Cluster thinning, leaf removal and kaolin application are three commonly employed means of modifying fruit zone microclimates assumed to improve grape and wine quality. High labour costs in addition to the potential for location and varietal-specific responses make the benefits of these practices equivocal. To explore this question, I employed a stratified random block design in two Vancouver Island commercial vineyards where Pinot gris vines were manipulated with one of four experimental treatments: control, cluster thinning to one cluster per shoot, heavy leaf removal with a Kaolin clay application, or a combined heavy leaf removal – cluster thinning - Kaolin treatment. The resulting wines were subjected to detailed sensory evaluations, consumer valuation, and a cost-benefit analysis to determine their respective return-on-investment. Results indicate that despite apparent sensory changes driven by vineyard treatments, the lack of any perceived added value suggests that regional producers of Pinot gris should avoid using the assessed treatments as strategies to increase wine quality. The cost-benefit analysis revealed that heavy leaf removal combined with Kaolin clay application may provide a benefit outside of changes to wine quality. The demonstrable improvement in growing conditions under this treatment resulted in a significant decrease in rot pressure. This suggests that the treatment may be a viable option for increasing usable yields of Pinot gris without placing an insurmountable financial cost on the producer. / Graduate

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No / In this paper we present a new method for accurate real-time facial feature detection. Our method is based on local feature detection and enhancement. Previous work in this area, such as that of Viola and Jones, require looking at the face as a whole. Consequently, such approaches have increased chances of reporting negative hits. Furthermore, such algorithms require greater processing power and hence they are especially not attractive for real-time applications. Through our recent work, we have devised a method to identify the face from real-time images and divide it into regions of interest (ROI). Firstly, based on a face detection algorithm, we identify the face and divide it into four main regions. Then, we undertake a local search within those ROI, looking for specific facial features. This enables us to locate the desired facial features more efficiently and accurately. We have tested our approach using the Cohn-Kanade’s Extended Facial Expression (CK+) database. The results show that applying the ROI has a relatively low false positive rate as well as provides a marked gain in the overall computational efficiency. In particular, we show that our method has a 4-fold increase in accuracy when compared to existing algorithms for facial feature detection.

No description available.

Recent interest has emerged in microsensor platforms that are capable of supporting reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition operations. These devices typically consist of one or more sensors, signal conditioning and processing subsystems, a radio link and a power source. Sensors employed can range from acoustic, to seismic, to magnetic, to visible/infrared imagers. A notable shortcoming of these systems is the fact that they are battery powered. The use of a finite power source places an upper limit on the lifespan of such a system. Thus, a major thrust in the development and usage of these microsensor platforms lies in the conservation of their limited energy resources. In attempt to reduce power consumption and hence extend the system's lifespan, communication bandwidths are often limited. In order to reduce the required bandwidth, much of the signal processing necessary to achieve a desired functionality must be performed within the microsensor platform itself. This thesis effort provides this crucial bandwidth reduction by implementing in hardware an algorithm developed by the University of Maryland, which limits transmissions to the best view Regions-of-Interest (ROI) data, on the CAuS platform by BAE Systems. The hardware implementation was verified with a Matlab script that compared its results with those of the original algorithm. It was shown that these implementations were consistent for all of the data sets tested. Moreover, a subjective analysis, in which the detected ROIs were visually inspected, was performed to corroborate the former quantitative results. / Master of Science

Si les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des Filles du roi et le contexte de leur arrivée en Nouvelle-France sont déjà connues, c’est la première fois que l’on entreprend une estimation de leur contribution démographique et génétique à la population québécoise contemporaine. Les calculs ont été effectués pour l’ensemble de la province, ainsi que sur une base régionale en utilisant le fichier de population BALSAC. Nous avons trouvé que les deux tiers des cinq millions d’individus que comporte le fichier BALSAC sont des descendants des Filles du roi. Ces descendants se sont installés partout au Québec suivant le rythme de l’ouverture de nouvelles régions à la colonisation, dans des proportions toutefois plus importantes à l’ouest du Québec. Près de 78% des Filles du roi qui constituaient notre liste de départ ont eu des descendants