Abstract: Due to availability of powerful image processing software
and improvement of human computer knowledge, it becomes
easy to tamper images. Manipulation of digital images in different
fields like court of law and medical imaging create a serious problem
nowadays. Copy-move forgery is one of the most common types
of forgery which copies some part of the image and pastes it to
another part of the same image to cover an important scene. In
this paper, a copy-move forgery detection method proposed based
on Fourier transform to detect forgeries. Firstly, image is divided to
same size blocks and Fourier transform is performed on each block.
Similarity in the Fourier transform between different blocks provides
an indication of the copy-move operation. The experimental results
prove that the proposed method works on reasonable time and works
well for gray scale and colour images. Computational complexity
reduced by using Fourier transform in this method.
Abstract: The goal of Gene Expression Analysis is to understand the processes that underlie the regulatory networks and pathways controlling inter-cellular and intra-cellular activities. In recent times microarray datasets are extensively used for this purpose. The scope of such analysis has broadened in recent times towards reconstruction of gene networks and other holistic approaches of Systems Biology. Evolutionary methods are proving to be successful in such problems and a number of such methods have been proposed. However all these methods are based on processing of genotypic information. Towards this end, there is a need to develop evolutionary methods that address phenotypic interactions together with genotypic interactions. We present a novel evolutionary approach, called Phenomic algorithm, wherein the focus is on phenotypic interaction. We use the expression profiles of genes to model the interactions between them at the phenotypic level. We apply this algorithm to the yeast sporulation dataset and show that the algorithm can identify gene networks with relative ease.
Abstract: COPD is characterized by loss of elastic fibers from
small airways and alveolar walls, with the decrease in elastin
increasing with disease severity. It is unclear why there is a lack of
repair of elastic fibers. We have examined fibroblasts cultured from
lung tissue from normal and COPD subjects to determine if the
secretory profile explains lack of tissue repair. In this study,
fibroblasts were cultured from lung parenchyma of bronchial
carcinoma patients with varying degrees of COPD; controls
(non-COPD, n=5), mild COPD (GOLD 1, n=5) and moderate-severe
COPD (GOLD 2-3, n=12). Measurements were made of proliferation,
senescence-associated beta-galactosidase-1, mRNA expression of
IL-6, IL-8, MMP-1, tropoelastin and versican, and protein levels for
IL-6, IL-8, PGE2, tropoelastin, insoluble elastin, and versican. It was
found that GOLD 2-3 fibroblasts proliferated more slowly (p
Abstract: This paper presents a part of research on the
rheological properties of bitumen modified by thermoplastic namely
linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene
(HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) and its interaction with 80 pen base
bitumen. As it is known that the modification of bitumen by the use
of polymers enhances its performance characteristics but at the same
time significantly alters its rheological properties. The rheological
study of polymer modified bitumen (PMB) was made through
penetration, ring & ball softening point and viscosity test. The results
were then related to the changes in the rheological properties of
polymer modified bitumen. It was observed that thermoplastic
copolymer shows profound effect on penetration rather than
softening point. The viscoelastic behavior of polymer modified
bitumen depend on the concentration of polymer, mixing
temperature, mixing technique, solvating power of base bitumen and
molecular structure of polymer used. PP offer better blend in
comparison to HDPE and LLDPE. The viscosity of base bitumen was
also enhanced with the addition of polymer. The pseudoplastic
behavior was more prominent for HDPE and LLDPE than PP. Best
results were obtained when polymer concentration was kept below
3%
Abstract: In the paper the results of calculations of the dynamic
response of a multi-storey reinforced concrete building to a strong
mining shock originated from the main region of mining activity in
Poland (i.e. the Legnica-Glogow Copper District) are presented. The
representative time histories of accelerations registered in three
directions were used as ground motion data in calculations of the
dynamic response of the structure. Two variants of a numerical model
were applied: the model including only structural elements of the
building and the model including both structural and non-structural
elements (i.e. partition walls and ventilation ducts made of brick). It
turned out that non-structural elements of multi-storey RC buildings
have a small impact of about 10 % on natural frequencies of these
structures. It was also proved that the dynamic response of building
to mining shock obtained in case of inclusion of all non-structural
elements in the numerical model is about 20 % smaller than in case
of consideration of structural elements only. The principal stresses
obtained in calculations of dynamic response of multi-storey building
to strong mining shock are situated on the level of about 30% of
values obtained from static analysis (dead load).
