Context-aware features and robust image representations

Local image features are often used to efficiently represent image content. The limited number of types of features that a local feature extractor responds to might be insufficient to provide a robust image representation. To overcome this limitation, we propose a context-aware feature extraction formulated under an information theoretic framework. The algorithm does not respond to a specific type of features; the idea is to retrieve complementary features which are relevant within the image context. We empirically validate the method by investigating the repeatability, the completeness, and the complementarity of context-aware features on standard benchmarks. In a comparison with strictly local features, we show that our context-aware features produce more robust image representations. Furthermore, we study the complementarity between strictly local features and context-aware ones to produce an even more robust representation

The effect of pressure on open-framework silicates: elastic behaviour and crystal-fluid interaction

The elastic behaviour and the structural evolution of microporous materials compressed hydrostatically in a pressure-transmitting fluid are drastically affected by the potential crystal-fluid interaction, with a penetration of new molecules through the zeolitic cavities in response to applied pressure. In this manuscript, the principal mechanisms that govern the P-behaviour of zeolites with and without crystal-fluid interaction are described, on the basis of previous experimental findings and computational modelling studies. When no crystal-fluid interaction occurs, the effects of pressure are mainly accommodated by tilting of (quasi-rigid) tetrahedra around O atoms that behave as hinges. Tilting of tetrahedra is the dominant mechanism at low-mid P-regime, whereas distortion and compression of tetrahedra represent the mechanisms which usually dominate the mid-high P regime. One of the most common deformation mechanisms in zeolitic framework is the increase of channels ellipticity. The deformation mechanisms are dictated by the topological configuration of the tetrahedral framework; however, the compressibility of the cavities is controlled by the nature and bonding configuration of the ionic and molecular content, resulting in different unit-cell volume compressibility in isotypic structures. The experimental results pertaining to compression in "penetrating" fluids, and thus with crystal-fluid interaction, showed that not all the zeolites experience a P-induced intrusion of new monoatomic species or molecules from the P-transmitting fluids. For example, zeolites with well-stuffed channels at room conditions (e.g. natural zeolites) tend to hinder the penetration of new species through the zeolitic cavities. Several variables govern the sorption phenomena at high pressure, among those: the "free diameters" of the framework cavities, the chemical nature and the configuration of the extra-framework population, the partial pressure of the penetrating molecule in the fluid (if mixed with other non-penetrating molecules), the rate of P-increase, the surface/volume ratio of the crystallites under investigations and the temperature at which the experiment is conducted. An overview of the intrusion phenomena of monoatomic species (e.g. He, Ar, Kr), small (e.g. H2O, CO2) and complex molecules, along with the P-induced polymerization phenomena (e.g. C2H2, C2H4, C2H6O, C2H6O2, BNH6, electrolytic MgCl2*21H2O solution) is provided, with a discussion of potential technological and geological implications of these experimental findings

H-bonding in lazulite: a single-crystal neutron diffraction study at 298 and 3 K

The crystal structure and crystal chemistry of a lazulite from Crosscut Creek (Kulan Camp area, Dawson mining district, Yukon, Canada) was investigated by electron microprobe analysis in wavelength-dispersive mode (EMPA) and single-crystal neutron diffraction at 298 and 3 K. Its empirical formula, based on EMPA data, is: (Mg0.871Fe0.127)\u3a30.998Al2.030(P1.985Ti0.008Si0.007O4)2(OH)2. The neutron diffraction experiments at room and low T proved that the H-free structural model of lazulite previously reported, on the basis of X-ray structure refinement, is correct: the building unit of the lazulite structure consists of a group of three face-sharing (Al-octahedron) + (Mg,Fe-octahedron) + (Aloctahedron), connected to the adjacent one via a corner-shared OH-group and two corner-shared oxygen sites of the P-tetrahedron, to form a dense 3D-edifice. Only one crystallographically independent H site occurs in the structure of lazulite, forming a hydroxyl group with the O5 oxygen, with O5\u2013H = 0.9997 \uc5 at room temperature (corrected for riding motion effect). The H-bonding scheme in the structure of lazulite is now well defined: a bifurcated bonding scheme occurs with the O4 and O2 oxygen sites as acceptors. The two H-bonds are energetically different, as shown by their bonding geometry: the H-bond with the O2 site as acceptor is energetically more favorable, being O5\u2013H\ub7\ub7\ub7O2 = 152.67(9)\ub0, O5\ub7\ub7\ub7O2 = 3.014(1) \uc5 and H\ub7\ub7\ub7O2 = 2.114(1) \uc5, whereas that with O4 as acceptor is energetically more costly, being O5\u2013H\ub7\ub7\ub7O4 = 135.73(8)\ub0, O5\ub7\ub7\ub7O4 = 3.156(1) \uc5 and H\ub7\ub7\ub7O4 = 2.383(1) \uc5, at room temperature. No T-induced phase transition occurs within the T-range investigated. At low temperature, the O5\u2013H\ub7\ub7\ub7O2 bond is virtually identical to the room-T one, whereas the effects of T on O5\u2013H\ub7\ub7\ub7O4 are more pronounced, with significant differences of the Odonor\ub7\ub7\ub7Oacceptor and H\ub7\ub7\ub7Oacceptor distances. The experimental findings of this study do not support the occurrence of HPO4 or H2PO4 units into the structure of lazulite, recently reported on the basis of infrared and Raman spectra

High-pressure behavior of synthetic mordenite-Na: an in situ single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction study

