Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:49:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-01-01. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:26:21Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 Publico-200600001.pdf: 310057 bytes, checksum: a2ab830c065d3c7af052f70e82e1bbcc (MD5) / Objetivo: avaliar a adequação do método científico empregado nas teses de mestrado e doutorado dos docentes da Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, no período de 1997 a 2004. Local: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília - Famema, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia ; Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Medicina, Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Interna e Terapêutica, Centro Cochrane do Brasil. Método: estudo analítico transversal, avaliando todas as teses de mestrado e doutorado dos docentes da Faculdade de Medicina de Marília entre 1997 a 2004. O principal desfecho quantificado foi a adequação do método. Essa avaliação foi realizada por dois pesquisadores independentes e a concordância avaliada pelo teste de Kappa. Foi construído roteiro específico para avaliação de estudo quantitativo primário, secundário e qualitativo. O método do estudo foi considerado adequado (A) quando os escores atribuídos pelos pesquisadores eram maiores que 75%, parcialmente adequado (PA) se o escore estivesse entre 50% e 74%, e inadequado (I) se o escore fosse menor que 49%. Esses limites foram escolhidos arbitrariamente. Perspectivas / Viabilidade: Como os docentes da Faculdade de Medicina realizaram as suas pós-graduações nas principais universidades públicas do Estado de São Paulo, a amostra é aleatória e representativa de diferentes cursos. Se a hipótese do estudo for confirmada, os resultados deste trabalho poderão contribuir para avaliar a qualidade dos cursos de pós-graduação e contribuir para a melhora do planejamento do projeto de pesquisa. Quanto à viabilidade, é uma pesquisa de fácil execução e de baixo custo, pois, do ponto de vista humano, depende de dois pesquisadores e tecnicamente, de um computador e material de consumo. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Building energy performance has always been important in the cold climate of Sweden, Norway and Finland. To meet the goal that all new buildings should be nearly zero-energy buildings by 2020, set in the EU directive 2010/31/EU [1] on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD recast), the building sector in Europe now faces a transition towards buildings with improved energy performance. In such a transition, a discussion is needed about the objective of the improvement – why, or to what end, the building energy performance should be improved. The objective of improving building energy performance is often a political decision, but scientific research can contribute with knowledge on how the objectives can be achieved. This thesis addresses how the indicators used in the requirements used to achieve building energy performance in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, and the methods used to evaluate these requirements, reflect building energy performance. It also addresses difficulties in achieving comparable and verifiable indicators in evaluations of building energy performance. The research objective has two parts: to review, compare, and discuss (i) requirements and (ii) evaluation methods used to achieve energy performance of residential buildings in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The work in this thesis includes reviews of the requirements used in national building codes and passive house criteria to achieve building energy performance, of methods used to evaluate compliance with such requirements, and of methods used specifically to evaluate the indicator Envelope Air Tightness. The results show that different sets of indicators are used to achieve building energy performance in the studied building codes and passive house criteria. The methods used to evaluate compliance with requirements used to achieve building energy performance are also different, but calculation methods are generally more often used than measurement methods. The calculation- and measurement methods used are often simple. A methodology to analyze the deviation between predictions- and measurements of building energy performance (the performance gap) was developed, to investigate the effects of different evaluation methods on different indicators used to achieve building energy performance. The methodology was tested in a case-study. This study indicated that the choice of method affects which parts of the performance gap reflected in the indicators Supplied Energy (see Terminology), Net Energy (see Terminology), and Overall U-value. Among the reviewed methods to evaluate air tightness, the Fan/Blower Door Pressurization is well known and preferred by professionals in the field. The results in this thesis may be useful when choosing indicators and evaluation methods to achieve different objectives of improving building energy performance and in the quest towards comparable and verifiable indicators used to achieve building energy performance. / Increasing Energy Efficiency in Buildings (IEEB) / Sustainable Buildings for the High North (SBHN)

The aim of my thesis is to make mutual comparison of individual regions in terms of traffic characteristics and their subsequent evaluation.

