Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Process-based review'

Context: Systematic literature review (SLR) is a methodology used to aggregate all relevant evidence of a specific research question. One of the activities associated with the SLR process is the selection of primary studies. The process used to select primary studies can be arduous, particularly when the researcher faces large volumes of primary studies. Another activity associated with an SLR is the presentation of results of the primary studies that meet the SLR purpose. The results are generally summarized in tables and an alternative to reduce the time consumed to understand the data is the use of graphic representations. Systematic mapping (SM) is a more open form of SLR used to build a classification and categorization scheme of a field of interest. The categorization and classification activities in SM are not trivial tasks, since they require manual effort and domain of knowledge by reviewers to achieve adequate results. Although clearly crucial, both SLR and SM processes are time-consuming and most activities are manually conducted. Objective: The aim of this research is to use Visual Text Mining (VTM) to support different activities of SLR and SM processes, e.g., support the selection of primary studies, the presentation of results of an SLR and the categorization and classification of an SM. Method: Extensions to the SLR and SM processes based on VTM were proposed. A series of case studies were conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of the VTM techniques in the selection, review, presentation of results and categorization context. Results: The findings have showed that the application of VTM is promising in terms of providing positive support to the study selection activity and that visual representations of SLR data have led to a reduction in the time taken for their analysis, with no loss of data comprehensibility. The application of VTM is relevant also in the context of SM. Conclusions: VTM techniques can be successfully employed to assist the SLR and SM processes<br>Contexto: Revisão Sistemática (RS) é uma metodologia utilizada para reunir evidências sobre uma quest~ao de pesquisa específica. Uma das atividades associadas à RS é a seleção de estudos primários. Quando o pesquisador se depara com grandes volumes de estudos, torna-se difícil selecionar artigos relevantes para uma análise mais aprofundada. Outra atividade associada à RS é a apresentação dos resultados dos estudos primários que atendem aos propósitos da RS. Os resultados são geralmente resumidos em tabelas e uma alternativa para reduzir o tempo consumido para entender os dados é o uso de representações gráficas. Mapeamento sistemático (MS) é uma forma mais aberta de RS, usado para construir um esquema de classificação e categorização sobre uma área de interesse. As atividades de categorização e classificação no MS não são tarefas triviais, pois exigem um esforço manual e conhecimento do domínio por parte dos revisores para a geração de resultados adequados. Embora relevantes, ambos os processos de RS e MS são demorados e muita das atividades são realizadas manualmente. Objetivo: O objetivo desta pesquisa é a utilização de Mineração Visual de Texto (VTM) para apoiar as diferentes atividades dos processos de RS e MS como, por exemplo, suporte à seleção de estudos primários, apresentação de resultados de RSs e a categorização e classificação em MSs. Métodos: Foram propostas extensões para os processos de RS e MS com base em VTM. Uma série de estudos de caso foram realizados para demonstrar a utilidade de técnicas VTM no contexto de seleção, revisão, apresentação de resultados e categorização. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que a aplicação de VTM é promissora em termos de apoio positivo para a atividade de seleção de estudos primários e que o uso de representações visuais para apresentar resultados de RSs leva a uma redução do tempo necessário para sua análise, sem perda de compreensão de dados. A aplicação da VTM é relevante também no contexto da MS. Conclus~oes: Técnicas VTM podem ser empregadas com sucesso para ajudar nos processos de RS e MS

In this thesis, the legal theory of Robert Cover is employed to analyse the procedural turn of the ECtHR. The text studies how Animal Defenders International v. the United Kingdom (ADI) and subsequent case law relate to the margin of appreciation doctrine and how this can be understood from a Coverian point of view. The margin of appreciation is thus seen as a product of an interplay between paideic and imperial forces where the imperial, or world-maintaining, influences on the doctrine are the strongest. ADI and later cases are read as further accentuating the focus on the nomos of the state relative to competing nomoi already at work in the case law of the procedural turn. The thesis is closed with an amalgamation of Cover’s ideas with the democratic theory of Jacques Derrida which results in a discussion on what a Coverian re-evaluation of the approach outlined in ADI could look like.

