The Effect of Landing Surface on the Plantar Kinetics of Chinese Paratroopers Using Half-Squat Landing

PubMed Central

Li, Yi; Wu, Ji; Zheng, Chao; Huang, Rong Rong; Na, Yuhong; Yang, Fan; Wang, Zengshun; Wu, Di

2013-01-01

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of landing surface on plantar kinetics during a half-squat landing. Twenty male elite paratroopers with formal parachute landing training and over 2 years of parachute jumping experience were recruited. The subjects wore parachuting boots in which pressure sensing insoles were placed. Each subject was instructed to jump off a platform with a height of 60 cm, and land on either a hard or soft surface in a half-squat posture. Outcome measures were maximal plantar pressure, time to maximal plantar pressure (T-MPP), and pressure-time integral (PTI) upon landing on 10 plantar regions. Compared to a soft surface, hard surface produced higher maximal plantar pressure in the 1st to 4th metatarsal and mid-foot regions, but lower maximal plantar pressure in the 5th metatarsal region. Shorter T- MPP was found during hard surface landing in the 1st and 2nd metatarsal and medial rear foot. Landing on a hard surface landing resulted in a lower PTI than a soft surface in the 1stphalangeal region. For Chinese paratroopers, specific foot prosthesis should be designed to protect the1st to 4thmetatarsal region for hard surface landing, and the 1stphalangeal and 5thmetatarsal region for soft surface landing. Key Points Understanding plantar kinetics during the half-squat landing used by Chinese paratroopers can assist in the design of protective footwear. Compared to landing on a soft surface, a hard surface produced higher maximal plantar pressure in the 1st to 4th metatarsal and mid-foot regions, but lower maximal plantar pressure in the 5th metatarsal region. A shorter time to maximal plantar pressure was found during a hard surface landing in the 1st and 2nd metatarsals and medial rear foot. Landing on a hard surface resulted in a lower pressure-time integral than landing on a soft surface in the 1st phalangeal region. For Chinese paratroopers, specific foot prosthesis should be designed to protect the 1st to 4th metatarsal region for a hard surface landing, and the 1st phalangeal and 5th metatarsal region for a soft surface landing. PMID:24149145

An electromechanical based deformable model for soft tissue simulation.

PubMed

Zhong, Yongmin; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Smith, Julian; Gu, Chengfan

2009-11-01

Soft tissue deformation is of great importance to surgery simulation. Although a significant amount of research efforts have been dedicated to simulating the behaviours of soft tissues, modelling of soft tissue deformation is still a challenging problem. This paper presents a new deformable model for simulation of soft tissue deformation from the electromechanical viewpoint of soft tissues. Soft tissue deformation is formulated as a reaction-diffusion process coupled with a mechanical load. The mechanical load applied to a soft tissue to cause a deformation is incorporated into the reaction-diffusion system, and consequently distributed among mass points of the soft tissue. Reaction-diffusion of mechanical load and non-rigid mechanics of motion are combined to govern the simulation dynamics of soft tissue deformation. An improved reaction-diffusion model is developed to describe the distribution of the mechanical load in soft tissues. A three-layer artificial cellular neural network is constructed to solve the reaction-diffusion model for real-time simulation of soft tissue deformation. A gradient based method is established to derive internal forces from the distribution of the mechanical load. Integration with a haptic device has also been achieved to simulate soft tissue deformation with haptic feedback. The proposed methodology does not only predict the typical behaviours of living tissues, but it also accepts both local and large-range deformations. It also accommodates isotropic, anisotropic and inhomogeneous deformations by simple modification of diffusion coefficients.

On an LAS-integrated soft PLC system based on WorldFIP fieldbus.

PubMed

Liang, Geng; Li, Zhijun; Li, Wen; Bai, Yan

2012-01-01

Communication efficiency is lowered and real-time performance is not good enough in discrete control based on traditional WorldFIP field intelligent nodes in case that the scale of control in field is large. A soft PLC system based on WorldFIP fieldbus was designed and implemented. Link Activity Scheduler (LAS) was integrated into the system and field intelligent I/O modules acted as networked basic nodes. Discrete control logic was implemented with the LAS-integrated soft PLC system. The proposed system was composed of configuration and supervisory sub-systems and running sub-systems. The configuration and supervisory sub-system was implemented with a personal computer or an industrial personal computer; running subsystems were designed and implemented based on embedded hardware and software systems. Communication and schedule in the running subsystem was implemented with an embedded sub-module; discrete control and system self-diagnosis were implemented with another embedded sub-module. Structure of the proposed system was presented. Methodology for the design of the sub-systems was expounded. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed system both in discrete and process control by investigating the effect of network data transmission delay induced by the soft PLC in WorldFIP network and CPU workload on resulting control performances. The experimental observations indicated that the proposed system is practically applicable. Copyright © 2011 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Noninvasive computerized scanning method for the correlation between the facial soft and hard tissues for an integrated three-dimensional anthropometry and cephalometry.

PubMed

Galantucci, Luigi Maria; Percoco, Gianluca; Lavecchia, Fulvio; Di Gioia, Eliana

2013-05-01

The article describes a new methodology to scan and integrate facial soft tissue surface with dental hard tissue models in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment, for a novel diagnostic approach.The facial and the dental scans can be acquired using any optical scanning systems: the models are then aligned and integrated to obtain a full virtual navigable representation of the head of the patient. In this article, we report in detail and further implemented a method for integrating 3D digital cast models into a 3D facial image, to visualize the anatomic position of the dentition. This system uses several 3D technologies to scan and digitize, integrating them with traditional dentistry records. The acquisitions were mainly performed using photogrammetric scanners, suitable for clinics or hospitals, able to obtain high mesh resolution and optimal surface texture for the photorealistic rendering of the face. To increase the quality and the resolution of the photogrammetric scanning of the dental elements, the authors propose a new technique to enhance the texture of the dental surface. Three examples of the application of the proposed procedure are reported in this article, using first laser scanning and photogrammetry and then only photogrammetry. Using cheek retractors, it is possible to scan directly a great number of dental elements. The final results are good navigable 3D models that integrate facial soft tissue and dental hard tissues. The method is characterized by the complete absence of ionizing radiation, portability and simplicity, fast acquisition, easy alignment of the 3D models, and wide angle of view of the scanner. This method is completely noninvasive and can be repeated any time the physician needs new clinical records. The 3D virtual model is a precise representation both of the soft and the hard tissue scanned, and it is possible to make any dimensional measure directly in the virtual space, for a full integrated 3D anthropometry and cephalometry. Moreover, the authors propose a method completely based on close-range photogrammetric scanning, able to detect facial and dental surfaces, and reducing the time, the complexity, and the cost of the scanning operations and the numerical elaboration.

A population-based study on the association between the intake of soft drinks and periodontal disease in Taiwanese adults aged 35-44 years (KCIS no. 33).

PubMed

Fann, Jean Ching-Yuan; Lai, Hongmin; Chiu, Sherry Yueh-Hsia; Yen, Amy Ming-Fang; Chen, Sam Li-Sheng; Chen, Hsiu-Hsi

2016-06-01

To elucidate the association between the intake of soft drinks and periodontal disease (PD) among Taiwanese middle-aged adults. The cross-sectional design was employed to assess a dose-response relationship between the intake of soft drinks and PD after controlling for relevant confounding factors, with adjusted odds ratios obtained from a multivariate logistic regression model. Keelung Community-based Integrated Screening (KCIS) programme, Keelung, Taiwan. Participants (n 10 213) aged 35-44 years who had undergone oral checks for PD between 2005 and 2009. A dose-response relationship between the intake of soft drinks and elevated risk for PD defined by community periodontal index ≥3 (the current status of PD) was noted (P=0·02 by trend test). Compared with infrequent intake of soft drinks (≤2 times/week), the adjusted OR increased from 1·05 (95 % CI 0·92, 1·20) for the frequency of 3-4 times/week to 1·17 (95 % CI 1·03, 1·34) for the frequency of ≥5 times/week. A similar trend (P<0·01) was also observed for PD defined by loss of attachment ≥1 (representing the long-term cumulative gum damage due to PD). A dose-response relationship between the intake frequency of soft drinks and PD was observed in Taiwanese middle-aged adults. Such evidence could be used in health promotion to support reductions in soft drink intake.

Microengineering of soft functional materials by controlling the fiber network formation.

PubMed

Li, Jing-Liang; Liu, Xiang-Yang

2009-11-26

The engineering of soft functional materials based on the construction of three-dimensional interconnecting self-organized nanofiber networks is reported. The system under investigation is an organogel formed by N-lauroyl-L-glutamic acid di-n-butylamide (GP-1) in propylene glycol. The engineering of soft functional materials is implemented by controlling primary nucleation kinetics of GP-1, which can be achieved by both reducing thermodynamic driving force and/or introducing a tiny amount of specific copolymers (i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate comethacrylic acid)). The primary nucleation rate of GP-1 is correlated to the number density of GP-1 spherulites, which determines the overall rheological properties of soft functional materials. The results show that the presence of a tiny amount of the polymer (0.01-0.06%) can effectively inhibit the nucleation of GP-1 spherulites, which leads to the formation of integrated fiber networks. It follows that with the additive approach, the viscoelasticity of the soft functional material is significantly enhanced (i.e., more than 1.5 times at 40 degrees C). A combination of the thermal and additive approach led to an improvement of 3.5 times in the viscosity of the gel.

Going beyond Language: Soft Skill-ing Cultural Difference and Immigrant Integration in Toronto, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, Kori

2016-01-01

This article traces how a language and soft skills training approach to Canadian immigrant integration emerged with Canada's shift towards a post-industrial tertiary economy. In this economy, soft skills index characteristics of ideal workers that fit the needs of Canada's post-Fordist labour regime. It examines how skills' training is not viewed…

Soft Material-Enabled, Flexible Hybrid Electronics for Medicine, Healthcare, and Human-Machine Interfaces

PubMed Central

Herbert, Robert; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Kim, Yun Soung; Lee, Hye Moon

2018-01-01

Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), designed in wearable and implantable configurations, have enormous applications in advanced healthcare, rapid disease diagnostics, and persistent human-machine interfaces. Soft, contoured geometries and time-dynamic deformation of the targeted tissues require high flexibility and stretchability of the integrated bioelectronics. Recent progress in developing and engineering soft materials has provided a unique opportunity to design various types of mechanically compliant and deformable systems. Here, we summarize the required properties of soft materials and their characteristics for configuring sensing and substrate components in wearable and implantable devices and systems. Details of functionality and sensitivity of the recently developed FHE are discussed with the application areas in medicine, healthcare, and machine interactions. This review concludes with a discussion on limitations of current materials, key requirements for next generation materials, and new application areas. PMID:29364861

Soft Material-Enabled, Flexible Hybrid Electronics for Medicine, Healthcare, and Human-Machine Interfaces.

PubMed

Herbert, Robert; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Kim, Yun Soung; Lee, Hye Moon; Yeo, Woon-Hong

2018-01-24

Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), designed in wearable and implantable configurations, have enormous applications in advanced healthcare, rapid disease diagnostics, and persistent human-machine interfaces. Soft, contoured geometries and time-dynamic deformation of the targeted tissues require high flexibility and stretchability of the integrated bioelectronics. Recent progress in developing and engineering soft materials has provided a unique opportunity to design various types of mechanically compliant and deformable systems. Here, we summarize the required properties of soft materials and their characteristics for configuring sensing and substrate components in wearable and implantable devices and systems. Details of functionality and sensitivity of the recently developed FHE are discussed with the application areas in medicine, healthcare, and machine interactions. This review concludes with a discussion on limitations of current materials, key requirements for next generation materials, and new application areas.

Recent Advances in Flexible and Stretchable Bio-Electronic Devices Integrated with Nanomaterials.

PubMed

Choi, Suji; Lee, Hyunjae; Ghaffari, Roozbeh; Hyeon, Taeghwan; Kim, Dae-Hyeong

2016-06-01

Flexible and stretchable electronics and optoelectronics configured in soft, water resistant formats uniquely address seminal challenges in biomedicine. Over the past decade, there has been enormous progress in the materials, designs, and manufacturing processes for flexible/stretchable system subcomponents, including transistors, amplifiers, bio-sensors, actuators, light emitting diodes, photodetector arrays, photovoltaics, energy storage elements, and bare die integrated circuits. Nanomaterials prepared using top-down processing approaches and synthesis-based bottom-up methods have helped resolve the intrinsic mechanical mismatch between rigid/planar devices and soft/curvilinear biological structures, thereby enabling a broad range of non-invasive, minimally invasive, and implantable systems to address challenges in biomedicine. Integration of therapeutic functional nanomaterials with soft bioelectronics demonstrates therapeutics in combination with unconventional diagnostics capabilities. Recent advances in soft materials, devices, and integrated systems are reviewes, with representative examples that highlight the utility of soft bioelectronics for advanced medical diagnostics and therapies. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Changes of the peri-implant soft tissue thickness after grafting with a collagen matrix.

PubMed

Zafiropoulos, Gregory-George; Deli, Giorgio; Hoffmann, Oliver; John, Gordon

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the treatment outcome of the use of a porcine monolayer collagen matrix (mCM) to increase soft-tissue volume as a part of implant site development. Implants were placed in single sites in 27 patients. In the test group, mCM was used for soft-tissue augmentation. No graft was placed in the control group. Soft-tissue thickness (STTh) was measured at the time of surgery (T0) and 6 months postoperatively (T1) at two sites (STTh 1, 1 mm below the gingival margin; STTh 2, 3 mm below the mucogingival margin). Significant increases ( P < 0.001) in STTh (STTh 1 = 1.06 mm, 117%; STTh 2 = 0.89 mm, 81%) were observed in the test group. Biopsy results showed angiogenesis and mature connective tissue covered by keratinized epithelium. Within the limitations of this study, it could be concluded that mCM leads to a significant increase of peri-implant soft-tissue thickness, with good histological integration and replacement by soft tissue and may serve as an alternative to connective tissue grafting.

Real-Time Vision-Based Stiffness Mapping †

PubMed Central

Althoefer, Kaspar; Asama, Hajime

2018-01-01

This paper presents new findings concerning a hand-held stiffness probe for the medical diagnosis of abnormalities during palpation of soft-tissue. Palpation is recognized by the medical community as an essential and low-cost method to detect and diagnose disease in soft-tissue. However, differences are often subtle and clinicians need to train for many years before they can conduct a reliable diagnosis. The probe presented here fills this gap providing a means to easily obtain stiffness values of soft tissue during a palpation procedure. Our stiffness sensor is equipped with a multi degree of freedom (DoF) Aurora magnetic tracker, allowing us to track and record the 3D position of the probe whilst examining a tissue area, and generate a 3D stiffness map in real-time. The stiffness probe was integrated in a robotic arm and tested in an artificial environment representing a good model of soft tissue organs; the results show that the sensor can accurately measure and map the stiffness of a silicon phantom embedded with areas of varying stiffness. PMID:29701704

Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Derived Stem Cells Transduced With BMP2 Accelerate Graft-Bone Integration After ACL Reconstruction.

PubMed

Kawakami, Yohei; Takayama, Koji; Matsumoto, Tomoyuki; Tang, Ying; Wang, Bing; Mifune, Yutaka; Cummins, James H; Warth, Ryan J; Kuroda, Ryosuke; Kurosaka, Masahiro; Fu, Freddie H; Huard, Johnny

2017-03-01

Strong graft-bone integration is a prerequisite for successful graft remodeling after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) using soft tissue grafts. Novel strategies to accelerate soft tissue graft-bone integration are needed to reduce the need for bone-tendon-bone graft harvest, reduce patient convalescence, facilitate rehabilitation, and reduce total recovery time after ACL reconstruction. The application of ACL-derived stem cells with enhanced expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) onto soft tissue grafts in the form of cell sheets will both accelerate and improve the quality of graft-bone integration after ACL reconstruction in a rat model. Controlled laboratory study. ACL-derived CD34+ cells were isolated from remnant human ACL tissues, virally transduced to express BMP2, and embedded within cell sheets. In a rat model of ACL injury, bilateral single-bundle ACL reconstructions were performed, in which cell sheets were wrapped around tendon autografts before reconstruction. Four groups containing a total of 48 rats (96 knees) were established (n = 12 rats; 24 knees per group): CD34+BMP2 (100%), CD34+BMP2 (25%), CD34+ (untransduced), and a control group containing no cells. Six rats from each group were euthanized 2 and 4 weeks after surgery, and each graft was harvested for immunohistochemical and histological analyses. The remaining 6 rats in each group were euthanized at 4 and 8 weeks to evaluate in situ tensile load to failure in each femur-graft-tibia complex. In vitro, BMP2 transduction promoted the osteogenic differentiation of ACL-derived CD34+ cells while retaining their intrinsic multipotent capabilities. Osteoblast densities were greatest in the BMP2 (100%) and BMP2 (25%) groups. Bone tunnels in the CD34+BMP2 (100%) and CD34+BMP2 (25%) groups had the smallest cross-sectional areas according to micro-computed tomography analyses. Graft-bone integration occurred most rapidly in the CD34+BMP2 (25%) group. Tensile load to failure was significantly greater in the groups containing stem cells at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. Tensile strength was greatest in the CD34+BMP2 (100%) group at 4 weeks, and in the CD34+BMP2 (25%) group at 8 weeks. ACL-derived CD34+ cells transduced with BMP2 accelerated graft-bone integration after ACL reconstruction using soft tissue autografts in a rat model, as evidenced by improved histological appearance and graft-bone interface biology along with tensile load to failure at each time point up to 8 weeks after surgery. A primary disadvantage of using soft tissue grafts for ACL reconstruction is the prolonged time required for bony ingrowth, which delays the initiation of midsubstance graft remodeling. The lack of consistent correlation between the appearance of a "healed" ACL on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging and readiness to return to sport results in athletes being released to sport before the graft is ready to handle high-intensity loading. Therefore, it is desirable to identify strategies that accelerate graft-bone integration, which would reduce the time to biologic fixation, improve the reliability of biologic fixation, allow for accelerated rehabilitation, and potentially reduce the incidence of early graft pullout and late midsubstance failure.

Real-time simulation of the nonlinear visco-elastic deformations of soft tissues.

PubMed

Basafa, Ehsan; Farahmand, Farzam

2011-05-01

Mass-spring-damper (MSD) models are often used for real-time surgery simulation due to their fast response and fairly realistic deformation replication. An improved real time simulation model of soft tissue deformation due to a laparoscopic surgical indenter was developed and tested. The mechanical realization of conventional MSD models was improved using nonlinear springs and nodal dampers, while their high computational efficiency was maintained using an adapted implicit integration algorithm. New practical algorithms for model parameter tuning, collision detection, and simulation were incorporated. The model was able to replicate complex biological soft tissue mechanical properties under large deformations, i.e., the nonlinear and viscoelastic behaviors. The simulated response of the model after tuning of its parameters to the experimental data of a deer liver sample, closely tracked the reference data with high correlation and maximum relative differences of less than 5 and 10%, for the tuning and testing data sets respectively. Finally, implementation of the proposed model and algorithms in a graphical environment resulted in a real-time simulation with update rates of 150 Hz for interactive deformation and haptic manipulation, and 30 Hz for visual rendering. The proposed real time simulation model of soft tissue deformation due to a laparoscopic surgical indenter was efficient, realistic, and accurate in ex vivo testing. This model is a suitable candidate for testing in vivo during laparoscopic surgery.

3D printing of soft robotic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallin, T. J.; Pikul, J.; Shepherd, R. F.

2018-06-01

Soft robots are capable of mimicking the complex motion of animals. Soft robotic systems are defined by their compliance, which allows for continuous and often responsive localized deformation. These features make soft robots especially interesting for integration with human tissues, for example, the implementation of biomedical devices, and for robotic performance in harsh or uncertain environments, for example, exploration in confined spaces or locomotion on uneven terrain. Advances in soft materials and additive manufacturing technologies have enabled the design of soft robots with sophisticated capabilities, such as jumping, complex 3D movements, gripping and releasing. In this Review, we examine the essential soft material properties for different elements of soft robots, highlighting the most relevant polymer systems. Advantages and limitations of different additive manufacturing processes, including 3D printing, fused deposition modelling, direct ink writing, selective laser sintering, inkjet printing and stereolithography, are discussed, and the different techniques are investigated for their application in soft robotic fabrication. Finally, we explore integrated robotic systems and give an outlook for the future of the field and remaining challenges.

Tissue Integration of a Volume-Stable Collagen Matrix in an Experimental Soft Tissue Augmentation Model.

PubMed

Ferrantino, Luca; Bosshardt, Dieter; Nevins, Myron; Santoro, Giacomo; Simion, Massimo; Kim, David

Reducing the need for a connective tissue graft by using an efficacious biomaterial is an important task for dental professionals and patients. This experimental study aimed to test the soft tissue response to a volume-stable new collagen matrix. The device demonstrated good stability during six different time points ranging from 0 to 90 days of healing with no alteration of the wound-healing processes. The 90-day histologic specimen demonstrates eventual replacement of most of the matrix with new connective tissue fibers.

Final Year Undergraduates' Perceptions of the Integration of Soft Skills in the Formal Curriculum: A Survey of Malaysian Public Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devadason, Evelyn Shyamala; Subramaniam, Thirunaukarasu; Daniel, Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini

2010-01-01

A recent initiative or skill bridging measure taken by the Malaysian public universities is to build into the formal curriculum soft skills to produce graduates with a right balance of diverse abilities. However, to date, there is no comprehensive attempt to review the integration of soft skills in the formal curriculum (both coursework and…

Soft microfluidic assemblies of sensors, circuits, and radios for the skin.

PubMed

Xu, Sheng; Zhang, Yihui; Jia, Lin; Mathewson, Kyle E; Jang, Kyung-In; Kim, Jeonghyun; Fu, Haoran; Huang, Xian; Chava, Pranav; Wang, Renhan; Bhole, Sanat; Wang, Lizhe; Na, Yoon Joo; Guan, Yue; Flavin, Matthew; Han, Zheshen; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

2014-04-04

When mounted on the skin, modern sensors, circuits, radios, and power supply systems have the potential to provide clinical-quality health monitoring capabilities for continuous use, beyond the confines of traditional hospital or laboratory facilities. The most well-developed component technologies are, however, broadly available only in hard, planar formats. As a result, existing options in system design are unable to effectively accommodate integration with the soft, textured, curvilinear, and time-dynamic surfaces of the skin. Here, we describe experimental and theoretical approaches for using ideas in soft microfluidics, structured adhesive surfaces, and controlled mechanical buckling to achieve ultralow modulus, highly stretchable systems that incorporate assemblies of high-modulus, rigid, state-of-the-art functional elements. The outcome is a thin, conformable device technology that can softly laminate onto the surface of the skin to enable advanced, multifunctional operation for physiological monitoring in a wireless mode.

Soft pneumatic grippers embedded with stretchable electroadhesion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, J.; Elgeneidy, K.; Xiang, C.; Lohse, N.; Justham, L.; Rossiter, J.

2018-05-01

Current soft pneumatic grippers cannot robustly grasp flat materials and flexible objects on curved surfaces without distorting them. Current electroadhesive grippers, on the other hand, are difficult to actively deform to complex shapes to pick up free-form surfaces or objects. An easy-to-implement PneuEA gripper is proposed by the integration of an electroadhesive gripper and a two-fingered soft pneumatic gripper. The electroadhesive gripper was fabricated by segmenting a soft conductive silicon sheet into a two-part electrode design and embedding it in a soft dielectric elastomer. The two-fingered soft pneumatic gripper was manufactured using a standard soft lithography approach. This novel integration has combined the benefits of both the electroadhesive and soft pneumatic grippers. As a result, the proposed PneuEA gripper was not only able to pick-and-place flat and flexible materials such as a porous cloth but also delicate objects such as a light bulb. By combining two soft touch sensors with the electroadhesive, an intelligent and shape-adaptive PneuEA material handling system has been developed. This work is expected to widen the applications of both soft gripper and electroadhesion technologies.

Detection of Heating Processes in Coronal Loops by Soft X-ray Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawate, Tomoko; Narukage, Noriyuki; Ishikawa, Shin-nosuke; Imada, Shinsuke

2017-08-01

Imaging and Spectroscopic observations in the soft X-ray band will open a new window of the heating/acceleration/transport processes in the solar corona. The soft X-ray spectrum between 0.5 and 10 keV consists of the electron thermal free-free continuum and hot coronal lines such as O VIII, Fe XVII, Mg XI, Si XVII. Intensity of free-free continuum emission is not affected by the population of ions, whereas line intensities especially from highly ionized species have a sensitivity of the timescale of ionization/recombination processes. Thus, spectroscopic observations of both continuum and line intensities have a capability of diagnostics of heating/cooling timescales. We perform a 1D hydrodynamic simulation coupled with the time-dependent ionization, and calculate continuum and line intensities under different heat input conditions in a coronal loop. We also examine the differential emission measure of the coronal loop from the time-integrated soft x-ray spectra. As a result, line intensity shows a departure from the ionization equilibrium and shows different responses depending on the frequency of the heat input. Solar soft X-ray spectroscopic imager will be mounted in the sounding rocket experiment of the Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI). This observation will deepen our understanding of heating processes to solve the “coronal heating problem”.

System Integration and In Vivo Testing of a Robot for Ultrasound Guidance and Monitoring During Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Sen, Hasan Tutkun; Bell, Muyinatu A Lediju; Zhang, Yin; Ding, Kai; Boctor, Emad; Wong, John; Iordachita, Iulian; Kazanzides, Peter

2017-07-01

We are developing a cooperatively controlled robot system for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in which a clinician and robot share control of a 3-D ultrasound (US) probe. IGRT involves two main steps: 1) planning/simulation and 2) treatment delivery. The goals of the system are to provide guidance for patient setup and real-time target monitoring during fractionated radiotherapy of soft tissue targets, especially in the upper abdomen. To compensate for soft tissue deformations created by the probe, we present a novel workflow where the robot holds the US probe on the patient during acquisition of the planning computerized tomography image, thereby ensuring that planning is performed on the deformed tissue. The robot system introduces constraints (virtual fixtures) to help to produce consistent soft tissue deformation between simulation and treatment days, based on the robot position, contact force, and reference US image recorded during simulation. This paper presents the system integration and the proposed clinical workflow, validated by an in vivo canine study. The results show that the virtual fixtures enable the clinician to deviate from the recorded position to better reproduce the reference US image, which correlates with more consistent soft tissue deformation and the possibility for more accurate patient setup and radiation delivery.

Integral abutment bridge for Louisiana's soft and stiff soils.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-02-01

The proposed research will be to field instrument, monitor, and analyze the design and construction of full integral abutment bridges for Louisianas soft and stiff soil conditions. Comparison of results will be submitted to the Louisiana Departmen...

Open-Loop Flight Testing of COBALT Navigation and Sensor Technologies for Precise Soft Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson, John M., III; Restrepo, Caroline I.; Seubert, Carl R.; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Collins, Steven M.; O'Neal, Travis V.; Stelling, Richard

2017-01-01

An open-loop flight test campaign of the NASA COBALT (CoOperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technologies) payload was conducted onboard the Masten Xodiac suborbital rocket testbed. The payload integrates two complementary sensor technologies that together provide a spacecraft with knowledge during planetary descent and landing to precisely navigate and softly touchdown in close proximity to targeted surface locations. The two technologies are the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), for high-precision velocity and range measurements, and the Lander Vision System (LVS) for map-relative state esti- mates. A specialized navigation filter running onboard COBALT fuses the NDL and LVS data in real time to produce a very precise Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) solution that is suitable for future, autonomous planetary landing systems that require precise and soft landing capabilities. During the open-loop flight campaign, the COBALT payload acquired measurements and generated a precise navigation solution, but the Xodiac vehicle planned and executed its maneuvers based on an independent, GPS-based navigation solution. This minimized the risk to the vehicle during the integration and testing of the new navigation sensing technologies within the COBALT payload.

Shape Memory Alloy-Based Soft Gripper with Variable Stiffness for Compliant and Effective Grasping.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Ahn, Sung-Hoon

2017-12-01

Soft pneumatic actuators and motor-based mechanisms being concomitant with the cumbersome appendages have many challenges to making the independent robotic system with compact and lightweight configuration. Meanwhile, shape memory actuators have shown a promising alternative solution in many engineering applications ranging from artificial muscle to aerospace industry. However, one of the main limitations of such systems is their inherent softness resulting in a small actuation force, which prevents them from more effective applications. This issue can be solved by combining shape memory actuators and the mechanism of stiffness modulation. As a first, this study describes a shape memory alloy-based soft gripper composed of three identical fingers with variable stiffness for adaptive grasping in low stiffness state and effective holding in high stiffness state. Each finger with two hinges is fabricated through integrating soft composite actuator with stiffness changeable material where each hinge can approximately achieve a 55-fold changeable stiffness independently. Besides, each finger with two hinges can actively achieve multiple postures by both selectively changing the stiffness of hinges and actuating the relevant SMA wire. Based on these principles, the gripper is applicable for grasping objects with deformable shapes and varying shapes with a large range of weight where its maximum grasping force is increased to ∼10 times through integrating with the stiffness changeable mechanism. The final demonstration shows that the finger with desired shape-retained configurations enables the gripper to successfully pick up a frustum-shaped object.

Real-time simulation of contact and cutting of heterogeneous soft-tissues.

PubMed

Courtecuisse, Hadrien; Allard, Jérémie; Kerfriden, Pierre; Bordas, Stéphane P A; Cotin, Stéphane; Duriez, Christian

2014-02-01

This paper presents a numerical method for interactive (real-time) simulations, which considerably improves the accuracy of the response of heterogeneous soft-tissue models undergoing contact, cutting and other topological changes. We provide an integrated methodology able to deal both with the ill-conditioning issues associated with material heterogeneities, contact boundary conditions which are one of the main sources of inaccuracies, and cutting which is one of the most challenging issues in interactive simulations. Our approach is based on an implicit time integration of a non-linear finite element model. To enable real-time computations, we propose a new preconditioning technique, based on an asynchronous update at low frequency. The preconditioner is not only used to improve the computation of the deformation of the tissues, but also to simulate the contact response of homogeneous and heterogeneous bodies with the same accuracy. We also address the problem of cutting the heterogeneous structures and propose a method to update the preconditioner according to the topological modifications. Finally, we apply our approach to three challenging demonstrators: (i) a simulation of cataract surgery (ii) a simulation of laparoscopic hepatectomy (iii) a brain tumor surgery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of a CCD and an APS for soft X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Graeme; Bates, R.; Blue, A.; Clark, A.; Dhesi, S. S.; Maneuski, D.; Marchal, J.; Steadman, P.; Tartoni, N.; Turchetta, R.

2011-12-01

We compare a new CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS) to a Princeton Instruments PIXIS-XO: 2048B Charge Coupled Device (CCD) with soft X-rays tested in a synchrotron beam line at the Diamond Light Source (DLS). Despite CCDs being established in the field of scientific imaging, APS are an innovative technology that offers advantages over CCDs. These include faster readout, higher operational temperature, in-pixel electronics for advanced image processing and reduced manufacturing cost. The APS employed was the Vanilla sensor designed by the MI3 collaboration and funded by an RCUK Basic technology grant. This sensor has 520 x 520 square pixels, of size 25 μm on each side. The sensor can operate at a full frame readout of up to 20 Hz. The sensor had been back-thinned, to the epitaxial layer. This was the first time that a back-thinned APS had been demonstrated at a beam line at DLS. In the synchrotron experiment soft X-rays with an energy of approximately 708 eV were used to produce a diffraction pattern from a permalloy sample. The pattern was imaged at a range of integration times with both sensors. The CCD had to be operated at a temperature of -55°C whereas the Vanilla was operated over a temperature range from 20°C to -10°C. We show that the APS detector can operate with frame rates up to two hundred times faster than the CCD, without excessive degradation of image quality. The signal to noise of the APS is shown to be the same as that of the CCD at identical integration times and the response is shown to be linear, with no charge blooming effects. The experiment has allowed a direct comparison of back thinned APS and CCDs in a real soft x-ray synchrotron experiment.

Towards Long-Time Simulation of Soft Tissue Simulant Penetration

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

materials involved in testing. Experiments, for instance firing high speed bullets at steel plates of different thicknesses (see [2]), reveal large...L’ shaped beam against a rigid wall using AVI and the almost exact en- ergy conservation of the system . With traditional time integrators, the time...and avoiding ill-conditioning issues is often non trivial. Likewise, Lagrange multipliers have also been used to impose the contact con- straint at

Integration and Interoperability: An Analysis to Identify the Attributes for System of Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

divisions of the enterprise. Examples of the current I2 are: • a nightly feed of elearning information is captured through an automated and...standardized process throughout the enterprise and • the LMS has been integrated with SkillSoft, a third party elearning software system, (http...Command (JITC) is responsible to test all programs that utilize standard interfaces to specific global nets or systems. Many times programs that

Changes of the peri-implant soft tissue thickness after grafting with a collagen matrix

PubMed Central

Zafiropoulos, Gregory-George; Deli, Giorgio; Hoffmann, Oliver; John, Gordon

2016-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the treatment outcome of the use of a porcine monolayer collagen matrix (mCM) to increase soft-tissue volume as a part of implant site development. Materials and Methods: Implants were placed in single sites in 27 patients. In the test group, mCM was used for soft-tissue augmentation. No graft was placed in the control group. Soft-tissue thickness (STTh) was measured at the time of surgery (T0) and 6 months postoperatively (T1) at two sites (STTh 1, 1 mm below the gingival margin; STTh 2, 3 mm below the mucogingival margin). Results: Significant increases (P < 0.001) in STTh (STTh 1 = 1.06 mm, 117%; STTh 2 = 0.89 mm, 81%) were observed in the test group. Biopsy results showed angiogenesis and mature connective tissue covered by keratinized epithelium. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, it could be concluded that mCM leads to a significant increase of peri-implant soft-tissue thickness, with good histological integration and replacement by soft tissue and may serve as an alternative to connective tissue grafting. PMID:28298828

A finite nonlinear hyper-viscoelastic model for soft biological tissues.

PubMed

Panda, Satish Kumar; Buist, Martin Lindsay

2018-03-01

Soft tissues exhibit highly nonlinear rate and time-dependent stress-strain behaviour. Strain and strain rate dependencies are often modelled using a hyperelastic model and a discrete (standard linear solid) or continuous spectrum (quasi-linear) viscoelastic model, respectively. However, these models are unable to properly capture the materials characteristics because hyperelastic models are unsuited for time-dependent events, whereas the common viscoelastic models are insufficient for the nonlinear and finite strain viscoelastic tissue responses. The convolution integral based models can demonstrate a finite viscoelastic response; however, their derivations are not consistent with the laws of thermodynamics. The aim of this work was to develop a three-dimensional finite hyper-viscoelastic model for soft tissues using a thermodynamically consistent approach. In addition, a nonlinear function, dependent on strain and strain rate, was adopted to capture the nonlinear variation of viscosity during a loading process. To demonstrate the efficacy and versatility of this approach, the model was used to recreate the experimental results performed on different types of soft tissues. In all the cases, the simulation results were well matched (R 2 ⩾0.99) with the experimental data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soft Dielectric Elastomer Oscillators Driving Bioinspired Robots.

PubMed

Henke, E-F Markus; Schlatter, Samuel; Anderson, Iain A

2017-12-01

Entirely soft robots with animal-like behavior and integrated artificial nervous systems will open up totally new perspectives and applications. To produce them, we must integrate control and actuation in the same soft structure. Soft actuators (e.g., pneumatic and hydraulic) exist but electronics are hard and stiff and remotely located. We present novel soft, electronics-free dielectric elastomer oscillators, which are able to drive bioinspired robots. As a demonstrator, we present a robot that mimics the crawling motion of the caterpillar, with an integrated artificial nervous system, soft actuators and without any conventional stiff electronic parts. Supplied with an external DC voltage, the robot autonomously generates all signals that are necessary to drive its dielectric elastomer actuators, and it translates an in-plane electromechanical oscillation into a crawling locomotion movement. Therefore, all functional and supporting parts are made of polymer materials and carbon. Besides the basic design of this first electronic-free, biomimetic robot, we present prospects to control the general behavior of such robots. The absence of conventional stiff electronics and the exclusive use of polymeric materials will provide a large step toward real animal-like robots, compliant human machine interfaces, and a new class of distributed, neuron-like internal control for robotic systems.

Flexible and stretchable electronics for biointegrated devices.

PubMed

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Ghaffari, Roozbeh; Lu, Nanshu; Rogers, John A

2012-01-01

Advances in materials, mechanics, and manufacturing now allow construction of high-quality electronics and optoelectronics in forms that can readily integrate with the soft, curvilinear, and time-dynamic surfaces of the human body. The resulting capabilities create new opportunities for studying disease states, improving surgical procedures, monitoring health/wellness, establishing human-machine interfaces, and performing other functions. This review summarizes these technologies and illustrates their use in forms integrated with the brain, the heart, and the skin.

Soft bioelectronics using nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyunjae; Kim, Dae-Hyeong

2016-09-01

Recently, soft bioelectronics has attracted significant attention because of its potential applications in biointegrated healthcare devices and minimally invasive surgical tools. Mechanical mismatch between conventional electronic/optoelectronic devices and soft human tissues/organs, however, causes many challenges in materials and device designs of bio-integrated devices. Intrinsically soft hybrid materials comprising twodimensional nanomaterials are utilized to solve these issues. In this paper, we describe soft bioelectronic devices based on graphene synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition process. These devices have unique advantages over rigid electronics, particularly in biomedical applications. The functionalized graphene is hybridized with other nanomaterials and fabricated into high-performance sensors and actuators toward wearable and minimally invasive healthcare devices. Integrated bioelectronic systems constructed using these devices solve pending issues in clinical medicine while providing new opportunities in personalized healthcare.

Timing Analysis of V404 Cyg during Its Brightest Outburst with INTEGRAL/SPI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodi, J.; Jourdain, E.; Roques, J. P.

2017-10-01

The outburst of V404 Cyg during the summer of 2015 reached unparalleled intensities at X-ray and soft gamma-ray energies with fluxes > 50 Crab in the 20-50 keV energy band. To date, studies in the hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray energy domain have focused primarily on the energy spectra. In this work, a timing analysis has been performed with INTEGRAL/SPI data in the 20-300 keV energy range for INTEGRAL revolution 1557, which corresponds to the brightest flare of V404 Cyg (on 2015 June 26). The power spectra are fit with broken power-law and multi-Lorentzian models and compared with previously reported results of V404 Cyg flaring activity from 1989 and 2015. Also, we took advantage of the good signal-to-noise ratio obtained above 70 keV to quantify the timing/fast-variability properties of the source as a function of energy. We then point out similarities of V404 Cyg with the black hole transient V4641 Sgr. Like V4641 Sgr, we found that the power spectra of V404 Cyg during high flux periods did not possess the expected flat-top feature typically seen in a hard spectral state. Interpretations are proposed in the framework of the fluctuating-propagation model to explain the observed properties.

First-principles X-ray absorption dose calculation for time-dependent mass and optical density.

PubMed

Berejnov, Viatcheslav; Rubinstein, Boris; Melo, Lis G A; Hitchcock, Adam P

2018-05-01

A dose integral of time-dependent X-ray absorption under conditions of variable photon energy and changing sample mass is derived from first principles starting with the Beer-Lambert (BL) absorption model. For a given photon energy the BL dose integral D(e, t) reduces to the product of an effective time integral T(t) and a dose rate R(e). Two approximations of the time-dependent optical density, i.e. exponential A(t) = c + aexp(-bt) for first-order kinetics and hyperbolic A(t) = c + a/(b + t) for second-order kinetics, were considered for BL dose evaluation. For both models three methods of evaluating the effective time integral are considered: analytical integration, approximation by a function, and calculation of the asymptotic behaviour at large times. Data for poly(methyl methacrylate) and perfluorosulfonic acid polymers measured by scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy were used to test the BL dose calculation. It was found that a previous method to calculate time-dependent dose underestimates the dose in mass loss situations, depending on the applied exposure time. All these methods here show that the BL dose is proportional to the exposure time D(e, t) ≃ K(e)t.

Finite-Element Methods for Real-Time Simulation of Surgery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basdogan, Cagatay

2003-01-01

Two finite-element methods have been developed for mathematical modeling of the time-dependent behaviors of deformable objects and, more specifically, the mechanical responses of soft tissues and organs in contact with surgical tools. These methods may afford the computational efficiency needed to satisfy the requirement to obtain computational results in real time for simulating surgical procedures as described in Simulation System for Training in Laparoscopic Surgery (NPO-21192) on page 31 in this issue of NASA Tech Briefs. Simulation of the behavior of soft tissue in real time is a challenging problem because of the complexity of soft-tissue mechanics. The responses of soft tissues are characterized by nonlinearities and by spatial inhomogeneities and rate and time dependences of material properties. Finite-element methods seem promising for integrating these characteristics of tissues into computational models of organs, but they demand much central-processing-unit (CPU) time and memory, and the demand increases with the number of nodes and degrees of freedom in a given finite-element model. Hence, as finite-element models become more realistic, it becomes more difficult to compute solutions in real time. In both of the present methods, one uses approximate mathematical models trading some accuracy for computational efficiency and thereby increasing the feasibility of attaining real-time up36 NASA Tech Briefs, October 2003 date rates. The first of these methods is based on modal analysis. In this method, one reduces the number of differential equations by selecting only the most significant vibration modes of an object (typically, a suitable number of the lowest-frequency modes) for computing deformations of the object in response to applied forces.

Evaluation of Pseudo-Haptic Interactions with Soft Objects in Virtual Environments.

PubMed

Li, Min; Sareh, Sina; Xu, Guanghua; Ridzuan, Maisarah Binti; Luo, Shan; Xie, Jun; Wurdemann, Helge; Althoefer, Kaspar

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a pseudo-haptic feedback method conveying simulated soft surface stiffness information through a visual interface. The method exploits a combination of two feedback techniques, namely visual feedback of soft surface deformation and control of the indenter avatar speed, to convey stiffness information of a simulated surface of a soft object in virtual environments. The proposed method was effective in distinguishing different sizes of virtual hard nodules integrated into the simulated soft bodies. To further improve the interactive experience, the approach was extended creating a multi-point pseudo-haptic feedback system. A comparison with regards to (a) nodule detection sensitivity and (b) elapsed time as performance indicators in hard nodule detection experiments to a tablet computer incorporating vibration feedback was conducted. The multi-point pseudo-haptic interaction is shown to be more time-efficient than the single-point pseudo-haptic interaction. It is noted that multi-point pseudo-haptic feedback performs similarly well when compared to a vibration-based feedback method based on both performance measures elapsed time and nodule detection sensitivity. This proves that the proposed method can be used to convey detailed haptic information for virtual environmental tasks, even subtle ones, using either a computer mouse or a pressure sensitive device as an input device. This pseudo-haptic feedback method provides an opportunity for low-cost simulation of objects with soft surfaces and hard inclusions, as, for example, occurring in ever more realistic video games with increasing emphasis on interaction with the physical environment and minimally invasive surgery in the form of soft tissue organs with embedded cancer nodules. Hence, the method can be used in many low-budget applications where haptic sensation is required, such as surgeon training or video games, either using desktop computers or portable devices, showing reasonably high fidelity in conveying stiffness perception to the user.

The soft γ-ray pulsar population: a high-energy overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuiper, L.; Hermsen, W.

2015-06-01

At high-energy γ-rays (>100 MeV), the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite already detected more than 145 rotation-powered pulsars (RPPs), while the number of pulsars seen at soft γ-rays (20 keV-30 MeV) remained small. We present a catalogue of 18 non-recycled RPPs from which presently non-thermal pulsed emission has been securely detected at soft γ-rays above 20 keV, and characterize their pulse profiles and energy spectra. For 14 of them, we report new results, (re)analysing mainly data from RXTE, INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton and Chandra. The soft γ-pulsars are all fast rotators and on average ˜9.3 times younger and ˜43 times more energetic than the Fermi LAT sample. The majority (11 members) exhibits broad, structured single pulse profiles, and only six have double (or even multiple, Vela) pulses. 15 soft γ-ray pulsar show hard power-law spectra in the hard X-ray band and reach maximum luminosities typically in the MeV range. For only 7 of the 18 soft γ-ray pulsars, pulsed emission has also been detected by the LAT, but 12 have a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) detected at TeV energies. For six pulsars with PWNe, we present also the spectra of the total emissions at hard X-rays, and for IGR J18490-0000, associated with HESS J1849-000 and PSR J1849-0001, we used our Chandra data to resolve and characterize the contributions from the point source and PWN. Finally, we also discuss a sample of 15 pulsars which are candidates for future detection of pulsed soft γ-rays, given their characteristics at other wavelengths.

A comparison of monthly precipitation point estimates at 6 locations in Iran using integration of soft computing methods and GARCH time series model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehdizadeh, Saeid; Behmanesh, Javad; Khalili, Keivan

2017-11-01

Precipitation plays an important role in determining the climate of a region. Precise estimation of precipitation is required to manage and plan water resources, as well as other related applications such as hydrology, climatology, meteorology and agriculture. Time series of hydrologic variables such as precipitation are composed of deterministic and stochastic parts. Despite this fact, the stochastic part of the precipitation data is not usually considered in modeling of precipitation process. As an innovation, the present study introduces three new hybrid models by integrating soft computing methods including multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), Bayesian networks (BN) and gene expression programming (GEP) with a time series model, namely generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) for modeling of the monthly precipitation. For this purpose, the deterministic (obtained by soft computing methods) and stochastic (obtained by GARCH time series model) parts are combined with each other. To carry out this research, monthly precipitation data of Babolsar, Bandar Anzali, Gorgan, Ramsar, Tehran and Urmia stations with different climates in Iran were used during the period of 1965-2014. Root mean square error (RMSE), relative root mean square error (RRMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and determination coefficient (R2) were employed to evaluate the performance of conventional/single MARS, BN and GEP, as well as the proposed MARS-GARCH, BN-GARCH and GEP-GARCH hybrid models. It was found that the proposed novel models are more precise than single MARS, BN and GEP models. Overall, MARS-GARCH and BN-GARCH models yielded better accuracy than GEP-GARCH. The results of the present study confirmed the suitability of proposed methodology for precise modeling of precipitation.

Spectral and timing properties of the accreting X-ray millisecond pulsar IGR J17498-2921

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falanga, M.; Kuiper, L.; Poutanen, J.; Galloway, D. K.; Bozzo, E.; Goldwurm, A.; Hermsen, W.; Stella, L.

2012-09-01

Context. IGR J17498-2921 is the third X-ray transient accreting millisecond pulsar discovered by INTEGRAL. It was in outburst for about 40 days beginning on August 08, 2011. Aims: We analyze the spectral and timing properties of the object and the characteristics of X-ray bursts to constrain the physical processes responsible for the X-ray production in this class of sources. Methods: We studied the broad-band spectrum of the persistent emission in the 0.6-300 keV energy band using simultaneous INTEGRAL, RXTE, and Swift data obtained in August-September 2011. We also describe the timing properties in the 2-100 keV energy range such as the outburst lightcurve, pulse profile, pulsed fraction, pulsed emission, time lags, and study the properties of X-ray bursts discovered by RXTE, Swift, and INTEGRAL and the recurrence time. Results: The broad-band average spectrum is well-described by thermal Comptonization with an electron temperature of kTe ~ 50 keV, soft seed photons of kTbb ~ 1 keV, and Thomson optical depth τT ~ 1 in a slab geometry. The slab area corresponds to a black body radius of Rbb ~ 9 km. During the outburst, the spectrum stays remarkably stable with plasma and soft seed photon temperatures and scattering optical depth that are constant within the errors. This behavior has been interpreted as indicating that the X-ray emission originates above the neutron star (NS) surface in a hot slab (either the heated NS surface or the accretion shock). The INTEGRAL, RXTE, and Swift data reveal the X-ray pulsation at a period of 2.5 ms up to ~65 keV. The pulsed fraction is consistent with being constant, i.e. energy independent and has a typical value of 6-7%. The nearly sinusoidal pulses show soft lags that seem to saturate near 10 keV at a rather small value of ~-60 μs with those observed in other accreting pulsars. The short burst profiles indicate that there is a hydrogen-poor material at ignition, which suggests either that the accreted material is hydrogen-deficient, or that the CNO metallicity is up to a factor of about two times solar. However, the variation in the burst recurrence time as a function of ṁ (inferred from the X-ray flux) is much smaller than predicted by helium-ignition models.

Histatin 1 Enhances Cell Adhesion to Titanium in an Implant Integration Model.

PubMed

van Dijk, I A; Beker, A F; Jellema, W; Nazmi, K; Wu, G; Wismeijer, D; Krawczyk, P M; Bolscher, J G M; Veerman, E C I; Stap, J

2017-04-01

Cellular adhesion is essential for successful integration of dental implants. Rapid soft tissue integration is important to create a seal around the implant and prevent infections, which commonly cause implant failure and can result in bone loss. In addition, soft tissue management is important to obtain good dental aesthetics. We previously demonstrated that the salivary peptide histatin 1 (Hst1) causes a more than 2-fold increase in the ability of human adherent cells to attach and spread on a glass surface. Cells treated with Hst1 attached more rapidly and firmly to the substrate and to each other. In the current study, we examine the potential application of Hst1 for promotion of dental implant integration. Our results show that Hst1 enhances the attachment and spreading of soft tissue cell types (oral epithelial cells and fibroblasts) to titanium (Ti) and hydroxyapatite (HAP), biomaterials that have found wide applications as implant material in dentistry and orthopedics. For improved visualization of cell adhesion to Ti, we developed a novel technique that uses sputtering to deposit a thin, transparent layer of Ti onto glass slides. This approach allows detailed, high-resolution analysis of cell adherence to Ti in real time. Furthermore, our results suggest that Hst1 has no negative effects on cell survival. Given its natural occurrence in the oral cavity, Hst1 could be an attractive agent for clinical application. Importantly, even though Hst1 is specific for saliva of humans and higher primates, it stimulated the attachment and spreading of canine cells, paving the way for preclinical studies in canine models.

Characterization and detection of acceleration-induced cavitation in soft materials using a drop-tower-based integrated system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Wonmo; Chen, YungChia; Bagchi, Amit; O'Shaughnessy, Thomas J.

2017-12-01

The material response of biologically relevant soft materials, e.g., extracellular matrix or cell cytoplasm, at high rate loading conditions is becoming increasingly important for emerging medical implications including the potential of cavitation-induced brain injury or cavitation created by medical devices, whether intentional or not. However, accurately probing soft samples remains challenging due to their delicate nature, which often excludes the use of conventional techniques requiring direct contact with a sample-loading frame. We present a drop-tower-based method, integrated with a unique sample holder and a series of effective springs and dampers, for testing soft samples with an emphasis on high-rate loading conditions. Our theoretical studies on the transient dynamics of the system show that well-controlled impacts between a movable mass and sample holder can be used as a means to rapidly load soft samples. For demonstrating the integrated system, we experimentally quantify the critical acceleration that corresponds to the onset of cavitation nucleation for pure water and 7.5% gelatin samples. This study reveals that 7.5% gelatin has a significantly higher, approximately double, critical acceleration as compared to pure water. Finally, we have also demonstrated a non-optical method of detecting cavitation in soft materials by correlating cavitation collapse with structural resonance of the sample container.

An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots.

PubMed

Wehner, Michael; Truby, Ryan L; Fitzgerald, Daniel J; Mosadegh, Bobak; Whitesides, George M; Lewis, Jennifer A; Wood, Robert J

2016-08-25

Soft robots possess many attributes that are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with conventional robots composed of rigid materials. Yet, despite recent advances, soft robots must still be tethered to hard robotic control systems and power sources. New strategies for creating completely soft robots, including soft analogues of these crucial components, are needed to realize their full potential. Here we report the untethered operation of a robot composed solely of soft materials. The robot is controlled with microfluidic logic that autonomously regulates fluid flow and, hence, catalytic decomposition of an on-board monopropellant fuel supply. Gas generated from the fuel decomposition inflates fluidic networks downstream of the reaction sites, resulting in actuation. The body and microfluidic logic of the robot are fabricated using moulding and soft lithography, respectively, and the pneumatic actuator networks, on-board fuel reservoirs and catalytic reaction chambers needed for movement are patterned within the body via a multi-material, embedded 3D printing technique. The fluidic and elastomeric architectures required for function span several orders of magnitude from the microscale to the macroscale. Our integrated design and rapid fabrication approach enables the programmable assembly of multiple materials within this architecture, laying the foundation for completely soft, autonomous robots.

A transparent bending-insensitive pressure sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sungwon; Reuveny, Amir; Reeder, Jonathan; Lee, Sunghoon; Jin, Hanbit; Liu, Qihan; Yokota, Tomoyuki; Sekitani, Tsuyoshi; Isoyama, Takashi; Abe, Yusuke; Suo, Zhigang; Someya, Takao

2016-05-01

Measuring small normal pressures is essential to accurately evaluate external stimuli in curvilinear and dynamic surfaces such as natural tissues. Usually, sensitive and spatially accurate pressure sensors are achieved through conformal contact with the surface; however, this also makes them sensitive to mechanical deformation (bending). Indeed, when a soft object is pressed by another soft object, the normal pressure cannot be measured independently from the mechanical stress. Here, we show a pressure sensor that measures only the normal pressure, even under extreme bending conditions. To reduce the bending sensitivity, we use composite nanofibres of carbon nanotubes and graphene. Our simulations show that these fibres change their relative alignment to accommodate bending deformation, thus reducing the strain in individual fibres. Pressure sensitivity is maintained down to a bending radius of 80 μm. To test the suitability of our sensor for soft robotics and medical applications, we fabricated an integrated sensor matrix that is only 2 μm thick. We show real-time (response time of ∼20 ms), large-area, normal pressure monitoring under different, complex bending conditions.

Searching for Short GRBs in Soft Gamma Rays with INTEGRAL/PICsIT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodi, James; Bazzano, Angela; Ubertini, Pietro; Natalucci, Lorenzo; Savchenko, V.; Kuulkers, E.; Ferrigno, Carlo; Bozzo, Enrico; Brandt, Soren; Chenevez, Jerome; Courvoisier, T. J.-L.; Diehl, R.; Domingo, A.; Hanlon, L.; Jourdain, E.; von Kienlin, A.; Laurent, P.; Lebrun, F.; Lutovinov, A.; Martin-Carrillo, A.; Mereghetti, S.; Roques, J.-P.; Sunyaev, R.

2018-01-01

With gravitational wave (GW) detections by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration over the past several years, there is heightened interest in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), especially “short” GRBs (T90 <2s). The high-energy PICsIT detector (~0.2 – 10 MeV) on-board the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) is able to observe sources out to approximately 70° off-axis, making it essentially a soft gamma-ray, all-sky monitor for impulsive events, such as SGRBs. Because SGRBs typically have hard spectra with peak energies of a few hundred keV, PICsIT with its ~ 3000 cm2 collecting area is able to provide spectral information about these sources at soft gamma-ray energies.We have begun a study of PICsIT data for faint SGRBs similar to the one associated with the binary neutron star (BNS) merger GW 170817, and also are preparing for future GW triggers by developing a real-time burst analysis for PICsIT. Searching the PICsIT data for significant excesses during ~30 min-long pointings containing times of SGRBs, we have been able to differentiate between SGRBs and spurious events. Also, this work allows us to assess what fraction of reported SGRBs have been detected by PICsIT, which can be used to provide an estimate of the number of GW BNS events seen by PICsIT during the next LIGO/Virgo observing run starting in Fall 2018.

Enduring Learning: Integrating C21st Soft Skills through Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snape, Paul

2017-01-01

As times change we need to continually review what our education systems offer and where priorities might lie. The Technology and Knowledge Ages of the twenty-first century have brought about new understandings, new ways of doing things, and an array of new career and workplace opportunities. Employees today are expected to bring more than an…

The hierarchical expert tuning of PID controllers using tools of soft computing.

PubMed

Karray, F; Gueaieb, W; Al-Sharhan, S

2002-01-01

We present soft computing-based results pertaining to the hierarchical tuning process of PID controllers located within the control loop of a class of nonlinear systems. The results are compared with PID controllers implemented either in a stand alone scheme or as a part of conventional gain scheduling structure. This work is motivated by the increasing need in the industry to design highly reliable and efficient controllers for dealing with regulation and tracking capabilities of complex processes characterized by nonlinearities and possibly time varying parameters. The soft computing-based controllers proposed are hybrid in nature in that they integrate within a well-defined hierarchical structure the benefits of hard algorithmic controllers with those having supervisory capabilities. The controllers proposed also have the distinct features of learning and auto-tuning without the need for tedious and computationally extensive online systems identification schemes.

Origami mechanologic.

PubMed

Treml, Benjamin; Gillman, Andrew; Buskohl, Philip; Vaia, Richard

2018-06-18

Robots autonomously interact with their environment through a continual sense-decide-respond control loop. Most commonly, the decide step occurs in a central processing unit; however, the stiffness mismatch between rigid electronics and the compliant bodies of soft robots can impede integration of these systems. We develop a framework for programmable mechanical computation embedded into the structure of soft robots that can augment conventional digital electronic control schemes. Using an origami waterbomb as an experimental platform, we demonstrate a 1-bit mechanical storage device that writes, erases, and rewrites itself in response to a time-varying environmental signal. Further, we show that mechanical coupling between connected origami units can be used to program the behavior of a mechanical bit, produce logic gates such as AND, OR, and three input majority gates, and transmit signals between mechanologic gates. Embedded mechanologic provides a route to add autonomy and intelligence in soft robots and machines. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Soft Expansion of Double-Real-Virtual Corrections to Higgs Production at N$^3$LO

DOE PAGES

Anastasiou, Charalampos; Duhr, Claude; Dulat, Falko; ...

2015-05-15

We present methods to compute higher orders in the threshold expansion for the one-loop production of a Higgs boson in association with two partons at hadron colliders. This process contributes to the N 3LO Higgs production cross section beyond the soft-virtual approximation. We use reverse unitarity to expand the phase-space integrals in the small kinematic parameters and to reduce the coefficients of the expansion to a small set of master integrals. We describe two methods for the calculation of the master integrals. The first was introduced for the calculation of the soft triple-real radiation relevant to N 3LO Higgs production.more » The second uses a particular factorization of the three body phase-space measure and the knowledge of the scaling properties of the integral itself. Our result is presented as a Laurent expansion in the dimensional regulator, although some of the master integrals are computed to all orders in this parameter.« less

Integration and demonstration of the STAR-1 radar system with a real time soft copy display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lumley, P.; Wolters, W.; Buchholz, B.; McKenney, H.; Motyka, R.

1986-07-01

This report describes three basic tasks. The first task is the definition and implementation of a real-time softcopy display to be used with STAR-1 real-time synthetic aperture radar system. The second task was the all-up system demonstration of the STAR-1, together with the real-time softcopy display. The third task is a data collection for targets of Army interest using the STAR-1 in conjunction with the softcopy display defined and implemented in the first task.

Computational Modeling for Enhancing Soft Tissue Image Guided Surgery: An Application in Neurosurgery.

PubMed

Miga, Michael I

2016-01-01

With the recent advances in computing, the opportunities to translate computational models to more integrated roles in patient treatment are expanding at an exciting rate. One area of considerable development has been directed towards correcting soft tissue deformation within image guided neurosurgery applications. This review captures the efforts that have been undertaken towards enhancing neuronavigation by the integration of soft tissue biomechanical models, imaging and sensing technologies, and algorithmic developments. In addition, the review speaks to the evolving role of modeling frameworks within surgery and concludes with some future directions beyond neurosurgical applications.

Progress and Opportunities in Soft Photonics and Biologically Inspired Optics.

PubMed

Kolle, Mathias; Lee, Seungwoo

2018-01-01

Optical components made fully or partially from reconfigurable, stimuli-responsive, soft solids or fluids-collectively referred to as soft photonics-are poised to form the platform for tunable optical devices with unprecedented functionality and performance characteristics. Currently, however, soft solid and fluid material systems still represent an underutilized class of materials in the optical engineers' toolbox. This is in part due to challenges in fabrication, integration, and structural control on the nano- and microscale associated with the application of soft components in optics. These challenges might be addressed with the help of a resourceful ally: nature. Organisms from many different phyla have evolved an impressive arsenal of light manipulation strategies that rely on the ability to generate and dynamically reconfigure hierarchically structured, complex optical material designs, often involving soft or fluid components. A comprehensive understanding of design concepts, structure formation principles, material integration, and control mechanisms employed in biological photonic systems will allow this study to challenge current paradigms in optical technology. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the fields of soft photonics and biologically inspired optics, emphasizes the ties between the two fields, and outlines future opportunities that result from advancements in soft and bioinspired photonics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Medium-induced gluon radiation and colour decoherence beyond the soft approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apolinário, Liliana; Armesto, Néstor; Milhano, José Guilherme; Salgado, Carlos A.

2015-02-01

We derive the in-medium gluon radiation spectrum off a quark within the path integral formalism at finite energies, including all next-to-eikonal corrections in the propagators of quarks and gluons. Results are computed for finite formation times, including interference with vacuum amplitudes. By rewriting the medium averages in a convenient manner we present the spectrum in terms of dipole cross sections and a colour decoherence parameter with the same physical origin as that found in previous studies of the antenna radiation. This factorisation allows us to present a simple physical picture of the medium-induced radiation for any value of the formation time, that is of interest for a probabilistic implementation of the modified parton shower. Known results are recovered for the particular cases of soft radiation and eikonal quark and for the case of a very long medium, with length much larger than the average formation times for medium-induced radiation. Technical details of the computation of the relevant n-point functions in colour space and of the required path integrals in transverse space are provided. The final result completes the calculation of all finite energy corrections for the radiation off a quark in a QCD medium that exist in the small angle approximation and for a recoilless medium.

A plant-inspired robot with soft differential bending capabilities.

PubMed

Sadeghi, A; Mondini, A; Del Dottore, E; Mattoli, V; Beccai, L; Taccola, S; Lucarotti, C; Totaro, M; Mazzolai, B

2016-12-20

We present the design and development of a plant-inspired robot, named Plantoid, with sensorized robotic roots. Natural roots have a multi-sensing capability and show a soft bending behaviour to follow or escape from various environmental parameters (i.e., tropisms). Analogously, we implement soft bending capabilities in our robotic roots by designing and integrating soft spring-based actuation (SSBA) systems using helical springs to transmit the motor power in a compliant manner. Each robotic tip integrates four different sensors, including customised flexible touch and innovative humidity sensors together with commercial gravity and temperature sensors. We show how the embedded sensing capabilities together with a root-inspired control algorithm lead to the implementation of tropic behaviours. Future applications for such plant-inspired technologies include soil monitoring and exploration, useful for agriculture and environmental fields.

Soft Costs Fact Sheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2016-05-01

This fact sheet is an overview of the systems integration subprogram at the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative. Soft costs can vary significantly as a result of a fragmented energy marketplace. In the U.S., there are 18,000 jurisdictions and 3,000 utilities with different rules and regulations for how to go solar. The same solar equipment may vary widely in its final installation price due to process and market variations across jurisdictions, creating barriers to rapid industry growth. SunShot supports the development of innovative solutions that enable communities to build their local economies and establish clean energy initiatives that meetmore » their needs, while at the same time creating sustainable solar market conditions.« less

Soft tissue waxup and mock-up as key factors in a treatment plan: case presentation.

PubMed

Viana, Pedro Couto; Correia, André; Neves, Manuel; Kovacs, Zsolt; Neugbauer, Rudiger

2012-01-01

Rehabilitation of edentulous spaces in esthetic areas is a challenge to the clinician due to the loss of soft tissues. In these clinical situations, it would be desirable to evaluate and predict the gingival architecture to recover in the oral rehabilitation. To fulfill this need, the diagnostic wax should anticipate the final rehabilitation with the integration of hard and soft tissue. Thus, it is essential to produce a diagnostic waxup that integrates these two components that are simultaneously seeking to recreate the harmony of white and pink esthetic. This diagnostic waxup will be the basis for the creation of the provisional prosthesis and a soft tissue mock-up. After placing the provisional prosthesis in the mouth, the soft tissue mock-up can be applied to assess its esthetic impact at facial and intraoral level. Dentist and patient should objectively assess the appearance of the final result. After approval of this rehabilitation concept, the virtual surgical planning can be performed and the surgical guide can be designed, allowing the treatment to take place. This protocol allows the development of a rigorous treatment plan based on the integration of teeth and gingiva component. The waxup and the soft tissue mock-up play a significant role, since they allow an earlier evaluation of the esthetic result, better prosthetic and surgical planning, and it allows us to anticipate the need for gingiva-colored ceramics use. The authors present a clinical case report of the importance of the wax-up and soft tissue mock-up in the treatment plan.

A novel integration of spectral-domain optical-coherence-tomography and laser-ablation system for precision treatment.

PubMed

Fan, Yingwei; Zhang, Boyu; Chang, Wei; Zhang, Xinran; Liao, Hongen

2018-03-01

Complete resection of diseased lesions reduces the recurrence of cancer, making it critical for surgical treatment. However, precisely resecting residual tumors is a challenge during operation. A novel integrated spectral-domain optical-coherence-tomography (SD-OCT) and laser-ablation therapy system for soft-biological-tissue resection is proposed. This is a prototype optical integrated diagnosis and therapeutic system as well as an optical theranostics system. We develop an optical theranostics system, which integrates SD-OCT, a laser-ablation unit, and an automatic scanning platform. The SD-OCT image of biological tissue provides an intuitive and clear view for intraoperative diagnosis and monitoring in real time. The effect of laser ablation is analyzed using a quantitative mathematical model. The automatic endoscopic scanning platform combines an endoscopic probe and an SD-OCT sample arm to provide optical theranostic scanning motion. An optical fiber and a charge-coupled device camera are integrated into the endoscopic probe, allowing detection and coupling of the OCT-aiming beam and laser spots. The integrated diagnostic and therapeutic system combines SD-OCT imaging and laser-ablation modules with an automatic scanning platform. OCT imaging, laser-ablation treatment, and the integration and control of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures were evaluated by performing phantom experiments. Furthermore, SD-OCT-guided laser ablation provided precision laser ablation and resection for the malignant lesions in soft-biological-tissue-lesion surgery. The results demonstrated that the appropriate laser-radiation power and duration time were 10 W and 10 s, respectively. In the laser-ablation evaluation experiment, the error reached approximately 0.1 mm. Another validation experiment was performed to obtain OCT images of the pre- and post-ablated craters of ex vivo porcine brainstem. We propose an optical integrated diagnosis and therapeutic system. The primary experimental results show the high efficiency and feasibility of our theranostics system, which is promising for realizing accurate resection of tumors in vivo and in situ in the future.

Modern space/time geostatistics using river distances: data integration of turbidity and E. coli measurements to assess fecal contamination along the Raritan River in New Jersey.

PubMed

Money, Eric S; Carter, Gail P; Serre, Marc L

2009-05-15

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a widely used indicator of fecal contamination in water bodies. External contact and subsequent ingestion of bacteria coming from fecal contamination can lead to harmful health effects. Since E. coli data are sometimes limited, the objective of this study is to use secondary information in the form of turbidity to improve the assessment of E. coli at unmonitored locations. We obtained all E. coli and turbidity monitoring data available from existing monitoring networks for the 2000-2006 time period for the Raritan River Basin, New Jersey. Using collocated measurements, we developed a predictive model of E. coli from turbidity data. Using this model, soft data are constructed for E. coli given turbidity measurements at 739 space/time locations where only turbidity was measured. Finally, the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) method of modern space/time geostatistics was used for the data integration of monitored and predicted E. coli data to produce maps showing E. coli concentration estimated daily across the river basin. The addition of soft data in conjunction with the use of river distances reduced estimation error by about 30%. Furthermore, based on these maps, up to 35% of river miles in the Raritan Basin had a probability of E coli impairment greater than 90% on the most polluted day of the study period.

Fluidic optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitesides, George M.; Tang, Sindy K. Y.

2006-09-01

Fluidic optics is a new class of optical system with real-time tunability and reconfigurability enabled by the introduction of fluidic components into the optical path. We describe the design, fabrication, operation of a number of fluidic optical systems, and focus on three devices, liquid-core/liquid-cladding (L2) waveguides, microfluidic dye lasers, and diffraction gratings based on flowing, crystalline lattices of bubbles, to demonstrate the integration of microfluidics and optics. We fabricate these devices in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with soft-lithographic techniques. They are simple to construct, and readily integrable with microanalytical or lab-on-a-chip systems.

Gaze-contingent control for minimally invasive robotic surgery.

PubMed

Mylonas, George P; Darzi, Ara; Yang, Guang Zhong

2006-09-01

Recovering tissue depth and deformation during robotically assisted minimally invasive procedures is an important step towards motion compensation, stabilization and co-registration with preoperative data. This work demonstrates that eye gaze derived from binocular eye tracking can be effectively used to recover 3D motion and deformation of the soft tissue. A binocular eye-tracking device was integrated into the stereoscopic surgical console. After calibration, the 3D fixation point of the participating subjects could be accurately resolved in real time. A CT-scanned phantom heart model was used to demonstrate the accuracy of gaze-contingent depth extraction and motion stabilization of the soft tissue. The dynamic response of the oculomotor system was assessed with the proposed framework by using autoregressive modeling techniques. In vivo data were also used to perform gaze-contingent decoupling of cardiac and respiratory motion. Depth reconstruction, deformation tracking, and motion stabilization of the soft tissue were possible with binocular eye tracking. The dynamic response of the oculomotor system was able to cope with frequencies likely to occur under most routine minimally invasive surgical operations. The proposed framework presents a novel approach towards the tight integration of a human and a surgical robot where interaction in response to sensing is required to be under the control of the operating surgeon.

Hard X-ray variability of V404 Cygni during the 2015 outburst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Fernández, C.; Kajava, J. J. E.; Motta, S. E.; Kuulkers, E.

2017-06-01

Aims: Hard X-ray spectra of black hole binaries (BHB) are produced by Comptonization of soft seed photons by hot electrons near the black hole. The slope of the resulting energy spectra is governed by two main parameters: the electron temperature (Te) and optical depth (τ) of the emitting plasma. Given the extreme brightness of V404 Cyg during the 2015 outburst, we aim to constrain the source spectral properties using an unprecedented time resolution in hard X-rays, and to monitor the evolution of Te and τ over the outburst. Methods: We have extracted and analysed 602 X-ray spectra of V404 Cyg obtained by the IBIS/ISGRI instrument on-board INTEGRAL during the 2015 June outburst, using effective integration times ranging between 8 and 176 000 s. We fitted the resulting spectra in the 20-200 keV energy range. Results: We find that while the light curve and soft X-ray spectra of V404 Cyg are remarkably different from those of other BHBs, the spectral evolution of V404 Cyg in hard X-rays and the relations between the spectral parameters are consistent with those observed in other BHBs. We identify a hard branch in which the Te is anti-correlated with the hard X-ray flux, and a soft flaring branch in which the relation reverses. In addition, we find that during long X-ray plateaus detected at intermediate fluxes, the thermal Comptonization models fail to describe the spectra. However, the statistics improve if we allow NH to vary freely in the fits to these spectra. Conclusions: We conclude that the hard branch in V404 Cyg is analogous to the canonical hard state of BHBs. V404 Cyg never seems to enter the canonical soft state, although the soft flaring branch bears resemblance to the BHB intermediate state and ultra-luminous state. The X-ray plateaus are likely the result of absorption by a Compton-thick outflow (NH ≳ 1024 cm-2) which reduces the observed flux by a factor of about 10. Variable covering of the central source by this Compton-thick material may be the reason for the complicated light curve variability, rather than intrinsic source variability. Based on observations with INTEGRAL, an ESA project with instruments and science data centre funded by ESA member states (especially the PI countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain) and with the participation of Russia and the USA.

SolarSoft Web Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeland, S.; Hurlburt, N.

2005-12-01

The SolarSoft system (SSW) is a set of integrated software libraries, databases, and system utilities which provide a common programming and data analysis environment for solar physics. The system includes contributions from a large community base, representing the efforts of many NASA PI team MO&DA teams,spanning many years and multiple NASA and international orbital and ground based missions. The SSW general use libraries include Many hundreds of utilities which are instrument and mission independent. A large subset are also SOLAR independent, such as time conversions, digital detector cleanup, time series analysis, mathematics, image display, WWW server communications and the like. PI teams may draw on these general purpose libraries for analysis and application development while concentrating efforts on instrument specific calibration issues rather than reinvention of general use software. By the same token, PI teams are encouraged to contribute new applications or enhancements to existing utilities which may have more general interest. Recent areas of intense evolution include space weather applications, automated distributed data access and analysis, interfaces with the ongoing Virtual Solar Observatory efforts, and externalization of SolarSoft power through Web Services. We will discuss the current status of SSW web services and demonstrate how this facilitates accessing the underlying power of SolarSoft in more abstract terms. In this context, we will describe the use of SSW services within the Collaborative Sun Earth Connector environment.

Soft Somatosensitive Actuators via Embedded 3D Printing.

PubMed

Truby, Ryan L; Wehner, Michael; Grosskopf, Abigail K; Vogt, Daniel M; Uzel, Sebastien G M; Wood, Robert J; Lewis, Jennifer A

2018-04-01

Humans possess manual dexterity, motor skills, and other physical abilities that rely on feedback provided by the somatosensory system. Herein, a method is reported for creating soft somatosensitive actuators (SSAs) via embedded 3D printing, which are innervated with multiple conductive features that simultaneously enable haptic, proprioceptive, and thermoceptive sensing. This novel manufacturing approach enables the seamless integration of multiple ionically conductive and fluidic features within elastomeric matrices to produce SSAs with the desired bioinspired sensing and actuation capabilities. Each printed sensor is composed of an ionically conductive gel that exhibits both long-term stability and hysteresis-free performance. As an exemplar, multiple SSAs are combined into a soft robotic gripper that provides proprioceptive and haptic feedback via embedded curvature, inflation, and contact sensors, including deep and fine touch contact sensors. The multimaterial manufacturing platform enables complex sensing motifs to be easily integrated into soft actuating systems, which is a necessary step toward closed-loop feedback control of soft robots, machines, and haptic devices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Results from the First Two Flights of the Static Computer Memory Integrity Testing Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hancock, Thomas M., III

1999-01-01

This paper details the scientific objectives, experiment design, data collection method, and post flight analysis following the first two flights of the Static Computer Memory Integrity Testing (SCMIT) experiment. SCMIT is designed to detect soft-event upsets in passive magnetic memory. A soft-event upset is a change in the logic state of active or passive forms of magnetic memory, commonly referred to as a "Bitflip". In its mildest form a soft-event upset can cause software exceptions, unexpected events, start spacecraft safeing (ending data collection) or corrupted fault protection and error recovery capabilities. In it's most severe form loss of mission or spacecraft can occur. Analysis after the first flight (in 1991 during STS-40) identified possible soft-event upsets to 25% of the experiment detectors. Post flight analysis after the second flight (in 1997 on STS-87) failed to find any evidence of soft-event upsets. The SCMIT experiment is currently scheduled for a third flight in December 1999 on STS-101.

Design and integration of an all-in-one biomicrofluidic chip

PubMed Central

Liu, Liyu; Cao, Wenbin; Wu, Jingbo; Wen, Weijia; Chang, Donald Choy; Sheng, Ping

2008-01-01

We demonstrate a highly integrated microfluidic chip with the function of DNA amplification. The integrated chip combines giant electrorheological-fluid actuated micromixer and micropump with a microheater array, all formed using soft lithography. Internal functional components are based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and silver∕carbon black-PDMS composites. The system has the advantages of small size with a high degree of integration, high polymerase chain reaction efficiency, digital control and simple fabrication at low cost. This integration approach shows promise for a broad range of applications in chemical synthesis and biological sensing∕analysis, as different components can be combined to target desired functionalities, with flexible designs of different microchips easily realizable through soft lithography. PMID:19693370

Effects of different silvicultural systems on initial soft mast production

Treesearch

Roger W. Perry; Ronald E. Thill; David G. Peitz; Philip A. Tappe

1999-01-01

Recent policy changes by federal land management agencies such as the United States [Department of Agriculture] Forest Service have led to increased use of silvicultural systems other than clearcutting. Because soft mast is an integral part of wildlife habitat and the effects of these alternative silviculture systems on soft mast production are unknown, we evaluated...

3D microwave tomography of the breast using prior anatomical information

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golnabi, Amir H., E-mail: golnabia@montclair.edu; Meaney, Paul M.; Paulsen, Keith D.

2016-04-15

Purpose: The authors have developed a new 3D breast image reconstruction technique that utilizes the soft tissue spatial resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and integrates the dielectric property differentiation from microwave imaging to produce a dual modality approach with the goal of augmenting the specificity of MR imaging, possibly without the need for nonspecific contrast agents. The integration is performed through the application of a soft prior regularization which imports segmented geometric meshes generated from MR exams and uses it to constrain the microwave tomography algorithm to recover nearly uniform property distributions within segmented regions with sharp delineation betweenmore » these internal subzones. Methods: Previous investigations have demonstrated that this approach is effective in 2D simulation and phantom experiments and also in clinical exams. The current study extends the algorithm to 3D and provides a thorough analysis of the sensitivity and robustness to misalignment errors in size and location between the spatial prior information and the actual data. Results: Image results in 3D were not strongly dependent on reconstruction mesh density, and the changes of less than 30% in recovered property values arose from variations of more than 125% in target region size—an outcome which was more robust than in 2D. Similarly, changes of less than 13% occurred in the 3D image results from variations in target location of nearly 90% of the inclusion size. Permittivity and conductivity errors were about 5 times and 2 times smaller, respectively, with the 3D spatial prior algorithm in actual phantom experiments than those which occurred without priors. Conclusions: The presented study confirms that the incorporation of structural information in the form of a soft constraint can considerably improve the accuracy of the property estimates in predefined regions of interest. These findings are encouraging and establish a strong foundation for using the soft prior technique in clinical studies, where their microwave imaging system and MRI can simultaneously collect breast exam data in patients.« less

Hybrid 3D Printing of Soft Electronics.

PubMed

Valentine, Alexander D; Busbee, Travis A; Boley, John William; Raney, Jordan R; Chortos, Alex; Kotikian, Arda; Berrigan, John Daniel; Durstock, Michael F; Lewis, Jennifer A

2017-10-01

Hybrid 3D printing is a new method for producing soft electronics that combines direct ink writing of conductive and dielectric elastomeric materials with automated pick-and-place of surface mount electronic components within an integrated additive manufacturing platform. Using this approach, insulating matrix and conductive electrode inks are directly printed in specific layouts. Passive and active electrical components are then integrated to produce the desired electronic circuitry by using an empty nozzle (in vacuum-on mode) to pick up individual components, place them onto the substrate, and then deposit them (in vacuum-off mode) in the desired location. The components are then interconnected via printed conductive traces to yield soft electronic devices that may find potential application in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Toward of a highly integrated probe for improving wireless network quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Fei; Song, Aiguo; Wu, Zhenyang; Pan, Zhiwen; You, Xiaohu

2016-10-01

Quality of service and customer perception is the focus of the telecommunications industry. This paper proposes a low-cost approach to the acquisition of terminal data, collected from LTE networks with the application of a soft probe, based on the Java language. The soft probe includes support for fast call in the form of a referenced library, and can be integrated into various Android-based applications to automatically monitor any exception event in the network. Soft probe-based acquisition of terminal data has the advantages of low cost and can be applied on large scale. Experiment shows that a soft probe can efficiently obtain terminal network data. With this method, the quality of service of LTE networks can be determined from acquired wireless data. This work contributes to efficient network optimization, and the analysis of abnormal network events.

Neurological soft signs in adolescents with borderline personality traits.

PubMed

Zhang, Jinqiang; Cai, Lin; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yi, Jinyao; Yao, Shuqiao; Hu, Muli; Bai, Mei; Li, Lingyan; Wang, Yuping

2015-03-01

This study investigated the prevalence and severity of neurological soft signs (NSS), and their relationships with borderline personality (BP) traits in adolescents. Eighty-nine adolescents with BP traits (BP-trait group), and 89 adolescents without traits of any personality disorder (control group), were recruited in China. BP traits were diagnosed by the BPD subscale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire for the DSM-IV (PDQ-4+). The soft sign subscales of the Cambridge Neurological Inventory were administered to all participants. The group differences in prevalence of soft signs and in NSS scores were analyzed, as well as the associations between the NSS scale and borderline personality traits. Five soft signs were significantly more frequent in adolescents with BP traits. A total of 59.6% of adolescents with BP traits exhibited at least 1 NSS, whereas only 34.8% of adolescents without BP traits did (p < 0.01). A total of 42.7% of adolescents in the BP-trait group exhibited at least 2 NSS, while only 16.9% of adolescents without BP traits did (p < 0.001). Moreover, adolescents with BP traits showed more sensory integration, disinhibition, total neurological soft signs, left-side soft signs, and right-side soft signs, than adolescents without BP traits. Sensory integration and disinhibition were positively associated with BP traits. These findings suggest that adolescents with BP traits may have a nonfocal abnormality of the central nervous system.

Flexible and stretchable electronics for wearable healthcare devices and minimally invasive surgical tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Lee, Mincheol; Lee, Hyunjae

2016-05-01

Recent advances in soft electronics have attracted great attention, largely due to their potential applications in personalized, bio-integrated healthcare devices. The mechanical mismatch between conventional electronic/optoelectronic devices and soft human tissues/organs have presented many challenges, such as the low signalto- noise ratio of biosensors because of the incomplete integration of rigid devices with the body, inflammation and excessive immune responses of implanted stiff devices originated from friction and their foreign nature to biotic systems, and the considerable discomfort and consequent stress experienced by users when wearing/implanting these devices. Ultra-flexible and stretchable electronic devices are being highlighted due to their low system modulus and the intrinsic system-level softness that are important to solve these issues. Here, we describe our unique strategies for the nanomaterial synthesis and fabrication, their seamless assembly and integration, and the design and development of corresponding wearable healthcare devices and minimally invasive surgical tools. These bioelectronic systems fully utilize recent breakthroughs in unconventional soft electronics based on nanomaterials to address unsolved issues in clinical medicine and to provide new opportunities in the personalized healthcare.

Aurorasaurus Database of Real-Time, Soft-Sensor Sourced Aurora Data for Space Weather Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosar, B.; MacDonald, E.; Heavner, M.

2017-12-01

Aurorasaurus is an innovative citizen science project focused on two fundamental objectives i.e., collecting real-time, ground-based signals of auroral visibility from citizen scientists (soft-sensors) and incorporating this new type of data into scientific investigations pertaining to aurora. The project has been live since the Fall of 2014, and as of Summer 2017, the database compiled approximately 12,000 observations (5295 direct reports and 6413 verified tweets). In this presentation, we will focus on demonstrating the utility of this robust science quality data for space weather research needs. These data scale with the size of the event and are well-suited to capture the largest, rarest events. Emerging state-of-the-art computational methods based on statistical inference such as machine learning frameworks and data-model integration methods can offer new insights that could potentially lead to better real-time assessment and space weather prediction when citizen science data are combined with traditional sources.

Rotation of hard particles in a soft matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Weizhu; Liu, Qingchang; Yue, Zhufeng; Li, Xiaodong; Xu, Baoxing

Soft-hard materials integration is ubiquitous in biological materials and structures in nature and has also attracted growing attention in the bio-inspired design of advanced functional materials, structures and devices. Due to the distinct difference in their mechanical properties, the rotation of hard phases in soft matrixes upon deformation has been acknowledged, yet is lack of theory in mechanics. In this work, we propose a theoretical mechanics framework that can describe the rotation of hard particles in a soft matrix. The rotation of multiple arbitrarily shaped, located and oriented particles with perfectly bonded interfaces in an elastic soft matrix subjected to a far-field tensile loading is established and analytical solutions are derived by using complex potentials and conformal mapping methods. Strong couplings and competitions of the rotation of hard particles among each other are discussed by investigating numbers, relative locations and orientations of particles in the matrix at different loading directions. Extensive finite element analyses are performed to validate theoretical solutions and good agreement of both rotation and stress field between them are achieved. Possible extensions of the present theory to non-rigid particles, viscoelastic matrix and imperfect bonding are also discussed. Finally, by taking advantage of the rotation of hard particles, we exemplify an application in a conceptual design of soft-hard material integrated phononic crystal and demonstrate that phononic band gaps can be successfully tuned with a high accuracy through the mechanical tension-induced rotation of hard particles. The present theory established herein is expected to be of immediate interests to the design of soft-hard materials integration based functional materials, structures and devices with tunable performance via mechanical rotation of hard phases.

Soft-Fault Detection Technologies Developed for Electrical Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Button, Robert M.

2004-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center, partner universities, and defense contractors are working to develop intelligent power management and distribution (PMAD) technologies for future spacecraft and launch vehicles. The goals are to provide higher performance (efficiency, transient response, and stability), higher fault tolerance, and higher reliability through the application of digital control and communication technologies. It is also expected that these technologies will eventually reduce the design, development, manufacturing, and integration costs for large, electrical power systems for space vehicles. The main focus of this research has been to incorporate digital control, communications, and intelligent algorithms into power electronic devices such as direct-current to direct-current (dc-dc) converters and protective switchgear. These technologies, in turn, will enable revolutionary changes in the way electrical power systems are designed, developed, configured, and integrated in aerospace vehicles and satellites. Initial successes in integrating modern, digital controllers have proven that transient response performance can be improved using advanced nonlinear control algorithms. One technology being developed includes the detection of "soft faults," those not typically covered by current systems in use today. Soft faults include arcing faults, corona discharge faults, and undetected leakage currents. Using digital control and advanced signal analysis algorithms, we have shown that it is possible to reliably detect arcing faults in high-voltage dc power distribution systems (see the preceding photograph). Another research effort has shown that low-level leakage faults and cable degradation can be detected by analyzing power system parameters over time. This additional fault detection capability will result in higher reliability for long-lived power systems such as reusable launch vehicles and space exploration missions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thayer, B.M.

A daylight office building built for Lockheed Martin near San Francisco has saved half a million dollars on energy bills and several times more due to reduced absenteeism and improved employee productivity. The building design incorporates soft daylight throughout the interior of the building. This article discusses the following topics in relationship to the building design: design for the climate; deep daylighting; integrated electric lighting; mechanical system; energy performance; the productivity story.

Proteomic Analysis of Trauma-Induced Heterotopic Ossification Formation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

60% of these patients go on to form abnormal bone within the soft tissue of their injured limbs. This condition, known as Heterotopic Ossification... psychological and physical damage sustained as a result of multiple orthopaedic surgical procedures. As a result, the effort, time, and cost of wounded...third year of this research project has continued to integrate productive and complementary activities across four distinct campuses. Critical

A Quatro-Based 65-nm Flip-Flop Circuit for Soft-Error Resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.-Q.; Wang, H.-B.; Liu, R.; Chen, L.; Nofal, I.; Shi, S.-T.; He, A.-L.; Guo, G.; Baeg, S. H.; Wen, S.-J.; Wong, R.; Chen, M.; Wu, Q.

2017-06-01

A flip-flop circuit hardened against soft errors is presented in this paper. This design is an improved version of Quatro for further enhanced soft-error resilience by integrating the guard-gate technique. The proposed design, as well as reference Quatro and regular flip-flops, was implemented and manufactured in a 65-nm CMOS bulk technology. Experimental characterization results of their alpha and heavy ions soft-error rates verified the superior hardening performance of the proposed design over the other two circuits.

Influence of shoe midsole hardness on plantar pressure distribution in four basketball-related movements.

PubMed

Lam, Wing-Kai; Ng, Wei Xuan; Kong, Pui Wah

2017-01-01

This study examined how shoe midsole hardness influenced plantar pressure in basketball-related movements. Twenty male university basketball players wore customized shoes with hard and soft midsoles (60 and 50 Shore C) to perform four movements: running, maximal forward sprinting, maximal 45° cutting and lay-up. Plantar loading was recorded using an in-shoe pressure measuring system, with peak pressure (PP) and pressure time integral (PTI) extracted from 10 plantar regions. Compared with hard shoes, subjects exhibited lower PP in one or more plantar regions when wearing the soft shoes across all tested movements (Ps < 0.05). Lower PTI was also observed in the hallux for 45° cutting, and the toes and forefoot regions during the first step of lay-up in the soft shoe condition (Ps < 0.05). In conclusion, using a softer midsole in the forefoot region may be a plausible remedy to reduce the high plantar loading experienced by basketball players.

Porous polycarbene-bearing membrane actuator for ultrasensitive weak-acid detection and real-time chemical reaction monitoring.

PubMed

Sun, Jian-Ke; Zhang, Weiyi; Guterman, Ryan; Lin, Hui-Juan; Yuan, Jiayin

2018-04-30

Soft actuators with integration of ultrasensitivity and capability of simultaneous interaction with multiple stimuli through an entire event ask for a high level of structure complexity, adaptability, and/or multi-responsiveness, which is a great challenge. Here, we develop a porous polycarbene-bearing membrane actuator built up from ionic complexation between a poly(ionic liquid) and trimesic acid (TA). The actuator features two concurrent structure gradients, i.e., an electrostatic complexation (EC) degree and a density distribution of a carbene-NH 3 adduct (CNA) along the membrane cross-section. The membrane actuator performs the highest sensitivity among the state-of-the-art soft proton actuators toward acetic acid at 10 -6  mol L -1 (M) level in aqueous media. Through competing actuation of the two gradients, it is capable of monitoring an entire process of proton-involved chemical reactions that comprise multiple stimuli and operational steps. The present achievement constitutes a significant step toward real-life application of soft actuators in chemical sensing and reaction technology.

Neurological soft signs in individuals with schizotypal personality features.

PubMed

Chan, Raymond C K; Wang, Ya; Zhao, Qing; Yan, Chao; Xu, Ting; Gong, Qi-Yong; Manschreck, Theo C

2010-09-01

The current study attempted to examine the prevalence of neurological soft signs and their relationships with schizotypal traits in individuals with psychometrically defined schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) features. Sixty-four individuals with SPD-proneness and 51 without SPD-proneness were recruited for the present study. The soft signs subscales of the Cambridge Neurological Inventory were administered to all participants; the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) was administered to SPD-proneness and non-SPD-proneness participants. The SPD-proneness participants demonstrated significantly higher prevalence of soft signs than those without SPD-proneness. SPQ subscales were significantly associated with ratings of motor coordination, sensory integration and total soft signs. These findings suggest that neurological soft signs are trait markers of schizophrenia.

Asymmetric Memory Circuit Would Resist Soft Errors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, Martin G.; Perlman, Marvin

1990-01-01

Some nonlinear error-correcting codes more efficient in presence of asymmetry. Combination of circuit-design and coding concepts expected to make integrated-circuit random-access memories more resistant to "soft" errors (temporary bit errors, also called "single-event upsets" due to ionizing radiation). Integrated circuit of new type made deliberately more susceptible to one kind of bit error than to other, and associated error-correcting code adapted to exploit this asymmetry in error probabilities.

Static Computer Memory Integrity Testing (SCMIT): An experiment flown on STS-40 as part of GAS payload G-616

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hancock, Thomas

1993-01-01

This experiment investigated the integrity of static computer memory (floppy disk media) when exposed to the environment of low earth orbit. The experiment attempted to record soft-event upsets (bit-flips) in static computer memory. Typical conditions that exist in low earth orbit that may cause soft-event upsets include: cosmic rays, low level background radiation, charged fields, static charges, and the earth's magnetic field. Over the years several spacecraft have been affected by soft-event upsets (bit-flips), and these events have caused a loss of data or affected spacecraft guidance and control. This paper describes a commercial spin-off that is being developed from the experiment.

Fully integrated micro-separator with soft-magnetic micro-pillar arrays for filtrating lymphocytes.

PubMed

Dong, Tao; Su, Qianhua; Yang, Zhaochu; Karlsen, Frank; Jakobsen, Henrik; Egeland, Eirik Bentzen; Hjelseth, Snorre

2010-01-01

A fully integrated micro-separator with soft-magnetic micro-pillar arrays has been developed, which merely employs one independent Lab-On-Chip to realize the lymphocytes isolation from the human whole blood. The simulation, fabrication and experiment are executed to realize this novel microseparator. The simulation results show that, the soft-magnetic micro-pillars array can amplify and redistribute the electromagnetic field generated by the microcoils. The tests certify desirable separation efficiency can be realized using this new separator at low current. No extra cooling system is required for such a micro-separator. This micro-separator can also be used to separate other target cells or particles with the same principle.

Biomimetic stratified scaffold design for ligament-to-bone interface tissue engineering.

PubMed

Lu, Helen H; Spalazzi, Jeffrey P

2009-07-01

The emphasis in the field of orthopaedic tissue engineering is on imparting biomimetic functionality to tissue engineered bone or soft tissue grafts and enabling their translation to the clinic. A significant challenge in achieving extended graft functionality is engineering the biological fixation of these grafts with each other as well as with the host environment. Biological fixation will require re-establishment of the structure-function relationship inherent at the native soft tissue-to-bone interface on these tissue engineered grafts. To this end, strategic biomimicry must be incorporated into advanced scaffold design. To facilitate integration between distinct tissue types (e.g., bone with soft tissues such as cartilage, ligament, or tendon), a stratified or multi-phasic scaffold with distinct yet continuous tissue regions is required to pre-engineer the interface between bone and soft tissues. Using the ACL-to-bone interface as a model system, this review outlines the strategies for stratified scaffold design for interface tissue engineering, focusing on identifying the relevant design parameters derived from an understanding of the structure-function relationship inherent at the soft-to-hard tissue interface. The design approach centers on first addressing the challenge of soft tissue-to-bone integration ex vivo, and then subsequently focusing on the relatively less difficult task of bone-to-bone integration in vivo. In addition, we will review stratified scaffold design aimed at exercising spatial control over heterotypic cellular interactions, which are critical for facilitating the formation and maintenance of distinct yet continuous multi-tissue regions. Finally, potential challenges and future directions in this emerging area of advanced scaffold design will be discussed.

Modern Space/Time Geostatistics using River Distances: Data Integration of Turbidity and E.coli Measurements to Assess Fecal Contamination Along the Raritan River in New Jersey

PubMed Central

Money, Eric S.; Carter, Gail P.; Serre, Marc L.

2009-01-01

Escherichia coli (E.coli) is a widely used indicator of fecal contamination in water bodies. External contact and subsequent ingestion of bacteria coming from fecal contamination can lead to harmful health effects. Since E.coli data are sometimes limited, the objective of this study is to use secondary information in the form of turbidity to improve the assessment of E.coli at un-monitored locations. We obtained all E.coli and turbidity monitoring data available from existing monitoring networks for the 2000 – 2006 time period for the Raritan River Basin, New Jersey. Using collocated measurements we developed a predictive model of E.coli from turbidity data. Using this model, soft data are constructed for E.coli given turbidity measurements at 739 space/time locations where only turbidity was measured. Finally, the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) method of modern space/time geostatistics was used for the data integration of monitored and predicted E.coli data to produce maps showing E.coli concentration estimated daily across the river basin. The addition of soft data in conjunction with the use of river distances reduced estimation error by about 30%. Furthermore, based on these maps, up to 35% of river miles in the Raritan Basin had a probability of E.coli impairment greater than 90% on the most polluted day of the study period. PMID:19544881

Observation of emission process in hydrogen-like nitrogen Z-pinch discharge with time integrated soft X-ray spectrum pinhole image

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sakai, Y.; Kumai, H.; Nakanishi, Y.

2013-02-15

The emission spectra of hydrogen-like nitrogen Balmer at the wavelength of 13.4 nm in capillary Z-pinch discharge plasma are experimentally examined. Ionization to fully strip nitrogen at the pinch maximum, and subsequent rapid expansion cooling are required to establish the population inversion between the principal quantum number of n = 2 and n = 3. The ionization and recombination processes with estimated plasma parameters are evaluated by utilizing a time integrated spectrum pinhole image containing radial spatial information. A cylindrical capillary plasma is pinched by a triangular pulsed current with peak amplitude of 50 kA and pulse width of 50more » ns.« less

An Examination of Soft Skills Listed in Texas Electronic Job Postings and Undergraduate Business Information Systems Syllabi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott-Bracey, Pamela

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the alignment of soft skills sought by current business IS entry-level employers in electronic job postings, with the integration of soft skills in undergraduate business information systems (IS) syllabi of public four-year universities in Texas. One hundred fifty job postings were extracted from two major…

Immediate versus Delayed Treatment in the Anterior Maxilla Using Single Implants with a Laser-Microtextured Collar: 3-Year Results of a Case Series on Hard- and Soft-Tissue Response and Esthetics.

PubMed

Guarnieri, Renzo; Belleggia, Fabrizio; Grande, Maurizio

2016-02-01

To compare peri-implant marginal bone loss, soft tissue response, and esthetics following single immediate implant treatment (IIT) and delayed implant treatment (DIT) in the esthetic zone of the maxilla in well-selected patients. Adequate bone volume and ideal soft tissue level/contour were considered requirements for implant therapy, with additional prerequisites for IIT of residual alveolar bone wall integrity and a thick gingival biotype. IIT included immediate placement and provisionalization, while DIT included extraction socket preservation followed by implant placement and provisionalization 4 months later. Cortical bone levels and peri-implant mucosal conditions were evaluated at regular intervals. The esthetic outcome was objectively rated after 3 years using the pink esthetic score (PES) and white esthetic score (WES). Twelve patients received an immediate Laser-Lok® implant, and 13 patients received a delayed Laser-Lok® implant. No significant differences were found between the study groups regarding survival rate (100%). The mean bone level from the implant/abutment interface was 0.35 ± 0.18 mm for IIT and 0.42 ± 0.21 mm for DIT after 3 years (p > 0.05). Mesial and distal papillae remained stable over time in DIT. A tendency for regrowth of mesial and distal papillae was found following IIT (p < 0.05). Midfacial soft tissues remained stable over time following DIT and IIT. Within the limitations of this study (e.g., small sample size, short follow-up duration), the results suggest that regarding success rate, hard/soft tissue responses, and esthetics, DIT and IIT with single Laser-Lok® implants in the anterior maxilla are comparable and predictable options for well-selected patients. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

The development and validation of a numerical integration method for non-linear viscoelastic modeling

PubMed Central

Ramo, Nicole L.; Puttlitz, Christian M.

2018-01-01

Compelling evidence that many biological soft tissues display both strain- and time-dependent behavior has led to the development of fully non-linear viscoelastic modeling techniques to represent the tissue’s mechanical response under dynamic conditions. Since the current stress state of a viscoelastic material is dependent on all previous loading events, numerical analyses are complicated by the requirement of computing and storing the stress at each step throughout the load history. This requirement quickly becomes computationally expensive, and in some cases intractable, for finite element models. Therefore, we have developed a strain-dependent numerical integration approach for capturing non-linear viscoelasticity that enables calculation of the current stress from a strain-dependent history state variable stored from the preceding time step only, which improves both fitting efficiency and computational tractability. This methodology was validated based on its ability to recover non-linear viscoelastic coefficients from simulated stress-relaxation (six strain levels) and dynamic cyclic (three frequencies) experimental stress-strain data. The model successfully fit each data set with average errors in recovered coefficients of 0.3% for stress-relaxation fits and 0.1% for cyclic. The results support the use of the presented methodology to develop linear or non-linear viscoelastic models from stress-relaxation or cyclic experimental data of biological soft tissues. PMID:29293558

Miniaturized soft bio-hybrid robotics: a step forward into healthcare applications.

PubMed

Patino, T; Mestre, R; Sánchez, S

2016-10-07

Soft robotics is an emerging discipline that employs soft flexible materials such as fluids, gels and elastomers in order to enhance the use of robotics in healthcare applications. Compared to their rigid counterparts, soft robotic systems have flexible and rheological properties that are closely related to biological systems, thus allowing the development of adaptive and flexible interactions with complex dynamic environments. With new technologies arising in bioengineering, the integration of living cells into soft robotic systems offers the possibility of accomplishing multiple complex functions such as sensing and actuating upon external stimuli. These emerging bio-hybrid systems are showing promising outcomes and opening up new avenues in the field of soft robotics for applications in healthcare and other fields.

A Physics-Based Engineering Methodology for Calculating Soft Error Rates of Bulk CMOS and SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Integrated Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulkerson, David E.

2010-02-01

This paper describes a new methodology for characterizing the electrical behavior and soft error rate (SER) of CMOS and SiGe HBT integrated circuits that are struck by ions. A typical engineering design problem is to calculate the SER of a critical path that commonly includes several circuits such as an input buffer, several logic gates, logic storage, clock tree circuitry, and an output buffer. Using multiple 3D TCAD simulations to solve this problem is too costly and time-consuming for general engineering use. The new and simple methodology handles the problem with ease by simple SPICE simulations. The methodology accurately predicts the measured threshold linear energy transfer (LET) of a bulk CMOS SRAM. It solves for circuit currents and voltage spikes that are close to those predicted by expensive 3D TCAD simulations. It accurately predicts the measured event cross-section vs. LET curve of an experimental SiGe HBT flip-flop. The experimental cross section vs. frequency behavior and other subtle effects are also accurately predicted.

Pyrene-based fluorescent ambidextrous gelators: scaffolds for mechanically robust SWNT-gel nanocomposites.

PubMed

Mandal, Deep; Kar, Tanmoy; Das, Prasanta Kumar

2014-01-27

With the rapid progress in the development of supramolecular soft materials, examples of low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) with the ability to immobilise both water and organic solvents by the same structural scaffold are very limited. In this paper, we report the development of pyrene-containing peptide-based ambidextrous gelators (AGs) with the ability to efficiently gelate both organic and aqueous solvents. The organo- and hydrogelation efficiencies of these gelators are in the range 0.7-1.1% w/v in various organic solvents and 0.5-5% w/v in water at certain acidic pH values (pH 2.0-4.0). Moreover, for the first time, AGs have been utilised to prepare single-walled carbon-nanotube (SWNT)-included soft nanocomposites in both hydro- and organogel matrices. The influence of different non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, π-π and van der Waals interactions in self-assembled gelation has been studied in detail by circular dichroism, FTIR, variable-temperature NMR, 2D NOESY and luminescence spectroscopy. Interestingly, the presence of the pyrene moiety in the structure rendered these AGs intrinsically fluorescent, which was quenched upon successful integration of the SWNTs within the gel. The prepared hydro- and organogels along with their SWNT-integrated nanocomposites are thermoreversible in nature. The supramolecular morphologies of the dried gels and SWNT-gel nanocomposites have been studied by transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and polarising optical microscopy, which confirmed the presence of three-dimensional self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFINs) as well as the integrated SWNTs. Importantly, rheological studies revealed that the inclusion of SWNTs within the ambidextrous gels improved the mechanical rigidity of the resulting soft nanocomposites up to 3.8-fold relative to the native gels. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Asymptotic symmetries and electromagnetic memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasterski, Sabrina

2017-09-01

Recent investigations into asymptotic symmetries of gauge theory and gravity have illuminated connections between gauge field zero-mode sectors, the corresponding soft factors, and their classically observable counterparts — so called "memories". Namely, low frequency emissions in momentum space correspond to long time integrations of the corre-sponding radiation in position space. Memory effect observables constructed in this manner are non-vanishing in typical scattering processes, which has implications for the asymptotic symmetry group. Here we complete this triad for the case of large U(1) gauge symmetries at null infinity. In particular, we show that the previously studied electromagnetic memory effect, whereby the passage of electromagnetic radiation produces a net velocity kick for test charges in a distant detector, is the position space observable corresponding to th Weinberg soft photon pole in momentum space scattering amplitudes.

Soft, flexible micromanipulators comprising polypyrrole trilayer microactuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaldi, Alexandre; Maziz, Ali; Alici, Gursel; Spinks, Geoffrey M.; Jager, Edwin W. H.

2015-04-01

Within the areas of cell biology, biomedicine and minimal invasive surgery, there is a need for soft, flexible and dextrous biocompatible manipulators for handling biological objects, such as single cells and tissues. Present day technologies are based on simple suction using micropipettes for grasping objects. The micropipettes lack the possibility of accurate force control, nor are they soft and compliant and may thus cause damage to the cells or tissue. Other micromanipulators use conventional electric motors however the further miniaturization of electrical motors and their associated gear boxes and/or push/pull wires has reached its limits. Therefore there is an urgent need for new technologies for micromanipulation of soft biological matter. We are developing soft, flexible micromanipulators such as micro- tweezers for the handling and manipulation of biological species including cells and surgical tools for minimal invasive surgery. Our aim is to produce tools with minimal dimensions of 100 μm to 1 mm in size, which is 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller than existing technology. We present newly developed patterning and microfabrication methods for polymer microactuators as well as the latest results to integrate these microactuators into easy to use manipulation tools. The outcomes of this study contribute to the realisation of low-foot print devices articulated with electroactive polymer actuators for which the physical interface with the power source has been a significant challenge limiting their application. Here, we present a new bottom-up microfabrication process. We show for the first time that such a bottom-up fabricated actuator performs a movement in air. This is a significant step towards widening the application areas of the soft microactuators.

Installing the ARL Phrase Book Android Application and Configuring its Dependencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

device and configuring several additional applications required by the Phrase Book. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Android, Phrase Book, Domain Translator, Festival ...CMU] Festival Light Dari Text-to-Speech [TTS] Engine, the Dari/Pashto soft keyboard2) were integrated into the Phrase Book for additional capability...apps (as APK files): • Dari and Pashto AnySoftKeyboards. Delivered as a 94-KB AnySoftKeyboardLanguagePackPashto.apk. • Festival Lite (Flite) TTS

Biodegradation pattern and tissue integration of native and cross-linked porcine collagen soft tissue augmentation matrices – an experimental study in the rat

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction Within the last decades, collagen types I and III have been established as a sufficient biomaterial for GBR and GTR procedures. They might also be an adequate matrix for soft tissue augmentations. However, collagen materials differ significantly regarding resorption time, biodegradation pattern and the invasion of inflammatory cells. The aim of the present study was to compare the biodegradation and tissue integration of native, differently processed and cross-linked collagen scaffolds in rats. Methods Four experimental porcine collagen matrices of 1.0 mm thickness, developed for soft tissue augmentation procedures, were tested. Based on the same native dermal Type I and III collagen, native (ND, Mucoderm® prototype), specifically defatted (DD), ethylene dioxide cross-linked (ECL) and dehydrothermally cross-linked (DCL) dermis collagen (AAP/Botiss Biomaterials, Berlin, Germany) were evaluated. Two specimens of 1 × 1 cm were fixed around a non-absorbable spacer using non-absorbable sutures. After rehydration, specimens (N = 8) were randomly allocated in unconnected subcutaneous pouches on the back of 40 Wistar rats. Rats were divided into five groups (1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks), including eight animals each. After each period, eight rats were sacrificed and explanted specimens were prepared for histological analysis. The following parameters were evaluated: membrane thickness as a sign of biodegradation and volume stability, cell ingrowth, vascularization, tissue integration and foreign body reaction. Results Biodegradation pattern of the non cross-linked collagen scaffolds differed only slightly in terms of presence of inflammatory cells and cell invasion into the matrix. In terms of biodegradation, ECL displayed a considerable slower resorption than ND, DCL and DD. Chemical cross-linking using ethylene dioxide showed a significant higher invasion of inflammatory cells. Conclusion Within the limits of the present study it was concluded that the processing techniques influenced the collagen properties in a different intensity. Dehydrothermal cross-linking and special defatting did not notably change the biodegradation pattern, whereas cross-linking using ethylene dioxide led to significant higher volume stability of the matrix. However, ECL showed an increased inflammatory response and compromised tissue integration. Therefore, ethylene dioxide seems to be not suitable for stabilization of collagen matrices for soft tissue augmentation procedures. PMID:24670219

Self-sensing of dielectric elastomer actuator enhanced by artificial neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Zhihang; Chen, Zheng

2017-09-01

Dielectric elastomer (DE) is a type of soft actuating material, the shape of which can be changed under electrical voltage stimuli. DE materials have promising usage in future’s soft actuators and sensors, such as soft robotics, energy harvesters, and wearable sensors. In this paper, a stripe DE actuator with integrated sensing capability is designed, fabricated, and characterized. Since the strip actuator can be approximated as a compliant capacitor, it is possible to detect the actuator’s displacement by analyzing the actuator’s impedance change. An integrated sensing scheme that adds a high frequency probing signal into actuation signal is developed. Electrical impedance changes in the probing signal are extracted by fast Fourier transform algorithm, and nonlinear data fitting methods involving artificial neural network are implemented to detect the actuator’s displacement. A series of experiments show that by improving data processing and analyzing methods, the integrated sensing method can achieve error level of lower than 1%.

Mild neurological impairment may indicate a psychomotor endophenotype in patients with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Arbabi, Mohammad; Paast, Negin; Karim, Hamid Reza; Faghfori, Sara; Memari, Amir Hossein

2016-11-30

The aim of the present study was to determine whether patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show any neurological soft signs compared to healthy controls. Furthermore we sought to examine the role of common symptoms related to BPD, such as depression, anxiety or impulsivity, in association with neurological soft signs. Thirty patients with borderline personality disorder and thirty hospital-based controls were examined for neurological soft signs. The total score of neurological soft signs in BPD was significantly higher than controls. In terms of subscales, patients had higher scores in Sensory Integration and Motor Coordination and other neurological soft signs compared to control group. Multiple regression analysis showed that the impulsivity score was the best significant predictor of neurological soft signs in BPD. The increase of neurological soft signs in patients with BPD may address a non-focal neurological dysfunction in borderline personality disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soft tissue modelling through autowaves for surgery simulation.

PubMed

Zhong, Yongmin; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Alici, Gursel; Smith, Julian

2006-09-01

Modelling of soft tissue deformation is of great importance to virtual reality based surgery simulation. This paper presents a new methodology for simulation of soft tissue deformation by drawing an analogy between autowaves and soft tissue deformation. The potential energy stored in a soft tissue as a result of a deformation caused by an external force is propagated among mass points of the soft tissue by non-linear autowaves. The novelty of the methodology is that (i) autowave techniques are established to describe the potential energy distribution of a deformation for extrapolating internal forces, and (ii) non-linear materials are modelled with non-linear autowaves other than geometric non-linearity. Integration with a haptic device has been achieved to simulate soft tissue deformation with force feedback. The proposed methodology not only deals with large-range deformations, but also accommodates isotropic, anisotropic and inhomogeneous materials by simply changing diffusion coefficients.

Wave energy transfer in elastic half-spaces with soft interlayers.

PubMed

Glushkov, Evgeny; Glushkova, Natalia; Fomenko, Sergey

2015-04-01

The paper deals with guided waves generated by a surface load in a coated elastic half-space. The analysis is based on the explicit integral and asymptotic expressions derived in terms of Green's matrix and given loads for both laminate and functionally graded substrates. To perform the energy analysis, explicit expressions for the time-averaged amount of energy transferred in the time-harmonic wave field by every excited guided or body wave through horizontal planes and lateral cylindrical surfaces have been also derived. The study is focused on the peculiarities of wave energy transmission in substrates with soft interlayers that serve as internal channels for the excited guided waves. The notable features of the source energy partitioning in such media are the domination of a single emerging mode in each consecutive frequency subrange and the appearance of reverse energy fluxes at certain frequencies. These effects as well as modal and spatial distribution of the wave energy coming from the source into the substructure are numerically analyzed and discussed.

Soft tissue volume augmentation at dental implant sites using a volume stable three-dimensional collagen matrix - histological outcomes of a preclinical study.

PubMed

Thoma, Daniel S; Naenni, Nadja; Benic, Goran I; Hämmerle, Christoph H F; Jung, Ronald E

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to test whether or not soft tissue augmentation with a collagen matrix (VCMX) leads to a similar increase in ridge width around dental implants compared to the use of an autogenous subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). In 12 dogs, immediate dental implants were placed with simultaneous guided bone regeneration. Three months later, soft tissue volume augmentation was performed by randomly allocating three treatment modalities to these sites [VCMX, SCTG, sham-operated group (control)]. Dogs were sacrificed at 1 (n = 4), 2 (n = 4) or 6 months (n = 4). Descriptive histology and histomorphometric measurements for soft tissue thickness were performed on non-decalcified sections. The horizontal soft tissue thickness was maximal at the most coronal level (alveolar crest) at 1 month (VCMX: 2.1 ± 1.6 mm; SCTG: 2.5 ± 1.7 mm; p = 0.877) and decreased until 6 months. At 6 months, the greatest mucosal thickness was at a level 3.5 mm below the crest (VCMX: 0.8 ± 0.3 mm; SCTG: 0.7 ± 0.2 mm) (p = 0.754). Control sites revealed no relevant soft tissue augmentation at any level and any time-point. Tissue integration for VCMX and SCTG were favourable with minimal inflammatory reactions. Soft tissue volume augmentation at implant sites was obtained to a similar extent using VCMX and SCTG up to 2 months. Thereafter, degradation and remodelling processes were enhanced leading to a minimal increase in soft tissue thickness at 6 months for VCMX and SCTG. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Li-ion Battery Separators, Mechanical Integrity and Failure Mechanisms Leading to Soft and Hard Internal Shorts

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaowei; Sahraei, Elham; Wang, Kai

2016-01-01

Separator integrity is an important factor in preventing internal short circuit in lithium-ion batteries. Local penetration tests (nail or conical punch) often produce presumably sporadic results, where in exactly similar cell and test set-ups one cell goes to thermal runaway while the other shows minimal reactions. We conducted an experimental study of the separators under mechanical loading, and discovered two distinct deformation and failure mechanisms, which could explain the difference in short circuit characteristics of otherwise similar tests. Additionally, by investigation of failure modes, we provided a hypothesis about the process of formation of local “soft short circuits” in cells with undetectable failure. Finally, we proposed a criterion for predicting onset of soft short from experimental data. PMID:27581185

Decomposition of Fuzzy Soft Sets with Finite Value Spaces

PubMed Central

Jun, Young Bae

2014-01-01

The notion of fuzzy soft sets is a hybrid soft computing model that integrates both gradualness and parameterization methods in harmony to deal with uncertainty. The decomposition of fuzzy soft sets is of great importance in both theory and practical applications with regard to decision making under uncertainty. This study aims to explore decomposition of fuzzy soft sets with finite value spaces. Scalar uni-product and int-product operations of fuzzy soft sets are introduced and some related properties are investigated. Using t-level soft sets, we define level equivalent relations and show that the quotient structure of the unit interval induced by level equivalent relations is isomorphic to the lattice consisting of all t-level soft sets of a given fuzzy soft set. We also introduce the concepts of crucial threshold values and complete threshold sets. Finally, some decomposition theorems for fuzzy soft sets with finite value spaces are established, illustrated by an example concerning the classification and rating of multimedia cell phones. The obtained results extend some classical decomposition theorems of fuzzy sets, since every fuzzy set can be viewed as a fuzzy soft set with a single parameter. PMID:24558342

Decomposition of fuzzy soft sets with finite value spaces.

PubMed

Feng, Feng; Fujita, Hamido; Jun, Young Bae; Khan, Madad

2014-01-01

The notion of fuzzy soft sets is a hybrid soft computing model that integrates both gradualness and parameterization methods in harmony to deal with uncertainty. The decomposition of fuzzy soft sets is of great importance in both theory and practical applications with regard to decision making under uncertainty. This study aims to explore decomposition of fuzzy soft sets with finite value spaces. Scalar uni-product and int-product operations of fuzzy soft sets are introduced and some related properties are investigated. Using t-level soft sets, we define level equivalent relations and show that the quotient structure of the unit interval induced by level equivalent relations is isomorphic to the lattice consisting of all t-level soft sets of a given fuzzy soft set. We also introduce the concepts of crucial threshold values and complete threshold sets. Finally, some decomposition theorems for fuzzy soft sets with finite value spaces are established, illustrated by an example concerning the classification and rating of multimedia cell phones. The obtained results extend some classical decomposition theorems of fuzzy sets, since every fuzzy set can be viewed as a fuzzy soft set with a single parameter.

Wearable Intrinsically Soft, Stretchable, Flexible Devices for Memories and Computing.

PubMed

Rajan, Krishna; Garofalo, Erik; Chiolerio, Alessandro

2018-01-27

A recent trend in the development of high mass consumption electron devices is towards electronic textiles (e-textiles), smart wearable devices, smart clothes, and flexible or printable electronics. Intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible, Wearable Memories and Computing devices (WMCs) bring us closer to sci-fi scenarios, where future electronic systems are totally integrated in our everyday outfits and help us in achieving a higher comfort level, interacting for us with other digital devices such as smartphones and domotics, or with analog devices, such as our brain/peripheral nervous system. WMC will enable each of us to contribute to open and big data systems as individual nodes, providing real-time information about physical and environmental parameters (including air pollution monitoring, sound and light pollution, chemical or radioactive fallout alert, network availability, and so on). Furthermore, WMC could be directly connected to human brain and enable extremely fast operation and unprecedented interface complexity, directly mapping the continuous states available to biological systems. This review focuses on recent advances in nanotechnology and materials science and pays particular attention to any result and promising technology to enable intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible WMC.

Wearable Intrinsically Soft, Stretchable, Flexible Devices for Memories and Computing

PubMed Central

Rajan, Krishna; Garofalo, Erik

2018-01-01

A recent trend in the development of high mass consumption electron devices is towards electronic textiles (e-textiles), smart wearable devices, smart clothes, and flexible or printable electronics. Intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible, Wearable Memories and Computing devices (WMCs) bring us closer to sci-fi scenarios, where future electronic systems are totally integrated in our everyday outfits and help us in achieving a higher comfort level, interacting for us with other digital devices such as smartphones and domotics, or with analog devices, such as our brain/peripheral nervous system. WMC will enable each of us to contribute to open and big data systems as individual nodes, providing real-time information about physical and environmental parameters (including air pollution monitoring, sound and light pollution, chemical or radioactive fallout alert, network availability, and so on). Furthermore, WMC could be directly connected to human brain and enable extremely fast operation and unprecedented interface complexity, directly mapping the continuous states available to biological systems. This review focuses on recent advances in nanotechnology and materials science and pays particular attention to any result and promising technology to enable intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible WMC. PMID:29382050

The INTErnational Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory: INTEGRAL Highlights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubertini, Pietro; Bazzano, Angela

2014-04-01

The INTEGRAL Space Observatory was selected as the second Medium size mission (M2) of the ESAs Horizon 2000 vision programme. INTEGRAL is the first high angular and spectral resolution hard X-ray and soft γ-ray observatory with a wide band spectral response ranging from 3 keV up to 10 MeV energy band. This capability is supplemented by an unprecedented sensitivity enhanced by the 3 days orbit allowing long and uninterrupted observations over very wide field of view (up to ~ 1000 squared degrees to zero response) and sub-ms time resolution. Part of the observatory success is due to its capability to link the high energy sky with the lower energy band. The complementarity and synergy with pointing soft X-ray missions such as XMM-Newton and CHANDRA and more recently with NuSTAR is a strategic feature to link the "thermal" and the "non-thermal" Universe observed at higher energies by space missions such as Fermi and AGILE and ground based TeV observatories sensitive to extremely high energies. INTEGRAL was launched on 17 October 2002 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakistan) aboard a Proton rocket as part of the Russian contribution to the mission, and has successfully spent almost 11 years in orbit. In view of its successful science outcome the ESA Space Programme Committee haw recently approved its scientific operation till the end of 2016. To date the spacecraft, ground segment and scientific payload are in excellent state-of-health, and INTEGRAL is continuing its scientific operations, originally planned for a 5-year technical design and scientific nominal operation plan. This paper summarizes the current INTEGRAL scientific achievements and future prospects, with particular regard to the high energy domain.

Hindfoot containment orthosis for management of bone and soft-tissue defects of the heel.

PubMed

Johnson, Jeffrey E; Rudzki, Jonas R; Janisse, Erick; Janisse, Dennis J; Valdez, Ray R; Hanel, Douglas P; Gould, John S

2005-03-01

Bone, soft-tissue, and nerve deficits of the weightbearing surface of the foot are frequent sequelae from foot trauma or diabetes mellitus and present challenging treatment issues. Injury to the specialized, shock-absorbing, heel-pad tissue containing spirally arranged fat chambers is particularly difficult to manage. Appropriate footwear modifications and shoe inserts for protection of this skin are essential to the long-term management of bone and soft-tissue defects of the heel. This study evaluated the performance of a new custom total contact foot orthosis (Hindfoot Containment Orthosis, HCO) which was designed to contain the soft tissues of the heel, reduce shear forces, redistribute weightbearing load, and accommodate bone or soft-tissue deformity of the heel. Twenty-two patients treated with HCO were retrospectively reviewed. Followup averaged 26 months. The effectiveness of the orthosis was assessed by how well the integrity of the soft tissue was maintained (e.g. the number of ulcerations since dispensing the orthosis), the number of refabrications of the orthosis that were required, and whether or not revision surgery was required. Ten patients had superficial ulcerations. No patient required revision surgery. A total of 62 refabrications of the orthoses in 22 patients were required over a 2-year period. Overall results were good in 17 (77%) patients, fair in four (18%), and poor in one. The HCO is effective for preservation of soft-tissue integrity of the heel pad after bony or soft-tissue injury. Important factors in achieving success with the HCO are patient compliance and periodic monitoring for refabrication of the orthosis to accommodate skeletal growth, change in foot size or shape, and compression or wear of insert materials.

Design and characterization of microcapsules-integrated collagen matrixes as multifunctional three-dimensional scaffolds for soft tissue engineering.

PubMed

Del Mercato, Loretta L; Passione, Laura Gioia; Izzo, Daniela; Rinaldi, Rosaria; Sannino, Alessandro; Gervaso, Francesca

2016-09-01

Three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds based on collagen are promising candidates for soft tissue engineering applications. The addition of stimuli-responsive carriers (nano- and microparticles) in the current approaches to tissue reconstruction and repair brings about novel challenges in the design and conception of carrier-integrated polymer scaffolds. In this study, a facile method was developed to functionalize 3D collagen porous scaffolds with biodegradable multilayer microcapsules. The effects of the capsule charge as well as the influence of the functionalization methods on the binding efficiency to the scaffolds were studied. It was found that the binding of cationic microcapsules was higher than that of anionic ones, and application of vacuum during scaffolds functionalization significantly hindered the attachment of the microcapsules to the collagen matrix. The physical properties of microcapsules-integrated scaffolds were compared to pristine scaffolds. The modified scaffolds showed swelling ratios, weight losses and mechanical properties similar to those of unmodified scaffolds. Finally, in vitro diffusional tests proved that the collagen scaffolds could stably retain the microcapsules over long incubation time in Tris-HCl buffer at 37°C without undergoing morphological changes, thus confirming their suitability for tissue engineering applications. The obtained results indicate that by tuning the charge of the microcapsules and by varying the fabrication conditions, collagen scaffolds patterned with high or low number of microcapsules can be obtained, and that the microcapsules-integrated scaffolds fully retain their original physical properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High performance flexible electronics for biomedical devices.

PubMed

Salvatore, Giovanni A; Munzenrieder, Niko; Zysset, Christoph; Kinkeldei, Thomas; Petti, Luisa; Troster, Gerhard

2014-01-01

Plastic electronics is soft, deformable and lightweight and it is suitable for the realization of devices which can form an intimate interface with the body, be implanted or integrated into textile for wearable and biomedical applications. Here, we present flexible electronics based on amorphous oxide semiconductors (a-IGZO) whose performance can achieve MHz frequency even when bent around hair. We developed an assembly technique to integrate complex electronic functionalities into textile while preserving the softness of the garment. All this and further developments can open up new opportunities in health monitoring, biotechnology and telemedicine.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anastasiou, Charalampos; Duhr, Claude; Dulat, Falko

We present methods to compute higher orders in the threshold expansion for the one-loop production of a Higgs boson in association with two partons at hadron colliders. This process contributes to the N 3LO Higgs production cross section beyond the soft-virtual approximation. We use reverse unitarity to expand the phase-space integrals in the small kinematic parameters and to reduce the coefficients of the expansion to a small set of master integrals. We describe two methods for the calculation of the master integrals. The first was introduced for the calculation of the soft triple-real radiation relevant to N 3LO Higgs production.more » The second uses a particular factorization of the three body phase-space measure and the knowledge of the scaling properties of the integral itself. Our result is presented as a Laurent expansion in the dimensional regulator, although some of the master integrals are computed to all orders in this parameter.« less

Telerobotic system concept for real-time soft-tissue imaging during radiotherapy beam delivery.

PubMed

Schlosser, Jeffrey; Salisbury, Kenneth; Hristov, Dimitre

2010-12-01

The curative potential of external beam radiation therapy is critically dependent on having the ability to accurately aim radiation beams at intended targets while avoiding surrounding healthy tissues. However, existing technologies are incapable of real-time, volumetric, soft-tissue imaging during radiation beam delivery, when accurate target tracking is most critical. The authors address this challenge in the development and evaluation of a novel, minimally interfering, telerobotic ultrasound (U.S.) imaging system that can be integrated with existing medical linear accelerators (LINACs) for therapy guidance. A customized human-safe robotic manipulator was designed and built to control the pressure and pitch of an abdominal U.S. transducer while avoiding LINAC gantry collisions. A haptic device was integrated to remotely control the robotic manipulator motion and U.S. image acquisition outside the LINAC room. The ability of the system to continuously maintain high quality prostate images was evaluated in volunteers over extended time periods. Treatment feasibility was assessed by comparing a clinically deployed prostate treatment plan to an alternative plan in which beam directions were restricted to sectors that did not interfere with the transabdominal U.S. transducer. To demonstrate imaging capability concurrent with delivery, robot performance and U.S. target tracking in a phantom were tested with a 15 MV radiation beam active. Remote image acquisition and maintenance of image quality with the haptic interface was successfully demonstrated over 10 min periods in representative treatment setups of volunteers. Furthermore, the robot's ability to maintain a constant probe force and desired pitch angle was unaffected by the LINAC beam. For a representative prostate patient, the dose-volume histogram (DVH) for a plan with restricted sectors remained virtually identical to the DVH of a clinically deployed plan. With reduced margins, as would be enabled by real-time imaging, gross tumor volume coverage was identical while notable reductions of bladder and rectal volumes exposed to large doses were possible. The quality of U.S. images obtained during beam operation was not appreciably degraded by radiofrequency interference and 2D tracking of a phantom object in U.S. images obtained with the beam on/off yielded no significant differences. Remotely controlled robotic U.S. imaging is feasible in the radiotherapy environment and for the first time may offer real-time volumetric soft-tissue guidance concurrent with radiotherapy delivery.

Soft Robotic Grippers.

PubMed

Shintake, Jun; Cacucciolo, Vito; Floreano, Dario; Shea, Herbert

2018-05-07

Advances in soft robotics, materials science, and stretchable electronics have enabled rapid progress in soft grippers. Here, a critical overview of soft robotic grippers is presented, covering different material sets, physical principles, and device architectures. Soft gripping can be categorized into three technologies, enabling grasping by: a) actuation, b) controlled stiffness, and c) controlled adhesion. A comprehensive review of each type is presented. Compared to rigid grippers, end-effectors fabricated from flexible and soft components can often grasp or manipulate a larger variety of objects. Such grippers are an example of morphological computation, where control complexity is greatly reduced by material softness and mechanical compliance. Advanced materials and soft components, in particular silicone elastomers, shape memory materials, and active polymers and gels, are increasingly investigated for the design of lighter, simpler, and more universal grippers, using the inherent functionality of the materials. Embedding stretchable distributed sensors in or on soft grippers greatly enhances the ways in which the grippers interact with objects. Challenges for soft grippers include miniaturization, robustness, speed, integration of sensing, and control. Improved materials, processing methods, and sensing play an important role in future research. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of Molecular and Immunohistochemical Adjunct Modalities in the Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Neoplasms.

PubMed

Mourtzoukou, Despoina; Fisher, Cyril; Thway, Khin

2015-12-01

The accurate diagnosis of soft tissue neoplasms has crucial therapeutic and prognostic importance. There is frequent morphologic overlap between entities, and ancillary modalities are used in the vast majority of diagnoses. Immunohistochemistry is rapid and inexpensive, and in addition to the older markers that mainly detected cytoplasmic proteins, antibodies can indirectly detect tumor-specific genetic and molecular abnormalities. The use of molecular diagnostic techniques is now widespread, with molecular services often integrated into routine histopathology laboratories; as their cost and turnaround times begin to parallel those for immunohistochemistry, we compared the usefulness of ancillary immunohistochemistry, molecular genetic, and molecular cytogenetic techniques in the diagnosis of soft tissue lesions. We evaluated the number and contribution of immunohistochemical tests and panels and of ancillary molecular techniques in the primary histopathologic diagnosis of 150 soft tissue lesions. Ninety of 150 cases required either only one immunohistochemical panel or minimal immunohistochemistry for diagnosis, while 39/150 required 2 to 4 panels. In 5/150, ancillary molecular tests alone (without immunohistochemistry) were diagnostically sufficient. The majority of cases required one immunohistochemical panel for diagnosis, with a smaller proportion requiring a second, and a minority requiring a third or fourth (which mainly comprised neoplasms for which the final diagnosis was uncertain). Certain neoplasms required both extensive immunohistochemistry and ancillary molecular testing, despite which the final diagnosis was inconclusive. Ancillary molecular techniques now make a significant contribution to soft tissue tumor diagnosis, being required in over one third (52/150) of cases, and were useful in confirming or excluding tumors that were not possible to conclusively diagnose with histology and immunohistochemistry. Only a small proportion of soft tissue neoplasms (16/150; all benign) did not require immunohistochemistry or ancillary molecular methods, with morphology alone being sufficient for diagnosis. © The Author(s) 2015.

Human Factors in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance: Gaps for Soldiers and Technology Recommendations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

technology work seeks to address gaps in the management, processing, and fusion of heterogeneous (i.e., soft and hard ) information to aid human decision...and bandwidth) to exploit the vast and growing amounts of data [16], [17]. There is also a broad research program on techniques for soft and hard ...Mott, G. de Mel, and T. Pham, “Integrating hard and soft information sources for D2D using controlled natural language,” in Proc. Information Fusion

Soft optics in intelligent optical networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shue, Chikong; Cao, Yang

2001-10-01

In addition to the recent advances in Hard-optics that pushes the optical transmission speed, distance, wave density and optical switching capacity, Soft-optics provides the necessary intelligence and control software that reduces operational costs, increase efficiency, and enhances revenue generating services by automating optimal optical circuit placement and restoration, and enabling value-added new services like Optical VPN. This paper describes the advances in 1) Overall Hard-optics and Soft-optics 2) Layered hierarchy of Soft-optics 3) Component of Soft-optics, including hard-optics drivers, Management Soft-optics, Routing Soft-optics and System Soft-optics 4) Key component of Routing and System Soft-optics, namely optical routing and signaling (including UNI/NNI and GMPLS signaling). In summary, the soft-optics on a new generation of OXC's enables Intelligent Optical Networks to provide just-in-time service delivery and fast restoration, and real-time capacity management that eliminates stranded bandwidth. It reduces operational costs and provides new revenue opportunities.

An operational integrated short-term warning solution for solar radiation storms: introducing the Forecasting Solar Particle Events and Flares (FORSPEF) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasiadis, Anastasios; Sandberg, Ingmar; Papaioannou, Athanasios; Georgoulis, Manolis; Tziotziou, Kostas; Jiggens, Piers; Hilgers, Alain

2015-04-01

We present a novel integrated prediction system, of both solar flares and solar energetic particle (SEP) events, which is in place to provide short-term warnings for hazardous solar radiation storms. FORSPEF system provides forecasting of solar eruptive events, such as solar flares with a projection to coronal mass ejections (CMEs) (occurrence and velocity) and the likelihood of occurrence of a SEP event. It also provides nowcasting of SEP events based on actual solar flare and CME near real-time alerts, as well as SEP characteristics (peak flux, fluence, rise time, duration) per parent solar event. The prediction of solar flares relies on a morphological method which is based on the sophisticated derivation of the effective connected magnetic field strength (Beff) of potentially flaring active-region (AR) magnetic configurations and it utilizes analysis of a large number of AR magnetograms. For the prediction of SEP events a new reductive statistical method has been implemented based on a newly constructed database of solar flares, CMEs and SEP events that covers a large time span from 1984-2013. The method is based on flare location (longitude), flare size (maximum soft X-ray intensity), and the occurrence (or not) of a CME. Warnings are issued for all > C1.0 soft X-ray flares. The warning time in the forecasting scheme extends to 24 hours with a refresh rate of 3 hours while the respective warning time for the nowcasting scheme depends on the availability of the near real-time data and falls between 15-20 minutes. We discuss the modules of the FORSPEF system, their interconnection and the operational set up. The dual approach in the development of FORPSEF (i.e. forecasting and nowcasting scheme) permits the refinement of predictions upon the availability of new data that characterize changes on the Sun and the interplanetary space, while the combined usage of solar flare and SEP forecasting methods upgrades FORSPEF to an integrated forecasting solution. This work has been funded through the "FORSPEF: FORecasting Solar Particle Events and Flares", ESA Contract No. 4000109641/13/NL/AK

New Class of Thermal Interface Materials Delivers Ultralow Thermal

Science.gov Websites

chemical integration of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS), soft organic linkers, and a copper matrix functionalized with soft organic linkers and a copper matrix. Researchers selected BNNS as a filler due to its metal/organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposites provide a promising start to a thermal management solution

Critical Success Factors for the Implementation of PeopleSoft Enterprise Resource Planning in a Public Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukkamala, Hemanth K.

2013-01-01

Organizations of different sizes are changing their information technology (IT) strategies in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in today's global economy and to integrate their internal and external information by implementing PeopleSoft Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The literature has case studies of successful and…

A Soft OR Approach to Fostering Systems Thinking: SODA Maps plus Joint Analytical Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shouhong; Wang, Hai

2016-01-01

Higher order thinking skills are important for managers. Systems thinking is an important type of higher order thinking in business education. This article investigates a soft Operations Research approach to teaching and learning systems thinking. It outlines the integrative use of Strategic Options Development and Analysis maps for visualizing…

Cervical soft tissue imaging using a mobile CBCT scanner with a flat panel detector in comparison with corresponding CT and MRI data sets.

PubMed

Heiland, Max; Pohlenz, Philipp; Blessmann, Marco; Habermann, Christian R; Oesterhelweg, Lars; Begemann, Philipp C; Schmidgunst, Christian; Blake, Felix A S; Püschel, Klaus; Schmelzle, Rainer; Schulze, Dirk

2007-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate soft tissue image quality of a mobile cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner with an integrated flat-panel detector. Eight fresh human cadavers were used in this study. For evaluation of soft tissue visualization, CBCT data sets and corresponding computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets were acquired. Evaluation was performed with the help of 10 defined cervical anatomical structures. The statistical analysis of the scoring results of 3 examiners revealed the CBCT images to be of inferior quality regarding the visualization of most of the predefined structures. Visualization without a significant difference was found regarding the demarcation of the vertebral bodies and the pyramidal cartilages, the arteriosclerosis of the carotids (compared with CT), and the laryngeal skeleton (compared with MRI). Regarding arteriosclerosis of the carotids compared with MRI, CBCT proved to be superior. The integration of a flat-panel detector improves soft tissue visualization using a mobile CBCT scanner.

Soft bio-integrated systems for continuous health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raj, M.; Wei, P. H.; Morey, B.; Wang, X.; Keen, B.; DePetrillo, P.; Hsu, Y. Y.; Ghaffari, R.

2014-06-01

Electronically-enabled wearable systems that monitor physiological activity and electrophysiological activity hold the key to truly personalized medical care outside of the hospital setting. However, fundamental technical challenges exist in achieving medical systems that are comfortable, unobtrusive and fully integrated without external connections to bench top instruments. In particular, there is a fundamental mismatch in mechanical coupling between existing classes of rigid electronics and soft biological substrates, like the skin. Here we describe new mechanical and electrical design strategies for wearable devices with mechanical properties that approach that of biological tissue. These systems exploit stretchable networks of conformal sensors (i.e. electrodes, temperature sensors, and accelerometers) and associated circuitry (i.e. microcontroller, memory, voltage regulators, rechargeable battery, wireless communication modules) embedded in ultrathin, elastomeric substrates. Quantitative analyses of sensor performance and mechanics under tensile and torsional stresses illustrate the ability to mechanically couple with soft tissues in a way that is mechanically invisible to the user. Representative examples of these soft biointegrated systems can be applied for continuous sensing of muscle and movement activity in the home and ambulatory settings.

Soft Real-Time PID Control on a VME Computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karayan, Vahag; Sander, Stanley; Cageao, Richard

2007-01-01

microPID (uPID) is a computer program for real-time proportional + integral + derivative (PID) control of a translation stage in a Fourier-transform ultraviolet spectrometer. microPID implements a PID control loop over a position profile at sampling rate of 8 kHz (sampling period 125microseconds). The software runs in a strippeddown Linux operating system on a VersaModule Eurocard (VME) computer operating in real-time priority queue using an embedded controller, a 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (D/A) board, and a laser-positioning board (LPB). microPID consists of three main parts: (1) VME device-driver routines, (2) software that administers a custom protocol for serial communication with a control computer, and (3) a loop section that obtains the current position from an LPB-driver routine, calculates the ideal position from the profile, and calculates a new voltage command by use of an embedded PID routine all within each sampling period. The voltage command is sent to the D/A board to control the stage. microPID uses special kernel headers to obtain microsecond timing resolution. Inasmuch as microPID implements a single-threaded process and all other processes are disabled, the Linux operating system acts as a soft real-time system.

Neurological soft signs in first-episode schizophrenia: a follow-up study.

PubMed

Bachmann, Silke; Bottmer, Christina; Schröder, Johannes

2005-12-01

Neurological soft signs are frequently found in schizophrenia. They are indicators of both genetic liability and psychopathological symptoms. To further differentiate "trait" and "state" relations the authors compared the 1-year course of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia patients and comparison subjects. Thirty-nine patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders were examined after remission of acute symptoms and 14 months later. Established instruments assessed diagnoses, psychopathological symptoms, predictors of outcome, handedness, and neurological soft signs. Twenty-two age- and gender-matched comparison subjects were also examined twice. Neurological soft sign scores in patients were significantly elevated relative to comparison subjects at both measurement points. Whereas neurological soft signs remained stable in comparison subjects (time 1: mean=4.8, SD=3.3; time 2: mean=4.6, SD=3.9), they significantly decreased in patients (time 1: mean=15.7, SD=7.1; time 2: mean=10.1, SD=7.9). This effect was more pronounced in patients with a favorable versus a chronic course and was mainly accounted for by motor signs. Predictors of follow-up neurological soft sign scores were neurological soft sign levels at remission and compliance with treatment. Although neurological soft signs are intrinsic to schizophrenia, their level varies with the clinical course. Thus, neurological soft signs may correspond to both genetic liability and the activity of the disease process and may be considered as potential predictors of outcome.

Neurological soft signs in Chinese adolescents with antisocial personality traits.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Cai, Lin; Li, Lingyan; Yang, Yanjie; Yao, Shuqiao; Zhu, Xiongzhao

2016-09-30

The current study was designed to explore the specific relationship between neurologic soft signs (NSSs) and characteristics of antisocial personality traits in adolescents, and to investigate particular NSSs linked to certain brain regions in adolescents with antisocial personality traits. The research was conducted on 96 adolescents diagnosed with ASP traits (ASP trait group) using the ASPD subscale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire for the DSM-IV (PDQ-4+) and 96 adolescents without traits of any personality disorder (control group). NSSs were assessed using the soft sign subscales of the Cambridge Neurological Inventory. Adolescents with ASP traits showed more motor coordination, sensory integration, disinhibition, and total NSSs than the control group. Seven NSSs, including stereognosia in right hand, finger agnosia and graphesthesia in both hands, left-right orientation, and go/no go stimulus, were significantly more frequent in teenagers with ASP traits. Sensory integration was positively associated with ASP traits. Adolescents with antisocial personality traits might have abnormalities in the central nervous system, and sensory integration might be the particular indicator of antisocial personality disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role 2 military hospitals: results of a new trauma care concept on 170 casualties.

PubMed

Ünlü, A; Cetinkaya, R A; Ege, T; Ozmen, P; Hurmeric, V; Ozer, M T; Petrone, P

2015-04-01

In recent military conflicts, military surgeons encounter more high-energy injuries associated with explosives. Advances in the field care and shorter evacuation time increased survival. However, casualties still incur severe injuries especially to the extremities. We present wound patterns, anatomical distribution and severity of injuries in a Role 2 hospital. Two years data have been retrospectively reviewed. Only explosives and firearms injuries were included in the study. Patient profile, admission details, mechanism of injury, AIS anatomical locations, ISS, surgical and medical treatments have been analyzed. Data revealed 170 male casualties. IEDs and GSW accounted for 133 (78%) and 37 (22%) casualties, respectively. An average of 1.8 IED and 1.2 GSW anatomical locations were exposed to injuries. Regardless of the mechanism, injuries were most commonly located in the extremities. IEDs caused significantly higher soft tissue injuries. Explosives do not necessarily cause more severe injuries than firearms. However, fragments create multiple, complicated soft tissue injuries which constitute more than half of the injuries. Timely wound debridement and excision of contaminated tissue are crucial to manage extremity soft tissue injuries. Casualty care should be assessed within the context of the capabilities present at a hospital and the cause, type and severity of the wounds. The NATO description of Role 2 care only requires an integrated surgical team for damage control surgery with limited diagnostic and infrastructural capabilities.

Multi-petascale highly efficient parallel supercomputer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asaad, Sameh; Bellofatto, Ralph E.; Blocksome, Michael A.

A Multi-Petascale Highly Efficient Parallel Supercomputer of 100 petaflop-scale includes node architectures based upon System-On-a-Chip technology, where each processing node comprises a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). The ASIC nodes are interconnected by a five dimensional torus network that optimally maximize the throughput of packet communications between nodes and minimize latency. The network implements collective network and a global asynchronous network that provides global barrier and notification functions. Integrated in the node design include a list-based prefetcher. The memory system implements transaction memory, thread level speculation, and multiversioning cache that improves soft error rate at the same time andmore » supports DMA functionality allowing for parallel processing message-passing.« less

Fast-moving soft electronic fish.

PubMed

Li, Tiefeng; Li, Guorui; Liang, Yiming; Cheng, Tingyu; Dai, Jing; Yang, Xuxu; Liu, Bangyuan; Zeng, Zedong; Huang, Zhilong; Luo, Yingwu; Xie, Tao; Yang, Wei

2017-04-01

Soft robots driven by stimuli-responsive materials have unique advantages over conventional rigid robots, especially in their high adaptability for field exploration and seamless interaction with humans. The grand challenge lies in achieving self-powered soft robots with high mobility, environmental tolerance, and long endurance. We are able to advance a soft electronic fish with a fully integrated onboard system for power and remote control. Without any motor, the fish is driven solely by a soft electroactive structure made of dielectric elastomer and ionically conductive hydrogel. The electronic fish can swim at a speed of 6.4 cm/s (0.69 body length per second), which is much faster than previously reported untethered soft robotic fish driven by soft responsive materials. The fish shows consistent performance in a wide temperature range and permits stealth sailing due to its nearly transparent nature. Furthermore, the fish is robust, as it uses the surrounding water as the electric ground and can operate for 3 hours with one single charge. The design principle can be potentially extended to a variety of flexible devices and soft robots.

