Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biometric Solutions By Classification

Other biometrics technology on the market today depends on modifications to existing hardware, or the addition of new hardware to the system. BioPassword is the only biometrics technology that does not rely on modifications to the existing hardware available on a standard computer system. BioPassword is software based, it does not rely on special scanners to measure and record the information that the user gives to the system. In the areas of user verification, the general methods to verify a person's identity are through the use of physical objects (tokens), through the use of knowledge items (codes, passwords), and through the use of physical characteristics that are part of the person or a person's actions or behavior (keystroke dynamics, fingerprints, voice patterns, signature dynamics).
Welfare Policy in Transition: Redefining the Social Contract for Poor Citizen Families with Children and for Immigrants. In Understanding Poverty, edited by Sheldon H. Danziger and Robert H. Haveman

In spite of an unprecedented period of growth and prosperity, the U.S. poverty rate remains high relative to the levels of the early 1970s and relative to those in many industrialized countries today. Looking back over the four decades since the nation declared war on poverty, the authors ask how the poor have fared in the market economy, what government programs have and have not accomplished, and what remains to be done. They shed light on how changes in the labor market, family structure, and social welfare, health, and education policies have affected trends in poverty. Most significantly, they offer suggestions for changes in programs and policies that hold real promise for reducing poverty and income inequality.
Exploiting Foveal Sensor Geometry and Environmental Constraints for Automatic Sorting of Recyclable Garbage

We present our ongoing research into the use of foveal vision systems for industrial and other applications, in particular for the automatic sorting of recyclable garbage. After analyzing the constraints inherent in the problem we present a control architecture for the system, and discuss how a combination of sensor geometry and task constraints can lead to simple and fast, yet powerful, solutions. We illustrate this claim for two particular sub-problems: tracking objects, and categorizing them.
A novel gene-centric clustering algorithm for standardization of time series expression data

This paper proposes a novel data transformation method aiming at multi-purpose data standardization and inspired by gene-centric clustering approaches. The idea is to perform data standardization via template matching of each expression profile with the rest of the expression profiles employing dynamic time warping (DTW) alignment algorithm to measure the similarity between the expression profiles. This algorithm facilitates the identification of a cluster of genes whose expression profiles are related, possibly with a nonlinear time shift, to the profile of the gene supplied as a template. Consequently, for each gene profile a varying number (based on the degree of similarity) of neighboring gene profiles is identified to be used in the subsequent standardization phase. The latter uses a recursive aggregation algorithm in order to reduce the set of neighboring expression profiles into a singe profile representing the standardized version of the profile in question. The proposed data transformation method is evaluated and demonstrated on gene expression time series data coming from a study examining the global cell-cycle control of gene expression in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Understanding the Impact of Technical Debt in Coding and Testing: An Exploratory Case Study

Technical Debt (TD) refers to the long-term consequences of shortcuts taken during different phases of software development life cycle. Lack of attention to monitoring and managing testing and development debt can contribute to unexpectedly large cost overruns and severe quality issues in software development projects. This paper describes a case study conducted with an industry partner to explore the impact of TD in coding and testing. By conducting (i) a semi-structured interview, and (ii) a quantitative survey, we found that (1) the status of TD is largely project-independent, (2) we could not reject that there is no significant difference between the percentage of existing TD and the required time for reducing this TD in testing and development teams, (3) there is a statistically significant difference between the perceived influence of reducing TD on productivity increase in testing and development teams, (4) team member's experience has impact on the existing percentage of TD and influences productivity increase that is caused by reducing TD, (5) allocating more resources such as time, budget, and infrastructure is considered a potential solution for reducing TD.
Representing Polysemy and Diachronic Lexico-Semantic Data on the Semantic Web ?

In this article we will outline two different vocabularies, both extensions of the lemon model, for representing diachronic lexicosemantic data on the Semantic Web. This is especially useful for representing the evolution of scientific terminologies where many terms are polysemous and or imported from other languages. The first vocabulary, polyLemon, allows for the representation of data about polysemy; the second, lemonDIA the representation of meaning shift over time.
Shrinking hyper-sphere based Artificial Bee Colony algorithm

Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) is a popular swarm intelligence based approach used to solve nonlinear and complex optimization problems. It is a simple to implement and swarm based probabilistic algorithm. As the case of other swarm based algorithms, ABC is also computationally expensive due to its slow nature of search process. The solution search equation of ABC is significantly influenced by a random quantity which helps in exploration at the cost of exploitation of the search space. Therefore, to balance the exploration and exploitation characteristics of the ABC, Shrinking Hyper-Sphere based local search approach is developed and hybridized with in the ABC solution search process. The proposed algorithm is named as Shrinking Hyper-Sphere based ABC (SHABC). The experiments over 14 well known benchmark functions of complex in nature, show that the SHABC algorithm perform better than the original version of ABC and its latest variant, namely Modified ABC (MABC) in most of the experiments.
Towards Decentralized Management of Graceful Degradation in Distributed Embedded Systems

