Evaluation of Digitally Encoded Layer‐by‐layer Coated Microparticles as Cell Carriers

To obtain more biologically relevant data there is a growing interest in the use of living cells for assaying the biological activity of unknown chemical compounds. Density ‘multiplex’ cell‐based assays, where different cell types are mixed in one well and simultaneously investigated upon exposure to a certain compound are beginning to emerge. To be able to identify the cells they should be attached to microscopic carriers that are encoded. This paper investigates how digitally encoded microparticles can be loaded with cells while keeping the digital code in the microcarriers readable. It turns out that coating the surface of the encoded microcarriers with polyelectrolytes using the layer‐by‐layer (LbL) approach provides the microcarriers with a ‘highly functional’ surface. The polyelectrolyte layer allows the growth of the cells, allows the orientation of the cell loaded microcarriers in a magnetic field, and does not hamper the reading of the code. It has further been shown that the cells growing on the polyelectrolyte layer can become transduced by adenoviral particles hosted by the polyelectrolyte layer. It is concluded that the digitally encoded microparticles are promising materials for use in biomedical and pharmaceutical in‐vitro research where cells are used as tools.     

Modeling of the AC Arc Discharge on Snow-covered Insulators

A mathematical model for predicting the ac flashover voltage of snow-covered insulators is presented. The arc constant parameters in air gaps and inside snow, as well as the arc reignition condition are determined using a cylindrical model. The effects of the arc length on the arc constants parameters are also investigated. The model is then applied to an EPDM insulator artificially covered with natural snow. There is good concordance between the flashover results determined from the mathematical model and those obtained experimentally.     

High-speed techniques for estimating t1, t2, and density images

This work presents methods for estimating relaxation times T1 and T2 and proton density using a real time digital video processor. This device performs each mathematical step of the fitting algorithms in one video frame interval (1/30 s). Two-point fits of T1 and T2 may be generated in approximately 15 video frame intervals or about 0.5 s; generation of a T2 image from four acquired images requires about 30 video frame intervals or about 1 s. The hardware is common to many commercial MR scanners and requires no array processor. Such high-speed techniques can expedite the clinical use of computed images and facilitate the implementation of image synthesis.     

Hyper-Spherical Search (HSS) algorithm: a novel meta-heuristic algorithm to optimize nonlinear functions

This paper proposes a novel optimization algorithm called Hyper-Spherical Search (HSS) algorithm. Like other evolutionary algorithms, the proposed algorithm starts with an initial population. Population individuals are of two types: particles and hyper-sphere centers that all together form particle sets. Searching the hyper-sphere inner space made by the hyper-sphere center and its particle is the basis of the proposed evolutionary algorithm. The HSS algorithm hopefully converges to a state at which there exists only one hyper-sphere center, and its particles are at the same position and have the same cost function value as the hyper-sphere center. Applying the proposed algorithm to some benchmark cost functions shows its ability in dealing with different types of optimization problems. The proposed method is compared with the genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and harmony search algorithm (HSA). The results show that the HSS algorithm has faster convergence and results in better solutions than GA, PSO and HSA.     

CQARPL: Congestion and QoS-aware RPL for IoT applications under heavy traffic

The Journal of Supercomputing - The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a common platform to connect the heterogeneous devices over the internet. Hence, the number of devices connected via the...     

Définition théorique des paramètres en fort niveau d’un multipôle actif non linéaire

In this paper, large signal non linear P parameters are rigorously defined, allowing the characterization of non linear active n-port circuits in the frequency domain with the aim of computer aided design of power microwave devices. No a priori conditions bind the parameters to the variables describing the input signal. However the following rules apply to the parameters: they may be function of any input variables of the n-port circuit; the expression of the large-signal parameters should become identical to the expression of the linear parameters characterizing the n-port circuit under linear operating conditions when the values of the input variables tend to zero. An application of the definition to afet is demonstrated.     

An enhanced beam search algorithm for the Shortest Common Supersequence Problem

The Shortest Common Supersequence Problem asks to obtain a shortest string that is a supersequence of every member of a given set of strings. It has applications, among others, in data compression and oligonucleotide microarray production. The problem is NP-hard, and the existing exact solutions are impractical for large instances. In this paper, a new beam search algorithm is proposed for the problem, which employs a probabilistic heuristic and uses the dominance property to further prune the search space. The proposed algorithm is compared with three recent algorithms proposed for the problem on both random and biological sequences, outperforming them all by quickly providing solutions of higher average quality in all the experimental cases. The Java source and binary files of the proposed IBS_SCS algorithm and our implementation of the DR algorithm and all the random and real datasets used in this paper are freely available upon request.     

A novel amplitude-phase weighting for analog microwave beamforming

A simple receiver and transmitter structure for smart antennas and phased array antennas is proposed. A new technique for amplitude and phase weighting in microwave domain is presented. Signals of different antenna elements are sampled using pulses with adjusted time delay and duty cycles. The first replica of the sampled signal is reconstructed to provide the proper phase shift and amplitude weighting. A new switch circuit is designed to improve the power efficiency of the proposed structure and to lower the effects of switching on the impedance matching. The effect of nonideal switching on the performance of the system is analyzed. Procedures are proposed to integrate the proposed structure with adaptive signal processing tasks. Signal to noise ratio of the structure is studied under different scenarios.     

Preparation and characterization of foamed polyurethane/silicone rubber/graphite nanocomposite as radio frequency wave absorbing material: The role of interfacial compatibilization

A novel method for the preparation of radio frequency (RF) wave absorber polyurethane foam (PU) has been developed by impregnation of PU foam in n-hexane solution of room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber (SR) hybridized with graphite nanosheets (GNs) called doping solution. Extent of the GNs dispersion was optimized by the incorporation of a specific type of bifunctional compatibilizer. Insulator to conductive transition threshold as well as electromagnetic wave absorption characteristics of the fabricated nanocomposites was shown to be dependent upon the compatibilizer functionality. All PU/SR/GN nanocomposites generated from bifunctional compatibilizer exhibited higher electrical conductivity with enhanced permittivity implying enhanced formation of conductive networks by GN platelets. Permittivity of the PU/SR/GN nanocomposite based on bifunctional compatibilizer showed to be higher than uncompatibilized counterpart. Electromagnetic reflection loss behavior of the PU/SR/GN nanocomposites exhibited a non-linear correlation with the electrical conductivity. Although all PU/SR/GN prepared nanocomposites exhibited electromagnetic wave reflection loss behavior, but this revealed to be affected by the GN level as well as the size and dispersion state of the graphite nanosheets.     

A comparison of Zayandehrood River water values for agriculture and the environment

River water management is challenging not only since they are open systems with changing physical structures, but also because the water values are mostly unknown over varied sectors. If policymakers grasp water values, water management will be more efficient. This research intends to examine the values of water in agriculture, which receives the most substantial portion of water resources, with the values of water in the environment in Isfahan located in the Zayandehrood River basin of Iran. The consequences of contingent valuation and production function methods revealed that per cubic metre value of water is 13 times higher in the environment than agriculture. The government should reconsider the higher value of the environment despite it is a non‐market value. The contingent valuation model additionally proved that women exhibited 21% more willingness to pay than men in order to protect the environment; however, they are paid less by 36%.