Color ad spectral image assessment using novel quality and fidelity techniques

The ongoing development of the digital media has brought a new set of challenges with it. As images containing more than three wavelength bands, often called spectral images, are becoming a more integral part of everyday life, problems in the quality of the RGB reproduction from the spectral images have turned into an important area of research. The notion of image quality is often thought to comprise two distinctive areas – image quality itself and image fidelity, both dealing with similar questions, image quality being the degree of excellence of the image, and image fidelity the measure of the match of the image under study to the original. In this thesis, both image fidelity and image quality are considered, with an emphasis on the influence of color and spectral image features on both. There are very few works dedicated to the quality and fidelity of spectral images. Several novel image fidelity measures were developed in this study, which include kernel similarity measures and 3D-SSIM (structural similarity index). The kernel measures incorporate the polynomial, Gaussian radial basis function (RBF) and sigmoid kernels. The 3D-SSIM is an extension of a traditional gray-scale SSIM measure developed to incorporate spectral data. The novel image quality model presented in this study is based on the assumption that the statistical parameters of the spectra of an image influence the overall appearance. The spectral image quality model comprises three parameters of quality: colorfulness, vividness and naturalness. The quality prediction is done by modeling the preference function expressed in JNDs (just noticeable difference). Both image fidelity measures and the image quality model have proven to be effective in the respective experiments.

Examining the Role of Rebranding in Perceived Image of a Product Line

The main objective for this study was to explore certain organization’s product line rebranding process and its impact on product line’s perceived image. The case company is a global paper, packaging and forest products company, business segment paper board. The audience explored is one of the company’s major customers, merchant in Germany. The research was performed as a descriptive case study with a purpose to provide longitudinal insight into the product line image and its eventual alteration as a result of the case company’s rebranding process. Mainly qualitative methods were used for conducting the research. The data for the empirical part was collected with a web-based survey at two different points of time; before the rebranded products entered the market and after they had been available approximately six months. The results of this study reveal that the case company has performed well in its attempt to improve product line’s brand image through rebranding. It was found that between the two brand image measurements the product brand image seems to have improved in all of the areas which according to theoretical framework of this study contribute to formation of brand image; brand associations, marketing communications and interpersonal relationships, not forgetting the original platform that initiated the change; technical quality modifications. In other words it may be concluded that as technical quality was brought to a new level, also assessments about the brand image improved respectively.

Eye Fundus Image Analysis for Automatic Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes is a rapidly increasing worldwide problem which is characterised by defective metabolism of glucose that causes long-term dysfunction and failure of various organs. The most common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is one of the primary causes of blindness and visual impairment in adults. The rapid increase of diabetes pushes the limits of the current DR screening capabilities for which the digital imaging of the eye fundus (retinal imaging), and automatic or semi-automatic image analysis algorithms provide a potential solution. In this work, the use of colour in the detection of diabetic retinopathy is statistically studied using a supervised algorithm based on one-class classification and Gaussian mixture model estimation. The presented algorithm distinguishes a certain diabetic lesion type from all other possible objects in eye fundus images by only estimating the probability density function of that certain lesion type. For the training and ground truth estimation, the algorithm combines manual annotations of several experts for which the best practices were experimentally selected. By assessing the algorithm’s performance while conducting experiments with the colour space selection, both illuminance and colour correction, and background class information, the use of colour in the detection of diabetic retinopathy was quantitatively evaluated. Another contribution of this work is the benchmarking framework for eye fundus image analysis algorithms needed for the development of the automatic DR detection algorithms. The benchmarking framework provides guidelines on how to construct a benchmarking database that comprises true patient images, ground truth, and an evaluation protocol. The evaluation is based on the standard receiver operating characteristics analysis and it follows the medical practice in the decision making providing protocols for image- and pixel-based evaluations. During the work, two public medical image databases with ground truth were published: DIARETDB0 and DIARETDB1. The framework, DR databases and the final algorithm, are made public in the web to set the baseline results for automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy. Although deviating from the general context of the thesis, a simple and effective optic disc localisation method is presented. The optic disc localisation is discussed, since normal eye fundus structures are fundamental in the characterisation of DR.

Construction Plan Image Service for Mobile Devices

The forthcoming media revolution of exchanging paper documents to digital media in construction engineering requires new tools to be developed. The basis of this bachelor’s thesis was to explore the preliminary possibilities of exporting imagery from a Building Information Modelling –software to a mobile phone on a construction yard. This was done by producing a Web Service which uses the design software’s Application Programming Interface to interact with a structures model in order to produce the requested imagery. While mobile phones were found lacking as client devices, because of limited processing power and small displays, the implementation showed that the Tekla Structures API can be used to automatically produce various types of imagery. Web Services can be used to transfer this data to the client. Before further development the needs of the contractor, benefits for the building master and inspector and the full potential of the BIM-software need to be mapped out with surveys.

