Efficient disjointness tests for private datasets

We present efficient protocols for private set disjointness tests. We start from an intuition of our protocols that applies Sylvester matrices. Unfortunately, this simple construction is insecure as it reveals information about the cardinality of the intersection. More specifically, it discloses its lower bound. By using the Lagrange interpolation we provide a protocol for the honest-but-curious case without revealing any additional information. Finally, we describe a protocol that is secure against malicious adversaries. The protocol applies a verification test to detect misbehaving participants. Both protocols require O(1) rounds of communication. Our protocols are more efficient than the previous protocols in terms of communication and computation overhead. Unlike previous protocols whose security relies on computational assumptions, our protocols provide information theoretic security. To our knowledge, our protocols are first ones that have been designed without a generic secure function evaluation. More importantly, they are the most efficient protocols for private disjointness tests for the malicious adversary case.

Impinging jet simulation of stationary downburst flow over topography

A non-translating, long duration thunderstorm downburst has been simulated experimentally and numerically by modelling a spatially stationary steady flow impinging air jet. Velocity profiles were shown to compare well with an upper-bound of velocity measurements reported for full-scale microbursts. Velocity speed-up over a range of topographic features in simulated downburst flow was also tested with comparisons made to previous work in a similar flow, and also boundary layer wind tunnel experiments. It was found that the amplification measured above the crest of topographic features in simulated downburst flow was up to 35% less than that observed in boundary layer flow for all shapes tested. From the computational standpoint we conclude that the Shear Stress Transport (SST) model performs the best from amongst a range of eddy-viscosity and second moment closures tested for modelling the impinging jet flow.

Numerical studies and design of hollow flange channel beams subject to combined bending and shear actions

LiteSteel beam (LSB) is a cold-formed steel hollow flange channel section produced using a patented manufacturing process involving simultaneous cold-forming and dual electric resistance welding. It is commonly used as floor joists and bearers in residential, industrial and commercial buildings. Design of the LSB is governed by the Australian cold-formed steel structures code, AS/NZS 4600. Due to the geometry of the LSB, as well as its unique residual stress characteristics and initial geometric imperfections resultant of manufacturing processes, currently available design equations for common cold-formed sections are not directly applicable to the LSB. Many research studies have been carried out to evaluate the behaviour and design of LSBs subject to pure bending actions and predominant shear actions. To date, however, no investigation has been conducted into the strength of LSB sections under combined bending and shear actions. Hence experimental and numerical studies were conducted to assess the combined bending and shear behaviour of LSBs. Finite element models of LSBs were developed to simulate their combined bending and shear behaviour and strength of LSBs. They were then validated by comparing the results with available experimental test results and used in a detailed parametric study. The results from experimental and finite element analyses were compared with current AS/NZS 4600 and AS 4100 design rules. Both experimental and numerical studies show that the AS/NZS 4600 design rule based on circular interaction equation is conservative in predicting the combined bending and shear capacities of LSBs. This paper presents the details of the numerical studies of LSBs and the results. In response to the inadequacies of current approaches to designing LSBs for combined bending and shear, two lower bound design equations are proposed in this paper.

The global public health issue of pharmaceutical waste : what role for pharmacists?

Purpose Pharmaceuticals have played an important role in improving the quality of life of the human population in modern times. However, it must also be acknowledged that both the production and use of pharmaceuticals have a significant, negative impact on the environment and consequently, a negative impact on the health of humans and wildlife. This negative impact is due to the embedded carbon in pharmaceuticals' manufacture and distribution and the waste generated in their manufacture, consumption and disposal. Pharmaceutical waste is comprised of contaminated waste (unwanted pharmaceuticals and their original containers) and non-contaminated waste (non-hazardous packaging waste). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The article is a literature review. Findings The article identified a gap in the literature around pharmacist attitudes and behaviour toward the environmentally responsible handling of pharmaceutical waste. Originality/value Pharmacists, with their professional commitment to the quality use of medicines and their active participation in the medicines management pathway, already play an important role in the more sustainable use of pharmaceuticals. Even so, they have the potential to play an even greater role with the environmentally responsible disposal of pharmaceutical waste (including packaging waste) and the education of other health professionals and the general public on this topic.

