Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust Feature Extraction and Iris Recognition for Biometric Personal Identification

Humans have distinctive and unique traits which can be used to distinguish them from other humans, acting as a form of identification. A number of traits characterising physiological or behavioral characteristics of human can be used for biometric identification. Basic physiological characteristics are face, facial thermograms, fingerprint, iris, retina, hand geometry, odour/scent. Voice, signature, typing rhythm, gait are related to behavioral characteristics. The critical attributes of these characteristics for reliably recognition are the variations of selected characteristic across the human population, uniqueness of these characteristics for each individual, their immutability over time (Jain et al.,1998). Human iris is the best characteristic when we consider these attributes. The texture of iris is complex, unique, and very stable throughout life. Iris patterns have a high degree of randomness in their structure. This is what makes them unique. The iris is a protected internal organ and it can be used as an identity document or a password offering a very high degree of identity assurance. Also the human iris is immutable over time. From one year of age until death, the patterns of the iris are relatively constant (Jain et al.,1998, Adler,1965). Because of uniqueness and immutability, iris recognition is one of accurate and reliable human identification technique. Nowadays biometrics technology plays important role in public security and information security domains. Iris recognition is one of the most reliable and accurate biometrics that plays an important role in identification of individuals. The iris recognition method deliver accurate results under varied environmental circumstances. Iris is the part between the pupil and the white sclera. The iris texture provides many minute characteristics such as freckles, coronas, stripes, furrows, crypts (Adler,1965). These visible characteristics are unique for each subject. Iris recognition process can be separated into these basic stages: iris capturing, preprocessing and recognition of the iris region. Each of these steps uses different algorithms. Pre-processing includes iris localization, normalization, and enhancement. In iris localization step, the detection of the inner (pupillary) and outer (limbic) circles of the iris and the detection of the upper and lower bound of the eyelids are performed. The inner circle is located on the iris and pupil boundary, the outer circle is located on the sclera and iris boundary. Today researchers follow different methods in finding pupillary and limbic
Tangible cooperative gestures : improving control and initiative in digital photo sharing

This paper focuses on co-present digital photo sharing on a notebook and investigates how this could be supported. While analyzing the current digital photo sharing situation we noticed that there was a high threshold for visitors to take control of the personal computer of the photo owner, resulting in inequity of participation. It was assumed that visitors would have the opportunity to interact with the notebook more freely if this threshold was lowered by distributing the user interface and creating a more public, instead of personal, interaction space. This, in turn, could make them feel more involved and in control during a session, creating a more enjoyable experience. To test these assumptions a design prototype was created that stimulates participants to use tangible artifacts for cooperative gestures, a promising direction for the future of HCI. The situation with the cooperative gestures was compared with the regular digital photo sharing situation, which makes use of a keyboard. In dyads, visitors felt more involved and in control in the design prototype cooperative gestures condition (especially during storytelling), resulting in a more enjoyable digital photo sharing experience.
Predictive generic model control for non-linear interval systems with application in arc welding

A control technique is proposed for a class of non-linear systems with parameter intervals. This technique can be considered as a modification of the Generic Model Control (GMC), which specifies the desired derivative of the output as a Proportional- Integral (PI) function of the error between the reference and the output. Specifically, to reduce unnecessary control variations and improve the suitability for the control of non-minimum phase systems, a multistep prediction is incorporated into the GMC, which in its original form is 'nearsighted', to develop a Predictive GMC (PGMC). For non-linear interval systems, interval arithmetic is used to analyse the interval of the input, which can guarantee the system's output stability defined by an output range. The PGMC is then derived for the interval non-linear system and an adaptive factor is proposed to improve the understanding of process dynamics and the performance of the closed-loop system. The resultant algorithm can control a non-linear system with parameter intervals and guarantee that the system's output will meet a specified criterion. A simulation has been done to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PGMC in reducing control signal variations. Also, an arc welding process has been controlled using the interval PGMC algorithm to demonstrate the effectiveness of the full-proposed control technique.
Are sleep states effective in data centers?

