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Student Number : 9901877H MSc Dissertation School of Electrical and Information Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / algorithm. The origins of handwriting idiosyncrasies and habituation are explained using systems theory, and it is shown that the 2/3 power law governing biomechanics motion also applies to handwriting. This leads to the conclusion that it is possible to derive handwriting velocity profiles from a static image, and that a successful forgery of a signature is only possible in the event of the forger being able to generate a signature using natural ballistic motion. It is also shown that significant portion of the underlying dynamic system governing the generation of handwritten signatures can be inferred by deriving time segmented transfer function models of the x and y co-ordinate velocity profiles of a signature. The prototype algorithm consequently developed uses x and y components of pen-tip velocity profiles (vx[n] and vy[n]) to create signature representations based on autoregression-with-exogenous-input (ARX) models. Verification is accomplished using a similarity measure based on the results of a k-step ahead predictor and 5 complementary metrics. Using 350 signatures collected from 21 signers, the system’s false acceptance (FAR) and false rejection (FRR) rates were 2.19% and 27.05% respectively. This high FRR is a result of measurement inadequacies, and it is believed that the algorithm’s FRR is approximately 18%.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar ex vivo a resistência de união de pinos de fibra de vidro (FV) e pinos de fibra de carbono (FC) nos terços cervical, médio e apical do canal radicular, cimentados com dois tipos de cimentos resinosos: auto-adesivo (RX) e convencionais (CP). Quarenta caninos superiores foram separados em 4 grupos (n = 10) de acordo com o cimento e pino utilizado. Após a secção transversal dos dentes em fatias de 2mm de espessura, o teste de resistência adesiva (0,5mm/min) foi realizado nos terços cervical, médio e apical de cada espécime. Cinco espécimes de cada grupo foram analisados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura para observar o tipo de fratura. Os dados foram submetidos à 2-way ANOVA (Bonferroni, p< 0,05). Os resultados mostraram que os pinos de FV apresentaram os maiores valores de resistência adesiva, tanto cimentados com RX quanto com CP. Analisando especificamente o tipo de cimento, pinos cimentados com RX (FV e FC) apresentaram maiores valores de resistência adesiva (p<0,05) que CP. Para todos os grupos em estudo, a resistência de união foi maior no terço cervical, seguido pelo terço médio e apical. A análise de fratura mostrou predominância de fratura coesiva de pino para RX, sendo que para os pinos cimentados com CP houve predominância de fratura adesiva entre dentina/cimento e mista. Pode-se concluir que a resistência de união foi significativamente afetada pelo tipo de pino e também pelo tipo de cimento utilizado, sendo que os mais altos valores de resistência de união foram encontrados com a utilização de pinos de FV e cimento RX. / The objective of this study was to evaluate ex vivo the Bond strength of glass-fiber posts (GF) and carbon-fiber posts (CF) to cervical, medium, and apical thirds of root canals after luting with two types of resinous cements: Self-adhesive (RX) and conventional (CP). Forty maxillary canines were divided into 4 groups (n=10) according to the luting cement and fiber post used. After roots were perpendicularly sectioned in 2mm-thick slices, bond strength teste (0.5mm/min) were perform in coronal, midlle and apical thirds. Five specimens were selected from each group for analysis in Scanning Electron Microscopy to observe the type of fracture. The data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA (Bonferonis test, p<0.05). The results showed that highest bond strength values to GF, for both luting cements (RX and CP). Regard the type of luting cement, posts (GF and CF) luting with RX had the best performance (p<0.05) that CP. For all groups, bond strength values were higher at cervical third, followed by midlle and apical thirds. The failure analysis demonstrated a predominance of post-cohesive failure for RX, and dentin-adhesive-cement and mixed failure for CP. It was concluded that bond strength was affected by the type of fiber post and type of luting cement, where the highest bond strength values were showed by GF-post and RX-luting cement.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar ex vivo a resistência de união de pinos de fibra de vidro (FV) e pinos de fibra de carbono (FC) nos terços cervical, médio e apical do canal radicular, cimentados com dois tipos de cimentos resinosos: auto-adesivo (RX) e convencionais (CP). Quarenta caninos superiores foram separados em 4 grupos (n = 10) de acordo com o cimento e pino utilizado. Após a secção transversal dos dentes em fatias de 2mm de espessura, o teste de resistência adesiva (0,5mm/min) foi realizado nos terços cervical, médio e apical de cada espécime. Cinco espécimes de cada grupo foram analisados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura para observar o tipo de fratura. Os dados foram submetidos à 2-way ANOVA (Bonferroni, p< 0,05). Os resultados mostraram que os pinos de FV apresentaram os maiores valores de resistência adesiva, tanto cimentados com RX quanto com CP. Analisando especificamente o tipo de cimento, pinos cimentados com RX (FV e FC) apresentaram maiores valores de resistência adesiva (p<0,05) que CP. Para todos os grupos em estudo, a resistência de união foi maior no terço cervical, seguido pelo terço médio e apical. A análise de fratura mostrou predominância de fratura coesiva de pino para RX, sendo que para os pinos cimentados com CP houve predominância de fratura adesiva entre dentina/cimento e mista. Pode-se concluir que a resistência de união foi significativamente afetada pelo tipo de pino e também pelo tipo de cimento utilizado, sendo que os mais altos valores de resistência de união foram encontrados com a utilização de pinos de FV e cimento RX. / The objective of this study was to evaluate ex vivo the Bond strength of glass-fiber posts (GF) and carbon-fiber posts (CF) to cervical, medium, and apical thirds of root canals after luting with two types of resinous cements: Self-adhesive (RX) and conventional (CP). Forty maxillary canines were divided into 4 groups (n=10) according to the luting cement and fiber post used. After roots were perpendicularly sectioned in 2mm-thick slices, bond strength teste (0.5mm/min) were perform in coronal, midlle and apical thirds. Five specimens were selected from each group for analysis in Scanning Electron Microscopy to observe the type of fracture. The data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA (Bonferonis test, p<0.05). The results showed that highest bond strength values to GF, for both luting cements (RX and CP). Regard the type of luting cement, posts (GF and CF) luting with RX had the best performance (p<0.05) that CP. For all groups, bond strength values were higher at cervical third, followed by midlle and apical thirds. The failure analysis demonstrated a predominance of post-cohesive failure for RX, and dentin-adhesive-cement and mixed failure for CP. It was concluded that bond strength was affected by the type of fiber post and type of luting cement, where the highest bond strength values were showed by GF-post and RX-luting cement.

