Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Approach for the Fingerprint Core Detection using the Modified Relational Graph

This paper describes a new approach to detect a fingerprint core location using the modified relational graph, which is generated by the segmentation of the ridge directional image. The modified relational graph presents the adjacency between segments of the directional image, and the boundary information between segments of the directional image. The boundary curves generated by the boundary information in the modified relational graph is approximated the straight lines. The fingerprint core location is calculated as center of the gravity in the points of intersection of these approximated lines. Experimental results show that 90.8 % of the 130 fingerprint samples are succeeded to detect the core location.
Terahertz conductivity at the Verwey transition in magnetite

The complex cond. at the (Verwey) metal-insulator transition in Fe3O4 was investigated at terahertz and IR frequencies. In the insulating state, both the dynamic cond. and the dielec. const. reveal a power-law frequency dependence, the characteristic feature of hopping conduction of localized charge carriers. The hopping process is limited to low frequencies only, and a cutoff frequency n1.simeq. 8 meV must be introduced for a self-consistent description. On heating through the Verwey transition the low-frequency dielec. const. abruptly decreases and becomes neg. Together with the cond. spectra this indicates the formation of a narrow Drude peak with a characteristic scattering rate of about 5 meV contg. only a small fraction of the available charge carriers. The spectra can be explained assuming the transformation of the spectral wt. from the hopping process to the free-carrier cond. These results support an interpretation of Verwey transition in magnetite as an insulator-semiconductor transition with structure-induced changes in activation energy. [on SciFinder (R)]
Precipitation Sensitivity to Local Variations in Tropical Sea Surface Temperature

The driving of tropical precipitation by the variability of the underlying sea surface temperature (SST) plays a critical role in the atmospheric general circulation. To assess the precipitation sensitivity to SST variability, it is necessary to observe and understand the relationship between precipitation and SST. However, the precipitation–SST relationships from any coupled atmosphere–ocean system can be difficult to interpret given the challenge of disentangling the SST-forced atmospheric response and the atmospheric intrinsic variability. This study demonstrates that the two components can be isolated using uncoupled atmosphere-only simulations, which extract the former when driven by time-varying SSTs and the latter when driven by climatological SSTs. With a simple framework that linearly combines the two types of uncoupled simulations, the coupled precipitation–SST relationships are successfully reproduced. Such a framework can be a useful tool for quantitatively diagnosing tropical air–sea interactions. The precipitation sensitivity to SST variability is investigated with the use of uncoupled simulations with prescribed SST anomalies, where the influence of atmospheric intrinsic variability on SST is deactivated. Through a focus on local precipitation–SST relationships, the precipitation sensitivity to local SST variability is determined to be predominantly controlled by the local background SST. In addition, the strength of the precipitation response increases monotonically with the local background SST, with a very sharp growth at high SSTs. These findings are supported by basic principles of moist static stability, from which a simple formula for precipitation sensitivity to local SST variability is derived.
Roux-enY Gastric Bypass Surgery or LifestyleWith Intensive Medical Management in PatientsWith Type 2 Diabetes Feasibility and 1-Year Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A 1-year pragmatic randomized clinical trial was conducted in an academic medical institution. Participants included persons aged 21 to 65 years with type 2 diabetes diagnosed more than 1 year before the study; their body mass index was 30 to 42 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was greater than or equal to 6.5%. All participants were receiving antihyperglycemic medications.
Trade facilitation and poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific: A case study of a South Asian economic corridor

