Gestures are one of the basic modes of human communication and are usually used to represent different actions. Automatic recognition of these actions forms the basis for solving more complex problems like human behavior analysis, video surveillance, event detection, and sign language recognition, etc. Action recognition from images is a challenging task as the key information like temporal data, object

The polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) subjected to hygrothermal aging was applied to nanoindentation tests under different indentation strain rates. The influences of hygrothermal aging on the indentation behaviors of PMMA are discussed. Results show that the indentation elastic modulus and hardness decrease with increasing aging time. Furthermore, the indentation size effects (ISE) can be observed in

Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. In the last century, polymers have dominated the materials market, and in the later part of the 20th century, the possibility to further improve their properties and expand their applications was explored by combining polymers with reinforcing elements [...]

The objective of this study was to determine the combined usage possibilities of ultraviolet (UV) and ultrasonic (US) processes in the pasteurization of pomegranate juice. For this purpose, UV, US, and combined UV+US pasteurization of pomegranate juice were optimized using experimental designs, such as the Central Composite Design (CCD) and Factorial Design (FD), and compared with the conventional

This article presents a methodology for the design of rehabilitation devices that considers factors involved in a clinical environment. This methodology integrates different disciplines that work together. The methodology is composed by three phases and 13 stages with specific tasks, the first phase includes the clinical context considering the requirements of the patient and therapist during the rehabilitation

The stringent emission regulations have motivated the development of cleaner fuels as diesel surrogates. However, their different physical-chemical properties make the study of their behavior in compression ignition engines essential. In this sense, optical techniques are a very effective tool for determining the spray evolution and combustion characteristics occurring in the combustion chamber. In

Infrared thermography has been introduced as an affordable tool for plant water status monitoring, especially in regions where water availability is the main limiting factor in agricultural production. This paper outlines the potential applications of low-cost thermal imaging devices to evaluate the water status of young and mature sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) submitted to water stress. Two

A multiphase flow measurement technique plays a critical role in the studies of heat and mass transfer characteristics and mechanism of the gas–liquid two-phase, the practical measurement of the gas–liquid flow and the improvement of multiphase theoretical models. The four-sensor electrical probe as an emerging measurement method has been proved to be able to get the local flow parameters of multi-dimensional

Based on various carbon nano materials, the ternary composite functionalized carbon nanotubes (FMWCNTs) @ carbon quantum dots (CQDs) @ polyaniline (PANI) was prepared by in-situ polymerization and hydrothermal method. The carbon-based material was made into an electrode sheet. The morphology and microscopic nanostructures were characterized by FTIR, field emission scanning electron microscopy and field

Platycodongrandiflorus (PG) root extract has been widely used as an oriental herbal medicine. Red PG root extract (RPGE), which is made by steaming and drying PG several times, contains more saponin than raw (white) PG. Although RPGE has been known to have anti-inflammatory activity, the effects of RPGE on the immune-enhancing response remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the immune-enhancing

Uranium could be released into the aquatic ecological environment through various sorts of nuclear-related procedures, which has high toxicity and carcinogenicity even with a trace amount. A novel phosphonic acid functionalized cellulose adsorbent (PVKAP) with a simple synthesis strategy is developed based on pumpkin vine cellulose (PVK) as the substrate material for efficient and selective capturing

For accurate design, construction, and maintenance, it is important to identify the elastic modulus of concrete. This is usually achieved using a destructive test based on American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C469. However, obtaining an appropriate static elastic modulus (Ec) requires many specimens, and the testing is difficult and time-consuming. Thus, a dynamic elastic modulus (Ed)

This work provides economic and environmental analyses of transportation-related impacts of different photovoltaic (PV) module technologies at their end-of-life (EoL) phase. Our results show that crystalline silicon (c-Si) modules are the most economical PV technology (United States Dollars (USD) 2.3 per 1 m2 PV module (or 0.87 ¢/W) for transporting in the United States for 1000 km). Furthermore, we

Objective: Timely monitoring right ventricular systolic blood pressure (RVSBP) is helpful in the early detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, it is not easy to monitor RVSBP directly. The objective of this paper is to develop a deep learning technique for RVSBP noninvasive estimation using heart sound (HS) signals supported by (electrocardiography) ECG signals without complex features extraction

One of the primary tasks for commercial recommender systems is to predict the probabilities of users clicking items, e.g., advertisements, music and products. This is because such predictions have a decisive impact on profitability. The classic recommendation algorithm, collaborative filtering (CF), still plays a vital role in many industrial recommender systems. However, although straight CF is good

This paper presents a methodological approach to the time-series analysis of movement monitoring data of a large slow-moving landslide. It combines different methods of data manipulation to decrease the subjectivity of a researcher and provides a fully quantitative approach for analyzing large amounts of data. The methodology was applied to 3D dilatometric data acquired from the giant San Andrés Landslide

To avoid unnecessary power loss during switching between the various power sources of a composite electric vehicle while achieving smooth operation, this study focuses on the development and dynamic simulation analysis of a control system for the power of a parallel composite vehicle. This system includes a power integration and distribution mechanism, which enables the two power sources of the internal

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) plays various roles, including differentiation and mitogenesis, and IGFs are reported to regulate the bone growth and maintenance. This study was performed to analyze the enhancing effects of IGF-2 on osteogenic differentiation and the mineralization of stem cells cultured on deproteinized bovine bone mineral. Stem cell loaded bone graft material was cultured in the

We designed a low-cost wrist-worn prototype for simultaneously measuring environmental, behavioral, and physiological domains of influencing factors in healthcare. Our prototype continuously monitors ambient elements (sound level, toxic gases, ultraviolet radiation, air pressure, temperature, and humidity), personal activity (motion tracking and body positioning using gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer)

(1) Background: Decellularized xenogeneic tissues are promising matrices for developing tissue-engineered cardiovascular grafts. In vitro recellularization of these tissues with stromal cells can provide a better in vivo remodelling and a lower thrombogenicity of the graft. The process of recellularization can be accelerated using a cultivation bioreactor simulating physiological conditions and stimuli

Chemical composition of biomass, especially carbohydrate content, is a critical indicator of a biomass source’s potential for biofuel applications. This study characterized physico-chemical properties of stalks from 16 representative pedigreed sorghum mutant lines. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the recovery of sucrose and its hydrolysis products, glucose and fructose, during dilute

This paper describes the manufacturing method and properties of a superalloy as a gas turbine blade material and a thermal barrier coating to protect it. The development process of superalloy and characteristics of each casting method were introduced. In particular, the single crystal superalloys were analyzed for creep and tensile properties with temperature according to chemical composition. In addition

In this paper, we investigate the problem of estimating the phase of a coherent state in the presence of unavoidable noisy quantum states. These unwarranted quantum states are represented by outlier quantum states in this study. We first present a statistical framework of robust statistics in a quantum system to handle outlier quantum states. We then apply the method of M-estimators to suppress untrusted

We carry out a bibliometric analysis on neurological and ophthalmological pathologies based on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Documents were selected from Scopus database. We have applied the most commonly used bibliometric indicators, both for production and dispersion, as Price’s law of scientific literature growth, Lotka’s law, the transient

Today, social networks are becoming increasingly popular and indispensable, where users usually have multiple accounts. It is of considerable significance to conduct user identity linkage across social networks. We can comprehensively depict diversified characteristics of user behaviors, accurately model user profiles, conduct recommendations across social networks, and track cross social network user

To solve the problem that the random distribution of noise in the time-frequency (TF) plane largely affects the readability of TF representations, a novel signal adaptive decomposition algorithm processed in TF domain, which provides adequate information about the time-varying instantaneous frequency, is presented in this paper. The theoretical basis of this algorithm is short-time Fourier transform

The dependency of the static residual tensile strength for the Glass Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) laminates after impact on the impact energy level and indent shape is investigated. In this study, two different laminates, unidirectional, [0°2]s) and TRI (tri-axial, (±45°/0°)2]s), were prepared using the vacuum infusion method, and an impact indent on the respective laminates was created at different

Numerous formulae are available for predicting the scabbing limit and perforation limit thicknesses subjected to impact loading, but no formula has yet been proposed for estimating the scabbing depth, which is the damaged depth at the rear face when the back of the concrete panel is peeled. In this paper, a new energy-based impact formula along with a theoretical background is proposed to estimate

Haedoksamul-tang (HST) is a traditional medical prescription comprising eight medicinal herbs: Angelica gigas, Cnidium officinale, Coptis japonica, Gardenia jasminoides, Paeonia lactiflora, Phellodendron amurense, Rehmannia glutinosa, and Scutellaria baicalensis. HST is used to treat blood circulation disorders and has anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and anticonvulsant effects. In this study, a high-performance

The current intelligent driving technology based on image data is being widely used. However, the analysis of traffic accidents occurred in intelligent driving vehicles shows that there is an explanatory difference between the intelligent driving system based on image data and the driver’s understanding of the target information in the image. In addition, driving behavior is the driver’s response based

