Aesthetic Integration Research Articles

The visual evaluation of rural areas: A methodological approach for the spatial planning and color design of scattered second homes with an example in Hervás, Western Spain

Second home phenomenon represents an example of post-productive consumption in the countryside. In Spain, a positive stance had been initially taken towards second and holiday homes due to economic revitalization. Their scattered locations, however, are affecting to the poor aesthetic integration into the landscape. The aim of this work is to describe a new methodology, which can assess and predict the visual impact that a second home produce in a rural setting, specifically building siting and visual elements theme. This methodology is based on the visual impact evaluation taking into account a combination of techniques, namely multi-criteria spatial analysis and computer-aided photographic treatment. To achieve this evaluation, a previously established inventory of new residential buildings (formal and second homes) constructed in the case study area for the last ten years, was employed. Thus, this methodology can be used as a decision-making tool before constructing new buildings in specific areas. Accordingly, this research first explores to evaluate their suitability in order to optimally site second homes and then investigates their scene to be set, especially color, together with the analyzed suitability map. The final results of this work are the generation and validation of this methodology, which could be used as a practical tool for visual impact assessment. Ultimately, it can achieve the sustainable development of built environments.

Visual impact assessment method for wind parks: A case study in Crete

The number of large scale wind parks (WPs), has gradually increased over recent years as a result of the support by national and European policies. Even though it is a more environmentally friendly electricity generation option than conventional power stations, large WPs pose questions concerning their visual impact in the areas they are located. Particularly when there are no clearly defined siting criteria, land use conflicts are more intense, leading to the inhibition, and delaying, of wind park projects.In this paper, a methodology for the assessment of wind parks’ aesthetic integration, and for the support of public decision-making processes, was developed.The main asset of the proposed methodology is the combined use of quantitative indicators and dynamic 3D computer simulation. The visual impact of a WP installation is determined, through the comparative consideration of the quantitative and qualitative results. The proposed methodology simulates the changes after the WP installation realistically and calculates the grade of the visual impact, and was applied to a WP in the prefecture of Chania, Crete.

Keeping the vehicle on the road

The development of wireless sensor networks, such as researchers Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) requires the ability to analyze the road scene just like a human does. Road scene analysis is an essential, complex, and challenging task and it consists of: road detection (which includes the localization of the road, the determination of the relative position between vehicle and road, and the analysis of the vehicle's heading direction) and obstacle detection (which is mainly based on localizing possible obstacles on the vehicle's path). The detection of the road borders, the estimation of the road geometry, and the localization of the vehicle are essential tasks in this context since they are required for the lateral and longitudinal control of the vehicle. Within this field, on-board vision has been widely used since it has many advantages (higher resolution, low power consumption, low cost, easy aesthetic integration, and nonintrusive nature) over other active sensors such as RADAR or LIDAR. At first glance the problem of detecting the road geometry from visual information seems simple and early works in this field were quickly rewarded with promising results. However, the large variety of scenarios and the high rates of success demanded by the industry have kept the lane detection research work alive. In this article a comprehensive review of vision-based road detection systems vision is presented.

Custom-made, root-analogue direct laser metal forming implant: a case report

In the last few years, the application of digital technology in dentistry has become widespread with the introduction of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan technology, and considerable progress has been made in the development of computer-aided design/ computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) techniques, including direct laser metal forming (DLMF). DLMF is a technology which allows solids with complex geometry to be produced by annealing metal powder microparticles in a focused laser beam, according to a computer-generated three-dimensional (3D) model. For dental implants, the fabrication process involves the laser-induced fusion of titanium microparticles, in order to build, layer by layer, the desired object. At present, the combined use of CBCT 3D data and CAD/CAM technology makes it possible to manufacture custom-made, root-analogue implants (RAI) with sufficient precision. This report demonstrates the successful clinical use of a custom-made, root-analogue DLMF implant. CBCT images of a non-restorable right maxillary first premolar were acquired and transformed into a 3D model. From this model, a custom-made, root-analogue DLMF implant was fabricated. Immediately after tooth extraction, the RAI with a pre-operatively designed abutment was placed in the extraction socket and restored with a single crown. At the 1-year follow-up examination, the RAI showed a good functional and aesthetic integration. The introduction of DLMF technology signals the start of a new revolutionary era for implant dentistry as its immense potential for producing highly complex macro- and microstructures is receiving vast interest in different medical fields.

