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The driving risk of novice teenagers is the highest during the initial period after licensure but decreases rapidly. This dissertation develops recurrent-event change-point models to detect the time when driving risk decreases significantly for novice teenager drivers. The dissertation consists of three major parts: the first part applies recurrent-event change-point models with identical change-points for all subjects; the second part proposes models to allow change-points to vary among drivers by a hierarchical Bayesian finite mixture model; the third part develops a non-parametric Bayesian model with a Dirichlet process prior. In the first part, two recurrent-event change-point models to detect the time of change in driving risks are developed. The models are based on a non-homogeneous Poisson process with piecewise constant intensity functions. It is shown that the change-points only occur at the event times and the maximum likelihood estimators are consistent. The proposed models are applied to the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study, which continuously recorded textit{in situ} driving behaviour of 42 novice teenage drivers for the first 18 months after licensure using sophisticated in-vehicle instrumentation. The results indicate that crash and near-crash rate decreases significantly after 73 hours of independent driving after licensure. The models in part one assume identical change-points for all drivers. However, several studies showed that different patterns of risk change over time might exist among the teenagers, which implies that the change-points might not be identical among drivers. In the second part, change-points are allowed to vary among drivers by a hierarchical Bayesian finite mixture model, considering that clusters exist among the teenagers. The prior for mixture proportions is a Dirichlet distribution and a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is developed to sample from the posterior distributions. DIC is used to determine the best number of clusters. Based on the simulation study, the model gives fine results under different scenarios. For the Naturalist Teenage Driving Study data, three clusters exist among the teenagers: the change-points are 52.30, 108.99 and 150.20 hours of driving after first licensure correspondingly for the three clusters; the intensity rates increase for the first cluster while decrease for other two clusters; the change-point of the first cluster is the earliest and the average intensity rate is the highest. In the second part, model selection is conducted to determine the number of clusters. An alternative is the Bayesian non-parametric approach. In the third part, a Dirichlet process Mixture Model is proposed, where the change-points are assigned a Dirichlet process prior. A Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is developed to sample from the posterior distributions. Automatic clustering is expected based on change-points without specifying the number of latent clusters. Based on the Dirichlet process mixture model, three clusters exist among the teenage drivers for the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study. The change-points of the three clusters are 96.31, 163.83, and 279.19 hours. The results provide critical information for safety education, safety countermeasure development, and Graduated Driver Licensing policy making. / Ph. D.

Pinhole corrosion leak in home plumbing has emerged as a significant issue. In the major water distribution system managed by municipalities and water utilities the costs are distributed among all subscribers. The home plumbing repair/replacement cost and possible water damage cost must be addressed by the home owner. There are also issues of the value of home, insurance rates, health consequences, and taste and odor problems. These issues have become major concerns to home owners. Cradle to grave life cycle assessment is becoming an integral part of industrial manufacturing. In this thesis comprehensive details pertaining to life cycle assessment are presented. Copper tubing for plumbing installations is mainly obtained from recycled copper. Various stages of copper plumbing pipe manufacturing are explained. A comprehensive synthesis of various corrosion mechanisms is presented. Particular reference is given to copper plumbing pipe corrosion. A decision support tool for replacing copper plumbing pipes is presented. The deterioration process is grouped into early, normal and late stages. Because available data reflects late stage process, an optimization, neural network and curve fitting models are developed to infer early and normal stage behavior of the plumbing system. Utilizing the inferred leak rates a non-homogeneous poisson process model is developed to generate leak arrival times. An economically sustainable replacement criterion is adopted to determine optimal replacement time. / Master of Science

本論文中，我們提出基於機場安全檢查的分層排隊理論模型，模型中的旅客基於歷史的安全數據被分成三組。我們運用二維馬可夫過程（two-dimensional Markov process）以及馬可夫調控卜瓦松過程（Markov modulated Poisson process）構建模型的排隊系統並加以分析。我們收集了台灣桃園國際機場和其它兩個機場的旅客數據以驗證我們提出的模型，並運用模擬退火法（simulated annealing）求得近似最佳解（near-optimum solution）。最後我們通過模型的旅客平均等候時間和另外兩種等候模型進行比較，之後得出我們的模型確實可以在不增加成本，甚至提升安全性的同時能夠有效地減少平均等候時間。 / This thesis proposes a tiered inspection system for airport security, wherein passengers are divided into three classes based on historical security records. A two-dimensional Markov process and a Markov modulated Poisson process (MMPP) queue were used in the formulation of the security inspection system. Simulated annealing was then used to obtain near-optimum solution for the model. The efficacy of the proposed model was evaluated using the arrival data of passengers at Taoyuan International Airport and other two international airports. A comparison with two conventional queueing models with regard to the average waiting time demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed security inspection system in enhancing service efficiency and boosting the level of security.

