Developers of simulation software have responded to the increasing commercial demand for customised solutions by adding new features and tools to their existing simulation packages. This has led to huge, monolithic applications with functionalities that are constantly extended by addition of wizards, templates and add-ons in ‘generalisingcustomising-generalising’ development cycle. This approach has been successful so far,but customising much of the contemporary simulation software is increasingly difficult. An alternative approach is to compose, simulation packages from prefabricated components that the users may select, modify and assemble so to acquire the functionality that suits each simulation model. This strategy requires component-based paradigms and integration mechanisms that support the straightforward composition of components regardless of their development and deployment contexts.This research exploits the Microsoft’s .NET integration philosophy to investigate how discrete event simulation (DES) software could pursue a component-based approach that integrates components sourced within distinct contexts. The thesis describes the DotNetSim project that explores the composition of DES applications from components developed within different Microsoft packages in different programming languages. This is done by prototyping DES software across the entire requirements of a simulation application package.The DotNetSim prototype consists of a Visio-based DES modelling environment which integrates with a .NET simulation engine which, in turn, integrates with an Excel-based output analysis environment. The graphical modelling environment emulates Schruben’s Event Graph methodology for simulation modelling. VisioTM is extended by a number of VBA programs to link together different Microsoft applications in order to capture the models’ application logic and dynamics. The simulation engine consists of a number of C# and VB.Net components that implement an event-based simulation executive. It reads the model’s logic and dynamics by instantiating the graphical modelling environment, runs the event-based simulation and returns the simulation results to Excel for analysis. The output analysis environment is a template that illustrates the specialisation of the generic data analysis and reporting capabilities of ExcelTM to serve the simulation analysis. The components interact directly by instantiating one another’s objects.These three coarse-grained components could be substituted by others that deliver the same functionality, though with different internal operations. With further work, these components could be deployed as web services to which the model’s logic is remotely input. / The object-oriented composition of DES simulation software from prefabricated components developed within different programming environments.

In this thesis, "Human behavior on the Internet", the human anxiety is conceptualized. The following questions have guided the writing of the thesis: How humans behave with the Internet technology? What goes in their mind? What kinds of behaviors are shown while using the Internet? What is the role of the content on the Internet and especially what are the types of anxiety behavior on the Internet? By conceptualization this thesis aims to provide a model for studying whether humans show signs of less or exacerbated anxiety while using the Internet.The empirical part of this thesis was built on new developed model and user study that utilizes that model. For the user study, the target users were divided into two groups based on their skill level. The user study used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The qualitative research was conducted using interviews and observational analysis. The quantitative research was conducted in three iterations by using questionnaires and surveys.These results suggest that the significance of human on using technology would be integral part of such a study. The study also suggests that Internet has lulled humans with the sense of dependency to greater extent. In particular, the results identified seven main areas of human anxiety. These forms of anxiety require further studies to encompass human anxiety in more detail.

Diese Diplomarbeit befasst sich mit mehreren Unterthemen der verdeckten Kommunikationskanäle (Covert Channels) und möchte vor allen Dingen neue Themen vorstellen und diskutieren: Erstmalige und detaillierte Behandlung von Protocol Hopping Covert Channels: Protocol Hopping Covert Channels sind Storage Channels die, während sie existieren, das Netzwerkprotokoll, in dem die versteckten Informationen untergebracht werden, wechseln. Vorstellung der Idee der Protocol Channels: Im Gegensatz zu Protocol Hopping Covert Channels sind Protocol Channels schwerer zu detektieren, da sie ausschließlich durch den Wechsel eines Protokolls (ohne zusätzliche Informationen zu verstecken), versteckte Daten übertragen. Sowohl für Protocol Hopping Covert Channels als auch für Protocol Channels beschreibt diese Arbeit deren jeweilige Technik und untersucht deren Detektionsmöglichkeiten. Vorstellung der Idee der Header-Strukturveränderung: Ziel der Header-Strukturveränderung ist es, die Möglichkeiten, die Angreifer bei der Erstellung von Storage Channels innerhalb von Paket-Headern haben, einzugrenzen. Bei der Header-Strukturveränderung wird der Aufbau von Paket-Headern für jedes neu verschickte Paket verändert. Eine entsprechende Strukturinformation, die den Headeraufbau bestimmt, ist nur vertrauenswürdigen Komponenten beim Empfänger bzw. Sender zugänglich. Diese Arbeit stellt sowohl ein theoretisches Modell der Header-Strukturveränderung als auch eine praktische Umsetzung vor.

