que la décentralisation des dépenses pourrait améliorer la performance fiscale du gouvernement central, mais seulement à des niveaux faibles de dépendance des transferts par les gouvernements sous-nationaux. Cependant, une plus grande autonomie en matière de recettes est préjudiciable à la fois à la performance du gouvernement central et à celle des gouvernements infranationaux. Néanmoins, le renforcement de la responsabilité des SNG et la prise en compte des relations fiscales verticales lors de la conception des réformes de décentralisation pourraient réduire le biais de déficit au niveau central et local. Le dernier essai étudie comment les déséquilibres budgétaires (verticaux et horizontaux) affectent les efforts de collecte des recettes fiscales par les gouvernements locaux kenyans. Les résultats montrent que les déséquilibres verticaux diminuent la part des recettes propres, ce qui confirme que des déséquilibres verticaux importants peuvent favoriser l'indiscipline budgétaire au niveau infranational en réduisant l'effort fiscal. Cependant, les gouvernements des comtés "plus pauvres" exercent un effort fiscal plus important<br>Fiscal policy is important for development financing, particularly in the context of limited fiscal space, as in many developing countries. This thesis studies the potential of fiscal policy as an asset to fund development. It explores four fundamental questions about the effectiveness of this political-economic tool and resource mobilization. The first essay analyses the impact of migrant remittances on non-resource tax revenues in remittance-recipient countries and how institutional stability modifies this relationship. The results show a positive association mainly through its effect on indirect taxes. Furthermore, institutional quality does not augment the remittance-taxation relationship, as this positive effect diminishes as institutions stabilize. The second essay studies macroeconomic convergence programs' contribution to fiscal convergence and fiscal sustainability of African Regional Economic Communities. Although there is no absolute fiscal convergence in public debt, revenue and expenditure, the log-t tests show conditional convergence. Furthermore, the subsequent analysis fails to validate the hypothesis that belonging to a monetary zone, which is perceived as the deepest form of integration, augments the response of fiscal policy to increasing public debt. The third essay examines the effects of expenditure decentralization and revenue autonomy on the fiscal performance of central government (CG) and subnational governments (SNGs). The results show that expenditure decentralization could enhance CG fiscal performance but only at low levels of transfer dependency by SNGs. However, higher revenue autonomy is detrimental to both central and subnational performance. Nevertheless, enhancing SNG accountability and taking into account the vertical fiscal relations when designing decentralization reforms could reduce the deficit bias at the central and local levels. The final essay investigates how fiscal imbalances (vertical and horizontal) affect tax revenue collection efforts in Kenyan local governments. The results show that vertical imbalances diminish the share of own-source revenues, confirming that large vertical imbalances may foster subnational fiscal indiscipline through a lower tax effort. However, "poorer" county governments exert a higher tax effort

Orientador: Suzete Maria Silva Afonso<br>Banca: Renata Zotin Gomes de Oliveira<br>Banca: Ligia Lais Femina<br>Resumo: Neste trabalho discutiremos alguns métodos clássicos para otimização irrestrita, a saber o Método de Cauchy e o Método de Newton, e analisaremos a convergência desses métodos. Veremos que o Método de Cauchy, que faz a cada iteração uma busca unidirecional na direção de máxima descida, ou seja, na direção oposta ao gradiente, tem convergência linear. O método de Newton, por outro lado, minimiza, em cada iteração, a aproximação quadrática da função objetivo. Nos métodos de busca unidirecional é preciso minimizar uma função a partir de um certo ponto, segundo uma direção dada, que é a direção de busca. Por essa razão, estudaremos o Método da Seção Áurea, que fornece uma minimização exata de uma função real de uma variável real<br>Abstract: In this work we will discuss some classic methods for unrestricted optimization, namely the Cauchy Method and Newton's Method, and we will analyze the convergence of those methods. We will see that the Cauchy Method, that realizes on each iteration a unidirectional search in the direction of maximum descent, that is, in the direction opposite to the gradient, has linear convergence. The Newton Method, on the other hand, minimizes, in each iteration, the quadratic approximation of the objective function. In unidirectional search methods, one must minimize a function from a certain point in a given direction, which is the search direction. For that reason, we will study the Golden Section Method, which provides the exact minimization of a real function of a real variable<br>Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-20T17:09:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-02-25. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-20T17:26:23Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000839746.pdf: 3105733 bytes, checksum: 3f4c76b92c7648a2ebfbee939237fcb4 (MD5)<br>Este trabalho apresenta o processo de planejamento de uma rede social para o nicho da gastronomia, convergente com programas de TV, sites especializados e outras mídias sociais, a partir dda adoção da metodologia ágil para desenvolvimento de software Scrum. Como justificativa do trabalho, são apresentados dados sobre a valorização de temas gastronômicos no cenário contemporâneo, e sobre as tendências de uso de redes sociais no Brasil. Para a definição do escopo do projeto e das funcionalidades do produto, foram analisados programas de TV, sites especializados e canais de mídias sociais que tratam do tema. Como resultados, o trabalho apresenta o modelo de negócios concebido para o produto, um roadmap cronológico que define versões para seu lançamento no mercadoe um protótipo que demonstra o conceito e algumas funcionalidades dessa rede social.<br>This research presents the planning process of a niche social network about gastronomy convergent with TV shows, specialized sites and other social media, with the adoption of agile software development Scrum. As justification, presents data about the importance of gastronomic themes in the contemporary scene and on social networking usage trends in Brazil. To define the project scope and product features. TV programs, specialized websites and social media channels about the theme are analyzed. As results, presents the business model designed for the product, a chronological roadmap that defines versions to-market and a prototype that demostrates the concept and some features of the social network

