Os indicadores de desempenho têm papel fundamental na gestão das organizações, pois mostram aos decisores a situação da organização e como ela se encontra em relação a seus objetivos. Entre os sistemas de indicadores de desempenho utilizado nas organizações, têm tido destaque a conjugação de métricas financeiras e não financeiras, baseada na crença de que a melhora nos resultados não financeiros irá ocasionar a melhora nos índices financeiros. Entretanto, não há uma metodologia consagrada para testar se esses relacionamentos (relações de causa-e-efeito) existem na realidade. O objetivo desse trabalho foi propor e validar parcialmente uma metodologia para testar e quantificar as relações causais entre indicadores de desempenho. A seqüência de passos foi definida a partir da literatura através da implementação de ferramentas do Desdobramento da Função Qualidade, Gerenciamento pelas Diretrizes, Pensamento Sistêmico e Ferramenta para Seleção de Planos de Ação. O método escolhido para sua validação parcial foi o estudo de caso. A unidade de análise foi uma organização que já utiliza métricas financeiras e não financeiras e possui base histórica de dados. A pesquisa utilizou como fontes de evidência a observação participante e entrevista estruturada. Para a análise dos dados foram utilizadas técnicas estatísticas e representação escrita. Os resultados permitem concluir que a metodologia consegue quantificar as relações causais entre métricas de desempenho. A aplicação também gerou grande aprendizado organizacional. A principal contribuição desse trabalho é o modelo conceitual parcialmente validado o qual pode ser utilizado para transformar o sistema de indicadores de desempenho em fonte de informações para a tomada de decisão através da quantificação das relações de causa-e-efeito. / Performance metrics have a fundamental role in organizations, because they show to decision makers the situation of the organization in relation to its objectives. Most of the metrics systems used have financial and non-financial indicators, based on the belief that if a non-financial performance is increased, it will cause the same behavior in financial results. On the other hand, there is not a consecrated methodology to test if these relationships (causal relations) exist in the real world. The objective of this paper is to propose and partially validate a methodology to test and quantify the causal relations among performance metrics. A sequence of steps was defined from literature research, using tools from Quality Function Deployment, Policy Deployment, System Dynamics and Tool for Action Planning Selection. The research method chosen was case study. The research unit was an organization that already uses financial and non-financial metrics and has historic data of it. As font of evidences, were used participant observation and structure interviews. Data analysis was made with statistical techniques and written representation. From the results, it can be concluded using the methodology it’s possible to quantify the causal relations between performance metrics. The application of this methodology also contributed the organizations learning. The mainly contribution of this paper is the partially validated conceptual methodology, that can be used to make the performance metric system a information source to decision making, trough the quantification of causal relations.

Os indicadores de desempenho têm papel fundamental na gestão das organizações, pois mostram aos decisores a situação da organização e como ela se encontra em relação a seus objetivos. Entre os sistemas de indicadores de desempenho utilizado nas organizações, têm tido destaque a conjugação de métricas financeiras e não financeiras, baseada na crença de que a melhora nos resultados não financeiros irá ocasionar a melhora nos índices financeiros. Entretanto, não há uma metodologia consagrada para testar se esses relacionamentos (relações de causa-e-efeito) existem na realidade. O objetivo desse trabalho foi propor e validar parcialmente uma metodologia para testar e quantificar as relações causais entre indicadores de desempenho. A seqüência de passos foi definida a partir da literatura através da implementação de ferramentas do Desdobramento da Função Qualidade, Gerenciamento pelas Diretrizes, Pensamento Sistêmico e Ferramenta para Seleção de Planos de Ação. O método escolhido para sua validação parcial foi o estudo de caso. A unidade de análise foi uma organização que já utiliza métricas financeiras e não financeiras e possui base histórica de dados. A pesquisa utilizou como fontes de evidência a observação participante e entrevista estruturada. Para a análise dos dados foram utilizadas técnicas estatísticas e representação escrita. Os resultados permitem concluir que a metodologia consegue quantificar as relações causais entre métricas de desempenho. A aplicação também gerou grande aprendizado organizacional. A principal contribuição desse trabalho é o modelo conceitual parcialmente validado o qual pode ser utilizado para transformar o sistema de indicadores de desempenho em fonte de informações para a tomada de decisão através da quantificação das relações de causa-e-efeito. / Performance metrics have a fundamental role in organizations, because they show to decision makers the situation of the organization in relation to its objectives. Most of the metrics systems used have financial and non-financial indicators, based on the belief that if a non-financial performance is increased, it will cause the same behavior in financial results. On the other hand, there is not a consecrated methodology to test if these relationships (causal relations) exist in the real world. The objective of this paper is to propose and partially validate a methodology to test and quantify the causal relations among performance metrics. A sequence of steps was defined from literature research, using tools from Quality Function Deployment, Policy Deployment, System Dynamics and Tool for Action Planning Selection. The research method chosen was case study. The research unit was an organization that already uses financial and non-financial metrics and has historic data of it. As font of evidences, were used participant observation and structure interviews. Data analysis was made with statistical techniques and written representation. From the results, it can be concluded using the methodology it’s possible to quantify the causal relations between performance metrics. The application of this methodology also contributed the organizations learning. The mainly contribution of this paper is the partially validated conceptual methodology, that can be used to make the performance metric system a information source to decision making, trough the quantification of causal relations.

