A multi-objective performance optimisation framework for video coding

Digital video technologies have become an essential part of the way visual information is created, consumed and communicated. However, due to the unprecedented growth of digital video technologies, competition for bandwidth resources has become fierce. This has highlighted a critical need for optimising the performance of video encoders. However, there is a dual optimisation problem, wherein, the objective is to reduce the buffer and memory requirements while maintaining the quality of the encoded video. Additionally, through the analysis of existing video compression techniques, it was found that the operation of video encoders requires the optimisation of numerous decision parameters to achieve the best trade-offs between factors that affect visual quality; given the resource limitations arising from operational constraints such as memory and complexity. The research in this thesis has focused on optimising the performance of the H.264/AVC video encoder, a process that involved finding solutions for multiple conflicting objectives. As part of this research, an automated tool for optimising video compression to achieve an optimal trade-off between bit rate and visual quality, given maximum allowed memory and computational complexity constraints, within a diverse range of scene environments, has been developed. Moreover, the evaluation of this optimisation framework has highlighted the effectiveness of the developed solution

Cast shadow modelling and detection

Computer vision applications are often confronted by the need to differentiate between objects and their shadows. A number of shadow detection algorithms have been proposed in literature, based on physical, geometrical, and other heuristic techniques. While most of these existing approaches are dependent on the scene environments and object types, the ones that are not, are classified as superior to others conceptually and in terms of accuracy. Despite these efforts, the design of a generic, accurate, simple, and efficient shadow detection algorithm still remains an open problem. In this thesis, based on a physically-derived hypothesis for shadow identification, novel, multi-domain shadow detection algorithms are proposed and tested in the spatial and transform domains. A novel "Affine Shadow Test Hypothesis" has been proposed, derived, and validated across multiple environments. Based on that, several new shadow detection algorithms have been proposed and modelled for short-duration video sequences, where a background frame is available as a reliable reference, and for long duration video sequences, where the use of a dedicated background frame is unreliable. Finally, additional algorithms have been proposed to detect shadows in still images, where the use of a separate background frame is not possible. In this approach, the author shows that the proposed algorithms are capable of detecting cast, and self shadows simultaneously. All proposed algorithms have been modelled, and tested to detect shadows in the spatial (pixel) and transform (frequency) domains and are compared against state-of-art approaches, using popular test and novel videos, covering a wide range of test conditions. It is shown that the proposed algorithms outperform most existing methods and effectively detect different types of shadows under various lighting and environmental conditions

Would Demarketing Strategies Rationalize Household Food Waste Consumption?

The objective of this research was to explore the influence of demarketing strategies on rationalization of household food waste “HFW” in the Gaza Strip “GS”, Palestine. More specifically, this paper concentrated on better understanding of the nature and meaning of demarketing, as well as identifying the factors that drive demarketing and develop a HFW demarketing model. To gather primary data, an empirical research was conducted with 326 questionnaires from the Palestinian citizens in the GS. The findings indicate that there is a relationship between independent variables (product, price, place, and promotion) and the dependent variable (the customer’s behavioral intention towards rationalization of HFW) for a number of reasons that were investigated during the research. The paper then concluded with recommendations for future academic studies and policymakers in Palestine

An examination of assessment practices in colleges of business at various Middle East countries compared to the USA

This study reports the results of a survey conducted during 2007 which was mailed to deans of schools of business at institutions of higher education located within the USA and the Middle East. Schools of business are now more engaged in assessment activities than a few years ago. Assessment activities are more costly and more emphasis seems to be placed on assessing communication skills, critical thinking, and professional knowledge. Colleges of business are relaying heavily on course-embedded measures, followed by indirect measures of assessment. Curriculum and instructional changes were the top-ranked uses of assessment results. Although almost the same percentage of colleges of business in 2007 has specific curriculum/programme objectives as they did in 1999 (92% in 2007 and 88% in 1999), significantly more US colleges actually assess their objectives. While 65% of the US institutions reported assessment activities annually, only 25% of Middle Eastern universities assessed their curriculum annually

Marketing The Non-Profit Organizations,"The Jordan Museum as a case study"

The aim of this paper is to analyse the existing concepts of marketing and the difficulties of applying general marketing techniques in the Jordan Museum and highlighting the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities that are facing the museum. The paper offers marketing suggestions that may influence and assist the Jordan museum to enhance its marketing structure. The gained information for the research was obtained byusing articles, books, case studies, interviews. This method is used to gain Varity of information, points of views, and attitudes. The questions deducted in the interviews focused on whether if the Museum in question is placed on the well-known tourist trail. Another focus was upon the tools & techniques should be used in marketing. The paper also investigated if there is any marketing plan considered and whether the museums in Jordan has been discussed or even mentioned in any of the international tourism or cultural conference’s Which Jordan is invited to. The result showed that The Jordan Museum lacks any marketing innovation and having no clear marketing plan. The museum can overcome this by reconsidering its priorities enclosing new marketing techniques.  Key Words: Museums, Marketing mix, Nonprofit Organization DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/40-0

Positioning film tourism at the top of mental awareness: some explanatory insights from the Jordanian case.

The production of film-induced tourism has lately gained extensive support in global tourism literature and among destination promotions alike, with limited attention given to movie locations in developing countries, including reality TV programmes sets. This paper gives witness to the effect of motion pictures including Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and The Martian movie, upon tourist visitation selection. For this purpose a conceptual 3 P’s model was developed to explore the extent and influence to position film locations in the top of mind awareness for potential tourists. This integration was conducted using a total of 35 interviews with tourists as respondents from different nationalities during their trip to a Jordanian destination, and by referring to each film’s blog site. The data received was from a content analysis from the interviews, and the frequency results indicated that film tourism is a secondary motive tourism experience due to the missing of the idea of identifying film location in narratives indicative in understood language, short time shooting of scenes, and the run of productions of films. The results do not disregard the idea that a strong perceived awareness has been achieved by watching reality TV shows as types of documentary series rather than cinema movies. Grounded on our empirical analysis, this paper proposes a research agenda that integrates the real socio-cultural attributes of the destination to film tourism production

Association of the Genomic Profile of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma with Tumor Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes in an International Multicenter Study

Purpose: The prognostic importance of RET and RAS mutations and their relationship to clinicopathologic parameters and outcomes in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) need to be clarified. Experimental Design: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed utilizing data from 290 patients with MTC. The molecular profile was determined and associations were examined with clinicopathologic data and outcomes. Results: RET germ line mutations were detected in 40 patients (16.3%). Somatic RET and RAS mutations occurred in 135 (46.9%) and 57 (19.8%) patients, respectively. RETM918T was the most common somatic RET mutation (n = 75). RET somatic mutations were associated with male sex, larger tumor size, advanced American Joint Committee Cancer (AJCC) stage, vascular invasion, and high International Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Grading System (IMTCGS) grade. When compared with other RET somatic mutations, RETM918T was associated with younger age, AJCC (eighth edition) IV, vascular invasion, extrathyroidal extension, and positive margins. RET somatic or germ line mutations were significantly associated with reduced distant metastasis-free survival on univariate analysis, but there were no significant independent associations on multivariable analysis, after adjusting for tumor grade and stage. There were no significant differences in outcomes between RET somatic and RET germ line mutations, or between RETM918T and other RET mutations. Other recurrent molecular alterations included TP53 (4.2%), ARID2 (2.9%), SETD2 (2.9%), KMT2A (2.9%), and KMT2C (2.9%). Among them, TP53 mutations were associated with decreased overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS), independently of tumor grade and AJCC stage. Conclusions: RET somatic mutations were associated with high-grade, aggressive primary tumor characteristics, and decreased distant metastatic-free survival but this relationship was not significant after accounting for tumor grade and disease stage. RETM918T was associated with aggressive primary tumors but was not independently associated with clinical outcomes. TP53 mutation may represent an adverse molecular event associated with decreased OS and DSS in MTC, but its prognostic value needs to be confirmed in future studies