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Publications

Showing 17781 – 17800 of 30345 publications

Virtual Inpainting for Dazu Rock Carvings Based on a Sample Dataset

Dazu Rock Carvings — 2019 — WHE91D6F3DB12

A novel semi-automatic exemplar-based inpainting framework leverages a sample dataset to effectively restore severely damaged art images, such as the Dazu Rock Carvings, where minimal prior information is available. The approach extends the search space for candidate patches beyond the known region of the original image, addressing challenges in traditional inpainting methods. By integrating deep convolutional networks for reference image selection and melding algorithms for sample image creation, this method reduces complexity while avoiding duplication issues in art restoration. Poisson blending further enhances visual harmony between reconstructed fragments and existing regions. Applied to Buddhist face images from Dazu, the framework demonstrates its potential as a reference for both actual artificial inpainting and virtual reality presentations.

Virtual museum enriched by GIS data to share science and culture. Church of Saint Stephen in Umm Ar-Rasas (Jordan)

Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a) — 2019 — WHE6F5E6ED317

A groundbreaking approach integrates GIS data with multimedia applications to preserve and share the cultural heritage of Umm ar-Rasas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jordan. The study focuses on the Church of Saint Stephen, leveraging geomatics surveying, geophysics, and historical investigations to create a geo-database and orthophoto of its iconic mosaic floor. This data management system enables both experts and visitors to explore the site's evolution through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), offering unprecedented insights into its iconographic repertoire and historical significance. The innovation lies in the seamless flow of information across platforms, enhancing dissemination while safeguarding this invaluable heritage.

Virus-Like Particle Production in Atmospheric Eubacteria Isolates

Carlsbad Caverns National Park — 2019 — WHE4A234A404C

A high prevalence of virus-like particle (VLP) production was found in eubacterial isolates collected from various altitudes, including the atmosphere of Carlsbad Cavern National Park. The study, which analyzed 92.7% of isolates showing inducible VLP counts, demonstrated that atmospheric bacteria resistant to transport play a significant role in long-range dispersion of VLPs, potentially enhancing microbial evolution rates. Researchers used mitomycin C and epifluorescent direct counts to screen isolates from diverse locations, including ground level, mid-Atlantic ridge, continental United States, Pacific Ocean, and Carlsbad Cavern.

Visitation patterns of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) to a rubbish dumpsite in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls — 2019 — WHEF5C8DDAF17

A core group of up to 27 African elephant bulls (Loxodonta africana) was found to habitually raid a municipal rubbish dumpsite near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, daily between early and late evening. These elephants spent several hours consuming non-biodegradable waste and drinking from nearby sewage stabilization ponds. Analysis of 71.6% of elephant dung samples in the vicinity confirmed the presence of plastic waste, highlighting the potential ecological and health risks to the animals. This behavior, while not a typical case of human-elephant conflict (HEC), represents an indirect form of conflict caused by human activity, with implications for both elephant welfare and ecosystem stability.

Visitor Management in Nordic National Parks

Þingvellir National Park — 2019 — WHE8A51304A85

A strategic and collaborative approach to visitor management can significantly enhance the recreational carrying capacity of Nordic national parks, addressing challenges posed by rising visitor numbers and evolving behavior. This publication, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Terrestrial Ecosystem Group (TEG), provides practical examples and recommendations for improving visitor management in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland, Jotunheimen National Park, Norway, and The Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark. It emphasizes environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable practices to protect these UNESCO World Heritage Sites while supporting local communities. The project, managed by BARK Rådgivning, offers insights from both Nordic and international parks to guide future visitor management strategies.

Visitor management in world heritage sites: Does overtourism-driven traffic management affect tourist targets, behaviour and satisfaction?

The Dolomites — 2019 — WHE822FD2670A

Traffic management measures aimed at mitigating overtourism can significantly alter tourists' targets, behaviors, and satisfaction levels. A study focusing on the Passo Sella, a scenic mountain pass near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites, found that two policy mixes introduced in 2017 and 2018 led to notable changes in visitor segmentation, behavior, and satisfaction. The research revealed that the organization and communication of these initiatives were more influential on tourist satisfaction than their restrictiveness. This suggests that effective overtourism management requires not only regulatory frameworks but also innovative destination visioning, product development, and marketing strategies.

Visual Grammar of Ramayana Story Reliefs of Prambanan Temple

Prambanan Temple Compounds — 2019 — WHE36F15EEA03

Prambanan Temple's Ramayana story reliefs, despite their historical significance, remain underexplored in terms of their visual narrative structure. This study reveals that the reliefs employ a distinct visual grammar to arrange scenes and transitions, akin to modern film storytelling, while differing significantly from contemporary drawing techniques. Researchers analyzed these reliefs to uncover how past sculptors organized objects and characters across panels, providing insights into the aesthetic and narrative strategies used in ancient temple art. The findings highlight the reliefs' sophisticated compositional techniques, offering a new perspective on their cultural and artistic significance.

