21 research outputs found
The impact of neutrino-nucleus interaction modeling on new physics searches
Accurate neutrino-nucleus interaction modeling is an essential requirement
for the success of the accelerator-based neutrino program. As no satisfactory
description of cross sections exists, experiments tune neutrino-nucleus
interactions to data to mitigate mis-modeling. In this work, we study how the
interplay between near detector tuning and cross section mis-modeling affects
new physics searches. We perform a realistic simulation of neutrino events and
closely follow NOvA's tuning, the first published of such procedures in a
neutrino experiment. We analyze two illustrative new physics scenarios, sterile
neutrinos and light neutrinophilic scalars, presenting the relevant
experimental signatures and the sensitivity regions with and without tuning.
While the tuning does not wash out sterile neutrino oscillation patterns, cross
section mis-modeling can bias the experimental sensitivity. In the case of
light neutrinophilic scalars, variations in cross section models completely
dominate the sensitivity regardless of any tuning. Our findings reveal the
critical need to improve our theoretical understanding of neutrino-nucleus
interactions, and to estimate the impact of tuning on new physics searches. We
urge neutrino experiments to follow NOvA's example and publish the details of
their tuning procedure, and to develop strategies to more robustly account for
cross section uncertainties, which will expand the scope of their physics
program
Brainâcomputer interface using a simplified functional near-infrared spectroscopy system
A brainâcomputer interface (BCI) is a device that allows a user to communicate with external
devices through thought processes alone. A novel signal acquisition tool for BCIs is
near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical technique to measure localized cortical brain
activity. The benefits of using this non-invasive modality are safety, portability and
accessibility. A number of commercial multi-channel NIRS system are available; however we
have developed a straightforward custom-built system to investigate the functionality of a
fNIRS-BCI system. This work describes the construction of the device, the principles of
operation and the implementation of a fNIRS-BCI application, âMindswitchâ that harnesses
motor imagery for control. Analysis is performed online and feedback of performance is
presented to the user. Mindswitch presents a basic âon/offâ switching option to the user, where
selection of either state takes 1 min. Initial results show that fNIRS can support simple BCI
functionality and shows much potential. Although performance may be currently inferior to
many EEG systems, there is much scope for development particularly with more sophisticated
signal processing and classification techniques. We hope that by presenting fNIRS as an
accessible and affordable option, a new avenue of exploration will open within the BCI
research community and stimulate further research in fNIRS-BCIs
Wearable Electrochemical Sensors for Monitoring Performance Athletes
Nowadays, wearable sensors such as heart rate monitors and pedometers are in common use. The use of wearable systems such as these for personalized exercise regimes for health and rehabilitation is particularly interesting. In particular, the true potential of wearable chemical sensors, which for the real-time ambulatory monitoring of bodily fluids such as tears, sweat, urine and blood has not been realized. Here we present a brief introduction into the fields of ionogels and organic electrochemical transistors, and in particular, the concept of an OECT transistor incorporated into a sticking-plaster, along with a printable âionogelâ to provide a wearable biosensor platform
The Potential of Electrospinning to Enable the Realization of Energy-Autonomous Wearable Sensing Systems
The market for wearable electronic devices is experiencing significant growth and increasing potential for the future. Researchers worldwide are actively working to improve these devices, particularly in developing wearable electronics with balanced functionality and wearability for commercialization. Electrospinning, a technology that creates nano/microfiber-based membranes with high surface area, porosity, and favorable mechanical properties for human in vitro and in vivo applications using a broad range of materials, is proving to be a promising approach. Wearable electronic devices can use mechanical, thermal, evaporative and solar energy harvesting technologies to generate power for future energy needs, providing more options than traditional sources. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of how electrospinning technology can be used in energy-autonomous wearable wireless sensing systems. It provides an overview of the electrospinning technology, fundamental mechanisms, and applications in energy scavenging, human physiological signal sensing, energy storage, and antenna for data transmission. The review discusses combining wearable electronic technology and textile engineering to create superior wearable devices and increase future collaboration opportunities. Additionally, the challenges related to conducting appropriate testing for market-ready products using these devices are also discussed
Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have
fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in
25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16
regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of
correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP,
while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in
Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium
(LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region.
Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant
enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the
refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain âŒ38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa,
an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of
PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent
signals within the same regio
The James Webb Space Telescope Mission
Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies,
expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling
for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least .
With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000
people realized that vision as the James Webb Space Telescope. A
generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of
the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the
scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000
team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image
quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief
history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing
program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite
detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space
Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure
Brainâcomputer interface using a simplified functional near-infrared spectroscopy system
A brainâcomputer interface (BCI) is a device that allows a user to communicate with external
devices through thought processes alone. A novel signal acquisition tool for BCIs is
near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical technique to measure localized cortical brain
activity. The benefits of using this non-invasive modality are safety, portability and
accessibility. A number of commercial multi-channel NIRS system are available; however we
have developed a straightforward custom-built system to investigate the functionality of a
fNIRS-BCI system. This work describes the construction of the device, the principles of
operation and the implementation of a fNIRS-BCI application, âMindswitchâ that harnesses
motor imagery for control. Analysis is performed online and feedback of performance is
presented to the user. Mindswitch presents a basic âon/offâ switching option to the user, where
selection of either state takes 1 min. Initial results show that fNIRS can support simple BCI
functionality and shows much potential. Although performance may be currently inferior to
many EEG systems, there is much scope for development particularly with more sophisticated
signal processing and classification techniques. We hope that by presenting fNIRS as an
accessible and affordable option, a new avenue of exploration will open within the BCI
research community and stimulate further research in fNIRS-BCIs
Brainâcomputer interface using a simplified functional near-infrared spectroscopy system
A brainâcomputer interface (BCI) is a device that allows a user to communicate with external
devices through thought processes alone. A novel signal acquisition tool for BCIs is
near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical technique to measure localized cortical brain
activity. The benefits of using this non-invasive modality are safety, portability and
accessibility. A number of commercial multi-channel NIRS system are available; however we
have developed a straightforward custom-built system to investigate the functionality of a
fNIRS-BCI system. This work describes the construction of the device, the principles of
operation and the implementation of a fNIRS-BCI application, âMindswitchâ that harnesses
motor imagery for control. Analysis is performed online and feedback of performance is
presented to the user. Mindswitch presents a basic âon/offâ switching option to the user, where
selection of either state takes 1 min. Initial results show that fNIRS can support simple BCI
functionality and shows much potential. Although performance may be currently inferior to
many EEG systems, there is much scope for development particularly with more sophisticated
signal processing and classification techniques. We hope that by presenting fNIRS as an
accessible and affordable option, a new avenue of exploration will open within the BCI
research community and stimulate further research in fNIRS-BCIs
Distributed monte carlo simulation of light transportation in tissue
A distributed Monte Carlo simulation which models the propagation of light through tissue has been developed. It will allow for improved calibration of medical imaging devices for investigating tissue oxygenation in the white matter of the cerebral cortex. The application can distribute the simulation over an unbounded number of processors in parallel. We have found that this application is highly parallelisable resulting in up to 97 % efficiency at 60 processors running on a homogeneous Java distributed system. A distributed system with 150 heterogeneous processors was used to simulate the paths of photons in a brain tissue model. We found that the source illumination footprint has an effect on the distribution of photons in the head and that lasers do produce a small beam in a highly scattering medium. This application will help researchers to improve the accuracy of their experiments.
Distributed Monte Carlo Simulation of Light Transportation in Tissue Andrew J. Page
A distributed Monte Carlo simulation which models the propagation of light through tissue has been developed. It will allow for improved calibration of medical imaging devices for investigating tissue oxygenation in the white matter of the cerebral cortex. The application can distribute the simulation over an unbounded number of processors in parallel. We have found that this application is highly parallelisable resulting in up to 97% effciency at 60 processors running on a homogeneous Java distributed system. A distributed system with 150 heterogeneous processors was used to simulate the paths of photons in a brain tissue model. We found that the source illumination footprint has an effect on the distribution of photons in the head and that lasers do produce a small beam in a highly scattering medium. This application will help researchers to improve the accuracy of their experiments