High spectral quality pansharpening approach based on MTF-matched filter banks

Pansharpening consists in merging a low-resolution multispectral image (MS) with a high spatial resolution panchromatic image (PAN) to produce a high resolution pansharpened MS image. It consists in enhancing spatially the low-resolution MS image by injecting the missing details provided by the high-resolution PAN image. In this paper, we propose a novel pansharpening approach based on decomposition/reconstruction processing using low-pass and high-pass filter banks. On the one hand, the low-pass approximation (taking into account the imaging system modulation transfer function MTF) of the pansharpened MS image is assumed to be equal to the original MS image in order to preserve the spectral quality. On the other hand, the high-pass filter allowing us to extract the high-frequency PAN details is designed as complementary filter to the low-pass one in order to provide perfect reconstruction in the ideal case. Quantitative assessment performed on reduced and full-resolution images are used to validate the proposed technique and compare it to state-of-art. Experimental results using Pléaides and GeoEye-1 data show that our proposed fusion schema outperforms the pre-existing methods visually as well as quantitatively.     

Analysis of search stratagem utilisation

Scientometrics - In interactive information retrieval, researchers consider the user behaviour towards systems and search tasks in order to adapt search results and to improve the search experience...     

Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric characterisation of triterpene alcohols and monomethylsterols in developing Olea europaea L. fruits

Five triterpene alcohols and four 4-monomethylsterols were identified by GC–MS during the ripening of Picholine olive. The quantitative characterisation of these compounds was performed using GC–FID. The results showed that the maximum level of total triterpene alcohols (263.68 mg/100 g oil) was reached at 26th week after the flowering date (WAF) of olive; whilst the highest level of total 4-monomethylsterols (234 mg/100 g oil) was attained at 24th WAF of fruit. The percentage of these two classes represented 20–33% of total phytosterols during olive maturity. 24-Methylene cycloartenol (12–207 mg/100 g oil) and cycloartenol (27–198 mg/100 g oil) were the predominant triterpene alcohols during the ripening of Picholine olive; whereas citrostadienol (30–161 mg/100 g oil) and cycloeucalenol (11–74 mg/100 g oil) were the main 4-monomethylsterol compounds followed by obtusifoliol and gramisterol. β-Amyrin, δ-amyrin and traroxerol were less present in Picholine olive and they accounted for 14% of total triterpene alcohols at complete maturity of fruit. The level of these methylsterols was overwhelmed by the amount of 4-desmethylsterols at each stage of Picholine olive maturity.     

Scheduling problems under learning effects: classification and cartography

Traditionally, the processing times of jobs are assumed to be fixed and known throughout the entire process. However, recent empirical research in several industries has demonstrated that processing times decline as workers improve their skills and gain experience after doing the same task for a long time. This phenomenon is known as learning effects. Recently, several researchers have devoted a lot of effort on scheduling problems under learning effects. Although there is increase in the number of research in this topic, there are few review papers. The most recent one considers solely studies on scheduling problems with learning effects models prior to early 2007. For that, this paper focuses on reviewing the most recent advances in this field. First, we attempt to present a concise overview of some important learning models. Second, a new classification scheme for the different model of scheduling under learning effects is proposed and discussed. Next, a cartography showing the relation between some well-known models is proposed. Finally, our viewpoints and several areas for future research are provided.     

Structural Magnetic and Electrical Properties in Nd-Doped Manganites (La0.70−x Nd x )Sr0.30Mn0.70Ti0.30O3 with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30

The structural, magnetic and electrical properties of (La_0.70?xNd_x)Sr_0.30Mn_0.70Ti_0.30 O ₃ perovskites (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30) prepared by the usual ceramic procedure were investigated. Structural Rietveld refinements of the X-ray powder diffraction revealed that for x = 0 the compound crystallizes in a rhombohedral (R \(\bar {{3}}\) c) perovskite structure, while for x = 0.10, 0.20 and 0.30 the structure becomes orthorhombic (Pbnm). The field-cooled, zero-field-cooled and M(H) measurements lead to conclude that the samples with x≥0.10 behave like spin-glass systems. The temperature dependence of the resistivity exhibits two transitions at two temperatures T _p1 and T _p2, with the same width for the two peaks. T _P1 results from the competition between double-exchange and super-exchange mechanisms inside the grain (intrinsic effects) whereas T _P2 arises due to the grain boundary effects (extrinsic effect). The resistivity of this system seems to be related to the competition between antiferromagnetic insulating (AFI) phases, ferromagnetic insulating (FMI) phases and ferromagnetic metal (FMM) phases, which is induced by Nd doping effect.     

