Limited Footprint Research Articles

Contrastive self-supervised clustering of scRNA-seq data

BackgroundSingle-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged has a main strategy to study transcriptional activity at the cellular level. Clustering analysis is routinely performed on scRNA-seq data to explore, recognize or discover underlying cell identities. The high dimensionality of scRNA-seq data and its significant sparsity accentuated by frequent dropout events, introducing false zero count observations, make the clustering analysis computationally challenging. Even though multiple scRNA-seq clustering techniques have been proposed, there is no consensus on the best performing approach. On a parallel research track, self-supervised contrastive learning recently achieved state-of-the-art results on images clustering and, subsequently, image classification.ResultsWe propose contrastive-sc, a new unsupervised learning method for scRNA-seq data that perform cell clustering. The method consists of two consecutive phases: first, an artificial neural network learns an embedding for each cell through a representation training phase. The embedding is then clustered in the second phase with a general clustering algorithm (i.e. KMeans or Leiden community detection). The proposed representation training phase is a new adaptation of the self-supervised contrastive learning framework, initially proposed for image processing, to scRNA-seq data. contrastive-sc has been compared with ten state-of-the-art techniques. A broad experimental study has been conducted on both simulated and real-world datasets, assessing multiple external and internal clustering performance metrics (i.e. ARI, NMI, Silhouette, Calinski scores). Our experimental analysis shows that constastive-sc compares favorably with state-of-the-art methods on both simulated and real-world datasets.ConclusionOn average, our method identifies well-defined clusters in close agreement with ground truth annotations. Our method is computationally efficient, being fast to train and having a limited memory footprint. contrastive-sc maintains good performance when only a fraction of input cells is provided and is robust to changes in hyperparameters or network architecture. The decoupling between the creation of the embedding and the clustering phase allows the flexibility to choose a suitable clustering algorithm (i.e. KMeans when the number of expected clusters is known, Leiden otherwise) or to integrate the embedding with other existing techniques.

Aerosol Jet Direct Writing Polymer-Thick-Film Resistors for Printed Electronics

To improve performance and reduce size of printed-circuit board (PCB) in electronics industry, embedding discrete components within a board substrate has been an effective approach by reducing solder joints and their associated impedance mismatching, inductive reactance, etc. With its unique capabilities for non-contact precision material deposition, the Aerosol Jet® direct-write technology has been enabling additive manufacturing of fine-feature electronics conformally onto flexible substrates of complicated shapes. The CAD/CAM controlled relative motions between substrate and print head allows convenient adjustment of the pattern and pile height of deposited material at a given ink volumetric deposition rate. To date in the printed electronics industry, additively printing embedded polymer-thick-film (PTF) resistors has mostly been done with screen printing using carbon-based paste inks. Here we demonstrate results of Aerosol Jet® printed PTF resistors of resistance values ranging from ~50 W to > 1 kW, adjustable (among several variable parameters) by the number of stacked layers (or print passes with each pass depositing a fixed amount of ink) between contact pads of around 1 mm apart with footprint line typically < 0.3 mm. In principle, any ink material that can be atomized into fine droplets of 1 to 5 microns can be printed with the Aerosol Jet® system. However, the print quality such as line edge cleanliness can significantly influenced by ink rheology which involves solvent volatility, solids loading, and so on. Our atomizable carbon ink was made by simply diluting a screen printing paste with a compatible solvent of reasonable volatility, which can be cured at temperatures below 200 oC. We show that Aerosol Jet® printed overlapping lines can be stacked to large pile height (to reduce the resistance value) without significant increase of line width, which enables fabricating embedded resistors with adjustable resistance values in a limited footprint space.

A Multi-Stage Graph Aided Algorithm for Distributed Service Function Chain Provisioning Across Multiple Domains

