Balancing Straight-line Programs

We show that a context-free grammar of size that produces a single string of length (such a grammar is also called a string straight-line program) can be transformed in linear time into a context-free grammar for of size , whose unique derivation tree has depth . This solves an open problem in the area of grammar-based compression, improves many results in this area, and greatly simplifies many existing constructions. Similar results are shown for two formalisms for grammar-based tree compression: top dags and forest straight-line programs. These balancing results can be all deduced from a single meta-theorem stating that the depth of an algebraic circuit over an algebra with a certain finite base property can be reduced to with the cost of a constant multiplicative size increase. Here, refers to the size of the unfolding (or unravelling) of the circuit. In particular, this results applies to standard arithmetic circuits over (noncommutative) semirings.

Ethanol conversion over Ga2O3-ZrO2 solid solution: empirical evidences of the reaction pathway, the surface acid–base property, and role of isolated gallium ion

Ethanol conversion by Ga2O3-ZrO2 solid solution was examined in the temperature range 573–773 K, and acetone/isobutene formation was confirmed under cofeeding of H2O vapor. The reaction pathway was empirically investigated...

Co-Delivery of Imiquimod and Curcumin by Nanoemugel for Improved Topical Delivery and Reduced Psoriasis-Like Skin Lesions

The current investigation aimed to improve the topical efficacy of imiquimod in combination with curcumin using the nanoemulsion-based delivery system through a combinatorial approach. Co-delivery of curcumin acts as an adjuvant therapeutic and to minimize the adverse skin reactions that are frequently associated with the topical therapy of imiquimod for the treatment of cutaneous infections and basal cell carcinomas. The low-energy emulsification method was used for the nano-encapsulation of imiquimod and curcumin in the nanodroplet oil phase, which was stabilized using Tween 20 in an aqueous dispersion system. The weak base property of imiquimod helped to increase its solubility in oleic acid compared with ethyl oleate, which indicates that fatty acids should be preferred as the oil phase for the design of imiquimod-loaded topical nanoemulsion compared with fatty acid esters. The phase diagram method was used to optimize the percentage composition of the nanoemulsion formulation. The mean droplet size of the optimized nanoemulsion was 76.93 nm, with a polydispersity index (PdI) value of 0.121 and zeta potential value of −20.5 mV. The optimized imiquimod-loaded nanoemulsion was uniformly dispersed in carbopol 934 hydrogel to develop into a nanoemulgel delivery system. The imiquimod nanoemulgel exhibited significant improvement (p < 0.05) in skin permeability and deposition profile after topical application. The in vivo effectiveness of the combination of imiquimod and curcumin nanoemulgel was compared to the imiquimod nanoemulgel and imiquimod gel formulation through topical application for ten days in BALB/c mice. The combination of curcumin with imiquimod in the nanoemulgel system prevented the appearance of psoriasis-like symptoms compared with the imiquimod nanoemulgel and imiquimod gel formulation entirely. Further, the imiquimod nanoemulgel as a mono-preparation slowed and reduced the psoriasis-like skin reaction when compared with the conventional imiquimod gel, and that was contributed to by the control release property of the nano-encapsulation approach.

A window of subliminal perception

Under labels such as unconscious processing and subliminal perception, identification of stimuli falling below the subjective threshold has been found remarkably accurate in some experiments while completely at chance in others. Here, we first demonstrate the existence of a window of subliminal perception in humans using different experimental paradigms and analysis methods. We then show that the standard signal detection theory (SDT) model is unable to accounts for this window and extend it until it is. We finally compare a range of models on empirical data. The models performing best are notable for their absence of hierarchical levels, indicating that the window could be a base property of any phenomenally conscious system. The models further explain previously incompatible findings in the literature, and they allow for estimations of peaks in subthreshold perception across the spectrum of stimulus saliency, which may be used in further studies of subliminal perception.

Enhanced ACFM detection performance by multi-parameter synergy analysis

A procedure for the enhancement of alternating current field measurement (ACFM) detection performance is proposed based on a multi-parameter synergy analysis (MPSA) algorithm. Firstly, to gain the maximised ACFM signal characteristics, wavelet base property matching is adopted to choose the favourable wavelet bases. To this aim, the following six base properties should be considered: orthogonality, compact support, symmetry, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), vanishing moment and regularity. It is found that the applicable wavelet bases are Haar, Daubechies (DbN), Symlets (SymN) and Coiflets (CoifN). Secondly, the MPSA method is applied to select the optimal mother wavelet candidates. The candidate with the largest MPSA index value is regarded as the optimum wavelet base. Finally, the proposed MPSA denoising strategy is demonstrated using an ACFM experiment. The results indicate that wavelets Db4 with decomposition level (DL)9 and Sym7 with DL8 are most appropriate for x- and z-axis ACFM signal denoising, respectively. The enhanced ACFM detection performance is experimentally verified and it is found that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is increased by 33.8 dB and 26.7 dB for the x- and z-axis signal, respectively.

Metal-Support Synergy of Supported Gold Nanoclusters in Selective Oxidation of Alcohols

Gold catalysts have been reported to exhibit good performance in aerobic oxidation of alcohols, but the intrinsic origin of the catalytic reactivity is still illusive. The catalyst preparation method, the morphology of the gold particles, and even the support might be key factors that determine the activity. Here, we prepared a series of gold catalysts with different supports, i.e., the hydrotalcite (HT), ZnO, MgO, Al2O3, and SiO2, by using the atomically controlled Au25 nanoclusters (NCs) as the gold precursor. The characterization results of the X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show that the gold particles were mostly uniformly distributed on the supports, with a mean particle size within 3 nm. In aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol, the MgAl-HT- and Al2O3-supported Au25 NCs display good performances, with turnover frequency (TOF) values of ~2927 and 2892 h−1, respectively, whereas the SiO2-, MgO-, and ZnO-supported analogues show much inferior activity. The high resolution TEM and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) results suggest that the interactions between gold and the supports in different samples are differing, which influences the morphology and the nature of gold. Our results further point to the importance of acid-base property of the support and the metal-support synergy rather than the gold particle size alone in achieving high-performance in selective alcohol oxidation. Moreover, this work provided a good way to design gold catalysts with controllable sizes that is crucial for understanding the reaction process in aerobic oxidation of alcohol.