Home installation is the shortest segment of FTTH (Fibre to The Home) networks. Despite this, it can also be a bottleneck of the whole network. This segment can produce a huge attenuation of optical signal. This paper deals with attenuation loss in home installations especially because of micro bending and attenuation of fusion splices caused by incompatibility of different fibre types.

The largest number of welded structures in operating conditions is exposed to variable loads, which is why the share of fatigue fracture in the failure of welded structures is higher than others. The essence of construction with fracture safety is that the structure can withstand the designed load in the designed time. If a crack is detected during operation, it is possible to predict the development of damage during the service life as well as the load-bearing capacity of the structure depending on the development of damage. The paper describes a new system for monitoring fatigue crack growth, which is based on the change in the resistance of the measuring foil during crack growth. The system is compatible with the basic settings of the ASTM E647–86 standard, which refers to the determination of the fatigue crack growth rate.

The ancient pigment Egyptian blue has long been studied for its historical significance; however, recent work has shown that its unique visible induced luminescent property can be used both to identify the pigment and to inspire new materials with this characteristic. In this study, a multi-modal characterization approach is used to explore variations in ancient production of Egyptian blue from shabti statuettes found in the village of Deir el-Medina in Egypt (Luxor, West Bank) dating back to the New Kingdom (18th-20th Dynasties; about 1550–1077 BCE). Using quantitative SEM-EDS analysis, we identify two possible production groups of the Egyptian blue and demonstrate the presence of multiple phases within samples using cluster analysis and ternary diagram representations. Using both macro-scale non-invasive (X-rays fluorescence and multi-spectral imaging) and micro-sampling (SEM-EDS and Raman confocal microspectroscopy) techniques, we correlate photoluminescence and chemical composition of the ancient samples. We introduce Raman spectroscopic imaging as a means to capture simultaneously visible-induced luminesce and crystal structure and utilize it to identify two classes of luminescing and non-luminescing silicate phases in the pigment that may be connected to production technologies. The results presented here provide a new framework through which Egyptian blue can be studied and inform the design of new materials based on its luminescent property.

Counting the number of objects that are transported on a conveyor belt is frequently encountered in production facilities, airports or post offices. Although most of these tasks may usually be solved by using common photoelectric or inductive sensors, there are cases when objects have to be counted using more complex sensing systems based on machine vision. In this paper, an image-processing algorithm for segmenting, detecting and counting rectangular objects which are being transported on a conveyor belt is presented. The method is specifically designed to detect rectangular objects that can be partly occluded. The application is implemented using OpenCV/C++ library. Two different test scenarios are analyzed in the paper. Experimental results suggest that the proposed method has promising accuracy and it is applicable in real-world applications.

Car gates can be found in many private and business facilities. Typically, gates are controlled by commercially available electronic systems that allow users to remotely operate them. Most of those systems are based on robust RF 315/433MHz transmitters for remote control. These communication modules suffer from limited range and allow the user to establish only simplex communication. Today, with the rapid growth of the Internet of Things, not only that every driver has an Internet-enabled smartphone, but most modern cars are equipped with such systems as well. This paper proposes a prototype of an electronic gate control structure that allows users, in addition to the common gate-panel and an RF-based remote, to control and supervise the gate using an Internet connection (e.g. with a smartphone). Both hardware and software parts that are required to operate the gate are designed, developed, and presented in this paper. Experimental tests on the small-scale model are conducted to point out the device's advantages and disadvantages and propose guidelines for future work and development.

This paper depicts a practical implementation of business model created by Centre for digital communications with customers of ALBA company and the framework of using cloud system in supporting that model. Software implementation includes Web and mobile applications for customers as well as control panel for software administration by company employees. The uniqueness of the implementation is reflected in the advanced geolocation services that include the generation of content according to the user needs based on the selected location of the city or settlements. The model also includes opportunities for further development with the use of IoT technologies to manage the waste disposal process.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a rare, life-threatening form of mediastinitis caused by odontogenic, pharyngeal, or cervical infections. The retropharyngeal space is the most common primary site of infection. Given the fulminant course and high mortality rate, early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important predictors of survival in patients with DNM. Appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment, prompt surgical intervention, and proper management of patients in the intensive care unit can be of vital importance. We present the case of a previously healthy 20-year-old male patient who was successfully cured and discharged from the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo after suffering from a severe form of mediastinitis as a complication of the retropharyngeal abscess caused by anaerobes.

