Leaf Image-Based Plant Disease Identification Using Color and Texture Features

Wireless Personal Communications - Identification of plant disease is usually done through visual inspection or during laboratory examination which causes delays resulting in yield loss by the time...     

cFEM: a cluster based feature extraction method for network intrusion detection

International Journal of Information Security - The recent trend in network intrusion detection leverages key features of machine learning (ML) algorithms to detect network traffic anomalies....     

Control Charts for Process Dispersion Parameter under Contaminated Normal Environments

Control charts are important statistical tool used to monitor fluctuations in the process location and dispersion parameters. The issues relating to the appropriate choice of control charts for the effective detection of process variability are addressed, and different control chart structures, such as Shewhart‐type, exponentially weighted moving average and cumulative sum are explored under ideal assumption of normality and contaminated normal environments, and hence, those control charts structures are identified which are more capable to detect aberrant changes in the process dispersion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monoclonal behavior of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles in capillary electrochromatography

A new approach based on miniemulsion polymerization is demonstrated for synthesis of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (MIP-NP; 30-150 nm) with "monoclonal" binding behavior. The performance of the MIP nanoparticles is characterized with partial filling capillary electrochromatography, for the analysis of rac-propranolol, where (S)-propranolol is used as a template. In contrast to previous HPLC and CEC methods based on the use of MIPs, there is no apparent tailing for the enantiomer peaks, and baseline separation with 25,000-60,000 plate number is achieved. These effects are attributed to reduction of the MIP site heterogeneity by means of peripheral location of the core cross-linked NP and to MIP-binding sites with the same ordered radial orientation. This new MIP approach is based on the substitution of the functional monomers with a surfactant monomer, sodium N-undecenoyl glycinate (SUG) for improved inclusion in the MIP-NP structure and to the use of a miniemulsion in the MIP-NP synthesis. The feasibility of working primarily with aqueous electrolytes (10 mM phosphate with a 20% acetonitrile at pH 7) is attributable to the micellar character of the MIP-NPs, provided by the inclusion of the SUG monomers in the structure. To our knowledge this is the first example of "monoclonal" MIP-NPs incorporated in CEC separations of drug enantiomers.     

Biopolymer blended films of poly(butylene succinate)/cyclic olefin copolymer with enhanced mechanical strength for packaging applications

The demand for biodegradable materials is on the rise because humanity is now more concerned about a sustainable lifestyle than ever before. In this regard, we present solution casting synthesized novel biopolymer blended films of poly(butylene succinate)/cyclic olefin copolymer (PBS/COC) for packaging applications. These films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared microscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), universal tensile testing (ASTM D882 standard), and antibacterial Disc diffusion tests using gram-negative Escherichia coli (E.coli) and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) bacteria. The XRD and FTIR revealed the type of bonding to be physical in-between the constituent polymers; ensuring the biodegradable nature of their blends, while the thickness of films was found to be <100 μm. The SEM, tensile, and antibacterial testing concluded that 30%PBS with 70%COC by weight blending is the best composition; showing a compact/pin-holes free morphology, the highest strength of 91 MPa, and contact inhibition with E.coli and S.aureus bacteria.     

Enabling multimedia aware vertical handover Management in Internet of Things based heterogeneous wireless networks

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Enabling seamless connectivity in Internet of Things (IoT) based heterogeneous wireless networks and pervasive use of smartphones in daily life require high data...     

Biotechnological recycling of critical metals from waste printed circuit boards

Critical metals are key raw materials for new generation clean energy production. The extraction of critical metals often follows the difficult processing of primary ores and they are many times recovered as the companion metals. With the depletion of primary reserves, the focus has now shifted to processing the urban mines, like electronic (e-)waste. Among the different types of e-waste, the waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are the major reservoir of high-value critical metals and are usually treated by the traditional pyro- and/or hydro-metallurgical techniques. However, the application of microbial activities in metals recycling is rapidly emerging as a green technology in comparison to smelter or chemical processing. The application of microorganisms (bacteria/fungi) in WPCBs’ recycling is being increasingly explored in order to meet the parallel objectives of resource recovery and pollution mitigation. Therefore, the present article assesses the current frontiers in bioleaching of critical metals from WPCBs and contains discussions on process fundamentals, challenges, and perspectives. The applicability of microbial recycling of WPCBs at a higher scale in terms of a circular economy and urban mining notion, the techno-economic analysis, and environmental sustainability in comparison to the chemical processing route are also discussed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry