3D printing and immersive visualization for improved perception of ancient artifacts

This article investigates the use of 3D immersive virtual environments and 3D prints for interaction with past material culture over traditional observation without manipulation. Our work is motivated by studies in heritage, museum, and cognitive sciences indicating the importance of object manipulation for understanding present and ancient artifacts. While virtual immersive environments and 3D prints have started to be incorporated in heritage research and museum displays as a way to provide improved manipulation experiences, little is known about how these new technologies affect the perception of our past. This article provides first results obtained with three experiments designed to investigate the benefits and tradeoffs in using these technologies. Our results indicate that traditional museum displays limit the experience with past material culture, and reveal how our sample of participants favor tactile and immersive 3D virtual experiences with artifacts over visual non-manipulative experiences with authentic objects. This paper is part of a larger study on how people perceive ancient artifacts, which was partially funded by the University of California Humanities Network and the Center for the Humanities at the University of California, Merced.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from MIT Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/PRES_a_0022

Comparing 2D pictures with 3D replicas for the digital preservation and analysis of tangible heritage

In this paper, we present two experiments designed to compare 2D digital pictures and 3D digital replicas of artefacts, to understand how differently these media facilitate the perception and understanding of our past. Archaeologists and museum experts have commonly used 2D digital pictures to preserve and study artefacts. Recently these scholars have also started to use 3D digital archives for their studies. Yet we still need to determine how these two formats (2D vs 3D) affect the perception of our past. Results to our experiments point to 3D digital replicas of artifacts as more effective means to digitally preserve tangible cultural heritage, since 3D multi-visualization augments the perception of physical characteristics of the artifacts allowing a more embodied experience with these objects. Our experiments also suggest that multi-visualization (i.e., point-cloud, mesh, and color information) helps the viewers to overcome their personal conceptualization of specific objects.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2015.104251

The current progress of the ALICE Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector

Recently, the last two modules (out of seven) of the ALICE High Momentum Particle Identification detector (HMPID) were assembled and tested. The full detector, after a pre-commissioning phase, has been installed in the experimental area, inside the ALICE solenoid, at the end of September 2006. In this paper we review the status of the ALICE/HMPID project and we present a summary of the series production of the CsI photo-cathodes. We describe the key features of the production procedure which ensures high quality photo-cathodes as well as the results of the quality assessment performed by means of a specially developed 2D scanner system able to produce a detailed map of the CsI photo-current over the entire photo-cathode surface. Finally we present our recent R&D efforts toward the development of a novel generation of imaging Cherenkov detectors with the aim to identify, in heavy ions collisions, hadrons up to 30 GeV/c.Comment: Presented at the Imaging-2006 Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, June 200

Lifetime Ratios of Beauty Hadrons at the Next-to-Leading Order in QCD

We compute the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to spectator effects in the lifetime ratios of beauty hadrons. With respect to previous calculations, we take into account the non vanishing value of the charm quark mass. We obtain the predictions tau(B+)/tau(Bd) = 1.06 +- 0.02, tau(Bs)/tau(Bd)= 1.00 +- 0.01 and tau(Lambdab)/tau(Bd) = 0.90 +- 0.05, in good agreement with the experimental results. In the case of tau(Bs)/tau(Bd) and tau(Lambdab)/tau(Bd), however, some contributions, which either vanish in the vacuum insertion approximation or represent a pure NLO corrections, have not been determined yet.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure

Next-to-Leading Order QCD Corrections to Spectator Effects in Lifetimes of Beauty Hadrons

Theoretical predictions of beauty hadron lifetimes, based on the heavy quark expansion up to and including order 1/mb^2, do not to reproduce the experimental measurements of the lifetime ratios tau(B+)/tau(Bd) and tau(Lambdab)/tau(Bd). Large corrections to these predictions come from phase-space enhanced 1/mb^3 contributions, i.e. hard spectator effects. In this paper we calculate the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the Wilson coefficients of the local operators appearing at O(1/mb^3). We find that these corrections improve the agreement with the experimental data. The lifetime ratio of charged to neutral B mesons, tau(B+)/tau(Bd), turns out to be in very good agreement with the corresponding measurement, whereas for tau(Bs)/tau(Bd) and tau(Lambdab)/tau(Bd) there is a residual difference at the 1-sigma level. We discuss, however, why the theoretical predictions are less accurate in the latter cases.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures, uses epsf. Misprints in eqs. (28) and (52) corrected. Results unchanged. Final version to appear on Nucl.Phys.

