Current Search: Surveillance (x)
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(1 - 15 of 15)
- Title
- TAMING CROWDED VISUAL SCENES.
- Creator
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Ali, Saad, Shah, Mubarak, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Computer vision algorithms have played a pivotal role in commercial video surveillance systems for a number of years. However, a common weakness among these systems is their inability to handle crowded scenes. In this thesis, we have developed algorithms that overcome some of the challenges encountered in videos of crowded environments such as sporting events, religious festivals, parades, concerts, train stations, airports, and malls. We adopt a top-down approach by first performing a global...
Show moreComputer vision algorithms have played a pivotal role in commercial video surveillance systems for a number of years. However, a common weakness among these systems is their inability to handle crowded scenes. In this thesis, we have developed algorithms that overcome some of the challenges encountered in videos of crowded environments such as sporting events, religious festivals, parades, concerts, train stations, airports, and malls. We adopt a top-down approach by first performing a global-level analysis that locates dynamically distinct crowd regions within the video. This knowledge is then employed in the detection of abnormal behaviors and tracking of individual targets within crowds. In addition, the thesis explores the utility of contextual information necessary for persistent tracking and re-acquisition of objects in crowded scenes. For the global-level analysis, a framework based on Lagrangian Particle Dynamics is proposed to segment the scene into dynamically distinct crowd regions or groupings. For this purpose, the spatial extent of the video is treated as a phase space of a time-dependent dynamical system in which transport from one region of the phase space to another is controlled by the optical flow. Next, a grid of particles is advected forward in time through the phase space using a numerical integration to generate a ``flow map''. The flow map relates the initial positions of particles to their final positions. The spatial gradients of the flow map are used to compute a Cauchy Green Deformation tensor that quantifies the amount by which the neighboring particles diverge over the length of the integration. The maximum eigenvalue of the tensor is used to construct a forward Finite Time Lyapunov Exponent (FTLE) field that reveals the Attracting Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS). The same process is repeated by advecting the particles backward in time to obtain a backward FTLE field that reveals the repelling LCS. The attracting and repelling LCS are the time dependent invariant manifolds of the phase space and correspond to the boundaries between dynamically distinct crowd flows. The forward and backward FTLE fields are combined to obtain one scalar field that is segmented using a watershed segmentation algorithm to obtain the labeling of distinct crowd-flow segments. Next, abnormal behaviors within the crowd are localized by detecting changes in the number of crowd-flow segments over time. Next, the global-level knowledge of the scene generated by the crowd-flow segmentation is used as an auxiliary source of information for tracking an individual target within a crowd. This is achieved by developing a scene structure-based force model. This force model captures the notion that an individual, when moving in a particular scene, is subjected to global and local forces that are functions of the layout of that scene and the locomotive behavior of other individuals in his or her vicinity. The key ingredients of the force model are three floor fields that are inspired by research in the field of evacuation dynamics; namely, Static Floor Field (SFF), Dynamic Floor Field (DFF), and Boundary Floor Field (BFF). These fields determine the probability of moving from one location to the next by converting the long-range forces into local forces. The SFF specifies regions of the scene that are attractive in nature, such as an exit location. The DFF, which is based on the idea of active walker models, corresponds to the virtual traces created by the movements of nearby individuals in the scene. The BFF specifies influences exhibited by the barriers within the scene, such as walls and no-entry areas. By combining influence from all three fields with the available appearance information, we are able to track individuals in high-density crowds. The results are reported on real-world sequences of marathons and railway stations that contain thousands of people. A comparative analysis with respect to an appearance-based mean shift tracker is also conducted by generating the ground truth. The result of this analysis demonstrates the benefit of using floor fields in crowded scenes. The occurrence of occlusion is very frequent in crowded scenes due to a high number of interacting objects. To overcome this challenge, we propose an algorithm that has been developed to augment a generic tracking algorithm to perform persistent tracking in crowded environments. The algorithm exploits the contextual knowledge, which is divided into two categories consisting of motion context (MC) and appearance context (AC). The MC is a collection of trajectories that are representative of the motion of the occluded or unobserved object. These trajectories belong to other moving individuals in a given environment. The MC is constructed using a clustering scheme based on the Lyapunov Characteristic Exponent (LCE), which measures the mean exponential rate of convergence or divergence of the nearby trajectories in a given state space. Next, the MC is used to predict the location of the occluded or unobserved object in a regression framework. It is important to note that the LCE is used for measuring divergence between a pair of particles while the FTLE field is obtained by computing the LCE for a grid of particles. The appearance context (AC) of a target object consists of its own appearance history and appearance information of the other objects that are occluded. The intent is to make the appearance descriptor of the target object more discriminative with respect to other unobserved objects, thereby reducing the possible confusion between the unobserved objects upon re-acquisition. This is achieved by learning the distribution of the intra-class variation of each occluded object using all of its previous observations. In addition, a distribution of inter-class variation for each target-unobservable object pair is constructed. Finally, the re-acquisition decision is made using both the MC and the AC.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002135, ucf:47507
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002135
- Title
- A SELF-ORGANIZING HYBRID SENSOR SYSTEM WITH DISTRIBUTED DATA FUSION FOR INTRUDER TRACKING AND SURVEILLANCE.
