Moving Objects Localization by Local Regions Based Level Set: Application on Urban Traffic

In this paper, a novel method for locating multiple moving objects in a video sequences captured by a stationary camera is proposed. In order to determine the precise location of the objects in an image, a new local regions based level set model is carried out. The whole process consists of two main parts: the global detection and the fine localization. During the global detection, the presence or absence of an object in an image is determined by the Mixture of Gaussians method. For the fine localization, we propose to reformulate global energies by utilizing little squared windows centered on each point over a thin band surrounding the zero level set, hence the object contour can be reshaped into small local interior and exterior regions that lead to compute a family of adaptive local energies, which enables us to well localize the moving objects. Moreover, we propose to adapt the smoothness of the contours, and the accuracy of the objects’ perimeter of different shapes with an automatic stopping criterion. The proposed method has been tested on different real urban traffic videos, and the experiment results demonstrate that our algorithm can locate effectively and accurately the moving objects; optimize the results of the localized objects and also decrease the computations load.     

Modification of Phenolic Compounds and Volatile Profiles of Chemlali Variety Olive Oil in Response to Foliar Biofertilization

The main objective of this work was to study the effects of foliar biofertilizers on individual volatile profiles and phenolic compounds of olive oil (Olea europaea L. cv. Chemlali). Three foliar biofertilizers were used in two successive application seasons: T1 (rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium); T2 (rich in calcium); and T3 (application of both T1 and T2). Results showed that foliar fertilization with T2 increased the phenolic compound contents (e.g., oleuropein aglycone and decarboxymethyl ligstroside aglycone) of Chemlali olive oil. It also enhanced the levels of many volatile compounds responsible for the good flavor of olive oil such as hexanal. However, T1-tested fertilizer led to a significant decrease in the content of phenolic compounds, although they seemed to improve significantly the levels of the majority of volatile compounds, especially hexanal. Based on these results, a significant relationship between plant nutrition and quality of oil was observed. Our results demonstrated a potential positive influence on the concentration of sensory quality compounds under T2 (Ca²⁺-based fertilizer). This result should be considered in the design of foliar nutrient application management strategies for olive trees.     

Classical state feedback controller for nonlinear systems using mean value theorem: closed loop-FOC of PMSM motor application

The problem of state feedback controllers for a class of Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) Lipschitz nonlinear systems is investigated. A simple systematic and useful synthesis method is proposed based on the use of the differential mean value theorem (DMVT) and convex theory. The proposed design approach is based on the mean value theorem (MVT) to express the nonlinear error dynamics as a convex combination of known matrices with time varying coefficients as linear parameter varying (LPV) systems. Using the Lyapunov theory, stability conditions are obtained and expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The controller gains are then obtained by solving linear matrix inequalities. The effectiveness of the proposed approach for closed loop-field oriented control (CL-FOC) of permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drives is demonstrated through an illustrative simulation for the proof of these approaches. Furthermore, an extension for controller design with parameter uncertainties and perturbation performance is discussed.     

Structure,Surface Morphology,and Optical and Electronic Properties of Annealed SnS Thin Films Obtained by CBD

SnS thin films were initially coated onto Pyrex substrates by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method and annealed at various temperatures ranging from 200°C to 600°C for 30 min in nitrogen gas. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that a structural transition from face-centered cubic to orthorhombic occurs when the annealing temperature is over 500°C. The surface morphology of all thin layers was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The elemental composition of Sn and S, as measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy, is near the stoichiometric ratio. Optical properties studied by means of transmission and reflection measurements show an increase in the absorption coefficient with increasing annealing temperatures. The band gap energy is close to 1.5 eV, which corresponds to the optimum for photovoltaic applications. Last, the thermally stimulated current measurements show that the electrically active traps located in the band gap disappear after annealing at 500°C. These results suggest that, once again, annealing as a post-deposition treatment may be useful for improving the physical properties of the SnS layers included in photovoltaic applications. Moreover, the thermo-stimulated current method may be of practical relevance to explore the electronic properties of more conventional industrial methods, such as sputtering and chemical vapor deposition.