Dissertations / Theses: 'Change Requests'

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Hossen, Md Kamal. "Automated developer recommendations for incoming software change requests." Thesis, Wichita State University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10057/10963.

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Software change requests, such as bug fixes and new features, are an integral part of software evolution and maintenance. It is not uncommon in open source projects to receive numerous change requests daily, which need to be triaged. Therein, automatically assigning the most appropriate developer(s) to resolve an incoming change request is an important task. The thesis proposes two approaches to address this task. The first approach, namely iA, employs a combination of an information retrieval technique and processing of the source code authorship information. The relevant source code files to the textual description of a change request are first located. The authors listed in the header comments in these files are then analyzed to arrive at a ranked list of the most suitable developers. The approach fundamentally differs from its previously reported counterparts, as it does not require software repository mining. The second approach, namely, iMacPro, amalgamates the textual similarity between the given change request and source code, change proneness information, authors, and maintainers of a software system. Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) and a lightweight analysis of source code, and its commits from the software repository, are used. The basic premise of iMacPro is that the authors and maintainers of the relevant source code, which is change prone, to a given change request are most likely to best assist with its resolution. iMacPro unifies these sources in a unique way to perform its task, which was not investigated in the literature previously. An empirical study to evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches on open source systems, ArgoUML, JabRef, jEdit, and MuCommander, is reported. The iA approach is found to provide recommendation accuracies that are equivalent or better than the two compared approaches. Results also show that iMacPro could provide recall gains from 30% to 180% over its subjected competitor with statistical significance.
Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

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CAVALCANTI, Yguaratã Cerqueira. "An automated approach to assign software change requests." Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 2014. https://repositorio.ufpe.br/handle/123456789/12391.

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The efficient management of Change Requests (CRs) is fundamental for successful software maintenance; however the assignment of CRs to developers is an expensive aspect in this regard, due to the time and expertise demanded. To overcome this, researchers have proposed automated approaches for CR assignment. Although these proposals present advances to this topic, they do not consider many factors inherent to the assignments, such as: developers’ workload, CRs severity, interpersonal relationships, and developers know-how. Actually, as we demonstrate in this work, CR assignment is a complex activity and automated approaches cannot rely on simplistic solutions. Ideally, it is necessary to consider and reason over contextual information in order to provide an effective automation. In this regarding, this work proposes, implements, and validates a context-aware architecture to automate CR assignment. The architecture emphasizes the need for considering the different information available at the organization to provide a more context-aware solution to automated CR assignment. The development of such architecture is supported by evidence synthesized from two empirical studies: a survey with practitioners and a systematic mapping study. The survey provided us with a set of requirements that automated approaches should satisfy. In the mapping study, in turn, we figured out how state-of-the-art approaches are implemented in regarding to these requirements, concluding that many of them are not satisfied. In addition, new requirements were identified in this mapping study. For the implementation of the proposed architecture, we developed a strategy to automate CR assignments which is based on two main components: a Rule-Based Expert System (RBES) and an Information Retrieval (IR) model. The strategy coordinately applies these two components in different steps to find the potential developer to a CR. The RBES takes care of the simple and complex rules necessary to consider contextual information in the assignments, e.g., to prevent assigning a CR to a busy or unavailable developer. Since these rules vary from one organization/project to another, the RBES facilitates their modification for different contexts. On the other hand, the IR model is useful to make use of the historical information of CR assignments to match CRs and developers. Results from the validation study showed that our solution is promising. It is, by comparing the solution with an approach that uses only a machine learning algorithm, such as the Support Vector Machine (SVM), we could improve the accuracy of assignments by almost 50%. The analysis of the solution’s payoff also pointed that such an accuracy is able to pay for the efforts necessary to deploy the solution.-------------------------------------O gerenciamento eficiente de solicitações de mudança (SM) é fundamental para o sucesso das atividades de manutenção e evolução de software. Entretanto, a atribuição de SMs a desenvolvedores é um aspecto custoso desse gerenciamento, pois demanda tempo e conhecimento apropriado do projeto de software. Várias pesquisas já propuseram métodos de atribuição automática de SMs. Embora representem avanços na área, existem fatores inerentes a atribuição de SMs que não são considerados nessas pesquisas e são essenciais para a automação. Como demonstrado nesse trabalho, a atribuição automática deve, por exemplo, considerar a carga de trabalho, a experiência e o conhecimento dos desenvolvedores, a prioridade e a severidade das SMs, a afinidade dos desenvolvedores com os problemas descritos nas SMs, e até mesmo os relacionamentos interpessoais. Para tornar esse cenário ainda mais complexo, esses fatos podem variar de acordo com o projeto de software que está sendo desenvolvido. Assim, uma solução para o problema de atribuição de SMs depende de informações contextuais. Assim, esse trabalho propõe, implementa e valida uma solução arquitetural sensível ao contexto para atribuição automática de SMs. Dado o aspecto contextual da solução, a arquitetura considera diversas fontes de informações presentes na organização, assim como a necessidade de se desenvolver algorítimos que implementem diferentes estratégias de atribuição. Nossa proposta de solução é embasada em resultados de duas pesquisas quantitativas: um estudo de mapeamento sistemático da literatura, e uma pesquisa de questionário com desenvolvedores de software. Esse último forneceu um conjunto de requisitos que a solução automatizada deve satisfazer para que as estratégias de atribuição sejam atendidas, enquanto o mapeamento da literatura identificou técnicas, algoritmos, e outros requisitos necessários a automação. A implementação da arquitetura segue uma estratégia de automação, definida nesse trabalho, que possui dois componentes principais: um sistema especialista baseado em regras (SEBR); e um modelo de recuperação de informação (MRI) com técnicas de aprendizagem. Em nossa estratégia, esses dois componentes são executados alternadamente em momentos diferentes a fim de atribuir uma SM automaticamente. O SEBR processa regras, considerando informações contextuais do projeto de software e da organização que o desenvolve. O MRI é utilizado para fazer o casamento entre SMs e desenvolvedores de acordo com o histórico de atribuições. Os resultados do estudo de validação apontaram que a solução é promissora. Isto é, ao compararmos nossa solução com uma abordagem que utiliza apenas um algoritmo de aprendizado de máquina, como o Support Vector Machine (SVM), pudemos melhorar em quase 50% a acurácia de atribuição. Já a análise de custo de implantação apontou que a acurácia atingida pela solução possui um bom custo benefício.

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Alsahly, Fahad Falah Madhy. "Improving the management of change requests in construction of large building projects in Saudi Arabia." Thesis, University of Hull, 2016. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:15892.

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One of the challenges faced by project managers is frequent change requests, which usually lead to changes in the scope of a project. Change has been said to be inevitable, and without change everything stagnates. However, ad hoc changes can be adverse, and in some instances cause whole projects to stagnate, or fail. Therefore, studies on the causes and effects of change requests are critical. The latest official reports about government projects in Saudi Arabia suggested that 62% experienced change in the contract, and one project had cancelled 80% of the items of the contract, which changed the project completely. The extent of this problem posed a need to study the cause of stalled projects in the Kingdom. Responding to these concerns, the aim of this research is to explore the conceptualization of change requests, and how they occur, the causes and effects of change requests and the current methods of handling change requests and how effective they are in large building projects in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Based on the exploration the research provides a comprehensive analysis of issues surrounding change requests- including cultural impacts- from the perspectives of multiple stakeholder groups, in a distinctive, under- researched context. This in turn leads to development of a conceptual framework for understanding change requests and diagnosing related problems. A qualitative approach and case study strategy was applied to study this phenomenon and to explore whether and how culture affects change requests in Saudi Arabia. Data collection was conducted by two means: Secondary data were collected from documents reporting change requests (n= 6) and change orders (n= 7) in large construction companies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 stakeholders of four large government construction projects: 4 owner representatives, 15 consultants, 4 project managers and 17 department managers. The findings revealed inconsistent and confused conceptualizations of change requests, and failure to distinguish between change requests and change orders. None of the projects had standardised, formally documented change request procedures, but relied on informal communications. A variety of causes for change requests, beyond those previously documented in the literature were identified, including internal causes arising from one or other of the project stakeholders, and external causes outside the stakeholders’ control. Direct effects included time and cost overruns, while potential (indirect) effects included lowered morale and productivity, and loss of reputation. However, there could also be positive effects, such as improved quality and client satisfaction. Change requests are currently handled ad hoc as they occur. The findings also revealed the impact of Saudi culture (notably power distance and uncertainty avoidance) on project management generally, and change requests specifically. It is concluded that change request frequency could be reduced and harmful impacts minimized by engagement of all stakeholders in the project design stage, use of a standard contract such as FIDIC to clarify parties’ responsibilities and protect their rights, and use of formal documented change request procedures. However, for Saudi Arabia and other developing countries, which may be using non-standard contracts and ad hoc change request procedures, the framework proposal in this study can be used to aid consistency and clarity among stakeholders, diagnose bottlenecks and identify appropriate solutions to minimize change requests and mitigate harmful impacts on projects.

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Lindström, Herman, and Lina Wallmark. "Data-driven decision support for product change management : Making explainable classifications of product change requests at Scania using machine learning methods." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för matematik och matematisk statistik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-185221.

