[pt] Este trabalho mostra a implantação de técnicas de Controle Estatístico de Processo (CEP) em uma indústria de cosméticos, em uma situação em que as técnicas convencionais não são aplicáveis. O processo a ser controlado é constituído de oito canais, que produzem em um mesmo instante de tempo oito unidades de um mesmo produto. Tal processo possui a peculiaridade de ter médias variáveis no tempo, mesmo em estado de controle estatístico. Como os métodos de controle propostos na literatura para processos com múltiplos canais têm como premissa médias constantes ao longo do tempo e os canais terem médias e variâncias semelhantes, tais métodos não são aplicáveis ao processo em questão. Para o CEP do processo, então, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia adaptada à realidade da empresa, que conjuga os princípios de group charts e de gráficos de controle de aceitação. Foi ainda realizada uma revisão bibliográfica de algumas técnicas de controle estatístico de processos com múltiplos canais, contemplando métodos tradicionais e não tradicionais. / [en] This study shows the implantation of techniques of Statistical Process Control (SPC) in a cosmetics industry, in a situation in which conventional techniques are not applicable. The process to be controlled is composed of eight streams, which produce eight units of the product at a time. The process has the peculiarity that the means of the streams change in time, even in a condition of statistical control. The control schemes proposed in the literature hitherto for multiple-stream processes assume constant means, and streams with similar means and variance, and are therefore not applicable to this process. A new scheme was then developed for the statistical control of the process, which blends the principles of the group charts and of acceptance control charts. A review was also presented of some techniques of statistical control of multiple-stream processes, including traditional and more recent methods.

[pt] Esta dissertação trata do controle estatístico de processos (CEP) multi-canal, assunto pouco tratado na literatura especializada. As técnicas encontradas na literatura pressupõem condições de validade nem sempre verificadas na prática, a saber: medidas sucessivas efetuadas em cada canal independentes e identicamente distribuídas; todos os canais ajustados, com mesma média e desvio-padrão; e (na maioria dos trabalhos) canais independentes, sem correlação cruzada. O estudo foi motivado por um caso real, em que nenhuma dessas condições se verifica. Este trabalho propõe adaptações e extensões de técnicas existentes para lidar com processos nessa situação; detalha como aplicá-las; ilustra sua aplicação no caso prático analisado; discute limitações e propõe alternativas, e inicia uma discussão sobre as diferentes condições (características das situações práticas) em que cada uma das alternativas é mais apropriada. O trabalho iniciou- se com uma análise exploratória dos processos da empresa, de modo a permitir um diagnóstico do CEP que vinha sendo realizado, e fundamentar a proposta de um novo esquema de controle, mais adequado. O esquema proposto, aplicado aos dados, sinalizou problemas com os processos que as técnicas empregadas não sinalizavam. Embora, em virtude dos prazos para finalização da dissertação e da programação da produção da empresa, que teve interrupções, não tenha sido possível incluir nesta análise a investigação de causas especiais, com revisão dos limites de controle e utilização dos gráficos assim revistos no monitoramento on line, para fins de acompanhamento do desempenho do esquema proposto, mesmo assim a aplicação desse esquema aos dados disponíveis demonstrou ser ele mais sensível a causas especiais que os gráficos que vinham sendo utilizados, e levantou algumas questões, não abordadas na literatura, que são indicadas para pesquisa futura. / [en] This dissertation tackles the problem of statistical control of multi-channel processes, which has been scarcely dealt with in the specialized literature. The techniques found in the literature assume validity conditions which are not always verified in practice, namely: successive measurements taken in each channel should be independent an identically distributed; all the channels should be adjusted, with same mean and standard deviation; and most works assume the channels to be independent, with no cross correlation. The study was motivated by a real case, in which no one of these conditions holds. This work proposes adaptations and extensions of existing techniques in order to deal with this and similar real situations; details the application of the adapted/extended techniques; illustrates their application in the case under analysis; discusses limitations and proposes alternatives, and initiates a discussion about the different conditions (practical situations´ characteristics) in which each alternative is most appropriate. The work began with an exploratory data analysis of the enterprise´s production processes, so as to enable a diagnosis of the statistical process control procedures that were in use, and serve as a basis for the proposal of a new, more adequate, control scheme. The proposed scheme, when applied to the data, signalled problems with the processes which the techniques in use did not signal. Due to the deadlines for ending this dissertation and to programmed interruptions in the production, it has not been possible to include in the analysis the search for special causes with corresponding revisions of the charts´ control limits and the use of the revised charts in on-line monitoring, for the purposes of feedback on the proposed scheme´s performance. Its application to the available data has nevertheless shown it more sensitive to special causes than the charts that were in use, and raised some issues not approached in the literature, which are left as indications for future research.

