Non-parametric comparison of histogrammed two-dimensional data distributions using the Energy Test

When monitoring complex experiments, comparison is often made between regularly acquired histograms of data and reference histograms which represent the ideal state of the equipment. With the larger HEP experiments now ramping up, there is a need for automation of this task since the volume of comparisons could overwhelm human operators. However, the two-dimensional histogram comparison tools available in ROOT have been noted in the past to exhibit shortcomings. We discuss a newer comparison test for two-dimensional histograms, based on the Energy Test of Aslan and Zech, which provides more conclusive discrimination between histograms of data coming from different distributions than methods provided in a recent ROOT release.The Science and Technology Facilities Council, U

Harmonic analysis of precipitation, pressure and temperature over Turkey

Monthly averages of temperature, precipitation and pressure values from ground-based measurements for long-term data observed in different geographical regions in Turkey have been investigated. The main purpose of this study is to define the role of small- and large-scale phenomena (local and synoptic fluctuations) on precipitation, pressure and temperature variations and their periods. Hence, the Fourier transformation analysis of the monthly average value of meteorological parameters has been considered, and phase angles and amplitudes have been calculated. The first-order harmonics of temperature, precipitation and pressure values show large-scale effects, while higher-order harmonics show the effects of small-scale variations. The variations of first–sixth-order harmonic amplitudes and phases provide a useful means of understanding the large- and local-scale effects on meteorological parameters. The phase angle can be used to determine the time of the year when the maximum or minimum of a given harmonic occurs. The analysis helps us distinguish different precipitation, pressure and temperature regimes and transition regions. Local- and large-scale phenomena and some unusual seasonal patterns are also defined. This analysis also shows strong annual variations of precipitation in the Southern and Western part of Anatolia and that strong semi-annual fluctuations are predominant in the eastern part of Turkey. Strong annual influence on pressure variations is mostly observed in the coastal part of Turkey. The dominance of the first three harmonics of pressure is smaller over most of the terrestrial stations. Temperature variations are mostly influenced by the annual fluctuations in eastern and south-eastern Anatolia. The urban heat Island caused by developing metropolitan areas refers to local warming effects and heat islands. The local effects are observed in the western part of Turkey

G2A Attenuates Propionibacterium acnes Induction of Inflammatory Cytokines in Human Monocytes.

Background:Acne vulgaris is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit characterized by increased sebum production, hyperkeratinization, and immune responses to Propionibacterium acnes (PA). Here, we explore a possible mechanism by which a lipid receptor, G2A, regulates immune responses to a commensal bacterium. Objective:To elucidate the inflammatory properties of G2A in monocytes in response to PA stimulation. Furthermore, our study sought to investigate pathways by which lipids modulate immune responses in response to PA. Methods:Our studies focused on monocytes collected from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the monocytic cell line THP-1, and a lab strain of PA. Our studies involved the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent, Western blot, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, small interfering RNA (siRNA), and microarray analysis of human acne lesions in the measurements of inflammatory markers. Results:G2A gene expression is higher in acne lesions compared to normal skin and is inducible by the acne therapeutic, 13-cis-retinoic acid. In vitro, PA induces both the Toll-like receptor 2-dependent expression of G2A as well as the production of the G2A ligand, 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid, from human monocytes. G2A gene knockdown through siRNA enhances PA stimulation of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1β possibly through increased activation of the ERK1/2 MAP kinase and nuclear factor kappa B p65 pathways. Conclusion:G2A may play a role in quelling inflammatory cytokine response to PA, revealing G2A as a potential attenuator of inflammatory response in a disease associated with a commensal bacterium

First hours of the GRB 030329 optical afterglow

We present the first results of the observations of the extremely bright optical afterglow of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 030329 with the 1.5m Russian-Turkish telescope RTT150 (TUBITAK National Observatory, Bakyrlytepe, Turkey). RTT150 was one of the first 1.5m-class telescopes pointed to the afterglow. Observations were started approximately 6 hours after the burst. During the first 5 hours of our observations the afterglow faded exactly as a power law with index -1.19+-0.01 in each of the BVRI Bessel filters. After that, in all BVRI filters simultaneously we observe a steepening of the power law light curve. The power law decay index smoothly approaches the value ~= -1.9, observed by other observatories later. This power law break occurs at t-t_0 =0.57 days and lasts for +-0.1 days. We observe no variability above the gradual fading with the upper limits 10--1% on time scales 0.1--1000s. Spectral flux distribution in four BVRI filters corresponds to the power law spectrum with spectral index \alpha=0.66+-0.01. The change of the power law decay index in the end of our observations can be interpreted as a signature of collimated ultrarelativistic jet. The afterglow flux distribution in radio, optical and x-rays is consistent with synchrotron spectrum. We continue our observations of this unique object with RTT150.Comment: Astronomy Letters, Vol. 29, No. 9, p. 573; 6 pages, 5 figures; pagination corrected; the original Russian version can be found at http://hea.iki.rssi.ru/~br/030329/pfh030329.pd

