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Biometrics are widely used in identification systems, such as face, fingerprint, iris, etc. Polar code is the only code that can be strictly proved to achieve channel capacity, and it has been proved to be optimal for channel and source coding. In this degree project, our goal is to apply polar codes algorithms to biometric identification systems, and to design a biometric identification system with high identification accuracy, low system complexity, and good privacy preservation. This degree project has carried out specific and in-depth research in four aspects, following results are achieved: First, idea of polar codes is learnt, for example channel combination, channel splitting, successive cancellation decoding. The successive cancellation and successive cancellation list algorithm are also applied to encoding, which further realizes polar codes for source coding. Second, using autoencoder to process biometrics. Autoencoder is introduced to compress fingerprints into binary sequences of length 1024, it has 5 encoding layers and 12 decoding layers, achieved reconstruction error is 0.03. The distribution is close to Gaussian distribution, and compressed codes are quantized into binary sequences. Properties of sequences are similar with random sequences in terms of entropy, correlation, variance. Third, the identification system under Wyner-Ziv problem is studied with fingerprints. In enrollment phase, encoding algorithms are designed to compress biometrics, and in identification phase, decoding algorithms are designed to estimate the original sequence based on decoded results and noisy sequence. Maximum mutual information method is used to identify users. Results show that with smaller number of users, longer code length, smaller noise, then recognition error rate is lower. Fourth, human faces are used in the generated secret key system. After fully considering the trade off to achieve optimal results, in enrollment phase both public data and secure data are generated, in identification phase user’s index and secret key are estimated. A hierarchical structure is further studied. First, CNN is used to classify the age of faces, and then the generated secret key system is used for identification after narrowing the range. The system complexity is reduced by 80% and the identification accuracy is not reduced. / Biometriska kännetecken används i stor utsträckning i identifieringssystem, kännetecken såsom ansikte, fingeravtryck, iris, etc. Polär kod är den enda koden som strikt bevisats uppnå kanalkapacitet och den har visat sig vara optimal för kanal- och källkodning. Målet med detta examensarbete är att tillämpa polära kodalgoritmer på biometriska identifieringssystem, och att designa ett biometriskt identifieringssystem med hög identifieringsnoggrannhet, låg systemkomplexitet och bra integritetsskydd. Under examensarbetet har det genomförts specifik och djupgående forskning i fyra aspekter, följande resultat har uppnåtts: För det första introduceras idén om polära koder, till exempel kanalkombination, kanaluppdelning, successiv annulleringsavkodning. Algoritmerna för successiv annullering och successiv annulleringslista tillämpas även på kodning,vilket ytterligare realiserar polära koders användning för källkodning. För det andra används autoencoder för att bearbeta biometriska uppgifter. Autoencoder introduceras för att komprimera fingeravtryck till binära sekvenser med längden 1024, den har 5 kodningslager och 12 avkodningslager, det uppnådda rekonstruktionsfelet är 0,03. Fördelningen liknar en normaldistribution och komprimerade koder kvantiseras till binära sekvenser. Egenskaperna för sekvenserna liknar slumpmässiga sekvenser vad gäller entropi, korrelation, varians. För det tredje studeras identifieringssystemet under Wyner-Ziv-problemet med fingeravtryck. I inskrivningsfasen är kodningsalgoritmer utformade för att komprimera biometriska kännetecken, och i identifieringsfasen är avkodningsalgoritmer utformade för att estimera den ursprungliga sekvensen baserat på avkodade resultat och brusiga sekvenser. Maximal ömsesidig informationsmetod används för att identifiera användare. Resultaten visar att med ett mindre antal användare, längre kodlängd och mindre brus så är identifieringsfelfrekvensen lägre. För det fjärde används mänskliga ansikten i det genererade hemliga nyckelsystemet. Efter att noggrant ha övervägt kompromisser fullt ut för att uppnå det optimala resultatet genereras både offentlig data och säker data under registreringsfasen, i identifieringsfasen uppskattas användarens index och säkerhetsnyckel. En hierarkisk struktur studeras vidare. Först används CNN för att klassificera ålder baserat på ansikten och sedan används det genererade hemliga nyckelsystemet för identifiering efter att intervallet har begränsats. Systemkomplexiteten reduceras med 80% men identifieringsnoggrannheten reduceras inte.

