Visualization of Latent Fingermarks by Enhanced Chemiluminescence Immunoassay and Pattern Recognition.

Herein we report the combination of enzyme-linked immunoassay and pattern recognition analysis for extracting both chemical and spatial information from latent fingermarks (LFMs). The development approach basically involves two steps, namely, specific recognition of protein and polypeptide secretions present in the ridge residues of LFMs by horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled antibodies and the HRP-catalyzed chemiluminescent (CL) reaction between luminol and H2O2. The emitted light can spatially resolve the ridges, generating a bright image against the dark object surface for visualization of an LFM. Meanwhile, thanks to the molecular specificity of the immunoassay step, the emission also provides us additional information on the existence of specific substances in LFMs. The developed LFMs are further processed by a set of digital image processing procedures. Quantitative analysis based on minutia features shows that even poorly developed fingermarks can be matched successfully. This work offers the promise of facilitating cross-disciplinary studies between data-processing approaches and fingermark development techniques, such as the extraction of more information from LFM evidence, as well as the establishment of evaluation criteria for an enhancement technique.

Optical Methods in Fingerprint Imaging for Medical and Personality Applications.

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.

[The specific ethnic and territorial peculiarities of the papillary patterns on the fingers of the Russians, Kyrghyz and Uzbeks]. / Étnoterritorial'nye osobennosti papilliarnykh uzorov pal'tsev ruk russkikh, kirgizov i uzbekov.

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the specific ethnic and territorial peculiarities of the papillary patterns on the fingers of the Russians, Kyrghyz, and Uzbeks for the development of the criteria for the purpose of differential diagnostics. The materials for the analysis included the fingerprint cards obtained from 3570 Russians, 118 Kyrghyz, and 73 Uzbeks (men at the age from 14 to 25 years). We compared the data on the occurrence of different types of the papillary patterns. The significance of the differences was estimated with the use of the Student t-test. The comparative analysis of the papillary patterns showed that the Russians had the largest number of the arch patterns (8.2%) in their fingerprint cards whereas the Uzbeks had the lowest number (3.7%) of such patterns. The whorl patterns most frequently occurred in the fingerprint cards of the Kyrgyz (36.9%) whereas relatively few Russians exhibited this pattern (22.3%). Statistically significant differences were documented between the samples from the Russian and the Kyrgyz as well as from the Russians and the Uzbeks (p<0.01) whereas the difference between the Kyrgyz and the Uzbeks was insignificant (p>0.05). The list of 20 informative signs of the greatest diagnostic value is compiled taking into consideration the hand (right or left) and the sequential position of each finger. It is shown that the use of these signs makes it possible to distinguish between the «Russian¼ and «Kyrgyz¼ («Uzbek¼) papillary patterns on several fingers. Because the diagnostically significant combinations of the signs are known to occur but rarely, it is necessary to continue the search for the additional diagnostic traits in order to extend the sphere of practical applicability of the proposed method.

[The age-specific features of palm dermatoglyphics in the adults subjects].

This article was designed to consider the congenital age-specific features of palm dermatoglyphics in the adults subjects (including the type of the papillary patterns, axial tri-radii, the termini of palmar main lines, the rudiments of palmar lines, the dermatoglyphic ridge count between the stable anatomical structures). The objective of the study was to look for the new diagnostic markers of the biological age. It included the identification of the palm prints obtained from 180 Caucasoid men and 120 women at the age varying from 16 to 80 years. The results of the mathematical and statistical analysis provided the basis for drawing up the list of 18 attributes of palm dermatoglyphics significantly (p<0.05) differing in the frequency of occurrence between the representatives of individual age groups. The methods are proposed allowing to use these findings for the expert evaluation of the age of unknown subjects.

Efficient internal and surface fingerprint extraction and blending using optical coherence tomography.

