Le niveau d'exigence minimum pour tout système 3D (images stéréoscopiques) est de garantir le confort visuel des utilisateurs. Le confort visuel est un des trois axes perceptuels de la qualité d'expérience (QoE) 3D qui peut être directement lié aux paramètres techniques du système 3D. Par conséquent, le but de cette thèse est de caractériser objectivement l'impact de ces paramètres sur la perception humaine afin de contrôler la qualité stéréoscopique. La première partie de la thèse examine l'intérêt de prendre en compte l'attention visuelle des spectateurs dans la conception d'une mesure objective de qualité 3D. Premièrement, l'attention visuelle en 2D et 3D sont comparées en utilisant des stimuli simples. Les conclusions de cette première expérience sont validées en utilisant des scènes complexes avec des disparités croisées et décroisées. De plus, nous explorons l'impact de l'inconfort visuel causé par des disparités excessives sur l'attention visuelle. La seconde partie de la thèse est dédiée à la conception d'un modèle objectif de QoE pour des vidéos 3D, basé sur les seuils perceptuels humains et le niveau d'acceptabilité. De plus nous explorons la possibilité d'utiliser la modèle proposé comme une nouvelle échelle subjective. Pour la validation de ce modèle, des expériences subjectives sont conduites présentant aux sujets des images stéréoscopiques fixes et animées avec différents niveaux d'asymétrie. La performance est évaluée en comparant des prédictions objectives avec des notes subjectives pour différents niveaux d'asymétrie qui pourraient provoquer un inconfort visuel. / The minimum requirement for any 3D (stereoscopic images) system is to guarantee visual comfort of viewers. Visual comfort is one of the three primary perceptual attributes of 3D QoE, which can be linked directly with technical parameters of a 3D system. Therefore, the goal of this thesis is to characterize objectively the impact of these parameters on human perception for stereoscopic quality monitoring. The first part of the thesis investigates whether visual attention of the viewers should be considered when designing an objective 3D quality metrics. First, the visual attention in 2D and 3D is compared using simple test patterns. The conclusions of this first experiment are validated using complex stimuli with crossed and uncrossed disparities. In addition, we explore the impact of visual discomfort caused by excessive disparities on visual attention. The second part of the thesis is dedicated to the design of an objective model of 3D video QoE, which is based on human perceptual thresholds and acceptability level. Additionally we explore the possibility to use the proposed model as a new subjective scale. For the validation of proposed model, subjective experiments with fully controlled still and moving stereoscopic images with different types of view asymmetries are conducted. The performance is evaluated by comparing objective predictions with subjective scores for various levels of view discrepancies which might provoke visual discomfort.

In 1994, racial domination in the form of apartheid ended in South Africa and the first postapartheid government was elected through a non-racial and democratic franchise. The new government inherited an entrenched system of racial inequality as well as widespread poverty amongst the formerly oppressed population, and it sought to address these challenges through policies of redistribution based on a new progressive constitution which emphasised the realisation of socio-economic rights. At the same time, and despite its redistributive measures, the post-apartheid government has pursued a macro-economic strategy with pronounced neoliberal dimensions. One of its critical redistributive measures focuses on social assistance to poor blacks, and this has entailed the construction and expansion of a massive social grant system including the child support grant which is received by millions of black South Africans on a monthly basis. The objective of this thesis is to examine and understand the livelihoods of child support grant recipients (or caregivers) in the context of conditions of extreme vulnerability marked by poverty. It does so by focusing on the small town of Riebeek East located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Though undoubtedly child support grant caregivers are victims of poverty, the thesis demonstrates that they are not without agency. They exist in structural conditions of vulnerability and poverty, but they nevertheless seek to manoeuvre and negotiate their way in and through their conditions of existence. This does not necessarily alleviate their poverty in any significant manner but it does show evidence of reflexivity, decision-making and responsibility in the pursuit of livelihood practices and outcomes. In making this argument, I draw upon the mega-theory of Margaret Archer (specifically, her morphogenetic approach) and the more middle-level perspective of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. Beyond contributing to the prevailing academic literature on the child support grant in South Africa, this thesis also hopefully makes a small contribution to controversies about structure and agency within sociology.

