Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Oriented path'

Path planning has important applications in many areas, for example industrial robotics, autonomous systems, virtual prototyping, and computer-aided drug design. This thesis presents a new framework for developing and evaluating path planning algorithms. The framework is named CoPP (Components for Path Planning). It consists of loosely coupled and reusable components that are useful for building path planning applications. The framework is especially designed to make it easy to do fair comparisons between different path planning algorithms.

CoPP is also designed to allow almost any user-defined moving system. The default type of moving system is a robot class, which is capable of describing tree-like kinematic chains. Additional features of this robot class are: joint couplings, numerical or closed-form inverse kinematics, and hierarchical robot representations. The last feature is useful when planning for complex systems like a mobile platform equipped with an arm and a hand.

During the last six years, Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRTs) have become a popular framework for developing randomized path planning algorithms. This thesis presents a method for augmenting bidirectional RRT-planners with local trees. For problems where the solution trajectory has to pass through several narrow passages, local trees help to reduce the required planning time.

To reduce the work needed for programming of industrial robots, it is desirable to allow task specifications at a very high level, leaving it up to the robot system to figure out what to do. Here we present a fast and flexible pick-and-place planner. Given an object that has to be moved to another position, the planner chooses a suitable grasp of the object and finds motions that bring the object to the desired position. The planner can also handle constraints on, e.g., the orientation of the manipulated object.

For planning of pick-and-place tasks it is necessary to choose a grasp suitable to the task. Unless the grasp is given, some sort of grasp planning has to be performed. This thesis presents a fast grasp planner for a three- fingered robot hand. The grasp planner could be used in an industrial setting, where a robot is to pick up irregularly shaped objects from a conveyor belt. In conjunction with grasp planning, a new method for evaluating grasp stability is presented.

Symplectic geometry can be traced back to Lagrange and his work on celestial mechanics and has since then been a very active field in mathematics, partly because of the applications it offers but also because of the beauty of the objects it deals with. I this thesis we begin by the simplest fact of symplectic geometry. We give the definition of a symplectic space and of the symplectic group, Sp(n). A symplectic space is the data of an even-dimensional space and of a form which satisfies a number of properties. Having done this we give a definition of the Lagrangian Grassmannian Lag(n) which consists of all n-dimensional subspaces of the symplectic space on which the symplectic form vanishes. We carefully study the topology of these spaces and their universal coverings. It is of great interest to know how the elements of the Lagrangian Grassmannian intersect each other. A lot of efforts have therefore been made to construct intersection indices for elements of Lag(n). They have gone under many names but have had a sole purpose, namely to give us a way to determine how these elements intersect. We show how these elements are constructed and extend the definition to paths of elements of Lag(n) and Sp(n). We end this thesis by extending the definition of an index defined by Conley and Zehnder bu using the properties of the Leray index. Their index plays a significant role in the theory of periodic Hamiltonian orbit.

For both civil and military aero gas turbines, technological advances and high cost of ownership have resulted in considerable interest in advanced maintenance techniques. Some of these techniques are now ready for application to industrial gas turbines. This thesis attempts to give an overview of engine maintenance and engine health monitoring techniques. One way to tackle the high cost is to employ Gas Path Analysis techniques. Gas Path C Analysis helps to identify deteriorated components of a gas turbine in terms of performance parameter changes with respect to each other. The changes can be analysed and actions taken to minimise the life cycle costs of a gas turbine. A generalised Gas Path Analysis computer program Pythia has been developed that incorporated new techniques such as a non-linear multiple fault diagnostics scheme. In order to develop reliable software a structured methodology, conforming to quality standards, has been introduced. The program Pythia is based on an object-oriented programming method that can be run with a modem PC. •Pythia has been applied to a wide range of gas turbine engines. As a result, the Gas Path Analysis technique showed statistically significant improvements with the non-Iinear solution. The non-linear GPA technique was able to successfully identify sets of instrumentation for all engines. Finally, the thesis presents further developments of the non-linear GPA technique. In particular, instrumentation error, creep life estimation and low cycle fatigue estimation are some of the techniques.

First responders are continuously moving at an incident site and this movement requires them to access Service-Oriented Architecture services, such as a Web Map Service, via mobile wireless networks. First responders from inside a building often have problems in communicating to devices outside that building due to propagation obstacles. Dynamic user geometry and the propagation conditions of communicating from inside buildings to transceivers on the outside are difficult to model reliably in network planning software. Thus, leading commercial network simulation software and open source network simulator software do not model wireless links between transceivers inside and outside of buildings; new modeling software is needed. The discrete simulation runs in this investigation were built on events in a scenario that is typical of first-responder activities at an incident site. This scenario defined the geometry and node characteristics that were used in a mobile wireless network simulation to calculate expected connectivity based on propagation modeling, transceiver characteristics, and the environment. The author implemented in software a propagation model from the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to simulate radio wave propagation path loss during the scenario. Modifications to the NIST model propagation path loss method were generated to improve consistency in results calculated with the same node separation distances and radio wave obstacle environments. The final set of modifications made the NIST model more generalized by using more building material characteristics than the original version. The modifications in this study to the path loss model from NIST engineers were grounded on ad hoc network connectivity data collected at the operational scenario site. After changes in the NIST model were validated, 1,265 operational simulation runs were conducted with different numbers of deployed nodes in an operational incident-response scenario. Data were reduced and analyzed to compare measures of mobile ad hoc network effectiveness. Findings in this investigation resulted in two specific contributions to the body of knowledge in mobile wireless network design. First, data analysis indicated that specific changes to a recent path loss model from NIST produced results that were more generalized than the original model with respect to accommodating different building materials and enhancing the consistency of simulation results. Second, the results from the modified path loss model revealed an operational impact in using relay nodes to support public safety. Specifically, placing relay nodes at the entrance to a building and on odd-numbered floors improved connectivity in terms of first responders' accessing Web Services via mobile network devices, when moving through a building in an incident scenario.