Visual impact assessment of the Istanbul Land-wall

Historic Areas of Istanbul — 2019 — WHEF692295257

A visual impact assessment of the Istanbul Land-wall reveals that, despite its historical significance as part of UNESCO's Historic Areas of Istanbul, the area does not meet adequate visual quality standards. The study, which analyzed 24 photographs across four spatial usage types—recreational, transportation, agricultural, and neglected places—found that neglected areas scored significantly lower in both public and expert surveys. Public participants rated photographs on parameters such as 'well-kept,' 'exciting,' 'safety,' and 'beautiful scenery,' while experts assessed 'coherence,' 'imageability,' 'stewardship,' and 'historicity.' The findings, derived from one-way ANOVA tests comparing public and expert preferences, indicate that the Land-wall's visual appeal is suboptimal, particularly in neglected regions. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to enhance its visual quality, offering critical insights for future design and planning efforts.

Viticulture and Landscape in the Italian Northwestern Alpine Region

Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato — 2019 — WHECC01B1E371

Heroic viticulture, characterized by vineyards at altitudes over 500 meters and slopes greater than 30%, is a defining cultural element of wine-growing systems in the Italian regions of Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, and Liguria. This study reveals that such high-altitude and steep-slope viticulture plays a fundamental role in local winemaking, particularly in Valle d’Aosta and Liguria, where mountainous terrain dominates regional landscapes. The research employed Grounded Theory, integrating diverse data sources—including direct observations—to analyze the diversity of wine landscapes across these regions. While Piedmont is larger, all three regions share deep geographical and historical ties, contributing to their unique yet interconnected viticultural identities.

Volcaniclastic tide-modulated tempestite in a coastal tuff ring, Jeju Island, Korea

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes — 2019 — WHEE444717CA5

A rare, detailed record of a 3.7 ka BP storm event has been preserved within a coastal tuff ring on Jeju Island, Korea, offering unprecedented insight into ancient tempestite formation and tidal modulation during extreme weather conditions. The study identifies three distinct interbeds of wave-worked deposits—horizontally laminated to hummocky/swash cross-stratified sediments with mud drapes—extending up to 4.6 m above high tide level, indicative of storm-induced sea-level rise. These interbeds correspond to three tidal cycles within a 1.5-day storm event, suggesting the tuff ring's unique stratigraphy captures both volcanic and marine processes. This discovery underscores the potential of coastal volcanic structures as archives for extreme depositional events, such as storms and tsunamis, bridging sedimentary proxy records with historical reconstructions.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Volcanoes of Kamchatka — 2019 — WHE4C5EDA50A2

In 2013, Kamchatka's volcanic activity was characterized by intense seismic and eruptive events, including the emergence of a new cone at Shiveluch volcano, subplinian eruptions at Kluchevskoy, and renewed activity at Zhupanovsky after a 56-year dormancy. Researchers analyzed near real-time data from seismic, visual, video, and satellite observations to track earthquakes (ranging from KS=1.8 to 8.5) across Northern, Avacha, Mutnovsky-Gorely, and Kizimen groups, documenting energy releases and epicenter distributions. The study highlighted the dynamic nature of Kamchatka's volcanic system, with long-term eruptions at Tolbachik fissure and Kizimen concluding during this period.

Volunteering and collaborative governance innovation in the Wadden Sea National Park

Wadden Sea — 2019 — WHE2C45F373C5

A significant potential for integrating volunteering with tourism and citizen engagement exists within the Wadden Sea National Park, as residents near the park and visitors from across Denmark show strong willingness to participate. Volunteers contribute substantially to conservation efforts, including beach clean-ups, facilities maintenance, and nature restoration, indicating a shift towards collaborative governance that complements state-driven models. However, this transition requires careful alignment of protection goals with volunteer activities to ensure sustainability, highlighting an urgent need for innovative governance structures in national parks.

Vulnerabilidad socioeconómica,cambio climático e incremento del nivel del mar en Tlacotalpan, Veracruz

Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan — 2019 — WHE88A016BACF

A sudden rise in sea level by five meters would flood 23% of Tlacotalpan's territory, exposing 133 km² to significant socioeconomic vulnerability. This study quantifies the impacts on vulnerable groups using an interdisciplinary approach, combining territorial analysis with fieldwork to assess specific risks. The findings underscore the urgent need for disaster prevention policies tailored to these at-risk populations, particularly in coastal regions facing climate change pressures.

Wadden Sea Eutrophication: Long-Term Trends and Regional Differences

Wadden Sea — 2019 — WHE3EBFC2F2D2

Long-term nutrient input from major European rivers into the Wadden Sea peaked in the 1980s, with subsequent declines of about 2.5% per year for total nitrogen (TN) and 5% per year for total phosphorus (TP), leading to decreasing nutrient levels but increasing N/P ratios. However, these trends are leveling out for TP. Phytoplankton biomass, measured as chlorophyll a, has also decreased since the 1980s, reaching comparatively low levels. Regional differences in eutrophication were observed, with higher chlorophyll a levels in the southern Wadden Sea and lower levels in the northern region. The study used long-term monitoring data and modeling to link these regional differences to coastward accumulation of organic matter produced in the North Sea.