最小成本下，規格及X-bar-S管制圖之設計 / The design of economic statistical control charts and specification are both crucial research areas in industry. Furthermore, the determination of consumer and producer specifications is important to producer. In this study, we consider eight cost models including the consumer loss function and/or the producer loss function with the economic statistical X-bar and S charts or Shewhart-type economic X-bar and S charts. To determine the design parameters of the X-bar and S charts and consumer tolerance and/or producer tolerance, we using the Genetic Algorithm to minimizing expected cost per unit time. In the comparison of examples and sensitivity analyses, we found that the optimal design parameters of the Shewhart-type economic X-bar and S charts are similar to those of economic statistical X-bar and S control charts, and the expected cost per unit time may lower than the actual cost per unit time when the cost model only considering consumer loss or producer loss. When considering both consumer and producer tolerances in the cost model, the design parameters of the economic X-bar and S charts are not sensitive to the cost models. If the producer tolerance is smaller than the consumer tolerance, and the producer loss is smaller than the consumer loss, the optimal producer tolerance should be small.

The use of external representations (ERs) such as diagrams and animations in science education, particularly in the Molecular Life Sciences (MLS), has rapidly increased over the past decades. Research shows that ERs have a superior advantage over text alone for teaching and learning. Research has also indicated a number of concerns coupled with the use of ERs for education purposes. Such problems emanate from the mode of presentation and/or inability to use ERs. Regarding the later, a number of factors have been identified as major causes of student difficulties and they include visual literacy as one of the major factors. Given that little has been done to understand the nature of VL in the MLS the current study was conducted with the general aim of investigating this area and devising a way to measure the visual literacy levels of our students. More specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: i) What is the nature of visual literacy in MLS?; ii) Can specific levels of visual literacy be defined in the MLS?; and iii) Is a taxonomy a useful way of representing the levels of visual literacy for MLS? To respond to these questions, the current literature was used to define the nature of visual literacy and the visualization skills (VSs). These were then used to develop a Visual Literacy Test made up on probes in the context of Biochemistry. In these probes, the VSs were incorporated. The test was administered to 3rd year Biochemistry students who were also interviewed. Results were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The later analysis utilized the Rasch model to generate an item difficulty map. The results of the current study show that visual literacy is multifaceted in nature and is context based in that it requires specific propositional knowledge. In line with this, it was found that visual literacy is expressed through a cognitive process of visualization which requires VSs. Based on the performance of these skills, learners’ optimal visual literacy in the context of the MLS can be defined. Such performance can be assessed through the development of probes in the Biochemistry context. Furthermore, the current research has shown that using probes, the difficulty degree of each VS can be determined. In this instance, the Rasch model is a preferred method of ranking VSs in the context of Biochemistry in order of difficulty. From this, it was shown that given the uniqueness of each skill’s degree of difficulty, each skill can thus be regarded as a level of visual literacy. Such levels were defined in terms of the norm difficulty obtained in the current study. Given the multifaceted nature of visual literacy, the current study adopted the view that there are infinite number of VSs and hence the number of levels of visual literacy. From the variation in the degree of difficulty, the study showed that there are nonvisualization and visualization type difficulties which contribute to the differences in visual literacy levels between Biochemistry students. In addition to this, the current study showed that visual literacy in the MLS can be presented through a taxonomy. Such a taxonomy can be used to determine the level of each VS, its name and definition, typical difficulties found in the MLS as well as the visualization stage at which each skill is performed. Furthermore, this taxonomy can be used to design models, assess students’ visual literacy, identify and inform the remediation of students’ visualization difficulties. While the study has successfully defined the nature of visual literacy for the MLS and presented visual literacy in a taxonomy, more work is required to further understand visual literacy for the MLS, a field where visual literacy is very prevalent. / Thesis (M.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Orientador: Reginaldo Palazzo Junior / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T17:37:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Souza_MarioJosede_D.pdf: 1221200 bytes, checksum: f5bf0643e72a350fca4e873f9d0e91e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: Neste trabalho apresentamos uma linha de transmissão como uma modelagem hiperbólica; construímos constelações de sinais hiperbólicas a partir das tesselações regulares do tipo {12g - 6, 3}; estabelecemos um procedimento para a contagem do número de pontos (sinais) das constelações acima citadas e apresentamos as funções automorfas como um meio de trânsito entre o ambiente das linhas de transmissão (semiplano direito) e o ambiente das constelações construídas (as superfícies de Riemann) / Abstract: In this work we have introduced a transmission line as a hyperbolic modeling; we have constructed a signal constellation in the hyperbolic plane from regular tessellations such as the ones generated by {12g - 6, 3} ; we have established a procedure for couting the number of points of the constellations mentioned above. We have also presented the automorphic functions as a means of transit between the context of transmission line (right semiplane) and the context of the constellations which were built (Riemann's surfaces) / Doutorado / Telecomunicações e Telemática / Doutor em Engenharia Elétrica

Quality, as well as stability of processes check is nowadays gaining on its significance. The main driving force of its increasing importance is the rapid expansion of series production. Large-scale manufacturing processes are concerned, in terms of the number of operators, direct and indirect influence on rejects, but also on process stability. There are several quality characteristics, defined by utility properties, that can be easily measurable (linear dimensions, solidity, elongation, humidity, concentration) or directly immeasurable, mostly subjective (fragrance, taste, color, comfort while using, appearance). Statistical Process Control-SPC features the preventive tool of quality control, because based on the early detection of significant divergences of the process from the predetermined level, it is possible to execute interventions in the process with the aim of maintaining the acceptable and stable level and improving the process. This manufacturing process check will be the topic of my thesis. At first, Shewhart's control charts analysis will be done to determine strong process instability. Consequently, analysis will be carried out in test chi-square, used to determine the influence of each factor on the process of stability (operators, type of shift, type of product, type of defect on the product). All the practical part will be processed in statistical software MINITAB15. The thesis will be complemented by the findings from the examination of the features of interval estimates of parameter p for binomial distribution - numeric stability in the various statistical software (specifically Minitab 15, Statistica, Matlab 7.8.0). Master's thesis was supported by project from MSMT of the Czech Republic no. 1M06047 Center for Quality and Reliability of Production.

In 2006, the first college tuition and fee inflation chart was produced to illustrate the rate of increase of tuition and fees for colleges and universities in the U.S. This chart was created to highlight the decreasing affordability of higher education in America, and consequently, decreased access and participation of higher education. Currently, there are four authors who have produced five college tuition and fee inflation charts, as one author produced two charts in different years (Blumenstyk, 2008; Callan, 2006a; Callan, 2008; Wang, 2008; Wellman, 2006). The five basic charts are predicated on data which pertain to but do not differentiate between public and private two- and four-year graduate and undergraduate institutions of higher learning. The publication of charts that do not differentiate between higher education sectors has effectively masked important institutional distinctions from the public. This study focused on the rate of increase of tuition and fees for the 50 Texas community colleges. Moreover, this study used the entire population data, not just sample data as depicted in the current charts using descriptive quantitative data from 1993 to 2008. This greater analysis of historical data allows community college leaders to describe their affordability challenges more accurately and, therefore, more effectively. / text

<p>In spite of all electronic navigation devices on a modern ship bridge, navigators still lose their orientation. Reasons for this might be excessive cognitive workload caused by too many instruments to read and compile, navigation information that is displayed in a cognitively demanding way, short decision times due to high speed or fatigue due to minimum manning and long work hours.</p><p>This work addresses the problem of map information displayed in a less than optimal way. Three new concepts are presented: the bridge perspective, the NoGO area polygons and a dual lane seaway network. Map reading can be difficult due to the problem of mental rotations. By allowing a 3-D nautical chart to be viewed from an egocentric bridge perspective, the need for mental rotations can be removed. The cognitively demanding calculations necessary to find out if there is enough water under the keel can be made by the chart system and the result displayed as of free water and NoGo areas. On land car driving is facilitated by a road-network and a sign system. This notion can be further developed on sea and make navigation easier and safer.</p><p>These concepts were then tested in a laboratory experiment, in interviews and in a prototyping project. The results were very promising. The experiment in a laboratory maze showed that map reading from an egocentric perspective was more efficient than using traditional paper and electronic maps. Interviews and expert evaluation of prototypes also showed great interest from practitioners in the field.</p> / <p>Trots all elektronisk utrustning på en modern skeppsbrygga händer det att navigatörerna förlorar orienteringen. Anledningen kan vara hög kognitiv belastning därför att för många olika instrument måste avläsas och integreras samtidigt, att informationen på instrumenten behöver tolkas på ett kognitivt krävande sätt, att tiden för att fatta beslut blir allt kortare på grund av högre hastigheter till sjöss eller på grund av trötthet.</p><p>I detta arbete presenteras tre nya koncept för visualisering av navigationsinformation: bryggperspektivet, djupvarningspolygoner och sjövägar.</p><p>Kartläsning kan ibland vara svårt på grund av de mentala rotationer en användare tvingas genomföra för att kunna jämföra kartan med verkligheten. Genom att göra det möjligt för en användare att se sjökortet ur ett egocentriskt bryggperspektiv, så onödiggörs dessa mentala rotationer. De kognitivt krävande beräkningar som navigatören behöver göra för att försäkra sig om att det finns tillräckligt med vatten under kölen, kan utföras av kartsystemet och resultatet visas istället som fria vattenytor och djupvarningsområden (NoGo areas). På land underlättas bilkörning av ett vägnät med körbanor, filer och skyltar. Detta system kan i högre utsträckning införas till sjöss för att underlätta säker navigering.</p><p>Dessa koncept har sedan testats genom ett laboratorieexperiment, genom intervjuer och i ett prototyputvecklingsprojekt. Resultaten var mycket lovande. Experimentet i en laboratorielabyrint visade klart att 3D-sjökortet var effektivare än både papperskartan och traditionell elektroniska kartor och intervjuerna och expertutvärderingarna visad på stort intresse från yrkesutövare i branschen.</p>