Graceful degradation entails a proportional loss of functionality or the reduction in the quality of services a system provides in response to faults. Compared to traditional techniques, graceful degradation is a promising approach to achieving fault tolerance at reduced cost. Current research using this approach in distributed embedded systems assumes a central management unit responsible for tracking resources and for system reconfiguration. Such units are single points of failure and maybe become costly when made fault tolerant by traditional techniques. This papers overviews current work on developing a framework that enables the specification and implementation of real-time distributed embedded systems that feature decentralized management.
Risk Shocks and Divergence between the Euro Area and the US in the Aftermath of the Great Recession

Why have the Euro area and the US diverged since 2011 while they were highly synchronized during the recession of 2008-2009? To explain this divergence, we provide a structural interpretation of these episodes through the estimation of a business cycle model with financial frictions for both economies. Our results show that risk shocks, measured as the volatility of idiosyncratic uncertainty in the financial sector, have played a crucial role in the divergence with the absence of risk reversal in the Euro area. Risk shocks have stimulated US credit and investment growth since the trough of 2009 whereas they have been at the origin of the double-dip recession in the Euro area. A companion website is available at http://visualdata.cepii. fr/risk-shocks-and-divergence.
Role Method with Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Development of a Method

Little has been written about the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using drama therapy. Therefore, I explore the adaptation of role theory and role method (Landy, 1993; Landy, 2001; Landy, 2008; & Landy, 2009) with an individual patient in an inpatient hospital setting who is diagnosed with OCD. Through our sessions, which occurred twice a week for three weeks, I was able to see the rigidity and inflexibility which is present in patients with OCD. In my application of an adapted role method, my patient was able to more deeply explore the “OCD role,” as well as start making steps to allow for more flexibility and spontaneity. I propose that integrating drama therapy, specifically role method, into OCD treatment has the potential to target specific symptoms of OCD and work to untangle the varying complexities of this disorder. I conclude with practice and research recommendations.
Ultra-low-power ECG front-end design based on compressed sensing

Ultra-low-power design has been a challenging area for design of the sensor front-ends especially in the area of Wireless Body Sensor Nodes (WBSN), where a limited amount of power budget and hardware resources are available. Since introduction of Compressed Sensing, there has been a challenge to design CS-based low-power readout devices for different applications and among all for biomedical signals. Till now, different proposed realizations of the digital CS prove the suitability of using CS as an efficient low-power compression technique for compressible biomedical signals. However, these works mainly take advantages of only one aspect of the benefits of the CS. In this type of works, CS is usually used as a very low cost and easy to implement compression technique. This means that we should acquire the signal with traditional limitations on the bandwidth (BW) and later compresses it. However, the main power of the CS, which lies on the efficient data acquisition, remains untouched. Building on our previous work [1], where the suitability of the CS is proven for the compression of the ECG signals, and our investigation on ultra-low-power CS-based A2I devices [2], here in this paper we propose a fully redesigned complete CS-based “Analog-to-information” (A/I) front-end for ECG signals. Our results show that proposed hybrid design easily outperforms the traditional implementation of CS with more than 11 times fold reduction in power consumption compared to standard implementation of CS. Moreover our design shows a very promising performance specially in high compression ratio.
Environmental xenobiotics may disrupt normal endocrine function by interfering with the binding of physiological ligands to steroid receptors and binding proteins.