Along with playing an ever-increasing role in the integration of other communication networks and expanding in application diversities, the current Internet suffers from serious overuse and congestion bottlenecks. Efficient congestion control is fundamental to ensure the Internet reliability, satisfy the specified Quality-of-Service (QoS) constraints and achieve desirable performance in response to varying application scenarios. Active Queue Management (AQM) is a promising scheme to support end-to-end Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) congestion control because it enables the sender to react appropriately to the real network situation. Analytical performance models are powerful tools which can be adopted to investigate optimal setting of AQM parameters. Among the existing research efforts in this field, however, there is a current lack of analytical models that can be viewed as a cost-effective performance evaluation tool for AQM in the presence of heterogeneous traffic, generated by various network applications. This thesis aims to provide a generic and extensible analytical framework for analyzing AQM congestion control for various traffic types, such as non-bursty Poisson and bursty Markov-Modulated Poisson Process (MMPP) traffic. Specifically, the Markov analytical models are developed for AQM congestion control scheme coupled with queue thresholds and then are adopted to derive expressions for important QoS metrics. The main contributions of this thesis are listed as follows: • Study the queueing systems for modeling AQM scheme subject to single-class and multiple-classes Poisson traffic, respectively. Analyze the effects of the varying threshold, mean traffic arrival rate, service rate and buffer capacity on the key performance metrics. • Propose an analytical model for AQM scheme with single class bursty traffic and investigate how burstiness and correlations affect the performance metrics. The analytical results reveal that high burstiness and correlation can result in significant degradation of AQM performance, such as increased queueing delay and packet loss probability, and reduced throughput and utlization. • Develop an analytical model for a single server queueing system with AQM in the presence of heterogeneous traffic and evaluate the aggregate and marginal performance subject to different threshold values, burstiness degree and correlation. • Conduct stochastic analysis of a single-server system with single-queue and multiple-queues, respectively, for AQM scheme in the presence of multiple priority traffic classes scheduled by the Priority Resume (PR) policy. • Carry out the performance comparison of AQM with PR and First-In First-Out (FIFO) scheme and compare the performance of AQM with single PR priority queue and multiple priority queues, respectively.

Um sistema reparável opera sob uma estratégia de manutenção que exige ações de recuperação preventiva em tempos pré-definidos e ações de reparo quando ocorre a perda de função do sistema. A manutenção preventiva (MP) é programada periodicamente e muitas vezes possui um intervalo de tempo fixo para ações. No entanto, as atividades de MP podem não restaurar o sistema para uma condição similar ao início de vida deste, mas para uma situação intermediária. Nesse caso, a MP é denominada de imperfeita. Além disso, ao longo da vida do sistema, são executados diferentes planos de manutenção com condições e atividades distintas que podem afetar a intensidade de falha de diferentes maneiras. Para modelar essas características da MP em um sistema reparável, propõe-se uma nova classe de modelo de fator de melhoria, denominado fator de melhoria variável que possibilita a modelagem da situação de manutenção perfeita. A formulação da função de verossimilhança foi desenvolvida para estimação dos parâmetros bem como desenvolvidos testes de verificação da qualidade de ajuste, intervalos de confiança para os parâmetros e otimização da periodicidade de realização da MP com base no enfoque dos novos modelos propostos. Os resultados foram aplicados em dados reais e verificou-se uma parametrização mais flexível a MP imperfeita e maior versatilidade nas análises de confiabilidade do sistema quando utilizado os novos modelos. / A repairable system operates under a maintenance strategy that calls for preventive repair actions at prescheduled times and the repair actions that restore system when failure occurs. The preventive maintenance (PM) is scheduled periodically and it often holds a fixed time interval for PM actions. However, PM activities are generally imperfect and cannot restore the system to as good as new condition but to an intermediate situation, which is called imperfect PM. In addition, throughout system life are implemented diverse maintenance policies with different activities and conditions that may affect the failure intensity in different ways. To model these PM characteristics, proposes a new model class of improvement factor called variable improvement factor that also enables modeling perfect maintenance situation. The likelihood function is developed for parameter estimation as well as goodness-of-fit tests and confidence intervals for the parameters are developed, and optimization of the PM intervals based on the proposed models is presented. The proposed model was applied to a data set and a more flexible parameterization for imperfect PM and greater versatility in the system reliability analysis were verified with the use of the new model.