Apparatus for synthesizing and separating synthesis products e.g. gaseous and liquid phases on bed, maintains heavier liquid phase at lower portion of first meatus due to gravity and lighter liquid phase at upper portion of meatus

NOVELTY - The apparatus has header that is set to make the heavier and lighter liquid phases flow along outer side surface of a third tube (8) as far as first closure element (13). The third tube is provided with second side openings for directly connecting the first and second meatus. The heavier liquid phase is maintained at lower portion of the first meatus due to gravity and lighter liquid phase is maintained at upper portion of the first meatus until the liquid phases fall into a fourth tube (9). The heavier liquid phase is collectible through a collection hole (12). USE - Apparatus e.g. reactor/separator for synthesizing and separating synthesis products e.g. gaseous phase and heavier and lighter liquid phases on catalytic bed, used in production of biodiesel. ADVANTAGE - Since heavier liquid phase is maintained at lower portion of the first meatus due to gravity and lighter liquid phase is maintained at upper portion of the first meatus, sedimentation separation of the liquid phases is improved. The structure of the apparatus is simplified and the apparatus is constructed easily. The efficacy and use of catalyst are maximized. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The apparatus has synthesis module (M1) that is set with a first tube (1) which is provided with an opening at one end and closed at second end by a mesh (7). The first tube is adapted to contain a catalytic bed (6). A separation module (M2) is set to separate heavier and lighter liquid phases and gaseous phase originating from the synthesis module. A second tube (1') is arranged adjacent to second end of the first tube. A first closure element is provided with a through hole for sole passage of the second liquid and of the gaseous phase. A third tube is affixed to first end of second tube. A first meatus is set between second tube and the third tube. The fourth tube is set inside the third tube so as to define a second meatus between the third tube and the fourth tube. A separation zone is set between the heavier and lighter liquid phases. A collection hole is set in the second tube to collect the heavier liquid phase. The third tube is set with first side openings at first end, and is set with a header for collecting the liquid phases originating from the synthesis module. The first meatus is directly inserted into the third tube and subsequently into the fourth tube. A control system is set between the liquid phases, to check and maintain interface level below the upper end of the first side openings. The control system has interface level indicator that is connected to the second tube by second side holes envisaged in side surface of the second tube. One of the second side holes is arranged in proximity of the first closure element and other is positioned above the upper end of the first side openings. The protrusions are arranged along cylindrical side surface of the third tube, and are separated by spaces for passage of the liquid phases from the header to the first meatus. A redistribution module (M3) is set to redistribute the lighter liquid phase and gaseous phase originating from the fourth tube. A fifth tube (1") is arranged adjacent to second end of the second tube. The closure element is set with a central perforated area. A sixth tube (14) is set to descent and release of the gaseous phase. The central perforated area is provided with several holes for homogeneous distribution of lighter liquid phase downstream of the redistribution module. The sixth tube is affixed to a second closure element (15). The mesh is provided with a passage area. The synthesis module, separation module and redistribution module are vertically-stacked. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a method for synthesizing and separating synthesis products e.g. gaseous phase and heavier and lighter liquid phases on catalytic bed, involves synthesizing on a catalytic bed and producing the synthesis products. The liquid phases and gaseous phase are separated in the separation module

High energy parton-parton amplitudes from lattice QCD and the stochastic vacuum model

Making use of the gluon gauge-invariant two-point correlation function, recently determined by numerical simulation on the lattice in the quenched approximation and the stochastic vacuum model, we calculate the elementary (parton-parton) amplitudes in both impact-parameter and momentum transfer spaces. The results are compared with those obtained from the Kr\"{a}mer and Dosch ansatz for the correlators. Our main conclusion is that the divergences in the correlations functions suggested by the lattice calculations do not affect substantially the elementary amplitudes. Phenomenological and semiempirical information presently available on elementary amplitudes is also referred to and is critically discussed in connection with some theoretical issues.Comment: Text with 11 pages in LaTeX (twocolumn form), 10 figures in PostScript (psfig.tex used). Replaced with changes, Fig.1 modified, two references added, some points clarified, various typos corrected. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Forensic considerations on violent parasomnias during lifespan

Nocturnal parasomnias are a group of sleep complex manifestation that don't alter the sleep macrostructure, but when persistent during adulthood may be assume violent aspects with relevant forensic implications about the guiltiness

On the Gauge/Gravity Correspondence and the Open/Closed String Duality

In this article we review the conditions for the validity of the gauge/gravity correspondence in both supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric string models. We start by reminding what happens in type IIB theory on the orbifolds C^2/Z_2 and C^3/(Z_2 x Z_2), where this correspondence beautifully works. In these cases, by performing a complete stringy calculation of the interaction among D3 branes, it has been shown that the fact that this correspondence works is a consequence of the open/closed duality and of the absence of threshold corrections. Then we review the construction of type 0 theories with their orbifolds and orientifolds having spectra free from both open and closed string tachyons and for such models we study the validity of the gauge/gravity correspondence, concluding that this is not a peculiarity of supersymmetric theories, but it may work also for non-supersymmetric models. Also in these cases, when it works, it is again a consequence of the open/closed string duality and of vanishing threshold corrections.Comment: Invited review article for Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, 95 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables, LaTeX. References and acknowledgements adde

Neuropsychomotricity in water: A new rehabilitative tool for neruodevelop-mental disorders

Neuropsychomotricity in water is a rehabilitative practice that avails itself just of the liquid element, as a mediator of relationships: in water yes they upset all dynamics, be they relational, of equilibrium, of movement and perception, due to the fact that proprioceptive sensations, created by bodily contact with water, they are different than those generated by contact with air