Neuromuscular Interfacing: Establishing an EMG-Driven Model for the Human Elbow Joint

Assistive devices aim to mitigate the effects of physical disability by aiding users to move their limbs or by rehabilitating through therapy. These devices are commonly embodied by robotic or exoskeletal systems that are still in development and use the electromyographic (EMG) signal to determine user intent. Not much focus has been placed on developing a neuromuscular interface (NI) that solely relies on the EMG signal, and does not require modifications to the end user's state to enhance the signal (such as adding weights). This paper presents the development of a flexible, physiological model for the elbow joint that is leading toward the implementation of an NI, which predicts joint motion from EMG signals for both able-bodied and less-abled users. The approach uses musculotendon models to determine muscle contraction forces, a proposed musculoskeletal model to determine total joint torque, and a kinematic model to determine joint rotational kinematics. After a sensitivity analysis and tuning using genetic algorithms, subject trials yielded an average root-mean-square error of 6.53° and 22.4° for a single cycle and random cycles of movement of the elbow joint, respectively. This helps us to validate the elbow model and paves the way toward the development of an NI.     

Novel,Robust, and Versatile Bijels of Nitromethane,Ethanediol, and Colloidal Silica: Capsules,Sub‐Ten‐Micrometer Domains,and Mechanical Properties

Bicontinuous, interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) are a class of soft solid materials in which interpenetrating domains of two immiscible fluids are stabilized by an interfacial colloidal monolayer. Such structures form through the arrest of the spinodal decomposition of an initially single‐phase liquid mixture containing a colloidal suspension. With the use of hexalmethyldisilazane, the wetting character of silica colloids, ranging in size and dye content, can be modified for fabricating a novel bijel system comprising the binary liquid ethanediol–nitromethane. Unlike the preceding water‐lutidine based system, this bijel is stable at room temperature and its fabrication and resultant manipulation are comparatively straightforward. The new system has facilitated three advancements: firstly, we use sub 100 nm silica particles to stabilize the first bijel made from low molecular weight liquids that has domains smaller than ten micrometers. Secondly, our new and robust bijel permits qualitative rheological work which reveals the bijel to be significantly elastic and self healing whilst its domains are able to break, reform and locally rearrange. Thirdly, we encapsulate the ethanediol–nitromethane bijel in Pickering drops to form novel particle‐stabilized bicontinuous multiple emulsions that we christen bijel capsules. These emulsions are stimuli responsive – they liberate their contained materials in response to changes in temperature and solvency, and hence they show potential for controlled release applications.     

Role of hydrogen in the surface passivation of crystalline silicon by sputtered aluminum oxide

Aluminum oxide films can provide excellent surface passivation on both p‐type and n‐type surfaces of silicon wafers and solar cells. Even though radio frequency magnetron sputtering is capable of depositing aluminum oxide with concentrations of negative charges comparable to some of the other deposition methods, the surface passivation has not been as good. In this paper, we compare the composition and bonding of aluminum oxide deposited by thermal atomic layer deposition and sputtering, and find that the interfacial silicon oxide layer and hydrogen concentration can explain the differences in the surface passivation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An energy‐efficient and balanced clustering approach for improving throughput of wireless sensor networks

Maximizing the lifespan of wireless sensor networks is currently drawing a lot of attention in the research community. In order to reduce energy consumption, sensor nodes that are far from the base station avoid sending data directly. As a result, several disjoint clusters are formed, and nodes within a cluster send their data through the cluster head to avoid long transmissions. However, several parameters related to transmission cost need to be considered when selecting a cluster head. While most of the existing research work considers energy and distance as the most stringent parameters to reduce energy consumption, these approaches fail to create a fair and balanced cluster. Consequently, unbalanced clusters are formed, resulting in the degradation of overall performance. In this research work, a cluster head selection algorithm is proposed that covers all parts of the sensing area in a balanced manner, saving a significant amount of energy. Furthermore, a capture effect–based intracluster communication mechanism is proposed that efficiently utilizes the time slot under various traffic conditions. A Näive Bayes classifier is used to adapt the window size dynamically according to the traffic pattern. Finally, a simulation model using OMNeT++ is developed to compare the proposed approach with the pioneer clustering approach, LEACH, and the contemporary LEACH‐MAC protocol in terms of performance. The results of the simulation indicate that the proposed approach improves the overall performance in terms of network lifetime, energy efficiency, and throughput.     

即插即用模块设计乎唤创新DSP应用

灵活的马达控制设计既减少了元件数量也降低了生产成本 工程师们必须适应当今以即插即用设计策略为重点的市场环境，例如，大多数主力白色家电制造商越来越倾向于将电器子系统（甚至是关键子系统，如马达控制器）视为设备组件。     

A Multistage Architecture for Statistical Inference with Stochastic Signal Acquisition

We describe a statistical inference approach for designing signal acquisition interfaces and inference systems with stochastic devices. A signal is observed by an array of binary comparison sensors, such as highly scaled comparators in an analog-to-digital converter, that exhibit random offsets in their reference levels due to process variations or other uncertainties. These offsets can limit the performance of conventional measurement devices. In our approach, we build redundancy into the sensor array and use statistical estimation techniques to account for uncertainty in the observations and produce a more reliable estimate of the acquired signal. We develop an observational model and find a Cramér-Rao lower bound on the achievable square error performance of such a system. We then propose a two-stage inference architecture that uses a coarse estimate to select a subset of the sensor outputs for further processing, reducing the overall complexity of the system while achieving near-optimal performance. The performance of the architecture is demonstrated using a simulated prototype for parameter estimation and symbol detection applications. The results suggest the feasibility of using unreliable components to build reliable signal acquisition and inference systems.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from two sites in Southern England during winter 1981/1982

