418 research outputs found
Fuzzy approach to multimedia faulty module replacement
For non-real time multimedia systems, we present a fuzzy approach to replacing the faulty module. After analyzing the nature of the random and pseudo-random test sequences applied to a module under test, we obtain the aliasing fault coverage between the random and pseudo-random sequences. The activity probability features of intermittent faults in the module under test are discussed based on the Markov chain model. Results on real examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy replacement approac
The association between emotions and public acceptance of recycled water for urban residents
Worldwide water scarcity has prompted governments to develop alternative water resources, and public acceptance plays a critical role in the implementation of recycled water projects. The aim of this study was to explore how public acceptance can be affected by peopleās emotional responses to recycled water. In study 1, the general population was divided into four groups, clustering analysis with the intensity of various emotions was conducted, and the association between emotions and acceptance was explored. In study 2, the emotions, peopleās acceptance, and āobjects of careā of water treatment experts were compared with those of members of the general population for further study. We found that the objects of care shortened the psychological distance between individuals and recycled water, which led people to generate specific emotions to recycled water. In a broader context, the study suggested that various emotions motivate peopleās behavior to accept or oppose the use of recycled water
Efficient Parallel Output-Sensitive Edit Distance
Given two strings and , and a set of operations allowed to
edit the strings, the edit distance between and is the minimum number
of operations required to transform into . Sequentially, a standard
Dynamic Programming (DP) algorithm solves edit distance with cost.
In many real-world applications, the strings to be compared are similar and
have small edit distances. To achieve highly practical implementations, we
focus on output-sensitive parallel edit-distance algorithms, i.e., to achieve
asymptotically better cost bounds than the standard algorithm when
the edit distance is small. We study four algorithms in the paper, including
three algorithms based on Breadth-First Search (BFS) and one algorithm based on
Divide-and-Conquer (DaC). Our BFS-based solution is based on the Landau-Vishkin
algorithm. We implement three different data structures for the longest common
prefix (LCP) queries needed in the algorithm: the classic solution using
parallel suffix array, and two hash-based solutions proposed in this paper. Our
DaC-based solution is inspired by the output-insensitive solution proposed by
Apostolico et al., and we propose a non-trivial adaption to make it
output-sensitive. All our algorithms have good theoretical guarantees, and they
achieve different tradeoffs between work (total number of operations), span
(longest dependence chain in the computation), and space.
We test and compare our algorithms on both synthetic data and real-world
data. Our BFS-based algorithms outperform the existing parallel edit-distance
implementation in ParlayLib in all test cases. By comparing our algorithms, we
also provide a better understanding of the choice of algorithms for different
input patterns. We believe that our paper is the first systematic study in the
theory and practice of parallel edit distance
Periostin: a promising target of therapeutical intervention for prostate cancer
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In our recent study, Periostin was up-regulated in prostate cancer(PCa) compared with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) by proteomics analysis of prostate biopsies. We investigated the effect of sliencing Periostin by RNA interference (RNAi) on the proliferation and migration of PCa LNCap cell line.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All the prostate biopsies from PCa, BPH and BPH with local prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm(PIN) were analyzed by iTRAQ(Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification) technology. Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to verify Periostin expression in the tissues of PCa. Periostin expression in different PCa cell lines was determined by immunofluorescence staining, western blotting and reverse transcription PCR(RT-PCR). The LNCap cells with Periostin expression were used for transfecting shRNA-Periostin lentiviral particles. The efficancy of transfecting shRNA lentiviral particles was evaluated by immunofluorescence, western blotting and Real-time PCR. The effect of silencing Periostin expression by RNAi on proliferation of LNCap cells was determined by MTT assay and tumor xenografts. The tissue slices from theses xenografts were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. The expression of Periostin in the xenografts was deteminned by Immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. The migration of LNCap cells after silencing Periostin gene expression were analyzed in vitro.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Periostin as the protein of interest was shown 9.12 fold up-regulation in PCa compared with BPH. The overexpression of Periostin in the stroma of PCa was confirmed by western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Periostin was only expressed in PCa LNCap cell line. Our results indicated that the transfection ratio was more than 90%. As was expected, both the protein level and mRNA level of Periostin in the stably expressing shRNA-Periostin LNCap cells were significantly reduced. The stably expressing shRNA-Periostin LNCap cells growed slowly in vitro and in vivo. The tissues of xenografts as PCa were verificated by HE staining. Additionally, the weak positive Periostin expressed tumor cells could be seen in the tissues of 6 xenografts from the group of down-regulated Periostin LNCap cells which had a significant decrease of the amount of Periostin compared to the other two group. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that sliencing Periostin could inhibit migration of LNCap cells in vitro.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data indicates that Periostin as an up-regulated protein in PCa may be a promising target of therapeutical intervention for PCa in future.</p
The Therapy of Desire in Times of Crisis: Lessons Learned from Buddhism and Stoicism
Desire is an important philosophical topic that deeply impacts everyday life. Philosophical practice is an emerging trend that uses philosophical theories and methods as a guide to living a euā daimonic life. In this paper, we define desire philosophically and compare different theories of desire in specific Eastern and Western traditions. Based on the Lacanian conceptualāterminological triad of āNeedāDemandāDesireā, the research of desire is further divided into three dimensions, namely, the subject of desire, the object of desire, and the desire itself. The concept of desire is then anā alyzed from this triad and these three dimensions through different philosophical theories. This paper selects Buddhism as the representative of Eastern tradition, and Stoicism as the representative of the West, paying special attention to Stoicismās āspiritual exercisesā following Pierre Hadot. By exploring and comparing the Buddhist paths to liberation from suffering (i.e., the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path) and the two theoretical pillars in Stoicism (i.e., the notions of āliving according to natureā and āthe dichotomy of controlā), practical guidance is then provided for unā derstanding and regulating desire in times of crisis. This understanding and regulation of desire constitutes a philosophical therapy for todayās troubles, particularly those caused by excessive or irrational desires
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