Transmutation Scheme of Coin Flipping Protocol and Utilization

Coin flipping by telephone protocol（CFP） is utilized in a system to exchange a binary sequence at random between two person apart far from each other. However, CFP cannot he used in a system with many users like in a group environment system. A transmutation of CFP named T-CFP is proposed in this paper. The precondition of T-CFP is the system＇s user trusts the system center and center＇s cheating is meaningless at the same time. The significant difference between CFP and T-CFP is that CFP supports only two users while T-CFP can support many users to exchange special information. The security and efficiency of T-CFP are discussed with a detailed example on T-CFP utilization is demonstrated in this paper.     

Texture of the nano-crystalline AlN thin films and the growth conditions in DC magnetron sputtering

DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique has been used for the preparation of Al N thin fi lms. The deposition temperature and the fl ow ratio of N2/Ar were varied and subsequent dependency of the fi lms crystallites orientation/texture has been addressed. In general, deposited fi lms were found hexagonal polycrystalline with a(002) preferred orientation. The X-ray diffraction(XRD) data revealed that the fi lm crystallinity improves,with the increase of substrate temperature from 300 ℃to 500℃. The dropped in full width half maximum(FWHM) of the XRD rocking curve value further con fi rmed it. However, increasing substrate temperature above 500 ℃or reducing the nitrogen condition(from 60 to 30% in the environment) induced the growth of crystallites with(102) and(103) orientations. The rise of rocking curve FWHM for the corresponding conditions depicted that the fi lms texture quality deteriorated. A further con fi rmation of the variation in fi lm texture/orentation with the growth conditions has been obtained from the variation in FWHM values of a dominant E1(TO) mode in the Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra and the E2(high) mode in Raman spectra. We have correlated the columnar structure in AFM surface analyses with the(002) or c-axis orientation as well. Spectroscopic ellipsometry of the samples have shown a higher refractive index at 500 ℃growth temperature.     

Effects of drug-polymer dispersions on solubility and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> diffusion of artemisinin across a polydimethylsiloxane membrane

Artemisinin(ART) is a sesquiterpene lactone with an endo-peroxide bridge that is thought to be responsible for its antimalarial activity.It has low oral bioavailability because of aqueous insolubility,which leads to local toxicity at the site of aggregation.The present work focused on increasing its solubility and evaluating its permeation across a model membrane to mimic transdermal delivery that bypasses the hepatic metabolism.For this purpose,physical mixtures(PM),solid dispersions(SD) and lyophilized dispersions(LD) with different drug-polymer ratios(1:0.5,1:1,1:2,1:4 and 1:9) were prepared using the hydrophilic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP).Drug-polymer dispersions were characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).Solubility was measured in three solvents:de-ionized water,phosphate buffered saline(PBS) and methanol.The toluene-water partition coefficient was evaluated and compared with the literature and calculated logP values.In vitro diffusion of ART was studied across a polydimethylsiloxane membrane from a saturated solution of drug-polymer dispersions.XRD patterns showed a gradual decrease in crystallinity of ART with increasing polymer concentration,while FTIR confirmed no interactions between ART and PVP.Solubility was increased up to 4-,5-and 8-fold for LD in water,PBS and methanol,respectively.The logP for toluene-water was 2.65 ± 0.3,which is in good agreement with literature and calculated logP values.Permeation was enhanced,which is attributed to the decrease in crystallinity and increase in wettability of the drug.The ART flux was significantly higher than that of pure ART(0.12 ± 0.01) with increasing PVP concentration for SD and LD formulations.In conclusion,drug-polymer dispersions with PVP improve the pharmaceutical properties of ART in the order LD>SD>PM.     

