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Data aggregation is extensively used in data management systems nowadays. Based on a data aggregation taxonomy named DAGGTAX, we propose an analytic process to evaluate the run-time platform and time-related parameters of Data Aggregation Processes (DAP) in a real-time system design, which can help designers to eliminate infeasible design decisions at early stage. The process for data aggregation design and analysis mainly includes the following outlined steps. Firstly, the user needs to specify the variation of the platform and DAP by figuring out the features of the system and time-related parameters respectively. Then, the user can choose one combination of the variations between the features of the platform and DAP, which forms the initial design of the system. Finally, apply the analytic method for feasibility analysis by schedulability analysis techniques. If there are no infeasibilities found in the process, then the design can be finished. Otherwise, the design must be altered from the run-time platform and DAP design stage, and the schedulability analysis will be applied again for the revised design until all the infeasibilities are fixed. In order to help designers to understand and describe the system and do feasibility analysis, we propose a new UML (Unified Modeling Language) profile that extends UML with concepts related to real-time data aggregation design. These extensions aim to accomplish the conceptual modeling of a real-time data aggregation. In addition, the transferring method based on UML profile to transfer the data aggregation design into a task model is proposed as well. In the end of the thesis, a case study, which applies the analytic process to analyze the architecture design of an environmental monitoring sensor network, is presented as a demonstration of our research.

The widespread emergence of computing devices that go beyond the capabilities of traditional desktop computers has created a challenge for user interface (UI) developers who face the problem of a lack of a unified development process for building these UIs. This dissertation research focuses on creating a simplified development process for building UIs for multiple platforms. As part of this, the necessary building blocks (and their relationships) that can be used in a process to develop multi-platform UIs (MPUIs) are identified and specified. A task model, which is an abstract representation of the tasks that users perform with a system, is used as a high-level platform-independent specification for representing UIs for multiple platforms. The task model is supplemented with additional navigation attributes and containment operators for each target platform to facilitate the UI development process. This contribution is based on the insight that an uncontaminated task model, in conjunction with additional operators, allows different styles of UIs to be derived for different platforms. This development process is evaluated by functional comparison with a few other multi-platform development processes, based on a set of criteria. In particular, a detailed comparison of this approach is performed with the approach used in the TERESA development environment. The process is also evaluated by demonstrating how the new features of this approach allow different styles of UIs to be built not only for a single platform, but also for different platforms. The two underlying notations that are used in this work include the Concurrent Task Tree (CTT) modeling notation for the task model and an intermediate language for UIs, the User Interface Markup Language (UIML). This research associates a new vocabulary with the UIML language to facilitate a multi-step transformation-based MPUI development process. / Ph. D.

Real time systems have been a major area of study for many years. Advancements in electronics, computers, information technology and digital networks are fueling major changes in the area of real time systems. In this thesis, we look at some of the most commonly modeled real time task systems, such as the periodic task model, including more complex task models such as the sporadic task systems. Primary focus of researchers in these fields include how to guarantee hard real time requirement of any task specification, with the minimal utilization of available hardware resources. Advancement in technology has brought multi-cored architectures with shared memory and massively parallel computing devices within the reach of ordinary computer users. Hence, it makes sense to study existing and newer task models on a wide variety of hardware platforms. Periodic task model and systems with such task models have been designed and well understood. Newer models such as the sporadic task models have been proposed to capture a more larger variety of real time systems being designed and used. We focus on designing more efficient scheduling algorithms for the sporadic LL task model, and propose simpler proofs to some of the algorithms existing in current literature. This thesis also focuses on scheduling sporadic task systems, under both multiprocessor full-migration and multiprocessor partitioned scheme. We also provide approximation algorithms to efficiently determine feasibility of such task systems.

