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Traditionally the dominant formalist school in mathematics has considered diagrams as merely heuristic tools. However, the last few years have seen a renewed interest in visualisation in mathematics and, in particular, in diagrammatic reasoning. This has resulteQ from the increasing capabilities of modern computers, the key role that design and modelling notations play in the development process of software systems, and the emergence of the first formal diagrammatic systems. Constraint diagrams are a diagrammatic notation for expressing constraints that can be used in conjunction with the Unified Modelling Language (UML) in object-oriented modelling. Recently, full formal semantics and sound and complete inference rules have been developed for Venn-Peirce diagrams and Euler circles. Spider diagrams emerged from work on constraint diagrams. They combine and extend Venn-Peirce diagrams and Euler circles to express constraints on sets and their relationships with other sets. The spider diagram system SDI developed in this thesis extends the second Venn-Peirce system that Shin investigated, Venn II, to give lower bounds for the cardinality of the sets represented by the diagrams. A sound and complete set of reasoning rules is given. The diagrammatic system SD2 extends SD 1 so that lower and upper bounds can be inferred for the cardinalities of the set represented by the diagrams. Soundness and completeness results are also given extending the proof strategies used in SD 1. The system SD2 is also shown to be syntactically rich enough to express the negation of any diagram. Finally, the ESD2 system incorporates syntactic elements from the spider diagram notation, so that information within a diagram can be expressed more compactly, and is proved equivalent to SD2. Two important innovations are introduced with respect to Venn I, Venn II, and Higraphs: two levels of syntax - abstract and concrete - and a proof of completeness that omits the use of maximal diagram used in these systems. This work will help to provide the necessary mathematical underpinning for the development of software tools to aid the reasoning process . and the development and formalisation of more expressive diagrammatic notations.

With the availability of more and more cores within architectures the process of extracting implicit and explicit parallelism in applications to fully utilise these cores is becoming complex. Implicit parallelism extraction is performed through the inclusion of intelligent software and hardware sections of tool chains although these reach their theoretical limit rather quickly. Due to this the concept of a method of allowing explicit parallelism to be performed as fast a possible has been investigated. This method enables application developers to perform creation and synchronisation of parallel sections of an application at a finer-grained level than previously possible, resulting in smaller sections of code being executed in parallel while still reducing overall execution time. Alongside explicit parallelism, a concept of high level design of applications destined for multicore systems was also investigated. As systems are getting larger it is becoming more difficult to design and track the full life-cycle of development. One method used to ease this process is to use a graphical design process to visualise the high level designs of such systems. One drawback in graphical design is the explicit nature in which systems are required to be generated, this was investigated, and using concepts already in use in text based programming languages, the generation of platform-independent models which are able to be specialised to multiple hardware architectures was developed. The explicit parallelism was performed using hardware elements to perform thread management, this resulted in speed ups of over 13 times when compared to threading libraries executed in software on commercially available processors. This allowed applications with large data dependent sections to be parallelised in small sections within the code resulting in a decrease of overall execution time. The modelling concepts resulted in the saving of between 40-50% of the time and effort required to generate platform-specific models while only incurring an overhead of up to 15% the execution cycles of these models designed for specific architectures.

A UML é uma linguagem de modelagem largamente aceite entre profissionais da área de computação para a modelagem de sistemas simples e complexos. Tomando em consideração que os objetos de aprendizagem são entidades digitais, para o seu desenvolvimento, a utilização de metodologias torna-se um imperativo, se o objetivo for o de oferecer ao setor de educação ferramentas capazes de apoiar o processo de ensino aprendizagem. Os objetos de aprendizagem são ferramentas que podem contribuir para o aluno alcançar a aprendizagem significativa, se forem desenvolvidos dentro dos parâmetros considerados facilitadores da aprendizagem significativa. A presente pesquisa propõe uma metodologia alicerçada na aprendizagem significativa, denominada Metodologia de Modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem em UML (MOAUML) baseada em princípios de UML e de Design Instrucional, para a modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem, com vista a facilitar o desenvolvimento de objetos de aprendizagem que favoreçam a aprendizagem. Objetivando a validação da metodologia, equipes com diferentes perfis profissionais, modelaram 9 objetos de aprendizagem entre novos e legados. O resultado das modelagens mostrou que a utilização da MOAUML contribui para a facilidade na modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem, embora tenha sido mais fácil para equipes que já estavam familiarizadas com métodos de modelagem de software. / The UML is a widely accepted modelling language among computer specialists from simple to complex systems. In order to develop learning objects as digital entities, it is very important the utilization of any methodology aiming to deliver to the education sector capable tools for supporting the process of teaching learning. The learning objects are powerful tools that can contribute for student’s achievement of meaningful learning. This fact can be true only if the development procedures satisfied some characteristics considered facilitators of meaningful learning. This study proposes a methodology based on the meaningful learning, designated Modelling of Learning Objects Using UML (MOAUML) based on principles of UML and Instructional Design, for the modelling of learning objects targeting to facilitate the development of learning objects that promote meaningful learning. In order to validate the MOAUML, different teams with distinguish profiles, were modelled 9 learning objects among news and legacies. The results of that process disclosed that the use of MOAUML contributes to the ease of modelling learning objects, although it has been easier for teams that were already familiar with software modelling processes.

