Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred 16 miles west of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake and ensuing destruction killed as many as 300,000 persons and displaced as many as 1.5 million more creating a humanitarian crisis and economic disaster of enormous scale. As the earthquake was in close proximity to the U.S. mainland, it was determined that three U.S. agencies would take leading roles: USAID would coordinate and lead the relief effort, the U.S. State Department would handle diplomatic issues and the Department of Defense (DoD) would take the lead on logistics and security issues. One social networking tool used by the DoD and relief organizations to share information and coordinate relief efforts was the All Partners Access Network (APAN). Communications between the various agencies were recorded and include chat logs, blogs and e-mails. A content analysis was conducted to develop insight into the way relief workers used APAN when responding during the Haiti humanitarian assistance / disaster relief (HA/DR) operation. Coding and analyzing the communication data collected during the relief effort provided insight into how individuals and organizations used APAN, a social networking tool, to collaborate during the disaster. Suggestions for improving APAN are discussed.

As the construction sector is becoming more competitive in recent years, it has become more important to estimate the duration and cost of the construction projects and to calculate the risks&rsquo / effects correctly. The aim of this thesis is to estimate the duration and cost of construction projects accurately using an activity based risk assessment method which is based on the integrated duration &ndash / cost influence network diagram model proposed by Tah and Poh (2006). Within the context of this thesis, a web based risk assessment tool using the integrated duration &ndash / cost influence network at an activity level is developed to estimate the possible cost overrun and delay in construction projects. Risk breakdown structure for construction projects is created which enables the evaluation of risk effects at an activity level. The developed tool uses Monte Carlo Simulation Technique and Risk Rating Method. The results of the developed tool are compared with those of traditional methods and the reliability of the developed tool is validated.

Neuroscientists are increasingly overwhelmed by new recordings of the nervous system. These recordings are significantly increasing in size due to new electrophysiological techniques, such as multi-electrode arrays. These techniques can simultaneously record the electrical activity (or spike trains) from thousands of neurons. These new datasets are larger than the traditional datasets recorded from single electrodes where fewer than ten spike trains are usually recorded. Consequently, new tools are now required to effectively analyse these new datasets. This thesis describes how techniques from the field of Visual Analytics can be applied to detect specific patterns in spike train data. These techniques are realised in a software tool called Neurigma. Neurigma is a collection of visual representations of spike train data that are unified to provide a coordinated representation of the data. The visual representations within Neurigma include: an interactive raster plot, an improved correlation grid, a novel representation called the correlation plot (which includes a novel coupling estimation algorithm), and a novel network diagram. These views provide insight into spike train data, and particularly, they identify correlated patterns, called functional connectivity. Within this thesis Neurigma is used to analyse synthetically generated datasets and experimental recordings. Three main findings are presented. First, propagating spiral patterns are identified within recordings from the neonatal mouse retina. Second, functional connectivity is identified within the cat visual cortex. Finally, the functional connectivity of a large synthetic dataset, of 1000 spike trains, is accurately classified into direct, indirect and common input coupling.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Project Management Information System is tightly connected with organizational structure and particularity of executed projects. However the main objective of this research was to identify project management model that would be universal, helpful and easily used with small and medium projects In analysis phase we reviewed different methodologies, project management processes and methods, that are used to implement these processes. For our model we’ve chosen Adaptive Project Framework and basic process groups, such as time, resource management and some other, that can be effectively used in computer-driven system. During research we compared our project management system prototype with existing solutions to ascertain suggested model for its universality, helpfulness and easy use. The comparison showed that our model fits the requirements, though its not the most useful, but the proportion of functionality and usefulness is the best.

This diploma thesis designs a project for implementing an e-shop for the chosen company using the tools and methodologies of project management. Based on the theretical knowledge about project management and the analysis of the business environment it creates a draft of a project for the company to implement in the future.

This master’s thesis contains the basis for the business plan of the project – real property sales. An evaluation of the strong and weak points of the project along with the elaboration of a financial and time analysis result from the thesis. Furthermore, the thesis offers a proposal for the most convenient way to continue in this business intention. A particular stress was placed on the cost estimate using the Monte Carlo method.

The master thesis: „ The Study of Optimization of Production Process“ focouses on optimization of material flow to manufacturing department. First of all there will be shown theoretical approach corresponding with the thesis area and we will introduce production system and portfolio of products. Subsequently a real project will be analyzed and author will describe deficiencies in this project and system. Thanks to theoretical approach there will be found a different solution how to define new system without deficiencies. In the end the author will make a conclusion of newly found solution

Diploma thesis creates the project design for e-commerce implementation in the selected company together using the tools and methodologies of project management. Based on an analysis of the business environment and key theoretical background of project management, it brings in the draft plan project, usable for its future company‘s implementation.

The diploma thesis deals with the lower and upper rough building of a apartment building. It includes a technical report, broader transport routes, a study of the implementation of the main technological stages, a technical report of the construction site equipment, the design of the main building machines and mechanisms, a plan for providing material resources for a reinforced concrete ceiling, a technological regulation for the rough bottom and top structure, work and monolithic constructions, gross building budget, risk plan and their measures, statement of the dimension and network graph for finishing works, thermal technical assessment of external structures, drawing of site equipment, situation, original state of the land and ramp diagram. It also contains time and financial plan of the building, schedule of the main building, schedule of construction and disposal of construction site equipment and balance of machines and workers.