Affectively Aligned Cognitive Assistance Using Bayesian Affect Control Theory

Abstract. This paper describes a novel emotionally intelligent cognitive assistant to engage and help older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to complete activities of daily living (ADL) more independently. Our new system combines two research streams. First, the development of cognitive assistants with artificially intelligent controllers using partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs). Second, a model of the dynamics of emotion and identity called Affect Control Theory that arises from the sociological literature on culturally shared sentiments. We present background material on both of these research streams, and then demonstrate a prototype assistive technology that combines the two. We discuss the affective reasoning, the probabilistic and decision-theoretic reasoning, the computer-vision based activity monitoring, the embodied prompting, and we show results in proof-of-concept tests.

Effects of experimental parameters on elemental analysis of coal by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The purpose of this work is to improve the precision of the elemental analysis of coal using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The LIBS technique has the ability to allow simultaneous elemental analysis and on-line determination, so it could be used in the elemental analysis of coal. Organic components such as C, H, O, N and inorganic components such as Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, Si, Ti, Na, and K of coal have been identified. The precision of the LIBS technique depends strongly on the experimental conditions, and the choice of experimental parameters should be aimed at optimizing the repeatability of the measurements. The dependences of the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the LIBS measurements on the experimental parameters including the sample preparation parameters, lens-to-sample distance, sample operation mode, and ambient gas have been investigated. The results indicate that the precision of LIBS measurements for the coal sample can be improved by using the optimum experimental parameters

Prediction of natural fracture distribution characteristics in tight oil and gas reservoirs based on paleotectonic stress field

The production of fractured oil and gas reservoirs in the world accounts for more than half of total oil and gas production and is one of the important fields for increasing oil and gas storage and production in the 21st century. The key to characterizing fractured oil and gas reservoirs is the distribution pattern of natural fractures. The distribution of natural fractures is dominated by structural deformations and fractures. Therefore, analytical and structural simulations of the tectonic stress field in geological structural systems play a crucial role in obtaining fracture distribution patterns. In this paper we have developed a description of the distribution of natural fractures based on finite element numerical simulations of the paleotectonic stress field. The study focused on the Chang 7 and Huangjialing Chang 8 reservoirs in the underground Siwan region of the Ordos Basin in China. First, an experimental assessment of the rock mechanics of the reservoir was completed, and the values of the paleotectonic stresses obtained from the tests were used as inversion criteria for the stress field simulations. Based on the geology, a refined geological model has been developed to study the structure of the Chang 7 and Chang 8 oil reservoirs in the block. The simulated paleotectonic stress fields for natural fractures in the Indosinian period are as follows: maximum principal stress of 94.67 MPa, minimum principal stress of 21.58 MPa, and vertical stress of 28.07 MPa. The direction of maximum principal stress remains essentially in the NE-SW direction, with the largest differential stress occurring in the Chang 8 oil layer group in Huangjialing, while the differential stress is relatively uniform in the Chang 7 oil layer group in Xiasiwan. It predicts the relative density of natural fractures in the Chang 7 and Chang 8 reservoirs, and finds high-to-low plane heterogeneity in the Huangjialing Chang 8 reservoir group and the Xiasiwan Chang 7 reservoir group, respectively. The paper reveals the pattern of development of reservoir fractures in both vertical and horizontal directions, providing an important geological basis for efficient and rational exploitation of oil and gas resources in the study area and improving oil recovery

Survey and Visual Detection of Zaire ebolavirus in Clinical Samples Targeting the Nucleoprotein Gene in Sierra Leone

Ebola virus (EBOV) can lead to severe hemorrhagic fever with a high risk of death in humans and other primates. To guide treatment and prevent spread of the viral infection, a rapid and sensitive detection method is required for clinical samples. Here, we described and evaluated a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) method to detect Zaire ebolavirus using the nucleoprotein gene (NP) as a target sequence. Two different techniques were used, a calcein/Mn2+ complex chromogenic method and real-time turbidity monitoring. The RT-LAMP assay detected the NP target sequence with a limit of 4.56 copies/μL within 45 min under 61°C, a similar even or increase in sensitivity than that of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Additionally, all pseudoviral particles or non- Zaire EBOV genomes were negative for LAMP detection, indicating that the assay was highly specific for EBOV. To appraise the availability of the RT-LAMP method for use in clinical diagnosis of EBOV, of 417 blood or swab samples collected from patients with clinically suspected infections in Sierra Leone, 307 were identified for RT-LAMP-based surveillance of EBOV. Therefore, the highly specific and sensitive RT-LAMP method allows the rapid detection of EBOV, and is a suitable tool for clinical screening, diagnosis, and primary quarantine purposes

Bioengineered human tissue regeneration and repair using endogenous stem cells

We describe a general approach to produce bone and cartilaginous structures utilizing the self-regenerative capacity of the intercostal rib space to treat a deformed metacarpophalangeal joint and microtia. Anatomically precise 3D molds were positioned on the perichondro-periosteal or perichondral flap of the intercostal rib without any other exogenous elements. We find anatomically precise metacarpal head and auricle constructs within the implanted molds after 6 months. The regenerated metacarpal head was used successfully to surgically repair the deformed metacarpophalangeal joint. Auricle reconstructive surgery in five unilateral microtia patients yielded good aesthetic and functional results. Long-term follow-up revealed the auricle constructs were safe and stable. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveal early infiltration of a cell population consistent with mesenchymal stem cells, followed by IL-8-stimulated differentiation into chondrocytes. Our results demonstrate the repair and regeneration of tissues using only endogenous factors and a viable treatment strategy for bone and tissue structural defects.</p

Clear Genetic Distinctiveness between Human- and Pig-Derived Trichuris Based on Analyses of Mitochondrial Datasets

The whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, causes trichuriasis in ∼600 million people worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Whipworms also infect other animal hosts, including pigs (T. suis), dogs (T. vulpis) and non-human primates, and cause disease in these hosts, which is similar to trichuriasis of humans. Although Trichuris species are considered to be host specific, there has been considerable controversy, over the years, as to whether T. trichiura and T. suis are the same or distinct species. Here, we characterised the entire mitochondrial genomes of human-derived Trichuris and pig-derived Trichuris, compared them and then tested the hypothesis that the parasites from these two host species are genetically distinct in a phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data. Taken together, the findings support the proposal that T. trichiura and T. suis are separate species, consistent with previous data for nuclear ribosomal DNA. Using molecular analytical tools, employing genetic markers defined herein, future work should conduct large-scale studies to establish whether T. trichiura is found in pigs and T. suis in humans in endemic regions