Work zones create one of the most challenging environments for drivers. Implementing work zones on urban freeways creates many issues, especially with respect to mobility. Decisions made regarding the work zone should be informed by quantitative data, collected in work zones, to ensure that the mobility impacts of the work zone treatments implemented are mitigated. A new decision-making process, which addresses the shortcomings in the current decision-making processes, was developed through the course of this research. The new process incorporates a Performance Measure/Treatment matrix, which recommends multiple performance measures, each of which is chosen to measure the mobility impacts particular to a specific work zone implementation. Most importantly, the revised decision-making process incorporates a feedback loop. Quantitative data collected in work zones is analyzed after the work zone is complete, to determine the impacts specific decisions had on mobility in the work zone. The lessons learned in previous work zones are then incorporated into the decision-making process, lessening the mobility impacts of future work zones. This thesis develops the new decision-making process, and examines the issues with the application of the process.

Research and Development engineering is at the corner stone of humanity’s evolution. It is perceived to be a systematic creative process which ultimately improves the living standard of a society through the creation of new applications and products. The commercial paradigm that governs project selection, resource allocation and market penetration prevails when the focus shifts from pure research to applied research. Furthermore, the road to success through commercialisation is difficult for most inventors, especially in a vast and isolated country such as Australia which is located a long way from wealthy and developed economies. While market leading products are considered unique, the actual process to achieve these products is essentially the same; progressing from an idea, through development to an outcome (if successful). Unfortunately, statistics indicate that only 3% of ‘ideas’ are significantly successful, 4% are moderately successful, and the remainder ‘evaporate’ in that form (Michael Quinn, Chairman, Innovation Capital Associates Pty Ltd). This study demonstrates and analyses two techniques developed by the author which reduce uncertainty in the engineering design and development phase of new product development and therefore increase the probability of a successful outcome. This study expands the existing knowledge of the engineering design and development stage in the new product development process and is couched in the identification of practical methods, which have been successfully used to develop new products by Australian Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Excel Technology Group Pty Ltd (ETG). Process theory is the term most commonly used to describe scientific study that identifies occurrences that result from a specified input state to an output state, thus detailing the process used to achieve an outcome. The thesis identifies relevant material and analyses recognised and established engineering processes utilised in developing new products. The literature identified that case studies are a particularly useful method for supporting problem-solving processes in settings where there are no clear answers or where problems are unstructured, as in New Product Development (NPD). This study describes, defines, and demonstrates the process of new product development within the context of historical product development and a ‘live’ case study associated with an Australian Government START grant awarded to Excel Technology Group in 2004 to assist in the development of an image-based vehicle detection product. This study proposes two techniques which reduce uncertainty and thereby improve the probability of a successful outcome. The first technique provides a predicted project development path or forward engineering plan which transforms the initial ‘fuzzy idea’ into a potential and achievable outcome. This process qualifies the ‘fuzzy idea’ as a potential, rationale or tangible outcome which is within the capability of the organisation. Additionally, this process proposes that a tangible or rationale idea can be deconstructed in reverse engineering process in order to create a forward engineering development plan. A detailed structured forward engineering plan reduces the uncertainty associated with new product development unknowns and therefore contributes to a successful outcome. This is described as the RETRO technique. The study recognises however that this claim requires qualification and proposes a second technique. The second technique proposes that a two dimensional spatial representation which has productivity and consumed resources as its axes, provides an effective means to qualify progress and expediently identify variation from the predicted plan. This spatial representation technique allows a quick response which in itself has a prediction attribute associated with directing the project back onto its predicted path. This process involves a coterminous comparison between the predicted development path and the evolving actual project development path. A consequence of this process is verification of progress or the application of informed, timely and quantified corrective action. This process also identifies the degree of success achieved in the engineering design and development phase of new product development where success is defined as achieving a predicted outcome. This spatial representation technique is referred to as NPD Mapping. The study demonstrates that these are useful techniques which aid SMEs in achieving successful new product outcomes because the technique are easily administered, measure and represent relevant development process related elements and functions, and enable expedient quantified responsive action when the evolving path varies from the predicted path. These techniques go beyond time line representations as represented in GANTT charts and PERT analysis, and represent the base variables of consumed resource and productivity/technical achievement in a manner that facilitates higher level interpretation of time, effort, degree of difficulty, and product complexity in order to facilitate informed decision making. This study presents, describes, analyses and demonstrates an SME focused engineering development technique, developed by the author, that produces a successful new product outcome which begins with a ‘fuzzy idea’ in the mind of the inventor and concludes with a successful new product outcome that is delivered on time and within budget. Further research on a wider range of SME organisations undertaking new product development is recommended.