A análise de confiabilidade desempenha um papel fundamental para estudos de durabilidade e otimização de tempos de reparo em sistemas reparáveis. Equipamentos como colhedoras de cana-de-açúcar que após a falha e um reparo voltam a exercer sua função objetivo são classificados como sistemas reparáveis. O objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em propor alternativas de modelagem para sistemas complexos, que apresentam grande variabilidade no comportamento da função intensidade de falha. Foi proposta a nova distribuição odd log-logística Weibull flexível generalizada (GOLLFW) e um modelo de regressão Weibull aplicado ao processo lei de potência usado para analisar sistemas reparáveis. Para a nova distribuição foi apresentada a família de distribuições odd log-logística generalizada, realizado um estudo de simulação para verificar algumas propriedades dos estimadores de máxima verossimilhança e incluídas covariáveis na análise dos tempos de falha através do modelo de regressão GOLLFW. Para a análise de regressão considerando os sistemas reparáveis, foram apresentados os principais modelos de contagem para um único sistema reparável e realizado a análise deles de forma separada e, em seguida, foram considerados mais de dois sistemas e acrescentado um modelo de regressão Weibull ao processo lei de potência (PLP). A característica de bimodalidade da distribuição GOLLFW garantiu a adequabilidade e um melhor ajuste aos dados. Já a inclusão de covariáveis através do modelo de regressão Weibull no PLP permitiu modelar sistemas que antes somente os processos de contagens tradicionais, processo lei de potência e processo de renovação, não se adequariam bem. / The confiability analysis carries out an important role for durability studies and optimization of repair time in repairable systems. Repairable systems are equipments that returns to execute its function after a fail, for example, sugarcane harvester. This work aimed to propose modeling alternatives for complex systems with great variability in the behaviour of fail intensity function. It was proposed a new distribution on generalized odd log-logistic flexible Weibull (GOLLFW) and an Weibull regression model applied to potential law used to analyze repairable systems.It was presented the distribution family generalized odd log-logistic, was carried out a simulation study to verify some properties of maximum likelihood estimators and was included covariables in the fail time by regression model GOLLFW. To the regression analysis considering repairable systems, it was presented the main counting models for a single repairable system and it was performed an analysis of each model singly, then, it was considered more than two systems and it was added a Weibull regression model to the potential law process (PLP). The bimodality characteristic of GOLLFW distribution guaranteed the suitability and a better adjust to tested datas. While, the inclusion of covariables by regression model GOLLFW in the PLP allowed to model systems which traditionals counting process, PLP and renewal process, would not fit well.

Dado um processo de Poisson d-dimensional, construímos funções harmônicas na triangulação de Delaunay associada, com comportamento assintótico linear, como limite de um processo de harness sem ruído. Tais funções permitem que construamos uma nova imersão da triangulação de Delaunay, que denominaremos de deformação harmônica. / Given a d-dimensional Poisson point process, we construct harmonic functions on the associated Delaunay triangulation, with linear assymptotic behaviour, as the limit of a noiseless harness process. These mappings allow us to find a new embedding for the Delaunay triangulation. We call it harmonic deformation of the graph.

