Este trabalho introduz uma interface para estender vídeos educacionais com panoramas e navegação não-linear baseada em conteúdo. Em vídeos de e-learning convencionais, cada quadro está restrito ao subconjunto da cena capturado naquele momento. Isso torna difícil para o usuário revisitar conteúdos mostrados anteriormente, que podem ser essenciais para o entendimento dos conceitos seguintes. Localizar conteúdos anteriores nesses vídeos requer uma navegação linear no tempo, o que pode ser ineficiente. Estendemos vídeo-aulas para prover ao usuário o acesso direto a todo o conteúdo apresentado através de uma simples interface. Isso é feito pela detecção automática de pontos relevantes no vídeo e a criação de hyperlinks a partir desses pontos de maneira completamente transparente. Nossa interface constrói gradualmente um panorama clicável que mostra todo o conteúdo visto no vídeo até o dado momento. O usuário pode navegar pelo vídeo simplesmente clicando no conteúdo desejado, ao invés de utilizar a tradicional barra deslizante de tempo. Nosso panorama também pode ser exportado no final da execução, juntamente com anotações feitas pelo usuário, como um conjunto de notas de aula. A eficiência da nossa técnica foi demonstrada com a aplicação bem-sucedida a três categorias de vídeos que são representativas de todo o conjunto de vídeo-aulas disponíveis: Khan Academy, Coursera e aulas convencionais gravadas com uma câmera. Demonstramos que foi possível atingir os resultados em tempo real para vídeos de baixa resolução (320x240). No caso de resoluções mais altas, é necessário que a detecção de features (usando SIFT) seja feita em uma fase de pré-processamento. Como a parte mais custosa do nosso pipeline é extremamente paralelizável, acreditamos que a execução de vídeos de alta resolução em tempo real seja um resultado alcançável em curto prazo. As técnicas descritas nessa dissertação disponibilizam maneiras mais eficientes de explorar vídeos educacionais. Dessa forma, elas tem potencial para impactar a educação, disponibilizando experiências educacionais mais customizáveis para milhões de estudantes em todo o mundo. / This thesis introduces a new interface for augmenting existing e-learning videos with panoramic frames and content-based non-linear navigation. In conventional e-learning videos, each frame is constrained to the subset of the lecture content captured by the camera or frame grabber at that moment. This makes it harder for users to quickly revisit and check previously shown subjects, which might be crucial for understanding subsequent concepts. Locating previously seen materials in pre-recorded videos requires one to perform visual inspection by sequentially navigating through time, which can be distracting and time-consuming. We augment e-learning videos to provide users direct access to all previously shown content through a simple pointing interface. This is achieved by automatically detecting relevant features in the videos as they play, and assigning them hyperlinks to a buffered version in a completely transparent way. The interface gradually builds panoramic video frames displaying all previously shown content. The user can then navigate through the video in a non-linear way by directly clicking over the content, as opposed to using a conventional time slider. As an additional feature, the final panorama can be exported as a set of annotated lecture notes. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by successfully applying it to three representative styles of e-learning videos: Khan Academy, Coursera, and conventional lecture recorded with a camera. We show that we can achieve real-time performance for low-resolution videos (e.g., 320x240) on a single desktop PC. For higher resolution videos, some pre-processing is required for feature detection (using SIFT). However, since the most expensive parts of our processing pipeline are highly parallel, we believe that real-time performance might be soon achievable even for full HD resolution. The techniques described in this thesis provide more efficient ways for exploring the benefits of e-learning videos. As such, they have the potential to impact education by providing more customizable learning experiences for millions of e-learners around the world.

This thesis work will investigate and implement a method for reconstructing an unstructured mesh sequence with evolving topology. The goal of the method is to increase frame-to-frame coherency of the triangulation. The motivation of the method is that many of current state-of-the-art mesh compression and decimation algorithms for mesh sequences are based on static connectivity.

