Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / Accompanied by DVD entitled: Body of knowledge. DVD can be viewed at UWS Library. A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, Social Justice and Social Change Research Group, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (M.Tech.:Chiropractic)- Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2003 / Low back pain is a significant health problem that has had a major impact on quality of life and on health care costs (Weiner, et al. 2000:450). Schwarzer, et al. (1995) established the sacroiliac joint to be a significant source of pain in patients with chronic low back pain. Bernard and Kirkaldy-Willis (1987:2107-2130) established the sacroiliac joint to be the primary source of low back pain in 22.5% of 1293 patients presenting with back pain. According to a review article by Hendler, et al. (1995:169), “manipulation provides dramatic relief” in cases of sacroiliac syndrome. Little research, however, has been done regarding instrument manipulation and it’s effect on acute, chronic or acute on chronic sacroiliac syndrome. Osterbauer and De Boer, et al. (1993) found a significant decrease in Visual Analogue Scale and Oswestry scores following treatment using instrument manipulation for sacroiliac joint syndrome. They also noted a reduction in the number of pain provocation tests applied to the research subjects. “Unless reliability and validity of assessments and effectiveness of treatment procedures can be demonstrated, clinicians should temper their claims of measurement of, and direct effects on, the sacroiliac joint” (Walker 1992:914). The study design was a randomised, omparative clinical trial. Sixty voluntary subjects were accepted onto the trial; each diagnosed as having acute on chronic sacroiliac joint syndrome, and divided into two groups of thirty subjects. Each subject received five treatments within a three-week period. The subjects in group one received manipulation using the Diversified Technique of manipulation and those in group two received instrument manipulation using the “Activator Adjusting Instrument”.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Introduction: Motion palpation is a commonly utilised clinical assessment tool of joint fixations. Most research surrounding motion palpation discusses inter and/or intra-examiner reliability as a pre-treatment tool. However, only two studies have assessed the reliability of motion palpation as a post-treatment diagnostic tool, and both these studies demonstrated that motion palpation has the ability to identify end-feel improvement in a restricted segment which had been manipulated. Therefore the use of motion palpation as a post-manipulation tool within the spine showed a relatively high level of responsiveness/efficacy of motion palpation. However little research has yet to be conducted on the use of motion palpation as a post-manipulation tool on the extremities and therefore this study aims to provide a clearer insight into the use of motion palpation as a post-treatment assessment tool in an extremity in terms of clinical responsiveness/validity of motion palpation. Furthermore the relationship between motion palpation and other clinical measures/short term outcomes, such as pain, functionality, range of motion and proprioception has yet to be seen i.e. when motion palpation indicates a reduction in a fixation due to manipulation does this correlate to a decrease in pain and increase in functionality, range of motion and proprioception. Therefore the primary aim of this study was to determine the clinical responsiveness of motion palpation as a post-manipulation diagnostic tool within the joints of the ankle in symptomatic participants with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI). Method: Forty participants with CAI (Grade I and II) were recruited. One Group received manipulation (n=21), the other Group received no treatment (n=19). Motion palpation was performed, and subjective/objective measures were taken in both Groups pre- and posttreatment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 15.0. Results: The findings of this study demonstrated that when using motion palpation as a posttreatment assessment tool a high level of responsiveness was observed (a highly significant association between being manipulated and End-Feel Improvement (EFI) occurred (p<0.001)); it was highly sensitive (0.90); and was highly specific (0.95). Overall no statistically significant association was observed in either group between, motion palpation results (with respect to EFI or no EFI noted) and any of the short term outcomes (the five subjective/objective clinical measures). Within the manipulation group; Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (p=0.944), Functional Ankle Disability Index (FADI) (p=0.490), Pressure Algometer v (p=0.634), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (p=0.512) and Weight Bearing Dorsiflexion (WBD) (p=0.966). In comparison, the control group; Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (p=0.063), Functional Ankle Disability Index (FADI) (p=0.491), Pressure Algometer (p=0.828), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (p=0.695) and Weight Bearing Dorsiflexion (WBD) (p=0.747). The most common fixations noted in this study, were mortise Long Axis Distraction (LAD), subtalar LAD and subtalar eversion. Conclusion: Therefore, motion palpation appears to be valid when used as a post-treatment tool in the foot and ankle; and overall, common fixations found in symptomatic participants with CAI in this study are similar to those found in previous studies.

