Ultra-low Cost Research Articles

Abstract IA06: Genomic approaches to drug discovery

Abstract The principles of genomics (systematic, high throughput approaches to biology) can increasingly be brought to bear on drug discovery. Our group is developing two new approaches: Connectivity Map and PRISM. The concept of the Connectivity Map (CMap) is that disease states, cellular states and the action of pharmacologic or genetic perturbation can be captured by gene expression profiling. In order to make large-scale perturbational profiling feasible, we developed a high-throughput, ultra-low cost profiling method (named L1000) whereby the abundance of 1000 transcripts are quantified by hybridization to Luminex microspheres. As part of the NIH LINCS program, we have now generated over 2 million such L1000 profiles representing knock-down and over-expression of over 3000 genes and perturbation with over 4000 small molecules in more than 15 cell types. Examples of discoveries emanating from this next generation Connectivity Map will be presented. The PRISM method takes inspiration from recent large-scale drug sensitivity profiling studies demonstrating the value of determining the pattern of compound killing across a large panel of genetically characterized cancer cell lines. In order to increase the scale at which such studies can be performed, we inserted unique molecular barcodes (24-mer oligonucleotides) into the genomes of cancer cell lines, such that the lines could then be pooled and the pooled lines exposed to a compound of interest. Drug sensitivity is then quantified by changes in abundance of the molecular barcodes. We have demonstrated feasibility of pooling more than 500 cancer cell lines in a single pool, and have demonstrated feasibility of high throughput screening using the PRISM method. These experiments suggest that PRISM can be used as a starting point for oncology drug discovery and for the characterization of lead compounds for the genotype-specific patterns of cancer cell killing. Examples of recent PRISM discoveries will be presented. Citation Format: Todd R. Golub. Genomic approaches to drug discovery. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Targeting the Vulnerabilities of Cancer; May 16-19, 2016; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(1_Suppl):Abstract nr IA06.

High-conductivity silicon based spectrally selective plasmonic surfaces for sensing in the infrared region

Plasmonic perfect absorbers have found a wide range of applications in imaging, sensing, and light harvesting and emitting devices. Traditionally, metals are used to implement plasmonic structures. For sensing applications, it is desirable to integrate nanophotonic active surfaces with biasing and amplification circuitry to achieve monolithic low cost solutions. Commonly used plasmonic metals such as Au and Ag are not compatible with standard silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Here we demonstrate plasmonic perfect absorbers based on high conductivity silicon. Standard optical lithography and reactive ion etching techniques were used for the patterning of the samples. We present computational and experimental results of surface plasmon resonances excited on a silicon surface at normal and oblique incidences. We experimentally demonstrate our absorbers as ultra-low cost, CMOS-compatible and efficient refractive index sensing surfaces. The experimental results reveal that the structure exhibits a sensitivity of around 11 000 nm/RIU and a figure of merit of up to 2.5. We also show that the sensing performance of the structure can be improved by increasing doping density.

Appropriate mechanical strength of carbon black-decorated loofah sponge as anode material in microbial fuel cells

A new composite anode material, possessing an appropriate mechanical strength, was fabricated by depositing carbon black on the loofah sponge matrix surface. Carbon black was oxidized in nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), respectively, to increase electrochemical properties before starting deposition. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) with the H2O2 treated carbon black anode achieved the maximum power density of 61.7 ± 0.6 W/m3, which was higher than one decorated with the HNO3 treated or untreated carbon black. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed a compact bacterial attachment on the H2O2 treated carbon black surface. Results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel plots indicated a fast electron transfer rate between the H2O2 pre-treatment of carbon black and electrochemically active bacteria (EAB). Therefore, the H2O2 treated carbon black-loofah sponge anode was promising for MFC application in terms of its superior performance, straightforward fabrication method and ultra-low cost.

Zeroing for HW-efficient compressed sensing architectures targeting data compression in wireless sensor networks

The design of ultra-low cost wireless body sensor networks for wearable biomedical monitors has been made possible by today technology scaling. In these systems, a typically multi-channel biosignal sensor takes care of the operations of acquisition, data compression and final output transmission or storage. Furthermore, since these sensors are usually battery powered, the achievement of minimal energy operation is a fundamental issue. To this aim, several aspects must be considered, ranging from signal processing to architectural optimization. In this paper we consider the recently proposed rakeness-based compressed sensing (CS) paradigm along with its zeroing companion. With respect to a standard CS base sensor, the first approach allows us to further increase compression rate without sensible signal quality degradation by exploiting localization of input signal energy. The latter paradigm is here formalized and applied to further reduce the energy consumption of the sensing node. The application of both rakeness and zeroing allows for trading off energy from the compression stage to the transmission or storage one. Different cases are taken into account, by considering a realistic model of an ultra-low-power multicore DSP system.

