Topological coding of single fingerprints

The motivation for seeking topological descriptions of single fingerprints is provided by the elasticity of the human skin; successive impressions from the same finger will in-variably have suffered a degree of relative distortion (translation, rotation and stretching). Topology based systems should be free from the detrimental effects of plastic distortion. This thesis is divided into three parts: part I outlines the traditional use of fingerprints as a basis for personal identification and gives detailed explanation of the arguments in favour of topological coding. Methods for the extraction of topology based digital codes are suggested and the ‘placing of lines’ is introduced as an effective means of ordering topological information. In part II specific systems are described for the extraction of simple topological codes from rolled impressions of the pattern types ‘ loops’ , ‘whorls’ and ‘arches’ . The generated codes take the form of vectors or simple digital arrays. The nature and frequency of changes that may occur in such codes is investigated and fingerprint comparison algorithms, based on these topological codes, are developed. The objective of such algorithms is to draw a score derived from the degree of ‘nearness’ of the topological codes in such a manner that it intelligently reflects similarity or dissimilarity in the two prints under comparison. Part III examines the special problems relating to fragmentary ‘scenes-of-crime’ marks. It describes methods of coding fingerprint patterns by a variety of ‘topological coordinate schemes’ , with fingerprint comparison being performed on the basis of localised topological information which is extracted from the recorded coordinate sets. Furthermore, a method for pictorial reconstruction of a complete fingerprint, from its coordinate representation, is demonstrated. Comparison of fingerprints on the basis of digital topological descriptions is shown to offer a substantial improvement in performance over existing (spatial) techniques

Spontaneous peristaltic airway contractions propel lung liquid through the bronchial tree of intact and fetal lung explants

Spontaneous contractions of the fetal airways are a well recognized but poorly characterized phenomenon. In the present study spontaneous narrowing of the airways was analyzed in freshly isolated lungs from early to late gestation in fetal pigs and rabbits and in cultured fetal mouse lungs. Propagating waves of contraction traveling proximal to distal were observed in fresh lungs throughout gestation which displaced the lung liquid along the lumen. In the pseudoglandular and canalicular stages (fetal pigs) the frequency ranged from 2.3 to 3.3 contractions/min with a 39 to 46% maximum reduction of lumen diameter. In the saccular stage (rabbit) the frequency was 10 to 12/min with a narrowing of approximately 30%. In the organ cultures the waves of narrowing started at the trachea in whole lungs, or at the main bronchus in lobes (5.2 +/- 1.5 contractions/min, 22 +/- 8% reduction of lumen diameter), and as they proceeded distally along the epithelial tubes the luminal liquid was shifted toward the terminal tubules, which expanded the endbuds. As the tubules relaxed the flow of liquid was reversed. Thus the behavior of airway smooth muscle in the fetal lung is phasic in type (like gastrointestinal muscle) in contrast to that in postnatal lung, where it is tonic. An intraluminal positive pressure of 2.33 +/- 0.77 cm H(2)O was recorded in rabbit fetal trachea. It is proposed that the active tone of the smooth muscle maintains the positive intraluminal pressure and acts as a stimulus to lung growth via the force exerted across the airway wall and adjacent parenchyma. The expansion of the compliant endbuds by the fluid shifts at the airway tip may promote their growth into the surrounding mesenchyme

Towards an Economy of Higher Education

This paper draws a distinction between ways thinking and acting, and hence of policy and practice in higher education, in terms of different kinds of economy: economies of exchange and economies of excess. Crucial features of economies of exchange are outlined and their presence in prevailing conceptions of teaching and learning is illustrated. These are contrasted with other possible forms of practice, which in turn bring to light the nature of an economy of excess. In more philosophical terms, and to expand on the picture, economies of excess are elaborated with reference, first, to the understanding of alterity in the work of Emmanuel Levinas and, second, to the idea of Dionysian intensity that is to be found in Nietzsche. In the light of critical comment on some current directions in policy and practice, the implications of these ways of thinking for the administrator, the teacher and the student in higher education are explored

Problem-oriented policing: matching the science to the art

Abstract This paper is an edited version of the Jerry Lee Lecture delivered at the Stockholm Criminology Symposium in 2018, the year in which Professor Herman Goldstein was awarded the Stockholm Prize in Criminology in recognition of his contribution to public safety through the development of problem-oriented policing. This paper examines the significance of a problem-oriented approach and seeks to establish the right balance among, and appropriate role for, a broad range of diverse contributions that scholars and analysts can make to support effective problem-solving. It explores the distinctive contributions of experimental criminology and program evaluation to problem-oriented work, and contrasts the inquiry techniques typically employed by social scientists and by natural scientists. The goal of this paper is to usefully “round out” the role that scholars are prepared to play in advancing effective problem-solving practice