Abstract: In this study, we propose a tongue diagnosis method
which detects the tongue from face image and divides the tongue area into six areas, and finally generates tongue coating ratio of each area.
To detect the tongue area from face image, we use ASM as one of the active shape models. Detected tongue area is divided into six areas
widely used in the Korean traditional medicine and the distribution of tongue coating of the six areas is examined by SVM(Support Vector
Machine). For SVM, we use a 3-dimensional vector calculated by PCA(Principal Component Analysis) from a 12-dimentional vector
consisting of RGB, HIS, Lab, and Luv. As a result, we detected the tongue area stably using ASM and found that PCA and SVM helped
raise the ratio of tongue coating detection.
Abstract: Due to their high power-to-weight ratio and low cost,
pneumatic actuators are attractive for robotics and automation
applications; however, achieving fast and accurate control of their
position have been known as a complex control problem. A
methodology for obtaining high position accuracy with a linear
pneumatic actuator is presented. During experimentation with a
number of PID classical control approaches over many operations of
the pneumatic system, the need for frequent manual re-tuning of the
controller could not be eliminated. The reason for this problem is
thermal and energy losses inside the cylinder body due to the
complex friction forces developed by the piston displacements.
Although PD controllers performed very well over short periods, it
was necessary in our research project to introduce some form of
automatic gain-scheduling to achieve good long-term performance.
We chose a fuzzy logic system to do this, which proved to be an
easily designed and robust approach. Since the PD approach showed
very good behaviour in terms of position accuracy and settling time,
it was incorporated into a modified form of the 1st order Tagaki-
Sugeno fuzzy method to build an overall controller. This fuzzy gainscheduler
uses an input variable which automatically changes the PD
gain values of the controller according to the frequency of repeated
system operations. Performance of the new controller was
significantly improved and the need for manual re-tuning was
eliminated without a decrease in performance. The performance of
the controller operating with the above method is going to be tested
through a high-speed web network (GRID) for research purposes.
Abstract: The expression of LFA-1 diverges from the
physiological condition, thus active targeting carrier can provide the
benefits from difference into LFA-1 expression in various conditions.
Here, the selectivity of cIBR-conjugated nanoparticles (cIBR-NPs),
in terms of uptake, was investigated using PBMCs, Mixed PBMCMolt-
3 cells and Molt-3 cells. The expressions of LFA-1 on Molt-3
cells, from flow cytometry and Western blot, possessed the highest
level whereas PBMCs showed the lowest level. The kinetic uptake
profiles of cIBR-NPs were obtained by flow cytometry, which the
degree of cellular uptake presented a similar trend with the level of
LFA-1 indicating the influence of LFA-1 expression on the cellular
uptake of cIBR-NPs. The conformation of LFA-1 had a slight effect
on the cellular uptake of cIBR-NPs. Overall we demonstrated that
cIBR-NPs enhanced cellular uptake and improved the selectivity of
drug carriers to LFA-1 on the leukemia cells, which related with the
order of LFA-1 expression.
Abstract: Preparation and negotiation of innovative and future
projects can be characterized as a strategic-type decision situation,
involving many uncertainties and an unpredictable environment.
We will focus in this paper on the bidding process. It includes cooperative
and strategic decisions.
Our approach for bidding process knowledge capitalization is
aimed at information management in project-oriented organizations,
based on the MUSIC (Management and Use of Co-operative
Information Systems) model.
We will show how to capitalize the company strategic knowledge
and also how to organize the corporate memory. The result of the
adopted approach is improvement of corporate memory quality.
Abstract: The aim of this work is to study the elastic transfer
phenomenon which takes place in the elastic scattering of 16O on 12C
at energies near the Coulomb barrier. Where, the angular distribution
decrease steadily with increasing the scattering angle, then the cross
section will increase at backward angles due to the α-transfer process.
This reaction was also studied at different energies for tracking the
nuclear rainbow phenomenon. The experimental data of the angular
distribution at these energies were compared to the calculation
predictions. The optical potential codes such as SPIVAL and
Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWUCK5) were used in
analysis.
Abstract: This paper deals with analysis of flexural stiffness,
indentation and their energies in three point loading of sandwich
beams with composite faces from Eglass/epoxy and cores from
Polyurethane or PVC. Energy is consumed in three stages of
indentation in laminated beam, indentation of sandwich beam and
bending of sandwich beam. Theory of elasticity is chosen to present
equations for indentation of laminated beam, then these equations
have been corrected to offer better results. An analytical model has
been used assuming an elastic-perfectly plastic compressive behavior
of the foam core. Classical theory of beam is used to describe three
point bending. Finite element (FE) analysis of static indentation
sandwich beams is performed using the FE code ABAQUS. The
foam core is modeled using the crushable foam material model and
response of the foam core is experimentally characterized in uniaxial
compression.
Three point bending and indentation have been done
experimentally in two cases of low velocity and higher velocity
(quasi-impact) of loading. Results can describe response of beam in
terms of core and faces thicknesses, core material, indentor diameter,
energy absorbed, and length of plastic area in the testing. The
experimental results are in good agreement with the analytical and
FE analyses. These results can be used as an introduction for impact
loading and energy absorbing of sandwich structures.
Abstract: Utilization of bagasse ash for silica sources is one of
the most common application for agricultural wastes and valuable
biomass byproducts in sugar milling. The high percentage silica
content from bagasse ash was used as silica source for sodium
silicate solution. Different heating temperature, time and acid
treatment were studies for silica extraction. The silica was
characterized using various techniques including X-ray fluorescence,
X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier
Transform Infrared Spectroscopy method,. The synthesis conditions
were optimized to obtain the bagasse ash with the maximum silica
content. The silica content of 91.57 percent was achieved from
heating of bagasse ash at 600°C for 3 hours under oxygen feeding
and HCl treatment. The result can be used as value added for bagasse
ash utilization and minimize the environmental impact of disposal
problems.
Abstract: Delay-Tolerant Networks (DTNs) are sparse, wireless
networks where disconnections are common due to host mobility and
low node density. The Message Ferrying (MF) scheme is a mobilityassisted
paradigm to improve connectivity in DTN-like networks. A
ferry or message ferry is a special node in the network which has
a per-determined route in the deployed area and relays messages
between mobile hosts (MHs) which are intermittently connected.
Increased contact opportunities among mobile hosts and the ferry
improve the performance of the network, both in terms of message
delivery ratio and average end-end delay. However, due to the inherent
mobility of mobile hosts and pre-determined periodicity of the
message ferry, mobile hosts may often -miss- contact opportunities
with a ferry. In this paper, we propose the combination of stationary
ferry access points (FAPs) with MF routing to increase contact
opportunities between mobile hosts and the MF and consequently
improve the performance of the DTN. We also propose several
placement models for deploying FAPs on MF routes. We evaluate the
performance of the FAP placement models through comprehensive
simulation. Our findings show that FAPs do improve the performance
of MF-assisted DTNs and symmetric placement of FAPs outperforms
other placement strategies.
Abstract: The study of the generated defects on manufactured
parts shows the difficulty to maintain parts in their positions during
the machining process and to estimate them during the pre-process
plan. This work presents a contribution to the development of 3D
models for the optimization of the manufacturing tolerances. An
experimental study allows the measurement of the defects of part
positioning for the determination of ε and the choice of an optimal
setup of the part. An approach of 3D tolerance based on the small
displacements method permits the determination of the
manufacturing errors upstream. A developed tool, allows an
automatic generation of the tolerance intervals along the three axes.
Abstract: Titanium alloys like the modern alloy Ti 6Al 2Sn 4Zr 6Mo (Ti-6246) combine excellent specific mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. On the other hand,due to their material characteristics, machining of these alloys is difficult to perform. The aim of the current study is the analyses of wear mechanisms of coated cemented carbide tools applied in orthogonal cutting experiments of Ti-6246 alloy. Round bars were machined with standard coated tools in dry conditions on a CNC latheusing a wide range of cutting speeds and cutting depths. Tool wear mechanisms were afterwards investigated by means of stereo microscopy, optical microscopy, confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Wear mechanisms included fracture of the tool tip (total failure) and abrasion. Specific wear features like crater wear, micro cracks and built-up edgeformation appeared depending of the mechanical and thermal conditions generated in the workpiece surface by the cutting action.
