COMPACT: biometric dataset of face images acquired in uncontrolled indoor environment

Biometric databases are important components that help to improve state-of-the-art recognition performance. The availability of more and more difficult data attracts the researchers' attention, who systematically develop novel recognition algorithms and increase identification accuracy. Surprisingly, most of the popular face datasets, like LFW or IJBA are not fully unconstrained. The majority of the available images were not acquired on-the-move, which reduces the amount of blur caused by motion or incorrect focusing. Therefore, in this paper, the COMPACT database for studying less-cooperative face recognition is introduced. The dataset consists of high-resolution images of 108 subjects acquired in a fully automated manner as people go through the recognition gate. This ensures that the collected data contains the real world degradation factors: different distances, expressions, occlusions, pose variations and motion blur. Additionally, the authors conducted a series of experiments that verify face recognition performance on the collected data

Formal Introduction to Fuzzy Implications

SummaryIn the article we present in the Mizar system the catalogue of nine basic fuzzy implications, used especially in the theory of fuzzy sets. This work is a continuation of the development of fuzzy sets in Mizar; it could be used to give a variety of more general operations, and also it could be a good starting point towards the formalization of fuzzy logic (together with t-norms and t-conorms, formalized previously).Institute of Informatics, University of Białystok, PolandMichał Baczyński and Balasubramaniam Jayaram. Fuzzy Implications. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2008. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-69082-5.Adam Grabowski. Basic formal properties of triangular norms and conorms. Formalized Mathematics, 25(2):93–100, 2017. doi:10.1515/forma-2017-0009.Adam Grabowski. The formal construction of fuzzy numbers. Formalized Mathematics, 22(4):321–327, 2014. doi:10.2478/forma-2014-0032.Adam Grabowski. On the computer certification of fuzzy numbers. In M. Ganzha, L. Maciaszek, and M. Paprzycki, editors, 2013 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS), Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, pages 51–54, 2013.Adam Grabowski. Lattice theory for rough sets – a case study with Mizar. Fundamenta Informaticae, 147(2–3):223–240, 2016. doi:10.3233/FI-2016-1406.Adam Grabowski and Magdalena Jastrzębska. Rough set theory from a math-assistant perspective. In Rough Sets and Intelligent Systems Paradigms, International Conference, RSEISP 2007, Warsaw, Poland, June 28–30, 2007, Proceedings, pages 152–161, 2007. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-73451-2_17.Adam Grabowski and Takashi Mitsuishi. Extending Formal Fuzzy Sets with Triangular Norms and Conorms, volume 642: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, pages 176–187. Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2018. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-66824-6_16.Adam Grabowski and Takashi Mitsuishi. Initial comparison of formal approaches to fuzzy and rough sets. In Leszek Rutkowski, Marcin Korytkowski, Rafal Scherer, Ryszard Tadeusiewicz, Lotfi A. Zadeh, and Jacek M. Zurada, editors, Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing - 14th International Conference, ICAISC 2015, Zakopane, Poland, June 14-18, 2015, Proceedings, Part I, volume 9119 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 160–171. Springer, 2015. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-19324-3_15.Adam Grabowski, Artur Korniłowicz, and Adam Naumowicz. Four decades of Mizar. Journal of Automated Reasoning, 55(3):191–198, 2015. doi:10.1007/s10817-015-9345-1.Takashi Mitsuishi, Noboru Endou, and Yasunari Shidama. The concept of fuzzy set and membership function and basic properties of fuzzy set operation. Formalized Mathematics, 9(2):351–356, 2001.Zdzisław Pawlak. Rough sets. International Journal of Parallel Programming, 11:341–356, 1982. doi:10.1007/BF01001956.Lotfi Zadeh. Fuzzy sets. Information and Control, 8(3):338–353, 1965.25324124

Image Acquisition System based on Synchronized High Resolution Gigabit Ethernet Cameras

Over the last few years, the huge rise in various computer vision applications canbe observed. They are widely used in such areas like video surveillance, medicaldiagnostics, biometrics recognition, the automotive or military industries. Mostof these solutions take advantage of high-resolution cameras in order to obtainhigh quality images. Surprisingly, little attention is paid in the literature tothe practical implementation of off-the-shelf image acquisition systems. Mostavailable solutions are composed of custom developed electronic devices whichuse specialized multi-core DSPs and / or FPGA technology. Therefore, in thispaper the novel realization of the scalable and comprehensive image acquisitionsystem based on synchronized high resolution Gigabit Ethernet camerasis presented. The proposed solution allows the connection of multiple camerastogether with any number of external illumination modules. Selected devicescan be synchronized with each other in user-defined configurations. Hence,designed solution can be easily integrated in both simple and complex applications.Authors describe in detail design and implementation processes of theproposed platform. The performance issues that can occur in such systems arepresented and discussed. Obtained results are encouraging and useful for thedevelopment of similar solutions