Abstract: Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures strengthened
with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) lack in thermal resistance under
elevated temperatures in the event of fire. This phenomenon led to
the lining of strengthened concrete with thin high performance
cementitious composites (THPCC) to protect the substrate against
elevated temperature. Elevated temperature effects on THPCC, based
on different cementitious materials have been studied in the past but
high-alumina cement (HAC)-based THPCC have not been well
characterized. This research study will focus on the THPCC based on
HAC replaced by 60%, 70%, 80% and 85% of ground granulated
blast furnace slag (GGBS). Samples were evaluated by the
measurement of their mechanical strength (28 & 56 days of curing)
after exposed to 400°C, 600°C and 28°C of room temperature for
comparison and corroborated by their microstructure study. Results
showed that among all mixtures, the mix containing only HAC
showed the highest compressive strength after exposed to 600°C as
compared to other mixtures. However, the tensile strength of THPCC
made of HAC and 60% GGBS content was comparable to the
THPCC with HAC only after exposed to 600°C. Field emission
scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images of THPCC
accompanying Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis
revealed that the microstructure deteriorated considerably after
exposure to elevated temperatures which led to the decrease in
mechanical strength.
Abstract: In this paper we develop an efficient numerical method for the finite-element model updating of damped gyroscopic systems based on incomplete complex modal measured data. It is assumed that the analytical mass and stiffness matrices are correct and only the damping and gyroscopic matrices need to be updated. By solving a constrained optimization problem, the optimal corrected symmetric damping matrix and skew-symmetric gyroscopic matrix complied with the required eigenvalue equation are found under a weighted Frobenius norm sense.
Abstract: Nanoemulsions are a class of emulsions with a droplet
size in the range of 50–500 nm and have attracted a great deal of
attention in recent years because it is unique characteristics. The
physicochemical properties of nanoemulsion suggests that it can be
successfully used to recover the residual oil which is trapped in the
fine pore of reservoir rock by capillary forces after primary and
secondary recovery. Oil-in-water nanoemulsion which can be formed
by high-energy emulsification techniques using specific surfactants
can reduce oil-water interfacial tension (IFT) by 3-4 orders of
magnitude. The present work is aimed on characterization of oil-inwater
nanoemulsion in terms of its phase behavior, morphological
studies; interfacial energy; ability to reduce the interfacial tension and
understanding the mechanisms of mobilization and displacement of
entrapped oil blobs by lowering interfacial tension both at the
macroscopic and microscopic level. In order to investigate the
efficiency of oil-water nanoemulsion in enhanced oil recovery
(EOR), experiments were performed to characterize the emulsion in
terms of their physicochemical properties and size distribution of the
dispersed oil droplet in water phase. Synthetic mineral oil and a series
of surfactants were used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions.
Characterization of emulsion shows that it follows pseudo-plastic
behaviour and drop size of dispersed oil phase follows lognormal
distribution. Flooding experiments were also carried out in a
sandpack system to evaluate the effectiveness of the nanoemulsion as
displacing fluid for enhanced oil recovery. Substantial additional
recoveries (more than 25% of original oil in place) over conventional
water flooding were obtained in the present investigation.
Abstract: As a tool for human spatial cognition and thinking, the map has been playing an important role. Maps are perhaps as fundamental to society as language and the written word. Economic and social development requires extensive and in-depth understanding of their own living environment, from the scope of the overall global to urban housing. This has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges for traditional cartography . This paper first proposed the concept of scaleless-map and its basic characteristics, through the analysis of the existing multi-scale representation techniques. Then some strategies are presented for automated mapping compilation. Taking into account the demand of automated map compilation, detailed proposed the software - WJ workstation must have four technical features, which are generalization operators, symbol primitives, dynamically annotation and mapping process template. This paper provides a more systematic new idea and solution to improve the intelligence and automation of the scaleless cartography.
Abstract: In this work a dynamic model of a new quadrotor aerial
vehicle that is equipped with a tilt-wing mechanism is presented.
The vehicle has the capabilities of vertical take-off/landing (VTOL)
like a helicopter and flying horizontal like an airplane. Dynamic
model of the vehicle is derived both for vertical and horizontal flight
modes using Newton-Euler formulation. An LQR controller for the
vertical flight mode has also been developed and its performance
has been tested with several simulations.
