Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / John M. Hatcliff / Medical devices have traditionally been designed, built, and certified for use as monolithic units. A new vision of "Medical Application Platforms" (MAPs) is emerging that would enable compositional medical systems to be instantiated at the point of care from a collection of trusted components. This work details efforts to create a development environment for applications that run on these MAPs. The first contribution of this effort is a language and code generator that can be used to model and implement MAP applications. The language is a subset of the Architecture, Analysis and Design Language (AADL) that has been tailored to the platform-based environment of MAPs. Accompanying the language is software tooling that provides automated code generation targeting an existing MAP implementation. The second contribution is a new hazard analysis process called the Systematic Analysis of Faults and Errors (SAFE). SAFE is a modified version of the previously-existing System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), that has been made more rigorous, partially compositional, and easier. SAFE is not a replacement for STPA, however, rather it more effectively analyzes the hardware- and software-based elements of a full safety-critical system. SAFE has both manual and tool-assisted formats; the latter consists of AADL annotations that are designed to be used with the language subset from the first contribution. An automated report generator has also been implemented to accelerate the hazard analysis process. Third, this work examines how, independent of its place in the system hierarchy or the precise configuration of its environment, a component may contribute to the safety (or lack thereof) of an entire system. Based on this, we propose a reference model which generalizes notions of harm and the role of components in their environment so that they can be applied to components either in isolation or as part of a complete system. Connections between these formalisms and existing approaches for system composition and fault propagation are also established. This dissertation presents these contributions along with a review of relevant literature, evaluation of the SAFE process, and concludes with discussion of potential future work.

Tarptautinis transporto verslas sparčiai vystosi ir keičiasi. Šiuo metu jis yra vienas iš pagrindinių veiksnių skatinančių valstybės pajamų augimą. Kaip ir kitos transporto rūšys, kelių transportas yra transporto vadybos specialybės dalykas. Šio rašto darbo tikslas – bendras tarptautinio transporto sistemos, jos planavimo ir organizavimo, problemų ir ateities perspektyvų apžvalga. Aš analizavau abejas įmones, kurios dalyvauja krovinių gabenimo procese – tiek transporto, tiek ir ekspedicinės firmas. Šis Magistro darbas susideda iš trijų dalių. Pirmoji pristato teorinį pagrindą apie transporto rūšis, ekspedijavimą ir teisinius reikalavimus. Antroji ir trečioji dalys sudarytos iš mano praktinės kelių transporto analizių. Pabandžiau pritaikyti SWOT, Porterio ir šešių sigmų metodologijas atsižvelgiant į tai, kad jos padeda pasiekti konkurencinį pranašumą, palaikyti gerus santykius su užsienio partneriais ir plėsti įmonę. Iš savo analizių aš padariau tokias išvadas: transporto ateitis yra intermodalumas. Todėl būtina plėtoti daugiau viešųjų logistikos centrų. / International transportation business is rapidly developing and changing. Now it is one of the main forces that promote finances increase of a state. As well as the other kinds of transport, road transport is a subject of transport management specialty. The purpose of this paper work is to review generally international transportation system, its planning and administration, problems and future. I have analyzed both companies that take part in the process of load transportation – transportation business as well as expeditionary enterprises. This Master of Science thesis comprises of three parts. The first one presents theoretical background of transport kinds, expedition and law requirements. The second and the third parts contain my practical analyses of road transport. I have tried to use SWOT, Porter and 6 sigma methodologies whereas that it helps to gain competitive advantage, keep terms with foreign business partners and develop the enterprise. Finally, I have drawn such inferences from my analyses: the future of transport is intermodality. Therefore, it is essential to develop more public logistic centers.

