Le développement de Systèmes de Systèmes a pris de l'ampleur dans de nombreux domaines. Aujourd'hui, les applications complexes nécessitent que plusieurs systèmes développés indépendamment coopèrent ensemble, ce qui conduit au concept de Systèmes de Systèmes. Malgré une telle popularité, aucun consensus n'y a pas encore pu être atteint sur une définition précise de ce que sont les Systèmes de Systèmes. De plus, le nœud du problème est que la plupart des applications sont encore construites à la main et développées de manière ad hoc, c'est-à-dire, sans contraintes et sans être guidées par une structure prédéfinie. Développer un système de systèmes à la main est une tâche herculéenne pour un architecte informatique, en lui demandant de créer un entrelacement de connexions entre les systèmes composant du Système de Systèmes pour qu'ils puissent coopérer. En raison d'un tel entrelas, la complexité et le couplage serré augmentent, et l'évolution des Systèmes de Systèmes devient plus difficile, nécessitant des efforts substantiels. Pour trancher le nœud gordien auquel font face les architectes de Systèmes de Systèmes, nous proposons dans cette recherche un « framework » générique pour faciliter le développement de Systèmes de Systèmes dans le cadre de l'ingénierie des systèmes. Notre approche introduit une nouvelle architecture que nous appelons MBA pour Memory-Broker-Agent. Pour tester notre framework, nous avons construit un système de systèmes dans le domaine du développement collaboratif de logiciel. Les résultats montrent que notre approche réduit la difficulté et l'effort de développement. Sur la base de ces résultats, nous avons créé une méthode originale pour construire un système de systèmes à travers notre framework. Nous avons testé le potentiel de notre méthode ainsi que les caractéristiques génériques de notre framework, en construisant avec succès et avec plus de précision un nouveau système de systèmes dans le domaine de la Santé. / Building Systems of Systems (SoS) has gained momentum in various domains. Today, complex applications require to let several systems developed independently cooperate, leading to the moniker of SoS. Despite such popularity, no consensus has yet been reached about a precise definition of what SoS are. Moreover, the crux of the matter is that most applications are still handcrafted, being developed in an ad hoc fashion, i.e., freely and without being constrained by a predefined structure. Handcrafting SoS is an Herculean task for architects, requiring them to create an interwoven set of connections among SoS constituent systems for allowing cooperation. Because of the large number of interconnections, the complexity and tight coupling increase in SoS, and their evolution becomes more difficult, requiring substantial efforts from architects. To sever the Gordian knot faced by SoS architects, we propose in this research a generic framework for facilitating the development of SoS from a systems engineering perspective. Our approach is based on a novel architecture we call MBA for Memory-Broker-Agent. To test our framework we built an SoS for developing software collaboratively. Results show that our approach reduces the difficulty and effort for developing a SoS. Based on such results, we created an original method for building a SoS using our framework. We tested the potential of our method along with the generic features of our framework, by building a new SoS in the Health Care domain successfully and more accurately.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This study is an assessment of participatory monitoring and evaluation in NGOs: a case study of SOS Children’s Village,Cape town, South Africa. The aim of the study is to examine the process of application of PM&E framework in the SOS Children’s Village Project, with a view to ascertaining its impact on the project and to provide suggestions and recommendations to SOS and NGOs in South Africa. There were four primary objectives of this study:to provide a theoretical and conceptual framework, through the discussion and/or analysis of applicable PM&E theories and concepts; to provide an overview of organizational structure of the project implementation team of SOS; to identify the different stakeholders involved in the monitoring and evaluation process; to empirically assess the process of PM&E in the SOS Project. The theoretical and conceptual framework of participatory development approach and the child rights based approach is used in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research are used throughout the study and measurement of key variables are made. While the systematic random sampling technique is utilised to collect data for the quantitative research, purposive sampling was used to select respondents for semi-structured interviews in the qualitative research. The study identified that the monitoring and evaluation process in SOS Children’s Village, Cape Town, South Africa is participatory in which the relevant stakeholders, especially the beneficiaries i.e. children participate in the monitoring and evaluation process. However, the study recommended that there should be an updated training and seminar for the staff to empower them to enhance their understanding of participatory monitoring and evaluation

The Planguages project is the birthplace of the Planguage programmingapproach, which is designed to alleviate the task of writing parallelprograms and harness massively parallel computers and networks of workstations. Planguage has two existing translators, Parallel C (PC) and Pfortran,which is used for their base languages, C and Fortran77. The translatorswork with MPI (Message Passing Interface) for communications. SOS(ipStreams, Overlapping and Shortcutting), a function library that supportsthe three named functionalities, can be used to further optimize parallel algorithms. This project is the next step in the continuing project of updatingthe PC Compiler. The goal is to test the viability of using “shortcutting”functions. Parallel programs with the ability to shortcut can be generatedby the updated version of the PC Compiler. In addition, this project introducesthe ability of the PC Compiler to translate a race condition intoa non-deterministic solution. This document explores different phases of the project in detail. Thefollowing phases are included: software design, algorithm design, analysis,and results. The deliverables, source code, and diagrams are included asAppendices.