While sleep states have existed for mobile devices and workstations for some time, these sleep states have not been incorporated into most of the servers in today's data centers. High setup times make data center administrators fearful of any form of dynamic power management, whereby servers are suspended or shut down when load drops. This general reluctance has stalled research into whether there might be some feasible sleep state (with sufficiently low setup overhead and/or sufficiently low power) that would actually be beneficial in data centers. This paper investigates the regime of sleep states that would be advantageous in data centers. We consider the benefits of sleep states across three orthogonal dimensions: (i) the variability in the workload trace, (ii) the type of dynamic power management policy employed, and (iii) the size of the data center. Our implementation results on a 24-server multi-tier testbed indicate that under many traces, sleep states greatly enhance dynamic power management. In fact, given the right sleep states, even a naive policy that simply tries to match capacity with demand, can be very effective. By contrast, we characterize certain types of traces for which even the “best” sleep state under consideration is ineffective. Our simulation results suggest that sleep states are even more beneficial for larger data centers.
A LMI approach to H∞ output feedback control for polytopic linear parameter-varying systems

This paper reviews the problem of H∞, output feedback control for polytopic linear parameter-varying systems. It is different from those approaches which some matrices describing the system must be assumed to be constant and/or must satisfy structural constraints. In this paper, all the system matrices are assumed to be in a polytope and be affected by the parameters measured online, and there are no structural constraints. By employing the definition of Quadratic H∞ Performance, sufficient conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities are presented for the existence of the desired controller for the continuous linear parameter-varying system. The conditions guarantee that the closed-loop system is quadratically stable and with a prescribed H∞ attenuation level. The proposed approach is potentially less conservative than previous ones for the plants without structural constraints. The numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Spatially-coupled precoded rateless codes

Raptor codes are rateless codes that achieve the capacity on the binary erasure channels. However the maximum degree of optimal output degree distribution is unbounded. This leads to a computational complexity problem both at encoders and decoders. Aref and Urbanke investigated the potential advantage of universal achieving-capacity property of proposed spatially-coupled (SC) low-density generator matrix (LDGM) codes. However the decoding error probability of SC-LDGM codes is bounded away from 0. In this paper, we investigate SC-LDGM codes concatenated with SC low-density parity-check codes. The proposed codes can be regarded as SC Hsu-Anastasopoulos rateless codes. We derive a lower bound of the asymptotic overhead from stability analysis for successful decoding by density evolution. The numerical calculation reveals that the lower bound is tight. We observe that with a sufficiently large number of information bits, the asymptotic overhead and the decoding error rate approach 0 with bounded maximum degree.
Minimization of Time & Cost Factors with Optimized Program-States Using Exception-Handling Construct

It has been observed that 80% of development time and a lots of memory space is spend over handling the abnormal conditions and exceptions in any programming Environment. It also affects the cost factor of program development also. The support for precise exceptions in optimizing Java program states, combined with frequent checks for runtime exceptions, leads to severe limitations on the compiler's ability to perform program optimizations that involve reordering of instructions. This paper presents a basic framework that allows the application programmers to recognise the constraints of application programs in instruction scheduling. We first present a formulated way for analysing the problem caused in coded program and its related Exception-handling constructs, and a methodology, to identify the subset of program state that needs to be preserved if an exception is thrown. This allows many spurious dependence constraints between potentially excepting instructions (PEIs) and writes into variables to be eliminated. Our planned methodology is particularly suitable for dynamically dispatched methods in object-oriented languages, where static analysis may be quite conservative. We then present the first software-only solution that allows dependence constraints among PEIs to be completely ignored while applying program optimizations, with no need to execute any additional instructions if an exception is not thrown. With a preliminary implementation, by this we observe that for many benchmark programs, a large percentage of methods can be optimized (while honouring the precise exception requirement) without any constraints imposed by frequent runtime exceptions. Finally, we show that relaxing these reordering constraints can lead to substantial improvements (up to a factor of 7 out of 10 for small codes) in the performance of programs
An Optimal Method to Design a Trap-CL Filter for a PV AC-Module Based on Flyback Inverter

The power factor and total harmonic distortion (THD) are important considerations when designing an output filter. In the case of the photovoltaic (PV) ac-module, the size and weight also have to be taken into consideration. This paper proposes an output filter to reduce size and weight, and provides the optimal design method for a PV ac-module. The proposed output filter consists mainly of a conventional CL filter with a trap filter. The trap filter is used to eliminate the harmonic at the switching frequency that contains most of the harmonics. Therefore, total inductance and the size of the filter can be reduced although the output filter components are increased. This paper presents analysis of the proposed filter characteristics in detail. Also, an optimal design method reducing the size of the output filter components including the damping resistor is proposed. The proposed methods are verified on the experimental prototype rated at 320 W with an ac-module based on the interleaved flyback inverter. The total filter inductance and volume are, respectively, reduced to 9.54% and 26.62% with the same performance.
Molecular models for the tissue specificity of DNA mismatch repair-deficient carcinogenesis