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of systematic search strategy training for the analysis of panoramic images. Methods: 41 students and 33 experienced dentists were recruited from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. At baseline, participants analyzed 15 panoramic images, diagnosed whether the images were normal or abnormal, and marked the locations of the abnormalities. One week later, participants in the trained group were shown a training module illustrating a systematic strategy to analyze panoramic images. At post-test, they analyzed 15 new images matched for difficulty with pre-test images. Results: Mixed design ANOVAs revealed that for abnormality detection in the complex part of the panoramic image, trained students improved from baseline but dentists did not. The number of findings over-reported by students and dentists increased after training. Discussion: This study suggests some benefits in the systematic search strategy training for novices. Inclusion of training in normal panoramic features may reduce over-reported findings.

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of systematic search strategy training for the analysis of panoramic images. Methods: 41 students and 33 experienced dentists were recruited from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. At baseline, participants analyzed 15 panoramic images, diagnosed whether the images were normal or abnormal, and marked the locations of the abnormalities. One week later, participants in the trained group were shown a training module illustrating a systematic strategy to analyze panoramic images. At post-test, they analyzed 15 new images matched for difficulty with pre-test images. Results: Mixed design ANOVAs revealed that for abnormality detection in the complex part of the panoramic image, trained students improved from baseline but dentists did not. The number of findings over-reported by students and dentists increased after training. Discussion: This study suggests some benefits in the systematic search strategy training for novices. Inclusion of training in normal panoramic features may reduce over-reported findings.

Children with autism spectrum disorders typically experience language deficits in multiple areas, including form, content, and use. These children often receive speech therapy with individual sessions (one child and clinician), group sessions (several children), or a combination of both. Although research has deemed individual therapy successful, there is still debate regarding the success of group therapy, and there is virtually no literature examining a comparison between individual and group therapy. The current case-study investigated the relative effectiveness of individual versus group therapy for one six-year-old female with moderate autism spectrum disorder. The child underwent ten alternating therapy sessions of similar structure with consistent language targets during one academic semester. All sessions were transcribed using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) conventions, and analyzed via the SALT program and Microsoft Excel t-tests. Results indicate that individual sessions yielded larger improvement with syntax and semantics, while group sessions produced greater progress with pragmatics and social skills, suggesting that a combination of both therapy types may be most beneficial. Social validation of group therapy also signified high parent satisfaction with overall growth during the semester. Implications of this study, as well as recommendations for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

O objetivo geral desta tese foi conceber uma sistemática para elaborar um plano de prevenção, a partir do delineamento das falhas humanas, com a finalidade de minimizar os acidentes numa organização. Essa sistemática está baseada no pressuposto de que as organizações podem aprender com os acidentes, e que estes não são decorrentes de comportamentos inapropriados dos trabalhadores, mas consequência de um contexto organizacional desfavorável, e nos conceitos provenientes dos erros ativos e das condições latentes, propostos como fatores causais de um acidente. Para se alcançar tal objetivo, foi realizada revisão bibliográfica acerca dos assuntos pertinentes e, a partir deste estudo, foi concebida a proposta inicial da sistemática para, em seguida, submetê-la a um estudo de caso. A revisão de literatura abordou as teorias sobre como os acidentes acontecem, qual a participação do erro humano nestes eventos, quais os tipos de erros, como eles se manifestam e quais as técnicas de prevenção. Além disso, a revisão de literatura permitiu avaliar o Sistema de Análise e Classificação de Fatores Humanos (HFACS), técnica desenvolvida para identificar e classificar os erros humanos, de forma ordenada, percebendo-se que este sistema possui limitações e que as técnicas de prevenção enfatizam ações centradas na segurança operacional, não abrangendo outros níveis na organização. A proposta inicial da sistemática foi concebida em dois módulos: o de