Search results for: fully spatial signal processing
5073 Automatic Classification Using Dynamic Fuzzy C Means Algorithm and Mathematical Morphology: Application in 3D MRI Image
Authors: Abdelkhalek Bakkari
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Image segmentation is a critical step in image processing and pattern recognition. In this paper, we proposed a new robust automatic image classification based on a dynamic fuzzy c-means algorithm and mathematical morphology. The proposed segmentation algorithm (DFCM_MM) has been applied to MR perfusion images. The obtained results show the validity and robustness of the proposed approach.Keywords: segmentation, classification, dynamic, fuzzy c-means, MR image
Procedia PDF Downloads 4795072 Modeling Thermal Changes of Urban Blocks in Relation to the Landscape Structure and Configuration in Guilan Province
Authors: Roshanak Afrakhteh, Abdolrasoul Salman Mahini, Mahdi Motagh, Hamidreza Kamyab
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Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) are distinctive urban areas characterized by densely populated central cores surrounded by less densely populated peripheral lands. These areas experience elevated temperatures, primarily due to impermeable surfaces and specific land use patterns. The consequences of these temperature variations are far-reaching, impacting the environment and society negatively, leading to increased energy consumption, air pollution, and public health concerns. This paper emphasizes the need for simplified approaches to comprehend UHI temperature dynamics and explains how urban development patterns contribute to land surface temperature variation. To illustrate this relationship, the study focuses on the Guilan Plain, utilizing techniques like principal component analysis and generalized additive models. The research centered on mapping land use and land surface temperature in the low-lying area of Guilan province. Satellite data from Landsat sensors for three different time periods (2002, 2012, and 2021) were employed. Using eCognition software, a spatial unit known as a "city block" was utilized through object-based analysis. The study also applied the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) method to estimate land surface radiance. Predictive variables for urban land surface temperature within residential city blocks were identified categorized as intrinsic (related to the block's structure) and neighboring (related to adjacent blocks) variables. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to select significant variables, and a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) approach, implemented using R's mgcv package, modeled the relationship between urban land surface temperature and predictor variables.Notable findings included variations in urban temperature across different years attributed to environmental and climatic factors. Block size, shared boundary, mother polygon area, and perimeter-to-area ratio were identified as main variables for the generalized additive regression model. This model showed non-linear relationships, with block size, shared boundary, and mother polygon area positively correlated with temperature, while the perimeter-to-area ratio displayed a negative trend. The discussion highlights the challenges of predicting urban surface temperature and the significance of block size in determining urban temperature patterns. It also underscores the importance of spatial configuration and unit structure in shaping urban temperature patterns. In conclusion, this study contributes to the growing body of research on the connection between land use patterns and urban surface temperature. Block size, along with block dispersion and aggregation, emerged as key factors influencing urban surface temperature in residential areas. The proposed methodology enhances our understanding of parameter significance in shaping urban temperature patterns across various regions, particularly in Iran.Keywords: urban heat island, land surface temperature, LST modeling, GAM, Gilan province
Procedia PDF Downloads 735071 A Framework for Automated Nuclear Waste Classification
Authors: Seonaid Hume, Gordon Dobie, Graeme West
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Detecting and localizing radioactive sources is a necessity for safe and secure decommissioning of nuclear facilities. An important aspect for the management of the sort-and-segregation process is establishing the spatial distributions and quantities of the waste radionuclides, their type, corresponding activity, and ultimately classification for disposal. The data received from surveys directly informs decommissioning plans, on-site incident management strategies, the approach needed for a new cell, as well as protecting the workforce and the public. Manual classification of nuclear waste from a nuclear cell is time-consuming, expensive, and requires significant expertise to make the classification judgment call. Also, in-cell decommissioning is still in its relative infancy, and few techniques are well-developed. As with any repetitive and routine tasks, there is the opportunity to improve the task of classifying nuclear waste using autonomous systems. Hence, this paper proposes a new framework for the automatic classification of nuclear waste. This framework consists of five main stages; 3D spatial mapping and object detection, object classification, radiological mapping, source localisation based on gathered evidence and finally, waste classification. The first stage of the framework, 3D visual mapping, involves object detection from point cloud data. A review of related applications in other industries is provided, and recommendations for approaches for waste classification are made. Object detection focusses initially on cylindrical objects since pipework is significant in nuclear cells and indeed any industrial site. The approach can be extended to other commonly occurring primitives such as spheres and cubes. This is in preparation of stage two, characterizing the point cloud data and estimating the dimensions, material, degradation, and mass of the objects detected in order to feature match them to an inventory of possible items found in that nuclear cell. Many