Structural Identity-Based Encryption

In this paper, we introduce the concept of structural identity-based encryption (SIBE). Similar to hierarchical identity-based encryption (HIBE), entities in the system are organized into hierarchy. An entity in SIBE can decrypt ciphertext for all its ancestors. It can be seen as an opposite of HIBE, where an entity can decrypt the ciphertext for all its descendants. We formalize the notion and security requirements, propose an efficient construction and show that our construction is secure under appropriate assumptions in the random oracle model

Six-Digit Stroke-based Chinese Input Method

Abstract-During the last three decades, more than one thousand Chinese input methods have been developed. However, people are still looking for better input methods in terms of easy to use, easy to remember, high input speed and small keypad implementation on handheld devices. The well-known strokebased Chinese input method using only five basic stroke types could achieve low learning curve and small numeric keypad implementation but its input speed is limited for complex Chinese characters with a lot of strokes. To tackle this problem, simplified stroke-based Chinese character and phrase coding methods using (3+3) rules are proposed in this paper. The proposed method only uses the first 3 stroke codes and the last 3 stroke codes to represent the first and last radical information of the character for achieving lower average code length and higher hit rate of first character on the candidate list. To further enhance the input speed, a very user-friendly (3+3) phrase coding rule is also proposed for inputting Chinese phrases in terms of 2-character, 3-character and long-character phrases. Three special key assignment designs are developed for practical implementation of the proposed Chinese character and phrase input method using conventional QWERTY keyboard, PC's numeric keypad and mobile phone 12-key keypad. Experimental results have shown that the proposed character coding can achieve lower average code length and higher Hit Rate of First Character as compared with conventional stroke-based method and some well-known Chinese input methods. The proposed coding rules are also very easy to use and remember

Concomitant Hepatorenal Dysfunction and Malnutrition in Valvular Heart Surgery:Long-Term Prognostic Implications for Death and Heart Failure

BACKGROUND: Strategies to improve long-term prediction of heart failure and death in valvular surgery are urgently needed because of an increasing number of procedures globally. This study sought to report the prevalence, changes, and prognostic implications of concomitant hepatorenal dysfunction and malnutrition in valvular surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 909 patients undergoing valvular surgery, 3 groups were defined based on hepatorenal function (the modified model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio score) and nutritional status (Controlling Nutritional Status score): normal hepatorenal function and nutrition (normal), hepatorenal dysfunction or malnutrition alone (mild), and concomitant hepatorenal dysfunction and malnutrition (severe). Overall, 32%, 46%, and 19% of patients were classified into normal, mild, and severe groups, respectively. Over a 4.1-year median follow-up, mild and severe groups in-curred a higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.17 [95% CI, 1.40–7.17] and HR, 9.30 [95% CI, 4.09– 21.16], respectively), cardiovascular death (subdistribution HR, 3.29 [95% CI, 1.14– 9.52] and subdistribution HR, 9.29 [95% CI, 3.09– 27.99]), heart failure hospitalization (subdistribution HR, 2.11 [95% CI, 1.25– 3.55] and subdistribution HR, 3.55 [95% CI, 2.04– 6.16]), and adverse outcomes (HR, 2.11 [95% CI, 1.25– 3.55] and HR, 3.55 [95% CI, 2.04– 6.16]). Modified model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio and controlling nutritional status scores improved the predictive ability of European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (area under the curve: 0.80 versus 0.73, P<0.001) and Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (area under the curve: 0.79 versus 0.72, P=0.004) for all-cause mortality. One year following surgery (n=707), patients with persistent concomitant hepatorenal dysfunction and malnutrition (severe) experienced worse outcomes than those without.  CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant hepatorenal dysfunction and malnutrition was frequent and strongly linked to heart failure and mortality in valvular surgery

Quantitative 18F-AV1451 Brain Tau PET Imaging in Cognitively Normal Older Adults, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Recent developments of tau Positron Emission Tomography (PET) allows assessment of regional neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) deposition in human brain. Among the tau PET molecular probes, 18F-AV1451 is characterized by high selectivity for pathologic tau aggregates over amyloid plaques, limited non-specific binding in white and gray matter, and confined off-target binding. The objectives of the study are (1) to quantitatively characterize regional brain tau deposition measured by 18F-AV1451 PET in cognitively normal older adults (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD participants; (2) to evaluate the correlations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers or Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 18F-AV1451 PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR); and (3) to evaluate the partial volume effects on 18F-AV1451 brain uptake.Methods: The study included total 115 participants (CN = 49, MCI = 58, and AD = 8) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Preprocessed 18F-AV1451 PET images, structural MRIs, and demographic and clinical assessments were downloaded from the ADNI database. A reblurred Van Cittertiteration method was used for voxelwise partial volume correction (PVC) on PET images. Structural MRIs were used for PET spatial normalization and region of interest (ROI) definition in standard space. The parametric images of 18F-AV1451 SUVR relative to cerebellum were calculated. The ROI SUVR measurements from PVC and non-PVC SUVR images were compared. The correlation between ROI 18F-AV1451 SUVR and the measurements of MMSE, CSF total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) were also assessed.Results:18F-AV1451 prominently specific binding was found in the amygdala, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampus, fusiform, posterior cingulate, temporal, parietal, and frontal brain regions. Most regional SUVRs showed significantly higher uptake of 18F-AV1451 in AD than MCI and CN participants. SUVRs of small regions like amygdala, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampus were statistically improved by PVC in all groups (p &lt; 0.01). Although there was an increasing tendency of 18F-AV-1451 SUVRs in MCI group compared with CN group, no significant difference of 18F-AV1451 deposition was found between CN and MCI brains with or without PVC (p &gt; 0.05). Declined MMSE score was observed with increasing 18F-AV1451 binding in amygdala, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampus, and fusiform. CSF p-tau was positively correlated with 18F-AV1451 deposition. PVC improved the results of 18F-AV-1451 tau deposition and correlation studies in small brain regions.Conclusion: The typical deposition of 18F-AV1451 tau PET imaging in AD brain was found in amygdala, entorhinal cortex, fusiform and parahippocampus, and these regions were strongly associated with cognitive impairment and CSF biomarkers. Although more deposition was observed in MCI group, the 18F-AV-1451 PET imaging could not differentiate the MCI patients from CN population. More tau deposition related to decreased MMSE score and increased level of CSF p-tau, especially in ROIs of amygdala, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampus. PVC did improve the results of tau deposition and correlation studies in small brain regions and suggest to be routinely used in 18F-AV1451 tau PET quantification

