Image-Based Automatic Energy Meter Reading Using Deep Learning

We propose to perform an image-based framework for electrical energy meter reading. Our aim is to extract the image region that depicts the digits and then recognize them to record the consumed units. Combining the readings of serial numbers and energy meter units, an automatic billing system using the Internet of Things and a graphical user interface is deployable in a real-time setup. However, such region extraction and character recognition become challenging due to image variations caused by several factors such as partial occlusion due to dust on the meter display, orientation and scale variations caused by camera positioning, and non-uniform illumination caused by shades. To this end, our work evaluates and compares the state-of-the art deep learning algorithm You Only Look Once (YOLO ) along with traditional handcrafted features for text extraction and recognition. Our image dataset contains 10,000 images of electrical energy meters and is further expanded by data augmentation such as in-plane rotation and scaling to make the deep learning algorithms robust to these image variations. For training and evaluation, the image dataset is annotated to produce the ground truth of all the images. Consequently, YOLO achieves superior performance over the traditional handcrafted features with an average recognition rate of 98% for all the digits. It proves to be robust against the mentioned image variations compared with the traditional handcrafted features. Our proposed method can be highly instrumental in reducing the time and effort involved in the current meter reading, where workers visit door to door, take images of meters and manually extract readings from these images.     

Analysis and Assessment of Wind Energy Potential of Al-Hodeidah in Yemen

Renewable energy is one of the essential elements of the social and economic development in any civilized country. The use of fossil fuels and the non-renewable form of energy has many adverse effects on the most of ecosystems. Given the high potential of renewable energy sources in Yemen and the absence of similar studies in the region, this study aimed to examine the wind energy potential of Hodeidah-Yemen Republic by analyzing wind characteristics and assessment, determining the available power density, and calculate the wind energy extracted at different heights. The average wind speed of Hodeidah was obtained only for the data currently available for the five years 2005–2009 (due to the current economic and the political situation in Yemen). The results show that the average wind speed in the five years is (25.2 W/m2 at 10 m, 93.9 W/m2 at 30 m, and 173.5 W/m2 at 50 m). The average yearly wind power density (25.2 W/m2 at 10 m, 93.9 W/m2 at 30 m and 173.5 W/m2 at 50m), and the average yearly energy density (220.8 KWh/m2/year at 10 m, 822.6 KWh/m2/year at 30 m and 1519.9 KWh/m2/year at 50 m). This research is a preliminary assessment of the potential of wind energy in Hodeidah, which provides useful information for developing wind energy and an efficient wind approach. According to the International Wind Energy Rating criteria, the region of Hodeidah falls under ‘Class 2’ and is classified as ‘Marginal’ for most of the year.     

Daphne oleoides: An alternative source of important sesquiterpenes

This study was targeted to characterize the chemical composition and antibacterial properties of Daphne oleoides subsp. oleoides essential oil. The essential oil was analyzed and quantified by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Additionally, the broth dilution method was used to evaluate its antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228), Streptococcus faecalis (ATTC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 25933), Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 13315), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Salmonella typhi Ty2 (ATCC 19430). Seventy-nine compounds were identified, representing 95.2% of the total oil. Nootkatone (18.5%), nootkatin (12.1%), and daphnauranol C (11.7%) were determined as the main constituents in the oil. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes were dominating in the oil (43.0%), followed by fatty acid derivatives (13.7%) and carbonylic compounds (9.6%). The minimal inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations of essential oils of D. oleoides were in the range from 25–100 μg/mL, which can be considered as high activity in comparison with the reference antibiotic which was active in the rangefrom 3.12–100 μg/mL. The greatest minimal inhibitory concentration value was determined as 25 µg/mL against both two Bacillus strains and S. epidermidis, B. cereus, B. subtilis, and S. aureus were the most sensitive strains against essential oils when compared with the minimal inhibitory concentrations of control antibiotic. Consequently, Daphne oleoides subsp. oleoides can be exploited as a source of natural antibacterial agents and nootkatone for the pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural industries.     

Orange-eye: A sex-linked recessive mutation in Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

A new eye color mutant, orange eye (O), is described for Ephestia cautella. Preliminary data revealed that this mutation was inherited as a sex-linked recessive. The character is generally recognizable in only the late pupae and adult stages. The viability and reproductive potential of this strain are not significantly different from the wild type.     

Adaptive critic designs for discrete-time zero-sum games with application to H(infinity) control.

In this correspondence, adaptive critic approximate dynamic programming designs are derived to solve the discrete-time zero-sum game in which the state and action spaces are continuous. This results in a forward-in-time reinforcement learning algorithm that converges to the Nash equilibrium of the corresponding zero-sum game. The results in this correspondence can be thought of as a way to solve the Riccati equation of the well-known discrete-time H(infinity) optimal control problem forward in time. Two schemes are presented, namely: 1) a heuristic dynamic programming and 2) a dual-heuristic dynamic programming, to solve for the value function and the costate of the game, respectively. An H(infinity) autopilot design for an F-16 aircraft is presented to illustrate the results.     

