Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Comparative method'

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo implantar um método para calibração de sistema de medição linear por interferometria laser por meio de comparação a um outro sistema laser de referência. O referido método é considerado mais simples que a calibração por componentes realizada atualmente e, conforme demonstrado no trabalho, apresenta confiabilidade metrológica que atende a exatidão necessária para as aplicações dos laseres em metrologia dimensional, vindo suprir uma necessidade metrológica dos laboratórios credenciados pelo Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial (Inmetro) e do parque industrial brasileiro, usuários destes sistemas de medição. A implantação do sistema para calibração de lasers de medição foi baseada em normas internacionais de calibração e de cálculo da incerteza de medição e utilizou um sistema laser de referência calibrado no Inmetro, com rastreabilidade a padrões nacionais, com as menores incertezas possíveis. O método de medição implantado realiza a calibração de um sistema laser por comparação a outro utilizando medições feitas a partir do deslocamento da mesa onde é a apoiado o prisma óptico. O que é de fato analisado é a diferença das medições dos dois sistemas laser para um mesmo deslocamento. Foram registradas as diferenças das indicações de 200 mm em 200 mm de deslocamento, em um total de 2000 mm, que variaram de 0,027 µm a 0,690 µm. Foram realizadas três medições para cada deslocamento e quatro repetições completas do procedimento em dias diferentes, com variação do desvio padrão de 0,009 µm a 0,098 µm e incertezas expandidas que variaram de 0,109 µm a 0,306 µm. São apresentadas a metodologia de calibração, cálculos das correções, fontes de erros e cálculos da incerteza de medição para a comparação de sistemas laseres de medição linear.
The present work aims at the implementation of a calibration method for interferometric linear laser measurement systems by comparison to another reference system. The proposed method is considered simpler than the calibration by components that is carried out today at Inmetro (National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality) and, as demonstrated along this work, presents the metrological reliability and accuracy necessary for several applications of lasers in dimensional metrology. This approach will supply the metrological needs of several laboratories accredited by Inmetro and of the Brazilian industry in general, users of such measurement systems, regarding cost and time of calibration. The method implemented was based on international technical standards related to calibration and uncertainty calculation and used a reference system calibrated at Inmetro, with traceability to national standards, with the lowest uncertainties that could be achieved. The said method performs the calibration of a laser system by comparison to another through measurements of the displacement of the table where the optical prism rests. What is indeed analyzed is the difference of the measurements obtained by the two laser systems for the same table displacement. The differences were recorded for each displacement of 200 mm, in a total of 2,000 mm, their variation being from 0.027 µm to 0.690 µm. The whole procedure was repeated four times, in different days, with three measurements for each displacement. Their standard deviation varied from 0.009 µm to 0.098 µm while their expanded uncertainties varied from 0.109 µm to 0.306 µm depending on the value of the displacement. The calibration methodology, correction calculation, errors sources and measurement uncertainty calculations for the linear measurement laser systems comparison are presented in this dissertation.

There is currently a large increase in the speed of production of DNA sequence data as next generation sequencing technologies become more widespread. As such there is a need for rapid computational techniques to functionally annotate data as it is generated. One computational method for the functional annotation of protein-coding genes is via detection of interaction partners. If the putative partner has a functional annotation then this annotation can be extended to the initial protein via the established principle of “guilt by association”. This work presents a method for rapid detection of functional interaction partners for proteins through the use of the comparative method. Functional links are sought between proteins through analysis of their patterns of presence and absence amongst a set of 54 eukaryotic organisms. These links can be either direct or indirect protein interactions. These patterns are analysed in the context of a phylogenetic tree. The method used is a heuristic combination of an established accurate methodology involving comparison of models of evolution the parameters of which are estimated using maximum likelihood, with a novel technique involving the reconstruction of ancestral states using Dollo parsimony and analysis of these reconstructions through the use of logistic regression. The methodology achieves comparable specificity to the use of gene coexpression as a means to predict functional linkage between proteins. The application of this method permitted a genome-wide analysis of the human genome, which would have otherwise demanded a potentially prohibitive amount of computational resource. Proteins within the human genome were clustered into orthologous groups. 10 of these proteins, which were ubiquitous across all 54 eukaryotes, were used to reconstruct a phylogeny. An application of the heuristic predicted a set of functional protein interactions in human cells. 1,142 functional interactions were predicted. Of these predictions 1,131 were not present in current protein-protein interaction databases.

The primary objective of this thesis is to estimate the market value of residential unit in Prague. The main valuation method is comparative method. Value estimated on this basis is then compared to the value determined based on the income approach (Direct capitalization method). The differences in the results found in valuation on the basis of selected approaches are presented in the last part of the thesis as well as explanation in what cases it is preferable to use the particular approach. The theoretical part of the thesis contains basic concepts of property valuation. The other theoretical chapters summarize the basic legal legislation in this field and real estate valuation methodology. In the practical part of the work, the valuation of the specific real estate (housing unit in Prague) realized.

For steel structures, stability is a very important concept since many steel structures are governed by stability limit states. Therefore, stability of a structure should be assessed carefully considering all parameters that affect the stability of the structure. The most important of these parameters can be listed as geometric imperfections, member inelasticity and connection rigidity. Geometric imperfections and member inelasticity are taken into account with the stability method used in the design. At this point, the stability methods gain importance. The Direct Analysis Method, the default stability method in 2010 AISC Specification, is a new, more transparent and more straightforward method, which captures the real structure behavior better than Effective Length Method. In this thesis, a study has been conducted on the semi-rigid steel frames to compare Direct Analysis Method and Effective Length Method and to investigate the effect of flexible connections to stability. Four frames are designed for different connection rigidities with stability methods existing in the 2010 AISC Specification: Direct Analysis Method and Effective Length Method. At the end,conclusions are drawn about the comparison of these two stability methods and the effect of semi-rigid connections to stability.

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This thesis develops a comparative evaluation method for computer security risk management methodologies and tools. The subjective biases inherent to current comparison practices are reduced by measuring unique characteristics of computer security risk management methodologies. Standardized criteria are established and described by attributes which in turn are defined by metrics that measure the characteristics. The suitability of a method or tool to a particular organizational situation can then be analyzed objectively. Additionally, our evaluation method facilitates the comparison of methodologies and tools to each other. As a demonstration of its effectiveness, our method is applied to four distinct risk management methodologies and four risk management tools. Alternative models for utilizing the evaluation method are presented as well as possible directions for their application. Without an adequate means of comparing and evaluating risk management decision-making methodologies, the metadecision (the selection of a risk management method or tool) becomes arbitrary and capricious, thereby making an inappropriate selection more likely. Selection of an inappropriate method or tool could lead to excessive costs, misdirected efforts, and the loss of assets. The systematic and standard comparison method developed in this thesis resolves that problem.

