Register Transfer Level Implementation Of Pooling - Based Feature Extraction For Finger Vein Identification

Recently, finger vein biometric identification methods have had more attention among the researchers due to its various advantages such as: uniqueness to individuals, immunity to ages and invisibility to human eye (hard to duplicate). Many improvements methods were utilized to increase the speed and accuracy of the identification. Feature extraction techniques based on global feature extraction such as Principle Component Analysis (PCA) were implemented. However, the results did not show robustness to occlusions and misalignments on the finger vein images. Therefore, local feature extraction techniques were used to overcome these issues. A pooling based feature extraction technique for finger vein identification was implemented in this research. The proposed algorithm extracted the local feature information of the finger vein pattern (patches), and used these patches to improve the robustness of the identification. The algorithm was mainly inspired by spatial pyramid pooling in generic image classification combined with PCA. With patch size = 4, four pyramid levels = [1x1, 2x2, 3x3, 4x4] and ~38 % dimension reduction on the extracted features vector (10 PCA coefficient), the accuracy of the identification was 88.69 % which was higher than PCA by 10.10%. The proposed algorithm was implemented on hardware using Verilog-HDL, and targeting Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) applications. The result showed an outstanding speed improvement compared to software implementation. The time consumed by the hardware for extracting the features of one image was 310X time faster than the consumed time for software implementation. With those improvements in accuracy and the speed, the proposed algorithm contributes to the advancement of finger vein biometric system

Effects of a Wildfire on Seed Rain and Soil Seed Reserve Dynamics of a Good Condition Sagebrush-Grass Rangeland in Central Utah

The objectives of this research were to investigate the ecological importance of soil seed reserves and seed rain on regeneration of a good condition sagebrush- grass range vegetation after a wildfire and draw conclusions leading to better understanding and management of such ecosystems. Investigations were conducted for two successive years on a community where major plants were neither rhizomatous nor sprouting. In such cases soil seed reserves and seed rain have to be the main source of regeneration. In addition to monitoring soil seed reserves and seed rain, vegetation changes during the past two years and the historical conditions of the study area were examined. Study of germinable soil seed reserve dynamics showed that fire can have a destructive effect on this portion of the community. Cheatgrass soil seed reserves were high even in good condition sagebrush-grass vegetation. Although fire reduced the Bromus tectorum seed bank by half, the cover of this grass increased to almost twice the level observed on the control (unburned) plots a year later. This shows the enormous reproductive capacity of this highly competitive weed species following a wildfire. Even though the pre-burn vegetation contained a high proportion of native perennial plants, soil seed reserves and seed rain had very small proportions of their germinable seeds. Timing of the fire is likely important in controlling undesirable range plants and their seeds. Had the fire occurred earlier when more seeds were attached to the culms, greater reduction in cheatgrass probably would have been obtained. Timing of the fire was just right to control sagebrush, because it occurred before their seed set and complete destruction of this species was achieved. Mormon tea was the only shrub to reestablish its cover relatively rapidly. This was related to its strong ability to sprout from root crowns. Greater germinable soil seed reserves were found under shrub canopies than in the inter spaces. This is probably related to the semi-logarithmic dispersal of seed where seed fall is greatest closest to mother plants (Harper 1977). Since flammable fuel follows the same pattern, it was found that fire has a serious impact on soil seed reserves at hot points, but temperatures were apparently not hot enough to cause much damage on seed banks at cold points in the former interspaces. Since soil seed reserves accumulate in significantly higher proportions in the surface 0-2 cm, fire has a more serious impact on the seeds in surface soil than those lower lower down. Variance of the germinable seed rain was so high that none of the grand totals, life forms totals and species values were statistically significant at alph

Investigations of Flow Through Boiler Spaces and Tube Banks, With Special Regard to the Influence of Second Row Tubes

Abstract Not Provided

Gender Speech Differences in Politeness Strategies Among University Students: The Malaysian Context

According to Lakoff (1975), women use more politeness strategies than men because of their inferior position in a society. Furthermore, Lakoff indicated that women also use different strategies in order to talk in less assertive ways such as with the use of tag questions, indirect statements, and discourse particles. Many studies which have been conducted, based on her claims, showed inconsistent findings. Commentators such as Romaine (1994), Holmes (1995), Gordon (1997), Cameron (1992), Tannen (1993), and Wardhaugh (1998) are of the idea that the use of politeness strategies is dependent on many social factors that are reflected in the use of the language. Meanwhile, studies on gender speech differences, especially those concerning the use of politeness strategies, have been conducted in different contexts and fields. However, few such studies have been conducted in the Malaysian context and none so far has focused on university students. In carrying out the study of gender speech differences in politeness strategies among university students, the researcher utilizes a qualitative as well as a quantitative design. The study sample consisted of the students of BA English language programme at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia. The data was collected via recordings of cross-gender conversations and questionnaires. The findings suggest that females tend to use more politeness strategies than males at the university level in the Malaysian context, which lend support to Lakoff's (1975) claim that women use more politeness strategies than men. However, not all of the reasons for using politeness strategies support Lakoffs claim that by using politeness strategies, women avoid straightforward statements due to their inferior positions in the society. Politeness strategies appeared to be mostly effected through the use of discourse particles. Additionally, the use of tag questions a s politeness strategies is more frequent among females, and they mainly use them as negative strategies. It is also noted that females use more direct statements to effect politeness strategies and mainly use them positively, which is not in line with Lakoffs claim. The discourse particles are mainly used by university students as negative politeness strategies. However, a comparison of the results also showed that males use more negative politeness strategies than females. Another finding is that a single strategy could be used to function both positively and negatively. It is also observed that the most frequently used discourse particles by the respondents are you know, I think, and yah. Tag questions used as politeness strategies are the forms right and ok. Most of the direct statements used as positive politeness strategies are the would clauses. The study highlights some points of gender speech differences in politeness strategies among university students in the Malaysian context