No atual contexto da economia brasileira a competição exige das empresas o conhecimento sobre o retorno de seus investimentos. Neste panorama o marketing historicamente encontrou dificuldades para se adequar à linguagem financeira e auferir o resultado de seus esforços. A discrepância entre métodos de mensuração afeta a credibilidade do marketing enquanto área de alocação de recursos dentro da companhia (RUST et al., 2004). Assim, presentemente, os gestores estão sob uma intensa pressão para justificarem seus gastos com marketing em uma economia de redução de custos (AMBLER; PUNTONI, 2003). Dessa forma, este estudo procura verificar o impacto dos investimentos de marketing no mercado acionário, viabilizado através da análise da oferta pública inicial (Inicial Public Offer- IPO), sob a ótica do underpricing (subprecificação) e do índice de demanda. O estudo faz uso de técnicas multivariadas como regressão linear, regressão logística e análise de variância (One way ANOVA). Os resultados sugerem que não há evidências empíricas do impacto dos investimentos de marketing, tanto no valor da subprecificação como no índice de demanda. Ademais, verifica-se que há influência significativa da atividade de estabilização do underwriter na subprecificação, bem como da reputação do underwriter e do financiamento anterior da companhia no indicador de demanda da oferta pública inicial. / In the current context of the Brazilian economy, competition requires that companies recognize the return on your investment. In this panorama, marketing historically found it difficult to fit the language of finance and obtain the result of you own efforts. This discrepancy between methods of measurement affects the credibility of marketing as an area of resource allocation within the company (RUST et al., 2004). Thus, at present, managers are under intense pressure to justify their marketing spending in an economy of cost reduction (AMBLER; PUNTONI, 2003). Thus this study seeks to verify the impact of marketing investments in the stock market, specifically at Initial Public Offer (IPO), in the perspective of underpricing and the index of demand. The study makes use of techniques such as multivariate linear regression, logistic regression and analysis of variance (One way ANOVA). The results suggest that there is no empirical evidence of the impact of marketing investments, both in the value of underpricing and in the demand’s index. Moreover, it appears that there is significant influence of the stabilization’s activity in underpricing, and underwriter's reputation and company’s previous funding in the demand’s index.

