Real-Time Illumination Capture and Rendering on Mobile Devices

We present our efforts to develop methods for rendering 3D objects on mobile devices using real-world dynamic illumination from the user’s environment. To achieve this, we use the front and back cameras on the mobile device to estimate the light distribution in the environment in real time. We then create a dynamic illumination map and render the object at interactive rates in a browser on the device using a web-based graphics API. This project achieves one of the goals of our related work on realistic visualization of virtual objects: to make virtual objects appear to be situated within the scene they are observed in

Digital Modeling of Cultural Heritage Objects

Cultural heritage objects are a rich source of information about human history. Due to the physical nature of these often old and typically rare or unique objects, humanity is at risk of losing this history. Given their importance, preservation is an active area of interest in the research community. While, digitally capturing images of the objects is common practice, we propose a more comprehensive approach to preserving these objects. It involves creating digital models that represent both the three- dimensional shapes of the objects and the materials they are made of

The Superfluid State of Atomic Li6 in a Magnetic Trap

We report on a study of the superfluid state of spin-polarized atomic Li6 confined in a magnetic trap. Density profiles of this degenerate Fermi gas, and the spatial distribution of the BCS order parameter are calculated in the local density approximation. The critical temperature is determined as a function of the number of particles in the trap. Furthermore we consider the mechanical stability of an interacting two-component Fermi gas, both in the case of attractive and repulsive interatomic interactions. For spin-polarized Li6 we also calculate the decay rate of the gas, and show that within the mechanically stable regime of phase space, the lifetime is long enough to perform experiments on the gas below and above the critical temperature if a bias magnetic field of about 5 T is applied. Moreover, we propose that a measurement of the decay rate of the system might signal the presence of the superfluid state.Comment: 16 pages Revtex including 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Gravity Models of Trade-based Money Laundering

Several attempts have been made in the economics literature to measure money laundering. However, the adequacy of these models is difficult to assess, as money laundering takes place secretly and, hence, goes unobserved. An exception is trade- based money laundering (TBML), a special form of trade abuse that has been discovered only recently. TBML refers to criminal proceeds that are transferred around the world using fake invoices that under- or overvalue imports and exports. This article is a first attempt to test well-known prototype models proposed by Walker and Unger to predict illicit money laundering flows and to apply traditional gravity models borrowed from international trade theory. To do so, we use a dataset of Zdanowicz of TBML flows from the US to 199 countries. Our test rejects the specifications of the Walker and Unger prototype models, at least for TBML. The traditional gravity model that we present here can indeed explain TBML flows worldwide in a plausible manner. An important determinant is licit trade, the mass in which TBML is hidden. Furthermore, our results suggest that criminals use TBML in order to escape the stricter anti money laundering regulations of financial markets.Money laundering, international trade, gravity model, Walker model.

Using visual and linguistic framing to support sustainable decisions in an online store

Companies face several digital communication challenges when it comes to promoting green products or services. The framing effect, which refers to the presentation of information, can significantly influence decision-making in digital interfaces. This research explores the impact of information framing through text and visuals on purchase decisions for sustainable fashion products. An online evaluation study (𝑁 = 84) of an e-commerce environment was conducted. We found that visual framing significantly affected user product choices, supporting more sustainability decisions. In contrast, little evidence was found that supported the effectiveness of linguistic (i.e., message) framing on user product choices. We discuss implications on how product pages should be designed to encourage sustainable decision-making

Using visual and linguistic framing to support sustainable decisions in an online store

Companies face several digital communication challenges when it comes to promoting green products or services. The framing effect, which refers to the presentation of information, can significantly influence decision-making in digital interfaces. This research explores the impact of information framing through text and visuals on purchase decisions for sustainable fashion products. An online evaluation study (𝑁 = 84) of an e-commerce environment was conducted. We found that visual framing significantly affected user product choices, supporting more sustainability decisions. In contrast, little evidence was found that supported the effectiveness of linguistic (i.e., message) framing on user product choices. We discuss implications on how product pages should be designed to encourage sustainable decision-making

B799: Field Appraisal of Resource Management Systems Farms Crop Yield and Quality Relationships with Soil Erosion

This document presents objectives and preliminary results of the Field Appraisal of Resource Management Systems (FARMS) study. This study assumes that estimates of soil erosion using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) represent long-term rather than short- term effects. The FARMS study randomly sampled 2400 plots over a three year period, 1980-82, for: crop management, soils, conservation practices and management, crop yields, soil chemistry, and sociological data. This report presents analyses from the 800 plots sampled in 1980. Statistics of rill and sheet soil erosion, as estimated by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), are presented. Data are presented for each of the factors in the USLE, for potato yields and quality, for yield of other field crops, and for soil nutrient analyses. A significant response of yield to erosion was found when the dataset was limited to the most commonly found soil, Caribou (144 plots). Data analyses including potato yields for all varieties and soils (429 plots) do not show any relation to predicted erosion. Regression analysis predicts that for each ton increase in soil erosion per acre per year up to 12 tons, a decrease of 2.3 hundred- weight of potatoes per acre will occur. The cover and management factor (C) was found to be the most important variable in the USLE in predicting potato yield decreases. With each increase of 0.1 C, the predicted yield decrease amounted to 17 hundredweight gross for potatoes, and 20 hundredweight decrease for US-1 potatoes per acre.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1113/thumbnail.jp

Zorgboer past werkwijze en bedrijfsvoering aan

De zorgvraag is zeer divers. Op een zorgboerderij wordt daarom zorg geboden in de vorm van dagbesteding, arbeidsintegratie, wonen of behandeling. Om goed in te kunnen spelen op de behoeften van de deelnemers, past de zorgboer(in) bovendien zijn werkwijze en bedrijfsvoering aan. In dit artikel een overzicht van de aanpassingen die zorgboeren deden op hun bedrijve