The Meaning of Memory Safety

We give a rigorous characterization of what it means for a programming language to be memory safe, capturing the intuition that memory safety supports local reasoning about state. We formalize this principle in two ways. First, we show how a small memory-safe language validates a noninterference property: a program can neither affect nor be affected by unreachable parts of the state. Second, we extend separation logic, a proof system for heap-manipulating programs, with a memory-safe variant of its frame rule. The new rule is stronger because it applies even when parts of the program are buggy or malicious, but also weaker because it demands a stricter form of separation between parts of the program state. We also consider a number of pragmatically motivated variations on memory safety and the reasoning principles they support. As an application of our characterization, we evaluate the security of a previously proposed dynamic monitor for memory safety of heap-allocated data.Comment: POST'18 final versio

Universality of the Ising and the S=1 model on Archimedean lattices: A Monte Carlo determination

The Ising model S=1/2 and the S=1 model are studied by efficient Monte Carlo schemes on the (3,4,6,4) and the (3,3,3,3,6) Archimedean lattices. The algorithms used, a hybrid Metropolis-Wolff algorithm and a parallel tempering protocol, are briefly described and compared with the simple Metropolis algorithm. Accurate Monte Carlo data are produced at the exact critical temperatures of the Ising model for these lattices. Their finite-size analysis provide, with high accuracy, all critical exponents which, as expected, are the same with the well known 2d Ising model exact values. A detailed finite-size scaling analysis of our Monte Carlo data for the S=1 model on the same lattices provides very clear evidence that this model obeys, also very well, the 2d Ising model critical exponents. As a result, we find that recent Monte Carlo simulations and attempts to define effective dimensionality for the S=1 model on these lattices are misleading. Accurate estimates are obtained for the critical amplitudes of the logarithmic expansions of the specific heat for both models on the two Archimedean lattices.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure

Observations of GRB 060526 Optical Afterglow with Russian-Turkish 1.5-m Telescope

We present the results of the photometric multicolor observations of GRB 060526 optical afterglow obtained with Russian-Turkish 1.5-m Telescope (RTT150, Mt. Bakirlitepe, Turkey). The detailed measurements of afterglow light curve, starting from about 5 hours after the GRB and during 5 consecutive nights were done. In addition, upper limits on the fast variability of the afterglow during the first night of observations were obtained and the history of afterglow color variations was measured in detail. In the time interval from 6 to 16 hours after the burst, there is a gradual flux decay, which can be described approximately as a power law with an index of -1.14+-0.02. After that the variability on the time scale \delta t < t is observed and the afterglow started to decay faster. The color of the afterglow, V-R=~0.5, is approximately the same during all our observations. The variability is detected on time scales up to \delta t/t =~ 0.0055 at \Delta F_\nu/F_\nu =~ 0.3, which violates some constraints on the variability of the observed emission from ultrarelativistic jet obtained by Ioka et al. (2005). We suggest to explain this variability by the fact that the motion of the emitting shell is no longer ultrarelativistic at this time.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, Astronomy Letters, 2007, 33, 797, The on-line data tables and the original text in Russian can be found at http://hea.iki.rssi.ru/grb/060526/indexeng.htm

Strategies and challenges to facilitate situated learning in virtual worlds post-Second Life

Virtual worlds can establish a stimulating environment to support a situated learning approach in which students simulate a task within a safe environment. While in previous years Second Life played a major role in providing such a virtual environment, there are now more and more alternative—often OpenSim-based—solutions deployed within the educational community. By drawing parallels to social networks, we discuss two aspects: how to link individually hosted virtual worlds together in order to implement context for immersion and how to identify and avoid “fake” avatars so people behind these avatars can be held accountable for their actions

Cryptographically Secure Information Flow Control on Key-Value Stores

We present Clio, an information flow control (IFC) system that transparently incorporates cryptography to enforce confidentiality and integrity policies on untrusted storage. Clio insulates developers from explicitly manipulating keys and cryptographic primitives by leveraging the policy language of the IFC system to automatically use the appropriate keys and correct cryptographic operations. We prove that Clio is secure with a novel proof technique that is based on a proof style from cryptography together with standard programming languages results. We present a prototype Clio implementation and a case study that demonstrates Clio's practicality.Comment: Full version of conference paper appearing in CCS 201

Clustering visitors to a religious island : the case of Tinos

Tourists visiting religious destinations are usually influenced by religious motivations. However, this might not be the case for all tourists, since visitors to religious sites may visit a destination not only for pilgrimage, but also to satisfy various needs interlinked with social, cultural and recreational factors. This paper attempts to investigate the motivations and activities of tourists visiting Tinos, a Greek island known as a religious destination for Christian Orthodox, by undertaking a clustering approach. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to 97 visitors of Tinos during the summer of 2007. From the findings it is evident that although the island is considered as one of the main religious sites for Christian Orthodox, tourists are not a homogenous group. Instead, the analytical approach adopted produced three segments, namely the “cultural tourists”, the “vacationers” and the “religious tourists”