Non-redundant Networks Research Articles

Associations of social network structure with cognition and amygdala volume in multiple sclerosis: An exploratory investigation

Background: Humans are inherently social, biologically programmed to connect with others. Social connections are known to impact mental and physical health. Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether social network structure is linked to cognition, mood, fatigue, and regional brain volumes in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: A questionnaire quantifying individual-level social network structure (size, density, effective size, and constraint), a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was administered to 51 persons with relapsing–remitting MS. Linear regressions assessed associations of network variables to cognition, depression, fatigue, and structural brain volumes. Results: Higher network density and constraint, indicating stronger connections among network members, were associated with worse language functions. Conversely, larger network effective size, a measure of non-redundant network members, was associated with better language functions. No relationships of network structure to depression or fatigue were found. Larger network size was related to larger amygdala volume. Conclusion: Findings suggest that social network structure is linked to language function and amygdala volume in persons with MS. Patients with close-knit networks showed worse language function than those with open networks. Longitudinal studies with larger samples are warranted to evaluate potential causal links between social network structure and MS-related cognitive impairment.

The influence of information depth and information breadth on brokers’ idea newness in online maker communities

Social networks provide individuals with diverse or redundant information depending on the network structure. Both types of information offer advantages for generating new ideas. At the same time, network structure and network content are independent. As a result, two individuals with the same network position can access diverse or redundant content from their social peers. In this study, we investigate the function of social networks in innovative endeavors given individuals’ different kinds of information accessing behavior. In accordance with previous research, we argue that individuals with a broker status access more diverse information through non-redundant network structures and develop, on average, more novel ideas. We further propose that redundancy in content complements brokers’ structural non-redundancy by providing familiar knowledge elements and therefore interpretability, while non-redundancy in both content and structure leads to information overload. Thus, we hypothesize that brokers accessing more information depth, and independently, less information breadth generate newer ideas. To test our hypotheses, we collected data from a popular online maker community containing 18,146 ideas, 19,919 profiles, and 52,663 comments. We used topic modeling (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) to extract hidden knowledge elements and social network analysis to identify brokers. In line with our hypotheses, we find that information depth (breadth) strengthens (weakens) a favorable broker position. These findings have implications for the literature on idea generation in social networks and household sector innovation.

LoRaWAN-Based Energy-Efficient Surveillance by Drones for Intelligent Transportation Systems

Urban networks aim at facilitating users for better experience and services through smart platforms such as the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). ITS focuses on information acquisition, sensing, contrivance control, data processing and forwarding to ground devices via user-specific application-interfaces. The utility of ITS is further improved via the Internet of Things (IoT), which supports “Connectivity to All”. One of the key applications of IoT-ITS is urban surveillance. Current surveillance in IoT-ITS is performed via fixed infrastructure-based sensing applications which consume an excessive amount of energy leading to several overheads and failures in the network. Such issues can be overcome by the utilization of on-demand nodes, such as drones, etc. However, drones-assisted surveillance requires efficient communication setup as drones are battery operated and any extemporaneous maneuver during monitoring may result in loss of drone or complete failure of the network. The novelty in terms of network layout can be procured by the utilization of drones with LoRaWAN, which is the protocol designated for Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN). However, even this architectural novelty alone cannot ascertain the formation of fail-safe, highly resilient, low-overhead, and non-redundant network, which is additionally the problem considered in this paper. To resolve such problem, this paper uses drones as LoRaWAN gateway and proposes a communication strategy based on the area stress, resilient factor, and energy consumption that avail in the efficient localization, improved coverage and energy-efficient surveillance with lower overheads, lower redundancy, and almost zero-isolations. The proposed approach is numerically simulated and the results show that the proposed approach can conserve a maximum of 39.2% and a minimum of 12.6% of the total network energy along with an improvement in the area stress between 89.7% and 53.0% for varying number of drones over a fixed area.

Compact Wideband Filtering Balun Using Stacked Composite Resonators

In this paper, a direct synthesis method is proposed for design and exploration of wideband filtering balun based on a compact triple-mode stacked composite resonators. Accordingly, an equivalent physics-based non-redundant network is developed for interpreting its working mechanism and facilitating the whole design process. Based on the derived non-redundant model, a synthesis approach is then established and described to the efficient design of the proposed filtering balun according to the design specifications. As a result, all the circuit element values and dimensions are directly determined. A wideband filtering balun is then designed to confirm its performance and validate the effectiveness of the proposed synthesis method. In this aspect, a triple-mode wideband filtering balun prototype has been designed, fabricated, and measured. The synthesized, simulated, and measured results are found in good agreement with each other over a wide operating band range, and they have demonstrated the attractive performances of the proposed wideband filtering balun, such as wide bandwidth of operation, sharpened frequency selectivity, good magnitude imbalance, and phase difference.

Standard Analysis for Transfer Delay in CTCS‐3

According to the standard for the GSM for railway (GSM-R) wireless systems in China train control system level 3 (CTCS-3), the control data transfer delay should be no larger than 500ms with greater than 99% probability. Coverage of both non-redundant networks and intercross redundant networks and cases of single Mobile terminals (MTs) and redundant MTs on one train are considered, and the corresponding vehicle-ground communication models, delay models, and fault models are constructed. The simulation results confirm that the transfer delay can meet the standard requirements under all cases. In particular, the probability is greater than 99.996% for redundant MTs and networks, and the standard of transfer delay in CTCS-3 will be improved inevitably.

When do redundant fluidic networks outperform non-redundant ones?

