152 research outputs found
Alkali-free bioactive glass composition, U.S. Patent 9,238,044
No full textThe present invention relates to development of bioactive glass/glass-ceramic composition that are able to promote a fast deposition layer of carbonated hydroxyapatite upon immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for time periods as short as one hour. Such composition might include fluorides, and a variety of oxides (or their precursor compounds), such as Na2O—Ag2O—SrO—CaO—MgO—ZnO—P2O5—SiO2—Bi2O3—B2O3—CaF2, be prepared by the melt route or by the sol-gel process, with the specific composition and the preparation route selected according to the intended functionalities, which can present controlled biodegradation rate and bactericidal activity. The powders derived from glass melts purred in cold water (frits) may completely densify by sintering at temperatures up to 800° C. without devitrification, resulting in bioglass compacts with high flexural strength (˜85 MPa). The bioactive glass powders prepared by sol-gel densify at lower temperatures due to their higher specific surface area and reactivity
Inhibition of T-Type Voltage Sensitive Calcium Channel Reduces Load-Induced OA in Mice and Suppresses the Catabolic Effect of Bone Mechanical Stress on Chondrocytes
No full textPublisher's PDF.Voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCC) regulate cellular calcium influx, one of the earliest
responses to mechanical stimulation in osteoblasts. Here, we postulate that T-type
VSCCs play an essential role in bone mechanical response to load and participate in events
leading to the pathology of load-induced OA. Repetitive mechanical insult was used to induce
OA in Cav3.2 T-VSCC null and wild-type control mouse knees. Osteoblasts (MC3T3-
E1) and chondrocytes were treated with a selective T-VSCC inhibitor and subjected to fluid
shear stress to determine how blocking of T-VSCCs alters the expression profile of each
cell type upon mechanical stimulation. Conditioned-media (CM) obtained from static and
sheared MC3T3-E1 was used to assess the effect of osteoblast-derived factors on the
chondrocyte phenotype. T-VSCC null knees exhibited significantly lower focal articular cartilage
damage than age-matched controls. In vitro inhibition of T-VSCC significantly reduced
the expression of both early and late mechanoresponsive genes in osteoblasts but
had no effect on gene expression in chondrocytes. Furthermore, treatment of chondrocytes
with CM obtained from sheared osteoblasts induced expression of markers of hypertrophy
in chondrocytes and this was nearly abolished when osteoblasts were pre-treated with the
T-VSCC-specific inhibitor. These results indicate that T-VSCC plays a role in signaling
events associated with induction of OA and is essential to the release of osteoblast-derived
factors that promote an early OA phenotype in chondrocytes. Further, these findings suggest
that local inhibition of T-VSCC may serve as a therapy for blocking load-induced bone
formation that results in cartilage degenerationUniversity of Delaware. Department of Biological Sciences.University of Delaware. Biomedical Engineering Program.University of Delaware. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical adaptation of diabetic and perlecan deficient skeletons
No full textWang, LiyunBone, a “smart material”, keeps adapting its structure and mass under mechanical cues to meet its load-bearing function in the body. This amazing capability arises from its living cellular residents, whose sensitivity to mechanical and chemical signals, along with cell-cell communication over time and space, result in an adaptive mechanism, encoded in genes and yet modulated by environments, which works efficiently to ensure the proper maintenance of healthy adult skeleton. However, this robust adaptive process could be impaired by diseases. The overall objective of my thesis was to investigate how diabetes (a metabolic disease condition) and perlecan deficiency (a rare genetic condition, Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome) alter the adaptive response of skeleton to mechanical loading or disuse. The clinical motivation of this line of research is to maximize the anabolic potentials of mechanical stimulation in promoting bone health, a strategy complementary to pharmaceutical interventions. ☐ Given our lab’s interest on osteocytes, the primary mechanosensing cells in bone and the master orchestrator of bone remodeling, I focused my investigations on how hyperglycemia (a complication of uncontrolled diabetes) affects the sensitivity of osteocytes and bone tissue to mechanical loading. I further investigated the effects of deficiency of perlecan, a critical component of osteocyte mechanosensing pericellular complex, on bone cells and bone tissue responses to the removal of loading and subsequent reloading. My results demonstrated the robustness of bone formation driven by mechanical loading in mice with normal or mild diabetes (40% elevated blood glucose), while severe diabetes (>200% elevation) completely abolished bone formation and inhibited osteocyte’s intracellular calcium and other responses to fluid flow. With decreased perlecan content in bone, a severe osteoporotic skeletal phenotype was seen in the trabecular bone compartments of the perlecan deficient mouse mutants. This phenotype was present for both axial bone (vertebrate) and long bones (femur and tibia) and progressively worsen with age, primary due to the upregulation of osteoclastogenesis. Also, for the first time, we found that the perlecan deficient mice, although lost bone similarly as wild type under hindlimb suspension, could partially recover from the bone loss after re-ambulation. ☐ Although my results provide experimental evidence that metabolic and matrix perturbations like diabetes and Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome negatively affect bone, bone cells, and bone adaptation process, the robustness of the bone adaptation process is also evident in the load-induced bone formation found in mildly diabetic mice and the surprising recovery from bone loss after re-loading of perlecan deficient mice. Despite the experiments were performed in mice, these findings could provide insights on managing bone health in patients suffering diabetes (e.g., getting the blood sugar level in control) or Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome (e.g., engaging moderate exercise). Overall, my thesis supports that exercise is a potent anabolic stimulus to bone. Unlocking or restoring its power by regulating the underlying mechanisms could be an effective way to promote bone health.University of Delaware, Biomedical Engineering DepartmentPh.D
Rent - seeking trade policy : a time series approach
No full textUsing a time-series approach, the author analyzes the relationship between the extent of rent-seeking trade policy and both political and economic variables. For rent-seeking trade policy, the indicator he uses is the number of foreign-trade regulations passed each year for the benefit of a single firm or industry. The author uses data from Uruguay for 1925-83. Uruguay, which experienced an impressive economic decline, is an outstanding example of a rent-seeking society. After being a wealthy economy in midcentury, it suffered almost complete stagnation, which led to social and policital disintegration by the end of the 1960s. Three decades of restrictive regulations on foreign trade had created a nearly closed economy by the end of the 1960s. It was worth analyzing whether policymakers'great receptiveness to demands for protection could account for Uruguay's decline. Over the period 1925-83, the author finds almost 4,000 laws, decrees, and administrative resolutions that create, maintain, or modify a foreign-trade regulation for the benefit of a single firm or industry. About half of them explicitly identify the petitioner - usually a firm or guild. Since the size of the Uruguayan economy changed over the period studied, the author scales the annual number of regulations by output or exports to measure the extent of rent-seeking trade policy. The author shows that the extent of rent-seeking trade policy increased with discretionary policies and under dictatorship. (In the period studied, there were two stages of democracy - until 1932 and from 1943-72 - and two stages of dictatorship.) He also shows that rent-seeking trade restrictions increased under import-substitution strategies and, more unexpectedly, under active export promotion. This suggests that discretionary power leads to wasteful distribution, whether it is used to support inward- or outward-oriented policies. Finally, the author analyzes the correlation between innovations in the trade policy indicator and innovations in the growth rates of output and exports, with a lag of up to 20 years. Surprisingly, he finds a positive correlation with output growth rates after two or three years. But the correlation becomes negative some years later, particularly in the case of exports. The short-run positive impact on growth rates, together with the surprisingly long time lag before the negative impact, may account for policymakers'receptiveness to demands for protection.Trade Policy,Achieving Shared Growth,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies
Double skew cyclic codes over Fq + vFq
No full textIn order to get a better code rate, this study focuses on the construction of double skew cyclic codes over the ring R = F-q + v(q) with v(2) = v , where q is a prime power. We investigate the generator polynomials, minimal spanning sets, generator matrices, and the dual codes over the ring R . As an implementation, the obtained results are illustrated with some suitable examples. Here, we introduce a construction for new generator matrices and thus achieve codes with improved parameters compared to those available in the existing literature. Finally, we tabulate our obtained codes over the ring R .Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India [09/1023(0027)/2019-EMR-1]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) ARDEB 1002-A [123F286]In this research, the author Ashutosh Singh is thankful to the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India under File No. 09/1023(0027)/2019-EMR-1 and the author Tulay Yildirim is thankful to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) ARDEB 1002-A Grant No 123F286 for the financial support
Business process improvement using multi-objective optimisation