This study examines how the implementation of CAPS Life Skills curriculum training (as a recontextualising process) is engaging teachers in environmental education. The research was centred on training manuals for Life Skills (Official Recontextualisation Field) and their use in CAPS training at district level in two Eastern Cape sites of recontextualisation (Professional Recontextualisation Field). During the training, teachers developed lesson plans that were reviewed and group interviews were conducted on the training process and its outcomes. The manuals, training process, lesson plans and interview transcripts were analysed for evidence of environmental education, notably content, teaching and learning methods and assessment strategies. Bernstein’s (1990) framework of the pedagogic device underpins this study. Here the concept of the relay is key for tracking the "relay” of the content, teaching and learning methods and assessment strategies through the processes of recontextualisation into the lesson plans for the field of production. During the process of de-location and relocation, gaps are created and this study sought to track and probe patterns of omissions that took place during the relay process in two cases of training. The review of the in-service training course process of recontextualisation and its cascading approach exposed challenges of omission as it became clear that at each level of the recontextualisation process, gaps were apparent. The study highlighted how the 3-5 day workshop process reviewed was not a robust model for professional development. It was not effective and changes in the mode of delivery and processes of support that reach into curriculum practice in the context of the school are recommended. The study concludes that there is a need for continuous professional development as teachers need ongoing support especially for a "new” curriculum like CAPS that is content driven.

Cette thèse bilingue (anglais-italien) en deux volumes est consacrée aux relations que les entreprises tissent avec le monde de l’art. Nous rendons compte du phénomène dans une Revue Systématique de la Littérature qui a permis l’identification de la relation Art &amp; Entreprise selon neuf axes de recherche, qui vont de la philanthropie au parrainage et à l’artification. Nous définissons ce nouveau concept d’artification en tant que relation entre les artistes contemporains et les entreprises appartenant au secteur luxe de la mode. Pour elles, les arts visuels deviennent une troisième source capable de préserver, aux yeux du consommateur, une valeur de marque minée par les effets de la mondialisation et des fusions acquisitions qui ont transformé le secteur luxe de l’industrie de la mode. Les entreprises adoptent un Processus d’Artification visant à transformer leurs produits en œuvres d’art, et deviennent des acteurs nouveaux dans les arts. Après une étude de cas consacrée à l’entreprise française Louis Vuitton, nous testons ce que nous nommons un Effet d’Artification, par le biais d’une expérience-sondage, qui a pris la forme de questionnaires distribués à un échantillon de 880 consommateurs français, au sein du laboratoire INSEAD SORBONNE BEHAVIOURAL LAB. Nous avons testé l’Effet d’Artification en utilisant le modèle de Customer-Based Brand Equity et de la mesure de l’échelle esthétique. Les résultats et leur analyse statistique détaillée montrent que les arts visuels jouent le rôle de troisième source capable de changer la valeur de la marque. Le Processus d’Artification a donc la capacité d’agir en tant que stimulus sur la perception du luxe auprès du consommateur final, réel ou potentiel<br>In a two-volume bilingual dissertation in English and in Italian, we research the way companies weave relationships with the art world. First, we account for this phenomenon through a Systematic Literature Review. It allows us to identify the relational Art &amp; Enterprise forms in nine areas of research spanning from sponsorship to philanthropy and to artification. We define this new concept as a specific relational mode between contemporary artists and business enterprises which is frequent in luxury fashion. The visual arts become a viable third source capable of maintining brand value for consumers who are ever more sensitive to a loss in luxury brand value. It is caused by globalization and the frequent mergers and acquisitions that are transforming the luxury sector in the fashion industry. Luxury businesses’aim is to elevate their products into objects of art. Process of Artification additionally results in their acting as key players in the art world. After a case study of French company Louis Vuitton, we finally test what we term Artification Effect by carrying out a consumer-based survey: with the help of INSEAD-SORBONNE BEHAVIOURAL LAB, we designed a survey with questionnaires distributed to an 880 French-consumers sample. We tested the Artification Effect through the model of Customer-Based Brand Equity and The Measurement of the Aesthetic Scale. The results and our in-depth statistical analysis prove that the visual arts effectively play the role of third source capable of changing the value of a brand. The Artification Process therefore acts as stimulus eliciting the perception of luxury in the end or potential consumer

