The digital reconstruction of degraded ancient temple murals using dynamic mask generation and an extended exemplar-based region-filling algorithm

A mural is any piece of artwork sculpted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other permanent surface. This artwork symbolizes various culture’s, traditions, historical events, spiritual stories, and civilizations of respective societies of ancient times. But these mural paintings are subjected to degradation either by various natural causes as well as pollution or by human beings without knowing their value. Restoring these paintings requires skilled artisans who are hard to find these days. Consequently, an efficient image restoration technique is required to meet the particular needs of the paintings. Existing in-painting algorithms largely use pixel-based textural reconstruction. The technique, however, does not work well for images with large, degraded portions. and also fails in the restoration of the structure. To resolve these drawbacks, we propose a combined technique for the textural and structural reconstruction of ancient murals. The proposed Extended Exemplar-based Region-Filling Algorithm uses a patch-based reconstruction procedure and masked images are created automatically using the Dynamic Mask Generation Algorithm. The deteriorated portions are identified by creating masks, and masks are created in such a way that degraded portions have a pixel intensity value of one and the remaining part has a value of zero, and filling is done by analyzing the surrounding pixel values of the degraded pixel. The algorithm reconstructs the structure of the paintings efficiently by generating sketches. The proposed technique reconstructs both the structure and textural information, and ensures efficient reconstructed results, compared to existing in-painting techniques. Performance is evaluated by metrics such as the Mean Square Error (MSE), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM).

Region Filling with Super Resolution Algorithm

Region filling which has another name inpainting, is an approach to find the values of missing pixels from data available in the remaining portion of the image. The missing information must be recalculated in a distinctly convincing manner, such that, image look seamless. This research work has built a methodology for completely automating patch priority based region filling process. To reduce the computational time, low resolution image is constructed from input image. Based on texel of an image, patch size is determined. Several low resolution image with missing region filled is generated using region filling algorithm. Pixel information from these low resolution images is consolidated to produce single low resolution region filled image. Finally, super resolution algorithm is applied to enhance the quality of image and regain all specifics of image. This methodology of identifying patch size based on input fed has an advantage over filling algorithms which in true sense automate the process of region filling, to deal with sensitivity in region filling, algorithm different parameter settings are used and functioning with coarse version of image will notably reduce the computational time.

PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MUSEUM AFFAIRS IN TERNOPIL

The article considers the peculiarities of the formation and development of museology in Ternopil in the second half of the XX - early XXI century. The author analyzes the events and factors that played an important role in raising the museum affairs of the city. The purpose of the article is to explore the peculiarities of the origin and features of the development of museum institutions in Ternopil. Determining factors of formation and activity of Ternopil regional local lore and art museums are traced. It is characterized the contribution of individuals, such as associates, researchers, scientists, local historians, thanks to whom there is a restoration, preservation and development of museology of the region, filling of museum and private collections, their popularization at the present stage. Thus, it can be stated that the development of the museum industry has an impact not only on the preservation of the artistic heritage of Ternopil but also on the cultural and artistic life of the region in the second half of the XX-early XXI century.Keywords: museum affairs, art, culture, museum institution, museum staff, associates, artistic heritage, museum, regional ethnography (local lore).

A source for awareness-dependent figure–ground segregation in human prefrontal cortex

Figure–ground modulation, i.e., the enhancement of neuronal responses evoked by the figure relative to the background, has three complementary components: edge modulation (boundary detection), center modulation (region filling), and background modulation (background suppression). However, the neuronal mechanisms mediating these three modulations and how they depend on awareness remain unclear. For each modulation, we compared both the cueing effect produced in a Posner paradigm and fMRI blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal in primary visual cortex (V1) evoked by visible relative to invisible orientation-defined figures. We found that edge modulation was independent of awareness, whereas both center and background modulations were strongly modulated by awareness, with greater modulations in the visible than the invisible condition. Effective-connectivity analysis further showed that the awareness-dependent region-filling and background-suppression processes in V1 were not derived through intracortical interactions within V1, but rather by feedback from the frontal eye field (FEF) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), respectively. These results indicate a source for an awareness-dependent figure–ground segregation in human prefrontal cortex.

Digital Identification and Reconstruction of Degraded Regions in the Ancient Temple Murals Using Exemplar Based Region Filling Algorithm

A mural is any piece of artwork sculpted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling, or other permanent surfaces. This artwork symbolizes various cultures, traditions, historical events, spiritual stories, and civilizations of respective societies of ancient times. But these mural paintings are subjected to degradation either by various natural causes as well as pollution or by human beings without knowing its value. Hence, there is a need to develop a digitized model using advanced image processing techniques to reconstruct them for portraying the ancient heritage and wisdom hidden in the temple mural paintings to public and foreign visitors and transferring the knowledge to the young generations. This Work uses an exemplar-based region filling algorithm for the reconstruction of ancient deteriorated temple murals. Most of the existing inpainting algorithms use pixel-based reconstruction criteria, this type of technique does not work well for images with large degraded portions. So the proposed exemplar-based region filling algorithm uses a patch-based reconstruction procedure and masked images are created automatically using an averaging pixel algorithm. The deteriorated portions are identified by creating masks, masks are created in such a way that degraded portions have a pixel intensity value of one and the remaining part has a value of zero, and filling is done by analyzing the surrounding pixel values of the degraded pixel. The proposed work reconstructs both the structure and texture information and ensures an efficient reconstructed result compared to existing inpainting techniques. The system performance is evaluated by metrics such as Mean Square Error, Peak Signal To Noise Ratio (PSNR), and Structural Similarity Index(SSIM).

Come together: O Conjunto Megalítico das Motas (Monção, Viana do Castelo) e as expressões Campaniformes do Alto Minho

The Motas Megalithic Complex, intervened between 2014-2015, made it possible to increase the existing knowledge of this type of funerary phenomenon in the Alto Minho region, filling a spatial gap between the Portela do Pau and Litoral Minhoto nucleus. It presents unique constructive characteristics and dynamics, which may, eventually, explain its broad use/reuse. In this Complex, Bell Beakers were identified in two of the structures, one of them carrying the most extensive set of containers so far identified in Alto Minho. This existence connects the site with the Bell Beaker phenomenon at a regional level, making it possible to understand that the “Bell Beaker communities” who used Motas’ Complex, would be extremely open and permeable to new ideas, having reinterpreted, and made it theirs, a geographically extensive phenomenon.

TREATMENT FOR NECK LAXITY WITH PMMA FILLING, MICROFOCUSED ULTRASOUND, AND RADIO FREQUENCY CO2 LASER: CASE REPORT

Introduction: Facial structural changes observed in the form of wrinkles and sagging are signs of aging. The association of techniques that stimulate collagen has been researched. Objective: The objective is to report the case of a patient who has neck laxity and underwent CO laser treatment, microfocused ultrasound, and 2 polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) filling. Methodology: Case report with follow-up for laxity treatment in the neck region. Filling, Ultherapy®, and radio frequency CO laser were used. 2 Report: A 68-year-old male patient came to the clinic for laxity treatment of the neck area. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) filling, micro focused ultrasound, and radio frequency CO laser were proposed as treatment. 2 Conclusion: The combination of different rejuvenation technologies has provided significant results in the treatment for skin laxity.