This work focuses on the issue of fake news and related disinformation in contemporary, especially electronic media. The aim of the thesis is to clarify the definition of fake news and their function in the context of media manipulation and to give a comprehensive picture of this issue. Fake news are also related with hoaxes, rumors, urban legends, conspiracy theories and more. This work also maps the incidence of fake news especially in the Czech environment, estimates the possible reach of false news to the audience and describes their characteristics. These characteristics include captions in the form of a clickbait, highlighting emotions, manipulation with lexical means and invective, misleading or completely not specified sources (and seeming authority) and the construction of reality by image materials. Another aim of this work is to delineate the problems that fake news affect. It includes violations of journalistic ethics, growing distrust in traditional media, possible influence on political preferences, violation of legislation or personalization of the content. The research is based on the analysis of a representative sample of fake news, their comparison and a survey of public opinion. In the end, this work also proposes solutions for a defense against fake news and prevent their...

Esta dissertação apresenta uma solução prática para o problema de reiluminação de imagens para objetos com geometria arbitrária. Nossa técnica baseia-se no que chamamos de shading proxies (versões deformadas de modelos 3D que aproximam o objeto a ser reiluminado) para guiar o processo de reiluminação. Nosso método é flexível e robusto, podendo reiluminar fotografias, pinturas, e desenhos de diferentes objetos de maneira eficaz. Além de reiluminação, nossa técnica pode ser usada para estimar mapas de normais e profundidade, bem como realizar decomposição intrínsica de imagens, e transferir iluminação para desenhos delineados. Uma avaliação preliminar mostra que nossa técnica produz resultados convincentes, e usuários novatos podem reiluminar imagens facilmente em poucos minutos. / We present a practical solution to the problem of single-image relighting of objects with arbitrary shapes. It is based on a shading-ratio image obtained from the original and target lighting applied to shading proxies (warped versions of 3-D models that approximate the objects to be relit). Our approach is flexible and robust, being applicable to objects with non-uniform albedos. We demonstrate its effectiveness by relighting a large number of photographs, paintings, and drawings containing a variety of objects of different materials. In addition to relighting, our technique can estimate smooth normal and depth maps from pictures, as well as perform intrinsic-image decomposition. Preliminary evaluation has shown that our technique produces convincing results, and novice users can relight images in just a couple of minutes.

The aim of the master thesis is to analyze the accountancy of the selected business entity in order to evaluate the risk of accounting errors and frauds in individual accounting areas and to determine the possible impact on financial statements. Head Sport s. r. o. is a chosen company for this master thesis and this company is based in České Budějovice. The analysis is based on real data and knowledge of the entity. The financial statements according to Czech Accountancy Standards will be analysed for 7 accounting periods (2011-2017). At the same time, the model will be applied to the consolidated and individual financial statements (2010-2014) of the parent company Head N.V. based in the Netherlands. The most significant and most problematic areas are leasing, receivables from controlled and managed entities, payables to controlled and managed persons and the area of sales which relates to leasing. At the same time, the very limited reporting capacity of financial statements according to Czech Accountancy Standards has been confirmed for users of these data.

abstract: The interaction between visual fixations during planning and performance in a dexterous task was analyzed. An eye-tracking device was affixed to subjects during sequences of null (salient center of mass) and weighted (non salient center of mass) trials with unconstrained precision grasp. Subjects experienced both expected and unexpected perturbations, with the task of minimizing object roll. Unexpected perturbations were controlled by switching weights between trials, expected perturbations were controlled by asking subjects to rotate the object themselves. In all cases subjects were able to minimize the roll of the object within three trials. Eye fixations were correlated with object weight for the initial context and for known shifts in center of mass. In subsequent trials with unexpected weight shifts, subjects appeared to scan areas of interest from both contexts even after learning present orientation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Biomedical Engineering 2017