Cette thèse étudie les effets des frais d’inscription sur les étudiants dans l’enseignement supérieur. Dans la première partie, nous menons une analyse théorique des motivations aux frais d’inscription. Le chapitre 1 dresse une revue critique et pluridisciplinaire de la littérature et dégage trois motivations à leur introduction ou à leur relèvement (l’effet redistributif, l’effet incitatif et l’effet contributif) dont nous contestons la validité. Le chapitre 2 s’interroge sur les conditions théoriques rendant l’instauration de frais d’inscription désirable, alors même qu’existent des classes sociales aux comportements distincts. Nous montrons, en utilisant les développements récents de l’économie comportementale, que la mise en oeuvre de frais progressifs, si elle peut constituer une solution équitable d’un point de vue purement théorique, soulève d’autres problèmes. La deuxième partie de cette thèse s’intéresse aux expériences nationales de mise en place de frais d’inscription. Le chapitre 3 souligne le caractère contrasté des résultats présentés dans la littérature avant de dresser une typologie des contextes institutionnels. Deux régimes nous apparaissent ainsi cohérent même si leurs fondements sont radicalement différents (le régime « libéral » et le régime « social-démocrate »), tandis que le régime « conservateur » français nous apparait difficilement soutenable. Les trois chapitres suivants proposent la première étude sur les effets de l’introduction de frais d’inscription dans le contexte universitaire français. Nous commençons par regarder deux aspects de l’efficience liés à l’introduction de frais d’inscription : (i) un effet de sélection et (ii) un effet incitatif à l’effort. Dans le chapitre 4, nous montrons ainsi que l’introduction de frais d’inscription à Dauphine renforce les effets ségrégatifs et inégalitaires. Dans le chapitre 5, nous prolongeons cette approche en montrant, contrairement aux résultats développés dans la littérature théorique, que les frais d’inscription n’accroissent pas le niveau de réussite et donc les incitations à l’effort des étudiants à Dauphine. Enfin, dans le chapitre 6, nous discutons de la possible généralisation des résultats précédents en commençant par analyser la nature particulière du public de l’Université Paris 9 Dauphine au sein du paysage universitaire français. Les limites théoriques à l’instauration de frais d’inscription (partie I), confirmées empiriquement (partie II), nous conduisent, dans la dernière partie de cette thèse, à revenir sur la typologie construite dans le chapitre 3 en discutant de la manière dont le régime institutionnel « social-démocrate » pourrait contribuer à répondre aux objectifs d’équité, d’efficience et de besoins de financement des universités dans le cas français. Nous introduisons pour cela les fondements de ce que nous appelons une éducation par « répartition » et définissons les conditions de son équité, de son efficience et de sa capacité à financer l’enseignement supérieur. / Chapter 1 provides a critical and multidisciplinary review of the literature and identifies three motifs for the introduction or increase of tuition fees whose validity we question in each case. Chapter 2 examines the theoretical conditions that would make the establishment of tuition fees desirable, even when taking into consideration the existence of different social classes with distinct behaviors. Chapter 3 highlights the divergent nature of the results presented in the literature review before providing a typology of institutional contexts. The next three chapters provide the first study analyzing the effects of introducing tuition fees in the French university context. In chapter 4 we show that the introduction of tuition fees in University Paris 9 Dauphine strengthened the effects of social segregation and inequality. In chapter 5 we extend this approach to show that results developed in the theoretical literature, tuition fees do not increase the level of success. Finally, in chapter 6, we discuss the possible generalization of preceding results beginning by highlighting the unique nature of the students at University Paris 9 Dauphine when compared to the broader French academic landscape. The theoretical limits to the introduction of tuition fees (Part I), confirmed empirically (Part II), lead us to return in the last part of our thesis to the typology constructed in Chapter 3 in order to discuss how the “social democratic” institutional regime might help ensure equity, efficiency, and the funding needs of universities in the French context.

