Dimensionality reduction in the bag-of-words vector space document representation model has been widely studied for the purposes of improving accuracy and reducing computational load of document retrieval tasks. These techniques, however, have not been studied to the same degree with regard to document clustering tasks. This study evaluates the effectiveness of two popular dimensionality reduction techniques for clustering, and their effect on discovering accurate and understandable topical groupings of documents. The two techniques studied are Latent Semantic Analysis and Independent Component Analysis, each of which have been shown to be effective in the past for retrieval purposes.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 H87 / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to design a model to evaluate the influence of selected factors on the performance of a telephone delivery system for nutrition information and use the model to evaluate the performance of the Roanoke Dietetic Association Dial-A-Dietitian program. The Dial-A-Dietitian program was established to provide nutrition information to the public by Registered Dietitians. The model entailed a systems approach to evaluate the Roanoke Dietetic Association Dial-A-Dietitian program. The five phases of the model included Enabling Factors (inputs), the Interaction Process, Effort Factors (outputs), Performance (outcome), and Feedback. Feedback entailed the utilization of the results of the evaluation in the decision-making process for future Dial-A-Dietitian programs and their operation. The evaluation instruments, the Encounter Form and the Telephone Survey of clients, included reaction statements and attitude assessment of clients and dietitians. The data were analyzed with frequency distributions. Also the Chi Square Tests of Independence were computed to determine the relationship between the independent variables, Enabling Factors (Phase 1) and Effort Factors (Phase 3), and the dependent variable, Performance (Phase 4). The model was useful in the evaluation of the Dial-A-Dietitian program. The data analysis indicated that the Dial-A-Dietitian program was effective as measured by this model. / Ph. D.

Violence is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst young people. Public health approaches are now being increasingly utilised to reduce the risk of young peoples' involvement in violence. One such programme is Medics Against Violence (MAV), which aims to reduce pro-violent attitudes and enhance empathy in secondary school pupils. This thesis aims to investigate whether this approach can be effective in tackling youth violence in secondary school pupils. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to conduct both an outcome and process evaluation of MAV. Four schools took part in the outcome evaluation, which examined whether there was a change in attitudes towards violence or empathy in pupils receiving the MAV programme. The process evaluation consisted of focus groups with school pupils, and open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with MAV volunteers. There was a small but significant reduction in pro-violent attitudes immediately post-intervention. However, this was not sustained at three months and there was no significant increase in empathy scores. Pupils generally demonstrated anti-violent attitudes, although were more likely to support the use of reactive violence. The pupils appeared to enjoy and generally engage well with the programme. In particular, the use of real footage, interviews with those affected by violence and the Glasgow setting provided a sense of realism for the pupils. Moreover, pupils valued the opportunity to discuss the issues raised by MAV with the volunteers. Volunteers felt engagement was occasionally an issue in the most affluent areas. However, some volunteers adapted the programme to focus on victimisation prevention in the most affluent schools. Further development is therefore needed in terms of establishing who the programme is aimed at (i.e. potential victims or perpetrators), focusing on reactive violence and increasing the sustainability of its effects.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Orientador: Jose Luiz Pereira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T12:12:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Constantino_CristinadeAbreu_M.pdf: 2114819 bytes, checksum: 189ec1c7fa681707e31ce5dc34bc0e27 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: No Brasil, a Portaria MS nº. 518/2004 do Ministério da Saúde estabelece, entre outros parâmetros, a análise de coliformes totais, termotolerantes ou Escherichia coli (E. coli) e de bactérias heterotróficos para análise de água para consumo humano, em toda e qualquer situação, incluindo fontes individuais como poços, minas e nascentes. A Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos Estados Unidos (EPA) avalia métodos para diferentes aplicações ambientais, entre outras, para análise de água potável, que se aprovados, são publicados como métodos oficiais no Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Este manual recomenda muitos princípios de reações e métodos para análise de água potável e é muito importantes que se compreendam as limitações e benefícios destes métodos antes de utilizá-los, para garantir a segurança e qualidade microbiológica da água de consumo humano. Os métodos convencionais de análise microbiológica de água para consumo humano requerem um mínimo de 24 horas de incubação, seguidos por procedimentos de confirmação dos resultados positivos, que