Sample records for taxonomic level fingerprint

  1. The sea-level fingerprints of ice-sheet collapse during interglacial periods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hay, Carling; Mitrovica, Jerry X.; Gomez, Natalya; Creveling, Jessica R.; Austermann, Jacqueline; E. Kopp, Robert

    2014-03-01

    Studies of sea level during previous interglacials provide insight into the stability of polar ice sheets in the face of global climate change. Commonly, these studies correct ancient sea-level highstands for the contaminating effect of isostatic adjustment associated with past ice age cycles, and interpret the residuals as being equivalent to the peak eustatic sea level associated with excess melting, relative to present day, of ancient polar ice sheets. However, the collapse of polar ice sheets produces a distinct geometry, or fingerprint, of sea-level change, which must be accounted for to accurately infer peak eustatic sea level from site-specific residual highstands. To explore this issue, we compute fingerprints associated with the collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet, West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and marine sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in order to isolate regions that would have been subject to greater-than-eustatic sea-level change for all three cases. These fingerprints are more robust than those associated with modern melting events, when applied to infer eustatic sea level, because: (1) a significant collapse of polar ice sheets reduces the sensitivity of the computed fingerprints to uncertainties in the geometry of the melt regions; and (2) the sea-level signal associated with the collapse will dominate the signal from steric effects. We evaluate these fingerprints at a suite of sites where sea-level records from interglacial marine isotopes stages (MIS) 5e and 11 have been obtained. Using these results, we demonstrate that previously discrepant estimates of peak eustatic sea level during MIS5e based on sea-level markers in Australia and the Seychelles are brought into closer accord.

  2. Identification of Staphylococcus spp. using (GTG)₅-PCR fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Svec, Pavel; Pantůček, Roman; Petráš, Petr; Sedláček, Ivo; Nováková, Dana

    2010-12-01

    A group of 212 type and reference strains deposited in the Czech Collection of Microorganisms (Brno, Czech Republic) and covering 41 Staphylococcus species comprising 21 subspecies was characterised using rep-PCR fingerprinting with the (GTG)₅ primer in order to evaluate this method for identification of staphylococci. All strains were typeable using the (GTG)₅ primer and generated PCR products ranging from 200 to 4500 bp. Numerical analysis of the obtained fingerprints revealed (sub)species-specific clustering corresponding with the taxonomic position of analysed strains. Taxonomic position of selected strains representing the (sub)species that were distributed over multiple rep-PCR clusters was verified and confirmed by the partial rpoB gene sequencing. Staphylococcus caprae, Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus piscifermentans, Staphylococcus xylosus, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus revealed heterogeneous fingerprints and each (sub)species was distributed over several clusters. However, representatives of the remaining Staphylococcus spp. were clearly separated in single (sub)species-specific clusters. These results showed rep-PCR with the (GTG)₅ primer as a fast and reliable method applicable for differentiation and straightforward identification of majority of Staphylococcus spp. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. The Sea Level Fingerprints of Global Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitrovica, J. X.; Hay, C.; Kopp, R. E., III; Morrow, E.

    2014-12-01

    It may be difficult to persuade those living in northern Europe that the sea level changes that their coastal communities face depends less on the total melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers than on the individual contributions to this total. In particular, melting of a specific ice sheet or mountain glacier drives deformational, gravitational and rotational perturbations to the Earth system that are manifest in a unique geometry, or fingerprint, of global sea level change. For example, melting from the Greenland Ice Sheet equivalent to 1 mm/yr of global mean sea level (GMSL) rise will lead to sea level rise of ~0 mm/yr in Dublin, ~0.2 mm/yr in Amsterdam, ~0.4 mm/yr in Boston and ~1.2 mm/yr in Cape Town. In contrast, if the same volume of ice melted from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, all of the above sites would experience a sea level rise in the range 1.1-1.2 mm/yr. These fingerprints of modern ice melting, together with ocean thermal expansion and dynamic effects, and the ongoing signal from glacial isostatic adjustment in response to the last ice age, combine to produce a sea level field with significant geographic variability. In this talk I will highlight an analysis of global tide gauge records that takes full advantage of this variability to estimate both GMSL and the sources of meltwater over the last century, and to project GMSL to the end of the current century.

  4. Finger-vein and fingerprint recognition based on a feature-level fusion method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jinfeng; Hong, Bofeng

    2013-07-01

    Multimodal biometrics based on the finger identification is a hot topic in recent years. In this paper, a novel fingerprint-vein based biometric method is proposed to improve the reliability and accuracy of the finger recognition system. First, the second order steerable filters are used here to enhance and extract the minutiae features of the fingerprint (FP) and finger-vein (FV). Second, the texture features of fingerprint and finger-vein are extracted by a bank of Gabor filter. Third, a new triangle-region fusion method is proposed to integrate all the fingerprint and finger-vein features in feature-level. Thus, the fusion features contain both the finger texture-information and the minutiae triangular geometry structure. Finally, experimental results performed on the self-constructed finger-vein and fingerprint databases are shown that the proposed method is reliable and precise in personal identification.

  5. Extracting fingerprint of wireless devices based on phase noise and multiple level wavelet decomposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Weichen; Sun, Zhuo; Kong, Song

    2016-10-01

    Wireless devices can be identified by the fingerprint extracted from the signal transmitted, which is useful in wireless communication security and other fields. This paper presents a method that extracts fingerprint based on phase noise of signal and multiple level wavelet decomposition. The phase of signal will be extracted first and then decomposed by multiple level wavelet decomposition. The statistic value of each wavelet coefficient vector is utilized for constructing fingerprint. Besides, the relationship between wavelet decomposition level and recognition accuracy is simulated. And advertised decomposition level is revealed as well. Compared with previous methods, our method is simpler and the accuracy of recognition remains high when Signal Noise Ratio (SNR) is low.

  6. Taxonomic discrimination of higher plants by pyrolysis mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Kim, S W; Ban, S H; Chung, H J; Choi, D W; Choi, P S; Yoo, O J; Liu, J R

    2004-02-01

    Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS) is a rapid, simple, high-resolution analytical method based on thermal degradation of complex material in a vacuum and has been widely applied to the discrimination of closely related microbial strains. Leaf samples of six species and one variety of higher plants (Rosa multiflora, R. multiflora var. platyphylla, Sedum kamtschaticum, S. takesimense, S. sarmentosum, Hepatica insularis, and H. asiatica) were subjected to PyMS for spectral fingerprinting. Principal component analysis of PyMS data was not able to discriminate these plants in discrete clusters. However, canonical variate analysis of PyMS data separated these plants from one another. A hierarchical dendrogram based on canonical variate analysis was in agreement with the known taxonomy of the plants at the variety level. These results indicate that PyMS is able to discriminate higher plants based on taxonomic classification at the family, genus, species, and variety level.

  7. Accurate, Rapid Taxonomic Classification of Fungal Large-Subunit rRNA Genes

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Kuan-Liang; Porras-Alfaro, Andrea; Eichorst, Stephanie A.

    2012-01-01

    Taxonomic and phylogenetic fingerprinting based on sequence analysis of gene fragments from the large-subunit rRNA (LSU) gene or the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is becoming an integral part of fungal classification. The lack of an accurate and robust classification tool trained by a validated sequence database for taxonomic placement of fungal LSU genes is a severe limitation in taxonomic analysis of fungal isolates or large data sets obtained from environmental surveys. Using a hand-curated set of 8,506 fungal LSU gene fragments, we determined the performance characteristics of a naïve Bayesian classifier across multiple taxonomic levels and compared the classifier performance to that of a sequence similarity-based (BLASTN) approach. The naïve Bayesian classifier was computationally more rapid (>460-fold with our system) than the BLASTN approach, and it provided equal or superior classification accuracy. Classifier accuracies were compared using sequence fragments of 100 bp and 400 bp and two different PCR primer anchor points to mimic sequence read lengths commonly obtained using current high-throughput sequencing technologies. Accuracy was higher with 400-bp sequence reads than with 100-bp reads. It was also significantly affected by sequence location across the 1,400-bp test region. The highest accuracy was obtained across either the D1 or D2 variable region. The naïve Bayesian classifier provides an effective and rapid means to classify fungal LSU sequences from large environmental surveys. The training set and tool are publicly available through the Ribosomal Database Project (http://rdp.cme.msu.edu/classifier/classifier.jsp). PMID:22194300

  8. GenomeFingerprinter: the genome fingerprint and the universal genome fingerprint analysis for systematic comparative genomics.

    PubMed

    Ai, Yuncan; Ai, Hannan; Meng, Fanmei; Zhao, Lei

    2013-01-01

    No attention has been paid on comparing a set of genome sequences crossing genetic components and biological categories with far divergence over large size range. We define it as the systematic comparative genomics and aim to develop the methodology. First, we create a method, GenomeFingerprinter, to unambiguously produce a set of three-dimensional coordinates from a sequence, followed by one three-dimensional plot and six two-dimensional trajectory projections, to illustrate the genome fingerprint of a given genome sequence. Second, we develop a set of concepts and tools, and thereby establish a method called the universal genome fingerprint analysis (UGFA). Particularly, we define the total genetic component configuration (TGCC) (including chromosome, plasmid, and phage) for describing a strain as a systematic unit, the universal genome fingerprint map (UGFM) of TGCC for differentiating strains as a universal system, and the systematic comparative genomics (SCG) for comparing a set of genomes crossing genetic components and biological categories. Third, we construct a method of quantitative analysis to compare two genomes by using the outcome dataset of genome fingerprint analysis. Specifically, we define the geometric center and its geometric mean for a given genome fingerprint map, followed by the Euclidean distance, the differentiate rate, and the weighted differentiate rate to quantitatively describe the difference between two genomes of comparison. Moreover, we demonstrate the applications through case studies on various genome sequences, giving tremendous insights into the critical issues in microbial genomics and taxonomy. We have created a method, GenomeFingerprinter, for rapidly computing, geometrically visualizing, intuitively comparing a set of genomes at genome fingerprint level, and hence established a method called the universal genome fingerprint analysis, as well as developed a method of quantitative analysis of the outcome dataset. These have set

  9. Study on internal to surface fingerprint correlation using optical coherence tomography and internal fingerprint extraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Darlow, Luke Nicholas; Connan, James

    2015-11-01

    Surface fingerprint scanners are limited to a two-dimensional representation of the fingerprint topography, and thus, are vulnerable to fingerprint damage, distortion, and counterfeiting. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanners are able to image (in three dimensions) the internal structure of the fingertip skin. Techniques for obtaining the internal fingerprint from OCT scans have since been developed. This research presents an internal fingerprint extraction algorithm designed to extract high-quality internal fingerprints from touchless OCT fingertip scans. Furthermore, it serves as a correlation study between surface and internal fingerprints. Provided the scanned region contains sufficient fingerprint information, correlation to the surface topography is shown to be good (74% have true matches). The cross-correlation of internal fingerprints (96% have true matches) is substantial that internal fingerprints can constitute a fingerprint database. The internal fingerprints' performance was also compared to the performance of cropped surface counterparts, to eliminate bias owing to information level present, showing that the internal fingerprints' performance is superior 63.6% of the time.

  10. A Bayesian taxonomic classification method for 16S rRNA gene sequences with improved species-level accuracy.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xiang; Lin, Huaiying; Revanna, Kashi; Dong, Qunfeng

    2017-05-10

    Species-level classification for 16S rRNA gene sequences remains a serious challenge for microbiome researchers, because existing taxonomic classification tools for 16S rRNA gene sequences either do not provide species-level classification, or their classification results are unreliable. The unreliable results are due to the limitations in the existing methods which either lack solid probabilistic-based criteria to evaluate the confidence of their taxonomic assignments, or use nucleotide k-mer frequency as the proxy for sequence similarity measurement. We have developed a method that shows significantly improved species-level classification results over existing methods. Our method calculates true sequence similarity between query sequences and database hits using pairwise sequence alignment. Taxonomic classifications are assigned from the species to the phylum levels based on the lowest common ancestors of multiple database hits for each query sequence, and further classification reliabilities are evaluated by bootstrap confidence scores. The novelty of our method is that the contribution of each database hit to the taxonomic assignment of the query sequence is weighted by a Bayesian posterior probability based upon the degree of sequence similarity of the database hit to the query sequence. Our method does not need any training datasets specific for different taxonomic groups. Instead only a reference database is required for aligning to the query sequences, making our method easily applicable for different regions of the 16S rRNA gene or other phylogenetic marker genes. Reliable species-level classification for 16S rRNA or other phylogenetic marker genes is critical for microbiome research. Our software shows significantly higher classification accuracy than the existing tools and we provide probabilistic-based confidence scores to evaluate the reliability of our taxonomic classification assignments based on multiple database matches to query sequences. Despite

  11. Score-Level Fusion of Phase-Based and Feature-Based Fingerprint Matching Algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, Koichi; Morita, Ayumi; Aoki, Takafumi; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Kobayashi, Koji; Higuchi, Tatsuo

    This paper proposes an efficient fingerprint recognition algorithm combining phase-based image matching and feature-based matching. In our previous work, we have already proposed an efficient fingerprint recognition algorithm using Phase-Only Correlation (POC), and developed commercial fingerprint verification units for access control applications. The use of Fourier phase information of fingerprint images makes it possible to achieve robust recognition for weakly impressed, low-quality fingerprint images. This paper presents an idea of improving the performance of POC-based fingerprint matching by combining it with feature-based matching, where feature-based matching is introduced in order to improve recognition efficiency for images with nonlinear distortion. Experimental evaluation using two different types of fingerprint image databases demonstrates efficient recognition performance of the combination of the POC-based algorithm and the feature-based algorithm.

  12. High-throughput amplicon sequencing and stream benthic bacteria: identifying the best taxonomic level for multiple-stressor research

    PubMed Central

    Salis, R. K.; Bruder, A.; Piggott, J. J.; Summerfield, T. C.; Matthaei, C. D.

    2017-01-01

    Disentangling the individual and interactive effects of multiple stressors on microbial communities is a key challenge to our understanding and management of ecosystems. Advances in molecular techniques allow studying microbial communities in situ and with high taxonomic resolution. However, the taxonomic level which provides the best trade-off between our ability to detect multiple-stressor effects versus the goal of studying entire communities remains unknown. We used outdoor mesocosms simulating small streams to investigate the effects of four agricultural stressors (nutrient enrichment, the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD), fine sediment and flow velocity reduction) on stream bacteria (phyla, orders, genera, and species represented by Operational Taxonomic Units with 97% sequence similarity). Community composition was assessed using amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA gene, V3-V4 region). DCD was the most pervasive stressor, affecting evenness and most abundant taxa, followed by sediment and flow velocity. Stressor pervasiveness was similar across taxonomic levels and lower levels did not perform better in detecting stressor effects. Community coverage decreased from 96% of all sequences for abundant phyla to 28% for species. Order-level responses were generally representative of responses of corresponding genera and species, suggesting that this level may represent the best compromise between stressor sensitivity and coverage of bacterial communities. PMID:28327636

  13. Fingerprint Recognition with Identical Twin Fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Xin; Tian, Jie

    2012-01-01

    Fingerprint recognition with identical twins is a challenging task due to the closest genetics-based relationship existing in the identical twins. Several pioneers have analyzed the similarity between twins' fingerprints. In this work we continue to investigate the topic of the similarity of identical twin fingerprints. Our study was tested based on a large identical twin fingerprint database that contains 83 twin pairs, 4 fingers per individual and six impressions per finger: 3984 (83*2*4*6) images. Compared to the previous work, our contributions are summarized as follows: (1) Two state-of-the-art fingerprint identification methods: P071 and VeriFinger 6.1 were used, rather than one fingerprint identification method in previous studies. (2) Six impressions per finger were captured, rather than just one impression, which makes the genuine distribution of matching scores more realistic. (3) A larger sample (83 pairs) was collected. (4) A novel statistical analysis, which aims at showing the probability distribution of the fingerprint types for the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, has been conducted. (5) A novel analysis, which aims at showing which finger from identical twins has higher probability of having same fingerprint type, has been conducted. Our results showed that: (a) A state-of-the-art automatic fingerprint verification system can distinguish identical twins without drastic degradation in performance. (b) The chance that the fingerprints have the same type from identical twins is 0.7440, comparing to 0.3215 from non-identical twins. (c) For the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, the probability distribution of five major fingerprint types is similar to the probability distribution for all the fingers' fingerprint type. (d) For each of four fingers of identical twins, the probability of having same fingerprint type is similar. PMID:22558204

  14. Fingerprint recognition with identical twin fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Tao, Xunqiang; Chen, Xinjian; Yang, Xin; Tian, Jie

    2012-01-01

    Fingerprint recognition with identical twins is a challenging task due to the closest genetics-based relationship existing in the identical twins. Several pioneers have analyzed the similarity between twins' fingerprints. In this work we continue to investigate the topic of the similarity of identical twin fingerprints. Our study was tested based on a large identical twin fingerprint database that contains 83 twin pairs, 4 fingers per individual and six impressions per finger: 3984 (83*2*4*6) images. Compared to the previous work, our contributions are summarized as follows: (1) Two state-of-the-art fingerprint identification methods: P071 and VeriFinger 6.1 were used, rather than one fingerprint identification method in previous studies. (2) Six impressions per finger were captured, rather than just one impression, which makes the genuine distribution of matching scores more realistic. (3) A larger sample (83 pairs) was collected. (4) A novel statistical analysis, which aims at showing the probability distribution of the fingerprint types for the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, has been conducted. (5) A novel analysis, which aims at showing which finger from identical twins has higher probability of having same fingerprint type, has been conducted. Our results showed that: (a) A state-of-the-art automatic fingerprint verification system can distinguish identical twins without drastic degradation in performance. (b) The chance that the fingerprints have the same type from identical twins is 0.7440, comparing to 0.3215 from non-identical twins. (c) For the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, the probability distribution of five major fingerprint types is similar to the probability distribution for all the fingers' fingerprint type. (d) For each of four fingers of identical twins, the probability of having same fingerprint type is similar.

  15. Metabolic fingerprinting of Leontopodium species (Asteraceae) by means of 1H NMR and HPLC–ESI-MS

    PubMed Central

    Safer, Stefan; Cicek, Serhat S.; Pieri, Valerio; Schwaiger, Stefan; Schneider, Peter; Wissemann, Volker; Stuppner, Hermann

    2011-01-01

    The genus Leontopodium, mainly distributed in Central and Eastern Asia, consists of ca. 34–58 different species. The European Leontopodium alpinum, commonly known as Edelweiss, has a long tradition in folk medicine. Recent research has resulted in the identification of prior unknown secondary metabolites, some of them with interesting biological activities. Despite this, nearly nothing is known about the Asian species of the genus. In this study, we applied proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) metabolic fingerprinting to reveal insights into the metabolic patterns of 11 different Leontopodium species, and to conclude on their taxonomic relationship. Principal component analysis (PCA) of 1H NMR fingerprints revealed two species groups. Discriminators for these groups were identified as fatty acids and sucrose for group A, and ent-kaurenoic acid and derivatives thereof for group B. Five diterpenes together with one sesquiterpene were isolated from Leontopodium franchetii roots; the compounds were described for the first time for L. franchetii: ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid, methyl-15α-angeloyloxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oate, methyl-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oate, 8-acetoxymodhephene, 19-acetoxy-ent-kaur-16-ene, methyl-15β–angeloyloxy-16,17-epoxy-ent-kauran-19-oate. In addition, differences in the metabolic profile between collected and cultivated species could be observed using a partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). PCA of the LC–MS fingerprints revealed three groups. Discriminating signals were compared to literature data and identified as two bisabolane derivatives responsible for discrimination of group A and C, and one ent-kaurenoic acid derivative, discriminating group B. A taxonomic relationship between a previously unidentified species and L. franchetii and Leontopodium sinense could be determined by comparing NMR fingerprints. This finding supports recent molecular data

  16. A Computational Discriminability Analysis on Twin Fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yu; Srihari, Sargur N.

    Sharing similar genetic traits makes the investigation of twins an important study in forensics and biometrics. Fingerprints are one of the most commonly found types of forensic evidence. The similarity between twins’ prints is critical establish to the reliability of fingerprint identification. We present a quantitative analysis of the discriminability of twin fingerprints on a new data set (227 pairs of identical twins and fraternal twins) recently collected from a twin population using both level 1 and level 2 features. Although the patterns of minutiae among twins are more similar than in the general population, the similarity of fingerprints of twins is significantly different from that between genuine prints of the same finger. Twins fingerprints are discriminable with a 1.5%~1.7% higher EER than non-twins. And identical twins can be distinguished by examine fingerprint with a slightly higher error rate than fraternal twins.

  17. Partial Knowledge of Word Meanings: Thematic and Taxonomic Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitmore, Jeannette M.; Shore, Wendelyn J.; Smith, Peg Hull

    2004-01-01

    The type of information (taxonomic or thematic) available at different levels of knowledge was investigated. Following extensive norming to identify taxonomic and thematic associates of low-frequency nouns, participants determined if taxonomic or thematic associates were meaningfully related to target words at three levels of knowledge: target…

  18. Recent advances in photoluminescence detection of fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Menzel, E R

    2001-10-02

    Photoluminescence detection of latent fingerprints has over the last quarter century brought about a new level of fingerprint detection sensitivity. The current state of the art is briefly reviewed to set the stage for upcoming new fingerprint processing strategies. These are designed for suppression of background fluorescence from articles holding latent prints, an often serious problem. The suppression of the background involves time-resolved imaging, which is dealt with from the perspective of instrumentation as well as the design of fingerprint treatment strategies. These focus on lanthanide chelates, nanocrystals, and nanocomposites functionalized to label fingerprints.

  19. Sea-level Fingerprinting, Vertical Crustal Motion from GIA, and Projections of Relative Sea-level Change in the Canadian Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    James, Thomas; Simon, Karen; Forbes, Donald; Dyke, Arthur; Mazzotti, Stephane

    2010-05-01

    We present projections of relative sea-level rise in the 21st century for communities in the Canadian Arctic. First, for selected communities, we determine the sea-level fingerprinting response from Antarctica, Greenland, and mountain glaciers and ice caps. Then, for various published projections of global sea-level change in the 21st century, we determine the local amount of "absolute" sea-level change. We next determine the vertical land motion arising from glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and incorporate this into the estimates of absolute sea-level change to obtain projections of relative sea-level change. The sea-level fingerprinting effect is especially important in the Canadian Arctic owing to proximity to Arctic ice caps and especially to the Greenland ice sheet. Its effect is to reduce the range of projected relative sea-level change compared to the range of global sea-level projections. Vertical crustal motion is assessed through empirically derived regional isobases, the Earth's predicted response to ice-sheet loading and unloading by the ICE-5G ice sheet reconstruction, and Global Positioning System vertical velocities. Owing to the large rates of crustal uplift from glacial isostatic adjustment across a large region of central Arctic Canada, many communities are projected to experience relative sea-level fall despite projections of global sea-level rise. Where uplift rates are smaller, such as eastern Baffin Island and the western Canadian Arctic, sea-level is projected to rise.

  20. An effective one-dimensional anisotropic fingerprint enhancement algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Zhendong; Xie, Mei

    2012-01-01

    Fingerprint identification is one of the most important biometric technologies. The performance of the minutiae extraction and the speed of the fingerprint verification system rely heavily on the quality of the input fingerprint images, so the enhancement of the low fingerprint is a critical and difficult step in a fingerprint verification system. In this paper we proposed an effective algorithm for fingerprint enhancement. Firstly we use normalization algorithm to reduce the variations in gray level values along ridges and valleys. Then we utilize the structure tensor approach to estimate each pixel of the fingerprint orientations. At last we propose a novel algorithm which combines the advantages of onedimensional Gabor filtering method and anisotropic method to enhance the fingerprint in recoverable region. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated on the database of Fingerprint Verification Competition 2004, and the results show that our algorithm performs within less time.

  1. An effective one-dimensional anisotropic fingerprint enhancement algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Zhendong; Xie, Mei

    2011-12-01

    Fingerprint identification is one of the most important biometric technologies. The performance of the minutiae extraction and the speed of the fingerprint verification system rely heavily on the quality of the input fingerprint images, so the enhancement of the low fingerprint is a critical and difficult step in a fingerprint verification system. In this paper we proposed an effective algorithm for fingerprint enhancement. Firstly we use normalization algorithm to reduce the variations in gray level values along ridges and valleys. Then we utilize the structure tensor approach to estimate each pixel of the fingerprint orientations. At last we propose a novel algorithm which combines the advantages of onedimensional Gabor filtering method and anisotropic method to enhance the fingerprint in recoverable region. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated on the database of Fingerprint Verification Competition 2004, and the results show that our algorithm performs within less time.

  2. Vulnerabilities of fingerprint reader to fake fingerprints attacks.

    PubMed

    Espinoza, Marcela; Champod, Christophe; Margot, Pierre

    2011-01-30

    The purpose of this research is to assess the vulnerabilities of a high resolution fingerprint sensor when confronted with fake fingerprints. The study has not been focused on the decision outcome of the biometric device, but essentially on the scores obtained following the comparison between a query (genuine or fake) and a template using an AFIS system. To do this, fake fingerprints of 12 subjects have been produced with and without their cooperation. These fake fingerprints have been used alongside with real fingers. The study led to three major observations: First, genuine fingerprints produced scores higher than fake fingers (translating a closer proximity) and this tendency is observed considering each subject separately. Second, scores are however not sufficient as a single measure to differentiate these samples (fake from genuine) given the variation due to the donors themselves. That explains why fingerprint readers without vitality detection can be fooled. Third, production methods and subjects greatly influence the scores obtained for fake fingerprints. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Advanced Fingerprint Analysis Project Fingerprint Constituents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    GM Mong; CE Petersen; TRW Clauss

    The work described in this report was focused on generating fundamental data on fingerprint components which will be used to develop advanced forensic techniques to enhance fluorescent detection, and visualization of latent fingerprints. Chemical components of sweat gland secretions are well documented in the medical literature and many chemical techniques are available to develop latent prints, but there have been no systematic forensic studies of fingerprint sweat components or of the chemical and physical changes these substances undergo over time.

  4. [Taxonomic theory for non-classical systematics].

    PubMed

    Pavlinov, I Ia

    2012-01-01

    Outlined briefly are basic principles of construing general taxonomic theory for biological systematics considered in the context of non-classical scientific paradigm. The necessity of such kind of theory is substantiated, and some key points of its elaboration are exposed: its interpretation as a framework concept for the partial taxonomic theories in various schools of systematics; elaboration of idea of cognitive situation including three interrelated components, namely subject, object, and epistemic ones; its construing as a content-wisely interpreted quasi-axiomatics, with strong structuring of its conceptual space including demarcation between axioms and inferring rules; its construing as a "conceptual pyramid" of concepts of various levels of generality; inclusion of a basic model into definition of the taxonomic system (classification) regulating its content. Two problems are indicated as fundamental: definition of taxonomic diversity as a subject domain for the systematics as a whole; definition of onto-epistemological status of taxonomic system (classification) in general and of taxa in particular.

  5. Cognitive Fingerprints

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-25

    is another cognitive fingerprint that has been used extensively for authorship . This work has been ex- tended to authentication by relating keyboard...this work is the inference of high-level features such as personality, gender , and dominant hand but those features have not been integrated to date

  6. A Study of the Homogeneity of Items Produced From Item Forms Across Different Taxonomic Levels.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weber, Margaret B.; Argo, Jana K.

    This study determined whether item forms ( rules for constructing items related to a domain or set of tasks) would enable naive item writers to generate multiple-choice items at three taxonomic levels--knowledge, comprehension, and application. Students wrote 120 multiple-choice items from 20 item forms, corresponding to educational objectives…

  7. Composition and Dynamics of Bacterial Communities of a Drinking Water Supply System as Assessed by RNA- and DNA-Based 16S rRNA Gene Fingerprinting

    PubMed Central

    Eichler, Stefan; Christen, Richard; Höltje, Claudia; Westphal, Petra; Bötel, Julia; Brettar, Ingrid; Mehling, Arndt; Höfle, Manfred G.

    2006-01-01

    Bacterial community dynamics of a whole drinking water supply system (DWSS) were studied from source to tap. Raw water for this DWSS is provided by two reservoirs with different water characteristics in the Harz mountains of Northern Germany. Samples were taken after different steps of treatment of raw water (i.e., flocculation, sand filtration, and chlorination) and at different points along the supply system to the tap. RNA and DNA were extracted from the sampled water. The 16S rRNA or its genes were partially amplified by reverse transcription-PCR or PCR and analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism community fingerprints. The bacterial community structures of the raw water samples from the two reservoirs were very different, but no major changes of these structures occurred after flocculation and sand filtration. Chlorination of the processed raw water strongly affected bacterial community structure, as reflected by the RNA-based fingerprints. This effect was less pronounced for the DNA-based fingerprints. After chlorination, the bacterial community remained rather constant from the storage containers to the tap. Furthermore, the community structure of the tap water did not change substantially for several months. Community composition was assessed by sequencing of abundant bands and phylogenetic analysis of the sequences obtained. The taxonomic compositions of the bacterial communities from both reservoirs were very different at the species level due to their different limnologies. On the other hand, major taxonomic groups, well known to occur in freshwater, such as Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, were found in both reservoirs. Significant differences in the detection of the major groups were observed between DNA-based and RNA-based fingerprints irrespective of the reservoir. Chlorination of the drinking water seemed to promote growth of nitrifying bacteria. Detailed analysis of the community dynamics of the whole DWSS

  8. Fingerprinting with Wow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Eugene; Craver, Scott

    2006-02-01

    Wow, or time warping caused by speed fluctuations in analog audio equipment, provides a wealth of applications in watermarking. Very subtle temporal distortion has been used to defeat watermarks, and as components in watermarking systems. In the image domain, the analogous warping of an image's canvas has been used both to defeat watermarks and also proposed to prevent collusion attacks on fingerprinting systems. In this paper, we explore how subliminal levels of wow can be used for steganography and fingerprinting. We present both a low-bitrate robust solution and a higher-bitrate solution intended for steganographic communication. As already observed, such a fingerprinting algorithm naturally discourages collusion by averaging, owing to flanging effects when misaligned audio is averaged. Another advantage of warping is that even when imperceptible, it can be beyond the reach of compression algorithms. We use this opportunity to debunk the common misconception that steganography is impossible under "perfect compression."

  9. Taxonomic minimalism.

    PubMed

    Beattle, A J; Oliver, I

    1994-12-01

    Biological surveys are in increasing demand while taxonomic resources continue to decline. How much formal taxonomy is required to get the job done? The answer depends on the kind of job but it is possible that taxonomic minimalism, especially (1) the use of higher taxonomic ranks, (2) the use of morphospecies rather than species (as identified by Latin binomials), and (3) the involvement of taxonomic specialists only for training and verification, may offer advantages for biodiversity assessment, environmental monitoring and ecological research. As such, formal taxonomy remains central to the process of biological inventory and survey but resources may be allocated more efficiently. For example, if formal Identification is not required, resources may be concentrated on replication and increasing sample sizes. Taxonomic minimalism may also facilitate the inclusion in these activities of important but neglected groups, especially among the invertebrates, and perhaps even microorganisms. Copyright © 1994. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Visualization of latent fingerprint corrosion of metallic surfaces.

    PubMed

    Bond, John W

    2008-07-01

    Chemical reactions between latent fingerprints and a variety of metal surfaces are investigated by heating the metal up to temperatures of approximately 600 degrees C after deposition of the fingerprint. Ionic salts present in the fingerprint residue corrode the metal surface to produce an image of the fingerprint that is both durable and resistant to cleaning of the metal. The degree of fingerprint enhancement appears independent of the elapsed time between deposition and heating but is very dependent on both the composition of the metal and the level of salt secretion by the fingerprint donor. Results are presented that show practical applications for the enhancement to fingerprints deposited in arson crime scenes, contaminated by spray painting, or deposited on brass cartridge cases prior to discharge. The corrosion of the metal surface is further exploited by the demonstration of a novel technique for fingerprint enhancement based on the electrostatic charging of the metal and then the preferential adherence of a metallic powder to the corroded part of the metal surface.

  11. Chemical characterization of fingerprints from adults and children

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buchanan, M.V.; Asano, K.; Bohanon, A.

    1996-12-31

    Observation that children`s fingerprints disappear from surfaces more quickly than adults`, initiated a study to characterize the chemical components in fingerprints. Samples were obtained from about 50 individuals ranging in age from 3 to 64 by extracting chemicals from the fingertips using rubbing alcohol. Using combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, a wide range of compounds were identified. Samples from children contained higher levels of relatively volatile free fatty acids, while those from adults had higher levels of less volatile long chain esters of fatty acids. These esters are thought to originate from sebaceous glands located on the face and levels ofmore » these compounds increase substantially after puberty. Also, other compounds were observed that could be used to develop improved methods for fingerprint detection at a crime scene. Further, observation of specific compounds raises the possibility of being able to identify personal traits (gender, habits, diseases, etc. ) via analysis of components in fingerprints and/or skin.« less

  12. Aerogel Fingerprint Media

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Fred S.; Andresen, Brian D.

    1999-09-21

    A fingerprint medium which is made of an aerogel having a predetermined density. The fingerprint medium may have a midrange density for forming plates or may be crushed forming a powder. The fingerprint medium may further include at least one of a metal and metal oxide to enhance characteristics desirable in a fingerprint medium.

  13. Oligonucleotide fingerprinting of rRNA genes for analysis of fungal community composition.

    PubMed

    Valinsky, Lea; Della Vedova, Gianluca; Jiang, Tao; Borneman, James

    2002-12-01

    Thorough assessments of fungal diversity are currently hindered by technological limitations. Here we describe a new method for identifying fungi, oligonucleotide fingerprinting of rRNA genes (OFRG). ORFG sorts arrayed rRNA gene (ribosomal DNA [rDNA]) clones into taxonomic clusters through a series of hybridization experiments, each using a single oligonucleotide probe. A simulated annealing algorithm was used to design an OFRG probe set for fungal rDNA. Analysis of 1,536 fungal rDNA clones derived from soil generated 455 clusters. A pairwise sequence analysis showed that clones with average sequence identities of 99.2% were grouped into the same cluster. To examine the accuracy of the taxonomic identities produced by this OFRG experiment, we determined the nucleotide sequences for 117 clones distributed throughout the tree. For all but two of these clones, the taxonomic identities generated by this OFRG experiment were consistent with those generated by a nucleotide sequence analysis. Eighty-eight percent of the clones were affiliated with Ascomycota, while 12% belonged to BASIDIOMYCOTA: A large fraction of the clones were affiliated with the genera Fusarium (404 clones) and Raciborskiomyces (176 clones). Smaller assemblages of clones had high sequence identities to the Alternaria, Ascobolus, Chaetomium, Cryptococcus, and Rhizoctonia clades.

  14. The thermodynamics of latent fingerprint corrosion of metal elements and alloys.

    PubMed

    Bond, John W

    2008-11-01

    Redox reactions taking place between the surface of a metal and fingerprint residue have been expressed thermodynamically in terms of both the Nernst equation for reduction potential and the complexation constant for the formation of complex metal halide ions in aqueous solution. These expressions are used to explain experimental results for the corrosion of 10 different metal elements by fingerprint residue in air at room temperature. Corrosion of noble metals, such as silver and gold, supports the proposition that the degree of metal corrosion is enhanced by the presence of chloride ions in eccrine sweat. Extending the experiments to include 10 metal alloys enabled the construction of a fingerprint corrosion series for 20 different metals. Fingerprint corrosion on metals alloyed with > approximately 40% copper was found to display third level fingerprint detail. A comparison of both conventional ink on paper and digital (Livescan) fingerprinting techniques with fingerprints deposited on 9 Karat gold alloy has shown that gold alloy depositions are least susceptible to third level detail obliteration by poor fingerprint capturing techniques.

  15. A Taxonomic Search Engine: Federating taxonomic databases using web services

    PubMed Central

    Page, Roderic DM

    2005-01-01

    Background The taxonomic name of an organism is a key link between different databases that store information on that organism. However, in the absence of a single, comprehensive database of organism names, individual databases lack an easy means of checking the correctness of a name. Furthermore, the same organism may have more than one name, and the same name may apply to more than one organism. Results The Taxonomic Search Engine (TSE) is a web application written in PHP that queries multiple taxonomic databases (ITIS, Index Fungorum, IPNI, NCBI, and uBIO) and summarises the results in a consistent format. It supports "drill-down" queries to retrieve a specific record. The TSE can optionally suggest alternative spellings the user can try. It also acts as a Life Science Identifier (LSID) authority for the source taxonomic databases, providing globally unique identifiers (and associated metadata) for each name. Conclusion The Taxonomic Search Engine is available at and provides a simple demonstration of the potential of the federated approach to providing access to taxonomic names. PMID:15757517

  16. Latent fingerprint matching.

    PubMed

    Jain, Anil K; Feng, Jianjiang

    2011-01-01

    Latent fingerprint identification is of critical importance to law enforcement agencies in identifying suspects: Latent fingerprints are inadvertent impressions left by fingers on surfaces of objects. While tremendous progress has been made in plain and rolled fingerprint matching, latent fingerprint matching continues to be a difficult problem. Poor quality of ridge impressions, small finger area, and large nonlinear distortion are the main difficulties in latent fingerprint matching compared to plain or rolled fingerprint matching. We propose a system for matching latent fingerprints found at crime scenes to rolled fingerprints enrolled in law enforcement databases. In addition to minutiae, we also use extended features, including singularity, ridge quality map, ridge flow map, ridge wavelength map, and skeleton. We tested our system by matching 258 latents in the NIST SD27 database against a background database of 29,257 rolled fingerprints obtained by combining the NIST SD4, SD14, and SD27 databases. The minutiae-based baseline rank-1 identification rate of 34.9 percent was improved to 74 percent when extended features were used. In order to evaluate the relative importance of each extended feature, these features were incrementally used in the order of their cost in marking by latent experts. The experimental results indicate that singularity, ridge quality map, and ridge flow map are the most effective features in improving the matching accuracy.

  17. Privacy protection schemes for fingerprint recognition systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marasco, Emanuela; Cukic, Bojan

    2015-05-01

    The deployment of fingerprint recognition systems has always raised concerns related to personal privacy. A fingerprint is permanently associated with an individual and, generally, it cannot be reset if compromised in one application. Given that fingerprints are not a secret, potential misuses besides personal recognition represent privacy threats and may lead to public distrust. Privacy mechanisms control access to personal information and limit the likelihood of intrusions. In this paper, image- and feature-level schemes for privacy protection in fingerprint recognition systems are reviewed. Storing only key features of a biometric signature can reduce the likelihood of biometric data being used for unintended purposes. In biometric cryptosystems and biometric-based key release, the biometric component verifies the identity of the user, while the cryptographic key protects the communication channel. Transformation-based approaches only a transformed version of the original biometric signature is stored. Different applications can use different transforms. Matching is performed in the transformed domain which enable the preservation of low error rates. Since such templates do not reveal information about individuals, they are referred to as cancelable templates. A compromised template can be re-issued using a different transform. At image-level, de-identification schemes can remove identifiers disclosed for objectives unrelated to the original purpose, while permitting other authorized uses of personal information. Fingerprint images can be de-identified by, for example, mixing fingerprints or removing gender signature. In both cases, degradation of matching performance is minimized.

  18. A robust and non-invertible fingerprint template for fingerprint matching system.

    PubMed

    Trivedi, Amit Kumar; Thounaojam, Dalton Meitei; Pal, Shyamosree

    2018-05-20

    Fingerprint Recognition System is widely deployed in variety of application domain, ranging from forensic to mobile phones. Its widespread deployment in various applications were person authentication are required, has caused concern that a leaked fingerprint template may be used to reconstruct the original fingerprint and the reconstructed fingerprint can be used to circumvent all the applications the person is enrolled. In this paper, a non-invertible fingerprint template that stores only the relative geometric information about the minutiae points is proposed. The spatial location of the minutiae points in original fingerprint and its orientations are not available in the proposed template which makes it impossible to estimate the orientation of fingerprint from the template. The proposed template is invariant to rotation, translation and distortion and immune to reconstruction algorithm. The proposed system is experimented using standard FVC2000 database and yields better results in terms of EER and FMR as compared with latest techniques. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. A Support Vector Machine Approach for Truncated Fingerprint Image Detection from Sweeping Fingerprint Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Chi-Jim; Pai, Tun-Wen; Cheng, Mox

    2015-01-01

    A sweeping fingerprint sensor converts fingerprints on a row by row basis through image reconstruction techniques. However, a built fingerprint image might appear to be truncated and distorted when the finger was swept across a fingerprint sensor at a non-linear speed. If the truncated fingerprint images were enrolled as reference targets and collected by any automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS), successful prediction rates for fingerprint matching applications would be decreased significantly. In this paper, a novel and effective methodology with low time computational complexity was developed for detecting truncated fingerprints in a real time manner. Several filtering rules were implemented to validate existences of truncated fingerprints. In addition, a machine learning method of supported vector machine (SVM), based on the principle of structural risk minimization, was applied to reject pseudo truncated fingerprints containing similar characteristics of truncated ones. The experimental result has shown that an accuracy rate of 90.7% was achieved by successfully identifying truncated fingerprint images from testing images before AFIS enrollment procedures. The proposed effective and efficient methodology can be extensively applied to all existing fingerprint matching systems as a preliminary quality control prior to construction of fingerprint templates. PMID:25835186

  20. Minutia Tensor Matrix: A New Strategy for Fingerprint Matching

    PubMed Central

    Fu, Xiang; Feng, Jufu

    2015-01-01

    Establishing correspondences between two minutia sets is a fundamental issue in fingerprint recognition. This paper proposes a new tensor matching strategy. First, the concept of minutia tensor matrix (simplified as MTM) is proposed. It describes the first-order features and second-order features of a matching pair. In the MTM, the diagonal elements indicate similarities of minutia pairs and non-diagonal elements indicate pairwise compatibilities between minutia pairs. Correct minutia pairs are likely to establish both large similarities and large compatibilities, so they form a dense sub-block. Minutia matching is then formulated as recovering the dense sub-block in the MTM. This is a new tensor matching strategy for fingerprint recognition. Second, as fingerprint images show both local rigidity and global nonlinearity, we design two different kinds of MTMs: local MTM and global MTM. Meanwhile, a two-level matching algorithm is proposed. For local matching level, the local MTM is constructed and a novel local similarity calculation strategy is proposed. It makes full use of local rigidity in fingerprints. For global matching level, the global MTM is constructed to calculate similarities of entire minutia sets. It makes full use of global compatibility in fingerprints. Proposed method has stronger description ability and better robustness to noise and nonlinearity. Experiments conducted on Fingerprint Verification Competition databases (FVC2002 and FVC2004) demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency. PMID:25822489

  1. Performance characterization of structured light-based fingerprint scanner

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassebrook, Laurence G.; Wang, Minghao; Daley, Raymond C.

    2013-05-01

    Our group believes that the evolution of fingerprint capture technology is in transition to include 3-D non-contact fingerprint capture. More specifically we believe that systems based on structured light illumination provide the highest level of depth measurement accuracy. However, for these new technologies to be fully accepted by the biometric community, they must be compliant with federal standards of performance. At present these standards do not exist for this new biometric technology. We propose and define a set of test procedures to be used to verify compliance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's image quality specification for Personal Identity Verification single fingerprint capture devices. The proposed test procedures include: geometric accuracy, lateral resolution based on intensity or depth, gray level uniformity and flattened fingerprint image quality. Several 2-D contact analogies, performance tradeoffs and optimization dilemmas are evaluated and proposed solutions are presented.

  2. Chemical characterization of fingerprints from adults and children

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buchanan, Michelle V.; Asano, Keiji; Bohanon, Arthur

    1997-02-01

    The observation that the fingerprints of children disappear from surfaces more quickly than those of adults initiated a study to characterize the chemical components in fingerprints. Samples were obtained from about 50 individuals ranging in age from three to 64 by extracting chemicals from the fintertips using rubbing alcohol. Using combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, a wide range of compounds were identified. It was found that the chemical compositions of fingerprints were quite different in children and adults. In general, the samples obtained from children contained higher levels of relatively volatile free fatty acids. Samples from adults were found to have higher concentrations of less volatile long chain esters of fatty acids. These esters are thought to originate from sebaceous glands located on the face and the levels of these compounds increase substantially after puberty. In addition to these compounds, a variety of other compounds were observed that could be used to develop improved methods for fingerprint detection at a crime scene. Further, the observation of specific compounds raises the possibility of being able to identify personal traits (gender, habits, diseases, etc.) via the analysis of components in fingerprints and/or skin.

  3. The UHPLC-DAD fingerprinting method for analysis of extracellular metabolites of fungi of the genus Geosmithia (Acomycota: Hypocreales).

    PubMed

    Tylová, Tereza; Kolařík, Miroslav; Olšovská, Jana

    2011-07-01

    A new simple ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method with diode array detection (UHPLC-DAD) was developed for chemical fingerprinting analysis of extracellular metabolites in fermentation broth of Geosmithia spp. The SPE method employing Oasis MCX strong cation-exchange mixed-mode polymeric sorbent was chosen for extraction of the metabolites. The analyses were performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (100 × 2.1 mm i.d.; particle size, 1.7 μm; Waters) using a gradient elution program with an aqueous solution of trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. The applicability of the method was proved by analysis of 38 strains produced by different species and isolated from different sources (hosts). The results revealed the correlation of obtained UHPLC-DAD fingerprints with taxonomical identity.

  4. Altered fingerprints: analysis and detection.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Soweon; Feng, Jianjiang; Jain, Anil K

    2012-03-01

    The widespread deployment of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) in law enforcement and border control applications has heightened the need for ensuring that these systems are not compromised. While several issues related to fingerprint system security have been investigated, including the use of fake fingerprints for masquerading identity, the problem of fingerprint alteration or obfuscation has received very little attention. Fingerprint obfuscation refers to the deliberate alteration of the fingerprint pattern by an individual for the purpose of masking his identity. Several cases of fingerprint obfuscation have been reported in the press. Fingerprint image quality assessment software (e.g., NFIQ) cannot always detect altered fingerprints since the implicit image quality due to alteration may not change significantly. The main contributions of this paper are: 1) compiling case studies of incidents where individuals were found to have altered their fingerprints for circumventing AFIS, 2) investigating the impact of fingerprint alteration on the accuracy of a commercial fingerprint matcher, 3) classifying the alterations into three major categories and suggesting possible countermeasures, 4) developing a technique to automatically detect altered fingerprints based on analyzing orientation field and minutiae distribution, and 5) evaluating the proposed technique and the NFIQ algorithm on a large database of altered fingerprints provided by a law enforcement agency. Experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed approach in detecting altered fingerprints and highlight the need to further pursue this problem.

  5. Mining disease fingerprints from within genetic pathways.

    PubMed

    Nabhan, Ahmed Ragab; Sarkar, Indra Neil

    2012-01-01

    Mining biological networks can be an effective means to uncover system level knowledge out of micro level associations, such as encapsulated in genetic pathways. Analysis of human disease genetic pathways can lead to the identification of major mechanisms that may underlie disorders at an abstract functional level. The focus of this study was to develop an approach for structural pattern analysis and classification of genetic pathways of diseases. A probabilistic model was developed to capture characteristic components ('fingerprints') of functionally annotated pathways. A probability estimation procedure of this model searched for fingerprints in each disease pathway while improving probability estimates of model parameters. The approach was evaluated on data from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (consisting of 56 pathways across seven disease categories). Based on the achieved average classification accuracy of up to ~77%, the findings suggest that these fingerprints may be used for classification and discovery of genetic pathways.

  6. Longitudinal study of fingerprint recognition.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Soweon; Jain, Anil K

    2015-07-14

    Human identification by fingerprints is based on the fundamental premise that ridge patterns from distinct fingers are different (uniqueness) and a fingerprint pattern does not change over time (persistence). Although the uniqueness of fingerprints has been investigated by developing statistical models to estimate the probability of error in comparing two random samples of fingerprints, the persistence of fingerprints has remained a general belief based on only a few case studies. In this study, fingerprint match (similarity) scores are analyzed by multilevel statistical models with covariates such as time interval between two fingerprints in comparison, subject's age, and fingerprint image quality. Longitudinal fingerprint records of 15,597 subjects are sampled from an operational fingerprint database such that each individual has at least five 10-print records over a minimum time span of 5 y. In regard to the persistence of fingerprints, the longitudinal analysis on a single (right index) finger demonstrates that (i) genuine match scores tend to significantly decrease when time interval between two fingerprints in comparison increases, whereas the change in impostor match scores is negligible; and (ii) fingerprint recognition accuracy at operational settings, nevertheless, tends to be stable as the time interval increases up to 12 y, the maximum time span in the dataset. However, the uncertainty of temporal stability of fingerprint recognition accuracy becomes substantially large if either of the two fingerprints being compared is of poor quality. The conclusions drawn from 10-finger fusion analysis coincide with the conclusions from single-finger analysis.

  7. Longitudinal study of fingerprint recognition

    PubMed Central

    Yoon, Soweon; Jain, Anil K.

    2015-01-01

    Human identification by fingerprints is based on the fundamental premise that ridge patterns from distinct fingers are different (uniqueness) and a fingerprint pattern does not change over time (persistence). Although the uniqueness of fingerprints has been investigated by developing statistical models to estimate the probability of error in comparing two random samples of fingerprints, the persistence of fingerprints has remained a general belief based on only a few case studies. In this study, fingerprint match (similarity) scores are analyzed by multilevel statistical models with covariates such as time interval between two fingerprints in comparison, subject’s age, and fingerprint image quality. Longitudinal fingerprint records of 15,597 subjects are sampled from an operational fingerprint database such that each individual has at least five 10-print records over a minimum time span of 5 y. In regard to the persistence of fingerprints, the longitudinal analysis on a single (right index) finger demonstrates that (i) genuine match scores tend to significantly decrease when time interval between two fingerprints in comparison increases, whereas the change in impostor match scores is negligible; and (ii) fingerprint recognition accuracy at operational settings, nevertheless, tends to be stable as the time interval increases up to 12 y, the maximum time span in the dataset. However, the uncertainty of temporal stability of fingerprint recognition accuracy becomes substantially large if either of the two fingerprints being compared is of poor quality. The conclusions drawn from 10-finger fusion analysis coincide with the conclusions from single-finger analysis. PMID:26124106

  8. Photogrammetric fingerprint unwrapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paar, Gerhard; del Pilar Caballo Perucha, Maria; Bauer, Arnold; Nauschnegg, Bernhard

    2008-04-01

    Fingerprints are important biometric cues. Compared to conventional fingerprint sensors the use of contact-free stereoscopic image acquisition of the front-most finger segment has a set of advantages: Finger deformation is avoided, the entire relevant area for biometric use is covered, some technical aspects like sensor maintenance and cleaning are facilitated, and access to a three-dimensional reconstruction of the covered area is possible. We describe a photogrammetric workflow for nail-to-nail fingerprint reconstruction: A calibrated sensor setup with typically 5 cameras and dedicated illumination acquires adjacent stereo pairs. Using the silhouettes of the segmented finger a raw cylindrical model is generated. After preprocessing (shading correction, dust removal, lens distortion correction), each individual camera texture is projected onto the model. Image-to-image matching on these pseudo ortho images and dense 3D reconstruction obtains a textured cylindrical digital surface model with radial distances around the major axis and a grid size in the range of 25-50 µm. The model allows for objective fingerprint unwrapping and novel fingerprint matching algorithms since 3D relations between fingerprint features are available as additional cues. Moreover, covering the entire region with relevant fingerprint texture is particularly important for establishing a comprehensive forensic database. The workflow has been implemented in portable C and is ready for industrial exploitation. Further improvement issues are code optimization, unwrapping method, illumination strategy to avoid highlights and to improve the initial segmentation, and the comparison of the unwrapping result to conventional fingerprint acquisition technology.

  9. High-resolution topograms of fingerprints using multiwavelength digital holography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abeywickrema, Ujitha; Banerjee, Partha; Kota, Akash; Swiontek, Stephen E.; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

    2017-03-01

    Fingerprint analysis is a popular identification technique due to the uniqueness of fingerprints and the convenience of recording them. The quality of a latent fingerprint on a surface can depend on various conditions, such as the time of the day, temperature, and the composition of sweat. We first developed latent fingerprints on transparent and blackened glass slides by depositing 1000-nm-thick columnar thin films (CTFs) of chalcogenide glass of nominal composition Ge28Sb12Se60. Then, we used transmission-/reflection-mode multiwavelength digital holography to construct the topograms of CTF-developed fingerprints on transparent/blackened glass slides. The two wavelengths chosen were 514.5 and 457.9 nm, yielding a synthetic wavelength of 4.1624 μm, which is sufficient to resolve pores of depths 1 to 2 μm. Thus, our method can be used to measure the level-3 details that are usually difficult to observe with most other techniques applied to latent fingerprints.

  10. Fingerprints: A simple method for Screening Hemophilic Patients.

    PubMed

    Jamalian, M; Mesri, M; Vishteh, H R K; Solhi, H; Salehpour, R

    2014-08-01

    The present study aims to compare hemophilic patients' fingerprint types with the normal people to help diagnose the disease, particularly new occurrences of the disease. This case-control study was conducted in 2012. Sixty two patients with hemophilia type A and 62 normal healthy people were selected. The type of fingerprint was determined by a forensic specialist who was kept unaware of the participants' group. Using advanced Henry method, the main types of fingerprints were classified as arch, loop, whorl, as well as other types. In the control group, loop type (65%) and in the case group the whorl type (34%) were the most frequent fingerprint type (p < 0.001) and there was a significant difference of fingerprint in each finger between two groups. In addition, the average number of whorl type in the patients with mild disease was significantly higher and the average number of arch and other types of fingerprints was significantly lower than patients with moderate or severe disease. The findings of the present study indicated that not only are the fingerprints of normal and hemophilic people different, but also a difference was observed between hemophilic patients with the mild factor level and patients with moderate or severe one.

  11. Physics and fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voss-de Haan, Patrick

    2006-08-01

    This article discusses a variety of aspects in the detection and development of fingerprints and the physics involved in it. It gives an introduction to some basic issues like composition and properties of fingerprint deposits and a rudimentary framework of dactyloscopy; it covers various techniques for the visualization of latent fingerprints; and it concludes with a view of current research topics. The techniques range from very common procedures, such as powdering and cyanoacrylate fuming, to more demanding methods, for example luminescence and vacuum metal deposition, to fairly unusual approaches like autoradiography. The emphasis is placed on the physical rather than the forensic aspects of these topics while trying to give the physicist—who is not dealing with fingerprinting and forensic science on a daily basis—a feeling for the problems and solutions in the visualization of latent fingerprints.

  12. Missing data reconstruction using Gaussian mixture models for fingerprint images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agaian, Sos S.; Yeole, Rushikesh D.; Rao, Shishir P.; Mulawka, Marzena; Troy, Mike; Reinecke, Gary

    2016-05-01

    Publisher's Note: This paper, originally published on 25 May 2016, was replaced with a revised version on 16 June 2016. If you downloaded the original PDF, but are unable to access the revision, please contact SPIE Digital Library Customer Service for assistance. One of the most important areas in biometrics is matching partial fingerprints in fingerprint databases. Recently, significant progress has been made in designing fingerprint identification systems for missing fingerprint information. However, a dependable reconstruction of fingerprint images still remains challenging due to the complexity and the ill-posed nature of the problem. In this article, both binary and gray-level images are reconstructed. This paper also presents a new similarity score to evaluate the performance of the reconstructed binary image. The offered fingerprint image identification system can be automated and extended to numerous other security applications such as postmortem fingerprints, forensic science, investigations, artificial intelligence, robotics, all-access control, and financial security, as well as for the verification of firearm purchasers, driver license applicants, etc.

  13. Broad spectrum microarray for fingerprint-based bacterial species identification

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Microarrays are powerful tools for DNA-based molecular diagnostics and identification of pathogens. Most target a limited range of organisms and are based on only one or a very few genes for specific identification. Such microarrays are limited to organisms for which specific probes are available, and often have difficulty discriminating closely related taxa. We have developed an alternative broad-spectrum microarray that employs hybridisation fingerprints generated by high-density anonymous markers distributed over the entire genome for identification based on comparison to a reference database. Results A high-density microarray carrying 95,000 unique 13-mer probes was designed. Optimized methods were developed to deliver reproducible hybridisation patterns that enabled confident discrimination of bacteria at the species, subspecies, and strain levels. High correlation coefficients were achieved between replicates. A sub-selection of 12,071 probes, determined by ANOVA and class prediction analysis, enabled the discrimination of all samples in our panel. Mismatch probe hybridisation was observed but was found to have no effect on the discriminatory capacity of our system. Conclusions These results indicate the potential of our genome chip for reliable identification of a wide range of bacterial taxa at the subspecies level without laborious prior sequencing and probe design. With its high resolution capacity, our proof-of-principle chip demonstrates great potential as a tool for molecular diagnostics of broad taxonomic groups. PMID:20163710

  14. The Ins and Outs of DNA Fingerprinting the Infectious Fungi

    PubMed Central

    Soll, David R.

    2000-01-01

    DNA fingerprinting methods have evolved as major tools in fungal epidemiology. However, no single method has emerged as the method of choice, and some methods perform better than others at different levels of resolution. In this review, requirements for an effective DNA fingerprinting method are proposed and procedures are described for testing the efficacy of a method. In light of the proposed requirements, the most common methods now being used to DNA fingerprint the infectious fungi are described and assessed. These methods include restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP), RFLP with hybridization probes, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA and other PCR-based methods, electrophoretic karyotyping, and sequencing-based methods. Procedures for computing similarity coefficients, generating phylogenetic trees, and testing the stability of clusters are then described. To facilitate the analysis of DNA fingerprinting data, computer-assisted methods are described. Finally, the problems inherent in the collection of test and control isolates are considered, and DNA fingerprinting studies of strain maintenance during persistent or recurrent infections, microevolution in infecting strains, and the origin of nosocomial infections are assessed in light of the preceding discussion of the ins and outs of DNA fingerprinting. The intent of this review is to generate an awareness of the need to verify the efficacy of each DNA fingerprinting method for the level of genetic relatedness necessary to answer the epidemiological question posed, to use quantitative methods to analyze DNA fingerprint data, to use computer-assisted DNA fingerprint analysis systems to analyze data, and to file data in a form that can be used in the future for retrospective and comparative studies. PMID:10756003

  15. Gabor filter based fingerprint image enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jin-Xiang

    2013-03-01

    Fingerprint recognition technology has become the most reliable biometric technology due to its uniqueness and invariance, which has been most convenient and most reliable technique for personal authentication. The development of Automated Fingerprint Identification System is an urgent need for modern information security. Meanwhile, fingerprint preprocessing algorithm of fingerprint recognition technology has played an important part in Automatic Fingerprint Identification System. This article introduces the general steps in the fingerprint recognition technology, namely the image input, preprocessing, feature recognition, and fingerprint image enhancement. As the key to fingerprint identification technology, fingerprint image enhancement affects the accuracy of the system. It focuses on the characteristics of the fingerprint image, Gabor filters algorithm for fingerprint image enhancement, the theoretical basis of Gabor filters, and demonstration of the filter. The enhancement algorithm for fingerprint image is in the windows XP platform with matlab.65 as a development tool for the demonstration. The result shows that the Gabor filter is effective in fingerprint image enhancement technology.

  16. From template to image: reconstructing fingerprints from minutiae points.

    PubMed

    Ross, Arun; Shah, Jidnya; Jain, Anil K

    2007-04-01

    Most fingerprint-based biometric systems store the minutiae template of a user in the database. It has been traditionally assumed that the minutiae template of a user does not reveal any information about the original fingerprint. In this paper, we challenge this notion and show that three levels of information about the parent fingerprint can be elicited from the minutiae template alone, viz., 1) the orientation field information, 2) the class or type information, and 3) the friction ridge structure. The orientation estimation algorithm determines the direction of local ridges using the evidence of minutiae triplets. The estimated orientation field, along with the given minutiae distribution, is then used to predict the class of the fingerprint. Finally, the ridge structure of the parent fingerprint is generated using streamlines that are based on the estimated orientation field. Line Integral Convolution is used to impart texture to the ensuing ridges, resulting in a ridge map resembling the parent fingerprint. The salient feature of this noniterative method to generate ridges is its ability to preserve the minutiae at specified locations in the reconstructed ridge map. Experiments using a commercial fingerprint matcher suggest that the reconstructed ridge structure bears close resemblance to the parent fingerprint.

  17. Fingerprint enhancement using a multispectral sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rowe, Robert K.; Nixon, Kristin A.

    2005-03-01

    The level of performance of a biometric fingerprint sensor is critically dependent on the quality of the fingerprint images. One of the most common types of optical fingerprint sensors relies on the phenomenon of total internal reflectance (TIR) to generate an image. Under ideal conditions, a TIR fingerprint sensor can produce high-contrast fingerprint images with excellent feature definition. However, images produced by the same sensor under conditions that include dry skin, dirt on the skin, and marginal contact between the finger and the sensor, are likely to be severely degraded. This paper discusses the use of multispectral sensing as a means to collect additional images with new information about the fingerprint that can significantly augment the system performance under both normal and adverse sample conditions. In the context of this paper, "multispectral sensing" is used to broadly denote a collection of images taken under different illumination conditions: different polarizations, different illumination/detection configurations, as well as different wavelength illumination. Results from three small studies using an early-stage prototype of the multispectral-TIR (MTIR) sensor are presented along with results from the corresponding TIR data. The first experiment produced data from 9 people, 4 fingers from each person and 3 measurements per finger under "normal" conditions. The second experiment provided results from a study performed to test the relative performance of TIR and MTIR images when taken under extreme dry and dirty conditions. The third experiment examined the case where the area of contact between the finger and sensor is greatly reduced.

  18. Multi-step infrared macro-fingerprint features of ethanol extracts from different Cistanche species in China combined with HPLC fingerprint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Rong; Sun, Suqin; Zhu, Weicheng; Xu, Changhua; Liu, Yougang; Shen, Liang; Shi, Yue; Chen, Jun

    2014-07-01

    The genus Cistanche generally has four species in China, including C. deserticola (CD), C. tubulosa (CT), C. salsa (CS) and C. sinensis (CSN), among which CD and CT are official herbal sources of Cistanche Herba (CH). To clarify the sources of CH and ensure the clinical efficacy and safety, a multi-step IR macro-fingerprint method was developed to analyze and evaluate the ethanol extracts of the four species. Through this method, the four species were distinctively distinguished, and the main active components phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) were estimated rapidly according to the fingerprint features in the original IR spectra, second derivative spectra, correlation coefficients and 2D-IR correlation spectra. The exclusive IR fingerprints in the spectra including the positions, shapes and numbers of peaks indicated that constitutes of CD were the most abundant, and CT had the highest level of PhGs. The results deduced by some macroscopic features in IR fingerprint were in agreement with the HPLC fingerprint of PhGs from the four species, but it should be noted that the IR provided more chemical information than HPLC. In conclusion, with the advantages of high resolution, cost effective and speediness, the macroscopic IR fingerprint method should be a promising analytical technique for discriminating extremely similar herbal medicine, monitoring and tracing the constituents of different extracts and even for quality control of the complex systems such as TCM.

  19. The detection of drugs of abuse in fingerprints using Raman spectroscopy I: latent fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Day, Joanna S.; Edwards, Howell G. M.; Dobrowski, Steven A.; Voice, Alison M.

    2004-02-01

    This paper describes the application of Raman spectroscopy to the detection of exogenous substances in latent fingerprints. The scenario considered was that of an individual handling a substance and subsequently depositing a contaminated fingerprint. Five drugs of abuse (codeine phosphate, cocaine hydrochloride, amphetamine sulphate, barbital and nitrazepam) and five non-controlled substances of similar appearance, which may be used in the adulteration of drugs of abuse (caffeine, aspirin, paracetamol, starch and talc), were studied in both sweat-rich and sebum-rich latent fingerprints. The substances studied could be clearly distinguished using their Raman spectra and were all successfully detected in latent fingerprints. Photobleaching was necessary to reduce the fluorescence background in the spectra of some substances. Raman spectra obtained from the substances in sweat-rich latent fingerprints were of a similar quality to spectra that obtained from the substances under normal sampling conditions. Interfering Raman bands arising from latent fingerprint material were present in the spectra obtained from the substances in sebum-rich fingerprints. These bands did not prevent identification of the substances and could be successfully removed by spectral subtraction. The most difficult aspect of the detection of these substances in latent fingerprints was visually locating the substance in the fingerprint in order to obtain a Raman spectrum.