items in nuclear cells are one-offs, have limited or poor drawings available, or have been modified since installation, and have complex interiors, which often and inadvertently pose difficulties when accessing certain zones and identifying waste remotely. Hence, this may require expert input to feature match objects. The third stage, radiological mapping, is similar in order to facilitate the characterization of the nuclear cell in terms of radiation fields, including the type of radiation, activity, and location within the nuclear cell. The fourth stage of the framework takes the visual map for stage 1, the object characterization from stage 2, and radiation map from stage 3 and fuses them together, providing a more detailed scene of the nuclear cell by identifying the location of radioactive materials in three dimensions. The last stage involves combining the evidence from the fused data sets to reveal the classification of the waste in Bq/kg, thus enabling better decision making and monitoring for in-cell decommissioning. The presentation of the framework is supported by representative case study data drawn from an application in decommissioning from a UK nuclear facility. This framework utilises recent advancements of the detection and mapping capabilities of complex radiation fields in three dimensions to make the process of classifying nuclear waste faster, more reliable, cost-effective and safer.Keywords: nuclear decommissioning, radiation detection, object detection, waste classification
Procedia PDF Downloads 2005070 Detect Circles in Image: Using Statistical Image Analysis
Authors: Fathi M. O. Hamed, Salma F. Elkofhaifee
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The aim of this work is to detect geometrical shape objects in an image. In this paper, the object is considered to be as a circle shape. The identification requires find three characteristics, which are number, size, and location of the object. To achieve the goal of this work, this paper presents an algorithm that combines from some of statistical approaches and image analysis techniques. This algorithm has been implemented to arrive at the major objectives in this paper. The algorithm has been evaluated by using simulated data, and yields good results, and then it has been applied to real data.Keywords: image processing, median filter, projection, scale-space, segmentation, threshold
Procedia PDF Downloads 4325069 Human Rights Violation in Modern Society
Authors: Shenouda Salib Hosni Rofail
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The interface between development and human rights has long been the subject of scholarly debate. As a result, a set of principles ranging from the right to development to a human rights-based approach to development has been adopted to understand the dynamics between the two concepts. Despite these attempts, the exact link between development and human rights is not yet fully understood. However, the inevitable interdependence between the two concepts and the idea that development efforts must be made while respecting human rights have gained prominence in recent years. On the other hand, the emergence of sustainable development as a widely accepted approach to development goals and policies further complicates this unresolved convergence. The place of sustainable development in the human rights discourse and its role in ensuring the sustainability of development programs require systematic research. The aim of this article is, therefore, to examine the relationship between development and human rights, with a particular focus on the place of the principles of sustainable development in international human rights law. It will continue to examine whether it recognizes the right to sustainable development. Thus, the Article states that the principles of sustainable development are recognized directly or implicitly in various human rights instruments, which is an affirmative answer to the question posed above. Accordingly, this document scrutinizes international and regional human rights instruments, as well as the case law and interpretations of human rights bodies, to support this hypothesis.Keywords: sustainable development, human rights, the right to development, the human rights-based approach to development, environmental rights, economic development, social sustainability human rights protection, human rights violations, workers’ rights, justice, security.
Procedia PDF Downloads 515068 Dynamics of a Reaction-Diffusion Problems Modeling Two Predators Competing for a Prey
Authors: Owolabi Kolade Matthew
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In this work, we investigate both the analytical and numerical studies of the dynamical model comprising of three species system. We analyze the linear stability of stationary solutions in the one-dimensional multi-system modeling the interactions of two predators and one prey species. The stability analysis has a lot of implications for understanding the various spatiotemporal and chaotic behaviors of the species in the spatial domain. The analysis results presented have established the possibility of the three interacting species to coexist harmoniously, this feat is achieved by combining the local and global analyzes to determine the global dynamics of the system. In the presence of diffusion, a viable exponential time differencing method is applied to multi-species nonlinear time-dependent partial differential equation to address the points and queries that may naturally arise. The scheme is described in detail, and justified by a number of computational experiments.Keywords: asymptotically stable, coexistence, exponential time differencing method, global and local stability, predator-prey model, nonlinear, reaction-diffusion system
Procedia PDF Downloads 4125067 Identification of Soft Faults in Branched Wire Networks by Distributed Reflectometry and Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Soumaya Sallem, Marc Olivas
