Analysis and comparison of machine learning classifiers and deep neural networks techniques for recognition of Farsi handwritten digits

The Journal of Supercomputing - Handwriting recognition remains a challenge in the machine vision field, especially in optical character recognition (OCR). The OCR has various applications such as...     

A mathematical model for vehicle routing problem under endogenous uncertainty

In this study, a multistage stochastic programming (SP) model is presented for a variant of single-vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands from a dynamic viewpoint. It is assumed that the actual demand of a customer becomes known only when the customer is visited. This problem falls into the category of SP with endogenous uncertainty and hence, the scenario tree is decision-dependent. Therefore, nonanticipativity of decisions is ensured by conditional constraints making up a large portion of total constraints. Thus, a novel approach is proposed that considerably reduces the problem size without any effect on the solution space. Computational results on some test problems are reported.     

Noisy metrology: a saturable lower bound on quantum Fisher information

Quantum Information Processing - We present a general problem of quantum entanglement quantified by von Neumann entropy for N-level atomic system. Time evolution of state vector of the entire...     

Perfect state transfer via quantum probability theory

The transfer of quantum states plays an important role in quantum information processing. In fact, the transfer of a quantum state from point A to point B with unit fidelity has been the center of attention during the last decades. One of the ways to aim this goal is to transfer a quantum state in a spin chain described by designing a Hamiltonian in which a mirror symmetry with respect to the network center is created. In this paper, we introduce a method based on the spectral distribution of the adjacency matrix and stratifying a spin network, with respect to an arbitrary vertex denoted by o which is called starting vertex (reference vertex), to make perfect quantum state transfer possible between antipodes in the spin network. Then we design the coupling coefficients in a way to create a mirror symmetry in the Hamiltonian with respect to the center of the network. In this method the initial state is encoded on the starting vertex and then it is received at its antipode. There is no need to consider any external control in this approach.     

Two-parameter TSCSP method for solving complex symmetric system of linear equations

We introduce a two-parameter version of the two-step scale-splitting iteration method, called TTSCSP, for solving a broad class of complex symmetric system of linear equations. We present some conditions for the convergence of the method. An upper bound for the spectral radius of the method is presented and optimal parameters which minimize this bound are given. Inexact version of the TTSCSP iteration method (ITTSCSP) is also presented. Some numerical experiments are reported to verify the effectiveness of the TTSCSP iteration method and the numerical results are compared with those of the TSCSP, the SCSP and the PMHSS iteration methods. Numerical comparison of the ITTSCSP method with the inexact version of TSCSP, SCSP and PMHSS are presented. We also compare the numerical results of the BiCGSTAB method in conjunction with the TTSCSP and the ILU preconditioners.     

Innovative Diagnostic Peptide-Based Technologies for Cancer Diagnosis: Focus on EGFR-Targeting Peptides

Active targeting using biological ligands has emerged as a novel strategy for the targeted delivery of diagnostic agents to tumor cells. Conjugating functional targeting moieties with diagnostic probes can increase their accumulation in tumor cells and tissues, enhancing signal detection and, thus, the sensitivity of diagnosis. Due to their small size, ease of chemical synthesis and site-specific modification, high tissue penetration, low immunogenicity, rapid blood clearance, low cost, and biosafety, peptides offer several advantages over antibodies and proteins in diagnostic applications. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most promising cancer biomarkers for actively targeting diagnostic and therapeutic agents to tumor cells due to its active involvement and overexpression in various cancers. Several peptides for EGFR-targeting have been identified in the last decades, which have been obtained by multiple means including derivation from natural proteins, phage display screening, positional scanning synthetic combinatorial library, and in silico screening. Many studies have used these peptides as a targeting moiety for diagnosing different cancers in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials. This review summarizes the progress of EGFR-targeting peptide-based assays in the molecular diagnosis of cancer.     