Cette thèse de doctorat est divisée en deux parties principales: La partie I explore l'existence de chemins orientés dans les digraphes, cherchant à établir un lien entre le nombre chromatique d'un digraphe et l'existence de chemins orientés spécifiques en tant que sous-digraphes. Les digraphes contenus dans n'importe quel digraphe n-chromatique sont appelés n-universels. Nous examinons deux conjectures : la conjecture de Burr, qui affirme que chaque arbre orienté d'ordre n est (2n-2)-universel, et la conjecture d'El Sahili, qui déclare que chaque chemin orienté d'ordre n est n-universel. Pour les chemins orientés en général, la meilleure borne est donnée par Burr, à savoir que chaque chemin orienté d'ordre n est (n - 1)²-universel.Notre objectif est d'étudier des chemins à trois blocs. Pour atteindre nos objectifs, nous nous appuyons fortement sur des concepts fondamentaux, y compris l'induction sur l'ordre d'un digraphe donné, les forêts finales, les techniques de nivellement et les méthodes de décomposition stratégique de digraphes. Un chemin comportant trois blocs est désigné par P(k1, k2, k3). Pour le chemin P(k,1,l), nous avons confirmé la conjecture d'El Sahili dans les digraphes Hamiltoniens. En se basant sur ce résultat pour les digraphes Hamiltoniens, nous avons confirmé la conjecture d'El Sahili pour une classe plus générale de digraphes, ceux qui incluent un chemin dirigé hamiltonien. Nous introduisons une technique novatrice : une décomposition du digraphe en sous-digraphes résultant d'une série d'opérations basées sur le fameux théorème de Roy, qui garantit l'existence d'un chemin orienté dirigé d'ordre n dans tout digraphe n-chromatique. Cette technique s'est avérée cruciale pour établir de nouvelles bornes linéaires pour le nombre chromatique de digraphes qui ne comportent pas de chemin orienté avec trois blocs. En effet, en utilisant cette technique, nous avons prouvé que le chemin P(k,1,l) satisfait la conjecture de Burr. De plus, pour n'importe quel chemin à trois blocs, P(k,l,r), nous avons établi une borne linéaire pour le nombre chromatique qui améliore toutes les bornes précédemment atteintes. Dans la partie II, nous étudions le problème de la coloration de packing dans les graphes. Étant donnée une séquence non décroissante S = (s1, s2, . . . , sk) d'entiers positifs, une S-coloration (de packing) d'un graphe G est une partition de l'ensemble des sommets de G en k sous-ensembles {V1, V2, . . . , Vk} tels que pour chaque 1 ≤ i ≤ k, la distance entre deux sommets distincts u et v dans Vi est d'au moins si + 1. Notre attention est centrée sur une conjecture intrigante proposée par Brešar et al., qui affirme que l'arête subdivision de n'importe quel graphe subcubique admet une (1,2,3,4,5)-coloration de packing. Notre objectif est de confirmer cette conjecture pour des classes spécifiques de graphes subcubiques et de traiter les questions non résolues soulevées dans ce domaine. Une observation de Gastineau et Togni indique que si un graphe G est (1, 1, 2, 2)-colorable, alors son graphe subdivisé S(G) est (1,2,3,4,5)-colorable, et donc il satisfait la conjecture. En nous basant sur cette observation et afin de prouver la véracité de la conjecture pour la classe des graphes de Halin cubiques, nous avons étudié leur S-coloration de packing visant à prouver qu'ils admettent une coloration en (1, 1, 2, 2). Nous avons prouvé que tout graphe de Halin cubique est (1, 1, 2, 3)-colorable, et donc (1, 1, 2, 2)-colorable, et ainsi nous confirmons la conjecture pour cette classe. De plus, Gastineau et Togni, après avoir prouvé que chaque graphe subcubique est (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)-colorable, ont posé un problème ouvert sur le fait de savoir si chaque graphe subcubique est (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)-colorable. Nous répondons affirmativement à cette question dans la classe particulière sur laquelle nous avons travaillé : nous avons prouvé que les graphes d'Halin cubiques sont (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)-colorables
This PhD thesis is divided into two principal parts: Part I delves into the existenceof oriented paths in digraphs, aiming to establish a connection between a digraph'schromatic number and the existence of specific oriented paths within it as subdigraphs. Digraphs contained in any n-chromatic digraph are called n-universal. We consider two conjectures: Burr's conjecture, which states that every oriented tree of order n is (2n-2)-universal, and El Sahili's conjeture which states that every oriented path of order n is n-universal. For oriented paths in general, the best bound is given by Burr, that is every oriented path of order n is (n − 1)^2-universal. Our objective is to study the existence of an integer k such that any digraph with a chromatic number k, contains a copy of a given oriented path with three blocks as its subdigraph. To achieve our goals, we rely significantly on fundamental concepts, including, induction on the order of a given digraph, final forests, leveling techniques, and strategic digraph decomposition methods. A path P (k1, k2, k3) is an oriented path consisting of k1 forward arcs, followed by k2 backward arcs, and then by k3 forward arcs. For the path P(k,1,l), we have confirmed El Sahili's conjecture in Hamiltonian digraphs. More clearly, we have established the existence of any path P (k, 1, l) of order n in any n-chromatic Hamiltonian digraph. And depending on this result concerning Hamiltonian digraphs, we proved the correctness of El Sahili's conjecture on a more general class of digraphs which is digraphs containing a Hamiltonian directed path. We introduce a new technique which is represented by a decomposition of the digraph into subdigraphs defined by a series of successive operations applied to the digraph relying on the famous theorem of Roy which establishes the existence of a directed path of order n in any n-chromatic digraph. This technique has proven to be instrumental in establishing new linear bounds for the chromatic number of digraphs that lack an oriented path with three blocks. In deed, using this technique, we proved that the path P(k,1,l) satisfies Burr's conjecture.Moreover, for any path with three blocks, P(k,l,r) we establish a linear bound for the chromatic number which improves all the previously reached bounds. In Part II we study the problem of S-packing coloring in graphs. Given a non-decreasing sequence S = (s1, s2, . . . , sk) of positive integers, an S-packing coloring of a graph G is a partition of the vertex set of G into k subsets{V1, V2, . . . , Vk} such that for each 1 ≤ i ≤ k, the distance between any two dis-tinct vertices u and v in Vi is at least si + 1. Our focus is centered on an intriguing conjecture proposed by Brešar et al., which states that packing chromatic number of the subdivision of any subcubic graph is at most 5. Our desired aim is to provide a confirmation of this conjecture for specific classes of subcubic graphs, and to address the unresolved issues raised within this subject matter. An observation for Gastineau and Togni states that if a graph G is (1, 1, 2, 2)-packing colorable, then the chromatic number of its subdivision graph S(G) is at most 5, and hence it satisfies the conjecture. Depending on this observation, and in order to prove the correctness of the conjecture for the class of cubic Halin graphs, we studied its S-packing coloring aiming to prove that it admits a (1, 1, 2, 2)- packing coloring. We proved that a cubic Halin graph is (1, 1, 2, 3)-packing colorable, then it is (1, 1, 2, 2)-packing colorable, and so we confirm the conjecture for this class. Moreover, Gastineau and Togni, after proving that every subcubic graph is (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)-packing colorbale, have posed an open problem on whether every subcubic graph is (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)-packing colorable. We answer this question in affirmative in the particular class we worked on; we proved that cubic Halin graphs are (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)-packing colorable

The available literature supports the fact that some students experience difficulty learning object-oriented design (OOD) principles. Previously explored predictors of OOD learning difficulties include student characteristics (cognitive activities, self-efficacy), teaching methodologies (teacher centered, course complexity), and student experiences (prior programming experience). Yet, within an extensive body of literature devoted to OOD, two explanations of student difficulty remain largely unexplored: (1) varying conceptualizations of the underlying principles/strategies of OOD, and (2) preparedness or readiness to learn OOD. This research also investigated the extent to which individual differences impacted DRAS and OOD performance. The individual difference measures of interest in this study included college grade point average, prior programming experience, cognitive abilities (spatial orientation, visualization, logical reasoning, flexibility, perceptual style), and design readiness. In addition, OOD performance was measured using two constructs: course grade (exams, labs, programs, overall), and a specially constructed design task. Participants selected from the CS2 course from two southeastern state universities were used within this study, resulting in a sample size of 161 (School A, n = 76; School B, n = 85). School A is a mid-sized comprehensive university and School B is a large research-intensive university. If was found that the schools significantly differed on all measures of prior computer science experience and cognitive abilities. Path analysis was conducted to determine which individual differences were related to design readiness and OOD performance. In summary, this research identified that instructors can not ignore individual differences when teaching OOD. It was found that the cognitive ability visualization, prior OO experience, and overall college grade point average should be considered when teaching OOD. As it stands, without identifying specific teaching strategies used at the schools within this study, this research implies that OOD may require a certain level of practical computer experience before OOD is introduced into the curriculum. The cognitive ability visualization was found to have a significant indirect relationship with overall course grade through the mediating variable design readiness. Further, the results suggest that the DRAS may serve as a viable instrument in identifying successful OOD students as well as students that require supplemental OOD instruction.
Ph. D.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD
The thesis examines how elite perspectives on foreign aid affect the subsequent path of aid dependence. The focus is on aid-seeking foreign policy change. Two foreign policy change cases are examined for the study, which took place in Korea under Park Chung-hee and in Ghana under Rawlings through a lens of comparative historical analysis. The thesis aims to make two original contributions to knowledge. First, it explains recipient foreign policy using two different forms of mercantilism, and second, it reveals the dependent path created by the mercantilist oriented elite. Mercantilism in the thesis is used as dual-frameworked concept. First, it is a lens to see state behaviour. Despite the fact that mercantilism has been mainly used to explain a donor‘s behaviour, it can elucidate that of an aid-recipient state when the aid-seeking country is in dire need of the foreign aid for the survival of the state. The thesis applies mercantilism to explain aid-receiving countries‘behaviour. Second, more importantly, mercantilism also explains elite perspectives. The elite in aid receiving countries search for foreign aid not only for the wealth and power of their state, but also for the prosperity and survival of themselves. Mercantilism is used as an ostensible principle in practicing the private search for advantages of the elite. The thesis uses the dual-mercantilism idea to examine aid-seeking foreign policy in Korea and Ghana. In Korea, the elite saw the key to their survival in industrialising the nation, and their search for foreign aid took place based on that raison d’être. In Ghana, on the other hand, the elite found the way to their survival and prosperity in acquiring more foreign aid and the aid per se became the ultimate goal. The thesis finds industrial mercantilism a useful framework to understand the elite perspective in Korea

