Saliency-based framework for facial expression recognition

This article proposes a novel framework for the recognition of six universal facial expressions. The framework is based on three sets of features extracted from a face image: entropy, brightness, and local binary pattern. First, saliency maps are obtained using the state-of-the-art saliency detection algorithm “frequency-tuned salient region detection”. The idea is to use saliency maps to determine appropriate weights or values for the extracted features (i.e., brightness and entropy).We have performed a visual experiment to validate the performance of the saliency detection algorithm against the human visual system. Eye movements of 15 subjects were recorded using an eye-tracker in free-viewing conditions while they watched a collection of 54 videos selected from the Cohn-Kanade facial expression database. The results of the visual experiment demonstrated that the obtained saliency maps are consistent with the data on human fixations. Finally, the performance of the proposed framework is demonstrated via satisfactory classification results achieved with the Cohn-Kanade database, FG-NET FEED database, and Dartmouth database of children’s faces.     

GEOPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SANGU GAS FIELD,OFFSHORE, BANGLADESH: CONSTRAINTS ON RESERVOIRS

The only produced offshore gas field in Bangladesh, known as the Sangu field, is located in the Hatiya Trough in the east of the Bay of Bengal, and has estimated total reserves of about 1055 BCF GIIP. The early shut-down of the field in October 2013 may have resulted in significant volumes of recoverable gas being left in the subsurface over a depth range of 1893 m to 3640 m. In this paper, seismic and well log data were analyzed and interpreted in order to investigate the structure and stratigraphy of the Sangu field, together with the lithology, extent and petrophysical properties of the reservoir. The general lithostratigraphy at Sangu has some similarity to that of the Surma Basin of the Bengal Foredeep. Reservoir rocks consist of Miocene and Pliocene deltaic sandstones and deep-water clastics. The source rock is the Miocene Bhuban Shale which is mature for gas generation in the Hatiya Trough. Three Neogene seismic stratigraphic megasequences were recognised at Sangu and are interpreted to have been deposited respectively in fluvial, delta front and shelf slope or marginal marine settings. Based on an analysis of wireline logs from wells Sangu-1 and Sangu-5 and on seismic-to-well ties, a series of reservoir units referred to (from the base up) as the T1 (E, D, C, A&B), Supra-T1, T2 and T3 have been identified. Petrophysical analyses showed that the average total porosity of these reservoir units is >13%, the permeability is in general less than10 mD, and the gas saturation ranges from 24% to 80%. Mapping of the reservoirs shows that the structure at Sangu is an asymmetric anticline with a NNW-SSE axial trend. Amplitude data have allowed the delineation of two other potential reservoir zones in the field at depths of 2900-3000 m and 3550-3750 m. The study will contribute to future offshore gas exploration and development in the Bay of Bengal region based on the geological and geophysical characteristics of the reservoirs delineated.     

The Tail Effect of Some Prepared Cationic Surfactants on Silver Nanoparticle Preparation and Their Surface,Thermodynamic Parameters,and Antimicrobial Activity

The surface parameters of some cationic surfactants having different hydrophobic alkyl chains were assessed in aqueous solution using different techniques; surface tension, ultraviolet-Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, and conductivity measurements. The obtained critical micelle concentration (CMC) for N-(2-((3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)amino)ethyl)-N,N-dimethyloctan-1-aminium bromide (DBAO), N-(2-((3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)amino)ethyl)-N,N-dimethyldodectan-1-aminium bromide (DBAD), and N-(2-((3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)amino)ethyl)-N,N-dimethylhexadectan-1-aminium bromide (DBAH) in aqueous solution using three techniques are nearly the same. Increasing the hydrophobic chain length enhances micelle formation. Raising the solution temperature from 25 to 65 °C also shows the same trend. The thermodynamic calculations outlined the adsorption propensity of the surfactants at the surface compared to their affinity to form micelles. Both micellization and adsorption processes are enhanced with both the hydrocarbon elongation and with raising the solution temperature. The effect of the surfactant tail on the preparation process of the silver nanoparticles (AgNP) was assessed and confirmed using transmission electron microscope (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and UV–Vis spectra. Increasing the surfactant tail leads to a smaller particle size with a narrow distribution. The stability of the prepared AgNP is enhanced with hydrophobic surfactant tail elongation as proved with increasing the zeta-potential of the prepared AgNP colloid. The foaming power, interfacial tension, and emulsification stability of the DBAO, DBAD, and DBAH surfactants were determined. The DBAO, DBAD, and DBAH surfactants showed good antimicrobial activities against both bacteria (Gram positive and negative) and fungi, which have been enhanced because of incorporation of AgNP.     

Synthesis,complexation and biological effects studies of new thiacrown ethers derived quinoline: part I

A series of new thiacrown ethers derived quinoline 7–9 were synthesized in good yield and in a simple way. Their transition metal ions complexation was studied using a conductometric method in acetonitrile at 25°C. Crowns 7 and 8 showed a continuous decrease in the molar conductances in their complexation with Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ which begins to level off at a molar ratio of 1:1 crown to metal, indicating the formation of 1 stable 1:1 complex. On the other hand, crown 9 showed the formation of 1:1 complexes only with Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺. The in vitro, a preliminary antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects on breast tumor cells were also reported. Five bacterial test strains were included in the present study. Antioxidant activity was measured in terms of the radical scavenging ability and decolorization of 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Cytotoxic effect of thiacrown was evaluated using MDA MB-231 cell line (human breast adenocarcinoma, ATCC HTB-26).     

