The design of clinical trials is one of the important problems in medical statistics. Its main purpose is to determine the methodology and the sample size required of a testing study to examine the safety and efficacy of drugs. It is also a part of the Food and Drug Administration approval process. In this thesis, we first study the comparison of the efficacy of drugs in clinical trials. We focus on the two-sample comparison of proportions to investigate testing strategies based on two-stage design. The properties and advantages of the procedures from the proposed testing designs are demonstrated by numerical results, where comparison with the classical method is made under the same sample size. A real example discussed in Cardenal et al. (1999) is provided to explain how the methods may be used in practice. Some figures are also presented to illustrate the pattern changes of the power functions of these methods. In addition, the proposed procedure is also compared with the Pocock (1997) and O¡¦Brien and Fleming (1979) tests based on the standardized statistics. In the second part of this work, the operating room scheduling problem is considered, which is also important in medical studies. The national health insurance system has been conducted more than ten years in Taiwan. The Bureau of National Health Insurance continues to improve the national health insurance system and try to establish a reasonable fee ratio for people in different income ranges. In accordance to the adjustment of the national health insurance system, hospitals must pay more attention to control the running cost. One of the major hospital's revenues is generated by its surgery center operations. In order to maintain financial balance, effective operating room management is necessary. For this topic, this study focuses on the model fitting of operating times and operating room scheduling. Log-normal and mixture log-normal distributions are identified to be acceptable statistically in describing these operating times. The procedure is illustrated through analysis of thirteen operations performed in the gynecology department of a major teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. The best fitting distributions are used to evaluate performances of some operating combinations on daily schedule, which occurred in real data. The fitted distributions are selected through certain information criteria and bootstrapping the log-likelihood ratio test. Moreover, we also classify the operations into three different categories as well as three stages for each operation. Then based on the classification, a strategy of efficient scheduling is proposed. The benefits of rescheduling based on the proposed strategy are compared with the original scheduling observed.

The master thesis deals design of condensing steam turbine in the heat scheme. The content of the thesis is divided into five parts. The first part describes the design and preliminary calculation of turbine heat balance in which the turbine is to be operated. The second part is dedicated to the preliminary design and detail calculation of control stage. The control stage is solved witch impulse blading. Next part describes the design of reaction blading type which is divided into 5 flow channels. This design is followed by the design of the last stage twisted blade geometry. Comparison of the efficiency results stage is made to the designated geometry of the last twisted blades and the preliminary design of the turbine stage, where the prismatic blade type was considered. Strength calculation is performed for the design of the last rotor blade and evaluated by Goodman and Langer criteria. The last part outlines evaluation of turbine design and technical background documentation of last stage blades is processed.

