Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Template security in biometric systems

Date iii Microfilm or other copies of this dissertation are obtainable from ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This dissertation is a testimonial to the people who helped me in some way to become the person who I am right now. It is my distinct pleasure to convey my gratitude to them all in this page. First and foremost I would like to thank to my mother, father and brother whose unconditional love and support made it possible to pursue my dreams for so long and so far away from home. Nothing in a simple paragraph can express the feelings I have for them. I would like to gratefully and sincerely thank Dr. Nasir Memon for his guidance, advice, understanding and patience as one of the rare advisors that students dream that they will find. Throughout my studies with him, he always encouraged me to develop independent thinking, excellent research and presentation skills. He has been a mentor in the fullest sense of the word, I have learned so much from him and I am very fortunate for having known him. He will always inspire me as a researcher, scientist and teacher for the rest of my life. I wish to extend my warmest thanks to all my friends at Poly and many other places around the world who helped and encouraged me to follow my dream. Fear of missing anyone prevented me to mention any names in here. I would also like to thank to all the staff of the ECE and CSE Departments for their ever smiling faces. I am mostly indebted to Valerie Davis and Judy Brown for caring for me and all the other students like a loving parent and for making my life easier. In the last few years biometric technologies have been employed for automatic people authentication and identification at an increasing rate due to several inherent advantages they offer over conventional methods. However, increasing use of biometric technology raised many concerns and one of the biggest challenges to the wide applicability of biometric systems is the secure storage of biometric templates. More specifically, once some biometric data are compromised, they remain compromised forever and the privacy concerns arise from the fact that biometric data are tightly bound to a person's identity such that they can be used to violate their privacy. In the first part of this defense, we will explain a recently proposed cryptographic primitive, called " …
Graphene/AlGaN/GaN RF Switch

RF switches, which use a combination of graphene and two-dimensional high-density electron gas (2DEG) in the AlGaN/GaN system, were proposed and studied in the frequency band from 10 MHz to 114.5 GHz. The switches were integrated into the coplanar waveguide, which allows them to be used in any system without the use of, e.g., bonding, flip-chip and other technologies and avoiding the matching problems. The on-state insertion losses for the designed switches were measured to range from 7.4 to 19.4 dB, depending on the frequency and switch design. Although, at frequencies above 70 GHz, the switches were less effective, the switching effect was still evident with an approximately 4 dB on–off ratio. The best switches exhibited rise and fall switching times of ~25 ns and ~17 ns, respectively. The use of such a switch can provide up to 20 MHz of bandwidth in time-modulated systems, which is an outstanding result for such systems. The proposed equivalent circuit describes well the switching characteristics and can be used to design switches with required parameters.
Non-Invasive Risk Prediction Based on Right Ventricular Function in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background: Right ventricular dysfunction is a major determinant of outcome in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We aimed to identify echocardiographic right heart parameters associated with adverse outcome and to develop a non-invasive, echocardiography-based risk score for PAH patients. Methods and Results: In 254 PAH patients we analyzed functional status, laboratory results, and echocardiographic parameters. We included these parameters to estimate all-cause death or lung transplantation using Cox regression models. The analyses included a conventional model using guideline-recommended variables and an extended echocardiographic model. Based on the final model a 12-point risk score was derived, indicating the association with the primary outcome within five years. During a median follow-up time of 4.2 years 74 patients died or underwent lung transplantation. The conventional model resulted in a C-Index of 0.539, whereas the extended echocardiographic model improved the discrimination (C-index 0.639, p-value 0.017). Ultimately, the newly developed risk score included WHO functional class, 6-min walking distance, N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide concentrations, pericardial effusion, right atrial area, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, and fractional area change. Conclusion: Integrating right heart function assessed by echocardiography improves prediction of death or lung transplantation in PAH patients. Independent validation of this finding is warranted.
The New York Times Paywall

