Phase and TV Based Convex Sets for Blind Deconvolution of Microscopic Images

In this article, two closed and convex sets for blind deconvolution problem are proposed. Most blurring functions in microscopy are symmetric with respect to the origin. Therefore, they do not modify the phase of the Fourier transform (FT) of the original image. As a result blurred image and the original image have the same FT phase. Therefore, the set of images with a prescribed FT phase can be used as a constraint set in blind deconvolution problems. Another convex set that can be used during the image reconstruction process is the epigraph set of Total Variation (TV) function. This set does not need a prescribed upper bound on the total variation of the image. The upper bound is automatically adjusted according to the current image of the restoration process. Both of these two closed and convex sets can be used as a part of any blind deconvolution algorithm. Simulation examples are presented.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Selected Topics in Signal Processin

Deconstruction, legibility and space: four experimental typographic practices

In this article we wish to present the typographic experimentations of four designers, each of whom looks at typography and its implementations from different viewpoints; however with similar goals – namely to investigate how typographic systems can be implemented, their attributes as carriers of semantic meaning be redefined, and/or their functions be improved upon within the digital medium that presents challenges as well as opportunities that enable graphic designers to reach well beyond the traditional medium of typographic work; i.e., printed paper. The article will examine these four projects under the umbrella concept of Deconstruction, also extending into a consideration of Legibility; setting them forth as examples of the impact that the digital medium has brought to bear upon typographic practice in recent decades

LRPAP1 autoantibodies in mantle cell lymphoma are associated with superior outcome

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein-associated protein 1 (LRPAP1) had been identified by B-cell receptor (BCR) expression cloning and subsequent protein array screening as a frequent and proliferation-inducing autoantigen of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Of interest, high-titered and light chain-restricted LRPAP1 autoantibodies were detected in 8 of 28 patients with MCL. In the present study, LRPAP1 autoantibodies in sera of patients treated within the Younger and Elderly trials of the European MCL Network were analyzed regarding frequency, association with disease characteristics, and prognostic impact. LRPAP1 autoantibodies were detected in 41 (13%) of 312 evaluable patients with MCL. These LRPAP1 autoantibodies belonged predominantly to the immunoglobulin G (IgG) class and were clonally light chain restricted (27 with kappa light chains, 14 patients with lambda light chains). Titers ranged between 1:400 and 1:3200. The presence of LRPAP1 autoantibodies was not significantly associated with any baseline clinical characteristic, however, it was associated with a superior 5-year probability for failure-free survival (FFS) of 70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 57% to 87%) vs 51% (95% CI, 44% to 58%), P = .0052; and for overall survival (OS) of 93% (95% CI, 85% to 100%) vs 68% (95% CI, 62% to 74%), P = .0142. LRPAP1-seropositive patients had a Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index-adjusted hazard ratio for FFS of 0.48 (95% CI 0.27-0.83, P = .0083) and for OS of 0.47 (95% CI 0.24-0.94, P = .032). LRPAP1 autoantibodies were frequently detected in a large cohort of MCL patients treated within prospective multicenter clinical trials. Our results suggest better outcomes for LRPAP1-autoantibody seropositive patients

Portable Microfluidic Integrated Plasmonic Platform for Pathogen Detection

Timely detection of infectious agents is critical in early diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Conventional pathogen detection methods, such as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), culturing or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) require long assay times, and complex and expensive instruments, which are not adaptable to point-of-care (POC) needs at resource-constrained as well as primary care settings. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop simple, rapid, and accurate methods for detection of pathogens at the POC. Here, we present a portable, multiplex, inexpensive microfluidic-integrated surface plasmon resonance (SPR) platform that detects and quantifies bacteria, i.e., Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) rapidly. The platform presented reliable capture and detection of E. coli at concentrations ranging from ~105 to 3.2 × 107 CFUs/mL in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) fluid. The multiplexing and specificity capability of the platform was also tested with S. aureus samples. The presented platform technology could potentially be applicable to capture and detect other pathogens at the POC and primary care settings

B‐cell receptors of EBV‐negative Burkitt lymphoma bind modified isoforms of autoantigens

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) represents the most aggressive B‐cell‐lymphoma. Beside the hallmark of IG‐MYC‐translocation, surface B‐cell receptor (BCR) is expressed, and mutations in the BCR pathway are frequent. Coincidental infections in endemic BL, and specific extra‐nodal sites suggest antigenic triggers. To explore this hypothesis, BCRs of BL cell lines and cases were screened for reactivities against a panel of bacterial lysates, lysates of Plasmodium falciparum, a custom‐made virome array and against self‐antigens, including post‐translationally modified antigens. An atypically modified, SUMOylated isoform of Bystin, that is, SUMO1‐BYSL was identified as the antigen of the BCR of cell line CA46. SUMO1‐BYSL was exclusively expressed in CA46 cells with K139 as site of the SUMOylation. Secondly, an atypically acetylated isoform of HSP40 was identified as the antigen of the BCR of cell line BL41. K104 and K179 were the sites of immunogenic acetylation, and the acetylated HSP40 isoform was solely present in BL41 cells. Functionally, addition of SUMO1‐BYSL and acetylated HSP40 induced BCR pathway activation in CA46 and BL41 cells, respectively. Accordingly, SUMO1‐BYSL‐ETA’ immunotoxin, produced by a two‐step intein‐based conjugation, led to the specific killing of CA46 cells. Autoantibodies directed against SUMO1‐BYSL were found in 3 of 14 (21.4%), and autoantibodies against acetylated HSP40 in 1/14(7.1%) patients with sporadic Burkitt‐lymphoma. No reactivities against antigens of the infectious agent spectrum could be observed. These results indicate a pathogenic role of autoreactivity evoked by immunogenic post‐translational modifications in a subgroup of sporadic BL including two EBV‐negative BL cell lines

