PROPOSAL FOR A LANDSCAPE EVALUATION SYSTEM

This paper describes a system, currently being designed, for both perceptual analysis and aesthetic evaluation of a landscape. The choice of this topic is motivated by the fact that systems related to landscape visibility (e.g. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for visual impact assessment) are not fully satisfactory when it comes to assessing the aesthetic appearance. They mainly analyse geometric aspects, such as the width of visual basins or the interference of visual trajectories, which can be expressed by objective and comparable parameters. Instead, for effective landscape knowledge and protection, it is important to consider other factors that cannot be easily measured, namely the quality of human perception, i.e. the aesthetic judgements that people can express about a landscape. Based on these considerations, a system has been designed in order to analyse the elements that can influence the aesthetic judgement of a landscape and therefore simulate the more probable aesthetic judgement. Unlike GIS generally works, this system does not use maps, but perspective views obtained by means of vehicle-mounted cameras, as in mobile mapping technology (MMT). Research into the system described below consisted of two parts: firstly how to form the database on which the system is based and secondly how to use the system. The database contains a large number of views analysed in terms of geometric, qualitative, thematic, topological and gestalt aspects; the results of these analyses are recorded in tables and improved through a parameter expressing an aesthetic judgement. This aesthetic judgement is obtained by processing the responses of a group of participants to a sociological and/or neurological survey (i.e. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging). In the operational phase, a new view will be evaluated by comparison with the views stored in the database The new view will be given a judgment, obtained by processing the judgments of the most similar views. The idea of this system applies both to the assessment of a single view and to the evaluation of territorial contexts. Once this system has been defined, it will have to be tested through practical application

Digital orthophotos at a scale of 1:5000 from high resolution satellite images

This paper describes the first results of a study, carried out within the national research program “Cofin2001”, on the potential use of high resolution satellite images for making digital orthophotos at a scale of 1:5000 and 1:10,000. Particularly, images from IKONOS II and QuickBird of four different types of areas were employed: the first area is the city of Palermo, a greatly urbanized area; the second area is the extra-urban territory near the town of Contessa Entellina in south-western Sicily; the third area is the famous tourist resort of Scopello, in the western Sicily; the last area is the Caselle Airport, a flat zone near Torino. The first three images were orthorectified by using Rational Functions Model (RFM), varying the number of the GCP and using a DEM with 10 m gridcell; the last image was orthorectified by using the Toutin model and a DEM with 40 m grid-cell

COVID-19 Lockdown Impacts Among Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: An Italian Regional Reference Centre Experience

Coronavirus pandemic has influenced our society with social distancing and management of chronic disease such as cystic fibrosis (CF). During the Italian lockdown from March to May 2020, CF patients reduced the number of outpatient visits, limited social interactions and spent more time at home. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the lockdown on body mass index (BMI) and lung function tests on CF patients.We retrospectively reviewed clinical data about 111 CF patients followed in our Regional Cystic Fibrosis Reference Centre (Policlinico Umberto I, Rome) according to two periods: pre-lockdown (from October 2019-March 2020) and post-lockdown (from May 2020-October 2020). We collected data on nutritional (BMI and body weight) and lung function status; we chose the best values of the 'pre-lockdown' and 'post-lockdown' period for each patient. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to FEV1 value (Forced Expiratory Volume in the 1st second): group 1 (FEV140%), group 2 (FEV1 40-70%), group 3 (FEV170%). All patients received a telephone interview asking for the number of hours per week devoted to physical activity, number of pulmonary acute exacerbations and subjective evaluation of adherence to medical therapy, respiratory physiotherapy and diet, during the two periods.Comparing weight, BMI and respiratory function between pre and post lockdown periods, we noticed an increase in weight during among overall patients. Male patients improved weight, BMI, FEF 25-75% (Forced Expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity) and Tiffenau index more than female patients. The most severely compromised patients (group 1), showed a significant loss of both weight and BMI. Instead, patients with moderate respiratory function (group 2) showed a significant increase of both weight and BMI and a slightly reduced CVF (Forced Vital capacity). We found no differences among patients with good respiratory function (group 3). Comparing each clinical sub-groups, we noticed a significative improvement of weight (Lockdown period had benefit among CF patients in terms of weight in particular in male patient. The greatest benefit on nutritional state was observed in patients with moderate reduction of respiratory function. In addition, we noted a stabilization and sometimes a slight improvement of lung function, instead of a continuous and steady decline that is normally observed in CF patients. These beneficial effects are slight but significative, bearing in mind the general worsening that CF patients experience annually

Metodo e sistema di fruizione di immagini digitali

Metodo di simulazione delle sensazioni tattili in foto digitali, che consente di ottenere il nome del materiale e la ricostruzione delle sensazioni tattili legate alle superfici rappresentate, quali ad esempio la loro durezza, ruvidità, temperatura e morfologia con la possibilità, da parte dell'utente, di fruire di tali sensazioni attraverso un terminale di simulazione. Permette inoltre di ricercare all'interno di archivi di immagini foto in cui le superfici rappresentate contengono determinati materiali o sensazioni tattili, e di connettersi in automatico a siti internet con approfondimenti sul materiale di una superficie selezionata. Inoltre viene descritto un sistema simulazione delle sensazioni tattili che consente l’implementazione del suddetto metod

Metodo e sistema di calcolo di errore di altezza in immagini digitali

Metodo di calcolo di un errore di altezza di un punto in una immagine digitale, senza conoscenza della profondità del punto rispetto ad un piano di riferimento, che consente di ottenere in modo semplificato coordinate ai fini della restituzione di punti isolati o organizzati in un disegno, di piani quotati, di DTM, e che permette inoltre di effettuare la correzione geometrica delle immagini. Inoltre, viene descritto un sistema di determinazione dell'errore di altezza che consente l'implementazione del suddetto metodo

Metodo e sistema di identificazione di oggetti presenti in una foto o in un video digitali

Metodo di identificazione di oggetti in immagini digitali che consente una migliore identificazione ed anche la misurazione e l’esplorazione sia di ciò che appare sull'immagine sia di ciò che non rientra nell'inquadratura, il collegamento a pagine internet tramite l'immagine di singoli oggetti, la ricerca di oggetti e/o di categorie di oggetti all'interno di archivi di immagini. Inoltre viene descritto un sistema di identificazione di oggetti in immagini digitali che consente l’implementazione del suddetto metodo. Le forme di realizzazione preferite dell’invenzione richiedono la determinazione delle coordinate del punto di presa e/o delle inclinazioni della camera, ossia richiedono la localizzazione e in genere anche l'assetto della camera

A Location Based Service for the production of interactive photographs

Currently, photographs are an indispensable means for documenting and surveying objects and places, however, they have an inherent limitation due to a lack of identification data. Digital applications on a photograph could resolve this limitation. This paper, therefore, details the results of a research based on an innovative photographic system, with the purpose of identifying objects in digital photos. To carry out this procedure, this is achieved by partly utilizing a Location Based Service. The final product, obtained from the user in real time with a simple shot of the photo, constitutes a small information system, which enables the analysis of the images of places and objects in an interactive way, and their association to related information. Furthermore, it enables additional functions, such as the connection of individual objects to websites for further and more in depth analysis; framing of objects; research of objects or categories of objects within photographic archives, highlighting the result within the imag