A Framework of Deep Optimal Features Selection for Apple Leaf Diseases Recognition

Identifying fruit disease manually is time-consuming, expert-required, and expensive; thus, a computer-based automated system is widely required. Fruit diseases affect not only the quality but also the quantity. As a result, it is possible to detect the disease early on and cure the fruits using computer-based techniques. However, computer-based methods face several challenges, including low contrast, a lack of dataset for training a model, and inappropriate feature extraction for final classification. In this paper, we proposed an automated framework for detecting apple fruit leaf diseases using CNN and a hybrid optimization algorithm. Data augmentation is performed initially to balance the selected apple dataset. After that, two pre-trained deep models are fine-tuning and trained using transfer learning. Then, a fusion technique is proposed named Parallel Correlation Threshold (PCT). The fused feature vector is optimized in the next step using a hybrid optimization algorithm. The selected features are finally classified using machine learning algorithms. Four different experiments have been carried out on the augmented Plant Village dataset and yielded the best accuracy of 99.8%. The accuracy of the proposed framework is also compared to that of several neural nets, and it outperforms them all.     

Implementation of VLSI on Signal Processing-Based Digital Architecture Using AES Algorithm

Continuous improvements in very-large-scale integration (VLSI) technology and design software have significantly broadened the scope of digital signal processing (DSP) applications. The use of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and programmable digital signal processors for many DSP applications have changed, even though new system implementations based on reconfigurable computing are becoming more complex. Adaptable platforms that combine hardware and software programmability efficiency are rapidly maturing with discrete wavelet transformation (DWT) and sophisticated computerized design techniques, which are much needed in today’s modern world. New research and commercial efforts to sustain power optimization, cost savings, and improved runtime effectiveness have been initiated as initial reconfigurable technologies have emerged. Hence, in this paper, it is proposed that the DWT method can be implemented on a field-programmable gate array in a digital architecture (FPGA-DA). We examined the effects of quantization on DWT performance in classification problems to demonstrate its reliability concerning fixed-point math implementations. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm for DWT learning used in this architecture is less responsive to resampling errors than the previously proposed solution in the literature using the artificial neural networks (ANN) method. By reducing hardware area by 57%, the proposed system has a higher throughput rate of 88.72%, reliability analysis of 95.5% compared to the other standard methods.     

WiMA: Towards a Multi-Criterion Association in Software Defined Wi-Fi Networks

Despite the planned installation and operations of the traditional IEEE 802.11 networks, they still experience degraded performance due to the number of inefficiencies. One of the main reasons is the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) association problem, in which the user remains connected to the access point (AP) unless the RSSI becomes too weak. In this paper, we propose a multi-criterion association (WiMA) scheme based on software defined networking (SDN) in Wi-Fi networks. An association solution based on multi-criterion such as AP load, RSSI, and channel occupancy is proposed to satisfy the quality of service (QoS). SDN having an overall view of the network takes the association and reassociation decisions making the handoffs smooth in throughput performance. To implement WiMA extensive simulations runs are carried out on Mininet-NS3-Wi-Fi network simulator. The performance evaluation shows that the WiMA significantly reduces the average number of retransmissions by 5%–30% and enhances the throughput by 20%–50%, hence maintaining user fairness and accommodating more wireless devices and traffic load in the network, when compared to traditional client-driven (CD) approach and state of the art Wi-Balance approach.     

Infrared Spectroscopy-Based Chemometric Analysis for Lard Differentiation in Meat Samples

One of the most pressing concerns for the consumer market is the detection of adulteration in meat products due to their preciousness. The rapid and accurate identification mechanism for lard adulteration in meat products is highly necessary, for developing a mechanism trusted by consumers and that can be used to make a definitive diagnosis. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is used in this work to identify lard adulteration in cow, lamb, and chicken samples. A simplified extraction method was implied to obtain the lipids from pure and adulterated meat. Adulterated samples were obtained by mixing lard with chicken, lamb, and beef with different concentrations (10%–50% v/v). Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square (PLS) were used to develop a calibration model at 800–3500 cm⁻¹. Three-dimension PCA was successfully used by dividing the spectrum in three regions to classify lard meat adulteration in chicken, lamb, and beef samples. The corresponding FTIR peaks for the lard have been observed at 1159.6, 1743.4, 2853.1, and 2922.5 cm⁻¹, which differentiate chicken, lamb, and beef samples. The wavenumbers offer the highest determination coefficient R² value of 0.846 and lowest root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and root mean square error prediction (RMSEP) with an accuracy of 84.6%. Even the tiniest fat adulteration up to 10% can be reliably discovered using this methodology.     