This thesis investigates the communicative role of scenography in the performing arts for children, with an aim to make the readers understand the ways in which a set design can be optimized so that a young audience can be able to interpret the play and its message. The art of scenography is complex and includes many elements. The research questions can therefore be grouped into three clusters: one artistic oriented (How does the scenographic process work and what is its relation to the scenic piece at large? In which ways may scenography be used to support the desiderate interpretation?), one audience oriented (Which work processes enhances the chances of creating dramatic art that is perceived as meaningful to the audience? On what premises can the semiotics of theatre be used in the performing arts for a young audience?) and last a cluster that focuses on Den magiska cirkeln (The Magic Circle) by ung scen/öst (What is told in the show and how is this portrayed in the scenography? Who is in the target group, and does the audience get the feeling of the performance as intended?). Den magiska cirkeln is used as a case study in the thesis in order to reflect the theoretical material. Methods in the case study includes performance analysis, a survey completed by 178 people in the audience and an interview with scenographer Anna Dolata. 14 performing analyzes of Swedish children’s theatre shows have been made in addition to the case study. The thesis analyses and compares two work logics; the internal logic and the external logic, and it is shown that meaningful interpretations are likelier to happen with an external logical point of view. But the result is not unequivocal; a performance without any internal logic is likely to fall flat as the performance needs to be extracted from the creators’ full conviction. As shown in the thesis, scenography can be used to amplify the readings and intents with usage of the semiotics of theatre. It is important not to overlook the great potential of scenography in order to enhance the experience. The thesis also shows that the intentions that ung scen/öst had with Den magiska cirkeln went past many in the audience. Many felt that the show was confusing, and expressed frustration at not having solved the performance’s message. A high level of knowledge about the audience, and a willingness to listen and absorb its opinions, increases the chances of creating meaningful performances. Key words: scenography, stage design, set design, stage art, performing arts, theatre, children’s theatre, theatre semiotics, ung scen/öst / I denna uppsats studeras scenografi inom scenkonst för barn och unga. Syftet är att utreda vilken roll scenografin har för förmedlingen av det som berättas för publiken. Detta syftar i sin tur till att läsarna av denna uppsats ska förstå på vilka sätt en scenografi kan utformas på bästa sätt för att en ung publik ska kunna ta till sig föreställningen och dess budskap. Scenografi är en komplex konstart som innehåller många moment. För att uppnå syftet ställs frågeställningar som kan indelas i tre kluster; ett konstnärligt, scenografiskt orienterat (Hur ser den scenografiska arbetsprocessen ut och i vilken relation står den till det stora allkonstverket? Hur kan scenografi användas för att stödja och förstärka det som önskas förmedlas på scenen?), ett publikorienterat (Vilka arbetsmetoder ökar chansen för att skapa scenkonst som upplevs som meningsskapande av mottagaren? På vilka sätt kan teatersemiotiska överenskommelser användas i scenkonst för en ung publik?) och ett kluster som fokuserar på ung scen/östs föreställning Den magiska cirkeln (Vad berättas i föreställningen Den magiska cirkeln, och hur gestaltas detta i scenografin? Vem/vilka berättas det för, och får publiken den känsla av föreställningen som avsändaren har avsett?). Den magiska cirkeln används som fallstudie i uppsatsen med syfte att reflektera det teoretiska materialet mot ett verkligt studieobjekt. I fallstudien ingår föreställningsanalyser, en enkätundersökning med 178 personer i publiken samt en intervju med scenografen Anna Dolata. Förutom fallstudien har även föreställningsanalyser gjorts av 14 föreställningar som visats på Sveriges barnteaterscener 2012-2013. I uppsatsen analyseras och jämförs internlogisk arbetsmetod med externlogisk, och den visar att chansen för meningsskapande upplevelser hos publiken är större med externlogiska referenspunkter. Men det är inte helt svart eller vitt; utan internlogiska drag riskerar föreställningen att falla platt, eftersom det är viktigt att föreställningen utvinns ur upphovsmakarnas fulla övertygelse. Denna uppsats visar att scenografi kan användas för att förstärka bakomliggande läsart och intentioner med hjälp av teaterns semiotiska teckenvärld. Det är viktigt att inte förbise scenografins stora potential för att förstärka visuell och kroppslig erfarenhet av alla de teman som upphovsmakarna önskar förmedla. Uppsatsen visar även att ung scen/östs intentioner med Den magiska cirkeln gick många åskådare förbi. Flera ansåg att föreställningen var förvirrande, och uttryckte frustration över att inte ha knäckt föreställningens budskap. En hög kännedom om sin publik, samt en vilja att lyssna och ta till sig av dess åsikter, ökar chanserna för att skapa meningsfulla gestaltningar.

"Action stage design" is a term which was originally used in the mid-70s in the connection with 1975 Prague Quadrennial. Soviet critic Viktor Berjozkin chose this term to describe a new approach which was apparent in the majority of national expositions. It was an alternative approach to dramatic space, the traditional proscenium theater was systematically abandoned. New possibilities of producing in non-traditional, mainly non- theatrical spaces which offered closer contact with audience were searched. In aesthetic approaches the action stage design abandoned rampant focus on art, illusoriness, embellishment and complicated technical solutions. On the contrary it took inspiration from "earth works" (arte povera) and pop-art. They used "poor" - which means - common and natural materials [mainly fabrics] and everyday objects. Simplicity and inventiveness became an important requirement of the new aesthetics, as well as constant confrontation of dramatic and empirical reality. Stage props were meant to be mainly polysemous. It means that a scenic element could change its meaning and function a few times during the performance thanks to actors activity. For example - a bed became a dining table, an altar, or a prison. It demanded big imagination of spectators, they often became a part of performance....

The clinical trial is the most import study for the development of successful novel drugs. The aim of this dissertation is to develop innovative statistical methods to overcome the three main obstacles in clinical trials: (1) lengthy trial duration and inaccurate maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in phase I trials; (2) heterogeneity in drug effect when patients are given the same prescription and same dose; and (3) high failure rates of expensive phase III confirmatory trials due to the discrepancy in the endpoints adopted in phase II and III trials. Towards overcoming the first obstacle, we originally develop a hybrid design for the time-to-event dose escalation method with overdose control using a normalized equivalent toxicity score (NETS) system. This hybrid design can substantially reduce sample size, shorten study length, and estimate accurate MTD by employing a parametric model and adaptive Bayesian approach. Toward overcoming the second obstacle, we propose a new approach to incorporate patients’ characteristic using our proposed design in phase I clinical trials which considers the personalized information for patients who participant in the trials. To conquer the third obstacle, we propose a novel two-stage screening design for phase II trials whereby the endpoint of percent change in of tumor size is used in an initial screening to select potentially effective agents within a short time interval followed by a second screening stage where progression free survival is estimated to confirm the efficacy of agents. These research projects will substantially benefit both cancer patients and researchers by improving clinical trial efficiency and reducing cost and trial duration. Moreover, they are of great practical meaning since cancer medicine development is of paramount importance to human health care.

