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A Novel Approach to Enhancing Multi-Modal Facial Recognition: Integrating Convolutional Neural Networks, Principal Component Analysis, and Sequential Neural Networks
Get PDFYesFacial recognition technology is crucial for precise and rapid identity verification and security. This research delves into advancements in facial recognition technology for verification purposes, employing a combination of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), principal component analysis (PCA), and sequential neural networks. Unlike identification, our focus is on verifying an individual's identity, that is a critical distinction in the context of security applications. Our goal is to enhance the efficacy and precision of face verification using several imaging modalities, including thermal, infrared, visible light, and a combination of visible and infrared. We use the pre-trained VGG16 model on the ImageNet dataset to extract features. Feature extraction is performed using the pre-trained VGG16 model on the ImageNet dataset, complemented by PCA for dimensionality reduction. We introduce a novel method, termed VGG16-PCA-NN, aimed at improving the precision of facial authentication. This method is validated using the Sejong Face Database, with a 70% training, 15% testing, and 15% validation split. While demonstrating a remarkable approaching 100% accuracy rate across visual and thermal modalities and a combined visible-infrared modality, it is crucial to note that these results are specific to our dataset and methodology. A comparison with existing approaches highlights the innovative aspect of our work, though variations in datasets and evaluation metrics necessitate cautious interpretation of comparative performance. Our study makes significant contributions to the biometrics and security fields by developing a robust and efficient facial authentication method. This method is designed to overcome challenges posed by environmental variations and physical obstructions, thereby enhancing reliability and performance in diverse conditions. The realised accuracy rates that the approach achieves across a variety of modalities demonstrate its promise for applications that use multi-modal data. This opens the door for the creation of biometric identification systems that are more trustworthy and secure. It is intended that the technology will be used in real-time settings for which the new modalities can be integrated in different situations
Beneficial Effects of Natural Alkaloids from Berberis glaucocarpa as Antidiabetic Agents: An In Vitro, In Silico, and In Vivo Approach
Get PDFYesDiabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus (DM), is a
metabolic disorder characterized by an abnormal rise in blood sugar
(glucose) levels brought on by a complete or partial lack of insulin
secretion along with corresponding changes in the metabolism of
lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. It has been reported that
medicinal plants play a pivotal role in the treatment of various
ailments such as diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.
The current study involved exploring the acute toxicity and in vivo
antidiabetic activity of berberine (WA1), palmatine (WA2), and 8-
trichloromethyl dihydroberberine (WA3) previously isolated from
Berberis glaucocarpa Stapf using a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced
diabetic rat model. Body weight and blood glucose level were assessed
on a day interval for 4 weeks. Biochemical parameters, antioxidant
enzymes, and oxidative stress markers were also determined. In an
acute toxicity profile, the WA1, WA2, and WA3 were determined to be nontoxic up to 500 mg/kg (b.w). After the second and third weeks of treatment (14 and 21 days), the blood glucose levels in the WA1-, WA2-, and WA3-treated groups were significantly lower than those in the diabetic control group (476.81 ± 8.65 mg/dL, n = 8, P < 0.001). On the 21st day, there was a decrease in the blood glucose level and the results obtained were 176.33 ± 4.69, 197.21 ± 4.80, and 161.99 ± 4.75 mg/dL (n = 8, P < 0.001) for WA1, WA2, and WA3 at 12 mg/kg, respectively, as opposed to the diabetic control group (482.87 ± 7.11 mg/dL, n = 8, P < 0.001). Upon comparison with the diabetic group at the end of the study (28 days), a substantial drop in the glucose level of WA3 at 12 mg/kg (110.56 ± 4.11 mg/dL, n = 8, P < 0.001) was observed that was almost near the values of the normal control group. The treated groups (WA1, WA2, and WA3) treated with the samples displayed a significant decline in the levels of HbA1c. Treatment of the samples dramatically lowered the lipid level profile. In groups treated with samples, plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL were significantly lowered [F (5, 42) = 100.6, n = 8, P < 0.001]; these levels were also significantly decreased [F (5, 42) = 129.6 and 91.17, n = 8, P < 0.001]. In contrast to the diabetes group, all treated groups had significantly higher HDL levels [F (5, 42)
= 15.46, n = 8, P < 0.001]. As a result, hypolipidemic activity was anticipated in the samples. In addition to that, the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) was considerably elevated in the groups treated with the sample compared to the diabetic control group (n = 8, P < 0.001)
Photophysical, thermal and imaging studies on vancomycin functional branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) of differing degrees of branching containing nile red for detection of Gram-positive bacteria
Get PDFYesHighly branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) additives chain end functionalised with vancomycin have been designed to agglutinate and report on targetted Gram-positive strains of bacteria (S. aureus). These branched systems selectively desolvate with temperature or binding interactions depending on their chain architecture. We have prepared samples with three different degrees of branching which have incorporated Nile red acrylate as a low concentration of co-monomer to report upon their solution properties. A linear analogue polymer functionalised with vancomycin along the chain instead of the termini is presented as a control which does not bind to targeted bacteria. These samples were analysed by diffusion NMR spectrometry (DOSY), calorimetry, fluorescence lifetime measurements, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to gain a full understanding of their solution properties. The branched polymers are shown conclusively to have a core-shell structure, where the chain ends are expressed from the desolvated globule even above the lower critical solution temperature – as demonstrated by NMR measurements. The level of desolvation is critically dependent on the degree of branching, and as a result we have found intermediate structures provide optimal body temperature bacterial sensing as a consequence of the Nile red reporting dye.To support initial polymer synthesis work SR has received funding from UK/Smith and Nephew Ltd (UK) (TSB 103988) and MRC (MR/N501888/2). Funding for further analytical work by TS was funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry (E21- 8346952505). Furthermore Translate MedTech (Higher Education Funding Council England, 2016-2018) funding paid for research student Mariya Kalinichenko to fund electron microscopy studies. The authors acknowledge support provided by the internal seed fund of University of Bradford High Performance Computing Service in the completion of this work