Shapes and sizes : body image, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in relation to gender and gender identity

Syftet med denna avhandling var att empiriskt undersöka kroppsbild, kroppsmissnöje och ätstörningssymptom hos vuxna i relation till kön och könsidentitet. Även sexuell kroppsbild studerades. Data samlades in via en populationsbaserad frågeformulärsstudie (11,468 deltagare) samt en intervjustudie med 20 transpersoner. Kvinnor rapporterade mer kroppsmissnöje och ätstörningssymptom än män. Till exempel uppgav mer än hälften av kvinnorna och en tredjedel av männen att de uppfattade sig som mindre attraktiva än de önskade att de var. Mer än hälften av kvinnorna och en tredjedel av männen uppgav sig banta, och självframkallade kräkningar rapporterades av var tionde kvinna och var hundrade man. Könsidentitetskonflikt var associerat med högre nivåer av kroppsnöje och ätstörningssymptom. Majoriteten av de intervjuade transpersonerna rapporterade omfattande missnöje med sina kroppar, särskilt gällande sexuell kroppsbild, samt ätstörningssymptom. Könskorrigering uppgavs i huvudsak lindra kroppsmissnöje och ätstörningssymptom. Vårdpersonal bör vara medveten om att kroppsmissnöje och ätstörningssymptom berör både vuxna kvinnor och män. Missnöje med de sexuella delarna av kroppen förefaller vara relativt vanligt bland vuxna och bör inte förbises. Vårdpersonal som arbetar med transpersoner bör vara medvetna om hur djupt och omfattande dessa personers kroppsmissnöje kan vara, samt uppmärksamma en eventuellt förhöjd risk för ätstörningssymptom. Det är även värt att notera att könskorrigering kan lindra kroppsmissnöje och ätstörningssymptom hos transpersoner.

Utilization of Particle Image velocimetry in PPOOLEX condensation experiments

Particle Image Velocimetry, PIV, is an optical measuring technique to obtain velocity information of a flow in interest. With PIV it is possible to achieve two or three dimensional velocity vector fields from a measurement area instead of a single point in a flow. Measured flow can be either in liquid or in gas form. PIV is nowadays widely applied to flow field studies. The need for PIV is to obtain validation data for Computational Fluid Dynamics calculation programs that has been used to model blow down experiments in PPOOLEX test facility in the Lappeenranta University of Technology. In this thesis PIV and its theoretical background are presented. All the subsystems that can be considered to be part of a PIV system are presented as well with detail. Emphasis is also put to the mathematics behind the image evaluation. The work also included selection and successful testing of a PIV system, as well as the planning of the installation to the PPOOLEX facility. Already in the preliminary testing PIV was found to be good addition to the measuring equipment for Nuclear Safety Research Unit of LUT. The installation to PPOOLEX facility was successful even though there were many restrictions considering it. All parts of the PIV system worked and they were found out to be appropriate for the planned use. Results and observations presented in this thesis are a good background to further PIV use.

Real-time Image-based RGB-D Camera Motion Tracking and Environment Mapping

In this work, image based estimation methods, also known as direct methods, are studied which avoid feature extraction and matching completely. Cost functions use raw pixels as measurements and the goal is to produce precise 3D pose and structure estimates. The cost functions presented minimize the sensor error, because measurements are not transformed or modified. In photometric camera pose estimation, 3D rotation and translation parameters are estimated by minimizing a sequence of image based cost functions, which are non-linear due to perspective projection and lens distortion. In image based structure refinement, on the other hand, 3D structure is refined using a number of additional views and an image based cost metric. Image based estimation methods are particularly useful in conditions where the Lambertian assumption holds, and the 3D points have constant color despite viewing angle. The goal is to improve image based estimation methods, and to produce computationally efficient methods which can be accomodated into real-time applications. The developed image-based 3D pose and structure estimation methods are finally demonstrated in practise in indoor 3D reconstruction use, and in a live augmented reality application.

