Local and NON-LOCAL source apportionment of black carbon and combustion generated PM2.5.

Current methods for measuring black carbon aerosol (BC) by optical methods apportion BC to fossil fuel and wood combustion. However, these results are aggregated: local and non-local combustion sources are lumped together. The spatial apportioning of carbonaceous aerosol sources is challenging in remote or suburban areas because non-local sources may be significant. Air quality modeling would require highly accurate emission inventories and unbiased dispersion models to quantify such apportionment. We propose FUSTA (FUzzy SpatioTemporal Apportionment) methodology for analyzing aethalometer results for equivalent black carbon coming from fossil fuel (eBCff) and wood combustion (eBCwb). We applied this methodology to ambient measurements at three suburban sites around Santiago, Chile, in the winter season 2021. FUSTA results showed that local sources contributed ∼80% to eBCff and eBCwb in all sites. By using PM2.5 - eBCff and PM2.5 - eBCwb scatterplots for each fuzzy cluster (or source) found by FUSTA, the estimated lower edge lines showed distinctive slopes in each measurement site. These slopes were larger for non-local sources (aged aerosols) than for local ones (fresh emissions) and were used to apportion combustion PM2.5 in each site. In sites Colina, Melipilla and San Jose de Maipo, fossil fuel combustion contributions to PM2.5 were 26 % (15.9 µg m-3), 22 % (9.9 µg m-3), and 22 % (7.8 µg m-3), respectively. Wood burning contributions to PM2.5 were 22 % (13.4 µg m-3), 19 % (8.9 µg m-3) and 22% (7.3 µg m-3), respectively. This methodology generates a joint source apportionment of eBC and PM2.5, which is consistent with available chemical speciation data for PM2.5 in Santiago.

Efficient System for Delimitation of Benign and Malignant Breast Masses.

In this study, a high-performing scheme is introduced to delimit benign and malignant masses in breast ultrasound images. The proposal is built upon by the Nonlocal Means filter for image quality improvement, an Intuitionistic Fuzzy C-Means local clustering algorithm for superpixel generation with high adherence to the edges, and the DBSCAN algorithm for the global clustering of those superpixels in order to delimit masses' regions. The empirical study was performed using two datasets, both with benign and malignant breast tumors. The quantitative results with respect to the BUSI dataset were JSC≥0.907, DM≥0.913, HD≥7.025, and MCR≤6.431 for benign masses and JSC≥0.897, DM≥0.900, HD≥8.666, and MCR≤8.016 for malignant ones, while the MID dataset resulted in JSC≥0.890, DM≥0.905, HD≥8.370, and MCR≤7.241 along with JSC≥0.881, DM≥0.898, HD≥8.865, and MCR≤7.808 for benign and malignant masses, respectively. These numerical results revealed that our proposal outperformed all the evaluated comparative state-of-the-art methods in mass delimitation. This is confirmed by the visual results since the segmented regions had a better edge delimitation.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Black Carbon Sources: Case of Santiago, Chile, under SARS-CoV-2 Lockdowns.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has temporarily decreased black carbon emissions worldwide. The use of multi-wavelength aethalometers provides a quantitative apportionment of black carbon (BC) from fossil fuels (BCff) and wood-burning sources (BCwb). However, this apportionment is aggregated: local and non-local BC sources are lumped together in the aethalometer results. METHODS: We propose a spatiotemporal analysis of BC results along with meteorological data, using a fuzzy clustering approach, to resolve local and non-local BC contributions. We apply this methodology to BC measurements taken at an urban site in Santiago, Chile, from March through December 2020, including lockdown periods of different intensities. RESULTS: BCff accounts for 85% of total BC; there was up to an 80% reduction in total BC during the most restrictive lockdowns (April-June); the reduction was 40-50% in periods with less restrictive lockdowns. The new methodology can apportion BCff and BCwb into local and non-local contributions; local traffic (wood burning) sources account for 66% (86%) of BCff (BCwb). CONCLUSIONS: The intensive lockdowns brought down ambient BC across the city. The proposed fuzzy clustering methodology can resolve local and non-local contributions to BC in urban zones.

Somatic cell count in buffalo milk using fuzzy clustering and image processing techniques.

This research communication presents an automatic method for the counting of somatic cells in buffalo milk, which includes the application of a fuzzy clustering method and image processing techniques (somatic cell count with fuzzy clustering and image processing|, SCCFCI). Somatic cell count (SCC) in milk is the main biomarker for assessing milk quality and it is traditionally performed by exhaustive methods consisting of the visual observation of cells in milk smears through a microscope, which generates uncertainties associated with human interpretation. Unlike other similar works, the proposed method applies the Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) method as a preprocessing step in order to separate the images (objects) of the cells into clusters according to the color intensity. This contributes signficantly to the performance of the subsequent processing steps (thresholding, segmentation and recognition/identification). Two methods of thresholding were evaluated and the Watershed Transform was used for the identification and separation of nearby cells. A detailed statistical analysis of the results showed that the SCCFCI method is able to provide results which are consistent with those obtained by conventional counting. This method therefore represents a viable alternative for quality control in buffalo milk production.