Relation between trade, inequality and poverty within countries is not beyond controversy. Under free trade and competitive conditions, trade promotes growth, and growth reduces poverty. In general, trade liberalisation has long been seen as an important element of an effective and sound economic policy and trade facilitation is a necessary step for achieving it. Trade facilitation is aimed at ensuring the movement and clearance of goods across borders within the shortest time at the minimum cost. Reducing trade costs can have a profound impact on trade and therefore on poverty. Based on primary survey data, this study assesses the potential impact of trade facilitation on poverty reduction in the region falling under SAARC Corridor 1, which is one of the leading corridors in South Asia that handles considerably good amount of overland trade between three major South Asian countries, namely, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and also their global trade. One of the conclusions of this study is that poverty reduction, in the perception of the individuals connected with trade, depends on reduction in trade barriers through better trade facilitation. However, in the perception of the trading firms, better infrastructure which facilitates more trade is tagged with a positive response about decline of poverty.Length: 56 pages
Predicting transcription factor binding sites using phylogenetic footprinting and a probabilistic framework for evolutionary turnover

Identifying genomic locations of transcription-factor binding sites (TFBS), particularly in higher eukaryotic genomes, has been an enormous challenge. Computational methods involving identification of sequence conservation between related genomes have been the most successful since sites found in such highly conserved regions are more likely to be functional, i.e. are bound and regulate protein production. In this thesis, we present such a probabilistic algorithm for predicting TFBSs which also takes evolutionary turnovers into account. Our algorithm is validated via simulations and the results of its application on ChIPchip data are presented.
Hybrid Necrosis in \Vheat-A Genetic System Showing Reduced Capacity to Detoxify Reactive Oxygen Species Leading to Programmed Cell Death

Hybrid necrosis in wheat is the premature gradual death of leaves and leaf sheath caused by two complementary genes NeJ and Ne2 when brought together in a hybrid combination. Many promising wheat varieties are carriers of these genes, which limit the parental choice for transfer of desirable traits as the necrotic plants die without producing seeds. The leaves of Kalyansona x C306 and WL711 x C306 hybrids showed enhanced generation of superoxide radical and H202 than parents before and during progression of necrosis. Higher lipid peroxidation was an early event in hybrid necrosis and was accompanied by a loss in membrane permeability and cell viability. The anti-oxidant defense in necrotic hybrids was not well coordinated culminating in a persistent oxidative stress in the leaf especialiy in the chloroplast. The hybrid necrosis barrier was overcome in some crosses by culturing ears in medium containing antioxidants and F2 seeds have been obtained. Hybrid necrosis is a unique genetic system for studying the molecular mechanism of programmed cell death in plants. The cloning and characterization of Nel and Ne2 may provide a tool having wide applications in agriculture. The review compares hybrid necrosis with other PCD phenomenon in plants.
Effect of Environment on Cyclic Fatigue of Nickel Titanium Rotary Instruments â An In vitro Study

Background: During various sterilization procedures of NiTi instruments adversely affect their fracture resistance due to surface corrosion or roughness making them vulnerable to cyclic fatigue. Aim: To evaluate the resistance to cyclic fatigue from repeated cleaning and sterilization procedures on corrosion of NiTi rotary files under various concentrations of Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) and autoclave sterilization. Materials and methods: A total of 60 NiTi files (ProTaper S1) divided into 6 groups (n=10) according to the environment in which the cyclic fatigue test was to be studied were subjected to different methods of sterilization involving autoclaving at 121°C and immersion in 1% NaOCl and 5.25% NaOCl in this study using root canal models (Curved canal, DENTSPLY, USA) simulating a curved root canal. Endodontic rotary files (ProTaper S1) not exceeding 16 mm intracanal length was used under the specified irrigating solutions and repeated till the rotary file fractured. The number of cycles needed for instrument fracture (NCF) was calculated and the NiTi files in each group were further examined under SEM with EDX analysis (S-3500N, Hitachi, USA) for topographical analysis. Results: A statistically significant reduction in the lifetime of the NiTi rotary files was observed with an increase in number of cycles of autoclave sterilization files and increasing concentrations of NaOCl and when used in combination of both autoclave and chemical sterilization. The topographic analysis of the fractured files in all groups exhibited classical signs of fatigue fracture. Conclusion: Clinicians should judiciously use these instruments with respect to repeated and multiple use of instruments that make them vulnerable to cyclic fatigue/fatigue failure rendering these instruments susceptible to fracture within the root canal anatomy leading to otherwise avoidable complications possibly due to cumulative surface corrosion or roughness.
Study of Physics-Based preconditioning with High-order Galerkin discretization for hyperbolic wave problems

