Fingerprint Liveness Detection using Minutiae-Independent Dense Sampling of Local Patches

Fingerprint recognition and matching is a common form of user authentication. While a fingerprint is unique to each individual, authentication is vulnerable when an attacker can forge a copy of the fingerprint (spoof). To combat these spoofed fingerprints, spoof detection and liveness detection algorithms are currently being researched as countermeasures to this security vulnerability. This paper introduces a fingerprint anti-spoofing mechanism using machine learning.Comment: Submitted, peer-reviewed, accepted, and under publication with Springer Natur

CBCT evaluation of deepest portion of furcal groove in maxillary first premolars before and after instrumentation with stainless steel hand files and two niti rotary file systems

AIM OF THE STUDY: Aim of this in vitro study was to conduct a morphometric analysis on the buccal furcation groove in extracted bifurcated maxillary first premolars (BMFPs) and to correlate anatomical measurements using CBCT before and after cleaning and shaping using three file systems - stainless steel K files, NeoEndo files and Wave One file. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 99 extracted human bifurcated maxillary first premolars were selected. Preliminary CBCT scan was done and pre-instrumentation dentine cementum wall thickness was measured at the mid groove area. Access cavity preparation was done using Endo access bur in all the samples. The teeth were then randomly divided into three groups (n = 33). Group I was instrumented with Stainless steel (SS) K-file up to apical 25 size, 2% taper. Group II with Neoendo flex file (NF) up to apical 25 size, 4% taper. Group III with WaveOne (WO) primary file 25 size, 8% taper. Working length was verified using a radiograph. Canals glide path was established using size #15k file. Canal irrigation was achieved with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite during instrumentation and delivered into the canal by a 5 ml syringe with a 27 gauge side vented needle. After completing the instrumentation, the samples were subjected to post operative CBCT scan. Dentine cementum wall thickness at same point was measured and noted. The values were subjected to statistical analysis - one way ANOVA, Post Hoc HSD test and paired sample T test. RESULTS: Post instrumentation measurements showed Group III removed more dentine than the other two groups. The mean post instrumentation thickness of the dentine cementum wall at mid-groove area is 0.73 mm for Group I, 0.74 mm for Group II and 0.61 mm in Group III. Statistically there was significant difference in mean thickness of the Group I (0.73 mm) and Group II (0.74 mm) when compared with Group III (0.61 mm). Pair wise comparison between each groups showed no significant difference between Group I and Group II. Whereas when Group I is compared with Group III it showed statistically significant at level five and comparison of group II and group III showed statistical significant at level one. CONCLUSION: WaveOne file removed greatest amount of dentine where asNeoendo files removed a more predictable and consistent thickness of dentin along the length of buccal root of BMFP. All the instrumented canals showed remaining dentine cementum wall thickness less than 1 mm but above 0.5 mm at mid groove area which is considered as critical

Optimal conditions for production of extracellular alkaline protease from a newly isolated Bacillus subtilis strain AKRS3

A new strain of alkaline protease producing Bacillus bacterium was isolated from an alkaline soil sample and was characterized. The bacterium was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis. The organism was coded as B. subtilis AKRS3. The growth curve of the organism was elucidated by culturing in a basal medium in shake flasks under ambient shaking conditions. The optimal conditions for alkaline protease production were studied by following the monofactorial methodology. Enzyme yield was found to be optimum close to 24 hours, which coincided with the commencement of the stationary phase of the bacterium. A pH of 9.0, temperature of 37o C and agitation speed of 125 rpm were also identified to be optimum for enhanced enzyme yields in shake flasks. An inoculum of 4% v/v with 24 hrs of age was also identified to be ideal for inoculation. Xylose at 2 g/l concentration and beef extract at 1.5 g/l concentration were preferred by the organism for optimum enzyme productivity in the broth. The organism displayed an NaCl tolerance of upto 1 % as optimum. Fe2+ salts at 0.01 % concentration was the preferred metal component in the medium

Influence of fatigue on superconducting REBCO tapes under repeated cyclic tensile, bending and twisting loads:A simulation-based investigation

