This report intends to verify the possibility that the FastICA algorithm could be applied to the GPS system to eliminate the impulsive noise from the receiver end. As the impulsive noise is so unpredictable in its pattern and of great energy level to swallow the signal we need, traditional signal selection methods exhibit no much use in dealing with this problem. Blind Source Separation seems to be a good way to solve this, but most of the other BSS algorithms beside FastICA showed more or less degrees of dependency on the pattern of the noise. In this thesis, the basic mathematic modelling of this advanced algorithm, along with the principles of the commonly used fast independent component analysis (fastICA) based on fixed-point algorithm are discussed. To verify that this method is useful under industrial use environment to remove the impulsive noises from digital BPSK modulated signals, an observation signal mixed with additive impulsive noise is generated and separated by fastICA method. And in the last part of the thesis, the fastICA algorithm is applied to the GPS receiver modeled in the SoftGNSS project and verified to be effective in industrial applications. The results have been analyzed. / 6

In an unsupervised learning problem, one is given an unlabelled dataset and hopes to find some hidden structure; the prototypical example is clustering similar data. Such problems often arise in machine learning and statistics, but also in signal processing, theoretical computer science, and any number of quantitative scientific fields. The distinguishing feature of unsupervised learning is that there are no privileged variables or labels which are particularly informative, and thus the greatest challenge is often to differentiate between what is relevant or irrelevant in any particular dataset or problem. In the course of this thesis, we study a number of problems which span the breadth of unsupervised learning. We make progress in Gaussian mixtures, independent component analysis (where we solve the open problem of underdetermined ICA), and we formulate and solve a feature selection/dimension reduction model. Throughout, our goal is to give finite sample complexity bounds for our algorithms -- these are essentially the strongest type of quantitative bound that one can prove for such algorithms. Some of our algorithmic techniques turn out to be very efficient in practice as well. Our major technical tool is tensor spectral decomposition: tensors are generalisations of matrices, and often allow access to the "fine structure" of data. Thus, they are often the right tools for unravelling the hidden structure in an unsupervised learning setting. However, naive generalisations of matrix algorithms to tensors run into NP-hardness results almost immediately, and thus to solve our problems, we are obliged to develop two new tensor decompositions (with robust analyses) from scratch. Both of these decompositions are polynomial time, and can be viewed as efficient generalisations of PCA extended to tensors.

Rezultatai: Respondentai, remdamiesi darbo vaistinėje patirtimi, nurodė, kad Lietuvoje vaistinių skaičius yra per didelis. Buvo nustatyta, kad pagrindiniai atskiros netinklinės vaistinės tikslai – gauti pelną, atlaikyti konkurentų dempingą. Pagrindiniai sunkumai valdant nepriklausomą vaistinę – specifinių žinių trūkumas, finansinis nepriteklius, kurį lemia VLK vėluojantys atsiskaitymai. Pagrindiniais netinklinių vaistinių konkurentais įvardinti vaistinių tinklai. Visi informantai teigė, kad gamybinė vaistinė yra konkurencingesnė rinkoje, o vaistinės tinklų franšizė – vienintelis gelbėjimosi kelias nuostolingai vaistinei. Visi respondentai atskirų netinklinių vaistinių perspektyvą vertina neigiamai. Įžvalgos: 1. Atlikto kokybinio tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad atskiros netinklinės nuo tinklinių visuomenės vaistinių skiriasi suteikiama vaistininko profesinės laisvės realizavimo galimybe, kas sąlygoja kokybiškesnę farmacinę paslaugą. 2. Taikant turinio analizės metodą paaiškėjo, kad atskiros netinklinės vaistinės patiria sunkumų konkurencinėje kovoje su tinklinėmis vaistinėmis medikamentų kainų aspektu, tačiau teikiamos farmacinės paslaugos kokybiniu požiūriu – pirmauja. 3. Atskirų netinklinių vaistinių savininkų nuomonės tyrimas leido nustatyti veiksnius, kurie riboja atskirų netinklinių vaistinių plėtrą: didelis vaistinių skaičius šalyje, nelygios konkurencijos galimybės, įstatymų bazė, reglamentuojanti vaistinių veiklą, finansinis priklausomumas nuo valstybės įstaigų. 4... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Aim: To analyse the expansion opportunities of non-chain pharmacies in Lithuania. Methods: This study is based on an empirical qualitative method. The selected data collection method is semi-structured interview, which consists of 17 open questions. In these study 5 non-chain pharmacies owners were interviewed: 3 of them conducting business, 2 – who closed their pharmacies. The study was carried out in different locations of Lithuania: big city, town and small village. The investigation started in November, 2012 and finished in March, 2013. The results were analysed by grounded theory methodology. Results: According to received data, all respondents claimed that the number of Lithuanian pharmacy markets is too high. The results showed that the main objectives of separate non-chain pharmacies are to make profits and to cope with competitors dumping. The main difficulties in the management of an independent pharmacy are specific lack of knowledge, financial deprivation, which leads to the late payments of State Patient Fund. The main competitors of independent pharmacies are pharmacy chains. The results showed that manufacturing pharmacy is more competitive in market, and pharmacy chain franchise is the only way to avoid loss of pharmacy. All respondents claimed that non-chain pharmacies perspectives are viewed negatively in Lithuania. Insights: 1. The result showed, that individual non-chain pharmacies from chain community pharmacies varies given pharmacist professional... [to full text]

