DefibViz: A Visualization Tool for the Assessment of Electrode Parameters on Transthoracic Defibrillation Thresholds

DefibViz is a software application developed for defibrillation simulation and visualization. It exploits both surface techniques and methods for the interactive exploration of volumetric datasets for the analysis of transthoracic defibrillation simulation results. DefibViz has a graphical user interface for the specification of the shape, size, position, and applied voltage of a defibrillator's electrodes. An option is provided for using 3D slice plane widgets, which operate on the volumetric datasets, such that the distribution of the voltage gradient induced by an electric shock can be visually inspected in various tissues throughout the myocardium and torso. One goal of DefibViz is to enhance understanding of how electrode parameters relate to the change of the voltage gradient distribution throughout the heart, which may help lead to optimal defibrillator design. DefibViz is significant, in that, it is built by using an open-source graphics and visualization framework providing a platform for subsequent modifiability and extensibility. Moreover, it integrates simulation and visualization techniques, which previously required the running of several independent software executables, into an enhanced, seamless, and comprehensive software application.     

Metabolic Pathways for Observed Impacts of Crop Load on Floral Induction in Apple

The triggers of biennial bearing are thought to coincide with embryonic development in apple and occurs within the first 70 days after full bloom (DAFB). Strong evidence suggests hormonal signals are perceived by vegetative apple spur buds to induce flowering. The hormonal response is typically referred to as the floral induction (FI) phase in bud meristem development. To determine the metabolic pathways activated in FI, young trees of the biennial bearing cultivar ‘Nicoter’ and the less susceptible cultivar ‘Rosy Glow’ were forced into an alternate cropping cycle over five years and an inverse relationship of crop load and return bloom was established. Buds were collected over a four-week duration within 70 DAFB from trees that had maintained a four-year biennial bearing cycle. Metabolomics profiling was undertaken to determine the differentially expressed pathways and key signalling molecules associated with biennial bearing. Marked metabolic differences were observed in trees with high and low crop load treatments. Significant effects were detected in members of the phenylpropanoid pathway comprising hydroxycinnamates, salicylates, salicylic acid biosynthetic pathway intermediates and flavanols. This study identifies plant hormones associated with FI in apples using functional metabolomics analysis.     

Superconductivity and magnetism in niobium doped YBa2Cu3O7 Related high Tc ceramics

Magnetic characterization has been performed on the members of the cuprateniobate RBa₂Cu₂NbO₈ (R = Pr, Nd, and La) series and R_1.5Ce_0.5Sr₂Cu₂NbO₁₀ (R = Pr, Eu, Nd, and Sm) series. The PrBCNO samples show a signature in the magnetization of a magnetic ordering at 12K. The PrCSCNO sample is nonsuperconducting and shows two distinct orderings at 17K and 53K. No such magnetic phase transition is observed down to 2K in the Nd and La based RBCNO materials or the Nd, Sm, and Eu based RCSCNO materials. Measurements of the lower critical field curve, dc irreversibility line, and critical curent densities are reported for each of the superconducting NdCSCNO, SmCSCNO, and EuCSCNO compounds.     

High-speed digital signal processing and control

An attempt is made to organize and survey recent work, and to present it in a unified and accessible form. The need for a new approach suitable for high-speed processing is discussed in the context of several applications in control and communications, and a historical perspective of the use of difference operators in numerical analysis is presented. The general systems calculus, based on divided-different operators is introduced to unify the continuous-time and discrete-time systems theories. This calculus is then used as a framework to treat the three problems of system state estimation; system identification and time-series modeling; and control system design. Realization aspects of algorithms based on the difference operator representation, including such issues as coefficient rounding and implementation with standard hardware, are also discussed     

Performance and Modeling of the MWIR HgCdTe Electron Avalanche Photodiode

The operation of the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) HgCdTe cylindrical electron injection avalanche photodiode (e-APD) is described. The measured gain and excess noise factor are related to the collection region fill factor. A two-dimensional diffusion model calculates the time-dependent response and steady-state pixel point spread function for cylindrical diodes, and predicts bandwidths near 1 GHz for small geometries. A 2 μm diameter spot scan system was developed for point spread function and crosstalk measurements at 80 K. An electron diffusion length of 13.4 μm was extracted from spot scan data. Bandwidth data are shown that indicate bandwidths in excess of 300 MHz for small unit cells geometries. Dark current data, at high gain levels, indicate an effective gain normalized dark density count as low as 1000 counts/μs/cm² at an APD gain of 444. A junction doping profile was determined from capacitance–voltage data. Spectral response data shows a gain-independent characteristic.     

Semiconductor Yield Analysis and Multi-Chip Package(MCP) Dic Pairing Optimization using Machine Learning

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Fault-tree analysis for system design, development, modification,and verification

A methodology that uses fault-tree analysis (FTA) techniques to assess the weaknesses of a new chemical/process design at any time during system development is presented. FTA provides a cost-effective means of improving or verifying the reliability and efficiency of chemical/process design. It evaluates the consequences of conceivable failure to indicate where improvements are justified. FTA techniques were used to model the failure modes of an existing control-room heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system of a large production facility. The fault-tree reduction revealed 129 single-, 434 double-, and 442 triple-failure combinations, any of which could cause system failure. Single failures and double failures consisting of an equipment malfunction and an operator failure error were targeted for design and/or procedural modifications. These modifications were then incorporated into the operating system design to enhance system availability. In an iterative fashion, FTA techniques were reapplied to the modified design and used to verify the adequacy of the proposed revisions prior to implementation. This resulted in a thorough review of system vulnerabilities and a clear understanding of how to correct them     

Optical receiver array in silicon bipolar technology with selfaligned, low parasitic III/V detectors for DC-1 Gbit/s parallel links

A 1*8 element III-V photodetector/silicon bipolar circuit receiver array has been fabricated using a selfaligning, low parasitic, flipchip solder bond hybridisation process. Receiver elements operate at data rates up to 1 Gbit/s with an input sensitivity of -23 dBm at 1.3 mu m wavelength, and with negligible interchannel crosstalk. An overall delay of 1.5 ns was measured between optical input and digital output.<>