The reliability of RFID systems depends on a number of factors including: RF interference, deployment environment, configuration of the readers, and placement of readers and tags. While RFID technology is improving rapidly, a reliable deployment of this technology is still a significant challenge impeding wide-spread adoption. This research investigates system software solutions for achieving a highly reliable deployment that mitigates inherent unreliability in RFID technology. We have considered two different problem domains for large scale RFID deployment. One is item tracking and the other is guidance-monitoring. Item tracking considers applications that have statically placed RFID readers to observe the RFID tagged objects in motion. An airport scenario to observe the tagged baggage or warehouse scenarios to track the tagged goods are examples of item tracking applications. A self guided tour, search and rescue scenario or a visually impaired person looking for direction and guidance in a tagged environment are examples of item location applications. It is observed that there is a notion of path that follows the direction and flow of the mobile items in the item tracking applications and a path gets created along the direction and flow of the mobile object in item location applications. A system level knowledge of the data flow can benefit the system in different aspects such as improved reliability, resource management and real time response. We have designed and implemented an RFID middleware for item tracking: RF²ID (Reliable Framework for Radio Frequency Identification) to organize and support queries over data streams in an efficient manner. We have developed (1) a virtual reader abstraction to improve the potentially error-prone nature of reader generated data (2) a novel path abstraction to capture the logical flow of information among virtual readers. Prototype implementation using both RFID readers and simulated readers using an empirical model of RFID readers show that RF²ID is able to provide high reliability, support path-based object detection and use efficient resource management techniques. We propose a middleware solution that takes into account the data flow information for item location application that requires real time response. The guidance-monitoring scenario considers mobile RFID readers that traverse in a tagged environment. We consider the scenario of an Assisted Living Center for elderly residents as a motivating guidance-monitoring application. The solution for guidance-monitoring system is called GuardianAngel. The application scenario considers a tagged indoor environment with residents having their own RFID readers to provide them with adequate information about the surroundings. The guidance and monitoring requirement can be conflicting. The guidance information requires very fine grain information about the environment to make proper decisions. On the other hand, the monitoring system must not have a fine grain knowledge which can introduce concerns such as privacy concerns. We consider this aspect during the design and implementation. The system is a two layered infrastructure that has the upper layer which is the monitoring layer. This layer is in charge of monitoring of the actors in the environment. The monitoring layer is physically a set of distributed virtual stations that have the knowledge about the environment. The environment itself is equipped with RFID tags. The residents of the environment have the mobile object that has a sensing element and a computing element (e.g., handhold device with a portable RFID reader) - the guidance server runs on this mobile object. The guidance server is in charge of making local decisions to the users. It is resource limited and asks for new information from the virtual stations as needed. The guidance server also provides the monitoring server with the information regarding the status of the mobile object. But the status information is not fine grain information - the guidance server wraps up the information over a period of time and over a larger region to hide the detailed information of the users.The system uses the logical path based abstraction to guide the users. We have implemented the real testbed using grid structured RFID devices along with scalability study using emulated RFID readers. The basic contribution of our work is based on providing novel middleware solution that is able to serve the application taking into account the inherent unreliability of RFID technology. Our path abstraction that uses the physical flow of data as an ally to generate a logical system level flow enhances the performance in many ways.

Segmentação de objetos em imagens é um dos problemas mais fundamentais e desafiadores em processamento de imagem e visão computacional. O conhecimento de alto nível e específico do usuário é frequentemente requerido no processo de segmentação, devido à presença de fundos heterogêneos, objetos com bordas fracamente definidas, inomogeneidade de campo, ruído, artefatos, efeitos de volume parcial e seus efeitos conjuntos. Propriedades globais do objeto de interesse, tais como conexidade, restrições de forma e polaridade de borda, são conhecimentos prévios de alto nível úteis para a sua segmentação, permitindo a customização da segmentação para um objeto alvo. Nesse trabalho, apresentamos um novo método chamado Transformada Imagem-Floresta Orientada Conexa (COIFT, Connected Oriented Image Foresting Transform), que fornece soluções ótimas globais de acordo com uma medida de corte em grafo, incorporando a restrição de conexidade na Transformada Imagem-Floresta Orientada (OIFT, Oriented Image Foresting Transform), com o fim de garantir a geração de objetos conexos, bem como permitir o controle simultâneo da polaridade de borda. Enquanto o emprego de restrições de conexidade em outros arcabouços, tais como no algoritmo de corte-mínimo/fluxo-máximo (min-cut/max-flow), leva a um problema NP-difícil, a COIFT conserva o baixo custo computacional da OIFT. Experimentos mostram que a COIFT pode melhorar consideravelmente a segmentação de objetos com partes finas e alongadas, para o mesmo número de sementes em segmentação baseada em marcadores.
Object segmentation is one of the most fundamental and challenging problems in image processing and computer vision. The high-level and specific knowledge of the user is often required in the segmentation process, due to the presence of heterogeneous backgrounds, objects with poorly defined boundaries, field inhomogeneity, noise, artifacts, partial volume effects and their joint effects. Global properties of the object of interest, such as connectivity, shape constraints and boundary polarity, are useful high-level priors for its segmentation, allowing the customization of the segmentation for a given target object. In this work, we introduce a new method called Connected Oriented Image Foresting Transform (COIFT), which provides global optimal solutions according to a graph-cut measure in graphs, subject to the connectivity constraint in the Oriented Image Foresting Transform (OIFT), in order to ensure the generation of connected objects, as well as allowing the simultaneous control of the boundary polarity. While the use of connectivity constraints in other frameworks, such as in the min-cut/max-flow algorithm, leads to a NP-Hard problem, COIFT retains the low computational cost of OIFT. Experiments show that COIFT can considerably improve the segmentation of objects with thin and elongated parts, for the same number of seeds in segmentation based on markers.

Transformations of energy systems in line with the Paris Agreement demand rapid deliberate decline of fossil energy production for decarbonization. Rising in priority on national political agendas, policy change for deliberate decline meets political barriers in the form of powerful incumbent actors, path dependencies and frames of loss. Although these dynamics can impede transformations, literature remains unclear in how to engage with these barriers. Therefore, this study focused on discourse and policy process theories in a qualitative analysis based on a broad selection of documents and expert-based interviews to explore and illustrate the “Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment” in Germany (2018/19). In this multi-stakeholder committee, a phase-out plan for coal-fired power generation was negotiated alongside claims of just transitions. Findings indicate that policy change was reached through consensual agreement but was reduced in ambition through path dependent discourse and expert-based information. The selection and evaluation of expert-based information was closely tied to expert members, while political debate on necessary assumptions as a basis for this information remained scarce. Lastly, insights from discourse and expert-based information can enrich the understanding of sustainability transformations and further research on the case could investigate the narrative subscriptions of stakeholders.

For both civil and military aero gas turbines, technological advances and high cost of ownership have resulted in considerable interest in advanced maintenance techniques. Some of these techniques are now ready for application to industrial gas turbines. This thesis attempts to give an overview of engine maintenance and engine health monitoring techniques. One way to tackle the high cost is to employ Gas Path Analysis techniques. Gas Path C Analysis helps to identify deteriorated components of a gas turbine in terms of performance parameter changes with respect to each other. The changes can be analysed and actions taken to minimise the life cycle costs of a gas turbine. A generalised Gas Path Analysis computer program Pythia has been developed that incorporated new techniques such as a non-linear multiple fault diagnostics scheme. In order to develop reliable software a structured methodology, conforming to quality standards, has been introduced. The program Pythia is based on an object-oriented programming method that can be run with a modem PC. •Pythia has been applied to a wide range of gas turbine engines. As a result, the Gas Path Analysis technique showed statistically significant improvements with the non-Iinear solution. The non-linear GPA technique was able to successfully identify sets of instrumentation for all engines. Finally, the thesis presents further developments of the non-linear GPA technique. In particular, instrumentation error, creep life estimation and low cycle fatigue estimation are some of the techniques.