La méthodologie de l’évaluation en psychothérapie s’est longtemps limitée aux résultats issus d’essais cliniques comparatifs de groupes. L’objectif, engagé dans les années 2000, de comprendre ce qui cause son efficacité a engagé un renouvellement méthodologique. Son application concrète est peu documentée. La première partie présente, à partir d’une revue de la littérature centrée sur l’introduction de la recherche sur le processus associée aux résultats, comment le paradigme interactionnel multifactoriel de la psychothérapie a stimulé le développement de méthodes adaptées à la complexité et à l’observation en conditions naturelles. La seconde partie introduit autour de cinq axes principaux les questions méthodologiques générales et spécifiques de cette nouvelle orientation : 1. une épistémologie interactionnelle et transactionnelle ; 2. Un recentrage sur les études mixtes intensives de cas ; 3. Une investigation clinique et théorique multifocale des processus et mécanismes de changement ; 4. une forte relation clinicien-chercheur ; 5. une approche statistique innovante. La troisième partie expose l’expérience et les questions soulevées par la mise en œuvre de ce programme dans le cadre d’un réseau de recherche clinique centré sur les pratiques, du recueil des données jusqu’à l’analyse des processus et mécanismes de changement, et les résultats qui en sont issus. La quatrième partie présente une revue détaillée de la littérature. Ce travail devrait favoriser les collaborations avec les disciplines connexes et l’efficience des traitements par une meilleure connaissance des conditions et des mécanismes de changement associée au développement d’une base de données issue d’études de cas<br>The methodology of assessment in psychotherapy has long been limited to results from comparative group clinical trials. The objective, expressed in the 2000s, to understand what is causing its effectiveness has involved a methodological renewal. Its concrete application is poorly documented. The first part presents, from a review of the literature focusing on the introduction of research on the process associated with outcomes, how the multifactorial interactional paradigm of psychotherapy has stimulated the development of methods adapted to the complexity and observation in natural conditions. The second part introduces the general and specific methodological questions of this new orientation around five main axes: 1. an interactional and transactional epistemology; 2. A refocusing on intensive mixed case studies; 3. A multifocal clinical and theoretical investigation of the processes and mechanisms of change; 4. a strong clinical-researcher relationship; 5. an innovative statistical approach. The third part presents the experience and issues raised by the implementation of this program as part of a practice-oriented clinical research network, from data collection to analysis of processes and mechanisms of change, and results. The fourth part presents a detailed review of the literature. This work should foster collaborations with related disciplines and treatment efficiency through a better understanding of the conditions and mechanisms of change associated with the development of a case study database