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Decision making is a big part of our day-to-day lives, both personal and professional. A good decision support can provide a decision process with high quality, efficiency and consistency. In recent years, machine learning has shown outstanding capacity for making complex processes understandable and provide decision support. But what good is this decision support if it is not trusted? Our work tries to improve the usage of machine learning models by making their results more understandable and trustworthy. In this thesis, we investigate the decisions in the Product Development (PD) process at Scania. Two important steps in the PD process is to prioritize a Product Change Request (PCR) and decide if it should be realized or not. Our main objective is to build machine learning models that can be incorporated in this process and help with the decision making. In order to choose the most suitable model, different machine learning models are trained on historical data. The model with the best performance is chosen and can be used to make predictions on new PCRs. The model that performed best when deciding the priority of a given PCR was Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), which achieved a F1 score of 46.6% and an accuracy of 48.0%. However, we found that the data was not suitable for making classifications regarding the priorities. The model that performed the best when deciding if a PCR should be realized or not was the random forest, which achieved a F1 score of 67.4% and an accuracy of 79.4%. We found that better classifications could be made regarding if a PCR should be realized or not when additional data was added to the model, and we therefore recommend changes to the collection and storage of data. The random forest achieved a F1 score of 73.5% and an accuracy of 83.8% with the additional data from attachments. We also explain and visualize how the random forest makes its classification and how each feature from the PCRs affect the classification. This is important in order to improve the trust in the decision support provided by the model.
Att ta beslut är en stor del av våra dagliga liv, både personligt och professionellt. Ett bra beslutsstöd kan skapa en beslutsprocess med hög kvalitet, effektivitet och stabilitet. Under de senaste åren har maskininlärning blivit ett viktigt verktyg för att förstå komplexa processer och skapa beslutsstöd. Men vilken nytta gör detta beslutsstöd om människor inte litar på det? Vårt arbete försöker att hantera detta problem och göra resultaten från maskininlärningsmodeller mer förståeliga och tillförlitliga. I den här rapporten undersöker vi besluten som tas i processen för produktutveckling hos Scania. Två viktiga steg i denna process är att prioritera föreslagna produktförändringar och att bestämma ifall dessa ska genomföras eller inte. Vårt huvudmål är att bygga maskininlärningsmodeller som kan användas i denna process och hjälpa till vid beslutstagandet. För att kunna välja den lämpligaste modellen så tränas olika maskininlärningsmodeller på historiska data. Modellen som presterar bäst väljs och kan användas för att förutsäga besluten för nya föreslagna produktförändringar. Den modell som lyckades bäst med att förutsäga vilken prioritet som en föreslagen produktförändring ska ha var Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) som uppnådde ett F1-score på 46,6% och en träffsäkerhet på 48,0%. Vi såg däremot att den data som fanns inte var lämplig för att göra klassificeringar gällande prioriteringen. Den modell som lyckades bäst med att bestämma ifall en föreslagen produktförändring borde genomföras eller inte var random forest, som uppnådde ett F1-score på 67,4% och en träffsäkerhet på 79,4%. Vi visar att bättre klassificeringar kan göras gällande om en föreslagen produktförändring ska genomföras eller inte när mer data läggs till i modellen, och vi kan därmed föreslå förändringar av insamlingen och lagringen av data. Random forest uppnådde ett F1-score på 73,5% och en träffsäkerhet på 83,8% med data insamlat från bilagor. Vi förklarar och visar även hur random forest gör sin klassificering och hur varje faktor från den föreslagna produktförändringen påverkar klassificeringen. Detta är viktigt för att kunna öka förtroendet för det beslutsstöd som modellen ger.

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Narmanli, Murat. "A Business Rule Approach To Requirements Traceability." Master's thesis, METU, 2010. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12612399/index.pdf.

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In this thesis, a requirements traceability model is proposed in order to make efficient and effective change request impact analysis. The proposed model is a requirements &ndash
requirements traceability model. There are several researches regarding software requirements traceability problem. The main problem of these researches is that the proposed solutions can not be applied to software industry with affordable changes. However, current literature begins to see that describing all the software requirements in a huge black box is not so much applicable to today&rsquo
s more dynamic and bigger software projects, especially regarding change management. The proposed traceability model tries to be a solution to these problems. Change requests and business rules are two important and popular terms for today&rsquo
s software industry. The traceability model consists of three types of software requirements: data definitions, business rules and use cases. The traceability model proposes bidirectional traces between these types. Data definitions, business rules and use cases are related to each other and they all should be seen as parts of a software system which should work together to make the software system work properly. Empirical investigation is made on a real industrial software project. These types were configured in order to match to the project specific needs in a reconfigurable way. Experimental results show that the traceability model has an acceptable degree of correctness.

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Cordeiro, Weverton Luis da Costa. "ChangeLedge : change design and planning in networked systems based on reuse of knowledge and automation." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/26501.

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A gerência adequada de recursos e serviços de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) se tornou imperativa para o sucesso de organizações modernas. A Biblioteca de Infraestrutura de Tecnologia da Informação (Information Technology Infrastructure Library, ITIL) representa, nesse contexto, o framework mais popular para ajudar a alcançar esse fim. Para lidar com mudanças em TI, a ITIL define o processo de gerência de mudanças (change management), cujo principal objetivo é garantir que métodos e procedimentos padronizados são utilizados para o tratamento imediato e eficiente dessas mudanças. Para alcançar esse objetivo, é fundamental reutilizar a experiência adquirida com mudanças passadas no projeto de requisições futuras. A ITIL sugere o uso de modelos de mudanças (change models) como uma forma para permitir o reuso de tal experiência em mudanças recorrentes e similares. A criação de modelos de mudanças pode ser concretizada considerando duas abordagens distintas. Em uma abordagem top-down, operadores de TI podem projetar os modelos manualmente, com base no conhecimento adquirido no passado. Em uma perspectiva alternativa, bottom-up, esses modelos poderiam ser extraídos a partir de traços de mudanças passadas obtidos com orquestradores de mudanças. Na prática, no entanto, mudanças tem sido geralmente descritas e documentadas de forma ad hoc, devido `a falta de mecanismos adequados para apoiar o projeto das mesmas. Isso impede que o conhecimento adquirido na especificação, planejamento e condução de mudanças passadas seja reutilizado em requisições futuras. Para abordar esse problema, nesta dissertação são propostos (i ) o conceito de templates de mudança como um mecanismo para formalizar, preservar, e (re)usar conhecimento na especificação de mudanças recorrentes e similares, (ii ) um algoritmo para o refinamento automatizado de planos de mudanças em workflows executáveis, (iii ) um mecanismo para extrair templates de mudanças a partir de traços de execuções passadas, e (iv) uma solução fim-a-fim, apoiada por um sistema real, para permitir o planejamento e implantação de mudanças em TI. Para provar conceito e viabilidade técnica da solução proposta, foi realizada uma implementação prototípica de um sistema de gerência de mudanças chamado ChangeLedge, o qual foi utilizado para conduzir uma série de experimentos considerando mudanças típicas em TI. Os resultados alcançados indicam a efetividade da solução e eficiência do sistema, o qual é capaz de gerar planos de mudança executáveis e corretos em um período de tempo substancialmente menor que o que seria gasto por um operador humano experiente, e de extrair templates que descrevem com acurácia mudanças passadas executadas na organização.
Proper management of Information Technology (IT) resources and services has become imperative for the success of modern organizations. The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) represents, in this context, the most widely accepted framework to help achieve this end. In order to deal with IT changes, ITIL defines the change management process, whose main goal is to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for the efficient and prompt handling of these changes. To meet this goal, it is of paramount importance reusing the experience acquired from previous changes in the design of subsequent ones. ITIL suggests the use of change models as a mean of enabling the reuse of such experience across recorrent, similar changes. The creation of change models can be done considering two distinct approaches. In a top-down approach, IT operators may manually design models based on the knowledge owned/acquired in the past. In contrast, in a bottom-up perspective, these models could be discovered from past execution traces gathered from IT provisioning tools. In practice, however, changes have been usually described and documented in an ad hoc fashion, due to the lack of proper mechanisms to both support the change design process. This hampers knowledge acquired when specifying, planning, and carrying out previous changes to be reused in subsequent requests. To address this problem, in this thesis we propose (i ) the concept of change templates as a mechanism to formalize, preserve, and (re)use knowledge in the specification of (recurrent and similar) IT changes, (ii ) an algorithm for the automated refinement of change plans into actionable workflows, (iii ) a mechanism to discover change templates from traces of past changes, and (iv) an end-to-end solution, supported by a real system, to allow planning and implementation of IT changes to be designed and executed. To prove concept and technical feasibility of the proposed solution, we have developed a prototypical implementation of a change management system called ChangeLedge and used it to carry out a set of experiments, considering typical IT changes. The results obtained indicate the effectiveness of the solution and efficiency of the system, which is able to generate accurate and actionable change plans in substantially less time than would be spent by a skilled human operator, and to extract templates that accurately describe IT change procedures previously executed in the organization.

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Boateng, Amma Serwah, and Narine Sargsyan. "Materialization and Management of Emergent Requirements of Key Stakeholders : A Case Study of Umeå Wastewater Treatment Plant Project." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Företagsekonomi, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-98646.

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Stakeholder satisfaction has in the modern day, become an imperative criterion to achieve project success. Satisfaction of stakeholders’ requirements however is challenging because these requirements evolve as the project progresses. Previous research indicates that as stakeholders continuously interact with a project, they gain more information and new requirements or request for modifications are likely to emerge as a result of this increased intelligence. Nonetheless, conventional project management elicits requirements from stakeholders at the onset of the project, and uses these pre-defined requests to design the project. This practice hinders the ability of stakeholders to influence the project as it advances, and ill equips managers to handle and implement stakeholder requirements that materialize at subsequent phases. It is therefore important to investigate how emergent requirements of stakeholders come about and how they are managed in practice. The objective of this thesis is to answer the research question, “From the perspective of managers, in the Scandinavian management context, how do emergent requirements of key stakeholders materialize, and how are they managed?” by probing into the ways via which emergent requirement of stakeholders come about, and investigating how managers deal with these emergent requirement upon their occurrence. This qualitative study was conducted in the Scandinavian region using semi-structured interviews. Five respondents in managerial positions of the Umeå wastewater treatment plant project participated in the research and data collected concerned materialization and management of emergent requirements that surfaced during different phases of the project. The resulting data was then analyzed with reference to previously established theoretical frameworks. Results from this study confirm that, new or modified requirements and consequently, requests for changes do emerge at even the execution phase of projects, despite careful planning. These emergent requirements are traced to three different sources and are managed in different ways depending on the type of requirement, whether strategic and critical or minor.

