Multi-focus image fusion for different datasets with super-resolution using gradient-based new fusion rule

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Multi-focus image fusion methods combine two or more images which have blurred and defocused parts to create an all-in-focused image. All-in-focused image has...     

Illumination and voltage effects on the forward and reverse bias current–voltage (I-V) characteristics in In/In2S3/p-Si photodiodes

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - The illumination and voltage effects on the I-V measurements of the fabricated In/In2S3/p-Si photodiode were investigated in dark and under...     

Understanding and managing disaster evacuation on a transportation network

Uncertain population behaviors in a regional emergency could potentially harm the performance of the region's transportation system and subsequent evacuation effort. The integration of behavioral survey data with travel demand modeling enables an assessment of transportation system performance and the identification of operational and public health countermeasures. This paper analyzes transportation system demand and system performance for emergency management in three disaster scenarios. A two-step methodology first estimates the number of trips evacuating the region, thereby capturing behavioral aspects in a scientifically defensible manner based on survey results, and second, assigns these trips to a regional highway network, using geographic information systems software, thereby making the methodology transferable to other locations. Performance measures are generated for each scenario including maps of volume-to-capacity ratios, geographic contours of evacuation time from the center of the region, and link-specific metrics such as weighted average speed and traffic volume.     

Drying of Iron Chloride Solutions: Laser Heating of Levitated Single Particles

Iron chloride solutions are a waste product from the steel industry, which has to be recovered by the so‐called spray roasting process. As this process is a complex sequence of different steps, the drying process of the droplets was separated to get deeper insight into the particle formation process from aqueous iron chloride solutions. Experiments were carried out on single droplets in an acoustic levitator. A CO₂ laser was used as heat source for the drying process. Particles with different shapes were generated by various concentrations of FeCl₂ and laser power. The characteristic time scales and particle size evolution are compared with literature data.     

Experimental and theoretical study of methane adsorption on granular activated carbons

The experimental and theoretical study of methane adsorption on granular activated carbons is presented. The adsorption data are modeled by various isotherm equations. Toth equation is found to have the best fit. The isosteric heat decreases with loading and increases weakly with temperature, which is an indication of heterogeneity of the methane and granular activated carbon system. Using optimized parameters from Toth equation, a novel procedure is developed to calculate the integral heat of adsorption, which is the total amount of isosteric heat of adsorption at a given temperature and pressure during the adsorption process. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

Inactivation Kinetics of Polyphenol Oxidase in an Aqueous Model System under Stand-Alone and Combined Ultrasound and Ultraviolet Treatments

The objectives of this work were to study the ultrasound- and ultraviolet light-induced inactivation kinetics of polyphenol oxidase extracted from different sources in a model system. The polyphenol oxidase crude extract was obtained from bananas, apples, quince, eggplants, plums, dill, and cultured mushrooms, which exhibited high enzyme activity. The polyphenol oxidase crude extract was treated with ultrasound and ultraviolet light at 40°C temperature for 40 min. The study showed that the polyphenol oxidase enzyme was inactivated between 12 and 100% during ultrasound only treatment; between 4 and 29% during ultraviolet light only treatment; and between 80 and 100% during simultaneous ultrasound and ultraviolet light treatment. Based on the measurements, an exponential decay model for determining polyphenol oxidase inactivation kinetics was developed. The model provides high determination coefficients (R²): 0.968–0.999 with ultrasound only treatment, 0.881–0.990 with ultraviolet only treatment, and 0.975–1.000 with simultaneous ultrasound and ultraviolet treatment. The polyphenol oxidase kinetics evaluation showed that different treatments provided different inactivation times, or D-values. The D-values were 7.0–656.1 min for ultrasound only treatment (D_US), 251–1887 min for ultraviolet only treatment (D_UV), and 3.3–59.4 min for combined ultrasound and ultraviolet treatment (D_US+UV).     

Controlled Generation of Solid Spheroidal Dielectric Microparticles

Our recent research has been pioneering the generation of single solid particles with adjustable eccentricity. This new technique permits the production of particles in the range of 200 w m to 2 mm and an approximate eccentricity of 1:1.2 to 1:1.8 along an axis. Single droplets consisting of multiacrylate monomers were levitated by an ultrasonic levitator and were cured by UV illumination after adjusted eccentricity. For special applications we can produce particles that are attached to a stem (optical fiber), which allows a controlled orientation of the particle. One possible application for such particles is the investigation of light scattering on nonspherical particles.     

The prediction of the effective charge number in single-walled carbon nanotubes using Monte Carlo simulation

The ensemble Monte Carlo simulation is used to calculate the electron-wind forces per unit length of single-walled carbon nanotubes under an electric field applied through the nanotube axis. The electronic system and the ionic system are decoupled from each other. The rate of momentum transferred from the electronic system to the ionic system in the form of the emission or absorption of longitudinal acoustic and longitudinal optical phonons is calculated stochastically to determine the electron-wind forces. Complete unabridged energy and phonon dispersion relations are included in order to obtain more accurate results. The effect of the temperature and the electric field magnitude on the induced forces is also taken into account. Results are compared with a prediction based on quantum mechanical integral form that calculates the electron occupation probability based on a modified Fermi–Dirac distribution. Results show a quantitative agreement between the two methods, however, the method proposed in here we believe is more accurate, because it does not make simplifications for the electron occupation probability as in the modified Fermi–Dirac distribution.