Das Projekt TESSI beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung eines Verfahrens und eines CASE-Werkzeugs zur Analyse von Anforderungstexten und dem parallelen Entwurf eines objektorientierten Modells. Veränderte Anforderungen und geplante Erweiterungen machten eine Überarbeitung der Version 1.1 des Programms TESSI notwendig. Diese Diplomarbeit beschreibt das Reengineering der Altsoftware und den Entwurf sowie die Implementierung der neuen Version 2.0 von TESSI.

Τα σύγχρονα συστήματα παραγωγής πρέπει να λειτουργούν αποδοτικά σε ένα δυναμικά μεταβαλλόμενο περιβάλλον. Ένα βασικό χαρακτηριστικό που πρέπει να λάβουν υπόψη τους οι μηχανικοί στη βιομηχανία είναι η ευελιξία των συστημάτων παραγωγής. Η ευελιξία αναφέρεται στην ικανότητα ενός συστήματος παραγωγής να ανταποκρίνεται και να προσαρμόζεται στις αλλαγές του περιβάλλοντος στο οποίο λειτουργεί. Αλλά η ευελιξία είναι δύσκολο να συμπεριληφθεί στη διαδικασία λήψης αποφάσεων κατά τον σχεδιασμό ή τη λειτουργία ενός συστήματος, αν δεν έχει περιγραφεί ποσοτικά. Ο σκοπός αυτής της διατριβής είναι να αναπτύξει και να επιδείξει μια μέθοδο για την εκτίμηση και ποσοτικοποίηση της ευελιξίας. Η μέθοδος μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί σε πραγματικά προβλήματα στη βιομηχανία και να βοηθήση στη λήψη αποφάσεων σχετικά με τον απαραίτητο βαθμό της ευελιξίας που πρέπει να έχει ένα σύστημα παραγωγής ειδικά στην περίπτωση που υπάρχει αβεβαιότητα και είναι δύσκολο να γίνουν αξιόπιστες προβλέψεις σχετικά με τις απαιτήσεις της αγοράς. Στην διεθνή επιστημονική βιβλιογραφία έχουν καταγραφεί αρκετές εργασίες που προσεγγίζουν το πρόβλημα της εκτίμησης της ευελιξίας ενός συστήματος παραγωγής. Οι περισσότερες όμως από τις εργασίες αντιμετωπίζουν μεμονωμένα προβλήματα, κάτω από ειδικές συνθήκες, που τις περισσότερες φορές αναφέρονται και σε συγκεκριμένους τύπους συστημάτων παραγωγής. Η προτεινόμενη μέθοδος στηρίζεται στη θεώρηση ότι η ευελιξία ενός συστήματος παραγωγής καθορίζεται από την ευαισθησία του στις αλλαγές. Όσο λιγότερο ευαίσθητο ένα σύστημα είναι στις αλλαγές του περιβάλλοντος στο οποίο λειτουργεί τόσο περισσότερο ευέλικτο είναι. Η βασική αυτή θεώρηση εφαρμόζεται μέσω της μέτρησης του εύρους των διαφόρων τιμών του συνολικού κόστους ενός συστήματος παραγωγής. Οι τιμές του συνολικού κόστους υπολογίζεται για καθένα σενάριο από ένα μεγάλο αριθμό πιθανών σεναρίων αγοράς. Στη συνέχεια με στατιστική ανάλυση στις τιμές του συνολικού κόστους οδηγούμαστε σε συμπεράσματα για την ευαισθησία ενός συστήματος παραγωγής σε ένα αβέβαιο περιβάλλον λειτουργίας. Ο υπολογισμός του συνολικού κόστους λαμβάνει υπόψη του διάφορες φάσεις του συστήματος παραγωγής στον κύκλο ζωής του όπως την αρχική επένδυση και το κόστος των αλλαγών. Επιπλέον, για να μπορούν οι διαφορετικές τιμές του κόστους να είναι συγκρίσιμες θα πρέπει να υπολογιστούν με βάση κάποιον κανόνα. Η εργασία αυτή προτείνει έναν τρόπο για την εύρεση του ελάχιστου κόστους στον κύκλο ζωής ενός συστήματος παραγωγής. Η προτεινόμενη μέθοδος εφαρμόζεται σε μια περίπτωση μελέτης στην αυτοκινητοβιομηχανία και τέλος περιγράφεται ένα λογισμικό που υλοποιεί την προτεινόμενη μέθοδο καθώς και η UML (Unified Modelling Language) περιγραφή των βασικών οντοτήτων. / Modern manufacturing firms must learn to operate effectively in very dynamic environments. One key aspect that firms must consider is manufacturing flexibility. Manufacturing flexibility refers to the ability of a manufacturing system to accommodate uncertainty in the production environment. But flexibility cannot be considered in the decision making process if it is not assessed in quantifiable terms. The goal of this dissertation is to develop and demonstrate a practical method to assist manufacturers in managing environmental uncertainty and in determining the appropriate level of flexibility in their production systems. A number of research efforts have been published in the litterature that deal with the scientific issue of flexibility assessment. However, most of the published research work deals with case specific engineering problems, under certain circumstances, and in most of the cases they are applicable to specific types of production system. The approach suggested by the this dissertation considers that manufacturing flexibility is determined by its sensitivity to changes. The less flexible a manufacturing system is the more flexible it should be considered. We consider flexibility during the lifecycle of a system, from initial investment to major reconfiguration. A large number of market scenarios are being considered and the lifecycle cost of the system for all scenarios is calculated. Following, statistical analysis on the lifecycle cost results provides results on the sensitivity of the system to the uncertainty of the market environment. Furthermore, in order to make the lifecycle cost values comparable amongst the different production systems, their minimum value is calculated at a minimum level with the help of a specially developed optimization algorithm. The proposed method is applied in a case study in the automotive industry. Finally, a web-based software package that implements the proposed method along with the UML (Unified Modelling Language) description of the main entities is also being described.