Šio darbo tikslas – ištirti stochastinio programavimo energetikos uždavinį. Darbe tyrinėta Lietuvos energetikos struktūra, taip pat tyrinėti optimizavimo metodai. Sudarytas Lietuvos energetikos uždavinio modelis. Optimizavimo modelis realizuotas Java programa. Optimizavimo programoje panaudotos objektinio ir lygiagretaus programavimo paradigmos. Atlikti energetikos uždavinio parametrų tyrimai. / Primary goal of this work was to research stochastic programming model of the energetic system. In this paper we also studied Lithuanian energetic sector structure and made Lithuanian energetic model. This model was realized in Java programming language. Created program is written using object-oriented and parallel programming paradigms. Also we researched different parameters influence on the model.

Text in Afrikaans / This research dealt with the contribution of psychodynamic group interventions to organisational development (OD). The research consists of a qualitative investigation and was based on a case-study design with the use of multiple cases. Three different cases were presented, namely where a psychodynamic group intervention was used together with another intervention, where obstacles in a group were to be solved and as an in-house working conference. Random sampling was also done within the cases. Three interventions were done, data was gathered and analysed by means of content analysis, and the results were reported. It was found in all three cases that a unique contribution was made. Regarding the first case, the intervention was the beginning of a process of change whereby the participants were enabled to develop their identity as a group, from a family business to a company. Participants became aware of underlying conflict, started to own their roles in it, and to take responsibility for addressing the dynamics themselves. In the context in which the intervention was used, the contribution was, however, restricted because its value was only experienced after the intervention. Regarding the second case, the obstacles influencing the functioning of the team were addressed efficiently after the intervention. Participants were authorised to manage their boundaries more efficiently and to address role differentiation, leading to more open communication and a better work climate. Regarding the third case, it was found suitable especially for learning diagnostic competencies from a psychodynamic paradigm. Learning occurred on a personal level resulted in the ability of participants to identify dynamics in their organisation and to present similar interventions in their work place. Recommendations were made for the use of psychodynamic group interventions from a qualitative paradigm, as well as regarding the necessary competencies and a training programme for presenting psychodynamic group interventions. / Hierdie navorsing hande! oor die bydrae van psigodinamiese groepintervensies tot organisasie-ontwikkeiing (00). Die behoefte om onbewuste dinamika in organisasies aan te spreek, hettot hierdie navorsing aanleiding gegee. Die navorsing is in die vorm van 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek en is gebaseer op 'n gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp waarin daar van meervoudige gevalle gebruik gemaak is. Drieverskillendegevalleisaangebied, naamlikwaar'n psigodinamiese groepintervensie saam met 'n ander intervensie gebruik is, waar blokkasies in 'n groep opgelos moes word en as 'n in-huise werkskonferensie. Daar is ook van ewekansige steekproefneming binne elke geval gebruik gemaak. Drie intervensies is uitgevoer, data is ingesamel en deur middel van inhoudsontleding ontleed. Daar is bevind dat al drie gevaiie 'n unieke bydrae gelewer het. Ten opsigte van die eerste geval was die intervensie die begin van 'n veranderingsproses waardeur die deelnemers in staat gestel is om vanuit 'n familiebesigheid hu! identiteit as 'n maatskappy te ontwikkel. Deelnemers het bewus geword van onderliggende konflik, begin om hulle rolle daarin te eien, en verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar om die dinamika self aan te spreek. In die konteks waarin die intervensie gebruik was, was die bydrae egter beperk omdat die waarde daarvan eers na afloop van die intervensie ervaar is. Ten opsigte van die tweede geval is die blokkasie wat die funksionering van die span bei'nvloed het na afloop van die intervensie doeltreffend aangespreek. Deelnemers is bemagtig om hul grense meer doeltreffend te bestuur en roldifferensiasie aan te spreek, wat tot meer openlike kommunikasie en 'n beter werksklimaat aanleiding gegee het. Ten opsigte van die derde geval is bevind dat dit veral geskik was vir die aanleer van diagnostiesebevoegdhedevanuit'n psigodinamiese paradigma.Leerwatoppersoonlike vlak plaasgevind het, het tot gevolg gehad dat deelnemers in staatwas om die dinamika in hul organisasie te identifiseeren om self soortgelyke intervensies in hul werkplek aan te bied. Aanbevelings virdiegebruikvanpsigodinamiesegroepintervensiesvanuit'nkwaiitatiewe benadering tot 0 0 is gemaak, sowel as aanbevelings oordie noodsaaklike bevoegdhede en 'n opleidingsprogram vir die aanbied van psigodinamiese groepintervensies deur bedryfsielkundiges. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Jedes Produkt hat eine Gebrauchstauglichkeit (Usability). Das umfasst auch Software,Webseiten und Apps auf mobilen Endgeräten und Fernsehern. Im heutigen Anbieterwettbewerb kann Usability ein entscheidender Faktor für den Erfolg eines Produktes sein. Dies gilt speziell für Software, da alternative Angebote meist schnell und einfach verfügbar sind. Daher sollte jede Softwareentwicklung Gebrauchstauglichkeit als eines ihrer Ziele definieren. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wird beim Usability Engineering während der Entwicklung und der Nutzung eines Produkts kontinuierlich dessen Gebrauchstauglichkeit erfasst und verbessert. Hierfür existiert eine Reihe von Methoden, mit denen in allen Projektphasen entsprechende Probleme erkannt und gelöst werden können. Die meisten dieser Methoden sind jedoch nur manuell einsetzbar und daher kostspielig in der Anwendung.    Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt ein vollautomatisiertes Verfahren zur Bewertung der Usability von Software. Das Verfahren zählt zu den nutzerorientierten Methoden und kann für Feldstudien eingesetzt werden. In diesem Verfahren werden zunächst detailliert die Aktionen der Nutzer auf der Oberfläche einer Software aufgezeichnet. Aus diesen Aufzeichnungen berechnet das Verfahren ein Modell der Nutzeroberfläche sowie sogenannte Task-Bäume, welche ein Modell der Nutzung der Software sind. Die beiden Modelle bilden die Grundlage für eine anschließende Erkennung von 14 sogenannten Usability Smells. Diese definieren unerwartetes Nutzerverhalten, das auf ein Problem mit der Gebrauchstauglichkeit der Software hinweist. Das Ergebnis des Verfahrens sind detaillierte Beschreibungen zum Auftreten der Smells in den Task-Bäumen und den aufgezeichneten Nutzeraktionen. Dadurch wird ein Bezug zwischen den Aufgaben des Nutzers, den entsprechenden Problemen sowie ursächlichen Elementen der graphischen Oberfläche hergestellt.    Das Verfahren wird anhand von zwei Webseiten und einer Desktopanwendung validiert. Dabei wird zunächst die Repräsentativität der generierten Task-Bäume für das Nutzerverhalten überprüft. Anschließend werden Usability Smells erkannt und die Ergebnisse manuell analysiert sowie mit Ergebnissen aus der Anwendung etablierter Methoden des Usability Engineerings verglichen. Daraus ergeben sich unter anderem Bedingungen, die bei der Erkennung von Usability Smells erfüllt sein müssen.    Die drei Fallstudien, sowie die gesamte Arbeit zeigen, dass das vorgestellte Verfahren fähig ist, vollautomatisiert unterschiedlichste Usabilityprobleme zu erkennen. Dabei wird auch gezeigt, dass die Ergebnisse des Verfahrens genügend Details beinhalten, um ein gefundenes Problem genauer zu beschreiben und Anhaltspunkte für dessen Lösung zu liefern. Außerdem kann das Verfahren andere Methoden der Usabilityevaluation ergänzen und dabei sehr einfach auch im großen Umfang eingesetzt werden.