jusqu’à la période contemporaine. Nous avons aussi reconstitué les généalogies ascendantes de plus de 60 000 individus mariés au Québec en 1960. Nous avons calculé la contribution génétique des Filles du roi à ce groupe qui se chiffre à 9,3%. Cette contribution représente près de 40% de la contribution génétique des fondatrices immigrantes d’origine française, et un peu plus du tiers de celle de l’ensemble des fondatrices immigrantes que nous avons identifiées. Nous avons observé que quelques Filles du roi ont une contribution individuelle très importante dans les régions de l’est du Québec leur permettant de se démarquer également à l’échelle de la province. Nous avons aussi calculé que 73% des Filles du roi ayant eu des descendants jusqu’à la période contemporaine ont transmis leur ADN mitochondrial. En conclusion, nous avons montré, à l’aide d’une approche généalogique et d’analyses démogénétiques, que les Filles du roi et leurs descendants ont participé de façon significative à l’histoire démographique du Québec et à la constitution de son patrimoine génétique. / We already have a good knowledge of the sociodemographic characteristics of the women called the King’s Daughters and the context of their arrival in New France. However, here we provide for the first time an estimate of the demographic and genetic contribution of the King’s Daughters to the contemporary Quebec population, both for the province as a whole and on a regional basis using the BALSAC population database. We found that two-thirds of the five million individuals in BALSAC are descendants of the King’s Daughters. These descendants settled throughout Quebec following the opening of new regions to colonization but in greater proportions in western Quebec. Nearly 78% of the King’s Daughters from our initial list have descendants up to the present day. We also reconstructed the ascending genealogies of more than 60,000 married individuals in Quebec in 1960. We calculated the genetic contribution of the King's Daughters to this group, which stands at 9.3%. This contribution represents 40% of the genetic contribution of French female founders, and slightly more than a third of the genetic contribution of all female founders who were identified in our genealogical sample. We have observed that some King’s Daughters have a very important individual contribution in the regions of eastern Quebec, which also sets them apart across the province. We also calculated that 73% of the King's Daughters who had descendants to the contemporary period passed on their mitochondrial DNA. In conclusion, we were able, using a genealogical approach and demogenetic analyses, to show that the King's Daughters and their descendants played a significant role in the demographic history of Quebec and the constitution of its genetic heritage.

[pt] Essa dissertação apresenta as tecnologias de radiofrequência e geoposicionamento (RFID/GPS) associadas. A questão fundamental para esse estudo seria a implementação de um sistema baseado em RFID que permita o rastreamento de ferramentas especiais e a localização destas em tempo real. Essas ferramentas são usadas no processo para produção “offshore” de óleo e gás. Como se trata de investimento em uma tecnologia inovadora é relevante considerar a análise financeira do negócio e, portanto se recomenda o cálculo do Valor Presente Líquido (VPL) e consequentemente o retorno sobre o investimento (ROI). A análise econômica foi baseada em uma fase de operação onde há postergação do óleo e a inoperância com sonda, cujos custos são parâmetros que expressam valores em moeda mais significativos. Os resultados mostraram que o valor investido é recuperado em 4 anos e são potencializados quando há tendência de elevação no preço do óleo, alta produtividade do campo e redução dos custos decorrente da melhoria de equipamentos ou pelo aumento da demanda desses. Os resultados obtidos permitiram avaliar e comparar não apenas o retorno do investimento, como benefício de impacto, mas também perceber e avaliar os benefícios agregados à cadeia de valor que certamente vinculada a demanda pressionará a evolução de novas tecnologias em função de mudanças e procedimentos. / [en] This dissertation presents the radio frequency technologies and geopositioning (RFID and GPS) associated with it. The fundamental question for this study would be the implementation of a system based on RFID, which would allow the tracking and the location of these special tools in real time. These tools are used in the process for offshore production of oil and gas. As it comes to investment in innovative technology is relevant considering business and financial analysis, so it is recommended the calculation of the net present value (NPV) and therefore the return on investment (ROI). The economic analysis was based on a phase of operation where there is a delay of oil and ineptitude with the drilling rigs, which costs are parameters that express the most significant currency values. The results showed that the amount invested is recovered in 4 years and are enhanced when: there is a tendency to rise in price of oil, the field features high productivity and as there will be an increased demand and improvements in RFID equipment, the investment costs tend to decrease. The results obtained made it possible to evaluate and compare not only the return on investment, as the benefit of impact, but also realize and assess the benefits of value chain aggregates that certainly linked to the demand will put pressure on the evolution of new technologies in the light of changes and procedures.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:22:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando de Carvalho Cardoso.pdf: 480457 bytes, checksum: 73972dfc040e39fce79788020f9bd496 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-15 / Companies are extending the use of the e-learning in their processes of corporate education, this work began in the quest to answer what are the impacts of implementing e-learning in the educational process in corporations. This work describes a study of the results of the actions of e-learning and the context in which it is inserted on the corporations and society. We study authors were talk about education, corporate education, HR, e-learning and results in corporate and educational activities. We made a qualitative research on companies that use e-learning to understand their impacts. We approach on this thesis the evolution process of the HR professional and their current challenges, what has been done in corporate education and its goals, how e-learning solution has been inserted in corporate education, the state of the art on e-learning and what has been done in the analysis of results in corporate education. We find in the research the main impacts that e-learning has resulted in corporate education: new possibilities for learning, productivity on the training department, financial economics, digital inclusion and return on investment. This study shows that e-learning goes beyond its direct impacts, which is one more movement in support of HR Strategic and enhancement of human capital, it is a means to support classroom education and allows the company to incorporate the change occurring in the cultural world, called Web 2.0 and uphold the new way we relate to knowledge. We found that the learning process is inherent in the educational process, and that e-learning has brought positive results in the learning process. Based on all this work the greatest impact of e-learning in corporate education is the evolution of corporate education as a whole, its reinvention, the evolution of classroom education and also an evolution of the students in their learning style, the HR in the way they develop people and measure their results, and the company create, disseminate and share knowledge / As empresas estão ampliando muito a utilização do e-learning em seus processos de educação corporativa, este trabalho iniciou-se na busca para responder quais são os impactos da implementação do e-Learning no processo educacional nas corporações. Esta dissertação de mestrado apresenta um estudo dos resultados das ações de e-learning e o contexto em que este está inserido, nas corporações e na sociedade. Para tanto foram utilizados autores que falam sobre educação, educação corporativa, RH, e-learning e resultados em ações educacionais corporativas e foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa em empresas que utilizam o e-learning para entender sues impactos. Abordamos nesta dissertação o processo evolutivo do profissional de RH e seus atuais desafios, o que se tem feito em educação corporativa e seus objetivos, como o e-learning tem se inserido como solução na educação corporativa, o estado da arte em e-learning e o que se tem feito na análise de resultados em educação corporativa. Constatamos na pesquisa de campo os principais impactos que o e-learning tem provocado na educação corporativa: novas possibilidades em aprendizagem, produtividade do departamento de treinamento, economia financeira, inclusão digital e retorno sobre o investimento. Este trabalho mostra que o e-learning vai além de seus impactos diretos, que é mais um movimento de apoio ao RH Estratégico e a valorização do Capital humano, que é um meio de suporte a educação presencial e que permite com que a empresa incorpore a mudança cultural que ocorre no mundo, chamada WEB 2.0 e sustente a nova forma com que nos relacionamos com o conhecimento. Constatamos que o processo de aprendizagem é inerente ao processo educacional, e que o e-learning tem trazido resultados positivos no processo de aprendizagem. Com base em toda esta dissertação o maior impacto do e-learning na educação corporativa é a evolução da educação corporativa como um todo, sua reinvenção, a evolução mesmo da educação na forma presencial e uma evolução também do aluno na sua forma de aprender, do RH na sua forma de desenvolver pessoas e medir seus resultados, e da empresa na sua forma de lidar, criar, difundir e compartilhar o conhecimento

