Towards a Brain-Computer Interface based control for next generation electric wheelchairs

Author name used in this publication: K. W. E. ChengVersion of RecordPublishe

Validation of cognitive models for collaborative hybrid systems with discrete human input

We present a method to validate a cognitive model, based on the cognitive architecture ACT-R, in dynamic humanautomation systems with discrete human input. We are inspired by the general problem of K-choice games as a proxy for many decision making applications in dynamical systems. We model the human as a Markovian controller based on gathered experimental data, that is, a non-deterministic control input with known likelihoods of control actions associated with certain configurations of the state-space. We use reachability analysis to predict the outcome of the resulting discrete-time stochastic hybrid system, in which the outcome is defined as a function of the system trajectory. We suggest that the resulting expected outcomes can be used to validate the cognitive model against actual human subject data. We apply our method to a twochoice game in which the human is tasked with maximizing net coverage of a robotic swarm that can operate under rendezvous or deployment dynamics. We validate the corresponding ACTR cognitive model generated with the data from eight human subjects. The novelty of this work is 1) a method to compute expected outcome in a hybrid dynamical system with a Markov chain model of the human's discrete choice, and 2) application of this method to validation of cognitive models with a database of actual human subject data

Effects of deworming on malnourished preschool children in India: an open-labelled, cluster-randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: More than a third of the world's children are infected with intestinal nematodes. Current control approaches emphasise treatment of school age children, and there is a lack of information on the effects of deworming preschool children. METHODOLOGY: We studied the effects on the heights and weights of 3,935 children, initially 1 to 5 years of age, of five rounds of anthelmintic treatment (400 mg albendazole) administered every 6 months over 2 years. The children lived in 50 areas, each defined by precise government boundaries as urban slums, in Lucknow, North India. All children were offered vitamin A every 6 months, and children in 25 randomly assigned slum areas also received 6-monthly albendazole. Treatments were delivered by the State Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), and height and weight were monitored at baseline and every 6 months for 24 months (trial registration number NCT00396500). p Value calculations are based only on the 50 area-specific mean values, as randomization was by area. FINDINGS: The ICDS infrastructure proved able to deliver the interventions. 95% (3,712/3,912) of those alive at the end of the study had received all five interventions and had been measured during all four follow-up surveys, and 99% (3,855/3,912) were measured at the last of these surveys. At this final follow up, the albendazole-treated arm exhibited a similar height gain but a 35 (SE 5) % greater weight gain, equivalent to an extra 1 (SE 0.15) kg over 2 years (99% CI 0.6-1.4 kg, p = 10(-11)). CONCLUSIONS: In such urban slums in the 1990s, five 6-monthly rounds of single dose anthelmintic treatment of malnourished, poor children initially aged 1-5 years results in substantial weight gain. The ICDS system could provide a sustainable, inexpensive approach to the delivery of anthelmintics or micronutrient supplements to such populations. As, however, we do not know the control parasite burden, these results are difficult to generalize. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00396500

Fabrication of cell container arrays with overlaid surface topographies

This paper presents cell culture substrates in the form of microcontainer arrays with overlaid surface topographies, and a technology for their fabrication. The new fabrication technology is based on microscale thermoforming of thin polymer films whose surfaces are topographically prepatterned on a micro- or nanoscale. For microthermoforming, we apply a new process on the basis of temporary back moulding of polymer films and use the novel concept of a perforated-sheet-like mould. Thermal micro- or nanoimprinting is applied for prepatterning. The novel cell container arrays are fabricated from polylactic acid (PLA) films. The thin-walled microcontainer structures have the shape of a spherical calotte merging into a hexagonal shape at their upper circumferential edges. In the arrays, the cell containers are arranged densely packed in honeycomb fashion. The inner surfaces of the highly curved container walls are provided with various topographical micro- and nanopatterns. For a first validation of the microcontainer arrays as in vitro cell culture substrates, C2C12 mouse premyoblasts are cultured in containers with microgrooved surfaces and shown to align along the grooves in the three-dimensional film substrates. In future stem-cell-biological and tissue engineering applications, microcontainers fabricated using the proposed technology may act as geometrically defined artificial microenvironments or niches

High Resolution Methylome Map of Rat Indicates Role of Intragenic DNA Methylation in Identification of Coding Region

DNA methylation is crucial for gene regulation and maintenance of genomic stability. Rat has been a key model system in understanding mammalian systemic physiology, however detailed rat methylome remains uncharacterized till date. Here, we present the first high resolution methylome of rat liver generated using Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and high throughput sequencing (MeDIP-Seq) approach. We observed that within the DNA/RNA repeat elements, simple repeats harbor the highest degree of methylation. Promoter hypomethylation and exon hypermethylation were common features in both RefSeq genes and expressed genes (as evaluated by proteomic approach). We also found that although CpG islands were generally hypomethylated, about 6% of them were methylated and a large proportion (37%) of methylated islands fell within the exons. Notably, we obeserved significant differences in methylation of terminal exons (UTRs); methylation being more pronounced in coding/partially coding exons compared to the non-coding exons. Further, events like alternate exon splicing (cassette exon) and intron retentions were marked by DNA methylation and these regions are retained in the final transcript. Thus, we suggest that DNA methylation could play a crucial role in marking coding regions thereby regulating alternative splicing. Apart from generating the first high resolution methylome map of rat liver tissue, the present study provides several critical insights into methylome organization and extends our understanding of interplay between epigenome, gene expression and genome stability

Patient Safety in the Cardiac Operating Room: Human Factors and Teamwork: A Scientific Study from the American Heart Association

The cardiac surgical operating room (OR) is a complex environment in which highly trained subspecialists interact with each other using sophisticated equipment to care for patients with severe cardiac disease and significant comorbidities. Thousands of patient lives have been saved or significantly improved with the advent of modern cardiac surgery. Indeed, both mortality and morbidity for coronary artery bypass surgery have decreased during the past decade. Nonetheless, the highly skilled and dedicated personnel in cardiac ORs are human and will make errors. Refined techniques, advanced technologies, and enhanced coordination of care have led to significant improvements in cardiac surgery outcomes

Comparative investigations on electrical conductance of ion-exchange membranes

1264-1269The electrochemical transport properties (conductivity and transport number) of cation- and anion-exchange membranes in aqueous solutions of NaCl, KCl and Na2SO4 of different concentrations have been investigated. It has been found that the ion-exchange capacity of these membranes decreases while membrane resistance increases with increase in the membrane thickness. The electrolyte concentration corresponding to the iso-conductance point has been determined and it shows that thinner membrane exhibits improved electrical conductivity. On the basis of the micro-heterogeneous model proposed by Nikonenko and Zabolotsky, describing the micro-structure of the membrane material, the counter-ion diffusion coefficient in the membrane phase has been determined. Good relations have been found between the counter-ion diffusion coefficient across the ion-exchange membranes and their ion-exchange capacity value

Design of Modified Winch System for The NMITLI 500 kw wind turbine system

The report details the design considerations involved in the winch system of the CSIR-NMITLI 500 kw wind turbine system commissioned at Kethanur, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. There are five important parts of the winch system the wire rope, rope drum/shaft gear box & motor, bearing housing (Plummer block) and after modifications) used to implement the non-crane solution for the lifting and lowering of the tilt type turbine towe