Composite Texture Synthesis

Many textures require complex models to describe their intricate structures. Their modeling can be simplified if they are considered composites of simpler subtextures. After an initial, unsupervised segmentation of the composite texture into the subtextures, it can be described at two levels. One is a label map texture, which captures the layout of the different subtextures. The other consists of the different subtextures. This scheme has to be refined to also include mutual influences between textures, mainly found near their boundaries. The proposed composite texture model also includes these. The paper describes an improved implementation of this idea. Whereas in a previous implementation subtextures and their interactions were synthesized sequentially, this paper proposes a parallel implementation, which yields results of higher qualit

Representation and Three-Dimensional Interpretation of Image Texture: An Integrated Approach

Coordinated Science Laboratory was formerly known as Control Systems LaboratoryAir Force Office of Scientific Research / AFOSR 87-0100Eastman Koda

Putting off and putting on: an examination of character information in Colossians 3.1-17 and the spiritualities created in the process

The majority of academic study on the epistle to the Colossians focuses primarily on issues related to Christology, the identification of the heresy that threatened the church, or the ongoing debate surrounding authorship of the epistle. Current research leaves several lacunae in the broader understanding of the writer’s intent with the Colossian epistle. There is very little attention given to the existence of a process by which the Colossian believers can mature in Christ and face any theologically aberrant teachings with a growing faith and solid doctrine. There is also a gap in the research within the field of Christian spirituality regarding the application of specific principles of spirituality to sacred canonical texts and early Christian writings. This thesis seeks to fill these research gaps through the use of socio-rhetorical strategies and principles of Christian spirituality. The primary text for this research is the pericope of Colossians 3.1-17. The research on the epistle examines the pericope for an embedded process of character transformation by which the Colossian believers grow towards Christlikeness. As the Colossians grow in maturity, their lived experience of God changes. There are spiritualities embedded within the text that begin to impact the growth of the believers through the embodiment of the text. The identification of these spiritualities as well as the process of character transformation allows for the filling of research gaps and a richer understanding of the epistle writer’s intent.Philosophy, Practical and Systematic TheologyD. Phil. (Theology

It is Time: Theology of Time in the Book of Revelation as Reflected in the Interpretation of Scripture and the Temple Cult