Investigação, que visa entender como a organização conduz o processo de análise dos acidentes e determinar os principais erros ativos e as condições latentes, por meio de múltiplas fontes de evidência, baseando-se nas categorias e subcategorias do sistema HFACS e com a utilização de entrevistas com grupos focados e de observação não-participante; e o módulo de Prevenção, o qual procura, juntamente com a equipe gerencial da empresa, determinar ações de prevenção estratégicas para a organização. Com os resultados empíricos obtidos, foi possível avaliar o emprego da sistemática numa concessionária de energia elétrica, detectando-se pontos de melhorias e estabelecendo a versão final da mesma, além de se definir parâmetros de como aplicá-la. Constatou-se, também, que a sistemática possibilita, por meio do cenário dos erros ativos e das condições latentes, visualizar setores que necessitam intervenções na área de segurança, auxiliando, dessa forma, este setor na organização, além de permitir avaliar o desempenho da Gestão do Sistema de Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho (GSST) da empresa. / The object of this thesis was to conceive a framework to develop a prevention plan, based on the outlining of human errors, in order to minimize accidents in organizations. This work is based on the assumption that organizations can learn from accidents, and that these are not due to workers inappropriate behavior, but because of an unfavorable organizational context; and on concepts originated from active errors and latent conditions proposed as casual factors in an accident. To reach such object, we reviewed literature on relevant subjects and from that study the original proposal of the system was conceived and subjected to a case study. The literature review approached the theories on how accidents happen, the role of human errors in such events types of errors concerned, how they manifest themselves in accidents and which are the prevention techniques. In addition, the literature review allowed, an evaluation of the Human Factor Analysis Classification System – HFACS, a framework developed to identify and classify human error, in an orderly manner, but with limitations; and prevention techniques are centered on operational safety, not involving other levels of the organizations. The initial framework proposal was designed in two modules: the Research Module, aiming to understand how the organization conducts the process of analysis of accidents, and to determine the main active errors and latent conditions using multiple sources of evidence based on the categories and subcategories of the HFACS, on interviews applied to focused groups and on non-participant observation; and the Prevention Module, which aims to determine prevention strategies for the organization, together with their management team. With the results attained in the case study, it was possible to evaluate performance the framework in an electric utility company, detect improvement points, establish its final version and set the parameters on how to apply it. It was also noted that, by means of the active errors and the latent condition settings, this framework is able to help the sectors of a company as it displays where assistance in the security field is needed; besides allowing the organization to evaluate the management performance of the Safety and Health at Work System.

O objetivo geral desta tese foi conceber uma sistemática para elaborar um plano de prevenção, a partir do delineamento das falhas humanas, com a finalidade de minimizar os acidentes numa organização. Essa sistemática está baseada no pressuposto de que as organizações podem aprender com os acidentes, e que estes não são decorrentes de comportamentos inapropriados dos trabalhadores, mas consequência de um contexto organizacional desfavorável, e nos conceitos provenientes dos erros ativos e das condições latentes, propostos como fatores causais de um acidente. Para se alcançar tal objetivo, foi realizada revisão bibliográfica acerca dos assuntos pertinentes e, a partir deste estudo, foi concebida a proposta inicial da sistemática para, em seguida, submetê-la a um estudo de caso. A revisão de literatura abordou as teorias sobre como os acidentes acontecem, qual a participação do erro humano nestes eventos, quais os tipos de erros, como eles se manifestam e quais as técnicas de prevenção. Além disso, a revisão de literatura permitiu avaliar o Sistema de Análise e Classificação de Fatores Humanos (HFACS), técnica desenvolvida para identificar e classificar os erros humanos, de forma ordenada, percebendo-se que este sistema possui limitações e que as técnicas de prevenção enfatizam ações centradas na segurança operacional, não abrangendo outros níveis na organização. A proposta inicial da sistemática foi concebida em dois módulos: o de Investigação, que visa entender como a organização conduz o processo de análise dos acidentes e determinar os principais erros ativos e as condições latentes, por meio de múltiplas fontes de evidência, baseando-se nas categorias e subcategorias