A Study on the Acceleration of Arrival Curve Construction and Regular Specification Mining using GPUs

Data analytics is a process of examining datasets using various analytical and statistical techniques. Several tools have been proposed in the literature to extract hidden patterns, gather insights and build mathematical models from large datasets. However, these tools have been known to be computationally demanding as the datasets become larger over time. Two such recently proposed tools are the construction of arrival curves from execution traces and mining specifications in the form of regular expressions from execution traces. Though the architectures in CPUs have extensively improved over the years to execute such computationally intensive tasks, further enhancements have been impeded due to increased heat dissipation. This has resulted in enabling parallel computing through GPUs as a vastly favorable alternative to overcome the computational challenges. In this thesis, we present an exploratory work on applying GPU computing to the construction of arrival curves and mining specifications in the form of regular expressions as case studies. The novel approaches taken for each of the case studies are first presented followed by the algorithmic breakdown to expose the parallelism involved. Lastly, experiments using commodity GPUs are presented to showcase the significant speedups obtained in comparison to the equivalent non-parallel implementations

Application of thermal spray coatings in electrolysers for hydrogen production: advances, challenges, and opportunities.

Thermal spray coatings have the advantage of providing thick and functional coatings from a range of engineering materials. The associated coating processes provide good control of coating thickness, morphology, microstructure, pore size and porosity, and residual strain in the coatings through selection of suitable process parameters for any coating material of interest. This review consolidates scarce literature on thermally sprayed components which are critical and vital constituents (e.g. catalysts (anode/cathode), solid electrolyte, and transport layer, including corrosion-prone parts such as bipolar plates) of the water splitting electrolysis process for hydrogen production. The research shows that there is a gap in thermally sprayed feedstock material selection strategy as well as in addressing modelling needs that can be crucial to advancing applications exploiting their catalytic and corrosion-resistant properties to split water for hydrogen production. Due to readily scalable production enabled by thermal spray techniques, this manufacturing route bears potential to dominate the sustainable electrolyser technologies in the future. While the well-established thermal spray coating variants may have certain limitations in the manner they are currently practiced, deployment of both conventional and novel thermal spray approaches (suspension, solution, hybrid) is clearly promising for targeted development of electrolysers

Furanoflavones pongapin and lanceolatin B blocks the cell cycle and induce senescence in CYP1A1-overexpressing breast cancer cells

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Expression of cytochrome P450-1A1 (CYP1A1) is suppressed under physiologic conditions but is induced (a) by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which can be metabolized by CYP1A1 to carcinogens, and (b) in majority of breast cancers. Hence, phytochemicals or dietary flavonoids, if identified as CYP1A1 inhibitors, may help in preventing PAH-mediated carcinogenesis and breast cancer. Herein, we have investigated the cancer chemopreventive potential of a flavonoid-rich Indian medicinal plant, Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre. Methanolic extract of its seeds inhibits CYP1A1 in CYP1A1-overexpressing normal human HEK293 cells, with IC50 of 0.6 µg/mL. Its secondary metabolites, the furanoflavonoids pongapin/lanceolatin B, inhibit CYP1A1 with IC50 of 20 nM. Although the furanochalcone pongamol inhibits CYP1A1 with IC50 of only 4.4 µM, a semisynthetic pyrazole-derivative P5b, has ∼10-fold improved potency (IC50, 0.49 μM). Pongapin/lanceolatin B and the methanolic extract of P. pinnata seeds protect CYP1A1-overexpressing HEK293 cells from B[a]P-mediated toxicity. Remarkably, they also block the cell cycle of CYP1A1-overexpressing MCF-7 breast cancer cells, at the G0-G1 phase, repress cyclin D1 levels and induce cellular-senescence. Molecular modeling studies demonstrate the interaction pattern of pongapin/lanceolatin B with CYP1A1. The results strongly indicate the potential of methanolic seed-extract and pongapin/lanceolatin B for further development as cancer chemopreventive agents

Healthcare recommendations for Joubert syndrome

Joubert syndrome (JS) is a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder defined by a characteristic cerebellar and brainstem malformation recognizable on axial brain magnetic resonance imaging as the "Molar Tooth Sign". Although defined by the neurological features, JS is associated with clinical features affecting many other organ systems, particularly progressive involvement of the retina, kidney, and liver. JS is a rare condition; therefore, many affected individuals may not have easy access to subspecialty providers familiar with JS (e.g., geneticists, neurologists, developmental pediatricians, ophthalmologists, nephrologists, hepatologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and educators). Expert recommendations can enable practitioners of all types to provide quality care to individuals with JS and know when to refer for subspecialty care. This need will only increase as precision treatments targeting specific genetic causes of JS emerge. The goal of these recommendations is to provide a resource for general practitioners, subspecialists, and families to maximize the health of individuals with JS throughout the lifespan

Thermal Spray Coatings for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Interference Shielding: A Review and Future Challenges