On March 28, 2011, The New York Times website became a restricted site where most of the content was protected behind a "paywall. " Users who exceeded the limit of 20 free articles per month were required to pay for either a digital or print subscription. The newspaper industry had been suffering from revenue declines over the past decade, and the transition to digital media was difficult to navigate. Revenues from online advertising were not sufficient to replace the loss of print revenue, and many publishers had explored charging readers for content, with mixed success, where specialized sources like The Wall Street Journal successfully using the model, but several other general news sites had failed. Newspapers and content creators in general were very interested in understanding whether transitioning to the paywall at the most popular news website would succeed, and whether it could become a blueprint for future success as a sustainable business model. There were several difficult issues to examine in determining the digital strategy for The Times. Would consumers remain as engaged with a site protected by a paywall? Would advertisers react positively to such a move that walled off readers? Would readers value both the print and digital versions of the content, or would it become necessary to create new content? The Times had several choices in designing the paywall, including determining the digital content, pricing, as well as how to interface with readers of secondary news websites like blogs that posted links to news articles. Should they design a "leaky" paywall where determined users could easily slip through, or a "bulletproof" paywall like the Financial Times had done, where users had to pay before they could access any content? What choices would provide the foundation for a successful business model? Learning Objective:The purpose of this case is to help understand the key issues in transitioning a content business from the current print medium to the future digital medium. It will involve a deep exploration of how managers must understand product strategy to align the value creation process with the characteristics of the medium or channel, while keeping in mind the landscape of collaborators and competitors has been altered significantly by digital technology. How should a manager determine the content across multiple media? Should they design the product for complementary value creation across media, or are they best thought of as substitutes? Should the company accelerate the transition to digital or try and bolster the value for both media? This case has been taught in the Digital Marketing elective course at Harvard Business School. It would also fit well in elective courses on Product Strategy or Technology Strategy.
WIND TUNNEL INVESTIGATION OF SEMIRIGID FULL-SCALE ROTORS OPERATING AT HIGH ADVANCE RATIOS

Abstract : A UH-1B 44-foot-diameter rotor having reduced-thickness tips was evaluated in a range of Mach numbers up to 0.94 and advance ratios of up to 0. 52. Additionally, UH-1D rotor blades reduced in diameter to 34 feet were tested at advance ratios of up to 1.1. Calculated performance is compared with the experimental results obtained to establish the validity of the theoretical technique at high advance ratios. In general, it was found that quasi-static, two-dimensional techniques were adequate up to an advance ratio of about 0.5. Above this advance ratio, theoretical techniques break down, especially with respect to calculating rotor propulsive force or drag. Theory-experiment comparison with the 44-foot-diameter rotor, operated at high Mach numbers, showed that Mach number effects are predictable to an advance ratio of at least 0.45. The 34-foot-diameter rotor became increasingly sensitive to control input with advance ratio. At an advance ratio of 1.1, this rotor system displayed a long transient response to a control input before obtaining its steady-state orientation, and at the largest values of collective pitch, the flapping would not completely stabilize.
Improved Modified Symbiosis Organisms Search (IMSOS): A New and Adaptive Approach for Determining Model Parameters from Geoelectrical Data

Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS) is a global optimization algorithm inspired by the natural synergy between the organisms in an ecosystem. The interactive behavior among organisms in nature simulated in SOS consists of mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism strategies to find the global optimum solution in the search space. The SOS algorithm does not require a tuning parameter, which is usually used to balance explorative and exploitative search by providing posterior sampling of the model parameters. This paper proposes an improvement of the Modified SOS (MSOS) algorithm, called IMSOS, to enhance exploitation along with exploration strategies via a modified parasitism vector. This improves the search efficiency in finding the global minimum of two multimodal testing functions. Furthermore, the algorithm is proposed for solving inversion problems in geophysics. The performance of IMSOS was tested on the inversion of synthetic and field data sets from self-potential (SP) and vertical electrical sounding (VES) measurements. The IMSOS results were comparable to those of other global optimization algorithms, including the Particle Swarm Optimization, the Differential Evolution and the Black Holes Algorithms. IMSOS accurately determined the model parameters and their uncertainties. It can be adapted and can potentially be used to solve the inversion of other geophysical data as well.
Multiple purposes of ePortfolios in higher education: a case study of one department

