The coupling between peripheral microcirculation and slow breathing.

Vasomotion (rhythmic changes in arteriolar diameter) is believed to enhance tissue perfusion at low oxygenation levels. We hypothesized that slow breathing and vasomotion may correlate temporally ("coupling"), especially at low oxygenation levels. We paced down spontaneous breathing to about 5 or 6breaths/min in 14 healthy subjects using device-guided breathing (DGB), and continuously monitored respiration, transcutaneous oxygen pressure ("oxygenation"), and skin capillary blood flow ("microflow") using a laser Doppler flowmeter.

Peripheral microcirculatory hemodynamic changes in patients with myocardial ischemia.

Background: Patients with coronary heart disease demonstrate changes in skin microcirculation and a decrease in cutaneous blood mass.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of diagnosing myocardial ischemia based on peripheral microcirculatory variables.

Methods: The skin microcirculatory measurements were monitored using an LPT system comprising a Laser Doppler Flowmeter (LDF), a photoplethysmograph (PPG) and a transcutaneous oxygen tension device (tc-PO2).

Noninvasive monitoring of peripheral microcirculatory hemodynamics under varying degrees of hypoxia.

The effect of hypoxia on skin blood flow was examined in anesthetized rabbits during induction of various levels of hypoxia. Peripheral perfusion and oxygenation were monitoring using a combined system (LPT) composed of a laser Doppler flowmeter (LDF), a photoplatysmograph (PPG), and a transcutaneous oxygen tension monitor (tc-PO2). Central blood parameters (PaO2, HCO3(-), SaO2, pH, and lactate) were measured concomitantly throughout the experiment.

Note: High resolution ultra fast high-power pulse generator for inductive load using digital signal processor.

We present a new design of a compact, ultra fast, high resolution and high-powered, pulse generator for inductive load, using power MOSFET, dedicated gate driver and a digital signal controller. This design is an improved circuit of our old version controller. We demonstrate the performance of this pulse generator as a driver for a new generation of high-pressure supersonic pulsed valves.

Supersensitive fingerprinting of explosives by chemically modified nanosensors arrays.

The capability to detect traces of explosives sensitively, selectively and rapidly could be of great benefit for applications relating to civilian national security and military needs. Here, we show that, when chemically modified in a multiplexed mode, nanoelectrical devices arrays enable the supersensitive discriminative detection of explosive species. The fingerprinting of explosives is achieved by pattern recognizing the inherent kinetics, and thermodynamics, of interaction between the chemically modified nanosensors array and the molecular analytes under test.

Arpeggio: harmonic compression of ChIP-seq data reveals protein-chromatin interaction signatures.

Researchers generating new genome-wide data in an exploratory sequencing study can gain biological insights by comparing their data with well-annotated data sets possessing similar genomic patterns. Data compression techniques are needed for efficient comparisons of a new genomic experiment with large repositories of publicly available profiles. Furthermore, data representations that allow comparisons of genomic signals from different platforms and across species enhance our ability to leverage these large repositories.

Programmable smart electron emission controller for hot filament.

In electron ionization source, electrons are produced through thermionic emission by heating a wire filament, accelerating the electrons by high voltage, and ionizing the analyzed molecules. In such a system, one important parameter is the filament emission current that determines the ionization rate; therefore, one needs to regulate this current. On the one hand, fast responses control is needed to keep the emission current constant, but on the other hand, we need to protect the filament from damage that occurs by large filaments current transients and overheating.

Automatic bias-reduction controller for a scanning tunneling microscope.

In order to protect the sample and the tip against current transients in a scanning tunneling microscope, which in most cases damages the scanned surface and the tip, when using a bias higher than 1V, we have designed a simple and low-cost circuit that limits the tunneling current. During the evolution of the current transient, when the current exceeds a pre-determined value, a fast feedback control mechanism immediately reduces the bias and prevents the current transient from developing. In addition, we designed a fast pre-amplifier that works with this controller.

Multichannels high voltage programmable driver for piezoelectric transducer.

A complete design of a compact, high voltage, multichannel programmable waveform generator, using an 8 bit microcontroller, 12 bit digital to analog converter, and high voltage operation amplifier, is presented. The user can generate the waveform by several options: classic waveform, calculator, freehand drawing, and using excel or text file. All the waveform data are stored in a nonvolatile memory of the microcontroller.