Nas últimas décadas o mercado brasileiro para a piscicultura apresentou uma série de mudanças significativas, tais como crescimento em produtividade e exploração de espécies com aptidão aos diferentes sistemas de cultivo empregados. Frente a essas modificações, o Rio Grande do Sul, parece ter vivenciado um caminho oposto, já que os últimos levantamentos estatísticos apresentam uma queda na expressão de sua produtividade. Entre as etapas que compõem a aquicultura, a produção de juvenis é de grande importância uma vez que é um insumo indispensável a continuidade da cadeia, no entanto a falta de profissionalismo das unidades produtoras, pode trazer perdas para esta atividade. Portanto com a união dos diferentes temas abordados, esta tese tem por objetivo construir cenários em escala regional, buscando alternativas para que o RS retome o crescimento deste setor e aproveite o seu potencial econômico, além disso, busca através de estudos de caso com custos de produção, construir indicadores auxiliares à gestão dentro das unidades produtoras de pescado. A construção de cenários ocorreu com o método Delphi e os estudos de caso ocorreram com a análise de Custo-Volume-Lucro aplicado em dois sistemas de produção aquícola. A construção de cenários trouxe relevância para o desenvolvimento de políticas favoráveis à piscicultura no RS, ainda chamou atenção para o potencial da tilápia, como uma espécie promissora. A análise de Custo-Volume-Lucro teve fácil aplicação em ambos os casos estudados (produção de juvenis de peixes no RS e engorda de tilápias em tanques-rede na Bahia). Ainda, trouxe indicadores referentes aos insumos, volume produzido, vendas e lucratividade, possibilitando o planejamento e o desenvolvimento de estratégias para que o futuro desses sistemas não seja comprometido. / In the last decades the Brazilian market for fish farming has undergone a series of significant changes, such as growth in productivity and exploitation of species with aptitude for different farming systems. In the face of these changes, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) seems to have experienced an opposite path, since the last statistical surveys show a decrease in the expression of its productivity. Among the stages that make up aquaculture, the production of juveniles is of great importance since it is an indispensable input to the continuity of the chain, however the lack of professionalism of the producing units, can bring losses to this activity. Therefore, with the union of the different themes addressed, this thesis aims to build scenarios on a regional scale, seeking alternatives for the RS to resume the growth of this sector and to take advantage of its economic potential, in addition, search through case studies with costs of Management indicators within the fish producing units. Scenario construction occurred with the Delphi method and the case studies occurred with Cost-Volume-Profit analysis applied in two aquaculture production systems. The construction of scenarios brought relevance to the development of policies favorable to fish farming in RS, still called attention to the potential of tilapia as a promising species. The Cost- Volume-Profit analysis was easy to apply in both studied cases (production of fish juveniles in RS and fattening of tilapia in tanks in Bahia). Still, the results refer to the inputs, volume produced, sales and profitability, enabling the planning and development of strategies for the future of non-committed systems.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver um modelo de habilidades técnicas do ataque da posição quatro e por meio do modelo, analisar o comportamento do ataque da posição quatro na categoria infanto-juvenil masculina. Para o primeiro objetivo, utilizou-se do método delphi, entrevistando-se em dois momentos distintos (1ª e 2ª etapas) 14 treinadores das seleções brasileiras de voleibol masculina e feminina. Enquanto que na primeira etapa foi delineada a estrutura do modelo, na segunda, foi possível elaborar o modelo propriamente dito a partir do nível esperado de consenso. Os resultados demonstraram que, para as onze situações de bloqueio, cento e setenta e duas habilidades técnicas foram relacionadas pelos treinadores, entre as quais, somente quatro (SBT1-I, SBT1-J, SBT3-A e SBT3-S) não alcançaram o critério de consenso estabelecido (média, moda, mediana igual ou superior a 4.0 e desvio padrão igual ou inferior a 0,65). Para o segundo objetivo, foram observados doze jogos em campeonatos mundiais dos anos 2005 e 2007, nos