Esta dissertação descreve um conjunto de ferramentas, VEasy, o qual foi desenvolvido especificamente para auxiliar no processo de Verificação Funcional. VEasy contém quatro módulos principais, os quais realizam tarefas-chave do processo de verificação como linting, simulação, coleta/análise de cobertura e a geração de testcases. Cada módulo é comentado em detalhe ao longo dos capítulos. Todos os módulos são integrados e construídos utilizando uma Interface Gráfica. Esta interface possibilita o uso de uma metodologia de criação de testcases estruturados em camadas, onde é possível criar casos de teste complexos através do uso de operações do tipo drag-and-drop. A forma de uso dos módulos é exemplificada utilizando projetos simples escritos em Verilog. As funcionalidades da ferramenta, assim como o seu desempenho, são comparadas com algumas ferramentas comerciais e acadêmicas. Assim, algumas conclusões são apresentadas, mostrando que o tempo de simulação é consideravelmente menor quando efetuada a comparação com as ferramentas comerciais e acadêmicas. Os resultados também mostram que a metodologia é capaz de permitir um alto nível de automação no processo de criação de testcases através do modelo baseado em camadas. / This thesis describes a tool suite, VEasy, which was developed specifically for aiding the process of Functional Verification. VEasy contains four main modules that perform linting, simulation, coverage collection/analysis and testcase generation, which are considered key challenges of the process. Each of those modules is commented in details throughout the chapters. All the modules are integrated and built on top of a Graphical User Interface. This framework enables the testcase automation methodology which is based on layers, where one is capable of creating complex test scenarios using drag-anddrop operations. Whenever possible the usage of the modules is exemplified using simple Verilog designs. The capabilities of this tool and its performance were compared with some commercial and academic functional verification tools. Finally, some conclusions are drawn, showing that the overall simulation time is considerably smaller with respect to commercial and academic simulators. The results also show that the methodology is capable of enabling a great deal of testcase automation by using the layering scheme.

This study examined the amount of European genetic admixture in the enslaved African population from Newton Plantation, Barbados. Newton Plantation was a British sugar plantation from the 17th to 19th centuries. Approximately 150 individuals were recovered from an unmarked slave cemetery during archaeological investigations in the 1970s and 1990s. Using maximum mesiodistal and buccolingual tooth measurements of the available teeth from the individuals in the cemetery, Newton was compared to nineteen comparative samples of African, European, African American and European American populations that date from the time of British colonization to the 20th century. Previous European admixture estimations in the Newton Plantation cemetery sample were 5-10% (Corruccini et al., 1982; Ritter, 1991); this study found similar rates of admixture in the population (5.38-10.25%). Because of social practices in the Caribbean during the time of slavery, European admixture could have resulted in preferential treatment of slaves with such genetic background.

High information quality is a paramount requirement for wireless sensor network monitoring applications. However, it is challenging to achieve a cost effective information quality solution due to unpredictable environment noise and events, unreliable wireless channel and network bandwidth, and resource and energy constraints. Specifically, the dynamic and unreliable nature of WSNs make it difficult to pre-determine optimum sensor rates and predict packet loss. To address this problem, we use information quality metrics presented by [26, 11] which characterize information quality based on the sampling frequency of sensor nodes and the packet loss rate during network transmission. These fundamental quality metrics are based on signal-to-noise ratio and are therefore application independent. Based on these metrics, a quality-aware scheduling system (QSS) is developed, which exploits cross-layer control of sensor nodes to effectively schedule data sensing and forwarding. Particularly, we develop and evaluate several QSS scheduling mechanisms: passive, reactive and perceptive. These mechanisms can adapt to environment noise, bandwidth variation and wireless channel collisions by dynamically controlling sensor rates and sensor phase. Our software and hardware experimental results indicate that our QSS is a novel and effective approach to improve information quality for WSNs.

Context: When a software is modified, regression testing is performed to ensure the behaviour of software is not affected because of those modifications. Due to frequent modifications, the regression testing became challenging. Although there are many regression testing techniques are developed in the research, they are not incorporating in the industry. This is because of the differences in regression testing goals and measures in research and industry. The current context of this study is to identify the regression testing goals and measures in the research and industry perspectives and to find the differences and similarities in both perspectives. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to identify the similarities and differences in regression testing goals and measure from research and industry perspectives. Additionally, in this study, a general adapted goals list is presented. Methods: A mixed method approach is used for this study. A literature review has been used to identify the regression testing goals and measures in research. A survey is used to identify the regression testing goals and measures in the industry. Semi-structured interviews and online questionnaire are used as data collection methods in the survey. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics are used as data analysis methods for the qualitative and quantitative data. Results: A literature review is conducted using 33 research articles. In the survey, the data is collected from 11 semi-structured interviews which are validated with 45 responses from an online questionnaire. A total of 6 regression testing goals are identified from the literature review and 8 goals are identified in the survey respectively. The measures used to evaluate these goals are identified and tabulated. Conclusions: From the results, we observed the similarities and differences in the regression testing goals and measures in industry and research. There are few similarities in goals but the major difference is the priority order of these goals. There are various measures used in research but very fewer measures are incorporating in the industry. The respondents from the survey implied that there is a need for generic adaptive goals. Further, a general list of goals is presented. Keywords: Regression, Regression testing, Goals, Objectives, Measures, Metrics.

