Biometric signature verification system based on freeman chain code and k-nearest neighbor

Signature is one of human biometrics that may change due to some factors, for example age, mood and environment, which means two signatures from a person cannot perfectly matching each other. A Signature Verification System (SVS) is a solution for such situation. The system can be decomposed into three stages: data acquisition and preprocessing, feature extraction and verification. This paper presents techniques for SVS that uses Freeman chain code (FCC) as data representation. Before extracting the features, the raw images will undergo preprocessing stage; binarization, noise removal, cropping and thinning. In the first part of feature extraction stage, the FCC was extracted by using boundary-based style on the largest contiguous part of the signature images. The extracted FCC was divided into four, eight or sixteen equal parts. In the second part of feature extraction, six global features were calculated against split image to test the feature efficiency. Finally, verification utilized Euclidean distance to measured and matched in k-Nearest Neighbors. MCYT bimodal database was used in every stage in the system. Based on the experimental results, the lowest error rate for FRR and FAR were 6.67 % and 12.44 % with AER 9.85 % which is better in term of performance compared to other works using that same database.     

Tailoring the O2 reduction activity on hydrangea-like La0.5Sr0.5MnO3 cathode film fabricated via atmospheric pressure plasma jet process

An atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is applied to prepare porous perovskite materials, particularly of lanthanum strontium manganite La_0.5Sr_0.5MnO₃ (LSM551) oxide powder and film. LSM nano powder around 50.0?nm is obtained, and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. A spherical morphology with hydrangea-like shape is observed as associates to the pure tetragonal phase. LSM film is deposited onto yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte-support substrate as cathode layer for the operation in a solid oxide fuel cell at 600–900?°C operating temperatures. A series of symmetrical cells possessing high exchange current density of 30.12?mA/cm² at 800?°C. The prepared samples are assessed as an object to discover the diffusion mechanism of oxygen pathways for LSM/YSZ system based on the microstructural (particles size, and porosities) and electrochemical (kinetic and impedance) data. The mechanism of oxygen pathways is directly associated with the triple phase boundary lengthiness, in which the surface and bulk pathways occurring in APPJ-prepared LSM layer on YSZ lead to an increasing in activity of oxygen reduction reaction. Moreover, a fabrication of desirable ternary metal oxide, LSM, with highly porous structure via an advance-innovative APPJ preparation is outlined.     

Optimizing Drying Conditions for Microwave-Vacuum (MIVAC®) Drying of Russet Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

MIVAC® combines microwave heating with vacuum drying. Microwave power is modulated based upon product temperature and can limit overheating compared to other microwave-vacuum methods. Blanched potatoes were dried at 50, 60, and 70°C for 0 to 150 min. Potatoes dried at 70°C had a lower moisture content in less time compared to potatoes dried at 50 and 60°C, but the color of the dehydrated potatoes was affected due to overheating. Drying at 60°C for 150 min resulted in dried potatoes with acceptable color. Drying at 50°C resulted in dehydrated potatoes of acceptable color; however, it required more time.     

X-Charts versus X / MR Chart Combinations: IID Cases and Non-IID Cases

The effectiveness of the X-Chart alone (X-only Chart) is compared to that of the Individuals and Moving Range Chart Combination (X/MR Charts), in terms of Average Run Length (ARL) after designing for a common “all OK” (in control) ARL. Comparison is made under five different non-standard conditions, including both iid and non-iid circumstances. We conclude that adding the Moving Range chart to an X-chart, while generally not helpful for detecting iid departures from standard conditions, can be beneficial in detecting some non-iid conditions.     

Vacuole Segregation in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae vac2-1 Mutant: Structural and Biochemical Quantification of the Segregation Defect and Formation of New Vacuoles

The conditional vacuolar segregation mutant vac2-1 [Shaw and Wickner (1991) EMBO J. 10, 1741–1748] shifted to non-permissive temperature (37°C), forms large-budded cells without a vacuole in the bud, and daughter cells without an apparent vacuole. Some cells still contain normal segregation structures. Structural and biochemical quantification of the segregation defect showed that (i) about 10% of the full-grown buds did not contain a vacuole, (ii) about 15% of the small cells washed out of a population growing in an elutriation chamber at 37°C, did not contain a visible vacuole, and (iii) 15% of the cells per generation lost carboxypeptidase Y activity after proteinase A depletion. Thus, 10–15% of the daughter cells did not inherit vacuolar structures or vacuolar proteolytic activity from the mother cell. To investigate the fate of vacuole-less daughters, these cells were isolated by optical trapping. The isolated cells formed colonies on agar plates that consisted of cells with normal vacuoles, both at 23 and 37°C. Thus, the vacuole-less cells that failed to inherit proteolytic activities from the mother cell apparently give rise to progeny containing structurally normal vacuoles. Time-lapse experiments showed that vacuole-less daughter cells formed vacuolar vesicles that fused into a new vacuole within 30 min. Although new buds only emerged after a vacuole had formed in the mother cell, the temporary lack of a vacuole had little effect on growth rate. The results suggest that an alternative pathway for vacuole formation exists, and that yeast cells may require a vacuole of some minimal size to initiate a new round of budding. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of lignin on mechanical,biodegradability, morphology,and thermal properties of polypropylene/polylactic acid/lignin biocomposite

