This dissertation builds on earlier works by analyzing the provision of product quality by a monopolist and comparing that to a social planner. This paper extends the analysis of this problem to the discrete quality setting. Earlier works focused on a continuum of qualities and found no quality distortion for the highest qualities, but downward quality distortion for lower qualities. The results in the discrete setting differ in that there can be an upward distortion of qualities provided by the monopolist for the highest qualities. The key to this distortion is that the monopolist focuses on the profit that can be extracted from the group of consumers that value quality the most. When there are neither too many nor only a few of these consumers relative to other market segments, it can lead the monopolist to bias its quality provision to extract more value from the these consumers. This effect distorts quality at the high-end as compared to the social planner. This upward distortion of quality is found in the real world. In Texas, 30.6% of cable service providers offers an upward distorted service for higher taste consumers. Besides the quality issue, I also examine how consumer distributions affect price, profit, and social welfare. Under the various hypothetical consumer distributions, I simulate the above values, and I observe the effect of distribution changes. When I apply this tool to the real data from Texas cable service industry, I can simulate the consumer type distribution in each franchise, and I can construct the demand curve. Finding consumer type distribution is the key for the demand estimation in this structure.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (January 22, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

University, Diss., 2000--Freiburg (Breisgau).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-111). Also available on the Internet.

Orientador: Luís Carlos Origa de Oliveira / Co-orientador: João Luiz Afonso / Co-orientador: Priscila da Silva Oliveira / Banca: Júlio Borges de Souza / Banca: Falcondes José Mendes de Seixas / Banca: Arnulfo Barroso de Vasconcellos / Resumo: Com vistas à mitigação das distorções harmônicas, sempre que possível, são adotadas medidas operacionais relacionadas à adequação das cargas geradoras de harmônicas, fazendo-se uso de tecnologias menos poluentes, multiplicação do número de pulsos em instalações conversoras de grande porte, alteração da topologia das redes elétricas, entre outras. Ocorre, que, em diversas vezes, tais medidas são inviáveis sob o ponto de vista econômico, ou mesmo insuficientes para garantir o funcionamento adequado do sistema e/ou atender os limites estabelecidos pelas normas e recomendações técnicas. Nesses casos, torna-se indispensável o uso de equipamentos especiais para atenuação de distorções harmônicas. O uso de filtros e dispositivos de compensação constituem as técnicas mais aplicadas para redução das componentes harmônicas. Essas técnicas podem ser separadas em dois grandes grupos, dependendo do modo operacional, ativo ou passivo, sendo ambos amplamente conhecidos e aplicados nos mais distintos setores da engenharia. Considerando a aplicação de estruturas compensadoras em sistemas elétricos a quatro fios com carregamentos monofásicos não lineares, apresenta-se nesta tese um novo arranjo de compensação harmônica que incorpora simultaneamente filtragem ativa e passiva, e que apresenta todas as funcionalidades no que tange à compensação harmônica de um filtro ativo de quatro braços. Nessa perspectiva, a filtragem harmônica das componentes de sequências positiva e negativa é realizada por um filtro ativo de três braços, enquanto que, a filtragem das harmônicas homopolares fica atribuída ao supressor eletromagnético de sequência zero. Considerando o mesmo nível de potência a ser processado, presume-se que os custos dos dispositivos eletromagnéticos sejam menores quando comparados aos dispositivos de estado sólido, notadamente as chaves eletrônicas e ... / Abstract: With a view to mitigate harmonic distortion, whenever possible are adopted operational attitudes related to the suitability of harmonic generating loads, making use of cleaner technologies, multiplying the number of pulses in large converting installations, changes in electric grid topology, among others. Occurs that, in several times, such attitudes are not feasible under the economic point of view or even insufficient to ensure proper system operation and/or meet the limits set by standards and technical recommendations. In these cases, it becomes necessary to use special equipments to mitigate harmonic distortion. The use of filters and compensation devices constitute the techniques applied to reducing harmonic components. These techniques can be separated into two major groups, depending on the operating mode, active or passive, both widely known and applied in the most diverse sectors of engineering. Considering the expectation of compensating structures application in four-wire electrical systems with single-phase nonlinear loads, this thesis presents a new arrangement of harmonic compensation that incorporates both active and passive filtering, and that presents all the features regarding the harmonic compensation of a four-arm active filter. In this perspective, the harmonic filtering of positive and negative sequences components is performed by a three-arm active filter, while the filtering of zero sequence harmonics is attributed to the electromagnetic zero sequence suppressor. Considering the same power level to be processed, it is assumed that the costs of electromagnetic devices are smaller when compared to solid state devices, notably the electronic switches and sensors, which can be eliminated of the four-arm active filter when the responsibility to compensate homopolar harmonic is of the electromagnetic suppressor, which is a robust and reliable device. This thesis, therefore, ... / Doutor

In The Walls We Build, the wall acts as a metaphor for the walls we build within ourselves and outside of our selfs. Walls creating separation and alienation, leading to an increasingly polarized society. In this thesis I will be investigating the wall from a material as well as a non-material standpoint. By building a wall out of glass I hope to be able to activate thoughts about what a wall is and what it does to us, and how the inner and outer walls are influencing each other.