Mature pomegranate recognition methods in natural environments using machine vision / Métodos de reconhecimento de romã madura em ambientes naturais usando visão de máquina

The use of machine vision to recognize mature pomegranates in natural environments is of major significance in improving the applicability and work efficiency of picking robots. By analyzing the color characteristics of color images of mature pomegranates under different illumination conditions, the feasibility of the YCbCr color model for pomegranate image recognition under different illumination conditions was proven. First, the Cr component map of pomegranate image is selected and then the pomegranate fruit is segmented by the kernel fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm to obtain the pomegranate image. Contrast experiments of pomegranate image segmentation under different illumination conditions were then performed using the proposed kernel fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm, the fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm, the Otsu algorithm and the threshold segmentation algorithm. Results of the experiments verified the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm.(AU)

O uso de máquina para reconhecer romãs maduras em ambientes naturais é de grande importância para melhorar a aplicabilidade e a eficiência do trabalho de robôs de colheita. Ao analisar as características de cor das imagens coloridas de romãs maduras sob diferentes condições de iluminação, a viabilidade do modelo de cores YCbCr para o reconhecimento de imagens de romãs sob diferentes condições de iluminação foi comprovada. Primeiro, o mapa do componente Cr da imagem da romã é selecionado e, em seguida, o fruto da romãzeira é segmentado pelo algoritmo de agrupamento C-means fuzzy do kernel para obter a imagem da romã. Experimentos contrastados de segmentação de imagens de romã sob diferentes condições de iluminação foram então realizados usando o algoritmo proposto de agrupamento C-means fuzzy, o algoritmo fuzzy de agrupamento C-means, o algoritmo Otsu e o algoritmo de segmentação de limiares. Os resultados dos experimentos verificaram a efetividade e superioridade do algoritmo proposto.(AU)

Mature pomegranate recognition methods in natural environments using machine vision / Métodos de reconhecimento de romã madura em ambientes naturais usando visão de máquina

ABSTRACT: The use of machine vision to recognize mature pomegranates in natural environments is of major significance in improving the applicability and work efficiency of picking robots. By analyzing the color characteristics of color images of mature pomegranates under different illumination conditions, the feasibility of the YCbCr color model for pomegranate image recognition under different illumination conditions was proven. First, the Cr component map of pomegranate image is selected and then the pomegranate fruit is segmented by the kernel fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm to obtain the pomegranate image. Contrast experiments of pomegranate image segmentation under different illumination conditions were then performed using the proposed kernel fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm, the fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm, the Otsu algorithm and the threshold segmentation algorithm. Results of the experiments verified the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm.

RESUMO: O uso de máquina para reconhecer romãs maduras em ambientes naturais é de grande importância para melhorar a aplicabilidade e a eficiência do trabalho de robôs de colheita. Ao analisar as características de cor das imagens coloridas de romãs maduras sob diferentes condições de iluminação, a viabilidade do modelo de cores YCbCr para o reconhecimento de imagens de romãs sob diferentes condições de iluminação foi comprovada. Primeiro, o mapa do componente Cr da imagem da romã é selecionado e, em seguida, o fruto da romãzeira é segmentado pelo algoritmo de agrupamento C-means fuzzy do kernel para obter a imagem da romã. Experimentos contrastados de segmentação de imagens de romã sob diferentes condições de iluminação foram então realizados usando o algoritmo proposto de agrupamento C-means fuzzy, o algoritmo fuzzy de agrupamento C-means, o algoritmo Otsu e o algoritmo de segmentação de limiares. Os resultados dos experimentos verificaram a efetividade e superioridade do algoritmo proposto.

Fuzzy model identification of dengue epidemic in Colombia based on multiresolution analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This article presents a model of a dengue and severe dengue epidemic in Colombia based on the cases reported between 1995 and 2011. METHODOLOGY: We present a methodological approach that combines multiresolution analysis and fuzzy systems to represent cases of dengue and severe dengue in Colombia. The performance of this proposal was compared with that obtained by applying traditional fuzzy modeling techniques on the same data set. This comparison was obtained by two performance measures that evaluate the similarity between the original data and the approximate signal: the mean square error and the variance accounted for. Finally, the predictive ability of the proposed technique was evaluated to forecast the number of dengue and severe dengue cases in a horizon of three years (2012-2015). These estimates were validated with a data set that was not included into the training stage of the model. RESULTS: The proposed technique allowed the creation of a model that adequately represented the dynamic of a dengue and severe dengue epidemic in Colombia. This technique achieves a significantly superior performance to that obtained with traditional fuzzy modeling techniques: the similarity between the original data and the approximate signal increases from 21.13% to 90.06% and from 18.90% to 76.83% in the case of dengue and severe dengue, respectively. Finally, the developed models generate plausible predictions that resemble validation data. The difference between the cumulative cases reported from January 2012 until July 2013 and those predicted by the model for the same period was 24.99% for dengue and only 4.22% for severe dengue. CONCLUSIONS: The fuzzy model identification technique based on multiresolution analysis produced a proper representation of dengue and severe dengue cases for Colombia despite the complexity and uncertainty that characterize this biological system. Additionally, the obtained models generate plausible predictions that can be used by surveillance authorities to support decision-making oriented to designing and developing control strategies.