v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 Statement of the Problem. 1 Purpose of the Study . 4 Research Questions and Design. 5 Significance of the Study . 5 Working Assumptions . 7 Organization of the Dissertation . 10 Working Vocabulary. 11 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW . 14 Literature Review Methodology . 14 Data Sources . 14 Evaluative Framework . 16 The Purposive Tension in the Portfolio Practice . 19 Portfolios as Assessment Tools . 21 Portfolios as Assessment Tools for Accountability Purposes. 21 Portfolios for Course and Program Assessment . 23 Empirical Research on Portfolios as Assessment Tools . 24 Summary: Portfolios as Assessment Tools. 34 Portfolios as Reflective Tools. 35 Empirical Research on Portfolios as Reflective Tools. 37 Empirical Research on Tensions of Using Portfolios as Assessment and Reflective Tools . 43 Summary: Portfolios as Reflective Tools . 45 The Promise of ePortfolios . 46 ePortfolios: Tension Between Multiple Purposes Continues. 50 Summary :The Promise of ePortfolios. 52 Discussion . 52 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . 56 Qualitative Interpretive Approach. 56 Case Study Methodology . 58 Researcher’s Role . 58 eDoc Electronic Portfolio System. 59 Researcher’s Role in eDoc. 60 Researcher’s Involvement with One Department . 61 Participant Researcher. 61 Researcher’s Biases. 62 Research Site and Participants . 63 Research Site. 64
Towards Open-Set Text Recognition via Label-to-Prototype Learning

Scene text recognition is a popular topic and can benefit various tasks. Although many methods have been proposed for the close-set text recognition challenges, they cannot be directly applied to open-set scenarios, where the evaluation set contains novel characters not appearing in the training set. Conventional methods require collecting new data and retraining the model to handle these novel characters, which is an expensive and tedious process. In this paper, we propose a label-to-prototype learning framework to handle novel characters without retraining the model. In the proposed framework, novel characters are effectively mapped to their corresponding prototypes with a label-to-prototype learning module. This module is trained on characters with seen labels and can be easily generalized to novel characters. Additionally, feature-level rectification is conducted via topology-preserving transformation, resulting in better alignments between visual features and constructed prototypes while having a reasonably small impact on model speed. A lot of experiments show that our method achieves promising performance on a variety of zero-shot, close-set, and open-set text recognition datasets.
High Reynolds Number Configuration Development of a High-Lift Airfoil

An experimental program has been conducted to assess performance of a transport multielement airfoil at flight Reynolds numbers. The studies were performed at chord Reynolds numbers as high as 16 million in the NASA Langley Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel. Sidewall boundary-layer control to enforce flow two dimensionality was provided via an endplate suction system. The basic airfoil was an 11.55 percent thick supercritical airfoil representative of the stall critical station of a new-generation transport aircraft wing. The multielement airfoil was configured as a three-element airfoil with slat and flap chord ratios of 14.48 percent and 30 percent respectively. Testing focused on the development of landing configurations with high maximum lift capability and the assessment of Reynolds and Mach number effects. Also assessed were high-lift performance effects due to devices such as drooped spoilers and trailing-edge wedges. The present experimental studies revealed significant effects on high-lift airfoil performance due to Reynolds and Mach number variations and favorable lift increments at approach angles of attack due to the use of drooped spoilers or trailing-edge wedges. However, no substantial improvements in maximum lift capability were identified. A recently developed high performance single-segment flap was also tested and results indicated considerable improvements in lift and drag performance over existing airfoils. Additionally, it was found that this new flap shape at its optimum rigging was less sensitive to Reynolds number variations than previous designs.
A psychometric data science approach to study latent variables: a case of class quality and student satisfaction

Data science follows a data-driven approach focused on non-hypothesised pattern discovery from data in an automatic manner (or semi-automatic). Social science areas frequently address latent variables, whose study is mainly guided by a deductive paradigm and requires a confirmatory scope. Both areas, data science and latent variable research, have ample development, but their combination is not mature. The objective is to develop a practical and reproducible framework for data science projects from a psychometric perspective for the study of latent variables. The framework is practical and integrative, and consists of nine steps, which guide from the construct definition, discovery and confirmed patterns (structural equation modelling and considering goodness-of-fit, reliability, validity, equity and subjects’ segmentation) to the use of patterns. This last step includes three sub-steps: one for structural hypotheses contrast and two computational approaches (supervised: machine learning; and non-supervised: principal component analysis). Additionally, the framework is efficient and accessible due to its semi-automation using the R language. The framework is applied to study the relationship between class quality and student satisfaction and is consistent with the reproducible research paradigm, widely used in computational areas and recently demanded by social science.
Factors That Influence Consumers’ Behaviors in Fashion Market