The aim of this master work is to create flexible information system, based on the up-to-date technologies and tailored to the users’ needs. The information system aims to facilitate work, presentation of the information and customers’ service. Joint-stock company “Švaros komanda“ offers waste disposal facilities for citizens and companies. The main goal of this project is to computerize workplace of manager. The data will be stored in the database, created by using Access 2002. The information system helps to solve these goals: • To make contracts with customers; • To create the timetables; • To fix services; • To collect the data from posts ant banks and to import into data base; • Accounts control. The usage of system will simplify system administrator functions and will reduce level of mistakes.

This thesis provides a `proof-of-concept' prototype and a design architecture for a Object Oriented (00) database towards the development of a Decision Support System (DSS) for the national freight transport planning problem. Both governments and industry require a Strategic Planning Extranet Decision Support System (SPEDSS) for their effective management of the national Freight Transport Networks (FTN). This thesis addresses the three key problems for the development of a SPEDSS to facilitate national strategic freight planning: 1) scope and scale of data available and required; 2) scope and scale of existing models; and 3) construction of the software. The research approach taken embodies systems thinking and includes the use of: Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA/D) for problem encapsulation and database design; artificial neural network (and proposed rule extraction) for knowledge acquisition of the United States FTN data set; and an iterative Object Oriented (00) software design for the development of a `proof-of-concept' prototype. The research findings demonstrate that an 00 approach along with the use of 00 methodologies and technologies coupled with artificial neural networks (ANNs) offers a robust and flexible methodology for the analysis of the FTN problem domain and the design architecture of an Extranet based SPEDSS. The objectives of this research were to: 1) identify and analyse current problems and proposed solutions facing industry and governments in strategic transportation planning; 2) determine the functional requirements of an FTN SPEDSS; 3) perform a feasibility analysis for building a FTN SPEDSS `proof-of-concept' prototype and (00) database design; 4) develop a methodology for a national `internet-enabled' SPEDSS model and database; 5) construct a `proof-of-concept' prototype for a SPEDSS encapsulating identified user requirements; 6) develop a methodology to resolve the issue of the scale of data and data knowledge acquisition which would act as the `intelligence' within a SPDSS; 7) implement the data methodology using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) towards the validation of it; and 8) make recommendations for national freight transportation strategic planning and further research required to fulfil the needs of governments and industry. This thesis includes: an 00 database design for encapsulation of the FTN; an `internet-enabled' Dynamic Modelling Methodology (DMM) for the virtual modelling of the FTNs; a Unified Modelling Language (UML) `proof-of-concept' prototype; and conclusions and recommendations for further collaborative research are identified.

