Synthesizing Protocol Specifications from Service Specifications in Timed Extended Finite State Machines

We propose a specification model and present a method to algorithmically derive a protocol specification from a service specification based on the model. Unlike the previous models based on finite state machines, the proposed model can explicitly express concurrency, synchronization, and timing requirements such as delays and timeouts. We assume that there exists a reliable communication channel between any two protocol entities and the maximum delay for each channel is bounded by a positive constant. Because of the variable nature of the communication delays along with the time constraints associated with events, no protocol specification can fully simulate the service specification. The proposed method derives a protocol specification that is optimal in the sense that it provides the largest possible subset of the service specification under the communication delay constraints. We also give a method to derive a sub specification from a service specification and a maximum communication delay of each channel such that the sub specification, but no superset of it, can be simulated by the derived protocol specification

Predictive Coding Strategies for Developmental Neurorobotics

In recent years, predictive coding strategies have been proposed as a possible means by which the brain might make sense of the truly overwhelming amount of sensory data available to the brain at any given moment of time. Instead of the raw data, the brain is hypothesized to guide its actions by assigning causal beliefs to the observed error between what it expects to happen and what actually happens. In this paper, we present a variety of developmental neurorobotics experiments in which minimalist prediction error-based encoding strategies are utilize to elucidate the emergence of infant-like behavior in humanoid robotic platforms. Our approaches will be first naively Piagian, then move onto more Vygotskian ideas. More specifically, we will investigate how simple forms of infant learning, such as motor sequence generation, object permanence, and imitation learning may arise if minimizing prediction errors are used as objective functions

Tsunami Flooding Probability determined by Probability Distribution Type

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

On Hybrid Synthesis for Hierarchical Structured Petri Nets

We propose a hybrid method for synthesis of hierarchical structured Petri nets. In a top-down manner, we decompose a system into a set of subsystems at each level of abstraction, each of these is specified as a blackbox Petri net that has multiple inputs and outputs. We stipulate that each subsystem satisfies the following I/O constraints: (1) At any instance of time, at most one of the inputs can be activated; and (2) If one input is activated, then the subsystem must consume the input and produce exactly one output within a finite length of time. We give a stepwise refinement procedure which starts from the initial high-level abstraction of the system and expands an internal place of a blackbox Petri net into a more detailed subnet at each step. By enforcing the I/O constraints of each subsystem in each intermediate abstraction, our refinement maintains the sequencing of transitions prescribed by the initial abstraction of the system. Next, for the bottom-up synthesis, we present interconnection rules for sequential, parallel, and loop structures and prove that each rule maintains the I/O constraints. Thus, by incorporating these interconnection rules into our refinement formulation, our approach can be regarded as a hybrid Petri net synthesis technique that employs both top-down and bottom-up methods. The major advantage of the method is that the modeling details can be introduced incrementally and naturally, while the important logical properties of the resulting Petri net are guaranteed

Arrhythmia surgery for atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defect: Right-sided maze versus biatrial maze

BackgroundAlthough it has been inferred that a biatrial maze procedure for atrial fibrillation in left-sided heart lesions may lead to better outcomes compared with a limited left atrial lesion set, it remains controversial whether the biatrial maze procedure is superior to the right atrial maze procedure in right-sided heart lesions.MethodsA retrospective review was performed for 56 adults who underwent surgical closure of atrial septal defect and various maze procedures for atrial fibrillation between June 1998 and February 2011. The median age at operation was 59 years (range, 34-79 years). Clinical manifestations of atrial fibrillation were paroxysmal in 8 patients, persistent in 15 patients, and long-standing persistent in 33 patients. A right atrial maze procedure was performed in 23 patients (group 1), and a biatrial maze procedure was performed in 33 patients (group 2). Treatment failure was defined as atrial fibrillation recurrence, development of atrial flutter or other types of atrial tachyarrhythmia, or implantation of a permanent pacemaker. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify risk factors for decreased time to treatment failure.ResultsDuring the median follow-up period of 49 months (range, 5-149 months), there was no early death and 1 late noncardiac death. On Cox survival model, group 1 showed a significantly decreased time to treatment failure in comparison with group 2 (hazard ratio, 5.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-16.44; P = .006). Maintenance of normal sinus rhythm without any episode of atrial fibrillation recurrence at 2 and 5 years postoperatively was 57% and 45% in group 1, respectively, and 82% and 69% in group 2, respectively.ConclusionsLeft-sided ablation in addition to a right atrial maze procedure leads to better electrophysiologic outcome in atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defect

Nontoxic membrane translocation peptide from protamine, low molecular weight protamine (LMWP), for enhanced intracellular protein delivery: in vitro and in vivo study

Naturally derived, nontoxic peptides from protamine by the authors, termed low molecular weight protamines (LMWPs), possess high arginine content and carry significant sequence similarity to that of TAT, by far the most potent protein transduction domain peptide. Therefore, it was hypothesized that these LMWPs would also inherit the similar translocation activity across the cell membrane, which enables any impermeable species to be transduced into the cells. LMWPs were prepared by enzymatic digestion of protamine, examined their capability of transducing an impermeable protein toxin into the tumor cells by chemical conjugation, and determined cytotoxicity of transduced protein toxin (e.g., gelonin) against cancer cell lines and a tumorâ bearing mouse. In vitro results showed that LMWPs could indeed translocate themselves into several mammalian cell lines as efficiently as TAT, thereby transducing impermeable gelonin into the cells by chemical conjugation. In vivo studies further confirmed that LMWP could carry an impermeable gelonin across the tumor mass and subsequently inhibit the tumor growth. In conclusion, the presence of equivalent cell translocation potency, absence of toxicity of peptide itself, and the suitability for lowâ cost production by simple enzymatic digestion could expand the range of clinical applications of LMWPs, including medical imaging and gene/protein therapies.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154356/1/fsb2fj042322fje-sup-0125.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154356/2/fsb2fj042322fje.pd

Controls of Trajectories for Targeting of Magnetic Robotics in body: Magnetic Robotics of Biomedical Application

This paper presents a novel method to actively control magnetic field in a region-of-interest using three pairs electromagnetic coils system referred to here as extended distributed treatment Robotics. The developed controls of trajectories for targeting of magnetic robotics in body system contains hardware, software and magnetic Robotics/nanoscale material and the in vitro manipulation in real time. In this study, we used six identical solenoids coil placed on an XYZ-axis and the electromagnet was powered by current that can generate a high-gradient magnetic field in the desired direction. Real-time video microscopy supported by the LabVIEW vision system is integrated into the developed system for real-time monitoring. Moreover, the detection of object function is done through NI Vision Assistant, tracking function is through Math Script node in the LabVIEW simulation and ROI magnetic field actual measurement is done by the real-time magnetic sensor. The motion speed and direction of the Magnetic Robotics can also be manipulated using EMM system and Joystick controller

Physiologic dentin regeneration: its past, present, and future perspectives

Regenerative dentistry has rapidly progressed since the advancement of stem cell biology and material science. However, more emphasis has been placed on the success of tissue formation than on how well the newly generated tissue retains the original structure and function. Once dentin is lost, tertiary dentinogenesis can be induced by new odontoblastic differentiation or re-activation of existing odontoblasts. The characteristic morphology of odontoblasts generates the tubular nature of dentin, which is a reservoir of fluid, ions, and a number of growth factors, and protects the inner pulp tissue. Therefore, understanding the dynamic but delicate process of new dentin formation by odontoblasts, or odontoblast-like cells, following dentinal defects is crucial. In this regard, various efforts have been conducted to identify novel molecules and materials that can promote the regeneration of dentin with strength and longevity. In this review, we focus on recent progress in dentin regeneration research with biological molecules identified, and discuss its potential in future clinical applications