SEARCHING HETEROGENEOUS DOCUMENT IMAGE COLLECTIONS

A decrease in data storage costs and widespread use of scanning devices has led to massive quantities of scanned digital documents in corporations, organizations, and governments around the world. Automatically processing these large heterogeneous collections can be difficult due to considerable variation in resolution, quality, font, layout, noise, and content. In order to make this data available to a wide audience, methods for efficient retrieval and analysis from large collections of document images remain an open and important area of research. In this proposal, we present research in three areas that augment the current state of the art in the retrieval and analysis of large heterogeneous document image collections. First, we explore an efficient approach to document image retrieval, which allows users to perform retrieval against large image collections in a query-by-example manner. Our approach is compared to text retrieval of OCR on a collection of 7 million document images collected from lawsuits against tobacco companies. Next, we present research in document verification and change detection, where one may want to quickly determine if two document images contain any differences (document verification) and if so, to determine precisely what and where changes have occurred (change detection). A motivating example is legal contracts, where scanned images are often e-mailed back and forth and small changes can have severe ramifications. Finally, approaches useful for exploiting the biometric properties of handwriting in order to perform writer identification and retrieval in document images are examined

Maritime threat response

This report was prepared by Systems Engineering and Analysis Cohort Nine (SEA-9) Maritime Threat Response, (MTR) team members.Background: The 2006 Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Cross-Campus Integrated Study, titled “Maritime Threat Response” involved the combined effort of 7 NPS Systems Engineering students, 7 Singaporean Temasek Defense Systems Institute (TDSI) students, 12 students from the Total Ship Systems Engineering (TSSE) curriculum, and numerous NPS faculty members from different NPS departments. After receiving tasking provided by the Wayne E. Meyer Institute of Systems Engineering at NPS in support of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, the study examined ways to validate intelligence and respond to maritime terrorist attacks against United States coastal harbors and ports. Through assessment of likely harbors and waterways to base the study upon, the San Francisco Bay was selected as a representative test-bed for the integrated study. The NPS Systems Engineering and Analysis Cohort 9 (SEA-9) Maritime Threat Response (MTR) team, in conjunction with the TDSI students, used the Systems Engineering Lifecycle Process (SELP) [shown in Figure ES-1, p. xxiii ] as a systems engineering framework to conduct the multi-disciplinary study. While not actually fabricating any hardware, such a process was well-suited for tailoring to the team’s research efforts and project focus. The SELP was an iterative process used to bound and scope the MTR problem, determine needs, requirements, functions, and to design architecture alternatives to satisfy stakeholder needs and desires. The SoS approach taken [shown in Figure ES-2, p. xxiv ]enabled the team to apply a systematic approach to problem definition, needs analysis, requirements, analysis, functional analysis, and then architecture development and assessment.In the twenty-first century, the threat of asymmetric warfare in the form of terrorism is one of the most likely direct threats to the United States homeland. It has been recognized that perhaps the key element in protecting the continental United States from terrorist threats is obtaining intelligence of impending attacks in advance. Enormous amounts of resources are currently allocated to obtaining and parsing such intelligence. However, it remains a difficult problem to deal with such attacks once intelligence is obtained. In this context, the Maritime Threat Response Project has applied Systems Engineering processes to propose different cost-effective System of Systems (SoS) architecture solutions to surface-based terrorist threats emanating from the maritime domain. The project applied a five-year time horizon to provide near-term solutions to the prospective decision makers and take maximum advantage of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions and emphasize new Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) for existing systems. Results provided insight into requirements for interagency interactions in support of Maritime Security and demonstrated the criticality of timely and accurate intelligence in support of counterterror operations.This report was prepared for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland DefenseApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Research and Technology 1996: Innovation in Time and Space

As the NASA Center responsible for assembly, checkout, servicing, launch, recovery, and operational support of Space Transportation System elements and payloads, the John F. Kennedy Space Center is placing increasing emphasis on its advanced technology development program. This program encompasses the efforts of the Engineering Development Directorate laboratories, most of the KSC operations contractors, academia, and selected commercial industries - all working in a team effort within their own areas of expertise. This edition of the Kennedy Space Center Research and Technology 1996 Annual Report covers efforts of all these contributors to the KSC advanced technology development program, as well as our technology transfer activities