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This contribution presents a method for detecting, locating, and characterizing soft faults in a complex wired network. The proposed method is based on multi-carrier reflectometry MCTDR (Multi-Carrier Time Domain Reflectometry) combined with a multi-objective genetic algorithm. In order to ensure complete network coverage and eliminate diagnosis ambiguities, the MCTDR test signal is injected at several points on the network, and the data is merged between different reflectometers (sensors) distributed on the network. An adapted multi-objective genetic algorithm is used to merge data in order to obtain more accurate faults location and characterization. The proposed method performances are evaluated from numerical and experimental results.Keywords: wired network, reflectometry, network distributed diagnosis, multi-objective genetic algorithm
Procedia PDF Downloads 1955066 Real-Time Image Encryption Using a 3D Discrete Dual Chaotic Cipher
Authors: M. F. Haroun, T. A. Gulliver
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In this paper, an encryption algorithm is proposed for real-time image encryption. The scheme employs a dual chaotic generator based on a three dimensional (3D) discrete Lorenz attractor. Encryption is achieved using non-autonomous modulation where the data is injected into the dynamics of the master chaotic generator. The second generator is used to permute the dynamics of the master generator using the same approach. Since the data stream can be regarded as a random source, the resulting permutations of the generator dynamics greatly increase the security of the transmitted signal. In addition, a technique is proposed to mitigate the error propagation due to the finite precision arithmetic of digital hardware. In particular, truncation and rounding errors are eliminated by employing an integer representation of the data which can easily be implemented. The simple hardware architecture of the algorithm makes it suitable for secure real-time applications.Keywords: chaotic systems, image encryption, non-autonomous modulation, FPGA
Procedia PDF Downloads 5065065 The Impact of the Saudi New E-Commerce Law on Protecting E-Commerce Investments in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Faris Algarni
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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia adopted a new law of e-commerce on July 10, 2019, which is the first Saudi law regarding e-commerce. The practice of e-commerce has been started in Saudi Arabia a few years ago with no specific rules to govern e-commerce in the Kingdom. The adoption of the law raises the concern of the ability of the law to provide real protection to both the investors and the customers. Based on that, this article seeks to respond to some questions related to the protection of investors of e-commerce in Saudi Arabia, using a quantitative method through questionnaires to gather primary data. The study tried to find the impact of adopting a new Saudi law of e-commerce on the protection of the investors from the point of view of those investors. By answering this main question, this article provides an answer to the question of whether there is a need to reform the Saudi law of e-commerce to convince existing and potential foreign investors to invest in the Kingdom through e-commerce. Questions were put to the respondents to determine their level of satisfaction with the Saudi law of e-commerce and what reforms to that system would enhance the attractiveness of the Kingdom as an investment environment for e-commerce investors, based on the information gathered and the analysis of them. A key finding is that the law of e-commerce is a core factor in the decision of investors to continue investing in the e-commerce market in Saudi Arabia. A subsequent finding is that some of the respondents are not fully satisfied with the new law and think that the law provides more protection to the customers than the investors. So, they are suggesting some legal reforms to be implemented in the bylaw of e-commerce, which is not adopted yet in order to attract them to continue investing in the Kingdom.Keywords: e-commerce, law, investors, protection, Saudi Arabia
Procedia PDF Downloads 1295064 Using Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) for Extracting Acoustic Microwaves (Bulk Acoustic Waves) in Piezoelectric Material
Authors: Hafdaoui Hichem, Mehadjebia Cherifa, Benatia Djamel
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In this paper, we propose a new method for Bulk detection of an acoustic microwave signal during the propagation of acoustic microwaves in a piezoelectric substrate (Lithium Niobate LiNbO3). We have used the classification by probabilistic neural network (PNN) as a means of numerical analysis in which we classify all the values of the real part and the imaginary part of the coefficient attenuation with the acoustic velocity in order to build a model from which we note the Bulk waves easily. These singularities inform us of presence of Bulk waves in piezoelectric materials. By which we obtain accurate values for each of the coefficient attenuation and acoustic velocity for Bulk waves. This study will be very interesting in modeling and realization of acoustic microwaves devices (ultrasound) based on the propagation of acoustic microwaves.Keywords: piezoelectric material, probabilistic neural network (PNN), classification, acoustic microwaves, bulk waves, the attenuation coefficient
Procedia PDF Downloads 4325063 Bipolar Impulse Noise Removal and Edge Preservation in Color Images and Video Using Improved Kuwahara Filter
Authors: Reji Thankachan, Varsha PS
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Both image capturing devices and human visual systems are nonlinear. Hence nonlinear filtering methods outperforms its linear counterpart in many applications. Linear methods are unable to remove impulsive noise in images by preserving its edges and fine details. In addition, linear algorithms are unable to remove signal dependent or multiplicative noise in images. This paper presents an approach to denoise and smoothen the Bipolar impulse noised images and videos using improved Kuwahara filter. It involves a 2 stage algorithm which includes a noise detection followed by filtering. Numerous simulation demonstrate that proposed method outperforms the existing method by eliminating the painting like flattening effect along the local feature direction while preserving edge with improvement in PSNR and MSE.Keywords: bipolar impulse noise, Kuwahara, PSNR MSE, PDF
