Single-channel Devices Research Articles

Occurrence, presence and severity of bruxism and its association with altered state of consciousness in individuals with severe acquired brain injury.

Excessive jaw muscle activity is a frequent complication after acquired brain injury (ABI). The study aimed to identify the occurrence and severity of jaw muscle activity and its association with altered state of consciousness in patients with ABI. A total of 14 severe ABI patients with varied altered state of consciousness were recruited. A single-channel electromyographic (EMG) device was used to assess the jaw muscle activity for three consecutive nights during Week 1 and Week 4 following admission. Differences in number of EMG episodes/h between Week 1 and 4 were analysed using non-parametric tests and association between the EMG activity and altered state of consciousness were analysed using Spearman's correlation test. Nine of fourteen (64%) patients showed indications of bruxism (cutoff: >15 EMG episodes/h). The average EMG episodes/h at admission were 44.5 ± 13.6 with no significant changes after Week 4 of admission (43 ± 12.9; p = .917). The EMG episodes/h ranged from 2 to 184 during Week 1 and 4-154 during Week 4. There were no significant correlations between the number of EMG episodes/h during the three nights and the individuals altered state of consciousness during Week 1 and Week 4. Patients with ABI had a conspicuously high but variable level of jaw muscle activity at admission and it tend to remain high after 4 week of hospitalisation which could potentially lead to adverse effects such as excessive tooth wear, headaches and pain in jaw muscles. The lack of associations between individuals altered level of consciousness and EMG activity could be due to low sample size and further studies are clearly warranted in this patient group with special needs. Single-channel EMG devices can record jaw muscle activity early in the hospitalisation period and might be a helpful tools for early detection of bruxism in ABI patients.

Geophysical Characterization and Attenuation Correction Applied for Hydrate Bearing Sediments in Japan Sea

Estimation of rock properties from seismic data is important for exploration and production activities in the petroleum industry. Considering the compressional velocity—the speed of propagating body waves in formations—and the quality factor (Q)—a measure of the frequency-selective energy losses of waves propagating through formations—both properties are usually estimated from multichannel seismic data. Velocity is estimated during multichannel processing of seismic reflection data in either the time or depth domain. In marine seismic acquisition, Q can be estimated from the following sources: Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) surveys, where sources are located near the sea surface and geophones are distributed at depth along a borehole; and multichannel reflection data, where sources are also located near the sea surface and receivers are distributed either at the sea surface (conventional seismic survey with streamers) or on the sea floor (use of nodes or Ocean Bottom Cables (OBC)). The aforementioned acquisition devices, VSP, conventional streamers, nodes, and OBCs are much more expensive than single-channel acquisition with one receiver per shot due to the cost of operation. There are numerous old and new datasets from academia and the oil industry that have been acquired with single-channel acquisition devices. However, there is a paucity of work addressing the estimation of velocity and Q from this type of equipment. We investigate the estimation of Q and velocity from single-channel seismic data. Using the windowed discrete Fourier transform for a single seismic trace, we calculate the peak and dominant frequency that changes with time. In the geologic environment, higher frequencies are attenuated at shallow depths (time), while lower frequencies remain at deeper positions. From the rate at which higher frequencies are attenuated with time, we estimate the effective quality factor (Qeff). However, when using Kirchhoff migration to process single-channel seismic data, events far from the vertical projection of the receiver contribute to the trace at a given time. Then, an underestimation of the effective quality factor occurs. To compensate for the effects of more distant events with lower-frequency content contaminating the shorter events, we propose a linear equation to correct the effective quality factor estimated from migrated seismic data. Effective Q and its correction are estimated in five single-channel seismic lines surveyed along the Joetsu Knoll, a SW-NE anticline structure on the eastern margin of the Sea of Japan. These results are linked to geomorphological and geological features and the velocity field. Joetsu Knoll is a known site of massive gas hydrates (GH), which occur in the first hundred metres of Neogene sediments and, together with gas chimneys, play an important role in seismic wave absorption. Qeff estimated from migrated seismic data maintains the spatial relationship between high and low Q regions. The region of low Q, which is below 124 and has an average value of 57, occurs near the anticlinal hinge and tends to coincide with the region in which the Bottom Simulating Reflector (BSR) resides. The coexistence of GH and free gas coincides with the very low P velocity gradient of 0.225 s−1. BSR occurrence, Qeff and the geometry of the Joetsu anticline testify to progressive gas hydrate depletion northward along the dome.

