Feature selection method is becoming an essential procedure in data preprocessing step. The feature selection problem can affect the efficiency and accuracy of classification models. Therefore, it also relates to whether a classification model can have a reliable performance. In this study, we compared an original feature selection method and a proposed frequency-based feature selection method with four classification models and three filter-based ranking techniques using a cancer dataset. The proposed method was implemented in WEKA which is an open source software. The performance is evaluated by two evaluation methods: Recall and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). Finally, we found the frequency-based feature selection method performed better than the original ranking method.

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The essence of the most advantageous tender (MAT) is to allow the procuring authorities to carry out a comprehensive assessment on the technical merits, quality, function, terms and prices of tenders in accordance with the judging criteria listed on the tendering document. In this way, the award of contract can be determined that ensures the best quality within the budget and encourages good competition among tendering parties while eliminate vicious undercutting. Scandals arose from recent procurement projects such as the ETC procurement project, High Speed Rail vibration reduction project, the procurement of Kuan-hwa Fast Attack Boat Guide-Missile (F-ABG), and the construction of the southern courtyard of the National Palace museum have attracted great attention. On March 22, 2006, the Premier announced that ¡§Award to the lowest tender should be made the rule while the MAT should be the exception¡¨ in future government procurement projects. This announcement highlighted the flaws and problems yet to be improved within the existing system. After studying related literatures, conducting a thorough analysis of the current situation and different case studies of the tender selection process, this paper conducted a survey among the people involved in government procurement to find out how they think of the selection of the most advantageous tender legally and in practice, the function of the tender selection committee, the management and the efficiency of the selection process. Suggestions for improvement are put forward based on the findings and analysis. The survey found that the Ranking Method while considering the price factor and the Overall Evaluation Score Method are the most frequently used tendering methods in the past experience of our interviewees. Price may be a crucial factor in determining the most advantageous tender. The most important factor in the award selection process is technical merits. The process of selecting the most advantageous tender is most susceptible to flaws and scandals. The inappropriate appointment of the committee members is the main cause of these flaws. In practice, the selection of committee members itself is of great difficulty. The expertise, personal bias, as well as one¡¦s understanding of the procurement could all affect the fairness and credibility of the tendering process. Besides these committee members, top officials in the procuring institutions also play important roles in the decision-making process. Cognitive differences among interviewees in the understanding of the legal institutions of the MAT selection, the functions of the selection committee, the execution of the MAT selection, the management mechanisms of the MAT selection may be caused by elements such the institutions they work for, the nature of their works, the job title, the training hours they received, whether they are professionally accredited. Yet, different years of experience did not contribute to such differences. People with different job title, nature of work, years of experience, and training hours did cause significant difference in the understanding of the efficiency of the MAT selection. Working at different institutions and professional accreditation, however, did not result in such difference. Based on the above findings, a way forward has been provided: a set of comprehensive regulations for the most advantageous tender selection should be established. A standard of procedure and module should be designed. The decision authority of the procuring institution should be defined in order to actually fulfill the need of the procurement. A comprehensive list of suggested professionals should be compiled to assist different kinds of procurements. This list would ensure the fairness of the selection process. Specify the judging criteria for prices, weights of evaluating elements, and the scoring principle. Determine a set of reasonable scoring method for prices. Provide professional training for procurement professionals. Enhance the efficiency of the MAT selection. Committee members should receive professional training in order to improve the credibility of the selection process. A performance evaluation mechanism should be established in order to improve efficiency and put the government¡¦s budget to the best use.