Fast-moving soft electronic fish

PubMed Central

Li, Tiefeng; Li, Guorui; Liang, Yiming; Cheng, Tingyu; Dai, Jing; Yang, Xuxu; Liu, Bangyuan; Zeng, Zedong; Huang, Zhilong; Luo, Yingwu; Xie, Tao; Yang, Wei

2017-01-01

Soft robots driven by stimuli-responsive materials have unique advantages over conventional rigid robots, especially in their high adaptability for field exploration and seamless interaction with humans. The grand challenge lies in achieving self-powered soft robots with high mobility, environmental tolerance, and long endurance. We are able to advance a soft electronic fish with a fully integrated onboard system for power and remote control. Without any motor, the fish is driven solely by a soft electroactive structure made of dielectric elastomer and ionically conductive hydrogel. The electronic fish can swim at a speed of 6.4 cm/s (0.69 body length per second), which is much faster than previously reported untethered soft robotic fish driven by soft responsive materials. The fish shows consistent performance in a wide temperature range and permits stealth sailing due to its nearly transparent nature. Furthermore, the fish is robust, as it uses the surrounding water as the electric ground and can operate for 3 hours with one single charge. The design principle can be potentially extended to a variety of flexible devices and soft robots. PMID:28435879

A novel bioprinting method and system for forming hybrid tissue engineering constructs.

PubMed

Shanjani, Y; Pan, C C; Elomaa, L; Yang, Y

2015-12-18

Three dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising approach to form tissue engineering constructs (TECs) via positioning biomaterials, growth factors, and cells with controlled spatial distribution due to its layer-by-layer manufacturing nature. Hybrid TECs composed of relatively rigid porous scaffolds for structural and mechanical integrity and soft hydrogels for cell- and growth factor-loading have a tremendous potential to tissue regeneration under mechanical loading. However, despite excessive progress in the field, the current 3D bioprinting techniques and systems fall short in integration of such soft and rigid multifunctional components. Here we present a novel 3D hybrid bioprinting technology (Hybprinter) and its capability enabling integration of soft and rigid components for TECs. Hybprinter employs digital light processing-based stereolithography (DLP-SLA) and molten material extrusion techniques for soft and rigid materials, respectively. In this study, poly-ethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were used as a model material for soft hydrogel and rigid scaffold, respectively. It was shown that geometrical accuracy, swelling ratio and mechanical properties of the hydrogel component can be tailored by DLP-SLA module. We have demonstrated the printability of variety of complex hybrid construct designs using Hybprinter technology and characterized the mechanical properties and functionality of such constructs. The compressive mechanical stiffness of a hybrid construct (90% hydrogel) was significantly higher than hydrogel itself (∼6 MPa versus 100 kPa). In addition, viability of cells incorporated within the bioprinted hybrid constructs was determined approximately 90%. Furthermore, a functionality of a hybrid construct composed of porous scaffold with an embedded hydrogel conduit was characterized for vascularized tissue engineering applications. High material diffusion and high cell viability in about 2.5 mm distance surrounding the conduit indicated that culture media effectively diffused through the conduit and fed the cells. The results suggest that the developed technology is potent to form functional TECs composed of rigid and soft biomaterials.

Operating Experience and Lessons Learned in the Use of Soft-Sided Packaging for Transportation and Disposal of Low Activity Radioactive Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kapoor, A.; Gordon, S.; Goldston, W.

2013-07-08

This paper describes the operating experience and lessons learned at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites as a result of an evaluation of potential trailer contamination and soft-sided packaging integrity issues related to the disposal of low-level and mixed low-level (LLW/MLLW) radioactive waste shipments. Nearly 4.3 million cubic meters of LLW/MLLW will have been generated and disposed of during fiscal year (FY) 2010 to FY 2015—either at commercial disposal sites or disposal sites owned by DOE. The LLW/MLLW is packaged in several different types of regulatory compliant packaging and transported via highway or rail to disposal sites safely and efficientlymore » in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and DOE orders. In 1999, DOE supported the development of LLW containers that are more volumetrically efficient, more cost effective, and easier to use as compared to metal or wooden containers that existed at that time. The DOE Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), working in conjunction with the plastic industry, tested several types of soft-sided waste packaging systems that meet U.S. Department of Transportation requirements for transport of low specific activity and surface contaminated objects. Since then, soft-sided packaging of various capacities have been used successfully by the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) projects to package, transport, and dispose D&D wastes throughout the DOE complex. The joint team of experts assembled by the Energy Facility Contractors Group from DOE waste generating sites, DOE and commercial waste disposal facilities, and soft-sided packaging suppliers conducted the review of soft-sided packaging operations and transportation of these packages to the disposal sites. As a result of this evaluation, the team developed several recommendations and best practices to prevent or minimize the recurrences of equipment contamination issues and proper use of soft-sided packaging for transport and disposal of waste.« less

High-resolution nitrogen stable isotope sclerochronology of bivalve shell carbonate-bound organics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillikin, David P.; Lorrain, Anne; Jolivet, Aurélie; Kelemen, Zita; Chauvaud, Laurent; Bouillon, Steven

2017-03-01

Nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) of organic material have successfully been used to track food-web dynamics, nitrogen baselines, pollution, and nitrogen cycling. Extending the δ15N record back in time has not been straightforward due to a lack of suitable substrates in which δ15N records are faithfully preserved, thus sparking interest in utilizing skeletal carbonate-bound organic matter (CBOM) in mollusks, corals, and foraminifera. Here we test if calcite Pecten maximus shells from the Bay of Brest and the French continental shelf can be used as an archive of δ15N values over a large environmental gradient and at a high temporal resolution (approximately weekly). Bulk CBOM δ15N values from the growing tip of shells collected over a large nitrogen isotope gradient were strongly correlated with adductor muscle tissue δ15N values (R2 = 0.99, n = 6, p < 0.0001). We were able to achieve weekly resolution (on average) over the growing season from sclerochronological profiles of three shells, which showed large seasonal variations up to 3.4‰. However, there were also large inter-specimen differences (up to 2.5‰) between shells growing at the same time and location. Generally, high-resolution shell δ15N values follow soft-tissue δ15N values, but soft-tissues integrate more time, hence soft-tissue data are more time-averaged and smoothed. Museum-archived shells from the 1950s, 1965, and 1970s do not show a large difference in δ15N values through time despite expected increasing N loading to the Bay over this time, which could be due to anthropogenic N sources with contrasting values. Compiling shell CBOM δ15N data from several studies suggests that the offset between soft-tissue and shell δ15N values (Δtissue-shell) differs between calcite and aragonite shells. We hypothesize that this difference is caused by differences in amino acids used in constructing the different minerals, which should be specific to the CaCO3 polymorph being constructed. Future work should use compound specific isotope analyses (CSIA) to test this hypothesis, and to determine whether certain amino acids could specifically track N sources or possibly identify amino acids that are more resistant to diagenesis in fossil shells. In conclusion, bivalve shell CBOM δ15N values can be used in a similar manner to soft-tissue δ15N values, and can track various biogeochemical events at a very high-resolution.

Real-time subject-specific monitoring of internal deformations and stresses in the soft tissues of the foot: a new approach in gait analysis.

PubMed

Yarnitzky, G; Yizhar, Z; Gefen, A

2006-01-01

No technology is presently available to provide real-time information on internal deformations and stresses in plantar soft tissues of individuals during evaluation of the gait pattern. Because internal deformations and stresses in the plantar pad are critical factors in foot injuries such as diabetic foot ulceration, this severely limits evaluation of patients. To allow such real-time subject-specific analysis, we developed a hierarchal modeling system which integrates a two-dimensional gross structural model of the foot (high-order model) with local finite element (FE) models of the plantar tissue padding the calcaneus and medial metatarsal heads (low-order models). The high-order whole-foot model provides real-time analytical evaluations of the time-dependent plantar fascia tensile forces during the stance phase. These force evaluations are transferred, together with foot-shoe local reaction forces, also measured in real time (under the calcaneus, medial metatarsals and hallux), to the low-order FE models of the plantar pad, where they serve as boundary conditions for analyses of local deformations and stresses in the plantar pad. After careful verification of our custom-made FE solver and of our foot model system with respect to previous literature and against experimental results from a synthetic foot phantom, we conducted human studies in which plantar tissue loading was evaluated in real time during treadmill gait in healthy individuals (N = 4). We concluded that internal deformations and stresses in the plantar pad during gait cannot be predicted from merely measuring the foot-shoe force reactions. Internal loading of the plantar pad is constituted by a complex interaction between the anatomical structure and mechanical behavior of the foot skeleton and soft tissues, the body characteristics, the gait pattern and footwear. Real-time FE monitoring of internal deformations and stresses in the plantar pad is therefore required to identify elevated deformation/stress exposures toward utilizing it in gait laboratories to protect feet that are susceptible to injury.

Self-similar and fractal design for stretchable electronics

DOEpatents

Rogers, John A.; Fan, Jonathan; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Su, Yewang; Huang, Yonggang; Zhang, Yihui

2017-04-04

The present invention provides electronic circuits, devices and device components including one or more stretchable components, such as stretchable electrical interconnects, electrodes and/or semiconductor components. Stretchability of some of the present systems is achieved via a materials level integration of stretchable metallic or semiconducting structures with soft, elastomeric materials in a configuration allowing for elastic deformations to occur in a repeatable and well-defined way. The stretchable device geometries and hard-soft materials integration approaches of the invention provide a combination of advance electronic function and compliant mechanics supporting a broad range of device applications including sensing, actuation, power storage and communications.

Leading-Color Fully Differential Two-Loop Soft Corrections to QCD Dipole Showers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dulat, Falko; Höche, Stefan; Prestel, Stefan

We compute the next-to-leading order corrections to soft-gluon radiation differentially in the one-emission phase space. We show that their contribution to the evolution of color dipoles can be obtained in a modified subtraction scheme, such that both one- and two-emission terms are amenable to Monte-Carlo integration. The two-loop cusp anomalous dimension is recovered naturally upon integration over the full phase space. We present two independent implementations of the new algorithm in the two event generators Pythia and Sherpa, and we compare the resulting fully differential simulation to the CMW scheme.

Soft sensor for real-time cement fineness estimation.

PubMed

Stanišić, Darko; Jorgovanović, Nikola; Popov, Nikola; Čongradac, Velimir

2015-03-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of soft sensors to estimate cement fineness. Soft sensors are mathematical models that use available data to provide real-time information on process variables when the information, for whatever reason, is not available by direct measurement. In this application, soft sensors are used to provide information on process variable normally provided by off-line laboratory tests performed at large time intervals. Cement fineness is one of the crucial parameters that define the quality of produced cement. Providing real-time information on cement fineness using soft sensors can overcome limitations and problems that originate from a lack of information between two laboratory tests. The model inputs were selected from candidate process variables using an information theoretic approach. Models based on multi-layer perceptrons were developed, and their ability to estimate cement fineness of laboratory samples was analyzed. Models that had the best performance, and capacity to adopt changes in the cement grinding circuit were selected to implement soft sensors. Soft sensors were tested using data from a continuous cement production to demonstrate their use in real-time fineness estimation. Their performance was highly satisfactory, and the sensors proved to be capable of providing valuable information on cement grinding circuit performance. After successful off-line tests, soft sensors were implemented and installed in the control room of a cement factory. Results on the site confirm results obtained by tests conducted during soft sensor development. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dental implants modified with drug releasing titania nanotubes: therapeutic potential and developmental challenges.

PubMed

Gulati, Karan; Ivanovski, Sašo

2017-08-01

The transmucosal nature of dental implants presents a unique therapeutic challenge, requiring not only rapid establishment and subsequent maintenance of osseointegration, but also the formation of resilient soft tissue integration. Key challenges in achieving long-term success are sub-optimal bone integration in compromised bone conditions and impaired trans-mucosal tissue integration in the presence of a persistent oral microbial biofilm. These challenges can be targeted by employing a drug-releasing implant modification such as TiO 2 nanotubes (TNTs), engineered on titanium surfaces via electrochemical anodization. Areas covered: This review focuses on applications of TNT-based dental implants towards achieving optimal therapeutic efficacy. Firstly, the functions of TNT implants will be explored in terms of their influence on osseointegration, soft tissue integration and immunomodulation. Secondly, the developmental challenges associated with such implants are reviewed including sterilization, stability and toxicity. Expert opinion: The potential of TNTs is yet to be fully explored in the context of the complex oral environment, including appropriate modulation of alveolar bone healing, immune-inflammatory processes, and soft tissue responses. Besides long-term in vivo assessment under masticatory loading conditions, investigating drug-release profiles in vivo and addressing various technical challenges are required to bridge the gap between research and clinical dentistry.

Initial experimental demonstration of the principles of a xenon gas shield designed to protect optical components from soft x-ray induced opacity (blanking) in high energy density experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swadling, G. F.; Ross, J. S.; Manha, D.

The design principles of a xenon gas shield device that is intended to protect optical components from x-ray induced opacity (“x-ray blanking”) have been experimentally demonstrated at the OMEGA-60 Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester. A volume of xenon gas placed in front of an optical component absorbs the incoming soft x-ray radiation but transmits optical and ultra-violet radiation. The time-resolved optical (532 nm) transmission of samples was recorded as they were exposed to soft x-rays produced by a gold sphere source (1.5 kJ sr $-$1, 250–300 eV). Blanking of fused silica (SiO 2) wasmore » measured to occur over a range of time-integrated soft x-ray (<3 keV) fluence from ~0.2–2.5 J cm $-$2. A shield test device consisting of a 30 nm silicon nitride (Si 3N 4) and a 10 cm long volume of 0.04 bar xenon gas succeeded in delaying loss of transmission through a magnesium fluoride sample; optical transmission was observed over a longer period than for the unprotected sample. It is hoped that the design of this x-ray shield can be scaled in order to produce a shield device for the National Ignition Facility optical Thomson scattering collection telescope, in order to allow measurements of hohlraum plasma conditions produced in inertial confinement fusion experiments. Finally, if successful, it will also have applications in many other high energy density experiments where optical and ultra-violet measurements are desirable.« less

Initial experimental demonstration of the principles of a xenon gas shield designed to protect optical components from soft x-ray induced opacity (blanking) in high energy density experiments

DOE PAGES

Swadling, G. F.; Ross, J. S.; Manha, D.; ...

2017-03-16

The design principles of a xenon gas shield device that is intended to protect optical components from x-ray induced opacity (“x-ray blanking”) have been experimentally demonstrated at the OMEGA-60 Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester. A volume of xenon gas placed in front of an optical component absorbs the incoming soft x-ray radiation but transmits optical and ultra-violet radiation. The time-resolved optical (532 nm) transmission of samples was recorded as they were exposed to soft x-rays produced by a gold sphere source (1.5 kJ sr $-$1, 250–300 eV). Blanking of fused silica (SiO 2) wasmore » measured to occur over a range of time-integrated soft x-ray (<3 keV) fluence from ~0.2–2.5 J cm $-$2. A shield test device consisting of a 30 nm silicon nitride (Si 3N 4) and a 10 cm long volume of 0.04 bar xenon gas succeeded in delaying loss of transmission through a magnesium fluoride sample; optical transmission was observed over a longer period than for the unprotected sample. It is hoped that the design of this x-ray shield can be scaled in order to produce a shield device for the National Ignition Facility optical Thomson scattering collection telescope, in order to allow measurements of hohlraum plasma conditions produced in inertial confinement fusion experiments. Finally, if successful, it will also have applications in many other high energy density experiments where optical and ultra-violet measurements are desirable.« less

Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Epidermal Heat Flux Sensors for Measurements of Core Body Temperature

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yihui; Webb, Richard Chad; Luo, Hongying; Xue, Yeguang; Kurniawan, Jonas; Cho, Nam Heon; Krishnan, Siddharth; Li, Yuhang; Huang, Yonggang

2016-01-01

Long-term, continuous measurement of core body temperature is of high interest, due to the widespread use of this parameter as a key biomedical signal for clinical judgment and patient management. Traditional approaches rely on devices or instruments in rigid and planar forms, not readily amenable to intimate or conformable integration with soft, curvilinear, time-dynamic, surfaces of the skin. Here, materials and mechanics designs for differential temperature sensors are presented which can attach softly and reversibly onto the skin surface, and also sustain high levels of deformation (e.g., bending, twisting, and stretching). A theoretical approach, together with a modeling algorithm, yields core body temperature from multiple differential measurements from temperature sensors separated by different effective distances from the skin. The sensitivity, accuracy, and response time are analyzed by finite element analyses (FEA) to provide guidelines for relationships between sensor design and performance. Four sets of experiments on multiple devices with different dimensions and under different convection conditions illustrate the key features of the technology and the analysis approach. Finally, results indicate that thermally insulating materials with cellular structures offer advantages in reducing the response time and increasing the accuracy, while improving the mechanics and breathability. PMID:25953120

Slow Orthodontic Teeth Extrusion to Enhance Hard and Soft Periodontal Tissue Quality before Implant Positioning in Aesthetic Area

PubMed Central

Maiorana, C; Speroni, S; Herford, A S; Cicciù, M

2012-01-01

Approaching bone defects of jaws treatments, hard and soft tissue augmentation could be considered as a goal for clinicians when performing dental implant placement. The increase in patients who want cosmetic treatment puts practitioners in an awkward position when choosing the best therapy to obtain the most desirable results. A private dentist referred a young patient to the Department of Implantology in Milan in order to place implants in the upper jaw. Radiographic evaluation of the two upper anterior incisors confirmed that the teeth had a poor prognosis The anterior ridge volume was clinically analyzed and several therapeutic choices were evaluated. Rapid extractions and immediate implant positioning were not considered due to the vertical and horizontal components of the bone defect. Therefore, the surgical team decided on increasing the bone volume by using slow orthodontic teeth extrusion technique. After 3 months of orthodontic treatment, the angular intra-bony defects of 1.1 tooth was completely healed. Implant guided positioning, associated with a small bone graft, showed optimal results at the time of healing screw placement. The soft tissue conditioning was obtained by a provisional acrylic crown. The final application of two integral ceramic crowns showed excellent aesthetic results. Radiographic investigation at a 24 month follow-up confirmed the integration of the dental implants and the recovery of the bone defects. Several safe surgical techniques are available today for reconstructing atrophic jaws. However, the same technique applied on the posterior area did not give the same predictable results as in the anterior areas of the jaw. PMID:23056158

Improving Students Soft Skills Using Thinking Process Profile Based on Personality Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunarto, M. J. Dewiyani

2015-01-01

The challenge in education field these days rises as the cause of society's expectation for higher education. This increasingly complex expectation demands that higher education prepares the students to gain integrity. Higher education provides not only hard skills for the student, but also soft skills. By observing the hard skills side, in the…

Lyophilized Silk Sponges: A Versatile Biomaterial Platform for Soft Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We present a silk biomaterial platform with highly tunable mechanical and degradation properties for engineering and regeneration of soft tissues such as, skin, adipose, and neural tissue, with elasticity properties in the kilopascal range. Lyophilized silk sponges were prepared under different process conditions and the effect of silk molecular weight, concentration and crystallinity on 3D scaffold formation, structural integrity, morphology, mechanical and degradation properties, and cell interactions in vitro and in vivo were studied. Tuning the molecular weight distribution (via degumming time) of silk allowed the formation of stable, highly porous, 3D scaffolds that held form with silk concentrations as low as 0.5% wt/v. Mechanical properties were a function of silk concentration and scaffold degradation was driven by beta-sheet content. Lyophilized silk sponges supported the adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells throughout 3D scaffolds, cell proliferation in vitro, and cell infiltration and scaffold remodeling when implanted subcutaneously in vivo. PMID:25984573

Soft Actuators for Small-Scale Robotics.

PubMed

Hines, Lindsey; Petersen, Kirstin; Lum, Guo Zhan; Sitti, Metin

2017-04-01

This review comprises a detailed survey of ongoing methodologies for soft actuators, highlighting approaches suitable for nanometer- to centimeter-scale robotic applications. Soft robots present a special design challenge in that their actuation and sensing mechanisms are often highly integrated with the robot body and overall functionality. When less than a centimeter, they belong to an even more special subcategory of robots or devices, in that they often lack on-board power, sensing, computation, and control. Soft, active materials are particularly well suited for this task, with a wide range of stimulants and a number of impressive examples, demonstrating large deformations, high motion complexities, and varied multifunctionality. Recent research includes both the development of new materials and composites, as well as novel implementations leveraging the unique properties of soft materials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Soft drinks: time trends and correlates in twenty-four European countries. A cross-national study using the DAFNE (Data Food Networking) databank.

PubMed

Naska, Androniki; Bountziouka, Vasiliki; Trichopoulou, Antonia

2010-09-01

To evaluate time trends in the availability of soft drinks, to identify food choices associated with their consumption and to assess the relationship between socio-economic status and daily soft drink availability in a wide range of European countries. Data on food and beverage availability collected through the national household budget surveys and harmonized in the DAFNE (Data Food Networking) project were used. Averages and variability of soft drink availability were estimated and tests for time trends were performed. The daily availability of food groups which appear to be correlated with that of soft drinks was further estimated. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were applied to evaluate the association between socio-economic status and the acquisition of soft drinks. Twenty-four European countries. Nationally representative samples of households. The availability of soft drinks is steadily and significantly increasing. Households in West and North Europe reported higher daily availability of soft drinks in comparison to other European regions. Soft drinks were also found to be correlated with lower availability of plant foods and milk and higher availability of meat and sugar products. Lower socio-economic status was associated with more frequent and higher availability of soft drinks in the household. Data collected in national samples of twenty-four European countries showed disparities in soft drink availability among socio-economic strata and European regions. The correlation of soft drinks with unfavourable dietary choices has public health implications, particularly among children and adolescents.

Embedded Empiricisms in Soft Soil Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijeyesekera, D. C.; John, L. M. S. Alvin; Adnan, Z.

2016-07-01

Civil engineers of today are continuously challenged by innovative projects that push further the knowledge boundaries with conceptual and/or ingenious solutions leading to the realization of that once was considered impossible in the realms of geotechnology. Some of the forward developments rely on empirical methods embedded within soft soil technology and the spectral realms of engineering in its entirety. Empiricisms unlike folklore are not always shrouded in mysticism but can find scientific reasoning to justify them being adopted in design and tangible construction projects. This lecture therefore is an outline exposition of how empiricism has been integrally embedded in total empirical beginnings in the evolution of soft soil technology from the Renaissance time, through the developments of soil mechanics in the 19th century which in turn has paved the way to the rise of computational soil mechanics. Developments in computational soil mechanics has always embraced and are founded on a wide backdrop of empirical geoenvironment simulations. However, it is imperative that a competent geotechnical engineer needs postgraduate training combined with empiricism that is based on years of well- winnowed practical experience to fathom the diverseness and complexity of nature. However, experience being regarded more highly than expertise can, perhaps inadvertently, inhibit development and innovation.

Using 3D dosimetry to quantify the Electron Return Effect (ERE) for MR-image-guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hannah J.; Choi, Gye Won; Alqathami, Mamdooh; Kadbi, Mo; Ibbott, Geoffrey

2017-05-01

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) using computed tomography (CT), cone-beam CT, MV on-board imager (OBI), and kV OBI systems have allowed for more accurate patient positioning prior to each treatment fraction. While these imaging modalities provide excellent bony anatomy image quality, MRI surpasses them in soft tissue image contrast for better visualization and tracking of soft tissue tumors with no additional radiation dose to the patient. A pre-clinical integrated 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging and 7 MV linear accelerator system (MR-linac) allows for real-time tracking of soft tissues and adaptive treatment planning prior to each treatment fraction. However, due to the presence of a strong magnetic field from the MR component, there is a three dimensional (3D) change in dose deposited by the secondary electrons. Especially at nonhomogeneous anatomical sites with tissues of very different densities, dose enhancements and reductions can occur due to the Lorentz force influencing the trajectories of secondary electrons. These dose changes at tissue interfaces are called the electron return effect or ERE. This study investigated the ERE using 3D dosimeters.

Wnt10b and Dkk-1 gene therapy differentially influenced trabecular bone architecture, soft tissue integrity, and osteophytosis in a skeletally mature rat model of osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Mason, Jeffrey B; Gurda, Brittney L; Hankenson, Kurt D; Harper, Lindsey R; Carlson, Cathy S; Wilson, James M; Richardson, Dean W

2017-11-01

Our goals in the current experiments were to determine if (a) upregulation of Wnt signaling would induce osteoarthritis changes in stable stifle joints and (b) if downregulation of Wnt signaling in destabilized joints would influence the progression of OA. At 37 weeks of age, rats were injected in the stifle joint with a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector containing the Wnt-inhibitor Dkk-1 or a Wnt10b transgene. At 40 weeks of age, rats underwent surgical destabilization of the joint. At 50 weeks of age, stifle joints were submitted for micro-computed tomography and histopathological analysis. Injection of either Wnt10b or Dkk-1 transgenes in stable joints improved bone architectural parameters, but worsened soft tissue integrity. Osteophytosis was decreased by Dkk-1, but unchanged by Wnt10b. Destabilization negatively influenced bone architecture, increased osteophytosis, and decreased soft tissue integrity. Dkk-1 exacerbated the negative effects of destabilization, whereas Wnt10b had little effect on these parameters. Osteophytosis was improved, whereas soft tissue integrity was worsened by both transgenes in destabilized joints. The Wnt-inhibitor Dkk-1 does not appear to completely inhibit the effects of Wnt signaling on bone remodeling. In vivo upregulation of Wnt10b and its inhibitor, Dkk-1, can produce both parallel or contrasting phenotypic responses depending on the specific parameter measured and the fidelity of the examined joint. These observations elucidate different roles for Wnt signaling in stable versus destabilized joints and may help to explain the conflicting results previously reported for the role of Dkk-1 in joint disease.

FPGA-based real-time embedded system for RISS/GPS integrated navigation.

PubMed

Abdelfatah, Walid Farid; Georgy, Jacques; Iqbal, Umar; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

2012-01-01

Navigation algorithms integrating measurements from multi-sensor systems overcome the problems that arise from using GPS navigation systems in standalone mode. Algorithms which integrate the data from 2D low-cost reduced inertial sensor system (RISS), consisting of a gyroscope and an odometer or wheel encoders, along with a GPS receiver via a Kalman filter has proved to be worthy in providing a consistent and more reliable navigation solution compared to standalone GPS receivers. It has been also shown to be beneficial, especially in GPS-denied environments such as urban canyons and tunnels. The main objective of this paper is to narrow the idea-to-implementation gap that follows the algorithm development by realizing a low-cost real-time embedded navigation system capable of computing the data-fused positioning solution. The role of the developed system is to synchronize the measurements from the three sensors, relative to the pulse per second signal generated from the GPS, after which the navigation algorithm is applied to the synchronized measurements to compute the navigation solution in real-time. Employing a customizable soft-core processor on an FPGA in the kernel of the navigation system, provided the flexibility for communicating with the various sensors and the computation capability required by the Kalman filter integration algorithm.

FPGA-Based Real-Time Embedded System for RISS/GPS Integrated Navigation

PubMed Central

Abdelfatah, Walid Farid; Georgy, Jacques; Iqbal, Umar; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

2012-01-01

Navigation algorithms integrating measurements from multi-sensor systems overcome the problems that arise from using GPS navigation systems in standalone mode. Algorithms which integrate the data from 2D low-cost reduced inertial sensor system (RISS), consisting of a gyroscope and an odometer or wheel encoders, along with a GPS receiver via a Kalman filter has proved to be worthy in providing a consistent and more reliable navigation solution compared to standalone GPS receivers. It has been also shown to be beneficial, especially in GPS-denied environments such as urban canyons and tunnels. The main objective of this paper is to narrow the idea-to-implementation gap that follows the algorithm development by realizing a low-cost real-time embedded navigation system capable of computing the data-fused positioning solution. The role of the developed system is to synchronize the measurements from the three sensors, relative to the pulse per second signal generated from the GPS, after which the navigation algorithm is applied to the synchronized measurements to compute the navigation solution in real-time. Employing a customizable soft-core processor on an FPGA in the kernel of the navigation system, provided the flexibility for communicating with the various sensors and the computation capability required by the Kalman filter integration algorithm. PMID:22368460

A self-strain feedback tuning-fork-shaped ionic polymer metal composite clamping actuator with soft matter elasticity-detecting capability for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Feng, Guo-Hua; Huang, Wei-Lun

2014-12-01

This paper presents a smart tuning-fork-shaped ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) clamping actuator for biomedical applications. The two fingers of the actuator, which perform the clamping motion, can be electrically controlled through a unique electrode design on the IPMC material. The generated displacement or strain of the fingers can be sensed using an integrated soft strain-gage sensor. The IPMC actuator and associated soft strain gage were fabricated using a micromachining technique. A 13.5×4×2 mm(3) actuator was shaped from Nafion solution and a selectively grown metal electrode formed the active region. The strain gage consisted of patterned copper foil and polyethylene as a substrate. The relationship between the strain gage voltage output and the displacement at the front end of the actuator's fingers was characterized. The equivalent Young's modulus, 13.65 MPa, of the soft-strain-gage-integrated IPMC finger was analyzed. The produced clamping force exhibited a linear increasing rate of 1.07 mN/s, based on a dc driving voltage of 7 V. Using the developed actuator to clamp soft matter and simultaneously acquire its Young's modulus was achieved. This demonstrated the feasibility of the palpation function and the potential use of the actuator in minimally invasive surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AN INTEGRATED MODEL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF X-RAY TIME LAGS AND QUIESCENT SPECTRA FROM HOMOGENEOUS AND INHOMOGENEOUS BLACK HOLE ACCRETION CORONAE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kroon, John J.; Becker, Peter A., E-mail: jkroon@gmu.edu, E-mail: pbecker@gmu.edu

2016-04-20

Many accreting black holes manifest time lags during outbursts, in which the hard Fourier component typically lags behind the soft component. Despite decades of observations of this phenomenon, the underlying physical explanation for the time lags has remained elusive, although there are suggestions that Compton reverberation plays an important role. However, the lack of analytical solutions has hindered the interpretation of the available data. In this paper, we investigate the generation of X-ray time lags in Compton scattering coronae using a new mathematical approach based on analysis of the Fourier-transformed transport equation. By solving this equation, we obtain the Fouriermore » transform of the radiation Green’s function, which allows us to calculate the exact dependence of the time lags on the Fourier frequency, for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous coronal clouds. We use the new formalism to explore a variety of injection scenarios, including both monochromatic and broadband (bremsstrahlung) seed photon injection. We show that our model can successfully reproduce both the observed time lags and the time-averaged (quiescent) X-ray spectra for Cyg X-1 and GX 339-04, using a single set of coronal parameters for each source. The time lags are the result of impulsive bremsstrahlung injection occurring near the outer edge of the corona, while the time-averaged spectra are the result of continual distributed injection of soft photons throughout the cloud.« less

Time-Dependent Migratory Behaviors in the Long-Term Studies of Fibroblast Durotaxis on a Hydrogel Substrate Fabricated with a Soft Band

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Durotaxis, biased cell movement up a stiffness gradient on culture substrates, is one of the useful taxis behaviors for manipulating cell migration on engineered biomaterial surfaces. In this study, long-term durotaxis was investigated on gelatinous substrates containing a soft band of 20, 50, and 150 μm in width fabricated using photolithographic elasticity patterning; sharp elasticity boundaries with a gradient strength of 300 kPa/50 μm were achieved. Time-dependent migratory behaviors of 3T3 fibroblast cells were observed during a time period of 3 days. During the first day, most of the cells were strongly repelled by the soft band independent of bandwidth, exhibiting the typical durotaxis behavior. However, the repellency by the soft band diminished, and more cells crossed the soft band or exhibited other mixed migratory behaviors during the course of the observation. It was found that durotaxis strength is weakened on the substrate with the narrowest soft band and that adherent affinity-induced entrapment becomes apparent on the widest soft band with time. Factors, such as changes in surface topography, elasticity, and/or chemistry, likely contributing to the apparent diminishing durotaxis during the extended culture were examined. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated preferential collagen deposition onto the soft band, which is derived from secretion by fibroblast cells, resulting in the increasing contribution of haptotaxis toward the soft band over time. The deposited collagen did not affect surface topography or surface elasticity but did change surface chemistry, especially on the soft band. The observed time-dependent durotaxis behaviors are the result of the mixed mechanical and chemical cues. In the studies and applications of cell migratory behavior under a controlled stimulus, it is important to thoroughly examine other (hidden) compounding stimuli in order to be able to accurately interpret data and to design suitable biomaterials to manipulate cell migration. PMID:24851722

Real-Time Sensor Validation, Signal Reconstruction, and Feature Detection for an RLV Propulsion Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Amy L.; Fulton, Christopher E.; Binder, Michael P.; Maul, William A., III; Meyer, Claudia M.

1998-01-01

A real-time system for validating sensor health has been developed in support of the reusable launch vehicle program. This system was designed for use in a propulsion testbed as part of an overall effort to improve the safety, diagnostic capability, and cost of operation of the testbed. The sensor validation system was designed and developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center and integrated into a propulsion checkout and control system as part of an industry-NASA partnership, led by Rockwell International for the Marshall Space Flight Center. The system includes modules for sensor validation, signal reconstruction, and feature detection and was designed to maximize portability to other applications. Review of test data from initial integration testing verified real-time operation and showed the system to perform correctly on both hard and soft sensor failure test cases. This paper discusses the design of the sensor validation and supporting modules developed at LeRC and reviews results obtained from initial test cases.

The complete two-loop integrated jet thrust distribution in soft-collinear effective theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

von Manteuffel, Andreas; Schabinger, Robert M.; Zhu, Hua Xing

2014-03-01

In this work, we complete the calculation of the soft part of the two-loop integrated jet thrust distribution in e+e- annihilation. This jet mass observable is based on the thrust cone jet algorithm, which involves a veto scale for out-of-jet radiation. The previously uncomputed part of our result depends in a complicated way on the jet cone size, r, and at intermediate stages of the calculation we actually encounter a new class of multiple polylogarithms. We employ an extension of the coproduct calculus to systematically exploit functional relations and represent our results concisely. In contrast to the individual contributions, themore » sum of all global terms can be expressed in terms of classical polylogarithms. Our explicit two-loop calculation enables us to clarify the small r picture discussed in earlier work. In particular, we show that the resummation of the logarithms of r that appear in the previously uncomputed part of the two-loop integrated jet thrust distribution is inextricably linked to the resummation of the non-global logarithms. Furthermore, we find that the logarithms of r which cannot be absorbed into the non-global logarithms in the way advocated in earlier work have coefficients fixed by the two-loop cusp anomalous dimension. We also show that in many cases one can straightforwardly predict potentially large logarithmic contributions to the integrated jet thrust distribution at L loops by making use of analogous contributions to the simpler integrated hemisphere soft function.« less

Electrically Driven Microengineered Bioinspired Soft Robots.

PubMed

Shin, Su Ryon; Migliori, Bianca; Miccoli, Beatrice; Li, Yi-Chen; Mostafalu, Pooria; Seo, Jungmok; Mandla, Serena; Enrico, Alessandro; Antona, Silvia; Sabarish, Ram; Zheng, Ting; Pirrami, Lorenzo; Zhang, Kaizhen; Zhang, Yu Shrike; Wan, Kai-Tak; Demarchi, Danilo; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Khademhosseini, Ali

2018-03-01

To create life-like movements, living muscle actuator technologies have borrowed inspiration from biomimetic concepts in developing bioinspired robots. Here, the development of a bioinspired soft robotics system, with integrated self-actuating cardiac muscles on a hierarchically structured scaffold with flexible gold microelectrodes is reported. Inspired by the movement of living organisms, a batoid-fish-shaped substrate is designed and reported, which is composed of two micropatterned hydrogel layers. The first layer is a poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel substrate, which provides a mechanically stable structure for the robot, followed by a layer of gelatin methacryloyl embedded with carbon nanotubes, which serves as a cell culture substrate, to create the actuation component for the soft body robot. In addition, flexible Au microelectrodes are embedded into the biomimetic scaffold, which not only enhance the mechanical integrity of the device, but also increase its electrical conductivity. After culturing and maturation of cardiomyocytes on the biomimetic scaffold, they show excellent myofiber organization and provide self-actuating motions aligned with the direction of the contractile force of the cells. The Au microelectrodes placed below the cell layer further provide localized electrical stimulation and control of the beating behavior of the bioinspired soft robot. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Integration of soft tissue model and open haptic device for medical training simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akasum, G. F.; Ramdhania, L. N.; Suprijanto; Widyotriatmo, A.

2016-03-01

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has been widely used to perform any surgical procedures nowadays. Currently, MIS has been applied in some cases in Indonesia. Needle insertion is one of simple MIS procedure that can be used for some purposes. Before the needle insertion technique used in the real situation, it essential to train this type of medical student skills. The research has developed an open platform of needle insertion simulator with haptic feedback that providing the medical student a realistic feel encountered during the actual procedures. There are three main steps in build the training simulator, which are configure hardware system, develop a program to create soft tissue model and the integration of hardware and software. For evaluating its performance, haptic simulator was tested by 24 volunteers on a scenario of soft tissue model. Each volunteer must insert the needle on simulator until rearch the target point with visual feedback that visualized on the monitor. From the result it can concluded that the soft tissue model can bring the sensation of touch through the perceived force feedback on haptic actuator by looking at the different force in accordance with different stiffness in each layer.

Design and Validation of Exoskeleton Actuated by Soft Modules toward Neurorehabilitation-Vision-Based Control for Precise Reaching Motion of Upper Limb.

PubMed

Oguntosin, Victoria W; Mori, Yoshiki; Kim, Hyejong; Nasuto, Slawomir J; Kawamura, Sadao; Hayashi, Yoshikatsu

2017-01-01

We demonstrated the design, production, and functional properties of the Exoskeleton Actuated by the Soft Modules (EAsoftM). Integrating the 3D printed exoskeleton with passive joints to compensate gravity and with active joints to rotate the shoulder and elbow joints resulted in ultra-light system that could assist planar reaching motion by using the vision-based control law. The EAsoftM can support the reaching motion with compliance realized by the soft materials and pneumatic actuation. In addition, the vision-based control law has been proposed for the precise control over the target reaching motion within the millimeter scale. Aiming at rehabilitation exercise for individuals, typically soft actuators have been developed for relatively small motions, such as grasping motion, and one of the challenges has been to extend their use for a wider range reaching motion. The proposed EAsoftM presented one possible solution for this challenge by transmitting the torque effectively along the anatomically aligned with a human body exoskeleton. The proposed integrated systems will be an ideal solution for neurorehabilitation where affordable, wearable, and portable systems are required to be customized for individuals with specific motor impairments.

Design and Validation of Exoskeleton Actuated by Soft Modules toward Neurorehabilitation—Vision-Based Control for Precise Reaching Motion of Upper Limb

PubMed Central

Oguntosin, Victoria W.; Mori, Yoshiki; Kim, Hyejong; Nasuto, Slawomir J.; Kawamura, Sadao; Hayashi, Yoshikatsu

2017-01-01

We demonstrated the design, production, and functional properties of the Exoskeleton Actuated by the Soft Modules (EAsoftM). Integrating the 3D printed exoskeleton with passive joints to compensate gravity and with active joints to rotate the shoulder and elbow joints resulted in ultra-light system that could assist planar reaching motion by using the vision-based control law. The EAsoftM can support the reaching motion with compliance realized by the soft materials and pneumatic actuation. In addition, the vision-based control law has been proposed for the precise control over the target reaching motion within the millimeter scale. Aiming at rehabilitation exercise for individuals, typically soft actuators have been developed for relatively small motions, such as grasping motion, and one of the challenges has been to extend their use for a wider range reaching motion. The proposed EAsoftM presented one possible solution for this challenge by transmitting the torque effectively along the anatomically aligned with a human body exoskeleton. The proposed integrated systems will be an ideal solution for neurorehabilitation where affordable, wearable, and portable systems are required to be customized for individuals with specific motor impairments. PMID:28736514

Polybenzoxazole Nanofiber-Reinforced Moisture-Responsive Soft Actuators.

PubMed

Chen, Meiling; Frueh, Johannes; Wang, Daolin; Lin, Xiankun; Xie, Hui; He, Qiang

2017-04-10

Hydromorphic biological systems, such as morning glory flowers, pinecones, and awns, have inspired researchers to design moisture-sensitive soft actuators capable of directly converting the change of moisture into motion or mechanical work. Here, we report a moisture-sensitive poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) nanofiber (PBONF)-reinforced carbon nanotube/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CNT/PVA) bilayer soft actuator with fine performance on conductivity and mechanical properties. The embedded PBONFs not only assist CNTs to form a continuous, conductive film, but also enhance the mechanical performance of the actuators. The PBONF-reinforced CNT/PVA bilayer actuators can unsymmetrically adsorb and desorb water, resulting in a reversible deformation. More importantly, the actuators show a pronounced increase of conductivity due to the deformation induced by the moisture change, which allows the integration of a moisture-sensitive actuator and a humidity sensor. Upon changing the environmental humidity, the actuators can respond by the deformation for shielding and report the humidity change in a visual manner, which has been demonstrated by a tweezer and a curtain. Such nanofiber-reinforced bilayer actuators with the sensing capability should hold considerable promise for the applications such as soft robots, sensors, intelligent switches, integrated devices, and material storage.

DNA microsatellite region for a reliable quantification of soft wheat adulteration in durum wheat-based foodstuffs by real-time PCR.

PubMed

Sonnante, Gabriella; Montemurro, Cinzia; Morgese, Anita; Sabetta, Wilma; Blanco, Antonio; Pasqualone, Antonella

2009-11-11

Italian industrial pasta and durum wheat typical breads must be prepared using exclusively durum wheat semolina. Previously, a microsatellite sequence specific of the wheat D-genome had been chosen for traceability of soft wheat in semolina and bread samples, using qualitative and quantitative Sybr green-based real-time experiments. In this work, we describe an improved method based on the same soft wheat genomic region by means of a quantitative real-time PCR using a dual-labeled probe. Standard curves based on dilutions of 100% soft wheat flour, pasta, or bread were constructed. Durum wheat semolina, pasta, and bread samples were prepared with increasing amounts of soft wheat to verify the accuracy of the method. Results show that reliable quantifications were obtained especially for the samples containing a lower amount of soft wheat DNA, fulfilling the need to verify labeling of pasta and typical durum wheat breads.

A novel suction/coagulation integrated probe for achieving better hemostasis: development and clinical use.

PubMed

Takahashi, Hidekazu; Haraguchi, Naotsugu; Nishimura, Junichi; Hata, Taishi; Matsuda, Chu; Yamamoto, Hirofumi; Mizushima, Tsunekazu; Mori, Masaki; Doki, Yuichiro; Nakajima, Kiyokazu

2018-06-01

Modern electrosurgical tools have a specific coagulation mode called "soft coagulation". However, soft coagulation has not been widely accepted for surgical operations. To optimize the soft coagulation environment, we developed a novel suction device integrated with an electrosurgical probe, called the "Suction ball coagulator" (SBC). In this study, we aimed to optimize the SBC design with a prototyping process involving a bench test and preclinical study; then, we aimed to demonstrate the feasibility, safety, and potential effectiveness of the SBC for laparoscopic surgery in clinical settings. SBC prototyping was performed with a bench test. Device optimization was performed in a preclinical study with a domestic swine bleeding model. Then, SBC was tested in a clinical setting during 17 clinical laparoscopic colorectal surgeries. In the bench tests, two tip hole sizes and patterns showed a good suction capacity. The preclinical study indicated the best tip shape for accuracy. In clinical use, no device-related adverse event was observed. Moreover, the SBC was feasible for prompt hemostasis and blunt dissections. In addition, SBC could evacuate vapors generated by tissue ablation using electroprobe during laparoscopic surgery. We successfully developed a novel, integrated suction/coagulation probe for hemostasis and commercialized it.

Processing soft materials for integrated photonic and macroelectronic components and devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsay, Candice Ruth

Incorporating soft materials into micro-fabrication processes opens up new functionalities for fabricated devices, but requires unique processing routes. This thesis presents our development of integrated photonic and macroelectronic structures through processing innovations that unite disparate inorganic/organic, and soft/rigid materials systems. For the integrated photonic system, we focus our efforts on chalcogenide glasses, dielectric materials that exhibit a variety of optical properties that make them desirable for near- and mid-infrared communications and sensing applications. However, processing limitations for these relatively fragile materials have made the direct integration of waveguides with sources or detectors challenging. Here we demonstrate the viability of several additive methods for patterning chalcogenide glass waveguides from solution. In particular, we focus on two complementary soft lithography methods. The first, micro-molding in capillaries (MIMIC), is shown to fabricate multi-mode As2S 3 waveguides which are directly integrated with quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). In a second method, we demonstrate the ability of micro-transfer molding (muTM), to produce arrays of single mode rib waveguides over large areas while maintaining low surface and edge roughness. These methods form a suite of processes that can be applied to chalcogenide solutions to create a diverse array of mid-IR photonic structures ranging from less than 5 to 10's of mum in cross-sectional dimension. Optical characterization, including measurement of waveguide loss by cut-back, is carried out in the mid-IR using QCLs. In addition, materials characterization of the chalcogenide glass structures is carried out to determine loss mechanisms and optimize processing. While we use soft polymeric materials as molds to pattern chalcogenide glasses, we also employ them as substrate material for stretchable electronic systems, which comprise a new class of flexible macroelectronics. These devices must undergo elastic deformation to large strain (>10%), for applications in which electronics are conformally shaped around surfaces of arbitrary shape, like many biological surfaces. We develop strategies for processing stretchable metallic electrodes and study the mechanism of their stretchability via careful observation of thin film micro-structures. Our macroelectronic work culminates in fabrication of stretchable microelectrode arrays that interface with brain tissue, laying the groundwork for future development of advanced bio-electronic interfaces.

Direct Adaptive Aircraft Control Using Dynamic Cell Structure Neural Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, Charles C.

1997-01-01

A Dynamic Cell Structure (DCS) Neural Network was developed which learns topology representing networks (TRNS) of F-15 aircraft aerodynamic stability and control derivatives. The network is integrated into a direct adaptive tracking controller. The combination produces a robust adaptive architecture capable of handling multiple accident and off- nominal flight scenarios. This paper describes the DCS network and modifications to the parameter estimation procedure. The work represents one step towards an integrated real-time reconfiguration control architecture for rapid prototyping of new aircraft designs. Performance was evaluated using three off-line benchmarks and on-line nonlinear Virtual Reality simulation. Flight control was evaluated under scenarios including differential stabilator lock, soft sensor failure, control and stability derivative variations, and air turbulence.

Soft tissue wound healing at teeth, dental implants and the edentulous ridge when using barrier membranes, growth and differentiation factors and soft tissue substitutes.

PubMed

Vignoletti, Fabio; Nunez, Javier; Sanz, Mariano

2014-04-01

To review the biological processes of wound healing following periodontal and periimplant plastic surgery when different technologies are used in a) the coverage of root and implant dehiscences, b) the augmentation of keratinized tissue (KT) and c) the augmentation of soft tissue volume. An electronic search from The National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE-PubMed) was performed: English articles with research focus in oral soft tissue regeneration, providing histological outcomes, either from animal experimental studies or human biopsy material were included. Barrier membranes, enamel matrix derivatives, growth factors, allogeneic and xenogeneic soft tissue substitutes have been used in soft tissue regeneration demonstrating different degrees of regeneration. In root coverage, these technologies were able to improve new attachment, although none has shown complete regeneration. In KT augmentation, tissue-engineered allogenic products and xenogeneic collagen matrixes demonstrated integration within the host connective tissue and promotion of keratinization. In soft tissue augmentation and peri-implant plastic surgery there are no histological data currently available. Soft tissue substitutes, growth differentiation factors demonstrated promising histological results in terms of soft tissue regeneration and keratinization, whereas there is a need for further studies to prove their added value in soft tissue augmentation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bioinspired locomotion and grasping in water: the soft eight-arm OCTOPUS robot.

PubMed

Cianchetti, M; Calisti, M; Margheri, L; Kuba, M; Laschi, C

2015-05-13

The octopus is an interesting model for the development of soft robotics, due to its high deformability, dexterity and rich behavioural repertoire. To investigate the principles of octopus dexterity, we designed an eight-arm soft robot and evaluated its performance with focused experiments. The OCTOPUS robot presented here is a completely soft robot, which integrates eight arms extending in radial direction and a central body which contains the main processing units. The front arms are mainly used for elongation and grasping, while the others are mainly used for locomotion. The robotic octopus works in water and its buoyancy is close to neutral. The experimental results show that the octopus-inspired robot can walk in water using the same strategy as the animal model, with good performance over different surfaces, including walking through physical constraints. It can grasp objects of different sizes and shapes, thanks to its soft arm materials and conical shape.

Integral abutment bridge for Louisiana's soft and stiff soils.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

Integral abutment bridges (IABs) have been designed and constructed in a few US states in the past few : decades. The initial purpose of building such bridges was to eliminate the expansion joints and resolve the : joint-induced problems. Although IA...

Integral abutment bridge for Louisiana's soft and stiff soils : tech summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

In this project, fi eld-instrumentation, monitoring, and analyzing the design and : construction of full integral abutment bridges for Louisianas fi ne sand and silty sand : deposit and clay soil conditions were conducted. Comparison of results wa...

Integral abutment bridge for Louisiana's soft and stiff soils : Tech summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

In this project, fi eld-instrumentation, monitoring, and analyzing the design and : construction of full integral abutment bridges for Louisianas fi ne sand and silty sand : deposit and clay soil conditions were conducted. Comparison of results wa...

Soft materials in neuroengineering for hard problems in neuroscience.

PubMed

Jeong, Jae-Woong; Shin, Gunchul; Park, Sung Il; Yu, Ki Jun; Xu, Lizhi; Rogers, John A

2015-04-08

We describe recent advances in soft electronic interface technologies for neuroscience research. Here, low modulus materials and/or compliant mechanical structures enable modes of soft, conformal integration and minimally invasive operation that would be difficult or impossible to achieve using conventional approaches. We begin by summarizing progress in electrodes and associated electronics for signal amplification and multiplexed readout. Examples in large-area, surface conformal electrode arrays and flexible, multifunctional depth-penetrating probes illustrate the power of these concepts. A concluding section highlights areas of opportunity in the further development and application of these technologies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Haptic Search for Hard and Soft Spheres

PubMed Central

van Polanen, Vonne; Bergmann Tiest, Wouter M.; Kappers, Astrid M. L.

2012-01-01

In this study the saliency of hardness and softness were investigated in an active haptic search task. Two experiments were performed to explore these properties in different contexts. In Experiment 1, blindfolded participants had to grasp a bundle of spheres and determine the presence of a hard target among soft distractors or vice versa. If the difference in compliance between target and distractors was small, reaction times increased with the number of items for both features; a serial strategy was found to be used. When the difference in compliance was large, the reaction times were independent of the number of items, indicating a parallel strategy. In Experiment 2, blindfolded participants pressed their hand on a display filled with hard and soft items. In the search for a soft target, increasing reaction times with the number of items were found, but the location of target and distractors appeared to have a large influence on the search difficulty. In the search for a hard target, reaction times did not depend on the number of items. In sum, this showed that both hardness and softness are salient features. PMID:23056197

Haptic search for hard and soft spheres.

PubMed

van Polanen, Vonne; Bergmann Tiest, Wouter M; Kappers, Astrid M L

2012-01-01

In this study the saliency of hardness and softness were investigated in an active haptic search task. Two experiments were performed to explore these properties in different contexts. In Experiment 1, blindfolded participants had to grasp a bundle of spheres and determine the presence of a hard target among soft distractors or vice versa. If the difference in compliance between target and distractors was small, reaction times increased with the number of items for both features; a serial strategy was found to be used. When the difference in compliance was large, the reaction times were independent of the number of items, indicating a parallel strategy. In Experiment 2, blindfolded participants pressed their hand on a display filled with hard and soft items. In the search for a soft target, increasing reaction times with the number of items were found, but the location of target and distractors appeared to have a large influence on the search difficulty. In the search for a hard target, reaction times did not depend on the number of items. In sum, this showed that both hardness and softness are salient features.

Efficient variable time-stepping scheme for intense field-atom interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cerjan, C.; Kosloff, R.

1993-03-01

The recently developed Residuum method [Tal-Ezer, Kosloff, and Cerjan, J. Comput. Phys. 100, 179 (1992)], a Krylov subspace technique with variable time-step integration for the solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation, is applied to the frequently used soft Coulomb potential in an intense laser field. This one-dimensional potential has asymptotic Coulomb dependence with a softened'' singularity at the origin; thus it models more realistic phenomena. Two of the more important quantities usually calculated in this idealized system are the photoelectron and harmonic photon generation spectra. These quantities are shown to be sensitive to the choice of a numerical integration scheme:more » some spectral features are incorrectly calculated or missing altogether. Furthermore, the Residuum method allows much larger grid spacings for equivalent or higher accuracy in addition to the advantages of variable time stepping. Finally, it is demonstrated that enhanced high-order harmonic generation accompanies intense field stabilization and that preparation of the atom in an intermediate Rydberg state leads to stabilization at much lower laser intensity.« less

Clinical and Aesthetic Outcome with Post-Extractive Implants with or without Soft Tissue Augmentation: A 2-Year Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Migliorati, Marco; Amorfini, Leonardo; Signori, Alessio; Biavati, Armando Silvestrini; Benedicenti, Stefano

2015-10-01

The aesthetic outcome of an implant-supported restoration is first of all dependent on the soft tissue volume. Because the labial bone plate resorbs in every direction after tooth extraction, even when an implant is placed immediately, most patients end up with compromised aesthetics. In this parallel-designed, randomized clinical trial, participants were randomly assigned to the test group (immediate load post-extractive implant treated with subepithelial connective tissue graft placed using the tunnel technique in the labial area) and control group (immediate load post-extractive implant treated without raising a flap) with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Both groups received deproteinized bovine bone mineral. Patients were observed at baseline, crown insertion, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. Clinical, radiological and aesthetic parameters were recorded to assess primary treatment outcomes. A random permuted block system was blindly generated ensuring uniformity of the patient allocation during the trial by randomly distributing three participants to the test and three participants to the control group every six treated patients. At the 2-year examination, all 47 implants were successfully integrated, demonstrating stability and healthy peri-implant soft tissues as documented by standard clinical parameters. The results showed a soft tissue remodeling of -10% in thickness and -18% in highness in the non-grafted group, whereas in the grafted group there was a gain of 35% in thickness and a slight reduction of -11% in highness. Test group reported an increase of aesthetic result (mean pink aesthetic score [PES] 8) compared with control group (mean PES 6.65). This prospective study demonstrates the effectiveness of placing a soft tissue graft at the time of immediate implant placement in the aesthetic zone. At the 2-year follow-up, test group revealed a better aesthetic outcomes and stable facial soft tissues compared with control group. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The future of urban water services in Latin America.

PubMed

Wade, Jeffry S

2012-01-01

In recent decades, problems with the provision of drinking water and sanitation services around the world have increasingly been addressed by attempts at privatisation, recasting clean water as an essentially economic, rather than public, good. This approach gained particular acceptance in Latin America, but with limited success. In order to address the full range of social, economic and environmental values necessary to sustain water resources over time, public and governmental involvement in establishing integrated water management, pursuing ‘soft path’ approaches, assuring stakeholder input and setting policy will be essential to the process.

Silicone substrate with in situ strain relief for stretchable thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graz, Ingrid M.; Cotton, Darryl P. J.; Robinson, Adam; Lacour, Stéphanie P.

2011-03-01

We have manufactured stretchable thin-film transistors and interconnects directly onto an engineered silicone matrix with localized and graded mechanical compliance. The fabrication only involves planar and standard processing. Brittle active device materials are patterned on non deformable elastomer regions (strain <1% at all times) while interconnects run smoothly from "stiff" to "soft" elastomer. Pentacene thin-film transistors sustain applied strain up to 13% without electrical degradation and mechanical fracture. This integrated approach opens promising options for the manufacture of physically adaptable and transformable circuitry.

An integrated inverse model-experimental approach to determine soft tissue three-dimensional constitutive parameters: application to post-infarcted myocardium.

PubMed

Avazmohammadi, Reza; Li, David S; Leahy, Thomas; Shih, Elizabeth; Soares, João S; Gorman, Joseph H; Gorman, Robert C; Sacks, Michael S

2018-02-01

Knowledge of the complete three-dimensional (3D) mechanical behavior of soft tissues is essential in understanding their pathophysiology and in developing novel therapies. Despite significant progress made in experimentation and modeling, a complete approach for the full characterization of soft tissue 3D behavior remains elusive. A major challenge is the complex architecture of soft tissues, such as myocardium, which endows them with strongly anisotropic and heterogeneous mechanical properties. Available experimental approaches for quantifying the 3D mechanical behavior of myocardium are limited to preselected planar biaxial and 3D cuboidal shear tests. These approaches fall short in pursuing a model-driven approach that operates over the full kinematic space. To address these limitations, we took the following approach. First, based on a kinematical analysis and using a given strain energy density function (SEDF), we obtained an optimal set of displacement paths based on the full 3D deformation gradient tensor. We then applied this optimal set to obtain novel experimental data from a 1-cm cube of post-infarcted left ventricular myocardium. Next, we developed an inverse finite element (FE) simulation of the experimental configuration embedded in a parameter optimization scheme for estimation of the SEDF parameters. Notable features of this approach include: (i) enhanced determinability and predictive capability of the estimated parameters following an optimal design of experiments, (ii) accurate simulation of the experimental setup and transmural variation of local fiber directions in the FE environment, and (iii) application of all displacement paths to a single specimen to minimize testing time so that tissue viability could be maintained. Our results indicated that, in contrast to the common approach of conducting preselected tests and choosing an SEDF a posteriori, the optimal design of experiments, integrated with a chosen SEDF and full 3D kinematics, leads to a more robust characterization of the mechanical behavior of myocardium and higher predictive capabilities of the SEDF. The methodology proposed and demonstrated herein will ultimately provide a means to reliably predict tissue-level behaviors, thus facilitating organ-level simulations for efficient diagnosis and evaluation of potential treatments. While applied to myocardium, such developments are also applicable to characterization of other types of soft tissues.

Soft-collinear supersymmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, Timothy; Elor, Gilly; Larkoski, Andrew J.

Soft-Collinear E ective Theory (SCET) is a framework for modeling the infrared structure of theories whose long distance behavior is dominated by soft and collinear divergences. This paper demonstrates that SCET can be made compatible with supersymmetry (SUSY). Explicitly, the e ective Lagrangian for N = 1 SUSY Yang-Mills is constructed and shown to be a complete description for the infrared of this model. For contrast, we also construct the e ective Lagrangian for chiral SUSY theories with Yukawa couplings, speci cally the single avor Wess-Zumino model. Only a subset of the infrared divergences are reproduced by the Lagrangian |more » to account for the complete low energy description requires the inclusion of local operators. SCET is formulated by expanding elds along a light-like direction and then subsequently integrating out degrees-of-freedom that are away from the light-cone. De ning the theory with respect to a speci c frame obfuscates Lorentz invariance | given that SUSY is a space-time symmetry, this presents a possible obstruction. The cleanest language with which to expose the congruence between SUSY and SCET requires exploring two novel formalisms: collinear fermions as two-component Weyl spinors, and SCET in light-cone gauge. By expressing SUSY Yang- Mills in \\collinear superspace", a slice of superspace derived by integrating out half the fermionic coordinates, the light-cone gauge SUSY SCET theory can be written in terms of super elds. As a byproduct, bootstrapping up to the full theory yields the rst algorithmic approach for determining the SUSY Yang-Mills on-shell superspace action. As a result, this work paves the way toward discovering the e ective theory for the collinear limit of N = 4 SUSY Yang-Mills.« less

Soft-collinear supersymmetry

DOE PAGES

Cohen, Timothy; Elor, Gilly; Larkoski, Andrew J.

2017-03-03

Soft-Collinear E ective Theory (SCET) is a framework for modeling the infrared structure of theories whose long distance behavior is dominated by soft and collinear divergences. This paper demonstrates that SCET can be made compatible with supersymmetry (SUSY). Explicitly, the e ective Lagrangian for N = 1 SUSY Yang-Mills is constructed and shown to be a complete description for the infrared of this model. For contrast, we also construct the e ective Lagrangian for chiral SUSY theories with Yukawa couplings, speci cally the single avor Wess-Zumino model. Only a subset of the infrared divergences are reproduced by the Lagrangian |more » to account for the complete low energy description requires the inclusion of local operators. SCET is formulated by expanding elds along a light-like direction and then subsequently integrating out degrees-of-freedom that are away from the light-cone. De ning the theory with respect to a speci c frame obfuscates Lorentz invariance | given that SUSY is a space-time symmetry, this presents a possible obstruction. The cleanest language with which to expose the congruence between SUSY and SCET requires exploring two novel formalisms: collinear fermions as two-component Weyl spinors, and SCET in light-cone gauge. By expressing SUSY Yang- Mills in \\collinear superspace", a slice of superspace derived by integrating out half the fermionic coordinates, the light-cone gauge SUSY SCET theory can be written in terms of super elds. As a byproduct, bootstrapping up to the full theory yields the rst algorithmic approach for determining the SUSY Yang-Mills on-shell superspace action. As a result, this work paves the way toward discovering the e ective theory for the collinear limit of N = 4 SUSY Yang-Mills.« less

Stretchable metal oxide thin film transistors on engineered substrate for electronic skin applications.

PubMed

Romeo, Alessia; Lacour, Stphanie P

2015-08-01

Electronic skins aim at providing distributed sensing and computation in a large-area and elastic membrane. Control and addressing of high-density soft sensors will be achieved when thin film transistor matrices are also integrated in the soft carrier substrate. Here, we report on the design, manufacturing and characterization of metal oxide thin film transistors on these stretchable substrates. The TFTs are integrated onto an engineered silicone substrate with embedded strain relief to protect the devices from catastrophic cracking. The TFT stack is composed of an amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O active layer, a hybrid AlxOy/Parylene dielectric film, gold electrodes and interconnects. All layers are prepared and patterned with planar, low temperature and dry processing. We demonstrate the interconnected IGZO TFTs sustain applied tensile strain up to 20% without electrical degradation and mechanical fracture. Active devices are critical for distributed sensing. The compatibility of IGZO TFTs with soft and biocompatible substrates is an encouraging step towards wearable electronic skins.

Subleading soft theorem for multiple soft gravitons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarti, Subhroneel; Kashyap, Sitender Pratap; Sahoo, Biswajit; Sen, Ashoke; Verma, Mritunjay

2017-12-01

We derive the subleading soft graviton theorem in a generic quantum theory of gravity for arbitrary number of soft external gravitons and arbitrary number of finite energy external states carrying arbitrary mass and spin. Our results are valid to all orders in perturbation theory when the number of non-compact space-time dimensions is six or more, but only for tree amplitudes for five or less non-compact space-time dimensions due to enhanced contribution to loop amplitudes from the infrared region.

Classification of stevia sweeteners in soft drinks using liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Kakigi, Y; Suzuki, T; Icho, T; Uyama, A; Mochizuki, N

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive analytical method for the characterisation of stevia sweeteners in soft drinks. By using LC and time-of-flight MS, we detected 30 steviol glycosides from nine stevia sweeteners. The mass spectral data of these compounds were applied to the analysis to determine steviol glycosides in nine soft drinks. On the basis of chromatographic data and principal-component analysis, these soft drinks were classified into three groups, and the soft drinks of each group, respectively, contained high-rebaudioside A extract, normal stevia extract or alfa-glucosyltransferase-treated stevia extract.

X-ray variability of Cygnus X-1 in its soft state

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cui, W.; Zhang, S. N.; Jahoda, K.; Focke, W.; Swank, J.; Heindl, W. A.; Rothschild, R. E.

1997-01-01

Observations from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) of Cyg X-1 in the soft state and during the soft to hard transition are examined. The results of this analysis confirm previous conclusions that for this source there is a settling period (following the transition from the hard to soft state during which the low energy spectrum varies significantly, while the high energy portion changes little) during which the source reaches nominal soft state brightness. This behavior can be characterized by a soft low energy spectrum and significant low frequency 1/f noise and white noise on the power density spectrum, which becomes softer upon reaching the true soft state. The low frequency 1/f noise is not observed when Cyg X-1 is in the hard state, and therefore appears to be positively correlated with the disk mass accretion rate. The difference in the observed spectral and timing properties between the hard and soft states is qualitatively consistent with a fluctuating corona model.

Improved Rubin-Bodner Model for the Prediction of Soft Tissue Deformations

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guangming; Xia, James J.; Liebschner, Michael; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Kim, Daeseung; Zhou, Xiaobo

2016-01-01

In craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgery, a reliable way of simulating the soft tissue deformation resulted from skeletal reconstruction is vitally important for preventing the risks of facial distortion postoperatively. However, it is difficult to simulate the soft tissue behaviors affected by different types of CMF surgery. This study presents an integrated bio-mechanical and statistical learning model to improve accuracy and reliability of predictions on soft facial tissue behavior. The Rubin-Bodner (RB) model is initially used to describe the biomechanical behavior of the soft facial tissue. Subsequently, a finite element model (FEM) computers the stress of each node in soft facial tissue mesh data resulted from bone displacement. Next, the Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) method is implemented to obtain the relationship between the facial soft tissue deformation and the stress distribution corresponding to different CMF surgical types and to improve evaluation of elastic parameters included in the RB model. Therefore, the soft facial tissue deformation can be predicted by biomechanical properties and statistical model. Leave-one-out cross-validation is used on eleven patients. As a result, the average prediction error of our model (0.7035mm) is lower than those resulting from other approaches. It also demonstrates that the more accurate bio-mechanical information the model has, the better prediction performance it could achieve. PMID:27717593

Health, Maintenance, and Recovery of Soft Tissues around Implants.

PubMed

Wang, Yulan; Zhang, Yufeng; Miron, Richard J

2016-06-01

The health of peri-implant soft tissues is one of the most important aspects of osseointegration necessary for the long-term survival of dental implants. To review the process of soft tissue healing around osseointegrated implants and discuss the maintenance requirements as well as the possible short-comings of peri-implant soft tissue integration. Literature search on the process involved in osseointegration, soft tissue healing and currently available treatment modalities was performed and a brief description of each process was provided. The peri-implant interface has been shown to be less effective than natural teeth in resisting bacterial invasion because gingival fiber alignment and reduced vascular supply make it more vulnerable to subsequent peri-implant disease and future bone loss around implants. And we summarized common procedures which have been shown to be effective in preventing peri-implantitis disease progression as well as clinical techniques utilized to regenerate soft tissues with bone loss in advanced cases of peri-implantitis. Due to the difference between peri-implant interface and natural teeth, clinicians and patients should pay more attention in the maintenance and recovery of soft tissues around implants. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mobile C-arm cone-beam CT for guidance of spine surgery: Image quality, radiation dose, and integration with interventional guidance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schafer, S.; Nithiananthan, S.; Mirota, D. J.

Purpose: A flat-panel detector based mobile isocentric C-arm for cone-beam CT (CBCT) has been developed to allow intraoperative 3D imaging with sub-millimeter spatial resolution and soft-tissue visibility. Image quality and radiation dose were evaluated in spinal surgery, commonly relying on lower-performance image intensifier based mobile C-arms. Scan protocols were developed for task-specific imaging at minimum dose, in-room exposure was evaluated, and integration of the imaging system with a surgical guidance system was demonstrated in preclinical studies of minimally invasive spine surgery. Methods: Radiation dose was assessed as a function of kilovolt (peak) (80-120 kVp) and milliampere second using thoracic andmore » lumbar spine dosimetry phantoms. In-room radiation exposure was measured throughout the operating room for various CBCT scan protocols. Image quality was assessed using tissue-equivalent inserts in chest and abdomen phantoms to evaluate bone and soft-tissue contrast-to-noise ratio as a function of dose, and task-specific protocols (i.e., visualization of bone or soft-tissues) were defined. Results were applied in preclinical studies using a cadaveric torso simulating minimally invasive, transpedicular surgery. Results: Task-specific CBCT protocols identified include: thoracic bone visualization (100 kVp; 60 mAs; 1.8 mGy); lumbar bone visualization (100 kVp; 130 mAs; 3.2 mGy); thoracic soft-tissue visualization (100 kVp; 230 mAs; 4.3 mGy); and lumbar soft-tissue visualization (120 kVp; 460 mAs; 10.6 mGy) - each at (0.3 x 0.3 x 0.9 mm{sup 3}) voxel size. Alternative lower-dose, lower-resolution soft-tissue visualization protocols were identified (100 kVp; 230 mAs; 5.1 mGy) for the lumbar region at (0.3 x 0.3 x 1.5 mm{sup 3}) voxel size. Half-scan orbit of the C-arm (x-ray tube traversing under the table) was dosimetrically advantageous (prepatient attenuation) with a nonuniform dose distribution ({approx}2 x higher at the entrance side than at isocenter, and {approx}3-4 lower at the exit side). The in-room dose (microsievert) per unit scan dose (milligray) ranged from {approx}21 {mu}Sv/mGy on average at tableside to {approx}0.1 {mu}Sv/mGy at 2.0 m distance to isocenter. All protocols involve surgical staff stepping behind a shield wall for each CBCT scan, therefore imparting {approx}zero dose to staff. Protocol implementation in preclinical cadaveric studies demonstrate integration of the C-arm with a navigation system for spine surgery guidance-specifically, minimally invasive vertebroplasty in which the system provided accurate guidance and visualization of needle placement and bone cement distribution. Cumulative dose including multiple intraoperative scans was {approx}11.5 mGy for CBCT-guided thoracic vertebroplasty and {approx}23.2 mGy for lumbar vertebroplasty, with dose to staff at tableside reduced to {approx}1 min of fluoroscopy time ({approx}40-60 {mu}Sv), compared to 5-11 min for the conventional approach. Conclusions: Intraoperative CBCT using a high-performance mobile C-arm prototype demonstrates image quality suitable to guidance of spine surgery, with task-specific protocols providing an important basis for minimizing radiation dose, while maintaining image quality sufficient for surgical guidance. Images demonstrate a significant advance in spatial resolution and soft-tissue visibility, and CBCT guidance offers the potential to reduce fluoroscopy reliance, reducing cumulative dose to patient and staff. Integration with a surgical guidance system demonstrates precise tracking and visualization in up-to-date images (alleviating reliance on preoperative images only), including detection of errors or suboptimal surgical outcomes in the operating room.« less

3D Printed Organ Models with Physical Properties of Tissue and Integrated Sensors.

PubMed

Qiu, Kaiyan; Zhao, Zichen; Haghiashtiani, Ghazaleh; Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; He, Mingyu; Su, Ruitao; Zhu, Zhijie; Bhuiyan, Didarul B; Murugan, Paari; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; Chu, Chih-Chang; Ogle, Brenda M; Saltzman, Daniel A; Konety, Badrinath R; Sweet, Robert M; McAlpine, Michael C

2018-03-01

The design and development of novel methodologies and customized materials to fabricate patient-specific 3D printed organ models with integrated sensing capabilities could yield advances in smart surgical aids for preoperative planning and rehearsal. Here, we demonstrate 3D printed prostate models with physical properties of tissue and integrated soft electronic sensors using custom-formulated polymeric inks. The models show high quantitative fidelity in static and dynamic mechanical properties, optical characteristics, and anatomical geometries to patient tissues and organs. The models offer tissue-mimicking tactile sensation and behavior and thus can be used for the prediction of organ physical behavior under deformation. The prediction results show good agreement with values obtained from simulations. The models also allow the application of surgical and diagnostic tools to their surface and inner channels. Finally, via the conformal integration of 3D printed soft electronic sensors, pressure applied to the models with surgical tools can be quantitatively measured.

