Modeling Dust Movement in a Hospital by Using Space Syntax Access Diagramming

In the United States of America, a significant number of immune compromised patients die in hospitals each year due to nosocomial infection. In order to reduce the risk from fungal microorganisms, it is important to analyze the dust movement throughout hospitals. In this thesis, I will apply a method of architectural diagramming called access analysis to provide insights on how dust may be transmitted throughout buildings, in particular via doorways and through the HVAC system. Access analysis is derived from Space Syntax methods of understanding the spatial configuration of a building and how human beings move through connected space. The first step in conducting this research is to create 3D Revit model of a hypothetical hospital and design the HVAC system for that building. The writer also needed to generate access diagrams using a Revit add-in and other software in order to compare all potential routes of dust movement from the exterior to a certain space within the building. The paper provides a working example of a hospital and creates an access graph and its subsequent analysis. The paper also discusses the potential application of this approach to provide a comprehensive model for the analysis of dust movement in a hospital

Modeling Dust Movement in a Hospital by Using Space Syntax Access Diagramming

In the United States of America, a significant number of immune compromised patients die in hospitals each year due to nosocomial infection. In order to reduce the risk from fungal microorganisms, it is important to analyze the dust movement throughout hospitals. In this thesis, I will apply a method of architectural diagramming called access analysis to provide insights on how dust may be transmitted throughout buildings, in particular via doorways and through the HVAC system. Access analysis is derived from Space Syntax methods of understanding the spatial configuration of a building and how human beings move through connected space. The first step in conducting this research is to create 3D Revit model of a hypothetical hospital and design the HVAC system for that building. The writer also needed to generate access diagrams using a Revit add-in and other software in order to compare all potential routes of dust movement from the exterior to a certain space within the building. The paper provides a working example of a hospital and creates an access graph and its subsequent analysis. The paper also discusses the potential application of this approach to provide a comprehensive model for the analysis of dust movement in a hospital

Not All Wireless Sensor Networks Are Created Equal: A Comparative Study On Tunnels

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are envisioned for a number of application scenarios. Nevertheless, the few in-the-field experiences typically focus on the features of a specific system, and rarely report about the characteristics of the target environment, especially w.r.t. the behavior and performance of low-power wireless communication. The TRITon project, funded by our local administration, aims to improve safety and reduce maintenance costs of road tunnels, using a WSN-based control infrastructure. The access to real tunnels within TRITon gives us the opportunity to experimentally assess the peculiarities of this environment, hitherto not investigated in the WSN field. We report about three deployments: i) an operational road tunnel, enabling us to assess the impact of vehicular traffic; ii) a non-operational tunnel, providing insights into analogous scenarios (e.g., underground mines) without vehicles; iii) a vineyard, serving as a baseline representative of the existing literature. Our setup, replicated in each deployment, uses mainstream WSN hardware, and popular MAC and routing protocols. We analyze and compare the deployments w.r.t. reliability, stability, and asymmetry of links, the accuracy of link quality estimators, and the impact of these aspects on MAC and routing layers. Our analysis shows that a number of criteria commonly used in the design of WSN protocols do not hold in tunnels. Therefore, our results are useful for designing networking solutions operating efficiently in similar environments

Computational design and designability of gene regulatory networks

Nuestro conocimiento de las interacciones moleculares nos ha conducido hoy hacia una perspectiva ingenieril, donde diseños e implementaciones de sistemas artificiales de regulación intentan proporcionar instrucciones fundamentales para la reprogramación celular. Nosotros aquí abordamos el diseño de redes de genes como una forma de profundizar en la comprensión de las regulaciones naturales. También abordamos el problema de la diseñabilidad dada una genoteca de elementos compatibles. Con este fin, aplicamos métodos heuríticos de optimización que implementan rutinas para resolver problemas inversos, así como herramientas de análisis matemático para estudiar la dinámica de la expresión genética. Debido a que la ingeniería de redes de transcripción se ha basado principalmente en el ensamblaje de unos pocos elementos regulatorios usando principios de diseño racional, desarrollamos un marco de diseño computacional para explotar este enfoque. Modelos asociados a genotecas fueron examinados para descubrir el espacio genotípico asociado a un cierto fenotipo. Además, desarrollamos un procedimiento completamente automatizado para diseñar moleculas de ARN no codificante con capacidad regulatoria, basándonos en un modelo fisicoquímico y aprovechando la regulación alostérica. Los circuitos de ARN resultantes implementaban un mecanismo de control post-transcripcional para la expresión de proteínas que podía ser combinado con elementos transcripcionales. También aplicamos los métodos heurísticos para analizar la diseñabilidad de rutas metabólicas. Ciertamente, los métodos de diseño computacional pueden al mismo tiempo aprender de los mecanismos naturales con el fin de explotar sus principios fundamentales. Así, los estudios de estos sistemas nos permiten profundizar en la ingeniería genética. De relevancia, el control integral y las regulaciones incoherentes son estrategias generales que los organismos emplean y que aquí analizamos.Rodrigo Tarrega, G. (2011). Computational design and designability of gene regulatory networks [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/1417

Combined logical and data-driven models for linking signalling pathways to cellular response

Background Signalling pathways are the cornerstone on understanding cell function and predicting cell behavior. Recently, logical models of canonical pathways have been optimised with high-throughput phosphoproteomic data to construct cell-type specific pathways. However, less is known on how signalling pathways can be linked to a cellular response such as cell growth, death, cytokine secretion, or transcriptional activity. Results In this work, we measure the signalling activity (phosphorylation levels) and phenotypic behavior (cytokine secretion) of normal and cancer hepatocytes treated with a combination of cytokines and inhibitors. Using the two datasets, we construct "extended" pathways that integrate intracellular activity with cellular responses using a hybrid logical/data-driven computational approach. Boolean logic is used whenever a priori knowledge is accessible (i.e., construction of canonical pathways), whereas a data-driven approach is used for linking cellular behavior to signalling activity via non-canonical edges. The extended pathway is subsequently optimised to fit signalling and behavioural data using an Integer Linear Programming formulation. As a result, we are able to construct maps of primary and transformed hepatocytes downstream of 7 receptors that are capable of explaining the secretion of 22 cytokines. Conclusions We developed a method for constructing extended pathways that start at the receptor level and via a complex intracellular signalling pathway identify those mechanisms that drive cellular behaviour. Our results constitute a proof-of-principle for construction of "extended pathways" that are capable of linking pathway activity to diverse responses such as growth, death, differentiation, gene expression, or cytokine secretion.Marie Curie International Reintegration Grants (MIRG-14-CT-2007-046531)Vertex Pharmaceuticals IncorporatedBundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung (HepatoSys)Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Rockwell International Career Development Professorship)Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung (HepatoSys 0313081D

Machine Learning in Wireless Sensor Networks: Algorithms, Strategies, and Applications

Wireless sensor networks monitor dynamic environments that change rapidly over time. This dynamic behavior is either caused by external factors or initiated by the system designers themselves. To adapt to such conditions, sensor networks often adopt machine learning techniques to eliminate the need for unnecessary redesign. Machine learning also inspires many practical solutions that maximize resource utilization and prolong the lifespan of the network. In this paper, we present an extensive literature review over the period 2002-2013 of machine learning methods that were used to address common issues in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The advantages and disadvantages of each proposed algorithm are evaluated against the corresponding problem. We also provide a comparative guide to aid WSN designers in developing suitable machine learning solutions for their specific application challenges.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial