Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Gaussian Broadcast Channels with Common and Confidential Messages

This paper considers the problem of the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Gaussian broadcast channel with two receivers (receivers 1 and 2) and two messages: a common message intended for both receivers and a confidential message intended only for receiver 1 but needing to be kept asymptotically perfectly secure from receiver 2. A matrix characterization of the secrecy capacity region is established via a channel enhancement argument. The enhanced channel is constructed by first splitting receiver 1 into two virtual receivers and then enhancing only the virtual receiver that decodes the confidential message. The secrecy capacity region of the enhanced channel is characterized using an extremal entropy inequality previously established for characterizing the capacity region of a degraded compound MIMO Gaussian broadcast channel.Comment: Submitted to the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, July 200

Cell death caused by single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide-mediated targeted genomic sequence modification

Targeted gene repair directed by single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) offers a promising tool for biotechnology and gene therapy. However, the methodology is currently limited by its low frequency of repair events, variability, and low viability of "corrected" cells. In this study, we showed that during ssODN-mediated gene repair reaction, a significant population of corrected cells failed to divide, and were much more prone to undergo apoptosis, as marked by processing of caspases and PARP-1. In addition, we found that apoptotic cell death triggered by ssODN-mediated gene repair was largely independent of the ATM/ATR kinase. Furthermore, we examined the potential involvement of the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins in this "correction reaction-induced" cell death. Result showed that while defective MMR greatly enhanced the efficiency of gene correction, compromising the MMR system did not yield any viable corrected clone, indicating that the MMR machinery, although plays a critical role in determining ssODN-directed repair, was not involved in the observed cellular genotoxic responses. © 2009. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.published_or_final_versio

Melatonin reduced volume of cerebral infarct induced by photothrombosis in wild-type mice, not in Cyclooxygenase-1 gene knockout mice

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is crucial in inflammation and plays important role in cerebral ischemia. Anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin have been verified in previous studies. In this study, cerebral blood flow (CBF) was monitored during operation, infarct volume (IFV) was determined with 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and MR image, and neurological functions were evaluated with turn in an alley and fall pole test in both COX-1-gene knockout and wide-type mice with or without melatonin administration 3 days after photothrombosis. CBF reduction, IFV and neurological deficits were not significantly different in COX-1 wild-type and COX-1 knockout mice. Melatonin (15 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection decreased the CBF reduction, IFV and the latency to turn in an alley in COX-1 wide-type mice, whereas the neuroprotective effect of melatonin was attenuated in COX-1 knockout mice. We concluded that melatonin reduced susceptibility to photothrombotic stroke. COX-1 gene knockout does not alter the susceptibility to cerebral ischemia caused by photothrombosis. COX-1 plays an important role in the pathway of the protection of melatonin.published_or_final_versio

The Evaluation of an Educational Aiding Tool for Students Learning Logic

The subject of this thesis is the presentation and evaluation of Conan, an editor for writing natural deduction proofs in first-order logic. The intent is for the editor to serve as a supplementary tool alongside a course in logic. For this reason, emphasis was put on making sure the editor would have a low learning curve, ensuring that learning to use it would not take away from the limited time in a typical university course. Though editors for writing this kind of proof already exist, they are often cumbersome or difficult to use. A pre-study was conducted to determine that there is indeed a lack of editors that fulfil the requirements set forth in this thesis. The interface of Conan was evaluated both heuristically using Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics and also through limited user tests. This evaluation suggested that the interface was easy to use, quick to learn and that students were positive toward using the editor for writing proofs. We also present arguments for why Conan would be an aid from the perspective of pedagogy, though no in-depth research on this matter was conducted

Microfluidic E. coli Detection

In both developed and developing countries, there is a need for a fast diagnostic system to detect pathogens within a fluid sample. In developing a microfluidic platform, which utilizes a microfluidic chip and an optical detection method, doors may be opened for new methods of determining pathogen concentration in fluid. Most biological reactions are not instantaneous. A flow-controlling mechanism with no power requirement may be implemented in the microfluidic platform. As a proof-of-concept, our device uses a microfluidic chip, smartphone, and microlens to detect E. coli concentrations in water. The detection method is based on the latex agglutination assay which relies on visual observations and judgment to determine the presence of pathogens in the water sample. Our approach provides a quantification of the traditional latex agglutination output, and the lower detection limit (105cells/mL) is competitive with that of the traditional agglutination method. In developing such a platform, a cheap and effective detection test for people in developing countries can be available worldwide for easy determination of whether or not a fluid sample is safe for use, and with several modifications, this platform could potentially be used to detect different pathogens, simultaneously

Star Formation Rates and Metallicities of K-selected Star Forming Galaxies at z~2

We present spectroscopy of 15 star-forming BzK galaxies (sBzKs) with K(AB)<23 in the Subaru Deep Field, for which Halpha and some other emission lines are detected in 0.9 to 2.3 micron spectra with a resolution of R=500. Using Halpha luminosities, we obtain star formation rates (SFRs), and then specific SFRs (SSFRs) dividing SFRs by stellar masses, which are derived from SED fitting to BVRi'z'K photometry. It is found that sBzKs with higher stellar masses have larger SFRs. A negative correlation is seen between stellar mass and SSFR, which is consistent with the previous results for z~2 galaxies. This implies that a larger growth of stellar mass occurs in less massive galaxies. In addition, gas-phase oxygen abundances, 12+log(O/H), are derived from the ratio of NII(lambda 6584) to Halpha using the N2 index method. We have found a correlation between stellar mass and oxygen abundance in the sense that more massive sBzKs tend to be more metal rich, which is qualitatively consistent with the relation for UV-selected z~2 galaxies. However, the metallicity of the sBzKs is ~0.2 dex higher than that of UV-selected galaxies with similar stellar masses, which is significant considering the small uncertainties. The sBzKs in our sample have redder R-K colors than the UV-selected galaxies. This galaxy color-dependence in the oxygen abundance may be caused by older or dustier galaxies having higher metallicities at z~2.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Molecular analysis of the microbial community structures in water-flooding petroleum reservoirs with different temperatures

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Continuous entecavir for treatment-naïve Chinese chronic hepatitis B in the real world setting: the six-year results

This journal suppl. entitled: 2014 DDW AbstractBACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on uninterrupted entecavir for treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) beyond 5 years. METHODS: Treatment-naive Chinese CHB patients were treated continuously with entecavir 0.5mg daily in the real world setting for up to 6 years. The cumulative rates of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization, DNA undetectability, virologic breakthrough (>1 log HBV DNA increase from the nadir) and genotypic resistance to entecavir were determined. HBV DNA levels were measured by Roche Taqman real time PCR assay (lower limit of detection: 20 IU/mL). Resistance profile was determined by line probe assay (LiPA, Innogenetics NV, Gent, Belgium) for patients ...postprin