No full textBusiness process redesign and improvement has become an increasingly attractive subject in the wider area of business process intelligence. Although there have been many attempts to establish a business process redesign framework, there is little work on the actual optimisation of business processes with given objectives. Furthermore, most of the attempts to optimise a business process are manual and do not involve a formal automated methodology. This paper proposes a process improvement approach for automated multi-objective optimisation of business processes. The proposed framework uses a generic business process model that is formally defined. The formal definition of business processes is necessary to ensure that the optimisation will take place in a clearly defined, repeatable and verifiable way. Multi-objectivity is expressed in terms of process cost and duration as two key objectives for any business process. The business process model is programmed and incorporated into a software optimisation platform where a selection of multi-objective optimisation algorithms can be applied to a business process design. This paper outlines a case study of business process design that is optimised by the state-of-the-art multi-objective optimisation algorithm NSGA2. The results indicate that, although business process optimisation is a highly constrained problem with fragmented search space, a number of alternative optimised business processes that meet the optimisation criteria can be produced. The paper also provides directions for future research in this area
Ashutosha Gowarikera lekcja patriotyzmu, czyli o roli kina indyjskiego w konstruowaniu tożsamości narodowej
No full textLESSON IN PATRIOTISM BY ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER — THE ROLE OF INDIAN CINEMA IN CONSTRUCTING NATIONAL IDENTITY The paper is devoted to the nationalistic character of Indian film narratives given by Ashutosh Gowariker in his three movies: Lagaan, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. Taking the cultural understanding of nationalism derived from the theories of Benedict Anderson, Eric Hobsbawn and Anthony Smith as a starting point, the author attempts to show how the director tries to build his narrations about India as an ‘imagined community.’ Since both cinema and the idea of ‘nation’ appeared in the subcontinent at approximately the same time, it is exceedingly essential to recognize the vital implications of their coexistence. Ashutosh Gowariker’s movies are one of the most interesting samples of Indian cinema’s endeavour to promote the idea of united India where people with different religious, ethnic and social backgrounds can live in peace and harmony. The nationalistic rhetoric manifests itself in the portrayal of the community’s solidarity against colonial exploitation, in the representation of both ideal Indian women and emigrant patriot, and finally in apotheosis of the great Muslim ruler whose tolerance serves as a role model for contemporary India and its struggle in facing the growth of religious fundamentalism. LESSON IN PATRIOTISM BY ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER — THE ROLE OF INDIAN CINEMA IN CONSTRUCTING NATIONAL IDENTITY The paper is devoted to the nationalistic character of Indian film narratives given by Ashutosh Gowariker in his three movies: Lagaan, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. Taking the cultural understanding of nationalism derived from the theories of Benedict Anderson, Eric Hobsbawn and Anthony Smith as a starting point, the author attempts to show how the director tries to build his narrations about India as an ‘imagined community.’ Since both cinema and the idea of ‘nation’ appeared in the subcontinent at approximately the same time, it is exceedingly essential to recognize the vital implications of their coexistence. Ashutosh Gowariker’s movies are one of the most interesting samples of Indian cinema’s endeavour to promote the idea of united India where people with different religious, ethnic and social backgrounds can live in peace and harmony. The nationalistic rhetoric manifests itself in the portrayal of the community’s solidarity against colonial exploitation, in the representation of both ideal Indian women and emigrant patriot, and finally in apotheosis of the great Muslim ruler whose tolerance serves as a role model for contemporary India and its struggle in facing the growth of religious fundamentalism. 
Reconfigurable and heterogeneous architectures for efficient computing
No full textThe saturation of single-thread performance, along with the advent of the power wall, has resulted in the need for efficient use of area and power budgets. With the end of Dennard scaling, and the slow down of Moore's law, scaling from one process node to another no longer delivers gains in performance or power for general-purpose computing. Thus, there is an increase in the adoption of specialized hardware, tuned to the requirements of the application or domain. These accelerators promise high performance and energy efficiency. However, with the increasing complexity and resource requirements of applications and algorithms, there is also a need for more flexibility in these accelerator platforms. Along with high performance and energy efficiency, they must be able to cope with changes at an application and algorithmic level. In the face of these challenges, this dissertation explores the use of reconfiguration to balance flexibility, performance, and energy efficiency.