E-sports is currently estimated to be a billion dollar industry which is only growing in size from year to year. However the cinematography of spectated games leaves much to be desired. In most cases, the spectator either gets to control their own freely-moving camera or they get to see the view that a specific player sees. This thesis presents a system for the generation of cinematically-pleasing views for spectating real-time graphics applications. A custom real-time engine has been built to demonstrate the effect of this system on several different game modes with varying visual cinematic constraints, such as the rule of thirds. To create the cinematic views, we encode cinematic rules as cost functions that are fed into a non-linear least squares solver. These cost functions rely on the geometry of the scene, minimizing residuals based on the 3D positions and 2D reprojections of the geometry. The final cinematic view is found by altering camera position and angle until a local minimum is met. The system was evaluated by comparing video output from a traditional rigidly constrained camera and the results of our algorithm’s optimally solved views. User surveys are then used to qualitatively evaluate the system. The results of these surveys do not statistically find a preference between the cinematic views and the rigidly constrained views. In addition, we present performance and timing considerations for the system, reporting that the system can operate within modern expectations of latency when enough constraints are placed on the non-linear least squares solver.

This paper attempts to evaluate Training for Trainers (T4T) as an aid for developing healthy and sustained church planting movements (CPMs). The thesis is that Training for Trainers (T4T) can enable and sustain (by the Spirit’s power) healthy church planting movements because a discipleship process is built into the methodology that develops believers in their personal and communal growth and equips them to repeat the process with other individuals they reach. The very format of the T4T process provides a context for developing disciples inwardly and training disciples to minister outwardly. The T4T process continues over the course of months and years to systematically move believers through the essential stages of sustained church planting movements: Bridges in conversations with the lost from non-spiritual topics to the gospel in order to find those God is preparing (knowing whom to talk to and how to start) • Reproducible evangelism methods that are effective in the local context and can be learned by any new believer • Reproducible discipleship that addresses both short-term and long-term spiritual growth in a manner appropriate to the local worldview and able to be passed on by a new believer • Reproducible church models appropriate to the local context and able to be led and passed on by new believers • Leadership development and multiplication patterns that develop leaders rapidly in the context of ministry and enable the number of leaders to keep pace with the number of new churches. T4T moves each new generation of disciples (trainers) and churches through this process because it casts vision for and gives loving accountability for disciples to truly become trainers of others. It does this primarily through a three-thirds training process. T4T is training for trainers who will train trainers who will train trainers. T4T attempts to initiate movements of God in which at least four generations of new disciples and churches emerge. This paper evaluates T4T is based on case studies, survey instruments and biblical principles and then offers recommendations for CPM practitioners. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / D. Th.(Missiology)