This dissertation looks at Northeast Asia as a region composed of China, Japan and South Korea in order to understand the regional dimension of international cooperation. It takes the Tripartite Environment Ministers’ Meeting and the China-Japan-Korea Meeting on

Information and Telecommunication Standards cases for comparative analysis. Its aim is to

examine cooperation and decision-making under uncertainty and to explore how they affect

institutional development and enhanced regional cooperation. Analysis of current cooperation activities as well as development of chosen cases illustrates interactions between individuals, organizations and states. Risks associated with decision-making affect

behaviors of actors and self-reinforcement mechanisms of institutions creating path

dependence.
Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Ein ausgewogenes Geschlechterverhältnis verbessert die Leistungsfähigkeit von Teams, das ökonomische Wachstum von Unternehmen und deren Innovationsfähigkeit (vgl. Europäische Kommission 2011a, S. 4f; vgl. auch Corkery & Taylor 2012, S. 9). Obwohl in vielen Organisationen und Unternehmen diese Fakten mittlerweile bekannt sind, ist das Potenzial eines ausgewogenen Frauen- und Männeranteils in mittleren und hohen Karrierestufen nach wie vor unzureichend erschlossen. So zeigen die Daten des Statistischen Bundesamtes für das Jahr 2014, dass in akademischen und wissenschaftlichen Karrierewegen der Anteil an Frauen in Positionen mit steigendem Qualifikationsniveau und Status kontinuierlich abnimmt, und dies trotz der heute stark angeglichenen Ausbildungsqualifizierung von Frauen und Männern. In den höchsten Ebenen im Wissenschaftsbereich sind nur noch wenige Frauen vertreten (vgl. Statistisches Bundesamt 2014b, S. 3). Differenzen im Karriereverlauf von Frauen und Männern finden sich also bis heute in der Wissenschaft. Doch was sind die Gründe für diesen Scherenverlauf der Karrierewege von Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern in Deutschland? Die Gründe liegen in einem Zusammenspiel kleinerer Vor- und Nachteile im gesamten Umfeld der Geschlechter, wie Ulmi und Maurer (2005, S. 35) resümieren. Denn grundsätzlich belegen Studienergebnisse, dass Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler unter identischen Rahmenbedingungen gleich produktiv sind (vgl. Andresen, Oppen & Simon 1999, S. 24). Ein einzelner Faktor oder Zeitpunkt kann somit für die im Verlauf auseinanderklaffenden Karrieren von Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern nicht herangezogen werden. Bisher finden sich in der einschlägigen Literatur nur wenige Studien, die bei der Analyse von Wissenschaftskarrieren das Zusammenwirken von institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen sowie die Subjektseite berücksichtigen, wenngleich dieser Kombination beider Perspektiven eine bedeutende Rolle zukommt (vgl. Andresen et al. 1999, S. 40; vgl. auch Döge & Behnke 2004). Zudem fokussieren vorhandene Untersuchungen weitestgehend auf den Karriereverlauf nach einer kindbedingten Erwerbungsunterbrechung (u. a. Bauer, T. 2000; Krimmer, Stallmann, Behr & Zimmer 2003; Brandt 2012). Die vorliegende Studie analysiert unter Berücksichtigung beider Perspektiven die karrierebeeinflussenden – meritokratischen, individuellen und strukturellen – Einflussfaktoren von Wissenschaftskarrieren am Beispiel der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft als erste nicht-universitäre Wissenschaftsorganisation in Deutschland, die im Jahr 2012 flexible Zielquoten für Frauen einführte (vgl. Leibniz-Gemeinschaft 2013a, S. 1). Gleichzeitig werden Geschlechterunterschiede in Bezug auf die Faktorengruppen bzw. im wissenschaftlichen Karriereverlauf herausgearbeitet. Mit Blick auf die bestehende Unterrepräsentation von Frauen in höheren wissenschaftlichen Führungsebenen sollen des Weiteren die Gründe für den geringen Frauenanteil in höheren Positionen im Wissenschaftsbereich und zudem die Nutzungs- und Akzeptanzmuster von egalitärem Elternzeit-Modell, familienorientiertem Arbeitsplatz und flexiblen Frauenquoten auf der Mikro-, Meso- und Makroebene als Maßnahmen für mehr Geschlechtergleichstellung im Wissenschaftsbereich analysiert werden. Zur Erforschung des Studienthemas werden quantitative und qualitative Erhebungsverfahren kombiniert. Denn erst durch das Zusammenspiel qualitativer und quantitativer Methoden erhält man ein verlässliches Gesamtbild des zu untersuchenden sozialen Gegenstandes (vgl. Diekmann 2009, S. 543). Während die Daten der Online-Befragung unter allen Beschäftigten der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (Vollerhebung) die Basis für allgemeine Aussagen in Bezug auf Wissenschaftskarrieren in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft liefern und gleichzeitig mit ihnen die aufgestellten Hypothesen überprüft werden, vertiefen die vier durchgeführten leitfadengestützten Interviews mit Leibniz-Wissenschaftlerinnen und ihren Partnern die quantitativen Daten und unterfüttern sie exemplarisch mit individuellen Aussagen zum Forschungsthema. Bei den meritokratischen Faktoren bestätigen die gewonnenen Daten statistisch signifikant die Annahme, dass eine hohe Publikationsproduktivität der stärkste Karrieremotor für eine Wissenschaftskarriere ist. Dies gilt einerseits für das Erreichen einer höheren Position sowie auch für den erfolgreichen Durchlauf der Qualifizierungsphasen von der Promotion bis hin zur Habilitation und Professur. Aber auch die Bedeutsamkeit von Auslandsaufenthalten und Mitgliedschaften in Fachgesellschaften als karrierefördernde Faktoren konnte bestätigt werden, wenngleich deren Einflussstärke hinter der von Publikationen zurückbleibt. Des Weiteren zeigt die Datenlage, dass die befragten Wissenschaftlerinnen nicht immer die gleichen Karrierechancen im Wissenschaftsbereich wie ihre männlichen Kollegen – trotz gleicher Leistungen und Erfahrungen – haben. So bleibt unter Kontrolle des Alters trotz gleicher Publikationsanzahl und Anzahl an Mitgliedschaften bei der erreichten Position ein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den Geschlechtern zugunsten der Männer bestehen. Bei den strukturellen Faktoren haben sich die geschlechtsspezifische Fächerwahl (Fächergruppe), die Anzahl familienfreundlicher Unterstützungsmaßnahmen am Arbeitsplatz und die Akzeptanz von Frauenquoten in dieser Studie als Erklärungsvariable für den Scherenverlauf der Wissenschaftskarrieren der Geschlechter nicht bestätigt. Bei den individuellen Faktoren wird die Arbeitgeberorientierung (vgl. Vogt 2010) von Frauen und Männern ausgeschlossen. Ein individueller Faktor, der jedoch messbar einen Erklärungsanteil in dieser Studie einnimmt, ist der Faktor Kind bzw. das Vorhandensein von Kindern. Die Ergebnisse der Online-Befragung zeigen, dass in Bezug auf die Wissenschaftskarriere kinderlose Befragte erfolgreicher als Befragte mit Kind(ern) sind. Zudem gibt es Geschlechterunterschiede: Väter sind gegenüber Müttern hinsichtlich ihrer erreichten Position erfolgreicher. Folglich kann es nicht die Elternschaft per se sein, die eine Wissenschaftskarriere beeinflusst. Studien konnten einen direkt messbaren Einkommensnachteil für Frauen bzw. Karriereknick durch die (längere) Inanspruchnahme einer Elternzeit nachweisen (vgl. Ruhm 1998; vgl. auch Boll 2009; Busch 2013a; Brandt 2012), sodass die Ergebnisse zur Elternzeit als Einflussfaktor auf Wissenschaftskarrieren betrachtet werden müssen. In diesem Zusammenhang werden ebenso die Resultate zum egalitären Elternzeit-Modell als potenzielle Gleichstellungsmaßnahme bedeutsam. Insgesamt geht mit der Familiengründung ein gemeinsamer, aber langer Entscheidungsprozess für das Elternzeit-Modell (Verteilung der Elternzeitmonate zwischen den Partnern) in der Zweierbeziehung einher. Die Stärke der egalitären Einstellung, das Bildungsniveau oder der Karriereerfolg einer Person haben keinen Einfluss auf die Elternzeitdauer. Auch das Einkommen bestätigt sich durch die Daten nicht – im Kontrast zu vorhergehenden Studien (u. a. Hyde, Essex & Horton 1993; O’Brien 2009), die das Einkommen als Haupteinflussfaktor für die Inanspruchnahme der Elternzeit durch Väter belegen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit war den interviewten Männern eher die Unterstützung vom Vorgesetzten bzw. des Kollegenkreises zur Inanspruchnahme einer (längeren) Elternzeit wichtig. Die Unternehmenskultur ist somit eine Voraussetzung für die Wahl des Elternzeit-Modells. Besonders interessant bei den Ergebnissen der Online-Befragung zur Elternzeitdauer ist die über dem deutschen Durchschnitt (6 Monate in der Studie versus 3 Monate deutschlandweit; vgl. Fegert et al. 2011, S. 5) liegende Elternzeitdauer der Männer. Es verdeutlicht, dass auf der Mikroebene bei Vätern in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft bereits modernere Geschlechterrollenorientierungen vorliegen. Auf der anderen Seite wurde durch die Datenlage bestätigt, dass eine längere Elternzeitdauer negativ mit der Karrierephase der befragten Männer korreliert (ein nachteiliger Karriereeffekt wurde auch in den Interviews mit den Vätern durch ihre persönlichen Erfahrungen bestätigt), während sie einen positiven Einfluss auf die Karrierephase bei Frauen hat. Als Erklärung kommt der Zeitpunkt der Familiengründung und folglich der Elternzeit infrage. Eine längere Elternzeit bei einer bereits fortgeschrittenen Karriere bei Frauen würde einen positiven Zusammenhang aufzeigen, während bei Männern der umgekehrte Fall vorliegen könnte. Es bleibt zu prüfen, ob weitere Untersuchungen die genannten Ergebnisse stützen können und ob sich ein egalitäres Elternzeit-Modell im Alltag durchsetzen kann, wenn Männer Karrierenachteile erfahren oder fürchten. Die tägliche Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf ist für beide Geschlechter nicht einfach, sodass die befragten Frauen und Männer einige familienbedingte Spannungen am Arbeitsplatz verspüren. Ein familienorientierter Arbeitsplatz kann hier als Gleichstellungsmaßnahme auf der Mesoebene dazu beitragen beide Lebensbereiche zu vereinbaren: Die Daten belegen, dass Unterstützungsmaßnahmen zur Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf signifikant die Anzahl an familienbedingten Spannungen am Arbeitsplatz reduzieren. Die Anzahl an Maßnahmen zur Unterstützung der Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf ist dabei zwischen den Leibniz-Einrichtungen unterschiedlich, wobei Einrichtungen mit eher vielen Beschäftigten auch (eher) viele Unterstützungsmaßnahmen aufweisen. Der Großteil der Beschäftigten bei der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft ist über die in 2012 eingeführten flexiblen Frauenquoten uninformiert, welche als dritte Gleichstellungsmaßnahme in der Studie untersucht wurden. Weiterhin lehnen Männer die Einführung von Frauenquoten signifikant stärker ab als Frauen. Auf der anderen Seite wünschen sich stärker egalitär eingestellte Personen eher die Einführung von Frauenquoten als Maßnahme für mehr Chancengleichheit von Frauen und Männern im Wissenschaftsbereich als weniger egalitär eingestellte Personen. Werden Frauenquoten eingeführt, so wünschen sich die Befragten, dass diese ambitioniert, aber realistisch zu erreichen sind und mit einem entsprechenden Monitoring begleitet werden. Insgesamt besteht eine generelle Skepsis gegenüber Frauenquoten, wie in den Interviews und bei der Online-Befragung ersichtlich wird. Zur Erhöhung des Frauenanteils in wissenschaftlichen Führungspositionen wird durch die Daten belegt, dass eine Quotierung nur hilfreich ist, wenn „zugleich Führung und Verantwortung in Job und Familie miteinander vereinbar werden“ (vgl. Boll 2012, S. 650). Mit Blick auf die vorgestellten Studienergebnisse wird deutlich, dass Geschlechtergleichstellung in der Wissenschaft noch nicht erreicht ist. Damit Frauen in der Wissenschaft die gleichen Chancen wie Männer haben, müssen verschiedene Stellschrauben bewegt werden: Auf der Makroebene haben Frauenquoten das Potenzial die weibliche Repräsentanz zu erhöhen, um über paritätisch besetzte Auswahlgremien geschlechtergerechtere Auswahl- und Einstellungsverfahren anzustoßen, denn aufgrund einer weiblichen Unterrepräsentanz in diesen Gremien kann es zu einer Geschlechterverzerrung bei der Nachbesetzung kommen, wie van den Brink (2010) in ihrer Studie in den Niederlanden beweisen konnte. Auf der Mesoebene muss die Geschlechtergleichstellung im Wissenschaftsbereich durch familienpolitische Maßnahmen unterstützt werden. Es sind familienorientierte Arbeitsplätze für eine noch stärkere Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf vonnöten, um einen gesellschaftlichen Verhaltenswandel auf der Makroebene herbeizuführen und um gleichzeitig auf der Mikroebene das innerfamiliäre Engagement beider Partner anzugleichen. Denn Gleichstellung muss auch privat gelebt werden, damit sie sich im Berufsalltag bzw. in unserer Gesellschaft durchsetzen kann.

