S/W Fault-tolerant OFP System for UAVs based on Partition Computing

AbstractPartition computing of the new Integrated Modular Avionics architecture reduces the heavy cabling of traditional federated architecture. On the other hand, fault-tolerant Operational Flight Programs (OFP) for unmanned aerial vehicles have usually been implemented as primary-backup systems based on dual nodes. However, in the case of a small UAV, it is preferred to implement a S/W fault-tolerant system that runs primary and recovery systems together in a single flight control computer to reduce the payload. In this case, because the primary and backup must not interfere with each other in using CPU and memory, it is common to use virtualization-based partitions. In this paper, a new S/W fault-tolerant OFP based on the real-time-object partition, TMO.p, is presented to overcome the large overheads of virtualization approaches

Sodium Biphenyl as Anolyte for Sodium-Seawater Batteries

Sodium-based battery systems have recently attracted increasing research interest due to the abundant resources employed. Among various material candidates for the negative electrode, sodium metal provides the highest capacity of theoretically 1165 mAh g(-1) and a very low redox potential of -2.71 versus the standard hydrogen electrode. However, the high reactivity of sodium metal toward the commonly used electrolytes results in severe side reactions, including the evolution of gaseous decomposition products, and, in addition, the risk of dendritic sodium growth, potentially causing a disastrous short circuit of the cell. Herein, the use of sodium biphenyl (Na-BP) as anolyte for the Na-seawater batteries (Na-SWB) is investigated. The catholyte for the open-structured positive electrode is natural seawater with sodium cations dissolved therein. Remarkably, the significant electronic and ionic conductivities of the Na-BP anolyte enable a low overpotential for the sodium deposition upon charge, allowing for high capacity and excellent capacity retention for 80 cycles in full Na-SWB. Additionally, the Na-BP anolyte suppresses gas evolution and dendrite growth by forming a homogeneous surface layer on the metallic negative electrode

The Initial Extent of Malapposition in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated with Drug-Eluting Stent: The Usefulness of Optical Coherence Tomography

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to identify the extent of initial malapposition using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI) treated with different types of drug-eluting stents (DES). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty four STEMI patients that underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled. The OCT and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) were performed within 72 hours after the primary PCI. Distances between the endo-luminal surface of the strut reflection and the vessel wall and the extent of malapposition were measured and analyzed. RESULTS: Sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) were deployed in 7 patients (29%), 7 patients (29%) and 10 patients (42%). In total, 4951 struts in 620 mm single-stent segments were analyzed (1463 struts in SES, 1522 in PES, and 1966 in ZES). In strut analysis by OCT, the incidence of malapposition was 17 % (860/4951) and in stent analysis by IVUS, malapposition rate was 21% (5/24). The malapposition rate of strut level using OCT in 5 patients who had malapposition in IVUS was significantly higher than the 19 of those who had not (32 +/- 5% vs. 12 +/- 6%, p = 0.001). In addition, the frequency of malapposition was also significantly different (28% in SES, 11% in PES, 10% in ZES, p = 0.001). The use of SES was an independent predictor of malapposed struts. CONCLUSION: The incidence of malapposition using OCT was quite prevalent in STEMI after primary PCI with DES implantation and SES has especially higher rates of malapposition compared to other DESs.ope

Novel LMNA Gene Mutation in a Patient With Atypical Werner's Syndrome

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and Werner's syndrome are representative types of progeroid syndrome. LMNA (Lamin A/C) gene mutation with atypical Werner's syndrome have recently been reported. Atypical Werner's syndrome with the severe metabolic complications, the extent of the lipodystrophy is associated with A133L mutation in the LMNA gene and these patients present with phenotypically heterogeneous disorders. We experienced a 15-yr-old Korean female with progeroid features, generalized lipodystrophy, hypertriglyceridemia, fatty liver, steatohepatitis, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Skin fibroblasts from the patient showed marked abnormal nuclear morphology, compared with that from normal persons. Gene analysis revealed that this patient had T506del of exon 2 in the LMNA gene. We report here the first case of atypical Werner's syndrome with frameshift mutation that was caused by T506del

Performance and durability of thin film thermocouple array on a porous electrode

Management of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) thermal gradients is vital to limit thermal expansion mismatch and thermal stress. However, owing to harsh operation conditions of SOFCs and limited available space in stack configuration, the number of techniques available to obtain temperature distribution from the cell surface is limited. The authors previously developed and studied a thermocouple array pattern to detect surface temperature distribution on an SOFC in open circuit conditions. In this study, the performance in terms of mechanical durability and oxidation state of the thin film thermoelements of the thermocouple array on the porous SOFC cathode is investigated. A thin-film multi-junction thermocouple array was sputter deposited using a magnetron sputter coater. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterisation techniques were carried out to understand characteristics of the thin film before and after temperature (20 °C–800 °C) measurement. Temperature readings from the sensor agreed well with the closely placed commercial thermocouple during heating segments. However, a sensor failure occurred at around 350 °C during the cooling segment. The SEM and XPS tests revealed cracks on the thin film thermoelements and oxidation to the film thickness direction

Diagnostic conundrums of schwannomas: two cases highlighting morphological extremes and diagnostic challenges in biopsy specimens of soft tissue tumors

Schwannomas are benign, slow-growing peripheral nerve sheath tumors commonly occurring in the head, neck, and flexor regions of the extremities. Although most schwannomas are easily diagnosable, their variable morphology can occasionally create difficulty in diagnosis. Reporting pathologists should be aware that schwannomas can exhibit a broad spectrum of morphological patterns. Clinical and radiological examinations can show correlation and should be performed, in conjunction with ancillary tests, when appropriate. Furthermore, deferring a definitive diagnosis until excision may be necessary for small biopsy specimens and frozen sections. This report underscores these challenges through examination of two unique schwannoma cases, one predominantly cellular and the other myxoid, both of which posed significant challenges in histological interpretation

High spatial resolution monitoring of the temperature distribution from an operating SOFC

High spatial resolution monitoring of the temperature distribution from an operating SOF

Thin film THERMONO for cathode temperature gradient of SOFC

High thermal gradient is considered as the main reason for cell degradation and failure. A sizeable number of the available scientific work related to the problem in the literature is focused on using simulation or modelling to predict temperature distribution in the cell. THERMONO, a novel temperature monitoring sensor, has been developed by the authors’ group. THERMONO is capable of monitor {N2} temperature reading by using {2N} number of external wires, e.g. temperature measurement at 400 multiple points simultaneously can be done only use around 20 wires, whilst commercial thermocouple using 800 wires. However, there are still difficulties in accurate and real time temperature measurement from a cell stack for practical implementations and desired resolution. Wiring based sensors, which are normally large in size, that are mounted on the cell electrode surface can make significant disturbance to gas flow and operating conditions. In this study, an innovative method is developed to overcome these limitations associated with implementing the large sized wire sensors. Nano-scale thin film THERMONO (FT-THERMONO) will be fabricated on the cell electrode surface to provide enabling technique for in-situ temperature monitoring of the cell with higher spatial and temporal resolution compared to wire sensors. The novel TF-THERMONO architecture will be directly deposited on a test cell’s (50mmx50mm, NextCell-5) electrode surface via sputtering technique. As a result, the test cells’ cathode in-situ temperature distribution will be monitored during the normal operation. TF-THERMONO has a great potential for in-situ temperature monitoring by minimizing the unnecessary impact to the cell’s operation thus its performance

SIRT6 Depletion Suppresses Tumor Growth by Promoting Cellular Senescence Induced by DNA Damage in HCC

The role of Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) as a tumor suppressor or oncogene in liver cancer remains controversial. Thus, we identified the specific role of SIRT6 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SIRT6 expression was significantly higher in HCC cell lines and HCC tissues from 138 patients than in an immortalized hepatocyte cell line, THLE-2 and non-tumor tissues, respectively. SIRT6 knockdown by shRNA suppressed the growth of HCC cells and inhibited HCC tumor growth in vivo. In addition, SIRT6 silencing significantly prevented the growth of HCC cell lines by inducing cellular senescence in the p16/Rb- and p53/p21-pathway independent manners. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of genes involved in nucleosome assembly was apparently altered in SIRT6-depleted Hep3B cells. SIRT6 knockdown promoted G2/M phase arrest and downregulation of genes encoding histone variants associated with nucleosome assembly, which could be attributed to DNA damage. Taken together, our findings suggest that SIRT6 acts as a tumor promoter by preventing DNA damage and cellular senescence, indicating that SIRT6 represents a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.11137Ysciescopu