Glass microparticle- versus microsphere-filled experimental dental adhesives

This study aimed to formulate antibacterial dental adhesives. Phosphate-substituted methacrylate adhesives were modified with 0–20 wt % copper-doped glass microparticles. Two shapes of microparticles were used: regular shaped (microspheres) and irregular shaped (microparticles). The morphology/composition, roughness, monomer conversion (DC%), thermogravimetric analysis, and antibacterial action against S. mutans and P. aeruginosa and ion release were investigated. The results showed that microspheres produced adhesives with a relatively smoother surface than microparticles did. The DC% of adhesives increased with increasing glass filler content. Filled adhesives showed polymer decomposition at ~315 °C and glass melting at 600–1000 °C. The weight loss percent of adhesives decreased with increasing weight percent of fillers. Glass microparticles at 0–20 wt % significantly increased the antibacterial action of adhesives against both bacteria. Glass microspheres at 0–5 wt % significantly increased the antibacterial action of adhesives against both bacteria. Only 20 wt % microparticle-filled adhesive showed an inhibition zone similar to tobramycin (positive control). Microparticle-filled adhesives (with >5 wt % filler) significantly reduced S. mutans more than their microsphere counterparts. Microsphere-filled adhesives (with ≤5 wt % filler) significantly reduced P. aeruginosa more than their microparticle counterparts. Microsphere-filled adhesives showed higher Cu release than their microparticle counterparts. Accordingly, phosphate-substituted methacrylate filled with glass could be used as an antibacterial adhesive. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47832.     

Designing zinc oxide nanostructures (nanoworms,nanoflowers, nanowalls,and nanorods) by pulsed laser ablation technique for gas-sensing application

In this study, pulsed laser ablation technique, also known as pulsed laser deposition (PLD), is used to design and grow zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures (nanoworms, nanowalls, and nanorods) by template/seeding approach for gas-sensing applications. Conventionally, ZnO nanostructures used for gas-sensing have been usually prepared via chemical route, where the 3D/2D nanostructures are chemically synthesized and subsequently plated on an appropriate substrate. However, using pulsed laser ablation technique, the ZnO nanostructures are structurally designed and grown directly on a substrate using a two-step temperature-pressure seeding approach. This approach has been optimized to design various ZnO nanostructures by understanding the effect of substrate temperature in the 300-750°C range under O₂ gas pressure from 10-mTorr to 10 Torr. Using a thin ZnO seed layer as template that is deposited first at substrate temperature of ~300°C at background oxygen pressure of 10 mTorr on Si(100), ZnO nanostructures, such as nanoworms, nanowalls, and nanorods (with secondary flower-like growth) were grown at substrate temperatures and oxygen background pressures of (550°C and 2 Torr), (550°C and 0.5 Torr), and (650°C and 2 Torr), respectively. The morphology and the optical properties of ZnO nanostructures were examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM-EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL). The PLD-grown ZnO nanostructures are single-crystals and are highly oriented in the c-axis. The vapor-solid (VS) model is proposed to be responsible for the growth of ZnO nanostructures by PLD process. Furthermore, the ZnO nanowall structure is a very promising nanostructure due to its very high surface-to-volume ratio. Although ZnO nanowalls have been grown by other methods for sensor application, to this date, only a very few ZnO nanowalls have been grown by PLD for this purpose. In this regard, ZnO nanowall structures are deposited by PLD on an Al₂O₃ test sensor and assessed for their responses to CO and ethanol gases at 50 ppm, where good responses were observed at 350 and 400°C, respectively. The PLD-grown ZnO nanostructures are very excellent materials for potential applications such as in dye-sensitized solar cells, perovskite solar cells and biological and gas sensors.     

Novel sulfonated multi-walled carbon nanotubes filled chitosan composite membrane for fuel-cell applications

In the present study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were sulfonated by 1,3-propane sultone and distillation–precipitation polymerization, respectively, and then incorporated into chitosan (CS) to prepare CS/MWCNTs composite membranes for fuel cell applications. CS/MWCNTs membranes show better thermal and mechanical stability than pure CS membrane due to the strong electrostatic interaction between the  SO₃H groups of MWCNTs and the  NH₂ groups of CS, which can restrict the mobility of CS chain. The sulfonated MWCNTs provide efficient proton hopping sites ( SO₃H,  SO₃⁻ …. ₃⁺HN ), thereby resulting in the formation of continuous proton conducting channels. The composite membranes with 5 wt % of MWCNTs modified by two different ways show a proton conductivity of 0.026 and 0.025 S·cm⁻¹, respectively. In conclusion, CS/MWCNTs membrane is a promising proton exchange membrane for fuel-cell applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47603.     

Heavy Metal Residues in Some Fishes from Manzala Lake,Egypt, and Their Health‐Risk Assessment

A total of 600 freshly caught fish samples (200 each of Nile tilapia, flathead grey mullet, and African catfish) were collected from Manzala Lake, Egypt, and analyzed for determination of heavy metal residues using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Metal concentrations (µg/g wet weight) were detected in all examined samples in quantities of 0.045, 0.0145, and 0.017 µg/g for Hg; 0.511, 0.621, and 0.568 µg/g for As; 0.704, 0.635, and 0.64 µg/g for Pb; and 0.024, 0.006, and 0.020 µg/g for Cd in Nile tilapia, flathead grey mullet, and African catfish, respectively. The mean concentrations of Hg, Pb, and Cd among the three fish species tested followed the order Nile tilapia > African catfish > flathead grey mullet; meanwhile, As concentration followed the order flathead grey mullet > African catfish > Nile tilapia. The contamination levels of Hg and Cd showed significant differences between summer and winter in the three different fish species examined. Both the mullet and catfish tested revealed significant negative correlations between fish size and their residual levels of Hg, Pb, and Cd. Health‐risk assessment indices suggesting that consuming such fishes from Manzala Lake could have a potential health hazard to consumers.