A novel root analogue dental implant using CT scan and CAD/CAM: selective laser melting technology

Direct laser metal forming (DLMF) is a new technique which allows solids with complex geometry to be produced by annealing metal powder microparticles in a focused laser beam, according to a computer-generated three-dimensional (3D) model. For dental implants, the fabrication process involves the laser-induced fusion of titanium microparticles, in order to build, layer by layer, the desired object. Modern computed tomography (CT) acquisition and 3D image conversion, combined with the DLMF process, allows the fabrication of custom-made, root-analogue implants (RAI), perfect copies of the radicular units that need replacing. This report demonstrates the successful clinical use of a custom-made, root-analogue DLMF implant. CT images of the residual non-restorable root of a right maxillary premolar were acquired and modified with specific software into a 3D model. From this model, a custom-made, root-analogue, DLMF implant was fabricated. Immediately after tooth extraction, the root-analogue implant was placed in the extraction socket and restored with a single crown. At the 1-year follow-up examination, the custom-made implant showed almost perfect functional and aesthetic integration. The possibility of fabricating custom-made, root-analogue DLMF implants opens new interesting perspectives for immediate placement of dental implants.

Ritrattamento endodontico ortogrado di un molare mandibolare dopo insuccesso chirurgico

Objective The aim of the present work was to demonstrate how severely compromised teeth with a periapical lesion, already subjected to orthograde and surgical root canal treatment, may still undergo successful endodontic retreatment. Moreover, total functional and aesthetic rehabilitation of the tooth may be achieved by means of stable prosthetic restoration. Materials and methods The case is described of the orthograde root canal retreatment of a lower right molar tooth (4.6) previously subjected to both endodontic and apical surgical treatment. In view of repeated abscesses, persistence of the periapical lesion and the severely compromised tooth, its extraction and replacement with an osseointegrated implant was proposed to the patient at another dental surgery. The patient declined further surgical intervention and was referred to us for a new endodontic consultation. The patient's medical history was carefully examined and clinical and radiographic examination performed. Having ascertained the possibility of restoring the tooth prosthetically, the diagnosis revealed the probable causes of the failure of the previous therapies. Therefore, it was decided to perform orthograde root canal retreatment followed by restoration with a prosthetic crown. Subsequent clinical and radiographic examination, after three years, shows the healing of the periapical lesions and good functional and aesthetic integration of the prosthetic restoration. Results and conclusions Faced with severely compromised teeth with persistent periapical lesions, after orthograde and surgical root canal treatment, the extraction and replacement with an osseointegrated implant could appear to be the only practicable solution. However, a careful diagnosis, which highlights the causes of the failure of the previous endodontic treatment, allows for the successful endodontic retreatment of such teeth, meanwhile re-establishing the functional and aesthetic aspects with a stable prosthetic restoration.

Developing and applying a GIS-assisted approach to evaluate visual impact in wind farms

Wind energy represents one of the most important renewable resources. Wind energy is a clean, renewable and its benefits are considered greater than the disadvantages. However, even though wind farms represent environmentally friendly projects, they frequently generate public resistance. One of the main disadvantages of wind farm construction projects is their poor aesthetic integration into the landscape. On the other hand, landscape impact of wind farms could be minimised if the visual impact is previously evaluated. As regards with the European legislation, the procedure of environmental impact assessment study is necessary before a wind farm project could be established. In contrast, there is not an objective methodology to assess the visual impact of wind farms. The aim of this work was to develop a methodology to predict and evaluate, before its construction, the visual impact of wind farms, taking into account the visualscape from different observation points. Proposed methodology could help to determine and evaluate the best location for new wind farm projects. Moreover, this method could be used as a consulting tool for public organization and private institutions, being quick, concise and clear.

