A BRDF approximation is developed that is suitable for interactive color appearance design in direct lighting provided by environment maps. The BRDFs are approximated as a linear combination of cosine lobes with a fixed set of specular exponents. A nonlinear optimization routine is used to fit the cosine lobes to BRDFs appropriate for a specific color appearance design application: automotive p...

Under the assumption of gene-environment independence, unknown/unmeasured environmental factors, irrespective of what they may be, cannot confound the genetic effects. This may lead many people to believe that genetic heterogeneity across different levels of the studied environmental exposure should only mean gene-environment interaction--even though other environmental factors are not adjusted...

YERCEPTIONS OF A GLOBAL CRISIS have been rampant for over a decade. Third world nations fear their development prospects are being undermined by a series of devastating external shocks. Unprecedentedly high levels of foreign debt service, coupled with climbing interest rates and falling export revenues, have forced many developing countries to cut imports, restrict public-sector spending, curta...