Data streams being transmitted over a network channel with capacity less than the data rate of the data streams is very common when using network channels such as dial-up, low bandwidth wireless links. Not only does this lower capacity creates delays but also causes sequential network problems such as packet losses, network congestion, errors in data packets giving rise to other problems and creating a cycle of problems hard to break out from. In this thesis, we present a new approach for shedding the less informative attribute data from a data stream with a fixed schema to maintain a data rate lesser than the network channels capacity. A scheme for shedding attributes, instead of tuples, becomes imperative in stream data where the data for one of the attributes remains relatively constant or changes less frequently compared to the data for the other attributes. In such a data stream management system, shedding a complete tuple would lead to shedding of some informative-attribute data along with the less informative-attribute data in the tuple, whereas shedding of the less informative-attribute data would cause only the less informative data to be dropped. In this thesis, we deal with two major problems in load shedding: the intra-stream load shedding and the inter-stream load shedding problems. The intra-stream load shedding problem deals with shedding of the less informative attributes when a single data stream with the data rate greater than the channel capacity has to be transmitted to the destination over the channel. The inter-stream load shedding problem refers to shedding of attributes among different streams when more than one stream has to be transferred to the destination over a channel with the channel capacity less than the combined data rate of all the streams to be transmitted. As a solution to the inter-stream or intra-stream load shedding problem, we apply our load shedding schema approach to determine a ranking amongst the attributes on a singe data stream or multiple data streams with the least informative attribute(s) being ranked the highest. The amount of data to be shed to maintain the data rate below the capacity is calculated dynamically, which means that the amount of data to be shed changes with any change in the channel capacity or any change in the data rate. Using these two pieces of information, a load shedding schema describing the attributes to be shed is generated. The load shedding schema is generated dynamically, which means that the load shedding schema is updated with any change in (i) the rankings of attributes that capture the rate of change on the values of each attribute, (ii) channel capacity, and (iii) data rate even after load shedding has been invoked. The load shedding schema is updated using our load shedding schema re-evaluation algorithm, which adapts to the data stream characteristics and follows the attribute data variation curve of the data stream. Since data dropped at the source may be of interest to the user at the destination, we also propose a recovery module which can be invoked to recover attribute data already shed. The recovery module maintains the minimal amount of information about data already shed for recovery purpose. Preliminary experimental results have shown that recovery accuracy ranges from 90% to 99%, which requires only 5% to 33% and 4.88% to 50% of the dropped data to be stored for weather reports and stock exchanges, respectively. Storing of recovery information imposes storage and processing burden on the source site, and our recovery method aims at satisfactory recovery accuracy while imposing minimal burden on the source site. Our load shedding approach, which achieves a high performance in reducing the data stream load, (i) handles wide range of data streams in different application domains (such as weather, stocks, and network performance, etc.), (ii) is dynamic in nature, which means that the load shedding scheme adjusts the amount of data to be shed and which attribute data to be shed according to the current load and network capacity, and (iii) provides a data recovery mechanism that is capable to recover any shedded attribute data with recovery accuracy up to 90% with very low burden on the source site and 99% with a higher burden on some stream data. To the best of our knowledge, the dynamic load shedding scheme we propose is the first one in the literature to shed attributes, instead of tuples, along with providing a recovery mechanism in a data stream management system. Our load shedding approach is unique since it is not a static load shedding schema, which is less appealing in an ever-changing (sensor) network environment, and is not based on queries, but works on the general characteristics of the data stream under consideration instead.

Power and cooling costs are some of the highest costs in data centers today, which make improvement in energy efficiency crucial. Energy efficiency is also a major design point for chips that power whole ranges of computing devices. One important goal in this area is energy proportionality, arguing that the system's power consumption should be proportional to its performance. Currently, a major trend among server processors, which stems from the design of chips for mobile devices, is the inclusion of advanced power management techniques, such as dynamic voltage-frequency scaling, clock gating, and turbo modes. A lot of recent work on energy efficiency of database management systems is focused on coarse-grained power management at the granularity of multiple machines and whole queries. These techniques, however, cannot efficiently adapt to the frequently fluctuating behavior of contemporary workloads. In this paper, we argue that databases should employ a fine-grained approach by dynamically scheduling tasks using precise hardware models. These models can be produced by calibrating operators under different combinations of scheduling policies, parallelism, and memory access strategies. The models can be employed at run-time for dynamic scheduling and power management in order to improve the overall energy efficiency. We experimentally show that energy efficiency can be improved by up to 4x for fundamental memory-intensive database operations, such as scans.