  20. Taxonomic chauvinism revisited: insight from parental care research.

    PubMed

    Stahlschmidt, Zachary R

    2011-01-01

    Parental care (any non-genetic contribution by a parent that appears likely to increase the fitness of its offspring) is a widespread trait exhibited by a broad range of animal taxa. In addition to influencing the fitness of parent(s) and offspring, parental care may be inextricably involved in other evolutionary processes, such as sexual selection and the evolution of endothermy. Yet, recent work has demonstrated that bias related to taxonomy is prevalent across many biological disciplines, and research in parental care may be similarly burdened. Thus, I used parental care articles published in six leading journals of fundamental behavioral sciences (Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Ethology, Hormones and Behavior, and Physiology & Behavior) from 2001-2010 (n = 712) to examine the year-to-year dynamics of two types of bias related to taxonomy across animals: (1) taxonomic bias, which exists when research output is not proportional to the frequency of organisms in nature, and (2) taxonomic citation bias, which is a proxy for the breadth of a given article-specifically, the proportion of articles cited that refer solely to the studied taxon. I demonstrate that research on birds likely represents a disproportionate amount of parental care research and, thus, exhibits taxonomic bias. Parental care research on birds and mammals also refers to a relatively narrow range of taxonomic groups when discussing its context and, thus, exhibits taxonomic citation bias. Further, the levels of taxonomic bias and taxonomic citation bias have not declined over the past decade despite cautionary messages about similar bias in related disciplines--in fact, taxonomic bias may have increased. As in Bonnet et al. (2002), my results should not be interpreted as evidence of an 'ornithological Mafia' conspiring to suppress other taxonomic groups. Rather, I generate several rational hypotheses to determine why bias persists and to guide future

  1. Performance Evaluation of Fusing Protected Fingerprint Minutiae Templates on the Decision Level

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Bian; Busch, Christoph; de Groot, Koen; Xu, Haiyun; Veldhuis, Raymond N. J.

    2012-01-01

    In a biometric authentication system using protected templates, a pseudonymous identifier is the part of a protected template that can be directly compared. Each compared pair of pseudonymous identifiers results in a decision testing whether both identifiers are derived from the same biometric characteristic. Compared to an unprotected system, most existing biometric template protection methods cause to a certain extent degradation in biometric performance. Fusion is therefore a promising way to enhance the biometric performance in template-protected biometric systems. Compared to feature level fusion and score level fusion, decision level fusion has not only the least fusion complexity, but also the maximum interoperability across different biometric features, template protection and recognition algorithms, templates formats, and comparison score rules. However, performance improvement via decision level fusion is not obvious. It is influenced by both the dependency and the performance gap among the conducted tests for fusion. We investigate in this paper several fusion scenarios (multi-sample, multi-instance, multi-sensor, multi-algorithm, and their combinations) on the binary decision level, and evaluate their biometric performance and fusion efficiency on a multi-sensor fingerprint database with 71,994 samples. PMID:22778583

  2. Increasing numbers of bird species result from taxonomic progress, not taxonomic inflation

    PubMed Central

    Sangster, George

    2009-01-01

    The impact and significance of modern taxonomy on other fields in biology have been subjects of much debate. It has been proposed that increasing numbers of vertebrate species are largely owing to ‘taxonomic inflation’. According to this hypothesis, newly recognized species result from reinterpretations of species limits based on phylogenetic species concepts (PSCs) rather than from new discoveries. Here, I examine 747 proposals to change the taxonomic rank of birds in the period 1950–2007. The trend to recognize more species of birds started at least two decades before the introduction of PSCs. Most (84.6%) newly recognized species were supported by new taxonomic data. Proposals to recognize more species resulted from application of all six major taxonomic criteria. Many newly recognized species (63.4%) were not based exclusively on PSC-based criteria (diagnosability, monophyly and exclusive coalescence of gene trees). Therefore, this study finds no empirical support for the idea that the increase in species is primarily epistemological rather than data-driven. This study shows that previous claims about the causes and effects of taxonomic inflation lack empirical support. I argue that a more appropriate term for the increase in species is ‘taxonomic progress’. PMID:19520805

  3. PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe.

    PubMed

    de Jong, Yde; Kouwenberg, Juliana; Boumans, Louis; Hussey, Charles; Hyam, Roger; Nicolson, Nicola; Kirk, Paul; Paton, Alan; Michel, Ellinor; Guiry, Michael D; Boegh, Phillip S; Pedersen, Henrik Ærenlund; Enghoff, Henrik; von Raab-Straube, Eckhard; Güntsch, Anton; Geoffroy, Marc; Müller, Andreas; Kohlbecker, Andreas; Berendsohn, Walter; Appeltans, Ward; Arvanitidis, Christos; Vanhoorne, Bart; Declerck, Joram; Vandepitte, Leen; Hernandez, Francisco; Nash, Róisín; Costello, Mark John; Ouvrard, David; Bezard-Falgas, Pascale; Bourgoin, Thierry; Wetzel, Florian Tobias; Glöckler, Falko; Korb, Günther; Ring, Caroline; Hagedorn, Gregor; Häuser, Christoph; Aktaç, Nihat; Asan, Ahmet; Ardelean, Adorian; Borges, Paulo Alexandre Vieira; Dhora, Dhimiter; Khachatryan, Hasmik; Malicky, Michael; Ibrahimov, Shaig; Tuzikov, Alexander; De Wever, Aaike; Moncheva, Snejana; Spassov, Nikolai; Chobot, Karel; Popov, Alexi; Boršić, Igor; Sfenthourakis, Spyros; Kõljalg, Urmas; Uotila, Pertti; Olivier, Gargominy; Dauvin, Jean-Claude; Tarkhnishvili, David; Chaladze, Giorgi; Tuerkay, Michael; Legakis, Anastasios; Peregovits, László; Gudmundsson, Gudmundur; Ólafsson, Erling; Lysaght, Liam; Galil, Bella Sarah; Raimondo, Francesco M; Domina, Gianniantonio; Stoch, Fabio; Minelli, Alessandro; Spungis, Voldermars; Budrys, Eduardas; Olenin, Sergej; Turpel, Armand; Walisch, Tania; Krpach, Vladimir; Gambin, Marie Therese; Ungureanu, Laurentia; Karaman, Gordan; Kleukers, Roy M J C; Stur, Elisabeth; Aagaard, Kaare; Valland, Nils; Moen, Toril Loennechen; Bogdanowicz, Wieslaw; Tykarski, Piotr; Węsławski, Jan Marcin; Kędra, Monika; M de Frias Martins, Antonio; Abreu, António Domingos; Silva, Ricardo; Medvedev, Sergei; Ryss, Alexander; Šimić, Smiljka; Marhold, Karol; Stloukal, Eduard; Tome, Davorin; Ramos, Marian A; Valdés, Benito; Pina, Francisco; Kullander, Sven; Telenius, Anders; Gonseth, Yves; Tschudin, Pascal; Sergeyeva, Oleksandra; Vladymyrov, Volodymyr; Rizun, Volodymyr Bohdanovych; Raper, Chris; Lear, Dan; Stoev, Pavel; Penev, Lyubomir; Rubio, Ana Casino; Backeljau, Thierry; Saarenmaa, Hannu; Ulenberg, Sandrine

    2015-01-01

    Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as high-quality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for non-specialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools. The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1) standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic information. This paper describes the results of PESI and its future prospects, including the involvement in major European biodiversity informatics initiatives and programs.

  4. A novel patterning control strategy based on real-time fingerprint recognition and adaptive wafer level scanner optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cekli, Hakki Ergun; Nije, Jelle; Ypma, Alexander; Bastani, Vahid; Sonntag, Dag; Niesing, Henk; Zhang, Linmiao; Ullah, Zakir; Subramony, Venky; Somasundaram, Ravin; Susanto, William; Matsunobu, Masazumi; Johnson, Jeff; Tabery, Cyrus; Lin, Chenxi; Zou, Yi

    2018-03-01

    In addition to lithography process and equipment induced variations, processes like etching, annealing, film deposition and planarization exhibit variations, each having their own intrinsic characteristics and leaving an effect, a `fingerprint', on the wafers. With ever tighter requirements for CD and overlay, controlling these process induced variations is both increasingly important and increasingly challenging in advanced integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. For example, the on-product overlay (OPO) requirement for future nodes is approaching <3nm, requiring the allowable budget for process induced variance to become extremely small. Process variance control is seen as an bottleneck to further shrink which drives the need for more sophisticated process control strategies. In this context we developed a novel `computational process control strategy' which provides the capability of proactive control of each individual wafer with aim to maximize the yield, without introducing a significant impact on metrology requirements, cycle time or productivity. The complexity of the wafer process is approached by characterizing the full wafer stack building a fingerprint library containing key patterning performance parameters like Overlay, Focus, etc. Historical wafer metrology is decomposed into dominant fingerprints using Principal Component Analysis. By associating observed fingerprints with their origin e.g. process steps, tools and variables, we can give an inline assessment of the strength and origin of the fingerprints on every wafer. Once the fingerprint library is established, a wafer specific fingerprint correction recipes can be determined based on its processing history. Data science techniques are used in real-time to ensure that the library is adaptive. To realize this concept, ASML TWINSCAN scanners play a vital role with their on-board full wafer detection and exposure correction capabilities. High density metrology data is created by the scanner for each

  5. Video-Based Fingerprint Verification

    PubMed Central

    Qin, Wei; Yin, Yilong; Liu, Lili

    2013-01-01

    Conventional fingerprint verification systems use only static information. In this paper, fingerprint videos, which contain dynamic information, are utilized for verification. Fingerprint videos are acquired by the same capture device that acquires conventional fingerprint images, and the user experience of providing a fingerprint video is the same as that of providing a single impression. After preprocessing and aligning processes, “inside similarity” and “outside similarity” are defined and calculated to take advantage of both dynamic and static information contained in fingerprint videos. Match scores between two matching fingerprint videos are then calculated by combining the two kinds of similarity. Experimental results show that the proposed video-based method leads to a relative reduction of 60 percent in the equal error rate (EER) in comparison to the conventional single impression-based method. We also analyze the time complexity of our method when different combinations of strategies are used. Our method still outperforms the conventional method, even if both methods have the same time complexity. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed video-based method can lead to better accuracy than the multiple impressions fusion method, and the proposed method has a much lower false acceptance rate (FAR) when the false rejection rate (FRR) is quite low. PMID:24008283

  6. Detection and Rectification of Distorted Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Si, Xuanbin; Feng, Jianjiang; Zhou, Jie; Luo, Yuxuan

    2015-03-01

    Elastic distortion of fingerprints is one of the major causes for false non-match. While this problem affects all fingerprint recognition applications, it is especially dangerous in negative recognition applications, such as watchlist and deduplication applications. In such applications, malicious users may purposely distort their fingerprints to evade identification. In this paper, we proposed novel algorithms to detect and rectify skin distortion based on a single fingerprint image. Distortion detection is viewed as a two-class classification problem, for which the registered ridge orientation map and period map of a fingerprint are used as the feature vector and a SVM classifier is trained to perform the classification task. Distortion rectification (or equivalently distortion field estimation) is viewed as a regression problem, where the input is a distorted fingerprint and the output is the distortion field. To solve this problem, a database (called reference database) of various distorted reference fingerprints and corresponding distortion fields is built in the offline stage, and then in the online stage, the nearest neighbor of the input fingerprint is found in the reference database and the corresponding distortion field is used to transform the input fingerprint into a normal one. Promising results have been obtained on three databases containing many distorted fingerprints, namely FVC2004 DB1, Tsinghua Distorted Fingerprint database, and the NIST SD27 latent fingerprint database.

  7. PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe

    PubMed Central

    Kouwenberg, Juliana; Boumans, Louis; Hussey, Charles; Hyam, Roger; Nicolson, Nicola; Kirk, Paul; Paton, Alan; Michel, Ellinor; Guiry, Michael D.; Boegh, Phillip S.; Pedersen, Henrik Ærenlund; Enghoff, Henrik; von Raab-Straube, Eckhard; Güntsch, Anton; Geoffroy, Marc; Müller, Andreas; Kohlbecker, Andreas; Berendsohn, Walter; Appeltans, Ward; Arvanitidis, Christos; Vanhoorne, Bart; Declerck, Joram; Vandepitte, Leen; Hernandez, Francisco; Nash, Róisín; Costello, Mark John; Ouvrard, David; Bezard-Falgas, Pascale; Bourgoin, Thierry; Wetzel, Florian Tobias; Glöckler, Falko; Korb, Günther; Ring, Caroline; Hagedorn, Gregor; Häuser, Christoph; Aktaç, Nihat; Asan, Ahmet; Ardelean, Adorian; Borges, Paulo Alexandre Vieira; Dhora, Dhimiter; Khachatryan, Hasmik; Malicky, Michael; Ibrahimov, Shaig; Tuzikov, Alexander; De Wever, Aaike; Moncheva, Snejana; Spassov, Nikolai; Chobot, Karel; Popov, Alexi; Boršić, Igor; Sfenthourakis, Spyros; Kõljalg, Urmas; Uotila, Pertti; Olivier, Gargominy; Dauvin, Jean-Claude; Tarkhnishvili, David; Chaladze, Giorgi; Tuerkay, Michael; Legakis, Anastasios; Peregovits, László; Gudmundsson, Gudmundur; Ólafsson, Erling; Lysaght, Liam; Galil, Bella Sarah; Raimondo, Francesco M.; Domina, Gianniantonio; Stoch, Fabio; Minelli, Alessandro; Spungis, Voldermars; Budrys, Eduardas; Olenin, Sergej; Turpel, Armand; Walisch, Tania; Krpach, Vladimir; Gambin, Marie Therese; Ungureanu, Laurentia; Karaman, Gordan; Kleukers, Roy M.J.C.; Stur, Elisabeth; Aagaard, Kaare; Valland, Nils; Moen, Toril Loennechen; Bogdanowicz, Wieslaw; Tykarski, Piotr; Węsławski, Jan Marcin; Kędra, Monika; M. de Frias Martins, Antonio; Abreu, António Domingos; Silva, Ricardo; Medvedev, Sergei; Ryss, Alexander; Šimić, Smiljka; Marhold, Karol; Stloukal, Eduard; Tome, Davorin; Ramos, Marian A.; Valdés, Benito; Pina, Francisco; Kullander, Sven; Telenius, Anders; Gonseth, Yves; Tschudin, Pascal; Sergeyeva, Oleksandra; Vladymyrov, Volodymyr; Rizun, Volodymyr Bohdanovych; Raper, Chris; Lear, Dan; Stoev, Pavel; Penev, Lyubomir; Rubio, Ana Casino; Backeljau, Thierry; Saarenmaa, Hannu; Ulenberg, Sandrine

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Background Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as high-quality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for non-specialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools. The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1) standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic information. New information This paper describes the results of PESI and its future prospects, including the involvement in major European biodiversity informatics initiatives and programs. PMID:26491393

  8. Fingerprint Change: Not Visible, But Tangible.

    PubMed

    Negri, Francesca V; De Giorgi, Annamaria; Bozzetti, Cecilia; Squadrilli, Anna; Petronini, Pier Giorgio; Leonardi, Francesco; Bisogno, Luigi; Garofano, Luciano

    2017-09-01

    Hand-foot syndrome, a chemotherapy-induced cutaneous toxicity, can cause an alteration in fingerprints causing a setback for cancer patients due to the occurrence of false rejections. A colon cancer patient was fingerprinted after not having been able to use fingerprint recognition devices after 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. The fingerprint images were digitally processed to improve fingerprint definition without altering the papillary design. No evidence of skin toxicity was present. Two months later, the situation returned to normal. The fingerprint evaluation conducted on 15 identification points highlighted the quantitative and qualitative fingerprint alteration details detected after the end of chemotherapy and 2 months later. Fingerprint alteration during chemotherapy has been reported, but to our knowledge, this particular case is the first ever reported without evident clinical signs. Alternative fingerprint identification methods as well as improved biometric identification systems are needed in case of unexpected situations. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  9. Online fingerprint verification.

    PubMed

    Upendra, K; Singh, S; Kumar, V; Verma, H K

    2007-01-01

    As organizations search for more secure authentication methods for user access, e-commerce, and other security applications, biometrics is gaining increasing attention. With an increasing emphasis on the emerging automatic personal identification applications, fingerprint based identification is becoming more popular. The most widely used fingerprint representation is the minutiae based representation. The main drawback with this representation is that it does not utilize a significant component of the rich discriminatory information available in the fingerprints. Local ridge structures cannot be completely characterized by minutiae. Also, it is difficult quickly to match two fingerprint images containing different number of unregistered minutiae points. In this study filter bank based representation, which eliminates these weakness, is implemented and the overall performance of the developed system is tested. The results have shown that this system can be used effectively for secure online verification applications.

  10. Probing with and into fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Dahiya, Ravinder S; Gori, Monica

    2010-07-01

    A recent report by Scheibert et al. highlights the role of fingerprints in enhancing tactile sensitivity. By scanning a surface with a biometric force sensor they demonstrate the dominance of the frequencies that fall within the optimal sensitivity range of Pacinian afferents. The sensor, in this study, has a soft cover patterned with parallel ridges-mimicking the fingerprints. However, the skin structure is quite complex. Elasticity of the skin varies with depth and the ridge like pattern is comprised of not just papillary ridges or fingerprints. Besides fingerprints there exist intermediate ridges, positioned exactly under the papillary ridges, and limiting ridges at dermis-epidermis junction. These structures are usually considered as single unit. If so, it is important to revisit and see if the role of fingerprints remains the same, should the sensor cover have both fingerprints and intermediate ridges.

  11. Fingerprint separation: an application of ICA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Meenakshi; Singh, Deepak Kumar; Kalra, Prem Kumar

    2008-04-01

    Among all existing biometric techniques, fingerprint-based identification is the oldest method, which has been successfully used in numerous applications. Fingerprint-based identification is the most recognized tool in biometrics because of its reliability and accuracy. Fingerprint identification is done by matching questioned and known friction skin ridge impressions from fingers, palms, and toes to determine if the impressions are from the same finger (or palm, toe, etc.). There are many fingerprint matching algorithms which automate and facilitate the job of fingerprint matching, but for any of these algorithms matching can be difficult if the fingerprints are overlapped or mixed. In this paper, we have proposed a new algorithm for separating overlapped or mixed fingerprints so that the performance of the matching algorithms will improve when they are fed with these inputs. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has been used as a tool to separate the overlapped or mixed fingerprints.

  12. Capturing latent fingerprints from metallic painted surfaces using UV-VIS spectroscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Makrushin, Andrey; Scheidat, Tobias; Vielhauer, Claus

    2015-03-01

    In digital crime scene forensics, contactless non-destructive detection and acquisition of latent fingerprints by means of optical devices such as a high-resolution digital camera, confocal microscope, or chromatic white-light sensor is the initial step prior to destructive chemical development. The applicability of an optical sensor to digitalize latent fingerprints primarily depends on reflection properties of a substrate. Metallic painted surfaces, for instance, pose a problem for conventional sensors which make use of visible light. Since metallic paint is a semi-transparent layer on top of the surface, visible light penetrates it and is reflected off of the metallic flakes randomly disposed in the paint. Fingerprint residues do not impede light beams making ridges invisible. Latent fingerprints can be revealed, however, using ultraviolet light which does not penetrate the paint. We apply a UV-VIS spectroscope that is capable of capturing images within the range from 163 to 844 nm using 2048 discrete levels. We empirically show that latent fingerprints left behind on metallic painted surfaces become clearly visible within the range from 205 to 385 nm. Our proposed streakiness score feature determining the proportion of a ridge-valley pattern in an image is applied for automatic assessment of a fingerprint's visibility and distinguishing between fingerprint and empty regions. The experiments are carried out with 100 fingerprint and 100 non-fingerprint samples.

  13. Electronic fingerprints of DNA bases on graphene.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Towfiq; Kilina, Svetlana; Das, Tanmoy; Haraldsen, Jason T; Rehr, John J; Balatsky, Alexander V

    2012-02-08

    We calculate the electronic local density of states (LDOS) of DNA nucleotide bases (A,C,G,T), deposited on graphene. We observe significant base-dependent features in the LDOS in an energy range within a few electronvolts of the Fermi level. These features can serve as electronic fingerprints for the identification of individual bases in scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) experiments that perform image and site dependent spectroscopy on biomolecules. Thus the fingerprints of DNA-graphene hybrid structures may provide an alternative route to DNA sequencing using STS. © 2012 American Chemical Society

  14. Integrating Fingerprint Verification into the Smart Card-Based Healthcare Information System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moon, Daesung; Chung, Yongwha; Pan, Sung Bum; Park, Jin-Won

    2009-12-01

    As VLSI technology has been improved, a smart card employing 32-bit processors has been released, and more personal information such as medical, financial data can be stored in the card. Thus, it becomes important to protect personal information stored in the card. Verification of the card holder's identity using a fingerprint has advantages over the present practices of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords. However, the computational workload of fingerprint verification is much heavier than that of the typical PIN-based solution. In this paper, we consider three strategies to implement fingerprint verification in a smart card environment and how to distribute the modules of fingerprint verification between the smart card and the card reader. We first evaluate the number of instructions of each step of a typical fingerprint verification algorithm, and estimate the execution time of several cryptographic algorithms to guarantee the security/privacy of the fingerprint data transmitted in the smart card with the client-server environment. Based on the evaluation results, we analyze each scenario with respect to the security level and the real-time execution requirements in order to implement fingerprint verification in the smart card with the client-server environment.

  15. DNA fingerprinting in botany: past, present, future

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Almost three decades ago Alec Jeffreys published his seminal Nature papers on the use of minisatellite probes for DNA fingerprinting of humans (Jeffreys and colleagues Nature 1985, 314:67–73 and Nature 1985, 316:76–79). The new technology was soon adopted for many other organisms including plants, and when Hilde Nybom, Kurt Weising and Alec Jeffreys first met at the very First International Conference on DNA Fingerprinting in Berne, Switzerland, in 1990, everybody was enthusiastic about the novel method that allowed us for the first time to discriminate between humans, animals, plants and fungi on the individual level using DNA markers. A newsletter coined “Fingerprint News” was launched, T-shirts were sold, and the proceedings of the Berne conference filled a first book on “DNA fingerprinting: approaches and applications”. Four more conferences were about to follow, one on each continent, and Alec Jeffreys of course was invited to all of them. Since these early days, methodologies have undergone a rapid evolution and diversification. A multitude of techniques have been developed, optimized, and eventually abandoned when novel and more efficient and/or more reliable methods appeared. Despite some overlap between the lifetimes of the different technologies, three phases can be defined that coincide with major technological advances. Whereas the first phase of DNA fingerprinting (“the past”) was dominated by restriction fragment analysis in conjunction with Southern blot hybridization, the advent of the PCR in the late 1980s gave way to the development of PCR-based single- or multi-locus profiling techniques in the second phase. Given that many routine applications of plant DNA fingerprinting still rely on PCR-based markers, we here refer to these methods as “DNA fingerprinting in the present”, and include numerous examples in the present review. The beginning of the third phase actually dates back to 2005, when several novel, highly parallel DNA

  16. Fingerprinting of Materials: Technical Supplement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Workman, Gary L.

    1992-01-01

    This supplement to the Guidelines for Maintaining a Chemical Fingerprinting Program has been developed to assist NASA personnel, contractors, and sub-contractors in defining the technical aspects and basic concepts which can be used in chemical fingerprinting programs. This material is not meant to be totally inclusive to all chemical fingerprinting programs, but merely to present current concepts. Each program will be tailored to meet the needs of the individual organizations using chemical fingerprinting to improve their quality and reliability in the production of aerospace systems.

  17. Accurate, fast, and secure biometric fingerprint recognition system utilizing sensor fusion of fingerprint patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Saba, Aed; Alsharif, Salim; Jagapathi, Rajendarreddy

    2011-04-01

    Fingerprint recognition is one of the first techniques used for automatically identifying people and today it is still one of the most popular and effective biometric techniques. With this increase in fingerprint biometric uses, issues related to accuracy, security and processing time are major challenges facing the fingerprint recognition systems. Previous work has shown that polarization enhancementencoding of fingerprint patterns increase the accuracy and security of fingerprint systems without burdening the processing time. This is mainly due to the fact that polarization enhancementencoding is inherently a hardware process and does not have detrimental time delay effect on the overall process. Unpolarized images, however, posses a high visual contrast and when fused (without digital enhancement) properly with polarized ones, is shown to increase the recognition accuracy and security of the biometric system without any significant processing time delay.

  18. Construction of a Species-Level Tree of Life for the Insects and Utility in Taxonomic Profiling

    PubMed Central

    Chesters, Douglas

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Although comprehensive phylogenies have proven an invaluable tool in ecology and evolution, their construction is made increasingly challenging both by the scale and structure of publically available sequences. The distinct partition between gene-rich (genomic) and species-rich (DNA barcode) data is a feature of data that has been largely overlooked, yet presents a key obstacle to scaling supermatrix analysis. I present a phyloinformatics framework for draft construction of a species-level phylogeny of insects (Class Insecta). Matrix-building requires separately optimized pipelines for nuclear transcriptomic, mitochondrial genomic, and species-rich markers, whereas tree-building requires hierarchical inference in order to capture species-breadth while retaining deep-level resolution. The phylogeny of insects contains 49,358 species, 13,865 genera, 760 families. Deep-level splits largely reflected previous findings for sections of the tree that are data rich or unambiguous, such as inter-ordinal Endopterygota and Dictyoptera, the recently evolved and relatively homogeneous Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Brachycera (Diptera), and Cucujiformia (Coleoptera). However, analysis of bias, matrix construction and gene-tree variation suggests confidence in some relationships (such as in Polyneoptera) is less than has been indicated by the matrix bootstrap method. To assess the utility of the insect tree as a tool in query profiling several tree-based taxonomic assignment methods are compared. Using test data sets with existing taxonomic annotations, a tendency is observed for greater accuracy of species-level assignments where using a fixed comprehensive tree of life in contrast to methods generating smaller de novo reference trees. Described herein is a solution to the discrepancy in the way data are fit into supermatrices. The resulting tree facilitates wider studies of insect diversification and application of advanced descriptions of diversity in community studies

  19. Fingerprint multicast in secure video streaming.

    PubMed

    Zhao, H Vicky; Liu, K J Ray

    2006-01-01

    Digital fingerprinting is an emerging technology to protect multimedia content from illegal redistribution, where each distributed copy is labeled with unique identification information. In video streaming, huge amount of data have to be transmitted to a large number of users under stringent latency constraints, so the bandwidth-efficient distribution of uniquely fingerprinted copies is crucial. This paper investigates the secure multicast of anticollusion fingerprinted video in streaming applications and analyzes their performance. We first propose a general fingerprint multicast scheme that can be used with most spread spectrum embedding-based multimedia fingerprinting systems. To further improve the bandwidth efficiency, we explore the special structure of the fingerprint design and propose a joint fingerprint design and distribution scheme. From our simulations, the two proposed schemes can reduce the bandwidth requirement by 48% to 87%, depending on the number of users, the characteristics of video sequences, and the network and computation constraints. We also show that under the constraint that all colluders have the same probability of detection, the embedded fingerprints in the two schemes have approximately the same collusion resistance. Finally, we propose a fingerprint drift compensation scheme to improve the quality of the reconstructed sequences at the decoder's side without introducing extra communication overhead.

  20. Influence of skin diseases on fingerprint recognition.

    PubMed

    Drahansky, Martin; Dolezel, Michal; Urbanek, Jaroslav; Brezinova, Eva; Kim, Tai-hoon

    2012-01-01

    There are many people who suffer from some of the skin diseases. These diseases have a strong influence on the process of fingerprint recognition. People with fingerprint diseases are unable to use fingerprint scanners, which is discriminating for them, since they are not allowed to use their fingerprints for the authentication purposes. First in this paper the various diseases, which might influence functionality of the fingerprint-based systems, are introduced, mainly from the medical point of view. This overview is followed by some examples of diseased finger fingerprints, acquired both from dactyloscopic card and electronic sensors. At the end of this paper the proposed fingerprint image enhancement algorithm is described.

  1. Laser speckle decorrelation for fingerprint acquisition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schirripa Spagnolo, Giuseppe; Cozzella, Lorenzo

    2012-09-01

    Biometry is gaining popularity as a physical security approach in situations where a high level of security is necessary. Currently, biometric solutions are embedded in a very large and heterogeneous group of applications. One of the most sensible is for airport security access to boarding gates. More airports are introducing biometric solutions based on face, fingerprint or iris recognition for passenger identification. In particular, fingerprints are the most widely used biometric, and they are mandatorily included in electronic identification documents. One important issue, which is difficult to address in traditional fingerprint acquisition systems, is preventing contact between subsequent users; sebum, which can be a potential vector for contagious diseases. Currently, non-contact devices are used to overcome this problem. In this paper, a new contact device based on laser speckle decorrelation is presented. Our system has the advantage of being compact and low-cost compared with an actual contactless system, allowing enhancement of the sebum pattern imaging contrast in a simple and low-cost way. Furthermore, it avoids the spreading of contagious diseases.

  2. Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Soil and Hypolithic Microbial Communities in Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

    PubMed

    Wei, Sean T S; Lacap-Bugler, Donnabella C; Lau, Maggie C Y; Caruso, Tancredi; Rao, Subramanya; de Los Rios, Asunción; Archer, Stephen K; Chiu, Jill M Y; Higgins, Colleen; Van Nostrand, Joy D; Zhou, Jizhong; Hopkins, David W; Pointing, Stephen B

    2016-01-01

    The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are an extreme polar desert. Mineral soils support subsurface microbial communities and translucent rocks support development of hypolithic communities on ventral surfaces in soil contact. Despite significant research attention, relatively little is known about taxonomic and functional diversity or their inter-relationships. Here we report a combined diversity and functional interrogation for soil and hypoliths of the Miers Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The study employed 16S rRNA fingerprinting and high throughput sequencing combined with the GeoChip functional microarray. The soil community was revealed as a highly diverse reservoir of bacterial diversity dominated by actinobacteria. Hypolithic communities were less diverse and dominated by cyanobacteria. Major differences in putative functionality were that soil communities displayed greater diversity in stress tolerance and recalcitrant substrate utilization pathways, whilst hypolithic communities supported greater diversity of nutrient limitation adaptation pathways. A relatively high level of functional redundancy in both soil and hypoliths may indicate adaptation of these communities to fluctuating environmental conditions.

  3. Influence of Skin Diseases on Fingerprint Recognition

    PubMed Central

    Drahansky, Martin; Dolezel, Michal; Urbanek, Jaroslav; Brezinova, Eva; Kim, Tai-hoon

    2012-01-01

    There are many people who suffer from some of the skin diseases. These diseases have a strong influence on the process of fingerprint recognition. People with fingerprint diseases are unable to use fingerprint scanners, which is discriminating for them, since they are not allowed to use their fingerprints for the authentication purposes. First in this paper the various diseases, which might influence functionality of the fingerprint-based systems, are introduced, mainly from the medical point of view. This overview is followed by some examples of diseased finger fingerprints, acquired both from dactyloscopic card and electronic sensors. At the end of this paper the proposed fingerprint image enhancement algorithm is described. PMID:22654483

  4. Petroleum fingerprinting with organic markers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hostettler, Frances D.; Lorenson, T.D.; Bekins, Barbara A.

    2013-01-01

    Petroleum fingerprinting is an invaluable tool in forensic geochemistry. This article summarizes applications of fingerprinting in several oil spills and natural oil seepages that we have studied during the last 25 years. It shows how each unique chemical fingerprint can be used to correlate or differentiate oils. Fingerprints can provide information about processes in the environment that impact oils such as weathering and microbial degradation. They can be used to evaluate organic matter that contributed to oils, and classify oils with regard to the geological framework of their source, such as evaluating geological facies, age, lithology, and depositional environment.

  5. Assignment of EC Numbers to Enzymatic Reactions with Reaction Difference Fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Qian-Nan; Zhu, Hui; Li, Xiaobing; Zhang, Manman; Deng, Zhe; Yang, Xiaoyan; Deng, Zixin

    2012-01-01

    The EC numbers represent enzymes and enzyme genes (genomic information), but they are also utilized as identifiers of enzymatic reactions (chemical information). In the present work (ECAssigner), our newly proposed reaction difference fingerprints (RDF) are applied to assign EC numbers to enzymatic reactions. The fingerprints of reactant molecules minus the fingerprints of product molecules will generate reaction difference fingerprints, which are then used to calculate reaction Euclidean distance, a reaction similarity measurement, of two reactions. The EC number of the most similar training reaction will be assigned to an input reaction. For 5120 balanced enzymatic reactions, the RDF with a fingerprint length at 3 obtained at the sub-subclass, subclass, and main class level with cross-validation accuracies of 83.1%, 86.7%, and 92.6% respectively. Compared with three published methods, ECAssigner is the first fully automatic server for EC number assignment. The EC assignment system (ECAssigner) is freely available via: http://cadd.whu.edu.cn/ecassigner/. PMID:23285222

  6. The detection of drugs of abuse in fingerprints using Raman spectroscopy II: cyanoacrylate-fumed fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Day, Joanna S.; Edwards, Howell G. M.; Dobrowski, Steven A.; Voice, Alison M.

    2004-07-01

    This paper describes the application of Raman spectroscopy to the detection of exogenous substances in cyanoacrylate-fumed fingerprints. The scenario considered was that of an individual handling a substance and subsequently depositing a contaminated fingerprint. These fingerprints were enhanced by cyanoacrylate fuming, a process in which a layer of white cyanoacrylate polymer is deposited on the fingerprint material, enabling visual detection. Five drugs of abuse (codeine phosphate, cocaine hydrochloride, amphetamine sulphate, barbital and nitrazepam) and five non-controlled substances of similar appearance, which may be used in the adulteration of drugs of abuse (caffeine, aspirin, paracetamol, starch and talc), were used. The substances studied could be clearly distinguished using their Raman spectra and were all successfully detected in cyanoacrylate-fumed fingerprints. Photobleaching was necessary to reduce the fluorescence background in the spectra of some substances. Raman spectra obtained from the substances in cyanoacrylate-fumed fingerprints were of a similar quality to spectra obtained from the substances under normal sampling conditions, however, interfering Raman bands arising from the cyanoacrylate polymer were present in the spectra. In most cases the only interfering band was the CN stretching mode of the polymer, and there were no cases where the interfering bands prevented identification of the substances. If necessary, the interfering bands could be successfully removed by spectral subtraction. The most difficult aspect of the detection of these substances in cyanoacrylate-fumed fingerprints was visually locating the substance in the fingerprint beneath the polymer layer in order to obtain a Raman spectrum.

  7. Columnar-thin-film acquisition of fingerprint topology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaler, Robert C.; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh; Rogers, Jessica W.; Pulsifer, Drew P.; Martín-Palma, Raúl J.

    2011-01-01

    Fingerprint visualization obtained from physical evidence taken from crime scenes for subsequent comparison typically requires the use of physical and chemical techniques. One physical technique to visualize or develop sebaceous fingerprints on various surfaces employs the deposition of metals such as gold and zinc thereon. We have developed a different vacuum technology: the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique to deposit dense columnar thin films (CTFs) on latent fingerprints on different types of surfaces. Sample fingerprints, acting as nonplanar substrates, deposited on different surfaces were placed in a vacuum chamber with the fingerprint side facing a boat containing an evaporant material such as chalcogenide glass. Thermal evaporation of the solid material led to the formation of a dense CTF on the fingerprint, thereby capturing the topographical texture with high resolution. Our results show that it is possible to acquire the topology of latent fingerprints on nonporous surfaces. Additionally, deposition of CTFs on overlapping fingerprints suggested ours may be a technique for elucidating the sequence of deposition of the fingerprints at the scene.

  8. Universal fingerprinting chip server.

    PubMed

    Casique-Almazán, Janet; Larios-Serrato, Violeta; Olguín-Ruíz, Gabriela Edith; Sánchez-Vallejo, Carlos Javier; Maldonado-Rodríguez, Rogelio; Méndez-Tenorio, Alfonso

    2012-01-01

    The Virtual Hybridization approach predicts the most probable hybridization sites across a target nucleic acid of known sequence, including both perfect and mismatched pairings. Potential hybridization sites, having a user-defined minimum number of bases that are paired with the oligonucleotide probe, are first identified. Then free energy values are evaluated for each potential hybridization site, and if it has a calculated free energy of equal or higher negative value than a user-defined free energy cut-off value, it is considered as a site of high probability of hybridization. The Universal Fingerprinting Chip Applications Server contains the software for visualizing predicted hybridization patterns, which yields a simulated hybridization fingerprint that can be compared with experimentally derived fingerprints or with a virtual fingerprint arising from a different sample. The database is available for free at http://bioinformatica.homelinux.org/UFCVH/

  9. Advanced Technologies for Touchless Fingerprint Recognition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parziale, Giuseppe; Chen, Yi

    A fingerprint capture consists of touching or rolling a finger onto a rigid sensing surface. During this act, the elastic skin of the finger deforms. The quantity and direction of the pressure applied by the user, the skin conditions, and the projection of an irregular 3D object (the finger) onto a 2D flat plane introduce distortions, noise, and inconsistencies on the captured fingerprint image. Due to these negative effects, the representation of the same fingerprint changes every time the finger is placed on the sensor platen, increasing the complexity of the fingerprint matching and representing a negative influence on the system performance. Recently, a new approach to capture fingerprints has been proposed. This approach, referred to as touchless or contactless fingerprinting, tries to overcome the above-cited problems. Because of the lack of contact between the finger and any rigid surface, the skin does not deform during the capture and the repeatability of the measure is quiet ensured. However, this technology introduces new challenges. Finger positioning, illumination, image contrast adjustment, data format compatibility, and user convenience are key in the design and development of touchless fingerprint systems. In addition, vulnerability to spoofing attacks of some touchless fingerprint systems must be addressed.

  10. Advanced fingerprint verification software

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baradarani, A.; Taylor, J. R. B.; Severin, F.; Maev, R. Gr.

    2016-05-01

    We have developed a fingerprint software package that can be used in a wide range of applications from law enforcement to public and private security systems, and to personal devices such as laptops, vehicles, and door- locks. The software and processing units are a unique implementation of new and sophisticated algorithms that compete with the current best systems in the world. Development of the software package has been in line with the third generation of our ultrasonic fingerprinting machine1. Solid and robust performance is achieved in the presence of misplaced and low quality fingerprints.

  11. Fingerprints selection for topological localization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popov, Vladimir

    2017-07-01

    Problems of visual navigation are extensively studied in contemporary robotics. In particular, we can mention different problems of visual landmarks selection, the problem of selection of a minimal set of visual landmarks, selection of partially distinguishable guards, the problem of placement of visual landmarks. In this paper, we consider one-dimensional color panoramas. Such panoramas can be used for creating fingerprints. Fingerprints give us unique identifiers for visually distinct locations by recovering statistically significant features. Fingerprints can be used as visual landmarks for the solution of various problems of mobile robot navigation. In this paper, we consider a method for automatic generation of fingerprints. In particular, we consider the bounded Post correspondence problem and applications of the problem to consensus fingerprints and topological localization. We propose an efficient approach to solve the bounded Post correspondence problem. In particular, we use an explicit reduction from the decision version of the problem to the satisfiability problem. We present the results of computational experiments for different satisfiability algorithms. In robotic experiments, we consider the average accuracy of reaching of the target point for different lengths of routes and types of fingerprints.

  12. Mining Disease Fingerprints From Within Genetic Pathways

    PubMed Central

    Nabhan, Ahmed Ragab; Sarkar, Indra Neil

    2012-01-01

    Mining biological networks can be an effective means to uncover system level knowledge out of micro level associations, such as encapsulated in genetic pathways. Analysis of human disease genetic pathways can lead to the identification of major mechanisms that may underlie disorders at an abstract functional level. The focus of this study was to develop an approach for structural pattern analysis and classification of genetic pathways of diseases. A probabilistic model was developed to capture characteristic components (‘fingerprints’) of functionally annotated pathways. A probability estimation procedure of this model searched for fingerprints in each disease pathway while improving probability estimates of model parameters. The approach was evaluated on data from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (consisting of 56 pathways across seven disease categories). Based on the achieved average classification accuracy of up to ∼77%, the findings suggest that these fingerprints may be used for classification and discovery of genetic pathways. PMID:23304411

  13. 8 CFR 236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 236.5 Section... to Order of Removal § 236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every alien 14 years of age or older... by service of a notice to appear shall be fingerprinted and photographed. Such fingerprints and...

  14. 8 CFR 236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 236.5 Section... to Order of Removal § 236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every alien 14 years of age or older... by service of a notice to appear shall be fingerprinted and photographed. Such fingerprints and...

  15. 8 CFR 236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 236.5 Section... to Order of Removal § 236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every alien 14 years of age or older... by service of a notice to appear shall be fingerprinted and photographed. Such fingerprints and...

  16. 8 CFR 236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 236.5 Section... to Order of Removal § 236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every alien 14 years of age or older... by service of a notice to appear shall be fingerprinted and photographed. Such fingerprints and...

  17. 8 CFR 236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 236.5 Section... to Order of Removal § 236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every alien 14 years of age or older... by service of a notice to appear shall be fingerprinted and photographed. Such fingerprints and...

  18. Hitting the right target: taxonomic challenges for, and of, plant invasions

    PubMed Central

    Pyšek, Petr; Hulme, Philip E.; Meyerson, Laura A.; Smith, Gideon F.; Boatwright, James S.; Crouch, Neil R.; Figueiredo, Estrela; Foxcroft, Llewellyn C.; Jarošík, Vojtěch; Richardson, David M.; Suda, Jan; Wilson, John R. U.

    2013-01-01

    This paper explores how a lack of taxonomic expertise, and by implication a dearth of taxonomic products such as identification tools, has hindered progress in understanding and managing biological invasions. It also explores how the taxonomic endeavour could benefit from studies of invasive species. We review the literature on the current situation in taxonomy with a focus on the challenges of identifying alien plant species and explore how this has affected the study of biological invasions. Biosecurity strategies, legislation dealing with invasive species, quarantine, weed surveillance and monitoring all depend on accurate and rapid identification of non-native taxa. However, such identification can be challenging because the taxonomic skill base in most countries is diffuse and lacks critical mass. Taxonomic resources are essential for the effective management of invasive plants and incorrect identifications can impede ecological studies. On the other hand, biological invasions have provided important tests of basic theories about species concepts. Better integration of classical alpha taxonomy and modern genetic taxonomic approaches will improve the accuracy of species identification and further refine taxonomic classification at the level of populations and genotypes in the field and laboratory. Modern taxonomy therefore needs to integrate both classical and new concepts and approaches. In particular, differing points of view between the proponents of morphological and molecular approaches should be negotiated because a narrow taxonomic perspective is harmful; the rigour of taxonomic decision-making clearly increases if insights from a variety of different complementary disciplines are combined and confronted. Taxonomy plays a critical role in the study of plant invasions and in turn benefits from the insights gained from these studies.

  19. Enhancing contrast of fingerprints on plastic tape.

    PubMed

    Steele, Charles A; Ball, Mikki S

    2003-11-01

    Many of the currently available fingerprinting methods have limited ability to visualize fingerprints on plastic tape without expensive equipment or significant handling of the sample. This is especially true for visualizing fingerprints on black electrical tape. This study sought a hands-off method to produce easy visualization of fingerprints on different types of plastic tape, including black electrical tape, without the need for expensive equipment. The methods selected were to sublime disperse dyes into the tape, both with and without the fuming of cyanoacrylate, everywhere except for where the fingerprint was applied. The resulting color contrasts provided enough differentiation to visualize fingerprints on plastic tape under ambient light. Sequential fuming with cyanoacrylate followed by disperse dyes provided the best visualizations on all tapes, and cyanoacrylate followed by disperse yellow 211 clearly visualized fingerprints on black electrical tape.

  20. Experimental evaluation of fingerprint verification system based on double random phase encoding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Yamaguchi, Masahiro; Yachida, Masuyoshi; Ohyama, Nagaaki; Tashima, Hideaki; Obi, Takashi

    2006-03-01

    We proposed a smart card holder authentication system that combines fingerprint verification with PIN verification by applying a double random phase encoding scheme. In this system, the probability of accurate verification of an authorized individual reduces when the fingerprint is shifted significantly. In this paper, a review of the proposed system is presented and preprocessing for improving the false rejection rate is proposed. In the proposed method, the position difference between two fingerprint images is estimated by using an optimized template for core detection. When the estimated difference exceeds the permissible level, the user inputs the fingerprint again. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by a computational experiment; its results show that the false rejection rate is improved.

  1. Fingerprinting of music scores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irons, Jonathan; Schmucker, Martin

    2004-06-01

    Publishers of sheet music are generally reluctant in distributing their content via the Internet. Although online sheet music distribution's advantages are numerous the potential risk of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement, e.g. illegal online distributions, disables any innovation propensity. While active protection techniques only deter external risk factors, additional technology is necessary to adequately treat further risk factors. For several media types including music scores watermarking technology has been developed, which ebeds information in data by suitable data modifications. Furthermore, fingerprinting or perceptual hasing methods have been developed and are being applied especially for audio. These methods allow the identification of content without prior modifications. In this article we motivate the development of watermarking and fingerprinting technologies for sheet music. Outgoing from potential limitations of watermarking methods we explain why fingerprinting methods are important for sheet music and address potential applications. Finally we introduce a condept for fingerprinting of sheet music.

  2. Construction of a Species-Level Tree of Life for the Insects and Utility in Taxonomic Profiling.

    PubMed

    Chesters, Douglas

    2017-05-01

    Although comprehensive phylogenies have proven an invaluable tool in ecology and evolution, their construction is made increasingly challenging both by the scale and structure of publically available sequences. The distinct partition between gene-rich (genomic) and species-rich (DNA barcode) data is a feature of data that has been largely overlooked, yet presents a key obstacle to scaling supermatrix analysis. I present a phyloinformatics framework for draft construction of a species-level phylogeny of insects (Class Insecta). Matrix-building requires separately optimized pipelines for nuclear transcriptomic, mitochondrial genomic, and species-rich markers, whereas tree-building requires hierarchical inference in order to capture species-breadth while retaining deep-level resolution. The phylogeny of insects contains 49,358 species, 13,865 genera, 760 families. Deep-level splits largely reflected previous findings for sections of the tree that are data rich or unambiguous, such as inter-ordinal Endopterygota and Dictyoptera, the recently evolved and relatively homogeneous Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Brachycera (Diptera), and Cucujiformia (Coleoptera). However, analysis of bias, matrix construction and gene-tree variation suggests confidence in some relationships (such as in Polyneoptera) is less than has been indicated by the matrix bootstrap method. To assess the utility of the insect tree as a tool in query profiling several tree-based taxonomic assignment methods are compared. Using test data sets with existing taxonomic annotations, a tendency is observed for greater accuracy of species-level assignments where using a fixed comprehensive tree of life in contrast to methods generating smaller de novo reference trees. Described herein is a solution to the discrepancy in the way data are fit into supermatrices. The resulting tree facilitates wider studies of insect diversification and application of advanced descriptions of diversity in community studies, among

  3. Fingerprint detection

    DOEpatents

    Saunders, George C.

    1992-01-01

    A method for detection and visualization of latent fingerprints is provided and includes contacting a substrate containing a latent print thereon with a colloidal metal composition for time sufficient to allow reaction of said colloidal metal composition with said latent print, and preserving or recording the observable print. Further, the method for detection and visualization of latent fingerprints can include contacting the metal composition-latent print reaction product with a secondary metal-containing solution for time sufficient to allow precipitation of said secondary metal thereby enhancing the visibility of the latent print, and preserving or recording the observable print.

  4. An investigation of fake fingerprint detection approaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, Asraful Syifaa'; Hassan, Rohayanti; Othman, Razib M.

    2017-10-01

    The most reliable biometrics technology, fingerprint recognition is widely used in terms of security due to its permanence and uniqueness. However, it is also vulnerable to the certain type of attacks including presenting fake fingerprints to the sensor which requires the development of new and efficient protection measures. Particularly, the aim is to identify the most recent literature related to the fake fingerprint recognition and only focus on software-based approaches. A systematic review is performed by analyzing 146 primary studies from the gross collection of 34 research papers to determine the taxonomy, approaches, online public databases, and limitations of the fake fingerprint. Fourteen software-based approaches have been briefly described, four limitations of fake fingerprint image were revealed and two known fake fingerprint databases were addressed briefly in this review. Therefore this work provides an overview of an insight into the current understanding of fake fingerprint recognition besides identifying future research possibilities.

  5. Predicting the performance of fingerprint similarity searching.

    PubMed

    Vogt, Martin; Bajorath, Jürgen

    2011-01-01

    Fingerprints are bit string representations of molecular structure that typically encode structural fragments, topological features, or pharmacophore patterns. Various fingerprint designs are utilized in virtual screening and their search performance essentially depends on three parameters: the nature of the fingerprint, the active compounds serving as reference molecules, and the composition of the screening database. It is of considerable interest and practical relevance to predict the performance of fingerprint similarity searching. A quantitative assessment of the potential that a fingerprint search might successfully retrieve active compounds, if available in the screening database, would substantially help to select the type of fingerprint most suitable for a given search problem. The method presented herein utilizes concepts from information theory to relate the fingerprint feature distributions of reference compounds to screening libraries. If these feature distributions do not sufficiently differ, active database compounds that are similar to reference molecules cannot be retrieved because they disappear in the "background." By quantifying the difference in feature distribution using the Kullback-Leibler divergence and relating the divergence to compound recovery rates obtained for different benchmark classes, fingerprint search performance can be quantitatively predicted.

  6. The connecting link! Lip prints and fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Negi, Amita; Negi, Anurag

    2016-01-01

    Lip prints and fingerprints are considered to be unique to each individual. The study of fingerprints and lip prints is very popular in personal identification of the deceased and in criminal investigations. This study was done to find the predominant lip and fingerprint patterns in males and females in the North Indian population and also to find any correlation between lip print and fingerprint patterns within a gender. Two hundred students (100 males, 100 females) were included in the study. Lip prints were recorded for each individual using a dark-colored lipstick and the right thumb impression was recorded using an ink pad. The lip prints and fingerprints were analyzed using a magnifying glass. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. The branched pattern in males and the vertical pattern in females were the predominant lip print patterns. The predominant fingerprint pattern in both males and females was found to be the loop pattern, followed by the whorl pattern and then the arch pattern. No statistically significant correlation was found between lip prints and fingeprints. However, the arch type of fingerprint was found to be associated with different lip print patterns in males and females. Lip prints and fingerprints can be used for personal identification in a forensic scenario. Further correlative studies between lip prints and fingerprints could be useful in forensic science for gender identification.

  7. Effective Fingerprint Quality Estimation for Diverse Capture Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Xie, Shan Juan; Yoon, Sook; Shin, Jinwook; Park, Dong Sun

    2010-01-01

    Recognizing the quality of fingerprints in advance can be beneficial for improving the performance of fingerprint recognition systems. The representative features to assess the quality of fingerprint images from different types of capture sensors are known to vary. In this paper, an effective quality estimation system that can be adapted for different types of capture sensors is designed by modifying and combining a set of features including orientation certainty, local orientation quality and consistency. The proposed system extracts basic features, and generates next level features which are applicable for various types of capture sensors. The system then uses the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to determine whether or not an image should be accepted as input to the recognition system. The experimental results show that the proposed method can perform better than previous methods in terms of accuracy. In the meanwhile, the proposed method has an ability to eliminate residue images from the optical and capacitive sensors, and the coarse images from thermal sensors. PMID:22163632

  8. Taxonomic indexing--extending the role of taxonomy.

    PubMed

    Patterson, David J; Remsen, David; Marino, William A; Norton, Cathy

    2006-06-01

    Taxonomic indexing refers to a new array of taxonomically intelligent network services that use nomenclatural principles and elements of expert taxonomic knowledge to manage information about organisms. Taxonomic indexing was introduced to help manage the increasing amounts of digital information about biology. It has been designed to form a near basal layer in a layered cyberinfrastructure that deals with biological information. Taxonomic Indexing accommodates the special problems of using names of organisms to index biological material. It links alternative names for the same entity (reconciliation), and distinguishes between uses of the same name for different entities (disambiguation), and names are placed within an indefinite number of hierarchical schemes. In order to access all information on all organisms, Taxonomic indexing must be able to call on a registry of all names in all forms for all organisms. NameBank has been developed to meet that need. Taxonomic indexing is an area of informatics that overlaps with taxonomy, is dependent on the expert input of taxonomists, and reveals the relevance of the discipline to a wide audience.

  9. Understanding the chemistry of the development of latent fingerprints by superglue fuming.

    PubMed

    Wargacki, Stephen P; Lewis, Linda A; Dadmun, Mark D

    2007-09-01

    Cyanoacrylate fuming is a widely used forensic tool for the development of latent fingerprints, however the mechanistic details of the reaction between the fingerprint residue and the cyanoacrylate vapor are not well understood. Here the polymerization of ethyl-cyanoacrylate vapor by sodium lactate or alanine solutions, two of the major components in fingerprint residue, has been examined by monitoring the time dependence of the mass uptake and resultant polymer molecular weight characteristics. This data provides insight into the molecular level actions in the efficient development of latent fingerprints by superglue fuming. The results show that the carboxylate moiety is the primary initiator of the polymerization process and that a basic environment inhibits chain termination while an acidic environment promotes it. The results also indicate that water cannot be the primary initiator in this forensic technique.

  10. Three-dimensional fingerprint recognition by using convolution neural network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Qianyu; Gao, Nan; Zhang, Zonghua

    2018-01-01

    With the development of science and technology and the improvement of social information, fingerprint recognition technology has become a hot research direction and been widely applied in many actual fields because of its feasibility and reliability. The traditional two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint recognition method relies on matching feature points. This method is not only time-consuming, but also lost three-dimensional (3D) information of fingerprint, with the fingerprint rotation, scaling, damage and other issues, a serious decline in robustness. To solve these problems, 3D fingerprint has been used to recognize human being. Because it is a new research field, there are still lots of challenging problems in 3D fingerprint recognition. This paper presents a new 3D fingerprint recognition method by using a convolution neural network (CNN). By combining 2D fingerprint and fingerprint depth map into CNN, and then through another CNN feature fusion, the characteristics of the fusion complete 3D fingerprint recognition after classification. This method not only can preserve 3D information of fingerprints, but also solves the problem of CNN input. Moreover, the recognition process is simpler than traditional feature point matching algorithm. 3D fingerprint recognition rate by using CNN is compared with other fingerprint recognition algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed 3D fingerprint recognition method has good recognition rate and robustness.

  11. Capturing Cognitive Fingerprints for Active Authentication

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    CAPTURING COGNITIVE FINGERPRINTS FOR ACTIVE AUTHENTICATION IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OCTOBER 2014 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT...REPORT TYPE FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) SEP 2013 – APR 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE CAPTURING COGNITIVE FINGERPRINTS FOR ACTIVE...The project ended before the IRB application was approved. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Active Authentication, Cognitive Fingerprints , Biometric Modalities

  12. Toward surface-enhanced Raman imaging of latent fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Connatser, R Maggie; Prokes, Sharka M; Glembocki, Orest J; Schuler, Rebecca L; Gardner, Charles W; Lewis, Samuel A; Lewis, Linda A

    2010-11-01

    Exposure to light or heat, or simply a dearth of fingerprint material, renders some latent fingerprints undetectable using conventional methods. We begin to address such elusive fingerprints using detection targeting photo- and thermally stable fingerprint constituents: surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). SERS can give descriptive vibrational spectra of amino acids, among other robust fingerprint constituents, and good sensitivity can be attained by improving metal-dielectric nanoparticle substrates. With SERS chemical imaging, vibrational bands' intensities recreate a visual of fingerprint topography. The impact of nanoparticle synthesis route, dispersal methodology-deposition solvent, and laser wavelength are discussed, as are data from enhanced vibrational spectra of fingerprint components. SERS and Raman chemical images of fingerprints and realistic contaminants are shown. To our knowledge, this represents the first SERS imaging of fingerprints. In conclusion, this work progresses toward the ultimate goal of vibrationally detecting latent prints that would otherwise remain undetected using traditional development methods. 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Published 2010. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.

  13. On relative distortion in fingerprint comparison.

    PubMed

    Kalka, Nathan D; Hicklin, R Austin

    2014-11-01

    When fingerprints are deposited, non-uniform pressure in conjunction with the inherent elasticity of friction ridge skin often causes linear and non-linear distortions in the ridge and valley structure. The effects of these distortions must be considered during analysis of fingerprint images. Even when individual prints are not notably distorted, relative distortion between two prints can have a serious impact on comparison. In this paper we discuss several metrics for quantifying and visualizing linear and non-linear fingerprint deformations, and software tools to assist examiners in accounting for distortion in fingerprint comparisons. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Visualization of latent fingerprints beneath opaque electrical tapes by optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Kangkang; Zhang, Ning; Meng, Li; Li, Zhigang; Xu, Xiaojing

    2018-03-01

    Electrical tape is found as one type of important trace evidence in crime scene. For example, it is very frequently used to insulate wires in explosive devices in many criminal cases. The fingerprints of the suspects were often left on the adhesive side of the tapes, which can provide very useful clues for the investigation and make it possible for individual identification. The most commonly used method to detect and visualize those latent fingerprints is to peel off each layer of the tapes first and then adopt the chemical methods to develop the fingerprints on the tapes. However, the peeling-off and chemical development process would degrade and contaminate the fingerprints and thus adversely affect the accuracy of identification. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel forensic imaging modality based on lowcoherence interferometry, which has the advantages of non-destruction, micrometer-level high resolution and crosssectional imaging. In this study, a fiber-based spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) system with {6μm resolution was employed to obtain the image of fingerprint sandwiched between two opaque electrical tapes without any pre-processing procedure like peeling-off. Three-dimensional (3D) OCT reconstruction was performed and the subsurface image was produced to visualize the latent fingerprints. The results demonstrate that OCT is a promising tool for recovering the latent fingerprints hidden beneath opaque electrical tape non-destructively and rapidly.

  15. Case study of 3D fingerprints applications

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Feng; Liang, Jinrong; Shen, Linlin; Yang, Meng; Zhang, David; Lai, Zhihui

    2017-01-01

    Human fingers are 3D objects. More information will be provided if three dimensional (3D) fingerprints are available compared with two dimensional (2D) fingerprints. Thus, this paper firstly collected 3D finger point cloud data by Structured-light Illumination method. Additional features from 3D fingerprint images are then studied and extracted. The applications of these features are finally discussed. A series of experiments are conducted to demonstrate the helpfulness of 3D information to fingerprint recognition. Results show that a quick alignment can be easily implemented under the guidance of 3D finger shape feature even though this feature does not work for fingerprint recognition directly. The newly defined distinctive 3D shape ridge feature can be used for personal authentication with Equal Error Rate (EER) of ~8.3%. Also, it is helpful to remove false core point. Furthermore, a promising of EER ~1.3% is realized by combining this feature with 2D features for fingerprint recognition which indicates the prospect of 3D fingerprint recognition. PMID:28399141

  16. Case study of 3D fingerprints applications.

    PubMed

    Liu, Feng; Liang, Jinrong; Shen, Linlin; Yang, Meng; Zhang, David; Lai, Zhihui

    2017-01-01

    Human fingers are 3D objects. More information will be provided if three dimensional (3D) fingerprints are available compared with two dimensional (2D) fingerprints. Thus, this paper firstly collected 3D finger point cloud data by Structured-light Illumination method. Additional features from 3D fingerprint images are then studied and extracted. The applications of these features are finally discussed. A series of experiments are conducted to demonstrate the helpfulness of 3D information to fingerprint recognition. Results show that a quick alignment can be easily implemented under the guidance of 3D finger shape feature even though this feature does not work for fingerprint recognition directly. The newly defined distinctive 3D shape ridge feature can be used for personal authentication with Equal Error Rate (EER) of ~8.3%. Also, it is helpful to remove false core point. Furthermore, a promising of EER ~1.3% is realized by combining this feature with 2D features for fingerprint recognition which indicates the prospect of 3D fingerprint recognition.

  17. Collusion-resistant multimedia fingerprinting: a unified framework

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Min; Trappe, Wade; Wang, Z. Jane; Liu, K. J. Ray

    2004-06-01

    Digital fingerprints are unique labels inserted in different copies of the same content before distribution. Each digital fingerprint is assigned to an inteded recipient, and can be used to trace the culprits who use their content for unintended purposes. Attacks mounted by multiple users, known as collusion attacks, provide a cost-effective method for attenuating the identifying fingerprint from each coluder, thus collusion poses a reeal challenge to protect the digital media data and enforce usage policies. This paper examines a few major design methodologies for collusion-resistant fingerprinting of multimedia, and presents a unified framework that helps highlight the common issues and the uniqueness of different fingerprinting techniques.

  18. Raman chemical imaging of explosive-contaminated fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Emmons, E D; Tripathi, A; Guicheteau, J A; Christesen, S D; Fountain, A W

    2009-11-01

    Raman chemical imaging (RCI) has been used to detect and identify explosives in contaminated fingerprints. Bright-field imaging is used to identify regions of interest within a fingerprint, which can then be examined to determine their chemical composition using RCI and fluorescence imaging. Results are presented where explosives in contaminated fingerprints are identified and their spatial distributions are obtained. Identification of explosives is obtained using Pearson's cosine cross-correlation technique using the characteristic region (500-1850 cm(-1)) of the spectrum. This study shows the ability to identify explosives nondestructively so that the fingerprint remains intact for further biometric analysis. Prospects for forensic examination of contaminated fingerprints are discussed.

  19. FROG - Fingerprinting Genomic Variation Ontology

    PubMed Central

    Bhardwaj, Anshu

    2015-01-01

    Genetic variations play a crucial role in differential phenotypic outcomes. Given the complexity in establishing this correlation and the enormous data available today, it is imperative to design machine-readable, efficient methods to store, label, search and analyze this data. A semantic approach, FROG: “FingeRprinting Ontology of Genomic variations” is implemented to label variation data, based on its location, function and interactions. FROG has six levels to describe the variation annotation, namely, chromosome, DNA, RNA, protein, variations and interactions. Each level is a conceptual aggregation of logically connected attributes each of which comprises of various properties for the variant. For example, in chromosome level, one of the attributes is location of variation and which has two properties, allosomes or autosomes. Another attribute is variation kind which has four properties, namely, indel, deletion, insertion, substitution. Likewise, there are 48 attributes and 278 properties to capture the variation annotation across six levels. Each property is then assigned a bit score which in turn leads to generation of a binary fingerprint based on the combination of these properties (mostly taken from existing variation ontologies). FROG is a novel and unique method designed for the purpose of labeling the entire variation data generated till date for efficient storage, search and analysis. A web-based platform is designed as a test case for users to navigate sample datasets and generate fingerprints. The platform is available at http://ab-openlab.csir.res.in/frog. PMID:26244889

  20. [Study on HPLC fingerprint of flavonoids from Houttuynia cordata by comparing with fingerprint reference].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ting-Ting; Wu, Yi; Hang, Tai-Jun

    2009-05-01

    To establish a stable and repeatable HPLC fingerprint standard and evaluate the flavonoids from Houttuynia cordata qualitatively and quantitatively. HPLC separation was performed on a C18 column with methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid mixed solution as mobile phase in gradient elution mode. The fingerprint reference was determined as one of the most typical chromatograms and used to be compared with other samples through Cosine and Relative Euclid Distance methods, thus the chromatographic fingerprints of flavonoids from Houttuynia cordata were evaluated by constitutes and contents, respectively. Fourteen mutual peaks were fixed in the HPLC fingerprint of flavonoids from Houttaynia cordata. It showed good results in validation tests in which the quercitrin's peak was set as the reference peak to calculate relative retention time and area of other peaks in the chromatograms, and the RSD were less than 0.2% and 5.0%, respectively. The linear ranges for quercitrin was 1.07-83.4 microg/mL (r=0.9999) and the average recovery was 100.3%. The method shows good repeatability, ruggedness and reliability. Comparing with the established reference fingerprint, the evaluation system including Cosine and Relative Euclid Distance methods lays dependable foundation for controlling the quality of Houttuynia cordata.

  1. 75 FR 12803 - Fingerprint Submission Requirements Rule

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-17

    ... NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION AND PRIVACY COMPACT COUNCIL Fingerprint Submission Requirements Rule... Fingerprint Submission Requirements Rule, title 28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 901. FOR FURTHER... the Fingerprint Submission Requirements Rule (28 CFR, part 901) when health or safety of vulnerable...

  2. Rapid detection of cocaine, benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine in fingerprints using surface mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Bailey, Melanie J; Bradshaw, Robert; Francese, Simona; Salter, Tara L; Costa, Catia; Ismail, Mahado; P Webb, Roger; Bosman, Ingrid; Wolff, Kim; de Puit, Marcel

    2015-09-21

    Latent fingerprints provide a potential route to the secure, high throughput and non-invasive detection of drugs of abuse. In this study we show for the first time that the excreted metabolites of drugs of abuse can be detected in fingerprints using ambient mass spectrometry. Fingerprints and oral fluid were taken from patients attending a drug and alcohol treatment service. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to test the oral fluid of patients for the presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine. The corresponding fingerprints were analysed using Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) which operates under ambient conditions and Ion Mobility Tandem Mass Spectrometry Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI-IMS-MS/MS) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The detection of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BZE) and methylecgonine (EME) in latent fingerprints using both DESI and MALDI showed good correlation with oral fluid testing. The sensitivity of SIMS was found to be insufficient for this application. These results provide exciting opportunities for the use of fingerprints as a new sampling medium for secure, non-invasive drug detection. The mass spectrometry techniques used here offer a high level of selectivity and consume only a small area of a single fingerprint, allowing repeat and high throughput analyses of a single sample.

