Durante o século passado, o diagnóstico por imagem na odontologia, foi dominado por radiografias, que são representações bidimensionais de estruturas tridimensionais, com sobreposição e distorções associadas. Com a introdução da tomografia computadorizada cone-beam (TCCB), houve um aumento no interesse por esta tecnologia dado às vantagens, como melhor qualidade de imagem, reconstrução tridimensional, possibilidade de visualização craniofacial, e as doses de radiação mais baixas em comparação com a tomografia computadorizada convencional (TC). A TCCB pode ser aplicada em diversas áreas da Odontologia, tais como: implantodontia, cirurgia, traumatologia, periodontia, endodontia, ortodontia, articulações temporomandibulares. Contudo, os profissionais da saúde devem estar cientes que os avanços tecnológicos terão implicações importantes sobre a prática clínica. Estes mesmos profissionais devem conhecer as indicações, limitações e implicações antes de considerar a utilização de tal equipamento. Sendo assim, o presente estudo pretende analisar, criticamente, a utilização e indicação do exame de imagem TCCB na Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru USP. Ao mesmo tempo, pretende avaliar quantitativamente o uso deste equipamento em relação ao motivo da solicitação e a área bucal requisitada. / During the past century, the diagnostic for image in the dentistry, was dominated for radiographies, which are bidimensional representation of the tridimensional structure with superposition and distortion associated. With the introduction of cone-beam computed tomography (TCCB), there was an increased interest in this technology due to advantages such as better image quality, three-dimensional reconstruction, ability of craniofacial visualization and lower radiation doses compared with the conventional computed tomography (CT). The TCCB can be applied in various areas of dentistry such as dental implants, surgery, traumatology, periodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, temporomandibular joints. However, health professionals should be aware that technological advances have important implications for clinical practice. These same professionals should know the indications, limitations and implications before considering the use of such equipment. Thus, this study aims to analyze critically the use and indication of imaging examination TCCB in the Bauru Dental School - USP. At the same time, evaluate quantitatively the use of equipment for the purpose of the request.

An efficient pool is critical for CAT administrations. Two approaches have been developed to design an optimal CAT pool: the linear programming method (LP; Veldkamp & van der Linden, 2000, 2010) and the bin-and-union method (BU; Reckase, 2003, 2010). This study manipulated different content balancing approaches and exposure conditions to investigate their impacts on the pool performances of the LP and BU methods under practical testing situations. The optimal pools were constructed in terms of the specification of an operational fixed-length CAT program and the IRT model employed. This study considered the one-parameter logistic (1PL) model to simulate adaptive test item responses using optimal and operational pools. Several psychometric properties were compared between the pools designed under the LP and BU methods. This research attempted to answer the following question: Under the consideration of content balancing and exposure control, what were the benefits and limitations of the LP and BU methods with respect to the optimal pool design? The results were evaluated in terms of pool characteristics, content constraint management, item exposure control, pool utilization, test reliability, and measurement precision. Similar pool characteristics were found between the LP and BU methods. With respect to the evaluation criteria, the LP and BU pools exhibited consistent performance. However, compared to the LP pools, the BU pools demonstrated slight superiority under the condition with strict content balancing and exposure control. Given two bin widths (.35 and .70), the pools with a bin-width of .35 exhibited better performance than those with a bin-width of .70 with respect to various evaluation criteria. Especially under the condition with the strict content balancing and exposure control, a bin-width of .35 might be a better option to generate an optimal pool than a bin-width of .70 in order to maintain a higher test on-target rate.

Liya Wang

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 232 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-195).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006. / Prepared for: Dept. of Health Administration. Bibliography: leaves 244-253. Also available online.

The results presented in this dissertation concern two different types of tomographic imaging. The first part of the dissertation is devoted to the time reversal method for approximate reconstruction of images in thermoacoustic tomography. A thorough numerical study of the method is presented. Error estimates of the time reversal approximation are provided. In the second part of the dissertation a type of emission tomography, called Compton camera imaging is considered. The mathematical problem arising in Compton camera imaging is the inversion of the cone transform. We present three methods for inversion of this transform in two dimensions. Numerical examples of reconstructions by these methods are also provided. Lastly, we turn to a problem of significance in homeland security, namely the detection of geometrically small, low emission sources in the presence of a large background radiation. We consider the use of Compton type detectors for this purpose and describe an efficient method for detection of such sources. Numerical examples demonstrating this method are also provided.

Computerized adaptive testing attempts to provide the most suitable question for an examinee depending on the examinee¡¦s ability to achieve the best result. Although Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and Bayesian Likelihood Estimation (BLE) have been provided to solve ability estimation and have good results in the literature, little attention has been paid to the situation when the answer of an item does not conform with the examinee¡¦s ability as expected nor standard derivation changes of the ability estimation. We hypothesized that the Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) can be used to infer flexible examinee¡¦s ability estimation automically by analyzing the relevant data of the examinee in a test. Consequently, the study presents a novel learning ability model based on ANFIS, which can adaptively choose questions by Item Response Theory. Taking the item discrimination, difficulty, guessing, and the examinee¡¦s ability before he/she answers a question as parameters, the proposed method can infer the adjustment of the examinee¡¦s ability to update its value after he/she answers the question. The ANFIS model of the experiments were developed using MATLAB. The examinees were simulated and the training data were collected under three different situations. Through different combination of ANFIS fuzzy rules, the adjustment of ability is inferred to improve the accuracy of the estimated ability. The error between the true ability and the estimated ability obtained by the proposed model is compared with MLE and BLE. The simulation results show that the estimated ability error of ANFIS is smaller than MLE and BLE when the value of the test information is larger. The proposed method could provide better accuracy of the examinee¡¦s ability and offer more appropriate questions for examinees. Keywords: ANFIS, Item Response Theory, Computerized Adaptive Testing

One in ten adults in the U.S. report depression, and thirty-eight percent of those receiving treatment are receiving minimally adequate treatment. Studies show that evidence-based Internet interventions are highly effective in treating depression at a low cost. The aim of this study was to reduce symptoms of depression in subjects through the use of a new, electronic Problem Solving Treatment (ePST). Adult participants with moderate to severe depression symptoms were randomly assigned to either treatment or a wait-list condition. The Beck Depression Inventory-II was used as the primary outcome measure. A Repeated Measure Design with one factor in the between (treatment vs control) and one factor in the within (pre, mid-point, and post-treatment) was used in the analysis. Study results showed that participants in the ePST group improved their depression symptoms (from Moderate to Mild levels of depression) after receiving 3 session of ePST, as well as after receiving six session of ePST (from moderate to minimal levels of depression). On the other hand, participants assigned to the control group remained with Moderate levels of depression. / text

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007. / Title from 1st page of PDF file (viewed Mar. 5, 2008). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references: P. 50-55.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1963.