Text in Afrikaans / This research dealt with the contribution of psychodynamic group interventions to organisational development (OD). The research consists of a qualitative investigation and was based on a case-study design with the use of multiple cases. Three different cases were presented, namely where a psychodynamic group intervention was used together with another intervention, where obstacles in a group were to be solved and as an in-house working conference. Random sampling was also done within the cases. Three interventions were done, data was gathered and analysed by means of content analysis, and the results were reported. It was found in all three cases that a unique contribution was made. Regarding the first case, the intervention was the beginning of a process of change whereby the participants were enabled to develop their identity as a group, from a family business to a company. Participants became aware of underlying conflict, started to own their roles in it, and to take responsibility for addressing the dynamics themselves. In the context in which the intervention was used, the contribution was, however, restricted because its value was only experienced after the intervention. Regarding the second case, the obstacles influencing the functioning of the team were addressed efficiently after the intervention. Participants were authorised to manage their boundaries more efficiently and to address role differentiation, leading to more open communication and a better work climate. Regarding the third case, it was found suitable especially for learning diagnostic competencies from a psychodynamic paradigm. Learning occurred on a personal level resulted in the ability of participants to identify dynamics in their organisation and to present similar interventions in their work place. Recommendations were made for the use of psychodynamic group interventions from a qualitative paradigm, as well as regarding the necessary competencies and a training programme for presenting psychodynamic group interventions. / Hierdie navorsing hande! oor die bydrae van psigodinamiese groepintervensies tot organisasie-ontwikkeiing (00). Die behoefte om onbewuste dinamika in organisasies aan te spreek, hettot hierdie navorsing aanleiding gegee. Die navorsing is in die vorm van 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek en is gebaseer op 'n gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp waarin daar van meervoudige gevalle gebruik gemaak is. Drieverskillendegevalleisaangebied, naamlikwaar'n psigodinamiese groepintervensie saam met 'n ander intervensie gebruik is, waar blokkasies in 'n groep opgelos moes word en as 'n in-huise werkskonferensie. Daar is ook van ewekansige steekproefneming binne elke geval gebruik gemaak. Drie intervensies is uitgevoer, data is ingesamel en deur middel van inhoudsontleding ontleed. Daar is bevind dat al drie gevaiie 'n unieke bydrae gelewer het. Ten opsigte van die eerste geval was die intervensie die begin van 'n veranderingsproses waardeur die deelnemers in staat gestel is om vanuit 'n familiebesigheid hu! identiteit as 'n maatskappy te ontwikkel. Deelnemers het bewus geword van onderliggende konflik, begin om hulle rolle daarin te eien, en verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar om die dinamika self aan te spreek. In die konteks waarin die intervensie gebruik was, was die bydrae egter beperk omdat die waarde daarvan eers na afloop van die intervensie ervaar is. Ten opsigte van die tweede geval is die blokkasie wat die funksionering van die span bei'nvloed het na afloop van die intervensie doeltreffend aangespreek. Deelnemers is bemagtig om hul grense meer doeltreffend te bestuur en roldifferensiasie aan te spreek, wat tot meer openlike kommunikasie en 'n beter werksklimaat aanleiding gegee het. Ten opsigte van die derde geval is bevind dat dit veral geskik was vir die aanleer van diagnostiesebevoegdhedevanuit'n psigodinamiese paradigma.Leerwatoppersoonlike vlak plaasgevind het, het tot gevolg gehad dat deelnemers in staatwas om die dinamika in hul organisasie te identifiseeren om self soortgelyke intervensies in hul werkplek aan te bied. Aanbevelings virdiegebruikvanpsigodinamiesegroepintervensiesvanuit'nkwaiitatiewe benadering tot 0 0 is gemaak, sowel as aanbevelings oordie noodsaaklike bevoegdhede en 'n opleidingsprogram vir die aanbied van psigodinamiese groepintervensies deur bedryfsielkundiges. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Le contexte de cette recherche se situe dans la perspective d’une meilleure compréhension de l’ingénierie de l’Interaction Homme-Machine pour les environnements collaboratifs et nomadiques. Les systèmes d’informations d’aujourd’hui sont devenus de plus en plus collaboratifs et nomadiques. Cette transformation impose deux contraintes à prendre en considération pendant la conception d’interfaces utilisateur. D’une part, dans une application collaborative, les acteurs interagissent les uns avec les autres afin de réaliser un projet en commun. Ces acteurs interviennent dans différentes disciplines et chacun d’eux a son propre savoir-faire. Ainsi, ils ne partagent pas les mêmes informations relatives au projet. D’autre part, les utilisateurs sont mobiles