Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Palmprint Authentication Based on DCT-Based Watermarking

With the rapid development of biometric technology, the security issues have drawn people's greater attention because some biometric features are Easy to forge and are not replaceable. As a result, the security issue of biometric system extremely critical to be solved. In this paper, we introduce a public watermarking algorithm which is based on Discrete Cosine Transformation (DCT). By using the proposed algorithm, the finger geometry is embedded into the region of interest (ROI) of palmprint image. This method has the ability to increase the security of both the palmprint image and the finger geometry. Experimental results performed on a database of 86 hands (10 impressions per hand) show that the proposed algorithm is effective, and the watermarking operation has little impact on the recognition performance.
Decomposition of Electromagnetic Torque in the Detailed Transient Model of Synchronous Machines

Abstract Analysis of the classical model of power systems has revealed the importance of damping torque in determining the transient stability region. However, when a detailed model is employed, damping torque is seen to be hardly decomposed from electromagnetic torque. In this case, the reduced model tends to take on an empirical damping coefficient, such as 1 to 3, without sufficient reasons. Moreover, the expression of the electromagnetic torque is usually replaced by electric power. Thereby a large deviation of a rotor’s velocity during the transient process of a generator will inevitably induce a biased expression of the torque. In this paper, the electromagnetic torque is separated into synchronising torque and damping torque by a torque decomposer in the frame of a radial basis function neural network. Its effectiveness is verified by analysis on a singlemachine infinite-bus system. Then, it is used to analyse the influences of a generator’s parameters upon the damping torque. It is shown that the stator resistance will non-linearly worsen the system’s damping. Also, the influence of damping winding’s reactance upon system damping is so small that it can be ignored, and the contribution of its resistance to the system’s damping is obvious while its relationship is non-linear.
Overexpression of long non-coding RNA WT1-AS or silencing of PIK3AP1 are inhibitory to cervical cancer progression

ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence demonstrate that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in regulating the biological function of cervical cancer cells. However, the regulatory role of lncRNA Wilms tumor 1 homolog antisense RNA (WT1-AS) in cervical cancer cells remains uncertain. In this study, we explored the participation of WT1-AS in cervical cancer by first using the reverse transcription quantitative polymerase-chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was to analyze the expression of WT1-AS and phosphoinositide-3-kinase adaptor protein 1 (PIK3AP1) in cervical cancer tissues and cells. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA pull-down/RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay were conducted to explore the interactions among WT1-AS, PIK3AP1, and SPI1. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches were carried out to determine the effects of lncRNA WT1-AS, PIK3AP1 on cell biological characteristics, followed by assays of cell proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis abilities using, respectively, EdU, monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining, and flow cytometry. Finally, we measured growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice. We found decreased expression of lncRNA WT1-AS and increased expression of PIK3AP1 in cervical cancer samples. Moreover, PIK3AP1 was negatively regulated by WT1-AS, which promoted apoptosis, but inhibited cell proliferation and autophagy of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, WT1-AS inhibited PIK3AP1 expression by recruiting SPI1, and inhibited the progression of cervical cancer through the SPI1/PIK3AP1 axis in vivo and in vitro. In summary, lncRNA WT1-AS repressed the development of cervical cancer by reducing PIK3AP1 expression through an interaction with SPI1, which may suggest new therapeutic approaches for treating cervical cancer. Abbreviations: HPV, human papillomavirus; lncRNAs, Long non-coding RNAs; WT1-AS, wilms tumor 1 antisense RNA; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; SFFV, Spleen focus forming virus; SPI1, Spleen focus forming virus proviral integration oncogene 1; TF, transcription factor; PIK3AP1, Phosphoinositide-3-kinase adaptor protein 1; NCBI, National Center for Biotechnology Information; oe, overexpressed; sh-PIK3AP1, short hairpin RNA against PIK3AP1; RIPA, radioimmunoprecipitation; PMSF, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride; HRP, horseradish peroxidase; IgG, immunoglobulin G; GAPDH, Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; EP, Eppendorf; RIP, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation; CHIP, Chromatin immunoprecipitation; EdU, 5-ethynyl-2ʹ-deoxyuridine; PI, propidium iodide; MDC, Monodansylcadaverine; PFA, paraformaldehyde; SPF, specific pathogen free; TV, tumor volume; DLG1-AS1, discs large MAGUK scaffold protein 1 antisense RNA 1; TOB1-AS1, transducer of epidermal growth factor receptor-2.1 antisense RNA 1; LC3II, light chain 3 type II; LC3I, light chain 3 type I; IRF4, interferon regulatory factor 4
High brightness LEDs for general lighting applications Using the new ThinGaN™‐Technology