Abstract: Biological evolution has generated a rich variety of
successful solutions; from nature, optimized strategies can be
inspired. One interesting example is the ant colonies, which are able
to exhibit a collective intelligence, still that their dynamic is simple.
The emergence of different patterns depends on the pheromone trail,
leaved by the foragers. It serves as positive feedback mechanism for
sharing information.
In this paper, we use the dynamic of TASEP as a model of
interaction at a low level of the collective environment in the ant-s
traffic flow. This work consists of modifying the movement rules of
particles “ants" belonging to the TASEP model, so that it adopts with
the natural movement of ants. Therefore, as to respect the constraints
of having no more than one particle per a given site, and in order to
avoid collision within a bidirectional circulation, we suggested two
strategies: decease strategy and waiting strategy. As a third work
stage, this is devoted to the study of these two proposed strategies-
stability. As a final work stage, we applied the first strategy to the
whole environment, in order to get to the emergence of traffic flow,
which is a way of learning.
Abstract: Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a polychlorinated
aromatic compound that is widespread in industrial effluents and is
considered to be a serious pollutant. Among the variety of industrial
effluents encountered, effluents from tanning industry are very
important and have a serious pollution potential. PCP is also formed
unintentionally in effluents of paper and pulp industries. It is highly
persistent in soils and is lethal to a wide variety of beneficial
microorganisms and insects, human beings and animals. The natural
processes that breakdown toxic chemicals in the environment have
become the focus of much attention to develop safe and environmentfriendly
deactivation technologies. Microbes and plants are among
the most important biological agents that remove and degrade waste
materials to enable their recycling in the environment. The present
investigation was carried out with the aim of developing a microbial
system for bioremediation of PCP polluted soils. A number of plant
species were evaluated for their ability to tolerate different
concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the soil. The
experiment was conducted for 30 days under pot culture conditions.
The toxic effect of PCP on plants was studied by monitoring seed
germination, plant growth and biomass. As the concentration of PCP
was increased to 50 ppm, the inhibition of seed germination, plant
growth and biomass was also increased. Although PCP had a
negative effect on all plant species tested, maize and groundnut
showed the maximum tolerance to PCP. Other tolerating crops
included wheat, safflower, sunflower, and soybean. From the
rhizosphere soil of the tolerant seedlings, as many as twenty seven
PCP tolerant bacteria were isolated. From soybean, 8; sunflower, 3;
safflower 8; maize 2; groundnut and wheat, 3 each isolates were
made. They were screened for their PCP degradation potentials.
HPLC analyses of PCP degradation revealed that the isolate MAZ-2
degraded PCP completely. The isolate MAZ-1 was the next best
isolate with 90 per cent PCP degradation. These strains hold promise
to be used in the bioremediation of PCP polluted soils.
Abstract: In this paper we present a new approach to detecting a
flaw in T.O.F.D (Time Of Flight Diffraction) type ultrasonic image
based on texture features. Texture is one of the most important
features used in recognizing patterns in an image. The paper
describes texture features based on 2D Gabor functions, i.e.,
Gaussian shaped band-pass filters, with dyadic treatment of the radial
spatial frequency range and multiple orientations, which represent an
appropriate choice for tasks requiring simultaneous measurement in
both space and frequency domains. The most relevant features are
used as input data on a Fuzzy c-mean clustering classifier. The
classes that exist are only two: 'defects' or 'no defects'. The proposed
approach is tested on the T.O.F.D image achieved at the laboratory
and on the industrial field.