Brand attitudes influence on city brand image, and their impact on behavioral intention

The main objective of this Master’s Thesis was to examine the perceived city brand image of tourists and residents. It was aimed to accomplish by examining first the contribution of city attributes and marketing communications on forming brand attitudes, and then discover how the brand attitudes influence on city brand image. The impact of brand attitudes and city brand image on behavioral intention was also reviewed. The empirical part of the thesis was conducted with a quantitative method through online-based survey. The sample (n = 492) consisted of tourists and residents of the case city. The data was analyzed with statistical analyses by SPSS program. Brand attitudes, based on the main attributes, were calculated through multi-attribute attitude model. The results confirmed exposure to marketing communications has direct and positive influence on brand attitudes, especially the offline marketing communications. The findings revealed brand attitudes impact directly on city brand image perception. Brand attitudes and brand image dimensions had direct impact on tourists and residents’ behavioral intention. The findings provide important information for the city marketers. They increase marketers understanding on how target population perceives the city brand image and how it impacts on their future behavior. This thesis reveals the perception of current city brand image and gives guidance on what to emphasize in city branding to increase city’s attractiveness in conjunction with its economic development. Furthermore, the created framework can be utilized also in the future researches.

University Image vs. University Identity: Congruence between Expectations and Experience

The aim of this thesis was to examine congruencies between university identity and university images of prospective and current students. Therefore, factors essentially influencing on expected and experienced university images were identified. Providing an understanding on the differences in the formation of both concepts allowed the analysis of potential incongruities between a university’s identity and the perceptions its students hold. The study was conducted in July and August 2013 at Lappeenranta University of Technology by means of a web-based research survey. The sample consisted of 160 international Master’s degree students who were admitted in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis methods were used to process the data. The results of the study indicated statistically significant incongruities between the case university’s identity and its students’ images. Further, the expected and experienced university images showed incongruities to each other. Deviations were additionally detected to be dependent on the students’ home regions. All in all, there is potential for an improvement of the students’ experiences resulting from a low perception of the student’s preparation for future job life.

Brand Identity and Image in B2B Factory Automation Context

The goal of this thesis is to study how a solution-oriented business-to-business company can utilize its brand as a strategic asset by using the concepts of brand identity and brand image. The study analyses the intended brand message (identity) contrasting it with the customer perceptions (image) to reveal points of parity and congruence. The study uses a case company as an example and discusses the benefits of brand management as well. Internally, brands can be studied by performing a set of interviews amongst top and middle management. The interviews need to consider the various elements of branding from associations to differentiation and value creation. Customers’ perceptions can be reliably studied via online survey designed to compare the intended brand message with customers’ experiences. From the perspective of industrial management the incentive for brand development lies in both monetary and managerial benefits. In literature the four essential benefits of B2B branding are risk dilution, efficiency of communications, strategic direction and price premiums. As a result, suggestive models for brand identity and image were devised and compared. The Case Company perceives itself as a technically oriented open-integrator, with a strong focus on reliability and customer service. Customers agree with the picture in general, but there are some points of parity as well: they are quite satisfied with the company and perceive it as reliable and providing the promised value. The problematic areas revolve around customer interaction and maintaining the leadership position. The results confirm previous findings in B2B branding theory, where the reliability and credibility of the supplier are in major role. The results also suggest a holistic, corporate approach on branding.

Local Features in Image and Video Processing - Object Class Matching and Video Shot Detection

The usage of digital content, such as video clips and images, has increased dramatically during the last decade. Local image features have been applied increasingly in various image and video retrieval applications. This thesis evaluates local features and applies them to image and video processing tasks. The results of the study show that 1) the performance of different local feature detector and descriptor methods vary significantly in object class matching, 2) local features can be applied in image alignment with superior results against the state-of-the-art, 3) the local feature based shot boundary detection method produces promising results, and 4) the local feature based hierarchical video summarization method shows promising new new research direction. In conclusion, this thesis presents the local features as a powerful tool in many applications and the imminent future work should concentrate on improving the quality of the local features.

European luxury brands made in China: the effect of low-cost country manufacturing on brand image and purchase decisions