Extracting continuous sleep depth from EEG data without machine learning

The human sleep-cycle has been divided into discrete sleep stages that can be recognized in electroencephalographic (EEG) and other bio-signals by trained specialists or machine learning systems. It is however unclear whether these human-defined stages can be re-discovered with unsupervised methods of data analysis, using only a minimal amount of generic pre-processing. Based on EEG data, recorded overnight from sleeping human subjects, we investigate the degree of clustering of the sleep stages using the General Discrimination Value as a quantitative measure of class separability. Virtually no clustering is found in the raw data, even after transforming the EEG signals of each 30-s epoch from the time domain into the more informative frequency domain. However, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of these epoch-wise frequency spectra reveals that the sleep stages separate significantly better in the low-dimensional sub-space of certain PCA components. In particular the component C1(t) can serve as a robust, continuous ‘master variable’ that encodes the depth of sleep and therefore correlates strongly with the ‘hypnogram’, a common plot of the discrete sleep stages over time. Moreover, C1(t) shows persistent trends during extended time periods where the sleep stage is constant, suggesting that sleep may be better understood as a continuum. These intriguing properties of C1(t) are not only relevant for understanding brain dynamics during sleep, but might also be exploited in low-cost single-channel sleep tracking devices for private and clinical use.

Fabrication and Assembly Techniques for Sub-mm Battery-Free Epicortical Implants.

Over the past three decades, we have seen significant advances in the field of wireless implantable medical devices (IMDs) that can interact with the nervous system. To further improve the stability, safety, and distribution of these interfaces, a new class of implantable devices is being developed: single-channel, sub-mm scale, and wireless microelectronic devices. In this research, we describe a new and simple technique for fabricating and assembling a sub-mm, wirelessly powered stimulating implant. The implant consists of an ASIC measuring 900 × 450 × 80 µm3, two PEDOT-coated microelectrodes, an SMD inductor, and a SU-8 coating. The microelectrodes and SMD are directly mounted onto the ASIC. The ultra-small device is powered using electromagnetic (EM) waves in the near-field using a two-coil inductive link and demonstrates a maximum achievable power transfer efficiency (PTE) of 0.17% in the air with a coil separation of 0.5 cm. In vivo experiments conducted on an anesthetized rat verified the efficiency of stimulation.

Practical R-R Interval Editing for Heart Rate Variability Analysis Using Single-Channel Wearable ECG Devices

Recent innovations in wearable devices have expanded the usage opportunities of single-channel electrocardiography (ECG) recordings in a daily life environment and enabled a variety of indirect daily activity monitoring based on heart rate variability (HRV). In general, wearable ECGs rarely undergo visual inspection by medical experts and therefore may contain noise or artifacts. Although noise/artifact-induced changes in ECG waveforms are known to cause misdetection of the QRS complex (i.e., the most distinguishable ECG components comprised of Q wave, R wave, and S wave), its complete suppression might be technically impossible. Since misdetection occurs in the QRS complex unit, we propose reframing the traditional HRV analysis flow by subdividing the R-R interval (RRI) editing into four steps in accordance with the processing detail (i.e., identification and editing) and its target unit (i.e., QRS complex or RRI). In addition, as a dubious QRS complex identification method for practical use, we utilize the amplitude at the detected point assuming the use of a single-channel wearable ECG without a reference. Initial evaluations using pseudo/real ECG datasets including ECGs with noise and artifacts show that the proposed processing/unit-based subdivision is theoretically effective for improving HRV calculation accuracy, and that the dubious QRS complex identification method for practical use also maintains this effect. Our study starting from practical HRV analysis using single-channel wearable ECG devices encourages reexamining each step in HRV analysis through the interdisciplinary research of clinical medicine and engineering/informatics that reveals the relationship of every two adjacent steps from the perspective of theory and practice.

