A hybrid keyword and patent class methodology for selecting relevant sets of patents for a technological field

This paper presents a relatively simple, objective and repeatable method for selecting sets of patents that are representative of a specific technological domain. The methodology consists of using search terms to locate the most representative international and US patent classes and determines the overlap of those classes to arrive at the final set of patents. Five different technological fields (computed tomography, solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, electric capacitors, electrochemical batteries) are used to test and demonstrate the proposed method. Comparison against traditional keyword searches and individual patent class searches shows that the method presented in this paper can find a set of patents with more relevance and completeness and no more effort than the other two methods. Follow on procedures to potentially improve the relevancy and completeness for specific domains are also defined and demonstrated. The method is compared to an expertly selected set of patents for an economic domain, and is shown to not be a suitable replacement for that particular use case. The paper also considers potential uses for this methodology and the underlying techniques as well as limitations of the methodology.SUTD-MIT International Design Cente

Small dilatation pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms and 3-manifolds

AbstractThe main result of this paper is a universal finiteness theorem for the set of all small dilatation pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms ϕ:S→S, ranging over all surfaces S. More precisely, we consider pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms ϕ:S→S with |χ(S)|log(λ(ϕ)) bounded above by some constant, and we prove that, after puncturing the surfaces at the singular points of the stable foliations, the resulting set of mapping tori is finite. Said differently, there is a finite set of fibered hyperbolic 3-manifolds so that all small dilatation pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms occur as the monodromy of a Dehn filling on one of the 3-manifolds in the finite list, where the filling is on the boundary slope of a fiber

ASIC3 plays a protective role in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) through muscle acid sensation during exercise

Immediate exercise-induced pain (IEIP) and DOMS are two types of exercise-induced muscle pain and can act as barriers to exercise. The burning sensation of IEIP occurs during and immediately after intensive exercise, whereas the soreness of DOMS occurs later. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) within muscle afferents are activated by H+ and other chemicals and have been shown to play a role in various chronic muscle pain conditions. Here, we further defined the role of ASICs in IEIP, and also tested if ASIC3 is required for DOMS. After undergoing exhaustive treadmill exercise, exercise-induced muscle pain was assessed in wild-type (WT) and ASIC3−/− mice at baseline via muscle withdrawal threshold (MWT), immediately, and 24 h after exercise. Locomotor movement, grip strength, and repeat exercise performance were tested at baseline and 24 h after exercise to evaluate DOMS. We found that ASIC3−/− had similar baseline muscle pain, locomotor activity, grip strength, and exercise performance as WT mice. WT showed diminished MWT immediately after exercise indicating they developed IEIP, but ASIC3−/− mice did not. At 24 h after baseline exercise, both ASIC3−/− and WT had similarly lower MWT and grip strength, however, ASIC3−/− displayed significantly lower locomotor activity and repeat exercise performance at 24 h time points compared to WT. In addition, ASIC3−/− mice had higher muscle injury as measured by serum lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase levels at 24 h after exercise. These results show that ASIC3 is required for IEIP, but not DOMS, and in fact might play a protective role to prevent muscle injury associated with strenuous exercise

Photonic biosensor chip for early-stage cancer diagnosis

This paper introduces a generic design of a silicon on silica “lab on a chip” photonic biosensor for medical diagnosis applications, and especially for early-stage cancer diagnosis. The sensitivity of detection of the biosensor developed is at least 10 - 100 times more sensitive than that of current commercial biosensors

Geospatial analysis of BECCS deployment potential in the U.S.

