Introduction: A computer-based classification system is proposed for the characterization of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration from saggital magnetic resonance images. Materials and methods: Cervical intervertebral discs from saggital magnetic resonance images where assessed by an experienced orthopaedist as normal or degenerated (narrowed) employing Matsumoto’s classification scheme. The digital images where enhanced and the intervertebral discs which comprised the regions of interest were segmented. First and second order statistics textural features extracted from thirty-four discs (16 normal and 16 degenerated) were used in order to design and test the classification system. In addition textural features were calculated employing Laws TEM images. The existence of statistically significant differences between the textural features values that were generated from normal and degenerated discs was verified employing the Student’s paired t-test. A subset with the most discriminating features (p<0.01) was selected and the Exhaustive Search and Leave-One-Out methods were used to find the best features combination and validate the classification accuracy of the system. The proposed system used the Least Squares Minimum Distance Classifier in combination with four textural features with comprised the best features combination in order to classify the discs as normal or degenerated. Results: The overall classification accuracy was 93.8% misdiagnosing 2 discs. In addition the system’s sensitivity in detecting a narrow disc was 93.8% and its specificity was also 93.8%. Conclusion: Further investigation and the use of a larger sample for validation could make the proposed system a trustworthy and useful tool to the physicians for the evaluation of degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine. / Σκοπός: Η στένωση των μεσοσπονδύλιων δίσκων της αυχενικής μοίρας, ως κύρια έκφραση εκφυλιστικής νόσου, είναι μια από τις σημαντικότερες αιτίες πρόκλησης πόνου στην περιοχή του αυχένα. Στην κλινική πράξη η αξιολόγηση της στένωσης γίνεται μέσω μέτρησης του μεσοσπονδύλιου διαστήματος, σε διάφορες απεικονίσεις της αυχενικής μοίρας του ασθενούς. Στην παρούσα εργασία προτείνεται μια υπολογιστική μέθοδος ανάλυσης εικόνας, για την αυτοματοποιημένη εκτίμηση της στένωσης από εικόνες μαγνητικής τομογραφίας. Υλικό και Μέθοδος: Μελετήθηκαν 34 μεσοσπονδύλιοι δίσκοι από οβελιαίες τομές μαγνητικής τομογραφίας της αυχενικής μοίρας, οι οποίες ελήφθησαν με χρήση Τ2 ακολουθίας. Η στένωση των μεσοσπονδύλιων δίσκων αξιολογήθηκε από έμπειρο ορθοπαιδικό βάσει της κλίμακας Matsumoto. Οι δίσκοι χωρίστηκαν σε δύο κατηγορίες: (α) 16 φυσιολογικοί και (β) 16 δίσκοι που παρουσίαζαν στένωση. Με χρήση διαδραστικού περιβάλλοντος επεξεργασίας εικάνας καθορίστηκε το περίγραμμα των μεσοσπονδύλιων δίσκων οι οποίοι αποτελούν τις προς ανάλυση περιοχές ενδιαφέροντος (Π.Ε.). Σε κάθε Π.Ε. εφαρμόστηκαν αλγόριθμοι εξαγωγής χαρακτηριστικών υφής. Συγκεκριμένα υπολογίστικαν χαρακτηριστικά υφής από στατιστικά πρώτης και δεύτερης τάξης καθώς και χαρακτηριστικά από τα μέτρα ενέργειας υφλης κατλα Laws. Τα παραπάνω χαρακτηριστικά, ποσοτικοποιούν διαγνωστικές πληροφορίες της έντασης του σήματος της Π.Ε. και συσχετίζονται με τη βιοχημική σύσταση των απεικονιζόμενων δομών. Τα εξαχθέντα χαρακτηριστικά υφής αξιοποιήθηκαν για τη σχεδίαση του ταξινομητή ελάχιστης απόστασης ελαχίστων τετραγώνων, ο οποίος χρησιμοποιήθηκε για το διαχωρισμό μεταξύ φυσιολογικών δίσκων και δίσκων που παρουσίαζαν στένωση (εκφυλισμένων). Αποτελέσματα: Η ακρίβεια της ταξινόμησης φυσιολογικών και εκφυλισμένων μεσοσπονδύλιων δίσκων ανήλθε σε 93.8%. Η ευαισθησία καθώς και η ειδικότητα της μεθόδου, σε ότι αφορά την ανίχνευση εκφυλισμένων δίσκων, είναι επίσης 93.8%. Συμπέρασμα: Με δεδομένο το μικρό μέγεθος του δείγματος που χρησιμοποιήθηκε για το σχεδιασμό της μεθόδου, απαιτούνται περετέρω εργασίες πιστοποίησης της ακρίβειας ταξινόμησης, προκειμένου η μέθοδος αυτή να αξιοποιηθεί από ακτινολόγους και ορθοπαιδικους, ως βοηθητικό διαγνωστικό εργαλείο.

Software development is an iterative process which is based on teamwork and information exchange. In order to keep this process running, proper informational flow control techniques in a software development company have to be applied. As number of employees grows, manual control of this process becomes inaffective and automated solutions takes over this task. The most common informational units in the software development process are defects, new features and requirements. This paper addresses problems that occur during software development process and intents to create techniques and methodologies for software defect, feature and requirement management. Following tasks are performed while automating mentioned process: a) Analysis of software development company workflow; b) Design and documentation of software defect, feature and requirement management method, which would ease information exchange in design, implementation and quality assurance stages of software development process; c) Analysis and comparision of existing similar solutions. Identification of most attaractive and useful features; d) Design and implementation of software defect, feature and requirement management system which covers newly designed information flow control method. Practical task includes designing, programming, installing and testing newly created system. Design and development is based on reusable component approach which results in several layers of reusable code.

In petroleum production systems, hydrate morphology is observed to be influenced by the crude oil composition. This work is aimed at identifying which crude oil compositional parameters that need to be determined in order to evaluate natural anti-agglomerating properties of crude oils, i.e. the critical compositional descriptors. The compositional features of 22 crude oils have been studied, and multivariate data analysis has been used to investigate the possibility for correlations between several crude oil properties. The results show that biodegradation together with a relatively large amount of acids are characteristic for non-plugging crude oils, while excess of basic compounds is characteristic for plugging crude oils. The multivariate data analysis shows a division of the nonbiodegraded oils, which are all plugging, and the biodegraded oils. In addition, the biodegraded oils seem to be divided into two groups, one with plugging oils and one with mostly non-plugging oils. The results show that the wettability can be predicted from the variables biodegradation level, density, asphaltene content and TAN.

Aktualumas. Tyrimai rodo silpną šalies jaunuolių sveikatą ir prastą fizinį parengtumą. NATO šalių ginkluotose pajėgose karių, kariūnų ir karininkų specialiam fiziniam rengimui skiriamas svarbus vaidmuo. Taigi iškyla keletas spręstinų tikslų, tarp kurių – karinei tarnybai tinkamiausių asmenų atranka ir bendrojo fizinio, be specialaus taikomojo rengimo, veiksmingų būdų paieška. Naujumas. Darbe tiriamas Lietuvos karo akademijos studentų kariūnų fizinis parengtumas. Nagrinėjamos 1–2 kurso studentų fizinio parengtumo – greitumo ir šoklumo fizinių ypatybių – 2003–2005 m. kryptys. Tokio pobūdžio darbų nėra daug, todėl tyrimo duomenys turės naujumo aspektą. Mokslinė problema. Kariūnų veikla iš esmės skiriasi nuo sportinės veiklos. Nuolat kintant stojančiųjų į LKA kontingentui ir priėmimo sąlygoms, aktuali yra ši mokslinė problema: kaip tikslingai valdyti kariūnų fizinį rengimą, nuolatos vertinant taikomos fizinio rengimo programos veiksmingumą pagal objektyvius motorinės sistemos kaitos rodiklius. Vieni iš tokių rodiklių yra raumenų galingumo, jėgos ir greitumo rodikliai. Prielaida. LKA studentų kariūnų fizinis parengtumas sparčiausiai gerėja pirmais studijų metais. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti ir įvertinti LKA 1–2 kurso studentų greitumo jėgos ir greitumo rodiklių kaitą studijų metu. Uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti LKA 1–2 kurso studentų antropometrinių rodiklių kaitą studijų metu; 2. Nustatyti ir įvertinti LKA 1–2 kurso studentų kojų raumenų greitumo jėgos rodiklių kaitą studijų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Actuality. Researches show weak health and bad physical qualification of the country‘s lads. In the armed forces of the NATO countries, special physical preparation of soldiers, cadets and officers plays an important role. Also, there are a few purposes to solve, including selection of the people most suitable for military service and searching effective ways for general physical without special applicable preparation. Newness. In the work, physical preparation of the students-cadets of the War Academy of Lithuania is researched. The tendencies of physical preparation of the students of the 1–2 course – physical features of quickness and spring – in 2003–2005 are analyzed.There are not so many works of this kind, so the data of the research is going to have an aspect of newness. Scientific problem. The cadets‘ activity differs from sport activity essentially. As the contingent of the entrants to the War Academy of Lithuania and acceptance conditions are always changing, this scientific problem is actual: how to run physical preparation of the cadets purposefully, evaluate efficiency of the programme of physical preparation applied following objective indicators of alternation of the motor system steadily. Some of these indicators are the indicators of the muscle power, strenght and quickness. Hypothesis – physical preparation of the students-cadets of the War Academy improves mostly in the first study year. Purpose of the research – to establish and evaluate... [to full text]

Paskutiniais dešimtmečiais puslaidininkių fizika vaidino svarbų vaidmenį beveik kiekvienoje šiuolaikinių technologijų srityje. Šiame greitai besikeičiančiame pasaulyje mūsų jau nebetenkina supantys buities ir darbo prietaisai, valdomi naudojantis elektronais. Mums reikalingas didesnis kompiuterių operatyvumas, didesnė atminties talpa, greitesnis telekomunikacinis ryšys, ir todėl reikalingos naujos technologijos bei sprendimai. Naujas žingsnis fotoninės struktūros. Žinių ir technologijų pasiekimai leidžia fotoninių sturktūrų savybes taikyti šviesos valdymui. Dabartiniame optinės fizikos tyrinėjimų etape šviesos sąveika su medžiaga labai aktuali: ji gali atrodyti universali ir invariantiška, kadangi šviesa jau kontroliuojama pasitelkus hibridinius fotoninius kristalus. Šių darinių tyrimai patrauklūs tiek fundamentaliam, tiek taikomajam mokslui. Į opalą infiltravę skystąjį kristalą, gauname hibridinį fotoninį kristalą. Jo optines savybes galima keisti priklausomai nuo infiltruotos medžiagos lūžio rodiklio. Fotoniniai kristalai, reikia tikėtis, bus taikomi ateities fotoniniuose įrenginiuose, telekomunikacijoje. Su šia sritimi siejamos tokios pat ar net didesnės viltys, kokios buvo siejamos su prieš 50 metų išrastu puslaidininkiniu tranzistoriumi, pakeitusiu techniką ir davusiu impulsą naujoms mokslo kryptims. Teoriškai fotoninių kristalų egzistavimą nepriklausomai vienas nuo kito 1987 metais pirmieji aprašė E.Jablonovičius ir S. Johnas. Tačiau prireikė dar dešimt metų, kol buvo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / We live in the rapidly developing technological world. However, fields of communication, computer memory, and data processing require considerable improvements. The speed of data transportation is acceptable but capacity is low. There is a growing need for new technologies that rapidly detect and treat diseases at an early stage or even pre-stage. When we get accustomed to the advance, we demand more compact, energy-efficient, rapidly-responding and environmentally-safe technologies. During the last century this problem was solved by switching to transportation of electronic data, which connected people around the world. This approach had changed our lives, but about twenty years ago this technology