Human face verification based on multidimensional Polynomial Powers of Sigmoid (PPS)

In this paper, we described how a multidimensional wavelet neural networks based on Polynomial Powers of Sigmoid (PPS) can be constructed, trained and applied in image processing tasks. In this sense, a novel and uniform framework for face verification is presented. The framework is based on a family of PPS wavelets,generated from linear combination of the sigmoid functions, and can be considered appearance based in that features are extracted from the face image. The feature vectors are then subjected to subspace projection of PPS-wavelet. The design of PPS-wavelet neural networks is also discussed, which is seldom reported in the literature. The Stirling Universitys face database were used to generate the results. Our method has achieved 92 % of correct detection and 5 % of false detection rate on the database.

Metabolite fingerprint of "capim dourado" (Syngonanthus nitens), a basis of Brazilian handcrafts

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

VERIFICATION of THE PRESENCE of CAPSULE GENE SEQUENCES IN NASOPHARYNGEAL ISOLATES of NONTYPEABLE HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE FROM HEALTHY CHILDREN AT A BRAZILIAN DAY CARE CENTER

Cinqüenta e oito cepas de Haemophilus influenzae foram isoladas da nasofaringe de crianças saudáveis que freqüentam uma creche, e através da técnica de Southern blot foi pesquisada nas cepas acapsuladas a presença de seqüências do gene capsular. Sete cepas (12%) caracterizadas sorologicamente como acapsuladas mostraram homologia com seqüências específicas da cápsula. Uma cepa foi caracterizada com uma linhagem H. influenzae tipo b cápsula deficiente.

Nanoscopic photoluminescence memory as a fingerprint of complexity in self-assembled alkyl/siloxane hybrids

A thermally activated photoluminescence memory effect, induced by a reversible order-disorder phase transition of the alkyl chains, is reported for highly organized bilayer alkyl/siloxane hybrids (see figure; left at room temperature, right at 120 degrees C). The emission energy is sensitive to the annihilation/formation of the hydrogen-bonded amide-amide array displaying a unique nanoscopic sensitivity (ca. 150 nm).

GDP 4.0 transfer to SGP 3.0 for SCIAMACHY no2 column processing: Verification with SDOAS / GDOAS prototype algorithms and delta-validation with NDACC / UV-visible network data

Until mid 2006, SCIAMACHY data processors for the operational retrieval of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column data were based on the historical version 2 of the GOME Data Processor (GDP). On top of known problems inherent to GDP 2, ground-based validations of SCIAMACHY NO2 data revealed issues specific to SCIAMACHY, like a large cloud-dependent offset occurring at Northern latitudes. In 2006, the GDOAS prototype algorithm of the improved GDP version 4 was transferred to the off-line SCIAMACHY Ground Processor (SGP) version 3.0. In parallel, the calibration of SCIAMACHY radiometric data was upgraded. Before operational switch-on of SGP 3.0 and public release of upgraded SCIAMACHY NO2 data, we have investigated the accuracy of the algorithm transfer: (a) by checking the consistency of SGP 3.0 with prototype algorithms; and (b) by comparing SGP 3.0 NO2 data with ground-based observations reported by the WMO/GAW NDACC network of UV-visible DOAS/SAOZ spectrometers. This delta-validation study concludes that SGP 3.0 is a significant improvement with respect to the previous processor IPF 5.04. For three particular SCIAMACHY states, the study reveals unexplained features in the slant columns and air mass factors, although the quantitative impact on SGP 3.0 vertical columns is not significant.

Fusion of fingerprint recognition methods for robust human identification

Biometrics is one of the biggest tendencies in human identification. The fingerprint is the most widely used biometric. However considering the automatic fingerprint recognition a completely solved problem is a common mistake. The most popular and extensively used methods, the minutiae-based, do not perform well on poor-quality images and when just a small area of overlap between the template and the query images exists. The use of multibiometrics is considered one of the keys to overcome the weakness and improve the accuracy of biometrics systems. This paper presents the fusion of a minutiae-based and a ridge-based fingerprint recognition method at rank, decision and score level. The fusion techniques implemented leaded to a reduction of the Equal Error Rate by 31.78% (from 4.09% to 2.79%) and a decreasing of 6 positions in the rank to reach a Correct Retrieval (from rank 8 to 2) when assessed in the FVC2002-DB1A database. © 2008 IEEE.

An experimental verification of newton's second law

We describe an experimental procedure to probe the validity of Newton's second law. The experimental arrangement allows us to accelerate a glider on an air track by means of forces that are both steady and known. We also show how to determine acceleration from average speeds calculated for successive time intervals of the motion measured by using several electronic counters connected to a single-crystal oscillator circuit. Within experimental errors, the experiments clearly show the proportionality between acceleration and force for a fixed mass and between acceleration and inverse of mass for a fixed force. © by the Sociedade Brasileira de Física.