I detta utvecklingsarbete studerade författaren en årskurs två klass i en gymnasieskola skola i Helsingborg. Författaren har försökt öka motivationen för elevernas egna lärande under en egen konstruerad och hållen lektionsplanering. Denna studie använder, genom hela utvecklingsarbete, en undervisningsmetod som heter Problembaserat lärande (PBL). Författaren konstruerade en undersökning med inspiration från Biggs et.al. (2001) "The Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire "(R-SPQ-2F) och Ahlfeldt et al. (2005)" Student Engagement Survey"(SE). Under lektionsserien arbetade författaren med god undervisning genom att försöka för att göra lektionsserien meningsfull och låta eleverna arbeta i sina arbetsgrupper under några lektioner. Lektionsserien avslutades med en muntlig presentation av grupparbetet. Författaren genomförde också en intervju med författarens handledare. Resultaten visade att det var viktigt med meningsfullhet i lektionsmaterialet och det läraren har en stor betydelse för att kunna öka elevens motivation eget lärande. Ingen linjär relation visades emellertid och ingen större korrelation mellan enkätsfrågorna kan visas. Användningen av PBL i lektionsserien visade sig vara effektiv när eleverna uppnådde åtminstone de lägsta betygskriterierna för betyg E.<br>In this development work, the author studied a second grade class at an upper secondary school in Helsingborg. The author have tried to increase the motivation for the students own learning during an own constructed and held lesson plan. This study uses, throughout the development work, a teaching method called Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The author constructed a survey with inspiration from Biggs et.al. (2001) "The Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire" (R-SPQ-2F) and Ahlfeldt et.al. (2005) "Student Engagement Survey" (SE). During the lesson series, the author have worked with good teaching by trying to make the lesson series meaningful and let the students work in their working groups with few lesson sessions. The lesson series ended with an oral presentation of the group work. The author have also conducted an interview with the author s supervisor. The results showed that it was important with meaningfulness in the lesson material and that the teacher has a great importance in order to be able to raise the motivation for the student's own learning. However, no linear relationship showed and no major correlation between the questions could be shown. The use of PBL in the lesson series turned out to be effective when the students achieved at least the lowest rating criteria for the grade E.

This thesis examines philosophical controversies surrounding the evaluation of medical treatments, with a focus on the evidential roles of randomised trials and mechanisms in Evidence-Based Medicine. Current 'best practice' usually involves excluding non-randomised trial evidence from systematic reviews in cases where randomised trials are available for inclusion in the reviews. The first paper challenges this practice and evaluates whether adding of evidence from non-randomised trials might improve the quality and precision of some systematic reviews. The second paper compares the alleged methodological benefits of randomised trials over observational studies for investigating treatment benefits. It suggests that claims about the superiority of well-conducted randomised controlled trials over well-conducted observational studies are justified, especially when results from the two methods are contradictory. The third paper argues that postulating the unpredictability paradox in systematic reviews when no detectable empirical differences can be found requires further justification. The fourth paper examines the problem of absence causation in the context of explaining causal mechanisms and argues that a recent solution (Barros 2013) is incomplete and requires further justification. Solving the problem by describing absences as causes of 'mechanism failure' fails to take into account the effects of absences that lead to vacillating levels of mechanism functionality (i.e. differences in effectiveness or efficiency). The fifth paper criticises literature that has emphasised functioning versus 'broken' or 'non-functioning' mechanisms emphasising that many diseases result from increased or decreased mechanism function, rather than complete loss of function. Mechanistic explanations must account for differences in the effectiveness of performed functions, yet current philosophical mechanistic explanations do not achieve this. The last paper argues that the standard of evidence embodied in the ICE theory of technological function (i.e. testimonial evidence and evidence of mechanisms) is too permissive for evaluating whether the proposed functions of medical technologies have been adequately assessed and correctly ascribed. It argues that high-quality evidence from clinical studies is necessary to justify functional ascriptions to health care technologies.<br><p>QC 20150312</p>

