Catastrophe Point Research Articles

CITRUS RECOGNITION IN REAL SCENARIOS BASED ON MACHINE VISION

At present, citrus is mainly harvested manually with low efficiency and high cost, thereby resulting in an imminent demand for fruit-harvesting robot. Hence, recognizing and locating citrus from complex backgrounds using machine vision technology is the premise and a key technology for robots to harvest them. To accurately and immediately recognize mature citrus, this study proposes a novel method based on the Otsu adaptive threshold method and on the improved random ring method. First, a citrus region was segmented using the Otsu adaptive threshold method overthe V component of the Luminance Chrominance (YUV) color space, extracting then the real citrus region after undergoing a de-noising processing. Second, the citrus edge was extracted using a Canny detection operator with the curvature catastrophe point removed. The short citrus edge was placed in the background to obtain the citrus edge of each segment. Lastly, the citrus feature circle was fitted for continuous citrus edge in each segment using the improved random ring method based on the greedy algorithm. Experiments were conducted using the citrus images in various real scenarios. Results demonstrate that the proposed method increases the overall recognition rate of citrus to 95% with time consumption of approximately 80 ms. The proposed method improves the recognition efficiency, enhances the accuracy of citrus recognition, and provides technical support for fruit-harvesting robots. Lastly, the proposed method can be generalized to the location and recognizition of other similar fruits, thereby providing significant research value. Keywords: Citrus recognition, Otsu adaptive threshold method, Greedy algorithm, Random ring method

THE TIPPING POINT STUDY: DIGITAL DETECTION AND DECISION SUPPORT FOR OLDER ADULTS AND FAMILIES

In 10 years, the United States will experience a “dependency” ratio of one working age adult (20-64 years old) to one non-working person (> 65 or 85 years old will comprise 19 million of the non-working people (US Census Bureau, 2008). Busy working adults will have to be vigilant to determine when to make life-changing decisions about health and safety issues for people that depend on them. Older adults have gradual and cumulative physical and/or psychological aging changes or can experience significant events. Knowing when to make a life-changing decision, such as when to intervene with independent living due to safety risks, is difficult even when situations have constant vigilance. Eventually, older adults experience a seemingly abrupt, sudden and absolute point where a life changing decision must be made. This is the Tipping Point. Health data, derived from unobtrusive wearable sensors, are algorithmically synthesized to provide critical information on impending concerns via an electronic portal will help the busy working adult to predict and prevent the Tipping Point. This application of precision health care results in targeted and personalized education thus avoiding a potentially catastrophic Tipping Point. This symposium provides insight into five aspects of the Tipping Point: 1) significance of identification, 2) theoretical foundation for environmental and cultural sensitivity, 3) feasibility outcomes from a Mexican American population, 4) methodology for synthesizing quantitative metrics from multivariate streams of data, 5) creation of a culturally sensitive electronic portal to display predictive information and education about consequences

An Analytical Study On Air Pollution: Perspective Of The Environmental

Analyzed that the Scientists and Geographers have provided scientific and meteorological evidence of patterns of alter into climatic circumstances of the globe with the resulting conclusion that the global warming is quickly happening & the on-going global warming is anthropogenic into the nature since people continue to extremely burn that fossil fuel as Oil & Gas; Coal & fuel wood. In this paper has to recognize how obtained to that point of forthcoming catastrophe, how susceptible Indians have, particularly those who live into the environmentally deprived regions. The consequence of this alters over the socio-economic growth of people will too investigated whereas adaptation developmental practices that can be adopted into the order to alleviate impending disaster will be proffered. The study made exercise of both primary & secondary data on result of the climate change phenomenon & relevant already published data on nature & consequence of climate change into the India. Now a day’s problem of environment degradation is increasing so there is need to control over it. Explained that the magistrates has opined that the right of human beings over ecological safeguard over countenances of similar coin. During the modern India, ecological Jurisprudence is plays pivotal role to safeguard of environment from degradation. The damage reasoned towards the environment by the poisonous gases & secretions, industrial sewages, plastic squander, misuse of natural resources such as forests, soil, water supplemented through other equally significant factors such as population explosion, poverty, health danger, disintegration into quality of existence have gained disturbing measurement that cry to novel ecological ethic command & justice into the Indian

Variation of Elastic Energy Shows Reliable Signal of Upcoming Catastrophic Failure

We consider the Equal-Load-Sharing Fiber Bundle Model as a model for composite materials under stress and derive elastic energy and damage energy as a function of strain. With gradual increase of stress (or strain) the bundle approaches a catastrophic failure point where the elastic energy is always larger than the damage energy. We observe that elastic energy has a maximum that appears after the catastrophic failure point is passed, i.e., in the unstable phase of the system. However, the slope of elastic energy {\it vs.\/} strain curve has a maximum which always appears before the catastrophic failure point and therefore this can be used as a reliable signal of upcoming catastrophic failure. We study this behavior analytically for power-law type and Weibull type distributions of fiber thresholds and compare the results with numerical simulations on a single bundle with large number of fibers.

Self-potential response characteristics of red sandstone samples under uniaxial compression

Abstract Deformation and rupture of rock mass under loading cause the variation of electric potential. Response characteristics of self-potential and stress during the complete stress-strain process of red sandstones play an important role in evaluating the stress state of sandstone on the basis of self-potential. Experimental results demonstrate that the stress of red sandstone under uniaxial compression is linearly correlated with the self-potential difference before the first inflection point in the initial stage of loading. The average variation rate of self-potential difference and stress is 0.1325 mV MPa−1. As the loading pressure gradually increases and enters the softening stage (before the maximum loading point), the catastrophic points of uniaxial loading stress correspond to the inflection point of self-potential. The self-potential of red sandstone varies in a range of 0–45.6 mV in that case and it fluctuates most significantly around the maximum loading point, with a range of 0.3–195.5 mV. In the end stage of loading, the macroscopic rupture of the red sandstone sample is complete, the self-potential of red sandstone fluctuates slightly around the maximum load point and then gradually stabilizes. Moreover, it is found that self-potentials change more significantly in the radial direction than in the axial direction in the uniaxial compression experiment, indicating that self-potentials generated by rock mass rupture are more sensitive in the radial direction. The rupture process of red sandstone can be dynamically represented by the tempo-spatial evolution profiles of self-potential.

En el vórtice del origen. Maquiavelo con Walter Benjamin

El ensayo se propone interpretar algunos momentos del pensamiento de Maquiavelo a la luz de la filosofía de Benjamin. El tema del origen de la politica constituye el hilo rojo de la argumentación. Origen inmanente al devenir de la historia, que es inicio absoluto de una epoca, que no está separada por el tiempo, como un punto remoto e identificable, como una causa primera capaz de determinar el recorrido sucesivo. Origen que tiene que ver con la idea de la política absoluta, con la idea del conflicto y de la libertad de la política, que el ensayo despliega hasta su punto de catástrofe, en cuyo vórtice todo orden se arruina. Se hace un guiño final a los fragmentos mesiánicos diseminados en la obra de Maquiavelo, a su idea de redención.

Characteristics of self-potential of coal samples under uniaxial compression

Deformation and fracture of a coal body under load may cause potential changes. Using coal samples under uniaxial compression, the coupling relationships between coal mass potential (surface potential) and stress during a complete stress–strain process were determined. Based on the potential difference of coal samples during loading rupture, the time–space evolution signatures of the electrical potential and stress of bituminous and anthracitic coal samples under load during a complete stress–strain process were dynamically depicted with high precision. Experimental results demonstrated that the parameters of self-potential and stress of these coals showed consistent variation with change of uniaxial loading pressure. During the initial stage of uniaxial compression (crack closure and elastic deformation), the self-potential difference of bituminous and anthracitic coals showed a linear increase or decrease with increasing uniaxial pressure, with average rates of change of 0.3565 mV/MPa and 1.1128 mV/MPa, respectively. With a gradual increase of uniaxial loading pressure (into the softening stage), the catastrophic points of uniaxial loading pressure corresponded to the inflection points of the self-potential change. The magnitude of the changes in the self-potentials of both bituminous and anthracitic coals was 10–100 mV before and after the last inflection points. The surface potential distribution of coal samples during uniaxial loading was well described by the self-potential profile, which indicated the degree of damage to the sample. The self-potential of a coal sample caused by deformation and fracture can therefore be used to evaluate the stress state of the coal mass. This work provides a theoretical foundation for application to a method for early prediction of coal and rock dynamic disasters.

Load dependence of power outage statistics

Dynamics of power outages remain an unpredictable hazard in spite of expensive consequences. While the operations of the components of power grids are well understood, the emergent complexity due to their interconnections gives rise to intermittent outages, and power-law statistics. Here we demonstrate that there are additional patterns in the outage size distributions that indicate the proximity of a grid to a catastrophic failure point. Specifically, the analysis of the data for the U.S. between 2002 and 2017 shows a significant anti-correlation between the exponent value of the power-law outage size distribution and the load carried by the grid. The observation is surprisingly similar to dependences noted for failure dynamics in other multi-component complex systems such as sheared granulates and earthquakes, albeit under much different physical conditions. This inspires a generic threshold-activated model, simulated in realistic network topologies, which can successfully reproduce the exponent variation in a similar range. Given sufficient data, the methods proposed here can be used to indicate proximity to failure points and forecast probabilities of major blackouts with a non-intrusive measurement of intermittent grid outages.

Learning from Rivers

Learning from Rivers

Application of the Hilbert–Huang transform for recognition of active gully erosion sites in the Loess Plateau of China

AbstractThe loess shoulder‐lines are known to be the most critical topographic structural lines in the loess landform area of the Loess Plateau, China. Previous studies have shown that gully erosion activity can be reflected in the dynamic changes of the shoulder‐lines. In this study, active gully erosion sites along the shoulder‐lines are investigated. Three typical test areas with different loess landforms are selected, and the loess shoulder‐lines are derived from 1 m resolution digital elevation models. First, height profiles of the loess shoulder‐lines are extracted. Then, from the perspective of frequency domains, active gully erosion sites are identified using the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT). The experimental results show that the HHT method can effectively mine the intrinsic characteristics of the shoulder‐lines. The detailed information components (non‐components) and trend components of the height profiles can be obtained via ensemble empirical mode decomposition and a significance test. In addition, the HHT method was employed to identify the instantaneous frequency curve catastrophe points of the loess shoulder‐line height profiles, and the physical meaning is clear: a higher frequency denotes greater energy and more severe erosive processes, and the catastrophe point locations represent the active gully erosion sites. Evidence from a recent field survey and a comparison with another method supports the results, indicating that the method proposed in this study could potentially be effective for the exploration and analysis of geomorphologically sensitive locations in loess landform studies.

Asymptotic Solutions of a Parabolic Equation Near Singular Points of A and B Types

The Cauchy problem for a quasi-linear parabolic equation with a small parameter multiplying a higher derivative is considered in two cases when the solution of the limit problem has a point of gradient catastrophe. Asymptotic solutions are found by using the Cole–Hopf transform. The integrals determining the asymptotic solutions correspond to the Lagrange singularities of type \(A\) and the boundary singularities of type \(B\). The behavior of the asymptotic solutions is described in terms of the weighted Sobolev spaces.

Variation of Hydrothermal Conditions under Climate Change in Naqu Prefecture, Tibet Plateau, China.

Analysis of the suitability of hydrothermal conditions for vegetation growth would benefit the ecological barrier construction, water resources protection and climate change adaptation. The suitability of hydrothermal conditions in Naqu Prefecture was studied based on the spatial displacement of 500 mm precipitation and 2000 °C accumulated temperature contours. Results showed that the 500 mm precipitation contour had a shifting trend toward the southwest, with a 3.3-year and 7.1-year period, respectively, in the longitudinal and latitudinal direction, and the longitude changed suddenly around 1996. The 2000 °C accumulated temperature contour had a shifting trend toward the northwest, with a 1.8-year period and a 7-year sub-period in the longitudinal direction; the longitude had a catastrophe point between 1966 and 1967, while the latitude had a catastrophe point between 2005 and 2006. When located in the same vegetation zone, the annual precipitation in Naqu Prefecture was higher than the national average, while the accumulated temperature was lower than the national average, indicating that areas with suitable hydrothermal conditions suitable for vegetation growth showed a northwestward shift tendency. This research would help to support some recommendations for plants’ ecological system protection in alpine areas, and also provide guidelines for climate change adaptation.

Asymptotics of a Solution of a Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Wave Equation near a Butterfly Catastrophe Point

The solution of the three-dimensional nonlinear wave equation −U″TT + U″XX + U″YY + U″ZZ = f(eT, eX, eY, eZ, U) by means of the method of matched asymptotic expansions is considered. Here e is a small positive parameter and the right-hand side is a smoothly changing source term of the equation. A formal asymptotic expansion of the solution of the equation is constructed in terms of the inner scale near a typical butterfly catastrophe point. It is assumed that there exists a standard outer asymptotic expansion of this solution suitable outside a small neighborhood of the catastrophe point. We study a nonlinear second-order ordinary differential equation (ODE) for the leading term of the inner asymptotic expansion depending on three parameters: u″xx = u5 − tu3 − zu2 − yu − x. This equation describes the appearance of a step-like contrast structure near the catastrophe point. We briefly describe the procedure for deriving this ODE. For a bounded set of values of the parameters, we obtain a uniform asymptotics at infinity of a solution of the ODE that satisfies the matching conditions. We use numerical methods to show the possibility of locating a shock layer outside a neighborhood of zero in the inner scale. The integral curves found numerically are presented.

Identification of Combined Power Quality Disturbances Using Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Total Least Squares-Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques (TLS-ESPRIT)

In order to identify various kinds of combined power quality disturbances, the singular value decomposition (SVD) and the improved total least squares-estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (TLS-ESPRIT) are combined as the basis of disturbance identification in this paper. SVD is applied to identify the catastrophe points of disturbance intervals, based on which the disturbance intervals are segmented. Then the improved TLS-ESPRIT optimized by singular value norm method is used to analyze each data segment, and extract the amplitude, frequency, attenuation coefficient and initial phase of various kinds of disturbances. Multi-group combined disturbance test signals are constructed by MATLAB and the proposed method is also tested by the measured data of IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) Database. The test results show that the new method proposed has a relatively higher accuracy than conventional TLS-ESPRIT, which could be used in the identification of measured data.

Methodology for Analyzing and Predicting the Runoff and Sediment into a Reservoir

With the rapid economic growth in China, a large number of hydropower projects have been planned and constructed. The sediment deposition of the reservoirs is one of the most important disputes during the construction and operation, because there are many heavy sediment-laden rivers. The analysis and prediction of the runoff and sediment into a reservoir is of great significance for reservoir operation. With knowledge of the incoming runoff and sediment characteristics, the regulator can adjust the reservoir discharge to guarantee the water supply, and flush more sediment at appropriate times. In this study, the long-term characteristics of runoff and sediment, including trend, jump point, and change cycle, are analyzed using various statistical approaches, such as accumulated anomaly analysis, the Fisher ordered clustering method, and Maximum Entropy Spectral Analysis (MESA). Based on the characteristics, a prediction model is established using the Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARIMA) method. The whole analysis and prediction system is applied to The Three Gorges Project (TGP), one of the biggest hydropower-complex projects in the world. Taking hydrologic series from 1955 to 2010 as the research objectives, the results show that both the runoff and the sediment are decreasing, and the reduction rate of sediment is much higher. Runoff and sediment into the TGP display cyclic variations over time, with a cycle of about a decade, but catastrophe points for runoff and sediment appear in 1991 and 2001, respectively. Prediction models are thus built based on monthly average hydrologic series from 2003 to 2010. ARIMA (1, 1, 1) × (1, 1, 1)12 and ARIMA (0, 1, 1) × (0, 1, 1)12 are selected for the runoff and sediment predictions, respectively, and the parameters of the models are also calibrated. The analysis of autocorrelation coefficients and partial autocorrelation coefficients of the residuals indicates that the models built in this study are feasible for representing and predicting the runoff and sediment inflow into the TGP with a high accuracy.

Catastrophic Failure and Critical Scaling Laws of Fiber Bundle Material.

This paper presents a spring-fiber bundle model used to describe the failure process induced by energy release in heterogeneous materials. The conditions that induce catastrophic failure are determined by geometric conditions and energy equilibrium. It is revealed that the relative rates of deformation of, and damage to the fiber bundle with respect to the boundary controlling displacement ε0 exhibit universal power law behavior near the catastrophic point, with a critical exponent of −1/2. The proportion of the rate of response with respect to acceleration exhibits a linear relationship with increasing displacement in the vicinity of the catastrophic point. This allows for the prediction of catastrophic failure immediately prior to failure by extrapolating the trajectory of this relationship as it asymptotes to zero. Monte Carlo simulations are completed and these two critical scaling laws are confirmed.