Generation of two isomers of C5H from the corresponding anions. A theoretically motivated mass spectrometric study

Molecular orbital calculations have predicted the stability of a range of connectivities for the radical C5H potential surface. The most energetically favorable of these include the linear C4CH geometry and two ring-chain structures HC2C3 and C2C3H The corresponding anions are also shown to be theoretically stable, and furthermore, a fourth isomer, C2CHC2, is predicted to be the most stable anion connectivity. These results have motivated experimental efforts. Methodologies for the generation of the non-ring-containing isomeric anions C4CH and C2CHC2 have been developed utilizing negative ion mass spectrometry. The absolute connectivities of the anions have been established using deuterium labeling, charge reversal, and neutralization reionization techniques. The success of the latter experiment confirms theoretical predictions of stability of the corresponding neutral species. This is the first reported observation of the neutral C2CHC2 species that calculations predict to be substantially less stable than the C4CH connectivity but still bound relative to isomerization processes.

A novel route in bone tissue engineering : magnetic biomimetic scaffolds

In recent years, interest in tissue engineering and its solutions has increased considerably. In particular, scaffolds have become fundamental tools in bone graft substitution and are used in combination with a variety of bio-agents. However, a long-standing problem in the use of these conventional scaffolds lies in the impossibility of re-loading the scaffold with the bio-agents after implantation. This work introduces the magnetic scaffold as a conceptually new solution. The magnetic scaffold is able, via magnetic driving, to attract and take up in vivo growth factors, stem cells or other bio-agents bound to magnetic particles. The authors succeeded in developing a simple and inexpensive technique able to transform standard commercial scaffolds made of hydroxyapatite and collagen in magnetic scaffolds. This innovative process involves dip-coating of the scaffolds in aqueous ferrofluids containing iron oxide nanoparticles coated with various biopolymers. After dip-coating, the nanoparticles are integrated into the structure of the scaffolds, providing the latter with magnetization values as high as 15 emu g�1 at 10 kOe. These values are suitable for generating magnetic gradients, enabling magnetic guiding in the vicinity and inside the scaffold. The magnetic scaffolds do not suffer from any structural damage during the process, maintaining their specific porosity and shape. Moreover, they do not release magnetic particles under a constant flow of simulated body fluids over a period of 8 days. Finally, preliminary studies indicate the ability of the magnetic scaffolds to support adhesion and proliferation of human bone marrow stem cells in vitro. Hence, this new type of scaffold is a valuable candidate for tissue engineering applications, featuring a novel magnetic guiding option.

PAC-Bayes-empirical-Bernstein inequality

We present PAC-Bayes-Empirical-Bernstein inequality. The inequality is based on combination of PAC-Bayesian bounding technique with Empirical Bernstein bound. It allows to take advantage of small empirical variance and is especially useful in regression. We show that when the empirical variance is significantly smaller than the empirical loss PAC-Bayes-Empirical-Bernstein inequality is significantly tighter than PAC-Bayes-kl inequality of Seeger (2002) and otherwise it is comparable. PAC-Bayes-Empirical-Bernstein inequality is an interesting example of application of PAC-Bayesian bounding technique to self-bounding functions. We provide empirical comparison of PAC-Bayes-Empirical-Bernstein inequality with PAC-Bayes-kl inequality on a synthetic example and several UCI datasets.

Teaching pharmacy students how to manage effectively in a highly competitive environment

Aims To evaluate if a revamped business management course for 4th year undergraduate pharmacy students had achieved the course aims of not only improving pharmacy students’ perceived understanding of pharmacy business management topics but also increasing their confidence in their business management knowledge and skills. Background Student feedback from previous years had indicated that the cohort had struggled to translate theoretical business management concepts learned in the classroom into practice in the workplace. To address this problem the course has been changed to a ‘flipped classroom’ format with face-to-face time focusing on case-based scenarios and interactive classroom discussion with some role plays. Method Both course assessment throughout the semester and a student survey informed the evaluation process. Results After completing the course, students felt they had increased their knowledge of business management concepts but many indicated that they lacked the confidence to undertake basic management functions. Conclusions Further course restructuring is required with a greater focus on skills development.