et désirent avoir accès au système quel que soit sa localisation géographique, tout en conservant la confidentialité des informations définies dans le système. Cette mobilité requiert l’intégration de terminaux mobiles dans le système d’information. Cependant, pour des raisons de taille et de poids, les terminaux mobiles disposent de ressources moins importantes que celles offertes par des stations fixes. Devant ce constat, notre objectif est de construire une interface pour une application collaborative et mobile, personnalisée et adaptée en fonction du profil de l’utilisateur et des ressources d’interactions du terminal utilisé. En particulier, notre contribution est d’une part, la proposition d’une architecture pour un système coopératif, et d’autre part, l’introduction de nouvelles notations, basées sur les environnements collaboratifs, pour la modélisation des tâches. Celle-ci joue un rôle essentiel dans la conception d’interfaces utilisateur. Enfin, nous proposons une approche à base de modèles, pour la génération automatique d’interfaces utilisateur personnalisées aux acteurs et adaptables aux caractéristiques de plateformes, basé sur quatre niveaux d’abstraction. L’applicabilité de notre proposition est vérifiée par des exemples d’application dans le domaine de la santé. Nous avons développé un prototype de système collaboratif pour le suivi des infections nosocomiales. L’étude de cas menée à l’aide de ce système a été rendue possible grâce à la collaboration de l’hôpital Édouard Herriot à Lyon qui nous a transmis son savoir-faire. Ainsi, nous avons développé l’outil AICEStudio afin de montrer la faisabilité de notre approche pour la génération des interfaces utilisateur personnalisées aux acteurs et adaptables aux caractéristiques de plateformes / The context of this research work lies in the prospect of a better understanding of Human-Computer Interaction engineering for collaborative and nomadic environments. Today, information systems have become increasingly collaborative and nomadic. This transformation implies two constraints to consider when designing user interfaces. First, in a collaborative application, the actors interact with each other to achieve a common project. These actors come from different disciplines and each has his own expertise. Thus, they do not share the same information on the project. Second, users are mobile and would like to access the system regardless of its geographical location, while maintaining the confidentiality of information defined in the system. This mobility requires the integration of mobile devices in the information system. However, for reasons of size and weight, mobile devices have limited resources compared to those offered by fixed stations, like PC. Given these observations, our objective is to build an interface for collaborative and mobile applications, personalized and tailored according to user profile and the interaction resources used by the terminal. In particular, our contribution is, on the one hand, the proposal of a collaborative architecture. On the other hand, the introduction of new notations, based on collaborative and nomadic environments, for the modeling of tasks that plays a key role in designing user interfaces. In addition, we proposed an approach based on models for the automatic generation of customized user interfaces to actors and adaptable to the platforms’ characteristics, composed of several levels of abstraction. The applicability of our proposal is tested by examples drawn of the healthcare application domain. We have developed a prototype of a collaborative system for monitoring nosocomial infections. The case study conducted using this system was made possible owing to the collaboration of Edouard Herriot hospital that has fed us with its expertise. Moreover, we have developed the tool AICEStudio to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach for generating customized user interfaces to actors and adaptable to the platforms’ characteristics

<body>Users require flexibility when interacting with information systems to contend with changing business processes and to support diverse workflow. Model-based user interface design can accommodate flexible business processes by integrating workflow modelling with other modelling approaches. We present a workflow model, the progression model, to help in developing systems that support flexible business processes. <p> The progression model tracks a users interaction with an application as a set of data elements we refer to as a workflow transaction. The steps a user takes to create a workflow transaction and the state of the workflow transaction at each step is made explicit. By making the workflow status and workflow transaction state explicit, the user can change the order of the steps in a process, manage multiple workflow transactions, keep track of data as it is accumulated, and so on. The intent is to provide the user with a mechanism to deal with partial information, interrupted and concurrent workflow transaction entry, and the processing of multiple workflow transactions. <p> This thesis describes the progression model, an XML-compliant notation to specify the progression model, and a prototype system. </body>