<p>Commissioned by the government, SOS Alarm has undertaken the assignment to be responsible for the emergency calls within Sweden. They are also performing commissions for the county councils in dispatching ambulances. SOS Alarms business concept is to develop, offer and perform services to create safety in emergency situations and to create a safer society.</p><p>To develop the ambulance services in Sweden, SOS Alarm started a project in the beginning of 2003. The project is called OPAL, Optimized Ambulance Logistics, and it is being conducted in cooperation with Linköpings Universitet. Ambulance Logistics is the planning, implementation and control of resources and information used to facilitate an efficient way of serving a person in need of out-of-hospital medical care, including possible transportation.</p><p>Among other things, the OPAL-project has resulted in a preparedness calculator. The calculator calculates the preparedness for certain areas in Sweden (so far Dalarna and the county of Stockholm) and visualizes the preparedness on a digital map to support the persons who dispatch the ambulances. If an area has “bad preparedness”, in simple terms it means that there are not enough ambulances in the surrounding area to cover the probable needs.</p><p>The inputs for the preparedness calculator include forecasts of where and when ambulance calls are probable to occur in Sweden. The purpose with this thesis is to create a method to produce these forecasts. A method to update the forecasts when new input data is available also has to be created. The data analysis and production of forecasts in this thesis are based on data from Dalarna. However, the method has to be generalized and eventually applicable to produce forecasts for the rest of Sweden.</p><p>An analysis of historical data shows that the demand is constant, with no obvious trend. It is obvious that number of ambulance calls is differentiated over the days of the week and also over the hours of the day. Therefore, the week is categorized into 168 different indexes, one for each hour of the week. The next step is to examine two reasonable forecasting methods, moving average and exponential smoothing, and compare their quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Based on these comparisons, the moving average method is recommended.</p><p>With the forecasts, the preparedness in selected areas can be calculated and SOS Alarm receives excellent assistance in dispatching ambulances in a more efficient way. The preparedness calculator will assist in preventing bad preparedness and it makes sure that the best possible preparedness is being upheld. Therefore, good forecasting can contribute to a safer society and to saving human lives.</p> / <p>SOS Alarm har, med staten som uppdragsgivare, åtagit sig att svara för nödnumret 112 inom Sverige. De utför även uppdrag för landstingens räkning, inom ambulansalarmering och inom ambulansdirigering. SOS Alarms affärsidé är att utveckla, erbjuda och utföra tjänster för att skapa trygghet i nödsituationer och bidra till ett tryggare samhälle.</p><p>I början av år 2003 inledde SOS Alarm projektet OPAL med målet att utveckla ambulansverksamheten i Sverige. OPAL står för Optimerad Ambulanslogistik och drivs i samarbete med Linköpings universitet. Ambulanslogistik är den planering, implementering och kontroll av resurser och information som utförs för att åstadkomma ett effektivt sätt att betjäna en person i behov av vård utanför sjukhuset, inklusive eventuell transport.</p><p>OPAL-projektet har bland annat resulterat i en beredskapskalkylator. Denna kalkylator beräknar beredskapen för vissa områden i Sverige (för närvarande i Dalarna och Stockholms län) och visualiserar dessa beredskaper på en digital karta som stöd för de personer som styr ambulanserna och tilldelar dem uppdrag. ”Dålig beredskap” i ett område innebär förenklat att det inte finns tillräckligt många ambulanser i närheten för att uppfylla det förväntade behovet.</p><p>En ingående parameter som behövs till beredskapskalkylatorn är prognoser för när det är troligt att uppdrag kommer att uppstå i olika områden. Syftet med examensarbetet är att skapa en metod för att prognostisera detta förväntade antal uppdrag för ambulanserna i Sverige. En metod ska även skapas för att prognoserna ska kunna uppdateras i takt med att ny data samlas in. Analysen av data och framtagning av prognoserna utförs i examensarbetet för Dalarna som exempel, men metoden ska kunna användas även för att ta fram prognoser för övriga Sverige.</p><p>En analys av historiska data för Dalarna visar en bakomliggande konstant efterfrågemodell utan tydlig trend. Det visar sig tydligt att antal uppdrag beror på vilken veckodag samt vilken timme på dygnet som råder. Valet blir därför att tilldela veckan 168 olika index, ett för varje timme under veckan. Sedan undersöks två rimliga prognosmetoder, glidande medelvärde och exponentiell utjämning, som jämförs kvalitativt och kvantitativt. Med dessa analyser som grund rekommenderas metoden glidande medelvärde.</p><p>Med prognosvärden kan beredskapen i utvalda områden beräknas och SOS Alarm får god hjälp att dirigera ambulanser på ett mer effektivt sätt. Beredskapskalkylatorn är ett verktyg som hjälper till att förebygga dålig beredskap och att se till att bästa möjliga beredskap hålls. Goda prognoser kan alltså bidra till ett tryggare samhälle och att rädda människoliv.</p>

Most recorded data are rounded to the nearest decimal place due to the precision of the recording mechanism. This rounding entails errors in estimation and measurement. In this paper, we compare the performances of three types of estimators based on rounded data from time series models, namely A-K corrected estimator, approximate MLE and the SOS estimator. In order to perform the comparison, the A-K corrected estimators for the MA(1) model are derived theoretically. To improve the efficiency of the estimation, two types of variance-reduction estimators are further proposed, which are based on linear combinations of aforementioned three estimators. Simulation results show the proposed variance reduction estimators significantly improve the estimation efficiency.

To prove that a polynomial is nonnegative on Rn, one can try to show that it is a sum of squares of polynomials (SOS). The latter problem is now known to be reducible to a semi-definite programming (SDP) computation that is much faster than classical algebraic methods, thus enabling new speed-ups in algebraic optimization. However, exactly how often nonnegative polynomials are in fact sums of squares of polynomials remains an open problem. Blekherman was recently able to show that for degree k polynomials in n variables with k = 4 fixed those that are SOS occupy a vanishingly small fraction of those that are nonnegative on Rn, as n -> 1. With an eye toward the case of small n, we refine Blekherman'[s bounds by incorporating the underlying Newton polytope, simultaneously sharpening some of his older bounds along the way. Our refined asymptotics show that certain Newton polytopes may lead to families of polynomials where efficient SDP can still be used for most inputs.

Les éléments intégratifs et conjugatifs (ICEs) sont des éléments génétiques mobiles bactériens largement reconnus en tant qu'importants vecteurs de la transmission des gènes de résistance aux antibiotiques. Comme tous les éléments génétiques mobiles, ils participent grandement à la plasticité génomique de leur hôte, en permettant le transfert horizontal de gènes conférant des avantages pour l'adaptation de leur hôte à différentes conditions environnementales. Les ICEs se transfèrent horizontalement par conjugaison, par un mécanisme similaire à celui emprunté par les plasmides conjugatifs. Cependant, au contraire des plasmides, les ICEs ne possèdent pas un intermédiaire circulaire extrachromosomique réplicatif : ils s'intègrent plutôt dans le chromosome de leur hôte par recombinaison site-spécifique, à la manière d'un prophage. Une conséquence de ces deux caractéristiques est qu'ils sont également transmis verticalement lors de la division cellulaire de leur hôte. Lorsque soumis à certaines conditions, les ICEs s'excisent de leur hôte sous forme d'une molécule circulaire qui est le substrat pour leur transfert conjugatif vers un nouvel hôte. Une fois transférée, la molécule de l'ICE est recircularisée et s'intègre dans le chromosome. Les ICEs de la famille SXT/R391 sont largement distribués dans les souches de Vibrio cholerae et dans les ?-protéobactéries apparentées et ont été isolées dans une diversité d'endroits géographiques. Les membres de cette famille comportent un large squelette de gènes conservés qui codent pour leurs fonctions principales d'intégration/excision, de transfert conjugatif et de régulation. À l'intérieur de ce squelette sont retrouvées des régions.variables - dont la nature et les combinaisons diffèrent d'un élément à l'autre - qui codent pour des fonctions accessoires telles les résistances aux antibiotiques. Le patron de combinaisons des régions variables entre différents ICEs a mené à l'hypothèse qu'ils sont soumis à de fréquents échanges de matériel génétique par recombinaison. L'intégration site-spécifique de tous les membres de cette famille dans le même locus chromosomique permet la coexistence de deux ICEs semblables mais non identiques dans la même cellule, ce qui fournit un substrat à la recombinaison inter-ICE et permet la formation d'éléments hybrides. Cette thèse présente l'étude d'un nouveau système de recombinaison homologue identifié dans le squelette des ICEs SXT/R391 et sa participation dans la formation d'ICEs hybrides. Ce système de recombinaison, composé de la recombinase Bet et de l'exonucléase Exo est apparenté au système de recombinaison Red du bactériophage ? et est retrouvé chez tous les membres de la famille SXT/R391. La première portion du projet a visé l'identification des déterminants génétiques impliqués dans la formation d'hybrides. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que les ICEs hybrides peuvent être formés par trois voies différentes : i) Bet/Exo, d'une manière indépendante de RecA, ii) RecA et iii) Bet/Exo et RecA, de manière coopérative. Les résultats démontrent également que l'excision des éléments du chromosome ainsi que leur transfert conjugatif vers une nouvelle cellule ne sont pas nécessaires pour former des hybrides. Cette portion du projet met en évidence que les ICEs de la famille SXT/R391 sont capables de promouvoir leur propre diversité à l'aide du système de recombinaison homologue RecA-indépendant qu'ils codent. La deuxième partie du projet s'est portée sur la régulation de l'expression du système de recombinaison Bet/Exo. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que la transcription des gènes de recombinaison est induite en présence d'agents causant des dommages à l'ADN, par le biais des activateurs de transcription de l'ICE, SetC et SetD. Ces activateurs sont sous le contrôle du répresseur principal SetR, dont la répression est levée par les conditions qui induisent la réponse SOS de l'hôte, et sont responsables de l'expression concertée des gènes d'intégration/excision et de transfert conjugatif. Bien que la transcription des gènes de recombinaison soit fortement induite en présence d'agents induisant la réponse SOS, l'analyse de leur profil traductionnel démontre que leur traduction est fortement régulée. Des atténuateurs de traduction putatifs positionés en amont de Bet et Exo pourraient être responsables de ce niveau additionnel de régulation. L'analyse de l'organisation génétique du locus de recombinaison a mis en évidence que bet et exo font partie d'un opéron polycistronique comprenant 12 autres gènes du squelette conservé des ICEs SXT/R391, dont les fonctions ne sont pas connues. Finalement, une analyse in silico visant à identifier tous les systèmes de recombinaison apparentés au sein des génomes séquencés de bactéries, plasmides et virus a permis de démontrer qu'un nombre important de ces systèmes existent chez une diversité d'espèces bactériennes appartenant à des taxons éloignés. Bien que la majorité de ces systèmes soient codés par des bactériophages, plusieurs sont retrouvés sur des plasmides conjugatifs. L'ensemble des résultats présentés dans cette thèse permet une meilleure compréhension de l'évolution des éléments génétiques mobiles bactériens, et plus particulièrement des éléments intégratifs et conjugatifs de la famille SXT/R391.