Distamycin A affects the stability of NF-kappaB p50-DNA complexes in a sequence-dependent manner

The effect of two different DNA minor groove binding molecules, Hoechst 33258 and distamycin A, on the binding kinetics of NF-κB p50 to three different specific DNA sequences was studied at various salt concentrations. Distamycin A was shown to significantly increase the dissociation rate constant of p50 from the sequences PRDII (5′-GGGAAATTCC-3′) and Ig-κ B (5′-GGGACTTTCC-3′) but had a negligible effect on the dissociation from the palindromic target-κB binding site (5′-GGGAATTCCC-3′). By comparison, the effect of Hoechst 33258 on binding of p50 to each sequence was found to be minimal. The dissociation rates for the protein–DNA complexes increased at higher potassium chloride concentrations for the PRDII and Ig-κB binding motifs and this effect was magnified by distamycin A. In contrast, p50 bound to the palindromic target-κB site with a much higher intrinsic affinity and exhibited a significantly reduced salt dependence of binding over the ionic strength range studied, retaining a KD of less than 10 pM at 150 mM KCl. Our results demonstrate that the DNA binding kinetics of p50 and their salt dependence is strongly sequence-dependent and, in addition, that the binding of p50 to DNA can be influenced by the addition of minor groove-binding drugs in a sequence-dependent manner.

Generation of two isomers of C5H from the corresponding anions. A theoretically motivated mass spectrometric study

Molecular orbital calculations have predicted the stability of a range of connectivities for the radical C5H potential surface. The most energetically favorable of these include the linear C4CH geometry and two ring-chain structures HC2C3 and C2C3H The corresponding anions are also shown to be theoretically stable, and furthermore, a fourth isomer, C2CHC2, is predicted to be the most stable anion connectivity. These results have motivated experimental efforts. Methodologies for the generation of the non-ring-containing isomeric anions C4CH and C2CHC2 have been developed utilizing negative ion mass spectrometry. The absolute connectivities of the anions have been established using deuterium labeling, charge reversal, and neutralization reionization techniques. The success of the latter experiment confirms theoretical predictions of stability of the corresponding neutral species. This is the first reported observation of the neutral C2CHC2 species that calculations predict to be substantially less stable than the C4CH connectivity but still bound relative to isomerization processes.

Effect of crack depth and specimen width on fracture toughness of a carbon steel in the ductile-brittle transition region

The effects of crack depth (a/W) and specimen width W on the fracture toughness and ductile±brittle transition have been investigated using three-point bend specimens. Finite element analysis is employed to obtain the stress-strain fields ahead of the crack tip. The results show that both normalized crack depth (a/W) and specimen width (W) affect the fracture toughness and ductile±brittle fracture transition. The measured crack tip opening displacement decreases and ductile±brittle transition occurs with increasing crack depth (a/W) from 0.1 to 0.2 and 0.3. At a fixed a/W (0.2 or 0.3), all specimens fail by cleavage prior to ductile tearing when specimen width W increases from 25 to 40 and 50 mm. The lower bound fracture toughness is not sensitive to crack depth and specimen width. Finite element analysis shows that the opening stress in the remaining ligament is elevated with increasing crack depth or specimen width due to the increase of in-plane constraint. The average local cleavage stress is dependent on both crack depth and specimen width but its lower bound value is not sensitive to constraint level. No fixed distance can be found from the cleavage initiation site to the crack tip and this distance increases gradually with decreasing inplane constraint.

Substrate choice of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase is dictated by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 levels

Although tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) is known to be not only an inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) but also a cofactor for membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP)-mediated MMP-2 activation, it is still unclear how TIMP-2 regulates MMP-2 activation and cleavage of substrates by MT1-MMP. In the present study we examined the levels of cell-surface MT1-MMP, MMP-2 activation and cleavage of MT1-MMP substrates in 293T cells transfected with the MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 genes. Co-expression of TIMP-2 at an appropriate level increased the level of cell-surface MT1-MMP, both the TIMP-2-bound and free forms, and generated processed MMP-2 with gelatin-degrading activity. In contrast, MT1-MMP substrates testican-1 and syndecan-1 were cleaved by the cells expressing MT1-MMP, which was inhibited by TIMP-2 even at levels that stimulate MMP-2 activation. These results suggest that TIMP-2 environment determines MT1-MMP substrate choice between direct cleavage of its own substrates and MMP-2 activation.