La thérapie de resynchronisation cardiaque (CRT) est une thérapie électrique reconnue pour le traitement de l'insuffisance cardiaque liée à un asynchronisme cardiaque. Toutefois, environ un tiers des patients traités s'avèrent non-répondeurs à la CRT. Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse portent sur l'optimisation de la CRT par un meilleur positionnement de la sonde de stimulation du ventricule gauche (VG). L'approche proposée se décompose en deux temps. Une analyse pré-opératoire permet d'abord de définir les sites du VG optimaux et de caractériser leurs accès grâce à plusieurs étapes de recalage et fusion d'informations multimodales. Ensuite, un système d'assistance per-opératoire, basé sur la fusion des données pré- et per-opératoire, est proposé aux cliniciens afin de guider le geste vers les sites de stimulation pré-définis. L'analyse pré-opératoire utilisée pour la planification de la CRT s'inscrit dans la continuité des travaux menés au LTSI depuis plusieurs années. Dans ces travaux, de nouvelles méthodes pour la segmentation semi-interactive des veines coronaires en imagerie TDM ainsi que pour la caractérisation de la fibrose diffuse en IRM ont été proposées puis l'ensemble des méthodes développées au laboratoire ont été intégrés dans un même outil logiciel. Dans un second temps, une assistance per-opératoire est fourni à l'aide d'un recalage 3D/2D entre un modèle 3D de planification, issu de l'analyse pré-opératoire, et les images angiographiques 2D utilisées en routine clinique. Afin de permettre ce recalage, des méthodes d'extraction des images télé-systoliques et de segmentation automatique des veines coronaires dans ces dernières ont d'abord été définies. Ensuite, le recalage 3D/2D, effectué entre les veines coronaires 3D extraites en imagerie TDM et leur équivalent 2D dans les images angiographiques, permet la fusion des données pré- et per-opératoire. / Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) is a recognized electrical therapy to correct cardiac asynchronism. However, about one third of implanted patients do not respond properly to the therapy. This thesis is focused on the improvement of the CRT through the optimization of the left ventricular lead placement. The proposed approach here is defined in two parts. Firstly, a pre-operative analysis defines the best left ventricle sites to stimulate thanks to several steps of registration and fusion of multimodales informations. Secondly, a per-operative assistance system is proposed in order to guide clinicians to use these pre-defined implantation sites. The CRT planification is a research theme in the LTSI for many years. In this thesis, novel semi-automatic segmentation methods have been developed for both the coronary veins in CT and diffuse fibrosis characterization in MRI. The previous developments and these novel methods have been gathered and integrated in one software. Then, a 2D/3D registration between angiographic frames, used in clinical routine, and a 3D model produced by the pre-operative analysis is used to assist the implantation. To perform the registration, dedicated methods to extract end-systolic images and segment coronary veins in these images have been developed. Next, the registration is performed between the 3D coronary veins (extracted from the CT volumes) and their 2D equivalent which allows the pre- and per-operative data to be fused.

En cardiologie interventionnelle, le clinicien pourrait bénéficier d'une fusion de deux informations complémentaires provenant d'un scanner CT préopératoire et du flux d'images radiographiques servant au guidage des outils manipulés dans les vaisseaux du patient. Une telle fusion nécessite d'aligner les deux modalités et de construire des correspondances pertinentes. Nous proposons une approche basée sur la préservation de la topologie des structures mises en correspondance par le biais d'un cadre général visant à recaler des courbes ainsi qu'une méthode d'appariement d'arbre. / In interventional cardiology, the clinician can benefit from a fused visualization of a diagnostic pre-operative CT scan and the live X-ray projective images used for the guidance of dedicated tools inside the patient's vasculature. This necessitates to align both modalities and build relevant pairings between them. We have developed a general framework combining a method to register curves with a tree pairing procedure, which is able to preserve the topology of the structures.

This dissertation develops an image processing framework with unique feature extraction and similarity measurements for human face recognition in the mid-wave infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The goal is to design specialized algorithms that would extract vasculature information, create a thermal facial signature and identify the individual. The objective is to use such findings in support of a biometrics system for human identification with a high degree of accuracy and a high degree of reliability. This last assertion is due to the minimal to no risk for potential alteration of the intrinsic physiological characteristics seen through thermal imaging. Thermal facial signature authentication is fully integrated and consolidates the main and critical steps of feature extraction, registration, matching through similarity measures, and validation through the principal component analysis. Feature extraction was accomplished by first registering the images to a reference image using the functional MRI of the Brain’s (FMRIB’s) Linear Image Registration Tool (FLIRT) modified to suit thermal images. This was followed by segmentation of the facial region using an advanced localized contouring algorithm applied on anisotropically diffused thermal images. Thermal feature extraction from facial images was attained by performing morphological operations such as opening and top-hat segmentation to yield thermal signatures for each subject. Four thermal images taken over a period of six months were used to generate a thermal signature template for each subject to contain only the most prevalent and consistent features. Finally a similarity measure technique was used to match images to the signature templates and the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to validating the results of the matching process. Thirteen subjects were used for testing the developed technique on an in-house thermal imaging system. The matching using the similarity measures showed 88% accuracy in case of skeletonized feature signatures and 90% accuracy for anisotropically diffused feature signatures. The highly accurate results obtained in the matching process along with the generalized design process clearly demonstrate the ability of the developed thermal infrared system to be used on other thermal imaging based systems and related databases.

Perceptual-cognitive skills are important characteristics for sport participants, which have been shown to contribute to the expert advantage (Abernethy, Baker & Côté, 2005; Mann, Williams, Ward, & Janelle, 2004; McPherson, 2000). One such skill is visual attention, which is beneficial for athletes, but less commonly researched for sport officials. For this dissertation, three data collection procedures assisted in examining the visual behaviors of elite, intermediate and novice ice hockey referees. In phase one, 2 elite, 2 intermediate, and 2 novice referees wore helmet cameras for one game and subsequently participated in stimulated recall interviews to address visual behaviors that occurred during that game. The four resultant themes that emerged were: Divided Attention, Selective Attention, Positioning and Context, and Influences of Visual Attention. Within each of these major themes there were several similarities and differences amongst the referees. In phase two, 2 elite, 2 intermediate, and 2 novice focus groups watched one elite and one intermediate helmet camera videotape and discussed what they thought the referee was attending to and where they would direct their visual attention. The focus group transcripts were deductively coded to search for potential differences between the elite and intermediate referees based on the themes identified in phase one. It was evident that the elite referee was superior to the intermediate in several areas including: Maintaining a focus on the majority of players, knowing when to focus away from the puck, having better post-whistle attention, and being better positioned. Discussion related to how these advantages might be gained by learning through experience. For phase three, 10 elite, 10 intermediate, and 10 novice referees wore an eye-tracking device and made penalty decisions on ice hockey infractions presented on a computer screen. In this experiment, decision accuracy, decision type, number of fixations, and fixation duration were calculated. MANOVA results indicated that there were no significant differences across participant groups. The global discussion includes data excluded from the three main papers, alternative methods for further interpretation of the results, integration of the results of the three papers, and proposals for future research.

L'utilisation d'images de modalités différentes est très répandue dans la résolution de problèmes liés aux applications de la télédétection. La raison principale est que chaque image d'une certaine modalité contient des informations spécifiques qui peuvent être intégrées en un modèle unique, afin d'améliorer notre connaissance à propos d'une scène spécifique. A cause du grand volume de données disponibles, ces intégrations doivent être réalisées de manière automatique. Cependant, un problème apparaît dès les premiers stades du processus : la recherche, dans des images de modalités différentes, de régions en correspondance. Ce problème est difficile à résoudre car la décision de regrouper des régions doit nécessairement reposer sur la part d'information commune aux images, même si les modalités sont différentes. Dans cette thèse, nous nous proposons donc d'apporter une contribution à la résolution de ce problème / The use of several images of various modalities has been proved to be quite useful for solving problems arising in many different applications of remote sensing. The main reason is that each image of a given modality conveys its own part of specific information, which can be integrated into a single model in order to improve our knowledge on a given area. With the large amount of available data, any task of integration must be performed automatically. At the very first stage of an automated integration process, a rather direct problem arises : given a region of interest within a first image, the question is to find out its equivalent within a second image acquired over the same scene but with a different modality. This problem is difficult because the decision to match two regions must rely on the common part of information supported by the two images, even if their modalities are quite different. This is the problem that we wish to address in this thesis