do sistema HFACS e com a utilização de entrevistas com grupos focados e de observação não-participante; e o módulo de Prevenção, o qual procura, juntamente com a equipe gerencial da empresa, determinar ações de prevenção estratégicas para a organização. Com os resultados empíricos obtidos, foi possível avaliar o emprego da sistemática numa concessionária de energia elétrica, detectando-se pontos de melhorias e estabelecendo a versão final da mesma, além de se definir parâmetros de como aplicá-la. Constatou-se, também, que a sistemática possibilita, por meio do cenário dos erros ativos e das condições latentes, visualizar setores que necessitam intervenções na área de segurança, auxiliando, dessa forma, este setor na organização, além de permitir avaliar o desempenho da Gestão do Sistema de Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho (GSST) da empresa. / The object of this thesis was to conceive a framework to develop a prevention plan, based on the outlining of human errors, in order to minimize accidents in organizations. This work is based on the assumption that organizations can learn from accidents, and that these are not due to workers inappropriate behavior, but because of an unfavorable organizational context; and on concepts originated from active errors and latent conditions proposed as casual factors in an accident. To reach such object, we reviewed literature on relevant subjects and from that study the original proposal of the system was conceived and subjected to a case study. The literature review approached the theories on how accidents happen, the role of human errors in such events types of errors concerned, how they manifest themselves in accidents and which are the prevention techniques. In addition, the literature review allowed, an evaluation of the Human Factor Analysis Classification System – HFACS, a framework developed to identify and classify human error, in an orderly manner, but with limitations; and prevention techniques are centered on operational safety, not involving other levels of the organizations. The initial framework proposal was designed in two modules: the Research Module, aiming to understand how the organization conducts the process of analysis of accidents, and to determine the main active errors and latent conditions using multiple sources of evidence based on the categories and subcategories of the HFACS, on interviews applied to focused groups and on non-participant observation; and the Prevention Module, which aims to determine prevention strategies for the organization, together with their management team. With the results attained in the case study, it was possible to evaluate performance the framework in an electric utility company, detect improvement points, establish its final version and set the parameters on how to apply it. It was also noted that, by means of the active errors and the latent condition settings, this framework is able to help the sectors of a company as it displays where assistance in the security field is needed; besides allowing the organization to evaluate the management performance of the Safety and Health at Work System.

O objetivo geral desta tese foi conceber uma sistemática para elaborar um plano de prevenção, a partir do delineamento das falhas humanas, com a finalidade de minimizar os acidentes numa organização. Essa sistemática está baseada no pressuposto de que as organizações podem aprender com os acidentes, e que estes não são decorrentes de comportamentos inapropriados dos trabalhadores, mas consequência de um contexto organizacional desfavorável, e nos conceitos provenientes dos erros ativos e das condições latentes, propostos como fatores causais de um acidente. Para se alcançar tal objetivo, foi realizada revisão bibliográfica acerca dos assuntos pertinentes e, a partir deste estudo, foi concebida a proposta inicial da sistemática para, em seguida, submetê-la a um estudo de caso. A revisão de literatura abordou as teorias sobre como os acidentes acontecem, qual a participação do erro humano nestes eventos, quais os tipos de erros, como eles se manifestam e quais as técnicas de prevenção. Além disso, a revisão de literatura permitiu avaliar o Sistema de Análise e Classificação de Fatores Humanos (HFACS), técnica desenvolvida para identificar e classificar os erros humanos, de forma ordenada, percebendo-se que este sistema possui limitações e que as técnicas de prevenção enfatizam ações centradas na segurança operacional, não abrangendo outros níveis na organização. A proposta inicial da sistemática foi concebida em dois módulos: o de Investigação, que visa entender como a organização conduz o processo de análise dos acidentes e determinar os principais erros ativos e as condições latentes, por meio de múltiplas fontes de evidência, baseando-se nas categorias e subcategorias do sistema HFACS e com a utilização de entrevistas com grupos focados e de observação não-participante; e o módulo de Prevenção, o qual procura, juntamente com a equipe gerencial da empresa, determinar ações de prevenção estratégicas