Automated building and road classifications from hyperspectral imagery through a fully convolutional network and support vector machine

The Journal of Supercomputing - Hyperspectral imagery facilitates the determination of various urban-correlated characteristics, such as features on the Earth's surface, including roads, trees,...     

Biomechanical studies on aliphatic physically crosslinked poly(urethane urea) for blood contact applications

Hydrophobic and physically crosslinked (virtually crosslinked through hydrogen bonding) aliphatic poly(urethane urea)s were developed and characterized for its biomechanical properties. The aging under induced-stress (bend samples) condition reveals resistance of poly(urethane urea) to environmental stress corrosion cracking (ESC) in hydrolytic media, Ringer's solution and phosphate buffered saline at 50 degrees C. The strain-induced (20% tensile strain) and aged polymer in hydrolytic enzyme medium, papain and in buffer reveals increase of elastic modulus in papain enzyme and papain buffer. The increase of elastic modulus is attributed to unidirectional reorganisation of chains under continually strained conditions. The polymer exposed in boiling alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution (accelerated hydrolytic chemical degradation) reveals no degradation. A comparative evaluation of poly(ether urethane urea)s reveals inferior properties. Poly(ether urethane urea)s polymer undergo hydrolytic degradation in boiling alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution. The candidate poly(urethane urea) HFL 18-PUU is more promising elastomer for long-term biomechanically sensitive blood contact applications such as heart valve and blood pump diaphragm of left ventricular assist device.     

X-ray diffraction of permalloy nanoparticles fabricated by laser ablation in water

Permalloy (NiFeMo) nanoparticles were fabricated by laser ablation of bulk material in water with a UV pulsed laser. Transmission electron microscope images showed that approximately spherical particles about 50 nm in diameter were formed in the ablation process. All diffraction peaks corresponding to the bulk material were present in the nanoparticles. In addition to these peaks several new peaks were observed in the nanoparticles, which were attributed to nickel oxide.     

Infiltration and sustenance of viability of cells by amphiphilic biosynthetic biodegradable hydrogels

Amphiphilic biosynthetic hydrogels comprising natural polysaccharide alginate (I) and synthetic polyester polypropylene fumarate (II) units were prepared by crosslinking the copolymer of I and II with calcium ion and vinyl monomers viz, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl methacrylate (BMA) and N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide (NMBA). Three fast degradable hydrogels, ALPF-MMA, ALPF-HEMA and ALPF-BMA and one slow degradable hydrogel ALPF-NMBA were prepared. These hydrogels are amphiphilic and able to hold sufficient amount of proteins on their surfaces. All these hydrogels are found to be hemocompatible, cytocompatible and genocompatible. ALPF-NMBA promotes infiltration of L929 fibroblasts and 3D growth of H9c2 cardiomyoblasts and long-term viability.     

Scheduling of machines and automated guided vehicles in FMS using differential evolution

This paper addresses the problem of simultaneous scheduling of machines and two identical automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). For solving this problem, a new meta-heuristic differential evolution (DE) algorithm is proposed. The problem consists of two interrelated problems, scheduling of machines and scheduling of AGVs. A simultaneous scheduling of these, in order to minimise the makespan will result in a FMS being able to complete all the jobs assigned to it at the earliest time possible, thus saving resources. An increase in the performance of the FMS under consideration would be expected as a result of making the scheduling of AGVs as an integral part of the overall scheduling activity. The algorithm is tested by using problems generated by various researchers and the makespan obtained by the algorithm is compared with that obtained by other researchers and analysed.