Finding diamonds in the rough: Targeted Sub-threshold Search for Strongly-lensed Gravitational-wave Events

Strong gravitational lensing of gravitational waves can produce duplicate signals separated in time with different amplitudes. We consider the case in which strong lensing produces identifiable gravitational-wave events and weaker sub-threshold signals hidden in the noise background. We present a search method for the sub-threshold signals using reduced template banks targeting specific confirmed gravitational-wave events. We apply the method to all events from Advanced LIGO's first and second observing run O1/O2. Using GW150914 as an example, we show that the method effectively reduces the noise background and raises the significance of (near-) sub-threshold triggers. In the case of GW150914, we can improve the sensitive distance by $2.0\% - 14.8\%$. Finally, we present the top $5$ possible lensed candidates for O1/O2 gravitational-wave events that passed our nominal significance threshold of False-Alarm-Rate $\leq 1/30$ days

Electrochemically primed functional redox mediator generator from the decomposition of solid state electrolyte.

Recent works into sulfide-type solid electrolyte materials have attracted much attention among the battery community. Specifically, the oxidative decomposition of phosphorus and sulfur based solid state electrolyte has been considered one of the main hurdles towards practical application. Here we demonstrate that this phenomenon can be leveraged when lithium thiophosphate is applied as an electrochemically "switched-on" functional redox mediator-generator for the activation of commercial bulk lithium sulfide at up to 70 wt.% lithium sulfide electrode content. X-ray adsorption near-edge spectroscopy coupled with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Raman indicate a catalytic effect of generated redox mediators on the first charge of lithium sulfide. In contrast to pre-solvated redox mediator species, this design decouples the lithium sulfide activation process from the constraints of low electrolyte content cell operation stemming from pre-solvated redox mediators. Reasonable performance is demonstrated at strict testing conditions

Video Based Automatic Speech Recognition Using Neural Networks

Neural network approaches have become popular in the field of automatic speech recognition (ASR). Most ASR methods use audio data to classify words. Lip reading ASR techniques utilize only video data, which compensates for noisy environments where audio may be compromised. A comprehensive approach, including the vetting of datasets and development of a preprocessing chain, to video-based ASR is developed. This approach will be based on neural networks, namely 3D convolutional neural networks (3D-CNN) and Long short-term memory (LSTM). These types of neural networks are designed to take in temporal data such as videos. Various combinations of different neural network architecture and preprocessing techniques are explored. The best performing neural network architecture, a CNN with bidirectional LSTM, compares favorably against recent works on video-based ASR

Design and implementation of a preload electronics architecture for a MEMS accelerometer

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2006.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-101).This thesis describes the design and implementation of an electronics system to provide rebalancing and readout for a force-rebalanced microelectromechanical accelerometer. A feedback control loop is devised using a novel preload architecture, compensating the proof mass of the sensor and providing an accurate acceleration measurement. This architecture is compared to alternative methods of linearizing the control loop. The electronics system is divided into analog and digital subsystems. The design is analyzed at several abstraction levels. The system is implemented for prototype testing with discrete components on a printed circuit board with a MEMS sensor attached. A computer program is implemented to receive and process the readout data using the serial port. The design methodology consists of a top-down design flow based on simulation. At each iteration in the design process, the lower level abstraction is verified with the previous model. Eventually, the design reaches the level of synthesizable digital logic and discrete analog components. This thesis describes the design process and implementation details for creating an accelerometer system prototype ready for lab testing. Detailed simulations indicate that the implemented design is likely to meet the design goals for a personal navigation system suitable for a human or land vehicle. Conclusions on design methodology and verification techniques are also presented.by Alvin Lai Lin.M.Eng

Genomic Profiling of Childhood Tumor Patient-Derived Xenograft Models to Enable Rational Clinical Trial Design.

Accelerating cures for children with cancer remains an immediate challenge as a result of extensive oncogenic heterogeneity between and within histologies, distinct molecular mechanisms evolving between diagnosis and relapsed disease, and limited therapeutic options. To systematically prioritize and rationally test novel agents in preclinical murine models, researchers within the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium are continuously developing patient-derived xenografts (PDXs)-many of which are refractory to current standard-of-care treatments-from high-risk childhood cancers. Here, we genomically characterize 261 PDX models from 37 unique pediatric cancers; demonstrate faithful recapitulation of histologies and subtypes; and refine our understanding of relapsed disease. In addition, we use expression signatures to classify tumors for TP53 and NF1 pathway inactivation. We anticipate that these data will serve as a resource for pediatric oncology drug development and will guide rational clinical trial design for children with cancer

A single domain antibody fragment that recognizes the adaptor ASC defines the role of ASC domains in inflammasome assembly

Myeloid cells assemble inflammasomes in response to infection or cell damage; cytosolic sensors activate pro–caspase-1, indirectly for the most part, via the adaptors ASC and NLRC4. This leads to secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis. To explore complex formation under physiological conditions, we generated an alpaca single domain antibody, VHH[subscript ASC], which specifically recognizes the CARD of human ASC via its type II interface. VHH[subscript ASC] not only impairs ASC[subscript CARD] interactions in vitro, but also inhibits inflammasome activation in response to NLRP3, AIM2, and NAIP triggers when expressed in living cells, highlighting a role of ASC in all three types of inflammasomes. VHH[subscript ASC] leaves the Pyrin domain of ASC functional and stabilizes a filamentous intermediate of inflammasome activation. Incorporation of VHH[subscript ASC]-EGFP into these structures allowed the visualization of endogenous ASC[superscript PYD] filaments for the first time. These data revealed that cross-linking of ASC[superscript PYD] filaments via ASC[superscript CARD] mediates the assembly of ASC foci.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Pioneer Award

Panle Discussion: The Impact of U.S. Trade Law Actions on Business Decisions in Taiwan

Transcript of the panel discussion on the impact of United States trade law on business decisions in Taiwan

Progressive Enlarging Blind Spot in a Young Asian Lady: A Case Report on Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy

Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy (AZOOR) is a very rare retinal disease that predominantly affect the Caucasians. It is usually present in a young myopic woman with an acute onset of photopsia and enlarging blind spots. Here, we report a young Asian lady who presented with a typical presentation of AZOOR and later confirmed by electrophysiological test of the retina. She was wrongly diagnosed as retrobulbar optic neuritis due to low index of suspicion for AZOOR among the treating physicians in the hospital. Fortunately, she responded to systemic corticosteroid that was given as a treatment of optic neuritis. AZOOR was only diagnosed later by a visiting European neuro-ophthalmologist in a neighboring country. The objective of this case report is to remind the reader that the condition exists in Asian population and should be kept as a differential diagnosis in a young lady who presented with progressive visual field defect