reached its limits, while need for an even higher transportation capacity increases. Now we need faster computers and other state-of-the-art technological solutions: electrons are too slow and we have to use photons. Over the last decade, the steady progress regarding ability to fabricate hybrid photonic nanostructures led to a rich variety of different one-, two-, and three-dimensional dielectric/organic and/or metallic periodic structures. They demonstrate qualitatively new and fascinating linear-optical, nonlinear-optical, and quantum-optical features which provide an unprecedented control of light propagation and light-matter interaction. Photonic-based technology, coupled with nanotechnology, can meet many of these challenges. In this work fabrication of hybrid photonic... [to full text]

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti vyresniųjų klasių mokinių lūkesčių apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes ypatumus ir jų sąsajas su alkoholio vartojimu. Tyrime dalyvavo 253 Kauno miesto ir dviejų Jurbarko miesto mokyklų vyresniųjų klasių mokiniai (112 vaikinų ir 141 merginų). Lūkesčiams apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes nustatyti buvo naudojamos dvi metodikos: teigiamų ir neigiamų lūkesčių apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes skalės ir laisvųjų asociacijų metodas, kada tiriamųjų buvo prašoma užbaigti sakinį „Gerdama(s) alkoholį aš...“. Alkoholio vartojimo ypatumams įvertinti tiriamiesiems buvo pateikti šie klausimai: kaip jie geria alkoholį ir, ar jie buvo išgėrę tiek alkoholio, jog buvo girti. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, jog kuo didesni vaikinų ir merginų teigiamų lūkesčių apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes skalių įverčiai, tuo daugiau teigiamų lūkesčių apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes jie išvardina patys. Taip pat vaikinų ir merginų, kurių pirmasis įvardintas lūkestis apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes yra teigiamas, teigiamų lūkesčių apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes skalių įverčiai didesni, nei tų, kurių, pirmasis įvardintas lūkestis - neigiamas. Įvertinus alkoholio vartojimo ypatumų ir lūkesčių apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes sąsajas buvo nustatyta, jog kuo dažniau vaikinai ir merginos vartoja alkoholį, tuo labiau išreikšti jų teigiami lūkesčiai apie alkoholio vartojimo pasekmes ir tuo daugiau teigiamų lūkesčių jie gali išvardinti. Taip pat kuo daugiau kartų vaikinai ir merginos buvo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Aim of the study was to examine the features of high school student’s alcohol outcome expectancies and their correlation with student’s alcohol use. The participants of this study were 253 (112 boys and 141 girls) high school students from one Kaunas city and two Jurbarkas city school’s. It was used two methods to evaluate alcohol outcome expectancies: positive and negative alcohol outcome expectancies scales and free association method – participants had to finish the sentence “When I drink alcohol I …”. Also participants had to answer how often they drink alcohol and how many times in their lives they were drunk. Study’s results showed that high school student’s positive alcohol outcome expectancies scale scores correlate with the positive expectancies which they have named themselves. And the positive expectancies scale scores were higher of those students who’s first named alcohol outcome expectancy was positive than those students who’s first named alcohol outcome expectancy negative. Also the results showed that the more often students used alcohol and the more times they were drunk the higher positive alcohol outcome expectancies scale scores they had and the more positive expectancies they could name themselves. Also the more times girls were drunk the higher negative alcohol outcome expectancies scale scores they had.

No description available.

Cette thèse porte sur les traits de personnalité associés aux comportements délinquants. De façon plus spécifique, elle s’intéresse à la contribution des traits de personnalité psychopathiques évalués à l’adolescence pour prédire les conduites délinquantes au début de l’âge adulte, lorsque sont également considérés des indices comportementaux. Elle s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une étude longitudinale plus large destinée à décrire les adolescents des Centres jeunesse du Québec. Aux fins de la thèse, un sous-groupe de jeunes, de sexe masculin, a été sélectionné : ces jeunes présentent un trouble des conduites ou ont manifesté des comportements délinquants au cours de l’adolescence. Cette sélection vise à cerner les adolescents les plus susceptibles de présenter des traits psychopathiques, eu égard à la faible prévalence du trouble dans la population générale. Quarante-huit adolescents ont accepté de participer à l'entrevue utilisant la PCL-SV (Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version). Un premier volet de la thèse valide, au Québec, une version française d’une mesure de la psychopathie adaptée à l'adolescence, la PCL-SV. Les indices de fidélité et de validité sont satisfaisants et comparables à ce qui est rapporté avec d’autres versions de la PCL auprès d’adolescents et d’adultes. Les résultats appuient la pertinence de son utilisation auprès des adolescents. Un second volet du projet porte sur la contribution d’une mesure des traits psychopathiques à l’adolescence à la prédiction des conduites délinquantes au début de l’âge adulte. Les traits psychopathiques, tels qu’évalués à l’aide de la PCL-SV, sont un apport significatif aux indices de comportements délinquants dans la prédiction des conduites délinquantes autorapportées deux ans plus tard. Finalement, un dernier volet explore une approche dimensionnelle dans la conceptualisation de la psychopathie, sous l’angle d’un modèle général de la personnalité : le Modèle à cinq facteurs (MCF). Ce volet porte sur la capacité de ce modèle, alternative au modèle catégoriel, à distinguer des jeunes au plan de la gravité de leur délinquance. Les jeunes présentant une délinquance distinctive ont une plus forte propension à rechercher les sensations fortes que ceux dont la délinquance est générale. Les résultats mettent en lumière l’importance d’une composante d’impulsivité comme élément caractéristique d’un sous-groupe de jeunes présentant une délinquance distinctive. L’étude appuie l’utilisation d’un modèle général de la personnalité pour cerner des traits associés à la psychopathie, permettant ainsi d’identifier un noyau dur de délinquants. L’ensemble du projet permet d’établir la valeur ajoutée d’une mesure des traits psychopathiques à l’adolescence pour la prédiction des conduites délinquantes. Il met en lumière l’importance d’une composante d’impulsivité chez les jeunes impliqués dans une délinquance distinctive. C’est l’une des rares études longitudinales s’intéressant à la délinquance autorapportée et à la psychopathie sous l’angle des facettes du MCF chez des adolescents. Il y a une telle hétérogénéité parmi les jeunes délinquants qu’une mesure valide de la psychopathie à l’adolescence permettra une identification plus fiable des jeunes susceptibles de poursuivre leur trajectoire criminelle à l’âge adulte. Les implications cliniques des résultats et les recommandations pour des recherches futures sont reprises dans la conclusion de l’ouvrage. / This thesis is interested in personality traits associated with delinquent behavior. More specifically, it seeks to clarify the contribution of psychopathic personality traits assessed in adolescence to predict antisocials behaviors in early adulthood, when are also considered behavioral indices. It is part of a broader longitudinal study aimed at describing adolescents in the care of Quebec Youth Centres. For research purposes, a subgroup of young males has been selected; those with a conduct disorder or who have exhibited delinquent behaviors during adolescence. The purpose of such a selection was to identify young people who are most likely to have psychopathic traits, given the low prevalence of the disorder in the general population. Forty-eight teenagers have agreed to participate in the interview using the PCL-SV (Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version). A first shutter of the thesis validates, in Quebec, a French version of a measurement of psychopathy adapted for a use with teenagers, the PCL-SV. Results show indices of fidelity and validity satisfactory and comparable with what is brought back with other versions of the PCL used with teenagers and adults. They support the relevance of its use with teenagers. A second part of the dissertation verifies the contribution of psychopathic traits in adolescence to predict antisocial conduct in early adulthood. Results show that psychopathic traits, as measured by the PCL-SV, make a significant contribution above and beyond indices of delinquent behavior to predict self-reported antisocial conduct two years later. Finally, a last chapter explores a dimensional approach in the conceptualization of psychopathy, in terms of a general model of personality: the Five Factor Model (FFM). It seeks to determine its ability to distinguish youths with conduct disorders in terms of the severity of their delinquency. Results show that youths with a serious delinquency have a higher propensity to seek sensations than those whose delinquency is weak. Results highlight the importance of impulsivity as a characteristic element of a subgroup of youths with serious delinquency. The study supports the use of a general model of personality to capture features associated with psychopathy and to identify a hard core of delinquents. The entire project establishes the added-value of a measure of psychopathic traits in adolescence in predicting antisocial behavior. It highlights the importance of a component of impulsivity among youth involved in serious delinquency. This is one of the few longitudinal studies concerned with self-reported delinquency and psychopathy in terms of the facets of the FFM in adolescents. There is such heterogeneity among young offenders; a valid measure of psychopathy in adolescence will allow more specific types and a more reliable identification of young people likely to continue their criminal career into adulthood. Clinical implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are included in the conclusion of the thesis.