Merkel cells and permanent disesthesia in the oral mucosa after soft tissue grafts

Connective tissue grafts are routinely procedures in the treatment of gingival defects. The clinical success of the gingival tissue graft procedures anyway should ensure not only the aesthetic integration between the tissues but also the physiological activity of the graft in terms of sensitivity and immunity because the skin and the mucosae constitute the first natural aspecific borders against pathogens. The aim of this paper was to investigate nervous net recovery after connective graft procedure, in relation with sensorial alteration in the injured area. Results showed that there is a close link among the number of Merkel cells and the alteration of sensations. Merkel cells can be found isolated standing in the basal layer, supposed to have neuroendocrine functions in the epithelia or in larger group not associated with nerves; when found in association with nerves they are named Merkel complexes, acting as slow adapter mechanical receptor. Our data can be explained in two ways: Merkel cells increase as a consequence of tissue injury, a sort of "SOS cells" that secrete neuroendocrine signals to guide tissue healing; as an alternative the presence of the Merkel cells could be read as a derailment of tissue regeneration with the stop of cellular differentiation in the direction of an abnormal proliferation, a sort of mad stem cell.

Set in stone: monumental altar frames in Renaissance Florence

In 1864 the V&A (then the South Kensington Museum) purchased a large marble altar frame from a dealer in Florence. The quality of the frame identifies it as the product of a leading Florentine sculpture workshop, possibly that of Giuliano da Sangallo at the end of the fifteenth century. Its dimensions indicate that it would have housed a large altarpiece in one of the city's churches. The frame's provenance remains obscure, but this article offers the first critical evaluation of the object based on first‐hand examination. Comparisons with similar frames in Florentine churches (surviving and documented) suggest that the V&A frame can be identified as an example of a particular category of monumental altar that was popular in the city in the decades around 1500. This type combined painted panel altarpieces with sculpture, integrating both within impressive architectural superstructures comprising lateral columns, elaborate entablatures, and arched lunettes. Identifiable examples housed altarpieces by Perugino, Lorenzo di Credi, Piero di Cosimo, and Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, each juxtaposed with tin‐glazed terracotta reliefs by the Della Robbia shop. The popularity of these arched frames was relatively short‐lived, but their brief heyday provides important evidence for the gathering appreciation of aesthetic integration, formal order and spatial symmetry within Italian church interiors in the years around 1500.

Unitary Appreciative Inquiry

Unitary appreciative inquiry (UAI), developed over the past 20 years, provides an orientation and process for uncovering human wholeness and discovering life patterning in individuals and groups. Refinements and a description of studies using UAI are presented. Assumptions and conceptual underpinnings of the method distinguishing its contributions from other methods are reported. Data generation strategies that capture human wholeness and elucidate life patterning are proposed. Data synopsis as an alternative to analysis is clarified and explicated. Standards that suggest enhancing the legitimacy of knowledge and credibility of research are specified. Potential expansions of UAI offer possibilities for extending epistemologies, aesthetic integration, and theory development.

The effect of colour on the thermal performance of building integrated solar collectors

The use of solar collectors with coloured absorbers for water heating is an area of particular interest when considering their integration with buildings. By matching the absorber colour with that of the roof or façade of the building, it is possible to achieve an architecturally and visually pleasing result. Despite the potential for the use of coloured absorbers, very little work has been undertaken in the field. In this study, the thermal performance of a series of coloured (ranging from white to black), building integrated solar collectors for water heating was examined both theoretically and experimentally. Subsequently, the annual solar fraction for typical water heating systems with coloured absorbers was calculated. The results showed that coloured solar collector absorbers can make noticeable contributions to heating loads. Furthermore, although their thermal efficiency is lower than highly developed selective coating absorbers, they offer the advantage of improved aesthetic integration with buildings.

The Social Dimension of Security: Exploring how Surveillance Systems Relate to Interior Design

Recently, security issues have been dominating the headlines and policy makers’ lists of promises. Although the notion of security has long been integral to interior design, the current reliance of security measures on surveillance systems that use cameras and video monitors warrants revisiting the role of interior designers. With an overview of the literature on how electronic surveillance has been conceived, perceived, and practiced, this paper aims to set the stage for a dialogue about the opportunities that arise through greater involvement from interior designers. The analysis points to a disconnect between the systems’ application and the fusion of the physical, social, and technological dimensions of electronic surveillance into a holistic scheme. Current debates raise concerns over its aesthetic integration into the overall building design as well as its associations with feelings of fear and control, loss of privacy, discrimination, inequality, and cultural/gender insensitivity. Directions from academicians, designers, artists, and educators help frame the paper's thesis that electronic surveillance can act as a connecting mechanism that connects people to people as well as people to the environment. Pedagogical implications of this premise suggest that by including the term “surveillance” in the terminology used in the interior design field and positioning security and surveillance in the conceptual stages of the design process, the potential for creative solutions and opportunities to challenge perceptions of fear and threat are increased.