Les débats sur l’état des rapports entre le champ économique, politique et scientifique vont bon train depuis quelques années. Dans ce mémoire, nous nous sommes efforcés de conceptualiser ces rapports à l’aide de la théorie du champ scientifique en prenant comme objet le Programme des Actions Concertées (PAC), un programme de subvention de recherche thématique qui existe dans les trois fonds subventionnaires du Québec, mais financé principalement par le Fonds québécois de recherche sur la nature et les technologies (FQRNT) conjointement avec des organisations gouvernementales et des entreprises privées. Plus précisément, nous nous sommes demandé quelle est la position du PAC au sein des rapports entre le champ politique, économique et scientifique et quelles sont les propriétés que possèdent en commun les chercheurs qui transitent par ce programme.Ce questionnement supposait que nous puissions d’abord décrire la genèse, le développement et le fonctionnement du PAC, en un mot, son histoire, ce qui n’a encore jamais été fait pour ce programme ni même pour le FQRNT. Grâce à la consultation des documents administratifs du Fonds et à diverses autres sources primaires et secondaires, nous avons été en mesure de produire une telle description et montrer comment, lors de sa création dans les années 1970, le programme a profité de l’investissement initial de chercheurs très actifs dans le milieu industriel puis comment, dans les années 1980, il a profité des politiques économiques interventionnistes du gouvernement québécois. D’autre part, en utilisant le Système d’information sur la recherche universitaire (SIRU) et les réponses des chercheurs financés obtenues lors d’une enquête par questionnaire, nous avons été en mesure de reconstituer le profil d’un échantillon de chercheurs soumissionnaires.En regard des résultats que nous avons obtenus, nous émettons l’hypothèse selon laquelle le PAC est un programme à qui ses concepteurs ont donné une configuration qui favorise la reconnaissance d’une forme de capital qui n’est pas spontanément reconnue par les pairs. Ce capital s’acquiert entre autres lors de recherches antérieures réalisées pour le compte des « intervenants du milieu », notamment les partenaires financiers du Fonds. De la même façon que le capital scientifique obtient son rendement maximal lors de l’évaluation scientifique par les pairs, c’est lors de l’évaluation des demandes de financement par un comité composé des partenaires financiers du Fonds que le capital de « pertinence » offre le plus haut rendement. Ainsi, les chercheurs qui ont déjà réalisé des recherches pour les intervenants du milieu concerné ont, devant ce comité, des chances de succès 1,4 fois supérieures aux autres chercheurs, et nous faisons l’hypothèse que le capital que nous avons mis en évidence se compose pour une part d’un capital culturel spécifique (possédé sous la forme d’une connaissance pragmatique des problèmes propres au milieu concerné par l’Action concertée et des codes en usage pour les énoncer) et d’un capital social spécifique (possédé sous la forme d’un réseau d’alliés dans le milieu en question et notamment parmi les partenaires financiers du Fonds). / FQRNT / CIRST

Our project consists of two parts (A and B). In part A we solve a linear elasticity problem with implementing a rotated  approximation method and simulating the problem in commercial softwares (COMSOL and SolidWorks). To evaluate the results we implement an analytical eigenvalue solver. As a simple case, we use a cube with side length of L = 1m made of Alloy steel with density of 7850 Kg/m^3.  In part B we implement a time dependent linear elasticity problem on a beam made of Alloy steel with density of 7850 Kg/m^3 with size of 1x0.1x0.01m. We use the implicit method to solve our problem. The frequency results in part A show that the rotated Q1 approximation method works more accurate than the commercial software.