O conhecimento dos valores de uma pessoa nos permite predizer suas atitudes avaliativas em relação a uma situação ou objeto, pois os valores pessoais orientam e guiam os indivíduos a um comportamento. Estudos teóricos sobre valores pessoais e atitudes não abordaram esses constructos como antecedentes da lealdade do consumidor. A partir dessa constatação, esse trabalho de tese propôs elaborar e verificar empiricamente quatro modelos teóricos que tratam da complexa inter-relação existente entre valores pessoais-atitude- fases da lealdade. A fim de testar as hipóteses dos modelos, foram realizadas duas surveys com 1200 respondentes cada uma. Por meio de análises multivariadas, os resultados confirmaram (i) a relação positiva entre os valores pessoais e as fases cognitiva e ação da lealdade; (ii) a mediação da atitude nas relações valores pessoais- fase cognitva e valores pessoais- fase ação; (iii)e a moderação da relação valores pessoais-fases da lealdade pelas variáveis demográficas de gênero, idade, escolaridade e renda. Tais resultados possibilitam a ampliação da fronteira do conhecimento ao (i) inserir os valores pessoais como antecedentes da lealdade; (ii) identificar o valor mais importante (Segurança da Família) para o consumidor; (iii) clarificar os conceitos e desmistificar a utilização dos papéis mediadores e moderadores de variáveis na disciplina de Marketing; (iv) confirmar a hipótese de que os valores pessoais variam conforme gênero e idade do consumidor; e (v) criar uma nova escala de mensuração de valores pessoais para a área do Comportamento do Consumidor; além de fornecer evidências empíricas às empresas financeiras sobre segmentação de clientes pelos valores pessoais ou atitudes. / The knowledge of an individual's values allows us to better predict their evaluative attitudes towards a situation or object, for personal values drive and guide individuals to specific behaviors. To date, theoretical studies on personal values and attitudes have not investigated these constructs as antecedents of consumer loyalty. Therefore, this thesis proposed to elaborate and empirically verify four theoretical models related to the complex interrelation between personal values-attitude-loyalty phases. So as to test the models hypotheses, two surveys involving 1200 respondents each were carried out. By means of multivariate analyses, the results confirmed (i) the positive relationship between personal values and the cognitive and action phases of loyalty; (ii) the mediating role of attitude on the relationships between personal values-cognitive phase and personal values-action phase; and (iii) the moderation of the relationship personal values- loyalty phases by the demographic variables of gender, age, education and income. Such results contribute to widen knowledge frontiers by (i) inserting personal values as antecedents of loyalty; (ii) identifying the most important value (Family Security) to the consumer; (iii) elucidating concepts and clarifying the use of the mediating and moderating roles of variables in the Marketing discipline; (iv) support the hypothesis that personal values vary across consumer's gender and age; and (v) creating a new personal values measuring scale to the area of Consumer Behavior, besides providing empirical evidence to financial companies on client segmentation according to personal values or attitudes.

O conhecimento dos valores de uma pessoa nos permite predizer suas atitudes avaliativas em relação a uma situação ou objeto, pois os valores pessoais orientam e guiam os indivíduos a um comportamento. Estudos teóricos sobre valores pessoais e atitudes não abordaram esses constructos como antecedentes da lealdade do consumidor. A partir dessa constatação, esse trabalho de tese propôs elaborar e verificar empiricamente quatro modelos teóricos que tratam da complexa inter-relação existente entre valores pessoais-atitude- fases da lealdade. A fim de testar as hipóteses dos modelos, foram realizadas duas surveys com 1200 respondentes cada uma. Por meio de análises multivariadas, os resultados confirmaram (i) a relação positiva entre os valores pessoais e as fases cognitiva e ação da lealdade; (ii) a mediação da atitude nas relações valores pessoais- fase cognitva e valores pessoais- fase ação; (iii)e a moderação da relação valores pessoais-fases da lealdade pelas variáveis demográficas de gênero, idade, escolaridade e renda. Tais resultados possibilitam a ampliação da fronteira do conhecimento ao (i) inserir os valores pessoais como antecedentes da lealdade; (ii) identificar o valor mais importante (Segurança da Família) para o consumidor; (iii) clarificar os conceitos e desmistificar a utilização dos papéis mediadores e moderadores de variáveis na disciplina de Marketing; (iv) confirmar a hipótese de que os valores pessoais variam conforme gênero e idade do consumidor; e (v) criar uma nova escala de mensuração de valores pessoais para a área do Comportamento do Consumidor; além de fornecer evidências empíricas às empresas financeiras sobre segmentação de clientes pelos valores pessoais ou atitudes. / The knowledge of an individual's values allows us to better predict their evaluative attitudes towards a situation or object, for personal values drive and guide individuals to specific behaviors. To date, theoretical studies on personal values and attitudes have not investigated these constructs as antecedents of consumer loyalty. Therefore, this thesis proposed to elaborate and empirically verify four theoretical models related to the complex interrelation between personal values-attitude-loyalty phases. So as to test the models hypotheses, two surveys involving 1200 respondents each were carried out. By means of multivariate analyses, the results confirmed (i) the positive relationship between personal values and the cognitive and action phases of loyalty; (ii) the mediating role of attitude on the relationships between personal values-cognitive phase and personal values-action phase; and (iii) the moderation of the relationship personal values- loyalty phases by the demographic variables of gender, age, education and income. Such results contribute to widen knowledge frontiers by (i) inserting personal values as antecedents of loyalty; (ii) identifying the most important value (Family Security) to the consumer; (iii) elucidating concepts and clarifying the use of the mediating and moderating roles of variables in the Marketing discipline; (iv) support the hypothesis that personal values vary across consumer's gender and age; and (v) creating a new personal values measuring scale to the area of Consumer Behavior, besides providing empirical evidence to financial companies on client segmentation according to personal values or attitudes.

