Thesis (M.S.) in Mechanical Engineering--University of Maine, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-125).

Today, the proliferation of social communication channels and the rapidization of communication cause fast dispersion of information and interpretation of social, cultural and economic developments. Therefore, societies interact with organizations not only through products and services, but also through image, visibility, perceptions, rumors, etc. Organizations have to develop reputation policies / they have to measure, track and manage their reputation. The most important element of an organization&rsquo / s reputation management is the ability to see its current reputation standing and make proper projections. Reputation measurement studies aim to achieve that. However, these studies usually focus on the perceptions and assessments of organizations&rsquo / characteristics and performances. There are social dynamics and social identities, which are constituted independent of what an organization is and does, and they are influential on reputation. Ignoring this would lead to a blurry picture of reputation. Social issues and developments operating independent of the organization, but are related to its products/services, do have impact on people&rsquo / s assessment of reputation. This study focuses on the significance of the social determination of reputation. It claims that socially influential discourses like health, anti-Americanism, environmentalism, along with political or cultural identities, act as a filter for people&rsquo / s evaluations of companies&rsquo / reputations. Individuals, when they give reputation scores to companies, not only consider their characteristics, products or services, their size, internationality, etc. but also evaluate companies&rsquo / identities, their positions with respect to social issues related to their products/services. Individuals also evaluate reputation according to their own habituses, their political and cultural identities.

The diploma thesis deals with the research of CIS sensors, their parameters and market research. It contains a comparison between sensors and line cameras, which are used for similar purposes, therefore in this case for scanning the packaging material. The diploma thesis contains the described construction of the device, including the assembly of components and the design of boards. The work describes in detail the image processing from the CIS sensor and various image preprocessing. There is also described method of defect detection, including their distribution and individual approach to each type of defect. The thesis contains a description of the GUI, including its functions and connection to the application dealing with image processing.

Con el objetivo de invitar a los lectores a visitar destinos como Cusco y Puno, se han escrito textos turísticos en diferentes lenguas y desde diferentes países. Además, la era digital ha hecho de las páginas web, las cuales presentan información sobre los destinos que ofrecen mediante textos y contenido multimedia, uno de los recursos más importantes para difundir actividades como el turismo. En ese sentido, el presente estudio investigará el discurso de páginas web del sector turístico del Perú y de los Estados Unidos sobre espacios naturales de Cusco y Puno, con la finalidad de estudiar textos turísticos del mismo destino en dos lenguas diferentes. Así, el objetivo de la investigación es analizar la construcción de la imagen de los espacios naturales de Cusco y Puno en sitios web peruanos y estadounidenses dirigidos al turismo. La investigación asume que la imagen de los espacios naturales de Cusco y Puno puede variar según quién sea el emisor y en dónde se produzca el texto turístico. Por tanto, se buscará responder a cómo se construye la imagen de los espacios naturales de las regiones mencionadas en páginas web peruanas y estadounidenses mediante un estudio de caso con un enfoque cualitativo. Asimismo, se empleará la técnica del análisis de contenido con fichas de análisis como instrumentos para aplicarlas a la investigación. / Several tourism texts have been written in different languages and from different countries to invite readers to visit destinations such as Cusco and Puno. In addition, the digital era has made websites ―which present information about the destinations they offer through text and multimedia content― one of the most important resources for promoting activities such as tourism. In this regard, this study will investigate the discourse of websites of the tourism sector in Peru and the United States about natural areas of Cusco and Puno, to study tourism texts of the same destination in two different languages. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze the image construction of natural areas of Cusco and Puno in tourism-oriented websites of Peru and the United States. It is assumed that the natural areas image of Cusco and Puno may vary depending on who is the sender and where the tourism text is produced. Therefore, we will seek to answer how the natural areas image of the mentioned regions is constructed in tourism-oriented websites of Peru and the United States through a case study with a qualitative approach. Likewise, we will use the technique of content analysis with analysis sheets applied to the research. / Trabajo de investigación

從選舉研究或是形象研究皆顯示，形象的塑造有助於政治人物從政之路的推動與發展，形象對於選民投票行為有決定性的影響力，在在顯示形象對政治人物的重要性不言可喻。 本研究探討連戰從準備參選2000年總統選舉，至2004年二度參加總統大選期間在《中國時報》、《聯合報》及《自由時報》的形象轉變，藉以探索政治人物形象之形塑與呈現、選舉形塑形象與媒體建構形象之差距、政治人物扭轉媒體形象建構之訊息設計與表現、以及探索政治人物形象轉變之效果。 研究發現：政治人物搶佔媒體重要版面，純新聞形式為訊息傳達利基；政治人物選舉失利亦失去政治舞台，媒體曝光率隨之衰退；政治人物媒體形象不等於選票；連戰在政黨形象上失利；政策政見牛肉可為政治人物形象加分。 觀察政治人物形象轉變的歷程是有價值的，將有助於政治人物與民眾瞭解形象轉變在政治傳播活動中產生的影響力。本研究希望透過個案研究方式，瞭解研究對象在媒體上形象塑造與呈現，以及形象轉變相關問題，嘗試解析政治人物運用形象轉變的傳播效果，增進對於形象領域的理解，建立可供參考的方案。 / It shows from both the research of election or image, image creation can help political figures enter politics. Image is indeed an influential factor of voting behavior. The designers and constructors perceive time as equal and important elements. Therefore, the media (newspaper) has such a big influence on political figures in forming the image of public figures. This study examines the image change of Lien Chan during his campaign for presidency from 2000 to 2004 in China Times, United Daily News and The Liberty Times. In order to understand the construction and the presentation of political figures image, and the gap between construction of election image and media image, the press image change of political figures in message design construct and present changing political figures’ image as well. This research found that the political figures’ media image is a long-lasting process which will affect greatly how the voters perceive the candidates. During the period of elections, such a portrait no doubt will affect the voter’s final choice. To investigate the process of political figures’ image change can make figure change more understandable by both politicians and the public. Through this case study, we can understand some issues about image specifically in the field of image change for political figure thus giving some suggestions.

Title: Forgotten Apocalypse - The Czech Reflection of the Retreat of the German Heeresgruppe Mitte Author: Mgr. Tomáš Jakl Abstract: There are war campaigns that can be described simply, others more difficult to describe, and some cannot be reconstructed by a continuous narrative at all. The events in the Czech Lands in the first two weeks of May 1945 belong to the most difficult to describe. The fact that there was the largest of last German fighting groups of armies is well known. It is also commonly known that it was the Central Army Group commanded by Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner. Significantly less is known that as a result of the outbreak of the Czech Uprising, this group of armies retreated across the rebellious territory to the demarcation line between the US and the Red Army The last desperate illusion of German soldiers was that they would contact the Americans and jointly drive the Russians out of Europe. Allied Commander-in-Chief in the West, General Dwight David Eisenhower, did not intend to do anything after the death of US President Roosevelt, which the Soviet dictator could even interpret as a similar development. Not only did he forbid General Patton from crossing the agreed line in advance with the Soviets, visually accommodating the retreating Germans, but the US troops also released...