Nonlinear Adaptive Diffusion Models for Image Denoising

Most of digital image applications demand on high image quality. Unfortunately, images often are degraded by noise during the formation, transmission, and recording processes. Hence, image denoising is an essential processing step preceding visual and automated analyses. Image denoising methods can reduce image contrast, create block or ring artifacts in the process of denoising. In this dissertation, we develop high performance non-linear diffusion based image denoising methods, capable to preserve edges and maintain high visual quality. This is attained by different approaches: First, a nonlinear diffusion is presented with robust M-estimators as diffusivity functions. Secondly, the knowledge of textons derived from Local Binary Patterns (LBP) which unify divergent statistical and structural models of the region analysis is utilized to adjust the time step of diffusion process. Next, the role of nonlinear diffusion which is adaptive to the local context in the wavelet domain is investigated, and the stationary wavelet context based diffusion (SWCD) is developed for performing the iterative shrinkage. Finally, we develop a locally- and feature-adaptive diffusion (LFAD) method, where each image patch/region is diffused individually, and the diffusivity function is modified to incorporate the Inverse Difference Moment as a local estimate of the gradient. Experiments have been conducted to evaluate the performance of each of the developed method and compare it to the reference group and to the state-of-the-art methods

Automatic characterization and generation of music loops and instrument samples for electronic music production

Repurposing audio material to create new music - also known as sampling - was a foundation of electronic music and is a fundamental component of this practice. Currently, large-scale databases of audio offer vast collections of audio material for users to work with. The navigation on these databases is heavily focused on hierarchical tree directories. Consequently, sound retrieval is tiresome and often identified as an undesired interruption in the creative process. We address two fundamental methods for navigating sounds: characterization and generation. Characterizing loops and one-shots in terms of instruments or instrumentation allows for organizing unstructured collections and a faster retrieval for music-making. The generation of loops and one-shot sounds enables the creation of new sounds not present in an audio collection through interpolation or modification of the existing material. To achieve this, we employ deep-learning-based data-driven methodologies for classification and generation.Repurposing audio material to create new music - also known as sampling - was a foundation of electronic music and is a fundamental component of this practice. Currently, large-scale databases of audio offer vast collections of audio material for users to work with. The navigation on these databases is heavily focused on hierarchical tree directories. Consequently, sound retrieval is tiresome and often identified as an undesired interruption in the creative process. We address two fundamental methods for navigating sounds: characterization and generation. Characterizing loops and one-shots in terms of instruments or instrumentation allows for organizing unstructured collections and a faster retrieval for music-making. The generation of loops and one-shot sounds enables the creation of new sounds not present in an audio collection through interpolation or modification of the existing material. To achieve this, we employ deep-learning-based data-driven methodologies for classification and generation

Rare Earth Elements to identify archaeological strata in the Cocina Cave

Rare earth elements (REE) have been employed in a variety of different scenarios in order to identify the natural or anthropogenic nature of archaeological soils [1,2] . In this study, REE signatures were employed to better understand the layers formation in a cavity called Cocina cave, a large cavity of 300 m2 located at Barranco de la Ventana, one of the ravines flowing southwards from La Canal valley, a little plateau located in the municipality of Dos Aguas (Valencia, Spain). Cocina cave is characterized of very homogenous sediment deposition where it is difficult to understand layers formation processes just employing the traditional archaeological methods and the standardized soil analyses. The archaeological sequence encompasses last hunter-gatherer Holocene occupations in the regional sequence (Mesolithic) followed by several levels attributed to the Neolithic, Bronze Age and historic occupations until the XX century, these last regarding the use of the cavity as a pen. In order to understand the development history of the strata and the anthropogenic or natural formation of soils a total of fifty samples were taken across six different sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and from each section the sampling was carried out at different depths through 1-2m deep sections. All samples were recovered from current pits excavated at the cavity corresponding with some profiles that encompass different strata including natural deposits and hunter and penning activities together with other possible uses not well defined from archaeological data. Several radiocarbon dates confirm the anthropogenic use of the cavity from the IX millennium cal BP to the contemporary times. Major, minor and trace elements including REE were determined employing XRF and ICP- MS. Results were then statistically processed and cross-referenced with archaeological data to aid interpretation. The results show that REE provide interesting details regarding the strata development history, and therefore help archaeologists to better understand the occupation, use and abandonment phases of the cave. [1] Pastor et al., TrAC 78 (2016) 48. [2] Gallello et al., JAS 40 (2013) 799

Chemical characterisation of cherts from the valley of Serpis river (Alcoy, Alicante) for archaeological purpose

Mobility range and territorial control are central questions for Archaeology in the study of human groups’ life during Prehistoric Ages. A key point to get to grips with this set of problems is to understand the dynamics of supply of natural resources such as food and raw materials. Thus, the identification of the outcrops of chert and their characterisation is essential, due to the use of this particular rock as raw material for the production of several different tools. Since the nakedeye description of stone characters (colour, translucency, presence of carbonatation or patina, etc.) often lacks to identify different outcrops and to determine the provenance of a sample, in the last decades, scientists have tried to develop methods to improve the characterisation of this rock from the chemical, mineralogical and petrographic point of view [1,2]. This contribution shows the study of some chert varieties which were widely used since the Paleolithic by the inhabitants of the valley of Serpis river [3], in the southern part of the Valencian Community. Forty-three samples of Serrat, Mariola and Serreta chert were collected from different kinds of outcrops: from the wall rock, and from fluvial and colluvial deposits. The cortex or crust and the nucleus of each sample were mechanically separated and individually analysed to control the variability caused by the amount of cortex and consequently to develop a methodological approach that permits to identify different chert sources in a restricted area. For this purpose, Xray fluorescence and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses have been carried out to determine major elements, trace elements and rare earth elements [4] of cherts affected by different depositional and post-depositional conditions. [1] Luedtke, An Archaeologist's Guide to Chert and Flint (1992) 172. [2] Skarpelis et al., J. Archaeolog. Sci.: Rep. 12 (2017) 819. [3] Molina Hernández, El sílex del Prebético y cuencas neógenas en Alicante y sur de Valencia :su caracterización y estudio aplicado al Paleolítico Medio, tesis doctoral (2015) 902. [4] Murray, Sediment. Geol. 90 (1994) 213