Le mémoire vise à proposer une épistémologie pragmatique de la science scolaire à l’école primaire. Un défaut de compréhension de la nature de la science pourrait en effet justifier en partie les difficultés de l'enseignement des sciences par démarche d'investigation. Une étude des représentations de la science chez les enseignants et futurs enseignants confirme qu’ils n‘en ont pour la plupart qu‘une vision assez floue, relevant majoritairement d'une forme d'empirisme naïf. Un jeu opératoire de critères de scientificité adapté au contexte de l’école est développé dans une approche "bottom-up" partant des pratiques de classe effectives. Sa capacité à discriminer pratiques scientifiques et non scientifiques est discutée, de même que les implications didactiques et épistémologiques de son utilisation. Il est en particulier possible d‘en déduire des définitions évolutives d‘une science scolaire normative mais subsidiaire par rapport à la “science des scientifiques”. Cet outil épistémologique s’avère bien reçu par les enseignants auxquels il a été présenté. Le test en situation de différentes stratégies pédagogiques fait apparaître que les plus efficaces pour l'appropriation de critères de scientificité ajoutent à la démarche d’investigation une composante épistémologique explicite. Certains éléments de méthode scientifique peuvent être travaillés dès la Grande Section de maternelle (5-6 ans) : des élèves ayant vécu des démarches d’investigation s’avèrent capables de revendiquer la primauté de l’expérience, mais aussi de mettre en œuvre des tests relatifs à plusieurs critères de scientificité et de s‘approprier les rudiments de la modélisation scientifique. / The purpose of this thesis is to propose a pragmatic epistemology of school science in primary school. Indeed, some of the difficulties encountered by inquiry-based science education may be attributed to a lack of understanding of the very nature of science. A survey on the perception of science by incumbent teachers and teachers in training confirms that most of them have a relatively vague vision grounded in a form of naive empiricism. A practical set of criteria of scientificity adapted to the school context is developed through a “bottom-up” approach based on actual classroom practices. Its efficiency at discriminating scientific and non-scientific practices is discussed, as well as the didactical and epistemological implications of its use. It is thus possible to deduce evolutive definitions of a school science that is normative yet subordinated to the “science of scientists”. Teachers responded positively to this epistemological tool when it was presented to them. Among the different teaching strategies tested in a classroom, the most efficient for the acquisition of criteria of scientificity were those which supplemented the inquiry process with an explicit epistemological component. Some elements of scientific method can be introduced as early as kindergarten (5-6 y.o) : after experimenting with inquiry processes, pupils have proved able not only to claim the primacy of experiment but also to run tests related to different criteria of scientificity and acquire the basics of scientific modeling.

Prenant appui sur une historicisation critique des postulats méthodologiques et idéologiques au fondement des catégories d’humanisme civique et de républicanisme, la thèse entend renoncer à une lecture uniquement théorique de l’œuvre des humanistes florentins et restituer aux textes leur statut d’énoncés historiques. L’enjeu est de redessiner les lignes portantes d’une tradition civile et républicaine propre à la réalité florentine dont les penseurs des guerres d’Italie (Savonarole, Guichardin, Machiavel) seront les dépositaires critiques. Un travail d’interprétation de la correspondance familière de Coluccio Salutati (1331-1406) constitue le socle de la recherche et fait apparaître la dimension juridique de la pensée du chancelier, et ce à double titre : d’une part elle révèle l’omniprésence d’un lexique juridique qui fournit l’essentiel de l’arsenal interprétatif de l’analyse politique, et d’autre part, elle définit un « office d’exhortation » qui constitue la théorie politique de Salutati non pas simplement comme une rhétorique propagandiste mais aussi comme un discours réformateur. L’apport de Leonardo Bruni (1370-1444) est ainsi réévalué dans le sillage de l’humanisme politique de Salutati, et se distingue de ce dernier surtout par la valeur nouvelle accordée à l’histoire dans l’élaboration d’une langue et d’une science de la vie civile. / Starting from a critical historicization of the methodological and ideological foundations of categories such as civic humanism and republicanism, this thesis investigates the works of the Florentine humanists not only from the point of view of political theory but also in relation to their historical significance. The aim is to redefine the structural lines of a republican tradition characteristic of Florentine history, a tradition which the thinkers of the Italian Wars (Savonarola, Guicciardini, Machiavelli) inherited and criticized. An extensive reading of the private letters by Coluccio Salutati (1331-1406) constitutes the central part of this work and reveals the juridical character of the Chancellor’s thought : on the one hand, the juridical vocabulary is omnipresent in the letters and provides the core of the hermeneutic tools necessary to political analysis ; on the other hand, it helps defining an « office of exhortation » which discloses Salutati’s urge for reform rather than his role of propagandist. New light is then shed on Leonardo Bruni’s contribution to political thought as Bruni is seen following the path of Salutati’s political humanism. Leonardo Bruni (1370-1444), in comparison with his master, stresses the superiority of history, but finds himself equally involved in the formulation of a language and a science of political life.