The Book of Revelation is arguably viewed as the definitive eschatological text in the biblical canon. The writer was well-versed in Hebraic thought, culture, traditions and the entire Hebrew scriptures since the text is infused with allusions and direct references to the Hebrew scriptures. The Greek text also contains words that hearken back to the Semitic language either by transliteration or by the importation of descriptions, metaphors and idioms (Newport 1988). Apart from an understanding of Revelation against the backdrop of the entire biblical canon, an appreciation of time as it is applied in Revelation is essential to understand both the frightening and the encouraging aspects of Revelation. Due to the context of Revelation, the appreciation of time needs to encompass the usage of time in the remainder of the biblical canon. Exploring the social culture of the writers of the biblical texts within their historical and geographical settings is a useful means of providing additional information towards the discussion of the nature of time. Although the prevailing post-modern and western concept of time is described as linear, various factors such as the descriptions of annually recurring feasts linked to the climatological patterns and farming and gathering of crops, point to the observation that the first-century CE Mediterranean concept of time appears to have been far more cyclical than merely linear. These annual feasts demonstrate an inherent dual meaning , which allows the function and role of each feast to develop over the passing of time while the annual recurrence of the feast establishes a cyclical pattern of worship. This enables a comparative appreciation of the secondary role of the feast against the backdrop of its initial function. A discussion of the text also shows that these and other festivals kept by the early Christian believers were infused with Temple cult rituals that appear as motifs and images through rhetography within Revelation as well as the remainder of the biblical canon. Given the numerous differing interpretations of Revelation offering a gloomy and frightening scenario of the future, this dissertation seeks to offer a fresh understanding based on an examination of the nature of time by applying textual comparisons against the backdrop of the socio-historical setting of the first-century Mediterranean society. It is hoped that this fresh understanding will result in a more nuanced understanding of the concept of time in Revelation within the context of both the extant texts as well as the socio-cultural intertexture during the first century CE. The success of this endeavour would thereby allow the text of Revelation to be read afresh as a timeous message to contemporary, and hopefully, future believers. This would comply with the pastoral concerns of the author of Revelation as well as contemporary leaders of believing communities, since a fresh and nuanced understanding of time based on the text itself would deepen and enrich the interpretation of the reading. Hence, the communication between the author and the reader or believer would be improved and enriched. Pastorally, the message contained in Revelation would become clearer to the contemporary reader as well as any reader or hearer of the text. For example, the contextual backdrop of the meaning of biblical feasts, particularly the “fall feasts” (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day) would deepen the appreciation of the eschatological content of the Book of Revelation. The relationship between 'chronos’ and ’kairos’ would shed further light on the placement of the believer within the scope of “church history” and the future events discussed in Revelation. And lastly, a more nuanced understanding of Revelation would assist the believer in positioning themselves in the present life as well as in light of the future, which would lead to the understanding of the believer’s salvific position. Since these matters are foundational to the believer, this work is crucial in offering a different approach to reading and understanding Revelation. The analytic tool selected for the task at hand is based on the socio-rhetorical interpretation introduced and elaborated upon by Vernon K. Robbins . For the scope of this dissertation, two of these socio-rhetorical tools were utilised. Firstly, the text of Revelation was analysed by selecting specific terms pertaining to time, which was discussed in greater detail with the aid of inner texture, as well as intertexture, where oral-scribal intertexture was the predominant analytic in the search for further layers of meaning of the selected terms. Secondly, working with intertexture, cultural and social intertexture allowed further insights into the cultural context of Revelation to assist in the clarification and enrichment of our analyses. Terms and phrases used in the text which allude metaphorically to a cultural aspect were good examples of the application of cultural intertexture as a subtexture of intertexture, whereas additional cultural information relevant to the content of the text would fall under the umbrella of social and cultural intertexture. Given that our primary focus is the text, a certain amount of cross-contamination might occur, however, a concerted effort was made to distinguish between subtextures and textures, notwithstanding the naturally occurring blending between these. For this work, textual excerpts from the entire biblical canon as well as various apocryphal literature and Patristics, as well as writings by Eusebius and Josephus, were incorporated. The application of the second methodology, especially social and cultural intertexture, includes the discussion on comparisons between various terms or passages in Revelation to chiefly Second Temple cultic practices, to tease out further information towards a nuanced understanding of time. After applying both sets of analytics, the observations gleaned were woven together to form a fresh fabric of appreciation of time as applied in Revelation. Apart from the observations that Revelation is to be read against the backdrop of Hebraic culture, thought, and most significantly the Tanakh, it will become increasingly clear that the general understanding of the nature of time as a foundation to the reading of Revelation can be enriched by further research, for example, by the application of socio-rhetorical interpretation. Given that the chosen analytics minimize pre-conceived notions, and further limit interpretations based on a preterist or an historicist concept, it negates the effects of a preconceived notion of a pre-millenial rapture or anything of this nature. It also casts aside interpretations produced through the lens of the replacement theory. This examination allows the text itself, by the application of the sociorhetorical tools to offer insights based on working with different layers of the text. The dissertation discusses the way 'kairos’ and 'chronos’ impact on each other, as well as the meanings gleaned from the Torah of terms such as “time”, Sabbath, week, month, jubilee, the seven feasts as well as the two other feasts based on the Book of Esther and the Books of Maccabees. The ceremonial style within Revelation combined with the textual examinations demonstrates that time appears to have been applied as a specifically and intentionally planned dimension, pointing to an intention and a specific meaning attributed to the believers’ lives in those instances. The methodology used reveals a nuanced appreciation of time. This dissertation offers a contribution to existing scholarship and encourages further research into the Book of Revelation and its relevance to contemporary believing communities

The geological evolution of the eastern Richtersveld

Includes bibliographical references.The lithology of the early Proterozoic (-1950-1750 my) Richtersveld is characterised by predominantly calc-alkaline volcanics, (De Hoop Subgroup) overlain by and intercalated with quartzitic metasediments into which the mainly granodioritic rocks of the Vioolsdrif Intrusive Suite (VIS) were emplaced. Metavolcanics and sediments of the De Hoop Subgroup have been subdivided into formations, and their paleogeographic environments have been deduced from lithological criteria. In the north eastern Richtersveld systematic reconstruction permitted the recognition of four distinct depositional domains: (a) a high altitude volcanic terrain in the northeast, characterised by a great thickness of an entirely volcanic succession. (b) a synvolcanic graben structure in the southeast; infilled by melanocratic volcanics and immature sediments. (c) a low-lying volcanic terrain in the southwest, possibly representinga coastal plain, lithologically characterised by volcanic debris and redeposited volcanics of domain (a).d) marine quartzites in the south, indicating a marine ingression from the southwest towards the end of the volcanic cycle ,In the southeastern Richtersveld more strongly metamorphosed acid to intermediate volcanics overlie metasediments of the Namaqua Metamorphic Complex(NMC).Within the Vioolsdrif Intrusive Suite four intrusive phases can be distinguished. The oldest phase, a fine-grained granodiorite, is only tentatively assigned to the Vioolsdrif Intrusive Suite and probably constitutes a subvolcanic member of intermediate metavolcanics of the Kookrivier Formation. It was followed by syntectonic even-grained granodiorite and by posttectonic granite and leucogranite. Textural analysis of the undeformed granite phase provided information as to its intrusion and crystallisation history and the sequence of crystallisation. Since the latter allows the estimate of the water content of the initial magma, and as water content of the magma determines - according to some models -geological position and extent of porphyry ore deposits, predictions could be made as to the probable site and extent of possible porphyry ore deposits, which are in agreement with preliminary results obtained during field work. The metamorphic and tectonic development probably started soon after or even during deposition of the supracrustal rocks. Low grade metamorphism of low pressure type (andalusite-sillimanite facies series sensu Miyashiro, 1973) in the central northeastern Richtersveld (associated with tight to isoclinal Fi-folds of different magnitudes) and migmatisation in the south and northeast (mainly postdating F1) suggest an essentially zoned metamorphic complex with increasing grade of metamorphism towards the margins of the Richtersveld