  3. Earthquake Fingerprints: Representing Earthquake Waveforms for Similarity-Based Detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bergen, K.; Beroza, G. C.

    2016-12-01

    New earthquake detection methods, such as Fingerprint and Similarity Thresholding (FAST), use fast approximate similarity search to identify similar waveforms in long-duration data without templates (Yoon et al. 2015). These methods have two key components: fingerprint extraction and an efficient search algorithm. Fingerprint extraction converts waveforms into fingerprints, compact signatures that represent short-duration waveforms for identification and search. Earthquakes are detected using an efficient indexing and search scheme, such as locality-sensitive hashing, that identifies similar waveforms in a fingerprint database. The quality of the search results, and thus the earthquake detection results, is strongly dependent on the fingerprinting scheme. Fingerprint extraction should map similar earthquake waveforms to similar waveform fingerprints to ensure a high detection rate, even under additive noise and small distortions. Additionally, fingerprints corresponding to noise intervals should have mutually dissimilar fingerprints to minimize false detections. In this work, we compare the performance of multiple fingerprint extraction approaches for the earthquake waveform similarity search problem. We apply existing audio fingerprinting (used in content-based audio identification systems) and time series indexing techniques and present modified versions that are specifically adapted for seismic data. We also explore data-driven fingerprinting approaches that can take advantage of labeled or unlabeled waveform data. For each fingerprinting approach we measure its ability to identify similar waveforms in a low signal-to-noise setting, and quantify the trade-off between true and false detection rates in the presence of persistent noise sources. We compare the performance using known event waveforms from eight independent stations in the Northern California Seismic Network.

  4. Charting taxonomic knowledge through ontologies and ranking algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huber, Robert; Klump, Jens

    2009-04-01

    Since the inception of geology as a modern science, paleontologists have described a large number of fossil species. This makes fossilized organisms an important tool in the study of stratigraphy and past environments. Since taxonomic classifications of organisms, and thereby their names, change frequently, the correct application of this tool requires taxonomic expertise in finding correct synonyms for a given species name. Much of this taxonomic information has already been published in journals and books where it is compiled in carefully prepared synonymy lists. Because this information is scattered throughout the paleontological literature, it is difficult to find and sometimes not accessible. Also, taxonomic information in the literature is often difficult to interpret for non-taxonomists looking for taxonomic synonymies as part of their research. The highly formalized structure makes Open Nomenclature synonymy lists ideally suited for computer aided identification of taxonomic synonyms. Because a synonymy list is a list of citations related to a taxon name, its bibliographic nature allows the application of bibliometric techniques to calculate the impact of synonymies and taxonomic concepts. TaxonRank is a ranking algorithm based on bibliometric analysis and Internet page ranking algorithms. TaxonRank uses published synonymy list data stored in TaxonConcept, a taxonomic information system. The basic ranking algorithm has been modified to include a measure of confidence on species identification based on the Open Nomenclature notation used in synonymy list, as well as other synonymy specific criteria. The results of our experiments show that the output of the proposed ranking algorithm gives a good estimate of the impact a published taxonomic concept has on the taxonomic opinions in the geological community. Also, our results show that treating taxonomic synonymies as part of on an ontology is a way to record and manage taxonomic knowledge, and thus contribute

  5. Tools for quality control of fingerprint databases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swann, B. Scott; Libert, John M.; Lepley, Margaret A.

    2010-04-01

    Integrity of fingerprint data is essential to biometric and forensic applications. Accordingly, the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division has sponsored development of software tools to facilitate quality control functions relative to maintaining its fingerprint data assets inherent to the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and Next Generation Identification (NGI). This paper provides an introduction of two such tools. The first FBI-sponsored tool was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and examines and detects the spectral signature of the ridge-flow structure characteristic of friction ridge skin. The Spectral Image Validation/Verification (SIVV) utility differentiates fingerprints from non-fingerprints, including blank frames or segmentation failures erroneously included in data; provides a "first look" at image quality; and can identify anomalies in sample rates of scanned images. The SIVV utility might detect errors in individual 10-print fingerprints inaccurately segmented from the flat, multi-finger image acquired by one of the automated collection systems increasing in availability and usage. In such cases, the lost fingerprint can be recovered by re-segmentation from the now compressed multi-finger image record. The second FBI-sponsored tool, CropCoeff was developed by MITRE and thoroughly tested via NIST. CropCoeff enables cropping of the replacement single print directly from the compressed data file, thus avoiding decompression and recompression of images that might degrade fingerprint features necessary for matching.

  6. Diversity among Cynodon accessions and taxa based on DNA amplification fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Assefa, S; Taliaferro, C M; Anderson, M P; de los Reyes, B G; Edwards, R M

    1999-06-01

    The genus Cynodon (Gramineae), comprised of 9 species, is geographically widely distributed and genetically diverse. Information on the amounts of molecular genetic variation among and within Cynodon taxa is needed to enhance understanding of phylogenetic relations and facilitate germplasm management and breeding improvement efforts. Genetic relatedness among 62 Cynodon accessions, representing eight species, was assessed using DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF). Ten 8-mer oligonucleotides were used to amplify specific Cynodon genomic sequences. The DNA amplification products of individual accessions were scored for presence (1) or absence (0) of bands. Similarity matrices were developed and the accessions were grouped by cluster (UPGMA) and principal coordinate analysis. Analyses were conducted within ploidy level (2x = 18 and 4x = 36) and over ploidy levels. Each primer revealed polymorphic loci among accessions within species. Of 539 loci (bands) scored, 496 (92%) were polymorphic. Cynodon arcuatus was clearly separated from other species by numerous monomorphic bands. The strongest species similarities were between C. aethiopicus and C. arcuatus, C. transvaalensis and C. plectostachyus, and C. incompletus and C. nlemfuensis. Intraspecific variation was least for C. aethiopicus, C. arcuatus, and C. transvaalensis, and greatest for C. dactylon. Accessions of like taxonomic classification were generally clustered, except the cosmopolitan C. dactylon var. dactylon and C. dactylon var. afganicus. Within taxa, accessions differing in chromosome number clustered in all instances indicating the 2x and 4x forms to be closely related. Little, if any, relationship was found between relatedness as indicated by the DAF profiles and previous estimates of hybridization potential between the different taxa.

  7. Scanning the pressure-induced distortion of fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Mil'shtein, S; Doshi, U

    2004-01-01

    Fingerprint recognition technology is an important part of criminal investigations it is the basis of some security systems and an important tool of government operations such as the Immigration and Naturalization Services, registration procedures in the Armed Forces, and so forth. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the importance of reliable fingerprint recognition technology became even more obvious. In the current study, pressure-induced changes of distances between ridges of a fingerprint were measured. Using calibrated silicon pressure sensors we scanned the distribution of pressure across a finger pixel by pixel, and also generated maps of an average pressure distribution during fingerprinting. Emulating the fingerprinting procedure employed with widely used optical scanners, we found that on average the distance between ridges decreases by about 20% when a finger is positioned on a scanner. Controlled loading of a finger demonstrated that it is impossible to reproduce the same distribution of pressure across a given finger during repeated fingerprinting procedures.

  8. Fingerprint pattern restoration by digital image processing techniques.

    PubMed

    Wen, Che-Yen; Yu, Chiu-Chung

    2003-09-01

    Fingerprint evidence plays an important role in solving criminal problems. However, defective (lacking information needed for completeness) or contaminated (undesirable information included) fingerprint patterns make identifying and recognizing processes difficult. Unfortunately. this is the usual case. In the recognizing process (enhancement of patterns, or elimination of "false alarms" so that a fingerprint pattern can be searched in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)), chemical and physical techniques have been proposed to improve pattern legibility. In the identifying process, a fingerprint examiner can enhance contaminated (but not defective) fingerprint patterns under guidelines provided by the Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis, Study and Technology (SWGFAST), the Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technology (SWGIT), and an AFIS working group within the National Institute of Justice. Recently, the image processing techniques have been successfully applied in forensic science. For example, we have applied image enhancement methods to improve the legibility of digital images such as fingerprints and vehicle plate numbers. In this paper, we propose a novel digital image restoration technique based on the AM (amplitude modulation)-FM (frequency modulation) reaction-diffusion method to restore defective or contaminated fingerprint patterns. This method shows its potential application to fingerprint pattern enhancement in the recognizing process (but not for the identifying process). Synthetic and real images are used to show the capability of the proposed method. The results of enhancing fingerprint patterns by the manual process and our method are evaluated and compared.

  9. Three-dimensional imaging of artificial fingerprint by optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larin, Kirill V.; Cheng, Yezeng

    2008-03-01

    Fingerprint recognition is one of the popular used methods of biometrics. However, due to the surface topography limitation, fingerprint recognition scanners are easily been spoofed, e.g. using artificial fingerprint dummies. Thus, biometric fingerprint identification devices need to be more accurate and secure to deal with different fraudulent methods including dummy fingerprints. Previously, we demonstrated that Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images revealed the presence of the artificial fingerprints (made from different household materials, such as cement and liquid silicone rubber) at all times, while the artificial fingerprints easily spoofed the commercial fingerprint reader. Also we demonstrated that an analysis of the autocorrelation of the OCT images could be used in automatic recognition systems. Here, we exploited the three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the artificial fingerprint by OCT to generate vivid 3D image for both the artificial fingerprint layer and the real fingerprint layer beneath. With the reconstructed 3D image, it could not only point out whether there exists an artificial material, which is intended to spoof the scanner, above the real finger, but also could provide the hacker's fingerprint. The results of these studies suggested that Optical Coherence Tomography could be a powerful real-time noninvasive method for accurate identification of artificial fingerprints real fingerprints as well.

  10. 8 CFR 1236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 1236.5... ORDERED REMOVED Detention of Aliens Prior to Order of Removal § 1236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every... photographed. Such fingerprints and photographs shall be made available to Federal, State, and local law...

  11. 8 CFR 1236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 1236.5... ORDERED REMOVED Detention of Aliens Prior to Order of Removal § 1236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every... photographed. Such fingerprints and photographs shall be made available to Federal, State, and local law...

  12. 8 CFR 1236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 1236.5... ORDERED REMOVED Detention of Aliens Prior to Order of Removal § 1236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every... photographed. Such fingerprints and photographs shall be made available to Federal, State, and local law...

  13. 8 CFR 1236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 1236.5... ORDERED REMOVED Detention of Aliens Prior to Order of Removal § 1236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every... photographed. Such fingerprints and photographs shall be made available to Federal, State, and local law...

  14. 8 CFR 1236.5 - Fingerprints and photographs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Fingerprints and photographs. 1236.5... ORDERED REMOVED Detention of Aliens Prior to Order of Removal § 1236.5 Fingerprints and photographs. Every... photographed. Such fingerprints and photographs shall be made available to Federal, State, and local law...

  15. Digital Video of Live-Scan Fingerprint Data

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    NIST Digital Video of Live-Scan Fingerprint Data (PC database for purchase)   NIST Special Database 24 contains MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group) compressed digital video of live-scan fingerprint data. The database is being distributed for use in developing and testing of fingerprint verification systems.

  16. Localized Dictionaries Based Orientation Field Estimation for Latent Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Xiao Yang; Jianjiang Feng; Jie Zhou

    2014-05-01

    Dictionary based orientation field estimation approach has shown promising performance for latent fingerprints. In this paper, we seek to exploit stronger prior knowledge of fingerprints in order to further improve the performance. Realizing that ridge orientations at different locations of fingerprints have different characteristics, we propose a localized dictionaries-based orientation field estimation algorithm, in which noisy orientation patch at a location output by a local estimation approach is replaced by real orientation patch in the local dictionary at the same location. The precondition of applying localized dictionaries is that the pose of the latent fingerprint needs to be estimated. We propose a Hough transform-based fingerprint pose estimation algorithm, in which the predictions about fingerprint pose made by all orientation patches in the latent fingerprint are accumulated. Experimental results on challenging latent fingerprint datasets show the proposed method outperforms previous ones markedly.

  17. A Framework for Inferring Taxonomic Class of Asteroids.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dotson, J. L.; Mathias, D. L.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Taxonomic classification of asteroids based on their visible / near-infrared spectra or multi band photometry has proven to be a useful tool to infer other properties about asteroids. Meteorite analogs have been identified for several taxonomic classes, permitting detailed inference about asteroid composition. Trends have been identified between taxonomy and measured asteroid density. Thanks to NEOWise (Near-Earth-Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) and Spitzer (Spitzer Space Telescope), approximately twice as many asteroids have measured albedos than the number with taxonomic classifications. (If one only considers spectroscopically determined classifications, the ratio is greater than 40.) We present a Bayesian framework that provides probabilistic estimates of the taxonomic class of an asteroid based on its albedo. Although probabilistic estimates of taxonomic classes are not a replacement for spectroscopic or photometric determinations, they can be a useful tool for identifying objects for further study or for asteroid threat assessment models. Inputs and Framework: The framework relies upon two inputs: the expected fraction of each taxonomic class in the population and the albedo distribution of each class. Luckily, numerous authors have addressed both of these questions. For example, the taxonomic distribution by number, surface area and mass of the main belt has been estimated and a diameter limited estimate of fractional abundances of the near earth asteroid population was made. Similarly, the albedo distributions for taxonomic classes have been estimated for the combined main belt and NEA (Near Earth Asteroid) populations in different taxonomic systems and for the NEA population specifically. The framework utilizes a Bayesian inference appropriate for categorical data. The population fractions provide the prior while the albedo distributions allow calculation of the likelihood an albedo measurement is consistent with a given taxonomic

  18. Attendance fingerprint identification system using arduino and single board computer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muchtar, M. A.; Seniman; Arisandi, D.; Hasanah, S.

    2018-03-01

    Fingerprint is one of the most unique parts of the human body that distinguishes one person from others and is easily accessed. This uniqueness is supported by technology that can automatically identify or recognize a person called fingerprint sensor. Yet, the existing Fingerprint Sensor can only do fingerprint identification on one machine. For the mentioned reason, we need a method to be able to recognize each user in a different fingerprint sensor. The purpose of this research is to build fingerprint sensor system for fingerprint data management to be centralized so identification can be done in each Fingerprint Sensor. The result of this research shows that by using Arduino and Raspberry Pi, data processing can be centralized so that fingerprint identification can be done in each fingerprint sensor with 98.5 % success rate of centralized server recording.

  19. Security and matching of partial fingerprint recognition systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jea, Tsai-Yang; Chavan, Viraj S.; Govindaraju, Venu; Schneider, John K.

    2004-08-01

    Despite advances in fingerprint identification techniques, matching incomplete or partial fingerprints still poses a difficult challenge. While the introduction of compact silicon chip-based sensors that capture only a part of the fingerprint area have made this problem important from a commercial perspective, there is also considerable interest on the topic for processing partial and latent fingerprints obtained at crime scenes. Attempts to match partial fingerprints using singular ridge structures-based alignment techniques fail when the partial print does not include such structures (e.g., core or delta). We present a multi-path fingerprint matching approach that utilizes localized secondary features derived using only the relative information of minutiae. Since the minutia-based fingerprint representation, is an ANSI-NIST standard, our approach has the advantage of being directly applicable to already existing databases. We also analyze the vulnerability of partial fingerprint identification systems to brute force attacks. The described matching approach has been tested on one of FVC2002"s DB1 database11. The experimental results show that our approach achieves an equal error rate of 1.25% and a total error rate of 1.8% (with FAR at 0.2% and FRR at 1.6%).

  20. Forensic Chemistry: The Revelation of Latent Fingerprints

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friesen, J. Brent

    2015-01-01

    The visualization of latent fingerprints often involves the use of a chemical substance that creates a contrast between the fingerprint residues and the surface on which the print was deposited. The chemical-aided visualization techniques can be divided into two main categories: those that chemically react with the fingerprint residue and those…

  1. Historeceptomic Fingerprints for Drug-Like Compounds.

    PubMed

    Shmelkov, Evgeny; Grigoryan, Arsen; Swetnam, James; Xin, Junyang; Tivon, Doreen; Shmelkov, Sergey V; Cardozo, Timothy

    2015-01-01

    Most drugs exert their beneficial and adverse effects through their combined action on several different molecular targets (polypharmacology). The true molecular fingerprint of the direct action of a drug has two components: the ensemble of all the receptors upon which a drug acts and their level of expression in organs/tissues. Conversely, the fingerprint of the adverse effects of a drug may derive from its action in bystander tissues. The ensemble of targets is almost always only partially known. Here we describe an approach improving upon and integrating both components: in silico identification of a more comprehensive ensemble of targets for any drug weighted by the expression of those receptors in relevant tissues. Our system combines more than 300,000 experimentally determined bioactivity values from the ChEMBL database and 4.2 billion molecular docking scores. We integrated these scores with gene expression data for human receptors across a panel of human tissues to produce drug-specific tissue-receptor (historeceptomics) scores. A statistical model was designed to identify significant scores, which define an improved fingerprint representing the unique activity of any drug. These multi-dimensional historeceptomic fingerprints describe, in a novel, intuitive, and easy to interpret style, the holistic, in vivo picture of the mechanism of any drug's action. Valuable applications in drug discovery and personalized medicine, including the identification of molecular signatures for drugs with polypharmacologic modes of action, detection of tissue-specific adverse effects of drugs, matching molecular signatures of a disease to drugs, target identification for bioactive compounds with unknown receptors, and hypothesis generation for drug/compound phenotypes may be enabled by this approach. The system has been deployed at drugable.org for access through a user-friendly web site.

  2. 28 CFR 901.2 - Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Interpretation of fingerprint submission... FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.2 Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements. (a) Article V of the Compact requires the submission of fingerprints or other approved forms of positive...

  3. 28 CFR 901.2 - Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Interpretation of fingerprint submission... FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.2 Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements. (a) Article V of the Compact requires the submission of fingerprints or other approved forms of positive...

  4. 28 CFR 901.2 - Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Interpretation of fingerprint submission... FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.2 Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements. (a) Article V of the Compact requires the submission of fingerprints or other approved forms of positive...

  5. 28 CFR 901.2 - Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Interpretation of fingerprint submission... FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.2 Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements. (a) Article V of the Compact requires the submission of fingerprints or other approved forms of positive...

  6. 28 CFR 901.2 - Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Interpretation of fingerprint submission... FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.2 Interpretation of fingerprint submission requirements. (a) Article V of the Compact requires the submission of fingerprints or other approved forms of positive...

  7. 8 CFR 264.1 - Registration and fingerprinting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... appear at the appropriate legalization or Service office for placement of fingerprint and signature on I... fingerprint and signature on the I-688 for a child under 14 or when it is impractical because of the health or advanced age of the applicant. (C) Fingerprint chart. An applicant may be required to present a completed...

  8. Linguistically informed digital fingerprints for text

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uzuner, Özlem

    2006-02-01

    Digital fingerprinting, watermarking, and tracking technologies have gained importance in the recent years in response to growing problems such as digital copyright infringement. While fingerprints and watermarks can be generated in many different ways, use of natural language processing for these purposes has so far been limited. Measuring similarity of literary works for automatic copyright infringement detection requires identifying and comparing creative expression of content in documents. In this paper, we present a linguistic approach to automatically fingerprinting novels based on their expression of content. We use natural language processing techniques to generate "expression fingerprints". These fingerprints consist of both syntactic and semantic elements of language, i.e., syntactic and semantic elements of expression. Our experiments indicate that syntactic and semantic elements of expression enable accurate identification of novels and their paraphrases, providing a significant improvement over techniques used in text classification literature for automatic copy recognition. We show that these elements of expression can be used to fingerprint, label, or watermark works; they represent features that are essential to the character of works and that remain fairly consistent in the works even when works are paraphrased. These features can be directly extracted from the contents of the works on demand and can be used to recognize works that would not be correctly identified either in the absence of pre-existing labels or by verbatim-copy detectors.

  9. Binary similarity measures for fingerprint analysis of qualitative metabolomic profiles.

    PubMed

    Rácz, Anita; Andrić, Filip; Bajusz, Dávid; Héberger, Károly

    2018-01-01

    Contemporary metabolomic fingerprinting is based on multiple spectrometric and chromatographic signals, used either alone or combined with structural and chemical information of metabolic markers at the qualitative and semiquantitative level. However, signal shifting, convolution, and matrix effects may compromise metabolomic patterns. Recent increase in the use of qualitative metabolomic data, described by the presence (1) or absence (0) of particular metabolites, demonstrates great potential in the field of metabolomic profiling and fingerprint analysis. The aim of this study is a comprehensive evaluation of binary similarity measures for the elucidation of patterns among samples of different botanical origin and various metabolomic profiles. Nine qualitative metabolomic data sets covering a wide range of natural products and metabolomic profiles were applied to assess 44 binary similarity measures for the fingerprinting of plant extracts and natural products. The measures were analyzed by the novel sum of ranking differences method (SRD), searching for the most promising candidates. Baroni-Urbani-Buser (BUB) and Hawkins-Dotson (HD) similarity coefficients were selected as the best measures by SRD and analysis of variance (ANOVA), while Dice (Di1), Yule, Russel-Rao, and Consonni-Todeschini 3 ranked the worst. ANOVA revealed that concordantly and intermediately symmetric similarity coefficients are better candidates for metabolomic fingerprinting than the asymmetric and correlation based ones. The fingerprint analysis based on the BUB and HD coefficients and qualitative metabolomic data performed equally well as the quantitative metabolomic profile analysis. Fingerprint analysis based on the qualitative metabolomic profiles and binary similarity measures proved to be a reliable way in finding the same/similar patterns in metabolomic data as that extracted from quantitative data.

  10. Fingerprints of Life?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pittman, Cheryl

    Pioneered by NASA-JSC scientists, Marilyn Lindstorm and Jaclyn Allen, the partnering of teachers with scientists has ventured into the realms of the extreme... extreme life, that is. In 1998, two years after the announcement that possible evidence of life had been discovered within a Martian rock, teachers from region served by JSC were brought together with the Mars Meteorite research team. The goal was to familiarize the teachers with research being done in the search for evidence of extra-terrestrial life and Earth analogues. The teachers would then design curriculum to translate the research into a format that could be utilized in the classroom. "Fingerprints of Life", a work-in-progress, is a CD-rom /web-based curriculum derived from that collaboration. Modeling the actual science being done, the CD contains laboratory and classroom activities utilizing Astrobiology as the 'hook' to teach basic science skills of observation, description, communication of ideas and laboratory techniques. In addition, electron microscopy images and video clips give background information for the uninitiated. From "Wold Trap", which is based upon an actual experiment designed for the Mars Viking missions, to "Creature Feature", which deals with observation and communication, the labs and activities are appropriate for multiple grade levels. Designed to be user-friendly and tested in the classroom, "Fingerprints" uses materials that can be purchased inexpensively at the grocery store, or recycled from other sources.

  11. Mated Fingerprint Card Pairs (Volumes 1-5)

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    NIST Mated Fingerprint Card Pairs (Volumes 1-5) (Web, free access)   The NIST database of mated fingerprint card pairs (Special Database 9) consists of multiple volumes. Currently five volumes have been released. Each volume will be a 3-disk set with each CD-ROM containing 90 mated card pairs of segmented 8-bit gray scale fingerprint images (900 fingerprint image pairs per CD-ROM). A newer version of the compression/decompression software on the CDROM can be found at the website http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/ig/nigos.cfm as part of the NBIS package.

  12. Integrated fingerprinting in secure digital cinema projection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delannay, Damien; Delaigle, Jean-Francois; Macq, Benoit M. M.; Quisquater, Jean-Jacques; Mas Ribes, Joan M.; Boucqueau, Jean M.; Nivart, Jean-Francois

    2001-12-01

    This paper describes the functional model of a combined conditional access and fingerprinting copyright (-or projectionright) protection system in a digital cinema framework. In the cinema industry, a large part of early movie piracy comes from copies made in the theater itself with a camera. The evolution towards digital cinema broadcast enables watermark based fingerprinting protection systems. Besides an appropriate fingerprinting technology, a number of well defined security/cryptographic tools are integrated in order to guaranty the integrity of the whole system. The requirements are two-fold: On one side, we must ensure that the media content is only accessible at exhibition time (under specific authorization obtained after an ad-hoc film rental agreement) and contains the related exhibition fingerprint. At the other end, we must prove our ability to retrieve the fingerprint information from an illegal copy of the media.

  13. Enhancing security of fingerprints through contextual biometric watermarking.

    PubMed

    Noore, Afzel; Singh, Richa; Vatsa, Mayank; Houck, Max M

    2007-07-04

    This paper presents a novel digital watermarking technique using face and demographic text data as multiple watermarks for verifying the chain of custody and protecting the integrity of a fingerprint image. The watermarks are embedded in selected texture regions of a fingerprint image using discrete wavelet transform. Experimental results show that modifications in these locations are visually imperceptible and maintain the minutiae details. The integrity of the fingerprint image is verified through the high matching scores obtained from an automatic fingerprint identification system. There is also a high degree of visual correlation between the embedded images, and the extracted images from the watermarked fingerprint. The degree of similarity is computed using pixel-based metrics and human visual system metrics. The results also show that the proposed watermarked fingerprint and the extracted images are resilient to common attacks such as compression, filtering, and noise.

  14. Selective extinction drives taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversities in island bird assemblages.

    PubMed

    Si, Xingfeng; Baselga, Andrés; Leprieur, Fabien; Song, Xiao; Ding, Ping

    2016-03-01

    Taxonomic diversity considers all species being equally different from each other and thus disregards species' different ecological functions. Exploring taxonomic and functional aspects of biodiversity simultaneously can better understand the processes of community assembly. We analysed taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversities of breeding bird assemblages on land-bridge islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China. Given the high dispersal ability of most birds at this spatial scale (several kilometres), we predicted (i) selective extinction driving alpha and beta diversities after the creation of land-bridge islands of varying area and (ii) low taxonomic and functional beta diversities that were not correlated to spatial distance. Breeding birds were surveyed on 37 islands annually from 2007 to 2014. We decomposed beta diversity of breeding birds into spatial turnover and nestedness-resultant components, and related taxonomic and functional diversities to island area and isolation using power regression models (for alpha diversity) and multiple regression models on distance matrices (for beta diversity). We then ran simulations to assess the strength of the correlations between taxonomic and functional diversities. Results revealed that both taxonomic and functional alpha diversities increased with island area. The taxonomic nestedness-resultant and turnover components increased and decreased with difference in area, respectively, but functional counterparts did not. Isolation played a minor role in explaining alpha- and beta-diversity patterns. By partitioning beta diversity, we found low levels of overall taxonomic and functional beta diversities. The functional nestedness-resultant component dominated overall functional beta diversity, whereas taxonomic turnover was the dominant component for taxonomic beta diversity. The simulation showed that functional alpha and beta diversities were significantly correlated with taxonomic diversities, and the

  15. Secure Indoor Localization Based on Extracting Trusted Fingerprint

    PubMed Central

    Yin, Xixi; Zheng, Yanliu; Wang, Chun

    2018-01-01

    Indoor localization based on WiFi has attracted a lot of research effort because of the widespread application of WiFi. Fingerprinting techniques have received much attention due to their simplicity and compatibility with existing hardware. However, existing fingerprinting localization algorithms may not resist abnormal received signal strength indication (RSSI), such as unexpected environmental changes, impaired access points (APs) or the introduction of new APs. Traditional fingerprinting algorithms do not consider the problem of new APs and impaired APs in the environment when using RSSI. In this paper, we propose a secure fingerprinting localization (SFL) method that is robust to variable environments, impaired APs and the introduction of new APs. In the offline phase, a voting mechanism and a fingerprint database update method are proposed. We use the mutual cooperation between reference anchor nodes to update the fingerprint database, which can reduce the interference caused by the user measurement data. We analyze the standard deviation of RSSI, mobilize the reference points in the database to vote on APs and then calculate the trust factors of APs based on the voting results. In the online phase, we first make a judgment about the new APs and the broken APs, then extract the secure fingerprints according to the trusted factors of APs and obtain the localization results by using the trusted fingerprints. In the experiment section, we demonstrate the proposed method and find that the proposed strategy can resist abnormal RSSI and can improve the localization accuracy effectively compared with the existing fingerprinting localization algorithms. PMID:29401755

  16. Secure Indoor Localization Based on Extracting Trusted Fingerprint.

    PubMed

    Luo, Juan; Yin, Xixi; Zheng, Yanliu; Wang, Chun

    2018-02-05

    [-5]Indoor localization based on WiFi has attracted a lot of research effort because of the widespread application of WiFi. Fingerprinting techniques have received much attention due to their simplicity and compatibility with existing hardware. However, existing fingerprinting localization algorithms may not resist abnormal received signal strength indication (RSSI), such as unexpected environmental changes, impaired access points (APs) or the introduction of new APs. Traditional fingerprinting algorithms do not consider the problem of new APs and impaired APs in the environment when using RSSI. In this paper, we propose a secure fingerprinting localization (SFL) method that is robust to variable environments, impaired APs and the introduction of new APs. In the offline phase, a voting mechanism and a fingerprint database update method are proposed. We use the mutual cooperation between reference anchor nodes to update the fingerprint database, which can reduce the interference caused by the user measurement data. We analyze the standard deviation of RSSI, mobilize the reference points in the database to vote on APs and then calculate the trust factors of APs based on the voting results. In the online phase, we first make a judgment about the new APs and the broken APs, then extract the secure fingerprints according to the trusted factors of APs and obtain the localization results by using the trusted fingerprints. In the experiment section, we demonstrate the proposed method and find that the proposed strategy can resist abnormal RSSI and can improve the localization accuracy effectively compared with the existing fingerprinting localization algorithms.

  17. A Falsification of the Citation Impediment in the Taxonomic Literature

    PubMed Central

    Steiner, Florian M.; Pautasso, Marco; Zettel, Herbert; Moder, Karl; Arthofer, Wolfgang; Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C.

    2015-01-01

    Current science evaluation still relies on citation performance, despite criticisms of purely bibliometric research assessments. Biological taxonomy suffers from a drain of knowledge and manpower, with poor citation performance commonly held as one reason for this impediment. But is there really such a citation impediment in taxonomy? We compared the citation numbers of 306 taxonomic and 2291 non-taxonomic research articles (2009–2012) on mosses, orchids, ciliates, ants, and snakes, using Web of Science (WoS) and correcting for journal visibility. For three of the five taxa, significant differences were absent in citation numbers between taxonomic and non-taxonomic papers. This was also true for all taxa combined, although taxonomic papers received more citations than non-taxonomic ones. Our results show that, contrary to common belief, taxonomic contributions do not generally reduce a journal's citation performance and might even increase it. The scope of many journals rarely featuring taxonomy would allow editors to encourage a larger number of taxonomic submissions. Moreover, between 1993 and 2012, taxonomic publications accumulated faster than those from all biological fields. However, less than half of the taxonomic studies were published in journals in WoS. Thus, editors of highly visible journals inviting taxonomic contributions could benefit from taxonomy's strong momentum. The taxonomic output could increase even more than at its current growth rate if: (i) taxonomists currently publishing on other topics returned to taxonomy and (ii) non-taxonomists identifying the need for taxonomic acts started publishing these, possibly in collaboration with taxonomists. Finally, considering the high number of taxonomic papers attracted by the journal Zootaxa, we expect that the taxonomic community would indeed use increased chances of publishing in WoS indexed journals. We conclude that taxonomy's standing in the present citation-focused scientific landscape could

  18. Microbial DNA fingerprinting of human fingerprints: dynamic colonization of fingertip microflora challenges human host inferences for forensic purposes

    PubMed Central

    Tims, Sebastian; van Wamel, Willem; Endtz, Hubert P.; Kayser, Manfred

    2009-01-01

    Human fingertip microflora is transferred to touched objects and may provide forensically relevant information on individual hosts, such as on geographic origins, if endogenous microbial skin species/strains would be retrievable from physical fingerprints and would carry geographically restricted DNA diversity. We tested the suitability of physical fingerprints for revealing human host information, with geographic inference as example, via microbial DNA fingerprinting. We showed that the transient exogenous fingertip microflora is frequently different from the resident endogenous bacteria of the same individuals. In only 54% of the experiments, the DNA analysis of the transient fingertip microflora allowed the detection of defined, but often not the major, elements of the resident microflora. Although we found microbial persistency in certain individuals, time-wise variation of transient and resident microflora within individuals was also observed when resampling fingerprints after 3 weeks. While microbial species differed considerably in their frequency spectrum between fingerprint samples from volunteers in Europe and southern Asia, there was no clear geographic distinction between Staphylococcus strains in a cluster analysis, although bacterial genotypes did not overlap between both continental regions. Our results, though limited in quantity, clearly demonstrate that the dynamic fingerprint microflora challenges human host inferences for forensic purposes including geographic ones. Overall, our results suggest that human fingerprint microflora is too dynamic to allow for forensic marker developments for retrieving human information. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00414-009-0352-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:19551400

  19. Verifying Sediment Fingerprinting Results with Known Mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gellis, A.; Gorman-Sanisaca, L.; Cashman, M. J.

    2017-12-01

    Sediment fingerprinting is a widely used approach to determine the specific sources of fluvial sediment within a watershed. It relies on the principle that potential sediment sources can be identified using a set of chemical tracers (or fingerprints), and comparison of these source fingerprints with fluvial (target) sediment allows for source apportionment of the fluvial sediment. There are numerous source classifications, fingerprints, and statistical approaches used in the literature to apportion sources of sediment. However, few of these studies have sought to test the method by creating controls on the ratio of sources in the target sediment. Without a controlled environment for inputs and outputs, such verification of results is ambiguous. Here, we generated artificial mixtures of source sediment from an agricultural/forested watershed in Virginia, USA (Smith Creek, 246 km2) to verify the apportionment results. Target samples were established from known mixtures of the four major sediment sources in the watershed (forest, pasture, cropland, and streambanks). The target samples were sieved to less than 63 microns and analyzed for elemental and isotopic chemistry. The target samples and source samples were run through the Sediment Source Assessment Tool (Sed_SAT) to verify if the statistical operations provided the correct apportionment. Sed_SAT uses a multivariate parametric approach to identify the minimum suite of fingerprints that discriminate the source areas and applies these fingerprints through an unmixng model to apportion sediment. The results of this sediment fingerprinting verification experiment will be presented in this session.

  20. Fingerprint changes and verification failure among patients with hand dermatitis.

    PubMed

    Lee, Chew Kek; Chang, Choong Chor; Johar, Asmah; Puwira, Othman; Roshidah, Baba

    2013-03-01

    To determine the prevalence of fingerprint verification failure and to define and quantify the fingerprint changes associated with fingerprint verification failure. Case-control study. Referral public dermatology center. The study included 100 consecutive patients with clinical hand dermatitis involving the palmar distal phalanx of either thumb and 100 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched controls. Patients with an altered thumb print due to other causes and palmar hyperhidrosis were excluded. Fingerprint verification(pass/fail) and hand eczema severity index score. Twenty-seven percent of patients failed fingerprint verification compared with 2% of controls. Fingerprint verification failure was associated with a higher hand eczema severity index score (P.001). The main fingerprint abnormalities were fingerprint dystrophy (42.0%) and abnormal white lines (79.5%). The number of abnormal white lines was significantly higher among the patients with hand dermatitis compared with controls(P=.001). Among the patients with hand dermatitis, theodds of failing fingerprint verification with fingerprint dystrophy was 4.01. The presence of broad lines and long lines was associated with a greater odds of fingerprint verification failure (odds ratio [OR], 8.04; 95% CI, 3.56-18.17 and OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.31-4.27, respectively),while the presence of thin lines was protective of verification failure (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23-0.89). Fingerprint verification failure is a significant problem among patients with more severe hand dermatitis. It is mainly due to fingerprint dystrophy and abnormal white lines. Malaysian National Medical Research Register Identifier: NMRR-11-30-8226

  1. Water content of latent fingerprints - Dispelling the myth.

    PubMed

    Kent, Terry

    2016-09-01

    Changing procedures in the handling of rare and precious documents in museums and elsewhere, based on assumptions about constituents of latent fingerprints, have led the author to an examination of available data. These changes appear to have been triggered by one paper using general biological data regarding eccrine sweat production to infer that deposited fingerprints are mostly water. Searching the fingerprint literature has revealed a number of reference works similarly quoting figures for average water content of deposited fingerprints of 98% or more. Whilst accurate estimation is difficult there is no evidence that the residue on fingers could be anything like 98% water, even if there were no contamination from sebaceous glands. Consideration of published analytical data of real fingerprints, and several theoretical considerations regarding evaporation and replenishment rates, indicates a probable initial average water content of a fingerprint, soon after deposition, of 20% or less. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. A specimen-level phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Diplodocidae (Dinosauria, Sauropoda)

    PubMed Central

    Mateus, Octávio; Benson, Roger B.J.

    2015-01-01

    Diplodocidae are among the best known sauropod dinosaurs. Several species were described in the late 1800s or early 1900s from the Morrison Formation of North America. Since then, numerous additional specimens were recovered in the USA, Tanzania, Portugal, and Argentina, as well as possibly Spain, England, Georgia, Zimbabwe, and Asia. To date, the clade includes about 12 to 15 nominal species, some of them with questionable taxonomic status (e.g., ‘Diplodocus’ hayi or Dyslocosaurus polyonychius), and ranging in age from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. However, intrageneric relationships of the iconic, multi-species genera Apatosaurus and Diplodocus are still poorly known. The way to resolve this issue is a specimen-based phylogenetic analysis, which has been previously implemented for Apatosaurus, but is here performed for the first time for the entire clade of Diplodocidae. The analysis includes 81 operational taxonomic units, 49 of which belong to Diplodocidae. The set of OTUs includes all name-bearing type specimens previously proposed to belong to Diplodocidae, alongside a set of relatively complete referred specimens, which increase the amount of anatomically overlapping material. Non-diplodocid outgroups were selected to test the affinities of potential diplodocid specimens that have subsequently been suggested to belong outside the clade. The specimens were scored for 477 morphological characters, representing one of the most extensive phylogenetic analyses of sauropod dinosaurs. Character states were figured and tables given in the case of numerical characters. The resulting cladogram recovers the classical arrangement of diplodocid relationships. Two numerical approaches were used to increase reproducibility in our taxonomic delimitation of species and genera. This resulted in the proposal that some species previously included in well-known genera like Apatosaurus and Diplodocus are generically distinct. Of particular note is that the famous genus

  3. Predicting taxonomic and functional structure of microbial communities in acid mine drainage

    PubMed Central

    Kuang, Jialiang; Huang, Linan; He, Zhili; Chen, Linxing; Hua, Zhengshuang; Jia, Pu; Li, Shengjin; Liu, Jun; Li, Jintian; Zhou, Jizhong; Shu, Wensheng

    2016-01-01

    Predicting the dynamics of community composition and functional attributes responding to environmental changes is an essential goal in community ecology but remains a major challenge, particularly in microbial ecology. Here, by targeting a model system with low species richness, we explore the spatial distribution of taxonomic and functional structure of 40 acid mine drainage (AMD) microbial communities across Southeast China profiled by 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing and a comprehensive microarray (GeoChip). Similar environmentally dependent patterns of dominant microbial lineages and key functional genes were observed regardless of the large-scale geographical isolation. Functional and phylogenetic β-diversities were significantly correlated, whereas functional metabolic potentials were strongly influenced by environmental conditions and community taxonomic structure. Using advanced modeling approaches based on artificial neural networks, we successfully predicted the taxonomic and functional dynamics with significantly higher prediction accuracies of metabolic potentials (average Bray–Curtis similarity 87.8) as compared with relative microbial abundances (similarity 66.8), implying that natural AMD microbial assemblages may be better predicted at the functional genes level rather than at taxonomic level. Furthermore, relative metabolic potentials of genes involved in many key ecological functions (for example, nitrogen and phosphate utilization, metals resistance and stress response) were extrapolated to increase under more acidic and metal-rich conditions, indicating a critical strategy of stress adaptation in these extraordinary communities. Collectively, our findings indicate that natural selection rather than geographic distance has a more crucial role in shaping the taxonomic and functional patterns of AMD microbial community that readily predicted by modeling methods and suggest that the model-based approach is essential to better understand natural

  4. Predicting taxonomic and functional structure of microbial communities in acid mine drainage.

    PubMed

    Kuang, Jialiang; Huang, Linan; He, Zhili; Chen, Linxing; Hua, Zhengshuang; Jia, Pu; Li, Shengjin; Liu, Jun; Li, Jintian; Zhou, Jizhong; Shu, Wensheng

    2016-06-01

    Predicting the dynamics of community composition and functional attributes responding to environmental changes is an essential goal in community ecology but remains a major challenge, particularly in microbial ecology. Here, by targeting a model system with low species richness, we explore the spatial distribution of taxonomic and functional structure of 40 acid mine drainage (AMD) microbial communities across Southeast China profiled by 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing and a comprehensive microarray (GeoChip). Similar environmentally dependent patterns of dominant microbial lineages and key functional genes were observed regardless of the large-scale geographical isolation. Functional and phylogenetic β-diversities were significantly correlated, whereas functional metabolic potentials were strongly influenced by environmental conditions and community taxonomic structure. Using advanced modeling approaches based on artificial neural networks, we successfully predicted the taxonomic and functional dynamics with significantly higher prediction accuracies of metabolic potentials (average Bray-Curtis similarity 87.8) as compared with relative microbial abundances (similarity 66.8), implying that natural AMD microbial assemblages may be better predicted at the functional genes level rather than at taxonomic level. Furthermore, relative metabolic potentials of genes involved in many key ecological functions (for example, nitrogen and phosphate utilization, metals resistance and stress response) were extrapolated to increase under more acidic and metal-rich conditions, indicating a critical strategy of stress adaptation in these extraordinary communities. Collectively, our findings indicate that natural selection rather than geographic distance has a more crucial role in shaping the taxonomic and functional patterns of AMD microbial community that readily predicted by modeling methods and suggest that the model-based approach is essential to better understand natural

  5. Ultrafast fingerprint indexing for embedded systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Ru; Sin, Sang Woo; Li, Dongju; Isshiki, Tsuyoshi; Kunieda, Hiroaki

    2011-10-01

    A novel core-based fingerprint indexing scheme for embedded systems is presented in this paper. Our approach is enabled by our new precise and fast core-detection algorithm with the direction map. It introduces the feature of CMP (core minutiae pair), which describes the coordinates of minutiae and the direction of ridges associated with the minutiae based on the uniquely defined core coordinates. Since each CMP is identical against the shift and rotation of the fingerprint image, the CMP comparison between a template and an input image can be performed without any alignment. The proposed indexing algorithm based on CMP is suitable for embedded systems because the tremendous speed up and the memory reduction are achieved. In fact, the experiments with the fingerprint database FVC2002 show that its speed for the identifications becomes about 40 times faster than conventional approaches, even though the database includes fingerprints with no core.

  6. Forensic Identification of Gender from Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Huynh, Crystal; Brunelle, Erica; Halámková, Lenka; Agudelo, Juliana; Halámek, Jan

    2015-11-17

    In the past century, forensic investigators have universally accepted fingerprinting as a reliable identification method, which relies mainly on pictorial comparisons. Despite developments to software systems in order to increase the probability and speed of identification, there has been limited success in the efforts that have been made to move away from the discipline's absolute dependence on the existence of a prerecorded matching fingerprint. Here, we have revealed that an information-rich latent fingerprint has not been used to its full potential. In our approach, the content present in the sweat left behind-namely the amino acids-can be used to determine physical such as gender of the originator. As a result, we were able to focus on the biochemical content in the fingerprint using a biocatalytic assay, coupled with a specially designed extraction protocol, for determining gender rather than focusing solely on the physical image.

  7. Method for modeling post-mortem biometric 3D fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajeev, Srijith; Shreyas, Kamath K. M.; Agaian, Sos S.

    2016-05-01

    Despite the advancements of fingerprint recognition in 2-D and 3-D domain, authenticating deformed/post-mortem fingerprints continue to be an important challenge. Prior cleansing and reconditioning of the deceased finger is required before acquisition of the fingerprint. The victim's finger needs to be precisely and carefully operated by a medium to record the fingerprint impression. This process may damage the structure of the finger, which subsequently leads to higher false rejection rates. This paper proposes a non-invasive method to perform 3-D deformed/post-mortem finger modeling, which produces a 2-D rolled equivalent fingerprint for automated verification. The presented novel modeling method involves masking, filtering, and unrolling. Computer simulations were conducted on finger models with different depth variations obtained from Flashscan3D LLC. Results illustrate that the modeling scheme provides a viable 2-D fingerprint of deformed models for automated verification. The quality and adaptability of the obtained unrolled 2-D fingerprints were analyzed using NIST fingerprint software. Eventually, the presented method could be extended to other biometric traits such as palm, foot, tongue etc. for security and administrative applications.

  8. A Falsification of the Citation Impediment in the Taxonomic Literature.

    PubMed

    Steiner, Florian M; Pautasso, Marco; Zettel, Herbert; Moder, Karl; Arthofer, Wolfgang; Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C

    2015-09-01

    Current science evaluation still relies on citation performance, despite criticisms of purely bibliometric research assessments. Biological taxonomy suffers from a drain of knowledge and manpower, with poor citation performance commonly held as one reason for this impediment. But is there really such a citation impediment in taxonomy? We compared the citation numbers of 306 taxonomic and 2291 non-taxonomic research articles (2009-2012) on mosses, orchids, ciliates, ants, and snakes, using Web of Science (WoS) and correcting for journal visibility. For three of the five taxa, significant differences were absent in citation numbers between taxonomic and non-taxonomic papers. This was also true for all taxa combined, although taxonomic papers received more citations than non-taxonomic ones. Our results show that, contrary to common belief, taxonomic contributions do not generally reduce a journal's citation performance and might even increase it. The scope of many journals rarely featuring taxonomy would allow editors to encourage a larger number of taxonomic submissions. Moreover, between 1993 and 2012, taxonomic publications accumulated faster than those from all biological fields. However, less than half of the taxonomic studies were published in journals in WoS. Thus, editors of highly visible journals inviting taxonomic contributions could benefit from taxonomy's strong momentum. The taxonomic output could increase even more than at its current growth rate if: (i) taxonomists currently publishing on other topics returned to taxonomy and (ii) non-taxonomists identifying the need for taxonomic acts started publishing these, possibly in collaboration with taxonomists. Finally, considering the high number of taxonomic papers attracted by the journal Zootaxa, we expect that the taxonomic community would indeed use increased chances of publishing in WoS indexed journals. We conclude that taxonomy's standing in the present citation-focused scientific landscape could

  9. Recovery of latent fingerprints and DNA on human skin.

    PubMed

    Färber, Doris; Seul, Andrea; Weisser, Hans-Joachim; Bohnert, Michael

    2010-11-01

    The project "Latent Fingerprints and DNA on Human Skin" was the first systematic research in Europe dealing with detection of fingerprints and DNA left by offenders on the skin of corpses. One thousand samples gave results that allow general statements on the materials and methods used. The tests were carried out according to a uniform trial structure. Fingerprints were deposited by natural donors on corpses. The latent fingerprints were treated with magnetic powder or black fingerprint powder. Afterward, they were lifted with silicone casting material (Isomark(®)) or gelatine foil. All lifts were swabbed to recover DNA. It was possible to visualize comparable and identifiable fingerprints on the skin of corpses (16%). In the same categories, magnetic powder (18.4%) yielded better results than black fingerprint powder (13.6%). The number of comparable and identifiable fingerprints decreased on the lifts (12.7%). Isomark(®) (14.9%) was the better lifting material in comparison with gelatine foil (10.1%). In one-third of the samples, DNA could be extracted from the powdered and lifted latents. Black fingerprint powder delivered the better result with a rate of 2.2% for full DNA profiles and profiles useful for exclusion in comparison with 1.8% for the magnetic powder traces. Isomark(®) (3.1%) yielded better results than gelatine foil (0.6%). © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  10. 28 CFR 901.3 - Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Approval of delayed fingerprint... COMPACT COUNCIL FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.3 Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests. (a) A state may, based upon exigent circumstances, apply for delayed submission of fingerprints...

  11. 28 CFR 901.3 - Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Approval of delayed fingerprint... COMPACT COUNCIL FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.3 Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests. (a) A state may, based upon exigent circumstances, apply for delayed submission of fingerprints...

  12. 28 CFR 901.3 - Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Approval of delayed fingerprint... COMPACT COUNCIL FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.3 Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests. (a) A state may, based upon exigent circumstances, apply for delayed submission of fingerprints...

  13. 28 CFR 901.3 - Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Approval of delayed fingerprint... COMPACT COUNCIL FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.3 Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests. (a) A state may, based upon exigent circumstances, apply for delayed submission of fingerprints...

  14. 28 CFR 901.3 - Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Approval of delayed fingerprint... COMPACT COUNCIL FINGERPRINT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS § 901.3 Approval of delayed fingerprint submission requests. (a) A state may, based upon exigent circumstances, apply for delayed submission of fingerprints...

  15. Plain and Rolled Images from Paired Fingerprint Cards

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    NIST Plain and Rolled Images from Paired Fingerprint Cards (Web, free access)   NIST Special Database 29 is being distributed for use in development and testing fingerprint matching systems. The data consist of 216 ten-print fingerprint card pairs with both the rolled and plains (from a bottom of the fingerprint card) scanned at 19.7 pixels per mm. A newer version of the compression/decompression software on the CDROM can be found at the website http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/ig/nigos.cfm as part of the NBIS package.

  16. PLC Hardware Discrimination using RF-DNA fingerprinting

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-19

    PLC HARDWARE DISCRIMINATION USING RF-DNA FINGERPRINTING THESIS Bradley C. Wright, Civilian, USAF AFIT-ENG-T-14-J-12 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR...protection in the United States. AFIT-ENG-T-14-J-12 PLC HARDWARE DISCRIMINATION USING RF-DNA FINGERPRINTING THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department...DISCRIMINATION USING RF-DNA FINGERPRINTING Bradley C. Wright, B.S.E.E. Civilian, USAF Approved: /signed/ Maj Samuel J. Stone, PhD (Chairman) /signed/ Michael A

  17. A High-Resolution LC-MS-Based Secondary Metabolite Fingerprint Database of Marine Bacteria

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Liang; Wang, Jijie; Xu, Ying; Wang, Kailing; Hu, Yingwei; Tian, Renmao; Yang, Bo; Lai, Qiliang; Li, Yongxin; Zhang, Weipeng; Shao, Zongze; Lam, Henry; Qian, Pei-Yuan

    2014-01-01

    Marine bacteria are the most widely distributed organisms in the ocean environment and produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites. However, traditional screening for bioactive natural compounds is greatly hindered by the lack of a systematic way of cataloguing the chemical profiles of bacterial strains found in nature. Here we present a chemical fingerprint database of marine bacteria based on their secondary metabolite profiles, acquired by high-resolution LC-MS. Till now, 1,430 bacterial strains spanning 168 known species collected from different marine environments were cultured and profiled. Using this database, we demonstrated that secondary metabolite profile similarity is approximately, but not always, correlated with taxonomical similarity. We also validated the ability of this database to find species-specific metabolites, as well as to discover known bioactive compounds from previously unknown sources. An online interface to this database, as well as the accompanying software, is provided freely for the community to use. PMID:25298017

  18. Fast imaging of eccrine latent fingerprints with nontoxic Mn-doped ZnS QDs.

    PubMed

    Xu, Chaoying; Zhou, Ronghui; He, Wenwei; Wu, Lan; Wu, Peng; Hou, Xiandeng

    2014-04-01

    Fingerprints are unique characteristics of an individual, and their imaging and recognition is a top-priority task in forensic science. Fast LFP (latent fingerprint) acquirement can greatly help policemen in screening the potential criminal scenes and capturing fingerprint clues. Of the two major latent fingerprints (LFP), eccrine is expected to be more representative than sebaceous in LFP identification. Here we explored the heavy metal-free Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as a new imaging moiety for eccrine LFPs. To study the effects of different ligands on the LFP image quality, we prepared Mn-doped ZnS QDs with various surface-capping ligands using QDs synthesized in high-temperature organic media as starting material. The orange fluorescence emission from Mn-doped ZnS QDs clearly revealed the optical images of eccrine LFPs. Interestingly, N-acetyl-cysteine-capped Mn-doped ZnS QDs could stain the eccrine LFPs in as fast as 5 s. Meanwhile, the levels 2 and 3 substructures of the fingerprints could also be simultaneously and clearly identified. While in the absence of QDs or without rubbing and stamping the finger onto foil, no fluorescent fingerprint images could be visualized. Besides fresh fingerprint, aged (5, 10, and 50 days), incomplete eccrine LFPs could also be successfully stained with N-acetyl-cysteine-capped Mn-doped ZnS QDs, demonstrating the analytical potential of this method in real world applications. The method was also robust for imaging of eccrine LFPs on a series of nonporous surfaces, such as aluminum foil, compact discs, glass, and black plastic bags.

  19. Thyroid peroxidase autoantibody fingerprints. II. A longitudinal study in postpartum thyroiditis.

    PubMed

    Jaume, J C; Parkes, A B; Lazarus, J H; Hall, R; Costante, G; McLachlan, S M; Rapoport, B

    1995-03-01

    It is not known whether epitopes recognized by autoantibodies in an individual remain constant or change over time, especially during perturbations of the humoral immune response. To address this question, we studied the epitopic profile ("fingerprint") of autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPO) in the sera of 19 women during the postpartum period. Fingerprints were determined in competition studies using 4 recombinant F(ab). At delivery and at 3 time intervals over the subsequent 9-12 months, the pool of F(ab) inhibited autoantibody binding to TPO by 80-100%, consistent with the definition by these F(ab) of a TPO immunodominant region (A1, A2, B1, and B2 domains). Despite a wide spectrum among individuals, the TPO epitopic fingerprints for all 19 women were relatively unchanged throughout the postpartum period. Fingerprint constancy occurred regardless of fluctuations in serum TPO autoantibody levels. When assessed numerically as a ratio of inhibition by the A domain F(ab) to inhibition by the B domain F(ab), the A/B domain ratios in individual women ranged from 0.2 (predominantly B domain) to more than 3.0 (predominantly A domain). However, for each individual woman, the A/B epitopic ratio was conserved throughout the study interval. Our TPO autoantibody epitopic fingerprint data have potential implications for understanding the humoral autoimmune response in man. First, the present study indicates a remarkable lack of spreading of B cell epitopes during a state of perturbation of the immune system over a period of 1 yr. Second, and perhaps more important, despite marked variations in TPO epitopic profiles among different individuals, their constancy over time suggests that TPO autoantibody fingerprints may be inherited.

  20. Comparative study of multimodal biometric recognition by fusion of iris and fingerprint.

    PubMed

    Benaliouche, Houda; Touahria, Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    This research investigates the comparative performance from three different approaches for multimodal recognition of combined iris and fingerprints: classical sum rule, weighted sum rule, and fuzzy logic method. The scores from the different biometric traits of iris and fingerprint are fused at the matching score and the decision levels. The scores combination approach is used after normalization of both scores using the min-max rule. Our experimental results suggest that the fuzzy logic method for the matching scores combinations at the decision level is the best followed by the classical weighted sum rule and the classical sum rule in order. The performance evaluation of each method is reported in terms of matching time, error rates, and accuracy after doing exhaustive tests on the public CASIA-Iris databases V1 and V2 and the FVC 2004 fingerprint database. Experimental results prior to fusion and after fusion are presented followed by their comparison with related works in the current literature. The fusion by fuzzy logic decision mimics the human reasoning in a soft and simple way and gives enhanced results.

  1. Comparative Study of Multimodal Biometric Recognition by Fusion of Iris and Fingerprint

    PubMed Central

    Benaliouche, Houda; Touahria, Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    This research investigates the comparative performance from three different approaches for multimodal recognition of combined iris and fingerprints: classical sum rule, weighted sum rule, and fuzzy logic method. The scores from the different biometric traits of iris and fingerprint are fused at the matching score and the decision levels. The scores combination approach is used after normalization of both scores using the min-max rule. Our experimental results suggest that the fuzzy logic method for the matching scores combinations at the decision level is the best followed by the classical weighted sum rule and the classical sum rule in order. The performance evaluation of each method is reported in terms of matching time, error rates, and accuracy after doing exhaustive tests on the public CASIA-Iris databases V1 and V2 and the FVC 2004 fingerprint database. Experimental results prior to fusion and after fusion are presented followed by their comparison with related works in the current literature. The fusion by fuzzy logic decision mimics the human reasoning in a soft and simple way and gives enhanced results. PMID:24605065

  2. Acquiring a 2D rolled equivalent fingerprint image from a non-contact 3D finger scan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fatehpuria, Abhishika; Lau, Daniel L.; Hassebrook, Laurence G.

    2006-04-01

    The use of fingerprints as a biometric is both the oldest mode of computer aided personal identification and the most relied-upon technology in use today. But current fingerprint scanning systems have some challenging and peculiar difficulties. Often skin conditions and imperfect acquisition circumstances cause the captured fingerprint image to be far from ideal. Also some of the acquisition techniques can be slow and cumbersome to use and may not provide the complete information required for reliable feature extraction and fingerprint matching. Most of the difficulties arise due to the contact of the fingerprint surface with the sensor platen. To attain a fast-capture, non-contact, fingerprint scanning technology, we are developing a scanning system that employs structured light illumination as a means for acquiring a 3-D scan of the finger with sufficiently high resolution to record ridge-level details. In this paper, we describe the postprocessing steps used for converting the acquired 3-D scan of the subject's finger into a 2-D rolled equivalent image.

  3. Towards reconstruction of overlapping fingerprints using plasma spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jun-Ho; Choi, Soo-Jin; Yoh, Jack J.

    2017-08-01

    Chemical analysis is commonly used in the field of forensic science where the precise discrimination of primary evidence is of significant importance. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) exceeds other spectroscopic methods in terms of the time required for pre- and post-sample preparation, the insensitivity to sample phase state be it solid, liquid, or gas, and the detection of two-dimensional spectral mapping from real time point measurements. In this research, fingerprint samples on various surface materials are considered in the chemical detection and reconstruction of fingerprints using the two-dimensional LIBS technique. Strong and distinct intensities of specific wavelengths represent visible ink, natural secretion of sweat, and contaminants from the environment, all of which can be present in latent fingerprints. The particular aim of the work presented here is to enhance the precision of the two-dimensional recreation of the fingerprints present on metal, plastic, and artificially prepared soil surface using LIBS with principal component analysis. By applying a distinct wavelength discrimination for two overlapping fingerprint samples, separation into two non-identical chemical fingerprints was successfully performed.

  4. Sensor-oriented feature usability evaluation in fingerprint segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ying; Yin, Yilong; Yang, Gongping

    2013-06-01

    Existing fingerprint segmentation methods usually process fingerprint images captured by different sensors with the same feature or feature set. We propose to improve the fingerprint segmentation result in view of an important fact that images from different sensors have different characteristics for segmentation. Feature usability evaluation, which means to evaluate the usability of features to find the personalized feature or feature set for different sensors to improve the performance of segmentation. The need for feature usability evaluation for fingerprint segmentation is raised and analyzed as a new issue. To address this issue, we present a decision-tree-based feature-usability evaluation method, which utilizes a C4.5 decision tree algorithm to evaluate and pick the best suitable feature or feature set for fingerprint segmentation from a typical candidate feature set. We apply the novel method on the FVC2002 database of fingerprint images, which are acquired by four different respective sensors and technologies. Experimental results show that the accuracy of segmentation is improved, and time consumption for feature extraction is dramatically reduced with selected feature(s).

  5. Dual Resolution Images from Paired Fingerprint Cards

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    NIST Dual Resolution Images from Paired Fingerprint Cards (Web, free access)   NIST Special Database 30 is being distributed for use in development and testing of fingerprint compression and fingerprint matching systems. The database allows the user to develop and evaluate data compression algorithms for fingerprint images scanned at both 19.7 ppmm (500 dpi) and 39.4 ppmm (1000 dpi). The data consist of 36 ten-print paired cards with both the rolled and plain images scanned at 19.7 and 39.4 pixels per mm. A newer version of the compression/decompression software on the CDROM can be found at the website http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/ig/nigos.cfm as part of the NBIS package.

  6. Separation and sequence detection of overlapped fingerprints: experiments and first results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kärgel, Rainer; Giebel, Sascha; Leich, Marcus; Dittmann, Jana

    2011-11-01

    Latent fingerprints provide vital information in modern crime scene investigation. On frequently touched surfaces the fingerprints may overlap which poses a major problem for forensic analysis. In order to make such overlapping fingerprints available for analysis, they have to be separated. An additional evaluation of the sequence in which the fingerprints were brought onto the surface can help to reconstruct the progression of events. Advances in both tasks can considerably aid crime investigation agencies and are the subject of this work. Here, a statistical approach, initially devised for the separation of overlapping text patterns by Tonazzini et al.,1 is employed to separate overlapping fingerprints. The method involves a maximum a posteriori estimation of the single fingerprints and the mixing coefficients, computed by an expectation-maximization algorithm. A fingerprint age determination feature based on corrosion is evaluated for sequence estimation. The approaches are evaluated using 30 samples of overlapping latent fingerprints on two different substrates. The fingerprint images are acquired with a non-destructive chromatic white light surface measurement device, each sample containing exactly two fingerprints that overlap in the center of the image. Since forensic investigations rely on manual assessment of acquired fingerprints by forensics experts, a subjective scale ranging from 0 to 8 is used to rate the separation results. Our results indicate that the chosen method can separate overlapped fingerprints which exhibit strong differences in contrast, since results gradually improve with the growing contrast difference of the overlapping fingerprints. Investigating the effects of corrosion leads to a reliable determination of the fingerprints' sequence as the timespan between their leaving increases.

  7. Impact of Finger Type in Fingerprint Authentication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gafurov, Davrondzhon; Bours, Patrick; Yang, Bian; Busch, Christoph

    Nowadays fingerprint verification system is the most widespread and accepted biometric technology that explores various features of the human fingers for this purpose. In general, every normal person has 10 fingers with different size. Although it is claimed that recognition performance with little fingers can be less accurate compared to other finger types, to our best knowledge, this has not been investigated yet. This paper presents our study on the topic of influence of the finger type into fingerprint recognition performance. For analysis we employ two fingerprint verification software packages (one public and one commercial). We conduct test on GUC100 multi sensor fingerprint database which contains fingerprint images of all 10 fingers from 100 subjects. Our analysis indeed confirms that performance with small fingers is less accurate than performance with the others fingers of the hand. It also appears that best performance is being obtained with thumb or index fingers. For example, performance deterioration from the best finger (i.e. index or thumb) to the worst fingers (i.e. small ones) can be in the range of 184%-1352%.

  8. Analyses of the Stability and Core Taxonomic Memberships of the Human Microbiome

    PubMed Central

    Li, Kelvin; Bihan, Monika; Methé, Barbara A.

    2013-01-01

    Analyses of the taxonomic diversity associated with the human microbiome continue to be an area of great importance. The study of the nature and extent of the commonly shared taxa (“core”), versus those less prevalent, establishes a baseline for comparing healthy and diseased groups by quantifying the variation among people, across body habitats and over time. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Human Microbiome Project (HMP) has provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine and better define what constitutes the taxonomic core within and across body habitats and individuals through pyrosequencing-based profiling of 16S rRNA gene sequences from oral, skin, distal gut (stool), and vaginal body habitats from over 200 healthy individuals. A two-parameter model is introduced to quantitatively identify the core taxonomic members of each body habitat’s microbiota across the healthy cohort. Using only cutoffs for taxonomic ubiquity and abundance, core taxonomic members were identified for each of the 18 body habitats and also for the 4 higher-level body regions. Although many microbes were shared at low abundance, they exhibited a relatively continuous spread in both their abundance and ubiquity, as opposed to a more discretized separation. The numbers of core taxa members in the body regions are comparatively small and stable, reflecting the relatively high, but conserved, interpersonal variability within the cohort. Core sizes increased across the body regions in the order of: vagina, skin, stool, and oral cavity. A number of “minor” oral taxonomic core were also identified by their majority presence across the cohort, but with relatively low and stable abundances. A method for quantifying the difference between two cohorts was introduced and applied to samples collected on a second visit, revealing that over time, the oral, skin, and stool body regions tended to be more transient in their taxonomic structure than the vaginal body region. PMID

  9. Privacy Preserving Facial and Fingerprint Multi-biometric Authentication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anzaku, Esla Timothy; Sohn, Hosik; Ro, Yong Man

    The cases of identity theft can be mitigated by the adoption of secure authentication methods. Biohashing and its variants, which utilizes secret keys and biometrics, are promising methods for secure authentication; however, their shortcoming is the degraded performance under the assumption that secret keys are compromised. In this paper, we extend the concept of Biohashing to multi-biometrics - facial and fingerprint traits. We chose these traits because they are widely used, howbeit, little research attention has been given to designing privacy preserving multi-biometric systems using them. Instead of just using a single modality (facial or fingerprint), we presented a framework for using both modalities. The improved performance of the proposed method, using face and fingerprint, as against either facial or fingerprint trait used in isolation is evaluated using two chimerical bimodal databases formed from publicly available facial and fingerprint databases.

  10. Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents' processing of pictures and written words for taxonomic categories in a priming task of semantic categorization.

    PubMed

    Li, Degao; Gao, Kejuan; Wu, Xueyun; Chen, Xiaojun; Zhang, Xiaona; Li, Ling; He, Weiwei

    2013-01-01

    Inspired by research by Li, Yi, and Kim (2011), the authors examined Chinese deaf and hard of hearing adolescents' responses to pictures for taxonomic categories of basic level (exemplar pictures) preceded by exemplar pictures, and to written words for taxonomic categories of basic level (exemplar words) preceded by exemplar words or by written words for those of superordinate level (category names), in a priming task of semantic categorization. Stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) was manipulated. The adolescents were less aware of taxonomic relations and were more likely to show the advantage of pictures over written words than their hearing counterparts. Their processing of exemplar primes steadily deepened as SOA increased, reaching its deepest level when SOA was 237 ms. Their processing of category names seemed immune to changes in SOA, probably because of their fuzzy representations of taxonomic categories of superordinate level.

  11. A DNA methylation fingerprint of 1628 human samples

    PubMed Central

    Fernandez, Agustin F.; Assenov, Yassen; Martin-Subero, Jose Ignacio; Balint, Balazs; Siebert, Reiner; Taniguchi, Hiroaki; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Hidalgo, Manuel; Tan, Aik-Choon; Galm, Oliver; Ferrer, Isidre; Sanchez-Cespedes, Montse; Villanueva, Alberto; Carmona, Javier; Sanchez-Mut, Jose V.; Berdasco, Maria; Moreno, Victor; Capella, Gabriel; Monk, David; Ballestar, Esteban; Ropero, Santiago; Martinez, Ramon; Sanchez-Carbayo, Marta; Prosper, Felipe; Agirre, Xabier; Fraga, Mario F.; Graña, Osvaldo; Perez-Jurado, Luis; Mora, Jaume; Puig, Susana; Prat, Jaime; Badimon, Lina; Puca, Annibale A.; Meltzer, Stephen J.; Lengauer, Thomas; Bridgewater, John; Bock, Christoph; Esteller, Manel

    2012-01-01

    Most of the studies characterizing DNA methylation patterns have been restricted to particular genomic loci in a limited number of human samples and pathological conditions. Herein, we present a compromise between an extremely comprehensive study of a human sample population with an intermediate level of resolution of CpGs at the genomic level. We obtained a DNA methylation fingerprint of 1628 human samples in which we interrogated 1505 CpG sites. The DNA methylation patterns revealed show this epigenetic mark to be critical in tissue-type definition and stemness, particularly around transcription start sites that are not within a CpG island. For disease, the generated DNA methylation fingerprints show that, during tumorigenesis, human cancer cells underwent a progressive gain of promoter CpG-island hypermethylation and a loss of CpG methylation in non-CpG-island promoters. Although transformed cells are those in which DNA methylation disruption is more obvious, we observed that other common human diseases, such as neurological and autoimmune disorders, had their own distinct DNA methylation profiles. Most importantly, we provide proof of principle that the DNA methylation fingerprints obtained might be useful for translational purposes by showing that we are able to identify the tumor type origin of cancers of unknown primary origin (CUPs). Thus, the DNA methylation patterns identified across the largest spectrum of samples, tissues, and diseases reported to date constitute a baseline for developing higher-resolution DNA methylation maps and provide important clues concerning the contribution of CpG methylation to tissue identity and its changes in the most prevalent human diseases. PMID:21613409

  12. A taxonomic wish-list for community ecology.

    PubMed Central

    Gotelli, Nicholas J

    2004-01-01

    Community ecology seeks to explain the number and relative abundance of coexisting species. Four research frontiers in community ecology are closely tied to research in systematics and taxonomy: the statistics of species richness estimators, global patterns of biodiversity, the influence of global climate change on community structure, and phylogenetic influences on community structure. The most pressing needs for taxonomic information in community ecology research are usable taxonomic keys, current nomenclature, species occurrence records and resolved phylogenies. These products can best be obtained from Internet-based phylogenetic and taxonomic resources, but the lack of trained professional systematists and taxonomists threatens this effort. Community ecologists will benefit most directly from research in systematics and taxonomy by making better use of resources in museums and herbaria, and by actively seeking training, information and collaborations with taxonomic specialists. PMID:15253346

  13. Taxonomic considerations in listing subspecies under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

    PubMed

    Haig, Susan M; Beever, Erik A; Chambers, Steven M; Draheim, Hope M; Dugger, Bruce D; Dunham, Susie; Elliott-Smith, Elise; Fontaine, Joseph B; Kesler, Dylan C; Knaus, Brian J; Lopes, Iara F; Loschl, Pete; Mullins, Thomas D; Sheffield, Lisa M

    2006-12-01

    The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows listing of subspecies and other groupings below the rank of species. This provides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service with a means to target the most critical unit in need of conservation. Although roughly one-quarter of listed taxa are subspecies, these management agencies are hindered by uncertainties about taxonomic standards during listing or delisting activities. In a review of taxonomic publications and societies, we found few subspecies lists and none that stated standardized criteria for determining subspecific taxa. Lack of criteria is attributed to a centuries-old debate over species and subspecies concepts. Nevertheless, the critical need to resolve this debate for ESA listings led us to propose that minimal biological criteria to define disjunct subspecies (legally or taxonomically) should include the discreteness and significance criteria of distinct population segments (as defined under the ESA). Our subspecies criteria are in stark contrast to that proposed by supporters of the phylogenetic species concept and provide a clear distinction between species and subspecies. Efforts to eliminate or reduce ambiguity associated with subspecies-level classifications will assist with ESA listing decisions. Thus, we urge professional taxonomic societies to publish and periodically update peer-reviewed species and subspecies lists. This effort must be paralleled throughout the world for efficient taxonomic conservation to take place.

  14. Taxonomic considerations in listing subspecies under the U.S. Endangered Species Act

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beever, E.A.; Haig, S.M.; Chambers, Steven M.; Draheim, Hope M.; Dugger, Bruce D.; Dunham, Susie; Elliott-Smith, Elise; Fontaine, Joseph B.; Kesler, Dylan C.; Knaus, Brian J.; Lopes, Iara F.; Loschl, Peter J.; Mullins, Thomas D.; Sheffield, Lisa M.

    2006-01-01

    The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows listing of subspecies and other groupings below the rank of species. This provides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service with a means to target the most critical unit in need of conservation. Although roughly one-quarter of listed taxa are subspecies, these management agencies are hindered by uncertainties about taxonomic standards during listing or delisting activities. In a review of taxonomic publications and societies, we found few subspecies lists and none that stated standardized criteria for determining subspecific taxa. Lack of criteria is attributed to a centuries-old debate over species and subspecies concepts. Nevertheless, the critical need to resolve this debate for ESA listings led us to propose that minimal biological criteria to define disjunct subspecies (legally or taxonomically) should include the discreteness and significance criteria of distinct population segments (as defined under the ESA). Our subspecies criteria are in stark contrast to that proposed by supporters of the phylogenetic species concept and provide a clear distinction between species and subspecies. Efforts to eliminate or reduce ambiguity associated with subspecies-level classifications will assist with ESA listing decisions. Thus, we urge professional taxonomic societies to publish and periodically update peer-reviewed species and subspecies lists. This effort must be paralleled throughout the world for efficient taxonomic conservation to take place.

  15. Secure fingerprint identification based on structural and microangiographic optical coherence tomography.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xuan; Zaki, Farzana; Wang, Yahui; Huang, Qiongdan; Mei, Xin; Wang, Jiangjun

    2017-03-10

    Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows noncontact acquisition of fingerprints and hence is a highly promising technology in the field of biometrics. OCT can be used to acquire both structural and microangiographic images of fingerprints. Microangiographic OCT derives its contrast from the blood flow in the vasculature of viable skin tissue, and microangiographic fingerprint imaging is inherently immune to fake fingerprint attack. Therefore, dual-modality (structural and microangiographic) OCT imaging of fingerprints will enable more secure acquisition of biometric data, which has not been investigated before. Our study on fingerprint identification based on structural and microangiographic OCT imaging is, we believe, highly innovative. In this study, we performed OCT imaging study for fingerprint acquisition, and demonstrated the capability of dual-modality OCT imaging for the identification of fake fingerprints.

  16. Study of noninvasive detection of latent fingerprints using UV laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hong-xia; Cao, Jing; Niu, Jie-qing; Huang, Yun-gang; Mao, Lin-jie; Chen, Jing-rong

    2011-06-01

    Latent fingerprints present a considerable challenge in forensics, and noninvasive procedure that captures a digital image of the latent fingerprints is significant in the field of criminal investigation. The capability of photography technologies using 266nm UV Nd:YAG solid state laser as excitation light source to provide detailed images of unprocessed latent fingerprints is demonstrated. Unprocessed latent fingerprints were developed on various non-absorbent and absorbing substrates. According to the special absorption, reflection, scattering and fluorescence characterization of the various residues in fingerprints (fatty acid ester, protein, and carbosylic acid salts etc) to the UV light to weaken or eliminate the background disturbance and increase the brightness contrast of fingerprints with the background, and using 266nm UV laser as excitation light source, fresh and old latent fingerprints on the surface of four types of non-absorbent objects as magazine cover, glass, back of cellphone, wood desktop paintwork and two types of absorbing objects as manila envelope, notebook paper were noninvasive detected and appeared through reflection photography and fluorescence photography technologies, and the results meet the fingerprint identification requirements in forensic science.

  17. Holistic processing of fingerprints by expert forensic examiners.

    PubMed

    Vogelsang, Macgregor D; Palmeri, Thomas J; Busey, Thomas A

    2017-01-01

    Holistic processing is often characterized as a process by which objects are perceived as a whole rather than a compilation of individual features. This mechanism may play an important role in the development of perceptual expertise because it allows for rapid integration across image regions. The present work explores whether holistic processing is present in latent fingerprint examiners, who compare fingerprints collected from crime scenes against a set of standards taken from a suspect. We adapted a composite task widely used in the face recognition and perceptual expertise literatures, in which participants were asked to match only a particular half of a fingerprint with a previous image while ignoring the other half. We tested both experts and novices, using both upright and inverted fingerprints. For upright fingerprints, we found weak evidence for holistic processing, but with no differences between experts and novices with respect to holistic processing. For inverted fingerprints, we found stronger evidence of holistic processing, with weak evidence for differences between experts and novices. These relatively weak holistic processing effects contrast with robust evidence for holistic processing with faces and with objects in other domains of perceptual expertise. The data constrain models of holistic processing by demonstrating that latent fingerprint experts and novices may not substantively differ in terms of the amount of holistic processing and that inverted stimuli actually produced more evidence for holistic processing than upright stimuli. Important differences between the present fingerprint stimuli and those in the literature include the lack of verbal labels for experts and the absence of strong vertical asymmetries, both of which might contribute to stronger holistic processing signatures in other stimulus domains.

  18. Benford's Law based detection of latent fingerprint forgeries on the example of artificial sweat printed fingerprints captured by confocal laser scanning microscopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hildebrandt, Mario; Dittmann, Jana

    2015-03-01

    The possibility of forging latent fingerprints at crime scenes is known for a long time. Ever since it has been stated that an expert is capable of recognizing the presence of multiple identical latent prints as an indicator towards forgeries. With the possibility of printing fingerprint patterns to arbitrary surfaces using affordable ink- jet printers equipped with artificial sweat, it is rather simple to create a multitude of fingerprints with slight variations to avoid raising any suspicion. Such artificially printed fingerprints are often hard to detect during the analysis procedure. Moreover, the visibility of particular detection properties might be decreased depending on the utilized enhancement and acquisition technique. In previous work primarily such detection properties are used in combination with non-destructive high resolution sensory and pattern recognition techniques to detect fingerprint forgeries. In this paper we apply Benford's Law in the spatial domain to differentiate between real latent fingerprints and printed fingerprints. This technique has been successfully applied in media forensics to detect image manipulations. We use the differences between Benford's Law and the distribution of the most significant digit of the intensity and topography data from a confocal laser scanning microscope as features for a pattern recognition based detection of printed fingerprints. Our evaluation based on 3000 printed and 3000 latent print samples shows a very good detection performance of up to 98.85% using WEKA's Bagging classifier in a 10-fold stratified cross-validation.

  19. Mated Fingerprint Card Pairs 2 (MFCP2)

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    NIST Mated Fingerprint Card Pairs 2 (MFCP2) (Web, free access)   NIST Special Database 14 is being distributed for use in development and testing of automated fingerprint classification and matching systems on a set of images which approximate a natural horizontal distribution of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) fingerprint classes. A newer version of the compression/decompression software on the CDROM can be found at the website http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/ig/nigos.cfm as part of the NBIS package.

  20. Identification and analysis of multigene families by comparison of exon fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Brown, N P; Whittaker, A J; Newell, W R; Rawlings, C J; Beck, S

    1995-06-02

    Gene families are often recognised by sequence homology using similarity searching to find relationships, however, genomic sequence data provides gene architectural information not used by conventional search methods. In particular, intron positions and phases are expected to be relatively conserved features, because mis-splicing and reading frame shifts should be selected against. A fast search technique capable of detecting possible weak sequence homologies apparent at the intron/exon level of gene organization is presented for comparing spliceosomal genes and gene fragments. FINEX compares strings of exons delimited by intron/exon boundary positions and intron phases (exon fingerprint) using a global dynamic programming algorithm with a combined intron phase identity and exon size dissimilarity score. Exon fingerprints are typically two orders of magnitude smaller than their nucleic acid sequence counterparts giving rise to fast search times: a ranked search against a library of 6755 fingerprints for a typical three exon fingerprint completes in under 30 seconds on an ordinary workstation, while a worst case largest fingerprint of 52 exons completes in just over one minute. The short "sequence" length of exon fingerprints in comparisons is compensated for by the large exon alphabet compounded of intron phase types and a wide range of exon sizes, the latter contributing the most information to alignments. FINEX performs better in some searches than conventional methods, finding matches with similar exon organization, but low sequence homology. A search using a human serum albumin finds all members of the multigene family in the FINEX database at the top of the search ranking, despite very low amino acid percentage identities between family members. The method should complement conventional sequence searching and alignment techniques, offering a means of identifying otherwise hard to detect homologies where genomic data are available.

  1. Video fingerprinting for copy identification: from research to industry applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Jian

    2009-02-01

    Research that began a decade ago in video copy detection has developed into a technology known as "video fingerprinting". Today, video fingerprinting is an essential and enabling tool adopted by the industry for video content identification and management in online video distribution. This paper provides a comprehensive review of video fingerprinting technology and its applications in identifying, tracking, and managing copyrighted content on the Internet. The review includes a survey on video fingerprinting algorithms and some fundamental design considerations, such as robustness, discriminability, and compactness. It also discusses fingerprint matching algorithms, including complexity analysis, and approximation and optimization for fast fingerprint matching. On the application side, it provides an overview of a number of industry-driven applications that rely on video fingerprinting. Examples are given based on real-world systems and workflows to demonstrate applications in detecting and managing copyrighted content, and in monitoring and tracking video distribution on the Internet.

  2. Fingerprint Changes in Coeliac Disease

    PubMed Central

    David, T. J.; Ajdukiewicz, A. B.; Read, A. E.

    1970-01-01

    Study of the fingerprints of 73 patients with coeliac disease, taken carefully, showed changes varying between moderate epidermal ridge atrophy and actual loss of fingerprint patterns. Of the patients 63 had these abnormalities, compared with 3 out of 485 controls. A high degree of correlation existed between ridge atrophy and changes in the clinical state of patients with coeliac disease. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2Fig. 3Fig. 4Fig. 5Fig. 6 PMID:5488703

  3. Chemical Fingerprinting of Materials Developed Due to Environmental Issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Doris A.; McCool, A. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Instrumental chemical analysis methods are developed and used to chemically fingerprint new and modified External Tank materials made necessary by changing environmental requirements. Chemical fingerprinting can detect and diagnose variations in material composition. To chemically characterize each material, fingerprint methods are selected from an extensive toolbox based on the material's chemistry and the ability of the specific methods to detect the material's critical ingredients. Fingerprint methods have been developed for a variety of materials including Thermal Protection System foams, adhesives, primers, and composites.

  4. Monitoring the quality consistency of Weibizhi tablets by micellar electrokinetic chromatography fingerprints combined with multivariate statistical analyses, the simple quantified ratio fingerprint method, and the fingerprint-efficacy relationship.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yingchun; Sun, Guoxiang; Wang, Yan; Yang, Lanping; Yang, Fangliang

    2015-06-01

    Micellar electrokinetic chromatography fingerprinting combined with quantification was successfully developed and applied to monitor the quality consistency of Weibizhi tablets, which is a classical compound preparation used to treat gastric ulcers. A background electrolyte composed of 57 mmol/L sodium borate, 21 mmol/L sodium dodecylsulfate and 100 mmol/L sodium hydroxide was used to separate compounds. To optimize capillary electrophoresis conditions, multivariate statistical analyses were applied. First, the most important factors influencing sample electrophoretic behavior were identified as background electrolyte concentrations. Then, a Box-Benhnken design response surface strategy using resolution index RF as an integrated response was set up to correlate factors with response. RF reflects the effective signal amount, resolution, and signal homogenization in an electropherogram, thus, it was regarded as an excellent indicator. In fingerprint assessments, simple quantified ratio fingerprint method was established for comprehensive quality discrimination of traditional Chinese medicines/herbal medicines from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, by which the quality of 27 samples from the same manufacturer were well differentiated. In addition, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship between fingerprints and antioxidant activities was established using partial least squares regression, which provided important medicinal efficacy information for quality control. The present study offered an efficient means for monitoring Weibizhi tablet quality consistency. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Eliminate background interference from latent fingerprints using ultraviolet multispectral imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Wei; Xu, Xiaojing; Wang, Guiqiang

    2014-02-01

    Fingerprints are the most important evidence in crime scene. The technology of developing latent fingerprints is one of the hottest research areas in forensic science. Recently, multispectral imaging which has shown great capability in fingerprints development, questioned document detection and trace evidence examination is used in detecting material evidence. This paper studied how to eliminate background interference from non-porous and porous surface latent fingerprints by rotating filter wheel ultraviolet multispectral imaging. The results approved that background interference could be removed clearly from latent fingerprints by using multispectral imaging in ultraviolet bandwidth.

  6. OPTIMAL EXPERIMENT DESIGN FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE FINGERPRINTING

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Bo; Haldar, Justin P.; Setsompop, Kawin; Wald, Lawrence L.

    2017-01-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) fingerprinting is an emerging quantitative MR imaging technique that simultaneously acquires multiple tissue parameters in an efficient experiment. In this work, we present an estimation-theoretic framework to evaluate and design MR fingerprinting experiments. More specifically, we derive the Cramér-Rao bound (CRB), a lower bound on the covariance of any unbiased estimator, to characterize parameter estimation for MR fingerprinting. We then formulate an optimal experiment design problem based on the CRB to choose a set of acquisition parameters (e.g., flip angles and/or repetition times) that maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio efficiency of the resulting experiment. The utility of the proposed approach is validated by numerical studies. Representative results demonstrate that the optimized experiments allow for substantial reduction in the length of an MR fingerprinting acquisition, and substantial improvement in parameter estimation performance. PMID:28268369

  7. Optimal experiment design for magnetic resonance fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Bo Zhao; Haldar, Justin P; Setsompop, Kawin; Wald, Lawrence L

    2016-08-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) fingerprinting is an emerging quantitative MR imaging technique that simultaneously acquires multiple tissue parameters in an efficient experiment. In this work, we present an estimation-theoretic framework to evaluate and design MR fingerprinting experiments. More specifically, we derive the Cramér-Rao bound (CRB), a lower bound on the covariance of any unbiased estimator, to characterize parameter estimation for MR fingerprinting. We then formulate an optimal experiment design problem based on the CRB to choose a set of acquisition parameters (e.g., flip angles and/or repetition times) that maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio efficiency of the resulting experiment. The utility of the proposed approach is validated by numerical studies. Representative results demonstrate that the optimized experiments allow for substantial reduction in the length of an MR fingerprinting acquisition, and substantial improvement in parameter estimation performance.

  8. Molecular graph convolutions: moving beyond fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kearnes, Steven; McCloskey, Kevin; Berndl, Marc; Pande, Vijay; Riley, Patrick

    2016-08-01

    Molecular "fingerprints" encoding structural information are the workhorse of cheminformatics and machine learning in drug discovery applications. However, fingerprint representations necessarily emphasize particular aspects of the molecular structure while ignoring others, rather than allowing the model to make data-driven decisions. We describe molecular graph convolutions, a machine learning architecture for learning from undirected graphs, specifically small molecules. Graph convolutions use a simple encoding of the molecular graph—atoms, bonds, distances, etc.—which allows the model to take greater advantage of information in the graph structure. Although graph convolutions do not outperform all fingerprint-based methods, they (along with other graph-based methods) represent a new paradigm in ligand-based virtual screening with exciting opportunities for future improvement.

  9. Molecular graph convolutions: moving beyond fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Kearnes, Steven; McCloskey, Kevin; Berndl, Marc; Pande, Vijay; Riley, Patrick

    2016-08-01

    Molecular "fingerprints" encoding structural information are the workhorse of cheminformatics and machine learning in drug discovery applications. However, fingerprint representations necessarily emphasize particular aspects of the molecular structure while ignoring others, rather than allowing the model to make data-driven decisions. We describe molecular graph convolutions, a machine learning architecture for learning from undirected graphs, specifically small molecules. Graph convolutions use a simple encoding of the molecular graph-atoms, bonds, distances, etc.-which allows the model to take greater advantage of information in the graph structure. Although graph convolutions do not outperform all fingerprint-based methods, they (along with other graph-based methods) represent a new paradigm in ligand-based virtual screening with exciting opportunities for future improvement.

  10. A fingerprint key binding algorithm based on vector quantization and error correction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Liang; Wang, Qian; Lv, Ke; He, Ning

    2012-04-01

    In recent years, researches on seamless combination cryptosystem with biometric technologies, e.g. fingerprint recognition, are conducted by many researchers. In this paper, we propose a binding algorithm of fingerprint template and cryptographic key to protect and access the key by fingerprint verification. In order to avoid the intrinsic fuzziness of variant fingerprints, vector quantization and error correction technique are introduced to transform fingerprint template and then bind with key, after a process of fingerprint registration and extracting global ridge pattern of fingerprint. The key itself is secure because only hash value is stored and it is released only when fingerprint verification succeeds. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our ideas.

  11. Benthic impacts of intertidal oyster culture, with consideration of taxonomic sufficiency.

    PubMed

    Forrest, Barrie M; Creese, Robert G

    2006-01-01

    An investigation of the impacts from elevated intertidal Pacific oyster culture in a New Zealand estuary showed enhanced sedimentation beneath culture racks compared with other sites. Seabed elevation beneath racks was generally lower than between them, suggesting that topographic patterns more likely result from a local effect of rack structures on hydrodynamic processes than from enhanced deposition. Compared with control sites, seabed sediments within the farm had a greater silt/clay and organic content, and a lower redox potential and shear strength. While a marked trend in macrofaunal species richness was not evident, species composition and dominance patterns were consistent with a disturbance gradient, with farm effects not evident 35 m from the perimeter of the racks. Of the environmental variables measured, sediment shear strength was most closely associated with the distribution and density of macrofauna, suggesting that human-induced disturbance from farming operations may have contributed to the biological patterns. To evaluate the taxonomic sufficiency needed to document impacts, aggregation to the family level based on Linnean classification was compared with an aggregation scheme based on ;general groups' identifiable with limited taxonomic expertise. Compared with species-level analyses, spatial patterns of impact were equally discernible at both aggregation levels used, provided density rather than presence/absence data were used. Once baseline conditions are established and the efficacy of taxonomic aggregation demonstrated, a ;general group' scheme provides an appropriate and increasingly relevant tool for routine monitoring.

  12. Low Functional β-Diversity Despite High Taxonomic β-Diversity among Tropical Estuarine Fish Communities

    PubMed Central

    Villéger, Sébastien; Miranda, Julia Ramos; Hernandez, Domingo Flores; Mouillot, David

    2012-01-01

    The concept of β-diversity, defined as dissimilarity among communities, has been widely used to investigate biodiversity patterns and community assembly rules. However, in ecosystems with high taxonomic β-diversity, due to marked environmental gradients, the level of functional β-diversity among communities is largely overlooked while it may reveal processes shaping community structure. Here, decomposing biodiversity indices into α (local) and γ (regional) components, we estimated taxonomic and functional β-diversity among tropical estuarine fish communities, through space and time. We found extremely low functional β-diversity values among fish communities (<1.5%) despite high dissimilarity in species composition and species dominance. Additionally, in contrast to the high α and γ taxonomic diversities, α and γ functional diversities were very close to the minimal value. These patterns were caused by two dominant functional groups which maintained a similar functional structure over space and time, despite the strong dissimilarity in taxonomic structure along environmental gradients. Our findings suggest that taxonomic and functional β-diversity deserve to be quantified simultaneously since these two facets can show contrasting patterns and the differences can in turn shed light on community assembly rules. PMID:22792395

  13. Fingerprint recognition system by use of graph matching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Wei; Shen, Jun; Zheng, Huicheng

    2001-09-01

    Fingerprint recognition is an important subject in biometrics to identify or verify persons by physiological characteristics, and has found wide applications in different domains. In the present paper, we present a finger recognition system that combines singular points and structures. The principal steps of processing in our system are: preprocessing and ridge segmentation, singular point extraction and selection, graph representation, and finger recognition by graphs matching. Our fingerprint recognition system is implemented and tested for many fingerprint images and the experimental result are satisfactory. Different techniques are used in our system, such as fast calculation of orientation field, local fuzzy dynamical thresholding, algebraic analysis of connections and fingerprints representation and matching by graphs. Wed find that for fingerprint database that is not very large, the recognition rate is very high even without using a prior coarse category classification. This system works well for both one-to-few and one-to-many problems.

  14. The development of latent fingerprints by zinc oxide and tin oxide nanoparticles prepared by precipitation technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luthra, Deepali; Kumar, Sacheen

    2018-05-01

    Fingerprints are the very important evidence at the crime scene which must be developed clearly with shortest duration of time to solve the case. Metal oxide nanoparticles could be the mean to develop the latent fingerprints. Zinc oxide and Tin Oxide Nanoparticles were prepared by using chemical precipitation technique which were dried and characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-Visible spectroscopy and FTIR. The size of zinc oxide crystallite was found to be 14.75 nm with minimum reflectance at 360 nm whereas tin oxide have the size of 90 nm and reflectance at minimum level 321 nm. By using these powdered samples on glass, plastic and glossy cardboard, latent fingerprints were developed. Zinc oxide was found to be better candidate than tin oxide for the fingerprint development on all the three types of substrates.

  15. Genomic fingerprinting of virulent and avirulent strains of Clavibacter michiganensis subspecies sepedonicus.

    PubMed

    Brown, Susan E; Reilley, Ann A; Knudson, Dennis L; Ishimaru, Carol A

    2002-02-01

    Genomic fingerprints of C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus were generated by CHEF gel electrophoresis of restriction digested high-molecular weight DNA. Low levels of intra-subspecific variation were detected by cluster analysis of the fingerprints. Four haplotypes were identified by genomic fingerprinting with HindIII, and eight were identified with EcoRI. Haplotypes generated with HindIII were less similar than those generated by EcoRI. Haplotypes generated with HindIII formed groups that corresponded well with plant reactions of the strains, but similar types of groupings were less apparent with haplotypes generated with EcoRI. When disease severity in eggplant and potato, population size in potato, and ability to induce a hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco were overlaid onto dendograms of genetic similarity, avirulent HR-negative strains clustered separately from virulent HR-positive strains in both EcoRI and HindIII profiles. Avirulent HR-positive strains that lack pCS1 clustered with avirulent HR-negative strains in a EcoRI dendogram, but clustered with virulent HR-positive strains in a HindIII dendogram. Genomic fingerprinting of high-molecular weight DNA fragments provided a means for detecting genomic variability associated with virulence in C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus.

  16. Artificial fingerprint recognition by using optical coherence tomography with autocorrelation analysis.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Yezeng; Larin, Kirill V

    2006-12-20

    Fingerprint recognition is one of the most widely used methods of biometrics. This method relies on the surface topography of a finger and, thus, is potentially vulnerable for spoofing by artificial dummies with embedded fingerprints. In this study, we applied the optical coherence tomography (OCT) technique to distinguish artificial materials commonly used for spoofing fingerprint scanning systems from the real skin. Several artificial fingerprint dummies made from household cement and liquid silicone rubber were prepared and tested using a commercial fingerprint reader and an OCT system. While the artificial fingerprints easily spoofed the commercial fingerprint reader, OCT images revealed the presence of them at all times. We also demonstrated that an autocorrelation analysis of the OCT images could be potentially used in automatic recognition systems.

  17. Artificial fingerprint recognition by using optical coherence tomography with autocorrelation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Yezeng; Larin, Kirill V.

    2006-12-01

    Fingerprint recognition is one of the most widely used methods of biometrics. This method relies on the surface topography of a finger and, thus, is potentially vulnerable for spoofing by artificial dummies with embedded fingerprints. In this study, we applied the optical coherence tomography (OCT) technique to distinguish artificial materials commonly used for spoofing fingerprint scanning systems from the real skin. Several artificial fingerprint dummies made from household cement and liquid silicone rubber were prepared and tested using a commercial fingerprint reader and an OCT system. While the artificial fingerprints easily spoofed the commercial fingerprint reader, OCT images revealed the presence of them at all times. We also demonstrated that an autocorrelation analysis of the OCT images could be potentially used in automatic recognition systems.

  18. A fingerprint classification algorithm based on combination of local and global information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Chongjin; Fu, Xiang; Bian, Junjie; Feng, Jufu

    2011-12-01

    Fingerprint recognition is one of the most important technologies in biometric identification and has been wildly applied in commercial and forensic areas. Fingerprint classification, as the fundamental procedure in fingerprint recognition, can sharply decrease the quantity for fingerprint matching and improve the efficiency of fingerprint recognition. Most fingerprint classification algorithms are based on the number and position of singular points. Because the singular points detecting method only considers the local information commonly, the classification algorithms are sensitive to noise. In this paper, we propose a novel fingerprint classification algorithm combining the local and global information of fingerprint. Firstly we use local information to detect singular points and measure their quality considering orientation structure and image texture in adjacent areas. Furthermore the global orientation model is adopted to measure the reliability of singular points group. Finally the local quality and global reliability is weighted to classify fingerprint. Experiments demonstrate the accuracy and effectivity of our algorithm especially for the poor quality fingerprint images.

  19. Jan Evangelista Purkynje (1787-1869): first to describe fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Grzybowski, Andrzej; Pietrzak, Krzysztof

    2015-01-01

    Fingerprints have been used for years as the accepted tool in criminology and for identification. The first system of classification of fingerprints was introduced by Jan Evangelista Purkynje (1787-1869), a Czech physiologist, in 1823. He divided the papillary lines into nine types, based on their geometric arrangement. This work, however, was not recognized internationally for many years. In 1858, Sir William Herschel (1833-1917) registered fingerprints for those signing documents at the Indian magistrate's office in Jungipoor. Henry Faulds (1843-1930) in 1880 proposed using ink for fingerprint determination and people identification, and Francis Galton (1822-1911) collected 8000 fingerprints and developed their classification based on the spirals, loops, and arches. In 1892, Juan Vucetich (1858-1925) created his own fingerprint identification system and proved that a woman was responsible for killing two of her sons. In 1896, a London police officer Edward Henry (1850-1931) expanded on earlier systems of classification and used papillary lines to identify criminals; it was his system that was adopted by the forensic world. The work of Jan Evangelista Purkynje (1787-1869) (Figure 1), who in 1823 was the first to describe in detail fingerprints, is almost forgotten. He also established their classification. The year 2013 marked the 190th anniversary of the publication of his work on this topic. Our contribution is an attempt to introduce the reader to this scientist and his discoveries in the field of fingerprint identification. Copyright © 2015.

  20. Genetic, epigenetic, and HPLC fingerprint differentiation between natural and ex situ populations of Rhodiola sachalinensis from Changbai Mountain, China.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Wei; Shi, Xiaozheng; Li, Jiangnan; Guo, Wei; Liu, Chengbai; Chen, Xia

    2014-01-01

    Rhodiola sachalinensis is an endangered species with important medicinal value. We used inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) markers to analyze genetic and epigenetic differentiation in different populations of R. sachalinensis, including three natural populations and an ex situ population. Chromatographic fingerprint was used to reveal HPLC fingerprint differentiation. According to our results, the ex situ population of R. sachalinensis has higher level genetic diversity and greater HPLC fingerprint variation than natural populations, but shows lower epigenetic diversity. Most genetic variation (54.88%) was found to be distributed within populations, and epigenetic variation was primarily distributed among populations (63.87%). UPGMA cluster analysis of ISSR and MSAP data showed identical results, with individuals from each given population grouping together. The results of UPGMA cluster analysis of HPLC fingerprint patterns was significantly different from results obtained from ISSR and MSAP data. Correlation analysis revealed close relationships among altitude, genetic structure, epigenetic structure, and HPLC fingerprint patterns (R2 = 0.98 for genetic and epigenetic distance; R2 = 0.90 for DNA methylation level and altitude; R2 = -0.95 for HPLC fingerprint and altitude). Taken together, our results indicate that ex situ population of R. sachalinensis show significantly different genetic and epigenetic population structures and HPLC fingerprint patterns. Along with other potential explanations, these findings suggest that the ex situ environmental factors caused by different altitude play an important role in keeping hereditary characteristic of R. sachalinensis.

  1. A "taxonomic affidavit": Why it is needed?

    PubMed

    Por, Francis Dov

    2007-06-01

    Imprecise and faulty taxonomic identification of the biological objects of many ecological and experimental studies renders these studies irreproducible. Incomplete identification to the species level and excessive use of vernacular species names are additional problems. Good science must be able to be falsified. I recommend that publications and granting agencies use and mention the names of the zoologists or botanists who identified the species. Voucher specimens should be marked and deposited in scientific museums for future checking.

  2. Infrared spectroscopic imaging for noninvasive detection of latent fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Crane, Nicole J; Bartick, Edward G; Perlman, Rebecca Schwartz; Huffman, Scott

    2007-01-01

    The capability of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging to provide detailed images of unprocessed latent fingerprints while also preserving important trace evidence is demonstrated. Unprocessed fingerprints were developed on various porous and nonporous substrates. Data-processing methods used to extract the latent fingerprint ridge pattern from the background material included basic infrared spectroscopic band intensities, addition and subtraction of band intensity measurements, principal components analysis (PCA) and calculation of second derivative band intensities, as well as combinations of these various techniques. Additionally, trace evidence within the fingerprints was recovered and identified.

  3. Evaluation of fingerprint deformation using optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gutierrez da Costa, Henrique S.; Maxey, Jessica R.; Silva, Luciano; Ellerbee, Audrey K.

    2014-02-01

    Biometric identification systems have important applications to privacy and security. The most widely used of these, print identification, is based on imaging patterns present in the fingers, hands and feet that are formed by the ridges, valleys and pores of the skin. Most modern print sensors acquire images of the finger when pressed against a sensor surface. Unfortunately, this pressure may result in deformations, characterized by changes in the sizes and relative distances of the print patterns, and such changes have been shown to negatively affect the performance of fingerprint identification algorithms. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel imaging technique that is capable of imaging the subsurface of biological tissue. Hence, OCT may be used to obtain images of subdermal skin structures from which one can extract an internal fingerprint. The internal fingerprint is very similar in structure to the commonly used external fingerprint and is of increasing interest in investigations of identify fraud. We proposed and tested metrics based on measurements calculated from external and internal fingerprints to evaluate the amount of deformation of the skin. Such metrics were used to test hypotheses about the differences of deformation between the internal and external images, variations with the type of finger and location inside the fingerprint.

  4. A framework of multitemplate ensemble for fingerprint verification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Yilong; Ning, Yanbin; Ren, Chunxiao; Liu, Li

    2012-12-01

    How to improve performance of an automatic fingerprint verification system (AFVS) is always a big challenge in biometric verification field. Recently, it becomes popular to improve the performance of AFVS using ensemble learning approach to fuse related information of fingerprints. In this article, we propose a novel framework of fingerprint verification which is based on the multitemplate ensemble method. This framework is consisted of three stages. In the first stage, enrollment stage, we adopt an effective template selection method to select those fingerprints which best represent a finger, and then, a polyhedron is created by the matching results of multiple template fingerprints and a virtual centroid of the polyhedron is given. In the second stage, verification stage, we measure the distance between the centroid of the polyhedron and a query image. In the final stage, a fusion rule is used to choose a proper distance from a distance set. The experimental results on the FVC2004 database prove the improvement on the effectiveness of the new framework in fingerprint verification. With a minutiae-based matching method, the average EER of four databases in FVC2004 drops from 10.85 to 0.88, and with a ridge-based matching method, the average EER of these four databases also decreases from 14.58 to 2.51.

  5. A network identity authentication system based on Fingerprint identification technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Hong-Bin; Xu, Wen-Bo; Liu, Yuan

    2005-10-01

    Fingerprint verification is one of the most reliable personal identification methods. However, most of the automatic fingerprint identification system (AFIS) is not run via Internet/Intranet environment to meet today's increasing Electric commerce requirements. This paper describes the design and implementation of the archetype system of identity authentication based on fingerprint biometrics technology, and the system can run via Internet environment. And in our system the COM and ASP technology are used to integrate Fingerprint technology with Web database technology, The Fingerprint image preprocessing algorithms are programmed into COM, which deployed on the internet information server. The system's design and structure are proposed, and the key points are discussed. The prototype system of identity authentication based on Fingerprint have been successfully tested and evaluated on our university's distant education applications in an internet environment.

  6. Capacity and optimal collusion attack channels for Gaussian fingerprinting games

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ying; Moulin, Pierre

    2007-02-01

    In content fingerprinting, the same media covertext - image, video, audio, or text - is distributed to many users. A fingerprint, a mark unique to each user, is embedded into each copy of the distributed covertext. In a collusion attack, two or more users may combine their copies in an attempt to "remove" their fingerprints and forge a pirated copy. To trace the forgery back to members of the coalition, we need fingerprinting codes that can reliably identify the fingerprints of those members. Researchers have been focusing on designing or testing fingerprints for Gaussian host signals and the mean square error (MSE) distortion under some classes of collusion attacks, in terms of the detector's error probability in detecting collusion members. For example, under the assumptions of Gaussian fingerprints and Gaussian attacks (the fingerprinted signals are averaged and then the result is passed through a Gaussian test channel), Moulin and Briassouli1 derived optimal strategies in a game-theoretic framework that uses the detector's error probability as the performance measure for a binary decision problem (whether a user participates in the collusion attack or not); Stone2 and Zhao et al. 3 studied average and other non-linear collusion attacks for Gaussian-like fingerprints; Wang et al. 4 stated that the average collusion attack is the most efficient one for orthogonal fingerprints; Kiyavash and Moulin 5 derived a mathematical proof of the optimality of the average collusion attack under some assumptions. In this paper, we also consider Gaussian cover signals, the MSE distortion, and memoryless collusion attacks. We do not make any assumption about the fingerprinting codes used other than an embedding distortion constraint. Also, our only assumptions about the attack channel are an expected distortion constraint, a memoryless constraint, and a fairness constraint. That is, the colluders are allowed to use any arbitrary nonlinear strategy subject to the above

  7. Chemical Fingerprinting of Materials Developed Due To Environmental Issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Doris A.; McCool, A. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents viewgraphs on chemical fingerprinting of materials developed due to environmental issues. Some of the topics include: 1) Aerospace Materials; 2) Building Blocks of Capabilities; 3) Spectroscopic Techniques; 4) Chromatographic Techniques; 5) Factors that Determine Fingerprinting Approach; and 6) Fingerprinting: Combination of instrumental analysis methods that diagnostically characterize a material.

  8. Fingerprinting of Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Workman, Gary L

    1992-01-01

    Recent issues emerging in our fiscal and ecological environments have promulgated that federal agencies shall promote activities which respond to the improvement of both. In response to these developments, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has undertaken an innovative approach to improve the control of materials used in all NASA manufacturing activities. In concert with this goal, NASA is requiring that its contractors and their sub-contractors perform a more intensive consolidation of technologies that can provide an accounting of materials, which includes in-coming materials, materials in process, end-products and waste materials. The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidelines to NASA and its contractor personnel for the planning and implementation of chemical fingerprinting programs and to illustrate the chemical and statistical fundamentals needed for successful use of chemical fingerprinting.

  9. Accurate Classification of RNA Structures Using Topological Fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Li, Kejie; Gribskov, Michael

    2016-01-01

    While RNAs are well known to possess complex structures, functionally similar RNAs often have little sequence similarity. While the exact size and spacing of base-paired regions vary, functionally similar RNAs have pronounced similarity in the arrangement, or topology, of base-paired stems. Furthermore, predicted RNA structures often lack pseudoknots (a crucial aspect of biological activity), and are only partially correct, or incomplete. A topological approach addresses all of these difficulties. In this work we describe each RNA structure as a graph that can be converted to a topological spectrum (RNA fingerprint). The set of subgraphs in an RNA structure, its RNA fingerprint, can be compared with the fingerprints of other RNA structures to identify and correctly classify functionally related RNAs. Topologically similar RNAs can be identified even when a large fraction, up to 30%, of the stems are omitted, indicating that highly accurate structures are not necessary. We investigate the performance of the RNA fingerprint approach on a set of eight highly curated RNA families, with diverse sizes and functions, containing pseudoknots, and with little sequence similarity–an especially difficult test set. In spite of the difficult test set, the RNA fingerprint approach is very successful (ROC AUC > 0.95). Due to the inclusion of pseudoknots, the RNA fingerprint approach both covers a wider range of possible structures than methods based only on secondary structure, and its tolerance for incomplete structures suggests that it can be applied even to predicted structures. Source code is freely available at https://github.rcac.purdue.edu/mgribsko/XIOS_RNA_fingerprint. PMID:27755571

  10. Fingerprints in the Light

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1

    This graph, or spectrum, shows the light from a dusty, distant galaxy located 11 billion light-years away. The galaxy is invisible to optical telescopes, but NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was able to capture the light from it and dozens of other similar galaxies using heat-seeking infrared eyes.

    Spectra are created when an instrument called a spectrograph spreads light out into its basic parts, like a prism turning sunlight into a rainbow. They contain the signatures, or 'fingerprints,' of molecules that contribute to an object's light.

    In this case, the galaxy's spectrum reveals the fingerprint for silicate dust (large dip at right), a planetary building block like sand, only smaller. This particular fingerprint is important because it helped astronomers determine how far away the galaxy lies, or more specifically, how much the galaxy's light had stretched, or 'redshifted,' during its journey to Spitzer's eyes. Because the universe is expanding, a galaxy's light will shift toward reddish wavelengths as it moves away from us. This galaxy was found to have a redshift of 1.95, which means that its light took about 11 billion years to get here.

    The presence of the silicate fingerprint is also significant because it implies that galaxies were ripe for planetary formation 11 billion years ago - back to a time when the universe was 3 billion years old. The universe is currently believed to be 13.5 billion years old. This is the furthest back in time that silicate dust has been detected around a galaxy.

    These data were taken by Spitzer's infrared spectrograph in July, 2004.

  11. Taxonomic and Thematic Semantic Systems

    PubMed Central

    Mirman, Daniel; Landrigan, Jon-Frederick; Britt, Allison E.

    2017-01-01

    Object concepts are critical for nearly all aspects of human cognition, from perception tasks like object recognition, to understanding and producing language, to making meaningful actions. Concepts can have two very different kinds of relations: similarity relations based on shared features (e.g., dog – bear), which are called “taxonomic” relations, and contiguity relations based on co-occurrence in events or scenarios (e.g., dog – leash), which are called “thematic” relations. Here we report a systematic review of experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience evidence of this distinction in the structure of semantic memory. We propose two principles that may drive the development of distinct taxonomic and thematic semantic systems: (1) differences between which features determine taxonomic vs. thematic relations and (2) differences in the processing required to extract taxonomic vs. thematic relations. This review brings together distinct threads of behavioral, computational, and neuroscience research on semantic memory in support of a functional and neural dissociation, and defines a framework for future studies of semantic memory. PMID:28333494

  12. Variation in amino acid and lipid composition of latent fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Croxton, Ruth S; Baron, Mark G; Butler, David; Kent, Terry; Sears, Vaughn G

    2010-06-15

    The enhancement of latent fingerprints, both at the crime scene and in the laboratory using an array of chemical, physical and optical techniques, permits their use for identification. Despite the plethora of techniques available, there are occasions when latent fingerprints are not successfully enhanced. An understanding of latent fingerprint chemistry and behaviour will aid the improvement of current techniques and the development of novel ones. In this study the amino acid and fatty acid content of 'real' latent fingerprints collected on a non-porous surface was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Squalene was also quantified in addition. Hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid and cis-9-octadecenoic acid were the most abundant fatty acids in all samples. There was, however, wide variation in the relative amounts of each fatty acid in each sample. It was clearly demonstrated that touching sebum-rich areas of the face immediately prior to fingerprint deposition resulted in a significant increase in the amount of fatty acids and squalene deposited in the resulting 'groomed' fingerprints. Serine was the most abundant amino acid identified followed by glycine, alanine and aspartic acid. The significant quantitative differences between the 'natural' and 'groomed' fingerprint samples seen for fatty acids were not observed in the case of the amino acids. This study demonstrates the variation in latent fingerprint composition between individuals and the impact of the sampling protocol on the quantitative analysis of fingerprints. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Straightforward fabrication of black nano silica dusting powder for latent fingerprint imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Komalasari, Isna; Krismastuti, Fransiska Sri Herwahyu; Elishian, Christine; Handayani, Eka Mardika; Nugraha, Willy Cahya; Ketrin, Rosi

    2017-11-01

    Imaging of latent fingerprint pattern (aka fingermark) is one of the most important and accurate detection methods in forensic investigation because of the characteristic of individual fingerprint. This detection technique relies on the mechanical adherence of fingerprint powder to the moisture and oily component of the skin left on the surface. The particle size of fingerprint powder is one of the critical parameter to obtain excellent fingerprint image. This study develops a simple, cheap and straightforward method to fabricate Nano size black dusting fingerprint powder based on Nano silica and applies the powder to visualize latent fingerprint. The nanostructured silica was prepared from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and then modified with Nano carbon, methylene blue and sodium acetate to color the powder. Finally, as a proof-of-principle, the ability of this black Nano silica dusting powder to image latent fingerprint is successfully demonstrated and the results show that this fingerprint powder provides clearer fingerprint pattern compared to the commercial one highlighting the potential application of the nanostructured silica in forensic science.

  14. SVM-Based Synthetic Fingerprint Discrimination Algorithm and Quantitative Optimization Strategy

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Suhang; Chang, Sheng; Huang, Qijun; He, Jin; Wang, Hao; Huang, Qiangui

    2014-01-01

    Synthetic fingerprints are a potential threat to automatic fingerprint identification systems (AFISs). In this paper, we propose an algorithm to discriminate synthetic fingerprints from real ones. First, four typical characteristic factors—the ridge distance features, global gray features, frequency feature and Harris Corner feature—are extracted. Then, a support vector machine (SVM) is used to distinguish synthetic fingerprints from real fingerprints. The experiments demonstrate that this method can achieve a recognition accuracy rate of over 98% for two discrete synthetic fingerprint databases as well as a mixed database. Furthermore, a performance factor that can evaluate the SVM's accuracy and efficiency is presented, and a quantitative optimization strategy is established for the first time. After the optimization of our synthetic fingerprint discrimination task, the polynomial kernel with a training sample proportion of 5% is the optimized value when the minimum accuracy requirement is 95%. The radial basis function (RBF) kernel with a training sample proportion of 15% is a more suitable choice when the minimum accuracy requirement is 98%. PMID:25347063

  15. Making DNA Fingerprints.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nunley, Kathie F.

    1996-01-01

    Presents an activity to simulate electrophoresis using everyday items. Uses adding machine paper to construct a set of DNA fingerprints that can be used to solve crime cases designed by students in any biology class. (JRH)

  16. Hierarchical minutiae matching for fingerprint and palmprint identification.

    PubMed

    Chen, Fanglin; Huang, Xiaolin; Zhou, Jie

    2013-12-01

    Fingerprints and palmprints are the most common authentic biometrics for personal identification, especially for forensic security. Previous research have been proposed to speed up the searching process in fingerprint and palmprint identification systems, such as those based on classification or indexing, in which the deterioration of identification accuracy is hard to avert. In this paper, a novel hierarchical minutiae matching algorithm for fingerprint and palmprint identification systems is proposed. This method decomposes the matching step into several stages and rejects many false fingerprints or palmprints on different stages, thus it can save much time while preserving a high identification rate. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can save almost 50% searching time compared with traditional methods and illustrate its effectiveness.

  17. Optical security verification for blurred fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soon, Boon Y.; Karim, Mohammad A.; Alam, Mohammad S.

    1998-12-01

    Optical fingerprint security verification is gaining popularity, as it has the potential to perform correlation at the speed of light. With advancement in optical security verification techniques, authentication process can be almost foolproof and reliable for financial transaction, banking, etc. In law enforcement, when a fingerprint is obtained from a crime scene, it may be blurred and can be an unhealthy candidate for correlation purposes. Therefore, the blurred fingerprint needs to be clarified before it is used for the correlation process. There are a several different types of blur, such as linear motion blur and defocus blur, induced by aberration of imaging system. In addition, we may or may not know the blur function. In this paper, we propose the non-singularity inverse filtering in frequency/power domain for deblurring known motion-induced blur in fingerprints. This filtering process will be incorporated with the pow spectrum subtraction technique, uniqueness comparison scheme, and the separated target and references planes method in the joint transform correlator. The proposed hardware implementation is a hybrid electronic-optical correlator system. The performance of the proposed system would be verified with computer simulation for both cases: with and without additive random noise corruption.

  18. Comparative SEM and LM foliar epidermal and palyno-morphological studies of Amaranthaceae and its taxonomic implications.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Amara Noor; Zafar, Muhammad; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Khan, Raees; Yaseen, Ghulam; Khan, Muhammad Saleem; Nazir, Abdul; Khan, Amir Muhammad; Shaheen, Shabnum

    2018-05-01

    Palynological features as well as comparative foliar epidermal using light and scanning electron microscope (SEM) of 17 species (10genera) of Amaranthaceae have been studied for its taxonomic significance. Different foliar and palynological micro-morphological characters were examined to explain their value in resolving the difficulty in identification. All species were amphistomatic but stomata on abaxial surface were more abundant. Taxonomically significant epidermal character including stomata type, trichomes (unicellular, multicellular, and capitate) and epidermal cells shapes (polygonal and irregular) were also observed. Pollens of this family are Polypantoporate, pores large, spheroidal, mesoporous region is sparsely to scabrate, densely psilate, and spinulose. All these characters can be active at species level for identification purpose. This study indicates that at different taxonomic levels, LM and SEM pollen and epidermal morphology is explanatory and significant to identify species and genera. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Capturing the vital vascular fingerprint with optical coherence tomography

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Gangjun; Chen, Zhongping

    2014-01-01

    Using fingerprints as a method to identify an individual has been accepted in forensics since the nineteenth century, and the fingerprint has become one of the most widely used biometric characteristics. Most of the modern fingerprint recognition systems are based on the print pattern of the finger surface and are not robust against spoof attaching. We demonstrate a novel vital vascular fingerprint system using Doppler optical coherence tomography that provides highly sensitive and reliable personal identification. Because the system is based on blood flow, which only exists in a livng person, the technique is robust against spoof attaching. PMID:23913068

  20. A mechanistic model for the superglue fuming of latent fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Czekanski, Patrick; Fasola, Michael; Allison, John

    2006-11-01

    The use of superglue vapors to detect latent fingerprints, known as superglue fuming, is a chemical process that has not been fully described. The role of the fingerprint material in the process, leading to formation of methyl cyanoacrylate polymer at the site of the fingerprint, remains to be established. Films of liquid alkanes respond similarly to actual fingerprints in the fuming experiment. Their responses depended on the hydrocarbon used, viscosity, and film thickness. Aspects such as film thickness appear to be relevant for actual fingerprints as well. A model was proposed in light of these observations. The model compares the process with gas chromatography, in which molecules partition between the gas phase and a stationary phase. Aspects such as accumulation of superglue monomers by partitioning into a thin film (or wax) are consistent with the preferential response of fingerprints on surfaces relative to the background.

  1. 8-Bit Gray Scale Images of Fingerprint Image Groups

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    NIST 8-Bit Gray Scale Images of Fingerprint Image Groups (Web, free access)   The NIST database of fingerprint images contains 2000 8-bit gray scale fingerprint image pairs. A newer version of the compression/decompression software on the CDROM can be found at the website http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/ig/nigos.cfm as part of the NBIS package.

  2. Systematic Characterization and Analysis of the Taxonomic Drivers of Functional Shifts in the Human Microbiome.

    PubMed

    Manor, Ohad; Borenstein, Elhanan

    2017-02-08

    Comparative analyses of the human microbiome have identified both taxonomic and functional shifts that are associated with numerous diseases. To date, however, microbiome taxonomy and function have mostly been studied independently and the taxonomic drivers of functional imbalances have not been systematically identified. Here, we present FishTaco, an analytical and computational framework that integrates taxonomic and functional comparative analyses to accurately quantify taxon-level contributions to disease-associated functional shifts. Applying FishTaco to several large-scale metagenomic cohorts, we show that shifts in the microbiome's functional capacity can be traced back to specific taxa. Furthermore, the set of taxa driving functional shifts and their contribution levels vary markedly between functions. We additionally find that similar functional imbalances in different diseases are driven by both disease-specific and shared taxa. Such integrated analysis of microbiome ecological and functional dynamics can inform future microbiome-based therapy, pinpointing putative intervention targets for manipulating the microbiome's functional capacity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. [HPLC fingerprint of Calendula officinalis flower].

    PubMed

    Xing, Zhan-Fen; Cheng, Hong-Da; Zhang, Ping-Ping; Gong, Lei; Ma, Li-Ya

    2014-07-01

    To establish an HPLC fingerprint of Calendula officinalis flower for its quality control. Hypersil ODS C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 μm) was used with acetonitrile and water as mobile phase in a gradient mode at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 220 nm and the temperature of column was set at 35 degrees C. The similarity was analyzed with the Estimating System of Similarity on the Chinese Medicine Fingerprint Chromatogram. The HPLC fingerprint of Calendula officinalis flower containing eleven peaks was set up. The similarity of Calendula officinalis flower from different habitats was greater than 0.90. This method is easy and reliable, which can be used to judge the habitat and control the quality of Calendula officinalis flower.

  4. Genetic, Epigenetic, and HPLC Fingerprint Differentiation between Natural and Ex Situ Populations of Rhodiola sachalinensis from Changbai Mountain, China

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Wei; Shi, Xiaozheng; Li, Jiangnan; Guo, Wei; Liu, Chengbai; Chen, Xia

    2014-01-01

    Rhodiola sachalinensis is an endangered species with important medicinal value. We used inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) markers to analyze genetic and epigenetic differentiation in different populations of R. sachalinensis, including three natural populations and an ex situ population. Chromatographic fingerprint was used to reveal HPLC fingerprint differentiation. According to our results, the ex situ population of R. sachalinensis has higher level genetic diversity and greater HPLC fingerprint variation than natural populations, but shows lower epigenetic diversity. Most genetic variation (54.88%) was found to be distributed within populations, and epigenetic variation was primarily distributed among populations (63.87%). UPGMA cluster analysis of ISSR and MSAP data showed identical results, with individuals from each given population grouping together. The results of UPGMA cluster analysis of HPLC fingerprint patterns was significantly different from results obtained from ISSR and MSAP data. Correlation analysis revealed close relationships among altitude, genetic structure, epigenetic structure, and HPLC fingerprint patterns (R2 = 0.98 for genetic and epigenetic distance; R2 = 0.90 for DNA methylation level and altitude; R2 = –0.95 for HPLC fingerprint and altitude). Taken together, our results indicate that ex situ population of R. sachalinensis show significantly different genetic and epigenetic population structures and HPLC fingerprint patterns. Along with other potential explanations, these findings suggest that the ex situ environmental factors caused by different altitude play an important role in keeping hereditary characteristic of R. sachalinensis. PMID:25386983

  5. Global Taxonomic Diversity of Living Reptiles

    PubMed Central

    Pincheira-Donoso, Daniel; Bauer, Aaron M.; Meiri, Shai; Uetz, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Reptiles are one of the most ecologically and evolutionarily remarkable groups of living organisms, having successfully colonized most of the planet, including the oceans and some of the harshest and more environmentally unstable ecosystems on earth. Here, based on a complete dataset of all the world’s diversity of living reptiles, we analyse lineage taxonomic richness both within and among clades, at different levels of the phylogenetic hierarchy. We also analyse the historical tendencies in the descriptions of new reptile species from Linnaeus to March 2012. Although (non-avian) reptiles are the second most species-rich group of amniotes after birds, most of their diversity (96.3%) is concentrated in squamates (59% lizards, 35% snakes, and 2% amphisbaenians). In strong contrast, turtles (3.4%), crocodilians (0.3%), and tuataras (0.01%) are far less diverse. In terms of species discoveries, most turtles and crocodilians were described early, while descriptions of lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians are multimodal with respect to time. Lizard descriptions, in particular, have reached unprecedented levels during the last decade. Finally, despite such remarkably asymmetric distributions of reptile taxonomic diversity among groups, we found that the distributions of lineage richness are consistently right-skewed, with most clades (monophyletic families and genera) containing few lineages (monophyletic genera and species, respectively), while only a few have radiated greatly (notably the families Colubridae and Scincidae, and the lizard genera Anolis and Liolaemus). Therefore, such consistency in the frequency distribution of richness among clades and among phylogenetic levels suggests that the nature of reptile biodiversity is fundamentally fractal (i.e., it is scale invariant). We then compared current reptile diversity with the global reptile diversity and taxonomy known in 1980. Despite substantial differences in the taxonomies (relative to 2012), the patterns of

  6. Global taxonomic diversity of living reptiles.

    PubMed

    Pincheira-Donoso, Daniel; Bauer, Aaron M; Meiri, Shai; Uetz, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Reptiles are one of the most ecologically and evolutionarily remarkable groups of living organisms, having successfully colonized most of the planet, including the oceans and some of the harshest and more environmentally unstable ecosystems on earth. Here, based on a complete dataset of all the world's diversity of living reptiles, we analyse lineage taxonomic richness both within and among clades, at different levels of the phylogenetic hierarchy. We also analyse the historical tendencies in the descriptions of new reptile species from Linnaeus to March 2012. Although (non-avian) reptiles are the second most species-rich group of amniotes after birds, most of their diversity (96.3%) is concentrated in squamates (59% lizards, 35% snakes, and 2% amphisbaenians). In strong contrast, turtles (3.4%), crocodilians (0.3%), and tuataras (0.01%) are far less diverse. In terms of species discoveries, most turtles and crocodilians were described early, while descriptions of lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians are multimodal with respect to time. Lizard descriptions, in particular, have reached unprecedented levels during the last decade. Finally, despite such remarkably asymmetric distributions of reptile taxonomic diversity among groups, we found that the distributions of lineage richness are consistently right-skewed, with most clades (monophyletic families and genera) containing few lineages (monophyletic genera and species, respectively), while only a few have radiated greatly (notably the families Colubridae and Scincidae, and the lizard genera Anolis and Liolaemus). Therefore, such consistency in the frequency distribution of richness among clades and among phylogenetic levels suggests that the nature of reptile biodiversity is fundamentally fractal (i.e., it is scale invariant). We then compared current reptile diversity with the global reptile diversity and taxonomy known in 1980. Despite substantial differences in the taxonomies (relative to 2012), the patterns of

  7. DNA decontamination of fingerprint brushes.

    PubMed

    Szkuta, Bianca; Oorschot, Roland A H van; Ballantyne, Kaye N

    2017-08-01

    Genetic profiling of DNA collected from fingerprints that have been exposed to various enhancement techniques is routine in many forensic laboratories. As a result of direct contact with fingermark residues during treatment, there is concern around the DNA contamination risk of dusting fingermarks with fingerprint brushes. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential for cross-contamination between evidentiary items through various mechanisms, highlighting the risk of using the same fingerprint brush to powder multiple surfaces within and between crime-scenes. Experiments were performed to assess the contamination risk of reused fingerprint brushes through the transfer of dried saliva and skin deposits from and to glass surfaces with new unused squirrel hair and fiberglass brushes. Additional new unused brushes and brushes previously used in casework were also tested for their ability to contaminate samples. In addition, the ability to eradicate DNA from used squirrel hair and fiberglass fingerprint brushes was assessed using a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution and a 5% solution of a commercially available alternative, Virkon. DNA profiling results from surfaces contacted by treated and untreated brushes were compared to determine the effectiveness of the devised cleaning protocol. Brush durability was also assessed over multiple wash/rinse/dry cycles with both agents. Varying amounts of DNA-containing material were collected and transferred by squirrel hair and fiberglass brushes, with detectability on the secondary surface dependent on the biological nature of the material being transferred. The impact of DNA contamination from dirty fingerprint brushes was most apparent in simulations involving the transfer of dried saliva and brushes previously used in casework, while minimal transfer of touch DNA was observed. Alarmingly, large quantities of DNA were found to reside on new unused squirrel hair brushes, while no DNA was detected on new unused fiberglass

  8. Taxonomic and Numerical Resolutions of Nepomorpha (Insecta: Heteroptera) in Cerrado Streams

    PubMed Central

    Giehl, Nubia França da Silva; Dias-Silva, Karina; Juen, Leandro; Batista, Joana Darc; Cabette, Helena Soares Ramos

    2014-01-01

    Transformations of natural landscapes and their biodiversity have become increasingly dramatic and intense, creating a demand for rapid and inexpensive methods to assess and monitor ecosystems, especially the most vulnerable ones, such as aquatic systems. The speed with which surveys can collect, identify, and describe ecological patterns is much slower than that of the loss of biodiversity. Thus, there is a tendency for higher-level taxonomic identification to be used, a practice that is justified by factors such as the cost-benefit ratio, and the lack of taxonomists and reliable information on species distributions and diversity. However, most of these studies do not evaluate the degree of representativeness obtained by different taxonomic resolutions. Given this demand, the present study aims to investigate the congruence between species-level and genus-level data for the infraorder Nepomorpha, based on taxonomic and numerical resolutions. We collected specimens of aquatic Nepomorpha from five streams of first to fourth order of magnitude in the Pindaíba River Basin in the Cerrado of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, totaling 20 sites. A principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) applied to the data indicated that species-level and genus-level abundances were relatively similar (>80% similarity), although this similarity was reduced when compared with the presence/absence of genera (R = 0.77). The presence/absence ordinations of species and genera were similar to those recorded for their abundances (R = 0.95 and R = 0.74, respectively). The results indicate that analyses at the genus level may be used instead of species, given a loss of information of 11 to 19%, although congruence is higher when using abundance data instead of presence/absence. This analysis confirms that the use of the genus level data is a safe shortcut for environmental monitoring studies, although this approach must be treated with caution when the objectives include conservation

  9. Taxonomic and numerical resolutions of nepomorpha (insecta: heteroptera) in cerrado streams.

    PubMed

    Giehl, Nubia França da Silva; Dias-Silva, Karina; Juen, Leandro; Batista, Joana Darc; Cabette, Helena Soares Ramos

    2014-01-01

    Transformations of natural landscapes and their biodiversity have become increasingly dramatic and intense, creating a demand for rapid and inexpensive methods to assess and monitor ecosystems, especially the most vulnerable ones, such as aquatic systems. The speed with which surveys can collect, identify, and describe ecological patterns is much slower than that of the loss of biodiversity. Thus, there is a tendency for higher-level taxonomic identification to be used, a practice that is justified by factors such as the cost-benefit ratio, and the lack of taxonomists and reliable information on species distributions and diversity. However, most of these studies do not evaluate the degree of representativeness obtained by different taxonomic resolutions. Given this demand, the present study aims to investigate the congruence between species-level and genus-level data for the infraorder Nepomorpha, based on taxonomic and numerical resolutions. We collected specimens of aquatic Nepomorpha from five streams of first to fourth order of magnitude in the Pindaíba River Basin in the Cerrado of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, totaling 20 sites. A principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) applied to the data indicated that species-level and genus-level abundances were relatively similar (>80% similarity), although this similarity was reduced when compared with the presence/absence of genera (R = 0.77). The presence/absence ordinations of species and genera were similar to those recorded for their abundances (R = 0.95 and R = 0.74, respectively). The results indicate that analyses at the genus level may be used instead of species, given a loss of information of 11 to 19%, although congruence is higher when using abundance data instead of presence/absence. This analysis confirms that the use of the genus level data is a safe shortcut for environmental monitoring studies, although this approach must be treated with caution when the objectives include conservation

  10. Decoding the mechanical fingerprints of biomolecules.

    PubMed

    Dudko, Olga K

    2016-01-01

    The capacity of biological macromolecules to act as exceedingly sophisticated and highly efficient cellular machines - switches, assembly factors, pumps, or motors - is realized through their conformational transitions, that is, their folding into distinct shapes and selective binding to other molecules. Conformational transitions can be induced, monitored, and manipulated by pulling individual macromolecules apart with an applied force. Pulling experiments reveal, for a given biomolecule, the relationship between applied force and molecular extension. Distinct signatures in the force-extension relationship identify a given biomolecule and thus serve as the molecule's 'mechanical fingerprints'. But, how can these fingerprints be decoded to uncover the energy barriers crossed by the molecule in the course of its conformational transition, as well as the associated timescales? This review summarizes a powerful class of approaches to interpreting single-molecule force spectroscopy measurements - namely, analytically tractable approaches. On the fundamental side, analytical theories have the power to reveal the unifying principles underneath the bewildering diversity of biomolecules and their behaviors. On the practical side, analytical expressions that result from these theories are particularly well suited for a direct fit to experimental data, yielding the important parameters that govern biological processes at the molecular level.