A common feature of all the known cancer genetic syndromes is that they predispose only to selective types of malignancy. However, many of the genes mutated in these syndromes are ubiquitously expressed, and influence seemingly universal processes such as DNA repair or cell cycle control. The tissue specificity of cancers that arise from malfunction of these apparently universal traits remains a key puzzle in cancer genetics. Mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes cause the most common known cancer genetic syndrome, hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, and the fundamental biology of MMR is one of the most intensively studied processes in laboratories all around the world. This review uses MMR as a model system to understand mechanisms that may explain the selective development of tumors in particular cell types despite the universal nature of this process. We evaluate recent data giving insights into the specific tumor types that are attributable to defective MMR in humans and mice under different modes of inheritance, and propose models that may explain the spectrum of cancer types observed.
Quantum Zeno effect and the detection of gravitomagnetism

In this work we introduce two experimental proposals that could shed some light upon the inertial properties of the intrinsic spin. In particular we will analyze the role that the gravitomagnetic field of the Earth could have on a quantum system with spin 1/2. We will first deduce the expression for the Rabi transitions, which depend explicitly, on the coupling between the spin of the quantum system and the gravitomagnetic field of the Earth. Then the continuous measurement of the energy of the spin 1/2 system is considered, and an expression for the emerging quantum Zeno effect is obtained. Thus, it will be proved that gravitomagnetism, in connection with spin 1/2 systems, could induce not only Rabi transitions but also a quantum Zeno effect.
Prognosis in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus following pregnancy management

This study was aimed to understand the effects of pregnancy management in the prognosis for pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A total of 217 pregnant patients who were diagnosed with SLE were divided into two groups, the control group (n = 96) and the intervention group (n = 121). The intervention group was treated with routine treatment and nursing care with additional pregnancy management, while the control group was treated with only routine treatment and nursing care. Additionally, 195 normal pregnant women were selected as the healthy controls in the same period. No significant difference of clinical features was observed in the three groups. Compared with the healthy control, increased ANA titer and dsDNA, lower immunoglobulin complement, renal damage, blood system damage, increased SLEDAI score and BILAG score were observed in the control group and the invention group. Both the control group and the intervention group showed significant increases in the incidences of PIH, premature delivery, fetal loss and neonatal complications as well as a significant decrease in neonatal weight compared with the healthy control. SLE activity rate and incidences of PIH, premature delivery and neonatal complications were significantly decreased; while neonatal weight was greatly increased in the intervention group compared with the control group. Low immunoglobulin complement, renal damage, increased dsDNA, and low immunoglobulin complement were independent risk factors for increased SLE activity rate, fetal loss, premature delivery and neonatal complications, respectively. The present study indicates that pregnancy management for pregnant SLE patients could significantly improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.
School administrators’ instructional leadership behaviors, intergenerational atmosphere, and intergenerational learning in schools

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among school administrators’ instructional leadership behaviors, intergenerational atmosphere, and intergenerational learning in schools. The study’s model is a descriptive correlational survey. The population of the study consists of teachers who work in primary schools, elementary schools, and high schools located in the city centers of seven districts of the Düzce province in Turkey. In research, Instructional Leadership Scale, the Intergenerational Atmosphere Scale and the Intergenerational Learning Scale were used to gather data. The results showed a positive moderate correlation between instructional leadership and intergenerational atmosphere and a positive moderate correlation between intergenerational atmosphere and intergenerational learning. An intergenerational atmosphere was a mediator between instructional leadership and intergenerational learning.
Linearly recurrent subshifts have a finite number of non-periodic subshift factors

A minimal subshift $(X,T)$ is linearly recurrent (LR) if there exists a constant $K$ so that for each clopen set $U$ generated by a finite word, $u$, the return time to $U$, with respect to $T$, is bounded by $K|u|$. We prove that given a LR subshift $(X,T)$ the set of its non-periodic subshift factors is finite up to isomorphism. We also give a constructive characterization of these subshifts.
Multicast routing, load balancing, and wavelength assignment on tree of rings