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Kebrlová, Linda. "Change management." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2010. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-75417.

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This diploma thesis is focused on Change Management, for which I used translation "správa změn" in my thesis. The diploma thesis includes a proposal for solution of Change Management, which is based from elements of RUP (Rational Unified Process), and methodology and CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration). In the first chapter, entitled Software requirements, there are at first defined basic concepts related to Change Management. The chapter includes the definition of software requirements and specification of different types of requirements. Then it focuses on sphere of Requirements Management, involving Change Management. Next part of chapter includes improving of existing processes, which can be used for change-oriented processes. The following section introduces the basic characteristics of RUP methodology. At first there are described its basic features, best practices and elements of methodology. The following there are described the components and procedures of specific discipline Configuration and Change Management. A separate part of thesis is also focused on the the presentation of the CMMI model. In the charter, which is devoted to this model, there is a definition of basic concepts. Then there is description of the model, the various components and method of improving in CMMI model. In the following section is a description of the Change Management in the CMMI model. The final part tries to evaluate the Change Management in concept of the RUP methodology and CMMI model. It also focuses on aspects of integrating these two areas. I try design solution of Change Management based on analysis of available information. This solution is the main aim of my thesis.

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Sambasivan, Raja R. "Diagnosing performance changes in distributed systems by comparing request flows." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2013. http://repository.cmu.edu/dissertations/242.

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Diagnosing performance problems in modern datacenters and distributed systems is challenging, as the root cause could be contained in any one of the system’s numerous components or, worse, could be a result of interactions among them. As distributed systems continue to increase in complexity, diagnosis tasks will only become more challenging. There is a need for a new class of diagnosis techniques capable of helping developers address problems in these distributed environments. As a step toward satisfying this need, this dissertation proposes a novel technique, called request-flow comparison, for automatically localizing the sources of performance changes from the myriad potential culprits in a distributed system to just a few potential ones. Request-flow comparison works by contrasting the workflow of how individual requests are serviced within and among every component of the distributed system between two periods: a non-problem period and a problem period. By identifying and ranking performance-affecting changes, request-flow comparison provides developers with promising starting points for their diagnosis efforts. Request workflows are obtained with less than 1% overhead via use of recently developed end-to-end tracing techniques. To demonstrate the utility of request-flow comparison in various distributed systems, this dissertation describes its implementation in a tool called Spectroscope and describes how Spectroscope was used to diagnose real, previously unsolved problems in the Ursa Minor distributed storage service and in select Google services. It also explores request-flow comparison’s applicability to the Hadoop File System. Via a 26-person user study, it identifies effective visualizations for presenting request-flow comparison’s results and further demonstrates that request-flow comparison helps developers quickly identify starting points for diagnosis.This dissertation also distills design choices that will maximize an end-to-end tracing infrastructure’s utility for diagnosis tasks and other use cases.

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Nordin, Åsa, and Ulrika Ohlsson. "Vidareutveckling och dokumentation av kvalitetshöjande hjälpmedel för utvecklingsarbete på Volvo IT." Thesis, University West, Department of Informatics and Mathematics, 2002. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-469.

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Sambasivan, Raja Raman. "Diagnosing performance changes in distributed sytems by comparing requesting request flows." Thesis, Carnegie Mellon University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3573456.

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Diagnosing performance problems in modern datacenters and distributed systems is challenging, as the root cause could be contained in any one of the system's numerous components or, worse, could be a result of interactions among them. As distributed systems continue to increase in complexity, diagnosis tasks will only become more challenging. There is a need for a new class of diagnosis techniques capable of helping developers address problems in these distributed environments.

As a step toward satisfying this need, this dissertation proposes a novel technique, called request-flow comparison, for automatically localizing the sources of performance changes from the myriad potential culprits in a distributed system to just a few potential ones. Request-flow comparison works by contrasting the workflow of how individual requests are serviced within and among every component of the distributed system between two periods: a non-problem period and a problem period. By identifying and ranking performance-affecting changes, request-flow comparison provides developers with promising starting points for their diagnosis efforts. Request workflows are obtained with less than 1% overhead via use of recently developed end-to-end tracing techniques.

To demonstrate the utility of request-flow comparison in various distributed systems, this dissertation describes its implementation in a tool called Spectroscope and describes how Spectroscope was used to diagnose real, previously unsolved problems in the Ursa Minor distributed storage service and in select Google services. It also explores request-flow comparison's applicability to the Hadoop File System. Via a 26-person user study, it identifies effective visualizations for presenting request-flow comparison's results and further demonstrates that request-flow comparison helps developers quickly identify starting points for diagnosis. This dissertation also distills design choices that will maximize an end-to-end tracing infrastructure's utility for diagnosis tasks and other use cases.

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Chai, Hua. "Performance Engineering of A Lightweight Fault Tolerance Framework." Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1260912144.

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Winterer, Thorsten Jan. "Requested resource reallocation with retiming : an algorithm for finding non-dominated solutions with minimal changes." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.419917.

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Scandrett, Eurig. "Gap formation and cyclical change in heathland vegetation." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1987. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU010080.

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The phasic, cyclical model of Calluna-dominated vegetation dynamics, proposed by A.S. Watt, is evaluated by investigation of the gap in the degenerate plant. Succession in the gap is analysed by Markov models and found to be non-Markovian, with a number of processes occurring simultaneously. Vegetation changes are better interpreted in terms of certain ecological attributes of the species concerned. The inter-relationships between three important moss species are investigated further. Regeneration of Calluna is very variable. Seedling establishment requires a safe site and sufficient moisture, and depends on wet summers. Vegetative layering occurs more frequently but varies between parent plants and substrate types. The presence of soil micro-organisms appears necessary for adequate adventitious root production. An outbreak of heather beetle was monitored and contrasted with outbreaks in the Netherlands. The population was reduced by a parasitoid which acted density independently. At these low densities, a mosaic of gaps is formed in the vegetation by spatial heterogeneity of heather beetle attacks. These gaps behave in a similar fashion to degenerate gaps, and most Calluna regeneration occurs by layering. The value and limitation of Watt's model is discussed, especially by reference to forest gap-dynamics theory.

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Yang, Fen. "Change detection of land cover using visual texture measures." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2007. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU225730.

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It is important to detect land cover changes from remotely sensed data for monitoring environment. Although there are a few applications of visual textures to land cover classification, they are limited to a few major land cover categories with the application of one textural measure. For a semi-natural environment, such as Scottish land cover, there are many land cover categories, which differ from each other by subtle differences. For this situation it is not enough to apply one textural measure to characterise land cover categories. Moreover because land cover change cannot happen between any two land cover categories, it is possible to detect land cover change by discriminating between pairs of land cover categories which could change from one to the other. This thesis, therefore, attempts to present descriptions of various texture measures for land cover categories and apply them to detect land cover changes by pairwise discrimination. Three different bandpass filter banks: Haar masks, Laws masks and Gabor filters are applied to extract land cover textures. In order to learn the difference between the three filter banks, we analyse the properties and the spatial frequency for each filter bank. Their abilities to discriminate different land cover categories are evaluated by discriminant analysis. Because the three filter banks divide the spatial frequency domain differently, their abilities are different. In order to learn which filter bank is the best for the discrimination of a specified pair of land cover categories, we compare the performance of the three filter banks and obtain a ranking table which could be used as a textural knowledge for a system for monitoring land cover. Experiments on the Elgin area of Scotland show that texture measures are promising for discriminating land cover categories. And for each permissible land cover change, the best filter bank is shown.

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Lee, Jo. "Landscape, farming and rural social change in Orkney, Scotland." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2004. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU178535.

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This thesis examines processes of change in farming and rural society in the islands of Orkney in Scotland, from an anthropological perspective. At the forefront of these are changes to the structure of farms in Orkney and the rise of the environmental movement over recent decades. The concern in the thesis is with how the interactions between farming and environmentalism relate to the experience of landscape and society in this part of Scotland. Following the phenomenological approaches of Heidegger and Ingold, the theoretical argument is that 'landscape' is fundamentally an experience rather than an objective fact, and that these experiences relate to temporality: attitudes towards the past, and plans for future change. The thesis is thus also a contribution to the understanding of rural developments. The argument is made that while new collaborations between farmers, environmentalists and agents of development are taking place around the selling of qualities of landscape, many regret changes in farming that have resulted in fewer farmers. Environmentalism introduces new kinds of objectifications and commodifications of environments, which have very different aesthetic and moral bases to that of farming through most of the 20th century. The thesis is made up of four parts. Chapters one and two (Part One) provide an introduction and epistemological framework to the thesis, while chapters three and four (Part Two) discuss social change in relation to farming and the environmental movement respectively. The three subsequent chapters (Part Three) are case studies of landscape in Orkney, focusing in turn on labour, the land itself, and animals. It concludes (Part Four) by summarising the main trends of social change and landscape change in Orkney, and using these to address the theoretical questions of landscape, perceptions of the environment, and culture.

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Sinclair, Hazel Kathryn. "Community pharmacy and smoking cessation training in behavioural change." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1997. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU094371.

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Aim: To develop and evaluate a training package for community pharmacy personnel to improve the counselling in smoking cessation provided in community pharmacies. Method: A training in smoking cessation counselling, based on the stage of change model, was developed. A randomised controlled trail was used to evaluate the training; additionally, interviews were used to gain an in depth insight into the pharmacy support process. All 76 non-city community pharmacies registered in Grampian were invited to participate. All intervention personnel were invited to attend the training. The effect of the training on the participants' knowledge and attitudes was assessed by questionnaire at zero, two and 12 months. Both groups recruited customers over a 12-month period. The effectiveness of the training was assessed by comparing the smoking cessation rates of the two groups at one, four and nine months. Results: 62 pharmacies (82%) were recruited. The training was well received by the 94 participants (40 pharmacists, 54 assistances). At both two and 12 months the intervention pharmacy teams were more knowledgeable (2 months: p=0.00001; 12 months: p=0.00001), self-confident (2 moths: p=0.046; 12 months: p=-0.026) and positive about the outcome of pharmacy counselling (2 months: p=0.022; 12 months: p=0.069) than the controls. 492 customers (224 intervention, 268 controls) were recruited. Assuming non-responders had lapsed, significantly more intervention subjects were not smoking at each follow up. The one-month point prevalence was 37% intervention and 29% controls (p=0.059); four months' continuous abstinence was achieved by 20% intervention and 13% controls (p=0.021); and nine months' continuous abstinence by 12% intervention and 7% controls (p=0.089). Conclusions: The intervention was associated with greater knowledge and confidence, increased and more useful counselling and higher smoking cessation rates, demonstrating that appropriately trained community pharmacy personnel have the potential to make a significant contribution to national smoking cessation targets.

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Dibben, Pauline. "Social exclusion, transport decision-making and the role of Local Government : what happens when the 'socially excluded' request changes to bus services?" Thesis, Middlesex University, 2003. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/7994/.

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This thesis is concerned with the involvement of the 'socially excluded' in transport decision-making. Based upon case study research conducted consecutively in three locai authorities between 1999 and 2000, it addresses the issue of what happened when the 'socially excluded' requested changes in bus provision. In doing this, it addresses four key objectives. These were, to explain how bus provision is relevant to social exclusion; to investigate the extent to which current decision-making processes promote the involvement of the socially excluded in decision-making; to conduct case study research in three locai authorities in order to examine examples of where the socially excluded requested changes to bus provision; and to identify the key factors that infìuenced whether, and to what extent, these requested changes were met. Case study research was conducted in the three authorities, using a grounded theory approach. In each case study authority, examples were identified of where those who were 'socially excluded' had asked for changes to bus provision. Investigation was undertaken through in-depth interviews and documentary analysis into the nature of these requests, their outcomes, and the processes that led to these outcomes. Overall, it was found that the needs of the socially excluded were not adequately met, and various contributing factors were identified. The findings that emerged contribute toward the social exclusion debate in four main areas. Firstly, through illustrating the tensions between deregulated bus provision and social exclusion. Secondly, through showing the ambiguous nature of the roles of officers. Thirdly. by highlighting the diffìculties surrounding the role of councillors as advocate; and fourthly, by revealing the dynamics of the decision-making process around bus provision and social exclusion and the way in which these work against the interests of the socially excluded through a consumerist discourse stemming from a deregulated bus system.

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Gordon, Carmen. "The effects of environmental change on competition between heather and bracken." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1998. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU531073.

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Vegetation dominated by heather and bracken, two common species of the UK uplands, is often nutrient limited and heavily influenced by climate. Thus, changes in climate or nutrient availability might be expected to have pronounced effects on growth and competition between these species. Mature heather and bracken turfs, transplanted from the field into 1 x 1 by 0.5 m deep plots, were subjected to factorial experimental treatments of root competition, shoot competition, summer drought, increased nitrogen supply and increased temperature for four consecutive years. The effects of root competition on the growth of heather and bracken were as great as those caused by the environmental treatments alone. Shoot competition had little effect on the growth of the two species, and thus, competition was concluded to occur predominately for below ground resources. Heather, in the building phase, was a superior competitor to bracken due to its extremely fine and invasive root system. Heather was able to compete with and deplete water from the roots of established bracken plants. Measurement of integrated of water use efficiency () and water use by droughted heather and bracken showed that the predicted environmental change scenarios are likely to cause an increase in the intensity of competition for water. There was no evidence of competition for nitrogen, despite nitrogen clearly limiting the growth of both species. The effects of the treatments on shoot phenology, morphology, photosynthetic physiology, biomass and below ground biomass have been examined. Above ground, heather was more responsive to the treatments imposed than bracken, having greater increases in shoot growth in favourable conditions, but greater decreases in shoot growth, and greater physiological acclimation, in stressed conditions, particularly drought in combination with increased nitrogen supply. Below ground, growth of bracken was extremely responsive whilst that of heather was not. However, even when bracken below ground growth was most stimulated, by increased nitrogen supply, it was still held in check by heather.

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Dassanayake, Kithsiri Bandara. "Differential responses of perennial root systems to change in soil moisture." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1996. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU089928.

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There is evidence in the literature that drought avoidance/tolerance in many annual crop plants is associated with root system characteristics. However, investigations on the morphological traits associated with drought resistance of tree crops is very limited. Identification of such traits would be useful in screening genotypes for drought tolerance. To assess the impact of environmental conditions on plant behaviour requires a carefully defined test environment, a procedure for monitoring changes in the environment and the testing of the test environment for reliability. The filter paper procedure was modified, calibrated and adopted to monitor soil water potential in experimental pots. A multi-compartmental pot system was developed to a create discontinuous soil water distribution. Wax and coarse sand were used to create spatially variable soil water potentials in adjacent pot compartments and the effects were assessed using broad bean as the test plant. Wax affected root morphology but sand did not. The vertically segmented pot set-up proved to be effective for the assessment of genotypic differences in rooting patterns in response to heterogeneously distributed soil water. Genotypic variations in morphology and growth patterns of whole root systems in coconuts were studied under favourable soil moisture conditions. The root systems of coconut cultivars varied in size, growth, patterns and in individual characteristics. Differences were apparently related to the drought tolerance of cultivars. Differences were associated with important differences in patterns of dry matter partition. Three coconut cultivars were evaluated in relations to root system responses to dehydration in the surface soil.

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Woolgrove, Clare E. "Impacts of climate change and pollutants in snowmelt on snowbed ecology." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1994. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU078143.

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Snowbed vegetation in Scotland is dominated by a distinctive bryophyte flora. This type of vegetation is on the edge of its European range in Scotland. Due to its dependence on late snow lie, snowbed vegetation may be threatened by climate change. Snow is a very efficient scavenger of atmospheric pollutants. Due to its melt dynamics these pollutants are released to the underlying vegetation in a highly concentrated 'acid flush'. A survey of changes over this century in the tissue nitrogen content of K. starkei, a snowbed bryophyte, showed this to reflect increases in NOx emissions. A regional survey of tissue nitrogen content of K. starkei across Scotland did not reflect mapped patterns of NO3 deposition. This is because pollutants are concentrated in snowbeds as compared to other systems. Present day tissue nitrogen concentrations in K. starkei are up to 50% higher than those of other upland bryophytes. Sensitivity of K. starkei to acidic pollutants in subnivean conditions and at various stages subsequent to exposure from under the snow has been investigated. Results demonstrate that these pollutants, when received in realistic present day amounts, result in physiological damage to the bryophytes whether they are received by them under the snow, just emerged from the snow, or out of snow cover. Damage was greatest in plants from out of the snow. However, the ability to recover following damage is also much greater in these plants than those which become damaged while still under snow. Damage is both direct, and indirect, affecting the ability of the plants to withstand other stresses. Because of enhanced exposure to pollutants, snowbed vegetation is unlikely to be protected by the current critical loads approach to pollution control. The possible combined effects of pollution and climate change on snowbed bryophyte communities are discussed.

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Kennedy, Jane. "Factors affecting the retention of dissolved organic carbon in upland soils." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1997. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU100041.

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The aim of this thesis was to investigate soil and environmental factors which influence the adsorption of DOC in upland, moorland soils. In Chapter 1 climate change, the greenhouse effect and the global carbon cycle are discussed briefly. A more detailed discussion of carbon cycling in the plant-soil-water system focuses on DOC retention in podzols and the review concludes with a summary of the aims of this thesis. A peaty podzol has greater potential to retain DOC than the other major soil types within the Glen Dye catchment, N.E. Scotland. Retention of DOC by physico-chemical surface interactions occurred in the mineral horizons of the soil where locally high concentrations of amorphous Fe and Al were present. Laboratory experiments using potassium hydrogen phthalate as a source of DOC showed that DOC retention is favoured by longer contact times between soil and solution. Net retention of DOC in the podzol profile is decreased by increasing the solution pH and by repeated wetting/drying and freezing/thawing cycles. As temperature and reaction time increased, respiration becomes more important as a mechanism for depleting solution phthalate DOC concentrations. Annual fluxes of DOC in precipitation, podzolic O, E and Bs soil horizon solution and stream water were estimated for the Burn of Waterhead catchment to be 35, 121, 83, 37 and 48 kg C ha-1yr-1 respectively. The DOC fluxes and the concentrations of related elements varied seasonally, with the largest DOC fluxes produced in the autumn and lowest in the summer. The annual DOC flux from the Burn of Waterhead was lower than fluxes from other catchments at Glen Dye. Results from the field site supported laboratory experimental results which suggested that climate change will result in an increase in the DOC flux from results which suggested that climate change will result in an increase in the DOC flux from peaty podzolic soil.

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Duncan, Roderick. "A structure for staff development in primary education." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1990. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU027127.

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The study sets out to examine the underlying principles of and requirements for a structure for staff development in primary education within education authorities. The concept of staff development is introduced in Chapter One, followed in Chapter Two by a review of previous research published in the main during the last twenty-five years. Chapter Three proposes a process model of staff development. Within this is a description of one education authority's use of school self-evaluation materials written specifically to assist schools determine their own priorities for staff development. Alternative models of staff development are examined followed by an examination of the proposition against paradoxes derived from an analysis of needs of the individual, schools, education authorities and the political constraints operating within Scotland in the late 1980s. Chapter Four reviews historically the growth of a staff development structure within this authority based on such a model and describes the structure in action, the impact of the growth of the structure, and key factors in its development. Chapter Five is a short-term evaluation of the use of the school self-evaluation materials by schools in two pilot studies and issues are identified which should influence the operation of the proposition within authorities. In Chapter Six the structure is examined critically through the eyes of a parent, head teacher, teachers' union secretary and Minister of State for Scotland. Chapter Seven thereafter examines in detail six issues which are seen to be fundamental if developments are to progress into the 90s. The concluding chapter firstly examines the strengths, weaknesses and possible reasons for the structure to crumble. Thereafter, conclusions are reached which refer to: the characteristics of a necessary structure; the need for authorities to accept some diminution of power; partial autonomy of schools; the requirements for, purpose and benefits of school self-review; the need to involve the parent body and children; the development of critical communities and a new professionalism.

