Introdução: O câncer de pulmão é a causa mais comum de morte por câncer no mundo. Objetivo: Descrever os achados clínicos ecomparar as características do câncer de pulmão em relação ao sexo, à idade e à história tabágica. Métodos: Estudo histórico com revisão de prontuários de 460 pacientes com câncer de pulmão. Resultados: A média de idade foi de 61±10 anos, sendo 359 (78%) homens. A história tabágica foi positiva em 93,7% dos pacientes. Dos 28 pacientes não tabagistas, 23 eram mulheres. Doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) foi observada em 325 pacientes (70,7%) e pneumonia obstrutiva em 31,5% dos pacientes. Os principais sintomas e sinais respiratórios foram tosse, dispneia, dor torácica e hemoptise em respectivamente, 78,3%, 61,5%, 53,9% e 37,4% dos casos. Os sintomas sistêmicos mais comuns foram emagrecimento em 71,1%, anorexia em 54,1% e febre em 25,4% dos pacientes. Os tipos histológicos mais frequentes foram adenocarcinoma, carcinoma escamoso e carcinoma de células pequenas em respectivamente, 44,4%, 35% e 13,9% dos pacientes. O estádio tumoral foi IA/IB em 10% dos pacientes e IIIB/IV em 65,6% dos casos. Em 16,7% dos casos o tratamento foi cirúrgico. Dor torácica e síndrome da veia cava superior foram mais frequentes nos pacientes com menos de 50 anos. Adenocarcinoma predominou nos pacientes não tabagistas (75% vs 42,1%; p<0,01), e nas mulheres (60,4% vs 39,8%; p<0,005). Não houve diferença significativa em relação ao estádio ou tratamento quando comparados pacientes de acordo com sexo, idade e história tabágica. Conclusões: A prevalência de DPOC entre os pacientes com câncer de pulmão foi elevada. Os sintomas mais comuns foram tosse e emagrecimento e a maioria dos casos era de doença avançada. O tipo histológico mais frequente foi o adenocarcinoma, com prevalência aumentada em mulheres e não tabagistas. Sexo, idade e tabagismo não influenciaram no estadiamento e tratamento. / Introduction: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Aim: To describe clinical findings and to compare the characteristics of lung cancer accordingto gender, age and smoking history. Methods: Retrospective chart reviewof 460 patients with lung cancer. Results: The mean age was 61 ± 10 years; 359 of the patients (78%) were men. The smoking history was positive in 93.7% of the patients. Of the 28 non-smoking patients, 23 were women. Chronic obstructive lung disease (DPOC) was found in 325 patients (70.7%) and obstructive pneumonia in 31.5% of the cases. The most frequent respiratory complains were cough, dyspnea, thoracic pain and hemoptysis in 78.3%, 61.5%, 53.9% and 37.4% of the cases, respectively. The common systemic symptoms were weight loss in 71.1%, anorexia in 54.1% and fever in 25.4%. The most frequent histological types were adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma in 44.4%, 35% and 13.9%, respectively. The cancer staging was IA/IB in 10% and IIIB/IV in 65.6% of the patients. In 16.7% of the cases the lung cancer was treated by surgery. Thoracic pain and superior vena cava syndrome were more frequent in patients £ 50 years old. The frequency of adenocarcinoma was significantly higher in non-smokers (75% vs 42.1%; p<0.01) and in women (60.4% vs 39.8%; p<0.005). There were no differences in relationship to the cancer staging or treatment when patients were compared according to gender, age and smoking history. Conclusions: The prevalence of COPD was high among patients with lung cancer. The commonest symptoms were cough and weight loss and most of the patients had advanced disease. The most frequent histological type was adenocarcinoma, highly prevailing in non-smoking women. Cancer staging and treatment was not related to gender, age and smoking history.

by Shen Hua. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgments --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of Figures --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Object Detection --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Signboard Detection --- p.3 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- System Overview --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- What is the problem? --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Review of previous work --- p.6 / Chapter 2.3 --- System Outline --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Preprocessing --- p.10 / Chapter 3.1 --- Edge Detection --- p.11 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Gradient-Based Method --- p.11 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Laplacian of Gaussian --- p.14 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Canny edge detection --- p.15 / Chapter 3.2 --- Corner Detection --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Finding Candidate Lines --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1 --- Hough Transform --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- What is Hough Transform --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Parameter Space --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Accumulator Array --- p.24 / Chapter 4.2 --- Gradient-based Hough Transform --- p.25 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Direction of Gradient --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Accumulator Array --- p.28 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Peaks in the accumulator array --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Performance of Gradient-based Hough Transform --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Signboards Locating --- p.35 / Chapter 5.1 --- Line Verification --- p.35 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Line Segmentation --- p.35 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Density Checking --- p.37 / Chapter 5.2 --- Finding Close Circuits --- p.40 / Chapter 5.3 --- Remove Redundant Segments --- p.47 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Post processing --- p.54 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Experiments and Conclusion --- p.59 / Chapter 7.1 --- Experimental Results --- p.59 / Chapter 7.2 --- Conclusion --- p.66 / Bibliography --- p.67

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Em sua teoria do conhecimento, cuja formulação definitiva se encontra na segunda parte da Ethica, Spinoza afirma que o conhecimento que se dá por meio de signos pertence à Imaginação, isto é, ao primeiro gênero de conhecimento, o qual é essencialmente inadequado uma vez que não consegue compreender a natureza das coisas, mas simplesmente as conhece de forma mutilada e confusa. Contudo, atribuir o conhecimento ex signis ao âmbito imaginativo não pode implicar a recusa, por parte de Spinoza, de toda e qualquer utilização de signos a fim de comunicar o conhecimento verdadeiro, sob pena de o próprio texto da Ethica deslegitimar suas pretensões de verdade já no momento mesmo em que se anuncia. Partindo do princípio de que deve haver certo modo de utilização de signos que consiga contornar, em alguma medida, sua constituição essencialmente inadequada a fim de comunicar idéias adequadas, a presente investigação reconstrói uma teoria da linguagem subjacente à doutrina da Ethica na tentativa de estabelecer por que meios se pode efetuar uma utilização filosófica dos signos. / In his theory of knowledge, whose ultimate presentation can be found in the second part of the Ethics, Spinoza points out the imaginative (and hence inadequate) nature of the knowledge we have through signs. It means that this knowledge, being essentially fragmented and confused, is in fact unable to understand the genuine nature of things. However, asserting the imaginative nature of the knowledge ex signis can by no means imply that Spinoza is refusing the possibility of each and every usage of signs as a valid way to express adequate ideas, or else the text of the Ethics would be delegitimating its pretensions of truth in the very moment it enunciates itself. Assuming that it must exist a way of using signs that manages to overcome somehow the essentially inadequate nature of the knowledge related to it in order to communicate an adequate knowledge, the present investigation reconstructs what can be called an underlying theory of language latent in Spinozas Ethics, trying to establish how a philosophical usage of signs becomes possible and effective.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-07-19T19:19:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MylenaTorres.pdf: 2864310 bytes, checksum: a7111bcb49d38339665fb9a2f9ef7055 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-19T19:19:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MylenaTorres.pdf: 2864310 bytes, checksum: a7111bcb49d38339665fb9a2f9ef7055 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-27 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (FAPEMA) / Canine distemper and ehrlichiosis are two diseases affecting dogs, which have neurological symptomatology. The former is a contagious viral disease, with a high incidence and mortality that affects dogs and other canids; the latter is a bacterial disease highly frequent. The treatment of neurological diseases is based on drug administration, which may act both on etiologic agent as reducing the progression of the disease; or on supportive therapy, in cases of canine distemper. Looking for an alternative treatment for diseases with neurological conditions, low-cost, easy to administrate and with satisfactory effects in the remission of clinical signs, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Morinda citrifolia (noni) in the treatment of dogs with neurological symptoms caused by canine distemper virus and Ehrlichia canis. To evaluate the effect of M. citrifolia vegetable drug in animals with ehrlichiosis, ten animals were used, divided into two groups, one treated with the standard drug, doxycycline (10 mg/kg, BID, orally) and complex B vitamins (0.2 mg/kg, BID, orally), and the other treated with the experimental protocol (500 mg of M. citrifolia vegetable drug, SID, orally). Thirty days post-treatment, blood collection was made to evaluate hematological parameters. Although noni has led to the improvement of these parameters, especially platelets, animals did not show clinical cure, which demonstrated its inefficacy in the treatment of ehrlichiosis. To evaluate the effect of the vegetable drug in animals with canine distemper, fifteen animals were used, divided into two groups, one treated with the conventional drugs and the other with the experimental protocol. After thirty days, was observed that the animals treated with noni showed remission of clinical signs, demonstrating its efficacy against distemper neurological signs. As the last step of this work, were assessed the lesions in the central nervous system of dogs in an advanced stage of distemper, which were euthanized. Several brain areas of seven dogs were collected (cerebellum, rostral colliculus, caudal colliculus, obex, cerebellar peduncle and telencephalon), to perform histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. In histopathological analysis was observed that the cerebellar peduncle was the most affected area and that inflammation and demyelination were the major findings. Immunohistochemistry confirmed histopathological results, with markings in all areas of the brain and, contrary to the literature; neurons were the cells that presented more viral particles. / A cinomose e erliquiose são duas doenças que acometem cães e que possuem sintomatologia neurológica. A primeira é uma doença viral contagiosa, de alta incidência e mortalidade, que acomete cães domésticos e várias espécies de carnívoros; já a segunda é de origem bacteriana, que apresenta alta frequência em cães. O tratamento de doenças neurológicas é baseado na administração de fármacos, que podem atuar tanto no agente etiológico como na diminuição da progressão da doença; ou na terapia de suporte, no caso da cinomose. Visando tratamentos alternativos para as doenças com quadros neurológicos, que sejam de baixo custo, fácil administração e com efeitos satisfatórios na remissão dos sinais clínicos, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar a eficácia de Morinda citrifolia (noni) no tratamento de cãescom sintomatologia neurológica causada pelo vírus da cinomose e pela Ehrlichia canis. Para avaliação do efeito da droga vegetal de M. citrifolia em cães com erliquiose, foram utilizados 10 cães, divididos em dois grupos, um tratado com a droga padrão doxiciclina (10 mg/kg, BID/PO) e complexo de vitaminas B (0,2 mg/kg, BID/PO), e outro tratado com o protocolo experimental (500 mg da droga vegetal de M. citrifolia, SID/PO). Após trinta dias, foi realizada coleta de sangue para avaliação dos parâmetros hematológicos. Foi observado que, embora o noni tenha levado à melhora dos parâmetros hematimétricos, principalmente das plaquetas, os animais não apresentaram cura clínica da doença, o que demonstrou a sua ineficácia no tratamento da erliquiose. Para a avaliação da droga vegetal de M. citrifolia em animais com cinomose, foram utilizados 15 animais, divididos em dois grupos, um tratado com as medicações convencionais e outro com o protocolo experimental. Após trinta dias, foi observado que os animais tratados com noni apresentaram remissão dos sinais clínicos, demonstrando sua eficácia no combate aos sinais neurológicos da cinomose. Como última etapa deste trabalho, buscou-se avaliar as lesões no sistema nervoso de cães com estado avançado de cinomose, que foram submetidos à eutanásia. Foram coletadas várias áreas do encéfalo de 7 cães (cerebelo, colículo rostral, colículo caudal, obex, pedúnculo cerebelar e telencéfalo) para análises histopatológicas e imunohistoquímicas. Após avaliação histopatológica, foi observado que a área mais afetada foi o pedúnculo cerebelar, e os principais achados foram processo inflamatório e desmielinização. A imunohistoquímica confirmou os resultados histopatológicos, com marcações em todas as áreas do encéfalo e, contrariando a literatura os neurônios foram as células que apresentaram mais marcações virais.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:22:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Julio C Martins da Silva.pdf: 1367182 bytes, checksum: 90a83eeb196f0586c15d7fb8dbc060a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-19 / This research presents an initial proposition which aims to expand externally the work presented in Matrix of languages: sonorous, visual and verbal. Applications on hipermídia (originally in portuguese: Matrizes da linguagem e pensamento: sonora, visual, verbal. Aplicações na Hipermídia. São Paulo Iluminuras/FAPESP, 2001) by Lucia Santaella, creating two new matrices (1 Quality and 2 Relation) aiming to reach a composition of three matrices, founded in Peirce s philosophical architecture, the same way thrilled by Santaella s work. According to original proposition all kinds of languages are hybrid and rise from mixtures, in different grades, of these three main matrixes of languages, which expands itself internally, in a recursive way, according phenomenological three categories from Peirce, reaching 27 modalities, which are expanded internally again, each one, until reach 81 modalities. The proposition of this research, described initially as external expansion, consists in to create two new matrixes to operate in conjunction with the matrixes of language, but containing less refinement. The research justify itself by the necessity of understand all kinds of languages engendered by human being as a gender throughout your relation with physical world and posterior representation from him, starting from a unique and entangled conceptual structure, able to vary in grades from most primordial elements from physical world to one most structured verbal language, passing through human sensorial perception. The research has the main objective of to propose and an initial and provisory structure of these new matrixes of protolanguages, taken here as the primordial types, without grammar among other characteristics. The group of three matrixes is so called Matrix 1 Quality: nature phenomena; Matrix 2 Relation: sensorial perception; Matrix 3 Representation: Languages. This last one corresponds exactly to original proposition of Santaella s work. Founded in Peirce s three phenomenological categories, theory of signs and semiosis, this research starts from assumption that if the matrixes of languages correspond to thirdness category, certainly should have two other matrixes which corresponds to secondness and firtness. From that emerges the hypothesis that these matrixes should have some relationship with phenomena from physical world (firstness) and the human sensorial perception (secondness), which captures those phenomena, bringing to our mental processes. This way, the matrix 1 was proposed corresponding to phenomena based on Newton s 2nd laws of classical Physics which puts in relation force, mass and acceleration as initial inspiration; the matrix 2 was proposed based on physiological senses of smell, taste and touch, where the sense of smell corresponds to most primordial and the sense of touch the less primordial one. The auditory and visual senses are already included in Santaella s work. Each one of these two matrixes is presented in a provisory and initial structured where each one of them have three main divisions, which are expanded three by three according Peirce s three categories, reaching 9 modalities, which are subdivided again, each one of them, until 27 modalities. Although the refining grades (in quantity of sublevels) are less unfolded than those reached by Santaella s work, this was result from strategic decision in order to obtain the initial structure of two new matrixes. The initial results are very interesting and justify by itself the necessity of research towards to continuous refining work. The three matrixes resulted from creation of two matrixes of protolanguages in addition to matrixes of language proposed by Santaella, presents an remarkable correspondence with the ten classes of signs from Peirce. If the three matrixes of languages already increase our potential to understand better the existing languages and the new ones which will certainly appear, the trio of matrixes, could be an significant improvement to this potential / Essa pesquisa apresenta uma proposta inicial de expansão externa das Matrizes da linguagem e pensamento: sonora, visual, verbal. Aplicações na hipermídia (São Paulo Iluminuras/FAPESP, 2001) conforme propostas por Lúcia Santaella, criando duas novas matrizes das protolinguagens (1 qualidade e 2 relação) para formarem uma tríade de matrizes. De acordo com a proposta original, todas as linguagens são híbridas e nascem das misturas, em diferentes graus, das três principais matrizes das linguagens, que se expandem internamente na recursividade das três categorias fenomenológicas de Peirce, chegando a 27 modalidades que se desdobram em 81. A justificativa da pesquisa é a necessidade de se entender todas as formas de linguagens desde as mais primordiais às mais estruturadas, engendradas pelo ser humano, mediante sua relação com o mundo físico, e posterior representação dele, a partir de uma estrutura conceitual única e interarticulada, capaz de variar em gradação, do elemento mais diáfano do mundo físico ao mais elaborado do domínio da linguagem verbal, passando pela percepção sensorial humana. O objetivo da pesquisa é apresentar uma estruturação provisória, dessas novas