Abstract: In this paper, a novel copyright protection scheme for digital images based on Visual Cryptography and Statistics is proposed. In our scheme, the theories and properties of sampling distribution of means and visual cryptography are employed to achieve the requirements of robustness and security. Our method does not need to alter the original image and can identify the ownership without resorting to the original image. Besides, our method allows multiple watermarks to be registered for a single host image without causing any damage to other hidden watermarks. Moreover, it is also possible for our scheme to cast a larger watermark into a smaller host image. Finally, experimental results will show the robustness of our scheme against several common attacks.
Abstract: In this research study, an intelligent detection system
to support medical diagnosis and detection of abnormal lesions by
processing endoscopic images is presented. The images used in this
study have been obtained using the M2A Swallowable Imaging
Capsule - a patented, video color-imaging disposable capsule.
Schemes have been developed to extract texture features from the
fuzzy texture spectra in the chromatic and achromatic domains for a
selected region of interest from each color component histogram of
endoscopic images. The implementation of an advanced fuzzy
inference neural network which combines fuzzy systems and
artificial neural networks and the concept of fusion of multiple
classifiers dedicated to specific feature parameters have been also
adopted in this paper. The achieved high detection accuracy of the
proposed system has provided thus an indication that such intelligent
schemes could be used as a supplementary diagnostic tool in
endoscopy.
Abstract: This study presents the improvement of thermal
performance of heat pipe using copper nanofluid with aqueous
solution of n-Butanol. The nanofluids kept in the suspension of
conventional fluids have the potential of superior heat transfer
capability than the conventional fluids due to their improved thermal
conductivity. In this work, the copper nanofluid which has a 40 nm
size with a concentration of 100 mg/lit is kept in the suspension of
the de-ionized (DI) water and an aqueous solution of n-Butanol and
these fluids are used as a working medium in the heat pipe. The study
discusses about the effect of heat pipe inclination, type of working
fluid and heat input on the thermal efficiency and thermal resistance.
The experimental results are evaluated in terms of its performance
metrics and are compared with that of DI water.
Abstract: Adaptive control involves modifying the control law
used by the controller to cope with the fact that the parameters of the
system being controlled change drastically due to change in
environmental conditions or in system itself. This technique is based
on the fundamental characteristic of adaptation of living organism.
The adaptive control process is one that continuously and
automatically measures the dynamic behavior of plant, compares it
with the desired output and uses the difference to vary adjustable
system parameters or to generate an actuating signal in such a way so
that optimal performance can be maintained regardless of system
changes. This paper deals with application of model reference
adaptive control scheme in first order system. The rule which is used
for this application is MIT rule. This paper also shows the effect of
adaptation gain on the system performance. Simulation is done in
MATLAB and results are discussed in detail.
Abstract: Nanostructured materials have attracted many
researchers due to their outstanding mechanical and physical
properties. For example, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or carbon
nanofibres (CNFs) are considered to be attractive reinforcement
materials for light weight and high strength metal matrix composites.
These composites are being projected for use in structural
applications for their high specific strength as well as functional
materials for their exciting thermal and electrical characteristics. The
critical issues of CNT-reinforced MMCs include processing
techniques, nanotube dispersion, interface, strengthening mechanisms
and mechanical properties. One of the major obstacles to the effective
use of carbon nanotubes as reinforcements in metal matrix
composites is their agglomeration and poor distribution/dispersion
within the metallic matrix. In order to tap into the advantages of the
properties of CNTs (or CNFs) in composites, the high dispersion of
CNTs (or CNFs) and strong interfacial bonding are the key issues
which are still challenging. Processing techniques used for synthesis
of the composites have been studied with an objective to achieve
homogeneous distribution of carbon nanotubes in the matrix.
Modified mechanical alloying (ball milling) techniques have emerged
as promising routes for the fabrication of carbon nanotube (CNT)
reinforced metal matrix composites. In order to obtain a
homogeneous product, good control of the milling process, in
particular control of the ball movement, is essential. The control of
the ball motion during the milling leads to a reduction in grinding
energy and a more homogeneous product. Also, the critical inner
diameter of the milling container at a particular rotational speed can
be calculated. In the present work, we use conventional and modified
mechanical alloying to generate a homogenous distribution of 2 wt.
