A classificação é uma tarefa do aprendizado de máquina e mineração de dados, na qual um classificador é treinado sobre um conjunto de dados rotulados de forma que as classes de novos itens de dados possam ser preditas. Tradicionalmente, técnicas de classificação trabalham por definir fronteiras de decisão no espaço de dados considerando os atributos físicos do conjunto de treinamento e uma nova instância é classificada verificando sua posição relativa a tais fronteiras. Essa maneira de realizar a classificação, essencialmente baseada nos atributos físicos dos dados, impossibilita que as técnicas tradicionais sejam capazes de capturar relações semânticas existentes entre os dados, como, por exemplo, a formação de padrão. Por outro lado, o uso de redes complexas tem se apresentado como um caminho promissor para capturar relações espaciais, topológicas e funcionais dos dados, uma vez que a abstração da rede unifica a estrutura, a dinâmica e as funções do sistema representado. Dessa forma, o principal objetivo desta tese é o desenvolvimento de métodos e heurísticas baseadas em teorias de redes complexas para a classificação de dados. As principais contribuições envolvem os conceitos de conformidade de padrão, caracterização de importância e otimização estrutural de redes. Para a conformidade de padrão, onde medidas de redes complexas são usadas para estimar a concordância de um item de teste com a formação de padrão dos dados, é apresentada uma técnica híbrida simples pela qual associações físicas e topológicas são produzidas a partir da mesma rede. Para a caracterização de importância, é apresentada uma técnica que considera a importância individual dos itens de dado para determinar o rótulo de um item de teste. O conceito de importância aqui é definido em termos do PageRank, algoritmo usado na engine de busca do Google para definir a importância de páginas da web. Para a otimização estrutural de redes, é apresentado um framework bioinspirado capaz de construir a rede enquanto otimiza uma função de qualidade orientada à tarefa, como, por exemplo, classificação, redução de dimensionalidade, etc. A última investigação apresentada no documento explora a representação baseada em grafo e sua habilidade para detectar classes de distribuições arbitrárias na tarefa de difusão de papéis semânticos. Vários experimentos em bases de dados artificiais e reais, além de comparações com técnicas bastante usadas na literatura, são fornecidos em todas as investigações. Em suma, os resultados obtidos demonstram que as vantagens e novos conceitos propiciados pelo uso de redes se configuram em contribuições relevantes para as áreas de classificação, sistemas de aprendizado e redes complexas. / Data classification is a machine learning and data mining task in which a classifier is trained over a set of labeled data instances in such a way that the labels of new instances can be predicted. Traditionally, classification techniques define decision boundaries in the data space according to the physical features of a training set and a new data item is classified by verifying its relative position to the boundaries. Such kind of classification, which is only based on the physical attributes of the data, makes traditional techniques unable to detect semantic relationship existing among the data such as the pattern formation, for instance. On the other hand, recent works have shown the use of complex networks is a promissing way to capture spatial, topological and functional relationships of the data, as the network representation unifies structure, dynamic and functions of the networked system. In this thesis, the main objective is the development of methods and heuristics based on complex networks for data classification. The main contributions comprise the concepts of pattern conformation, data importance and network structural optimization. For pattern conformation, in which complex networks are employed to estimate the membership of a test item according to the data formation pattern, we present, in this thesis, a simple hybrid technique where physical and topological associations are produced from the same network. For data importance, we present a technique which considers the individual importance of the data items in order to determine the label of a given test item. The concept of importance here is derived from PageRank formulation, the ranking measure behind the Googles search engine used to calculate the importance of webpages. For network structural optimization, we present a bioinspired framework, which is able to build up the network while optimizing a task-oriented quality function such as classification, dimension reduction, etc. The last investigation presented in this thesis exploits the graph representation and its hability to detect classes of arbitrary distributions for the task of semantic role diffusion. In all investigations, a wide range of experiments in artificial and real-world data sets, and many comparisons with well-known and widely used techniques are also presented. In summary, the experimental results reveal that the advantages and new concepts provided by the use of networks represent relevant contributions to the areas of classification, learning systems and complex networks.

