Distance metrics for very large color differences

Small, supra-threshold color differences are typically described with Euclidean distance metrics, or dimension-weighted Euclidean metrics, in color appearance spaces such as CIELAB. This research examines the perception and modeling of very large color differences in the order of 10 CIELAB units or larger, with an aim of describing the salience of color differences between distinct objects in real-world scenes and images. A psychophysical experiment was completed to compare directly large color-difference pairs designed to probe various Euclidean and non-Euclidean distance metrics. The results indicate that very large color differences are best described by HyAB, a combination of a Euclidean metric in hue and chroma with a city-block metric to incorporate lightness differences.     

Difference-based target detection using Mahalanobis distance and spectral angle

Two difference-based target detection methods are proposed in this work. In contrast to many target detectors which only calculate the distance between the testing pixel to the target spectrum, the proposed methods calculate the distance of the testing pixel to both of target and of background spectra. In other words, they utilize the difference between target and background computed distances. The first proposed method uses the Mahalanobis distance and benefits the valuable information contained in the statistics of targets and background. The second proposed method uses the kernel-based spectral angle mapper to benefit the advantages of spectral angle and kernel trick to separate targets from background, especially in non-linear cases. The experiments done on three real hyperspectral images indicate the high detection probability of the proposed methods compared to several target detectors.     

A neuro‐based approach to designing a Wilkinson power divider

In this paper, a new neuro‐based approach using a feed‐forward neural network is presented to design a Wilkinson power divider. The proposed power divider is composed of symmetrical modified T‐shaped resonators, which are a replacement for quarter‐wave transmission lines in the conventional structure. The proposed technique reduces the size of the power divider by 45% and suppresses unwanted bands up to the fifth harmonics. To verify the concept, a prototype of the power divider has been fabricated and tested, exhibiting good agreement between the predicted and measured results. The results show that the insertion loss and the isolation at the center frequency are about 3.3 ± 0.1 dB and 23 dB, respectively.     

Calcium phosphate-based nanocomposite carriers for local antibiotic delivery against an osteomyelitis agent

Bacterial infections particularly osteomyelitis have become one of the most prominent challenges for orthopaedic surgeries. The treatment of osteomyelitis requires the sequence of debridement, foreign body removal and antibiotic therapy. In this regard, to develop an appropriate drug delivery system a novel calcium phosphate nanocomposite cement was synthesised and loaded with cloxacillin drug against an osteomyelitis agent. Chemical and structural properties of the cement were analysed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Antibiotic release assay was conducted to obtain the rate and total time of release in different primary doses. The results showed that by increasing the amount of drug dose in the structure of the cement the release rate is reduced and subsequently sustain drug release with the effective concentration is obtained. Generally, effective bacterial growth inhibition and sustain release is indicative of the suitability of this nanocomposite cement for treating osteomyelitis.     

Morphological optimization of electrospun polyacrylamide/MWCNTs nanocomposite nanofibers using Taguchi’s experimental design

The morphological characteristic of electrospun polyacrylamide/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PAAm/MWCNTs) nanocomposite nanofibers is optimized in this work using Taguchi’s experimental design. The optimization is performed considering the effect of PAAm concentration, MWCNTs content, flow rate, and applied voltage on average nanofibers diameter. The reasonable dispersion of MWCNTs in PAAm solution is first ascertained via optical microscopy method. The experimental data required for the optimization process are then provided by statistical calculations on field-emission scanning electron microscopy images of the samples formulated based on a designed L ₉ orthogonal array. PAAm concentration is found to have the most contribution on final fibers morphology according to the results obtained from simultaneous implementation of the analysis of variance and mean effect assessment. Therefore, PAAm concentration, which is in consistence with solution viscosity and surface tension parameter, is found to have the most contribution to forming nanofibers including the finest fiber diameter. On the contrary, the flow rate of solution among the selected parameters shows the least effect on average nanofiber diameter.     

Corrosion evaluation of Ti–6Al–4V manufactured by electron beam melting in Ringer’s physiological solution: an in vitro study of the passive film

Journal of Applied Electrochemistry - Electrochemical characteristics and semiconducting behavior of additively manufactured electron beam melted (EBM) and wrought (WR) Ti–6Al–4V...     

Pyrolytic carbon coating for cytocompatibility of titanium oxide nanoparticles: a promising candidate for medical applications

Nanoparticles for biomedical use must be cytocompatible with the biological environment that they are exposed to. Current research has focused on the surface functionalization of nanoparticles by using proteins, polymers, thiols and other organic compounds. Here we show that inorganic nanoparticles such as titanium oxide can be coated by pyrolytic carbon (PyC) and that the coating has cytocompatible properties. Pyrolization and condensation of methane formed a thin layer of pyrolytic carbon on the titanium oxide core. The formation of the PyC shell retards coalescence and sintering of the ceramic phase. Our MTT assay shows that the PyC-coated particles are cytocompatible at employed doses.     

Non-destructive ultrasonic evaluation of CFRP–concrete specimens subjected to accelerated aging conditions

The objective of this work is to utilize surface acoustic waves (SAWs) for non-destructive structural health monitoring of concrete specimens externally bonded with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites and subjected to accelerated aging conditions. Both experimental testing and signal processing schemes of ultrasonic wave propagation through the CFRP substrate are described. The surface waves are generated and received at the external face of the CFRP using narrow-band transducers with a 110-kHz center frequency. The received signals are filtered and amplified then digitized and processed to extract various parameters in both time and frequency domains including average power (P_Avg), maximum amplitude (V_max), and maximum power–frequency ratio ((P/F)_max). Changes in these parameters due to water-immersion aging at different temperatures were monitored over 12 weeks. Results indicated a marked decrease in measured ultrasonic parameters over time, particularly after the first 2 weeks, indicating a possible debonding or deterioration in the samples. Ultrasonic results showed good agreement with the findings of a parallel destructive study on mode-II fracture loading of CFRP–concrete samples, tested to obtain fracture energy (G_f) and define traction–separation response under temperature and water-immersion aging effects. It was observed that all ultrasonic parameters exhibit good correlations (|r|>0.5, P<0.05) with the fracture energy at all temperatures. Moreover, when the measurements at all temperatures were incorporated and linear relationships between destructive and non-destructive parameters were assumed, correlations of r=0.84, 0.80, and 0.80 were found between G_f and P_Avg, V_max, and (P/F)_max, respectively. This study paves the way for developing a non-destructive testing protocol for structural health monitoring of bridges and concrete structures undergoing repair and rehabilitation with CFRP composites.