The problem of epipolar geometry estimation together with correspondence establishment in case of wide baseline and large scale changes and rotation has been addressed in this work. This work deals with cases that are heavily noised by outliers. The jump diffusion MCMC method has been employed to search for the non-degenerate epipolar geometry with the highest probabilistic support of putative correspondences. At the same time, inliers in the putative set are also identified. The jump steps involve large movements guided by a distribution of similarity based priors while diffusion steps are small movements guided by a distribution of likelihoods given by the Joint Feature Distribution (JFD). The 'best so far' samples are accepted in accordance to Metropolis-Hastings method. The diffusion steps are carried out by sampling conditioned on the 'best so far', making it local to the 'best so far' sample, while jump steps remain unconditioned and span across the correspondence and motion space according to a similarity based proposal distribution making large movements. We advance the theory in three novel ways. First, a similarity based prior proposal distribution which guide jump steps. Second, JFD based likelihoods which guide diffusion steps allowing more focused correspondence establishment while searching for epipolar geometry. Third, a measure of degeneracy that allows to rule out degenerate configurations. The jump diffusion framework thus defined allows handling over 90% outliers even in cases where the number of inliers is very few. Practically, the advancement lies in higher precision and accuracy that has been detailed in this work by comparisons. In this work, BLOGS is compared with LO-RANSAC, NAPSAC, MAPSAC and BEEM algorithm, which are the current state of the art competing methods, on a dataset that has significantly more change in baseline, rotation, and scale than those used in the state of the art. Performance of these algorithms and BLOGS are quantitatively benchmark for a comparison by estimating the error in the epipolar geometry given by root mean Sampson's distance from manually specified corresponding point pairs which serve as a ground truth. Not just is BLOGS able to tolerate very high outlier rates, but also gives result of similar quality in 10 times lesser number of iterations than the most competitive among the compared algorithms.

In this paper, we consider as an inverse problem the simultaneous estimation of the five parameters of a jump diffusion process from return observations of a price trajectory. We show that there occur some ill-posedness phenomena in the parameter estimation problem, because the forward operator fails to be injective and small perturbations in the data may lead to large changes in the solution. We illustrate the instability effect by a numerical case study. To overcome the difficulty coming from ill-posedness we use a multi-parameter regularization approach that finds a trade-off between a least-squares approach based on empircal densities and a fitting of semi-invariants. In this context, a fixed point iteration is proposed that provides good results for the example under consideration in the case study.

Die Dissertation widmet sich dem inversen Problem der Bestimmung der fünf Parameter eines Jump-Diffusions-Prozesses aus einer Preistrajektorie. Numerische Rechnungen zu statistischen Standardverfahren haben gezeigt, dass Stabilitätsprobleme insbesondere dann auftreten, wenn die Parameter aus einer relativ kleinen Zahl beobachteter Assetpreise bestimmt werden. Daher untersuchen wir das Problem der Parameterschätzung in dieser Arbeit unter Einbeziehung von Methoden aus der Theorie inverser Probleme, da deren zentrales Anliegen die Analyse und Regularisierung inkorrekter und instabiler inverser Aufgaben ist. In dieser Arbeit werden Phänomene der Instabilität der Parameterbestimmung herausgearbeitet und analysiert. Hierfür leiten wir eine entsprechende nichtlineare Operatorgleichung her, die den Zusammenhang zwischen einer von den Parametern abhängigen Trajektorie des Jump-Diffusions-Prozesses und der Dichtefunktion der Returns beschreibt. Diese Operatorgleichung untersuchen wir bezüglich ihrer Korrektheit. Wir zeigen anhand einer Fallstudie mit simulierten Daten, dass bei der numerischen Lösung Inkorrektheitsphänomene auftreten, sobald die Daten mit kleinen Datenfehlern behaftet sind. Um diese Stabilitätsprobleme zu überwinden, diskutieren wir einen Multiparameter-Regularisierungszugang, bei dem zusätzlich zur Least-Squares Anpassung der empirischen Dichtefunktion die Semiinvarianten berücksichtigt werden. / This thesis deals with the inverse problem of estimating simultaneously the five parameters of a jump diffusion process based on return observations of a price trajectory. It is well known that there occur instability effects using conventional statistical methods, particularly if only a small number of data are available. Therefore we apply the theory of inverse problems for parameter estimation. We analyse the forward operator mapping the parameters to the density function of the returns with respect to well-posedness and ill-posedness of the problem. We show that there occur some ill-posedness phenomena in the parameter estimation problem in case of noisy data and illustrate the instability effect by a numerical case study. To obtain stable approximate solutions of the estimation problem, we use a multi-parameter regularization approach, where a least-squares fitting of empirical densities is superposed by a quadratic penalty term of fitted semi-invariants with weights.

The countermovement jump (CMJ) is a reliable and noninvasive test of lower-body neuromuscular performance. Many of the investigations used to establish the reliability of CMJ have been conducted in a controlled environment (i.e., laboratory setting). To better inform coaches, reliability of key CMJ variables should be examined in a practical environment. This study assessed intrasession and intersession reliability of CMJ variables in NCAA D-I volleyball athletes. Eleven female volleyball players (age = 19.8 ± 0.8 years, height = 1.75 ± 0.07 m, body mass = 71.6 ± 8.9 kg) performed twice weekly CMJ testing on force platforms across 14 weeks of training. Dependent variables were CMJ height (CMJH), reactive strength index modified (RSIMOD), relative peak power (rPP), and countermovement depth (CM depth). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), coefficient of variation (CV), and typical error (TE) were calculated, along with Pearson correlation coefficients. Intrasession reliability revealed excellent reliability values for CMJH (ICC = 0.94, CV = 2.9 ± 2.4%, TE = 1.25) and RSIMOD (ICC = 0.93, CV = 4.7 ± 4.9, TE = 0.03). Good reliability values were observed for rPP (ICC = 0.79, CV = 6.1 ± 10.9%, TE = 4.48), with only moderate reliability for CM depth (ICC = 0.61, CV = 7.1 ± 10.9%, TE = 16.9). Intersession reliability indicated excellent reliability for CMJH (ICC = 0.92, CV = 3.2 ± 2.8%, TE = 1.4) and RSIMOD (ICC = 0.92, CV = 5.4 ± 4.3%, TE = 0.03). However, poor reliability was observed for rPP (ICC = 0.41, CV = 10.4 ± 15.4%, TE = 7.95) and CM depth (ICC = 0.39, CV = 7.7 ± 10.8%, TE = 6.42). These results suggest that in the context of weekly athlete monitoring, measures such as CMJH and RSIMOD exhibit the greatest reliability. Conversely, measures such as CM depth and rPP exhibit high levels of variability. Practitioners seeking to track jump performance over time should be cognizant of CM depth variability and its potential impact on CMJ variables.

Introduction: Caffeine has long been used to enhance athletic performance. The research regarding caffeine’s effects on strength and power performance is lacking, especially in female athletes. Purpose: To analyze the acute effects of caffeine on jumping performance and maximal strength in female collegiate athletes. Methods: Eight female collegiate athletes performed two testing sessions separated by one week. Using a double-blind approach, athletes randomly received 6 mg/kg of body mass of caffeine (CAF) or a placebo (PLA). Following 60min of quiet sitting and a standardized warm-up, athletes were tested on measures of squat jump height (SJH) and peak power (SJPP), countermovement jump height (CMJH) and peak power (CMJPP), and isometric mid-thigh pull peak force (IPF) and rate of force development (RFD) on force platforms. Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and tympanic temperature were measured at three time points across the testing session. A paired samples t-test with Hedge’s g effect size was used to compare performance results between conditions. A 2 x 3 (condition x time) repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze changes in physiological measures between and within conditions. Alpha level for all analyses was set at pResults: There were small to moderate differences in SJH (p=0.08, g=0.26), SJPP (p=0.03, g=0.63), CMJH (p=0.004, g=0.27), CMJPP (p=0.18, g=0.20), IPF (p=0.08, g=0.25), and RFD (p=0.22, g=0.40) in favor of caffeine over placebo. Physiological measurements increased similarly across time for both conditions with the exception of SBP, which was greater following caffeine 3 administration compared to placebo (p=0.02). Conclusions: Caffeine ingestion produced small to moderate improvements in jumping performance; however, caffeine failed to significantly affect maximal strength when compared with the placebo. Nonetheless, there was a small increase in IPF and RFD compared to placebo. Therefore, caffeine appears to be an effective ergogenic aid when used to enhance jumping performance and possibly maximal strength in female collegiate athletes.

This study aimed to investigate the response of trained intercollegiate and national level female athletes to twelve week depth-jump (DJ) training performed twice weekly with forty repetitions of DJs performed each training session. Results of statistical analysis revealed that only the .3 and .5 meter experimental group improved significantly on VJ ability. However, there was no significant increase in LS for either experimental group compared to the control group. It was concluded that DJ training from .3 and .5 meter heights is more optimal for increasing VJ ability of trained female athletes compared to the 0.75 and 1.1 meter heights as recommended by Verhoshanski for trained male athletes. It was also concluded that DJ training has the the ultimate purpose of developing explosive leg power not leg strength.

Förmågan att generera kraft kan korrelera med individens prestationsförmåga i idrotter, sprint- och hoppträning kan gynna prestationsförmågan inom vissa idrotter. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka huruvida det fanns korrelation mellan prestation i 5RM knäböj med skivstång och enbenslängdhopp. Vidare undersöktes även hur 5RM relaterat till kroppsvikt påverkade hopplängd, skillnader mellan män och kvinnor och skillnad i hopplängd mellan dominant och ickedominant ben. Totalt 37 motionärer rekryterades, 15 kvinnor och 22 män (35 ± 11 år), alla var erfarna av knäböj med skivstång. Deltagarna fick efter uppvärmning utföra en maxprestation i horisontella enbenshopp, vila 8 minuter och hitta sitt 5 RM i knäböj. Resultatet visade på svag positiv, statistiskt signifikant korrelation mellan hopplängd och muskelstyrka mätt i 5 RM knäböj (r= 0,4 p<0,05), samt svag icke signifikant korrelation (r= 0,21, p>0,05) då hänsyn till kroppsvikt togs.  Män hoppade 310,2 ± 39,6 cm vilket var signifikant (p<0,05) längre än kvinnor som hoppade 266,3 ± 47,3 cm, mellan dominant och ickedominant ben visades ingen signifikant skillnad i hopplängd. Resultaten visade på ett signifikant svagt samband mellan 5 RM knäböjtest och enbenstest för hoppförmåga. Resultaten kan tolkas som att testen mäter olika fysiska förmågor dock har muskelstyrkan betydande inverkan på hoppförmågan. / The performance in sports may be determined by the ability to generate power. Sprinting and jumping in training can be beneficial to the athletes´ ability to perform explosive type of sports. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between single leg hop for distance and a) back squat strength, 5 Repetition Maximum and b) back squat 5 Repetition Maximum correlated to body weight. A secondary aim was to examine the hop performance of dominant and non-dominant leg between males and females. 37 recreational individuals participated in the study, 15 women and 22 men (35 ±11years), all subjects were used to squatting. After warm up, the subjects were told to make a single leg hop for max distance, (3 tries) rest 8 minutes before squatting up to a 5 RM back squat.  The results showed that there was a positive correlation between total jump length (right + left leg) and 5 RM max weight (r= 0,4 p<0,05) and a significant difference in total jump length between males and females (p<0,05) but no difference in jump length between dominant and non-dominant leg between the subjects. Participants´ familiarity of jumping activities may have influence the outcome of this study.

This paper familiarizes the reader with contingent convertibles and their role in the current financial landscape. A contingent convertible is a security behaving like a bond in normal times, but that converts into equity or is written down in times of turbulence. The paper presents a few existing pricing approaches and introduces an extension to one of these, the equity derivatives approach, by letting the underlying asset follow a jump-diffusion process instead of a standard Geometrical Brownian Motion. The extension requires sophisticated computational techniques in order for the pricing to stay within reasonable time frames. Since market data is sparse and incomplete in this area, the validation of the model is not performed quantitatively, but instead supported by qualitative arguments.

Introduction Women’s soccer players need to train comprehensively to cope with the demands that exist during a soccer game. There are several studies on the relationship between muscle strength and jump and sprint ability. However, most studies are performed on male athletes.  Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between muscle strength and jump and sprint ability among elite female soccer players.  Method Nine female soccer players from a Swedish elite level team were included in the study. A quantitative approach in the form of a cross-sectional study was used. The participants performed a vertical jump, a drop jump, a 55-m sprint and a three-repetition maximum (3 RM) barbell squat test. Data collection took place at two different occasions, one at a track and field training facility for jumping and sprint tests, and one in the gym of the team facility for the squat test.  Results Significant correlations were observed between muscle strength and top running speed (r=0.77, p=0.15), 10-m (r=-0.66, p=0.05), 20-m (r=-0.73, p=0.03) and 30-m sprint time (r=-0.76, p=0.02). Muscle strength had non-significant correlation to drop jump (r=0.32, p=0.40) and vertical jump (r=0.40, p=0.28) performance.  Drop jump performance showed significant correlation with top running speed (r=0.72, p=0.03); similar correlation was not observed between vertical jump and top running speed (r=0.55, p=0.13). Sprints and jumping ability did not show a significant correlation; vertical jump and 10-m (r=-0.10, p=0.79), 20-m (r=-0.21, p=0.59) and 30-m sprint time (r=-0.31, p=0.42) respective drop jump and 10-m (r=-0.40, p=0.28), 20-m (r=-0.46, p=0.21) and 30-m sprint time (r=-0.55, p=0.13). Conclusion These results, with support from earlier research, indicated that greater lower body strength (quantified by 3 RM squat) was related to better top running speed and 10-m, 20-m and 30-m sprint time in female soccer players. On the other hand, jumping ability had a non-significant correlation to muscle strength, sprint time or top running speed, with the exception of drop jump performance and top running speed that had a strong correlation. / Introduktion Kvinnliga fotbollsspelare behöver träna allsidigt för att klara av de krav som finns under en fotbollsmatch. Det finns flera studier utförda på samband mellan styrka och hopp- och sprintförmåga. De flesta studier är däremot utförda på manliga idrottare.   Syfte Syftet med studien var att undersöka samband mellan styrka, hopp- och sprintförmåga hos elitidrottsaktiva kvinnliga fotbollsspelare.  Metod Nio (n=9) kvinnliga fotbollsspelare på elitnivå i Sverige tackade ja till att delta i studien. En kvantitativ ansats i form av tvärsnittsstudie användes för att svara på studiens syfte. Deltagarna utförde ett vertikalhopptest, ett drop jump, ett 55 meters sprinttest och ett tre repetition maximal (3 RM) knäböjstest. Datainsamlingen skedde vid två olika tillfällen varav ena var på en friidrottsanläggning för sprint och hopptester och andra i ett gym för knäböjstest.  Resultat Resultatet observerade att 3 RM skivstångsknäböj hade en stark signifikant korrelation med topphastighet (r=0,77, p=0,15) och acceleration 10 m (r=0,66, p=0,05), 20 m (r=-0,73,p=0,03) och 30 m (r=-0,76, p=0,02) och hade en svagare icke-signifikant korrelation med drop jump (r=0,32, p=0,40) och vertikalhopp (r=0,40, p=0,28). Topphastighet hade en signifikant korrelation med drop jump (r=0,72, p=0,03), liknande samband observerades inte med vertikalhopp (r=0,55, p=0,13). Hopptesterna noterade ingen signifikant korrelation till acceleration i studien; vertikalhopp och acceleration 10 m (r=-0,10, p=0,79), 20 m (r=-0,21, p=0,59) och 30 m (r=-0,31, p=0,42) respektive drop jump och acceleration 10 m (r=-0,40, p=0,28), 20 m (r=-0,46, p=0,21) och 30 m (r=-0,55, p=0,13). Slutsats Resultatet i studien ger en indikation till att högre relativ benstyrka, mätt med knäböj, har ett starkt samband till högre topphastighet och snabbare accelerationer upp till 30 m. Hoppförmåga har svagare samband med både styrka, acceleration och topphastighet. Undantag drop jump-test och topphastighet som har en stark korrelation.

Constrained optimization is used to derive human postures and movements. In the first study a static 3D model with 30 muscle groups is used to analyse postures. The activation levels of these muscles are minimized in order to represent the individual's choice of posture. Subject specific data in terms of anthropometry, strength and orthopedic aids serve as input. The aim is to study effects from orthopedic treatment and altered abilities of the subject. Initial validation shows qualitative agreement of posture strategies but further details about passive stiffness and anthropometry are needed, especially to predict pelvis orientation. In the second application, the athletic long jump, a problem formulation is developed to find optimal movements of a multibody system when subjected to contact. The model was based on rigid links, joint actuators and a wobbling mass. The contact to the ground was modelled as a spring-damper system with tuned properties. The movement in the degrees of freedom representing physical joints was described over contact time through two fifth-order polynomials, with a variable transition time, while the motion in the degrees of freedom of contact and wobbling mass was integrated forwards in time, as a consequence. Muscle activation variables were then optimized in order to maximize ballistic flight distance. The optimization determined contact time, end configuration, activation and interaction with the ground from an initial configuration. The results from optimization show a reasonable agreement with experimentally recorded jumps, but individual recordings and measurements are needed for more precise conclusions.