The first step in the text recognition process is represented by the text line segmentation procedures. Only after text lines are correctly identified can the process proceed to the recognition of individual characters. This paper proposes a line segmentation algorithm based on the computation of an information content level, called energy, for each pixel of the image and using it to execute the seam carving procedure. The algorithm proposes the identification of text lines which follow the text more accurately with the expected downside of the computational overhead.

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Dental students have to master, along with the theoretical knowledge, a lot of visual, practical and technical skills, essential to the dentistry profession. They include visual assessment of the medical condition, where the three-dimensional (3D) view differs from the images from manuals, first-rate psychomotor skills and understanding of the technical issues arisen in dental practice (restorations, implants, etc...). In recent years, both internationally and nationally, the invasive treatments made by students on patients were limited and are increasingly replaced by various alternative training solutions. Simulator laboratories with teeth replicas, typodonts (models of the oral cavity) and phantom heads are used for preclinical skills development. The paper presents the introduction of virtual reality as an e-learning tool for the dentistry education and training in Romania. It will precede and attend the current methods, accelerating the learning process before and during the training with artificial models and phantom heads, reducing the expenditure of artificial teeth, student time and instructor effort. Virtual reality for education and training in dentistry implies the usage of a human-computer interface dedicated to this task. The working environment is a 3D representation of the dental tools and of the oral cavity with teeth and gums, accessible through stereoscopic devices. The input is capturing the hand/hands posture and movements using haptic devices or other hardware sensor devices that detects hand and finger motions. The feedback includes visual modifications, tactile feedback and sound effects when different operations are performed in the oral cavity. The use of these technologies will decrease the costs of the educational process and will increase its quality through individual training and self-assessment of the results.

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The paper introduces the Prevention Assistant, a software system that provides support for prevention activities in the setting of the patient-physician relationship. The purpose is to close around the patient an additional control loop able to supply personalized prevention messages based on the sensed health state and health determinants. The factors important for effective prevention initiatives are analyzed and an ontology is introduced to conceptually model them. Further, a mathematical model is used to put forward a solution for the fundamental concern of disease risk assessment in individuals about whom only few or old data is available. State-of-the-art statistical methods are employed in this sense, to estimate a probable value for unknown parameters.