By describing the unique attributes of fashion market and comparing the fashion products with other products, this paper analyzes factors that contribute to consumers’ behaviors in fashion market. Those factors include consumers’ needs, social identity, and psychological irrationality. Particularly, I based my analysis on Maslow’s theory of hierarchical needs, social identity theories, and human irrationality theories. The present article reviews these important factors and extends previous work by synthesizing the above-mentioned three aspects, which can provide basis for future studies on consumer behaviors in fashion market.
Conceptual design of a space vehicle for orbital debris protection

As the orbital debris environment deteriorates, the threat to spacecraft is becoming increasingly significant. Additionally, current protection techniques leave them vulnerable to objects between 1 and 10 cm. The objective for this project was to design a “defender” space vehicle capable of shielding spacecraft from objects in this range of sizes. The design was divided into three stages: first, using SPH simulations, a shield capable of defeating large projectiles was designed based on existing shield types; next, a deployment mechanism that allowed the shield to be stored compactly for launch was designed and analyzed using a vector-based kinematics and dynamics method; finally, a general design of the service module was made. The final design consisted of an eight-layer shield with an umbrella-inspired deployment mechanism. It was 3 m in diameter by 7 m long with the shield folded and had a mass of 5100 kg; proving the feasibility of this measure.
Emergence levels of pine shoot beetles from roundwood piles of Scots pine and the cascading damage in the surrounding forests

Bark beetles are amongst the most aggressive pest agents of coniferous forests. Due to this, many boreal countries have designated laws aiming to lower the risk of bark beetle epidemics. Finlandâs forest legislation has pre-emptive measures targeted against bark beetles, and for Scots pine ( L.), the law concerns pine shoot beetles ( spp.). This study used data collected around 25 piles of Scots pine roundwood that were harvested in the winter but left in the forest until the following November. Thus, the pine shoot beetles were able to use the piles for breeding. We assessed the number of emerged insects from the piles and the cascading damage they caused in the surrounding forests. All roundwood piles, regardless of their volume, were used by the beetles for breeding. Highest densities of beetle exit holes were found from the parts of the log with thick and intact bark. If the bark of the log was damaged by the harvester head, the number of beetles decreased significantly. Depending on the volume of the roundwood pile, the cascading damage (fallen shoots) was noticeable up to ca. 40â60 m from the roundwood pile. Storing of piles smaller than 50 m did not cause excess damage. The number of fallen shoots per tree was generally below the known thresholds for when growth losses can occur. However, the study was conducted in mature forests, and it can be assumed that the recorded damage levels would severely affect the growth of young pines, raising the question of where to store the roundwood. As with other bark beetles, the role of beetles as damage agents may change in the future, but based on this as well as past studies, the species can be viewed as a notable damage agents only around long-term wood storage sites in the current northern conditions.Pinus sylvestrisTomicus3Tomicus
Sum-Rate Analysis of a Multi-Cell Multi-User MISO System Under Double Scattering Channels

This paper aims to derive expressions of the downlink ergodic user rates in a multi-cell large-scale multi-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) system under the assumption that each base station (BS) employs maximum ratio transmission (MRT) precoding and that single-antenna users in each cell are divided into groups, where channels of users in the same group share common covariance matrices and follow the double scattering channel model. Moreover, both channel estimation errors and pilot contamination effects caused by re-use of pilot sequences in neighboring cells are taken into consideration in this work. The analysis is carried out using statistical tools under the exact and asymptotic regimes in which the number of antennas at BS <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the number of users in each cell <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, and the number of scatterers <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$S$ </tex-math></inline-formula> grow large at the same pace. Furthermore, the obtained exact expressions and deterministic approximations of the ergodic rates are expressed in simplified closed-forms under the special case of multi-keyhole channels to yield useful insights. They reveal that signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SINR) without user grouping in a multi-keyhole channel is similar to that under standard Rayleigh channel in the asymptotic regime. However, under user grouping, we show that the massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) gains promised by deploying large-scale antenna arrays in multi-cell settings are limited by the number of scatterers even if the number of antennas grows large. Simulation results illustrate the close match provided by the asymptotic analysis for moderate system dimensions and confirm the insights drawn from the theoretical findings.