O conhecimento dos valores de uma pessoa nos permite predizer suas atitudes avaliativas em relação a uma situação ou objeto, pois os valores pessoais orientam e guiam os indivíduos a um comportamento. Estudos teóricos sobre valores pessoais e atitudes não abordaram esses constructos como antecedentes da lealdade do consumidor. A partir dessa constatação, esse trabalho de tese propôs elaborar e verificar empiricamente quatro modelos teóricos que tratam da complexa inter-relação existente entre valores pessoais-atitude- fases da lealdade. A fim de testar as hipóteses dos modelos, foram realizadas duas surveys com 1200 respondentes cada uma. Por meio de análises multivariadas, os resultados confirmaram (i) a relação positiva entre os valores pessoais e as fases cognitiva e ação da lealdade; (ii) a mediação da atitude nas relações valores pessoais- fase cognitva e valores pessoais- fase ação; (iii)e a moderação da relação valores pessoais-fases da lealdade pelas variáveis demográficas de gênero, idade, escolaridade e renda. Tais resultados possibilitam a ampliação da fronteira do conhecimento ao (i) inserir os valores pessoais como antecedentes da lealdade; (ii) identificar o valor mais importante (Segurança da Família) para o consumidor; (iii) clarificar os conceitos e desmistificar a utilização dos papéis mediadores e moderadores de variáveis na disciplina de Marketing; (iv) confirmar a hipótese de que os valores pessoais variam conforme gênero e idade do consumidor; e (v) criar uma nova escala de mensuração de valores pessoais para a área do Comportamento do Consumidor; além de fornecer evidências empíricas às empresas financeiras sobre segmentação de clientes pelos valores pessoais ou atitudes. / The knowledge of an individual's values allows us to better predict their evaluative attitudes towards a situation or object, for personal values drive and guide individuals to specific behaviors. To date, theoretical studies on personal values and attitudes have not investigated these constructs as antecedents of consumer loyalty. Therefore, this thesis proposed to elaborate and empirically verify four theoretical models related to the complex interrelation between personal values-attitude-loyalty phases. So as to test the models hypotheses, two surveys involving 1200 respondents each were carried out. By means of multivariate analyses, the results confirmed (i) the positive relationship between personal values and the cognitive and action phases of loyalty; (ii) the mediating role of attitude on the relationships between personal values-cognitive phase and personal values-action phase; and (iii) the moderation of the relationship personal values- loyalty phases by the demographic variables of gender, age, education and income. Such results contribute to widen knowledge frontiers by (i) inserting personal values as antecedents of loyalty; (ii) identifying the most important value (Family Security) to the consumer; (iii) elucidating concepts and clarifying the use of the mediating and moderating roles of variables in the Marketing discipline; (iv) support the hypothesis that personal values vary across consumer's gender and age; and (v) creating a new personal values measuring scale to the area of Consumer Behavior, besides providing empirical evidence to financial companies on client segmentation according to personal values or attitudes.

There has been a recent surge in interest in waterborne public transportation (WPT). Publictransport providers (PTP) are seeing its potential in complementing the existing transportnetwork and alleviating urban traffic congestion and pollution. But the adoption of WPTtoday is challenging due to a series of technical and implementation challenges. Thesechallenges include ferry procurement practices, local legislation and policies andenvironmental factors like winter ice. Several of these challenges can be alleviated if efficientferries can be made accessible off-the-shelf with a low manufacturing time and cost. Thethesis focuses on developing such a ferry concept based on modular design whose overalldimensions are standardized and internal arrangement is customizable towards operationalrequirements, with a focus towards sustainable and safe operations in ice.Starting with the characterization of WPT, ferry routes are broadly classified into three types.These routes are described with an operational requirements framework considering allrelevant stakeholder expectations. Then, overall dimensions of vessels representative ofWPT are deduced. Using these dimensions to standardize the overall dimensions, a modularferry concept is developed as an assembly of modules and submodules. The modules arepresented as standardized units having fixed dimensions and interfaces whose internalarrangements can be tailored to meet operational requirements. Design standardizationlowers costs and manufacturing time while internal customization favours tailoring the ferryconcept. One challenge associated with this for the PTP is the difficulty in choosingappropriate modules among multiple alternatives. This is overcome through thedevelopment of a ranking and selection method which benchmarks competing designs andhelps in decision making.In terms of technical challenges for the developed ferry concept, cities like Stockholmexperience freezing of water bodies during winter months. For reliable year-roundoperations that are safe and sustainable