This thesis investigates the design of atria for daylighting in large scale buildings. Athree dimensional test building with a central atrium was constructed and various parameters of the atrium altered. The impact of these changes was studied through computer simulations of annual daylight distribution by implementing state of theart software. Daylight autonomy is simulated for an annual climate file for Stockholm, Sweden. In the thesis, notion is made of basic daylighting concepts, the importance of bringing daylight into buildings is argued, and the daylighting criteria of three environmental certification tools introduced. Furthermore, a detailed comparison is made on several well known daylight simulation tools. A newly developed, state of the art, daylight simulation tool called Honeybee, is used in the simulation process. The tool utilizes the calculation engines of wellknown daylight simulation software Radiance and Daysim, which apply backward ray-tracing to reach accurate results. Honeybee is coupled to the graphical algorithmeditor Grasshopper for Rhinoceros 3D, which allows for an efficient way of parametric modelling. The comparison of five different daylight simulation tools showed that Honeybee outweighs the capabilities of many of them by offering a wast range of simulation capabilities and also giving the user exceptional control of result data within multiple zones of the test building. The results of the daylight study have been compiled into a document which purpose is to serve as early stage design guidelines of atria for architects. Many factors have been shown through simulation to have a dramatic impact on daylighton an annual basis, and several suggestions have been made on how to maximize the quantity of daylight within buildings containing atria.

Nella seconda metà del Settecento Milano diventò un centro di riferimento per la scenografia a livello internazionale. La tesi studia l’evoluzione della spettacolarità e della scenografia in un periodo cruciale per la città (1765-1792) prendendo in esame non solo il teatro, ma anche gli aspetti connessi agli eventi festivi legati al potere. La ricerca è basata primariamente sulle fonti iconografiche, soprattutto disegni e incisioni, reperite negli archivi milanesi e nazionali; l’analisi di libretti, relazioni, periodici e altra documentazione ha inoltre offerto altri elementi utili alla delineazione dello scenario culturale di riferimento. In primo luogo, si prendono in esame eventi dinastici, quali i festeggiamenti nuziali, i passaggi e gli ingressi dei sovrani, le feste per nascita e le esequie. Sono inoltre considerati gli sviluppi della scenografia milanese prima al Regio Ducal Teatro e poi al Teatro alla Scala, con particolare riguardo all’opera di personalità di primo piano come i fratelli Galliari e Pietro Gonzaga. Ne emerge un quadro complesso che aspira a ricostruire la trama di rapporti che legano la scenografia all’universo della rappresentazione nella Milano del XVIII secolo. / In the second half of the 18th century Milan became a very influent centre for the art of stage designing. This PhD thesis seeks to investigate the developments of the visual aspects of theatricality in a crucial period (1765-1792) for Milan. This study is based on iconographic sources, namely engravings and drawings. The analysis focuses on public and political events (wedding festivals, state funerals and royal entries) and, at the same time, on theatre. The research considers the development of stage design at the Regio Ducal Teatro and the Teatro alla Scala. It concentrates on the works of the most important scene-painters of the period: the brothers Fabrizio and Bernardino Galliari and Pietro Gonzaga. As a result, the study provides an analysis of the several components of visual representation and their features.

Jiri Trnka (1912 - 1969) ranks among the foremost representatives of Czech modern art in the 20th century and alongside the most remarkable protagonists of the visual art scene over a period ranging from the late 1930s through the end of the1960s. He stood out within that movement for his multiple talents, as a draughtsman, book illustrator, puppet designer, painter, animated film-maker, sculptor and stage designer. He achieved admirable success in these fields of activity. In the early 40s a new prospect opened up for him connected with work in theatre, as he took up the post of stage designer at the National Theatre in Prague, an assignment which enabled him to put to use his specific talent for stagecraft. He created 13 stage decorations together. Trnka was able to create unforgettable productions thanks the cooperation with Jiri Frejka or Karel Dostal. I documented and explained Trnka's work in the context of the Nation Theatre during the Second World War. I defined his style in the relation to his contemporaries in the end of work. KEY WORDS Jiri Trnka, National Theatre, set designer, scenography, stage decoration, costume, properties, scene, 40s, space, stage, style, set, constructed set, stage design, didascalia, theatrical space, animated film.