Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Match-on-Card Finger Vein Recognition

Security and privacy is of great interest in biometric systems which can be offered by Match-on-Card (MoC) technology, successfully applied in several areas of biometrics. In finger vein recognition such a system is not available yet. Utilizing minutiae points from vein images in combination with classical minutiae-based fingerprint comparison software offers a great opportunity to integrate vein recognition on MoC systems. In this work a publicly available and two commercial fingerprint comparison tools are used to evaluate the recognition performance of vein minutiae, represented in a standardized data format, on three publicly available databases. The results strongly indicate that minutiae-based comparison technology from fingerprint recognition can be applied to finger vein recognition and is able to compete with and even outperform classical correlation-based methods utilized in this field. The work done here prepares the way for vein recognition on MoC systems.
Multi-objective optimization across multiple concepts: a case study on lattice structure design

Evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) is often used to deal with practical problems in engineering design to identify products that exhibit the best possible compromise between multiple conflicting performance criteria. Much of the literature in EMO considers algorithmic developments and benchmarking problems involving a single concept only. However, in practice, there could be many applications where the solution of a given problem may be represented using multiple concepts, and optimizing each one of them individually to obtain the overall Pareto front may be inefficient. To address this gap, in this study, we firstly develop computer-aided models of multiple concepts for a simulation-based problem which can serve as a good application of multi-concept optimization. The problem involves the design of lattice structures with different types of unit cells (each constituting a concept), which can be customized to suit a range of real-world applications such as design of structures with minimal thermal expansion, low weight and high rigidity etc. Furthermore, we develop baseline evolutionary strategies to search across multiple concepts simultaneously. Empirical experiments show that the presented strategies are able to outperform conventional single concept-based approach. Moreover, some challenges are also uncovered which prompts the need for further developments.
Critical Discourse Analysis on Media Coverage of COVID-19 Contract Tracing Applications: Case of South Africa

Media has the power to influence the public's views on certain issues, ideologies, and innovations. The media affects whether people accept or adopt a practice or innovation. How certain issues are portrayed in the media affects social reality through the kind of language used and how it is presented. Therefore, it is important to assess the discourse of contact-tracing applications, given how the public must adopt them to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This paper investigates the media discourse of contact-tracing applications in South Africa. We used Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse several media articles using Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action. This involved assessing four validity claims (truth, sincerity, comprehensibility, and legitimacy) to uncover systematic distortions which could affect how the public perceived the Information and Communications Technology artefacts. The analysis showed distortions that could create false impressions on the efficacy of the artefacts;these pushed the notion that would result in South Africans using them more. However, the distortions were overshadowed by the overall evidence from the claims which made a consensus that the media discourse on the application is credible. © 2021 ACM.
A simple evolutionary algorithm guided by local mutations for an efficient RNA design

Inverse folding an RNA secondary structure of length L can be understood as searching in space S = {A, C, G, U}L, one or many RNA sequence(s) that fold(s) into that structure. Solving this problem is a prerequisite for RNA design and is still a real challenge in bio-engineering. To improve the RNA inverse folding, we investigate an evolutionary algorithm implementing local mutations taking into account the nucleotide and canonical base pair distributions. We implement our algorithm as a simple open-source python program called aRNAque1. The empirical results show that aRNAque can solve some target structures previously unsolvable by the existing evolutionary algorithms benchmarked in this work. On the two benchmark datasets, ≈ 72% of the EteRNA100 dataset (respectively ≈ 92% using the Turner1999 energy parameter sets) and ≈ 87% of the non-EteRNA100 dataset and the designed sequences are of better quality. In comparison to existing tools, our EA implementation also shows a significant computational time improvement.
A hybrid CP/MOLS approach for multi-objective imbalanced classification

In the domain of partial classification, recent studies about multiobjective local search (MOLS) have led to new algorithms offering high performance, particularly when the data are imbalanced. In the presence of such data, the class distribution is highly skewed and the user is often interested in the least frequent class. Making further improvements certainly requires exploiting complementary solving techniques (notably, for the rule mining problem). As Constraint Programming (CP) has been shown to be effective on various combinatorial problems, it is one such promising complementary approach. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid combination, based on MOLS and CP that are quite orthogonal. Indeed, CP is a complete approach based on powerful filtering techniques whereas MOLS is an incomplete approach based on Pareto dominance. Experimental results on real imbalanced datasets show that our hybrid approach is statistically more efficient than a simple MOLS algorithm on both training and tests instances, in particular, on partial classification problems containing many attributes.
Genetic crossover in the evolution of time-dependent neural networks