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Os sistemas de roteamento vêm se tornando ferramentas bastante úteis recentemente. Eles pretendem ajudar os usuários a encontrar o caminho mais adequado entre dois lugares de acordo com a distância da viagem, o tempo do percurso, e outros critérios. Esta dissertação apresenta uma arquitetura orientada a serviços e propõe um novo algoritmo de busca de rotas chamado Coolest Path. Este algoritmo habilita personalização multi-critério de acordo com a distância da viagem, o tempo, pontos turísticos e a simplicidade do caminho. Além disso, a dissertação propõe restrições a serem acrescentadas aos caminhos calculados: A-autonomy, onde o usuário define uma constante A e o algoritmo provê um caminho com N paradas, uma a cada distância A; e T-autonomy, onde o usuário define uma constante T e o algoritmo provê um caminho com N paradas, uma a cada T unidades de tempo. Essas paradas são realizadas em pontos de interesse (ex. pontos turísticos). Os algoritmos são fornecidos na forma de serviços Web, ou seja, são acessíveis de qualquer dispositivo conectado à Internet: um browser desktop, um celular ou um quiosque turístico localizado em um aeroporto. O serviço de roteamento é uma extensão ao framework iGIS.
Routing systems have become very powerful tools recently. They help users in finding the most suitable path between two places using travel distance, time and others criteria. This dissertation presents a routing system based on service-oriented architecture, which includes the proposal of an innovative algorithm known as coolest path. This algorithm enables multi-criteria personalization by using travel distance, time, points of interest and path simplicity. Moreover, constrained paths are also supported including the implementation of a-autonomy in road networks and the proposal of a new algorithm: t-autonomy, which returns the best path with N stops, such that the travel time between any two consecutive points in the path is not greater than t. These algorithms are implemented as an iGIS extension by using Web services technology.

xi, 43 p. : ill. (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Car use has become the dominant form of transportation, contributing to the health, environmental, and sprawl issues our nation is facing. Alternative modes of transport within urban environments are viable options in alleviating many of these problems. This thesis looks the habits and trends of bicyclists along the Midtown Greenway, a bicycle/pedestrian pathway that runs through Minneapolis, Minnesota and questions whether implementing non-auto throughways has encouraged bicyclists to bike further and to more destinations since its completion in 2006. The methods used to gather data were in-person five-minute surveys given to bicyclists, and analysis of existing data provided by non-profit organizations. Results included mapping each surveyed trip to see taken routes as well as qualitative and quantitative answers. Answers varied, but overall, it seemed that both commuting and leisure riders have increased their trips and distance within Minneapolis since completion of the path, advocating for off-street routes within the city.
Committee in Charge: Dr. Jean Stockard; Dr. Marc Schlossberg, AICP; Lisa Peterson-Bender, AICP

Past experiences shows that decommissioning activities attracts significant attention from stakeholders who can influence and impact decommissioning projects. This thesis enhances project manager’s understanding of the decommissioning landscape, so that better decisions can be made when managing stakeholders. The thesis highlights that engaging the right stakeholders, in the right way, and at the right time minimises the risk of negative impacts while maximising benefits from stakeholders, leading to a smoother execution of decommissioning projects.