Nitrous oxide fluxes from soil surfaces were measured during winter 1981/82 on two fallow sites, a loamy sand and a clay loam, that had been watered to field capacity and fertilised at the rate of 200 kg N ha^?1 on the 5 October 1981. Highest fluxes were obtained in the sampling period immediately after fertiliser application. They were in the range 3.5–20 g N₂O? N ha^?1 day^?1 on the loamy sand, and declined rapidly from a peak of almost 165 g N₂O? N ha^?1 day^?1 on the day following fertiliser application on the clay loam. The temperature during this period was in the range 6.5 to 14°C. As soil temperature declined during the sampling periods in December (?2 to 3°C) and February (4.5 to 6.5°C) and nitrate was leached in the subsoil, N₂O evolution became very low (<1 g N₂O? N ha^?1 day^?1). Rainfall over the whole sampling period from early October to mid-February was 282 mm. On both sites there was a very high degree of variability within the sites at any sampling time.     

Glycosidic linkages of legume,grass and cereal straw cell walls before and after extensive degradation by rumen microorganisms

The technique of methylation analysis for the location of glycosidic linkages in cell wall polysaccharides was applied directly (after dry milling in liquid nitrogen) to whole wheat and barley straws, cell wall preparations from early- and late-cut perennial ryegrass and white clover, and their extensively degraded residues recovered from the rumen. The addition of an internal standard, methyl-β-D-allo-pyranose, to milled samples enabled the recovery of partially-methylated sugars to be quantified, and the recovery of parent sugars from methylated material to be compared with values obtained by direct estimation of monosaccharides by the alditol acetate method. Recovery of sugars from methylated samples was generally higher than that predicted by the alditol acetate method, particularly from digested residues. All four samples of Gramineae showed similar proportions of glycosidic linkages in which (1 →4)-linked xylose and glucose units accounted for more than 80% of total identified partially-methylated sugars. The proportions of glycosidic linkages found in digested residues of straws were essentially the same as those found in the parent material. In residues of the more digestible ryegrass there was a two- to three-fold increase in (1→4)-linked xylose units without branch points at the O-2/O-3 positions, the proportions of these branch points being substantially reduced. A corresponding reduction in the proportion of (1→2)-, (1→3)-and terminally-linked arabinose units was also found. The proportion of both (1→4)- and (1→3)-linked glucose units were also reduced in digested residues. These changes were greater in the early-cut than in the late-cut sample. White clover differed from the Gramineae in a number of respects. Galactose units predominantly in the form of (1→4)-, (1→6)- and terminally-linked units, were the major non-cellulosic sugars present. The proportion of all forms of galactose was reduced in digested residues, but (1→6)-linked units appeared more resistant to degradation than (1→4)-linked units. Like ryegrass, the proportion of xylose units increased in digested residues from clover, while the proportion of glucose decreased. The proportion of (1→4)-linked mannose units, initially present at levels ten times as great as in the Gramineae, was also substantially reduced.     

Treatment of milk by gamma irradiation—effect of anoxia on lipid peroxidation and the survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

One of the causes of organoleptic changes in milk, lipid peroxidation, has been monitored by a sensitive assay newly applied to foodstuffs. It has been shown that even at medium radiation doses (up to 3600 Gy) negligible lipid peroxidation takes place, providing the milk is thoroughly gassed with nitrogen. Using a test spoilage microorganism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter), it was shown that the D₁₀ was 35 Gy in air and 105 Gy under anaerobic conditions. Dose/survival curves indicate that 5 decades of killing needed 200 Gy in air and 600 Gy under nitrogen. However, even after receiving a dose of 1600 Gy, both aerobically and anaerobically treated milk failed the methylene blue test at 21 days post-irradiation. The data indicate that, although the deleterious lipid peroxidation effects of irradiation can be minimised by the removal of air, this in turn results in a degree of protection being afforded to the bacteria, and that doses in excess of 1600 Gy are needed to effectively sterilise milk.     

Porous Polymersomes with Encapsulated Gd‐Labeled Dendrimers as Highly Efficient MRI Contrast Agents

The use of nanovesicles with encapsulated Gd as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents has largely been ignored due to the detrimental effects of the slow water exchange rate through the vesicle bilayer on the relaxivity of encapsulated Gd. Here, the facile synthesis of a composite MR contrast platform is described; it consists of dendrimer conjugates encapsulated in porous polymersomes. These nanoparticles exhibit improved permeability to water flux and a large capacity to store chelated Gd within the aqueous lumen, resulting in enhanced longitudinal relaxivity. The porous polymersomes, ～130 nm in diameter, are produced through the aqueous assembly of the polymers, polyethylene oxide‐b‐polybutadiene (PBdEO), and polyethylene oxide‐b‐polycaprolactone (PEOCL). Subsequent hydrolysis of the caprolactone (CL) block resulted in a highly permeable outer membrane. To prevent the leakage of small Gd‐chelate through the pores, Gd was conjugated to polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers via diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid dianhydride (DTPA dianhydride) prior to encapsulation. As a result of the slower rotational correlation time of Gd‐labeled dendrimers, the porous outer membrane of the nanovesicle, and the high Gd payload, these functional nanoparticles are found to exhibit a relaxivity (R1) of 292 109 mM ^?1 s^?1 per particle. The polymersomes are also found to exhibit unique pharmacokinetics with a circulation half‐life of >3.5 h and predominantly renal clearance.