Municipal solid waste management is a public service which, when it fails, can rapidly become overwhelming for communities and authorities. It is also during the deepest crisis that incentives change and new practices emerge. Lebanon went through an 8-months waste crisis after the closure of the country’s main landfill. Facing the incapacity of restoring basic services, the monopolistic centralised system was questioned: civil society, social businesses and municipalities organised, at a smaller scale, their own waste management. The thesis aims were to identify the role of the new waste stakeholders in the broader picture, assess the efficiency and needs of municipal projects and suggest some priorities for the country’s solid waste policies. The use of process-flow diagrams and a contextualised classification of actors were used to describe the Lebanese system. Case studies of recent initiatives were made using an adapted ISWM framework. The investigations have shown that, since the crisis, waste management is organised around three complementary systems, with their own legitimacy, supporters and challenges, but overall lacking of cooperation and mutual recognition. The nascent decentralised waste management tends to achieve better than the traditional central system, especially in terms of landfill space saved, resource management and inclusivity of users. However, it faces issues when tackling final disposal, energy recovery and financing. Any future waste policy should include all waste actors, set clear targets and reject any “one-size-fits-all” solution benefiting private corrupted interests. / Hushållsavfallshantering är ett offentligt verktyg som, när det misslyckas, snabbt kan bli överväldigande för samhällen och myndigheter att hantera. Det är också under de djupaste kriserna som incitament förändras och nya metoder utvecklas. Libanon gick igenom en avfallskris som varade i 8 månader, efter stängningen av landets största deponi. På grund av oförmågan att återställa grundläggande tjänster, blev det monopolistiska centraliserade systemet ifrågasatt: det civila samhället, sociala företag och kommuner organiserade, i mindre skala, sina egen avfallshantering. Examensarbetets mål var att identifiera vilken roll nya intressenter av avfallshantering får i ett brett perspektiv, bedöma effektiviteten och behovet av kommunala projekt samt föreslå prioriteringar för landets politik gällande fast avfall. Ett processflödesschema och en kontextberoende klassificering av aktörer användes för att beskriva det libanesiska systemet. En fallstudie gjordes med hjälp av ett ramverk för integrerad avfallshantering över de senaste initiativen som tagits på området. Undersökningarna har visat att avfallshanteringen är organiserad kring tre kompletterande system, som har de egna rättigheterna, anhängare och utmaningar, men det saknas tydligt samarbete och ömsesidigt erkännande. Den nya decentraliserade avfallshanteringen tenderar att uppnå bättre resultat än det traditionella centrala systemet gjort. Det gäller särskilt när deponiutrymme kan sparas, resurshantering förbättras och användarna integreras i processen. Dock kvarstår problem när det kommer till att hantera slutförvaring, energiåtervinning, och även finansiering. Framtida avfallspolitik bör inkludera alla avfallsaktörer, fastställa klara mål och avvisa alla "one-size-fits-all" lösningar som gynnar privata intressen.

