True orthophoto generation using multi-view aerial images

Usually aerial imagery are acquired through perspective projection which results in relief displacement in the map. Therefore, orthophotos from large scale aerial images over urban area often suffer from double mappings caused by sudden elevation changes in the scene. In the generation of true orthophotos, one aims at removing these perspective displacements and occlusions. Hence, knowledge of the surface shape is needed, as it has great impacts both on the orthorectification and occlusion identification. Mostly, the relief displacements are caused by buildings. In this paper, we present a method for the generation of true orthophotos from overlapping aerial images of known orientation, especially in built-up areas. Apart from the aerial images, the method does not depend on additional data sources. In particular, we focus on the derivation of building roof outline model using image segmentation and edge detection techniques under the guide of the classification result of point cloud from image matching . Experiment results on real data show the feasibility and the performance of the method.

On the “Falsation” of Deceitful Architectures

Professor Antonio Miranda Regojo-Borges is a polymath; an architectural critic whose knowledge base covers centuries, reaches across disciplines and informs his polemic thoughts. He writes quixotic and “antiquarian” prose - in the style of Wollflin’s principles of art history, Kant’s theories on taste, and William Gilpin’s Eighteenth Century tour journals. In its enumerative tendencies, it is reminiscent of the analytical theorists Edmund Burke, whilst in its examination of architecture in the cultural industry context it reminds us of Theodore Adorno. At times ironic, at times bombastic, and at times mocking, his writing style will alienate as many as it enthuses. He will not care. This text offers both a critique of modern culture and an outline model for architectural criticism. Rooted in the most radical beliefs of a Twentieth Century Modernism, that for many seems moribund today, it argues that the pillars upon which the modern utopian vision was constructed remain essential – perhaps more essential than ever today. In the media obsessed, consumerist context of the present, and in the aftermath of the latest economic collapse to befall the world economy, it argues for an architecture of “the essential” – a functional and poetic architecture of the anti-spectacle. Antonio Miranda is the author of 15 books amongst which we can list, to name but a few: Antología de arquitectura moderna 1900-1990; Ni robot ni bufón: manual para la crítica de arquitectura; Horizonte cerrado; Columnas para la resistencia - variaciones sobre ciudad, arquitectura y subcultura; and .A todos los becarios de la reina - ocho ensayos de estética civil. He has spent a career of over 40 years writing some of the most ardent and focused architectural criticism in the Spanish language. Based on the idea of “falsation”, as developed by Karl Popper, it comes close to being a manifesto for criticism. It offers guidelines for rooting out “bad” architecture – a series of pointers to be used in judging the work of an architect. These pointers, he suggests, will not produce “great” buildings, but may be useful in the “identification” of architecture that does not conform to “minimum standards of function and rationalism”. For some it will be rigid, prescriptive, dogmatic and impractical. It is certainly satirical, ruthless and uncompromising. On the “Falsation” of Deceitful Architectures, as the title suggests, is no ordinary architectural text.

A Study of the Hot Cutting Technology to EPS Architectural Model

This paper provides the details of continuous cutting technology to architectural model made by EPS. To solve the interference problem between outline surface and hot cutting-wire in the cutting process, STL model projection profile method is used. Slicing algorithm based on grouping matrix is proposed to cutting the outline model continuously. Local topological relations in each group are established to improve the efficiency of slicing cutting. In order to apply this algorithm to the actual process better, automatic programming system with Visual C + + 6.0 based on STL model is developed, which used the 5-DOF CNC thermal device to cut the model. The experiment shows that this technology can cut the outline architectural model efficiently and accurately.

Making the Most of it: Late Prehistoric Pastoralism in the Avon Levels, Severn Estuary

A combination of archaeological and palaeo-environmental field work in the Avon Levels, western England, has enabled a much better understanding to be reached of the complex Holocene sedimentation in this part of the Severn Estuary, and of the close relationship between the upper part of that sequence and opportunities for exploitation of this wetland region during the later prehistoric and Romano-British periods. This paper explores that relationship, focusing in particular on two Iron Age to Romano-British sites. Both sites, at Hallen and Northwick, appear to have been short-lived and only seasonally occupied in order to exploit rich grazing but this occupation took place at different times and within rather different patterns of land-use. The paper concludes with an outline model for the human use of the Avon Levels from the Neolithic to Romano-British periods.

The folding and assembly of the dodecameric type II dehydroquinases

The dodecameric type II dehydroquinases (DHQases) have an unusual quaternary structure in which four trimeric units are arranged with cubic 23 symmetry. The unfolding and refolding behaviour of the enzymes from Streptomyces coelicolor and Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been studied. Gel-permeation studies show that, at low concentrations (0.5 M) of guanidinium chloride (GdmCl), both enzymes dissociate into trimeric units, with little or no change in the secondary or tertiary structure and with a 15% loss (S. coelicolor) or a 55% increase (M. tuberculosis) in activity. At higher concentrations of GdmCl, both enzymes undergo sharp unfolding transitions over narrow ranges of the denaturant concentration, consistent with co-operative unfolding of the subunits. When the concentration of GdmCl is lowered by dilution from 6 M to 0.55 M, the enzyme from S. coelicolor refolds in an efficient manner to form trimeric units, with more than 75% regain of activity. Using a similar approach the M. tuberculosis enzyme regains less than 35% activity. From the time courses of the changes in CD, fluorescence and activity of the S. coelicolor enzyme, an outline model for the refolding of the enzyme has been proposed. The model involves a rapid refolding event in which approximately half the secondary structure is regained. A slower folding process follows within the monomer, resulting in acquisition of the full secondary structure. The major changes in fluorescence occur in a second-order process which involves the association of two folded monomers. Regain of activity is dependent on a further associative event, showing that the minimum active unit must be at least trimeric. Reassembly of the dodecameric S. coelicolor enzyme and essentially complete regain of activity can be accomplished if the denatured enzyme is dialysed extensively to remove GdmCl. These results are discussed in terms of the recently solved X-ray structures of type II DHQases from these sources.

Creep Crack Growth Under LEFM Conditions

The paper presents an outline model for creep crack growth under LEFM conditions. The incremental nature of the crack propagation process is taken into account, and a theoretical analysis shows that the relation between crack tip stress intensification and crack growth rate is not unique.