The molecular mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration and wound healing are still poorly understood despite their importance. In this paper we develop a bioinformatics approach, combining biology and network theory to drive experiments for better understanding the genetic underpinnings of wound healing mechanisms and for selecting potential drug targets. We start by selecting literature-relevant genes in murine wound healing, and inferring from them a Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network. Then, we analyze the network to rank wound healing-related genes according to their topological properties. Lastly, we perform a procedure for in-silico simulation of a treatment action in a biological pathway. The findings obtained by applying the developed pipeline, including gene expression analysis, confirms how a network-based bioinformatics method is able to prioritize candidate genes for in vitro analysis, thus speeding up the understanding of molecular mechanisms and supporting the discovery of potential drug targets.

Programvara skapas för att lösa ett visst definierat problem. I denna process sker vanligtvis inkrementella steg mot den färdiga produkten. När programvara har skrivits eller ändrats måste man verifiera att programvaran fortfarande är funktionell och beter som förväntat. Denna verifiering görs vanligtvis genom regressions testning. Allt eftersom antalet tester som körs i en regressions- testsvit ökar, desto längre tid tar det att exekvera. Eventuellt oönskad lång tid för utvecklarna av programvaran. Inte alla regressionstester interagerar med den nya eller ändrade programvaran och därför är det således mindre nyttofulla ur ett testperspektiv. Om det är möjligt att veta hur man ordnar regressionstestens ordning så att testen som interagerar med den nya programvaran kommer först i testpaketet, så kan den förväntade tiden till återkoppling till utvecklaren att något test falerar sänkas. Denna tidsminskning medför ett jämnare arbetsflöde för utvecklaren. Denna uppsats undersöker en metod för att förutsäga vilka tester som ska köras först givet de ändringar som gjorts i programvaran. Den bakomliggande ideen till metoden är att använda historiska testdata och ändringar som gjorts i programvara för att beräkna en korrelation mellan test och programvara. Denna idé testas i ett hypotesters för att avgöra om det har någon prediktiv kraft. Detta val av metod görs eftersom det är icke-påträngande och kräver ingen instrumentering av programvaran utan endast kunskap om historiska testdata. Eventuella alternativa metoder är begränsade till vilken typ av data som finns och bestäms genom datautforskning. Metoder för mätning av prestanda och kvalitet bestäms genom en kombination av en litteraturundersökning och intressenternas önskemål. Resultatet indikerar att detta är en genomförbar metod. / Software is created to solve some defined problem. In this process incremental steps are usually taken towards the complete product. Once a piece of software has been written or changed, it has to be verified that the software is still functional and performs as expected. This verification is usually done through regression testing. As the number of tests to run in a regression test suite increase, the longer time it takes to execute. Possibly undesirable long time for the developers of the software. Not all regression tests interact with the new or changed piece of software and are thus less useful from a testing perspective. If it is possible to know how to arrange the order of regression tests so that the tests interacting with the new software come first in the test suite, then the expected time until feedback to the developer that something is broken can be reduced. This reduction in time makes for a smoother work flow for the developer. This thesis investigates a method for predicting which tests to run first given the changes made to the software. The underlying idea of the method is to use historical test data and changes made to software in order to compute a correlation between tests and software. This idea is tested in a hypothesis test to determine if it has any predictive power. This choice of method is made as it is non-intrusive and does not requiring any instrumentation of the software but only knowledge of the historical test data. Possible alternative methods are limited to what kind of data there exists and determined through data exploration. Methods for measuring performance and quality is determined through a combination of a literature survey and the desires of the stakeholder. The result indicates that this is a feasible method.