Walking and Stumbling on the Paths of Heritage-making for Rural Development in the Arica Highlands

Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System — 2019 — WHE40A8D43318

A study on the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, reveals that while heritage designation can foster cultural revitalization and community strengthening, it does not guarantee successful tourism implementation. Analyzing a failed hiking circuit project in northern Chile's Arica Highlands, researchers identified three key lessons: distinguishing between cultural revitalization and tourism, recognizing the challenges of applying the Cultural Route heritage category from global to local scales, and the need for stronger Latin American heritage regulations. The research employed participatory action methods and socioterritorial analysis to explore these intersections, offering insights into the complexities of heritage policies and rural development.

Waltzing in Weimar: disability culture perspectives at the Bauhaus

Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau — 2019 — WHE5C50AF692C

A unique intersection of disability culture and Bauhaus modernism emerges from the international dance laboratory Metabody's 2015 performance research session at Bauhaus Universität Weimar. This collaborative event highlighted how disability perspectives can redefine movement, space, and perception in choreography, challenging traditional notions of bodily ability within the context of Bauhaus's innovative design philosophy. The study employed a participatory approach, blending lecture, discussion, and practical workshops to explore adaptive performance practices that integrate physical diversity into artistic expression. By bridging disability advocacy with Bauhaus principles of functionality and experimentation, this work offers new frameworks for inclusive design in both performing arts and architectural spaces.

War and peace in the Taï chimpanzee forest: running a long-term chimpanzee research project

Taï National Park — 2019 — WHE8CDF4FBBFD

Taï National Park's chimpanzees exhibit remarkable cultural diversity, including nut-cracking behavior and cooperative hunting, despite enduring significant ecological pressures such as human poaching and leopard predation. The Taï Chimpanzee Project (TCP), initiated in 1979, integrated ecology into the study of chimpanzee behavioral diversity, providing long-term data on rainforest-living chimpanzees. Over four decades, the project faced challenges including civil wars, recurrent poaching, and outbreaks of Ebola, anthrax, and respiratory diseases. Through habituation of three neighboring chimpanzee communities, local engagement, and robust law enforcement and health monitoring programs, the TCP ensured the survival of both the chimpanzees and the research project amidst extreme political instability and encroachment by cocoa and coffee plantations.

Water and wealth in medieval Sicily: The case of the Admiral's Bridge and Arab‐Norman Palermo (10th–13th centuries)

Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale — 2019 — WHE410DA16C71

New research challenges the long-held assumption that Palermo's Admiral's Bridge, a UNESCO-listed marvel of medieval engineering, was commissioned by George of Antioch in 1132. By analyzing the bridge's toponym and topography, this study reveals that its origins and institutional significance are more complex than previously thought. The findings highlight the critical role of water management in shaping Palermo's growth as an agricultural and trading hub during the Arab-Norman period (10th–13th centuries). The research bridges archaeological evidence with historical inquiry to re-examine the bridge's connection to the Oreto river district, offering insights into medieval Mediterranean urban development and governance.

Water quality and microbial contamination status of Madawachchiya, Padaviya and Kebithigollewa areas in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

Sacred City of Anuradhapura — 2019 — WHE499CDA1F9D

A significant portion of water sources in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, is contaminated with harmful bacteria and exceeds chemical quality standards. The study found that 32% of the 44 sampled locations were positive for Salmonella spp., a pathogen causing typhoid fever, with two heavily used springs among them. Additionally, most samples failed to meet Sri Lanka's drinking water standards for total coliform, E. coli, and chemical oxygen demand (COD), while 55% exhibited very hard water conditions, particularly in Padaviya. Conductivity levels exceeded safe limits at 25% of locations. Despite these issues, concentrations of nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, and total phosphate were within acceptable ranges. The research employed standard protocols for sampling, transportation, and analysis to assess microbial and chemical contamination across ground and surface water sources in Madawachchiya, Padaviya, and Kebithigollewa areas.

Water quality monitoring in the Xochimilco peri-urban wetland: experiences engaging in citizen science

Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco — 2019 — WHECDCF5BD111

Despite expectations, water quality in canals near low-impact activities such as agroecological farming and abandoned chinampas in the Xochimilco peri-urban wetland did not consistently meet national and international guidelines for irrigation. Significant seasonal variations were observed in pH (>9), dissolved oxygen (<6.5 mg/L), conductivity (>2000 μS/cm), and Escherichia coli concentrations (>240 CFU/100 mL). The study, involving citizen scientists, analyzed water quality across seven canals and one lake over four years, revealing that narrow, shallow canals with low water flow may exacerbate poor water quality. Only an abandoned agricultural area met most guidelines, highlighting the potential for structural modifications to improve conditions. Citizen science engagement also raised awareness about anthropogenic impacts on this ecologically and culturally significant UNESCO World Heritage Site.