- Creator
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Palaniappan, Ravishankar, Wahid, Parveen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A wireless sensor network is a network of distributed nodes each equipped with its own sensors, computational resources and transceivers. These sensors are designed to be able to sense specific phenomenon over a large geographic area and communicate this information to the user. Most sensor networks are designed to be stand-alone systems that can operate without user intervention for long periods of time. While the use of wireless sensor networks have been demonstrated in various military and...
Show moreA wireless sensor network is a network of distributed nodes each equipped with its own sensors, computational resources and transceivers. These sensors are designed to be able to sense specific phenomenon over a large geographic area and communicate this information to the user. Most sensor networks are designed to be stand-alone systems that can operate without user intervention for long periods of time. While the use of wireless sensor networks have been demonstrated in various military and commercial applications, their full potential has not been realized primarily due to the lack of efficient methods to self organize and cover the entire area of interest. Techniques currently available focus solely on homogeneous wireless sensor networks either in terms of static networks or mobile networks and suffers from device specific inadequacies such as lack of coverage, power and fault tolerance. Failing nodes result in coverage loss and breakage in communication connectivity and hence there is a pressing need for a fault tolerant system to allow replacing of the failed nodes. In this dissertation, a unique hybrid sensor network is demonstrated that includes a host of mobile sensor platforms. It is shown that the coverage area of the static sensor network can be improved by self-organizing the mobile sensor platforms to allow interaction with the static sensor nodes and thereby increase the coverage area. The performance of the hybrid sensor network is analyzed for a set of N mobile sensors to determine and optimize parameters such as the position of the mobile nodes for maximum coverage of the sensing area without loss of signal between the mobile sensors, static nodes and the central control station. A novel approach to tracking dynamic targets is also presented. Unlike other tracking methods that are based on computationally complex methods, the strategy adopted in this work is based on a computationally simple but effective technique of received signal strength indicator measurements. The algorithms developed in this dissertation are based on a number of reasonable assumptions that are easily verified in a densely distributed sensor network and require simple computations that efficiently tracks the target in the sensor field. False alarm rate, probability of detection and latency are computed and compared with other published techniques. The performance analysis of the tracking system is done on an experimental testbed and also through simulation and the improvement in accuracy over other methods is demonstrated.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003024, ucf:48347
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003024
- Title
- Applications of Compressive Sensing To Surveillance Problems.
- Creator
-
Huff, Christopher, Mohapatra, Ram, Sun, Qiyu, Han, Deguang, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In many surveillance scenarios, one concern that arises is how to construct an imager that is capable of capturing the scene with high fidelity. This could be problematic for two reasons: first, the optics and electronics in the camera may have difficulty in dealing with so much information; secondly, bandwidth constraints, may pose difficulty in transmitting information from the imager to the user efficiently for reconstruction or realization. In this thesis, we will discuss a mathematical...
