Video surveillance has long been in use to monitor security sensitive areas such as banks, department stores, crowded public places and borders. The rise in computer speed, availability of cheap large-capacity storage devices and high speed network infrastructure enabled the way for cheaper, multi sensor video surveillance systems. In this thesis, the problem of tracking multiple targets with multiple cameras has been discussed. Cameras have been located so that they have overlapping fields of vision. A dynamic background-modeling algorithm is described for segmenting moving objects from the background, which is capable of adapting to dynamic scene changes and periodic motion, such as illumination change and swaying of trees. After segmentation of foreground scene, the objects to be tracked have been acquired by morphological operations and connected component analysis. For the purpose of tracking the moving objects, an active contour model (snakes) is one of the approaches, in addition to a Kalman tracker. As the main tracking algorithm, a rule based tracker has been developed first for a single camera, and then extended to multiple cameras. Results of used and proposed methods are given in detail.

In MR imaging, techniques for acquisition of reduced data (Rapid MR imaging) are being explored to obtain high-quality images to satisfy the conflicting requirements of simultaneous high spatial and temporal resolution, required for functional studies. The term “rapid” is used because reduction in the volume of data acquisition leads to faster scans. The objective is to obtain high acceleration factors, since it indicates the ability of the technique to yield high-quality images with reduced data (in turn, reduced acquisition time). Reduced data acquisition in conventional (sequential) MR scanners, where a single receiver coil is used, can be achieved either by acquiring only certain k-space regions or by regularly undersampling the entire data in k-space. In parallel MR scanners, where multiple receiver coils are used to acquire high-SNR data, reduced data acquisition is typically accomplished using regular undersampling. Optimal region selection in the 3D k-space (restricted to ky - kz plane, since kx is the readout direction) needs to satisfy “maximum energy compaction” and “minimum acquisition” requirements. In this thesis, a novel star-shaped truncation window is proposed to increase the achievable acceleration factor. The proposed window monotonically cuts down the acquisition of the number of k-space samples with lesser energy. The truncation window samples data within a star-shaped region centered around the origin in the ky - kz plane. The missing values are extrapolated using generalized series modeling-based methods. The proposed method is applied to several real and synthetic data sets. The superior performance of the proposed method is illustrated using the standard measures of error images and uptake curve comparisons. Average values of slope error in estimating the enhancement curve are obtained over 5 real data sets of breast and abdomen images, for an acceleration factor of 8. The proposed method results in a slope error of 5%, while the values obtained using rectangular and elliptical windows are 12% and 10%, respectively. k-t BLAST, a popular method used in cardiac and functional brain imaging, involves regular undersampling. However, the method suffers from drawbacks such as separate training scan, blurred training estimates and aliased phase maps. In this thesis, variations to k-t BLAST have been proposed to overcome the drawbacks. The proposed improved k-t BLAST incorporates variable-density sampling scheme, phase information from the training map and utilization of generalized-series extrapolated training map. The advantage of using a variable density sampling scheme is that the training map is obtained from the actual acquisition instead of a separate pilot scan. Besides, phase information from the training map is used, in place of phase from the aliased map; generalized series extrapolated training map is used instead of the zero-padded training map, leading to better estimation of the unacquired values. The existing technique and the proposed variations are applied on real fMRI data volumes. Improvement in PSNR of activation maps of up to 10 dB. Besides, a reduction of 10% in RMSE is obtained over the entire time series of fMRI images. The peak improvement of the proposed method over k-t BLAST is 35%, averaged over 5 data sets. Most image reconstruction techniques in parallel MR imaging utilize the knowledge of coil sensitivities for image reconstruction, along with assumptions of image reconstruction functions. The thesis proposes an image reconstruction technique that neither needs to estimate coil sensitivities nor makes any assumptions on the image reconstruction function. The proposed cartesian parallel imaging using neural networks, called “Composite image Reconstruction And Unaliasing using Neural Networks” (CRAUNN), is a novel approach based on the observation that the aliasing patterns remain the same irrespective of whether the k-space acquisition consists of only low frequencies or the entire range of k-space frequencies. In the proposed approach, image reconstruction is obtained using the neural network framework. Data acquisition follows a variable-density sampling scheme, where low k-space frequencies are densely sampled, while the rest of the k-space is sparsely sampled. The blurred, unaliased images obtained using the densely sampled low k-space data are used to train the neural network. Image is reconstructed by feeding to the trained network, the aliased images, obtained