The James Lind Alliance approach is a widely used method for research priority setting, yet comprehensive reviews of its implementation are lacking. This thesis therefore focused on reviewing and analyzing the barriers and facilitators to its implementation and on carrying out the early stages of our own priority setting partnership to prioritize research in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). A scoping review of the barriers and facilitators encountered when undertaking a James Lind Alliance priority setting partnership was conducted. Our analysis identified that most barriers could be categorized into three main areas: representation, data collection and processing and result useability. We also identified a number of methods that were used successfully to overcome some of the barriers and offered our suggestions for further study. Along with the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada, we conducted the initial stages of the Canadian MDS Priority Setting Partnership. We were able to collect 206 relevant research questions from people living with MDS, their caregivers and front line health professionals which can be put forward for further prioritization.

This study replicated and extended existing research concerning task prioritization in multiple-goal scenarios. The theoretical perspectives on which hypotheses were based was a combination of Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1986) and rational models of control theory (Klein, 1989; Lord & Levy, 1994). Participants were 216 college students who received extra-credit points for their involvement. They performed six repeated trials on a computerized task consisting of two simultaneous sub-tasks. Participants pursued an assigned long-term goal on each task, and goal achievement was rewarded with additional extra-credit points as an incentive. Task prioritization was assessed with four separate measures of effort allocation, including the time spent on each task, the number of computer mouse-clicks made within each task, scores on a self-report assessment of exerted effort, and responses to a self-report task prioritization assessment. Results indicated that participants prioritized tasks on which they were closer to goal attainment, tasks on which they were more efficacious, tasks on which they were experiencing a faster rate of progress, and tasks on which they reported greater goal commitment. Results also indicated that the effect of goal-performance discrepancies (GPDs) on task prioritization was mediated by self-efficacy. Further the amount of time remaining before a deadline moderated the relationship between GPD and task prioritization, although the form of this relationship was not in the proposed direction. Achievement goals were examined as moderators of the relationship between GPDs and task prioritization, but results were non-significant. Overall, these findings provide additional evidence that expectancies are often central to understanding self-regulation in multiple-goal scenarios, as first asserted by Kernan and Lord (1990). The current study also provides additional evidence concerning the importance of temporal factors in determining resource allocation in multiple-goal scenarios. Results from the current study point toward multiple issues for exploration in future research, such as an integrated model focusing in part on the pivotal role of self-efficacy or other expectancy-related constructs. Results also demonstrate implications for applied work, including clear evidence that employees should be expected to allocate their finite resources toward goals on which they believe success is most likely. / Ph. D.

Synchrophasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are devices that can not only measure but also time stamp voltage, current, frequency, among others. PMUs take these synchronized measurements as fast as 60 times per second; compared with the traditional 2-4 second SCADA measurements, PMUs bring a much clear and real-time picture of what is happening in the power system. PMUs have been increasingly deployed across transmission power grids worldwide. In the USA this is primarily done by utilities through projects sponsored mainly by SIGS and Smart Grid grants. There are different applications that synchrophasors can provide, including off-line and real-time applications. However, due to budget constraints, technology development and characteristics specific to each system, not all applications are equally suitable and essential for all electric power systems. This thesis provides a method for PMU applications prioritization based on the analysis and results of wide area disturbance events. / Master of Science

As the national building stock ages and society needs for public facilities evolve, communities undertake revitalization projects to restore or repurpose existing structures to suit current needs. Community-based restoration projects involve a variety of stakeholders: owners, community members, and visitors to the community. Because some restoration projects involve derelict or at-risk structures, communities need a framework for prioritizing construction tasks and undertaking short term rehabilitation procedures in order to save the building in the short term while the community negotiates its appropriate use. Several frameworks exist to help communities prioritize tasks in terms of the building's structure or the long term energy efficiency of the building, but communities need a framework that provides the additional construct of allowing project stakeholders to begin baseline restoration tasks to prolong the immediate life of the facility.This research aims to develop a multi-step, straightforward framework for communities to approach restoration projects, conduct analyses, identify potential future use alternatives, and prioritize tasks for reconstruction. The paper first details the methodology used to develop the framework by presenting a case study of a historic dairy barn facility in Catawba, Virginia. The research uses the case study approach as a baseline for developing the framework, and then applies the framework back to the dairy barn restoration project in order to prioritize construction tasks and develop a path forward for the facility. In addition to the case study framework development, the research offers procedures and estimates specifically for the case study facility restoration. Finally, the paper offers recommendations for application and testing of the framework and offers areas for future examination. / Master of Science