Técnicas de visualização de informações multidimensionais têm o potencial de auxiliar na análise visual e exploração de grandes conjuntos de dados, através do emprego de mecanismos que buscam tanto representar visualmente os dados quanto permitir ao usuário a interação com estas representações. Neste contexto, diversas técnicas têm sido desenvolvidas, muitas delas sem uma avaliação detalhada e aprofundada tanto de eficiência como de utilidade no suporte às necessidades dos usuários. Contudo, há relativamente pouco tempo começaram a ser publicados trabalhos abordando as diversas questões relacionadas à avaliação de usabilidade de sistemas ou das aplicações que implementam estas técnicas como forma de promover sua eficiente e efetiva utilização. A avaliação de usabilidade de interfaces de sistemas de visualização representa um desafio de pesquisa uma vez que elas apresentam significativas diferenças com relação a outros tipos de interface. Neste sentido, existe uma carência de sistematização (incluindo o uso de métodos e técnicas de avaliação de usabilidade) que explore e considere as características deste tipo de interface de maneira adequada. Esta tese investiga soluções viáveis para o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem sistemática para avaliação de usabilidade de técnicas de visualização de informações multidimensionais e apresenta as seguintes soluções ao problema em estudo: 1) determinação de uma taxonomia de tarefas específica relacionada ao uso de visualizações multidimensionais no processo de análise de dados e 2) adaptação de técnicas e métodos de avaliação de usabilidade, com o objetivo de torná-los mais efetivos ao contexto de sistemas de visualização de informações multidimensionais. / Multidimensional visualization techniques have the potential of supporting the visual analysis and exploration of large datasets, by means of providing visual representations and interaction techniques which allow users to interact with the data through their graphical representation. In this context, several techniques have been developed, most of them being reported without a broad and deep evaluation both regarding their efficiency and utility in supporting users tasks. Few years ago, thus quite recently, several works have been published reporting many issues related to the evaluation of visualization systems and applications, as a means of promoting their efficiency and effective use. In spite of these works, the usability evaluation of visualization systems’ graphical interfaces remains a challenge because of the significant differences between these interfaces and those of other systems. This way, there is a need of finding a systematic approach for such evaluations, including the definition of which usability methods and techniques are best suited for this kind of interfaces. This thesis reports our investigation of viable solutions for the development of a systematic approach for the usability evaluation of multidimensional information visualizations. We have conducted several case studies and experiments with users and have achieved the following contributions: 1) a taxonomy of visualization tasks, that is related to the use of interactive visualization techniques for the exploration and analysis of multidimensional datasets and 2) adaptation of usability evaluation techniques with the goal of making them more effective in the context of multidimensional information visualizations.