European luxury brands have an image of manufacturing their products in the same country where the brands originate. However, in the past years many luxury brands have shifted their manufacturing to countries outside Europe. China is now a common manufacturing country for European luxury brands despite the country’s poor image as a manufacturer. Chinese manufacturing is often associated with bad quality, bad labour conditions, mass production, and counterfeits. The image of China does not quite match the image luxury brands enjoy including characteristics such as high end quality, craftsmanship, details, design, or premium price. A negatively perceived country-of-manufacture may have an effect on a brand’s image and consumers’ purchase decisions. This thesis is focused on European luxury brands manufacturing in China, and how this effects the brand image and purchase decisions among luxury consumers. The empirical part of this thesis is based on focus group research, which is a popular method in the field of qualitative research. The main focus group is female luxury consumers in Finland. This main group has been divided into three categories: 1) the university students, 2) the young career women, 3) the experienced luxury consumers. This categorization has been done based on their different stages in luxury consumption. All in all, the empirical research consisted of 11 interviews and 29 participants. The main contribution of this thesis was that there is a difference between the opinions of the younger groups (university students and young career women) and the experienced luxury consumers when discussing the effect of country-of-manufacture on brand image and purchase decisions of luxury brands. The younger participants thought that manufacturing luxury products in China might affect the brand image, but their purchase decisions would not be that much affected by the country-of-origin. The experienced luxury consumers had quite a different view on the country-of-origin of luxury brands – they found it an important decisive factor prior making purchases. The majority of experienced luxury consumers would not buy luxury products made in China, and they would always check where these products are made in.

Developing Bioimage Informatics – from Microscopy to Software Solutions – with alpha2beta1 Integrin as a Case Study

Biokuvainformatiikan kehittäminen – mikroskopiasta ohjelmistoratkaisuihin – sovellusesimerkkinä α2β1-integriini Kun ihmisen genomi saatiin sekvensoitua vuonna 2003, biotieteiden päätehtäväksi tuli selvittää eri geenien tehtävät, ja erilaisista biokuvantamistekniikoista tuli keskeisiä tutkimusmenetelmiä. Teknologiset kehitysaskeleet johtivat erityisesti fluoresenssipohjaisten valomikroskopiatekniikoiden suosion räjähdysmäiseen kasvuun, mutta mikroskopian tuli muuntua kvalitatiivisesta tieteestä kvantitatiiviseksi. Tämä muutos synnytti uuden tieteenalan, biokuvainformatiikan, jonka on sanottu mahdollisesti mullistavan biotieteet. Tämä väitöskirja esittelee laajan, poikkitieteellisen työkokonaisuuden biokuvainformatiikan alalta. Väitöskirjan ensimmäinen tavoite oli kehittää protokollia elävien solujen neliulotteiseen konfokaalimikroskopiaan, joka oli yksi nopeimmin kasvavista biokuvantamismenetelmistä. Ihmisen kollageenireseptori α2β1-integriini, joka on tärkeä molekyyli monissa fysiologisissa ja patologisissa prosesseissa, oli sovellusesimerkkinä. Työssä saavutettiin selkeitä visualisointeja integriinien liikkeistä, yhteenkeräytymisestä ja solun sisään siirtymisestä, mutta työkaluja kuvainformaation kvantitatiiviseen analysointiin ei ollut. Väitöskirjan toiseksi tavoitteeksi tulikin tällaiseen analysointiin soveltuvan tietokoneohjelmiston kehittäminen. Samaan aikaan syntyi biokuvainformatiikka, ja kipeimmin uudella alalla kaivattiin erikoistuneita tietokoneohjelmistoja. Tämän väitöskirjatyön tärkeimmäksi tulokseksi muodostui näin ollen BioImageXD, uudenlainen avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmisto moniulotteisten biokuvien visualisointiin, prosessointiin ja analysointiin. BioImageXD kasvoi yhdeksi alansa suurimmista ja monipuolisimmista. Se julkaistiin Nature Methods -lehden biokuvainformatiikkaa käsittelevässä erikoisnumerossa, ja siitä tuli tunnettu ja laajalti käytetty. Väitöskirjan kolmas tavoite oli soveltaa kehitettyjä menetelmiä johonkin käytännönläheisempään. Tehtiin keinotekoisia piidioksidinanopartikkeleita, joissa oli "osoitelappuina" α2β1-integriinin tunnistavia vasta-aineita. BioImageXD:n avulla osoitettiin, että nanopartikkeleilla on potentiaalia lääkkeiden täsmäohjaussovelluksissa. Tämän väitöskirjatyön yksi perimmäinen tavoite oli edistää uutta ja tuntematonta biokuvainformatiikan tieteenalaa, ja tämä tavoite saavutettiin erityisesti BioImageXD:n ja sen lukuisten julkaistujen sovellusten kautta. Väitöskirjatyöllä on merkittävää potentiaalia tulevaisuudessa, mutta biokuvainformatiikalla on vakavia haasteita. Ala on liian monimutkainen keskimääräisen biolääketieteen tutkijan hallittavaksi, ja alan keskeisin elementti, avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistokehitystyö, on aliarvostettu. Näihin seikkoihin tarvitaan useita parannuksia,