Remarks on the k-error linear complexity of p(n)-periodic sequences

Recently the first author presented exact formulas for the number of 2ⁿn-periodic binary sequences with given 1-error linear complexity, and an exact formula for the expected 1-error linear complexity and upper and lower bounds for the expected k-error linear complexity, k >2, of a random 2ⁿn-periodic binary sequence. A crucial role for the analysis played the Chan-Games algorithm. We use a more sophisticated generalization of the Chan-Games algorithm by Ding et al. to obtain exact formulas for the counting function and the expected value for the 1-error linear complexity for pⁿn-periodic sequences over Fp, p prime. Additionally we discuss the calculation of lower and upper bounds on the k-error linear complexity of pⁿn-periodic sequences over Fp

Evaluation of the Impact of the Plastic BioSand Filter on Health and Drinking Water Quality in Rural Tamale, Ghana

A randomized controlled trial of the plastic BioSand filter (BSF) was performed in rural communities in Tamale (Ghana) to assess reductions in diarrheal disease and improvements in household drinking water quality. Few studies of household water filters have been performed in this region, where high drinking water turbidity can be a challenge for other household water treatment technologies. During the study, the longitudinal prevalence ratio for diarrhea comparing households that received the plastic BSF to households that did not receive it was 0.40 (95% confidence interval: 0.05, 0.80), suggesting an overall diarrheal disease reduction of 60%. The plastic BSF achieved a geometric mean reduction of 97% and 67% for E. coli and turbidity, respectively. These results suggest the plastic BSF significantly improved drinking water quality and reduced diarrheal disease during the short trial in rural Tamale, Ghana. The results are similar to other trials of household drinking water treatment technologies

The operation, flow conditions and microbial reductions of an intermittently operated, household-scale slow sand filter

Nearly one-fifth of the world\u27s population lacks access to safe, reliable sources of drinking water. Point of use (POU) household water treatment technology allows people to improve the quality of their water by treating it in the home. A promising emerging POU technology is the biosand filter (BSF). The BSF is a household-scale, intermittently operated slow sand filter that maintains a wet media bed containing a schmutzdecke and allows periodic water dosing by the user. Step input chemical tracer tests indicated that the BSF operates at near-plug flow conditions. Six-to-eight week longitudinal challenge studies were conducted with daily charges of surface water spiked with E. coli strain B bacteria, coliphages MS2 and PRD-1 and human enteric virus echovirus type 12. The BSF ripened in a manner similar to conventional SSFs. Flow rate slowed and microbial reductions improved over time with ripening. E. coli reductions were ~90% following filter startup but improved to 95—99.5% over time. Microbial reductions were greater with greater residence time within the filter, especially for water retained in the filter bed overnight. E. coli and echovirus 12 reductions were greater than those of coliphages MS2 and PRD-1

The prediction of fatigue using speech as a biosignal

Automatic systems for estimating operator fatigue have application in safety-critical environments. We develop and evaluate a system to detect fatigue from speech recordings collected from speakers kept awake over a 60-hour period. A binary classification system (fatigued/not-fatigued) based on time spent awake showed good discrimination, with 80 % unweighted accuracy using raw features, and 90 % with speaker-normalized features. We describe the data collection, feature analysis, machine learning and cross-validation used in the study. Results are promising for real-world applications in domains such as aerospace, transportation and mining where operators are in regular verbal communication as part of their normal working activities

Вплив харчової добавки "магнетофуд" на структурно-механічні властивості формового желейного мармеладу з різними структуроутворювачами

