Parallels plane projection and its geometric features

A new equivalent map projection called the parallels plane projection is proposed in this paper. The transverse axis of the parallels plane projection is the expansion of the equator and its vertical axis equals half the length of the central meridian. On the parallels plane projection, meridians are projected as sine curves and parallels are a series of straight, parallel lines. No distortion of length occurs along the central meridian or on any parallels of this projection. Angular distortion and the proportion of length along meridians (except the central meridian) introduced by the projection transformation increase with increasing longitude and latitude. A potential application of the parallels plane projection is that it can provide an efficient projection transformation for global discrete grid systems.

Fast Haar Transform Based Feature Extraction for Face Representation and Recognition

Subspace learning is the process of finding a proper feature subspace and then projecting high-dimensional data onto the learned low-dimensional subspace. The projection operation requires many floating-point multiplications and additions, which makes the projection process computationally expensive. To tackle this problem, this paper proposes two simple-but-effective fast subspace learning and image projection methods, fast Haar transform (FHT) based principal component analysis and FHT based spectral regression discriminant analysis. The advantages of these two methods result from employing both the FHT for subspace learning and the integral vector for feature extraction. Experimental results on three face databases demonstrated their effectiveness and efficiency.

An integrated aurora image retrieval system: AuroraEye

With the digital all-sky imager (ASI) emergence in aurora research, millions of images are captured annually. However, only a fraction of which can be actually used. To address the problem incurred by low efficient manual processing, an integrated image analysis and retrieval system is developed. For precisely representing aurora image, macroscopic and microscopic features are combined to describe aurora texture. To reduce the feature dimensionality of the huge dataset, a modified local binary pattern (LBP) called ALBP is proposed to depict the microscopic texture, and scale-invariant Gabor and orientation-invariant Gabor are employed to extract the macroscopic texture. A physical property of aurora is inducted as region features to bridge the gap between the low-level visual features and high-level semantic description. The experiments results demonstrate that the ALBP method achieves high classification rate and low computational complexity. The retrieval simulation results show that the developed retrieval system is efficient for huge dataset. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biologically Inspired Features for Scene Classification in Video Surveillance

Inspired by human visual cognition mechanism, this paper first presents a scene classification method based on an improved standard model feature. Compared with state-of-the-art efforts in scene classification, the newly proposed method is more robust, more selective, and of lower complexity. These advantages are demonstrated by two sets of experiments on both our own database and standard public ones. Furthermore, occlusion and disorder problems in scene classification in video surveillance are also first studied in this paper.

Image Ratio Features for Facial Expression Recognition Application

Video-based facial expression recognition is a challenging problem in computer vision and human-computer interaction. To target this problem, texture features have been extracted and widely used, because they can capture image intensity changes raised by skin deformation. However, existing texture features encounter problems with albedo and lighting variations. To solve both problems, we propose a new texture feature called image ratio features. Compared with previously proposed texture features, e. g., high gradient component features, image ratio features are more robust to albedo and lighting variations. In addition, to further improve facial expression recognition accuracy based on image ratio features, we combine image ratio features with facial animation parameters (FAPs), which describe the geometric motions of facial feature points. The performance evaluation is based on the Carnegie Mellon University Cohn-Kanade database, our own database, and the Japanese Female Facial Expression database. Experimental results show that the proposed image ratio feature is more robust to albedo and lighting variations, and the combination of image ratio features and FAPs outperforms each feature alone. In addition, we study asymmetric facial expressions based on our own facial expression database and demonstrate the superior performance of our combined expression recognition system.

Analysis of amphetamines in urine with liquid-liquid extraction by capillary electrophoresis with simultaneous electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence detection

Amphetamines including methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine were separated and detected by CE using simultaneous electrochemical (EC) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection (CE-EC/ ECL). Factors that influenced the separation and detection performance, such as the detection potential, the pH value and concentration of the running buffer, the separation voltage and the pH of the detection buffer, were investigated.

An effective method for enhancing metal-ions' selectivity of ionic liquid-based extraction system: Adding water-soluble complexing agent

Selective extraction-separation of yttrium(Ill) from heavy lanthanides into 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C(8)mim][PF6]) containing Cyanex 923 was achieved by adding a water-soluble complexing agent (EDTA) to aqueous phase. The simple and environmentally benign complexing method was proved to be an effective strategy for enhancing the selectivity of [C(n)mim] [PF6]/[Tf2N]-based extraction system without increasing the loss of [C(n)mim](+). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The solid-liquid extraction of yttrium from rare earths by solvent (ionic liquid) impreganated resin coupled with complexing method

A kind of solvent (ionic liquid) impreganated resin (IL-SIR) was developed herein for ameliorating imidazolium-type IL-based liquid-liquid extraction of metal ions. In this study, [C(8)mim][PF6] containing Cyanex923 was immobilized on XAD-7 resin for solid-liquid extraction of rare earth (RE). The solid-liquid extraction contributed to ameliorating mass transfer efficiency, i.e. shortening equilibrium time from 40 min to 20 min, increasing extraction efficiency from 29% to 80%. In additional, the novel IL-SIR could separate Y(III) from Sc(III), Ho(III), Er(III), Yb(III) effectively by adding water-soluble complexing agent.