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McRae, Sandra Mhairi. "Demonstrative use in the Lower Garioch : a study of change in progress." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2006. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU226040.

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Traditionally in Northern Scots no distinction is made between the singular and plural demonstrative forms. Whilst in Standard English, demonstratives still possess separate singular and plural functions giving us this and these when referring to entities close to the speaker, and that and those when referring to entities more distant from the speaker; in Aberdeenshire Scots, this and that are used with reference to both singular and plural entities. The lack of plural morphological inflection in this case contrasts directly with Standard English these and those, and Central Scots thir and thae. . Today, the linguistic situation in Aberdeenshire is more diverse. The local forms are often used alongside the standard forms these and those, thereby leading to the evolution of a linguistic situation where contrasting paradigms exist side by side within the speech community. This thesis examines the binary relationship between the use of local and standard demonstrative forms in the Lower Garioch, centred on the burgh of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. Factors affecting demonstrative use are explored through the implementation of fieldwork methods specifically designed to elicit demonstrative forms. Particularly attention is given to generational shifts in language use, the way in which speakers switch between local and standard forms within the context of informal conversation, and the issue of consciousness underlying demonstrative choice.

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Jobes, Gregory B. "An assessment of the quality management practices of a systems integration support organization with respect to the operations of a large-scale request for change (RFC) system." Master's thesis, This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03302010-020256/.

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Masson, Lindsey Fiona. "Diet-gene interactions in determining blood lipid concentrations." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2003. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU170761.

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Genetic variation may explain the heterogeneity in the lipid response to dietary change. A systematic literature review found 79 articles on dietary intervention studies, 14 articles on observational studies, and 22 reviews on diet-gene interactions. The evidence suggests that variation within the genes for apolipoprotein (apo) AI, AIV, B and E may influence the lipid response to dietary change. This study assessed the influence of six polymorphisms within the genes for apo B, apo E and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) on the association between habitual diet and lipid levels in 239 healthy men and women (91 men and 148 women) aged 18-54 years, including 110 twin pairs, who were recruited for a population-based study of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Diet was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, which was compared with 4-day weighed records in 41 men and 40 women aged 19-58 years. The nutrients of interest had either a correlation coefficient ≥0.5, ≥50/≤10% in the same/opposite third, a KW30.04. Genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction and digestion with the appropriate enzyme. Significant diet-gene interactions were observed at each of the polymorphic sites, suggesting that genetic variation contributes to the framework within which diet, especially n-3 PUFAs, the P:S ratio and NSP can influence lipid levels. In particular, individuals with the apo B XbaI X+ allele, the apo B signal peptide insertion/deletion D allele, the apo &egr;4 allele, the LPL PvuII P- allele and the LPL S447X X allele may be at greater risk of developing CHD due to their poorer lipid profiles and/or poorer response to diet. At present, it is premature to recommend the use of genotyping in the design of therapeutic diets, however investigating diet-gene interactions will increase our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the role of diet in reducing CHD risk.

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Haft, Michael. "Global and European soil carbon fluxes from land use and land management change." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2007. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU238551.

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One of the methods of mitigation against climate change is to offset CO2 emissions by using Carbon (C) sinks based on the Kyoto Protocol Articles 3.3 and 3.4 (UNFCCC 1997). One potential C sink is the terrestrial soil organic carbon (SOC) pool which can be affected by a wide variety of environmental factors across a range of time and spatial scales. Soil carbon models RothC, DNDC, Century and the IPCC method were assessed and compared to measured site data in order to determine accuracy. Simpler models such as RothC and the IPCC method were found to perform better [In the absence of abundant input data]. The uncertainty of these models was assessed and found to be +/-15% for the RothC model, +/-19% for the DNDC model and +/-26% for the Century model all with 95% confidence. Post-hoc application of mitigation factors were derived using the IPCC method to provide estimates of carbon mitigation potential. These were applied on a pan-European scale using projected land-use changes. The estimates were compared to trends simulated using an adapted regional scale version of the RothC model, which estimated that 3.1% (+/-0.5%) of the 8% Kyoto EU 15 emissions reduction target (from 1990 levels) could be achieved using these measures.

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Small, Lee-Ann. "Agriculture-based livelihood strategies in Bulgaria and southern Russia : implications for agrarian change." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2005. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU200070.

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In this thesis I present an inductive study of agriculture-based livelihood strategies in Bulgaria and southern Russia. Findings are based on qualitative interviews with 151 current and former agricultural producers in Krimsk and Pavlovsky Rayons in Krasnodar Territory, Russia; and Dobrich and Plovdiv regions in Bulgaria. Utilising Long's (2001) 'actor-oriented approach' to development research as an ontological standard, I integrated concepts from Sustainable (Rural) Livelihoods with literature on agrarian change in both Eastern Europe and the West to construct an analytical framework. Data analysis revealed patterns of rationale (instrumental, personal, social and expressive goals, meanings and values) and resource use (financial, human, physical, natural and social capital) associated with engagement in agricultural production. I combined these two types of findings to construct three ideal types of 'livelihood strategy': maintenance, accumulation and self-actualisation. Distinction of types based on livelihood strategies is analytically useful for identifying strengths and weaknesses of emergent agrarian forms in Eastern Europe (collective and co-operative farms, private farms and home production), particularly in terms of labour relations, market integration, social reproduction and risk management. As a whole, findings suggest the existence of distinct post-Soviet agrarianism, evolving from resources and rationales of the Soviet agrarian experience, and essential to manoeuvring within the unstable markets and inconsistent policy frameworks of the post-Soviet period.

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Carvalho, Ana de F. F. U. "Dietary kidney bean lectins affect insulin levels, change gene expression and modulate metabolism." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1992. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU049137.

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At high dietary concentrations kidney bean lectins severely impair the growth and health of animals by causing alterations both in local (gut) and systemic metabolism. This results in a switch to a catabolic state and to great loss of body reserves of lipid, glycogen and muscle protein. In the present work the potential role of hormones, in particular, insulin, in mediating some of the toxic effects of dietary kidney bean lectin was studied. The overall results indicated that: (a) Short- or long-term dietary exposure to kidney bean caused a severe reduction in circulating insulin concentration in Hooded-Lister rats and this effect was primarily due to a direct action of the constituent lectins. (b) PHA-E3L depressed blood insulin levels not only when fed to rats continuously for 3-10 days, but also on a single first exposure to the isolectin. In contrast, with PHA-L4 the animals required pre-exposure to this isolectin for several days before it had significant effect on blood insulin levels. (c) PHA appeared to reduce circulating insulin levels initially by interfering with its secretion from the pancreas. At later stages both insulin synthesis and secretion were impaired. (d) Normal blood glucose concentrations were maintained in rats fed with kidney bean lectins despite the low circulating insulin levels. This suggested that in order to maintain euglycaemia the production/or secretion of other hormones involved in regulating glycaemia may also have been altered. (e) Chronic exposure to dietary PHA caused differential changes in insulin receptor and glucose transporter (Glut-4) mRNAs expression leading to an increase in the number of insulin receptors and Glut-4 on skeletal muscle. This up-regulation may increase the insulin sensitivity of the tissue and this may be one of the metabolic factors regulating glucose homeostasis in kidney bean-fed animals. (f) Dietary kidney beans could be utilised to depress circulating insulin levels in the genetically obese hyperinsulinaemic Zucker rat whilst maintaining euglycaemia. However, unlike the findings with the normal Hooded-Lister rats in which dietary PHA was found to impair both insulin synthesis and secretion, in the obese Zucker rat the dietary lectin apparently reduced circulating insulin levels in the short term by interfering only with its secretion by the pancreas. It is thus likely that some of the toxic effects of dietary kidney bean lectins are hormonally mediated and due, at least in part, to impairment of pancreatic insulin production by the lectin.

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Ramsay, Amanda J. "Early changes in soil under birch and heather." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1990. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU548639.

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Heather plants were established, by Dr. John Miles, in gaps created in existing birch stands in 1979 at Craggan (NJ190322) and birch trees planted in heather moorland during 1977-1980 at Delnalyne (NJ189175). This study attempts to identify the processes leading to differential soil development beneath the two contrasting vegetation types over the period 1985-88 i.e. c 6 years after establishment. Field work involved the chemical analysis of soil solution and estimates of microbial biomass and basal respiration rates under birch and heather at both sites. Laboratory-based experiments were conducted to investigate the trends observed in the field. Major changes in soil processes were attributed to rapid growth and therefore nutrient uptake by the transplanted species. However, some of the changes due to birch trees, which were observed during studies of birch chronosequences by Miles &'38 Young (1980) and Miles (1981) can be attributed to high nutrient inputs in throughfall and litter under birch, which affect abiotic processes and stimulate microbial activity and nutrient transformation rates. Root inputs also influenced biological processes.

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Brown, Katrina Myrvang. "Contemporary rural change and the enactment of common property rights : the case of crofting common grazings." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2005. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU200034.

