Zulfaqar Journal of Defence Science, Engineering & Technology

THE TWO PHASE GENERALIZED MEAN MODEL BASED ON FUZZY LEVEL SET FOR ROBUST IMAGE SEGMENTATION

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Image segmentation is one of the crucial tasks in medical image processing and computer vision. The goal for image segmentation is to separate the pixels in the image into its constituent parts. Variational model in image segmentation involves formulating image segmentation as an optimization problem. The models seeking a partition of the image into meaningful regions by minimizing or maximizing an energy functional. These models often use geometric information to represent object boundaries. The models involve techniques such as active contours and level set methods. In this paper, the generalized mean model for image segmentation is investigated. The model is a 2D region-based model which utilizes the fuzzy level set method. The model is compared with the active contour without edges model also known as the Chan-Vese for three types of images: without noise, with noise and with sinusoidal intensity inhomogeneity. Based on the numerical results, the generalized mean model obtained higher accuracy and Dice similarity measure compared to the Chan-Vese model based on the tested images. The model is useful in medical imaging for disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment planning.

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PALM OIL-BASED LOTIONS FOR ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUND CONTAMINATED SKIN DECONTAMINATION

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) are very toxic chemicals and become a major threat to civilians and military personnel as they are commonly used as pesticides and chemical weapons. Since their penetration rates through human skin are relatively high, an immediate decontamination upon dermal exposure is vital and this can be carried out by applying a lotion containing ingredients that react with the OPs to produce harmless products. As an effort to reduce our dependency on foreign technology which becomes a big threat to our country security and budget, we have been exploring of a possibility of producing our own OP reactive skin decontamination lotion. In this report we describe a procedure to prepare a palm oil-based lotion that can be used to as a matrix for incorporating active ingredients to remove OPs from an OP contaminated skin. The pH of the lotion was ranged between 8 to 9 and remained in this range for over 6 months. In addition, there was no phase separation and microbial growth observed when the tests were carried out. The absence of new and major shift of functional groups in the FTIR spectrum of the stored lotion suggested the product was also chemically stable.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF DUAL ORIFICE AIR COLUMN ORIENTATIONS ON THE PRIMARY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF BACKWARD BENT DUCT BUOY (BBDB)

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This research investigates the Backward Bent Duct Buoy (BBDB), a floating type of Oscillating Water Column (OWC), focus on assessing the influence of dual orifice air column orientations on its primary conversion efficiency. The study includes the design and fabrication process of the top panel, conducted through SolidWorks CAD software and laser cutting methods using acrylic sheets as materials. Notably, Configuration 1 demonstrates the highest efficiency at 0.092%, followed by Configuration 2 at 0.091%, and Configuration 3 at 0.083%. These findings contribute to understanding the performance differences of BBDB configurations, offering understanding for further advancements in wave energy conversion systems .

DISASTER WASTE CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT DURING AND POST FLOOD

Siti Salmiah Awang, Hasliza Abu Hassan, Wan Farizatul Shima Wan Ahmad Fakuradzi — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Flood disaster potentially increases the infectious disease incidence rate from waterborne, vector-born, and zoonotic diseases due to a shortage of clean water, sanitation, and poor waste management. The occurrence of floods amidst the COVID-19 pandemic added an unprecedented layer of complexity to waste management in disaster-affected regions since the pandemic already generated a significant number of medical wastes. Therefore, any mismanagement of disaster waste can affect the response and long-term recovery in the affected area, resulting in severe environmental contamination and preventing the practice to reuse, recycle, or recovery in the waste stream. This article aims to understand the public health concerns, environmental impacts, and challenges associated with managing Malaysia's waste disposal in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RASHES, EDEMA, AND THE DIAGNOSTIC PUZZLE: UNRAVELING ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC EDEMA OF INFANCY IN A 9-MONTH-OLD

