Video transmission over noisy wireless channels leads to errors on video, which degrades the visual quality notably and makes error concealment an indispensable job. In the literature, there are several error concealment techniques based on estimating the lost parts of the video from the available data. Utilization of data hiding for this problem, which seems to be an alternative of predicting the lost data, provides a reserve information about the video to the receiver while unchanging the transmitted bit-stream syntax / hence, improves the reconstruction video quality without significant extra channel utilization. A complete error resilient video transmission codec is proposed, utilizing imperceptible embedded information for combined detecting, resynchronization and reconstruction of the errors and lost data. The data, which is imperceptibly embedded into the video itself at the encoder, is extracted from the video at the decoder side to be utilized in error concealment. A spatial domain error recovery technique, which hides edge orientation information of a block, and a resynchronization technique, which embeds bit length of a block into other blocks are combined, as well as some parity information about the hidden data, to conceal channel errors on intra-coded frames of a video sequence. The errors on inter-coded frames are basically recovered by hiding motion vector information along with a checksum into the next frames. The simulation results show that the proposed approach performs superior to conventional approaches for concealing the errors in binary symmetric channels, especially for higher bit rates and error rates.

Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is well-known that there is an important relationship between language and schizophrenia, given that many of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia are language related (Cutting 1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Furthermore, research has shown that certain schizophrenic bilinguals exhibit different symptoms in their first language (L1) than in their second language (L2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev 2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). This thesis investigates the L2 use of schizophrenic bilinguals to determine whether there are significant differences between the types and frequency of errors made in spontaneous L2 use by schizophrenic versus normal (i.e. non-schizophrenic) bilinguals. Four schizophrenic bilinguals and four normal bilinguals (the control group) participated in this study. The controls were matched to the schizophrenics in terms of age, gender, level of education, L1 (Afrikaans) and L2 (English). Informal, thirty minute interviews were conducted with each of the eight participants, recorded on video (for the schizophrenics) or audio tape (for the controls) and carefully transcribed. Each participant's speech sample was then analyzed grammatically by means of Morice & Ingram's (1982) assessment tool. This analysis involved determining the complexity of utterances (with reference to mean length of utterance, lexical density, and number of sentence-initial and sentence-medial conjunctions) and identifying phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic errors. In this way a language profile was created for each participant and the differences between the two groups (schizophrenics and controls) were tested for statistical significance. On the basis of the results of these statistical tests, it is argued that the locus of differences between schizophrenic and normal L2 use is semantics, rather than any of the other aspects of grammar. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the main findings of the study, some criticisms of the assessment tool and suggestions for future research in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsing dui op 'n belangrike verhouding tussen taal en skisofrenie, aangesien baie van die primêre simptome van skisofrenie taalverwant is (Cutting 1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Verder dui navorsing ook daarop dat sekere skisofreniese tweetaliges verskillende simptome toon in hul eerstetaal (T1) as in hul tweedetaal (T2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev 2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). Hierdie tesis ondersoek die T2 gebruik van skisofreniese tweetaliges om vas te stel of daar beduidende verskille tussen die tipe en die gereeldheid van die foute is wat in spontane T2 gebruik deur skisofreniese teenoor normale (d.w.s nie-skisofreniese) tweetaliges gemaak word. Vier skisofreniese tweetaliges en vier normale tweetaliges (die kontrolegroep) het deelgeneem aan hierdie studie. Die skisofreniese groep en die kontrolegroep is eenders in terme van ouderdom, geslag, vlak van skoolopleiding, T1 (Afrikaans) en T2 (Engels). Informele dertig-minuut lange onderhoude is gevoer met elk van die agt deelnemers, opgeneem op video (vir die skisofrene) en op band (vir die kontrolegroep) en noukeurig getranskribeer. Elke deelnemer se spraakdata is hierna grammatikaal geanaliseer deur middel van Morice & Ingram se (1982) assesseringsinstrument. Hierdie analise het die volgende ingehou: die vasstel van die kompleksiteit van uitinge (met betrekking tot gemiddelde uitingslengte, leksikale digtheid, en die getal van sinsinisiële en sinsinterne voegwoorde) en die identifisering van fonologiese, morfologiese, leksikale, sintaktiese en semantiese foute. Op hierdie wyse is 'n taalprofiel vir elke deelnemer opgestel en die verskille tussen die twee groepe (skisofreniese- en kontrolegroep) is getoets vir statistiese beduidendheid. Op grond van die resultate van hierdie statistiese toetse word daar geargumenteer dat semantiek, eerder as enige van die ander aspekte van grammatika, die lokus van die belangrikste verskil tussen skisofreniese en normale T2 gebruik is. Die tesis sluit af met 'n bespreking van die belangrikste bevindinge van die studie, enkele kritiese opmerkings oor die assesseringsinstrument, asook voorstelle vir verdere navorsing in hierdie veld.

In modern manufacturing, industrial robots are essential components that allow saving cost, increase quality and productivity for instance. To achieve such goals, high accuracy and speed are simultaneously required. The design of control laws compliant with such requirements demands high-fidelity mathematical models of those robots. For this purpose, dynamic models are built from experimental data. The main objective of this thesis is thus to provide robotic engineers with automatic tools for identifying dynamic models of industrial robot arms. To achieve this aim, a comparative analysis of the existing methods dealing with robot identification is made. That allows discerning the advantages and the limitations of each method. From those observations, contributions are presented on three axes. First, the study focuses on the estimation of the joint velocities and accelerations from the measured position, which is required for the model construction. The usual method is based on a home-made prefiltering process that needs a reliable knowledge of the system’s bandwidths, whereas the system is still unknown. To overcome this dilemma, we propose a method able to estimate the joint derivatives automatically, without any setting from the user. The second axis is dedicated to the identification of the controller. For the vast majority of the method its knowledge is indeed required. Unfortunately, for copyright reasons, that is not always available to the user. To deal with this issue, two methods are suggested. Their basic philosophy is to identify the control law in a first step before identifying the dynamic model of the robot in a second one. The first method consists in identifying the control law in a parametric way, whereas the second one relies on a non-parametric identification. Finally, the third axis deals with the home-made setting of the decimate filter. The identification of the noise filter is introduced similarly to methods developed in the system identification community. This allows estimating automatically the dynamic parameters with low covariance and it brings some information about the noise circulation through the closed-loop system. All the proposed methodologies are validated on an industrial robot with 6 degrees of freedom. Perspectives are outlined for future developments on robotic systems identification and other complex problems.

Fault tolerant quantum error correction is a procedure which satisfies the feature that if one of the gates in the procedure has failed then the failure causes at most one error in the output qubits of the encoded block. Quantum computer is based on the idea of two quantum state systems (Qubits). However, the majority of systems are constructed from higher than two- level subspace. Bad control and environmental interactions in these systems lead to leakage fault. Leakage errors are errors that couple the states inside a code subspace to the states outside a code subspace. One example for leakage fault is loss errors. Since the fault tolerant procedure may be unable to recognize the leakage fault because it was designed to deal with Pauli errors. In that case a single leakage fault might disrupt the fault tolerant technique. In this thesis we investigate the effect of ancilla losses on fault-tolerant quantum error correction in the [[7,1,3]] Steane code. We proved that both Shor and Steane methods are still fault tolerant if loss errors occur.

Cultural diversity is one of the biggest challenges that contemporary Law is facing. From this state of things, the penal regulation takes particular relevance, due to its burdensome towards who has committed a crime. A question arises about if it is possible to condemn someone due to the valoration that a different culture made about a specific behavior.In the present versus, there is a discussion about how to understand article 15 of the peruvian Criminal Code, and if the option chosen by the national system of justice is suitable to face the aforementioned problem. / La diversidad cultural es uno de los mayores desafíos que el Derecho contemporáneo afronta. Desde este estado de cosas, cobra particular relevancia laregulación penal, al ser la más gravosa para quien comete un delito. Surge la pregunta sobre si es posible condenar a alguien por la valoración que hizo una cultura que no es la propia de una conducta.En el presente versus, se discute acerca de cómo entender el artículo 15 del Código Penal, y si la opción que ha adoptado el ordenamiento nacional es idónea para abordar el problema mencionado.

Over 13-weeks a control group (n=7) had all errors corrected, while an experimental group (n=9) had only article and sentence construction (run-on sentences, fragments, comma splices) errors corrected. Separating the two types of errors is essential, since the latter (representing grammar) are subject to theories of acquisition and the former (representing usage) are not. One-way analyses of variance ran on pretest versus posttest found no significant difference in either groups' article errors; however, the experimental group had significantly fewer sentence construction errors, implying that teachers should be sensitive to both the correction technique and error type; researchers should not combine the two error types in gathering data.

An increased mortgage cap was introduced in 2010, and as of May 1st 2016 an amortization requirement was introduced in an attempt to slow down house price development in Sweden. Fluctuations in the house prices can significantly influence macroeconomic stability, and with house prices in Stockholm rising even more rapidly than Sweden as a whole makes the understanding of Stockholm’s dynamics very important, especially for policy implications. Stockholm house prices between the first quarter of 1996 and the fourth quarter of 2015 is therefore investigated using a Vector Error Correction framework. This approach allows a separation between the long run equilibrium price and short run dynamics. Decreases in the real mortgage rate and increased real financial wealth seem to be most important in explaining rising house prices. Increased real construction costs and increased real disposable income also seem to have an effect. The estimated models suggest that around 40-50 percent, on average, of a short-term deviation from the long-run equilibrium price is closed within a year. As of the last quarter 2015, real house prices are significantly higher compared to the long run equilibrium price modeled. The deviation is found to be around 6-7 percent.