We begin by presenting three novel approaches that explore the use of reconfiguration in the three dominant computing devices -- CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. First, we consider general-purpose GPU (GPGPU) computing and highlight the inefficiencies in GPGPU, and identify opportunities to leverage reconfiguration to address these inefficiencies. Our solution is novel reconfigurable GPU architecture that can adapt to the needs of GPUs by dynamically allocating computational and memory resources among GPU cores (SMs). Second, we consider the limitations of dynamic partial reconfiguration (DPR) in modern FPGAs. We observe that while DPR is a potentially powerful technique, it is difficult to leverage. Thus, we propose an end-to-end methodology to leverage dynamic partial reconfiguration in FPGAs. The approach scales from edge to cloud devices, and presents an overlay architecture and an integer linear programming (ILP) based scheduler and mapper. We also demonstrate the ability to simultaneously map multiple applications to one FPGA, and explore different scheduling and sharing strategies. Third, we attempt to bridge the gap between the efficiency of reconfigurable computing and near-memory computing for general-purpose computing. Thus, we consider a modern multi-core CPU, and propose a novel architecture that uses SRAM arrays in the last level cache to create a reconfigurable computing fabric. Our approach is cheap, fast, energy-efficient, non-invasive, and flexible.
Finally, this dissertation concludes by considering the lessons learned from exploiting reconfiguration on CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs, and asks how a modern reconfigurable computing device should be designed. With the explosion of data, large computational workloads, and increasing demands of efficiency, we propose a new memory-centric reconfigurable architecture, capable of fast dynamic reconfiguration and altering its compute to memory ratio and organization. We demonstrate significantly higher performance, density, and memory capacity than modern FPGAs.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2023-05-01The student, Ashutosh Dhar, accepted the attached license on 2021-04-22 at 19:11.The student, Ashutosh Dhar, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2021-04-22 at 19:22.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2021-04-23 at 08:48.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #16518 on 2021-09-16 at 17:05:00Made available in DSpace on 2021-09-17T02:34:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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3D Printing and the Art World: Current Developments and Future Perspectives
No full text3D printing’s rapid technological development is starting to impact the art field because, for the first time, it has become possible to exactly reproduce and reconstruct artworks without any loss of their physical features. Yet, a coherent overview of how 3D printing is used within the art field while paying attention to ethical considerations does not exist. This study will provide an overview of the current developments of 3D printing in the art world, its use, and the direction it is moving toward. Within this study, the technologies that enable, influence, and will continue to affect the 3D reproduction of artworks, namely technologies necessary to capture an artwork’s materials on a chemical and physical level, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing technology itself, and the rise of the non-fungible token (NFT) are analyzed to be able to understand what 3D printing implies for our changing perception of art in the future.Team Joris Di
An IoT and Edge Computing Based Framework for Charge Scheduling and EV Selection in V2G Systems
No full textThe daily fluctuations in the power requirements and the regulation of voltage and frequency cause substantial energy dissipation. These lead to a reduction in the operational efficiency of the power grid. V2G (Vehicle 2 Grid) enabled electric vehicles (EVs) can act as a reactive power resource and can provide active power regulation, load matching, and current harmonic filtering. We propose a smart framework based on Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge computing to manage the V2G operations efficiently. The proposed framework can handle distributed energy sources, and can help in grid stabilization, increasing its reliability, and improving the power efficiency. V2G energy transfers can affect the EV's battery lifetime, however if carefully managed, they can be economical both for the grid operators, as well as the EV owners. The proposed framework creates an optimum charging schedule for each EV to maximize the profit of the EV owners, keeping the preferences set by the vehicle owner and the grid requirement in consideration.This work was supported by DST-SERB [Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)] under Project Grant ECR/2018/001479. The review of this article was coordinated by Dr. Y. Guo. (Ashutosh Sancheti and Sombuddha Chakravarty contributed equally to this work.) (Corresponding author: Mohsen Guizani.) Vinay Chamola is with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, BITS Pilani, Pilani 333031, India, and also with the APP Centre for AI Research, BITS Pilani, K.K. Birla Goa Campus, India (e-mail: [email protected])
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