Analysis of fractal inter frame video coding using parallel approach

Digital video has many applications varying from telecommunications to broadcasting and so on. Video compression techniques have evolved over the past two decades with prominent technique being developed using fractal. However, this technique was not so popular because of its computationally intensive nature. This paper proposes an inter frame video compression technique, which consists of a combination of a block matching using fractal compression. The proposed algorithm is implemented on CUDA-enabled GPU which significantly reduces the encoding time of the video and provides a very high compression ratio with reasonable quality of the decoded video. Extensive simulations were carried out to analyze the performance of the proposed algorithm.     

Adaptive relay co-ordination using a busbar splitting approach for a system integrity protection scheme

Power system faults can often result in excessively high currents. If sustained for a long time, such high currents can damage system equipment. Thus, it is desirable to operate the relays in the minimum possible time. In this paper, a busbar splitting approach is used for adaptive relay setting and co-ordination purposes for a system integrity protection scheme (SIPS). Whenever a fault occurs, the busbar splitting scheme splits a bus to convert a loop into a radial structure. The splitting schemes are chosen such that the net fault current is also reduced. Busbar splitting eliminates the dependency upon minimum breakpoints set (MBPS) and reduces the relay operating time, thus making it adaptive. The proposed methodology is incorporated into the IEEE 14-bus and IEEE 30-bus systems with single and multiple fault conditions. The modeling and simulation carried out in ETAP, and the results of the proposed busbar splitting-based relay co-ordination are compared with the MBPS splitting-based relay co-ordination.     

Growth of nano-particles of Al2O3, AlN and iron oxide with different crystalline phases in a thermal plasma reactor

The paper presents the experimental results showing that the crystalline phase of the nano-particles, synthesized in a DC transferred arc thermal plasma reactor, critically depend on the operating pressure in the reaction zone. The paper reports about the changes in crystalline phases of three different compounds namely: aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃), aluminium nitride (AlN) and iron oxide (Fe_xO_y) synthesized at 760 Torr and 500 Torr of operating pressures. The major outcome of the present work is that the phases having higher defect densities are more probable to form at the sub-atmospheric operating pressures. The variations in the crystalline structures are discussed on the basis of the change in the temperature during the nucleation process, prevailing at the boundary of the plasma, on account of the ambient pressures. The as-synthesized nano-particles were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the confirmatory analysis of the crystalline phases of iron oxides was carried out with the help of Mössbauer spectroscopy.     

Effects of Doping Trivalent Ions in Bismuth Borate Glasses

Bismuth borate glasses from the system: 40Bi₂O₃–59B₂O₃–1Tv₂O₃ (where Tv=Al, Y, Nd, Sm, and Eu) and three glasses of composition: 40Bi₂O₃–60B₂O₃, 37.5Bi₂O₃–62.5B₂O₃ and 38Bi₂O₃–60B₂O₃–2Al₂O₃ were prepared by melt quenching and characterized by density, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis (DTA) studies. Bismuth borate glasses exhibit a very strong optical absorption band just below their absorption edge. Glasses were devitrified by heat treatment at temperatures above their glass transition temperatures and the crystalline phases produced in them were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Bi₃B₅O₁₂ was found to be the most abundant phase in all devitrified samples. DTA studies on glasses and FTIR and XRD analysis on crystallized samples revealed that very small amounts of trivalent ion doping causes significant changes in the devitrification properties of bismuth borate glasses; rare-earth ions promote the formation of metastable BiBO₃–I and BiBO₃–II phases during glass crystallization.     

Changes in volatile composition during fruit development and ripening of ‘Alphonso’ mango

BACKGROUND: Volatile blends of five developing and five ripening stages of mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Alphonso) were investigated along with those of flowers and leaves. Raw and ripe fruits of cv. Sabja were also used for comparison. RESULTS: A total of 55 volatiles belonging to various chemical classes such as aldehydes, alcohols, mono‐ and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, lactones and furanones were identified. In all Alphonso tissues monoterpenes quantitatively dominated, with 57–99% contribution; in particular, (Z)‐ocimene was found in the highest amount. Ripeness was characterized by the de novo appearance of lactones and furanones in the blend of monoterpenes. Sabja was distinguished by the abundance of monoterpene hydrocarbons in the raw fruit, and that of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and their derivatives in the ripe stage. CONCLUSION: Various stages of the Alphonso fruit during transition from flower to ripe fruit are characterized by unique volatile signatures that are distinguished from each other by the qualitative and quantitative appearance of different volatile compounds. Thus volatiles can be highly informative markers while studying the development and ripening of mango. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

An EXAFS study of the Mo/TiO2 hydrodesulphurization catalysis

In-situ EXAFS studies of sulphided Mo/TiO₂ catalysts have shown that at low Mo loadings (2–4 wt%), an active species with a short Mo-S distance of 2.25 Å is formed, while on Mo/TiO₂ with high Mo loadings as well as on Mo/-Al₂O₃, bulk MoS₂ (Mo-S, 2.42 Å) is formed. The species with the short Mo-S distance has Mo in an oxidation state close to 6 + and is likely to result from the sulphidation of the tetrahedral molybdate species present in the oxidic precursor at low Mo loadings. The calcination temperature of the oxidic precursor appears crucial, a high calcination temperature of 973 K favouring the formation of MoS₃ on sulphidation, and a low calcination temperature of 623 K favouring MoS₂.Contribution No. 790 from the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit.     

An EXAFS study of Cu/ZnO and Cu/ZnO-Al2O3 methanol synthesis catalysts

Cu K-absorption edge and EXAFS measurements on binary Cu/ZnO and ternary Cu/ ZnO-Al₂O₃ catalysts of varying compositions on reduction with hydrogen at 523 K, show the presence of Cu microclusters and a species of Cu¹⁺ dissolved in ZnO apart from metallic Cu and Cu₂O. The proportions of different phases critically depend on the heating rate especially for catalysts of higher Cu content. Accordingly, hydrogen reduction with a heating rate of 10 K/min predominantly yields the metal species (>50%), while a slower heating rate of 0.8 K/min enhances the proportion of the Cu¹⁺ species ( 60%). Reduced Cu/ZnO-Al₂O₃ catalysts show the presence of metallic Cu (upto 20%) mostly in the form of microclusters and Cu¹⁺ in ZnO as the major phase ( 60%). The addition of alumina to the Cu/ZnO catalyst seems to favour the formation of Cu¹⁺/ZnO species.     

Deformation and recrystallization textures in compressed polycrystalline silicon

Cylindrical samples of polycrystalline semiconductor-grade silicon have been compressed 30 pct at 1380°C at a rate of 0.08 s^-1. The starting material had a strong «110» fiber texture, resulting from its growth by chemical vapor deposition; the fiber axis was perpendicular to the compression axis. The compression texture is very clearly defined after only 30 pct deformation, and has a «110» axis parallel to the compression axis and a «111» axis parallel to the original «110» fiber axis (perpendicular to the compression axis). Annealing for 10 min at 1380°C causes recrystallization. The recrystallization texture has a «100» axis parallel to the compression axis, and a «110» axis parallel to the original «110» fiber axis. Compression of a recrystallized sample gives the same deformation texture as does compression of the original material.