This thesis investigates errors on speech sounds (or phonemes) produced in laboratory speech stimuli designed to generate phonological onset errors. The present study adds to the literature on phonological speech errors with an instrumental analysis of tongue posture during speech error production and an investigation of the nature of speech errors as unintended variation in articulation. This study utilized ultrasound instrumentation to visualize speech errors made on velar and alveolar stop consonants at the point of stop closure. Two types of errors were of interest, categorical errors and gradient errors. Categorical errors are those that are heard by the listener and instrumentally appear to be a correct production of an incorrect target. Gradient errors are those that are usually heard to be the correct target, but on instrumental examination display characteristics of an incorrect production. Six participants repeated eight tongue twisters in both a baseline and an experimental condition. This study was interested in errors produced on the onset stop consonant pairs /t, d/ and /k, g/. Recordings were transcribed to determine the perceptual identity of each target. Ultrasound videos were then analyzed and an individual frame representing the articulatory posture for each closure was extracted. These frames were fit with a smoothing spline curve using Edgetrak software. A curve-to-curve analysis based on the methods of Zharkova (2009) was conducted as a means of further investigating variation in individual speakers as well as providing a quantitative measure of errors. Results from the six speakers showed that all produced both categorical and gradient errors. The speakers showed individual variation in the stability of their productions and overall rate of errors. There was an observable trend for speakers who were more stable in their baseline productions to produce fewer errors, both gradient and categorical, in the experimental portion. Conversely, those speakers who exhibited more variation in their baseline productions had a higher rate of error under the experimental condition.

The present paper proposes a critical revision of the massive truth notion, in the context of Donald Davidson’s criticism to skepticism. It´s distinguished in Davidson’s work a cuantitative sense and a cualitative sense of the massive truth, asserting that the first one has been more frequently used and has had just an intuitive level of elucidation. The main problems associated to the cuantitative notion of massive truth are revised in relation to the quantification of beliefs, the detection of error on a background of truth and the application of the Davidsonian methodology to non perceptual beliefs. Over this revision it is proposed the substitution of the cuantitative notion of massive truth for a cualitative notion, and are analized its advantages over eventual skeptical objections. / El presente trabajo propone una revisión crítica de la noción de verdad masiva, en el contexto de la crítica de Donald Davidson al escepticismo. Se distingue en la obra de Davidson un sentido cuantitativo y uno cualitativo de verdad masiva, afirmando que el primero ha sido de uso más frecuente y ha contado con un nivel de elucidación solamente intuitivo. Se revisan los principales problemas asociados a la noción cuantitativa de verdad masiva, en relación con la cuantificación de las creencias, la detección del error sobre un trasfondo de verdad y la aplicación de la metodología davidsoniana a creencias no perceptuales. Sobre esta revisión se propone la sustitución de la noción cuantitativa de verdad masiva por una noción cualitativa, y se analizan sus ventajas frentea eventuales objeciones escépticas.

Cette thèse, qui s'inscrit dans la tradition méthodologique de l'épistémologie historique, porte sur l'histoire et la formation du concept de biais dans l'épidémiologie moderne. Elle montre que la fonction opératoire du concept de biais est essentiellement critique, au sens où ce concept, que les épidémiologistes opposent au cours de l'histoire aux concepts d'objectivité, de preuve et de causalité, joue un rôle décisif dans la constitution de l'épidémiologie comme science, mais aussi dans l'avènement d'une médecine scientifique. Un éclairage historique et critique est apporté à la définition actuelle du biais, conçu comme une erreur ou un écart systématique par rapport à la vérité, ainsi qu'aux différentes taxinomies des biais qui jalonnent l'histoire de ce concept, dont l'origine se situe chez les fondateurs de la statistique mathématique. Le biais apparait ainsi comme une menace aussi bien à la validité du plan d'expérience d'une étude épidémiologique qu'à la validité de l'inférence statistique et du raisonnement médical. En d'autres termes, ce sont les conséquences que la révolution probabiliste a eues sur l'épidémiologie et sur la médecine qui sont ici étudiées, et qui ont conduit les épidémiologistes et les médecins à une forme de scepticisme et même de criticisme envers leurs propres inférences, ce qui donnera naissance au mouvement de la médecine fondée sur des preuves. / This PhD thesis, belonging to the tradition of historical epistemology, deals with the history and the formation of the concept of bias in epidemiology. It shows that the operational function of the concept of bias is essentially critical, in the sense that this concept, used by epidemiologists throughout history as an antonym to both objectivity, causality and evidence, is central to both the construction of epidemiology as a scientific discipline and the advent of scientific medicine. An historical and critical account is given of the actual definition of bias, conceived as a systematic error or deviation from the truth, and to the various taxonomies of bias which marked the history of this concept, whose origin goes back to the founders of mathematical statistics. Bias thus appears as a threat to the validity of the design of an epidemiological study, and to the validity of statistical inference and medical reasoning. In other words, what is studied here is the consequences of the probabilistic revolution on both epidemiology and medicine, which led epidemiologists and physicians to a kind of scepticism or even criticism about their own inferences, which would ultimately give birth to the evidence-based medicine's movement.