Closed-form 2-D angle estimation with rectangular arrays in elementspace or beamspace via unitary ESPRIT

The UCA-ESPRIT is a closed-form algorithm developed for use in conjunction with a uniform circular array (UCA) that provides automatically paired source azimuth and elevation angle estimates. The 2-D unitary ESPRIT is presented as an algorithm providing the same capabilities for a uniform rectangular array (URA). In the final stage of the algorithm, the real and imaginary parts of the ith eigenvalue of a matrix are one-to-one related to the respective direction cosines of the ith source relative to the two major array axes. The 2-D unitary ESPRIT offers a number of advantages over other proposed ESPRIT based closed-form 2-D angle estimation techniques. First, except for the final eigenvalue decomposition of a dimension equal to the number of sources, it is efficiently formulated in terms of real-valued computation throughout. Second, it is amenable to efficient beamspace implementations that are presented. Third, it is applicable to array configurations that do not exhibit identical subarrays, e.g., two orthogonal linear arrays. Finally, the 2-D unitary ESPRIT easily handles sources having one member of the spatial frequency coordinate pair in common. Simulation results are presented verifying the efficacy of the method     

Nonlinearities in digital manifold phased arrays

In digital beamforming (DBF), the phase shifter is functionally replaced with a receiver and digital phase rotation. A Taylor series expansion of mixer nonlinearities is used to generate receiver intermodulation spectrums respective of the element position and the iso-Doppler wavefront directions of signal arrival across the array. The dominant intermodulation distortion at each element experiences linear phase errors across the array proportional to the harmonic number and the desired steering direction phase gradient. The array distortion signals are reduced relative to the desired signal by the array factor sidelobe isolation when desired collimation directions exceed a few beamwidths of scan off the array normal vector. The result of the nonlinear down conversion analysis is extended to inphase and quadrature imbalances and batch manufacturing tolerances for element receivers.     

Pan-Cancer Prediction of Cell-Line Drug Sensitivity Using Network-Based Methods

The development of reliable predictive models for individual cancer cell lines to identify an optimal cancer drug is a crucial step to accelerate personalized medicine, but vast differences in cancer cell lines and drug characteristics make it quite challenging to develop predictive models that result in high predictive power and explain the similarity of cell lines or drugs. Our study proposes a novel network-based methodology that breaks the problem into smaller, more interpretable problems to improve the predictive power of anti-cancer drug responses in cell lines. For the drug-sensitivity study, we used the GDSC database for 915 cell lines and 200 drugs. The theory of optimal mass transport was first used to separately cluster cell lines and drugs, using gene-expression profiles and extensive cheminformatic drug features, represented in a form of data networks. To predict cell-line specific drug responses, random forest regression modeling was separately performed for each cell-line drug cluster pair. Post-modeling biological analysis was further performed to identify potential biological correlates associated with drug responses. The network-based clustering method resulted in 30 distinct cell-line drug cluster pairs. Predictive modeling on each cell-line-drug cluster outperformed alternative computational methods in predicting drug responses. We found that among the four drugs top-ranked with respect to prediction performance, three targeted the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway. Predictive modeling on clustered subsets of cell lines and drugs improved the prediction accuracy of cell-line specific drug responses. Post-modeling analysis identified plausible biological processes associated with drug responses.     

Prenatal diagnosis of partial monosomy 13q associated with occipital encephalocoele in a fetus

The pre- and postnatal findings of a fetus with a de novo del(13)(pter-->q21:) and an occipital encephalocoele are described. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) screening at 19 weeks' gestation demonstrated a high level of 2.5 multiples of the median (MOM) and ultrasonography at 27 weeks' gestation showed severe intrauterine growth retardation, cardiomegaly, an occipital encephalocoele, and a calvarial defect. Genetic amniocentesis revealed a karyotype of 46,XX,del(13)(pter-->q21:). The proband postnatally displayed additional abnormalities such as microphthalmia, hypertelorism, large low-set ears, and micrognathia. We discuss the association of central nervous system (CNS) malformations with 13q deletions and emphasize that pregnancies with neural tube defects warrant cytogenetic analysis, especially when additional fetal abnormalities and neonatal dysmorphism are observed.     

Embolization with temporary balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery and in vivo proton spectroscopy improves radical removal of petrous-tentorial meningioma

A highly vascular petroclival meningioma supplied by tentorial branches of the internal carotid artery was embolized by temporary balloon occlusion of the parent vessel distal to the tumor, followed by obliteration of the tumor vascularity with polyvinyl alcohol particles. Subsequently, in vivo proton spectroscopy showed necrosis of a large portion of the tumor and helped determine the timing of surgery. Both innovative techniques considerably facilitated the subsequent radical excision of the tumor with no neurological morbidity.     

Characterization of Soymar1, a mariner element in soybean

Mariner elements, a family of DNA-mediated transposable elements with short, inverted terminal repeats, have been reported in a wide variety of arthropods, as well as planarians, nematodes, and humans. No such element has been reported in a plant. Here we report a mariner element in the plant soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Although this sequence belongs to the mariner family, it is clearly distinct from previously reported mariner-like elements, as well as from the Tc1 transposon family. Novel aspects of its sequence could be useful as a starting point to identify mariner-like elements in new organisms, and it may prove useful in creating a transformation vector for plants.