MDPI publications
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This collection gathers materials published by University of Houston authors in MDPI journals
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Item Estrogen Receptor β Isoforms Regulate Chemotherapy Resistance and the Cancer Stem Cell Population in Prostate Cancer Cells(2023-08-01) Stevens, Jessica H.; Bano, Ayesha; Bensaoula, Lamia; Strom, Anders M.; Gustafsson, Jan-ÅkeEstrogen receptor beta 1 (ERβ1) is a ligand-activated nuclear receptor, which has been shown to maintain tissue differentiation in the normal prostate, and regulate androgen response and increase expression of tumor suppressors in prostate cancer cell lines. There are three shorter isoforms of ERβ expressed in the human prostate, ERβ2, ERβ4, and ERβ5, which have already been implicated in chemotherapy resistance and disease progression, suggesting a possible oncogenic role. Their ligand-binding domain (LBD) is truncated, so they are unable to activate canonical ERβ1 signaling pathways; however, they were shown to participate in hypoxic signaling and to induce a gene expression signature associated with stemness and hypoxia. To elucidate the role of the truncated ERβ isoforms in prostate cancer, we created a knockout of all isoforms, as well as a truncation of the LBD, to remove the function of ERβ1. We showed that the removal of all isoforms leads to a decrease in the expression of cancer stem cell (CSC)-associated genes, decreased chemotherapy resistance, and a decrease in the CSC population, based on sphere formation ability and SORE6 (CSC reporter) activity, while removing the LBD function only had the opposite effect. Our results suggest a more aggressive phenotype in prostate cancer cell lines expressing ERβ variants.Item Aspectual se and Telicity in Heritage Spanish Bilinguals: The Effects of Lexical Access, Dominance, Age of Acquisition, and Patterns of Language Use(2023-08-29) Martínez Vera, Gabriel; López Otero, Julio César; Sokolova, Marina Y.; Cleveland, Adam; Marshall, Megan Tzeitel; Sánchez, LilianaWhile differences in the production and acceptability of aspectual inflectional morphology between Spanish–English heritage and monolingually raised speakers of Spanish have been argued to support incomplete acquisition approaches to heritage language acquisition, other approaches have argued that differences in access (e.g., lexical access) to representations for receptive and productive purposes are at the core of some of the unique characteristics of heritage language data. We investigate these issues by focusing on the effects of lexical access, dominance, age of acquisition and patterns of language use in heritage Spanish–English bilinguals. We study aspectual se in Spanish, which yields telic interpretations, in expressions such as María se comió la manzana ‘María ate the apple (completely)’ and Maria ate the apple (where completion may not be reached). Our results indicate that se generates telic interpretations for the heritage and monolingually raised group with no group effect. Heritage speakers showed no English effects in terms of lexical access, age of acquisition, patterns of language use or dominance. This suggests that the heritage group did not differ from their monolingually raised counterparts and showed no evidence of incomplete acquisition of telicity.Item Generalized Iterative Method of Order Four with Divided Differences(2023-09-07) Regmi, Samundra; Argyros, Ioannis K.; Deep, GaganNumerous applications from diverse disciplines are formulated as an equation or system of equations in abstract spaces such as Euclidean multidimensional, Hilbert, or Banach, to mention a few. Researchers worldwide are developing methodologies to handle the solutions of such equations. A plethora of these equations are not differentiable. These methodologies can also be applied to solve differentiable equations. A particular method is utilized as a sample via which the methodology is described. The same methodology can be used on other methods utilizing inverses of linear operators. The problem with existing approaches on the local convergence of iterative methods is the usage of Taylor expansion series. This way, the convergence is shown but by assuming the existence of high-order derivatives which do not appear on the iterative methods. Moreover, bounds on the error distances that can be computed are not available in advance. Furthermore, the isolation of a solution of the equation is not discussed either. These concerns reduce the applicability of iterative methods and constitute the motivation for developing this article. The novelty of this article is that it positively addresses all these concerns under weaker convergence conditions. Finally, the more important and harder to study