Worldwide use of mobile phones has created a new basis for interpersonal communication and has become a ubiquitous feature of youth culture. Hence the examination of global mobile phone adoption is a global challenge for communication researchers as well as for the media industries. Thus far, New Media research in New Zealand (NZ) has focused on children and teenagers. The group of young adults between 18-25 years has rarely been surveyed. This thesis focused on university students� use of mobile communication in NZ in the context of their everyday practices. The Mobile Media Study (MMS) was designed as a cross-national comparative research project with a focus on NZ together with one European and one North American country. The usage behavior, experiences, attitudes, and opinions of young NZers� towards mobile phone use was examined and contrasted to young German and American students. Methodological and data triangulation was applied and data was collected at the University of Otago, the City University of New York, the Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Leipzig. MMS survey research was conducted along with focus group and personal interviews, and qualitative exercises. In addition, the latest data from a longitudinal study of New Media use in Germany, the US and NZ served as a secondary, comparative, and complementary dataset. The research questions focused on general mobile phone use, text-messaging (SMS), the acceptance of Third Generation (3G) cell phones, mobile phone use in public places, gender-specific usages, and the construction of mobile social networks. Altogether, data from 1,316 students at four universities in three countries was analyzed. Results indicated that the number of providers as well as tariff structures appear to influence mobile phone adoption within a country. To adjust to the duopoly situation young people in NZ preferred prepaid cards in connection with a SMS package. This was reflected by extraordinarily high use of SMS in NZ. By comparison German and American students preferred annual contracts. Americans, who had the strongest preference for mobile calling, also had the highest monthly expenses. Additionally, findings revealed that overall user interest in 3G services is not yet very high. It was found that in particular NZ students do not exploit the full range of mobile services already available to them and feel confident that their current cell phone gratifies all their needs. They concentrate on using basic functions, such as calling and SMS. In addition, results suggest a decreasing role of the landline telephone and email for interpersonal communication. Gender differences were found with NZ women in particular being most enthusiastic about SMS. German men had the most negative attitude toward SMS and also used the service the least in comparison to the other students surveyed. In general women had a preference for the communicative functions on their mobile phone including voicemail and more women than men in Germany and NZ were found to play mobile phone games. Finally, evidence of gender specific social network structures were found in NZ with male networks resembling spider webs while female networks were centered so that all persons in the network connected back to the center. Overall, students only used a fraction of the contacts in their mobile phone book and communicated mostly within a limited local area. In conclusion, a replication of the MMS was suggested along with further multi-method research in the field of Asian-NZer�s New Media use.

Time-spectral solvers for partial differential equations (PDE) have been explored in various forms during the last few decades. The generalized weighted residual method (GWRM) is one such method with a high accuracy and efficiency. The GWRM has so far been implemented almost exclusively with a uniform grid of subdomains in the spatial domain. Recent research has indicated that an adaptive grid can yield a significant improvement in accuracy and efficiency of the GWRM. In this thesis a comparison is performed between a uniform grid and three different adaptive grid decomposition methods. Three initial- value PDEs are used to benchmark these methods; the one-dimensional Burger’s equation, the 4th order Fisher-Kolmogorov equation and the non-linear Schrödinger equation. It was found that the average adaptive algorithm is the most efficient out of the algorithms evaluated in this thesis. The average adaptive algorithms solution time was up to 1.6 times faster than the uniform algorithm when solving the Fisher-Kolmogorov equation and with an error up to a factor of 22.5 smaller than the uniform algorithm when solving the one- dimensional Burger’s equation. The uniform algorithm needed 25 spatial subdomains to get errors of the same order of magnitude as the average adaptive algorithm got using only 12 spatial subdomains. The average subdomain decomposition algorithm is a fast, robust and efficient method, which can be applied to a variety of different problems to further increase the efficiency of the GWRM.
Tidsspektrala lösningar av partiella differential ekvationer (PDE) har utforskats på många olika sätt under de senaste årtiondena. Den generaliserade viktade residual metoden (GWRM) är en sådan metod som har uppnått hög noggrannhet och effektivitet. Metoden har hittills, nästan enbart, implementerats med en likformig subdomänsuppdelning i rumsdomänen. Nyligen utförd forskning indikerar att GWRM kan ge signifikant förbättrad precision och effektivitet om man implementerar adaptiva rums- och tidsdomäner. I detta examensarbete utförs en jämförelse mellan en likformig subdomänsuppdelning i rummet och tre olika adaptiva algoritmer för subdomänsuppdelning. Dessa algoritmer testas på tre olika PDE, endimensionella Burgers ekvation, fjärde ordningens Fisher-Kolmogorovs ekvation och den icke-linjära Schrödingerekvationen. Slutsatsen var att den medelvärdesbildande adaptiva algoritmen var den mest effektiva metoden. Den löste ekvationerna upp till 2.7 gånger snabbare än den likformiga algoritmen, med ett fel som var upp till 22.5 gånger mindre än den likformiga metodens fel. Den likformiga metoden behövde 25 rumsdomäner för att få en precision av samma potens som de adaptiva algoritmerna åstadkom med enbart 12 rumsdomäner. Den medelvärdesbildande algoritmens subdomänsuppdelning är snabb, robust och effektiv. Den kan appliceras på en mängd olika problem för att öka effektiviteten av GWRM.

In the last decades, OECD countries witnessed more than one way of designing students’ aid policies, under a predominant trend of decentralizing their governance. However, this decentralizing process carried the seeds of its own contradictions. The central paradox is that these policies remained multi-issue and multi-actor, making them likely to fall under the double-hand of different governmental levels. Federal countries constitute a laboratory to study the “decentralization experiment” in its absurdity. For this reason, the PhD project proposes a comparison between two federal cases (i.e. the United States and Canada), and in time (between 1930 and 2018), using a mixed-method. The analysis is also extended in a discussion of four embedded deviant case studies (Alaska, New York, Prince Edward Island and Quebec). Albeit usually simplified as paradigmatic cases for liberal, elitist, loan-oriented and tightfisted aid systems, the United States and Canada have proved to be more generous over student aid than what is expected from their respective welfare regime. Nevertheless, behind this engagement, I uncover an intergovernmental contention of powers and responsibilities embedded within deeply rooted federal institutions. With a focus on federal structures and dynamics, I also reveal potential political and economic incentives behind student aid. Beyond the common belief that students’ aid exists solely to help students, the thesis shows how these policies might be more grounded in institutional factors than student- related considerations.

Advancements in media technologies have resulted in increased student usage causing teachers to struggle to be able to engage and hold student’s interest in a typical classroom. As students’ needs change, the field of education changes. One strategy that is gaining in popularity among teachers is the implementation of the “flipped classroom” also known as the “inverted classroom” or “reverse instruction” - a method incorporates technology to “flip” or “reverse” what is typically done in class with what is typically done as homework. Through teacher interviews of eight core teachers, this study attempts to discover teacher perceptions of the use of this method. Results of the study reveal that perceptions of the method are more positive among teachers who typically use lecture as a primary mode of information dissemination.

Thesis, Comparison of selected methods of houses’ evaluation in Znojmo and associated communities, explains some of the currently used valuation methods. It also deals with comparison of prices which were determined by selected valuation methods. Those methods include cost approach, comparative method, the current price and the price of time. It accentuates the consideration of coefficient within connecting into utility networks – especially sewer. Then it focuses on ways of heating. The aim of this thesis is to find out how the aspect of connecting into utility networks is involved in methods of heating. For the evaluation there were selected 10 houses in Znojmo and associated communities.

The thesis is engaged in executing the prices of three different types of houses and especially the assessment of whether insurance contract in each of them covers a potential total loss, ensuring the cost of comparable housing. Location of interest is located in the district of Blansko, namely Letovice and surroundings. The basic terminology and methods of real estate valuation is described in the thesis. In details, three selected methods are described, which are cost method, comparative method according to regulations and the comparative non-promulgation method which have been used for valuation. For the real estate insurance has been selected company Allianz, which is also described in the thesis. The conclusion is devoted to the recapitulation of prices and insurance cover risk.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-188). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Abstract The following thesis discusses the problems of apprising methods of real estate with regard to subjective factor which is inherited in the process by the appricing subject. It discusses methods, evaluations and points out possible disturbing effects and faults which could influence these methods. The example case study shows possibilities in using the power of fuzzy logic, which contributes in a significant way to higher transparency, reproducibility and portability of the whole appricing process. The main goal of the thesis is to introduce the advantages and power of a new evaluation method in the appricing process.

Proteins are vital to all cells in the body. They consist of long chains of amino acids. To be able to study the amino acid composition of a protein it is necessary to hydrolyse it, followed by separation and quantification. When the protein is hydrolysed, in this case ß-lactoglobulin, the protein is divided into individual amino acids. The method that traditionally has been used to hydrolyse proteins takes 24-72 hours to complete. Recently a new microwave heating technique was introduced. With the Ethos1 microwave oven it takes less than one hour to hydrolyse proteins. The objective of this study was to see if the result of the hydrolysis with the new microwave oven technique had the same quality as the previously used method. If the microwave technique can hydrolyse proteins with as good results as the old oven, then it will significantly reduce test turnaround times. The result of this study indicates that the microwave technique is just as reliable as the older method, and thus a good and time saving alternative.