In this article, we detail the construction of a physics-based preconditioner. The Schur decomposition is the key point of the method which is tested on two hyperbolic systems : acoustic wave equations and shallow water equations without source term. Some conserved properties between preconditioner and initial operator are discussed, especially the propagation speeds of a plane wave.
Tendências do Jornalismo Contemporâneo – Estarão as notícias leves e o jornalismo crítico a enfraquecer a Democracia?

Baseado num estudo sobre o jornalismo americano, este artigo aponta para duas tendencias principais no jornalismo contemporâneo, as quais estarao a diminuir o interesse pelas noticias e a enfraquecer a democracia. Sao elas a presenca crescente de noticias leves e o surgimento do jornalismo critico. O artigo argumenta que devido a estas duas tendencias as noticias sao mais sensacionalistas e focadas no crime e nos desastres e, simultaneamente, mais deprimentes e negativas, devido ao “zelo colocado na procura de escândalos e do insolito”. Estas tendencias provocaram um diminuicao do interesse pelas questoes publicas e pelas noticias, o que constitui uma ameaca a democracia e ao jornalismo.
Structural Health Monitoring Using Lamb Wave Based Piezoelectric Networks and Phased Array Solutions

Lamb wave based structural health monitoring shows a lot of potential for damage detection of composite structures however, currently there is no agreed upon optimal network arrangement or detection algorithm. The objective of this research is to develop a sparse network that can be expanded to detect damage over a large area. To achieve this, a novel technique based on damage progression history has been developed. This technique gives an amplification factor to data along actuator-sensor paths that show a steady reduction in transmitted power as induced damage progresses and is implemented with the reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of damage (RAPID) technique. Two damage metrics are used with the algorithm and a comparison is made to the more commonly used signal difference coefficient (SDC) metric. Best case results show that damage is detected within 12mm. The algorithm is also run on a more sparse network with no damage detection therefore indicating that the selected arrangement is the most sparse arrangement with this configuration. Finally, a phased-array solution is also proposed to detect and locate damage on a plate with piezoelectric transducers.
Paraconiothyrium, a new genus to accommodate the mycoparasite Coniothyrium minitans, anamorphs of Paraphaeosphaeria, and four new species

Coniothyrium-like coelomycetes are drawing attention as biological control agents, potential bioremediators, and producers of antibiotics. Four genera are currently used to classify such anamorphs, namely, Coniothyrium, Microsphaeropsis, Cyclothyrium, and Cytoplea. The morphological plasticity of these fungi, however, makes it difficult to ascertain their best generic disposition in many cases. A new genus, Paraconiothyrium is here proposed to accommodate four new species, P. estuarinum, P. brasiliense, P. cyclothyrioides, and P. fungicola. Their formal descriptions are based on anamorphic characters as seen in vitro. The teleomorphs of these species are unknown, but maximum parsimony analysis of ITS and partial SSU nrDNA sequences showed that they belong in the Pleosporales and group in a clade including Paraphaeosphaeria s. str. , the biocontrol agent Coniothyrium minitans, and the ubiquitous soil fungus Coniothyrium sporulosum. Coniothyrium minitans and C. sporulosum are therefore also combined into the genus Paraconiothyrium. The anamorphs of Paraphaeosphaeria michotii and Paraphaeosphaeria pilleata are regarded representative of Paraconiothyrium, but remain formally unnamed. Paraconiothyrium species are phylogenetically distant from typical members of the other coelomycete genera mentioned above.
A Detailed Mathematical Analysis of a Class of Covert Channels Arising in Anonymizing Networks ?

