Quantitative mass spectrometry for colorectal cancer proteomics

This review documents the uses of quantitative MS applied to colorectal cancer (CRC) proteomics for biomarker discovery and molecular pathway profiling. Investigators are adopting various labeling and label-free MS approaches to quantitate differential protein levels in cells, tumors, and plasma/serum. We comprehensively review recent uses of this technology to examine mouse models of CRC, CRC cell lines, their secretomes and subcellular fractions, CRC tumors, CRC patient plasma/serum, and stool samples. For biomarker discovery these approaches are uncovering proteins with potential diagnostic and prognostic utility, while in vitro cell culture experiments are characterizing proteomic and phosphoproteomic responses to disrupted signaling pathways due to mutations or to inhibition of drugable enzymes.     

Neutron radiation effects on metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices

The main purpose of this study is to provide the knowledge and data on Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fusion neutron induced damage in MOS devices. Silicon metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices are currently the cornerstone of the modern microelectronics industry. However, when a MOS device is exposed to a flux of energetic radiation or particles, the resulting effects from this radiation can cause several degradation of the device performance and of its operating life. The part of MOS structure (metal oxide semiconductor) most sensitive to neutron radiation is the oxide insulating layer (SiO₂). When ionizing radiation passes through the oxide, the energy deposited creates electron-hole pairs. These electron-hole pairs have been seriously hazardous to the performance of these electronic components. The degradation of the current gain of the dual n-channel depletion mode MOS caused by neutron displacement defects, was measured using in situ method during neutron irradiation. The average degradation of the gain of the current is about 35 mA, and the change in channel current gain increased proportionally with neutron fluence. The total fusion neutron displacement damage was found to be 4.8 × 10⁻²¹ dpa per n/cm², while the average fraction of damage in the crystal of silicon was found to be 1.24 × 10⁻¹². All the MOS devices tested were found to be controllable after neutron irradiation and no permanent damage was caused by neutron fluence irradiation below 10¹⁰n/cm². The calculation results shows that (n,α) reaction induced soft-error cross-section about 8.7 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm², and for recoil atoms about 2.9 × 10⁻¹⁵ cm², respectively.     

An investigation into the temperature sensitivity of strained andunstrained multiple quantum-well, long wavelength lasers: new insightand methods of characterization

The magnitude of the temperature rate of change of the threshold current density (J_th) is examined with respect to J_th , for a variety of unstrained and strained, long wavelength multiple quantum-well (MQW) lasers. A strong correlation is found between these parameters, and a new relationship describing the J_th -T relationship for these lasers is arrived at in terms of two new essentially temperature and length independent constants. A third constant, T_max, also appears which estimates the theoretical maximum operating temperature of the laser. It is proposed that these constants may prove to be more useful in characterizing the temperature sensitivity of semiconductor lasers than the conventional parameters T ₀ and I₀ which exhibit both a length and temperature dependence. Furthermore, an expression is found which relates the magnitude of T_max to adjustable device structural and material parameters, such as: the cavity length, L; facet reflectivity, R; transparency current density, J_tr; and, the modal gain coefficient, β. It is revealed that a close examination of this relationship may provide new insight into the physics of semiconductor lasers as well as a means for optimizing device design to obtain a high maximum operating temperature in order to eliminate the need for thermoelectric coolers in device packaging. Finally, the measured T_max, versus L characteristics of six different strained and unstrained MQW laser structures are presented     

Analysis of improved signcryption scheme with key privacy

In this paper, we analyse the Yang-Wong-Deng signcryption scheme [G. Yang, D.S. Wong, X. Deng, Analysis and improvement of a signcryption scheme with key privacy, in: Information Security Conference—ISC'05, in: Lecture Notes in Comput. Sci., vol. 3650, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2005, pp. 218-232] proposed in ISC'05, which is the improvement and enhancement of the security of Libert-Quisquater signcryption scheme [B. Libert, J.J. Quisquater, Efficient signcryption with key privacy from gap Diffie-Hellman groups, in: Public Key Cryptography—PKC'04, in: Lecture Notes in Comput. Sci., vol. 2947, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2004, pp. 187-200]. Although Yang et al. [G. Yang, D.S. Wong, X. Deng, Analysis and improvement of a signcryption scheme with key privacy, in: Information Security Conference—ISC'05, in: Lecture Notes in Comput. Sci., vol. 3650, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2005, pp. 218-232] proved that their scheme is secure against adaptive chosen ciphertext attacks and achieves ciphertext anonymity (which is also called key privacy) in the random oracle model; we disprove all their claims and show that their scheme is not semantically secure and does not achieve ciphertext anonymity.     

Secure public-key encryption scheme without random oracles

Since the first practical and secure public-key encryption scheme without random oracles proposed by Cramer and Shoup in 1998, Cramer–Shoup’s scheme and its variants remained the only practical and secure public-key encryption scheme without random oracles until 2004. In 2004, Canetti et al. proposed a generic transformation from a selective identity-based encryption scheme to a public-key encryption by adding a one-time strongly signature scheme. Since then, some transformation techniques from a selective identity-based encryption scheme to a public-key encryption have been proposed to enhance the computational efficiency, for example, Boneh–Katz’s construction and Boyen–Mei–Waters’ scheme. These transformations have either traded-off the publicly verifiable properties or tightness of security reduction. In 2007, Zhang proposed another generic transformation by adding Chameleon hash functions. In this paper, we introduce another technique from the Boneh–Boyen’s selective identity-based encryption scheme to a public-key encryption which is publicly verifiable and is slightly more efficient than Zhang’s transformation. The proposed public-key encryption scheme is based on the decisional bilinear Diffie–Hellman assumption and the target collision resistant hash functions.     

Engineering behavior of the Lisan Marl as a dyke foundation material: Dead Sea,Jordan

Problems have occurred with dykes constructed on the Lisan Marl to retain brine pumped from the Dead Sea, which is chemically processed to produce potash. In this study the engineering behavior, collapse potential and compressibility of the Lisan Marl were assessed by undertaking laboratory tests with both natural, distilled water and brine as the media. The results showed that the liquid limit and fine particles increased when the soil was mixed with fresh/distilled water compared with brine water. The soil can be classified as highly compressible with a low undrained shear strength. In terms of collapsibility, the soil could be classified as slightly collapsible upon inundation with distilled water and moderately collapsible when soaked in Dead Sea brine. The results are important when determining the height and nature of the dykes.      

A secure and efficient conference scheme for mobile communications

A growing application area in mobile communications is mobile teleconferencing, in which a group of mobile users collaborate in an interactive procedure, such as a board meeting, a task force, a scientific discussion, or even a virtual classroom. Wireless communications transmit conversations via radio, making them more susceptible to eavesdropping and unauthorized access than are conversations carried via wires. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure confidentiality and authenticity in mobile teleconferencing. When deploying secure services in mobile teleconferences, it has to be taken into account that the mobility of users is usually built on portable devices with limited computing capability. A secure conference scheme for mobile communications needs to be executed efficiently on portable devices. We propose a new secure and efficient conference scheme for mobile communications. Based on a modular square root technique, this scheme is secure against eavesdropping, impersonating, and tracking attacks and allows a participant to join or quit a mobile teleconference dynamically. In addition, the scheme is particularly efficient on the mobile user's portable device because the mobile user needs to perform only single modular multiplication plus encryptions and decryptions of a secret key cryptosystem.