This study emerged from an awareness of the critical role that learning plays within social movements and from a belief that adult education can learn much from examining the learning activities of the Women's Movement. Using a comparative approach, the similarities and differences between feminist consciousness raising and Freire's conscientization method were explored. The process of analysis involved studying Freire's written works available in English and the literature resources available through the University of British Columbia library on feminist consciousness raising. The comparison began with presentation of the historical, political, social, and economic factors which led to the development of consciousness raising and conscientization. This included an examination of the historical background of Brazil, of biographical information on Freire, and of the events which led to the development of Freire's conscientization method. In a similar way, this study explored the historical background of the Women's Movement, with particular emphasis on its re-emergence during the sixties and those factors which led to the creation of consciousness raising groups. The next step in the analysis was the comparison of consciousness raising and conscientization using the following categories: the themes or content within each process, the nature of the interaction, the presence and role of teachers or coordinators, the phases in each process, and the changes in consciousness expected as a result of each process. The study concluded with discussion of the differences between these two processes, which appear to be closely linked to the different contexts and factors, such as the different kinds of oppression being fought against, which led to the development of each learning activity. As the similarities were identified, it became evident that a number of important elements were common to both learning activities despite the very different contexts. These common elements were presented as principles of the consciousness raising method found within liberating social movements. Comparing these two learning activities indicated the liberating power of allowing people to tell their own story. Implications for practice focused on the need for a contextual sensitivity when working with or studying the learning activities of social movements. It was argued that awareness of the similarities (suggested principles) and differences between consciousness raising and conscientization could prevent application of either method as simply recipes for liberation. Many recommendations were made for further research which stressed the utility of comparative analysis for continuing examination of learning within social movements. Recommendations were made for examination of the relationship between the nature of learning activities and the kind of oppression, either gender-based or class-based. Further collaboration between the Women's Movement and adult education was suggested.
Education, Faculty of
Educational Studies (EDST), Department of
Graduate

The nursing discipline lacks a consensus on a best practice method for debriefing students following simulation-based training. A recognized, standardized method does not exist and various methods are utilized within the domain. The similarities between aviation and healthcare are well documented. Training members of both disciplines require standardization and methods of best practice. The aviation industry through the Federal Aviation Administration has found Learner Centered Grading (LCG) to be a successful educational format. The utilization of the LCG Debriefing method in simulation-based training is the standardized debriefing format for a technologically dynamic industry. The aim of this research was to examine the LCG debriefing approach and determine the added value of the approach using a scenario-specific behavioral checklist as an instrument for the nursing faculty and the learner to assess the learner’s performance. A repeated measures was conducted to evaluate whether there were differences between the control and treatment groups across the pre and post-test. The test statistic demonstrated no statistical significance between the control and treatment groups. Results of Pearson’s correlations showed that self-efficacy was not significantly correlated with change in performance by debriefing method. A number of factors contribute to this finding, one of which is the small sample size. The small sample size led to insufficient power to detect an effect if one did exist. Other factors included time allotted for data gathering, simulation space availability and participants’ prior exposure to the control debriefing method. This study served as a pilot for future research. Implications for the next study include extending the time allotted for gathering data to allow for a larger sample size, utilizing the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) designees to function as facilitators as well as evaluators and to design the study to evaluate performance immediately after the debriefing session and once again at a different interval of time. A second simulation session conducted one week after the initial participation would be beneficial to evaluate if knowledge acquisition occurred.

This study discusses product form perception within the context of communication. The emphasis is on meanings attributed to product visual form, and more specifically the correspondence between messages designers intend users to receive and the messages that users actually receive. Four groupings of appearance-based product attributes are identified
1) social values and positions
2) usability and interaction
3) visual qualities
and 4) personality characteristics. The study was driven by the main research question
&lsquo
do users perceive the same meaning from product appearance as designers intended, or is there a level of mismatch?&rsquo
. An empirical study was conducted using newly-designed Turkish seating furniture to investigate the relationship between designers&rsquo
and users&rsquo
ascription of meanings to products based on appearance, as a means to validate or refute opposing answers to the main research question. The results of the study reveal that there exist some considerable differences between designers&rsquo
intended messages and users&rsquo
perceived messages decoded from product visual form. The study suggests that designers perform less well at communicating product meanings related to two of the four groupings: usability and interaction, and personality characteristics. Accordingly, these are identified as priority areas for improved message transmission.

The overall aim of this thesis is to corroborate whether the Situation Awareness (SA) of older drivers is deficient to that of younger driving groups, due to the onset of age-related cognitive decrements. This is important to ascertain due to a presumed linkage between the concept and accident causation. In addition, the research undertaken to date to investigate this linkage has exclusively utilised rather artificial driving simulators and simulations. Thus there is a need for data from more ecologically valid methods. The research studies reported here have sought to preference on-road assessments (of different complexity), and to capture what information was selectively perceived, comprehended and reacted to; rather than, as in previous work, what was recalled. To achieve this, a Think aloud methodology was chosen to produce narratives of a driver s thoughts. This method was advantageously unobtrusiveness, but also flexible - it could additionally be used to compare an individual's SA to a driving performance measure, Hazard Perception. The driving-based studies undertaken found that for a relatively non-taxing route, an older driver group could produce cohesive awareness in parity with a younger driver group. However, the concepts from which that awareness was based upon drew more on general, direction based, concepts, in contrast to the younger group s focus on more specific, action based, concepts, and rearward and safety-related cues. For a more cognitively taxing route, the younger group produced significantly higher (p < 0.024) individual SA-related scores than their older counterparts. But the concepts/cues both groups relied upon remained similar - particularly in regards to the ratio of those indicative of a rearward and/or a safety-related focus. In a video-based study, however, and in contrast, the older driver group s SA scores improved sufficient to outperform a younger group, but, despite this, not for video-based scores indicative of Hazard Perception (HP). In this latter regard, age-related decrements appeared to be more influential, as the older group felt they were under time pressure during a HP test. However, the difficulty this presented appeared to advantageously bring more attention and effort to the task, which were argued as important factors for the uplift in their SA scoring. The thesis also showed that older groups judgement of the actual complexity of a driving task could potentially be deficient to that of younger driver groups. This could cause problems as incorrect perceptions could deflate the relevance and cohesiveness of information being processing. In contrast, the perceived complexity of a task could bring a rise or fall in SA score for both groups. Such results raised questions as to the impact of cognitive decrements, relative to task difficulty and related effort whilst driving. It also provided evidence that Situation Awareness, rather than being uniformly good or bad, could, like any other psychological construct, be prone to change. These aspects were drawn together in a proposed model of driving SA.

Thesis "Comparative study on the valuation of property type in the garage area and around Trebon" deals with the measurement of ten real estate garage type selected valuation methods and their mutual comparison. Used the cost method, comparative method and comparative method of creating a database. The thesis consists of a theoretical part is the introduction of basic concepts, market analysis and valuation of real estate. This is followed by a practical part, where the description of the site and the actual value selected garages with their descriptions and photographs. In conclusion, this is a recap of the results and their entry into the chart.

A big problem in the world today is vaccine hesitancy (VH), a tool to combat this could be to use serious games (SG) as a tool for education. There has been some research into this field, these studies have mainly used a single game or looked at a series of games, and they have required quite a lot of interaction. A trivia can allow the player to focus on thinking rather than performing various tasks; even if both can be equally educational. In this work a platform game was developed and used together with a questionnaire to test the knowledge of the common person in regard to vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases. 20 people participated in this study, 10 in a control group and 10 in the game group. The results in this study show that there was no significant statistical difference between a serious platform game and a compendium when it comes to learning.

In an era of constant educational reforms, many acknowledge teachers’ professional development as the keystone to educational improvement. The issue of whether teachers’ development is adequate has been crucial in all times, especially now that professional education faces a number of challenges due to the rapid technological development and the need for lifelong learning incited by globalization of world economies. Nevertheless, although common acceptance exists that reflective practice is a key ingredient for professional development, the art of cultivating reflection in the context of CPD requires further attention. A review of the literature shows a long history on research that embraces a wide range of strategies that argue to promote teacher reflection. However, there is unclear evidence about whether reflective thinking – as a meaningful professional objective – may be promoted through collaborative computer mediated discourse. What’s more, although there is a plethora of assessment tools that claim to assess reflexivity, very few authors exemplify the theoretical framework underpinning the notion of reflection employed in their studies. The purpose of this study has been to examine whether, and if yes how, reflective thinking is promoted through collaborative asynchronous computer mediated communication by comparison with traditional face to face discourse. A case study using a comparative method was employed to analyze the electronic discourse by comparison with the face to face dialogue of twenty post 16 education practitioners in the UK. Research design considerations and implications related to what constitutes evidence of reflection and how it may be represented for the purposes of reporting on research outputs are also critically examined. The results lend support to the view that, although reflective outcomes can be accomplished in an asynchronous computer mediated communication, the recurring theme of storytelling observed in the face to face discourse appears to cultivate and influence the depth of reflexivity achieved.

Background: The DECODE method integrates differential co-expression and differential expression analysis methods to better understand biological functions of genes and their associations with disease. The DECODE method originally was designed to analyze large sample gene expression experiments, however most gene expression experiments consist of small sample sizes. This paper proposes modified test statistic to replace the traditional test statistic in the DECODE method. Using three simulations studies, we compare the performances of the modified and traditional DECODE methods using measures of sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), false discovery rate (FDR), and overall error rate for genes found to be highly differentially expressed and highly differentially co-expressed. Results: In comparison of sensitivity and PPV a minor increase is seen when using modified DECODE method along with minor decrease in FDR and overall error rate. Thus, a recommendation is made to use the modified DECODE method with small sample sizes.

Hydroxyl (OH) radicals play an important role in ‘cleansing’ the atmosphere of many pollutants such as, nitric oxides (NOx), methane (CH4) and various volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To measure the reactivity of OH, both the sinks and sources of OH need to be quantified, and currently the overall sinks of OH seem not to be fully constrained. In order to measure the total rate loss of OH in an ambient air sample, all OH reactive species must be considered and their concentrations and reaction rate coefficients with OH known. Using the method pioneered by Sinha and Williams at the Max Plank Institute Mainz, the Comparative Reactivity Method (CRM) directly quantifies total OH reactivity in ambient air without the need to consider the concentrations of individual species within the sample that can react with OH. The CRM measures the concentration of a reactive species that is present only in low concentrations in ambient air, in this case pyrrole, flowing through a reaction vessel and detected using Proton Transfer Reaction- Time of Flight- Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). The research presented in this thesis will aim to build, develop, calibrate and validate a suitable instrument the measures total OH reactivity using the CRM technique, with the final aim of employing this technique in a number field campaigns.

Le sujet de notre thèse se trouve à la frontière entre le management du Transfert Technologique (T. T. ) et le management interculturel en considérant surtout la version . Le cadre conceptuel est celui de la vision prospective et systémique réalisé une liaison entre les deux approches managériales. La recherche contribue à un avancement dans ce domaine en plusieurs étapes : on a complété la base de données concernant les cinq dimensions de Hofstede (qui comprend 57 pays) avec les données sur la Roumanie après 287 réponses à un questionnaire spécifique. Un panel d'experts a permis d'appliquer la méthode MIC-MAC sur l'ensemble des variables culturelles et celles du T. T. Et de les valider ensuite par la méthode Delphi-Regnier. En utilisant des méthodes de créativité (brainstorming et Philips 66) on a élaboré une méthode basée sur l'analyse structurelle qui permet la prise en compte des quantifications des variables des diverses cultures en vue de hiérarchiser ces variables d'après l'intensité de leur interrelation sur les processus de T. T. La thèse essaie de montrer une possible modalité d'intégration d'une manière pratique des influences culturelles spécifiques à une région dans une stratégie des actions managériales à l'aide d'un outil prospectif adapté (Mic-Mac) aux conditions concrètes. On a testé cette démarche dans le cadre d'une relation d'affaire franco-roumaine

