Color detection and segmentation for road and traffic signs

This paper aims to present three new methods for color detection and segmentation of road signs. The images are taken by a digital camera mounted in a car. The RGB images are converted into IHLS color space, and new methods are applied to extract the colors of the road signs under consideration. The methods are tested on hundreds of outdoor images in different light conditions, and they show high robustness. This project is part of the research taking place in Dalarna University / Sweden in the field of the ITS.

Automatically Adapting Source Code to Document Provenance

Being able to ask questions about the provenance of some data requires documentation on each influence on that data's existence and content. Much software exists, and is being developed, for which there is no provenance-awareness, i.e. at best, the data it outputs can be connected to its inputs, but with no record of intermediate processing. Further, where some record of processing does exist, e.g. as logs, it is not in a form easily connected with that of other processes. We would like to enable compiled software to record useful documentation without requiring prior manual adaptation. In this paper, we present an approach to adapting source code from its original form without manual manipulation, to record information on data provenance during execution.

Segmentation in the brazilian labor market

This paper measures the degree of segmentation in the brazilian labor market. Controlling for observable and unobservable characteristics, workers earn more in the formal sector, which supports the segmentation hypothesis. We break down the degree of segmentation by socio-economic attributes to identify the groups where this phenomenon is more prevalent. We investigate the robustness of our findings to the inclusion of self-employed individuals, and apply a two-stage panel probit model using the self-selection correction strategy to investigate a potential weakness of the fixed-effects estimator

A Influência do atributo de segurança na segmentação dos consumidores de carne suína da região fronteira noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul

This document constitutes itself a thesis for a master¿s, partial fulfillment for getting a master¿s degree in Public and Business Management. The subject is a research on the influence of the attribute of safety in the segmentation of pork in the northwest border of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, involving a bibliographic review related to the theme, and also an explorative research in order to identify the characteristics of the sector. From this information, a descriptive research is carried out from data collected in stores wich commercialize pork products in Santa Rosa, reaching a comprehensive undestanding on the subject. The main results of the research are the theoretical building of the thematic support concerning the safety of the food; the use of interviews aiming at verifying the importance of different attributes of pork which the consumer consider important and also the identification of segments based on these assessments. The conclusions from the research show that the consumers in general consider of high importance the safety of the food, and it is due to the fact that pork is still considered a product which offers a high risk at consumption. Consumers still have a preconceived idea about pork, because years ago, hog breeding was conducted with precarious standards of hygiene. It is imperative that the related business and producers divulge the advances of the sector in order to destroy this negative concept. The study identified three segments of market to the consumer of in natura pork: the first emphasized attributes are the inspection and the presentation of the product (cluster 1), flavour and softness stand out as the second ones. Finally, the third most important attributes that consumers consider when picking a pork product are its price and its aspect. It also favours further studies wich can provide the formulation of new marketing strategies to order products that form part of this agrolimentary system, giving this segment opportunity to boost its business and improve its approach to its consumer.

Temporary exchange rate-based stabilization programs under asset market segmentation

This paper analyses the welfare consequences of temporary exchange rate-based stabilization programs. Differently than previous papers, however, here we assume that only a fraction of households participates in asset market transactions. With this asset market segmentation assumption, the effects of temporary programs on welfare may change drastically. Households with access to the bonds market are able to protect themselves better from the changes in the inflation rate – although at the cost of a distortion in their consumption path. As a consequence, they may decrease their inflation tax burden – which would increase for the other group of households. By the other side, when these agents that lack the access to the asset markets are credit constrained, they may welcome the program, since the government Is temporally reducing the inflation tax they have to pay. The temporary program could end up benefiting both groups, what could help to understand their popularity.

Improvement on the sales forecast accuracy for a fast growing company by the best combination of historical data usage and clients segmentation

Industrial companies in developing countries are facing rapid growths, and this requires having in place the best organizational processes to cope with the market demand. Sales forecasting, as a tool aligned with the general strategy of the company, needs to be as much accurate as possible, in order to achieve the sales targets by making available the right information for purchasing, planning and control of production areas, and finally attending in time and form the demand generated. The present dissertation uses a single case study from the subsidiary of an international explosives company based in Brazil, Maxam, experiencing high growth in sales, and therefore facing the challenge to adequate its structure and processes properly for the rapid growth expected. Diverse sales forecast techniques have been analyzed to compare the actual monthly sales forecast, based on the sales force representatives’ market knowledge, with forecasts based on the analysis of historical sales data. The dissertation findings show how the combination of both qualitative and quantitative forecasts, by the creation of a combined forecast that considers both client´s demand knowledge from the sales workforce with time series analysis, leads to the improvement on the accuracy of the company´s sales forecast.

Game Design Document (GDD)

Documento componente do jogo “Musikinésia (http://www.loa.sead.ufscar.br/musikinesia.php)” desenvolvido pela equipe do Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LOA/UFSCar).

Game Design Document (GDD) - Versão 1

Documento componente do jogo “Digestower (http://www.loa.sead.ufscar.br/digestower.php)” desenvolvido pela equipe do Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LOA/UFSCar).

IFTrace: Video segmentation of deformable objects using the Image Foresting Transform

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Recursive hierarchic segmentation analysis of bone mineral density changes on digital panoramic images

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of meal size and proximal-distal segmentation on gastric activity

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Anatomicosurgical arterial segmentation of the cat lungs (Felis catus domesticus, L., 1758)

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi estabelecer os segmentos anátomo-cirúrgicos arteriais, através da lobação e ramificação intralobar arterial, em pulmões de gato. Após a dissecção de vinte pulmões, notou-se que a artéria pulmonar direita geralmente emite um ramo para o lobo cranial e um ramo para o lobo médio, sendo originados juntos em um tronco. Um grande ramo irriga o lobo caudal na maioria dos casos. Dois ramos com origem comum no ramo arterial do lobo caudal irrigam o lobo acessório. A artéria pulmonar esquerda origina um tronco que, na maioria dos casos, emite um ramo para a porção cranial e um ramo para a porção caudal do lobo cranial esquerdo. Pode-se concluir que o pulmão direito é formado por quatro e o esquerdo por dois lobos, ocorrendo variações na ramificação arterial pulmonar.

A method for the digital image analysis of ceramic grains based on shape factor segmentation

A very simple and robust method for ceramics grains quantitative image analysis is presented. Based on the use of optimal imaging conditions for reflective light microscopy of bulk samples, a digital image processing routine was developed for shading correction, noise suppressing and contours enhancement. Image analysis was done for grains selected according to their concavities, evaluated by perimeter ratio shape factor, to avoid consider the effects of breakouts and ghost boundaries due to ceramographic preparation limitations. As an example, the method was applied for two ceramics, to compare grain size and morphology distributions. In this case, most of artefacts introduced by ceramographic preparation could be discarded due to the use of perimeter ratio exclusion range.