semi-local analysis of convergence is presented using majorizing scalar sequences. Experiments are further performed to demonstrate the theory.Item Three-Step Derivative-Free Method of Order Six(2023-09-11) Kumar, Sunil; Sharma, Janak Raj; Argyros, Ioannis K.; Regmi, SamundraDerivative-free iterative methods are useful to approximate the numerical solutions when the given function lacks explicit derivative information or when the derivatives are too expensive to compute. Exploring the convergence properties of such methods is crucial in their development. The convergence behavior of such approaches and determining their practical applicability require conducting local as well as semi-local convergence analysis. In this study, we explore the convergence properties of a sixth-order derivative-free method. Previous local convergence studies assumed the existence of derivatives of high order even when the method itself was not utilizing any derivatives. These assumptions imposed limitations on its applicability. In this paper, we extend the local analysis by providing estimates for the error bounds of the method. Consequently, its applicability expands across a broader range of problems. Moreover, the more important and challenging semi-local convergence not investigated in earlier studies is also developed. Additionally, we survey recent advancements in this field. The outcomes presented in this paper can be proved valuable to practitioners and researchers engaged in the development and analysis of derivative-free numerical algorithms. Numerical tests illuminate and validate further the theoretical results.Item Imperatives in Heritage Spanish: Lexical Access and Lexical Frequency Effects(2023-09-15) López Otero, Julio CésarAlong with declaratives and interrogatives, imperatives are one of the three major clause types of human language. In Spanish, imperative verb forms present poor morphology, yet complex syntax. The present study examines the acquisition of (morpho)syntactic properties of imperatives in Spanish among English-speaking heritage speakers of Spanish. With the use of production and acceptability judgment tasks, this study investigates the acquisition of verb morphology and clitic placement in canonical and negative imperatives. The results indicate that the acquisition of Spanish imperatives among heritage speakers is shaped by the heritage speakers’ productive vocabulary knowledge, lexical frequency and syntactic complexity. Indeed, most of the variability in their knowledge was found in their production of negative imperatives: heritage speakers show a rather stable receptive grammatical knowledge while their production shows signs of variability modulated by the heritage speakers’ productive vocabulary knowledge and by the lexical frequency of the verb featured in the test items.Item Convergence of Derivative-Free Iterative Methods with or without Memory in Banach Space(2023-09-19) George, Santhosh; Argyros, Ioannis K.; Regmi, SamundraA method without memory as well as a method with memory are developed free of derivatives for solving equations in Banach spaces. The convergence order of these methods is established in the scalar case using Taylor expansions and hypotheses on higher-order derivatives which do not appear in these methods. But this way, their applicability is limited. That is why, in this paper, their local and semi-local convergence analyses (which have not been given previously) are provided using only the divided differences of order one, which actually appears in these methods. Moreover, we provide computable error distances and uniqueness of the solution results, which have not been given before. Since our technique is very general, it can be used to extend the applicability of other methods using linear operators with inverses along the same lines. Numerical experiments are also provided in this article to illustrate the theoretical results.Item Detectable Vancomycin Stool Concentrations in Hospitalized Patients with Diarrhea Given Intravenous Vancomycin(2023-09-28) Eubank, Taryn A.; Hu, Chenlin; Gonzales-Luna, Anne J.; Garey, Kevin W.Vancomycin is not appreciably passaged via the colonic membrane to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in persons with an intact gut epithelium due to its large chemical structure. However; hospitalized patients with diarrhea often have a disrupted GI tract. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of detectable vancomycin concentrations in the stool of patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea receiving IV vancomycin. This was a multicenter cohort study of hospitalized patients with stool samples collected for Clostridioides difficile testing. Leftover stool samples were collected from patients who had received at least 3 days of IV vancomycin. Fecal vancomycin was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The study cohort included 33 unique patients, majority female (54.5%) aged 60 years (range 23–84). Eighteen of thirty-three patients (54.5%) tested positive for C. difficile toxins. The average duration of systemic vancomycin administration prior to stool collection was 3.5 (range 2–15) days. Three of 33 (9%) stool samples had a detectable vancomycin concentration (range 1.2–13.2 mcg/mL). These concentrations may promote the development of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus or van mutations in C. difficile, leading to vancomycin resistance. Further studies on implications are warranted.Item Weight Concern and Body Image Dissatisfaction among Hispanic and African American Women(2023-10-16) Olvera, Norma; Matthews-Ewald, Molly; Zhang, Rongfang; Scherer, Rhonda; Fan, Weihua; Arbona, ConsueloWeight concern and body image dissatisfaction continue to be understudied among African American and Hispanic women. To address the gap in the extant literature, this study examined a sample of Hispanic and African American women (N = 477, Meanage = 43.7 years) and explored (a) differences in weight concern and body image dissatisfaction; (b) the contribution of perceived weight status and body image dissatisfaction to weight concern; and (c) the extent to which the association between body image dissatisfaction and weight concern was moderated by ethnicity. Participants completed a health survey and a figure rating scale. The findings indicated that Hispanic women compared to African American women endorsed smaller silhouettes as an ideal body size (χ2(7, n = 436) = 22.36, p = 0.002, Cramer’s V = 0.23). More Hispanic women (77%) than African American women (62%) had a discrepancy between their perceived actual and ideal body size. The relationship between body image dissatisfaction and weight concern varied by ethnicity. That is, the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and weight concern was statistically significant among African American women (β = 0.21, p = 0.008) but was insignificant among Hispanic women (β = 0.11, p = 0.135). This study has implications regarding the identification of risk factors associated with weight concern.Item Analyzing the Performance of Millimeter Wave MIMO Antenna under Different Orientation of Unit Element(2023-10-24) Islam, Tanvir; Alsunaydih, Fahad N.; Alsaleem, Fahd; Alhassoon, KhaledIn this paper, a compact and simplified geometry monopole antenna with high gain and wideband is introduced. The presented antenna incorporates a microstrip feedline and a circular patch with two circular rings of stubs, which are inserted into the reference circular patch antenna to enhance the bandwidth and return loss. Roger RT/Duroid 6002 is used as the material for the antenna, and has overall dimensions of WS × LS = 12 mm × 9 mm. Three designs of two-port MIMO configurations are derived from the reference unit element antenna. In the first design, the antenna element is placed parallel to the reference antenna, while in the second design, the element is placed orthogonal to the reference element of the antenna. In the third design, the antenna elements are adjusted to be opposite each other. In this study, we analyze the isolation between the MIMO elements with different arrangements of the elements. The MIMO configurations have dimensions of 15 mm × 26 mm for two of the cases and 15 mm × 28.75 mm for the third case. All three MIMO antennas are made using similar materials and have the same specifications as the single element antenna. Other significant MIMO parameters, including the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), diversity gain (DG), channel capacity loss (CCL), and mean effective gain (MEG), are also researched. Additionally, the paper includes a table summarizing the assessment of this work in comparison to relevant literature. The results of this study indicate that the proposed antenna is well-suited for future millimeter wave applications operating at 28 GHz.Item Optimization of Wire EDM Process Parameters for Machining Hybrid Composites Using Grey Relational Analysis(2023-10-28) Jebarose Juliyana, Sunder; Udaya Prakash, Jayavelu; Rubi, Charles Sarala; Salunkhe, Sachin; Gawade, Sharad Ramdas; Abouel Nasr, Emad S.; Kamrani, Ali K.The materials used in engineering have seen a significant transformation in the contemporary world. Numerous composites are employed to overcome these problems because conventional materials are unable to meet the needs of current applications. For quite some time, professional engineers and researchers have been captivated by the problem of choosing the best machining parameters for new composite materials. Wire electrical discharge machining is a popular unconventional machining process that is often used for making complex shapes. Numerous process parameters influence the WEDM process. Thus, to achieve affordable and high-quality machining, the right set of process parameters must be provided. Finding the wire cut EDM optimized settings for the fabricated LM5/ZrO2/Gr composite is the main aim of this research. The chosen input parameters are the wire feed, pulse on and pulse off times, the gap voltage, and the reinforcing percentage. In this study, LM5/ZrO2/Gr composites were made from stir casting with 6-weight percent ZrO2 as the reinforcement and varying graphite percentages of 2, 3, and 4 wt%. Then they were machined in WEDM using L27 OA to seek the best parameters for machining by adjusting the input parameters. The findings were analysed by means of grey relation analysis (GRA) to achieve the supreme material removal rate (MRR), lowest surface roughness (SR), and a smaller kerf width (Kw) simultaneously. GRA determines the impact of the machining variables on the standard characteristics and tests the impact of the machining parameters. Confirmation experiments were performed finally to acquire the best findings. The experimental findings and GRA show that the ideal process conditions for achieving the highest grey relational grade (GRG) are 6% ZrO2 with 2% graphite reinforcement, a wire feed of 6 m/min, a pulse off time (Toff) of 40 µs, a pulse on time (Ton) of 110 µs, and a gap voltage (GV) of 20 V. The gap voltage (22.87%) has the greatest impact on the GRG according to analysis of variance (ANOVA), subsequent to the interaction between the pulse on time and the gap voltage (16.73%), pulse on time (15.28%), and pulse off time (14.42%). The predicted value of the GRG is 0.679; however, the experimental GRG value is 0.672. The values are well-aligned between the expected and the experimental results. The error is only 3.29%, which is really little. Finally, mathematical models were created for each response.Item Comparison between Two Competing Newton-Type High Convergence Order Schemes for Equations on Banach Spaces(2023-10-30) Argyros, Ioannis K.; Singh, Manoj K.; Regmi, SamundraWe carried out a local comparison between two ninth convergence order schemes for solving nonlinear equations, relying on first-order Fréchet derivatives. Earlier investigations require the existence as well as the boundedness of derivatives of a high order to prove the convergence of these schemes. However, these derivatives are not in the schemes. These assumptions restrict the applicability of the schemes, which may converge. Numerical results along with a boundary value problem are given to examine the theoretical results. Both schemes are symmetrical not only in the theoretical results (formation and convergence order), but the numerical and dynamical results are also similar. We calculated the convergence radii of the nonlinear schemes. Moreover, we obtained the extraneous fixed points for the proposed schemes, which are repulsive and are not part of the solution space. Lastly, the theoretical and numerical results are supported by the dynamic results, where we plotted basins of attraction for a selected test function.Item Mutual Coupling Reduction in Compact MIMO Antenna Operating on 28 GHz by Using Novel Decoupling Structure(2023-11-07) Islam, Tanvir; Alsaleem, Fahd; Alsunaydih, Fahad N.; Alhassoon, KhaledThis article presents an antenna with compact and simple geometry and a low profile. Roger RT6002, with a 10 mm × 10 mm dimension, is utilized to engineer this work, offering a wideband and high gain. The antenna structure contains a patch of circular-shaped stubs and a circular stub and slot. These insertions are performed to improve the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. The antenna is investigated, and the results are analyzed in the commercially accessible electromagnetic (EM) software tool High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). Afterwards, a two-port multiple–input–multiple–output (MIMO) antenna is engineered by orthogonalizing the second element to the first element. The antenna offers good value for mutual coupling of less than −20 dB. The decoupling structure or parasitic patch is placed between two MIMO elements for more refined mutual coupling of the proposed MIMO antenna. The resultant antenna offers mutual coupling of less than −32 dB. Moreover, other MIMO parameters like envelop correlation coefficient (ECC), mean effective gain (MEG), diversity gain (DG), and channel capacity loss (CCL) are also studied to recommend antennas for future applications. The hardware model is fabricated and tested to validate the results, which resembles software-generated results. Moreover, the comparison of outcomes and other important