Att genom simuleringar få en förståelse för hur en stötdämpares inställningar påverkar dess egenskaper kan leda till förbättrad väghållning, ökad trafiksäkerhet samt snabbare varvtider på racerbanan. Genom att visualisera de simulerade data för att ge användare en uppfattning om hur inställningarna på stötdämparen kommer att bete sig i praktiken.Det här arbetet hade som mål att utforma en databas som efterliknar en stötdämpares egenskaper samt att visualisera dessa egenskaper på en webbsida. Kravinsamling gjordes genom intervjuer med experter och information införskaffades via litteraturstudier. Utifrån insamlade krav och fallstudier utvecklades en relationsdatabas som innehåller information om en dämpares komponenter och uppbyggnad samt ett visualiseringsverktyg där egenskaperna hos dämparen visualiserades på en webbsida. Databasen och visualiseringsverktyget sammanfogades sedan till en prototyp för att möjliggöra simulering av en dämpares egenskaper på webben.Resultatet av fallstudierna visade att databashanteringssystemet MySQL och grafbiblioteket Chart.js var bäst lämpade för prototypen utifrån de insamlade kraven. Funktionaliteten av protypen validerades av projektets uppdragsgivare och felmarginalen för simuleringarna var under 1%. Detta implicerar att databasmodellen som tagits fram håller god kvalitet och att resultatet visualiseras på ett korrekt och förståeligt sätt. / By perform simulations to achieve an understanding of how a shock absorbers setting affect its characteristics could result in improved road holding, increased roadworthiness and faster lap times at the racetrack. By visualizing the simulated data, users can get an understanding in how the settings on the shock absorber will behave.This work had as a goal to design a database that mimic a shock absorbers characteristic and to visualize these characteristics on a website. Requirements was gathered through interviews with experts and information was procured through literature studies. From the gathered requirements and case studies a relational database, that contain information about a shock absorbers components and construction, was developed. A visualization tool to visualize the characteristics of a shock absorber was also developed. The database and the visualization tool where then joined to create a prototype for simulating a shock absorbers characteristic on the web.The result from the case studies indicated that the database management system MySQL and the graph library Chart.js was best suited for the prototype, based on the collected requirements. The functionality of the prototype was validated by the client and the margin of error for the simulation was below 1%. This implies that the database model that has been produced is of good quality and that the visualization of the result is presented in a correct and apprehensible manner.

Combined with advancements in technology, prior research investigating the teacher-student relationship has radically changed the way we teach and learn in online education. This study examined the way teacher self-disclosure (TSD) influenced student motivation to enroll in an online course and altered their affect, or feelings, toward the teacher when applied within a purely online learning setting. The experiment took place online and was built within a Boston University’s learning management system (LMS), Blackboard Learn. In the online environment, TSD was controlled to provide high levels of male and female TSD in two treatment groups and a complete absence of TSD in two control groups. Out of the 336 Master of Social Work (MSW) students that responded to the recruitment email, 84 students were placed in one of four online settings led by fictional male and female teachers. Students in the treatment groups were granted access to male or female TSD via a Meet the Professor tab within the online learning environment. This tab provided students with access to content collected from social media websites, such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter on a single web page. The social media content displayed personal and professional information about these fictional instructors and were used to create TSD in the sample online course. The study participants were instructed to explore their assigned sample course not including (control) or including (treatment) TSD. Before and after exploring the sample course, participants completed pre- and post-surveys measuring their motivation to engage in the online course materials, their affect toward the teacher (ATT), and their perceptions of TSD within the online learning environment. Hypothesis testing using ANCOVA, correlation, t-test, and Chi-squared procedures revealed no statistical significance. Findings include recommendations for methodological requirement need to explore the complexities of the teacher-student relationship within a purely online learning environment.