The diploma thesis consists of two integrated substructures. The theoretical part focuses on classic theory of economic analyses. The practical part evaluates savings of heating and warming of hot water by thermal pump in comparison with utilization of classic sources of heat energy.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior
Objetivou-se com o seguinte trabalho determinar as exigÃncias nutricionais de energia e proteÃna em ovinos Somalis Brasileira. Utilizou-se 48 ovinos Somalis Brasileira em crescimento, nÃo-castrados, com idade e peso corporal (PC) mÃdio de 60 dias e 13,47  1,76 kg, respectivamente. ApÃs um perÃodo de adaptaÃÃo de 20 dias, oito animais foram abatidos e utilizados como referÃncia para estimativas do peso de corpo vazio (PCVZ) e da composiÃÃo corporal inicial dos demais animais. Os animais remanescentes foram distribuÃdos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, sendo os tratamentos, raÃÃes contendo diferentes nÃveis de energia metabolizÃvel (1,18; 2,07; 2,25; 2,42 e 2,69 Mcal/kg MS), com oito repetiÃÃes. O peso de abate foi determinado quando a mÃdia de peso dos animais de um dos cinco tratamentos atingiu 28 kg. A exigÃncia lÃquida de energia para mantenÃa foi estimado extrapolando-se a equaÃÃo de regressÃo do logaritmo da produÃÃo de calor, em funÃÃo do consumo de energia metabolizÃvel (CEM) para o nÃvel zero de CEM. A excreÃÃo diÃria de nitrogÃnio (N) foi estimada extrapolando-se a equaÃÃo de regressÃo de consumo de N (g/kg PC0,75/dia) em funÃÃo da retenÃÃo de N (g/kg PC0,75/dia) para o consumo zero. Foram ajustadas equaÃÃes de regressÃo do logaritmo do conteÃdo de gordura, energia e proteÃna em funÃÃo do logaritmo do PCVZ dos animais. A concentraÃÃo de energia lÃquida da dieta para mantenÃa, foi obtida dividindo-se a produÃÃo de calor em jejum, pelo CMS para manter o equilÃbrio de energia, expresso em g de MS/kg PCVZ0,75. A validaÃÃo do modelo SRNS foi realizada atravÃs do ajuste de modelo de regressÃo linear simples entre os valores preditos (variÃvel independente) e observados (variÃvel dependente), as variÃveis analisadas foram CMS e GPC. A composiÃÃo quÃmica corporal foi determinada utilizando a composiÃÃo da meia carcaÃa direita, assim como uma amostra da seÃÃo HH, obtida da meia carcaÃa esquerda. Na meia-carcaÃa esquerda resfriada, retirou-se o corte da seÃÃo HH, pela secÃÃo transversal da 9a-10a-11a costelas no ponto correspondente a 61,5% da distÃncia entre a vÃrtebra seccionada e o inÃcio da cartilagem da 12a costela, em seguida, a seÃÃo HH foi moÃda em moedor de carne industrial e homogeneizada. O ganho mÃdio diÃrio e o ganho de peso de corpo vazio aumentaram linearmente com o aumento dos nÃveis de energia metabolizÃveis. Jà o peso corporal final, peso corporal ao abate, peso de corpo vazio, consumo de matÃria seca e consumo de energia metabolizÃvel apresentaram efeito quadrÃtico (P <0,001) com o aumento do nÃvel de energia. O teor de energia e de gordura de PCVZ dos animais aumentou de 2,77 Mcal/kg e 209,17 g/kg para 3,47 Mcal/kg e 294,08 g/kg de PCVZ, respectivamente, e o PC aumentou de 13,00 para 28,70 kg. O consumo de nitrogÃnio apresentou efeito quadrÃtico, com ponto de mÃxima de 2,59 Mcal/kg MS de energia metabolizÃvel, correspondendo ao consumo mÃximo de N de 2,90 g/kg PC0,75/dia. Jà para o nitrogÃnio retido diariamente, observou-se resposta linear crescente com o aumento nos nÃveis de energia metabolizÃvel nas dietas. Observou-se uma diminuiÃÃo da quantidade de proteÃna no corpo vazio dos animais com o aumento do PCVZ, passando de 143,71 para 122,52 g/kg PCVZ, quando os animais aumentaram o peso corporal de 13,00 para 28,70 kg. A excreÃÃo diÃria de N foi estimada em 0,128 g/kg PC0,75/dia. A composiÃÃo corporal de ovinos Somalis Brasileira varia de 538,28 a 593,93 g/kg de PCVZ para Ãgua, 228,17 a 353,13 g/kg de PCVZ para gordura, 114,53 a 157,93 g/kg de PCVZ para poteÃna e 17,94 a 31,68 g/kg de PCVZ de matÃria mineral, para dietas contendo 1,18 a 2,69 Mcal/kg de MS, respectivamente. A exigÃncia lÃquida de energia para mantenÃa à 45,63 g/kg PCVZ0,75/dia. O aumento no peso dos animais de 13,00 para 28,70 kg PC eleva as deposiÃÃes de gordura de 283,75 para 398,93 g/kg GPCVZ e energia de 3,42 para 4,30 Mcal/kg GPCVZ. A exigÃncia lÃquida de proteÃna para mantenÃa à 0,80 g/kg PC0,75/dia, havendo uma diminuiÃÃo da exigÃncia lÃquida de proteÃna para GPCVZ de 119,72 para 102,07 g/kg GPCVZ, conforme o peso corporal aumenta de 13,00 para 28,70 kg. A eficiÃncia de uso da energia metabolizÃvel para mantenÃa à de 0,67. Jà a eficiÃncia de uso da energia metabolizÃvel para ganho varia de 1,85 a 0,43 para dietas contendo 1,18 a 2,69 Mcal/hg MS respectivamente. As exigÃncias lÃquidas de energia e proteÃna elevam-se com o aumento do peso corporal e aumento do ganho de peso corporal dos ovinos Somalis Brasileira. O modelo Small Ruminant Nutrition Systems à sensÃvel para predizer o consumo de matÃria seca, entretanto, subestimou em 5,18% o ganho mÃdio diÃrio de peso corporal. A seÃÃo HH estimou satisfatoriamente a composiÃÃo quÃmica de Ãgua, proteÃna e gordura na carcaÃa e no corpo vazio, enquanto o teor de minerais foi subestimado em torno de 27,07% na carcaÃa e 14,91% no corpo vazio. Os teores de Ãgua, proteÃna bruta e gordura da carcaÃa podem ser preditos pela seÃÃo HH. Por fim, a composiÃÃo quÃmica da seÃÃo HH pode ser utilizada em substituiÃÃo à composiÃÃo quÃmica da carcaÃa para predizer composiÃÃo quÃmica do corpo vazio em ovinos Somalis Brasileira.
Objetivou-se com o seguinte trabalho determinar as exigÃncias nutricionais de energia e proteÃna em ovinos Somalis Brasileira. Utilizou-se 48 ovinos Somalis Brasileira em crescimento, nÃo-castrados, com idade e peso corporal (PC) mÃdio de 60 dias e 13,47  1,76 kg, respectivamente. ApÃs um perÃodo de adaptaÃÃo de 20 dias, oito animais foram abatidos e utilizados como referÃncia para estimativas do peso de corpo vazio (PCVZ) e da composiÃÃo corporal inicial dos demais animais. Os animais remanescentes foram distribuÃdos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, sendo os tratamentos, raÃÃes contendo diferentes nÃveis de energia metabolizÃvel (1,18; 2,07; 2,25; 2,42 e 2,69 Mcal/kg MS), com oito repetiÃÃes. O peso de abate foi determinado quando a mÃdia de peso dos animais de um dos cinco tratamentos atingiu 28 kg. A exigÃncia lÃquida de energia para mantenÃa foi estimado extrapolando-se a equaÃÃo de regressÃo do logaritmo da produÃÃo de calor, em funÃÃo do consumo de energia metabolizÃvel (CEM) para o nÃvel zero de CEM. A excreÃÃo diÃria de nitrogÃnio (N) foi estimada extrapolando-se a equaÃÃo de regressÃo de consumo de N (g/kg PC0,75/dia) em funÃÃo da retenÃÃo de N (g/kg PC0,75/dia) para o consumo zero. Foram ajustadas equaÃÃes de regressÃo do logaritmo do conteÃdo de gordura, energia e proteÃna em funÃÃo do logaritmo do PCVZ dos animais. A concentraÃÃo de energia lÃquida da dieta para mantenÃa, foi obtida dividindo-se a produÃÃo de calor em jejum, pelo CMS para manter o equilÃbrio de energia, expresso em g de MS/kg PCVZ0,75. A validaÃÃo do modelo SRNS foi realizada atravÃs do ajuste de modelo de regressÃo linear simples entre os valores preditos (variÃvel independente) e observados (variÃvel dependente), as variÃveis analisadas foram CMS e GPC. A composiÃÃo quÃmica corporal foi determinada utilizando a composiÃÃo da meia carcaÃa direita, assim como uma amostra da seÃÃo HH, obtida da meia carcaÃa esquerda. Na meia-carcaÃa esquerda resfriada, retirou-se o corte da seÃÃo HH, pela secÃÃo transversal da 9a-10a-11a costelas no ponto correspondente a 61,5% da distÃncia entre a vÃrtebra seccionada e o inÃcio da cartilagem da 12a costela, em seguida, a seÃÃo HH foi moÃda em moedor de carne industrial e homogeneizada. O ganho mÃdio diÃrio e o ganho de peso de corpo vazio aumentaram linearmente com o aumento dos nÃveis de energia metabolizÃveis. Jà o peso corporal final, peso corporal ao abate, peso de corpo vazio, consumo de matÃria seca e consumo de energia metabolizÃvel apresentaram efeito quadrÃtico (P <0,001) com o aumento do nÃvel de energia. O teor de energia e de gordura de PCVZ dos animais aumentou de 2,77 Mcal/kg e 209,17 g/kg para 3,47 Mcal/kg e 294,08 g/kg de PCVZ, respectivamente, e o PC aumentou de 13,00 para 28,70 kg. O consumo de nitrogÃnio apresentou efeito quadrÃtico, com ponto de mÃxima de 2,59 Mcal/kg MS de energia metabolizÃvel, correspondendo ao consumo mÃximo de N de 2,90 g/kg PC0,75/dia. Jà para o nitrogÃnio retido diariamente, observou-se resposta linear crescente com o aumento nos nÃveis de energia metabolizÃvel nas dietas. Observou-se uma diminuiÃÃo da quantidade de proteÃna no corpo vazio dos animais com o aumento do PCVZ, passando de 143,71 para 122,52 g/kg PCVZ, quando os animais aumentaram o peso corporal de 13,00 para 28,70 kg. A excreÃÃo diÃria de N foi estimada em 0,128 g/kg PC0,75/dia. A composiÃÃo corporal de ovinos Somalis Brasileira varia de 538,28 a 593,93 g/kg de PCVZ para Ãgua, 228,17 a 353,13 g/kg de PCVZ para gordura, 114,53 a 157,93 g/kg de PCVZ para poteÃna e 17,94 a 31,68 g/kg de PCVZ de matÃria mineral, para dietas contendo 1,18 a 2,69 Mcal/kg de MS, respectivamente. A exigÃncia lÃquida de energia para mantenÃa à 45,63 g/kg PCVZ0,75/dia. O aumento no peso dos animais de 13,00 para 28,70 kg PC eleva as deposiÃÃes de gordura de 283,75 para 398,93 g/kg GPCVZ e energia de 3,42 para 4,30 Mcal/kg GPCVZ. A exigÃncia lÃquida de proteÃna para mantenÃa à 0,80 g/kg PC0,75/dia, havendo uma diminuiÃÃo da exigÃncia lÃquida de proteÃna para GPCVZ de 119,72 para 102,07 g/kg GPCVZ, conforme o peso corporal aumenta de 13,00 para 28,70 kg. A eficiÃncia de uso da energia metabolizÃvel para mantenÃa à de 0,67. Jà a eficiÃncia de uso da energia metabolizÃvel para ganho varia de 1,85 a 0,43 para dietas contendo 1,18 a 2,69 Mcal/hg MS respectivamente. As exigÃncias lÃquidas de energia e proteÃna elevam-se com o aumento do peso corporal e aumento do ganho de peso corporal dos ovinos Somalis Brasileira. O modelo Small Ruminant Nutrition Systems à sensÃvel para predizer o consumo de matÃria seca, entretanto, subestimou em 5,18% o ganho mÃdio diÃrio de peso corporal. A seÃÃo HH estimou satisfatoriamente a composiÃÃo quÃmica de Ãgua, proteÃna e gordura na carcaÃa e no corpo vazio, enquanto o teor de minerais foi subestimado em torno de 27,07% na carcaÃa e 14,91% no corpo vazio. Os teores de Ãgua, proteÃna bruta e gordura da carcaÃa podem ser preditos pela seÃÃo HH. Por fim, a composiÃÃo quÃmica da seÃÃo HH pode ser utilizada em substituiÃÃo à composiÃÃo quÃmica da carcaÃa para predizer composiÃÃo quÃmica do corpo vazio em ovinos Somalis Brasileira.