Neural networks with temporal characteristics such as asynchronous spiking have made much progress towards biologically plausible artificial intelligence. However, genetic approaches for evolving network structures in this area are still relatively unexplored. In this paper, we examine a specific variant of time-dependent spiking neural networks (NN) in which the spatial and temporal relationships between neurons affect output. First, we built and customized a standard NN implementation to more closely model the time-delay characteristics of biological neurons. Next, we tested this with simulated tasks such as food foraging and image recognition, demonstrating success in multiple domains. We then developed a genetic representation for the network that allows for both scalable network size and compatibility with genetic crossover operations. Finally, we analyzed the effects of genetic crossover algorithms compared to random mutations on the food foraging task. Results showed that crossover operations based on node usage converge on a local maximum more quickly than random mutations, but suffer from genetic defects that reduce overall population performance.
Adsorption properties of Rosmarinus officinalis oil as green corrosion inhibitors on C38 steel in 0.5M H2SO4

Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation was tested as corrosion inhibitor of steel in 0.5M H2SO4 using weight loss measurements, and electrochemical polarisation methods. Results obtained indicate that R. officinalis oil inhibit corrosion process reduced the corrosion rate and its inhibition efficiency reaches 61% at 1 g/l. Polarisation curves were interpreted by a cathodic action. The inhibition efficiency of naturally oil remains slightly constant with the rise of temperature. Chemical analysis of R. officinalis essential oil was carried out using capillary GC and GC/MS. The oil composition was characterized by high amount of oxygenated monoterpene (77%) with 1,8-cineol (52.1%) as main component. Discussion of adsorption was been investigated on the basis of essential oil composition. Finally, the isotherm adsorption of essential oil on the steel has been also reported.
Composition and Morphology of Magnesium Carbonate Hydrates Synthesized by the Reaction of MgSO_4 with Na_2CO_3 in 283～363K

Precipitation of various forms of magnesium carbonate hydrates was investigated by the reaction of MgSO4 with Na2CO3 at the temperatures from 283 to 363 K. XRD and SEM analysis showed that the reaction temperature had great effect on the morphology of precipitate. Three morphologies, needle-like, spherical-like and sheet-like, were obtained. The needle-like nesquehonite (MgCO3-3H2O) was synthesized from 283 to 313 K. When the temperature was below 303 K, the crystals obtained exhibited a smooth surface, with the increase of reaction temperature to 313 K, the needle-like particles displayed coarse surface covered by little rod-like crystals. When the temperature was up to 323～363 K, the spherical-like crystals were obtained, and with the temperature increasing, the diameter of crystals increased. The initial concentration of MgSO4 and Na2CO3 titration speed had also significant effect on crystal morphology of nesquehonite.
An Efficacious Method for Facial Expression Recognition: GAN Erased Facial Feature Network (GE2FN)

We put forward a powerful facial expression recognition method based on removing the noise features from the input image to achieve a significant improvement in accuracy. To achieve this goal, we first exploit GAN network to generate a neutral face from the emotional face, and then apply two different convolution layers to extract emotional face features and neutral face features separately. Finally, we eliminate neutral face features from emotional face features to get pure “emotion features”, which are then used to get prediction results. The overall prediction network, termed GAN Erased Facial Feature Network (GE2FN) achieves 98.02% ACC on the CK+ dataset with 48x48 input. The accuracy rate is significantly improved compared to other approaches, including the current mainstream VGG approach
A Comparison of Transvaginal Removal and Repair of Uterine Defect for Type II Cesarean Scar Pregnancy and Uterine Artery Embolization Combined With Curettage

Background: There is no consensus on a standardized therapy for type II cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP II). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety and compare costs associated with transvaginal removal and repair (TRR) of uterine defect for CSP II to those of uterine artery embolization (UAE) and curettage. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study that included 87 patients diagnosed with CSP II and treated by performing UAE in combination with curettage and hysteroscopy (n = 53), or TRR (n = 34). Clinical data and outcomes were analyzed. Results: UAE and TRR groups exhibited similar success rates. The TRR group had significantly lower complication rates (30.19 vs. 8.82%, P < 0.05) and lower total costs (13,765.89 ± 2,029.12 vs. 9,063.82 ± 954.67, P < 0.05) than the UAE group. The anterior myometrium of the lower uterine segment was relatively thicker after performing TRR, and no patient suffered from recurrent CSP II. The proportion of patients in the TRR group who had full-term delivery without uterine rupture was 88.24% (30/34), while four patients failed to pregnancy. Conclusion: TRR is a safe and effective treatment method for patients with CSP II and presents a highly cost-effective outcome, especially for patients with future fertility desire.
Sex-Specific Associations Between Trauma Exposure, Pubertal Timing, and Anxiety in Black Children

