An integrated and automated segmentation approach to deteriorated regions recognition on 3D reality-based models of cultural heritage artifacts

In the field of Cultural Heritage, image analysis represents an indispensable practice for restorers to collect information about the state of preservation of monuments and artifacts and plan restoration interventions. In addition, during the last two decades, the wide spread of remote sensing technologies and the possibility to build 3D reality-based models of artifacts allow the extension of image analysis to 3D environments. In this context, the purpose of this contribution is to show the results of investigations held in order to provide a methodology for the automatic detection of deteriorated areas within architectures and artifacts using colour images as a field of examination. Using both 2D and 3D segmentation approaches, our methodology aims at speeding and efficiently performing the automatic detection of deteriorated zones within Cultural Heritage and therefore segment 3D digital models acquired using different survey technologies. Within our investigations, we selected case studies concerning recurrent deteriorations, such as, for example, detachments, cracks and chromatic alterations; we run them both to manual and to automatic recognition and selection tests, in order to compare the results obtained using these approaches and evaluate the reliability of the automatic one. Results comparison included computational and user time, quantification of the deteriorated area error between manual and automatically detected zones. Additional parameters characterizing the specific type of deteriorations were also computed for each case study. Comparison between the automatic and the manual procedure showed that the automatic detection is faster and reliable in all our selected case studies, with evident improvements in the efficient evaluation of the entity and extension of deteriorated areas on 3D geometry.     

La formation des spécialistes de langues vivantes en tchecoslovaquie

Sans résumé     

The Relationship between Measures of Motor Educability and the Learning of Specific Motor Skills

Abstract

Members of the Santa Barbara basketball team were tested periodically during and after the 1957–58 season of play. The changes in physical conditioning were estimated using a step test. During this period of time the blood pressure and pulse wave measurements were studied to investigate the effects of basketball conditioning on these measurements.

The resting and postexercise systolic blood pressure measurements decreased significantly during training. These changes were significant after 16 weeks, while the pulse rate changes indicated conditioning had changed in six weeks. During de-training these measurements reversed and made significant changes in ten weeks.

The pulse wave measurements more closely followed those of the step test. They changed significantly in six weeks, leveled off, and finally reversed to the starting level during de-training.     

Using peer assessment to evaluate teamwork from a multidisciplinary perspective

This article analyses the use of peer evaluation as a tool for evaluating teamwork and students’ perceptions of this type of evaluation. A study was conducted of six subjects included on five degree courses at the University of Girona. In all of these subjects, students carried out a team activity, evaluated the performance of the team and the involvement of its different members, and responded to a survey on their perceptions of this evaluation system. We found the main factors influencing the evaluation and perception of teamwork to be teachers’ and students’ prior experience in this type of evaluation activity, the field where it is applied, the academic year students are enrolled on and the weight of the activity in the final mark. The results show that, in general, students’ views regarding such evaluation procedures are positive.     

省域经济发展水平与省域竞技体育实力的相关分析

采用比较分析法和数理统计法,以2008年省域经济综合竞争力评价分值和第11届全运会奖牌总数作为主要研究变量,对我国省域经济发展水平与省域竞技体育实力的相关性进行探析.结果表明,省域经济发展水平与省域竞技体育实力的相关性较强,省域经济发展水平中的宏观经济、产业经济、知识经济、政府作用力、发展水平五大经济因素与省域竞技体育实力关系密切,其中宏观经济和政府作用力两大经济因素是影响我国省域竞技体育发展的主导力量.     

Tutoring the end-of-studies dissertation: helping psychology students find their academic voice when revising academic texts

This intervention study aimed at helping undergraduate students of psychology learn to use the discursive resources useful to make academic voice visible in their texts and to improve their writing practices. The intervention involved tutorial meetings and collaborative revisions in two different learning environments, on-line and face-to face. The final text quality, the students’ knowledge and the amount and the quality of revisions were assessed in both conditions. Results show that the quality of the texts improved for both intervention groups in contrast with for control group, and better texts were related with higher rates of revision and more students’ satisfaction with the intervention.     

Contrasting computer input devices for teaching children with severe learning difficulties to read

Many teachers make the assumption that CAL systems which use a touch screen are more effective for children with severe learning difficulties than those which use a concept keyboard. These two experiments look at which is more effective in helping these children to maintain a previously acquired sight vocabulary, and to learn new sight words. It was predicted that the touch screen would prove more effective because it places fewer information processing demands on pupils. Surprisingly, no difference was found between the two systems.     

Online Lexical Competition During Spoken Word Recognition and Word Learning in Children and Adults

Lexical competition that occurs as speech unfolds is a hallmark of adult oral language comprehension crucial to rapid incremental speech processing. This study used pause detection to examine whether lexical competition operates similarly at 7–8 years and tested variables that influence “online” lexical activity in adults. Children (n = 20) and adults (n = 17) were slower to detect pauses in familiar words with later uniqueness points. Faster latencies were obtained for words with late uniqueness points in constraining compared with neutral sentences; no such effect was observed for early unique words. Following exposure to novel competitors (“biscal”), children (n = 18) and adults (n = 18) showed competition for existing words with early uniqueness points (“biscuit”) after 24 hr. Thus, online lexical competition effects are remarkably similar across development.