3D Printed Organ Models with Physical Properties of Tissue and Integrated Sensors

PubMed Central

Qiu, Kaiyan; Zhao, Zichen; Haghiashtiani, Ghazaleh; Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; He, Mingyu; Su, Ruitao; Zhu, Zhijie; Bhuiyan, Didarul B.; Murugan, Paari; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; Chu, Chih-Chang; Ogle, Brenda M.; Saltzman, Daniel A.; Konety, Badrinath R.

2017-01-01

The design and development of novel methodologies and customized materials to fabricate patient-specific 3D printed organ models with integrated sensing capabilities could yield advances in smart surgical aids for preoperative planning and rehearsal. Here, we demonstrate 3D printed prostate models with physical properties of tissue and integrated soft electronic sensors using custom-formulated polymeric inks. The models show high quantitative fidelity in static and dynamic mechanical properties, optical characteristics, and anatomical geometries to patient tissues and organs. The models offer tissue-mimicking tactile sensation and behavior and thus can be used for the prediction of organ physical behavior under deformation. The prediction results show good agreement with values obtained from simulations. The models also allow the application of surgical and diagnostic tools to their surface and inner channels. Finally, via the conformal integration of 3D printed soft electronic sensors, pressure applied to the models with surgical tools can be quantitatively measured. PMID:29608202

Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Epidermal Heat Flux Sensors for Measurements of Core Body Temperature.

PubMed

Zhang, Yihui; Webb, Richard Chad; Luo, Hongying; Xue, Yeguang; Kurniawan, Jonas; Cho, Nam Heon; Krishnan, Siddharth; Li, Yuhang; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

2016-01-07

Long-term, continuous measurement of core body temperature is of high interest, due to the widespread use of this parameter as a key biomedical signal for clinical judgment and patient management. Traditional approaches rely on devices or instruments in rigid and planar forms, not readily amenable to intimate or conformable integration with soft, curvilinear, time-dynamic, surfaces of the skin. Here, materials and mechanics designs for differential temperature sensors are presented which can attach softly and reversibly onto the skin surface, and also sustain high levels of deformation (e.g., bending, twisting, and stretching). A theoretical approach, together with a modeling algorithm, yields core body temperature from multiple differential measurements from temperature sensors separated by different effective distances from the skin. The sensitivity, accuracy, and response time are analyzed by finite element analyses (FEA) to provide guidelines for relationships between sensor design and performance. Four sets of experiments on multiple devices with different dimensions and under different convection conditions illustrate the key features of the technology and the analysis approach. Finally, results indicate that thermally insulating materials with cellular structures offer advantages in reducing the response time and increasing the accuracy, while improving the mechanics and breathability. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Decellularized skin/adipose tissue flap matrix for engineering vascularized composite soft tissue flaps.

PubMed

Zhang, Qixu; Johnson, Joshua A; Dunne, Lina W; Chen, Youbai; Iyyanki, Tejaswi; Wu, Yewen; Chang, Edward I; Branch-Brooks, Cynthia D; Robb, Geoffrey L; Butler, Charles E

2016-04-15

Using a perfusion decellularization protocol, we developed a decellularized skin/adipose tissue flap (DSAF) comprising extracellular matrix (ECM) and intact vasculature. Our DSAF had a dominant vascular pedicle, microcirculatory vascularity, and a sensory nerve network and retained three-dimensional (3D) nanofibrous structures well. DSAF, which was composed of collagen and laminin with well-preserved growth factors (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor), was successfully repopulated with human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which integrated with DSAF and formed 3D aggregates and vessel-like structures in vitro. We used microsurgery techniques to re-anastomose the recellularized DSAF into nude rats. In vivo, the engineered flap construct underwent neovascularization and constructive remodeling, which was characterized by the predominant infiltration of M2 macrophages and significant adipose tissue formation at 3months postoperatively. Our results indicate that DSAF co-cultured with hASCs and HUVECs is a promising platform for vascularized soft tissue flap engineering. This platform is not limited by the flap size, as the entire construct can be immediately perfused by the recellularized vascular network following simple re-integration into the host using conventional microsurgical techniques. Significant soft tissue loss resulting from traumatic injury or tumor resection often requires surgical reconstruction using autologous soft tissue flaps. However, the limited availability of qualitative autologous flaps as well as the donor site morbidity significantly limits this approach. Engineered soft tissue flap grafts may offer a clinically relevant alternative to the autologous flap tissue. In this study, we engineered vascularized soft tissue free flap by using skin/adipose flap extracellular matrix scaffold (DSAF) in combination with multiple types of human cells. Following vascular reanastomosis in the recipient site, the engineered products successful regenerated large-scale fat tissue in vivo. This approach may provide a translatable platform for composite soft tissue free flap engineering for microsurgical reconstruction. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

System integration test plan for HANDI 2000 business management system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, D.

This document presents the system integration test plan for the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf, PassPort and PeopleSoft software, and custom software created to work with the COTS products. The PP software is an integrated application for AP, Contract Management, Inventory Management, Purchasing and Material Safety Data Sheet. The PS software is an integrated application for Project Costing, General Ledger, Human Resources/Training, Payroll, and Base Benefits.

Nursing practice in home care: an integrative literature review.

PubMed

Andrade, Angélica Mônica; Silva, Kênia Lara; Seixas, Clarissa Terenzi; Braga, Patrícia Pinto

2017-01-01

analyze scientific production on nursing practice in home care. integrative review employing databases LILACS, BDENF, IBECS, and MEDLINE. Studies in Spanish, English, and Portuguese were included, regardless of publishing date. after analyzing 48 articles, it was found that nursing practice in home care is complex, employing a multitude of actions by using three technologies: soft; soft-hard especially; and hard. Challenges related to the home-care training process are reported in the literature. Nurses use knowledge from their experience and scientific recommendations in conjunction with their reflections on the practice. home nursing practice is fundamental and widespread. Relational and educational actions stand out as necessary even in technical care, with a predominant need for home-care training.

Proton upsets in LSI memories in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcnulty, P. J.; Wyatt, R. C.; Filz, R. C.; Rothwell, P. L.; Farrell, G. E.

1980-01-01

Two types of large scale integrated dynamic random access memory devices were tested and found to be subject to soft errors when exposed to protons incident at energies between 18 and 130 MeV. These errors are shown to differ significantly from those induced in the same devices by alphas from an Am-241 source. There is considerable variation among devices in their sensitivity to proton-induced soft errors, even among devices of the same type. For protons incident at 130 MeV, the soft error cross sections measured in these experiments varied from 10 to the -8th to 10 to the -6th sq cm/proton. For individual devices, however, the soft error cross section consistently increased with beam energy from 18-130 MeV. Analysis indicates that the soft errors induced by energetic protons result from spallation interactions between the incident protons and the nuclei of the atoms comprising the device. Because energetic protons are the most numerous of both the galactic and solar cosmic rays and form the inner radiation belt, proton-induced soft errors have potentially serious implications for many electronic systems flown in space.

Soft-leadership competencies for today's healthcare finance executives.

PubMed

Madden, Mark

2015-05-01

With the healthcare industry changing rapidly, organizations seek finance leaders who have skills that go beyond traditional expertise in revenue and expenses. These additional competencies fall under the heading of soft-leadership skills and include the ability to be strategy-oriented, agile, passionate, inspirational, influential, communicative, dependable, driven, integrative, and engaged. Networking, participation in a mentoring program, and continuing education provide avenues for finance leaders to develop these sorts of skills.

Randomized controlled clinical study evaluating effectiveness and safety of a volume-stable collagen matrix compared to autogenous connective tissue grafts for soft tissue augmentation at implant sites.

PubMed

Thoma, Daniel S; Zeltner, Marco; Hilbe, Monika; Hämmerle, Christoph H F; Hüsler, Jürg; Jung, Ronald E

2016-10-01

To test whether or not the use of a collagen matrix (VCMX) results in short-term soft tissue volume increase at implant sites non-inferior to an autogenous subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG), and to evaluate safety and tissue integration of VCMX and SCTG. In 20 patients with a volume deficiency at single-tooth implant sites, soft tissue volume augmentation was performed randomly allocating VCMX or SCTG. Soft tissue thickness, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and safety were assessed up to 90 days (FU-90). At FU-90 (abutment connection), tissue samples were obtained for histological analysis. Descriptive analysis was computed for both groups. Non-parametric tests were applied to test non-inferiority for the gain in soft tissue thickness at the occlusal site. Median soft tissue thickness increased between BL and FU-90 by 1.8 mm (Q1:0.5; Q3:2.0) (VCMX) (p = 0.018) and 0.5 mm (-1.0; 2.0) (SCTG) (p = 0.395) (occlusal) and by 1.0 mm (0.5; 2.0) (VCMX) (p = 0.074) and 1.5 mm (-2.0; 2.0) (SCTG) (p = 0.563) (buccal). Non-inferiority with a non-inferiority margin of 1 mm could be demonstrated (p = 0.020); the difference between the two group medians (1.3 mm) for occlusal sites indicated no relevant, but not significant superiority of VCMX versus SCTG (primary endpoint). Pain medication consumption and pain perceived were non-significantly higher in group SCTG up to day 3. Median physical pain (OHIP-14) at day 7 was 100% higher for SCTG than for VCMX. The histological analysis revealed well-integrated grafts. Soft tissue augmentation at implant sites resulted in a similar or higher soft tissue volume increase after 90 days for VCMX versus SCTG. PROMs did not reveal relevant differences between the two groups. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A multimodal interface to resolve the Midas-Touch problem in gaze controlled wheelchair.

PubMed

Meena, Yogesh Kumar; Cecotti, Hubert; Wong-Lin, KongFatt; Prasad, Girijesh

2017-07-01

Human-computer interaction (HCI) research has been playing an essential role in the field of rehabilitation. The usability of the gaze controlled powered wheelchair is limited due to Midas-Touch problem. In this work, we propose a multimodal graphical user interface (GUI) to control a powered wheelchair that aims to help upper-limb mobility impaired people in daily living activities. The GUI was designed to include a portable and low-cost eye-tracker and a soft-switch wherein the wheelchair can be controlled in three different ways: 1) with a touchpad 2) with an eye-tracker only, and 3) eye-tracker with soft-switch. The interface includes nine different commands (eight directions and stop) and integrated within a powered wheelchair system. We evaluated the performance of the multimodal interface in terms of lap-completion time, the number of commands, and the information transfer rate (ITR) with eight healthy participants. The analysis of the results showed that the eye-tracker with soft-switch provides superior performance with an ITR of 37.77 bits/min among the three different conditions (p<;0.05). Thus, the proposed system provides an effective and economical solution to the Midas-Touch problem and extended usability for the large population of disabled users.

Elastic-viscoplastic modeling of soft biological tissues using a mixed finite element formulation based on the relative deformation gradient.

PubMed

Weickenmeier, J; Jabareen, M

2014-11-01

The characteristic highly nonlinear, time-dependent, and often inelastic material response of soft biological tissues can be expressed in a set of elastic-viscoplastic constitutive equations. The specific elastic-viscoplastic model for soft tissues proposed by Rubin and Bodner (2002) is generalized with respect to the constitutive equations for the scalar quantity of the rate of inelasticity and the hardening parameter in order to represent a general framework for elastic-viscoplastic models. A strongly objective integration scheme and a new mixed finite element formulation were developed based on the introduction of the relative deformation gradient-the deformation mapping between the last converged and current configurations. The numerical implementation of both the generalized framework and the specific Rubin and Bodner model is presented. As an example of a challenging application of the new model equations, the mechanical response of facial skin tissue is characterized through an experimental campaign based on the suction method. The measurement data are used for the identification of a suitable set of model parameters that well represents the experimentally observed tissue behavior. Two different measurement protocols were defined to address specific tissue properties with respect to the instantaneous tissue response, inelasticity, and tissue recovery. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neurosurgery simulation using non-linear finite element modeling and haptic interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Huai-Ping; Audette, Michel; Joldes, Grand R.; Enquobahrie, Andinet

2012-02-01

Real-time surgical simulation is becoming an important component of surgical training. To meet the realtime requirement, however, the accuracy of the biomechancial modeling of soft tissue is often compromised due to computing resource constraints. Furthermore, haptic integration presents an additional challenge with its requirement for a high update rate. As a result, most real-time surgical simulation systems employ a linear elasticity model, simplified numerical methods such as the boundary element method or spring-particle systems, and coarse volumetric meshes. However, these systems are not clinically realistic. We present here an ongoing work aimed at developing an efficient and physically realistic neurosurgery simulator using a non-linear finite element method (FEM) with haptic interaction. Real-time finite element analysis is achieved by utilizing the total Lagrangian explicit dynamic (TLED) formulation and GPU acceleration of per-node and per-element operations. We employ a virtual coupling method for separating deformable body simulation and collision detection from haptic rendering, which needs to be updated at a much higher rate than the visual simulation. The system provides accurate biomechancial modeling of soft tissue while retaining a real-time performance with haptic interaction. However, our experiments showed that the stability of the simulator depends heavily on the material property of the tissue and the speed of colliding objects. Hence, additional efforts including dynamic relaxation are required to improve the stability of the system.

A validated finite element model of a soft artificial muscle motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tse, Tony Chun H.; O'Brien, Benjamin; McKay, Thomas; Anderson, Iain A.

2011-04-01

The Biomimetics Laboratory has developed a soft artificial muscle motor based on Dielectric Elastomers. The motor, 'Flexidrive', is light-weight and has low system complexity. It works by gripping and turning a shaft with a soft gear, like we would with our fingers. The motor's performance depends on many factors, such as actuation waveform, electrode patterning, geometries and contact tribology between the shaft and gear. We have developed a finite element model (FEM) of the motor as a study and design tool. Contact interaction was integrated with previous material and electromechanical coupling models in ABAQUS. The model was experimentally validated through a shape and blocked force analysis.

Achieving algorithmic resilience for temporal integration through spectral deferred corrections

DOE PAGES

Grout, Ray; Kolla, Hemanth; Minion, Michael; ...

2017-05-08

Spectral deferred corrections (SDC) is an iterative approach for constructing higher-order-accurate numerical approximations of ordinary differential equations. SDC starts with an initial approximation of the solution defined at a set of Gaussian or spectral collocation nodes over a time interval and uses an iterative application of lower-order time discretizations applied to a correction equation to improve the solution at these nodes. Each deferred correction sweep increases the formal order of accuracy of the method up to the limit inherent in the accuracy defined by the collocation points. In this paper, we demonstrate that SDC is well suited to recovering frommore » soft (transient) hardware faults in the data. A strategy where extra correction iterations are used to recover from soft errors and provide algorithmic resilience is proposed. Specifically, in this approach the iteration is continued until the residual (a measure of the error in the approximation) is small relative to the residual of the first correction iteration and changes slowly between successive iterations. Here, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy for both canonical test problems and a comprehensive situation involving a mature scientific application code that solves the reacting Navier-Stokes equations for combustion research.« less

GPU-based acceleration of computations in nonlinear finite element deformation analysis.

PubMed

Mafi, Ramin; Sirouspour, Shahin

2014-03-01

The physics of deformation for biological soft-tissue is best described by nonlinear continuum mechanics-based models, which then can be discretized by the FEM for a numerical solution. However, computational complexity of such models have limited their use in applications requiring real-time or fast response. In this work, we propose a graphic processing unit-based implementation of the FEM using implicit time integration for dynamic nonlinear deformation analysis. This is the most general formulation of the deformation analysis. It is valid for large deformations and strains and can account for material nonlinearities. The data-parallel nature and the intense arithmetic computations of nonlinear FEM equations make it particularly suitable for implementation on a parallel computing platform such as graphic processing unit. In this work, we present and compare two different designs based on the matrix-free and conventional preconditioned conjugate gradients algorithms for solving the FEM equations arising in deformation analysis. The speedup achieved with the proposed parallel implementations of the algorithms will be instrumental in the development of advanced surgical simulators and medical image registration methods involving soft-tissue deformation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Achieving algorithmic resilience for temporal integration through spectral deferred corrections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grout, Ray; Kolla, Hemanth; Minion, Michael

2017-05-08

Spectral deferred corrections (SDC) is an iterative approach for constructing higher- order accurate numerical approximations of ordinary differential equations. SDC starts with an initial approximation of the solution defined at a set of Gaussian or spectral collocation nodes over a time interval and uses an iterative application of lower-order time discretizations applied to a correction equation to improve the solution at these nodes. Each deferred correction sweep increases the formal order of accuracy of the method up to the limit inherent in the accuracy defined by the collocation points. In this paper, we demonstrate that SDC is well suited tomore » recovering from soft (transient) hardware faults in the data. A strategy where extra correction iterations are used to recover from soft errors and provide algorithmic resilience is proposed. Specifically, in this approach the iteration is continued until the residual (a measure of the error in the approximation) is small relative to the residual on the first correction iteration and changes slowly between successive iterations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy for both canonical test problems and a comprehen- sive situation involving a mature scientific application code that solves the reacting Navier-Stokes equations for combustion research.« less

Achieving algorithmic resilience for temporal integration through spectral deferred corrections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grout, Ray; Kolla, Hemanth; Minion, Michael

2017-05-08

Spectral deferred corrections (SDC) is an iterative approach for constructing higher-order-accurate numerical approximations of ordinary differential equations. SDC starts with an initial approximation of the solution defined at a set of Gaussian or spectral collocation nodes over a time interval and uses an iterative application of lower-order time discretizations applied to a correction equation to improve the solution at these nodes. Each deferred correction sweep increases the formal order of accuracy of the method up to the limit inherent in the accuracy defined by the collocation points. In this paper, we demonstrate that SDC is well suited to recovering frommore » soft (transient) hardware faults in the data. A strategy where extra correction iterations are used to recover from soft errors and provide algorithmic resilience is proposed. Specifically, in this approach the iteration is continued until the residual (a measure of the error in the approximation) is small relative to the residual of the first correction iteration and changes slowly between successive iterations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy for both canonical test problems and a comprehensive situation involving a mature scientific application code that solves the reacting Navier-Stokes equations for combustion research.« less

High-frequency electromagnetic properties of soft magnetic metal-polyimide hybrid thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang Woo; Yoon, Chong S.

2007-09-01

Although there are a lot of demands for suppression of unwanted high-frequency electromagnetic noise in highly integrated electronic devices such as mobile phones and notebook computers, electromagnetic thin films that effectively work in the high-frequency range have still been underdeveloped. Soft magnetic metal-polyimide (PI) hybrid films with high electrical resistivity were prepared by thermal imidization and selective oxidation between the metal alloy layer and polyamic acid (PAA) layer. Electromagnetic properties of the hybrid thin films in the radio-frequency range were characterized by using the microstrip line method and were correlated with their material parameters. Although anisotropy field of the CoFe/NiFe hybrid film was two times lower than that of the NiFe hybrid film, the saturation magnetization of the CoFe/NiFe hybrid film was three times higher than that of the NiFe hybrid film. The CoFe/NiFe hybrid film showed higher power loss in the frequency range of 3-6 GHz compared to the NiFe hybrid film. The high power loss of the CoFe/NiFe hybrid film was caused by high relative permeability and high ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) frequency due to high saturation magnetization.

Carbon doped PDMS: conductance stability over time and implications for additive manufacturing of stretchable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavakoli, Mahmoud; Rocha, Rui; Osorio, Luis; Almeida, Miguel; de Almeida, Anibal; Ramachandran, Vivek; Tabatabai, Arya; Lu, Tong; Majidi, Carmel

2017-03-01

Carbon doped PDMS (cPDMS), has been used as a conductive polymer for stretchable electronics. Compared to liquid metals, cPDMS is low cost and is easier to process or to print with an additive manufacturing process. However, changes on the conductance of the carbon based conductive PDMS (cPDMS) were observed over time, in particular after integration of cPDMS and the insulating polymer. In this article we investigate the process parameters that lead to improved stability over conductance of the cPDMS over time. Slight modifications to the fabrication process parameters were conducted and changes on the conductance of the samples for each method were monitored. Results suggested that change of the conductance happens mostly after integration of a pre-polymer over a cured cPDMS, and not after integration of the cPDMS over a cured insulating polymer. We show that such changes can be eliminated by adjusting the integration priority between the conductive and insulating polymers, by selecting the right curing temperature, changing the concentration of the carbon particles and the thickness of the conductive traces, and when possible by changing the insulating polymer material. In this way, we obtained important conclusions regarding the effect of these parameters on the change of the conductance over time, that should be considered for additive manufacturing of soft electronics. Also, we show that these changes can be possibly due to the diffusion from PDMS into cPDMS.

Osseocutaneous integration of an intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthesis implant used for reconstruction of a transhumeral amputee: case report.

PubMed

Kang, Norbert V; Pendegrass, Catherine; Marks, Linda; Blunn, Gordon

2010-07-01

Exoprosthetic replacement with an artificial limb is the main option for reconstruction after traumatic amputation of an upper limb. Direct skeletal attachment using an osseointegrated implant improves the ease of fixation of the exoprosthesis to the amputation stump. We now report the use of an intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthesis that is designed to achieve osseocutaneous integration. Osseocutaneous integration differs from osseointegration because the aim is to create a stable interface among the implant, the bone, and the soft tissues. This reduces the risk of soft tissue infection and troublesome discharge, which are problems encountered with current osseointegrated implants that focus largely on the bone-implant interface. We describe our experience with an intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthesis in a case of transhumeral amputation with 2 years of follow-up. Copyright 2010 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating Soft Set Theory and Fuzzy Linguistic Model to Evaluate the Performance of Training Simulation Systems

PubMed Central

Chang, Kuei-Hu; Chang, Yung-Chia; Chain, Kai; Chung, Hsiang-Yu

2016-01-01

The advancement of high technologies and the arrival of the information age have caused changes to the modern warfare. The military forces of many countries have replaced partially real training drills with training simulation systems to achieve combat readiness. However, considerable types of training simulation systems are used in military settings. In addition, differences in system set up time, functions, the environment, and the competency of system operators, as well as incomplete information have made it difficult to evaluate the performance of training simulation systems. To address the aforementioned problems, this study integrated analytic hierarchy process, soft set theory, and the fuzzy linguistic representation model to evaluate the performance of various training simulation systems. Furthermore, importance–performance analysis was adopted to examine the influence of saving costs and training safety of training simulation systems. The findings of this study are expected to facilitate applying military training simulation systems, avoiding wasting of resources (e.g., low utility and idle time), and providing data for subsequent applications and analysis. To verify the method proposed in this study, the numerical examples of the performance evaluation of training simulation systems were adopted and compared with the numerical results of an AHP and a novel AHP-based ranking technique. The results verified that not only could expert-provided questionnaire information be fully considered to lower the repetition rate of performance ranking, but a two-dimensional graph could also be used to help administrators allocate limited resources, thereby enhancing the investment benefits and training effectiveness of a training simulation system. PMID:27598390

Integrating Soft Set Theory and Fuzzy Linguistic Model to Evaluate the Performance of Training Simulation Systems.

PubMed

Chang, Kuei-Hu; Chang, Yung-Chia; Chain, Kai; Chung, Hsiang-Yu

2016-01-01

The advancement of high technologies and the arrival of the information age have caused changes to the modern warfare. The military forces of many countries have replaced partially real training drills with training simulation systems to achieve combat readiness. However, considerable types of training simulation systems are used in military settings. In addition, differences in system set up time, functions, the environment, and the competency of system operators, as well as incomplete information have made it difficult to evaluate the performance of training simulation systems. To address the aforementioned problems, this study integrated analytic hierarchy process, soft set theory, and the fuzzy linguistic representation model to evaluate the performance of various training simulation systems. Furthermore, importance-performance analysis was adopted to examine the influence of saving costs and training safety of training simulation systems. The findings of this study are expected to facilitate applying military training simulation systems, avoiding wasting of resources (e.g., low utility and idle time), and providing data for subsequent applications and analysis. To verify the method proposed in this study, the numerical examples of the performance evaluation of training simulation systems were adopted and compared with the numerical results of an AHP and a novel AHP-based ranking technique. The results verified that not only could expert-provided questionnaire information be fully considered to lower the repetition rate of performance ranking, but a two-dimensional graph could also be used to help administrators allocate limited resources, thereby enhancing the investment benefits and training effectiveness of a training simulation system.

Experimental robot gripper control for handling of soft objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Werner E.; Ziegler, T. H.; Lim, P.

1996-10-01

The challenging task of automated handling of variable objects necessitates a combination of innovative engineering and advanced information technology. This paper describes the application of a recently developed control strategy applied to overcome some limitations of robot handling, particularly when dealing with variable objects. The paper focuses on a novel approach to accommodate the need for sensing and actuation in controlling the pickup procedure. An experimental robot-based system for the handling of soft parts, ranging from artificial components to natural objects such as fruit and meat pieces was developed. The configuration comprises a modular gripper subsystem, and an industrial robot as part of a distributed control system. The gripper subsystem features manually configurable fingers with integrated sensing capabilities. The control architecture is based on a concept of decentralized control differentiating between positioning and gripping procedures. In this way, the robot and gripper systems are treated as individual handling operations. THis concept allows very short set-up times for future changes involving one or more sub-systems.

Silk Based Bioinks for Soft Tissue Reconstruction Using 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing with in vitro and in vivo Assessments

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, María J.; Brown, Joseph; Giordano, Jodie; Lin, Samuel J.; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Kaplan, David L.

2016-01-01

In the field of soft tissue reconstruction, custom implants could address the need for materials that can fill complex geometries. Our aim was to develop a material system with optimal rheology for material extrusion, that can be processed in physiological and non-toxic conditions and provide structural support for soft tissue reconstruction. To meet this need we developed silk based bioinks using gelatin as a bulking agent and glycerol as a non-toxic additive to induce physical crosslinking. We developed these inks optimizing printing efficacy and resolution for patient-specific geometries that can be used for soft tissue reconstruction. We demonstrated in vitro that the material was stable under physiological conditions and could be tuned to match soft tissue mechanical properties. We demonstrated in vivo that the material was biocompatible and could be tuned to maintain shape and volume up to three months while promoting cellular infiltration and tissue integration. PMID:27940389

Silk based bioinks for soft tissue reconstruction using 3-dimensional (3D) printing with in vitro and in vivo assessments.

PubMed

Rodriguez, María J; Brown, Joseph; Giordano, Jodie; Lin, Samuel J; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G; Kaplan, David L

2017-02-01

In the field of soft tissue reconstruction, custom implants could address the need for materials that can fill complex geometries. Our aim was to develop a material system with optimal rheology for material extrusion, that can be processed in physiological and non-toxic conditions and provide structural support for soft tissue reconstruction. To meet this need we developed silk based bioinks using gelatin as a bulking agent and glycerol as a non-toxic additive to induce physical crosslinking. We developed these inks optimizing printing efficacy and resolution for patient-specific geometries that can be used for soft tissue reconstruction. We demonstrated in vitro that the material was stable under physiological conditions and could be tuned to match soft tissue mechanical properties. We demonstrated in vivo that the material was biocompatible and could be tuned to maintain shape and volume up to three months while promoting cellular infiltration and tissue integration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on algorithm of process neural network for soft sensing in sewage disposal system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zaiwen; Xue, Hong; Wang, Xiaoyi; Yang, Bin; Lu, Siying

2006-11-01

A new method of soft sensing based on process neural network (PNN) for sewage disposal system is represented in the paper. PNN is an extension of traditional neural network, in which the inputs and outputs are time-variation. An aggregation operator is introduced to process neuron, and it makes the neuron network has the ability to deal with the information of space-time two dimensions at the same time, so the data processing enginery of biological neuron is imitated better than traditional neuron. Process neural network with the structure of three layers in which hidden layer is process neuron and input and output are common neurons for soft sensing is discussed. The intelligent soft sensing based on PNN may be used to fulfill measurement of the effluent BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) from sewage disposal system, and a good training result of soft sensing was obtained by the method.

Hybrid soft computing systems for electromyographic signals analysis: a review.

PubMed

Xie, Hong-Bo; Guo, Tianruo; Bai, Siwei; Dokos, Socrates

2014-02-03

Electromyographic (EMG) is a bio-signal collected on human skeletal muscle. Analysis of EMG signals has been widely used to detect human movement intent, control various human-machine interfaces, diagnose neuromuscular diseases, and model neuromusculoskeletal system. With the advances of artificial intelligence and soft computing, many sophisticated techniques have been proposed for such purpose. Hybrid soft computing system (HSCS), the integration of these different techniques, aims to further improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy of EMG analysis. This paper reviews and compares key combinations of neural network, support vector machine, fuzzy logic, evolutionary computing, and swarm intelligence for EMG analysis. Our suggestions on the possible future development of HSCS in EMG analysis are also given in terms of basic soft computing techniques, further combination of these techniques, and their other applications in EMG analysis.

Hybrid soft computing systems for electromyographic signals analysis: a review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Electromyographic (EMG) is a bio-signal collected on human skeletal muscle. Analysis of EMG signals has been widely used to detect human movement intent, control various human-machine interfaces, diagnose neuromuscular diseases, and model neuromusculoskeletal system. With the advances of artificial intelligence and soft computing, many sophisticated techniques have been proposed for such purpose. Hybrid soft computing system (HSCS), the integration of these different techniques, aims to further improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy of EMG analysis. This paper reviews and compares key combinations of neural network, support vector machine, fuzzy logic, evolutionary computing, and swarm intelligence for EMG analysis. Our suggestions on the possible future development of HSCS in EMG analysis are also given in terms of basic soft computing techniques, further combination of these techniques, and their other applications in EMG analysis. PMID:24490979

Intensity correlation measurement system by picosecond single shot soft x-ray laser.

PubMed

Kishimoto, Maki; Namikawa, Kazumichi; Sukegawa, Kouta; Yamatani, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Noboru; Tanaka, Momoko

2010-01-01

We developed a new soft x-ray speckle intensity correlation spectroscopy system by use of a single shot high brilliant plasma soft x-ray laser. The plasma soft x-ray laser is characterized by several picoseconds in pulse width, more than 90% special coherence, and 10(11) soft x-ray photons within a single pulse. We developed a Michelson type delay pulse generator using a soft x-ray beam splitter to measure the intensity correlation of x-ray speckles from materials and succeeded in generating double coherent x-ray pulses with picosecond delay times. Moreover, we employed a high-speed soft x-ray streak camera for the picosecond time-resolved measurement of x-ray speckles caused by double coherent x-ray pulse illumination. We performed the x-ray speckle intensity correlation measurements for probing the relaxation phenomena of polarizations in polarization clusters in the paraelectric phase of the ferroelectric material BaTiO(3) near its Curie temperature and verified its performance.

Consumption of Carbonated Soft Drinks Among Young Adolescents Aged 12 to 15 Years in 53 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

Yang, Lili; Bovet, Pascal; Liu, Yunxia; Zhao, Min; Ma, Chuanwei; Liang, Yajun; Xi, Bo

2017-07-01

To compare consumption of carbonated soft drinks among young adolescents in 53 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used 2009 to 2013 Global School-based Student Health Survey data to assess 137 449 young adolescents aged 12 to 15 years with available data (via a standardized questionnaire) on frequency of carbonated soft drink consumption. Overall, young adolescents reported having consumed carbonated soft drinks 1.39 times per day (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26, 1.51), and 54.3% of adolescents reported consuming a carbonated soft drink at least once per day. Frequency (times per day) varied greatly across countries, ranging from 0.52 (95% CI = 0.43, 0.60) in Kiribati to 2.39 (95% CI = 2.25, 2.53) in Suriname. Our data confirm that consumption of carbonated soft drinks is frequent among young adolescents in LMICs. Our findings highlight the need for interventions in these countries to reduce adolescents' carbonated soft drink consumption.

General Biology and Current Management Approaches of Soft Scale Pests (Hemiptera: Coccidae).

PubMed

Camacho, Ernesto Robayo; Chong, Juang-Horng

We summarize the economic importance, biology, and management of soft scales, focusing on pests of agricultural, horticultural, and silvicultural crops in outdoor production systems and urban landscapes. We also provide summaries on voltinism, crawler emergence timing, and predictive models for crawler emergence to assist in developing soft scale management programs. Phloem-feeding soft scale pests cause direct (e.g., injuries to plant tissues and removal of nutrients) and indirect damage (e.g., reduction in photosynthesis and aesthetic value by honeydew and sooty mold). Variations in life cycle, reproduction, fecundity, and behavior exist among congenerics due to host, environmental, climatic, and geographical variations. Sampling of soft scale pests involves sighting the insects or their damage, and assessing their abundance. Crawlers of most univoltine species emerge in the spring and the summer. Degree-day models and plant phenological indicators help determine the initiation of sampling and treatment against crawlers (the life stage most vulnerable to contact insecticides). The efficacy of cultural management tactics, such as fertilization, pruning, and irrigation, in reducing soft scale abundance is poorly documented. A large number of parasitoids and predators attack soft scale populations in the field; therefore, natural enemy conservation by using selective insecticides is important. Systemic insecticides provide greater flexibility in application method and timing, and have longer residual longevity than contact insecticides. Application timing of contact insecticides that coincides with crawler emergence is most effective in reducing soft scale abundance.

[Neurological soft signs in schizophrenia: correlations with age, sex, educational status and psychopathology].

PubMed

Panagiotidis, P; Kaprinis, G; Iacovides, A; Fountoulakis, K

2013-01-01

Though the pathobiology of schizophrenia can be examined in multiple levels, the organic notion of brain disease suggests that neurological features will be present. One straightforward, inexpensive method of investigating brain dysfunction in schizophrenia is thought the bedside assessment of neurological abnormalities with a standard neurological examination. Neurological abnormalities are traditionally classified as "hard signs" (impairments in basic motor, sensory, and reflex behaviors, which do not appear to be affected in schizophrenia) and "soft signs", which refer to more complex phenomena such as abnormalities in motor control, integrative sensory function, sensorimotor integration, and cerebral laterality. Additionally, neurological soft signs (NSS) are minor motor and sensory abnormalities that are considered to be normal in the course of early development but abnormal when elicited in later life or persist beyond childhood. Soft signs also, have no definitive localizing significance but are indicative of subtle brain dysfunction. Most authors believe that they are a reflection not only of deficient integration between the sensory and motor systems, but also of dysfunctional neuronal circuits linking subcortical brain structures such as the basal ganglia, the brain stem, and the limbic system. Throughout the last four decades, studies have consistently shown that NSS are more frequently present in patients with schizophrenia than in normal subjects and non-psychotic psychiatric patients. However, the functional relevance of NSS remains unclear and their specificity has often been challenged, even though there is indication for a relative specificity with regard to diagnosis, or symptomatology. Many studies have considered soft signs as categorical variables thus hampering the evaluation of fluctuation with symptomatology and/or treatment, whereas other studies included insufficient number of assessed signs, or lacked a comprehensive assessment of extrapyramidal symptomatology. Factors such as sex, age or family history of schizophrenia, are said to influence the performance of neurological examination, whereas relative few studies have provided longitudinal follow-up data on neurological soft signs in a sufficient number of patients, in order to address a possible deterioration of neurological functions. Finally, one additional difficulty when analyzing the NSS literature lies in the diversity of symptoms that are evaluated in the studies and/or non-standardized procedures or scoring. We will review some basic issues concerning recurrent difficulties in the measurement and definition of soft signs, as well as controversies on the significance of these signs with respect to clinical subtyping of schizophrenia, and social and demographic variables.

The use of time-of-flight camera for navigating robots in computer-aided surgery: monitoring the soft tissue envelope of minimally invasive hip approach in a cadaver study.

PubMed

Putzer, David; Klug, Sebastian; Moctezuma, Jose Luis; Nogler, Michael

2014-12-01

Time-of-flight (TOF) cameras can guide surgical robots or provide soft tissue information for augmented reality in the medical field. In this study, a method to automatically track the soft tissue envelope of a minimally invasive hip approach in a cadaver study is described. An algorithm for the TOF camera was developed and 30 measurements on 8 surgical situs (direct anterior approach) were carried out. The results were compared to a manual measurement of the soft tissue envelope. The TOF camera showed an overall recognition rate of the soft tissue envelope of 75%. On comparing the results from the algorithm with the manual measurements, a significant difference was found (P > .005). In this preliminary study, we have presented a method for automatically recognizing the soft tissue envelope of the surgical field in a real-time application. Further improvements could result in a robotic navigation device for minimally invasive hip surgery. © The Author(s) 2014.

On the Nature of the Variability Power Decay toward Soft Spectral States in X-Ray Binaries: Case Study in Cygnus X-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titarchuk, Lev; Shaposhnikov, Nikolai

2008-05-01

A characteristic feature of the Fourier power density spectrum (PDS) observed from black hole X-ray binaries in low/hard and intermediate spectral states is a broadband-limited noise characterized by a constant below some frequency (a "break" frequency) and a power law above this frequency. It has been shown that the variability of this type can be produced by the inward diffusion of the local driving perturbations in a bounded configuration (accretion disk or corona). In the framework of this model, the perturbation diffusion time t0 is related to the phenomenological break frequency, while the PDS power-law slope above the "break" is determined by the viscosity distribution over the configuration. The perturbation diffusion scenario explains the decay of the power of X-ray variability observed in a number of compact sources (containing black holes and neutron stars) during an evolution of these sources from low/hard to high/soft states. We compare the model predictions with the subset of data from Cyg X-1 collected by the Rossi X-Ray Time Explorer (RXTE). Our extensive analysis of the Cyg X-1 PDSs demonstrates that the observed integrated power Px decreases approximately as the square root of the characteristic frequency of the driving oscillations νdr. The RXTE observations of Cyg X-1 allow us to infer Pdr and t0 as a function of νdr. Using the inferred dependences of the integrated power of the driving oscillations Pdr and t0 on νdr we demonstrate that the power predicted by the model also decays as Px,diff propto ν-0.5dr, which is similar to the observed Px behavior. We also apply the basic parameters of observed PDSs, power-law indices, and low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations to infer the Reynolds number (Re) from the observations using the method developed in our previous paper. Our analysis shows that Re increases from values of about 10 in low/hard state to about 70 during the high/soft state.

On the nature of the variability power decay towards soft spectral states in X-ray binaries. Case study in Cyg X-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titarchuk, Lev; Shaposhnikov, Nikolai

2008-01-01

A characteristic feature of the Fourier Power Density Spectrum (PDS) observed from black hole X-ray binaries in low/hard and intermediate spectral states is a broad band-limited noise, characterized by a constant below some frequency (a ``break'' frequency) and a power law above this frequency. It has been shown that the variability of this type can be produced by the inward diffusion of the local driving perturbations in a bounded configuration (accretion disk or corona). In the framework of this model, the perturbation diffusion time t0 is related to the phenomenological break frequency, while the PDS power-law slope above the ``break'' is determined by the viscosity distribution over the configuration. The perturbation diffusion scenario explains the decay of the power of X-ray variability observed in a number of compact sources (containing black hole and neutron star) during an evolution of theses sources from low/hard to high/soft states. We compare the model predictions with the subset of data from Cyg X-1 collected by the Rossi X-ray Time Explorer (RXTE). Our extensive analysis of the Cyg X-1 PDSs demonstrates that the observed integrated power Px decreases approximately as a square root of the characteristic frequency of the driving oscillations νdr. The RXTE observations of Cyg X-1 allow us to infer Pdr and t0 as a function of νdr. Using the inferred dependences of the integrated power of the driving oscillations Pdr and t0 on νdr we demonstrate that the power predicted by the model also decays as Px,diff~νdr-0.5 that is similar to the observed Px behavior. We also apply the basic parameters of observed PDSs, power-law index and low frequency quasiperiodic oscillations, to infer Reynolds (Re) number from the observations using the method developed in our previous paper. Our analysis shows that Re-number increases from values about 10 in low/hard state to that about 70 during the high/soft state.

Injection moulded microneedle sensor for real-time wireless pH monitoring.

PubMed

Mirza, Khalid B; Zuliani, Claudio; Hou, Benjamin; Ng, Fu Siong; Peters, Nicholas S; Toumazou, Christofer

2017-07-01

This paper describes the development of an array of individually addressable pH sensitive microneedles using injection moulding and their integration within a portable device for real-time wireless recording of pH distributions in biological samples. The fabricated microneedles are subjected to gold patterning followed by electrodeposition of iridium oxide to sensitize them to 0.07 units of pH change. Miniaturised electronics suitable for the sensors readout, analog-to-digital conversion and wireless transmission of the potentiometric data are embodied within the device, enabling it to measure real-time pH of soft biological samples such as muscles. In this paper, real-time recording of the cardiac pH distribution, during ischemia followed by reperfusion cycles in cardiac muscles of male Wistar rats has been demonstrated by using the microneedle array.

Engineered skeletal muscle tissue for soft robotics: fabrication strategies, current applications, and future challenges.

PubMed

Duffy, Rebecca M; Feinberg, Adam W

2014-01-01

Skeletal muscle is a scalable actuator system used throughout nature from the millimeter to meter length scales and over a wide range of frequencies and force regimes. This adaptability has spurred interest in using engineered skeletal muscle to power soft robotics devices and in biotechnology and medical applications. However, the challenges to doing this are similar to those facing the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields; specifically, how do we translate our understanding of myogenesis in vivo to the engineering of muscle constructs in vitro to achieve functional integration with devices. To do this researchers are developing a number of ways to engineer the cellular microenvironment to guide skeletal muscle tissue formation. This includes understanding the role of substrate stiffness and the mechanical environment, engineering the spatial organization of biochemical and physical cues to guide muscle alignment, and developing bioreactors for mechanical and electrical conditioning. Examples of engineered skeletal muscle that can potentially be used in soft robotics include 2D cantilever-based skeletal muscle actuators and 3D skeletal muscle tissues engineered using scaffolds or directed self-organization. Integration into devices has led to basic muscle-powered devices such as grippers and pumps as well as more sophisticated muscle-powered soft robots that walk and swim. Looking forward, current, and future challenges include identifying the best source of muscle precursor cells to expand and differentiate into myotubes, replacing cardiomyocytes with skeletal muscle tissue as the bio-actuator of choice for soft robots, and vascularization and innervation to enable control and nourishment of larger muscle tissue constructs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Advanced solar irradiances applied to satellite and ionospheric operational systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobiska, W. Kent; Schunk, Robert; Eccles, Vince; Bouwer, Dave

Satellite and ionospheric operational systems require solar irradiances in a variety of time scales and spectral formats. We describe the development of a system using operational grade solar irradiances that are applied to empirical thermospheric density models and physics-based ionospheric models used by operational systems that require a space weather characterization. The SOLAR2000 (S2K) and SOLARFLARE (SFLR) models developed by Space Environment Technologies (SET) provide solar irradiances from the soft X-rays (XUV) through the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum. The irradiances are provided as integrated indices for the JB2006 empirical atmosphere density models and as line/band spectral irradiances for the physics-based Ionosphere Forecast Model (IFM) developed by the Space Environment Corporation (SEC). We describe the integration of these irradiances in historical, current epoch, and forecast modes through the Communication Alert and Prediction System (CAPS). CAPS provides real-time and forecast HF radio availability for global and regional users and global total electron content (TEC) conditions.

Soft tissue volume augmentation by the use of collagen-based matrices in the dog mandible -- a histological analysis.

PubMed

Thoma, Daniel S; Hämmerle, Christoph H F; Cochran, David L; Jones, Archie A; Görlach, Christoph; Uebersax, Lorenz; Mathes, Stephanie; Graf-Hausner, Ursula; Jung, Ronald E

2011-11-01

The aim was to test, whether or not soft tissue volume augmentation with a specifically designed collagen matrix (CM), leads to ridge width gain in chronic ridge defects similar to those obtained by an autogenous subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). In six dogs, soft tissue volume augmentation was performed by randomly allocating three treatment modalities to chronic ridge defects [CM, SCTG and sham-operated control (Control)]. Dogs were sacrificed at 28 (n = 3) and 84 days (n = 3). Descriptive histology and histomorphometric measurements were performed on non-decalcified sections. SCTG and CM demonstrated favourable tissue integration, and subsequent re-modelling over 84 days. The overall mean amount of newly formed soft tissue (NMT) plus bone (NB) amounted to 3.8 ± 1.2 mm (Control), 6.4 ± 0.9 mm (CM) and 7.2 ± 1.2 mm (SCTG) at 28 days. At 84 days, the mean NMT plus NB reached 2.4 ± 0.9 mm (Control), 5.6 ± 1.5 mm (CM) and 6.0 ± 2.1 mm (SCTG). Statistically significant differences were observed between CM/SCTG and Control at both time-points (p < 0.05). Within the limits of this animal model, the CM performed similar to the SCTG, based on histomorphometric outcomes combining NB and NMT. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The High Energy Spectrum of NGC 4151

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckmann, V.; Gehrels, N.; Shrader, C.; Soldi, S.; Lubinski, P.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Malzac, J.

2005-01-01

We present first INTEGRAL observations of the type 1.5 Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. Combining several INTEGRAL observations performed during 2003, totaling approximately 400 ksec of exposure time, allow us to study the spectrum in the 3 - 300 keV range. The measurements presented here reveal an overall spectrum from X-rays up to the soft gamma-rays that can be described by an absorbed (N(sub H) approximately equal to 5 x 10(exp 22) per square centimeter) and non-variable thermal component, plus a Fe Kalpha line, and an exponential cutoff occurs at 110 keV, consistent with earlier claims. The Galactic hydrogen column density in the line of sight is N(sub H), Gal approximately equal to 2.1 x 10 (exp 20) per square centimeter. The time resolved analysis shows little variation of the spectral parameters. The comparison with CGRO/OSSE data shows that the same spectral model can be applied over a time span of 15 years, while the flux varied by a factor of 2. Applying a Compton reflection component improves the model fit to the INTEGRAL data. Nonetheless the data available to date cannot significantly confirm or exclude the existence of reflection, nor is a high iron overabundance in the absorber, as had been previously suggested, clearly detectable.

Renewed Activity from the X-Ray Transient SAXJ 1810.8-2609 with Integral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiocchi, M.; Natalucci, L.; Chenevez, J.; Bazzano, A.; Tarana, A.; Ubertini, P.; Brandt, S.; Beckmann, V.; Federici, M.; Galis, R.; Hudec, R.

2009-03-01

We report on the results of International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) observations of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary SAX J1810.8-2609 during its latest active phase in 2007 August. The current outburst is the first one since 1998 and the derived luminosity is 1.1-2.6 ×1036 erg s-1 in the 20-100 keV energy range. This low outburst luminosity and the long-term time-average accretion rate of ~5 × 10-12 M sun yr-1 suggest that SAX J1810.8-2609 is a faint soft X-ray transient. During the flux increase, spectra are consistent with a thermal Comptonization model with a temperature plasma of kT e~ 23-30 keV and an optical depth of τ~ 1.2-1.5, independent of the luminosity of the system. This is a typical low hard spectral state for which the X-ray emission is attributed to the upscattering of soft seed photons by a hot, optically thin electron plasma. During the decay, spectra have a different shape, the high energy tail being compatible with a single power law. This confirm similar behavior observed by BeppoSAX during the previous outburst, with the absence of visible cutoff in the hard X-ray spectrum. INTEGRAL/JEM-X instrument observed four X-ray bursts in Fall 2007. The first one has the highest peak flux (≈3.5 crab in 3-25 keV) giving an upper limit to the distance of the source of about 5.7 kpc, for a L Edd ≈ 3.8 × 1038 erg s-1. The observed recurrence time of ~ 1.2 days and the ratio of the total energy emitted in the persistent flux to that emitted in the bursts (α~ 73) allow us to conclude that the burst fuel was composed by mixed hydrogen and helium with X >= 0.4. INTEGRAL is an ESA project with Instruments and Science Data Center funded by ESA member states, especially the PI countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain; Czech Republic and Poland; and with the participation of Russia and USA.

Ferromagnetic, folded electrode composite as a soft interface to the skin for long-term electrophysiological recording.

PubMed

Jang, Kyung-In; Jung, Han Na; Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Sheng; Liu, Yu Hao; Ma, Yinji; Jeong, Jae-Woong; Song, Young Min; Kim, Jeonghyun; Kim, Bong Hun; Banks, Anthony; Kwak, Jean Won; Yang, Yiyuan; Shi, Dawei; Wei, Zijun; Feng, Xue; Paik, Ungyu; Huang, Yonggang; Ghaffari, Roozbeh; Rogers, John A

2016-10-25

This paper introduces a class of ferromagnetic, folded, soft composite material for skin-interfaced electrodes with releasable interfaces to stretchable, wireless electronic measurement systems. These electrodes establish intimate, adhesive contacts to the skin, in dimensionally stable formats compatible with multiple days of continuous operation, with several key advantages over conventional hydrogel based alternatives. The reported studies focus on aspects ranging from ferromagnetic and mechanical behavior of the materials systems, to electrical properties associated with their skin interface, to system-level integration for advanced electrophysiological monitoring applications. The work combines experimental measurement and theoretical modeling to establish the key design considerations. These concepts have potential uses across a diverse set of skin-integrated electronic technologies.

High-level expression of podoplanin in benign and malignant soft tissue tumors: immunohistochemical and quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Yongjun; Ogose, Akira; Kawashima, Hiroyuki; Hotta, Tetsuo; Ariizumi, Takashi; Li, Guidong; Umezu, Hajime; Endo, Naoto

2011-03-01

Podoplanin is a 38 kDa mucin-type transmembrane glycoprotein that was first identified in rat glomerular epithelial cells (podocytes). It is expressed in normal lymphatic endothelium, but is absent from vascular endothelial cells. D2-40 is a commercially available mouse monoclonal antibody which binds to an epitope on human podoplanin. D2-40 immunoreactivity is therefore highly sensitive and specific for lymphatic endothelium. Recent investigations have shown widespread applications of immunohistochemical staining with D2-40 in evaluating podoplanin expression as an immunohistochemical marker for diagnosis and prognosis in various tumors. To determine whether the podoplanin (D2-40) antibody may be useful for the diagnosis of soft tissue tumors, 125 cases, including 4 kinds of benign tumors, 15 kinds of malignant tumors and 3 kinds of tumor-like lesions were immunostained using the D2-40 antibody. Total RNA was extracted from frozen tumor tissue obtained from 41 corresponding soft tissue tumor patients and 12 kinds of soft tissue tumor cell lines. Quantitative real-time PCR reactions were performed. Immunohistochemical and quantitative real-time RT-PCR analyses demonstrated the expression of the podoplanin protein and mRNA in the majority of benign and malignant soft tissue tumors and tumor-like lesions examined, with the exception of alveolar soft part sarcoma, embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuro-ectodermal tumor and lipoma, which were completely negative for podoplanin. Since it is widely and highly expressed in nearly all kinds of soft tissue tumors, especially in spindle cell sarcoma, myxoid type soft tissue tumors and soft tissue tumors of the nervous system, podoplanin is considered to have little value in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue tumors.

Real-time forecasting at weekly timescales of the SST and SLA of the Ligurian Sea with a satellite-based ocean forecasting (SOFT) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ÁLvarez, A.; Orfila, A.; Tintoré, J.

2004-03-01

Satellites are the only systems able to provide continuous information on the spatiotemporal variability of vast areas of the ocean. Relatively long-term time series of satellite data are nowadays available. These spatiotemporal time series of satellite observations can be employed to build empirical models, called satellite-based ocean forecasting (SOFT) systems, to forecast certain aspects of future ocean states. SOFT systems can predict satellite-observed fields at different timescales. The forecast skill of SOFT systems forecasting the sea surface temperature (SST) at monthly timescales has been extensively explored in previous works. In this work we study the performance of two SOFT systems forecasting, respectively, the SST and sea level anomaly (SLA) at weekly timescales, that is, providing forecasts of the weekly averaged SST and SLA fields with 1 week in advance. The SOFT systems were implemented in the Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea). Predictions from the SOFT systems are compared with observations and with the predictions obtained from persistence models. Results indicate that the SOFT system forecasting the SST field is always superior in terms of predictability to persistence. Minimum prediction errors in the SST are obtained during winter and spring seasons. On the other hand, the biggest differences between the performance of SOFT and persistence models are found during summer and autumn. These changes in the predictability are explained on the basis of the particular variability of the SST field in the Ligurian Sea. Concerning the SLA field, no improvements with respect to persistence have been found for the SOFT system forecasting the SLA field.

Carbonated beverages consumption among New Zealand youth and associations with BMI and waist circumference.

PubMed

Sundborn, G; Utter, J; Teevale, T; Metcalf, P; Jackson, R

2014-03-01

The primary aim of this study was to describe the carbonated beverage (soft drink) consumption patterns of New Zealand (NZ) youth and to investigate the influence that home availability of soft drinks had on their consumption. A secondary aim was to determine if there was an association between soft drink consumption and body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. Data from Youth '07, a nationally representative survey of the health and well-being of NZ youth, including 8,697 NZ students aged 13 to 17 years, were analysed. The relevant data was available for 8697 students of whom 4633 identified as NZ European. 1621 Māori, 1.098 Asian, 834 Pacific, and 504 Other. Twenty nine percent (29%) were categorised as high consumers of soft drinks (>4 times a week), 45.4% were moderate consumers (1-3 times a week), and 25.6% were low consumers (had not consumed soft drinks in the past week). Male gender, Pacific ethnicity, and high deprivation were all significantly associated with being in the high consumer group. Fifty eight percent (58%) of children who reported that soft drinks were 'usually' available at home were in the high consumption group, compared to 15.1% of children who reported that these drinks were never available at home. After adjusting for possible confounders, waist circumference was significantly associated with soft drink consumption (p<0.05), however, BMI was not. Mean soft drink consumption for boys was 3.5 times per week and was 2.0 for girls. This study provides detailed information on soft drink consumption patterns of NZ youth and highlights factors associated with high consumption. Moderating the availability of soft drinks in the home is likely to significantly reduce their consumption among NZ youth.

Zero-Echo-Time and Dixon Deep Pseudo-CT (ZeDD CT): Direct Generation of Pseudo-CT Images for Pelvic PET/MRI Attenuation Correction Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks with Multiparametric MRI.

PubMed

Leynes, Andrew P; Yang, Jaewon; Wiesinger, Florian; Kaushik, Sandeep S; Shanbhag, Dattesh D; Seo, Youngho; Hope, Thomas A; Larson, Peder E Z

2018-05-01

Accurate quantification of uptake on PET images depends on accurate attenuation correction in reconstruction. Current MR-based attenuation correction methods for body PET use a fat and water map derived from a 2-echo Dixon MRI sequence in which bone is neglected. Ultrashort-echo-time or zero-echo-time (ZTE) pulse sequences can capture bone information. We propose the use of patient-specific multiparametric MRI consisting of Dixon MRI and proton-density-weighted ZTE MRI to directly synthesize pseudo-CT images with a deep learning model: we call this method ZTE and Dixon deep pseudo-CT (ZeDD CT). Methods: Twenty-six patients were scanned using an integrated 3-T time-of-flight PET/MRI system. Helical CT images of the patients were acquired separately. A deep convolutional neural network was trained to transform ZTE and Dixon MR images into pseudo-CT images. Ten patients were used for model training, and 16 patients were used for evaluation. Bone and soft-tissue lesions were identified, and the SUV max was measured. The root-mean-squared error (RMSE) was used to compare the MR-based attenuation correction with the ground-truth CT attenuation correction. Results: In total, 30 bone lesions and 60 soft-tissue lesions were evaluated. The RMSE in PET quantification was reduced by a factor of 4 for bone lesions (10.24% for Dixon PET and 2.68% for ZeDD PET) and by a factor of 1.5 for soft-tissue lesions (6.24% for Dixon PET and 4.07% for ZeDD PET). Conclusion: ZeDD CT produces natural-looking and quantitatively accurate pseudo-CT images and reduces error in pelvic PET/MRI attenuation correction compared with standard methods. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

The Clinical Utilisation of Respiratory Elastance Software (CURE Soft): a bedside software for real-time respiratory mechanics monitoring and mechanical ventilation management.

PubMed

Szlavecz, Akos; Chiew, Yeong Shiong; Redmond, Daniel; Beatson, Alex; Glassenbury, Daniel; Corbett, Simon; Major, Vincent; Pretty, Christopher; Shaw, Geoffrey M; Benyo, Balazs; Desaive, Thomas; Chase, J Geoffrey

2014-09-30

Real-time patient respiratory mechanics estimation can be used to guide mechanical ventilation settings, particularly, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). This work presents a software, Clinical Utilisation of Respiratory Elastance (CURE Soft), using a time-varying respiratory elastance model to offer this ability to aid in mechanical ventilation treatment. CURE Soft is a desktop application developed in JAVA. It has two modes of operation, 1) Online real-time monitoring decision support and, 2) Offline for user education purposes, auditing, or reviewing patient care. The CURE Soft has been tested in mechanically ventilated patients with respiratory failure. The clinical protocol, software testing and use of the data were approved by the New Zealand Southern Regional Ethics Committee. Using CURE Soft, patient's respiratory mechanics response to treatment and clinical protocol were monitored. Results showed that the patient's respiratory elastance (Stiffness) changed with the use of muscle relaxants, and responded differently to ventilator settings. This information can be used to guide mechanical ventilation therapy and titrate optimal ventilator PEEP. CURE Soft enables real-time calculation of model-based respiratory mechanics for mechanically ventilated patients. Results showed that the system is able to provide detailed, previously unavailable information on patient-specific respiratory mechanics and response to therapy in real-time. The additional insight available to clinicians provides the potential for improved decision-making, and thus improved patient care and outcomes.

A new ChainMail approach for real-time soft tissue simulation.

PubMed

Zhang, Jinao; Zhong, Yongmin; Smith, Julian; Gu, Chengfan

2016-07-03

This paper presents a new ChainMail method for real-time soft tissue simulation. This method enables the use of different material properties for chain elements to accommodate various materials. Based on the ChainMail bounding region, a new time-saving scheme is developed to improve computational efficiency for isotropic materials. The proposed method also conserves volume and strain energy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ChainMail method can not only accommodate isotropic, anisotropic and heterogeneous materials but also model incompressibility and relaxation behaviors of soft tissues. Further, the proposed method can achieve real-time computational performance.

Fabrication and characterization of bending and pressure sensors for a soft prosthetic hand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, Rui Pedro; Alhais Lopes, Pedro; de Almeida, Anibal T.; Tavakoli, Mahmoud; Majidi, Carmel

2018-03-01

We demonstrate fabrication, characterization, and implementation of ‘soft-matter’ pressure and bending sensors for a soft robotic hand. The elastomer-based sensors are embedded in a robot finger composed of a 3D printed endoskeleton and covered by an elastomeric skin. Two types of sensors are evaluated, resistive pressure sensors and capacitive pressure sensors. The sensor is fabricated entirely out of insulating and conductive rubber, the latter composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer embedded with a percolating network of structured carbon black (CB). The sensor-integrated fingers have a simple materials architecture, can be fabricated with standard rapid prototyping methods, and are inexpensive to produce. When incorporated into a robotic hand, the CB-PDMS sensors and PDMS carrier medium function as an ‘artificial skin’ for touch and bend detection. Results show improved response with a capacitive sensor architecture, which, unlike a resistive sensor, is robust to electromechanical hysteresis, creep, and drift in the CB-PDMS composite. The sensorized fingers are integrated in an anthropomorphic hand and results for a variety of grasping tasks are presented.

Integration of parts in the facial skeleton and cervical vertebrae.

PubMed

McCane, Brendan; Kean, Martin R

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to undertake an exploratory analysis of the relationship among parts in the facial skeleton and cervical vertebrae and their integration as 2-dimensional shapes by determining their individual variations and covariations. The study was motivated by considerations applicable to clinical orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery, in which such relationships bear directly on pretreatment analysis and assessment of posttreatment outcome. Lateral radiographs of 61 adolescents of both sexes without major malocclusions were digitized and marked up by using continuous outline spline curves for 8 defined parts in the facial skeleton, including the cervical vertebrae. Individual part variation was analyzed by using principal components analysis, and paired part covariation was analyzed by using 2-block partial least squares analysis in 2 modes: relative size, position, and shape; and shape only. For individual part variations, cranial base, soft-tissue profile, and mandible had the largest variations across the sample. For covariation of relative size, position, and shape, the cervical vertebrae were highly correlated with the cranial base (r = 0.80), nasomaxillary complex (r = 0.70), mandible (r = 0.74), maxillary dentition (r = 0.70), and mandibular dentition (r = 0.74); the maxillary dentition and mandibular dentition were highly correlated (r = 0.70); the mandible was highly correlated with the bony profile (r = 0.72), soft-tissue profile (r = 0.79), and, to a lesser extent, the cranial base (r = 0.67); the bony profile was highly correlated with the cranial base (r = 0.70) and soft-tissue profile (r = 0.80); the soft-tissue profile was highly correlated with the nasomaxillary dentition (r = 0.81). Covariation of shape only was much weaker with significant covariations found between bony profile and mandible (r = 0.53), bony profile and mandibular dentition (r = 0.65), mandibular dentition and soft-tissue profile (r = 0.54), mandibular dentition and maxillary dentition (r = 0.55), and bony profile and soft-tissue profile (r = 0.69). We found that integration of the shape of parts in the facial skeleton and cervical vertebrae is weak; it is the relative size, position, and orientation of parts that form the strongest correlations. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shafer, Morgan W; Battaglia, D. J.; Unterberg, Ezekial A

A new tangential 2D Soft X-Ray Imaging System (SXRIS) is being designed to examine the edge magnetic island structure in the lower X-point region of DIII-D. A synthetic diagnostic calculation coupled to 3D emissivity estimates is used to generate phantom images. Phillips-Tikhonov regularization is used to invert the phantom images for comparison to the original emissivity model. Noise level, island size, and equilibrium accuracy are scanned to assess the feasibility of detecting edge island structures. Models of typical DIII-D discharges indicate integration times > 1 ms with accurate equilibrium reconstruction are needed for small island (< 3 cm) detection.

Chest Wall Diseases: Respiratory Pathophysiology.

PubMed

Tzelepis, George E

2018-06-01

The chest wall consists of various structures that function in an integrated fashion to ventilate the lungs. Disorders affecting the bony structures or soft tissues of the chest wall may impose elastic loads by stiffening the chest wall and decreasing respiratory system compliance. These alterations increase the work of breathing and lead to hypoventilation and hypercapnia. Respiratory failure may occur acutely or after a variable period of time. This review focuses on the pathophysiology of respiratory function in specific diseases and disorders of the chest wall, and highlights pathogenic mechanisms of respiratory failure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of magnetoelectric nanocomposite for soft technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitla, Yugandhar; Chu, Ying-Hao

2018-06-01

The proliferation of flexible and stretchable electronics has led to substantial advancements in principles, material combinations and technologies. The integration of magnetoelectric systems in soft electronics is inevitable by virtue of their extensive applications. Recently, 2D layered materials have emerged as potential candidates due to their excellent flexibility and atomic-scale thickness scalability in addition to their interesting physics. This paper presents a new perspective on the development of magnetoelectric nanocomposites through materials engineering on a pliant mica with excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical stabilities. The unique features of 2D muscovite mica and the power of van der Waals epitaxy are expected to contribute significantly to the emerging transparent soft-technology research applications.

Optical characterization of tissue mimicking phantoms by a vertical double integrating sphere system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yilin; Jia, Qiumin; Shen, Shuwei; Liu, Guangli; Guo, Yuwei; Zhou, Ximing; Chu, Jiaru; Zhao, Gang; Dong, Erbao; Allen, David W.; Lemaillet, Paul; Xu, Ronald

2016-03-01

Accurate characterization of absorption and scattering properties for biologic tissue and tissue-simulating materials enables 3D printing of traceable tissue-simulating phantoms for medical spectral device calibration and standardized medical optical imaging. Conventional double integrating sphere systems have several limitations and are suboptimal for optical characterization of liquid and soft materials used in 3D printing. We propose a vertical double integrating sphere system and the associated reconstruction algorithms for optical characterization of phantom materials that simulate different human tissue components. The system characterizes absorption and scattering properties of liquid and solid phantom materials in an operating wavelength range from 400 nm to 1100 nm. Absorption and scattering properties of the phantoms are adjusted by adding titanium dioxide powder and India ink, respectively. Different material compositions are added in the phantoms and characterized by the vertical double integrating sphere system in order to simulate the human tissue properties. Our test results suggest that the vertical integrating sphere system is able to characterize optical properties of tissue-simulating phantoms without precipitation effect of the liquid samples or wrinkling effect of the soft phantoms during the optical measurement.

Functional Attachment of Soft Tissues to Bone: Development, Healing, and Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Lu, Helen H.; Thomopoulos, Stavros

2014-01-01

Connective tissues such as tendons or ligaments attach to bone across a multitissue interface with spatial gradients in composition, structure, and mechanical properties. These gradients minimize stress concentrations and mediate load transfer between the soft and hard tissues. Given the high incidence of tendon and ligament injuries and the lack of integrative solutions for their repair, interface regeneration remains a significant clinical challenge. This review begins with a description of the developmental processes and the resultant structure-function relationships that translate into the functional grading necessary for stress transfer between soft tissue and bone. It then discusses the interface healing response, with a focus on the influence of mechanical loading and the role of cell-cell interactions. The review continues with a description of current efforts in interface tissue engineering, highlighting key strategies for the regeneration of the soft tissue–to-bone interface, and concludes with a summary of challenges and future directions. PMID:23642244

Robust and Soft Elastomeric Electronics Tolerant to Our Daily Lives.

PubMed

Sekiguchi, Atsuko; Tanaka, Fumiaki; Saito, Takeshi; Kuwahara, Yuki; Sakurai, Shunsuke; Futaba, Don N; Yamada, Takeo; Hata, Kenji

2015-09-09

Clothes represent a unique textile, as they simultaneously provide robustness against our daily activities and comfort (i.e., softness). For electronic devices to be fully integrated into clothes, the devices themselves must be as robust and soft as the clothes themselves. However, to date, no electronic device has ever possessed these properties, because all contain components fabricated from brittle materials, such as metals. Here, we demonstrate robust and soft elastomeric devices where every component possesses elastomeric characteristics with two types of single-walled carbon nanotubes added to provide the necessary electronic properties. Our elastomeric field effect transistors could tolerate every punishment our clothes experience, such as being stretched (elasticity: ∼ 110%), bent, compressed (>4.0 MPa, by a car and heels), impacted (>6.26 kg m/s, by a hammer), and laundered. Our electronic device provides a novel design principle for electronics and wide range applications even in research fields where devices cannot be used.

Hard sphere perturbation theory for fluids with soft-repulsive-core potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Amotz, Dor; Stell, George

2004-03-01

The thermodynamic properties of fluids with very soft repulsive-core potentials, resembling those of some liquid metals, are predicted with unprecedented accuracy using a new first-order thermodynamic perturbation theory. This theory is an extension of Mansoori-Canfield/Rasaiah-Stell (MCRS) perturbation theory, obtained by including a configuration integral correction recently identified by Mon, who evaluated it by computer simulation. In this work we derive an analytic expression for Mon's correction in terms of the radial distribution function of the soft-core fluid, g0(r), approximated using Lado's self-consistent extension of Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) theory. Comparisons with WCA and MCRS predictions show that our new extended-MCRS theory outperforms other first-order theories when applied to fluids with very soft inverse-power potentials (n⩽6), and predicts free energies that are within 0.3kT of simulation results up to the fluid freezing point.

A study of the cross-correlation and time lag in black hole X-ray binary XTE J1859+226

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Songpeng; Ding, Guoqiang; Li, Zhibing; Lei, Yajuan; Yuen, Rai; Qu, Jinlu

2017-07-01

With Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) data, we systematically study the cross-correlation and time lag in all spectral states of black hole X-ray binary (BHXB) XTE J1859+226 in detail during its entire 1999-2000 outburst that lasted for 166 days. Anti-correlations and positive correlations and their respective soft and hard X-ray lags are only detected in the first 100 days of the outburst when the luminosity is high. This suggests that the cross-correlations may be related to high luminosity. Positive correlations are detected in every state of XTE J1859+226, viz., hard state, hard-intermediate state (HIMS), soft-intermediate state (SIMS) and soft state. However, anti-correlations are only detected in HIMS and SIMS, anti-correlated hard lags are only detected in SIMS, while anti-correlated soft lags are detected in both HIMS and SIMS. Moreover, the ratio of the observations with anti-correlated soft lags to hard lags detected in XTE J1859+226 is significantly different from that in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs). So far, anti-correlations are never detected in the soft state of BHXBs but detected in every branch or state of NS LMXBs. This may be due to the origin of soft seed photons in BHXBs is confined to the accretion disk and, for NS LMXBs, from both accretion disk and the surface of the NS. We notice that the timescale of anti-correlated time lags detected in XTE J1859+226 is similar with that of other BHXBs and NS LMXBs. We suggest that anti-correlated soft lag detected in BHXB may result from fluctuation in the accretion disk as well as NS LMXB.

Integrated photonics using colloidal quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menon, Vinod M.; Husaini, Saima; Okoye, Nicky; Valappil, Nikesh V.

2009-11-01

Integrated photonic devices were realized using colloidal quantum dot composites such as flexible microcavity laser, microdisk emitters and integrated active-passive waveguides. The microcavity laser structure was realized using spin coating and consisted of an all-polymer distributed Bragg reflector with a poly-vinyl carbazole cavity layer embedded with InGaP/ZnS colloidal quantum dots. These microcavities can be peeled off the substrate yielding a flexible structure that can conform to any shape and whose emission spectra can be mechanically tuned. Planar photonic devices consisting of vertically coupled microring resonators, microdisk emitters, active-passive integrated waveguide structures and coupled active microdisk resonators were realized using soft lithography, photo-lithography, and electron beam lithography, respectively. The gain medium in all these devices was a composite consisting of quantum dots embedded in SU8 matrix. Finally, the effect of the host matrix on the optical properties of the quantum dots using results of steady-state and time-resolved luminescence measurements was determined. In addition to their specific functionalities, these novel device demonstrations and their development present a low-cost alternative to the traditional photonic device fabrication techniques.

General Biology and Current Management Approaches of Soft Scale Pests (Hemiptera: Coccidae)

PubMed Central

Camacho, Ernesto Robayo; Chong, Juang-Horng

2015-01-01

We summarize the economic importance, biology, and management of soft scales, focusing on pests of agricultural, horticultural, and silvicultural crops in outdoor production systems and urban landscapes. We also provide summaries on voltinism, crawler emergence timing, and predictive models for crawler emergence to assist in developing soft scale management programs. Phloem-feeding soft scale pests cause direct (e.g., injuries to plant tissues and removal of nutrients) and indirect damage (e.g., reduction in photosynthesis and aesthetic value by honeydew and sooty mold). Variations in life cycle, reproduction, fecundity, and behavior exist among congenerics due to host, environmental, climatic, and geographical variations. Sampling of soft scale pests involves sighting the insects or their damage, and assessing their abundance. Crawlers of most univoltine species emerge in the spring and the summer. Degree-day models and plant phenological indicators help determine the initiation of sampling and treatment against crawlers (the life stage most vulnerable to contact insecticides). The efficacy of cultural management tactics, such as fertilization, pruning, and irrigation, in reducing soft scale abundance is poorly documented. A large number of parasitoids and predators attack soft scale populations in the field; therefore, natural enemy conservation by using selective insecticides is important. Systemic insecticides provide greater flexibility in application method and timing, and have longer residual longevity than contact insecticides. Application timing of contact insecticides that coincides with crawler emergence is most effective in reducing soft scale abundance. PMID:26823990

Time-Dependent Searches for Point Sources of Neutrinos with the 40-String and 22-String Configurations of IceCube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stamatikos, M.

