Sharif Digital Repository

Neuronal synchronization plays an important role in the various functionality of nervous system such as binding, cognition, information processing, and computation. In this paper, we investigated how random and intentional failures in the nodes of a network influence its phase synchronization properties. We considered both artificially constructed networks using models such as preferential attachment, Watts-Strogatz, and Erdo{combining double acute accent} s-Rényi as well as a number of real neuronal networks. The failure strategy was either random or intentional based on properties of the nodes such as degree, clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality, and vulnerability. Hindmarsh-Rose... 

The aim of this paper is the design and development of a novel user interface to interact with a meta system. Our focus is rather on interacting with Ambient Intelligence as a whole, which would for example enable users to influence the overall behavior and attributes of dynamic device compositions. We call such interfaces Meta User Interfaces. The design details of a proposed user interface as well as a cognitive walkthrough evaluation are presented in this paper  

In this study, we are proposing a novel nonlinear classification approach to discriminate between Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and a control group using T1-weighted and T2-weighted Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI's) of brain. Since T1-weighted images and T2-weighted images have inherent physical differences, obviously each of them has its own particular medical data and hence, we extracted some specific features from each. Then the variations of the relevant eigenvalues of the extracted features were tracked to pick up the most informative ones. The final features were assigned to two parallel systems to be nonlinearly categorized. Considering the fact that AD defects the white and gray regions... 

The main goal of this study is to lay out the map of the soil radionuclide activity concentrations and the terrestrial outdoor gamma dose rates in the western Mazandaran Province of Iran, and to present an evaluation scheme. Mazandaran Province was selected due to its special geographical characteristics, high population density and the long terrestrial and aquatic borders with the neighbouring countries possessing nuclear facilities. A total of 54 topsoil samples were collected, ranging from the Nour to Ramsar regions, and were based on geological conditions, vegetation coverage and the sampling standards outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The excess lifetime cancer risks... 

Fully automatic algorithm for estimating the 3D human pose from multiple uncalibrated cameras is presented. Unlike the state-of-the-art methods which use the estimated pose of previous frames to restrict the candidates of current frame, the proposed method uses the viewpoint of previous frame in order to obtain an accurate pose. This paper also introduces a method to incorporate pose estimation results of several cameras without using the calibration information. The algorithm employs a rich descriptor for matching purposes. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on a soccer database which is captured by multiple cameras. The dataset of silhouettes, in which the related 3D... 

A novel optimisation algorithm is developed to predict coactivity of abdominal muscles while accounting for both trunk stability via the lowest buckling load (Pcr) and tissue loading via the axial compression (Fc). A nonlinear multi-joint kinematics-driven model of the spine along with the response surface methodology are used to establish empirical expressions for Pcr and Fc as functions of abdominal muscle coactivities and external load magnitude during lifting in upright standing posture. A two-component objective function involving Fc and Pcr is defined. Due to opposite demands, abdominal coactivities that simultaneously maximise Pcr and minimise Fc cannot exist. Optimal solutions are... 

In this paper, employing recorded images of multiple cameras, we propose a novel fast approach for three-dimensional (3D) human pose reconstruction. Opening a new framework to the pose estimation application, the proposed method is inspired by optical 3D reconstruction algorithms conventionally used for integral imaging. Thanks to the fact that the pose estimation can be carried out by using only key features of the raw recorded images, the computation time and the complexity of our method are considerably reduced. Furthermore, utilizing the here proposed algorithm, rapid variations in actions can be easily tracked. The validity of the proposed method is demonstrated by several experimental... 

Being the second cause of mortality across the globe, there is now a persistent effort to establish new cancer medication and therapies. Any accomplishment in treating cancers entails the existence of accurate identification systems empowering the early diagnosis. Recent studies indicate CTCs’ potential in cancer prognosis as well as therapy monitoring. The chief shortcoming with CTCs is that they are exceedingly rare cells in their clinically relevant concentration. Here, we simulated a microfluidic construct devised for immunomagnetic separation of the particles of interest from the background cells. This separation unit is integrated with a mixer subunit. The mixer is envisioned for... 

Background and Aim: Aging often results in a decline in somatosensory function, and such changes are associated with diminished motor performance. Input noise can enhance sensory and motor function through a mechanism known as stochastic resonance (SR). This paper describes the development and testing of a new vibrating shoe to possibly assist the elderly patients in controlling their balance and decreasing their falling risks. Technique: The new vibrating shoe was evaluated to ascertain its ability to generate appropriate random and nonlinear vibrations. The vibratory shoe performance in two young subjects with decreased foot sensation and two elderly subjects in different static and... 

Electric arc welding is a routine operation in the construction of metallic structures, but the fumes generated during the welding process can threaten the health of welders. Fumes are undesirable products of the majority of welding operations and may have various detrimental effects on health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of operational parameters of the shielded metal arc welding SMAW process on the emission of fumes. A dust monitor was used to measure the number and mass concentration of fumes generated by SMAW. Measurements were made at the distances of 23 cm hood inlet and 41 cm welder’s breathing zone from the weld point, with different values assigned to... 

