abstract: Speech intelligibility measures how much a speaker can be understood by a listener. Traditional measures of intelligibility, such as word accuracy, are not sufficient to reveal the reasons of intelligibility degradation. This dissertation investigates the underlying sources of intelligibility degradations from both perspectives of the speaker and the listener. Segmental phoneme errors and suprasegmental lexical boundary errors are developed to reveal the perceptual strategies of the listener. A comprehensive set of automated acoustic measures are developed to quantify variations in the acoustic signal from three perceptual aspects, including articulation, prosody, and vocal quality. The developed measures have been validated on a dysarthric speech dataset with various severity degrees. Multiple regression analysis is employed to show the developed measures could predict perceptual ratings reliably. The relationship between the acoustic measures and the listening errors is investigated to show the interaction between speech production and perception. The hypothesize is that the segmental phoneme errors are mainly caused by the imprecise articulation, while the sprasegmental lexical boundary errors are due to the unreliable phonemic information as well as the abnormal rhythm and prosody patterns. To test the hypothesis, within-speaker variations are simulated in different speaking modes. Significant changes have been detected in both the acoustic signals and the listening errors. Results of the regression analysis support the hypothesis by showing that changes in the articulation-related acoustic features are important in predicting changes in listening phoneme errors, while changes in both of the articulation- and prosody-related features are important in predicting changes in lexical boundary errors. Moreover, significant correlation has been achieved in the cross-validation experiment, which indicates that it is possible to predict intelligibility variations from acoustic signal. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Speech and Hearing Science 2019

E-learning is one of the common education types in Turkey elsewhere in the world because it has been a necessity for higher and continuous education of people but what about its quality? There are a diverse number of factors which affect the quality of e-learning education but one of the most important factors is the student. Because students are at the center of education and all of the teaching-learning operations are performed for them, their impressions are very important to gain idea about the quality and improvement of education. In order to obtain information from students about e-learning process, questionnaires applied to 267 students and 203 of them were used for this study. The results showed that students were not able to get adequate support from teachers and success rates of the students were affected negatively by lack of immediate feedback. It was also inferred that learning objectives of the course were shared at the beginning but they were not emphasized throughout the term therefore students did not have enough knowledge about them. Moreover, according to the students almost all of the e-learning courses have similar assessment methods and they were not selected according to the predetermined learning objectives. Lastly, students mentioned that e-learning courses they had taken were not more beneficial than traditional ones but they will continue preferring them in the future. This shows that although there are still problems related with e-learning, students still prefer it because of its advantages for the students.

Disertacijoje nagrinėjama aktuali gyvenimo kokybės vertinimo problema. Mokslinėje literatūroje vis dar nėra vienodo gyvenimo kokybės suvokimo ir mokslinio apibrėžimo. Kiekvienas asmuo šiai sąvokai gali suteikti savo prasminį atspalvį, tačiau moksle gyvenimo kokybė turi būti konkrečiais rodikliais išreiškiama ir matuojama sąvoka, susijusi su visuomenės gerove konkrečioje šalyje. Šio darbo tyrimo objektas yra gyvenimo kokybės vertinimas. Disertacijos tikslas – išanalizavus mokslinius tarpdisciplininius požiūrius į gyvenimo kokybės vertinimą, parengti daugiadimensį gyvenimo kokybės vertinimo modelį ir nustatyti kritines jos sritis Lietuvoje. Darbe atlikta gyvenimo kokybės apibrėžties, koncepcijų ir praktikoje taikomų gyvenimo kokybės vertinimo metodų lyginamoji analizė, konceptualizuota gyvenimo kokybės sąvoka, ją traktuojant kaip ekonomikos mokslo tyrimo objektą, atspindintį valstybės vykdomos ekonominės politikos efektyvumą, nustatytos pagrindinės gyvenimo kokybės sritys, pateikta gyvenimo kokybės koncepcija ir pasiūlyti jos vertinimo metodologiniai principai, sudarytas daugiadimensis gyvenimo kokybės vertinimo modelis, jį taikant, įvertinta Lietuvos gyventojų gyvenimo kokybė ES šalių kontekste ir nustatytos kritinės jos sritys. / The dissertation examines the topical issue of assessment of the quality of life. Scientific literature still does not offer a uniform perception and scientific definition of the quality of life. Every person can provide this concept with his own interpretation, but in science the quality of life must be a concept expressed by means of specific indicators and measured in relation to the welfare of the population in a specific country. The object of research in this dissertation is the assessment of the quality of life. The aim of the dissertation is, upon analysing interdisciplinary scientific approaches to assessment of the quality of life, to develop a multidimensional model of assessment of the quality of life and to identify the critical areas of the quality of life in Lithuania. The author of the dissertation has carried out a comparative analysis of the definition and conceptions of the quality of life and the quality of life assessment methods employed in practice, conceptualised the concept of the quality of life treating it as an object of economic research which reflects the efficiency of the economic policy of the state, identified the key areas of the quality of life, provided a conception of the quality of life and proposed methodological principles for its assessment, developed a multidimensional quality of life assessment model and, by applying the model, evaluated the quality of life of the Lithuanian population in the context of the EU Member States and... [to full text]

The purpose of this essay then is to gain insight into the utilisation of MCQ’s within the field of law at Swedish upper secondary schools and in this question what kind of knowledge requirements can be tested with MCQ. Also, the difference in test results between non-MCQs and MCQ was analyses in large and when it came to gender. Here a MCQ test was evaluated based upon the knowledge requirements while quantitative date gathered from a utilisation of MCQ within the field of employment law was analysed. It was found that it should be possib- le to utilise MCQ within the field of law. With regards to difference in results between non- MCQ and the MCQ under scrutiny it was found that high performing students scored above one grade lower on MCQ than the average of three non-MCQ’s in other subjects. Low per- forming students experienced a little improvement in their results. There was a slightly diffe- rence when it came to score in between gender. Although the average female score on all tests where higher than their male counterpart, females scored a little lower on their first MCQ test. It was felt that the scope of this research is too small to allow any conclusions to be drawn.

Bakgrund: Bröstcancer-relaterat lymfödem (BCRL) är en vanlig komplikation efter bröstcancerbehandling. Tidigare forskning visar varierande förekomst av BCRL, tillståndet tros vara underdiagnostiserat. Tidiga tecken kan beskrivas som en vag tyngdkänsla och/eller spänningskänsla. Detta kan leda till stora negativa konsekvenser vilket motiverar vikten att detektera BCRL i ett tidigt stadie då tidig behandling förbättrar prognosen.  Syfte: Undersöka förekomst av tidiga besvär/symtom samt undersöka sambandet mellan patientrapporterade tidiga besvär/symtom och läkarens bedömning av besvär vid samma tillfälle.  Metod: Kvinnor som genomgått kurativ behandling mot bröstcancer deltog i studien. Datainsamlingen skedde vid återbesöket på onkologmottagningen 3 månader efter avslutad behandling. Data samlades in med patientenkät (avseende besvär/symtom från armen) och läkarbedömning, inom ramen för ett kliniskt utvecklingsprojekt.   Resultat: 61 enkäter ingick i studien. 22 deltagare upplevde besvär från armen på den opererade sidan. 70% av de 43 deltagarna som skattade symtom angav förekomst av ≥1 symtom. I 76% av de 55 läkarbedömningarna hade bedömningen inga besvär gjorts. Samband kunde påvisas gällande frekvensen av patientrapporterade besvär och läkarens bedömning av armsvullnad (p=0,005) och handödem (p=0,003) samt mellan patientrapporterade symtom och läkarens bedömning av armsvullnad (p=0,008). I de fall patienten skattat besvär/symtom fanns en signifikant andel där läkaren bedömt att det inte förekom ödem/svullnad. I de fall patienten inte rapporterade besvär hade läkaren också bedömt frånvaro av ödem/svullnad. Konklusion: Det är vanligt att patienten upplever besvär/symtom från armen på den opererade sidan, och att patienter upplever symtom i större utsträckning än att läkaren gjort bedömningen att handödem, subcutant ödem eller armsvullnad förekommer. / Background: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a complication following breast cancer treatment, it is probably underdiagnosed and the prevalence varies in previous studies. Early signs can be subtle sensations of heaviness and/or tightness in limbs. BCRL can have several negative impact, this motivates the importance of early detection because early intervention improves the prognosis.   Aim: Investigate the prevalence of early signs/symtoms of BCRL and investigate the association between patient reported outcomes and the physician assessment of BCRL.  Method: Women who underwent curative treatment of breast cancer was included. Data was collected at the follow-up 3 months after finished treatment in purpose for a clinical project. A questionnaire was used for the patient (regarding signs/symtoms from the arm) and physician rescpectively. Results: 61 participants were included. 22 participants reported signs from the arm on the affected side. 70% of those who reported symptoms, reported a presence of ≥1 symtoms. The physicians estimated no signs in 76% of 55 participants. There was an association between the frequency of patient reported signs from the arm and the physicians assessment of armswelling (p=0,005), hand edema (p=0,003) and between patient reported symtoms and the physicians assessment of armswelling (p=0,008). When the patient reported signs/symptoms, there was a significant proportion where the physician estimated no edema/swelling. In cases when the patient reported no signs/symptoms, the physician also assessed absence of edema/swelling. Conclusion: Patients often experience signs/symptoms from the arm on the affected side, and patients reports symptoms more frequent than physicians assess presence of early signs of BCRL.