duram entre 24-48 horas, o que gera uma demanda de métodos mais rápidos de análise. O uso das Placas 3M¿ Petrifilm¿ não está aprovado pela EPA, e, consequentemente, não está publicada no Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Este estudo apresenta resultados comparativos do desempenho da tecnologia 3MTM Placas PetrifilmTM para contagem de Coliformes e E. coli (EC) e Contagem de Aeróbios (AC) contra as metodologias convencionais para as análises de bactérias do grupo coliformes (Endo) e para contagem padrão de bactérias heterotróficas (PCA), através do método de membrana filtrante e técnica de plaqueamento em profundidade, respectivamente, seguindo os procedimentos descritos no protocolo 821-B-03-004, da EPA. As amostras foram obtidas de dois rios que suprem o fornecimento de água potável (antes e após o tratamento na estação de abastecimento), dois poços e duas fontes na região da cidade de Campinas, estado de São Paulo, Brasil. A água bruta dos rios foi utilizada para contaminar a água potável, e em seguida, foi realizado estresse por cloração, (0.1mg/L ¿ 5 minutos); a água dos poços e fontes estava naturalmente contaminada. Parâmetros físico-químicos foram avaliados. A mediana das contagens de coliformes e E. coli para água de consumo humano oriunda das estações de tratamento, com as 3MTM Placas Petrifilm EC foi igual a 1,9085 e para o meio Endo igual a 1,8603. O resultado do teste de Mann-Whitney foi W = 2786,5 o que demonstrou que não se pode rejeitar a igualdade dos métodos, já que W é maior do que 2525,0. O método Petrifilm EC apresentou menor variabilidade com pvalor = 0,014, com menor desvio padrão para o método EC (0,16), do que o método Endo (0,29) e maior precisão, com Coeficiente de variação (CV) = 8,43 para EC x CV = 15,91 para ENDO. Para amostras de água de fontes e poços não tratados, 40 resultados de contagens de coliformes foram avaliados e o método 3MTM Petrifilm EC apresentou recuperação estatisticamente inferior do que o método de referência, porém com maior precisão com CV=12, 26 para o método EC x CV = 16,44 para o método ENDO. Para contagens de bactérias heterotróficas, as amostras das três matrizes água foram analisadas conjuntamente. Não houve diferença na recuperação com o método 3MTM Petrifilm AC, pois W = 8455,5 é maior do que 8145, 0, com medianas de 2,0294 e 2,0212 para o método PCA, com p-valor de 0,253. O desvio padrão de 0,40 para o 3MTM Petrifilm AC e 0,49 para o método PCA demonstram que os métodos apresentaram recuperação muito similar das colônias e superioridade na precisão do método 3MTM Petrifilm AC, com CV = 19,78 x CV = 25,76 para o método PCA. Observou-se que não houve diferença estatística significativa e que há uma forte correlação entre os métodos convencionais e as placas 3MTM Petrifilm. A técnica 3MTM Petrifilm é rápida, padronizada, confirmatória e precisa e com base nestes resultados sugere-se que pode ser utilizada como um método prático para análise de bactérias heterotróficas, coliformes e E. coli em água de consumo humano, alternativamente à metodologia convencional, atendendo à demanda das empresas de alimentos, bebidas e abastecimento de água / Abstract: In Brazil the normative MS nº. 518/2004 of Health Agency establishes, among others parameters, the analysis of total, thermotolerant coliforms or Escherichia coli (E coli) and of heterotrophic bacteria for drinking water, including springs, wells and other sources of human drink water. Many principles of reactions are recommended for water potability analysis in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater that proclaim the validated method for water analysis, sand are very important to understand the limitations and benefits of these methods before the use of these, to guarantee the security and microbiological quality of the human drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates methods for many environmental uses, between others, to drinking water analysis, that been approved will be published as official methods in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. This Standard recommend that many reaction principle¿s and methods for drinking water analysis and is very important that be understood the limits and benefits of those methods before using it, for warranty the safety and microbiological quality of human drinking water. The conventional methods of microbiological water analysis of human consumption requires a minimum of 24 hour of incubation, followed for confirmatory procedures of the positive results, that last between 24-48 hours, what it generates a demand of faster methods of analysis. The use of 3M¿ Petrifilm¿ Plates is not approved by the EPA and consequently is not published in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. This study shows comparative results from the performance of the technology 3MTM PetrifilmTM Plates for counting of coliforms and E. coli (EC) and counting of aerobic organisms (AC) versus the conventional methodologies for the analyses of coliforms bacteria (Endo) and for standard counting of heterotrophic bacteria (PCA), through the method of membrane filtration and pour plate technique, respectively, following the protocol EPA 821-B-03-004 procedures. Samples were obtained from two rivers that are suppliers of drinking water (prior and after the supplier station treatment), two wells and two fountains in the Campinas city region, São Paulo state/ Brazil. The raw river water was used to spike drinking water, after chlorination stress [0.1mg/L ¿ 5 minutes]; wells and fountains were naturally contaminated. Physical-chemical