Conformal mapping of unbounded multiply connected regions onto canonical slit regions

We present a boundary integral equation method for conformal mapping of unbounded multiply connected regions onto five types of canonical slit regions. For each canonical region, three linear boundary integral equations are constructed from a boundary relationship satisfied by an analytic function on an unboundedmultiply connected region. The integral equations are uniquely solvable. The kernels involved in these integral equations are the modified Neumann kernels and the adjoint generalized Neumann kernels

Comparasion between Oil Immersed and SF6 Gas Power Transformers Ratings

           Power transformers present the largest portion of the capital investment in addition the power transformer remains oil immersed which presents a fire hazard that is particularly objectionable in urban and metropolitan environment. After careful studies of various alternatives to conventional transformer technology to produce a gas insulated power transformer with increased mega volt-ampere ratings, gas insulated power transformer has been developed with a use with non flammable SF6 gas. For changing the insulating material from oil to SF6 gas a comparative study between these types of transformers should be made. In this paper two mathematical models are suggested and simulated by computer programs to calculate the temperature of the cooling mediums and transformer windings. The obtained results are in agreement wit the measured values in the field

Effects of nitrogen rate and cultivar on vegetative growth, yield and storability of onion (Allium cepa L.), River Nile State, Sudan

     Onion is one of the most important vegetable crops in the Sudan. Nitrogen fertilization and cultivars are crucial factors for onion production and storability in the River Nile State. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of nitrogen rate and cultivar on vegetative growth, yield and storability of onion (Allium cepa L.) in the River Nile State, Sudan. Experiments were carried out at Shendi Research Station farm during two consecutive seasons of 2014/15 and 2015/16. Treatments consisted of three nitrogen rates, 0, 43 and 86 kg N ha-1 applied in the form of urea and two cultivars, Baftaim and Abufrewa. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Results showed that application of nitrogen at 86 kg N/ha significantly resulted in the most vigorous vegetative growth and the highest total yield for both cultivars in both seasons. However, the highest values of doubles and bolters were recorded for the highest nitrogen rate and the lowest values were recorded for the unfertilized control for both cultivars in both seasons. The cultivar Baftaim had more vigorous vegetative growth, larger bulb size and higher total yield than the local cultivar Abufrewa in both seasons. However, Abufrewa cultivar had higher dry matter content and better storability than Baftaim. The highest values of weight loss were recorded for Baftaim cultivar with the highest nitrogen rate (86 kg N/ha) and the lowest values were recorded for  unfertilized Abufrewa in both seasons. Application of nitrogen at the higher rate generally resulted in higher postharvest losses than the unfertilized control in both cultivars and seasons. It is recommended to apply 86 kg N/ha to both cultivars, grow Baftaim cultivar for immediate marketing and Abufrewa for long term storage. يعتبر البصل من اهم محاصيل الخضر في السودان . المعاملات الفلاحية مثل التسميد بالنيتروجين والاصناف تعتبر من العوامل الهامة جداً في انتاج وتخزين البصل في ولاية نهر النيل. هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة تأثير التسميد بالنيتروجين والصنف علي النمو الخضري والإنتاجية والقدرة التخزينية للبصل. أجريت هذه التجربة بالمزرعة التجريبية بمحطة بحوث شندي ، ولاية نهر النيل في الموسمين 2014/15 و0152/16. اشتملت المعاملات علي ثلاثة معدلات من النتروجين وهى صفر و43 و86 كجم نتروجين للهكتار اضيفت في شكل يوريا مع صنفين من البصل وهى بافطيم و ابوفريوة.  استخدم تصميم القطاعات العشوائية الكاملة بثلاث مكررات. أظهرت النتائج أن اضافة النتروجين بمعدل 86 كجم للهكتار اعطى معنويا افضل نمو خضري وأعلى إنتاجية لكلا الصنفين من البصل وفى كلا الموسمين. ولكن اعلى معدلات الخلف والازهار المبكر كانت بإضافة أعلى معدل للنتروجين وادناها كانت للشاهد غير المسمد في كلا الموسمين. الصنف بافطيم اعطى افضل نمو خضري واكبر الابصال حجما واعلى انتاجية بالمقارنة مع الصنف المحلى ابوفريوة في كلا الموسمين. لكن الصنف أبوفريوة أعطى أعلى نسبه من المادة الجافة وأفضل قدرة تخزينية مقارنة بالصنف بافطيم. أعلى معدلات فقدان الوزن كانت للصنف بافطيم المسمد بالمعدل الاعلى للنتروجين وادناها كانت لابوفريوة غير المسمد في كلا الموسمين. اضافة النتروجين بالمعدل الأعلى اعطى أعلى فاقد ما بعد الحصاد بالمقارنة مع البصل غير المسمد في كلا الموسمين. يوصي بإضافة 86 كجم نتروجين للهكتار لكلى الصنفين وزراعة الصنف بافطيم للتسويق العاجل وزراعة ابوفريوة للتخزين طويل الأجل