A rate-k/n heuristic soft-output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) that ispostdetector-compatible

A soft-output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) that can be used on trellis-coded modulation (TCM), rate-k/n convolutional codes, and intersymbol interference (ISI) channels is proposed. The algorithm utilizes the postdetector architecture proposed by Berrou et al. (1993) to achieve low computational complexity. By starting with Battail's (1987) generalized revision algorithm and rereferencing the “relative values” to the surviving path to each state, substantial simplifications are made possible. By comparing the revision operations dictated by the simplified revision equation for a rate-1/n convolutional code to the operations mandated by the rate-1/n postdetector algorithm presented by Berrou et al., it is possible to deduce the additional modifications necessary to produce a rate-k/n postdetector algorithm. Computer simulations suggest that the derived rate-k/n algorithm produces reasonably good a posteriori input probability estimates for rate-k/n convolutional codes and trellis codes. The algorithm may also be used for soft-output Viterbi equalization (SOVE) provided that the channel impairments are not too severe     

Dynamic accumulation of 4-desmethylsterols and phytostanols during ripening of Tunisian Meski olives (Olea europea L.)

Eleven 4-desmethylsterols and two phytostanols were identified by GC–MS during the ripening of Meski olive. The maximum levels of 4-desmethylsterols (1300 mg/100 g oil) and phytostanols (7.5 mg/100 g oil) were reached at the 26th week after the flowering date (WAFD) of fruit. β-Sitosterol (72–86% of total 4-desmethylsterols) was the major 4-desmethylsterols during the maturity of fruit, while sitostanol was the predominant phytostanols (75–85% of total phytostanols). Δ5-Avenasterol (2–18%) and campesterol (1.6–4%) were the second and the third 4-desmethylsterol levels detected, respectively, during the ripening of Meski olive. The levels of campestanol varied from 15% to 25% of phytostanols. The rate of accumulation of those compounds occurred before 30th WAFD. Some of these compounds (4-desmethylsterols and phytostanols) showed nearly the same profile during the ripening of Meski olive which could be linked to the relation between these compounds during their biosynthetic pathway.     

Control of dermatology image integrity using reversible watermarking

As advanced melanoma remains practically incurable, early surgical excision is an important step toward a reduction in mortality. For that, the dermatologists always encouraged the detection of the nevus at an early stage. In recent years, a considerable interest has arisen in the development of noninvasive tools to improve early diagnosis, many new technical operation using a telecommunication network allow practitioners to perform in real time a relevant diagnosis. Because of the open environment of web‐based applications, their exploitation in medical field introduces many security concerns. In this article, we present DECOPREME (COllaborative PREcocious DEtection of Melanoma) a new project which allows practitioners to use telecommunication technologies to provide early diagnosis. We describe, after that, our proposed reversible watermarking method used for integrity verification, we also evaluate image visual quality after watermark embedding and the effectiveness of locating tampered regions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 5–9, 2009     

Ant colony optimization for image regularization based on a nonstationary Markov modeling.

Ant colony optimization (ACO) has been proposed as a promising tool for regularization in image classification. The algorithm is applied here in a different way than the classical transposition of the graph color affectation problem. The ants collect information through the image, from one pixel to the others. The choice of the path is a function of the pixel label, favoring paths within the same image segment. We show that this corresponds to an automatic adaptation of the neighborhood to the segment form, and that it outperforms the fixed-form neighborhood used in classical Markov random field regularization techniques. The performance of this new approach is illustrated on a simulated image and on actual remote sensing images.     

Elastography: ultrasonic estimation and imaging of the elastic properties of tissues.

The basic principles of using sonographic techniques for imaging the elastic properties of tissues are described, with particular emphasis on elastography. After some preliminaries that describe some basic tissue stiffness measurements and some contrast transfer limitations of strain images are presented, four types of elastograms are described, which include axial strain, lateral strain, modulus and Poisson's ratio elastograms. The strain filter formalism and its utility in understanding the noise performance of the elastographic process is then given, as well as its use for various image improvements. After discussing some main classes of elastographic artefacts, the paper concludes with recent results of tissue elastography in vitro and in vivo.