Evnen til å ta ut gode nok målkoordinater på landmål for engasjement med GPS-INS styrte våpen har siden innføringen av denne våpentypen på 90-tallet vært et omdiskutert tema. GNSS system sin egnethet for understøttelse av militære operasjoner har i nyere tid blitt gjenstand for diskusjon, da systemets unøyaktighet og sårbarhet er et faktum. Det er i denne oppgaven ført sammen resultater fra mest naturvitenskaplige metoder med noen få innslag av samfunnsvitenskapelig metode for å søke å finne ut om, og i så fall hvilken nytte, en operatør som tar ut målkoordinater med FOI2000, for bekjempelse ved bruk av GPS-INS styrt ammunisjon, har av å jamføre disse dataene med digitale kartverktøy. Datainnsamlingen er gjort ved litteraturstudier av naturvitenskaplig faglitteratur, publiserte artikler både fra industri, forskermiljø, offisielle instanser og studiebesøk ved VRICON og TELEPLAN. I tillegg brukes forfatterens egen erfaring til å dra veksler opp mot moderne aktuelle stridsmiljø. Resultatet viser at jamføring med digitale terrengmodeller gir under mange situasjoner gode muligheter for å minske unøyaktigheten i uttak av målkoordinater for bekjempning med GPS-INS styrte våpen. Imidlertid gir satellittbildegrunnlag og 3D modeller av terreng begge gode muligheter for optimering av måldata, på hver sin måte der den ene er ikke nødvendigvis bedre enn den andre men kan utfylle hverandre. Moderne satellittbilder er mest nøyaktige i horisontalplanet, mens 3D modeller har en mye bedre nøyaktighet i vertikal og 3D dimensjonen. Slutningen i oppgaven er at personell som jobber mer målkoordinatuttak med FOI2000 har store fordeler ved å bruke FACNAV med digitalt terrenggrunnlag bestående av både satellittbilder og 3D terreng modell, da de utfyller hverandre. Dette gir de beste forutsetninger for å produsere de mest nøyaktige måldata gjennom å kombinere og optimere dataene ved bruk av alle tre system. En annen viktig observasjon er dog 3D modellen store muligheter for støtte innenfor planlegging av oppdrag og det å gjøre seg kjent i lendet i et aktuelt operasjonsområde. / Since the invention of coordinate dependent weapons in the nineties, the ability to provide accurate land target coordinates for engagement has been a topic on discussion. GNSS systems unquestioned support to military operations has in the recent years been challenged by the obvious vulnerability the GNSS systems regarding its in-accuracy and potential vulnerability. During this paper results from both scientific methods and some social scientific methods have been merged in order to reveal whether, and if so, to what extent, an operator pulling target coordinates in a battlefield with use of the standard Norwegian observation instrument FOI2000 have use of merging the FOI2000 data with FACNAV digital map tools such as satellite imagery and/or a 3D terrain model. This is meant to acquire more accurate employment of coordinate dependent weapons (GPS-INS guided bombs and grenades) with focus on an increased target coordinate accuracy. The collection of data is done through literature studies of scientific books and published papers from industries, research societies, official institutions and own research-tours at VRICON and Teleplan Globe. Also included in the discussion is the author’s own experiences from modern areas of operation. Results show that in many scenarios the target coordinate will get an increased accuracy when merged with FACNAVs satellite imagery and/or 3D terrain. But this does not apply to all scenarios. Both satellite imageries and 3D models provide increased accuracy on the target coordinates when merged, however none is necessary better than the other, but they kind of have different qualities. Modern satellite imageries have better accuracy in the horizontal domain, while a 3D model has the best accuracy in the vertical and 3D domain. The conclusion of the work is that an operator pulling target coordinates with a FOI2000 takes great advantage of merging the target data with FACNAV´s satellite imagery and a 3D terrain model. The best target data will most likely be produced when utilizing all three systems. However, another discovery is the potential of a digital 3D model potential to support in operations planning and terrain knowledge acquirement in unfamiliar operation areas that military units are going into.