Les problèmes rencontrés dans l’industrie aérienne sont divers et compliqués. Leur résolution réduit les coûts et maximise les revenus tout en améliorant la qualité de service, par exemple, en capturant de nouveaux passagers sur des vols existants ou sur de nouveaux marchés. La sélection des nouveaux marchés permet de définir la structure du réseau à opérer, et d’estimer le flux des passagers, leurs choix d’itinéraires ainsi que les revenus et les coûts impliqués par ces décisions. Nos travaux concernent l’amélioration du calculateur de parts de marché dans l’application PlanetOptim de la startup Milanamos. Cet outil permet aux décideurs des aéroports et des compagnies aériennes d’analyser l’historique des données et de simuler des marchés afin de trouver une opportunité économique. Ces travaux sont orientés vers les niveaux de décision stratégiques et tactiques. Grâce à une analyse poussée des données, le réseau aérien a pu être modélisé par un graphe indépendant du temps stocké dans une base de données orientée grapheNeo4j. Nous avons alors défini le Flight Radius Problem dont la résolution permet de déterminer un sous-réseau centré autour d’un vol pour lequel les parts de marchés du vol sont non négligeables. Plusieurs méthodes de résolution ont été proposées basées sur des requêtes ou des algorithmes de plus courts chemins couplés à des techniques d’accélération et de parallélisme. Nos algorithmes identifient rapidement un ensemble de marchés prometteurs centré sur un vol. L’intégration de la théorie des graphes dans les bases de données ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour l’analyse et la compréhension de grands réseaux
In the airline industry, problems are various and complicated. Solving these problems aims at reducing costs and maximizing revenues. Revenues can be increased while improving the quality of service. For example, one way is to catch new passengers on existing flight connections or on new markets. The selection of new markets consists in determining network structure to operate, and to estimate passengers flow, their choice of itineraries as well as incomes and costs incurred by these decisions. Our research is about improving market planner engine. Milanamos develops an application for the analysis and simulation of markets intended for air-ports and airlines. It offers its customers a decision-making tool to analyze historical data andto simulate markets in order to find an economic opportunity. This project takes place earlierin the decision process. Thanks to a thorough data analysis, the air transport network could be modelized as a time-independent graph and stored in the Neo4j graph database. We then defined the Flight Radius problem which resolution allows to determine a sub-network centered around a flight for which market shares of the flight are meaningful. Several methods have beenproposed based on queries or on shortest path algorithms combined with acceleration and parallelism techniques. Our algorithms identify some new markets for a flight. Combining graph theory with databases offers new opportunities for analyzing and studying large networks

碩士
國立東華大學
電機工程學系
93
Because of increasing gate density and interconnects, the influence of coupling effects (cross-talk) on the recent integrated circuits are more and more seriously. Therefore, how to correctly and quickly evaluate the cross-talk effects in a circuit often represents the superiority of IC design and testing. This thesis discussed the problems of cross-talk induced delay and find out the correlation between cross-talk and delay by analyzing the paths of signal transmission. Some paths are highly sensitive to cross-talk induced delay. To analyze these paths can gain the delay effects and then come to cross-talk induced delay testing. This thesis proposed an algorithm of searching longest path to search the relationship between the longest path and cross-talk induced delay. Moreover, this thesis took advantage of capacitances to replace the transmission delay induced by coupling effects. By using this method to simulate the effects of cross-talk induced delay of the circuits. Pre-simulation, physical layout and post-simulation were presented to reveal that the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

The work described in this Ph.D. thesis deals with the evolution of the current Internet architecture towards a communication model suited for dealing with services rather then with nodes and processes. The work introduces some practical use cases to describe the current ``as a service`` orientation of many network applications, and the required new degrees of flexibility in the resources management and deployment. Several solutions to this aim are designed, implemented and evaluated when integrated in the legacy network infrastructure. Furthermore, the thesis explores the concepts of network virtualization and software defined networking, both in practical and theoretical aspects, applying them to the concrete design of a networking architecture that enables the split of network identifier and locator concepts. The proposed architecture is a first step towards an implementation of a service oriented architecture on top of the current Internet. At the same time, the thesis provides an example on how network protocols can be used in a new way without changing their dynamics, or using a term familiar to software engineer, how they can be ``overloaded``, to create new functions provided that the network control plane is correctly designed to handle them.

碩士
國立交通大學
電子研究所
84
Because the popularity of the portable equipments, power gets more attention than ever before, and becomes an important issue in addition to area and speed considerations in VLSI design. In this thesis, powering optimization technique, a.k.a. voltage scaling technique, is considered. As we know that power consumption is proportional to the square of the supplied voltage, then voltage scaling could get larger power reduction ratio with respect to other techniques. However, the voltage scaling technique has some problems that need to be overcome. First, mixed voltage sources will cause difficulties in circuit layout, and make routing overheads grow rapidly. Second, there are level converters needed to be inserted between low-voltage cells and high-voltage cells. Because level converters also consume power, reducing the number of level converters becomes an important issue. Finally, it is a critical problem to determine which cells in a circuit are selected to be replaced with low-voltage cells. Our path-oriented clustered voltage scaling technique solves the problems described above and add another 22% power reduction ratio over that of the original clustered voltage scaling technique.

碩士
國立海洋大學
電子工程學系
83
This thesis is concerned about the dynamic simulation and the path analysis of the distributed systems. A set of computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools are provided for these purposes. In the thesis , the new paradigm for software develop- ment is discussed. The main purpose in using the new paradigm is to overcome the shortcomes of the conventional approach in soft- ware development. As a result , the cost to be used in the life cycle of software development is expected to be reduced. Based on the new paradigm , the concepts of object-oriented approach and Petri-net model are intergrated to build the design specifi- cation of the target system. The design specification can be si- mulation and analysed. Futhermore , with the animation capability , the effect of prototyping can be achieved. There are two major contributions of this thesis. First , an abstract design method is provided to build the design specifica- tion of the target system. The user needn't know the models to be used in the CASE system. Second , a graphical user interface is provided to support the animated dynamic simulation. The user can obtain the dynamic properties and possible execution status from the graphical user interface. As a result , the evaluation of the design method and the reduction of the gaps between the developer and the user can be achieved.

Cross-Rolled Non-oriented (CRNO) electrical steel are distinguished by their uniformity in magnetic properties in all angular directions. However, constant research has been carried out to control the texture for uniform magnetic properties of these steels. In the present work the effect of strain-path and subsequent annealing of CRNO steels on their texture and microstructure have been investigated. Electrical steels are subjected to Unidirectional rolling, Cross-rolling and Reverse rolling and are subsequently annealed at 840°C for 1, 2 and 4 hrs. XRD and EBSD analysis is carried out for bulk and micro texture analysis respectively. It is observed that average grain size increased with increasing temperature and soaking time of annealing. The effect on Texture is best described by ratio of volume fraction of (111)/(001), which is generally termed as texture factor (tf) for nonoriented electrical steel. It is also observed that the volume fractions of various textures (111) fiber, (001) fiber, (110) fiber {110} Goss orientation and {100} cubic orientation do not show any change in trend with the annealing conditions. Hardness of the steel tends to decrease as annealing soaking time increases.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
土木工程學研究所
98
High-tech facilities have the following characteristics: short duration, complex interface, high investment, and numerous design changes. Cleanroom is the most important component of high-tech facilities. It not only connects construction and electrical engineering works, but has the highest demand for environmental control. Compared to the overall project, waffle slab works affect the progress of cleanroom-building the most, but it is a work with labor-intensive, working path unknown, work rate cannot be clearly quantified, and the work of the project is relatively difficult to control. Generally, path planning in construction projects is considered enough when it reached basic need, rarely use to improve efficiency because increase in expenditure and management costs. This study will compute the benefit of using path planning in repetitive work in the case of FRP(Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics) mold assembly and transportation. Through literature review, we know about the high-tech factory facilities construction characteristic, then analysis status and needs. Next, investigate workflow, need of working path and benefit of makeshift path by interviewing engineers; survey the accurate duration of each work and set functions of time and distance. A model is established by OOP(Object-oriented programming), estimate the total duration by this model. Plan the working path between temporary placement and each work unit, and then compute the summation of each work by Above-mentioned data, finally compare the result with before The result shows that makeshift path can help reduce total duration. Not only increase the efficiency but enhance safety. It also makes working path clearly and makes schedule be easy to control. Even in different field sizes, different distance and different functions, we can change parameters and get the most appropriate solution in that situation; it brings us a fast and convenient way to solve problems.

