Ambiguity of Underwater Color Measurement and Color-based Habitat Classification

The paper discusses ambiguities in recording color underwater. Routinely collected RGB imagery can be used for classification and recognition utilizing the proposed probabilistic approach. The device for collection of spectral signatures, necessary for this approach is described

Probabilistic Reconstruction of Color for Species’ Classification Underwater

Color is probably the most informative cue for object recognition and classification in natural scenes. Difference in shades can indicate to the biologist the potential for diversity of species or stress on the habitats. However, severe color distortions may occur in underwater imagery due to wavelength-dependent attenuation of light. Affordable tri-chromatic sensors are used to record the ambient light condition and color correct the imagery, but results show that this approach works reliably only under highly controllable conditions. This paper proposes an approach that combines hyperspectral data collected for the object of interest, hardware properties of the imaging sensor, and exterior conditions (optical properties of water and illumination) with tri-chromatic underwater imagery. Due to ambiguity of color reconstruction underwater, demonstrated in the paper, a probabilistic approach is used for classification that allows the identification of the object of interest from other objects

NMR — SPECTROSCOPY TECHNIQUE FOR SALMON FISH SPECIES QUALITY ASSESSMENT

NMR-spectroscopy was used for development of the criteria which characterize the chilled and frozen fish quality. It has been shown that 1H-NMR experiments can be used as quality factor to measure the concentration of inosine, hypoxanthine and inosine-5’-monophosphate generated during the fish storage. The quality factor is expressed by the K1 correlates well with the sensory quality of chilled Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar), whereas, quality factor H is more sensitive for measuring the quality characteristics of frozen pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).NMR-spectroscopy was used for development of the criteria which characterize the chilled and frozen fish quality. It has been shown that 1H-NMR experiments can be used as quality factor to measure the concentration of inosine, hypoxanthine and inosine-5’-monophosphate generated during the fish storage. The quality factor is expressed by the K1 correlates well with the sensory quality of chilled Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar), whereas, quality factor H is more sensitive for measuring the quality characteristics of frozen pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Experimental investigation of the role of thyrocalcitonin in the prophylaxis of disturbances in the water-salt and mineral metabolism during a 30-day hypokinesia

The effect of thyrocalcitonin (TCT) injections on the metabolism of water and electrolytes in free-moving and immobilized chinchilla hares is described. Calcium excretion from immobilized animals was elevated, but normalized in those also receiving TCT injections. TCT also normalized water content and excretion rates

Parameterization of the Extinction Coefficient in Ice and Mixed-Phase Arctic Clouds during the ISDAC Field Campaign

This report documents the history of attempts to directly measure cloud extinction, the current measurement device known as the Cloud Extinction Probe (CEP), specific problems with direct measurement of extinction coefficient, and the attempts made here to address these problems. Extinction coefficient is one of the fundamental microphysical parameters characterizing bulk properties of clouds. Knowledge of extinction coefficient is of crucial importance for radiative transfer calculations in weather prediction and climate models given that Earth's radiation budget (ERB) is modulated much by clouds. In order for a large-scale model to properly account for ERB and perturbations to it, it must ultimately be able to simulate cloud extinction coefficient well. In turn this requires adequate and simultaneous simulation of profiles of cloud water content and particle habit and size. Similarly, remote inference of cloud properties requires assumptions to be made about cloud phase and associated single-scattering properties, of which extinction coefficient is crucial. Hence, extinction coefficient plays an important role in both application and validation of methods for remote inference of cloud properties from data obtained from both satellite and surface sensors (e.g., Barker et al. 2008). While estimation of extinction coefficient within large-scale models is relatively straightforward for pure water droplets, thanks to Mie theory, mixed-phase and ice clouds still present problems. This is because of the myriad forms and sizes that crystals can achieve, each having their own unique extinction properties. For the foreseeable future, large-scale models will have to be content with diagnostic parametrization of crystal size and type. However, before they are able to provide satisfactory values needed for calculation of radiative transfer, they require the intermediate step of assigning single-scattering properties to particles. The most basic of these is extinction coefficient, yet it is rarely measured directly, and therefore verification of parametrizations is difficult. The obvious solution is to be able to measure microphysical properties and extinction at the same time and for the same volume. This is best done by in situ sampling by instruments mounted on either balloon or aircraft. The latter is the usual route and the one employed here. Yet the problem of actually measuring extinction coefficient directly for arbitrarily complicated particles still remains unsolved

Simulation of stellar instabilities with vastly different timescales using domain decomposition