Optical coherence tomography provides a 3D representation of fingertip skin where surface and internal fingerprints are found. These fingerprints are topographically identical. However, the surface skin is prone to damage, distortion, and spoofing; and the internal fingerprint is difficult to access and extract. This research presents a novel scaling-resolution approach to fingerprint zone detection and extraction. Furthermore, a local-quality-based blending procedure is also proposed. The accuracy of the zone-detection algorithm is comparable to an earlier work, yielding a mean-squared error of 25.9 and structural similarity of 95.8% (compared to a ground-truth estimate). Blending the surface and internal fingerprints improved the National Institute of Science and Technology's Fingerprint Image Quality scores and the average maximum match scores (when matched against conventional surface counterparts). The fingerprint blending procedure was able to combine high-quality regions from both fingerprints, thus mitigating surface wrinkles and anomalous poor-quality regions. Furthermore, spoof detection via a surface-to-internal fingerprint comparison was proposed and tested.

Fingerprint Liveness Detection in the Presence of Capable Intruders.

Fingerprint liveness detection methods have been developed as an attempt to overcome the vulnerability of fingerprint biometric systems to spoofing attacks. Traditional approaches have been quite optimistic about the behavior of the intruder assuming the use of a previously known material. This assumption has led to the use of supervised techniques to estimate the performance of the methods, using both live and spoof samples to train the predictive models and evaluate each type of fake samples individually. Additionally, the background was often included in the sample representation, completely distorting the decision process. Therefore, we propose that an automatic segmentation step should be performed to isolate the fingerprint from the background and truly decide on the liveness of the fingerprint and not on the characteristics of the background. Also, we argue that one cannot aim to model the fake samples completely since the material used by the intruder is unknown beforehand. We approach the design by modeling the distribution of the live samples and predicting as fake the samples very unlikely according to that model. Our experiments compare the performance of the supervised approaches with the semi-supervised ones that rely solely on the live samples. The results obtained differ from the ones obtained by the more standard approaches which reinforces our conviction that the results in the literature are misleadingly estimating the true vulnerability of the biometric system.

Human matching performance of genuine crime scene latent fingerprints.

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 court, but what the findings mean for reasoning about expert performance in the wild is an open, empirical, and epistemological question.

[Group polymorphism and variability of dermatoglyphic characters of the toes and fingers: the comparative characteristic].

The objective of the present study was to investigate into the morphological features of the papillary relief on the toes depending on the age and sex of the adult people and the length of their body and to compare the data obtained with dermatoglyphic patterns of the hands. Fingerprints of 120 male and 80 female central European caucasoids varying in age from 18 to 83 years were studied. The fingerprints were obtained using black printing ink. Special attention was given to the recognition of pattern types, ridge count, rudiments of lines, line density, the distances between the delta and the centre of the pattern or the interphalangeal fold, white lines, scar prints, and other characteristics. The results of the study were treated by the methods of descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. It was shown that coefficients of correlation between the most informative characters and the general personality traits are equal to 0.3-0.4. The regular features of group polymorphism of dermatoglyphic patterns on the toes and fingers were found to be on the whole similar. The correlation coefficients between dermatoglyphic signs on the bilateral and homolateral halves of the body were 0.6-0.8 and 0.2-0.4 respectively. It is concluded that the results of this study provide a basis for the development of the methods for the detection of the general personality traits and the establishment of belonging of the cut-off feet and hands to one or several corpses.

Complete Region of Interest for Unconstrained Palmprint Recognition.

Unconstrained palmprint images have shown great potential for recognition applications due to their lower restrictions regarding hand poses and backgrounds during contactless image acquisition. However, they face two challenges: 1) unclear palm contours and finger-valley points of unconstrained palmprint images make it difficult to locate landmarks to crop the palmprint region of interest (ROI); and 2) large intra-class diversities of unconstrained palmprint images hinder the learning of intra-class-invariant palmprint features. In this paper, we propose to directly extract the complete palmprint region as the ROI (CROI) using the detection-style CenterNet without requiring the detection of any landmarks, and large intra-class diversities may occur. To address this, we further propose a palmprint feature alignment and learning hybrid network (PalmALNet) for unconstrained palmprint recognition. Specifically, we first exploit and align the multi-scale shallow representation of unconstrained palmprint images via deformable convolution and alignment-aware supervision, such that the pixel gaps of the intra-class palmprint CROIs can be minimized in shallow feature space. Then, we develop multiple triple-attention learning modules by integrating spatial, channel, and self-attention operations into convolution to adaptively learn and highlight the latent identity-invariant palmprint information, enhancing the overall discriminative power of the palmprint features. Extensive experimental results on four challenging palmprint databases demonstrate the promising effectiveness of both the proposed PalmALNet and CROI for unconstrained palmprint recognition.

