A regularized nonlinear diffusion approach for texture image denoising

In this paper a new partial differential equation based method is presented with a view to denoising images having textures. The proposed model combines a nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filter with recent harmonic analysis techniques. A wave atom shrinkage allied to detection by gradient technique is used to guide the diffusion process so as to smooth and maintain essential image characteristics. Two forcing terms are used to maintain and improve edges, boundaries and oscillatory features of an image having irregular details and texture. Experimental results show the performance of our model for texture preserving denoising when compared to recent methods in literature. © 2009 IEEE.

Evaluation of the diffusion capacity of calcium hydroxide pastes through the dentinal tubules

This study aimed to evaluate the diffusion capacity of calcium hydroxide pastes with different vehicles through dentinal tubules. The study was conducted on 60 extracted single-rooted human teeth whose crowns had been removed. The root canals were instrumented and divided into 4 groups according to the vehicle of the calcium hydroxide paste: Group I - distilled water; Group II - propylene glycol; Group III - 0.2% chlorhexidine; Group IV - 2% chlorhexidine. After placement of the root canal dressings, the teeth were sealed and placed in flasks containing deionized water. After 1, 2, 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days, the pH of the water was measured to determine the diffusion of calcium hydroxide through the dentinal tubules. The data were recorded and statistically compared by the Tukey test. The results showed that all pastes presented a similar diffusion capacity through dentin. Group IV did not present difference compared to group I. Group II presented difference compared to the other groups, as did Group III. In conclusion, groups I and IV presented a better diffusion capacity through dentin than groups II and III; 2% chlorhexidine can be used as a vehicle in calcium hydroxide pastes. © 2009 Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica.

Diffusion phenomena of the oxygen and nitrogen in niobium by mechanical spectroscopy

The short-range diffusion phenomenon (Snoek Effect) was investigated by mechanical spectroscopy measurements between 300 K and 650 K, in a polycrystalline niobium sample, containing oxygen and nitrogen, using a torsion pendulum. Experimental spectra of anelastic relaxation were obtained under three conditions: as-received sample; annealed sample and subsequently annealed in an oxygen atmosphere for three hours at 1170 K in partial pressure of 5°10 -5mbar. The experimental spectra obtained were decomposed in elementary Debye peaks and the anelastic relaxation processes were identified. With anelastic relaxation parameters and the lattice parameters, the interstitial diffusion coefficients of the oxygen and nitrogen in niobium were calculated for each kind of preferential occupation (octahedral and tetrahedral). The results were compared with the literature data, and confirmed that the best adjustment is for the preferential occupation octahedral model for low concentrations of interstitial solutes, but at higher concentration of oxygen were observed deviations of experimental data for the interstitial diffusion coefficients of oxygen in niobium when compared with the literature data, this could be related to the possible occurrence of a double occupation of interstitial sites in the niobium lattice by oxygen interstitials. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.

Quality management and competitiveness: the diffusion of the ISO 9000 standards in Latin America and recommendations for government strategies

Includes bibliography

Determination of copper at wide range concentrations using instrumental features of high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry

This work describes a method to determine Cu at wide range concentrations in a single run without need of further dilutions employing high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Different atomic lines for Cu at 324. 754 nm, 327. 396 nm, 222. 570 nm, 249. 215 nm and 224. 426 nm were evaluated and main figures of merit established. Absorbance measurements at 324. 754 nm, 249. 215 nm and 224. 426 nm allows the determination of Cu in the 0. 07-5. 0 mg L -1, 5. 0-100 mg L -1 and 100-800 mg L -1 concentration intervals respectively with linear correlation coefficients better than 0. 998. Limits of detection were 21 μg L -1, 310 μg L -1 and 1400 μg L -1 for 324. 754 nm, 249. 215 nm and 224. 426 nm, respectively and relative standard deviations (n = 12) were ≤ 2. 7%. The proposed method was applied to water samples spiked with Cu and the results were in agreement at a 95% of confidence level (paired t-test) with those obtained by line-source flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

Effect of different radiopacifying agents on the physicochemical properties of white portland cement and white mineral trioxide aggregate

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pH, calcium ion release, setting time, and solubility of white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA) and white Portland cement (WPC) combined with the following radiopacifying agents: bismuth oxide (BO), calcium tungstate (CT), and zirconium oxide (ZO). Methods: Fifty acrylic teeth with root-end filling material were immersed in ultrapure water for measurement of pH and calcium release (atomic absorption spectrophotometry) at 3, 24, 72, and 168 hours. For evaluation of setting time, each material was analyzed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials guidelines 266/08. The solubility test was performed according to American National Standards Institute/American Dental Association specification no. 57/2000. Solubility, setting time, and pH values were compared by using analysis of variance and Tukey test, and the values of calcium release were compared by the Kruskal-Wallis and Miller tests. The significance level was set at 5%. Results: The pH and calcium release were higher at 3 and 24 hours. WPC was the material with the higher values for both properties. WMTA had the greatest solubility among all materials (P <.05). All radiopacifiers increased the setting time of WPC, and WMTA had the shortest setting time among all materials (P < .05). Conclusions: All materials released calcium ions. Except for WPC/CT at 168 hours, all materials promoted an alkaline pH. On the basis of the obtained results, ZO and CT can be considered as potential radiopacifying agents to be used in combination with Portland cement. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists.