The consortia of microorganisms responsible for the hydrolysis of cellulose in situ are at present poorly characterized. Nonetheless, the importance of these communities is underscored by their capacity for converting biomass to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. The metabolic capacities of these organisms is particularly alarming considering the volume of biomass that is projected to re-enter the carbon cycle in Arctic tundra soil environments as a result of a warming climate. Novel cold-adapted cellulase enzymes also present enormous opportunities for a broad range of industries. DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) is a powerful tool for linking the phylogenetic identity and function of cellulolytic microorganisms by the incorporation of isotopically labelled substrate into nucleic acids. By providing 13C-enriched glucose and cellulose to soil microcosms, it was possible to characterize the communities of microorganisms involved in the metabolism of these substrates in an Arctic tundra soil sample from Resolute Bay, Canada. A protocol for generating 13C-enriched cellulose was developed as part of this thesis, and a visual DNA-SIP protocol was generated to demonstrate the experimental outline. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA clone libraries were used to visualize changes in community structure and to identify prevalent, active phylotypes in the SIP incubations. Notably, predominant phylotypes changed over time and clustered based on substrate metabolism. Labelled nucleic acids identified by sequenced DGGE bands and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries provided converging evidence indicating the predominance of Clostridium and Sporolactobacillus in the 13C-glucose microcosms, and Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Gammaproteobacteria in the 13C-cellulose microcosms. Active populations consuming glucose and cellulose were distinct based on principle coordinate analysis of “light” and “heavy” DNA. A large portion of the recovered sequences possessed no close matches in the GenBank database, reflecting the paucity of data on these communities of microorganisms.