Bakalauro darbe analizuojami išoriniai ir vidiniai mikčiojimo požymiai, mokinių požiūrio į mikčiojimą ir emocijų įvertinimo metodikos, mikčiojimo požymių įvertinimo metodikos, analizuojamas mikčiojimo sunkumo laipsnių nustatymas. Suformuluotas tyrimo tikslas, kuriuo buvo siekiama kiekybiškai ir kokybiškai įvertinti mikčiojančių mokinių užsikirtimų dažnumą, pobūdį, įvertinti lydimuosius judesius, remiantis metodiniais Mikčiojimo sunkumo metodikos (SSI) nurodymais ir atskleisti kiekybinio mikčiojimo požymių įvertinimo galimybes. Tyrimas atliktas stebėjimo metodu, o stebėjimo duomenims papildyti atliktas interviu. Tyrime dalyvavo 27 mikčiojantys moksleiviai, kurie atliko nurodytas skaitymo ir spontaniško bei pasakojimo pagal paveikslėlius užduotis. Stebėjimo metodu buvo siekiama įvertinti moksleivių mikčiojimo ypatumus, o interviu metodas papildė tyrimą atskleisdamas mikčiojančių mokinių požiūrį į savo mikčiojimą, emocines reakcijas, problemos įveikimo galimybes. Tyrimu nustatyta, jog daugumai mikčiojančių moksleivių būdingiausi išoriniai mikčiojimo požymiai yra: skiemenų ir garsų kartojimas, garsų tęsimas, blokai. Stipresnis mikčiojimas, didesnis užsikirtimų dažnumas būdingas berniukams labiau negu mergaitėms. Taip pat berniukų tarpe pastebėti žymesni lydimieji judesiai. Mikčiojančiųjų požiūris į savo kalbėjimo problemą ir emociniai išgyvenimai skirtingi kiekvieno mokinio atveju. Nors pastebėta tendencija, kad mokiniai linkę neigiamai apibūdinti mikčiojimą. Nepaisant to... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The present Bachelor Thesis analyses external and internal features of stuttering, pupils' attitude towards stuttering and emotional assessment techniques, stuttering symptoms assessment methodology and analysis of degree of severity of stuttering. A research aim has been formulated in order to assess quantitatively and qualitatively stuttering events frequency, nature, to asses physical concomitants, stuttering severity on the basis of methodological procedures (SSI) directives and reveal the quantitative assessment of potential stuttering evidence. The study was conducted the monitoring method and monitoring data to supplement an interview. The study involved 27 stuttering students who have done the reading and spontaneous images and narrative in accordance with the task. Observation method was used to assess students' characteristics of stuttering and interview method completed a study revealing about students' views of their stuttering, emotional reactions to overcome problems of access. The study found that most typical stuttering students external signs of stuttering: the repetition of sounds and syllables, sound extension, blocks. Might stuttering, increased stuttering events frequency is characterized by more boys than girls. Also, boys reported more significant among the physical concomitants. Stuttering student’s approach to his speech problem, and different emotional experiences of each student's case. Although the observed trend that students tend to negatively... [to full text]

Research report on deformation of annual rings is given in the thesis. Aim of the work - to perform an analysis of deformation of annual rings during obsolescence of tree. Tasks of the work - to perform a comparative analysis using borings made in 2004 and 1985 – 1986. To evaluate statistical reliability of deformation of annual rings. Object of the work - trees of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Methods of the work – methods of verification of statistical hypotheses and analysis of variance were used for data processing. Content of the work – verification of hypothesis that annual rings of pine is shrinking during the obsolescence of trees. Results: - difference of annual rings width is statistically reliable at two point of the interval investigated: nearby bark and in the central part of the stem, at the margin where sapwood is converting to heartwood. The shrinking reaches 0.2 mm within 5 annual rings. The biggest influence on shrinking of annual rings has distance of annual rings from the bark and age of tree.