Blue electroluminescent polymers with dopant-host systems and molecular dispersion features: polyfluorene as the deep blue host and 1,8-naphthalimide derivative units as the light blue dopants

We developed a series of highly efficient blue electroluminescent polymers with dopant-host systems and molecular dispersion features by selecting 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives as the light blue emissive dopant units, choosing polyfluorene as the deep blue emissive polymer host and covalently attaching the dopant units to the side chain of the polymer host. The polymers' EL spectra exhibited both deep blue emission from the polymer host and light blue emission from the dopant units because of the energy transfer and charge trapping from the polymer host to the dopant units.

Reversed micellar solubilization extraction and separation of thorium(IV) from rare earth(III) by primary amine N1923 in ionic liquid

The extraction behavior of thorium(IV) sulfate by primary amine N1923 in imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) namely 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C(8)mim]PF6) was systematically studied in this paper. Results showed that the extraction behavior was quite different from that using conventional solvent as diluent. A reversed micellar solubilization extraction mechanism was proposed for the extraction of thorium(IV) by N1923/[C(8)mim]PF6 via slope analysis method and polarized optical microscopy (POM)/transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The salt-out agent, Na2SO4, was demonstrated to prompt this extraction mechanism.

Synergistic extraction and recovery of Cerium(IV) and Fluorin from sulfuric solutions with Cyanex 923 and di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid

Synergistic extraction and recovery of Cerium(IV) (Ce(IV)) and Fluorin (F) from sulfuric solutions using mixture of Cyanex 923 and di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) in n-heptane have been carried out. in order to investigate the synergistic extraction of Cyanex 923 + D2EHPA, extraction Ce(IV), F, Ce(III) and Ce-F mixture solution using D2EHPA or Cyanex 923 as extractant alone were studied firstly, and then Synergistic extraction of Ce(IV), F and Ce(IV)-F mixture solution with D2EHPA + Cyanex 923 were carried out. The largest synergistic coefficient of Ce(IV) is obtained at the mole fraction X-Cyanex (923) = 0.8. The synergistic enhancement coefficients (R-max) obtained for Ce(IV) are 23.12 in Ce(IV) solution, and in Ce-F mixed solution R-max for Ce(IV) and F are 2.24 and 3.25 respectively.

Mass transfer kinetics of neodymium(III) extraction by calix[4]arene carboxylic acid using a constant interfacial area cell with laminar flow

BACKGROUND: Thermodynamics and kinetics data are both important to explain the extraction property. In order to develop a novel separation technology superior to current extraction systems, many promising extractants have been developed including calixarene carboxylic acids. The extraction thermodynamics behavior of calix[4]arene carboxylic acids has been reported extensively. In this study, the mass transfer kinetics of neodymium(III) and the interfacial behavior of calix[4]arene carboxylic acid were investigated.

Reversed micelle formation in a model liquid-liquid extraction system

The formation of reversed micelles and the roles of extractant and extracted complexes were investigated in the Cyanex923/n-heptane/H2SO4 system. Interfacial tension (gamma), electrical conductivity (kappa), and water content measurements showed that Cyanex923 had a tendency to self-assemble, forming reversed micelles. The changes in electrical conductivity with concentration of H2SO4 in the organic phase (CH2SO4,(0)) exhibited an S-type curve: a correlation was found between the change in electrical conductivity and the water content as a function of CH2SO4,(0),.

Extraction kinetics of thorium(IV) with primary amine N1923 in sulfate media using a constant interfacial cell with laminar flow

Extraction kinetics of thorium(IV) with primary amine N1923 in sulfate media has been investigated by a constant interfacial cell with laminar flow. Studies of interfacial tension and effects of the stirring rate, temperature, and specific interfacial area on mass transfer rate show that the most probable reaction zone takes place at the liquid-liquid interface. According to the experimental data correlated as a function of the concentration of the relevant species involved in the extraction reaction, the rate equation of extracting thorium has been obtained as follows: -d[Th(IV)]((o))/dt = 10(-3.10)center dot[Th(IV)](0.89)center dot[(RNH3)(2)SO4](0.74).