2012-01-01

This paper presents four searches for flaring sources of neutrinos using the IceCube neutrino telescope. For the first time, a search is performed over the entire parameter space of energy, direction and time with sensitivity to neutrino flares lasting between 20 microseconds and a year duration from astrophysical sources. Searches which integrate over time are less sensitive to flares because they are affected by a larger background of atmospheric neutrinos and muons that can be reduced by the use of additional timing information. Flaring sources considered here, such as active galactic nuclei, soft gamma ray repeaters and gamma-ray bursts, are promising candidate neutrino emitters. Two searches are untriggered in the sense that they look for any possible flare in the entire sky and from a predefined catalog of sources from which photon flares have been recorded. The other two searches are triggered by multi-wavelength information on flares from blazars and from a soft gamma-ray repeater. One triggered search uses lightcurves from Fermi-LAT which provides continuous monitoring. A second triggered search uses information where the flux states have been measured only for short periods of time near the flares. The untriggered searches use data taken by 40 strings of IceCube between Apr 5, 2008 and May 20, 2009. The triggered searches also use data taken by the 22-string configuration of IceCube operating between May 31, 2007 and Apr 5, 2008. The results from all four searches are compatible with a fluctuation of the background.

Time-dependent Searches for Point Sources of Neutrinos with the 40-string and 22-string Configurations of IceCube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R.; Abdou, Y.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Adams, J.; Aguilar, J. A.; Ahlers, M.; Andeen, K.; Auffenberg, J.; Bai, X.; Baker, M.; Barwick, S. W.; Bay, R.; Bazo Alba, J. L.; Beattie, K.; Beatty, J. J.; Bechet, S.; Becker, J. K.; Becker, K.-H.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; BenZvi, S.; Berdermann, J.; Berghaus, P.; Berley, D.; Bernardini, E.; Bertrand, D.; Besson, D. Z.; Bindig, D.; Bissok, M.; Blaufuss, E.; Blumenthal, J.; Boersma, D. J.; Bohm, C.; Bose, D.; Böser, S.; Botner, O.; Braun, J.; Brown, A. M.; Buitink, S.; Carson, M.; Chirkin, D.; Christy, B.; Clem, J.; Clevermann, F.; Cohen, S.; Colnard, C.; Cowen, D. F.; D'Agostino, M. V.; Danninger, M.; Daughhetee, J.; Davis, J. C.; De Clercq, C.; Demirörs, L.; Denger, T.; Depaepe, O.; Descamps, F.; Desiati, P.; de Vries-Uiterweerd, G.; DeYoung, T.; Díaz-Vélez, J. C.; Dierckxsens, M.; Dreyer, J.; Dumm, J. P.; Ehrlich, R.; Eisch, J.; Ellsworth, R. W.; Engdegård, O.; Euler, S.; Evenson, P. A.; Fadiran, O.; Fazely, A. R.; Fedynitch, A.; Feusels, T.; Filimonov, K.; Finley, C.; Fischer-Wasels, T.; Foerster, M. M.; Fox, B. D.; Franckowiak, A.; Franke, R.; Gaisser, T. K.; Gallagher, J.; Geisler, M.; Gerhardt, L.; Gladstone, L.; Glüsenkamp, T.; Goldschmidt, A.; Goodman, J. A.; Grant, D.; Griesel, T.; Groß, A.; Grullon, S.; Gurtner, M.; Ha, C.; Hallgren, A.; Halzen, F.; Han, K.; Hanson, K.; Heinen, D.; Helbing, K.; Herquet, P.; Hickford, S.; Hill, G. C.; Hoffman, K. D.; Homeier, A.; Hoshina, K.; Hubert, D.; Huelsnitz, W.; Hülß, J.-P.; Hulth, P. O.; Hultqvist, K.; Hussain, S.; Ishihara, A.; Jacobsen, J.; Japaridze, G. S.; Johansson, H.; Joseph, J. M.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kappes, A.; Karg, T.; Karle, A.; Kelley, J. L.; Kenny, P.; Kiryluk, J.; Kislat, F.; Klein, S. R.; Köhne, J.-H.; Kohnen, G.; Kolanoski, H.; Köpke, L.; Kopper, S.; Koskinen, D. J.; Kowalski, M.; Kowarik, T.; Krasberg, M.; Krings, T.; Kroll, G.; Kuehn, K.; Kurahashi, N.; Kuwabara, T.; Labare, M.; Lafebre, S.; Laihem, K.; Landsman, H.; Larson, M. J.; Lauer, R.; Lünemann, J.; Madsen, J.; Majumdar, P.; Marotta, A.; Maruyama, R.; Mase, K.; Matis, H. S.; Meagher, K.; Merck, M.; Mészáros, P.; Meures, T.; Middell, E.; Milke, N.; Miller, J.; Montaruli, T.; Morse, R.; Movit, S. M.; Nahnhauer, R.; Nam, J. W.; Naumann, U.; Nießen, P.; Nygren, D. R.; Odrowski, S.; Olivas, A.; Olivo, M.; O'Murchadha, A.; Ono, M.; Panknin, S.; Paul, L.; Pérez de los Heros, C.; Petrovic, J.; Piegsa, A.; Pieloth, D.; Porrata, R.; Posselt, J.; Price, P. B.; Prikockis, M.; Przybylski, G. T.; Rawlins, K.; Redl, P.; Resconi, E.; Rhode, W.; Ribordy, M.; Rizzo, A.; Rodrigues, J. P.; Roth, P.; Rothmaier, F.; Rott, C.; Ruhe, T.; Rutledge, D.; Ruzybayev, B.; Ryckbosch, D.; Sander, H.-G.; Santander, M.; Sarkar, S.; Schatto, K.; Schmidt, T.; Schönwald, A.; Schukraft, A.; Schultes, A.; Schulz, O.; Schunck, M.; Seckel, D.; Semburg, B.; Seo, S. H.; Sestayo, Y.; Seunarine, S.; Silvestri, A.; Slipak, A.; Spiczak, G. M.; Spiering, C.; Stamatikos, M.; Stanev, T.; Stephens, G.; Stezelberger, T.; Stokstad, R. G.; Stössl, A.; Stoyanov, S.; Strahler, E. A.; Straszheim, T.; Stür, M.; Sullivan, G. W.; Swillens, Q.; Taavola, H.; Taboada, I.; Tamburro, A.; Tepe, A.; Ter-Antonyan, S.; Tilav, S.; Toale, P. A.; Toscano, S.; Tosi, D.; Turčan, D.; van Eijndhoven, N.; Vandenbroucke, J.; Van Overloop, A.; van Santen, J.; Vehring, M.; Voge, M.; Walck, C.; Waldenmaier, T.; Wallraff, M.; Walter, M.; Weaver, Ch.; Wendt, C.; Westerhoff, S.; Whitehorn, N.; Wiebe, K.; Wiebusch, C. H.; Williams, D. R.; Wischnewski, R.; Wissing, H.; Wolf, M.; Woschnagg, K.; Xu, C.; Xu, X. W.; Yodh, G.; Yoshida, S.; Zarzhitsky, P.; IceCube Collaboration

2012-01-01

This paper presents four searches for flaring sources of neutrinos using the IceCube neutrino telescope. For the first time, a search is performed over the entire parameter space of energy, direction, and time with sensitivity to neutrino flares lasting between 20 μs and a year duration from astrophysical sources. Searches that integrate over time are less sensitive to flares because they are affected by a larger background of atmospheric neutrinos and muons that can be reduced by the use of additional timing information. Flaring sources considered here, such as active galactic nuclei, soft gamma-ray repeaters, and gamma-ray bursts, are promising candidate neutrino emitters. Two searches are "untriggered" in the sense that they look for any possible flare in the entire sky and from a predefined catalog of sources from which photon flares have been recorded. The other two searches are triggered by multi-wavelength information on flares from blazars and from a soft gamma-ray repeater. One triggered search uses lightcurves from Fermi-LAT which provides continuous monitoring. A second triggered search uses information where the flux states have been measured only for short periods of time near the flares. The untriggered searches use data taken by 40 strings of IceCube between 2008 April 5 and 2009 May 20. The triggered searches also use data taken by the 22-string configuration of IceCube operating between 2007 May 31 and 2008 April 5. The results from all four searches are compatible with a fluctuation of the background.

Time-Dependent Searches for Point Sources of Neutrinos with the 4O-String and 22-String Configurations of IceCube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbasi, R.; Abdou, Y.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Adams, J.; Aguilar, J. A.; Ahlers, M.; Andeen, K.; Auffenberg, J.; Bai, X.; Baker, M.;

Soft sensor for monitoring biomass subpopulations in mammalian cell culture processes.

PubMed

Kroll, Paul; Stelzer, Ines V; Herwig, Christoph

2017-11-01

Biomass subpopulations in mammalian cell culture processes cause impurities and influence productivity, which requires this critical process parameter to be monitored in real-time. For this reason, a novel soft sensor concept for estimating viable, dead and lysed cell concentration was developed, based on the robust and cheap in situ measurements of permittivity and turbidity in combination with a simple model. It could be shown that the turbidity measurements contain information about all investigated biomass subpopulations. The novelty of the developed soft sensor is the real-time estimation of lysed cell concentration, which is directly correlated to process-related impurities such as DNA and host cell protein in the supernatant. Based on data generated by two fed-batch processes the developed soft sensor is described and discussed. The presented soft sensor concept provides a tool for viable, dead and lysed cell concentration estimation in real-time with adequate accuracy and enables further applications with respect to process optimization and control.

A soft biomolecule actuator based on a highly functionalized bacterial cellulose nano-fiber network with carboxylic acid groups.

PubMed

Wang, Fan; Jeon, Jin-Han; Park, Sukho; Kee, Chang-Doo; Kim, Seong-Jun; Oh, Il-Kwon

2016-01-07

Upcoming human-related applications such as soft wearable electronics, flexible haptic systems, and active bio-medical devices will require bio-friendly actuating materials. Here, we report a soft biomolecule actuator based on carboxylated bacterial cellulose (CBC), ionic liquid (IL), and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) ( PSS) electrodes. Soft and biocompatible polymer-IL composites were prepared via doping of CBC with ILs. The highly conductive PSS layers were deposited on both sides of the CBC-IL membranes by a dip-coating technique to yield a sandwiched actuator system. Ionic conductivity and ionic exchange capacity of the CBC membrane can be increased up to 22.8 times and 1.5 times compared with pristine bacterial cellulose (BC), respectively, resulting in 8 times large bending deformation than the pure BC actuators with metallic electrodes in an open air environment. The developed CBC-IL actuators show significant progress in the development of biocompatible and soft actuating materials with quick response, low operating voltage and comparatively large bending deformation.

China’s Soft Power and Growing Influence in Southeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

appropriateness and positive or negative effects generated. In more recent times, China has had a diplomatic makeover and has begun utilizing its soft power...contexts, the United States is the focus of debate over its use of or lack of soft power and the appropriateness and positive or negative effects ...producer’s perspective but the receiver’s view of soft power that is essential. To determine the effectiveness of soft power, an analysis must be made of

High-density stretchable microelectrode arrays: An integrated technology platform for neural and muscular surface interfacing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Liang

2011-12-01

Numerous applications in neuroscience research and neural prosthetics, such as retinal prostheses, spinal-cord surface stimulation for prosthetics, electrocorticogram (ECoG) recording for epilepsy detection, etc., involve electrical interaction with soft excitable tissues using a surface stimulation and/or recording approach. These applications require an interface that is able to set up electrical communications with a high throughput between electronics and the excitable tissue and that can dynamically conform to the shape of the soft tissue. Being a compliant and biocompatible material with mechanical impedance close to that of soft tissues, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) offers excellent potential as the substrate material for such neural interfaces. However, fabrication of electrical functionalities on PDMS has long been very challenging. This thesis work has successfully overcome many challenges associated with PDMS-based microfabrication and achieved an integrated technology platform for PDMS-based stretchable microelectrode arrays (sMEAs). This platform features a set of technological advances: (1) we have fabricated uniform current density profile microelectrodes as small as 10 mum in diameter; (2) we have patterned high-resolution (feature as small as 10 mum), high-density (pitch as small as 20 mum) thin-film gold interconnects on PDMS substrate; (3) we have developed a multilayer wiring interconnect technology within the PDMS substrate to further boost the achievable integration density of such sMEA; and (4) we have invented a bonding technology---via-bonding---to facilitate high-resolution, high-density integration of the sMEA with integrated circuits (ICs) to form a compact implant. Taken together, this platform provides a high-resolution, high-density integrated system solution for neural and muscular surface interfacing. sMEAs of example designs are evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experimentations on their biocompatibility, surface conformability, and surface recording/stimulation capabilities, with a focus on epimysial (i.e. on the surface of muscle) applications. Finally, as an example medical application, we investigate a prosthesis for unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP) based on simultaneous multichannel epimysial recording and stimulation.

Prototype design of a wearable metal hydride actuator using a soft bellows for motor rehabilitation.

PubMed

Ino, Shuichi; Sato, Mitsuru; Hosono, Minako; Nakajima, Sawako; Yamashita, Kazuhiko; Tanaka, Toshiaki; Izumi, Takashi

2008-01-01

A bedside and home rehabilitation system for people with motor disabilities due to stroke or the aging process requires a human-compatible actuator with softness, low noise and a high power-to-weight ratio. To achieve these types of joint motor rehabilitation systems, we designed a wearable metal hydride (MH) actuator using a soft bellows. The purpose of the current study is the development the soft and light bellows made of a polymer laminate film for the MH actuator. As a result of experimental tests, this soft bellows weighs 20 times less and stretches 30 times longer than the metal bellows used in a conventional MH actuator, and it has hydrogen impermeability, flex durability and adequate compliance for human joints. The MH actuator using the soft bellows can drive at a slow and safe enough speed for motor rehabilitation of patients' limbs. These preliminary findings support the efficacy of an MH actuator with a soft bellows for the purpose of developing a system for motor rehabilitation or human power assist.

A prototype percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography training simulator with real-time breathing motion.

PubMed

Villard, P F; Vidal, F P; Hunt, C; Bello, F; John, N W; Johnson, S; Gould, D A

2009-11-01

We present here a simulator for interventional radiology focusing on percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC). This procedure consists of inserting a needle into the biliary tree using fluoroscopy for guidance. The requirements of the simulator have been driven by a task analysis. The three main components have been identified: the respiration, the real-time X-ray display (fluoroscopy) and the haptic rendering (sense of touch). The framework for modelling the respiratory motion is based on kinematics laws and on the Chainmail algorithm. The fluoroscopic simulation is performed on the graphic card and makes use of the Beer-Lambert law to compute the X-ray attenuation. Finally, the haptic rendering is integrated to the virtual environment and takes into account the soft-tissue reaction force feedback and maintenance of the initial direction of the needle during the insertion. Five training scenarios have been created using patient-specific data. Each of these provides the user with variable breathing behaviour, fluoroscopic display tuneable to any device parameters and needle force feedback. A detailed task analysis has been used to design and build the PTC simulator described in this paper. The simulator includes real-time respiratory motion with two independent parameters (rib kinematics and diaphragm action), on-line fluoroscopy implemented on the Graphics Processing Unit and haptic feedback to feel the soft-tissue behaviour of the organs during the needle insertion.

Towards human-controlled, real-time shape sensing based flexible needle steering for MRI-guided percutaneous therapies.

PubMed

Li, Meng; Li, Gang; Gonenc, Berk; Duan, Xingguang; Iordachita, Iulian

2017-06-01

Accurate needle placement into soft tissue is essential to percutaneous prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment procedures. This paper discusses the steering of a 20 gauge (G) FBG-integrated needle with three sets of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. A fourth-order polynomial shape reconstruction method is introduced and compared with previous approaches. To control the needle, a bicycle model based navigation method is developed to provide visual guidance lines for clinicians. A real-time model updating method is proposed for needle steering inside inhomogeneous tissue. A series of experiments were performed to evaluate the proposed needle shape reconstruction, visual guidance and real-time model updating methods. Targeting experiments were performed in soft plastic phantoms and in vitro tissues with insertion depths ranging between 90 and 120 mm. Average targeting errors calculated based upon the acquired camera images were 0.40 ± 0.35 mm in homogeneous plastic phantoms, 0.61 ± 0.45 mm in multilayer plastic phantoms and 0.69 ± 0.25 mm in ex vivo tissue. Results endorse the feasibility and accuracy of the needle shape reconstruction and visual guidance methods developed in this work. The approach implemented for the multilayer phantom study could facilitate accurate needle placement efforts in real inhomogeneous tissues. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Just-in-Time Correntropy Soft Sensor with Noisy Data for Industrial Silicon Content Prediction.

PubMed

Chen, Kun; Liang, Yu; Gao, Zengliang; Liu, Yi

2017-08-08

Development of accurate data-driven quality prediction models for industrial blast furnaces encounters several challenges mainly because the collected data are nonlinear, non-Gaussian, and uneven distributed. A just-in-time correntropy-based local soft sensing approach is presented to predict the silicon content in this work. Without cumbersome efforts for outlier detection, a correntropy support vector regression (CSVR) modeling framework is proposed to deal with the soft sensor development and outlier detection simultaneously. Moreover, with a continuous updating database and a clustering strategy, a just-in-time CSVR (JCSVR) method is developed. Consequently, more accurate prediction and efficient implementations of JCSVR can be achieved. Better prediction performance of JCSVR is validated on the online silicon content prediction, compared with traditional soft sensors.

Just-in-Time Correntropy Soft Sensor with Noisy Data for Industrial Silicon Content Prediction

PubMed Central

Chen, Kun; Liang, Yu; Gao, Zengliang; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Development of accurate data-driven quality prediction models for industrial blast furnaces encounters several challenges mainly because the collected data are nonlinear, non-Gaussian, and uneven distributed. A just-in-time correntropy-based local soft sensing approach is presented to predict the silicon content in this work. Without cumbersome efforts for outlier detection, a correntropy support vector regression (CSVR) modeling framework is proposed to deal with the soft sensor development and outlier detection simultaneously. Moreover, with a continuous updating database and a clustering strategy, a just-in-time CSVR (JCSVR) method is developed. Consequently, more accurate prediction and efficient implementations of JCSVR can be achieved. Better prediction performance of JCSVR is validated on the online silicon content prediction, compared with traditional soft sensors. PMID:28786957

Composite elastomeric polyurethane scaffolds incorporating small intestinal submucosa for soft tissue engineering.

PubMed

Da, Lincui; Gong, Mei; Chen, Anjing; Zhang, Yi; Huang, Yizhou; Guo, Zhijun; Li, Shengfu; Li-Ling, Jesse; Zhang, Li; Xie, Huiqi

2017-09-01

Although soft tissue replacement has been clinically successful in many cases, the corresponding procedure has many limitations including the lack of resilience and mechanical integrity, significant donor-site morbidity, volume loss with time, and fibrous capsular contracture. These disadvantages can be alleviated by utilizing bio-absorbable scaffolds with high resilience and large strain, which are capable of stimulating natural tissue regeneration. Hence, the chemically crosslinked tridimensional scaffolds obtained by incorporating water-based polyurethane (PU) (which was synthesized from polytetramethylene ether glycol, isophorone diisocyanate, and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) butyric acid) into a bioactive extracellular matrix consisting of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) have been tested in this study to develop a new approach for soft tissue engineering. After characterizing the structure and properties of the produced PU/SIS composites, the strength, Young's modulus, and resilience of wet PU/SIS samples were compared with those of crosslinked PU. In addition, the fabricated specimens were investigated using human umbilical vein endothelial cells to evaluate their ability to enhance cell attachment and proliferation. As a result, the synthesized PU/SIS samples exhibited high resilience and were capable of enhancing cell viability with no evidence of cytotoxicity. Subcutaneous implantation in animals and the subsequent testing conducted after 2, 4, and 8weeks indicated that sound implant integration and vascularization occurred inside the PU/SIS composites, while the presence of SIS promoted cell infiltration, angiogenesis, and ultimately tissue regeneration. The obtained results revealed that the produced PU/SIS composites were characterized by high bioactivity and resilience, and, therefore, could be used for soft tissue engineering applications. Hybrid composites containing synthetic polymers with high mechanical strength and naturally derived components, which create a bio-mimetic environment, are one of the most promising biomaterials. Although synthetic polymer/ECM composites have been previously used for soft tissue repair, their resilience properties were not investigated in sufficient detail, while the development of elastic composites composed of synthetic polymers and ECMs in nontoxic aqueous solutions remains a rather challenging task. In this study, porous PU/SIS composites were fabricated in a non-toxic manner; the obtained materials exhibited sufficient mechanical support, which promote cell growth, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration. The described method can be adapted for the development of scaffolds with various acellular matrices and subsequently used during the restoration of particular types of tissue. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and simulation of soft sensor design for real-time speed and position estimation of PMSM.

PubMed

Omrane, Ines; Etien, Erik; Dib, Wissam; Bachelier, Olivier

2015-07-01

This paper deals with the design of a speed soft sensor for permanent magnet synchronous motor. At high speed, model-based soft sensor is used and it gives excellent results. However, it fails to deliver satisfactory performance at zero or very low speed. High-frequency soft sensor is used at low speed. We suggest to use a model-based soft sensor together with the high-frequency soft sensor to overcome the limitations of the first one at low speed range. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soft tissue modelling with conical springs.

PubMed

Omar, Nadzeri; Zhong, Yongmin; Jazar, Reza N; Subic, Aleksandar; Smith, Julian; Shirinzadeh, Bijan

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new method for real-time modelling soft tissue deformation. It improves the traditional mass-spring model with conical springs to deal with nonlinear mechanical behaviours of soft tissues. A conical spring model is developed to predict soft tissue deformation with reference to deformation patterns. The model parameters are formulated according to tissue deformation patterns and the nonlinear behaviours of soft tissues are modelled with the stiffness variation of conical spring. Experimental results show that the proposed method can describe different tissue deformation patterns using one single equation and also exhibit the typical mechanical behaviours of soft tissues.

Energy efficiency of mobile soft robots.

PubMed

Shui, Langquan; Zhu, Liangliang; Yang, Zhe; Liu, Yilun; Chen, Xi

2017-11-15

The performance of mobile soft robots is usually characterized by their locomotion/velocity efficiency, whereas the energy efficiency is a more intrinsic and fundamental criterion for the performance evaluation of independent or integrated soft robots. In this work, a general framework is established to evaluate the energy efficiency of mobile soft robots by considering the efficiency of the energy source, actuator and locomotion, and some insights for improving the efficiency of soft robotic systems are presented. Proposed as the ratio of the desired locomotion kinetic energy to the input mechanical energy, the energy efficiency of locomotion is found to play a critical role in determining the overall energy efficiency of soft robots. Four key factors related to the locomotion energy efficiency are identified, that is, the locomotion modes, material properties, geometric sizes, and actuation states. It is found that the energy efficiency of most mobile soft robots reported in the literature is surprisingly low (mostly below 0.1%), due to the inefficient mechanical energy that essentially does not contribute to the desired locomotion. A comparison of the locomotion energy efficiency for several representative locomotion modes in the literature is presented, showing a descending ranking as: jumping ≫ fish-like swimming > snake-like slithering > rolling > rising/turning over > inchworm-like inching > quadruped gait > earthworm-like squirming. Besides, considering the same locomotion mode, soft robots with lower stiffness, higher density and larger size tend to have higher locomotion energy efficiency. Moreover, a periodic pulse actuation instead of a continuous actuation mode may significantly reduce the input mechanical energy, thus improving the locomotion energy efficiency, especially when the pulse actuation matches the resonant states of the soft robots. The results presented herein indicate a large and necessary space for improving the locomotion energy efficiency, which is of practical significance for the future development and application of soft robots.

Dynamic soft variable structure control of singular systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yunlong; Zhang, Caihong; Gao, Cunchen

2012-08-01

The dynamic soft variable structure control (VSC) of singular systems is discussed in this paper. The definition of soft VSC and the design of its controller modes are given. The stability of singular systems with the dynamic soft VSC is proposed. The dynamic soft variable structure controller is designed, and the concrete algorithm on the dynamic soft VSC is given. The dynamic soft VSC of singular systems which was developed for the purpose of intentionally precluding chattering, achieving high regulation rates and shortening settling times enhanced the dynamic quality of the systems. It is illustrated the feasibility and validity of the proposed strategy by a simulation example, and an outlook on its auspicious further development is presented.

Soft Tissue Tumor Immunohistochemistry Update: Illustrative Examples of Diagnostic Pearls to Avoid Pitfalls.

PubMed

Wei, Shi; Henderson-Jackson, Evita; Qian, Xiaohua; Bui, Marilyn M

2017-08-01

- Current 2013 World Health Organization classification of tumors of soft tissue arranges these tumors into 12 groups according to their histogenesis. Tumor behavior is classified as benign, intermediate (locally aggressive), intermediate (rarely metastasizing), and malignant. In our practice, a general approach to reaching a definitive diagnosis of soft tissue tumors is to first evaluate clinicoradiologic, histomorphologic, and cytomorphologic features of the tumor to generate some pertinent differential diagnoses. These include the potential line of histogenesis and whether the tumor is benign or malignant, and low or high grade. Although molecular/genetic testing is increasingly finding its applications in characterizing soft tissue tumors, currently immunohistochemistry still not only plays an indispensable role in defining tumor histogenesis, but also serves as a surrogate for underlining molecular/genetic alterations. Objective- To provide an overview focusing on the current concepts in the classification and diagnosis of soft tissue tumors, incorporating immunohistochemistry. This article uses examples to discuss how to use the traditional and new immunohistochemical markers for the diagnosis of soft tissue tumors. Practical diagnostic pearls, summary tables, and figures are used to show how to avoid diagnostic pitfalls. - Data were obtained from pertinent peer-reviewed English-language literature and the authors' first-hand experience as bone and soft tissue pathologists. - -The ultimate goal for a pathologist is to render a specific diagnosis that provides diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic information to guide patient care. Immunohistochemistry is integral to the diagnosis and management of soft tissue tumors.

Soft γ-ray selected radio galaxies: favouring giant size discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassani, L.; Venturi, T.; Molina, M.; Malizia, A.; Dallacasa, D.; Panessa, F.; Bazzano, A.; Ubertini, P.

2016-09-01

Using the recent INTEGRAL/IBIS and Swift/BAT surveys we have extracted a sample of 64 confirmed plus three candidate radio galaxies selected in the soft gamma-ray band. The sample covers all optical classes and is dominated by objects showing a Fanaroff-Riley type II radio morphology; a large fraction (70 per cent) of the sample is made of `radiative mode' or high-excitation radio galaxies. We measured the source size on images from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey, the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at twenty-cm and the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey images and have compared our findings with data in the literature obtaining a good match. We surprisingly found that the soft gamma-ray selection favours the detection of large size radio galaxies: 60 per cent of objects in the sample have size greater than 0.4 Mpc while around 22 per cent reach dimension above 0.7 Mpc at which point they are classified as giant radio galaxies (GRGs), the largest and most energetic single entities in the Universe. Their fraction among soft gamma-ray selected radio galaxies is significantly larger than typically found in radio surveys, where only a few per cent of objects (1-6 per cent) are GRGs. This may partly be due to observational biases affecting radio surveys more than soft gamma-ray surveys, thus disfavouring the detection of GRGs at lower frequencies. The main reasons and/or conditions leading to the formation of these large radio structures are still unclear with many parameters such as high jet power, long activity time and surrounding environment all playing a role; the first two may be linked to the type of active galactic nucleus discussed in this work and partly explain the high fraction of GRGs found in the present sample. Our result suggests that high energy surveys may be a more efficient way than radio surveys to find these peculiar objects.

Advantages of soft subdural implants for the delivery of electrochemical neuromodulation therapies to the spinal cord

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capogrosso, Marco; Gandar, Jerome; Greiner, Nathan; Moraud, Eduardo Martin; Wenger, Nikolaus; Shkorbatova, Polina; Musienko, Pavel; Minev, Ivan; Lacour, Stephanie; Courtine, Grégoire

2018-04-01

Objective. We recently developed soft neural interfaces enabling the delivery of electrical and chemical stimulation to the spinal cord. These stimulations restored locomotion in animal models of paralysis. Soft interfaces can be placed either below or above the dura mater. Theoretically, the subdural location combines many advantages, including increased selectivity of electrical stimulation, lower stimulation thresholds, and targeted chemical stimulation through local drug delivery. However, these advantages have not been documented, nor have their functional impact been studied in silico or in a relevant animal model of neurological disorders using a multimodal neural interface. Approach. We characterized the recruitment properties of subdural interfaces using a realistic computational model of the rat spinal cord that included explicit representation of the spinal roots. We then validated and complemented computer simulations with electrophysiological experiments in rats. We additionally performed behavioral experiments in rats that received a lateral spinal cord hemisection and were implanted with a soft interface. Main results. In silico and in vivo experiments showed that the subdural location decreased stimulation thresholds compared to the epidural location while retaining high specificity. This feature reduces power consumption and risks of long-term damage in the tissues, thus increasing the clinical safety profile of this approach. The hemisection induced a transient paralysis of the leg ipsilateral to the injury. During this period, the delivery of electrical stimulation restricted to the injured side combined with local chemical modulation enabled coordinated locomotor movements of the paralyzed leg without affecting the non-impaired leg in all tested rats. Electrode properties remained stable over time, while anatomical examinations revealed excellent bio-integration properties. Significance. Soft neural interfaces inserted subdurally provide the opportunity to deliver electrical and chemical neuromodulation therapies using a single, bio-compatible and mechanically compliant device that effectively alleviates locomotor deficits after spinal cord injury.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, Edward J., Jr.; Henry, Karen Lynne

Sandia National Laboratories develops technologies to: (1) sustain, modernize, and protect our nuclear arsenal (2) Prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction; (3) Provide new capabilities to our armed forces; (4) Protect our national infrastructure; (5) Ensure the stability of our nation's energy and water supplies; and (6) Defend our nation against terrorist threats. We identified the need for a single overarching Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) that would enable us to focus on customer missions and improve FMOC processes. Our team selected highly configurable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software with out-of-the-box workflow processes that integrate strategic planning, project management, facilitymore » assessments, and space management, and can interface with existing systems, such as Oracle, PeopleSoft, Maximo, Bentley, and FileNet. We selected the Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) from Tririga, Inc. Facility Management System (FMS) Benefits are: (1) Create a single reliable source for facility data; (2) Improve transparency with oversight organizations; (3) Streamline FMOC business processes with a single, integrated facility-management tool; (4) Give customers simple tools and real-time information; (5) Reduce indirect costs; (6) Replace approximately 30 FMOC systems and 60 homegrown tools (such as Microsoft Access databases); and (7) Integrate with FIMS.« less

Scalable Sub-micron Patterning of Organic Materials Toward High Density Soft Electronics.

PubMed

Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Jaehyun; Jo, Sangho; Kang, Jingu; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Lee, Woobin; Hwang, Chahwan; Moon, Juhyuk; Yang, Lin; Kim, Yun-Hi; Noh, Yong-Young; Jaung, Jae Yun; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Park, Sung Kyu

2015-09-28

The success of silicon based high density integrated circuits ignited explosive expansion of microelectronics. Although the inorganic semiconductors have shown superior carrier mobilities for conventional high speed switching devices, the emergence of unconventional applications, such as flexible electronics, highly sensitive photosensors, large area sensor array, and tailored optoelectronics, brought intensive research on next generation electronic materials. The rationally designed multifunctional soft electronic materials, organic and carbon-based semiconductors, are demonstrated with low-cost solution process, exceptional mechanical stability, and on-demand optoelectronic properties. Unfortunately, the industrial implementation of the soft electronic materials has been hindered due to lack of scalable fine-patterning methods. In this report, we demonstrated facile general route for high throughput sub-micron patterning of soft materials, using spatially selective deep-ultraviolet irradiation. For organic and carbon-based materials, the highly energetic photons (e.g. deep-ultraviolet rays) enable direct photo-conversion from conducting/semiconducting to insulating state through molecular dissociation and disordering with spatial resolution down to a sub-μm-scale. The successful demonstration of organic semiconductor circuitry promise our result proliferate industrial adoption of soft materials for next generation electronics.

Scalable Sub-micron Patterning of Organic Materials Toward High Density Soft Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Jaehyun; Jo, Sangho; Kang, Jingu; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Lee, Woobin; Hwang, Chahwan; Moon, Juhyuk; Yang, Lin; Kim, Yun-Hi; Noh, Yong-Young; Yun Jaung, Jae; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Kyu Park, Sung

2015-09-01

The success of silicon based high density integrated circuits ignited explosive expansion of microelectronics. Although the inorganic semiconductors have shown superior carrier mobilities for conventional high speed switching devices, the emergence of unconventional applications, such as flexible electronics, highly sensitive photosensors, large area sensor array, and tailored optoelectronics, brought intensive research on next generation electronic materials. The rationally designed multifunctional soft electronic materials, organic and carbon-based semiconductors, are demonstrated with low-cost solution process, exceptional mechanical stability, and on-demand optoelectronic properties. Unfortunately, the industrial implementation of the soft electronic materials has been hindered due to lack of scalable fine-patterning methods. In this report, we demonstrated facile general route for high throughput sub-micron patterning of soft materials, using spatially selective deep-ultraviolet irradiation. For organic and carbon-based materials, the highly energetic photons (e.g. deep-ultraviolet rays) enable direct photo-conversion from conducting/semiconducting to insulating state through molecular dissociation and disordering with spatial resolution down to a sub-μm-scale. The successful demonstration of organic semiconductor circuitry promise our result proliferate industrial adoption of soft materials for next generation electronics.

Distinct charge dynamics in battery electrodes revealed by in situ and operando soft X-ray spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaosong; Wang, Dongdong; Liu, Gao; Srinivasan, Venkat; Liu, Zhi; Hussain, Zahid; Yang, Wanli

2013-01-01

Developing high-performance batteries relies on material breakthroughs. During the past few years, various in situ characterization tools have been developed and have become indispensible in studying and the eventual optimization of battery materials. However, soft X-ray spectroscopy, one of the most sensitive probes of electronic states, has been mainly limited to ex situ experiments for battery research. Here we achieve in situ and operando soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy of lithium-ion battery cathodes. Taking advantage of the elemental, chemical and surface sensitivities of soft X-rays, we discover distinct lithium-ion and electron dynamics in Li(Co1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3)O2 and LiFePO4 cathodes in polymer electrolytes. The contrast between the two systems and the relaxation effect in LiFePO4 is attributed to a phase transformation mechanism, and the mesoscale morphology and charge conductivity of the electrodes. These discoveries demonstrate feasibility and power of in situ soft X-ray spectroscopy for studying integrated and dynamic effects in batteries. PMID:24100759

Ultrasound elastography assessment of bone/soft tissue interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parmar, Biren J.; Yang, Xu; Chaudhry, Anuj; Shafeeq Shajudeen, Peer; Nair, Sanjay P.; Weiner, Bradley K.; Tasciotti, Ennio; Krouskop, Thomas A.; Righetti, Raffaella

2016-01-01

We report on the use of elastographic imaging techniques to assess the bone/soft tissue interface, a region that has not been previously investigated but may provide important information about fracture and bone healing. The performance of axial strain elastograms and axial shear strain elastograms at the bone/soft tissue interface was studied ex vivo on intact and fractured canine and ovine tibias. Selected ex vivo results were corroborated on intact sheep tibias in vivo. The elastography results were statistically analyzed using elastographic image quality tools. The results of this study demonstrate distinct patterns in the distribution of the normalized local axial strains and axial shear strains at the bone/soft tissue interface with respect to the background soft tissue. They also show that the relative strength and distribution of the elastographic parameters change in the presence of a fracture and depend on the degree of misalignment between the fracture fragments. Thus, elastographic imaging modalities might be used in the future to obtain information regarding the integrity of bones and to assess the severity of fractures, alignment of bone fragments as well as to follow bone healing.

An Implantable Extracardiac Soft Robotic Device for the Failing Heart: Mechanical Coupling and Synchronization.

PubMed

Payne, Christopher J; Wamala, Isaac; Abah, Colette; Thalhofer, Thomas; Saeed, Mossab; Bautista-Salinas, Daniel; Horvath, Markus A; Vasilyev, Nikolay V; Roche, Ellen T; Pigula, Frank A; Walsh, Conor J

2017-09-01

Soft robotic devices have significant potential for medical device applications that warrant safe synergistic interaction with humans. This article describes the optimization of an implantable soft robotic system for heart failure whereby soft actuators wrapped around the ventricles are programmed to contract and relax in synchrony with the beating heart. Elastic elements integrated into the soft actuators provide recoiling function so as to aid refilling during the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. Improved synchronization with the biological system is achieved by incorporating the native ventricular pressure into the control system to trigger assistance and synchronize the device with the heart. A three-state electro-pneumatic valve configuration allows the actuators to contract at different rates to vary contraction patterns. An in vivo study was performed to test three hypotheses relating to mechanical coupling and temporal synchronization of the actuators and heart. First, that adhesion of the actuators to the ventricles improves cardiac output. Second, that there is a contraction-relaxation ratio of the actuators which generates optimal cardiac output. Third, that the rate of actuator contraction is a factor in cardiac output.

Screen-based sedentary time: Association with soft drink consumption and the moderating effect of parental education in European children: The ENERGY study.

PubMed

Gebremariam, Mekdes K; Chinapaw, Mai J; Bringolf-Isler, Bettina; Bere, Elling; Kovacs, Eva; Verloigne, Maïté; Stok, F Marijn; Manios, Yannis; Brug, Johannes; Lien, Nanna

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to explore if children who spend more time on screen-based sedentary behaviors (i.e.TV viewing and computer use) drink more sugar-sweetened soft drinks. The study also assessed whether these associations were independent of individual and home environmental correlates of soft drink consumption and whether they were moderated by parental education. Data were collected from 7886 children participating in the EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth (ENERGY) survey conducted in eight European countries. Self-report questionnaires were used. Multilevel linear regression analyses with soft drink consumption as dependent variable, TV viewing and computer use as independent variables and age, gender, parental education, attitude towards soft drinks, self-efficacy, parental modelling, parental rules and home availability of soft drinks as covariates were conducted. Further interactions were tested to explore if these associations were moderated by parental education. Country-specific analyses were conducted. In six of the eight included countries, a significant positive association was observed between TV viewing (min/day) and soft drink consumption (ml/day), independent of individual and home environmental correlates of soft drink consumption (B = 0.46 (0.26-0.66) in Greece, B = 0.77 (0.36-1.17) in Norway, B = 0.82 (0.12-1.51) in Hungary, B = 1.06 (0.67-1.46) in Spain, B = 1.21 (0.67-1.74) in Belgium and B = 1.49 (0.72-2.27) in Switzerland). There was no significant association between computer use and soft drink consumption in six of the eight included countries in the final models. Moderation effects of parental education in the association between TV viewing and soft drink consumption were found in Norway and Hungary, the association being stronger among those with low parental education. TV viewing appears to be independently associated with soft drink consumption and this association was moderated by parental education in two countries only. Reducing TV time might therefore favorably impact soft drink consumption.

Screen-based sedentary time: Association with soft drink consumption and the moderating effect of parental education in European children: The ENERGY study

PubMed Central

Gebremariam, Mekdes K.; Chinapaw, Mai J.; Bringolf-Isler, Bettina; Bere, Elling; Kovacs, Eva; Verloigne, Maïté; Stok, F. Marijn; Manios, Yannis; Brug, Johannes; Lien, Nanna

2017-01-01

Aim The aim of the present study was to explore if children who spend more time on screen-based sedentary behaviors (i.e.TV viewing and computer use) drink more sugar-sweetened soft drinks. The study also assessed whether these associations were independent of individual and home environmental correlates of soft drink consumption and whether they were moderated by parental education. Methods Data were collected from 7886 children participating in the EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth (ENERGY) survey conducted in eight European countries. Self-report questionnaires were used. Multilevel linear regression analyses with soft drink consumption as dependent variable, TV viewing and computer use as independent variables and age, gender, parental education, attitude towards soft drinks, self-efficacy, parental modelling, parental rules and home availability of soft drinks as covariates were conducted. Further interactions were tested to explore if these associations were moderated by parental education. Country-specific analyses were conducted. Results In six of the eight included countries, a significant positive association was observed between TV viewing (min/day) and soft drink consumption (ml/day), independent of individual and home environmental correlates of soft drink consumption (B = 0.46 (0.26–0.66) in Greece, B = 0.77 (0.36–1.17) in Norway, B = 0.82 (0.12–1.51) in Hungary, B = 1.06 (0.67–1.46) in Spain, B = 1.21 (0.67–1.74) in Belgium and B = 1.49 (0.72–2.27) in Switzerland). There was no significant association between computer use and soft drink consumption in six of the eight included countries in the final models. Moderation effects of parental education in the association between TV viewing and soft drink consumption were found in Norway and Hungary, the association being stronger among those with low parental education. Conclusions TV viewing appears to be independently associated with soft drink consumption and this association was moderated by parental education in two countries only. Reducing TV time might therefore favorably impact soft drink consumption. PMID:28182671

Internal decapitation: survival after head to neck dissociation injuries.

PubMed

Ben-Galim, Peleg J; Sibai, Tarek A; Hipp, John A; Heggeness, Michael H; Reitman, Charles A

2008-07-15

Case series. To describe survival and outcomes after occipitocervical dissociation injuries. Historically, occipitocervical dissociation injuries have a high rate of associated neurologic deficit with a relatively high incidence of mortality. Six patients with occipitocervical dissociation injuries are reported and their management and imaging findings reviewed. Possible contributory factors for survival are discussed. All patients had upper neck and head dissociation injuries. The pattern of injury in all of these cases included a distraction type mechanism. All cases demonstrated soft tissue disruption in the zone of injury, which was consistent and apparent on all imaging studies. In these patients, the extent and severity of injury was more apparent on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) than on radiograph or computed tomography scan. Management of these injuries included immobilization followed by surgery with particular care taken to avoid application of distraction forces to the neck. Patients with occipitocervical dissociation injuries may survive their injury and even retain neurologic integrity. Initial in-line head stabilization is emphasized to prevent catastrophic neurologic injury. The resting osseous relationships and vertebral alignment at the time of imaging evaluation may be deceivingly normal, and the damage often primarily or exclusively involves disruption of the perivertebral soft tissue structures. Prevertebral soft tissue swelling was apparent in all cases. For these injuries that involve primarily damage to the ligamentous structures, MRI seems to be the optimal test for revealing the magnitude of the injury.

Development and calibration of mirrors and gratings for the Soft X-ray materials science beamline at the Linac Coherent Light Source free-electron laser

DOE PAGES

Soufli, Regina; Fernandez-Perea, Monica; Baker, Sherry L.; ...

2012-04-18

This article discusses the development and calibration of the x-ray reflective and diffractive elements for the Soft X-ray Materials Science (SXR) beamline of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) free-electron laser (FEL), designed for operation in the 500 – 2000 eV region. The surface topography of three Si mirror substrates and two Si diffraction grating substrates was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical profilometry. The figure of the mirror substrates was also verified via surface slope measurements with a long trace profiler. A boron carbide (B 4C) coating especially optimized for the LCLS FEL conditions was deposited onmore » all SXR mirrors and gratings. Coating thickness uniformity of 0.14 nm root mean square (rms) across clear apertures extending to 205 mm length was demonstrated for all elements, as required to preserve the coherent wavefront of the LCLS source. The reflective performance of the mirrors and the diffraction efficiency of the gratings were calibrated at beamline 6.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source synchrotron. To verify the integrity of the nanometer-scale grating structure, the grating topography was examined by AFM before and after coating. This is to our knowledge the first time B 4C-coated diffraction gratings are demonstrated for operation in the soft x-ray region.« less

Fabricating microfluidic valve master molds in SU-8 photoresist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dy, Aaron J.; Cosmanescu, Alin; Sluka, James; Glazier, James A.; Stupack, Dwayne; Amarie, Dragos

2014-05-01

Multilayer soft lithography has become a powerful tool in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, material and life sciences, and medical research. Complex fluidic micro-circuits require reliable components that integrate easily into microchips. We introduce two novel approaches to master mold fabrication for constructing in-line micro-valves using SU-8. Our fabrication techniques enable robust and versatile integration of many lab-on-a-chip functions including filters, mixers, pumps, stream focusing and cell-culture chambers, with in-line valves. SU-8 created more robust valve master molds than the conventional positive photoresists used in multilayer soft lithography, but maintained the advantages of biocompatibility and rapid prototyping. As an example, we used valve master molds made of SU-8 to fabricate PDMS chips capable of precisely controlling beads or cells in solution.

Engineering vascularized soft tissue flaps in an animal model using human adipose–derived stem cells and VEGF+PLGA/PEG microspheres on a collagen-chitosan scaffold with a flow-through vascular pedicle

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qixu; Hubenak, Justin; Iyyanki, Tejaswi; Alred, Erik; Turza, Kristin C.; Davis, Greg; Chang, Edward I.; Branch-Brooks, Cynthia D.; Beahm, Elisabeth K.; Butler, Charles E.

2015-01-01

Insufficient neovascularization is associated with high levels of resorption and necrosis in autologous and engineered fat grafts. We tested the hypothesis that incorporating angiogenic growth factor into a scaffold–stem cell construct and implanting this construct around a vascular pedicle improves neovascularization and adipogenesis for engineering soft tissue flaps. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic-acid/polyethylene glycol (PLGA/PEG) microspheres containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were impregnated into collagen-chitosan scaffolds seeded with human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). This setup was analyzed in vitro and then implanted into isolated chambers around a discrete vascular pedicle in nude rats. Engineered tissue samples within the chambers were harvested and analyzed for differences in vascularization and adipose tissue growth. In vitro testing showed that the collagen-chitosan scaffold provided a supportive environment for hASC integration and proliferation. PLGA/PEG microspheres with slow-release VEGF had no negative effect on cell survival in collagen-chitosan scaffolds. In vivo, the system resulted in a statistically significant increase in neovascularization that in turn led to a significant increase in adipose tissue persistence after 8 weeks versus control constructs. These data indicate that our model—hASCs integrated with a collagen-chitosan scaffold incorporated with VEGF-containing PLGA/PEG microspheres supported by a predominant vascular vessel inside a chamber—provides a promising, clinically translatable platform for engineering vascularized soft tissue flap. The engineered adipose tissue with a vascular pedicle could conceivably be transferred as a vascularized soft tissue pedicle flap or free flap to a recipient site for the repair of soft-tissue defects. PMID:26410787

Developments in undergraduate teaching of small-animal soft-tissue surgical skills at the University of Sydney.

PubMed

Gopinath, Deepa; McGreevy, Paul D; Zuber, Richard M; Klupiec, Corinna; Baguley, John; Barrs, Vanessa R

2012-01-01

This article discusses recent developments in soft-tissue surgery teaching at the University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science. An integrated teaching program was developed for Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) students with the aim of providing them with optimal learning opportunities to meet "Day One" small-animal soft-tissue surgical competencies. Didactic lectures and tutorials were introduced earlier into the curriculum to prepare students for live-animal surgery practical. In addition to existing clinics, additional spay/neuter clinics were established in collaboration with animal welfare organizations to increase student exposure to live-animal surgery. A silicon-based, life-like canine ovariohysterectomy model was developed with the assistance of a model-making and special effects company. The model features elastic ovarian pedicles and suspensory ligaments, which can be stretched and broken like those of an actual dog. To monitor the volume and type of student surgical experience, an E-portfolio resource was established. This resource allows for the tracking of numbers of live, student-performed desexing surgeries and incorporates competency-based assessments and reflective tasks to be completed by students. Student feedback on the integrated surgical soft-tissue teaching program was assessed. Respondents were assessed in the fourth year of the degree and will have further opportunities to develop Day One small-animal soft-tissue surgical competencies in the fifth year. Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were motivated to participate in all aspects of the program, while 78% agreed or strongly agreed that they received an adequate opportunity to develop their skills and confidence in ovariohysterectomy or castration procedures through the fourth-year curriculum.

GRO J1655-40: Early Stages of the 2005 Outburst

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaposhnikov, N.; Swank, Jean; Shrader, C. R.; Rupen, M.; Beckmann, V.; Markwardt, C. B.; Smith, D. A.

2007-01-01

The black-hole X-ray binary transient GRO J1655-40 underwent an outburst beginning in early 2005. We present the results of our multi-wavelength observational campaign to study the early outburst spectral and temporal evolution, which combines data from X-ray (RXTE, INTEGRAL), radio (VLA) and optical (ROTSE, SMARTS) instruments. During the reported period the source left quiescence and went through four major accreting black hole states: low-hard, hard intermediate, soft intermediate and high-soft. We investigated dipping behavior in the RXTE band and compare our results to the 1996-1997 case, when the source was predominantly in the high-soft state, finding significant differences. We consider the evolution of the low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations and find that the frequency strongly correlates with the spectral characteristics, before shutting off prior to the transition to the high-soft state. We model the broad-band high-energy spectrum in the context of empirical models, as well as more physically motivated thermal and bulk-motion Comptonization and Compton reflection models. RXTE and INTEGRAL data together support a statistically significant high energy cut-off in the energy spectrum at approximately equal to 100 - 200 keV during the low-hard state. The RXTE data alone also show it very significantly during the transition, but cannot see one in the high-soft state spectra. We consider radio, optical and X-ray connections in the context of possible synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton origins of X-ray emission in low-hard and intermediate states. In this outburst of GRO J1655-40, the radio flux does not rise strongly with the X-ray flux.

Ultrasensitive Wearable Soft Strain Sensors of Conductive, Self-healing, and Elastic Hydrogels with Synergistic "Soft and Hard" Hybrid Networks.

PubMed

Liu, Yan-Jun; Cao, Wen-Tao; Ma, Ming-Guo; Wan, Pengbo

2017-08-02

Robust, stretchable, and strain-sensitive hydrogels have recently attracted immense research interest because of their potential application in wearable strain sensors. The integration of the synergistic characteristics of decent mechanical properties, reliable self-healing capability, and high sensing sensitivity for fabricating conductive, elastic, self-healing, and strain-sensitive hydrogels is still a great challenge. Inspired by the mechanically excellent and self-healing biological soft tissues with hierarchical network structures, herein, functional network hydrogels are fabricated by the interconnection between a "soft" homogeneous polymer network and a "hard" dynamic ferric (Fe 3+ ) cross-linked cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs-Fe 3+ ) network. Under stress, the dynamic CNCs-Fe 3+ coordination bonds act as sacrificial bonds to efficiently dissipate energy, while the homogeneous polymer network leads to a smooth stress-transfer, which enables the hydrogels to achieve unusual mechanical properties, such as excellent mechanical strength, robust toughness, and stretchability, as well as good self-recovery property. The hydrogels demonstrate autonomously self-healing capability in only 5 min without the need of any stimuli or healing agents, ascribing to the reorganization of CNCs and Fe 3+ via ionic coordination. Furthermore, the resulted hydrogels display tunable electromechanical behavior with sensitive, stable, and repeatable variations in resistance upon mechanical deformations. Based on the tunable electromechanical behavior, the hydrogels can act as a wearable strain sensor to monitor finger joint motions, breathing, and even the slight blood pulse. This strategy of building synergistic "soft and hard" structures is successful to integrate the decent mechanical properties, reliable self-healing capability, and high sensing sensitivity together for assembling a high-performance, flexible, and wearable strain sensor.

Engineering vascularized soft tissue flaps in an animal model using human adipose-derived stem cells and VEGF+PLGA/PEG microspheres on a collagen-chitosan scaffold with a flow-through vascular pedicle.

PubMed

Zhang, Qixu; Hubenak, Justin; Iyyanki, Tejaswi; Alred, Erik; Turza, Kristin C; Davis, Greg; Chang, Edward I; Branch-Brooks, Cynthia D; Beahm, Elisabeth K; Butler, Charles E

2015-12-01

Insufficient neovascularization is associated with high levels of resorption and necrosis in autologous and engineered fat grafts. We tested the hypothesis that incorporating angiogenic growth factor into a scaffold-stem cell construct and implanting this construct around a vascular pedicle improves neovascularization and adipogenesis for engineering soft tissue flaps. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic-acid/polyethylene glycol (PLGA/PEG) microspheres containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were impregnated into collagen-chitosan scaffolds seeded with human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). This setup was analyzed in vitro and then implanted into isolated chambers around a discrete vascular pedicle in nude rats. Engineered tissue samples within the chambers were harvested and analyzed for differences in vascularization and adipose tissue growth. In vitro testing showed that the collagen-chitosan scaffold provided a supportive environment for hASC integration and proliferation. PLGA/PEG microspheres with slow-release VEGF had no negative effect on cell survival in collagen-chitosan scaffolds. In vivo, the system resulted in a statistically significant increase in neovascularization that in turn led to a significant increase in adipose tissue persistence after 8 weeks versus control constructs. These data indicate that our model-hASCs integrated with a collagen-chitosan scaffold incorporated with VEGF-containing PLGA/PEG microspheres supported by a predominant vascular vessel inside a chamber-provides a promising, clinically translatable platform for engineering vascularized soft tissue flap. The engineered adipose tissue with a vascular pedicle could conceivably be transferred as a vascularized soft tissue pedicle flap or free flap to a recipient site for the repair of soft-tissue defects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smart textiles for tactile sensing and energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorgutsa, Stepan

During my master's I have mainly worked on two subjects in the research area of electroactive smart textiles. My first project involved building a touch sensitive textile pad using original home-made all-polymer soft capacitor fibers. The capacitor fibers featuring relatively high capacitance and resistance were fabricated using fiber drawing technique. For the ease of connectorization, a thin copper wire was integrated into the fiber core during drawing procedure. Soft-capacitor fibers have a typical capacitance per unit length of 69 nF/m, and a typical resistivity parameter of 5 kΩ·m. Our measurements and theoretical modeling show that the fiber capacitance is a very stable, geometry defined parameter independent of the fiber diameter, and fiber fabrication parameters. In contrast, fiber resistivity has a very strong positive temperature coefficient, it is highly sensitive to stretching, and it is strongly dependent on the fiber drawing parameters. Next, an individual capacitor fiber was demonstrated to act as a slide sensor that allows determining the touch position along its length by measuring the fiber AC response at a single point at the fiber surface. Electrical response of such a sensor was described by the RC ladder model, with the modelling data in excellent agreement with experimental observations. Developed capacitor fibers are soft, small diameter, lightweight and do not use liquid electrolytes, thus they are ideally suited for the integration into textile products. At the end of the chapter, we have demonstrated that by weaving a one dimensional array of capacitor fibers (in parallel to each other) a fully woven 2D touchpad sensor could be build. Performance of a touchpad sensor was then characterised and the absence of the inter-channel crosstalk was confirmed. We also note that a 2D touchpad has a partial multi-touch functionality. My second project involved assembly of flexible and stretchable Li-ion batteries, their integration into a textile, and their electric characterization in a view of smart textile applications. The chemistry for the battery was developed by my colleague Y. Liu who has combined the relatively conventional Li battery materials including LiFePO4 cathode, Li4Ti 5O12 anode and PEO solid electrolyte into a non-conventional soft electrochemical battery system. I have experimentally demonstrated that flexible batteries can be first cast as sheets, and then cut into thin strips, and finally integrated into textile using conventional weaving techniques. The electrochemical performance of the film batteries was extensively characterized and found to be poorer compared to the performance of batteries based on the powder electrodes and liquid electrolytes. At the same time, cycling performance of the solid film batteries was stable, and together with their soft leather-like feel and appearance, this makes such batteries well suitable for smart textile applications. Although operating voltage of a single flexible battery is relatively low (˜0.3V), nevertheless, when several of them are connected in series, the net voltage can be large enough for practical applications. Finally, as a demonstrator of the technology I have tested a textile battery comprising 8 flexible battery strips woven together and connectorized in series to power up a 3V LED over several hours.

Exploring the Hard and Soft X-ray Emission of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Martino, D.; Anzolin, G.; Bonnet-Bidaud, J.-M.; Falanga, M.; Matt, G.; Mouchet, M.; Mukai, K.; Masetti, N.

2009-05-01

A non-negligible fraction of galactic hard (>20 keV) X-ray sources were identified as CVs of the magnetic Intermediate Polar type in INTEGRAL, SWIFT and RXTE surveys, that suggests a still hidden but potentially important population of faint hard X-ray sources. Simbol-X has the unique potential to simultaneously characterize their variable and complex soft and hard X-ray emission thus allowing to understand their putative role in galactic populations of X-ray sources.

Effects of shoe cushioning upon ground reaction forces in running.

PubMed

Clarke, T E; Frederick, E C; Cooper, L B

1983-11-01

To determine the effects of widely varying amounts of cushioning upon vertical force (VF) parameters, ten male subjects, (mean weight = 68.0 kg) ran at a speed of 4.5 m . s-1 (6 min/mile pace) and contacted a Kistler force platform. Two shoes were tested: a hard one and a softer shoe that had 50% more cushioning as measured by an instrumented impact tester. Five right footfalls were collected for each shoe on each subject during which the ground reaction forces were sampled at 500 HZ using a PDP 11/34 minicomputer. Eight parameters from the VF data obtained for each trial were selected for analysis and compared statistically using a paired difference t test. It was found [force magnitudes expressed in multiples of body weight (BW)] that the time to the vertical force impact peak (VFIP) was significantly longer (hard = 22.5 ms, soft = 26.6 ms) in the soft shoe; however, no differences were seen in the magnitudes (hard = 2.30 BW, soft = 2.34 BW). The minimum after the VFIP was also significantly delayed in the soft shoe (hard = 33.8 ms, soft = 37.9 ms) and was significantly greater in the soft shoe (hard = 1.46 BW, soft = 1.90 BW). The peak VF propulsive force occurred statistically at the same time in both shoes (hard = 85.7 ms, soft = 84.0 ms), but was significantly greater in the soft shoe (hard = 2.73 BW, soft = 2.83 BW).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Deterministic Integration of Biological and Soft Materials onto 3D Microscale Cellular Frameworks

PubMed Central

McCracken, Joselle M.; Xu, Sheng; Badea, Adina; Jang, Kyung-In; Yan, Zheng; Wetzel, David J.; Nan, Kewang; Lin, Qing; Han, Mengdi; Anderson, Mikayla A.; Lee, Jung Woo; Wei, Zijun; Pharr, Matt; Wang, Renhan; Su, Jessica; Rubakhin, Stanislav S.; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

2018-01-01

Complex 3D organizations of materials represent ubiquitous structural motifs found in the most sophisticated forms of matter, the most notable of which are in life-sustaining hierarchical structures found in biology, but where simpler examples also exist as dense multilayered constructs in high-performance electronics. Each class of system evinces specific enabling forms of assembly to establish their functional organization at length scales not dissimilar to tissue-level constructs. This study describes materials and means of assembly that extend and join these disparate systems—schemes for the functional integration of soft and biological materials with synthetic 3D microscale, open frameworks that can leverage the most advanced forms of multilayer electronic technologies, including device-grade semiconductors such as monocrystalline silicon. Cellular migration behaviors, temporal dependencies of their growth, and contact guidance cues provided by the nonplanarity of these frameworks illustrate design criteria useful for their functional integration with living matter (e.g., NIH 3T3 fibroblast and primary rat dorsal root ganglion cell cultures). PMID:29552634

Develop a Business Plan. Phase 1. Information Accumulation and Integration

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

INTEGRATION EXHIBIT VIII I I 3 Behind the Price Tag of a S73.00 Skirt Poly/ coton skidr wholesale price. S35.00: reail price. S73.00. Behind the Price Tag... Finishing SpinningI Technology & Weaving Technology 1 Quality Government Regulations1 Flexibility I I IEXCERPTED FROM: 16th ANNUAL RETAIL/SOFT GOODS BUSINESS

Plastic masters-rigid templates for soft lithography.

PubMed

Desai, Salil P; Freeman, Dennis M; Voldman, Joel

2009-06-07

We demonstrate a simple process for the fabrication of rigid plastic master molds for soft lithography directly from (poly)dimethysiloxane devices. Plastics masters (PMs) provide a cost-effective alternative to silicon-based masters and can be easily replicated without the need for cleanroom facilities. We have successfully demonstrated the use of plastics micromolding to generate both single and dual-layer plastic structures, and have characterized the fidelity of the molding process. Using the PM fabrication technique, world-to-chip connections can be integrated directly into the master enabling devices with robust, well-aligned fluidic ports directly after molding. PMs provide an easy technique for the fabrication of microfluidic devices and a simple route for the scaling-up of fabrication of robust masters for soft lithography.

Power law X- and gamma-ray emission from relativistic thermal plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zdziarski, A. A.

1984-01-01

Pair equilibrium in thermal plasmas emitting power law photon spectra by repeated Compton scatterings of a soft photon source active galactic nuclei was studied. Dependence of the spectral index on optical thickness and on temperature of the plasma is discussed. The equation for pair equilibrium is solved for the maximum steady luminosity. Analytical solutions for the subrelativistic region, and for the ultrarelativistic region are found. In the transrelativistic region the solutions are expressed by single integrals over the pair production cross sections, performed numerically. The constraints on soft photon source imposed by the condition that the soft photon flux cannot exceed the black-body flux are considered. For the Comptonized synchrotron radiation model a relation between magnetic field strength and output luminosity is found.

Risk assessment framework on time impact: Infrastructure projects in soft soil during construction stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, W. W.; Wong, K. S.; Lee, J. L.

2018-04-01

With the growth of economy and population, there is an increase in infrastructure construction projects. As such, it is unavoidable to have construction projects on soft soil. Without proper risk management plan, construction projects are vulnerable to different types of risks which will have negative impact on project’s time, cost and quality. Literature review showed that little or none of the research is focused on the risk assessment on the infrastructure project in soft soil. Hence, the aim of this research is to propose a risk assessment framework in infrastructure projects in soft soil during the construction stage. This research was focused on the impact of risks on project time and internal risk factors. The research method was Analytical Hierarchy Process and the sample population was experienced industry experts who have experience in infrastructure projects. Analysis was completed and result showed that for internal factors, the five most significant risks on time element are lack of special equipment, potential contractual disputes and claims, shortage of skilled workers, delay/lack of materials supply, and insolvency of contractor/sub-contractor. Results indicated that resources risk factor play a critical role on project time frame in infrastructure projects in soft soil during the construction stage.

Non-rigid registration for fusion of carotid vascular ultrasound and MRI volumetric datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, R. C.; Sokka, S.; Hinton, D.; Houser, S.; Manzke, R.; Hanekamp, A.; Reddy, V. Y.; Kaazempur-Mofrad, M. R.; Rasche, V.

2006-03-01

In carotid plaque imaging, MRI provides exquisite soft-tissue characterization, but lacks the temporal resolution for tissue strain imaging that real-time 3D ultrasound (3DUS) can provide. On the other hand, real-time 3DUS currently lacks the spatial resolution of carotid MRI. Non-rigid alignment of ultrasound and MRI data is essential for integrating complementary morphology and biomechanical information for carotid vascular assessment. We assessed non-rigid registration for fusion of 3DUS and MRI carotid data based on deformable models which are warped to maximize voxel similarity. We performed validation in vitro using isolated carotid artery imaging. These samples were subjected to soft-tissue deformations during 3DUS and were imaged in a static configuration with standard MR carotid pulse sequences. Registration of the source ultrasound sequences to the target MR volume was performed and the mean absolute distance between fiducials within the ultrasound and MR datasets was measured to determine inter-modality alignment quality. Our results indicate that registration errors on the order of 1mm are possible in vitro despite the low-resolution of current generation 3DUS transducers. Registration performance should be further improved with the use of higher frequency 3DUS prototypes and efforts are underway to test those probes for in vivo 3DUS carotid imaging.

Soft tissue deformation estimation by spatio-temporal Kalman filter finite element method.

PubMed

Yarahmadian, Mehran; Zhong, Yongmin; Gu, Chengfan; Shin, Jaehyun

2018-01-01

Soft tissue modeling plays an important role in the development of surgical training simulators as well as in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgeries. It has been known that while the traditional Finite Element Method (FEM) promises the accurate modeling of soft tissue deformation, it still suffers from a slow computational process. This paper presents a Kalman filter finite element method to model soft tissue deformation in real time without sacrificing the traditional FEM accuracy. The proposed method employs the FEM equilibrium equation and formulates it as a filtering process to estimate soft tissue behavior using real-time measurement data. The model is temporally discretized using the Newmark method and further formulated as the system state equation. Simulation results demonstrate that the computational time of KF-FEM is approximately 10 times shorter than the traditional FEM and it is still as accurate as the traditional FEM. The normalized root-mean-square error of the proposed KF-FEM in reference to the traditional FEM is computed as 0.0116. It is concluded that the proposed method significantly improves the computational performance of the traditional FEM without sacrificing FEM accuracy. The proposed method also filters noises involved in system state and measurement data.

Soft-laser use in the preoperative preparation and postoperative treatment of the patients with chronic lung abscesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledin, A. O.; Dobkin, V. G.; Sadov, A. Y.; Galichev, K. V.; Rzeutsky, V. S.

1999-07-01

We counted expedient to include different methods of the soft-laser use in the preoperative medicinal program and in the postoperative period. During the preoperative preparation the basic group patients together with standard treatment received the combined soft-laser therapy, which included intravenous laser blood irradiation (ILBI) by He-Ve laser and external transcutaneous irradiation of the abscess projection by semi-conductorial arrenite-gallium laser. During postoperative treatment with ILBI remarkable changes were observed in the functional activity of the T- and B- cell. The soft-laser use allowed to achieve improvement of quality and shortening of terms of the preoperative preparation of 1,4 times, to level the immunosuppressive influence of surgery to reduce amount of the postoperative complications in 1,8 times and duration of the postoperative period in 1,5 times.

Sustaining Competitive Advantage: Mental Models and Organizational Learning for Future Marines

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

Soft Systems Methodology : Other Voices.” Systemic Practice and Action Research. 13, no. 6, (2000): 773. Larsen, Kai R. T., Claire McInerney...30. Mingers, John. “An Idea Ahead of Its Time: The History and Development of Soft Systems Methodology .” Systemic Practice and Action...Soft System Dynamics Methodology (SSDM): Combinging Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and System Dynamics (SD).” Systemic Practice and Action

Complex craniofacial advancement in paediatric patients: Piezoelectric and traditional technique evaluation.

PubMed

Spinelli, Giuseppe; Mannelli, Giuditta; Zhang, Yi Xin; Lazzeri, Davide; Spacca, Barbara; Genitori, Lorenzo; Raffaini, Mirco; Agostini, Tommaso

2015-10-01

The piezoelectric device allows bone cutting without damaging the surrounding soft tissues. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of this surgical instrument in paediatric craniofacial surgery in terms of safety and surgical outcomes. Thirteen consecutive paediatric patients underwent craniofacial Le Fort osteotomies type III and IV. The saw was used on the right side in seven patients and on the left side in six patients; the piezoelectric instrument was used on the right side in six patients and on the left side in seven patients. Intraoperative blood loss, surgical procedure length, incision precision, postoperative haematoma and swelling, and nerve impairment were evaluated to compare the outcomes of both procedures. A longer surgical procedure was observed in 28% of the patients when using the piezoelectric device (p = 0.032), with an intraoperative blood loss reduction of 18% (p = 0.156). Greater precision in bone cutting was reported, together with a reduction in the requirement to protect and incise adjacent soft tissues during piezoelectric osteotomies. There was a lower incidence of postoperative haematoma and swelling following piezo-osteotomy, and a significant reduction in postoperative nerve impairment (p = 0.002). The ultrasonic surgical device guaranteed a clean bone cut, preserving the integrity of the adjacent soft tissues beneath the bone. Although the time required for a piezoelectric osteotomy was longer, the total operation time remained approximately the same. In conclusion, the device's lack of power appears to be a minor problem compared with the advantages, and an ultrasonic device could be considered a valuable instrument for paediatric craniofacial advancement. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the tissue reaction to a new bilayered collagen matrix in vivo and its translation to the clinic.

PubMed

Ghanaati, Shahram; Schlee, Markus; Webber, Matthew J; Willershausen, Ines; Barbeck, Mike; Balic, Ela; Görlach, Christoph; Stupp, Samuel I; Sader, Robert A; Kirkpatrick, C James

2011-02-01

This study evaluates a new collagen matrix that is designed with a bilayered structure in order to promote guided tissue regeneration and integration within the host tissue. This material induced a mild tissue reaction when assessed in a murine model and was well integrated within the host tissue, persisting in the implantation bed throughout the in vivo study. A more porous layer was rapidly infiltrated by host mesenchymal cells, while a layer designed to be a barrier allowed cell attachment and host tissue integration, but at the same time remained impermeable to invading cells for the first 30 days of the study. The tissue reaction was favorable, and unlike a typical foreign body response, did not include the presence of multinucleated giant cells, lymphocytes, or granulation tissue. In the context of translation, we show preliminary results from the clinical use of this biomaterial applied to soft tissue regeneration in the treatment of gingival tissue recession and exposed roots of human teeth. Such a condition would greatly benefit from guided tissue regeneration strategies. Our findings demonstrate that this material successfully promoted the ingrowth of gingival tissue and reversed gingival tissue recession. Of particular importance is the fact that the histological evidence from these human studies corroborates our findings in the murine model, with the barrier layer preventing unspecific tissue ingrowth, as the scaffold becomes infiltrated by mesenchymal cells from adjacent tissue into the porous layer. Also in the clinical situation no multinucleated giant cells, no granulation tissue and no evidence of a marked inflammatory response were observed. In conclusion, this bilayered matrix elicits a favorable tissue reaction, demonstrates potential as a barrier for preferential tissue ingrowth, and achieves a desirable therapeutic result when applied in humans for soft tissue regeneration.

Associations between parental limits, school vending machine purchases, and soft drink consumption among Kentucky middle school students.

PubMed

Nickelson, Jen; Roseman, Mary G; Forthofer, Melinda S

2010-01-01

To examine associations between parental limits on soft drinks and purchasing soft drinks from school vending machines and consuming soft drinks among middle school students. Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Eight public middle schools in central Kentucky. All sixth- through eighth-grade students in 7 schools and all eighth-grade students in 1 school (n = 4,049). Self-reported parental limits on soft drink intake, school vending machine soft drink purchases, soft drink consumption, and control variables. Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses. Compared to students with no parental limits on soft drink consumption, students with the strictest limits were less likely to purchase soft drinks from school vending machines and consume soft drinks; conversely, students with minor parental limitations were more likely to consume soft drinks. The odds of consuming soft drinks were nearly 4 times greater when students purchased soft drinks from school vending machines than when they did not. Further research may enhance understanding of the influence of varying degrees of parental limitations. Efforts to reduce children's soft drink consumption may be augmented by policies limiting soft drink purchases in schools. Copyright 2010 Society for Nutrition Education. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Open Source Subtitle Editor Software Study for Section 508 Close Caption Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, F. Brandon

2013-01-01

This paper will focus on a specific item within the NASA Electronic Information Accessibility Policy - Multimedia Presentation shall have synchronized caption; thus making information accessible to a person with hearing impairment. This synchronized caption will assist a person with hearing or cognitive disability to access the same information as everyone else. This paper focuses on the research and implementation for CC (subtitle option) support to video multimedia. The goal of this research is identify the best available open-source (free) software to achieve synchronized captions requirement and achieve savings, while meeting the security requirement for Government information integrity and assurance. CC and subtitling are processes that display text within a video to provide additional or interpretive information for those whom may need it or those whom chose it. Closed captions typically show the transcription of the audio portion of a program (video) as it occurs (either verbatim or in its edited form), sometimes including non-speech elements (such as sound effects). The transcript can be provided by a third party source or can be extracted word for word from the video. This feature can be made available for videos in two forms: either Soft-Coded or Hard-Coded. Soft-Coded is the more optional version of CC, where you can chose to turn them on if you want, or you can turn them off. Most of the time, when using the Soft-Coded option, the transcript is also provided to the view along-side the video. This option is subject to compromise, whereas the transcript is merely a text file that can be changed by anyone who has access to it. With this option the integrity of the CC is at the mercy of the user. Hard-Coded CC is a more permanent form of CC. A Hard-Coded CC transcript is embedded within a video, without the option of removal.