Principles of safe inter-hospital transfer of critically unwell adults
No full textYesThe purpose of this article is to explore the key themes and safety
considerations connected to the inter-hospital transfer of critically unwell
adults. First, the evidence base surrounding the subject is critically explored
and clinical guidelines and national policy are discussed. Second, safety
considerations are explored that highlight the risks and challenges associated
with the inter-hospital transfer of critically unwell people
Cavitation in die drawn poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) during second-stage tensile deformation
No full textYesPre-oriented poly (4-methyl-1-pentene) samples were prepared by the die drawing process. The stress whitening phenomenon induced by cavities in the different die drawn P4M1P samples during the second-stage tensile deformation was investigated at temperatures below and above Tg. At 30 °C and 50 °C, the cavitation process near yield point is influenced by the fraction of unoriented crystalline phase in pre-oriented samples. Cavities originate from the fracture of the crystalline skeleton at small strains were observed in the sample with a high fraction of unoriented crystalline phase. At high deformation temperature, the small strain cavities were suppressed and the cavitation processes in all die drawn samples are due to the failure of the highly oriented fibrillar network caused by the breaking of the load-bearing interfibrillar/microfibrillar tie molecule chains
Integration of technology and marketing activities among service SMEs in emerging economies: A scoping review
Get PDFYesService small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are typically SMEs that operate in the service industry. In emerging economies, service SMEs can benefit from integrating technology and marketing activities to compete globally and drive growth. Further, service SMEs can compete with larger businesses with technology-driven marketing. Technology can differentiate an SME and create a unique value proposition, attracting customers and setting it apart. Social media advertising and email campaigns are often more cost-effective than traditional marketing channels such as print and television. The authors included a total of 32 articles published between the years 2013 and 2023 for in-depth analysis to address the issue under investigation. Findings indicated several effective digital marketing strategies to integrate technology and marketing activities among service SMEs in emerging economies, such as personalized marketing options, direct customer engagement, 24/7 availability options, and brand-building capabilities
Is a UK multicentre trial of intravenous maintenance fluid volumes in critically ill children feasible
No full textNoNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trus
The Evolution of Biometric Authentication: A Deep Dive Into Multi-Modal Facial Recognition: A Review Case Study
Get PDFYesThis survey provides an insightful overview of recent advancements in facial recognition
technology, mainly focusing on multi-modal face recognition and its applications in security biometrics and identity verification. Central to this study is the Sejong Face Database, among other prominent datasets, which facilitates the exploration of intricate aspects of facial recognition, including hidden and heterogeneous face recognition, cross-modality analysis, and thermal-visible face recognition. This paper delves into the challenges of accurately identifying faces under various conditions and disguises, emphasising its significance in security systems and sensitive sectors like banking. The survey highlights novel contributions
such as using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to generate synthetic disguised faces, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for feature extractions, and Fuzzy Extractors to integrate biometric verification with cryptographic security. The paper also discusses the impact of quantum computing on encryption techniques and the potential of post-quantum cryptographic methods to secure biometric systems. This survey is a critical resource for understanding current research and prospects in biometric authentication, balancing technological advancements with ethical and privacy concerns in an increasingly digital society.European Union’s Horizon-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)-RISE-2019-2023, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Research, and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE), titled: Secure and Wireless Multimodal Biometric Scanning Device for Passenger Verification Targeting Land and Sea Border Contro
Extended Water Wave Optimization (EWWO) Technique: A Proposed Approach for Task Scheduling in IoMT and Healthcare Applications
No full textYesThe Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a version of the Internet of Things (IoT). It is getting the attention of researchers because it can be used in a wide range of Smart healthcare Systems (SHS). One of the main advancements employed recently is the IoMT-cloud, which allows users to access cloud services remotely over the internet. These cloud services require an efficient task scheduling approach that satisfies the Quality of Service (QoS) parameters with a low energy consumption. This paper presents an overview of the integration of IoMT and cloud computing technologies. Besides,this work proposes an efficient Extended Water Wave Optimization (EWWO) task scheduling in the IoMT Cloud for healthcare applications. EWWO algorithm performs based on its operations propagation, refraction and breaking. The proposed EWWO scheduling technique minimizes the energy consumption, makespan time, execution time and increases the resource utilization. Cloudsim simulator is used to simulate the IoMT-Cloud environment to verify the effectiveness of EWWO technique. The performance has been evaluated based on various parameters such as energy consumption, makespan time and execution time