Digital restoration of colour cinematic films using imaging spectroscopy and machine learning

Digital restoration is a rapidly growing methodology within the field of heritage conservation, especially for early cinematic films which have intrinsically unstable dye colourants that suffer from irreversible colour fading. Although numerous techniques to restore film digitally have emerged recently, complex degradation remains a challenging problem. This paper proposes a novel vector quantization (VQ) algorithm for restoring movie frames based on the acquisition of spectroscopic data with a custom-made push-broom VNIR hyperspectral camera (380–780 nm). The VQ algorithm utilizes what we call a multi-codebook that correlates degraded areas with corresponding non-degraded ones selected from reference frames. The spectral-codebook was compared with a professional commercially available film restoration software (DaVinci Resolve 17) tested both on RGB and on hyperspectral providing better results in terms of colour reconstruction

Behavioral correlates of supplementary feeding of wildlife

Supplementary feeding is a common, but controversial, tool in wildlife management, because it can benefit both humansand wildlife (e.g., increased wildlife densities), but has certain downsides (e.g., increased disease transmission). For speciesthat are often involved in human-wildlife conflicts, two opposing paradigms with respect to supplementary feeding exist, i.e.,(i) that supplementary feeding is efficient to lure animals away from undesired places (i.e., diversionary feedinghypothesis1), and (ii) that supplementary feeding stimulates ‘nuisance’ behavior (i.e., increased tolerance for humans and selection forhuman facilitieshypothesis 2). We formulated an alternative hypothesis (hypothesis 3)i.e., that behavioral variation amongindividuals dilutes population-wide, general patterns with respect to supplementary feeding. Based on GPS relocation dataand resource selection functions, we show that neither of the two opposing management paradigms (hypothesis 1 and 2)hold in a particularly ‘conflict rich’ species, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), because individual variation in selection behaviorwith respect to supplementary feeding diluted population-wide patterns (hypothesis 3), even under very different environmentalcontexts (Sweden vs. Sloveniai.e., different human and bear population density, history and intensity of supplementary feeding,topography, etc.). Our results emphasize that individual variation is an important component of behavioral ecology and shouldbe considered in wildlife management and conservation

Psychosocial correlates of substance use in adolescence: A cross-national study in six European countries

Aims: To examine the psychosocial correlates of substance use among adolescents in six European countries. Design: Cross-sectional school population survey (ESPAD) based on standardized methodological procedures. Setting: High schools in six European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and UK. Participants: Representative samples of a total sample of 16,445 high school students whose 16th birthday fell in the year of data collection. Measurements: Anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Self-reported substance use was measured by core items on tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and any illegal drug use. Psychosocial correlates included scales of self-esteem, depression, anomie and antisocial behavior, and items pertaining to family, school and peers. Findings: Logistic regression analyses for each potential correlate adjusted for country, taking into account the clustered sample, showed statistically significant associations with each substance use variable separately, in almost every case. Particularly strong associations were found between smoking and going out most evenings and having many friends who smoke, while cannabis and illegal drugs were strongly correlated with having friends or older siblings who used these substances. The self-esteem scale score was not correlated with substance use. Anomie and antisocial behavior were more strongly associated than depression with substance use. In the case of depression, anomie and most of the other items examined, associations were stronger for girls than for boys. Conclusion: The present cross-national study identified correlates of legal and illegal substance use which extend outside specific countries, providing grounds to believe that they can be generalized. They provide evidence for the need to address both the use of the gateway drugs and deviant behavior in conjunction with environmental risk factors when designing and implementing preventive interventions in schools. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Further investigation of psychological and environmental correlates of substance use in adolescence in six European countries

Aim: To study the multifactorial correlates of adolescents' use of legal and illegal substances in six European countries and to assess whether a common pattern of factors exists irrespective of the countries' different sociocultural backgrounds. Design: Cross-sectional European school population survey (ESPAD) following standardized methodology. Participants: National probability samples of 16-year-old high school students from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and the UK. Total sample 16,445. Measurements: Anonymous questionnaire self-administered in the classroom. Self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other illegal drugs. Correlates examined: environmental, such as peer culture and family-related; behavior-related such as antisocial behavior, truancy and anomie; and psychological factors such as self-esteem and depressive mood. Findings: Separate logistic regressions for the two genders produced a set of psychosocial correlates common to the use of all legal and illegal substances. The strongest were peer and older sibling models of use, and peer-oriented lifestyle, followed by patterns of antisocial behavior and truancy. Family-related variables such as not living with both parents, parental monitoring and relationships with parents were less significant. Self-esteem and depressive mood were not significant. Girls' use of substances, especially illegal ones, showed stronger associations than boys' with a deviant behavior pattern. Few interactions between country and other correlates were significant. Conclusions: Common correlates can be identified across countries. Older siblings' and peers' substance have a strong impact on adolescents' use. Preventive interventions should include all substances with addictive potential. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Contributions of Ni-content and irradiation temperature to the kinetic of solute cluster formation and consequences on the hardening of VVER materials

International audienceThe study of solute clusters induced by neutron irradiation is fundamental to the understanding of the embrittlement phenomena of Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) steels. In this paper, the influence of Ni-content and irradiation temperature on these cluster formation are investigated using atom probe tomography.VVER 1000-BM (base metal) and 1000-W (weld) steels were chosen for their high Ni content of 1.2 and 1.7 at%, respectively. They were irradiated up to doses of 0.28 dpa at two temperatures (265 and 300 °C). The irradiations were performed at SCK CEN in the BR2 reactor.After irradiation, Mn, Ni and Si rich clusters were observed. A careful study of their composition indicates that these clusters actually contain iron. Moreover, the evolution of Fe cluster concentration with the dose indicates a constant supply of solutes throughout the irradiation thanks to the flux coupling. With increasing dose, both the cluster size and number density increase.The effect of temperature has to be dissociated from that of Ni content. Both of them result in an increase of the cluster number density at a given dose. The irradiation temperature has a more pronounced effect than chemical composition (mainly Ni effect). This can be explained by the fact that more matrix damage is produced at lower irradiation temperature. The influence of Ni on cluster number density is significantly higher at the lower temperature. All these observations support the hypothesis of radiation-induced segregation, even if a thermodynamic contribution to solute clustering cannot be excluded, in particular in the higher Ni steel irradiated at low temperature.In all cases, the yield strength increases proportionally to the volume fraction of radiation-induced defects (√(Vf))