in terms of economy and environment, there is aneed for the development of lightweight and robust ice going hulls. This thesis lays thefoundation for the development of such hulls by studying the prevalent ice data and proposesa probabilistic method for estimating the design ice pressures.One must rely on probabilistic methods since most experimental studies are based on seaice whose mechanical properties are different from freshwater ice, which is typical for WPT.Traditionally, classification society rules like the Finnish Swedish Ice Class Rules are usedfor first year light ice conditions which were developed for the Baltic Sea consideringicebreaker vessels. They work well in ensuring a safe design, but their performance forfreshwater ice, applied to commuter ferries have not been tested. Therefore, a probabilisticapproach is adopted where the unknown parameters are incorporated as random variables.The probabilistic method reduces the hull-ice interaction to a pressure and contact-arearelationship. With arctic datasets that closely match WPT conditions as the parent dataset,the probabilistic method is calibrated with exposure conditions for WPT to give the designpressure-area curve. The different uncertainties arising from operations in ice are studied using a statistical tool and the leading source of uncertainty is attributed to ice-loadprediction methods. This establishes the need for more robust methods for prediction of iceloads so that a lightweight, yet robust hull may be designed which is efficient in terms of fueleconomy and emissions.WPT presents a tremendous opportunity in complementing the existing transport network.With careful design and development of the modular ferry concept and its technicalchallenges, it would be easier for PTPs to adopt WPT globally. / De senaste decenniet har intresset ökat för kollektivtrafik på vatten (WPT).Kollektivtrafikleverantörer ser potential att minska trängsel och utsläpp och tillförakapacitet genom att utnyttja de urbana vattenvägarna. Men realiseringen har utmaningar,så väl tekniska som relaterade till regelverk och systempraxis. Dessa omfattar inköp av färjoroch upphandling av vattenburen trafik, lokal lagstiftning och policyer, miljöfaktorer ochdessutom isen vintertid. Flera av dessa utmaningar kan hanteras om effektiva färjor kangöras lättillgängliga med kort tillverkningstid till ett pris i paritet med övrig kollektivtrafik.Avhandlingen fokuserar på att utveckla ett färjekoncept baserat på modulär design medövergripande, standardiserade, dimensioner och med möjlighet att anpassa inredningenefter operativa krav.Efter karaktäriseringen av WPT klassificeras färjerutter i tre kategorier. Dessa rutterbeskrivs i ett operativt ramverk som beaktar relevanta intressenters förväntningar. Därefterbestäms de övergripande dimensionerna för WPT fartyg. Baserat på dessa utvecklas ettmodulärt färjekoncept som en sammansättning av moduler och delmoduler. Modulerna harstandarddimensioner och gränssnitt så att arrangemang kan skräddarsys för att uppfyllaaktuella operativa krav. En utmaning med det modulära färjekonceptet är svårigheten attbedöma vilken kombination av moduler som är bäst när det finns många möjligakombinationer som uppfyller en kravprofil. För att hantera detta utvecklas en rankningsochurvalsmetod för att kunna jämföra konkurrerande lösningar och därmed ge stöd i valetav design.En teknisk utmaning i städer som Stockholm är isen vintertid. För tillförlitlig trafik, åretrunt, som är både säker och hållbar, ekonomiskt och miljömässigt, finns det ett behov avutveckling av lätta och starka skrov som tål att operera i is. Avhandlingen närmar sigutvecklingen av sådana skrov genom att föreslå lämpliga isdata och en sannolikhetsbaseradmetod för att uppskatta dimensionerande isbelastningar.Is för nordiska WPT förhållanden är vanligtvis sötvattensis, vars mekaniska egenskaperskiljer sig från havsis. De flesta studier som beskriver isegenskaper är experimentella ochbaserade på havsis där man måste förlita sig på probabilistiska metoder för att ta hänsyn tillosäkerheter. Traditionellt används regler från klassificeringssällskap, som de finsk-svenskaisklassreglerna FSICR för första års isförhållanden vilket utvecklats för Östersjön ochisbrytande fartyg. Reglerna fungerar för att säkerställa en säker konstruktion men hur välde är anpassade för att dimensionera effektiva pendelfärjor i sötvattenis har inte utretts. Iavhandlingen antas ett probabilistiskt tillvägagångssätt där de okända parametrarna antassom slumpmässiga variabler. Den probabilistiska metoden förenklar interaktionen mellanskrov och is till ett förhållande mellan tryck och kontaktyta. Med publicerad data, som näramatchar WPT-förhållanden, som bas, kalibreras den probabilistiska metoden tillexponeringsförhållanden för WPT för att formulera den dimensionerande tryck-kurvan. Deolika osäkerhetsfaktorerna vid operation i is studeras med statistisk analys som visar att denfrämsta källan till osäkerhet är just förutsägelsen av isbelastningen. Detta fastställer behovet av mer robusta metoder för förutsägelse av isbelastningar så att ett lätt, men ändå starktskrov kan utformas som är effektivt med avseende på bränsleekonomi och utsläpp.WPT ger stora möjligheter att komplettera ett befintligt kollektivtrafik nätverk. Mednoggrann design och tillämpning av det modulära färjekonceptet kan det bli enklare att tatillvara möjligheterna runt om i världen.