Commercial tactile sensors for hand exoskeletons: practical considerations for ultra-low cost and very-low complexity read-out

In the last two decades, wearable robots have emerged as human-oriented devices to complement, substitute or enhance human capabilities and, more specifically, empower or replace a human limb [1], [2]. Among the most complex and interesting limbs to assist, the hand represents perhaps the biggest challenge, because of its primary role in environment exploration, stimuli sensing and object manipulation [3]. Hence, the development of wearable and rehabilitative exoskeletons is increasingly attracting attention to help finger movements in free motion and assist the user with grasping. This paper shows that a simple underpowered digital oscillator electronic interface takes advantage of the capacitive variations in commercial piezoresistive transducers to sense applied pressure. Furthermore, thanks to the analysis of the static performance, practical considerations are drawn about the use of commercial sensors and a read out circuit (ROC) to be exploited in a control system for hand exoskeletons (Fig. 1).

Real-time in situ sensing of multiple water quality related parameters using micro-electrode array (MEA) fabricated by inkjet-printing technology (IPT)

Water and wastewater treatment processes has been monitored using expensive yet inefficient “single-point” probes that can only measure single parameter at single point without obtaining a complete picture of physicochemical or biochemical status. The study targeted at this crucial challenge by developing novel micro-electrode array (MEA) sensors using ink-jet printing technology (IPT). Multiple mm-sized electrodes were printed on a flexible film for simultaneous monitoring of multiple parameters at high temporal and spatial resolution. The calibration of four types of MEA sensors (temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH) in water solution showed high coefficient of determination (R2>0.99) between the MEA readings and the parameter targeted. The shock tests demonstrated high accuracy of MEA sensors and rapid response with a reading frequency of 0.1s, which captured the shock impacts in more details than commercial probes. Furthermore, patterning multiple types of MEA sensors on a single film enables the auto-correction between the parameters targeted and reduces the measurement errors. MEA surface property observed during 4-week immersion into wastewater and waste sludge revealed the intact structure and high mechanic stability. The study clearly demonstrated the unbeatable advantages of MEAs over existing “single-point” probes: compact sensor configuration, multiple-parameter monitoring in a single measurement, easy fabrication and ultra-low cost ($0.2/sensor), which will decode the system “black box”, provide complete dataset for switch control strategy, and enhance the treatment performance at the lowest capital and operational cost.

Development of a Lower Temperature Operating Sodium Beta-Alumina Battery (LT-NBB): Strategies and Technical Challenges

The sodium nickel chloride (Na/NiCl2) battery is one of the most promising candidates for a large scale electrochemical energy storage device. The battery comprises NiCl2 and molten Na as positive and negative electrodes in its charged state, and uses a Na+ ion conducting β"-Al2O3 solid electrolyte (BASE) to separate the cathode and anode. In order to facilitate fast sodium ion transport in the cathode compartment, molten NaAlCl4, as a secondary electrolyte (or catholyte), is infiltrated into the powdered cathode material. The battery typically operates at 250~300°C to maximize the ionic flux in the NaAlCl4 and through the solid electrolyte, and to minimize the dissolution of NiCl2into the melt. However, this efficient battery has yet to be widely used in grid scale energy storage applications, since it is still expensive; it is difficult to dramatically reduce the cell price in its present form mainly due to its use of expensive sealing technologies. The presentation introduces U.S.-Korea collaborative efforts to develop a sodium beta-alumina battery with a Na/NiCl2 chemistry that operates at a lower temperature. Since the novel battery runs below 200°C, it can be fabricated at an ultralow manufacturing cost by (1) introducing a new planar cell design with a greatly reduced number of cell components, and (2) eliminating expensive sealing technologies. Enhanced degradation resistance of cathode materials is another important advantage of this technology. This presentation will start by stating problems found in traditional sodium beta-alumina batteries, and our strategies to resolve the issues will be described. Technical challenges and progress in materializing prototype LT-NBB cells and related core technologies will be briefly discussed, which include cell design, a highly toughened BASE, an enhanced wetting agent, and an inexpensive sealing method.