Redundancy constitutes a fundamental and intrinsic aspect of healthy vasculatures. Built-in redundancy might also be a desirable feature in man-made microfluidic devices. We show that redundant and non-redundant networks, built to have identical resistances to flow when unobstructed, allow for very different flows when they are occluded; redundant ones —densely occluded at a certain bifurcation level— allowing for larger flows than non-redundant ones —obstructed above relatively small thresholds. We also show that redundancy protects vessels against the large shear-rate gradients that occlusions would cause if it were not present. Our study allows one to quantify a network tolerance against blockage, provides guidance in the tailoring of microfluidic devices, and offers novel insights into why nature has selected intrinsic redundancy over thicker vessels to assure blood supply at key places of the organisms.

The search algorithm for optimal reliability increasing system parameters in 10 kv branched distribution networks

To increase the reliability of power supply to consumers in 10 kV distribution networks, various devices are used, such as pointers of damaged areas, line isolators, automatic partitioning devices and automatic transfer switches. Optimization of the arrangement of reliability increasing means is an urgent task. However, existing computational methods either do not consider the possibility of installing several types of devices in the network at once, or require performing a large number of iterations when searching for the optimal layout.To solve this problem, it is proposed to apply an algorithm that uses the features of the object of research, namely the property of optimal layout of RIM in the distribution network with the priority of one of the criteria for i points occupied by devices, always include the optimal layout of RIM with the priority of the same criterion for (i-1) points.Using the proposed algorithm allowed to carry out the computational study of the impact of PTL parameters on the structure of the optimal reliability increasing system and the effect of its installation. The experiment showed that the arrangement of RIM will significantly reduce the expected damage from annual undersupply of electric power, as well as the average time to search for the damaged area in both redundant and non-redundant branched distribution networks.The importance of the results lies in the fact that the efficiency of installation of the line isolator together with the pointer of the damaged area that has the ability to transmit information on the damaged area to the control point, compared to other RIM installed in 10 kV non-redundant networks was first shown.

Site-wide quantitative phosphoproteomics reveal non-redundant pathways regulated by IL-7 and IL-15 in memory CD8+ T cells

Event Abstract Back to Event Site-wide quantitative phosphoproteomics reveal non-redundant pathways regulated by IL-7 and IL-15 in memory CD8+ T cells Marlene J. Carrasco-Alfonso1*, Scott Ficarro2, 3, Yi Zhang2, 3, Wenyu Jiang1, Jarrod Marto2, 3 and John Luckey1* 1 Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, United States 2 Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Cancer Biology and Blais Proteomics Center, United States 3 Harvard Medical School, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, United States Self-renewing memory CD8+ T-cells require IL-7 and IL-15, which preferentially promote survival versus cell growth/division. Although both signal through a common gamma-chain and JAK/STAT5, their non-redundant networks are unknown. To identify specific signaling components, we measured in highly purified primary memory-phenotype (CD44high) lymphocytes, the differential phosphorylation events downstream of IL-7 or IL-15 after equipotent stimulation ex vivo. Since conventional mass spectrometry (MS) demands samples in the range of mg, we faced the challenge of robust and large-scale quantification of post-translational modifications in primary cells. This was overcome with our automated online liquid chromatography-MS/MS platform combining nanoflow electrospray ionization with a novel 3D fractionation. By enabling examination of minute protein amounts (~50 μg/condition), we efficiently (>8000 unique phosphopeptides) completed a quantitative high-throughput site-wide (Ser-/Thr-/Tyr) phosphoproteome profiling. Notably, despite the extreme biological variability that hinders these analyses, we succeeded in detecting selected peptides (mapped to 24 proteins) that in cells from independent animal pools were consistently differentially phosphorylated (by >2-fold). This led to reveal IL-15-induced signatures: 1) AKT over-activation acting as a major determinant of cell size and proliferation (as shown by phospho-AKT/-substrate levels, and the suppression of IL-15 effects upon selective PDK1/AKT-inhibition); and 2) phosphorylation of potential effectors with unexplored functions (i.e. membrane sculpting, calcium signaling, ion homeostasis and mRNA splicing) in self-renewal. The role in IL-15-induced responses of candidate effectors that are Akt substrates is being determined. In conclusion, we provide a powerful approach for global phosphoproteomics of immune cell subsets and contribute to define the non-redundant effects of IL-7/IL-15. Keywords: CD8+ T cell memory, Interleukin-7, Interleukin-15, quantitative phosphoproteomics, AKT signaling Conference: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Abstract Topic: Immune receptors and signaling Citation: Carrasco-Alfonso MJ, Ficarro S, Zhang Y, Jiang W, Marto J and Luckey J (2013). Site-wide quantitative phosphoproteomics reveal non-redundant pathways regulated by IL-7 and IL-15 in memory CD8+ T cells. Front. Immunol. Conference Abstract: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.01014 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Jun 2013; Published Online: 22 Aug 2013. * Correspondence: Dr. Marlene J Carrasco-Alfonso, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States, marleneca@hotmail.com Dr. John Luckey, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States, cluckey@partners.org Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Marlene J Carrasco-Alfonso Scott Ficarro Yi Zhang Wenyu Jiang Jarrod Marto John Luckey Google Marlene J Carrasco-Alfonso Scott Ficarro Yi Zhang Wenyu Jiang Jarrod Marto John Luckey Google Scholar Marlene J Carrasco-Alfonso Scott Ficarro Yi Zhang Wenyu Jiang Jarrod Marto John Luckey PubMed Marlene J Carrasco-Alfonso Scott Ficarro Yi Zhang Wenyu Jiang Jarrod Marto John Luckey Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Fault diagnosis in a Benes interconnection network

Benes network, being a back-to-back connection of two Baseline networks, the method for fault diagnosis for the class of nonredundant networks, as elucidated in our previous work, can be directly mapped on the two nonredundant networks. The individual results from these two networks can be combined to construct a comprehensive algorithm for the Benes network to diagnose single fault.