Procedia PDF Downloads 4985062 A Novel Search Pattern for Motion Estimation in High Efficiency Video Coding
Authors: Phong Nguyen, Phap Nguyen, Thang Nguyen
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High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) or H.265 Standard fulfills the demand of high resolution video storage and transmission since it achieves high compression ratio. However, it requires a huge amount of calculation. Since Motion Estimation (ME) block composes about 80 % of calculation load of HEVC, there are a lot of researches to reduce the computation cost. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to lower the number of Motion Estimation’s searching points. The number of computing points in search pattern is down from 77 for Diamond Pattern and 81 for Square Pattern to only 31. Meanwhile, the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and bit rate are almost equal to those of conventional patterns. The motion estimation time of new algorithm reduces by at 68.23%, 65.83%compared to the recommended search pattern of diamond pattern, square pattern, respectively.Keywords: motion estimation, wide diamond, search pattern, H.265, test zone search, HM software
Procedia PDF Downloads 6125061 Estimating Algae Concentration Based on Deep Learning from Satellite Observation in Korea
Authors: Heewon Jeong, Seongpyo Kim, Joon Ha Kim
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Over the last few tens of years, the coastal regions of Korea have experienced red tide algal blooms, which are harmful and toxic to both humans and marine organisms due to their potential threat. It was accelerated owing to eutrophication by human activities, certain oceanic processes, and climate change. Previous studies have tried to monitoring and predicting the algae concentration of the ocean with the bio-optical algorithms applied to color images of the satellite. However, the accurate estimation of algal blooms remains problems to challenges because of the complexity of coastal waters. Therefore, this study suggests a new method to identify the concentration of red tide algal bloom from images of geostationary ocean color imager (GOCI) which are representing the water environment of the sea in Korea. The method employed GOCI images, which took the water leaving radiances centered at 443nm, 490nm and 660nm respectively, as well as observed weather data (i.e., humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure) for the database to apply optical characteristics of algae and train deep learning algorithm. Convolution neural network (CNN) was used to extract the significant features from the images. And then artificial neural network (ANN) was used to estimate the concentration of algae from the extracted features. For training of the deep learning model, backpropagation learning strategy is developed. The established methods were tested and compared with the performances of GOCI data processing system (GDPS), which is based on standard image processing algorithms and optical algorithms. The model had better performance to estimate algae concentration than the GDPS which is impossible to estimate greater than 5mg/m³. Thus, deep learning model trained successfully to assess algae concentration in spite of the complexity of water environment. Furthermore, the results of this system and methodology can be used to improve the performances of remote sensing. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the 'Climate Technology Development and Application' research project (#K07731) through a grant provided by GIST in 2017.Keywords: deep learning, algae concentration, remote sensing, satellite
Procedia PDF Downloads 1835060 Determining the Number of Words Required to Fulfil the Writing Task in an English Proficiency Exam with the Raters’ Scores
Authors: Defne Akinci Midas
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The aim of this study was to determine the minimum, and maximum number of words that would be sufficient to fulfill the writing task in the local English Proficiency Exam (EPE) produced and administered at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. The relationship between the number of words and the scores of the written products that had been awarded by two raters in three online EPEs administered in 2020 was examined. The means, standard deviations, percentages, range, minimum and maximum scores as well as correlations of the scores awarded to written products with the words that amount to 0-50, 51-100, 101-150, 151-200, 201-250, 251-300, and so on were computed. The results showed that the raters did not award a full score to texts that had fewer than 100 words. Moreover, the texts that had around 200 words were awarded the highest scores. The highest number of words that earned the highest scores was about 225, and from then onwards, the scores were either stable or lower. A positive low to moderate correlation was found between the number of words and scores awarded to the texts. We understand that the idea of ‘the longer, the better’ did not apply here. The results also showed that words between 101 to about 225 were sufficient to fulfill the writing task to fully display writing skills and language ability in the specific case of this exam.Keywords: English proficiency exam, number of words, scoring, writing task
Procedia PDF Downloads 1755059 End-to-End Performance of MPPM in Multihop MIMO-FSO System Over Dependent GG Atmospheric Turbulence Channels
Authors: Hechmi Saidi, Noureddine Hamdi
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The performance of decode and forward (DF) multihop free space optical (FSO) scheme deploying multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration under gamma-gamma (GG) statistical distribution, that adopts M-ary pulse position modulation (MPPM) coding, is investigated. We have extracted exact and estimated values of symbol-error rates (SERs) respectively. The probability density function (PDF)’s closed-form formula is expressed for our designed system. Thanks to the use of DF multihop MIMO FSO configuration and MPPM signaling, atmospheric turbulence is combatted; hence the transmitted signal quality is improved.Keywords: free space optical, gamma gamma channel, radio frequency, decode and forward, multiple-input multiple-output, M-ary pulse position modulation, symbol error rate