Our memory is prone to distortions which in everyday life can lead to mistaken memories. This thesis investigates memory distortion. In addition, one might recall (e.g. an event) correctly but misremember the source of the event (e.g. place or time of the event); this particular type of memory distortion is called source amnesia. Here, an overview of cognitive theories of memory distortion as well as the neuroscience behind memory distortion is provided. In addition, the particular memory distortion of source amnesia where one is unable to acquire when or where a fact was learned is further investigated. Results indicate that an overlap of qualities related to the information being learned causes information to be linked to wrong sources, thus creating distorted memories. Misinformation is also indicated to produce impairment in memory. In memory distortions, memory impairments are representative in various areas of the brain, including the hippocampus and the amygdala in the medial temporal lobes as well as in the frontal cortex and in the visual cortex. These key areas are also closely related to brain aging in Alzheimer´s disease and in schizophrenia, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in drug and alcohol abuse. Individuals inflicted with these disease symptoms seem to be more prone to source amnesia compared to controls. The limitations and future directions of what we can study regarding memory distortion and source amnesia are also presented in this thesis.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-02T11:16:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-07-25Bitstream added on 2014-12-02T11:20:50Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000800686.pdf: 3904332 bytes, checksum: a3f8ecaf0d754273e5066a9998daf0b7 (MD5) / Com vistas à mitigação das distorções harmônicas, sempre que possível, são adotadas medidas operacionais relacionadas à adequação das cargas geradoras de harmônicas, fazendo-se uso de tecnologias menos poluentes, multiplicação do número de pulsos em instalações conversoras de grande porte, alteração da topologia das redes elétricas, entre outras. Ocorre, que, em diversas vezes, tais medidas são inviáveis sob o ponto de vista econômico, ou mesmo insuficientes para garantir o funcionamento adequado do sistema e/ou atender os limites estabelecidos pelas normas e recomendações técnicas. Nesses casos, torna-se indispensável o uso de equipamentos especiais para atenuação de distorções harmônicas. O uso de filtros e dispositivos de compensação constituem as técnicas mais aplicadas para redução das componentes harmônicas. Essas técnicas podem ser separadas em dois grandes grupos, dependendo do modo operacional, ativo ou passivo, sendo ambos amplamente conhecidos e aplicados nos mais distintos setores da engenharia. Considerando a aplicação de estruturas compensadoras em sistemas elétricos a quatro fios com carregamentos monofásicos não lineares, apresenta-se nesta tese um novo arranjo de compensação harmônica que incorpora simultaneamente filtragem ativa e passiva, e que apresenta todas as funcionalidades no que tange à compensação harmônica de um filtro ativo de quatro braços. Nessa perspectiva, a filtragem harmônica das componentes de sequências positiva e negativa é realizada por um filtro ativo de três braços, enquanto que, a filtragem das harmônicas homopolares fica atribuída ao supressor eletromagnético de sequência zero. Considerando o mesmo nível de potência a ser processado, presume-se que os custos dos dispositivos eletromagnéticos sejam menores quando comparados aos dispositivos de estado sólido, notadamente as chaves eletrônicas e ... / With a view to mitigate harmonic distortion, whenever possible are adopted operational attitudes related to the suitability of harmonic generating loads, making use of cleaner technologies, multiplying the number of pulses in large converting installations, changes in electric grid topology, among others. Occurs that, in several times, such attitudes are not feasible under the economic point of view or even insufficient to ensure proper system operation and/or meet the limits set by standards and technical recommendations. In these cases, it becomes necessary to use special equipments to mitigate harmonic distortion. The use of filters and compensation devices constitute the techniques applied to reducing harmonic components. These techniques can be separated into two major groups, depending on the operating mode, active or passive, both widely known and applied in the most diverse sectors of engineering. Considering the expectation of compensating structures application in four-wire electrical systems with single-phase nonlinear loads, this thesis presents a new arrangement of harmonic compensation that incorporates both active and passive filtering, and that presents all the features regarding the harmonic compensation of a four-arm active filter. In this perspective, the harmonic filtering of positive and negative sequences components is performed by a three-arm active filter, while the filtering of zero sequence harmonics is attributed to the electromagnetic zero sequence suppressor. Considering the same power level to be processed, it is assumed that the costs of electromagnetic devices are smaller when compared to solid state devices, notably the electronic switches and sensors, which can be eliminated of the four-arm active filter when the responsibility to compensate homopolar harmonic is of the electromagnetic suppressor, which is a robust and reliable device. This thesis, therefore, ...

abstract: This paper presents the results of an empirical analysis of deceptive data visualizations paired with explanatory text. Data visualizations are used to communicate information about important social issues to large audiences and are found in the news, social media, and the Internet (Kirk, 2012). Modern technology and software allow people and organizations to easily produce and publish data visualizations, contributing to data visualizations becoming more prevalent as a means of communicating important information (Sue & Griffin, 2016). Ethical transgressions in data visualizations are the intentional or unintentional use of deceptive techniques with the potential of altering the audience’s understanding of the information being presented (Pandey et al., 2015). While many have discussed the importance of ethics in data visualization, scientists have only recently started to look at how deceptive data visualizations affect the reader. This study was administered as an on-line user survey and was designed to test the deceptive potential of data visualizations when they are accompanied by a paragraph of text. The study consisted of a demographic questionnaire, chart familiarity assessment, and data visualization survey. A total of 256 participants completed the survey and were evenly distributed between a control (non-deceptive) survey or a test (deceptive) survey in which participant were asked to observe a paragraph of text and data visualization paired together. Participants then answered a question relevant to the observed information to measure how they perceived the information to be. The individual differences between demographic groups and their responses were analyzed to understand how these groups reacted to deceptive data visualizations compared to the control group. The results of the study confirmed that deceptive techniques in data visualizations caused participants to misinterpret the information in the deceptive data visualizations even when they were accompanied by a paragraph of explanatory text. Furthermore, certain demographics and comfort levels with chart types were more susceptible to certain types of deceptive techniques. These results highlight the importance of education and practice in the area of data visualizations to ensure deceptive practices are not utilized and to avoid potential misinformation, especially when information can be called into question. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Technical Communication 2017

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-01-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:57:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bukvic_g_me_bauru.pdf: 10769904 bytes, checksum: 62e0300f452d06ec5fe503cb8b56d8d5 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A usinagem de cerâmicas avançadas geralmente é feita com o objetivo de corrigir as deformações após a etapa de sinterização, conferir precisão dimensional e qualidade superficial. Para cumprir esta tarefa é utilizada, principalmente, a retificação com rebolo de diamante sob baixas taxas de remoção de material. O torneamento com ferramenta de diamante pode ser aplicado para a maioria das cerâmicas, mas esbarram em condições limites de remoção de material, como profundidade de corte nanamétricas, que se ultrapassadas mudam o regime de remoção de dúctil para frágil. Uma alternativa é a usinagem da peça no estado verde, a qual apresenta fácil usinagem com a diminuição da introdução de defeitos prejudiciais à resistência mecânica. Após a sinterização invariavelmente ocorrem distorções devido à distribuição heterogênea de gradientes de densidade que se localizam nas porções mais externas do compactado. Na tentativa de remover estes gradientes, o presente trabalho analisou a influência da remoção de sobrematerial no estado verde na distorção da peça após a sinterização. Corpos-de-prova de alumina, com 99,8% de pureza, foram torneados com sobremateriais de 1,0, 2,0 3,0, 4,0 e 5,0 mm por uma ferramenta de metal duro sob condições constantes de usinagem. Além da distorção, outras variáveis de saída foram analisadas, com desgaste de ferramenta, força de corte (Fc) e rugosidade média aritmética (Ra) do compactado em verde e sinterizado. Os resultados apontam uma redução da distorção da peça sinterizada de até 81,4% com o maior valor de remoção de sobrematerial em verde e a influência do desgaste da ferramenta na rugosidade da peça em verde e na correspondente peça sinterizada / Advanced ceramics machining is generally done with the objective of correcting distortions in pieces after sintering. In order to comply with this task grinding with a diamond grinding wheel is mainly used with low material removal rates. Turning can be done diamong tool to most of the ceramics, but is runs into very narrow material removal limit conditions, as nanometric cutting depths, which if exceeded change the removal system from ductile to brittle. An alternative is machining the piece on the green state, which presents easy machining without the introduction of harmful defects to mechanical resitance. However, after sintering there are invariably distortions caused by the heterogeneous distribution of density gradients that are located in the most outlying portions of the compacted. In an attempt to remove these gradients, this study examined the influence of different allowance values removed and the corresponding distortion after sintering. Alumina speciments are used for this procedure, with 99,8% purity, from which allowances of 1.0,2.0,3.0,4.0, 5.0 mm are removed by turning with a cermented carbine tool under constant machining conditions. Besides distortion, other output variables were analyzed, such as tool wear, cutting force and surface roughness of the green ceramics and the sintered. The results presents a reduction of the distortion of the sintered piece of 81,4% with the greater allowance removal values and the influence of tool wear on the green machining surface roughness and on the corresponding sintered piece