% CNT within Al powders. 99% purity Aluminium powder (Acros,
200mesh) was used along with two different types of multiwall
carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) having different aspect ratios to
produce Al-CNT composites. The composite powders were processed
into bulk material by compaction, and sintering using a cylindrical
compaction and tube furnace. Field Emission Scanning electron
microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Raman
spectroscopy and Vickers macro hardness tester were used to
evaluate CNT dispersion, powder morphology, CNT damage, phase
analysis, mechanical properties and crystal size determination.
Despite the success of ball milling in dispersing CNTs in Al powder,
it is often accompanied with considerable strain hardening of the Al
powder, which may have implications on the final properties of the
composite. The results show that particle size and morphology vary
with milling time. Also, by using the mixing process and sonication
before mechanical alloying and modified ball mill, dispersion of the
CNTs in Al matrix improves.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of enhancing images from a left and right stereo pair in order to increase the resolution of a 3D representation of a scene generated from that same pair. A new neural network structure known as a Self Delaying Dynamic Network (SDN) has been used to perform the enhancement. The advantage of SDNs over existing techniques such as bicubic interpolation is their ability to cope with motion and noise effects. SDNs are used to generate two high resolution images, one based on frames taken from the left view of the subject, and one based on the frames from the right. This new high resolution stereo pair is then processed by a disparity map generator. The disparity map generated is compared to two other disparity maps generated from the same scene. The first is a map generated from an original high resolution stereo pair and the second is a map generated using a stereo pair which has been enhanced using bicubic interpolation. The maps generated using the SDN enhanced pairs match more closely the target maps. The addition of extra noise into the input images is less problematic for the SDN system which is still able to out perform bicubic interpolation.
Abstract: The localized corrosion behavior of laser surface
melted 304L austenitic stainless steel was studied by
potentiodynamic polarization test. The extent of improvement in
corrosion resistance was governed by the preferred orientation and
the percentage of delta ferrite present on the surface of the laser
melted sample. It was established by orientation imaging microscopy
that the highest pitting potential value was obtained when grains were
oriented in the most close- packed [101] direction compared to the
random distribution of the base metal and other laser surface melted
samples oriented in [001] direction. The sample with lower
percentage of ferrite had good pitting resistance.
Abstract: The characterization of κ-carrageenan could provide a
better understanding of its functions in biological, medical and
industrial applications. Chemical and physical analyses of
carrageenan from seaweeds, Euchema cottonii L., were done to offer
information on its properties and the effects of Co-60 γ-irradiation on
its thermochemical characteristics. The structural and morphological
characteristics of κ-carrageenan were determined using scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) while the composition, molecular weight
and thermal properties were determined using attenuated total
reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), gel
permeation chromatography (GPC), thermal gravimetric analysis
(TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Further chemical
analysis was done using hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (1H
NMR) and functional characteristics in terms of biocompatibility
were evaluated using cytotoxicity test.
Abstract: Tomato powder has good potential as substitute of tomato paste and other tomato products. In order to protect physicochemical properties and nutritional quality of tomato during dehydration process, investigation was carried out using different drying methods and pretreatments. Solar drier and continuous conveyor (tunnel) drier were used for dehydration where as calcium chloride (CaCl2), potassium metabisulphite (KMS), calcium chloride and potassium metabisulphite (CaCl2 +KMS), and sodium chloride (NaCl) selected for treatment.. lycopene content, dehydration ratio, rehydration ratio and non-enzymatic browning in addition to moisture, sugar and titrable acidity were studied. Results show that pre-treatment with CaCl2 and NaCl increased water removal and moisture mobility in tomato slices during drying of tomatoes. Where CaCl2 used along with KMS the NEB was recorded the least compared to other treatments and the best results were obtained while using the two chemicals in combination form. Storage studies in LDPE polymeric and metalized polyesters films showed less changes in the products packed in metallized polyester pouches and even after 6 months lycopene content did not decrease more than 20% as compared to the control sample and provide extension of shelf life in acceptable condition for 6 months. In most of the quality characteristics tunnel drier samples presented better values in comparison to solar drier.
Abstract: This paper presents a genetic algorithm based
approach for solving security constrained optimal power flow
problem (SCOPF) including FACTS devices. The optimal location of
FACTS devices are identified using an index called overload index
and the optimal values are obtained using an enhanced genetic
algorithm. The optimal allocation by the proposed method optimizes
the investment, taking into account its effects on security in terms of
the alleviation of line overloads. The proposed approach has been
tested on IEEE-30 bus system to show the effectiveness of the
proposed algorithm for solving the SCOPF problem.