Development of Handwriting Recognition System in Postal Service Sector

Handwriting recognition is a comparatively popular research due to its diverse applicable environment. It helps to solve complicated problems and at the same time, it reduces manpower consumption. This paper proposes a system for recognizing online handwritten characters by using KNearest Neighbor (KNN). General steps of an algorithm are: (1) capturing the postcode and name of district area by using external web camera, (2) performing image processing on the image, (3) creating input data for KNN by extracting vital feature from each character, (4) classifying the dataset using KNN algorithm and performing recognition during the test, and (5) providing result of the recognition. The experiment was carried out in the aspect of text font size, the density of text and light intensity of background text. Experiment results show that training sets, trained inputs and untrained inputs achieved reasonably good result with an accuracy rate of 100%, 87.54% and 75.35% respectively. For processing time, the training sets consumed the lowest processing time which is 195.32ms, followed by trained inputs with 201.30ms and untrained inputs with 204.98ms. Additionally, medium font size, high-density text and optimum intensity of the background text managed to achieve high accuracy rate and low processing time. In this way, the system is able to help the postal services sector to speed up the sorting process as well as reducing manpower consumption in the sorting unit at the same time. Overall, the system has fulfilled the objective of the project, which is to propose high accuracy and short processing time of the handwriting recognition system

Keeping you in the loop: enabling web-based things management in the internet of things

Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging paradigm where physical objects are connected and communicated over the Web. Its capability in assimilating the virtual world and the physical one offers many exciting opportunities. However, how to realize a smooth, seamless integration of the two worlds remains an interesting and challenging topic. In this paper, we showcase an IoT prototype system that enables seamless integration of the virtual and the physical worlds and efficient management of things of interest (TOIs), where services and resources offered by things can be easily monitored, visualized, and aggregated for value-added services by users. This paper presents the motivation, system design, implementation, and demonstration scenario of the system.Lina Yao, Quan Z. Sheng, Anne H.H. Ngu and Byron Ga

Preliminary assessment of bovine trypanosomiasis and its vectors in Santa, Bali and Bafut Sub-Divisions of the, North West Region, Cameroon

A cross-sectional study involving a questionnaire, parasitological examination of cattle and entomological prospection were conducted in the Mezam Division of Cameroon from December 2013 to May 2014 in two seasons for the first time. The objectives were to determine the prevalence of bovine trypanosomiais and its vectors. Peasant farmers ﴾n=95﴿ were interviewed. Standard protocols for parasitological, hematocrit analysis as well as trypanosome identification were used. Acetone baited blue biconical traps ﴾n=5﴿ were used for entomological survey. Questionnaire survey revealed that trypanosomiasis was one of the major health problems affecting animals and a hindrance to agricultural activities. The overall prevalence was 10.3% ﴾31/301﴿. Trypanosome species identified consisted of: T. vivax (58.1%), T. brucei (25.8%), T. congolense (9.6%) and a mix infection (Trypanosoma congolense + Trypanosoma vivax) (6.5%). Vector survey revealed highest fly catch in Bafut subdivision as compared to others with a significant difference ﴾P<0.05﴿. Fly types recorded included: Tabanus 125 (71.4%), Stomoxys 31 (17.7%) and Glossina morsitans submorsitans 19 (10.9%). The overall Apparent Density (AD) was 1.53 fly per trap per day (f/t/d). Therefore, vector transmission and impact of the disease on production is alarming and should not be neglected. Control strategies have to be designed and implemented in Mezam Division in order to eradicate trypanosomiasis and its vectors.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Cattle, trypanosomiasis, Glossina, prevalence, Bafu

Signal Penetration towards Wooden Building Construction Materials

This paper emphasize on the effect of mobile signal penetration towards wooden building construction materials in Malaysia. The results of signal strength measurement at frequency 900MHz in the anechoic chamber with different types of wooden building construction materials and thickness is presented. The objectives of these experiments are to identify the types of wooden building materials in Malaysia that have significant impact into signal penetration and determine the effect of the identified wooden materials thickness towards signal penetration into building materials. This paper also report on the anechoic chamber and experiment setup that is used in the experimen