para a organização. Com os resultados empíricos obtidos, foi possível avaliar o emprego da sistemática numa concessionária de energia elétrica, detectando-se pontos de melhorias e estabelecendo a versão final da mesma, além de se definir parâmetros de como aplicá-la. Constatou-se, também, que a sistemática possibilita, por meio do cenário dos erros ativos e das condições latentes, visualizar setores que necessitam intervenções na área de segurança, auxiliando, dessa forma, este setor na organização, além de permitir avaliar o desempenho da Gestão do Sistema de Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho (GSST) da empresa. / The object of this thesis was to conceive a framework to develop a prevention plan, based on the outlining of human errors, in order to minimize accidents in organizations. This work is based on the assumption that organizations can learn from accidents, and that these are not due to workers inappropriate behavior, but because of an unfavorable organizational context; and on concepts originated from active errors and latent conditions proposed as casual factors in an accident. To reach such object, we reviewed literature on relevant subjects and from that study the original proposal of the system was conceived and subjected to a case study. The literature review approached the theories on how accidents happen, the role of human errors in such events types of errors concerned, how they manifest themselves in accidents and which are the prevention techniques. In addition, the literature review allowed, an evaluation of the Human Factor Analysis Classification System – HFACS, a framework developed to identify and classify human error, in an orderly manner, but with limitations; and prevention techniques are centered on operational safety, not involving other levels of the organizations. The initial framework proposal was designed in two modules: the Research Module, aiming to understand how the organization conducts the process of analysis of accidents, and to determine the main active errors and latent conditions using multiple sources of evidence based on the categories and subcategories of the HFACS, on interviews applied to focused groups and on non-participant observation; and the Prevention Module, which aims to determine prevention strategies for the organization, together with their management team. With the results attained in the case study, it was possible to evaluate performance the framework in an electric utility company, detect improvement points, establish its final version and set the parameters on how to apply it. It was also noted that, by means of the active errors and the latent condition settings, this framework is able to help the sectors of a company as it displays where assistance in the security field is needed; besides allowing the organization to evaluate the management performance of the Safety and Health at Work System.

Les biphényles polychlorés (BPC) sont des contaminants de l’environnement, omniprésents dans la chaîne alimentaire, qui ont une propension à la bioaccumulation dans le corps humain. Ils traversent la barrière placentaire et sont suspectés d’induire des altérations du développement mental ou moteur chez des enfants exposés aux BPC pendant la vie intrautérine. Ces effets s’expliqueraient notamment par la capacité des BPC à perturber l’homéostasie de la fonction thyroïdienne chez la femme enceinte ou le nouveau-né. Malgré le nombre considérable d’études épidémiologiques réalisées, la relation entre l’exposition prénatale aux BPC et les altérations du développement mental et moteur ou de la fonction thyroïdienne n’a pas encore été clairement établie ; d’une part, différents bioindicateurs de l’exposition ont été employés (différents congénères de BPC mesurés et différentes matrices biologiques ou unités de mesure) limitant la comparaison directe entre les études et, d’autre part, le lien de causalité entre les BPC et les effets ciblés n’a pas été vérifié avec des critères épidémiologiques reconnus. Cette étude a été réalisée afin d’analyser la relation « concentration biologique de BPC – effet » entre l'exposition aux BPC de la mère pendant la grossesse et le développement mental et moteur de l’enfant ainsi que les paramètres de la fonction thyroïdienne chez la femme enceinte et le nouveau-né à partir d’une analyse systématique des études épidémiologiques disponibles en standardisant les données biologiques entre les études. Sur la base de considérations toxicocinétiques et en appliquant des facteurs de conversion établis à partir de la littérature épidémiologique publiée, les concentrations des BPC rapportées dans les différentes études revues ont été standardisées en termes d’équivalent de BPC totaux par kilogramme de lipides dans le plasma maternel (µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipides). Afin d’analyser la possibilité d’une association causale entre l’exposition aux BPC et les effets d’intérêt, les critères de Hill ont été appliqués systématiquement à l’ensemble des associations « concentrations biologiques