Bioinspired Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Membranes for Salinity-Gradient Energy Harvesting

ConspectusSalinity-gradient energy represents a widespread, clean, environmentally friendly, and sustainable source of renewable energy, which has attracted great attention in the past years. To harness this energy, interdisciplinary efforts from chemistry, materials science, environmental science, and nanotechnology have been made to develop efficient and low-cost approaches and materials for energy conversion. Conventional reverse electrodialysis (RED) systems are generally based on ion-exchange membranes, which usually suffer from ineffective mass transport, high membrane resistance, limited pore size, and concentration polarization, resulting in low output power density and poor energy-conversion efficiency. As one promising material, nanofluidic channels with their unique transport properties, which can be attributed to nanoconfinement effect, enable high-performance reverse electrodialysis to efficiently harvest salinity-gradient energy. Due to the unique porous architectures, three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous membranes demonstrate great potential for harvesting salinity-gradient power. It is generally known that the porous membranes can be prepared by many methods; however, there are some shortcomings such as high costs, poor ion conductance, and fragility limiting the practical application. Several simple and versatile approaches to low-cost fabrication of 3D nanoporous membranes have been developed in recent years. For example, self-assembly provides an effective route of constructing functional materials and organizing them into 3D architectures. In this Account, we mainly review our recent progress in the design and fabrication of bioinspired 3D nanoporous membranes for salinity-gradient energy harvesting. First, we give a brief introduction to bioinspired nanochannel membranes (BNMs) with diverse structural dimensions, and nanofluidic channel membranes may lead to technological breakthroughs and thus act as an emerging platform for harvesting salinity-gradient energy. Subsequently, we discuss the typical preparation approaches for bioinspired 3D nanoporous membranes. To tackle the bottlenecks of the conventional membrane-based power generator and extrapolate single-channel devices to macroscopic materials, our group have developed a series of 3D nanoporous membranes for power generation via various simple and versatile methods. We highlight the design and fabrication of several types of 3D nanoporous membranes, i.e., heterogeneous and homogeneous membranes, with tunable surface charge and porosity. The proof-of-concept demonstration of bioinspired 3D porous membranes shows that these nanofluidic platforms have the potential to overcome the selectivity-permeability trade-off and have impressive osmotic-energy-harvesting performance. Specifically, the scale-up Janus 3D porous membranes maintained high selectivity and rectified current in a hypersaline environment, which benefitted effective energy conversion and high output power density when seawater and river water were mixed. Finally, we give an outlook for future challenges and perspectives on the development of 3D nanofluidics for salinity-gradient energy conversion. We expect that this Account will spark further efforts on the development of bioinspired 3D nanoporous membranes for large-scale (typical side length of more than 10 cm) energy conversion and new opportunities for the applications in water desalination, dialysis, and ionic circuitries.

Giant switchable non thermally-activated conduction in 180° domain walls in tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O3

Conductive domain walls in ferroelectrics offer a promising concept of nanoelectronic circuits with 2D domain-wall channels playing roles of memristors or synoptic interconnections. However, domain wall conduction remains challenging to control and pA-range currents typically measured on individual walls are too low for single-channel devices. Charged domain walls show higher conductivity, but are generally unstable and difficult to create. Here, we show highly conductive and stable channels on ubiquitous 180° domain walls in the archetypical ferroelectric, tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. These electrically erasable/rewritable channels show currents of tens of nanoamperes (200 to 400 nA/μm) at voltages ≤2 V and metallic-like non thermally-activated transport properties down to 4 K, as confirmed by nanoscopic mapping. The domain structure analysis and phase-field simulations reveal complex switching dynamics, in which the extraordinary conductivity in strained Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films is explained by an interplay between ferroelastic a- and c-domains. This work demonstrates the potential of accessible and stable arrangements of nominally uncharged and electrically switchable domain walls for nanoelectronics.