Templated native silk smectic gels

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a fibrous protein smectic hydrogel by way of a solvent templating process, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; and collecting the resulting fibrous protein smectic hydrogel and allowing it to dry. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining predominantly one enantiomer from a racemic mixture, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; allowing the enantiomers of racemic mixture to diffuse selectively into the smectic hydrogel in solution; removing the smectic hydrogel from the solution; rinsing predominantly one enantiomer from the surface of the smectic hydrogel; and extracting predominantly one enantiomer from the interior of the smectic hydrogel. The present invention also relates to a smectic hydrogel prepared according to an aforementioned method

Templated Native Silk Smectic Gels

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a fibrous protein smectic hydrogel by way of a solvent templating process, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; and collecting the resulting fibrous protein smectic hydrogel and allowing it to dry. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining predominantly one enantiomer from a racemic mixture, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; allowing the enantiomers of racemic mixture to diffuse selectively into the smectic hydrogel in solution; removing the smectic hydrogel from the solution; rinsing predominantly one enantiomer from the surface of the smectic hydrogel; and extracting predominantly one enantiomer from the interior of the smectic hydrogel. The present invention also relates to a smectic hydrogel prepared according to an aforementioned method

Augmented Reality and Possibilities of Headset Microsoft Hololens 2

Hlavním cílem této bakalářské práce bylo podívat se na oblast rozšířené reality. Hlavní část je věnována vývoji ukázkových aplikací, které prakticky ukazují mošnosti rozšířené reality na zařízení Hololens 2. V teoretické části práce se lehce zaměřuji na práci v herním enginu Unreal Engine 4, ale vetšína práce se zaměřuje na vývoj s knihovnou OpenXR. V rámci bakalářské práce jsem vytvořil ukázkové aplikace, které prakticky demonstrují možnosti rozšířené reality.This thesis covers implementation of an Augmented reality (AR) application, which demonstrates basic capabilities of Hololens 2 headset. This application could be used in places such as museum, where we could use application-rendered text as an exhibit description, or in medicine for its model-rendering capabilities, which we could use for displaying various organs. Practical part of this theses focuses on implementation of an AR application written in C++ using open-source library OpenXR. Furthermore the theses compares Hololens 1 and 2 headsets, and explains the choise of a framework one should choose if developing an AR application.460 - Katedra informatikyvýborn

A Socio-Rhetorical Interpretation of Joshua 6

The ḥērem war in Joshua 6, which demands total destruction of the city and its inhabitants, presents a God who at first glance appears to be merciless and cruel. This thesis employs socio-rhetorical interpretation as described by Vernon Robbins to explore Joshua 6. It aims to better understand God\u27s involvement in the ḥērem war, and to determine what this involvement says about God’s character. The comprehensive picture that emerges from the five textures of sociorhetorical interpretation reveals that Yahweh\u27s anger is not against people or other nations, but against sin that destroys His creation. Rather than being merciless and cruel, a careful study of Joshua 6 shows that Yahweh is in fact merciful and full of love towards His creation. This love is demonstrated in the fact that God accommodates Himself to His sinful people. While violence is used in the process of vi the conquest, it is violence against sin and is redemptive in its nature, bringing salvation a step closer to its final fulfilment. This salvation is intended not only for the Israelites, but also for all the other nations. Joshua 6 also highlights God\u27s love by presenting Him as a covenant keeper, thereby strengthening the faith of the Israelites in Yahweh who keeps His promises