Fine blanking of metals

Imperial Users onl

Edge Detection: A Collection of Pixel based Approach for Colored Images

The existing traditional edge detection algorithms process a single pixel on an image at a time, thereby calculating a value which shows the edge magnitude of the pixel and the edge orientation. Most of these existing algorithms convert the coloured images into gray scale before detection of edges. However, this process leads to inaccurate precision of recognized edges, thus producing false and broken edges in the image. This paper presents a profile modelling scheme for collection of pixels based on the step and ramp edges, with a view to reducing the false and broken edges present in the image. The collection of pixel scheme generated is used with the Vector Order Statistics to reduce the imprecision of recognized edges when converting from coloured to gray scale images. The Pratt Figure of Merit (PFOM) is used as a quantitative comparison between the existing traditional edge detection algorithm and the developed algorithm as a means of validation. The PFOM value obtained for the developed algorithm is 0.8480, which showed an improvement over the existing traditional edge detection algorithms.Comment: 5 Page

Antennas and Propagation of Implanted RFIDs for Pervasive Healthcare Applications

© 2010 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.This post-acceptance version of the paper is essentially complete, but may differ from the official copy of record, which can be found at the following web location (subscription required to access full paper): http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2010.205101

Phenomenology of The Left-Right Twin Higgs Model

The twin Higgs mechanism has recently been proposed to solve the little hierarchy problem. We study the implementation of the twin Higgs mechanism in left-right models. At TeV scale, heavy quark and gauge bosons appear, with rich collider phenomenology. In addition, there are extra Higgses, some of which couple to both the Standard Model fermion sector and the gauge sector, while others couple to the gauge bosons only. We present the particle spectrum, and study the general features of the collider phenomenology of this class of model at the Large Hadron Collider.Comment: 41 pages, version appears in PR

Spectral decomposition of starbursts and AGNs in 5-8 micron Spitzer IRS spectra of local ULIRGs

We present an analysis of the 5-8 micron Spitzer-IRS spectra of a sample of 68 local Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs). Our diagnostic technique allows a clear separation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and starburst (SB) components in the observed mid-IR emission, and a simple analytic model provides a quantitative estimate of the AGN/starburst contribution to the bolometric luminosity. We show that AGNs are ~30 times brighter at 6 micron than starbursts with the same bolometric luminosity, so that even faint AGNs can be detected. Star formation events are confirmed as the dominant power source for extreme infrared activity, since ~85% of ULIRG luminosity arises from the SB component. Nonetheless an AGN is present in the majority (46/68) of our sources.Comment: 5 Pages, 3 figures. MNRAS Letters, Accepte

Modern Trends in Commercial Dispute Resolution through Arbitration in Nigeria: Prospects and Constraints

Given the nature and complexity of commercial activities, it is inevitable that disputes arise especially where transactions involve large amounts of money. Disputes use up valuable resources in terms of money, management time and loss of trade. They may also damage trading reputations and relationships. It is therefore essential, in the interests of justice and the efficient use of economic resources, that machinery be provided for their speedy resolution.[1] Business will normally seek to minimize the potential for conflict by taking steps to prevent disputes arising and establishing procedures for speedily resolving any which do arise. No matter how much care is taken in the drafting of contracts, however, disputes will still inevitably arise, as is shown by the volume of litigation generated by the commodity trades, shipping industry, and the rest of the commercial transactions, despite the widespread use of carefully drafted and well-known standard form contracts. In general, it may be said that disputes are likely to arise where one party seeks to act opportunistically, by taking advantage of a change in circumstances or uncertainty in the agreement or in the law. Even the best drafted contract cannot provide with absolute certainty for every eventuality. There must therefore be mechanisms for resolving those disputes. The simplest, and most beneficial, is for the parties to seek themselves to resolve the dispute by negotiation, and most disputes are infact settled by negotiation, generally without the intervention of lawyers[2]. Failing settlement, however, they may resort to litigation, to formal arbitration or to one of the many developing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms. [1] Robert Bradgate,. Commercial Law London,. Butterworths, Publishers, 2000 P.867. [2] See Beale and Dugdale, “Contracts Between Businessmen” (1975) 2 BJLS 45.cf Deakin, Lane and Wilkinson, “Contract Law, Trust Relations and incentives for co-operation: A Comparative Study” in Deakin and Michie (eds) Contracts, Co-operation and Competition: Studies in Economics and Management (1997), who found a relatively high likelihood that small English firms in their survey would resort to litigation, especially to recover unpaid debts

The blue sky of GJ3470b: the atmosphere of a low-mass planet unveiled by ground-based photometry

GJ3470b is a rare example of a "hot Uranus" transiting exoplanet orbiting a nearby M1.5 dwarf. It is of crucial interest for atmospheric studies because it is one of the most inflated low-mass planets known, bridging the boundary between "super-Earths" and Neptunian planets. We present two new ground-based light curves of GJ3470b gathered by the LBC camera at the Large Binocular Telescope. Simultaneous photometry in the ultraviolet (lambda_c = 357.5 nm) and optical infrared (lambda_c = 963.5 nm) allowed us to detect a significant change of the effective radius of GJ3470b as a function of wavelength. This can be interpreted as a signature of scattering processes occurring in the planetary atmosphere, which should be cloud-free and with a low mean molecular weight. The unprecedented accuracy of our measurements demonstrates that the photometric detection of Earth-sized planets around M dwarfs is achievable using 8-10m size ground-based telescopes. We provide updated planetary parameters, and a greatly improved orbital ephemeris for any forthcoming study of this planet.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in A&