Correction on link relative based approach to CUSUM chart

Link relative-based approach was used in an article (see reference 1) to enhance the performance of the cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart. This technique involves the use of firstly, the link relative variable to convert the process observations in a relative to the mean form and secondly, optimal constants to define a new variable which is used as the plotting statistic of the link relative CUSUM chart. In this article, it is proven through simulation study that the optimal constants with fixed values, as reported in the aforementioned article, give different results. Instead, if the regression technique is used, then the same results will be obtained.     

Cytotoxicity and antineoplastic activities of alkylamines and their borane derivatives

The alkylamines and their related boron derivatives demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against the growth of murine and human tissue cultured cells. These agents did not necessarily require the boron atom to possess potent cytotoxic action in certain tumor lines. Their ability to suppress tumor cell growth was based on their inhibition of DNA and protein syntheses. DNA synthesis was reduced because purine synthesis was blocked at the enzyme site of IMP dehydrogenase by the agents. In addition ribonucleotide reductase and nucleoside kinase activities were reduced by the agents which would account for the reduced d[NTP] pools. The DNA template or molecule may be a target of the drugs with regard to binding of the drug to nucleoside bases or intercalaction of the drug between DNA base pairs. Only some Of the agents caused DNA fragmentation with reduced DNA viscosity. These effects would contribute to overall cell death afforded by the agents.     

Coordinated controller tuning of a boiler turbine unit with new binary particle swarm optimization algorithm

Coordinated controller tuning of the boiler turbine unit is a challenging task due to the nonlinear and coupling characteristics of the system. In this paper, a new variant of binary particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, called probability based binary PSO (PBPSO), is presented to tune the parameters of a coordinated controller. The simulation results show that PBPSO can effectively optimize the control parameters and achieves better control performance than those based on standard discrete binary PSO, modified binary PSO, and standard continuous PSO.     

Learning from demonstration in robots: Experimental comparison of neural architectures

Robots have played an important role in the automation of computer aided manufacturing. The classical robot control implementation involves an expensive key step of model-based programming. An intuitive way to reduce this expensive exercise is to replace programming with machine learning of robot actions from demonstration where a (learner) robot learns an action by observing a demonstrator robot performing the same. To achieve this learning from demonstration (LFD) different machine learning techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Genetic Algorithms, Hidden Markov Models, Support Vector Machines, etc. can be used. This piece of work focuses exclusively on ANNs. Since ANNs have many standard architectural variations divided into two basic computational categories namely the recurrent networks and feed-forward networks, representative networks from each have been selected for study, i.e. Feed Forward Multilayer Perceptron (FF) network for feed-forward networks category and Elman (EL), and Nonlinear Autoregressive Exogenous Model (NARX) networks for the recurrent networks category. The main objective of this work is to identify the most suitable neural architecture for application of LFD in learning different robot actions. The sensor and actuator streams of demonstrated action are used as training data for ANN learning. Consequently, the learning capability is measured by comparing the error between demonstrator and corresponding learner streams. To achieve fairness in comparison three steps have been taken. First, Dynamic Time Warping is used to measure the error between demonstrator and learner streams, which gives resilience against translation in time. Second, comparison statistics are drawn between the best, instead of weight-equal, configurations of competing architectures so that learning capability of any architecture is not forced handicap. Third, each configuration's error is calculated as the average of ten trials of all possible learning sequences with random weight initialization so that the error value is independent of a particular sequence of learning or a particular set of initial weights. Six experiments are conducted to get a performance pattern of each architecture. In each experiment, a total of nine different robot actions were tested. Error statistics thus obtained have shown that NARX architecture is most suitable for this learning problem whereas Elman architecture has shown the worst suitability. Interestingly the computationally lesser MLP gives much lower and slightly higher error statistics compared to the computationally superior Elman and NARX neural architectures, respectively.     

Iterative methods for solving extended general mixed variational inequalities

In this paper, we introduce and consider a new class of mixed variational inequalities involving four operators, which are called extended general mixed variational inequalities. Using the resolvent operator technique, we establish the equivalence between the extended general mixed variational inequalities and fixed point problems as well as resolvent equations. We use this alternative equivalent formulation to suggest and analyze some iterative methods for solving general mixed variational inequalities. We study the convergence criteria for the suggested iterative methods under suitable conditions. Our methods of proof are very simple as compared with other techniques. The results proved in this paper may be viewed as refinements and important generalizations of the previous known results.