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Using the empirical example of crafting common grazings in Scotland, [this study] examines the way contemporary change - characterised in a European context by economic restructuring, socio-cultural recomposition and a changing policy framework - influences the ways in which historically enduring common property rights over land are asserted, contested, secured and undermined by various individuals and groups. Using a preliminary postal survey and in-depth case studies, it was found that rural change has profound implications for the ways in which common grazings rights are exercised and valued. The overall trend has been towards declining levels of use, involvement and regulation. The changing and predominantly diminishing opportunities to make a significant contribution to livelihoods, in either subsistence or monetary terms, has made common grazings less economically important to shareholders. Nevertheless, a minority of cases that have maintained levels of use and involvement demonstrate that common grazings rights can still be of importance to shareholders in securing a range of social, environmental and economic benefits. The reason this is not replicated more universally relates to the social, situated process of common property enactment which is caught up in a broader, morally charged struggle over the material and conceptual territory of 'crofting': what crafting ought to be, and; whom it should involve and benefit. By exploring the discursive means by which shareholders draw boundaries of inclusion and exclusion between people and practices, the study illustrates how shareholders negotiating and contesting who has the superior moral right to particular legal rights has important material consequences, both locally, in terms of realising livelihood and rural development opportunities, and more broadly, in terms of the provision of public goods. Since the common property literature focuses almost exclusively on tragedies of overexploitation, this thesis highlights the need for, and begins to develop, a theoretical basis from which more typically first-world common issues can be understood.

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Love, Joan. "Studies in the estimation of body fat and body fat changes in man." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1995. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU078714.

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The aim of this work was to compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 3-(TCM) and 4-compartment (FCM) models for the estimation of body fat and changes in fat mass (FM) in man. FM was estimated in 10 obese women by MRI and a TCM based on underwater weighing (UWW) and body water dilution (D₂O) at the start and end of a 21 day residential weight reducing regimen. Mean (SEM) MRI estimates of FM before weight loss were 3.19 (0.25) kg below values from TCM, however, FM change over the 21 days by MRI agreed well with TCM. In 8 women, intra-abdominal (IAT), subcutaneous (SAT) and total (TOT) adipose tissue area was calculated from MRI at 2,9 and 9 sites respectively. Mean (SEM)% reductions were 14.0 (12.0)% (p<0.01); 8.2 (2.0)% (p<0.0001) and 11.8 (2.5)% (p<0.0001) respectively. In another series of studies, FM was estimated by 2-compartment methods: UWW, D₂O, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), skinfold thickness, bioelectrical impedance; TCM and a 4-compartment method (FCM) based on UWW, D₂O and DXA in 28 women [16 non-obese (NW), 12 obese (OW)] and 19 men [13 non-runners (NM), 6 runners (MR)]. Estimates of FM by the 2-compartment methods agreed more closely with TCM and FCM than with each other. Agreement with FCM was best in NM and worst in OW. No difference was found between fat mass estimated by TCM and FCM in men. Average density of the fat free mass (FFM) was 1.113 (NW), 1.112 (NM), 1,106 OW, 1.106 (MR) g/ml. Hydration of the FFM was 0.743 (OW), 0.717 (MR), 0.713 (NW), 0.700 (NM). MRI has considerable potential as a method for estimating body fat and provides information on adipose tissue distribution. Multi-compartment methods appear to reduce errors in the FM estimated by 2-compartment methods.

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Staines, Russell. "The influence of geology on small scale spatial changes in stream water chemistry." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1998. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU115813.

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The influence of geology on small scale spatial changes in stream water chemistry has been investigated in the Allt Fileachaidh and Allt an t-Sneachda catchments, in Glen Muick (NE Scotland), using both field and laboratory studies. This research was carried out with the specific aim of investigating the use of small scale spatial changes in stream water chemistry as a geological/geochemical mapping tool. For this purpose, the use of stream water has been compared to the use of stream sediment, a more traditional geochemical sample medium. In addition, the transferability of the method has been investigated in a geologically well exposed Arctic environment by a study of three catchments in Svalbard. The major findings of the research are as follows: (i) In the Allt Fileachaidh and Allt an t-Sneachda catchments, small scale downstream changes in stream water chemistry, in particular the concentrations of Si, Ca, Mg, Na, K and inorganic C, were associated with changes in the underlying geology; (ii) Mineralogical composition, and not bulk lithochemistry, was the most important feature of the bedrock in Glen Muick, in relation to spatial changes in stream water chemistry; (iii) In the upper catchment areas in Glen Muick, both small scale spatial changes in stream water chemistry and stream sediment chemistry were associated with changes in the underlying geology. In lower catchment areas, the usefulness of both techniques for indicating the position of geological boundaries, was limited; (iv) In a simulated laboratory weathering experiment, the four main bedrock lithologies in the Glen Muick catchments, were each shown to have a distinct chemical weathering signature, which correlated with chemical features in stream water; (v) In comparison to NE Scotland, lithological changes within catchments in Svalbard are unrelated to small scale downstream changes in stream water chemistry, due to the physical conditions which prevail in the high Arctic, such as permafrost and the abundance of suspended rock flour in stream water.

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Coulm, Bénédicte. "Accoucher en France : prise en charge de la naissance en population générale." Thesis, Paris 11, 2013. http://www.theses.fr/2013PA11T085/document.

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Nous avons réalisé un état des lieux de la prise en charge des femmes au moment d’un accouchement en France, dans un contexte où la médecine fondée sur les preuves occupe une place de plus en plus importante dans la pratique des professionnels, où la fermeture de nombreuses maternités entraîne une concentration des naissances dans des établissements publics et spécialisés de plus en plus grands, et où l’on souhaite répondre aux besoins des femmes et à certaines de leurs demandes.Dans une première partie nous avons décrit comment les caractéristiques des maternités contribuent à expliquer les variations dans la prise en charge des femmes. Nous avons abordé la question pour la durée du séjour en post-partum et l’organisation de la prise en charge médicale à la sortie de la maternité, et pour les actes réalisés pendant l’accouchement chez des femmes à bas risque (déclenchement, césarienne, extraction instrumentale et épisiotomie). Dans une deuxième partie nous avons cherché à estimer la part des césariennes avant travail potentiellement évitables et la part des déclenchements sans motif médical et nous avons recherché quels facteurs étaient associés à ces actes.Le contenu des soins différait peu selon la taille ou le niveau de spécialisation de la maternité, sauf pour les interventions potentiellement évitables ou sans motif médical, plus fréquentes dans les petites maternités moins spécialisées, et les durées de séjour en maternité, beaucoup plus courtes dans les grandes maternités et celles de type 3. A l’inverse, le statut privé de la maternité influençait de manière forte la prise en charge des femmes : les interventions y étaient plus fréquentes, parfois en réponse à des demandes des femmes (déclenchements sans motif médical). Les caractéristiques médicales des femmes avaient un impact sur la réalisation des interventions obstétricales, avec des associations similaires à celles déjà publiées, mais les caractéristiques sociales des femmes influaient peu sur le contenu des soins.Les résultats fournissent un bilan général, utile pour évaluer les politiques de santé publique. Ils soulèvent des questions sur l’organisation des services et les processus qui conduisent aux décisions de réaliser certaines interventions obstétricales
We assessed practices during delivery and the postpartum period in France, in a context where evidence based medicine plays a more and more important role in professional practice, where the closure of maternity units leads to a concentration of births in large public and specialized units, and where professionals want to meet the needs of women and some of their requests.We first described how maternity units’ characteristics contribute to explain variations in obstetrical intervention’s rates. We studied postpartum length-of-stay and support for women after discharge from maternity unit, and interventions performed during labor among low-risk women (inductions, cesareans, instrumental deliveries and episiotomy).In a second part we estimated the proportions of potentially avoidable cesarean deliveries and inductions without medical indications; we also investigated which factors were associated with these interventions.Obstetrical practices differed slightly depending on the size or the level of care of maternity units, except potentially avoidable cesareans, which were more frequent in small and low-specialized units, and postpartum length-of-stay, which were shorter in large and type 3 units. On the contrary, the private status of the unit strongly influenced the management of delivery: all studied interventions were more frequent in private units, sometimes in response to maternal requests (inductions without medical indications for example). Women’s medical characteristics had an impact on obstetric intervention rates; the associations were similar to those previously reported in other publications. However social characteristics had little influence on the content of care.The results provide an overall evaluation, useful for assessing perinatal public health policies. They raise questions about maternity unit organization and processes that lead to decisions to perform obstetrical interventions

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Leonard, Maureen Barbara. "Peripheral nerve changes in experimental diabetes and the effects of an aldose reductase inhibitor." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1986. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU367566.

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The object of this study was to investigate the effects of an aldose reductase inhibitor, sorbinil (Pfizer inc), in relation to some of the biochemical, structural and functional changes associated with diabetic nerves. An animal model, the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat was used and the following studies were performed: Motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) was measured in the tibial nerve over a 6 month period. A group of rats were examined at the onset of the experiment (OC) to provide a baseline for comparison to all other groups. Age matched control (AMC) animals showed a 13% increase in MNCV during the first 3 months of the experiment with little increase thereafter. The diabetic animals (DC) did not significantly differ over the experimental period from the OC animals and were thus slower conducting than the corresponding AMC group. Administration of sorbinil (25 mg/Kg) to rats from the onset of diabetes had no effect on MNCV by 3 months but had normalised values by 6 months. Nerve glucose, sorbitol, fructose and myo-inositol levels were examined by GLC. Sorbinil had no effect on nerve glucose values but prevented the 10-fold increase in nerve sorbitol values observed with the DC animals. Sorbinil partially normalised nerve fructose values after 3 months of treatment and fully normalised them after 6 months. Myo-inositol (MI) levels showed a 45% reduction by 3 months of diabetes but were normal after 6 months. Sorbinil showed a tendency to restore the reduced MI values by 3 months. Morphometric profiles were examined in the tibial nerve. Axon areas demonstrated a 14% reduction at both 3 and 6 months of diabetes while myelin areas were increased by 13 and 22% respectively. Sorbinil treatment allowed normal axon growth and normalised myelin areas. MNCV was examined in the tibial and gastrocnemius nerves. As above, diabetes prevented the normal MNCV maturation in the tibial nerve. Sorbinil administration (25 mg/Kg) to rats initially diabetic for 2 months, was ineffective in restoring MNCV in the tibial nerve though a partial recovery was observed after 4 months of treatment. MNCV in the gastrocnemius nerve of the DC animals continued to fall as the experiment progressed, reaching a 33% reduction below the OC animals by 3 months. A spontaneous recovery was observed thereafter. Sorbinil partially normalised MNCV in the gastrocnemius nerve after 1 month. These changes exactly paralleled the changes in nerve MI levels. Sorbinil reversed the already elevated nerve sorbitol levels after 1 month of treatment though nerve fructose levels were only partially normalised after 4 months. A morphometric evaluation of the triceps surae nerve (containing fibres to gastrocnemius and soleus muscles) after 4 months of the experiment demonstrated an 18% increase of myelin area in the DC animals. Axon areas were unaffected by diabetes. Sorbinil treatment for 2 months partially normalised myelin areas. Sorbinil administration at doses of 7.5, 12.5 and 25 mg/Kg to rats that had been diabetic for 2 months did not normalise MNCV in the tibial nerve. However, 12.5 and 25 mg/Kg produced a significant improvement in MNCV of the gastrocnemius nerve after 1 month of treatment. 7.5 mg/Kg had no effect in this nerve. All doses of sorbinil produced a trend towards reversing the already elevated nerve sorbitol levels, though 25 mg/Kg was effective after 1 month of treatment whereas 12.5 mg/Kg required 2 months. 7.5 mg/Kg did not fully normalise nerve sorbitol levels. Nerve fructose values remained elevated, though treatment with 25 mg/Kg of sorbinil produced a reduction towards normal values. All 3 doses partially normalised MI levels. For all DC groups, sciatic nerve water content was significantly elevated after a 1 month experimental period. Sorbinil treatment, either given from the induction of diabetes or given after rats were initially diabetic for 2 months, had only a small effect on water content and values remained elevated compared with the controls.