The Lowe-Andersen thermostat as an alternative to the dissipative particle dynamics in the mesoscopic simulation of entangled polymers.

PubMed

Khani, Shaghayegh; Yamanoi, Mikio; Maia, Joao

2013-05-07

Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) has shown a great potential in studying the dynamics and rheological properties of soft matter; however, it is associated with deficiencies in describing the characteristics of entangled polymer melts. DPD deficiencies are usually correlated to the time integrating method and the unphysical bond crossings due to utilization of soft potentials. One shortcoming of DPD thermostat is the inability to produce real values of Schmidt number for fluids. In order to overcome this, an alternative Lowe-Anderson (LA) method, which successfully stabilizes the temperature, is used in the present work. Additionally, a segmental repulsive potential was introduced to avoid unphysical bond crossings. The performance of the method in simulating polymer systems is discussed by monitoring the static and dynamic characteristics of polymer chains and the results from the LA method are compared to standard DPD simulations. The performance of the model is evaluated on capturing the main shear flow properties of entangled polymer systems. Finally the linear and nonlinear viscoelastic properties of such systems are discussed.

In-shoe plantar pressure measurement and analysis system based on fabric pressure sensing array.

PubMed

Shu, Lin; Hua, Tao; Wang, Yangyong; Qiao Li, Qiao; Feng, David Dagan; Tao, Xiaoming

2010-05-01

Spatial and temporal plantar pressure distributions are important and useful measures in footwear evaluation, athletic training, clinical gait analysis, and pathology foot diagnosis. However, present plantar pressure measurement and analysis systems are more or less uncomfortable to wear and expensive. This paper presents an in-shoe plantar pressure measurement and analysis system based on a textile fabric sensor array, which is soft, light, and has a high-pressure sensitivity and a long service life. The sensors are connected with a soft polymeric board through conductive yarns and integrated into an insole. A stable data acquisition system interfaces with the insole, wirelessly transmits the acquired data to remote receiver through Bluetooth path. Three configuration modes are incorporated to gain connection with desktop, laptop, or smart phone, which can be configured to comfortably work in research laboratories, clinics, sport ground, and other outdoor environments. A real-time display and analysis software is presented to calculate parameters such as mean pressure, peak pressure, center of pressure (COP), and shift speed of COP. Experimental results show that this system has stable performance in both static and dynamic measurements.

Concomitant Correction of a Soft-Tissue Fenestration with Keratinised Tissue Augmentation By Using A Rotated Double-Pedicle Flap During Second-Stage Implant Surgery- A Case Report

PubMed Central

Reddy, Aileni Amarender; Kumar, P. Anoop; Sailaja, Sistla; Chakravarthy, Yshs

2015-01-01

Soft tissue deficiencies and defects around dental implants have been observed frequently. Soft-tissue defects after implant procedures originate from the process of modelling of periimplant mucosa and often cause aesthetic disharmony, food debris accumulation and soft tissue shrinkage. Periimplant mucogingival surgery focuses on creating an optimum band of keratinized tissue resulting in soft tissue architecture similar to the gingiva around natural teeth. A 23-year-old male reported to the Department of Periodontology with a complaint of gum soreness, foul smell and food accumulation at a site where a 3.75 x 11.5mm implant was placed previously. On clinical examination, fenestration of tissue above the cover screw was observed and there appeared to be a keratinized tissue of 1mm surrounding the implant. The case was managed by use of a rotated double-pedicle flap during second-stage implant surgery to correct the soft-tissue fenestration defect and to obtain a keratinized periimplant soft tissue. A periosteal bed was prepared by giving a horizontal incision at the mucogingival junction to a depth of 4 mm. Two split-thickness keratinized pedicles were dissected from the mesial and distal interproximal tissues near the implant. After rotation, both the pedicles were sutured to each other mid-buccally and the pedicles were rigidly immobilized with sutures. At 1 month, there was a 3mm band of stable and firm keratinized tissue over the underlying tissues. The procedure resulted in an aesthetic improvement due to enhanced soft tissue architecture and optimum integration between the peri-implant soft tissue and the final prosthesis. PMID:26816998

Exospheric Neutral Density at the Earth's subsolar magnetopause deduced from the XMM-Newton X-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connor, H. K.; Carter, J. A.

2017-12-01

Soft X-rays can be emitted when highly charged solar wind ions and exospheric neutrals exchange electrons. Astrophysics missions, such as XMM-Newton and ROSAT X-ray telescopes, have found that such solar wind charge exchange happens at the Earth's exosphere. The Earth's magnetosphere can be imaged via soft X-rays in order to understand its interaction with solar wind. Consequently, two soft X-ray telescope missions (CuPID and SMILE) are scheduled to launch in 2019 and 2021. They will provide wide field-of-view soft X-ray images of the Earth's dayside magnetosphere. The imagers will track the location and movement of the cusps, magnetopause, and bow shock in response to solar wind variations. To support these missions, an understanding of exospheric neutral density profile is needed. The neutral density is one of the controlling factors of soft X-ray signals. Strong neutral density can help to obtain high-resolution and high-cadence of soft X-ray images. In this study, we estimate the exospheric neutral density at 10 RE subsolar point using XMM X-ray observations, Cluster plasma observations, and OpenGGCM global magnetosphere - ionosphere MHD model. XMM-Newton observes line-of-sight, narrow field-of-view, integrated soft X-ray emissions when it looks through the dayside magnetosphere. OpenGGCM reproduces soft X-ray signals seen by the XMM spacecraft, assuming exospheric neutral density as a function of the neutral density at the 10RE subsolar point and the radial distance. Cluster observations are used to confirm OpenGGCM plasma results. Finally, we deduce the neutral density at 10 RE subsolar point by adjusting the model results to the XMM-Newton soft X-ray observations.

Fixation Strength of Polyetheretherketone Sheath-and-Bullet Device for Soft Tissue Repair in the Foot and Ankle.

PubMed

Christensen, Jay; Fischer, Brian; Nute, Michael; Rizza, Robert

Tendon transfers are often performed in the foot and ankle. Recently, interference screws have been a popular choice owing to their ease of use and fixation strength. Considering the benefits, one disadvantage of such devices is laceration of the soft tissues by the implant threads during placement that potentially weaken the structural integrity of the grafts. A shape memory polyetheretherketone bullet-in-sheath tenodesis device uses circumferential compression, eliminating potential damage from thread rotation and maintaining the soft tissue orientation of the graft. The aim of this study was to determine the pullout strength and failure mode for this device in both a synthetic bone analogue and porcine bone models. Thirteen mature bovine extensor tendons were secured into ten 4.0 × 4.0 × 4.0-cm cubes of 15-pound per cubic foot solid rigid polyurethane foam bone analogue models or 3 porcine femoral condyles using the 5 × 20-mm polyetheretherketone soft tissue anchor. The bullet-in-sheath device demonstrated a mean pullout of 280.84 N in the bone analog models and 419.47 N in the porcine bone models. (p = .001). The bullet-in-sheath design preserved the integrity of the tendon graft, and none of the implants dislodged from their original position. Copyright © 2017 The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling hard and soft states of Cygnus X-1 with propagating mass accretion rate fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapisarda, S.; Ingram, A.; van der Klis, M.

2017-12-01

We present a timing analysis of three Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the black hole binary Cygnus X-1 with the propagating mass accretion rate fluctuations model PROPFLUC. The model simultaneously predicts power spectra, time lags and coherence of the variability as a function of energy. The observations cover the soft and hard states of the source, and the transition between the two. We find good agreement between model predictions and data in the hard and soft states. Our analysis suggests that in the soft state the fluctuations propagate in an optically thin hot flow extending up to large radii above and below a stable optically thick disc. In the hard state, our results are consistent with a truncated disc geometry, where the hot flow extends radially inside the inner radius of the disc. In the transition from soft to hard state, the characteristics of the rapid variability are too complex to be successfully described with PROPFLUC. The surface density profile of the hot flow predicted by our model and the lack of quasi-periodic oscillations in the soft and hard states suggest that the spin of the black hole is aligned with the inner accretion disc and therefore probably with the rotational axis of the binary system.

Regularization of soft-X-ray imaging in the DIII-D tokamak

DOE PAGES

Wingen, A.; Shafer, M. W.; Unterberg, E. A.; ...

2015-03-02

We developed an image inversion scheme for the soft X-ray imaging system (SXRIS) diagnostic at the DIII-D tokamak in order to obtain the local soft X-ray emission at a poloidal cross-section from the spatially line-integrated image taken by the SXRIS camera. The scheme uses the Tikhonov regularization method since the inversion problem is generally ill-posed. The regularization technique uses the generalized singular value decomposition to determine a solution that depends on a free regularization parameter. The latter has to be chosen carefully, and the so called {\\it L-curve} method to find the optimum regularization parameter is outlined. A representative testmore » image is used to study the properties of the inversion scheme with respect to inversion accuracy, amount/strength of regularization, image noise and image resolution. Moreover, the optimum inversion parameters are identified, while the L-curve method successfully computes the optimum regularization parameter. Noise is found to be the most limiting issue, but sufficient regularization is still possible at noise to signal ratios up to 10%-15%. Finally, the inversion scheme is applied to measured SXRIS data and the line-integrated SXRIS image is successfully inverted.« less

Portrayals of branded soft drinks in popular American movies: a content analysis.

PubMed

Cassady, Diana; Townsend, Marilyn; Bell, Robert A; Watnik, Mitchell

2006-03-09

This study examines the portrayals of soft drinks in popular American movies as a potential vehicle for global marketing and an indicator of covert product placement. We conducted a content analysis of America's top-ten grossing films from 1991 through 2000 that included portrayals of beverages (95 movies total). Coding reliabilities were assessed with Cohen's kappa, and exceeded 0.80. If there was at least one instance of branding for a beverage, the film was considered having branded beverages. Fisher's exact test was used to determine if soft drink portrayals were related to audience rating or genre. Data on the amount of time soft drinks appeared onscreen was log transformed to satisfy the assumption of normality, and analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA model. McNemar's test of agreement was used to test whether branded soft drinks are as likely to appear or to be actor-endorsed compared to other branded beverages. Rating was not associated with portrayals of branded soft drinks, but comedies were most likely to include a branded soft drink (p = 0.0136). Branded soft drinks appeared more commonly than other branded non-alcoholic beverages (p = 0.0001), branded beer (p = 0.0004), and other branded alcoholic beverages (p = 0.0006). Actors consumed branded soft drinks in five times the number of movies compared to their consumption of other branded non-alcoholic beverages (p = 0.0126). About half the revenue from the films with portrayals of branded soft drinks come from film sales outside the U.S. The frequent appearance of branded soft drinks provides indirect evidence that product placement is a common practice for American-produced films shown in the U.S. and other countries.

Portrayals of branded soft drinks in popular American movies: a content analysis

PubMed Central

Cassady, Diana; Townsend, Marilyn; Bell, Robert A; Watnik, Mitchell

2006-01-01

Background This study examines the portrayals of soft drinks in popular American movies as a potential vehicle for global marketing and an indicator of covert product placement. Methods We conducted a content analysis of America's top-ten grossing films from 1991 through 2000 that included portrayals of beverages (95 movies total). Coding reliabilities were assessed with Cohen's kappa, and exceeded 0.80. If there was at least one instance of branding for a beverage, the film was considered having branded beverages. Fisher's exact test was used to determine if soft drink portrayals were related to audience rating or genre. Data on the amount of time soft drinks appeared onscreen was log transformed to satisfy the assumption of normality, and analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA model. McNemar's test of agreement was used to test whether branded soft drinks are as likely to appear or to be actor-endorsed compared to other branded beverages. Results Rating was not associated with portrayals of branded soft drinks, but comedies were most likely to include a branded soft drink (p = 0.0136). Branded soft drinks appeared more commonly than other branded non-alcoholic beverages (p = 0.0001), branded beer (p = 0.0004), and other branded alcoholic beverages (p = 0.0006). Actors consumed branded soft drinks in five times the number of movies compared to their consumption of other branded non-alcoholic beverages (p = 0.0126). About half the revenue from the films with portrayals of branded soft drinks come from film sales outside the U.S. Conclusion The frequent appearance of branded soft drinks provides indirect evidence that product placement is a common practice for American-produced films shown in the U.S. and other countries. PMID:16526959

Dynamic load testing on the bearing capacity of prestressed tubular concrete piles in soft ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Chuang; Liu, Songyu

2008-11-01

Dynamic load testing (DLT) is a high strain test method for assessing pile performance. The shaft capacity of a driven PTC (prestressed tubular concrete) pile in marine soft ground will vary with time after installation. The DLT method has been successfully transferred to the testing of prestressed pipe piles in marine soft clay of Lianyungang area in China. DLT is investigated to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of single pile at different period after pile installation. The ultimate bearing capacity of single pile was founded to increase more than 70% during the inventing 3 months, which demonstrate the time effect of rigid pile bearing capacity in marine soft ground. Furthermore, the skin friction and axial force along the pile shaft are presented as well, which present the load transfer mechanism of pipe pile in soft clay. It shows the economy and efficiency of DLT method compared to static load testing method.

Online Soft Sensor of Humidity in PEM Fuel Cell Based on Dynamic Partial Least Squares

PubMed Central

Long, Rong; Chen, Qihong; Zhang, Liyan; Ma, Longhua; Quan, Shuhai

2013-01-01

Online monitoring humidity in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an important issue in maintaining proper membrane humidity. The cost and size of existing sensors for monitoring humidity are prohibitive for online measurements. Online prediction of humidity using readily available measured data would be beneficial to water management. In this paper, a novel soft sensor method based on dynamic partial least squares (DPLS) regression is proposed and applied to humidity prediction in PEM fuel cell. In order to obtain data of humidity and test the feasibility of the proposed DPLS-based soft sensor a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test system is constructed. The time lag of the DPLS-based soft sensor is selected as 30 by comparing the root-mean-square error in different time lag. The performance of the proposed DPLS-based soft sensor is demonstrated by experimental results. PMID:24453923

[Real-time PCR in rapid diagnosis of Aeromonas hydrophila necrotizing soft tissue infections].

PubMed

Kohayagawa, Yoshitaka; Izumi, Yoko; Ushita, Misuzu; Niinou, Norio; Koshizaki, Masayuki; Yamamori, Yuji; Kaneko, Sakae; Fukushima, Hiroshi

2009-11-01

We report a case of rapidly progressive necrotizing soft tissue infection and sepsis followed by a patient's death. We suspected Vibrio vulnificus infection because the patient's underlying disease was cirrhosis and the course extremely rapid. No microbe had been detected at death. We extracted DNA from a blood culture bottle. SYBR green I real-time PCR was conducted but could not detect V. vulnificus vvh in the DNA sample. Aeromonas hydrophila was cultured and identified in blood and necrotized tissue samples. Real-time PCR was conducted to detect A. hydrophila ahh1, AHCYTOEN and aerA in the DNA sample extracted from the blood culture bottle and an isolated necrotized tissue strain, but only ahh1 was positive. High-mortality in necrotizing soft tissue infections makes it is crucial to quickly detect V. vulnificus and A. hydrophila. We found real-time PCR for vvh, ahh1, AHCYTOEN, and aerA useful in detecting V. vulnificus and A. hydrophila in necrotizing soft tissue infections.

Dimensional soft tissue changes following soft tissue grafting in conjunction with implant placement or around present dental implants: a systematic review.

PubMed

Poskevicius, Lukas; Sidlauskas, Antanas; Galindo-Moreno, Pablo; Juodzbalys, Gintaras

2017-01-01

To systematically review changes in mucosal soft tissue thickness and keratinised mucosa width after soft tissue grafting around dental implants. An electronic literature search was conducted of the MEDLINE database published between 2009 and 2014. Sequential screenings at the title, abstract, and full-text levels were performed. Clinical human studies in the English language that had reported changes in soft tissue thickness or keratinised mucosa width after soft tissue grafting at implant placement or around a present implant at 6-month follow-up or longer were included. The search resulted in fourteen articles meeting the inclusion criteria: Six of them reported connective tissue grafting around present dental implants, compared to eight at the time of implant placement. Better long-term soft tissue thickness outcomes were reported for soft tissue augmentation around dental implants (0.8-1.4 mm), compared with augmentation at implant placement (-0.25-1.43 mm). Both techniques were effective in increasing keratinised tissue width: at implant placement (2.5 mm) or around present dental implants (2.33-2.57 mm). The present systematic review discovered that connective tissue grafts enhanced keratinised mucosa width and soft tissue thickness for an observation period of up to 48 months. However, some shrinkage may occur, resulting in decreases in soft tissue, mostly for the first three months. Further investigations using accurate evaluation methods need to be done to evaluate the appropriate time for grafting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Sedentary leisure time and food consumption among Brazilian adolescents: the Brazilian National School-Based Adolescent Health Survey (PeNSE), 2009].

PubMed

Camelo, Lidyane do Valle; Rodrigues, Jôsi Fernandes de Castro; Giatti, Luana; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-11-01

The objective of this paper was to investigate whether sedentary leisure time was associated with increased regular consumption of unhealthy foods, independently of socio-demographic indicators and family context. The analysis included 59,809 students from the Brazilian National School-Based Adolescent Health Survey (PeNSE) in 2009. The response variable was sedentary leisure time, defined as watching more than two hours of TV daily. The target explanatory variables were regular consumption of soft drinks, sweets, cookies, and processed meat. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence limits (95%CI) were obtained by multiple logistic regression. Prevalence of sedentary leisure time was 65%. Regular consumption of unhealthy foods was statistically higher among students reporting sedentary leisure time, before and after adjusting for sex, age, skin color, school administration (public versus private), household assets index, and household composition. The results indicate the need for integrated interventions to promote healthy leisure-time activities and healthy eating habits among young people.

Buried Quasars in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, David B.

2004-01-01

We were awarded l00OkS of INTEGRAL spacecraft time (Priority A) to observe the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIG) Mrk 2273 in order io measure the integrated flux of the 20-1003 KeV gamma-Ray emission, and to use this information to search for the presence of an highly obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN). With this observation we hope to be able to better assess the role of AGN in the complete class of ULIGs and therefore to better constrain their contribution to the hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray backgrounds. Our Priority A 100 kS observation of Mrk 273 was successfully carried out during revolution #73 using 4 separate exposures with the IBIS camera during May, 2003. Our IBIS observations of Mrk 273 were successfully executed, and the source was properly centered in the Field-of-view of the detectors. We are still in the process of interpreting the IBIS gamma-ray data.

Buried Quasars in Ultra-luminous Infrared Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

We were awarded l00kS of INTEGRAL spacecraft time (Priority A) to observe the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIG) Mrk 2273 in order to measure the integrated flux of the 20-1003 KeV gamma-Ray emission, and to use this information to search for the presence of an highly obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN). With this observation we hope to be able to better assess the role of AGN in the complete class of ULIGs and therefore to better constrain their contribution to the hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray backgrounds. Our Priority A 100 kS observation of Mrk 273 was successfully carried out during revolution #73 using 4 separate exposures with the IBIS camera during May, 2003. Our IBIS observations of Mrk 273 were successfully executed, and the source was properly centered in the Field-of-view of the detectors. We are still in the process of interpreting the IBIS gamma-ray data.

Effect of sealer coating and storage methods on the surface roughness of soft liners.

PubMed

Usta Kutlu, Ilknur; Yanikoğlu, Nuran Dinckal; Kul, Esra; Duymuş, Zeynep Yesïl; Sağsöz, Nurdan Polat

2016-03-01

A soft lining is applied under a removable prosthesis for various reasons. The porosity of the lining material may increase colonization by microorganisms and cause tissue inflammation. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of sealer coating on the surface roughness of soft lining materials under 4 different conditions. A total of 125 specimens were prepared. One high-temperature silicone-based soft lining material and 2 room-temperature-polymerized soft lining materials (1 silicone-based and 1 methacrylate-based) were used. Twenty-five specimens of each room-temperature soft lining material were coated with 2 layers of surface sealer. Additionally, 5 specimens of each material were stored in either distilled water, Coca-Cola, denture cleanser, saliva, or air. The surface roughness was measured at baseline and after 1, 7, 14, and 28 days. Surface roughness values were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance, and the Bonferroni multiple comparison test was performed using time-dependent groups and storage methods. In the time-dependent groups, methacrylate-based sealer-coated soft liners exhibited a significant increase in roughness (1.74-2.09 μm, P<.001), and silicone-based sealer-coated soft liners exhibited a decrease in roughness, but it was not significant (2.16-2.02 μm, P>.05). Therefore, the sealer coating was not effective in reducing surface roughness. Among the time-dependent storage methods, the denture cleanser exhibited an almost significant increase in roughness (1.83-1.99 μm, P=.054). Coca-Cola and artificial saliva did not show a significant difference (P>.05). However, a significant decrease in roughness was found with distilled water (P=.02) and air (P<.001). Statistically significant differences in surface roughness were found among the different types of soft liners. The sealer coating had no significant effect, and denture cleanser slightly increased the surface roughness. Contrary to expectations, the roughness did not increase in all groups over time. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solar flare hard and soft x ray relationship determined from SMM HXRBS and BCS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toot, G. David

1989-01-01

The exact nature of the solar flare process is still somewhat a mystery. A key element to understanding flares if the relationship between the hard x rays emitted by the most energetic portions of the flare and the soft x rays from other areas and times. This relationship was studied by comparing hard x ray light curved from the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) with the soft x ray light curve and its derivation from the Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) which is part of the X-Ray Polychrometer (XRP), these instruments being on the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft (SMM). Data sample was taken from flares observed with the above instruments during 1980, the peak of the previous maximum of solar activity. Flares were chosen based on complete coverage of the event by several instruments. The HXRBS data covers the x ray spectrum from about 25 keV to about 440 keV in 15 spectral channels, while the BCS data used covers a region of the Spectrum around 3 angstroms including emission from the Ca XIX ion. Both sets of data were summed over their spectral ranges and plotted against time at a maximum time resolution of around 3 seconds. The most popular theory of flares holds that a beam of electrons produces the hard x rays by bremsstrahlung while the soft x rays are the thermal response to this energy deposition. The question is whether the rate of change of soft x ray emission might reflect the variability of the electron beam and hence the variability of the hard x rays. To address this, we took the time derivative of the soft x ray light curve and compared it to the hard flares, 12 of them showed very closed agreement between the soft x ray derivative and the hard x ray light curve. The other five did not show this behavior but were similar to each other in general soft x ray behavior. Efforts to determine basic differences between the two kinds of flares continue. In addition the behavior of soft x ray temperature of flares was examined.

Solar flare hard and soft X ray relationship determined from SMM HXRBS and BCS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toot, G. David

1989-09-01

The exact nature of the solar flare process is still somewhat a mystery. A key element to understanding flares if the relationship between the hard x rays emitted by the most energetic portions of the flare and the soft x rays from other areas and times. This relationship was studied by comparing hard x ray light curved from the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) with the soft x ray light curve and its derivation from the Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) which is part of the X-Ray Polychrometer (XRP), these instruments being on the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft (SMM). Data sample was taken from flares observed with the above instruments during 1980, the peak of the previous maximum of solar activity. Flares were chosen based on complete coverage of the event by several instruments. The HXRBS data covers the x ray spectrum from about 25 keV to about 440 keV in 15 spectral channels, while the BCS data used covers a region of the Spectrum around 3 angstroms including emission from the Ca XIX ion. Both sets of data were summed over their spectral ranges and plotted against time at a maximum time resolution of around 3 seconds. The most popular theory of flares holds that a beam of electrons produces the hard x rays by bremsstrahlung while the soft x rays are the thermal response to this energy deposition. The question is whether the rate of change of soft x ray emission might reflect the variability of the electron beam and hence the variability of the hard x rays. To address this, we took the time derivative of the soft x ray light curve and compared it to the hard flares, 12 of them showed very closed agreement between the soft x ray derivative and the hard x ray light curve. The other five did not show this behavior but were similar to each other in general soft x ray behavior. Efforts to determine basic differences between the two kinds of flares continue. In addition the behavior of soft x ray temperature of flares was examined.

Chemical Sensing Systems that Utilize Soft Electronics on Thin Elastomeric Substrates with Open Cellular Designs

PubMed Central

Lee, Yoon Kyeung; Jang, Kyung-In; Ma, Yinji; Koh, Ahyeon; Chen, Hang; Jung, Han Na; Kim, Yerim; Kwak, Jean Won; Wang, Liang; Xue, Yeguang; Yang, Yiyuan; Tian, Wenlong; Jiang, Yu; Zhang, Yihui; Feng, Xue; Huang, Yonggang

2017-01-01

A collection of materials and device architectures are introduced for thin, stretchable arrays of ion sensors that mount on open cellular substrates to facilitate solution exchange for use in biointegrated electronics. The results include integration strategies and studies of fundamental characteristics in chemical sensing and mechanical response. The latter involves experimental measurements and theoretical simulations that establish important considerations in the design of low modulus, stretchable properties in cellular substrates, and in the realization of advanced capabilities in spatiotemporal mapping of chemicals' gradients. As the chemical composition of extracellular fluids contains valuable information related to biological function, the concepts introduced here have potential utility across a range of skin- and internal-organ-integrated electronics where soft mechanics, fluidic permeability, and advanced chemical sensing capabilities are key requirements. PMID:28989338

Inner power, physical strength and existential well-being in daily life: relatives' experiences of receiving soft tissue massage in palliative home care.

PubMed

Cronfalk, Berit Seiger; Strang, Peter; Ternestedt, Britt-Marie

2009-08-01

This article explores relatives' experiences of receiving soft tissue massage as a support supplement while caring for a dying family member at home. In palliative home care, relatives play an important role as carers to seriously ill and dying family members. To improve their quality of life, different support strategies are of importance. Complementary methods, such as soft tissue massage have become an appreciated supplement for these patients. However, only few studies focus on relatives experiences of receiving soft tissue massage as a supplemental support. Qualitative design Nineteen relatives received soft tissue massage (hand or foot) nine times (25 minutes) in their homes. Open-ended semi-structured tape-recorded interviews were conducted once per relative after the nine times of massage, using qualitative content analysis. Soft tissue massage gave the relatives' feelings of 'being cared for', 'body vitality' and 'peace of mind'. For a while, they put worries of daily life aside as they just experienced 'being'. During massage, it became apparent that body and mind is constituted of an indestructible completeness. The overarching theme was 'inner power, physical strength and existential well-being in their daily lives'. All relatives experienced soft tissue massage positively, although they were under considerable stress. Soft tissue massage could be an option to comfort and support relatives in palliative home care. In palliative nursing care, soft tissue massage could present a worthy supplement in supporting caring relatives.

Time-dependent nonequilibrium soft x-ray response during a spin crossover

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

van Veenendaal, Michel

The rapid development of high-brilliance pulsed X-ray sources with femtosecond time resolution has created a need for a better theoretical understanding of the time-dependent soft-X-ray response of dissipative many-body quantum systems. It is demonstrated how soft-X-ray spectroscopies, such as X-ray absorption and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering at transition-metal L-edges, can provide insight into intersystem crossings, such as a spin crossover. The photoinduced doublet-to-quartet spin crossover on cobalt in Fe-Co Prussian blue analogues is used as an example to demonstrate how the X-ray response is affected by the dissipative nonequilibrium dynamics. The time-dependent soft-X-ray spectra provide a wealth of information thatmore » reflect the changes in the nonequilibrium initial state via continuously changing spectral lineshapes that cannot be decomposed into initial photoexcited and final metastable spectra, strong broadenings, a collapse of clear selection rules during the intersystem crossing, strong fluctuations in the isotropic branching ratio in X-ray absorption, and crystal-field collapse/oscillations and strongly time-dependent anti-Stokes processes in RIXS.« less

GRI: The Gamma-Ray Imager mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knödlseder, J.; Gri Consortium

Observations of the gamma-ray sky reveal the most powerful sources and the most violent events in the Universe While at lower wavebands the observed emission is generally dominated by thermal processes the gamma-ray sky provides us with a view on the non-thermal Universe Here particles are accelerated to extreme relativistic energies by mechanisms which are still poorly understood and nuclear reactions are synthesizing the basic constituents of our world Cosmic accelerators and cosmic explosions are the major science themes that are addressed in the gamma-ray regime With the INTEGRAL observatory ESA has provided a unique tool to the astronomical community and has put Europe in the lead in the field of gamma-ray astronomy INTEGRAL provides an unprecedented survey of the soft gamma-ray sky revealing hundreds of sources new classes of objects extraordinary views of antimatter annihilation in our Galaxy and fingerprints of recent nucleosynthesis processes While INTEGRAL has provided the global overview over the soft gamma-ray sky there is a growing need to perform deeper more focused investigations of gamma-ray sources In soft X-rays a comparable step was taken going from the Einstein satellite to the XMM Newton observatory Technological advances in the past years in the domain of gamma-ray focusing using Laue diffraction and multilayer-coated mirror techniques have paved the way towards a gamma-ray mission providing major improvements compared to past missions regarding sensitivity and angular resolution Such a

A versatile soft X-ray transmission system for time resolved in situ microscopy with chemical contrast.

PubMed

Forsberg, J; Englund, C-J; Duda, L-C

2009-08-01

We present the design and operation of a versatile soft X-ray transmission system for time resolved in situ microscopy with chemical contrast. The utility of the setup is demonstrated by results from following a corrosion process of iron in saline environment, subjected to a controlled humid atmosphere. The system includes a transmission flow-cell reactor that allows for in situ microscopic probing with soft X-rays. We employ a full field technique by using a nearly collimated X-ray beam that produces an unmagnified projection of the transmitted soft X-rays (below 1.1 keV) which is magnified and recorded by an optical CCD camera. Time lapse series with chemical contrast allow us to follow and interpret the chemical processes in detail. The obtainable lateral resolution is a few mum, sufficient to detect filiform corrosion on iron.

Modular microfluidic systems using reversibly attached PDMS fluid control modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skafte-Pedersen, Peder; Sip, Christopher G.; Folch, Albert; Dufva, Martin

2013-05-01

The use of soft lithography-based poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) valve systems is the dominating approach for high-density microscale fluidic control. Integrated systems enable complex flow control and large-scale integration, but lack modularity. In contrast, modular systems are attractive alternatives to integration because they can be tailored for different applications piecewise and without redesigning every element of the system. We present a method for reversibly coupling hard materials to soft lithography defined systems through self-aligning O-ring features thereby enabling easy interfacing of complex-valve-based systems with simpler detachable units. Using this scheme, we demonstrate the seamless interfacing of a PDMS-based fluid control module with hard polymer chips. In our system, 32 self-aligning O-ring features protruding from the PDMS fluid control module form chip-to-control module interconnections which are sealed by tightening four screws. The interconnection method is robust and supports complex fluidic operations in the reversibly attached passive chip. In addition, we developed a double-sided molding method for fabricating PDMS devices with integrated through-holes. The versatile system facilitates a wide range of applications due to the modular approach, where application specific passive chips can be readily attached to the flow control module.

Uncertainty Modeling of Pollutant Transport in Atmosphere and Aquatic Route Using Soft Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, D.

2010-10-01

Hazardous radionuclides are released as pollutants in the atmospheric and aquatic environment (ATAQE) during the normal operation of nuclear power plants. Atmospheric and aquatic dispersion models are routinely used to assess the impact of release of radionuclide from any nuclear facility or hazardous chemicals from any chemical plant on the ATAQE. Effect of the exposure from the hazardous nuclides or chemicals is measured in terms of risk. Uncertainty modeling is an integral part of the risk assessment. The paper focuses the uncertainty modeling of the pollutant transport in atmospheric and aquatic environment using soft computing. Soft computing is addressed due to the lack of information on the parameters that represent the corresponding models. Soft-computing in this domain basically addresses the usage of fuzzy set theory to explore the uncertainty of the model parameters and such type of uncertainty is called as epistemic uncertainty. Each uncertain input parameters of the model is described by a triangular membership function.

Modeling of dielectric elastomer oscillators for soft biomimetic applications.

PubMed

Henke, E-F M; Wilson, Katherine E; Anderson, I A

2018-06-26

Biomimetic, entirely soft robots with animal-like behavior and integrated artificial nervous systems will open up totally new perspectives and applications. However, until now, most presented studies on soft robots were limited to only partly soft designs, since all solutions at least needed conventional, stiff electronics to sense, process signals and activate actuators. We present a novel approach for a set up and the experimental validation of an artificial pace maker that is able to drive basic robotic structures and act as artificial central pattern generator. The structure is based on multi-functional dielectric elastomers (DEs). DE actuators, DE switches and DE resistors are combined to create complex DE oscillators (DEOs). Supplied with only one external DC voltage, the DEO autonomously generates oscillating signals that can be used to clock a robotic structure, control the cyclic motion of artificial muscles in bionic robots or make a whole robotic structure move. We present the basic functionality, derive a mathematical model for predicting the generated signal waveform and verify the model experimentally.

Imprecise (fuzzy) information in geostatistics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bardossy, A.; Bogardi, I.; Kelly, W.E.

1988-05-01

A methodology based on fuzzy set theory for the utilization of imprecise data in geostatistics is presented. A common problem preventing a broader use of geostatistics has been the insufficient amount of accurate measurement data. In certain cases, additional but uncertain (soft) information is available and can be encoded as subjective probabilities, and then the soft kriging method can be applied (Journal, 1986). In other cases, a fuzzy encoding of soft information may be more realistic and simplify the numerical calculations. Imprecise (fuzzy) spatial information on the possible variogram is integrated into a single variogram which is used in amore » fuzzy kriging procedure. The overall uncertainty of prediction is represented by the estimation variance and the calculated membership function for each kriged point. The methodology is applied to the permeability prediction of a soil liner for hazardous waste containment. The available number of hard measurement data (20) was not enough for a classical geostatistical analysis. An additional 20 soft data made it possible to prepare kriged contour maps using the fuzzy geostatistical procedure.« less

Validation of a Radiography-Based Quantification Designed to Longitudinally Monitor Soft Tissue Calcification in Skeletal Muscle.

PubMed

Moore, Stephanie N; Hawley, Gregory D; Smith, Emily N; Mignemi, Nicholas A; Ihejirika, Rivka C; Yuasa, Masato; Cates, Justin M M; Liu, Xulei; Schoenecker, Jonathan G

2016-01-01

Soft tissue calcification, including both dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification, may occur following injury. These lesions have variable fates as they are either resorbed or persist. Persistent soft tissue calcification may result in chronic inflammation and/or loss of function of that soft tissue. The molecular mechanisms that result in the development and maturation of calcifications are uncertain. As a result, directed therapies that prevent or resorb soft tissue calcifications remain largely unsuccessful. Animal models of post-traumatic soft tissue calcification that allow for cost-effective, serial analysis of an individual animal over time are necessary to derive and test novel therapies. We have determined that a cardiotoxin-induced injury of the muscles in the posterior compartment of the lower extremity represents a useful model in which soft tissue calcification develops remote from adjacent bones, thereby allowing for serial analysis by plain radiography. The purpose of the study was to design and validate a method for quantifying soft tissue calcifications in mice longitudinally using plain radiographic techniques and an ordinal scoring system. Muscle injury was induced by injecting cardiotoxin into the posterior compartment of the lower extremity in mice susceptible to developing soft tissue calcification. Seven days following injury, radiographs were obtained under anesthesia. Multiple researchers applied methods designed to standardize post-image processing of digital radiographs (N = 4) and quantify soft tissue calcification (N = 6) in these images using an ordinal scoring system. Inter- and intra-observer agreement for both post-image processing and the scoring system used was assessed using weighted kappa statistics. Soft tissue calcification quantifications by the ordinal scale were compared to mineral volume measurements (threshold 450.7mgHA/cm3) determined by μCT. Finally, sample-size calculations necessary to discriminate between a 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% difference in STiCSS score 7 days following burn/CTX induced muscle injury were determined. Precision analysis demonstrated substantial to good agreement for both post-image processing (κ = 0.73 to 0.90) and scoring (κ = 0.88 to 0.93), with low inter- and intra-observer variability. Additionally, there was a strong correlation in quantification of soft tissue calcification between the ordinal system and by mineral volume quantification by μCT (Spearman r = 0.83 to 0.89). The ordinal scoring system reliably quantified soft tissue calcification in a burn/CTX-induced soft tissue calcification model compared to non-injured controls (Mann-Whitney rank test: P = 0.0002, ***). Sample size calculations revealed that 6 mice per group would be required to detect a 50% difference in STiCSS score with a power of 0.8. Finally, the STiCSS was demonstrated to reliably quantify soft tissue calcification [dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification] by radiographic analysis, independent of the histopathological state of the mineralization. Radiographic analysis can discriminate muscle injury-induced soft tissue calcification from adjacent bone and follow its clinical course over time without requiring the sacrifice of the animal. While the STiCSS cannot identify the specific type of soft tissue calcification present, it is still a useful and valid method by which to quantify the degree of soft tissue calcification. This methodology allows for longitudinal measurements of soft tissue calcification in a single animal, which is relatively less expensive, less time-consuming, and exposes the animal to less radiation than in vivo μCT. Therefore, this high-throughput, longitudinal analytic method for quantifying soft tissue calcification is a viable alternative for the study of soft tissue calcification.

Validation of a Radiography-Based Quantification Designed to Longitudinally Monitor Soft Tissue Calcification in Skeletal Muscle

PubMed Central

Moore, Stephanie N.; Hawley, Gregory D.; Smith, Emily N.; Mignemi, Nicholas A.; Ihejirika, Rivka C.; Yuasa, Masato; Cates, Justin M. M.; Liu, Xulei; Schoenecker, Jonathan G.

2016-01-01

Introduction Soft tissue calcification, including both dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification, may occur following injury. These lesions have variable fates as they are either resorbed or persist. Persistent soft tissue calcification may result in chronic inflammation and/or loss of function of that soft tissue. The molecular mechanisms that result in the development and maturation of calcifications are uncertain. As a result, directed therapies that prevent or resorb soft tissue calcifications remain largely unsuccessful. Animal models of post-traumatic soft tissue calcification that allow for cost-effective, serial analysis of an individual animal over time are necessary to derive and test novel therapies. We have determined that a cardiotoxin-induced injury of the muscles in the posterior compartment of the lower extremity represents a useful model in which soft tissue calcification develops remote from adjacent bones, thereby allowing for serial analysis by plain radiography. The purpose of the study was to design and validate a method for quantifying soft tissue calcifications in mice longitudinally using plain radiographic techniques and an ordinal scoring system. Methods Muscle injury was induced by injecting cardiotoxin into the posterior compartment of the lower extremity in mice susceptible to developing soft tissue calcification. Seven days following injury, radiographs were obtained under anesthesia. Multiple researchers applied methods designed to standardize post-image processing of digital radiographs (N = 4) and quantify soft tissue calcification (N = 6) in these images using an ordinal scoring system. Inter- and intra-observer agreement for both post-image processing and the scoring system used was assessed using weighted kappa statistics. Soft tissue calcification quantifications by the ordinal scale were compared to mineral volume measurements (threshold 450.7mgHA/cm3) determined by μCT. Finally, sample-size calculations necessary to discriminate between a 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% difference in STiCSS score 7 days following burn/CTX induced muscle injury were determined. Results Precision analysis demonstrated substantial to good agreement for both post-image processing (κ = 0.73 to 0.90) and scoring (κ = 0.88 to 0.93), with low inter- and intra-observer variability. Additionally, there was a strong correlation in quantification of soft tissue calcification between the ordinal system and by mineral volume quantification by μCT (Spearman r = 0.83 to 0.89). The ordinal scoring system reliably quantified soft tissue calcification in a burn/CTX-induced soft tissue calcification model compared to non-injured controls (Mann-Whitney rank test: P = 0.0002, ***). Sample size calculations revealed that 6 mice per group would be required to detect a 50% difference in STiCSS score with a power of 0.8. Finally, the STiCSS was demonstrated to reliably quantify soft tissue calcification [dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification] by radiographic analysis, independent of the histopathological state of the mineralization. Conclusions Radiographic analysis can discriminate muscle injury-induced soft tissue calcification from adjacent bone and follow its clinical course over time without requiring the sacrifice of the animal. While the STiCSS cannot identify the specific type of soft tissue calcification present, it is still a useful and valid method by which to quantify the degree of soft tissue calcification. This methodology allows for longitudinal measurements of soft tissue calcification in a single animal, which is relatively less expensive, less time-consuming, and exposes the animal to less radiation than in vivo μCT. Therefore, this high-throughput, longitudinal analytic method for quantifying soft tissue calcification is a viable alternative for the study of soft tissue calcification. PMID:27438007

Soft-Bake Purification of SWCNTs Produced by Pulsed Laser Vaporization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yowell, Leonard; Nikolaev, Pavel; Gorelik, Olga; Allada, Rama Kumar; Sosa, Edward; Arepalli, Sivaram

2013-01-01

The "soft-bake" method is a simple and reliable initial purification step first proposed by researchers at Rice University for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) produced by high-pressure carbon mon oxide disproportionation (HiPco). Soft-baking consists of annealing as-produced (raw) SWCNT, at low temperatures in humid air, in order to degrade the heavy graphitic shells that surround metal particle impurities. Once these shells are cracked open by the expansion and slow oxidation of the metal particles, the metal impurities can be digested through treatment with hydrochloric acid. The soft-baking of SWCNT produced by pulsed-laser vaporization (PLV) is not straightforward, because the larger average SWCNT diameters (.1.4 nm) and heavier graphitic shells surrounding metal particles call for increased temperatures during soft-bake. A part of the technology development focused on optimizing the temperature so that effective cracking of the graphitic shells is balanced with maintaining a reasonable yield, which was a critical aspect of this study. Once the ideal temperature was determined, a number of samples of raw SWCNT were purified using the soft-bake method. An important benefit to this process is the reduced time and effort required for soft-bake versus the standard purification route for SWCNT. The total time spent purifying samples by soft-bake is one week per batch, which equates to a factor of three reduction in the time required for purification as compared to the standard acid purification method. Reduction of the number of steps also appears to be an important factor in improving reproducibility of yield and purity of SWCNT, as small deviations are likely to get amplified over the course of a complicated multi-step purification process.

Foretelling Flares and Solar Energetic Particle Events: the FORSPEF tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasiadis, Anastasios; Papaioannou, Athanasios; Sandberg, Ingmar; Georgoulis, Manolis K.; Tziotziou, Kostas; Jiggens, Piers

2017-04-01

A novel integrated prediction system, for both solar flares (SFs) and solar energetic particle (SEP) events is being presented. The Forecasting Solar Particle Events and Flares (FORSPEF) provides forecasting of solar eruptive events, such as SFs with a projection to coronal mass ejections (CMEs) (occurrence and velocity) and the likelihood of occurrence of a SEP event. In addition, FORSPEF, also provides nowcasting of SEP events based on actual SF and CME near real-time data, as well as the complete SEP profile (peak flux, fluence, rise time, duration) per parent solar event. The prediction of SFs relies on a morphological method: the effective connected magnetic field strength (Beff); it is based on an assessment of potentially flaring active-region (AR) magnetic configurations and it utilizes sophisticated analysis of a large number of AR magnetograms. For the prediction of SEP events new methods have been developed for both the likelihood of SEP occurrence and the expected SEP characteristics. In particular, using the location of the flare (longitude) and the flare size (maximum soft X-ray intensity), a reductive statistical method has been implemented. Moreover, employing CME parameters (velocity and width), proper functions per width (i.e. halo, partial halo, non-halo) and integral energy (E>30, 60, 100 MeV) have been identified. In our technique warnings are issued for all > C1.0 soft X-ray flares. The prediction time in the forecasting scheme extends to 24 hours with a refresh rate of 3 hours while the respective prediction time for the nowcasting scheme depends on the availability of the near real-time data and falls between 15-20 minutes for solar flares and 6 hours for CMEs. We present the modules of the FORSPEF system, their interconnection and the operational set up. The dual approach in the development of FORPSEF (i.e. forecasting and nowcasting scheme) permits the refinement of predictions upon the availability of new data that characterize changes on the Sun and the interplanetary space, while the combined usage of SF and SEP forecasting methods upgrades FORSPEF to an integrated forecasting solution. Finally, we demonstrate the validation of the modules of the FORSPEF tool using categorical scores constructed on archived data and we further discuss independent case studies. This work has been funded through the "FORSPEF: FORecasting Solar Particle Events and Flares", ESA Contract No. 4000109641/13/NL/AK and the "SPECS: Solar Particle Events foreCasting Studies" project of the National Observatory of Athens.

Essential Soft Skills for Success in the Twenty-First Century Workforce as Perceived by Business Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Geana W.; Skinner, Leane B.; White, Bonnie J.

2010-01-01

Background: Soft skills describe career attributes that individuals should possess, such as team skills, communication skills, ethics, time-management skills, and an appreciation for diversity. In the twenty-first century workforce, soft skills are important in every business sector. However, employers in business continuously report that new…

Energetics and timing of the hard and soft X-ray emissions in white light flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neidig, Donald F.; Kane, Sharad R.

1993-01-01

By comparing the light curves in optical, hard X-ray, and soft X-ray wavelengths for eight well-observed flares, we confirm previous results indicating that the white light flare (WLF) is associated with the flare impulsive phase. The WLF emission peaks within seconds after the associated hard X-ray peak, and nearly two minutes before the 1-8 A soft X-ray peak. It is further shown that the peak power in nonthermal electrons above 50 keV is typically an order of magnitude larger, and the power in 1-8 A soft X-rays radiated over 2pi sr, at the time of the WLF peak, is an order of magnitude smaller than the peak WLF power.

Simulation study on dynamics model of two kinds of on-orbit soft-contact mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, X.; Dong, Z. H.; Yang, F.

2018-05-01

Aiming at the problem that the operating conditions of the space manipulator is harsh and the space manipulator could not bear the large collision momentum, this paper presents a new concept and technical method, namely soft contact technology. Based on ADAMS dynamics software, this paper compares and simulates the mechanism model of on-orbit soft-contact mechanism based on the bionic model and the integrated double joint model. The main purpose is to verify the path planning ability and the momentum buffering ability based on the different design concept mechanism. The simulation results show that both the two mechanism models have the path planning function before the space target contact, and also has the momentum buffer and controllability during the space target contact process.

Histologic and morphologic evaluation of explanted bone anchors from bone-anchored hearing aids.

PubMed

Mlynski, Robert; Goldberg, Eva; Ebmeyer, Joerg; Scheich, Matthias; Gattenlöhner, Stefan; Schwager, Konrad; Hagen, Rudolf; Shehata-Dieler, Wafaa

2009-05-01

Bone-anchored hearing aids are a standard option in rehabilitation of patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss, and also CROS fitting. However, the skin-penetrating bone anchor repeatedly gives reason for discussion about the risk of infection of surrounding tissues as a major cause of malfunction. In the present study, explanted bone anchors with surrounding bone and soft tissue were examined and compared with the morphology of lost implants. The anchors originated from five patients. Two needed explantation due to deafness with the need of cochlea implantation. A third patient underwent explantation due to meningeal irritation by the bone anchor. Another patient lost the implant due to mechanical stress shortly after implantation. The last implant was lost in a child without apparent reason. All implants were clinically free of infection and had been stable for a median implantation period of 12 months. During the explantation procedure, the fixtures were recovered together with the attached soft tissue and bone. The specimens were examined by light microscopy or scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Sectioning for light microscopy was performed with a diamond-coated saw microtome. Histopathologic examination of the surrounding skin and subcutaneous soft tissue showed slight inflammation in one case only. The bone was regularly vital, presenting no signs of inflammation. The threads of the fixtures were filled with bone, with particularly strong attachment to the flank of traction. The SEM investigation exposed the ultrastructural interaction of bone with the implant surface. Filiform- and podocyte-like processes of osteocytes attach to the implant; lost implants did not reflect these features. Implant integration involves both osseointegration as well as soft tissue integration. Titanium oxide as the active implant surface promotes this integration even in unstable implants. The morphologic analysis exposed structural areas of the implant with weak bone-to-metal contact. Optimized implant design with modified surface and threads may additionally improve osseointegration of hearing aid bone anchors.

3D printing for soft robotics – a review

PubMed Central

Gul, Jahan Zeb; Sajid, Memoon; Rehman, Muhammad Muqeet; Siddiqui, Ghayas Uddin; Shah, Imran; Kim, Kyung-Hwan; Lee, Jae-Wook; Choi, Kyung Hyun

2018-01-01

Abstract Soft robots have received an increasing attention due to their advantages of high flexibility and safety for human operators but the fabrication is a challenge. Recently, 3D printing has been used as a key technology to fabricate soft robots because of high quality and printing multiple materials at the same time. Functional soft materials are particularly well suited for soft robotics due to a wide range of stimulants and sensitive demonstration of large deformations, high motion complexities and varied multi-functionalities. This review comprises a detailed survey of 3D printing in soft robotics. The development of key 3D printing technologies and new materials along with composites for soft robotic applications is investigated. A brief summary of 3D-printed soft devices suitable for medical to industrial applications is also included. The growing research on both 3D printing and soft robotics needs a summary of the major reported studies and the authors believe that this review article serves the purpose. PMID:29707065

3D printing for soft robotics - a review.

PubMed

Gul, Jahan Zeb; Sajid, Memoon; Rehman, Muhammad Muqeet; Siddiqui, Ghayas Uddin; Shah, Imran; Kim, Kyung-Hwan; Lee, Jae-Wook; Choi, Kyung Hyun

2018-01-01

Soft robots have received an increasing attention due to their advantages of high flexibility and safety for human operators but the fabrication is a challenge. Recently, 3D printing has been used as a key technology to fabricate soft robots because of high quality and printing multiple materials at the same time. Functional soft materials are particularly well suited for soft robotics due to a wide range of stimulants and sensitive demonstration of large deformations, high motion complexities and varied multi-functionalities. This review comprises a detailed survey of 3D printing in soft robotics. The development of key 3D printing technologies and new materials along with composites for soft robotic applications is investigated. A brief summary of 3D-printed soft devices suitable for medical to industrial applications is also included. The growing research on both 3D printing and soft robotics needs a summary of the major reported studies and the authors believe that this review article serves the purpose.

Scalable Sub-micron Patterning of Organic Materials Toward High Density Soft Electronics

PubMed Central

Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Jaehyun; Jo, Sangho; Kang, Jingu; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Lee, Woobin; Hwang, Chahwan; Moon, Juhyuk; Yang, Lin; Kim, Yun-Hi; Noh, Yong-Young; Yun Jaung, Jae; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Kyu Park, Sung

2015-01-01

The success of silicon based high density integrated circuits ignited explosive expansion of microelectronics. Although the inorganic semiconductors have shown superior carrier mobilities for conventional high speed switching devices, the emergence of unconventional applications, such as flexible electronics, highly sensitive photosensors, large area sensor array, and tailored optoelectronics, brought intensive research on next generation electronic materials. The rationally designed multifunctional soft electronic materials, organic and carbon-based semiconductors, are demonstrated with low-cost solution process, exceptional mechanical stability, and on-demand optoelectronic properties. Unfortunately, the industrial implementation of the soft electronic materials has been hindered due to lack of scalable fine-patterning methods. In this report, we demonstrated facile general route for high throughput sub-micron patterning of soft materials, using spatially selective deep-ultraviolet irradiation. For organic and carbon-based materials, the highly energetic photons (e.g. deep-ultraviolet rays) enable direct photo-conversion from conducting/semiconducting to insulating state through molecular dissociation and disordering with spatial resolution down to a sub-μm-scale. The successful demonstration of organic semiconductor circuitry promise our result proliferate industrial adoption of soft materials for next generation electronics. PMID:26411932

Scalable sub-micron patterning of organic materials toward high density soft electronics

DOE PAGES

Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Myung -Gil; Kim, Jaehyun; ...

2015-09-28

The success of silicon based high density integrated circuits ignited explosive expansion of microelectronics. Although the inorganic semiconductors have shown superior carrier mobilities for conventional high speed switching devices, the emergence of unconventional applications, such as flexible electronics, highly sensitive photosensors, large area sensor array, and tailored optoelectronics, brought intensive research on next generation electronic materials. The rationally designed multifunctional soft electronic materials, organic and carbon-based semiconductors, are demonstrated with low-cost solution process, exceptional mechanical stability, and on-demand optoelectronic properties. Unfortunately, the industrial implementation of the soft electronic materials has been hindered due to lack of scalable fine-patterning methods. Inmore » this report, we demonstrated facile general route for high throughput sub-micron patterning of soft materials, using spatially selective deep-ultraviolet irradiation. For organic and carbon-based materials, the highly energetic photons (e.g. deep-ultraviolet rays) enable direct photo-conversion from conducting/semiconducting to insulating state through molecular dissociation and disordering with spatial resolution down to a sub-μm-scale. As a result, the successful demonstration of organic semiconductor circuitry promise our result proliferate industrial adoption of soft materials for next generation electronics.« less

Nanobiotechnology: soft lithography.

PubMed

Mele, Elisa; Pisignano, Dario

2009-01-01

An entirely new scientific and technological area has been born from the combination of nanotechnology and biology: nanobiotechnology. Such a field is primed especially by the strong potential synergy enabled by the integration of technologies, protocols, and investigation methods, since, while biomolecules represent functional nanosystems interesting for nanotechnology, micro- and nano-devices can be very useful instruments for studying biological materials. In particular, the research of new approaches for manipulating matter and fabricating structures with micrometre- and sub-micrometre resolution has determined the development of soft lithography, a new set of non-photolithographic patterning techniques applied to the realization of selective proteins and cells attachment, microfluidic circuits for protein and DNA chips, and 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering. Today, soft lithographies have become an asset of nanobiotechnology. This Chapter examines the biological applications of various soft lithographic techniques, with particular attention to the main general features of soft lithography and of materials commonly employed with these methods. We present approaches particularly suitable for biological materials, such as microcontact printing (muCP) and microfluidic lithography, and some key micro- and nanobiotechnology applications, such as the patterning of protein and DNA microarrays and the realization of microfluidic-based analytical devices.

CE-SAM: A Conversational Interface for ISR Mission Support

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

soft -data21”, that is data which is not produced directly by ISR “ hard ” sensing assets but which is instead generated via other means, e.g. by humans...Mott, G. de Mel, and T. Pham, “Integrating hard and soft in- formation sources for D2D using controlled natural language,” in 2012 15th...need to decide which ISR sensing asset (or groups of assets) might be fit to satisfy with a high success-rate our information request. This is a hard

Characterization of fiber Bragg grating-based sensor array for high resolution manometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Martin; Rothhardt, Manfred; Schröder, Kerstin; Voigt, Sebastian; Mehner, Jan; Teubner, Andreas; Lüpke, Thomas; Thieroff, Christoph; Krüger, Matthias; Chojetzki, Christoph; Bartelt, Hartmut

2012-04-01

The combination of fiber Bragg grating arrays integrated in a soft plastic tube is promising for high resolution manometry (HRM) where pressure measurements are done with high spatial resolution. The application as a medical device and in vivo experiments have to be anticipated by characterization with a measurement setup that simulates natural conditions. Good results are achieved with a pressure chamber which applies a well-defined pressure with a soft tubular membrane. It is shown that the proposed catheter design reaches accuracies down to 1 mbar and 1 cm.

ASIC Readout Circuit Architecture for Large Geiger Photodiode Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vasile, Stefan; Lipson, Jerold

2012-01-01

The objective of this work was to develop a new class of readout integrated circuit (ROIC) arrays to be operated with Geiger avalanche photodiode (GPD) arrays, by integrating multiple functions at the pixel level (smart-pixel or active pixel technology) in 250-nm CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) processes. In order to pack a maximum of functions within a minimum pixel size, the ROIC array is a full, custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design using a mixed-signal CMOS process with compact primitive layout cells. The ROIC array was processed to allow assembly in bump-bonding technology with photon-counting infrared detector arrays into 3-D imaging cameras (LADAR). The ROIC architecture was designed to work with either common- anode Si GPD arrays or common-cathode InGaAs GPD arrays. The current ROIC pixel design is hardwired prior to processing one of the two GPD array configurations, and it has the provision to allow soft reconfiguration to either array (to be implemented into the next ROIC array generation). The ROIC pixel architecture implements the Geiger avalanche quenching, bias, reset, and time to digital conversion (TDC) functions in full-digital design, and uses time domain over-sampling (vernier) to allow high temporal resolution at low clock rates, increased data yield, and improved utilization of the laser beam.

Integration of Digital Dental Casts in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scans

PubMed Central

Rangel, Frits A.; Maal, Thomas J. J.; Bergé, Stefaan J.; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie

2012-01-01

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used in maxillofacial surgery. The CBCT image of the dental arches, however, is of insufficient quality to use in digital planning of orthognathic surgery. Several authors have described methods to integrate digital dental casts into CBCT scans, but all reported methods have drawbacks. The aim of this feasibility study is to present a new simplified method to integrate digital dental casts into CBCT scans. In a patient scheduled for orthognathic surgery, titanium markers were glued to the gingiva. Next, a CBCT scan and dental impressions were made. During the impression-taking procedure, the titanium markers were transferred to the impression. The impressions were scanned, and all CBCT datasets were exported in DICOM format. The two datasets were matched, and the dentition derived from the scanned impressions was transferred to the CBCT of the patient. After matching the two datasets, the average distance between the corresponding markers was 0.1 mm. This novel method allows for the integration of digital dental casts into CBCT scans, overcoming problems such as unwanted extra radiation exposure, distortion of soft tissues due to the use of bite jigs, and time-consuming digital data handling. PMID:23050159

Prevalence, Type and Etiology of Dental and Soft Tissue Injuries in Children in Croatia.

PubMed

Škaričić, Josip; Vuletić, Marko; Hrvatin, Sandra; Jeličić, Jesenka; Čuković-Bagić, Ivana; Jurić, Hrvoje

2016-06-01

The prevalence, type and etiology of dental and soft tissue injuries and relationship between the time of arrival and sustaining soft tissue injury were analyzed in this retrospective study conducted at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University Dental Clinic in Zagreb, Croatia, during the 2010-2014 period using documentation on 447 patients (264 male and 183 female) aged 1-16 years with injuries of primary and permanent teeth. The highest prevalence of traumatic dental injury (TDI) was found in the 7-12 age group and maxillary central incisors were most frequently affected (80.9%) in both primary and permanent dentitions. Enamel-dentin fracture without pulp exposure (31.9%) was the most common TDI of dental hard tissue in both dentitions, whereas subluxation (27.3%) was the most common periodontal tissue injury type. The most frequent location, cause and seasonal variation of trauma were at home, falling and spring. Soft tissue injuries were observed in 203 (45.4%) patients. Soft tissue injuries were less likely when fewer teeth were traumatized (p<0.001). Comparison of children with and without soft tissue injuries yielded a statistically significant difference in the time to arrival between primary and permanent teeth (p<0.01). Because soft tissue injuries include bleeding and clinical presentation appears more dramatic, the time elapsed between injury and initial treatment was shorter than in non-bleeding injuries, pointing to the need of education focused on parents and school teachers regarding the importance of immediate therapy for both bleeding and non-bleeding TDIs.

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

PubMed Central

De Falco, Iris; Gerboni, Giada; Cianchetti, Matteo; Menciassi, Arianna

2015-01-01

In recent years, soft robotics technologies have aroused increasing interest in the medical field due to their intrinsically safe interaction in unstructured environments. At the same time, new procedures and techniques have been developed to reduce the invasiveness of surgical operations. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has been successfully employed for abdominal interventions, however standard MIS procedures are mainly based on rigid or semi-rigid tools that limit the dexterity of the clinician. This paper presents a soft and high dexterous manipulator for MIS. The manipulator was inspired by the biological capabilities of the octopus arm, and is designed with a modular approach. Each module presents the same functional characteristics, thus achieving high dexterity and versatility when more modules are integrated. The paper details the design, fabrication process and the materials necessary for the development of a single unit, which is fabricated by casting silicone inside specific molds. The result consists in an elastomeric cylinder including three flexible pneumatic actuators that enable elongation and omni-directional bending of the unit. An external braided sheath improves the motion of the module. In the center of each module a granular jamming-based mechanism varies the stiffness of the structure during the tasks. Tests demonstrate that the module is able to bend up to 120° and to elongate up to 66% of the initial length. The module generates a maximum force of 47 N, and its stiffness can increase up to 36%. PMID:26650236

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

PubMed

De Falco, Iris; Gerboni, Giada; Cianchetti, Matteo; Menciassi, Arianna

2015-11-14

In recent years, soft robotics technologies have aroused increasing interest in the medical field due to their intrinsically safe interaction in unstructured environments. At the same time, new procedures and techniques have been developed to reduce the invasiveness of surgical operations. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has been successfully employed for abdominal interventions, however standard MIS procedures are mainly based on rigid or semi-rigid tools that limit the dexterity of the clinician. This paper presents a soft and high dexterous manipulator for MIS. The manipulator was inspired by the biological capabilities of the octopus arm, and is designed with a modular approach. Each module presents the same functional characteristics, thus achieving high dexterity and versatility when more modules are integrated. The paper details the design, fabrication process and the materials necessary for the development of a single unit, which is fabricated by casting silicone inside specific molds. The result consists in an elastomeric cylinder including three flexible pneumatic actuators that enable elongation and omni-directional bending of the unit. An external braided sheath improves the motion of the module. In the center of each module a granular jamming-based mechanism varies the stiffness of the structure during the tasks. Tests demonstrate that the module is able to bend up to 120° and to elongate up to 66% of the initial length. The module generates a maximum force of 47 N, and its stiffness can increase up to 36%.

Finite Element Method-Based Kinematics and Closed-Loop Control of Soft, Continuum Manipulators.

PubMed

Bieze, Thor Morales; Largilliere, Frederick; Kruszewski, Alexandre; Zhang, Zhongkai; Merzouki, Rochdi; Duriez, Christian

2018-06-01

This article presents a modeling methodology and experimental validation for soft manipulators to obtain forward kinematic model (FKM) and inverse kinematic model (IKM) under quasi-static conditions (in the literature, these manipulators are usually classified as continuum robots. However, their main characteristic of interest in this article is that they create motion by deformation, as opposed to the classical use of articulations). It offers a way to obtain the kinematic characteristics of this type of soft robots that is suitable for offline path planning and position control. The modeling methodology presented relies on continuum mechanics, which does not provide analytic solutions in the general case. Our approach proposes a real-time numerical integration strategy based on finite element method with a numerical optimization based on Lagrange multipliers to obtain FKM and IKM. To reduce the dimension of the problem, at each step, a projection of the model to the constraint space (gathering actuators, sensors, and end-effector) is performed to obtain the smallest number possible of mathematical equations to be solved. This methodology is applied to obtain the kinematics of two different manipulators with complex structural geometry. An experimental comparison is also performed in one of the robots, between two other geometric approaches and the approach that is showcased in this article. A closed-loop controller based on a state estimator is proposed. The controller is experimentally validated and its robustness is evaluated using Lypunov stability method.

Addressing the 21st Century Paradox: Integrating Entrepreneurship in the Computer Information Systems Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Guido; Babb, Jeffry

2015-01-01

The Computer Information Systems (CIS) discipline faces an identity crisis: although demand for CIS graduates is growing, student enrollment is either in decline, or is at least soft or flat in many cases. This has been referred to as the 21st century paradox. As one solution to this problem, we propose to integrate entrepreneurship in the CIS…

GPU-based real-time soft tissue deformation with cutting and haptic feedback.

PubMed

Courtecuisse, Hadrien; Jung, Hoeryong; Allard, Jérémie; Duriez, Christian; Lee, Doo Yong; Cotin, Stéphane

2010-12-01

This article describes a series of contributions in the field of real-time simulation of soft tissue biomechanics. These contributions address various requirements for interactive simulation of complex surgical procedures. In particular, this article presents results in the areas of soft tissue deformation, contact modelling, simulation of cutting, and haptic rendering, which are all relevant to a variety of medical interventions. The contributions described in this article share a common underlying model of deformation and rely on GPU implementations to significantly improve computation times. This consistency in the modelling technique and computational approach ensures coherent results as well as efficient, robust and flexible solutions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can the Hydroxyapatite-Coated Skin-Penetrating Abutment for Bone Conduction Hearing Implants Integrate with the Surrounding Skin?

PubMed

van Hoof, Marc; Wigren, Stina; Duimel, Hans; Savelkoul, Paul H M; Flynn, Mark; Stokroos, Robert Jan

2015-01-01

Percutaneous implants, such as bone conduction hearing implants, suffer from complications that include inflammation of the surrounding skin. A sealed skin-abutment interface can prevent the ingress of bacteria, which should reduce the occurrence of peri-abutment dermatitis. It was hypothesized that a hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated abutment in conjunction with soft tissue preservation surgery should enable integration with the adjacent skin. Previous research has confirmed that integration is never achieved with as-machined titanium abutments. Here, we investigate, in vivo, if skin integration is achievable in patients using a HA-coated abutment. One titanium abutment (control) and one HA-coated abutment (case) together with the surrounding skin were surgically retrieved from two patients who had a medical indication for this procedure. Histological sections of the skin were investigated using light microscopy. The abutment was qualitatively analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The titanium abutment only had a partial and thin layer of attached amorphous biological material. The HA-coated abutment was almost fully covered by a pronounced thick layer of organized skin, composed of different interconnected structural layers. Proof-of-principle evidence that the HA-coated abutment can achieve integration with the surrounding skin was presented for the first time.

Evaluation of Osseous Integration of PVD-Silver-Coated Hip Prostheses in a Canine Model

PubMed Central

Hauschild, Gregor; Hardes, Jendrik; Gosheger, Georg; Blaske, Franziska; Wehe, Christoph; Karst, Uwe; Höll, Steffen

2015-01-01

Infection associated with biomaterials used for orthopedic prostheses remains a serious complication in orthopedics, especially tumor surgery. Silver-coating of orthopedic (mega)prostheses proved its efficiency in reducing infections but has been limited to surface areas exposed to soft tissues due to concerns of silver inhibiting osseous integration of cementless stems. To close this gap in the bactericidal capacity of silver-coated orthopedic prostheses extension of the silver-coating on surface areas intended for osseous integration seems to be inevitable. Our study reports about a PVD- (physical-vapor-deposition-) silver-coated cementless stem in a canine model for the first time and showed osseous integration of a silver-coated titanium surface in vivo. Radiological, histological, and biomechanical analysis revealed a stable osseous integration of four of nine stems implanted. Silver trace elemental concentrations in serum did not exceed 1.82 parts per billion (ppb) and can be considered as nontoxic. Changes in liver and kidney functions associated with the silver-coating could be excluded by blood chemistry analysis. This was in accordance with very limited metal displacement from coated surfaces observed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) 12 months after implantation. In conclusion our results represent a step towards complete bactericidal silver-coating of orthopedic prostheses. PMID:25695057

Reducing Response Time Bounds for DAG-Based Task Systems on Heterogeneous Multicore Platforms

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

synchronous parallel tasks on multicore platforms. In 25th ECRTS, 2013. [10] U. Devi. Soft Real - Time Scheduling on Multiprocessors. PhD thesis...report, Washington University in St Louis, 2014. [18] C. Liu and J. Anderson. Supporting soft real - time DAG-based sys- tems on multiprocessors with...analysis for DAG-based real - time task systems im- plemented on heterogeneous multicore platforms. The spe- cific analysis problem that is considered was

Deformable devices with integrated functional nanomaterials for wearable electronics.

PubMed

Kim, Jaemin; Lee, Jongsu; Son, Donghee; Choi, Moon Kee; Kim, Dae-Hyeong

2016-01-01

As the market and related industry for wearable electronics dramatically expands, there are continuous and strong demands for flexible and stretchable devices to be seamlessly integrated with soft and curvilinear human skin or clothes. However, the mechanical mismatch between the rigid conventional electronics and the soft human body causes many problems. Therefore, various prospective nanomaterials that possess a much lower flexural rigidity than their bulk counterparts have rapidly established themselves as promising electronic materials replacing rigid silicon and/or compound semiconductors in next-generation wearable devices. Many hybrid structures of multiple nanomaterials have been also developed to pursue both high performance and multifunctionality. Here, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art wearable devices based on one- or two-dimensional nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, single-crystal silicon and oxide nanomembranes, organic nanomaterials and their hybrids) in combination with zero-dimensional functional nanomaterials (e.g., metal/oxide nanoparticles and quantum dots). Starting from an introduction of materials strategies, we describe device designs and the roles of individual ones in integrated systems. Detailed application examples of wearable sensors/actuators, memories, energy devices, and displays are also presented.

Deformable devices with integrated functional nanomaterials for wearable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaemin; Lee, Jongsu; Son, Donghee; Choi, Moon Kee; Kim, Dae-Hyeong

2016-03-01

As the market and related industry for wearable electronics dramatically expands, there are continuous and strong demands for flexible and stretchable devices to be seamlessly integrated with soft and curvilinear human skin or clothes. However, the mechanical mismatch between the rigid conventional electronics and the soft human body causes many problems. Therefore, various prospective nanomaterials that possess a much lower flexural rigidity than their bulk counterparts have rapidly established themselves as promising electronic materials replacing rigid silicon and/or compound semiconductors in next-generation wearable devices. Many hybrid structures of multiple nanomaterials have been also developed to pursue both high performance and multifunctionality. Here, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art wearable devices based on one- or two-dimensional nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, single-crystal silicon and oxide nanomembranes, organic nanomaterials and their hybrids) in combination with zero-dimensional functional nanomaterials (e.g., metal/oxide nanoparticles and quantum dots). Starting from an introduction of materials strategies, we describe device designs and the roles of individual ones in integrated systems. Detailed application examples of wearable sensors/actuators, memories, energy devices, and displays are also presented.

Two-speed phacoemulsification for soft cataracts using optimized parameters and procedure step toolbar with the CENTURION Vision System and Balanced Tip.

PubMed

Davison, James A

2015-01-01

To present a cause of posterior capsule aspiration and a technique using optimized parameters to prevent it from happening when operating soft cataracts. A prospective list of posterior capsule aspiration cases was kept over 4,062 consecutive cases operated with the Alcon CENTURION machine and Balanced Tip. Video analysis of one case of posterior capsule aspiration was accomplished. A surgical technique was developed using empirically derived machine parameters and customized setting-selection procedure step toolbar to reduce the pace of aspiration of soft nuclear quadrants in order to prevent capsule aspiration. Two cases out of 3,238 experienced posterior capsule aspiration before use of the soft quadrant technique. Video analysis showed an attractive vortex effect with capsule aspiration occurring in 1/5 of a second. A soft quadrant removal setting was empirically derived which had a slower pace and seemed more controlled with no capsule aspiration occurring in the subsequent 824 cases. The setting featured simultaneous linear control from zero to preset maximums for: aspiration flow, 20 mL/min; and vacuum, 400 mmHg, with the addition of torsional tip amplitude up to 20% after the fluidic maximums were achieved. A new setting selection procedure step toolbar was created to increase intraoperative flexibility by providing instantaneous shifting between the soft and normal settings. A technique incorporating a reduced pace for soft quadrant acquisition and aspiration can be accomplished through the use of a dedicated setting of integrated machine parameters. Toolbar placement of the procedure button next to the normal setting procedure button provides the opportunity to instantaneously alternate between the two settings. Simultaneous surgeon control over vacuum, aspiration flow, and torsional tip motion may make removal of soft nuclear quadrants more efficient and safer.