The objective of the following work to determine the nutritional requirements of energy and protein in Brazilian Somali sheep. We used 48 sheep Brazilian Somali growing, non-castrated, age and body weight (BW) average of 60 days and 13.47 Â 1.76 kg respectively. After a 20 day adaptation period, eight animals were slaughtered and used as a reference for estimates of empty body weight (EBW) and initial body composition of other animals. The remaining animals were distributed in a randomized block design, with the treatments, diets with different levels of metabolizable energy (1.18; 2.07; 2.25; 2.42 and 2.69 Mcal/kg DM), with eight repetitions. The weight of slaughter animals was determined when the weight average of the five treatments was 28 kg. The net energy requirement for maintenance was estimated extrapolating the logarithmic regression equation of heat production, depending on the metabolizable energy intake (MEI) to the zero level of MEI. The daily excretion of nitrogen (N) was estimated by extrapolating to N consumption regression equation (g/BW0.75 kg/day) as a function of the N retention (g/BW 0.75 kg/day) for consumption zero. They were adjusted regression of log equations fat content, protein and energy in the logarithm of EBW animals. The concentration of net energy for maintenance diet was obtained by dividing the heat production in fasting, the DMI to maintain energy balance in g DM/kg EBW0.75. The validation of the SRNS model was performed using the simple linear regression model fit between the predicted values (independent variable) and observed (dependent variable), variables were analyzed DMI and BWG. The body composition was determined using the composition of the right half carcass, as well as a sample of the section HH, obtained from the left crankcase half. In middle housing cooled left, retreated cutting the section HH, the cross section of the 9th-10th-11th rib at the point corresponding to 61.5% of the distance between the sectioned vertebrae and the beginning of the 12th rib cartilage in then, the HH section was ground in grinder industrial and homogenised meat. The average daily gain and empty body weight gain increased linearly with increasing metabolizable energy levels. But the final body weight, body weight at slaughter, empty body weight, dry matter intake and metabolizable energy intake showed a quadratic effect (P<0.001) with increasing energy level. Energy and fat EBW of the animals increased from 2.77 Mcal/kg to 209.17 g/kg to 3.47 Mcal/kg to 294.08 g/kg EBW, respectively, and increased the BW 13.00 to 28.70 kg. Consumption of nitrogen showed quadratic effect with point of maximum of 2.59 Mcal/kg DM of metabolizable energy, corresponding to the maximum consumption of N of 2.90 g/kg BW0.75/day. As for the nitrogen retained daily, there was a positive linear correlation with the increase in metabolizable energy levels in the diets. There was a decreased amount of protein in the empty body of animals with increased EBW, from 143.71 to 122.52 g/kg EBW, when the animals increased the body weight of 13.00 to 28.70 kg. The daily excretion of N was estimated at 0.128 g/BW0.75 kg/day. The body composition of Brazilian Somali sheep ranges from 538.28 to 593.93 g/kg EBW for water, from 228.17 to 353.13 g/kg EBW for fat, 114.53 to 157.93 g/kg EBW for protein and from 17.94 to 31.68 g/kg of EBW of mineral matter, for diets containing 1.18 to 2.69 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. The net energy requirement for maintenance is 45.63 g/kg EBW0.75/day. The increase in animal weight of 13.00 to 28.70 kg BW increases the deposition of fat from 283.75 to 398.93 g/kg EBW and energy of 3.42 to 4.30 Mcal/kg EBW. The protein requirement for maintenance is 0.80 g/BW0.75 kg/day, with a decreased protein requirement for EBW of 119.72 to 102.07 g/kg EBW, as the weight increases by 13.00 to 28.70 kg. The use efficiency of metabolizable energy for maintenance is 0.67. Already use efficiency of metabolizable energy for gain varies from 1.85 to 0.43 for diets containing 1.18 to 2.69 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. The net requirements of energy and protein increase with increasing body weight and increase in body weight gain of Brazilian Somali sheep. The model Small Ruminant Nutrition Systems is sensitive to predict dry matter intake, however, underestimated in 5.18% the average daily weight gain. The section HH satisfactorily estimated the chemical composition of water, protein and fat in the carcass and empty body, while the mineral content was underestimated around 27.07% 14.91% housing and empty body. The water content, crude protein and carcass fat can be predicted by section HH. Finally, the chemical composition of section HH can be used to replace the chemical composition of the carcass to predict chemical composition of empty body in Brazilian Somalis sheep.
The objective of the following work to determine the nutritional requirements of energy and protein in Brazilian Somali sheep. We used 48 sheep Brazilian Somali growing, non-castrated, age and body weight (BW) average of 60 days and 13.47 Â 1.76 kg respectively. After a 20 day adaptation period, eight animals were slaughtered and used as a reference for estimates of empty body weight (EBW) and initial body composition of other animals. The remaining animals were distributed in a randomized block design, with the treatments, diets with different levels of metabolizable energy (1.18; 2.07; 2.25; 2.42 and 2.69 Mcal/kg DM), with eight repetitions. The weight of slaughter animals was determined when the weight average of the five treatments was 28 kg. The net energy requirement for maintenance was estimated extrapolating the logarithmic regression equation of heat production, depending on the metabolizable energy intake (MEI) to the zero level of MEI. The daily excretion of nitrogen (N) was estimated by extrapolating to N consumption regression equation (g/BW0.75 kg/day) as a function of the N retention (g/BW 0.75 kg/day) for consumption zero. They were adjusted regression of log equations fat content, protein and energy in the logarithm of EBW animals. The concentration of net energy for maintenance diet was obtained by dividing the heat production in fasting, the DMI to maintain energy balance in g DM/kg EBW0.75. The validation of the SRNS model was performed using the simple linear regression model fit between the predicted values (independent variable) and observed (dependent variable), variables were analyzed DMI and BWG. The body composition was determined using the composition of the right half carcass, as well as a sample of the section HH, obtained from the left crankcase half. In middle housing cooled left, retreated cutting the section HH, the cross section of the 9th-10th-11th rib at the point corresponding to 61.5% of the distance between the sectioned vertebrae and the beginning of the 12th rib cartilage in then, the HH section was ground in grinder industrial and homogenised meat. The average daily gain and empty body weight gain increased linearly with increasing metabolizable energy levels. But the final body weight, body weight at slaughter, empty body weight, dry matter intake and metabolizable energy intake showed a quadratic effect (P<0.001) with increasing energy level. Energy and fat EBW of the animals increased from 2.77 Mcal/kg to 209.17 g/kg to 3.47 Mcal/kg to 294.08 g/kg EBW, respectively, and increased the BW 13.00 to 28.70 kg. Consumption of nitrogen showed quadratic effect with point of maximum of 2.59 Mcal/kg DM of metabolizable energy, corresponding to the maximum consumption of N of 2.90 g/kg BW0.75/day. As for the nitrogen retained daily, there was a positive linear correlation with the increase in metabolizable energy levels in the diets. There was a decreased amount of protein in the empty body of animals with increased EBW, from 143.71 to 122.52 g/kg EBW, when the animals increased the body weight of 13.00 to 28.70 kg. The daily excretion of N was estimated at 0.128 g/BW0.75 kg/day. The body composition of Brazilian Somali sheep ranges from 538.28 to 593.93 g/kg EBW for water, from 228.17 to 353.13 g/kg EBW for fat, 114.53 to 157.93 g/kg EBW for protein and from 17.94 to 31.68 g/kg of EBW of mineral matter, for diets containing 1.18 to 2.69 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. The net energy requirement for maintenance is 45.63 g/kg EBW0.75/day. The increase in animal weight of 13.00 to 28.70 kg BW increases the deposition of fat from 283.75 to 398.93 g/kg EBW and energy of 3.42 to 4.30 Mcal/kg EBW. The protein requirement for maintenance is 0.80 g/BW0.75 kg/day, with a decreased protein requirement for EBW of 119.72 to 102.07 g/kg EBW, as the weight increases by 13.00 to 28.70 kg. The use efficiency of metabolizable energy for maintenance is 0.67. Already use efficiency of metabolizable energy for gain varies from 1.85 to 0.43 for diets containing 1.18 to 2.69 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. The net requirements of energy and protein increase with increasing body weight and increase in body weight gain of Brazilian Somali sheep. The model Small Ruminant Nutrition Systems is sensitive to predict dry matter intake, however, underestimated in 5.18% the average daily weight gain. The section HH satisfactorily estimated the chemical composition of water, protein and fat in the carcass and empty body, while the mineral content was underestimated around 27.07% 14.91% housing and empty body. The water content, crude protein and carcass fat can be predicted by section HH. Finally, the chemical composition of section HH can be used to replace the chemical composition of the carcass to predict chemical composition of empty body in Brazilian Somalis sheep.