My study is a theoretical intervention of the South African contemporary visual art of Mary Sibande. It focuses on the figure of Sophie representing the maid in three series; namely, Sophie-Elsie, Sophie-Merica, and Sophie-Velucia. The study applies Frantz Fanon’s thought to the understanding of the figure of Sophie while emphasising the themes of naming, the human subject, and presence-absence. The theoretical framework of this thesis is a decolonial epistemic theory, which is used as a lens to understand Fanon’s political thoughts. I argue that the themes of naming, human subject, and presenceabsence are inherent in Fanon’s thought. These thematic areas give a better understanding of the existential questions of the figure of Sophie in the antiblack Manichean world. It is important to unpack the figure of Sophie as a Manichean figure who represents the crossing of two different worlds – the white world and the black world, Africa and Europe. The study highlights the importance and relevance of reviving Fanon’s thought concerning decolonial contemporary African art and establishing other tools of interpretation necessary to understand decolonial aestheSis. The thrust of this thesis is to deploy decolonial epistemic theory as a theoretical framework to the Fanonian understanding of the figure of the three Sophies that embody the modern/colonial predicament of the figure of the maid and blackness. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / Ph. D (Art)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Although many of Lola Ridge's poems champion the causes of minorities and the disenfranchised, it is too easy to state that politics were the sole reason for her neglect. A simple look at well-known female poets who often wrote about social or political issues during Ridge's lifetime, such as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Muriel Rukeyser, weakens such a claim. Furthermore, Ridge's five books of poetry illustrate that many of her poems focused on themes beyond the political or social. The decisions by critics to focus on selections of Ridge's poems that do not display her ability to employ multiple aesthetics in her poetry have caused them to present her work one-dimensionally. Likewise, politically motivated critics often overlook aesthetic experiments that poets like Ridge employ in their poetry. Few poets during Ridge's time made use of such drastically varied styles, and because her work resists easy categorization (as either traditional or avant-garde), her poetry has largely gone unnoticed by modern scholars. Chapter two of my thesis focuses on a selection Ridge's social and political poems and highlights how Ridge's social poetry coupled with the multiple aesthetics she employed has played a part in her critical neglect. My findings will open up the discussion of Ridge's poetry and situate her work both politically and aesthetically, something no critic has yet attempted. Chapter three examines Ridge’s role as editor of Modern School, Others and Broom. Ridge's work for these magazines, particularly Others and Broom, places her at the center of American modernism. My examination of Ridge's social poetry and her role as editor for two leading literary magazines, in conjunction with her use of multiple aesthetics, will build a strong case for why her work deserves to be recovered.

A modern answer to the question of what an above-standard multifunctional house in the South Center of Brno should look like in the 21st century. First-class urban comfort of living in the countryside on the banks of the river Svratka near the city center with excellent transport links. The design of the building combines various typologies and operations and seeks to ensure maximum efficiency in the use of the plot, its evaluation and benefits for the environment.

The data obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of blood flow in the heart is plentiful, and processing this data takes time and the procedure for that is not straightforward. This project aims to develop a tool that can semi-automatically process CFD simulation data, which is based on 4D flow computed tomography (CT) data, with minimal user input. The tool should be able to time efficiently calculate flow parameters from the data, and automatically create overview images of the flow field while doing so, to aid the user's analysis process. The tool is coded using Python programming language, and the Python scripts are inputted to the application ParaView for processing of the simulation data.  The tool generates 3 chamber views of the heart by calculating three points from the given patient data, which represent the aortic and mitral valves, and the apex of the heart. A plane is generated that pass through these three points, and the heart is sliced along this plane to visualize 3 chambers of the heart. The camera position is also manipulated to optimize the 3 chamber view. The maximum outflow velocity over the cardiac cycle in the left atrial appendage (LAA) is determined by searching in a time range around the maximum outflow rate of the LAA in a cardiac cycle, and finding the highest velocity value that points away from the LAA in this range. The flow component analysis is calculated in the LAA and left ventricle (LV) by seeding particles in each at the start of the cardiac cycle, and tracking these particles forwards and backwards in time to determine where the particles end up and come from, respectively. By knowing these two aspects, the four different flow components of the blood can be determined in both the LAA and LV.  The tool can successfully create 3 chamber views of the heart model from three semi-automatically determined points, at a manipulated camera location. It can also calculate the maximum outflow velocity of the flow field over a cardiac cycle in the LAA, and perform a flow component analysis of the LAA and the LV by tracking particles forwards and backwards in time through a cardiac cycle. The maximum velocity calculation is relatively time efficient and produces results similar to those found manually, yet the output is dependent on the user-defined inputs and processing techniques, and varies between users. The flow component analysis is also time efficient, produces results for the LV that are comparable to pre-existing research, and produces results for the LAA that are comparable to the LVs' results. Although, the extraction process of the LAA sometimes includes part of the left atrium, which impacts the accuracy of the results. After processing each part, the tool creates a single file containing each part's main results for easier analysis of the patient data. In conclusion, the tool is capable of semi-automatically processing CFD simulation data which saves the user time, and it has thus met all the project aims

The aim of the thesis is the complex analysis procedures with citizens. The development project aimed at improving these procedures. The object of the thesis – procedure of work with citizens ' appeals. The subject of the thesis – the process of working with citizens. The goal of the study is achieved by solving basic research problems: 1. To define the concept and types of citizens ' appeals to public authorities. 2. To consider the forms of work with citizens ' appeals. 3. To study the organization of work with citizens in state bodies. 4. To analyze the organization of work with citizens in the Ministry of social policy of Sverdlovsk region. 5. To identify possible causes of repeated applications of citizens received by the Ministry of social policy of Sverdlovsk region, and disadvantages when working with citizens. 6. To develop a draft Model provisions for conducting scheduled and unscheduled inspections of completeness and quality of consideration of citizens. The novelty of the research results Is the development of Model provisions for conducting scheduled and unscheduled inspections of completeness and quality of consideration of references of citizens with regard to the indicators for assessment of the completeness and quality of consideration of citizens. The present study used General scientific methods such as analysis, comparison, analysis of documents, analysis of statistics. The practical significance of the work is determined by the presence of recommendations that can be used to improve the work with citizens in state bodies. The study used the following sources: departmental statistics, normative documents adopted at the Federal and regional level, and departmental legal acts of the Ministry of social policy of Sverdlovsk region. In the process of writing a master's thesis published three articles with a total volume of 0.8/0.5 printer's sheets: The effective organization of electronic document turnover in state bodies // Materials of all-Russian scientific-practical conference: "Regional governance: models, technologies, communication." – Ekaterinburg – Pp. 93-96. – 0,4/0,2 p. L. Stolyarova, V. N., Ufimtsev V. V. Electronic document management in the activity of bodies of state and municipal organizations // History of science and technology and University education. The collection of materials of scientific-practical conference of postgraduates, graduates and students. Ekaterinburg – Moscow. Ural Federal University, UMC-UPI. 2014. S. 129-132. - 0,2/0,1. Stolyarova, V. N., Zaitseva E. V. Analysis of work procedures with citizens as a form of protection of their rights // the Ural industrial: Bakuninskaya reading: Industrial modernization: Materials of the XII all-Russian scientific conference of the Urals in XVIII – XXI century (Moscow, 4-5 December 2014) In 2 volumes Volume 2. 