Optical fingerprint recognition based on local minutiae structure coding.

A parallel volume holographic optical fingerprint recognition system robust to fingerprint translation, rotation and nonlinear distortion is proposed. The optical fingerprint recognition measures the similarity by using the optical filters of multiplexed holograms recorded in the holographic media. A fingerprint is encoded into multiple template data pages based on the local minutiae structure coding method after it is adapted for the optical data channel. An improved filter recording time schedule and a post-filtering calibration technology are combined to suppress the calculating error from the large variations in data page filling ratio. Experimental results tested on FVC2002 DB1 and a forensic database comprising 270,216 fingerprints demonstrate the robustness and feasibility of the system.

Capturing the vital vascular fingerprint with optical coherence tomography.

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.

3D palmprint and hand imaging system based on full-field composite color sinusoidal fringe projection technique.

Palmprint and hand shape, as two kinds of important biometric characteristics, have been widely studied and applied to human identity recognition. The existing research is based mainly on 2D images, which lose the third-dimensional information. The biological features extracted from 2D images are distorted by pressure and rolling, so the subsequent feature matching and recognition are inaccurate. This paper presents a method to acquire accurate 3D shapes of palmprint and hand by projecting full-field composite color sinusoidal fringe patterns and the corresponding color texture information. A 3D imaging system is designed to capture and process the full-field composite color fringe patterns on hand surface. Composite color fringe patterns having the optimum three fringe numbers are generated by software and projected onto the surface of human hand by a digital light processing projector. From another viewpoint, a color CCD camera captures the deformed fringe patterns and saves them for postprocessing. After compensating for the cross talk and chromatic aberration between color channels, three fringe patterns are extracted from three color channels of a captured composite color image. Wrapped phase information can be calculated from the sinusoidal fringe patterns with high precision. At the same time, the absolute phase of each pixel is determined by the optimum three-fringe selection method. After building up the relationship between absolute phase map and 3D shape data, the 3D palmprint and hand are obtained. Color texture information can be directly captured or demodulated from the captured composite fringe pattern images. Experimental results show that the proposed method and system can yield accurate 3D shape and color texture information of the palmprint and hand shape.

Palm and finger print characteristics in nonfamilial cleft lip and palate patients and their parents.

The aim of this study was to investigate if Iranian individuals with nonfamilial cleft lip and palate (CLP) and their unaffected parents display more dermatoglyphic asymmetry than the normal population.The study group included 55 patients with nonfamilial CLP and their unaffected parents (38 fathers and 47 mothers). The control group included 60 healthy children and their parents (37 fathers and 50 mothers). Total ridge counts of each finger (TRC), atd angles, a-b ridge counts, and finger print pattern types of all participants were recorded. Asymmetry between the right and left hands of each individual was determined. Dissimilarity between pattern types on homologous fingers was compared using chi-square test. Asymmetry of other parameters was statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test.There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of their asymmetry of atd angle, a-b ridge count, and pattern dissimilarity score. However, significant differences in mean TRC between CLP patients and control children were found for the right ring digit (P = 0.023), right little digit (P = 0.032), and left index digit (P = 0.005). Also, there were significant differences among CLP patients and control children (P = 0.022) as well as unaffected fathers of CLP patients and their control group (P = 0.020) in terms of type of finger print pattern.No enhanced fluctuating asymmetry was found in most of the dermatoglyphic traits in the population studied, which indicated a low degree of developmental instability of the sporadic cases of cleft deformity.

Video-based fingerprint verification.

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.

Heritability of thirty cephalometric parameters on monozygotic and dizygotic twins: twin study method.