using the regularly undersampled k-space containing the entire range of k-space frequencies. The proposed approach has been applied to the Shepp-Logan phantom as well as real brain MRI data sets. A visual error measure for estimating the image quality used in compression literature, called SSIM (Structural SIMilarity) index is employed. The average SSIM for the noisy Shepp-Logan phantom (SNR = 10 dB) using the proposed method is 0.68, while those obtained using GRAPPA and SENSE are 0.6 and 0.42, respectively. For the case of the phantom superimposed with fine grid-like structure, the average SSIM index obtained with the proposed method is 0.7, while those for GRAPPA and SENSE are 0.5 and 0.37, respectively. Image reconstruction is more challenging with reduced data acquired using non-cartesian trajectories since aliasing introduced is not localized. Popular technique for non-cartesian parallel imaging CGSENSE suffers from drawbacks like sensitivity to noise and requirement of good coil estimates, while radial/spiral GRAPPA requires complete identical scans to obtain reconstruction kernels for specific trajectories. In our work, the proposed neural network based reconstruction method, CRAUNN, has been shown to work for general non-cartesian acquisitions such as spiral and radial too. In addition, the proposed method does not require coil estimates, or trajectory-specific customized reconstruction kernels. Experiments are performed using radial and spiral trajectories on real and synthetic data, and compared with CGSENSE. Comparison of error images shows that the proposed method has far lesser residual aliasing compared to CGSENSE. The average SSIM index for reconstructions using CRAUNN with spirally and radially undersampled data, are comparable at 0.83 and 0.87, respectively. The same measure for reconstructions using CGSENSE are 0.67 and 0.69, respectively. The average RMSE for reconstructions using CRAUNN with spirally and radially undersampled data, are comparable at 11.1 and 6.1, respectively. The same measure for reconstructions using CGSENSE are 16 and 9.18, respectively.

The doctoral thesis describes methodologies and appropriate adaptations of existing solutions to model land suitability in two ways for the valley and basin areas of the South-Siberian Altai Mountains within a geo-information system (GIS) environment. Starting-point approaches are: 1) the Agricultural Soil Suitability Model „Almagra” and Land Capability Model “Cervatana”/MicroLEIS System (De la Rosa et. al 1992, 1998) developed for Mediterranean regions and a method specifically compiled by Burlakova L. M. (1988) for the Altai based on the weighted means of a factor set. 2) For comparison purposes, second, third and fourth versions of the same model are developed using three different types of Fuzzy Logic approaches. They are used to present how Gauss membership functions of particular classes can be computed as different classes and how variables taking values in ranges can be handled in a mathematical way. Furthermore, the paper presents ideas on how remote sensing might interact with the geo-information system (GIS) where - like in the present case – the required input geo-data are not fully sufficient to (i) feed the models formalising soil and climatic conditions, and (ii) to characterise the patterns of land management within the study area. Three agricultural crops (summer wheat, sunflowers and potatoes) are relevant to the Altai Region at a regional level and are, therefore considered. A rating is classified using five suitability classes according to the FAO classification (1976). For the case study the Uimon Basin was chosen. Social and economic factors are so far excluded but can be added within a further phase of development. / Diese Doktorarbeit beschreibt Methoden und geeignete Anpassungen bereits existierender Lösungen, um auf zwei verschiedenen Wegen die Landeignung für die Tal- und Beckenregionen der Südsibirischen Altaigebirges innerhalb eines Geoinformationssystems zu modellieren (GIS). Die Ausgangsmethoden sind: 1) die Bodeneignungsmodelle „Almagra" and „Cervatana“ (MicroLEIS System), entwickelt für die Mittelmeerregionen (De la Rosa et al. 1992 and 1998) und die „Gewichtsmethode“, welche Burlakova L. M. (1988) speziell für die Altairegion entwickelte. Letztgenannte Methode basiert auf den gewichteten Mitteln für eine gegebene Anzahl von Faktoren. 2) Zum Vergleich, die zweite, dritte und vierte Version des gleichen Modells mit drei unterschiedlichen Typen wurden mit Fuzzy-Logik-Methoden entwickelt. Sie werden benutzt, um darzustellen, wie unscharfe Mengen zum einen die Berechnung von Gauß-Mitgliedschaftsfunktionen bestimmter Klassen veranschaulichen können, welche zu anderen Klassen gehören, und wie die Variablen in einer mathematischen Handhabung angefasst werden können. Außerdem stellt diese Arbeit Ideen vor, wie die Fernerkundung das Geoinformationssystem (GIS) eingesetzt werden kann, wenn - wie im vorliegenden Fall - nur unzureichend Geodaten vorhanden sind, (i) um in die Modellierung der Boden- und Klimabedingungen einzugehen und (ii) um die Charakteristik des Landmanagements im Untersuchungsgebiet zu kennzeichnen. Drei landwirtschaftliche Agrarkulturen (Sommerweizen, Sonnenblumen und Kartoffeln) sind für die Altairegion auf regionaler Ebene von Bedeutung und wurden daher in die vorliegende Untersuchung einbezogen. Die Bewertung erfolgte nach fünf Eignungskategorien, entsprechend der FAO Klassifikation (1976). Das Uimon-Becken wurde als Untersuchungsgebiet ausgewählt. Soziale und ökonomische Faktoren wurden bisher ausgeschlossen, können aber innerhalb einer weiteren Entwicklungsphase hinzugenommen werden.