Procedia PDF Downloads 2505058 Self-Supervised Pretraining on Sequences of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data for Transfer Learning to Brain Decoding Tasks
Authors: Sean Paulsen, Michael Casey
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In this work we present a self-supervised pretraining framework for transformers on functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. First, we pretrain our architecture on two self-supervised tasks simultaneously to teach the model a general understanding of the temporal and spatial dynamics of human auditory cortex during music listening. Our pretraining results are the first to suggest a synergistic effect of multitask training on fMRI data. Second, we finetune the pretrained models and train additional fresh models on a supervised fMRI classification task. We observe significantly improved accuracy on held-out runs with the finetuned models, which demonstrates the ability of our pretraining tasks to facilitate transfer learning. This work contributes to the growing body of literature on transformer architectures for pretraining and transfer learning with fMRI data, and serves as a proof of concept for our pretraining tasks and multitask pretraining on fMRI data.Keywords: transfer learning, fMRI, self-supervised, brain decoding, transformer, multitask training
Procedia PDF Downloads 905057 Task Based Functional Connectivity within Reward Network in Food Image Viewing Paradigm Using Functional MRI
Authors: Preetham Shankapal, Jill King, Kori Murray, Corby Martin, Paula Giselman, Jason Hicks, Owen Carmicheal
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Activation of reward and satiety networks in the brain while processing palatable food cues, as well as functional connectivity during rest has been studied using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain in various obesity phenotypes. However, functional connectivity within the reward and satiety network during food cue processing is understudied. 14 obese individuals underwent two fMRI scans during viewing of Macronutrient Picture System images. Each scan included two blocks of images of High Sugar/High Fat (HSHF), High Carbohydrate/High Fat (HCHF), Low Sugar/Low Fat (LSLF) and also non-food images. Seed voxels within seven food reward relevant ROIs: Insula, putamen and cingulate, precentral, parahippocampal, medial frontal and superior temporal gyri were isolated based on a prior meta-analysis. Beta series correlation for task-related functional connectivity between these seed voxels and the rest of the brain was computed. Voxel-level differences in functional connectivity were calculated between: first and the second scan; individuals who saw novel (N=7) vs. Repeated (N=7) images in the second scan; and between the HC/HF, HSHF blocks vs LSLF and non-food blocks. Computations and analysis showed that during food image viewing, reward network ROIs showed significant functional connectivity with each other and with other regions responsible for attentional and motor control, including inferior parietal lobe and precentral gyrus. These functional connectivity values were heightened among individuals who viewed novel HS/HF images in the second scan. In the second scan session, functional connectivity was reduced within the reward network but increased within attention, memory and recognition regions, suggesting habituation to reward properties and increased recollection of previously viewed images. In conclusion it can be inferred that Functional Connectivity within reward network and between reward and other brain regions, varies by important experimental conditions during food photography viewing, including habituation to shown foods.Keywords: fMRI, functional connectivity, task-based, beta series correlation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2705056 Exploring the 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction between Nitrilimine and 6-Methyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2h)-one through MEDT and Molecular Docking Analysis
Authors: Zineb Ouahdi
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Spirocyclic compound derivatives, with their unique heterocyclic motifs, serve as a continual source of inspiration in the pursuit of developing potential therapeutic agents. These compounds are diverse in their chemical structures; some have fully saturated skeletons, while others are partially unsaturated. Nevertheless, these compounds share a characteristic feature with natural products - the presence of at least one heteroatom in one of their rings. The inclusion of a C = O dipolarophile in pyridazinones imparts an exciting aspect for 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, the focal point of our study. Our research has involved a detailed theoretical investigation of the reaction between ethyl (Z)-2-bromo-2-(2-(p-tolyl)hydrazono)acetate and 6-methyl-4,5-dihydropyridazine-3(2H)-one. This has been accomplished using the DFT/B3LYP/6-31g(d,p) method, intending to illuminate the chemical pathway of this reaction. The chemical reactivity theories we used for this purpose included FMO, TS, and local and global indices derived from conceptual DFT. The theoretical framework outlined in this study allowed us to propose a reaction mechanism for cycloaddition reactions. It also enabled the identification of the potential activities of the analyzed compounds (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6) against the major protease of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This was achieved using various computational tools, including AutoDock Tools, Autodock Vina, Autodock 4, and PYRX.Keywords: MEDT, pyridazin, cycloaddition, FMO, DFT, docking
Procedia PDF Downloads 1025055 Non-Local Simultaneous Sparse Unmixing for Hyperspectral Data
Authors: Fanqiang Kong, Chending Bian