Event-oriented k-times revocable-iff-linked group signatures

In this paper, we introduce the notion of event-oriented k-times revocable if and only if linked group signatures (k-EoRiffL group signatures). In k-EoRiffL group signatures, signers can sign on behalf of a group anonymously and unlinkably up to a permitted number of times (k) per event. No party, even the group manager, can revoke the anonymity of the signer. On the other hand, everyone can identify the signer if he signs more than k times for a particular event. We then show that k-EoRiffL group signatures can be used for k-times anonymous authentication(k-TAA), compact e-cash, e-voting, etc. We formally define security model for the new notion and propose constant-size construction, that is, size of our construction is independent of the size of the group and the number of permitted usage k. Our construction is secure based on the q-strong Diffie-Hellman assumption and the y-DDHI assumption

The Efficacy and Clinical Safety of Various Analgesic Combinations for Post-Operative Pain after Third Molar Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To run a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials aiming to answer the clinical question "which analgesic combination and dosage is potentially the most effective and safe for acute post-operative pain control after third molar surgery?".A systematic search of computer databases and journals was performed. The search and the evaluations of articles were performed by 2 independent reviewers in 3 rounds. Randomized clinical trials related to analgesic combinations for acute post-operative pain control after lower third molar surgery that matched the selection criteria were evaluated to enter in the final review.Fourteen studies with 3521 subjects, with 10 groups (17 dosages) of analgesic combinations were included in the final review. The analgesic efficacy were presented by the objective pain measurements including sum of pain intensity at 6 hours (SPID6) and total pain relief at 6 hours (TOTPAR6). The SPID6 scores and TOTPAR6 scores of the reported analgesic combinations were ranged from 1.46 to 6.44 and 3.24 - 10.3, respectively. Ibuprofen 400mg with oxycodone HCL 5mg had superior efficacy (SPID6: 6.44, TOTPAR6: 9.31). Nausea was the most common adverse effect, with prevalence ranging from 0-55%. Ibuprofen 200mg with caffeine 100mg or 200mg had a reasonable analgesic effect with fewer side effects.This systematic review and meta-analysis may help clinicians in their choices of prescribing an analgesic combination for acute post-operative pain control after lower third molar surgery. It was found in this systematic review Ibuprofen 400mg combined with oxycodone HCL 5mg has superior analgesic efficacy when compared to the other analgesic combinations included in this study

Contribution of glibenclamide-sensitive, ATP-dependent K+ channel activation to acetophenone analogues-mediated in vitro pulmonary artery relaxation of rat

Compared to the currently available therapeutic drugs for peripheral vascular diseases, agents that are selective for relaxing pulmonary circulation are scarce. The present study was undertaken, using isometric tension change measurement and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology methods, to evaluate the vascular relaxation effect and the underlying mechanisms involved of two naturally found alkaloids: paeonol (2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-acetophenone), acetovanillone (4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-acetophenone) and the non-substituted analogue acetophenone on pulmonary artery of Sprague-Dawley rats. Cumulative administration (3 μM–1 mM) of acetophenone analogues resulted in a concentration-dependent relaxation of phenylephrine (1 μM) pre-contracted pulmonary artery. A relative order of inhibitory potency, estimated by comparing the concentration at which a 50% relaxation of phenylephrine-induced contraction observed was: acetovanillone > paeonol > acetophenone. Endothelial denudation and inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (with 20 μM NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl-ester) only moderately suppressed (17.6 ± 4.2%) acetovanillone- but not paeonol- or acetophenone-mediated maximum relaxation. Glibenclamide (3 μM, an ATP-sensitive K+ (IKATP) channel blocker) markedly attenuated all acetophenone analogues-mediated endothelium-independent relaxation. Neither cis-N-(2-phenylcyclopentyl)azacyclotridec-1-en-2-amine (MDL 12330A, 10 μM), iberiotoxin (300 nM), 4-aminopyridine (3 mM), (±)-propranolol (1 μM, a non-selective β-adrenoceptor blocker) nor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) (3 μM, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor) altered endothelium-independent relaxation. In electrophysiological experiments using single pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, acetovanillone, paeonol, acetophenone and cromakalim activated glibenclamide-sensitive, IKATP channels. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that acetophenone analogues caused pulmonary artery relaxation through opening of IKATP channels. In addition, acetovanillone-mediated pulmonary artery relaxation is partly depended on nitric oxide released from endothelium