quais foram analisados valores de freqüência de ocorrência e eficácia. Os resultados mostraram maiores ocorrências nas situações de bloqueios duplos seguidas dos bloqueios simples e triplos. Quanto às habilidades técnicas, a corrida de aproximação em diagonal foi a mais utilizada pelos atacantes com opção de ataque direto. As habilidades com ataque explorando o bloqueio ocorreram com maior freqüência frente aos bloqueios duplos e triplos compactos. A análise de correlação de Spearman detectou baixo nível de associação entre freqüência de ocorrência e eficácia. Contudo, a análise de regressão logística (binária e multinomial) entre as habilidades mais freqüentes permitiu verificar que a SBD1-A foi a situação/habilidade que mais ocorreu, no entanto, com menores chances de sucesso entre a maioria das situações/habilidades investigadas. As habilidades técnicas empregadas nas situações de bloqueio simples obtiveram maiores chances de sucesso que as habilidades utilizadas nos bloqueios duplos. Os resultados destacaram o aspecto situacional do ataque, o qual revelou necessidade de aplicação de habilidades técnicas específicas em determinadas estruturas de bloqueio para se obter o sucesso / The objective of this study was to develop a model for attack technical skills in zone four and to analyze the performance of young players through this model. In the first case, through the delphi method and in two distinct moments (1st and 2nd phases), fourteen coaches of the Brazilian male and female teams were interviewed. The structure of the model was designed in the first phase and, by means of consensus, the model itself was eventually designed in the second phase. Results evidenced that 170 attack technical skills were reported by the coaches in eleven block situations, and only four (SBT1-I, SBT1-J, SBT3-A e SBT3-S) did not reach the consensus level (mean, mode, median equal or above 4.0 and standard deviation 0,65). In the second case, twelve games were analyzed during the world championships in years 2005 and 2007 in the frequency and efficacy of actions. The results from the analysis of attack performances from zone four during the world championships showed a larger number in double blocks followed by simple and triple blocks. As for technical skills, the type of run with diagonal approach was the most used by attack players with the option of direct attack. Techniques where attack explores blocking were most common in compact double and triple blocks. The Spearman correlation analysis showed no relation between frequency and efficacy. However, a logistic regression analysis (binary and multinomial) between the most frequent techniques evidenced that SBD1-A block/skill situation was the most frequent but least likely to success. Technical skills in simple block situations were more likely to be successful than those in double blocks. The results also highlighted the situational aspect of attack that requires specific technical skills for certain block structures to be successful

Resumo: O objetivo principal desta Tese é analisar prospectivamente as tendências sobre as estratégias mundiais de desenvolvimento dos veículos comerciais frente aos cenários nacional e internacional atuais. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa usando o método Delphi, que consiste em regular, sistematicamente, a apresentação de perguntas acerca de um determinado problema a um grupo de especialistas. Para um levantamento mais abrangente optou-se por aplicar os questionários a três grupos distintos: Acadêmicos, Executivos das montadoras de veículos comerciais e Executivos das indústrias de autopeças. É possível concluir, após a análise dos resultados, que o Brasil possui atualmente uma posição confortável na comercialização de caminhões e ônibus, além de certa autonomia no desenvolvimento desses veículos em relação às empresas matrizes. Adicionalmente destaca-se que poucos foram os argumentos que justificariam mudanças desse cenário até o ano de 2018, porém há claras deficiências - como ausência de profissionais (engenheiros) qualificados no mercado e necessidade de maior intercâmbio entre empresas e Universidades - que devem ser analisadas e superadas de modo a garantir ao Brasil a sustentabilidade no desenvolvimento deste tipo de produto. / Abstract: The main objective of this Thesis is to present a prospective analysis about the tendencies of the world wide strategies of commercial vehicles' development, in relation to the current local and international scenery. It has been done a research by