Show moreIn many surveillance scenarios, one concern that arises is how to construct an imager that is capable of capturing the scene with high fidelity. This could be problematic for two reasons: first, the optics and electronics in the camera may have difficulty in dealing with so much information; secondly, bandwidth constraints, may pose difficulty in transmitting information from the imager to the user efficiently for reconstruction or realization. In this thesis, we will discuss a mathematical framework that is capable of skirting the two aforementioned issues. This framework is rooted in a technique commonly referred to as compressive sensing. We will explore two of the seminal works in compressive sensing and will present the key theorems and definitions from these two papers. We will then survey three different surveillance scenarios and their respective compressive sensing solutions. The original contribution of this thesis is the development of a distributed compressive sensing model.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004317, ucf:49473
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004317
- Title
- PRIVACY, SURVEILLANCE AND THE STATE: A COMPARISON OF U.S. AND BRITISH PRIVACY RIGHTS.
- Creator
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Lander, Angelina, Kinsey, Barbara Sgouraki, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study investigates the effects of institutional structure on the privacy rights regimes in the United States and the United Kingdom, from 2000-2006. The goal of this research is to analyze how variation in the institutional arrangements across these two countries allowed for more or less protection of privacy rights for citizens. Domestic terrorist attacks during the time period represent a catalyst for changes in police and government surveillance activities. Veto points literature...
Show moreThis study investigates the effects of institutional structure on the privacy rights regimes in the United States and the United Kingdom, from 2000-2006. The goal of this research is to analyze how variation in the institutional arrangements across these two countries allowed for more or less protection of privacy rights for citizens. Domestic terrorist attacks during the time period represent a catalyst for changes in police and government surveillance activities. Veto points literature provides the framework for institutional comparison. The first part of the research provides a discussion of the historical evolution of privacy rights in both states, focusing on government and police surveillance and investigations. The second part of the research, based on veto points theory, compares the institutional arrangements of the United States and the United Kingdom, and suggests that the number of veto points and the ideological proximity of veto players have had an effect on the formulation of policy. Laws governing surveillance, investigations and privacy in the year 2000 provide a benchmark for analyzing how policies change over time.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002772, ucf:48095
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002772
- Title
- A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE USA PATRIOT ACT OF 2001 TO THE USA FREEDOM ACT OF 2015: BALANCING SECURITY WITH LIBERTY.
- Creator
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Russo, Richard, Slaughter, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Freedom and safety are two ideals that American citizens value greatly; however, the balance between privacy and security determines whether or not both can be achieved in a reasonable manner. Security and privacy are not mutually exclusive; however, they tend to exhibit an inverse correlation with regards to maintaining individual liberties. Security and privacy are highly beneficial, but when one is given too much weight, the other most often suffers. When the United States citizens are...
Show moreFreedom and safety are two ideals that American citizens value greatly; however, the balance between privacy and security determines whether or not both can be achieved in a reasonable manner. Security and privacy are not mutually exclusive; however, they tend to exhibit an inverse correlation with regards to maintaining individual liberties. Security and privacy are highly beneficial, but when one is given too much weight, the other most often suffers. When the United States citizens are given too much privacy through regulations, the citizens risk their well-being by not allowing the government the ability to prevent dangerous activities being done by criminals. Citizens are unable to defend themselves against foreign and domestic threats of terrorism that affect large amounts of people such as bombings in public settings; however, the federal government can help to prevent such attacks in public settings through surveillance of public areas and monitoring of internet and intracellular communications. When the United States federal government is given too much discretion in security powers through legislation, citizens are at risk of losing their civil rights granted in the Bill of Rights and in Supreme Court cases. The United States of America has had a dangerous imbalance of power in favor of national security since the adoption of the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001, and the imbalance has continued to the present even after the passage of the USA FREEDOM Act in 2015.This thesis will be a comparative analysis of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 to the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015. This thesis will show what specific powers are granted through provisions of the acts, whether or not the provisions are unconstitutional, how the privacy and security of American citizens will change due to the provisions in the USA FREEDOM Act, and suggestions for how the United States federal government can continue to tilt the balance between security and liberty to ensure more protection for civil liberties and a decrease in national security powers. The suggestions will include three options for gaining the protection of civil liberties and the elimination of certain national security powers and the options are through Supreme Court cases on national security laws pertaining to individual cases or states, Congress passing concurring minor bills with the proposed plan to fully repeal granted national security powers without disturbing congressional alliances on other measures, and Congress passing a single act called the State Surveillance Repeal Act in order to fully repeal the USA PATRIOT Act provisions that would still be in effect after the passage of the USA FREEDOM Act.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004862, ucf:45466
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004862
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND ETHICAL RAMIFICATIONS OF VIDEO SURVEILLANCE IN THE ICU.