Development of a knowledge-based system for cogeneration plant design: Verification, validation and lessons learned

This paper presents the development of a knowledge-based system (KBS) prototype able to design natural gas cogeneration plants, demonstrating new features for this field. The design of such power plants represents a synthesis problem, subject to thermodynamic constraints that include the location and sizing of components. The project was developed in partnership with the major Brazilian gas and oil company, and involved interaction with an external consultant as well as an interdisciplinary team. The paper focuses on validation and lessons learned, concentrating on important aspects such as the generation of alternative configuration schemes, breadth of each scheme description created by the system, and its module to support economic feasibility analysis. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ridge-based fingerprint matching using hough transform

Despite the efficacy of minutia-based fingerprint matching techniques for good-quality images captured by optical sensors, minutia-based techniques do not often perform so well on poor-quality images or fingerprint images captured by small solid-state sensors. Solid-state fingerprint sensors are being increasingly deployed in a wide range of applications for user authentication purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new fingerprint-matching techniques that utilize other features to deal with fingerprint images captured by solid-state sensors. This paper presents a new fingerprint matching technique based on fingerprint ridge features. This technique was assessed on the MSU-VERIDICOM database, which consists of fingerprint impressions obtained from 160 users (4 impressions per finger) using a solid-state sensor. The combination of ridge-based matching scores computed by the proposed ridge-based technique with minutia-based matching scores leads to a reduction of the false non-match rate by approximately 1.7% at a false match rate of 0.1%. © 2005 IEEE.

Imputation of microsatellite alleles from dense SNP genotypes for parentage verification across multiple Bos taurus and Bos indicus breeds

To assist cattle producers transition from microsatellite (MS) to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping for parental verification we previously devised an effective and inexpensive method to impute MS alleles from SNP haplotypes. While the reported method was verified with only a limited data set (N = 479) from Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, and Jersey cattle, some of the MS-SNP haplotype associations were concordant across these phylogenetically diverse breeds. This implied that some haplotypes predate modern breed formation and remain in strong linkage disequilibrium. To expand the utility of MS allele imputation across breeds, MS and SNP data from more than 8000 animals representing 39 breeds (Bos taurus and B. indicus) were used to predict 9410 SNP haplotypes, incorporating an average of 73 SNPs per haplotype, for which alleles from 12 MS markers could be accurately be imputed. Approximately 25% of the MS-SNP haplotypes were present in multiple breeds (N = 2 to 36 breeds). These shared haplotypes allowed for MS imputation in breeds that were not represented in the reference population with only a small increase in Mendelian inheritance inconsistancies. Our reported reference haplotypes can be used for any cattle breed and the reported methods can be applied to any species to aid the transition from MS to SNP genetic markers. While ~91% of the animals with imputed alleles for 12 MS markers had ≤1 Mendelian inheritance conflicts with their parents' reported MS genotypes, this figure was 96% for our reference animals, indicating potential errors in the reported MS genotypes. The workflow we suggest autocorrects for genotyping errors and rare haplotypes, by MS genotyping animals whose imputed MS alleles fail parentage verification, and then incorporating those animals into the reference dataset.

Verification of applicability of the polyurethane adhesive based on castor oil in the manufacture of glued laminated bamboo

The current concern with the environment promotes the development of new technologies for production with use of alternative materials, from renewable resources, and changes in production processes, having as main objective the reduction of environmental impact. One of the alternatives for cleaner production is the use of castor oil derivatives instead of non-renewable sources, such as adhesives based on PVA (polyvinyl acetate), applied in the manufacturing process of glued laminated bamboo. Based on the versatility of the bamboo laminate and the castor oil, and from the perspective of sustainability, this study aims to contribute to the application of new materials and processes, used in the manufacturing industry, by proposing the use of the polyurethane adhesive based on castor oil for glued laminated bamboo manufacturing, which can later be used in the manufacture of several products. To verify the applicability of the polyurethane adhesive based on castor oil in the glued laminated bamboo manufacture, mechanical tests of traction and shearing of the glue sheet were performed in specimens of the said material, and the results were compared with the Cascorez 2590 and Waterbond adhesives. The results showed that the polyurethane adhesive based on castor oil, in the traction test, has superior performance than the Waterbond adhesive and slightly below than the Cascorez 2590 adhesive, but in the shear test, the polyurethane adhesive based on castor oil presented a slightly inferior performance than the other two adhesives used in the comparison.