The disruption of the reproductive system of male and female animals in the wild has been attributed to environmental chemicals (xenobiotics). The effects seen mirror alterations one might anticipate if the steroid hormone-dependent processes that regulate these systems were impaired. To determine whether xenobiotics (present at a concentration of 100 microM) exert their action through steroid-mediated pathways, we examined their ability to inhibit the binding of [3H]physiological ligands (present at a concentration of 7 nM) to the androgen and estrogen receptors, rat androgen-binding protein (ABP), and human sex hormone-binding globulin (hSHBG). The gamma- and delta-isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane, congeners of dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT; p,p'-DDT; p,p'-DDE; o,p'-DDT), dieldrin, atrazine, and pentachlorophenol, caused a statistically significant inhibition of specific binding of [3H]5 alpha-DHT to the androgen receptor that ranged from 100% (p,p'-DDE) to 25% (dieldrin). Methoxychlor, o,p'-DDT1, pentachlorophenol, and nonylphenol significantly reduced [3H]17 beta-estradiol binding to the estrogen receptor by 10, 60, 20, and 75%, respectively. The binding of [3H]5 alpha-DHT to ABP was inhibited 70% by the delta-isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane, but the gamma-isomer did not reduce binding significantly. Methoxychlor, p,p'-DDT, atrazine, and nonylphenol reduced [3H]5 alpha-DHT binding to ABP by approximately 40%. Nonylphenol reduced the binding of [3H]5 alpha-DHT to hSHBG by 70%. Hexachlorocyclohexane reduced [3H]5 alpha-DHT binding to hSHBG by 20%, but the stereospecific effects observed with ABP did not occur. o,p'-DDT and pentachlorophenol resulted in a statistically significant 20% inhibition of [3H]5 alpha-DHT binding to hSHBG. Some xenobiotics resulted in dissociation of [3H]ligands from their binding proteins that was statistically identical to that caused by the unlabeled natural ligand, whereas others resulted in slower or more rapid dissociation rates. Imagesp294-aFigure 1.Figure 2.Figure 3.Figure 4. AFigure 4. BFigure 5.Figure 6.Figure 7.Figure 8.
Supplementary Inductance Simulator Topologies Employing Single DXCCII

In this study, six grounded inductance simulator circuits are presented including additional useful features in comparison to previous dual-X current conveyor (DXCCII) based implementations. To demonstrate the performance and usefulness of the presented circuits, one of them is used to construct a fifth order Butterworth highpass filter and a current-mode multifunction filter as application examples. Simulation results are given to confirm the theoretical analysis. The derived DXCCII and its applications are simulated using CMOS 0.35 μm technology.
A Review of P . Downing ,

Linguists have always been SUSpICIOUS of traditional orthographies. Mter all, a traditional orthography directly competes with the linguist, offering its own morphophonological analysis of the language in question. This state of affairs is the more painful because it often happens that an orthography is, by any reasonable linguistic criteria, totally unsuited to the language it transcribes, and yet its users seem perfectly happy with it, and resist all attempts to simplifY or rationalize it. The linguist is in the position of a highly-trained physician unable to persuade patients to give Up their ineffective and unscientific folk nostrums. It is thus no surprise that a book growing out of a Symposium whose theme was "the relationship between linguistics and literacy" (p. ix) should provide further evidence that this relationship is an uneasy one. The book includes fifteen papers presented at the Seventeenth Annual University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Linguistics Symposium in Milwaukee, April 8-10, 1988. The editors have grouped the papers into three parts: "Written Language and Spoken Language Compared," "Orthographic Systems," and "Psychology of Orthography. " A fourth part, "Consequences of Literacy," consists of a sixteenth paper, not presented at the Symposium, by Walter J. Ong. Part I, comparing speech and writing, includes papers by Cecilia E. Ford, Wallace Chafe, Deborah Tannen, and Eleanor Berry. Ford compares the intonation of adverbial clauses in samples of conversation with the punctuation of such clauses in samples of Freshman writing. She finds that in the conversation samples, temporal clauses are more likely than conditional or causal clauses to be part of the same breath group as the main clause, or to be preceded by intonation contours signaling incompletion, rather than being
Terrorism: National Security Policy and the Home Front

Abstract : The report bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City has highlighted the complexity of political extremism. Until then, the United States focused its attention on foreign terrorists, particularly the so-called Islamic fundamentalists. Undue emphasis on this "foreign connection" can make it appear that only Middle Eastern terror is of consequence. This report resulted from a November 1994 conference cosponsored by the Strategic Studies Institute; the Institute for National Security Studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy; and the Georgia Institute of Technology. A number of terrorist-related issues were considered. The emphasis was on international terror, but the threat of domestic extremism was also examined.
Implementation of Role-Based Delegation Model / Flat Roles ( RBDM 0 )

In the information security arena, one of the most interesting and promising techniques proposed is Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). In the last few years, much work has been done in the definition and implementation of RBAC. However, so far the concept of delegation in RBAC has not been studied. The basic idea behind delegation is that some active entity i n a system delegates authority to another active entity in order to carry out some functions on behalf of the former. User delegation in RBAC is the ability of one user (called the delegating user) who is a member of the delegated role to authorize another user (called the delegate user) to become a member of the delegated role. This paper extends a series of simple but practically useful models for delegation, described in the literature by Barka and Sandhu [3], and starts the development of a scheme of prototype implementation in order to validate these models. More specifically, this paper reviews the most recent Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Implementations, analyzes the implementation techniques used in other forms of delegations (other than the human-to-human delegation), and designes and develops prototype implementations of user-to-user role delegation based on the Role-Based Delegation Models, in flat roles (RBDM0), and in hierarchical roles (RBDM1).
A survey on fingerprint biometric recognition system

