In this thesis, information completeness and credibility in web auction environment is the mainly question to find out. By using focus group research method, three discussions were held. In the first discussion, there were six interviewers joined, and the discussing purpose was to understand the concept of information completeness and credibility in e-commerce. In the second discussion, two sellers were invited to demonstrate and to explain how to sell in online auction. In the third discussion, eight buyers were asked to introducing themselves, and discussing themselves cases about online shopping. Finally using oral analysis skills, the research framework was constructed. The research suggests that information completeness and credibility includes all about product information, retailers¡¦ information, transaction information, information representation and third parties information. Each has its different degree of credibility, and buyers usually retrieve information they need to reduce their perceived risk.

Just as an individual is rightly concerned about the privacy of their personally identifying information, so also is a group of people, a community, concerned about the privacy of sensitive information entrusted to their care. Our research seeks to develop a better understanding of the factors contributing to the sensitivity of community information, of the privacy threats that are recognized by the community, and of the means by which the community attempts to fulfill their privacy responsibilities. We are also interested in seeing how the elements of a community privacy model that we developed are related to the findings from the studies of communities. This thesis presents the results of a series of focus group sessions conducted in corporate settings. Three focus group interviews were conducted using participants from two information technology companies and one research group from the university. Three themes emerged from the analysis of these focus group interviews which are described as privacy awareness, situated disclosures, and confinement of sensitive information. These three themes capture the character and complexity of community oriented privacy and expose breakdowns in current approaches. / Master of Science

Researchers at Utah State University created a school intervention called the FIT Game that has successfully increased children’s vegetable intake during lunchtime. The aim of this project was to create a home aspect to the FIT Game for parents that would increase the availability of vegetables within the home. Studies within this thesis discuss the development and revision of parent newsletters for the FIT Game program, as well as the implementation and assessment of the revised newsletters. Results from the assessments indicate that providing parent newsletters is not enough to change the vegetable availability at home. This home component was unsuccessful in provoking the desired change, and future FIT Game studies that choose to include a home component should consider multiple components for higher changes of likelihood of participation and increasing vegetable availability at home.

In the form of a potable spirit, an extract of grapefruit skin has been found to develop an attractive opalescence when diluted to below about 38 % ethanol (v/v). This phenomenon is analogous to the pastis effect, called louching, common in many drinks popular in some countries bordering the Mediterranean. The main objective of this research was to develop spirit liquor with commercial potential from grapefruit skin, largely a waste commercial product, as the dominant if not exclusive ingredient other than alcohol and water. This would require making extracts by distillation of undried skins, which would develop a dense opalescence significantly below 40 % v/v ethanol, the common alcoholic strength of spirits as sold in New Zealand. The product concept was thus a clear liquid which when poured over ice for example, would yield a cool opalescent drink with a characteristic grapefruit flavour. In the case of citrus, the chemical basis of louching is the greater solubility of citrus skin terpenes, principally limonene, in ethanol than in water. The louch point is synonymous with the chemical expression critical micelle concentration, detected here by light scattering at the arbitrary wavelength of 450 nm. Early results with an obvious opalescence showed that the alcohol concentration at which the terpenes ceased to be soluble in the grapefruit distillate was about 38 % (v/v). This point was similar to that for pastis (Pernod brand), where the principle louchable ingredient is anethole. However, the light scattering was much greater for pastis. Thus, a grapefruit spirit sold at 40 % ethanol with the louching intensity of pastis should require increasing the solubility of limonene in solutions with a lower ethanol concentration. This in turn should allow higher concentrations of limonene in true solution in 40 % ethanol, theoretically resulting in a more intense louch in the final drink. Thus, a broad range of hydrocolloids and surfactants was tested in an attempt to increase the solubility of limonene in lower ethanol concentrations. None of hydrocolloids or surfactants lowered the louch point of a standard limonene concentration in ethanol/water. The informal flavour assessment showed that the spirit flavour from grapefruit zest alone lacked intensity. It was then thought that better flavour might be obtained by using the whole grapefruit (zest, pith, and juice) rather than zest alone. The additional of pith or pith plus juice caused no significant change in the louch point or light scattering. However, the final flavour was informally judged to be more intense than that derived from zest alone. The problem still remained that the light scattering of grapefruit distillate was never as high as that achieved by pastis, even though it was found (by gas chromatography) that the concentration of limonene (w/w) in the grapefruit spirit was at least as high as that of anethole in pastis. The cause was due to the fact that as a louched compound, anethole was a solid with a flat crystal structure because the melting point (21.4C) is well above that of a cool drink (Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 1947). By contrast, limonene remains a liquid even in an iced drink because its melting point is far below 0C. Flat crystals would obviously scatter light far more than would a micelle containing a liquid, in this case limonene. Although such a grapefruit distillate did not louch as well as pastis, it could still have market potential on the basis that it would be made from the distinctive New Zealand cultivar of grapefruit. Thus a formal sensory assessment was conducted, using a focus group. The grapefruit distillates at 40 % ethanol were perceived by most panellists as refreshing, clean, fruity, and citrusy in aroma, but somewhat deficient in grapefruit flavour, and there was a common perception of strong chemical finish. At this stage of development a commercial proposition cannot be sensibly made.

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In the form of a potable spirit, an extract of grapefruit skin has been found to develop an attractive opalescence when diluted to below about 38 % ethanol (v/v). This phenomenon is analogous to the pastis effect, called louching, common in many drinks popular in some countries bordering the Mediterranean. The main objective of this research was to develop spirit liquor with commercial potential from grapefruit skin, largely a waste commercial product, as the dominant if not exclusive ingredient other than alcohol and water. This would require making extracts by distillation of undried skins, which would develop a dense opalescence significantly below 40 % v/v ethanol, the common alcoholic strength of spirits as sold in New Zealand. The product concept was thus a clear liquid which when poured over ice for example, would yield a cool opalescent drink with a characteristic grapefruit flavour. In the case of citrus, the chemical basis of louching is the greater solubility of citrus skin terpenes, principally limonene, in ethanol than in water. The louch point is synonymous with the chemical expression critical micelle concentration, detected here by light scattering at the arbitrary wavelength of 450 nm. Early results with an obvious opalescence showed that the alcohol concentration at which the terpenes ceased to be soluble in the grapefruit distillate was about 38 % (v/v). This point was similar to that for pastis (Pernod brand), where the principle louchable ingredient is anethole. However, the light scattering was much greater for pastis. Thus, a grapefruit spirit sold at 40 % ethanol with the louching intensity of pastis should require increasing the solubility of limonene in solutions with a lower ethanol concentration. This in turn should allow higher concentrations of limonene in true solution in 40 % ethanol, theoretically resulting in a more intense louch in the final drink. Thus, a broad range of hydrocolloids and surfactants was tested in an attempt to increase the solubility of limonene in lower ethanol concentrations. None of hydrocolloids or surfactants lowered the louch point of a standard limonene concentration in ethanol/water. The informal flavour assessment showed that the spirit flavour from grapefruit zest alone lacked intensity. It was then thought that better flavour might be obtained by using the whole grapefruit (zest, pith, and juice) rather than zest alone. The additional of pith or pith plus juice caused no significant change in the louch point or light scattering. However, the final flavour was informally judged to be more intense than that derived from zest alone. The problem still remained that the light scattering of grapefruit distillate was never as high as that achieved by pastis, even though it was found (by gas chromatography) that the concentration of limonene (w/w) in the grapefruit spirit was at least as high as that of anethole in pastis. The cause was due to the fact that as a louched compound, anethole was a solid with a flat crystal structure because the melting point (21.4C) is well above that of a cool drink (Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 1947). By contrast, limonene remains a liquid even in an iced drink because its melting point is far below 0C. Flat crystals would obviously scatter light far more than would a micelle containing a liquid, in this case limonene. Although such a grapefruit distillate did not louch as well as pastis, it could still have market potential on the basis that it would be made from the distinctive New Zealand cultivar of grapefruit. Thus a formal sensory assessment was conducted, using a focus group. The grapefruit distillates at 40 % ethanol were perceived by most panellists as refreshing, clean, fruity, and citrusy in aroma, but somewhat deficient in grapefruit flavour, and there was a common perception of strong chemical finish. At this stage of development a commercial proposition cannot be sensibly made.

KOCOURKOVÁ, Kristýna. Consumer behaviour of young people on the market with organic food. Brno, 2014. 116 p. Master thesis. Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Business and Economics. Thesis supervisor: Ing. Martin Souček, Ph.D. This thesis deals with consumer behaviour of young people on the market with organic food. In the past recent years the market with organic food has been growing fast in the Czech Republic. Qualitative and quantitative research have been used in the practical part of the thesis, specifically Focus Groups, questionnaire and depth interviews with consumers of organic food and their producers. Based on the results of the research, a model of consumer behaviour and a segment on which the producers should concentrate have been created. The thesis also suggests marketing recommendations which could be practically used.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of ninth-grade students and their teachers and parents/guardians with regard to the transition from middle school to high school. A mixed-method approach with both qualitative and quantitative measures assessed attitudes toward this transition. Student focus groups were also conducted toward this end. Parents and school staff were surveyed to gain insight into the problems associated with the student transition.Data gathered from students, parents, and school faculty were also analyzed to facilitate the design of a school-transition program for the local high school serving as the study site in this research. The findings support research that has indicated academic and social problems confronted by students transitioning into high school. All three study groups agree that developing a program to effectuate early adjustment by students and parents to this transition will “pave the way” toward ultimate student success.