In this paper, three pairs of children with autism include a pair of twins, two siblings, and two classmates were enrolled in a 12-session robot-assisted group-games program. As many environmental factors were for the most part the same for the siblings as well as genetic factors for the twins, we were able to observe/compare the effect of the designed games on the participants individually and in paired-groups. The results indicated that all participants’ autism severity decreased after the course of the program. Improvement in social skills, social participation/avoidance, and detrimental social behaviors were also observed in the participants with high-functioning autism with close to... 

Radiofrequency coils provide high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of human tissues. A small RF coil produces MR images with a higher resolution compared to the commercial volume MR coils from mass limited samples. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) plays a key role in the optimal design of receiver radiofrequency coils. In this work, we present a three-loop saddle coil suitable for MR imaging of digits of the human body. The geometry of the introduced coil is optimized to achieve the highest SNR. The coil performance is evaluated through comparing the measured SNR maps of the optimal coil derived from MR images of a saline phantom with the corresponding measured SNR maps of a commercial... 

A novel class-dependent joint weighting method is proposed to mine the key skeletal joints for human action recognition. Existing deep learning methods or those based on hand-crafted features may not adequately capture the relevant joints of different actions which are important to recognize the actions. In the proposed method, for each class of human actions, each joint is weighted according to its temporal variations and its inherent ability in extension or flexion. These weights can be used as a prior knowledge in skeletal joints-based methods. Here, a novel human action recognition algorithm is also proposed in order to use these weights in two different ways. First, for each frame of a... 

The molecular mechanisms of self-organization that orchestrate embryonic cells to create astonishing patterns have been among major questions of developmental biology. It is recently shown that embryonic stem cells (ESCs), when cultured in particular micropatterns, can self-organize and mimic the early steps of pre-implantation embryogenesis. A systems-biology model to address this observation from a dynamical systems perspective is essential and can enhance understanding of the phenomenon. Results: Here, we propose a multicellular mathematical model for pattern formation during in vitro gastrulation of human ESCs. This model enhances the basic principles of Waddington epigenetic landscape... 

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the crystalline structures of both powder and bulk human dental enamel by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Methods: The buccal surfaces of 60 selected noncarious third molars were divided into two groups of powdered and bulk enamel specimens. To prepare enamel powders, the enamel tissues were ground and powdered manually using a mortar and pestle. For bulk samples, the enamel slabs were sectioned using a low-speed diamond saw. The crystalline structures of samples were analyzed by XRD, and the obtained data were analyzed. The values of the lattice parameters were obtained using the equation of hexagonal crystalline structures. The... 

Deception is mentioned as an expression or action which hides the truth and deception detection as a concept to uncover the truth. In this research, a connectivity analysis of Electro Encephalography study is presented regarding cognitive processes of an instructed liar/truth-teller about identity during an interview. In this survey, connectivity analysis is applied because it can provide unique information about brain activity patterns of lying and interaction among brain regions. The novelty of this paper lies in applying an open-ended questions interview protocol during EEG recording. We recruited 40 healthy participants to record EEG signal during the interview. For each subject,... 

Electroporation is defined as cell membrane permeabilization under the application of electric fields. The mechanism of hydrophilic pore formation is not yet well understood. When cells are exposed to electric fields, electrical stresses act on their surfaces. These electrical stresses play a crucial role in cell membrane structural changes, which lead to cell permeabilization. These electrical stresses depend on the dielectric properties of the cell, buffer solution, and the applied electric field characteristics. In the current study, the effect of electric field frequency on the electrical stresses distribution on the cell surface and cell deformation is numerically and experimentally... 

Mobile networks have been growing rapidly, where it is of paramount importance to evaluate the performance of any protocol designed for such networks before deployment. Mobility is one of the main mobile network issues that directly affects performance metrics. Since mobile nodes are often carried by their owners, nodes movement should be modeled according to humans movement. In this paper, we extend our previously published human mobility model based on real collected data. The real human movement is traced, cleaned up and analyzed. To the best of our knowledge, our collected data set is the only one that contains the detail of both walking and driving nodes. The analysis shows several... 

There are many websites on the Internet which are for adult users and we want to restrict access to them for adults only. Adult content filtering programs on client computers are the current available solutions. But if we can identify the child users at server side, we can protect the children more. In this paper, we try to answer the question that whether it is possible to identify child users or not? © 2008 SICE  

Registration websites use CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Human Apart) systems to prevent the bot programs from wasting their resources. But sometimes the CAPTCHA test is difficult for human users to pass because the users have different ages, languages, etc. In this paper we propose a solution for this problem. The registration system can select a kind of CAPTCHA system among different available CAPTCHA systems regarding to the user's needs such as user language and disabilities. For example if the user has non-English language, the system chooses a CAPTCHA method which does not need English language knowledge. © 2008 IEEE