Reconfiguration point decision method based on dynamic complexity for reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS)

To address the problem of how to identify the best time to implement reconfiguration for the reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS), a dynamic complexity-based RMS reconfiguration point decision method is proposed. This method first identifies factors that affect RMS dynamic complexity (including both positive and negative complexity) at the machine tool and manufacturing cell levels. Next, based on information entropy theory, a quantitative model for RMS dynamic complexity is created, which is solved via state probability analysis for processing capability and the processing function. This model is combined with cusp catastrophe theory to establish an RMS reconfiguration decision model. Both positive and negative complexity are control variables for cusp catastrophe. Cusp catastrophe’s state condition is used to identify RMS state catastrophe at the final stage of production. This catastrophe point is the RMS reconfiguration point. Finally, the case study result shows that this method can effectively identify the RMS state catastrophe moment so that system reconfiguration is implemented promptly to improve RMS’s responsiveness to the market.

‘Digital tech’ and the public sector: what new role after public funding?

ABSTRACTInnovation scholars have long recognized entrepreneurship is ‘imitative’, whereas the commercialization of novelty is ‘innovative’. Thus they are highly distinctive skill-sets. Entrepreneurship, first, involves optimizing market sentiment for pure profit sometimes to the point of catastrophe and even fraudulence in many markets. These include: payment protection insurance (PPI) to ‘flash crashes’, automotive emission ‘defeat devices’, corporate bribery settlements, social media ‘hacking’, ‘fake news’ and a litany of other infractions and catastrophes. Innovation, by contrast, is more explorative and team-reliant. Even if patenting betrays the hope for commercialization on markets, patented innovation frequently fails. Some academic innovators even profess a preference for prizes over profits. Second, this means that collective ‘bonding’ among entrepreneurs, in the form of claimed ‘entrepreneurial ecosystems’, is often based on a single customer platform or as a supplier of a highly specialist type of ‘imitative’ service from identikit pizza chains to ‘me-too’ smartphone apps. Through the latter, fused with artificial intelligence some interactive machine-learning services have long-existed as ‘postsocial’ algorithms serving customers of, for example, investment banks in stock and currency markets. Finally, entrepreneurship is fundamentally competitive, individualistic and non-solidaristic, whereas ‘open innovation’ was born from the practices of ‘open science’ and the collegiate tradition of research. Accordingly, ‘entrepreneurial ecosystems’ can display more closure than RIS set-ups. This special issue explores aspects of these ecosystem platforms and their implications for emergent forms of urban and regional evolution in the near and nearly present future.

Influence of climate variability and human activities on stream flow variation in the past 50 years in Taoer River, Northeast China

Taoer River Basin, which is located in the west of Northeast China, is an agropastoral ecotone. In recent years, the hydrological cycle and water resources have changed significantly with the deterioration of the environment. Many water problems such as river blanking, wetland shrinking and salinization have occurred in this region. All of these phenomena were directly caused by changes in stream flow under climate variability and human activities. In light of the situation, the impact of climate variability and human activities on stream flow should be identified immediately to identify the primary driving factors of basin hydrological processes. To achieve this, statistical tests were applied to identify trends in variation and catastrophe points in mean annual stream flow from 1961 to 2011. A runoff sensitive coefficients method and a SIMHYD model were applied to assess the impacts of stream flow variation. The following conclusions were found: 1) The years 1985 and 2000 were confirmed to be catastrophe points in the stream flow series. Thus, the study period could be divided into three periods, from 1961 to 1985 (Period I), 1986 to 2000 (Period II) and 2001 to 2011 (Period III). 2) Mean annual observed stream flow was 31.54 mm in Period I, then increased to 65.60 mm in Period II and decreased to 2.92 mm in Period III. 3) Using runoff sensitive coefficients, the contribution of climate variability was 41.93% and 43.14% of the increase in stream flow during Periods II and III, suggesting that the contribution of human activities to the increase was 58.07% and 56.86%, respectively. 4) Climate variability accounted for 42.57% and 44.30% of the decrease in stream flow, while human activities accounted for 57.43% and 55.70% of the decrease, according to the SIMHYD model. 5) In comparison of these two methods, the primary driving factors of stream flow variation could be considered to be human activities, which contributed about 15% more than climate variability. It is hoped that these conclusions will benefit future regional planning and sustainable development.

Estimation of relative oxygen metabolic activity microdistribution in biofilms based on the catastrophe point phenomenon during oxygen-infusion processes

A new method has been developed for estimating relative oxygen metabolic activity microdistribution in biofilms based on catastrophe points during oxygen-infusion processes.