Formalizing Two Generalized Approximation Operators

Rough sets, developed by Pawlak [15], are important tool to describe situation of incomplete or partially unknown information. In this article we give the formal characterization of two closely related rough approximations, along the lines proposed in a paper by Gomolińska [2]. We continue the formalization of rough sets in Mizar [1] started in [6].Adam Grabowski - Institute of Informatics, University of Białystok, PolandMichał Sielwiesiuk - Institute of Informatics, University of Białystok, PolandGrzegorz Bancerek, Czesław Byliński, Adam Grabowski, Artur Korniłowicz, Roman Matuszewski, Adam Naumowicz, Karol Pąk, and Josef Urban. Mizar: State-of-the-art and beyond. In Manfred Kerber, Jacques Carette, Cezary Kaliszyk, Florian Rabe, and Volker Sorge, editors, Intelligent Computer Mathematics, volume 9150 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 261–279. Springer International Publishing, 2015. ISBN 978-3-319-20614-1. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-20615-8_17.Anna Gomolińska. A comparative study of some generalized rough approximations. Fundamenta Informaticae, 51:103–119, 2002.Adam Grabowski. Automated discovery of properties of rough sets. Fundamenta Informaticae, 128:65–79, 2013. doi:10.3233/FI-2013-933.Adam Grabowski. Lattice theory for rough sets – a case study with Mizar. Fundamenta Informaticae, 147(2–3):223–240, 2016. doi:10.3233/FI-2016-1406.Adam Grabowski. Formalization of generalized almost distributive lattices. Formalized Mathematics, 22(3):257–267, 2014. doi:10.2478/forma-2014-0026.Adam Grabowski. Basic properties of rough sets and rough membership function. Formalized Mathematics, 12(1):21–28, 2004.Adam Grabowski. Relational formal characterization of rough sets. Formalized Mathematics, 21(1):55–64, 2013. doi:10.2478/forma-2013-0006.Adam Grabowski. Binary relations-based rough sets – an automated approach. Formalized Mathematics, 24(2):143–155, 2016. doi:10.1515/forma-2016-0011.Adam Grabowski and Magdalena Jastrzębska. A note on a formal approach to rough operators. In Marcin S. Szczuka and Marzena Kryszkiewicz et al., editors, Rough Sets and Current Trends in Computing – 7th International Conference, RSCTC 2010, Warsaw, Poland, June 28-30, 2010. Proceedings, volume 6086 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 307–316. Springer, 2010. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-13529-3_33.Adam Grabowski and Magdalena Jastrzębska. Rough set theory from a math-assistant perspective. In Rough Sets and Intelligent Systems Paradigms, International Conference, RSEISP 2007, Warsaw, Poland, June 28–30, 2007, Proceedings, pages 152–161, 2007. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-73451-2_17.Adam Grabowski and Christoph Schwarzweller. On duplication in mathematical repositories. In Serge Autexier, Jacques Calmet, David Delahaye, Patrick D. F. Ion, Laurence Rideau, Renaud Rioboo, and Alan P. Sexton, editors, Intelligent Computer Mathematics, 10th International Conference, AISC 2010, 17th Symposium, Calculemus 2010, and 9th International Conference, MKM 2010, Paris, France, July 5–10, 2010. Proceedings, volume 6167 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 300–314. Springer, 2010. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-14128-7_26.Adam Grabowski and Christoph Schwarzweller. Rough Concept Analysis - theory development in the Mizar system. In Asperti, Andrea and Bancerek, Grzegorz and Trybulec, Andrzej, editor, Mathematical Knowledge Management, Third International Conference, MKM 2004, Bialowieza, Poland, September 19–21, 2004, Proceedings, volume 3119 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 130–144, 2004. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-27818-4_10. 3rd International Conference on Mathematical Knowledge Management, Bialowieza, Poland, Sep. 19-21, 2004.Jouni Järvinen. Lattice theory for rough sets. Transactions of Rough Sets, VI, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 4374:400–498, 2007.Eliza Niewiadomska and Adam Grabowski. Introduction to formal preference spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 21(3):223–233, 2013. doi:10.2478/forma-2013-0024.Zdzisław Pawlak. Rough sets. International Journal of Parallel Programming, 11:341–356, 1982. doi:10.1007/BF01001956.Y.Y. Yao. Two views of the theory of rough sets in finite universes. International Journal of Approximate Reasoning, 15(4):291–317, 1996. doi:10.1016/S0888-613X(96)00071-0.William Zhu. Generalized rough sets based on relations. Information Sciences, 177: 4997–5011, 2007.26218319