Individual recognition is based on biometric characteristics. A biometric system is an automated method of recognizing an individual. It is an evolving technology which is used in various fields like forensics, secured area and security system. Fingerprint method of identification is the oldest and widely used method of authentication used in biometrics. Fingerprint Recognition system designed uses various techniques in order to reduce the False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and False Rejection Rate (FRR) and to improve the performance of the system. In this paper a brief study on the advancement in the techniques used by various authors in the fingerprint recognition system along with their performance improvement is discussed below. Gaps are identified based on the observations and an optimum approach is proposed.
An Instrument To Assess Views Of Scientific Inquiry: The VOSI Questionnaire

Renee’ S. Schwartz Western Michigan University Department of Biological Sciences Mallinson Institute for Science Education Kalamazoo, MI 49008 r.schwartz@wmich.edu Norman G. Lederman Illinois Institute of Technology Dept of Mathematics and Science Education Chicago, IL ledermann@iit.edu Judith S. Lederman Illinois Institute of Technology Department of Mathematics and Science Education Chicago, IL ledermanj@iit.edu Abstract Because teachers and students are to develop sound epistemological views of science (nature of science [NOS] and nature of scientific inquiry [NOSI]), assessments are needed to understand these views and how they develop. Much attention has focused on developing knowledge and pedagogical expertise in teaching NOS. The VNOS instrument has been paramount in advancing our understanding and needs of teachers and students. Currently, we lack similar understanding about views and needs regarding NOSI. If teachers are to teach about scientific inquiry, what is their knowledge base? What are students’ views? How do we know if instruction is effective in advancing desired conceptions about what scientists do? In response to these questions, we have developed a valid, open-ended instrument that assesses views of scientific inquiry [VOSI]. The purpose of this paper is to describe the framework upon which the VOSI instrument is grounded, present a pool of items with rationale, describe administration and analysis procedures, and describe typical responses we have received that provide insights into views of NOSI. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, March 30-April 2, 2008. Baltimore, MD.
Pre-ectopic vagal tone affects heart rate turbulence slope in heart failure

Cardiovascular oscillations following spontaneous ventricular premature complexes (VPC) are described by the so-called heart rate turbulence (HRT) onset (TO) and slope (TS). Since HRT is a marker of baroreflex sensitivity, it can be hypothesized to be affected by the preceding VPC sympatovagal balance (pHF). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between HRT parameters and pHF in heart failure (HF) patients. We studied 75 24h ECG Holter recording of HF patients (62±9 years) performing a Spearman correlation analysis between TO, TS and pHF values. According to risk stratification standards, each post-VPC response was classified in 0-normal type or 1-abnormal category. Results showed a 53%, 27%,5%,6% of post-VPC respectively 0, 1a, 1b, 2-category, and a remaining 9% unclassified T0=0 values. pHF showed a moderate to good significant (p<;0.0001) positive correlation with TS, ranging from r=0.5 to 0.6 in 0- and 1a-category, weaker correlations has been found between pHF and T0. Conclusions demonstrated that while the early HRT phase do not seem to depend on preceding VPC sympathovagal balance, pre-ectopic vagal tone affects HR late recovery slope in HF, with correlation patterns related to different post-VPC response type.
ChaMAILeon: Exploring the Usability of a Privacy Preserving Email Sharing System

While passwords, by definition, are meant to be secret, recent trends have witnessed an increasing number of people sharing their email passwords with friends, colleagues, and significant others. However, leading websites like Google advise their users not to share their passwords with anyone, to avoid security and privacy breaches. To understand users' general password sharing behavior and practices, we conducted an online survey with 209 Indian participants and found that 64.35% of the participants felt a need to share their email passwords. Further, about 77% of the participants said that they would want to use a system which could provide them access control features, to maintain their privacy while sharing emails. To address the privacy concerns of users who need to share emails, we propose ChaMAILeon, a system which enables users to share their email passwords while maintaining their privacy. ChaMAILeon allows users to create multiple passwords for their email account. Each such password corresponds to a different set of access control rules, and gives a different view of the same email account. We conducted a controlled experiment with 30 participants to evaluate the usability of the system. Each participant was required to perform 5 tasks. Each task corresponded to different access control rules, which the participant was required to set, for a dummy email account. We found that, with a reasonable number of multiple attempts, all 30 participants were able to perform all 5 tasks given to them. The system usability score was found out to be 75.42. Moreover, 56.6% of the participants said that they would like to use ChaMAILeon frequently.