Structured Composition of Dataflow and Control-Flow for Reusable and Robust Scientific Workflows

Data-centric scientific workflows are often modeled as dataflow process networks. The simplicity of the dataflow framework facilitates workflow design, analysis, and optimization. However, some workflow tasks are particularly ''control-flow intensive'', e.g., procedures to make workflows more fault-tolerant and adaptive in an unreliable, distributed computing environment. Modeling complex control-flow directly within a dataflow framework often leads to overly complicated workflows that are hard to comprehend, reuse, schedule, and maintain. In this paper, we develop a framework that allows a structured embedding of control-flow intensive subtasks within dataflow process networks. In this way, we can seamlessly handle complex control-flows without sacrificing the benefits of dataflow. We build upon a flexible actor-oriented modeling and design approach and extend it with (actor) frames and (workflow) templates. A frame is a placeholder for an (existing or planned) collection of components with similar function and signature. A template partially specifies the behavior of a subworkflow by leaving ''holes'' (i.e., frames) in the subworkflow definition. Taken together, these abstraction mechanisms facilitate the separation and structured re-combination of control-flow and dataflow in scientific workflow applications. We illustrate our approach with a real-world scientific workflow from the astrophysics domain. This data-intensive workflow requires remote execution and file transfer in a semi-reliable environment. For such work-flows, we propose a 3-layered architecture: The top-level, typically a dataflow process network, includes Generic Data Transfer (GDT) frames and Generic remote eXecution (GX) frames. At the second level, the user can specialize the behavior of these generic components by embedding a suitable template (here: transducer templates for control-flow intensive tasks). At the third level, frames inside the transducer template are specialized by embedding the desired implementation. Our approach yields workflows that are more robust (fault-tolerance strategies can be define by control-flow driven transducer templates) and at the same time more reuseable, since the embedding of frames and templates yields more structured and modular workflows

An Upgraded Transverse Electromagnetic Parallel Plates for Dielectric Measurement

A new version of transverse electromagnetic parallel plates with irregular plates’ width and plate separation has been developed for dielectric measurement. The separations between the plates are supported by four rectangular Teflon block and 1 mm of groove is proposed at the center of the upper plate to maintain the measurement repeatability. The groove enables the samples which are slightly higher than 2 cm to be fitted well between the plates without introducing extra force to the plates. Theperformance of both parallel plates has been compared in the frequency range from 100 MHz to 1.1 GHz. It is found that the upgraded parallel plate offers better return loss and insertion loss above 500 MHz compared to the previous parallel plate. It is reported from this work that the return loss of the parallel plate must be lower than -15 dB in order to achieve accurate dielectric constant. However, the insertion loss of the parallel plates does not influence the real permeability significantly. The upgraded TEM parallel plateproduces a consistent reading with a standard deviation of less than 0.05 above frequency 200 MHz. The dielectric measurement of Polypropylene (PP) has proven the capability of this upgraded TEM parallelplate

A Lateral Flow Immunoassay Kit for the Detection of Tropical House Dust Mite Blomia Tropicalis

IgE-mediated allergic reactions such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis are triggered by allergens such as those from the house dust mite Blomia tropicalis (Bt). Detection of allergens is crucial in the management and prevention of allergic diseases. The study aimed to provide a proof of concept for a sandwich-format lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) kit for the detection of Bt-specific proteins using gold nanoparticle-labeled polyclonal antibodies. Anti-Bt polyclonal antibodies produced from rabbits were purified using Protein A chromatography, and were labeled with gold nanoparticles (AuNP) synthesized using the citrate reduction method. These were then dispensed on glass fiber pad that serves as the conjugate pad. Test and control lines were established through the immobilization on nitrocellulose membrane pad of the unlabeled antibodies and anti-rabbit IgG respectively. The LFIA kit was constructed from the assembly of cellulose fiber pad as the sample pad, conjugate pad, and the nitrocellulose membrane pad. The anti-Bt polyclonal antibody concentration was 0.99 mg/mL upon purification and pre-concentration. Gold nanoparticles with 21.2 ± 1.0 nm diameter as observed under transmission electron microscope, were used for antibody conjugation at an optimal pH of 8.5 (borate buffer) and an optimal ratio of 10 µL 50 µg/mL antibody:100 µL AuNP. Optimal conditions such as color intensity and fastest migration time were observed with the treatment of 0.05 % Tween20 and 10 % sucrose in the conjugate pads; 5 % bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 0.05 % Tween20 in the sample pads, and 1 % BSA in the test pads. The limit of detection of the Bt LFIA is 0.054 µg/mL. This study provides a prototype for a low-cost, rapid, and equipment-free detection of Blomia tropicalis-specific proteins