During the last years GaN-technology has proven to fulfill the requirements of solid state lighting. Lighting requirements are mainly driven by brightness, operation voltage and lifetime. Brigthness is determined by internal efficiency as well as extraction efficiency whereas the ohmic losses determining the operating voltage are dominated by series resistance and contact resistance. Both, brightness and voltage, strongly depend on the device structure as well as the chip design. SiC based [1, 2] as well as Sapphire based LEDs [3] have proven their capability for high brightness devices, still suffering from various compromises such as cost, ESD-stability, high series resistance etc. Recently OSRAM-OS has demonstrated its newly developed product line based on the so called ThinGaN technology, a true thinfilm approach that overcomes most of the compromises mentioned. The technology allows highest brightness levels at lowest operating voltage, is scalable and supports all wavelengths. The devices act as true surface emitters with a lambertian emission pattern.
Slip-Line Field Theory's Application in Soil Subgrade

Acquiring soil’s critical load is very important when designing soil foundation and soil subgrade with overloading method. Mohr-Coulomb strength theory is combined with slip-line field theory, then a theoretic method which is practicable to analyze critical load of soil come out. Analyzed theoretically and compared with others, the theoretic method is applied to describe the relationship between internal friction angel, internal cohesion, δ, lateral pressure and critical load, which express that this theoretic method is rational. Numerical analysis is adopted which make it clear that soil subgrade’s yield zone is small when it is under the critical pressure, which approve that this theory is very close to lower limit of soil’s critical load. The theoretical method can provide useful information to engineering designers and researchers.
Design and double negative property verification of C band left‐handed metamaterial

In this article, a left‐handed (LH) metamaterial with miniaturized unit cell and broad bandwidth is designed. Its relative bandwidth is 56.4%, and the unit cell electrical size is 0.067 at the central frequency where the LH metamaterial is available. The effective permittivity and effective permeability are extracted from the transmission and reflection data at normal incidence for the LH metamaterial proposed here. The double negative (DNG) property is shown by the simultaneously negative effective permittivity and effective permeability and is confirmed by the equivalent circuit. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 1732–1736, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21763
Self-sensing actuation using online capacitance measurement with application to active vibration control

Self-sensing actuation has been extensively used in vibration control of flexible structures over the last three decades. Positive position feedback controller has been commonly used in this field due to the robustness against spillover phenomena. Piezoelectric clamped capacitance is the most important parameter that affects the performance of this technique. In this study, the effect of capacitance change on performance and stability of a self-sensing system with positive position feedback controller is investigated. Based on this analysis, some modifications are suggested to increase the stability of the closed-loop system against capacitance change. An online Fourier transform–based capacitance measurement method is used, which guarantees good performance and stability of closed-loop system in the presence of capacitance change. Experimental results are also presented to show the effectiveness of this method in vibration control of cantilever beam.
Marine Data Prediction: An Evaluation of Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Statistical Predictive Models

Nowadays, ocean observation technology continues to progress, resulting in a huge increase in marine data volume and dimensionality. This volume of data provides a golden opportunity to train predictive models, as the more the data is, the better the predictive model is. Predicting marine data such as sea surface temperature (SST) and Significant Wave Height (SWH) is a vital task in a variety of disciplines, including marine activities, deep-sea, and marine biodiversity monitoring. The literature has efforts to forecast such marine data; these efforts can be classified into three classes: machine learning, deep learning, and statistical predictive models. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study compared the performance of these three approaches on a real dataset. This paper focuses on the prediction of two critical marine features: the SST and SWH. In this work, we proposed implementing statistical, deep learning, and machine learning models for predicting the SST and SWH on a real dataset obtained from the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency. Then, we proposed comparing these three predictive approaches on four different evaluation metrics. Experimental results have revealed that the deep learning model slightly outperformed the machine learning models for overall performance, and both of these approaches greatly outperformed the statistical predictive model.
Numerical Analysis of Concrete Arch Bridge on the Situation of Seismic Damage

Based on the example, red-Flag Bridge in Chongzhou City, using the finite element to analyze the response spectrum of seismic performance for the concrete arch bridge under two conditions. Through the numerical analysis of vibrational damage on the whole bridge, reveals the nether structure and elements of bridge is affected by the seismic waves under the seismic effect and the great stiffness in upper structure, and posts that the anti-inertia in longitudinal direction is more powerful than the transverse and vertical ones. The deformation of arch ring is mostly affected by the displacement on transverse line, DY direction, and less in the longitudinal, vertical and rotational direction. According to the analysis of spectrum value displacement on abutment, finds out that the transverse direction of abutment is mostly affected by the displacement on DZ direction, for the abutment displacement, less in the middle, big in both sides. And for the vertical one, it is mostly affected by DY displacement, in the DY displacement of abutment, big in top, less in base.
Risk Factors and Spatial Distribution of Schistosoma mansoni Infection among Preschool-Aged Children in Blapleu, Biankouma District, Western Côte d'Ivoire