The diploma thesis deals with the comparison of methods of valuation of the object type of holiday and a garden cottage in Nachod location and surroundings. In the first part is introduced location Nachod and concisely its surroudings. The next is a description individual valuation methods, which according to objects are valued. For the determination of the property valuation methods are used according to regulations, the valuation of substantive value, the valuation by comparing the price and yield valuation. The main part is the actual valuation of three real properties. The first is a holiday cottage V Kovarove dole, cadastral territory Nachod, the second holiday cottage is U Cihelny, cadastral territory Nachod and last is garden cottage, cadastral territory Kramolna. At the end of each chapter is a statistical summary and determination of current prices. On the Finally is the statistic summary of set prices and is determined the most appropriate method for property valuation for the type of holiday and garden cottage in location Náchod and its surroundings.

The distinct stages of cotton fiber development and maturation serve as a single-celled model for studying the molecular mechanisms of plant cell elongation, cell wall development and cellulose biosynthesis. However, this model system of plant cell development is compromised for proteomic studies due to a lack of an efficient protein extraction method during the later stages of fiber development, because of a recalcitrant cell wall and the presence of abundant phenolic compounds. Here, we compared the quality and quantities of proteins extracted from 25 dpa (days post anthesis) fiber with multiple protein extraction methods and present a comprehensive quantitative proteomic study of fiber development from 10 dpa to 25 dpa. Comparative analysis using a label-free quantification method revealed 287 differentially-expressed proteins in the 10 dpa to 25 dpa fiber developmental period. Proteins involved in cell wall metabolism and regulation, cytoskeleton development and carbohydrate metabolism among other functional categories in four fiber developmental stages were identified. Our studies provide protocols for protein extraction from maturing fiber tissues for mass spectrometry analysis and expand knowledge of the proteomic profile of cotton fiber development.

In the development of engineering products, it is necessary to predict dynamic properties of the modified structures. Achieving such predictions by using the structural properties of the original structure and information on the modifications is commonly referred to as structural modification analysis. In this thesis, Ö
zgü
ven&rsquo
s Structural Modification Method and Sherman-Morrison Method are selected as exact methods for structural modifications to predict the dynamics of a locally modified structure. Also, a new structural modification method named as &ldquo
Extended Successive Matrix Inversion Method&rdquo
is developed in this study. These three methods are implemented in a software developed herein, called &ldquo
Structural Modification Toolbox&rdquo
. The software uses modal analysis results of MSC Nastran©
for the original structure and calculates the modified frequency response functions by any of the methods above. In order to validate the software, direct modal analysis results of MSC Nastran©
for the frequency response functions of the modified structure are used. The methods are compared in terms of computational time, and the effectivity of each method is studied as a function of modification size to determine which of these methods is more suitable. In order to investigate the application of the methods and compare their results with experimental ones, modal tests are conducted on a scaled aircraft structure. The solutions are compared with test results obtained from modified test structure. Additionally, the software is used for comparison of real aircraft test results and frequency response functions of the modified structure.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-100).
Life cycle assessments are quickly becoming a crucial method through which the environmental impacts of products or processes are evaluated. A concern with current practice, however, is that the use of deterministic values for inputs and final results only represent a single scenario, not all possible values and outcomes, or even a real-world situation. By incorporating uncertainty, an LCA can account for inherent variation and the use of proxy data, both of which are common occurrences in LCA implementation. In a comparative LCA, this uncertainty allows a decision to be made between alternatives with a certain level of confidence. While uncertainty is necessary for credible results, its implementation can also be time consuming. As LCAs grow more common, methods of streamlining are being explored to reduce both the effort and cost. One such streamlining method that also incorporates uncertainty is probabilistic underspecification. This method evaluates environmental parameters by dividing them into different material and process categories. The lowest level of specification, Level 1, is defined by the type of material or process, such as metal or freight transportation. This category is then subdivided based on different characteristics of the material or process. The highest level of specification, Level 5, consists of the individual database processes used by traditional LCAs. This thesis compares the streamlining method of probabilistic underspecification to the more common method of incorporating uncertainty, termed here as individual probabilistic specification. A case study on alternative pavement designs is used to demonstrate and compare both the methodologies. The effort required for each methodology is compared by the percentage of processes specified at Level 5, which is 100% for individual probabilistic specification, but much less for probabilistic underspecification. The results of the case study showed that as little as 32% or less of the processes need to be specified at Level 5 in order to have the required level of confidence in the decision being made. It can be seen that, as a streamlining method to estimate the results of comparative LCAs, probabilistic underspecification is a viable option.
by Margaret T. Wildnauer.
S.M.

It is thought that men experiencing childhood sexual abuse are at an increased risk of becoming a child sex offender in adolescence or adulthood (Jesperson, Lalumière & Seto, 2009). While a large number of men experience childhood sexual abuse (approximately 10% of the male population, Radford, et al., 2011) only a minority go on to offend sexually (Salter et al., 2013). The broad aim of this thesis was to provide evidence for or against the victim to offender pathway, while addressing these some key limitations of the literature. Five empirical chapters are presented, building on the findings of previous research. The thesis uses a range of methodologies including self report questionnaires, empirical tests and interviews to provide validity to the results reported. Finally, a 2x2 (offender x victim) design is used throughout the thesis to allow comparisons to be made across multiple groups. The key findings of the thesis demonstrated that the four groups are separate groups; differing significantly on a variety of measures. Self report measures suggested that offender victims have almost baseline scores on cognitive distortions about sex with children and emotional congruence with children. However, their responses on more empirical measures suggested that this finding was not valid and may have been falsified by the offenders. Differences were also found between offender victims’ and non-offender victims’ narratives about their childhood, with offenders expressing more sexualized words and few positive words compared to non-offenders; they also reported having fewer people for support throughout their lives. It is concluded that experiencing childhood sexual abuse does have an impact on later sexual offending, however it is not the sole reason people offend; other influencing factors must be involved. Additionally, self report measures may not be accurate reflections of people’s opinions, with offender victims’ self reports found to be highly inaccurate. It is recommended that practitioners consider an offender’s victimization status when considering treatment needs for offenders as they may require treatment to address issues relating to their abusive experiences to enable them to fully engage with treatment programs to address their offending behaviors.

