Printed humidity sensor for packaging

Printed electronics is the process of developing electrical devices on different substrates by printing inks by various methods. Flexograhpic printing a Humidity sensor was investigated. Flexographic printing can be cost effective for volume production on label presses. In this research, conductive silver nano-particle ink with a Silver content of 50 (+/-2) Wt.% was used to develop an Interdigitated Electrode (IDE). The printed base Silver interdigitated electrodes had an average resistance of 11.96Ω with a standard deviation of 1.21 indicating that the Silver printed sensors were consistent in the print quality.Nafion (a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene-based copolymer) resin solution with a 20 wt.% in lower aliphatic alcohols and water, was printed on top of the silver Interdigitated electrode as the active layer for the detection of the change in humidity. Substrate used for the experiment was white Polyethylene terephthalate (PET White) of 0.175mm thickness. The sensors were tested in a Humidity chamber over a range of 40-80% relative humidity at of 25◦C to ascertain the effective working of the design by measuring their resistivity and repeatability. When the resistance of the sensors was checked with Direct Current (DC), there was a change in the resistance. The formation of dendrites due to electro-chemical reactivity on the surface of the sensor was observed, which caused the sensors to short circuit and fail. When the sensors were tested with Alternating Current (AC), it limited the growth of dendrites and the sensors were self-consistent with a repeatability of resistance pattern, but there was variation in the range of resistance between the sensors, where few showed sensing activity that started at around 500 KΩ and others around 2000 KΩ at 40%RH (Relative Humidity). This proved that the materials used worked and showed potential in developing a humidity sensor via Flexographic printing, further worked is required to eliminate the Dendrites formation and to stabilize the range of resistance

A transparent overlay for computer-based presentations

The project aims at building an application that would simulate a transparency that can either be overlaid on top of the graphical display of another application or used as a stand-alone by accepting input from a keyboard or a mouse to enhance a presentation. The project provides an environment to accentuate the presentation by allowing the presenter to add on to the slide content dynamically using this transparency. This application could be used not only in seminars and academic presentations, but also in the emerging concept of computer-based teaching and remote teaching via Virtual Network Computing (VNC) wherein audience logon to the presenter's computer from a wide variety of machine architectures. This application is a step towards complete automation of a slide presentation. It has been developed using the Win32 API (Application Programming Interface) in the Microsoft Windows environment. This stand-alone application supplements any slide display - on the web or any other application. The transparency is essentially a transparent window that provides options to write and draw with the same screen on the background

Sam68 is absolutely required for Rev function and HIV-1 production

Sam68 functionally complements for, as well as synergizes with, HIV-1 Rev in Rev response element (RRE)-mediated gene expression and virus production. Furthermore, C-terminal deletion/point mutants of Sam68 (Sam68ΔC/Sam68-P21) exert a transdominant negative phenotype for Rev function and HIV-1 production. However, the relevance of Sam68 in Rev/RRE function is not well defined. To gain more insight into the mechanism of Sam68 in Rev function, we used an RNAi (RNA interference) strategy to create stable Sam68 knockdown HeLa (SSKH) cells. In SSKH cells, Rev failed to activate both RRE-mediated reporter gene [chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and/or gag] expressions. Importantly, reduction of Sam68 expression led to a dramatic inhibition of HIV-1 production. Inhibition of the reporter gene expression and HIV production correlated with the failure to export RRE-containing CAT mRNA and unspliced viral mRNAs to the cytoplasm, confirming that SSKH cells are defective for Rev-mediated RNA export. Taken together, these results suggest that Sam68 is involved in Rev-mediated RNA export and is absolutely required for HIV production

Serum Cystatin C as an Early Marker of Neutrophil Gelatinase‐associated Lipocalin‐positive Acute Kidney Injury Resulting from Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Infants with Congenital Heart Disease

ObjectiveAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication resulting from cardiopulmonary bypass in infants. Urinary neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a sensitive and specific marker of such injury. In this study, we compared the performance of serum cystatin C (Cys C) and serum creatinine (Cr) as early markers of renal dysfunction in infants undergoing cardiac surgery under bypass.Study Design, Setting, and PatientsThe study was designed as a prospective observational study. The study was conducted in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary, academic children's hospital in the United States. Infants (age <1 year) undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass were included in the study.Outcome MeasureAcute kidney injury was defined based on postoperative urinary NGAL.ResultsA total of 17 infants were included in the study, and five of them developed AKI. Serum Cys C and Cr levels were measured postoperatively on days 1, 2, and 3, and compared with baseline levels. On postoperative day 2, infants with AKI showed significant change from baseline in serum Cys C levels compared with non‐AKI infants (28% vs. −9%, P = .03). The two groups did not show significant differences with respect to rise in serum Cr on any of the 3 postoperative days. Serum Cr on days 1 and 2 showed nonspecific increases in both AKI and non‐AKI groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for day 2 Cys C was 0.87 (95% CI 0.67–1.00) in recognizing NGAL‐positive AKI.ConclusionsPostoperative serum Cys C appears to be a more specific and sensitive biomarker for NGAL‐positive AKI resulting from cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in infants undergoing cardiac surgery.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113151/1/chd12253.pd

