Initial-Dip Existence and Estimation in Relation to DPF and Data Drift

Early de-oxygenation (initial dip) is an indicator of the primal cortical activity source in functional neuro-imaging. In this study, initial dip's existence and its estimation in relation to the differential pathlength factor (DPF) and data drift were investigated in detail. An efficient algorithm for estimation of drift in fNIRS data is proposed. The results favor the shifting of the fNIRS signal to a transformed coordinate system to infer correct information. Additionally, in this study, the effect of the DPF on initial dip was comprehensively analyzed. Four different cases of initial dip existence were treated, and the resultant characteristics of the hemodynamic response function (HRF) for DPF variation corresponding to particular near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths were summarized. A unique neuro-activation model and its iterative optimization solution that can estimate drift in fNIRS data and determine the best possible fit of HRF with free parameters were developed and herein proposed. The results were verified on simulated data sets. The algorithm is applied to free available datasets in addition to six healthy subjects those were experimented using fNIRS and observations and analysis regarding shape of HRF were summarized as well. A comparison with standard GLM is also discussed and effects of activity strength parameters have also been analyzed

Damage Studies of Tungsten Samples Using Dense Plasma Focus Devices

Design and studies of plasma facing material for a fusion reactor is an engineering challenge. The focus of this M.Sc. thesis research project studies the interaction between the helium (He) ion beam produced in a dense plasma focus (DPF) device and the tungsten samples (poly-W and nano-W). Re-commissioning and optimization of a 1 kJ Mather-type UofS-I DPF was completed at the University of Saskatchewan. The United Nations University/ International Centre for Theoretical (UNU/ICPT) DPF device operated with helium working gas at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore was used to study damage effects of tungsten sample with pulsed plasma irradiation under a simulated damage condition similar to that in a fusion reactor. Effect of irradiation of 2.3×10^28 m^-2 s^-1 helium ion flux on the PLANSEE double forged tungsten samples of size 1×10×10 mm^3 was investigated. Poly-W samples were irradiated for 5, 10, 15 and 20 shots from a distance 7 cm from the central anode of the DPF device. Surface defects due to He exposure were studied with SEM micrograph. High heat loads resulted in blisters and micro-cracks on the sample surface. With increase in the number of shots the density of the blisters increased and the crater-like He bubbles on the W surface were observed. Re-solidification of the melted and sputtered surface have been noticed as well. Nano-structuration of W was realized with UNU/ICPT DPF in argon working gas at 50 Pa pressure. Successive plasma pulses increased size of nanoparticles and led to particle agglomeration. At 10 shots, uniformly distributed highly dense nanoparticles of the size 20-50 nm have been synthesized. Nanostructured samples were then exposed to He plasma under the same conditions used for the poly-W samples. Instead of blisters and holes, micro-cracks and nanopores have been found on the synthesized Nano-W. BSE imaging of the poly-W and nano-W gives an evidence of trapped He bubbles on the poly-W sample surface and He desorption around grain boundaries in nano-W samples. EDX spectra showed the presence of Cu impurities due to sputtering from the anode in the DPF device. The XRD analysis of the exposed sample shows peak shifting toward higher diffraction angles and peak broadening of the prominent peak in the poly-W as well as nano-W samples. The comparative studies between poly-W and nano-W samples under irradiation of He ions seem to support the previous suggestions that nano-W is more favorable to be used as an alternative for plasma facing materials

Rapid material interrogation using X rays from a dense plasma focus

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Mechanical and Nuclear EngineeringWilliam L. DunnDense Plasma Focus (DPF) devices are multi-radiation sources of X rays, neutrons (when working with deuterium), ions, and electrons in pulses typically of a few tens of nanoseconds. The Kansas State University device (KSU-DPF) was commissioned to be used as a radiation source with the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department. The device is operated by a 12.5 µF capacitor which can be charged up to 40 kV storing an energy of 10 kJ. The static inductance and resistance of the device L[subscript]0 and r[subscript]0 were measured to be 91±2 nH and 13±3 mΩ. Experiments have shown that the KSU-DPF device produces 2.45 MeV neutrons with a neutron yield of ~2 × 10^7 and 1.05 × 10^7 n/shots in both axial and radial directions. Ions up to 130 keV were measured using a Faraday Cup. The measured hard X-ray spectrum shows an X-ray emission in the range from 20 to 120 keV with a peak at 50 keV while the average effective energy was estimated, using a step filter method, to be 59±3 keV. The KSU-DPF device was used as a pulsed hard X-ray source for material interrogation studies using the signature-based radiation-scanning (SBRS) technique. The SBRS technique uses template matching to differentiate targets that contain certain types of materials, such as chemical explosives or drugs, from those that do not. Experiments were performed with different materials in cans of three sizes. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers and ammonium nitrate were used as explosive surrogates. Experiments showed 100% sensitivity for all sizes of used samples while 50% specificity for 5 and 1- gallon and 28.57% for quart samples. Simulations using MCNP-5 gave results in good agreement with the experimental results. In the simulations, a larger number of materials, including real explosives were tested. To ensure the feasibility of using the DPF devices for this purpose a second device was simulated and the results were encouraging. Experimental and simulation results indicate that use of DPF devices with simple, room-temperature detectors may provide a way to perform rapid screening for threat materials, especially for places where large number of packages need to be investigated