There have long been threads of investigation into covert channels, and threads of investigation into anonymity, but these two closely related areas of information hiding have not been directly associated. This paper represents an initial inquiry into the relationship between covert channel capacity and anonymity, and poses more questions than it answers. Even this preliminary work has proven di cult, but in this investigation lies the hope of a deeper understanding of the nature of both areas. MIXes have been used for anonymity, where the concern is shielding the identity of the sender or the receiver of a message, or both. Tra c analysis prevention (TAP) methods are used to conceal larger tra c patterns. Here, we are concerned with how much information a sender to a MIX can leak to an eavesdropping outsider, despite the concealment e orts of MIXes acting as rewalls. Introduction Tra c analysis in network communication can be used to open a covert channel from Alice to Eve [12, 13, 23{25]. In this paper we discuss a particular covert channel that exists in an anonymizing network.We present some simpli ed scenarios as a rst step in this analysis. Research supported by the O ce of Naval Research.
Hardware-Assisted Application Misbehavior Detection

Programming is an error-prone task, which may result in application misbehavior. From the safety point of view, crashes are undesirable as they affect user experience, whereas from the security point of view, vulnerability exploitation can lead to security violations. Although fuzzing and other testing techniques help to minimize undesirable events, they do not eliminate them. As an additional “protection” layer, real-time monitoring can help in handling cases of previously unaddressed violations. However, approaches like Control Flow Integrity (CFI) are too specific to be extended to the general case. To overcome this challenge, we propose a hardware-assisted flow learning technique able to profile and detect deviations from the standard behavior, thus ensuring proper application execution.
The Changing Facade of Anti-arrhythmics

IntroductIon There has been an overwhelming rise in the number of cardiovascular diseases over the past few decades. In the nineties, it was found that there were around 50 million deaths world wide, of which 14 million were contributed by heart diseases alone. Since then, the number of cardiovascular diseases have not dwindled. Ischaemic heart disease is estimated to become the top ranked cause of worldwide deaths by the year 2020. The mortality and the morbidity which is caused by this disease is due to its complications. Arrhythmias have been attributed to be a major cause of death following myocardial infarction and stroke.
Scanographic features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors Aspects tomodensitométriques des tumeurs stromales gastro-intestinales ( GIST )

Purpose. — To present the scanographic features of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and to discuss their differential diagnosis. Patients and methods. — A retrospective study of 45 patients who underwent surgery for GIST between January 1990 and March 2006 was performed. Results. — Patient age was 64 years on average. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. Tumors were located in the stomach in 28 patients (body: 19, antrum: 5, fundus: 4), the small intestine in 13 (jejunum: 6, duodenum: 4, ileum: 3), the rectum in two and the small bowel mesentery in two. Computed tomography showed a large (average size: 9.2 cm, range 3.3—30 cm) exophytic extragastric lobulated mass with an associated wall thickening in 35 cases (78%). The pattern was an endoluminal polyp (average size: 3.2 cm, range 2.2—5.5 cm) in eight cases (18%). The two mesenteric stromal tumors (4%) were seen as well-delimited lobulated large masses (3 and 12 cm). The enhancement was peripheral with central hemorrhagic, necrotic and cystic areas in 37 cases (82%). Mucosal ulceration was seen in 18 cases (40%) and ascites in five (11%). Peritoneal spread and liver metastasis were demonstrated in three patients (7%). Calcification, metastatic lymphadenopthy, venous thrombosis or vascular invasion were not seen. Conclusion. — Scanographic features of GIST can suggest the diagnosis of GIST before surgery. © 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Colonization and growth of crustose coralline algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) on the Rocas Atoll

