Visual object tracking is an active and challenging computer vision research domain having wide range of civil and defence applications. Mean shift (MS) is a commonly used target tracking technique due to its ease of implementation and real time response. However, it has certain short-comings that limits its tracking performance. In this thesis short comings of MS tracking like poor localization, complicated background distraction, partial/ full occlusion and distraction due to similar target resemblance are addressed using 2D and 3D features. To improve MS target localization problem due to the presence of complex/mingled background features (in target representation), a novel 2D spatio-spectral technique is proposed. True background weighted histogram features are identified in target model representation using spectral and spatial weighting. A transformation is then applied to minimize their effect in target model representation for localization improvement. Edge based centroid re-positioning is applied to adjust/re-position the MS estimated target position for further localization improvement. Occlusion avoidance method is developed for MS tracking algorithm using adaptive window normalized cross correlation (NCC) based template matching. The Bhattacharyya coefficient based similarity threshold is used to detect partial/full occlusion and to initiate the NCC part in MS tracking. A target model updation for background weighted histogram through online feature consistency data is also proposed. The proposed 2D MS tracking techniques effectively solved the tracking problems of clutter, similar target resemblance, complex/fast object movement and partial/ full occlusion. The failure cases for proposed 2D tracking technique include guidewire tip tracking for image guided cardiovascular interventions. The guidewire tip being thin, featureless and deformable structure is easily distracted with its own and similar object like vane iii structures in neighborhood. Moreover, the tracking of guidewire under low contrast fluoroscopic images and abrupt shape variations due to cardiac motion make the problem more challenging. 3D visual tracking techniques are used to incorporate object depth information to improve robustness. However, the existing 3D tracking techniques lack accuracy and robustness mainly due to non availability of precise depth features. In this thesis, depth features are acquired through shape from focus (SFF) technique and integrated with spectral and spatial features for robust 3D target representation/tracking. For 3D shape representation through SFF, a novel adaptive focus measure based on linear combination of multiple morphological gradient operators is proposed. The morphological edge gradient operators aided by multi-structuring elements are employed for sharpness measurement. The robust focus measure is then computed by combining the weighted response of gradient operators. The depth features acquired are integrated in joint histogram with grey level intensity and texture features to develop a novel technique for real time 3D representation and tracking of guidewire for image guided cardiovascular interventions. The grey level intensity is represented through conventional histogram method whereas the texture and depth features are represented through filtered local binary pattern histogram and filtered local depth pattern histogram respectively. The result shows the significant improvement in the accuracy, robustness and computational efficiency through proposed 2D/3D MS tracking and depth estimation techniques.
پیش لفظ عزت مآب اللہ تبارک و تعالیٰ کا لاکھ مرتبہ شکر اور محبوب خدا حضرت محمدﷺ پر کروڑوں درود و سلام ۔ میرے شوہر( نواز بیگ) کی محبتوں، مہربانیوں اور تعاون کا فیض ہے کہ میرا مقالہ پایہ تکمیل تک پہنچا۔ (الحمد اللہ )۔اللہ پاک سے دعا ہے کہ میرے شوہر کا سایہ مجھ پر اور میرے بچوں پر ہمیشہ قائم رہے(امین)۔ استادِ محترم ڈاکٹر فرتاش سید(مرحوم) کی سپاس گزار ہوں جنھوں نے برطانوی لیڈی فرخندہ رضوی (جو پاکستان کی دختر ہونے کا اعزاز رکھتی ہیں) سے میرا ٹیلی فونک رابطہ کرایا۔ وقت نے انھیں مہلت نہ دی کہ وہ بطور نگران مقالہ اس کام کو پایہ تکمیل تک پہنچا سکیں۔اللہ پاک سے دعا ہے کہ انھیں کروٹ کروٹ جنت الفردوس نصیب فرمائے۔ بعد ازاں میں اپنے نگران مقالہ ڈاکٹر مشتاق عادل کی دل کی اتھاہ گہرائیوں سے شکر گزار ہوں جنھوں نے مقالہ کے تمام مراحل میں محبت اور شفقت سے ہر ممکن مدد و رہنمائی کی اور تعاون فراہم کیا۔ بلاشبہ ان کا شفقت بھرا لب و لہجہ مدبرانہ گفتگو اور حوصلہ افزائی چند ایسے عناصر ہیں جو مجھ ناچیز کے مقالہ کو تکمیل کے مراحل تک پہنچانے میں ممد و معاون ثابت ہوئے۔میں اپنی معاون نگران میڈم ماریہ بلال ، ڈاکٹر عامر اقبال، ڈاکٹر یوسف اعوان، ڈاکٹر یاسمین اور شعبہ اردو کے دیگر اساتذہ کرام کی بھی ممنون ہوں کہ جنھوں نے کمالِ محبت و شفقت سے تدریسی عمل کے دوران مخلصانہ رہنمائی کے ذریعے بھرپور معاونت کی۔ میں محترمہ فرخندہ رضوی کے حسنِ تعاون کا تہ ِدل سے شکریہ ادا کرتی ہوں جنھوں نے ہر بار میرے ٹیلی پر رابطہ کرنے پر فوری جواب دیا اور قدم قدم پر میری رہنمائی فرمائی اور مواد کی فراہمی میں فراخ دلی کا مظاہرہ کیا۔ عائشہ راٹھور جنھوں نے مجھ سے پہلے فرخندہ رضوی...
The text is larger pattern of any language; it consists smaller units of a language. The Aristotle was among the earliest who discussed the unity of text, then letter on Arabian scholars especially philosophers started to relate it with Quranic text and analysis it according this concept; even some of them claim that the unity of Quranic text is the only reason in its “Ijaaz”. And more then that there were some others who discussed its different aspects in Arabic poetry and prose in the same time. On the other hand the western scholar studied the same “textual unity” in different ways in modern textual linguistics by defining the “unity” as a larger pattern of text. This work will discuss the all aspects of textual unit and its relations with larger pattern in the light of textual linguistics.
The most common method of teaching genetics in Pakistani schools is through lecturing. This kind of teaching does not help students to gain in-depth understanding of the subject matter as a result students understand the subject matter at ‘knowledge’ level but not at ‘understanding’ and ‘application’ levels. The purpose of this action research was to improve students’ conceptual understanding of genetics by teaching it through inquiry method. Three cycles of action-research were carried out to teach five lessons over a six-week period. Each cycle consisted of two teaching lessons except the last one which consisted of one teaching lesson. A summative assessment was conducted at the end of the teaching to assess students’ learning in genetics. Data was collected at three stages of the study which included: pre-intervention, during intervention, and post intervention. In the pre-intervention (reconnaissance) stage, data was collected by using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations to explore the existing teaching learning process. During the intervention stage, the data was collected through observations and photography of teaching and aids used. In the post-intervention stage, data was collected by using the semi-structured interviews, both formal and informal talks with the research participants, and summative assessment of students. The findings from the study indicated that structured-inquiry based teaching helped students to conceptualize the genetic concepts at ‘knowledge’ level. However, they learn few genetic concepts at ‘understanding’ level. Summative test also shows that they did not demonstrate learning at the ‘application’ level. Initially, students showed difficulty in conducting and conceptualizing the inquiry activities but gradually they showed less difficulty when they become more acquainted with inquiry learning.