Haptics is a field of robotics that involves many aspects of engineering, requiring the collaboration of different disciplines like mechanics, electronics, control theory and computer science. Although multi-disciplinarity is an element in common with other robotic application, haptic system has the additional requirement of high performance because of the human perception requirement of 1KHz feedback rate. Such high computing requirement impacts the design of the whole haptic system but it is has particular effects in the design and implementation of haptic rendering algorithms. In the chain of software and hardware components that describe a haptic system the haptic rendering is the element that has the objective of computing the force feedback given the interaction of the user with the device.A variety of haptic rendering algorithms have been proposed in the past for the simulation of three degree of freedom (3DoF) interactions in which a single point touches a complex object as well as 6DoF interactions in which two complex objects interact in multiple points. The use of 3DoF or 6DoF algorithms depends mostly from the type of application and consequently the type of device. For example applications like virtual prototype require 6DoF interaction while many simulation applications have less stringent requirements. Apart the number of degree of freedom haptic rendering algorithms are characterized by the geometrical representation of the objects, by the use of rigid or deformable objects and by the introduction of physical properties of the object surface like friction and texture properties. Given this variety of possibilities and the presence of the human factor in the computation of haptic feedback it is hard to compare different algorithms to asses whether one specific solution performs better than any other previously proposed.The goal of the proposed work is two-fold. First this thesis proposes a framework allowing for more objective comparison of haptic rendering algorithms. Such comparison take into account the perceptual aspect of haptic interaction but tries to remove it from the comparison with the aim of obtaining an objective comparison between algorithms. Second, this thesis proposes a new haptic rendering algorithm for 3DoF interaction and one for 6DoF interaction. The first algorithm for 3DoF interaction provides interaction with rotational friction based on a simulation of the soft finger contact model. The new 6DoF interaction algorithm allows the computation of the haptic feedback of interaction between voxel models.

Des écoulements instationnaires au niveau du distributeur des turbines à réaction ont été expérimentalement étudiés dans ce projet doctoral. Le but est de développer une expertise intégrée pour mesurer des écoulements instationnaires au niveau des distributeurs des turbines à réaction en utilisant une vélocimétrie par image de particules (PIV) et d'autres techniques de mesure. Les expériences ont été effectuées en deux phases appelées configuration 1 et configuration 2. La configuration 1 est composée d'une directrice, installée dans un canal bidimensionnel d'eau, examinée aux nombres de Reynolds comparable à ceux dans les modèles standards de turbines Francis. La configuration 2 consiste en un distributeur d'un modèle réduit d'une turbine Francis. Dans la configuration 1, les champs d'écoulement ont été mesurés avec un PIV autour d'une directrice asymétrique dans un canal d'eau, à différents angles d'attaque entre 0° et 20°. Les données obtenues comprennent les champs de vitesse instantanée et moyenne. Pour les mêmes conditions, les pertes de charge dues à la directrice ont été mesurées et comparées. Dans la configuration 2, les champs d'écoulement entre deux directrices voisines ont été mesurés avec le PIV au travers d'un accès optique spécifique. Des résultats instantanés tels que les champs de vitesse et les résultats moyens tels que la fluctuation de vitesse et les iso-contours de vitesse ont été présentés. La distribution de pression du côté intrados et du côté extrados de deux directrices voisines a été mesurée avec des capteurs de pression miniatures montés sur les surfaces des directrices. 'Basé sur les mesures, les effets des points d'opération sur le comportement des écoulements sont analysés.