All Roads Lead to the Snow-Capped Mountains: An Examination of Snow in Norwegian Nation Building During the Late 19th Century. Uppsala University: Dep. of History of Science and Ideas, Bachelor of Art’s thesis, spring term 2024. This essay examines three literary works by Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen. The purpose is to explore the ways in which snow played a part in Norwegian nationalism at the end of the 19th century. At the time that Nansen’s books were originally published, Norway had been at the political and cultural mercy of its neighboring nations for the past five centuries. An ambition for complete independence was brewing, and Fridtjof Nansen became part of a group of intellectuals tasked with creating a new national identity, one that was constructed through the creation of cultural borders and visions of a nation aligned with a perceived glorious past. National romanticism had a strong grip on Europe in general during this time, and infusing the national identity with a romanticized nature was commonplace. Norway is no exception to this, but the argument put forth here is that snow played a particular part in creating the new nation, aside from the rest of nature. Fridtjof Nansen personified, through his own activism and resistance to the unions, the Norwegian identity, and became in a sense synonymous with it. Through his personal relationship with snow, snow became personal to the nation.

Im Rahmen des TERA-Projektes (Turbo Evaluation and Rapid Algorithms) wurde ein neuartiger, hochgradig effizienter probabilistischer Algorithmus zum Lösen polynomialer Gleichungssysteme entwickelt und für den komplexen Fall implementiert. Die Geometrie polarer Varietäten gestattet es, diesen Algorithmus zu einem Verfahren zur Charakterisierung der reellen Lösungsmengen polynomialer Gleichungssysteme zu erweitern. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, eine Implementierung dieses Verfahrens zur Bestimmung reeller Lösungen auf eine Klasse von Beispielproblemen anzuwenden. Dabei wurde Wert darauf gelegt, dass diese Beispiele reale, praxisbezogene Anwendungen besitzen. Diese Anforderung ist z.B. für polynomiale Gleichungssysteme erfüllt, die sich aus dem Entwurf von schnellen Wavelet-Transformationen ergeben. Die hier betrachteten Wavelet-Transformationen sollen die praktisch wichtigen Eigenschaften der Orthogonalität und Symmetrie besitzen. Die Konstruktion einer solchen Wavelet-Transformation hängt von endlich vielen reellen Parametern ab. Diese Parameter müssen gewisse polynomiale Gleichungen erfüllen. In der veröffentlichten Literatur zu diesem Thema wurden bisher ausschließlich Beispiele mit endlichen Lösungsmengen behandelt. Zur Berechnung dieser Beispiele war es dabei ausreichend, quadratische Gleichungen in einer oder zwei Variablen zu lösen. Zur Charakterisierung der reellen Lösungsmenge eines polynomialen Gleichungssystems ist es ein erster Schritt, in jeder reellen Zusammenhangskomponente mindestens einen Punkt aufzufinden. Schon dies ist ein intrinsisch schweres Problem. Es stellt sich heraus, dass der Algorithmus des TERA-Projektes zur Lösung dieser Aufgabe bestens geeignet ist und daher eine größere Anzahl von Beispielproblemen lösen kann als die besten kommerziell erhältlichen Lösungsverfahren. / As a result of the TERA-project on Turbo Evaluation and Rapid Algorithms a new type, highly efficient probabilistic algorithm for the solution of systems of polynomial equations was developed and implemented for the complex case. The geometry of polar varieties allows to extend this algorithm to a method for the characterization of the real solution set of systems of polynomial equations. The aim of this work is to apply an implementation of this method for the determination of real solutions to a class of example problems. Special emphasis was placed on the fact that those example problems possess real-life, practical applications. This requirement is satisfied for the systems of polynomial equations that result from the design of fast wavelet transforms. The wavelet transforms considered here shall possess the practical important properties of symmetry and orthogonality. The specification of such a wavelet transform depends on a finite number of real parameters. Those parameters have to obey certain polynomial equations. In the literature published on this topic, only example problems with a finite solution set were presented. For the computation of those examples it was sufficient to solve quadratic equations in one or two variables. To characterize the set of real solutions of a system of polynomial equations it is a first step to find at least one point in each connected component. Already this is an intrinsically hard problem. It turns out that the algorithm of the TERA-project performes very well with this task and is able to solve a larger number of examples than the best known commercial polynomial solvers.

General lighting with InGaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources is of particular interest in terms of energy savings and related environmental benefits due to high lighting efficiency, long lifetime, and Hg-free nature. Incandescent and fluorescent light sources are used for general lighting almost everywhere. But their lighting efficiency is very limited: only 20-30 lm/W for incandescent lighting bulb, approximately 100 lm/W for fluorescent lighting. State-of-the-art InGaN LEDs with a luminous efficacy of over 200 lm/W at room temperature have been reported. However, the goal of replacing the incandescent and fluorescent lights with InGaN LEDs is still elusive since their lighting efficiency decreases substantially when the injection current increases beyond certain values (typically 10-50 Acm-2). In order to improve the electroluminescence (EL) performance at high currents for InGaN LEDs, two approaches have been undertaken in this thesis. First, we explored the preparation and characterization of non-polar and semi-polar GaN substrates (including a-plane, m-plane and semi-polar planes). These substrates serve as promising alternatives to the commonly used c-plane, with the benefit of a reduced polarization-induced electric field and therefore higher quantum efficiency. It is demonstrated that LEDs on m-plane GaN substrates have inherently higher EL quantum efficiency and better efficiency retention ability at high injection currents than their c-plane counterparts. Secondly, from a device structure level, we explored the possible origins of the EL efficiency degradation at high currents in InGaN LEDs and investigated the effect of hot electrons on EL of LEDs by varying the barrier height of electron blocking layer. A first-order theoretical model is proposed to explain the effect of electron overflow caused by hot electron transport across the LED active region on LED EL performance. The calculation results are in agreement with experimental observations. Furthermore, a novel structure called a “staircase electron injector” (SEI) is demonstrated to effectively thermalize hot electrons, thereby reducing the reduction of EL efficiency due to electron overflow. The SEI features several InyGa1-yN layers, with their In fraction (y) increasing in a stepwise manner, starting with a low value at the first step near the junction with n-GaN.

The thesis "The justification of eternity in times" addresses the relationship of the entity whose existence is modally necessary to the times of the entities of contingent existence, whose existence is defined by creation and termination, i.e., by the two poles of existence. The solution of this relationship is the answer to Panneberg's question about the relationship of eternity to the space-time structure of the universe. The approach to solving this problem is analyzed in the introductory chapter. Entities of contingent existence - beings - can be considered from the point of view of existence as polar entities, while the modally necessary one, which neither comes into existence nor ceases to exist, spans in its existence the poles of existence of all beings - it is therefore supra-polar in this sense. Time is needed to express the impermanence of the existence of beings. The fact that entities of contingent existence must exist in time raises the question of the relation of the modally necessary entity to time. The formal-logical expression of the relation of modally necessary entities to the times of modally contingent entities is discussed in second chapter. Sufficient conditions are given here for such an existence of a modally necessary entity which can be said to be of unbounded duration...

Drag polars for three Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) were measured at Reynolds numbers of 70,000, 50,000, 30,000, and 10,000 and compared to predictions generated using the classical approach. The MAVs tested had different configurations and aspect ratios varying from 1.2 to 1.6 and ratios of wetted surface area to planform area from 2.6 to 3.9. A force balance was used to measure the lift and drag on the MAVs at angles of attack ranging from -5 degrees (or -10 degrees) to 10 degrees. The force balance allowed the MAVs to rotate in the pitching axis. The MAV angle of attack was set using an elevator installed on the MAV and controlled using a standard radio control used by RC plane enthusiasts. Uncertainty analysis performed on the data showed the uncertainty for high Reynolds numbers was dominated by velocity uncertainty, and uncertainty for the lower Reynolds numbers was dominated by uncertainty in the force measurements. Agreement between measured and predicted drag polars was good with the measured drag never being more than two times the predicted drag. For the majority of the tests, the drag coefficients followed the expected Reynolds number trend: increasing with decreasing Reynolds number.

This study establishes an initial understanding of the state of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Two specific objectives were fulfilled; a) to develop an understanding of the goals and operational procedures of current cruise ship operators, and b) to provide insight into the policies that may be necessary for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service to enhance management in parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is a relatively new industry. At present, there is a lack of inclusive government guidelines for the Canadian cruise tourism industry. The steady increase of cruise tourism traffic in the region since 1984 suggests the potential for environmental and social impacts to this fragile polar region. There is a need for the creation of guidelines to direct this tourism activity. <br /><br /> A literature review identified the current state of the cruise line industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, Antarctic and Alaskan waters. The policy requirements pertaining to cruise tourism in parks and protected areas were identified including the current management strategies for tourism employed in Northern Canadian parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Content analysis of current cruise tourism literature themes, which were used to create and conduct interviews that explored these themes. From these findings, data was used to create a policy formation framework that will assist in the planning and management of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> The results indicated that cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is percevied as a safe and economically viable industry. The research found a high degree of coherence between the literature and the opinion of the stakeholders in regards to key issues that need to be addressed. Such issues include the need for greater academic research on this topic; the need for policies and guidelines to aid in the management of parks and protected areas in polar regions; a need for unity and cohesion in the Arctic Cruise Tourism Industry and finally, greater government awareness and assistance given to the cruise tourism industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. There was also a high degree of enthusiasm from the stakeholders for inter-group and interagency cooperation. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future of cruise tourism policy creation in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> This thesis proposes a structure for the way forward.