Game induced emotion analysis using electroencephalography

Organizations vie to develop insights into the psychological aspects of consumer decision-making to enhance their products accordingly. Understanding how emotions and personality traits influence the choices we make is an integral part of product design. In this paper, we have employed machine learning algorithms to profile discrete emotions, in response to video games stimuli, based on features extracted from recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and to understand certain characteristics of personality. Four video games from different genres have been used for emotion elicitation and players' EEG signals are recorded. EEG being a non-stationary, non-linear and extremely noisy signal has been cleaned using a Savitzky-Golay filter which is found to be suitable for single-channel EEG devices. Seven out of sixteen features from time, frequency and time-frequency domains have been selected using Random Forest and used to classify emotions. Support Vector Machine, k-Nearest Neighbour and Gradient Boosted Trees classifiers have been used where the highest classification accuracy 82.26% is achieved with Boosted Trees classifier. Our findings propagate that for a single-channel EEG device, only four discrete emotions (happy, bored, relaxed, stressed) can be classified where two emotions happy and bored achieved the highest individual accuracy of 88.89% and 85.29% respectively with the Gradient Boosted Trees Classifier. In this study, we have also identified personality traits, extroversion and neuroticism influence players’ perception of video games. The results indicate that players with low extroversion prefer relatively slow and strategy games as compared to highly extroverted. It has also been identified that puzzle and racing games are well-liked irrespective of the levels of the two personality traits.

Effect of inserted Al<sub><i>x</i></sub>Ga<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>N layer on characteristic of double-channel <i>n</i>-Al<sub>0.3</sub>Ga<sub>0.7</sub>N/GaN/<i>i</i>-Al<sub><i>x</i></sub>Ga<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>N/GaN HEMT

<sec>With the demand for high-temperature, high-frequency, and high-power microwave applications increasing, AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) have attracted much attention in recent years. Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) induced by spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric polarization caused by the uneven charge distribution on Ga-N bond and the large tensile strain guarantees the high performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMT. Compared with single-channel devices, dual-channel AlGaN/GaN HEMT has great application prospects in enhancing the electronic confinement, current drive and alleviating the current collapse. In order to study the physical characteristics, the carrier state and transportation characterization of <i>n</i>-Al<sub>0.3</sub>Ga<sub>0.7</sub>N/GaN/i-Al<i><sub>x</sub></i>Ga<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>N/GaN multilayer structure are investigated. By calculating the one-dimensional self-consistent Poisson-Schrödinger, the energy band diagram, electric field and charge distribution in the devices are obtained. The 2DEG, alloy disorder and dislocation scattering mechanism in the device are also analyzed by analytical models in which the wave function in finite barriers and Fermi’s rule are used.</sec><sec>With Al<i><sub>x</sub></i>Ga<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>N layer thickness increasing from 0 nm to 30 nm and Al content rising from 0.1 to 0.2, the concentration of 2DEG localized in the heterointerface is diminished in the first channel. Simultaneously, mobility limited by alloy disorder scattering increases monotonically with the <i>r</i> composition occupation number and the Al<i><sub>x</sub></i>Ga<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>N thickness proportion increasing. Besides, dislocation scattering on carriers is strengthened in the same quantum well, resulting in the lower mobility. In the second channel, 2DEG density gets growing when the variables mentioned above is enlarged. The mobility restricted by alloy disorder scattering shows a reverse trend with the variation of the Al<i><sub>x</sub></i>Ga<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>N thickness and Al fraction, which more greatly affect the carriers in the parasitic channel due to the lower barrier height and high permeable carriers. Furthermore, the effect of dislocation scattering on channel electrons is gradually weakened, resulting in an increasing mobility. In general, The dislocation scattering effect in the second channel is intenser than that in the first channel.</sec>

Oriented Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Membranes with High Ion Flux and Smart Gating Nanofluidic Transport.

Nanofluidic ion transport holds high promise in bio-sensing and energy conversion applications. However, smart nanofluidic devices with high ion flux and modulable ion transport capabilities remain to be realised. Herein, we demonstrate smart nanofluidic devices based on oriented two-dimensional covalent organic framework (2D COF) membranes with vertically aligned nanochannel arrays that achieved a 2-3 orders of magnitude higher ion flux compared with that of conventional single-channel nanofluidic devices. The surface-charge-governed ion conductance is dominant for electrolyte concentration up to 0.01 M. Moreover, owing to the customisable pH-responsivity of imine and phenol hydroxyl groups, the COF-DT membranes attained an actively modulable ion transport with a high pH-gating on/off ratio of ≈100. The customisable structure and rich chemistry of COF materials will offer a promising platform for manufacturing nanofluidic devices with modifiable ion/molecular transport features.