Heritability of anthropometric phenotypes in caste populations of Visakhapatnam, India

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol74/iss3/1/.In this study, we used anthropometric data from six Andhra caste populations to examine heritability patterns of 23 anthropometric phenotypes (linear, craniofacial, and soft tissue measures) with special reference to caste differences. We obtained anthropometric data from 342 nuclear families from Brahmin, Reddy, Telaga, Nagara, Ag. Kshatriya, and Mala castes of Visakhapatnam, India. These caste groups represent the existing hierarchical stratification of Indian populations. We used a variance components approach to determine the heritability (h2) of these 23 anthropometric phenotypes (height, weight, BMI, etc.). The sample consisted of 1918 individuals ranging in age from 6 to 72 years (mean = 21.5, S.D. = 13.8). The heritabilities (h2 ± S.E.) for all anthropometric traits for the entire sample were significant (p < 0.0001) and varied from 0.25 ± 0.05 (BMI) to 0.61 ± 0.05 (bizygomatic breadth) after accounting for sex, age, and caste effects. Since data on socioeconomic and nutritional covariates were available for a subset of families, we repeated the genetic analyses using this subset, which has yielded higher heritabilities ranging from 0.21 ± 0.16 (head breadth) to 0.72 ± 0.18 (nasal breadth). In general, craniofacial measurements exhibited higher h2 compared to linear measures. Breadth measurements and circumferences yielded more or less similar heritabilities. Age and sex effects were significant (p < 0.0001) for most of the traits, while the effects of caste, socioeconomic status, and nutritional status were inconsistent across the traits. In conclusion, anthropometric phenotypes examined in this study are under appreciable additive genetic influences

A Platform Independent Web-Application for Short-Term Electric Power Load Forecasting on a 33/11 kV Substation Using Regression Model

Short-term electric power load forecasting is a critical and essential task for utilities of the elec- tric power industry for proper energy trading and that enable the independent system operator to operate the network without any technical and economical is- sues. In this paper, machine learning model such as linear regression model is used to forecast the active power load one hour and one day ahead. Real time active power load data to train and test the machine learning model is collected from a 33/11 kV substation located in Telangana State, India. Based on the simu- lation results, it is observed that linear regression model can forecast the load with less mean absolute error i.e. 0.042 with training data and 0.045 with testing data in comparison with support vector regressor model for an hour ahead operation. Whereas in the case of the day ahead operation, linear regression model can forecast the load with less mean absolute error i.e. 0.055 with training data and 0.057 with testing data in comparison with support vector regressor model. A platform independent web application is developed to help the operators of the 33/11 kV substation which is located in Godishala, Telangana State, India

Role of Sam68 in post-transcriptional gene regulation

The STAR family of proteins links signaling pathways to various aspects of post-transcriptional regulation and processing of RNAs. Sam68 belongs to this class of heteronuclear ribonucleoprotein particle K (hnRNP K) homology (KH) single domain-containing family of RNA-binding proteins that also contains some domains predicted to bind critical components in signal transduction pathways. In response to phosphorylation and other post-transcriptional modifications, Sam68 has been shown to have the ability to link signal transduction pathways to downstream effects regulating RNA metabolism, including transcription, alternative splicing or RNA transport. In addition to its function as a docking protein in some signaling pathways, this prototypic STAR protein has been identified to have a nuclear localization and to take part in the formation of both nuclear and cytosolic multi-molecular complexes such as Sam68 nuclear bodies and stress granules. Coupling with other proteins and RNA targets, Sam68 may play a role in the regulation of differential expression and mRNA processing and translation according to internal and external signals, thus mediating important physiological functions, such as cell death, proliferation or cell differentiation

Pathogenic mechanisms and clinical implications of congenital neutropenia syndromes

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to summarize pathogenic mechanisms and clinical implications of the most illustrative genetic entities of congenital neutropenia syndromes.Recent findingsCongenital neutropenia comprise monogenetic entities with or without additional immunologic and extrahaematopoietic syndromatic features. Continuous careful explorations of known entities such as ELANE, GFI1, HAX1, G6PC3 deficiency and XLN help to define principles controlling differentiation and function of neutrophil granulocytes. Furthermore, the identification of novel genetic defects associated with congenital neutropenia, such as VPS45 deficiency, broadens our understanding of neutrophil biology. Pathogenic mechanisms imply protein and vesicle mistrafficking, endoplasmic reticulum stress, the unfolded protein response, destabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, disturbed energy metabolism, dysglycosylation and deregulated actin polymerization.SummaryAdvanced genetic and biochemical techniques have helped to expand our knowledge of congenital neutropenia syndromes. Known and novel genetic entities shed light on fundamental biological processes important for the homeostatis and functioning not only of the neutrophil granulocyte but as well of the entire haematopoietic system. Furthermore, treatment decisions become more tailored and might pave the road towards personalized molecular medicine