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Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) increasingly utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and technologies to support decision-making with stakeholders and policymakers. The study of the group use of GIS to support decision-making processes is called Collaborative GIS. Measuring the impact and influence the technology has on decision-making processes is an important aim of Collaborative GIS research. To date, Collaborative GIS research has relied on qualitative questionnaires to measure the impact of GIS on group decision-making and the GIS software and technology being used, lacking support of quantitative measures. A novel technology increasingly being used for group planning processes with maps is multi-user touch tables; this technology encourages equality of technology interactions and increases participant engagement by allowing all group members the opportunity to interact with the technology, transcending limitations of single-user mouse environments. This research identifies and evaluates measures of collaboration for Collaborative GIS on multi-user touch tables for MSP activities. Group measures of participation are explored using coding systems to determine fluctuations in the groups’ participation using technological interactions and verbal participation by Google Earth task performed and by decision phase. Results indicate variation in participation across role play simulations due largely to group dynamics and participant personality, evidenced by researcher observation. Coding systems require improvements in capturing participation levels. Individual measures of participation are also collected to determine the equality of technological interactions and verbal participation by seat location around a multi-user touch table. Results indicate technological interactions and verbal participation are not equally distributed around a multi-user touch table using Google Earth. Seat locations closest to the Google Earth menus tend to have higher participation rates, with seat locations farthest from the menus marginalized. Furthermore, technological interactions by interface-menus, dialogue boxes, and earth display –have variation in equality of interactions by seat location. Menus and dialogue boxes have higher rates of inequality of participation than the earth display has. To date, study and collection of group and individual participation has been limited in Collaborative GIS research. With reliance on qualitative questionnaires to collect data, this study represents quantitative measures to describe Collaborative GIS group decision-making processes on touch tables. Whereas, previous literature represents coarse scale measures of the group’s process and outcome constructs, this study focuses on fine scale measures of collaboration. / Graduate / 0366 / 0632 / 0984

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Objetivo: Analisar a casuística de prostatovesiculectomias radicais com linfadenectomia ilíaca avaliando a validade das Tabelas de Partin versão 2001. Estudar variáveis que possam interferir no confinamento ou não da neoplasia como retardo cirúrgico, peso prostático, resultados referentes à biópsia e ano da cirurgia. Material e Métodos: Avaliação retrospectiva de 568 prontuários de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia para câncer de próstata clinicamente localizado entre 1995 até agosto de 2005 no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Foram excluidos quem tivesse feito hormonioterapia neoadjuvante ou com diagnóstico feito por ressecção endoscópica da próstata e aqueles com insuficiência dos dados no prontuário. Estágio clínico pelo toque retal , valores de PSA e dados da biópsia que diagnosticou a neoplasia, assim como dos dados da peça da prostatectomia radical foram coletados. Os valores preditivos das Tabelas de Partin, versão 2001 foram comparados com os do espécime cirúrgico e analisados através de Curvas R.OC. Foram também avaliados tempo de espera para cirurgia, peso da próstata, ano da cirurgia, uni ou bilateralidade tumoral na biópsia e qual a biópsia que diagnosticou (primeira ou ulterior) e analisados como fatores preditivos para confinamento ou não da neoplasia. Resultados: A idade média do pacientes foi 63 (42-77). A percentagem de estágio T1c foi de 63 %. Pacientes com escore de Gleason 2-4 na biópsia constituiram 20,2 %, notadamente antes de 2000. O percentual de pacientes com níveis de PSA menores de 4,0 ng/ml foi de 8,3 % e acima de 10,0 ng/ml foi de 35 %. Os percentuais de doença confinada ao órgão, extensão extra-prostática, invasão de vesículas seminais e metástases linfonodais foram 48,2 %, 35,3%, 13,9% e 2,6% , respectivamente. A área sob a curva calculada para doença confinada ao órgão foi de 0,65 , enquanto as áreas sob as curvas para extensão extra-prostática, invasão de vesículas seminais e metástases linfonodais foi respectivamente 0,54; 063 e 0,77. Pacientes que tiveram o diagnóstico já na primeira biópsia, ou com biópsias bilateralmente comprometidas e aqueles operados antes