A Fabry-Perot Interferometry Based MRI-Compatible Miniature Uniaxial Force Sensor for Percutaneous Needle Placement

PubMed Central

Shang, Weijian; Su, Hao; Li, Gang; Furlong, Cosme; Fischer, Gregory S.

2014-01-01

Robot-assisted surgical procedures, taking advantage of the high soft tissue contrast and real-time imaging of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are developing rapidly. However, it is crucial to maintain tactile force feedback in MRI-guided needle-based procedures. This paper presents a Fabry-Perot interference (FPI) based system of an MRI-compatible fiber optic sensor which has been integrated into a piezoelectrically actuated robot for prostate cancer biopsy and brachytherapy in 3T MRI scanner. The opto-electronic sensing system design was minimized to fit inside an MRI-compatible robot controller enclosure. A flexure mechanism was designed that integrates the FPI sensor fiber for measuring needle insertion force, and finite element analysis was performed for optimizing the correct force-deformation relationship. The compact, low-cost FPI sensing system was integrated into the robot and calibration was conducted. The root mean square (RMS) error of the calibration among the range of 0–10 Newton was 0.318 Newton comparing to the theoretical model which has been proven sufficient for robot control and teleoperation. PMID:25126153

Glass transition of soft colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philippe, Adrian-Marie; Truzzolillo, Domenico; Galvan-Myoshi, Julian; Dieudonné-George, Philippe; Trappe, Véronique; Berthier, Ludovic; Cipelletti, Luca

2018-04-01

We explore the glassy dynamics of soft colloids using microgels and charged particles interacting by steric and screened Coulomb interactions, respectively. In the supercooled regime, the structural relaxation time τα of both systems grows steeply with volume fraction, reminiscent of the behavior of colloidal hard spheres. Computer simulations confirm that the growth of τα on approaching the glass transition is independent of particle softness. By contrast, softness becomes relevant at very large packing fractions when the system falls out of equilibrium. In this nonequilibrium regime, τα depends surprisingly weakly on packing fraction, and time correlation functions exhibit a compressed exponential decay consistent with stress-driven relaxation. The transition to this novel regime coincides with the onset of an anomalous decrease in local order with increasing density typical of ultrasoft systems. We propose that these peculiar dynamics results from the combination of the nonequilibrium aging dynamics expected in the glassy state and the tendency of colloids interacting through soft potentials to refluidize at high packing fractions.

Optimization and real-time control for laser treatment of heterogeneous soft tissues.

PubMed

Feng, Yusheng; Fuentes, David; Hawkins, Andrea; Bass, Jon M; Rylander, Marissa Nichole

2009-01-01

Predicting the outcome of thermotherapies in cancer treatment requires an accurate characterization of the bioheat transfer processes in soft tissues. Due to the biological and structural complexity of tumor (soft tissue) composition and vasculature, it is often very difficult to obtain reliable tissue properties that is one of the key factors for the accurate treatment outcome prediction. Efficient algorithms employing in vivo thermal measurements to determine heterogeneous thermal tissues properties in conjunction with a detailed sensitivity analysis can produce essential information for model development and optimal control. The goals of this paper are to present a general formulation of the bioheat transfer equation for heterogeneous soft tissues, review models and algorithms developed for cell damage, heat shock proteins, and soft tissues with nanoparticle inclusion, and demonstrate an overall computational strategy for developing a laser treatment framework with the ability to perform real-time robust calibrations and optimal control. This computational strategy can be applied to other thermotherapies using the heat source such as radio frequency or high intensity focused ultrasound.

Methods for fabrication of flexible hybrid electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Street, Robert A.; Mei, Ping; Krusor, Brent; Ready, Steve E.; Zhang, Yong; Schwartz, David E.; Pierre, Adrien; Doris, Sean E.; Russo, Beverly; Kor, Siv; Veres, Janos

2017-08-01

Printed and flexible hybrid electronics is an emerging technology with potential applications in smart labels, wearable electronics, soft robotics, and prosthetics. Printed solution-based materials are compatible with plastic film substrates that are flexible, soft, and stretchable, thus enabling conformal integration with non-planar objects. In addition, manufacturing by printing is scalable to large areas and is amenable to low-cost sheet-fed and roll-to-roll processes. FHE includes display and sensory components to interface with users and environments. On the system level, devices also require electronic circuits for power, memory, signal conditioning, and communications. Those electronic components can be integrated onto a flexible substrate by either assembly or printing. PARC has developed systems and processes for realizing both approaches. This talk presents fabrication methods with an emphasis on techniques recently developed for the assembly of off-the-shelf chips. A few examples of systems fabricated with this approach are also described.

Fractal design concepts for stretchable electronics.

PubMed

Fan, Jonathan A; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Su, Yewang; Hattori, Yoshiaki; Lee, Woosik; Jung, Sung-Young; Zhang, Yihui; Liu, Zhuangjian; Cheng, Huanyu; Falgout, Leo; Bajema, Mike; Coleman, Todd; Gregoire, Dan; Larsen, Ryan J; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

2014-01-01

Stretchable electronics provide a foundation for applications that exceed the scope of conventional wafer and circuit board technologies due to their unique capacity to integrate with soft materials and curvilinear surfaces. The range of possibilities is predicated on the development of device architectures that simultaneously offer advanced electronic function and compliant mechanics. Here we report that thin films of hard electronic materials patterned in deterministic fractal motifs and bonded to elastomers enable unusual mechanics with important implications in stretchable device design. In particular, we demonstrate the utility of Peano, Greek cross, Vicsek and other fractal constructs to yield space-filling structures of electronic materials, including monocrystalline silicon, for electrophysiological sensors, precision monitors and actuators, and radio frequency antennas. These devices support conformal mounting on the skin and have unique properties such as invisibility under magnetic resonance imaging. The results suggest that fractal-based layouts represent important strategies for hard-soft materials integration.

Skin-inspired hydrogel-elastomer hybrids with robust interfaces and functional microstructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuk, Hyunwoo; Zhang, Teng; Parada, German Alberto; Liu, Xinyue; Zhao, Xuanhe

2016-06-01

Inspired by mammalian skins, soft hybrids integrating the merits of elastomers and hydrogels have potential applications in diverse areas including stretchable and bio-integrated electronics, microfluidics, tissue engineering, soft robotics and biomedical devices. However, existing hydrogel-elastomer hybrids have limitations such as weak interfacial bonding, low robustness and difficulties in patterning microstructures. Here, we report a simple yet versatile method to assemble hydrogels and elastomers into hybrids with extremely robust interfaces (interfacial toughness over 1,000 Jm-2) and functional microstructures such as microfluidic channels and electrical circuits. The proposed method is generally applicable to various types of tough hydrogels and diverse commonly used elastomers including polydimethylsiloxane Sylgard 184, polyurethane, latex, VHB and Ecoflex. We further demonstrate applications enabled by the robust and microstructured hydrogel-elastomer hybrids including anti-dehydration hydrogel-elastomer hybrids, stretchable and reactive hydrogel-elastomer microfluidics, and stretchable hydrogel circuit boards patterned on elastomer.

GRI: The Gamma-Ray Imager mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knödlseder, Jürgen; GRI Consortium

With the INTEGRAL observatory ESA has provided a unique tool to the astronomical community revealing hundreds of sources, new classes of objects, extraordinary views of antimatter annihilation in our Galaxy, and fingerprints of recent nucleosynthesis processes. While INTEGRAL provides the global overview over the soft gamma-ray sky, there is a growing need to perform deeper, more focused investigations of gamma-ray sources. In soft X-rays a comparable step was taken going from the Einstein and the EXOSAT satellites to the Chandra and XMM/Newton observatories. Technological advances in the past years in the domain of gamma-ray focusing using Laue diffraction have paved the way towards a new gamma-ray mission, providing major improvements regarding sensitivity and angular resolution. Such a future Gamma-Ray Imager will allow studies of particle acceleration processes and explosion physics in unprecedented detail, providing essential clues on the innermost nature of the most violent and most energetic processes in the Universe.

GRI: The Gamma-Ray Imager mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knödlseder, Jürgen; GRI Consortium

2006-06-01

With the INTEGRAL observatory, ESA has provided a unique tool to the astronomical community revealing hundreds of sources, new classes of objects, extraordinary views of antimatter annihilation in our Galaxy, and fingerprints of recent nucleosynthesis processes. While INTEGRAL provides the global overview over the soft gamma-ray sky, there is a growing need to perform deeper, more focused investigations of gamma-ray sources. In soft X-rays a comparable step was taken going from the Einstein and the EXOSAT satellites to the Chandra and XMM/Newton observatories. Technological advances in the past years in the domain of gamma-ray focusing using Laue diffraction have paved the way towards a new gamma-ray mission, providing major improvements regarding sensitivity and angular resolution. Such a future Gamma-Ray Imager will allow the study of particle acceleration processes and explosion physics in unprecedented detail, providing essential clues on the innermost nature of the most violent and most energetic processes in the Universe.

Electron-positron pair production by ultrarelativistic electrons in a soft photon field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mastichiadis, A.; Marscher, A. P.; Brecher, K.

1986-01-01

The fully differential cross section for photon-electron pair production is integrated numerically over phase space. Results are obtained for the astrophysically interesting case in which the interaction between an ultrarelativistic electron and a soft photon results in electron-positron pair production. The positron spectrum is a function of the energies of both the photon and the electron, as well as the angle of interaction. It is found that the energy at which the positron distribution peaks is inversely proportional to the photon energy and independent of the electron energy. The positron spectrum is integrated once more over initial electron energies for a power-law energy distribution of primary electrons. The same procedure is repeated for the recoil particle; it is shown that the peak of the recoil energy distribution depends linearly on the energy of the primary electron. Finally, semianalytical expressions are obtained for the energy losses of the primary electrons.

Fractal design concepts for stretchable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Jonathan A.; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Su, Yewang; Hattori, Yoshiaki; Lee, Woosik; Jung, Sung-Young; Zhang, Yihui; Liu, Zhuangjian; Cheng, Huanyu; Falgout, Leo; Bajema, Mike; Coleman, Todd; Gregoire, Dan; Larsen, Ryan J.; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A.

2014-02-01

Stretchable electronics provide a foundation for applications that exceed the scope of conventional wafer and circuit board technologies due to their unique capacity to integrate with soft materials and curvilinear surfaces. The range of possibilities is predicated on the development of device architectures that simultaneously offer advanced electronic function and compliant mechanics. Here we report that thin films of hard electronic materials patterned in deterministic fractal motifs and bonded to elastomers enable unusual mechanics with important implications in stretchable device design. In particular, we demonstrate the utility of Peano, Greek cross, Vicsek and other fractal constructs to yield space-filling structures of electronic materials, including monocrystalline silicon, for electrophysiological sensors, precision monitors and actuators, and radio frequency antennas. These devices support conformal mounting on the skin and have unique properties such as invisibility under magnetic resonance imaging. The results suggest that fractal-based layouts represent important strategies for hard-soft materials integration.

Real-time, haptics-enabled simulator for probing ex vivo liver tissue.

PubMed

Lister, Kevin; Gao, Zhan; Desai, Jaydev P

2009-01-01

The advent of complex surgical procedures has driven the need for realistic surgical training simulators. Comprehensive simulators that provide realistic visual and haptic feedback during surgical tasks are required to familiarize surgeons with the procedures they are to perform. Complex organ geometry inherent to biological tissues and intricate material properties drive the need for finite element methods to assure accurate tissue displacement and force calculations. Advances in real-time finite element methods have not reached the state where they are applicable to soft tissue surgical simulation. Therefore a real-time, haptics-enabled simulator for probing of soft tissue has been developed which utilizes preprocessed finite element data (derived from accurate constitutive model of the soft-tissue obtained from carefully collected experimental data) to accurately replicate the probing task in real-time.

A discrete mechanics framework for real time virtual surgical simulations with application to virtual laparoscopic nephrectomy.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiangmin; Zhang, Nan; Sha, Desong; Shen, Yunhe; Tamma, Kumar K; Sweet, Robert

2009-01-01

The inability to render realistic soft-tissue behavior in real time has remained a barrier to face and content aspects of validity for many virtual reality surgical training systems. Biophysically based models are not only suitable for training purposes but also for patient-specific clinical applications, physiological modeling and surgical planning. When considering the existing approaches for modeling soft tissue for virtual reality surgical simulation, the computer graphics-based approach lacks predictive capability; the mass-spring model (MSM) based approach lacks biophysically realistic soft-tissue dynamic behavior; and the finite element method (FEM) approaches fail to meet the real-time requirement. The present development stems from physics fundamental thermodynamic first law; for a space discrete dynamic system directly formulates the space discrete but time continuous governing equation with embedded material constitutive relation and results in a discrete mechanics framework which possesses a unique balance between the computational efforts and the physically realistic soft-tissue dynamic behavior. We describe the development of the discrete mechanics framework with focused attention towards a virtual laparoscopic nephrectomy application.

Bioavailability of fluoride in drinking water: a human experimental study.

PubMed

Maguire, A; Zohouri, F V; Mathers, J C; Steen, I N; Hindmarch, P N; Moynihan, P J

2005-11-01

It has been suggested that systemic fluoride absorption from drinking water may be influenced by the type of fluoride compound in the water and by water hardness. Using a human double-blind cross-over trial, we conducted this study to measure c(max), T(max), and Area Under the Curve (AUC) for plasma F concentration against time, following the ingestion of naturally fluoridated hard and soft waters, artificially fluoridated hard and soft waters, and a reference water. Mean AUC over 0 to 8 hours was 1330, 1440, 1679, 1566, and 1328 ng F.min.mL(-1) for naturally fluoridated soft, naturally fluoridated hard, artificially fluoridated soft, artificially fluoridated hard, and reference waters, respectively, with no statistically significant differences among waters for AUC, c(max), or T(max). Any differences in fluoride bioavailability between drinking waters in which fluoride is present naturally or added artificially, or the waters are hard or soft, were small compared with large within- and between-subject variations in F absorption. Abbreviations used: F, fluoride; AUC, Area under the Curve for plasma F concentration against time; AUC(0-3), Area under the Curve for plasma F concentration against time for 0 to 3 hours following water ingestion; AUC(0-8), Area under the Curve for plasma F concentration against time for 0 to 8 hours following water ingestion; c(max), maximum plasma F concentration corrected for baseline plasma F and dose (i.e., F concentration of individual waters); T(max), time of c(max).

The Integrated Safety-Critical Advanced Avionics Communication and Control (ISAACC) System Concept: Infrastructure for ISHM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gwaltney, David A.; Briscoe, Jeri M.

2005-01-01

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) architectures for spacecraft will include hard real-time, critical subsystems and soft real-time monitoring subsystems. Interaction between these subsystems will be necessary and an architecture supporting multiple criticality levels will be required. Demonstration hardware for the Integrated Safety-Critical Advanced Avionics Communication & Control (ISAACC) system has been developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. It is a modular system using a commercially available time-triggered protocol, ?Tp/C, that supports hard real-time distributed control systems independent of the data transmission medium. The protocol is implemented in hardware and provides guaranteed low-latency messaging with inherent fault-tolerance and fault-containment. Interoperability between modules and systems of modules using the TTP/C is guaranteed through definition of messages and the precise message schedule implemented by the master-less Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) communications protocol. "Plug-and-play" capability for sensors and actuators provides automatically configurable modules supporting sensor recalibration and control algorithm re-tuning without software modification. Modular components of controlled physical system(s) critical to control algorithm tuning, such as pumps or valve components in an engine, can be replaced or upgraded as "plug and play" components without modification to the ISAACC module hardware or software. ISAACC modules can communicate with other vehicle subsystems through time-triggered protocols or other communications protocols implemented over Ethernet, MIL-STD- 1553 and RS-485/422. Other communication bus physical layers and protocols can be included as required. In this way, the ISAACC modules can be part of a system-of-systems in a vehicle with multi-tier subsystems of varying criticality. The goal of the ISAACC architecture development is control and monitoring of safety critical systems of a manned spacecraft. These systems include spacecraft navigation and attitude control, propulsion, automated docking, vehicle health management and life support. ISAACC can integrate local critical subsystem health management with subsystems performing long term health monitoring. The ISAACC system and its relationship to ISHM will be presented.

Soft hair of dynamical black hole and Hawking radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Chong-Sun; Koyama, Yoji

2018-04-01

Soft hair of black hole has been proposed recently to play an important role in the resolution of the black hole information paradox. Recent work has emphasized that the soft modes cannot affect the black hole S-matrix due to Weinberg soft theorems. However as soft hair is generated by supertranslation of geometry which involves an angular dependent shift of time, it must have non-trivial quantum effects. We consider supertranslation of the Vaidya black hole and construct a non-spherical symmetric dynamical spacetime with soft hair. We show that this spacetime admits a trapping horizon and is a dynamical black hole. We find that Hawking radiation is emitted from the trapping horizon of the dynamical black hole. The Hawking radiation has a spectrum which depends on the soft hair of the black hole and this is consistent with the factorization property of the black hole S-matrix.

Premature infant swallowing: patterns of tongue-soft palate coordination based upon videofluoroscopy.

PubMed

Goldfield, Eugene C; Buonomo, Carlo; Fletcher, Kara; Perez, Jennifer; Margetts, Stacey; Hansen, Anne; Smith, Vincent; Ringer, Steven; Richardson, Michael J; Wolff, Peter H

2010-04-01

Coordination between movements of individual tongue points, and between soft palate elevation and tongue movements, were examined in 12 prematurely born infants referred from hospital NICUs for videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) due to poor oral feeding and suspicion of aspiration. Detailed post-evaluation kinematic analysis was conducted by digitizing images of a lateral view of digitally superimposed points on the tongue and soft palate. The primary measure of coordination was continuous relative phase of the time series created by movements of points on the tongue and soft palate over successive frames. Three points on the tongue (anterior, medial, and posterior) were organized around a stable in-phase pattern, with a phase lag that implied an anterior to posterior direction of motion. Coordination between a tongue point and a point on the soft palate during lowering and elevation was close to anti-phase at initiation of the pharyngeal swallow. These findings suggest that anti-phase coordination between tongue and soft palate may reflect the process by which the tongue is timed to pump liquid by moving it into an enclosed space, compressing it, and allowing it to leave by a specific route through the pharynx. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advantages of soft versus hard constraints in self-modeling curve resolution problems. Alternating least squares with penalty functions.

PubMed

Gemperline, Paul J; Cash, Eric

2003-08-15

A new algorithm for self-modeling curve resolution (SMCR) that yields improved results by incorporating soft constraints is described. The method uses least squares penalty functions to implement constraints in an alternating least squares algorithm, including nonnegativity, unimodality, equality, and closure constraints. By using least squares penalty functions, soft constraints are formulated rather than hard constraints. Significant benefits are (obtained using soft constraints, especially in the form of fewer distortions due to noise in resolved profiles. Soft equality constraints can also be used to introduce incomplete or partial reference information into SMCR solutions. Four different examples demonstrating application of the new method are presented, including resolution of overlapped HPLC-DAD peaks, flow injection analysis data, and batch reaction data measured by UV/visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Each example was selected to show one aspect of the significant advantages of soft constraints over traditionally used hard constraints. Incomplete or partial reference information into self-modeling curve resolution models is described. The method offers a substantial improvement in the ability to resolve time-dependent concentration profiles from mixture spectra recorded as a function of time.

Outcome following treatment of soft tissue and visceral extraskeletal osteosarcoma in 33 dogs: 2008-2013.

PubMed

Duffy, D; Selmic, L E; Kendall, A R; Powers, B E

2017-03-01

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma (EOS) is a rare, highly malignant mesenchymal neoplasm arising from viscera or soft tissues characterised by the formation of osteoid in the absence of bone involvement. Owing to the rarity of these neoplasms very little information exists on treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe the outcome following surgical treatment of non-mammary and non-thyroidal soft tissue and visceral EOS in dogs. Thirty-three dogs were identified; the most common primary tumour site was the spleen. Dogs that had wide or radical tumour excision had longer survival times compared with dogs that had only marginal tumour excision performed [median survival time of 90 days (range: 0-458 days) versus median survival time of 13 days (range: 0-20 days)]. The use of surgery should be considered in the management of dogs with non-mammary and non-thyroidal soft tissue and visceral EOS. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Soft fruit traceability in food matrices using real-time PCR.

PubMed

Palmieri, Luisa; Bozza, Elisa; Giongo, Lara

2009-02-01

Food product authentication provides a means of monitoring and identifying products for consumer protection and regulatory compliance. There is a scarcity of analytical methods for confirming the identity of fruit pulp in products containing Soft Fruit. In the present work we have developed a very sensible qualitative and quantitative method to determine the presence of berry DNAs in different food matrices. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the applicability, to Soft Fruit traceability, of melting curve analysis and multiplexed fluorescent probes, in a Real-Time PCR platform. This methodology aims to protect the consumer from label misrepresentation.

Viscoelastic Thin Polymer Films under Transient Residual Stresses: Two-Stage Dewetting on Soft Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Akhrass, S.; Reiter, G.; Hou, S. Y.; Yang, M. H.; Chang, Y. L.; Chang, F. C.; Wang, C. F.; Yang, A. C.-M.

2008-05-01

A nonmonotonic, two-stage dewetting behavior was observed for spin coated thin viscoelastic polymer films on soft elastic substrates. At times shorter than the relaxation time of the polymer (t<τrep), dewetting generated deep trenches in the soft rubbery substrate which, in turn, almost stopped dewetting. At later stages (t≫τrep), dewetting accelerated, accompanied by an unstable rim. However, holes nucleated at t<τrep showed only this second-stage behavior. Our observations are attributed to large elastic deformations in the substrate caused by transient residual stresses within the film.

Advances in Materials for Recent Low-Profile Implantable Bioelectronics

PubMed Central

Kim, Yun-Soung; Tillman, Bryan W.; Chun, Youngjae

2018-01-01

The rapid development of micro/nanofabrication technologies to engineer a variety of materials has enabled new types of bioelectronics for health monitoring and disease diagnostics. In this review, we summarize widely used electronic materials in recent low-profile implantable systems, including traditional metals and semiconductors, soft polymers, biodegradable metals, and organic materials. Silicon-based compounds have represented the traditional materials in medical devices, due to the fully established fabrication processes. Examples include miniaturized sensors for monitoring intraocular pressure and blood pressure, which are designed in an ultra-thin diaphragm to react with the applied pressure. These sensors are integrated into rigid circuits and multiple modules; this brings challenges regarding the fundamental material’s property mismatch with the targeted human tissues, which are intrinsically soft. Therefore, many polymeric materials have been investigated for hybrid integration with well-characterized functional materials such as silicon membranes and metal interconnects, which enable soft implantable bioelectronics. The most recent trend in implantable systems uses transient materials that naturally dissolve in body fluid after a programmed lifetime. Such biodegradable metallic materials are advantageous in the design of electronics due to their proven electrical properties. Collectively, this review delivers the development history of materials in implantable devices, while introducing new bioelectronics based on bioresorbable materials with multiple functionalities. PMID:29596359

The Mechanical Properties of Hydrated Intermediate Filaments: Insights from Hagfish Slime Threads

PubMed Central

Fudge, Douglas S.; Gardner, Kenn H.; Forsyth, V. Trevor; Riekel, Christian; Gosline, John M.

2003-01-01

Intermediate filaments (IFs) impart mechanical integrity to cells, yet IF mechanics are poorly understood. It is assumed that IFs in cells are as stiff as hard α-keratin, F-actin, and microtubules, but the high bending flexibility of IFs and the low stiffness of soft α-keratins suggest that hydrated IFs may be quite soft. To test this hypothesis, we measured the tensile mechanics of the keratin-like threads from hagfish slime, which are an ideal model for exploring the mechanics of IF bundles and IFs because they consist of tightly packed and aligned IFs. Tensile tests suggest that hydrated IF bundles possess low initial stiffness (Ei = 6.4 MPa) and remarkable elasticity (up to strains of 0.34), which we attribute to soft elastomeric IF protein terminal domains in series with stiffer coiled coils. The high tensile strength (180 MPa) and toughness (130 MJ/m3) of IF bundles support the notion that IFs lend mechanical integrity to cells. Their long-range elasticity suggests that IFs may also allow cells to recover from large deformations. X-ray diffraction and congo-red staining indicate that post-yield deformation leads to an irreversible α→β conformational transition in IFs, which leads to plastic deformation, and may be used by cells as a mechanosensory cue. PMID:12944314

Advances in Materials for Recent Low-Profile Implantable Bioelectronics.

PubMed

Chen, Yanfei; Kim, Yun-Soung; Tillman, Bryan W; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Chun, Youngjae

2018-03-29

The rapid development of micro/nanofabrication technologies to engineer a variety of materials has enabled new types of bioelectronics for health monitoring and disease diagnostics. In this review, we summarize widely used electronic materials in recent low-profile implantable systems, including traditional metals and semiconductors, soft polymers, biodegradable metals, and organic materials. Silicon-based compounds have represented the traditional materials in medical devices, due to the fully established fabrication processes. Examples include miniaturized sensors for monitoring intraocular pressure and blood pressure, which are designed in an ultra-thin diaphragm to react with the applied pressure. These sensors are integrated into rigid circuits and multiple modules; this brings challenges regarding the fundamental material's property mismatch with the targeted human tissues, which are intrinsically soft. Therefore, many polymeric materials have been investigated for hybrid integration with well-characterized functional materials such as silicon membranes and metal interconnects, which enable soft implantable bioelectronics. The most recent trend in implantable systems uses transient materials that naturally dissolve in body fluid after a programmed lifetime. Such biodegradable metallic materials are advantageous in the design of electronics due to their proven electrical properties. Collectively, this review delivers the development history of materials in implantable devices, while introducing new bioelectronics based on bioresorbable materials with multiple functionalities.

Direct and indirect effects of a new disease of alcyonacean soft corals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, M.; Renegar, D. A.; Gochfeld, D. J.

2013-09-01

Alcyonacean soft corals form major components of the biomass and biodiversity on many shallow Indo-Pacific reefs. In spite of the observed increase in marine diseases worldwide, disease has rarely been reported from this taxonomic group. Here, we describe a chronic tissue loss disease affecting soft corals of the genus Sinularia on reefs in Guam. The disease presents as a diffuse wrinkling of the otherwise smooth fingers, followed by tissue sloughing, necrosis, and disintegration. Until a cause has been confirmed, we propose the name Sinularia Tissue Loss Disease. This disease was first observed at low prevalence (<1 %) in 2001 affecting Sinularia polydactyla and it was later found in Sinularia maxima and the hybrid S. maxima x polydactyla. Disease prevalence is now significantly greater in the hybrid (11-12 %) than in either parent species (2-3 %). Histological examination of healthy and affected tissues of hybrid soft corals demonstrates a loss of structural integrity, increased densities of amoebocytes and inclusion of unidentified foreign eukaryotic cells that resemble oocysts, in the diseased tissues. The presence of disease is associated with reduced concentrations of cellular protein levels, although lipids and carbohydrates were unaffected. Results from a common garden transplant experiment indicate that disease also has an indirect effect on hybrid soft corals by increasing rates of butterflyfish predation over the levels found on healthy hybrids or on healthy and diseased parent species. Our results indicate that interactions between the parent and hybrid soft coral populations are more dynamic than previously reported. Loss of hybrid soft corals on already degraded back-reefs of Guam could have significant repercussions for these reef communities.

NBC detection in air and water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartley, Frank T.; Smith, Steven J.; McMurtry, Gary M.

2003-01-01

Participating in a Navy STTR project to develop a system capable of the 'real-time' detection and quanitification of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare agents, and of related industrial chemicals including NBC agent synthesis by-products in water and in air immediately above the water's surface. This project uses JPL's Soft Ionization Membrane (SIM) technology which totally ionizes molecules without fragmentation (a process that can markedly improve the sensitivity and specificity of molecule compostition identification), and JPL's Rotating Field Mass Spectrometer (RFMS) technology which has large enough dynamic mass range to enable detection of nuclear materials as well as biological and chemical agents. This Navy project integrates these JPL Environmental Monitoring UnitS (REMUS) an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). It is anticipated that the REMUS AUV will be capable of 'real-time' detection and quantification of NBC warefare agents.

Extension of drop experiments with the MIKROBA balloon drop facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommer, K.; Kretzschmar, K.; Dorn, C.

1992-12-01

The German balloon drop facility MIKROBA extends the worldwide available drop experiment opportunities to the presently highest usable experimentation time span of 55 s at microgravity conditions better than 0.001 g. The microgravity period is started with the typical quasi-deal step function from 1 to 0 g. MIKROBA allows flexible experiment design, short access time, and easy hands-on payload integration. The transport to the operational height is realized by soft energies and technologies compatible with the earth's environment. Balloon campaigns are not restricted to a certain test range, i.e., several suitable sites are available all over the world. MIKROBA combines negligible mechanical loads at the mission start, typical of all drop facilities, with extremely low drop deceleration loads (less than g), due to the implemented three-stage parachute and airbag recovery subsystem.

Time-dependent difference theory for noise propagation in a two-dimensional duct. [of a turbofan engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumeister, K. J.

1979-01-01

A time dependent numerical formulation was derived for sound propagation in a two dimensional straight soft-walled duct in the absence of mean flow. The time dependent governing acoustic-difference equations and boundary conditions were developed along with the maximum stable time increment. Example calculations were presented for sound attenuation in hard and soft wall ducts. The time dependent analysis were found to be superior to the conventional steady numerical analysis because of much shorter solution times and the elimination of matrix storage requirements.

Near-infrared light-controlled tunable grating based on graphene/elastomer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fei; Jia, Shuhai; Wang, Yonglin; Tang, Zhenhua

2018-02-01

A near-infrared (nIR) light actuated tunable transmission optical grating based on graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and PDMS is proposed. A simple fabrication protocol is studied that allows integration of the grating with the actuation mechanism; both components are made from soft elastomers, and this ensure the tunability and the light-driven operation of the grating. The resulting grating structure demonstrates continuous period tunability of 2.7% under an actuation power density of 220 mW cm-2 within a period of 3 s and also demonstrates a time-independent characteristic. The proposed infrared activated grating can be developed for wireless remote light splitting in bio/chemical sensing and optical telecommunications applications.

A low-cost photonic biosensor built on a polymer platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Linghua; Kodeck, Valérie; Van Vlierberghe, Sandra; Ren, Jun; Teng, Jie; Han, Xiuyou; Jian, Xigao; Baets, Roel; Morthier, Geert; Zhao, Mingshan

2011-12-01

Planar integrated optical biosensors are becoming more and more important as they facilitate label-free and real time monitoring biosensing with high sensitivity. In this paper, the systematic research on one kind of optical biosensor, based on a resonant principle in a polymer ring resonator, will be presented. Reduced footprint and high sensitivity are advantages of this kind of biosensor. Rather than expensive CMOS fabrication, the device with high performance is fabricated through a simple UV based soft imprint technique utilizing self-developed low loss polymer material. The measurement results for the bulk sensing of a NaCl solution and the surface sensing of a minimal amount of avidin molecules in a buffered solution will be presented.

Enhancing the Performance of Passive Teleoperation Systems via Cutaneous Feedback.

PubMed

Pacchierotti, Claudio; Tirmizi, Asad; Bianchini, Gianni; Prattichizzo, Domenico

2015-01-01

We introduce a novel method to improve the performance of passive teleoperation systems with force reflection. It consists of integrating kinesthetic haptic feedback provided by common grounded haptic interfaces with cutaneous haptic feedback. The proposed approach can be used on top of any time-domain control technique that ensures a stable interaction by scaling down kinesthetic feedback when this is required to satisfy stability conditions (e.g., passivity) at the expense of transparency. Performance is recovered by providing a suitable amount of cutaneous force through custom wearable cutaneous devices. The viability of the proposed approach is demonstrated through an experiment of perceived stiffness and an experiment of teleoperated needle insertion in soft tissue.

Effects of international law on migration policy and practice: the uses of hypocrisy.

PubMed

Martin, D A

1989-01-01

Classical learning recognizes no role for international law in affecting migration policy and practice, but in modern times the salutary effects are increasing, although they remain modest. International law influences migration policy primarily through effective invocation of various forms of "soft law" in internal and international political forums. More limited prospects exist for beneficial changes enforced by international institutions and domestic courts. The article cautions against inflated expectations in the latter settings, however, particularly because overly ambitious claims can be counterproductive. It then offers a few predictions about near-term effects of international law, having to do with departures from a country, refugee law, and the integration of migrants into their new homelands.

Soft System Analysis to Integrate Technology & Human in Controller Workstation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-16

Computer-based decision support tools (DST), : shared information, and other forms of automation : are increasingly being planned for use by controllers : and pilots to support Air Traffic Management (ATM) : and Air Traffic Control (ATC) in the Next ...

The Use of Quantitative SPECT/CT Imaging to Assess Residual Limb Health

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

loss in 2020.4 BACKGROUND The integrity of the vasculature, nerves, and soft tissue within the extremities is of high importance, as an impairment or...formation, and vascular abnormalities .6 Therefore, effective diagnosis can be critical in directing the medical treatment of patients. Standard noninva...and identify damage to their nor- mal fasicular pattern, nerve swelling or thickening, loss of nerve bundle integrity , and development of neuromas

Region and database management for HANDI 2000 business management system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, D.

The Data Integration 2000 Project will result in an integrated and comprehensive set of functional applications containing core information necessary to support the Project Hanford Management Contract. It is based on the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf product solution with commercially proven business processes. The COTS product solution set, of PassPort and People Soft software, supports finance, supply and chemical management/Material Safety Data Sheet, human resources.

Non preemptive soft real time scheduler: High deadline meeting rate on overload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalib, Zahereel Ishwar Abdul; Ahmad, R. Badlishah; El-Shaikh, Mohamed

2015-05-01

While preemptive scheduling has gain more attention among researchers, current work in non preemptive scheduling had shown promising result in soft real time jobs scheduling. In this paper we present a non preemptive scheduling algorithm meant for soft real time applications, which is capable of producing better performance during overload while maintaining excellent performance during normal load. The approach taken by this algorithm has shown more promising results compared to other algorithms including its immediate predecessor. We will present the analysis made prior to inception of the algorithm as well as simulation results comparing our algorithm named gutEDF with EDF and gEDF. We are convinced that grouping jobs utilizing pure dynamic parameters would produce better performance.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks and risk of obesity-related cancers.

PubMed

Hodge, Allison M; Bassett, Julie K; Milne, Roger L; English, Dallas R; Giles, Graham G

2018-06-01

To test the hypothesis that more frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks would be associated with increased risk of obesity-related cancers. Associations for artificially sweetened soft drinks were assessed for comparison. Prospective cohort study with cancers identified by linkage to cancer registries. At baseline, participants completed a 121-item FFQ including separate questions about the number of times in the past year they had consumed sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened soft drinks. Anthropometric measurements, including waist circumference, were taken and questions about smoking, leisure-time physical activity and intake of alcoholic beverages were completed. The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS) is a prospective cohort study which recruited 41 514 men and women aged 40-69 years between 1990 and 1994. A second wave of data collection occurred in 2003-2007. Data for 35 593 participants who developed 3283 incident obesity-related cancers were included in the main analysis. Increasing frequency of consumption of both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks was associated with greater waist circumference at baseline. For sugar-sweetened soft drinks, the hazard ratio (HR) for obesity-related cancers increased as frequency of consumption increased (HR for consumption >1/d v. 1/d v. <1/month=1·00; 95 % CI 0·79, 1·27; P-trend=0·61). Our results add to the justification to minimise intake of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.

SEARCHES FOR TIME-DEPENDENT NEUTRINO SOURCES WITH ICECUBE DATA FROM 2008 TO 2012

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aartsen, M. G.; Ackermann, M.; Adams, J.

2015-07-01

In this paper searches for flaring astrophysical neutrino sources and sources with periodic emission with the IceCube neutrino telescope are presented. In contrast to time-integrated searches, where steady emission is assumed, the analyses presented here look for a time-dependent signal of neutrinos using the information from the neutrino arrival times to enhance the discovery potential. A search was performed for correlations between neutrino arrival times and directions, as well as neutrino emission following time-dependent light curves, sporadic emission, or periodicities of candidate sources. These include active galactic nuclei, soft γ-ray repeaters, supernova remnants hosting pulsars, microquasars, and X-ray binaries. Themore » work presented here updates and extends previously published results to a longer period that covers 4 years of data from 2008 April 5 to 2012 May 16, including the first year of operation of the completed 86 string detector. The analyses did not find any significant time-dependent point sources of neutrinos, and the results were used to set upper limits on the neutrino flux from source candidates.« less

Closed-Loop Analysis of Soft Decisions for Serial Links

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lansdowne, Chatwin A.; Steele, Glen F.; Zucha, Joan P.; Schlesinger, Adam M.

2013-01-01

We describe the benefit of using closed-loop measurements for a radio receiver paired with a counterpart transmitter. We show that real-time analysis of the soft decision output of a receiver can provide rich and relevant insight far beyond the traditional hard-decision bit error rate (BER) test statistic. We describe a Soft Decision Analyzer (SDA) implementation for closed-loop measurements on single- or dual- (orthogonal) channel serial data communication links. The analyzer has been used to identify, quantify, and prioritize contributors to implementation loss in live-time during the development of software defined radios. This test technique gains importance as modern receivers are providing soft decision symbol synchronization as radio links are challenged to push more data and more protocol overhead through noisier channels, and software-defined radios (SDRs) use error-correction codes that approach Shannon's theoretical limit of performance.

Soft Decision Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lansdowne, Chatwin; Steele, Glen; Zucha, Joan; Schlesinger, Adam

2013-01-01

We describe the benefit of using closed-loop measurements for a radio receiver paired with a counterpart transmitter. We show that real-time analysis of the soft decision output of a receiver can provide rich and relevant insight far beyond the traditional hard-decision bit error rate (BER) test statistic. We describe a Soft Decision Analyzer (SDA) implementation for closed-loop measurements on single- or dual- (orthogonal) channel serial data communication links. The analyzer has been used to identify, quantify, and prioritize contributors to implementation loss in live-time during the development of software defined radios. This test technique gains importance as modern receivers are providing soft decision symbol synchronization as radio links are challenged to push more data and more protocol overhead through noisier channels, and software-defined radios (SDRs) use error-correction codes that approach Shannon's theoretical limit of performance.

Xenogeneic collagen matrix versus connective tissue graft for buccal soft tissue augmentation at implant site. A randomized, controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Cairo, Francesco; Barbato, Luigi; Tonelli, Paolo; Batalocco, Guido; Pagavino, Gabriella; Nieri, Michele

2017-07-01

Peri-implant soft tissue may be critical to prevent inflammation and promote gingival margin stability. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) is to compare xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) versus connective tissue graft (CTG) to increase buccal soft tissue thickness at implant site. Soft tissue augmentation with XCM (test) or CTG (control) was performed at 60 implants in 60 patients at the time of implant uncovering. Measurements were performed by a blinded examiner at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Outcome measures included buccal soft tissue thickness (GT), apico-coronal keratinized tissue (KT), chair time and post-operative discomfort. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate patient satisfaction. After 6 months, the final GT increase was 0.9 ± 0.2 in the XCM group and 1.2 ± 0.3 mm in the CTG group, with a significant difference favouring the control group (0.3 mm; p = .0001). Both procedures resulted in similar final KT amount with no significant difference between treatments. XCM was associated with significant less chair-time (p < .0001), less post-operative pain (p < .0001), painkillers intake (p < .0001) and higher final satisfaction than CTG (p = .0195). CTG was more effective than XCM to increase buccal peri-implant soft tissue thickness. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modeling Languages Refine Vehicle Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Cincinnati, Ohio s TechnoSoft Inc. is a leading provider of object-oriented modeling and simulation technology used for commercial and defense applications. With funding from Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts issued by Langley Research Center, the company continued development on its adaptive modeling language, or AML, originally created for the U.S. Air Force. TechnoSoft then created what is now known as its Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis Environment, or IDEA, which can be used to design a variety of vehicles and machinery. IDEA's customers include clients in green industries, such as designers for power plant exhaust filtration systems and wind turbines.

Soft X-ray and XUV imaging with a charge-coupled device /CCD/-based detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loter, N. G.; Burstein, P.; Krieger, A.; Ross, D.; Harrison, D.; Michels, D. J.

1981-01-01

A soft X-ray/XUV imaging camera which uses a thinned, back-illuminated, all-buried channel RCA CCD for radiation sensing has been built and tested. The camera is a slow-scan device which makes possible frame integration if necessary. The detection characteristics of the device have been tested over the 15-1500 eV range. The response was linear with exposure up to 0.2-0.4 erg/sq cm; saturation occurred at greater exposures. Attention is given to attempts to resolve single photons with energies of 1.5 keV.

Active Surfaces and Interfaces of Soft Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qiming

A variety of intriguing surface patterns have been observed on developing natural systems, ranging from corrugated surface of white blood cells at nanometer scales to wrinkled dog skins at millimeter scales. To mimetically harness functionalities of natural morphologies, artificial transformative skin systems by using soft active materials have been rationally designed to generate versatile patterns for a variety of engineering applications. The study of the mechanics and design of these dynamic surface patterns on soft active materials are both physically interesting and technologically important. This dissertation starts with studying abundant surface patterns in Nature by constructing a unified phase diagram of surface instabilities on soft materials with minimum numbers of physical parameters. Guided by this integrated phase diagram, an electroactive system is designed to investigate a variety of electrically-induced surface instabilities of elastomers, including electro-creasing, electro-cratering, electro-wrinkling and electro-cavitation. Combing experimental, theoretical and computational methods, the initiation, evolution and transition of these instabilities are analyzed. To apply these dynamic surface instabilities to serving engineering and biology, new techniques of Dynamic Electrostatic Lithography and electroactive anti-biofouling are demonstrated.

Soft, thin skin-mounted power management systems and their use in wireless thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Renxiao; Lee, Seungmin; Jang, Kyung-In; Yang, Yichen; Banks, Anthony; Yu, Ki Jun; Kim, Jeonghyun; Xu, Sheng; Ma, Siyi; Jang, Sung Woo; Won, Phillip; Li, Yuhang; Kim, Bong Hoon; Choe, Jo Young; Huh, Soojeong; Kwon, Yong Ho; Huang, Yonggang; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A.

2016-05-01

Power supply represents a critical challenge in the development of body-integrated electronic technologies. Although recent research establishes an impressive variety of options in energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors) and generation (triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices), the modest electrical performance and/or the absence of soft, biocompatible mechanical properties limit their practical use. The results presented here form the basis of soft, skin-compatible means for efficient photovoltaic generation and high-capacity storage of electrical power using dual-junction, compound semiconductor solar cells and chip-scale, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Miniaturized components, deformable interconnects, optimized array layouts, and dual-composition elastomer substrates, superstrates, and encapsulation layers represent key features. Systematic studies of the materials and mechanics identify optimized designs, including unusual configurations that exploit a folded, multilayer construct to improve the functional density without adversely affecting the soft, stretchable characteristics. System-level examples exploit such technologies in fully wireless sensors for precision skin thermography, with capabilities in continuous data logging and local processing, validated through demonstrations on volunteer subjects in various realistic scenarios.

Soft, thin skin-mounted power management systems and their use in wireless thermography.

PubMed

Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Renxiao; Lee, Seungmin; Jang, Kyung-In; Yang, Yichen; Banks, Anthony; Yu, Ki Jun; Kim, Jeonghyun; Xu, Sheng; Ma, Siyi; Jang, Sung Woo; Won, Phillip; Li, Yuhang; Kim, Bong Hoon; Choe, Jo Young; Huh, Soojeong; Kwon, Yong Ho; Huang, Yonggang; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A

2016-05-31

Power supply represents a critical challenge in the development of body-integrated electronic technologies. Although recent research establishes an impressive variety of options in energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors) and generation (triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices), the modest electrical performance and/or the absence of soft, biocompatible mechanical properties limit their practical use. The results presented here form the basis of soft, skin-compatible means for efficient photovoltaic generation and high-capacity storage of electrical power using dual-junction, compound semiconductor solar cells and chip-scale, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Miniaturized components, deformable interconnects, optimized array layouts, and dual-composition elastomer substrates, superstrates, and encapsulation layers represent key features. Systematic studies of the materials and mechanics identify optimized designs, including unusual configurations that exploit a folded, multilayer construct to improve the functional density without adversely affecting the soft, stretchable characteristics. System-level examples exploit such technologies in fully wireless sensors for precision skin thermography, with capabilities in continuous data logging and local processing, validated through demonstrations on volunteer subjects in various realistic scenarios.

Soft, thin skin-mounted power management systems and their use in wireless thermography

PubMed Central

Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Renxiao; Lee, Seungmin; Jang, Kyung-In; Yang, Yichen; Banks, Anthony; Yu, Ki Jun; Kim, Jeonghyun; Xu, Sheng; Ma, Siyi; Jang, Sung Woo; Won, Phillip; Li, Yuhang; Kim, Bong Hoon; Choe, Jo Young; Huh, Soojeong; Kwon, Yong Ho; Huang, Yonggang; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A.

2016-01-01

Power supply represents a critical challenge in the development of body-integrated electronic technologies. Although recent research establishes an impressive variety of options in energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors) and generation (triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices), the modest electrical performance and/or the absence of soft, biocompatible mechanical properties limit their practical use. The results presented here form the basis of soft, skin-compatible means for efficient photovoltaic generation and high-capacity storage of electrical power using dual-junction, compound semiconductor solar cells and chip-scale, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Miniaturized components, deformable interconnects, optimized array layouts, and dual-composition elastomer substrates, superstrates, and encapsulation layers represent key features. Systematic studies of the materials and mechanics identify optimized designs, including unusual configurations that exploit a folded, multilayer construct to improve the functional density without adversely affecting the soft, stretchable characteristics. System-level examples exploit such technologies in fully wireless sensors for precision skin thermography, with capabilities in continuous data logging and local processing, validated through demonstrations on volunteer subjects in various realistic scenarios. PMID:27185907

Magnetic resonance imaging of live freshwater mussels (Unionidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michael, Holliman F.; Davis, Denise; Bogan, Arthur E.; Kwak, Thomas J.; Cope, W. Gregory; Levine, Jay F.

2008-01-01

We examined the soft tissues of live freshwater mussels, Eastern elliptio Elliptio complanata, via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), acquiring data with a widely available human whole-body MRI system. Anatomical features depicted in the profile images included the foot, stomach, intestine, anterior and posterior adductor muscles, and pericardial cavity. Noteworthy observations on soft tissue morphology included a concentration of lipids at the most posterior aspect of the foot, the presence of hemolymph-filled fissures in the posterior adductor muscle, the presence of a relatively large hemolymph-filled sinus adjacent to the posterior adductor muscle (at the ventral-anterior aspect), and segmentation of the intestine (a diagnostic description not reported previously in Unionidae). Relatively little is known about the basic biology and ecological physiology of freshwater mussels. Traditional approaches for studying anatomy and tissue processes, and for measuring sub-lethal physiological stress, are destructive or invasive. Our study, the first to evaluate freshwater mussel soft tissues by MRI, clarifies the body plan of unionid mussels and demonstrates the efficacy of this technology for in vivoevaluation of the structure, function, and integrity of mussel soft tissues.

Printed soft-electronics for remote body monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantysalo, Matti; Vuorinen, Tiina; Jeihani, Vala; Vehkaoja, Antti

2017-08-01

Wearable electronics has emerged into the consumer markets over the past few years. Wrist worn and textile integrated devices are the most common apparatuses for unobtrusive monitoring in sports and wellness sectors. Disposable patches and bandages, however, represent the new era of wearable electronics. Soft and stretchable electronics is the enabling technology of this paradigm shift. It can conform to temporary transfer tattoo and deform with the skin without detachment or fracture. In this paper, we focus on screen-printed soft-electronics for remote body monitoring. We will present a fabrication process of a skin conformable electrode bandage designed for long-term outpatient electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring. The soft bandage is designed to be attached to the patient chest and miniaturized data collection device is connected to the bandage via Micro-USB connector. The fabricated bandage is tested in short exercise as well as continued long-term (72 hours) monitoring during normal daily activities. The attained quality of the measured ECG signals is fully satisfactory for rhythm-based cardiac analysis also during moderate-intensity exercise. After pre-processing, the signals could be used also for more profound morphological analysis of ECG wave shapes.

Staged Hard and Soft Tissue Reconstruction Followed by Implant Supported Restoration in the Aesthetic Zone: A Case Report.

PubMed

Parthasarathy, Harinath; Ramachandran, Lakshmi; Tadepalli, Anupama; Ponnaiyan, Deepa

2017-04-01

Alveolar ridge deficiency is a common clinical consequence following tooth loss due to chronic periodontitis complicating ideal implant placement. Advanced hard and soft tissue augmentation procedures have been developed in the recent past with predictable clinical outcomes. A male patient presented with a Grade III mobile upper right central incisor associated with advanced bone loss and soft tissue deficit. Following extraction of tooth #11, socket augmentation was done using an autogenous cortico-cancellous block graft and subsequent soft tissue augmentation was done with palatal connective tissue graft. At the end of six months, a tapered self tapping implant fixture was placed with adequate primary stability and after eight weeks, second stage implant surgery was done with the Misch technique in order to recreate papillae and the implant was prosthetically restored. The alveolar ridge was adequately recontoured following the staged surgical protocol. The implant was well integrated at the end of 15 months. Execution of sequential surgical procedures in a highly deficient edentulous site made it possible to achieve of optimal pink and white aesthetics with stable implant supported fixed prosthesis.

Towards a cyber-physical era: soft computing framework based multi-sensor array for water quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhardwaj, Jyotirmoy; Gupta, Karunesh K.; Gupta, Rajiv

2018-02-01

New concepts and techniques are replacing traditional methods of water quality parameter measurement systems. This paper introduces a cyber-physical system (CPS) approach for water quality assessment in a distribution network. Cyber-physical systems with embedded sensors, processors and actuators can be designed to sense and interact with the water environment. The proposed CPS is comprised of sensing framework integrated with five different water quality parameter sensor nodes and soft computing framework for computational modelling. Soft computing framework utilizes the applications of Python for user interface and fuzzy sciences for decision making. Introduction of multiple sensors in a water distribution network generates a huge number of data matrices, which are sometimes highly complex, difficult to understand and convoluted for effective decision making. Therefore, the proposed system framework also intends to simplify the complexity of obtained sensor data matrices and to support decision making for water engineers through a soft computing framework. The target of this proposed research is to provide a simple and efficient method to identify and detect presence of contamination in a water distribution network using applications of CPS.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Myung -Gil; Kim, Jaehyun

The success of silicon based high density integrated circuits ignited explosive expansion of microelectronics. Although the inorganic semiconductors have shown superior carrier mobilities for conventional high speed switching devices, the emergence of unconventional applications, such as flexible electronics, highly sensitive photosensors, large area sensor array, and tailored optoelectronics, brought intensive research on next generation electronic materials. The rationally designed multifunctional soft electronic materials, organic and carbon-based semiconductors, are demonstrated with low-cost solution process, exceptional mechanical stability, and on-demand optoelectronic properties. Unfortunately, the industrial implementation of the soft electronic materials has been hindered due to lack of scalable fine-patterning methods. Inmore » this report, we demonstrated facile general route for high throughput sub-micron patterning of soft materials, using spatially selective deep-ultraviolet irradiation. For organic and carbon-based materials, the highly energetic photons (e.g. deep-ultraviolet rays) enable direct photo-conversion from conducting/semiconducting to insulating state through molecular dissociation and disordering with spatial resolution down to a sub-μm-scale. As a result, the successful demonstration of organic semiconductor circuitry promise our result proliferate industrial adoption of soft materials for next generation electronics.« less

How holes can reinforce soft solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Style, Robert

Normally embedding holes in a solid makes it softer. However, when the solid is small enough, the opposite can be true. We show this with soft composites (consisting of liquid droplets embedded in a soft silicone gel) which stiffen as the volume fraction of droplets increases. This is due to the surface stress of the gel/liquid interface. We also discuss the time-dependent behaviour of these materials.

The Role of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Adolescent Obesity: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, Susan

2008-01-01

Soft drink consumption has increased by 300% in the past 20 years, and 56-85% of children in school consume at least one soft drink daily. The odds ratio of becoming obese among children increases 1.6 times for each additional can or glass of sugar-sweetened drink consumed beyond their usual daily intake of the beverage. Soft drinks currently…

Development of a smart backboard system for real-time feedback during CPR chest compression on a soft back support surface.

PubMed

Gohier, Francis; Dellimore, Kiran; Scheffer, Cornie

2013-01-01

The quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often inconsistent and frequently fails to meet recommended guidelines. One promising approach to address this problem is for clinicians to use an active feedback device during CPR. However, one major deficiency of existing feedback systems is that they fail to account for the displacement of the back support surface during chest compression (CC), which can be important when CPR is performed on a soft surface. In this study we present the development of a real-time CPR feedback system based on an algorithm which uses force and dual-accelerometer measurements to provide accurate estimation of the CC depth on a soft surface, without assuming full chest decompression. Based on adult CPR manikin tests it was found that the accuracy of the estimated CC depth for a dual accelerometer feedback system is significantly better (7.3% vs. 24.4%) than for a single accelerometer system on soft back support surfaces, in the absence or presence of a backboard. In conclusion, the algorithm used was found to be suitable for a real-time, dual accelerometer CPR feedback application since it yielded reasonable accuracy in terms of CC depth estimation, even when used on a soft back support surface.

Very fast optical flaring from a possible new Galactic magnetar.

PubMed

Stefanescu, A; Kanbach, G; Słowikowska, A; Greiner, J; McBreen, S; Sala, G

2008-09-25

Highly luminous rapid flares are characteristic of processes around compact objects like white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. In the high-energy regime of X-rays and gamma-rays, outbursts with variabilities on timescales of seconds or less are routinely observed, for example in gamma-ray bursts or soft gamma-ray repeaters. At optical wavelengths, flaring activity on such timescales has not been observed, other than from the prompt phase of one exceptional gamma-ray burst. This is mostly due to the fact that outbursts with strong, fast flaring are usually discovered in the high-energy regime; most optical follow-up observations of such transients use instruments with integration times exceeding tens of seconds, which are therefore unable to resolve fast variability. Here we show the observation of extremely bright and rapid optical flaring in the Galactic transient SWIFT J195509.6+261406. Our optical light curves are phenomenologically similar to high-energy light curves of soft gamma-ray repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars, which are thought to be neutron stars with extremely high magnetic fields (magnetars). This suggests that similar processes are in operation, but with strong emission in the optical, unlike in the case of other known magnetars.

Soft tissue-preserving computer-aided impression: a novel concept using ultrasonic 3D-scanning.

PubMed

Vollborn, Thorsten; Habor, Daniel; Pekam, Fabrice Chuembou; Heger, Stefan; Marotti, Juliana; Reich, Sven; Wolfart, Stefan; Tinschert, Joachim; Radermacher, Klaus

2014-01-01

Subgingival preparations are often affected by blood and saliva during impression taking, regardless of whether one is using compound impression techniques or intraoral digital scanning methods. The latter are currently based on optical principles and therefore also need clean and dry surfaces. In contrast, ultrasonic waves are able to non-invasively penetrate gingiva, saliva, and blood, leading to decisive advantages, as cleaning and drying of the oral cavity becomes unnecessary. In addition, the application of ultrasound may facilitate the detection of subgingival structures without invasive manipulation, thereby reducing the risk of secondary infection and treatment time, and increasing patient comfort. Ultrasound devices commonly available for medical application and for the testing of materials are only suitable to a limited extent, as their resolution, precision, and design do not fulfill the requirements for intraoral scanning. The aim of this article is to describe the development of a novel ultrasound technology that enables soft tissue-preserving digital impressions of preparations for the CAD/CAM-based production of dental prostheses. The concept and development of the high-resolution ultrasound technique and the corresponding intraoral scanning system, as well as the integration into the CAD/CAM process chain, is presented.

Stretch sensors for human body motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Ben; Gisby, Todd; Anderson, Iain A.

2014-03-01

Sensing motion of the human body is a difficult task. From an engineers' perspective people are soft highly mobile objects that move in and out of complex environments. As well as the technical challenge of sensing, concepts such as comfort, social intrusion, usability, and aesthetics are paramount in determining whether someone will adopt a sensing solution or not. At the same time the demands for human body motion sensing are growing fast. Athletes want feedback on posture and technique, consumers need new ways to interact with augmented reality devices, and healthcare providers wish to track recovery of a patient. Dielectric elastomer stretch sensors are ideal for bridging this gap. They are soft, flexible, and precise. They are low power, lightweight, and can be easily mounted on the body or embedded into clothing. From a commercialisation point of view stretch sensing is easier than actuation or generation - such sensors can be low voltage and integrated with conventional microelectronics. This paper takes a birds-eye view of the use of these sensors to measure human body motion. A holistic description of sensor operation and guidelines for sensor design will be presented to help technologists and developers in the space.

Octopus vulgaris uses visual information to determine the location of its arm.

PubMed

Gutnick, Tamar; Byrne, Ruth A; Hochner, Binyamin; Kuba, Michael

2011-03-22

Octopuses are intelligent, soft-bodied animals with keen senses that perform reliably in a variety of visual and tactile learning tasks. However, researchers have found them disappointing in that they consistently fail in operant tasks that require them to combine central nervous system reward information with visual and peripheral knowledge of the location of their arms. Wells claimed that in order to filter and integrate an abundance of multisensory inputs that might inform the animal of the position of a single arm, octopuses would need an exceptional computing mechanism, and "There is no evidence that such a system exists in Octopus, or in any other soft bodied animal." Recent electrophysiological experiments, which found no clear somatotopic organization in the higher motor centers, support this claim. We developed a three-choice maze that required an octopus to use a single arm to reach a visually marked goal compartment. Using this operant task, we show for the first time that Octopus vulgaris is capable of guiding a single arm in a complex movement to a location. Thus, we claim that octopuses can combine peripheral arm location information with visual input to control goal-directed complex movements. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large Deformation Dynamic Three-Dimensional Coupled Finite Element Analysis of Soft Biological Tissues Treated as Biphasic Porous Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and...over time , when a bipha- sic soft tissue is subjected to dynamic loading. Also, after the initial transient, the variation of solid skeleton stresses...will be naturally calculated as the fluid phase pressure dissipates over time . This is important for developing physiologically- relevant degradation

Variable soft X-ray excesses in active galactic nuclei from nonthermal electron-positron pair cascades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zdziarski, Andrzej A.; Coppi, Paolo S.

1991-01-01

In the present study of the formation of steep soft X-ray excesses that are superposed on flatter, hard X-ray power-law spectra in nonthermal electron-positron pair cascade sources, the soft excess in pair-cascade AGN models appears as a steep power law superposed on the tail of the UV bump and the flat nonthermal (hard X-ray) power law. The model-parameter space in which an excess in soft X-rays is visible is ascertained, and the time-variability of soft excesses in pair cascade models is examined. It is established that the parameter space in which soft excesses appear encompasses the range of preferred input parameters for a recently development Compton reflection model of UV and X-ray emission from the central engine of an AGN.

In situ evaluation of surface roughness and micromorphology of temporary soft denture liner materials at different time intervals.

PubMed

Araújo, Célio U; Basting, Roberta T

2018-03-01

To perform an in situ evaluation of surface roughness and micromorphology of two soft liner materials for dentures at different time intervals. The surface roughness of materials may influence the adhesion of micro-organisms and inflammation of the mucosal tissues. The in situ evaluation of surface roughness and the micromorphology of soft liner materials over the course of time may present results different from those of in vitro studies, considering the constant presence of saliva and food, the changes in temperature and the pH level in the oral cavity. Forty-eight rectangular specimens of each of the two soft liner materials were fabricated: a silicone-based material (Mucopren Soft) and an acrylic resin-based material (Trusoft). The specimens were placed in the dentures of 12 participants (n = 12), and the materials were evaluated for surface roughness and micromorphology at different time intervals: 0, 7, 30 and 60 days. Roughness (Ra) was evaluated by means of a roughness tester. Surface micromorphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Analysis of variance for randomised block design and Tukey's test showed that surface roughness values were lower in the groups using the silicone-based material at all the time intervals (P < .0001). The average surface roughness was higher at time interval 0 than at the other intervals, for both materials (P < .0001). The surface micromorphology showed that the silicone material presented a more regular and smoother surface than the acrylic resin-based material. The surface roughness of acrylic resin-based and silicone-based denture soft liner materials decreased after 7 days of evaluation, leading to a smoother surface over time. The silicone-based material showed lower roughness values and a smoother surface than the acrylic resin-based material, thereby making it preferred when selecting more appropriate material, due its tendency to promote less biofilm build-up. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Carbon nanotubes and graphene towards soft electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chae, Sang Hoon; Lee, Young Hee

2014-04-01

Although silicon technology has been the main driving force for miniaturizing device dimensions to improve cost and performance, the current application of Si to soft electronics (flexible and stretchable electronics) is limited due to material rigidity. As a result, various prospective materials have been proposed to overcome the rigidity of conventional Si technology. In particular, nano-carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene are promising due to outstanding elastic properties as well as an excellent combination of electronic, optoelectronic, and thermal properties compared to conventional rigid silicon. The uniqueness of these nano-carbon materials has opened new possibilities for soft electronics, which is another technological trend in the market. This review covers the recent progress of soft electronics research based on CNTs and graphene. We discuss the strategies for soft electronics with nano-carbon materials and their preparation methods (growth and transfer techniques) to devices as well as the electrical characteristics of transparent conducting films (transparency and sheet resistance) and device performances in field effect transistor (FET) (structure, carrier type, on/off ratio, and mobility). In addition to discussing state of the art performance metrics, we also attempt to clarify trade-off issues and methods to control the trade-off on/off versus mobility). We further demonstrate accomplishments of the CNT network in flexible integrated circuits on plastic substrates that have attractive characteristics. A future research direction is also proposed to overcome current technological obstacles necessary to realize commercially feasible soft electronics.

Carbon nanotubes and graphene towards soft electronics.

PubMed

Chae, Sang Hoon; Lee, Young Hee

2014-01-01

Although silicon technology has been the main driving force for miniaturizing device dimensions to improve cost and performance, the current application of Si to soft electronics (flexible and stretchable electronics) is limited due to material rigidity. As a result, various prospective materials have been proposed to overcome the rigidity of conventional Si technology. In particular, nano-carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene are promising due to outstanding elastic properties as well as an excellent combination of electronic, optoelectronic, and thermal properties compared to conventional rigid silicon. The uniqueness of these nano-carbon materials has opened new possibilities for soft electronics, which is another technological trend in the market. This review covers the recent progress of soft electronics research based on CNTs and graphene. We discuss the strategies for soft electronics with nano-carbon materials and their preparation methods (growth and transfer techniques) to devices as well as the electrical characteristics of transparent conducting films (transparency and sheet resistance) and device performances in field effect transistor (FET) (structure, carrier type, on/off ratio, and mobility). In addition to discussing state of the art performance metrics, we also attempt to clarify trade-off issues and methods to control the trade-off on/off versus mobility). We further demonstrate accomplishments of the CNT network in flexible integrated circuits on plastic substrates that have attractive characteristics. A future research direction is also proposed to overcome current technological obstacles necessary to realize commercially feasible soft electronics.

A hybrid FDTD-Rayleigh integral computational method for the simulation of the ultrasound measurement of proximal femur.

PubMed

Cassereau, Didier; Nauleau, Pierre; Bendjoudi, Aniss; Minonzio, Jean-Gabriel; Laugier, Pascal; Bossy, Emmanuel; Grimal, Quentin

2014-07-01

The development of novel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) techniques to measure the hip is critically dependent on the possibility to simulate the ultrasound propagation. One specificity of hip QUS is that ultrasounds propagate through a large thickness of soft tissue, which can be modeled by a homogeneous fluid in a first approach. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) algorithms have been widely used to simulate QUS measurements but they are not adapted to simulate ultrasonic propagation over long distances in homogeneous media. In this paper, an hybrid numerical method is presented to simulate hip QUS measurements. A two-dimensional FDTD simulation in the vicinity of the bone is coupled to the semi-analytic calculation of the Rayleigh integral to compute the wave propagation between the probe and the bone. The method is used to simulate a setup dedicated to the measurement of circumferential guided waves in the cortical compartment of the femoral neck. The proposed approach is validated by comparison with a full FDTD simulation and with an experiment on a bone phantom. For a realistic QUS configuration, the computation time is estimated to be sixty times less with the hybrid method than with a full FDTD approach. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial Precision in Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Guided Radiation Therapy: The Role of Geometric Distortion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weygand, Joseph, E-mail: jw2899@columbia.edu; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas; Fuller, Clifton David

2016-07-15

Because magnetic resonance imaging–guided radiation therapy (MRIgRT) offers exquisite soft tissue contrast and the ability to image tissues in arbitrary planes, the interest in this technology has increased dramatically in recent years. However, intrinsic geometric distortion stemming from both the system hardware and the magnetic properties of the patient affects MR images and compromises the spatial integrity of MRI-based radiation treatment planning, given that for real-time MRIgRT, precision within 2 mm is desired. In this article, we discuss the causes of geometric distortion, describe some well-known distortion correction algorithms, and review geometric distortion measurements from 12 studies, while taking into accountmore » relevant imaging parameters. Eleven of the studies reported phantom measurements quantifying system-dependent geometric distortion, while 2 studies reported simulation data quantifying magnetic susceptibility–induced geometric distortion. Of the 11 studies investigating system-dependent geometric distortion, 5 reported maximum measurements less than 2 mm. The simulation studies demonstrated that magnetic susceptibility–induced distortion is typically smaller than system-dependent distortion but still nonnegligible, with maximum distortion ranging from 2.1 to 2.6 mm at a field strength of 1.5 T. As expected, anatomic landmarks containing interfaces between air and soft tissue had the largest distortions. The evidence indicates that geometric distortion reduces the spatial integrity of MRI-based radiation treatment planning and likely diminishes the efficacy of MRIgRT. Better phantom measurement techniques and more effective distortion correction algorithms are needed to achieve the desired spatial precision.« less

The effect of the timing of the cessation of contact lens use on the results of biometry.

PubMed

Goudie, Colin; Tatham, Andrew; Davies, Rhys; Sifton, Alison; Wright, Mark

2018-06-01

Current guidelines vary regarding when to remove contact lenses prior to performing biometry, and there is no clear evidence behind these guidelines. This study aimed to determine the effect of soft contact lens wear on biometric measurements by examining the change in predicted lens power for emmetropia at several time points following removal of soft contact lenses. A prospective, controlled study of healthy soft contact lens wearers. Biometry was performed immediately after removing contact lenses and then after 2, 4 and 7 days of no contact lens use. Healthy non-contact lens wearers were used as controls. All measurements were taken with the Zeiss IOLMaster. In all, 14 subjects and 13 controls were recruited. There was no significant difference in age or gender between groups. Eight of the fourteen subjects wore daily disposable CLs, two wore 2-weekly and four wore monthly soft CLs. Measurements from controls and contact lens-wearing subjects showed similar degrees of variation over time. The within-subject SD in predicted intraocular lens (IOL) power for emmetropia for contact lens wearers was 0.20 D (95% CI 0.16-0.25 D) compared to 0.18 D (95% CI 0.12-0.26 D) for controls. There is a significant variation in UK practice regarding advice on the timing of cessation of contact lens wear prior to having biometry performed. Our study suggests that it is likely that soft contact lens wearers are currently being advised to remove their contact lenses for an unnecessarily long period of time prior to having biometry performed.

Integrating non-colocated well and geophysical data to capture subsurface heterogeneity at an aquifer recharge and recovery site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottschalk, Ian P.; Hermans, Thomas; Knight, Rosemary; Caers, Jef; Cameron, David A.; Regnery, Julia; McCray, John E.

2017-12-01

Geophysical data have proven to be very useful for lithological characterization. However, quantitatively integrating the information gained from acquiring geophysical data generally requires colocated lithological and geophysical data for constructing a rock-physics relationship. In this contribution, the issue of integrating noncolocated geophysical and lithological data is addressed, and the results are applied to simulate groundwater flow in a heterogeneous aquifer in the Prairie Waters Project North Campus aquifer recharge site, Colorado. Two methods of constructing a rock-physics transform between electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data and lithology measurements are assessed. In the first approach, a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is used to fit a bimodal lognormal distribution to horizontal crosssections of the ERT resistivity histogram. In the second approach, a spatial bootstrap is applied to approximate the rock-physics relationship. The rock-physics transforms provide soft data for multiple point statistics (MPS) simulations. Subsurface models are used to run groundwater flow and tracer test simulations. Each model's uncalibrated, predicted breakthrough time is evaluated based on its agreement with measured subsurface travel time values from infiltration basins to selected groundwater recovery wells. We find that incorporating geophysical information into uncalibrated flow models reduces the difference with observed values, as compared to flow models without geophysical information incorporated. The integration of geophysical data also narrows the variance of predicted tracer breakthrough times substantially. Accuracy is highest and variance is lowest in breakthrough predictions generated by the MLE-based rock-physics transform. Calibrating the ensemble of geophysically constrained models would help produce a suite of realistic flow models for predictive purposes at the site. We find that the success of breakthrough predictions is highly sensitive to the definition of the rock-physics transform; it is therefore important to model this transfer function accurately.

Erosive Effect of Different Soft Drinks on Enamel Surface in vitro: Application of Stylus Profilometry

PubMed Central

Barac, Radomir; Gasic, Jovanka; Trutic, Natasa; Sunaric, Slavica; Popovic, Jelena; Djekic, Petar; Radenkovic, Goran; Mitic, Aleksandar

2015-01-01

Objective To assess the erosive potential of various soft drinks by measuring initial pH and titratable acidity (TA) and to evaluate enamel surface roughness using different exposure times. Materials and Methods The initial pH of the soft drinks (group 1: Coca-Cola; group 2: orange juice; group 3: Cedevita; group 4: Guarana, and group 5: strawberry yoghurt) was measured using a pH meter, and TA was measured by titration with NaOH. Enamel samples (n = 96), cut from unerupted human third molars, were randomly assigned to 6 groups: experimental (groups 1–5) and control (filtered saliva). The samples were exposed to 50 ml of soft drinks for 15, 30 and 60 min, 3 times daily, during 10 days. Between immersions, the samples were kept in filtered saliva. Enamel surface roughness was measured by diamond stylus profilometer using the following roughness parameters: Ra, Rq, Rz, and Ry. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc and Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc tests. Results The pH values of the soft drinks ranged from 2.52 (Guarana) to 4.21 (strawberry yoghurt). Orange juice had the highest TA, requiring 5.70 ml of NaOH to reach pH 7.0, whereas Coca-Cola required only 1.87 ml. Roughness parameters indicated that Coca-Cola had the strongest erosion potential during the 15 min of exposure, while Coca-Cola and orange juice were similar during 30- and 60-min exposures. There were no significant differences related to all exposure times between Guarana and Cedevita. Strawberry yoghurt did not erode the enamel surface regardless of the exposure time. Conclusion All of the tested soft drinks except yoghurt were erosive. Erosion of the enamel surfaces exposed to Coca-Cola, orange juice, Cedevita, and Guarana was directly proportional to the exposure time. PMID:26111496

Erosive Effect of Different Soft Drinks on Enamel Surface in vitro: Application of Stylus Profilometry.