The Texas Department of Transportation has been experiencing budget fluctuations in the recent past. These budget fluctuations can have a pronounced effect in the agency’s highway maintenance operations if key maintenance activities must be delayed due to budget constraints. The methodology proposed in this research project aims at reducing the impact of budget fluctuations on highway maintenance by identifying and ranking maintenance activities based on a set of identified maintenance objectives. With the help of maintenance experts from the highway agency, four maintenance objectives were identified and considered for this research project: include Aesthetics, Safety, System Operations and System Preservation. A similar process was conducted to identify the most relevant maintenance activities from a list of over 120 different maintenance functions used by the Texas Department of Transportation. The original list of maintenance functions was reduced by combining similar sub-categories. Ultimately, 16 maintenance functions were identified and included in this research project, representing an average of over 75 percent of the agencies maintenance expenditures between fiscal years 2008 – 2010. These four maintenance objectives and sixteen maintenance functions were then evaluated by maintenance experts from different geographic locations of the state using the Analytical Hierarchy Process to produce an Overall Relative Weight for each maintenance function. This process allowed each evaluator’s judgments and preferences to influence the final weight values and rankings of the maintenance functions. The Overall Relative Weight corresponds to each maintenance sub-category’s component from each maintenance objective and can be defined as the performance risk of not carrying out the maintenance activity. This information can be used by maintenance engineers and administrators, when faced with budget shortfalls, to suspend or reduce maintenance activities that have a lower performance risk in favor of performing activities that have a higher one. This will dampen the impact of budget fluctuations on highway maintenance operations by performing critical maintenance treatments at the expense of less critical. / text

Many bugs are reported during the software maintenance phase, and in order for asoftware product to have a longer life, it must effectively handle and resolve thesebugs. As a result, when cost and time are considered, a prioritized list of bugs isrequired for all products. Due to some factors, such as user expertise, the numberof bugs, the priority methodology, and how critical the software is, developing a prioritization technique that includes user inputs and preset bug constraints to producea final prioritization list of software bugs is challenging. Our approach to solvingthe prioritization problem involves combining an SMT solver with user interactionto provide the best possible solution. Our findings suggest that this strategy outperforms both random and non-interactive bug prioritization methods.

State Departments of Transportation are becoming more involved in providing Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) at road-stream crossings. Department of Transportation (DOT) emphasis on AOP has been driven largely in response to endangered species listings, other agencies' initiatives, and the desire to restore ecosystem connectivity to watercourses. UDOT is currently responsible for approximately 47,000 culverts, but AOP is currently addressed only on an as-needed basis. Currently UDOT has no prioritization or assessment strategy procedure for AOP at UDOT road-stream crossings. Historical fish passage strategies have focused on federally listed adult anadromous salmon and trout. These are generally very large fish whose life cycle includes both fresh and salt water environs. These species have adapted to the wetter conditions prevalent in their Pacific Northwest habitat. However, Utah fish species have adapted to the arid conditions of the Great Basin, are generally much smaller, and complete their life cycle entirely within fresh water. For UDOT these differences represent a potential fundamental divergence in the approaches used for providing fish passage in Utah vs. those historically used in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of this research was to develop a method of prioritizing culverts statewide and to modify existing culvert assessment procedures for UDOT within a Great Basin/Utah regional context. Developed as part of the research are tools to prioritize and assess culverts. A GIS database was developed to store fish passage assessment data as well as provide functions for prioritizing culverts on the state and regional level. A fish passage assessment protocol for assessing UDOT culverts was developed based on existing fish passage assessments. The culvert assessment was tailored to meet developed UDOT fish passage strategies. A training manual was also created to aid technicians on performing the several physical culvert assessments developed. Additionally, a mark and recapture study at six UDOT culverts was performed to field verify the developed culvert assessment procedure. A step by step methodology was then created to establish critical progression for prioritizing and assessing culverts for fish passage utilizing project results.