- Creator
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Bagge, Laura, Heglund, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this review of literature is to investigate the various roles of video surveillance (VS) in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) as well as its legal and ethical implications. Today, hospitals spend more money on the ICU than on any other unit. By 2030, the population of those 65 and over is expected to double. 80% of older adults have at least one chronic diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). As a consequence, the demand for ICU services will likely...
Show moreThe purpose of this review of literature is to investigate the various roles of video surveillance (VS) in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) as well as its legal and ethical implications. Today, hospitals spend more money on the ICU than on any other unit. By 2030, the population of those 65 and over is expected to double. 80% of older adults have at least one chronic diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). As a consequence, the demand for ICU services will likely increase, which may burden hospital with additional costs.. Because of increasing economic pressures, more hospitals are using video surveillance to enhance quality care and reduce ICU costs (Goran, 2012). Research shows that VS enhances positive outcomes among patients and best practice compliance among hospital staff. The results are fewer reports of patient complications and days spent in the ICU, and an increase in reported hospital savings. In addition, VS is becoming an important tool for the families of newborns in the neonatal ICU (NICU). The belief is that the VS can facilitate parent-baby bonding. In the United States of America, privacy rights impose legal restrictions on VS. These rights come from the U.S. Constitution, Statutory law, Regulatory law, and State law. HIPPA authorizes the patient to control the use and disclosure of his or her health information. Accordingly, hospitals are under obligation to inform patients on their right to protected health information. It is appropriate that hospitals use VS for diagnostic purposes as long as they have obtained patient consent. According to modern day privacy experts Charles Fried and Alan Westin, a violation of a person's privacy equates a violation on their liberty and morality. However, if a physician suspects that a third party person is causing harm to the patient, than the use of covert VS is justifiable.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004475, ucf:45138
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004475
- Title
- PROFILING BY ANY OTHER NAME COULD BE THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT.
- Creator
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Malloy, Evan, Brown, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The undergraduate thesis began with the research question of whether the Islamic community is being profiled by the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. At the beginning of the project, the researcher's hypothesis was that Muslim community had fallen victim to profiling through the use of electronic surveillance conducted by the American government. The research presented reveals a pattern of profiling and injustices...
Show moreThe undergraduate thesis began with the research question of whether the Islamic community is being profiled by the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. At the beginning of the project, the researcher's hypothesis was that Muslim community had fallen victim to profiling through the use of electronic surveillance conducted by the American government. The research presented reveals a pattern of profiling and injustices against many different groups of Americans throughout the history of United States surveillance laws starting with the illegal alcohol producers in the 1920's. Amendments to FISA have set necessary modern electronic surveillance regulations back 30 years. The researcher brings to light the injustices the Islamic community has endured out of the panic caused by the attacks on 9/11. The research presented was achieved by using empirical legal studies techniques of incorporating a mix-methods approach to utilize both quantitative and qualitative research components. The researcher developed a spreadsheet that included all published federal opinions of prosecutions involving FISA since its enactment in 1978. Statistical data was analyzed using frequency and average software, known as Stata, and the results of study suggest an extreme increase in the amount of prosecutions involving the Islamic community since 9/11 compared to prior.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003853, ucf:44694
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003853
- Title
- SCENE MONITORING WITH A FOREST OF COOPERATIVE SENSORS.