A literatura referente a testes de hipótese em modelos auto-regressivos que apresentam uma possível raiz unitária é bastante vasta e engloba pesquisas oriundas de diversas áreas. Nesta dissertação, inicialmente, buscou-se realizar uma revisão dos principais resultados existentes, oriundos tanto da visão clássica quanto da bayesiana de inferência. No que concerne ao ferramental clássico, o papel do movimento browniano foi apresentado de forma detalhada, buscando-se enfatizar a sua aplicabilidade na dedução de estatísticas assintóticas para a realização dos testes de hipótese relativos à presença de uma raíz unitária. Com relação à inferência bayesiana, foi inicialmente conduzido um exame detalhado do status corrente da literatura. A seguir, foi realizado um estudo comparativo em que se testa a hipótese de raiz unitária com base na probabilidade da densidade a posteriori do parâmetro do modelo, considerando as seguintes densidades a priori: Flat, Jeffreys, Normal e Beta. A inferência foi realizada com base no algoritmo Metropolis-Hastings, usando a técnica de simulação de Monte Carlo por Cadeias de Markov (MCMC). Poder, tamanho e confiança dos testes apresentados foram computados com o uso de séries simuladas. Finalmente, foi proposto um critério bayesiano de seleção de modelos, utilizando as mesmas distribuições a priori do teste de hipótese. Ambos os procedimentos foram ilustrados com aplicações empíricas à séries temporais macroeconômicas. / Testing for unit root hypothesis in non stationary autoregressive models has been a research topic disseminated along many academic areas. As a first step for approaching this issue, this dissertation includes an extensive review highlighting the main results provided by Classical and Bayesian inferences methods. Concerning Classical approach, the role of brownian motion is discussed in a very detailed way, clearly emphasizing its application for obtaining good asymptotic statistics when we are testing for the existence of a unit root in a time series. Alternatively, for Bayesian approach, a detailed discussion is also introduced in the main text. Then, exploring an empirical façade of this dissertation, we implemented a comparative study for testing unit root based on a posteriori model's parameter density probability, taking into account the following a priori densities: Flat, Jeffreys, Normal and Beta. The inference is based on the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and on the Monte Carlo Markov Chains (MCMC) technique. Simulated time series are used for calculating size, power and confidence intervals for the developed unit root hypothesis test. Finally, we proposed a Bayesian criterion for selecting models based on the same a priori distributions used for developing the same hypothesis tests. Obviously, both procedures are empirically illustrated through application to macroeconomic time series.

The study identifies how different stakeholders perceive service quality improvement initiatives in public higher education institutions in Ethiopia. For this purpose, a mixed research methodology was employed. Furthermore, secondary data were collected from a variety of literature and primary data were collected from academic staff and final year students at public higher education institutions using the SERVQUAL scale and through focus group interviews. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings indicated that all dimensions of the service quality improvement initiatives were perceived by academic staff and studentsto be verypoor. The reasons for these poor or low perceptions were: the high expectationsof the stakeholders, the government’s intention to expand, lack of adequate knowledge regarding the implementation of the BPR process, the lack of motivation by service providers, poor management and the lack of good governance by the universities, inexperienced workers, non-empowered and task specific frontline employees, the low quality of the infrastructure, non-value adding hierarchical structures and approval systems, ethical problems with some service providers, the high staff turnoverand the lack of experienced staff. In addition, at all new universities, construction is underway and as a result,there are problems such as the poor state of the dormitories, classes,bathrooms, recreation areas, lounges, TV rooms, sport fields and internet connectivity, while the libraries are not well stocked with books and periodicals either. This study has recommended that the institutions should have standardised instruments that can be used to measure the status of service quality improvement and deliveryperiodically and to identify the areas that have the highest perceived performance gap scores in order to redeploy some of the resources. It also needs to be pointed out that the service providers lack sufficient knowledge and skillsconcerning the implementation of BPR, thus training is recommended in this regard.It is further recommended that for effective implementation of the BPR process, the importance of the provision of different guiding documents, continuous monitoring of activities and top management support should be kept in mind. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

As the main topic this thesis theoretically defines the subject municipality with extended powers and voluntary associations of municipalities for developement of regions. In the practical part i focused on a research inquiry, i analyse results of this inquiry and i consider a practical use in the public area. I try to point out the importance of the strategic management by dint of all needs which mean a long-term planning in relation to methods of managerial work. Another part of my survey is to analyse all technical infrastructure of municioalities in the south moravian district. And i would like to attention to the problems and deficiencies and not only to try fix this things but find out an actual oppurtunities to help these municipalities. Facts in this work can point out the importance of unions for developement of regions.