Crustose coralline algae play a fundamental role in reef construction all over the world. The aims fo this study were to identify and estimate the abundance of the dominant crustose coralline algae in shallow reef habitats, measuring their colonization, growth rates and productivity. Crusts sampled from different habitats were collected on leeward and windward reefs. Discs made of epoxy putty were fixed on the reef surface to follow coralline colonization and discs containing the dominant coralline algae were fixed on different habitats to measure the crusts' marginal growth. The primary production experiments followed the clear and dark bottle method for dissolved oxygen reading. Porolithon pachydermum was confirmed as the dominant crustose coralline alga on the Rocas Atoll. The non-cryptic flat form of P. pachydermum showed a faster growth rate on the leeward than on the windward reef. This form also had a faster growth rate on the reef crest (0.05 mm.day-1) than on the reef flat (0.01 mm.day-1). The cryptic protuberant form showed a trend, though not significant, towards a faster growth rate on the reef crest and in tidal pools than on the reef flat. Colonization was, in general, very slow as compared to that presented by other reef studies. P. pachydermum was a productive crust both in non-cryptic and cryptic habitats.
A NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF FLAVONOID VARIATION IN ARNICA SUBGENUS AUSTROMONTANA (ASTERACEAE)

Species of Arnica subgenus Austromontana produce a total of 23 leaf flavonoids, including simple and methylated flavone and flavonol glycosides as well as highly methylated flavone aglycones and a 6-hydroxylated flavone. Most of the taxa exhibit considerable interpopulational variability, with the number of compounds per population ranging from 2 to 14. Analysis of flavonoid variation in 1 3 populations representing all 9 species of the subgenus was carried out using cluster analysis, principal components analysis, and binary discriminant analysis. Results indicate the flavonoid profile of the very rare A. viscosa is the most distinctive in the subgenus. Although exhibiting considerable interpopulational all populations of A. gracilis, a hybrid taxon, form a very distinct and cohesive group, supporting its recognition at the specific level. Additionally, chemical diversification from A. cordifolia has taken place largely in the Klamath region of Oregon and California. The range of variability exhibited by A. cordifolia is reflected in these Klamath region derivatives. ARNICA L. subgenus Austromontana Maguire consists of nine montane to alpine species restricted primarily to western North America (Wolf and Denford, 1984a). Members of the subgenus are extremely polymorphic, largely due to microspecies formation via apomixis (Wolf, 1980; Wolf and Denford, 1984a). Recent studies based on morphological, cytological, geographical, and chemical analyses concluded that the two widespread species A. cordifolia Hook. and its derivative A. latifolia Bong. , are ancestral species of the subgenus (Wolf and Denford, 1 984b, c). From these two species, major evolutionary diversification within the subgenus has taken place largely in the Klamath region of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California (Wolf and Denford, 1 984c). Four of the nine species are relatively rare and are restricted to the Klamath region. Additionally, A. gracilis Rydbg. , an alpine species of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, is a hybrid between A. cordifolia and A. latifolia and has been recognized at the specific level (Wolf and Denford, 1 984b). Flavonoid chemistry has been especially useful in suggesting evolutionary relationships within Arnica subgenus Austromontana. Species of the subgenus elaborate a total of 23 leaf flavonoids, including simple and methylated flavone and flavonol glycosides as well as highly methylated flavone aglycones and a 6-hydroxylated flavone (Wolf and Denford,
Spinor Dynamics of Quantum Accelerator Modes near Higher Order Resonances.

Quantum Accelerator Modes were discovered in experiments with Kicked Cold Atoms in the presence of gravity. They were shown to be tightly related to resonances of the Quantum Kicked Rotor. In this paper a spinor formalism is developed for the analysis of Modes associated with resonances of arbitrary order q ≥ 1. Decoupling of spin variables from orbital ones is achieved by means of an ansatz of the Born-Oppenheimer type, that generates q independent band dynamics. Each of these is described, in classical terms, by a map, and the stable periodic orbits of this map give rise to quantum accelerator modes, which are potentially observable in experiments. The arithmetic organization of such periodic orbits is briefly discussed.