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Sparse unmixing is a promising approach in a semisupervised fashion by assuming that the observed pixels of a hyperspectral image can be expressed in the form of linear combination of only a few pure spectral signatures (end members) in an available spectral library. However, the sparse unmixing problem still remains a great challenge at finding the optimal subset of endmembers for the observed data from a large standard spectral library, without considering the spatial information. Under such circumstances, a sparse unmixing algorithm termed as non-local simultaneous sparse unmixing (NLSSU) is presented. In NLSSU, the non-local simultaneous sparse representation method for endmember selection of sparse unmixing, is used to finding the optimal subset of endmembers for the similar image patch set in the hyperspectral image. And then, the non-local means method, as a regularizer for abundance estimation of sparse unmixing, is used to exploit the abundance image non-local self-similarity. Experimental results on both simulated and real data demonstrate that NLSSU outperforms the other algorithms, with a better spectral unmixing accuracy.Keywords: hyperspectral unmixing, simultaneous sparse representation, sparse regression, non-local means
Procedia PDF Downloads 2465054 Simulation of 1D Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Argon Mixtures
Authors: Lucas Wilman Crispim, Patrícia Hallack, Maikel Ballester
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This work aims at modeling electric discharges in gas mixtures. The mathematical model mimics the ignition process in a commercial spark-plug when a high voltage is applied to the plug terminals. A longitudinal unidimensional Cartesian domain is chosen for the simulation region. Energy and mass transfer are considered for a macroscopic fluid representation, while energy transfer in molecular collisions and chemical reactions are contemplated at microscopic level. The macroscopic model is represented by a set of uncoupled partial differential equations. Microscopic effects are studied within a discrete model for electronic and molecular collisions in the frame of ZDPlasKin, a plasma modeling numerical tool. The BOLSIG+ solver is employed in solving the electronic Boltzmann equation. An operator splitting technique is used to separate microscopic and macroscopic models. The simulation gas is a mixture of atomic Argon neutral, excited and ionized. Spatial and temporal evolution of such species and temperature are presented and discussed.Keywords: CFD, electronic discharge, ignition, spark plug
Procedia PDF Downloads 1625053 Comparison the Energy Consumption with Sustainability in Campus: Case Study of Four American Universities
Authors: Bifeng Zhu, Zhekai Wang, Chaoyang Sun, Bart Dewancker
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Under the tide of promoting sustainable development in the world, American universities that have been committed to sustainable practice and innovation, not only have its sustainable campus construction been in the forefront of the world, but also have developed STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System), which is widely used in the world and highly recognized. At the same time, in the process of global sustainable campus construction, energy problem is often regarded as one of the most important sustainable aspects, even equivalent to the sustainability of campus. Therefore, the relationship between campus energy and sustainability is worth discussing. In this study, four American universities with the highest level evaluated by STARS are selected as examples to compare and analyze the campus energy consumption and the use of new energy, GHG emissions and the overall sustainability of the campus, in order to explore the relationship between campus energy and sustainable construction. It is found that the advantages of sustainable campus construction in the United States are mainly focused on the "software" of management, education, activities, etc. Although different energy-saving measures have been taken in campus energy, the construction results are quite different. Moreover, as an important aspect of sustainable campus, energy can not fully represent the sustainability of campus, but because of the various measures it takes, it can greatly promote the sustainable construction of the whole campus. These measures and construction experiences are worthy of summary and promotion, and have positive reference significance for other universities even communities around the world.Keywords: sustainable campus, energy consumption, STARS assessment, GHG emissions
Procedia PDF Downloads 2755052 An ANN Approach for Detection and Localization of Fatigue Damage in Aircraft Structures
Authors: Reza Rezaeipour Honarmandzad
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In this paper we propose an ANN for detection and localization of fatigue damage in aircraft structures. We used network of piezoelectric transducers for Lamb-wave measurements in order to calculate damage indices. Data gathered by the sensors was given to neural network classifier. A set of neural network electors of different architecture cooperates to achieve consensus concerning the state of each monitored path. Sensed signal variations in the ROI, detected by the networks at each path, were used to assess the state of the structure as well as to localize detected damage and to filter out ambient changes. The classifier has been extensively tested on large data sets acquired in the tests of specimens with artificially introduced notches as well as the results of numerous fatigue experiments. Effect of the classifier structure and test data used for training on the results was evaluated.Keywords: ANN, fatigue damage, aircraft structures, piezoelectric transducers, lamb-wave measurements
Procedia PDF Downloads 4175051 Correlation between Defect Suppression and Biosensing Capability of Hydrothermally Grown ZnO Nanorods
Authors: Mayoorika Shukla, Pramila Jakhar, Tejendra Dixit, I. A. Palani, Vipul Singh