using the Delphi method, which consists to regulate, systematically, the presentation of questions about a specific problem to a group of specialists. In order to guarantee more representative data, it has been adopted three distinct groups: Academics, OEMs Managers and OEM's suppliers Managers. It is noticeable, after the data's analysis, that Brazil has nowadays a comfortable status on the commercial vehicles' market and also a good autonomy on product development. The specialists presented few arguments that could justify the modification of this scenery up to 2018, although there are clear evidences - like lack of qualified engineers on Brazilian market and the necessity of a better exchange of knowledge between the OEMs and Universities - that must be analyzed and suppressed, in order to guarantee the Brazilian product development sustainability in this segment. / Orientador: Maurício César Delamaro / Coorientador: Silvestre Prado de Souza Neto / Banca: José Antonio Perrella Balestieri / Banca: Valério Antonio Pamplona Salomon / Banca: Stella Regina Reisa da Costa / Banca: Flávia Luciane Consoni / Doutor

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering / Stephen A. Dyer / Steven Warren / Embedded systems control nearly every device we encounter. Examples abound: appliances, scientific instruments, building environmental controls, avionics, communications, smart phones, and transportation subsystems. These embedded systems can fail in various ways: performance, safety, and meeting market needs. Design errors often cause failures in performance or safety. Market failures, particularly delayed schedule release or running over budget, arise from poor processes. Rigorous methods can significantly reduce the probability of failure. Industry has produced and widely published “best practices” that promote rigorous design and development of embedded systems. Unfortunately, 20 to 35% of development teams do not use them, which leads to operational failures or missed schedules and budgets. This dissertation increases the potential for success in designing and developing embedded systems through the following: 1. It identifies, through literature review, the reasons and factors that cause teams to avoid best practices, which in turn contribute to development failures. 2. It provides a framework, as a psychologically unbiased mediator, to help teams institute best practices. The framework is both straightforward to implement and use and simple to learn. 3. It examines the feasibility of both crowdsourcing and the Delphi method to aid, through anonymous comments on proposed projects, unbiased mediation and estimation within the framework. In two separate case studies, both approaches resulted in underestimation of both required time and required effort. The wide variance in the surveys’ results from crowdsourcing indicated that approach to not be particularly useful. On the other hand, convergence of estimates and forecasts in both projects resulted when employing the Delphi method. Both approaches required six or more weeks to obtain final results. 4. It develops a recommendation model, as a plug-in module to the framework, for the build-versus-buy decision in design of subsystems. It takes a description of a project, compares designing a custom unit with integrating a commercial unit into the final product, and generates a recommendation for the build-versus-buy decision. A study of 18 separate case studies examines the sensitivity of 14 parameters in making the build-versus-buy decision when developing embedded systems. Findings are as follows: team expertise and available resources are most important; partitioning tasks and reducing interdependence are next in importance; the quality and support of commercial units are less important; and finally, premiums and product lifecycles have the least effect on the cost of development. A recommendation model incorporates the results of the sensitivity study and successfully runs on 16 separate case studies. It shows the feasibility and features of a tool that can recommend a build-or-buy decision. 5. It develops a first-order estimation model as another plug-in module to the framework. It aids in planning the development of embedded systems. It takes a description of a project and estimates required time, required effort, and challenges associated with the project. It is simple to implement and easy to use; it can be a spreadsheet, a Matlab model or a webpage; each provides an output like the model for the build-versus-buy decision.

