<p>The main part of this thesis is concerned with detailed explanation of a newly proposed Markov random field-based de-interlacing algorithm. Previous works, assume a first or higher-order Markovian spatial inter-dependency between the pixel intensity values. In accord with the specific interpolation problem in hand, they try to approximate the Markov random field parameters using available original pixels. Then using the approximate model, they define an objective function such as energy function of the MRF to be optimized. The efficiency and accuracy of the optimization step is as important as the effectiveness of definition of the cost (objective function) as well as the MRF model.\\ \indent The major concept that distinguishes the newly proposed algorithm with the aforementioned MRF-based models is the definition of the MRF not over the intensity domain but over interpolator (interpolation method) domain. Unlike previous MRF-based models which try to estimate a two-dimensional array of pixel values, this new method estimates an MRF of interpolation function (interpolators) associated with the 2-D array of pixel intensity values.\\ \indent With some modifications, one can utilize the proposed model in different related fields such as image and video up-conversion, view interpolation and frame-rate up-conversion. To prove this potential of the proposed MRF-based model, we extend it to an image up-scaling algorithm. This algorithm uses a simplified version of the proposed MRF-based model for the purpose of image up-scaling by a factor of two in each spatial direction. Simulation results prove that the proposed model obtains competing performance results when applied in the two interpolation problems of video de-interlacing and image up-scaling.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>Research on backward response compatibility effects (Task 2-to-Task 1 response priming) in the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) paradigm has suggested that compatibility effects arise from episodic representations of Stimulus-Response (S-R) pairings (Hommel & Eglau, 2002). However, more recent work suggests that these effects are mediated by S-R rules held online in working memory during dual task performance (Ellenbogen & Meiran, 2008). We sought to dissociate these accounts. In Experiment 1, we observed the development of backward response compatibility effects over time in a common PRP task, following varying degrees of prior single task practice of the PRP component tasks. In Experiment 2, we trained participants on a PRP dual task, and then switched Task 2 to one of three different tasks with variable response mapping overlap with the original Task 2, before finally reverting back to the original PRP tasks. Backward response compatibility effects appeared initially, were abolished during the subsequent interference phase, and then reappeared with the original PRP task. Despite equivalent overall performance across conditions suggesting successful task rule instantiation in working memory to guide task performance, backward response compatibility effects were selectively absent in conditions where current S-R rules were mapped in conflict with prior S-R experiences within the experiment. Both experiments provide evidence in favour of an episodic account of backward response compatibility effects, in which prior learning influences subsequent performance in contextually relevant situations. Implications for the understanding of backward response compatibility mechanisms and parallel processing in the PRP paradigm are discussed.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Le travail de thèse est composé de trois thèmes principaux : le premier étudie l'existence et l'unicité pour des équations différentielles stochastiques (EDS) progressives-rétrogrades fortement couplées avec des opérateurs sous-différentiels dans les deux équations, dans l’équation progressive ainsi que l’équation rétrograde, et il discute également un nouveau type des inégalités variationnelles partielles paraboliques associées, avec deux opérateurs sous-différentiels, l’un agissant sur le domaine de l’état, l’autre sur le co-domaine. Le second thème est celui des EDS rétrogrades sans ainsi qu’avec opérateurs sous-différentiels, régies par un mouvement brownien fractionnaire avec paramètre de Hurst H> ½. Il étend de manière rigoureuse les résultats de Hu et Peng (SICON, 2009) aux inégalités variationnelles stochastiques rétrogrades. Enfin, le troisième thème met l’accent sur la caractérisation déterministe de la viabilité pour les EDS régies par un mouvement brownien fractionnaire. Ces trois thèmes de recherche mentionnés ci-dessus ont en commun d’étudier des EDS avec contraintes sur le processus d’état. Chacun des trois sujets est basé sur une publication et des manuscrits soumis pour publication, respectivement. / This PhD thesis is composed of three main topics: The first one studies the existence and the uniqueness for fully coupled forward-backward stochastic differential equations (SDEs) with subdifferential operators in both the forward and the backward equations, and it discusses also a new type of associated parabolic partial variational inequalities with two subdifferential operators, one acting over the state domain and the other over the co-domain. The second topic concerns the investigation of backward SDEs without as well as with subdifferential operator, both driven by a fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter H> 1/2. It extends in a rigorous manner the results of Hu and Peng (SICON, 2009) to backward stochastic variational inequalities. Finally, the third topic focuses on a deterministic characterisation of the viability for SDEs driven by a fractional Brownian motion. The three research topics mentioned above have in common to study SDEs with state constraints. The discussion of each of the three topics is based on a publication and on submitted manuscripts, respectively.

Cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude de quelques problèmes dans le domaine des équations différentielles stochastiques rétrogrades (EDSR), et leurs applications aux équations aux dérivées partielles.Dans le premier chapitre, nous introduisons la notion d'équation différentielle doublement stochastique rétrograde (EDDSR) avec condition terminale singulière. Nous étudions d’abord les EDDSR avec générateur monotone, et obtenons ensuite un résultat d'existence par un schéma d'approximation. Une dernière section établit le lien avec les équations aux dérivées partielles stochastiques, via l'approche solution faible développée par Bally, Matoussi en 2001.Le deuxième chapitre est consacré aux EDSR avec condition terminale singulière et sauts. Comme dans le chapitre précédent la partie délicate sera de prouver la continuité en T. Nous formulons des conditions suffisantes sur les sauts afin d'obtenir cette dernière. Une section établit ensuite le lien entre solution minimale de l'EDSR et équations intégro-différentielles. Enfin le dernier chapitre est dédié aux équations différentielles stochastiques rétrogrades du second ordre (2EDSR) doublement réfléchies. Nous avons établi l'existence et l'unicité de telles équations. Ainsi, il nous a fallu dans un premier temps nous concentrer sur le problème de réflexion par barrière supérieure des 2EDSR. Nous avons ensuite combiné ces résultats à ceux existants afin de donner un cadre correct aux 2EDSRDR. L'unicité est conséquence d'une propriété de représentation et l'existence est obtenue en utilisant les espaces shiftés, et les distributions de probabilité conditionnelles régulières. Enfin une application aux jeux de Dynkin et aux options Israëliennes est traitée dans la dernière section. / This thesis is devoted to the study of some problems in the field of backward stochastic differential equations (BSDE), and their applications to partial differential equations.In the first chapter, we introduce the notion of backward doubly stochastic differential equations (BDSDE) with singular terminal condition. A first work consists to study the case of BDSDE with monotone generator. We then obtain existing result by an approximating scheme built considering a truncation of the terminal condition. The last part of this chapter aim to establish the link with stochastic partial differential equations, using a weak solution approach developed by Bally, Matoussi in 2001.The second chapter is devoted to the BSDEs with singular terminal conditions and jumps. As in the previous chapter the tricky part will be to prove continuity in T. We formulate sufficient conditions on the jumps in order to obtain it. A section is then dedicated to establish a link between a minimal solution of our BSDE and partial integro-differential equations.The last chapter is dedicated to doubly reflected second order backward stochastic differential equations (2DRBSDE). We have been looking to establish existence and uniqueness for such equations. In order to obtain this, we had to focus first on the upper reflection problem for 2BSDEs. We combined then these results to those already existing to give a well-posedness context to 2DRBSDE. Uniqueness is established as a straight consequence of a representation property. Existence is obtained using shifted spaces, and regular conditional probability distributions. A last part is then consecrated to the link with some Dynkin games and Israeli options.

Mathematical models are important tools in systems biology, since the regulatory networks in biological cells are too complicated to understand by biological experiments alone. Analytical solutions can be derived only for the simplest models and numerical simulations are necessary in most cases to evaluate the models and their properties and to compare them with measured data. This thesis focuses on the mesoscopic simulation level, which captures both, space dependent behavior by diffusion and the inherent stochasticity of cellular systems. Space is partitioned into compartments by a mesh and the number of molecules of each species in each compartment gives the state of the system. We first examine how to compute the jump coefficients for a discrete stochastic jump process on unstructured meshes from a first exit time approach guaranteeing the correct speed of diffusion. Furthermore, we analyze different methods leading to non-negative coefficients by backward analysis and derive a new method, minimizing both the error in the diffusion coefficient and in the particle distribution. The second part of this thesis investigates macromolecular crowding effects. A high percentage of the cytosol and membranes of cells are occupied by molecules. This impedes the diffusive motion and also affects the reaction rates. Most algorithms for cell simulations are either derived for a dilute medium or become computationally very expensive when applied to a crowded environment. Therefore, we develop a multiscale approach, which takes the microscopic positions of the molecules into account, while still allowing for efficient stochastic simulations on the mesoscopic level. Finally, we compare on- and off-lattice models on the microscopic level when applied to a crowded environment.

The existence of pathwise stationary solutions of this stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE, for abbreviation) is demonstrated. In Part II, a connection between certain kind of state constrained controlled Forward-Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (FBSDEs) and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations (HJB equations) are demonstrated. The special case provides a probabilistic representation of some geometric flows, including the mean curvature flows. Part II includes also a probabilistic proof of the finite time existence of the mean curvature flows.

