The article summarizes the fourth conference of the Baltic Heritage Network, held in Rīga, Latvia on June 30–July 2, 2015.

This article examines the factors that explain inflation in prices of non-tradable items in the CPI. Non-tradable goods and services by definition have relatively little exposure to international competition. Consequently, their prices are more likely to be influenced by developments in the domestic economy, particularly the extent of spare capacity in both production and the labour market. A more granular breakdown of prices highlights the importance of conditions in individual markets, such as housing, as well as non-market influences on prices.

Many cameras provide insufficient control over depth of field . Some have a fixed aperture; others have a variable aperture th at is either too small or too large to produce the desired amount f blur. To overcome this limitation, one can capture a focal st ck, which is a collection of images each focused at a different de p h, then combine these slices to form a single composite that exh ibits the desired depth of field. In this paper, we present a theory o f focal stack compositing, and algorithms for computing images wit h extended depth of field, shallower depth of field than the lens ap erture naturally provides, or even freeform (non-physical) depth of field. We show that while these composites are subject to halo artif acts, there is a principled methodology for avoiding these artifa c s—by feathering a slice selection map according to certain rules before computing the composite image. CR Categories: I.4.3 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]: Enhancement—Geometric correction; I.3.3 [Computer Graph ics]: Picture/Image Generation—Display algorithms

The physical infrastructure and housing make human interaction possible and provide shelter. How well that infrastructure performs and which groups it serves have important implications for social equity and health. Populations in inadequate housing are more likely to have environmental diseases and injuries. Substantial disparities in housing have remained largely unchanged. Approximately 2.6 million (7.5%) non-Hispanic Blacks and 5.9 million Whites (2.8%) live in substandard housing. Segregation, lack of housing mobility, and homelessness are all associated with adverse health outcomes. Yet the experience with childhood lead poisoning in the United States has shown that housing-related disparities can be reduced. Effective interventions should be implemented to reduce environmental health disparities related to housing.

The King George III copy of the Gutenberg Bible, held at the British Library, has been analyzed using Raman spectroscopy to determine the palette of pigments used in the illuminations on this work. The palette is found to comprise cinnabar/vermilion, lead tin yellow (type 1), carbon-based black, azurite, malachite, an organo-copper complex (a "verdigris"), calcium carbonate (chalk), gypsum, gold leaf, and basic lead carbonate ("lead white"). This is in agreement with contemporary descriptions of the pigments used for the illuminations. One pigment could not be identified, specifically the organic dark red/purple color used for the foliage. The palette of this copy of the Gutenberg Bible has been compared with those used for six other copies, held at Eton College and Lambeth Palace, England, the Bibliothèque Mazarine and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the Niedersachsische Staats- und Universitatsbibliothek (SUB) Göttingen, Germany. The palettes are shown to be similar to one another, even though the styles of the primary illuminations differ. The two Gutenberg Bibles held in Germany, printed on vellum, have the more expensive palettes, which include lazurite. The SUB Göttingen copy has the most extensive palette with 16 pigment-related materials having been identified.

An in situ analysis of the richly decorated Turkish 16th century manuscript called Hurev U Sirin was performed by Raman microscopy and the following twelve pigments identified on the illuminations: lapis lazuli, red lead, carbon black, vermilion, indigo, orpiment, realgar, pararealgar, lead white, azurite, malachite and, indirectly, gold. Several mixtures of these pigments were also found to have been used, e.g. indigo and orpiment for green. The study reveals the wide palette used, notably the extensive use of valuable pigments such as lapis lazuli and gold. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Raman microscopy has proven uniquely suited for the identification and study of mineral and organic pigments in art historical research and conservation science [1]. The qualities that make this technique appropriate to the study of artefacts and artwork include its molecular specificity, high spatial resolution (= 1 μm), broad spectral range (4000 to 10 cm), and non-destructiveness. Recent instrumental advances that include highly efficient optics, sensitive CCD detectors, compact nearinfrared (NIR) lasers, and remote laser probes have improved immensely the spectral quality of these systems while reducing instrument size and measurement time and facilitating the application of the technique to the study of non-uniform or large samples [2,3]. These improvements have led to increased interest in Raman microscopy and remote Raman spectroscopy among conservation scientists and archaeometrists.

L ead is a toxic substance that attacks many different body organs and systems. Unlike other metals such as zinc or iron, lead has no beneficial effects on the body. Lead is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, largely due to the wide variety of past and present commercial uses. It is one of the best-studied toxic substances. Lead poisoning is considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be the foremost environmental childhood disease today (National Academy of Sciences 1993; CDC 1991a; ATSDR 1988a).