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In order to achieve global carbon reduction targets, buildings must be designed to be energy efficient. Building performance simulation methods, together with sensitivity analysis and evolutionary optimization methods, can be used to generate design solution and performance information that can be used in identifying energy and cost efficient design solutions. Sensitivity analysis is used to identify the design variables that have the greatest impacts on the design objectives and constraints. Multi-objective evolutionary optimization is used to find a Pareto set of design solutions that optimize the conflicting design objectives while satisfying the design constraints; building design being an inherently multi-objective process. For instance, there is commonly a desire to minimise both the building energy demand and capital cost while maintaining thermal comfort. Sensitivity analysis has previously been coupled with a model-based optimization in order to reduce the computational effort of running a robust optimization and in order to provide an insight into the solution sensitivities in the neighbourhood of each optimum solution. However, there has been little research conducted to explore the extent to which the solutions found from a building design optimization can be used for a global or local sensitivity analysis, or the extent to which the local sensitivities differ from the global sensitivities. It has also been common for the sensitivity analysis to be conducted using continuous variables, whereas building optimization problems are more typically formulated using a mixture of discretized-continuous variables (with physical meaning) and categorical variables (without physical meaning). This thesis investigates three main questions; the form of global sensitivity analysis most appropriate for use with problems having mixed discretised-continuous and categorical variables; the extent to which samples taken from an optimization run can be used in a global sensitivity analysis, the optimization process causing these solutions to be biased; and the extent to which global and local sensitivities are different. The experiments conducted in this research are based on the mid-floor of a commercial office building having 5 zones, and which is located in Birmingham, UK. The optimization and sensitivity analysis problems are formulated with 16 design variables, including orientation, heating and cooling setpoints, window-to-wall ratios, start and stop time, and construction types. The design objectives are the minimisation of both energy demand and capital cost, with solution infeasibility being a function of occupant thermal comfort. It is concluded that a robust global sensitivity analysis can be achieved using stepwise regression with the use of bidirectional elimination, rank transformation of the variables and BIC (Bayesian information criterion). It is concluded that, when the optimization is based on a genetic algorithm, that solutions taken from the start of the optimization process can be reliably used in a global sensitivity analysis, and therefore, there is no need to generate a separate set of random samples for use in the sensitivity analysis. The extent to which the convergence of the variables during the optimization can be used as a proxy for the variable sensitivities has also been investigated. It is concluded that it is not possible to identify the relative importance of variables through the optimization, even though the most important variable exhibited fast and stable convergence. Finally, it is concluded that differences exist in the variable rankings resulting from the global and local sensitivity methods, although the top-ranked solutions from each approach tend to be the same. It also concluded that the sensitivity of the objectives and constraints to all variables is obtainable through a local sensitivity analysis, but that a global sensitivity analysis is only likely to identify the most important variables. The repeatability of these conclusions has been investigated and confirmed by applying the methods to the example design problem with the building being located in four different climates (Birmingham, UK; San Francisco, US; and Chicago, US).

Sensitive devices are affected by extreme vibration excitations during operation so require isolation from high levels of vibration excitations. When these excitation characteristics of the devices are well known, the vibration isolation can be achieved accurately. However, it is possible to have expected profile information of the excitations with respect to frequency. Therefore, it is practical and useful to implement this information in the design process for vibration isolation. In this thesis, passive vibration isolation technique is examined and a computer code is developed which would assist the isolator selection process. Several sample cases in six degree of freedom are designed for a sample excitation and for sample assumptions defined for an inertial measurement unit. Different optimization methods for design optimizations are initially compared and then different designs are arranged according to the optimization results using isolators from catalogues for these sample cases. In the next step, the probable designs are compared according to their isolator characteristics. Finally, one of these designs are selected for each case, taking into account both the probable location deviations and property deviations of isolators.