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Biosensors are analytical devices with wide range of applications in biological, chemical, environmental and clinical analysis. It comprises of bio-recognition layer which has biomolecules (enzymes, antibodies, DNA, etc.) immobilized over it for detection of analyte and transducer which converts the biological signal into the electrical signal. The performance of biosensor primarily the depends on the bio-recognition layer and therefore it has to be chosen wisely. In this regard, nanostructures of metal oxides such as ZnO, SnO2, V2O5, and TiO2, etc. have been explored extensively as bio-recognition layer. Recently, ZnO has the attracted attention of researchers due to its unique properties like high iso-electric point, biocompatibility, stability, high electron mobility and high electron binding energy, etc. Although there have been many reports on usage of ZnO as bio-recognition layer but to the authors’ knowledge, none has ever observed correlation between optical properties like defect suppression and biosensing capability of the sensor. Here, ZnO nanorods (ZNR) have been synthesized by a low cost, simple and low-temperature hydrothermal growth process, over Platinum (Pt) coated glass substrate. The ZNR have been synthesized in two steps viz. initially a seed layer was coated over substrate (Pt coated glass) followed by immersion of it into nutrient solution of Zinc nitrate and Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) with in situ addition of KMnO4. The addition of KMnO4 was observed to have a profound effect over the growth rate anisotropy of ZnO nanostructures. Clustered and powdery growth of ZnO was observed without addition of KMnO4, although by addition of it during the growth, uniform and crystalline ZNR were found to be grown over the substrate. Moreover, the same has resulted in suppression of defects as observed by Normalized Photoluminescence (PL) spectra since KMnO4 is a strong oxidizing agent which provides an oxygen rich growth environment. Further, to explore the correlation between defect suppression and biosensing capability of the ZNR Glucose oxidase (Gox) was immobilized over it, using physical adsorption technique followed by drop casting of nafion. Here the main objective of the work was to analyze effect of defect suppression over biosensing capability, and therefore Gox has been chosen as model enzyme, and electrochemical amperometric glucose detection was performed. The incorporation of KMnO4 during growth has resulted in variation of optical and charge transfer properties of ZNR which in turn were observed to have deep impact on biosensor figure of merits. The sensitivity of biosensor was found to increase by 12-18 times, due to variations introduced by addition of KMnO4 during growth. The amperometric detection of glucose in continuously stirred buffer solution was performed. Interestingly, defect suppression has been observed to contribute towards the improvement of biosensor performance. The detailed mechanism of growth of ZNR along with the overall influence of defect suppression on the sensing capabilities of the resulting enzymatic electrochemical biosensor and different figure of merits of the biosensor (Glass/Pt/ZNR/Gox/Nafion) will be discussed during the conference.Keywords: biosensors, defects, KMnO4, ZnO nanorods
Procedia PDF Downloads 2825050 Productivity Improvement in the Propeller Shaft Manufacturing Process
Authors: Won Jung
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In automotive, propeller shaft is the device for transferring power from engine to axle via transmission, and the slip yoke is one of the main parts in the component. Since the propeller shafts are subject to torsion and shear stress, they need to be strong enough to bear the stress. The purpose of this research is to improve the productivity of slip yoke for automotive propeller shaft. We present how to redesign the component that currently manufactured as a forged single body type. The research was focused on not only reducing processing time but insuring durability of the component simultaneously.Keywords: automotive, propeller shaft, productivity, durability, slip yoke
Procedia PDF Downloads 3795049 Role of Internal and External Factors in Preventing Risky Sexual Behavior, Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Authors: Veronika Sharok
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Research relevance on psychological determinants of risky behaviors is caused by high prevalence of such behaviors, particularly among youth. Risky sexual behavior, including unprotected and casual sex, frequent change of sexual partners, drug and alcohol use lead to negative social consequences and contribute to the spread of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Data were obtained from 302 respondents aged 15-35 which were divided into 3 empirical groups: persons prone to risky sexual behavior, drug users and alcohol users; and 3 control groups: the individuals who are not prone to risky sexual behavior, persons who do not use drugs and the respondents who do not use alcohol. For processing, we used the following methods: Qualitative method for nominative data (Chi-squared test) and quantitative methods for metric data (student's t-test, Fisher's F-test, Pearson's r correlation test). Statistical processing was performed using Statistica 6.0 software. The study identifies two groups of factors that prevent risky behaviors. Internal factors, which include the moral and value attitudes; significance of existential values: love, life, self-actualization and search for the meaning of life; understanding independence as a responsibility for the freedom and ability to get attached to someone or something up to a point when this relationship starts restricting the freedom and becomes vital; awareness of risky behaviors as dangerous for the person and for others; self-acknowledgement. External factors (prevent risky behaviors in case of absence of the internal ones): absence of risky behaviors among friends and relatives; socio-demographic characteristics (middle class, marital status); awareness about the negative consequences of risky behaviors; inaccessibility to psychoactive substances. These factors are common for proneness to each type of risky behavior, because it usually caused by the same reasons. It should be noted that if prevention of risky behavior is based only on elimination of external factors, it is not as effective as it may be if we pay more attention to internal factors. The results obtained in the study can be used to develop training programs and activities for prevention of risky behaviors, for using values preventing such behaviors and promoting healthy lifestyle.Keywords: existential values, prevention, psychological features, risky behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 2565048 Recognition of Noisy Words Using the Time Delay Neural Networks Approach