Winnipeg is a spatially, culturally, psychologically and visually fragmented city, particularly due to the vehicular-oriented growth which has engendered segmented land-use, dismantled walkable networks and provoked disconnection between culture and nature as well as within nature itself. In particular, the displacement of daily life from the complex web of interrelationships in ecosystems, which are essentially the mechanisms supporting our existence, should be the primary concern of urban design. In order to resolve this critical issue, this practicum will isolate and examine a problematic site while deconstructing fragmentation into specific causes, namely pollution, habitat degradation, placelessness and lack of urban ecological education. Concluding that this condition is ultimately created by our own fragmented thinking, the production of pragmatic solutions which continually evoke further fragmentation, I present a series of solutions to these challenges in the form of a landscape architectural design proposal for the City of Winnipeg.

The diploma thesis deals with the mathematical environments Mazes and Cycle Paths. The first part is concerned with the definition of two opposite educational styles, transmissive and constructivistic. Within the constructivistic educational style it is also focused on schema-oriented education and on defining its principles for teaching mathematics by Hejný's method. It also introduces a new term genetic constructivism - its author proves that Hejný's mathematics and its didactic environments are embedded in ancient history. This diploma thesis gives an answer to the question of why the environments Mazes and Cycle Paths belong to the teaching of mathematics, and therefore, on what mathematical basis it stands. It is for this reason that it provides insight into the fundamentals of graph theory. It is focused on the historical aspect of terms maze and cycle path and charts exercises in Hejný's textbooks of mathematics from environments Mazes and Cycle Paths. The aim of research is to expand the collection of exercises from these two environments, to chart pupils' solving strategies and identify effective teaching methods in accordance with the schema-oriented education, which has been studied in seven experiments. The last part of this diploma thesis presents a didactic game, which is focused on...

Ce mémoire s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une recherche de développement pédagogique d’objet, destinée à des enseignants du secondaire. L’objectif porte sur la conception, et la validation auprès d’un groupe d’experts, d’une grille visant l’analyse de la qualité de situations d’apprentissage et d’évaluation en lecture (GASAEL) conçues pour des élèves de niveau secondaire en difficulté d’apprentissage, notamment ceux du parcours de formation axée sur l’emploi (PFAE). La problématique expose la nécessité chez les enseignants de trouver des réponses ajustées aux besoins d’apprentissage des élèves ciblés, dans un contexte de programmes élaborés par compétences. La situation d’apprentissage et d’évaluation (SAE) est une instrumentation pertinente, mais demeure sous-utilisée. Le cadre conceptuel, guidé par le modèle de la situation pédagogique de Legendre (2005), assure l’analyse du contexte de la SAE et permet d’identifier ses caractéristiques. Ce cadre est suivi par la méthodologie de l’Analyse de la valeur pédagogique de Roque, Langevin et Riopel (1998) exposant la procédure d’analyse des fonctions du produit, au regard des besoins des utilisateurs. L’innovation de ce produit pédagogique tient en son caractère pragmatique; il propose à la fois l’analyse de la qualité des SAE, et une référence rapide à propos des concepts porteurs d’une SAE, fournis par des exemples ou des explications.
This research project involved the development of an assessment tool for secondary teachers. The objective of the project was to design and validate, with a group of experts, a rubric for analyzing the quality of Learning and Evaluation Situations (LESs) for students with learning difficulties—notably, those in the Work Oriented Training Path (WOTP). This research was designed to support WOTP teachers’ efforts to develop competency-based instruction. The LES is a powerful context for teaching and learning, but remains underutilized. The rubric’s conceptual framework, based on Legendre’s (2005) model of situated learning, facilitates (a) identification of the key features of LESs, and (b) analysis of their quality. Roque, Langevin and Riopel’s 1998 methodology—‘l’Analyse de la valeur pédagigique’ (AVP)—was used to analyze the effectiveness of the rubric for its intended users (i.e., WOTP teachers). This research project’s contribution to the field of education lies in its practicality. The rubric provides teachers with ready access to a reference bank of explanations/examples of key LES features, encouraging reflection regarding the quality of LESs they design.

This thesis explores the uncharted territory of relational subjectivity in modern Chinese literature. As a model of identity that positions the self in a web of social interaction, emotional connectivity, relational subjectivity suggests that the self is continually partial, open, and constantly "under construction." Lacking an autonomous "closed system," subjects remain open to exchange and to becoming agents of co-created meaning. Through readings of the fiction, essays, and poetry of Lu Xun, Ye Shaojun, Shen Congwen, Bing Xin, Xiao Hong, and Eileen Chang, I investigate the ways these writers manipulated narrative structure, texture and voice to present a discourse of openness, receptivity, and tolerance for difference. My investigation uncovers a wider range of subjectivities and relational yearning than was previously recognized for this era. Chinese writers also linked the discourse of relational subjectivity with a more generalized epistemological openness characterized by neutral visual attentiveness and acts of listening. This study reflects a growing interest in locating forms of sociality in the modern Chinese context. As such, my work furthers the theoretical discourse for examining self-other relationships, especially those shaped by multiple-perspectivism, non-hierarchy and horizontal ways of seeing. Finally, this research offers possibilities for locating an alternative beginning for modern Chinese conceptualizations of self in community.

Many significant system extensions are hard to modularize. Consequently, their addition to a software system can jeopardize fundamental software engineering principles such as maintainability, understandability and evolvability. For example, the distributed Java Virtual Machine (dJVM) is a cluster aware implementation of a JVM in which distribution was retroactively added as an extension to an existing system. The prototype implementation of the dJVM relies on a patch file applied to IBM’s Jikes Research Virtual Machine (RVM), introducing distribution code into roughly 55% of the original 1166 Java files. In order to better determine the efficacy of modern modularization techniques such as aspect-oriented programming (AOP) in the context of system extensions, we offer up a case study based on distribution. The thesis of this work is that aspects can enhance extensibility of low-level system infrastructure software and be effectively integrated with existing software practices for introducing widespread change.

Socialist realist fiction is a form that combines images and ideas based on realism and incorporates certain features of romanticism. The concept that human society develops from darkness to light, a key element in historical materialism, forms the foundation of socialist realism. It is a genre whose characters belong to a "great family" of socialist revolutionaries rather than to the traditional biological family of other literary forms. By depersonalizing and objectifying characters, socialist realist fiction highlights the maturation of the hero from spontaneity to consciousness. Socialist realist fiction is akin to Scripture because in its use as a parable to promote the "sacred spirit," an ideology that incorporates both Marxism and Leninism. It condenses an author's view on historical development into the behaviors and ideas of a single hero.