A UML é uma linguagem de modelagem largamente aceite entre profissionais da área de computação para a modelagem de sistemas simples e complexos. Tomando em consideração que os objetos de aprendizagem são entidades digitais, para o seu desenvolvimento, a utilização de metodologias torna-se um imperativo, se o objetivo for o de oferecer ao setor de educação ferramentas capazes de apoiar o processo de ensino aprendizagem. Os objetos de aprendizagem são ferramentas que podem contribuir para o aluno alcançar a aprendizagem significativa, se forem desenvolvidos dentro dos parâmetros considerados facilitadores da aprendizagem significativa. A presente pesquisa propõe uma metodologia alicerçada na aprendizagem significativa, denominada Metodologia de Modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem em UML (MOAUML) baseada em princípios de UML e de Design Instrucional, para a modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem, com vista a facilitar o desenvolvimento de objetos de aprendizagem que favoreçam a aprendizagem. Objetivando a validação da metodologia, equipes com diferentes perfis profissionais, modelaram 9 objetos de aprendizagem entre novos e legados. O resultado das modelagens mostrou que a utilização da MOAUML contribui para a facilidade na modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem, embora tenha sido mais fácil para equipes que já estavam familiarizadas com métodos de modelagem de software. / The UML is a widely accepted modelling language among computer specialists from simple to complex systems. In order to develop learning objects as digital entities, it is very important the utilization of any methodology aiming to deliver to the education sector capable tools for supporting the process of teaching learning. The learning objects are powerful tools that can contribute for student’s achievement of meaningful learning. This fact can be true only if the development procedures satisfied some characteristics considered facilitators of meaningful learning. This study proposes a methodology based on the meaningful learning, designated Modelling of Learning Objects Using UML (MOAUML) based on principles of UML and Instructional Design, for the modelling of learning objects targeting to facilitate the development of learning objects that promote meaningful learning. In order to validate the MOAUML, different teams with distinguish profiles, were modelled 9 learning objects among news and legacies. The results of that process disclosed that the use of MOAUML contributes to the ease of modelling learning objects, although it has been easier for teams that were already familiar with software modelling processes.

A UML é uma linguagem de modelagem largamente aceite entre profissionais da área de computação para a modelagem de sistemas simples e complexos. Tomando em consideração que os objetos de aprendizagem são entidades digitais, para o seu desenvolvimento, a utilização de metodologias torna-se um imperativo, se o objetivo for o de oferecer ao setor de educação ferramentas capazes de apoiar o processo de ensino aprendizagem. Os objetos de aprendizagem são ferramentas que podem contribuir para o aluno alcançar a aprendizagem significativa, se forem desenvolvidos dentro dos parâmetros considerados facilitadores da aprendizagem significativa. A presente pesquisa propõe uma metodologia alicerçada na aprendizagem significativa, denominada Metodologia de Modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem em UML (MOAUML) baseada em princípios de UML e de Design Instrucional, para a modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem, com vista a facilitar o desenvolvimento de objetos de aprendizagem que favoreçam a aprendizagem. Objetivando a validação da metodologia, equipes com diferentes perfis profissionais, modelaram 9 objetos de aprendizagem entre novos e legados. O resultado das modelagens mostrou que a utilização da MOAUML contribui para a facilidade na modelagem de objetos de aprendizagem, embora tenha sido mais fácil para equipes que já estavam familiarizadas com métodos de modelagem de software. / The UML is a widely accepted modelling language among computer specialists from simple to complex systems. In order to develop learning objects as digital entities, it is very important the utilization of any methodology aiming to deliver to the education sector capable tools for supporting the process of teaching learning. The learning objects are powerful tools that can contribute for student’s achievement of meaningful learning. This fact can be true only if the development procedures satisfied some characteristics considered facilitators of meaningful learning. This study proposes a methodology based on the meaningful learning, designated Modelling of Learning Objects Using UML (MOAUML) based on principles of UML and Instructional Design, for the modelling of learning objects targeting to facilitate the development of learning objects that promote meaningful learning. In order to validate the MOAUML, different teams with distinguish profiles, were modelled 9 learning objects among news and legacies. The results of that process disclosed that the use of MOAUML contributes to the ease of modelling learning objects, although it has been easier for teams that were already familiar with software modelling processes.