An enhanced circulating cooling water (CCW) machine is developed to simultaneously achieve high temperature stability and dynamic performance of CCW temperature control. Dynamic thermal filtering based on an auto-updatable thermal capacity medium is proposed to reduce the temperature fluctuation of the CCW. Agile thermal control is presented to realize a quick response and high resolution of temperature

The expressions of wave structure function (WSF) and long-exposure modulation transfer function (MTF) for laser beam propagation through non-Kolmogorov turbulence were derived in our previous work. In this paper, based on anisotropic maritime atmospheric non-Kolmogorov spectrum, the new analytic expression of WSF for Gaussian-beam waves propagation through turbulent atmosphere in a horizontal path

With the rapid development of computer hardware and the emergence of the parallel calculation of diffraction fields, a breakthrough has been made in terms of the limitation of the unacceptable amount of computational cost to design diffractive optical elements (DOEs), and more accurate global search algorithms can be introduced to the design of complex DOEs and holographic projections instead of traditional

In this work we follow a multiscale methodology to characterize the structural performance of post-tensioned steel fiber-reinforced concrete dry joints. At the material level, we use an experimentally validated lattice-particle model whose input parameters are the properties of the different phases themselves (i.e., mortar, aggregates, fibers) and mixing information. This model is used to obtain the

The electric energy production would be much more efficient if accurate estimations of the future demand were available, since these would allow allocating only the resources needed for the production of the right amount of energy required. With this motivation in mind, we propose a strategy, based on neuroevolution, that can be used to this aim. Our proposal uses a genetic algorithm in order to find

The species of green macroalga belonging to the genus Ulva (family: Ulvaceae) are utilized in various fields, from food supplements to biomedical applications. Ulvan, a polysaccharide obtained from various Ulva species, has shown various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral activities. To obtain the polysaccharide ulvan that can be

This paper investigates the effect of the multi-directional components of ground motion on an unanchored steel storage tank. Both the liquid sloshing effect and contact behavior between the foundation and tank are included in the study. A three-dimensional model for a foundation–structure–liquid system is numerically simulated using the finite element method. The Lagrange fluid finite element method

In the case of automated guided vehicles using odometry, a very important issue is to know the actual rolling radius of the wheel used to calculate the position of the vehicle. This radius is not constant. Its changes depend on the elastic deformation of the band layer and wheel slip. The theoretical determination of the value of the radius and the nature of the change is very difficult. For this reason

This work investigated the effect of magnesium ion concentration on the formation of mineral scale in circulating cooling water under alternating electric field treatment (AEFT) by using a self-made power plant circulating cooling water simulator. In this experiment, the circulating cooling water used was artificial hard water. Three experimental groups with different magnesium ion concentrations and

This work examined a new method of bi-directional static load testing for piles, referencing the Osterberg test. Measurements were taken, on a laboratory scale, using six models of piles driven into a box filled with sand. This method allowed for separate measurements of pile base and pile shaft bearing capacities. Based on the results, the total pile bearing capacity and equivalent Q–s diagrams were

Recently, deep learning frameworks have been deployed in visual odometry systems and achieved comparable results to traditional feature matching based systems. However, most deep learning-based frameworks inevitably need labeled data as ground truth for training. On the other hand, monocular odometry systems are incapable of restoring absolute scale. External or prior information has to be introduced

Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. Like in many countries, research devoted to nanosciences in Belgium grew up after high-resolution electron microscopy and local probe microscopic tools became available [...]

A novel feature reconstruction method, referred to as interval feature transformation (IFT), is proposed for time series classification. The IFT uses perceptually important points to segment the series dynamically into subsequences of unequal length, and then extract interval features from each time series subsequence as a feature vector. The IFT distinguishes the best top-k discriminative feature

Increasing attention to sustainable development issues and recycling are forcing the recyclers to use different incentives to capture more market share. Recycling innovation input is one of the effective topics in reverse competitive chains. Because of the importance of this issue, firstly, a basic closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) system is discussed that includes an integrated manufacturer and a third-party

This paper presents free vibrations of the tapered horseshoe circular arch with a constant volume. The volume of the arch is constant, and the cross-sectional shape of the arch is square and circular. The taper function of the arch is a quadratic function. Differential equations with the boundary conditions that govern the free vibration of such arches are derived and numerically solved to calculate