In science and engineering, many simulations are carried out over domains consisting of multiple materials separated by curves/surfaces. If partial differential equations (PDEs) are used to model these simulations, it usually leads to the so-called interface problems of PDEs whose coefficients are discontinuous. In this dissertation, we consider nonconforming immersed "nite element (IFE) methods and error analysis for interface problems. We "first consider the second order elliptic interface problem with a discontinuous diffusion coefficient. We propose new IFE spaces based on the nonconforming rotated Q1 "finite elements on Cartesian meshes. The degrees of freedom of these IFE spaces are determined by midpoint values or average integral values on edges. We investigate fundamental properties of these IFE spaces, such as unisolvency and partition of unity, and extend well-known trace inequalities and inverse inequalities to these IFE functions. Through interpolation error analysis, we prove that these IFE spaces have optimal approximation capabilities. We use these IFE spaces to develop partially penalized Galerkin (PPG) IFE schemes whose bilinear forms contain penalty terms over interface edges. Error estimation is carried out for these IFE schemes. We prove that the PPG schemes with IFE spaces based on integral-value degrees of freedom have the optimal convergence in an energy norm. Following a similar approach, we prove that the interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin schemes based on these IFE functions also have the optimal convergence. However, for the PPG schemes based on midpoint-value degrees of freedom, we prove that they have at least a sub-optimal convergence. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate features of these IFE methods and compare them with other related numerical schemes. We extend nonconforming IFE schemes to the planar elasticity interface problem with discontinuous Lam"e parameters. Vector-valued nonconforming rotated Q1 IFE functions with integral-value degrees of freedom are unisolvent with appropriate interface jump conditions. More importantly, the Galerkin IFE scheme using these vector-valued nonconforming rotated Q1 IFE functions are "locking-free" for nearly incompressible elastic materials. In the last part of this dissertation, we consider potential applications of IFE methods to time dependent PDEs with moving interfaces. Using IFE functions in the discretization in space enables the applicability of the method of lines. Crank-Nicolson type fully discrete schemes are also developed as alternative approaches for solving moving interface problems. / Ph. D.

The principal objective of this project was to evaluate the short-term effects of CBW incorporation into soil in terms of soil fertility, plant growth and soil microbiology. Treatments consisted of a control, standard woodchip treatment (incorporation rate of 150m3/ha), woodchip + woodland litter incorporation treatment (woodland litter incorporation of 10-20g/m2), woodchip + fertiliser treatment (KNO3 applied at 50kgN/ha at start and a continuous fertiliser application treatment) and double woodchip treatment. Standard soil NO-3 tests were conducted to determine soil fertility. To assess plant growth and development, plant DW, S:R DW and plant K levels were measured Finally, microbiological analyses were carried out through serial dilutions and plate counts, with in-depth microscopy. Results indicated that there were obvious differences between treatments throughout the study period. In all measurements, woodchip treatments were found to have significantly lower values than the control. The exception to the rule was the WC + fertiliser treatment (continuous complete nutrient fertiliser application), which showed comparable results with the control. The addition of woodland litter did not seem to affect any of the soil fertility, plant growth or microbial measurements. The differences between the unfertilised woodchip treatments and the control were explained by a general nutrient deficiency resulting from a ‘dilution effect’ to soil nutrients by adding woodchips. This was further exacerbated by immobilisation of nutrients from the micro-organisms in the soil.

Se amplía la metodología del índice de pobreza crónica generacional en el desarrollo temprano incluyendo la posibilidad del uso de las variables riqueza o consumo como representación alternativa al ingreso de la dimensión integral de estatus socio-económico. Se menciona la adaptabilidad del indicador a diversos criterios de evaluación antropométrica del crecimiento como dimensión integral socio-siológica del desarrollo integral para la siguiente generación. Entre las posibles estrategias de política para desarrollo generacional se abre una discusión sobre la implementación de programas ya sea en la forma de asignaciones condicionadas en salud en el desarrollo temprano, o bien para la focalización de políticas en el desarrollo agricola-cultural.