Network Service Providers (NSPs) envisage to support the divergent and stringent requirements of future services by instantiating these services as service chains, commonly referred to as Service Function Chains (SFCs), that are customized and configured to meet specific service requirements. However, due to the limited footprint of the Infrastructure Providers (InPs), these SFCs may have to transcend multiple InPs/domains. In this regard, determining the optimal set of InPs in which to embed the SFC request emerges as a complex problem for several reasons. First, the large number of possible combinations for selecting the InPs to embed the different sub-chains of the request makes this problem computationally complex, rendering optimal solutions only after long computations, especially in large scale networks, which is unfeasible for delay sensitive applications. Second, the unwillingness of InPs to disclose their internal information, which may be vital for making embedding decisions, usually implies the provisioning of single-domain solutions, which are unsuitable in this working scenario. In this regard, this paper first formulates the multi-domain service deployment problem under multiple request constraints, such as bandwidth or delay, among others. Then, due to the NP-hardness nature of the above problem, this paper proposes an algorithm that is aided by a multi-stage graph for computing a request embedding solution in a distributed manner, solving the problem in acceptable run-times. Results from different simulations reveal that the proposed algorithm is optimized in terms of acceptance ratio and embedding cost, with up to 60.0% and 88.7% improvements in terms of embedding cost and execution time, respectively, for some scenarios, in comparison with a benchmark state-of-the-art algorithm.

Game of Proxies – Towards a new model of warfare: Experiences from the CAR, Libya, Mali, Syria, and Ukraine

The objective of the study is to carry out a meaningful comparison that demonstrates the similarities and differences of various conflict theatres where proxy forces were employed. The analyses of the discussed cases focused on different aspects of the conflict and nature of the proxy use. The analyses presented on the following pages were conducted on the basis of the literature on the subject, governmental research and reports, and supporting sources reporting recent developments that complemented academic sources. Various non-state actors such as ethnic militias, paramilitary units, and private military companies have become more and more visible on contemporary battlegrounds. Modern states employ those actors to further their objectives, as this limits their own political and financial costs. This increasingly visible phenomenon points to an emerging new model of warfare where state actors are relying ever more on proxies of various character and nature. It is highly likely that any future conflict will be characterised by a proxy-based model of warfare, which will consist of a limited footprint made by regular forces (or none at all) and, consequently, the extended use of proxies supported by special forces. Because such an approach is less costly, proxies will be more often employed by low-budget states, previously reluctant to carry out such costly military endeavours. Denying the actions and affiliations of these proxies will inevitably follow and, in turn, a lack of political accountability and responsibility for the conflict’s outcome.

Evaluation of a compact multicontrast and multiresolution X-ray phase contrast edge illumination system for small animal imaging.

In this work the performance of a compact multiresolution and multicontrast x-ray phase system based on edge illumination is investigated. It has been designed for small animal imaging and with a limited footprint for ease of deployment in laboratories. The presented edge illumination system is based on a compact microfocus tungsten x-ray source combined with a flat panel detector. The source has a maximum output of 10W when the minimum spot size of about 15μm is used. The system has an overall length of 70cm. A new double sample mask design, obtained by arranging both skipped and nonskipped configurations on the same structure, provides dual resolution capability. To test the system, we carried out computed tomography (CT) scans of a plastic phantom with different source settings using both single-image and multi-image acquisition schemes at different spatial resolutions. In addition, CT scans of an ex-vivo mouse specimen were acquired at the best identified working conditions to demonstrate the application of the presented system to small animal imaging. We found this system delivers good image quality, allowing for an efficient material separation and improving detail visibility in small animals thanks to the higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of phase contrast with respect to conventional attenuation contrast. The system offers high versatility in terms of spatial resolution thanks to the double sample mask design integrated into a single scanner. The availability of both multi- and single-image acquisition schemes coupled with their dedicated retrieval algorithms, allows different working modes which can be selected based on user preference. Multi-image acquisition provides quantitative separation of the real and imaginary part of the refractive index, however, it requires a long scanning time. On the other hand, the single image approach delivers the best material separation and image quality at all the investigated source settings with a shorter scanning time but at the cost of quantitativeness. Finally, we also observed that the single image approach combined with a high-power x-ray source may result in a fast acquisition protocol compatible with in-vivo imaging.

All-Optical Mode-Selective Router Based on Broken Anti- PT Symmetry

On-chip integration fundamentally changes the way in which information is processed. The exploding communication capacity requires a high degree of integration of optical devices in a limited footprint. These requirements have pushed the minimization of optical chips almost to their physical limits. One potential way to break this limitation is to increase the number of functionalities in a module, for which the most critical issue is to expand the degree of freedom of information processing. Here, we propose a degree of freedom of information processing based on the basic mode vectors in the anti-parity-time-symmetry system. Based on our principle, adjacent whispering-gallery modes in a ring cavity are remarkably distinguished in their sensitivity to the signal intensity. What is more, the desired modes are labeled by individual resonance frequencies. This principle is demonstrated experimentally based on the wavelength-selective nonlinear excitation in microring resonators with the nonlinear material ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$. In addition, the combination of this proposed degree of freedom and the signal-direction-dependent function is experimentally demonstrated. This research provides a degree of freedom for designing multifunction devices, which will fundamentally expand the capacity of on-chip information processing.

