abstract: Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) have attracted attention for mission critical applications. This dissertation investigates techniques of statistical monitoring and control for overhead reduction in a proactive MANET routing protocol. Proactive protocols transmit overhead periodically. Instead, we propose that the local conditions of a node should determine this transmission decision. While the goal is to minimize overhead, a balance in the amount of overhead transmitted and the performance achieved is required. Statistical monitoring consists of techniques to determine if a characteristic has shifted away from an in-control state. A basic tool for monitoring is a control chart, a time-oriented representation of the characteristic. When a sample deviates outside control limits, a significant change has occurred and corrective actions are required to return to the in-control state. We investigate the use of statistical monitoring of local conditions in the Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) protocol. Three versions are developed. In A-OLSR, each node uses a Shewhart chart to monitor betweenness of its two-hop neighbourhood. Betweenness is a social network metric that measures a node's influence; betweenness is larger when a node has more influence. Changes in topology are associated with changes in betweenness. We incorporate additional local node conditions including speed, density, packet arrival rate, and number of flows it forwards in A+-OLSR. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to optimize timer values. As well, the Shewhart chart is replaced by an Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) chart, which is more sensitive to small changes in the characteristic. It is known that control charts do not work as well in the presence of correlation. Hence, in A*-OLSR the autocorrelation in the time series is removed and an Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model found; this removes the dependence on node speed. A*-OLSR also extends monitoring to two characteristics concurrently using multivariate cumulative sum (MCUSUM) charts. The protocols are evaluated in simulation, and compared to OLSR and its variants. The techniques for statistical monitoring and control are general and have great potential to be applied to the adaptive control of many network protocols. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Computer Science 2012

One hypothesis regarding the etiology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is to conceptualize the disorder as an "inhibition" disorder. Furthermore, it has been suggested that inhibition is not a single all-encompassing construct, but rather a series of closely related processes. There has been limited examination as to whether children with ADHD are impaired on measures of cognitive inhibition (also known as proactive and retroactive interference). This project examined children with ADHD's susceptibility to proactive and retroactive interference in both verbal and visual-spatial modalities in comparison to typically developing children utilizing a novel coding system of the Children's Memory Scale (CMS). It was found that children with ADHD exhibited greater levels of visual-spatial retroactive interference than their typically developing peers. Additionally, children with ADHD did not differ from controls on any measure of verbal interference. Implications for clinical practice and future directions for research are discussed.

Rational agent behaviour is frequently achieved through the use of plans, particularly within the widely used BDI (Belief-Desire-Intention) model for intelligent agents. As a consequence, preventing or handling failure of planned activity is a vital component in building robust multiagent systems; this is especially true in realistic environments, where unpredictable exogenous change during plan execution may threaten intended activities. Although reactive approaches can be employed to respond to activity failure through replanning or plan-repair, failure may have debilitative effects that act to stymie recovery and, potentially, hinder subsequent activity. A further factor is that BDI agents typically employ deterministic world and plan models, as probabilistic planning methods are typical intractable in realistically complex environments. However, deterministic operator preconditions may fail to represent world states which increase the risk of activity failure. The primary contribution of this thesis is the algorithmic design of the CAMP-BDI (Capability Aware, Maintaining Plans) approach; a modification of the BDI reasoning cycle which provides agents with beliefs and introspective reasoning to anticipate increased risk of failure and pro-actively modify intended plans in response. We define a capability meta-knowledge model, providing information to identify and address threats to activity success using precondition modelling and quantitative quality estimation. This also facilitates semantic-independent communication of capability information for general advertisement and of dependency information - we define use of the latter, within a structured messaging approach, to extend local agent algorithms towards decentralized, distributed robustness. Finally, we define a policy based approach for dynamic modification of maintenance behaviour, allowing response to observations made during runtime and with potential to improve re-usability of agents in alternate environments. An implementation of CAMP-BDI is compared against an equivalent reactive system through experimentation in multiple perturbation configurations, using a logistics domain. Our empirical evaluation indicates CAMP-BDI has significant benefit if activity failure carries a strong risk of debilitative consequence.