The present study had as objective to analyze the accuracy of different indicators of the nutritional status of adults of both sexes, having as reference method the hydrostatic weighing (HW). A total of 280 subjects (210 men and 70 women), aged between 17 and 48 years old, were investigated. The results of body fat percentage (%BF) obtained through the University of Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN- BAE), body adiposity index (BAI), skinfold estimation equations (E-DC) and bioelectrical impedance (BIA). We also analyzed the results of the body mass index (BMI), new body mass index (BMI2.5), body fat mass index BFMI and the body mass index adjusted by the fat mass (BMIfat), all of them using HW as the reference method. The results indicated that no significant differences were observed between the %BF measures of the E-DC and BIA indicators and the HW for the male group; however, for the female group, despite the analyzes indicating agreement, the %BF values presented statistically different from those obtained with the reference method. The BAI presented an acceptable estimation error when evaluating the female group and the CUN-BAE presented a tendency to overestimate the values of %BF, in both sexes. On the other hand, the BFMI presented the highest agreement value, but classified as discrete (k=0.21). The other indexes presented small agreement with the results of the reference method (k <0.20). It is possible to conclude that, in a general way, the E-DC and BIA indicators were the ones that presented the best results, with the E-DC being more efficient to evaluate the male subjects. In addition, none of the indexes investigated showed good accuracy in assessing the nutritional status of adults, although they showed results of correlation with the reference method, did not reach the minimum criterion of agreement. / O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a acurácia de diferentes indicadores do estado nutricional de adultos, de ambos os sexos, tendo como método de referência a pesagem hidrostática (PH). Foram investigados 280 sujeitos (210 homens e 70 mulheres), com idade entre 17 e 48 anos, dos quais se analisou os resultados de percentual de gordura corporal (%GC) obtidos através do Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE), do índice de adiposidade corporal (IAC), das equações de estimativa a partir de dobras cutâneas (E-DC) e da impedância bioelétrica (IB). Também foram analisados os resultados do Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC), do novo Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC2,5), do Índice de Massa Gorda (IMG) e do Índice de Massa Corporal ajustado pela Massa Gorda (IMCgordura), todas as análises tendo como método de referência a PH. Os resultados indicaram que não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre as medidas de %GC dos indicadores E-DC e IB e a PH para o grupo masculino, no entanto, para o grupo feminino, apesar das análises indicarem concordância, os valores de %GC apresentaram-se estatisticamente diferentes dos obtidos com o método de referência. O IAC apresentou erro de estimativa aceitável ao avaliar o grupo feminino e o CUN-BAE apresentou tendência de superestimar os valores de %GC, em ambos os sexos. Por outro lado o índice IMG apresentou o maior valor de concordância, porém classificado como discreto (k = 0,21). Já os demais índices apresentaram concordância pequena com os resultados do método de referência (k<0,20). É possível concluir que, de uma forma geral, os indicadores E-DC e IB foram os que apresentaram os melhores resultados, sendo que o E-DC se mostra mais eficiente para avaliar indivíduos do sexo masculino. Além disso, nenhum dos índices investigados apresentou boa acurácia para avaliar o estado nutricional de adultos, pois apesar de mostrarem resultados de correlação com o método de referência, não atingem o critério mínimo de concordância.

Técnicas de visualização de informações multidimensionais têm o potencial de auxiliar na análise visual e exploração de grandes conjuntos de dados, através do emprego de mecanismos que buscam tanto representar visualmente os dados quanto permitir ao usuário a interação com estas representações. Neste contexto, diversas técnicas têm sido desenvolvidas, muitas delas sem uma avaliação detalhada e aprofundada tanto de eficiência como de utilidade no suporte às necessidades dos usuários. Contudo, há relativamente pouco tempo começaram a ser publicados trabalhos abordando as diversas questões relacionadas à avaliação de usabilidade de sistemas ou das aplicações que implementam estas técnicas como forma de promover sua eficiente e efetiva utilização. A avaliação de usabilidade de interfaces de sistemas de visualização representa um desafio de pesquisa uma vez que elas apresentam significativas diferenças com relação a outros tipos de interface. Neste sentido, existe uma carência de sistematização (incluindo o uso de métodos e técnicas de avaliação de usabilidade) que explore e considere as características deste tipo de interface de maneira adequada. Esta tese investiga soluções viáveis para o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem sistemática para avaliação de usabilidade de técnicas de visualização de informações multidimensionais e apresenta as seguintes soluções ao problema em estudo: 1) determinação de uma taxonomia de tarefas específica relacionada ao uso de visualizações multidimensionais no processo de análise de dados e 2) adaptação de técnicas e métodos de avaliação de usabilidade, com o objetivo de torná-los mais efetivos ao contexto de sistemas de visualização de informações multidimensionais. / Multidimensional visualization techniques have the potential of supporting the visual analysis and exploration of large datasets, by means of providing visual representations and interaction techniques which allow users to interact with the data through their graphical representation. In this context, several techniques have been developed, most of them being reported without a broad and deep evaluation both regarding their efficiency and utility in supporting users tasks. Few years ago, thus quite recently, several works have been published reporting many issues related to the evaluation of visualization systems and applications, as a means of promoting their efficiency and effective use. In spite of these works, the usability evaluation of visualization systems’ graphical interfaces remains a challenge because of the significant differences between these interfaces and those of other systems. This way, there is a need of finding a systematic approach for such evaluations, including the definition of which usability methods and techniques are best suited for this kind of interfaces. This thesis reports our investigation of viable solutions for the development of a systematic approach for the usability evaluation of multidimensional information visualizations. We have conducted several case studies and experiments with users and have achieved the following contributions: 1) a taxonomy of visualization tasks, that is related to the use of interactive visualization techniques for the exploration and analysis of multidimensional datasets and 2) adaptation of usability evaluation techniques with the goal of making them more effective in the context of multidimensional information visualizations.