Assessing water storage changes of Lake Poyang from multi-mission satellite data and hydrological models

Understanding water storage changes in Lake Poyang, the largest freshwater lake in China, is essential for local hydro-ecological assessments and water resource management. The integration of multi-mission satellite data, hydrological models, and in situ measurements allows for a comprehensive estimate of Lake Poyang’s storage variations. We here estimated Lake Poyang water storage changes during the recent decade by using inundation areas mapped from optical satellite imagery and water levels measured by satellite radar altimetry and gauging stations. The amplitudes of seasonal variation from altimetry data are smaller than those from station measurements. This is likely attributed to their low temporal resolutions and limited footprint coverage, together with a complex surface gradient over Lake Poyang. The residual fields between land water storage changes assessed by the GRACE satellites and simulated by two hydrological models (GLDAS Noah and WGHM) were applied to estimate Poyang water storage changes. Leakage errors in the GRACE-model residuals are further corrected by a constrained forward modeling method, resulting in recovered water storage trends ~66 times of the uncorrected signals. Water level changes estimated by different methods are then compared. Results show that level changes inverted from recovered storage variations by GRACE-GLDAS and GRACE-WGHM are significantly larger than those from satellite altimetry and in situ measurements. This indicates that the combination of GRACE observation and global hydrological modeling is likely insufficient to estimate accurate water storage changes in Lake Poyang. Our methods and results provide a valuable example of using integrated methods for monitoring water storage changes in highly dynamic fluvial lake systems.

Signals and Metrics Identifying Partnerships for Innovation

The global science and technology landscape is rapidly changing. In an environment where collaboration is necessary for scientific and technological innovation, it is nonetheless challenging to identify and establish relationships between international partners, especially in emerging technological fields where no country has yet demonstrated a clear advantage. This article describes a model to facilitate a quantitative assessment and ranking of national innovation potential based on the integration of established measures (e.g., patents and peer-reviewed publication counts) as well as nonobvious or subjective measures (e.g., national attitudes toward particular veins of research) to predict future performance. Such an assessment can provide a helpful step toward improving projections of scientific performance, particularly for those countries with a relatively limited footprint in the scientific landscape. Modeling can help identify and engage newcomers early in the innovation process to maximize benefits from a potential bilateral or multilateral relationship.

3D Architecture Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors

Energy is the prime source of life. The escalated consumption of fossil fuel has created the major problem of energy crisis, which demands the ample production and storage of renewable energy. In connection to this, the energy storage systems (EES) have been proved as secured solution to this setback. In fact, EES are contributing major character in the sector of portable electronic device, aerospace, electric vehicles, smart grids etc. Various energy storage systems like lithium ion batteries (LIBs), fuel cells, supercapacitors (SCs), hybrid devices etc. are being designed and developed by the researchers in the field of energy storage device. LIBs has their intrinsic advantage of high energy density whereas supercapacitors have the merit of high power density with good cyclic stability. As a matter of the fact, a sustainable energy storage device critically claims both optimized energy density along with power density. Supercapacitors due to its high power density, long cycling stability and fast charge/discharge property are considered as one of the most promising energy storage devices. The major bottleneck of SCs is its low energy density in comparison to batteries. Moreover, the energy density is dependent on the value of applied potential window and specific capacitance of the used electrode material. Hence, consistent efforts have been made towards finding high performance electrode materials for SCs. One of the strategies proposed to enhance the energy storage capacity of SCs is the construction of highly porous three-dimensional (3D) architecture electrodes with high surface area in a limited footprint area (Ramadoss et al., 2016; Ramadoss et al., 2017; Kwak et al., 2017). The construction of 3D compact architecture will help to shorten the diffusion path for fast transport of ions/electrons, increase the electrical conductivity, utilization of plentiful active materials in a small area for energy storage, which promotes fast kinetics and excellent electrochemical performance. Based on that, extensive efforts have been devoted to developing 3D electrodes for supercapacitors (Figure 1), and substantial progress and development have been achieved.