Gender disparities in pulmonary hypertension at a tertiary centre in Cameroon

Background. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a potent cause of heart failure and has been little investigated in the African setting. Objective. To investigate the effects of gender on the clinical presentation, echocardiographic features and outcomes of patients with PH in Douala, Cameroon. Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted from March 2012 to December 2013 as part of the Pan African Pulmonary Hypertension Cohort study. PH was diagnosed by echocardiography and defined as a right ventricular systolic pressure >35 mmHg in the absence of acute right heart failure. Patients were followed up for a maximum of 12 months for primary endpoint mortality. Results. In total, 130 patients with PH were recruited; 71 (54.6%) were women. The median age was 59.2 years for men and 58.3 years for women (p=0.76). Active smoking and alcohol use were more frequent in men than women (both p<0.001), but women had greater exposure to indoor cooking fumes than men (p<0.001). Previous tuberculosis infection (11.3% v. 1.7%) and S3 gallop rhythm (30.9% v. 11.9%) were more common in women (both p<0.03). Women had a significantly higher mean systolic blood pressure (134 mmHg v. 125 mmHg; p=0.04) and pulse pressure (53.8 mmHg v. 44.9 mmHg; p=0.01) and a lower mean haemoglobin concentration (10.4 g/dL v. 12.4 g/dL; p<0.05) compared with men. Echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction was more frequent in men: mean LV ejection fraction 42.6% v. 51.5% (p=0.01) and mean fractional shortening 21.4% v. 28.6% (p=0.01). The overall mortality rate was 20.3%, and rates were similar in the two groups (Kaplan-Meier log rank 1.1; p=0.30). Conclusions. Despite differences in baseline characteristics including cardiovascular risk factors, mortality rates on follow-up were similar in men and women in this study. However, these different baseline characteristics probably suggest differences in the pathogenesis of PH in men and women in our setting that need further investigation.S Afr Med J 2017;107(10):892-89

Case Study of Modular Pre-cast Concrete On-Site Stormwater Detention System during Monsoon Season in Southeast Asia

On-site stormwater detention system within a residential property is meant for an environmental protection device that temporarily stores stormwater within the property lot to mitigate flash flood, particularly during rainy seasons brought by the northeast monsoon. A field test was constructed in a house’s car porch with a 4.40 m x 4.70 m x 0.45 m tank filled with precast-concrete modular units with an effective storage volume of 3.97 m3. The system received water from a 95 m2 house roof via 0.1 m diameter pipe, discharged water via 0.05 m diameter pipe. It had recorded six observed storm events coincided with the 2019/2020 monsoon season that consisted 20–50 mm peak hourly rainfall, 0.0007–0.0018 m3 s-1 inflow, 0.0005–0.0012 m3 s-1 outflow and 0.21–0.47 m water level. Another four historical storm events coincided with the monsoon from 2015–2017 were sourced to augment the analysis. A computer model developed using the storm water management model was calibrated and verified using the six observed events. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness of fit tests between the observed and modelled cumulative distributions had produced 0.01–0.14 maximum vertical distances that were lower than the 0.41–0.68 critical values indicating close matches. As such, the calibrated and verified model was used to simulate the historical storm events with 40–50 mm peak hourly rainfall and produced 0.0010–0.0013 m3 s-1 inflow, 0.00072–0.00076 m3 s-1 outflow and 0.41–0.45 m water level. By combining the field test and computer simulation model, it was found the system was able to contain all stormwaters from northeast monsoon. However, it had a weakness which the system was approaching its maximum capacity once the peak hourly rainfall exceeded 45 mm. With such a procedure in place, improvement could be carried out