Schistosoma mansoni infection is common among school-age children (SAC) in western Côte d'Ivoire. Little is known on the infection rate of preschool-aged children (PSAC) due to epidemiological data deficiency and nonappropriate formulation of the drug. Thus, mass drug administration for schistosomiasis control mainly targets SAC. This study aims to identify the risk factors and spatial distribution of S. mansoni infection among PSAC in Blapleu, endemic foci of S. mansoni. We carried out a cross-sectional study in households with PSAC aged 1–6 years. A structured questionnaire was administered to mothers/guardians to obtain data on sociodemographics and water contact behaviour of children. Point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) immunodiagnostic test in urine and Kato-Katz (K-K) method with stool were used for S. mansoni infection diagnosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between S. mansoni infection and sociodemographic data. Coordinates recorded by a Global Positioning System of households, water source points, and infected PSAC were used to map the spatial distribution of S. mansoni infection cases. This study was conducted with 350 PSAC aged 1–6 years. The overall infection prevalence of S. mansoni varies from 31.43% with the K-K method to 62.86% with the POC-CCA. PSAC aged 2–6 years were highly infected with S. mansoni than those aged 1-2 years (OR = 14.24, 95% CI: 5.85–34.64). PSAC who did not have access and who do not live close to the infected water source were at a significant lower risk of S. mansoni infection (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.057–0.30). The main purpose of water contact of PSAC was to help their mother for laundry that occurs weekly. In Blapleu, a high risk of S. mansoni infection was observed among PSAC. Schistosomiasis control effort in such localities should include information, education, and communication, water, sanitation, and hygiene, and particularly chemotherapy targeting PSAC, reinforcing the need of the paediatric praziquantel formulation.
Depth Profiling of Iron Species in Sooke # 1 with Mössbauer Spectroscopy

In the paper #2775 at 52nd LPSC in March [1] we reported about unique 13-kg, cone-shaped, diopside-rich, ultramafic achondrite found in the Sooke Basin near Juan de Fuca Strait, in British Columbia. The first results of chemistry, petrography, X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer and Raman analyses were also presented. Based on oxygen isotopic analysis this find, like other ungrouped, highly magnesian, reduced ultramafic achondrites NWA 13304 and NWA 13307, might be similar to diopside-rich meteorites from the aubrite parent body [2].
Teaching Communication Micro-Skills to Cardiologists Managing Seriously Ill Patients in Asia: Challenges Encountered Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic and Future Perspectives

Background Patients with advanced cardiac conditions value effective symptom control and empathic communication with their doctors. However, studies have shown that empathic communication with seriously ill patients does not occur adequately in cardiology. Therefore, we piloted a program for teaching communication skills in a bite-sized manner. The primary aim of the research was to understand the feasibility and acceptability of the training program and to perform a preliminary evaluation of its efficacy. Methodology Clinicians were recruited from the cardiology unit of a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Patients were also recruited for the audio recording of clinic consults. Recruited patients had to have a chronic cardiac condition and be deemed at risk of dying within one year. We utilized a pre-post intervention design. Prior to the educational intervention, clinicians were asked to audio record a single clinic consult at baseline. They were then asked to participate in a training program that consisted of video-annotated presentations and role-play scenarios. Subsequently, the audio recordings of their clinic consults with seriously ill patients were recorded. The audio recordings were evaluated by trainers and used for feedback with clinicians. Data on the completion rate of the training program were collected. In addition, changes in the clinicians’ self-rated communication skills and views on the acceptability and relevance of the training program were collected. Results Overall, five of the six clinicians (83.3%) completed all sessions in the program. One clinician only completed four out of the five sessions in the program. Clinicians deemed the program acceptable and relevant and found audio recordings to be useful for reflective learning. There was an improvement in the clinicians’ self-assessed competency. However, the planned number of audio recordings could not be completed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Conclusions The pilot training program was acceptable and relevant for the participants. However, it will require adaptation to allow it to be transferrable and scalable to all settings, especially in situations that limit prolonged face-to-face contact.
Sensory Studies on Snacks and Dips Elaborated with Lionfish Surimi

ABSTRACT Lionfish (Pterois volitans) have proliferated over the Caribbean Sea causing massive damage to coral reefs ecosystems. The development of products using lionfish is a control strategy that aims to decrease the negative impact of this species. In this research, the lionfish was processed to obtain surimi with a different set of binders (liquid egg white and starch) and high-power ultrasound. The surimi was used to elaborate two novel products: snacks and dipping sauce. A sensory panel was organized to determine the culinary applications with the highest appeal. The most liked fish snacks were obtained with ultrasound: (1) without binders and (2) with starch (3%). In case of dipping sauce, the most liked one was made by conventional method and egg white (1.5%). The use of ultrasound to obtain lionfish surimi in combination with binders demonstrated its potential to be used in the preparation of novel products with high sensory qualities.
Surface states and 1/f noise in MOS transistors

