Association rule mining is one of the most popular data mining methods. However, mining association rules often results in a very large number of found rules, leaving the analyst with the task to go through all the rules and discover interesting ones. Sifting manually through large sets of rules is time consuming and strenuous. Although visualization has a long history of making large amounts of data better accessible using techniques like selecting and zooming, most association rule visualization techniques are still falling short when it comes to large numbers of rules. In this paper we introduce a new interactive visualization method, the grouped matrix representation, which allows to intuitively explore and interpret highly complex scenarios. We demonstrate how the method can be used to analyze large sets of association rules using the R software for statistical computing, and provide examples from the implementation in the R-package arulesViz. (authors' abstract)

This research presents a new approach to derive recommendations for segment-specific, targeted marketing campaigns on the product category level. The proposed methodological framework serves as a decision support tool for customer relationship managers or direct marketers to select attractive product categories for their target marketing efforts, such as segment-specific rewards in loyalty programs, cross-merchandising activities, targeted direct mailings, customized supplements in catalogues, or customized promotions. The proposed methodology requires cus- tomers' multi-category purchase histories as input data and proceeds in a stepwise manner. It combines various data compression techniques and integrates an opti- mization approach which suggests candidate product categories for segment-specific targeted marketing such that cross-category spillover effects for non-promoted categories are maximized. To demonstrate the empirical performance of our pro- posed procedure, we examine the transactions from a real-world loyalty program of a major grocery retailer. A simple scenario-based analysis using promotion responsiveness reported in previous empirical studies and prior experience by domain experts suggests that targeted promotions might boost profitability between 15 % and 128 % relative to an undifferentiated standard campaign.

In dieser Grundlagenstudie wird evaluiert wie präzise 3D-Gesichtsaufnahmen eines Patientenkollektivs mit einer Lippen-, Kiefer-, Gaumenspalte mit dem 3D-Bildaufnahmesystem Vectra M3 (Canfield) und der Analysesoftware Facial Analysis Tool (FAT), entwickelt in der Abteilung MKG der Universität Leipzig, analysiert werden können. Im ersten Studienabschnitt werden 3D-Gesichtsaufnahmen von 3 Patienten und einem Modellkopf erstellt und für 62 manuell festgelegte Landmarken (LM) 10-mal die x-, y-, z-Koordinaten bestimmt. Die statistisch ermittelten prozentualen Variationskoeffizienten und die FAT-Beurteilungen der Messdaten werden graphisch verglichen und zeigen eine gute Übereinstimmung. Die Präzision der LM-Positionierungen ist Landmarken-abhängig Im zweiten Abschnitt werden an 91 Patienten mit unterschiedlichen Spaltdiagnosen jeweils 146 Distanzen aus LM und auch konstruierten Punkten mittels FAT ermittelt. Die prozentualen Variationskoeffizienten der Messdaten der Patientenkollektive werden nach Spaltdiagnose (beid-, rechts-, linksseitiger LKG-Spalte und Minimalvarianten), nach Geschlecht und Alter (≤ , >16 Jahre) graphisch ausgewertet. Die Variationskoeffizienten der Distanzen innerhalb einer Patientengruppe sind vergleichsweise hoch, insbesondere im Nasen- / Mundbereich mit kleinen Distanzen. Eine Differenzierung nach Geschlecht und Alter ist nicht möglich. Im dritten Abschnitt werden Symmetrieindizes für 36 Distanzen von den nach Spaltdiagnose gruppierten 91 Patienten errechnet und graphisch ausgewertet. Die Patienten mit einer einseitigen Anomalie weisen im Nasen- / Mundbereich eine erhöhte Asymmetrie auf. Bei den Patienten mit rechtsseitiger LKG-Spalte sind die Distanzen in der rechten Gesichtshälfte des fehlgebildeten Bereichs im Mittel größer als in der linken, bei linksseitiger LKG-Spalte sich diese Verhältnisse umgekehrt.

This thesis seeks to develop an under-researched area of Europeanisation theory, namely the link between the ‘export' dimension of Europeanisation and the European Union's (EU) external crisis response instruments, and specifically the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). It examines the theory of Europeanisation and its relevant dimensions for this thesis, defining ‘Europeanisation' in this context as the export of European values, principles, structures, ideas and norms beyond the geographical borders of the EU. The thesis sets out to test whether ESDP operations can provide a vehicle for Europeanisation in the countries in which they are deployed. It examines the evolution of European Union security and defence policy and the evolution of the EU's operational military and civilian mission instrument, and employs case studies of operations in a specific country context in order to test whether ESDP operations can indeed be a practical mechanism with the potential to export the EU's norms and principles. The thesis employs case studies of three ESDP missions conducted in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM) - the military operation Concordia, and police missions Proxima and EUPAT. It explores whether these EU external instruments had a Europeanisation dimension, and whether and how in practice they contributed to Europeanisation. fYROM makes a germane case study as a new country emerging from crisis, on the EU's border, and in line for prospective future EU membership. The case studies show that the primary effect of the military operation Concordia, in contributing to the country's security and political stabilization and providing a visible and symbolic EU presence, was to provide a platform for subsequent Europeanisation. The follow-on Proxima and EUPAT civilian operations carried a more direct Europeanisation agenda and effect, playing an important role in transferring the EU's approach to addressing causes of conflict and contributing as part of the EU's wider efforts to promoting the integration of fYROM in the EU. The thesis concludes that ESDP operations can be a vehicle for exporting European values, principles and norms, and as such, a promoter of Europeanisation beyond the EU's borders. This research can contribute to deepening the area of Europeanisation theory concerned with export dimensions of the theory, and suggests there is academic value in examining the Europeanisation aspects of EU external instruments, including civilian and military operations in other case study contexts, including in countries well beyond the EU's neighbourhood. The research also highlights the value for the EU of conceptualising the ESDP mission instrument through a Europeanisation lens, in terms of maximising the transformative potential of the instrument as part of wider EU strategy to pursue normative, security and political objectives in its neighbourhood and the wider international sphere.

Based on a Ph.D. thesis in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, 1963. / Bibliography: p. 81-83.

by Pitu Mirchandani. / Prepared under National Science Foundation Grant GI38004. OR 039-74. / Bibliography: leaf 15.

Στα πλαίσια της διπλωματικής εργασίας αναπτύχθηκε μια εφαρμογή, η οποία μπορεί να ελέγχει τη φθορά των αναρτήσεων του αυτοκινήτου και να ειδοποιεί τον οδηγό όταν αυτές έχουν φθαρεί. Θα εξομοιώσουμε τα σήματα που στέλνουν τέσσερις αισθητήρες πιεζοκρυστάλλων, προσαρμοσμένοι στις αναρτήσεις του αυτοκινήτου, τα οποία μετά από κατάλληλη προεπεξεργασία (κεντροθέτηση και λεύκανση) και διαχωρισμό με τη μέθοδο της ανάλυσης σε ανεξάρτητες συνιστώσες (ICA), θα μας δώσουν τις πληροφορίες που χρειαζόμαστε για την κατάσταση των αναρτήσεων. Η εφαρμογή αναπτύχθηκε στο περιβάλλον μVision της Keil, σε γλώσσα προγραμματισμού C, για το μικροελεγκτή STM32F103RB της ST Microelectronics. / In the context of this thesis an application was developed, that is capable of checking the wear of vehicle suspensions and informing the driver of their status. We simulated the signals that four specifically built sensors, fit into the suspension system sent, which after proper preprocessing (centering and whitening) and separation using Independent Component Analysis (ICA), will give us the information we need about the state of the suspensions. This application was developed in Keil’s μVision, in C programming language, for the STM32F103RB microcontroller by ST Microelectronics.

