Bridging Geometry and Semantics for Object Manipulation and Grasping

In this paper, we present our on-going work towards grasping in an object manipulation context. Our proposal is a novel method that combines a tubular feature classification algorithm, a hand grasp posture generation algorithm and an animation framework for human-object interactions. This method works on objects with tubular or elongated parts, and accepts a number of parameter inputs to control the grasp posture

A comparative analysis of colour–emotion associations in 16–88‐year‐old adults from 31 countries

As people age, they tend to spend more time indoors, and the colours in their surroundings may significantly impact their mood and overall well-being. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to provide informed guidance on colour choices, irrespective of age group. To work towards informed choices, we investigated whether the associations between colours and emotions observed in younger individuals also apply to older adults. We recruited 7,393 participants, aged between 16 and 88 years and coming from 31 countries. Each participant associated 12 colour terms with 20 emotion concepts and rated the intensity of each associated emotion. Different age groups exhibited highly similar patterns of colour-emotion associations (average similarity coefficient of 0.97), with subtle yet meaningful age-related differences. Adolescents associated the greatest number but the least positively biased emotions with colours. Older participants associated a smaller number but more intense and more positive emotions with all colour terms, displaying a positivity effect. Age also predicted arousal and power biases, varying by colour. Findings suggest parallels in colour-emotion associations between younger and older adults, with subtle but significant age-related variations. Future studies should next assess whether colour-emotion associations reflect what people actually feel when exposed to colour

SeaConditions: a web and mobile service for safer professional and recreational activities in the Mediterranean Sea

Reliable and timely information on the environmental conditions at sea is key to the safety of professional and recreational users as well as to the optimal execution of their activities. The possibility of users obtaining environmental information in due time and with adequate accuracy in the marine and coastal environment is defined as sea situational awareness (SSA). Without adequate information on the environmental meteorological and oceanographic conditions, users have a limited capacity to respond, which has led to loss of lives and to large environmental disasters with enormous consequent damage to the economy, society and ecosystems. Within the framework of the TESSA project, new SSA services for the Mediterranean Sea have been developed. In this paper we present SeaConditions, which is a web and mobile application for the provision of meteorological and oceanographic observation and forecasting products. Model forecasts and satellite products from operational services, such as ECMWF and CMEMS, can be visualized in SeaConditions. In addition, layers of information related to bathymetry, sea level and ocean-colour data (chl a and water transparency) are displayed. Ocean forecasts at high spatial resolutions are included in the version of SeaConditions presented here. SeaConditions provides a user-friendly experience with a fluid zoom capability, facilitating the appropriate display of data with different levels of detail. SeaConditions is a single point of access to interactive maps from different geophysical fields, providing high-quality information based on advanced oceanographic models. The SeaConditions services are available through both web and mobile applications. The web application is available at www.sea-conditions.com and is accessible and compatible with present-day browsers. Interoperability with GIS software is implemented. User feedback has been collected and taken into account in order to improve the service. The SeaConditions iOS and Android apps have been downloaded by more than 105 000 users to date (May 2016), and more than 100 000 users have visited the web version

The COVID-19 pandemic and its global effects on dental practice. An international survey

Objectives: A multicentre survey was designed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on dental practice worldwide, estimate the COVID-19 related symptoms/signs, work attitudes and behaviour and the routine use of protective measures and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Methods: A global survey using a standardized questionnaire with research groups from 36 countries was designed. The questionnaire was developed and pretested during April 2020 and contained three domains: 1) Personal data; 2) COVID-19 positive rate and symptoms/signs presumably related to the coronavirus; 3) Working conditions and PPE adopted after the outbreak. Countries’ data were grouped by the Country Positive Rate (CPR) during the survey period and by Gross-National-Income per capita. An ordinal multinomial logistic regression model was carried out with COVID-19 self-reported rate referred by dental professionals as dependent variable to assess the association with questionnaire items. Results: A total of 52,491 questionnaires were returned with a male/female ratio of 0.63. Out of the total respondents, 7,859 dental professionals (15%) reported symptoms/signs compatible with COVID-19. More than half of the sample (n = 27,818; 53%) stated to use FFP2/N95 masks, while 21,558 (41.07%) used eye protection. In the bivariate analysis, CPR and N95/FFP2 were significantly associated (OR = 1.80 95%CI = 1.60/2.82 and OR = 5.20 95%CI = 1.44/18.80, respectively), while Gross-National-Income was not statistically associated with CPR (OR = 1.09 95%CI = 0.97/1.60). The same significant associations were observed in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Oral health service provision has not been significantly affected by COVID-19, although access to routine dental care was reduced due to country-specific temporary lockdown periods. While the dental profession has been identified at high-risk, the reported rates of COVID-19 for dental professionals were not significantly different to those reported for the general population in each country. These findings may help to better plan oral health care for future pandemic events

Local products as a key for economic development drive by tourism: a case study research in Irpinia

Purpose - Literature on country of origin effect has mostly focused on the effect a country has on the consumers’ perceived quality of local products. However, there are many cases in which product image might be considered much stronger than Country image, that being a potential resource that could be exploited for economic growth. Thus our research tries to shed light on the potential influence of local products on the economic development of a territorial area. Finally our study shows that local products perceived as being of high quality, have a great impact on country image for tourism or business opportunities, above all when scarce information on the product area is available to consumers. Design/methodology/approach - The conceptual framework above presented was tested in Irpinia, a little area in Southern Italy, well known for its local production of typical food and wines. Our research goals were to discover and analyze those factors that may influence country perception related to the consumption of local products. On this basis, our unit of analysis was composed by people hosted by tourist facilities (hotel, restaurants, etc,) located in Irpinia. Research method is mainly quantitative: data collection was performed by mean of a semi-structured questionnaire; interviewees were selected through not probability sampling procedure, whereas data analysis, performed through SPSS software, involved multivariate techniques. Findings - By giving reasons why tourists chose Irpinia (area or products), the research shows that there could be a dyadic association between country of origin and product image. Practical implications - The paper provides, through a literature review and an empirical study, an innovative marketing and communication tool regarding both product/brand tactics and the improvement of tourism and territorial business opportunities. Originality/value - While most literature focuses on the effects of country of origin effect over perceived product quality, the study proposes to use local products as marketing and communication tools to promote the area. The paper also highlights the dyadic relationship between product/brand and country of origin. These considerations allow the paper, with an adaptation of the initial framework, to provide academic and practical suggestions in operative marketing and communication regarding product/brand and territorial touristic developmen