Detailed analysis of prey taxonomic composition indicates feeding habitat partitioning amongst co-occurring invasive gobies and native European perch

One of the negative impacts of non-native invasive species on trophic interactions in an invaded ecosystem occurs via increased interspecific competition for food resources between the invader and local species of the same food niche. In freshwaters, there are usually several fish species that feed on similar food resources. Ponto-Caspian gobies are amongst the most successful and widespread invaders colonising European waterways. They have a wide food niche and an opportunistic feeding strategy, with a focus on benthic invertebrates and piscivory occurring occasionally mainly in the case of large individuals. Competition with native percids for food resources is predicted on the basis of high dietary overlap. However, studies published so far provide no unequivocal answer. In order to resolve this question, we conducted a comparative taxonomic analysis of gut content, with an emphasis on chironomids and amphipods, of the invasive monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis), racer goby (Babka gymnotrachelus) and the native Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) occurring sympatrically in a large lowland European river, the Bug River in Poland. We found that each species forages in slightly different habitats, as indicated by the different composition of prey species in the gut content. This suggests feeding niche partitioning between the studied species facilitating their co-existence and reduction or avoidance of competition for food resources. Resource partitioning regarding prey types and foraging habitats is a mechanism for permitting the co-existence of closely-related alien gobies with similar food preferences in the invaded waters and co-occurrence with local species. This mechanism can contribute to their invasion success, as observed in European waters during the recent decades. We also demonstrate that precise prey identification to the lowest possible taxon is crucial to reveal the dietary overlap between co-occurring fish species and to predict the impact of alien invaders on native species through interspecific competition, as well as to recommend such an approach in studies upon fish foraging strategies

Repellent effect of volatile fatty acids on lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus)

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are a group of common metabolites and semiochemicals mediating information transfer between higher organisms and bacteria, either from microbiome or external environment. VFAs commonly occur among various insect orders. There are numerous studies exploring their influence on the behavior of different insect species. In relation to the papers published by J. E. McFarlane in 1985, we assessed the effects of formic, acetic, propionic, butyric and valeric acids on the spatial preference of the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), a common pest of stored food grain products and the poultry industry. The main aim of the presented study was to provide new angles in VFA research, recreating the classical study both with new methods and on economically significant pest species. This paper presents a novel method of continuous, simultaneous assessment of site preference and the travelled distance in a constant-flow olfactometer. All the tested VFAs, except valeric acid, had a significant repellent effect, with formic acid being effective even at the lowest used concentration. Additionally, the VFAs significantly altered the distance travelled by the insects. The obtained results indicate a potential role for VFAs in the olfactory guided behavior of A. diaperinus. It is suspected that the reaction to the presence of VFAs may deviate from the specificity of species’ original habitat

Influence of beta-blockers on endothelial function: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) frequently precedes cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and is a well-established risk factor of major adverse cardiac events. Beta-blockers are the fundamental drugs used in CVD treatment. Methods: A systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials investigating influence of beta-blockers on endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was performed in the PubMed and Cochrane Databases. Results: Sixteen full-text studies involving a total of 1,273 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age of participating patients ranged from 44.9 to 63.2 years, the follow-up duration from 1 to 12 months. The comparison of FMD change between the beta-blockers and placebo groups showed a statistically significant effect of beta-blockers on endothelial function (mean difference [MD] 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.11–1.55; p = 0.02). Third generation beta-blockers improved FMD in a statistically significant manner compared with second generation beta-blockers (MD 1.65; 95% CI 0.17–3.11; p = 0.03). Beta-blockers gave an FMD change similar to that obtained with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), calcium channel blockers (CCB) or hydrochlorothiazide. The FMD value in the beta-blocker group was significantly lower compared with the group treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) (MD –0.79; 95% CI –1.37–(–0.21); p = 0.008) and higher than in the ivabradine group (1.6 ± 3.61 vs –0.3 ± 1.66; p = 0.02). Conclusions: Beta-blockers improve the endothelial function compared with placebo. More­over, third generation beta-blockers improve FMD values significantly better than the second generation ones. Beta-blockers had similar effect on endothelial function as did ARB, CCB or diuretics. However, the beneficial effect of beta-blockers was lower when confronted with ACEI