This thesis firstly presents a nonlinear extended deterministic Susceptible-Infected (SI) model for assessing the impact of public health education campaign on curtailing the spread of the HIV pandemic in a population. Rigorous qualitative analysis of the model reveals that, in contrast to the model without education, the full model with education exhibits the phenomenon of backward bifurcation (BB), where a stable disease-free equilibrium coexists with a stable endemic equilibrium when a certain threshold quantity, known as the effective reproduction number (Reff ), is less than unity. Furthermore, an explicit threshold value is derived above which such an education campaign could lead to detrimental outcome (increase disease burden), and below which it would have positive population-level impact (reduce disease burden in the community). It is shown that the BB phenomenon is caused by imperfect efficacy of the public health education program. The model is used to assess the potential impact of some targeted public health education campaigns using data from numerous countries. The second problem considered is a Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) model with two types of nonlinear treatment rates: (i) piecewise linear treatment rate with saturation effect, (ii) piecewise constant treatment rate with a jump (Heaviside function). For Case (i), we construct travelling front solutions whose profiles are heteroclinic orbits which connect either the disease-free state to an infected state or two endemic states with each other. For Case (ii), it is shown that the profile has the following properties: the number of susceptible individuals is monotone increasing and the number of infectives approaches zero, while their product converges to a constant. Numerical simulations are shown which confirm these analytical results. Abnormal behavior like travelling waves with non-monotone profile or oscillations are observed.

This thesis is concerned with the mathematical analysis of electricity and carbon emission markets. We introduce a novel, versatile and tractable stochastic framework for the joint price formation of electricity spot prices and allowance certificates. In the proposed framework electricity and allowance prices are explained as functions of specific fundamental factors, such as the demand for electricity and the prices of the fuels used for its production. As a result, the proposed model very clearly captures the complex dependency of the modelled prices on the aforementioned fundamental factors. The allowance price is obtained as the solution to a coupled forward-backward stochastic differential equation. We provide a rigorous proof of the existence and uniqueness of a solution to this equation and analyse its behaviour using asymptotic techniques. The essence of the model for the electricity price is a carefully chosen and explicitly constructed function representing the supply curve in the electricity market. The model we propose accommodates most regulatory features that are commonly found in implementations of emissions trading systems and we analyse in detail the impact these features have on the prices of allowance certificates. Thereby we reveal a weakness in existing regulatory frameworks, which, in rare cases, can lead to allowance prices that do not conform with the conditions imposed by the regulator. We illustrate the applicability of our model to the pricing of derivative contracts, in particular clean spread options and numerically illustrate its ability to "see" relationships between the fundamental variables and the option contract, which are usually unobserved by other commonly used models in the literature. The results we obtain constitute flexible tools that help to efficiently evaluate the financial impact current or future implementations of emissions trading systems have on participants in these markets.

Title: The evaluation of occurrence and quality of the most widely used swimming technique used by the public in Prague. Objectives: The aim of the thesis is to find out in selected Prague pools, which swimming technique is the most widely accepted by public. Identify and compare the specific technical deficiencies in the performance of the swimming techniques with respect to age and sex. Methods: Direct observation was used as the research method. The results of the observation were recorded in the pre-built tables. The recorded data was processed with statistical methods and subsequently were compared, evaluated and graphically represented. Results: It was found that the most used swimming technique by public in selected Pragues pools is Breaststroke. Swimming public often used just one of the techniques - breast, for swimming locomotion. In excess of half the pool visitors had deficiencies in their breaststroke technique. This was more pronounced in older people than younger people. There was also differences between male and female with the women adopting the incorrect action of tilting their head backwards. Keywords: swimming public, breaststroke technique, blunder, asymmetric movement of the legs, head bent backward

Title: Breaststroke style technique by public swimming in the Czech Republic and the USA Objectives: The aim of the thesis is to identify and compare the selected regions in the country and abroad, which is the most used swimming technique by public swimmers. Identify specific technical deficiencies of the breaststroke style performance, according to age and gender. Methods: Research methods used: direct observation, scaling-tabular record, comparison of data from different regions and selected groups of probands and methods of mathematical - statistical data processing. The data were analyzed and graphically illustrated. Results: It was found that the breaststroke is the most used technique by public swimmers in selected regions in the Czech Republic. The most used technique in the USA is the one similar to crawl. Breaststroke swimmers from the USA committed less blunders than breaststroke swimmers in the Czech Republic. More than a half of visitors to Czech pools swim breaststroke with blunders. Swimmers in the Czech Republic very often use only one technique for swimming locomotion - breaststroke. The elderly were observed more errors in the breaststroke technique, than generation of younger swimmers. Difference was observed between swimming technique of men and women - women often swim with...