Surface-state density in n-channel MOS transistors operating in the inversion mode has been determined from the channel conductance and related to 1/ f noise in these devices. It has been found that the noise is proportional to the surface-state density at the Fermi level. The surface orientation and temperature affect the noise output only indirectly, through their influence on the surface-state density and the position of the Fermi level at the surface.
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work – Revisited

Abstract Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and the related mandated work for home, we have seen a massive increase of the use of collaboration tools in various work settings in the last 18 months. Whereas this might have been a new terrain for some, IT-supported work and the related research domain Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) have been around for decades. In this article we briefly review what CSCW has to offer for the currently increasing demand in setting up remote collaboration – and share our own observations about what happened when collaboration tools have been introduced in the pandemic. As a summary, we present some learnings from the experience – both for the current state of CSCW research and for future work.
Control of Variable Speed Wind Turbines with Doubly-Fed Induction Generators

The paper presents an overall control method for variable speed pitch controlled wind turbines with doubly-fed induction generators (DFIG). Emphasis is on control strategies and algorithms applied at each hierarchical control level of the wind turbine. The objectives of the control system are: 1) to control the power drawn from the wind turbine in order to track the wind turbine maximum power operation point, 2) to limit the power in case of large wind speeds, and 3) to control the reactive power interchanged between the wind turbine generator and the grid. The present control method is designed for normal continuous operations. The strongest feature of the implemented control method is that it allows the turbine to operate with the optimum power efficiency over a wider range of wind speeds. The model of the variable speed, variable pitch wind turbine with doubly-fed induction generator is implemented in the dynamic power system simulation tool DIgSILENT PowerFactory which allows investigation of the dynamic performance of grid-connected wind turbines within realistic electrical grid models. Simulation results are presented and analysed in different normal operating conditions.
Circuit analysis of a thyristor controlled series compensation

More comprehensive mathematical equations of TCSC circuit for any period of time (including the whole transient process from firing the thyristors to a steady state) and for the steady state relating to the voltages and currents of the capacitor, inductor, and thyristor components are precisely developed by using Laplace transformation. The accurate mathematical relationship between the fundamental impedance of TCSC and the firing angle of the thyristors is further derived by using Fourier analysis. The validity of the mathematical analysis is demonstrated by using the Electromagnetic Transient Program (EMTP) digital simulations. Furthermore, a whole model system for TCSC dynamic simulated test including the actual microprocessor-based control hardware was constructed to compare with and verify the mathematical analysis and EMTP simulation. The test results agree well with the analytical and simulation results and clarify the validity of the assumption that the line current keeps sinusoidal, which is taken both in the mathematical analysis and the EMTP digital simulations.
Interagency Coordination of Security Operations at a Large U.S. Seaport

Interagency Coordination of Security Operations in a Large U.S. Seaport by Edmund B. Levy MBA, Pepperdine University, 1977 BBA, University of Texas (Austin), 1970 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Science Walden University May 2015
FPGA-Based Real-Time Image Segmentation for Medical Systems and Data Processing

Three-dimensional (3-D) image segmentation is one of the most demanding tasks in image processing. The applications comprise industrial and scientific tasks. Due to the high data volume, advanced algorithms cannot be processed on standard hardware in real time. We propose the perfectly parallelizable 3-D Gray-Value Structure Code (3-D-GSC) for image segmentation on a new FPGA custom machine. This 128-Bit FPGA coprocessing board features an up-to-date Virtex-II Pro architecture, two large independent DDR-SDRAM channels, two fast independent ZBT-SRAM channels, and PCI-X bus and CameraLink interfaces. The hardware speeds up the segmentation algorithm and allows processing of a 5123 image (16 bpv) in about 2 s
A Three-Dimensional Cinematographic Analysis of the Fastball and Curveball Pitches in Baseball

Three-dimensional (3-D) high speed photography was used to record the fastball (FB) and curveball (CB) actions of six members of the Australian National pitching squad. The direct linear transformation (DLT) method of motion analysis for 3-D space reconstruction from 2-D images was used to record the movement of selected anatomical features. Laterally positioned phase-locked cameras operating at 200 fps and a front-on camera operating at 300 fps were used to record the pitching action. Mean pitching velocities for the FB and the CB were recorded. A kinematic analysis of the two pitching motions from the first balance point following the completion of the pump and pivot to follow through are presented. The actions are very similar for the two pitches, as would be expected if disguised to confuse the batter. Minor differences were noted, however, for stride length, forearm action prior to release, and wrist action at release.