- Creator
-
Javed, Omar, Shah, Mubarak, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In this dissertation, we present vision based scene interpretation methods for monitoring of people and vehicles, in real-time, within a busy environment using a forest of co-operative electro-optical (EO) sensors. We have developed novel video understanding algorithms with learning capability, to detect and categorize people and vehicles, track them with in a camera and hand-off this information across multiple networked cameras for multi-camera tracking. The ability to learn prevents the...
Show moreIn this dissertation, we present vision based scene interpretation methods for monitoring of people and vehicles, in real-time, within a busy environment using a forest of co-operative electro-optical (EO) sensors. We have developed novel video understanding algorithms with learning capability, to detect and categorize people and vehicles, track them with in a camera and hand-off this information across multiple networked cameras for multi-camera tracking. The ability to learn prevents the need for extensive manual intervention, site models and camera calibration, and provides adaptability to changing environmental conditions. For object detection and categorization in the video stream, a two step detection procedure is used. First, regions of interest are determined using a novel hierarchical background subtraction algorithm that uses color and gradient information for interest region detection. Second, objects are located and classified from within these regions using a weakly supervised learning mechanism based on co-training that employs motion and appearance features. The main contribution of this approach is that it is an online procedure in which separate views (features) of the data are used for co-training, while the combined view (all features) is used to make classification decisions in a single boosted framework. The advantage of this approach is that it requires only a few initial training samples and can automatically adjust its parameters online to improve the detection and classification performance. Once objects are detected and classified they are tracked in individual cameras. Single camera tracking is performed using a voting based approach that utilizes color and shape cues to establish correspondence in individual cameras. The tracker has the capability to handle multiple occluded objects. Next, the objects are tracked across a forest of cameras with non-overlapping views. This is a hard problem because of two reasons. First, the observations of an object are often widely separated in time and space when viewed from non-overlapping cameras. Secondly, the appearance of an object in one camera view might be very different from its appearance in another camera view due to the differences in illumination, pose and camera properties. To deal with the first problem, the system learns the inter-camera relationships to constrain track correspondences. These relationships are learned in the form of multivariate probability density of space-time variables (object entry and exit locations, velocities, and inter-camera transition times) using Parzen windows. To handle the appearance change of an object as it moves from one camera to another, we show that all color transfer functions from a given camera to another camera lie in a low dimensional subspace. The tracking algorithm learns this subspace by using probabilistic principal component analysis and uses it for appearance matching. The proposed system learns the camera topology and subspace of inter-camera color transfer functions during a training phase. Once the training is complete, correspondences are assigned using the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation framework using both the location and appearance cues. Extensive experiments and deployment of this system in realistic scenarios has demonstrated the robustness of the proposed methods. The proposed system was able to detect and classify targets, and seamlessly tracked them across multiple cameras. It also generated a summary in terms of key frames and textual description of trajectories to a monitoring officer for final analysis and response decision. This level of interpretation was the goal of our research effort, and we believe that it is a significant step forward in the development of intelligent systems that can deal with the complexities of real world scenarios.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000497, ucf:46362
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000497
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF EICU TECHNOLOGY ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF ICU PATIENTS: ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF PATIENT, HOSPITAL, AND UNIT CHARACTERISTICS TO PROXIMAL AND DISTAL OUTCOMES.
- Creator
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Chandler, Michelle, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ABSTRACT Each year approximately five million people are treated in the nation's intensive care units making intensive care one of the most expensive components of the U.S. healthcare system. Of these patients, 400,000-500,000 will die annually giving the ICU the distinction of having the highest rate of mortality and complications in the hospital setting. Studies have demonstrated that one in ten patients who die each day in ICUs might survive if intensivists were present to manage...
Show moreABSTRACT Each year approximately five million people are treated in the nation's intensive care units making intensive care one of the most expensive components of the U.S. healthcare system. Of these patients, 400,000-500,000 will die annually giving the ICU the distinction of having the highest rate of mortality and complications in the hospital setting. Studies have demonstrated that one in ten patients who die each day in ICUs might survive if intensivists were present to manage clinical care and direct treatment plans (Randolph & Pronovost, 2002; Dimick, Pronovost, Heitmiller & Lipsett, 2001; Pronovost et al., 2002). The utilization of supplemental remote telemedicine has been investigated as a means of compensating for the limited resource of intensivists (Breslow et al., 2004; Rosenfeld et al., 2000). One specific use of this technology, the electronic intensive care unit or eICU®, has previously demonstrated the potential to improve physiological and economic outcomes in ICU patients through the use of integrated decision-support and patient data systems. The present study focuses on the eICU® as a 21st century technology capable of improving the quality of patient care and identifies those factors most likely to impact the success of this clinical intervention. This research utilizes a non-experimental pre-and post-intervention study design and examines patient data collected on all admissions to five ICUs managed by two regional tertiary care hospitals during a 36-month time period. Each ICU is equipped with eICU® software systems that allow intensivist surveillance of patients from a remote facility. The data is analyzed using both structural equation modeling and decision tree regression modeling to statistically evaluate the effects of patient, hospital and unit characteristics on proximal and distal outcomes in ICU patients. As the development of clinical complications subsequently affects patient length of stay, cost of stay, and mortality, it becomes increasingly imperative to seek interventions capable of reducing the risk of unfavorable patient outcomes. This study closely examines one such intervention, the eICU®.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001959, ucf:47464
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001959
- Title
- Detecting, Tracking, and Recognizing Activities in Aerial Video.
- Creator
-
Reilly, Vladimir, Shah, Mubarak, Georgiopoulos, Michael, Stanley, Kenneth, Dogariu, Aristide, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In this dissertation we address the problem of detecting humans and vehicles, tracking their identities in crowded scenes, and finally determining human activities. First, we tackle the problem of detecting moving as well as stationary objects in scenes that contain parallax and shadows. We constrain the search of pedestrians and vehicles by representing them as shadow casting out of plane or (SCOOP) objects.Next, we propose a novel method for tracking a large number of densely moving objects...
Show moreIn this dissertation we address the problem of detecting humans and vehicles, tracking their identities in crowded scenes, and finally determining human activities. First, we tackle the problem of detecting moving as well as stationary objects in scenes that contain parallax and shadows. We constrain the search of pedestrians and vehicles by representing them as shadow casting out of plane or (SCOOP) objects.Next, we propose a novel method for tracking a large number of densely moving objects in aerial video. We divide the scene into grid cells to define a set of local scene constraints which we use as part of the matching cost function to solve the tracking problem which allows us to track fast-moving objects in low frame rate videos.Finally, we propose a method for recognizing human actions from few examples. We use the bag of words action representation, assume that most of the classes have many examples, and construct Support Vector Machine models for each class. We then use Support Vector Machines for classes with many examples to improve the decision function of the Support Vector Machine that was trained using few examples via late fusion of weighted decision values.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004627, ucf:49935
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004627
- Title
- Ventilator-Associated Complications in the Mechanically Ventilated Veteran.
- Creator
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Grano, Joan, Sole, Mary, Covelli, Maureen, Talbert, Steven, McGuirt, Aron, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Surveillance of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been the common outcome measurement used for internal and external benchmarking for mechanically ventilated patients; and although not a clinical definition, it is commonly used as an outcome measurement for research studies. Criteria in the VAP definition include both subjective and objective components, leading to questions of validity. In addition, recent legislation has mandated the public reporting of healthcare-associated...
Show moreSurveillance of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been the common outcome measurement used for internal and external benchmarking for mechanically ventilated patients; and although not a clinical definition, it is commonly used as an outcome measurement for research studies. Criteria in the VAP definition include both subjective and objective components, leading to questions of validity. In addition, recent legislation has mandated the public reporting of healthcare-associated infections, including VAP, in many states. Infectious disease experts have recently recommended monitoring a new outcome, ventilator-associated events (VAE), that contain specific objective criteria. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have refined this definition and released a new VAE protocol and algorithm, replacing the VAP surveillance definition, as a result. The VAE protocol assesses for ventilator-associated conditions (VAC). The primary aims of this study were to determine the incidence of VAC; and to assess four predictors for VAC, including two VAP prevention strategies (use of the subglottic secretion drainage endotracheal-tube [SSD-ETT]), and daily sedation vacation); and two patient-related factors (alcohol withdrawal during mechanical ventilation, and history of COPD). In addition, the incidence for VAE, using a new national algorithm was determined. Using a retrospective study design, electronic medical records of 280 veterans were reviewed to identify cases of VAC using the VAE algorithm. The setting was two intensive care units (ICU) at a large Veterans Administration Healthcare System (VAHCS) from October 2009 to September 2011. In addition to demographic information, variables were collected to determine if cases met event criteria (VAC, infection-related ventilator-associated complication [IVAC], and possible or probable VAP). Incidence rates were calculated for VAC and IVAC. Comparative data between those with and without VAC were assessed with independent sample T-test or non-parametric equivalents. The study sample was predominantly male (97.1%), Caucasian (92.1%), non-Hispanic (90.7%); with a mean (SD) age of 67.2 (10.4) years. Twenty patients met the VAC definition resulting in a VAC incidence of 7.38 per 1000 ventilator days. There were no statistically significant differences in demographics or disease characteristics found between the two groups (patients with VAC and patients without VAC). Using logistic regression, the impact of the four predictors for VAC was assessed. None of the four explanatory variables were predictive of the occurrence of VAC. Secondary outcomes (e.g. mechanical ventilation days, ICU days, hospital days, and mortality) of veterans with VAC were compared to veterans without VAC. Results indicated that the VAC group was associated with a significantly longer duration of ICU stay, longer mechanical ventilation period, more likely to have a tracheostomy, and had a higher mortality during hospitalization. Expanding mechanical ventilation quality performance measures to include VAE/VAC provides a better representation of infectious and non-infectious ventilator-associated problems, and provides more accurate morbidity and mortality in this high-risk ICU population. Further research is necessary to explore patient characteristics and prevention strategies that impact the development of all VAC.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004853, ucf:49706
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004853
- Title
- Turtle Cam: Live Multimedia Interaction For Engaging Potential Visitor Population To Canaveral National Seashore.
- Creator
-
Tortorelli, Brian, Cabrera, Cheryl, Lindgren, Robb, Reedy, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This project expands the outreach of the Canaveral National Seashore to its visitors, potential visitors, and virtual visitors through its goals in conservancy and preservation of its natural resources. This paper is involved with the current iteration of a series of digital media projects, the Sea Turtle Nest Camera, also known as, Turtle Cam. It details how and why this project was designed to be an ongoing initiative to assist in those goals.
- Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004330, ucf:49446
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004330
- Title
- COUNTER-TERRORISM: WHEN DO STATES ADOPT NEW ANTI-TERROR LEGISLATION?.
- Creator
-
Clesca, Princelee, Dolan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The intent of this thesis is to research the anti-terror legislation of 15 countries and the history of terrorist incidents within those countries. Both the anti-terror legislation and the history of terrorist incidents will be researched within the time period of 1980 to 2009, a 30 year span. This thesis will seek to establish a relationship between the occurrence of terrorist events and when states change their anti-terror legislation. Legislation enacted can vary greatly. Common changes in...
Show moreThe intent of this thesis is to research the anti-terror legislation of 15 countries and the history of terrorist incidents within those countries. Both the anti-terror legislation and the history of terrorist incidents will be researched within the time period of 1980 to 2009, a 30 year span. This thesis will seek to establish a relationship between the occurrence of terrorist events and when states change their anti-terror legislation. Legislation enacted can vary greatly. Common changes in legislation seek to undercut the financing of terrorist organizations, criminalize behaviors, or empower state surveillance capabilities. A quantitative analysis will be performed to establish a relationship between terrorist attacks and legislative changes. A qualitative discussion will follow to analyze specific anti-terror legislation passed by states in response to terrorist events.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004851, ucf:45451
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004851
- Title
- BRAVE NEW WORLD RELOADED: ADVOCATING FOR BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL SEARCH PROTECTIONS TO APPLY TO CELL PHONES FROM EAVESDROPPING AND TRACKING BY THE GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE ENTITIES.
- Creator
-
Berrios-Ayala, Mark, Milon, Abby, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Imagine a world where someone's personal information is constantly compromised, where federal government entities AKA Big Brother always knows what anyone is Googling, who an individual is texting, and their emoticons on Twitter. Government entities have been doing this for years; they never cared if they were breaking the law or their moral compass of human dignity. Every day the Federal government blatantly siphons data with programs from the original ECHELON to the new series like PRISM...
Show moreImagine a world where someone's personal information is constantly compromised, where federal government entities AKA Big Brother always knows what anyone is Googling, who an individual is texting, and their emoticons on Twitter. Government entities have been doing this for years; they never cared if they were breaking the law or their moral compass of human dignity. Every day the Federal government blatantly siphons data with programs from the original ECHELON to the new series like PRISM and Xkeyscore so they can keep their tabs on issues that are none of their business; namely, the personal lives of millions. Our allies are taking note; some are learning our bad habits, from Government Communications Headquarters' (GCHQ) mass shadowing sharing plan to America's Russian inspiration, SORM. Some countries are following the United States' poster child pose of a Brave New World like order of global events. Others like Germany are showing their resolve in their disdain for the rise of tyranny. Soon, these new found surveillance troubles will test the resolve of the American Constitution and its nation's strong love and tradition of liberty. Courts are currently at work to resolve how current concepts of liberty and privacy apply to the current conditions facing the privacy of society. It remains to be determined how liberty will be affected as well; liberty for the United States of America, for the European Union, the Russian Federation and for the people of the World in regards to the extent of privacy in today's blurred privacy expectations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004537, ucf:45187
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004537
- Title
- Investigating the universality and comprehensive ability of measures to assess the state of workload.
- Creator
-
Abich, Julian, Reinerman, Lauren, Lackey, Stephanie, Szalma, James, Taylor, Grant, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Measures of workload have been developed on the basis of the various definitions, some are designed to capture the multi-dimensional aspects of a unitary resource pool (Kahneman, 1973) while others are developed on the basis of multiple resource theory (Wickens, 2002). Although many theory based workload measures exist, others have often been constructed to serve the purpose of specific experimental tasks. As a result, it is likely that not every workload measure is reliable and valid for all...
Show moreMeasures of workload have been developed on the basis of the various definitions, some are designed to capture the multi-dimensional aspects of a unitary resource pool (Kahneman, 1973) while others are developed on the basis of multiple resource theory (Wickens, 2002). Although many theory based workload measures exist, others have often been constructed to serve the purpose of specific experimental tasks. As a result, it is likely that not every workload measure is reliable and valid for all tasks, much less each domain. To date, no single measure, systematically tested across experimental tasks, domains, and other measures is considered a universal measure of workload. Most researchers would argue that multiple measures from various categories should be applied to a given task to comprehensively assess workload. The goal for Study 1 to establish task load manipulations for two theoretically different tasks that induce distinct levels of workload assessed by both subjective and performance measures was successful. The results of the subjective responses support standardization and validation of the tasks and demands of that task for investigating workload. After investigating the use of subjective and objective measures of workload to identify a universal and comprehensive measure or set of measures, based on Study 2, it can only be concluded that not one or a set of measures exists. Arguably, it is not to say that one will never be conceived and developed, but at this time, one does not reside in the psychometric catalog. Instead, it appears that a more suitable approach is to customize a set of workload measures based on the task. The novel approach of assessing the sensitivity and comprehensive ability of conjointly utilizing subjective, performance, and physiological workload measures for theoretically different tasks within the same domain contributes to the theory by laying the foundation for improving methodology for researching workload. The applicable contribution of this project is a stepping-stone towards developing complex profiles of workload for use in closed-loop systems, such as human-robot team interaction. Identifying the best combination of workload measures enables human factors practitioners, trainers, and task designers to improve methodology and evaluation of system designs, training requirements, and personnel selection.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005119, ucf:50675
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005119