This study was initiated by the authors in order to evaluate the Twister™ method’s environmental pros and cons in relation to other traditional floor care methods using polish and wax. This has been ascertained through a Life Cycle Assessment which was conducted within the study. The study has been in co-operation with HTC Sweden AB, the developer of the Twister™ method. The results show that the elements of the Twister™ method with the greatest environmental impact are the scrubbing machine that is used and the low energy consumption that the Twister™ method requires. The results also show that the Twister™ method has a significantly lower environmental impact than floor care methods using polish or wax. The parts of the Twister™ pad that have the greatest environmental impact are the industrial diamonds and the material that makes up the pad.

This thesis compares the selected type of property valuation methods in the garage area of the Czech Budejovice. Selected garages were awarded cost method, comparative method and comparison method from the database. At the beginning of the thesis describes the basic concepts of real estate valuation. The following describes the operators occurring in the real estate market, a general description of the garage. To conclude the theoretical part describes selected methods of evaluation of existing garage, according to the rules and regulations according to previous regulations. For the purpose of this thesis was awarded with 10 garages, of which 8 are terraced and 2 detached. Learning rates are compared and statistically analyzed.

La réactivité totale OH est la perte totale du radical hydroxyle (le principal oxydant de l'atmosphère) avec les gaz réactifs dans l'air ambiant. Elle représente la mesure de la quantité totale des réactifs dans un environnement donné.Nous présentons ici un travail expérimental se concentrant sur les améliorations techniques d'une méthode appelée "Comparative Reactivity Method" pour mesurer la réactivité OH su le terrain ainsi que sur des résultats obtenus sur deux sites ciblés dans le bassin méditerranéen.La réactivité OH mesurée était élevée dans les deux sites. Sur le site récepteur en Corse (France) au cours de l'été 2013, nous avons observé que la réactivité OH était en moyenne de 5,5 s-1 (avec un maximum de 17 s-1). Ces mesures ont été comparées avec les observations de composés en phase gazeuse réalisées pendant la campagne. Il a été noté que pendant une période de la campagne, seulement 50% de la réactvité était expliqué par les mesures complémentaires.Lors de mesures dans une forêt de chênes pubescents, émetteurs isoprène, dans le sud de la France, nous avons observé que la réactivité OH maximale était très élevée (69 s-1), en accord avec la réactivité calculée à partir des mesures des gaz réactifs.Ce travail de thèse met en évidence que: (i) le bassin méditerranéen est un fort émetteur de gaz réactifs, (ii) la réactivité mesurée dans ces deux sites de la Méditerranée a été fortement impactée par les émissions biogéniques, (iii) il reste encore beaucoup de composés inconnus associés aux émissions biogéniques primaires et secondaires. A l'avenir, plusieurs approches pourraient etre utilisées pour identifier ces composés inconnus: en couplant la mesure de la réactivité OH avec des mesures de plantes dans des enceintes fermées (composés primaires), études en chambre de vieillissement (composés primaires et secondaires), ainsi que des approches de modélisation
The total OH reactivity is the total loss rate of the hydroxyl radical with the reactive gases in ambient air. It represents the measure of the total loading of reactants in a given environment.Here we present an experimental work focusing on the technical improvements of the Comparative Reactivity Method to measure the OH reactivity on the field and field measurements of OH reactivity at two targeted sites in the Mediterranean basin.The measured OH reactivity was high at both sites. At a receptor site in Corsica (France) during summer 2013, we observed that the OH reactivity was maximum 17 s-1, on average 5.5 s-1 and during one week only 50% was explained by the complementary measurements in the gas phase.At a forest of downy oak trees, high isoprene emitters, in the south of France, we observed that the OH reactivity was maximum 69 s-1, in agreement with the reactivity calculated from the measurements of reactive gases only during daytime.This thesis work highlights that: (i) the Mediterranean basin is a strong emitter of reactive gases, (ii) the reactivity measured in these two sites in the Mediterranean was strongly impacted by the biogenic emissions, (iii) there are still many unknowns associated to measures of biogenic volatiles primary emitted and secondary produced. Such unknowns might be reduced in the future by coupling the measurement of the OH reactivity with plants enclosures and chambers studies as well as modelling approaches

This Thesis examines the valuation of five family houses in Brno and neighbouring areas. The theoretical part of the paper defines a number of approaches to real estate valuation as well as some key terms and concepts linked to it. The applied part focuses on valuation of the aforementioned family houses by using a range of methods; Cost, comparative and direct comparison. Based on these results a usual price is then set. Based on the estimates of respective prices an analysis of the effect of area on the usual price of a property was conducted.

Traditional in lab usability evaluation has been used as the 'standard' evaluation method for evaluating and improving usability of software user interfaces (Andre, Williges, & Hartson, 2000). However, traditional in lab evaluation has its drawbacks such as availability of representative end users, high cost of testing and lack of true representation of a user's actual work environment. To counteract these issues various alternative and less expensive usability evaluation methods (UEMs) have been developed over the past decade. One such UEM is the Remote Usability Evaluation method. Remote evaluation is a relatively new area and lacks empirical data to support the approach. The need for empirical support was addressed in this study. The overall purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the effectiveness of the two evaluation types, the remote evaluation approach (SREM) and the traditional evaluation approach, in collecting usability data. This study also compared the effectiveness between the two methods based on user type, usability novice users and usability experienced users. Finally, the hypothesis that users, in general, will prefer the remote evaluation approach of reporting to the traditional in-lab evaluation approach was also tested. Results indicated that, in general, the synchronous remote approach is at least as effective as the traditional in lab usability evaluation approach in collecting usability data across all user types. However, when user type was taken into consideration, it was found that there was a significant difference in the high severity negative critical incident data collected between the two approaches for the novice user group. The traditional approach collected significantly more high severity negative critical incident data than the remote approach. Additionally, results indicate that users tend to be more willing to participate in the same approach as the one they participated previously. Recommendations for usability evaluators for conducting the SREM approach and areas for future research are identified in the study.
Master of Science

The overall aim of this study was to further comparative understanding of e-practice in Australian and American universities. The study used one Faculty in an Australian university and one Faculty in an American university as examples. The theoretical focus was on the cultural context as well as on practice in the e-learning area. The variables of instructivism and constructivism were explored for establishing the differing cultural context of the two countries. The pedagogical, performance appraisal, instructional design, technological, administrative and support service were investigated to establish e-practice differences between the two countries. Studies 1 to 3 used both a qualitative and quantitative methodology in order to ascertain the current status of e-learning. Participants were students, lecturers and administrative staff of one Faculty in an Australian university and one Faculty in an American university engaged with e-learning programs. Study 1 investigated the dominant cultural dimensions of the two universities. The results of this study showed that the dominant e-learning approach of one Faculty in an American university was toward constructivism while the dominant e-learning approach of one Faculty in an Australian university was toward instructivism. In Study 2, the current status of e-learning practice was investigated in the two universities using a quantitative methodological approach.«br /» The results indicated that the level of e-practice in all aspects of e-learning was above average in both universities. Participants of the American university rated their system consistently higher in most aspects of e-practice than the Australian university participants. In Study 3, the current issues of e-learning practice in four aspects, namely pedagogy, culture, technology and e-practice, that need to be improved, were investigated by applying a qualitative method. The results of interviews identified pedagogical challenges in approaches to learning, effective learning practice, assessment method and learning content as areas that need attention. Cultural sensitivity, effective cultural practice and key technological challenges as well as issues like faculty policies, quality, learning management system, and online support were revealed as areas that could improve the e-learning systems in both universities.Although both America and Australia have shown progress in the field of e-practice, it is apparent that the quality and quantity of e-practice factors in an Australian university needs to be sped up. This is despite the fact that the context of e-learning in an Australian university studied has been improved by Asian cultural contact. From this perspective applying the pattern and technology that has been used in the American university could help to guide an Australian university e-learning system practice in the future.