Negative emissions from bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) has been identified as a potentially important carbon mitigation technology. To date, much of the technical work and discussion on BECCS have focused on land use change and bioenergy potential, while the CCS components – including capacity, injectivity, and location of potential storage sites – have been overlooked. A geospatial analysis of biomass production and storage sites in the U.S. is conducted to discuss BECCS deployment in the U.S. across a range of biomass production scenarios. U.S. Department of Energy provides national annual biomass production data from 2015 to 2040. Extrapolating the production trends across different yield scenarios to 2100 shows average annual CO2 production from agricultural residue and energy crop of 720-1,220 Mt CO2 yr-1 and cumulative production of 27-47 Gt CO2. Considering that the estimated storage capacity in the U.S. is ~3,000 Gt CO2, absolute storage capacity is not likely to be a constraint on BECCS. However, collocation of high-density biomass (\u3e25 MW per 100×100 km2) and high injection rate storage sites (\u3e5 Mt CO2 yr-1) in 2040 yields biomass CO2 injection potential of 140-360 Mt CO2 yr-1. This represents 9-39% of the total biomass feedstock in the U.S. To achieve a biomass CO2 injection potential greater than 360 Mt CO2 yr-1, transportation networks of either biomass or CO2 will be needed. The geospatial analysis conducted in this study highlights the importance of previously overlooked CCS components in global BECCS assessments and provides a framework for future studies. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Burnout and Substance Use in Collegiate Athletic Trainers

CONTEXT: The Smith Cognitive-Affective Model of Athletic Burnout suggests that athletic trainers (ATs) suffering from burnout may engage in substance use as a coping behavior. Increases in self-reported burnout symptoms are often associated with increases in heavy episodic drinking and tobacco use among various health care providers. However, this relationship has not been examined thoroughly. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of substance use in ATs and identify relationships between symptoms of burnout and substance use among ATs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Web-based survey. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 783 certified ATs working full time in the collegiate or university setting were sampled for this study. Graduate assistant and other part-time ATs were excluded. The survey was distributed via the National Athletic Trainers\u27 Association membership directory e-mail broadcast service. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): A 100-item online questionnaire consisting of items from previously used scales was used for this study. The survey included the Maslach Burnout Inventory and questions on substance use from the Monitoring the Future study. Multiple regression analyses were performed to analyze the survey data. All independent (Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales) and dependent (use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana) variables were mapped to the Smith Cognitive-Affective Model of Athletic Burnout to determine which dimensions of burnout altered the odds of self-reported substance use. RESULTS: Almost half (46.3%) of participants admitted to at least 1 binge-drinking episode. However, the use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, and energy drinks during the previous month was less pronounced in the sample. Emotional exhaustion (B = .008, P = .023) and personal accomplishment (B = -.016, P = .02) were significantly correlated with binge drinking. Emotional exhaustion (Exp[B] = 1.017, P \u3c .001) was also significantly positively correlated with energy-drink consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Some ATs engaged in heavy episodic drinking. Emotional exhaustion and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment were significantly correlated with this behavior

Simultaneous Disruption of Mouse ASIC1a, ASIC2 and ASIC3 Genes Enhances Cutaneous Mechanosensitivity

Three observations have suggested that acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) might be mammalian cutaneous mechanoreceptors; they are structurally related to Caenorhabditis elegans mechanoreceptors, they are localized in specialized cutaneous mechanosensory structures, and mechanical displacement generates an ASIC-dependent depolarization in some neurons. However, previous studies of mice bearing a single disrupted ASIC gene showed only subtle or no alterations in cutaneous mechanosensitivity. Because functional redundancy of ASIC subunits might explain limited phenotypic alterations, we hypothesized that disrupting multiple ASIC genes would markedly impair cutaneous mechanosensation. We found the opposite. In behavioral studies, mice with simultaneous disruptions of ASIC1a, -2 and -3 genes (triple-knockouts, TKOs) showed increased paw withdrawal frequencies when mechanically stimulated with von Frey filaments. Moreover, in single-fiber nerve recordings of cutaneous afferents, mechanical stimulation generated enhanced activity in A-mechanonociceptors of ASIC TKOs compared to wild-type mice. Responses of all other fiber types did not differ between the two genotypes. These data indicate that ASIC subunits influence cutaneous mechanosensitivity. However, it is unlikely that ASICs directly transduce mechanical stimuli. We speculate that physical and/or functional association of ASICs with other components of the mechanosensory transduction apparatus contributes to normal cutaneous mechanosensation