Adaptive fuzzy-SIFT rule-based registration for 3D cardiac motion estimation

Applied Intelligence - 3D Speckle tracking techniques are used to quantify cardiac deformation in 3D echocardiographic images. Elastic image registration methods are successful in solving 3D...     

Erratum to: Malaria infected erythrocyte classification based on a hybrid classifier using microscopic images of thin blood smear

Multimedia Tools and Applications -     

Development of active matrix LCD for use in high‐resolution adaptive headlights

Conventional adaptive driving beam headlamps are limited in achieving still higher quantities of switchable pixels by the number of LEDs and movable elements needed. In this paper, it is shown that by integrating an active matrix liquid crystal display module, it is possible to realize fully adaptive high‐resolution headlights without mechanical elements and a finite number of LED with 30 k switchable pixels.     

Strictly periodic scheduling in IMA-based architectures

The avionic industry has recently adopted the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA). Such architectures allow the execution of avionic functions on a shared computing platform while avoiding any interference between them. This is done through hard memory and temporal segregation constraints. Although IMA reduces the weight and the power consumption and shortens the design-cycle times, it gives rise to a complex multiprocessor scheduling problem. One of the key difficulties of this problem is related to the strict periodicity of tasks, which means that the time separating two successive executions of the same task is strictly equal to the associated period. In order to help the system designer in producing a proper schedule, an exact formulation based on Integer Linear Programming and a heuristic inspired from Game Theory are proposed. To enhance the solution quality of the heuristic, a?multi-start method, which gives some probabilistic guarantees on the optimality of the solutions, is also introduced.     

High-performance MEMS shutter display with metal-oxide thin-film transistors and optimized MEMS element

Active matrix prestressed microelectromechanical shutter displays enable outstanding optical properties as well as robust operating performance. The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) shutter elements have been optimized for higher light outcoupling efficiency with lower operation voltage and higher pixel density. The MEMS elements have been co-fabricated with self-aligned metal-oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). Several optimizations were required to integrate MEMS process without hampering the performance of both elements. The optimized display process requires only seven photolithographic masks with ensuring proper compatibility between MEMS shutter and metal-oxide TFT process.     

Exploring the conformational space of cyclic peptides by a stochastic search method

A stochastic search algorithm is applied in order to probe the conformations of cyclic peptides. The search is conducted in two stages. In the first stage, random conformations are generated and evaluated by a penalty function for ring closure ability, following a stepwise construction of each amino acid into the peptide by a random choice of one of its allowed conformations. The allowed conformational ranges of backbone dihedral angles for each amino acid have been extracted from a Data Bank of diverse proteins. Values of dihedral angles that do not contribute favorably to the scoring of ring closure are retained or discarded by a statistical test. Values are discarded up to a point from which all remaining combinations of angles are constructed, scored, sorted, and clustered. In the second stage, side chains have been added and fast optimization was applied to the set of diverse conformations in a "united atoms" approach, with the "Kollman forcefield" of Sybyl 6.8. This iterative stochastic elimination algorithm finds the global minimum and most of the best results, when compared to a full exhaustive search in appropriately sized problems. In larger problems, we compare the results to experimental structures. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) of our best results compared to crystal structures of cyclic peptides with sizes from 4 to 15 amino acids are mostly below 1.0 A up to 8 mers and under 2.0 A for larger cyclic peptides.     

Statistical modeling of crack growth and reliability assessment of high-density polyethylene

In this work, a statistical evaluation of the crack-growth process in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was carried out. The specimens were compression molded from virgin, molding-grade HDPE. Edgenotched specimens for replicate fatigue testing were prepared from compression-molded sheets. Fatigue test results were then analyzed, and it is shown that if the crack-growth process can be characterized as a random process following a power-law-type behavior, then the time to reach a critical crack length will be distributed according to an inverted lognormal model.     

Monte Carlo simulation of extrusion die life

Due to the high cost of metal forming tools (especially in hot extrusion), one of the major goals in tool design is a longer service life. Estimation and prediction of tool life thus becomes critically important for performance evaluation of the tools. The two most dominant failure mechanisms for extrusion dies (solid, hollow, and semi-hollow dies all taken together) are fracture and wear. In the first part of the paper, a fracture mechanics based fatigue life prediction model is described. A similar treatment is then presented for wear-related failures. Fracture and wear usually coexist as failure modes, and final die breakdown occurs due to the mechanism that becomes dominant. Therefore, a competing fracture–wear model has been later developed to represent the complete die failure situation. Attempt has been made to correlate the stochastic nature of various fatigue and wear related die parameters to die life. Monte Carlo simulation has been used to predict the life distribution of a die for a given set of manufacturing conditions and mechanical properties. In comparison with actual life data from the industry, the simulated life yields very realistic predictions.     

FRESH-DFE: A New Structure for Interference Cancellation

This paper proposes a new structure of decision feedback equalizer that exploits the cyclostationary properties of digitally modulated signals to mitigate interference. In the proposed structure, the forward filter of the conventional DFE is replaced by a cyclic filter. It is assumed that the desired and the interference signals use some mutually different signaling attributes, for example symbol rates, centre frequency etc. The resulting structure is evaluated in the presence of up to six strong interfering signals, a scenario that is typically found in wireless cellular systems. The proposed structure provides performance gains for some modulation formats but it reduces to the conventional DFE for other signal formats.     

Seed Oil Based Zinc Bioactive Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Studies

Zinc containing oil based polyesteramide resins were synthesized by condensation polymerization reaction between castor/soyabean oil derived castor/soyabean fatty amide diol (HECA/HESA), Zn (OH)₂ and adipic acid. The conventional spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR have been used to establish the structure of the polymers. Standard laboratory methods were used to study the physicochemical characteristics like acid value, hydroxyl value, saponification value, iodine value, specific gravity, and viscosity. The thermal behaviour of the polymers was analyzed by using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In vitro antifungal (anticandidial) activity of the polymers was studied against C. albicans ATCC-10261, C. glabrata ATCC-90030 and C. tropicalis ATCC-750, respectively. Antibacterial activity against Gram positive (S. subtillis) and Gram negative bacteria (E. coli and S. typhi) was also examined. For more accuracy, growth curve studies were carried out with the polymer SZ showing higher biological activity against E. coli by using conventional spectrophotometer. The result showed that the polymers have potent anticandidial and antibacterial activities.