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2018. / Background: Cervicogenic headaches are usually chronic, debilitating and tend to be unresponsive to common headache medications. Manual therapy has been shown to be an effective form of management for cervicogenic headache. The Electromechanical Adjusting Instrument is a hand-held device offered as an alternative to manual therapy for musculoskeletal treatment. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Electromechanical Adjusting Instrument compared to cervical spine manipulation in terms of subjective and objective measures in the treatment of cervicogenic headache. Methodology: This study was a randomised single-blinded clinical trial. There were 41 participants between the ages of 18 and 59 years who were randomly divided into two groups of 21 and 20 respectively by means of a randomisation table drawn up by the statistician. Participants in Group A received cervical spine manipulation while those in Group B received the Electromechanical Adjusting Instrument. Subjective headache intensity was determined using a Numerical Pain Rating Scale. The effect of neck pain on the participants’ activities of daily living before and after treatment was assessed using the Neck Disability Index. The effect of the headache on the participants’ activities of daily living before and after treatment was assessed using the Headache Disability Index. Objective cervical range of motion in all six planes of motion was assessed using a CROM goniometer. Participants in both groups received six interventions over a three-week period with a minimum interval of 48 hours between each intervention. The subjective and objectives assessments were taken at baseline, post-third and post-sixth interventions. The data was analysed using the IBM SPSS version 24.0. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the effect on each outcome measure separately of time and treatment group interaction. Profile plots were generated to show the rates of changes in outcomes over time by the intervention group. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: For most of the outcomes, there was no clinical or statistical interaction present, i.e. the intervention effect was similar in both groups irrespective of the intervention. Conclusion: The trends in each of the outcomes suggest that the Electromechanical Adjusting Instrument is as effective as cervical spine manipulation for the treatment of cervicogenic headache / M

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-12-12Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:51:30Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ceschin_mbgs_me_bauru.pdf: 1105426 bytes, checksum: 29d0a915a0a1860603ca4793a679ffc8 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo tem como objeto a comunicação dirigida e investiga as estratégias discursivas da campanha “Triângulos” do HSBC no Brasil. São analisados os procedimentos enunciativos que regem a organização textual das peças publicitárias veiculada em folders disponibilizados nos pontos de venda das agências bancárias do HSBC, no final de 2004. O instrumental teórico-metodológico que baliza as reflexões aqui apresentadas é decorrente da semiótica discursiva de linha francesa, a chamada Escola de Paris, a partir das postulações elaboradas por A. J. Greimas e Jean- Marie Floch. Após apresentar o percurso de constituição do banco enquanto instituição inserida em uma economia globalizada, o trabalho demonstra o papel das formas discursivas na comunicação dirigida e suas implicações nas relações interculturais. As análises realizadas demonstram, a partir do texto, a configuração do contexto da relação comunicativa, depreendendo os valores e ideologias presentes nos discursos organizados com o objetivo central de promover o consumo dos serviços oferecidos pelo HSBC, por meio de estratégias de manipulação baseadas na sedução e na provocação. / The present study has as object the directed communication and investigates the discursives strategies of the campaign “Triangles” of the HSBC in Brazil. The enunciative procedures are analyzed which conduct the textual organization of the advertising pieces that are propagated in folders availables at points of sales of HSBC the agencies at the end of 2004. The theoretician-methodological instrumental which signalize the presented reflections is due to discursive semiotics of French line, the professed School of Paris, from postulations elaborated by J. Greimas and Jean-Marie Floch. After introduces the course of bank forming, while inserted institution in a worldwide economy, this work demonstrates the part taken by discursive features in directed communication and its implications in the intercultural relations. The performed analyses demonstrate from the text on, the configuration of the context of the communicative relation, gathering the values and ideologies presented in the speeches organized with the main objective to encourage the use of services offered by HSBC, by means of strategies of manipulation based on seduction and temptation.

Esta dissertação apresenta uma solução prática para o problema de reiluminação de imagens para objetos com geometria arbitrária. Nossa técnica baseia-se no que chamamos de shading proxies (versões deformadas de modelos 3D que aproximam o objeto a ser reiluminado) para guiar o processo de reiluminação. Nosso método é flexível e robusto, podendo reiluminar fotografias, pinturas, e desenhos de diferentes objetos de maneira eficaz. Além de reiluminação, nossa técnica pode ser usada para estimar mapas de normais e profundidade, bem como realizar decomposição intrínsica de imagens, e transferir iluminação para desenhos delineados. Uma avaliação preliminar mostra que nossa técnica produz resultados convincentes, e usuários novatos podem reiluminar imagens facilmente em poucos minutos. / We present a practical solution to the problem of single-image relighting of objects with arbitrary shapes. It is based on a shading-ratio image obtained from the original and target lighting applied to shading proxies (warped versions of 3-D models that approximate the objects to be relit). Our approach is flexible and robust, being applicable to objects with non-uniform albedos. We demonstrate its effectiveness by relighting a large number of photographs, paintings, and drawings containing a variety of objects of different materials. In addition to relighting, our technique can estimate smooth normal and depth maps from pictures, as well as perform intrinsic-image decomposition. Preliminary evaluation has shown that our technique produces convincing results, and novice users can relight images in just a couple of minutes.