The fuzzy structured element (FSE) theory is a very useful toolfor dealing with fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM)problems by transforming the criterion value vectors of eachalternative into the corresponding criterion function vectors. Inthis paper, some concepts related to function vectors are firstdefined, such as the inner product of two function vectors, thecosine of the included ...

American trypanosomiasis is a chronic disease transmitted mainly by vectors. The hematophagous triatomine vectors transmit Trypanosoma cruzi to a wide variety of mammals, which usually are their food source. This study determined the feeding profile of Mepraia spinolai, a sylvatic triatomine vector, present in endemic areas of Chile. Vectors were captured in the north-central area of Chile. Sam...

An edge preserving image compression algorithm based on an unsupervised competitive neural network is proposed. The proposed neural network, the called weighted centroid neural network (WCNN), utilizes the characteristics of image blocks from edge areas. The mean/residual vector quantization (M/RVQ) scheme is utilized in this proposed approach as the framework of the proposed algorithm. The edg...

In this paper, we propose a novel scheme for automatic and fast detection of human faces in color images where the number, the location, the orientation and the size of the faces are unknown, under non-constrained scene conditions such as complex background and uncontrolled illumination. First, each frame is segmented using skin chrominance values, providing face area candidates. Then, shape an...

This brief proposes a new algorithm to synthesize low power bipartition-codec architecture for pipelined circuits. The bipartition-codec architecture has been introduced as an effective power reduction technique for circuit design. The entropy-based partition-codec (ENPCO) algorithm extends this approach as it optimizes for both: power and area. It uses entropy as a criterion to balance between...

adenoviruses are used extensively to deliver genes into mammalian cells, particularly where there is a requirement for high-level expression of transgene products in cultured cells, or for use as recombinant viral vaccines or in gene therapy. in spite of their usefulness, the construction of adenoviral vectors (adv) is a cumbersome and lengthy process that is not readily amenable to the generat...

introduction: neurotrophins, as a family of proteins, are responsible for induction of the survival, development, and function of neurons. also, neurotropic factors are growth factors like neurotrophins that help neurons survive. moreover, neurotrophins differentiate between progenitor cells so that neurons are formed. despite the fact that the majority of mammalian brain neurons are produced p...

Bluetongue (BT) can cause severe livestock losses and large direct and indirect costs for farmers. To propose targeted control strategies as alternative to massive vaccination, there is a need to better understand how BT virus spread in space and time according to local characteristics of host and vector populations. Our objective was to assess, using a modelling approach, how spatiotemporal he...

Viruses can be engineered to efficiently deliver exogenous genes, but their natural gene delivery properties often fail to meet human therapeutic needs. Therefore, engineering viral vectors with new properties, including enhanced targeting abilities and resistance to immune responses, is a growing area of research. This review discusses protein engineering approaches to generate viral vectors w...