The physical and mechanical properties of a polycrystalline material depend on its microstructure characteristics such as the size and morphology of grains. In practice, different imaging methods are used to visualize the grain structure of such materials. To analyze microstructural changes in case of applied stress and to predict its performance in a given application, the quantitative information about the grain structure must be taken into account. In this work, an effcient and reproducible algorithm, which automatically detects grains in different types of microstructure images, is proposed. Due to the diversity between the analyzed images and a limited number of labeled data, a clustering patch-based approach is followed. The algorithm aims to distinguish between patches in homogeneous grain areas and those lying on grain boundaries through Gaussian Mixture Modeling. The identified groups of grain patches are used to create the seed image for a Seeded Region Growing algorithm, enabling nally a pixelwise image segmentation.

Let M be a finite volume, non-compact hyperbolic Riemann surface, possibly with elliptic fixed points, and let $$\chi $$ χ denote a finite dimensional unitary representation of the fundamental group of M . Let $$\Delta $$ Δ denote the hyperbolic Laplacian which acts on smooth sections of the flat bundle over M associated with $$\chi $$ χ . From the spectral theory of $$\Delta $$ Δ , there are three distinct sequences of numbers: the first coming from the eigenvalues of $$L^{2}$$ L 2 eigenfunctions, the second coming from resonances associated with the continuous spectrum, and the third being the set of negative integers. Using these sequences of spectral data, we employ the super-zeta approach to regularization and introduce two super-zeta functions, $$\mathcal {Z}_-(s,z)$$ Z - ( s , z ) and $$\mathcal {Z}_+(s,z)$$ Z + ( s , z ) that encode the spectrum of $$\Delta $$ Δ in such a way that they can be used to define the regularized determinant of $$\Delta -z(1-z)I$$ Δ - z ( 1 - z ) I . The resulting formula for the regularized determinant of $$\Delta -z(1-z)I$$ Δ - z ( 1 - z ) I in terms of the Selberg zeta function, see Theorem 5.3, encodes the symmetry $$z\leftrightarrow 1-z$$ z ↔ 1 - z .

Purpose: Research has suggested that in female athletes from aesthetic sports the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes is higher than in female athletes from other sports, mainly due to sport related factors like extreme training and practicing sports associated with high pressure and the idea that “being thin leads to success”. The study was conducted to examine the prevalence of disturbed eating attitudes and their relationship with body image concerns in aesthetic and non-aesthetic female athletes. Methods: 54 female athletes from aesthetic sports (synchronized swimming, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, and dance), as well as 66 female athletes from non-aesthetic sports (volleyball, track and field, and soccer), completed the Eating Attitudes Test, the Body Shape Questionnaire, and the Figure Rating Scale (a visual scale used to assess body image dissatisfaction and body image dissatisfaction in relation to sport). Results: The results indicated that aesthetic athletes scored significantly higher than those involved in non-aesthetic sports in Dieting, and in Body Image Dissatisfaction. Moreover, aesthetic athletes demonstrated significantly lower BMI mean scores. Significant correlations were found between Body Mass Index and Oral Control, Body Image Dissatisfaction and Body Image Dissatisfaction in relation to Sport, and between Eating Attitudes Test and the Body Shape Questionnaire results in aesthetic athletes. Furthermore, significant associations were found between Body Mass Index and Body Shape Questionnaire, Body Image Dissatisfaction and Body Image Dissatisfaction in relation to Sport, and Eating Attitudes Test and Body Shape Questionnaire in non-aesthetic athletes. Conclusion: The study confirmed the relationship between body image concerns and pathological eating attitudes among female aesthetic sport athletes.