parameters is performed using published work. The outcome of this proposed work is performed using already published work. The outcomes and comparison make the presented design the best option for future 5G devices.Item Investigating the Influence of Morphine and Cocaine on the Mesolimbic Pathway Using a Novel Microimaging Platform(2023-11-14) Ganaway, Austin; Tatsuta, Kousuke; Castillo, Virgil Christian Garcia; Okada, Ryoma; Sunaga, Yoshinori; Ohta, Yasumi; Ohta, Jun; Ohsawa, Masahiro; Akay, Metin; Akay, Yasemin M.Dopamine (DA)’s relationship with addiction is complex, and the related pathways in the mesocorticolimbic system are used to deliver DA, regulating both behavioral and perceptual actions. Specifically, the mesolimbic pathway connecting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is crucial in regulating memory, emotion, motivation, and behavior due to its responsibility to modulate dopamine. To better investigate the relationship between DA and addiction, more advanced mapping methods are necessary to monitor its production and propagation accurately and efficiently. In this study, we incorporate dLight1.2 adeno-associated virus (AAV) into our latest CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) imaging platform to investigate the effects of two pharmacological substances, morphine and cocaine, in the NAc using adult mice. By implanting our self-fabricated CMOS imaging device into the deep brain, fluorescence imaging of the NAc using the dLight1.2 AAV allows for the visualization of DA molecules delivered from the VTA in real time. Our results suggest that changes in extracellular DA can be observed with this adapted system, showing potential for new applications and methods for approaching addiction studies. Additionally, we can identify the unique characteristic trend of DA release for both morphine and cocaine, further validating the underlying biochemical mechanisms used to modulate dopaminergic activation.Item Effects of Search Strategies on Collective Problem-Solving(2023-11-14) Cao, ShunIn today’s dynamic and complex social environments, collaborative human groups play a critical role in addressing a wide range of real-world challenges. Collective problem-solving, the process of finding solutions through the collaboration of individuals, has become imperative in addressing scientific and technical problems. This paper develops an agent-based model to investigate the influence of different search strategies (simple local search, random search, and adaptive search) on the performance of collective problem-solving under various conditions. The research involves simulations on various problem spaces and considers distinct search errors. Results show that random search initially outperforms other strategies when the search errors are relatively small, yet it is surpassed by adaptive search in the long term when the search errors increase. A simple local search consistently performs the worst among the three strategies. Furthermore, the findings regarding adaptive search reveal that the speed of adaptation in adaptive search varies across problem spaces and search error levels, emphasizing the importance of context-specific parameterization in adaptive search strategies. Lastly, the values of Ps=0.9 and Pf=0.2 obtained through human subject experiments in adaptive search appear to be a favorable choice across various scenarios in this simulation work, particularly for complex problems entailing substantial search errors. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of search strategies in complex environments, providing insights for improving collaborative problem-solving processes in real-world applications.Item Development of Compact Bandpass Filter Using Symmetrical Metamaterial Structures for GPS, ISM, Wi-MAX, and WLAN Applications(2023-11-14) Vineetha, Kottapadikal Vinodan; Madhav, Boddapati Taraka Phani; Kumar, Munuswamy Siva; Das, Sudipta; Islam, Tanvir; Alathbah, MoathThis article describes the development of a compact microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) for multiple wireless communication utilizations. The proposed bandpass filter consists of metamaterial unit cells that are symmetrical in shape. The design process involves the placement of four symmetrical split-ring resonators (SRRs) on the top plane of the BPF. It exhibits improved filter characteristics through the implementation of these SRRs. The filter was modeled and fabricated and its performance was evaluated using a Vector Network Analyzer. The designed bandpass filter shows a 5 GHz bandwidth covering the frequency band spanning from 1 to 5.2 GHz, with a quality factor value of 1.85 across 1.9 GHz, 3.3 across 3.3 GHz and 5.1 across 5.1 GHz. The metamaterial analysis was carried out using ANSYS ELECTRONIC