The relationship between snoring sounds and EEG signals on polysomnography.

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of snoring sound signals obtained by polysomnography (PSG) in the sleep laboratory with cortical EEG (6 channel) signals to find answers to two important questions that have been covered to a limited extent in the literature: (1) Would the sounds generated by a snoring individual have an effect on the cerebral electrical waves occurring during sleep (specifically deep restorative sleep)? (2) Would the snoring sounds of an individual being examined by PSG have more of an effect on any one of the EEG electrodes? PSG recordings were obtained from volunteers with primary snoring and those withobstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) on six different EEG channels (F4-M1, C4-M1, and O2-M1, F3-M2, C3-M2, and O1-M2). The relationship of each of these recordings and snoring sound signals was analyzed by using a computer-based electrophysiological signal analysis method. A three-tier approach was used in this relationship: "Feature extraction, Feature selection, andClassification". Data were obtained from a total of 40 volunteers (32 men, mean age (± SD) 47.5± 3.2 years), 20 with primary snoring and 20 with OSAS. The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) feature extraction method was the most successful method, and by utilizing this method for analyzing EEG channels, snoring sound signals were found to affect theC3-M2 channel the most (Duncan test, p < 0.05). Delta wave frequency levels during snoring were decreased compared to both before snoring (p = 0.160) and after snoring (p = 0.04) periods (paired sample test). When snoring sounds and EEG signals were analyzed for frequency, time, and wave conversion with feature extraction methods, theC3-M2 channel was to be found the most affected channel.The sleep physiologist who made the PSG analyses reported that, among the 6 EEG channels analyzed for periods where there was no apnea or hypopnea events but only snoring, C3-M2 was the channel showing changes in delta wave activity. Our study showed that the monotonous and repetitive snoring sounds of the snorer do not wake the individual, but doaffect deep restorative sleep (N3). PSG signal analysis revealed that the most significant changes were in the C3-M2 channel (N3 delta wave amplitude increase and frequency decrease during snoring). Thus, clinicians may be able to monitor the characteristic changes occuring in large cortical delta waves in snoring individuals with innovative single-channel EEG devices without microphones.

Portable pediatric sleep diagnostics: 2 measures closer to reliable home sleep apnea tests for all ages.

Citation:Start J. Portable pediatric sleep diagnostics: 2 measures closer to reliable home sleep apnea tests for all ages. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(4):617–618.

Conformal Passivation of Multi-Channel GaN Power Transistors for Reduced Current Collapse

Multi-channel power devices, in which several AlGaN/GaN layers are stacked to achieve multiple two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs), have recently led to a significant increase in the device conductivity while maintaining high breakdown voltage, resulting in excellent DC performances. However, their dynamic performance is yet to be demonstrated, especially due to the absence of an effective passivation technique for their 3D structure. Here, we present a surface passivation technology for multi-channel devices based on a conformal deposition of a thin SiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> interlayer followed by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) Si <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sub> layer around the multi-channel fins, which enables to effectively reduce the electron traps both at the AlGaN top surface and at the fin sidewalls. Such an approach led to a significant reduction of the dynamic on-resistance (RON) in multi-channel devices under large off-state voltages of 350 V and comparable dynamic performance with passivated single-channel reference devices. This work proves that, in addition to the excellent DC performance, the multi-channel technology can offer reduced current collapse, unveiling the potential of this platform for future power electronic applications.

Comparison of multichannel and single-channel wrist-based devices with polysomnography to measure sleep in children and adolescents.