Abstract: For gamma radiation detection, assemblies having
scintillation crystals and a photomultiplier tube, also there is a
preamplifier connected to the detector because the signals from
photomultiplier tube are of small amplitude. After pre-amplification
the signals are sent to the amplifier and then to the multichannel
analyser. The multichannel analyser sorts all incoming electrical
signals according to their amplitudes and sorts the detected photons
in channels covering small energy intervals. The energy range of
each channel depends on the gain settings of the multichannel
analyser and the high voltage across the photomultiplier tube. The
exit spectrum data of the two main isotopes studied ,putting data in
biomass program ,process it by Matlab program to get the solid
holdup image (solid spherical nuclear fuel)
Abstract: In this paper, a parametric experimental study for producing paving blocks using fine and coarse waste glass is presented. Some of the physical and mechanical properties of paving blocks having various levels of fine glass (FG) and coarse glass (CG) replacements with fine aggregate (FA) are investigated. The test results show that the replacement of FG by FA at level of 20% by weight has a significant effect on the compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength and abrasion resistance of the paving blocks as compared with the control sample because of puzzolanic nature of FG. The compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength and abrasion resistance of the paving block samples in the FG replacement level of 20% are 69%, 90%, 47% and 15 % higher as compared with the control sample respectively. It is reported in the earlier works the replacement of FG by FA at level of 20% by weight suppress the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in the concrete. The test results show that the FG at level of 20% has a potential to be used in the production of paving blocks. The beneficial effect on these properties of CG replacement with FA is little as compared with FG.
Abstract: In the paper a detailed analysis of the dynamic
response of a cooling tower shell to mining tremors originated from
two main regions of mining activity in Poland (Upper Silesian Coal
Basin and Legnica-Glogow Copper District) was presented. The
representative time histories registered in the both regions were used
as ground motion data in calculations of the dynamic response of the
structure. It was proved that the dynamic response of the shell is
strongly dependent not only on the level of vibration amplitudes but
on the dominant frequency range of the mining shock typical for the
mining region as well. Also a vertical component of vibrations
occurred to have considerable influence on the total dynamic
response of the shell. Finally, it turned out that non-uniformity of
kinematic excitation resulting from spatial variety of ground motion
plays a significant role in dynamic analysis of large-dimensional
shells under mining shocks.
Abstract: In historical science and social science, the influence
of natural disaster upon society is a matter of great interest. In
recent years, some archives are made through many hands for natural
disasters, however it is inefficiency and waste. So, we suppose a
computer system to create a historical natural disaster archive. As
the target of this analysis, we consider newspaper articles. The news
articles are considered to be typical examples that prescribe the
temporal relations of affairs for natural disaster. In order to do this
analysis, we identify the occurrences in newspaper articles by some
index entries, considering the affairs which are specific to natural
disasters, and show the temporal relation between natural disasters.
We designed and implemented the automatic system of “extraction
of the occurrences of natural disaster" and “temporal relation table
for natural disaster."
Abstract: The PRAF family of proteins is a plant specific family of proteins with distinct domain architecture and various unique sequence/structure traits. We have carried out an extensive search of the Arabidopsis genome using an automated pipeline and manual methods to verify previously known and identify unknown instances of PRAF proteins, characterize their sequence and build 3D structures of their individual domains. Integrating the sequence, structure and whatever little known experimental details for each of these proteins and their domains, we present a comprehensive characterization of the different domains in these proteins and their variant properties.
Abstract: Exposure to radon occurs when breathing airborne
radon while using water: showering, washing dishes, cooking, and
drinking water that contain radon. The results of radon activity
measurements in water from public drinking fountain in city of Novi
Sad, Serbia is presented in this paper. Radon level in some samples
exceeded EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommendation
for maximum contaminant level (MCL) for radon in drinking water
of 11.1 Bq/l.
Abstract: This paper considers the integration of assembly
operations and product structure to Cellular Manufacturing System
(CMS) design so that to correct the drawbacks of previous researches
in the literature. For this purpose, a new mathematical model is
developed which dedicates machining and assembly operations to
manufacturing cells while the objective function is to minimize the
intercellular movements resulting due to both of them. A
linearization method is applied to achieve optimum solution through
solving aforementioned nonlinear model by common programming
language such as Lingo. Then, using different examples and
comparing the results, the importance of integrating assembly
considerations is demonstrated.