A análise de confiabilidade desempenha um papel fundamental para estudos de durabilidade e otimização de tempos de reparo em sistemas reparáveis. Equipamentos como colhedoras de cana-de-açúcar que após a falha e um reparo voltam a exercer sua função objetivo são classificados como sistemas reparáveis. O objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em propor alternativas de modelagem para sistemas complexos, que apresentam grande variabilidade no comportamento da função intensidade de falha. Foi proposta a nova distribuição odd log-logística Weibull flexível generalizada (GOLLFW) e um modelo de regressão Weibull aplicado ao processo lei de potência usado para analisar sistemas reparáveis. Para a nova distribuição foi apresentada a família de distribuições odd log-logística generalizada, realizado um estudo de simulação para verificar algumas propriedades dos estimadores de máxima verossimilhança e incluídas covariáveis na análise dos tempos de falha através do modelo de regressão GOLLFW. Para a análise de regressão considerando os sistemas reparáveis, foram apresentados os principais modelos de contagem para um único sistema reparável e realizado a análise deles de forma separada e, em seguida, foram considerados mais de dois sistemas e acrescentado um modelo de regressão Weibull ao processo lei de potência (PLP). A característica de bimodalidade da distribuição GOLLFW garantiu a adequabilidade e um melhor ajuste aos dados. Já a inclusão de covariáveis através do modelo de regressão Weibull no PLP permitiu modelar sistemas que antes somente os processos de contagens tradicionais, processo lei de potência e processo de renovação, não se adequariam bem. / The confiability analysis carries out an important role for durability studies and optimization of repair time in repairable systems. Repairable systems are equipments that returns to execute its function after a fail, for example, sugarcane harvester. This work aimed to propose modeling alternatives for complex systems with great variability in the behaviour of fail intensity function. It was proposed a new distribution on generalized odd log-logistic flexible Weibull (GOLLFW) and an Weibull regression model applied to potential law used to analyze repairable systems.It was presented the distribution family generalized odd log-logistic, was carried out a simulation study to verify some properties of maximum likelihood estimators and was included covariables in the fail time by regression model GOLLFW. To the regression analysis considering repairable systems, it was presented the main counting models for a single repairable system and it was performed an analysis of each model singly, then, it was considered more than two systems and it was added a Weibull regression model to the potential law process (PLP). The bimodality characteristic of GOLLFW distribution guaranteed the suitability and a better adjust to tested datas. While, the inclusion of covariables by regression model GOLLFW in the PLP allowed to model systems which traditionals counting process, PLP and renewal process, would not fit well.

Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à ”l’exposant de Lyapu-nov” pour deux modèles en milieu aléatoire : la marche aléatoire en potentiel aléatoire, le mouvement brownien en potentiel poissonnien.Dans la première partie de la thèse (chapitre II), on étudie une marche aléatoire dans un potentiel aléatoire donné par une famille de variables aléa¬toires i.i.d. non-négatives. La continuité des exposants de Lyapunov par rap¬port à la loi du potentiel est démontrée dans le cas transient, c’est-à-dire en dimension d ≥ 3 ou en dimension 2 pour un potentiel borné inférieurement. On poursuit avec l’étude des exposants critiques : l’exposant de volume ξ et l’exposant de fluctuation X. On obtient l’une des inégalités suggérée par la conjecture de KPZ sous une condition de courbure de la forme asymptotique. Les exposants de Lyapunov jouent un rôle important dans cette étude.La deuxième partie de la thèse (chapitre III) est surtout consacrée à l’étude du brownien dans un potentiel aléatoire de longue portée. On débute cependant par un potentiel classique à portée finie. Sznitman (1987-1998) a étudié plusieurs aspects de ce modèle. Un premier résultat de cette partie est la continuité des exposants de Lyapunov par rapport au paramètre du pro¬cessus de Poisson. On étudie ensuite le modèle proposé par Lacoin (2012) qui est un modèle avec un potentiel à longue portée. Il a obtenu des estimations des exposants critiques sensiblement différentes de celles de Wüthrich (1998) pour le modèle de Sznitman. Dans cette thèse, on poursuit l’étude du modèle de Lacoin. On montre l’existence des exposants de Lyapunov, le théorème de la forme limite et une estimation de grandes déviations. / In this thesis, we are interested in Lyapunov exponent for two models in random media : random walk in random potential, Brownian motion in Poisson potential.In the first part (chapter II), we study a random walk in a random potential given by a family of i.i.d random non-negative variables. The continuity of Lyapunov exponents with respect to the law of potential is shown in the case transient, that is, in the dimension d ≥ 3 or in the dimension d = 2 for a lower bounded potential. Next, we consider the critical exponents : the exponent of volume ξ and the exponent of fluctuation X. We give an inequality suggested by the KPZ conjecture under a condition of asymptotic form. Lyapunov exponents play an important role in this work.The second part (chapter III) is mainly devoted to the study Brownian motion in a long-range random potential. However, we begin with a classical finite-range potential. Sznitman (1987-1998) investigated several aspects of this model. The first result of this part is the continuity of the Lyapunov exponents with respect to the parameter of the Poisson process. Then, we study the model proposed by Lacoin (2012) which is a long-range potential model. He obtained some estimations of critical exponents that are significantly different from those of Wüthrich (1998) for the model of Sznitman.In this thesis, we pursue the study of Lacoin model. We show the existence of Lyapunov exponents, the shape limit theorem and an estimation of large deviations