Tese de mestrado, Engenharia Farmacêutica, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, 2011
Tese de mestrado, Engenharia Farmacêutica, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Instituto Superior Técnico, 2011
Esta dissertação foi realizada com o intuito de criar e implementar um Sistema de Garantia da Qualidade, com a utilização de ferramentas como o “Quality by Design”(QbD), sem perder de vista a Garantia de Qualidade, de Eficácia e de Segurança do produto. O “Quality by Design” irá permitir a construção de um Sistema de Garantia de Qualidade que cumpra todas as exigências regulamentares, seguindo as orientações das normas relativas ao desenvolvimento da Indústria Farmacêutica. Com a utilização do QbD, construiu-se uma norma que reúne todos os assuntos e exigências das normas oficiais e que se encontram implementadas actualmente em toda a Indústria Farmacêutica.
This dissertation was conducted in order to create and implement a Quality Assurance System with the use of tools such as “Quality by Design” (QbD), without losingsight of the Quality Assurance, Safety and Efficacy of the product. The “Quality by Design” will allow the constructions of a Quality Assurance System that complies with all regulatory requirements, following the guidelines of the rules relating to the development of the pharmaceutical industry. With the use of QbD, we constructed a standard that meets all requirements and standards issues and that officers are currently being implemented throughout tha pharmaceutical industry.

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership styles adopted by school principals and their influence on the job performance of primary school teachers in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The study was designed to gain insight into the kinds of leadership styles presently used, the leadership preference of principals, the perceptions of the teachers and principals regarding the leadership styles of the principals and the effect of the leadership styles on teachers’ performance. The main research question that guided this study was: Which leadership styles are most commonly used by primary school principals in the Tigray region and what is their effect on the performance of teachers? A mixed-methods research design was used with questionnaires as well as a focus group interview as means of data-collection. One hundred and seventy eight principals and 446 teachers comprising 69% male and 31% female teachers participated in the study. The path-goal leadership questionnaire as well as a self-constructed questionnaire to measure teacher performance was self-administered to collect data from the selected principals and teachers, which secured a 97% response rate. During the qualitative phase, eight supervisors participated in the focus group interview. The questionnaire data were analysed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted and presented in a clear and logical manner. The principals and teachers indicated that all the leadership styles, except the directive leadership style, have a positive impact on the teachers’ performance. Furthermore, the supportive leadership style is the most frequently used style. Importantly, age, qualifications and experience as independent variables had an effect on teachers’ performance. The data also indicated a statistically significant relationship between the job performance of teachers and the leadership styles employed by the principals. The study results make a contribution to the research on the relation between leadership styles and teachers’ performance, especially since no study has been conducted on this issue in the Tigray region of Ethiopia before. It was possible to make several meaningful recommendations for implementation in the Tigray region.
Educational Leadership and Management
D. Ed. (Education Management)

German text
Vor dem Hintergrund gegenwärtiger Reformprozesse, sowohl in der Evangelischen Landeskirche Württembergs, als auch in der Evangelischen Kirche Deutschlands, reflektiert und kommentiert die vorliegende Arbeit das Reformbemühen der letzten Jahre und stellt es in den Kontext empirischer Forschung. So versucht die Studie explorativ pragmatisch Zugangswege zu den bisher nicht erreichten Menschen zu eruieren, die bei der Entwicklung einer zukünftigen Sozialgestalt von Kirche mitbedacht werden könnten. Mittels eines mehrstufigen Zufallsauswahlverfahrens wurden die Befragungspersonen ermittelt und 628 standardisierte Interviews durchgeführt. Dabei stehen zunächst die religiösen Einstellungen zur christlich-abendländischen Kultur- und Werteorientierung, zur kirchlichen Arbeit als solche und zum christlichen Glauben im Forschungsinteresse, dann die Erfahrungen mit Gottesdienst, Kirche und Leben, Erwartungen, Bedürfnisse und Interessenlagen und schließlich der Stellenwert von Gebet und Bibel als Bausteine christlich-spiritueller Lebenspraxis. Ausgehend vom Gottesdienst, als Zentralort gemeindlichen Lebens, will die Forschung die Chancen gottesdienstkultureller Ausdifferenzierung ergründen und nimmt unter anderem alternative Gottesdienstformen in den Blick. Ehrenamtlicher Mitarbeit in der Kirche, gemeindlicher Kleingruppenarbeit und religiöse Erwachsenenbildungsangebote sind von potenzieller Bedeutung und wollen ebenso als Zugangswege kirchlicher Zukunftsentwicklung bedacht sein, wie der Stellenwert gemeindlicher Seelsorge- und Lebensberatung in Umbruchsituationen, oder die Einrichtung einer landeskirchlichen Gemeindegründungsbewegung in bisher unerreichten soziokulturellen Umgebungen. Die vielfältigen Erkenntnisse und potenziellen Möglichkeiten zukünftiger Kirche sind nicht zu trennen von einer missionstheologischen und ekklesiologischen Positionierung, die in der Herausbildung von kulturrelevanter, multioptionaler Gemeinde, als Gemeinschaft von Brüdern und Schwestern, das Zentralgeschehen nachhaltiger Gemeinde- und Kirchenentwicklung erkennt. Damit ist die Studie als Diskussionsbeitrag in den Entscheidungsprozessen aktueller Reformdebatte platziert.
Against the background of current reform processes in the Evangelische Landeskirche von Würrtemberg (protestant national church of Baden-Württemberg as) well as the Evangelische Kirche von Deutschland (protestant national church of Germany), this paper reflects and comments on the reformation efforts of the past years and places them into the context of empirical research. The aim of this survey is to investigate in an explorative manner various forms of pragmatic access to people hitherto unreached, who could be factored into the church's future social form. The participants were selected using a multilevel random selection process and 628 standardised interviews were subsequently carried out. To begin with, this research focuses on the interviewee's religious stance on christian-occidental culture and values,on the work of the church in general and on christian faith, then on their personal experience with services, church and life, their expectations, needs and interests, and lastly the significance of prayer and the bible as integral parts of a spiritual Christian life. Based on the service as the centre of a congregation's community life, this survey wants to fathom the chances of service differentiation and takes a look at alternative forms of service among other things. Volunteer work in the church, work in small groups as well as religious education programmes for adults are of potential importance and need to be taken into consideration as possible access paths to the future development of the church as well as the value of pastoral care and life coaching in situations of radical change or the start-up of a national movement to establish new congregations in hitherto unreached sociocultural environments. The manifold findings and potential possibilities of our church in the future cannot be separated from our position with regard to missiology and ecclesiology, which identifies the central development of congregation and church as the formation of culturally relevant, multioptional congregations, as the community of brothers and sisters. This survey thus contributes to the current discussion of reform and the associated decision-making process.
Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology
D. Th. (Missiology)

This study centres on curriculum development for a master craftsman level in the Printing, Newspaper and Packaging Industries which is didactically sound and takes cognisance of the dynamic vocational education and training milieu in which it occurs. Curriculum and curriculum development is viewed from a systems perspective and incorporates the specific andragogic didactic needs of the learner target group as well as the unique needs of an industrial sector. Because the National Qualification Framework model advocates an outcomes-based approach to curriculum development this necessitated the identification of a suitable standards generating process to articulate the master craftsman unit standards into a qualification capable of being recognised by the National Qualification Framework. The nature and complexity of the underpinning knowledge, skills and competencies for the master craftsman level were quantified and qualified by means of skills and competency profiling and the development of a job outcome taxonomy of skills, knowledge and attributes which incorporated critical cross field and fundamental skills, and their underpinning knowledge requirements. Using aspects ofvarious vocational education and training models and empirical research course content was sourced, evaluated and developed into appropriate modules of learning that are congruent with the accepted competency based modular training system used in the Industries. Course maps that integrate theory and practice were developed with multi skilling milestones linked to learner certification. Evaluation of resources for the delivery of the Master Craftsman Programme was facilitated by means of a provider quality assessment and accreditation system. The interactive teaching-learning situation and the evaluation processes and procedures were developed to enhance the assessment of applied competencies in the world of work. A pilot study and unit standards generating activities are to be used as a means of implementing and institutionalising the master craftsman curriculum. The findings of this study revealed that by viewing the curriculum from a systems perspective and using a suitable curriculum development model a creative master craftsman curriculum development process could take place. The competency profiling technique and taxonomy of competencies, skills, knowledge and attributes enabled the curriculum process to be a top-down approach which is outcomes-based.
Didactics
D.Ed. (Didactics)