In business environments, information systems are required to change in response to changes in business processes. We refer to this process as co-evolution: the process of reciprocal change in a software system and the activities and goals of the system's users. This research focuses on improving task modelling techniques to support the co-evolution of information systems and business processes.</p><p>We propose the Interaction Template approach to improve task modelling to support co-evolution. Interaction Templates make the task modelling process less tedious in both the design phase and the evolution phase of a system's lifecycle. Our approach adds data schemas and presentation components to task models, allowing us to build task models that adapt to data elements and parameters. Binding presentation components to task models allows us to generate user interface prototypes from task models. The generated user interface prototypes improve task model simulation and help make the effects of changes to business processes more clear.</p><p> This thesis describes a study of the seven year evolution of a real world information system. Through this study, we gain a better understanding of how information systems evolve in response to the evolution of an organization's business processes. This thesis presents the Interaction Template approach, as well as a notation for specifying Interaction Templates. A prototype system supporting the Interaction Template approach is provided, along with examples demonstrating the approach.</P>

This master's thesis develops an algorithm for tracking of cars robust enough to handle turning cars. It is implemented in the image processing environment Image Processing Application Programming Interface (IPAPI) for use with the WITAS project. Firstly, algorithms, comparable with one currently used in the WITAS-project, are studied. The focus is on how rotation, that originates from the turning of the cars, affects tracking performance. The algorithms studied all perform an exhaustive search over a region, close to the last known position of the object being tracked, to find a match. After this, an iterative algorithm, based on the idea that a car can only rotate, translate and change scale, is introduced. The algorithm estimates the parameters describing this rotation, translation, and change of scale, iteratively. The iterative process needs a initial parameter estimate that is accurate enough for the algorithm to converge. The developed algorithm is based on an earlier publication on the subject, however the mathematical description, and deduction, of it is taken one step further than in this publication. The iterative algorithm used performs well under the assumption that the data used fulfills some basic criteria. These demands comprises: placement of camera, template size as well as how the parameters may vary between two observations. The iterative algorithm is also potentially faster than exhaustive search methods, because few iterations are needed when the parameters change slowly. Better initial parameters should improve stability and speed of convergation. Other suggestions that could give better performance is discussed, e.g., methods to better extract the target from the surroundings.

In business environments, information systems are required to change in response to changes in business processes. We refer to this process as co-evolution: the process of reciprocal change in a software system and the activities and goals of the system's users. This research focuses on improving task modelling techniques to support the co-evolution of information systems and business processes.</p><p>We propose the Interaction Template approach to improve task modelling to support co-evolution. Interaction Templates make the task modelling process less tedious in both the design phase and the evolution phase of a system's lifecycle. Our approach adds data schemas and presentation components to task models, allowing us to build task models that adapt to data elements and parameters. Binding presentation components to task models allows us to generate user interface prototypes from task models. The generated user interface prototypes improve task model simulation and help make the effects of changes to business processes more clear.</p><p> This thesis describes a study of the seven year evolution of a real world information system. Through this study, we gain a better understanding of how information systems evolve in response to the evolution of an organization's business processes. This thesis presents the Interaction Template approach, as well as a notation for specifying Interaction Templates. A prototype system supporting the Interaction Template approach is provided, along with examples demonstrating the approach.</P>

In this research we consider two different approaches for microfabricating physical templates to be used in template directed colloidal self-assembly experiments. Fabrication of templates, usable with confocal microscopy, forms an essential part of observation and analysis of template directed colloidal self-assembly studies. We use existing laboratory based microfabrication methods for patterning thin glass coverslips and polymeric films. These templates when used for directing colloidal self-assembly along with confocal microscopy analysis provide us with relevant information on the effect of confined geometries of the template on particle packing and order. The first method of template fabrication involves ultraviolet photolithography, thin film deposition, and glass micro machining. Various stages of the process were optimized while selecting reactive ion etch (RIE) and nickel etch mask with a suitable etch recipe for microfabrication of patterns on thin multi-component glass coverslips. Pattern dimensions were shown to be nearly commensurate with patterns on the microfiche, which was used as a field mask. In another approach, mechanical machining for fabricating polymeric templates was attempted on poly(methyl methacrylate) films spin coated on thin glass cover slips. The mechanical machining was implemented using computer numerical control (CNC) machines with the pattern dimensions in the range of 50 Mu m-150 Mu m. The glass and polymeric templates were used in template directed colloidal self-assembly experiments us ing polystyrene or silica particles. Confocal microscopy was used to obtain images of particle packing in template geometries. Imaging of the particles confined in the template geometries show increased particle concentration along pattern walls and corners. Inherent pattern irregularities and roughness possibly resulted in limited order in particle. Using a simple fortran program, image stack generated from confocal microscopy is used for obtaining images of particle packing in four different view planes which includes top, side, cross sectional and diagonal view of the image stack. The results from this research show the application of simple microfabrication processes for creating physical templates for template directed colloidal self-assembly. Confocal microscopy imaging combined with fortran image processing program can provide images of particle packing in different view planes. These images of the particles confined in various pattern geometries illustrate greater possibility of packing order in straight and regular pattern geometries or profiles.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Delaware, 2007. / Principal faculty advisor: Mary E. Galvin-Donoghue, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Chemistry, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

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Sequenced semantics, which was first proposed in the context of temporal databases, is the semantics for the evaluation of a program on values annotated with time metadata. The time metadata records when each value is “live” (is valid or has existence). Sequenced semantics stipulates that a computation on values annotated with temporal metadata must be equivalent to, in effect, running the computation at every time point with only the values alive at that time. Sequenced semantics is challenging to program because it is more than just a re-interpretation of the run-time behavior of a program; for instance, a sequenced “if-else” statement may need to evaluate both the “true” and “false” branches, in different time slices of the computation. This thesis introduces MultiverseJava. MultiverseJava supports sequenced semantics for time stamped values in a Java program. Programmers currently have to resort to ad hoc methods to implement sequenced semantics in Java programs; hence, a better approach is needed. We show how MultiverseJava can be implemented using a MultiverseJava to Java translation. The translation layer weaves support for computing with the timestamped values into a Java program. This thesis describes the MultiverseJava architecture, the layer, semantic templates, and experiments to quantify the cost of MultiverseJava.

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