1990-1992 Wright State University Graduate Course Catalog

This is a Wright State University graduate course catalog from 1990-1992.https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/archives_catalogs/1035/thumbnail.jp

Evidence Based Design of Heuristics: Usability and Computer Assisted Assessment

The research reported here examines the usability of Computer Assisted Assessment(CAA) and the development of domain specific heuristics. CAA is being adopted within educational institutions and the pedagogical implications are widely investigated, but little research has been conducted into the usability of CAA applications. The thesis is: severe usability problems exist in GAA applications causing unacceptable consequences, and that using an evidence based design approach GAA heuristics can be devised The thesis reports a series of evaluations that show severe usability problems do occur in three CAA applications. The process of creating domain specific heuristics is analysed, critiqued and a novel evidence based design approach for the design of domain specific heuristics is proposed. Gathering evidence from evaluations and the literature, a set of heuristics for CAA are presented. There are four main contributions to knowledge in the thesis: the heuristics; the corpus of usability problems; the Damage Index for prioritising usability problems from multiple evaluations and the evidence based design approach to synthesise heuristics. The focus of the research evolves with the first objective being to determine If severe usability problems exist that can cause users d?ffIculties and dissatisfaction with unacceptable consequences whitct using existing commercial CAA software applications? Using a survey methodology, students' report a level of satisfaction but due to low inter-group consistency surveys are judged to be ineffective at eliciting usability problems. Alternative methods are analysed and the heuristic evaluation method is judged to be suitable. A study is designed to evaluate Nielsen's heuristic set within the CAA domain and they are deemed to be ineffective based on the formula proposed by Hanson et al. (2003). Domain specific heuristics are therefore necessary and further studies are designed to build a corpus of usability problems to facilitate the evidence based design approach to synthesise a set of heuristics, in order to aggregate the corpus and prioritise the severity of the problems a Damage Index formula is devised. The work concludes with a discussion of the heuristic design methodology and potential for future work; this includes the application of the CAA heuristics and applying the heuristic design methodology to other specific domains

CONVENTIONAL OR ONLINE MATERIALS: TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS IN AN ENGLISH FOUNDATION PROGRAMME

The growing universality of the English language, coupled with increasing technology integration, has stimulated the creation of new methods of English teaching and learning. What were once labelled alternative forms of learning are becoming mainstream. However, many learning institutions around the world continue to use textbooks to provide the core material for English language courses, with electronic sources to complement them. The Sultanate of Oman is no different, with extensive use of electronic learning aids, including educational software, websites, and apps; online learning materials repositories, such as MReader; and entire course management systems, such as Moodle (Jayaron et al., 2015). This thesis examines the perceptions of teachers and students regarding learning methods in an Omani English Foundation programme and offers suggestions for improved curriculum design. This study was conducted in the Language Centre (LC) at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, to explore how the use of online and traditional materials are perceived by stakeholders. It employed a mixed-methods research design combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study involved 277 level-three students enrolled in the language foundation programme and 13 teachers teaching this level. Two sampling stages were used for selection: systematic sampling (using both quota and systematic sampling methods) and purposive sampling for the whole population. Questionnaires and interviews were employed as the primary data-gathering methods. Quantitative data were analysed through calculation of mean scores that allowed the researcher to develop a mutual framework for comparison. Qualitative data were analysed via a content analysis approach in which key themes were identified from words and sentences. Most of the interview respondents supported technology integration in education; though a lack of computers, as well as low motivation and limited familiarity with online courses were among the challenges noted by the students. Overall, most of the students and instructors involved in the study reported positive attitudes towards the use of both online and traditional learning materials for supporting language teaching

Safety and Reliability - Safe Societies in a Changing World

The contributions cover a wide range of methodologies and application areas for safety and reliability that contribute to safe societies in a changing world. These methodologies and applications include: - foundations of risk and reliability assessment and management - mathematical methods in reliability and safety - risk assessment - risk management - system reliability - uncertainty analysis - digitalization and big data - prognostics and system health management - occupational safety - accident and incident modeling - maintenance modeling and applications - simulation for safety and reliability analysis - dynamic risk and barrier management - organizational factors and safety culture - human factors and human reliability - resilience engineering - structural reliability - natural hazards - security - economic analysis in risk managemen

University of Windsor Graduate Calendar 2006-2008

https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/universitywindsorgraduatecalendars/1021/thumbnail.jp