This thesis presents the development and validation of a novel interface modelling methodology integrated with a system architectural analysis framework that emphasises the need to manage the integrity of deriving and allocating requirements across multiple levels of abstraction in a structured manner. The state of the art review in this research shows that there is no shared or complete interface definition model that could integrate diverse interaction viewpoints for defining system requirements with complete information. Furthermore, while existing system modelling approaches define system architecture with functions and their allocation to subsystems to meet system requirements, they do not robustly address the importance of considering well-defined interfaces in an integrated manner at each level of systems hierarchy. This results in decomposition and integration issues across the multiple levels of systems hierarchy. Therefore, this thesis develops and validates following: -Interface Analysis Template as a systematic tool that integrates diverse interaction viewpoints for modelling system interfaces with intensive information for deriving requirements. -Coupling Matrix as an architecture analysis framework that not only allocates functions to subsystems to meet requirements but also promotes consistent consideration of well-defined interfaces at each level of design hierarchy. Insights from the validation of developed approach with engineering case studies within an automotive OEM are discussed, reflecting on the effectiveness, efficiency and usability of the methods.

The glycopeptide vancomycin is commonly used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, especially multi-drug resistant species of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. While vancomycin remains an effective treatment for Staphylococcal infections, strains of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) strains have emerged. One mechanism for the increased antibiotic (vancomycin-intermediate) resistance is due to acquisition of various mutations within different genes that alter the cell wall physiology making vancomycin ineffective. Biofilm development is a bacterial mode of growth that can lead to mutations within the bacterial genome and allow for advantageous traits such as increased antibiotic resistance. The biofilm environment can be harsh, having niches that are often nutrient and oxygen deficient, leading to damaged DNA. This DNA damage induces the SOS response to repair double-stranded breaks in DNA, and enables bacterial survival. However, DNA repair via the SOS response is an error-prone system that often results in mutations within the genome. We hypothesize that the acquisition of vancomycin intermediate resistance is an unintended consequence within the S. aureus biofilm environment. To assess the hypothesis, both wildtype and RecA/LexA deficient biofilms were grown in microtiter assays with and without the addition of sub-inhibitory concentrations of vancomycin. Efficiency of plating techniques were used to quantify the subpopulation of biofilm-derived S. aureus cells that developed vancomycin intermediate resistance. Microtiter assays and efficiency of plating techniques were repeated using multiple strains of S. aureus. Experimentation was repeated by comparing the subpopulation of biofilm-derived and planktonic culture cells that grew in intermediate-concentrations of vancomycin with three additional strains of S. aureus. Mutagenesis that occurs within the biofilm environment was further assessed by plating both biofilm-derived and planktonic culture cells on sheep blood agar and tryptic soy agar supplemented with streptomycin, novobiocin, or rifampicin, and quantifying the non-hemolytic variants that grew on blood agar, or the number of colonies that grew in the presence of an antibiotic, respectively. The biofilm results were then compared to the results from wildtype and RecA/LexA deficient planktonic cultures and used to determine the impact of the S. aureus biofilm environment in the acquisition of vancomycin intermediate resistance. The results indicate that a larger subpopulation of cells derived from wildtype biofilms grew in increased concentrations of vancomycin (4 µg/ml) as compared to the planktonic counterpart. The subpopulation of cells derived from wildtype biofilms was also higher than all subpopulations of RecA/LexA deficient biofilm and planktonic cultures. Further experimentation indicates that this phenomenon may not be specific to all strain backgrounds of S. aureus. Additionally, growth with sub-inhibitory concentrations of vancomycin did not exhibit an exaggerated subpopulation of cells in biofilm environments or planktonic cultures that could grow in intermediate-concentrations of vancomycin, however standard antibiotic testing suggests that the mechanism by which point mutations occur in planktonic conditions may be mediated by the RecA and SOS response system. Bacteria that live in a biofilm community are often subjected to harsh environments. In order to survive, the SOS response system will be activated to repair damaged DNA. This error prone process will result in mutational changes and increased genetic diversity. The VISA phenotype may be a result of the diversity that occurs within the biofilm environment. While the VISA phenotype would be an unintended consequence of genetic diversity and gene transfer in the biofilm setting, it demonstrates that mutations that occur within the biofilm environment allow for S. aureus to better adapt to new environments, including the presence of widely used antibiotics such as vancomycin.

This thesis is concerning marketing research of consumer organizations. It should be used as a manual especially for SOS: Consumers Defence Association of the Czech Republic. Based on methodology verification the advices were stated for marketing research approach.