  11. The use of fingerprints available on the web in false identity documents: Analysis from a forensic intelligence perspective.

    PubMed

    Girelli, Carlos Magno Alves

    2016-05-01

    Fingerprints present in false identity documents were found on the web. In some cases, laterally reversed (mirrored) images of a same fingerprint were observed in different documents. In the present work, 100 fingerprints images downloaded from the web, as well as their reversals obtained by image editing, were compared between themselves and against the database of the Brazilian Federal Police AFIS, in order to better understand trends about this kind of forgery in Brazil. Some image editing effects were observed in the analyzed fingerprints: addition of artifacts (such as watermarks), image rotation, image stylization, lateral reversal and tonal reversal. Discussion about lateral reversals' detection is presented in this article, as well as suggestion to reduce errors due to missed HIT decisions between reversed fingerprints. The present work aims to highlight the importance of the fingerprints' analysis when performing document examination, especially when only copies of documents are available, something very common in Brazil. Besides the intrinsic features of the fingermarks considered in three levels of details by ACE-V methodology, some visual features of the fingerprints images can be helpful to identify sources of forgeries and modus operandi, such as: limits and image contours, fails in the friction ridges caused by excess or lack of inking and presence of watermarks and artifacts arising from the background. Based on the agreement of such features in fingerprints present in different identity documents and also on the analysis of the time and location where the documents were seized, it is possible to highlight potential links between apparently unconnected crimes. Therefore, fingerprints have potential to reduce linkage blindness and the present work suggests the analysis of fingerprints when profiling false identity documents, as well as the inclusion of fingerprints features in the profile of the documents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All

  12. Fingerprint Recognition

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-06-01

    RECOGNITION by Graig T. Diefenderfer June 2006 Thesis Advisor: Monique P. Fargues Second Reader: Roberto Cristi...Approved by: Monique P. Fargues Thesis Advisor Roberto Cristi Second Reader Jeffrey B. Knorr Chairman, Department of Electrical and...matching for low- quality fingerprints. Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, 2, 33- 36. Jain, A., Hong. L., & Bolle

  13. Laser mass spectrometry for DNA fingerprinting for forensic applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, C.H.; Tang, K.; Taranenko, N.I.

    The application of DNA fingerprinting has become very broad in forensic analysis, patient identification, diagnostic medicine, and wildlife poaching, since every individual`s DNA structure is identical within all tissues of their body. DNA fingerprinting was initiated by the use of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). In 1987, Nakamura et al. found that a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) often occurred in the alleles. The probability of different individuals having the same number of tandem repeats in several different alleles is very low. Thus, the identification of VNTR from genomic DNA became a very reliable method for identification of individuals.more » DNA fingerprinting is a reliable tool for forensic analysis. In DNA fingerprinting, knowledge of the sequence of tandem repeats and restriction endonuclease sites can provide the basis for identification. The major steps for conventional DNA fingerprinting include (1) specimen processing (2) amplification of selected DNA segments by PCR, and (3) gel electrophoresis to do the final DNA analysis. In this work we propose to use laser desorption mass spectrometry for fast DNA fingerprinting. The process and advantages are discussed.« less

  14. Anti-collusion forensics of multimedia fingerprinting using orthogonal modulation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Z Jane; Wu, Min; Zhao, Hong Vicky; Trappe, Wade; Liu, K J Ray

    2005-06-01

    Digital fingerprinting is a method for protecting digital data in which fingerprints that are embedded in multimedia are capable of identifying unauthorized use of digital content. A powerful attack that can be employed to reduce this tracing capability is collusion, where several users combine their copies of the same content to attenuate/remove the original fingerprints. In this paper, we study the collusion resistance of a fingerprinting system employing Gaussian distributed fingerprints and orthogonal modulation. We introduce the maximum detector and the thresholding detector for colluder identification. We then analyze the collusion resistance of a system to the averaging collusion attack for the performance criteria represented by the probability of a false negative and the probability of a false positive. Lower and upper bounds for the maximum number of colluders K(max) are derived. We then show that the detectors are robust to different collusion attacks. We further study different sets of performance criteria, and our results indicate that attacks based on a few dozen independent copies can confound such a fingerprinting system. We also propose a likelihood-based approach to estimate the number of colluders. Finally, we demonstrate the performance for detecting colluders through experiments using real images.

  15. Detection and analysis of diamond fingerprinting feature and its application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xin; Huang, Guoliang; Li, Qiang; Chen, Shengyi

    2011-01-01

    Before becoming a jewelry diamonds need to be carved artistically with some special geometric features as the structure of the polyhedron. There are subtle differences in the structure of this polyhedron in each diamond. With the spatial frequency spectrum analysis of diamond surface structure, we can obtain the diamond fingerprint information which represents the "Diamond ID" and has good specificity. Based on the optical Fourier Transform spatial spectrum analysis, the fingerprinting identification of surface structure of diamond in spatial frequency domain was studied in this paper. We constructed both the completely coherent diamond fingerprinting detection system illuminated by laser and the partially coherent diamond fingerprinting detection system illuminated by led, and analyzed the effect of the coherence of light source to the diamond fingerprinting feature. We studied rotation invariance and translation invariance of the diamond fingerprinting and verified the feasibility of real-time and accurate identification of diamond fingerprint. With the profit of this work, we can provide customs, jewelers and consumers with a real-time and reliable diamonds identification instrument, which will curb diamond smuggling, theft and other crimes, and ensure the healthy development of the diamond industry.

  16. Quality and matching performance analysis of three-dimensional unraveled fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yongchang; Hao, Qi; Fatehpuria, Abhishika; Hassebrook, Laurence G.; Lau, Daniel L.

    2010-07-01

    The use of fingerprints as a biometric is both the oldest mode of computer-aided personal identification and the most-relied-on technology in use today. However, current acquisition methods have some challenging and peculiar difficulties. For higher performance fingerprint data acquisition and verification, a novel noncontact 3-D fingerprint scanner is investigated, where both the detailed 3-D and albedo information of the finger is obtained. The obtained high-resolution 3-D prints are further converted into 3-D unraveled prints, to be compatible with traditional 2-D automatic fingerprint identification systems. As a result, many limitations imposed on conventional fingerprint capture and processing can be reduced by the unobtrusiveness of this approach and the extra depth information acquired. To compare the quality and matching performances of 3-D unraveled with traditional 2-D plain fingerprints, we collect both 3-D prints and their 2-D plain counterparts. The print quality and matching performances are evaluated and analyzed by using National Institute of Standard Technology fingerprint software. Experimental results show that the 3-D unraveled print outperforms the 2-D print in both quality and matching performances.

  17. How do habitat filtering and niche conservatism affect community composition at different taxonomic resolutions?

    PubMed

    Munoz, François; Ramesh, B R; Couteron, Pierre

    2014-08-01

    Understanding how local species assembly depends on the regional biogeographic and environmental context is a challenging task in community ecology. In spatially implicit neutral models, a single immigration parameter, I(k), represents the flux of immigrants from a regional pool that compete with local offspring for establishment in communities. This flux counterbalances the effect of local stochastic extinctions to maintain local species diversity. If some species within the regional pool are not adapted to the local environment (habitat filtering), the migrant flux is reduced beyond that of the neutral model, such that habitat filtering influences the value of I(k) in non-neutral situations. Here, we propose a novel model in which immigrants from the regional pool are filtered according to their habitat preferences and the local environment, while taxa potentially retain habitat preferences from their ancestors (niche conservatism). Using both analytical reasoning and simulations, we demonstrate that I(k) is expected to be constant when estimated based on the community composition at several taxonomic levels, not only under neutral assumptions, but also when habitat filtering occurs, unless there is substantial niche conservatism. In the latter case, I(k) is expected to decrease when estimated based on the composition at species to genus and family levels, thus allowing a signature of niche conservatism to be detected by simply comparing I(k) estimates across taxonomic levels. We applied this approach to three rain forest data sets from South India and Central America and found no significant signature of niche conservatism when I(k) was compared across taxonomic levels, except at the family level in South India. We further observed more limited immigration in South Indian forests, supporting the hypothesis of a greater impact of habitat filtering and heterogeneity there than in Central America. Our results highlight the relevance of studying variations of I

  18. Integration of Directional Antennas in an RSS Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Localization System

    PubMed Central

    Guzmán-Quirós, Raúl; Martínez-Sala, Alejandro; Gómez-Tornero, José Luis; García-Haro, Joan

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, the integration of directional antennas in a room-level received signal strength (RSS) fingerprinting-based indoor localization system (ILS) is studied. The sensor reader (SR), which is in charge of capturing the RSS to infer the tag position, can be attached to an omnidirectional or directional antenna. Unlike commonly-employed omnidirectional antennas, directional antennas can receive a stronger signal from the direction in which they are pointed, resulting in a different RSS distributions in space and, hence, more distinguishable fingerprints. A simulation tool and a system management software have been also developed to control the system and assist the initial antenna deployment, reducing time-consuming costs. A prototype was mounted in a real scenario, with a number of SRs with omnidirectional and directional antennas properly positioned. Different antenna configurations have been studied, evidencing a promising capability of directional antennas to enhance the performance of RSS fingerprinting-based ILS, reducing the number of required SRs and also increasing the localization success. PMID:26703620

  19. Differential diagnosis between complete mole and hydropic abortus by deoxyribonucleic acid fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Nobunaga, T; Azuma, C; Kimura, T; Tokugawa, Y; Takemura, M; Kamiura, S; Saji, F; Tanizawa, O

    1990-08-01

    We used a new method of deoxyribonucleic acid fingerprint analysis to obtain the differential diagnosis between complete mole and hydropic abortus. This method with a deoxyribonucleic acid minisatellite probe requires only a small amount of tissue sample and peripheral blood, and presents individual specific restriction fragment length polymorphisms (deoxyribonucleic acid "fingerprints") by simultaneous detection of many hypervariable regions (minisatellite regions) widely dispersed in the human genome. Southern blot hybridization showed that in cases of complete mole, all polymorphic fragments were exclusively inherited from the father. Some of the polymorphic bands of paternal deoxyribonucleic acid were not observed in molar deoxyribonucleic acid. However, in the hydropic abortus, the polymorphic fragments could be traced back to its parent. These results indicate that deoxyribonucleic acid fingerprints could distinguish the abnormal fertilization of complete mole (androgenesis) from the normal fertilization of hydropic abortus by identifying the difference in genetic variations between complete mole and hydropic abortus at the deoxyribonucleic acid level.

  20. Emotional experiences and motivating factors associated with fingerprint analysis.

    PubMed

    Charlton, David; Fraser-Mackenzie, Peter A F; Dror, Itiel E

    2010-03-01

    In this study, we investigated the emotional and motivational factors involved in fingerprint analysis in day-to-day routine case work and in significant and harrowing criminal investigations. Thematic analysis was performed on interviews with 13 experienced fingerprint examiners from a variety of law enforcement agencies. The data revealed factors relating to job satisfaction and the use of skill. Individual satisfaction related to catching criminals was observed; this was most notable in solving high profile, serious, or long-running cases. There were positive emotional effects associated with matching fingerprints and apparent fear of making errors. Finally, we found evidence for a need of cognitive closure in fingerprint examiner decision-making.

  1. 3D fingerprint imaging system based on full-field fringe projection profilometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Shujun; Zhang, Zonghua; Zhao, Yan; Dai, Jie; Chen, Chao; Xu, Yongjia; Zhang, E.; Xie, Lili

    2014-01-01

    As an unique, unchangeable and easily acquired biometrics, fingerprint has been widely studied in academics and applied in many fields over the years. The traditional fingerprint recognition methods are based on the obtained 2D feature of fingerprint. However, fingerprint is a 3D biological characteristic. The mapping from 3D to 2D loses 1D information and causes nonlinear distortion of the captured fingerprint. Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to obtain 3D fingerprint information for recognition. In this paper, a novel 3D fingerprint imaging system is presented based on fringe projection technique to obtain 3D features and the corresponding color texture information. A series of color sinusoidal fringe patterns with optimum three-fringe numbers are projected onto a finger surface. From another viewpoint, the fringe patterns are deformed by the finger surface and captured by a CCD camera. 3D shape data of the finger can be obtained from the captured fringe pattern images. This paper studies the prototype of the 3D fingerprint imaging system, including principle of 3D fingerprint acquisition, hardware design of the 3D imaging system, 3D calibration of the system, and software development. Some experiments are carried out by acquiring several 3D fingerprint data. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed 3D fingerprint imaging system.

  2. Separation of high-resolution samples of overlapping latent fingerprints using relaxation labeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qian, Kun; Schott, Maik; Schöne, Werner; Hildebrandt, Mario

    2012-06-01

    The analysis of latent fingerprint patterns generally requires clearly recognizable friction ridge patterns. Currently, overlapping latent fingerprints pose a major problem for traditional crime scene investigation. This is due to the fact that these fingerprints usually have very similar optical properties. Consequently, the distinction of two or more overlapping fingerprints from each other is not trivially possible. While it is possible to employ chemical imaging to separate overlapping fingerprints, the corresponding methods require sophisticated fingerprint acquisition methods and are not compatible with conventional forensic fingerprint data. A separation technique that is purely based on the local orientation of the ridge patterns of overlapping fingerprints is proposed by Chen et al. and quantitatively evaluated using off-the-shelf fingerprint matching software with mostly artificially composed overlapping fingerprint samples, which is motivated by the scarce availability of authentic test samples. The work described in this paper adapts the approach presented by Chen et al. for its application on authentic high resolution fingerprint samples acquired by a contactless measurement device based on a Chromatic White Light (CWL) sensor. An evaluation of the work is also given, with the analysis of all adapted parameters. Additionally, the separability requirement proposed by Chen et al. is also evaluated for practical feasibility. Our results show promising tendencies for the application of this approach on high-resolution data, yet the separability requirement still poses a further challenge.

  3. Generation of DNA profiles from fingerprints developed with columnar thin film technique.

    PubMed

    Plazibat, Stephanie L; Roy, Reena; Swiontek, Stephen E; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

    2015-12-01

    Partial-bloody fingerprints and partial fingerprints with saliva are often encountered at crime scenes, potentially enabling the combination of fingerprint and DNA analyses for absolute identification, provided that the development technique for fingerprint analysis does not inhibit DNA analysis. 36 partial-bloody fingerprints and 30 fingerprints wetted with saliva, all deposited on brass, were first developed using the columnar-thin-film (CTF) technique and then subjected to short tandem repeat (STR) DNA analysis. Equal numbers of samples were subjected to the same DNA analysis without development. Tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum, or Alq3, was evaporated to deposit CTFs for development of the prints. DNA was extracted from all 132 samples, quantified, and amplified with AmpFlSTR(®) Identifiler Plus Amplification Kit. Additionally, DNA analyses were conducted on four blood smears on un-fingerprinted brass that had been subjected to CTF deposition and four blood smears on un-fingerprinted brass that had not been subjected to CTF deposition. Complete and concordant autosomal STR profiles of the same quality were obtained from both undeveloped and CTF-developed fingerprints, indicating that CTF development of fingerprints preserves DNA and does not inhibit subsequent DNA analysis. Even when there were no fingerprints, CTF deposition did not lead to inhibition of DNA analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Screen Fingerprints as a Novel Modality for Active Authentication

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-01

    and mouse dynamics [9]. Some other examples of the computational behavior metrics of the cognitive fingerprint include eye tracking, how Approved...SCREEN FINGERPRINTS AS A NOVEL MODALITY FOR ACTIVE AUTHENTICATION UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MARCH 2014 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC...COVERED (From - To) MAY 2012 – OCT 2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE SCREEN FINGERPRINTS AS A NOVEL MODALITY FOR ACTIVE AUTHENTICATION 5a. CONTRACT

  5. Multiple fingerprinting analyses in quality control of Cassiae Semen polysaccharides.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Jing; He, Siyu; Wan, Qiang; Jing, Pu

    2018-03-01

    Quality control issue overshadows potential health benefits of Cassiae Semen due to the analytic limitations. In this study, multiple-fingerprint analysis integrated with several chemometrics was performed to assess the polysaccharide quality of Cassiae Semen harvested from different locations. FT-IR, HPLC, and GC fingerprints of polysaccharide extracts from the authentic source were established as standard profiles, applying to assess the quality of foreign sources. Analyses of FT-IR fingerprints of polysaccharide extracts using either Pearson correlation analysis or principal component analysis (PCA), or HPLC fingerprints of partially hydrolyzed polysaccharides with PCA, distinguished the foreign sources from the authentic source. However, HPLC or GC fingerprints of completely hydrolyzed polysaccharides couldn't identify all foreign sources and the methodology using GC is quite limited in determining the monosaccharide composition. This indicates that FT-IR/HPLC fingerprints of non/partially-hydrolyzed polysaccharides, respectively, accompanied by multiple chemometrics methods, might be potentially applied in detecting and differentiating sources of Cassiae Semen. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Chemical Fingerprinting Program for RSRM Critical Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McClennen, William H.; Fife, Dennis J.; Killpack, Michael O.; Golde, Rick P.; Cash, Steve (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation provides information on the chemical fingerprinting of RSRM (Reusable Sold Rocket Motor) components. A chemical fingerprint can be used to identify a material, to differentiate it from similar looking materials, or lead to its source. It can also identify unexpected changes to a vendor or supplier's material, and monitor aging.

  7. DNA Fingerprinting in a Forensic Teaching Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagoner, Stacy A.; Carlson, Kimberly A.

    2008-01-01

    This article presents an experiment designed to provide students, in a classroom laboratory setting, a hands-on demonstration of the steps used in DNA forensic analysis by performing DNA extraction, DNA fingerprinting, and statistical analysis of the data. This experiment demonstrates how DNA fingerprinting is performed and how long it takes. It…

  8. Unbiased Taxonomic Annotation of Metagenomic Samples

    PubMed Central

    Fosso, Bruno; Pesole, Graziano; Rosselló, Francesc

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The classification of reads from a metagenomic sample using a reference taxonomy is usually based on first mapping the reads to the reference sequences and then classifying each read at a node under the lowest common ancestor of the candidate sequences in the reference taxonomy with the least classification error. However, this taxonomic annotation can be biased by an imbalanced taxonomy and also by the presence of multiple nodes in the taxonomy with the least classification error for a given read. In this article, we show that the Rand index is a better indicator of classification error than the often used area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and F-measure for both balanced and imbalanced reference taxonomies, and we also address the second source of bias by reducing the taxonomic annotation problem for a whole metagenomic sample to a set cover problem, for which a logarithmic approximation can be obtained in linear time and an exact solution can be obtained by integer linear programming. Experimental results with a proof-of-concept implementation of the set cover approach to taxonomic annotation in a next release of the TANGO software show that the set cover approach further reduces ambiguity in the taxonomic annotation obtained with TANGO without distorting the relative abundance profile of the metagenomic sample. PMID:29028181

  9. Chemical composition of fingerprints for gender determination.

    PubMed

    Asano, Keiji G; Bayne, Charles K; Horsman, Katie M; Buchanan, Michelle V

    2002-07-01

    This work investigates the chemical nature of fingerprints to ascertain whether differences in chemical composition or the existence of chemical markers can be used to determine personal traits, such as age, gender, and personal habits. This type of information could be useful for reducing the pool of potential suspects in criminal investigations when latent fingerprints are unsuitable for comparison by traditional methods. Fingertip residue that has been deposited onto a bead was extracted with a solvent such as chloroform. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The chemical components identified include fatty acids, long chain fatty acid esters, cholesterol and squalene. The area ratios of ten selected components relative to squalene were calculated for a small preliminary experiment that showed a slight gender difference for three of these components. However, when the experiment was repeated with a larger, statistically designed experiment no significant differences between genders were detected for any of the component ratios. The multivariate Hotelling's T2 test that tested all ten-component ratios simultaneously also showed no gender differences at the 5% significance level.

  10. New Horizons for Ninhydrin: Colorimetric Determination of Gender from Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Brunelle, Erica; Huynh, Crystal; Le, Anh Minh; Halámková, Lenka; Agudelo, Juliana; Halámek, Jan

    2016-02-16

    In the past century, forensic investigators have universally accepted fingerprinting as a reliable identification method via pictorial comparison. One of the most traditional detection methods uses ninhydrin, a chemical that reacts with amino acids in the fingerprint content to produce the blue-purple color known as Ruhemann's purple. It has recently been demonstrated that the amino acid content in fingerprints can be used to differentiate between male and female fingerprints. Here, we present a modified approach to the traditional ninhydrin method. This new approach for using ninhydrin is combined with an optimized extraction protocol and the concept of determining gender from fingerprints. In doing so, we are able to focus on the biochemical material rather than exclusively the physical image.

  11. Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions.

    PubMed

    Ulery, Bradford T; Hicklin, R Austin; Buscaglia, Joann; Roberts, Maria Antonia

    2011-05-10

    The interpretation of forensic fingerprint evidence relies on the expertise of latent print examiners. The National Research Council of the National Academies and the legal and forensic sciences communities have called for research to measure the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners' decisions, a challenging and complex problem in need of systematic analysis. Our research is focused on the development of empirical approaches to studying this problem. Here, we report on the first large-scale study of the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners' decisions, in which 169 latent print examiners each compared approximately 100 pairs of latent and exemplar fingerprints from a pool of 744 pairs. The fingerprints were selected to include a range of attributes and quality encountered in forensic casework, and to be comparable to searches of an automated fingerprint identification system containing more than 58 million subjects. This study evaluated examiners on key decision points in the fingerprint examination process; procedures used operationally include additional safeguards designed to minimize errors. Five examiners made false positive errors for an overall false positive rate of 0.1%. Eighty-five percent of examiners made at least one false negative error for an overall false negative rate of 7.5%. Independent examination of the same comparisons by different participants (analogous to blind verification) was found to detect all false positive errors and the majority of false negative errors in this study. Examiners frequently differed on whether fingerprints were suitable for reaching a conclusion.

  12. Detection of Fingerprints Based on Elemental Composition Using Micro-X-Ray Fluorescence.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Worley, C. G.; Wiltshire, S.; Miller, T. C.

    A method was developed to detect fingerprints using a technique known as micro-X-ray fluorescence. The traditional method of detecting fingerprints involves treating the sample with certain powders, liquids, or vapors to add color to the fingerprint so that it can be easily seen and photographed for forensic purposes. This is known as contrast enhancement, and a multitude of chemical processing methods have been developed in the past century to render fingerprints visible. However, fingerprints present on certain substances such as fibrous papers and textiles, wood, leather, plastic, adhesives, and human skin can sometimes be difficult to detect by contrast enhancement.more » Children's fingerprints are also difficult to detect due to the absence of sebum on their skin, and detection of prints left on certain colored backgrounds can sometimes be problematic. Micro-X-ray fluorescence (MXRF) was studied here as a method to detect fingerprints based on chemical elements present in fingerprint residue. For example, salts such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride excreted in sweat are sometimes present in detectable quantities in fingerprints. We demonstrated that MXRF can be used to detect this sodium, potassium, and chlorine from such salts. Furthermore, using MXRF, each of these elements (and many other elements if present) can be detected as a function of location on a surface, so we were able to 'see' a fingerprint because these salts are deposited mainly along the patterns present in a fingerprint (traditionally called friction ridges in forensic science). MXRF is not a panacea for detecting all fingerprints; some prints will not contain enough detectable material to be 'seen'; however, determining an effective means of coloring a fingerprint with traditional contrast enhancement methods can sometimes be an arduous process with limited success. Thus, MXRF offers a possible alternative for detecting fingerprints, and it does not require any additional

  13. Identifying taxonomic and functional surrogates for spring biodiversity conservation.

    PubMed

    Jyväsjärvi, Jussi; Virtanen, Risto; Ilmonen, Jari; Paasivirta, Lauri; Muotka, Timo

    2018-02-27

    Surrogate approaches are widely used to estimate overall taxonomic diversity for conservation planning. Surrogate taxa are frequently selected based on rarity or charisma, whereas selection through statistical modeling has been applied rarely. We used boosted-regression-tree models (BRT) fitted to biological data from 165 springs to identify bryophyte and invertebrate surrogates for taxonomic and functional diversity of boreal springs. We focused on these 2 groups because they are well known and abundant in most boreal springs. The best indicators of taxonomic versus functional diversity differed. The bryophyte Bryum weigelii and the chironomid larva Paratrichocladius skirwithensis best indicated taxonomic diversity, whereas the isopod Asellus aquaticus and the chironomid Macropelopia spp. were the best surrogates of functional diversity. In a scoring algorithm for priority-site selection, taxonomic surrogates performed only slightly better than random selection for all spring-dwelling taxa, but they were very effective in representing spring specialists, providing a distinct improvement over random solutions. However, the surrogates for taxonomic diversity represented functional diversity poorly and vice versa. When combined with cross-taxon complementarity analyses, surrogate selection based on statistical modeling provides a promising approach for identifying groundwater-dependent ecosystems of special conservation value, a key requirement of the EU Water Framework Directive. © 2018 Society for Conservation Biology.

  14. Waveform Fingerprinting for Efficient Seismic Signal Detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, C. E.; OReilly, O. J.; Beroza, G. C.

    2013-12-01

    Cross-correlating an earthquake waveform template with continuous waveform data has proven a powerful approach for detecting events missing from earthquake catalogs. If templates do not exist, it is possible to divide the waveform data into short overlapping time windows, then identify window pairs with similar waveforms. Applying these approaches to earthquake monitoring in seismic networks has tremendous potential to improve the completeness of earthquake catalogs, but because effort scales quadratically with time, it rapidly becomes computationally infeasible. We develop a fingerprinting technique to identify similar waveforms, using only a few compact features of the original data. The concept is similar to human fingerprints, which utilize key diagnostic features to identify people uniquely. Analogous audio-fingerprinting approaches have accurately and efficiently found similar audio clips within large databases; example applications include identifying songs and finding copyrighted content within YouTube videos. In order to fingerprint waveforms, we compute a spectrogram of the time series, and segment it into multiple overlapping windows (spectral images). For each spectral image, we apply a wavelet transform, and retain only the sign of the maximum magnitude wavelet coefficients. This procedure retains just the large-scale structure of the data, providing both robustness to noise and significant dimensionality reduction. Each fingerprint is a high-dimensional, sparse, binary data object that can be stored in a database without significant storage costs. Similar fingerprints within the database are efficiently searched using locality-sensitive hashing. We test this technique on waveform data from the Northern California Seismic Network that contains events not detected in the catalog. We show that this algorithm successfully identifies similar waveforms and detects uncataloged low magnitude events in addition to cataloged events, while running to completion

  15. A fingerprint encryption scheme based on irreversible function and secure authentication.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yijun; Yu, Jianping; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Shulan

    2015-01-01

    A fingerprint encryption scheme based on irreversible function has been designed in this paper. Since the fingerprint template includes almost the entire information of users' fingerprints, the personal authentication can be determined only by the fingerprint features. This paper proposes an irreversible transforming function (using the improved SHA1 algorithm) to transform the original minutiae which are extracted from the thinned fingerprint image. Then, Chinese remainder theorem is used to obtain the biokey from the integration of the transformed minutiae and the private key. The result shows that the scheme has better performance on security and efficiency comparing with other irreversible function schemes.

  16. Taxonomical and functional microbial community selection in soybean rhizosphere

    PubMed Central

    Mendes, Lucas W; Kuramae, Eiko E; Navarrete, Acácio A; van Veen, Johannes A; Tsai, Siu M

    2014-01-01

    This study addressed the selection of the rhizospheric microbial community from the bulk soil reservoir under agricultural management of soybean in Amazon forest soils. We used a shotgun metagenomics approach to investigate the taxonomic and functional diversities of microbial communities in the bulk soil and in the rhizosphere of soybean plants and tested the validity of neutral and niche theories to explain the rhizosphere community assembly processes. Our results showed a clear selection at both taxonomic and functional levels operating in the assembly of the soybean rhizosphere community. The taxonomic analysis revealed that the rhizosphere community is a subset of the bulk soil community. Species abundance in rhizosphere fits the log-normal distribution model, which is an indicator of the occurrence of niche-based processes. In addition, the data indicate that the rhizosphere community is selected based on functional cores related to the metabolisms of nitrogen, iron, phosphorus and potassium, which are related to benefits to the plant, such as growth promotion and nutrition. The network analysis including bacterial groups and functions was less complex in rhizosphere, suggesting the specialization of some specific metabolic pathways. We conclude that the assembly of the microbial community in the rhizosphere is based on niche-based processes as a result of the selection power of the plant and other environmental factors. PMID:24553468

  17. Fingerprint Ridge Count: A Polygenic Trait Useful in Classroom Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mendenhall, Gordon; And Others

    1989-01-01

    Describes the use of the polygenic trait of total fingerprint ridge count in the classroom as a laboratory investigation. Presents information on background of topic, fingerprint patterns which are classified into three major groups, ridge count, the inheritance model, and activities. Includes an example data sheet format for fingerprints. (RT)

  18. Electrochromic enhancement of latent fingerprints by poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

    PubMed

    Brown, Rachel M; Hillman, A Robert

    2012-06-28

    Spatially selective electrodeposition of poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) thin films on metallic surfaces is shown to be an effective means of visualizing latent fingerprints. The technique exploits the fingerprint deposit as an insulating mask, such that electrochemical processes (here, polymer deposition) may only take place on deposit-free areas of the surface between the ridges of the fingerprint deposit; the end result is a negative image of the fingermark. Use of a surfactant (sodium dodecylsulphate, SDS) to solubilise the EDOT monomer allows the use of an aqueous electrolyte. Electrochemical (coulometric) data provide a total assay of deposited material, yielding spatially averaged film thicknesses, which are commensurate with substantive filling of the trenches between fingerprint deposit ridges, but not overfilling to the extent that the ridge detail is covered. This is confirmed by optical microscopy and AFM images, which show continuous polymer deposition within the trenches and good definition at the ridge edges. Stainless steel substrates treated in this manner and transferred to background electrolyte (aqueous sulphuric acid) showed enhanced fingerprints when the contrast between the polymer background and fingerprint deposit was optimised using the electrochromic properties of the PEDOT films. The facility of the method to reveal fingerprints of various ages and subjected to plausible environmental histories was demonstrated. Comparison of this enhancement methodology with commonly used fingerprint enhancement methods (dusting with powder, application of wet powder suspensions and cyanoacrylate fuming) showed promising performance in selected scenarios of practical interest.

  19. Current Taxonomical Situation of Streptococcus suis

    PubMed Central

    Okura, Masatoshi; Osaki, Makoto; Nomoto, Ryohei; Arai, Sakura; Osawa, Ro; Sekizaki, Tsutomu; Takamatsu, Daisuke

    2016-01-01

    Streptococcus suis, a major porcine pathogen and an important zoonotic agent, is considered to be composed of phenotypically and genetically diverse strains. However, recent studies reported several “S. suis-like strains” that were identified as S. suis by commonly used methods for the identification of this bacterium, but were regarded as distinct species from S. suis according to the standards of several taxonomic analyses. Furthermore, it has been suggested that some S. suis-like strains can be assigned to several novel species. In this review, we discuss the current taxonomical situation of S. suis with a focus on (1) the classification history of the taxon of S. suis; (2) S. suis-like strains revealed by taxonomic analyses; (3) methods for detecting and identifying this species, including a novel method that can distinguish S. suis isolates from S. suis-like strains; and (4) current topics on the reclassification of S. suis-like strains. PMID:27348006

  20. Current Taxonomical Situation of Streptococcus suis.

    PubMed

    Okura, Masatoshi; Osaki, Makoto; Nomoto, Ryohei; Arai, Sakura; Osawa, Ro; Sekizaki, Tsutomu; Takamatsu, Daisuke

    2016-06-24

    Streptococcus suis, a major porcine pathogen and an important zoonotic agent, is considered to be composed of phenotypically and genetically diverse strains. However, recent studies reported several "S. suis-like strains" that were identified as S. suis by commonly used methods for the identification of this bacterium, but were regarded as distinct species from S. suis according to the standards of several taxonomic analyses. Furthermore, it has been suggested that some S. suis-like strains can be assigned to several novel species. In this review, we discuss the current taxonomical situation of S. suis with a focus on (1) the classification history of the taxon of S. suis; (2) S. suis-like strains revealed by taxonomic analyses; (3) methods for detecting and identifying this species, including a novel method that can distinguish S. suis isolates from S. suis-like strains; and (4) current topics on the reclassification of S. suis-like strains.

  1. Identification of Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) medicae based on a specific genomic sequence unveiled by M13-PCR fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Dourado, Ana Catarina; Alves, Paula I L; Tenreiro, Tania; Ferreira, Eugénio M; Tenreiro, Rogério; Fareleira, Paula; Crespo, M Teresa Barreto

    2009-12-01

    A collection of nodule isolates from Medicago polymorpha obtained from southern and central Portugal was evaluated by M13-PCR fingerprinting and hierarchical cluster analysis. Several genomic clusters were obtained which, by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of selected representatives, were shown to be associated with particular taxonomic groups of rhizobia and other soil bacteria. The method provided a clear separation between rhizobia and co-isolated non-symbiotic soil contaminants. Ten M13-PCR groups were assigned to Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) medicae and included all isolates responsible for the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules upon re-inoculation of M. polymorpha test-plants. In addition, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR fingerprinting indicated a high genomic heterogeneity within the major M13- PCR clusters of S. medicae isolates. Based on nucleotide sequence data of an M13-PCR amplicon of ca. 1500 bp, observed only in S. medicae isolates and spanning locus Smed_3707 to Smed_3709 from the pSMED01 plasmid sequence of S. medicae WSM419 genome's sequence, a pair of PCR primers was designed and used for direct PCR amplification of a 1399-bp sequence within this fragment. Additional in silico and in vitro experiments, as well as phylogenetic analysis, confirmed the specificity of this primer combination and therefore the reliability of this approach in the prompt identification of S. medicae isolates and their distinction from other soil bacteria.

  2. Attomole-level protein fingerprinting based on intrinsic peptide fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Okerberg, E; Shear, J B

    2001-04-01

    Protein identification has relied heavily on proteolytic analysis, but current techniques are often slow and generally consume large quantities of valuable protein sample. We report the development of a rapid, ultralow volume protein analysis strategy based on tryptic digestion within the tip of a 1.5-microm capillary channel followed by separation of the proteolytic fragments using capillary electrophoresis (CE). Two-photon excitation is used to probe the intrinsic fluorescence of peptide fragments through "deep-UV" excitation of aromatic amino acid residues at the outlet of the CE channel. Detection limits using this technique are 0.7, 2.4, and 23 amol for the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine, respectively. In these studies, we demonstrate the capacity to differentiate bovine and yeast cytochrome c variants using less than 15 amol of protein through tryptic fingerprinting. Moreover, the detection of a single amino acid substitution between bovine and canine cytochrome c illustrates the sensitivity of this approach to minor differences in protein sequence. The 2-pL sample volume required for this on-column tryptic digestion is, to our knowledge, the smallest yet reported for a proteolytic assay.

  3. Studies on Chromatographic Fingerprint and Fingerprinting Profile-Efficacy Relationship of Polygoni Perfoliati Herba

    PubMed Central

    Tian, Li; Chen, Hua-Guo; Zhao, Chao; Gong, Xiao-Jian

    2013-01-01

    Polygoni Perfoliati Herba is widely used in China with antibacterium, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antitumor, and antivirus activities. To reveal the mechanisms of the activities of Polygoni Perfoliati Herba, the relationship between the fingerprinting profile and its bioactivities was investigated. In the present study, high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fingerprinting method was developed. The established method was applied to analyze 51 batches of Polygoni Perfoliati Herba samples collected from different locations or in different harvesting times in China. Chemometrics, including similarity analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, and principal component analysis, were used to express their similarities. It was found that similarity values of the samples were in the range of 0.432–0.998. The results of analgesic tests indicated that Polygoni Perfoliati Herba could significantly inhibit pain induced by hot plate and acetic acid in mice. The results of anti-inflammatory tests showed that Polygoni Perfoliati Herba had good anti-inflammatory effects (P < 0.01) in two models including dimethyl benzene-induced ear edema and acetic acid-induced peritoneal permeability in mice. Combining the results from chromatographic fingerprints with those from bioactivities, we found that seven peaks from Polygoni Perfoliati Herba were mainly responsible for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. PMID:24023580

  4. Teaching DNA Fingerprinting using a Hands-on Simulation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schug, Thatcher

    1998-01-01

    Presents an inexpensive hands-on lesson in DNA fingerprinting that can be completed in a single class period. Involves students in solving a murder in which a drop of blood is fingerprinted and matched with the blood of the murderer. (DDR)

  5. Ionizing radiation and taxonomic, functional and evolutionary diversity of bird communities.

    PubMed

    Morelli, Federico; Benedetti, Yanina; Mousseau, Timothy A; Møller, Anders Pape

    2018-08-15

    Ionizing radiation from nuclear accidents at Chernobyl, Fukushima and elsewhere has reduced the abundance, species richness and diversity of ecosystems. Here we analyzed the taxonomic, functional and evolutionary diversity of bird communities in forested areas around Chernobyl. Species richness decreased with increasing radiation, mainly in 2007. Functional richness, but not functional evenness and divergence, decreased with increasing level of ionizing radiation. Evolutionary distinctiveness of bird communities was higher in areas with higher levels of ionizing radiation. Regression tree models revealed that species richness was higher in bird communities in areas with radiation levels lower than 0.7 μSv/h. In contrast, when radiation levels were higher than 16.67 μSv/h, bird species richness reached a minimum. Functional richness was affected by two variables: Forest cover and radiation level. Higher functional richness was found in bird communities in areas with forest cover lower than 50%. In the areas with forest cover higher than 50%, the functional richness was lower when radiation level was higher than 0.91 μSv/h. Finally, the average evolutionary distinctiveness of bird communities was higher in areas with forest cover exceeding 50%. These findings imply that level of ionizing radiation interacted with forest cover to affect species richness and its component parts, i.e. taxonomic, functional, and evolutionary diversity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Taxonomic bias in biodiversity data and societal preferences.

    PubMed

    Troudet, Julien; Grandcolas, Philippe; Blin, Amandine; Vignes-Lebbe, Régine; Legendre, Frédéric

    2017-08-22

    Studying and protecting each and every living species on Earth is a major challenge of the 21 st century. Yet, most species remain unknown or unstudied, while others attract most of the public, scientific and government attention. Although known to be detrimental, this taxonomic bias continues to be pervasive in the scientific literature, but is still poorly studied and understood. Here, we used 626 million occurrences from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the biggest biodiversity data portal, to characterize the taxonomic bias in biodiversity data. We also investigated how societal preferences and taxonomic research relate to biodiversity data gathering. For each species belonging to 24 taxonomic classes, we used the number of publications from Web of Science and the number of web pages from Bing searches to approximate research activity and societal preferences. Our results show that societal preferences, rather than research activity, strongly correlate with taxonomic bias, which lead us to assert that scientists should advertise less charismatic species and develop societal initiatives (e.g. citizen science) that specifically target neglected organisms. Ensuring that biodiversity is representatively sampled while this is still possible is an urgent prerequisite for achieving efficient conservation plans and a global understanding of our surrounding environment.

  7. Generation of sequence signatures from DNA amplification fingerprints with mini-hairpin and microsatellite primers.

    PubMed

    Caetano-Anollés, G; Gresshoff, P M

    1996-06-01

    DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) with mini-hairpins harboring arbitrary "core" sequences at their 3' termini were used to fingerprint a variety of templates, including PCR products and whole genomes, to establish genetic relationships between plant tax at the interspecific and intraspecific level, and to identify closely related fungal isolates and plant accessions. No correlation was observed between the sequence of the arbitrary core, the stability of the mini-hairpin structure and DAF efficiency. Mini-hairpin primers with short arbitrary cores and primers complementary to simple sequence repeats present in microsatellites were also used to generate arbitrary signatures from amplification profiles (ASAP). The ASAP strategy is a dual-step amplification procedure that uses at least one primer in each fingerprinting stage. ASAP was able to reproducibly amplify DAF products (representing about 10-15 kb of sequence) following careful optimization of amplification parameters such as primer and template concentration. Avoidance of primer sequences partially complementary to DAF product termini was necessary in order to produce distinct fingerprints. This allowed the combinatorial use of oligomers in nucleic acid screening, with numerous ASAP fingerprinting reactions based on a limited number of primer sequences. Mini-hairpin primers and ASAP analysis significantly increased detection of polymorphic DNA, separating closely related bermudagrass (Cynodon) cultivars and detecting putatively linked markers in bulked segregant analysis of the soybean (Glycine max) supernodulation (nitrate-tolerant symbiosis) locus.

  8. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adolescents' Processing of Pictures and Written Words for Taxonomic Categories in a Priming Task of Semantic Categorization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Degao; Gao, Kejuan; Wu, Xueyun; Chen, Xiaojun; Zhang, Xiaona; Li, Ling; He, Weiwei

    2013-01-01

    Inspired by research by Li, Yi, and Kim (2011), the authors examined Chinese deaf and hard of hearing adolescents' responses to pictures for taxonomic categories of basic level (exemplar pictures) preceded by exemplar pictures, and to written words for taxonomic categories of basic level (exemplar words) preceded by exemplar words or by written…

  9. Thyroid peroxidase autoantibody epitopic 'fingerprints' in juvenile Hashimoto's thyroiditis: evidence for conservation over time and in families.

    PubMed

    Jaume, J C; Burek, C L; Hoffman, W H; Rose, N R; McLachlan, S M; Rapoport, B

    1996-04-01

    In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the humoral component is manifest by autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPO). Epitopic 'fingerprinting' of polyclonal serum TPO autoantibodies has been facilitated by the molecular cloning and expression as Fab of a repertoire of human TPO autoantibody genes. To investigate whether TPO autoantibody fingerprints are (i) stable over long periods of time (approximately 15 years), and (ii) inherited, we studied a cohort of nine patients with juvenile Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 21 first degree relatives of four of these patients. Fingerprints were determined by competition between four selected FAB and serum autoantibodies for binding to 125I-TPO. Regardless of titre, the TPO epitopic profile was stable in 10/12 individuals whose TPO autoantibody levels were sufficient for analysis on two or three occasions over 12-15 years. Although the TPO epitopic fingerprint profiles in two families raised the possibility of inheritance, overall the data from all four families did not reveal an obvious pattern of genetic control. In no family was the TPO epitopic fingerprint associated with HLA A, B or DR. In conclusion, TPO autoantibody epitopic fingerprints are frequently conserved over many years. Studies on additional families are necessary to establish whether or not the epitopic profiles of TPO autoantibodies are inherited.

  10. Fatty Acid Structure and Degradation Analysis in Fingerprint Residues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pleik, Stefanie; Spengler, Bernhard; Schäfer, Thomas; Urbach, Dieter; Luhn, Steven; Kirsch, Dieter

    2016-09-01

    GC-MS investigations were carried out to elucidate the aging behavior of unsaturated fatty acids in fingerprint residues and to identify their degradation products in aged samples. For this purpose, a new sample preparation technique for fingerprint residues was developed that allows producing N-methyl- N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) derivatives of the analyzed unsaturated fatty acids and their degradation products. MSTFA derivatization catalyzed by iodotrimethylsilane enables the reliable identification of aldehydes and oxoacids as characteristic MSTFA derivatives in GCMS. The obtained results elucidate the degradation pathway of unsaturated fatty acids. Our study of aged fingerprint residues reveals that decanal is the main degradation product of the observed unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, oxoacids with different chain lengths are detected as specific degradation products of the unsaturated fatty acids. The detection of the degradation products and their chain length is a simple and effective method to determine the double bond position in unsaturated compounds. We can show that the hexadecenoic and octadecenoic acids found in fingerprint residues are not the pervasive fatty acids Δ9-hexadecenoic (palmitoleic acid) and Δ9-octadecenoic (oleic acid) acid but Δ6-hexadecenoic acid (sapienic acid) and Δ8-octadecenoic acid. The present study focuses on the structure identification of human sebum-specific unsaturated fatty acids in fingerprint residues based on the identification of their degradation products. These results are discussed for further investigations and method developments for age determination of fingerprints, which is still a tremendous challenge because of several factors affecting the aging behavior of individual compounds in fingerprints.

  11. Fatty Acid Structure and Degradation Analysis in Fingerprint Residues.

    PubMed

    Pleik, Stefanie; Spengler, Bernhard; Schäfer, Thomas; Urbach, Dieter; Luhn, Steven; Kirsch, Dieter

    2016-09-01

    GC-MS investigations were carried out to elucidate the aging behavior of unsaturated fatty acids in fingerprint residues and to identify their degradation products in aged samples. For this purpose, a new sample preparation technique for fingerprint residues was developed that allows producing N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) derivatives of the analyzed unsaturated fatty acids and their degradation products. MSTFA derivatization catalyzed by iodotrimethylsilane enables the reliable identification of aldehydes and oxoacids as characteristic MSTFA derivatives in GCMS. The obtained results elucidate the degradation pathway of unsaturated fatty acids. Our study of aged fingerprint residues reveals that decanal is the main degradation product of the observed unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, oxoacids with different chain lengths are detected as specific degradation products of the unsaturated fatty acids. The detection of the degradation products and their chain length is a simple and effective method to determine the double bond position in unsaturated compounds. We can show that the hexadecenoic and octadecenoic acids found in fingerprint residues are not the pervasive fatty acids Δ9-hexadecenoic (palmitoleic acid) and Δ9-octadecenoic (oleic acid) acid but Δ6-hexadecenoic acid (sapienic acid) and Δ8-octadecenoic acid. The present study focuses on the structure identification of human sebum-specific unsaturated fatty acids in fingerprint residues based on the identification of their degradation products. These results are discussed for further investigations and method developments for age determination of fingerprints, which is still a tremendous challenge because of several factors affecting the aging behavior of individual compounds in fingerprints. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  12. Contactless optical scanning of fingerprints with 180 degrees view.

    PubMed

    Palma, J; Liessner, C; Mil'shtein, S

    2006-01-01

    Fingerprint recognition technology is an integral part of criminal investigations. It is the basis for the design of numerous security systems in both the private and public sectors. In a recent study emulating the fingerprinting procedure with widely used optical scanners, it was found that, on average, the distance between ridges decreases about 20% when a finger is positioned on a scanner. Using calibrated silicon pressure sensors, the authors scanned the distribution of pressure across a finger, pixel by pixel, and also generated maps of the average pressure distribution during fingerprinting. Controlled loading of a finger demonstrated that it is impossible to reproduce the same distribution of pressure across a given finger during repeated fingerprinting procedures. Based on this study, a novel method of scanning the fingerprint with more than a 180 degrees view was developed. Using a camera rotated around the finger, small slices of the entire image of the finger were acquired. Equal sized slices of the image were processed with a special program assembling a more than 180 degrees view of the finger. Comparison of two images of the same fingerprint, namely the registered and actual images, could be performed by a new algorithm based on the symmetry of the correlation function. The novel method is the first contactless optical scanning technique to view 180 degrees of a fingerprint without moving the finger. In a machine which is under design, it is expected that the full view of one finger would be acquired in about a second.

  13. A Fingerprint Encryption Scheme Based on Irreversible Function and Secure Authentication

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Jianping; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Shulan

    2015-01-01

    A fingerprint encryption scheme based on irreversible function has been designed in this paper. Since the fingerprint template includes almost the entire information of users' fingerprints, the personal authentication can be determined only by the fingerprint features. This paper proposes an irreversible transforming function (using the improved SHA1 algorithm) to transform the original minutiae which are extracted from the thinned fingerprint image. Then, Chinese remainder theorem is used to obtain the biokey from the integration of the transformed minutiae and the private key. The result shows that the scheme has better performance on security and efficiency comparing with other irreversible function schemes. PMID:25873989

  14. Secure Fingerprint Identification of High Accuracy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    secure ) solution of complexity O(n3) based on Gaussian elimination. When it is applied to biometrics X and Y with mX and mY minutiae, respectively...collections of biometric data in use today include, for example, fingerprint, face, and iris images collected by the US Department of Homeland Security ...work we focus on fingerprint data due to popularity and good accuracy of this type of biometry. We formulate the problem of private, or secure , finger

  15. Audio fingerprint extraction for content identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiu, Yu; Yeh, Chia-Hung; Kuo, C. C. J.

    2003-11-01

    In this work, we present an audio content identification system that identifies some unknown audio material by comparing its fingerprint with those extracted off-line and saved in the music database. We will describe in detail the procedure to extract audio fingerprints and demonstrate that they are robust to noise and content-preserving manipulations. The main feature in the proposed system is the zero-crossing rate extracted with the octave-band filter bank. The zero-crossing rate can be used to describe the dominant frequency in each subband with a very low computational cost. The size of audio fingerprint is small and can be efficiently stored along with the compressed files in the database. It is also robust to many modifications such as tempo change and time-alignment distortion. Besides, the octave-band filter bank is used to enhance the robustness to distortion, especially those localized on some frequency regions.

  16. Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions

    PubMed Central

    Ulery, Bradford T.; Hicklin, R. Austin; Buscaglia, JoAnn; Roberts, Maria Antonia

    2011-01-01

    The interpretation of forensic fingerprint evidence relies on the expertise of latent print examiners. The National Research Council of the National Academies and the legal and forensic sciences communities have called for research to measure the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners’ decisions, a challenging and complex problem in need of systematic analysis. Our research is focused on the development of empirical approaches to studying this problem. Here, we report on the first large-scale study of the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners’ decisions, in which 169 latent print examiners each compared approximately 100 pairs of latent and exemplar fingerprints from a pool of 744 pairs. The fingerprints were selected to include a range of attributes and quality encountered in forensic casework, and to be comparable to searches of an automated fingerprint identification system containing more than 58 million subjects. This study evaluated examiners on key decision points in the fingerprint examination process; procedures used operationally include additional safeguards designed to minimize errors. Five examiners made false positive errors for an overall false positive rate of 0.1%. Eighty-five percent of examiners made at least one false negative error for an overall false negative rate of 7.5%. Independent examination of the same comparisons by different participants (analogous to blind verification) was found to detect all false positive errors and the majority of false negative errors in this study. Examiners frequently differed on whether fingerprints were suitable for reaching a conclusion. PMID:21518906

  17. Method and apparatus for imaging and documenting fingerprints

    DOEpatents

    Fernandez, Salvador M.

    2002-01-01

    The invention relates to a method and apparatus for imaging and documenting fingerprints. A fluorescent dye brought in intimate proximity with the lipid residues of a latent fingerprint is caused to fluoresce on exposure to light energy. The resulting fluorescing image may be recorded photographically.

  18. Supplemental Fingerprint Card Data (SFCD) for NIST Special Database 9

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    Supplemental Fingerprint Card Data (SFCD) for NIST Special Database 9 (Web, free access)   NIST Special Database 10 (Supplemental Fingerprint Card Data for Special Database 9 - 8-Bit Gray Scale Images) provides a larger sample of fingerprint patterns that have a low natural frequency of occurrence and transitional fingerprint classes in NIST Special Database 9. The software is the same code used with NIST Special Database 4 and 9. A newer version of the compression/decompression software on the CDROM can be found at the website http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/ig/nigos.cfm as part of the NBIS package.

  19. Comparative study of minutiae selection algorithms for ISO fingerprint templates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vibert, B.; Charrier, C.; Le Bars, J.-M.; Rosenberger, C.

    2015-03-01

    We address the selection of fingerprint minutiae given a fingerprint ISO template. Minutiae selection plays a very important role when a secure element (i.e. a smart-card) is used. Because of the limited capability of computation and memory, the number of minutiae of a stored reference in the secure element is limited. We propose in this paper a comparative study of 6 minutiae selection methods including 2 methods from the literature and 1 like reference (No Selection). Experimental results on 3 fingerprint databases from the Fingerprint Verification Competition show their relative efficiency in terms of performance and computation time.

  20. [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.]-Means Based Fingerprint Segmentation with Sensor Interoperability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Gongping; Zhou, Guang-Tong; Yin, Yilong; Yang, Xiukun

    2010-12-01

    A critical step in an automatic fingerprint recognition system is the segmentation of fingerprint images. Existing methods are usually designed to segment fingerprint images originated from a certain sensor. Thus their performances are significantly affected when dealing with fingerprints collected by different sensors. This work studies the sensor interoperability of fingerprint segmentation algorithms, which refers to the algorithm's ability to adapt to the raw fingerprints obtained from different sensors. We empirically analyze the sensor interoperability problem, and effectively address the issue by proposing a [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.]-means based segmentation method called SKI. SKI clusters foreground and background blocks of a fingerprint image based on the [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.]-means algorithm, where a fingerprint block is represented by a 3-dimensional feature vector consisting of block-wise coherence, mean, and variance (abbreviated as CMV). SKI also employs morphological postprocessing to achieve favorable segmentation results. We perform SKI on each fingerprint to ensure sensor interoperability. The interoperability and robustness of our method are validated by experiments performed on a number of fingerprint databases which are obtained from various sensors.

  1. Applications of the rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting technique to study microbial diversity, ecology and evolution.

    PubMed

    Ishii, Satoshi; Sadowsky, Michael J

    2009-04-01

    A large number of repetitive DNA sequences are found in multiple sites in the genomes of numerous bacteria, archaea and eukarya. While the functions of many of these repetitive sequence elements are unknown, they have proven to be useful as the basis of several powerful tools for use in molecular diagnostics, medical microbiology, epidemiological analyses and environmental microbiology. The repetitive sequence-based PCR or rep-PCR DNA fingerprint technique uses primers targeting several of these repetitive elements and PCR to generate unique DNA profiles or 'fingerprints' of individual microbial strains. Although this technique has been extensively used to examine diversity among variety of prokaryotic microorganisms, rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting can also be applied to microbial ecology and microbial evolution studies since it has the power to distinguish microbes at the strain or isolate level. Recent advancement in rep-PCR methodology has resulted in increased accuracy, reproducibility and throughput. In this minireview, we summarize recent improvements in rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting methodology, and discuss its applications to address fundamentally important questions in microbial ecology and evolution.

  2. Rapid action in the Palaeogene, the relationship between phenotypic and taxonomic diversification in Coenozoic mammals

    PubMed Central

    Raia, P.; Carotenuto, F.; Passaro, F.; Piras, P.; Fulgione, D.; Werdelin, L.; Saarinen, J.; Fortelius, M.

    2013-01-01

    A classic question in evolutionary biology concerns the tempo and mode of lineage evolution. Considered variously in relation to resource utilization, intrinsic constraints or hierarchic level, the question of how evolutionary change occurs in general has continued to draw the attention of the field for over a century and a half. Here we use the largest species-level phylogeny of Coenozoic fossil mammals (1031 species) ever assembled and their body size estimates, to show that body size and taxonomic diversification rates declined from the origin of placentals towards the present, and very probably correlate to each other. These findings suggest that morphological and taxic diversifications of mammals occurred hierarchically, with major shifts in body size coinciding with the birth of large clades, followed by taxonomic diversification within these newly formed clades. As the clades expanded, rates of taxonomic diversification proceeded independently of phenotypic evolution. Such a dynamic is consistent with the idea, central to the Modern Synthesis, that mammals radiated adaptively, with the filling of adaptive zones following the radiation. PMID:23173207

  3. Improving the recognition of fingerprint biometric system using enhanced image fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alsharif, Salim; El-Saba, Aed; Stripathi, Reshma

    2010-04-01

    Fingerprints recognition systems have been widely used by financial institutions, law enforcement, border control, visa issuing, just to mention few. Biometric identifiers can be counterfeited, but considered more reliable and secure compared to traditional ID cards or personal passwords methods. Fingerprint pattern fusion improves the performance of a fingerprint recognition system in terms of accuracy and security. This paper presents digital enhancement and fusion approaches that improve the biometric of the fingerprint recognition system. It is a two-step approach. In the first step raw fingerprint images are enhanced using high-frequency-emphasis filtering (HFEF). The second step is a simple linear fusion process between the raw images and the HFEF ones. It is shown that the proposed approach increases the verification and identification of the fingerprint biometric recognition system, where any improvement is justified using the correlation performance metrics of the matching algorithm.

  4. Semantically transparent fingerprinting for right protection of digital cinema

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xiaolin

    2003-06-01

    Digital cinema, a new frontier and crown jewel of digital multimedia, has the potential of revolutionizing the science, engineering and business of movie production and distribution. The advantages of digital cinema technology over traditional analog technology are numerous and profound. But without effective and enforceable copyright protection measures, digital cinema can be more susceptible to widespread piracy, which can dampen or even prevent the commercial deployment of digital cinema. In this paper we propose a novel approach of fingerprinting each individual distribution copy of a digital movie for the purpose of tracing pirated copies back to their source. The proposed fingerprinting technique presents a fundamental departure from the traditional digital watermarking/fingerprinting techniques. Its novelty and uniqueness lie in a so-called semantic or subjective transparency property. The fingerprints are created by editing those visual and audio attributes that can be modified with semantic and subjective transparency to the audience. Semantically-transparent fingerprinting or watermarking is the most robust kind among all existing watermarking techniques, because it is content-based not sample-based, and semantically-recoverable not statistically-recoverable.

  5. High Resolution Ultrasonic Method for 3D Fingerprint Representation in Biometrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maev, R. Gr.; Bakulin, E. Y.; Maeva, E. Y.; Severin, F. M.

    Biometrics is an important field which studies different possible ways of personal identification. Among a number of existing biometric techniques fingerprint recognition stands alone - because very large database of fingerprints has already been acquired. Also, fingerprints are an important evidence that can be collected at a crime scene. Therefore, of all automated biometric techniques, especially in the field of law enforcement, fingerprint identification seems to be the most promising. Ultrasonic method of fingerprint imaging was originally introduced over a decade as the mapping of the reflection coefficient at the interface between the finger and a covering plate and has shown very good reliability and free from imperfections of previous two methods. This work introduces a newer development of the ultrasonic fingerprint imaging, focusing on the imaging of the internal structures of fingerprints (including sweat pores) with raw acoustic resolution of about 500 dpi (0.05 mm) using a scanning acoustic microscope to obtain images and acoustic data in the form of 3D data array. C-scans from different depths inside the fingerprint area of fingers of several volunteers were obtained and showed good contrast of ridges-and-valleys patterns and practically exact correspondence to the standard ink-and-paper prints of the same areas. Important feature reveled on the acoustic images was the clear appearance of the sweat pores, which could provide additional means of identification.

  6. Non-destructive forensic latent fingerprint acquisition with chromatic white light sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leich, Marcus; Kiltz, Stefan; Dittmann, Jana; Vielhauer, Claus

    2011-02-01

    Non-destructive latent fingerprint acquisition is an emerging field of research, which, unlike traditional methods, makes latent fingerprints available for additional verification or further analysis like tests for substance abuse or age estimation. In this paper a series of tests is performed to investigate the overall suitability of a high resolution off-the-shelf chromatic white light sensor for the contact-less and non-destructive latent fingerprint acquisition. Our paper focuses on scanning previously determined regions with exemplary acquisition parameter settings. 3D height field and reflection data of five different latent fingerprints on six different types of surfaces (HDD platter, brushed metal, painted car body (metallic and non-metallic finish), blued metal, veneered plywood) are experimentally studied. Pre-processing is performed by removing low-frequency gradients. The quality of the results is assessed subjectively; no automated feature extraction is performed. Additionally, the degradation of the fingerprint during the acquisition period is observed. While the quality of the acquired data is highly dependent on surface structure, the sensor is capable of detecting the fingerprint on all sample surfaces. On blued metal the residual material is detected; however, the ridge line structure dissolves within minutes after fingerprint placement.

  7. Human matching performance of genuine crime scene latent fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Matthew B; Tangen, Jason M; McCarthy, Duncan J

    2014-02-01

    There has been very little research into the nature and development of fingerprint matching expertise. Here we present the results of an experiment testing the claimed matching expertise of fingerprint examiners. Expert (n = 37), intermediate trainee (n = 8), new trainee (n = 9), and novice (n = 37) participants performed a fingerprint discrimination task involving genuine crime scene latent fingerprints, their matches, and highly similar distractors, in a signal detection paradigm. Results show that qualified, court-practicing fingerprint experts were exceedingly accurate compared with novices. Experts showed a conservative response bias, tending to err on the side of caution by making more errors of the sort that could allow a guilty person to escape detection than errors of the sort that could falsely incriminate an innocent person. The superior performance of experts was not simply a function of their ability to match prints, per se, but a result of their ability to identify the highly similar, but nonmatching fingerprints as such. Comparing these results with previous experiments, experts were even more conservative in their decision making when dealing with these genuine crime scene prints than when dealing with simulated crime scene prints, and this conservatism made them relatively less accurate overall. Intermediate trainees-despite their lack of qualification and average 3.5 years experience-performed about as accurately as qualified experts who had an average 17.5 years experience. New trainees-despite their 5-week, full-time training course or their 6 months experience-were not any better than novices at discriminating matching and similar nonmatching prints, they were just more conservative. Further research is required to determine the precise nature of fingerprint matching expertise and the factors that influence performance. The findings of this representative, lab-based experiment may have implications for the way fingerprint examiners testify in

  8. Development, optimization and validation of gas chromatographic fingerprinting of Brazilian commercial diesel fuel for quality control.

    PubMed

    dos Santos, Bruno César Diniz Brito; Flumignan, Danilo Luiz; de Oliveira, José Eduardo

    2012-10-01

    A three-step development, optimization and validation strategy is described for gas chromatography (GC) fingerprints of Brazilian commercial diesel fuel. A suitable GC-flame ionization detection (FID) system was selected to assay a complex matrix such as diesel. The next step was to improve acceptable chromatographic resolution with reduced analysis time, which is recommended for routine applications. Full three-level factorial designs were performed to improve flow rate, oven ramps, injection volume and split ratio in the GC system. Finally, several validation parameters were performed. The GC fingerprinting can be coupled with pattern recognition and multivariate regressions analyses to determine fuel quality and fuel physicochemical parameters. This strategy can also be applied to develop fingerprints for quality control of other fuel types.

  9. [NIR Fingerprints of Different Medicinal Parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ya-ya; Gu, Zhi-rong; Ding, Jun-xia; Wang, Yao-peng; Sun, Yu-jing; Wang, Ya-li

    2015-07-01

    To investigate the spectrum characteristics of near-intrared dittuse retlectance spectroscopy (NIR) fingerprint of different medicinal parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. 96 batches of samples were collected from 14 counties of Gansu Province and Yunnan Province. The NIR fingerprints were collected by integrated sphere. Similarity analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were used to analyze the fingerprint. The average spectrum of NIR fingerprint of different medicinal parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix showed some differences; the absorbance in characteristic absorption was in a decreasing order of body > tail > head > whole. Most NIR fingerprint similarities of different medicinal parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix exceeded 0. 95. The established model of PLS-DA could be used to accurately classify the medicinal parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. The differences of NIR fingerprints of different medicinal parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix were mainly existing in the wave number ranges of 8,443 - 8,284 cm -1, 7,003 - 6,896 cm-1, 6,102 - 5,864 cm-1, 4,847 - 4,674 cm-1, and 4,386 - 4,208 cm-1. The different medicinal parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix have some differences in chemical components.

