VOICE.TRUST emerges onto European scene

German provider of speaker authentication solutions VOICE.TRUST has formalised its partnership with US company SpeechWorks International. The company, which was launched in 2000, uses SpeechWorks’ SpeechSecure speaker verification technology at the heart of its biometric-based authentication solution VOICE.TRUST Server.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news     

Government vote for optical cards

The Italian Government has awarded Drexler Technology Corporation an initial US$2.4 million order to supply combined optical memory chip cards for use as Italy’s national ID card. Called the Carta d’Identita Elettronica (CIE), they represent the first use of a LaserCard national identification card within the European Union. The citizen’s demographics, colour photograph, digitised signature, and other biometrics, such as the holder’s fingerprint, are to be contained in the optical memory stripe.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Fingerprint scroll wheel launched for mobiles

Designed for integration into laptops, PDA’s and mobile phones, DigitalPersona has announced a space-saving fingerprint sensor/ scroll wheel. The patented U.are.U Firefly roller-style fingerprint reader optically records the fingerprint image as the user glides their finger over the roller.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Saflink bucks industry ‘bad news’ trend

Biometric middleware vendor Saflink has bucked the biometric industry’s current ‘bad news’ trend with a spate of good news stories which mark a turnaround in the company’s fortunes. Not so long ago the vendor had been on the brink of financial disaster but it has managed to pull itself around, even getting re-listed on Nasdaq’s SmallCap market at the end of April — a feat accomplished by very few in recent times.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Cost cuts at Precise Biometrics

Precise Biometrics has announced steps to reduce the company’s current overheads. The programme of cost cuts are designed to help the company achieve positive cash flow more quickly, but will also lead to 10 of the company’s 47-strong workforce losing their jobs. These jobs will be lost at the company’s head office in Lund, Sweden, and will be spread across the supplier’s administration, sales, management and support departments.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Viisage/ZN drive merger forward

Good progress is being made by Viisage Technology and ZN Vision Technologies following their merger announcement at the end of March. As well as filing preliminary proxy materials with the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission), the companies have announced their first collaborative contract win — Alberta, Canada’s drivers’ licence programme, reportedly the largest facial comparison project in Canada.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Identix expected to ‘perform’

A comprehensive report into the make up and performance of Identix has been released by Morgan Keegan’s equity research division. The report gives the fingerprint and facial recognition technology supplier a positive write up, and believes the company will perform in line with the S&P 500 over the next six months — and that it will outperform the growth of the biometrics industry as a whole.Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news     

Characterization of low-molecular-weight-glutenin subunit genes from the D-genome of Triticum aestivum,Aegilops crassa,Ae. cylindrica and Ae. tauschii

Twenty low-molecular-weight-glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) gene sequences from the D-genome from Aegilops crassa (2n = 4x = 28), Ae. cylindrica (2n = 4x = 28), Ae. tauschii (2n = 2x = 14) and Triticum aestivum (2n = 6x = 42) were obtained using five sets of specific allele primer pairs. Only the sequences of the first primer pair were complete coding sequences (cds) of LMW-GS, and had 305, 304, 306 and 305 LMW-m amino acid residues in Ae. crassa, Ae. cylindrica, Ae. tauschii and T. aestivum, respectively. The repetitive domain and repeat motif numbers of all LMW glutenin subunits showed eight conserved cysteine residues that lead to the same functional activity in different genome. Based on DNA and predicted protein sequences, phylogenetic trees for all sets of sequences were drawn. At the DNA level, the species closest to T. aestivum for the second, third, fourth and fifth set of sequences were Ae. cylindrica, Ae. tauschii and Ae. crassa, respectively. At the protein level, the species closest to T. aestivum based on the first, second and fifth set of sequences were Ae. cylindrica, Ae. crassa and Ae. crassa, respectively. For other sets of sequences, bread wheat proved to be a distinct species. The LMW-GS gene sequences have been recorded in the GenBank with accession numbers JQ726549–JQ726568JQ726549JQ726550JQ726551JQ726552JQ726553JQ726554JQ726555JQ726556JQ726557JQ726558JQ726559JQ726560JQ726561JQ726562JQ726563JQ726564JQ726565JQ726566JQ726567JQ726568.     

DICUT snaps up Aurora

DICUT, a US security solutions provider, has snapped up Aurora Biometrics as well as its founder, Helena Wisniewski. According to DICUT, the acquisition complements its product range, making it a one-stop shop for physical, logical and biometric security.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

TWIC field testing underway

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has awarded a five-month, US$3.8 million contract to government service company Maximus to help it field test various technologies that will lead to a common and universally-recognized Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). The TWIC could potentially be used by 12 million transportation workers at seaports, airports and land transportation hubs.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

EU visa system could be world’s biggest biometric project

There is currently no interoperability between existing national visa systems in Europe or the possibility to check reliably whether an applicant for a visa has applied under another identity. Step by step, however, the establishment of a common Visa Information System in Europe is getting closer, and, if rolled out, could turn out to be one of the world’s largest biometric projects.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Identix aims to keep up its momentum

Between US$65 million and US$100 million in biometric contracts could be awarded before the end of 2003, according to Identix. Naturally, the company hopes to win a significant proportion of these deals, and believes its current ‘momentum’ will prove to be key.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

DNA sequencing of 13 cytokine gene fragments of Aotus infulatus and Saimiri sciureus,two non-human primate models for malaria

