Learning Emergent Strategies Through Design Thinking

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106805/1/drev10271.pd

Mechanism for Displaying Three-Dimensional Objects Alongside Video in Virtual Reality

The systems and methods described herein provide for displaying 3D objects alongside video or other content within a virtual reality environment. The user can see the video but can also see an object next to, behind, above, below, or positioned elsewhere in relation to the video. The user may be able to interact with that object. The object may or may not be related to the video. The object could be placed anywhere in the scene in relation to the video

Synthesis of branched carbon nanotubes

The present invention discloses a relatively simple CVD method for forming branched carbon nanotubes. In general, the method includes adding a dopant to the precursor materials. The dopant can be a material that has a thermodynamically more favorable carbide-forming reaction at the reactor conditions than does the catalyst that is provided to the reactor by a second precursor material. The doped nanoparticles formed in the reactor can adhere to the walls of the developing nanotubes and provide a nucleation site for the development of one or more branches on the nanotube. The nanotubes formed according to the invention can be recognized as such due to the presence of the doped nanoparticles adhered along the walls of the branched nanotubes

Optimal Topologies for Wireless Sensor Networks

Since untethered sensor nodes operate on battery, and because they must communicate through a multi-hop network, it is vital to optimally configure the transmit power of the nodes both to conserve power and optimize spatial reuse of a shared channel. Current topology control algorithms try to minimize radio power while ensuring connectivity of the network. We propose that another important metric for a sensor network topology will involve consideration of hidden nodes and asymmetric links. Minimizing the number of hidden nodes and asymmetric links at the expense of increasing the transmit power of a subset of the nodes may in fact increase the longevity of the sensor network. In this paper we explore a distributed evolutionary approach to optimizing this new metric. Inspiration from the Particle Swarm Optimization technique motivates a distributed version of the algorithm. We generate topologies with fewer hidden nodes and asymmetric links than a comparable algorithm and present some results that indicate that our topologies deliver more data and last longer

TECHNIQUE TO FACILITATE ADAPTIVE WIDE AREA NETWORK CONFIGURATION BASED ON CIRCUIT PROVIDER

When a Wide Area Network (WAN) network is growing rapidly across multiple sites and remote locations, organizations often seek adoptive configurations for WAN routers. Presented herein is a technique that provides for the ability to automatically identify a private circuit provider\u27s Color (and/or other identifier(s) for the WAN overlay of the circuit provider) and to generate adoptive configurations that can be pushed to WAN edge routers. The technique presented herein can enable organizations to avoid human error in identifying links, miss-calling or mis-labeling, and/or suboptimal path selections

Application of Particle Swarm Techniques in Sensor Network Configuration

A decentralized version of particle swarm optimization called the distributed particle swarm optimization (DPSO) approach is formulated and applied to the generation of sensor network configurations or topologies so that the deleterious effects of hidden nodes and asymmetric links on the performance of wireless sensor networks are minimized. Three different topology generation schemes, COMPOW, Cone-Based and the DPSO--based schemes are examined using ns-2. Simulations are executed by varying the node density and traffic rates. Results contrasting heterogeneous vs. homogeneous power reveal that an important metric for a sensor network topology may involve consideration of hidden nodes and asymmetric links, and demonstrate the effect of spatial reuse on the potency of topology generators

Decreased progesterone binding and attenuated progesterone action in cultured human breast carcinoma cells treated with epidermal growth factor

Specific progesterone binding by cultured human breast carcinoma T47D, MCF-7, and ZR75-1 cells was decreased 25-40% by epidermal growth factor (EGF), with a 50% effective dose of 0.1 nm EGF. Studies with the soluble and particulate fractions prepared after homogenization of T47D cells grown in glass roller bottles revealed equivalent EGF-induced decreases in progesterone binding to receptors in both fractions. Equilibrium progesterone binding studies with these soluble and particulate fractions revealed that EGF decreased the receptor number, but had no effect on affinity. With cells grown adherent to plastic dishes, EGF treatment induced a greater decrease in binding to receptors recovered in the particulate fraction, than to receptors recovered in the soluble fraction. The decrease in progesterone binding induced by 20 nm EGF was maximal after 2 min of cellular EGF treatment for receptors recovered in the soluble fraction, but was only half-maximal after 15 min for receptors recovered in the particulate fraction. Decreased progesterone binding persisted for at least 8 days in cells cultured with 1 nm EGF. Either insulin or EGF stimulated T47D cell proliferation by two- to threefold with a 50% effective dose of 100 nm for insulin and 0.1 nm for EGF. The progestin, R5020, decreased T47D cell growth by 30% with a 50% effective dose of 1 nm. Either EGF or insulin antagonized the inhibitory effect of R5020 on cell reproduction, but progestins did not antagonize the growth stimulatory response of cells to EGF. Progestins increased the number of EGF receptors within 12 h of their addition to T47D cells, but this response was lost after 6 days. These data show that EGF or progesterone can regulate the receptor number of the other, but for cell reproduction, the effect of EGF is dominant over that of progestins

Molecular analysis of Candidate genes at the 22q region in Schizophrenia subjects

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), also known as Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS) or DiGeorge Syndrome, is a genetic disorder due to a micro deletion on chromosome 22q11.2. VCFS is associated with abnormalities in brain structure and with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia (SCZ). DNA copy  number is a largely unexplored source of human genetic variation that may contribute risk for complex disease like SCZ. The aim of this study was to assess Copy number variations (CNV) at candidate genes located in 22q11 region in SCZ subjects. We report aberrations in copy number  at PRODH and COMT gene loci supporting the hypothesis that dosage effects of 22q genes could lead to disruptions in neurotransmitter signaling and related neurobehavioral symptoms observed in SCZ subjects. The results support the hypothesis that the complex phenotype of 22qDS results either from the overlapping regulation of several genes within this region or from its concerted participation in a highly regulated process