Le contrat peut se présenter comme un ensemble de clauses contractuelles. Pour autant, le tout est plus que la somme des parties. La réunion des clauses autour du contrat donne naissance à une entité qui peut prétendre acquérir une vie propre, autonome détachée de ses éléments constitutifs originels. En tant que notion fonctionnelle, le contrat assure intellectuellement sa propre unicité. Le contrat est l’élément fédérateur qui cimente la relation contractuelle au point de dépasser la singularité des clauses qui le composent. En vertu d’une analyse traditionnelle, le contrat a toujours été appréhendé de manière globale, il est analysé comme une compilation de clauses. Il a toujours fait l’objet d’études d’ensemble. La clause n’est alors que l’un des éléments du contrat qui se décompose en clauses. Cependant, chaque partie est plus qu’un élément du tout. Les clauses contractuelles gagnent donc en autonomie. L’éclatement du centre du contrat conduit à favoriser les clauses comme centre d’intérêt. À travers le contrat, il s’agit de voir ses clauses. Le contrat met en corrélation des clauses dont certaines peuvent vivre sans lui. Une clause peut donc se voir privée d’effets indépendamment du sort du contrat ou survivre après l’anéantissement du contrat. On s’intéresse alors aux stipulations d’un acte juridique pour en définir le régime juridique et non plus seulement au contrat dans son ensemble. Le contrat a toujours par le passé été appréhendé dans une analyse globale, c’est-à-dire comme un tout produisant des obligations. Désormais, les contrats sont disséqués. Ce que l’on analyse ce sont ses stipulations, car ce qui importe c’est l’inclusion ou l’exclusion d’un certain nombre de clauses. Il convient à présent de doter la clause d’un statut juridique général. La conception globalisante du contrat est critiquée. Le contrat doit être disséqué, dépecé, atomisé pour découvrir sous l’ensemble composite du contrat ses clauses. Le contrat produit des sous-ensembles composés par les clauses contractuelles. La clause contractuelle et le contrat sont en relation d’interdépendance. / Contract can be presented like a whole clauses. For all that, all is more that the sum of parties. Bringing together many clauses round contract give rise to a entity which can assert a life particular, autonomous detached of his elements constituent original. In so far as notion functional, contract ensure intellectually your own uniqueness. Contract is the element federative which consolidate the relation until pass the peculiarity of clauses which her compose. Under this analysis traditional, contract had always been apprehended globally, it’s like a compilation of clauses. It’s had always did the purpose of investigations globally. Clause is at that time that one of elements of contract which decompose to clauses. However, each party is more than element of all. Clauses earn therefore autonomy. Dispersal of center contract lead to favour clauses like centre of interest. Throught contract, it comes to see clauses. Contract is related clauses which somme can live whitout it. Clause can be seen deprive effects independently of situation of contract ou survive after destruction of contract. It interest then legal transaction to define legal juridical and no more only contract on the whole. Contract had always by past apprenhended in analysis global that is like a all producing obligations. In future, contracts are dissected. What it analyse those stipulations because that what signify it is inclusion or exclusion of many clauses. It is agreed at present to dower clause of status general. The conception global is criticized. Contract must be dissected, dismembered, atomized to discover under unity composite contract his clauses. Contract produce subset compose by clauses. Contract and clause are in relation interdependence.

Human cancers exhibit the common phenotype of elevated glycolytic metabolism, which causes acidification of the tissue microenvironment and may facilitate tumour invasion. In this thesis, we use mathematical models to address a series of open problems underlying the glycolytic tumour phenotype and its attendant acidity. We first explore tissue-scale consequences of metabolically-derived acid. Incorporating more biological detail into a canonical model of acidity at the tumour-host interface, we extend the range of tumour behaviours captured by the modelling framework. We then carry out an asymptotic travelling wave analysis to express invasive tumour properties in terms of fundamental parameters, and find that interstitial gaps between an advancing tumour and retreating healthy tissue, characteristic of aggressive invasion and comprising a controversial feature of the original model, are less significant under our generalised formulation. Subsequently, we evaluate a potential role of lactate---historically assumed to be a passive byproduct of glycolytic metabolism---in a perfusion-dependent metabolic symbiosis that was recently proposed as a beneficial tumour behaviour. Upon developing a minimal model of dual glucose-lactate consumption in vivo and employing a multidimensional sensitivity analysis, we find that symbiosis may not be straightforwardly beneficial for our model tumour. Moreover, new in vitro experiments, carried out by an experimental collaborator, place U87 glioblastoma tumours in a weakly symbiotic parameter regime despite their clinical malignancy. These results suggest that intratumoural metabolic cooperation is unlikely to be an important role for lactate. Finally, we examine the complex pH regulation system that governs expulsion of metabolically derived acid loads across tumour cell membranes. This system differs from the healthy system by expression of only a few key proteins, yet its dynamics are non-intuitive in the crowded and poorly perfused in vivo environment. We systematically develop a model of tumour pH regulation, beginning with a single-cell scenario and progressing to a spheroid, within a Bayesian framework that incorporates information from in vitro data contributed by a second experimental collaborator. We predict that a net effect of pH regulation is a straightforward transmembrane pH gradient, but also that existing treatments are unable to disrupt the system strongly enough to cause tumour cell death. Taken together, our models help to elucidate previously unresolved features of glycolytic tumour metabolism, and illustrate the utility of a combined mathematical, statistical, and experimental approach for testing biological hypotheses. Opportunities for further investigation are discussed.

This thesis analyzes the risks of global and local business environment . The paper shows the actual state of the environment and the associated risks . The risks greatly influence the success of businesses and it is necessary to know them and understand how to respond . Inaction against risks can lead to bankruptcy of the company . In the practical part is an analysis of the certain company. The result of the analysis is to evaluate the state of the company and choose the right strategies to achieve goals.

Thesis (M.S.)--Air Force Institute of Technology, 2003. / Title from title screen (viewed July 1, 2004). "March 2003." Vita. "AFIT/GCA/ENV/03-04." "ADA415257"--URL. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-74). Also issued in paper format.