Provenance Views for Module Privacy

Scientific workflow systems increasingly store provenance information about the module executions used to produce a data item, as well as the parameter settings and intermediate data items passed between module executions. However, authors/owners of workflows may wish to keep some of this information confidential. In particular, a module may be proprietary, and users should not be able to infer its behavior by seeing mappings between all data inputs and outputs. The problem we address in this paper is the following: Given a workflow, abstractly modeled by a relation R, a privacy requirement \Gamma and costs associated with data. The owner of the workflow decides which data (attributes) to hide, and provides the user with a view R' which is the projection of R over attributes which have not been hidden. The goal is to minimize the cost of hidden data while guaranteeing that individual modules are \Gamma -private. We call this the "secureview" problem. We formally define the problem, study its complexity, and offer algorithmic solutions

Phase transition in the massive Gross-Neveu model in toroidal topologies

We use methods of quantum field theory in toroidal topologies to study the $N$-component $D$-dimensional massive Gross-Neveu model, at zero and finite temperature, with compactified spatial coordinates. We discuss the behavior of the large-$N$ coupling constant ($g$), investigating its dependence on the compactification length ($L$) and the temperature ($T$). For all values of the fixed coupling constant ($\lambda$), we find an asymptotic-freedom type of behavior, with $g\to 0$ as $L\to 0$ and/or $T\to \infty$. At T=0, and for $\lambda \geq \lambda_{c}^{(D)}$ (the strong coupling regime), we show that, starting in the region of asymptotic freedom and increasing $L$, a divergence of $g$ appears at a finite value of $L$, signaling the existence of a phase transition with the system getting spatially confined. Such a spatial confinement is destroyed by raising the temperature. The confining length, $L_{c}^{(D)}$, and the deconfining temperature, $T_{d}^{(D)}$, are determined as functions of $\lambda$ and the mass ($m$) of the fermions, in the case of $D=2,3,4$. Taking $m$ as the constituent quark mass ($\approx 350\: MeV$), the results obtained are of the same order of magnitude as the diameter ($\approx 1.7 fm$) and the estimated deconfining temperature ($\approx 200\: MeV$) of hadrons.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Far Infrared Spectroscopy

Contains a report on a research project

Complex-based analysis of dysregulated cellular processes in cancer

Background: Differential expression analysis of (individual) genes is often used to study their roles in diseases. However, diseases such as cancer are a result of the combined effect of multiple genes. Gene products such as proteins seldom act in isolation, but instead constitute stable multi-protein complexes performing dedicated functions. Therefore, complexes aggregate the effect of individual genes (proteins) and can be used to gain a better understanding of cancer mechanisms. Here, we observe that complexes show considerable changes in their expression, in turn directed by the concerted action of transcription factors (TFs), across cancer conditions. We seek to gain novel insights into cancer mechanisms through a systematic analysis of complexes and their transcriptional regulation. Results: We integrated large-scale protein-interaction (PPI) and gene-expression datasets to identify complexes that exhibit significant changes in their expression across different conditions in cancer. We devised a log-linear model to relate these changes to the differential regulation of complexes by TFs. The application of our model on two case studies involving pancreatic and familial breast tumour conditions revealed: (i) complexes in core cellular processes, especially those responsible for maintaining genome stability and cell proliferation (e.g. DNA damage repair and cell cycle) show considerable changes in expression; (ii) these changes include decrease and countering increase for different sets of complexes indicative of compensatory mechanisms coming into play in tumours; and (iii) TFs work in cooperative and counteractive ways to regulate these mechanisms. Such aberrant complexes and their regulating TFs play vital roles in the initiation and progression of cancer.Comment: 22 pages, BMC Systems Biolog

A State-Wide Effort to Promote Best Practices in Industrial Energy Efficiency in Missouri [abstract]

Only abstract of poster available.Track III: Energy InfrastructureMissouri Industrial Assessment Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's IAC program to provide services in energy efficiency for industries in the state. The aim is to promote best practices in energy efficiency, reusable energy, waste reduction and productivity through integration of activities involving the University, the state agencies, the University of Missouri Extension, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, the state-wide and local utilities and industrial associations. The energy audit and productivity assessment is offered to qualified small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies. The center carries out activities in research, education and outreach to: • Provide students with practical experience and training in energy engineering, by: i) providing hands-on training of industrial and productivity assessment skills; ii) establishing online materials aimed at increasing awareness to industrial energy efficiency and conservation, waste reduction, renewable energy and productivity. • Help small to medium-sized manufacturers improve energy efficiency, minimize waste and improve productivity, through: i) conducting energy audits for eligible industrial organizations in the state of Missouri and surrounding areas; ii) providing guidance to industrial organizations following the energy audits to meet or exceed the performance goal; iii) promoting interdisciplinary assessment teams of faculty, students and state energy managers and engineers. • Integrate the IAC program into other areas to create innovative approaches to delivering services, by: i) promoting best practice in industry by conducting outreach seminars and workshops in the state; ii) working with the center's partners to establish Missouri IAC as the center of resources and services for industries in the state and the surrounding areas; iii) utilizing the synergy resulting from its newt work of partnerships to offer and deliver a more comprehensive range services to small and medium manufacturers. Up to date, the center's services have covered many parts across the state of Missouri

Localised melorheostosis

Melorheostosis is a sclerosing bone dysplasia of unknown aetiology. Diagnosis is mainly based on a combination of clinical and imaging studies. The classical dripping candle wax picture on plain radiograph is diagnostic. We report a case of localized melorheostosis of a 14 year old boy on daily analgesics for two years for pain relief. Radiographs showed endosteal bone formation like dripping candle wax. Biopsy and decompression of the hyperostosis was done. However biopsy did not relieve his symptoms. Based on literature survey he was given a single infusion of zoledronic acid. This gave dramatic relief in pain