[pt] Contexto: As operações de aprendizagem automática (MLOps) surgiram como um conjunto de práticas que combina desenvolvimento, testes e operações para implementar e manter aplicações de aprendizagem automática. Objetivo: Nesta dissertação, iremos avaliar os benefícios e limitações da utilização dos princípios de MLOps no contexto de modelos supervisionados online, que são amplamente utilizados em aplicações como a previsão meteorológica, tendências de mercado e identificação de riscos. Método: Aplicámos dois métodos de investigação para avaliar os benefícios dos MLOps para aplicações de aprendizagem automática online supervisionada: (i) desenvolvimento de um projeto prático de aprendizagem automática supervisionada para aprofundar a compreensão do problema e das possibilidades de utilização dos princípios MLOps; e (ii) duas discussões de grupo de foco sobre os benefícios e limitações da utilização dos princípios MLOps com seis programadores de aprendizagem automática experientes. Resultados: O projeto prático implementou uma aplicação de aprendizagem automática de regressão supervisionada utilizando KNN. A aplicação utiliza informações sobre as rotas das linhas de autocarros públicos do Rio de Janeiro e calcula a duração da viagem de autocarro com base na hora de partida do dia e no sentido da viagem. Devido ao âmbito da primeira versão e ao facto de não ter sido implementada em produção, não sentimos a necessidade de utilizar os princípios MLOps que esperávamos inicialmente. De facto, identificámos a necessidade de apenas um princípio, o princípio do controlo de versões, para alinhar as versões do código e dos dados. O grupo de discussão revelou que os programadores de aprendizagem automática acreditam que os benefícios da utilização dos princípios MLOps são muitos, mas que não se aplicam a todos os projectos em que trabalham. A discussão revelou que a maioria dos benefícios está relacionada com a prevenção de passos manuais propensos a erros, permitindo restaurar a aplicação para um estado anterior e ter um pipeline robusto de implementação automatizada contínua. Conclusões: É importante equilibrar as compensações do investimento de tempo e esforço na implementação dos princípios de MLOps, considerando o âmbito e as necessidades do projeto. De acordo com os especialistas, esse investimento tende a compensar para aplicativos maiores com implantação contínua que exigem processos automatizados bem preparados. Por outro lado, para versões iniciais de aplicações de aprendizagem automática, o esforço despendido na implementação dos princípios pode alargar o âmbito do projeto e aumentar o tempo de execução. / [en] Context: Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) has emerged as a set of practices that combines development, testing, and operations to deploy and maintain machine learning applications. Objective: In this dissertation, we will assess the benefits and limitations of the use of MLOps principles in the context of online supervised models, which are widely used in applications such as weather forecasting, market trends, and risk identification. Method: We applied two research methods to assess the benefits of MLOps for supervised online machine learning applications: (i) developing a practical supervised machine learning project to deepen the understanding of the problem and of the MLOps principles usage possibilities; and (ii) two focus group discussions on the benefits and limitations of using the MLOps principles with six experienced machine learning developers. Results: The practical project implemented a supervised regression machine learning application using KNN. The application uses information on Rio de Janeiro s public bus line routes and calculates the bus trip duration based on the trip departure time of the day and trip direction. Due to the scope of the first version and given that it was not deployed into production, we didn t feel the need to use the MLOps principles we were expecting at first. Indeed, we identified the need for only one principle, the versioning principle, to align versions of the code and the data. The focus group revealed that machine learning developers believe that the benefits of using MLOps principles are many but that they do not apply to all the projects they worked on. The discussion brought up that most of the benefits are related to avoiding error-prone manual steps, enabling it to restore the application to a previous state, and having a robust continuous automated deployment pipeline. Conclusions: It is important to balance the trade-offs of investing time and effort in implementing the MLOps principles considering the scope and needs of the project. According to the experts, this investment tends to pay off for larger applications with continuous deployment that require well-prepared automated processes. On the other hand, for initial versions of machine learning applications, the effort taken into implementing the principles might enlarge the scope of the project and increase the time needed to deploy a first version to production.

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