matrizes como passo inicial. Para o conjunto das duas novas matrizes é proposta a denominação de matrizes das protolinguagens numa referência às formas de linguagens mais primordiais, sem gramática. O conjunto de três matrizes é então denominado de Matriz 1 Qualidade: fenômenos da natureza; Matriz 2 Relação: percepção sensorial; Matriz 3 Representação: linguagens, sendo que esta última corresponde à proposta original de Santaella. Com base nas categorias fenomenológicas de Peirce, na teoria dos signos e na semiose, essa pesquisa parte da premissa de que se as matrizes da linguagem correspondem à categoria de terceiridade, deve haver duas outras matrizes que correspondam à secundidade e primeiridade. Disso decorre a hipótese de que essas duas matrizes devem ter relação direta com os fenômenos do mundo físico e os sentidos da percepção. Assim, do mesmo modo que as matrizes das linguagens foram propostas a partir de três principais divisões, Matriz 1 foi proposta com base na física clássica, inspirada na segunda lei de Newton, que relaciona: Força, massa e aceleração; a Matriz 2 foi proposta baseada na fisiologia dos sentidos principais do olfato, paladar e tato, sendo o olfato o mais primordial e o tato o mais elaborado. Conforme a proposta provisória e inicial cada um dos três componentes de cada uma das matrizes das protolinguagens se subdivide em três que também se subdividem em mais três na recursividade das categorias peirceanas, de modo que chegamos a 9 modalidades em cada uma das duas novas matrizes, cada qual se desdobrando em 27 modalidades. O grau de refinamento alcançado (em quantidade de níveis) é inferior ao obtido pelas matrizes das linguagens mas foi resultado de uma decisão estratégica para permitir a elaboração de uma proposta inicial de duas novas matrizes. Os resultados são bastante animadores e justificam uma continuação da pesquisa. As três matrizes apresentam uma perfeita correspondência com as dez classes de signos mais conhecida de Peirce. E se as matrizes das linguagens já permitiam entender melhor as linguagens existentes e as novas que ainda surgirão, com a tríade de matrizes, o potencial de compreensão da semiose pode ser significativamente ampliado

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dorival Moreira Machado Junior.pdf: 9124929 bytes, checksum: 40b09b6fba8b45a037aa4560ff985908 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-09-17 / Internet is an element of great importance to society today, with a trend of increasingly become indispensable for our people. One of the agents responsible for balance and organization of this network is the firewall. Encouraged over the past four years ministering such content in the disciplines of computer networks in the course of Information Systems, noted the difficulty on the part of students to abstract and visualize the events inside the firewall. This difficulty comes to understanding the inner workings of the firewall, how he carries himself on a list of control rules, what actions should be taken before each data packet passing through it. The objective of this study is to analyze the difficulties of teaching a firewall and propose the use of a software interface to improve the teaching of the subject. So I present a literature review concepts about raising signs, semiotics, interface design and human computer. This study led to the election of a list of qualities to be featured on the interface proposed in this paper. Then we present the basic operation of a firewall, describing the key skills of it's own, presenting a further analysis of management interfaces most commonly used firewall. Finally, I present a proposal for a rough interface through a learning environment conducive to teaching and learning of the subject taking into account the qualities then identified / A internet é um elemento de muita importância para a sociedade mundial nos dias de hoje, com tendência de cada vez mais se tornar algo indispensável para as pessoas. Um dos agentes responsáveis pelo equilíbrio e organização desta rede é o firewall. Embasando-me nos últimos quatro anos ministrando tal conteúdo em disciplinas de redes de computadores em curso de Sistemas de Informação, observei a dificuldade por parte de alunos em abstrair e visualizar os acontecimentos no interior do firewall. Esta dificuldade se refere ao entendimento do funcionamento interno do firewall, como ele se porta diante de uma lista de regras de controle, que ações devem ser tomadas perante cada pacote de dados que passa por ele. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar as dificuldades de ensino de um firewall e propor a utilização de uma interface de software para melhoria no ensino do tema. Assim apresento uma revisão bibliográfica levantando conceitos sobre signos, semiótica, design e interface homem computador. Este estudo propiciou a eleição de uma lista de qualidades a serem caracterizadas na interface proposta neste trabalho. Em seguida, é apresentado o funcionamento básico de um firewall, descrevendo as principais habilidades que ele deve possuir, apresentando ainda uma análise de interfaces de gerenciamento de firewall mais utilizadas. Por fim, apresento a proposta de interface através de esboços de um ambiente didático pedagógico propício ao ensino do tema e levando em consideração as qualidades então identificadas

