The goal of this study was to examine the impact of exercising while completing an academic task on performance on the academic tasks. Participants were 71 undergraduate students at a midsized southern university who were asked to complete reading and math tasks while exercising on a stationary bike. Performance on reading and math tasks completed on the stationary bike was compared within-subjects to performance on parallel tasks while seated. Working memory scores were assessed as potential covariates. Order of experimental tasks was evaluated as a between-subjects factor. Within-subjects ANCOVA’s indicated that performance on math tasks was significantly worse while exercising. However, no significant differences were found between reading tasks completed while seated and reading tasks completed while exercising. Working memory scores were not significant covariates, and order of experimental tasks was not a significant between-subjects factor. Cognitive load differences were assessed for the different experimental tasks. It is believed that variation in cognitive load during different experimental tasks explains the differences in the reading and math results. The findings of this study indicate that future research should focus on varying the difficulty of the tasks.

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Ph.D. / Computer Science and Electrical Engineering / We envision that next-generation spoken dialogue systems will be supporting a complex user goal and multiple parallel tasks, which requires the system and the user to jointly direct the flow of conversation. The problem, however, is that there lacks an effective model of directing the flow of conversation. This thesis research aims to develop such a model for next-generation spoken dialogue systems. We started with conventions actually used in human-human dialogue, which are natural for users to follow and probably also efficient in problem-solving. An annotation framework, DialogueView, was established to allow for the investigation of complex interaction in dialogue. A series of empirical studies on two corpora, the Trains and the MTD, were then conducted to understand people's initiative behavior of directing the conversation flow. We first examined people's initiative behavior in decomposing a complex goal into sub-goals and achieving each of them in the Trains domain. We found that initiative is subservient to discourse goal. We next examined people's initiative behavior in switching the conversation to a more urgent task. We found that conversants strive to switch tasks at a less disruptive place; but where they cannot, they exert additional effort to signal the task switching, such as increasing pitch. We finally examined people's behavior on initiative conflicts, where both conversants try to direct the conversation at the same time. We found that conversants try to avoid initiative conflicts; but when initiative conflicts occur, they are efficiently resolved with simple linguistic devices such as volume. Computer simulation experiments were also conducted to better understand the underlying benefits of using the human conventions. Our findings on human-human dialogues have important implication for building next-generation spoken dialogue systems by (1) guiding the system when to show initiative, and when to let the user show initiative; (2) guiding the system when and how to switch to a more urgent task, and to understand the user's switch; and (3) guiding the system how to resolve and repair initiative conflicts.

This thesis investigated the effect of visuomotor and working memory 1) task difficulty and 2) multitasking on dynamic functional connectivity in the brain. Studies have only recently begun to investigate functional connectivity within the scope of concurrent dual task or varying task difficulty conditions (Cocchi, Zalesky, et al. 2011; Rietschel et al. 2012). A series of EEG recordings were conducted during execution of visuomotor or working memory tasks within a novel paradigm using BCI2VR custom MATLAB toolbox. Functional connectivity was correlated with task-related coherence (TRCoh) analysis between two task conditions involving either variation in task difficulty or concurrent execution during multitasking within the delta (0 – 4 Hz), theta (4 – 8 Hz), alpha (8 – 12 Hz), beta1 (12-16 Hz), beta2 (16 – 20 Hz) and beta3 (20 – 24 Hz) frequency bands. An increase in coherence was observed with increased cognitive load, during both increased task difficulty and multitasking, in all frequency bands except beta1 and beta2. This may suggest that the psychomotor efficiency hypothesis also applies to multitasking as well as task difficulty. Decreases in beta coherence were observed with increased performance error, indicating that interregional beta coherence may not follow the PEH trend. The increased coherence between brain regions in the alpha, delta and theta bands contributes to the growing volume of research on quantifying cognitive workload and may serve as a future basis on increasing multitasking efficiency during high stress environments. Further research recording multitasking effects on individuals over regular intervals during an extended period of time (months or years) will be required to better understand changes in functional connectivity within the brain.