To compare sleep parameters produced by the Fitbit Charge 3 (Fitbit) and Actigraph GT9X accelerometer (Actigraph) to polysomnography in children and adolescents. Participants (n = 56, ages 9.2 ± 3.3 years) wore a Fitbit and an Actigraph on their nondominant wrist concurrently with polysomnography during an overnight observation at a children's sleep laboratory. Total sleep time, sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset, sleep onset, and sleep offset were extracted from the Fitabase and Actilife software packages, respectively, with the Sadeh algorithm. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the agreement between wearable devices and polysomnography. Seventy-nine percent of participants were diagnosed with OSA. Compared with polysomnography, the Fitbit and the Actigraph underestimated total sleep time by 6.1 minutes (absolute mean bias [AMB] = 27.7 minutes) and 31.5 minutes (AMB = 38.2 minutes), respectively. The Fitbit overestimated sleep efficiency by 3.0% (AMB = 6.3%), and the Actigraph underestimated sleep efficiency by 12.9% (AMB = 13.2%). The Fitbit overestimated wake after sleep onset by 18.8 minutes (AMB = 23.9 minutes), and the Actigraph overestimated wake after sleep onset by 56.1 minutes (AMB = 54.7 minutes). In addition, the Fitbit and the Actigraph underestimated sleep onset by 1.2 minutes (AMB = 13.9 minutes) and 10.2 minutes (AMB = 18.1 minutes), respectively. Finally, the Fitbit and the Actigraph overestimated sleep offset by 6.0 minutes (AMB = 12.0 minutes) and 10.5 minutes (AMB = 12.6 minutes). Linear regression indicated significant trends, with the Fitbit underestimating wake after sleep onset and sleep efficiency at higher values. The Fitbit provided comparable and in some instances better sleep estimates with polysomnography compared to the Actigraph. Findings support the use of multichannel devices to measure sleep in children and adolescents. Additional studies are needed in healthy children over several nights and in free-living settings.

Chemically defined human vascular laminins for biologically relevant culture of hiPSC-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells

BackgroundIn recent years, differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into brain-specific microvascular endothelial cells (iBMECs) has frequently been used to model the blood–brain barrier (BBB). However, there are limitations in the use of iBMECs for in vitro studies, such as transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) instability, weak junctional expression of VE-cadherin, and lack of proper fluid shear stress response. In vivo, the basement membrane (BM) composition of the BBB evolves throughout development, and laminins become the dominant component of the mature vascular BM. However, laminin isoforms of the endothelial BM have not been used for culture of differentiated iBMECs. The main goal of this study is to investigate the effect of different laminin isoforms of the endothelial BM on iBMEC functionality and to determine whether better recapitulation of the physiological BM in vitro can address the aforementioned limitations of iBMECs.MethodsUsing a previously reported method, hiPSCs were differentiated into iBMECs. The influence of main laminins of the endothelial BM, LN 411 and LN 511, on iBMEC functionality was studied and compared to a collagen IV and fibronectin mixture (CN IV-FN). Quantitative RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, and TEER measurement were utilized to assess gene and protein expression and barrier properties of iBMECs on different extracellular matrices. Single-channel microfluidic devices were used to study the effect of shear stress on iBMECs.ResultsLN 511, but not LN 411, improved iBMEC barrier properties and resulted in more sustained TEER stability. Immunocytochemistry showed improved junctional protein expression compared to iBMECs cultured on CN IV-FN. iBMECs cultured on LN 511 showed a reduction of stress fibers, indicating resting endothelial phenotype, whereas gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of multiple genes involved in endothelial activation in iBMECs on CN IV-FN. Finally, culturing iBMECs on LN 511 enhanced physiological responses to shear stress, including morphological changes and enhanced junctional protein association.ConclusionLN 511 improves the functionality and long-term barrier stability of iBMECs. Our findings suggest that incorporation of physiologically relevant LN 511 in iBMEC culture would be beneficial for disease modeling applications and BBB-on-a-chip platforms that accommodate fluid flow.

