Skin detection in video under uncontrolled illumination

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Many vision-based human-computer interaction (HCI) applications require skin detection. However, their performance relies on accuracy in detecting skin regions...     

A chaotic framework and its application in image encryption

A novel image encryption framework is proposed in this article. A new chaotic map and a pseudorandom bit generator are proposed. Apart from this, a novel image encryption system is designed based on the proposed map and the proposed pseudorandom bit generator. These three are the major contributions of this work that makes a complete cryptosystem. The proposed new chaotic map is proposed which will be known as the ‘RCM map’ and its chaotic property is studied based on Devaney’s theory. The proposed pseudorandom bit generator is tested using the NIST test suite. The proposed method is simple to implement and does not involve any highly complex operations. Moreover, the proposed method is completely lossless, and therefore cent percent of data can be recovered from the encrypted image. The decryption process is also simple to implement i.e. just reverse of the encryption procedure. A scrambling algorithm is also proposed to further enhance the security of the overall system. The simulation, detailed analysis, and comparative studies of the proposed overall image encryption framework will help to understand the strengths and weaknesses of it. The experimental results are very promising and show the prospects of chaos theory and its usage in the field of data security.

     

Oxidation of Hf2SnC and Nb2SnC in Air in the 400–600°C Temperature Range

The oxidation behavior in air of fully dense, predominantly (92+vol.%) single phase, samples of Nb₂SnC and Hf₂SnC was studied in the 400–600°C temperature range. The oxidation products in both cases were SnO, SnO₂ and either Nb₂O₅ or HfO₂. The oxidation is characterized by an initial incubation period, the duration of which decreased with increasing temperatures, followed by a period of near-linear oxidation kinetics. Oxidation at temperatures as low as 400°C for 72 hr resulted in the total disintegration of bulk samples, and their total conversion to oxides. Comparison with published results indicate that the oxidation kinetics of Hf₂SnC are poorer than those of Hf or HfC. Similarly, Nb₂SnC is more prone to oxidation than pure Nb metal.     

Emotion Recognition From Facial Expressions and Its Control Using Fuzzy Logic

This paper presents a fuzzy relational approach to human emotion recognition from facial expressions and its control. The proposed scheme uses external stimulus to excite specific emotions in human subjects whose facial expressions are analyzed by segmenting and localizing the individual frames into regions of interest. Selected facial features such as eye opening, mouth opening, and the length of eyebrow constriction are extracted from the localized regions, fuzzified, and mapped onto an emotion space by employing Mamdani-type relational models. A scheme for the validation of the system parameters is also presented. This paper also provides a fuzzy scheme for controlling the transition of emotion dynamics toward a desired state. Experimental results and computer simulations indicate that the proposed scheme for emotion recognition and control is simple and robust, with good accuracy.     

Technique for measuring grating frequency

Experimentally the real and imaginary parts of the Fourier spectrum are separated and used to detect the nature of the object, i.e., whether the object is an odd or even function or a combination of both. A modified Twyman-Green setup is used for this purpose. This type of splitting of the object function into even and odd parts may become useful in different fields of image processing. As an application the same technique is used for accurate measurement of the grating frequency.     

A novel scheme to detect the best cloud service provider using logarithmic operational law in generalized spherical fuzzy environment

Knowledge and Information Systems - Generalized spherical fuzzy number (GSFN) is an extension of spherical fuzzy number (SFN) which deals the uncertainties involved in the real-life problems in...     

A comparative study on the metaheuristic-based optimization of skew composite laminates

Engineering with Computers - Plate structures are the integral parts of any maritime engineering platform. With the recent focus on composite structures, the need for optimizing their design and...     

Self-consistent non-linear physics based predictive model for the computation of THz-signal attenuation in fog with varying visibility in tropical climatic zone

Microsystem Technologies - Absorptive and dispersive properties of atmospheric hydrometeors, affect the propagation of millimetre-wave and submillimeter wave signals. In adverse weather condition,...     

HSWOA: An ensemble of hunger games search and whale optimization algorithm for global optimization

The search for food stimulated by hunger is a common phenomenon in the animal world. Mimicking the concept, recently, an optimization algorithm Hunger Games Search (HGS) has been proposed for global optimization. On the other side, the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is a commonly utilized nature-inspired algorithm portrayed by a straightforward construction with easy parameters imitating the hunting behavior of humpback whales. However, due to minimum exploration of the search space, WOA has a high chance of trapping into local solutions, and more exploitation leads it towards premature convergence. The concept of hunger from HGS is merged with the food searching techniques of the whale to lessen the inherent drawbacks of WOA. Two weights of HGS are adaptively designed for every whale using the respective hunger level for balancing search strategies. Performance verification of the proposed hunger search-based whale optimization algorithm (HSWOA) is done by comparing it with 10 state-of-the-art algorithms, including three very recently developed algorithms on 30 classical benchmark functions. Comparison with some basic algorithms, recently modified algorithms, and WOA variants is performed using IEEE CEC 2019 function set. Statistical performance of the proposed algorithm is verified with Friedman's test, boxplot analysis, and Nemenyi multiple comparison test. The operating speed of the algorithm is determined and tested with complexity analysis and convergence analysis. Finally, seven real-world engineering problems are solved and compared with a list of metaheuristic algorithms. Numerical and statistical performance comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms confirms the efficacy of the newly designed algorithm.     

Implementation of service systems on the shop-floor level in financial service companies. Empirical evidence from Australia and Germany

This article presents the practices of Australian and German financial service providers regarding the implementation of shop-floor control within different types of service systems. The results delivered in this article should serve as a guideline for future research to develop and adapt methods for shop-floor control in financial service systems. Interviews with 25 experts from the Australian and German financial services industry reveal novel insights into the practice of shop-floor control, suggesting that methods and concepts from manufacturing are only used to a limited extent for shop-floor control. Shop-floor control is mostly used to react quickly to unexpected deviations due to a low usage of forecasts and information systems. Thus, there seems to be improvement potential in the financial services industry in comparison with in the manufacturing industry in terms of shop-floor control. Further research within the production research area should use the empirical insights to test and adapt existing methods and to develop new ones, taking cultural differences into account.