Den här studien undersöker hur ett användarcentrerat tillvägagångssätt kan utveckla gränssnittet för den digitala läroplattformen Canvas, baserat på hur plattformen upplevs av studenter med ADHD/ADD. Genom intervjuer och observationer har data samlats in kring studenternas interaktion med Canvas och vad de upplever för problematik med plattformen. Baserat på studenternas upplevelse, samt riktlinjer som går att återfinna i teorin, har ett alternativt gränssnitt har sedan skapats. Detta gränssnitt har sedan testats av studenterna för att samla in ytterligare information om vad som kan förbättras samt för att testa om förändringarna som gjorts är något studenterna upplever positivt. För att utveckla en produkt som fungerar för samtliga användare är det viktigt att i ett tidigt skede ta i beaktning de med funktionsnedsättningar, och genom att involvera dessa tidigt i designprocessen kan en digitalt tillgänglig produkt utvecklas. Data från denna studie har gett värdefulla insikter i vad studenter med ADHD/ADD upplever problematisk med digitala läroplattformar. / This study examines how a user centered approach can develop the learning management system Canvas, based on how it is perceived by students with ADHD/ADD. By conducting interviews and observations data has been collected about the students interaction with Canvas and what they experience as problems with the platform. Based on the students experiences and guidelines that can be found in the theory, an alternative interface has since been created. This interface has since been tested by the students to gather additional information about what can be improved, and to test whether the changes that have been made are well met. In order to develop a product that work for all users, it is important to take those with disabilities into account at an early stage in the design process, and by doing so a digitally accessible product can be developed. Data from this study provides valuable insights into what students with ADHD/ADD experience as problematic with learning management systems.

Актуальность темы обусловлена потребностью футбольного клуба «Футбольный Клуб» в автоматизации процессов, протекающих в клубе, для увеличения эффективности работы персонала футбольного клуба, сокращения временных и ресурсных затрат, а также улучшения результатов выступлений команды в различных чемпионатах. Цель работы: автоматизация процессов, протекающих во время спортивной деятельности клуба, путем внедрения системы управления спортивными клубами SAP Sports One. Объектом исследования данной выпускной работы является система управления спортивными клубами SAP Sports One. Предметом исследования является бизнес-процесс прогнозной аналитики предстоящих матчей футбольного клуба. Научная значимость заключается в оценке эффективности использования методологии «Agile» для процесса внедрения системы SAP Sports One с помощью моделей системной динамики. Также в работе было проведено сравнение альтернатив для внедрения через метод анализа иерархий. Практическая значимость заключается в автоматизации процессов, протекающих во время спортивной деятельности клуба, путем внедрения системы управления спортивными клубами SAP Sports One. Также, 2 раздел данной работы может использоваться как методические указания к изучению системы SAP Sports One в различных дисциплинах. Также переход к методологии внедрения «Agile» может быть использован в будущих проектах внедрения. / The relevance of the topic is due to the need of the football club "Football Club" to automate the processes occurring in the club in order to increase the efficiency of the football club's staff, reduce time and resource costs, as well as improve the results of the team's performance in various championships. Purpose of the work: automation of processes occurring during the sports activities of the club by implementing the SAP Sports One sports club management system. The object of study of this graduate work is the SAP Sports One sports club management system. The subject of the study is the business process of predictive analytics for the upcoming matches of a football club. The scientific significance lies in evaluating the effectiveness of using the Agile methodology for the process of implementing the SAP Sports One system using system dynamics models. Also in the work was a comparison of alternatives for implementation through the method of analysis of hierarchies. The practical significance lies in automating the processes occurring during the club's sports activities through the implementation of the SAP Sports One sports club management system. Also, Section 2 of this work can be used as guidelines for studying the SAP Sports One system in various disciplines. Also, the transition to the Agile implementation methodology can be used in future implementation projects.

Information Literacy (IL) has been implemented among workers in schools in recent years in order to enhance workers’ skills and competencies through the utilisation of technology in education. To implement a sustainable IL system, the building of an IT infrastructure is required including the provision of PCs and network access, enabling students to connect to the internet during class time in order to access educational web-based content as well as to share discussions about subjects with their peers in and out of the class. Assessing the level of information literacy (IL) of stakeholders will assist in creating a new proposed school management system (SMS) to be used among them in the future. This will encourage teachers to use blended learning approach for teaching their students. Therefore, it is important to examine the IL of stakeholders (principal, head of division, teacher) in Kuwait to increase their skills and competencies which will lead to greater innovation in future developments. This work aims at assessing information literacy level of stakeholders, their skills and competencies in utilising technology in a workplace environment, which will assist the researcher to create a new school system. In addition, this work presents a new proposed school management system (SMS) for stakeholders in the current educational system of high schools in Kuwait, therefore, applying the BL approach in order to achieve a high quality of students' learning outcomes.

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