To be a fully functioning theatre practitioner, the developing student artist becomes equipped with a practical skill set that is ordinarily cultivated through formal training and study. Typically, organized study leads him/her to focus on a specific facet of the business: acting, directing, design, etc. However, students often develop a vast array of talents and skills within the profession and find themselves standing at a crossroads between what "kind" of artist to be; what singular aspect of the arts on which to focus. Why not do it all? For those students who "do it all", there is an additional challenge: the artist who is a student immersed in daytime study and nighttime production obligations has to wear two caps. One is that of the learner and one is that of the employee, the producer, and perhaps even the teacher. When are these caps traded or are they both worn through all processes? This thesis will reveal my creative and practical processes from two productions at the University of Central Florida for which I played on- and offstage roles: I worked as a Sound Designer and featured actor in Sophie Treadwell's Machinal; I was the Vocal Director for Urinetown: The Musical, and also played Penelope Pennywise, a leading role. I will describe the challenges and successes of each project by examining the following evidence: my personal process with each piece, demonstrated through reflection and examples from the work; interviews with those involved in the productions as well as outside reviews and feedback; and research of each play. Research will include production history, intent of authors, and aspects that informed my work both onstage and off. Did multi-tasking sacrifice the quality of my work for any of my delegated tasks? Did I enjoy more success in my progress in time management, the ability to solve problems, and collaboration process with fellow artists, or in the actual on-stage products? What aspects of my training in my graduate program added to the quality of my work on these productions? Does being a multi-tasking artist help or hurt one's career in theatre?

In this thesis, we propose an approach to estimate the Worst Case Response Time (WCRT) of each task in a preemptive multi-tasking single-processor real-time system utilizing an L1 cache. The approach combines inter-task cache eviction analysis and intra-task cache access analysis to estimate the Cache Related Preemption Delay (CRPD). CRPD caused by preempting task(s) is then incorporated into WCRT analysis. We also propose a prioritized cache to reduce CRPD by exploiting cache partitioning technique. Our WCRT analysis approach is then applied to analyze the behavior of a prioritized cache. Four sets of applications with up to six concurrent tasks running are used to test our WCRT analysis approach and the prioritized cache. The experimental results show that our WCRT analysis approach can tighten the WCRT estimate by up to 32% (1.4X) over prior state-of-the-art. By using a prioritized cache, we can reduce the WCRT estimate of tasks by up to 26%, as compared to a conventional set associative cache.

This diploma thesis deals with the design of a selected structural part of multi-tasking machine tool. The solved construction part is the design of a turning table with the possibility of positioning with specified parameters. The research part is focused on CNC machine tools, multi-tasking machine tools and individual parts of turning tables with possible positioning. In a design part, the design of design variants of possible solutions is made and the choice of the design solution is made with the help of multicriteria analysis. Subsequently, the selected design solution is processed with the help of the necessary technical calculations. The result of the work is then a 3D model and the required drawing documentation.

Diese Dissertation enthält vier Aufsätze zur Theorie der Anreizsetzung bei nicht-verifizierbaren Leistungsmaßen. Es werden positive Dominanzanalysen für Anreizmechanismen durchgeführt, die in realen wirtschaftlichen Situationen Anwendung finden. Der erste Aufsatz analysiert zwei Bonus-Wettbewerbe in Unternehmen. Der Prinzipal kann entweder einen Bonuspool festlegen, dessen Aufteilung von der Leistung der Agenten abhängt, oder bereits ex ante die Höhe der Boni fixieren. Eine höhere Präzision der Leistungsmessung führt nur im zweiten Fall zu stärkeren Anreizen. Die optimale Wahl des Wettbewerbs hängt von den Präferenzen der Agenten, ihren Liquiditätsbeschränkungen und den Kosten der Leistungsmessung ab. Der zweite Aufsatz untersucht die optimale Zuordnung von Aufgaben auf Stellen wenn relationale Verträge basierend auf subjektiven Leistungsmaßen explizite Anreizverträge ergänzen können. Die Spaltung von Aufgaben ist optimal, wenn die glaubhafte Bindung an relationale Verträge nicht möglich ist. Dagegen sollten Aufgaben immer dann gebündelt werden, wenn relationale Verträge bereits bestehen. Im dritten Aufsatz möchte ein Käufer eine Innovation erwerben. Um qualitätssteigernde Investitionen bei potentiellen Anbietern zu induzieren, kann der Käufer entweder einen fixen Preis ausschreiben oder einen Auktionsmechanismus nutzen. Obwohl Investitionen unter der Auktion immer höher sind, bevorzugt der Käufer einen fixen Preis wenn die Grenzkosten der Qualitätsmessung hoch sind oder die Produktionstechnologie starken Zufallseinflüssen unterliegt. Im letzten Aufsatz möchte ein Prinzipal das Produktionsergebnis zweier Agenten maximieren, die vor der Produktion in eine kostenreduzierende Innovation investieren können. Dabei kommt es zu Spillover-Effekten. Bei einer allgemeinen Preissubvention sind Investitionen stets zu gering, während ein Innovationswettbewerb zu Unter- und Überinvestitionen führen kann. Der Prinzipal bevorzugt eine Preissubvention bei starken Spillover-Effekten. / This thesis consists of four self-contained essays that compare real-world incentive schemes used to mitigate moral hazard problems under non-verifiable performance. The first essay contrasts the impact of the precision of performance measurement on wage costs in U- and J-type tournaments. In U-type tournaments prizes are fixed. In J-type tournaments only an overall wage sum is specified. The principal prefers a U-type tournament if workers receive a rent under limited liability and the costs of increasing precision are low. However, if workers are inequity-averse and have unlimited liability, the J-type tournament leads to lower wage costs. The second essay analyzes optimal job design when there is only one contractible and imperfect performance measure for all tasks whose contribution to firm value is non-verifiable. Task splitting is optimal when relational contracts based on firm value are not feasible. By contrast, if an agent who performs a given set of tasks receives an implicit bonus, the principal always benefits from assigning an additional task to this agent. The third essay compares an auction and a tournament in a procurement setting with non-contractible quality signals. Signals are affected by firms' non-observable investments in R&D and the procurer's precision of quality measurement. Although investments are always higher with the auction, the procurer may prefer the tournament if marginal costs of quality measurement are high or the production technology for quality is highly random. In the last essay, a principal wants to induce two agents to produce an output. Agents can undertake non-contractible investments to reduce production cost of the output. Part of this "innovation" spills over and also reduces production cost of the other agent. Agents always underinvest with a general output price subsidy, while they may or may not do so with an innovation tournament. Strong spillovers tend to favor a general output price subsidy.