Low-Resource Footprint, Data-Driven Malware Detection on Android

Resource-constrained systems are becoming more and more common as users migrate from PCs to mobile devices and as IoT systems enter the mainstream. At the same time, it is not acceptable to reduce the level of security hence it is necessary to accommodate the required security into the system-imposed resource constraints. This paper introduces BAdDroIds, a mobile application leveraging machine learning for detecting malware on resource constrained devices. BAdDroIds executes in background and transparently analyzes the applications as soon as they are installed, i.e., before infecting the device. BAdDroIds relies on static analysis techniques and features provided by the Android OS to build up sound and complete models of Android apps in terms of permissions and API invocations. It uses ad-hoc supervised classification techniques to allow resource-efficient malware detection. By exploiting the intrinsic nature of data, it has been possible to implement a state-of-the-art data-driven model which provides deep insights on the detection problem and can be efficiently executed on the device itself as it requires a very limited computational effort. Besides its limited resource footprint, BAdDroIds is extremely effective: An extensive experimental evaluation shows that it outperforms the currently available solutions in terms of accuracy, which is around 99 percent.

Urbanization in Small Cities and Their Significant Implications on Landscape Structures: The Case in Ethiopia

Fundamental ideas concerning urbanization are primarily based on studies performed in large cities. It is of interest to study whether or not similar phenomena take place in smaller cities. Small cities are an inherent component of urbanization, and in the future, the majority of globalization is expected to occur in small and mid-sized cities. Understanding the effects of small cities on landscape structures is, therefore, an essential component in planning city land expansion. Accordingly, this study focused on six towns of the Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinnee, Ethiopia, which is broadly known to be experiencing dramatic growth. Time-series Landsat images from 1987 to 2019 with an integrated method, landscape metrics, and built-up density analysis were employed to characterize and compare the dynamics of landscape structures, urban expansion patterns, process, and overall growth status in the towns. The results highlight that all the towns experienced accelerated growth in the built-up areas and highly scattered nature in spatial growth. Landscape ecology analysis confirmed a highly fragmented urban landscape, a significant loss of natural land covers, and disconnected and complicated agro-vegetation patches in all towns, suggesting a lack of rigorous implementation of the master plan. Results also indicated that the Oromia Special Zone surrounding Finfinnee has failed to control urban sprawl to surrounding ecological sensitive areas. The study results, more broadly, highlight that the small cities would have a limited physical and demographic footprint and relatively less contribution to the national economic agglomeration; nonetheless, they can have a notable and important impact in terms of their ecological and environmental influence. Hence, the study suggests policies for monitoring such dynamics and protecting agro-environmental connectivity with particular focus on the small cities.

Nanoelectrode design from microminiaturized honeycomb monolith with ultrathin and stiff nanoscaffold for high-energy micro-supercapacitors

Downsizing the cell size of honeycomb monoliths to nanoscale would offer high freedom of nanostructure design beyond their capability for broad applications in different fields. However, the microminiaturization of honeycomb monoliths remains a challenge. Here, we report the fabrication of microminiaturized honeycomb monoliths—honeycomb alumina nanoscaffold—and thus as a robust nanostructuring platform to assemble active materials for micro-supercapacitors. The representative honeycomb alumina nanoscaffold with hexagonal cell arrangement and 400 nm inter-cell spacing has an ultrathin but stiff nanoscaffold with only 16 ± 2 nm cell-wall-thickness, resulting in a cell density of 4.65 × 109 cells per square inch, a surface area enhancement factor of 240, and a relative density of 0.0784. These features allow nanoelectrodes based on honeycomb alumina nanoscaffold synergizing both effective ion migration and ample electroactive surface area within limited footprint. A micro-supercapacitor is finally constructed and exhibits record high performance, suggesting the feasibility of the current design for energy storage devices.

Design optimization of a rotordynamic beam system with elastic supports to minimize flexural responses using a combined optimization algorithm

Modern rotating machines are often required to operate with increasingly limited physical footprints and/or overall weights, necessitating that they utilize wide-ranging shaft speed to accomplish needed power levels. It is not uncommon then that the resulting speed envelope crosses or encompasses multiple critical speeds with the requirement that flexural vibrations be limited to safe and acceptable levels. Design optimization of this class of problem can be particularly difficult in that responses can exhibit high modality adding significant complexity and time to the optimization effort. This paper presents a design optimization methodology appropriate to an economic solution for this class of problem. A simplified rotordynamic example is used to challenge the proposed optimization method against other more “conventional” techniques with results of the proposed method extensible to more complicated, practical rotordynamic problems.