Multivariate analysis of digital images of a paper sensor by partial least squares for determination of nitrite

Here, a disposable ultra-low cost and simple paper-based sensor (PBS) for on-site quantification of nitrite in environmental matrices is introduced. The PBS consists of a filter paper disc with 1.2cm in diameter that is impregnated with the Griess reagents including 3-nitroaniline, 1-naphthylamine and hydrochloric acid with the optimal concentrations obtained by response surface methodology. After introducing 20.0µL of a sample/standard solution to the sensor, nitrite reacts with the Griess reagents on the sensor and produces the red-pink colored azo dye after 30min. By use of a digital camera, the image of the PBS is captured and then analyzed by partial least squares for nitrite determination. The use of a blank and sample image reduces bias from variations in ambient light and makes it possible to acquire and process images on-site. In order to demonstrate the potential impact of this technology in the environment monitoring, the device was successfully applied to the analysis of a series of water samples, including tap, rain and wastewater. The results of the method were validated by standard method.

Natural Mineral-Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with Heterogeneous Nanocomposite Derived from Hematite and Rare-Earth Minerals.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have attracted much attention worldwide because of their potential for providing clean and reliable electric power. However, their commercialization is subject to the high operating temperatures and costs. To make SOFCs more competitive, here we report a novel and attractive nanocomposite hematite-LaCePrOx (hematite-LCP) synthesized from low-cost natural hematite and LaCePr-carbonate mineral as an electrolyte candidate. This heterogeneous composite exhibits a conductivity as high as 0.116 S cm(-1) at 600 °C with an activation energy of 0.50 eV at 400-600 °C. For the first time, a fuel cell using such a natural mineral-based composite demonstrates a maximum power density of 625 mW cm(-2) at 600 °C and notable power output of 386 mW cm(-2) at 450 °C. The extraordinary ionic conductivity and device performances are primarily attributed to the heterophasic interfacial conduction effect of the hematite-LCP composite. These superior properties, along with the merits of ultralow cost, abundant storage, and eco-friendliness, make the new composite a highly promising material for commercial SOFCs.

Sensing textile seam-line for wearable multimodal physiological monitoring.

This paper investigates a novel multimodal sensing method by forming seam-lines of conductive textile fibers into commercially available fabrics. The proposed ultra-low cost micro-electro-mechanical sensor would provide, wearable, flexible, textile based biopotential signal recording, wetness detection and tactile sensing simultaneously. Three types of fibers are evaluated for their array-based sensing capability, including a 3D printed conductive fiber, a multiwall carbon nanotube based fiber, and a commercially available stainless steel conductive thread. The sensors were shown to have a correlation between capacitance and pressure; impedance and wetness; and recorded potential and ECG waveforms.

A solvent-free microbial-activated air cathode battery paper platform made with pencil-traced graphite electrodes

We present the fabrication of an ultra-low cost, disposable, solvent-free air cathode all-paper microbial fuel cell (MFC) that does not utilize any chemical treatments. The anode and cathode were fabricated by depositing graphite particles by drawing them on paper with a pencil (four strokes). Hydrophobic parchment paper was used as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) to allow only H+ to pass. Air cathode MFC technology, where O2 was used as an electron acceptor, was implemented on the paper platform. The bioelectric current was generated by an electrochemical process involving the redox couple of microbial-activated extracellular electron transferred electrons, PEM-passed H+, and O2 in the cathode. A fully micro-integrated pencil-traced MFC showed a fast start-time, producing current within 10 s after injection of bacterial cells. A single miniaturized all-paper air cathode MFC generated a maximum potential of 300 mV and a maximum current of 11 μA during 100 min after a single injection of Shewanella oneidensis. The micro-fabricated solvent-free air cathode all-paper MFC generated a power of 2,270 nW (5.68 mW/m2). The proposed solvent-free air cathode paper-based MFC device could be used for environmentally-friendly energy storage as well as in single-use medical power supplies that use organic matter.

512-Channel and 13-Region Simultaneous Recordings Coupled with Optogenetic Manipulation in Freely Behaving Mice.