Authors: Khenfer-Koummich Fatima, Mesbahi Larbi, Hendel Fatiha
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This paper presents a recognition system for isolated words like robot commands. It’s carried out by Time Delay Neural Networks; TDNN. To teleoperate a robot for specific tasks as turn, close, etc… In industrial environment and taking into account the noise coming from the machine. The choice of TDNN is based on its generalization in terms of accuracy, in more it acts as a filter that allows the passage of certain desirable frequency characteristics of speech; the goal is to determine the parameters of this filter for making an adaptable system to the variability of speech signal and to noise especially, for this the back propagation technique was used in learning phase. The approach was applied on commands pronounced in two languages separately: The French and Arabic. The results for two test bases of 300 spoken words for each one are 87%, 97.6% in neutral environment and 77.67%, 92.67% when the white Gaussian noisy was added with a SNR of 35 dB.Keywords: TDNN, neural networks, noise, speech recognition
Procedia PDF Downloads 2895047 Role of Social Capital on Consumer Attitudes, Peer Influence and Behavioral Intentions: A Social Media Perspective
Authors: Qazi Mohammed Ahmed, Osman Sadiq Paracha, Iftikhar Hussain
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The study aims to explore the unaddressed relationship between social capital and consumers’ underlying behavioral intentions. The study postulates that this association is mediated by the role of attitudes and peer influence. The research attains evidence from a usable sample of 673 responses. The majority consists of the young and energetic social media users of Pakistan that utilize virtual communities as a way of life. A variance based structural equation modeling has been applied through SmartPLS 3. The results reveal that social capital exerts a statistically supportive association with both attitudes and peer influence. Contrastingly, this predictor variable shows an insignificant linkage with behavioral intentions but this relationship is fully mediated by consumer attitudes and peer influence. The paper enhances marketing literature with respect to an unexplored society of Pakistan. It also provides a lens for the contemporary advertisers, in terms of supporting their social media campaigns with affiliative and cohesive elements. The study also identifies a series of predictor variables that could further be tested with attitudes, subjective norms and behavioral responses.Keywords: social capital, consumer attitudes, peer influence, behavioral intentions
Procedia PDF Downloads 1355046 Cepstrum Analysis of Human Walking Signal
Authors: Koichi Kurita
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In this study, we propose a real-time data collection technique for the detection of human walking motion from the charge generated on the human body. This technique is based on the detection of a sub-picoampere electrostatic induction current, generated by the motion, flowing through the electrode of a wireless portable sensor attached to the subject. An FFT analysis of the wave-forms of the electrostatic induction currents generated by the walking motions showed that the currents generated under normal and restricted walking conditions were different. Moreover, we carried out a cepstrum analysis to detect any differences in the walking style. Results suggest that a slight difference in motion, either due to the individual’s gait or a splinted leg, is directly reflected in the electrostatic induction current generated by the walking motion. The proposed wireless portable sensor enables the detection of even subtle differences in walking motion.Keywords: human walking motion, motion measurement, current measurement, electrostatic induction
Procedia PDF Downloads 3445045 A Review of Machine Learning for Big Data
Authors: Devatha Kalyan Kumar, Aravindraj D., Sadathulla A.
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Big data are now rapidly expanding in all engineering and science and many other domains. The potential of large or massive data is undoubtedly significant, make sense to require new ways of thinking and learning techniques to address the various big data challenges. Machine learning is continuously unleashing its power in a wide range of applications. In this paper, the latest advances and advancements in the researches on machine learning for big data processing. First, the machine learning techniques methods in recent studies, such as deep learning, representation learning, transfer learning, active learning and distributed and parallel learning. Then focus on the challenges and possible solutions of machine learning for big data.Keywords: active learning, big data, deep learning, machine learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 4465044 Optimising Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation
Authors: Robert Lenzie
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Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is significant in the research literature. However, the effects of tES on brain activity are still poorly understood at the surface level, the Brodmann Area level, and the impact on neural networks. Using a method like electroencephalography (EEG) in conjunction with tES might make it possible to comprehend the brain response and mechanisms behind published observed alterations in more depth. Using a method to directly see the effect of tES on EEG may offer high temporal resolution data on the brain activity changes/modulations brought on by tES that correlate to various processing stages within the brain. This paper provides unpublished information on a cutting-edge methodology that may reveal details about the dynamics of how the human brain works beyond what is now achievable with existing methods.Keywords: tACS, frequency, EEG, optimal
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