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Cavalcanti, Yguaratã Cerqueira. "A bug report analysis and search tool." Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 2009. https://repositorio.ufpe.br/handle/123456789/2027.

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Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:53:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo1938_1.pdf: 2696606 bytes, checksum: c2ff3cbbb3029fd0f89eb8d67c0e4f08 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009
Manutenção e evolução de software são atividades caracterizadas pelo seu enorme custo e baixa velocidade de execução. Não obstante, elas são atividades inevitáveis para garantir a qualidade do software quase todo software bem sucedido estimula os usuários a fazer pedidos de mudanças e melhorias. Sommerville é ainda mais enfático e diz que mudanças em projetos de software são um fato. Além disso, diferentes estudos têm afirmado ao longo dos anos que as atividades de manutenção e evolução de software são as mais caras do ciclo de desenvolvimento, sendo responsável por cerca de até 90% dos custos. Todas essas peculiaridades da fase de manutenção e evolução de software leva o mundo acadêmico e industrial a investigar constantemente novas soluções para reduzir os custos dessas atividades. Neste contexto, Gerência de Configuração de Software (GCS) é um conjunto de atividades e normas para a gestão da evolução e manutenção de software; GCS define como são registradas e processadas todas as modificações, o impacto das mesmas em todo o sistema, dentre outros procedimentos. Para todas estas tarefas de GCM existem diferentes ferramentas de auxílio, tais como sistemas de controle de versão e bug trackers. No entanto, alguns problemas podem surgir devido ao uso das mesmas, como por exemplo o problema de atribuição automática de responsável por um bug report e o problema de duplicação de bug reports. Neste sentido, esta dissertação investiga o problema de duplicação de bug reports resultante da utilização de bug trackers em projetos de desenvolvimento de software. Tal problema é caracterizado pela submissão de dois ou mais bug reports que descrevem o mesmo problema referente a um software, tendo como principais conseqüências a sobrecarga de trabalho na busca e análise de bug reports, e o mal aproveitamento do tempo destinado a essa atividade

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37

Hamilton, Neil McLeod. "Respiratory and circulatory changes accompanying aquatic treadmill exercise of Carcinus maenas (L.) and Homarus vulgaris (M.E.)." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1987. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU010228.

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Respirometers were designed which allowed the exercise physiology of Carcinus maenas (L.) and Homarus vulgaris (M.E.) to be examined in an aquatic environment. A treadmill system, incorporated into each respirometer, was used to induce exercise at a known velocity. The rate of oxygen consumption, (VO2), of Carcinus maenas exercised at different velocities was examined. It was found that at each velocity, VO2 reached a steady state. The steady state VO 2 was found to be linearly related to velocity. The VO2 of inactive animals, and the maximal rate of oxygen consumption were both found to be linearly related to animal live weight. The VO2, rate of heart beat (fH) and rate of scaphognathite beat (fScaph) of both C. maenas and H. vulgaris were measured prior to, during and after exercise, at one specific velocity. Various haemolymph gas parameters were also measured. In both species, the VO2, f H and FScaph increased at the onset of exercise until a steady state was achieved. Estimates of the rate of branchial water flow for C. maenas suggest that this parameter also increased as a result of exercise. The rate of blood flow increased as a result of excerise in both species, achieved by an increase in the rate of heart beat and stroke volume of the heart. In vitro oxygen equilibrium curve determinations suggest that at the velocities examined, a Bohr shift plays a minimal role in increasing oxygen delivery to the tissues during exercise of the two species. No significant change in haemolymph carbon dioxide tension or total gas content was found in either species, suggesting that gas exchange across the respiratory surface was not impared during exercise. In C. maenas, whole body and haemolymph L-lactate concentration increased as a result of exercise. No increase in haemolymph L-lactate was observed after exercise in H. vulgaris.

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38

Chadwick, Katherine L. "The response of dissolved carbon dynamics to environmental change in upland shallow organic soils : a study of organic horizon responsiveness and soil horizon interactions." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2007. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU238550.

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This thesis examined the relatively uncharted realm of dissolved C dynamics in upland shallow organic soils. Extensive preliminary investigations and preparatory experimental evaluations led to the successful deployment of sampling strategies at a range of spatial scales in a climosequence of matched field sites in Wales, Scotland and Iceland. These sites provided the basis for investigation of climatic and mineralogical effects upon dissolved C transformations in upland shallow organic soils. Biological assessments including novel application of modified techniques identified the responsiveness of these soils to environmental perturbations at a range of experimental scales, and over varied temporal periods. As C loss from upland organic soils requires both degradation of SOM and export of degraded C via solution percolation and flushing or gaseous exchange, the capacity of the different mineral horizons to retain degraded C, and indeed the quality of the bound C, is of consequence to soil C source-sink understanding. The combined roles of organic and mineral horizons in C turnover potential and retention capability indicate the importance of upland shallow organic soils in modelling soil C dynamics in response to climate change. This highlights the necessity of sustainable management of these upland areas within the northern hemisphere.

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Soukup, Zdeněk. "Technická podpora managementu incidentů." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta informačních technologií, 2012. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-412870.

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The topic of this Master Thesis is Incident Management process as well as other processes which are inseparably linked to it, such as Problem Management, Change Management, Knowledge Management, etc. Main focus of this work is taken to the mentioned processes implementation in the real environment of the real company. Those processes are to be supported by selected information system whereas the selection itself is also part of the project. The processess are compared and optimized with use of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

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Cherdwongcharoensuk, Duangrudee. "Changes in the respiratory system caused by exposure of mice to selenium or its derivative." Tese, Porto : Edição do Autor, 2004. http://catalogo.up.pt/F?func=find-b&local_base=UPB01&find_code=SYS&request=000092554.

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41

Reynolds, Peter. "The impact of changes in land-use in Orkney, on the vole Microtus arvalis orcadensis and its avian predators." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1992. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU050809.

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The microtine rodent Microtus arvalis orcadensis is endemic to 5 of the Orkney Islands. Aspects of the ecology of this animal were studied on Mainland Orkney during the period June 1988-December 1990. Subject areas included habitat-related variations in population density, social organisation and short-term and seasonal variations in activity. The importance of the Orkney Vole in the diets of Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls and Kestrels was quantified and assessed, both in the context of optimal foraging theory and in relation to the contribution made by female avian predators to nest provisioning. The selection of hunting habitat by avian predators, in relation to spatial variations in vole population density and temporal variations in vole activity was also considered, particularly with respect to Short-eared Owls. Using land-cover data derived from air-photo interpretation, estimates of the total population of Orkney Voles were made and the implications of changing land-use for the conservation of both Vole and avian predator populations considered. Specific types of land management are proposed to ensure that populations of both the Orkney Vole and the avian predators which depend to a varying degree upon them, are effectively conserved.

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Čihák, Michael. "Analýza a hodnocení komunikačních toků aplikační podpory." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2014. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-193333.

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Diploma thesis is focused on evaluation of communication streams in the process of application support also known under the term IT support. Thesis is divided into three main parts: In the first part outlines the topic of application support. The definition of term, relation between business and IT and defining the position of application support in the process of information system development along with support services methodologies. The second part is focused on description of typical user of application support, from the side of sponsor as well as from the side of supplier. The following are the main communication streams between both sides as well as inside the supplier team. The third, practical part contains an analysis of application support on a specific project. Discussed are communication barriers, their impact including suggestions for improvement.

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Dawuda, Philip Makama. "The effects and mechanisms of action of nutritional changes, differential suckling intensities and time postpartum in causing ovulation failure and ovarian acyclicity in beef cattle." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1995. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU079011.