Un himno no convencional en Medea de Eurípides

Aesthetic integration of the chorus in Greek tragedy is a critical task attractive. On several occasions we have stated our position on coral functionality within the production of Euripides' tragedy. Medea’s third stasimon provides an adequate corpus to show that fictional representation of theatrical activity, holding the original cult mimesis, provides the mythohistorical poíesis in honor of the contemporary Athens of Euripides.

Speech Privacy Options for the Open Ceiling Office Environment

The popularity of the open ceiling and loft office environment continues to grow. The design and effectiveness of sound masking systems in an open office environment are well established for traditional office spaces with acoustically absorptive ceilings systems. Aesthetic preferences for open ceilings with minimal ceiling treatment popular in the creative reuse of older buildings and more minimalist industrial spaces limit the sound masking options available to achieve an acceptable level of speech privacy in an open office environment. Traditional sound masking systems are often subjectively viewed as harsh, unpleasant or visually inappropriate. Several options for alternative designs are evaluated as to the evenness of coverage, effectiveness in achieving an appropriate level of speech privacy, aesthetic integration into the environment and subjective impression of the occupants.

Gingival and dental parameters in the evaluation of aesthetic characteristics of fixed restorations (II)

This paper is a continuing evaluation of dental and facial parameters in the estimation of aesthetic characteristic of fixed restorations. First of all, attention is paid to the phenomenon describing the tooth tissue's characteristics (transiucency, opalescence, and transparency). The paper also discusses tooth color as a special occurrence, the position of the lower lip line as well as the symmetry of the smile. In addition to these fundamental objective criteria, the paper also deals with subjective criteria (tooth arrangement and position, variation in tooth form, and relative crown length), which play a part in the successful aesthetic integration of fixed restorations.

Examples of successful architectural integration of PV: Germany

AbstractIn Germany building‐integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are developing rapidly, and much progress has been achieved in the past five years. BIPV can be used today in different ways on both existing and new buildings. Architects and designers are discovering BIPV. With the help of custom‐made products available on the German market they are beginning to explore the technical limits of an aesthetic and structural integration of PV in buildings. As a result some exciting high‐profile building projects with PV have been built, for example, the small service pavilion Meereslauschen in Steinhude or the new headquarters building of the Wood Trade Association in Munich. These projects show that the use of PV is very varied and offers opportunities for creative architects. However non‐technical problems still need to be solved to allow a meaningful and widespread application of PV in the built environment. To decrease costs it is essential to develop further standard BIPV components. The aim of such developments should be to replace standard PV modules by products in which PV and structural building elements are melded into one design and structural unit. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Edward Burne-Jones' "Andromeda": Transformation of Historical and Mythological Sources

Sir Edward Burne-Jones' affinity for classical ideals, literature and art is reflected in his mythological paintings, in particular the Perseus and Andromeda series. The objectives of this study are threefold: to reveal Burne-Jones' visual assimilation and aesthetic integration of Neoplatonic ideals in one of his mythological cycles, Perseus and Andromeda, to examine Burne-Jones' adaptation of the classical sources for the Andromeda theme and his awareness of the pictorial tradition for this mythological tale and, to understand Burne-Jones' interpretation of the femme fatale, visually expressed in the image of Andromeda from the Perseus cycle, by focusing on three episodes: The Rock of Doom, The Doom Fulfilled and The Baleful Head of 1875-1888. In his mythological paintings of Andromeda, Burne-Jones embodied an unprecedented strangeness that was bound to strike the imaginations of other artists in the Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist movements. His paintings provided his contemporaries with examples of classical appropriation in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, along with a systematic use of the great themes of Greek mythology, whose modernized symbolism was adapted to the major preoccupation at the heart of the decadent view of the world - the tragedy of the artist confronted with modern life and contemporary society, the fear of woman and a terrified obsession with sexuality, and the consternation at the mystery of things represented by the myth of Perseus and Andromeda.