Une restriction alimentaire améliore la qualité du vieillissement et augmente la durée de vie chez de nombreuses espèces, y compris certains primates. Cependant, cette intervention s'accompagne souvent d'une baisse significative des capacités reproductives. Il est donc légitime de se demander si des signaux provenant du système reproductif contribuent aux effets positifs de la restriction alimentaire sur la longévité. Durant ma thèse, j'ai montré que l'expression de DAF-9/CYP27A1 et la production de l'hormone stéroïdienne D7- acide dafachronique (DA) sont augmentées chez C. elegans lorsque les vers sont soumis à une restriction alimentaire. De plus, la signalisation à l'acide dafachronique via le récepteur hormonal nucléaire NHR-8/NHR et la kinase let-363/mTOR est essentielle à l'augmentation de la durée de vie par restriction alimentaire. La signalisation stéroïde affecte également la plasticité de la lignée germinale en condition de jeûne. De plus, nous montrons que cette plasticité est nécessaire à l'augmentation de la longévité dans ce context de restriction. Les résultats présentés dans cette thèse démontrent que la signalisation des hormones stéroïdes est activée par le manque de nutriments et est requise pour l'augmentation de la longévité par la voie mTOR. En effet, chez un animal sauvage, le niveau d’expression de let-363/mTOR diminue en condition de jeûne. Ceci n’est pas observé lorsque les hormones stéroïdes sont absentes. De plus, le nombre de cellules de la lignée germinale au sein de la zone proliférative n'est plus affecté par le jeûne chez des animaux pour lesquels la synthèse d'hormones stéroïdes est inhibée. Une réduction artificielle du nombre de cellules germinales suffit à rétablir une réponse normale à la restriction alimentaire. Ceci suggère donc qu'il existe un lien étroit entre la lignée germinale et la longévité induite par une restriction alimentaire, et que ce lien repose en partie sur la signalisation des hormones stéroïdes. La kinase let-363/mTOR joue également un rôle central dans l'intégration de signaux nutritionnels et reproductifs. Nos données suggèrent également l'existence d'un signal entre lignée germinale et soma produit en condition de restriction alimentaire. L'augmentation de la durée de vie par restriction alimentaire implique donc une réponse systémique coordonnée qui implique l'appareil reproducteur. / Dietary restriction (DR) increases healthspan and longevity in many species, including primates, but it is often accompanied by impaired reproductive function. Whether signals associated with the reproductive system contribute to or are required for DR effects on lifespan has not been established. In my doctoral thesis presented here, we show that expression of DAF-9/CYP27A1 and production of the steroid hormone ∆7-dafachronic acid (DA) are increased in C. elegans subjected to DR. DA signaling through the non-canonical nuclear hormone receptor NHR-8/NHR and the nutrient-responsive kinase let-363/mTOR is essential for DR-mediated longevity. Steroid signaling also affects germline plasticity in response to nutrient deprivation and this is required to achieve lifespan extension. Results presented in my thesis demonstrate that steroid signaling is activated by nutrient scarcity and is required for DR effects on lifespan extension through TOR signaling. In the absence of proper steroid signaling, let-363/mTOR levels remain high during starvation and the number of germ cells within the proliferative zone of the germ line is no longer affected by nutrient availability. Interestingly, genetic reduction of germ cells alleviates the requirement for steroid signaling for DR-mediated lifespan extension. Genetically lowering the germ cell count mimics the response of the germ line to DR. These data demonstrate that steroid signaling links germline physiology to lifespan when nutrients are limited, and establish a central role for let-363/mTOR in integrating signals derived from nutrients and steroid hormones. We speculate that this induces a signal that is usually emitted when nutrients are scarce and the germ line becomes less active. Taken together, this thesis work suggests that, diet-induced lifespan extension is part of a coordinated response that involves reproductive phenotypes.

