The aim of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of combining three popular tools used in pattern recognition, which are the Active Appearance Model (AAM), the two-dimensional discrete cosine transform (2D-DCT), and Kernel Fisher Analysis (KFA), for face recognition across age variations. For this purpose, we first used AAM to generate an AAM-based face representation; then, we applied 2D-DCT to get the descriptor of the image; and finally, we used a multiclass KFA for dimension reduction. Classification was made through a K-nearest neighbor classifier, based on Euclidean distance. Our experimental results on face images, which were obtained from the publicly available FG-NET face database, showed that the proposed descriptor worked satisfactorily for both face identification and verification across age progression.

In radiotherapy using 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET), the accurate delineation of the biological tumour volume (BTV) is a crucial step. In this study, the authors suggest a new approach to segment the BTV in ¹⁸F-FDG-PET images. The technique is based on the k-means clustering algorithm incorporating automatic optimal cluster number estimation, using intrinsic positron emission tomography image information. Clinical dataset of seven patients have a laryngeal tumour with the actual BTV defined by histology serves as a reference, were included in this study for the evaluation of results. Promising results obtained by the proposed approach with a mean error equal to (0.7%) compared with other existing methods in clinical routine, including fuzzy c-means with (35.58%), gradient-based method with (19.14%) and threshold-based methods.

Recently, the desire for a self-powered micro and nanodevices has attracted a great interest of using sustainable energy sources. Further, the ultimate goal of nanogenerator is to harvest energy from the ambient environment in which a self powered device based on these generators is needed. With the development of nanogenerator-based circuits design and optimization, the building of new device simulator is necessary for the study and the synthesis of electromecanical parameters of this type of models. In the present article, both numerical modeling and optimization of piezoelectric nanogenerator based on zinc oxide have been carried out. They aim to improve the electromecanical performances, robustness, and synthesis process for nanogenerator. The proposed model has been developed for a systematic study of the nanowire morphology parameters in stretching mode. In addition, heuristic optimization technique, namely, particle swarm optimization has been implemented for an analytic modeling and an optimization of nanogenerator-based process in stretching mode. Moreover, the obtained results have been tested and compared with conventional model where a good agreement has been obtained for excitation mode. The developed nanogenerator model can be generalized, extended and integrated into simulators devices to study nanogenerator-based circuits.

This article deals with the study of a new swimming microrobot behavior using an analytical investigation. The analyzed microrobot is associated by a spherical head and hybrid tail. The principle of modeling is based on solving of the coupled elastic/fluidic problems between the hybrid tail’s deflections and the running environment. In spite of the resulting nonlinear model can be exploited to enhance both the sailing ability and also can be controlled in viscous environment using nonlinear control investigations. The applications of the micro-robot have required the precision of control for targeting the running area in terms of response time and tracking error. Due to these limitations, the Flatness-ANFIS based control is used to ensure a good control behavior in hazardous environment. Our control investigation is coupled the differential flatness and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference techniques, in which the flatness is used to planning the optimal trajectory and eliminate the nonlinearity effects of the resulting model. In other hand, the neuro-fuzzy inference technique is used to build the law of control technique and minimize the dynamic error of tracking trajectory. In particular, we deduct from a non linear model to an optimal model of the design parameter’s using Multi-Objective genetic algorithms (MOGAs). In addition, Computational fluid dynamics modeling of the microrobot is also carried out to study the produced thrust and velocity of the microrobot displacement taking into account the fluid parameters. Our analytical results have been validated by the recorded good agreement between the numerical and analytical results.