The fundamental of surgical training is the traditional apprenticeship method introduced by William Halsted which has been used for the last 100 years. It is based on learning in the operating room (OR) where the resident is guided by an experienced surgeon and gradually and methodically exposed to surgery. The continuous development of surgical methods together with the growing awareness of medical errors and ethical considerations have made the Halsted method outdated and there is an obvious need to be able to learn the skills of surgery without risking patient safety. New methods such as laparoscopy and endoscopy demand specific skills and abilities that may not be met by everyone. At the same time, the physical limitations of these new methods have made it possible to construct virtual reality (VR) simulators to practise and learn the skills necessary. This study is about the construction and evaluation of a VR-simulator for the training of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). It also concerns the specific abilities needed to become a good surgeon. A simulator for training TURP was developed after a face validity study where 17 experienced urologists gave their opinion of the specific content necessary for the training of this procedure. After a content validity study by nine experienced urologists and application of necessary improvements, a group of 11 medical students and nine experienced urologists performed a construct validity test where the urologists showed significantly higher levels of both skill and effectiveness compared to the inexperienced students when performing a simulated TURP procedure. The students showed a positive learning curve, but did not reach the levels of the urologists. The results of the experienced urologists were used as the minimal criterion level when 24 urology residents practised the procedure. Training took place while on a course on benign enlargement of the prostate and its treatment options, with emphasis on the “gold standard” treatment – TURP. During the course they performed three guided and video-taped TURP-procedures each on selected patients. Between two of the procedures they performed criterion-based training in the simulator. This VR-to-OR study showed improvement in operative skills with the same patient outcome as in the normal clinical situation. It also showed that simulator training improved their skills even more. During their time on the course their personality traits (TCI) and cognitive abilities (Rey complex figure and recognition trial, tower of London, WAIS-III) were tested. The results showed that a better learning curve in the OR was associated with a better simulator learning curve and a good visuospatial memory. The associated personality traits were high levels of goal directedness, impulse control, responsibility, anticipation of harmful events and a balanced attachment style. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that it was technically possible to construct a useful simulator for the training of TURP (PelvicVision®) which may now be considered clinically validated for this purpose. Novice training and performance in the simulator improves the learning curve and predicts the resident’s performance in the OR. The results support the implementation of validated simulation technology in a criterion-based training curriculum for residents. Furthermore, the results showed preliminary data on personality traits and visuospatial abilities that are important for learning a complex surgical procedure.

The focus of this diploma thesis is on methods for the subjective assessment of sound quality according to recommandations given by International Telecommunication Union ITU. The thesis is thematically divided into four parts. The first part is an interpretation of methods based on internationally accepted standards (method of small impairments, MUSHRA, general methods). The second part describes the functional blocks of application developed for this thesis in LabVIEW enviroment. Next part explains its practical application, especially its running possibilities. The last part describes a listening experiment, aim of which was to verify the application's features and to compare the results of the subjective method used in the experiment with the results of the objective method PEAQ.

A avaliação de qualidade de segmentação de vídeos tem se mostrado um problema pouco investigado no meio científico. Apesar disso, estudos recentes na área resultaram em algumas métricas que têm como finalidade avaliar objetivamente a qualidade da segmentação produzida pelos algoritmos. Tais métricas consideram as diferentes formas em que os erros ocorrem (fatores perceptuais) e seus parâmetros são ajustados de acordo com a aplicação em que se pretende utilizar os vídeos segmentados. Neste trabalho apresentam-se: i) uma avaliação da métrica que representa o estado-da-arte, demonstrando que seu desempenho varia de acordo com o algoritmo; ii) um método subjetivo para avaliação de qualidade de segmentação; e iii) uma nova métrica perceptual objetiva, derivada do método subjetivo aqui proposto, capaz de encontrar o melhor ajuste dos parâmetros de dois algoritmos de segmentação encontrados na literatura, quando os vídeos por eles segmentados são utilizados na composição de cenas em ambientes de Teleconferência Imersiva. / Assessment of video segmentation quality is a problem seldom investigated by the scientific community. Nevertheless, recent studies presented some objective metrics to evaluate algorithms. Such metrics consider different ways in which segmentation errors occur (perceptual factors) and its parameters are adjusted according to the application for which the segmented frames are intended. In this work: i) we demonstrate empirically that the performance of existing metrics changes according to the segmentation algorithm; ii) we developed a subjective method to evaluate segmentation quality; and iii) we contribute with a new objective metric derived on the basis of experiments from subjective method in order to adjust the parameters of two bilayer segmentation algorithms found in the literature when these algorithms are used for compose scenes in Immersive Teleconference environments.