parameters were evaluated. Median was EC = 1,9085 and Endo = 1,8603. The result from Mann-Whitney test was W = 2786,5, that shows the equality between methods can not be reject since W is > 2525,0. Petrifilm method shows lower variability with p-value = 0,014, with lower Standard Deviation to EC (0,16) than Endo (0,29) and higher precision, with CV = 8,43 for EC vs. CV = 15,91 for ENDO. For the untreated water from wells and fountains, 40 coliforms results were evaluated and EC results were statistically different and lower than the reference method, bur higher precision with Coefficient of Variation (CV) = 12, 26 for EC method vs. CV = 16,44 to ENDO method. For heterotrophic counts, the samples for 3 matrices were analyzed together. There is no recovery difference for 3MTM Petrifilm AC method since W = 8455,5 greater than 8145,0 with medians of 2,0294 and 2,0212 for PCA method, with a p- Value of 0,253. The Standard Deviation of 0,40 for 3MTM Petrifilm AC and 0,49 for PCA method shows that both methods presents a very similar recover of colonies and the superiority of precision of the 3MTM Petrifilm AC method, with CV = 19,78 vs. CV = 25,76 for PCA method. Was observed that there is no statistic significant difference and there is a strong correlation between the traditional and 3MTM Petrifilm Plates. The 3MTM Petrifilm technique is rapid, standardized, confirmatory and precise and based in these results should be suggested that it can be used as a practical method for heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms and E. coli analysis in human drinking water, alternatively to the conventional methodology, attending the demand of the companies of food, beverages and water supply stations / Mestrado / Engenharia de Alimentos / Mestre em Ciência de Alimentos

In this dissertation, the accuracy and reliability of non-linear finite element computations in application to surgical simulation is evaluated. The evaluation is performed through comparison between the experiment and finite element analysis of indentation of soft tissue phantom and human brain phantom. The evaluation is done in terms of the forces acting on the cylindrical Aluminium indenter and deformation of the phantoms due to these forces. The deformation of the phantoms is measured by tracking 3D motions of X-ray opaque markers implanted in the direct neighbourhood under the indenter using a custom-made biplane X-ray image intensifiers (XRII) system. The phantoms are made of Sylgard® 527 gel to simulate the hyperelastic constitutive behaviour of the brain tissue. The phantoms are prepared layer by layer to facilitate the implantation of the X-ray opaque markers. The modelling of soft tissue phantom indentation and human brain phantom indentation is performed using the ABAQUSTM/Standard finite element solver. Realistic geometry model of the human brain phantom obtained from Magnetic Resonance images is used. Specific constitutive properties of the phantom layers determined through uniaxial compression tests are used in the model. The models accurately predict the indentation force-displacement relations and marker displacements in both soft tissue phantom indentation and human brain phantom indentation. Good agreement between the experimental and modelling results verifies the reliability and accuracy of the finite element analysis techniques used in this study and confirms the predictive power of these techniques in application to surgical simulation.

The diploma thesis is focused on study of diagnostic methods used for reinforced concrete structure with a practical example of a survey on the subject of the original memorial Bata in Zlin, today's House of Art. The theoretical part of the thesis describes the general methodology of the survey with the distribution methods for testing materials and structures, and displays the evaluation according to ČSN ISO 1382 Also deals with the required properties and used by diagnostic methods for concrete and steel. In the practical part of the surveyed, which is supposed to show the methodology of the survey to the evaluation process involving the setting apart of strength and classification of concrete and chemical analysis, which should show whether the concrete is not based on aluminous cement.

The dissertation deals with the issue of guest workers in the home with special regime. The work consists of a theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part deals with human resource management, as described in the literature. The essential question is to link a system of evaluation in the Organization, with the achievement of mission and objectives of the organization. The work focuses on the links between performance management and evaluation of staff. Further focuses on the evaluation criteria, the various forms and the methods of evaluation, and also on the assumptions and the skills of the evaluator, but also the assumptions of investigational agents, their ability to reflect on their work and the ability of self assessment. In the practical part of the thesis I introduce the organization, in which it is carried out of the investigation. In the framework of this investigation is carried out the analysis of the system of evaluation in the organization, whose aim was to find out what is the current status of the system of evaluation of employees in the organization and identify options for further development and to propose possible changes that will lead to the development of both the workers and the entire organization. On the basis of these outputs is designed the new methodology to...