Strange mode instabilities in the envelopes of massive stars lead to shock waves, which can oscillate on a much shorter timescale than that associated with the primary instability. The phenomenon is studied by direct numerical simulation using a, with respect to time, implicit Lagrangian scheme, which allows for the variation by several orders of magnitude of the dependent variables. The timestep for the simulation of the system is reduced appreciably by the shock oscillations and prevents its long term study. A procedure based on domain decomposition is proposed to surmount the difficulty of vastly different timescales in various regions of the stellar envelope and thus to enable the desired long term simulations. Criteria for domain decomposition are derived and the proper treatment of the resulting inner boundaries is discussed. Tests of the approach are presented and its viability is demonstrated by application to a model for the star P Cygni. In this investigation primarily the feasibility of domain decomposition for the problem considered is studied. We intend to use the results as the basis of an extension to two dimensional simulations.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, published in MNRA

Influence of Anodizing by Electro-Chemical Oxidation on Fatigue and Wear Resistance of the EV31A-T6 Cast Magnesium Alloy

In the last decades, several anodizing processes for Mg alloys have been proposed to achieve a good wear and corrosion resistance combination. In particular, Electro-Chemical Oxidation (ECO) showed an improved dense and compact anodized layer compared to other anodizing processes carried out above the dielectric breakdown voltage, such as Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO). However, the influence of the ECO treatment on the tribological behavior and cyclic mechanical performance of Mg alloys has not been investigated yet. This paper reports on the influence of ECO on dry sliding behavior (vs. 100Cr6 bearing steel (block-on-ring contact geometry)) and rotating bending fatigue performance of the rare earth (RE)-containing Mg alloy EV31A-T6, comparing it with both untreated EV31A-T6 and PEO-treated EV31A-T6, used as benchmarks. The ECO-treated alloy showed improved tribological behavior (critical load for coating failure one order of magnitude higher and coefficient of friction 40% lower than for PEO) and fatigue strength (no decrease for ECO-treated samples compared to the untreated alloy, while PEO-treated samples induced a 15% decrease) due to the increased compactness and lower defectivity of the anodized layer, induced by the minimization of destructive arc discharges during coating growth. In addition, the ECO treatment significantly improved wear resistance compared to the untreated alloy, avoiding, at the same time, the decrease in fatigue strength, which typically occurs after PEO. Therefore, the ECO process can be applied to improve wear resistance without decreasing the fatigue strength of high-performance components

Iodouracil-mediated photocrosslinking of DNA to EcoRII restriction endonuclease in catalytic conditions

We used a XeCl excimer laser with 50 ns pulses, a frequency of 0.3 Hz and a wavelength of 308 mn in appropriate conditions for the photocrosslinking of EcoRII restriction endonuclease to a 14-mer DNA duplex, containing a 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine residue (IdU). IdU replaced the thymidine residue within the EcoRII recognition sequence 5′-CCT/AGG. The binding of EcoRII endonuclease to the IdU-containing DNA duplex was analyzed by gel retardation assay in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+ ions. Photocrosslinking of EcoRII to the IdU-containing DNA duplex occurred in a pre-reactive complex formed in the presence of Ca2+ ions. Photocrosslinking yields as a function of time and UV-laser light intensity were studied.We thank Professor Alexander Yu. Borisov for valuable discussions and Robin Rycroft for assistance in preparation of the manuscript. We are grateful to Professor Ashok Bhagwat for providing us with the pR224 plasmid containing the ecoRII gene. This study was supported by the Russian Foundation of Fundamental Investigation (project no. 01–04–48637).Peer reviewe

ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЕ ЦИФРОВЫХ СИСТЕМ С ПОНИЖЕННЫМ ЭНЕРГОПОТРЕБЛЕНИЕМ С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ UPF-ОПИСАНИЯ ПОДСИСТЕМЫ ПИТАНИЯ

In this review paper, the problem of the design of energy-efficient electronic systems is considered. Different energy-saving methods are presented. The necessity of additional tools of formal behavioral description of the power subsystem is explained. The elements of the power domain energy subsystem are explained, the design stages for the system with power domains are presented. Unified Power Format (UPF) is presented as a tool to describe power intent in a low- power system. An example system with the UPF-description is presented.В рамках проблемы проектирования энергетически эффективных цифровых систем приводятся различные методы понижения энергопотребления. Обосновывается необходимость дополнительных средств формального поведенческого описания доменной подсистемы питания. Рассматриваются элементы доменной подсистемы питания и этапы проектирования цифровой системы с учетом ее разделения на домены питания. Дается пример описания системы с применением формата UPF

Ambiguity of underwater color measurement and color-based habitat classification

Summary The paper discusses ambiguities in recording color underwater. Routinely collected RGB imagery can be used for classification and recognition utilizing the proposed probabilistic approach. The device for collection of spectral signatures, necessary for this approach is described