Myocardial protection against cold stress with pravastatin

The CARE study showed that the myocardial infarction recurrence rate in patients with moderate cholesterol blood level decreases early during pravastatin treatment. Our goal is to evaluate the possible role of pravastatin in preventing the myocardial lesions induced by cold stress. Twenty Wistar-EPM rats were divided into four groups: Control (CON); PR (Pravastatin) treated with 10 mg/kg/d for 15 days; S (Stress group) in which the rats were submitted to cold stress (-8 degrees C for four hours); and PR + S group treated with pravastatin like PR group and also submitted to the cold stress. The animals were sacrificed and heart fragments were removed for optic and electronic microscopic analysis. The variable considered was mitochondria abnormality (edema, lyses and vacuolization) that was interpreted as crystolyses indices (CI) (n degree of abnormal mitochondria/n degree total of mitochondria). The following crystolyses indices, were found for each group respectively: CON, 2.0%; S, 95.5%; PR, 19.9% and PR + S group, 27.7%*(*p < 0.01). In conclusion, pravastatin prevented myocardial lesions induced by cold stress significantly.     

Numerical Parametric Study of Piezocone Penetration Test in Clays

This paper presents a numerical model for the simulation of the piezocone penetration test that is used to carry out a parametric study of the piezocone penetration test in cohesive soils. The piezocone penetration is numerically simulated using an axisymmetric elasto-plastic large deformation finite-element analysis code. The numerical simulation is accomplished in two stages. First, the piezocone is expanded radially from an initial small radius (0.1ro) to the piezocone radius, ro, at the specified depth. Second, the continuous penetration of the piezocone is simulated by applying incremental vertical displacements of the nodes representing the piezocone boundary. The constraint approach is used to model the soil-piezocone interface friction. The Mohr-Coulomb frictional criterion is used to define the sliding potential of the nodes. The main objective of this paper is to present the numerical model and to investigate the effect of the lateral and vertical stresses and the overconsolidation ratio on the cone tip resistance and the developed excess pore pressure around the piezocone. The variation of the horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivity coefficients on the developed spatial excess pore pressure and its dissipation are also investigated. The results of the numerical study are also compared with the miniature piezocone penetration tests in cohesive soil specimens conducted at the Louisiana State University Calibration Chamber. Results of this study are in good agreement with the measured values.     

Comprehensive Assessment of Water Resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Lack of sufficient quantities of water in the UAE is one of the major problems facing sustainable development. The arid climate of the country plays a significant role in the water resources availability. Rainfall, which is a main source of recharge for different water resources, such as surface water and groundwater, is scanty and extremely irregular in time and space. Evaporation, which reduces the amount of surface water, is high. Heavy pumping of groundwater has deteriorated groundwater levels. Desalination plants have been launched in different parts of the country to meet increasing water demands due to increasing population and economical development in the country. The continued reduction of water storage will hinder the development in the country. To avoid this problem, integrated water resources management (IWRM) strategy should be implemented. Searching for new non-conventional resources is also essential. This paper aims to assess the conventional and non-conventional water resources in the UAE and estimates the past and future water demands. In addition, this article focuses on future water strategy scenarios and plans.     

Artificial magnetic conductor for various antenna applications: An overview

Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) is a type of implemented metamaterial in several antennae and microwave design applications. By utilizing the unique characteristics of metamaterials which do not exist naturally, the performance of various microwave devices can be enhanced. This article elaborates on the technical perspective and recent works on AMC for antenna applications. The technical perspective discusses the theoretical aspects, simulation design procedures, and the measurement setup used to characterize the AMC unit cell. Subsequently, various recent works of antenna design that involve the incorporation of AMC are discussed thoroughly. Each of the recent works is highlighted with specific performance enhancements that can be achieved with the introduction of AMC. The conventionally narrow band property of AMC, which is the bandwidth at which the radiation characteristics and directivity of the antenna can be manipulated, is discussed. The property limits the applications of AMC in wideband antenna applications. One of the techniques to improve the narrow band AMC as the ground plane is discussed in detail. The employment of AMC has solved many issues whilst overcoming the typical limitations in conventional antenna designs.     

GENERALIZED CORRESPONDING STATES CORRELATION FOR THE SURFACE TENSION OF LIQUIDS AND LIQUID MIXTURES

The simple principle of corresponding slates can be generalized lo include substances that depart from strict conformality by introducing state-dependent shape factors. This approach has been applied to the surface tension of simple inorganic compounds, hydrocarbons and their mixtures. Good agreement, generally within experimental error, has been obtained with available experimental results for both pure compounds and mixtures.