This main content of this thesis is focused on analyzing the fullfilment of the obligation to publish information by selected companies in the Czech Republic (specifically financial statements). The theoretical part describes the legislative framework and discusses the merits of statutory disclosure obligations. The practical part consists of two main parts: analysis of the source data obtained from public register and the evaluation of the questionnaire survey carried out on a representative sample of businesses of two groups; those who fullfil regular information duty and those who haven´t submited those documents to the Registry Court yet or didn´t submit them in the right time. The analyzed current situation, possible solutions and areas for improvement are described in conclusion.

Background: Following the MPharm degree, the pre-registration training year is a critical time where the values, attitudes and behaviours of qualified pharmacists are inculcated. Given the paucity of research, a programme of work was undertaken to explore the process of professional socialisation and development of professionalism in trainees during the pre-registration year. Method: The programme of work, the first of its kind in pharmacy, explored the process of professional socialisation and development of professionalism in trainees prospectively during the 2011/12 pre-registration year. A purposive sample of 20 pre-registration trainee-tutor pairs - 14 from community and 6 from hospital pharmacy – were recruited across North West England. Semi-structured interviews and behavioural professionalism questionnaires were used longitudinally in four rounds of data collection during the training year and with newly qualified pharmacists (NQPs; formerly trainees). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 1706 trainees towards the end of the training year to examine areas explored in the longitudinal study, including behavioural professionalism, supervision and ‘patient mattering’. Interviews were analysed thematically using template and framework analyses, and the critical incident technique. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and multivariate analyses. Results: Findings demonstrated that many of trainees’ attitudes and values appeared to be fostered during their upbringing and were further shaped by the MPharm degree, laying out professional expectations for pharmacists. At the beginning of training, sector differences were apparent with more formalised inductions in place in hospital than community pharmacies, particularly independents. Previous pharmacy work experience, which all 20 trainees had undertaken during MPharm studies, facilitated the transition into training. Early on in the year, as trainees familiarised themselves with the organisation and working processes they were often supported by pharmacy technicians and other support staff and trainees worked effectively and in a professional manner with them throughout training. The application of clinical knowledge acquired from the MPharm degree was challenging, as recognised by trainees and tutors. With continued practice experience and increased responsibility and patient contact, abilities in applying clinical knowledge and communicating with patients improved, as did trainees’ confidence. Longitudinal ratings of behavioural professionalism increased significantly during training, as assessed by trainees and their tutors, and this was confirmed in the analysis of a representative sample of 347 trainees that were surveyed (response rate = 24.2%). Survey findings showed how elements of behavioural professionalism such as communication skills were more prone to development compared to, for example, appearance and interpersonal skills. Perceptions of supervision received during the training year were generally positive. The pre-registration tutor was a key source of support, as well as role model, throughout the year, particularly in community pharmacy. Hospital tutors had a more distant relationship with their trainees and relied on other pharmacists to supervise their trainees. Tutors were often considered to have the largest impact on the development of professionalism in trainees, particularly in community. When considering aspects of their supervision, hospital trainees rated their tutors significantly higher than those in community in ‘articulation’ and ‘exploration’, relating to asking trainees for rationale of actions and encouraging them to pursue learning goals, respectively. Differences between training sites, such as the pharmacy services being delivered and patient mix, were found as were trainees’ beliefs that they mattered to patients: community trainees believed they mattered more (e.g. were more helpful) to their patients than hospital trainees. Conclusions: The multiple methods employed in this programme of work revealed experiences trainees faced and contributing factors associated with their professional socialisation and development of professionalism. The findings led to recommendations for pharmacy education and training including: integrating university-based and work-based learning more closely, ensuring consistency in training experiences in different settings and sectors, improving training and support for staff involved in training and setting explicit standards relating to elements of professionalism. These are considered in the context of anticipated changes to the MPharm into a more integrated 5-year degree programme.