This review paper aims to consolidate scattered literature on thermally sprayed coatings with non-ionising electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption and shielding over specific wavelengths potentially useful in diverse applications (e.g., microwave to millimeter wave, solar selective, photocatalytic, interference shielding, thermal barrier-heat/emissivity). Materials EM properties such as electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, and dielectric loss are critical due to which a material can respond to absorbed, reflected, transmitted, or may excite surface electromagnetic waves at frequencies typical of electromagnetic radiations. Thermal spraying is a standard industrial practice used for depositing coatings where the sprayed layer is formed by successive impact of fully or partially molten droplets/particles of a material (used in the form of powder or wire) exposed to high or moderate temperatures and velocities. However, as an emerging novel application of an existing thermal spray techniques, some special considerations are warranted for targeted development involving relevant characterisation. Key potential research areas of development relating to material selection and coating fabrication strategies and their impact on existing practices in the field are identified. The study shows a research gap in the feedstock materials design and doping (including hollow and yolk-shelled structure types) and their complex selection covered by thermally sprayed coatings that can be critical to advancing applications exploiting their electromagnetic properties

Thermal Spray Coatings for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Interference Shielding: A Review and Future Challenges

This review paper aims to consolidate scattered literature on thermally sprayed coatings with non-ionising electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption and shielding over specific wavelengths potentially useful in diverse applications (e.g., microwave to millimeter wave, solar selective, photocatalytic, interference shielding, thermal barrier-heat/emissivity). Materials EM properties such as electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, and dielectric loss are critical due to which a material can respond to absorbed, reflected, transmitted, or may excite surface electromagnetic waves at frequencies typical of electromagnetic radiations. Thermal spraying is a standard industrial practice used for depositing coatings where the sprayed layer is formed by successive impact of fully or partially molten droplets/particles of a material (used in the form of powder or wire) exposed to high or moderate temperatures and velocities. However, as an emerging novel application of an existing thermal spray techniques, some special considerations are warranted for targeted development involving relevant characterisation. Key potential research areas of development relating to material selection and coating fabrication strategies and their impact on existing practices in the field are identified. The study shows a research gap in the feedstock materials design and doping (including hollow and yolk-shelled structure types) and their complex selection covered by thermally sprayed coatings that can be critical to advancing applications exploiting their electromagnetic properties

A Toolbox for Tuberculosis Diagnosis: An Indian Multicentric Study (2006-2008): Microbiological Results

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multicentric prospective study in India was to assess the value of several microbiological tools that contribute to the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) according to HIV status. METHODS: Standard microbiological tools on individual specimens were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 807 patients with active TB, 131 were HIV-infected, 316 HIV-uninfected and 360 had HIV-unknown status. Among the 980 non-active TB subjects, 559 were at low risk and 421 were at high risk of M. tuberculosis (Mtb) exposure. Sensitivity of smear microscopy (SM) was significantly lower in HIV-infected (42.2%) than HIV-uninfected (75.9%) (p = 0.0001) and HIV-unknown pulmonary TB patients (61.4%) (p = 0.004). Specificity was 94.5% in non-TB patients and 100% in health care workers (HCW) and healthy family contacts. Automated liquid culture has significantly higher diagnostic performances than solid culture, measured by sensitivity (74.7% vs. 55.9%) (p = 0.0001) and shorter median time to detection (TTD) (12.0 vs. 34.0 days) (p = 0.0001). Specificity was 100% in HCW and cured-TB patients, but was lower in non-TB patients (89%) due to isolation of Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT). TTD by both methods was related to AFB score. Contamination rate was low (1.4%). AccuProbe hybridization technique detected Mtb in almost all culture-positive specimens, but MOTT were found in 4.7% with a significantly higher frequency in HIV-infected (15%) than HIV-uninfected TB patients (0.5%) (p = 0.0007). Pre-test classification significantly increased the diagnostic value of all microbiological tests in pulmonary TB patients (p<0.0001) but to a lesser degree in extrapulmonary TB patients. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional microbiological tools led to results similar to those already described in India special features for HIV-infected TB patients included lower detection by SM and culture. New microbiological assays, such as the automated liquid culture system, showed increased accuracy and speed of detection

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Not Availablen the present study occupational health hazards involved in hill farming perceived by farm-women were ascertained. The study was conducted in the Roun-dal village cluster of Almora district and Dhanpau village cluster of Dehradun. Ex-post facto and exploratory design was used. About half of the farm women interviewed reported for high exposure to hazards followed by one-third reporting for medium-level exposure in various agricultural activities. Age, extension contact and educational status were found contributing significantly to the occupational health hazard score of farm women. A negative and significant relationship was found for extension contact and health hazards. A similar relationship was found for the educational status of women farmers. For age, the relation was found significantly positive.ICA

Empowerment of women farmers in hills: Issues and Prospects

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