Ear Structure Feature Extraction Based on Multi-scale Hessian Matrix

Ma Chi,Ban Xiaojuan,Wang Guosheng,Tian Ying 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Signal Processing, Image Vol.9 No.5

In this paper, a new ear anatomy feature edge extraction method based on Hessian matrix is proposed. Stable edge is obtained from principal curvature image across scale space. Firstly, the side face image that includes an ear is filtered and forms Gaussian pyramid. Secondly, the 2D gray image in the pyramid was regarded as a surface, maximum and minimum principal curvature and their direction were calculated by using Hessian matrix, and principal curvature image was formed. The characteristic of surface is that gray level changes in edge area is sharp and the curvature is larger compared to that of the smooth area. In accordance with this characteristic, automatic hysteresis thresholding based on curvature direction flow is used to segment curvature images. Lastly, combine different scale threshold images to get the feature edge image. The experiments demonstrate that extracted feature edge is smooth and connected. New method is robust to noise, and is sensitive to the weak edge, using Hausdorff distance as similarity measurement of two edge images can obtain above 96% recognition rate.

Fast Bi-directional SIFT Algorithm and Application

Ma Chi,Huang Yubin,Zhu Yongyong 보안공학연구지원센터(IJSIP) 2014 International Journal of Signal Processing, Image Vol.7 No.4

Spatial-temporal Indexing Research based on Road Network : Improved-MON-tree

Ma Chi,Huang Yubin,Zhu Yongyong,Yu Yanhui 보안공학연구지원센터 2014 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.7 No.4

Sustainable Management Framework for Transportation Assets: Application to Urban Pavement Networks

Cristina Torres-Machi,Cristina Torres-Machi,Pablo Godoy,Alondra Chamorro,Claudio Mourgues,Carlos Videla 대한토목학회 2018 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.22 No.10

Transportation assets play a crucial role in the development of society, being the backbone of socio-economic development but also a key contributor to climate change. Transportation asset management systems include a set of tools to support agencies in the decision on which infrastructure of a network should be preserved, maintained and/or rehabilitated. However, the evaluation of these networks has traditionally focused on economic and technical aspects of interurban networks. Considering the direct impacts on the evolution of social and natural environments, management of these assets needs to be sustainable. This article proposes a methodology for the sustainable management of transportation assets, by integrating technical, economic, environmental, social and political aspects in the Life Cycle-Assessment of a network. The methodology proposes a framework that integrates these aspects in the various components and processes considered in a management system. It incorporates a Geographic Information System as the main platform to pursue the socio-political analysis based on geographical referencing of formalized variables. The proposed framework is applied to a case study for the management of an urban pavement network. Outcomes demonstrate that it is possible to integrate sustainable aspects, despite their diverse nature, in a management system supported by a Geographic Information System.

Optimization of modular Truss-Z by minimum-mass design under equivalent stress constraint

Zawidzki, Machi,Jankowski, Lukasz Techno-Press 2018 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.21 No.6

Truss-Z (TZ) is an Extremely Modular System (EMS). Such systems allow for creation of structurally sound free-form structures, are comprised of as few types of modules as possible, and are not constrained by a regular tessellation of space. Their objective is to create spatial structures in given environments connecting given terminals without self-intersections and obstacle-intersections. TZ is a skeletal modular system for creating free-form pedestrian ramps and ramp networks. The previous research on TZ focused on global discrete geometric optimization of the spatial configuration of modules. This paper reports on the first attempts at structural optimization of the module for a single-branch TZ. The internal topology and the sizing of module beams are subject to optimization. An important challenge is that the module is to be universal: it must be designed for the worst case scenario, as defined by the module position within a TZ branch and the geometric configuration of the branch itself. There are four variations of each module, and the number of unique TZ configurations grows exponentially with the branch length. The aim is to obtain minimum-mass modules with the von Mises equivalent stress constrained under certain design load. The resulting modules are further evaluated also in terms of the typical structural criterion of compliance.

Academic inbreeding: exploring its characteristics and rationale in Japanese universities using a qualitative perspective

Hugo Duarte Alves Horta,Machi Sato,Akiyoshi Yonezawa 서울대학교 교육연구소 2011 Asia Pacific Education Review Vol.12 No.1

This study analyses why and how academic inbreeding as a recruitment practice continues to prevail in Japan, a country with a mature higher education system, where high rates of academic inbreeding endure in most of the research-oriented universities in spite of several higher education reforms. Based on a qualitative analysis, we disclose three characteristics that lead academics to become inbred at Japanese universities. One characteristic-the adoption of "open recruitment processes" in detriment of "closed recruitment processes"—changed over time, limiting academic inbreeding practices, but two other characteristics remained unchanged over time: the "one university learning experience" and the "concentration of doctoral supervisors at the same university". These latter characteristics represent difficult challenges to be tackled as they are also traditional characteristics of the Japanese higher education system. The research also shows that academic inbreeding practices are a means to assure organizational stability and institutional identity, features perceived as important by Japanese universities. A central challenge for the Japanese universities is then to guarantee these features without needing to rely on academic inbreeding practices to obtain them. However, devising policies to meet this challenge calls for institutional will to change, proactive strategies and time.

