Gait trajectory prediction via extreme learning machine

In this thesis, an algorithm to estimate the gait trajectory based upon the electromyography (EMG) signal is proposed. The algorithm is developed using Extreme Learning Machine (ELM). Experiments were conducted to acquire the gait parameters from 20 healthy human subjects. EMG signals from Tibialis Anterior (TA) and Gastrocnemius Lateral (GL) muscles were obtained during the gait cycle. Three stages were completed to ensure the viability of EMG signals and ELM used to predict the gait trajectory. The first stage comprises of using EMG signals to predict temporal gait parameters and benchmarked with a basic same architecture Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The target temporal gait parameters are gait speed and stance/swing phase which were measured using an inertia sensor and camera system. The ELM algorithm was developed using a single hidden layer feedforward network architecture where the weights from the input layer to the hidden layer were randomized and not updated during the run. Results obtained from ELM were compared with an ANN model with the same architecture as the ELM algorithm. In ELM, the mean estimation errors of gait speed, stance percentage, and swing percentage were 11.86%, 7.62%, and 6.07% respectively. This was compared to the errors of 12.92%, 11.75%, and 9.56% using ANN. Besides that, ELM achieved shorter training and testing time. The robustness of the ELM algorithm demonstrated the capability of real-time computation due to superior computing performance compared to conventional ANN models. The second stage superseded the first with a more advanced variant of ELM to classify the endpoints of EMG for each gait cycle during the whole gait duration. This was done with a Weighted ELM, and for 20 participants, it was able to achieve an average testing classification rate of 99.38%. In the last part, a boosted Ensemble ELM was proposed to predict the x trajectory of the gait using features of EMG signals. The best configuration of 8 ELMs boosted is shown to produce an average RMSE of 0.1055m when compared to an un-boosted version of 0.1344m

Detection of Gravitational Wave - An Application of Relativistic Quantum Information Theory

We show that a passing gravitational wave may influence the spin entropy and spin negativity of a system of $N$ massive spin-1/2 particles, in a way that is characteristic of the radiation. We establish the specific conditions under which this effect may be nonzero. The change in spin entropy and negativity, however, is extremely small. Here, we propose and show that this effect may be amplified through entanglement swapping. Relativistic quantum information theory may have a contribution towards the detection of gravitational wave.Comment: 9 page

The CRISPR/Cas9 System for Crop Improvement: Progress and Prospects

The global demand for high-quality crops is continuously growing with time. Crop improvement techniques have a long history and they had been applied since the beginning of domestication of the first agricultural plants. Since then, various new techniques have and are being developed to further increase the commercial value and yield of crops. The latest crop improvement technique known as genome editing is a technique that enables precise modification of the plant genome via knocking out undesirable genes or enabling genes to gain new function. The variants generated from the genome editing are indistinguishable from naturally occurring variation. It is also less time-consuming and more readily accepted in the market commercially. The usage of genome editing has proven to be advantages and plays a promising role in future crop improvement efforts. Therefore, in this chapter, we aim to highlight the progress and application of genome editing techniques, in particular, the CRISPR/Cas9 system as a powerful genome editing tool for crop improvement. In addition, the challenges and future prospects of this technology for crop improvement will also be discussed

Determination of visual axis of tiger grouper juveniles Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, to develop a demand feeding system

In a demand feeding system, the fish turn on the switch of the feeder to get feed. In order to develop a demand feeding system with an infrared light sensor to which juvenile tiger grouper, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus visually respond, the visual acuity and visual axis of the juveniles were determined to obtain fundamental understanding of their vision. Three farmed juveniles were anaesthetized with MS222 and fixed in Bouin’s solution. The left retinae of each juvenile were cut into nine regions (Figure 1). The specimens were embedded in paraffin, cut into 6 μm thick tangential sections, and stained with haematoxylin-eosin. The density of cone cells (0.01mm2) in each region was counted in the stained sections. Visual acuity was calculated using cone cell densities and lens diameter. The highest cone density of each juvenile was 359 (bottom, B), 394 (temporal, T) and 380 cells/0.01mm2 (temporal, T) respectively. The estimated minimum separable angles of the highest density regions were 4.312×10-3, 3.661×10-3, 3.592×10-3 radian in each juvenile respectively. The estimated visual acuities were 0.068, 0.080 and 0.081 in those regions. These results showed that the visual axis of tiger grouper juveniles was in forward

Growth performance of brown-golden marine microalga, Isochrysis sp., cultivated in alternative algal culture media