Валідність автентифікації людини за електрокардіограмою з обмеженою кількістю каналів

The concept of mobile and home telemedicine for screening and early diagnostics of cardiovascular dis-eases is being expanded due to the emergence of mobile diagnostic devices and smartphones. In the course of such telemedicine consultations, the doctor must be sure that the digital electrocardiogram (ECG) be-longs to the patient who was registered. Both multi-channel and single-channel ECG-recording devices are available on the telemedicine consulting market now. Single-channel electrocardiographs are more eco-nomic feasible for home use. Previously, the authors have developed and experimentally tested the algo-rithms for patient authentication by his/her multi-channel ECG. These algorithms are based on the analysis of the shape of QRS complex in three-dimensional phase space of coordinates. Therefore, it is reasonable to adapt these algorithms to single-channel ECG. In case of multi-channel ECG, we can construct a three-dimensional phase space of coordinates by obtaining all the necessary data from the ECG leads. In a case of the single-channel ECG it is necessary to create two additional signals artificially and then it will be possible to form a synthetic phase space. In general, the question of the validity of biometric person au-thentication algorithms by his/her ECG with a limited number of channels is discussed in this paper. Be-sides the algorithms for solving the problem of authentication, the comparison of sensitivity and specificity indicators, calculated on the results of experiments for multi-channel and single-channel ECG, are also given in this paper. The results of experiments with multi-channel and single-channel ECG of a larger number of patients are given in comparison to the previous experiments. The results of the experiments for the case of recording ECG signals by different devices are given as well.

Experimental Evaluation of Multiple Channel SDR Signal Receivers Effectiveness

Introduction. The SDR technology makes it possible to build multichannel signal receivers for replacing single-channel devices. In this the amount of real time calculations grows considerably. For these calculations it is expedient to apply parallel computations based on the multi-core central and graphic processors. The theoretical efficiency evaluation of the such receivers ignores many factors. The purpose of the article is an experimental efficiency evaluation of the SDR multichannel signal receivers’ construction.Modeling, analysis and testing. The multichannel research firmware receiver consisted of an SDR receiver, a USB controller and a computer. On a computer in a single server shell worked functionally completed software signal processingmodules.They provided reception of IQ-samples from the SDR receiver, their transfer to zero frequency, low-frequency filtration with decimation of the received samples. The experimental dependences of the maximum number of receiving channels from the decimation coefficient are obtained. At a decimation coefficient from 20 to 100 dependencies are hyperbolic, and from 100 to 10000 dependencies are directly proportional. The obtained dependences on the direct proportional section are approximated by the method of least squares. For a selected hardware platform, the proportionality coefficient is 6,1 for filters from 61 to 1001 order and 0,8 for filters from 1001 to 3901 order.Conclusions. It’s possible to increase the number of receiving channels by: increasing the decimation coefficient. The group signal and receiving channel spectrum bandwidth are the source data. Therefore, there is no possibility to increase the number of receiving channels by the decimation coefficient; decreasing filter order. The signal filtering quality depends from the filter order. Therefore, the choice of the filter order requires a compromise. The adequacy of the selected filter order to ensure a qualitative filtration with a given decimation coefficient is experimentally evaluated by the ratio of the given filtration band to the received. The obtained dependencies confirm the theoretical data: to ensure a high-quality filter with the increase of the decimation coefficient the order of the filter should be increased. With a fixed decimation coefficient, in order to achieve qualitative filtration, the order of the filter should be increased. It’s will reduce the number of receiving channels. To increase the number of receiving channels it’s necessary to reduce the order of the filter, which will lead to deterioration of the filtration quality.

Consensus-based clinical guidelines for ambulatory electromyography and contingent electrical stimulation in sleep bruxism.

As yet, there are still no evidence‐based clinical diagnostic and management guidelines for ambulatory single‐channel EMG devices, like the BUTLER® GrindCare® (GrindCare), that are used in patients with sleep bruxism. Therefore, a consensus meeting was organised with GrindCare developers, researchers, and academic and non‐academic clinicians experienced with the use of ambulatory EMG devices. The aim of the meeting was to discuss and develop recommendations for clinical guidelines for GrindCare usage, based on the existing clinical and research experience of the consensus meeting's participants. As an important outcome of the consensus meeting, clinical guidelines were proposed in which an initial 2‐week baseline phase with the device in its inactive (non‐stimulus) mode for habituation and assessment of the number of jaw‐muscle activities is followed by a 4‐week active phase with contingent electrical stimuli suppressing the jaw‐muscle activities. As to avoid the commonly reported reduction in sensitivity to the stimuli, a 2‐week inactive phase is subsequently installed, followed by a repetition of active and inactive phases until a lasting reduction in the number of jaw‐muscle activities and/or associated complaints has been achieved. This proposal has the characteristics of a single‐patient clinical trial. From a research point of view, adoption of this approach by large numbers of GrindCare users creates a great opportunity to recruit relatively large numbers of study participants that follow the same protocol.

