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In the age of digital media, delivering broadcast content to customers at an acceptable level of quality is one of the most challenging tasks. The most important factor is the efficient use of available resources, including bandwidth. An appropriate way of managing the digital multiplex is essential for both the economic and technical issues. In this paper we describe transmission quality measurements in the DAB+ broadcast system. We provide a methodology for analysing parameters and factors related with the efficiency and reliability of a digital radio link. We describe a laboratory stand that can be used for transmission quality assessment on a regional and national level.

Cell and gene therapy is a fast-growing field for cancer therapeutics requiring reliable instrumentation and technologies. Key parameters essential for satisfying Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls criteria standards are routinely performed using flow cytometry. Recently, image cytometry was developed for cell characterization and cell-based assays but had not yet demonstrated sufficient sensitivity for surface marker detection. We developed the Cellaca® PLX image cytometry system and the respective methodologies required for immunophenotyping, GFP and RFP transfection/transduction efficiencies, and cell health analyses for routine cell characterization. All samples tested were compared directly to results from the CytoFLEX flow cytometer. PBMCs were stained with T-cell surface markers for immunophenotyping, and results show highly comparable CD3, CD4, and CD8 populations (within 5 %). GFP- or RFP-expressing cell lines were analyzed for transfection/transduction efficiencies, and the percentage positive cells and respective viabilities were equivalent on both systems. Staurosporine-treated Jurkat cells were stained for apoptotic markers, where annexin V and caspase-3 positive cells were within 5 % comparing both instruments. The proposed system may provide a complementary tool for performing routine cell-based experiments with improved efficiency and sensitivity compared to prior image cytometers, which may be significantly valuable to the cell and gene therapy field., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors in this work declare competing financial interests. The novel image cytometry system and methods demonstrated in this manuscript were developed using the high-throughput image cytometer and fluorescent staining kits from Revvity Health Sciences, Inc., an indirect parent company of Nexcelom Biosciences, LLC., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This article proposes the use of a feedforward neural network (FNN) to select the starting point for the first iteration in well-known iterative location estimation algorithms, with the research objective of finding the minimum size of a neural network that allows iterative position estimation algorithms to converge in an example positioning network. The selected algorithms for iterative position estimation, the structure of the neural network and how the FNN is used in 2D and 3D position estimation process are presented. The most important results of the work are the parameters of various FNN network structures that resulted in a 100% probability of convergence of iterative position estimation algorithms in the exemplary TDoA positioning network, as well as the average and maximum number of iterations, which can give a general idea about the effectiveness of using neural networks to support the position estimation process. In all simulated scenarios, simple networks with a single hidden layer containing a dozen non-linear neurons turned out to be sufficient to solve the convergence problem.

With the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of four CD19- and one BCMA-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy for B cell malignancies, CAR T cell therapy has finally reached the status of a medicinal product. The successful manufacturing of autologous CAR T cell products is a key requirement for this promising treatment modality. By analyzing the composition of 214 apheresis products from 210 subjects across eight disease indications, we found that high CD14 + cell content poses a challenge for manufacturing CAR T cells, especially in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma caused by the non-specific phagocytosis of the magnetic beads used to activate CD3 + T cells. We demonstrated that monocyte depletion via rapid plastic surface adhesion significantly reduces the CD14 + monocyte content in the apheresis products and simultaneously boosts the CD3 + content. We established a 40% CD14 + threshold for the stratification of apheresis products across nine clinical trials and demonstrated the effectiveness of this procedure by comparing manufacturing runs in two phase 1 clinical trials. Our study suggests that CD14 + content should be monitored in apheresis products, and that the manufacturing of CAR T cells should incorporate a step that lessens the CD14 + cell content in apheresis products containing more than 40% to maximize the production success., Competing Interests: P.S.A. has received research funding from ATARA Biotherapeutics; has served on the Scientific Advisory Board or as consultant to ATARA Biotherapeutics, Bayer, Carisma Therapeutics, Imugene, and Takeda Therapeutics; and has patents, royalties, and intellectual property on mesothelin-targeted CARs and other T cell therapies, method for detection of cancer cells using virus, and pending patent applications on T cell therapies. E.L.S. has patents, royalties, and intellectual property on BCMA-targeted CARs and serves as consultant for BMS. I.R. has intellectual property rights from Juno Therapeutics., (© 2021.)

This paper presents an innovative method of locating airplanes, which uses only voice communication between an air traffic controller and the pilot of an aircraft. The proposed method is described in detail along with its practical implementation in the form of a technology demonstrator (proof of concept), included in the voice communication system (VCS). A complete analysis of the performance of the developed method is presented, including the results of simulation and measurement tests in real conditions. The obtained results are very optimistic and indicate that the proposed solution may constitute an alternative method of locating aircraft in emergency conditions, i.e., a backup solution in the case of failure of other positioning systems.

Radiating cables are mostly used to provide radio communication in tunnels or corridors, but they can also be used to estimate the position of a mobile terminal along the cable. In this paper, a measuring receiver's position was estimated by measuring the difference in the direct signal's reception time, which was generated by a transmitter connected to one end of the radiating cable, and the delayed signal retransmitted from another end. During tests, a relatively narrowband (23 MHz) signal was used in the unlicensed band (2.4 GHz) and 50 m long coupled mode radiating cable. The cable was installed along a corridor in the office building. Measurement results used different equipment configurations (i.e., return signal only amplified or amplified and frequency-shifted), which presented possible sources of errors.

In this article a novel method of positional data integration in an indoor hybrid localization system combining inertial navigation with radio distance measurements is presented. A point of interest is the situation when the positional data and the radio distance measurements are obtained from less than thee reference nodes and it is impossible to unambiguously localize the moving person due to undetermined set of positional equations. The presented method allows to continuously provide localization service even in areas with disturbed propagation of the radio signals. Authors performed simulation and measurement studies of the proposed method to verify the precision of position estimation of a moving person in an indoor environment. It is worth noting that to determine the simulation parameters and realize the experimental studies the hybrid localization system demonstrator was developed, combining inertial navigation and radio distance measurements. In the proposed solution, results of distance measurements taken to less than three reference nodes are used to compensate the drift of the position estimated using the inertial sensor. In the obtained simulation and experimental results it was possible to reduce the localization error by nearly 50% regarding the case when only inertial navigation was used, additionally keeping the long term root mean square error at the level of ca. 0.50 m. That gives a degradation of localization precision below 0.1 m with respect to the fusion Kalman filtration when four reference nodes are present.

Hydrothermal diamond anvil cell experiments in combination with Raman spectroscopy and first principles molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the structure and dynamics of aqueous NaOH solutions for temperatures up to 700 °C, pressures up to 850 MPa and two different solute concentrations. The significant changes observed in the O-H stretching region of the Raman spectra between ambient and supercritical conditions are explained by both dynamic effects and structural differences. Especially important are a Grotthuss-like proton transport process and the decreasing network connectivity of the water molecules with increasing temperature. The observed transfer of Raman intensity towards lower wavenumbers by the proton transfer affects a wide range of frequencies and must be considered in the interpretation of Raman spectra of highly basic solutions. We suggest a deconvolution of the spectra using a model with four Gaussian functions, which are assigned to the molecular H2O and OH- vibrations, and one asymmetric exponentially modified Gaussian (EMG) function, which is assigned to [HO(H2O)n]- vibrations.

We present a study of the local atomic environment of the oxygen atoms in the aqueous solutions of NaOH and HCl under simultaneous high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. Experimental nonresonant X-ray Raman scattering core-level spectra at the oxygen K-edge show systematic changes as a function of temperature and pressure. These systematic changes are distinct for the two different solutes and are described well by calculations within the Bethe-Salpeter formalism for snapshots from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The agreement between experimental and simulation results allows us to use the computations for a detailed fingerprinting analysis in an effort to elucidate the local atomic structure and hydrogen-bonding topology in these relevant solutions. We observe that both electrolytes, especially NaOH, enhance hydrogen bonding and tetrahedrality in the water structure at supercritical conditions, in particular in the vicinity of the hydration shells. This effect is accompanied with the association of the HCl and NaOH molecules at elevated temperatures.