There are two steps to establish a multicast connection in WDM networks: routing and wavelength assignment. The shortest path tree (SPT) and minimum spanning tree (MST) are the two widely used multicast routing methods. The SPT method minimizes the delay from the source to every destination along a routing tree, and the MST method is often used to minimize the network cost of the tree. Load balancing is an important objective in multicast routing, which minimizes the maximal link load in the system. The objective of wavelength assignment is to minimize the number of wavelengths used in the system. This paper analyzes the performance of the shortest path tree (SPT) and minimum spanning tree (MST) methods in the tree of ring networks, regarding the performance criteria such as the delay and network cost of the generated routing trees, load balancing, and the number of wavelengths required in the system. We prove that SPT and MST methods can not only produce routing trees with low network costs and short delays, but also have good competitive ratios for the load balancing problem (LBP) and wavelength assignment problem (WAP), respectively.
Adipose tissue natriuretic peptide receptor expression is related to insulin sensitivity in obesity and diabetes

Cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs) bind to two receptors (NPRA‐mediator of signaling; NPRC‐clearance receptor) whose ratio, NPRR (NPRA/NPRC), determines the NP bioactivity. This study investigated the relationship of NP receptor gene expression in adipose tissue and muscle with obesity and glucose intolerance. Prospectively, the study also assessed whether changes in NP receptor expression and thermogenic gene markers accompanied improvements of insulin sensitivity.
Enhancing Resilience Among Providers of Trauma-Informed Care: A Curriculum for Protection Against Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Non-Mental Health Professionals

ABSTRACT Although the call to create trauma-informed services for youth has been clearly sounded, a relatively neglected part of this effort is the need to prepare non-mental health professionals to carry out trauma-informed programming in ways that protect them from secondary traumatic stress (STS). To this end, this article introduces Resilience for Trauma-Informed Professionals, a curriculum that introduces participants to techniques designed to promote resilience in the face of exposure to trauma-related material. Based on the existing evidence base regarding risk and protective factors for STS, six core elements targeted by the curriculum are described—appraisals, self-efficacy, emotional awareness, affect regulation, resilience, and prevention—as they are implemented across three stages: pre-exposure preparation, coping in the presence of trauma, and recovery in the aftermath of exposure.
Sharp lower bounds for the general Randić index of trees with a given size of matching

The general Randić index wα(G) of a graph G is the sum of the weights (d(u)d(v)) of all edges uv of G, where α is a real number and d(u) denotes the degree of the vertex u. Let T n,m be the set of all trees on n vertices with a maximum matching of cardinality m. Denote by T 0 n,m the tree on n vertices obtained from the star graph Sn−m+1 by attaching a pendant edge to each of some m − 1 non-central vertices of Sn−m+1. In this paper, we first prove that T 0 n,m has the minimum general Randić index among the trees in T n,m for − 12 ≤ α < 0. Also we obtain lower bounds for the general Randić index among trees in T n,m (2m ≤ n ≤ 3m+ 1) for α > 0, and the corresponding extremal graphs.
Matching Portfolios

We propose a portfolio performance measure which compares the return of a target portfolio against the return of a matching portfolio sharing the same exposures but holding different stocks. Treated as a benchmark, a matching portfolio provides an estimate of alpha because it shares the same characteristics as the target portfolio. Matching portfolios have three advantages over characteristic portfolios (Daniel et al., 1997). First, they can be matched on any number of characteristics without any overlap with the target portfolio. Second, matching portfolios can mimic any weighting structure, e.g., long-short and 130/30. Third, matching portfolios provide a measure of uncertainty for alpha.
Cost vs. reliability performance study of fiber access network architectures

Fiber to the home is the future-proof technology for broadband access networks. Several fiber access network architectures have been developed (e.g., point-to-point, active optical network, and passive optical network). PON is considered the most promising solution due to the relatively low deployment cost and high resource efficiency. Meanwhile, because of the growing demand for reliable service delivery, fault management is becoming more significant in all parts of communications networks. However, there is a trade-off between the cost of protection and the level of service reliability. Since economical aspects are most critical in the access part of networks, improving reliability performance by duplication of network resources (and capital expenditures) could be too expensive. Therefore, recent work has focused on PON protection schemes with reduced CAPEX. The future trend will probably migrate toward minimizing operational expenditures during the access network lifetime. The main contributions of this article include providing a general method for CAPEX and OPEX analysis that can be applied to any type of fiber access network with consideration of changed component cost in time and variable take rates, and comparing the total cost (i.e., sum of CAPEX and OPEX) for the selected representative architectures with and without protection for business and residential users in relation to reliability performance. The aim is to give a guideline for the design of the most cost-effective protection schemes, while maintaining acceptable service reliability.