The development of technologies capable of recording both single-unit activity and local field potentials (LFPs) over a wide range of brain circuits in freely behaving animals is the key to constructing brain activity maps. Although mice are the most popular mammalian genetic model, in vivo neural recording has been traditionally limited to smaller channel count and fewer brain structures because of the mouse’s small size and thin skull. Here, we describe a 512-channel tetrode system that allows us to record simultaneously over a dozen cortical and subcortical structures in behaving mice. This new technique offers two major advantages – namely, the ultra-low cost and the do-it-yourself flexibility for targeting any combination of many brain areas. We show the successful recordings of both single units and LFPs from 13 distinct neural circuits of the mouse brain, including subregions of the anterior cingulate cortices, retrosplenial cortices, somatosensory cortices, secondary auditory cortex, hippocampal CA1, dentate gyrus, subiculum, lateral entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex, and prelimbic cortex. This 512-channel system can also be combined with Cre-lox neurogenetics and optogenetics to further examine interactions between genes, cell types, and circuit dynamics across a wide range of brain structures. Finally, we demonstrate that complex stimuli – such as an earthquake and fear-inducing foot-shock – trigger firing changes in all of the 13 brain regions recorded, supporting the notion that neural code is highly distributed. In addition, we show that localized optogenetic manipulation in any given brain region could disrupt network oscillations and caused changes in single-unit firing patterns in a brain-wide manner, thereby raising the cautionary note of the interpretation of optogenetically manipulated behaviors.

Xurography as a Rapid Fabrication Alternative for Point-of-Care Devices: Assessment of Passive Micromixers

Despite the copious amount of research on the design and operation of micromixers, there are few works regarding manufacture technology aimed at implementation beyond academic environments. This work evaluates the viability of xurography as a rapid fabrication tool for the development of ultra-low cost microfluidic technology for extreme Point-of-Care (POC) micromixing devices. By eschewing photolithographic processes and the bulkiness of pumping and enclosure systems for rapid fabrication and passively driven operation, xurography is introduced as a manufacturing alternative for asymmetric split and recombine (ASAR) micromixers. A T-micromixer design was used as a reference to assess the effects of different cutting conditions and materials on the geometric features of the resulting microdevices. Inspection by stereographic and confocal microscopy showed that it is possible to manufacture devices with less than 8% absolute dimensional error. Implementation of the manufacturing methodology in modified circular shape- based SAR microdevices (balanced and unbalanced configurations) showed that, despite the precision limitations of the xurographic process, it is possible to implement this methodology to produce functional micromixing devices. Mixing efficiency was evaluated numerically and experimentally at the outlet of the microdevices with performances up to 40%. Overall, the assessment encourages further research of xurography for the development of POC micromixers.

Inverted organic solar cells using nanocellulose as substrate

ABSTRACTOrganic photovoltaics (OPVs) offer the potential for ultralow cost mass‐producible photovoltaic devices. Other advantages are light weight and good mechanical flexibility. To further reduce the cost, the replacement of the conventional conducting substrates for cellulose is an interesting choice. There are three main types of nanocellulose materials: nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC), and bacterial nanocellulose. In this work, the synthesis of two types of nanocellulose substrates and their application in OPVs were achieved. For the first time, the different properties of the cellulose substrates and their influence on the OPV performance were addressed. The nanocellulose substrates CNC and NFC were characterized by XRD, AFM, and DSC. CNC films were more homogeneous, smoother, crystalline and with low roughness. Thus, when comparing the cellulosic substrates, the best device the one based on CNC. The PCE values of the inverted OPV cells were 3.0, 1.4, and 0.5% on to glass, CNC and NFC substrates. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43679.

Towards high-order modulation using complex modulation of semiconductor lasers.

Optical communication using high-speed on-off-keying signal by directly modulated semiconductor lasers (DML) was one of the most significant breakthroughs for telecommunication in 1960s. The wide deployment of 2.5-Gb/s per-channel transoceanic optical fiber links in 1990s drove the internet as a global phenomenon. However, the detrimental frequency chirp of DML prevents its application to the subsequent internet capacity evolution. Today, the state-of-the-art long-haul optical transponder uses external modulators to support high-order complex modulation. In contrast, this paper shows that the "detrimental" chirp effect can be exploited to generate complex modulation with a single DML, which achieves dramatic sensitivity gain of signal-to-noise-ratio compared to the conventional intensity modulation of DML. By using large chirp parameters, complex-modulated DML paves an attractive pathway towards high-order pulse-amplitude modulation with an ultra-low transmitter cost, which has great potential in future medium reach optical communications.