Kravprioritering är ett av de viktigaste och mest inflytelserika stegen vid tillverkning av en mjukvaruprodukt. Processen är iterativ; den sker under hela produktens agila mjukvaruutvecklingsprocess. Genom kravprioritering beslutas det om vilka krav som ska utvecklas, i vilken ordning och varför.  Målet med denna studie är att undersöka hur mjukvaruutvecklande företag gör för att kravprioritera, samt identifiera vilka prioriteringsmetoder de eventuellt använder sig av. Studiens syfte är att få en förståelse för varför en väl avvägd prioritering är viktig, vilka särskilda prioriteringsfaktorer som ger värde till en produkt och att se hur dessa faktorer är relaterade till resultatet. Syftet är även att undersöka vilka svårigheter som finns i en prioriteringsprocess, samt att skapa en översikt över några av de mest vedertagna prioriteringsmetoderna inom agil mjukvaruutveckling.  Studien utförs i samarbete med mjukvaruföretaget Monitor ERP för att analysera företagets prioriteringsprocesser som används för att utveckla deras affärssystem Monitor. Metoden som används är en kvalitativ undersökning som består av observationer av möten kring prioriteringsarbete och semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Bearbetning av insamlat material skedde genom att organisera, analysera och sammanställa resultat enligt begrepp och kategorier som framkom utifrån litteraturstudien. Resultatet redovisar arbetsprocesser, gemensamma mål, prioriteringsaspekter och utmaningar i prioriteringsarbetet hos Monitor ERP. En väl avvägd prioritering visade sig vara viktigt för att kunna leverera rätt funktionalitet i tid, för att kunna ge trovärdiga estimeringar om utvecklingen och det i sin tur leder till att kunder får förtroende för både produkten och företaget. En rad olika prioriteringsfaktorer som ger värde till programvaran Monitor identifierades, varav många bidrar till att öka kundnöjdheten och kvaliteten på produkten. Monitor ERP använder inte några särskilda prioriteringsmetoder, utan utvecklingsfilosofin Minimum Viable Product används som grund till deras prioriteringsval. Under prioriteringsarbetet upplevdes utmaningar såsom begränsade resurser, oförutsägbara uppgifter, svårigheter med tidsestimering och en utmaning i balansen mellan kundnytta och kundfokus. / Prioritizing requirements is one of the most important and influential steps in the creation of a software product. The process is iterative; it takes place during the entire agile software development. Through prioritizing requirements, it is decided which requirements are to be developed, in which order, and why.  The aim of this study is to investigate how companies that design software prioritize requirements and to identify which prioritization methods they might use during this process. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding for why a well-balanced prioritization is important, which specific prioritization factors give value to a product, as well as identifying how these factors are related to the result. The purpose is also to investigate the difficulties that exist in a prioritization process, and to create an overview of some of the most used prioritization methods in agile software development.  This study is conducted in collaboration with the software company Monitor ERP in order to analyze the company's prioritization processes used to develop their business management system Monitor. The method used is a qualitative study that consists of observations of meetings about prioritization processes, and semi-structured interviews. Processing of collected material was done by organizing, analyzing, and compiling results according to concepts and categories that emerged from the literature study. The results documents work processes, common goals, prioritization aspects and challenges in the requirements prioritization at Monitor ERP.  A well-balanced prioritization proved to be important to be able to deliver the right functionality on time and to be able to provide dependable estimates of development, which in turn leads to customers gaining confidence in both the product and the company. A number of prioritization factors that give value to the Monitor software were identified, many of which contribute to increasing customer satisfaction and product quality. Monitor ERP does not use any specific prioritization methods, but the development philosophy Minimum Viable Product is used as a basis for their prioritization choices. During the prioritization process, challenges such as limited resources, unpredictable tasks, difficulties with time estimation, and a challenge in balancing customer value and customer focus were experienced.