The author sketches the development and legal status of the European Currency Unit (ECU), the predecessor of today's European single currency Euro, and asks whether from the perspective of (former) German monetary law, this currency unit had to be looked at not as a domestic currency ("Deutsche Mark"), but rather as a foreign one.

近來國內網路社群逐漸普及，國內翻拍網路影音新聞已經成為電視新聞的重要素材來源。不少人宣稱Web2.0平台之後，使用者自創內容(user-generated content)得以擴大公民參與，但學界與實務界都有正反兩面的評價，本研究將從長期使用網路影音內容的台灣大學生，探查網路影音新聞可信度的影響因素為何？ 本研究採用紙本問卷調查，隨機抽樣國內十三所大專院校，有效樣本共達731份，研究結果顯示：（1）大學生主要獲知新聞訊息的管道為網路，公民影音素材對於電視新聞採用作為報導題材而言具其重要性，娛樂影音素材則衝擊新聞專業。（2）電視採用網路影音可信度及網路影音可信度皆獲得較低可信度評價，但在公民參與社會發展上有其意義。（3）大學生使用網路動機上愈偏離求知動機，且重視社交動機；愈注意電視採用網路影音作為素材的新聞，以及愈認同公民影音素材認知與娛樂影音素材認知會有傾向愈高的電視新聞採用網路影音專業可信度，另外，大學生使用網路動機上愈重視社交動機；越注意電視採用網路影音作為素材的新聞，以及愈認同公民影音素材認知與娛樂影音素材認知，會有傾向愈高的電視新聞採用網路影音參與可信度。（4）大學生使用網路動機上愈偏離求知動機；愈注意電視採用網路影音作為素材的新聞，以及愈認同娛樂影音素材認知會有傾向愈高的網路影音內容可信度，另外，大學生使用網路動機上愈偏向求知動機、社交動機與娛樂動機，以及愈認同公民影音素材、娛樂影音素材，會有傾向愈高的網路影音社會可信度。研究顯示網路影音可信度上雖然存疑，但對整體公民社會發展上，有其不容抹滅的意義。 / Social networks have been popular in Taiwan recently, and the online videos becomes the main source of TV news. An argument arises whether user-generated content can enhance civic participation after the appearance of Web 2.0 platform. Therefore, the purpose of thesis aims to examine the news credibility of Internet video news among Taiwanese college students who used to watch video content. The survey employed random sampling to collect 731 valid samples among 13 colleges. The important results of this thesis are listed as below: 1. Internet is the main outlet to gain news information for college students. Civic video is important theme of TV news, while entertainment video content has negative impact on journalism. 2. Both TV news which adapt Internet video and Internet video news have low credibility. 3a. College students who have lower information seeking motive and higher sociability motive for Internet use pay more attention on TV news which adapted Internet videos. 3b. College students who are more identified with civic videos and entertainment videos more likely think TV news which adapted videos have credibility. 3c. College students who have higher sociability motive for Internet use pay more attention on TV news which adapt online videos; 3d. College students who are more identified with civic videos and entertainment videos more likely think TV news which adapted videos have credibility. 4. College students who have less information seeking motives for Internet use pay more attention on TV news which adapt online videos, and college students who are more likely identified with entertainment news video have more credibility on Internet video news. In general, there are positive significant difference between online video credibility and the motives of information seeking, sociability, and entertainment. The results showed that although the credibility of online video is still in doubt, it still have positive devotions.