abstract: In the past half century, low-power wireless signals from portable radar sensors, initially continuous-wave (CW) radars and more recently ultra-wideband (UWB) radar systems, have been successfully used to detect physiological movements of stationary human beings. The thesis starts with a careful review of existing signal processing techniques and state of the art methods possible for vital signs monitoring using UWB impulse systems. Then an in-depth analysis of various approaches is presented. Robust heart-rate monitoring methods are proposed based on a novel result: spectrally the fundamental heartbeat frequency is respiration-interference-limited while its higher-order harmonics are noise-limited. The higher-order statistics related to heartbeat can be a robust indication when the fundamental heartbeat is masked by the strong lower-order harmonics of respiration or when phase calibration is not accurate if phase-based method is used. Analytical spectral analysis is performed to validate that the higher-order harmonics of heartbeat is almost respiration-interference free. Extensive experiments have been conducted to justify an adaptive heart-rate monitoring algorithm. The scenarios of interest are, 1) single subject, 2) multiple subjects at different ranges, 3) multiple subjects at same range, and 4) through wall monitoring. A remote sensing radar system implemented using the proposed adaptive heart-rate estimation algorithm is compared to the competing remote sensing technology, a remote imaging photoplethysmography system, showing promising results. State of the art methods for vital signs monitoring are fundamentally related to process the phase variation due to vital signs motions. Their performance are determined by a phase calibration procedure. Existing methods fail to consider the time-varying nature of phase noise. There is no prior knowledge about which of the corrupted complex signals, in-phase component (I) and quadrature component (Q), need to be corrected. A precise phase calibration routine is proposed based on the respiration pattern. The I/Q samples from every breath are more likely to experience similar motion noise and therefore they should be corrected independently. High slow-time sampling rate is used to ensure phase calibration accuracy. Occasionally, a 180-degree phase shift error occurs after the initial calibration step and should be corrected as well. All phase trajectories in the I/Q plot are only allowed in certain angular spaces. This precise phase calibration routine is validated through computer simulations incorporating a time-varying phase noise model, controlled mechanic system, and human subject experiment. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2018

Traffic simulation and signal timing optimization are classified in structure into two main categories: (i) Macroscopic or Microscopic; (ii) Deterministic or Stochastic. Performance of the optimized signal timing derived by any tool is influenced by the methodology used in how calculations are executed in a particular tool. In this study, the performance of the optimal signal timing plans developed by two of the most popular traffic analysis tools, HCS and Tru-Traffic, each of them has its inbuilt objective function(s) to optimize signal timing for intersection, is compared with an ideal and an existing timing plans (base case) for the area of study using the microsimulation software VISSIM. An urban arterial with 29 intersections and high traffic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida serves as the test bed. To eliminate unfair superiority in the results, all experiments were performed under identical geometry and traffic conditions in each tool. Comparison of the optimized plans is conducted on the basis of average delay, average stopped delay, average number of stops, number of vehicles completed trips, latent delay, and latent demand from the simulated vehicle network performance evaluation results in VISSIM. The results indicate that, overall, HCS with its overall delay objective and the Tru-Traffic programs produce signal timing with comparable quality that performed similar to the un-optimized base case for most of the performance measures. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Bakgrund: Årligen genomförs cirka 740 000 kirurgiska ingrepp inom slutenvården i Sverige som resulterar i postoperativ smärta. Postoperativ smärta är en typ av akut vävnadsskadesmärta som upplevs till följd av kirurgiskt ingrepp. Om obehandlad kan postoperativ smärta resultera sig i kronisk smärta, försämrad livskvalitet och ökad mortalitet. Musikterapi är en biverkningsfri och icke farmakologisk metod som kan implementeras i vården som ett komplement till traditionell behandling för att lindra postoperativ smärta samt öka patienternas välbefinnande.   Syfte: Att undersöka vilken påverkan musik har på postoperativ smärta och de fysiologiska reaktioner som uppstår vid postoperativ smärta.   