ABSTRACT

The effects of lignin on mechanical, biodegradability, morphology, and thermal properties of PP/PLA/lignin were investigated. PP/PLA/lignin film were manufactured by adding PP, PLA, lignin and compatibilizer into rheomix at 200°C, at 70?rev?min^?1 for 30?minthen pressed using Hydraulic Hot Press at 200°C–210°C, at 6 bar for 20?min. The functional groups of PP/PLA/lignin were analyzed using FTIR. The surface morphology, mechanical properties and thermal stability was measured by SEM, tensile strenght and TGA respectively. TThe FTIR intensity of vibration peak of –CH₃?cm^-1 from PP/lignin and PP/PLA/lignin at 997–993, 1458–1451 and 2966–2904?cm^-1 was lower than neat PP. The addition of lignin into PP/lignin, PLA/lignin and PP/PLA/lignin can reduce tensile strength and elongation at break. The thermal stability PP/PLA/lignin was lower than the PP/lignin but higher compared to PP/PLA biocomposites. The biodegradability of PP/PLA/lignin biocomposites was two times higher than that of PP/lignin.     

On the spectral density of a class of chaotic time series

The purpose of this paper is to show explicitly the spectral density function of the stationary stochastic process determined by a certain class of two-dimensional maps F_α defined below (α is a parameter in (0, 1)), the random variable φ(x, y) = x and the invariant probability described below. We first define the transformation T_α: [0, 1]←[0, 1] given by T _α(x) = {x/α if 0 ≤x < α and (α(x?α)/1 ?α) if α≤x≤ 1 where α∈ (0, 1) is a constant. The map T_α describes a model for a particle (or the probability of a certain kind of element in a given population) that moves around, in discrete time, in the interval [0, 1]. The results presented here can be stated either for T_α or for F_α but we prefer the latter. The results for T_α can be obtained from the more general setting described by F_α. The map F_α is defined from K = ([0, 1]× (0, α)) ∨ ([0, α]×[α, 1]) ?;R;² to itself and is given by F_α(x, y) = (T_α(x), G_α(x, y)) for (x, y) ∈K, where G _α(x, y) = {αy if 0 ≤x < α and α + ((1 ?α)/α)y if α≤x < 1. The spectral density function of the stationary process with probability ν (invariant for F_α and absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure) Z_t = X_t + ξ_t = φ{F^t_α(X₀, Y₀)} + ξ_t for t∈Z where (X₀, Y₀) ∈R² and ξ_t}_t∈Z is a white noise process, is given explicitly (Theorem 1) by f _Z (λ) = f_X(λ) + (σ²_ξ/2π) = (1/2πvar(X_t))[γ{exp(iλ)}?C(0)] + (σ²/2π) for all λ∈[0, 2π), where var(X_t) = (α²?α + 1)(α²? 5α + 5){12(2 ?α)²}^?1, γ is given by Equation (2.10) of Proposition 5 and C(0) = (1 + α²?α³){3(2 ?α)}^?1. We also estimate the parameter α based on a time series.     

Screening of selected Asian spices for anti obesity-related bioactivities

The potential health effects of 30 spices, commonly used for daily consumption, were submitted to bioactivity screening with several anti-obesity related bioassays: adenosine A1 receptor binding, cannabinoid CB1 receptor binding, TNF-α and 3T3-L1 adipocytes differentiation induction. Sesame seed and red chilli exhibited high binding activity to the adenosine A1 receptor and nutmeg, mace, black pepper and turmeric to the cannabinoid CB1 receptor, while piment and turmeric showed high inhibition of TNF-α accumulation. Black onion seed proved to be the only spice with high 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation induction activity. Several well known major compounds found in these active spices were tested with the respective bioassays but did not show activity. Thus, it appears that other minor compounds or the synergistic effects of different constituents are responsible for the observed activity.     

Comprehensive extraction method integrated with NMR metabolomics: a new bioactivity screening method for plants, adenosine A1 receptor binding compounds in Orthosiphon stamineus Benth

A large number of plant metabolites has provided as an incomparable chemical source for drug development. However, the wide range of the polarity of metabolites has been a big obstacle for full use of the chemical diversity. The initial step conventional extraction method by a single solvent does not make use of all the metabolites contained in plants. Also, it takes a long time to confirm the target activity of a single compound because of tedious separation steps. To solve the problem, a new extraction method coupled to NMR-based metabolomics is applied to identify bioactive natural products. A comprehensive extraction method consisting of a continuous flow of solvent mixtures through plant material was developed to provide extracts with a wider chemical variety than those yielded with a single solvent extraction. As the model experiment, (1)H NMR spectra of the extracts obtained from the comprehensive extraction of Orthosiphon stamineus were subjected to multivariate data analysis to find its adenosine A1 binding activity. On the basis of the results, two flavonoids from a large number of chemicals were clearly verified to show the adenosine A1 binding activity without any further purification steps. This method could provide a solution to the major drawbacks of natural products in drug development.