  10. Fingerprint identification: advances since the 2009 National Research Council report

    PubMed Central

    Champod, Christophe

    2015-01-01

    This paper will discuss the major developments in the area of fingerprint identification that followed the publication of the National Research Council (NRC, of the US National Academies of Sciences) report in 2009 entitled: Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward. The report portrayed an image of a field of expertise used for decades without the necessary scientific research-based underpinning. The advances since the report and the needs in selected areas of fingerprinting will be detailed. It includes the measurement of the accuracy, reliability, repeatability and reproducibility of the conclusions offered by fingerprint experts. The paper will also pay attention to the development of statistical models allowing assessment of fingerprint comparisons. As a corollary of these developments, the next challenge is to reconcile a traditional practice dominated by deterministic conclusions with the probabilistic logic of any statistical model. There is a call for greater candour and fingerprint experts will need to communicate differently on the strengths and limitations of their findings. Their testimony will have to go beyond the blunt assertion of the uniqueness of fingerprints or the opinion delivered ispe dixit. PMID:26101284

  11. Automated mapping of explosives particles in composition C-4 fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Verkouteren, Jennifer R; Coleman, Jessica L; Cho, Inho

    2010-03-01

    A method is described to perform automated mapping of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) particles in C-4 fingerprints. The method employs polarized light microscopy and image analysis to map the entire fingerprint and the distribution of RDX particles. This method can be used to evaluate a large number of fingerprints to aid in the development of threat libraries that can be used to determine performance requirements of explosive trace detectors. A series of 50 C-4 fingerprints were characterized, and results show that the number of particles varies significantly from print to print, and within a print. The particle size distributions can be used to estimate the mass of RDX in the fingerprint. These estimates were found to be within +/-26% relative of the results obtained from dissolution gas chromatography/micro-electron capture detection for four of six prints, which is quite encouraging for a particle counting approach. By evaluating the average mass and frequency of particles with respect to size for this series of fingerprints, we conclude that particles 10-20 microm in diameter could be targeted to improve detection of traces of C-4 explosives.

  12. 17 CFR 240.17f-2 - Fingerprinting of securities industry personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... submit, or cause to be submitted, the fingerprints of such persons to the Attorney General of the United... state insurance department with respect to its sale of variable contracts. (iv) Illegible fingerprint... fingerprints acceptable to the Attorney General or its designee for identification and appropriate processing...

  13. 17 CFR 240.17f-2 - Fingerprinting of securities industry personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... submit, or cause to be submitted, the fingerprints of such persons to the Attorney General of the United... state insurance department with respect to its sale of variable contracts. (iv) Illegible fingerprint... fingerprints acceptable to the Attorney General or its designee for identification and appropriate processing...

  14. 17 CFR 240.17f-2 - Fingerprinting of securities industry personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... submit, or cause to be submitted, the fingerprints of such persons to the Attorney General of the United... state insurance department with respect to its sale of variable contracts. (iv) Illegible fingerprint... fingerprints acceptable to the Attorney General or its designee for identification and appropriate processing...

  15. 17 CFR 240.17f-2 - Fingerprinting of securities industry personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... submit, or cause to be submitted, the fingerprints of such persons to the Attorney General of the United... state insurance department with respect to its sale of variable contracts. (iv) Illegible fingerprint... fingerprints acceptable to the Attorney General or its designee for identification and appropriate processing...

  16. 17 CFR 240.17f-2 - Fingerprinting of securities industry personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... submit, or cause to be submitted, the fingerprints of such persons to the Attorney General of the United... state insurance department with respect to its sale of variable contracts. (iv) Illegible fingerprint... fingerprints acceptable to the Attorney General or its designee for identification and appropriate processing...

  17. Optical Methods in Fingerprint Imaging for Medical and Personality Applications.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chia-Nan; Wang, Jing-Wein; Lin, Ming-Hsun; Chang, Yao-Lang; Kuo, Chia-Ming

    2017-10-23

    Over the years, analysis and induction of personality traits has been a topic for individual subjective conjecture or speculation, rather than a focus of inductive scientific analysis. This study proposes a novel framework for analysis and induction of personality traits. First, 14 personality constructs based on the "Big Five" personality factors were developed. Next, a new fingerprint image algorithm was used for classification, and the fingerprints were classified into eight types. The relationship between personality traits and fingerprint type was derived from the results of the questionnaire survey. After comparison of pre-test and post-test results, this study determined the induction ability of personality traits from fingerprint type. Experimental results showed that the left/right thumbprint type of a majority of subjects was left loop/right loop and that the personalities of individuals with this fingerprint type were moderate with no significant differences in the 14 personality constructs.

  18. Indoor Location Sensing with Invariant Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength Fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Husen, Mohd Nizam; Lee, Sukhan

    2016-11-11

    A method of location fingerprinting based on the Wi-Fi received signal strength (RSS) in an indoor environment is presented. The method aims to overcome the RSS instability due to varying channel disturbances in time by introducing the concept of invariant RSS statistics. The invariant RSS statistics represent here the RSS distributions collected at individual calibration locations under minimal random spatiotemporal disturbances in time. The invariant RSS statistics thus collected serve as the reference pattern classes for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting is carried out at an unknown location by identifying the reference pattern class that maximally supports the spontaneous RSS sensed from individual Wi-Fi sources. A design guideline is also presented as a rule of thumb for estimating the number of Wi-Fi signal sources required to be available for any given number of calibration locations under a certain level of random spatiotemporal disturbances. Experimental results show that the proposed method not only provides 17% higher success rate than conventional ones but also removes the need for recalibration. Furthermore, the resolution is shown finer by 40% with the execution time more than an order of magnitude faster than the conventional methods. These results are also backed up by theoretical analysis.

  19. Enhancement of plant metabolite fingerprinting by machine learning.

    PubMed

    Scott, Ian M; Vermeer, Cornelia P; Liakata, Maria; Corol, Delia I; Ward, Jane L; Lin, Wanchang; Johnson, Helen E; Whitehead, Lynne; Kular, Baldeep; Baker, John M; Walsh, Sean; Dave, Anuja; Larson, Tony R; Graham, Ian A; Wang, Trevor L; King, Ross D; Draper, John; Beale, Michael H

    2010-08-01

    Metabolite fingerprinting of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants with known or predicted metabolic lesions was performed by (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and flow injection electrospray-mass spectrometry. Fingerprinting enabled processing of five times more plants than conventional chromatographic profiling and was competitive for discriminating mutants, other than those affected in only low-abundance metabolites. Despite their rapidity and complexity, fingerprints yielded metabolomic insights (e.g. that effects of single lesions were usually not confined to individual pathways). Among fingerprint techniques, (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance discriminated the most mutant phenotypes from the wild type and Fourier transform infrared discriminated the fewest. To maximize information from fingerprints, data analysis was crucial. One-third of distinctive phenotypes might have been overlooked had data models been confined to principal component analysis score plots. Among several methods tested, machine learning (ML) algorithms, namely support vector machine or random forest (RF) classifiers, were unsurpassed for phenotype discrimination. Support vector machines were often the best performing classifiers, but RFs yielded some particularly informative measures. First, RFs estimated margins between mutant phenotypes, whose relations could then be visualized by Sammon mapping or hierarchical clustering. Second, RFs provided importance scores for the features within fingerprints that discriminated mutants. These scores correlated with analysis of variance F values (as did Kruskal-Wallis tests, true- and false-positive measures, mutual information, and the Relief feature selection algorithm). ML classifiers, as models trained on one data set to predict another, were ideal for focused metabolomic queries, such as the distinctiveness and consistency of mutant phenotypes. Accessible software for use of ML in plant physiology is highlighted.

  20. High resolution imaging of latent fingerprints by localized corrosion on brass surfaces.

    PubMed

    Goddard, Alex J; Hillman, A Robert; Bond, John W

    2010-01-01

    The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is capable of imaging fingerprint ridges on polished brass substrates at an unprecedented level of detail. While exposure to elevated humidity at ambient or slightly raised temperatures does not change the image appreciably, subsequent brief heating in a flame results in complete loss of the sweat deposit and the appearance of pits and trenches. Localized elemental analysis (using EDAX, coupled with SEM imaging) shows the presence of the constituents of salt in the initial deposits. Together with water and atmospheric oxygen--and with thermal enhancement--these are capable of driving a surface corrosion process. This process is sufficiently localized that it has the potential to generate a durable negative topographical image of the fingerprint. AFM examination of surface regions between ridges revealed small deposits (probably microscopic "spatter" of sweat components or transferred particulates) that may ultimately limit the level of ridge detail analysis.

  1. Plasmonic Aptamer-Gold Nanoparticle Sensors for Small Molecule Fingerprint Identification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2014-0107 PLASMONIC APTAMER -GOLD NANOPARTICLE SENSORS FOR SMALL MOLECULE FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION Jorge Chávez Grant Slusher...Plasmonic Aptamer -Gold Nanoparticle Sensors for Small Molecule Fingerprint Identification 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER N/A 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...The utilization of the plasmonic response of aptamer -gold nanoparticle conjugates (Apt-AuNPs) to design cross- reactive arrays for fingerprint

  2. Fingerprinting Communication and Computation on HPC Machines

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peisert, Sean

    2010-06-02

    How do we identify what is actually running on high-performance computing systems? Names of binaries, dynamic libraries loaded, or other elements in a submission to a batch queue can give clues, but binary names can be changed, and libraries provide limited insight and resolution on the code being run. In this paper, we present a method for"fingerprinting" code running on HPC machines using elements of communication and computation. We then discuss how that fingerprint can be used to determine if the code is consistent with certain other types of codes, what a user usually runs, or what the user requestedmore » an allocation to do. In some cases, our techniques enable us to fingerprint HPC codes using runtime MPI data with a high degree of accuracy.« less

  3. Taxonomic profiling of bacterial community structure from coastal sediment of Alang-Sosiya shipbreaking yard near Bhavnagar, India.

    PubMed

    Patel, Vilas; Munot, Hitendra; Shah, Varun; Shouche, Yogesh S; Madamwar, Datta

    2015-12-30

    The Alang-Sosiya shipbreaking yard (ASSBY) is considered the largest of its kind in the world, and a major source of anthropogenic pollutants. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of shipbreaking activities on the bacterial community structure with a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. In the culture-dependent approach, 200 bacterial cultures were isolated and analyzed by molecular fingerprinting and 16S ribosomal RNA (r-RNA) gene sequencing, as well as being studied for degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the culture-independent approach, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were related to eight major phyla, of which Betaproteobacteria (especially Acidovorax) was predominantly found in the polluted sediments of ASSBY and Gammaproteobacteria in the pristine sediment sample. The statistical approaches showed a significant difference in the bacterial community structure between the pristine and polluted sediments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the effect of shipbreaking activity on the bacterial community structure of the coastal sediment at ASSBY. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Practical aspects of chemometrics for oil spill fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Christensen, Jan H; Tomasi, Giorgio

    2007-10-26

    Tiered approaches for oil spill fingerprinting have evolved rapidly since the 1990s. Chemometrics provides a large number of tools for pattern recognition, calibration and classification that can increase the speed and the objectivity of the analysis and allow for more extensive use of the available data in this field. However, although the chemometric literature is extensive, it does not focus on practical issues that are relevant to oil spill fingerprinting. The aim of this review is to provide a framework for the use of chemometric approaches in tiered oil spill fingerprinting and to provide clear-cut practical details and experiences that can be used by the forensic chemist. The framework is based on methods for initial screening, which include classification of samples into oil type, detection of non matches and of weathering state, and detailed oil spill fingerprinting, in which a more rigorous matching of an oil spill sample to suspected source oils is obtained. This review is intended as a tutorial, and is based on two examples of initial screening using respectively gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and fluorescence spectroscopy; and two of detailed oil spill fingerprinting where gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data are analyzed according to two approaches: The first relying on sections of processed chromatograms and the second on diagnostic ratios.

  5. Fast fingerprint database maintenance for indoor positioning based on UGV SLAM.

    PubMed

    Tang, Jian; Chen, Yuwei; Chen, Liang; Liu, Jingbin; Hyyppä, Juha; Kukko, Antero; Kaartinen, Harri; Hyyppä, Hannu; Chen, Ruizhi

    2015-03-04

    Indoor positioning technology has become more and more important in the last two decades. Utilizing Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) fingerprints of Signals of OPportunity (SOP) is a promising alternative navigation solution. However, as the RSSIs vary during operation due to their physical nature and are easily affected by the environmental change, one challenge of the indoor fingerprinting method is maintaining the RSSI fingerprint database in a timely and effective manner. In this paper, a solution for rapidly updating the fingerprint database is presented, based on a self-developed Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) platform NAVIS. Several SOP sensors were installed on NAVIS for collecting indoor fingerprint information, including a digital compass collecting magnetic field intensity, a light sensor collecting light intensity, and a smartphone which collects the access point number and RSSIs of the pre-installed WiFi network. The NAVIS platform generates a map of the indoor environment and collects the SOPs during processing of the mapping, and then the SOP fingerprint database is interpolated and updated in real time. Field tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. The results showed that the fingerprint databases can be quickly created and updated with a higher sampling frequency (5Hz) and denser reference points compared with traditional methods, and the indoor map can be generated without prior information. Moreover, environmental changes could also be detected quickly for fingerprint indoor positioning.

  6. Fast Fingerprint Database Maintenance for Indoor Positioning Based on UGV SLAM

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Jian; Chen, Yuwei; Chen, Liang; Liu, Jingbin; Hyyppä, Juha; Kukko, Antero; Kaartinen, Harri; Hyyppä, Hannu; Chen, Ruizhi

    2015-01-01

    Indoor positioning technology has become more and more important in the last two decades. Utilizing Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) fingerprints of Signals of OPportunity (SOP) is a promising alternative navigation solution. However, as the RSSIs vary during operation due to their physical nature and are easily affected by the environmental change, one challenge of the indoor fingerprinting method is maintaining the RSSI fingerprint database in a timely and effective manner. In this paper, a solution for rapidly updating the fingerprint database is presented, based on a self-developed Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) platform NAVIS. Several SOP sensors were installed on NAVIS for collecting indoor fingerprint information, including a digital compass collecting magnetic field intensity, a light sensor collecting light intensity, and a smartphone which collects the access point number and RSSIs of the pre-installed WiFi network. The NAVIS platform generates a map of the indoor environment and collects the SOPs during processing of the mapping, and then the SOP fingerprint database is interpolated and updated in real time. Field tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. The results showed that the fingerprint databases can be quickly created and updated with a higher sampling frequency (5Hz) and denser reference points compared with traditional methods, and the indoor map can be generated without prior information. Moreover, environmental changes could also be detected quickly for fingerprint indoor positioning. PMID:25746096

  7. The Microbial Genomes Atlas (MiGA) webserver: taxonomic and gene diversity analysis of Archaea and Bacteria at the whole genome level.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez-R, Luis M; Gunturu, Santosh; Harvey, William T; Rosselló-Mora, Ramon; Tiedje, James M; Cole, James R; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T

    2018-06-14

    The small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) has been successfully used to catalogue and study the diversity of prokaryotic species and communities but it offers limited resolution at the species and finer levels, and cannot represent the whole-genome diversity and fluidity. To overcome these limitations, we introduced the Microbial Genomes Atlas (MiGA), a webserver that allows the classification of an unknown query genomic sequence, complete or partial, against all taxonomically classified taxa with available genome sequences, as well as comparisons to other related genomes including uncultivated ones, based on the genome-aggregate Average Nucleotide and Amino Acid Identity (ANI/AAI) concepts. MiGA integrates best practices in sequence quality trimming and assembly and allows input to be raw reads or assemblies from isolate genomes, single-cell sequences, and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Further, MiGA can take as input hundreds of closely related genomes of the same or closely related species (a so-called 'Clade Project') to assess their gene content diversity and evolutionary relationships, and calculate important clade properties such as the pangenome and core gene sets. Therefore, MiGA is expected to facilitate a range of genome-based taxonomic and diversity studies, and quality assessment across environmental and clinical settings. MiGA is available at http://microbial-genomes.org/.

  8. Optical Methods in Fingerprint Imaging for Medical and Personality Applications

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jing-Wein; Lin, Ming-Hsun; Chang, Yao-Lang; Kuo, Chia-Ming

    2017-01-01

    Over the years, analysis and induction of personality traits has been a topic for individual subjective conjecture or speculation, rather than a focus of inductive scientific analysis. This study proposes a novel framework for analysis and induction of personality traits. First, 14 personality constructs based on the “Big Five” personality factors were developed. Next, a new fingerprint image algorithm was used for classification, and the fingerprints were classified into eight types. The relationship between personality traits and fingerprint type was derived from the results of the questionnaire survey. After comparison of pre-test and post-test results, this study determined the induction ability of personality traits from fingerprint type. Experimental results showed that the left/right thumbprint type of a majority of subjects was left loop/right loop and that the personalities of individuals with this fingerprint type were moderate with no significant differences in the 14 personality constructs. PMID:29065556

  9. 3D matching techniques using OCT fingerprint point clouds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gutierrez da Costa, Henrique S.; Silva, Luciano; Bellon, Olga R. P.; Bowden, Audrey K.; Czovny, Raphael K.

    2017-02-01

    Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) makes viable acquisition of 3D fingerprints from both dermis and epidermis skin layers and their interfaces, exposing features that can be explored to improve biometric identification such as the curvatures and distinctive 3D regions. Scanned images from eleven volunteers allowed the construction of the first OCT 3D fingerprint database, to our knowledge, containing epidermal and dermal fingerprints. 3D dermal fingerprints can be used to overcome cases of Failure to Enroll (FTE) due to poor ridge image quality and skin alterations, cases that affect 2D matching performance. We evaluate three matching techniques, including the well-established Iterative Closest Points algorithm (ICP), Surface Interpenetration Measure (SIM) and the well-known KH Curvature Maps, all assessed using a 3D OCT fingerprint database, the first one for this purpose. Two of these techniques are based on registration techniques and one on curvatures. These were evaluated, compared and the fusion of matching scores assessed. We applied a sequence of steps to extract regions of interest named (ROI) minutiae clouds, representing small regions around distinctive minutia, usually located at ridges/valleys endings or bifurcations. The obtained ROI is acquired from the epidermis and dermis-epidermis interface by OCT imaging. A comparative analysis of identification accuracy was explored using different scenarios and the obtained results shows improvements for biometric identification. A comparison against 2D fingerprint matching algorithms is also presented to assess the improvements.

  10. Solving the Mystery of the Fading Fingerprints with London Dispersion Forces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kimbrough, Doris R.; Delorenzo, Ronald

    1998-10-01

    The use of fingerprints for identification purposes is one of the most widespread and best-understood tools of forensic science. Fingerprinting is such a common occurrence in detective novels, cinema, and television that we all know it is best to wear gloves when committing a crime. However, the fingerprints of the perpetrator are often not the only ones of importance in the collection of evidence. The fingerprints of the victim can be extremely important as well, and obtaining them when the victim is a child can be a tricky and frustrating endeavor.

  11. Ultrafast Comparison of Personal Genomes via Precomputed Genome Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Glusman, Gustavo; Mauldin, Denise E; Hood, Leroy E; Robinson, Max

    2017-01-01

    We present an ultrafast method for comparing personal genomes. We transform the standard genome representation (lists of variants relative to a reference) into "genome fingerprints" via locality sensitive hashing. The resulting genome fingerprints can be meaningfully compared even when the input data were obtained using different sequencing technologies, processed using different pipelines, represented in different data formats and relative to different reference versions. Furthermore, genome fingerprints are robust to up to 30% missing data. Because of their reduced size, computation on the genome fingerprints is fast and requires little memory. For example, we could compute all-against-all pairwise comparisons among the 2504 genomes in the 1000 Genomes data set in 67 s at high quality (21 μs per comparison, on a single processor), and achieved a lower quality approximation in just 11 s. Efficient computation enables scaling up a variety of important genome analyses, including quantifying relatedness, recognizing duplicative sequenced genomes in a set, population reconstruction, and many others. The original genome representation cannot be reconstructed from its fingerprint, effectively decoupling genome comparison from genome interpretation; the method thus has significant implications for privacy-preserving genome analytics.

  12. [Studies on GC fingerprint of volatile oil of Houttuynia cordata].

    PubMed

    Yang, Bin; Wang, Ruo-Jing; Wang, Qian-Peng; Lu, Dong-Mei; Li, Hua; Xiao, Yong-Qing; Wang, Yong-Yan

    2006-12-01

    To establish a GC fingerprint of the volatile oil of Houttuynia cordata. The volatile oil was extracted from H. cordata by water stream distillation method, and analyzed by GC coupled with FID. 12 bathes of samples collected from different regions were analyzed; the GC fingerprint of the volatile oil of H. cordata was subsequently established. The established GC fingerprint can be used for the identification of H. cordata.

  13. Comparing efficacy of different taxonomic resolutions and surrogates in detecting changes in soft bottom assemblages due to coastal defence structures.

    PubMed

    Bertasi, Fabio; Colangelo, Marina Antonia; Colosio, Francesco; Gregorio, Gianni; Abbiati, Marco; Ceccherelli, Victor Ugo

    2009-05-01

    Sandy shores on the West coast of the North Adriatic Sea are extensively protected by different types of defence structures to prevent coastal erosion. Coastal defence schemes modify the hydrodynamic regime, the sediment structure and composition thus affecting the benthic assemblages. This study examines the effectiveness in detecting changes in soft bottom assemblages caused by coastal defence structures by using different levels of taxonomic resolution, polychaetes and/or bivalves as surrogates and different data transformations. A synoptic analyses of three datasets of subtidal benthic macrofauna used in studies aimed at assessing the impact of breakwaters along the North Adriatic coast has been done. Analyses of similarities and correlations between distance matrices were done using matrices with different levels of taxonomic resolution, and with polychaetes or bivalves data alone. Lentidium mediterraneum was the most abundant species in all datasets. Its abundance was not consistently related to the presence of defence structures. Moreover, distribution patterns of L. mediterraneum were masking the structure of the whole macrofaunal assemblages. Removal of L. mediterraneum from the datasets allowed the detection of changes in benthic assemblages due to coastal defences. Analyses on different levels of taxonomic resolution showed that the level of family maintained sufficient information to detect the impacts of coastal defence structures on benthic assemblages. Moreover, the outcomes depended on the transformation used. Patterns of distribution of bivalves, used as surrogates, showed low correlations with the patterns of the total macrofaunal species assemblages. Patterns of polychaetes, if identified to the species or genus level showed higher correlations with the whole dataset. However, the identification of polychaetes to species and genus level is as costly as the identification of all macrobenthic taxa at family level. This study provided additional

  14. 17 CFR 3.21 - Exemption from fingerprinting requirement in certain cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ...) Any person who is required by this part to submit a fingerprint card may file, or cause to be filed, in lieu of such card: (1) A legible, accurate and complete photocopy of a fingerprint card that has... respect to that fingerprint card if such identification and processing has been completed satisfactorily...

  15. 17 CFR 3.21 - Exemption from fingerprinting requirement in certain cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ...) Any person who is required by this part to submit a fingerprint card may file, or cause to be filed, in lieu of such card: (1) A legible, accurate and complete photocopy of a fingerprint card that has... respect to that fingerprint card if such identification and processing has been completed satisfactorily...

  16. 17 CFR 3.21 - Exemption from fingerprinting requirement in certain cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...) Any person who is required by this part to submit a fingerprint card may file, or cause to be filed, in lieu of such card: (1) A legible, accurate and complete photocopy of a fingerprint card which has... respect to that fingerprint card if such identification and processing has been completed satisfactorily...

  17. 17 CFR 3.21 - Exemption from fingerprinting requirement in certain cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ...) Any person who is required by this part to submit a fingerprint card may file, or cause to be filed, in lieu of such card: (1) A legible, accurate and complete photocopy of a fingerprint card which has... respect to that fingerprint card if such identification and processing has been completed satisfactorily...

  18. 17 CFR 3.21 - Exemption from fingerprinting requirement in certain cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) Any person who is required by this part to submit a fingerprint card may file, or cause to be filed, in lieu of such card: (1) A legible, accurate and complete photocopy of a fingerprint card which has... respect to that fingerprint card if such identification and processing has been completed satisfactorily...

  19. Assessing the varietal origin of extra-virgin olive oil using liquid chromatography fingerprints of phenolic compound, data fusion and chemometrics.

    PubMed

    Bajoub, Aadil; Medina-Rodríguez, Santiago; Gómez-Romero, María; Ajal, El Amine; Bagur-González, María Gracia; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Alberto; Carrasco-Pancorbo, Alegría

    2017-01-15

    High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with diode array (DAD) and fluorescence (FLD) detection was used to acquire the fingerprints of the phenolic fraction of monovarietal extra-virgin olive oils (extra-VOOs) collected over three consecutive crop seasons (2011/2012-2013/2014). The chromatographic fingerprints of 140 extra-VOO samples processed from olive fruits of seven olive varieties, were recorded and statistically treated for varietal authentication purposes. First, DAD and FLD chromatographic-fingerprint datasets were separately processed and, subsequently, were joined using "Low-level" and "Mid-Level" data fusion methods. After the preliminary examination by principal component analysis (PCA), three supervised pattern recognition techniques, Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogies (SIMCA) and K-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) were applied to the four chromatographic-fingerprinting matrices. The classification models built were very sensitive and selective, showing considerably good recognition and prediction abilities. The combination "chromatographic dataset+chemometric technique" allowing the most accurate classification for each monovarietal extra-VOO was highlighted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Evaluation of fingerprinting techniques to assess genotype variation among Zygosaccharomyces strains.

    PubMed

    Dakal, Tikam Chand; Solieri, Lisa; Giudici, Paolo

    2018-06-01

    Molecular typing techniques are key tools in surveillance of food spoilage yeasts, in investigations on intra-species population diversity, and in tracing selected starters during fermentation. Unlike previous works on strain typing of Zygosaccharomyces spoilage species, here Zygosaccharomyces mellis and the Zygosaccharoymces rouxii complex yeasts, which include Z. rouxii, Zygosaccharomyces sapae, and a mosaic lineage (ML) of putatively hybrids, were evaluated by three typing methods for intra- and inter-species resolution. Overall these yeasts are relevant for food fermentation and spoilage, but are quite difficult to discriminate at strain and species level as they evolved by reticulation. A pool of 76 strains from different sources were typed by M13 and (GTG) 5 MSP-PCR fingerprinting and PCR-RFLP of ribosomal intergenic spacer region (IGS). We demonstrated that M13 overcame (GTG) 5 fingerprinting to group Z. sapae, Z. rouxii, Z. mellis and the ML isolates in congruent distinct clusters. Even if (GTG) 5 primer yielded a number of DNA fingerprints comparable with those obtained by M13 primer, it failed to discriminate Z. sapae, Z. mellis and Z. rouxii at species level. Clustering of IGS RFLP patterns obtained with three endonucleases produced groups congruent with species assignment and highlighted intra-species diversity similar to that observed by M13 fingerprinting. However, IGS PCR amplification failed for 14 ML and 6 Z. mellis strains under the experimental conditions tested here, indicating that this marker could be less easy to use in fast typing protocol. Finally, our results posit that the genetic diversity within Z. sapae and Z. mellis could be shaped by isolation source. The information generated in this study would facilitate the monitoring of these yeasts during food processing and storage, and provides preliminary evidences about Z. sapae and Z. mellis intra-species diversity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Evaluating community–environment relationships along fine to broad taxonomic resolutions reveals evolutionary forces underlying community assembly

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Hsiao-Pei; Yeh, Yi-Chun; Sastri, Akash R; Shiah, Fuh-Kwo; Gong, Gwo-Ching; Hsieh, Chih-hao

    2016-01-01

    We propose a method for detecting evolutionary forces underlying community assembly by quantifying the strength of community–environment relationships hierarchically along taxonomic ranks. This approach explores the potential role of phylogenetic conservatism on habitat preferences: wherein, phylogenetically related taxa are expected to exhibit similar environmental responses. Thus, when niches are conserved, broader taxonomic classification should not diminish the strength of community–environment relationships and may even yield stronger associations by summarizing occurrences and abundances of ecologically equivalent finely resolved taxa. In contrast, broader taxonomic classification should weaken community–environment relationships when niches are under great divergence (that is, by combining finer taxa with distinct environmental responses). Here, we quantified the strength of community–environment relationships using distance-based redundancy analysis, focusing on soil and seawater prokaryotic communities. We considered eight case studies (covering a variety of sampling scales and sequencing strategies) and found that the variation in community composition explained by environmental factors either increased or remained constant with broadening taxonomic resolution from species to order or even phylum level. These results support the niche conservatism hypothesis and indicate that broadening taxonomic resolution may strengthen niche-related signals by removing uncertainty in quantifying spatiotemporal distributions of finely resolved taxa, reinforcing the current notion of ecological coherence in deep prokaryotic branches. PMID:27177191

  2. A Large-Scale Study of Fingerprint Matching Systems for Sensor Interoperability Problem

    PubMed Central

    Hussain, Muhammad; AboAlSamh, Hatim; AlZuair, Mansour

    2018-01-01

    The fingerprint is a commonly used biometric modality that is widely employed for authentication by law enforcement agencies and commercial applications. The designs of existing fingerprint matching methods are based on the hypothesis that the same sensor is used to capture fingerprints during enrollment and verification. Advances in fingerprint sensor technology have raised the question about the usability of current methods when different sensors are employed for enrollment and verification; this is a fingerprint sensor interoperability problem. To provide insight into this problem and assess the status of state-of-the-art matching methods to tackle this problem, we first analyze the characteristics of fingerprints captured with different sensors, which makes cross-sensor matching a challenging problem. We demonstrate the importance of fingerprint enhancement methods for cross-sensor matching. Finally, we conduct a comparative study of state-of-the-art fingerprint recognition methods and provide insight into their abilities to address this problem. We performed experiments using a public database (FingerPass) that contains nine datasets captured with different sensors. We analyzed the effects of different sensors and found that cross-sensor matching performance deteriorates when different sensors are used for enrollment and verification. In view of our analysis, we propose future research directions for this problem. PMID:29597286

  3. A Large-Scale Study of Fingerprint Matching Systems for Sensor Interoperability Problem.

    PubMed

    AlShehri, Helala; Hussain, Muhammad; AboAlSamh, Hatim; AlZuair, Mansour

    2018-03-28

    The fingerprint is a commonly used biometric modality that is widely employed for authentication by law enforcement agencies and commercial applications. The designs of existing fingerprint matching methods are based on the hypothesis that the same sensor is used to capture fingerprints during enrollment and verification. Advances in fingerprint sensor technology have raised the question about the usability of current methods when different sensors are employed for enrollment and verification; this is a fingerprint sensor interoperability problem. To provide insight into this problem and assess the status of state-of-the-art matching methods to tackle this problem, we first analyze the characteristics of fingerprints captured with different sensors, which makes cross-sensor matching a challenging problem. We demonstrate the importance of fingerprint enhancement methods for cross-sensor matching. Finally, we conduct a comparative study of state-of-the-art fingerprint recognition methods and provide insight into their abilities to address this problem. We performed experiments using a public database (FingerPass) that contains nine datasets captured with different sensors. We analyzed the effects of different sensors and found that cross-sensor matching performance deteriorates when different sensors are used for enrollment and verification. In view of our analysis, we propose future research directions for this problem.

  4. Combining Digital Watermarking and Fingerprinting Techniques to Identify Copyrights for Color Images

    PubMed Central

    Hsieh, Shang-Lin; Chen, Chun-Che; Shen, Wen-Shan

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a copyright identification scheme for color images that takes advantage of the complementary nature of watermarking and fingerprinting. It utilizes an authentication logo and the extracted features of the host image to generate a fingerprint, which is then stored in a database and also embedded in the host image to produce a watermarked image. When a dispute over the copyright of a suspect image occurs, the image is first processed by watermarking. If the watermark can be retrieved from the suspect image, the copyright can then be confirmed; otherwise, the watermark then serves as the fingerprint and is processed by fingerprinting. If a match in the fingerprint database is found, then the suspect image will be considered a duplicated one. Because the proposed scheme utilizes both watermarking and fingerprinting, it is more robust than those that only adopt watermarking, and it can also obtain the preliminary result more quickly than those that only utilize fingerprinting. The experimental results show that when the watermarked image suffers slight attacks, watermarking alone is enough to identify the copyright. The results also show that when the watermarked image suffers heavy attacks that render watermarking incompetent, fingerprinting can successfully identify the copyright, hence demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. PMID:25114966

  5. Fast probabilistic file fingerprinting for big data

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Biological data acquisition is raising new challenges, both in data analysis and handling. Not only is it proving hard to analyze the data at the rate it is generated today, but simply reading and transferring data files can be prohibitively slow due to their size. This primarily concerns logistics within and between data centers, but is also important for workstation users in the analysis phase. Common usage patterns, such as comparing and transferring files, are proving computationally expensive and are tying down shared resources. Results We present an efficient method for calculating file uniqueness for large scientific data files, that takes less computational effort than existing techniques. This method, called Probabilistic Fast File Fingerprinting (PFFF), exploits the variation present in biological data and computes file fingerprints by sampling randomly from the file instead of reading it in full. Consequently, it has a flat performance characteristic, correlated with data variation rather than file size. We demonstrate that probabilistic fingerprinting can be as reliable as existing hashing techniques, with provably negligible risk of collisions. We measure the performance of the algorithm on a number of data storage and access technologies, identifying its strengths as well as limitations. Conclusions Probabilistic fingerprinting may significantly reduce the use of computational resources when comparing very large files. Utilisation of probabilistic fingerprinting techniques can increase the speed of common file-related workflows, both in the data center and for workbench analysis. The implementation of the algorithm is available as an open-source tool named pfff, as a command-line tool as well as a C library. The tool can be downloaded from http://biit.cs.ut.ee/pfff. PMID:23445565

  6. AllergenFP: allergenicity prediction by descriptor fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Dimitrov, Ivan; Naneva, Lyudmila; Doytchinova, Irini; Bangov, Ivan

    2014-03-15

    Allergenicity, like antigenicity and immunogenicity, is a property encoded linearly and non-linearly, and therefore the alignment-based approaches are not able to identify this property unambiguously. A novel alignment-free descriptor-based fingerprint approach is presented here and applied to identify allergens and non-allergens. The approach was implemented into a four step algorithm. Initially, the protein sequences are described by amino acid principal properties as hydrophobicity, size, relative abundance, helix and β-strand forming propensities. Then, the generated strings of different length are converted into vectors with equal length by auto- and cross-covariance (ACC). The vectors were transformed into binary fingerprints and compared in terms of Tanimoto coefficient. The approach was applied to a set of 2427 known allergens and 2427 non-allergens and identified correctly 88% of them with Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.759. The descriptor fingerprint approach presented here is universal. It could be applied for any classification problem in computational biology. The set of E-descriptors is able to capture the main structural and physicochemical properties of amino acids building the proteins. The ACC transformation overcomes the main problem in the alignment-based comparative studies arising from the different length of the aligned protein sequences. The conversion of protein ACC values into binary descriptor fingerprints allows similarity search and classification. The algorithm described in the present study was implemented in a specially designed Web site, named AllergenFP (FP stands for FingerPrint). AllergenFP is written in Python, with GIU in HTML. It is freely accessible at http://ddg-pharmfac.net/Allergen FP. idoytchinova@pharmfac.net or ivanbangov@shu-bg.net.

  7. Potential effects of ionizing radiation on the evidentiary value of DNA, latent fingerprints, hair, and fibers: A comprehensive review and new results.

    PubMed

    Monson, Keith L; Ali, Sherine; Brandhagen, Michael D; Duff, Martine C; Fisher, Constance L; Lowe, Karen K; Meyer, Carna E; Roberts, Maria A; Tom, Kyle R; Washington, Aaron L

    2018-03-01

    An extensive literature review and new post-irradiation experimental results are presented of genotyping blood stains and hair, and physical examinations of latent fingerprints, hairs, and fibers. Results indicate that successful development of nuclear short tandem repeat (STR) and mitochondrial DNA sequence profiles from human blood and hair evidence is possible-up to a point-following exposure to gamma, neutron, beta, and alpha radiation at several levels that would most likely be present at this type of crime scene (i.e., a "dirty bomb," etc.). Commencing at gamma radiation levels between 90 and 900kGy, DNA analysis using conventional DNA techniques was unsuccessful. In general, irradiation negatively affected the quality of latent fingerprints. All four radiation types degraded most fingerprint samples at all doses; nevertheless, many fingerprints remained of value for potential use in comparison. Although variable from one hair to another, microscopic changes observed for all types and levels of irradiation could potentially result in false exclusions. Negligible microscopic changes were observed in papers and fibers (used as substrates for fingerprints and bloodstains) up to 90kGy gamma, but fluorescence of fibers began to change above that dose. Paper and fibers, as well as plastic evidence enclosures, became extremely brittle leading to breakage after a gamma dose of 900kGy. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. RSS Fingerprint Based Indoor Localization Using Sparse Representation with Spatio-Temporal Constraint

    PubMed Central

    Piao, Xinglin; Zhang, Yong; Li, Tingshu; Hu, Yongli; Liu, Hao; Zhang, Ke; Ge, Yun

    2016-01-01

    The Received Signal Strength (RSS) fingerprint-based indoor localization is an important research topic in wireless network communications. Most current RSS fingerprint-based indoor localization methods do not explore and utilize the spatial or temporal correlation existing in fingerprint data and measurement data, which is helpful for improving localization accuracy. In this paper, we propose an RSS fingerprint-based indoor localization method by integrating the spatio-temporal constraints into the sparse representation model. The proposed model utilizes the inherent spatial correlation of fingerprint data in the fingerprint matching and uses the temporal continuity of the RSS measurement data in the localization phase. Experiments on the simulated data and the localization tests in the real scenes show that the proposed method improves the localization accuracy and stability effectively compared with state-of-the-art indoor localization methods. PMID:27827882

  9. Comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic processing using event-related potentials.

    PubMed

    Savic, Olivera; Savic, Andrej M; Kovic, Vanja

    2017-01-01

    We report the results of a study comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic knowledge activation in a picture-word priming paradigm using event-related potentials. Although we found no behavioral differences between thematic and taxonomic processing, ERP data revealed distinct patterns of N400 and P600 amplitude modulation for thematic and taxonomic priming. Thematically related target stimuli elicited less negativity than taxonomic targets between 280-460 ms after stimulus onset, suggesting easier semantic processing of thematic than taxonomic relationships. Moreover, P600 mean amplitude was significantly increased for taxonomic targets between 520-600 ms, consistent with a greater need for stimulus reevaluation in that condition. These results offer novel evidence in favor of a dissociation between thematic and taxonomic thinking in the early phases of conceptual evaluation.

  10. Comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic processing using event-related potentials

    PubMed Central

    Savic, Olivera; Savic, Andrej M.; Kovic, Vanja

    2017-01-01

    We report the results of a study comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic knowledge activation in a picture-word priming paradigm using event-related potentials. Although we found no behavioral differences between thematic and taxonomic processing, ERP data revealed distinct patterns of N400 and P600 amplitude modulation for thematic and taxonomic priming. Thematically related target stimuli elicited less negativity than taxonomic targets between 280–460 ms after stimulus onset, suggesting easier semantic processing of thematic than taxonomic relationships. Moreover, P600 mean amplitude was significantly increased for taxonomic targets between 520–600 ms, consistent with a greater need for stimulus reevaluation in that condition. These results offer novel evidence in favor of a dissociation between thematic and taxonomic thinking in the early phases of conceptual evaluation. PMID:29236767

  11. [HPTLC fingerprint analysis of andrographolides from Andrographis paniculata].

    PubMed

    Shao, Yan-Hua; Wang, Jian-Gang; Lai, Xiao-Ping; Wu, Xiang-Wei; Ding, Ping

    2014-02-01

    To establish the high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprint of andrographolides from Andrographis paniculata, and to valuate the fingerprint similarity of samples from different habitats, markets, used parts and so on. Chromatographic conditions were as follows: stationary phase: precoated HPTLC GF254 silica-gel plate (20 cm x 10 cm); developing solvent system: chloroform-toluene-methanol (80:10:15); Relative humidity: 42%; Color development reagent: 5% H2SO4 ethanolic solution, heating at 105 degrees C and observing the fluorescent chromatogram in a UV cabinet at 366 nm. The common patterns of HPTLC fingerprint were obtained through CHROMAP 1.5 solution software. The HPTLC fingerprint of andrographolides was consisted of 9 characteristic peaks (fluorescent bands) including andrographolide, neoandrographolide and dehydroandrographolide which were chemical reference substances. The investigation and analysis of 51 batches of Andrographis paniculata showed that there were remarkable differences among different samples, so was the content of andrographolide and total lactones. This method is simple and rapid, which can serve as an effective identification and quality assessment method for Andrographis paniculata.

  12. Score level fusion scheme based on adaptive local Gabor features for face-iris-fingerprint multimodal biometric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Fei; Liu, Yuanning; Zhu, Xiaodong; Huang, Chun; Han, Ye; Chen, Ying

    2014-05-01

    A multimodal biometric system has been considered a promising technique to overcome the defects of unimodal biometric systems. We have introduced a fusion scheme to gain a better understanding and fusion method for a face-iris-fingerprint multimodal biometric system. In our case, we use particle swarm optimization to train a set of adaptive Gabor filters in order to achieve the proper Gabor basic functions for each modality. For a closer analysis of texture information, two different local Gabor features for each modality are produced by the corresponding Gabor coefficients. Next, all matching scores of the two Gabor features for each modality are projected to a single-scalar score via a trained, supported, vector regression model for a final decision. A large-scale dataset is formed to validate the proposed scheme using the Facial Recognition Technology database-fafb and CASIA-V3-Interval together with FVC2004-DB2a datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that as well as achieving further powerful local Gabor features of multimodalities and obtaining better recognition performance by their fusion strategy, our architecture also outperforms some state-of-the-art individual methods and other fusion approaches for face-iris-fingerprint multimodal biometric systems.

  13. Taxonomic and numerical sufficiency in a Lower and Middle Miocene molluscan metacommunity of the Central Paratethys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuschin, Martin; Nawrot, Rafal; Harzhauser, Mathias; Mandic, Oleg

    2015-04-01

    Among the most important questions in quantitative palaeoecology is how taxonomic and numerical resolution affect the analysis of community and metacommunity patterns. A species-abundance data set (10 localities, 213 bulk samples, 478 species, > 49,000 shells) from Burdigalian, Langhian and Serravallian benthic marine molluscan assemblages of the Central Paratethys was studied for this purpose. Assemblages are from two nearshore habitats (estuarine and marine intertidal) and three subtidal habitats (estuarine, fully marine sandy, and fully marine pelitic), which represent four biozones and four 3rd order depositional sequences over more than three million years, and are developed along the same depth-related environmental gradient. Double-standardized data subsampled to 19 samples per habitat, each with a minimum of 50 specimens, were used to calculate R²-values from PERMANOVA as a measure of differences between habitats at three taxonomic levels (species, genera and families) and at five levels of data transformation (raw abundances, percentages, square-root transformed percentages, fourth-root transformed percentages, presence-absence data). Species discriminate better between habitats than genera and families, but the differences between taxonomic levels are much stronger in the subtidal, where genera and families have more species than than in the intertidal. When all habitats are compared percentages and square-root transformed percentages discriminate equally well and perform better than higher levels of data transformation. Among nearshore and among subtidal habitats, however, the ability to discriminate between habitats increases with the level of data transformation (i.e., it is best for fourth-root transformed percentages and presence-absence data). The impact of decreasing taxonomic resolution is of minor importance in nearshore habitats, which are characterized by similar assemblages showing strong dominance of few widely distributed species, and many

  14. Climate warming promotes species diversity, but with greater taxonomic redundancy, in complex environments

    PubMed Central

    Thakur, Madhav P.; Tilman, David; Purschke, Oliver; Ciobanu, Marcel; Cowles, Jane; Isbell, Forest; Wragg, Peter D.; Eisenhauer, Nico

    2017-01-01

    Climate warming is predicted to alter species interactions, which could potentially lead to extinction events. However, there is an ongoing debate whether the effects of warming on biodiversity may be moderated by biodiversity itself. We tested warming effects on soil nematodes, one of the most diverse and abundant metazoans in terrestrial ecosystems, along a gradient of environmental complexity created by a gradient of plant species richness. Warming increased nematode species diversity in complex (16-species mixtures) plant communities (by ~36%) but decreased it in simple (monocultures) plant communities (by ~39%) compared to ambient temperature. Further, warming led to higher levels of taxonomic relatedness in nematode communities across all levels of plant species richness. Our results highlight both the need for maintaining species-rich plant communities to help offset detrimental warming effects and the inability of species-rich plant communities to maintain nematode taxonomic distinctness when warming occur. PMID:28740868

  15. Taxonomic revision of Pachyptera (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae)

    PubMed Central

    Francisco, Jessica Nayara Carvalho; Lohmann, Lúcia G.

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Pachyptera DC. is a small genus of neotropical lianas included in tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae). The genus has a complicated taxonomic history but currently includes species distributed from Belize to Southern Amazon. Pachyptera is characterised by four main synapomorphies, namely, a papery peeling bark, prophylls of the axillary buds organised in a series of three, patelliform glands arranged in lines in the upper portions of the calyx and corolla tube. Furthermore, members of the genus also have stems with four phloem wedges in cross-section and conspicuous extrafloral nectaries between the interpetiolar region and at the petiole apex, although these characters are also shared with other genera of tribe Bignonieae. Here, we present a taxonomic revision of Pachyptera, which includes a complete list of synonyms, detailed morphological descriptions of species and an identification key, as well as information on the habitat, distribution and phenology, nomenclatural notes, taxonomic comments and illustrations of all the species. In addition, we designate three lectotypes, propose one new combination, raise one variety to species status and describe a new species. After these adjustments, a Pachyptera with five well-defined species is recognised. PMID:29416412

  16. Taxonomic revision of Pachyptera (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae).

    PubMed

    Francisco, Jessica Nayara Carvalho; Lohmann, Lúcia G

    2018-01-01

    Pachyptera DC. is a small genus of neotropical lianas included in tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae). The genus has a complicated taxonomic history but currently includes species distributed from Belize to Southern Amazon. Pachyptera is characterised by four main synapomorphies, namely, a papery peeling bark, prophylls of the axillary buds organised in a series of three, patelliform glands arranged in lines in the upper portions of the calyx and corolla tube. Furthermore, members of the genus also have stems with four phloem wedges in cross-section and conspicuous extrafloral nectaries between the interpetiolar region and at the petiole apex, although these characters are also shared with other genera of tribe Bignonieae. Here, we present a taxonomic revision of Pachyptera , which includes a complete list of synonyms, detailed morphological descriptions of species and an identification key, as well as information on the habitat, distribution and phenology, nomenclatural notes, taxonomic comments and illustrations of all the species. In addition, we designate three lectotypes, propose one new combination, raise one variety to species status and describe a new species. After these adjustments, a Pachyptera with five well-defined species is recognised.

  17. Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging of Latent Fingerprints and Associated Forensic Evidence

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Tsoching; Schultz, Zachary D.; Levin, Ira W.

    2011-01-01

    Fingerprints reflecting a specific chemical history, such as exposure to explosives, are clearly distinguished from overlapping, and interfering latent fingerprints using infrared spectroscopic imaging techniques and multivariate analysis. PMID:19684917

  18. Designing Multimedia Games for Young Children's Taxonomic Concept Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sung, Yao-Ting; Chang, Kuo-En; Lee, Meng-Da

    2008-01-01

    This study aimed to design and evaluate multimedia games which were based on the theories of children's development of taxonomic concepts. Factors that might affect children's classification skills, such as use of single physical characteristics of objects, competition between thematic and taxonomic relationships, difficulty in forming…

  19. Preschool Children's Taxonomic Knowledge of Animal Species

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Although taxonomic proficiency is a prerequisite for understanding ideas central to biology, previous research has established that learners frequently misclassify animals by not following the tenets of accepted taxonomic rubrics. This has immediate relevance with the recently revised English National Curriculum now requiring concepts of animal…

  20. Collaborative WiFi Fingerprinting Using Sensor-Based Navigation on Smartphones.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Peng; Zhao, Qile; Li, You; Niu, Xiaoji; Zhuang, Yuan; Liu, Jingnan

    2015-07-20

    This paper presents a method that trains the WiFi fingerprint database using sensor-based navigation solutions. Since micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors provide only a short-term accuracy but suffer from the accuracy degradation with time, we restrict the time length of available indoor navigation trajectories, and conduct post-processing to improve the sensor-based navigation solution. Different middle-term navigation trajectories that move in and out of an indoor area are combined to make up the database. Furthermore, we evaluate the effect of WiFi database shifts on WiFi fingerprinting using the database generated by the proposed method. Results show that the fingerprinting errors will not increase linearly according to database (DB) errors in smartphone-based WiFi fingerprinting applications.

  1. Collaborative WiFi Fingerprinting Using Sensor-Based Navigation on Smartphones

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Peng; Zhao, Qile; Li, You; Niu, Xiaoji; Zhuang, Yuan; Liu, Jingnan

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a method that trains the WiFi fingerprint database using sensor-based navigation solutions. Since micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors provide only a short-term accuracy but suffer from the accuracy degradation with time, we restrict the time length of available indoor navigation trajectories, and conduct post-processing to improve the sensor-based navigation solution. Different middle-term navigation trajectories that move in and out of an indoor area are combined to make up the database. Furthermore, we evaluate the effect of WiFi database shifts on WiFi fingerprinting using the database generated by the proposed method. Results show that the fingerprinting errors will not increase linearly according to database (DB) errors in smartphone-based WiFi fingerprinting applications. PMID:26205269

  2. Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers for fingerprint sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Yipeng

    Fingerprint identification is the most prevalent biometric technology due to its uniqueness, universality and convenience. Over the past two decades, a variety of physical mechanisms have been exploited to capture an electronic image of a human fingerprint. Among these, capacitive fingerprint sensors are the ones most widely used in consumer electronics because they are fabricated using conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit technology. However, capacitive fingerprint sensors are extremely sensitive to finger contamination and moisture. This thesis will introduce an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor using a PMUT array, which offers a potential solution to this problem. In addition, it has the potential to increase security, as it allows images to be collected at various depths beneath the epidermis, providing images of the sub-surface dermis layer and blood vessels. Firstly, PMUT sensitivity is maximized by optimizing the layer stack and electrode design, and the coupling coefficient is doubled via series transduction. Moreover, a broadband PMUT with 97% fractional bandwidth is achieved by utilizing a thinner structure excited at two adjacent mechanical vibration modes with overlapping bandwidth. In addition, we proposed waveguide PMUTs, which function to direct acoustic waves, confine acoustic energy, and provide mechanical protection for the PMUT array. Furthermore, PMUT arrays were fabricated with different processes to form the membrane, including front-side etching with a patterned sacrificial layer, front-side etching with additional anchor, cavity SOI wafers and eutectic bonding. Additionally, eutectic bonding allows the PMUT to be integrated with CMOS circuits. PMUTs were characterized in the mechanical, electrical and acoustic domains. Using transmit beamforming, a narrow acoustic beam was achieved, and high-resolution (sub-100 microm) and short-range (~1 mm) pulse-echo ultrasonic imaging was demonstrated using a steel

  3. Open-source platform to benchmark fingerprints for ligand-based virtual screening

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Similarity-search methods using molecular fingerprints are an important tool for ligand-based virtual screening. A huge variety of fingerprints exist and their performance, usually assessed in retrospective benchmarking studies using data sets with known actives and known or assumed inactives, depends largely on the validation data sets used and the similarity measure used. Comparing new methods to existing ones in any systematic way is rather difficult due to the lack of standard data sets and evaluation procedures. Here, we present a standard platform for the benchmarking of 2D fingerprints. The open-source platform contains all source code, structural data for the actives and inactives used (drawn from three publicly available collections of data sets), and lists of randomly selected query molecules to be used for statistically valid comparisons of methods. This allows the exact reproduction and comparison of results for future studies. The results for 12 standard fingerprints together with two simple baseline fingerprints assessed by seven evaluation methods are shown together with the correlations between methods. High correlations were found between the 12 fingerprints and a careful statistical analysis showed that only the two baseline fingerprints were different from the others in a statistically significant way. High correlations were also found between six of the seven evaluation methods, indicating that despite their seeming differences, many of these methods are similar to each other. PMID:23721588

  4. Functional and Taxonomic Differentiation of Macrophyte Assemblages Across the Yangtze River Floodplain Under Human Impacts

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Min; García Molinos, Jorge; Zhang, Xiaolin; Xu, Jun

    2018-01-01

    Human activities and the consequent extirpations of species have been changing the composition of species assemblages worldwide. These anthropogenic impacts alter not only the richness of assemblages but also the biological dissimilarity among them. One of the main gaps in the assessment of biodiversity change in freshwater ecosystems is our limited understanding regarding how taxonomic and functional facets of macrophyte assemblages respond to human impacts on regional scales. Here, we assess the temporal (before 1970s against after 2000s) changes in taxonomic and functional richness and compositional dissimilarities, partitioned into its turnover and nestedness components, of freshwater macrophyte assemblages across the floodplain lakes of the Yangtze River in China. We found that functional and taxonomic assemblage differentiation occurred simultaneously under increasing human impact, concomitant to a general decrease in functional and taxonomic richness. However, this effect weakened when the historical level of taxonomic dissimilarity among assemblages was high. Macrophyte species with large dispersal range and submersed life form were significantly more susceptible to extirpation. The impact of human activities on differentiation was complex but habitat loss and fishery intensity were consistently the main drivers of assemblage change in these lakes, whereas water quality (i.e., light pollution and nutrient enrichment) had weaker effects. Further, macrophyte taxonomic and functional differentiation was mainly driven by the nestedness component of dissimilarity, accounting for changes in assemblage composition related to changes in species richness independent of species replacement. This result, markedly different from previous studies on freshwater fish assemblages conducted in these lakes, represents a novel contribution toward achieving a more holistic understanding of how human impacts contribute to shape community assemblages in natural ecosystems. PMID

  5. Taxonomic resolutions based on 18S rRNA genes: a case study of subclass copepoda.

    PubMed

    Wu, Shu; Xiong, Jie; Yu, Yuhe

    2015-01-01

    Biodiversity studies are commonly conducted using 18S rRNA genes. In this study, we compared the inter-species divergence of variable regions (V1-9) within the copepod 18S rRNA gene, and tested their taxonomic resolutions at different taxonomic levels. Our results indicate that the 18S rRNA gene is a good molecular marker for the study of copepod biodiversity, and our conclusions are as follows: 1) 18S rRNA genes are highly conserved intra-species (intra-species similarities are close to 100%); and could aid in species-level analyses, but with some limitations; 2) nearly-whole-length sequences and some partial regions (around V2, V4, and V9) of the 18S rRNA gene can be used to discriminate between samples at both the family and order levels (with a success rate of about 80%); 3) compared with other regions, V9 has a higher resolution at the genus level (with an identification success rate of about 80%); and 4) V7 is most divergent in length, and would be a good candidate marker for the phylogenetic study of Acartia species. This study also evaluated the correlation between similarity thresholds and the accuracy of using nuclear 18S rRNA genes for the classification of organisms in the subclass Copepoda. We suggest that sample identification accuracy should be considered when a molecular sequence divergence threshold is used for taxonomic identification, and that the lowest similarity threshold should be determined based on a pre-designated level of acceptable accuracy.

  6. Taxonomic Resolutions Based on 18S rRNA Genes: A Case Study of Subclass Copepoda

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Shu; Xiong, Jie; Yu, Yuhe

    2015-01-01

    Biodiversity studies are commonly conducted using 18S rRNA genes. In this study, we compared the inter-species divergence of variable regions (V1–9) within the copepod 18S rRNA gene, and tested their taxonomic resolutions at different taxonomic levels. Our results indicate that the 18S rRNA gene is a good molecular marker for the study of copepod biodiversity, and our conclusions are as follows: 1) 18S rRNA genes are highly conserved intra-species (intra-species similarities are close to 100%); and could aid in species-level analyses, but with some limitations; 2) nearly-whole-length sequences and some partial regions (around V2, V4, and V9) of the 18S rRNA gene can be used to discriminate between samples at both the family and order levels (with a success rate of about 80%); 3) compared with other regions, V9 has a higher resolution at the genus level (with an identification success rate of about 80%); and 4) V7 is most divergent in length, and would be a good candidate marker for the phylogenetic study of Acartia species. This study also evaluated the correlation between similarity thresholds and the accuracy of using nuclear 18S rRNA genes for the classification of organisms in the subclass Copepoda. We suggest that sample identification accuracy should be considered when a molecular sequence divergence threshold is used for taxonomic identification, and that the lowest similarity threshold should be determined based on a pre-designated level of acceptable accuracy. PMID:26107258

  7. A new algorithm for distorted fingerprints matching based on normalized fuzzy similarity measure.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xinjian; Tian, Jie; Yang, Xin

    2006-03-01

    Coping with nonlinear distortions in fingerprint matching is a challenging task. This paper proposes a novel algorithm, normalized fuzzy similarity measure (NFSM), to deal with the nonlinear distortions. The proposed algorithm has two main steps. First, the template and input fingerprints were aligned. In this process, the local topological structure matching was introduced to improve the robustness of global alignment. Second, the method NFSM was introduced to compute the similarity between the template and input fingerprints. The proposed algorithm was evaluated on fingerprints databases of FVC2004. Experimental results confirm that NFSM is a reliable and effective algorithm for fingerprint matching with nonliner distortions. The algorithm gives considerably higher matching scores compared to conventional matching algorithms for the deformed fingerprints.

  8. [Studies on HPLC fingerprint chromatogram of Folium Fici Microcarpa].

    PubMed

    Fang, Zhi-Jian; Dai, Zhen; Li, Shu-Yuan

    2008-10-01

    To establish a sensitive and specific method for quality control of Folium Fici Microcarpa, HPLC method was applied for studies on the fingerprint chromatogram of Folium Fici Microcarpa. Isovitexin was used as reference substance to evaluate the chromatogram of 10 samples from different regions and 12 samples collected in different months. The result revealed that all the chromatographic peaks were seperated efficiently. There were 17 common peaks showed in the fingerprint chromatogram. The method of fingerprint chromatogram with characteristic and specificity will be used to identify the quality and evaluate different origins and collection period of Folium Fici Microcarpa.

  9. MR Vascular Fingerprinting in Stroke and Brain Tumors Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemasson, B.; Pannetier, N.; Coquery, N.; Boisserand, Ligia S. B.; Collomb, Nora; Schuff, N.; Moseley, M.; Zaharchuk, G.; Barbier, E. L.; Christen, T.

    2016-11-01

    In this study, we evaluated an MRI fingerprinting approach (MRvF) designed to provide high-resolution parametric maps of the microvascular architecture (i.e., blood volume fraction, vessel diameter) and function (blood oxygenation) simultaneously. The method was tested in rats (n = 115), divided in 3 models: brain tumors (9 L, C6, F98), permanent stroke, and a control group of healthy animals. We showed that fingerprinting can robustly distinguish between healthy and pathological brain tissues with different behaviors in tumor and stroke models. In particular, fingerprinting revealed that C6 and F98 glioma models have similar signatures while 9 L present a distinct evolution. We also showed that it is possible to improve the results of MRvF and obtain supplemental information by changing the numerical representation of the vascular network. Finally, good agreement was found between MRvF and conventional MR approaches in healthy tissues and in the C6, F98, and permanent stroke models. For the 9 L glioma model, fingerprinting showed blood oxygenation measurements that contradict results obtained with a quantitative BOLD approach. In conclusion, MR vascular fingerprinting seems to be an efficient technique to study microvascular properties in vivo. Multiple technical improvements are feasible and might improve diagnosis and management of brain diseases.

  10. Neural dynamics based on the recognition of neural fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Carrillo-Medina, José Luis; Latorre, Roberto

    2015-01-01

    Experimental evidence has revealed the existence of characteristic spiking features in different neural signals, e.g., individual neural signatures identifying the emitter or functional signatures characterizing specific tasks. These neural fingerprints may play a critical role in neural information processing, since they allow receptors to discriminate or contextualize incoming stimuli. This could be a powerful strategy for neural systems that greatly enhances the encoding and processing capacity of these networks. Nevertheless, the study of information processing based on the identification of specific neural fingerprints has attracted little attention. In this work, we study (i) the emerging collective dynamics of a network of neurons that communicate with each other by exchange of neural fingerprints and (ii) the influence of the network topology on the self-organizing properties within the network. Complex collective dynamics emerge in the network in the presence of stimuli. Predefined inputs, i.e., specific neural fingerprints, are detected and encoded into coexisting patterns of activity that propagate throughout the network with different spatial organization. The patterns evoked by a stimulus can survive after the stimulation is over, which provides memory mechanisms to the network. The results presented in this paper suggest that neural information processing based on neural fingerprints can be a plausible, flexible, and powerful strategy. PMID:25852531

  11. A Noninvasive and Speculative Method of Visualizing Latent Fingerprint Deposits on Thermal Paper.

    PubMed

    Bond, John W

    2015-07-01

    Latent fingerprint deposits on thermal paper have been visualized noninvasively at visible wavelengths when illuminated with a UV-A light source (peak 365 nm). A higher intensity UV source (250 W/m(2) at 0.38 m) gave superior fingerprint visibility when compared with a 60 W/m(2) (at 0.4 m) source. Removing the visible (blue) component of the light source emission did not adversely affect the visibility of the fingerprint. Sample fingerprints from 100 donors, when examined 24 h after deposition, produced identifiable fingerprints from nearly 34% of fingerprint deposits. A mechanism for the observed visibility is proposed based on low emission of visible wavelengths from areas of thermal paper coincident with the fingerprint deposit, when illuminated with UV. This is likely due to a weak color change in the thermal paper dye arising from protonated amino acid components of the sweat. This effect was not observed on nonthermal paper. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  12. Super fast detection of latent fingerprints with water soluble CdTe quantum dots.

    PubMed

    Cai, Kaiyang; Yang, Ruiqin; Wang, Yanji; Yu, Xuejiao; Liu, Jianjun

    2013-03-10

    A new method based on the use of highly fluorescent water-soluble cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) capped with mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) was explored to develop latent fingerprints. After optimized the effectiveness of QDs method contains pH value and developing time, super fast detection was achieved. Excellent fingerprint images were obtained in 1-3s after immersed the latent fingerprints into quantum dots solution on various non-porous surfaces, i.e. adhesive tape, transparent tape, aluminum foil and stainless steel. High sensitivity of the new latent fingerprints develop method was obtained by developing the fingerprints pressed on aluminum foil successively with the same finger. Compared with methyl violet and rhodamine 6G, the MSA-CdTe QDs showed the higher develop speed and fingerprint image quality. Clear image can be maintained for months by extending exposure time of CCD camera, storing fingerprints in a low temperature condition and secondary development. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. [Atomic absorption fingerprint and identification studies of Da Huo Luo pill. I. Exploration of inorganic elements fingerprint for establishment of industrial standard].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qi-Feng; Zhu, Long-Yin; Ding, Shu-Liang; Wang, Chen; Tu, Long-Fei

    2008-03-01

    The fingerprints for most of Chinese medicines based on their organic compositions have been well established. Nevertheless, there are very few known fingerprints which are based on inorganic elements. In order to identify the Da Huo Luo Dan and its efficiency from other Chinese medicines, the authors attempted to set up a fingerprint which could be determined by the measurement of inorganic elements in Da Huo Luo Dan and other Chinese medicines. In the present study, the authors first employed 28 batches of Da Huo Luo Dan produced by Zhang-Shu Pharmatheutical Company in Jiang Xi Province to screen 12 kinds of inorganic elements measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and established the atomic absorption fingerprints. Secondly, the authors tried to identify Da Huo Luo Dan and other Chinese medicines by using the similarly analysis of vectors and the statistical analysis of compositional data. The result showed that the methods the authors used here were predictable to tell the efficiency of Da Huo Luo Dan from others. The authors' study also proves that establishment of standard for quality control by analysis of inorganic elements in Chinese medicines is feasible. The present study provides a new idea and a new technique that serve for the establishment of industrial standards for analysis of inorganic elements fingerprint to explore the effects of Chinese medicines.

  14. Fingerprint of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. by HPLC-MS.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ting; Yang, Yi-Hua; Yang, Ju-Yun; Chen, Ben-Mei; Duan, Ju-Ping; Yu, Shu-Yi; Ouyang, Hong-Tao; Cheng, Jun-Ping; Chen, Yu-Xiang

    2008-01-01

    A HPLC-MS fingerprint method has been developed based on the consistent chromatographic features of the major chemical constituents among 10 batches of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Chromatographic separation was conducted on a Hypersil-Keystone Hypurity C(18) column using methanol:water:acetic acid as the mobile phase. Major compounds, including oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and ferulic acid, were analysed by HPLC-MS. Their analysis was ascertained by comparison with data derived from the standard compounds. The HPLC-MS fingerprint was successfully applied to analyse and differentiate samples from different geographical origins, or processing methods. H. diffusa was well distinguished from Hedyotis chrysotricha by HPLC-MS. Therefore the establishment of fingerprint of H. diffusa is critical in assessing and controlling its overall quality.

  15. SINE sequences detect DNA fingerprints in salmonid fishes.

    PubMed

    Spruell, P; Thorgaard, G H

    1996-04-01

    DNA probes homologous to two previously described salmonid short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) detected DNA fingerprint patterns in 14 species of salmonid fishes. The probes showed more homology to some species than to others and little homology to three nonsalmonid fishes. The DNA fingerprint patterns derived from the SINE probes are individual-specific and inherited in a Mendelian manner. Probes derived from different regions of the same SINE detect only partially overlapping banding patterns, reflecting a more complex SINE structure than has been previously reported. Like the human Alu sequence, the SINEs found in salmonids could provide useful genetic markers and primer sites for PCR-based techniques. These elements may be more desirable for some applications than traditional DNA fingerprinting probes that detect tandemly repeated arrays.