Submitted by Caroline Periotto (carol@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T14:53:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseJAF.pdf: 1812104 bytes, checksum: 817ececd9c05df0ddae3a91de3c8bb14 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-23T18:27:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseJAF.pdf: 1812104 bytes, checksum: 817ececd9c05df0ddae3a91de3c8bb14 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-23T18:27:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseJAF.pdf: 1812104 bytes, checksum: 817ececd9c05df0ddae3a91de3c8bb14 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-23T18:27:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseJAF.pdf: 1812104 bytes, checksum: 817ececd9c05df0ddae3a91de3c8bb14 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Accurate and robust forecasting methods for univariate time series are critical as the historical data can be used in the strategic planning of such future operations as buying and selling to ensure product inventory and meet market demands. In this context, several competitions for time series forecasting have been organized, with the M3-Competition as the largest. As the winner of M3-Competition, the Theta method has attracted attention from researchers for its predictive performance and simplicity. The Theta method is a combination of other methods, which proposes the decomposition of the deseasonalized time series into two other time series called "theta lines". The first completely removes the curvatures of the data, thus accurately estimating the long-term trend. The second doubles the curvatures to better approximate short-term behavior. Several issues have been raised about the Theta method, even by its originators. They include the number of theta lines, their parameters, weights to combine them, and construction of prediction intervals, among others. This doctorate thesis resolves part of these issues. We derive optimal weights for combine the theta lines, this result is used to derive statistical models which generalizes /approximate the standard Theta method. The statistical methodology is considering for parameter estimation and for compute the prediction intervals. The optimal weights are also used to propose new methods that hold two or more theta lines. Part of proposed methodology is implemented in a package for R-programming language. In an empirical investigation using the M3-Competition data set with more than 3000 time series, the proposed methods/models demonstrated significant accuracy. The study’s primary approach, the Dynamic Optimised Theta Model, outperformed all benchmarks methods, constituting, in all likelihood, the highest-performing method for this data set available in the literature. / Métodos precisos e robustos para prever séries temporais são muito importantes em diversas áreas. Uma vez que os dados históricos são utilizados para o planejamento estratégico de operações futuras, como compra ou venda de determinados produtos para controle de estoque e demanda. Neste contexto, várias competições para métodos de previsão de séries temporais univariadas foram realizadas, sendo a Competição M3 a maior. Ao vencer a Competição M3, o método Theta intrigou pesquisadores por sua capacidade preditiva e simplicidade. O método Theta é uma combinação de outros métodos, o qual propõe decompor a série temporal (desazonalizada) em outras duas séries temporais chamadas de "linhas thetas". A primeira linha theta remove completamente a curvatura dos dados, sendo assim um estimador para a tendência a longo prazo. A segunda linha theta dobra a curvatura da série sendo assim um estimador para a componente de curto prazo. Várias questões relacionadas ao método Theta foram levantadas, algumas pelos próprios autores, como parâmetros ideais para as linhas thetas, pesos para combinar as linhas thetas, construção de intervalos de predição, número ideal de linhas thetas, entre outras. Nesta tese algumas dessas questões são solucionadas. Pesos ótimos para a combinação de linhas thetas são derivados, esses resultados são utilizados para a construção de modelos estatísticos que generalizam/aproximam o método Theta padrão. A metodologia estatística é empregada para estimação dos parâmetros e construção de intervalos de predição. Os pesos ótimos também são utilizados para propor métodos que consideram duas ou mais linhas thetas. Parte da metodologia proposta é implementada em um pacote para a linguagem de programação R. Em um estudo empírico com mais de 3000 séries temporais do conjunto de dados da competição M3, os métodos/modelos propostos mostraram-se acurados. A nossa principal abordagem, o modelo DOTM ("Dynamic Optimised Theta Model") superou todos os concorrentes, sendo possivelmente o método com o melhor desempenho nesse conjunto de dados já disponibilizado na literatura.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T18:02:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo3641_1.pdf: 6593022 bytes, checksum: 0f5771c7ba5a598c9b448775b9fef6c4 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A leucemia promielocítica aguda (LPA) corresponde a cerca de 20-28% das LMAs nos países latino-americanos, sendo caracterizada pelo acúmulo de células leucêmicas na medula óssea semelhantes a promielócitos e clinicamente associada à coagulopatia, que é responsável pela alta mortalidade precoce nas fases iniciais de tratamento. Apesar da LPA ser geralmente reconhecida por seus caracteres morfológicos, existem casos atípicos. A LPA é uma patologia beneficiada pelo tratamento com ATRA e, portanto, um rápido e eficiente diagnóstico é essencial. A citogenética em geral e a RT-PCR são amplamente utilizadas na detecção da fusão gênica PML-RARα. Estas técnicas fornecem informações adicionais sobre a presenca de outras anormalidades citogenéticas, porém consomem tempo e requerem laboratórios especializados. O padrão da PML provou-se útil ao diagnostico da LPA clássica através de técnicas imunológicas utilizando anticorpos monoclonais ou policlonais. Neste estudo foram analisados 15 pacientes, de ambos os sexos, idade variando de 4 a 17 anos, diagnosticados com LPA no Centro de Oncohematologia Pediátrica do HUOC ou Instituto Nacional do Câncer entre os anos de 2004 a 2008. As amostras de medula óssea dos pacientes foram tratadas de acordo com protocolos padrões sendo realizadas as técnicas de bandeamento G, RT-PCR, FISH usando sonda para o rearranjo PML-RARα e imunofluorescência com anticorpo monoclonal PG-M3. A análise por bandeamento G revelou alterações cromossômicas, com excessão de dois casos que apresentaram cariótipos normais. O estudo apresentou: um cariótipo complexo 47,XX,del(12p),add(14q),del(15q),i(19q),+mar, onde não foi detectada a fusão PML-RARα pela RT-PCR, nem pela FISH; um 48,XX,+2mar, no qual também não foi detectada a fusão PMLRARα pelas técnicas moleculares. Estes dois casos podem conter fusões variantes. Sete casos com t(15;17) foram detectados pela citogenética e confirmados pela FISH; cinco casos com t(15;17) confirmados pela FISH quando não foi possível realizar a análise citogenética. Em três casos a RT-PCR mostrou-se divergente da FISH. A imunofluorescência foi realizada em cinco casos e todos confirmaram o diagnóstico da LPA clássica. Sete pacientes estão vivos, seis em remissão, um em tratamento e oito foram a óbito. Estes dados mostram a importância da união de diversas metodologias para o aperfeiçoamento da eficiência e sensibilidade do diagnóstico e do tratamento desta doença

This thesis analyzes the implementation of the ERP system Infor M3 in international company. The main objective is to analyze the current implementation causes of delay and to recommend measures for future implementation stages to prevent them. The main objective of theoretical part is to analyze global ERP market and summarize available implementation methodologies of ERP systems. Second objective of theoretical part is to analyze the frequent causes of delays in implementation's projects in general and to summarize the basic methods for searching the causes of problems. Practical part is based on knowledge from theoretical part and through a survey identifies the most serious causes of delay in implementation in particular international company. The outcome of this thesis are recommendations for the rest of this implementation project to avoid and prevent the same causes and problems and allow to finish project implementation in time.