Os controles de produção e qualidade executados no canteiro de obras têm sido frequentemente associados a trâmites burocráticos, sendo limitados a tarefas administrativas, em lugar de adicionar valor para os clientes internos e externos. Por esta razão, diversas pesquisas propuseram abordagens e indicadores para a integração entre controles de produção e qualidade. Uma das abordagens apontadas na literatura como promissora consiste no uso de dispositivos móveis, para apoiar a implementação destes controles. Tais dispositivos permitem a gestão de grandes quantidades de informações, evitando retrabalhos e erros derivados da coleta manual no papel e transcrição posterior para dispositivos digitais. Outros esforços têm se focado na integração entre os modelos de processo e produto de forma que a informação possa ser utilizada de forma mais eficaz na fase de construção. Os modelos de processo são necessários para realizar o planejamento e controle da produção, enquanto os modelos do produto são relacionados a representações 2D e 3D das obras e, mais recentemente, a modelos BIM. No entanto, a literatura sobre o uso de tecnologia da informação para implementar sistemas integrados de controle da produção e da qualidade é escassa. O objetivo do presente trabalho consiste em desenvolver um modelo para a integração entre processos gerenciais, representados pelos sistemas de planejamento e controle da produção e de gestão da qualidade, e um modelo BIM do produto, buscando facilitar o acompanhamento da execução da obra, incluindo o desempenho em termos de qualidade e a ocorrência de perdas. Foram desenvolvidos dois estudos empíricos em diferentes empresas construtoras, sendo adotada a abordagem metodológica da design science research. A principal contribuição deste trabalho está relacionada à execução da integração entre os resultados de controles pró-ativos no canteiro e o modelo BIM do empreendimento de forma sistemática. Além disso, o modelo proposto tem a possibilidade de ser adaptado para usos diversos, podendo, assim, incorporar informações correspondentes a outras fases do ciclo de vida dos empreendimentos construtivos. / Production and quality controls undertaken in construction sites have often been associated to bureaucratic procedures, being limited to simple administrative tasks, instead of adding value for internal and external stakeholders. For that reason, some research studies have proposed approaches and indicators for the integration of production and quality controls. One of these approaches pointed out in the literature is the use of mobile devices, to support the implementation of those controls. Those devices allow the management of large information batches, reducing rework and errors derived from manual paper-based data collection and further transcription to digital media. Other efforts have focused on the integration between product and process models so that information can be more effectively used during the construction phase of the project. Process models are necessary for carrying out production planning and control, while product models are concerned with 2D or 3D design, and, most recently, with BIM models. Nonetheless, the literature on the use of information technology for implementing integrated production and quality control is scarce. The aim of this research work is to develop a model for the integration of management processes, composed by production planning, control and quality management processes, and a BIM product model, in order to facilitate the monitoring of project execution, including the performance in terms of quality and the occurrence of waste. Two empirical studies were carried out in different construction companies, using the design science research approach. The main contributions of this investigation are related to the integration between some proactive control results and the BIM model in a systematic way. Furthermore, the proposed model has the possibility to be adapted for diverse uses, such as incorporating information from different phases of the construction project life cycle.

