On the hardness of approximating label-cover

The Label-Cover problem, defined by S. Arora, L. Babai, J. Stern, Z. Sweedyk [Proceedings of 34th IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science, 1993, pp. 724-733], serves as a starting point for numerous hardness of approximation reductions. It is one of six ‘canonical’ approximation problems in the survey of Arora and Lund [Hardness of Approximations, in: Approximation Algorithms for NP-Hard Problems, PWS Publishing Company, 1996, Chapter 10]. In this paper we present a direct combinatorial reduction from low error-probability PCP [Proceedings of 31st ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing, 1999, pp. 29-40] to Label-Cover showing it NP-hard to approximate to within 2^{(logn)1−o(1)}. This improves upon the best previous hardness of approximation results known for this problem.We also consider the Minimum-Monotone-Satisfying-Assignment (MMSA) problem of finding a satisfying assignment to a monotone formula with the least number of 1's, introduced by M. Alekhnovich, S. Buss, S. Moran, T. Pitassi [Minimum propositional proof length is NP-hard to linearly approximate, 1998]. We define a hierarchy of approximation problems obtained by restricting the number of alternations of the monotone formula. This hierarchy turns out to be equivalent to an AND/OR scheduling hierarchy suggested by M.H. Goldwasser, R. Motwani [Lecture Notes in Comput. Sci., Vol. 1272, Springer-Verlag, 1997, pp. 307-320]. We show some hardness results for certain levels in this hierarchy, and place Label-Cover between levels 3 and 4. This partially answers an open problem from M.H. Goldwasser, R. Motwani regarding the precise complexity of each level in the hierarchy, and the place of Label-Cover in it.     

螺杆泵专用抽油杆试验研究

以往大庆油田螺杆泵井所用抽油杆柱大多都是沿用抽油机井上使用的普通连接结构抽油杆,这种抽油杆适合于上下往复运动,抗拉强度是抽油杆的主要抗力指标。而螺杆泵井所用抽油杆,其主要运动形式为旋转运动,承力方式也由抗拉变成抗扭,使得普通连接结构抽油杆应用在螺杆泵井上以后,经常出现断脱事故。针对这些现象,研制了插接式螺杆泵专用抽油杆和锥螺纹式螺杆泵专用抽油杆。文章介绍了2种结构抽油杆的防断脱原理、优化设计方法、室内检测及在大庆油田的使用情况,并针对现场出现的典型事故进行了分析,提出了相应的改进意见。     

螺杆泵采油工艺技术在埕岛油田的应用研究

针对埕岛油田的储积层特征和螺杆泵采油工艺的技术特点,开展了一系列的理论与实际的配套研究,从优化泵的设计,杆、管的配套,到采用软启、缓停等技术,逐步完善了螺杆泵采油工艺技术。该技术在胜利浅海埕岛油田的应用中取得了良好的效果,使螺杆泵平均检泵周期达到1172d,是国外同类螺杆泵的3倍以上。     

An Experimental Study on Three General Interface Layout Designs for Chemical Process Plants

The human‐machine interface design is not a new problem; however, existing knowledge appears to be focused either on interface conceptual design, which determines what information at what time needs to be displayed, or on interface detailed design, which determines the form of display elements. This article presents a study on interface layout design. Three interface layout designs were proposed based on the proximity compatibility priniciple, which were on the same interface conceptual design. In particular, the first interface layout design is with the highest degree of proximity cognition and the second and third with a reduced degree of proximity cognition. They are called sophisticated, semisophisticated, and nonsophisticated interfaces, respectively. An experiment with a simple process plant was conducted to understand user behaviors on the three interfaces. It is noted that in order to provide an unbiased comparative evaluation of these interfaces the same application problem and similar look‐and‐feel forms of interfaces were designed. In the experiment, three general classes of tasks were considered, namely, normal control operation, fault detection (or monitoring), and fault diagnosis. Two categories of measures were used: the performance measure and the subjective measure. The major results obtained from the experiment are 1) the nonsophisticated interface is the best for fault detections in terms of performance measure; besides, this interface has the lowest mental workload for fault detection; 2) the sophisticated interface is the best for normal operation in terms of performance measure; 3) there appears no significant difference for fault diagnosis in terms of performance measures for all these three interfaces; 4) for normal operation and fault diagnosis, the mental workloads for the three interfaces have no significant difference. Overall, the experiment suggests that the nonsophisticated interface be used in practice with additional two reasons: 1) most of time in the chemical process plant today is the fault detection or operation monitoring task, and 2) it is relatively easier for the nonsophisticated interface to adapt to changes in the chemical process plant design, which are common in today's manufacturing environments.     

基于径向基神经网络的螺杆泵转速设定方法

为了研究受多种因素影响的螺杆泵转速控制系统,提出一种基于径向基神经网络的螺杆泵转速设定方法.利用径向基函数(RBF)神经网络对螺杆泵转速进行分析及预测,通过对螺杆泵的历史数据分析处理,得到螺杆泵转速的时间序列.将时间序列视为一个从输入到输出的非线性映射,并引入RBF神经网络来进行非线性映射的逼近.通过对网络进行学习与训练仿真实验,并与BP神经网络预测结果对比,表明应用RBF神经网络对螺杆泵转速进行短期预测精度更高、效果更好.该神经网络结构简单,非线性逼近能力强,通过对非样本点数据的实验验证,证明了该系统的可行性,具有一定的实用价值.     

microRNA沉默卡氏肺孢子菌主要表面糖蛋白基因对大鼠卡氏肺孢子菌肺炎的治疗作用

目的探讨靶向卡氏肺孢子菌(Pneumocystis carinii,PC)主要表面糖蛋白基因(Major surface glycoprotein gene,MSG)上游保守序列(Upstream conserved sequence,UCS)的microRNA重组质粒对大鼠卡氏肺孢子菌肺炎(Pneumocystis cariniipneumonia,PCP)的治疗作用。方法将SD大鼠经腹股沟皮下注射地塞米松磷酸钠7周,制备大鼠PCP感染模型。将模型大鼠随机分为5组:microRNA重组质粒治疗组(M组)、磺胺药物治疗组(H组)、生理盐水对照组(C1组)、空载体质粒对照组(C2组)和模型对照组(C3组),其中M组和C1、C2组经尾静脉分别注射含microRNA重组质粒pPC-UCS、生理盐水和空载体,H组用磺胺药物灌胃治疗,C3组不做处理,每日1次,疗程为7 d。1周后吉姆萨染色,油镜下计数大鼠肺组织液印片中PC包囊数;HE染色,光镜观察肺组织病理改变;ELISA法检测大鼠血清中IL-10和IFNγ的表达水平;RT-PCR法检测肺组织中PC MSG-UCSmRNA的表达水平;电镜观察PC的超微结构。结果与C1、C2和C3组相比,M组和H组大鼠肺组织PC包囊数均明显减少(P<0.05),肺组织炎症较轻,大鼠血清IL-10的表达水平均显著降低(P<0.05),而IFNγ的表达水平显著升高(P<0.05),大鼠肺组织PC MSG-UCS mRNA的表达水平均显著降低(P<0.05);电镜观察显示,M组和H组PC包囊表面均出现破损,C1、C2、C3组未发现破损。结论 microRNA重组质粒pPC-UCS对大鼠PCP有明显的治疗作用,为治疗PCP提供了新的思路。     

Inapproximability Results for Set Splitting and Satisfiability Problems with No Mixed Clauses

We prove hardness results for approximating set splitting problems and also instances of satisfiability problems which have no mixed clauses, i.e., every clause has either all its literals unnegated or all of them negated. Results of Håstad imply tight hardness results for set splitting when all sets have size exactly $k \ge 4$ elements and also for non-mixed satisfiability problems with exactly $k$ literals in each clause for $k \ge 4$. We consider the case $k=3$. For the MAX E3-SET SPLITTING, problem in which all sets have size exactly 3, we prove an NP-hardness result for approximating within any factor better than ${\frac{19}{20}}$. This result holds even for satisfiable instances of MAX E3-SET SPLITTING, and is based on a PCP construction due to Håstad. For non-mixed MAX 3SAT, we give a PCP construction which is a slight variant of the one given by Håstad for MAX 3SAT, and use it to prove the NP-hardness of approximating within a factor better than ${\frac{11}{12}}$.     

根际修复中五氯酚耐性草种的筛选及其应用效果研究

以8种国内外应用较为广泛的草坪草种为材料,进行了根际修复中五氯酚(PCP)耐性草种的筛选及其应用效果研究,结果表明,多年生黑麦草顶峰(Pinnacle)为PCP耐性品种,在PCP污染土壤的根际修复中具有通过优化土壤环境而促进PCP在根际微域中快速降解的能力。研究结果为PCP污染土壤根际修复中目标植物的合理选取提供了科学试验依据。     

Exposure and effects assessment of persistent organohalogen contaminants in arctic wildlife and fish

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) encompass an array of anthropogenic organic and elemental substances and their degradation and metabolic byproducts that have been found in the tissues of exposed animals, especially POPs categorized as organohalogen contaminants (OHCs). OHCs have been of concern in the circumpolar arctic for decades. For example, as a consequence of bioaccumulation and in some cases biomagnification of legacy (e.g., chlorinated PCBs, DDTs and CHLs) and emerging (e.g., brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and in particular polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) found in Arctic biota and humans. Of high concern are the potential biological effects of these contaminants in exposed Arctic wildlife and fish. As concluded in the last review in 2004 for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) on the effects of POPs in Arctic wildlife, prior to 1997, biological effects data were minimal and insufficient at any level of biological organization. The present review summarizes recent studies on biological effects in relation to OHC exposure, and attempts to assess known tissue/body compartment concentration data in the context of possible threshold levels of effects to evaluate the risks. This review concentrates mainly on post-2002, new OHC effects data in Arctic wildlife and fish, and is largely based on recently available effects data for populations of several top trophic level species, including seabirds (e.g., glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)), polar bears (Ursus maritimus), polar (Arctic) fox (Vulpes lagopus), and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), as well as semi-captive studies on sled dogs (Canis familiaris). Regardless, there remains a dearth of data on true contaminant exposure, cause-effect relationships with respect to these contaminant exposures in Arctic wildlife and fish. Indications of exposure effects are largely based on correlations between biomarker endpoints (e.g., biochemical processes related to the immune and endocrine system, pathological changes in tissues and reproduction and development) and tissue residue levels of OHCs (e.g., PCBs, DDTs, CHLs, PBDEs and in a few cases perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs)). Some exceptions include semi-field studies on comparative contaminant effects of control and exposed cohorts of captive Greenland sled dogs, and performance studies mimicking environmentally relevant PCB concentrations in Arctic charr. Recent tissue concentrations in several arctic marine mammal species and populations exceed a general threshold level of concern of 1 part-per-million (ppm), but a clear evidence of a POP/OHC-related stress in these populations remains to be confirmed. There remains minimal evidence that OHCs are having widespread effects on the health of Arctic organisms, with the possible exception of East Greenland and Svalbard polar bears and Svalbard glaucous gulls. However, the true (if any real) effects of POPs in Arctic wildlife have to be put into the context of other environmental, ecological and physiological stressors (both anthropogenic and natural) that render an overall complex picture. For instance, seasonal changes in food intake and corresponding cycles of fattening and emaciation seen in Arctic animals can modify contaminant tissue distribution and toxicokinetics (contaminant deposition, metabolism and depuration). Also, other factors, including impact of climate change (seasonal ice and temperature changes, and connection to food web changes, nutrition, etc. in exposed biota), disease, species invasion and the connection to disease resistance will impact toxicant exposure. Overall, further research and better understanding of POP/OHC impact on animal performance in Arctic biota are recommended. Regardless, it could be argued that Arctic wildlife and fish at the highest potential risk of POP/OHC exposure and mediated effects are East Greenland, Svalbard and (West and South) Hudson Bay polar bears, Alaskan and Northern Norway killer whales, several species of gulls and other seabirds from the Svalbard area, Northern Norway, East Greenland, the Kara Sea and/or the Canadian central high Arctic, East Greenland ringed seal and a few populations of Arctic charr and Greenland shark.     

一种新型密封结构在螺杆泵地面驱动装置上的应用研究

为了改善地面驱动装置光杆密封现状,使螺杆泵采油满足油田生产无渗漏、无污染、低成本、易维护的要求,文中创新性地采用新型复合密封结构实现光杆动密封。经理论计算和试验得出,使用该型式密封实现驱动装置光杆动密封能够满足国标中对密封承压能力和温升的相关要求。