L’objectif que nous nous sommes fixés dans ce travail est la conception d’algorithmes d’ordonnancement temps réel en-ligne faisables optimisant l’utilisation de la plate-forme d’exécution et/ou des critères applicatifs de qualité de service propres à l’application. Nous avons en particulier étudié l’ordonnancement d’activités sur une ressource unique. Deux cas ont été analysés : le cas de tâches indépendantes périodiques s’exécutant sur un processeur et le cas de flux de messages indépendants périodiques sur un réseau de terrain avec accès au médium priorisé. Nos contributions reposent sur le “modèle classique” de l’ordonnancement temps réel où le système est représenté par un ensemble d’activités périodiques indépendantes et deux problématiques ont été abordées : • optimisation de l’utilisation de la plate-forme d’exécution : utiliser au mieux le potentiel de la plate-forme d’exécution tout en garantissant le respect des contraintes temporelles imposées au système ; ceci optimise le nombre de configurations faisables, • optimisation des critères applicatifs de qualité de service propres à l’application (i.e., pris en compte des performances de l’application autre que la faisabilité) : garantir les contraintes de temps tout en optimisant les performances de l’application. Nous avons donc proposé : • des méthodes de configurations permettant d’optimiser l’utilisation de la plate-forme d’exécution (i.e., maximiser faisabilité) en fixant les paramètres des politiques ou des systèmes considérés d’une manière appropriée. Deux études ont été conduites dans ce cadre : • allocation des “offsets” dans les systèmes “offset free”, • allocation de priorités, de politiques et de quantum dans les systèmes conformes au standard Posix 1003.1b, • une nouvelle classe de politiques d’ordonnancement permettant d’optimiser des critères de performances propres à l’application. De plus, une analyse d’ordonnancement générique pour cette classe a été proposée / Our goal is to come up with feasible (i.e., all required time constraints are met) on-line real-time scheduling algorithms. These algorithms have to optimise 1) the utilisation of the execution platform (i.e., meet time constraints and use platform at its fullest potential) and/or 2) optimise the application dependent performance criteria. We study two cases : the case of independent periodic tasks scheduled on a processor and the case of periodic traffic streams scheduled on a priority bus. To deal with these two problems, we propose : • Configuration methods to allow to optmlise the utilisation rate of the execution platform by setting the parameters of the policies or of the activities of the considered system. We perform two studies : the allocation of offsets in "Offset free" systems (I.E., offsets can be chosen off-line) and the priorities, policies and quantum allocations in systems compliant to the standard Posix 1003.1B, • A new class of scheduling policies to allow optimising application performance dependent criteria

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