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Undernutrition and suckling effects on reproductive performance in cattle were investigated. It was therefore, the aim of this study to (1) evaluate reproductive parameters that were to be used in assessing reproductive function in heifers and postpartum cows; (2) to assess the effect of undernutrition and realimentation on ovulation and ovarian cyclicity in beef heifers; (3) to assess the effect of suckling intensity alone or in combination with undernutrition and the time postpartum in delaying reinitiation of ovulation in lactating beef cows. The results of this experiment showed that following the reduction in feed intake to half maintenance requirements there were four different types of changes in ovarian cyclicity recorded in the ten heifers. Group 1. Three heifers (No.1, 2 & 3) became acyclic without going through an oestrous cycle. Group 2. Four heifers (No. 4, 5, 6 & 7) went through one normal oestrous cycle each before becoming acyclic. Group 3. One heifer (No. 8) underwent two normal oestrous cycles before becoming acyclic. Group 4. Two heifers (No 9 & 10) continued to cycle without becoming acyclic. One of these two heifers (No. 9) had four short oestrous cycles of 8, 9, 11 and 11 days while No. 10 had three short oestrous cycles of 10, 12 and 12 days. During nutritional acyclicity there were no increases in LH concentration over the basal concentration following naloxone challenge irrespective of the dose used. During undernutrition, one heifer (No. 8) failed to exhibit an oestradiol-induced LH surge while the two heifers (NO. 9 & 10) exhibited a oestradiol-induced LH surge. There were no LH surges following PRID withdrawal in nutritionally acyclic heifers.

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Ferreira, Marta Sofia Sá. "Endocrine and enzymatic changes in flounder (platichthys flesus) and in mullet (mugil cephalus) chronically exposed to organic contaminants in River Douro Estuary." Tese, Porto : Edição do Autor, 2006. http://catalogo.up.pt/F?func=find-b&local_base=UPB01&find_code=SYS&request=000106740.

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45

Ait, Chellouche Soraya. "Délivrance de services média suivant le contexte au sein d'environnements hétérogènes pour les réseaux médias du futur." Thesis, Bordeaux 1, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011BOR14415/document.

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La généralisation de l’usage de l’Internet, ces dernières années, a été marquée par deux tendances importantes. Nous citerons en premier, l’enthousiasme de plus en plus grand des utilisateurs pour les services médias. Cette tendance est particulièrement accentuée par l’avènement des contenus générés par les utilisateurs qui amènent dans les catalogues des fournisseurs de services un choix illimité de contenus. L’autre tendance est la diversification et l’hétérogénéité en ressources des terminaux et réseaux d’accès. Seule la valeur du service lui-même compte aujourd’hui pour les utilisateurs et non le moyen d’y accéder. Cependant, offrir aux utilisateurs un accès ubiquitaire à de plus en plus de services Internet, impose des exigences très rigoureuses sur l’infrastructure actuelle de l’Internet. En effet, L’évolution de l’Internet devient aujourd’hui une évidence et cette évolution est d’autant plus nécessaire dans un contexte de services multimédias qui sont connus pour leur sensibilité au contexte dans lequel ils sont consommés et pour générer d’énormes quantités de trafic. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous nous focalisons sur deux enjeux importants dans l’évolution de l’Internet. A savoir, faciliter le déploiement de services médias personnalisés et adaptatifs et améliorer les plateformes de distribution de ces derniers afin de permettre leur passage à l’échelle tout en gardant la qualité de service à un niveau satisfaisant pour les utilisateurs finaux. Afin de permettre ceci, nous introduisons en premier, une nouvelle architecture multi environnements et multi couches permettant un environnement collaboratif pour le partage et la consommation des services médias dans un cadre des réseaux média du futur. Puis, nous proposons deux contributions majeures que nous déployons sur la couche virtuelle formés par les Home-Boxes (passerelles résidentielles évoluées) introduite dans l’architecture précédente. Dans notre première contribution, nous proposons un environnement permettant le déploiement à grande échelle de services sensibles au contexte. Deux approches ont été considérées dans la modélisation et la gestion du contexte. La première approche est basée sur les langages de balisage afin de permettre un traitement du contexte plus léger et par conséquent des temps de réponse très petits. La seconde approche, quant à elle est basée sur les ontologies et les règles afin de permettre plus d’expressivité et un meilleur partage et réutilisation des informations de contexte. Les ontologies étant connues pour leur complexité, le but de cette proposition et de prouver la faisabilité d’une telle approche dans un contexte de services multimédias par des moyen de distribution de la gestion du contexte. Concernant notre deuxième contribution, l’idée et de tirer profit des ressources (disque et connectivité) des Home-Boxes déjà déployées, afin d’améliorer les plateformes de distribution des services médias et d’améliorer ainsi le passage à l’échelle, la performance et la fiabilité de ces derniers et ce, à moindre coût. Pour cela, nous proposons deux solutions pour deux problèmes communément traités dans la réplication des contenus : (1) la redirection de requêtes pour laquelle nous proposons un algorithme de sélection à deux niveaux de filtrage, un premier filtrage basé sur les règles afin de personnaliser les services en fonction du contexte de leur consommation suivi d’un filtrage basé sur des métriques réseaux (charges des serveurs et délais entre les serveurs et les clients) ; et (2) le placement et la distribution des contenus sur les caches pour lesquels on a proposé une stratégie de mise en cache online, basée sur la popularité des contenus
Users’ willingness to consume media services along with the compelling proliferation of mobile devices interconnected via multiple wired and wireless networking technologies place high requirements on the Future Internet. It is a common belief today that Internet should evolve towards providing end users with ubiquitous and high quality media services and this, in a scalable, reliable, efficient and interoperable way. However, enabling such a seamless media delivery raises a number of challenges. On one hand, services should be more context-aware to enable their delivery to a large and disparate computational context. On another hand, current Internet media delivery infrastructures need to scale in order to meet the continuously growing number of users while keeping quality at a satisfying level. In this context, we introduce a novel architecture, enabling a novel collaborative framework for sharing and consuming Media Services within Future Internet (FI). The introduced architecture comprises a number of environments and layers aiming to improve today’s media delivery networks and systems towards a better user experience. In this thesis, we are particulary interested in enabling context-aware multimedia services provisioning that meets on one hand, the users expectations and needs and on another hand, the exponentially growing users’ demand experienced by these services. Two major and demanding challenges are then faced in this thesis (1) the design of a context-awareness framework that allows adaptive multimedia services provisioning and, (2) the enhancement of the media delivery platform to support large-scale media services. The proposed solutions are built on the newly introduced virtual Home-Box layer in the latter proposed architecture.First, in order to achieve context-awareness, two types of frameworks are proposed based on the two main models for context representation. The markup schemes-based framework aims to achieve light weight context management to ensure performance in term of responsiveness. The second framework uses ontology and rules to model and manage context. The aim is to allow higher formality and better expressiveness and sharing. However, ontology is known to be complex and thus difficult to scale. The aim of our work is then to prove the feasibility of such a solution in the field of multimedia services provisioning when the context management is distributed among the Home-Box layer. Concerning the media services delivery enhancement, the idea is to leverage the participating and already deployed Home-Boxes disk storage and uploading capabilities to achieve service performance, scalability and reliability. Towards this, we have addressed two issues that are commonly induced by the content replication: (1) the server selection for which we have proposed a two-level anycast-based request redirection strategy that consists in a preliminary filtering based on the clients’ contexts and in a second stage provides accurate network distance information, using not only the end-to-end delay metric but also the servers’ load one and, (2) the content placement and replacement in cache for which we have designed an adaptive online popularity-based video caching strategy among the introduced HB overlay

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46

Hameurlain, Abdelkader. "L'inference dans les bases de donnees relationnelles." Toulouse 3, 1987. http://www.theses.fr/1987TOU30281.

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Presentation des diverses methodes de traitement de requetes recursives. Des strategies d'optimisation sont etudiees et plusieurs facteurs influant les performances des methodes de traitement de requetes recursives sont mis en evidence. Une methode de traitement de requetes manipulant des relations virtuelles est proposee

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Senate, University of Arizona Faculty. "Faculty Senate Minutes February 6, 2017." University of Arizona Faculty Senate (Tucson, AZ), 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622775.

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Senate, University of Arizona Faculty. "Faculty Senate Minutes November 5, 2012." University of Arizona Faculty Senate (Tucson, AZ), 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/255174.

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McNair, Andrew. "Examining software architecture evolution using change-sets." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/926.

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A significant challenge in understanding the evolution of a software system is coping with the huge amounts of data left behind during the evolution. One strategy for summarizing this data is to visualize its effect on the system’s architecture. Existing tools that implement this strategy often provide mechanisms to filter the data under consideration. However, this filtering is generally limited to showing the evolution over some unbroken sequence of time, for example the changes over the last six months. In this work we present an alternative approach designed to provide a method for examining the net effect of any set of changes on a systems architecture. We also present Motive, a prototype tool that implements this approach, and demonstrate how it can be used to answer questions about software evolution by describing case studies we conducted on two Java systems.

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Cheng, Cheng-Yang, and 鄭澄洋. "Apply the Diamond Model to Study the Implementation Effectuation for Project Change Request System – By Company A Case." Thesis, 2018. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/wca3c8.

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碩士
國立中央大學
資訊管理學系在職專班
106
As the project management systems of companies in the semiconductor industry chain are extended to their operating activities, with the rapidly changing industrial environment, the progresses of product development projects are often affected by various factors. Whether a company is equipped with strong response ability depends heavily on the project change management capabilities, especially those relating to the operating procedure and the ability of dealing with information technology system. When building project management systems, the risks resulted by performing changed operations and the factors resulted by constraining project changes are often ignored. Company A is a silicon intellectual property developer and provider. Its unique business model makes the implementation of product project plans more complex than usual. In order to consider the development of semiconductor manufacturing processes, as well as customization in specs for clients, project changes are often necessary. The company introduces the project change request form system following the trend of computerizing information with the intension to reduce labor-intensive work from the paper forms and enhance the product development project performance. This research is based on the Leavitt (1965) diamond mode theory as main structure. Using this company as the model case, analyses from the four aspects of “technology”, “people”, “task” and “structure” are performed. The problems from deployment to implementation of such project change request form system are thoroughly discussed. Finally, the key factors of success are identified. Through this study, the computerization of management system was proven essential to the project change management operation. It is also proven that the analysis based on the four aspects of the diamond model may contribute to the implementation of project management system, and it is necessary to fit the facets for introducing information technology systems projects.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Change Requests'

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