Ao observar a situação atual, na qual atos de vandalismo e terrorismo tornaram-se frequentes e cada vez mais presentes ao redor do mundo, principalmente em grandes cidades, torna-se clara a necessidade de equipar as forças policiais com tecnologias de observação e monitoramento inteligentes, capazes de identificar e monitorar indivíduos potencialmente perigosos que possam estar infiltrados nas multidões. Ao mesmo tempo, com sua recente popularização, veículos aéreos não tripulados, também chamados VANTs e conhecidos popularmente como "drones", acabaram por tornar-se ferramentas baratas e eficientes para diversas aplicações, incluindo observação, fornecendo a seus utilizadores a capacidade de monitorar alvos, áreas, ou prédios de forma segura e quase imperceptível. Unindo estas duas tendências, este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um sistema multi-VANT para observção de alvos móveis em multidões, demonstrando a possibilidade de utilização de pequenos VANTs comerciais comuns para o monitoramento de grupos de pedestres. O principal objetivo de tal sistema é monitorar continuamente indivíduos de interesse em um grupo de pessoas, visitando cada um destes indivíduos alternadamente, de forma a manter um registro geral do estado de cada um deles Um sistema deste tipo poderia, por exemplo, ser utilizado por autoridades no controle de manifestações e outras atividades em que grandes grupos de pessoas estejam envolvidos, ajudando a polícia e outros órgãos a identificar indivíduos com comportamento suspeito ou agressivo mais rapidamente, evitando ou minimizando os efeitos de atitudes de vandalismo e de ataques terroristas. Com o intuíto de abordar tal problema da forma mais completa e adequada possível, esta tese apresenta a concepção e o desenvolvimento de um sistema híbrido composto de três diferentes algoritmos: um algoritmo de distribuição de alvos; um de roteamento; e um de repasse de alvos. Primeiramente, neste sistema, um algoritmo de distribuição de alvos baseado em um paradigma de mercado que simula um leilão distribui os alvos entre os VANTs da melhor forma possível. Os VANTs, por sua vez, utilizam um algoritmo genético de roteamento para resolver uma instância do Problema do Caixeiro Viajante e decidir a melhor rota para visitar cada alvo sob sua responsabilidade. Ao mesmo tempo, o sistema analisa a necessidade de redistribuição dos alvos, ativando um algoritmo capaz de realizar esta ação ao perceber sua necessidade quando na iminência de perder algum alvo de vista. Ao fim de seu desenvolvimento, o sistema proposto foi testado em uma série de experimentos especialmente desenvolvidos para avaliar seu desempenho em situações controladas e comprovar sua eficiência para realizar a missão pretendida. / Observing the current scenario, where terrorism and vandalism acts have become commonplace, particularly in big cities, it becomes clear the need to equip law enforcement forces with an efficient observation method, capable of identifying and observing potentially threatening individuals on crowds, to avoid or minimize damage in case of attacks. Moreover, with the popularization of small lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), these have become an affordable and efficient tool, which can be used to track and follow targets or survey areas or buildings quietly, safely and almost undetectably. This work presents the development of a multi-UAV based crowd monitoring system, demonstrating a system that uses small Commercial Of The Shelf (COTS) UAVs to periodically monitor a group of moving walking individuals. The goal of this work is to develop a coordination system for a swarm of UAVS capable of continuously monitoring a large group of individuals (targets) in a crowd, alternately observing each of them at a time while trying to not lose sight of any of these targets. A system equipped with a group of UAVs running this proposal can be used for law-enforcement applications, assisting authorities to monitor crowds in order to identify and to follow suspicious individuals that can have attitudes that could be classified as vandalism or linked to terrorist attack attempts To address this problem a system composed of three parts is proposed and was developed in this thesis. First, an auction algorithm was put in place to distribute interest targets among the multiple UAVs. The UAVs, in turn, make use of a genetic algorithm to calculate the order in which they would visit each of the targets on their observation queue. Moreover, a target handover algorithm was also implemented to redistribute targets among the UAVs in case the system judged that a target was about to be lost by its current observer UAV. The proposed system was evaluated through a set of experiments set-up to verify and to demonstrate the system capabilities to perform such monitoring task, proving its efficiency. During these experiments, it is made clear that the system as a whole has a great potential to solve this kind of moving target monitoring problem that can be mapped to a Time Dependent Travel Salesman Problem (TDTSP), observing targets, and redistributing them among UAVs as necessary during the mission.

In light of the 2010 recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages that teachers use the target language (TL) "as exclusively as possible," teachers face the necessity of promoting target language use and assessing how their language choices influence their students. The purpose of this study was to analyze teachers' perspectives and practices of whether to use students' first language or the target language. Data from over 100 foreign language teachers, predominantly those in the K-12 sector, were collected through a survey in order to measure how teachers manage the phenomenon of language choice. The findings were analyzed descriptively, categorically, and inferentially to find relationships among teachers in general, as well as within subgroups of participants. Findings indicate that teachers felt using the target language was more of a challenge for academic purposes because of their belief that they should be conducted in the TL. Academic tasks were also reported involving a greater quantity of speech functions, which made them more difficult to complete in the target language. Additional findings showed that teachers in general were most often influenced by student attitudes, motivation, and proficiency as well as their own attitudes, motivation, and proficiency. For certain subgroups, however, when teachers focused more on their own proficiency, motivation, training and experience they were more likely to reach 90% TL use or more. Furthermore, it was found that promoting the target language effectively equated with incorporating many strategies that supported TL goals. The most prevalent techniques found for promoting TL use were preparing for making input comprehensible, giving praise and recognition, and explaining its importance at the beginning of the year. Recommendations for increasing the ability of teachers to face the challenges of TL use are to simplify and increase the academic, social, and managerial purposes for which it can be used, prioritize and focus on the most influential factors of language choice (LC) within teachers' control, and form and promote a plan for TL use built upon a foundation of most effective techniques and practices for optimizing language choices.