Failure of silver nanowire transparent electrodes under current flow

Silver nanowire transparent electrodes have received much attention as a replacement for indium tin oxide, particularly in organic solar cells. In this paper, we show that when silver nanowire electrodes conduct current at levels encountered in organic solar cells, the electrodes can fail in as little as 2 days. Electrode failure is caused by Joule heating which causes the nanowires to breakup and thus create an electrical discontinuity in the nanowire film. More heat is created, and thus failure occurs sooner, in more resistive electrodes and at higher current densities. Suggestions to improve the stability of silver nanowire electrodes are given.     

Synthesis and architecture study of a reactive polybutadiene polyamine as a toughening agent for epoxy resin

In this study, a novel reactive toughener for the epoxy resin was developed and compared with traditional hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). For this purpose, the highly reactive aliphatic amine‐terminated polybutadiene (ATPB) was synthesized at ambient conditions by nucleophilic substitution amination. The characterizations of the product were provided by Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. According to the mechanical test results, incorporation of ATPB into epoxy networks can significantly toughen the epoxy matrix. The addition of 10 phr ATPB increased the critical stress intensity factor (K_IC) and critical strain energy release rate (G_IC) of the epoxy from 0.85 to 2.16 MPa m^1/2 and from 0.38 to 3.02 kJ m^?2, respectively. Furthermore, unlike HTPB, the presence of the ATPB did not deteriorate the tensile strength of the matrix. The toughening and failure mechanisms were discussed based on the epoxy network morphological characteristics. The reduction in cross‐linking density and glass transition temperature of the epoxy system upon modification with liquid rubbers was confirmed by dynamic mechanical analysis. This article opens up the possibility of utilizing reactive flexible diamines with polybutadiene backbone as effective toughening agents for thermoset polymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44061.     

Layer by layer assembly of glucose oxidase and thiourea onto glassy carbon electrode: Fabrication of glucose biosensor

For the first time a novel, simple and facile approach is described to construct highly stable glucose oxidase (GOx) multilayer onto glassy carbon (GC) electrode using thiourea (TU) as a covalent attachment cross-linker. The layer by layer (LBL) attachment process was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR-RS) techniques. Immobilized GOx shows excellent electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation using ferrocenemethanol as artificial electron transfer mediator and biosensor response was directly correlated to the number of bilayers. The surface coverage of active GOx per bilayer, heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k_s) and Michaelis–Menten constant (K_M), of immobilized GOx were 1.50 × 10⁻¹² mol cm⁻², 9.2 ± 0.5 s⁻¹ and 3.42(±0.2) mM, respectively. The biosensor constructed with four-bilayers of TU/GOx showed good stability, high reproducibility, long life-time, fast amperometric response (5 s) with the high sensitivity of 5.73 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻² and low detection limit of 6 μM at concentration range up to 5.5 mM.     

Hydrogen peroxide sensor based on riboflavin immobilized at the nickel oxide nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode

A simple and sensitive electrochemical sensor based on nickel oxide nanoparticles/riboflavin-modified glassy carbon (NiONPs/RF/GC) electrode was constructed and utilized to determine H₂O₂. By immersing the NiONPs/GC-modified electrode into riboflavin (RF) solution for a short period of time (5–300 s), a thin film of the proposed molecule was immobilized onto the electrode surface. The modified electrode showed stable and a well-defined redox couples at a wide pH range (2–10), with surface-confined characteristics. Experimental results revealed that RF was adsorbed on the surface of NiONPs, and in comparison with usual methods for the immobilization of RF, such as electropolymerization, the electrochemical reversibility and stability of this modified electrode has been improved. The surface coverage and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants (k _s) of RF immobilized on a NiO _x –GC electrode were approximately 4.83 × 10^?11 mol cm^?2, 54 s^?1, respectively. The sensor exhibits a powerful electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H₂O₂. The detection limit, sensitivity and catalytic rate constant (k _cat) of the modified electrode toward H₂O₂ were 85 nM, 24 nA μM^?1 and 7.3 (±0.2) × 10³ M^?1 s^?1, respectively, at linear concentration rang up to 3.0 mM. The reproducibility of the sensor was investigated in 10 μM H₂O₂ by amperometry, the value obtained being 2.5 % (n = 10). Furthermore, the fabricated H₂O₂ chemical sensor exhibited an excellent stability, remarkable catalytic activity and reproducibility.