Influence of Blade Number on Performance and Internal Flow Condition of Centrifugal Pump for Low Viscous Fluid Food

Toru Shigemitsu,Eito Nakaishi,Machi Maeda,Yusuke Araki 한국유체기계학회 2021 International journal of fluid machinery and syste Vol.14 No.1

There are many kinds of the fluid food transportation pumps depending on the characteristics of the fluid, i.e. a sanitary pump made from stainless steel, a screw pump and so on. A centrifugal pump was adopted as a fluid food pump in this research because it makes the stable continuous transportation of fluid food and the structure of the pump is simple compared to positive displacement pumps. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of the blade number on the pump performance and internal flow to enrich the pump design data for low viscous fluid food. The centrifugal pump with an open impeller was used and six impellers having the different blade number were prepared. Performance test using an experimental apparatus was conducted and the numerical analysis was also carried out. In the numerical analysis, the commercial software ANSYS-CFX16.2 was used. The head, shaft power and efficiency obtained by the numerical analysis, are almost the same with the experimental results. The head and shaft power increase with the increase of the blade number. The shear rate, which is concerned to fluid food quality, is high near the inlet region of the blade-to-blade passage for all types of blades. The shear rate of each type of the blade is discussed based on the numerical analysis results and relations between the blade number and shear rate are clarified.

DIFFERENCE IN METHYLMERCURY EXPOSURE TO FETUS AND BREAST-FEEDING OFFSPRING: A MINI-REVIEW

Mineshi Sakamoto,Huan Sheng Pan,Kubota Machi 한국환경보건학회 2005 한국환경보건학회지 Vol.31 No.3

The purpose of this paper was to concisely review the practical changes in MeHg concentrations in fetus and offspring throughout gestation and suckling from our recent animal and human studies. In the animal study, adult female rats were given a diet containing 5 mg/g Hg (as MeHg) for 8 weeks. Then they were mated and subsequently given the same diet throughout gestation and suckling. On embryonic days 18, 20, 22 and at parturition, the concentrations of Hg in the brains of fetus were approximately 1.5-2.0 times higher than those in the mothers. However, during the suckling period Hg concentrations in the brain rapidly declined to about 1/ 10 of that during late pregnancy. Hg concentrations in blood also decreased rapidly after birth. In human study, Hg concentrations in red blood cells (RBC-Hg) in 16 pairs of maternal and umbilical cord blood samples were compared at birth and 3 months of age after parturition. RBC-Hg in the umbilical cords was about 1.6 times higher than those in the mothers at parturition. However, all the infants showed declines in Hg concentrations throughout the breast-feeding period. RBC-Hg at 3 months of age was about half that at birth. Both the animal and human studies indicated that MeHg exposure to the fetus might be especially high but it dramatically decreases during the suckling period. Therefore, close attention should be paid to the gestation rather than the breast-feeding period to avoid the risk of MeHg to human infants.

COVID-19 Lockdown, Earnings Manipulation and Stock Market Sensitivity: An Empirical Study in Iraq

Bushra Abdul Wahhab ALJAWAHERI,Hassnain Kadhem OJAH,Ahmed Hussein MACHI,Akeel Hamza ALMAGTOME 한국유통과학회 2021 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.8 No.5

This article examines the potential impact of the Covid-19 Lockdown on earnings manipulation and stock market sensitivity to earnings announcements. It also explores the effects of earnings manipulation after the COVID-19 outbreak on the share price sensitivity to the earnings disclosures. The study uses a quantitative method to analyze the financial data consisting of 87 firms listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange for the period from 2018 to 2020, which constitutes a total of (174 observations). We used Ohlson (1995) model to estimate financial market reaction and sensitivity to earnings manipulation fluctuations and accounting information. The results show that companies practice earnings manipulation to maintain earnings over a time series, which means a negative impact of earnings manipulation on all earnings measures’ value relevance (EPS, BVS, and CFS). Accordingly, earnings manipulation negatively influences investor behavior in the financial market, based mainly on financial reporting. The value relevance of financial reports has also decreased because of the COVID-19 outbreak and related economic Lockdown. These results reflect a long-term adverse impact of earnings manipulation on investor behavior and financial statements reliability.

Progress in R&D of coated conductor in M-PACC project

Izumi, T.,Ibi, A.,Nakaoka, K.,Taneda, T.,Yoshida, T.,Takagi, Y.,Nakamura, T.,Machi, T.,Katayama, K.,Sakai, N.,Yoshizumi, M.,Koizumi, T.,Kimura, K.,Kato, T.,Kiss, T.,Shiohara, Y. The Korea Institute of Applied Superconductivity a 2014 한국초전도저온공학회논문지 Vol.16 No.2

The five-year national project in Japan for R&D of coated conductors and applications, named as the Materials and Power Applications of Coated Conductors (M-PACC) project, was finished at the end of FY2013. The project consists of four sub-themes as cable, transformer, SMES and coated conductors. In the theme of coated conductors, the fabrication process had been developed to satisfy the requirements from the applications such as in-field $I_c$ performance, low AC loss in the long tapes etc. Through the project, the remarkable progress was achieved as follows; a high in-field minimum $I_c$ value over 54A/cm-width under 3T at 77K was realized in a 200m long EuBCO tape with artificial pinning centers of $BaHfO_3$ by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on the IBAD template. On the other hand, the AC loss reduction was confirmed in the tapes fabricated by both PLD and the metal organic deposition (MOD) techniques by scribing 100m tapes into 10-filamments. Additionally, the mechanism of the delamination phenomenon was systematically investigated and the strength was improved by eliminating the origins of the weak points in the films. Through the development, all targeted goals were accomplished and the several results were appreciated as a world champion data.