GPU-based beamformer: fast realization of plane wave compounding and synthetic aperture imaging

Although they show potential to improve ultrasound image quality, plane wave (PW) compounding and synthetic aperture (SA) imaging are computationally demanding and are known to be challenging to implement in real-time. In this work, we have developed a novel beamformer architecture with the real-time parallel processing capacity needed to enable fast realization of PW compounding and SA imaging. The beamformer hardware comprises an array of graphics processing units (GPUs) that are hosted within the same computer workstation. Their parallel computational resources are controlled by a pixel-based software processor that includes the operations of analytic signal conversion, delay-and-sum beamforming, and recursive compounding as required to generate images from the channel-domain data samples acquired using PW compounding and SA imaging principles. When using two GTX-480 GPUs for beamforming and one GTX-470 GPU for recursive compounding, the beamformer can compute compounded 512 x 255 pixel PW and SA images at throughputs of over 4700 fps and 3000 fps, respectively, for imaging depths of 5 cm and 15 cm (32 receive channels, 40 MHz sampling rate). Its processing capacity can be further increased if additional GPUs or more advanced models of GPU are used.     

Experiences of Trauma and DNA Methylation Profiles among African American Mothers and Children

Potentially traumatic experiences have been associated with chronic diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), have been proposed as an explanation for this association. We examined the association of experiences of trauma with epigenome-wide DNAm among African American mothers (n = 236) and their children aged 3–5 years (n = 232; N = 500), using the Life Events Checklist-5 (LEC) and Traumatic Events Screening Inventory—Parent Report Revised (TESI-PRR). We identified no DNAm sites significantly associated with potentially traumatic experience scores in mothers. One CpG site on the ENOX1 gene was methylome-wide-significant in children (FDR-corrected q-value = 0.05) from the TESI-PRR. This protein-coding gene is associated with mental illness, including unipolar depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia. Future research should further examine the associations between childhood trauma, DNAm, and health outcomes among this understudied and high-risk group. Findings from such longitudinal research may inform clinical and translational approaches to prevent adverse health outcomes associated with epigenetic changes.     

Magnetization distributions in bulk magnetic material

Knowledge of the internal magnetization distributionsM(r)of polarizable media allows straightforward calculation of fields for any configuration which includes these media. Although useful calculations have been made using an assumedM(r), little work directed at calculatingM(r)has been done. This paper includes assumptions that, in addition to Maxwell's equations, are sufficient for determining the resultant integral equation. A method for the solution of this equation forM(r)is also presented. As an example, the nonuniform demagnetizing fields and magnetization distributions are calculated for cylinders of isotropic magnetic material. The results for these samples are compared with experimentally determined values and show average errors less than 9 percent forM(r).     

Testing of highly loaded horizontal axis wind turbines designed for optimum performance

The realization of a wind turbine as a source of clean, non-polluting and renewable energy may depend on the optimum design of turbine blades that can operate efficiently under extreme variations in wind conditions. In this paper we provide results of an experimental investigation to examine the effectiveness of a highly loaded theory for the design of a horizontal axis wind turbine for optimum power production over a wide range of advance ratios. We find the theory, which can be used to set up design curves easily and requires only hand held calculator for calculation, offers a rational basis for the design of propeller wind turbines for peak performance.