Orientador: Francisco Rolfsen Belda<br>Banca: Denis Porto Reno<br>Banca: Élvio Gilberto da Silva<br>Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta o processo de planejamento de uma rede social para o nicho da gastronomia, convergente com programas de TV, sites especializados e outras mídias sociais, a partir dda adoção da metodologia ágil para desenvolvimento de software Scrum. Como justificativa do trabalho, são apresentados dados sobre a valorização de temas gastronômicos no cenário contemporâneo, e sobre as tendências de uso de redes sociais no Brasil. Para a definição do escopo do projeto e das funcionalidades do produto, foram analisados programas de TV, sites especializados e canais de mídias sociais que tratam do tema. Como resultados, o trabalho apresenta o modelo de negócios concebido para o produto, um roadmap cronológico que define versões para seu lançamento no mercadoe um protótipo que demonstra o conceito e algumas funcionalidades dessa rede social.<br>Abstract: This research presents the planning process of a niche social network about gastronomy convergent with TV shows, specialized sites and other social media, with the adoption of agile software development Scrum. As justification, presents data about the importance of gastronomic themes in the contemporary scene and on social networking usage trends in Brazil. To define the project scope and product features. TV programs, specialized websites and social media channels about the theme are analyzed. As results, presents the business model designed for the product, a chronological roadmap that defines versions to-market and a prototype that demostrates the concept and some features of the social network<br>Mestre

All governments aim to ensure better health and nutrition to children. The Rajasthan state (India) has implemented a unique frontline coordination model where Accredited Health Social Activist (ASHA) Sahyoginis are expected to support two other frontline workers (FLWs) i.e. the Anganwadi Workers from the Integrated Child Development Services and the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives from the Health department to improve child health. This thesis focuses on examining the existing coordination between the three groups of FLWs in Rajasthan by exploring FLWs' participation in child immunisation and Vitamin A supplementation (two common activities), service coverage and beneficiary's' knowledge (expected outcomes), and the challenges faced and areas that need improvement for better frontline coordination. A mixed methods design was used. Sixteen villages from two blocks (tribal and non-tribal) of Udaipur district (Rajasthan) were selected using multistage purposive sampling. The formative stage included 12 FLWs' in-depth interviews (IDIs) as well as a review of FLWs' job descriptions to understand the process and government expectations on their participation in routine childhood immunisation, polio camps, routine Vitamin A supplementation and Vitamin A campaigns. The next stage included data collection from the 16 selected villages i.e. structured questionnaire survey of FLWs (46), observations of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Day (16), review of FLWs' immunisation and Vitamin A registers (32) and a structured questionnaire survey of registered infants' mothers (321)-all to ascertain the actual participation of FLWs in these four activities and the outcomes. IDIs with FLWs (46) and FLWs' line managers (17) were conducted to understand their experience, issues and solutions for better frontline coordination. The participation of FLWs in three of the four activities (except Polio Camps) was found to be limited. The FLWs and their line managers were also dissatisfied with coordination between FLWs. Poor outcomes also indicated unsatisfactory coordination. Overall, frontline participation and outcomes were better in tribal than non-tribal villages. A variety of factors (i.e. personal, professional, organisational, and geo-socio-cultural) appeared to affect coordination between FLWs. Appropriate recruitment, training, monitoring and supervision and rewards to the FLWs along with greater political commitment for coordinated approached and addressing intra-departmental challenges are proposed to improve frontline coordination and child health in Rajasthan.

The purpose of this essay is to examine how the editorial office to the TV-programs Gokväll,Mitt i naturen and Plus use social media. To achieve the purpose qualitative interviews wereconducted with three Web Editors, one for each program. This essay is based on theories onhow companies can and should work with social media from Andreas M. Kaplan andMichael Haenlin among other writers and scholars from Sweden. The convergence concepttheory with particular focus on media convergence and branding has also been applied in thestudy. The result of this study shows that the editorial office for the programs use socialmedia in varying extents and quality. Facebook is the most used social media channel andTwitter is used in a small extent. Two of the programs use Instagram as well and one of themhas developed their own application. The programs appear on the channel SVT which is partof public service in Sweden. With that come guidelines, which the programs need to follow.One of them is that they have to use at least three social media channels to avoid favoring ofone special brand or company. Two of the TV-programs are using Twitter even though theeditorial staff admits that they do not think their main audience is active on such socialmedias. This result shows that there is obviously a problem with the fact that they have to usethree social medias even though they do not really benefit by using all of them.