Genetic mechanisms are already predominant during embryonic craniofacial morphogenesis, but environment is also thought to influence dentofacial morphology postnatally, particularly during facial growth. A better understanding of the relative effects of genes and environment on dentofacial and occlusal parameters should improve our knowledge on the etiology of orthodontic disorders and therefore also on the possibilities and limitations of the orthodontic treatment and treatment planning. The aim of the present study is to explore the genetic and environmental influence on craniofacial dimensions in a group of 19 pairs of twins using the twin study method. The twin study carried out here clearly indicates that craniofacial matrix is under substantial genetic control and the redirection of a basic growth pattern may be modified only within biological limits which are harmonious for the patient.

Inheritance of dermatoglyphic asymmetry in 500 Indian pedigrees: complex segregation analysis.

The major aim of this study is to determine the mode of inheritance of asymmetry of quantitative dermatoglyphic traits based on principal factors through the application of complex segregation (genetic model fitting) analyses on a large ethnically homogeneous sample of 500 Indian pedigrees (2435 individuals) of two generations. By segregation analysis of the traits- PC1_FA both Mendelian and Environmental models were rejected (< 0.001) with the General model, i.e. that despite presence of significant inheritance (rejection of Environmental model), the nature of inheritance is more complex, than Mendelian one. Although a little genetic effect was observed due to familial correlations on asymmetry traits, no evidence was found of major gene contribution to be involved, but this does not contradict the notion postulated by several earlier authors that asymmetry (fluctuating) provides a measure of developmental instability in human.

[A new algorithm for the establishment of blood relationship based on the application of the dermatoglyphic technique].

An original classification of dermatoglyphic features is proposed taking into consideration their inter-relations in conjunction with the new principles of comparative studies. A new and improved algorithm for the establishment of blood relationship has been developed based on the application of the dermatoglyphic technique. The method is recommended for the use in forensic medical expertise for the purpose of estimation of the probability of paternity, maternity, and substitution of children. Moreover, it may find application for the indirect (via establishment of blood relationship) identification of personality of an unknown subject.

Photoacoustic tomography of fingerprint and underlying vasculature for improved biometric identification.

Capitalizing on the photoacoustic effect, we developed a new fingerprint sensing system that can reveal both fingerprints and underlying vascular structures at a high spatial resolution. Our system is built on a 15 MHz linear transducer array, a research ultrasound system, and a 532-nm pulsed laser. A 3D image was obtained by scanning the linear array over the fingertip. The acquired fingerprint images strongly agreed with the images acquired from ultrasound. Additional experiments were also conducted to investigate the effect of acoustic coupling. We discovered that high-quality fingerprint and vessel images can be acquired from both wet and dry fingers using our photoacoustic system. The reduced subdermal features in dry coupling can be enhanced through post-processing. Compared to existing fingerprint scanners, the photoacoustic approach provides a higher quality 3D image of the fingerprint, as well as unique subdermal vasculature structures, making the system almost impossible to counterfeit.

Dermatoglyphics--a marker for malocclusion?

INTRODUCTION: Dermatoglyphics is the study of dermal ridge configurations on palmar and plantar surfaces of hands and feet. Dermal ridges and craniofacial structures are both formed during 6-7th week of intra-uterine life. It is believed that hereditary and environmental factors leading to malocclusion may also cause peculiarities in fingerprint patterns. OBJECTIVE: To study and assess the relationship between fingerprints and malocclusion among a group of high school children aged 12-16 years in Dharwad, Karnataka, India. DESIGN: A total of 696 high school children aged 12-16 years were randomly selected. Their fingerprints were recorded using duplicating ink and malocclusion status was clinically assessed using Angle's classification. RESULTS: Chi-square analysis revealed statistical association between whorl patterns and classes 1 and 2 malocclusion (p < 0.05). However, no overall statistical association was observed between fingerprint patterns and malocclusion (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dermatoglyphics might be an appropriate marker for malocclusion and further studies are required to elucidate an association between fingerprint patterns and malocclusion.