Efficient File Synchronization: a Distributed Source Coding Approach

The problem of reconstructing a source sequence with the presence of decoder side-information that is mis-synchronized to the source due to deletions is studied in a distributed source coding framework. Motivated by practical applications, the deletion process is assumed to be bursty and is modeled by a Markov chain. The minimum rate needed to reconstruct the source sequence with high probability is characterized in terms of an information theoretic expression, which is interpreted as the amount of information of the deleted content and the locations of deletions, subtracting "nature's secret", that is, the uncertainty of the locations given the source and side-information. For small bursty deletion probability, the asymptotic expansion of the minimum rate is computed.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. A shorter version will appear in IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT), 201

Catalytic and conductivity studies in two dimensional coordination polymers built with a thiazole based ligand

The employment of the commercial availiable organic ligand 2-mercapto-4-methyl-5-thiazoleacetic acid (H2L) in Zn and Cd chemistry yields two-dimensional (2D) coordation polymers (CPs) with pseudopolymorphic character. Thermal, catalytic and conductivity studies are discussed

On the String Consensus Problem and the Manhattan Sequence Consensus Problem

In the Manhattan Sequence Consensus problem (MSC problem) we are given $k$ integer sequences, each of length $l$, and we are to find an integer sequence $x$ of length $l$ (called a consensus sequence), such that the maximum Manhattan distance of $x$ from each of the input sequences is minimized. For binary sequences Manhattan distance coincides with Hamming distance, hence in this case the string consensus problem (also called string center problem or closest string problem) is a special case of MSC. Our main result is a practically efficient $O(l)$-time algorithm solving MSC for $k\le 5$ sequences. Practicality of our algorithms has been verified experimentally. It improves upon the quadratic algorithm by Amir et al.\ (SPIRE 2012) for string consensus problem for $k=5$ binary strings. Similarly as in Amir's algorithm we use a column-based framework. We replace the implied general integer linear programming by its easy special cases, due to combinatorial properties of the MSC for $k\le 5$. We also show that for a general parameter $k$ any instance can be reduced in linear time to a kernel of size $k!$, so the problem is fixed-parameter tractable. Nevertheless, for $k\ge 4$ this is still too large for any naive solution to be feasible in practice.Comment: accepted to SPIRE 201

Ni2P Nanoparticle-Inserted Porous Layered NiO Hetero-Structured Nanosheets as a Durable Catalyst for the Electro-Oxidation of Urea

The electro-oxidation of urea (EOU) is a remarkable but challenging sustainable technology, which largely needs a reduced electro-chemical potential, that demonstrates the ability to remove a notable harmful material from wastewater and/or transform the excretory product of humans into treasure. In this work, an Ni2P-nanoparticle-integrated porous nickel oxide (NiO) hetero-structured nanosheet (Ni2P@NiO/NiF) catalyst was synthesized through in situ acid etching and a gas-phase phosphating process. The as-synthesized Ni2P@NiO/NiF catalyst sample was then used to enhance the electro-oxidation reaction of urea with a higher urea oxidation response (50 mA cm2 at 1.31 V vs. RHE) and low onset oxidation potential (1.31 V). The enhanced activity of the Ni2P@NiO/NiF catalyst was mainly attributed to effective electron transport after Ni2P nanoparticle insertion through a substantial improvement in active sites due to a larger electrochemical surface area, and a faster diffusion of ions occurred via the interactive sites at the interface of Ni2P and NiO; thus, the structuralreliability was retained, which was further evidenced by the low charge transfer resistance. Further, the Ni2P nanoparticle insertion process into the NiO hetero-structured nanosheets effectively enabled a synergetic effect when compared to the counter of the Ni2P/NiF and NiO/NiF catalysts. Finally, we demonstrate that the as-synthesized Ni2P@NiO/NiF catalyst could be a promising electrode for the EOU in urea-rich wastewater and human urine samples for environmental safety management. Overall, the Ni2P@NiO/NiF catalyst electrode combines the advantages of the Ni2P catalyst, NiO nanosheet network, and NiF current collector for enhanced EOU performance, which is highly valuable in catalyst development for environmental safety applications

The impact of surgical resection and adjuvant therapy on survival in paediatric patients with Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumour: Systematic review and pooled survival analysis

Background Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours (AT/RT) is a rare malignant neoplasm in the paediatric population. AT/RT is characterised by rhabdoid cells combined with the loss of either the INI1 or BRG1 protein. Objective To systematically review and analyse patient and tumour characteristics, prognosis, and impact of treatment on survival in paediatric patients with AT/RT confirmed by alterations in INI1 or BRG1. This systematic review is the first only to include paediatric cases of AT/RT confirmed with either INI1 or BRG1 alterations. Methods MEDLINE was searched using the terms "atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour" AND "paediatric/pediatric". Cases were included if confirmed by loss of INI1 or BRG1. The extracted dataset was analysed using descriptive statistics, log-rank test, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis via SPSS. Results A total of 38 articles were included in this study. The average age at diagnosis was three years. The most common locations reported are the supratentorial region and cerebral hemispheres. Ninety-three patients were reported to show evidence of dissemination. The average overall survival was 29 months. A significant difference in survival was noted between the tumour location groups, particularly worst outcomes for patients with spinal AT/RT (p = <0.001). Extent of resection and adjuvant therapy were significant for survival (Chi-square = 10.107, p = 0.018) and (Chi-square = 20.38, p = < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusion AT/RT of the central nervous system in paediatric populations is a rare neoplasm associated with a poor prognosis in most patients. Future studies should be directed to find a standardised treatment protocol

Multivalued SK-contractions with respect to b-generalized pseudodistances

A new class of multivalued non-self-mappings, called SK-contractions with respect to b-generalized pseudodistances, is introduced and used to investigate the existence of best proximity points by using an appropriate geometric property. Some new fixed point results in b-metric spaces are also obtained. Examples are given to support the usability of our main result