Indigenous ultra low cost technology for spinning haemodialysis grade hollow fibre membranes

BackgroundThe present paper is about developing an indigenous technology to spin ultra low-cost hemodialysis fibres. It presents a complete engineering design and specific operating conditions to spin dialysis grade, hollow...

New 3GPP Standard for IoT [Mobile Radio

A major milestone was achieved in the Third-Generation Partnership Project?s (3GPP?s) Radio Access Network Plenary Meeting 69 with the decision to standardize the narrowband (NB) Internet of Things (IoT), a new NB radio technology to address the requirements of the IoT. The new technology will provide improved indoor coverage, support of a massive number of low-throughput devices, low delay sensitivity, ultralow device cost, low device power consumption, and optimized network architecture. The technology can be deployed in-band, utilizing resource blocks within a normal long-term evolution (LTE) carrier, or in the unused resource blocks within an LTE carrier?s guard-band, or stand alone for deployments in dedicated spectrum. The NB-IoT is also particularly suitable for the refarming of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) channels.

Converting a Plant to a Battery and Wireless Sensor with Scatter Radio and Ultra-Low Cost

Electric potential (EP) signals are produced in plants through intracellular processes, in response to external stimuli (e.g., watering, mechanical stress, light, and acquisition of nutrients). However, wireless transmission of a massive amount of biologic EP signals (from one or multiple plants) is hindered by existing battery-operated wireless technology and increased associated monetary cost. In this paper, a self-powered batteryless EP wireless sensor is presented that harvests near-maximum energy from the plant itself and transmits the EP signal tens of meters away with a single switch, based on inherently low-cost and low-power bistatic scatter radio principles. The experimental results confirm the ability of the proposed wireless plant sensor to achieve a fully autonomous operation by harvesting the energy generated by the plant itself. In addition, EP signals experimentally acquired by the proposed wireless sensor from multiple plants have been processed using nonnegative matrix factorization, demonstrating a strong correlation with environmental light irradiation intensity and plant watering. The proposed low-cost batteryless plant-as-sensor-and-battery instrumentation approach is a first but solid step toward large-scale electrophysiology studies of important socioeconomic impact in ecology, plant biology, and precision agriculture.

Ultrawideband Underwater Real-Time 3-D Acoustical Imaging With Ultrasparse Arrays

Large 2-D arrays are indispensable for underwater high-resolution real-time 3-D acoustical imaging, which however must be thinned significantly to avoid an overly high cost. The existing methods have decreased the number of elements from tens of thousands to several hundreds, which is still excessive for the implementation of underwater 3-D acoustical imaging system. Reported to be able to achieve an ultralow hardware cost in other fields, the ultrawideband (UWB) technology is introduced in this paper for the purpose of underwater real-time 3-D acoustical imaging. First, this paper reveals that the UWB technology is feasible for underwater 3-D acoustical imaging. Second, by analyzing the beam-steering properties of UWB underwater 2-D arrays, this paper demonstrates that although tens of elements are enough to achieve the required resolution and sidelobe level, they cannot guarantee the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for high imaging quality. Third, this paper proposes to employ the modulated excitation technique to increase the SNR in the underwater application. The analysis of computational load indicates that the modulated excitation technique has few influences on the implementation of underwater real-time 3-D acoustical imaging systems. At last, this paper presents a prototype of UWB underwater real-time 3-D acoustical imaging system with a 32-elements annular array, of which the performance is evaluated to verify the advantages of applying the UWB technology to underwater real-time 3-D acoustical imaging.

Cost-effective and Green Manufacturing Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) BPF for Wireless Sensor Network Applications

This paper presents a comparison between innovative technique for implementation of substrate integrated waveguide band pass filter centered at 4 GHz and conventional PCB results . Two poles filter is designed, simulated and fabricated. The novel fabrication process technique is based on green manufacturing where physical etching of metal layer of aluminum is glued on paper substrate. The pass band filter is composed of two resonant adjacent and symmetric cavities separated by a coupling iris. The same topology is adopted with conventional substrate and PCB technology to validate the new technique results. The bandwidth achieved is almost four times wider than found with PCB technology developed for UWB applications. The proposed technique keeps the advantages of conventional SIW technology including low profile, compact size, complete shielding, easy fabrication, low cost for mass production as well as convenient integration with planar waveguide components including transitions. Moreover, the flexible quality of paper offer the possibility to fabricate conformal shapes of SIW components which is not possible with conventional rigid substrates made with PCB technology . In addition to the advantages of eco friendly, renewable, light weight , and ultra low cost materials