Describing complex design practices with a cross-domain framework: learning from Synthetic Biology and Swarm Robotics

This paper reports on the development of a cross-domain framework for describing complex design practices. The framework is grounded in studies of two different complex design fields: Synthetic Biology and Swarm Robotics. In the first study, we interviewed practitioners in Synthetic Biology, identifying three essential aspects of complex design problems and practices. The first of these aspects is the characterisation of system complexity, the second is the design objective taken with respect to this complexity, and the third is the design approach applied to realise this objective. In the second study, we interviewed designers in Swarm Robotics, confirming the domain generality of the three aspects identified in the first study and permitting a comparison to be made of how the two fields differ from each other in these aspects. Considered together, the two studies provide the basis for building a cross-domain framework for describing complex design practices. Such a framework is presented here, not to exhaust all possible descriptions of complex design practice but rather to provide a structured yet adaptable way of highlighting the important aspects of these descriptions. Indeed, each aspect of complex design can be can be broken down into different elements depending on the design contexts under consideration. Having such a framework enables designers to identify fundamental similarities and differences both between and within fields.This work was funded by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/K008196/1).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00163-016-0219-

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics of 19 serologically confirmed rickettsial disease in Singapore.

AIM: To identify epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of serologically-proven typhus in the local setting. METHOD & RESULTS: Retrospective study looking at rickettsial serologies done over a six-month period and collection of the epidemological, clinical, laboratory and treatment response data from the case notes of the patients with an ordered rickettsial serology. Twenty of the 35 cases had a positive serology. Of these 20 patients, 18 were already clinically diagnosed as having murine typhus. All except one were males and all were migrant workers. Majority of the patients were construction workers staying in containers where rats abound. The most consistent clinical features were high fever (100%) for a median period of seven days, headache (94%) and cough (47%). The white cell count was usually normal (74%) but thrombocytopenia was common (68%). Transaminitis was also common (90%) with the AST component higher than the ALT in half of the cases. Response to doxycycline therapy was rapid and most (88%) were afebrile by 72 hours. CONCLUSION: Typhus (notably murine type) can be confidently diagnosed from consistent clinical features supported by epidemiological and laboratory clues. Early recognition with the prompt treatment response will result in shorter hospital stay with decreased cost. Serological testing may only prove useful in difficult situations when the clinical diagnosis is less clear

Controllability and controller-observer design for a class of linear time-varying systems

“The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10852-012-9212-6"In this paper a class of linear time-varying control systems is considered. The time variation consists of a scalar time-varying coefficient multiplying the state matrix of an otherwise time-invariant system. Under very weak assumptions of this coefficient, we show that the controllability can be assessed by an algebraic rank condition, Kalman canonical decomposition is possible, and we give a method for designing a linear state-feedback controller and Luenberger observer

Modeling pegylated liposomal doxorubicin-induced hand-foot syndrome and intestinal mucositis in zebrafish

[[abstract]]Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) has been widely used to treat cancer. The adverse effects of PLD noted in clinical practice, especially hand-foot syndrome (HFS), are regarded as unique, and the management methods for them remain limited. This study was aimed at developing a feasible experimental model for translational medicine to solve this clinical issue by using skin fluorescent transgenic zebrafish. We established an optimal protocol for the administration of Lipo-Dox™, a PLD in current clinical use, to the Tg(k18:dsred) zebrafish line expressing red fluorescence in keratinocytes. We made use of bodyweight, survival rate, gross observation, flssuorescent microscopic assessment, and pathological examination of the zebrafish to assess this model. The consecutive administration protocol of PLD resulted in growth retardation of the zebrafish embryo and survival impairment, indicating establishment of a significant toxicity. We observed fin necrosis and keratinocyte dissociation phenotypes in the PLD-treated fish after consecutive administration. The skin toxicity induced by the Lipo-Dox injection was subsequently reversible, which might be compatible with a clinical course of skin recovery after discontinuation of Lipo-Dox administration. Furthermore, we found that the number of intestinal goblet cells, an important marker of intestinal inflammation, in the Lipo-Dox-injected zebrafish was markedly increased, accompanied by impaired mucosal integrity. The intestinal inflammation induced by Lipo-Dox resembled the intestinal mucositis the clinical patients suffered from after the administration of PLD. In conclusion, we established a zebrafish model for PLD-induced HFS. The intestinal mucositis simultaneously noted in the PLD-treated zebrafish validated the similarity of clinical courses after administration of PLD. This model is easily assessable, efficient, and worthy for use in developing a new therapeutic protocol for prevention or treatment of HFS as well as intestinal mucositis. Further clinical investigations to validate the correlation between human and zebrafish data are warranted.[[journaltype]]國外[[ispeerreviewed]]Y[[booktype]]電子版[[countrycodes]]GB

Analysis of chaos in current-mode-controlled dc drive systems

In this paper, chaotic behavior in current-mode-controlled dc drive systems has been analyzed. The key is to derive an iterative map that describes the nonlinear system dynamics. Analytical modeling of fundamental and subharmonic oscillations as well as their stability analysis are presented. The results show that the current-mode-controlled dc drive systems generally exhibit chaotic behavior. To avoid the occurrence of chaos, the stable ranges of various system parameters are determined. Both computer simulation and experimental measurement are given to verify the theoretical analysis.published_or_final_versio

Interspecies avian brain chimeras reveal that large brain size differences are influenced by cell-interdependent processes.

Like humans, birds that exhibit vocal learning have relatively delayed telencephalon maturation, resulting in a disproportionately smaller brain prenatally but enlarged telencephalon in adulthood relative to vocal non-learning birds. To determine if this size difference results from evolutionary changes in cell-autonomous or cell-interdependent developmental processes, we transplanted telencephala from zebra finch donors (a vocal-learning species) into Japanese quail hosts (a vocal non-learning species) during the early neural tube stage (day 2 of incubation), and harvested the chimeras at later embryonic stages (between 9-12 days of incubation). The donor and host tissues fused well with each other, with known major fiber pathways connecting the zebra finch and quail parts of the brain. However, the overall sizes of chimeric finch telencephala were larger than non-transplanted finch telencephala at the same developmental stages, even though the proportional sizes of telencephalic subregions and fiber tracts were similar to normal finches. There were no significant changes in the size of chimeric quail host midbrains, even though they were innervated by the physically smaller zebra finch brain, including the smaller retinae of the finch eyes. Chimeric zebra finch telencephala had a decreased cell density relative to normal finches. However, cell nucleus size differences between each species were maintained as in normal birds. These results suggest that telencephalic size development is partially cell-interdependent, and that the mechanisms controlling the size of different brain regions may be functionally independent

Subharmonics and chaos in switched reluctance motor drives

In this paper, the investigation of the nonlinear dynamics of an adjustable-speed switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive with voltage pulse width modulation (PWM) regulation is carried out. Nonlinear iterative mappings based on both nonlinear and approximately linear flux linkage models are derived, hence the corresponding subharmonic and chaotic behaviors are analyzed. Although both flux linkage models can produce similar results, the nonlinear one offers the merit of accuracy but with the sacrifice of computational time. Moreover, the bifurcation diagrams show that the system generally exhibits a period-doubling route to chaos.published_or_final_versio

Subharmonics and chaos in switched reluctance motor drives

In this paper, the investigation of the nonlinear dynamics of an adjustable speed switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive with voltage PWM regulation is carried out. The corresponding bifurcation diagrams and chaotic Poincare sections are presented. It shows that the system generally exhibits a period-doubling route to chaos.published_or_final_versio

Experimental stabilization of chaos in a voltage-mode DC drive system

This paper first presents experimental evidence on the use of delayed self-controlling feedback to stabilize chaos in a practical voltage-mode dc drive system. Also, a new analytical approach to compute the domain of stabilization is proposed. Based on a simple feedback loop, chaotic behavior can be successfully stabilized to fundamental or subharmonic operation using the same time delay.published_or_final_versio

Absorbate-Induced Piezochromism in a Porous Molecular Crystal

Atmospherically stable porous frameworks and materials are interesting for heterogeneous solid–gas applications. One motivation is the direct and selective uptake of pollutant/hazardous gases, where the material produces a measurable response in the presence of the analyte. In this report, we present a combined experimental and theoretical rationalization for the piezochromic response of a robust and porous molecular crystal built from an extensively fluorinated trispyrazole. The electronic response of the material is directly determined by analyte uptake, which provokes a subtle lattice contraction and an observable bathochromic shift in the optical absorption onset. Selectivity for fluorinated absorbates is demonstrated, and toluene is also found to crystallize within the pore. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of electronic structure calculations to predict a physicochemical response, providing the foundations for the design of electronically tunable porous solids with the chemical properties required for development of novel gas-uptake media