The aim of this work is to tell part of the story of the Brazilian evangelical missions movement by focusing on the work and Brazilian evangelical transcultural workers serving in mission in the context of the Arab-Muslim world. These participants are members of a broader movement of more than 5000 Brazilian evangelicals serving around the world - an evangelical labor force large than that of England or Canada - which has grown significantly since 1976. In order to locate the work of Brazilian evangelicals in an Arab-Muslim context, it was important to first offer a historical narrative showing how Brazil has shifted in the twentieth century from being a “mission field” to being a base for sending missions. Relying on key historical literature, this has been accomplished first by recounting how Brazil was evangelized largely by North American missionaries in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Building on this narrative, the argument has been made that while the Brazilian evangelical church does share common characteristics with North American and global evangelicalism, it has also begun to forge its own evangelical identity. One important part of this identity is its concrete participation in global mission efforts. As transcultural mission necessarily involves cultural adaption, forty-five past and present Brazilian evangelical workers were invited to participate in a collective case study and reflect upon their own “Brazilianness” and how they have adapted in the Arab world. The perspectives of ten Brazilian mission leaders have also been included. In this study, I have treated Brazil as an affinity bloc of cultures in which there is clear diversity as well as some elements of cohesiveness. I have approached the Arab world in the same way. Hence, the framework for discussing Brazilians in the Arab world has been to reflect upon two affinity blocs and to ask members of one group (Brazilians) to share their collective experiences living in a second group (the Arab world) specifically regarding seven aspects of culture that have clear missiological implications. They include: race, economics, time, communication, family, relationships, and spiritual worldview. After hearing these Brazilian voices, it has become evident, culturally, speaking that Brazilians are not Arabs and that Brazilians must surely work to adapt culturally. However, it also appears that there is generally less cultural distance between the Brazilians surveyed and their Arab contexts than what is normally experienced by Western missionaries in the Arab world. This study was also concerned with asking, how are Brazilian evangelicals approaching mission in the Arab-Muslim world? Following a collective case study methodology, this question was posed to individual Brazilians and teams, but also to Brazilian evangelical missions organizations working in the Arab world. While a number of themes (strategies and practices) emerged, it seems that Brazilians are particularly concerned about humanitarian work and personal evangelism and would regard these areas as strengths of their movement. On the other hand, Brazilian workers and mission leaders also identified the most apparent challenges in their work among Arab-Muslims. They included: a lack of Brazilian local church support for missionaries, deficiencies in language learning, lack of financial support, and difficulties faced by Brazilian women in Arab contexts. For each apparent difficulty, I have proposed some solutions based on the collective input of Brazilian voices. Finally, in this study, I have posed the question, how do Brazilians think theologically about mission? Also, how is this Brazilian missiology relevant to transcultural mission work in the Arab-Muslim world? While I have approached this question primarily through surveying the literature from Latin American and Brazilian theologians, I have also looked for missiological themes in the thoughts of Brazilian evangelical workers and through observing their concrete mission practices. From this, four theological themes have emerged that are descriptive of Brazilian missions. They include: that mission is holistic (missão integral); that mission is church-centered; that authentic mission originates from “below” or from a posture of vulnerability; and that one‘s missiology must be undergirded by an awareness of the spiritual world. In summary, through this work, I have have endeavored to tell part of the story of an emerging majority world missions movement by listening to the voices of Brazilian transcultural workers who serve in the Arab-Muslim world. The goal of this study is to inform the global church of this phenomenon in order that the global church would learn from the Brazilian experience as it moves forward in mission and missiological reflection. Secondly, my desire is to provide a framework of self-reflection for Brazilian evangelical missionaries and missions organizations serving in both the Arab-Muslim world but also in the entire world. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

Digital video recorders have given a growing number of viewers the ability to skip television commercials. In an effort to combat ad-skipping, television providers and advertisers are looking at ways to embed advertising into the video content; one way this can be accomplished is with graphic overlays known as snipes. Little is known about how content providers use snipes and what research they have conducted. This study is qualitative and uses long telephone interviews with 8 respondents from various cable television network and broadcast affiliate stations; examining the characteristics of innovation, as found in Rogers's (1995) diffussion of innovation theory. One discovery is that some cable networks are taking measures to ensure that snipes do not appear during emotional moments in the narrative. The study is the first piece of academic research dedicated to understanding how snipes are used and stands as a foundation for future research on the subject.

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Those who take the Great Commission of Christ seriously realise that enlarging today's mission force is crucial. The Two-thirds World church is in a prime position to meet the need. Cross-cultural mission training would greatly enhance and accelerate the fulfilling of Christ's final mandate to the Church. As founding director of Missions Exposure and Training (MET), a Christian ministry located in Pretoria, South Africa, the author of the thesis lays out the details of the programme for the reader. MET is the case study being considered, with particular emphasis placed on Missionary Candidate School (MCS), the backbone of MET. Before MET is introduced, the thesis begins with the challenge facing the universal Church today: the need to strengthen and enlarge the current mission force. The theological implications of Jesus Christ's mandate to the Church, the missionary purpose of the Church, as well as eschatological concerns build a strong argument for the need of a larger mission force. Demographic changes taking place within the Church mean that Two-thirds World Christians should be considered as a primary resource for cross-cultural mission endeavours. To maximise the potential of the new recruits, which the writer refers to as 'missionary candidates,' further discussion is given for the need of systematic training and equipping of Two-thirds World missionaries. After describing MET and MCS, the programme is critically evaluated. MCS is proven to be effective in training African men and women for intercultural Christian mission service, and as such it becomes a model worth investigating. The clear findings that result from the candid evaluation, and assessments made in light of current theological and missiological issues, should prove to be beneficial to those developing programmes with the purpose of training and equipping Two-thirds World missionaries. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)