This thesis deals with a concept of system for automatic passenger counting in different  modes of transport. Counting units are placed in top of the door area in the vehicle. Passengers are detected at the disparity map counted from the stereo-camera images. Object tracking is achieved with Global nearest neighbor and Multiple hypothesis tracking algorithm. This system is used for public transportation surveys.

The thesis deals with setting of a system of social housing in the municipalities of the Czech Republic. It is based in particular on the Concept of Social Housing of the Czech Republic 2015-2025, as the legislation on social housing in the Czech Republic has not yet been approved by the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The system is very fragmented for the above reason, there is no consensus in the definition, not even in determining to whom and under what conditions social housing should be allocated. The thesis builds on Schneider and Ingram public policy theory, the theory of social construction of target populations ("TSKCP"). The two main concepts of TSCTP - target population and policy design are the optics and subject of analysis. The most important research activity could be described as an analysis of the availability of social housing in 2nd level municipalities, which was implemented in the form of survey of 388 municipal webpages in order to find out the mention and methodology of providing social housing. Additional interviews with social and housing commissioners took place within one region of the Czech Republic, where we can presume similar socio-economic conditions, but due to anonymity, it cannot be specified more precisely. From the methodological...

The Bethe-Weizsäcker cycle consists of a set of nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen into helium and release energy in the stars. It determines the luminosity of low-metal stars at their turn-off from the main-sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, so its rate enters the calculation of the globular clusters’ age, an independent lower limit on the age of the universe. The cycle contributes less than 1% to our Sun’s luminosity, but it produces neutrinos that can in principle be measured on Earth in underground experiments and bring direct information of the physical conditions in the solar core, provided that the nuclear reaction rate is known with sufficient precision. The 14N(p,γ)15O reaction is the slowest reaction of the Bethe-Weizs¨acker cycle and establishes its rate. Its cross section is the sum of the contributions by capture to different excited levels and to the ground state in 15O. Recent experiments studied the region of the resonance at Ep = 278 keV. Only one modern data set from an experiment performed in 1987 is available for the high-energy domain. Both energy ranges are needed to constrain the fit of the excitation function in the R-matrix framework and to obtain a reliable extrapolated S-factor at the very low astrophysical energies. The present research work studied the 14N(p,γ)15O reaction in the LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) underground facility at three proton energies 0.36, 0.38, 0.40MeV, and in Dresden in the energy range Ep = 0.6 - 2MeV. In both cases, an intense proton beam was sent on solid titanium nitride sputtered targets, and the prompt photons emitted from the reaction were detected with germanium detectors. At LUNA, a composite germanium detector was used. This enabled a measurement with dramatically reduced summing corrections with respect to previous studies. The cross sections for capture to the ground state and to the excited states at 5181, 6172, and 6792 keV in 15O have been determined. An R-matrix fit was performed for capture to the ground state, that resolved the literature discrepancy of a factor two on the extrapolated S-factor. New precise branching ratios for the decay of the Ep = 278 keV resonance were measured. In Dresden, the strength of the Ep = 1058 keV resonance was measured relative to the well-known resonance at Ep = 278 keV, after checking the angular distribution. Its uncertainty is now half of the error quoted in literature. The branching ratios were also measured, showing that their recommended values should be updated. Preliminary data for the two most intense transitions off resonance are provided. The presence in the targets of the other stable nitrogen isotope 15N with its well- known isotopic abundance, allowed to measure the strength of two resonances at Ep = 430 and 897 keV of the 15N(p,αγ)12 C reaction, improving the precision for hydrogen depth profiling.