Recent research has linked early life stress (ELS), such as trauma exposure, with early puberty. Early puberty has also been identified as a risk factor for poor mental health outcomes. However, these two paths have primarily been examined independently. In addition, more studies have examined these associations in girls than boys, and findings for boys remain mixed. We hypothesized that early puberty (relative to peers) would be positively associated with both prior trauma exposure and concurrent anxiety symptoms. We anticipated that these associations might differ by sex. We tested these hypotheses within a cross-sectional sample of 133 8- to 13-year-old Black girls and boys with trauma exposure. The association between trauma and accelerated pubertal timing was sex-specific: it was positive for girls and negative for boys. We stratified subsequent analyses by sex. Regression analyses indicated that early puberty relative to peers predicted more anxiety symptoms for girls but not boys, after accounting for trauma exposure. A statistical mediation analysis indicated that, for girls, the positive association between trauma exposure and anxiety was partially mediated by pubertal timing. These results indicate that trauma exposure may have sex-specific effects on pubertal timing and anxiety risk in Black children. We also found that, for girls, trauma may increase risk for adverse outcomes by prompting earlier puberty, which is linked to higher anxiety. These findings are consistent with cascading effects of trauma across development, and highlight the need for further study of sex-specific mechanisms.
Psychometric Properties of the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale Administered to Italian Women in the Perinatal Period

Literature stressed the importance of using valid, reliable measures to assess anxiety in the perinatal period, like the self-rated Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS). We aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Italian PASS version in a sample of Italian women undergoing mental health screening during their third trimester of pregnancy and its diagnostic accuracy in a control perinatal sample of psychiatric outpatients. Sample comprised 289 women aged 33.17 ± 5.08, range 19–46 years, undergoing fetal monitoring during their third trimester of pregnancy, with 49 of them retested 6 months postpartum. Controls were 60 antenatal or postnatal psychiatric outpatients aged 35.71 ± 5.02, range 22–50 years. Groups were assessed through identical self- and clinician-rating scales. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlations and receiver operating characteristic were conducted for PASS. PCA and CPA confirmed four-factor structure with slight differences from the original version. Construct validity and test-retest reliability were supported. Cut-off was 26. The PASS correlated with principal anxiety scales. Despite small sample size, findings confirm reliability and validity of the Italian PASS version in assessing anxiety symptoms in the perinatal period. Its incorporation in perinatal care will improve future mother and child psychological health.
Impaired Clinical Efficacy of Aspirin in Hypoalbuminemic Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To investigate the impact of albumin levels on the aspirin efficacy, since aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation (PA) by cyclooxygenase one irreversible acetylation that is less effective in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients and Methods: A total of 612 aspirin (100 mg/day)-treated T2DM patients were followed-up for 54.4 ± 7.3 months. The primary endpoint, a composite of cardiovascular events (CVEs) including CV death, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and coronary revascularization, was analysed according to baseline values of serum albumin (≥ or < 3.5 g/dL). Serum thromboxane (Tx)B2 was also measured. Results: 250 (40.8%) patients had serum albumin < 3.5 g/dL; these patients were overweight and had higher values of fibrinogen (p = 0.009), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.001) and fasting plasma glucose (p < 0.0001) compared to those with albumin ≥ 3.5 g/dL. During follow-up, 86 CVEs were recorded, 49 and 37 in patients with serum albumin < or ≥3.5 g/dL, respectively (p = 0.001). At multivariable Cox regression analysis, serum albumin < 3.5 g/dL (hazard ratio [HR] 1.887, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.136–3.135, p = 0.014), age (HR 1.552 for every 10 years, 95%CI 1.157–2.081, p = 0.003), fasting plasma glucose (HR 1.063, 95%CI 1.022–1.105, p = 0.002) and beta-blocker use (HR 0.440, 95%CI 0.270–0.717, p = 0.001) were associated to CVEs. Serum TxB2 levels (n = 377) were 0.32 ± 0.12 and 0.24 ± 0.12 ng/ml in patients with albumin < or ≥ 3.5 g/dL, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In T2DM patients, the efficacy of aspirin varies according to albumin levels. Hypoalbuminemia associated with impaired TxB2 inhibition and an increased risk of long-term CVEs.
IL-17 Inhibits Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Differentiation by Increasing K+ Channel Kv1.3

Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a signature cytokine of Th17 cells. IL-17 level is significantly increased in inflammatory conditions of the CNS, including but not limited to post-stroke and multiple sclerosis. IL-17 has been detected direct toxicity on oligodendrocyte (Ol) lineage cells and inhibition on oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) differentiation, and thus promotes myelin damage. The cellular mechanism of IL-17 in CNS inflammatory diseases remains obscure. Voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel 1.3 is the predominant Kv channel in Ol and potentially involved in Ol function and cell cycle regulation. Kv1.3 of T cells involves in immunomodulation of inflammatory progression, but the role of Ol Kv1.3 in inflammation-related pathogenesis has not been fully investigated. We hypothesized that IL-17 induces myelin injury through Kv1.3 activation. To test the hypothesis, we studied the involvement of OPC/Ol Kv1.3 in IL-17-induced Ol/myelin injury in vitro and in vivo. Kv1.3 currents and channel expression gradually decreased during the OPC development. Application of IL-17 to OPC culture increased Kv1.3 expression, leading to a decrease of AKT activation, inhibition of proliferation and myelin basic protein reduction, which were prevented by a specific Kv1.3 blocker 5-(4-phenoxybutoxy) psoralen. IL-17-caused myelin injury was validated in LPC-induced demyelination mouse model, particularly in corpus callosum, which was also mitigated by aforementioned Kv1.3 antagonist. IL-17 altered Kv1.3 expression and resultant inhibitory effects on OPC proliferation and differentiation may by interrupting AKT phosphorylating activation. Taken together, our results suggested that IL-17 impairs remyelination and promotes myelin damage by Kv1.3-mediated Ol/myelin injury. Thus, blockade of Kv1.3 as a potential therapeutic strategy for inflammatory CNS disease may partially attribute to the direct protection on OPC proliferation and differentiation other than immunomodulation.
Spontaneous Motor Tempo: Investigating Psychological, Chronobiological, and Demographic Factors in a Large-Scale Online Tapping Experiment

The spontaneous motor tempo (SMT) describes the pace of regular and repeated movements such as hand clapping or walking. It is typically measured by letting people tap with their index finger at a pace that feels most natural and comfortable to them. A number of factors have been suggested to influence the SMT, such as age, time of the day, arousal, and potentially musical experience. This study aimed at investigating the effects of these factors in a combined and out-of-the-lab context by implementing the finger-tapping paradigm in an online experiment using a self-developed web application. Due to statistical multimodality in the distribution of participants' SMT (N = 3,576), showing peaks at modes of around 250 ms, a Gaussian mixture model was applied that grouped participants into six clusters, ranging from Very Fast (M = 265 ms, SD = 74) to Very Slow (M = 1,757 ms, SD = 166). These SMT clusters differed in terms of age, suggesting that older participants had a slower SMT, and time of the day, showing that the earlier it was, the slower participants' SMT. While arousal did not differ between the SMT clusters, more aroused participants showed faster SMTs across all normalized SMT clusters. Effects of musical experience were inconclusive. With a large international sample, these results provide insights into factors influencing the SMT irrespective of cultural background, which can be seen as a window into human timing processes.
Cross-Cultural Comparison of Mental Health Between German and South African Employees: Shame, Self-Compassion, Work Engagement, and Work Motivation

The negative impact of the coronavirus disease outbreak 2019 (COVID-19) on work mental health is reported in many countries including Germany and South Africa: two culturally distinct countries. This study aims to compare mental health between the two workforces to appraise how cultural characteristics may impact their mental health status. A cross-sectional study was used with self-report measures regarding (i) mental health problems, (ii) mental health shame, (iii) self-compassion, (iv) work engagement and (v) work motivation. 257 German employees and 225 South African employees have completed those scales. This study reports results following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. T-tests, correlation and regression analyses were performed. German employees had lower mental health problems and mental health shame, and higher self-compassion than South Africans. Mental health problems were positively associated with mental health shame and amotivation, and negatively associated with work engagement and intrinsic motivation in both groups. Lastly, self-compassion, a PP 2.0 construct, was the strongest predictor for mental health problems in both countries. Our results suggest (i) that German culture’s long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance and restraint may help explain these differences, and (ii) that self-compassion was important to mental health in both countries. While the levels of mental health differed between the two countries, cultivating self-compassion may be an effective way to protect mental health of employees in those countries. Findings can help inform managers and HR staff to refine their wellbeing strategies to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic, especially in German-South African organizations.