Chance constrained uncertain classification via robust optimization

This paper studies the problem of constructing robust classifiers when the training is plagued with uncertainty. The problem is posed as a Chance-Constrained Program (CCP) which ensures that the uncertain data points are classified correctly with high probability. Unfortunately such a CCP turns out to be intractable. The key novelty is in employing Bernstein bounding schemes to relax the CCP as a convex second order cone program whose solution is guaranteed to satisfy the probabilistic constraint. Prior to this work, only the Chebyshev based relaxations were exploited in learning algorithms. Bernstein bounds employ richer partial information and hence can be far less conservative than Chebyshev bounds. Due to this efficient modeling of uncertainty, the resulting classifiers achieve higher classification margins and hence better generalization. Methodologies for classifying uncertain test data points and error measures for evaluating classifiers robust to uncertain data are discussed. Experimental results on synthetic and real-world datasets show that the proposed classifiers are better equipped to handle data uncertainty and outperform state-of-the-art in many cases

Physical, biochemical, and immunological characterization of a thermostable amidase from Klebsiella pneumoniae NCTR 1.

An amidase capable of degrading acrylamide and aliphatic amides was purified to apparent homogeneity from Klebsiella pneumoniae NCTR 1. The enzyme is a monomer with an apparent molecular weight of 62,000. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were 7.0 and 65 degrees C, respectively. The purified amidase contained 11 5,5-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB)-titratable sulfhydryl (SH) groups. In the native enzyme 1.0 SH group readily reacted with DTNB with no detectable loss of activity. Titration of the next 3.0 SH groups with DTNB resulted in a loss of activity of more than 70%. The remaining seven inaccessible SH groups could be titrated only in the presence of 8 M guanidine hydrochloride. Titration of SH groups was strongly inhibited by carboxymethylation and KMnO4, suggesting the presence of SH groups at the active site(s). Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry analysis indicated that the native amidase contains 0.33 mol of cobalt and 0.33 mol of iron per mol of the native enzyme. Polyclonal antiserum against K. pneumoniae amidase was raised in rabbits, and immunochemical comparisons were made with amidases from Rhodococcus sp., Mycobacterium smegmatis, Pseudomonas chlororaphis B23, and Methylophilus methylotrophus. The antiserum immunoprecipitated and immunoreacted with the amidases of K. pneumoniae and P. chlororaphis B23. The antiserum failed to immunoreact or immunoprecipitate with other amidases

Soft X-ray focusing Telescope aboard AstroSat: early results

The Soft X-ray focusing Telescope (SXT) is a moderate resolution X-ray imaging spectrometer supplementing the ultraviolet and hard X-ray payloads for broadband studies of cosmic sources with AstroSat. Well suited for observing bright X-ray sources, SXT observations of nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN), binary star systems with compact companions, active stars, etc. are producing long soft X-ray light curves and high-quality spectra. The strong X-ray variability and multiple spectral components exhibited by SXT observations of nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies show excellent promise to probe accretion disks and central engines in AGN through multi-band variability and spectroscopy