Cubic Bézier approximation of a digitized curve

In this paper we present an efficient technique for piecewise cubic Bézier approximation of digitized curve. An adaptive breakpoint detection method divides a digital curve into a number of segments and each segment is approximated by a cubic Bézier curve so that the approximation error is minimized. Initial approximated Bézier control points for each of the segments are obtained by interpolation technique i.e. by the reverse recursion of De Castaljau's algorithm. Two methods, two-dimensional logarithmic search algorithm (TDLSA) and an evolutionary search algorithm (ESA), are introduced to find the best-fit Bézier control points from the approximate interpolated control points. ESA based refinement is proved to be better experimentally. Experimental results show that Bézier approximation of a digitized curve is much more accurate and uses less number of points compared to other approximation techniques.     

Variation resilient low-power memristor-based synchronous flip-flops: design and analysis

Microsystem Technologies - Flip-flops are the basic digital components for all types of complex digital electronics systems and sequential logic circuits. In this paper, new nonvolatile, low power,...     

Land Use Effect on the CN Model Parameters in a Tropical Dry Environment

Dry tropical forests account for over 1,000,000 km², and there is still lack of knowledge on their hydrologic processes. The curve number (CN) hydrologic model developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is widely applied for runoff determination in various parts of the world, but not so in tropical semiarid regions. This study analyzes the impact of land use changes on the CN model in a tropical semiarid environment, in two catchments of native dry tropical forest and thinned dry tropical forest land use from 2009 to 2012. The CN model was calibrated and validated for the NRCS recommended initial abstraction ratio λ = 0.2, and for λ evaluated from rainfall and runoff data. A reliability analysis was performed using Monte Carlo simulation. Model goodness-of-fit was assessed with statistical criteria. A total of 42 and 40 rainfall-runoff events were analyzed for the native and thinned dry tropical forest, respectively. Characteristic λ values of 0.15 and 0.11 were determined for the two respective catchments. Although CN values were similar for both land uses, CN_λ=0.20 = 80 and CN_{median λ} = 77, the thinned catchment showed a higher CN model parameters variability. The CN model was more sensitive to variations of CN values than to those of λ. This study showed that no matter the vegetation management in a dry tropical forest environment, modeled runoff is not affected by λ, but rather affected by CN, which represents soil, landuse and management.     

Chlorosis in sugarcane: Associated soil properties,leaf mineral composition,and crop response to iron and manganese

Attempts were made to find out the nature and cause of a widespread sugarcane chlorosis in a cane growing area. Soils from chlorotic and nonchlorotic fields did not differ markedly in pH, CaCO₃, electrical conductivity, organic C, and soil test P, Zn, Cu, and Mn levels, but the chlorotic field soils had relatively more NH₄OAc-extractable K and less clay and DTPA-extractable Fe. Chlorotic and green leaf blades contained about the same concentration of P, S, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mo, but the former leaf blades had more K and less Ca and HCl soluble Fe than the green ones. Green leaves of plants that seemed to have naturally recovered in chlorotic fields were higher in Mn. A foliage spray with 2.5% FeSO₄.7H₂O solution resulted in greening of leaves and a field experiment showed marked crop response to Fe and some response to Mn. The results thus suggest that the chlorosis is due to a lime-induced Fe-deficiency with the possibility of some role of Mn in Fe nutrition in calcareous soil conditions.Deceased 22 September 1988     

Rheological properties of bitumen in water emulsions with added solids

Experimental work was carried out to investigate the rheological properties of bitumen in water emulsions containing solids of different shape and size. The bitumen volumetric concentration was varied up to 60%, solids free basis, and the solids volume fraction (total volume basis) was varied up to 0.2. Irregular-shaped silica sand (average diameter: 9 and 33 μm) and smooth spherical glass beads (average diameter: 27 and 44 μm) were used as the added solids. In the low shear stress range, shear thinning behavior was observed for bitumen in water emulsions. At high shear stress, the viscosity of the emulsions became fairly independent of the shear stress. The addition of solids to the bitumen emulsions increased the mixture viscosity. The addition of irregular-shaped silica sand gave a higher viscosity than a similar addition of the spherical glass beads. The viscosity of the emulsion/solids mixtures was influenced by the solids size as well; the smaller size particles gave a higher viscosity. The addition of solids to the bitumen emulsions also induced shear thickening (dilatancy) behavior at high solids volume fraction. The degree of the shear thickening increased with the oil concentration.     

A multi-echelon production–inventory system with supply disruption

The article investigates an integrated multi-layer supply chain model consisting of supplier, manufacturer and retailer while supply disruption, machine breakdown, safety stock, maintenance breakdown occur simultaneously. At beginning of the production, manufacturer keeps some raw materials in stock received from second supplier at high price, as safety stock due to supply disruption of first supplier. Corrective maintenance is done immediately to restore its normal stage when machine breakdown occurs. Stock out situations at manufacturer and retailer are considered due to disruption of production for machine breakdown. The integrated expected costs of the chain in centralized (collaborating) and decentralized (Stakelberg approach) system are compared. A numerical example and its sensitivity analysis are provided to test feasibility of the model.     

Three stage trade credit policy in a three-layer supply chain–a production-inventory model

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal replenishment lot size of supplier and optimal production rate of manufacturer under three levels of trade credit policy for supplier–manufacturer–retailer supply chain. The supplier provides a fixed credit period to settle the accounts to the manufacturer, while the manufacturer gives a fixed credit period to settle the account to the retailer and the retailer, in turn, also offers a credit period to each of its customers to settle the accounts. We assume that the supplier supplies the raw material to the manufacturer and sends back the defective raw materials to the outside supplier after completion of inspection at one lot with a sales price. The system always produces good items in the model. Also, we consider the idle times of supplier and manufacturer. Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate the behaviour and application of the model with graphical simulation.     

Rheology of oil in water emulsions with added solids

The effect of added solids on the rheology of oil in water emulsions was investigated. The range of the oil concentration, solids free basis, was (0-70%) and the solids volume fraction was (0-0.16). The solids mean diameter was 45 μm and it was about four times larger than the oil droplets. In the absence of added solids, non-Newtonian behaviour was observed for oil concentrations above 40%. The added solids increased the emulsion viscosity in a manner similar to the addition of solids to a homogeneous fluid. The rheological data of all the emulsion-solids mixtures investigated were correlated as relative viscosity versus solids volume fraction, where the relative viscosity is defined as the ratio of the emulsion-solids mixture viscosity to the solids-free emulsion viscosity. In the case of non-Newtonian systems, the emulsion-solids mixture viscosity and the solids-free emulsion viscosity were calculated at the same shear stress. The Barnea and Mizrahi viscosity correlation was found to fit the data well.