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate how a delivery lead-time reduction impacts returnon-investment (ROI), and through the study create a decision support that quantitatively demonstrates the impact of the delivery lead-time reduction on manufacturing companies' ROI. To fulfill the purpose of the study two research questions were created: How is ROI affected by a delivery lead-time reduction? How can the impact of the delivery lead-time reduction on ROI be quantified? Method: A literature review was conducted to explain how a delivery lead-time reduction affects the ROI components. The literature review formed the theoretical framework, from which a proposition was created. With the proposition as a basis, a case study of one-case-design was carried out. The data for the first research question was collected through interviews with respondents from the focal company's market and production departments. The collected data was then pattern matched against the proposition, to develop the proposition. The answer from the first research question was then used as a basis for the quantification of the impact of the delivery lead-time reduction on ROI. During the empirical collection, there were limitations in data availability, therefore fictitious data was estimated to carry out the quantification and fulfill the second research question. Results: The study shows that there are many ways in which ROI can be affected by a delivery lead-time reduction, depending on the context, the starting point, and the approach in which the reduction is implemented. Therefore, an 8-scenario typology was created for how a delivery lead reduction can be implemented based on the six strategic lead times (SLT). Research question 1 shows, based on the data and the proposition, how delivery lead-time reduction impacts ROI in the typology’s scenario 7. Scenario 7 means a reduction in delivery lead-time, along with a reduction of the supply lead-time by reducing the external lead-time. The quantification of fictitious data, which answered the second research question, showed that it is possible to quantify the effect of the delivery lead-time reduction on ROI. Based on the approach of quantification, a decision support for investment in delivery lead-time reduction was created. Implications: The study contributes to the opportunity for practitioners to evaluate investment in delivery lead-time reduction, against other investment candidates, to strengthen the company's competitiveness. Theoretically, the study contributes with the typology for how a delivery lead-time reduction can be implemented. Also, a contribution through the proposition which shows how a delivery lead-time reduction generally affects ROI, versus the developed proposition that shows the influence based on scenario 7. Limitations: The quantification was based on fictitious data, which gave a limited result. Although it’s not the result of itself that is of interest, it is the logic of quantification, since the purpose is to develop a decision support. Also, the study is of one-case-design, whereupon the developed proposition cannot be applied on other companies without scrutiny and compared with their specific contexts. / Syfte: Studien syftade till att undersöka hur det finansiella prestandamåttet return on investment (ROI) påverkas vid en leveransledtidreduktion och genom studien skapa ett beslutsstöd som kvantitativt påvisar leveransledtidsreduktionens påverkan på tillverkandeföretags ROI. För att uppnå studiens syfte upprättades två forskningsfrågor: Hur påverkas ROI av en leveransledtidsreduktion? Hur kan leveransledtidsreduktionens påverkan på ROI kvantifieras? Metod: En litteraturgenomgång genomfördes för att förklara hur ROI komponenter påverkas av en leveransledtidsreduktion. Litteraturen sammanställdes sedan i en teoretisk referensram, utifrån vilken en proposition skapades. Med propositionen som grund utfördes en fallstudie av enfallsdesign. Empiri till den första forskningsfrågan samlades in genom intervjuer med respondenter från marknads- och produktionsavdelningen på fallföretaget. Empirin mönsterpassades mot den framtagna propositionen, som genom mönsterpassningen utvecklades. Svaret från första forskningsfrågan användes sedan som grund för kvantifieringen av leveransledtidsreduktionens påverkan på ROI. Under empiriinsamlingen visade det sig finnas begränsningar i tillgängliga data, varpå fiktiva data uppskattades för att kunna genomföra kvantifieringen och besvara andra forskningsfrågan. Resultat: Studien visade att det finns många olika sätt som ROI kan påverkas vid en leveransledtidsreduktion beroende på kontexten, utgångsläget och tillvägagångssättet som reduktionen genomförs i. Därför skapades en typologi med 8 scenarios för hur en leveransledtidsreduktion kan genomföras utifrån de sex strategiska ledtiderna (SLT). Forskningsfråga 1 visar utifrån empirin och propositionen påverkan på ROI vid scenario 7 i typologin. Scenario 7 innebär en reduktion av leveransledtiden och försörjningsledtiden genom att reducera den externa ledtiden. Kvantifieringen med fiktiva data påvisade att det är möjligt att kvantifiera leveransledtidsreduktionens påverkan på ROI. Utifrån tillvägagångssättet av kvantifieringen skapades ett beslutsstöd för investering i leveransledtidsreduktion. Implikationer: Studien bidrar till praktikers möjlighet att utvärdera en investering i leveransledtidsreduktion mot andra investeringskandidater för att stärka företags konkurrenskraft. Teoretiskt bidrar studien med typologin över hur en leveransledtidsreduktion kan genomföras. Även genom propositionen som visar hur en leveransledtidsreduktion påverkar ROI generellt, kontra den utvecklade propositionen som visar påverkan utifrån scenario 7. Begränsningar: Kvantifieringen baserades på fiktiva data vilket gav ett begränsat resultat. Det var istället logiken i kvantifieringen som var intressant, eftersom syftet var att utveckla ett beslutsstöd. Studien är en enfallsstudie, varpå den utvecklade propositionen inte kan appliceras för andra företag utan granskning och jämförelse med deras specifika kontexter.