In today’s world of rapid technological development one cannot deny the importance of collaborative writing systems. Besides many advantages of a collaborative writing system the major one is to allow its end users to work in collaboration with each other without having to physically meet. In the past various researches has been carried out for the usability evaluation of collaborative writing systems using the think aloud protocol method however there is no study conducted on the comparison of different usability evaluation methods in the context of collaborative writing systems. In this thesis work the authors have tried to find the limitations and capabilities of think aloud protocol and co-discovery learning methods in the context of a collaborative writing system called ZOHO, as well as the usability evaluation of ZOHO using think aloud protocol and co-discovery learning methods. The authors found various usability errors in ZOHO. Apart from this the authors also observed the two usability evaluation methods when they were used for usability evaluation of ZOHO. The authors found that both the methods have its’ own benefits and drawbacks. While the co-discovery learning method was fast enough, it was expensive in terms of human resource. On the other hand think aloud protocol method was slow to perform but there was less human resource used. Both the usability methods found almost the same usability errors. / In this thesis work the primary objective was to figure out the limitations and capabilities of think aloud protocol and co-discovery learning methods in the context of ZOHO; a collaborative writing system. Apart from this the secondary objective of this thesis was to conduct the usability evaluation of ZOHO and to find out what makes ZOHO ineffective, inefficient and unsatisfactory. The authors carried out usability tests on ZOHO using the think aloud protocol and co-discovery learning methods. After the tests results’ analysis the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction level of ZOHO was figured in section 7.2.1, 7.2.2 and 7.2.3 while the usability problems that make ZOHO ineffective, inefficient and unsatisfactory are discussed in section 7.2.4 of this thesis. Apart from the usability of ZOHO, the authors were also able to identify strong and weak points of the think aloud protocol and co-discovery learning methods when used for the usability evaluation of a collaborative writing system. They found that think aloud protocol testing is better if the evaluator is cost cautious or if he is looking for a detailed usability problems but does not cares about the time taken by the test. However if the evaluator cares about the test time and he cares less about the cost in terms of participants required for the test then he should use the co-discovery method for testing a collaborative writing system.

The graduation thesis deals with known creditworthy and bankruptcy models originated in Czech republic and abroad and also with two non-financial models. The methods are first described in a theoretical part with the aim of understanding their principles, advantages and disadvantages. In a practical part the methods are applied on a machinery company which was seriously affected by global economic crisis. The main aim of this thesis is to evaluate the development through years of the company's general financial health, reveal strong and weak points of the firm and compare results of the methods.

The Diploma thesis is focused on analysis of widespread theoretical and methodical techniques of government spending effectiveness evaluation. Emphasis is as well put on advantages and disadvantages clarification of particular methods, their mutual relations and on possible result interpretation error sources. In the theoretical part are suggested different modifications of traditional techniques, which extends usage abilities of those methods. Practical application is intentionally demonstrated on problematic healthcare area, since its controversy allows to better display different ways of real analytic tasks solving. The second chapter contains alternative evaluation approach suggestion in form of computer model of human life economic value estimation. Because of mutual synthesis of different methods, text provides to a reader a complex evaluation system with wide spectrum of usability.

The thesis deals with the evaluation of workers in a particular organization. The aime is to optimize the ongoing assessment processes and to design the complex evaluation system for the entire enterprise. An analysis of the current evaluation processes was conducted, as well as interviews and consultations with the personalist and other employees. The practical part contains the result of the investigation and the specific draft of the evaluation forms. The conclusion is the summary of the results and it also evaluates how the objectives were met. The conclusion deals with the possibilities of using the proposed system in practice.