Approximate Query Processing over Static Sets and Sliding Windows

Indexing of static and dynamic sets is fundamental to a large set of applications such as information retrieval and caching. Denoting the characteristic vector of the set by B, we consider the problem of encoding sets and multisets to support approximate versions of the operations rank(i) (i.e., computing sum_{j = i}) queries. We study multiple types of approximations (allowing an error in the query or the result) and present lower bounds and succinct data structures for several variants of the problem. We also extend our model to sliding windows, in which we process a stream of elements and compute suffix sums. This is a generalization of the window summation problem that allows the user to specify the window size at query time. Here, we provide an algorithm that supports updates and queries in constant time while requiring just (1+o(1)) factor more space than the fixed-window summation algorithms

A Response Regulator from a Soil Metagenome Enhances Resistance to the β-lactam Antibiotic Carbenicillin in \u3cem\u3eEscherichia Coli\u3c/em\u3e

Functional metagenomic analysis of soil metagenomes is a method for uncovering as-yet unidentified mechanisms for antibiotic resistance. Here we report an unconventional mode by which a response regulator derived from a soil metagenome confers resistance to the β-lactam antibiotic carbenicillin in Escherichia coli. A recombinant clone (βlr16) harboring a 5,169 bp DNA insert was selected from a metagenomic library previously constructed from a remote Alaskan soil. The βlr16 clone conferred specific resistance to carbenicillin, with limited increases in resistance to other tested antibiotics, including other β-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins), rifampin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, fusidic acid, and gentamicin. Resistance was more pronounced at 24°C than at 37°C. Zone-of-inhibition assays suggested that the mechanism of carbenicillin resistance was not due to antibiotic inactivation. The DNA insert did not encode any genes known to confer antibiotic resistance, but did have two putative open reading frames (ORFs) that were annotated as a metallopeptidase and a two-component response regulator. Transposon mutagenesis and subcloning of the two ORFs followed by phenotypic assays showed that the response regulator gene was necessary and sufficient to confer the resistance phenotype. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR showed that the response regulator suppressed expression of the ompF porin gene, independently of the small RNA regulator micF, and enhanced expression of the acrD, mdtA, and mdtB efflux pump genes. This work demonstrates that antibiotic resistance can be achieved by the modulation of gene regulation by heterologous DNA. Functional analyses such as these can be important for making discoveries in antibiotic resistance gene biology and ecology

Solid-state Conducting Polymer Actuator based on Electrochemically-deposited Polypyrrole and Solid Polymer Electrolyte

Abstract: Conducting polymer (CP) actuators undergo a volumetric change as their redox state is changed. The volumetric change is due to the movement of counter ions into the film during the electrical oxidation process. Liquid electrolytes are mostly used for the actuation of CP actuators, but that is an impediment for practical use of CP actuator. To overcome this problem, in this study solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) was introduced into the CP actuator instead of electrolyte solution. A polypyrrole (PPy)/SPE/PPy electroactive tri-layer actuator was prepared by the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole and the actuation characteristics were studied. An all-solid actuator, consisting of two PPy films and a SPE based on polyurethane (PU), clearly showed a reversible displacement in an atmosphere when a voltage was applied

Mapping the Milky Way with LAMOST II: the stellar halo

The radial number density and flattening of the Milky Way's stellar halo is measured with $\mathrm{5351}$ metal-poor ([Fe/H]$<-1$) K giants from LAMOST DR3, using a nonparametric method which is model independent and largely avoids the influence of halo substucture. The number density profile is well described by a single power law with index $5.03^{+0.64}_{-0.64}$, and flattening that varies with radius. The stellar halo traced by LAMOST K giants is more flattened at smaller radii, and becomes nearly spherical at larger radii. The flattening, $q$, is about 0.64, 0.8, 0.96 at $r=15$, 20 and 30 kpc (where $r=\sqrt{R^2+\left[Z/q\left(r\right)\right]^2}$), respectively. Moreover, the leading arm of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy tidal stream in the north, and the trailing arm in the south, are significant in the residual map of density distribution. In addition, an unknown overdensity is identified in the residual map at (R,Z)=(30,15) kpc.Comment: 16 pages, 24 figures, accepted by MNRA

Prediction and identification of synergistic compound combinations against pancreatic cancer cells.

Resistance to current therapies is common for pancreatic cancer and hence novel treatment options are urgently needed. In this work, we developed and validated a computational method to select synergistic compound combinations based on transcriptomic profiles from both the disease and compound side, combined with a pathway scoring system, which was then validated prospectively by testing 30 compounds (and their combinations) on PANC-1 cells. Some compounds selected as single agents showed lower GI50 values than the standard of care, gemcitabine. Compounds suggested as combination agents with standard therapy gemcitabine based on the best performing scoring system showed on average 2.82-5.18 times higher synergies compared to compounds that were predicted to be active as single agents. Examples of highly synergistic in vitro validated compound pairs include gemcitabine combined with Entinostat, thioridazine, loperamide, scriptaid and Saracatinib. Hence, the computational approach presented here was able to identify synergistic compound combinations against pancreatic cancer cells

Reflections on trends in teacher education in Europe using the scenario perspective

SUMMARY In the preceding papers the scenario model of ATEE-RDC19 is used as a reflecting instrument on trends and development in teacher education in different European countries. In this short contribution, a reflection on those papers is made to see whether common trends arise. In this rough picture, it is possible to see that in all analysed countries there is a tendency towards a more pragmatic and individualistic approach in society, influencing teacher education. But these two trends (toward pragmatism and towards idealism) are not in all case studies strongly connected. However, bearing in mind some critical comments on the scenario model, strong and definitive conclusions are to be avoided.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prediction of strawberry fruit yield based on cultivar-specific growth models in the tunnel-type greenhouse

The strawberry growth and fruit yield of five Korean cultivars in the tunnel-type greenhouse predicted using their growth. The number of leaves, petiole length, leaf length and width, crown diameter, and the ratio of red and far-red (RFR) of the five Korean cultivars were measured during the cultivation period. The number of leaves of all cultivars exhibited a similar trend during this period; the plant and petiole length of ‘Maehyang’ were the longest, leaf length exhibited similar trends in all five cultivars except for ‘Jukhyang’, the leaf width of ‘Arihyang’, was the longest, and crown diameter of ‘Keumsil’ was the thickest. The leaf length, crown diameter, and RFR were associated with the fruit yield in the multiple linear regression. When a single model was used to predict the yield of all five cultivars, the correlation between expected yield and actual yield was r = 0.53. When cultivar-specific models were built for the prediction, the correlation increased to r = 0.77. The results indicated that the fruit yield of strawberry cultivars could be better predicted by considering cultivar-specific information, so it may be necessary to consider individual cultivars specifically rather than all cultivars simultaneously

Mitochondrial Respiration Regulates GPX4 Inhibition-Induced Ferroptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

View full abstracthttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/leading-edge/1029/thumbnail.jp