de 2000 tinham tendência ao não confinamento. Biópsias realizadas a partir de 2000 que já foram positivas na primeira tentativa tiveram maior tendência ao confinamento do que até 1999. Conclusão: As Tabelas de Partin tiveram valor preditivo marginal para as características patológicas finais como doença confinada ao órgão e invasão de vesículas seminais e valor preditivo importante para metástases linfonodais. Não mostraram valor preditivo para extensão extra-prostática. Bilateralidade tumoral na biópsia, diagnóstico na primeira biópsia (especialmente até 1999) e cirurgia antes de 2000 configuraram situações com tendência a tumores não confinados. / Objective: The predictive value of current Partin tables (2001) has been not validated in most of the countries as well Brazil. Therefore, we evaluated the validity of 2001 Partin tables for the ability to predict the pathological stage in specimens of radical prostatectomy. Also, we analysed how biopsies can predict results for organ confinement or not and as well what the year of the surgery can make in organ confinement issue . Materials and methods: The clinical and pathological findings of 568 patients who have had radical prostatectomy and iliac lymphadenectomy from 1995 to 2005 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were assessed. Those with missing information, patients who had neoadjuvant endocrine treatment and those who had the diagnosis by transurethral ressection of prostate were excluded. Serum PSA, clinical stage, biopsy characteristics and the pathological features of the specimens were collected. The predictive value of Partin tables and pathological findings of prostatectomy specimens were compared and analyzed according to Receiver Operating Characteristics curves. The delay of the surgery, prostate weight, year of the surgery, bilaterality of the biopsies and if the diagnostic biopsy was the first or not were important for the organ confined disease were also tested. Results: Median age of the patients was 63(42-77). The percentage of patients with clinical stage T1c was 63%. Gleason score 2-4 in biopsy constituted 20,2 %, at mainly before 2000. The ratio of patients with serum PSA above 4,0 ng/ml was 8,3% and higher than 10,0 ng/ml was 35%.Organ confined disease, extra-prostatic extension, seminal vesicle involvement and lymph node metastasis were 48,2%; 35,3%; 13,9 % and 2,6% respectively. Area under curve (AUC) values for organ confined disease, extra-prostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node involvement were 0,65 ; 0,54; 0,63 and 0,77. Tumor bilaterallity at biopsy and positive biopsy at the first procedure (at least until 1999) as well radical prostatectomy before 2000 were predictors for non organ confined prostate cancer. Conclusion: Partin tables have a marginally predictive value for the pathological features like organ confined disease and seminal vesicle involvement and a good predictive value for lymph node metastasis prediction. They don’t have predictive value for extra-prostatic extension. Positive first biopsy, bilateral tumor at biopsy and radical prostatectomy before 2000 were predictive for non organ confined disease.

Objetivo: Analisar a casuística de prostatovesiculectomias radicais com linfadenectomia ilíaca avaliando a validade das Tabelas de Partin versão 2001. Estudar variáveis que possam interferir no confinamento ou não da neoplasia como retardo cirúrgico, peso prostático, resultados referentes à biópsia e ano da cirurgia. Material e Métodos: Avaliação retrospectiva de 568 prontuários de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia para câncer de próstata clinicamente localizado entre 1995 até agosto de 2005 no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Foram excluidos quem tivesse feito hormonioterapia neoadjuvante ou com diagnóstico feito por ressecção endoscópica da próstata e aqueles com insuficiência dos dados no prontuário. Estágio clínico pelo toque retal , valores de PSA e dados da biópsia que diagnosticou a neoplasia, assim como dos dados da peça da prostatectomia radical foram coletados. Os valores preditivos das Tabelas de Partin, versão 2001 foram comparados com os do espécime cirúrgico e analisados através de Curvas R.OC. Foram também avaliados tempo de espera para cirurgia, peso da próstata, ano da cirurgia, uni ou bilateralidade tumoral na biópsia e qual a biópsia que diagnosticou (primeira ou ulterior) e analisados como fatores preditivos para confinamento ou não da neoplasia. Resultados: A idade média do pacientes foi 63 (42-77). A percentagem de estágio T1c foi de 63 %. Pacientes com escore de Gleason 2-4 na biópsia constituiram 20,2 %, notadamente antes de 2000. O percentual de pacientes com níveis de PSA menores de 4,0 ng/ml foi de 8,3 % e acima de 10,0 ng/ml foi de 35 %. Os percentuais de doença confinada ao órgão, extensão extra-prostática, invasão de vesículas seminais e metástases linfonodais foram 48,2 %, 35,3%, 13,9% e 2,6% , respectivamente. A área sob a curva calculada para doença confinada ao órgão foi de 0,65 , enquanto as áreas sob as curvas para extensão extra-prostática, invasão de vesículas seminais e metástases linfonodais foi respectivamente 0,54; 063 e 0,77. Pacientes que tiveram o diagnóstico já na primeira biópsia, ou com biópsias bilateralmente comprometidas e aqueles operados antes de 2000 tinham tendência ao não confinamento. Biópsias realizadas a partir de 2000 que já foram positivas na primeira tentativa tiveram maior tendência ao confinamento do que até 1999. Conclusão: As Tabelas de Partin tiveram valor preditivo marginal para as características patológicas finais como doença confinada ao órgão e invasão de vesículas seminais e valor preditivo importante para metástases linfonodais. Não mostraram valor preditivo para extensão extra-prostática. Bilateralidade tumoral na biópsia, diagnóstico na primeira biópsia (especialmente até 1999) e cirurgia antes de 2000 configuraram situações com tendência a tumores não confinados. / Objective: The predictive value of current Partin tables (2001) has been not validated in most of the countries as well Brazil. Therefore, we evaluated the validity of 2001 Partin tables for the ability to predict the pathological stage in specimens of radical prostatectomy. Also, we analysed how biopsies can predict results for organ confinement or not and as well what the year of the surgery can make in organ confinement issue . Materials and methods: The clinical and pathological findings of 568 patients who have had radical prostatectomy and iliac lymphadenectomy from 1995 to 2005 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were assessed. Those with missing information, patients who had neoadjuvant endocrine treatment and those who had the diagnosis by transurethral ressection of prostate were excluded. Serum PSA, clinical stage, biopsy characteristics and the pathological features of the specimens were collected. The predictive value of Partin tables and pathological findings of prostatectomy specimens were compared and analyzed according to Receiver Operating Characteristics curves. The delay of the surgery, prostate weight, year of the surgery, bilaterality of the biopsies and if the diagnostic biopsy was the first or not were important for the organ confined disease were also tested. Results: Median age of the patients was 63(42-77). The percentage of patients with clinical stage T1c was 63%. Gleason score 2-4 in biopsy constituted 20,2 %, at mainly before 2000. The ratio of patients with serum PSA above 4,0 ng/ml was 8,3% and higher than 10,0 ng/ml was 35%.Organ confined disease, extra-prostatic extension, seminal vesicle involvement and lymph node metastasis were 48,2%; 35,3%; 13,9 % and 2,6% respectively. Area under curve (AUC) values for organ confined disease, extra-prostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node involvement were 0,65 ; 0,54; 0,63 and 0,77. Tumor bilaterallity at biopsy and positive biopsy at the first procedure (at least until 1999) as well radical prostatectomy before 2000 were predictors for non organ confined prostate cancer. Conclusion: Partin tables have a marginally predictive value for the pathological features like organ confined disease and seminal vesicle involvement and a good predictive value for lymph node metastasis prediction. They don’t have predictive value for extra-prostatic extension. Positive first biopsy, bilateral tumor at biopsy and radical prostatectomy before 2000 were predictive for non organ confined disease.

Neste trabalho foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica acerca das metodologias encontradas na literatura de como são aplicados os métodos para o uso analítico de dados provenientes de pesquisas que envolvem esquemas amostrais complexos. Objetivou-se mostrar e discutir alguns estudos que avaliam o impacto de ignorar o plano amostral na análise dos dados. Foi feito também um levantamento de artigos com o objetivo de fazer um estudo de trabalhos publicados em jornais, revistas ou periódicos, cujos assuntos abordados tratam da incorporação da estrutura complexa da amostra na análise. Essa revisão evidenciou que os métodos clássicos de análise, ou seja, aqueles que supõem que os dados provém de uma amostragem aleatória simples, podem levar a resultados incorretos produzindo conclusões errôneas ou equivocadas quando os dados provém de esquemas amostrais complexos. / This work was carried out a literature review about the methodologies found in the literature of how the methods for data analytical use from research involving complex sampling schemes are applied. It was aimed to show and discuss some studies that assess the impact of ignoring the sampling scheme in the data analysis. It was also made a survey of articles in order to make a study of works published in newspapers, magazines or periodicals, which addressed issues dealing with the incorporation of the complex structure of the sample in the analysis. This review shown that the classical methods of analysis, i.e. those who assume that the data comes from a simple random sampling can lead to incorrect results producing quite erroneous and misleading conclusions when the data come from complex sample schemes.

Objetivo: Analisar a casuística de prostatovesiculectomias radicais com linfadenectomia ilíaca avaliando a validade das Tabelas de Partin versão 2001. Estudar variáveis que possam interferir no confinamento ou não da neoplasia como retardo cirúrgico, peso prostático, resultados referentes à biópsia e ano da cirurgia. Material e Métodos: Avaliação retrospectiva de 568 prontuários de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia para câncer de próstata clinicamente localizado entre 1995 até agosto de 2005 no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Foram excluidos quem tivesse feito hormonioterapia neoadjuvante ou com diagnóstico feito por ressecção endoscópica da próstata e aqueles com insuficiência dos dados no prontuário. Estágio clínico pelo toque retal , valores de PSA e dados da biópsia que diagnosticou a neoplasia, assim como dos dados da peça da prostatectomia radical foram coletados. Os valores preditivos das Tabelas de Partin, versão 2001 foram comparados com os do espécime cirúrgico e analisados através de Curvas R.OC. Foram também avaliados tempo de espera para cirurgia, peso da próstata, ano da cirurgia, uni ou bilateralidade tumoral na biópsia e qual a biópsia que diagnosticou (primeira ou ulterior) e analisados como fatores preditivos para confinamento ou não da neoplasia. Resultados: A idade média do pacientes foi 63 (42-77). A percentagem de estágio T1c foi de 63 %. Pacientes com escore de Gleason 2-4 na biópsia constituiram 20,2 %, notadamente antes de 2000. O percentual de pacientes com níveis de PSA menores de 4,0 ng/ml foi de 8,3 % e acima de 10,0 ng/ml foi de 35 %. Os percentuais de doença confinada ao órgão, extensão extra-prostática, invasão de vesículas seminais e metástases linfonodais foram 48,2 %, 35,3%, 13,9% e 2,6% , respectivamente. A área sob a curva calculada para doença confinada ao órgão foi de 0,65 , enquanto as áreas sob as curvas para extensão extra-prostática, invasão de vesículas seminais e metástases linfonodais foi respectivamente 0,54; 063 e 0,77. Pacientes que tiveram o diagnóstico já na primeira biópsia, ou com biópsias bilateralmente comprometidas e aqueles operados antes de 2000 tinham tendência ao não confinamento. Biópsias realizadas a partir de 2000 que já foram positivas na primeira tentativa tiveram maior tendência ao confinamento do que até 1999. Conclusão: As Tabelas de Partin tiveram valor preditivo marginal para as características patológicas finais como doença confinada ao órgão e invasão de vesículas seminais e valor preditivo importante para metástases linfonodais. Não mostraram valor preditivo para extensão extra-prostática. Bilateralidade tumoral na biópsia, diagnóstico na primeira biópsia (especialmente até 1999) e cirurgia antes de 2000 configuraram situações com tendência a tumores não confinados. / Objective: The predictive value of current Partin tables (2001) has been not validated in most of the countries as well Brazil. Therefore, we evaluated the validity of 2001 Partin tables for the ability to predict the pathological stage in specimens of radical prostatectomy. Also, we analysed how biopsies can predict results for organ confinement or not and as well what the year of the surgery can make in organ confinement issue . Materials and methods: The clinical and pathological findings of 568 patients who have had radical prostatectomy and iliac lymphadenectomy from 1995 to 2005 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were assessed. Those with missing information, patients who had neoadjuvant endocrine treatment and those who had the diagnosis by transurethral ressection of prostate were excluded. Serum PSA, clinical stage, biopsy characteristics and the pathological features of the specimens were collected. The predictive value of Partin tables and pathological findings of prostatectomy specimens were compared and analyzed according to Receiver Operating Characteristics curves. The delay of the surgery, prostate weight, year of the surgery, bilaterality of the biopsies and if the diagnostic biopsy was the first or not were important for the organ confined disease were also tested. Results: Median age of the patients was 63(42-77). The percentage of patients with clinical stage T1c was 63%. Gleason score 2-4 in biopsy constituted 20,2 %, at mainly before 2000. The ratio of patients with serum PSA above 4,0 ng/ml was 8,3% and higher than 10,0 ng/ml was 35%.Organ confined disease, extra-prostatic extension, seminal vesicle involvement and lymph node metastasis were 48,2%; 35,3%; 13,9 % and 2,6% respectively. Area under curve (AUC) values for organ confined disease, extra-prostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node involvement were 0,65 ; 0,54; 0,63 and 0,77. Tumor bilaterallity at biopsy and positive biopsy at the first procedure (at least until 1999) as well radical prostatectomy before 2000 were predictors for non organ confined prostate cancer. Conclusion: Partin tables have a marginally predictive value for the pathological features like organ confined disease and seminal vesicle involvement and a good predictive value for lymph node metastasis prediction. They don’t have predictive value for extra-prostatic extension. Positive first biopsy, bilateral tumor at biopsy and radical prostatectomy before 2000 were predictive for non organ confined disease.