A avaliação de qualidade de segmentação de vídeos tem se mostrado um problema pouco investigado no meio científico. Apesar disso, estudos recentes na área resultaram em algumas métricas que têm como finalidade avaliar objetivamente a qualidade da segmentação produzida pelos algoritmos. Tais métricas consideram as diferentes formas em que os erros ocorrem (fatores perceptuais) e seus parâmetros são ajustados de acordo com a aplicação em que se pretende utilizar os vídeos segmentados. Neste trabalho apresentam-se: i) uma avaliação da métrica que representa o estado-da-arte, demonstrando que seu desempenho varia de acordo com o algoritmo; ii) um método subjetivo para avaliação de qualidade de segmentação; e iii) uma nova métrica perceptual objetiva, derivada do método subjetivo aqui proposto, capaz de encontrar o melhor ajuste dos parâmetros de dois algoritmos de segmentação encontrados na literatura, quando os vídeos por eles segmentados são utilizados na composição de cenas em ambientes de Teleconferência Imersiva. / Assessment of video segmentation quality is a problem seldom investigated by the scientific community. Nevertheless, recent studies presented some objective metrics to evaluate algorithms. Such metrics consider different ways in which segmentation errors occur (perceptual factors) and its parameters are adjusted according to the application for which the segmented frames are intended. In this work: i) we demonstrate empirically that the performance of existing metrics changes according to the segmentation algorithm; ii) we developed a subjective method to evaluate segmentation quality; and iii) we contribute with a new objective metric derived on the basis of experiments from subjective method in order to adjust the parameters of two bilayer segmentation algorithms found in the literature when these algorithms are used for compose scenes in Immersive Teleconference environments.

The dissertation examines the problem of students’ training and testing. To solve the problem, new model, algorithms and system have been developed and adapted. The developed system enables organizing of individual and group train-ing and self-control process. Integrated intelligent search subsystem helps to de-velop the study plan for the themes of interest. The system continuously moni-tors the user and can respond to his failure. The developed built environment computer learning subsystem performs practical calculations to assess the built environment projects. The main problem solved by development of the subsystem is reduction of time needed for users to create their own systems. Knowledge database created during the system devel-opment can be a good source of knowledge for new or similar projects evalua-tions. Calculation results can be saved for further research or shared with other users of the system. The dissertation consists of Introduction, 4 Chapters, Conclusions, Refer-ences, and List of Author’s Publications. The introduction reveals the investigated problem, importance of the thesis and the object of research and describes the purpose and tasks of the dissertation, research methodology, scientific novelty, the practical significance of results examined in the dissertation and defended statements. The introduction ends in presenting the author’s publications on the subject of the defended dissertation, offering the material of made presentations in conferences... [to full text] / Disertacijoje nagrinėjama studentų mokymo ir testavimo problema. Problemai spręsti buvo sukurti ir pritaikyti nauji modeliai, algoritmai ir sistema. Sukurta sistema leidžia organizuoti individualų ir grupinį mokymo ir savikontrolės procesą. Integruota intelektinė paieškos posistemė leidžia sudaryti dominančios tematikos mokymosi planą. Sistema nuolat stebi vartotoją ir gali reaguoti į jo mokymosi nesėkmes. Sukurta kompiuterinio mokymo posistemė, skirta statiniams ir jų aplinkai, atlieka praktinį statinių ir jų aplinkos projektų vertinimą. Pagrindinė išspręsta problema kuriant posistemę yra laiko sąnaudų mažinimas, kurių reikėtų kuriant atskiras sistemas. Žinių bazė, kuri buvo sudaryta kuriant sistemą gali tapti pagrindu naujiems ar panašiems projektams vertinti. Skaičiavimo rezultatai gali būti išsaugoti tolesniems tyrimams atlikti arba jais galima dalintis su kitais sistemos vartotojais. Disertaciją sudaro įvadas, keturi skyriai, rezultatų apibendrinimas, naudotos literatūros sąrašas ir autoriaus publikacijų disertacijos tema sąrašas. Įvade aptariama tiriamoji problema, darbo aktualumas, aprašomas tyrimų objektas, formuluojamas darbo tikslas bei uždaviniai, aprašoma tyrimų metodika, darbo mokslinis naujumas, darbo rezultatų praktinė reikšmė, ginamieji teiginiai. Įvado pabaigoje pristatomos disertacijos tema autoriaus paskelbtos publikacijos bei pranešimai konferencijose ir disertacijos struktūra. Pirmame disertacijos skyriuje atliekama literatūros apžvalga. Nagrinėjama... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]