PubMed

Barac, Radomir; Gasic, Jovanka; Trutic, Natasa; Sunaric, Slavica; Popovic, Jelena; Djekic, Petar; Radenkovic, Goran; Mitic, Aleksandar

2015-01-01

To assess the erosive potential of various soft drinks by measuring initial pH and titratable acidity (TA) and to evaluate enamel surface roughness using different exposure times. The initial pH of the soft drinks (group 1: Coca-Cola; group 2: orange juice; group 3: Cedevita; group 4: Guarana, and group 5: strawberry yoghurt) was measured using a pH meter, and TA was measured by titration with NaOH. Enamel samples (n = 96), cut from unerupted human third molars, were randomly assigned to 6 groups: experimental (groups 1-5) and control (filtered saliva). The samples were exposed to 50 ml of soft drinks for 15, 30 and 60 min, 3 times daily, during 10 days. Between immersions, the samples were kept in filtered saliva. Enamel surface roughness was measured by diamond stylus profilometer using the following roughness parameters: Ra, Rq, Rz, and Ry. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc and Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc tests. The pH values of the soft drinks ranged from 2.52 (Guarana) to 4.21 (strawberry yoghurt). Orange juice had the highest TA, requiring 5.70 ml of NaOH to reach pH 7.0, whereas Coca-Cola required only 1.87 ml. Roughness parameters indicated that Coca-Cola had the strongest erosion potential during the 15 min of exposure, while Coca-Cola and orange juice were similar during 30- and 60-min exposures. There were no significant differences related to all exposure times between Guarana and Cedevita. Strawberry yoghurt did not erode the enamel surface regardless of the exposure time. All of the tested soft drinks except yoghurt were erosive. Erosion of the enamel surfaces exposed to Coca-Cola, orange juice, Cedevita, and Guarana was directly proportional to the exposure time. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Closed-Loop Analysis of Soft Decisions for Serial Links

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lansdowne, Chatwin A.; Steele, Glen F.; Zucha, Joan P.; Schlensinger, Adam M.

2012-01-01

Modern receivers are providing soft decision symbol synchronization as radio links are challenged to push more data and more overhead through noisier channels, and software-defined radios use error-correction techniques that approach Shannon s theoretical limit of performance. The authors describe the benefit of closed-loop measurements for a receiver when paired with a counterpart transmitter and representative channel conditions. We also describe a real-time Soft Decision Analyzer (SDA) implementation for closed-loop measurements on single- or dual- (orthogonal) channel serial data communication links. The analyzer has been used to identify, quantify, and prioritize contributors to implementation loss in real-time during the development of software defined radios.

Soft Fruit Traceability in Food Matrices using Real-Time PCR

PubMed Central

Palmieri, Luisa; Bozza, Elisa; Giongo, Lara

2009-01-01

Food product authentication provides a means of monitoring and identifying products for consumer protection and regulatory compliance. There is a scarcity of analytical methods for confirming the identity of fruit pulp in products containing Soft Fruit. In the present work we have developed a very sensible qualitative and quantitative method to determine the presence of berry DNAs in different food matrices. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the applicability, to Soft Fruit traceability, of melting curve analysis and multiplexed fluorescent probes, in a Real-Time PCR platform. This methodology aims to protect the consumer from label misrepresentation. PMID:22253987

Real-time deformation of human soft tissues: A radial basis meshless 3D model based on Marquardt's algorithm.

PubMed

Zhou, Jianyong; Luo, Zu; Li, Chunquan; Deng, Mi

2018-01-01

When the meshless method is used to establish the mathematical-mechanical model of human soft tissues, it is necessary to define the space occupied by human tissues as the problem domain and the boundary of the domain as the surface of those tissues. Nodes should be distributed in both the problem domain and on the boundaries. Under external force, the displacement of the node is computed by the meshless method to represent the deformation of biological soft tissues. However, computation by the meshless method consumes too much time, which will affect the simulation of real-time deformation of human tissues in virtual surgery. In this article, the Marquardt's Algorithm is proposed to fit the nodal displacement at the problem domain's boundary and obtain the relationship between surface deformation and force. When different external forces are applied, the deformation of soft tissues can be quickly obtained based on this relationship. The analysis and discussion show that the improved model equations with Marquardt's Algorithm not only can simulate the deformation in real-time but also preserve the authenticity of the deformation model's physical properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High Energy Electron Detectors on Sphinx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, J. R.; Porte, A.; Zucchini, F.; Calamy, H.; Auriel, G.; Coleman, P. L.; Bayol, F.; Lalle, B.; Krishnan, M.; Wilson, K.

2008-11-01

Z-pinch plasma radiation sources are used to dose test objects with K-shell (˜1-4keV) x-rays. The implosion physics can produce high energy electrons (> 50keV), which could distort interpretation of the soft x-ray effects. We describe the design and implementation of a diagnostic suite to characterize the electron environment of Al wire and Ar gas puff z-pinches on Sphinx. The design used ITS calculations to model detector response to both soft x-rays and electrons and help set upper bounds to the spurious electron flux. Strategies to discriminate between the known soft x-ray emission and the suspected electron flux will be discussed. H.Calamy et al, ``Use of microsecond current prepulse for dramatic improvements of wire array Z-pinch implosion,'' Phys Plasmas 15, 012701 (2008) J.A.Halbleib et al, ``ITS: the integrated TIGER series of electron/photon transport codes-Version 3.0,'' IEEE Trans on Nuclear Sci, 39, 1025 (1992)

Biological Soft Robotics.

PubMed

Feinberg, Adam W

2015-01-01

In nature, nanometer-scale molecular motors are used to generate force within cells for diverse processes from transcription and transport to muscle contraction. This adaptability and scalability across wide temporal, spatial, and force regimes have spurred the development of biological soft robotic systems that seek to mimic and extend these capabilities. This review describes how molecular motors are hierarchically organized into larger-scale structures in order to provide a basic understanding of how these systems work in nature and the complexity and functionality we hope to replicate in biological soft robotics. These span the subcellular scale to macroscale, and this article focuses on the integration of biological components with synthetic materials, coupled with bioinspired robotic design. Key examples include nanoscale molecular motor-powered actuators, microscale bacteria-controlled devices, and macroscale muscle-powered robots that grasp, walk, and swim. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities in the field are addressed.

Design and Characterization of a Three-Axis Hall Effect-Based Soft Skin Sensor

PubMed Central

Tomo, Tito Pradhono; Somlor, Sophon; Schmitz, Alexander; Jamone, Lorenzo; Huang, Weijie; Kristanto, Harris; Sugano, Shigeki

2016-01-01

This paper presents an easy means to produce a 3-axis Hall effect–based skin sensor for robotic applications. It uses an off-the-shelf chip and is physically small and provides digital output. Furthermore, the sensor has a soft exterior for safe interactions with the environment; in particular it uses soft silicone with about an 8 mm thickness. Tests were performed to evaluate the drift due to temperature changes, and a compensation using the integral temperature sensor was implemented. Furthermore, the hysteresis and the crosstalk between the 3-axis measurements were evaluated. The sensor is able to detect minimal forces of about 1 gf. The sensor was calibrated and results with total forces up to 1450 gf in the normal and tangential directions of the sensor are presented. The test revealed that the sensor is able to measure the different components of the force vector. PMID:27070604

Design and Characterization of a Three-Axis Hall Effect-Based Soft Skin Sensor.

PubMed

Tomo, Tito Pradhono; Somlor, Sophon; Schmitz, Alexander; Jamone, Lorenzo; Huang, Weijie; Kristanto, Harris; Sugano, Shigeki

2016-04-07

This paper presents an easy means to produce a 3-axis Hall effect-based skin sensor for robotic applications. It uses an off-the-shelf chip and is physically small and provides digital output. Furthermore, the sensor has a soft exterior for safe interactions with the environment; in particular it uses soft silicone with about an 8 mm thickness. Tests were performed to evaluate the drift due to temperature changes, and a compensation using the integral temperature sensor was implemented. Furthermore, the hysteresis and the crosstalk between the 3-axis measurements were evaluated. The sensor is able to detect minimal forces of about 1 gf. The sensor was calibrated and results with total forces up to 1450 gf in the normal and tangential directions of the sensor are presented. The test revealed that the sensor is able to measure the different components of the force vector.

High Spectral Resolution Observation of the Soft Diffuse X-ray Background in the Direction of the Galactic Anti-Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulf, Dallas; Eckart, Mega E.; Galeazzi, Massimiliano; Jaeckel, Felix; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; McCammon, Dan; Morgan, Kelsey M.; Porter, Frederick S.; Szymkowiak, Andrew E.

2018-01-01

High spectral resolution observations in the soft x-rays are necessary for understanding and modelling the hot component of the interstellar medium and its contribution to the Soft X-ray Background (SXRB). This extended source emission cannot be resolved with most wavelength dispersive spectrometers, making energy dispersive microcalorimeters the ideal choice for these observations. We present here the analysis of the most recent sounding rocket flight of the University of Wisconsin-Madison/Goddard Space Flight Center X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC), a large area silicon thermistor microcalorimeter. This 111 second observation integrates a nearly 1 steradian field of view in the direction of the galactic anti-center (l, b = 165°, -5°) and features ~5 eV spectral resolution below 1 keV. Direct comparison will also be made to the previous, high-latitude observations.

Soft tissue deformation modelling through neural dynamics-based reaction-diffusion mechanics.

PubMed

Zhang, Jinao; Zhong, Yongmin; Gu, Chengfan

2018-05-30

Soft tissue deformation modelling forms the basis of development of surgical simulation, surgical planning and robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. This paper presents a new methodology for modelling of soft tissue deformation based on reaction-diffusion mechanics via neural dynamics. The potential energy stored in soft tissues due to a mechanical load to deform tissues away from their rest state is treated as the equivalent transmembrane potential energy, and it is distributed in the tissue masses in the manner of reaction-diffusion propagation of nonlinear electrical waves. The reaction-diffusion propagation of mechanical potential energy and nonrigid mechanics of motion are combined to model soft tissue deformation and its dynamics, both of which are further formulated as the dynamics of cellular neural networks to achieve real-time computational performance. The proposed methodology is implemented with a haptic device for interactive soft tissue deformation with force feedback. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methodology exhibits nonlinear force-displacement relationship for nonlinear soft tissue deformation. Homogeneous, anisotropic and heterogeneous soft tissue material properties can be modelled through the inherent physical properties of mass points. Graphical abstract Soft tissue deformation modelling with haptic feedback via neural dynamics-based reaction-diffusion mechanics.

Prediction of soft soil foundation settlement in Guangxi granite area based on fuzzy neural network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Junhui; Wu, Chao; Liu, Xianlin; Mi, Decai; Zeng, Fuquan; Zeng, Yongjun

2018-01-01

At present, the prediction of soft foundation settlement mostly use the exponential curve and hyperbola deferred approximation method, and the correlation between the results is poor. However, the application of neural network in this area has some limitations, and none of the models used in the existing cases adopted the TS fuzzy neural network of which calculation combines the characteristics of fuzzy system and neural network to realize the mutual compatibility methods. At the same time, the developed and optimized calculation program is convenient for engineering designers. Taking the prediction and analysis of soft foundation settlement of gully soft soil in granite area of Guangxi Guihe road as an example, the fuzzy neural network model is established and verified to explore the applicability. The TS fuzzy neural network is used to construct the prediction model of settlement and deformation, and the corresponding time response function is established to calculate and analyze the settlement of soft foundation. The results show that the prediction of short-term settlement of the model is accurate and the final settlement prediction result has certain engineering reference value.

Series Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (sPAMs) and Application to a Soft Continuum Robot.

PubMed

Greer, Joseph D; Morimoto, Tania K; Okamura, Allison M; Hawkes, Elliot W

2017-01-01

We describe a new series pneumatic artificial muscle (sPAM) and its application as an actuator for a soft continuum robot. The robot consists of three sPAMs arranged radially round a tubular pneumatic backbone. Analogous to tendons, the sPAMs exert a tension force on the robot's pneumatic backbone, causing bending that is approximately constant curvature. Unlike a traditional tendon driven continuum robot, the robot is entirely soft and contains no hard components, making it safer for human interaction. Models of both the sPAM and soft continuum robot kinematics are presented and experimentally verified. We found a mean position accuracy of 5.5 cm for predicting the end-effector position of a 42 cm long robot with the kinematic model. Finally, closed-loop control is demonstrated using an eye-in-hand visual servo control law which provides a simple interface for operation by a human. The soft continuum robot with closed-loop control was found to have a step-response rise time and settling time of less than two seconds.

Series Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (sPAMs) and Application to a Soft Continuum Robot

PubMed Central

Greer, Joseph D.; Morimoto, Tania K.; Okamura, Allison M.; Hawkes, Elliot W.

2017-01-01

We describe a new series pneumatic artificial muscle (sPAM) and its application as an actuator for a soft continuum robot. The robot consists of three sPAMs arranged radially round a tubular pneumatic backbone. Analogous to tendons, the sPAMs exert a tension force on the robot’s pneumatic backbone, causing bending that is approximately constant curvature. Unlike a traditional tendon driven continuum robot, the robot is entirely soft and contains no hard components, making it safer for human interaction. Models of both the sPAM and soft continuum robot kinematics are presented and experimentally verified. We found a mean position accuracy of 5.5 cm for predicting the end-effector position of a 42 cm long robot with the kinematic model. Finally, closed-loop control is demonstrated using an eye-in-hand visual servo control law which provides a simple interface for operation by a human. The soft continuum robot with closed-loop control was found to have a step-response rise time and settling time of less than two seconds. PMID:29379672

Integrating Ecosystem Engineering and Food Web Ecology: Testing the Effect of Biogenic Reefs on the Food Web of a Soft-Bottom Intertidal Area

PubMed Central

De Smet, Bart; Fournier, Jérôme; De Troch, Marleen; Vincx, Magda; Vanaverbeke, Jan

2015-01-01

The potential of ecosystem engineers to modify the structure and dynamics of food webs has recently been hypothesised from a conceptual point of view. Empirical data on the integration of ecosystem engineers and food webs is however largely lacking. This paper investigates the hypothesised link based on a field sampling approach of intertidal biogenic aggregations created by the ecosystem engineer Lanice conchilega (Polychaeta, Terebellidae). The aggregations are known to have a considerable impact on the physical and biogeochemical characteristics of their environment and subsequently on the abundance and biomass of primary food sources and the macrofaunal (i.e. the macro-, hyper- and epibenthos) community. Therefore, we hypothesise that L. conchilega aggregations affect the structure, stability and isotopic niche of the consumer assemblage of a soft-bottom intertidal food web. Primary food sources and the bentho-pelagic consumer assemblage of a L. conchilega aggregation and a control area were sampled on two soft-bottom intertidal areas along the French coast and analysed for their stable isotopes. Despite the structural impacts of the ecosystem engineer on the associated macrofaunal community, the presence of L. conchilega aggregations only has a minor effect on the food web structure of soft-bottom intertidal areas. The isotopic niche width of the consumer communities of the L. conchilega aggregations and control areas are highly similar, implying that consumer taxa do not shift their diet when feeding in a L. conchilega aggregation. Besides, species packing and hence trophic redundancy were not affected, pointing to an unaltered stability of the food web in the presence of L. conchilega. PMID:26496349

Dentinal tubules occluded by bioactive glass-containing toothpaste exhibit high resistance toward acidic soft drink challenge.

PubMed

Bakri, M M; Hossain, M Z; Razak, F A; Saqina, Z H; Misroni, A A; Ab-Murat, N; Kitagawa, J; Saub, R B

2017-06-01

Dentine hypersensitivity is a common problem attributed by patent dentinal tubules. Ingredients incorporated in toothpastes aim to occlude patent dentinal tubules to minimize the dentine hypersensitivity. However, frequent consumption of acidic soft drinks may reverse the dentinal tubules' occlusion. In this in vitro study, the efficacy of dentinal tubules occluded by commercially available toothpastes to withstand different durations of an acidic soft drink challenge was investigated. One hundred and twenty dentine discs were divided into three groups. The discs from each group were brushed with toothpaste containing bioactive glass, arginine and control toothpaste. Each group was then divided into four subgroups and exposed to acidic soft drink over four different time durations. The scoring and the percentage of occluded dentinal tubules by Novamin-containing toothpaste was significantly better compared with arginine or the control toothpaste. Acidic soft drink challenge reduced the extent of dentinal tubules occlusion along with time. Dentinal tubules occluded by Novamin-containing toothpaste withstand the acidic challenge comparatively for a longer period. The findings demonstrated that occlusion of dentinal tubules is more efficient by the bioactive glass-containing toothpaste and thus may contribute to its better resistance to acidic soft drink challenge. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

X-ray Variations at the Orbital Period from Cygnus X-1 IN the High/Soft State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boroson, Bram; Vrtilek, Saeqa Dil

2010-02-01

Orbital variability has been found in the X-ray hardness of the black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 during the soft/high X-ray state using light curves provided by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer's All-Sky Monitor. We are able to set broad limits on how the mass-loss rate and X-ray luminosity vary between the hard and soft states. The folded light curve shows diminished flux in the soft X-ray band at phi = 0 (defined as the time of the superior conjunction of the X-ray source). Models of the orbital variability provide slightly superior fits when the absorbing gas is concentrated in neutral clumps and better explain the strong variability in hardness. In combination with the previously established hard/low state dips, our observations give a lower limit to the mass-loss rate in the soft state (\\dot{M}<2× 10^{-6} M_{⊙} yr-1) than the limit in the hard state (\\dot{M}<4× 10^{-6} M_{⊙} yr-1). Without a change in the wind structure between X-ray states, the greater mass-loss rate during the low/hard state would be inconsistent with the increased flaring seen during the high-soft state.

Extreme Mechanics in Soft Pneumatic Robots and Soft Microfluidic Electronics and Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidi, Carmel

2012-02-01

In the near future, machines and robots will be completely soft, stretchable, impact resistance, and capable of adapting their shape and functionality to changes in mission and environment. Similar to biological tissue and soft-body organisms, these next-generation technologies will contain no rigid parts and instead be composed entirely of soft elastomers, gels, fluids, and other non-rigid matter. Using a combination of rapid prototyping tools, microfabrication methods, and emerging techniques in so-called ``soft lithography,'' scientists and engineers are currently introducing exciting new families of soft pneumatic robots, soft microfluidic sensors, and hyperelastic electronics that can be stretched to as much as 10x their natural length. Progress has been guided by an interdisciplinary collection of insights from chemistry, life sciences, robotics, microelectronics, and solid mechanics. In virtually every technology and application domain, mechanics and elasticity have a central role in governing functionality and design. Moreover, in contrast to conventional machines and electronics, soft pneumatic systems and microfluidics typically operate in the finite deformation regime, with materials stretching to several times their natural length. In this talk, I will review emerging paradigms in soft pneumatic robotics and soft microfluidic electronics and highlight modeling and design challenges that arise from the extreme mechanics of inflation, locomotion, sensor operation, and human interaction. I will also discuss perceived challenges and opportunities in a broad range of potential application, from medicine to wearable computing.

Hydrocarbon Degradation in Caspian Sea Sediment Cores Subjected to Simulated Petroleum Seepage in a Newly Designed Sediment-Oil-Flow-Through System.

PubMed

Mishra, Sonakshi; Wefers, Peggy; Schmidt, Mark; Knittel, Katrin; Krüger, Martin; Stagars, Marion H; Treude, Tina

2017-01-01

The microbial community response to petroleum seepage was investigated in a whole round sediment core (16 cm length) collected nearby natural hydrocarbon seepage structures in the Caspian Sea, using a newly developed Sediment-Oil-Flow-Through (SOFT) system. Distinct redox zones established and migrated vertically in the core during the 190 days-long simulated petroleum seepage. Methanogenic petroleum degradation was indicated by an increase in methane concentration from 8 μM in an untreated core compared to 2300 μM in the lower sulfate-free zone of the SOFT core at the end of the experiment, accompanied by a respective decrease in the δ 13 C signal of methane from -33.7 to -49.5‰. The involvement of methanogens in petroleum degradation was further confirmed by methane production in enrichment cultures from SOFT sediment after the addition of hexadecane, methylnapthalene, toluene, and ethylbenzene. Petroleum degradation coupled to sulfate reduction was indicated by the increase of integrated sulfate reduction rates from 2.8 SO 4 2- m -2 day -1 in untreated cores to 5.7 mmol SO 4 2- m -2 day -1 in the SOFT core at the end of the experiment, accompanied by a respective accumulation of sulfide from 30 to 447 μM. Volatile hydrocarbons (C2-C6 n -alkanes) passed through the methanogenic zone mostly unchanged and were depleted within the sulfate-reducing zone. The amount of heavier n -alkanes (C10-C38) decreased step-wise toward the top of the sediment core and a preferential degradation of shorter (C30) was seen during the seepage. This study illustrates, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time the development of methanogenic petroleum degradation and the succession of benthic microbial processes during petroleum passage in a whole round sediment core.

Hydrocarbon Degradation in Caspian Sea Sediment Cores Subjected to Simulated Petroleum Seepage in a Newly Designed Sediment-Oil-Flow-Through System

PubMed Central

Mishra, Sonakshi; Wefers, Peggy; Schmidt, Mark; Knittel, Katrin; Krüger, Martin; Stagars, Marion H.; Treude, Tina

2017-01-01

The microbial community response to petroleum seepage was investigated in a whole round sediment core (16 cm length) collected nearby natural hydrocarbon seepage structures in the Caspian Sea, using a newly developed Sediment-Oil-Flow-Through (SOFT) system. Distinct redox zones established and migrated vertically in the core during the 190 days-long simulated petroleum seepage. Methanogenic petroleum degradation was indicated by an increase in methane concentration from 8 μM in an untreated core compared to 2300 μM in the lower sulfate-free zone of the SOFT core at the end of the experiment, accompanied by a respective decrease in the δ13C signal of methane from -33.7 to -49.5‰. The involvement of methanogens in petroleum degradation was further confirmed by methane production in enrichment cultures from SOFT sediment after the addition of hexadecane, methylnapthalene, toluene, and ethylbenzene. Petroleum degradation coupled to sulfate reduction was indicated by the increase of integrated sulfate reduction rates from 2.8 SO42-m-2 day-1 in untreated cores to 5.7 mmol SO42-m-2 day-1 in the SOFT core at the end of the experiment, accompanied by a respective accumulation of sulfide from 30 to 447 μM. Volatile hydrocarbons (C2–C6 n-alkanes) passed through the methanogenic zone mostly unchanged and were depleted within the sulfate-reducing zone. The amount of heavier n-alkanes (C10–C38) decreased step-wise toward the top of the sediment core and a preferential degradation of shorter (C30) was seen during the seepage. This study illustrates, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time the development of methanogenic petroleum degradation and the succession of benthic microbial processes during petroleum passage in a whole round sediment core. PMID:28503172

Data management plan for HANDI 2000 business management system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, D.

The Hanford Data Integration 2000 (HANDI 2000) Project will result in an integrated and comprehensive set of functional applications containing core information necessary to support the Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC). It is based on the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product solution with commercially proven business processes. The COTS product solution set, of PassPort (PP) and PeopleSoft (PS) software, supports finance, supply and chemical management/Material Safety Data Sheet.

Investigation of contact pressure and influence function model for soft wheel polishing.

PubMed

Rao, Zhimin; Guo, Bing; Zhao, Qingliang

2015-09-20

The tool influence function (TIF) is critical for calculating the dwell-time map to improve form accuracy. We present the TIF for the process of computer-controlled polishing with a soft polishing wheel. In this paper, the static TIF was developed based on the Preston equation. The pressure distribution was verified by the real removal spot section profiles. According to the experiment measurements, the pressure distribution simulated by Hertz contact theory was much larger than the real contact pressure. The simulated pressure distribution, which was modeled by the Winkler elastic foundation for a soft polishing wheel, matched the real contact pressure. A series of experiments was conducted to obtain the removal spot statistical properties for validating the relationship between material removal and processing time and contact pressure and relative velocity, along with calculating the fitted parameters to establish the TIF. The developed TIF predicted the removal character for the studied soft wheel polishing.

Development of optical choppers for time-resolved measurements at soft X-ray synchrotron radiation beamlines

PubMed Central

Osawa, Hitoshi; Ohkochi, Takuo; Fujisawa, Masami; Kimura, Shigeru; Kinoshita, Toyohiko

2017-01-01

Two types of optical choppers for time-resolved measurements at synchrotron radiation soft X-ray beamlines have been developed. One type uses an air-spindle-type rotation mechanism with a two-stage differential pumping system to maintain the ultra-high vacuum of the X-ray beamline, and the other uses a magnetic bearing. Both can be installed at the soft X-ray beamlines at SPring-8, greatly improving the accessibility of pump-and-probe spectroscopy. The combination of X-ray chopper and pump-and-probe photoemission electron microscope at SPring-8 provides drastic improvements in signal-to-noise ratio and resolution compared with techniques using high-voltage gating of channel plate detectors. The choppers have the capability to be used not only at synchrotron radiation facilities but also at other types of soft X-ray and VUV beamlines. PMID:28452746

In-office microwave disinfection of soft contact lenses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, M.G.; Rechberger, J.; Grant, T.

1990-02-01

We evaluated the effectiveness of an in-office microwave disinfection procedure which allowed for the disinfection of up to 40 soft contact lenses at one time. Ciba AOSept cases filled with sterile unpreserved saline were contaminated with one of six FDA test challenge microorganisms at a concentration of approximately 10(3) colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml). Twenty cases were placed on the rotating plate of a standard 2450 MHz 650 W microwave oven in a 10-cm diameter circle. The cases were exposed to high intensity microwave irradiation for periods of 0 to 15 min. None of the 6 microorganisms evaluated survivedmore » 2 min or longer of microwave exposure. Our findings indicated that microwave irradiation can be a convenient, rapid, and effective method of disinfecting a number of soft contact lenses at one time and thus adaptable as an in-office soft contact lens disinfection procedure.« less

Properties of the two-dimensional heterogeneous Lennard-Jones dimers: An integral equation study

PubMed Central

Urbic, Tomaz

2016-01-01

Structural and thermodynamic properties of a planar heterogeneous soft dumbbell fluid are examined using Monte Carlo simulations and integral equation theory. Lennard-Jones particles of different sizes are the building blocks of the dimers. The site-site integral equation theory in two dimensions is used to calculate the site-site radial distribution functions and the thermodynamic properties. Obtained results are compared to Monte Carlo simulation data. The critical parameters for selected types of dimers were also estimated and the influence of the Lennard-Jones parameters was studied. We have also tested the correctness of the site-site integral equation theory using different closures. PMID:27875894

Integrated mixed signal control IC for 500-kHz switching frequency buck regulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Keng; Zhang, Hong

2015-12-01

The main purpose for this work is to study the challenges of designing a digital buck regulator using pipelined analog to digital converter (ADC). Although pipelined ADC can achieve high sampling speed, it will introduce additional phase lag to the buck circuit. Along with the latency brought by processing time of additional digital circuits, as well as the time delay associated with the switching frequency, the closed loop will be unstable; moreover, raw ADC outputs have low signal-to-noise ratio, which usually need back-end calibration. In order to compensate these phase lag and make control loop unconditional stable, as well as boost up signal-to-noise ratio of the ADC block with cost-efficient design, a finite impulse response filter followed by digital proportional-integral-derivative blocks were designed. All these digital function blocks were optimised with processing speed. In the system simulation, it can be found that this controller achieved output regulation within 10% of nominal 5 V output voltage under 1 A/µs load transient condition; moreover, with the soft-start method, there is no turn-on overshooting. The die size of this controller is controlled within 3 mm2 by using 180 nm CMOS technology.

Mechanically robust cryogels with injectability and bioprinting supportability for adipose tissue engineering.

PubMed

Qi, Dianjun; Wu, Shaohua; Kuss, Mitchell A; Shi, Wen; Chung, Soonkyu; Deegan, Paul T; Kamenskiy, Alexey; He, Yini; Duan, Bin

2018-05-26

Bioengineered adipose tissues have gained increased interest as a promising alternative to autologous tissue flaps and synthetic adipose fillers for soft tissue augmentation and defect reconstruction in clinic. Although many scaffolding materials and biofabrication methods have been investigated for adipose tissue engineering in the last decades, there are still challenges to recapitulate the appropriate adipose tissue microenvironment, maintain volume stability, and induce vascularization to achieve long-term function and integration. In the present research, we fabricated cryogels consisting of methacrylated gelatin, methacrylated hyaluronic acid, and 4arm poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate (PEG-4A) by using cryopolymerization. The cryogels were repeatedly injectable and stretchable, and the addition of PEG-4A improved the robustness and mechanical properties. The cryogels supported human adipose progenitor cell (HWA) and adipose derived mesenchymal stromal cell adhesion, proliferation, and adipogenic differentiation and maturation, regardless of the addition of PEG-4A. The HWA laden cryogels facilitated the co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and capillary-like network formation, which in return also promoted adipogenesis. We further combined cryogels with 3D bioprinting to generate handleable adipose constructs with clinically relevant size. 3D bioprinting enabled the deposition of multiple bioinks onto the cryogels. The bioprinted flap-like constructs had an integrated structure without delamination and supported vascularization. Adipose tissue engineering is promising for reconstruction of soft tissue defects, and also challenging for restoring and maintaining soft tissue volume and shape, and achieving vascularization and integration. In this study, we fabricated cryogels with mechanical robustness, injectability, and stretchability by using cryopolymerization. The cryogels promoted cell adhesion, proliferation, and adipogenic differentiation and maturation of human adipose progenitor cells and adipose derived mesenchymal stromal cells. Moreover, the cryogels also supported 3D bioprinting on top, forming vascularized adipose constructs. This study demonstrates the potential of the implementation of cryogels for generating volume-stable adipose tissue constructs and provides a strategy to fabricate vascularized flap-like constructs for complex soft tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Communication Link and Error ANalysis (CLEAN) simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebel, William J.; Ingels, Frank M.; Crowe, Shane

1993-01-01

During the period July 1, 1993 through December 30, 1993, significant developments to the Communication Link and Error ANalysis (CLEAN) simulator were completed and include: (1) Soft decision Viterbi decoding; (2) node synchronization for the Soft decision Viterbi decoder; (3) insertion/deletion error programs; (4) convolutional encoder; (5) programs to investigate new convolutional codes; (6) pseudo-noise sequence generator; (7) soft decision data generator; (8) RICE compression/decompression (integration of RICE code generated by Pen-Shu Yeh at Goddard Space Flight Center); (9) Markov Chain channel modeling; (10) percent complete indicator when a program is executed; (11) header documentation; and (12) help utility. The CLEAN simulation tool is now capable of simulating a very wide variety of satellite communication links including the TDRSS downlink with RFI. The RICE compression/decompression schemes allow studies to be performed on error effects on RICE decompressed data. The Markov Chain modeling programs allow channels with memory to be simulated. Memory results from filtering, forward error correction encoding/decoding, differential encoding/decoding, channel RFI, nonlinear transponders and from many other satellite system processes. Besides the development of the simulation, a study was performed to determine whether the PCI provides a performance improvement for the TDRSS downlink. There exist RFI with several duty cycles for the TDRSS downlink. We conclude that the PCI does not improve performance for any of these interferers except possibly one which occurs for the TDRS East. Therefore, the usefulness of the PCI is a function of the time spent transmitting data to the WSGT through the TDRS East transponder.

Comparison between piezosurgery and conventional osteotomy in cranioplasty with fronto-orbital advancement.

PubMed

Martini, Markus; Röhrig, Andreas; Reich, Rudolf Hermann; Messing-Jünger, Martina

2017-03-01

Cranioplasty of patients with craniosynostosis requires rapid, precise and gentle osteotomy of the skull to avoid complications and benefit the healing process. The aim of this prospective clinical study was to compare two different methods of osteotomy. Piezosurgery and conventional osteotomy were compared using an oscillating saw and high speed drill while performing cranioplasties with fronto-orbital advancement. Thirty-four children who required cranioplasty with fronto-orbital advancement were recruited consecutively. The operations were conducted using piezosurgery or a conventional surgical technique, alternately. Operative time, blood count, CRP and transfusion rate, as well as soft tissue injuries, postoperative edema, pain development and secondary bone healing were investigated. The average age of patients was 9.7 months. The following indications for craniosynostosis were surgically corrected: trigonocephaly (23), anterior plagiocephaly (8), brachycephaly (1), and syndromic craniosynostosis (2). Piezosurgery was utilized in 18 cases. There were no group differences with regard to the incidence of soft tissue injuries (dura, periorbita), pain, swelling, blood loss or bony integration. The duration of osteotomy was significantly longer in the piezosurgery group, leading to slightly increased blood loss, while the postoperative CRP increase was higher using the conventional method. The piezosurgery method is a comparatively safe surgical method for conducting osteotomy during cranioplasty. With regard to soft tissue protection and postoperative clinical course, the same procedural precautions and controls are necessary as those needed for conventional methods. The osteotomy duration is considerably longer using piezosurgery, although it is accompanied by lower initial postoperative CRP values. Copyright © 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Nature of the Variability Power Decay towards Soft Spectral States in X-Ray Binaries. Case Study in Cyg X-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Titarchuk, Lev; Shaposhinikov, Nikolai

2007-01-01

A characteristic feature of the Fourier Power Density Spectrum (PDS) observed from black hole X-ray binaries in low/hard and intermediate spectral states is a broad band-limited noise, characterized by a constant below some frequency (a "break" frequency) and a power law above this frequency. It has been shown that the variability of this type can be produced by the inward diffusion of the local driving perturbations in a bounded configuration (accretion disk or corona). In the framework of this model, the perturbation diffusion time to is related to the phenomenological break frequency, while the PDS power-law slope above the "break" is determined by the viscosity distribution over the configuration. The perturbation diffusion scenario explains the decay of the power of X-ray variability observed in a number of compact sources (containing black hole and neutron star) during an evolution of theses sources from low/hard to high/soft states. We compare the model predictions with the subset of data from Cyg X-1 collected by the Rossi X-ray Time Explorer (RXTE). Our extensive analysis of the Cyg X-1 PDSs demonstrates that the observed integrated power P(sub x), decreases approximately as a square root of the characteristic frequency of the driving oscillations v(sub dr). The RXTE observations of Cyg X-1 allow us to infer P(sub dr), and t(sub o) as a function of v(sub dr). We also apply the basic parameters of observed PDSs, power-law index and low frequency quasiperiodic oscillations. to infer Reynolds (Re) number from the observations using the method developed in our previous paper. Our analysis shows that Re-number increases from values about 10 in low/hard state to that about 70 during the high/soft state. Subject headings: accretion, accretion disks-black hole physics-stars:individual (Cyg X-1) :radiation mechanisms: nonthermal-physical data and processes

Computational Analysis of Enhanced Magnetic Bioseparation in Microfluidic Systems with Flow-Invasive Magnetic Elements

PubMed Central

Khashan, S. A.; Alazzam, A.; Furlani, E. P.

2014-01-01

A microfluidic design is proposed for realizing greatly enhanced separation of magnetically-labeled bioparticles using integrated soft-magnetic elements. The elements are fixed and intersect the carrier fluid (flow-invasive) with their length transverse to the flow. They are magnetized using a bias field to produce a particle capture force. Multiple stair-step elements are used to provide efficient capture throughout the entire flow channel. This is in contrast to conventional systems wherein the elements are integrated into the walls of the channel, which restricts efficient capture to limited regions of the channel due to the short range nature of the magnetic force. This severely limits the channel size and hence throughput. Flow-invasive elements overcome this limitation and enable microfluidic bioseparation systems with superior scalability. This enhanced functionality is quantified for the first time using a computational model that accounts for the dominant mechanisms of particle transport including fully-coupled particle-fluid momentum transfer. PMID:24931437

Cariogenicity of soft drinks, milk and fruit juice in low-income african-american children: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Lim, Sungwoo; Sohn, Woosung; Burt, Brian A; Sandretto, Anita M; Kolker, Justine L; Marshall, Teresa A; Ismail, Amid I

2008-07-01

The authors conducted a study to test the hypothesis that high consumption of soft drinks, relative to milk and 100 percent fruit juice, is a risk factor for dental caries in low-income African-American children in Detroit. Trained dentists and interviewers examined a representative sample of 369 children, aged 3 to 5 years, in 2002-2003 and again two years later. The authors used the 2000 Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire (NutritionQuest, Berkeley, Calif.) to collect dietary information. They assessed caries by using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. Soft drinks, 100 percent fruit juice and milk represented the sugared beverages consumed by the cohort. A cluster analysis of the relative proportion of each drink at baseline and follow-up revealed four consumption patterns. Using zero-inflated negative binomial models, the authors found that children who changed from being low consumers of soft drinks at baseline to high consumers after two years had a 1.75 times higher mean number of new decayed, missing and filled tooth surfaces compared with low consumers of soft drinks at both time points. Children who consumed more soft drinks, relative to milk and 100 percent fruit juice, as they grew older were at a greater risk of developing dental caries. Health promotion programs and health care providers should emphasize to patients and caregivers the caries risk associated with consumption of soft drinks.

Model of flare lightcurve profile observed in soft X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gryciuk, Magdalena; Siarkowski, Marek; Gburek, Szymon; Podgorski, Piotr; Sylwester, Janusz; Kepa, Anna; Mrozek, Tomasz

We propose a new model for description of solar flare lightcurve profile observed in soft X-rays. The method assumes that single-peaked `regular' flares seen in lightcurves can be fitted with the elementary time profile being a convolution of Gaussian and exponential functions. More complex, multi-peaked flares can be decomposed as a sum of elementary profiles. During flare lightcurve fitting process a linear background is determined as well. In our study we allow the background shape over the event to change linearly with time. Presented approach originally was dedicated to the soft X-ray small flares recorded by Polish spectrophotometer SphinX during the phase of very deep solar minimum of activity, between 23 rd and 24 th Solar Cycles. However, the method can and will be used to interpret the lightcurves as obtained by the other soft X-ray broad-band spectrometers at the time of both low and higher solar activity level. In the paper we introduce the model and present examples of fits to SphinX and GOES 1-8 Å channel observations as well.

The effect of semirigid dressings on below-knee amputations.

PubMed

MacLean, N; Fick, G H

1994-07-01

The effect of using semirigid dressings (SRDs) on the residual limb of individuals who have had below-knee amputations as a consequence of peripheral vascular disease was investigated, with the primary question being: Does the time to readiness for prosthetic fitting for patients treated with the SRDs differ from that of patients treated with soft dressings? Forty patients entered the study and were alternately assigned to one of two groups. Nineteen patients were assigned to the SRD group, and 21 patients were assigned to the soft dressing group. The time from surgery to readiness for prosthetic fitting was recorded for each patient. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated for each group, and the results were analyzed with the log-rank test. There was a difference between the two curves, and an examination of the curves suggests that the expected time to readiness for prosthetic fitting for patients treated with the SRDs would be less than half that of patients treated with soft dressings. The results suggest that a patient may be ready for prosthetic fitting sooner if treated with SRDs instead of soft dressings.

Enhanced bone-integration capability of alkali- and heat-treated nanopolymorphic titanium in micro-to-nanoscale hierarchy.

PubMed

Ueno, Takeshi; Tsukimura, Naoki; Yamada, Masahiro; Ogawa, Takahiro

2011-10-01

This study introduces nanopolymorphic features of alkali- and heat-treated titanium surfaces, comprising of tuft-like, plate-like, and nodular structures that are smaller than 100 nm and determines whether and how the addition of these nanofeatures to a microroughened titanium surface affects bone-implant integration. A comprehensive assessment of biomechanical, interfacial, and histological analyses in a rat model was performed for machined surfaces without microroughness, sandblasted-microroughened surfaces, and micro-nano hybrid surfaces created by sandblasting and alkali and heat treatment. The microroughened surface accelerated the establishment of implant biomechanical fixation at the early healing stage compared with the non-microroughened surface but did not increase the implant fixation at the late healing stage. The addition of the nanopolymorphic features to the microroughened surface further increased implant fixation throughout the healing time. The area of the new bone within 50 μm proximity of the implant surfaces, which was increased 2-3-fold using microroughened surfaces, was further increased 2-fold using nanopolymorphic surfaces. In contrast, the bone area in a 50-200 μm zone was not influenced by either microroughened or nanopolymorphic surfaces. The percentage of bone-implant contact, which was increased 4-5-fold, using microroughened surfaces, was further increased substantially by over 2-fold throughout the healing period. The percentage of soft tissue intervention between bone and implant surfaces, which was reduced to half by microroughened surfaces, was additionally reduced by the nanopolymorphic surfaces to between one-third and one-fourth, resulting in only 5-7% soft tissue intervention compared with 60-75% for the non-microroughened surface. Thus, using an exemplary alkali- and heat-treated nanopolymorphic surface, this study identified critical parameters necessary to describe the process and consequences of bone-implant integration, for which nanofeatures have specific and substantial roles beyond those of microfeatures. Nanofeature-enhanced osteoconductivity, which resulted in both the acceleration and elevation of bone-implant integration, has clearly been demonstrated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic printed photonics: From microring lasers to integrated circuits

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chuang; Zou, Chang-Ling; Zhao, Yan; Dong, Chun-Hua; Wei, Cong; Wang, Hanlin; Liu, Yunqi; Guo, Guang-Can; Yao, Jiannian; Zhao, Yong Sheng

2015-01-01

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is the optical analogy of an electronic loop in which photons are signal carriers with high transport speed and parallel processing capability. Besides the most frequently demonstrated silicon-based circuits, PICs require a variety of materials for light generation, processing, modulation, and detection. With their diversity and flexibility, organic molecular materials provide an alternative platform for photonics; however, the versatile fabrication of organic integrated circuits with the desired photonic performance remains a big challenge. The rapid development of flexible electronics has shown that a solution printing technique has considerable potential for the large-scale fabrication and integration of microsized/nanosized devices. We propose the idea of soft photonics and demonstrate the function-directed fabrication of high-quality organic photonic devices and circuits. We prepared size-tunable and reproducible polymer microring resonators on a wafer-scale transparent and flexible chip using a solution printing technique. The printed optical resonator showed a quality (Q) factor higher than 4 × 105, which is comparable to that of silicon-based resonators. The high material compatibility of this printed photonic chip enabled us to realize low-threshold microlasers by doping organic functional molecules into a typical photonic device. On an identical chip, this construction strategy allowed us to design a complex assembly of one-dimensional waveguide and resonator components for light signal filtering and optical storage toward the large-scale on-chip integration of microscopic photonic units. Thus, we have developed a scheme for soft photonic integration that may motivate further studies on organic photonic materials and devices. PMID:26601256

Organic printed photonics: From microring lasers to integrated circuits.

PubMed

Zhang, Chuang; Zou, Chang-Ling; Zhao, Yan; Dong, Chun-Hua; Wei, Cong; Wang, Hanlin; Liu, Yunqi; Guo, Guang-Can; Yao, Jiannian; Zhao, Yong Sheng

2015-09-01

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is the optical analogy of an electronic loop in which photons are signal carriers with high transport speed and parallel processing capability. Besides the most frequently demonstrated silicon-based circuits, PICs require a variety of materials for light generation, processing, modulation, and detection. With their diversity and flexibility, organic molecular materials provide an alternative platform for photonics; however, the versatile fabrication of organic integrated circuits with the desired photonic performance remains a big challenge. The rapid development of flexible electronics has shown that a solution printing technique has considerable potential for the large-scale fabrication and integration of microsized/nanosized devices. We propose the idea of soft photonics and demonstrate the function-directed fabrication of high-quality organic photonic devices and circuits. We prepared size-tunable and reproducible polymer microring resonators on a wafer-scale transparent and flexible chip using a solution printing technique. The printed optical resonator showed a quality (Q) factor higher than 4 × 10(5), which is comparable to that of silicon-based resonators. The high material compatibility of this printed photonic chip enabled us to realize low-threshold microlasers by doping organic functional molecules into a typical photonic device. On an identical chip, this construction strategy allowed us to design a complex assembly of one-dimensional waveguide and resonator components for light signal filtering and optical storage toward the large-scale on-chip integration of microscopic photonic units. Thus, we have developed a scheme for soft photonic integration that may motivate further studies on organic photonic materials and devices.

Reversal of soft-tissue local anesthesia with phentolamine mesylate in adolescents and adults.

PubMed

Hersh, Elliot V; Moore, Paul A; Papas, Athena S; Goodson, J Max; Navalta, Laura A; Rogy, Siegfried; Rutherford, Bruce; Yagiela, John A

2008-08-01

The authors conducted two multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, controlled Phase III clinical trials to study the efficacy and safety of phentolamine mesylate (PM) in shortening the duration and burden of soft-tissue anesthesia. The study involved 484 subjects who received one of four commercially available local anesthetic solutions containing vasoconstrictors for restorative or scaling procedures. On completion of the dental procedure, subjects randomly received a PM or a sham injection (an injection in which a needle does not penetrate the soft tissue) in the same site as the local anesthetic injection. The investigators measured the duration of soft-tissue anesthesia by using standardized lip- and tongue-tapping procedures every five minutes for five hours. They also evaluated functional measures and subject-perceived altered function, sensation, appearance and safety. Median recovery times in the lower lip and tongue for subjects in the PM group were 70 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively. Median recovery times in the lower lip and tongue for subjects in the sham group were 155 minutes and 125 minutes, respectively. Upper lip median recovery times were 50 minutes for subjects in the PM group and 133 minutes for subjects in the sham group. These differences were significant (P < .0001). Recovery from actual functional deficits and subject-perceived altered function, sensation and appearance also showed significant differences between the PM and the sham groups. PM was efficacious and safe in reducing the duration of local anesthetic- induced soft-tissue numbness and its associated functional deficits. Clinicians can use PM to accelerate reversal of soft-tissue anesthesia and the associated functional deficits.

Analysis of human soft palate morphogenesis supports regional regulation of palatal fusion

PubMed Central

Danescu, Adrian; Mattson, Melanie; Dool, Carly; Diewert, Virginia M; Richman, Joy M

2015-01-01

It is essential to complete palate closure at the correct time during fetal development, otherwise a serious malformation, cleft palate, will ensue. The steps in palate formation in humans take place between the 7th and 12th week and consist of outgrowth of palatal shelves from the paired maxillary prominences, reorientation of the shelves from vertical to horizontal, apposition of the medial surfaces, formation of a bilayered seam, degradation of the seam and bridging of mesenchyme. However, in the soft palate, the mechanism of closure is unclear. In previous studies it is possible to find support for both fusion and the alternative mechanism of merging. Here we densely sample the late embryonic-early fetal period between 54 and 74 days post-conception to determine the timing and mechanism of soft palate closure. We found the epithelial seam extends throughout the soft palates of 57-day specimens. Cytokeratin antibody staining detected the medial edge epithelium and distinguished clearly that cells in the midline retained their epithelial character. Compared with the hard palate, the epithelium is more rapidly degraded in the soft palate and only persists in the most posterior regions at 64 days. Our results are consistent with the soft palate following a developmentally more rapid program of fusion than the hard palate. Importantly, the two regions of the palate appear to be independently regulated and have their own internal clocks regulating the timing of seam removal. Considering data from human genetic and mouse studies, distinct anterior-posterior signaling mechanisms are likely to be at play in the human fetal palate. PMID:26299693

Electron-transfer dynamics of photosynthetic reaction centers in thermoresponsive soft materials.

PubMed

Laible, Philip D; Kelley, Richard F; Wasielewski, Michael R; Firestone, Millicent A

2005-12-15

Poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted, lipid-based, thermoresponsive, soft nanostructures are shown to serve as scaffolding into which reconstituted integral membrane proteins, such as the bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) can be stabilized, and their packing arrangement, and hence photophysical properties, can be controlled. The self-assembled nanostructures exist in two distinct states: a liquid-crystalline gel phase at temperatures above 21 degrees C and a non-birefringent, reduced viscosity state at lower temperatures. Characterization of the effect of protein introduction on the mesoscopic structure of the materials by 31P NMR and small-angle X-ray scattering shows that the expanded lamellar structure of the protein-free material is retained. At reduced temperatures, however, the aggregate structure is found to convert from a two-dimensional normal hexagonal structure to a three-dimensional cubic phase upon introduction of the RCs. Structural and functional characteristics of the RCs were determined by ground-state and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Time-resolved results indicate that the kinetics of primary electron transfer for the RCs in the low-viscosity cold phase of the self-assembled nanostructures are identical to those observed in a detergent-solubilized state in buffered aqueous solutions (approximately 4 ps) over a wide range of protein concentrations and experimental conditions. This is also true for RCs held within the lamellar gel phase at low protein concentrations and at short sample storage times. In contrast are kinetics from samples that are prepared with high RC concentrations and stored for several hours, which display additional kinetic components with extended electron-transfer times (approximately 10-12 ps). This observation is tentatively attributed to energy transfer between RCs that have laterally (in-plane) organized within the lipid bilayers of the lamellar gel phase prior to charge separation. These results not only demonstrate the use of soft nanostructures as a matrix in which to stabilize and organize membrane proteins but also suggest the possibility of using them to control the interactions between proteins and thus to tune their collective optical/electronic properties.

Dual-Mechanism and Multimotion Soft Actuators Based on Commercial Plastic Film.

PubMed

Li, Linpeng; Meng, Junxing; Hou, Chengyi; Zhang, Qinghong; Li, Yaogang; Yu, Hao; Wang, Hongzhi

2018-05-02

Soft actuators have attracted a lot of attention owing to their biomimetic performance. However, the development of soft actuators that are easily prepared from readily available raw materials, conveniently utilized, and cost-efficient is still a challenge. Here, we present a simple method to fabricate a polyethylene-based soft actuator. It has controllable anisotropic structure and can realize multiple motions, including bidirectional bending and twisting based on dual mechanisms, which is a rare phenomenon. Especially, the soft actuators can response at a very small temperature difference (Δ T ≥ 2.3 °C); therefore, even skin touch can quickly drive the actuator, which greatly broadens its applications in daily life. The soft actuator could demonstrate a curvature up to 7.8 cm -1 accompanied by powerful actuation. We have shown that it can lift an object 27 times its own weight. We also demonstrate the application of this actuator as intelligent mechanical devices.

Soft Vibrational Modes Predict Breaking Events during Force-Induced Protein Unfolding.

PubMed

Habibi, Mona; Plotkin, Steven S; Rottler, Jörg

2018-02-06

We investigate the correlation between soft vibrational modes and unfolding events in simulated force spectroscopy of proteins. Unfolding trajectories are obtained from molecular dynamics simulations of a Gō model of a monomer of a mutant of superoxide dismutase 1 protein containing all heavy atoms in the protein, and a normal mode analysis is performed based on the anisotropic network model. We show that a softness map constructed from the superposition of the amplitudes of localized soft modes correlates with unfolding events at different stages of the unfolding process. Soft residues are up to eight times more likely to undergo disruption of native structure than the average amino acid. The memory of the softness map is retained for extensions of up to several nanometers, but decorrelates more rapidly during force drops. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sport science integration: An evolutionary synthesis.

PubMed

Balagué, N; Torrents, C; Hristovski, R; Kelso, J A S

2017-02-01

The aim of the paper is to point out one way of integrating the supposedly incommensurate disciplines investigated in sports science. General, common principles can be found among apparently unrelated disciplines when the focus is put on the dynamics of sports-related phenomena. Dynamical systems approaches that have recently changed research in biological and social sciences among others, offer key concepts to create a common pluricontextual language in sport science. This common language, far from being homogenising, offers key synthesis between diverse fields, respecting and enabling the theoretical and experimental pluralism. It forms a softly integrated sports science characterised by a basic dynamic explanatory backbone as well as context-dependent theoretical flexibility. After defining the dynamic integration in living systems, unable to be captured by structural static approaches, we show the commonalities between the diversity of processes existing on different levels and time scales in biological and social entities. We justify our interpretation by drawing on some recent scientific contributions that use the same general principles and concepts, and diverse methods and techniques of data analysis, to study different types of phenomena in diverse disciplines. We show how the introduction of the dynamic framework in sport science has started to blur the boundaries between physiology, biomechanics, psychology, phenomenology and sociology. The advantages and difficulties of sport science integration and its consequences in research are also discussed.

A Soft Casting Technique for Managing Pediatric Hand and Foot Burns.

PubMed

Choi, Young Mee; Nederveld, Cindy; Campbell, Kristen; Moulton, Steven

2018-04-04

Hand and foot burns in children are difficult to dress. The authors have developed a soft casting technique to manage burns to these areas. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes using weekly dressing changes with a soft casting technique to manage pediatric hand and foot burns in the outpatient setting. A retrospective chart review was performed on children with burns to the hands or feet, who underwent dressing changes with a soft casting technique at the Children's Hospital Colorado Burn Center. Soft casting was performed by placing antibiotic ointment-impregnated nonadherent gauze over the burn wound(s), wrapping the extremity using rolled gauze, applying soft cast pad, plaster, soft cast tape, and an elastic bandage. This was changed weekly. Two hundred ninety-eight children with hand burns had a mean age of 16.8 ± 2 months. Two hundred forty-eight children had partial thickness burn injuries (83%), 50 had full thickness burn injuries (17%), and the mean total body surface area (TBSA) was 1 ± 2.4%. The mean time to heal was 10.1 ± 1.7 days for all subjects. Sixty-six children with foot burns were identified with a mean age of 24 ± 2.6 months. Forty-six children had partial thickness injuries (70%), 20 had full thickness burn injuries (30%), and the mean TBSA was 2.3 ± 2.9%. The mean time to heal was 14.1 ± 2.2 days for all subjects. Weekly dressing changes using a soft casting technique are effective for the outpatient management of pediatric hand and foot burns. This method avoids costly inpatient hospital care, reduces the number of painful dressing changes, and allows children to heal in their own environment.

Two-speed phacoemulsification for soft cataracts using optimized parameters and procedure step toolbar with the CENTURION Vision System and Balanced Tip

PubMed Central

Davison, James A

2015-01-01

Purpose To present a cause of posterior capsule aspiration and a technique using optimized parameters to prevent it from happening when operating soft cataracts. Patients and methods A prospective list of posterior capsule aspiration cases was kept over 4,062 consecutive cases operated with the Alcon CENTURION machine and Balanced Tip. Video analysis of one case of posterior capsule aspiration was accomplished. A surgical technique was developed using empirically derived machine parameters and customized setting-selection procedure step toolbar to reduce the pace of aspiration of soft nuclear quadrants in order to prevent capsule aspiration. Results Two cases out of 3,238 experienced posterior capsule aspiration before use of the soft quadrant technique. Video analysis showed an attractive vortex effect with capsule aspiration occurring in 1/5 of a second. A soft quadrant removal setting was empirically derived which had a slower pace and seemed more controlled with no capsule aspiration occurring in the subsequent 824 cases. The setting featured simultaneous linear control from zero to preset maximums for: aspiration flow, 20 mL/min; and vacuum, 400 mmHg, with the addition of torsional tip amplitude up to 20% after the fluidic maximums were achieved. A new setting selection procedure step toolbar was created to increase intraoperative flexibility by providing instantaneous shifting between the soft and normal settings. Conclusion A technique incorporating a reduced pace for soft quadrant acquisition and aspiration can be accomplished through the use of a dedicated setting of integrated machine parameters. Toolbar placement of the procedure button next to the normal setting procedure button provides the opportunity to instantaneously alternate between the two settings. Simultaneous surgeon control over vacuum, aspiration flow, and torsional tip motion may make removal of soft nuclear quadrants more efficient and safer. PMID:26355695

Surface hydrodynamics of viscoelastic fluids and soft solids: Surfing bulk rheology on capillary and Rayleigh waves.

PubMed

Monroy, Francisco

2017-09-01

From the recent advent of the new soft-micro technologies, the hydrodynamic theory of surface modes propagating on viscoelastic bodies has reinvigorated this field of technology with interesting predictions and new possible applications, so recovering its scientific interest very limited at birth to the academic scope. Today, a myriad of soft small objects, deformable meso- and micro-structures, and macroscopically viscoelastic bodies fabricated from colloids and polymers are already available in the materials catalogue. Thus, one can envisage a constellation of new soft objects fabricated by-design with a functional dynamics based on the mechanical interplay of the viscoelastic material with the medium through their interfaces. In this review, we recapitulate the field from its birth and theoretical foundation in the latest 1980s up today, through its flourishing in the 90s from the prediction of extraordinary Rayleigh modes in coexistence with ordinary capillary waves on the surface of viscoelastic fluids, a fact first confirmed in experiments by Dominique Langevin and me with soft gels [Monroy and Langevin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3167 (1998)]. With this observational discovery at sight, we not only settled the theory previously formulated a few years before, but mainly opened a new field of applications with soft materials where the mechanical interplay between surface and bulk motions matters. Also, new unpublished results from surface wave experiments performed with soft colloids are reported in this contribution, in which the analytic methods of wave surfing synthetized together with the concept of coexisting capillary-shear modes are claimed as an integrated tool to insightfully scrutinize the bulk rheology of soft solids and viscoelastic fluids. This dedicatory to the figure of Dominique Langevin includes an appraisal of the relevant theoretical aspects of the surface hydrodynamics of viscoelastic fluids, and the coverage of the most important experimental results obtained during the three decades of research on this field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soft ferrite cores characterization for integrated micro-inductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Yen Mai; Lopez, Thomas; Laur, Jean-Pierre; Bourrier, David; Charlot, Samuel; Valdez-Nava, Zarel; Bley, Vincent; Combettes, Céline; Brunet, Magali

2013-12-01

Ferrite-based micro-inductors are proposed for hybrid integration on silicon for low-power medium frequency DC-DC converters. Due to their small coercive field and their high resistivity, soft ferrites are good candidates for a magnetic core working at moderate frequencies in the range of 5-10 MHz. We have studied several soft ferrites including commercial ferrite film and U70 and U200 homemade ferrites. The inductors are fabricated at wafer level using micromachining and assembling techniques. The proposed process is based on a sintered ferrite core placed in between thick electroplated copper windings. The low profile ferrite cores of 1.2 × 2.6 × 0.2 mm3 are produced by two methods from green tape-casted films and ferrite powder. This paper presents the magnetic characterization of the sintered ferrite films cut and printed in rectangular shape and sintered at different temperatures. The comparison is made in order to find out the best material for the core that can reach the required inductance (470 nH at 6 MHz) under 0.6A current DC bias and that generate the smallest losses. An inductance density of 285 nH/ mm2 up to 6 MHz was obtained for ESL 40011 cores that is much higher than the previously reported devices. The small size of our devices is also a prominent point.

Studies of ZVS soft switching of dual-active-bridge isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Fei; Zhao, Feng; Shi, Qibiao; Wen, Xuhui

2018-05-01

To operate dual-active-bridge isolated bidirectional dc- dc converter (DAB) at high efficiency, the two bridge switches must operate with Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) over as wide an operating range as possible. This paper proposes a new perspective on realizing ZVS in dead-time. An exact theoretical analysis and mathematical mode is built to explain the process of ZVS switching in dead-time under Single Phase Shift (SPS) control strategy. In order to assure the two bridge switches operate on soft switching, every SPS switching point is analyzed. Generally, dead-time will be determined when the power electronic devices is selected. The key factor to realizing ZVS is the size of the end time of resonance comparing to dead-time. Through detailed analysis, it can obtain the conditions of all switches achieving ZVS turn-on and turn-off. Finally, simulation validates the theoretical analysis and some advice are given to realize the ZVS soft switching.

Development of soft-sphere contact models for thermal heat conduction in granular flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morris, A. B.; Pannala, S.; Ma, Z.

2016-06-08

Conductive heat transfer to flowing particles occurs when two particles (or a particle and wall) come into contact. The direct conduction between the two bodies depends on the collision dynamics, namely the size of the contact area and the duration of contact. For soft-sphere discrete-particle simulations, it is computationally expensive to resolve the true collision time because doing so would require a restrictively small numerical time step. To improve the computational speed, it is common to increase the 'softness' of the material to artificially increase the collision time, but doing so affects the heat transfer. In this work, two physically-basedmore » correction terms are derived to compensate for the increased contact area and time stemming from artificial particle softening. By including both correction terms, the impact that artificial softening has on the conductive heat transfer is removed, thus enabling simulations at greatly reduced computational times without sacrificing physical accuracy.« less

Mercedes-Benz water molecules near hydrophobic wall: Integral equation theories vs Monte Carlo simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbic, T.; Holovko, M. F.

2011-10-01

Associative version of Henderson-Abraham-Barker theory is applied for the study of Mercedes-Benz model of water near hydrophobic surface. We calculated density profiles and adsorption coefficients using Percus-Yevick and soft mean spherical associative approximations. The results are compared with Monte Carlo simulation data. It is shown that at higher temperatures both approximations satisfactory reproduce the simulation data. For lower temperatures, soft mean spherical approximation gives good agreement at low and at high densities while in at mid range densities, the prediction is only qualitative. The formation of a depletion layer between water and hydrophobic surface was also demonstrated and studied.

Mercedes–Benz water molecules near hydrophobic wall: Integral equation theories vs Monte Carlo simulations

PubMed Central

Urbic, T.; Holovko, M. F.

2011-01-01

Associative version of Henderson-Abraham-Barker theory is applied for the study of Mercedes–Benz model of water near hydrophobic surface. We calculated density profiles and adsorption coefficients using Percus-Yevick and soft mean spherical associative approximations. The results are compared with Monte Carlo simulation data. It is shown that at higher temperatures both approximations satisfactory reproduce the simulation data. For lower temperatures, soft mean spherical approximation gives good agreement at low and at high densities while in at mid range densities, the prediction is only qualitative. The formation of a depletion layer between water and hydrophobic surface was also demonstrated and studied. PMID:21992334

Displacement sensors using soft magnetostrictive alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hristoforou, E.; Reilly, R. E.

1994-09-01

We report results on the response of a family of displacement sensors, which are based on the magentostrictive delay line (MDL) technique, using current conductors orthogonal to the MDL. Such sensing technique is based on the change of the magnetic circuit at the acoustic stress point of origin due to the displacement of a soft magnetic material above it. Integrated arrays of sensors can be obtained due to the acoustic delay line technique and they can be used as tactile arrays, digitizers or devices for medical applications (gait analysis etc.), while absence of hysteresis and low cost of manufacturing make them competent in this sector of sensor market.

Micro-level economic factors and incentives in Children's energy balance related behaviours - findings from the ENERGY European cross-section questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård; Bere, Elling; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Jan, Natasa; Maes, Lea; Manios, Yannis; Martens, Marloes K; Molnar, Denes; Moreno, Luis A; Singh, Amika S; te Velde, Saskia; Brug, Johannes

2012-11-21

To date, most research on obesogenic environments facing school children has focused on physical and socio-cultural environments. The role of economic factors has been investigated to a much lesser extent. Our objective was to explore the association of micro-level economic factors and incentives with sports activities and intake of soft drinks and fruit juice in 10-12 year-old school children across Europe, and to explore price sensitivity in children's soft drink consumption and correlates of this price sensitivity. Data for the study originate from a cross-sectional survey undertaken in seven European countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Spain) in 2010 among 10-12 year-old school children and their parents. In total, 7234 child questionnaires and 6002 parent questionnaires were completed. The child questionnaire included questions addressing self-reported weekly intake of soft drinks and fruit juices and time spent on sports activities, perception of parental support for sports activities, use of pocket money for soft drinks and perceived price responsiveness. Parent questionnaires included questions addressing the role of budget and price considerations in decisions regarding children's sports activities, soft drink consumption, home practices and rules and socio-demographic background variables. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression and discrete-choice (ordered probit) modelling. Economic factors were found to be associated with children's sports participation and sugary drink consumption, explaining 27% of the variation in time for sports activities, and 27% and 12% of the variation in the children's soft drink and juice consumption, respectively. Parents' financial support was found to be an important correlate (Beta =0.419) of children's sports activities. Children's pocket money was a strong correlate (Beta =21.034) of soft drink consumption. The majority of the responding children reported to expect that significantly higher prices of soft drinks would lead them to buy less soft drinks with their own pocket money, but a majority of parents did not expect higher soft drink prices to reduce their children's soft drink consumption. We conclude that economic factors, especially parents' financial support and amount of pocket money, appear to be of importance for children's sports participation and soft drink consumption, respectively.

Micro-level economic factors and incentives in Children’s energy balance related behaviours - findings from the ENERGY European cross-section questionnaire survey

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To date, most research on obesogenic environments facing school children has focused on physical and socio-cultural environments. The role of economic factors has been investigated to a much lesser extent. Our objective was to explore the association of micro-level economic factors and incentives with sports activities and intake of soft drinks and fruit juice in 10-12 year-old school children across Europe, and to explore price sensitivity in children’s soft drink consumption and correlates of this price sensitivity. Methods Data for the study originate from a cross-sectional survey undertaken in seven European countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Spain) in 2010 among 10-12 year-old school children and their parents. In total, 7234 child questionnaires and 6002 parent questionnaires were completed. The child questionnaire included questions addressing self-reported weekly intake of soft drinks and fruit juices and time spent on sports activities, perception of parental support for sports activities, use of pocket money for soft drinks and perceived price responsiveness. Parent questionnaires included questions addressing the role of budget and price considerations in decisions regarding children’s sports activities, soft drink consumption, home practices and rules and socio-demographic background variables. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression and discrete-choice (ordered probit) modelling. Results Economic factors were found to be associated with children’s sports participation and sugary drink consumption, explaining 27% of the variation in time for sports activities, and 27% and 12% of the variation in the children’s soft drink and juice consumption, respectively. Parents’ financial support was found to be an important correlate (Beta =0.419) of children’s sports activities. Children’s pocket money was a strong correlate (Beta =21.034) of soft drink consumption. The majority of the responding children reported to expect that significantly higher prices of soft drinks would lead them to buy less soft drinks with their own pocket money, but a majority of parents did not expect higher soft drink prices to reduce their children’s soft drink consumption. Conclusions We conclude that economic factors, especially parents’ financial support and amount of pocket money, appear to be of importance for children’s sports participation and soft drink consumption, respectively. PMID:23171289

Safe, Advanced, Adaptable Isolation System Eliminates the Need for Critical Lifts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ginn, Starr

2011-01-01

The Starr Soft Support isolation system incorporates an automatically reconfigurable aircraft jack into NASA's existing 1-Hertz isolators. This enables an aircraft to float in mid-air without the need for a critical lift during ground vibration testing (GVT), significantly reducing testing risk, time, and costs. Currently incorporating the most advanced technology available, the 60,000-poundcapacity (27-metric-ton) isolation system is used for weight and measurement tests, control-surface free-play tests, and structural mode interaction tests without the need for any major reconfiguration, often saving days of time and significantly reducing labor costs. The Starr Soft Support isolation system consists of an aircraft-jacking device with three jacking points, each of which has an individual motor and accommodates up to 20,000 pounds (9 metric tons) for a total 60,000-pound (27-metric-ton) capacity. The system can be transported to the aircraft by forklift and placed at its jacking points using a pallet jack. The motors power the electric actuators, raising the aircraft above the ground until the landing gear can retract. Inflatable isolators then deploy, enabling the aircraft to float in mid-air, simulating a 1-Hertz free-free boundary condition. Inflatable isolators have been in use at NASA for years, enabling aircraft to literally float unsupported for highly accurate GVT. These isolators must be placed underneath the aircraft for this to occur. Traditionally, this is achieved by a critical lift a high-risk procedure in which a crane and flexible cord system are used to lift the aircraft. In contrast, the Starr Soft Support isolation system eliminates the need for critical lift by integrating the inflatable isolators into an aircraft jacking system. The system maintains vertical and horizontal isolating capabilities. The aircraft can be rolled onto the system, jacked up, and then the isolators can be inflated and positioned without any personnel needing to work underneath the aircraft. Also, the system accommodates changes in aircraft configuration, automatically adapting to changes in mass, and it can adjust the height of the isolators in one basic setup. Dryden personnel used the Starr Soft Support system to successfully perform a GVT on an F-15 being structurally modified by Gulfstream, Dryden's Gulfstream III used for science research and the crew exploration module and adaptor cone assembly.

Effect of the addition of antimicrobial agents on Shore A hardness and roughness of soft lining materials.

PubMed

Urban, Vanessa M; Lima, Thiago F; Bueno, Mirian G; Giannini, Marcelo; Arioli Filho, João N; de Almeida, Ana Lúcia P F; Neppelenbroek, Karin H

2015-04-01

While the incorporation of antimicrobial agents into soft denture liners has been suggested as a reliable alternative treatment for denture stomatitis, it may affect the liner's properties. The effect of addition of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of denture stomatitis on the surface roughness and Shore A hardness of soft lining materials was evaluated. The test groups comprised specimens (36 × 7 × 6 mm(3) ) of soft materials (Softone and Trusoft) without (control) or with incorporation of drugs (nystatin, miconazole, ketoconazole, chlorhexidine diacetate, and itraconazole). Hardness (Shore A) and roughness (Ra) were evaluated after immersion of specimens (n = 10) in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours, 7 and 14 days. Data were analyzed by 3-way ANOVA/Tukey's test (α = 0.05). After 14 days, an increase (p < 0.05) was observed in the hardness of soft materials with time for the modified specimens, except for itraconazole. Addition of drugs increased the Softone roughness only for the addition of miconazole and chlorhexidine (p < 0.05), and did not increase the roughness of Trusoft with time. Only chlorhexidine and itraconazole altered the roughness compared to the control for each material (p < 0.05). The smallest changes of hardness and roughness with time in the modified groups compared to controls were observed for itraconazole groups for both materials. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

A comparison between anisotropic analytical and multigrid superposition dose calculation algorithms in radiotherapy treatment planning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Vincent W.C., E-mail: htvinwu@polyu.edu.hk; Tse, Teddy K.H.; Ho, Cola L.M.

2013-07-01

Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is currently the most accurate dose calculation algorithm in radiotherapy planning but requires relatively long processing time. Faster model-based algorithms such as the anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) by the Eclipse treatment planning system and multigrid superposition (MGS) by the XiO treatment planning system are 2 commonly used algorithms. This study compared AAA and MGS against MC, as the gold standard, on brain, nasopharynx, lung, and prostate cancer patients. Computed tomography of 6 patients of each cancer type was used. The same hypothetical treatment plan using the same machine and treatment prescription was computed for each casemore » by each planning system using their respective dose calculation algorithm. The doses at reference points including (1) soft tissues only, (2) bones only, (3) air cavities only, (4) soft tissue-bone boundary (Soft/Bone), (5) soft tissue-air boundary (Soft/Air), and (6) bone-air boundary (Bone/Air), were measured and compared using the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), which was a function of the percentage dose deviations from MC. Besides, the computation time of each treatment plan was recorded and compared. The MAPEs of MGS were significantly lower than AAA in all types of cancers (p<0.001). With regards to body density combinations, the MAPE of AAA ranged from 1.8% (soft tissue) to 4.9% (Bone/Air), whereas that of MGS from 1.6% (air cavities) to 2.9% (Soft/Bone). The MAPEs of MGS (2.6%±2.1) were significantly lower than that of AAA (3.7%±2.5) in all tissue density combinations (p<0.001). The mean computation time of AAA for all treatment plans was significantly lower than that of the MGS (p<0.001). Both AAA and MGS algorithms demonstrated dose deviations of less than 4.0% in most clinical cases and their performance was better in homogeneous tissues than at tissue boundaries. In general, MGS demonstrated relatively smaller dose deviations than AAA but required longer computation time.« less

A Practical Probabilistic Graphical Modeling Tool for Weighing Ecological Risk-Based Evidence

EPA Science Inventory

Past weight-of-evidence frameworks for adverse ecological effects have provided soft-scoring procedures for judgments based on the quality and measured attributes of evidence. Here, we provide a flexible probabilistic structure for weighing and integrating lines of evidence for e...