Here we theoretically and experimentally demonstrated the arbitrary phase modulation of a general transmittance function (GTF) of the first-order optical comb filter based on a polarization-diversity loop structure, which employed two ordered waveplate sets (OWS’s) of a quarter-wave plate (QWP) and a half-wave plate (HWP). The proposed comb filter is composed of a polarization beam splitter (PBS),

Investigation of biofilms and visualization using non-destructive imaging techniques like X-ray CT has recently gained interest. Biofilms are congregations of microorganisms that attach to surfaces and comprise of microbial cells embedded in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). They are ubiquitous entities that are commonly found in any non-sterile setting and have direct implications on human

A drone be able to fly without colliding to preserve the surroundings and its own safety. In addition, it must also incorporate numerous features of interest for drone users. In this paper, an aerial mixed-reality environment for first-person-view drone flying is proposed to provide an immersive experience and a safe environment for drone users by creating additional virtual obstacles when flying a

This study presents a design and evaluation of a mock circulatory platform, which can reproduce blood pressure and its waveforms to provide palpation experience based on the human cardiovascular physiology. To reproduce the human cardiovascular behavior, especially the blood pressure, the proposed platform includes three major modules: heart, artery and reservoir modules. The heart module reproduces

Low-speed axial cooling fans are frequently used to manage engine temperature by ensuring that adequate quantities of air pass through heat exchangers, even at low vehicle speeds or in the idle condition. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the unsteady flow behavior around an automotive axial cooling fan with seven blades and its impact on the aerodynamic noise generation. Large Eddy

Historical manuscripts and archival documentation are handwritten texts which are the backbone sources for historical inquiry. Recent developments in the digital humanities field and the need for extracting information from the historical documents have fastened the digitization processes. Cutting edge machine learning methods are applied to extract meaning from these documents. Page segmentation (layout

R. raciborskii is known for growing under wide ranges of temperature and light. In temperate regions, however, low temperature and high light may serve as a stressful condition for invading tropical populations. The genetic basis of R. raciborskii’s adaptation to this combination of stresses are unknown. In this study, the growth rate and the expression of genes that may be crucial in the response

Flexible printed electronic circuits have recently attracted attention as an alternative promising methodology due to the additive process being more environmentally friendly and using less raw material compared to conventional lithography and chemical vapor deposition. However, printed circuits produced by roll-to-roll (R2R) conveyance are often scratched, which can result in breaks in the conductive

This study described a ground reinforcement effect of a concrete mat, in order to apply a concrete mat for ground subsidence restoration of an open cut. A concrete mat can prevent the expansion of a cavity and relaxation area underground due to buried pipe damage when the buried pipe is in use. An experimental study was conducted to analyze the stress distribution characteristics of an underground

A low solvent consumption method for the determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in animal urine samples is studied. The NSAIDs were extracted with CH2Cl2 by the ultrasound vortex assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (USVA-DLLME) method from urine samples, previously treated with β-glucuronidase/acrylsulfatase. After centrifugation, the bottom phase of the chlorinated

This paper presents a method for estimating the six Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) pose of texture-less primitive-shaped objects from depth images. As the conventional methods for object pose estimation require rich texture or geometric features to the target objects, these methods are not suitable for texture-less and geometrically simple shaped objects. In order to estimate the pose of the primitive-shaped

In a multidimensional two-phase flow analysis, bubble size significantly affects interfacial transfer terms such as mass, momentum, and energy. With regard to bubbly flow, the application of a simple correlation-type bubble size model presents certain advantages, including short calculation times and ease of usage. In this study, we propose a semi-theoretical correlation developed from a steady state

In this study, we characterize the lateral dimension, depth, and inclination of buried tilted rectangular heat sources from time domain temperature data measured at the surface. The heat sources are representative for planar defects that emit heat in thermographic tests with internal burst excitation. We present a semi-analytical expression for the evolution of the surface temperature distribution

The COVID-19 pandemic is swiftly changing our behaviors toward online channels across the globe. Cultural patterns of working, thinking, shopping, and use of technology are changing accordingly. Customers are seeking convenience in online shopping. It is the peak time to assist the digital marketplace with right kind of tools and technologies that uses the strategy of click and collect. Session-based

This paper describes results of numerical analyses of reinforced lintels made of autoclaved aerated concrete built into unconfined walls and walls confined with reinforced concrete. The combination of the Menétrey–Willam elastic-plastic failure criterion (M-W-3) and the Rankine criterion was used for numerical analysis of masonry. The parameters were determined by laboratory tests. Rebars were modelled