Aotus and Saimiri are non-human primate models recommended by the World Health Organization for experimental studies in malaria, especially for vaccine pre-clinical trials. However, research using these primates is hindered by the lack of specific reagents to evaluate immune responses to infection or vaccination. As a step toward developing molecular tools for cytokine expression studies in these species, primer pairs for 18 cytokine gene fragments were designed based on human DNA sequences and used to amplify the corresponding genes in Aotus infulatus and Saimiri sciureus genomic DNA samples. IFNγ, TNFα, LTA, IL2, IL3, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL10, IL12, IL13, CSF2 and TGFβ2 gene fragments were amplified and sequenced. Primer pairs for IL8, IL17, IL18, IL27 and MIF failed to generate amplification products. When compared to the available corresponding human and non-human primate sequences, most – except IL3 and IL4 – showed identity degrees above 90%. Small variations in sequence can help to explain the failure to amplify certain genes or the amplification only at lower annealing temperatures as compared to human DNA samples for several primer pairs. The sequences made available provide the basis for designing molecular tools such as primers for real time PCR specific for A. infulatus and/or S. sciureus.The nucleotide sequences reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned accession numbers DQ985386 to DQ985389, DQ989356 to DQ989369, FJ89020 to FJ89024 and FJ89029.     

Atul Butte discusses the divide between bioinformatics and the clinic

Atul Butte is an Assistant in Endocrinology and Informatics and Attending Physician at Children's Hospital, Boston, USA (http://www.chip.org), and is an Instructor in Paediatrics at Harvard Medical School (http://www.harvard.edu). He received his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Brown University in 1991, and worked in several stints as a software engineer at Apple Computer and Microsoft Corporation. He graduated from the Brown University School of Medicine in 1995, during which he worked as a research fellow at National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK; http://www.niddk.nih.gov) through the Howard Hughes/NIH Research Scholars Program. He completed his residency in Paediatrics and Fellowship in Paediatric Endocrinology in 2001, both at Children's Hospital. During his research under Isaac Kohane (at Children's Hospital) he developed a novel methodology for analyzing large data sets of RNA expression, called Relevance Networks. His recent awards include the 2003 Emory University School of Medicine, Pathology Residents’ Choice Award, 2002 American Association for Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Speaker Award, 2002 Endocrine Society Travel Award based on presentation merit, 2001 American Association for Cancer Research Scholar-In-Training Award and the 2001 Lawson Wilkins Paediatric Endocrine Society Clinical Scholar Award.     

Discovery of novel indole-based aroylhydrazones as anticonvulsants: Pharmacophore-based design

A number of novel melatonin derivatives, containing aroylhydrazone moieties, were synthesized and explored in vivo for anticonvulsant activity, neurotoxicity in ICR mice as well as in-vitro for cytoxicity and oxidative stress in rats. The structures and configurations were confirmed by NMR, FTIR, HRMS and crystal X-ray diffraction method. For selection of potent structures for synthesis a pharmacophore model was used. Two compounds 3e, with a 2-furyl moiety fragment and 3f with 2-thienyl fragment, showed a potency in maximal electroshock (MES) test (ED₅₀ = 50.98 mg kg⁻¹, PI > 5.88 and ED₅₀ = 108.7 mg kg⁻¹; PI > 2.76), respectively, higher than melatonin (ED₅₀ = 160.3 mg kg⁻¹, PI > 1.87). The compounds 3c, 3e, 3f and 3i suppressed psychomotor seizures in the 6 Hz test and 3c was the most potent with higher ED₅₀ = 13.98 mg kg⁻¹ and PI of > 21.46 compared to that of melatonin (ED₅₀ = 49.76 mg kg⁻¹ and PI of > 6.03) in mice. None of the compounds displayed neurotoxicity in the rota-rod test. The novel melatonin derivatives exerted weak cytotoxic effects while 3f showed the lowest hepatoxic effects comparable to that of the positive control melatonin in rats. The high affinities to the elucidated pharmacophore model of the novel melatonin compounds derived from the inclusion of aroylhydrazone moiety in the indole scaffold yielded suitable candidates with anticonvulsant activity in the MES and 6 Hz test of psychomotor seizures.     

New tech on the way

Two futuristic developments caught the eye in the last month, one of which is a new biometric, while the other is a technology which could prove to be interesting for image capture in the biometric industry.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

Sign here for the dole

A dynamic signature verification solution has been installed at a dole office in Israel, allowing people to interact with a machine rather than a person in order to collect their dole money.Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news     

Morphology and SSU rDNA-based phylogeny of two Euplotes species from China: E. wuhanensis sp. n. and E. muscicola Kahl, 1932 (Ciliophora,Euplotida)

The living morphology, infraciliature and silverline system of two small Euplotes species, E. wuhanensis sp. n. and E. muscicola Kahl, 1932, isolated from Wuhan, central China, were investigated. Euplotes wuhanensis sp. n. is characterized by a combination of features including small size (40–50 × 25–30 μm), two conspicuously small and eight normal-sized frontoventral cirri, five transverse cirri in two groups, two marginal and two caudal cirri, seven dorsal kineties with about 12 dikinetids in the mid-dorsal row and a double-eurystomus type of dorsal silverline pattern. The Wuhan population of E. muscicola closely resembles previously described populations. The establishments of three subspecies of E. muscicola are not supported. The small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences were determined for both species. We propose that the two sequences under the name of E. muscicola (No. AJ305254, DQ917684 deposited in GenBank) are very likely from misidentified material. Phylogenetic analyses based on these data support the validity of both E. muscicola and E. wuhanensis as distinct species.     

New associations formed in Europe and Asia

Two new associations have been established to represent the biometrics industry in Europe and in Asia. The European Biometric Forum was launched in July and will be headquartered in Dublin, while the Biometrics Security Consortium was launched in Japan in June.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.