The modern computerised era in which we live means that all areas of society are subjected to information technology. Children are increasingly exposed to and have access to computers, which necessarily have an influence on their education and development. Seeing that children are the most receptive group when it comes to exposure to new technology, this may have enriching effects on computer literacy, which is often considered part of general literacy. With regards to literacy, reading is one of the skills which pose a high challenge. It is also a key skill that opens the world of information, as most information is received through reading. Any reading stimulation via electronic or printed media that encourages learners to read is considered to improve reading ability, reading speed, reading comprehension and phonetic awareness. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a correlation between early computer exposure and experience (both computer access and use) and reading ability of grade 1 learners. In this study a one shot cross-sectional survey design was used. Schools with grade 1 learners in the Umvoti district of Kwa Zulu Natal were selected to participate in the study - stratified sampling was used. The grade 1 classes were selected on the basis of random sampling. The selected classes (N=4; 85 learners) participated 'intact' in the study. The data was analysed using descriptive as well as inferential statistics (e.g. MANCOVA). / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Medical data exchange between medicine institutions is very important subject. In Lithuania at this time hasn’t installed united medical system which allows doctors to check patient’s case-history from all hospitals. For example abroad, in Canada for example has united medical system in all country hospitals. Canada hospitals has a lot of different medical data store systems installed, and to exchange data between them, they need to accept one united standard, which allows to get and perceive accepted data in all the country. They accepted to use HL7 standard for medical data exchange. I will try to research, can we use Canada practice in Lithuania, some data and other’s research. Our object to create HL7 system which will send HL7 message answers to HL7 message queries. All queries and answers must follow the requirements of HL7 standard. We will use KMU Heart center database which is in operation for data capture. The fact that database is in operation, adds additional data analysing. Analyzing involves how data met, the HL7 requirements and there they must be put in HL7 message. The data coding in HL7 message is defined in HL7 standard, so this part is clear. But the data exchange and events processing part lets user to take his own decisions. In the analytical part of our work we will try to touch questions about data capture from database and coding it to HL7 message. Also we will touch questions about data exchange methods, what tools or solutions must be used to... [to full text]

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti kaip susiję paauglių prieraišumo prie tėvų stilius su interneto naudojimo intensyvumu bei subjektyviu sveikatos vertinimu. Tyrime dalyvavo 142 mokiniai (108 merginos ir 34 vaikinai), 96 mokiniai anketas pildė internetu, 46 Viešojoje įstaigoje Kauno „Vyturio“ katalikiškoje vidurinėje mokykloje. Tiriamieji pildė anketą, kurią sudarė keturios metodikos, prieraišumo stiliaus, žmonės mano gyvenime, subjektyvaus sveikatos vertinimo ir interneto naudojimo intensyvumo klausimynas. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad prieraišumas prie tėvų, subjektyvus sveikatos vertinimas ir interneto naudojimo intensyvumas skiriasi atskirose sociodemografinėse grupėse: vaikinai savo sveikatą vertina geriau nei merginos, paaugliams; gyvenantiems su abiem tėvais, būdingas didesnis prieraišumas prie tėvų ir geresnis subjektyvus sveikatos vertinimas, nei gyvenantiems su vienu iš tėvų; teigiantys, jog nejaučia skausmų, savo sveikatą vertina geriau ir ne taip intensyviai naudoja internetą, nei tiriamieji, pažymėję, jog jaučia skausmus; pildžiusių anketas mokykloje subjektyvus sveikatos vertinimas geresnis, nei pildžiusių anketas internetu. Paauglių subjektyvus sveikatos vertinimas reikšmingai koreliuoja su prieraišumu prie tėvų, gautas ryšys silpnas. Aukštas, žemas paauglių subjektyvus sveikatos vertinimas skirtingose sociodemografinėse grupėse statistiškai reikšmingai skiriasi išskyrus paauglių gyvenančių su vienu iš tėvų. Paaugliams, kuriems būdingas vyraujantis nerimastingo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study was to assess connections between adolescent attachment to parents‘ style with intensity of internet use and self – rated health. The subjects of the study were 142 students (108 girls and 34 boys), 96 students questionnaires were filled out online, 46 studets questionnaires filled out in the Catholic secondary school. Students were asked to fill 4 questionnaires: Relationship Scale Questionnaire, People In My Life, Internet Addiction Test and subjective helth questionnaire. The results of the study showed that attachment to parent, self – rated health and intensity of internet use are different among sociodemographical groups: boys evaluate their health better than the girls. Adolescent who lived with their parent have more attachment to parent and their health is better, comparing with adolescent who lived with one of his parent. Adolescent who wrote that do not feel pain their health are better and they use less intensity of the internet than students, who wrote, that feel pain. Students who filled questionnaire in school have better health than students who filled questionnaire online. Adolescents‘self – rated health was correlated with attachment to parent. Anxious attached subjects have had lower health than save attached subject. Save attached subjects are more attached to parent. Anxious attached subjects are more intensity of internet use.

Tyrimas atliktas, siekiant ištirti aukštųjų mokyklų dėstytojų ir padalinių vadovų informacinį ir kompiuterinį raštingumą. Atliekant tyrimą aptarėme kelias svarbiausias IKT raštingumo kompetencijas: gebėjimą naudotis šiuolaikinėmis informacinėmis komunikacinėmis technologijomis, informacinių gebėjimų turėjimą (informacinis raštingumas) bei informacijos šaltinių naudojimą. Galima teigti, kad dauguma respondentų siekia tobulintis mokydamiesi visą gyvenimą. Vienas iš tobulėjimo žingsnių yra IKT kompetencijos įgijimas. Vertinant atsakymus pastebėta, kad daugelis respondentų pageidautų nemokamų kompiuterinio raštingumo kursų bei rasti galimybę baigiantiems kursus apmok��ti kompiuterinio raštingumo testavimą. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad dėstytojai bei padalinių vadovai siekia tobulinti informacinio raštingumo kompetenciją pasitelkdami įvairaus mokymosi formas. Aukštųjų mokyklų padalinių vadovai bei dėstytojai šalia tradicinių mokymo bei informacijos paieškos priemonių naudoja ir šiuolaikines modernias priemones. Dauguma respondentų, dėstytojai ir vadovai, turi vadybinę kompetenciją ir geba informaciją tvarkyti bei taikyti ugdyme, savo profesinėje veikloje. / The paper presents the results of a survey on information competence of university teachers and heads of university divisions. The aim of the survey was to discuss the main competences of ICT literacy: ability to use modern information and communication technologies, possession of information skills (information literacy) and managerial competence. The results make it possible to assume that the majority of respondents try to improve their qualifications through learning all their lives. One way to improve one’s skills is to gain ICT competence. The analysis of the results of the survey shows that many respondents would like to attend a course on computer literacy and free of charge. The results also show that teachers and division heads try to enhance their information literacy competence by making use of various forms of learning. In trying to achieve this they use both the traditional ways of learning and getting information as well as modern and up-to-date ways. The majority of respondents (teachers and division heads) have managerial skills which allow them to get and manage information and apply it in their professional activities.

Due to the growing mismatch between processor performance and memory latency, many dynamic mechanisms which are “invisible” to the user have been proposed: for example, trace caches and automatic pre-fetch units. However, these dynamic mechanisms have become inadequate due to implicit memory accesses that have become so expensive. On the other hand, compiler-visible mechanisms like SWAR (SIMD Within A Register) and LARs (Line Associative Registers) are potentially more effective at improving data access performance. This thesis investigates applying the same ideas to improve instruction access. ILAR (Instruction LARs) store instructions in wide registers. Instruction blocks are explicitly loaded into ILAR, using block compression to enhance memory bandwidth. The control flow of the program then refers to instructions directly by their position within an ILAR, rather than by lengthy memory addresses. Because instructions are accessed directly from within registers, there is no implicit instruction fetch from memory. This thesis proposes an instruction set architecture for ILAR, investigates a mechanism to load ILAR using the best available block compression algorithm and also develop hardware descriptions for both ILAR and a conventional memory cache model so that performance comparisons could be made on the instruction fetch stage.