2014. P. 294-298. – 0,3 / 0,2. Stolyarova, V. N., Zaitseva E. V. / Цель диссертационной работы – комплексный анализ процедур работы с обращениями граждан. Разработка проекта, направленного на совершенствование этих процедур. Объект диссертационной работы – процедуры работы с обращениями граждан. Предмет диссертационной работы – процесс работы с обращениями граждан. Поставленная цель исследования достигается путем решения основных исследовательских задач: 1. Определить понятие и виды обращений граждан в органы государственной власти. 2. Рассмотреть формы работы с обращениями граждан. 3. Изучить организацию работы с обращениями граждан в государственных органах власти. 4. Проанализировать организацию работы с обращениями граждан в Министерстве социальной политики Свердловской области. 5. Выявить возможные причины повторных обращений граждан поступивших в адрес Министерства социальной политики Свердловской области, и недостатки при работе с обращениями граждан. 6. Разработать проект Типового положения о проведении плановых и внеплановых проверок полноты и качества рассмотрения обращений граждан. Новизна результатов исследования Заключается в разработке Типового положения о проведении плановых и внеплановых проверок полноты и качества рассмотрения обращений граждан с учетом показателей для оценки состояния полноты и качества рассмотрения обращений граждан. В настоящем исследовании были применены общенаучные методы, такие как анализ, сравнение, анализ документов, анализ статистики. Практическая значимость работы определяется наличием в ней рекомендаций, которые могут быть использованы для совершенствования работы с обращениями граждан в государственных органах власти. В ходе исследования использованы следующие источники: ведомственная статистика, нормативные документы, принятые на федеральном и областном уровне, а также ведомственные правовые акты Министерства социальной политики Свердловской области. В процессе написания магистерской диссертации опубликованы три статьи общим объемом 0,8/0,5 п. л.: Проблемы организации эффективного электронного документооборота в органах власти // Материалы Всероссийской научно-практической конференции: «Региональное управление: модели, технологии, коммуникации». – Екатеринбург – С. 93-96. – 0,4/0,2 п. л. Столярова В. Н., Уфимцев В. В. Электронный документооборот в деятельности органов государственных и муниципальных организаций // История науки и техники и университетское образование. Сборник материалов научно-практической конференции аспирантов, магистрантов и студентов. Екатеринбург – Москва. УрФУ, УМЦ-УПИ. 2014. С. 129-132. - 0,2/0,1. Столярова В. Н., Зайцева Е. В. Анализ процедур работы с обращениями граждан как одной из форм защиты их прав // Урал индустриальный: Бакунинские чтения: Индустриальная модернизация: Материалы XII всероссийской научной конференции Урала в XVIII – XXI в. (Екатеринбург, 4-5 декабря 2014 г.) В 2 т. Том 2. 2014. С. 294-298. – 0,3 / 0,2. Столярова В. Н., Зайцева Е. В.

YouTube is an online video sharing platform where users can distribute and consume video and other types of content. The rapid technological advancement along with the proliferation och technological gadgets has led to the phenomenon of viral videos where videos and content garner hundreds of thousands if not million of views in a short span of time. This thesis looked at the reason for these viral content, more specifically as it pertains to videos on YouTube. This was done by building a predictor model using two different approaches and extracting important features that causes video popularity. The thesis further observed how the subsequent features impact video popularity via partial dependency plots. The knn model outperformed logistic regression model. The thesis showed, among other things that YouTube channel and title were the most important features followed by comment count, age and video category. Much research have been done pertaining to popularity prediction, but less on deriving important features and evaluating their impact on popularity. Further research has to be conduced on feature influence, which is paramount to comprehend the causes for content going viral. / YouTube är en online-plattform där användare kan distribuera och konsumera video och andra typer av innehåll. Den snabba tekniska utvecklingen tillsammans med spridningen av mobila plattformar har lett till fenomenet virala videor där videor får hundratusentals, om inte miljontals, visningar på kort tid. I arbetet undersöktes orsaken till virala videor på YouTube. Det gjordes genom att bygga två modeller för att förutspå videopopularitet och därefter analysera viktiga egenskaper som orsakar denna. Resultaten visade att Knn- modellen ger bättre resultat än logistisk regression. Arbetet visade bland annat att YouTube-kanalen och titeln var de viktigaste egenskaperna som driver popularitet, följt av antal kommentarer på en video, videons ålder och videons kategori. Vidare forskning är dock nödvändig inom detta område. Mycket forskning har gjorts för att förutsäga populariteten hos videor, men mindre fokus har lagts på att analysera deras viktiga egenskaper och utvärdera deras inverkan på populariteten.