This thesis focuses on vision-based detection and observation of small, slow-moving targets using a gimballed fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Generally, visual tracking algorithms are tuned to detect motion of relatively large objects in the scene with noticeably significant motion; therefore, applications such as high-altitude visual searches for human motion often ignore target motion as noise. Furthermore, after a target is identified, arbitrary maneuvers for transitioning to overhead orbits for better observation may result in temporary or permanent loss of target visibility. We present guidelines for tuning parameters of the Visual Multiple Target Tracking (Visual MTT) algorithm to enhance its detection capabilities for very small, slow-moving targets in high-resolution images. We show that the tuning approach is able to detect walking motion of a human described by 10-15 pixels from high altitudes. An algorithm is then presented for defining rotational bounds on the controllable degrees of freedom of an aircraft and gimballed camera system for maintaining visibility of a known ground target. Critical rotations associated with the fastest loss or acquisition of target visibility are also defined. The accuracy of these bounds are demonstrated in simulation and simple applications of the algorithm are described for UAS. We also present a path planning and control framework for defining and following both dynamically and visually feasibly transition trajectories from an arbitrary point to an orbit over a known target for further observation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework in maintaining constant target visibility while transitioning to the intended orbit as well as in transitioning to a lower altitude orbit for more detailed visual analysis of the intended target.

La détection et le suivi de cibles sont des missions fréquentes pour la robotique mobile, que le contexte soit civil, industriel ou militaire. Ces applications constituent un domaine de choix pour la planification multirobot, et sont abordées par de multiples communautés selon différents points de vue. Nous proposons dans un premier temps une taxonomie commune qui permetde regrouper et de comparer les différentes approches de ces problèmes, afin de mieux les analyser et de mettre en évidence leurs lacunes respectives. En particulier, on note la faible représentativité des modèles exploités, peu expressifs : la plupart des algorithmes évoluent dans un monde en deux dimensions où les observations et le déplacement sont conditionnés par lesmêmes obstacles. Ces modèles éloignés de la réalité nous semblent trop restrictifs pour pleinement exploiter la synergie des équipes multirobot hétérogènes : nous proposons une organisation des différents modèles nécessaires, en explicitant une séparation claire entre modèles et algorithmes de planification. Cette organisation est concrétisée par une librairie qui structure lesmodèles disponibles et définit les requêtes nécessaires aux algorithmes de planification. Dans un second temps, nous proposons un ensemble d’algorithmes utilisant les modèles définis précédemment pour planifier des missions de patrouille de zones et de poursuite de cibles. Ces algorithmes s’appuient sur un formalisme mathématique rigoureux afin d’étudier l’impact des modèlessur les performances. Nous analysons notamment l’impact sur la complexité – c’est-à-dire en quoi des modèles plus élaborés impactent la complexité de résolution – et sur la qualité des solutions résultantes, indépendamment des modèles, selon des métriques usuelles. D’une manière plus générale, les modèles sont un lien essentiel entre l’Intelligence Artificielle et la Robotique : leur enrichissement et leur étude approfondie permettent d’exhiber des comportements plus efficaces pour la réussite des missions allouées aux robots. Cette thèse contribue à démontrer l’importance des modèles pour la planification et la conduite de mission multirobots. / Detecting, localizing or following targets is at the core of numerous robotic applications in industrial, civilian and military application contexts. Much work has been devoted in various research communities to planning for such problems, each community with a different standpoint. Our thesis first provides a unifying taxonomy to go beyond the frontiers of specific communities and specific problems, and to enlarge the scope of prior surveys. We review various work related to each class of problems identified in the taxonomy, highlighting the different approaches, models and results. This analysis specifically points out the lack of representativityof the exploited models, which are in vast majority only 2D single-layer models where motion and sensing are mixed up. We consider those unrealistic models as too restrictive to handle the full synergistic potential of an heterogeneous team of cooperative robots. In response to this statement, we suggest a new organisation of the necessary models, stating clearly the links and separation between models and planning algorithms. This has lead to the development of a C++ library that structures the available models and defines the requests required by the planning process. We then exploit this library through a set of algorithms tackling area patrolling and target tracking. These algorithms are supported by a sound formalism and we study the impact of the models on the observed performances, with an emphasis on the complexity and the quality of the resultingsolutions. As a more general consideration, models are an essential link between Artificial Intelligence and applied Robotics : improving their expressiveness and studying them rigorously are the keys leading toward better robot behaviours and successful robotic missions. This thesis help to show how important the models are for planning and other decision processes formulti-robot missions.

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