Submitted by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-03-19T19:15:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO JAQUELINE FINAL REVISADA 19-11 PDF 2.pdf: 732032 bytes, checksum: f0a83366ee041c41ae014c3c6a502029 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-03-20T19:13:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO JAQUELINE FINAL REVISADA 19-11 PDF 2.pdf: 732032 bytes, checksum: f0a83366ee041c41ae014c3c6a502029 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-20T19:13:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO JAQUELINE FINAL REVISADA 19-11 PDF 2.pdf: 732032 bytes, checksum: f0a83366ee041c41ae014c3c6a502029 (MD5) / O objetivo desta pesquisa é propor e desenvolver estratégias pró-ativas da gestão da diversidade sexual nas organizações. As teorias que fundamentam esta pesquisa referem-se ao campo da diversidade cultural, gestão da diversidade sexual com um enfoque na questão da aprendizagem. A pesquisa é de caráter qualitativo, biográfico, exploratório baseada em entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas em dois momentos. A pesquisa baseou-se na experiência profissional e organizacional vivida por onze pessoas de organizações públicas e privadas que se identificam como lésbicas e gays. Os resultados da pesquisa geram um conjunto de estratégias pró-ativas de gestão da diversidade sexual: A Estratégia de Aprendizagem Celebrativa é aquela que através da celebração busca quebrar as resistências com relação à diversidade sexual. A Estratégia de Aprendizagem Formativa é a que enseja o aprendizado através da informação para lidar da melhor forma possível com as diferenças. E através da Estratégia de Aprendizagem Institucionalizadora, as pessoas criam suas próprias regras e códigos a partir de um contexto de aprendizagem baseado no convívio com a diversidade sexual. The aim of this research is to propose and develop proactive strategies of the sexual diversity in organizations. The theories behind this research are related to the field of cultural diversity and sexual diversity management with a focus on the issue of learning. The research is qualitative, biographical and exploratory based on semi-structured interviews conducted in two stages. The research was based on professional and organizational experience lived by eleven people from public and private organizations that identify themselves as lesbians and gays. The research results generate a set of proactive strategies of sexual diversity management. The Celebrative Learning Strategy” this strategy that which through the celebration seeks to break the resistances related to sexual diversity. “The Formative Learning Strategy”, is the strategy that enables the learning through the information to deal through the best way with the differences. And through “The Institutional Learning Strategy”, people create their own rules and codes from the learning environment based on coexistence with sexual diversity.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Jason Bergtold / It is challenging to know when customers are satisfied or dissatisfied with a product or service. Feedback mechanisms such as surveys are frequently used to gain feedback and evaluate the customer’s perceptions of the product or service. John Deere, like most companies, takes an active role in understanding customer satisfaction, using surveys and feedback through field teams and the dealer channel. Shortcomings with this method include the need for customers to voice their complaints first, which can take a significant amount of time, delaying John Deere from providing needed service. The purpose of this research is to examine the usefulness of using primary diagnostic data collected by John Deere to assess customer satisfaction. Specifically, to examine if the number of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) on a John Deere 8R series row crop tractor experiences has an impact on customer satisfaction scores reported on surveys. Then determine if this data would be useful to help identify dissatisfied customers proactively. Statistical analysis and regression were used to understand the impact DTC’s have on customer satisfaction. Analysis indicates that for every 100 Total DTC’s a machine exhibits one could expect to see a 4 point reduction in overall CSI score by the customer. This information may prove valuable in being able to understand customer satisfaction more proactively.

abstract: It is vital for schools to have qualified teachers educating our children. Institutions with teacher preparation programs supply a valuable service to their communities by providing classrooms with devoted professionals who thrive on helping children learn, and the Teachers College, where this study is set, is one such institution. The Teachers College offers two pathways to gain teacher certification: a traditional bachelor’s degree in teaching areas such as elementary, secondary, or special education, as well as master’s degrees in those same teaching areas which offer students with a bachelor’s degree in an area other than teaching, another pathway to teacher certification. Many people who receive their bachelor degrees and then return to college to earn advanced K-12 teacher education degrees are from the millennial generation. The decision to return to college to earn a master’s degree with teacher certification can be a stressful one. Millennial students seeking teacher certification often have fulltime jobs and families, and therefore need the process of returning to school to be quick and efficient. How well these prospective students communicate with the admissions staff at their school of choice will determine if they receive the information needed to complete their applications. The focus of this study is to investigate if a proactive advising text message innovation developed for this study called TextEd, used during the admission process for graduate level, teacher certification programs at the Teachers College, affected applicant communication levels and customer satisfaction through the application process. More specifically, surveys and interviews were conducted with applicants from three teacher certifications programs to determine if TextEd was an effective tool for communication with millennial applicants. Results indicated that applicants’ preferred method of communication was their cell phone, and an increased level of customer satisfaction occurred when using a proactive advising approach with text messaging during the admissions process. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2018