Forced oscillations with continuum models of atomic force microscopy

The dynamics of the AFM-atomic force microscope follows a model based in a Timoshenko cantilever beam with a tip attached at the free end and acting with the surface of a sample. General boundary conditions arise when the tip is either in contact or non-contact with the surface. The governing equations are given in matrix conservative form subject to localized loads. The eigenanalysis is done with a fundamental matrix response of a damped second-order matrix differential equation. Forced responses are found by using a Galerkin approximation of the matrix impulse response. Simulations results with harmonic and pulse forcing show the filtering character and the effects of the tip-sample interaction at the end of the beam. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Information and knowledge: the diffusion of information and communication technologies in the Argentine manufacturing sector

Includes bibliography

Chaotic diffusion caused by close encounters with several massive asteroids: II. the regions of (10) Hygiea, (2) Pallas, and (31) Euphrosyne

Context. Close encounters with (1) Ceres and (4) Vesta, the two most massive bodies in the main belt, are known to be a mechanism of dynamical mobility able to significantly alter proper elements of minor bodies, and they are the main source of dynamical mobility for medium-sized and large asteroids (D > 20 km, approximately). Recently, it has been shown that drift rates caused by close encounters with massive asteroids may change significantly on timescales of 30 Myr when different models (i.e., different numbers of massive asteroids) are considered. Aims. So far, not much attention has been given to the case of diffusion caused by the other most massive bodies in the main belt: (2) Pallas, (10) Hygiea, and (31) Euphrosyne, the third, fourth, and one of the most massive highly inclined asteroids in the main belt, respectively. Since (2) Pallas is a highly inclined object, relative velocities at encounter with other asteroids tend to be high and changes in proper elements are therefore relatively small. It was thus believed that the scattering effect caused by highly inclined objects in general should be small. Can diffusion by close encounters with these asteroids be a significant mechanism of long-term dynamical mobility? Methods. By performing simulations with symplectic integrators, we studied the problem of scattering caused by close encounters with (2) Pallas, (10) Hygiea, and (31) Euphrosyne when only the massive asteroids (and the eight planets) are considered, and the other massive main belt asteroids and non-gravitational forces are also accounted for. Results. By finding relatively small values of drift rates for (2) Pallas, we confirm that orbital scattering by this highly inclined object is indeed a minor effect. Unexpectedly, however, we obtained values of drift rates for changes in proper semi-major axis a caused by (10) Hygiea and (31) Euphrosyne larger than what was previously found for scattering by (4) Vesta. These high rates may have repercussions on the orbital evolution and age estimate of their respective families. © 2013 ESO.

Sequential Determination of Cd, Cu and Pb in Tea Leaves by Slurry Introduction to Thermospray Flame Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A simple procedure for the sequential determination of Cd, Cu and Pb in tea leaves by slurry introduction to thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was developed. Detection limits were 0.05 mg kg-1 for Cd, 2.1 mg kg-1 for Cu and 0.68 mg kg-1 for Pb using 0.67 % (m/v) slurries (100 mg/15 mL). © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Nonlinear control system applied to atomic force microscope including parametric errors

The performance of the optimal linear feedback control and of the state-dependent Riccati equation control techniques applied to control and to suppress the chaotic motion in the atomic force microscope are analyzed. In addition, the sensitivity of each control technique regarding to parametric uncertainties are considered. Simulation results show the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. © 2013 Brazilian Society for Automatics - SBA.

Scaling invariance of the diffusion coefficient in a family of two-dimensional Hamiltonian mappings

We consider a family of two-dimensional nonlinear area-preserving mappings that generalize the Chirikov standard map and model a variety of periodically forced systems. The action variable diffuses in increments whose phase is controlled by a negative power of the action and hence effectively uncorrelated for small actions, leading to a chaotic sea in phase space. For larger values of the action the phase space is mixed and contains a family of elliptic islands centered on periodic orbits and invariant Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) curves. The transport of particles along the phase space is considered by starting an ensemble of particles with a very low action and letting them evolve in the phase until they reach a certain height h. For chaotic orbits below the periodic islands, the survival probability for the particles to reach h is characterized by an exponential function, well modeled by the solution of the diffusion equation. On the other hand, when h reaches the position of periodic islands, the diffusion slows markedly. We show that the diffusion coefficient is scaling invariant with respect to the control parameter of the mapping when h reaches the position of the lowest KAM island. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Evaluation of lines of boron, phosphorus and sulfur by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry for plant analysis

The wavelength-integrated absorbance (WIA) and summation of absorbance (∑ lines) of different lines were evaluated to enhance sensitivity and determine B, P and S in medicinal plants by HR-CS FAAS. The lowest LOD for B (0.5mgL-1) and P (13.7mgL-1) was obtained by integration of lines 249.773nm (3pixels) and 247.620nm (5pixels), respectively. The ∑ lines for CS at 257.595nm and 257.958nm furnished LOD=30.5mgL-1, ca. 10% lower than the LOD obtained for the WIA using 257.595nm and 5pixels. Data showed the advantage of WIA over ∑ lines to improve sensitivity for all analytes. Under optimized conditions, calibration curves in the 1.0-100mgL-1 B and 50.0-2000mgL-1 P, S ranges were consistently obtained. Results obtained with the HR-CS FAAS method were in agreement at 98% and 95% confidence level with certified values for B and P, respectively. And results for S were in accordance to non-certified values. Concentrations of B, P, and S in 12 medicinal plants analyzed by the proposed method varied within the 19.4-34.5mgkg-1 B, 719-3910mgkg-1 P and 1469-7653mgkg-1 S ranges. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.