Building an adaptive agent to monitor and repair the electrical power system of an orbital satellite

Over several years we have developed a multistrategy apprenticeship learning methodology for building knowledge-based systems. Recently we have developed and applied our methodology to building intelligent agents. This methodology allows a subject matter expert to build an agent in the same way in which the expert would teach a human apprentice. The expert will give the agent specific examples of problems and solutions, explanations of these solutions, or supervise the agent as it solves new problems. During such interactions, the agent learns general rules and concepts, continuously extending and improving its knowledge base. In this paper we present initial results on applying this methodology to build an intelligent adaptive agent for monitoring and repair of the electrical power system of an orbital satellite, stressing the interaction with the expert during apprenticeship learning

Buerger’s disease-like arteritis associated with Crohn’s disease. A case of ‘vas-colitis’?

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are classified as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) [1]. Crohn’s disease is characterized by the involvement of the intestinal wall, which leads to the formation of ulcers, fistulas and strictures of the intestine. The disease is more frequently found among Caucasians. Parenteral manifestations are possible in the course of IBD, including osteoarticular and ocular manifestations, affecting the skin or the blood vessels. Only a few cases of the coexistence of Takayasu’s disease and IBD have been reported so far [2–5]. Takayasu’s disease is a chronic inflammation of the large-diameter vessels, which was described for the first time nearly two hundred years ago [6]. The incidence of Takayasu’s disease in the U.S. is estimated at about 2.6 cases per million. This condition, in contrast to IBD, is most common among young women of the Asian origin [7]. In this paper we discuss the case of the co-existence of Crohn’s disease and vasculitis, with symptoms and some angiographic features similar to Buerger’s disease, that was classified as vasculitis associated with systemic disease. So far, the available literature lacks descriptions of similar cases of Crohn’s disease associated with vasculitis mimicking Buerger’s disease

SHARED EXPERTISE SPACE - A Learning-oriented Model for Computer Aided Engineering Design

The growing complexity of contemporary engineering designs requires the use of sophisticated computer-based design tools. Such tools increase productivity in drafting, configuration and calculations. However, the current generation of design tools plays a rather passive role in the whole design process. Recent progress in engineering design, machine learning and knowledge acquisition allows the development of knowledge-based design assistants which could behave as active partners to human designers rather than as graphical or computational aids. This paper presents the Shared Expertise Space (SES) model of cooperation between a human designer and a knowledge-based design assistant (called DISCIPLE-3) in which the design assistant behaves as an apprentice and a partner in the whole design process. The human designer and DISCIPLE-3 create designs together, with DISCIPLE-3 proposing routine and innovative designs, and the human designer correcting and finalizing these designs, as well as ..

The Disciple Learning Agent Shell and a Disciple Test Generation Agent

The Disciple Learning Agent Shell is a tool for developing intelligent agents where an expert teaches the agent how to perform domain-specific tasks in a way that resembles the way the expert would teach an apprentice, by giving the agent examples and explanations as well as by supervising and correcting its behavior. Disciple can be used by educators to build educational agents that will assist them in various ways. Such an educational agent that was built with Disciple generates history tests for middle school students, assisting the teacher in the assessment of students ’ understanding and use of higher-order thinking skills. The agent can also provide intelligent feedback to the student in the form of hints, answer and explanations. The test generation agent and the process of building it are presented in (Tecuci and Keeling, 1998). We propose to demonstrate both the Disciple shell and the test generation agent. 1. Disciple Learning Agent Shell Disciple is an apprenticeship, multistrategy learning approach for developing intelligent agents where an expert teaches the agent how to perform domain-specific tasks in a way that resembles the way the expert would teach an apprentice, by giving the agent examples and explanations a

Characterization of fluorescein-based monoboronate probe and its application to the detection of peroxynitrite in endothelial cells treated with doxorubicin

Boronate probes have emerged recently as a versatile tool for the detection of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Here, we present the characterization of a fluorescein-based monoboronate probe, a 4-(pinacol boronate)benzyl derivative of fluorescein methyl ester (FBBE), that proved to be useful to detect peroxynitrite in cell culture experiments. The reactivity of FBBE toward peroxynitrite as well hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and tyrosyl hydroperoxide was determined. Second-order rate constants of the reactions of FBBE with peroxynitrite, HOCl, and H2O2 at pH 7.4 were equal to (2.8 ± 0.2) × 105 M-1 s-1, (8.6 ± 0.5) × 103 M-1 s-1, and (0.96 ± 0.03) M-1 s-1, respectively. The presence of glutathione completely blocked the oxidation of the probe by HOCl and significantly inhibited its oxidation by H2O2 and tyrosyl hydroperoxide but not by peroxynitrite. The oxidative conversion of the probe was also studied in the systems generating singlet oxygen, superoxide radical anion, and nitric oxide in the presence and absence of glutathione. Spectroscopic characterization of FBBE and its oxidation product has been also performed. The differences in the reactivity pattern were supported by DFT quantum mechanical calculations. Finally, the FBBE probe was used to study the oxidative stress in endothelial cells (Ea.hy926) incubated with doxorubicin, a quinone anthracycline antibiotic. In endothelial cells pretreated with doxorubicin, FBBE was oxidized, and this effect was reversed by PEG-SOD and L-NAME but not by catalase

Exome Sequencing Reveals Novel Variants and Expands the Genetic Landscape for Congenital Microcephaly

Congenital microcephaly causes smaller than average head circumference relative to age, sex and ethnicity and is most usually associated with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders. The underlying etiology is highly heterogeneous and can be either environmental or genetic. Disruption of any one of multiple biological processes, such as those underlying neurogenesis, cell cycle and division, DNA repair or transcription regulation, can result in microcephaly. This etiological heterogeneity manifests in a clinical variability and presents a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, leaving an unacceptably large proportion of over half of microcephaly patients without molecular diagnosis. To elucidate the clinical and genetic landscapes of congenital microcephaly, we sequenced the exomes of 191 clinically diagnosed patients with microcephaly as one of the features. We established a molecular basis for microcephaly in 71 patients (37%), and detected novel variants in five high confidence candidate genes previously unassociated with this condition. We report a large number of patients with mutations in tubulin-related genes in our cohort as well as higher incidence of pathogenic mutations in MCPH genes. Our study expands the phenotypic and genetic landscape of microcephaly, facilitating differential clinical diagnoses for disorders associated with most commonly disrupted genes in our cohort