This thesis is the result of two studies concerning children’s independent mobility, which means the freedom for children to walk or bike on their own or together with friends but without being escorted by parents. The studies are accomplished in four different areas and are also searching for different environmental qualities. The areas differ concerning traffic planning and architecture but also concerning commercial and cultural choice. The aim is to understand and describe how places are constructed and designed when they are used and experienced in a positive – or a negative – way by children. I emphasize, that we – through the responses in meeting with other people – learn hidden and visible rules and also how to change perspective and roles. I therefore focus on the meeting between children and other people but also on meeting between children and places. The issue is: What do places look like – what qualities or qualifications – can be notified as important to children to perceive coherence that consequently make them learn to control their environment and develop to harmonious grown-ups. The main questions are: In what degree can children’s independent mobility be related to the planning and design in the four areas? Why do some neighbourhoods/places appear as more important to children than others, making children use them in a varied way? Is it possible to describe qualities in neighbourhoods in a way that can be interpreted as meaningful for children’s development? In the first study 732 children in grade two and five in compulsory school, filled in a questionnaire and the questions focused on how they got to school, to friends, to activities etc. The results showed that in the area with more traffic than the other three areas, children were more often taken by car to school and to leisure activities. Even international research in the nineties did show that children had lost the accessibility to their neighbourhood. In the second study, 32 children in the same areas guided me around in their environment showing me the way to school and places they used to visit. At the same time they told me what they liked or disliked in their neighbourhood. Afterwards they were interviewed and they also had the opportunity to fill in so called “mobility maps”. The content in this text mainly focuses the second study. From the children’s statements, a summary of the most important differences looks as follows: I The accessibility in neighbourhoods and places: i.e. children’s independent mobility – or if they had to be escorted by grown-ups – and if they could fiddle about. II Children’s play and activities: i.e. if they had something to do, if they played in pairs or in groups and if play could take place without planning. III Children’s experiences of places and people: i.e. if they had something to show me and to tell me, if there were any meetings with other persons, if the children talked about their own yard and appreciated green areas, if they had fun or not, if they were afraid being out and if they told me any memories from some places. The theoretical framework is based on Johan Asplund’s theory on social responsivity and G. H. Mead’s theory on social relations and his view of the importance of objects. The study also is based on three different place theories as expressed by David Canter, Christian Norberg-Schulz and Clarence Crafoord and Asplund’s view of place and placelessness. This study has made it clear that everything children do in their neighbourhood can be related to concrete places and things but it differed concerning what and how they played, what they experienced and what the meetings looked like – if any. Environmental qualities arise, as I have interpreted my results, when neighbourhoods and places are safe, when there are landmarks, places for meetings, possibility of orientation and sense of locality and when the places are varied and challenging. Conclusions are drawn regarding differences in social responsivity, if there is a sense of having a place of one’s own – that in the same time is shared by other people – and if places are responding. From these statements place identity can be seen as a merging of the qualities in places and the perceived sense of place as described above. To have opportunity to investigate the neighbourhood is also an important part of children’s informal learning. They learn how to read the surroundings and how to find the way in a town or in an environment. They get to know the neighbourhood and the world outside and so they also learn how to behave and how to control themselves and even the life. Results showed though that the children in the four areas made those experiences but, certainly, in different ways.

This thesis presents an investigation of statistical analytical methods applied to the analysis of the shape of the arterial pressure waveform. The arterial pulse is analysed by a selection of both supervised and unsupervised methods of learning. Supervised learning methods are generally better known as regression. Unsupervised learning methods seek patterns in data without the specification of a target variable. The theoretical relationship between arterial pressure and wave shape is first investigated by study of a transmission line model of the arterial tree. A meta-database of pulse waveforms obtained by the SphygmoCor"??" device is then analysed by the unsupervised learning technique of Self Organising Maps (SOM). The map patterns indicate that the observed arterial pressures affect the wave shape in a similar way as predicted by the theoretical model. A database of continuous arterial pressure obtained by catheter line during sleep is used to derive supervised models that enable estimation of arterial pressures, based on the measured wave shapes. Independent component analysis (ICA) is also used in a supervised learning methodology to show the theoretical plausibility of separating the pressure signals from unwanted noise components. The accuracy and repeatability of the SphygmoCor?? device is measured and discussed. Alternative regression models are introduced that improve on the existing models in the estimation of central cardiovascular parameters from peripheral arterial wave shapes. Results of this investigation show that from the information in the wave shape, it is possible, in theory, to estimate the continuous underlying pressures within the artery to a degree of accuracy acceptable to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. This could facilitate a new role for non-invasive sphygmographic devices, to be used not only for feature estimation but as alternatives to invasive arterial pressure sensors in the measurement of continuous blood pressure.