The present study aimed to evaluate the suitability of introduced algal culture media as an alternative to the general enriched seawater media in the laboratory cultivation of Isochrysis sp., a marine microalga commonly cultivated for aquaculture purposes. Isochrysis sp. was established into culture in three replications using three experimental algal culture media (Walne’s medium as a control, China-contributed culture medium (CCM) and CCM supplemented with vitamins (CCM + Vit)). The experiment was performed with a continuous illumination for a period of seven days at 25±1°C. The effect of introduced algal culture media (CCM and CCM + Vit) on the growth performance of Isochrysis sp. was highlighted. CCM demonstrated promising results for the cultivation of Isochrysis sp. A maximum cell density of 9.16×106 ± 5.40×105 cells mL-1, which corresponded to an instantaneous growth rate (r) of 0.21 cell day-1 and a doubling time (T2) of 3.29 days, was observed in Isochrysis sp. cultivated in CCM. In view of its potential and reduced preparation labour, CCM may be recommended as an alternative to the general enriched seawater media in the cultivation of Isochrysis sp. in laboratories with basic facility as well as small- and medium-scale aquaculture hatcheries

Length-weight relationship and relative condition factor of pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii, cultured in the Tieshangang Bay of the Beibu Gulf, Guangxi Province, China

Tieshangang Bay in the Beibu Gulf, Guangxi of China, is a strategic location for pearl farming. Although water pollution has been reported in this bay but the general health of the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii,farmed there has never been assessed. The present study examined the condition of P. fucata martensii farmed in the Tieshangang Bay by analyzing its length-weight relationship (LWR) and relative condition factor (RCF). A total of 111 specimens were sampled for measuring their shell height and total weight for determining the LWR and RCF. The coefficient of correlation of the LWR was high (R2= 0.93), significant at 0.01 level. Negative allometric growth (b= 2.7048) was observed. However, P.fucata martensiiachieved the expected growth in terms of weight, as determined through the RCF (mean 1.13). Negative allometric growth is commonly reported on the wild Pinctadaspp. collected from different regions. Apparently, the water pollution in the Tieshangang Bay did not compromise the general health of the pearl oyster cultured there. Nevertheless, further study on the farm’s surrounding water quality and plankton availability is necessary to investigate the interaction between the growth of the oyster and its culture environment. In conclusion, the P. fucata martensiifarmed in the Tieshangang Bay was considered healthy and the bay is still suitable for pearl oyster farming

Graft-vs-tumor effect in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal cancer treated with nonmyeloablative allogeneic PBSC transplantation

While nonmyeloablative peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (NST) has shown efficacy against several solid tumors, it is untested in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). In a phase II clinical trial, 21 patients with pretreated metastatic NPC underwent NST with sibling PBSC allografts, using CY conditioning, thymic irradiation and in vivo T-cell depletion with thymoglobulin. Stable lymphohematopoietic chimerism was achieved in most patients and prophylactic CYA was tapered at a median of day +30. Seven patients (33%) showed partial response and three (14%) achieved stable disease. Four patients were alive at 2 years and three showed prolonged disease control of 344, 525 and 550 days. With a median follow-up of 209 (4–1147) days, the median PFS was 100 days (95% confidence interval (CI), 66–128 days), and median OS was 209 days (95% CI, 128–236 days). Patients with chronic GVHD had better survival—median OS 426 days (95% CI, 194–NE days) vs 143 days (95% CI, 114–226 days) (P=0.010). Thus, NST may induce meaningful clinical responses in patients with advanced NPC

Riverine sustainment 2012

Student Integrated ProjectIncludes supplementary materialThis technical report analyzed the Navy's proposed Riverine Force (RF) structure and capabilities for 2012. The Riverine Sustainment 2012 Team (RST) examined the cost and performance of systems of systems which increased RF sustainment in logistically barren environments. RF sustainment was decomposed into its functional areas of supply, repair, and force protection. The functional and physical architectures were developed in parallel and were used to construct an operational architecture for the RF. The RST used mathematical, agent-based and queuing models to analyze various supply, repair and force protection system alternatives. Extraction of modeling data revealed several key insights. Waterborne heavy lift connectors such as the LCU-2000 are vital in the re-supply of the RF when it is operating up river in a non-permissive environment. Airborne heavy lift connectors such as the MV-22 were ineffective and dominated by the waterborne variants in the same environment. Increase in manpower and facilities did appreciable add to the operational availability of the RF. Mean supply response time was the biggest factor effecting operational availability and should be kept below 24 hours to maintain operational availability rates above 80%. Current mortar defenses proposed by the RF are insufficient.N

Bayesian approach to support vector machines

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH