FPGA-based enhanced probabilistic convergent weightless network for human iris recognition

This paper investigates how human identification and identity verification can be performed by the application of an FPGA based weightless neural network, entitled the Enhanced Probabilistic Convergent Neural Network (EPCN), to the iris biometric modality. The human iris is processed for feature vectors which will be employed for formation of connectivity, during learning and subsequent recognition. The pre-processing of the iris, prior to EPCN training, is very minimal. Structural modifications were also made to the Random Access Memory (RAM) based neural network which enhances its robustness when applied in real-time

Becoming physical education: the ontological shift to complexity

In this paper, we present the view that an ontological shift to complexitythinking will be significant in the future of physical education (PE). Complexity thinking not only moves PE beyond long dominant modernist approaches but also offers the opportunity to integrate many of the postmodern perspectives that currently seek to frame PE. Four interconnected complexity commonalities, becoming, lived time, selforganisation and boundaries, are presented in an overarching frame to guide future PE developments in ways that are coherent, connected and emergent. PE is subsequently viewed as a complex phenomenon that is always in a non-linear, messy and never-ending process of becoming. Students, teachers and other stakeholders are also complex as their past, present and future experiences constantly merge in a lived time unity to create lifelong and life-wide PE journeys that are both personalised and holistic. Central to these personalised journeys is each stakeholder’s ability to self-organise and influence the trajectory of their pathways. Self-organisation, however, is not a relativist ‘anything goes’ phenomenon but a process that takes place within a multiplicity of boundaries. While boundaries may traditionally be viewed as divisive features, complexity thinking recognises that many boundaries are flexible and enable the creation of ‘boundary spaces’ in which ‘rich’ discussions can take place to develop more coherent, connected and emergent forms of PE. Transdisciplinary Inquiry (TDI) and Ecologically Informed Practice (EIP) are presented as perspectives that can help teachers, and others, create the ‘boundary spaces’ in which ways to plan and introduce complexity-informed forms of PE can be explored. The paper concludes by proposing that the challenge for PE in the future will be for practitioners to develop the adaptability, openness, confidence and self-organising skills that will be needed to make the most effective use of the ‘rich interactions’ that these ‘boundary spaces’ offer

Geophysical evidence for thrust faulting in the Carboniferous Antigonish-Mabou Subbasin, Nova Scotia

Petroleum industry seismic reflection data and gravity profiles were used to interpret offshore and onshore geological structures in the Carboniferous Antigonish-Mabou Subbasin. Four seismic horizons were mapped, and the deepest (reflection 'A'; near the base of the Windsor Group) was contoured to produce a time-structure map of the subbasin. The Antigonish-Mabou Subbasin is structurally complex and deepens to 2.8 s two-way time (S600 m) in the north-central part of St. Georges Bay. It is substantially thinner onshore in the Antigonish (up to 1.0 s; 2000 m) and Mabou areas (up to 1.6 s; 3200 m). The geophysical data have revealed more complex structures at depth than previously shown by surface mapping, boreholes or shallow penetration marine seismic profiling data. Within the subbasin, low angle thrusts and high angle strike-slip faults, salt structures and elevated basement blocks were mapped. Some faults have large throws (up to 3200 m) and separate large uplifted basement blocks from deeper basinal areas. Movement on the faults is of post Windsor age. New evidence for thrusting is provided by: seismic data in southern St. Georges Bay; onshore seismic profiles in the Mull River area; and gravity profiles near Antigonish. Only one of these thrust faults has been mapped at the surface by previous workers in the area. The thrust faults place Windsor Group and older rocks over basal Windsor Group reflections (reflection 'A'). The thrust faults appear to terminate in the Windsor Group, where movement on the thrusts is transferred to back-thrusts and/or transformed into disharmonic folding above a decollement within the Windsor Group evaporites. RÉSUMÉ Des profils gravimétriques et des données de réflexion sismique de L'industrie pétrolière ont été utilisés aux fins de l'interprétation de structures géologiques côticres et marines du sous-bassin du Carbonifère d'Antigonish-Mabou. Quatre horizons sismiques ont été cartographiés et on a levé les courbes de niveau de l'horizon le plus profond (réflexion A », près de la base du Groupe de Windsor) afin de réaliser une carte de la structure temporelle du sous-bassin. Le sous-bassin d'Antigonish-Mabou est structuralement complexe et il s'approfondit à 2,8 s dans les deux sens (5 600 m) dans le centre-nord de la baie de St. Georges. Il est substantiellement plus mince dans les secteurs côtiers des régions d'Antigonish (jusqu'a 1,0 s — 2 000 m) et de Mabou (jusqu'à 1,6 s — 3 200 m). Les données géophysiques ont révèlé des structures plus complexes a des profondeurs importantes que ce qu'avaient précidemment montre la cartographic supérficielle, les trous de sonde ou les données des profils sismiques marins de pénétration peu profonde. À l'intérieur du sous-bassin, on a cartographic des poussles subhorizontales et des décrochements a fort pendage, des structures saliferes et des blocs du socle soulevés. Quelques failles présentent d'importants rejets verticaux (jusqu'à 3 200 m) et de gros blocs séparés du socle soulevés de points plus profonds du bassin. Le mouvement des failles est postérieur à l'âge du Groupe de Windsor. On possède de nouvelles preuves de la formation de failles grâce aux données sismiques sur le sud de la baie de St. Georges, aux profils sismiques côtiers du secteur de la rivière Mull, ainsi qu'aux profils gravimétriques du secteur proche d'Antigonish. Seule une de ces failles chevauchantes a été cartographies en surface par les géologues précédemment actifs dans la région. Les failles chevauchantes placent le Groupe de Windsor et les roches plus anciennes au-dessus des réflexions basales du Groupe de Windsor (réflexion A »). Les failles chevauchantes semblent s'évanouir dans le Groupe de Windsor, où le mouvement exerci sur les poussées est transfere à des rètrocharriages ou transformé en un pli dysharmonique au-dessus d'un decollement à l'intérieur d'évaporites du Groupe de Windsor. [Traduit par la rédaction

Shaping the formation of university-industry research collaborations: what type of proximity does really matter?

Research collaborations between universities and industry (U-I) are considered to be one important channel of potential localized knowledge spillovers (LKS). These collaborations favour both intended and unintended flows of knowledge and facilitate learning processes between partners from different organizations. Despite the copious literature on LKS, still little is known about the factors driving the formation of U-I research collaborations and, in particular, about the role that geographical proximity plays in the establishment of such relationships. Using collaborative research grants between universities and business firms awarded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in this article we disentangle some of the conditions under which different kinds of proximity contribute to the formation of U-I research collaborations, focusing in particular on clustering and technological complementarity among the firms participating in such partnerships

Dose, exposure time, and resolution in Serial X-ray Crystallography

The resolution of X-ray diffraction microscopy is limited by the maximum dose that can be delivered prior to sample damage. In the proposed Serial Crystallography method, the damage problem is addressed by distributing the total dose over many identical hydrated macromolecules running continuously in a single-file train across a continuous X-ray beam, and resolution is then limited only by the available molecular and X-ray fluxes and molecular alignment. Orientation of the diffracting molecules is achieved by laser alignment. We evaluate the incident X-ray fluence (energy/area) required to obtain a given resolution from (1) an analytical model, giving the count rate at the maximum scattering angle for a model protein, (2) explicit simulation of diffraction patterns for a GroEL-GroES protein complex, and (3) the frequency cut off of the transfer function following iterative solution of the phase problem, and reconstruction of an electron density map in the projection approximation. These calculations include counting shot noise and multiple starts of the phasing algorithm. The results indicate counting time and the number of proteins needed within the beam at any instant for a given resolution and X-ray flux. We confirm an inverse fourth power dependence of exposure time on resolution, with important implications for all coherent X-ray imaging. We find that multiple single-file protein beams will be needed for sub-nanometer resolution on current third generation synchrotrons, but not on fourth generation designs, where reconstruction of secondary protein structure at a resolution of 0.7 nm should be possible with short exposures.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

A study into the impact of interface roughness development on mechanical degradation of oxides formed on zirconium alloys

AbstractAs a cladding material used to encapsulate nuclear fuel pellets, zirconium alloys are the primary barrier separating the fuel and a pressurised steam or lithiated water environment. Degradation mechanisms such as oxidation can be the limiting factor in the life-time of the fuel assembly. Key to controlling oxidation, and therefore allowing increased burn-up of fuel, is the development of a mechanistic understanding of the corrosion process. In an autoclave, the oxidation kinetics for zirconium alloys are typically cyclical, with periods of accelerated kinetics being observed in steps of ∼2μm oxide growth. These periods of accelerated oxidation are immediately preceded by the development of a layer of lateral cracks near the metal-oxide interface, which may be associated with the development of interface roughness. The present work uses scanning electron microscopy to carry out a statistical analysis of changes in the metal-oxide interface roughness between three different alloys at different stages of autoclave oxidation. The first two alloys are Zircaloy-4 and ZIRLO™ for which analysis is carried out at stages before, during and after first transition. The third alloy is an experimental low tin alloy, which under the same oxidation conditions and during the same time period does not appear to go through transition. Assessment of the metal-oxide interface roughness is primarily carried out based on the root mean square of the interface slope known as the Rdq parameter. Results show clear trends with relation to transition points in the corrosion kinetics. Discussion is given to how this relates to the existing mechanistic understanding of the corrosion process, and the components required for possible future modelling approaches

Federating distributed clinical data for the prediction of adverse hypotensive events

The ability to predict adverse hypotensive events, where a patient's arterial blood pressure drops to abnormally low (and dangerous) levels, would be of major benefit to the fields of primary and secondary health care, and especially to the traumatic brain injury domain. A wealth of data exist in health care systems providing information on the major health indicators of patients in hospitals (blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, etc.). It is believed that if enough of these data could be drawn together and analysed in a systematic way, then a system could be built that will trigger an alarm predicting the onset of a hypotensive event over a useful time scale, e.g. half an hour in advance. In such circumstances, avoidance measures can be taken to prevent such events arising. This is the basis for the Avert-IT project (http://www.avert-it.org), a collaborative EU-funded project involving the construction of a hypotension alarm system exploiting Bayesian neural networks using techniques of data federation to bring together the relevant information for study and system development

Intelligent Entity Behavior Within Synthetic Environments

This paper describes some elements in the development of realistic performance and behavior in the synthetic entities (players) which support Modeling and Simulation (M&S) applications, particularly military training. Modern human-in-the-loop (virtual) training systems incorporate sophisticated synthetic environments, which provide: 1. The operational environment, including, for example, terrain databases; 2. Physical entity parameters which define performance in engineered systems, such as aircraft aerodynamics; 3. Platform/system characteristics such as acoustic, IR and radar signatures; 4. Behavioral entity parameters which define interactive performance, including knowledge/reasoning about terrain, tactics; and, 5. Doctrine, which combines knowledge and tactics into behavior rule sets. The resolution and fidelity of these model/database elements can vary substantially, but as synthetic environments are designed to be compose able, attributes may easily be added (e.g., adding a new radar to an aircraft) or enhanced (e.g. Amending or replacing missile seeker head/ Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) models to improve the realism of their interaction). To a human in the loop with synthetic entities, their observed veridicality is assessed via engagement responses (e.g. effect of countermeasures upon a closing missile), as seen on systems displays, and visual (image) behavior. The realism of visual models in a simulation (level of detail as well as motion fidelity) remains a challenge in realistic articulation of elements such as vehicle antennae and turrets, or, with human figures; posture, joint articulation, response to uneven ground. Currently the adequacy of visual representation is more dependant upon the quality and resolution of the physical models driving those entities than graphics processing power per Se. Synthetic entities in M&S applications traditionally have represented engineered systems (e.g. aircraft) with human-in-the-loop performance characteristics (e.g. visual acuity) included in the system behavioral specification. As well, performance affecting human parameters such as experience level, fatigue and stress are coming into wider use (via AI approaches) to incorporate more uncertainty as to response type as well as performance (e.g. Where an opposing entity might go and what it might do, as well as how well it might perform)