Endocytosis effectuates a critical interface between the eukaryotic cell and its apposing environment. It is, subsequently, paramount for many physiologically important processes and encompasses a diverse array of mechanisms and pathways. The classical endocytic routes mediated by clathrin and caveolin are the best understood and the molecular roles of their major regulators, such as dynamin, adaptor proteins and various lipid species, are the most comprehensively described. Recent identification of an assortment of constitutive, noncaveolar, clathrin-independent endocytic (CIE) pathways has expanded the endocytic system. Unlike the classical endocytic pathways, little is known about the guiding parameters of CIE routes. Consequently, it is not possible to understand the important cellular roles these pathways may be fulfilling. This study has begun to characterise the very basic parameters governing the morphologically striking Clathrin-Independent Carrier (CLIC) pathway. Development of a diverse molecular toolkit has now allowed the quantitation of endocytic capacity provided by CLICs, the visualisation of subtle sorting components of the CLIC pathway, the isolation of novel CLIC cargo and regulators, and has linked this mechanism to the critical cellular processes of cellular migration and membrane repair. Calculation of the individual capacity of endocytic routes provides important information about the contribution of each pathway to total plasma membrane (PM) uptake and turnover. Quantitation of the volume, surface area and number of structures forming per minute in this study shows that CLICs provide the vast majority of constitutive endocytosis, up to four times the capacity of the clathrin mediated endocytic (CME) pathway. As the equivalent of the entire PM area could pass through the CLIC pathway within 12 minutes it is evident that CLICs are fundamental housekeepers of bulk membrane internalisation. Thus, they are likely to be central regulators of PM homeostasis and turnover. High-resolution tomography, in conjunction with analysis of CLIC cargo trafficking, identifies these carriers as complex, pleiomorphic structures that sort the bulk of membrane to early endosomes and recycle cargo back to the cell surface. Such vast internalisation combined with an ability to rapidly recycle components quickly attributes the CLIC pathway as a complex sorting station. Isolation of novel cargo and regulators has identified a striking array of proteins now associated with the CLIC pathway for the first time. A significant proportion of identified targets localise to lipid-rafts and recycle from the PM, facets consistent with association to the CLIC pathway. Numerous targets have also been directly implicated in clathrin-independent endocytosis by independent groups. Verification of selected cargo, such as CD44, Thy-1 and myoferlin, showing specific internalisation through the CLIC pathway, has provided insight into the sorting ability of the CLIC pathway and links to adhesion turnover and membrane recycling. Consistent with a role in cellular adhesion turnover, it was found that CLICs become polarised within migrating cells. This has shown the first instance of spatial separation between three major endocytic routes, CLICs, caveolae and CME and highlights the important and coordinated roles of multiple endocytic pathways during physiologically significant processes. The specific internalisation of paxillin, Thy-1 and CD44 through CLICs at the leading edge of migrating cells suggests that CLICs rapidly turnover adhesion components for dynamic extracellular sensation during directional cell migration. Indeed, specific ablation of the CLIC pathway significantly impedes cellular migration, implying coordination with CME at the leading edge. This study has defined numerous parameters of the CLIC pathway, developing the current understanding of this poorly defined route and places the CLIC pathway as a unique player during critical cellular processes.

Endocytosis effectuates a critical interface between the eukaryotic cell and its apposing environment. It is, subsequently, paramount for many physiologically important processes and encompasses a diverse array of mechanisms and pathways. The classical endocytic routes mediated by clathrin and caveolin are the best understood and the molecular roles of their major regulators, such as dynamin, adaptor proteins and various lipid species, are the most comprehensively described. Recent identification of an assortment of constitutive, noncaveolar, clathrin-independent endocytic (CIE) pathways has expanded the endocytic system. Unlike the classical endocytic pathways, little is known about the guiding parameters of CIE routes. Consequently, it is not possible to understand the important cellular roles these pathways may be fulfilling. This study has begun to characterise the very basic parameters governing the morphologically striking Clathrin-Independent Carrier (CLIC) pathway. Development of a diverse molecular toolkit has now allowed the quantitation of endocytic capacity provided by CLICs, the visualisation of subtle sorting components of the CLIC pathway, the isolation of novel CLIC cargo and regulators, and has linked this mechanism to the critical cellular processes of cellular migration and membrane repair. Calculation of the individual capacity of endocytic routes provides important information about the contribution of each pathway to total plasma membrane (PM) uptake and turnover. Quantitation of the volume, surface area and number of structures forming per minute in this study shows that CLICs provide the vast majority of constitutive endocytosis, up to four times the capacity of the clathrin mediated endocytic (CME) pathway. As the equivalent of the entire PM area could pass through the CLIC pathway within 12 minutes it is evident that CLICs are fundamental housekeepers of bulk membrane internalisation. Thus, they are likely to be central regulators of PM homeostasis and turnover. High-resolution tomography, in conjunction with analysis of CLIC cargo trafficking, identifies these carriers as complex, pleiomorphic structures that sort the bulk of membrane to early endosomes and recycle cargo back to the cell surface. Such vast internalisation combined with an ability to rapidly recycle components quickly attributes the CLIC pathway as a complex sorting station. Isolation of novel cargo and regulators has identified a striking array of proteins now associated with the CLIC pathway for the first time. A significant proportion of identified targets localise to lipid-rafts and recycle from the PM, facets consistent with association to the CLIC pathway. Numerous targets have also been directly implicated in clathrin-independent endocytosis by independent groups. Verification of selected cargo, such as CD44, Thy-1 and myoferlin, showing specific internalisation through the CLIC pathway, has provided insight into the sorting ability of the CLIC pathway and links to adhesion turnover and membrane recycling. Consistent with a role in cellular adhesion turnover, it was found that CLICs become polarised within migrating cells. This has shown the first instance of spatial separation between three major endocytic routes, CLICs, caveolae and CME and highlights the important and coordinated roles of multiple endocytic pathways during physiologically significant processes. The specific internalisation of paxillin, Thy-1 and CD44 through CLICs at the leading edge of migrating cells suggests that CLICs rapidly turnover adhesion components for dynamic extracellular sensation during directional cell migration. Indeed, specific ablation of the CLIC pathway significantly impedes cellular migration, implying coordination with CME at the leading edge. This study has defined numerous parameters of the CLIC pathway, developing the current understanding of this poorly defined route and places the CLIC pathway as a unique player during critical cellular processes.

The spatial data community relies on the quality of its data. This research investigates new ways of storing and retrieving spatial data quality information in databases. Given the importance of features and sub-feature variation, three different data quality models of spatial variation in quality have been identified and defined: per-feature, feature-independent and feature-hybrid. Quality information is stored against each feature in the per-feature model. In the feature-independent model, quality information is independent of the feature. The feature-hybrid is derived from a combination of the other two models. In general, each model of spatial variation is different in its representational and querying capabilities. However, no model is entirely superior in storing and retrieving spatially varying quality. Hence, an integrated data model called as RDBMS for Spatial Variation in Quality (RSVQ) was developed by integrating per-feature, feature-independent and feature-hybrid data quality models. The RSVQ data model provides flexible representation of SDQ, which can be stored alongside individual features or parts of features in the database, or as an independent spatial data layer. / The thesis reports on how Oracle 10g spatial RDBMS was used to implement this model. An investigation into the different querying mechanisms resulted in the development of a new WITHQUALITY keyword as an extension to SQL. The WITHQUALITY keyword has been designed in such a way that it can perform automatic query optimization, which leads to faster retrieval of quality when compared to existing query mechanism. A user interface was built using Oracle Forms 10g which enables the user to perform single and multiple queries in addition to conversion between models (example, per-feature to feature-independent). The evaluation, which includes an industry case study, shows how these techniques can improve the spatial data community’s ability to represent and record data quality information.

The world of journalism is becoming increasingly dangerous, as figures published by international media organisations demonstrate. But the Western news media suggests, that particularly Western foreign correspondents are facing incredibly high risks and cases of abducted, tortured and murdered foreign correspondents are reported regularly. The question arises “Have they become targets?” Foreign correspondence has been a dangerous occupation since it first emerged during the Crimean War, when the first consistent war reporting was established. Ever since then, foreign correspondents have had to face opposition, criticism and harsh realities. However, they have also always been highly valued journalists and well-respected for their courage to travel overseas, often into conflict-riddled areas, to report important news to their audiences back home. Sometimes they have even lost their lives in the pursuit of truth. Daniel Pearl, Christian Struwe and Karen Fischer or Trent Keegan are just a few examples of the many correspondents and journalists who have died as martyrs for their profession. As the actual data published by international media organisations, such as Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists or Freedom House, suggests, it has rapidly become worse for all journalists in the last 20 years and there is worse to come. It appears as if the factors leading to their deaths are increasing and will be contributing to even higher death tolls in the future. The thesis will consider such questions as: Who is there to protect journalists and foreign correspondents? Independent media organisations are trying their best. The international press is bemoaning the many deaths and governments have promulgated laws to protect their reporters, but does that actually help? Will those attempts make it better in future? And can the Western news media apparatus itself be held partly responsible for some of the deaths?