  16. Indoor Location Sensing with Invariant Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength Fingerprinting

    PubMed Central

    Husen, Mohd Nizam; Lee, Sukhan

    2016-01-01

    A method of location fingerprinting based on the Wi-Fi received signal strength (RSS) in an indoor environment is presented. The method aims to overcome the RSS instability due to varying channel disturbances in time by introducing the concept of invariant RSS statistics. The invariant RSS statistics represent here the RSS distributions collected at individual calibration locations under minimal random spatiotemporal disturbances in time. The invariant RSS statistics thus collected serve as the reference pattern classes for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting is carried out at an unknown location by identifying the reference pattern class that maximally supports the spontaneous RSS sensed from individual Wi-Fi sources. A design guideline is also presented as a rule of thumb for estimating the number of Wi-Fi signal sources required to be available for any given number of calibration locations under a certain level of random spatiotemporal disturbances. Experimental results show that the proposed method not only provides 17% higher success rate than conventional ones but also removes the need for recalibration. Furthermore, the resolution is shown finer by 40% with the execution time more than an order of magnitude faster than the conventional methods. These results are also backed up by theoretical analysis. PMID:27845711

  17. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the remote detection of explosives at level of fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Almaviva, S.; Palucci, A.; Lazic, V.; Menicucci, I.; Nuvoli, M.; Pistilli, M.; De Dominicis, L.

    2016-04-01

    We report the results of the application of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for the detection of some common military explosives and theirs precursors deposited on white varnished car's external and black car's internal or external plastic. The residues were deposited by an artificial silicon finger, to simulate material manipulation by terrorists when preparing a car bomb, leaving traces of explosives on the parts of a car. LIBS spectra were acquired by using a first prototype laboratory stand-off device, developed in the framework of the EU FP7 313077 project EDEN (End-user driven DEmo for CBRNe). The system operates at working distances 8-30 m and collects the LIBS in the spectral range 240-840 nm. In this configuration, the target was moved precisely in X-Y direction to simulate the scanning system, to be implemented successively. The system is equipped with two colour cameras, one for wide scene view and another for imaging with a very high magnification, capable to discern fingerprints on a target. The spectral features of each examined substance were identified and compared to those belonging to the substrate and the surrounding air, and those belonging to possible common interferents. These spectral differences are discussed and interpreted. The obtained results show that the detection and discrimination of nitro-based compounds like RDX, PETN, ammonium nitrate (AN), and urea nitrate (UN) from organic interfering substances like diesel, greasy lubricants, greasy adhesives or oils in fingerprint concentration, at stand-off distance of some meters or tenths of meters is feasible.

  18. Chemical changes exhibited by latent fingerprints after exposure to vacuum conditions.

    PubMed

    Bright, Nicholas J; Willson, Terry R; Driscoll, Daniel J; Reddy, Subrayal M; Webb, Roger P; Bleay, Stephen; Ward, Neil I; Kirkby, Karen J; Bailey, Melanie J

    2013-07-10

    The effect of vacuum exposure on latent fingerprint chemistry has been evaluated. Fingerprints were analysed using a quartz crystal microbalance to measure changes in mass, gas chromatography mass spectrometry to measure changes in lipid composition and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to determine changes in the content of water, fatty acids and their esters after exposure to vacuum. The results are compared with samples aged under ambient conditions. It was found that fingerprints lose around 26% of their mass when exposed to vacuum conditions, equivalent to around 5 weeks ageing under ambient conditions. Further exposure to vacuum causes a significant reduction in the lipid composition of a fingerprint, in particular with the loss of tetradecanoic and pentadecanoic acid, that was not observed in ambient aged samples. There are therefore implications for sequence in which fingerprint development procedures (for example vacuum metal deposition) are carried out, as well as the use of vacuum based methods such as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation (MALDI) in the study of fingerprint chemistry. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  19. Genus age, provincial area and the taxonomic structure of marine faunas.

    PubMed

    Harnik, Paul G; Jablonski, David; Krug, Andrew Z; Valentine, James W

    2010-11-22

    Species are unevenly distributed among genera within clades and regions, with most genera species-poor and few species-rich. At regional scales, this structure to taxonomic diversity is generated via speciation, extinction and geographical range dynamics. Here, we use a global database of extant marine bivalves to characterize the taxonomic structure of climate zones and provinces. Our analyses reveal a general, Zipf-Mandelbrot form to the distribution of species among genera, with faunas from similar climate zones exhibiting similar taxonomic structure. Provinces that contain older taxa and/or encompass larger areas are expected to be more species-rich. Although both median genus age and provincial area correlate with measures of taxonomic structure, these relationships are interdependent, nonlinear and driven primarily by contrasts between tropical and extra-tropical faunas. Provincial area and taxonomic structure are largely decoupled within climate zones. Counter to the expectation that genus age and species richness should positively covary, diverse and highly structured provincial faunas are dominated by young genera. The marked differences between tropical and temperate faunas suggest strong spatial variation in evolutionary rates and invasion frequencies. Such variation contradicts biogeographic models that scale taxonomic diversity to geographical area.

  20. Genus age, provincial area and the taxonomic structure of marine faunas

    PubMed Central

    Harnik, Paul G.; Jablonski, David; Krug, Andrew Z.; Valentine, James W.

    2010-01-01

    Species are unevenly distributed among genera within clades and regions, with most genera species-poor and few species-rich. At regional scales, this structure to taxonomic diversity is generated via speciation, extinction and geographical range dynamics. Here, we use a global database of extant marine bivalves to characterize the taxonomic structure of climate zones and provinces. Our analyses reveal a general, Zipf–Mandelbrot form to the distribution of species among genera, with faunas from similar climate zones exhibiting similar taxonomic structure. Provinces that contain older taxa and/or encompass larger areas are expected to be more species-rich. Although both median genus age and provincial area correlate with measures of taxonomic structure, these relationships are interdependent, nonlinear and driven primarily by contrasts between tropical and extra-tropical faunas. Provincial area and taxonomic structure are largely decoupled within climate zones. Counter to the expectation that genus age and species richness should positively covary, diverse and highly structured provincial faunas are dominated by young genera. The marked differences between tropical and temperate faunas suggest strong spatial variation in evolutionary rates and invasion frequencies. Such variation contradicts biogeographic models that scale taxonomic diversity to geographical area. PMID:20534619

  1. Transparent Fingerprint Sensor System for Large Flat Panel Display.

    PubMed

    Seo, Wonkuk; Pi, Jae-Eun; Cho, Sung Haeung; Kang, Seung-Youl; Ahn, Seong-Deok; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Jeon, Ho-Sik; Kim, Jong-Uk; Lee, Myunghee

    2018-01-19

    In this paper, we introduce a transparent fingerprint sensing system using a thin film transistor (TFT) sensor panel, based on a self-capacitive sensing scheme. An armorphousindium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFT sensor array and associated custom Read-Out IC (ROIC) are implemented for the system. The sensor panel has a 200 × 200 pixel array and each pixel size is as small as 50 μm × 50 μm. The ROIC uses only eight analog front-end (AFE) amplifier stages along with a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC). To get the fingerprint image data from the sensor array, the ROIC senses a capacitance, which is formed by a cover glass material between a human finger and an electrode of each pixel of the sensor array. Three methods are reviewed for estimating the self-capacitance. The measurement result demonstrates that the transparent fingerprint sensor system has an ability to differentiate a human finger's ridges and valleys through the fingerprint sensor array.

  2. Immunological multimetal deposition for rapid visualization of sweat fingerprints.

    PubMed

    He, Yayun; Xu, Linru; Zhu, Yu; Wei, Qianhui; Zhang, Meiqin; Su, Bin

    2014-11-10

    A simple method termed immunological multimetal deposition (iMMD) was developed for rapid visualization of sweat fingerprints with bare eyes, by combining the conventional MMD with the immunoassay technique. In this approach, antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to specifically interact with the corresponding antigens in the fingerprint residue. The AuNPs serve as the nucleation sites for autometallographic deposition of silver particles from the silver staining solution, generating a dark ridge pattern for visual detection. Using fingerprints inked with human immunoglobulin G (hIgG), we obtained the optimal formulation of iMMD, which was then successfully applied to visualize sweat fingerprints through the detection of two secreted polypeptides, epidermal growth factor and lysozyme. In comparison with the conventional MMD, iMMD is faster and can provide additional information than just identification. Moreover, iMMD is facile and does not need expensive instruments. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. A preliminary study of DTI Fingerprinting on stroke analysis.

    PubMed

    Ma, Heather T; Ye, Chenfei; Wu, Jun; Yang, Pengfei; Chen, Xuhui; Yang, Zhengyi; Ma, Jingbo

    2014-01-01

    DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) is a well-known MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technique which provides useful structural information about human brain. However, the quantitative measurement to physiological variation of subtypes of ischemic stroke is not available. An automatically quantitative method for DTI analysis will enhance the DTI application in clinics. In this study, we proposed a DTI Fingerprinting technology to quantitatively analyze white matter tissue, which was applied in stroke classification. The TBSS (Tract Based Spatial Statistics) method was employed to generate mask automatically. To evaluate the clustering performance of the automatic method, lesion ROI (Region of Interest) is manually drawn on the DWI images as a reference. The results from the DTI Fingerprinting were compared with those obtained from the reference ROIs. It indicates that the DTI Fingerprinting could identify different states of ischemic stroke and has promising potential to provide a more comprehensive measure of the DTI data. Further development should be carried out to improve DTI Fingerprinting technology in clinics.

  4. The Neural Bases of Taxonomic and Thematic Conceptual Relations: An MEG Study

    PubMed Central

    Lewis, Gwyneth A.; Poeppel, David; Murphy, Gregory L.

    2015-01-01

    Converging evidence from behavioral and neuroimaging studies of human concepts indicate distinct neural systems for taxonomic and thematic knowledge. A recent study of naming in aphasia found involvement of the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) during taxonomic (feature-based) processing, and involvement of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) during thematic (function-based) processing. We conducted an online magnetoencephalography (MEG) study to examine the spatio-temporal nature of taxonomic and thematic relations. We measured participants’ brain responses to words preceded by either a taxonomically or thematically related item (e.g., cottage→castle, king→castle). In a separate experiment we collected relatedness ratings of the word pairs from participants. We examined effects of relatedness and relation type on activation in ATL and TPJ regions of interest (ROIs) using permutation t-tests to identify differences in ROI activation between conditions as well as single-trial correlational analyses to examine the millisecond-by-millisecond influence of the stimulus variables on the ROIs. Taxonomic relations strongly predicted ATL activation, and both kinds of relations influenced the TPJ. Our results further strengthen the view of the ATL's importance to taxonomic knowledge. Moreover, they provide a nuanced view of thematic relations as involving taxonomic knowledge. PMID:25582406

  5. Sediment sources in a small agricultural catchment: A composite fingerprinting approach based on the selection of potential sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Huiping; Chang, Weina; Zhang, Longjiang

    2016-08-01

    Fingerprinting techniques have been widely used as a reasonable and reliable means for investigating sediment sources, especially in relatively large catchments in which there are significant differences in surface materials. However, the discrimination power of fingerprint properties for small catchments, in which the surface materials are relatively homogeneous and human interference is marked, may be affected by fragmentary or confused source information. Using fingerprinting techniques can be difficult, and there is still a need for further studies to verify the effectiveness of such techniques in these small catchments. A composite fingerprinting approach was used in this study to investigate the main sources of sediment output, as well as their relative contributions, from a small catchment (30 km2) with high levels of farming and mining activities. The impact of the selection of different potential sediment sources on the derivation of composite fingerprints and its discrimination power were also investigated by comparing the results from different combinations of potential source types. The initial source types and several samples that could cause confusion were adjusted. These adjustments improved the discrimination power of the composite fingerprints. The results showed that the composite fingerprinting approach used in this study had a discriminatory efficiency of 89.2% for different sediment sources and that the model had a mean goodness of fit of 0.90. Cultivated lands were the main sediment source. The sediment contribution of the studied cultivated lands ranged from 39.9% to 87.8%, with a mean of 76.6%, for multiple deposited sediment samples. The mean contribution of woodlands was 21.7%. Overall, the sediment contribution from mining and road areas was relatively low. The selection of potential sources is an important factor in the application of fingerprinting techniques and warrants more attention in future studies, as is the case with other

  6. Accessible biometrics: A frustrated total internal reflection approach to imaging fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Smith, Nathan D; Sharp, James S

    2017-05-01

    Fingerprints are widely used as a means of identifying persons of interest because of the highly individual nature of the spatial distribution and types of features (or minuta) found on the surface of a finger. This individuality has led to their wide application in the comparison of fingerprints found at crime scenes with those taken from known offenders and suspects in custody. However, despite recent advances in machine vision technology and image processing techniques, fingerprint evidence is still widely being collected using outdated practices involving ink and paper - a process that can be both time consuming and expensive. Reduction of forensic service budgets increasingly requires that evidence be gathered and processed more rapidly and efficiently. However, many of the existing digital fingerprint acquisition devices have proven too expensive to roll out on a large scale. As a result new, low-cost imaging technologies are required to increase the quality and throughput of the processing of fingerprint evidence. Here we describe an inexpensive approach to digital fingerprint acquisition that is based upon frustrated total internal reflection imaging. The quality and resolution of the images produced are shown to be as good as those currently acquired using ink and paper based methods. The same imaging technique is also shown to be capable of imaging powdered fingerprints that have been lifted from a crime scene using adhesive tape or gel lifters. Copyright © 2017 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Chemical Composition of Latent Fingerprints by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartzell-Baguley, Brittany; Hipp, Rachael E.; Morgan, Neal R.; Morgan, Stephen L.

    2007-01-01

    An experiment in which gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is used for latent fingerprint extraction and analysis on glass beads or glass slides is conducted. The results determine that the fingerprint residues are gender dependent.

  8. Solving the Mystery of Fading Fingerprints with London Dispersion Forces.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kimbrough, Doris R.; DeLorenzo, Ronald

    1998-01-01

    Focuses on the kidnapping of a child whose fingerprints were not found inside the crime vehicle. Discusses the investigation that followed and led to knowledge of the differences between the fingerprints of children and adults. (DDR)

  9. A kind of improved fingerprinting indoor location method based on WiFi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Xi; Lin, Wei

    2017-08-01

    In the prior inventions, because of the complexity of the indoor environment, it is hard to guarantee position precision. In this paper provides an improved method that can be adopted to increase the indoor positioning accuracy of handheld positioning device. This method will be the direction of the handheld device position Angle and number of access points two characteristics to join the fingerprint. The two parameters make our normal fingerprint database more abundant. The positioning test results from comparing the normal fingerprint database with the improved fingerprint database prove the later positioning more accurate.

  10. Nanoplasmonic imaging of latent fingerprints with explosive RDX residues.

    PubMed

    Peng, Tianhuan; Qin, Weiwei; Wang, Kun; Shi, Jiye; Fan, Chunhai; Li, Di

    2015-09-15

    Explosive detection is a critical element in preventing terrorist attacks, especially in crowded and influential areas. It is probably more important to establish the connection of explosive loading with a carrier's personal identity. In the present work, we introduce fingerprinting as physical personal identification and develop a nondestructive nanoplasmonic method for the imaging of latent fingerprints. We further integrate the nanoplasmonic response of catalytic growth of Au NPs with NADH-mediated reduction of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX) for the quantitative analysis of RDX explosive residues in latent fingerprints. This generic nanoplasmonic strategy is expected to be used in forensic investigation to distinguish terrorists that carry explosives.

  11. Analysis of cellular and extracellular DNA in fingerprints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Button, Julie M.

    It has been previously shown that DNA can be recovered from latent fingerprints left on various surfaces [R. A. H. van Oorschot and M. K. Jones, Nature 387, 767 (1997)]. However, the source of the DNA, extracellular versus cellular origin, is difficult to determine. If the DNA is cellular, it is believed to belong to skin cells while extracellular DNA is believed to originate from body fluids such as sweat [D. J. Daly et. al, Forensic Sci. Int. Genet. 6, 41-46 (2012); V. V. Vlassov et. al, BioEssays 29, 654-667 (2007)]. The origin of the DNA in fingerprints has implicationsmore » for processing and interpretation of forensic evidence. The determination of the origin of DNA in fingerprints is further complicated by the fact that the DNA in fingerprints tends to be at a very low quantity [R. A. H. van Oorschot and M. K. Jones, Nature 387, 767 (1997)]. This study examined fingerprints from five volunteers left on sterilized glass slides and plastic pens. Three fingerprints were left on each glass slide (thumb, index, and middle fingers) while the pens were held as if one was writing with them. The DNA was collected from the objects using the wet swabbing technique (TE buffer). Following collection, the cellular and extracellular components of each sample were separated using centrifugation and an acoustofluidics system. Centrifugation is still the primary separation technique utilized in forensics laboratories, while acoustic focusing uses sound waves to focus large particles (cells) into low pressure nodes, separating them from the rest of the sample matrix. After separation, all samples were quantified using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The overall trend is that there is more DNA in the extracellular fractions than cellular fractions for both centrifugation and acoustofluidic processing. Additionally, more DNA was generally collected from the pen samples than the samples left on glass slides.« less

  12. Individual differences in the strength of taxonomic versus thematic relations

    PubMed Central

    Mirman, Daniel; Graziano, Kristen M.

    2011-01-01

    Knowledge about word and object meanings can be organized taxonomically (fruits, mammals, etc.) based on shared features, or thematically (eating breakfast, taking a dog for a walk, etc.) based on participation in events or scenarios. An eye-tracking study showed that both kinds of knowledge are activated during comprehension of a single spoken word, even when the listener is not required to perform any active task. The results further revealed that an individual’s relative activation of taxonomic relations compared to thematic relations predicts that individual’s tendency to favor taxonomic over thematic relations when asked to choose between them in a similarity judgment task. These results argue that individuals differ in the relative strengths of their taxonomic and thematic semantic knowledge and suggest that meaning information is organized in two parallel, complementary semantic systems. PMID:22201413

  13. Neuroanatomical dissociation for taxonomic and thematic knowledge in the human brain

    PubMed Central

    Schwartz, Myrna F.; Kimberg, Daniel Y.; Walker, Grant M.; Brecher, Adelyn; Faseyitan, Olufunsho K.; Dell, Gary S.; Mirman, Daniel; Coslett, H. Branch

    2011-01-01

    It is thought that semantic memory represents taxonomic information differently from thematic information. This study investigated the neural basis for the taxonomic-thematic distinction in a unique way. We gathered picture-naming errors from 86 individuals with poststroke language impairment (aphasia). Error rates were determined separately for taxonomic errors (“pear” in response to apple) and thematic errors (“worm” in response to apple), and their shared variance was regressed out of each measure. With the segmented lesions normalized to a common template, we carried out voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping on each error type separately. We found that taxonomic errors localized to the left anterior temporal lobe and thematic errors localized to the left temporoparietal junction. This is an indication that the contribution of these regions to semantic memory cleaves along taxonomic-thematic lines. Our findings show that a distinction long recognized in the psychological sciences is grounded in the structure and function of the human brain. PMID:21540329

  14. Spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of Curcuma aromatica.

    PubMed

    Liu, Meiqiong; Wu, Youjiao; Huang, Shushi; Liu, Huagang; Feng, Jie

    2018-02-23

    Curcuma aromatica is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and it is mainly distributed in Guangxi, China. In this study, 10 batches of C. aromatica were collected from different origins in Guangxi. The fingerprints were established by HPLC technique to investigate the quality stability of C. aromatica. The spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica was assessed by similarity analysis, gray relational analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. From the results, the similarity values between each batch of C. aromatica and reference fingerprint were >0.880, indicating the good quality stability of the 10 batches of C. aromatica. Twenty common peaks were selected as the fingerprints to evaluate the quality and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica. The results of spectrum-effect relationship showed that peaks 10, 18, 13, 15 and 17 in the fingerprints were closely related to hypolipidemic effect. This study successfully established the spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica, which provided methods for quality control and more effectively studies on bioactive compounds of C. aromatica. It could also provide a new simple and effective method for utilizing the fingerprints to optimize the Chinese prescription and develop traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. A Modified Electrostatic Adsorption Apparatus for Latent Fingerprint Development on Unfired Cartridge Cases.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jingyang; Zhang, Ziyuan; Zheng, Xiaochun; Bond, John W

    2017-05-01

    Visualization of latent fingerprints on metallic surfaces by the method of applying electrostatic charging and adsorption is considered as a promising chemical-free method, which has the merit of nondestruction, and is considered to be effective for some difficult situations such as aged fingerprint deposits or those exposed to environmental extremes. In fact, a portable electrostatic generator can be easily accessible in a local forensic technology laboratory, which is already widely used in the visualization of footwear impressions. In this study, a modified version of this electrostatic apparatus is proposed for latent fingerprint development and has shown great potential in visualizing fingerprints on metallic surfaces such as cartridge cases. Results indicate that this experimental arrangement can successfully develop aged latent fingerprints on metal surfaces, and we demonstrate its effectiveness compared with existing conventional fingerprint recovery methods. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  16. MR Vascular Fingerprinting in Stroke and Brain Tumors Models

    PubMed Central

    Lemasson, B.; Pannetier, N.; Coquery, N.; Boisserand, Ligia S. B.; Collomb, Nora; Schuff, N.; Moseley, M.; Zaharchuk, G.; Barbier, E. L.; Christen, T.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we evaluated an MRI fingerprinting approach (MRvF) designed to provide high-resolution parametric maps of the microvascular architecture (i.e., blood volume fraction, vessel diameter) and function (blood oxygenation) simultaneously. The method was tested in rats (n = 115), divided in 3 models: brain tumors (9 L, C6, F98), permanent stroke, and a control group of healthy animals. We showed that fingerprinting can robustly distinguish between healthy and pathological brain tissues with different behaviors in tumor and stroke models. In particular, fingerprinting revealed that C6 and F98 glioma models have similar signatures while 9 L present a distinct evolution. We also showed that it is possible to improve the results of MRvF and obtain supplemental information by changing the numerical representation of the vascular network. Finally, good agreement was found between MRvF and conventional MR approaches in healthy tissues and in the C6, F98, and permanent stroke models. For the 9 L glioma model, fingerprinting showed blood oxygenation measurements that contradict results obtained with a quantitative BOLD approach. In conclusion, MR vascular fingerprinting seems to be an efficient technique to study microvascular properties in vivo. Multiple technical improvements are feasible and might improve diagnosis and management of brain diseases. PMID:27883015

  17. Watershed sediment source fingerprinting: a view under the hood

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, H.

    2015-12-01

    Sediment source fingerprinting procedures involve the discrimination of sediment sources based on physical and chemical properties and estimation of the contributions from those sources to mixtures of fine-grained sediment transported within watersheds. Sources of sediment widely considered include agricultural land uses, channel banks and geological zones. There has been a tendency in the literature for sediment fingerprinting to be presented as a technique that can deliver accurate and precise information on source contributions to sediment across a range of environments. However, recent research indicates that such a view of sediment fingerprinting cannot presently be supported. Furthermore, many past papers lack transparency in data processing and presentation that prevents the critical assessment of results and hinders wider uptake of the technique. Therefore, this contribution aims to delve 'under the hood' of sediment fingerprinting to promote further discussion and debate over future research needs and method limitations. It draws on important developments from the last two years concerning the effect of (i) tracer selection, (ii) tracer behaviour during transport, (iii) corrections to tracer datasets and (iv) the choice of mixing model on predictions of sediment source contributions. Sediment fingerprinting has the potential to make a very significant contribution to the measurement of contemporary sediment sources in watersheds, but cannot be viewed as an 'off-the-shelf' technique for widespread application until important challenges have been addressed.

  18. Establishment and application of milk fingerprint by gel filtration chromatography.

    PubMed

    Gao, P; Li, J; Li, Z; Hao, J; Zan, L

    2016-12-01

    Raw milk adulteration frequently occurs in undeveloped countries. It not only reduces the nutritional value of milk, but it is also harmful to consumers. In this paper, we focused on investigating an efficient method for the quality control of raw milk protein. A gel filtration chromatography (GFC) fingerprint method combined with chemometrics was developed for fingerprint analysis of raw milk. To optimize the GFC conditions, milk fat was removed by centrifugation, and GFC analysis was performed on a Superdex 75 10/300GL column (Just Scientific, Shanghai, China) with 0.2 M NaH 2 PO 4 -Na 2 HPO 4 buffer (pH 7.0) as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 0.5mL/min, and the detection wavelength was set at 280 nm. Ten batches of 120 raw milk samples were analyzed to establish the GFC fingerprint under optimal conditions. Six major peaks common to the chromatogram of each raw milk sample were selected for fingerprint analysis, and the characteristic peaks were used to establish a standard chromatographic fingerprint. Principal component analysis was then applied to classify GFC information of adulterated milk and raw milk, allowing adulterated samples to be effectively screened out from the raw milk in principal component analysis scores plot. The fingerprint method demonstrates promising features in detecting milk protein adulteration. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Polarization-based and specular-reflection-based noncontact latent fingerprint imaging and lifting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Shih-Schön; Yemelyanov, Konstantin M.; Pugh, Edward N., Jr.; Engheta, Nader

    2006-09-01

    In forensic science the finger marks left unintentionally by people at a crime scene are referred to as latent fingerprints. Most existing techniques to detect and lift latent fingerprints require application of a certain material directly onto the exhibit. The chemical and physical processing applied to the fingerprint potentially degrades or prevents further forensic testing on the same evidence sample. Many existing methods also have deleterious side effects. We introduce a method to detect and extract latent fingerprint images without applying any powder or chemicals on the object. Our method is based on the optical phenomena of polarization and specular reflection together with the physiology of fingerprint formation. The recovered image quality is comparable to existing methods. In some cases, such as the sticky side of tape, our method shows unique advantages.

  20. Method for combined biometric and chemical analysis of human fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Staymates, Jessica L; Orandi, Shahram; Staymates, Matthew E; Gillen, Greg

    This paper describes a method for combining direct chemical analysis of latent fingerprints with subsequent biometric analysis within a single sample. The method described here uses ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) as a chemical detection method for explosives and narcotics trace contamination. A collection swab coated with a high-temperature adhesive has been developed to lift latent fingerprints from various surfaces. The swab is then directly inserted into an IMS instrument for a quick chemical analysis. After the IMS analysis, the lifted print remains intact for subsequent biometric scanning and analysis using matching algorithms. Several samples of explosive-laden fingerprints were successfully lifted and the explosives detected with IMS. Following explosive detection, the lifted fingerprints remained of sufficient quality for positive match scores using a prepared gallery consisting of 60 fingerprints. Based on our results ( n  = 1200), there was no significant decrease in the quality of the lifted print post IMS analysis. In fact, for a small subset of lifted prints, the quality was improved after IMS analysis. The described method can be readily applied to domestic criminal investigations, transportation security, terrorist and bombing threats, and military in-theatre settings.

  1. Improved Wireless Security through Physical Layer Protocol Manipulation and Radio Frequency Fingerprinting

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-18

    radios in a cognitive radio network using a radio frequency fingerprinting based method. In IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC...IMPROVEDWIRELESS SECURITY THROUGH PHYSICAL LAYER PROTOCOL MANIPULATION AND RADIO FREQUENCY FINGERPRINTING DISSERTATION Benjamin W. Ramsey, Captain...PHYSICAL LAYER PROTOCOL MANIPULATION AND RADIO FREQUENCY FINGERPRINTING DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty Graduate School of Engineering and

  2. Extracting valley-ridge lines from point-cloud-based 3D fingerprint models.

    PubMed

    Pang, Xufang; Song, Zhan; Xie, Wuyuan

    2013-01-01

    3D fingerprinting is an emerging technology with the distinct advantage of touchless operation. More important, 3D fingerprint models contain more biometric information than traditional 2D fingerprint images. However, current approaches to fingerprint feature detection usually must transform the 3D models to a 2D space through unwrapping or other methods, which might introduce distortions. A new approach directly extracts valley-ridge features from point-cloud-based 3D fingerprint models. It first applies the moving least-squares method to fit a local paraboloid surface and represent the local point cloud area. It then computes the local surface's curvatures and curvature tensors to facilitate detection of the potential valley and ridge points. The approach projects those points to the most likely valley-ridge lines, using statistical means such as covariance analysis and cross correlation. To finally extract the valley-ridge lines, it grows the polylines that approximate the projected feature points and removes the perturbations between the sampled points. Experiments with different 3D fingerprint models demonstrate this approach's feasibility and performance.

  3. Compact touchless fingerprint reader based on digital variable-focus liquid lens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, C. W.; Wang, P. J.; Yeh, J. A.

    2014-09-01

    Identity certification in the cyberworld has always been troublesome if critical information and financial transaction must be processed. Biometric identification is the most effective measure to circumvent the identity issues in mobile devices. Due to bulky and pricy optical design, conventional optical fingerprint readers have been discarded for mobile applications. In this paper, a digital variable-focus liquid lens was adopted for capture of a floating finger via fast focusplane scanning. Only putting a finger in front of a camera could fulfill the fingerprint ID process. This prototyped fingerprint reader scans multiple focal planes from 30 mm to 15 mm in 0.2 second. Through multiple images at various focuses, one of the images is chosen for extraction of fingerprint minutiae used for identity certification. In the optical design, a digital liquid lens atop a webcam with a fixed-focus lens module is to fast-scan a floating finger at preset focus planes. The distance, rolling angle and pitching angle of the finger are stored for crucial parameters during the match process of fingerprint minutiae. This innovative compact touchless fingerprint reader could be packed into a minute size of 9.8*9.8*5 (mm) after the optical design and multiple focus-plane scan function are optimized.

  4. An atomistic fingerprint algorithm for learning ab initio molecular force fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Yu-Hang; Zhang, Dongkun; Karniadakis, George Em

    2018-01-01

    Molecular fingerprints, i.e., feature vectors describing atomistic neighborhood configurations, is an important abstraction and a key ingredient for data-driven modeling of potential energy surface and interatomic force. In this paper, we present the density-encoded canonically aligned fingerprint algorithm, which is robust and efficient, for fitting per-atom scalar and vector quantities. The fingerprint is essentially a continuous density field formed through the superimposition of smoothing kernels centered on the atoms. Rotational invariance of the fingerprint is achieved by aligning, for each fingerprint instance, the neighboring atoms onto a local canonical coordinate frame computed from a kernel minisum optimization procedure. We show that this approach is superior over principal components analysis-based methods especially when the atomistic neighborhood is sparse and/or contains symmetry. We propose that the "distance" between the density fields be measured using a volume integral of their pointwise difference. This can be efficiently computed using optimal quadrature rules, which only require discrete sampling at a small number of grid points. We also experiment on the choice of weight functions for constructing the density fields and characterize their performance for fitting interatomic potentials. The applicability of the fingerprint is demonstrated through a set of benchmark problems.

  5. Diversity of Phylogenetic Information According to the Locus and the Taxonomic Level: An Example from a Parasitic Mesostigmatid Mite Genus

    PubMed Central

    Roy, Lise; Dowling, Ashley P.G.; Chauve, Claude Marie; Buronfosse, Thierry

    2010-01-01

    Molecular markers for cladistic analyses may perform differently according to the taxonomic group considered and the historical level under investigation. Here we evaluate the phylogenetic potential of five different markers for resolving evolutionary relationships within the ectoparasitic genus Dermanyssus at the species level, and their ability to address questions about the evolution of specialization. COI provided 9–18% divergence between species (up to 9% within species), 16S rRNA 10–16% (up to 4% within species), ITS1 and 2 2–9% (up to 1% within species) and Tropomyosin intron n 8–20% (up to 6% within species). EF-1α revealed different non-orthologous copies within individuals of Dermanyssus and Ornithonyssus. Tropomyosin intron n was shown containing consistent phylogenetic signal at the specific level within Dermanyssus and represents a promising marker for future prospects in phylogenetics of Acari. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the generalist condition is apomorphic and D. gallinae might represent a complex of hybridized lineages. The split into hirsutus-group and gallinae-group in Dermanyssus does not seem to be appropriate based upon these results and D. longipes appears to be composed of two different entities. PMID:20480038

  6. Measuring the Rarity of Fingerprint Patterns in the Dutch Population Using an Extended Classification Set.

    PubMed

    de Jongh, Arent; Lubach, Anko R; Lie Kwie, Sheryl L; Alberink, Ivo

    2018-06-11

    Latent print examiners often use their experience and knowledge to reach a conclusion on the identity of the source. Their conclusion is primarily based on their personal opinion on the rarity of the matching fingerprint features. Fingerprint patterns, if present, can play a significant role in the final assessment of a match. The authors believe that statistical data on the rarity of fingerprint patterns strengthens the subjective evaluation of the corresponding information. In order to provide fingerprint examiners with additional numerical support, fingerprint patterns were manually classified in a set of 24,104 fingerprints. In this study the frequencies of occurrence of 35 different fingerprint patterns have been obtained. The frequency data presented in this study can be used in the ACE-V process applied in forensic casework, allowing for the assessment of the evidential strength related to a specific fingerprint pattern type. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  7. The FBI wavelet/scalar quantization standard for gray-scale fingerprint image compression

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bradley, J.N.; Brislawn, C.M.; Hopper, T.

    1993-05-01

    The FBI has recently adopted a standard for the compression of digitized 8-bit gray-scale fingerprint images. The standard is based on scalar quantization of a 64-subband discrete wavelet transform decomposition of the images, followed by Huffman coding. Novel features of the algorithm include the use of symmetric boundary conditions for transforming finite-length signals and a subband decomposition tailored for fingerprint images scanned at 500 dpi. The standard is intended for use in conjunction with ANSI/NBS-CLS 1-1993, American National Standard Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint Information, and the FBI`s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

  8. The FBI wavelet/scalar quantization standard for gray-scale fingerprint image compression

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bradley, J.N.; Brislawn, C.M.; Hopper, T.

    1993-01-01

    The FBI has recently adopted a standard for the compression of digitized 8-bit gray-scale fingerprint images. The standard is based on scalar quantization of a 64-subband discrete wavelet transform decomposition of the images, followed by Huffman coding. Novel features of the algorithm include the use of symmetric boundary conditions for transforming finite-length signals and a subband decomposition tailored for fingerprint images scanned at 500 dpi. The standard is intended for use in conjunction with ANSI/NBS-CLS 1-1993, American National Standard Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint Information, and the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

  9. Transparent Fingerprint Sensor System for Large Flat Panel Display

    PubMed Central

    Seo, Wonkuk; Pi, Jae-Eun; Cho, Sung Haeung; Kang, Seung-Youl; Ahn, Seong-Deok; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Jeon, Ho-Sik; Kim, Jong-Uk

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we introduce a transparent fingerprint sensing system using a thin film transistor (TFT) sensor panel, based on a self-capacitive sensing scheme. An armorphousindium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFT sensor array and associated custom Read-Out IC (ROIC) are implemented for the system. The sensor panel has a 200 × 200 pixel array and each pixel size is as small as 50 μm × 50 μm. The ROIC uses only eight analog front-end (AFE) amplifier stages along with a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC). To get the fingerprint image data from the sensor array, the ROIC senses a capacitance, which is formed by a cover glass material between a human finger and an electrode of each pixel of the sensor array. Three methods are reviewed for estimating the self-capacitance. The measurement result demonstrates that the transparent fingerprint sensor system has an ability to differentiate a human finger’s ridges and valleys through the fingerprint sensor array. PMID:29351218

  10. Line-scanning Raman imaging spectroscopy for detection of fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Deng, Sunan; Liu, Le; Liu, Zhiyi; Shen, Zhiyuan; Li, Guohua; He, Yonghong

    2012-06-10

    Fingerprints are the best form of personal identification for criminal investigation purposes. We present a line-scanning Raman imaging system and use it to detect fingerprints composed of β-carotene and fish oil on different substrates. Although the line-scanning Raman system has been used to map the distribution of materials such as polystyrene spheres and minerals within geological samples, this is the first time to our knowledge that the method is used in imaging fingerprints. Two Raman peaks of β-carotene (501.2, 510.3 nm) are detected and the results demonstrate that both peaks can generate excellent images with little difference between them. The system operates at a spectra resolution of about 0.4 nm and can detect β-carotene signals in petroleum ether solution with the limit of detection of 3.4×10(-9) mol/L. The results show that the line-scanning Raman imaging spectroscopy we have built has a high accuracy and can be used in the detection of latent fingerprints in the future.

  11. Reconfigurable Gabor Filter For Fingerprint Recognition Using FPGA Verilog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosshidi, H. T.; Hadi, A. R.

    2009-06-01

    This paper present the implementations of Gabor filter for fingerprint recognition using Verilog HDL. This work demonstrates the application of Gabor Filter technique to enhance the fingerprint image. The incoming signal in form of image pixel will be filter out or convolute by the Gabor filter to define the ridge and valley regions of fingerprint. This is done with the application of a real time convolve based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to perform the convolution operation. The main characteristic of the proposed approach are the usage of memory to store the incoming image pixel and the coefficient of the Gabor filter before the convolution matrix take place. The result was the signal convoluted with the Gabor coefficient.

  12. A novel hand-type detection technique with fingerprint sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abe, Narishige; Shinzaki, Takashi

    2013-05-01

    In large-scale biometric authentication systems such as the US-Visit (USA), a 10-fingerprints scanner which simultaneously captures four fingerprints is used. In traditional systems, specific hand-types (left or right) are indicated, but it is difficult to detect hand-type due to the hand rotation and the opening and closing of fingers. In this paper, we evaluated features that were extracted from hand images (which were captured by a general optical scanner) that are considered to be effective for detecting hand-type. Furthermore, we extended the knowledge to real fingerprint images, and evaluated the accuracy with which it detects hand-type. We obtained an accuracy of about 80% with only three fingers (index, middle, ring finger).

  13. [Research on chemical fingerprint chromatograms of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum].

    PubMed

    Wang, Ai-Hua; Liu, Guang-Xue; Xu, Feng; Shang, Ming-Ying; Cai, Shao-Qing

    2013-10-01

    To study the HPLC fingerprint of Sinopodophylli Fructus, compare the major chemical differences in fruit of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum as well as the roots and rhizomas of S. hexandrum, and provide scientific evidence for clinical application and quality control. HPLC fingerprint method was used to analyze 12 fruits of S. hexandrum. A total of 20 common peaks were confirmed, and 12 peaks in the HPLC fingerprint were identified. Furthermore, similarity evaluation method and clustering analysis method were introduced to compare HPLC chromatograms, between fruits and underground parts. In this paper, quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosid, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 8-prenylquercetin and 8-prenylquercetin 3-methyl ether were firstly reported in Sinopodophylli Fructus. Among the existing fingerprint research, a total of 11 peaks were identified for the first time, containing 9 flavonoids and 2 lignans. The chemical constituents differed significantly in different medicinal parts of S. hexandrum. Prenylflavonoid compounds were the main constituents of Sinopodophylli Fructus. However, podophyllotoxin, flavonoids with simple substituent groups and flavonoid glycosides were the major ingredients in the roots and rhizomas of S. hexandrum. This method can be used for the quality control of Sinopodophylli Fructus and the roots and rhizomas of S. hexandrum. It has provided a reference for the pharmacodynamic differences of the two different parts.

  14. Nano-scale composition of commercial white powders for development of latent fingerprints on adhesives.

    PubMed

    Jones, B J; Reynolds, A J; Richardson, M; Sears, V G

    2010-09-01

    Titanium dioxide based powders are regularly used in the development of latent fingerprints on dark surfaces. For analysis of prints on adhesive tapes, the titanium dioxide can be suspended in a surfactant and used in the form of a powder suspension. Commercially available products, whilst having nominally similar composition, show varying levels of effectiveness of print development, with some powders adhering to the background as well as the print. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and laser particle sizing of the fingerprint powders show TiO(2) particles with a surrounding coating, tens of nanometres thick, consisting of Al and Si rich material, with traces of sodium and sulphur. Such aluminosilicates are commonly used as anti-caking agents and to aid adhesion or functionality of some fingerprint powders; however, the morphology, thickness, coverage and composition of the aluminosilicates are the primary differences between the white powder formulations and could be related to variation in the efficacy of print development. Copyright © 2009 Forensic Science Society. All rights reserved.

  15. 22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

  16. 22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

  17. 22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

  18. 22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

  19. Fingerprint-Based Structure Retrieval Using Electron Density

    PubMed Central

    Yin, Shuangye; Dokholyan, Nikolay V.

    2010-01-01

    We present a computational approach that can quickly search a large protein structural database to identify structures that fit a given electron density, such as determined by cryo-electron microscopy. We use geometric invariants (fingerprints) constructed using 3D Zernike moments to describe the electron density, and reduce the problem of fitting of the structure to the electron density to simple fingerprint comparison. Using this approach, we are able to screen the entire Protein Data Bank and identify structures that fit two experimental electron densities determined by cryo-electron microscopy. PMID:21287628

  20. DNA fingerprinting, DNA barcoding, and next generation sequencing technology in plants.

    PubMed

    Sucher, Nikolaus J; Hennell, James R; Carles, Maria C

    2012-01-01

    DNA fingerprinting of plants has become an invaluable tool in forensic, scientific, and industrial laboratories all over the world. PCR has become part of virtually every variation of the plethora of approaches used for DNA fingerprinting today. DNA sequencing is increasingly used either in combination with or as a replacement for traditional DNA fingerprinting techniques. A prime example is the use of short, standardized regions of the genome as taxon barcodes for biological identification of plants. Rapid advances in "next generation sequencing" (NGS) technology are driving down the cost of sequencing and bringing large-scale sequencing projects into the reach of individual investigators. We present an overview of recent publications that demonstrate the use of "NGS" technology for DNA fingerprinting and DNA barcoding applications.

  1. Fingerprint deposition on nitrocellulose and polyvinylidene difluoride membranes using alkaline phosphatase.

    PubMed

    Kurien, Biji T; Danda, Debashish; Scofield, R Hal

    2015-01-01

    Dactyloscopy or fingerprint identification is a vital part of forensic evidence. Identification with fingerprints has been known since the finding of finger impressions on the clay surface of Babylonian legal contracts almost 4,000 years ago. The skin on the fingers and palms appears as grooves and ridges when observed under a microscope. A unique fingerprint is produced by the patterns of these friction skin ridges. Visible fingerprints can be deposited on solid surfaces. Colored inks have been used to deposit fingermarks on documents. Herein, we show that alkaline phosphatase can be used to transfer prints from fingers or palm to nitrocellulose or polyvinylidene difluoride membranes. The prints can be detected by using the nitro blue tetrazolium/5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate method of detection.

  2. RF-Based Location Using Interpolation Functions to Reduce Fingerprint Mapping

    PubMed Central

    Ezpeleta, Santiago; Claver, José M.; Pérez-Solano, Juan J.; Martí, José V.

    2015-01-01

    Indoor RF-based localization using fingerprint mapping requires an initial training step, which represents a time consuming process. This location methodology needs a database conformed with RSSI (Radio Signal Strength Indicator) measures from the communication transceivers taken at specific locations within the localization area. But, the real world localization environment is dynamic and it is necessary to rebuild the fingerprint database when some environmental changes are made. This paper explores the use of different interpolation functions to complete the fingerprint mapping needed to achieve the sought accuracy, thereby reducing the effort in the training step. Also, different distributions of test maps and reference points have been evaluated, showing the validity of this proposal and necessary trade-offs. Results reported show that the same or similar localization accuracy can be achieved even when only 50% of the initial fingerprint reference points are taken. PMID:26516862

  3. Detection of protein deposition within latent fingerprints by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Wei; Mao, Zhu; Liu, Xiaojuan; Lu, Yong; Li, Zhishi; Zhao, Bing; Lu, Lehui

    2012-03-01

    The detection of metabolites is very important for the estimation of the health of human beings. Latent fingerprint contains many constituents and specific contaminants, which give much information of the individual, such as health status, drug abuse etc. For a long time, many efforts have been focused on visualizing latent fingerprints, but little attention has been paid to the detection of such substances at the same time. In this article, we have devised a versatile approach for the ultra-sensitive detection and identification of specific biomolecules deposited within fingerprints via a large-area SERS imaging technique. The antibody bound to the Raman probe modified silver nanoparticles enables the binding to specific proteins within the fingerprints to afford high-definition SERS images of the fingerprint pattern. The SERS spectra and images of Raman probes indirectly provide chemical information regarding the given proteins. By taking advantage of the high sensitivity and the capability of SERS technique to obtain abundant vibrational signatures of biomolecules, we have successfully detected minute quantities of protein present within a latent fingerprint. This technique provides a versatile and effective model to detect biomarkers within fingerprints for medical diagnostics, criminal investigation and other fields.

  4. DNA Fingerprinting Using PCR: A Practical Forensic Science Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Hyun-Jung; Ahn, Jung Hoon; Ko, Minsu

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a forensic science simulation programme applicable for use in colleges. Students were asked to find a putative suspect by DNA fingerprinting using a simple protocol developed in this study. DNA samples were obtained from a hair root and a drop of blood, common sources of DNA in forensic science. The DNA fingerprinting protocol…

  5. Evolutionary and Taxonomic Implications of Variation in Nuclear Genome Size: Lesson from the Grass Genus Anthoxanthum (Poaceae).

    PubMed

    Chumová, Zuzana; Krejčíková, Jana; Mandáková, Terezie; Suda, Jan; Trávníček, Pavel

    2015-01-01

    The genus Anthoxanthum (sweet vernal grass, Poaceae) represents a taxonomically intricate polyploid complex with large phenotypic variation and its evolutionary relationships still poorly resolved. In order to get insight into the geographic distribution of ploidy levels and assess the taxonomic value of genome size data, we determined C- and Cx-values in 628 plants representing all currently recognized European species collected from 197 populations in 29 European countries. The flow cytometric estimates were supplemented by conventional chromosome counts. In addition to diploids, we found two low (rare 3x and common 4x) and one high (~16x-18x) polyploid levels. Mean holoploid genome sizes ranged from 5.52 pg in diploid A. alpinum to 44.75 pg in highly polyploid A. amarum, while the size of monoploid genomes ranged from 2.75 pg in tetraploid A. alpinum to 9.19 pg in diploid A. gracile. In contrast to Central and Northern Europe, which harboured only limited cytological variation, a much more complex pattern of genome sizes was revealed in the Mediterranean, particularly in Corsica. Eight taxonomic groups that partly corresponded to traditionally recognized species were delimited based on genome size values and phenotypic variation. Whereas our data supported the merger of A. aristatum and A. ovatum, eastern Mediterranean populations traditionally referred to as diploid A. odoratum were shown to be cytologically distinct, and may represent a new taxon. Autopolyploid origin was suggested for 4x A. alpinum. In contrast, 4x A. odoratum seems to be an allopolyploid, based on the amounts of nuclear DNA. Intraspecific variation in genome size was observed in all recognized species, the most striking example being the A. aristatum/ovatum complex. Altogether, our study showed that genome size can be a useful taxonomic marker in Anthoxathum to not only guide taxonomic decisions but also help resolve evolutionary relationships in this challenging grass genus.

  6. A new method of artificial latent fingerprint creation using artificial sweat and inkjet printer.

    PubMed

    Hong, Sungwook; Hong, Ingi; Han, Aleum; Seo, Jin Yi; Namgung, Juyoung

    2015-12-01

    In order to study fingerprinting in the field of forensic science, it is very important to have two or more latent fingerprints with identical chemical composition and intensity. However, it is impossible to obtain identical fingerprints, in reality, because fingerprinting comes out slightly differently every time. A previous research study had proposed an artificial fingerprint creation method in which inkjet ink was replaced with amino acids and sodium chloride solution: the components of human sweat. But, this method had some drawbacks: divalent cations were not added while formulating the artificial sweat solution, and diluted solutions were used for creating weakly deposited latent fingerprint. In this study, a method was developed for overcoming the drawbacks of the methods used in the previous study. Several divalent cations were added in this study because the amino acid-ninhydrin (or some of its analogues) complex is known to react with divalent cations to produce a photoluminescent product; and, similarly, the amino acid-1,2-indanedione complex is known to be catalyzed by a small amount of zinc ions to produce a highly photoluminescent product. Also, in this study, a new technique was developed which enables to adjust the intensity when printing the latent fingerprint patterns. In this method, image processing software is used to control the intensity of the master fingerprint patterns, which adjusts the printing intensity of the latent fingerprints. This new method opened the way to produce a more realistic artificial fingerprint in various strengths with one artificial sweat working solution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Development of latent fingerprints on thermal paper by the controlled application of heat.

    PubMed

    Bond, John W

    2013-05-01

    Apparatus to produce a spatially and temporally uniform heat source is described and this is used to visualize latent fingerprints deposited onto thermal paper by raising the temperature of the paper. Results show an improvement over previous research when fingerprint deposits are aged or the developed fingerprints faint; visualization being enhanced by the use of a blue LED light source of 465 nm peak wavelength. An investigation of the components in fingerprint sweat likely to affect the solubility and hence color change of the dye present in the thermal paper has shown that polar protic solvents able to donate a proton are favored and a polar amino acid found commonly in eccrine fingerprint sweat (lysine) has been shown able to produce the desired color change. Aged fingerprint deposits on thermal paper from a variety of sources up to 4 years old have been visualized with this technique. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  8. FBI Fingerprint Image Capture System High-Speed-Front-End throughput modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rathke, P.M.

    1993-09-01

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has undertaken a major modernization effort called the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFISS). This system will provide centralized identification services using automated fingerprint, subject descriptor, mugshot, and document processing. A high-speed Fingerprint Image Capture System (FICS) is under development as part of the IAFIS program. The FICS will capture digital and microfilm images of FBI fingerprint cards for input into a central database. One FICS design supports two front-end scanning subsystems, known as the High-Speed-Front-End (HSFE) and Low-Speed-Front-End, to supply image data to a common data processing subsystem. The production rate of themore » HSFE is critical to meeting the FBI`s fingerprint card processing schedule. A model of the HSFE has been developed to help identify the issues driving the production rate, assist in the development of component specifications, and guide the evolution of an operations plan. A description of the model development is given, the assumptions are presented, and some HSFE throughput analysis is performed.« less

  9. Variance Component Selection With Applications to Microbiome Taxonomic Data.

    PubMed

    Zhai, Jing; Kim, Juhyun; Knox, Kenneth S; Twigg, Homer L; Zhou, Hua; Zhou, Jin J

    2018-01-01

    High-throughput sequencing technology has enabled population-based studies of the role of the human microbiome in disease etiology and exposure response. Microbiome data are summarized as counts or composition of the bacterial taxa at different taxonomic levels. An important problem is to identify the bacterial taxa that are associated with a response. One method is to test the association of specific taxon with phenotypes in a linear mixed effect model, which incorporates phylogenetic information among bacterial communities. Another type of approaches consider all taxa in a joint model and achieves selection via penalization method, which ignores phylogenetic information. In this paper, we consider regression analysis by treating bacterial taxa at different level as multiple random effects. For each taxon, a kernel matrix is calculated based on distance measures in the phylogenetic tree and acts as one variance component in the joint model. Then taxonomic selection is achieved by the lasso (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) penalty on variance components. Our method integrates biological information into the variable selection problem and greatly improves selection accuracies. Simulation studies demonstrate the superiority of our methods versus existing methods, for example, group-lasso. Finally, we apply our method to a longitudinal microbiome study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients. We implement our method using the high performance computing language Julia. Software and detailed documentation are freely available at https://github.com/JingZhai63/VCselection.

  10. Studies on the development of latent fingerprints by the method of solid-medium ninhydrin.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ruiqin; Lian, Jie

    2014-09-01

    A new series of fingerprint developing membrane were prepared using ninhydrin as the developing agent, and pressure-sensitive emulsifiers as the encapsulated chemicals. The type of emulsifier, plastic film, concentration of the developing agent, modifying ions and thickness of the membrane were studied in order to get the optimized fingerprint developing effect. The membrane can be successfully applied to both latent sweat fingerprints and blood fingerprint on many different surfaces. The sensitivity of the method toward the latent sweat fingerprint is 0.1 mg/L amino acid. The membrane can be applied to both porous and non-porous surfaces. Fingerprints that are difficult to develop on surfaces such as leather, glass and heat-sensitive paper using traditional chemical methods can be successfully developed with this membrane. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. [Baking method of Platycladi Cacumen Carbonisatum based on similarity of UPLC fingerprints].

    PubMed

    Shan, Mingqiu; Chen, Chao; Yao, Xiaodong; Ding, Anwei

    2010-09-01

    To establish a baking method of Platycladi Cacumen Carbonisatum for providing a new idea to Carbonic Herbs' research. Samples were prepared in an oven for different time at different temperatures separately. Then the fingerprints of the samples were determined by UPLC. According to the standard fingerprint, the similarities of the samples' fingerprints were compared. The similarities of 3 samples, which were baked at 230 degrees C for 20 min, 30 min and at 240 degrees C for 20 min, were above 0.96. According to the similarities of the fingerprints and in view of the appearances, Platycladi Cacumen Carbonizing should be baked at 230 degrees C for 20 min.

  12. Integrating DNA barcode data and taxonomic practice: determination, discovery, and description.

    PubMed

    Goldstein, Paul Z; DeSalle, Rob

    2011-02-01

    DNA barcodes, like traditional sources of taxonomic information, are potentially powerful heuristics in the identification of described species but require mindful analytical interpretation. The role of DNA barcoding in generating hypotheses of new taxa in need of formal taxonomic treatment is discussed, and it is emphasized that the recursive process of character evaluation is both necessary and best served by understanding the empirical mechanics of the discovery process. These undertakings carry enormous ramifications not only for the translation of DNA sequence data into taxonomic information but also for our comprehension of the magnitude of species diversity and its disappearance. This paper examines the potential strengths and pitfalls of integrating DNA sequence data, specifically in the form of DNA barcodes as they are currently generated and analyzed, with taxonomic practice.

  13. A Practical Workshop for Generating Simple DNA Fingerprints of Plants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rouziere, A.-S.; Redman, J. E.

    2011-01-01

    Gel electrophoresis DNA fingerprints offer a graphical and visually appealing illumination of the similarities and differences between DNA sequences of different species and individuals. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction digest protocol was designed to give high-school students the opportunity to generate simple fingerprints of…

  14. 25 CFR 514.17 - How are fingerprint processing fees collected by the Commission?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How are fingerprint processing fees collected by the... GENERAL PROVISIONS FEES § 514.17 How are fingerprint processing fees collected by the Commission? (a) Fees for processing fingerprint cards will be billed monthly to each Tribe for cards processed during the...

  15. 25 CFR 514.17 - How are fingerprint processing fees collected by the Commission?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How are fingerprint processing fees collected by the... GENERAL PROVISIONS FEES § 514.17 How are fingerprint processing fees collected by the Commission? (a) Fees for processing fingerprint cards will be billed monthly to each Tribe for cards processed during the...

  16. AIR-MRF: Accelerated iterative reconstruction for magnetic resonance fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Cline, Christopher C; Chen, Xiao; Mailhe, Boris; Wang, Qiu; Pfeuffer, Josef; Nittka, Mathias; Griswold, Mark A; Speier, Peter; Nadar, Mariappan S

    2017-09-01

    Existing approaches for reconstruction of multiparametric maps with magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) are currently limited by their estimation accuracy and reconstruction time. We aimed to address these issues with a novel combination of iterative reconstruction, fingerprint compression, additional regularization, and accelerated dictionary search methods. The pipeline described here, accelerated iterative reconstruction for magnetic resonance fingerprinting (AIR-MRF), was evaluated with simulations as well as phantom and in vivo scans. We found that the AIR-MRF pipeline provided reduced parameter estimation errors compared to non-iterative and other iterative methods, particularly at shorter sequence lengths. Accelerated dictionary search methods incorporated into the iterative pipeline reduced the reconstruction time at little cost of quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Stereoselective virtual screening of the ZINC database using atom pair 3D-fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Awale, Mahendra; Jin, Xian; Reymond, Jean-Louis

    2015-01-01

    Tools to explore large compound databases in search for analogs of query molecules provide a strategically important support in drug discovery to help identify available analogs of any given reference or hit compound by ligand based virtual screening (LBVS). We recently showed that large databases can be formatted for very fast searching with various 2D-fingerprints using the city-block distance as similarity measure, in particular a 2D-atom pair fingerprint (APfp) and the related category extended atom pair fingerprint (Xfp) which efficiently encode molecular shape and pharmacophores, but do not perceive stereochemistry. Here we investigated related 3D-atom pair fingerprints to enable rapid stereoselective searches in the ZINC database (23.2 million 3D structures). Molecular fingerprints counting atom pairs at increasing through-space distance intervals were designed using either all atoms (16-bit 3DAPfp) or different atom categories (80-bit 3DXfp). These 3D-fingerprints retrieved molecular shape and pharmacophore analogs (defined by OpenEye ROCS scoring functions) of 110,000 compounds from the Cambridge Structural Database with equal or better accuracy than the 2D-fingerprints APfp and Xfp, and showed comparable performance in recovering actives from decoys in the DUD database. LBVS by 3DXfp or 3DAPfp similarity was stereoselective and gave very different analogs when starting from different diastereomers of the same chiral drug. Results were also different from LBVS with the parent 2D-fingerprints Xfp or APfp. 3D- and 2D-fingerprints also gave very different results in LBVS of folded molecules where through-space distances between atom pairs are much shorter than topological distances. 3DAPfp and 3DXfp are suitable for stereoselective searches for shape and pharmacophore analogs of query molecules in large databases. Web-browsers for searching ZINC by 3DAPfp and 3DXfp similarity are accessible at www.gdb.unibe.ch and should provide useful assistance to drug

  18. Detection of latent fingerprint hidden beneath adhesive tape by optical coherence tomography.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ning; Wang, Chengming; Sun, Zhenwen; Li, Zhigang; Xie, Lanchi; Yan, Yuwen; Xu, Lei; Guo, Jingjing; Huang, Wei; Li, Zhihui; Xue, Jing; Liu, Huan; Xu, Xiaojing

    2018-06-01

    Adhesive tape is one type of common item which can be encountered in criminal cases involving rape, murder, kidnapping and explosives. It is often the case that a suspect deposits latent fingerprints on the sticky side of adhesive tape material when tying up victims, manufacturing improvised explosive devices or packaging illegal goods. However, the adhesive tapes found at crime scenes are usually stuck together or attached to a certain substrate, and thus the latent fingerprints may be hidden beneath the tapes. Current methods to detect latent fingerprint hidden beneath adhesive tape need to peel it off first and then apply physical or chemical methods to develop the fingerprint, which undergo complicated procedures and would affect the original condition of latent print. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel applied techniques in forensics which enables obtaining cross-sectional structure with the advantages of non-invasive, in-situ, high resolution and high speed. In this paper, a custom-built spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) system with a hand-held probe was employed to detect fingerprints hidden beneath different types of adhesive tapes. Three-dimensional (3D) OCT reconstructions were performed and the en face images were presented to reveal the hidden fingerprints. The results demonstrate that OCT is a promising tool for rapidly detecting and recovering high quality image of latent fingerprint hidden beneath adhesive tape without any changes to the original state and preserve the integrity of the evidence. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. MR Fingerprinting of Adult Brain Tumors: Initial Experience.

    PubMed

    Badve, C; Yu, A; Dastmalchian, S; Rogers, M; Ma, D; Jiang, Y; Margevicius, S; Pahwa, S; Lu, Z; Schluchter, M; Sunshine, J; Griswold, M; Sloan, A; Gulani, V

    2017-03-01

    MR fingerprinting allows rapid simultaneous quantification of T1 and T2 relaxation times. This study assessed the utility of MR fingerprinting in differentiating common types of adult intra-axial brain tumors. MR fingerprinting acquisition was performed in 31 patients with untreated intra-axial brain tumors: 17 glioblastomas, 6 World Health Organization grade II lower grade gliomas, and 8 metastases. T1, T2 of the solid tumor, immediate peritumoral white matter, and contralateral white matter were summarized within each ROI. Statistical comparisons on mean, SD, skewness, and kurtosis were performed by using the univariate Wilcoxon rank sum test across various tumor types. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple-comparison testing. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for discrimination between glioblastomas and metastases, and area under the receiver operator curve was calculated. Mean T2 values could differentiate solid tumor regions of lower grade gliomas from metastases (mean, 172 ± 53 ms, and 105 ± 27 ms, respectively; P = .004, significant after Bonferroni correction). The mean T1 of peritumoral white matter surrounding lower grade gliomas differed from peritumoral white matter around glioblastomas (mean, 1066 ± 218 ms, and 1578 ± 331 ms, respectively; P = .004, significant after Bonferroni correction). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the mean T2 of solid tumor offered the best separation between glioblastomas and metastases with an area under the curve of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.69-1.00; P < .0001). MR fingerprinting allows rapid simultaneous T1 and T2 measurement in brain tumors and surrounding tissues. MR fingerprinting-based relaxometry can identify quantitative differences between solid tumor regions of lower grade gliomas and metastases and between peritumoral regions of glioblastomas and lower grade gliomas. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  20. Is Homo sapiens polytypic? Human taxonomic diversity and its implications.

    PubMed

    Woodley, Michael A

    2010-01-01

    The term race is a traditional synonym for subspecies, however it is frequently asserted that Homo sapiens is monotypic and that what are termed races are nothing more than biological illusions. In this manuscript a case is made for the hypothesis that H. sapiens is polytypic, and in this way is no different from other species exhibiting similar levels of genetic and morphological diversity. First it is demonstrated that the four major definitions of race/subspecies can be shown to be synonymous within the context of the framework of race as a correlation structure of traits. Next the issue of taxonomic classification is considered where it is demonstrated that H. sapiens possesses high levels morphological diversity, genetic heterozygosity and differentiation (F(ST)) compared to many species that are acknowledged to be polytypic with respect to subspecies. Racial variation is then evaluated in light of the phylogenetic species concept, where it is suggested that the least inclusive monophyletic units exist below the level of species within H. sapiens indicating the existence of a number of potential human phylogenetic species; and the biological species concept, where it is determined that racial variation is too small to represent differentiation at the level of biological species. Finally the implications of this are discussed in the context of anthropology where an accurate picture of the sequence and timing of events during the evolution of human taxa are required for a complete picture of human evolution, and medicine, where a greater appreciation of the role played by human taxonomic differences in disease susceptibility and treatment responsiveness will save lives in the future.

  1. The importance of taxonomic resolution for additive beta diversity as revealed through DNA barcoding.

    PubMed

    Bringloe, Trevor T; Cottenie, Karl; Martin, Gillian K; Adamowicz, Sarah J

    2016-12-01

    Additive diversity partitioning (α, β, and γ) is commonly used to study the distribution of species-level diversity across spatial scales. Here, we first investigate whether published studies of additive diversity partitioning show signs of difficulty attaining species-level resolution due to inherent limitations with morphological identifications. Second, we present a DNA barcoding approach to delineate specimens of stream caddisfly larvae (order Trichoptera) and consider the importance of taxonomic resolution on classical (additive) measures of beta (β) diversity. Caddisfly larvae were sampled using a hierarchical spatial design in two regions (subarctic Churchill, Manitoba, Canada; temperate Pennsylvania, USA) and then additively partitioned according to Barcode Index Numbers (molecular clusters that serve as a proxy for species), genus, and family levels; diversity components were expressed as proportional species turnover. We screened 114 articles of additive diversity partitioning and found that a third reported difficulties with achieving species-level identifications, with a clear taxonomic tendency towards challenges identifying invertebrate taxa. Regarding our own study, caddisfly BINs appeared to show greater subregional turnover (e.g., proportional additive β) compared to genus or family levels. Diversity component studies failing to achieve species resolution due to morphological identifications may therefore be underestimating diversity turnover at larger spatial scales.

  2. Detection of protein deposition within latent fingerprints by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy imaging.

    PubMed

    Song, Wei; Mao, Zhu; Liu, Xiaojuan; Lu, Yong; Li, Zhishi; Zhao, Bing; Lu, Lehui

    2012-04-07

    The detection of metabolites is very important for the estimation of the health of human beings. Latent fingerprint contains many constituents and specific contaminants, which give much information of the individual, such as health status, drug abuse etc. For a long time, many efforts have been focused on visualizing latent fingerprints, but little attention has been paid to the detection of such substances at the same time. In this article, we have devised a versatile approach for the ultra-sensitive detection and identification of specific biomolecules deposited within fingerprints via a large-area SERS imaging technique. The antibody bound to the Raman probe modified silver nanoparticles enables the binding to specific proteins within the fingerprints to afford high-definition SERS images of the fingerprint pattern. The SERS spectra and images of Raman probes indirectly provide chemical information regarding the given proteins. By taking advantage of the high sensitivity and the capability of SERS technique to obtain abundant vibrational signatures of biomolecules, we have successfully detected minute quantities of protein present within a latent fingerprint. This technique provides a versatile and effective model to detect biomarkers within fingerprints for medical diagnostics, criminal investigation and other fields. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  3. Taxa: An R package implementing data standards and methods for taxonomic data

    PubMed Central

    Foster, Zachary S.L.; Chamberlain, Scott; Grünwald, Niklaus J.

    2018-01-01

    The taxa R package provides a set of tools for defining and manipulating taxonomic data. The recent and widespread application of DNA sequencing to community composition studies is making large data sets with taxonomic information commonplace. However, compared to typical tabular data, this information is encoded in many different ways and the hierarchical nature of taxonomic classifications makes it difficult to work with. There are many R packages that use taxonomic data to varying degrees but there is currently no cross-package standard for how this information is encoded and manipulated. We developed the R package taxa to provide a robust and flexible solution to storing and manipulating taxonomic data in R and any application-specific information associated with it. Taxa provides parsers that can read common sources of taxonomic information (taxon IDs, sequence IDs, taxon names, and classifications) from nearly any format while preserving associated data. Once parsed, the taxonomic data and any associated data can be manipulated using a cohesive set of functions modeled after the popular R package dplyr. These functions take into account the hierarchical nature of taxa and can modify the taxonomy or associated data in such a way that both are kept in sync. Taxa is currently being used by the metacoder and taxize packages, which provide broadly useful functionality that we hope will speed adoption by users and developers. PMID:29707201

  4. 25 CFR 514.16 - How does the Commission adopt the fingerprint processing fee?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How does the Commission adopt the fingerprint processing... GENERAL PROVISIONS FEES § 514.16 How does the Commission adopt the fingerprint processing fee? (a) The Commission shall review annually the costs involved in processing fingerprint cards and, by a vote of not...

  5. 25 CFR 514.16 - How does the Commission adopt the fingerprint processing fee?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How does the Commission adopt the fingerprint processing... GENERAL PROVISIONS FEES § 514.16 How does the Commission adopt the fingerprint processing fee? (a) The Commission shall review annually the costs involved in processing fingerprint cards and, by a vote of not...

  6. Development of Well-Preserved, Substrate-Versatile Latent Fingerprints by Aggregation-Induced Enhanced Emission-Active Conjugated Polyelectrolyte.

    PubMed

    Malik, Akhtar Hussain; Kalita, Anamika; Iyer, Parameswar Krishnan

    2017-10-25

    The development of highly efficient latent fingerprint (LFP) technology remains extremely vital for forensic and criminal investigations. In this contribution, a straightforward, rapid, and cost-effective method has been established for the quick development of well-preserved latent fingerprint on multiple substrates, including plastic, glass, aluminum foil, metallic surfaces, and so forth, without any additional treatment, based on aggregation-induced enhanced emission-active conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) 3,3'-((2-(4-(1,2-diphenyl-2-(p-tolyl)vinyl)phenyl)-7-(7-methylbenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)-9H-fluorene-9,9-diyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl))bis(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium) bromide, revealing clearly the third-level details (ridges, bifurcations, and pores) with high selectivity, high contrast, and no background interference even by blood stains, confirming the ability of the proposed technique for LFP detection with high resolution. The LFP development process was accomplished simply by immersing fingerprint-loaded substrate into the CPE solution for ∼1 min, followed by shaking off the residual polymer solution and then air drying. The CPE was readily transferred to the LFPs because of the strong electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction between the CPE molecules and the fingerprint components revealing distinct fluorescent images on various smooth nonporous surfaces.

  7. Sintering temperature effect of divalent europium ion doped tetra-calcium phosphate phosphors for latent fingerprint detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hong, Woo Tae; Park, Jin Young; Je, Jae-Yong; Yang, Hyun Kyoung

    2018-07-01

    Ca4(PO4)2O:Eu2+ (CPO:Eu2+) phosphors were successfully synthesized by high-energy ball milling. In order to study the effect of sintering temperature, the phosphors were synthesized at various sintering temperatures. The crystal structure of CPO:Eu2+ was determined to be monoclinic P21. Owing to the f-d transitions of the Eu2+ ions in the CPO:Eu2+ phosphors, the PL spectra of the phosphors showed an intense red emission centered at 635 nm with 418 nm excitation. Using high-energy ball milling, a more intense emission (compared to that reported from other research) can be visually observed with human eyes in the form of orange-red light, which is helpful in latent fingerprint detection. In addition, high-temperature sintering results in an increase of the PL intensity owing to the larger particle size and lower levels of impurities in the CPO:Eu2+ phosphors. The latent fingerprint image obtained by using CPO:Eu2+ phosphors reveals a high contrast for various substrate materials, because the phosphors exhibit strong red emission and adhere to the residue of the fingerprint after flowing. On the basis of these results, red-emitting CPO:Eu2+ phosphors can be used for the detection of latent fingerprints in solving criminal cases.

  8. Metabolomic Fingerprint of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

    PubMed Central

    Zordoky, Beshay N.; Sung, Miranda M.; Ezekowitz, Justin; Mandal, Rupasri; Han, Beomsoo; Bjorndahl, Trent C.; Bouatra, Souhaila; Anderson, Todd; Oudit, Gavin Y.; Wishart, David S.; Dyck, Jason R. B.

    2015-01-01

    Background Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly recognized as an important clinical entity. Preclinical studies have shown differences in the pathophysiology between HFpEF and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Therefore, we hypothesized that a systematic metabolomic analysis would reveal a novel metabolomic fingerprint of HFpEF that will help understand its pathophysiology and assist in establishing new biomarkers for its diagnosis. Methods and Results Ambulatory patients with clinical diagnosis of HFpEF (n = 24), HFrEF (n = 20), and age-matched non-HF controls (n = 38) were selected for metabolomic analysis as part of the Alberta HEART (Heart Failure Etiology and Analysis Research Team) project. 181 serum metabolites were quantified by LC-MS/MS and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Compared to non-HF control, HFpEF patients demonstrated higher serum concentrations of acylcarnitines, carnitine, creatinine, betaine, and amino acids; and lower levels of phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines, and sphingomyelins. Medium and long-chain acylcarnitines and ketone bodies were higher in HFpEF than HFrEF patients. Using logistic regression, two panels of metabolites were identified that can separate HFpEF patients from both non-HF controls and HFrEF patients with area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of 0.942 and 0.981, respectively. Conclusions The metabolomics approach employed in this study identified a unique metabolomic fingerprint of HFpEF that is distinct from that of HFrEF. This metabolomic fingerprint has been utilized to identify two novel panels of metabolites that can separate HFpEF patients from both non-HF controls and HFrEF patients. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02052804 PMID:26010610

  9. Revealing Individual Lifestyles through Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Chemical Compounds in Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Hinners, Paige; O'Neill, Kelly C; Lee, Young Jin

    2018-03-26

    Fingerprints, specifically the ridge details within the print, have long been used in forensic investigations for individual identification. Beyond the ridge detail, fingerprints contain useful chemical information. The study of fingerprint chemical information has become of interest, especially with mass spectrometry imaging technologies. Mass spectrometry imaging visualizes the spatial relationship of each compound detected, allowing ridge detail and chemical information in a single analysis. In this work, a range of exogenous fingerprint compounds that may reveal a personal lifestyle were studied using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI). Studied chemical compounds include various brands of bug sprays and sunscreens, as well as food oils, alcohols, and citrus fruits. Brand differentiation and source determination were possible based on the active ingredients or exclusive compounds left in fingerprints. Tandem mass spectrometry was performed for the key compounds, so that these compounds could be confidently identified in a single multiplex mass spectrometry imaging data acquisition.

  10. Enhancement of Plant Metabolite Fingerprinting by Machine Learning1[W

    PubMed Central

    Scott, Ian M.; Vermeer, Cornelia P.; Liakata, Maria; Corol, Delia I.; Ward, Jane L.; Lin, Wanchang; Johnson, Helen E.; Whitehead, Lynne; Kular, Baldeep; Baker, John M.; Walsh, Sean; Dave, Anuja; Larson, Tony R.; Graham, Ian A.; Wang, Trevor L.; King, Ross D.; Draper, John; Beale, Michael H.

    2010-01-01

    Metabolite fingerprinting of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants with known or predicted metabolic lesions was performed by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and flow injection electrospray-mass spectrometry. Fingerprinting enabled processing of five times more plants than conventional chromatographic profiling and was competitive for discriminating mutants, other than those affected in only low-abundance metabolites. Despite their rapidity and complexity, fingerprints yielded metabolomic insights (e.g. that effects of single lesions were usually not confined to individual pathways). Among fingerprint techniques, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance discriminated the most mutant phenotypes from the wild type and Fourier transform infrared discriminated the fewest. To maximize information from fingerprints, data analysis was crucial. One-third of distinctive phenotypes might have been overlooked had data models been confined to principal component analysis score plots. Among several methods tested, machine learning (ML) algorithms, namely support vector machine or random forest (RF) classifiers, were unsurpassed for phenotype discrimination. Support vector machines were often the best performing classifiers, but RFs yielded some particularly informative measures. First, RFs estimated margins between mutant phenotypes, whose relations could then be visualized by Sammon mapping or hierarchical clustering. Second, RFs provided importance scores for the features within fingerprints that discriminated mutants. These scores correlated with analysis of variance F values (as did Kruskal-Wallis tests, true- and false-positive measures, mutual information, and the Relief feature selection algorithm). ML classifiers, as models trained on one data set to predict another, were ideal for focused metabolomic queries, such as the distinctiveness and consistency of mutant phenotypes. Accessible software for use of ML in plant physiology is highlighted. PMID

  11. Ultrafast Comparison of Personal Genomes via Precomputed Genome Fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Glusman, Gustavo; Mauldin, Denise E.; Hood, Leroy E.; Robinson, Max

    2017-01-01

    We present an ultrafast method for comparing personal genomes. We transform the standard genome representation (lists of variants relative to a reference) into “genome fingerprints” via locality sensitive hashing. The resulting genome fingerprints can be meaningfully compared even when the input data were obtained using different sequencing technologies, processed using different pipelines, represented in different data formats and relative to different reference versions. Furthermore, genome fingerprints are robust to up to 30% missing data. Because of their reduced size, computation on the genome fingerprints is fast and requires little memory. For example, we could compute all-against-all pairwise comparisons among the 2504 genomes in the 1000 Genomes data set in 67 s at high quality (21 μs per comparison, on a single processor), and achieved a lower quality approximation in just 11 s. Efficient computation enables scaling up a variety of important genome analyses, including quantifying relatedness, recognizing duplicative sequenced genomes in a set, population reconstruction, and many others. The original genome representation cannot be reconstructed from its fingerprint, effectively decoupling genome comparison from genome interpretation; the method thus has significant implications for privacy-preserving genome analytics. PMID:29018478

  12. Fingerprint extraction from interference destruction terahertz spectrum.

    PubMed

    Xiong, Wei; Shen, Jingling

    2010-10-11

    In this paper, periodic peaks in a terahertz absorption spectrum are confirmed to be induced from interference effects. Theoretically, we explained the periodic peaks and calculated the locations of them. Accordingly, a technique was suggested, with which the interference peaks in a terahertz spectrum can be eliminated and therefore a real terahertz absorption spectrum can be obtained. Experimentally, a sample, Methamphetamine, was investigated and its terahertz fingerprint was successfully extracted from its interference destruction spectrum. This technique is useful in getting samples' terahertz fingerprint spectra, and furthermore provides a fast nondestructive testing method using a large size terahertz beam to identify materials.

  13. Fingerprint-based structure retrieval using electron density.

    PubMed

    Yin, Shuangye; Dokholyan, Nikolay V

    2011-03-01

    We present a computational approach that can quickly search a large protein structural database to identify structures that fit a given electron density, such as determined by cryo-electron microscopy. We use geometric invariants (fingerprints) constructed using 3D Zernike moments to describe the electron density, and reduce the problem of fitting of the structure to the electron density to simple fingerprint comparison. Using this approach, we are able to screen the entire Protein Data Bank and identify structures that fit two experimental electron densities determined by cryo-electron microscopy. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  14. DNA fingerprinting in forensics: past, present, future

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    DNA fingerprinting, one of the great discoveries of the late 20th century, has revolutionized forensic investigations. This review briefly recapitulates 30 years of progress in forensic DNA analysis which helps to convict criminals, exonerate the wrongly accused, and identify victims of crime, disasters, and war. Current standard methods based on short tandem repeats (STRs) as well as lineage markers (Y chromosome, mitochondrial DNA) are covered and applications are illustrated by casework examples. Benefits and risks of expanding forensic DNA databases are discussed and we ask what the future holds for forensic DNA fingerprinting. PMID:24245688

  15. Metabolite fingerprinting, pathway analyses, and bioactivity correlations for plant species belonging to the Cornaceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae families.

    PubMed

    Son, Su Young; Kim, Na Kyung; Lee, Sunmin; Singh, Digar; Kim, Ga Ryun; Lee, Jong Seok; Yang, Hee-Sun; Yeo, Joohong; Lee, Sarah; Lee, Choong Hwan

    2016-09-01

    A multi-parallel approach gauging the mass spectrometry-based metabolite fingerprinting coupled with bioactivity and pathway evaluations could serve as an efficacious tool for inferring plant taxonomic orders. Thirty-four species from three plant families, namely Cornaceae (7), Fabaceae (9), and Rosaceae (18) were subjected to metabolite profiling using gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS), followed by multivariate analyses to determine the metabolites characteristic of these families. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed the distinct clustering pattern of metabolites for each family. The pathway analysis further highlighted the relatively higher proportions of flavonols and ellagitannins in the Cornaceae family than in the other two families. Higher levels of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols were observed among species from the Rosaceae family, while amino acids, flavones, and isoflavones were more abundant among the Fabaceae family members. The antioxidant activities of plant extracts were measured using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays, and indicated that extracts from the Rosaceae family had the highest activity, followed by those from Cornaceae and Fabaceae. The correlation map analysis positively links the proportional concentration of metabolites with their relative antioxidant activities, particularly in Cornaceae and Rosaceae. This work highlights the pre-eminence of the multi-parallel approach involving metabolite profiling and bioactivity evaluations coupled with metabolic pathways as an efficient methodology for the evaluation of plant phylogenies.

  16. Phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic revision of Paranoplocephala Lühe, 1910 sensu lato (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea, Anoplocephalidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An extensive phylogenetic analysis and genus-level taxonomic revision of Paranoplocephala Lühe, 1910 -like cestodes (Cyclophyllidea, Anoplocephalidae) are presented. The phylogenetic analysis is based on DNA sequences of two partial mitochondrial genes, i.e. cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and...

  17. Rare Earth Fluorescent Nanomaterials for Enhanced Development of Latent Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Wang, Meng; Li, Ming; Yu, Aoyang; Wu, Jian; Mao, Chuanbin

    2015-12-30

    The most commonly found fingerprints at crime scenes are latent and, thus, an efficient method for detecting latent fingerprints is very important. However, traditional developing techniques have drawbacks such as low developing sensitivity, high background interference, complicated operation, and high toxicity. To tackle this challenge, we have synthesized two kinds of rare earth fluorescent nanomaterials, including the fluoresce red-emitting YVO4:Eu nanocrystals and green-emitting LaPO4:Ce,Tb nanobelts, and then used them as fluorescent labels for the development of latent fingerprints with high sensitivity, high contrast, high selectivity, high efficiency, and low background interference, on various substrates including noninfiltrating materials, semi-infiltrating materials, and infiltrating materials.

  18. Life in Oligotropic Desert Environments: Contrasting Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Two Microbial Mats with Metagenomics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonilla-Rosso, G.; Peimbert, M.; Olmedo, G.; Alcaraz, L. D.; Eguiarte, L. E.; Souza, V.

    2010-04-01

    The metagenomic analysis of two microbial mats from the oligotrophic waters in the Cuatrociéngas basin reveals large differences both at taxonomic and functional level. These are explained in terms of environmental stability and nutrient availability.

  19. Algorithm comparison for schedule optimization in MR fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Ouri; Rosen, Matthew S

    2017-09-01

    In MR Fingerprinting, the flip angles and repetition times are chosen according to a pseudorandom schedule. In previous work, we have shown that maximizing the discrimination between different tissue types by optimizing the acquisition schedule allows reductions in the number of measurements required. The ideal optimization algorithm for this application remains unknown, however. In this work we examine several different optimization algorithms to determine the one best suited for optimizing MR Fingerprinting acquisition schedules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Fluorescence development of fingerprints by combining conjugated polymer nanoparticles with cyanoacrylate fuming.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hong; Ma, Rong-Liang; Fan, Zhinan; Chen, Yun; Wang, Zizheng; Fan, Li-Juan

    2018-05-23

    Selecting appropriate developing methods/reagents or their combination to enhance the effect for fingerprint development is of great significance for practical forensic investigation. Ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate ester (superglue) fuming is a popular method for "in-situ" developing fingerprints in forensic science, followed by fluorescence staining to enhance the contrast of the fingerprint image in some occasion. In this study, a series of fluorescent poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) nanoparticles (NPs) in colloidal solution were successfully prepared and the emission color was tuned via a simple way. The fuming process was carried out using a home-made device. The staining was accomplished by immersing a piece of absorbent cotton into the solution of NPs, and then gently applied on the fumed fingerprints for several times. The PPV NPs were found to have a better developing effect than Rhodamine 6G when excited by 365 nm UV lamp. Different emission colors of NPs are advantageous in developing fingerprints on various substrates. Mechanism study suggested that the NPs were embedded in the porous structure of the superglue resin. In all, the combination of fuming method with the staining by conjugated polymer NPs has been demonstrated to be successful for fluorescent fingerprint development and be promising for more practical forensic applications. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Chemical Fingerprint Analysis and Quantitative Analysis of Rosa rugosa by UPLC-DAD.

    PubMed

    Mansur, Sanawar; Abdulla, Rahima; Ayupbec, Amatjan; Aisa, Haji Akbar

    2016-12-21

    A method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) was developed for quantitative analysis of five active compounds and chemical fingerprint analysis of Rosa rugosa . Ten batches of R. rugosa collected from different plantations in the Xinjiang region of China were used to establish the fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of the used UPLC fingerprint were verified for its similarity evaluation by systematically comparing chromatograms with professional analytical software recommended by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of China. In quantitative analysis, the five compounds showed good regression (R² = 0.9995) within the test ranges, and the recovery of the method was in the range of 94.2%-103.8%. The similarities of liquid chromatography fingerprints of 10 batches of R. rugosa were more than 0.981. The developed UPLC fingerprint method is simple, reliable, and validated for the quality control and identification of R. rugosa . Additionally, simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive ingredients in the R. rugosa samples was conducted to interpret the consistency of the quality test. The results indicated that the UPLC fingerprint, as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation and quantification analysis, can be successfully used to assess the quality and to identify the authenticity of R. rugosa .

  2. Molecular graph convolutions: moving beyond fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Kearnes, Steven; McCloskey, Kevin; Berndl, Marc; Pande, Vijay; Riley, Patrick

    2016-01-01

    Molecular “fingerprints” encoding structural information are the workhorse of cheminformatics and machine learning in drug discovery applications. However, fingerprint representations necessarily emphasize particular aspects of the molecular structure while ignoring others, rather than allowing the model to make data-driven decisions. We describe molecular graph convolutions, a machine learning architecture for learning from undirected graphs, specifically small molecules. Graph convolutions use a simple encoding of the molecular graph—atoms, bonds, distances, etc.—which allows the model to take greater advantage of information in the graph structure. Although graph convolutions do not outperform all fingerprint-based methods, they (along with other graph-based methods) represent a new paradigm in ligand-based virtual screening with exciting opportunities for future improvement. PMID:27558503

  3. Post-Disturbance Stability of Fish Assemblages Measured at Coarse Taxonomic Resolution Masks Change at Finer Scales.

    PubMed

    Ceccarelli, Daniela M; Emslie, Michael J; Richards, Zoe T

    2016-01-01

    Quantifying changes to coral reef fish assemblages in the wake of cyclonic disturbances is challenging due to spatial variability of damage inherent in such events. Often, fish abundance appears stable at one spatial scale (e.g. reef-wide), but exhibits substantial change at finer scales (e.g. site-specific decline or increase). Taxonomic resolution also plays a role; overall stability at coarse taxonomic levels (e.g. family) may mask species-level turnover. Here we document changes to reef fish communities after severe Tropical Cyclone Ita crossed Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Coral and reef fish surveys were conducted concurrently before and after the cyclone at four levels of exposure to the prevailing weather. Coral cover declined across all exposures except sheltered sites, with the largest decline at exposed sites. There was no significant overall reduction in the total density, biomass and species richness of reef fishes between 2011 and 2015, but individual fish taxa (families and species) changed in complex and unpredictable ways. For example, more families increased in density and biomass than decreased following Cyclone Ita, particularly at exposed sites whilst more fish families declined at lagoon sites even though coral cover did not decline. All sites lost biomass of several damselfish species, and at most sites there was an increase in macroinvertivores and grazers. Overall, these results suggest that the degree of change measured at coarse taxonomic levels masked high species-level turnover, although other potential explanations include that there was no impact of the storm, fish assemblages were impacted but underwent rapid recovery or that there is a time lag before the full impacts become apparent. This study confirms that in high-complexity, high diversity ecosystems such as coral reefs, species level analyses are essential to adequately capture the consequences of disturbance events.

  4. Post-Disturbance Stability of Fish Assemblages Measured at Coarse Taxonomic Resolution Masks Change at Finer Scales

    PubMed Central

    Ceccarelli, Daniela M.

    2016-01-01

    Quantifying changes to coral reef fish assemblages in the wake of cyclonic disturbances is challenging due to spatial variability of damage inherent in such events. Often, fish abundance appears stable at one spatial scale (e.g. reef-wide), but exhibits substantial change at finer scales (e.g. site-specific decline or increase). Taxonomic resolution also plays a role; overall stability at coarse taxonomic levels (e.g. family) may mask species-level turnover. Here we document changes to reef fish communities after severe Tropical Cyclone Ita crossed Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Coral and reef fish surveys were conducted concurrently before and after the cyclone at four levels of exposure to the prevailing weather. Coral cover declined across all exposures except sheltered sites, with the largest decline at exposed sites. There was no significant overall reduction in the total density, biomass and species richness of reef fishes between 2011 and 2015, but individual fish taxa (families and species) changed in complex and unpredictable ways. For example, more families increased in density and biomass than decreased following Cyclone Ita, particularly at exposed sites whilst more fish families declined at lagoon sites even though coral cover did not decline. All sites lost biomass of several damselfish species, and at most sites there was an increase in macroinvertivores and grazers. Overall, these results suggest that the degree of change measured at coarse taxonomic levels masked high species-level turnover, although other potential explanations include that there was no impact of the storm, fish assemblages were impacted but underwent rapid recovery or that there is a time lag before the full impacts become apparent. This study confirms that in high-complexity, high diversity ecosystems such as coral reefs, species level analyses are essential to adequately capture the consequences of disturbance events. PMID:27285160

  5. Wavelet/scalar quantization compression standard for fingerprint images

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brislawn, C.M.

    1996-06-12

    US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently formulated a national standard for digitization and compression of gray-scale fingerprint images. Fingerprints are scanned at a spatial resolution of 500 dots per inch, with 8 bits of gray-scale resolution. The compression algorithm for the resulting digital images is based on adaptive uniform scalar quantization of a discrete wavelet transform subband decomposition (wavelet/scalar quantization method). The FBI standard produces archival-quality images at compression ratios of around 15 to 1 and will allow the current database of paper fingerprint cards to be replaced by digital imagery. The compression standard specifies a class ofmore » potential encoders and a universal decoder with sufficient generality to reconstruct compressed images produced by any compliant encoder, allowing flexibility for future improvements in encoder technology. A compliance testing program is also being implemented to ensure high standards of image quality and interchangeability of data between different implementations.« less

  6. Digitising legacy zoological taxonomic literature: Processes, products and using the output

    PubMed Central

    Lyal, Christopher H. C.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract By digitising legacy taxonomic literature using XML mark-up the contents become accessible to other taxonomic and nomenclatural information systems. Appropriate schemas need to be interoperable with other sectorial schemas, atomise to appropriate content elements and carry appropriate metadata to, for example, enable algorithmic assessment of availability of a name under the Code. Legacy (and new) literature delivered in this fashion will become part of a global taxonomic resource from which users can extract tailored content to meet their particular needs, be they nomenclatural, taxonomic, faunistic or other. To date, most digitisation of taxonomic literature has led to a more or less simple digital copy of a paper original – the output of the many efforts has effectively been an electronic copy of a traditional library. While this has increased accessibility of publications through internet access, the means by which many scientific papers are indexed and located is much the same as with traditional libraries. OCR and born-digital papers allow use of web search engines to locate instances of taxon names and other terms, but OCR efficiency in recognising taxonomic names is still relatively poor, people’s ability to use search engines effectively is mixed, and many papers cannot be searched directly. Instead of building digital analogues of traditional publications, we should consider what properties we require of future taxonomic information access. Ideally the content of each new digital publication should be accessible in the context of all previous published data, and the user able to retrieve nomenclatural, taxonomic and other data / information in the form required without having to scan all of the original papers and extract target content manually. This opens the door to dynamic linking of new content with extant systems: automatic population and updating of taxonomic catalogues, ZooBank and faunal lists, all descriptions of a taxon and its

  7. Taxonomic revision of deep-sea Ostracoda from the Arctic Ocean

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yasuhara, Moriaki; Stepanova, Anna; Okahashi, Hisayo; Cronin, Thomas M.; Brouwers, Elisabeth M.

    2015-01-01

    Taxonomic revision of deep-sea Ostracoda from the Arctic Ocean was conducted to reduce taxonomic uncertainty that will improve our understanding of species ecology, biogeography and relationship to faunas from other deep-sea regions. Fifteen genera and 40 species were examined and (re-)illustrated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy images, covering most of known deep-sea species in the central Arctic Ocean. Seven new species are described: Bythoceratina lomonosovensis n. sp., Cytheropteron parahamatum n. sp., Cytheropteron lanceae n. sp.,Cytheropteron irizukii n. sp., Pedicythere arctica n. sp., Cluthiawhatleyi n. sp., Krithe hunti n. sp. This study provides a robust taxonomic baseline for application to paleoceanographical reconstruction and biodiversity analyses in this climatically sensitive region.

  8. Analysing taxonomic structures and local ecological processes in temperate forests in North Eastern China.

    PubMed

    Fan, Chunyu; Tan, Lingzhao; Zhang, Chunyu; Zhao, Xiuhai; von Gadow, Klaus

    2017-10-30

    One of the core issues of forest community ecology is the exploration of how ecological processes affect community structure. The relative importance of different processes is still under debate. This study addresses four questions: (1) how is the taxonomic structure of a forest community affected by spatial scale? (2) does the taxonomic structure reveal effects of local processes such as environmental filtering, dispersal limitation or interspecific competition at a local scale? (3) does the effect of local processes on the taxonomic structure vary with the spatial scale? (4) does the analysis based on taxonomic structures provide similar insights when compared with the use of phylogenetic information? Based on the data collected in two large forest observational field studies, the taxonomic structures of the plant communities were analyzed at different sampling scales using taxonomic ratios (number of genera/number of species, number of families/number of species), and the relationship between the number of higher taxa and the number of species. Two random null models were used and the "standardized effect size" (SES) of taxonomic ratios was calculated, to assess possible differences between the observed and simulated taxonomic structures, which may be caused by specific ecological processes. We further applied a phylogeny-based method to compare results with those of the taxonomic approach. As expected, the taxonomic ratios decline with increasing grain size. The quantitative relationship between genera/families and species, described by a linearized power function, showed a good fit. With the exception of the family-species relationship in the Jiaohe study area, the exponents of the genus/family-species relationships did not show any scale dependent effects. The taxonomic ratios of the observed communities had significantly lower values than those of the simulated random community under the test of two null models at almost all scales. Null Model 2 which

  9. High-speed biometrics ultrasonic system for 3D fingerprint imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maev, Roman G.; Severin, Fedar

    2012-10-01

    The objective of this research is to develop a new robust fingerprint identification technology based upon forming surface-subsurface (under skin) ultrasonic 3D images of the finger pads. The presented work aims to create specialized ultrasonic scanning methods for biometric purposes. Preliminary research has demonstrated the applicability of acoustic microscopy for fingerprint reading. The additional information from internal skin layers and dermis structures contained in the scan can essentially improve confidence in the identification. Advantages of this system include high resolution and quick scanning time. Operating in pulse-echo mode provides spatial resolution up to 0.05 mm. Technology advantages of the proposed technology are the following: • Full-range scanning of the fingerprint area "nail to nail" (2.5 x 2.5 cm) can be done in less than 5 sec with a resolution of up to 1000 dpi. • Collection of information about the in-depth structure of the fingerprint realized by the set of spherically focused 50 MHz acoustic lens provide the resolution ~ 0.05 mm or better • In addition to fingerprints, this technology can identify sweat porous at the surface and under the skin • No sensitivity to the contamination of the finger's surface • Detection of blood velocity using Doppler effect can be implemented to distinguish living specimens • Utilization as polygraph device • Simple connectivity to fingerprint databases obtained with other techniques • The digitally interpolated images can then be enhanced allowing for greater resolution • Method can be applied to fingernails and underlying tissues, providing more information • A laboratory prototype of the biometrics system based on these described principles was designed, built and tested. It is the first step toward a practical implementation of this technique.

  10. Forensic Discrimination of Latent Fingerprints Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Chemometric Approaches.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jun-Ho; Yoh, Jack J

    2018-01-01

    A novel technique is reported for separating overlapping latent fingerprints using chemometric approaches that combine laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and multivariate analysis. The LIBS technique provides the capability of real time analysis and high frequency scanning as well as the data regarding the chemical composition of overlapping latent fingerprints. These spectra offer valuable information for the classification and reconstruction of overlapping latent fingerprints by implementing appropriate statistical multivariate analysis. The current study employs principal component analysis and partial least square methods for the classification of latent fingerprints from the LIBS spectra. This technique was successfully demonstrated through a classification study of four distinct latent fingerprints using classification methods such as soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The novel method yielded an accuracy of more than 85% and was proven to be sufficiently robust. Furthermore, through laser scanning analysis at a spatial interval of 125 µm, the overlapping fingerprints were reconstructed as separate two-dimensional forms.

  11. Analysis of fingerprint samples, testing various conditions, for forensic DNA identification.

    PubMed

    Ostojic, Lana; Wurmbach, Elisa

    2017-01-01

    Fingerprints can be of tremendous value for forensic biology, since they can be collected from a wide variety of evident types, such as handles of weapons, tools collected in criminal cases, and objects with no apparent staining. DNA obtained from fingerprints varies greatly in quality and quantity, which ultimately affects the quality of the resulting STR profiles. Additional difficulties can arise when fingerprint samples show mixed STR profiles due to the handling of multiple persons. After applying a tested protocol for sample collection (swabbing with 5% Triton X-100), DNA extraction (using an enzyme that works at elevated temperatures), and PCR amplification (AmpFlSTR® Identifiler® using 31cycles) extensive analysis was performed to better understand the challenges inherent to fingerprint samples, with the ultimate goal of developing valuable profiles (≥50% complete). The impact of time on deposited fingerprints was investigated, revealing that while the quality of profiles deteriorated, full STR profiles could still be obtained from samples after 40days of storage at room temperature. By comparing the STR profiles from fingerprints of the dominant versus the non-dominant hand, we found a slightly better quality from the non-dominant hand, which was not always significant. Substrates seem to have greater effects on fingerprints. Tests on glass, plastic, paper and metal (US Quarter dollar, made of Cu and Ni), common substrates in offices and homes, showed best results for glass, followed by plastic and paper, while almost no profiles were obtained from a Quarter dollar. Important for forensic casework, we also assessed three-person mixtures of touched fingerprint samples. Unlike routinely used approaches for sampling evidence, the surface of an object (bottle) was sectioned into six equal parts and separate samples were taken from each section. The samples were processed separately for DNA extraction and STR amplification. The results included a few single

  12. [Study on HPLC fingerprint of Oldenlandia diffusa].

    PubMed

    Chen, Yan; Yao, Zhi-Hong; Dai, Yi; Cheng, Hong; Wen, Li-Rong; Zhou, Guang-Xiong; Yao, Xin-Sheng

    2012-06-01

    To establish the HPLC fingerprint chromatogram of Oldenlandia diffusa coupled with chemometrics means for the quality control of multi-batches of medicinal material. The separation was developed on C18 column(4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) by gradient elution with acetonitrile-water(both containing 0.1 per thousand (V/V) ocetic acid) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, the detection wavelength at 238 nm and column temperature at 30 degrees C. The HPLC fingerprint chromatogram of Oldenlandia diffusa was set up and the main characteristic peaks were identified by comparing with chemical reference substance. The quality of 22 batches of medicinal material was evaluated by similarity assay as well as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis. The established HPLC fingerprint chromatogram of Oldenlandia diffusa was specific, precise, reproducible and stable. 11 peaks were chemically identified. The similarity of 17 batches of Oldenlandia diffusa was obviously higher than 5 batches of adulterants. PCA showed that 17 batches of Oldenlandia diffusa were in a domain and 5 batches of adulterants were far apart from the domain. The cluster analysis of the 22 batches of medicinal material showed that 17 batches of Oldenlandia diffusa were in a cluster while 5 batches of adulterants were excluded. Further cluster analysis was carried out for the quality consistency of 17 batches of Oldenlandia diffusa and accordingly they were devided into 4 clusters. With the combination of chemometrics means, the HPLC fingerprint chromatogram provides a method for evaluation of authenticity and quality control of Oldenlandia diffusa, which is favorable to improve overall quality control of Oldenlandia diffusa.

  13. jCompoundMapper: An open source Java library and command-line tool for chemical fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The decomposition of a chemical graph is a convenient approach to encode information of the corresponding organic compound. While several commercial toolkits exist to encode molecules as so-called fingerprints, only a few open source implementations are available. The aim of this work is to introduce a library for exactly defined molecular decompositions, with a strong focus on the application of these features in machine learning and data mining. It provides several options such as search depth, distance cut-offs, atom- and pharmacophore typing. Furthermore, it provides the functionality to combine, to compare, or to export the fingerprints into several formats. Results We provide a Java 1.6 library for the decomposition of chemical graphs based on the open source Chemistry Development Kit toolkit. We reimplemented popular fingerprinting algorithms such as depth-first search fingerprints, extended connectivity fingerprints, autocorrelation fingerprints (e.g. CATS2D), radial fingerprints (e.g. Molprint2D), geometrical Molprint, atom pairs, and pharmacophore fingerprints. We also implemented custom fingerprints such as the all-shortest path fingerprint that only includes the subset of shortest paths from the full set of paths of the depth-first search fingerprint. As an application of jCompoundMapper, we provide a command-line executable binary. We measured the conversion speed and number of features for each encoding and described the composition of the features in detail. The quality of the encodings was tested using the default parametrizations in combination with a support vector machine on the Sutherland QSAR data sets. Additionally, we benchmarked the fingerprint encodings on the large-scale Ames toxicity benchmark using a large-scale linear support vector machine. The results were promising and could often compete with literature results. On the large Ames benchmark, for example, we obtained an AUC ROC performance of 0.87 with a reimplementation of

  14. Ultrasonic Fingerprinting of Structural Materials: Spent Nuclear Fuel Containers Case-Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sednev, D.; Lider, A.; Demyanuk, D.; Kroening, M.; Salchak, Y.

    Nowadays, NDT is mainly focused on safety purposes, but it seems possible to apply those methods to provide national and IAEA safeguards. The containment of spent fuel in storage casks could be dramatically improved in case of development of so-called "smart" spent fuel storage and transfer casks. Such casks would have tamper indicating and monitoring/tracking features integrated directly into the cask design. The microstructure of the containers material as well as of the dedicated weld seam is applied to the lid and the cask body and provides a unique fingerprint of the full container, which can be reproducibly scanned by using an appropriate technique. The echo-sounder technique, which is the most commonly used method for material inspection, was chosen for this project. The main measuring parameter is acoustic noise, reflected from material's artefacts. The purpose is to obtain structural fingerprinting. Reference measurement and additional measurement results were compared. Obtained results have verified the appliance of structural fingerprint and the chosen control method. The successful authentication demonstrates the levels of the feature points' compliance exceeding the given threshold which differs considerably from the percentage of the concurrent points during authentication from other points. Since reproduction or doubling of the proposed unique identification characteristics is impossible at the current state science and technology, application of this technique is considered to identify the interference into the nuclear materials displacement with high accuracy.

  15. A BAC clone fingerprinting approach to the detection of human genome rearrangements

    PubMed Central

    Krzywinski, Martin; Bosdet, Ian; Mathewson, Carrie; Wye, Natasja; Brebner, Jay; Chiu, Readman; Corbett, Richard; Field, Matthew; Lee, Darlene; Pugh, Trevor; Volik, Stas; Siddiqui, Asim; Jones, Steven; Schein, Jacquie; Collins, Collin; Marra, Marco

    2007-01-01

    We present a method, called fingerprint profiling (FPP), that uses restriction digest fingerprints of bacterial artificial chromosome clones to detect and classify rearrangements in the human genome. The approach uses alignment of experimental fingerprint patterns to in silico digests of the sequence assembly and is capable of detecting micro-deletions (1-5 kb) and balanced rearrangements. Our method has compelling potential for use as a whole-genome method for the identification and characterization of human genome rearrangements. PMID:17953769

  16. In vivo metabolic fingerprinting of neutral lipids with hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.

    PubMed

    Fu, Dan; Yu, Yong; Folick, Andrew; Currie, Erin; Farese, Robert V; Tsai, Tsung-Huang; Xie, Xiaoliang Sunney; Wang, Meng C

    2014-06-18

    Metabolic fingerprinting provides valuable information on the physiopathological states of cells and tissues. Traditional imaging mass spectrometry and magnetic resonance imaging are unable to probe the spatial-temporal dynamics of metabolites at the subcellular level due to either lack of spatial resolution or inability to perform live cell imaging. Here we report a complementary metabolic imaging technique that is based on hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering (hsSRS). We demonstrated the use of hsSRS imaging in quantifying two major neutral lipids: cholesteryl ester and triacylglycerol in cells and tissues. Our imaging results revealed previously unknown changes of lipid composition associated with obesity and steatohepatitis. We further used stable-isotope labeling to trace the metabolic dynamics of fatty acids in live cells and live Caenorhabditis elegans with hsSRS imaging. We found that unsaturated fatty acid has preferential uptake into lipid storage while saturated fatty acid exhibits toxicity in hepatic cells. Simultaneous metabolic fingerprinting of deuterium-labeled saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in living C. elegans revealed that there is a lack of interaction between the two, unlike previously hypothesized. Our findings provide new approaches for metabolic tracing of neutral lipids and their precursors in living cells and organisms, and could potentially serve as a general approach for metabolic fingerprinting of other metabolites.

  17. Chemical Visualization of Sweat Pores in Fingerprints Using GO-Enhanced TOF-SIMS.

    PubMed

    Cai, Lesi; Xia, Meng-Chan; Wang, Zhaoying; Zhao, Ya-Bin; Li, Zhanping; Zhang, Sichun; Zhang, Xinrong

    2017-08-15

    Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) has been used in imaging of small molecules (<500 Da) in fingerprints, such as gunshot residues and illicit drugs. However, identifying and mapping relatively high mass molecules are quite difficult owing to insufficient ion yield of their molecular ions. In this report, graphene oxide (GO)-enhanced TOF-SIMS was used to detect and image relatively high mass molecules such as poison, alkaloids (>600 Da) and controlled drugs, and antibiotics (>700 Da) in fingerprints. Detail features of fingerprints such as the number and distribution of sweat pores in a ridge and even the delicate morphology of one pore were clearly revealed in SIMS images of relatively high mass molecules. The detail features combining with identified chemical composition were sufficient to establish a human identity and link the suspect to a crime scene. The wide detectable mass range and high spatial resolution make GO-enhanced TOF-SIMS a promising tool in accurate and fast analysis of fingerprints, especially in fragmental fingerprint analysis.

  18. Fingerprint image enhancement by differential hysteresis processing.

    PubMed

    Blotta, Eduardo; Moler, Emilce

    2004-05-10

    A new method to enhance defective fingerprints images through image digital processing tools is presented in this work. When the fingerprints have been taken without any care, blurred and in some cases mostly illegible, as in the case presented here, their classification and comparison becomes nearly impossible. A combination of spatial domain filters, including a technique called differential hysteresis processing (DHP), is applied to improve these kind of images. This set of filtering methods proved to be satisfactory in a wide range of cases by uncovering hidden details that helped to identify persons. Dactyloscopy experts from Policia Federal Argentina and the EAAF have validated these results.

  19. Study of UV imaging technology for noninvasive detection of latent fingerprints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hong-xia; Cao, Jing; Niu, Jie-qing; Huang, Yun-gang

    2013-09-01

    Using UV imaging technology, according to the special absorption 、reflection 、scattering and fluorescence characterization of the various residues in fingerprints (fatty acid ester, protein, and carboxylic acid salts etc) to the UV light, weaken or eliminate the background disturbance to increase the brightness contrast of fingerprints with the background, and design、setup the illumination optical system and UV imaging system, the noninvasive detection of latent fingerprints remaining on various object surface are studied. In the illumination optical system, using the 266nm UV Nd:YAG solid state laser as illumination light source, by calculating the best coupling conditions of the laser beam with UV liquid core fiber and analyzing the beam transforming characterizations, we designed and setup the optical system to realize the UV imaging uniform illumination. In the UV imaging system, the UV lens is selected as the fingerprint imaging element, and the UV intensified CCD (ICCD) which consists of a second-generation UV image intensifier and a CCD coupled by fiber plate and taper directly are used as the imaging sensing element. The best imaging conditions of the UV lens with ICCD were analyzed and the imaging system was designed and setup. In this study, by analyzing the factors which influence the detection effect, optimal design and setup the illumination system and imaging system, latent fingerprints on the surface of the paint tin box、plastic、smooth paper、notebook paper and print paper were noninvasive detected and appeared, and the result meet the fingerprint identification requirements in forensic science.

  20. Carotenoids Database: structures, chemical fingerprints and distribution among organisms.

    PubMed

    Yabuzaki, Junko

    2017-01-01

    To promote understanding of how organisms are related via carotenoids, either evolutionarily or symbiotically, or in food chains through natural histories, we built the Carotenoids Database. This provides chemical information on 1117 natural carotenoids with 683 source organisms. For extracting organisms closely related through the biosynthesis of carotenoids, we offer a new similarity search system 'Search similar carotenoids' using our original chemical fingerprint 'Carotenoid DB Chemical Fingerprints'. These Carotenoid DB Chemical Fingerprints describe the chemical substructure and the modification details based upon International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) semi-systematic names of the carotenoids. The fingerprints also allow (i) easier prediction of six biological functions of carotenoids: provitamin A, membrane stabilizers, odorous substances, allelochemicals, antiproliferative activity and reverse MDR activity against cancer cells, (ii) easier classification of carotenoid structures, (iii) partial and exact structure searching and (iv) easier extraction of structural isomers and stereoisomers. We believe this to be the first attempt to establish fingerprints using the IUPAC semi-systematic names. For extracting close profiled organisms, we provide a new tool 'Search similar profiled organisms'. Our current statistics show some insights into natural history: carotenoids seem to have been spread largely by bacteria, as they produce C30, C40, C45 and C50 carotenoids, with the widest range of end groups, and they share a small portion of C40 carotenoids with eukaryotes. Archaea share an even smaller portion with eukaryotes. Eukaryotes then have evolved a considerable variety of C40 carotenoids. Considering carotenoids, eukaryotes seem more closely related to bacteria than to archaea aside from 16S rRNA lineage analysis. : http://carotenoiddb.jp. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  1. A simple low cost latent fingerprint sensor based on deflectometry and WFT analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhanotia, Jitendra; Chatterjee, Amit; Bhatia, Vimal; Prakash, Shashi

    2018-02-01

    In criminal investigations, latent fingerprints are one of the most significant forms of evidence and most commonly used forensic investigation tool worldwide. The existing non-contact latent fingerprint detection systems are bulky, expensive and require environment which is shock and vibration resistant, thereby limiting their usability outside the laboratory. In this article, a compact, full field, low cost technique for profiling of fingerprints using deflectometry is proposed. Using inexpensive mobile phone screen based structured illumination, and windowed Fourier transform (WFT) based phase retrieval mechanism, the 2D and 3D phase plots reconstruct the profile information of the fingerprint. The phase information is also used to confirm a match between two fingerprints in real time. Since the proposed technique is non-interferometric, the measurements are least affected by environmental perturbations. Using the proposed technique, a portable sensor capable of field deployment has been realized.

  2. Filter Design and Performance Evaluation for Fingerprint Image Segmentation

    PubMed Central

    Thai, Duy Hoang; Huckemann, Stephan; Gottschlich, Carsten

    2016-01-01

    Fingerprint recognition plays an important role in many commercial applications and is used by millions of people every day, e.g. for unlocking mobile phones. Fingerprint image segmentation is typically the first processing step of most fingerprint algorithms and it divides an image into foreground, the region of interest, and background. Two types of error can occur during this step which both have a negative impact on the recognition performance: ‘true’ foreground can be labeled as background and features like minutiae can be lost, or conversely ‘true’ background can be misclassified as foreground and spurious features can be introduced. The contribution of this paper is threefold: firstly, we propose a novel factorized directional bandpass (FDB) segmentation method for texture extraction based on the directional Hilbert transform of a Butterworth bandpass (DHBB) filter interwoven with soft-thresholding. Secondly, we provide a manually marked ground truth segmentation for 10560 images as an evaluation benchmark. Thirdly, we conduct a systematic performance comparison between the FDB method and four of the most often cited fingerprint segmentation algorithms showing that the FDB segmentation method clearly outperforms these four widely used methods. The benchmark and the implementation of the FDB method are made publicly available. PMID:27171150

  3. Generating One Biometric Feature from Another: Faces from Fingerprints

    PubMed Central

    Ozkaya, Necla; Sagiroglu, Seref

    2010-01-01

    This study presents a new approach based on artificial neural networks for generating one biometric feature (faces) from another (only fingerprints). An automatic and intelligent system was designed and developed to analyze the relationships among fingerprints and faces and also to model and to improve the existence of the relationships. The new proposed system is the first study that generates all parts of the face including eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, ears and face border from only fingerprints. It is also unique and different from similar studies recently presented in the literature with some superior features. The parameter settings of the system were achieved with the help of Taguchi experimental design technique. The performance and accuracy of the system have been evaluated with 10-fold cross validation technique using qualitative evaluation metrics in addition to the expanded quantitative evaluation metrics. Consequently, the results were presented on the basis of the combination of these objective and subjective metrics for illustrating the qualitative properties of the proposed methods as well as a quantitative evaluation of their performances. Experimental results have shown that one biometric feature can be determined from another. These results have once more indicated that there is a strong relationship between fingerprints and faces. PMID:22399877

  4. An investigation into the enhancement of sea-spray exposed fingerprints on glass.

    PubMed

    Goldstone, S L; Francis, S C; Gardner, S J

    2015-07-01

    Fingerprints are considered one of the best forms of personal identification. While numerous enhancement techniques exist to develop fingerprints under various conditions, the enhancement of fingerprints exposed to sea spray aerosol (SSA) still remains problematic. 1056 fingerprints from four donors, using a depletion series and triplicate repeats, were deposited onto glass panels and exposed to SSA for 1 week and 1 month. Control prints were deposited in the same manner and left under laboratory conditions. All prints were enhanced using fingerprint enhancement techniques available to Forensic Police Officers and subsequently examined for identifiability by a Fingerprint Expert. Significantly fewer identifiable prints (p<0.01) were developed after exposure to SSA for 1 month (11%) compared to exposure for 1 week (69%) (compared to the control prints 99%) for all enhancement techniques. After 1 week's exposure, all techniques enhanced over 50% of prints, except SPR white (12%), with iron (III) oxide and Wetwop™ white producing over 90% identifiable prints. Only iron (III) oxide, Wetwop™ white and SPR black returned any identifiable prints following 1 month's SSA exposure. Iron (III) oxide being significantly better (p<0.01, 67%) than the other techniques. Iron (III) oxide suspension and Wetwop™ white were found to be superior at enhancing prints at both SSA exposure times. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Sex differences in fingerprint ridge density in a Turkish young adult population: a sample of Baskent University.

    PubMed

    Oktem, Hale; Kurkcuoglu, Ayla; Pelin, Ismail Can; Yazici, Ayse Canan; Aktaş, Gulnihal; Altunay, Fikret

    2015-05-01

    Fingerprints are considered to be one of the most reliable methods of identification. Identification of an individual plays a vital part of any medico-legal investigations. Dermatoglyphics is a branch of science that studies epidermal ridges and ridge patterns. Epidermal ridges are polygenic characteristics that form intrauterine 10-18 weeks and considered fully developed by the sixth month of fetal growth. Fingerprints are permanent morphological characteristics and criminal detection based on fingerprints is based on the principle that no two people can have identical fingerprints. Sex determination from fingerprints has been examined in different population. In this study we aimed to study fingerprint ridge density in Turkish population sample of Baskent University students. Fingerprints were obtained from 118 women, 88 men a total of 206 students aged between 17 and 28 years old by means of simple inking method. Fingerprints from all right and left hands fingers were collected in three different area of each. The ridges on fingerprints were counted diagonally on squares measuring 5 mm × 5 mm on radial, ulnar and inferior areas. The fingerprint ridge density in radial, ulnar and inferior areas and between sexes was compared statistically Mann Whitney U test and Friedman test. The ridge density was significantly greater in women in every region studied and in all fingers when compared to men. The fingerprint ridge density in the ulnar and radial areas of the fingerprints was significantly greater than the lower area. Fingerprint ridge density can be used by medico-legal examination for sex identification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  6. Fingerprint recognition of wavelet-based compressed images by neuro-fuzzy clustering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Ti C.; Mitra, Sunanda

    1996-06-01

    Image compression plays a crucial role in many important and diverse applications requiring efficient storage and transmission. This work mainly focuses on a wavelet transform (WT) based compression of fingerprint images and the subsequent classification of the reconstructed images. The algorithm developed involves multiresolution wavelet decomposition, uniform scalar quantization, entropy and run- length encoder/decoder and K-means clustering of the invariant moments as fingerprint features. The performance of the WT-based compression algorithm has been compared with JPEG current image compression standard. Simulation results show that WT outperforms JPEG in high compression ratio region and the reconstructed fingerprint image yields proper classification.

  7. 25 CFR 514.15 - May tribes submit fingerprint cards to the NIGC for processing?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May tribes submit fingerprint cards to the NIGC for... GENERAL PROVISIONS FEES § 514.15 May tribes submit fingerprint cards to the NIGC for processing? Tribes may submit fingerprint cards to the Commission for processing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation...

  8. 25 CFR 514.15 - May tribes submit fingerprint cards to the NIGC for processing?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May tribes submit fingerprint cards to the NIGC for... GENERAL PROVISIONS FEES § 514.15 May tribes submit fingerprint cards to the NIGC for processing? Tribes may submit fingerprint cards to the Commission for processing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation...

  9. DWI-based neural fingerprinting technology: a preliminary study on stroke analysis.

    PubMed

    Ye, Chenfei; Ma, Heather Ting; Wu, Jun; Yang, Pengfei; Chen, Xuhui; Yang, Zhengyi; Ma, Jingbo

    2014-01-01

    Stroke is a common neural disorder in neurology clinics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important tool to assess the neural physiological changes under stroke, such as diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Quantitative analysis of MRI images would help medical doctors to localize the stroke area in the diagnosis in terms of structural information and physiological characterization. However, current quantitative approaches can only provide localization of the disorder rather than measure physiological variation of subtypes of ischemic stroke. In the current study, we hypothesize that each kind of neural disorder would have its unique physiological characteristics, which could be reflected by DWI images on different gradients. Based on this hypothesis, a DWI-based neural fingerprinting technology was proposed to classify subtypes of ischemic stroke. The neural fingerprint was constructed by the signal intensity of the region of interest (ROI) on the DWI images under different gradients. The fingerprint derived from the manually drawn ROI could classify the subtypes with accuracy 100%. However, the classification accuracy was worse when using semiautomatic and automatic method in ROI segmentation. The preliminary results showed promising potential of DWI-based neural fingerprinting technology in stroke subtype classification. Further studies will be carried out for enhancing the fingerprinting accuracy and its application in other clinical practices.

  10. Traceability and Quality Control in Traditional Chinese Medicine: From Chemical Fingerprint to Two-Dimensional Barcode

    PubMed Central

    Cai, Yong; Li, Xiwen; Li, Mei; Chen, Xiaojia; Ni, Jingyun; Wang, Yitao

    2015-01-01

    Chemical fingerprinting is currently a widely used tool that enables rapid and accurate quality evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, chemical fingerprints are not amenable to information storage, recognition, and retrieval, which limit their use in Chinese medicine traceability. In this study, samples of three kinds of Chinese medicines were randomly selected and chemical fingerprints were then constructed by using high performance liquid chromatography. Based on chemical data, the process of converting the TCM chemical fingerprint into two-dimensional code is presented; preprocess and filtering algorithm are also proposed aiming at standardizing the large amount of original raw data. In order to know which type of two-dimensional code (2D) is suitable for storing data of chemical fingerprints, current popular types of 2D codes are analyzed and compared. Results show that QR Code is suitable for recording the TCM chemical fingerprint. The fingerprint information of TCM can be converted into data format that can be stored as 2D code for traceability and quality control. PMID:26089936

  11. Traceability and Quality Control in Traditional Chinese Medicine: From Chemical Fingerprint to Two-Dimensional Barcode.

    PubMed

    Cai, Yong; Li, Xiwen; Li, Mei; Chen, Xiaojia; Hu, Hao; Ni, Jingyun; Wang, Yitao

    2015-01-01

    Chemical fingerprinting is currently a widely used tool that enables rapid and accurate quality evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, chemical fingerprints are not amenable to information storage, recognition, and retrieval, which limit their use in Chinese medicine traceability. In this study, samples of three kinds of Chinese medicines were randomly selected and chemical fingerprints were then constructed by using high performance liquid chromatography. Based on chemical data, the process of converting the TCM chemical fingerprint into two-dimensional code is presented; preprocess and filtering algorithm are also proposed aiming at standardizing the large amount of original raw data. In order to know which type of two-dimensional code (2D) is suitable for storing data of chemical fingerprints, current popular types of 2D codes are analyzed and compared. Results show that QR Code is suitable for recording the TCM chemical fingerprint. The fingerprint information of TCM can be converted into data format that can be stored as 2D code for traceability and quality control.

  12. Image encryption using fingerprint as key based on phase retrieval algorithm and public key cryptography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Tieyu; Ran, Qiwen; Yuan, Lin; Chi, Yingying; Ma, Jing

    2015-09-01

    In this paper, a novel image encryption system with fingerprint used as a secret key is proposed based on the phase retrieval algorithm and RSA public key algorithm. In the system, the encryption keys include the fingerprint and the public key of RSA algorithm, while the decryption keys are the fingerprint and the private key of RSA algorithm. If the users share the fingerprint, then the system will meet the basic agreement of asymmetric cryptography. The system is also applicable for the information authentication. The fingerprint as secret key is used in both the encryption and decryption processes so that the receiver can identify the authenticity of the ciphertext by using the fingerprint in decryption process. Finally, the simulation results show the validity of the encryption scheme and the high robustness against attacks based on the phase retrieval technique.

  13. Global hotspots and correlates of alien species richness across taxonomic groups

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, Wayne; Moser, Dietmar; van Kleunen, Mark; Kreft, Holger; Pergl, Jan; Pysek, Petr; Weigelt, Patrick; Winter, Marten; Lenzner, Bernd; Blackburn, Tim M.; Dyer, Ellie; Cassey, Phillip; Scrivens, Sally-Louise; Economo, Evan P.; Guenard, Benoit; Capinha, Cesar; Seebens, Hanno; Garcia-Diaz, Pablo; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Garcia-Berthou, Emili; Casal, Christine; Mandrak, Nicholas E.; Fuller, Pam; Meyer, Carsten; Essl, Franz

    2017-01-01

    Human-mediated transport beyond biogeographic barriers has led to the introduction and establishment of alien species in new regions worldwide. However, we lack a global picture of established alien species richness for multiple taxonomic groups. Here, we assess global patterns and potential drivers of established alien species richness across eight taxonomic groups (amphibians, ants, birds, freshwater fishes, mammals, vascular plants, reptiles and spiders) for 186 islands and 423 mainland regions. Hotspots of established alien species richness are predominantly island and coastal mainland regions. Regions with greater gross domestic product per capita, human population density, and area have higher established alien richness, with strongest effects emerging for islands. Ants and reptiles, birds and mammals, and vascular plants and spiders form pairs of taxonomic groups with the highest spatial congruence in established alien richness, but drivers explaining richness differ between the taxa in each pair. Across all taxonomic groups, our results highlight the need to prioritize prevention of further alien species introductions to island and coastal mainland regions globally.

  14. Taxonomic changes in Solanum section Petota

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In 1990, the latest comprehensive taxonomic monograph of Solanum section Petota Dumort. recognized 236 species partitioned into 21 series. Of these, 227 were tuber-bearing and nine non-tuber-bearing. NSF-sponsored research has drastically altered knowledge of their species boundaries and interrelati...

  15. Evolutionary and Taxonomic Implications of Variation in Nuclear Genome Size: Lesson from the Grass Genus Anthoxanthum (Poaceae)

    PubMed Central

    Chumová, Zuzana; Krejčíková, Jana; Mandáková, Terezie; Suda, Jan; Trávníček, Pavel

    2015-01-01

    The genus Anthoxanthum (sweet vernal grass, Poaceae) represents a taxonomically intricate polyploid complex with large phenotypic variation and its evolutionary relationships still poorly resolved. In order to get insight into the geographic distribution of ploidy levels and assess the taxonomic value of genome size data, we determined C- and Cx-values in 628 plants representing all currently recognized European species collected from 197 populations in 29 European countries. The flow cytometric estimates were supplemented by conventional chromosome counts. In addition to diploids, we found two low (rare 3x and common 4x) and one high (~16x–18x) polyploid levels. Mean holoploid genome sizes ranged from 5.52 pg in diploid A. alpinum to 44.75 pg in highly polyploid A. amarum, while the size of monoploid genomes ranged from 2.75 pg in tetraploid A. alpinum to 9.19 pg in diploid A. gracile. In contrast to Central and Northern Europe, which harboured only limited cytological variation, a much more complex pattern of genome sizes was revealed in the Mediterranean, particularly in Corsica. Eight taxonomic groups that partly corresponded to traditionally recognized species were delimited based on genome size values and phenotypic variation. Whereas our data supported the merger of A. aristatum and A. ovatum, eastern Mediterranean populations traditionally referred to as diploid A. odoratum were shown to be cytologically distinct, and may represent a new taxon. Autopolyploid origin was suggested for 4x A. alpinum. In contrast, 4x A. odoratum seems to be an allopolyploid, based on the amounts of nuclear DNA. Intraspecific variation in genome size was observed in all recognized species, the most striking example being the A. aristatum/ovatum complex. Altogether, our study showed that genome size can be a useful taxonomic marker in Anthoxathum to not only guide taxonomic decisions but also help resolve evolutionary relationships in this challenging grass genus. PMID:26207824

  16. [Study on the fingerprint of Morus alba from different habitats by HPLC].

    PubMed

    Chen, Cheng; Li, Hong-Bo; Wang, Liu-Ping; Li, Yun-Rong; Xin, Ning

    2012-12-01

    To establish HPLC fingerprint of Morus alba from different habitats by HPLC and provide basis for its quality control. HPLC analysis was performed on an Agilent XDB C18 Column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm), gradient eluted composed of acetonitrile and 0.3% phosphate acid. The column temperature was set at 35 degrees C and the flow rate was 0.5 mL/min. The detective wavelength was 290 nm. The HPLC fingerprint for 10 batches of Morus alba was studied on their similarity. There were twelve common peaks in the fingerprint. The similarity of 7 batches was above 0.9 and the other batches had low similarity. The HPLC fingerprint can be used for quality control of Morus alba with high characteristics and specificity.

  17. Individuality That is Unheard of: Systematic Temporal Deviations in Scale Playing Leave an Inaudible Pianistic Fingerprint

    PubMed Central

    Van Vugt, Floris Tijmen; Jabusch, Hans-Christian; Altenmüller, Eckart

    2013-01-01

    Whatever we do, we do it in our own way, and we recognize master artists by small samples of their work. This study investigates individuality of temporal deviations in musical scales in pianists in the absence of deliberate expressive intention. Note-by-note timing deviations away from regularity form a remarkably consistent “pianistic fingerprint.” First, eight professional pianists played C-major scales in two sessions, separated by 15 min. Euclidian distances between deviation traces originating from different pianists were reliably larger than traces originating from the same pianist. As a result, a simple classifier that matched deviation traces by minimizing their distance was able to recognize each pianist with 100% accuracy. Furthermore, within each pianist, fingerprints produced by the same movements were more similar than fingerprints resulting in the same scale sound. This allowed us to conclude that the fingerprints are mostly neuromuscular rather than intentional or expressive in nature. However, human listeners were not able to distinguish the temporal fingerprints by ear. Next, 18 pianists played C-major scales on a normal or muted piano. Recognition rates ranged from 83 to 100%, further supporting the view that auditory feedback is not implicated in the creation of the temporal signature. Finally, 20 pianists were recognized 20 months later at above chance level, showing signature effects to be long lasting. Our results indicate that even non-expressive playing of scales reveals consistent, partially effector-unspecific, but inaudible inter-individual differences. We suggest that machine learning studies into individuality in performance will need to take into account unintentional but consistent variability below the perceptual threshold. PMID:23519688

  18. Comparison of chemical and heating methods to enhance latent fingerprint deposits on thermal paper.

    PubMed

    Bond, John W

    2014-03-01

    A comparison is made of proprietary methods to develop latent fingerprint deposits on the inked side of thermal paper using either chemical treatment (Thermanin) or the application of heat to the paper (Hot Print System). Results with a trial of five donors show that the application of heat produces statistically significantly more fingerprint ridge detail than the chemical treatment for both fingerprint deposits aged up to 4 weeks and for a nine sequence depletion series. Subjecting the thermal paper to heat treatment with the Hot Print System did not inhibit subsequent ninhydrin chemical development of fingerprint deposits on the noninked side of the paper. A further benefit of the application of heat is the rapid development of fingerprint deposits (less than a minute) compared with up to 12 h for the Thermanin chemical treatment.

  19. Converting Panax ginseng DNA and chemical fingerprints into two-dimensional barcode.

    PubMed

    Cai, Yong; Li, Peng; Li, Xi-Wen; Zhao, Jing; Chen, Hai; Yang, Qing; Hu, Hao

    2017-07-01

    In this study, we investigated how to convert the Panax ginseng DNA sequence code and chemical fingerprints into a two-dimensional code. In order to improve the compression efficiency, GATC2Bytes and digital merger compression algorithms are proposed. HPLC chemical fingerprint data of 10 groups of P. ginseng from Northeast China and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence code as the DNA sequence code were ready for conversion. In order to convert such data into a two-dimensional code, the following six steps were performed: First, the chemical fingerprint characteristic data sets were obtained through the inflection filtering algorithm. Second, precompression processing of such data sets is undertaken. Third, precompression processing was undertaken with the P. ginseng DNA (ITS2) sequence codes. Fourth, the precompressed chemical fingerprint data and the DNA (ITS2) sequence code were combined in accordance with the set data format. Such combined data can be compressed by Zlib, an open source data compression algorithm. Finally, the compressed data generated a two-dimensional code called a quick response code (QR code). Through the abovementioned converting process, it can be found that the number of bytes needed for storing P. ginseng chemical fingerprints and its DNA (ITS2) sequence code can be greatly reduced. After GTCA2Bytes algorithm processing, the ITS2 compression rate reaches 75% and the chemical fingerprint compression rate exceeds 99.65% via filtration and digital merger compression algorithm processing. Therefore, the overall compression ratio even exceeds 99.36%. The capacity of the formed QR code is around 0.5k, which can easily and successfully be read and identified by any smartphone. P. ginseng chemical fingerprints and its DNA (ITS2) sequence code can form a QR code after data processing, and therefore the QR code can be a perfect carrier of the authenticity and quality of P. ginseng information. This study provides a theoretical

  20. High perfomance liquid chromatography fingerprint analysis for quality control of brotowali (Tinospora crispa)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Syarifah, V. B.; Rafi, M.; Wahyuni, W. T.

    2017-05-01

    Brotowali (Tinospora crispa) is widely used in Indonesia as ingredient of herbal medicine formulation. To ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicine products, its chemical constituents should be continuously evaluated. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint is one of powerful technique for this quality control process. In this study, HPLC fingerprint analysis method was developed for quality control of brotowali. HPLC analysis was performed in C18 column and detection was performed using photodiode array detector. The optimum mobile phase for brotowali fingerprint was acetonitrile (ACN) and 0.1% formic acid in gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The number of peaks detected in HPLC fingerprint of brotowali was 32 peaks and 23 peaks for stems and leaves, respectively. Berberine as marker compound was detected at retention time of 20.525 minutes. Evaluation of analytical performance including precision, reproducibility, and stability prove that this HPLC fingerprint analysis was reliable and could be applied for quality control of brotowali.