A imprevisibilidade dos acontecimentos que se transformarão em notícia e a necessidade de cumprir um horário de fechamento diário tornam o trabalho em redação de jornal uma atividade sob a constante pressão de fatores internos e externos. Premidos pelo tempo, a todo instante editores precisam decidir rapidamente se apostam ou não em um fato como notícia, que grau de complexidade darão à pauta, se o repórter vai para a rua buscar informações, quantas e quais pessoas devem ser ouvidas, qual espaço o assunto irá ocupar na edição. E, principalmente, como garantir que o resultado dessas decisões seja uma informação de qualidade, correta, imparcial e com credibilidade. Neste contexto, esta dissertação tem a finalidade de contribuir para a identificação de quais fatores afetam a produção de uma notícia, impactando na qualidade da informação que chega ao leitor. A partir de uma abordagem transdisciplinar, com conceitos teóricos das áreas de Comunicação, Gestão de Processos e Qualidade da Informação, se constituiu um estudo de caso fundamentado por meio de pesquisa de natureza aplicada. Inicialmente, foi realizado um mapeamento do processo em uma Redação de jornal impresso, buscando identificar fluxos de produção e pontos críticos. Em um segundo momento, foram ouvidos sete editores que atuam na empresa, utilizando o Método Delphi, com o objetivo de entender quais são as principais interferências no dia a dia da Redação e como elas afetam o texto jornalístico. Ao analisar o impacto do tempo na produção do jornal, os entrevistados reconhecem prejuízos especialmente na etapa de apuração dos fatos, quando o repórter coleta informações e realiza entrevistas. Também destacam a importância da etapa de checagem de dados. O resultado são notícias publicadas sem contextualização, com imprecisão ou erro nas informações e textos inconsistentes. Em relação à rotina dos repórteres, ficou evidenciado que as maiores dificuldades estão em obter um ângulo diferente da notícia e ter acesso a fontes e dados dentro do prazo disponível. Entender os fatores intervenientes na produção da notícia e antecipar-se a eles permite garantir aos jornalistas elaborarem com mais frequência a notícia ideal, definida pelos entrevistados como aquela que tem contextualização, pluralidade, interpretação e criatividade. / The unpredictability of events that will be converted into news, and the need to comply with daily deadlines turn the newspaper newsroom work into an activity under constant pressure by internal and external factors. At all times, editors have to make several quick decisions, such as whether they bet on a given fact as news, whether the reporter will gather information in the streets or contact the sources by telephone, the best approach for the event, how many and what sort of people must be heard, where to collect data, how to write clearly and attractively for the reader. Moreover, how to guarantee that such decisions will result in accurate, unbiased and reliable information. Within this context, this thesis aims at contributing to the identification of internal and external factors that affect news production, and impact the quality of information that reaches the reader. Resting on a transdisciplinary approach, and employing theoretical concepts from the Communication, Process Management, and Information Quality areas, a case study was built based on applied research. Firstly, the process in a print newspaper newsroom was mapped seeking to identify production flows and critical points. In a second moment, by using Delphi Method seven editors who work in the company were heard with the objective to understand the overriding interferences in the newsroom daily activities, and how they affect the journalistic text. When analyzing the impact of time on newspaper production, the interviewees recognize harmful effects specially during the stage of fact ascertainment, when the reporter collects information and conducts interviews. The editors also highlight the significance of the data cheking stage. The outcome will be non-contextualized news, innacurate or mistaken information and text inconsistency. Regarding the reporters routine, it is evident that the biggest difficulties are in obtaining a different angle from a given piece of news, and gaining access to sources and data within the available time span. Understanding the intervening factors of news production, and being ahead of them might assure to journalists the development of the ideal piece of news more often, which according to the interviewees is that one containing contextualization, plurality, interpretation and creativity.

Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) play a significant role in the healthcare industry. The presence of GPOs helps the healthcare centers to offload their responsibilities so that they can focus on more critical areas which require attention like providing quality care. This thesis involves the comparison of three models of procurement operations in terms of cost efficiency. This cost comparison model features a healthcare organization associated with a national GPO, a healthcare organization which procures by self sourcing (not associated with a GPO), and a hybrid procurement model involving a national GPO and a regional GPO. The comparison model highlighted the cost effectiveness of these three different ways of procurement, which threw significant light on the purchasing operations of healthcare organizations. In the second part of this research study, we formulated a method to measure the degree of access to innovative products across the above mentioned procurement models either involving on-contract (from a GPO) purchasing, or off-contract purchasing (from individual manufacturers not affiliated to GPO) or both. We also identified the metrics for innovation and measure the innovativeness of products. Based on the literature study, it was found that purchasing groups may also be an entry barrier to new suppliers (Zweig 1998), with big national GPOs dominating the market and dictating the pricing of commodities. The first hypothesis H1 of this research study was stated as "National GPOs (Group Purchasing Organizations) enable the healthcare establishments to lower the cost of medical services and operations." The second hypothesis H2 of this research study was acknowledged as "National GPOs a barrier to entry of Innovative product manufacturers in the healthcare industry." This thesis will identify the advantages and disadvantages of each type of procurement operation and address the economic issues which affect the relationship between a healthcare center and a GPO. The proposed research would indirectly help to identify whether cost savings are being shared by the links in the downstream supply chain and the savings are being percolated to the patients for the added welfare of the society. It will also identify the importance of innovative products in the society and will raise the bar of specialty treatments without compromising on the level of service being offered to the patients. This thesis will also highlight positive aspects of niche manufacturers of innovative products with smaller volumes which are currently marginalized in the market by the big national players. To the best of the author's knowledge, the research objective of measuring innovation of products has not been addressed yet in academic literature and will have the benefit of comparing three different purchasing models used in healthcare industry.