Visual acuity is reduced when optotypes are viewed in the presence of surrounding contours. This reduction in acuity is known as the crowding effect and is thought to be caused by a varying combination of contour interaction, gaze instability and attention. Traditional studies have used single optotypes surrounded by flanking bars to investigate crowding. Such targets may not realistically replicate the crowding effect inherent in clinical vision charts. The aim of this thesis was to systematically investigate the effect of crowding on visual thresholds in subjects with normal vision and in subjects with amblyopia, using specially designed charts. In the 1st and 2nd experiment, contour interaction was assessed using a high (80 %) and low contrast (5.8%) Sheridan Gardiner repeat letter (SGRL) chart in subjects with normal vision. The effect of contour interaction was investigated by varying the inter-letter separation in the SGRL chart. Significant contour interaction was obtained at the abutting condition for both the contrast conditions. In the 3rd experiment the same protocol was repeated but in amblyopes. Significant contour interaction was obtained at 0.2 letter separation and the abutting condition for both the contrast conditions. The effect of contour interaction appears to be less for low contrast than for high contrast letters in normal, non-amblyopic and amblyopic eyes. Finally, in the 4th experiment a Sheridan Gardiner Complex Interaction (SGCI) chart that requires imposed gaze fixations was constructed to measure visual acuity in normal’s and amblyopes. The effect of any gaze instability on crowding was investigated by comparing SGRL thresholds to SGCI thresholds. The SGCI thresholds were higher than the SGRL thresholds at all the separations measured, suggesting an important effect of gaze instability on crowding. In conclusion, this research has shown that gaze instability is an important component of the crowding effect for letter chart acuity measurements. Visual acuity especially when screening for amblyopia should be measured using a whole optotype chart that requires optotype to optotype fixation.

[pt] Processos com diversos canais em paralelo são muito comuns na indústria; um exemplo são operações de enchimento, encontradas nas indústrias farmacêutica, alimentícia, cosmética e de bebidas. O método clássico para o controle estatístico desse tipo de processos, as group charts (Boyd, 1950), é pouco eficiente, por não considerar que uma parcela da variação nestes processos é comum a todos os canais. Mortell e Runger, em 1995, propuseram um esquema alternativo que leva este fato em conta. No ano seguinte, Runger, Alt e Montgomery propuseram um outro esquema. A presente dissertação propõe um terceiro esquema para o controle de tais processos. O seu modelo formal detalhado, as expressões para cálculo dos limites de controle e a análise de seu desempenho são contribuições originais. As probabilidades de sinal e o número esperado de amostras até a sinalização de alterações na média da parcela individual de um dos canais foram obtidas analiticamente e/ou por simulação, e utilizadas para comparação de desempenho com o esquema de Mortell e Runger. Os resultados demonstram a superioridade do esquema proposto para a detecção de variações superiores a um desvio-padrão na média da parcela individual de um canal do processo. Para detectar variações menores, nenhum dos dois esquemas é eficiente. O esquema de Runger et al. (1996) tem, para o caso de alteração em um canal apenas, desempenho igual ou inferior a ambos. Assim, o esquema aqui proposto revela-se o mais eficiente de todos. Uma série de extensões e questões em aberto para pesquisa futura são indicadas. / [en] Processes with several streams in parallel are very common in industry. Filling operations, such as the ones found in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, or food and beverage industries are a typical example. The classical scheme for the statistical control of multiple-stream processes (MSP) is the group chart (Boyd, 1950). Its efficiency is impaired by its underlying model of the process not considering that part of the variation in MSP is common to all streams. In 1995, Mortell and Runger (M&R) proposed an alternative scheme which takes this fact into account. In the next year, Runger, Alt and Montgomery proposed another scheme. This dissertation proposes a third scheme for statistical control of MSP. The detailed mathematical model, the expressions for establishing the control limits, and the performance analysis here are original contributions. The probabilities of a signal and average run lengths in the case of shifts in the mean of one individual stream were obtained either analytically or by simulation and compared with the ones of M&R´s scheme. The results show the superiority of the proposed scheme for signaling shifts greater or equal to one standard deviation. For smaller shifts, neither scheme can be said to be really efficient. As to the scheme proposed by Runger et al. (1996), it is in some cases slower and in some cases just as fast as M&R`s, so the proposed scheme is the fastest of all. A number of extensions and open issues are indicated for future research.