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / Background: Dental age is an indicator of the physiological maturity of growing children. Different methods for estimating the dental age in comparison to the chronological age were proposed in the literature. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of two methods i.e. the Phillips and Proffit methods in estimating the dental age in a sample of South African children at the Tygerberg dental faculty. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by randomly selecting 100 panoramic radiographs with known chronological age. The sample contained an equal number of girls and boys (50 in each group) and the chronological age ranged between 6 and 11 years. Dental age for each radiograph was estimated using the Phillips and the Proffit methods respectively. The mean difference between dental and chronological age was calculated. Dental and chronological ages were compared using overall bias and random errors. Results: The results showed that for the girls’ sample, the Phillips method underestimated the age by 4 months which is statistically significant (p-value =0.03). The Proffit method underestimated the age by 2 days which is not statistically significant (p-value =0.97). Both methods however have the same frequency of random errors. For the boys’ sample, Phillips’ method underestimated the age by 6 months which is statistically significant (p-value <0.0001). Proffit’s method underestimated the age by 2 months which is not statistically significant (p-value= 0.15). The Phillips method was shown to have fewer random errors in boys. Discussion: The above mentioned results showed that for dental age estimation for girls, Proffit’s method would be more appropriate. This rationale is explained by the conclusion that it only underestimates the age by 2 days and has the same frequency of random errors as Phillips’ method. However, if one had to choose between the two methods for boys, the situation should be evaluated carefully. For boys, the Phillips method has fewer random errors but a larger overall bias (6 months) whereas Proffit’s method has more random errors but less overall bias (2 months). The choice between the two methods should therefore depend on the purpose of the estimation. If the method is used for estimating the age in a single individual with an unknown chronological age, Phillips’ method would be more preferable. However, if the method is used for age estimation in populations with a known mean chronological age, Proffit is preferred. Conclusion: Proffit’s description for dental development has been shown to be accurate in estimating the DA. It may therefore be considered to be a legitimate DA estimation method and not just a developmental description for the dentition.

More information is now readily available to computer users than at any time in human history; however, much of this information is often inaccessible to people with blindness or low-vision, for whom information must be presented non-visually. Currently, screen readers are able to verbalize on-screen text using text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis; however, much of this vocalization is inadequate for browsing the Internet. An auditory interface that incorporates auditory-spatial orientation was created and tested. For information that can be structured as a two-dimensional table, links can be semantically grouped as cells in a row within an auditory table, which provides a consistent structure for auditory navigation. An auditory display prototype was tested. Sixteen legally blind subjects participated in this research study. Results demonstrated that stereo panning was an effective technique for audio-spatially orienting non-visual navigation in a five-row, six-column HTML table as compared to a centered, stationary synthesized voice. These results were based on measuring the time- to-target (TTT), or the amount of time elapsed from the first prompting to the selection of each tabular link. Preliminary analysis of the TTT values recorded during the experiment showed that the populations did not conform to the ANOVA requirements of normality and equality of variances. Therefore, the data were transformed using the natural logarithm. The repeated-measures two-factor ANOVA results show that the logarithmically-transformed TTTs were significantly affected by the tonal variation method, F(1,15) = 6.194, p= 0.025. Similarly, the results show that the logarithmically transformed TTTs were marginally affected by the stereo spatialization method, F(1,15) = 4.240, p=0.057. The results show that the logarithmically transformed TTTs were not significantly affected by the interaction of both methods, F(1,15) = 1.381, p=0.258. These results suggest that some confusion may be caused in the subject when employing both of these methods simultaneously. The significant effect of tonal variation indicates that the effect is actually increasing the average TTT. In other words, the presence of preceding tones increases task completion time on average. The marginally-significant effect of stereo spatialization decreases the average log(TTT) from 2.405 to 2.264.