A tarefa de avaliar a produção científica de um pesquisador é fortemente baseada na análise de seu currículo. É o que fazem, por exemplo, as agências de fomento à pesquisa e desenvolvimento ou comissões de avaliação, quando necessitam considerar a produção científica dos pesquisadores no processo de concessão de bolsas e auxílios, na seleção de consultores e membros de comitês, na aprovação de projetos ou simplesmente para avaliar o conceito de um programa de pós-graduação. Nesse contexto, a modelagem de perfis de pesquisadores é tarefa fundamental, especialmente quando se quer avaliar a reputação dos pesquisadores. Isto pode ocorrer por meio de um processo de análise da trajetória de toda a carreira científica do pesquisador. Tal processo envolve não somente aspectos relacionados a artigos ou livros publicados, mas também por outros elementos inerentes à atividade de um pesquisador, como orientações de trabalhos de mestrado e de doutorado; participação em defesas de mestrado e de doutorado; trabalhos apresentados em conferências; participação em projetos de pesquisa, inserção internacional, dentre outros. O objetivo deste trabalho é especificar um modelo de perfil de pesquisadores (Rep- Model) e uma métrica para medir reputação acadêmica (Rep-Index). O processo de modelagem do perfil envolve a definição de quais informações são relevantes para a especificação do perfil e as apresenta por meio de 18 elementos e 5 categorias. O processo para medir a reputação do pesquisador é definido por uma métrica que gera um índice. Esse índice é calculado mediante a utilização dos elementos constantes no perfil do pesquisador. Para avaliar a abordagem proposta na tese, diversos experimentos foram realizados. Os experimentos envolveram a avaliação dos elementos do Rep-Model por meio de análise de correlação e por algoritmos de mineração de dados. O Rep-Index também foi avaliado e correlacionado com duas métricas amplamente utilizadas na comunidade científica, o h-index e o g-index. Como baseline, foram utilizados todos os pesquisadores do CNPq das áreas de Ciência da Computação, Economia e Odontologia. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta tese está inserido no contexto da identificação da reputação de pesquisadores no âmbito acadêmico. A abordagem desta tese tem como premissa ser abrangente e adaptável, pois envolve a vida científica do pesquisador construída ao longo de sua carreira científica e pode ser utilizada em diferentes áreas e em diferentes contextos. / The task of evaluating the scientific production of a researcher is based strongly on the analysis of their curriculum. It's what makes the agencies for research support or evaluation committees, when they need to consider the scientific production of researchers in the process of awarding grants and aid in the selection of consultants and committee members in approving projects or simply to assess the concept of a program graduate. In that context, the modeling of profiles of researchers is fundamental task especially when one wants to evaluate the reputation of the researchers. This can occur by means of a process of analysis of the trajectory of all the scientific career of the researcher. Such process involves not only aspects related to papers or books, but also other elements inherent in the activity of a researcher, as orientations of master’s degree and doctorate; participation in defense of master's and doctoral degrees; papers presented in conferences, participation in research projects, international integration, among others. This proposal specifies a profile template for researchers (Rep-Model) and a metric to measure academic reputation (Rep-Index). The profile modeling process involves define which information is relevant to the specification of the profile and shows through 18 elements and 5 categories. The process for measuring researcher's reputation is defined by a metric that generates an index. This index is calculated by using the information contained in the profile of the researcher. To evaluate the approach proposed in the thesis, extensive experiments were conducted. The experiments involved the evaluation of Rep-Model by means of correlation analysis and data mining algorithms. The Rep-Index was also evaluated and correlated with two metrics widely used in the scientific community, the h-index and gindex. As a baseline, all of CNPq researchers in the areas of Computer Science, Economics and Dentistry were used. The work in this thesis is set in the context of identifying the reputation of researchers within the academic sphere. The approach of this thesis is premised be comprehensive and adaptable, because it involves the life science researcher built throughout his scientific career and can be used in different research areas and in different contexts.