standardisées – effet ciblés ». En appliquant cette approche aux données publiées de 20 études épidémiologiques sur la relation entre les BPC et le poids à la naissance, l’exposition prénatale aux BPC, aux niveaux décrits (moyenne < 1920 µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipides), n’apparaît pas associée de manière significative à un poids à la naissance inférieur à 2500 g dans les populations étudiées. Par ailleurs, en considérant des études menées sur le suivi de neuf cohortes d’enfants, la probabilité qu’une altération cognitive ou motrice cliniquement significative, qui persiste entre la naissance et l’âge scolaire, soit observée à des concentrations de BPC totaux inférieures à 1000 µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipides semble faible. Aussi, à partir de l’analyse systématique des données de 17 études épidémiologiques, l’exposition aux BPC aux niveaux standardisés décrits (moyenne < 1000 µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipides) ne semble pas induire de variation des hormones thyroïdiennes ou de TSH en dehors des intervalles physiologiques reconnus chez la femme enceinte et le nouveau-né. Ainsi, la valeur biologique de référence établie à 1000 µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipides pour prévenir les effets sur le développement devrait aussi prévenir les effets sur le poids à la naissance et la fonction thyroïdienne chez la femme enceinte ou le nouveau-né. Les résultats présentés dans cette thèse fournissent aux autorités de santé publique responsables de l’établissement de directives et des normes de l’information utile à la révision des critères sanitaires visant à protéger des effets des BPC sur le développement de l’enfant et la fonction thyroïdienne chez la femme enceinte et le nouveau-né. / Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) ubiquitously present in the food chain, and with a propensity to bioaccumulate in the human body. They can cross the placental barrier and are suspected of inducing mental and motor development alterations in children prenatally exposed to PCBs. These contaminants could injure brain development by disrupting thyroid homeostasis in pregnant women or newborns. Despite the large number of epidemiological publications on PCBs, “biological concentration – response” relationships between PCB exposure and mental and motor development or thyroid function in pregnant women and newborns are not well established; a direct comparison of biological levels between published studies is limited by the heterogeneous biological PCB measurements (different PCB congeners or groups of congeners measured, variations in biological matrices sampled or units chosen to express biological results), and causal relationship between PCBs and a studied effect has not been verified with recognized epidemiological criteria. This research was performed to analyze “biological PCB concentration – effect” relationship between prenatal PCB exposure and children mental and motor development as well as parameters of thyroid function in pregnant women and newborns by conducting a systematic analysis of available epidemiological studies and by standardizing biological data between studies. Reported PCB concentrations in the different reviewed studies were standardized in terms of total PCB equivalent per kilogram of lipids in maternal plasma (µg PCBMPEQ/kg of lipids), by taking into account PCB toxicokinetics and using conversion factors based on published epidemiological data. To analyze a possible causal association between PCB exposure and studied effects, Hill criteria were consistently applied to all “standardized biological concentrations – response” associations. The systematic analysis of “standardized biological concentration – birth weight” relationship across 20 reviewed studies did not show any association between prenatal exposure to PCBs at the described levels (mean < 1920 µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipids) and abnormal birth weight (< 2500 g). Furthermore, combining data from nine children cohorts to assess the “standardized biological concentration – development” relationship during follow-up of each cohort showed that risk of mental or motor development should be negligible for prenatal PCB concentrations below ≈ 1000 µg/kg of lipids in maternal plasma. Also, the systematic analysis of data from 17 epidemiological studies indicated that the weight of evidence of a significant impact of PCB exposure on TSH and thyroid hormone levels was low at reported levels in pregnant women and newborns (mean < 1000 µg PCBMPEQ/kg de lipids). The PCBMPEQ biological reference value of 1000 µg/kg lipids that should prevent neurodevelopmental effects should also prevent effects on birth weight and on thyroid function in pregnant women or newborns. Results presented in this thesis should provide useful information to public health authorities for the revision of guidelines and standards ensuring protection from PCB effects on child development and thyroid function in pregnant women and newborns.