The high-pressure behavior of a synthetic mordenite- Na (space group: Cmcm or Cmc21) was studied by in situ single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction with a diamond anvil cell up to 9.22(7) GPa. A phase transition, likely displacive in character, occurred between 1.68(7) and 2.70(8) GPa, from a C-centered to a primitive space group: possibly Pbnm, Pbnn or Pbn21. Fitting of the experimental data with III-BM equations of state allowed to describe the elastic behavior of the high-pressure polymorph with a primitive lattice. A very high volume compressibility [KV0 = 25(2) GPa, \u3b2V0 = 1/KV0 = 0.040(3) GPa\u20131; KV\u2032 = ( 02KV/ 02P)T = 2.0(3)], coupled with a remarkable elastic anisotropy (\u3b2b > > \u3b2c > \u3b2a), was found. Interestingly, the low-P and high-P polymorphs show the same anisotropic compressional scheme. A structure collapse was not observed up to 9.22(7) GPa, even though a strong decrease of the number of observed reflections at the highest pressures suggests an impending amorphization. The structure refinements performed at room-P, 0.98(2) and 1.68(7) GPa allowed to describe, at a first approximation, the mechanisms that govern the framework deformation in the low-P regime: the bulk compression is strongly accommodated by the increase of the ellipticity of the large 12-membered ring channels running along [001]

Multiscale analysis of masonry vaults coupling shell elements to 3D-Cauchy continuum

This study adopts an enhanced multiscale approach to investigate the effects of the damaging process on the structural behavior of masonry vaults with regular texture, in view of their safety assessment. The model, recently developed by the authors, links two different structural models at macro and microscale, exploiting the advantages of each formulation. At the macroscopic level a homogeneous Mindlin-Reissner shell is modeled and its constitutive response is derived by the detailed analysis of a three-dimensional (3D) masonry Unit Cell (UC) studied at microlevel. The UC is considered as the assembly of elastic bricks and damage-plastic zerothickness interfaces, representative of both mortar and mortar-unit interaction, thus accounting for the actual geometry, arrangement and constitutive response of each constituent material. A Transformation Field Analysis procedure is used to link the two scales, speeding up the numerical simulations. Structural response of a masonry vault under differential settlements is investigated, determining its load-bearing capacity and the damaging path evolving in the structure up to collapse. The reliability of the results is proved by comparison with outcomes derived by detailed micromechanical analysis, interpreting and arguing similarities and differences. © 2023, Association of American Publishers. All rights reserved

Multiscale Finite Element Modeling Linking Shell Elements to 3D Continuum

The present paper investigates the response of masonry structural elements with periodic texture adopting an advanced multiscale finite element model, coupling different formualations at the two selected scales of analysis. At the macroscopic structural level, a homogeneous thick shell is considered and its constitutive response is derived by the detailed analysis of the masonry repetitive Unit Cell (UC), analyzed at the microlevel in the framework of the three-dimensional (3D) Cauchy continuum. The UC is formed by the assembly of elastic bricks and nonlinear mortar joints, modeled as zero-thickness interfaces. The Transformation Field Analysis procedure is invoked to address the nonlinear homogenization problem of the regular masonry. The performance of the model in reproducing various masonry textures is explored by referring to an experimentally tested pointed vault under different profiles of prescribed differential settlements. The structural behavior of the vault is studied in terms of global load-displacement curves and damaging patterns and the numerical results are compared with those recovered by detailed micromechanical analyses and experimental evidences

Ettringite at high pressure: structure evolution and elastic behaviour

In order to predict the elastic properties of the complex multi-component Portland cement, database of the thermodynamic parameters of the main constituents is needed. Ettringite (ideally Ca6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12\ub727H2O, with a=b \uf07e 11.21 and c \uf07e 21.43 \uc5, Sp. Gr. P31c) is a common crystalline phases in Portland cements. It contains more than 45 wt% of H2O. In the early hydration stages, the crystallization of ettringite governs the set rate of the highly reactive Ca3Al2O6 phase (also known as \u201cC3A\u201d), whereas in aged cements its formation is associated to degradation processes1. The crystal structure of ettringite is rather complex and it consists of [Ca3[Al(OH)6]\ub712H2O]-columns (in which Al(OH)6-octahedra are alternated with triplets of Ca(OH)4(OH2)4-polyhedra) and sulphate groups connected by a complex H-bonding net2. Previous studies on the behavior of ettringite at high pressure reported only the isotropic compressional behavior of ettringite 3,4. Because of that, the linear bulk moduli (Ka and Kc) and a full description of the deformation mechanisms at the atomic scale are still missing. We compressed a single crystal of ettringite up to 4.2 GPa by means of in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, using a diamond-anvil cell and the mix methanol:ethanol (4:1) as P-transmitting fluid. Ettringite shows a marked anisotropic compressional pattern (Ka 21(1) GPa, Kc 47(1) GPa), which dramatically changes at P>3 GPa (Fig. 1). At P>3 GPa, the bulk modulus KV of ettringite drops from 26.6(5) to 10.4(8) GPa. Such a softening is governed by the structural changes which affect mainly the elastic behavior on the ab plane (Ka drops from 21(1) to 7.3(8) GPa whereas Kc decreases only moderately). The structure refinements reveal that the elastic softening reflects the collapse of the H-bonding net, due an average decrease of the Odonor\ub7\ub7\ub7Oacceptor distances (up to 0.20 \uc5 in some cases), which mainly affect the interaction between the sulphate groups and the Ca(OH)4(OH2)4-polyhedra lying in the ab plane

Proposed Experiments to Clarify the Real Nature of the Quantum Waves

The nature of quantum waves, whether they are real physical waves or, on the contrary, mere probability waves, has been a very controversial theme since the beginning of quantum theory. Here we present some possible experiments that may clarify the problem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio