Dynamic 3-D computer graphics for designing a diagnostic tool for patients with schizophrenia

We introduce a novel procedure that uses dynamic 3-D computer graphics as a diagnostic tool for assessing disease severity in schizophrenia patients, based on their reduced influence of top-down cognitive processes in interpreting bottom-up sensory input. Our procedure uses the hollow-mask illusion, in which the concave side of the mask is misperceived as convex, because familiarity with convex faces dominates sensory cues signaling a concave mask. It is known that schizophrenia patients resist this illusion and their resistance increases with illness severity. Our method uses virtual masks rendered with two competing textures: (a) realistic features that enhance the illusion; (b) random-dot visual noise that reduces the illusion. We control the relative weights of the two textures to obtain psychometric functions for controls and patients and assess illness severity. The primary novelty is the use of a rotating mask that is easy to implement on a wide variety of portable devices and avoids the use of elaborate stereoscopic devices that have been used in the past. Thus our method, which can also be used to assess the efficacy of treatments, provides clinicians the advantage to bring the test to the patient’s own environment, instead of having to bring patients to the clinic.     

Spectroscopic investigation of tantalum nitride thin film deposition by reactive sputtering in a triode system

In the present paper the change of the partial pressure of nitrogen during reactive dc triode sputtering of a Ta target in Ar+N₂ gas mixture is spectroscopically investigated by means of a quadrupole mass spectrometer. AES analysis of thin films, deposited at different N₂ partial pressures is carried out and the atomic concentration of the contaminants in the films is investigated. It is established that the change of nitrogen content in the sputtering gas and in the deposited films at different N₂ partial pressures is connected with a nitridation of the Ta target.     

Substrate coupling in digital circuits in mixed-signal smart-power systems

This paper describes theoretical and experimental data characterizing the sensitivity of nMOS and CMOS digital circuits to substrate coupling in mixed-signal, smart-power systems. The work presented here focuses on the noise effects created by high-power analog circuits and affecting sensitive digital circuits on the same integrated circuit. The sources and mechanism of the noise behavior of such digital circuits are identified and analyzed. The results are obtained primarily from a set of dedicated test circuits specifically designed, fabricated, and evaluated for this work. The conclusions drawn from the theoretical and experimental analyses are used to develop physical and circuit design techniques to mitigate the substrate noise problems. These results provide insight into the noise immunity of digital circuits with respect to substrate coupling.     

Magnetic cotton yarns – optimization of magnetic properties

In this paper, we present the effect of ferrite percentage content and electric current intensity passing through the electromagnet coil on magnetic properties (saturation induction, residual induction, and coercive field) of magnetic staple yarns. Also, we present a method for obtaining magnetic yarns by direct coating with magnetic powder (barium ferrite). The aim of the study is to determine the optimal processing factors that can affect the performance of magnetic characteristics using an experimental design for second-order model. The results show that an increase in ferrite percentage content is influencing the saturation and residual induction more than an increase in applied current intensity. The increase in saturation and residual induction is due to the higher content of ferrite powder from the magnetic solution that adheres on the yarn surface. The higher is the value of coercive field, the larger is the force needed to completely demagnetize the magnetic yarn.     

Telerehabilitation using the Rutgers Master II glove following carpal tunnel release surgery: proof-of-concept.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the compression of the median nerve as it transits the carpal tunnel, with an incidence of about 1% of the population. If surgery is needed, the treatment involves decompression of the median nerve followed sometimes by musculoskeletal outpatient rehabilitation. This paper presents a proof-of-concept pilot clinical trial in which the Rutgers Masters II haptic glove was tested on five subjects, who were two weeks post-hand surgery. Subjects trained for 13 sessions, 30 min per session, three sessions per week, and had no conventional outpatient therapy. Computerized measures of performance showed group effects in hand mechanical energy (1200% for the virtual ball squeezing and DigiKey exercises and 600% for the power putty exercise). Improvement in their hand function was also observed (a 38% reduction in virtual pegboard errors, and 70% fewer virtual hand ball errors). Clinical strength measures showed increases in grip (by up to 150%) and key pinch (up to 46%) strength in three of the subjects, while two subjects had decreased strength following the study. However, all five subjects improved in their tip pinch strength of their affected hand (between 20%-267%). When asked whether they would recommend the virtual reality exercises to others, four subjects very strongly agreed and one strongly agreed that they would.     

Linearization of the timing analysis and optimization of level-sensitive digital synchronous circuits

This paper describes a linear programming (LP) problem formulation applicable to the static-timing analysis of large scale synchronous circuits with level-sensitive latches. Specifically, an LP formulation for the clock period minimization problem is developed. In order to minimize the clock period of level-sensitive circuits, the simultaneous effects of time borrowing and nonzero clock skew scheduling are considered. The clock period minimization problem is formulated for both single-phase and multi-phase clocking schemes. The ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits are used to derive experimental results. LP minimization problems for these benchmark circuits are generated using the modified big M (MBM) method and the generated problems are solved using the industrial LP solver CPLEX . The experimental results demonstrate up to 63% improvements in minimum clock period compared to flip-flop based circuits with zero clock skew.     

Parameters optimization for the production of needle-punched nonwoven agrotextiles

In this study, we present the effect of the needling density and needle gauge on the functional characteristics (fabric weight, fabric thickness and thermal conductivity) of nonwovens used as agrotextiles for the frost protection of crops. The aim is to determine the optimal processing parameters that can affect the performance characteristics using a central composite design, experimental design, for second-order model. Our results show that an increase in needling density is influencing the fabric weight more than an increase in needle gauge. For the same needle gauge, an increase in needling density also increases the thermal conductivity. At the same time, needling density and needle gauge have opposite effects on fabric thickness.