Metod: Denna studie är en beskrivande allmän litteraturstudie med kvantativ ansats. Artikelsökningarna genomfördes i PubMeds– och CINAHLs databas med hjälp av MeSH genererade söktermer, där elva originalartiklar valdes att inkluderas i studien. Utav dessa var det en artikel som efter kvalitetsgranskning exkluderades, då dess kvalité inte var av medel eller högre kvalité. Resultat: Sju av tio studier visade att musik sänkte smärtintensiteten hos patienter som genomgått thorax- eller abdominal kirurgi. Ingen tydlig påverkan på fysiologiska reaktioner postoperativt kunde ses hos samtliga studier. Slutsats: Musik kan användas som en komplementär behandling till sedvanlig vård för att sänka smärtintensiteten hos postoperativa patienter och öka delaktigheten och självbestämmandet hos patienten. Musikterapi är varken kostsamt eller innehåller biverkningar och kan därför implementeras ute i samhället såväl som inom vården. Mer forskning behövs däremot för att se om musik har en påverkan på de fysiologiska reaktionerna som uppstår vid smärta. / Background: Approximately 740,000 surgical procedures are performed every year in Sweden, resulting in postoperative pain. Postoperative pain is a type of acute tissue injury that is experienced as a result of a surgical procedure. If not treated properly, postoperative pain can result in chronic pain, worsened quality of life and increased mortality. Music therapy is a cheap non-pharmacological method without side-effects that could be implemented in healthcare as a complement to traditional treatment, to alleviate postoperative pain and increase the well-being of patients.   Purpose: To investigate the impact music has on post-operative pain and the physiological reactions that arise from postoperative pain.   Method: A descriptive literature study using quantitative methods. The search for articles was done in the database of PubMed and CINAHL with the help of MeSH generated terms. Eleven original articles were included in this study, whereas one of them were excluded later on by not passing the criteria of the quality control.   Results: Seven out of ten studies showed that music reduced the pain intensity in patients that had undergone either thoracic- or abdominal surgery. No clear influence on physiological reactions could be seen postoperatively.   Conclusion: Music can be used as a complementary treatment to conventional care, to reduce the pain intensity of postoperative patients, and to have patients partake more in their treatment. Since music is cheap och does not involve any side-effect, it can be involved as a analgesic complementary method in society as well as in hospitals. Though more research is needed to see if music has an impact on the physiological responses resulting from pain.

Thesis (MSc. (Physics)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / This study investigated the extent to which learners from rural and peri-urban areas understand what the symbols represent and their roles in simple direct current resistive electrical circuits. The emphasis was on simple direct current resistive electrical circuits that consist of batteries and bulbs. The study was carried out with Grade 12 learners at high school level in the Limpopo Provincial Department of Education. It used both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to investigate learners’ understanding of direct current resistive electrical circuits at rural and peri-urban schools. It used questionnaires and structured interviews to collect the data so that the results could provide in-depth understanding and generalizability. The results revealed that learners knew the symbols used in direct current resistive circuits, however, when the circuit was populated with a number of known symbols it became complex to such an extent that some learners struggled to identify the symbols. As it appeared, learners could not conceptualize the role played by a battery, conductor, ammeter and voltmeter in direct current resistive electrical circuit. In addition, the study also revealed that learners experience difficulties when translating a real circuit to a schematic circuit. This study suggests that deeper focus has to be directed towards developing leaners’ understanding of the working and role played by each symbol in a schematic circuit. Learners were operating at far lower conceptual basis and thought of conductor as a hollow pipe like material. Results were also compared in terms of geographical location of the school, and findings indicate that the rural school was performing better than peri-urban school. The results highlight a number of the frequently encountered alternative frameworks which learners come across when they are faced with schematic circuit diagrams. Most of the alternative frameworks found are well documented in literature (for example current consumption, difficulty with understanding electric concepts, difficulty with concept differentiation, and no firm alternative frameworks). vi The participants in this study were not exposed to practical work. This suggests the results might be different with learners exposed to practical work. It is therefore recommended that future studies look at the understanding of the role played by individual electrical components with learners who had practical experience with real electrical circuits. Majority of learners in this study could not communicate their scientific conclusions using English, as the English is their second language.