Optical Font Recognition in Smartphone-Captured Images, and its Applicability for ID Forgery Detection

In this paper, we consider the problem of detecting counterfeit identity documents in images captured with smartphones. As the number of documents contain special fonts, we study the applicability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for detection of the conformance of the fonts used with the ones, corresponding to the government standards. Here, we use multi-task learning to differentiate samples by both fonts and characters and compare the resulting classifier with its analogue trained for binary font classification. We train neural networks for authenticity estimation of the fonts used in machine-readable zones and ID numbers of the Russian national passport and test them on samples of individual characters acquired from 3238 images of the Russian national passport. Our results show that the usage of multi-task learning increases sensitivity and specificity of the classifier. Moreover, the resulting CNNs demonstrate high generalization ability as they correctly classify fonts which were not present in the training set. We conclude that the proposed method is sufficient for authentication of the fonts and can be used as a part of the forgery detection system for images acquired with a smartphone camera

Topònims moianesencs en documents medievals

Presentació d’un elenc de topònims del Moianès que provenen de la consulta i estudi d’un conjunt de documents d’època medieval del «fons Casagemas». Alguns d’aquests topònims són consignats per primera vegada en aquest treball (no figuren en cap altre repertori); altres, la majoria, són ben coneguts encara actualment (però daten de ben antic); uns altres, finalment, tenen referència escrita però ja no són coneguts per la gent moianesenca. Es procura informar sobre l’etimologia de cada topònim, quan no és del tot transparent

Marginalization Inside-Out : thoughts on Contemporary Chinese and Sinophone Literature

This article argues that contemporary Chinese and Sinophone literature are in a position of double marginalization: exogenous and endogenous. On the one hand, they remain marginalized vis-à-vis the global literary system. On the other hand, specific works of Chinese and Sinophone literature are also repressed by the internal dynamics of the field. After having briefly explored these two conditions, the article presents a few (Utopian) tactics of intervention in order to modify this situation-especially in the Catalan and Spanish context. By analyzing this problematic, the article wants to suggest that, in the academic and literary sphere of the Humanities, the complex relation between China and the West needs an informed, ethical and critical interdisciplinarity.L'article sosté que les literatures xinesa i sinòfona es troben en una posició de doble marginació: exògena i endògena. D'una banda, es veuen marginades pel sistema literari global. De l'altra, hi ha obres específiques de literatura xinesa i sinòfona que també romanen reprimides dins de la dinàmica interna del mateix camp. Havent explorat breument ambdues condicions de marginació, l'article presenta algunes tàctiques (utòpiques) d'intervenció per tal de modificar aquesta situació-especialment en el context català i espanyol. Tot analitzant aquesta problemàtica, l'article vol suggerir que, en el vessant acadèmic i literari de les Humanitats, la relació entre la Xina i Occident ha de menester una interdisciplinarietat crítica, ètica i informada.El artículo sostiene que las literaturas china y sinófona se encuentran en una posición de doble marginación. Por una parte, se ven marginadas por el sistema literario global. Por otra parte, existen obras específicas de literatura china y sinófona que también están reprimidas dentro de la dinàmica interna del propio campo. Habiendo explorado brevemente ambas condiciones de marginación, el artículo presenta algunas tácticas (utópicas) de intervención para modificar dicha situación-especialmente en el contexto catalán y español. Con el análisis de esta problemática, el artículo pretende sugerir que, en el vertiente académico y literario de las Humanidades, la relación entre China y Occidente requiere una interdisciplinariedad crítica, ética e informada

Fun with Fonts: Algorithmic Typography

Over the past decade, we have designed six typefaces based on mathematical theorems and open problems, specifically computational geometry. These typefaces expose the general public in a unique way to intriguing results and hard problems in hinged dissections, geometric tours, origami design, computer-aided glass design, physical simulation, and protein folding. In particular, most of these typefaces include puzzle fonts, where reading the intended message requires solving a series of puzzles which illustrate the challenge of the underlying algorithmic problem.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures. Revised paper with new glass cane font. Original version in Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Fun with Algorithm

China and the Politics of Cross–Cultural Representation in Interwar European Fiction

In his article China and the Politics of Cross–Cultural Representation in Interwar European Fiction Carles Prado-Fonts analyzes Joan Crespi\u27s La ciutat de la por (The City of Fear, 1930) to illustrate the varied representations of China in interwar Europe. In the 1920s and 1930s, a plurality of views on China and the Chinese people became widespread across different parts of Europe, mainly shaped by English, French, and German representations. Contradictory images of China coexisted in literature, thought, and popular culture. Crespi\u27s work exemplifies these contradictions: China appears as both an attainable reality and an unreachable fantasy, two tropes that prevailed in Catalan society after having been adapted from the European imagery. The novel responds to these contradictory discourses by launching a radical critique of Western modernity imposed on China. This article argues that representing China from Catalonia (or from the rest of Spain) not only implied the import of data and knowledge from European sources but also the transculturation of formal aspects and a subordination of agency. By showing how difficult it was to imagine China from the periphery of Europe without the mediation of these European centers, this article rethinks the politics of cross-cultural circulation in a noncolonizer, noncolonized context

Characterization of a Peltier module working as a thermoelectric generator

Treballs Finals de Grau de Física, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Any: 2015, Tutor: Cèsar FerraterWe studied the suitability of current thermoelectric devices as electrical power generators, measuring the I-V curves of a Peltier cooler under field-like conditions. We designed an experimental system that allowed the Peltier module to work under a constant thermal input ux or a constant temperature difference. From these I-V curves we have calculated the thermoelectric figure of merit and the conversion e ciency of the device, comparing it with maximum theoretical values

Orientalisme: a trenta anys vista. Introducció

Aquest dossier aplega un seguit d'articles inspirats en el concepte d'orientalisme d'Edward Said. En conjunt, els articles del dossier demostren la importància de l'aportació de Said i defensen la necessitat de continuar treballant per a fer-la encara més rellevant i vigent, tant dins del context acadèmic com en la difusió social que hi hauria d'estar inevitablement connectada. Amb un fil temàtic comú -la percepció de l'altre (l'Orient) amb la nostra perspectiva (Occident)- aquests articles defugen la concepció de l'Àsia oriental com a "disciplina" independent i la tracten, en canvi, com a objecte d'estudi que cal abordar amb rigor metodològic des de disciplines concretes: història, pensament, antropologia, literatura. Això hauria de facilitar, d'una banda, la possibilitat de projectar arguments i observacions que enriqueixin debats ja existents a cada disciplina aportant-hi una nova llum i, de l'altra, la difusió social d'aquestes idees sobre l'Àsia oriental més enllà de cercles restringits.This dossier contains a series of articles inspired by Edward Said's concept of Orientalism. Together, the articles in the dossier show the importance of Said's contribution and defend the need to continue working to make it even more important and valid, both in the academic context and in terms of the social diffusion it deserves. With a common thematic thread -the perception of the other (Orient) from our perspective (Occident)- these articles shun the conception of East Asia as an independent "discipline" and treat it, on the contrary, as an object of study that must be tackled with methodological rigour from specific disciplines: history, thought, anthropology and literature. This should facilitate, on one hand, the possibility of putting forward arguments and observations that enrich already existing debates in each discipline by shedding new light on them and, on the other, social diffusion of these ideas on East Asia beyond limited circles.Este dossier reúne una serie de artículos inspirados en el concepto de orientalismo de Edward Said. En conjunto, los artículos del dossier demuestran la importancia de la aportación de Said y defienden la necesidad de seguir trabajando para hacerla todavía más relevante y vigente, tanto dentro del contexto académico como en la difusión social, con la cual tendría que estar inevitablemente conectada. Con un hilo temático común -la percepción del otro (Oriente) con nuestra perspectiva (Occidente)-, estos artículos evitan la concepción de Asia oriental como "disciplina" independiente y la tratan, en cambio, como objeto de estudio que debe abordarse con rigor metodológico desde disciplinas concretas: historia, pensamiento, antropología, literatura. Eso tendría que facilitar, por una parte, la posibilidad de proyectar argumentos y observaciones que enriquezcan debates ya existentes en cada disciplina aportando nueva luz y, por otra, la difusión social de estas ideas sobre Asia oriental más allá de círculos restringidos