Os controles de produção e qualidade executados no canteiro de obras têm sido frequentemente associados a trâmites burocráticos, sendo limitados a tarefas administrativas, em lugar de adicionar valor para os clientes internos e externos. Por esta razão, diversas pesquisas propuseram abordagens e indicadores para a integração entre controles de produção e qualidade. Uma das abordagens apontadas na literatura como promissora consiste no uso de dispositivos móveis, para apoiar a implementação destes controles. Tais dispositivos permitem a gestão de grandes quantidades de informações, evitando retrabalhos e erros derivados da coleta manual no papel e transcrição posterior para dispositivos digitais. Outros esforços têm se focado na integração entre os modelos de processo e produto de forma que a informação possa ser utilizada de forma mais eficaz na fase de construção. Os modelos de processo são necessários para realizar o planejamento e controle da produção, enquanto os modelos do produto são relacionados a representações 2D e 3D das obras e, mais recentemente, a modelos BIM. No entanto, a literatura sobre o uso de tecnologia da informação para implementar sistemas integrados de controle da produção e da qualidade é escassa. O objetivo do presente trabalho consiste em desenvolver um modelo para a integração entre processos gerenciais, representados pelos sistemas de planejamento e controle da produção e de gestão da qualidade, e um modelo BIM do produto, buscando facilitar o acompanhamento da execução da obra, incluindo o desempenho em termos de qualidade e a ocorrência de perdas. Foram desenvolvidos dois estudos empíricos em diferentes empresas construtoras, sendo adotada a abordagem metodológica da design science research. A principal contribuição deste trabalho está relacionada à execução da integração entre os resultados de controles pró-ativos no canteiro e o modelo BIM do empreendimento de forma sistemática. Além disso, o modelo proposto tem a possibilidade de ser adaptado para usos diversos, podendo, assim, incorporar informações correspondentes a outras fases do ciclo de vida dos empreendimentos construtivos. / Production and quality controls undertaken in construction sites have often been associated to bureaucratic procedures, being limited to simple administrative tasks, instead of adding value for internal and external stakeholders. For that reason, some research studies have proposed approaches and indicators for the integration of production and quality controls. One of these approaches pointed out in the literature is the use of mobile devices, to support the implementation of those controls. Those devices allow the management of large information batches, reducing rework and errors derived from manual paper-based data collection and further transcription to digital media. Other efforts have focused on the integration between product and process models so that information can be more effectively used during the construction phase of the project. Process models are necessary for carrying out production planning and control, while product models are concerned with 2D or 3D design, and, most recently, with BIM models. Nonetheless, the literature on the use of information technology for implementing integrated production and quality control is scarce. The aim of this research work is to develop a model for the integration of management processes, composed by production planning, control and quality management processes, and a BIM product model, in order to facilitate the monitoring of project execution, including the performance in terms of quality and the occurrence of waste. Two empirical studies were carried out in different construction companies, using the design science research approach. The main contributions of this investigation are related to the integration between some proactive control results and the BIM model in a systematic way. Furthermore, the proposed model has the possibility to be adapted for diverse uses, such as incorporating information from different phases of the construction project life cycle.

Cloud computing is an emerging model in which applications, data, computing resources and operating platforms are provided to clients as a service. It represents a unique way to architect and remotely manage computing resources with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. As it become widely used and being relayed on, security and the risks surrounding it became more in focus to ensure the data protection. The purpose of the study is to focus on the security risks of confidentiality, integrity and availability, and how the cloud consumer perceives cloud security based on those risks. For this purpose, a qualitative research method was adopted and semi-structured interviews with 6 users with experience within the cloud were conducted to collect the data. The data were analysed and explained using codes and categories, based on the research questions and related literature. A roadmap was developed consist of four elements which can support in the migration decision. Those elements are: Trust, Compliance, Proactive and Continuous assessment.

This thesis describes an investigation of the possibility to apply a maintenance concept originally developed for the industry, on software maintenance. Today a large amount of software development models exist but not many of them treat maintenance as a part of the software life cycle. In most cases maintenance is depicted as an activity towards the end of the software life cycle. The high cost ascribed to software maintenance motivates for improvements. The maintenance concept TQMain proposed in this thesis distinguishes from other maintenance concepts by its use of preventive, predictive and proactive maintenance strategies. TQMain uses a common database to store real-time data from various departments and uses it for analyse and assessment to track the development of deviations in the condition of the production process and product quality at an early stage. A continuous cyclic improvement of the maintenance strategy is reached by comparing the data from the real-time measurements with data from the database. The ISO/IEC Software engineering – Product qualities is used as a source of empiric data to conclude that the correct quality characteristics are used for identifying software product quality and its characteristics and compare them with the characteristics of industrial product quality. The results presented are that in the conceptual outline of TQMain measures are obviously not the same as in software maintenance, but the aspect of product quality is common for both. The continuous cyclic improvement of the product quality that TQMain features together with the aspect of detecting potential failures before they occur would, judging from the conceptual outline of TQMain be applicable on software maintenance.