3D Printing of Additive-Free 2D Ti3C2Tx (MXene) Ink for Fabrication of Micro-Supercapacitors with Ultra-High Energy Densities.

Recent advances in the development of self-powered devices and miniaturized electronics have increased the demand for on-chip energy storage devices that can deliver high power and energy densities in a limited footprint area. Here, we report the fabrication of all-solid-state micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) through a three-dimensional (3D) printing of additive-free and water-based MXene ink. The fabricated MSCs benefit from the high electrical conductivity and excellent electrochemical properties of two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx MXene and a 3D interdigital electrode architecture to deliver high areal and volumetric energy densities. We demonstrate that a highly concentrated MXene ink shows desirable viscoelastic properties for extrusion printing at room temperature and therefore can be used for scalable fabrication of MSCs with various architectures and electrode thicknesses on a variety of substrates. The developed printing process can be readily used for the fabrication of flexible MSCs on polymer and paper substrates. The printed solid-state devices show exceptional electrochemical performance with very high areal capacitance of up to ∼1035 mF cm-2. Our study introduces Ti3C2Tx MXene as an excellent choice of electrode material for the fabrication of 3D MSCs and demonstrates 3D printing of MXene inks at room temperature.

Miniaturized Energy Storage Devices Based on Two-Dimensional Materials.

A growing demand for miniaturized biomedical sensors, microscale self-powered electronic systems, and many other portable, wearable, and integratable electronic devices is continually stimulating the rapid development of miniaturized energy storage devices (MESDs). Miniaturized batteries (MBs) and supercapacitors (MSCs) were considered to be suitable energy storage devices to power microelectronics uninterruptedly with reasonable energy and power densities. However, in addition to similar challenges encountered with electrode materials in conventional energy storage devices, their performances are also greatly affected by microfabrication technologies, as well as the challenges of how to realize stable and high-performance MESDs in such a limited footprint area. Benefiting from the unique architectural engineering of two-dimensional materials and the emergence of precise and controllable microfabrication techniques, the output electrochemical performances of MSCs and MBs are improving rapidly. This minireview summarizes recent advances in MSCs and MBs built from two-dimensional materials, including electrode/device configuration designs, material synthesis, microfabrication processes, smart function incorporations, and system integrations. An introduction to configurations of the MESDs, from linear fibrous shapes, planar sandwich thin-film or interdigital structures, to three-dimensional configurations, is presented. The fundamental influences of the electrode material and configuration designs on the exhibited MB/MSC electrochemical performances are also highlighted.

Protective Effect of Breastfeeding on the Adverse Health Effects Induced by Air Pollution: Current Evidence and Possible Mechanisms.

Air pollution is a major social, economic, and health problem around the world. Children are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution due to their immaturity and excessive growth and development. The aims of this narrative review were to: (1) summarize evidence about the protective effects of breastfeeding on the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure, (2) define and describe the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of breastfeeding, and (3) examine the potential effects of air pollution on breastmilk composition and lactation. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases. Existing evidence suggests that breastfeeding has a protective effect on adverse outcomes of indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure in respiratory (infections, lung function, asthma symptoms) and immune (allergic, nervous and cardiovascular) systems, as well as under-five mortality in both developing and developed countries. However, some studies reported no protective effect of breastfeeding or even negative effects of breastfeeding for under-five mortality. Several possible mechanisms of the breastfeeding protective effect were proposed, including the beneficial influence of breastfeeding on immune, respiratory, and nervous systems, which are related to the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective properties of breastmilk. Breastmilk components responsible for its protective effect against air pollutants exposure may be long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA), antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, immunoglobins, and cytokines, some of which have concentrations that are diet-dependent. However, maternal exposure to air pollution is related to increased breastmilk concentrations of pollutants (e.g., Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or heavy metals in particulate matter (PM)). Nonetheless, environmental studies have confirmed that breastmilk’s protective effects outweigh its potential health risk to the infant. Mothers should be encouraged and supported to breastfeed their infants due to its unique health benefits, as well as its limited ecological footprint, which is associated with decreased waste production and the emission of pollutants.

The interventional magnetic resonance imaging suite: Experience in the design, development, and implementation in a pre-existing radiology space and review of concepts.

