Cubical Cohomology Ring of 3D Photographs

Cohomology and cohomology ring of three-dimensional (3D) objects are topological invariants that characterize holes and their relations. Cohomology ring has been traditionally computed on simplicial complexes. Nevertheless, cubical complexes deal directly with the voxels in 3D images, no additional triangulation is necessary, facilitating efficient algorithms for the computation of topological invariants in the image context. In this paper, we present formulas to directly compute the cohomology ring of 3D cubical complexes without making use of any additional triangulation. Starting from a cubical complex $Q$ that represents a 3D binary-valued digital picture whose foreground has one connected component, we compute first the cohomological information on the boundary of the object, $\partial Q$ by an incremental technique; then, using a face reduction algorithm, we compute it on the whole object; finally, applying the mentioned formulas, the cohomology ring is computed from such information

A model for colour naming and comparing based on conceptual neighbourhood. An application for comparing art compositions

A computational model for Qualitative Colour Description, named the QCD model, is defined using the Hue, Saturation and Luminance colour space. This model can name rainbow colours, pale, light and dark colours, and colours in the grey scale, and it has been parameterised by participants of a study in two universities in Spain: University Jaume I and University of Sevilla. The relational structure of the QCD model is analysed by means of a conceptual neighbourhood diagram and it is used to formulate a measure of similarity for solving absolute and relative comparisons of qualitative colours. Moreover, a similarity measure between colour compositions, called SimQCDI, is also developed. A survey test on several art compositions is carried out and the results obtained by the participants are analysed and compared to the computational results provided by the SimQCDI. Also, a comparison to the standard RGB Colour Histogram similarity method is carried out, which shows that the proposed similarity is more intuitive and that the results obtained are similar with respect to quantification. Finally, the cognitive adequacy of the QCD model is also analysed.This work was supported by European Commission through FP7 Marie Curie IEF actions under project COGNITIVE-AMI https://sites.google.com/site/zfalomir/projects/cognitive-ami (GA 328763), the Research Centre on Spatial Cognition at the University of Bremen, the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), Andalusian Regional Ministry of Economy (project SIMON TIc-8052), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project TIN2011-24147), Generalitat Valenciana (project GVA/2013/135) and Universitat Jaume I (Project P11B2013-29)

Homological tree-based strategies for image analysis

Homological characteristics of digital objects can be obtained in a straightforward manner computing an algebraic map φ over a finite cell complex K (with coefficients in the finite field F2={0,1}) which represents the digital object [9]. Computable homological information includes the Euler characteristic, homology generators and representative cycles, higher (co)homology operations, etc. This algebraic map φ is described in combinatorial terms using a mixed three-level forest. Different strategies changing only two parameters of this algorithm for computing φ are presented. Each one of those strategies gives rise to different maps, although all of them provides the same homological information for K. For example, tree-based structures useful in image analysis like topological skeletons and pyramids can be obtained as subgraphs of this forest

The Emotional Impact of Hotel Room Colour in Spanish and Equatorian Tourists

Research suggests that colour plays an important role in creating wellness emotions in hotel customers. This paper considers that tourists’ needs for wellness may be satisfied by manipulating existing elements of a hotel, such as the colour of a hotel room. The paper studies the relationship between tourists’ emotions and the main colour of a hotel room, and also the relationship between that emotion and their intention to stay in the hotel, and even the price that the tourists are willing to pay. Also, the paper studies the role of cultural differences in these relationships, specifically between Spanish and Equatorian tourists

Recuerdos, Expresiones y Sueños en Nepantla: Identity Journeys through Spoken, Written, and Artistic Testimonios

In this study, I argue that Latinx students’ lives, culture, and language are not adequately valued in our educational system, resulting in a need for more in-depth relationship-building and preparation and education for our mostly White and monolingual teaching pool of candidates. I experienced these inequities in the public education system, as both a bilingual Latinx student and as a bilingual elementary teacher. Based on my previous role as a teacher, I designed a qualitative study with auto-historic and arts-based methods re-engaging with a group of my former elementary school students, now teens in high school. Grounded in four combined conceptual frames of Chicana feminism (Delgado Bernal, 1998; Godinez, 2006; Yosso, 2005), acompañamiento (Sepúlveda, 2011), love and care (Freire, 2008; hooks, 2000; Noddings, 1992; Valenzuela, 1999), and nepantla (Anzaldúa, 2015), we engaged in pláticas y encuentros revisiting our past, present, and imagined future. When coming together, we shared testimonios through spoken, written, and visual expressions. Findings showed how youth participants understood their language learning experiences and linguistic identities within their English language development classes. They expressed critiques in what they perceived as low-quality methods of instruction, which led to impediments and hindrances to their linguistic identity, fueling resistance to the injustice. By revising past poems written in fourth grade, findings revealed students embodied various emotions as they shouldered their loved ones’ encounters with racist nativist and sociopolitical border-crossing realities. By revisiting multiple time periods in our lives and by providing artistic tools, the bilingual Latinx youth trans/formed their identities into visual expressions. My perspective as “artist/researcher/teacher” (De Cosson, 2002) and my conceptual framework both facilitated my understanding of the potential of trans/forming public education system in becoming more humanizing for bilingual Latinx students

Measures of Similarity between Qualitative Descriptions of Shape, Colour and Size Applied to Mosaic Assembling

A computational approach for obtaining a similarity measure between qualitative descriptions of shape, colour and size of objects within digital images is presented. According to the definition of the qualitative features, the similarity values determined are based on conceptual neighbourhood diagrams or interval distances. An approximate matching algorithm between object descriptions is defined and applied to tile mosaic assembling and results of previous approaches are improved.This work has been partially supported by Universitat Jaume I (Fons del Pla Estratégic de 2011/2012), by the Zentrale Forschungsförderung der Universität Bremen under the project name “Providing human-understandable qualitative and semantic descriptions”, and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under project ARTEMISA (TIN2009-14378-C02-01)

Towards a Tool for Teaching Geometry to Children

An approach for a query-by-sketch system on qualitative shape information for image retrieval in databases is proposed and evaluated. The use of qualitative methods for shape description allows the gathering of semantic information from the sketches. The qualitative description and recognition of sketches are evaluated in order to verify that it is possible to use the proposed qualitative method for the development of a learning application for children

2D qualitative shape matching applied to ceramic mosaic assembly

A theory of shape recognition of 2D objects and its application in the ceramic industry for intelligent automation of the mosaic mural assembly process are presented in this paper. This theory qualitatively describes the shapes of the objects, considering: (i) shape boundary characteristics, such as angles, relative length, concavities, and curvature; and (ii) their color and size. The shapes to be recognized may be regular or irregular closed polygons, or closed curvilinear figures. Each figure is described as a symbolic character string that contains all its distinctive characteristics. This description is used to determine whether the shape of two figures matches. Then, given a design of a mosaic and given a set of physical ceramic tesserae, an application is developed in order to recognize the tesserae that form the mosaic, thus enabling the intelligent and automated assembly of ceramic mosaics

An evaluation of the Parents as Teachers model at the Latino family center in Pittsburgh, PA

BACKGROUND: The Latino Family Center of Pittsburgh has been implementing the Parents as Teachers (PAT) model since 2009, targeting all Latino Families with 0-5 year olds in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (PA). PAT strategies include home visiting, group connections, developmental screening, and service coordination. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to develop and implement an evaluation plan for the PAT program at the Latino Family Center. METHODS: Participant observation, meetings with stakeholders (i.e., parents, staff, and program director) and a literature review served as the methods to develop the evaluation plan. A tailored logic model was developed based on the PAT national logic model. A diagram depicting local program implementation was also developed. The evaluation implementation used a mixed methods approach to answer the evaluation questions identified by the program administration and involved a standardized family survey, a quality measures assessment, and documentation review. PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE: Through the PAT program, Latino families have improved access to social and health services that would otherwise be quite difficult to obtain. This evaluation will provide the PAT program with valuable information for program improvement. RESULTS: Overall, the results indicate a positive change in parenting practices among the sample (n=40). Across all 12 items, parents reported an average improvement of 1.2-points on the parenting practices ladder. Those surveyed also reported being very satisfied with the services at the Center. Opinions on the helpfulness of the PAT activities indicated that when parents participate, in general they find them very helpful. However, a large percentage of the parents who participated in survey reported not participating in certain program components. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the PAT model as implemented at the Latino Family Center is having a positive impact on those who participate in the program. Areas of improvement include increasing parent participation in all program components, encouraging fathers to participate, increasing efforts to get parents to read to their children and continued evaluation efforts

A Family Affair: Supporting the Communicative Capital and Writerly Identities of Young Children

This study investigates the ways in which multilingual parents/caregivers support their young children’s emerging identities as writers and communicators at home, within the context of a virtual early literacy program for families of a historically marginalized community near the U.S. border with Mexico. The study’s focus is on a set of multimodal compositions that four-year-old children authored during one of the virtual, videoconference sessions. The researchers employed a discourse analysis approach in examining the transcripts of the virtual sessions, which was guided by the theoretical concepts of community cultural wealth and the pedagogical concept of accompaniment. Their analysis offers a counter narrative to the deficit governmental descriptors (e.g., low-income; low-achieving) assigned to children and families of historically marginalized communities. The parents in their study were well-equipped to enact pedagogies of accompaniment that cultivate their children’s communicative capital and foster their children’s identities as capable communicators