B-cell receptor reactivity against Rothia mucilaginosa in nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a Hodgkin lymphoma expressing functional B-cell receptors (BCR). Recently, we described a dual stimulation model of IgD+ lymphocyte-predominant cells by Moraxella catarrhalis antigen RpoC and its superantigen MID/hag, associated with extralong CDR3 and HLA-DRB1*04 or HLADRB1*07 haplotype. The aim of the present study was to extend the antigen screening to further bacteria and viruses. The fragment antibody-binding (Fab) regions of seven new and 15 previously reported cases were analyzed. The reactivity of non-Moraxella spp.-reactive Fab regions against lysates of Rothia mucilaginosa was observed in 5/22 (22.7%) cases. Galactofuranosyl transferase (Gltf) and 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh) of R. mucilaginosa were identified by comparative silver- and immuno-staining in two-dimensional gels, with subsequent mass spectrometry and validation by western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both R. mucilaginosa Gltf and Bdh induced BCR pathway activation and proliferation in vitro. Apoptosis was induced by recombinant Gltf/ETA’-immunotoxin conjugates in DEV cells expressing recombinant R. mucilaginosa-reactive BCR. Reactivity against M. catarrhalis RpoC was confirmed in 3/7 newly expressed BCR (total 10/22 reactive to Moraxella spp.), resulting in 15/22 (68.2%) cases with BCR reactivity against defined bacterial antigens. These findings strengthen the hypothesis of bacterial trigger contributing to subsets of NLPHL

LNG Simulointimallin hyödyntäminen käyttöönotossa

Opinnäytetyön aiheena oli LNG simulointimallin hyödyntäminen käyttöönotossa. Työn tarkoituksena oli selvittää, miten simulointimallia voidaan hyödyntää oikean LNG järjestelmän käyttöönotossa. Työssä lähdettiin liikkeelle selvittämällä mitä LNG on ja mistä se tulee. Lisäksi selvitettiin, että miksi LNG:tä käytetään polttoaineena ja millaisen kokonaisuuden se vaatii alukselta. Työssä esitetään keskeiset LNG järjestelmän komponentit kuten LNG tankki, kompressori, jäähdytys, ja moottori. Lisäksi työssä selvitettiin simulointimallien historiaa ja niiden käyttötarkoituksia, esiteltiin keskeiset prosessisimulaation käsitteet kuten model-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop ja hardware-in-the-loop. Työssä esiteltiin myös Apros ohjelmisto, jolla on aiemmin tehty Suomessa simulaatiomalleja esimerkiksi ydinvoimaloiden prosesseista, Apros on myös käytössä tämän työn kohteena olevassa LNG simulaatiomallissa. Opinnäytetyössä hyödynnettiin aikaisempia tutkimuksia, artikkeleita ja kirjoja ja tehtiin niiden pohjalta arvioita, miten simulaatiomallia voitaisiin hyödyntää järjestelmässä. Työssä todettiin, että simulaatiomallilla voi olla suuria hyötyjä, ei pelkästään käyttöönotossa, mutta koko järjestelmän elinkaaren aikana. Konkreettisia tuloksia simulaatiomallin hyödyistä ei kuitenkaan tähän opinnäytetyöhön saatu, koska laiva johon simulaatio malli on tehty, oli edelleen rakenteilla Meyer Turku Oy:llä

Decomposition -based assembly synthesis of family of structures.

Modular product design---sharing components across multiple products---is viewed as a convenient way to offer high product variety with low production cost. This study presents a novel method for the early identification of shareable components within a family of structures. Component sharing is first enforced as a constraint, and then posed as the outcome of the minimization of production costs considering the economies of scale. Based on the decomposition-based assembly synthesis method, the modular structural component design problem is posed as the optimal selection of joint locations and joint types within two structures, evaluating the geometric similarity of the resulting components as potential modules during the optimization process. For the given variant structures the designer defines the possible locations where a joint can be placed, and for each possible joint location also provides feasible types of joints, including a type for no joint, among which the optimal selection can be made. The problem is solved to (1) minimize the reduction of structural strength due to the introduction of welds in each structure, (2) maximize the manufacturability/assemblability or equivalently minimize the manufacturing costs of two structures, considering the opportunities of cost reduction via component sharing under given production volumes. A multi-objective genetic algorithm is utilized for effective evaluation of trade-offs between different criteria. Real life case studies including automotive body-in-white models are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the method.Ph.D.Applied SciencesAutomotive engineeringMechanical engineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/123555/2/3096065.pd