Background:Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (ioMRI) has led to significant advancements in neurosurgery with improved accuracy, assessment of the extent of resection, less invasive surgical alternatives, and real-time confirmation of targeting as well delivery of therapies. The costs associated with developing ioMRI units in the surgical suite have been obstacles to the expansion of their use. More recently, the development of hybrid interventional MRI (iMRI) units has become a viable alternative. The process of designing, developing, and implementing operations for these units requires the careful integration of environmental, technical, and safety elements of both surgical and MR practices. There is a paucity of published literature providing guidance for institutions looking to develop a hybrid iMRI unit, especially with a limited footprint in the radiology department.Methods:The experience of designing, developing, and implementing an iMRI in a preexisting space for neurosurgical procedures at a single institution in light of available options and the literature is described.Results:The development of the unit was accomplished through the engagement of a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders who utilized existing guidelines and recommendations and their own professional experience to address issues including physical layout, equipment selection, operations planning, infection control, and oversight/review, among others.Conclusion:Successful creation of an iMRI program requires multidisciplinary collaboration in integrating surgical and MR practice. The authors’ aim is that the experience described in this article will serve as an example for facilities or neurosurgical departments looking to navigate the same process.

Scaling-up of evapotranspiration measurements: the promising role of scintillometry

The assessment of evapotranspiration (ET) is of primary interest, especially for agricultural and environmental issues. Traditional micrometeorological techniques require homogenous surface and are characterized by limited footprint. Thus, they cannot be applied to assess ET over inhomogeneous and extensive surfaces, typical conditions at the catchment scale and of extensive farming systems. In this context, a suitable technique to measure turbulent fluxes is scintillometry, which can give measurements of sensible heat flux at larger scale, providing averages over heterogeneous surfaces. ET can then be estimated as residual of the energy budget. In this study, we present results from a one-week campaign held during summer 2016 in Southern Italy. We deployed a Large Aperture Scintillometer (LAS) in an extensive vineyard of 140 ha on a path length of 760 m. The site was characterized by gently slope terrain with uniform crop. In order to have reference measurements of local sensible heat flux, we deployed three sonic anemometers along the scintillometer path. The aim of the study was to test the ability of scintillometry to provide a spatially averaged flux, representative of the possibly diverse conditions in an extended footprint upwind to the measurement path. The relationship between sensible heat flux measured by EC and LAS showed to be very good for the EC station in the middle of the path, whereas off-centre areas were less represented.

Advances on three‐dimensional electrodes for micro‐supercapacitors: A mini‐review

AbstractOwing to the high power density, long cycle life and maintain‐free, micro‐supercapacitors (MSCs) stand out as preferred miniaturized energy source for the miscellaneous autonomous electronic components. However, the shortage of energy density is the main stumbling block for their practical applications. To solve this energy issue, constructing a three‐dimensional (3D) electrode within the limited footprint area is proposed as a new solution for improving the energy storage capacity of MSCs. In the last few years, extensive efforts have been devoted to developing 3D electrodes for MSCs, and significant progress and breakthrough have been achieved. While, there is still lack of systematic summary on the 3D electrode design strategies. To this end, it is imperative to outline the basic design conception, summarize the current states, and discuss the future research about 3D electrodes in MSCs based on the latest development.

Non-battle Emergency Department Utilization of the First Modular Army Field Hospital Prototype in Support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.

The 2010-2011 withdrawal from Iraq included the closure of all fixed-facility military medical resources. Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, the United States-led counter-terrorism mission in Iraq and Syria, subsequently commenced in 2014. With increasing combat operations, the 28th Combat Support Hospital deployed to Iraq to support that mission as a limited footprint unit prototyped after the new modular Army Field Hospital. We describe the non-battle utilization of the emergency medical treatment section. We prospectively collected data for this project as part of a performance improvement initiative to track healthcare utilization to guide emergency medical treatment section staffing. The project took place at a combat support hospital near Baghdad, Iraq from July 2016 through January 2017. During this time, the emergency department (ED) averaged 3.5 visits per day totaling 675 non-battle encounters. Most (84.6%) were U.S. military personnel with a median age of 32 (IQR 26-38). The most common procedure performed was point-of-care ultrasound (n = 33). Most patients (96.9%) underwent discharge from the ED. Of the 21 subjects admitted, 6 were for surgical intervention and the remaining for medical or observational indications. The most common chief complaints were musculoskeletal (31.1%, n = 210), respiratory (15.3%, n = 103), and dermatologic (12.0%, n = 81). Non-battle injuries and illnesses were the predominant reason for ED utilization. Most subjects were discharged back to duty with relatively low-resource utilization. Few visits required procedural interventions.