Chemical characterisation of historic mortars to evaluate decay and construction phases

The chemical characterization of ancient mortars allowed the researchers to answer relevant questions about production technologies, raw materials supply, construction phases and state of decay. In this work one hundred and sixteen samples were collected from different structures during two archaeological excavations carried out in Sagunto’s city centre (Valencia, Spain). The studied area has been interested by several continuous phases of occupation since the Iberian Epoch (5th century BC) to the present times [1,2]. The samples were analysed employing X-ray fluorescence and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine major and trace elements. The obtained data was statistically processed with Sagunto’s Castle mortar results [3], allowing us to identify the construction phases of most of the wall structures, confirming the particular effectiveness of Rare Earth Elements analysis to distinguish mortars from different periods. In conclusion, according to this data, the state of conservation of the different mortars has been evaluated. [1] Ripollés, Opulentissima Saguntum (2004) 165. [2] Monserrat, Arse 41 (2007) 231. [3] Gallello et al., Microchem. J. 132 (2017) 251

Análisis químicos no destructivos sobre cinco mangos de marfil de Época Ibérica

Presentamos los análisis químicos realizados sobre un conjunto de cinco mangos de marfil época ibérica (s. VI – s. I a. C.). Son objetos con características técnicas, formales y decorativas muy similares entre sí, lo que que permite plantear una relación entre ellos en su proceso de producción. Sin embargo, fueron recuperados en cuatro yacimientos diferentes del área ibérica: los poblados de Turó de Montgròs (El Brull, Barcelona) y La Serreta (Alcoi, Alicante) y las necrópolis de El Cigarralejo (Mula, Murcia) y Coimbra del Barranco Ancho (Jumilla, Murcia), en esta última, se recuperaron dos de ellos. Todas las piezas, por sus contextos arqueológicos se datan entre el s. IV y principios del s. II a. C. Los análisis se llevaron a cabo con el objetivo de identificar la naturaleza y procedencia de las incrustaciones de carácter decorativo y la sustancia adherente todavía presentes en estos mangos. Si bien, en algunos de ellos, debido a su deteriorado estado de conservación, únicamente quedaban las improntas de las incrustaciones y no había restos aparentes de la sustancia de tono gris-negro que, presumiblemente, serviría para adherir las incrustaciones. Las piezas mejor conservadas son las recuperadas en lugares de hábitat. Los estudios se han realizado mediante técnicas no destructivas que no comprometiesen la integridad de las piezas. Así, se llevaron a cabo análisis por Fluorescencia de Rayos X (XRF), y por Espectrofotometría de Infrarrojo Cercano por Transformada de Fourier (FT-NIR). Todo ello se complementó mediante la revisión de los mangos con un microscopio electrónico de barrido equipado con un Sistema de Rayos X de Energía Dispersiva (SEM-EDAX-Sapphire), un microscopio óptico SMZ (NIKON) y un microscopio digital Dino-lite mod. AM7115MZT EDGE de 10x a 200x con una luz incidente por medio de un iluminador de fibra óptica y dotado de un software con funciones de medición integrales, para obtener imágenes de alta precisión. El análisis de XRF ha permitido identificar como estaño la sustancia empleada para adherir las incrustaciones decorativas en la pieza, empleando una técnica de tipo soldadura blanda. El FTNIR, por su parte, ha revelado que dichas incrustaciones fueron realizadas sobre resinas fósiles, muy probablemente ámbar. Estos resultados resultan totalmente novedosos dentro del mundo artesanal de época ibérica y, por tanto, de gran interés, evidenciando el valor de estas piezas en las que materias primas de presencia escasa en el mundo ibérico como son el marfil y el ámbar aparecen combinadas; así como el uso del estaño a modo de soldadura blanda nos revela procesos de manufactura no atestiguados hasta el momento en las industrias sobre materias duras de origen animal de la Edad del Hierro en la Península Ibérica. Cabe destacar que la realización de análisis químicos sobre piezas arqueológicas aporta datos específicos, prácticamente imposibles de obtener en un estudio macro o microscópico de los artefactos. Por ello, desde el proyecto proyecto “Madera, hueso, marfil, asta, concha ¿Artesanías marginales o marginadas?” (HAR2013-45770-P y ACOMP/2015/256) (financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y la Generalitat Valenciana) dirigido por la Dra. Consuelo Mata, se ha apostado por desarrollar estudios interdisciplinares, que impliquen el contacto y la comunicación entre distintos especialistas con la finalidad de conseguir resultados más sólidos y transversales

The 1993 Goddard Conference on Space Applications of Artificial Intelligence

This publication comprises the papers presented at the 1993 Goddard Conference on Space Applications of Artificial Intelligence held at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD on May 10-13, 1993. The purpose of this annual conference is to provide a forum in which current research and development directed at space applications of artificial intelligence can be presented and discussed