Partitioning intensity inhomogeneity colour images via Saliency-based active contour

Partitioning or segmenting intensity inhomogeneity colour images is a challenging problem in computer vision and image shape analysis. Given an input image, the active contour model (ACM) which is formulated in variational framework is regularly used to partition objects in the image. A selective type of variational ACM approach is better than a global approach for segmenting specific target objects, which is useful for applications such as tumor segmentation or tissue classification in medical imaging. However, the existing selective ACMs yield unsatisfactory outcomes when performing the segmentation for colour (vector-valued) with intensity variations. Therefore, our new approach incorporates both local image fitting and saliency maps into a new variational selective ACM to tackle the problem. The euler-lagrange (EL) equations were presented to solve the proposed model. Thirty combinations of synthetic and medical images were tested. The visual observation and quantitative results show that the proposed model outshines the other existing models by average, with the accuracy of 2.23% more than the compared model and the Dice and Jaccard coefficients which were around 12.78% and 19.53% higher, respectively, than the compared model

Growth kinetic and composition of the interfacial layer for RF sputtering Al2O3 layer on germanium

Purpose – The quality of GeOx–Ge interface and the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) are the main issues in fabricating high-k/Ge gate stack due to the low-k of GeOx interfacial layer (IL). Therefore, a precise study of the formation of GeOx IL and its contribution to EOT is of utmost importance. In this study, the GeOx ILs were formed through post-oxidation annealing of sputtered Al2O3 on the Ge substrate. The purpose of this paper is to report on growth kinetics and composition of IL between Al2O3 and Ge for HCl- and HF-last Ge surface. Design/methodology/approach – After wet chemical cleaning with HCl or HF, Al2O3 was grown onto the Ge surface by RF sputtering. Thickness and composition of IL formed after post-anneal deposition at 400°C in dry oxygen ambience were evaluated as a function of deposition time by FESEM and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Findings – It was observed that the composition and thickness of IL were dependent on the starting surface and an aluminum germinate-like composition was formed during RF sputtering for both HF- and HCl-last starting surface. Originality/value – The novelty of this work is to investigate the starting surface of Ge to IL growth between Al2O3/Ge that will lead to the improvement in Ge metal insulator field effect transistors (MISFETs) applicatio

Effects of Post-Deposition Annealing Temperatures on the Composition of Interfacial Layer at Germanium (Ge) /Aluminium Oxide (Al2 O3 ) (Kesan Suhu Penyepuhlindapan Pasca Pemendapan ke atas Komposisi Antara Muka Lapisan Oksida Germanium (Ge)/Aluminium (Al2 O3 ))

The understanding of chemical bonding structure of high k dielectrics/Germanium (Ge) interface is upmost importance in order to form a good quality dielectric/Ge interface in fabricating Ge metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFETs). In addition, there is still no detail explanation on the interfacial growth of dielectrics/Ge under the influenced of different temperature of post deposition anneal. In current work, the effects of post deposition anneal (PDA) temperature between 400°C and 600°C on the chemical composition of interfacial layer between Ge and Al2 O3 were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Investigation on thermal stability and structural characteristics for gate structure of Al2 O3 dielectric grown on Ge by RF sputtering was done by analyzing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra. It is observed that the oxygen deficient region in interfacial layer (IL) is enhanced rather than fully oxidized Al2 O3 with increased PDA temperatures. These undesired phenomena caused shrinkage of IL at Ge/Al2 O3 interface at higher temperature of 600°C

THE MANDARIN ORAL MASTERY PROGRAMME AS PERCEIVED BY NON-NATIVE LEARNERS

Background and Purpose: Pinyin is required in learning Mandarin. The challenge of Romanised Pinyin is that learners must decipher the meaning of words based on the change of tone. Communication research is often conducted without accounting for the effects of the change of tone in learning a language. With the aim of avoiding miscommunication while strengthening awareness, Campus Buddies Programme was employed to provide tone practice for learners and consequently explores the effectiveness of the intervention.   Methodology: This quantitative classroom-based research gathered information through the administration of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 32 Mandarin Level 1 learners identified through purposive sampling. The students studied five topics from the syllabus. A total of 10 native speakers who scored A in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) mentored the learners during the programme. The participants were instructed to answer both pre- and post-tests. Part A consists of demographic details, whereas Part B focuses on the effectiveness of questions and Part C consists of 30 questions of content learned by the respondents. The data were then analysed using SPSS 26 software.   Findings: The respondents demonstrated a positive response towards the programme and suggested further improvement ideas such as prolonging the training session and adding more topics and oral activities. The results implicated the programme as a motivator for oral fluency. Many non-native speakers can benefit from conversation with Mandarin native speakers because it is a strong indicator and sound oral mastery strategy.   Contributions: This research provides insights into the effectiveness of the current programme in motivating students’ oral learning. The outcome is essential in determining the Mandarin conversation strategy. More studies adopting different variables are proposed to explore correlations from different perspectives in order to improve students’ oral learning.   Keywords: Tonal pronunciation, native speakers, non-native speakers, foreign language instruction, Mandarin conversation.   Cite as: Chua, N. A., Soon, G. Y., Ibrahim, M. Y., Che Noh, C. H., Mansor, N. R., Embong Eusoff, A. M., Abdul Rashid, R., & Shen, M. (2022). The Mandarin oral mastery programme as perceived by non-native learners.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(1), 1-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss1pp1-2

Effects of post-deposition annealing temperatures on the composition of interfacial layer at germanium (Ge) /aluminium oxide (Al2O3)

The understanding of chemical bonding structure of high k dielectrics/Germanium (Ge) interface is upmost importance in order to form a good quality dielectric/Ge interface in fabricating Ge metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFETs). In addition, there is still no detail explanation on the interfacial growth of dielectrics/Ge under the influenced of different temperature of post deposition anneal. In current work, the effects of post deposition anneal (PDA) temperature between 400°C and 600°C on the chemical composition of interfacial layer between Ge and Al2O3 were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Investigation on thermal stability and structural characteristics for gate structure of Al2O3 dielectric grown on Ge by RF sputtering was done by analyzing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra. It is observed that the oxygen deficient region in interfacial layer (IL) is enhanced rather than fully oxidized Al2O3 with increased PDA temperatures. These undesired phenomena caused shrinkage of IL at Ge/Al2O3 interface at higher temperature of 600°C