Multi functional health monitoring wearable devices are quite prominent these days. Usually these devices are battery-operated and consequently are limited by their battery life (from few hours to a few weeks depending on the application). Of late, it was realized that these devices, which are currently being operated at fixed voltage and frequency, are capable of operating at multiple voltages and frequencies. By switching these voltages and frequencies to lower values based upon power requirements, these devices can achieve tremendous benefits in the form of energy savings. Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) techniques have proven to be handy in this situation for an efficient trade-off between energy and timely behavior. Within imec, wearable devices make use of the indigenously developed MUSEIC v2 (Multi Sensor Integrated circuit version 2.0). This system is optimized for efficient and accurate collection, processing, and transfer of data from multiple (health) sensors. MUSEIC v2 has limited means in controlling the voltage and frequency dynamically. In this thesis we explore how traditional DVFS techniques can be applied to the MUSEIC v2. Experiments were conducted to find out the optimum power modes to efficiently operate and also to scale up-down the supply voltage and frequency. Considering the overhead caused when switching voltage and frequency, transition analysis was also done. Real-time and non real-time benchmarks were implemented based on these techniques and their performance results were obtained and analyzed. In this process, several state of the art scheduling algorithms and scaling techniques were reviewed in identifying a suitable technique. Using our proposed scaling technique implementation, we have achieved 86.95% power reduction in average, in contrast to the conventional way of the MUSEIC v2 chip’s processor operating at a fixed voltage and frequency. Techniques that include light sleep and deep sleep mode were also studied and implemented, which tested the system’s capability in accommodating Dynamic Power Management (DPM) techniques that can achieve greater benefits. A novel approach for implementing the deep sleep mechanism was also proposed and found that it can obtain up to 71.54% power savings, when compared to a traditional way of executing deep sleep mode.<br>Nuförtiden så har multifunktionella bärbara hälsoenheter fått en betydande roll. Dessa enheter drivs vanligtvis av batterier och är därför begränsade av batteritiden (från ett par timmar till ett par veckor beroende på tillämpningen). På senaste tiden har det framkommit att dessa enheter som används vid en fast spänning och frekvens kan användas vid flera spänningar och frekvenser. Genom att byta till lägre spänning och frekvens på grund av effektbehov så kan enheterna få enorma fördelar när det kommer till energibesparing. Dynamisk skalning av spänning och frekvens-tekniker (såkallad Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling, DVFS) har visat sig vara användbara i detta sammanhang för en effektiv avvägning mellan energi och beteende. Hos Imec så använder sig bärbara enheter av den internt utvecklade MUSEIC v2 (Multi Sensor Integrated circuit version 2.0). Systemet är optimerat för effektiv och korrekt insamling, bearbetning och överföring av data från flera (hälso) sensorer. MUSEIC v2 har begränsad möjlighet att styra spänningen och frekvensen dynamiskt. I detta examensarbete undersöker vi hur traditionella DVFS-tekniker kan appliceras på MUSEIC v2. Experiment utfördes för att ta reda på de optimala effektlägena och för att effektivt kunna styra och även skala upp matningsspänningen och frekvensen. Eftersom att ”overhead” skapades vid växling av spänning och frekvens gjordes också en övergångsanalys. Realtidsoch icke-realtidskalkyler genomfördes baserat på dessa tekniker och resultaten sammanställdes och analyserades. I denna process granskades flera toppmoderna schemaläggningsalgoritmer och skalningstekniker för att hitta en lämplig teknik. Genom att använda vår föreslagna skalningsteknikimplementering har vi uppnått 86,95% effektreduktion i jämförelse med det konventionella sättet att MUSEIC v2-chipets processor arbetar med en fast spänning och frekvens. Tekniker som inkluderar lätt sömn och djupt sömnläge studerades och implementerades, vilket testade systemets förmåga att tillgodose DPM-tekniker (Dynamic Power Management) som kan uppnå ännu större fördelar. En ny metod för att genomföra den djupa sömnmekanismen föreslogs också och enligt erhållna resultat så kan den ge upp till 71,54% lägre energiförbrukning jämfört med det traditionella sättet att implementera djupt sömnläge.

碩士<br>國立高雄第一科技大學<br>環境與安全衛生工程研究所<br>103<br>Steel rolling production process in the human, machine, material, materials are potentially hazardous, and in the occupational safety and health management to predict the risk of various economic sectors vigorously pursue the practice, so as to hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control as the basis, by analysis (Failure mode and effects analysis, FMEA) method by the failure mode and effect, extend the safe operating standards (SOP), in order to effectively prevent or cut the likelihood or severity of the consequences of the disaster. This study analyzes the use of risk assessment and other means of risk assessment a priority number, and occupational accidents and actual cases occurring through FMEA method, combined with ISO 14224 standards, the construction of production line work easier way to sell equipment to practice it, and standardize procedures to achieve best as the goal, and after case study to confirm the results, back to the future of the steel industry rolling process using a reference sample of the FMEA techniques.

In today's competitive environment, the importance of continuous production, quality improvement, and fast delivery has forced production and delivery processes to become highly reliable. Keeping equipment in good condition through maintenance activities can ensure a more reliable system. However, maintenance leads to temporary reduction in capacity that could otherwise be utilized for production. Therefore, the coordination of maintenance and production is important to guarantee good system performance. The central thesis of this dissertation is that integrating maintenance and production decisions increases efficiency by ensuring high quality production, effective resource utilization, and on-time deliveries. Firstly, we study the problem of integrated maintenance and production planning where machines are preventively maintained in the context of a periodic review production system with uncertain yield. Our goal is to provide insight into the optimal maintenance policy, increasing the number of finished products. Specifically, we prove the conditions that guarantee the optimal maintenance policy has a threshold type. Secondly, we address the problem of integrated maintenance planning and production scheduling where machines are correctively maintained in the context of a dynamic aircraft repair shop. To solve the problem, we view the dynamic repair shop as successive static repair scheduling sub-problems over shorter periods. Our results show that the approach that uses logic-based Benders decomposition to solve the static sub-problems, schedules over longer horizon, and quickly adjusts the schedule increases the utilization of aircraft in the long term. Finally, we tackle the problem of integrated maintenance planning and production scheduling where machines are preventively maintained in the context of a multi-machine production system. Depending on the deterioration process of machines, we design decomposed techniques that deal with the stochastic and combinatorial challenges in different, coupled stages. Our results demonstrate that the integrated approaches decrease the total maintenance and lost production cost, maximizing the on-time deliveries. We also prove sufficient conditions that guarantee the monotonicity of the optimal maintenance policy in both machine state and the number of customer orders. Within these three contexts, this dissertation demonstrates that the integrated maintenance and production decision-making increases the process efficiency to produce high quality products in a timely manner.

The Dissertation work is focused on finding the effectivity of the inquiry-based science education of Chemistry subject at elementary schools and grammar schools concerning the topic of Chemistry process. The theoretical part proves the knowledge of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) in the 21 century, specifies the level of research, learning cycle 5E, its positives and negatives. The practical part is created by the files of methodology, particularly the methodological worksheets for teachers and worksheets for pupils as well, regarding the topic Substance Transformation for the elementary schools and for the grammar schools the topic Chemical Reactions and Chemical Equations. In the research part, there are shown the results of paedagogical research aiming at verifying the influence IBSE on to develop the higher mind operations according to Bloom taxonomy, to develop the scientific skills, as well as the survey of pupils' attitudes to this particular educational teaching process. The results obtained from the IBSE implementation and its verification performed by the cognitive tests and further by statistical evaluation, have confirmed the validity of the set hypotheses - the level of pupils' knowledge and skills has been increased, especially at weaker pupils in both degree of schools. By...