MSc (Botany) / Department of Botany

The thesis discusses didactic game applied in kindergartens and primary schools in the context of current educational system. The author's objective was to determine differences between employing didactic play in kindergartens and primary schools. Another objective was to verify whether teachers recognise didactic game as an adequate educational method and to ascertain whether didactic game fulfils its activation function in primary schools. Observation and interviewing were used as appropriate methods to conduct the research and collect the data. More specifically the author conducted observations in the pre-school kindergarten classes and the first three grades of primary schools, interviews with kindergarten and primary school teachers, and comparisons between classes where didactic game was used and where it was not. The following conclusions were made: the main difference in applying didactic game in a kindergarten and primary school is the teacher's approach to the assignment of the didactic game and subsequently the children's or pupils' perception. Kindergarten teachers consider didactic game to be a fundamental educational method, whereas in primary schools it is of similar importance as other methods. Based on comparison of two differently held classes, more significant activation effect...

The master thesis focuses on further education of secondary-grammar-school geography teachers in the Karlovy Vary region. The topic has been studied in detail using a qualitative research in the form of multiple case studies of semi-structured interviews of persons relevant to further education in the studied region. The qualitative research conducted brings a wide range of data relevant to the approaches taken by management of different schools and geography teachers to further education, opportunities for further education in the Karlovy Vary region, and the subsequent transfer of its results to the geography curriculum. Based on the data collected from the persons asked, a proposal for a possible expansion of the further education of secondary-grammar-school geography teachers in the Karlovy Vary region was drafted. This proposal represents a motivation for improvement of the quality of the geography curriculum in the region.

Maximum asset performance is one of the major goals for electric power system managers. To reach this goal minimal life cycle cost and maintenance optimization become crucial while meeting demands from customers and regulators. One of the fundamental objectives is therefore to relate maintenance and reliability in an efficiently and effectively way, which is the aim of several maintenance methods such as the Reliability Centered Maintenance method (RCM). Furthermore, this necessitates the determination of the optimal balance between preventive and corrective maintenance to obtain the lowest total cost. This thesis proposes methods for defining the importance of individual components in a network with respect to total interruption cost. This is a first step in obtaining an optimal maintenance solution. Since the methods consider several customer nodes simultaneously, they are especially suitable for network structures that serve many purposes/customers e.g. transmission and distribution networks with more than one load point. The major results are three component reliability importance indices, which are applied in two case studies. The first case study is based on a network in the Stockholm area. The second case study is performed for one overhead line system in the rural parts of Kristinehamn. The application studies demonstrate that the indices are possible to implement for existing electrical networks and that they can be used for maintenance prioritization. Consequently these indices constitute a first step in the overall objective of a maintenance optimization method. The computations of the indices are performed both with analytical and simulation based techniques. Furthermore, the indices can be used to calculate the component contribution to the total system interruption cost. The approach developed for the importance indices can be utilized in any multi-state network that can be measured with one performance indicator. / QC 20101130

Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilken betydelse motivation ger för korrelationen mellan en upplevd högre grad av situationsanpassat ledarskap inom en bransch som historiskt adapterat Taylorismens styrande produktionsfokus jämfört med modernare ledarskapsteorier. Studien baseras på ett teoretisk ramverk kring tre övergripande faktorer; grad av upplevt situationsanpassat ledarskap(Meier, 2016), upplevd grad av möjligheter till lärande (Marsick & Watkins, 2003) samt motivation (Furnham, Eracleous & ChamorroPremuzic, 2009). Dessa variabler undersöks ur en kvantitativ ansats med av erkända forskare validerade datainsamlings instrument och faktorialanpassning. Resultatet delades upp och kodades till lämpligt format för att kunna utföra bivariata och trivariata kvantitativa statistiska analyser som undersöker samband mellan dessa variabler. De bivariata analyserna (ledarskap mot lärande) visade olika grader av samband som sedan testades med motivation som modulerande endogen variabel där sambanden visade stärkt korrelation. Studien visade stöd åt korrelationen av dessa trevariabler, dock indikerar determiniationskoefficienten R2att ytterligare förklarande påverkande faktorer finns till sambandet då R2 < 100%.

Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Betrachtung der Leitbahnen der Akupunktur unter wissenschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten. Bereits während der Recherchen wurde deutlich, dass dieses Thema auf mehreren Ebenen zu bearbeiten ist. Zunächst wurde daher der zeitliche Rahmen der Entstehung der Akupunktur im Allgemeinen und der Veterinärakupunktur im Besonderen eingegrenzt, die Bedeutung der Veterinärakupunktur im Alten China untersucht und die Beschreibung und Darstellung der Leitbahnen und Punkte beim Tier thematisiert (Kap. 3). Anschließend wurde eine Einführung in die theoretischen Grundlagen gegeben, ihre Entstehung und Entwicklung vor allem unter historischen und soziokulturellen Gesichtspunkten und zuletzt im medizinischen Kontext beschrieben (Kap. 4). Im Folgenden wurde der Versuch des Nachweises der Leitbahnen in naturwissenschaftlichem Kontext anhand verschiedener methodischer Beispiele untersucht (Kap. 5). Schließlich wurden die Ergebnisse zusammengefasst, untereinander sowie mit Aspekten der Forschung zur Punktspezifität in einen Kontext gestellt und abschließend eine Einschätzung des Stellenwertes der Leitbahnen in der (tier)medizinischen Praxis gegeben (Kap. 6). Anhand der Quellenlage kann die Entwicklung der Akupunktur ab etwa 200 v. Chr. nachvollzogen werden, wobei Nachweise für die Tierakupunktur erst in der Sui-Zeit (581 – 618 n. Chr.) vorliegen. Aus dem Alten China sind keine Darstellungen der Leitbahnen bekannt, eine Einteilung erfolgt eher nach den Körperregionen. Erst im Europa der 1950er Jahre werden Leitbahnkarten für Tiere durch Transposition entwickelt. Die Akupunktur ist eine Teildisziplin der sogenannten Entsprechungsmedizin. Als solche sind die ihr zugrundeliegenden Theorien ein Ergebnis der politischen und sozialen Veränderungen zwischen der Zeit der streitenden Reiche (481 – 221 v. Chr.) und der Han-Zeit (202 v. Chr. – 220 n. Chr.), die danach über etwa 1700 Jahre nie grundlegend in Frage gestellt wurden. Dieser theoretische Rahmen hat in China selbst nur geringe praktische Relevanz, während ihm im Westen als Abgrenzung gegenüber der konventionellen Medizin und um den Wunschvorstellungen einer idealen alternativen Therapiemethode zu entsprechen eine deutlich größere Rolle zukommt. Ein Nachweis der Existenz der Leitbahnen wurde vielfach versucht, konnte jedoch nicht erbracht werden. Einige Ergebnisse dieser Arbeiten und auch vieler Wirksamkeitsstudien zeigen, dass es sich bei der Akupunktur um ein multifaktorielles Therapiekonzept handelt. Besonders hervorzuheben ist die rezeptive und transmissive Rolle des Nervensystems auf unterschiedlichen Funktions- und Integrationsebenen. Die Leitbahnen als Linien auf der Körperoberfläche haben rein deskriptiven Charakter, um eine Anzahl von Punkten zu verbinden. Allerdings deutet einiges darauf hin, dass eher von sensiblen und effektiven Zonen gesprochen werden müsste. In diesem Rahmen ist es nicht sinnvoll, an einer Kartographie von Punkt und Linie festzuhalten. Zu eng sind hier die Beziehungen zur sozio-historisch bedingten Theorie, die die physiologisch-anatomischen Gegebenheiten nicht adäquat wiedergibt. Die weitere Forschung auf dem Gebiet der Akupunktur muss weiterhin um Aufklärung der Wirkmechanismen bemüht sein. Gleichzeitig muss eine objektive Quantifizierung der Akupunkturwirkungen erfolgen, um sinnvolle Einsatzbereiche zu definieren.