Implantable biomedical microsystems for neural prostheses.

In the following article, the technologies to fabricate polyimide-based thin and flexible substrates with monolithically integrated electrode arrays and printed circuit boards (PCB) for hybrid electronic assemblies as well as an assembling technique that connects bare electronic dice with flexible PCBs are presented. The concept of modular, flexible biomedical microsystems as neural prostheses is introduced in general and described in detail in three examples. A cuff electrode with integrated multiplexer circuitry and standard implantable cables represents the combination of microtechnology with precision mechanics; a sieve electrode used as an implant in peripheral nerve regeneration studies demonstrates the next level of integration density but still uses a cable connection; and last, joint effort to fabricate the demonstrator of a vision prosthesis that is completely implantable in the eye with a wireless link for energy supply and data transmission is presented. System design, hybrid assembling technology, and flexible multilayer encapsulation using parylene and silicone rubber are the key components for creating a new generation of neural prostheses for complex and challenging new applications.     

Image-based rendering of complex scenes from a multi-camera rig

Image-based rendering is a method to synthesise novel views from a set of given real images. Two methods to extrapolate novel views of complex scenes with occlusions and large depth discontinuities from images of a moving uncalibrated multi-camera rig are described. The real camera viewpoints are calibrated from the image data and dense depth maps are estimated for each real view. Novel views are synthesised from this representation with view-dependent image-based rendering techniques at interactive rates. Since the 3D scene geometry is available in this approach, it is well suited for mixed reality applications where synthetic 3D objects are seamlessly embedded in the novel view.     

Outpatient group treatment of chronic pain: Effects of spouse involvement.

Evaluated the efficacy of outpatient group treatment of chronic pain and the effect of spouse involvement in treatment in chronic pain patients ranging in age from 23 to 69 yrs who were randomly assigned to couples group treatment (n?=?17), patient-only group treatment (n?=?14), or waiting-list controls (n?=?12). 29 Ss had low back pain; the remaining Ss reported pain in the knee, arm, leg, hip, head, and phantom limb. The Ss completed the MMPI—168 and measures of health-related psychosocial and physical dysfunction and marital satisfaction. Results indicate that the 16-hr cognitive-behavioral program produced reductions in pain, somatization, spouse-observed pain behavior, physical and psychosocial dysfunction, spouse-rated dysfunction, and utilization of health care resources. Depression was not affected by treatment. Spouse involvement did not facilitate response to treatment on any variables. Also, Ss in the individual condition only showed improved marital satisfaction. All treatment gains were maintained at 3-mo to 7-mo follow-ups. Results indicate that brief outpatient treatment can significantly ameliorate chronic pain problems, and spouse involvement is not essential for a positive response to treatment. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classification of model transformation techniques used in UML-based Web engineering

Software development techniques are continuously evolving with the goal of solving the main problems that still affect the building and maintenance of software systems: time, costs and error-proneness. Model-driven engineering (MDE) approaches aim to reduce at least some of these problems providing techniques for the construction of models and the specification of transformation rules, tool support and automatic generation of code and documentation. The method of resolution of MDE is to first build models, which are independent of the platform, transforming them in later stages to technological-dependent models, and to achieve automatic model and code generation based on transformation rules. Web engineering is a domain where model-driven approaches can be used to address evolution and adaptation of Web software to continuously emerging new platforms and changes in technologies. We present an overview of the development process of the Unified Modelling Language (UML)-based Web engineering (UWE) defined as an MDE approach. The main characteristic of UWE is the use of standards including the UML, XML metadata interchange as model exchange, meta-object facility for metamodelling, model-driven architecture and the transformation language query-view-transformation. We focus on the model transformation aspects of the UWE process.     

Hybrid finite-element method for discretising cylindrically symmetric parts in electrotechnical models

In many technical devices such as transformers and electrical machines, large differences in geometric dimensions are observed. As a consequence, the generation of a 3D computational grid for the whole device leads to unacceptably large numbers of elements or can even fail. In addition to the commonly applied cartesian or cylindrical symmetries of the overall geometry, the model can be subdivided into parts featuring translational or cylindrical symmetries. Such parts are discretised separately, accounting for the local symmetry, and are then combined with the surrounding 3D model. Excitations and boundary conditions of the submodels are not necessarily symmetric but are expected to be smooth in the direction of the symmetry. Then, the field distribution at the interface is well approximated by a set of spectral elements along the dimension of symmetry. Coupling between the model parts is carried out by means of Lagrange multipliers. A single-phase transformer with thin insulation sheets is taken as an example to illustrate the proposed hybrid discretisation. The cross-section of the cylindrically symmetric part containing thin sheets, is represented by a fine 2D finite-element mesh so that all the geometrical details can be resolved, and the rest of the structure is discretised by a 3D mesh. Nevertheless, a fully 3D field distribution is calculated in all model parts. Only a small number of harmonic functions is needed to account for the azimuthal field variation at the cylindrical interface. Hence, the number of unknowns in the numerical model is reduced significantly, while a high level of accuracy is maintained     

Linewidth and alpha-factor of detuned-loaded DBR lasers

The authors report measurements of the α-factor and linewidth of DBR (distributed Bragg reflector) lasers fabricated with weak grating constants. Such devices exhibit detuned-loading effects, and the measured values depend strongly on the tuning current of the Bragg section. α-factor behavior is found to agree with earlier theoretical predictions. Linewidth behavior is shown to be dominated by carrier shot noise in the tuning section. A theoretical analysis of the DBR laser is outlined including detuned loading and carrier shot noise effect     

Pilot experiments with electrodialysis and ozonation for the production of a fertiliser from urine.

Pilot tests were performed with a process combination of electrodialysis and ozonation for the removal of micropollutants and the concentration of nutrients in urine. In continuous and batch experiments, maximum concentration factors up to 3.5 and 4.1 were obtained, respectively. The desalination capacity did not decrease significantly during continuous operation periods of several weeks. Membrane cleaning after 195 days resulted in approximately 35% increase in desalination rate. The Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES), a bioassay that selectively detects oestrogenic compounds, confirmed that about 90% of the oestrogenic activity was removed by electrodialysis. HPLC analysis showed that ibuprofen was removed to a high extent, while other micropollutants were below the detection limit. In view of the fact that ibuprofen is among the most rapidly transported micropollutants in electrodialysis processes, this result indicates that electrodialysis provides an effective barrier for micropollutants. Standardised plant growth tests were performed in the field with the salt solution resulting from the treatment by electrodialysis and subsequent ozonation. The results show that the plant height is comparable to synthetic fertilisers, but the crop yield is slightly lower. The latter is probably caused by volatilisation losses during field application, which can be prevented by improved application technologies.     

Fast full‐color reflective display via photoluminescent enhancement

Reflective displays are advantageous in applications requiring low power or daylight readability. However, there are no low‐cost reflective technologies capable of displaying bright colors. By employing photoluminescence to more efficiently use ambient light, we created a prototype display that provides bright, full color in a simple, low‐cost architecture. This prototype includes a novel electrokinetic shutter, a layer that incorporates patterned luminescent red, green, and blue sub‐pixel elements, and a novel optical out‐coupling scheme. The luminescent elements convert otherwise‐wasted portions of the incident spectrum to light in the desired color band, resulting in improved color saturation and lightness. This prototype provides a color gamut that is superior to competing reflective display technologies that utilize color filters in single‐layer side‐by‐side sub‐pixel architectures. The current prototype is capable of switching in <0.5 s; future displays based on an alternative electro‐optic shutter technology should achieve video rate operation. A transflective version of this technology has also been prototyped. The transflective version utilizes its backlight with a power efficiency that is at least three times that of a conventional liquid crystal display. These photoluminescence‐based technologies enable a host of applications ranging from low‐power mobile products and retail pricing signage to daylight readable signage for outdoor advertising segments.     

Formation of amorphous Ni-Zr alloy powder by mechanical alloying of intermetallic powder mixtures and mixtures of nickel or zirconium with intermetallics

Mechanical alloying was used to synthesize Ni_xZr_1–x alloys from mixtures of intermetallic compound powders, and also from mixtures of intermetallic compound powders and pure elemental powders. The mechanically alloyed powders were amorphous in the range 0.24 x 0.85. This range is larger than amorphous alloys produced by the melt-spinning technique and mechanical alloying of elemental crystalline powders. Two-phase mixtures of the amorphous phase and the corresponding crystalline terminal solid solution were formed in the range 0.10 x 0.22, and x=0.90. It is found that the morphological development during mechanical alloying of these powders is different from mechanical alloying using only pure ductile crystalline elemental powders. The thermal stability has been investigated. The enthalpy and activation energy of crystallization for Ni-Zr amorphous powders prepared by mechanical alloying are lower than those for melt-spun samples of the same composition. The crystallization temperature of the mechanically alloyed Ni-Zr amorphous powders is higher than that of meltspun samples in the composition range Ni₂₀Zr₈₀ to Ni₃₃Zr₆₇ and Ni₄₀Zr₆₀ to Ni₆₀Zr₄₀. The presence of tiny crystallites as nucleation centres and high oxygen levels in the mechanically alloyed amorphous alloys might be responsible for the differences in crystallization behaviour. A new crystalline metastable phase was observed during crystallization studies of Ni₂₄Zr₇₆ amorphous powder.