A mass spectrometry study of XCO+, X = Si, Ge : Is SiCO+ a main group carbonyl? Comments on the bonding in ground state SiCO and the Si,C,O (+) potential energy surface

The cation\[Si,C,O](+) has been generated by 1) the electron ionisation (EI) of tetramethoxysilane and 2) chemical ionisation (CI) of a mixture of silane and carbon monoxide. Collisional activation (CA) experiments performed for mass-selected \[Si,C,O](+), generated by using both methods, indicate that the structure is not inserted OSiC+; however, a definitive structural assignment as Si+-CO, Si+-OC or some cyclic variant is impossible based on these results alone. Neutralisation-reionisation (+NR+) experiments for EI-generated \[Si,C,O](+) reveal a small peak corresponding to SiC+, but no detectable SiO+ signal, and thus establishes the existence of the Si+-CO isomer. CCSD(T)//B3LYP calculations employing a triple-zeta basis set have been used to explore the doublet and quartet potential-energy surfaces of the cation, as well as some important neutral states The results suggest that both Si+-CO and Si+ - OC isomers are feasible; however, the global minimum is (2)Pi SiCO+. Isomeric (2)Pi SiOC+ is 12.1 kcal mol(-1) less stable than (2)Pi SiCO+, and all quartet isomers are much higher in energy. The corresponding neutrals Si-CO and Si-OC are also feasible, but the lowest energy Si - OC isomer ((3)A") is bound by only 1.5 kcal mol(-1). We attribute most, if nor all, of the recovery signal in the +NR' experiment to SiCO+ survivor ions. The nature of the bonding in the lowest energy isomers of Si+ -(CO,OC) is interpreted with the aid of natural bond order analyses, and the ground stale bonding of SiCO+ is discussed in relation to classical analogues such as metal carbonyls and ketenes.

Effect of a single session of exercise on lipoprotein(a)

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is bound to apolipoprotein B-100 by disulfide linkage and is associated in the upper density range of low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Persons with elevated concentrations of Lp(a) are regarded as having an increased risk for premature coronary artery disease. Although many studies exist evaluating the effects of a single session of exercise on lipids and lipoproteins, little information is available concerning the effects of exercise on Lp(a). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a single exercise session on plasma Lp(a). Twelve physically active men completed two 30-min submaximal treadmill exercise sessions: low intensity (LI, 50% VO2max) and high intensity (HI, 80% VO2max). Blood samples were obtained immediately before and after exercise. Total cholesterol (LI: before 4.22 +/- 0.26, after 4.24 +/- 0.28; HI: before 4.24 +/- 0.31, after 4.11 +/- 0.28 mmol . l(-1), mean +/- SE) and triglyceride (LI: before 1.14 +/- 0.16, after 1.06 +/- 0.16; HI: before 1.12 +/- 0.19, after 1.21 +/- 0.19 mmol . l(-1)) concentrations did not differ immediately after either exercise session, nor did Lp(a) concentrations differ immediately after either exercise session (LI: before 4.1 +/- 2.2, after 4.0 +/- 2.1; HI: before 3.9 +/- 2.2, after 3.7 +/- 2.0 mg . dl(-1)). These results suggest that neither a low nor a high intensity exercise session lasting 30 min in duration has an immediate effect on plasma Lp(a).

Transmembrane/cytoplasmic domain-mediated membrane type 1-matrix metalloprotease docking to invadopodia is required for cellinvasion

The invasion of human malignant melanoma cells into the extracellular matrix (ECM) involves the accumulation of proteases at sites of ECM degradation where activation of matrix metalloproteases (MMP) occurs. Here, we show that when membrane type 1 MMP (MT-MMP) was overexpressed in RPMI7951 human melanoma cells, the cells made contact with the ECM, activated soluble and ECM-bound MMP-2, and degraded and invaded the ECM. Further experiments demonstrated the importance of localization of the MT-MMP to invadopodia. Overexpression of MT-MMP without invadopodial localization caused activation of soluble MMP-2, but did not facilitate ECM degradation or cell invasiveness. Up-regulation of endogenous MT-MMP with concanavalin A caused activation of MMP-2. However, concanavalin A treatment prevented invadopodial localization of MT-MMP and ECM degradation. Neither a truncated MT-MMP mutant lacking transmembrane (TM) and cytoplasmic domains (ΔTM(MT-MMP)), nor a chimeric MT-MMP containing the interleukin 2 receptor α chain (IL-2R) TM and cytoplasmic domains (ΔTM(MT-MMP)/TM(IL-2R)) were localized to invadopodia or exhibited ECM degradation. Furthermore, a chimera of the TM/cytoplasmic domain of MT-MMP (TM(MT-MMP)) with tissue inhibitor of MMP 1 (TIMP-1/TM(MT- MMP)) directed the TIMP-1 molecule to invadopodia. Thus, the MT-MMP TM/cytoplasmic domain mediates the spatial organization of MT-MMP into invadopodia and subsequent degradation of the ECM.