Lim Pei Pei, Rohini Sivanesan — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Acute Haemorrhagic Edema of Infancy (AHEI) is a rare and benign small vessel vasculitis that typically affects children aged 4 to 24 months. Despite its self-limiting nature, AHEI often poses a diagnostic challenge due to its clinical similarity to more severe conditions such as Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), erythema multiforme, Kawasaki disease, and meningococcaemia. The report on the case of a 9-month-old girl who presented with localized swelling and purpuric skin lesions, initially misdiagnosed as cellulitis. The diagnostic challenge was compounded by the rarity of AHEI and its resemblance to other vasculitis and infectious conditions. Following a series of clinical evaluations and a skin biopsy, the diagnosis of AHEI was confirmed. The patient was treated with a short course of oral corticosteroids, resulting in complete resolution of symptoms. The accurate diagnosis of AHEI not only facilitated appropriate management but also prevented unnecessary investigations and alleviated parental anxiety. This case underscores the importance of considering AHEI in the differential diagnosis of infants presenting with purpuric lesions and localized edema. Early recognition and accurate diagnosis are crucial in preventing over-treatment and ensuring optimal patient care.

SITE RESPONSE ANALYSIS OF KLANG VALLEY SOIL UNDER DIFFERENT CONSTITUTIVE MATERIAL MODELS

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This paper presents an investigation on the influence of constitutive models on the seismic response of soil material under impact of earthquake loading. In this study, Site Response Analysis (SRA) is performed to evaluate the seismic response of two selected soil profiles located in Klang Valley area when subjected to three strong earthquake ground motion. The soil profiles are designed to behave under three constitutive models i.e., Mohr Coulomb (MC), Hardening Soil (HS), Hardening Soil Small (HSS). The numerical analyses are conducted using the PLAXIS 2D finite element software. The comparison on seismic deformation of the soil profiles highlights the important role of the constitutive model in modifying the seismic behaviour of the soil.

RECENT STUDIES ON ORGANIC DIPOLAR BASED ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRO-OPTIC MATERIAL

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The advancement of sensor technologies, optical computing, communication, and signal processing with ultra-broadband at GHz-THz bandwidths relies heavily on high-performance electro-optic (EO) modulators. Significant advancements have been made in silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) and plasmonic-organic hybrid (POH) technologies over the past ten years, enabling devices with higher bandwidth, improved energy efficiency, reduced footprints, and significantly lessen the π-voltage-length product. Modern SOH and POH technologies take advantage of the fundamental of EO activity of organic chromophores as well as the improved electrical and optical field overlap that can be achieved in nanophotonic devices. To achieve ground-breaking performance, synergistic innovation is required from the engineering of devices to the logical design of organic EO materials. It is acknowledged that the forthcoming of information technology depends on the chip-scale integration of electronics and photonics as well as the use of the greatest features of plasmonics, photonics, and electronics to accomplish this goal. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome, such as matching the sizes of the electrical and photonic circuits, accomplishing low-loss transitions across the three fields of electronics, photonics, and plasmonics, and creating and integrating novel materials. This review concentrates on the advancement and innovations of material design of different structures of organic dipolar chromophores that highlight the importance and influence of their structures on electrical and EO properties.

SEISMIC PERFORMANCES OF STRUCTURE USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS – A REVIEW

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Earthquakes are among the most catastrophic natural disasters, resulting in considerable structure destruction, fatalities, and extensive impact on socioeconomic. The design of earthquake-resistant structures has emerged as a crucial priority for addressing the risk associated with seismic events. Recent advancements in artificial intelligent, particularly neural networks (ANNs), have highlighted the capability of artificial intelligence, in improving seismic performance evaluation of structures. This paper reviews current research on the application of ANNs in predicting the seismic performance of structures. It examines how ANNs are utilized to develop probabilistic seismic demand models (PSDM) for aboveground and underground structures, highlighting their advantages over traditional methods in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The review demonstrates the capacity of artificial neural networks to simulate intricate seismic responses, facilitating novel and dependable strategies for reducing earthquake hazards and enhancing structure resilience. This study seeks to elucidate the present status of ANN applications and their capacity to enhance seismic performance assessments.