A Scoping Review of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Improve Gait in Cerebral Palsy: The Arc of Progress and Future Strategies.

Background: Neuromuscular deficits of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) limits mobility, due to muscle weakness, short muscle-tendon unit, spasticity, and impaired selective motor control. Surgical and pharmaceutical strategies have been partially effective but often cause further weakness. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is an evolving technology that can improve neuromuscular physiology, strength, and mobility. This review aims to identify gaps in knowledge to motivate future NMES research.Methods: Research publications from 1990- July 20th 2019 that investigated gait-specific NMES in CP were reviewed using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Results were filtered by the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke common data elements guidelines for CP. The Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine guidelines were used to determine levels of evidence for each outcome. Gait-specific NMES research protocols and trends are described, with implications for future research.Results: Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria, reporting on 212 participants, 162 of whom received NMES while walking, average age of 9.8 years, GMFCS levels I–III. Studies included 4 randomized control trials, 9 cohort studies and 5 case studies. A historical trend emerged that began with experimental multi-channel NMES device development, followed by the commercial development of single-channel devices with inertial sensor-based gait event detection to facilitate ankle dorsiflexion in swing phase. This research reported strong evidence demonstrating improved ankle dorsiflexion kinematics in swing and at initial contact. Improved walking speed, step length, and muscle volume were also reported. However, improvements in global walking scores were not consistently found, motivating a recent return to investigating multi-channel gait-specific NMES applications.Conclusions: Research on single-channel gait-specific NMES found that it improved ankle motion in swing but was insufficient to address more complex gait abnormalities common in CP, such as flexed-knee and stiff-knee gait. Early evidence indicates that multi-channel gait-specific NMES may improve gait patterns in CP, however significantly more research is needed. The conclusions of this review are highly limited by the low level of evidence of the studies available. This review provides a historical record of past work and a technical context, with implications for future research on gait-specific NMES to improve walking patterns and mobility in CP.

Leaf-Inspired Authentically Complex Microvascular Networks for Deciphering Biological Transport Process.

The vascular transport of molecules, cells, and nanoconstructs is a fundamental biophysical process impacting tissue regeneration, delivery of nutrients and therapeutic agents, and the response of the immune system to external pathogens. This process is often studied in single-channel microfluidic devices lacking the complex tridimensional organization of vascular networks. Here, soft lithography is employed to replicate the vein system of a Hedera elix leaf on a polydimethilsiloxane (PDMS) template. The replica is then sealed and connected to an external pumping system to realize an authentically complex microvascular network. This satisfies energy minimization criteria by Murray's law and comprises a network of channels ranging in size from capillaries (∼50 μm) to large arterioles and venules (∼400 μm). Micro-PIV (micro-particle image velocimetry) analysis is employed to characterize flow conditions in terms of streamlines, fluid velocity, and flow rates. To demonstrate the ability to reproduce physiologically relevant transport processes, two different applications are demonstrated: vascular deposition of tumor cells and lysis of blood clots. To this end, conditions are identified to culture cells within the microvasculature and realize a confluent endothelial monolayer. Then, the vascular deposition of circulating breast (MDA-MB 231) cancer cells is documented throughout the network under physiologically relevant flow conditions. Firm cell adhesion mostly occurs in channels with low mean blood velocity. As a second application, blood clots are formed within the chip by mixing whole blood with a thrombin solution. After demonstrating the blood clot stability, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and tPA-carrying nanoconstructs (tPA-DPNs) are employed as thrombolytics. In agreement with previous data, clot dissolution is equally induced by tPA and tPA-DPNs. The proposed leaf-inspired chip can be efficiently used to study a variety of vascular transport processes in complex microvascular networks, where geometry and flow conditions can be modulated and monitored throughout the experimental campaign.