Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) depends on a clinical interview with no biomarkers to aid diagnosis. The current investigation interrogated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of individuals with ASD from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) database. SNPs were mapped to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-derived pathways to identify affected cellular processes and develop a diagnostic test. This test was then applied to two independent samples from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and Wellcome Trust 1958 normal birth cohort (WTBC) for validation. Using AGRE SNP data from a Central European (CEU) cohort, we created a genetic diagnostic classifier consisting of 237 SNPs in 146 genes that correctly predicted ASD diagnosis in 85.6% of CEU cases. This classifier also predicted 84.3% of cases in an ethnically related Tuscan cohort; however, prediction was less accurate (56.4%) in a genetically dissimilar Han Chinese cohort (HAN). Eight SNPs in three genes (KCNMB4, GNAO1, GRM5) had the largest effect in the classifier with some acting as vulnerability SNPs, whereas others were protective. Prediction accuracy diminished as the number of SNPs analyzed in the model was decreased. Our diagnostic classifier correctly predicted ASD diagnosis with an accuracy of 71.7% in CEU individuals from the SFARI (ASD) and WTBC (controls) validation data sets. In conclusion, we have developed an accurate diagnostic test for a genetically homogeneous group to aid in early detection of ASD. While SNPs differ across ethnic groups, our pathway approach identified cellular processes common to ASD across ethnicities. Our results have wide implications for detection, intervention and prevention of ASD.

A novel high-speed optical wireless communication system for indoor personal area networking applications is proposed and studied. A proof-of-concept experiment at 12.5-Gb/s wireless transmission has been successfully demonstrated with limited mobility. When integrated with a WiFi-based localization system, high-speed optical wireless communication with a mobility feature can be achieved over the entire room. The performance trade-offs between the maximum beam footprint and overall bit rate have also been studied and quantified experimentally and the results show that error-free (BER<;10^-9) reception can always be achieved for a wide range of bit rates from 1 to 12.5 Gb/s.

A novel high-speed optical wireless communication system incorporating wavelength division multiplexing technology for indoor personal area networking applications is proposed in this paper. Even with the simplest single wide field-of-view (45°) nonimaging receiver, bit rate as high as 4 × 12.5 Gb/s has been successfully demonstrated by experiments. It is shown that error-free reception (bit error rate <; 10^-9) can be achieved over the entire beam footprint of about 1 m, so limited mobility can be provided to subscribers. In addition, a new localization system based on this optical wireless communication system has also been proposed and verified by experiments. When these two systems are incorporated together, high-speed optical wireless communication with mobility feature can be provided to users over the entire room.

This paper presents a complete 256-electrode retinal prosthesis chip, which is small and ready for packaging and implantation. It contains 256 separate programmable drivers dedicated to 256 electrodes for flexible stimulation. A 4-wire interface is employed for power and data transmission between the chip and a driving unit. Power and forward data are recovered from a 600 kHz differential signal, while backward data are sent at 100 kbps rate simultaneously. The stimulator possesses many stimulation features, supporting various stimulation strategies. Many safety features are included such as real-time monitoring of voltage compliance and temperature, electrode self-locking in the event of out-of-compliance, and ESD protection circuit at every electrode. The chip is fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process. The electrode driver pitch is 150 μm, and total chip area is 8 mm 2 . The chip has been extensively tested and all the requirements have been successfully verified. The measured DC current error for single driver stimulation without electrode shorting is 20 nA. The average power consumption per electrode with typical stimulus pulse parameters and full-scale output current is 129 μW, inclusive of all standby power. The chip overall power efficiency is 70% with 23 mW of power delivered to load.