Genome assembly comparison identifies structural variants in the human genome

Numerous types of DNA variation exist, ranging from SNPs to larger structural alterations such as copy number variants (CNVs) and inversions. Alignment of DNA sequence from different sources has been used to identify SNPs and intermediate-sized variants (ISVs). However, only a small proportion of total heterogeneity is characterized, and little is known of the characteristics of most smaller-sized (<50 kb) variants. Here we show that genome assembly comparison is a robust approach for identification of all classes of genetic variation. Through comparison of two human assemblies (Celera's R27c compilation and the Build 35 reference sequence), we identified megabases of sequence (in the form of 13,534 putative non-SNP events) that were absent, inverted or polymorphic in one assembly. Database comparison and laboratory experimentation further demonstrated overlap or validation for 240 variable regions and confirmed >1.5 million SNPs. Some differences were simple insertions and deletions, but in regions containing CNVs, segmental duplication and repetitive DNA, they were more complex. Our results uncover substantial undescribed variation in humans, highlighting the need for comprehensive annotation strategies to fully interpret genome scanning and personalized sequencing projects.     

The gene encoding R-spondin 4 (RSPO4), a secreted protein implicated in Wnt signaling, is mutated in inherited anonychia

Anonychia and hyponychia congenita (OMIM 206800) are rare autosomal recessive conditions in which the only presenting phenotype is the absence or severe hypoplasia of all fingernails and toenails. After determining linkage to chromosome 20p13, we identified homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding R-spondin 4 (RSPO4), a secreted protein implicated in Wnt signaling, in eight affected families. Rspo4 expression was specifically localized to developing mouse nail mesenchyme at embryonic day 15.5, suggesting a crucial role in nail morphogenesis.     

Advancements of Nano-Hydroxyapatite in Sports Medicine from Bone Injury Perspectives

Nanotechnology has revolutionized the field of biology and medicine in the 21st century.Bone injury incidences during sports activities are common,and they are ...     

Multi-Seed Key Distribution Scheme Test

The key problem of securing multieast is to generate, distribute and update Session Encryption Key（SEK）. Polynomial expansion with multi-seed （MPE） scheme is an approach which is based on Polynomial expansion （PE） scheme and overcomes PE＇s shortage. Its operation is demonstrated by using multi-seed, the group member is partitioned to many subgroups. While updating the SEK, computation is needed only in one of subgroups, the other of them will use the computation history to update their SEK. The key problems to design a MPE scheme application includes to find a feasible one way function as well as to generate a Strict Prime Number （SPN）. Those technologies with multi-seed and computation history concepts make MPE as a good choice in practical applications. A prototype test system is designed and solutions of all above mentioned problems are included in this proposed paper.     

A Threshold Scheme under Peer-to-Peer Network

Resource sharing among peers is one of important application in Peer-to-Peer（P2P） network. Inexistenee of server makes P2P network to be a less trustable tool for property owners to distribute their resource. In order to protect intelligent property, reputation management strategy is adopted in many P2P network. As long as a P2P network reputation strategy is confirmed, application designer can employ a special detailed distribution scheme to fulfill content distribution within the net. Shmir （k, n） threshold scheme, for example, is an encryption scheme to enhance the distribution se curity of this kind of design. （k＊, n） threshold scheme is a new tool similar to Shmir scheme is proposed in this paper. The new scheme based on polynomial expansion and its security is decided by the one way function used in the secret distribution procedure. The scheme efficiency and its features as well as comparison between new and Shmir scheme are also discussed in this paper.     

Predecessors of the giant 1960 Chile earthquake

It is commonly thought that the longer the time since last earthquake, the larger the next earthquake's slip will be. But this logical predictor of earthquake size, unsuccessful for large earthquakes on a strike-slip fault, fails also with the giant 1960 Chile earthquake of magnitude 9.5 (ref. 3). Although the time since the preceding earthquake spanned 123 years (refs 4, 5), the estimated slip in 1960, which occurred on a fault between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, equalled 250-350 years' worth of the plate motion. Thus the average interval between such giant earthquakes on this fault should span several centuries. Here we present evidence that such long intervals were indeed typical of the last two millennia. We use buried soils and sand layers as records of tectonic subsidence and tsunami inundation at an estuary midway along the 1960 rupture. In these records, the 1960 earthquake ended a recurrence interval that had begun almost four centuries before, with an earthquake documented by Spanish conquistadors in 1575. Two later earthquakes, in 1737 and 1837, produced little if any subsidence or tsunami at the estuary and they therefore probably left the fault partly loaded with accumulated plate motion that the 1960 earthquake then expended.