<p>Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka hur olika samhällsinstansers syn på våld i samkönade parrelationer och vad de gör för att arbeta kring denna problematik. Ämnet studerades med en kvalitativ ansats. Urvalet av den teoretiska populationen utfördes genom strategiskt urval. Den insamlingsmetod som användes för data var delfimetoden. Vid analysen användes tidigare forskning samt queerteorin som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Analysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier/teman<em>; synen på våld i samkönade parrelationer,</em> <em>utbildning & samverkan</em> samt<em> bemötande</em>. De slutsatser som drogs var att ämnet behöver synliggöras bättre och att utbildning/information bör ges i större utsträckning, både kring våld i samkönade parrelationer, men även kring andra sexuella läggningar än heterosexualitet generellt. Utbildning/information efterfrågas även för att kunna erbjuda samma stöd och hjälp för alla individer som utsatts för våld i en nära parrelation.  </p>

Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka hur olika samhällsinstansers syn på våld i samkönade parrelationer och vad de gör för att arbeta kring denna problematik. Ämnet studerades med en kvalitativ ansats. Urvalet av den teoretiska populationen utfördes genom strategiskt urval. Den insamlingsmetod som användes för data var delfimetoden. Vid analysen användes tidigare forskning samt queerteorin som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Analysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier/teman; synen på våld i samkönade parrelationer, utbildning &amp; samverkan samt bemötande. De slutsatser som drogs var att ämnet behöver synliggöras bättre och att utbildning/information bör ges i större utsträckning, både kring våld i samkönade parrelationer, men även kring andra sexuella läggningar än heterosexualitet generellt. Utbildning/information efterfrågas även för att kunna erbjuda samma stöd och hjälp för alla individer som utsatts för våld i en nära parrelation.

Enterprises in Taiwan are facing the meager profit and highly competitive environment. Under the management of supply chain, the enterprises gradually appoint the logistics service by dispatching agency for increasing the profit of the enterprises and the competitive abilities in the market. To minimize the operation cost, the enterprises gradually adopt the outsourcing model including labor and business process. This research analyzes the department of Supply Chain Management of C company how to establish a standard and criterion of outsourcing manpower by selecting a proper dispatching agency. First, the researcher set up the standard and criterion by confirmed with the experts of logistic service. Second, the researcher applied Modified Delphi Method to find out an assessment criterion for high-tech logistic service with over 40 questionnaires. Last, the researcher interviewed with 6 managers of photoelectric industry in Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park to investigate the process of selecting a suitable dispatching agency. The research provides a proper and objective model for Taiwan¡¦s TFT-LCD industry to select a suitable dispatching agency for outsourcing logistics service. Also, the research states an integrated conclusion of the motivation of appointing dispatching labors, and the condition and the requirement of selecting a dispatching agency for C company that is ¡§primary¡¨ use of the dispatching. This model also becomes the standard procedure of vendor scoring process in Procurement Department of C company. The research provides the objective evaluation pattern, and the positive effect for win-win supply relationship.

The launch of Apple iPhone brings the success of App Store application platform, which turns the structure of mobile software industry as well as creating a brand new application business model. It changes not only environment of mobile industry and supply chains, but also the using behaviors of mobile phone users. This research applies wildscale biobligraphy analysis, case study and Delphi method, trying to analyze the market status, business model of application platform. Using 2-phase interviews with smart phone users, developers, and operator, and SWOT and Porter¡¦s Five Force Analysis model to study the business model and strategies for operator¡¦s application platform. The research discovers that telecommunication operator has serveral advantages, such as holding huge user base and payment safety; however, economic scope and service efficiency is the key to the success. Operator should use its strengths and cope with the changing user behavior to create more added value.