Development of resource- and energy-saving technologies for the production of high-quality jelly and pastille products with an extended shelf life is one of the most urgent challenges of the modern confectionery industry. It is proposed to use the "Magnetofood" mineral food supplement, which holds a high functional and technological potential and may independently form the structural and mechanical properties of jelly pastes, and also affect the gelling agents, entering into chemical and electrostatic interactions therewith. Therefore, the "Magnetofood" food supplement may influence several technological properties in the food jelly system at once: acting as a stabilizer, a thickener, a gelling agent, while improving the quality, consumer properties and extending the shelf life of molded fruit jelly products. The aim of the study is to improve the structural and mechanical properties of molded fruit jelly products by introducing the "Magnetofood" food supplement. Standard and generally accepted methods were used in the course of structural and mechanical studies (viscosity and thixotropic characteristics on the Reotest-2 rotation viscometer, strength characteristics on the AR-4/1 penetrometers). It has been established that the introduction of the "Magnetofood" food supplement into jelly pastes in the amount of 0.15 % of the total weight of raw material improves the consistency, structure, strength and form: the degree of structuring and viscosity of the jelly pastes increases over the entire shear stress range (1.5-40 s⁻¹) 2.9 times for pastes on agar and 1.85 times for pastes on pectin; the temperature effect on the effective viscosity of jelly pastes is slowed down by (50-75) Pa · s on average, destruction processes are also slowed down 1.1 times, and the recovery processes of the jelly structure after the mechanical effect ceases are accelerated by 3.8%, increasing its thixotropic ability by 7.5% in jelly pastes on agar and by 6.0% in jelly pastes on pectin; jelly strength on agar increases by (10-12)%, and by (7-9) % on pectin; the speed of structurization of jelly pastes on agar increases by a factor of 1.3-1.7, and by a factor of 1.1-1.6 on pectin.Однією з актуальних проблем сучасної кондитерської промисловості є розробка ресурсо- і енергозберігаючих технологій виробництва високоякісних мармеладо-пастильних виробів зі збільшеним терміном придатності. Пропонується використання мінеральної харчової добавки "Магнетофуд", яка володіє високим функціонально-технологічним потенціалом і може як самостійно формувати структурно-механічні властивості желейних мас, так і впливати на гелеутворювач, вступаючи з ним в хімічні і електростатичні взаємодії. Тому, харчова добавка "Магнетофуд" може впливати відразу на кілька технологічних властивостей в харчовій желейної системі: бути стабілізатором, загусником, драглеутворювачем, при цьому покращуючи якість, споживчі властивості і продовжуючи терміни зберігання формового желейного мармеладу. Метою дослідження є покращення структурно-механічних властивостей формового желейного мармеладу шляхом введення харчової добавки "Магнетофуд". Під час проведення структурно-механічних (в’язкостних і тиксотропних характеристик на ротаційному віскозиметрі Реотест-2, міцності на пенетрометри АР-4/1) досліджень були використані загальноприйняті та стандартні методики

DNAJA1- and conformational mutant p53-dependent inhibition of cancer cell migration by a novel compound identified through a virtual screen

Cancers are frequently addicted to oncogenic missense mutant p53 (mutp53). DNAJA1, a member of heat shock protein 40 (HSP40), also known as J-domain proteins (JDPs), plays a crucial role in the stabilization and oncogenic activity of misfolded or conformational mutp53 by binding to and preventing mutp53 from proteasomal degradation. However, strategies to deplete mutp53 are not well-established, and no HSP40/JDPs inhibitors are clinically available. To identify compounds that bind to DNAJA1 and induce mutp53 degradation, we performed an in silico docking study of ~10 million of compounds from the ZINC database for the J-domain of DNAJA1. A compound 7-3 was identified, and its analogue A11 effectively reduced the levels of DNAJA1 and conformational mutp53 with minimal effects on the levels of wild-type p53 and DNA-contact mutp53. A11 suppressed migration and filopodia formation in a manner dependent on DNAJA1 and conformational mutp53. A mutant DNAJA1 with alanine mutations at predicted amino acids (tyrosine 7, lysine 44, and glutamine 47) failed to bind to A11. Cells expressing the mutant DNAJA1 became insensitive to A11-mediated depletion of DNAJA1 and mutp53 as well as A11-mediated inhibition of cell migration. Thus, A11 is the first HSP40/JDP inhibitor that has not been previously characterized for depleting DNAJA1 and subsequently conformational mutp53, leading to inhibition of cancer cell migration. A11 can be exploited for a novel treatment against cancers expressing conformational mutp53

Gene and protein expression of glucose transporter 1 and glucose transporter 3 in human laryngeal cancer—the relationship with regulatory hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression, tumor invasiveness, and patient prognosis

Increased glucose uptake mediated by glucose transporters and reliance on glycolysis are common features of malignant cells. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α supports the adaptation of hypoxic cells by inducing genes related to glucose metabolism. The contribution of glucose transporter (GLUT) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) activity to tumor behavior and their prognostic value in head and neck cancers remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive value of GLUT1, GLUT3, and HIF-1α messenger RNA (mRNA)/protein expression as markers of tumor aggressiveness and prognosis in laryngeal cancer. The level of hypoxia/metabolic marker genes was determined in 106 squamous cell laryngeal cancer (SCC) and 73 noncancerous matched mucosa (NCM) controls using quantitative realtime PCR. The related protein levels were analyzed by Western blot. Positive expression of SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and HIF-1α genes was noted in 83.9, 82.1, and 71.7 % of SCC specimens and in 34.4, 59.4, and 62.5 % of laryngeal cancer samples. Higher levels of mRNA/protein for GLUT1 and HIF-1α were noted in SCC compared to NCM (p<0.05). SLC2A1 was found to have a positive relationship with grade, tumor front grading (TFG) score, and depth and mode of invasion (p<0.05). SLC2A3 was related to grade and invasion type (p<0.05). There were also relationships of HIF-1α with pTNM, TFG scale, invasion depth and mode, tumor recurrences, and overall survival (p<0.05). In addition, more advanced tumors were found to be more likely to demonstrate positive expression of these proteins. In conclusion, the hypoxia/metabolic markers studied could be used as molecular markers of tumor invasiveness in laryngeal cancer.This work was supported, in part, by the statutory fund of the Department of Cytobiochemistry, University of Łódź, Poland (506/811), and by grant fromtheNational Science Council, Poland (N403 043 32/2326)