Extraction of periodic multivariate signals: mapping of voltage-dependent dye fluorescence in the mouse heart

In many experimental circumstances, heart dynamics are, to a good approximation, periodic. For this reason, it makes sense to use high-resolution methods in the frequency domain to visualize the spectrum of imaging data of the heart and to estimate the deterministic signal content and extract the periodic signal from background noise in experimental data. In this paper, we describe the first application of a new method that we call cardiac rhythm analysis which uses a combination of principal component analysis and multitaper harmonic analysis to extract periodic, deterministic signals from high-resolution imaging data of cardiac electrical activity, We show that this method significantly increases the signal-to-noise ratio of our recordings, allowing for better visualization of signal dynamics and more accurate quantification of the properties of electrical conduction. We visualize the spectra of three cardiac data sets of mouse hearts exhibiting sinus rhythm, paced rhythm and monomorphic tachycardia. Then, for pedagogical purposes, we investigate the tachycardia more closely, demonstrating the presence of two distinct periodicities in the re-entrant tachycardia. Analysis of the tachycardia shows that cardiac rhythm analysis not only allows for better visualization of electrical activity, but also provides new opportunities to study multiple periodicities in signal dynamics.     

Nonlinear dynamics of a semiconductor laser with delayed negative optoelectronic feedback

Nonlinear dynamics of a semiconductor laser with delayed negative optoelectronic feedback are studied both numerically and experimentally. Mappings of the dynamic states and bifurcation diagrams are compared between a delayed negative optoelectronic feedback system and a delayed positive optoelectronic feedback system. Both systems follow a quasiperiodic route to chaos, where regular pulsing, quasiperiodic pulsing, and chaotic pulsing states are observed. Frequency-locked pulsing states are also found in a delayed negative optoelectronic feedback system, but not in a delayed positive optoelectronic feedback system. These frequency-locked pulsing states are experimentally observed to exhibit a harmonic frequency-locking phenomenon, where the pulsing frequency is locked to a harmonic of the delay loop frequency instead of the delay loop frequency itself. The rotation numbers of these frequency-locked pulsing states show a Devil's staircase structure.     

Time-varying analysis methods and models for the respiratory and cardiac system coupling in graded exercise

The analysis of heart period series is a difficult task especially under graded exercise conditions. From all the information present in these series, we are the most interested in the coupling between respiratory and cardiac systems, known as respiratory sinus arrythmia. In this paper, we show that precise patterns concerning the respiratory frequency can be extracted from the heart period series. An evolutive model is introduced in order to achieve tracking of the main respiratory-related frequencies and their time-varying amplitudes. Since respiration acts to modulate the sinus rhythm, we relate the frequencies and amplitudes to this modulation by analyzing in detail its nonlinear transformation giving the heart period signal. This analysis is performed assuming stationary conditions but also in the realistic case where the mean heart period, the amplitude, and the frequency of the respiration are time-varying. Since this paper is devoted to the theoretical and complete presentation of the method used in a physiological study published elsewhere, the capabilities of our method will be illustrated in a realistic simulated case.     

Posicast-based digital control of the buck converter

The analysis, design, and microcontroller-based implementation of a digital controller using a Posicast element are presented for the buck converter. Posicast is a feedforward compensator that eliminates overshoot in system response, but the traditional approach is sensitive to variations in natural frequency. The new method described here reduces the undesirable sensitivity by using Posicast within a feedback loop. Compared to classical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control, the new control results in lower noise in the control signal because the controller has a lower gain at high frequency. Furthermore, the authors' experiments indicate that the new controller is less sensitive to the inherent time delay associated with a digital controller for a dc-dc converter. The authors present a straightforward method to design controller parameters from the small-signal averaged model of the converter dynamics. Experimental results for a PID-controlled converter and Posicast-type controller are also compared.     

Modeling of cardiovascular variability using a differential delayequation

The influence of time delay in the baroreflex control of the heart activity is analyzed by using a simple mathematical model of the short-term pressure regulation. The mean arterial pressure in a Windkessel model is controlled by a nonlinear feedback driving a nonpulsatile model of the cardiac pump in accordance with the steady-state characteristics of the arterial baroreceptor reflex. A pure time delay is placed in the feedback branch to simulate the latent period of the baroreceptor regulation. Because of system nonlinearity model dynamics is found to be highly sensitive to time delay and changes of this parameter within a physiological range cause the model to exhibit different patterns of behavior. For low values of time delay (shorter than 0.5 s) the model remains in a steady state. When time delay is longer than 0.5 s, a Hopf bifurcation is crossed and spontaneous oscillations occur with frequencies in the high-frequency (HF) band. Further increases of time delay above 1.2 s cause the oscillations to become more complex, and following the typical Feigenbaum cascade, the system becomes chaotic. In this condition heart rate, pressure, and how show evident variability. The heart rate power spectrum exhibits a peak whose frequency moves from the HF to LF band depending on whether simulated time delay is as short as the vagal-mediated control or long as the sympathetic one     

A comparison of four new time-domain techniques for discriminatingmonomorphic ventricular tachycardia from sinus rhythm using ventricularwaveform morphology

Electrical management of intractable tachycardia via implantable antitachycardia devices has become a major form of therapy. Newly advanced methods of ventricular tachycardia detection propose examination of changes in intraventricular electrogram morphology in addition to or in combination with earlier rate-based detection algorithms. Unfortunately, most of the proposed morphology analysis techniques have computational demands beyond the capabilities of present devices or may be adversely affected by amplitude and baseline fluctuations of the intraventricular electrogram. We have designed four new computationally efficient time-domain algorithms for distinguishing ventricular electrograms during monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) from those during sinus rhythm using direct analysis of the ventricular electrogram morphology. All four techniques are independent of amplitude fluctuations and three of the four are independent of baseline changes. These new techniques were compared to correlation waveform analysis, a previously proposed method for distinction of VT from sinus rhythm. Evaluation of these four new algorithms was performed on data from 19 consecutive patients with 31 distinct monomorphic ventricular tachycardia morphologies. Three of the algorithms performed as well or better than correlation waveform analysis but with one-tenth to one-half the computational demands.     

Rhythm Analysis of Arterial Blood Pressure

Rhythms identified in the power spectra of blood pressure and ECG recordings were used as probes of the intact cardiovascular control systems. A prominent vasomotor rhythm was detected in human subjects and experimental dogs, with a period ranging between 15 and 30 s. This rhythm did not depend on specific rhythms of heart rate but was dependent on the sympathetic nervous system, and was identified as a third-order rhythm of blood pressure. The parasympathetic nervous system appears to mediate a separate rhythm having a slightly shorter period. Another rhythm studied was a subharmonic of heart rate that appeared during episodes of tachycardia. Electrophysiological mapping of the ventricular surface in dogs revealed that tachycardia induced an alternating pattern of electrical conduction in ischemic areas of the ventricle, coincident with the appearance of subharmonics in pressure and ECG. Our results illustrate the potential utility of spectral analysis of cardiovascular signals in assessing cardiovascular regulation.     

Gait phase information provided by sensory nerve activity duringwalking: applicability as state controller feedback for FES

In this study, we extracted gait-phase information from natural sensory nerve signals of primarily cutaneous origin recorded in the forelimbs of cats during walking on a motorized treadmill. Nerve signals were recorded in seven cats using nerve cuff or patch electrodes chronically implanted on the median, ulnar, and/or radial nerves. Features in the electroneurograms that were related to paw contact and lift-off were extracted by threshold detection. For four cats, a state controller model used information from two nerves (either median and radial, or ulnar and radial) to predict the timing of palmaris longus activity during walking. When fixed thresholds were used across a variety of walking conditions, the model predicted the timing of EMG activity with a high degree of accuracy (average error = 7.8%, standard deviation = 3.0%, n = 14). When thresholds were optimized for each condition, predictions were further improved (average error = 5.5%, standard deviation = 2.3%, n = 14). The overall accuracy with which EMG timing information could be predicted using signals from two cutaneous nerves for two constant walking speeds and three treadmill inclinations for four cats suggests that natural sensory signals may be implemented as a reliable source of feedback for closed-loop control of functional electrical stimulation (FES).     

Evaluation of techniques for recognition of ventricular arrhythmiasby implanted devices

Implantable devices that provide antitachycardia and defibrillation capability currently have limited ability to distinguish among different cardiac rhythms. We have investigated three methods of electrogram analysis: rate, irregularity, and amplitude distribution. In 35 episodes in 19 patients, we applied these three algorithms to 15 s recorded passages of ventricular electrograms during supraventricular tachycardia (N = 11), ventricular tachycardia (N = 11), and ventricular fibrillation (N = 13). Each was individually paired with a recording of sinus rhythm from the same patient. All recordings were obtained during standard electrophysiologic testing. Each algorithm was successful at distinguishing the tachyarrhythmias from sinus rhythm at one or more levels of algorithm parameterization. Rate alone discriminated supraventricular tachycardia from ventricular fibrillation but did not distinguish between supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia. Rate combined with irregularity distinguished between ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, but did not discriminate between ventricular and supraventricular tachycardia. Although the amplitude distribution algorithm was unable to separate perfectly any of the three tachyarrhythmias, it provided the best performance in separating supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia (82 percent sensitivity and specificity). We conclude that algorithms based on rate, irregularity, and amplitude distribution analysis of ventricular electrograms may distinguish sinus rhythm from tachyarrhythmias, but may not distinguish among tachyarrhythmias.     

Novel and simple model of 10-Gb/s electroabsorption modulated lasers and its experimental validation of transmission performance due to overshoot of optical signals

We have experimentally and theoretically investigated the transmission performance of 10-Gb/s electroabsorption modulated lasers (EMLs) due to the overshoot of optical pulses. When a highly negative bias voltage is applied to EMLs, the overshoot becomes larger due to nonlinear transfer curves of EMLs. In order to further understand the overshoot effect of optical pulses from EMLs on transmission performance, we propose a novel and simple EML model based on the frequency response (magnitude and phase) and the transfer curves (P-V and /spl alpha/-V) of EMLs. Although the model does not solve the rate equations and the wave equations, it can accurately predict output pulse shapes and the frequency chirp as well as the transmission performance with reducing simulation time. Using the EML model, we can calculate the overshoot and dispersion power penalty due to modulation bandwidth and group delay difference in 10-Gb/s EMLs. Our results suggest that the overshoot should be considered to accurately predict the transmission performance of 10-Gb/s EMLs.     

两轴水平框架式粗跟踪结构及其控制系统设计

根据天基平台激光辐照空间碎片捕获系统的应用需求,设计了一种两轴水平框架式粗跟踪结构,提出了一种基于加速度闭环的PI速度环控制方法用于实现跟踪系统的闭环高带宽控制和高精度跟踪。首先,根据光束传播路径和负载几何尺寸要求设计了水平式粗跟踪框架的经纬轴结构,并对单轴结构进行了模型简化,建立了单轴二质阻尼刚度简化模型的动力学方程;对系统进行了振动分析,根据系统的谐振频率和电机锁定转动频率确定了跟踪架主要结构参数;设计了一种速度加速度双闭环控制系统,确定了系统控制器和控制参数;最后对控制系统进行了性能测试。测试结果显示,控制系统满足性能指标要求,相较于带有结构滤波器的PI速度环控制系统,带宽提升了28.2%;基于加速度闭环的PI速度环控制系统在调节时间上提升了78.6%,超调量降低了94.08%;基于加速度闭环的PI位置环控制系统的调节时间为0.085 s,超调量为11.66%,具备较小的跟踪误差和较强的抗干扰能力。     

Effective Noise Reduction by Electric Positive and Negative Feedback in Semiconductor Lasers

Semiconductor lasers tend to generate excess intensity noise called the optical feedback noise in addition to the quantum noise. A noise reduction method using an electric positive and negative feedback loop between an optical detector and a semiconductor laser was demonstrated in this paper. The electric positive feedback was set in a high-frequency region, reducing the optical feedback noise, while the electric negative feedback was set in a frequency range lower than the positive-feedback frequency, resulting in the suppression of the quantum noise (optical shot noise). Noise reduction over 100-MHz frequency region and a reduction ability superior to that obtained by the superposition of high-frequency current were confirmed.     

A method for determining high-resolution activation time delays inunipolar cardiac mapping

Presents a method for determining activation time delays in unipolar cardiac mapping data to resolutions considerably smaller than the sample interval. The method involves taking two filtered, differentiated electrograms and computing the Hilbert transform of their cross correlation, which exhibits a negative-to-positive zero crossing at the delay time between the signals. Simultaneous endocardial/epicardial recordings of sinus rhythm were made in the swine right atrium using identical, precisely superpositioned electrode arrays. Data were amplified, lowpass filtered, and digitized at 1000 Hz. A window of data was chosen around each electrogram in an endocardial/epicardial electrogram pair. The windowed electrograms were differentiated and highpass filtered, and the Hilbert transform of the cross correlation between the electrograms was computed. The activation time delay was taken to be the first negative-to-positive zero crossing. Average activation time delays (±SD) were computed for 4-s sinus rhythm recordings from each endocardial/epicardial electrode pair. For a representative site, the average transmural activation time delay was 0.71±0.06 ms (n=10 electrograms). Time delays estimated using the Hilbert transform method were compared with time delays estimated using the maximum negative slope criterion. The Hilbert transform results exhibited much smaller standard deviations, indicating that the Hilbert transform method may produce more accurate time delay estimates than the maximum negative slope method     

A fast transient response low dropout regulator with current control methodology

A transient performance optimized CCL-LDO regulator is proposed.In the CCL-LDO,the control method of the charge pump phase-locked loop is adopted.A current control loop has the feedback signal and reference current to be compared,and then a loop filter generates the gate voltage of the power MOSFET by integrating the error current.The CCL-LDO has the optimized damping coefficient and natural resonant frequency, while its output voltage can be sub-l-V and is not restricted by the reference voltage.With a 1μF decoupling capacitor,the experimental results based on a 0.13μm CMOS process show that the output voltage is 1.0 V;when the workload changes from 100μA to 100 mA transiently,the stable dropout is 4.25 mV,the settling time is 8.2μs and the undershoot is 5.11 mV;when the workload changes from 100 mA to 100μA transiently,the stable dropout is 4.25 mV,the settling time is 23.3μs and the overshoot is 6.21 mV.The PSRR value is more than -95 dB.Most of the attributes of the CCL-LDO are improved rapidly with a FOM value of 0.0097.     

Chronic measurement of the stimulation selectivity of the flat interface nerve electrode

The flat interface nerve electrode (FINE) is an attempt to improve the stimulation selectivity of extraneural electrodes. By reshaping peripheral nerves into elliptical cylinders, central fibers are moved closer to the nerve-electrode interface, and additional surface area is created for contact placement. The goals of this study were to test the hypothesis that greater nerve reshaping leads to improved selectivity and to examine the chronic recruitment properties of the FINE. Three FINEs were developed to reshape peripheral nerves to different degrees. Four electrodes of each type were implanted on the sciatic nerves of 12 cats and tested for selectivity over at least three months. There was physiologic evidence of nerve injury in two cats with the tightest cuffs, but the other animals behaved normally. All cuff types were capable of selectively activating branches of the sciatic nerve, as well as groups of fibers within branches. The electrodes that moderately reshaped the nerves demonstrated the most selectivity. Both the selectivity measurements and the recruitment curve characteristics were stable throughout the implant period. From an electrophysiological standpoint, the FINE is a viable alternative for neuroprosthetic devices. A histological analysis of the nerves is under way to evaluate the safety of the FINE.     

基于空间投影的全双工MIMO中继站自反馈干扰抑制

建立由基站、全双工MIMO中继站和用户站组成的系统模型,获得MIMO自反馈干扰矩阵.当自反馈干扰信号最大多径时延大于符号周期时,根据自反馈干扰矩阵张成空间,设计并添加信号空间投影滤波器到中继站中实现自反馈干扰抑制.针对自反馈干扰矩阵是否满秩,滤波器设计分别采用子空间和零空间投影算法,并讨论了不同投影算法下对中继站接收信号误码率影响和自干扰信号的残留量.理论分析和仿真结果表明,所提出的空间投影算法对自反馈干扰的抑制有较理想的效果.     

Assessment of autonomic regulation of heart rate variability by the method of complex demodulation

Complex demodulation was used to examine the effect of both divisions of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) on heart rate. Data were analyzed from dogs during classical conditioning procedures which caused different changes in the autonomic regulation of heart rate. Two significant peaks in the heart rate variability spectrum were examined by this technique. The amplitude of the peak at the respiration frequency showed parasympathetic changes, while the amplitude of the low frequency peak (0-0.124 Hz) showed both sympathetic and parasympathetic effects. Complex demodulation results at these frequencies clearly showed the activities of both branches of the autonomic nervous system in regulating heart rate. During the CS+ period, when trained dogs were presented with a tone predicting a subsequent shock, the observed tachycardia was due to decreased parasympathetic activity and a transient increase in sympathetic activity. During the CS- period where a different tone predicts no shock, parasympathetic and sympathetic activities were unchanged from the baseline condition. The use of complex demodulation enables us to examine autonomic contributions to heart rate regulation in conditioning and a variety of other physiological and environmental conditions where autonomic input can be expected to change rapidly.     

时变衰落信道中WCDMA系统闭环发送分集的性能分析

该文针对WCDMA标准中采用的闭环分集技术,给出了RAKE接收算法模型及反馈的加权矢量算法,进而分析了时变衰落信道中存在反馈链路延迟时闭环发送分集的接收性能,并与开环分集技术的接收性能进行了比较,指出了开环和闭环发送分集技术适用的不同移动环境.理论推导及仿真结果表明闭环发送分集在低速移动和较低路径信噪比环境下具有优于开环分集的接收性能.