DESKTOP. The proposed filter measures 20 × 18 × 1.6 mm3, which is significantly smaller than current filters. The designed bandpass filter occupies 50% of the space of a conventional filter. The designed bandpass filter exhibits a distributed surface current of 84 A/m, and 94 A/m across the wide- and narrow-band operating frequency. The simulated and measured results indicate that the suggested metamaterial filter is well-suited for multiband wireless applications like GPS (1.57 GHz), WLAN (2.4, 3.6, and 5.2 GHz), Wi-MAX (2.3, 2.5, and 3.5 GHz), and ISM (2.5 GHz).Item A New Insight into the Design Compressive Strength of Ultra-High Performance Concrete(2023-11-22) Pourbaba, Masoud; Chakraborty, Rajesh; Pourbaba, Majid; Belarbi, Abdeldjelil; Yeon, Jung HeumCompressive strength is one of the most critical mechanical properties of various types of concrete and is the main input variable for structural concrete design. Recently, with the advances in concrete technology, applications of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC), including ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), have grown rapidly. These new types of concrete are well known to exhibit superior mechanical characteristics such as compressive strength, fracture toughness, and durability compared to conventional concrete and thus are popularly used in urgent repair jobs where compressive strength is an important parameter to determine the required curing time until open to the public. Considering the importance of compressive strength in practice, this study aims to evaluate the effect of age and maturity on the compressive strength characteristics of three different types of concrete, namely UHPC with micro and macro steel fibers, FRC, and plain concrete, and to propose a new design strength criterion for UHPC. To this end, 180 concrete cube specimens were tested at 12 different ages between 3 and 126 days. The results indicated that irrespective of the type and presence of fibers, UHPC gained more than 90% of their ultimate compressive strength after only 21 days, while FRC and plain concrete specimens required a longer time (i.e., 28 days) to achieve 90% of their ultimate strength. Therefore, UHPC may adopt a 21-day compressive strength as a design input instead of a 28-day compressive strength commonly required for structural concrete specified by many codes of practice. Moreover, the obtained experimental results were compared with existing compressive strength predictive models in the codes of practice.Item The Chemoprevention Effects of Two Herbal Mixtures on Chemically Induced Lung Tumorigenesis in Mice(2023-11-30) Li, Chunjie; Wang, Yian; Gao, Song; Hu, Ming; You, MingRuan Hua Tang (RHT) and Ruan Hua Fang (RHF) are two Chinese herbal mixtures that have been used in clinical cancer treatment for decades. This study validated our hypothesis that RHT and RHF can inhibit lung tumor development in the mouse model of Benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis. An RHT oral solution was diluted to 9% and 18% in water. RHF was mixed into the diet at 15% and 30% of total food in the final doses. Two weeks after injecting BP into mice, we administered RHT and RHF for eighteen weeks. We found that 9% and 18% RHT reduced tumor multiplicity by 36.05% and 38.81% (both p < 0.05) and the tumor load by 27.13% and 55.94% (p < 0.05); 15% and 30% RHF inhibited tumor multiplicity by 12.75% and 39.84% (p < 0.01) and the tumor load by 18.38% and 61.68% (p < 0.05). Ki67 expressions in the 9% and 18% RHT groups were 19.55% and 11.51%, significantly lower than in the control (33.64%). The Ki67 levels in the 15% and 30% RHF groups were 15.56% and 14.04%, significantly lower than in the control (27.86%). Caspase 3 expressions in the 9% and 18% RHT groups were 5.24% and 7.32%, significantly higher than in the control (2.39%). Caspase 3 levels in the 15% and 30% RHF groups were 6.53% and 4.74%, significantly higher than in the control (2.07%). The bio-absorption was confirmed via a pharmacokinetic test. This study showed that RHT and RHF are safe and can inhibit lung tumor development, with anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects.Item CO2 Injection Monitoring: Enhancing Time-Lapse Seismic Inversion for Injected Volume Estimation in the Utsira Formation, Sleipner Field, North Sea(2023-11-30) Pelemo-Daniels, Doyin; Nwafor, Basil O.; Stewart, Robert R.This article presents an in-depth study of CO2 injection monitoring in the Sleipner Field, focusing on the Utsira Formation. The research leverages advanced time-lapse inversion techniques and 4D seismic data analysis to enhance the accuracy of volume estimations and provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic behavior of the injected CO2 plume. The analysis encompasses cross correlation, time shift, predictability, and other key elements to yield robust insights into the reservoir’s response to CO2 injection. Cross-correlation analysis results of 60% to 100% outside the injection zone and less than 50% within the injection zone reveal a distinct dissimilarity between the injection and non-injection zones, emphasizing phase, time, and frequency content changes due to CO2 injection. Time shifts are meticulously calibrated globally on a trace-by-trace basis, to account for shallow statics and velocity changes, improving the overall alignment of seismic data. Predictability analysis results of 0 to 0.34 within the injection zone and 0.45 to 0.96 at the background further reinforce the findings, highlighting high predictability values in areas untouched by production and markedly lower values within the injection zone. These results provide a measure of the reliability of the seismic data and its ability to reflect the subtle changes occurring in the reservoir. Crucially, the time-lapse inversion process excels in capturing the evolving state of the CO2 plume within the Utsira Formation. The seismic data reveals the migration and expansion of the plume over time and the dynamic nature of the reservoir’s response to CO2 injection. Integrating various data facets reduces non-uniqueness in inversion results, allowing for more precise volume estimations.Item Reprogramming Megakaryocytes for Controlled Release of Platelet-like Particles Carrying a Single-Chain Thromboxane A2 Receptor-G-Protein Complex with Therapeutic Potential(2023-12-06) Lu, Renzhong; Li, Yan; Xu, Anna; King, Bridgette; Ruan, Ke-HeIn this study, we reported that novel single-chain fusion proteins linking thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor (TP) to a selected G-protein α-subunit q (SC-TP-Gαq) or to α-subunit s (SC-TP-Gαs) could be stably expressed in megakaryocytes (MKs). We tested the MK-released platelet-linked particles (PLPs) to be used as a vehicle to deliver the overexpressed SC-TP-Gαq or the SC-TP-Gαs to regulate human platelet function. To understand how the single-chain TP-Gα fusion proteins could regulate opposite platelet activities by an identical ligand TXA2, we tested their dual functions—binding to ligands and directly linking to different signaling pathways within a single polypeptide chain—using a 3D structural model. The immature MKs were cultured and transfected with cDNAs constructed from structural models of the individual SC-TP-Gαq and SC-TP-Gαs, respectively. After transient expression was identified, the immature MKs stably expressing SC-TP-Gαq or SC-TP-Gαs (stable cell lines) were selected. The stable cell lines were induced into mature MKs which released PLPs. Western blot analysis confirmed that the released PLPs were carrying the recombinant SC-TP-Gαq or SC-TP-Gαs. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the PLPs carrying SC-TP-Gαq were able to perform the activity by promoting platelet aggregation. In contrast, PLPs carrying SC-TP-Gαs reversed Gq to Gs signaling to inhibit platelet aggregation. This is the first time demonstrating that SC-TP-Gαq and SC-TP-Gαs were successfully overexpressed in MK cells and released as PLPs with proper folding and programmed biological activities. This bio-engineering led to the formation of two sets of biologically active PLP forms mediating calcium and cAMP signaling, respectively. As a result, these PLPs are able to bind to identical endogenous TXA2 with opposite activities, inhibiting and promoting platelet aggregation as reprogrammed for therapeutic process. Results also demonstrated that the nucleus-free PLPs could be used to deliver recombinant membrane-bound GPCRs to regulate cellular activity in general.Item Integrating Lorenz Hyperchaotic Encryption with Ring Oscillator Physically Unclonable Functions (RO-PUFs) for High-Throughput Internet of Things (IoT) Applications(2023-12-07) Magyari, Alexander; Chen, YuhuaWith the combined call for increased network throughput and security comes the need for high-bandwidth, unconditionally secure systems. Through the combination of true random number generators (TRNGs) for unique seed values, and four-dimensional Lorenz hyperchaotic systems implemented on a Stratix 10 Intel FPGA, we are able to implement 60 MB/s encryption/decryption schemes with 0% data loss on an unconditionally secure system with the NIST standard using less than 400 mW. Further, the TRNG implementation allows for unique encryption outputs for similar images while still enabling proper decryption. Histogram and adjacent pixel analysis on sample images demonstrate that without the key, it is not possible to extract the plain text from the encrypted image. This encryption scheme was implemented via PCIe for testing and analysis.