Lightweight tension structures – an aesthetic integration of geometry and mechanics. Part 1. The role of minimal surfaces and soap films. Part 2. Finding the form of a minimal surface, by W. J. Lewis, Mathematics Today 35 (1) pp. 10–16, (3) pp. 80–84, 1999. - Magic squares indeed!, by Arthur T. Benjamin and Kan Yasuda, American Mathematical Monthly 106 (2),

Lightweight tension structures – an aesthetic integration of geometry and mechanics. Part 1. The role of minimal surfaces and soap films. Part 2. Finding the form of a minimal surface, by W. J. Lewis, Mathematics Today 35 (1) pp. 10–16, (3) pp. 80–84, 1999. - Magic squares indeed!, by Arthur T. Benjamin and Kan Yasuda, American Mathematical Monthly 106 (2), pp. 152–156, 1999. - Pierre-Simon de Laplace: 1749–1827, by Roger Cook, Mathematical Spectrum 31 (3), pp. 49–51, 1998/9. - Unifying threads in Alfred Tarski’s work, by Steven Givant, The Mathematical Intelligencer 21 (1), pp. 47–58, 1999. - André Weil and algebraic topology, by Armand Borel, pp. 422–427. - André Weil as I knew him, by Goro Shimura, pp. 428–433. - André Weil: A prologue, by Anthony W. Knapp, pp. 434–439. - André Weil (1906-1998), by Armand Borel, Pierre Carrier, Komaravolu Chandrasekharan, Shiing-Shen Chern and Shokichi Iyanaga, pp. 440–447. - The apprenticeship of a mathematician – autobiography of André Weil, reviewed by V. S. Varadarajan, pp. 448–456. - Introduction to metric preserving functions, by Paul Corazza, The American Mathematical Monthly 106 (4) pp. 309–323, 1999. - Visual aspects of understanding group theory, by D. F. Almeida, Int. J. of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 30 (2) pp. 159–166, 1999 - Marriage, Magic, and Solitaire, by David B. Leep and Gerry Myerson, The American Mathematical Monthly 106 (5) pp. 419–429, 1999. - Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers, by H. Wu, Notices of the American Mathematical Society 46 (5) pp. 535–541, 1999. - Mathematics Today 35 (4) pp. 118–122, 1999 contains three short articles under the heading Mathematics and Dyslexia. - Difficulties in Knowledge Integration: Revisiting Zeno’s Paradox with Irrational Numbers, by Irit Peled and Sara Hershkovitz, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 30 (1) pp. 39–46, 1999. - Volume 83 Issue 498

Suddenness: on the moment of aesthetic appearance

Suddenness or epiphany - an expression of discontinuity and rupture - resists aesthetic integration. This argument is the centrepiece of Bohrer's collection of essays, the first English translation of his work. The study examines a romantic and modernist literary phenomenon and traces its textual appearance in the works of early German Romantics - Schlegel, Schleiermacher and Kleist - through Nietzsche to such modernists as Proust, Joyce, Musil and Benjamin. Although Bohrer discusses the influence of the French poststructuralists Foucault and Derrida, by concentrating on the incommensurability of fictional language, he ultimately develops his arguments from the literary texts themselves. As he concludes this study, Bohrer states that suddenness transcends history and yet is tied to it, especially to the processes of acceleration typical of modernization since the industrial revolution.

Treatment of an American 19th-Century Upholstered Chair

A six-piece parlor suite made by Mitchell and Rammelsberg in the 19th century and bought by the Cincinnati Art Museum offered an opportunity to study original upholstery fabrics and see the combined examples of manufacturing technology and aesthetics of the United States in the mid-1870s. This paper reviews the history and condition of one chair from the suite and describes the cleaning and structural and visual compensation techniques used to treat it. Alternative cleaning and compensation techniques were used in order to preserve the original show cover and provide aesthetic integration.