The effect of repeated cyclic loading on the superconducting REBCO tape under tensile, bending, and torsional loadings is investigated. The Fatigue Usage Factor (FUS) is calculated for each cyclic loading condition to identify degradation using the Matake criterion. The thicknesses of the tapes' constituent layers are also varied to identify the relative influence of each layer on overall fatigue performance. When the tape was subjected to fatigue-type loading, the thickness of the copper and Hastelloy layers was found to play a significant role. This holds true under tensile, bending, and twisting loading conditions. However, out of the three loading conditions, bending exhibits the greatest variation in FUS value with changes in Hastelloy and copper layer thickness. The maximum value of the fatigue usage factor is observed in the edges of the Hastelloy layer in all three loading cases. It has been found that the properties of the layer material, as well as the adjacent layer, play an important role in determining the fatigue strength of the tape.</p

Influence of Combined Tension and Torsion on the Performance of REBCO Superconducting Tapes

Rare-earth-barium-copper-oxide (REBCO) coated conductor tapes are promising materials for superconducting cables and wires. Simulation studies of the impact of the mechanical loading on the degradation of superconducting tapes give a better understanding on the role of different geometrical parameters like tape width and thicknesses of constituent layers. In this article, a detailed analysis of combined tensile and torsional loading on REBCO tape is carried out. The results show that the thickness of each constituting layer of the tape influences the ability of the tape to withstand tensile and torsional loads. Although increasing the width of the tape increases the maximum allowable tensile load, it decreases its ability to withstand the torsional load. The angle of twist is increased from 0.18 to 0.72 °/mm, and the maximum applied tensile strain that can be applied is decreased from 0.65% to 0.3%. The maximum allowable angle of twist is decreased from 4 to 0.93 °/mm with the increase in the tape width from 3 to 12 mm under pure torsion. The critical current retention capacity of the tape changes with different geometric parameters of the tape. The findings are useful in determining appropriate values for the thicknesses of each layer and width of the tape corresponding to the magnitude of pure tensile, pure torsional and combined tensile and torsional loads experienced.</p

Drug Utilization Evaluation of Lorazepam in Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Patients: A Secondary Care Teaching Hospital Based Study

Background: Drug utilization evaluation is an important parameter for the safe, effective and rational use of medications in medical care. Alcoholism results in abundant cases of alcohol withdrawal which can prove to be life-threatening if untreated, lorazepam is a drug of choice for Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome and requires close monitoring as its over-dosing or under-dosing is common in case of withdrawal. Objective: &nbsp;ensures the safe and rational use of Lorazepam in the management of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. Materials and Method: This prospective, observational study was conducted among alcoholic patients admitted in the KC General Hospital, Karnataka, India. Baseline data for Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol revised scale (CIWA-Ar) was collected on the day of admission and the response to lorazepam treatment was recorded using the same with respect to the baseline data every 12th hourly after the initial administration until withdrawn. Results: Statistical analysis for 72 patients was done using ANOVA to calculate the overall progression of the syndrome with treatment. Among 72 patients 94.44% were male and 5.55% were female. The mean age of patients reported with AWS was found to be 44.90 years. A significant CIWA-Ar score reduction was observed with a p-value of &lt;0.0001. Conclusion: Our study revealed a strong predominance of male patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome, where maximum patients started consuming alcohol before the age of 20 years. After the administration of lorazepam, a significant CIWA-Ar score reduction was observed. Keywords: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome, CIWA-Ar scale, Drug utilization evaluation, Lorazepam

Stabilizing ultrathin Silver (Ag) films on different substrates

This paper reports an effective method of stabilizing ultrathin Silver (Ag) films on substrates using a filler metal (Zn). Ag films with a thickness < 15 nm were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering above a Zn filler metal on glass, quartz, silicon and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrates. Zinc is expected to partially or fully fill the roughness associated with the substrates. The Zn filler material and ultrathin Ag film form a 3-D augmented atomically chemically graded interface. 3-D interfaces have smoothly varying chemistry. The ability of Zn to partially or fully fill the substrate roughness improves the adhesion of Zn along with the Ag to the substrate. Also, Zn acts as a barrier layer against the diffusion of Ag into the substrate. This technique leads to ultrathin Ag films with low sheet resistance (~ 3 {\Omega}/Sq.), low mean absolute surface roughness (~1 nm), good optical transparency (~ 65 %), better stability and compatibility with the environment. The results indicate significant potential for applying stable ultrathin Ag film/electrode as a practical and economically feasible design solution for optoelectronic (transparent and conductive electrodes for solar cells and LEDs) and plasmonic devices. This film shows good conductivity, transparency, stability, and flexibility.Comment: 16 pages,8 figures, 3 table