Urban greenspace has an important role in supporting biodiversity and providing structural and functional connectivity between natural habitats. However, the mapping of vegetation in urban areas presents challenges, as urban vegetation is highly fragmented and heterogeneous. This study compared maps with respect to their strengths and weaknesses in providing ecologically relevant information in an urban area with the purpose to find how useful they are for local planning. The study took place in the urban part of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. The maps analysed were the Urban Atlas 2012 provided by Copernicus, the Prime 2 database provided by the Ordnance Survey Ireland, and two maps that were generated by this project from Sentinel 2 satellite imagery, one which showed vegetation based on calculated NDVI and one with four land cover classes calculated with a supervised classification. These maps were compared from three points of view: correspondence of vegetation classes, structural connectivity, and quality of vegetated areas. Analyses of structural connectivity were based on several landscape metrics, one of them was the degree of coherence (Cm) which reflects how connected the vegetation patches are in the landscape. Definition of quality was based on contextual indicators, such as the proximity to streams and areas with high conservation value, and vegetation present on a historical map from the 1830s. The results showed that the overlap of vegetation between the datasets varies between 27.0-89.1%. The different datasets definitions of vegetation affect how well they correspond in terms of where vegetation can be found. Resolution is also an important factor, as urban vegetation patches tend to be small and thus a coarse minimum mapping unit – as is the case for the Urban Atlas – masks important information on the configuration of vegetated areas in the urban area. The structural connectivity of vegetation differed little between Prime 2 (Cm = 7.95×10-2%) and the Urban Atlas (Cm = 5.87×10-2%). However, the distance between vegetated patches was on average shorter in Prime 2. This suggests that the Prime 2 dataset, because of its higher spatial resolution, contains more information on potential stepping stones for species to move around the landscape. The distribution of vegetated areas with higher contextual quality was mainly close to the boundaries of the urban area. Connectivity in a fragmented landscape like this urban study area plays a crucial role in maintaining populations of flora and fauna. It is therefore important to consider in the management of urban vegetation and in planning for development. This study offers a first insight in the structural connectivity of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, which can be used to make more informed decisions that will sustain urban biodiversity.

No atual contexto da economia brasileira a competição exige das empresas o conhecimento sobre o retorno de seus investimentos. Neste panorama o marketing historicamente encontrou dificuldades para se adequar à linguagem financeira e auferir o resultado de seus esforços. A discrepância entre métodos de mensuração afeta a credibilidade do marketing enquanto área de alocação de recursos dentro da companhia (RUST et al., 2004). Assim, presentemente, os gestores estão sob uma intensa pressão para justificarem seus gastos com marketing em uma economia de redução de custos (AMBLER; PUNTONI, 2003). Dessa forma, este estudo procura verificar o impacto dos investimentos de marketing no mercado acionário, viabilizado através da análise da oferta pública inicial (Inicial Public Offer- IPO), sob a ótica do underpricing (subprecificação) e do índice de demanda. O estudo faz uso de técnicas multivariadas como regressão linear, regressão logística e análise de variância (One way ANOVA). Os resultados sugerem que não há evidências empíricas do impacto dos investimentos de marketing, tanto no valor da subprecificação como no índice de demanda. Ademais, verifica-se que há influência significativa da atividade de estabilização do underwriter na subprecificação, bem como da reputação do underwriter e do financiamento anterior da companhia no indicador de demanda da oferta pública inicial. / In the current context of the Brazilian economy, competition requires that companies recognize the return on your investment. In this panorama, marketing historically found it difficult to fit the language of finance and obtain the result of you own efforts. This discrepancy between methods of measurement affects the credibility of marketing as an area of resource allocation within the company (RUST et al., 2004). Thus, at present, managers are under intense pressure to justify their marketing spending in an economy of cost reduction (AMBLER; PUNTONI, 2003). Thus this study seeks to verify the impact of marketing investments in the stock market, specifically at Initial Public Offer (IPO), in the perspective of underpricing and the index of demand. The study makes use of techniques such as multivariate linear regression, logistic regression and analysis of variance (One way ANOVA). The results suggest that there is no empirical evidence of the impact of marketing investments, both in the value of underpricing and in the demand’s index. Moreover, it appears that there is significant influence of the stabilization’s activity in underpricing, and underwriter's reputation and company’s previous funding in the demand’s index.