Structural setting of the Chanic orogen (Upper Devonian) at central-western Argentina from remote sensing and aeromagnetic data. Implications in the evolution of the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana

The basement of the Central Andes located in central-western Argentina (31º20′S - 69º22′W) is composed by the Cuyania and Chilenia terranes which were amalgamated to Gondwana in the Early-Mid Paleozoic. Between the Precordillera (Cuyania) and Frontal Cordillera (Chilenia) there are exposures of marine metasedimentary rocks associated with mafic rocks with an E-MORB chemical signature that represent the remnants of an extensional basin developed between both terranes. The stratigraphic features and the distribution of the Early-Mid Paleozoic units along the Western Precordillera were constrained by remote sensing techniques. This allowed us to identify two stages in the evolution of the sedimentary in-fill of the marine basin: an initial stage (Mid-Late Ordovician) marked by widespread extensional tectonics and a finning-upwards sequence interbedded with volcanic-plutonic mafic rocks; and a Late Ordovician?-Devonian where the sedimentation was characterized by the development of coarsening-upwards sequences with low participation of mafic rocks. Flattened parallel folds associated with pre-Andean thrusts have locally a top-to-the SW vergence. These pre-Andean (Late Devonian) structures are the relics of the Chanic orogen whose double vergence is the result of the control exerted by previous structures related to the ordovician rifting. This is constrained by the residual and regional magnetic anomalies which reflect an important correlation between deep and surface structures. We propose the inception of a subduction zone with an eastward polarity on the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana as the responsible for the compressive geotectonic framework that led to the closure of the Western Precordillera basin during the Late Devonian and the development of the Chanic thick-skinned-dominated orogen.Fil: Ariza, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Geofísico Sismológico Volponi; ArgentinaFil: Boedo, Florencia Lucila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Sanchez, Marcos Ariel. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Geofísico Sismológico Volponi; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; ArgentinaFil: Christiansen, Rodolfo Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Geofísico Sismológico Volponi; ArgentinaFil: Perez Lujan, Sofia Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Vujovich, Graciela Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Myriam Patricia. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Geofísico Sismológico Volponi; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentin

The development of a near infrared spectroscopy system and its application for non invasive monitoring of cerebral blood and tissue oxygenation in the newborn infants

This project had two main objectives. The first of these was to design and construct a spectroscopic instrument to monitor small changes in optical transmission across an infant's head at several near infrared wavelengths resulting from changes in the cerebral oxygenation status. The overall attenuation of light by brain tissue is very high and is dominated by the scattering properties of the tissue. Hence a major requirement of the instrument was the ability to measure spectral changes at very low light levels. Once the instrument was available, the second objective was to convert the measured changes in optical transmission into changes in the concentration of the naturally occurring chromophores oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin and oxidised and reduced cytochrome c oxidase. An important aspect of the work was that the chromophore concentration measurements should be quantified in non-arbitrary units. Medical Physics is, by its nature, highly interdisciplinary and this is reflected in the introductory chapter which briefly covers the clinical problems, the medical science background and the technical aspects of monitoring the cerebral oxygenation status of newborn infants. The second and third chapters examine those constituents of brain tissue which absorb and scatter light and how the complication of multiple scattering can be dealt with in performing quantitative spectroscopy. The fourth and fifth chapters describe the technical details of the instrument design and construction from the initial step of setting its design specifications to the final testing of its performance. The sixth chapter examines the absorption characteristics of the main chromophores of interest namely oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin and the cytochrome enzymes of the respiratory chain within the brain cells. A discussion on the interpretation of the redox state of the respiratory enzymes in terms of the metabolic state of the brain is also included. The final chapter describes the data analysis methods, the measurement of optical pathlengths in scattering media and introduces a non-linear modification to the Beer-Lambert law which improves the accuracy of the spectroscopic measurements in highly scattering media

Methodology of optical topography measurements for functional brain imaging and the development and implementation of functional optical signal analysis software.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (N1RS) has been used extensively in recent years as a non invasive tool for investigating cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation. The technique exploits the different optical absorption of oxy-haemoglobin and deoxy-haemoglobin in the near infrared region to measure changes in their concentrations in tissue. By making multiple NIRS measurement simultaneously, optical topography (OT) provides spatial maps of the changes in haemoglobin concentration levels from specific regions of the cerebral cortex. The thesis describes several key developments in optical topography studies of functional brain activation. These include the development of a novel data analysis software to process the experimental data and a new statistical methodology for examining the spatial and temporal variance of OT data. The experimental work involved the design of a cognitive task to measure the haemodynamic response using a 24-channeI Hitachi ETG-100 OT system. Following a series of pilot studies, a study on twins with opposite handedness was conducted to study the functional changes in the parietal region of the brain. Changes in systemic variables were also investigated. A dynamic phantom with optical properties similar to those of biological tissues was developed with the use of liquid crystals to simulate spatially varying changes in haemodynamics. A new software tool was developed to provide a flexible processing approach with real time analysis of the optical signals and advanced statistical analysis. Unlike conventional statistical measures which compare a pre-defined activation and task periods, the thesis describes the incorporation of a Statistical Parametric Mapping toolbox which enables statistical inference about the spatially-resolved topographic data to be made. The use of the general linear model computes the temporal correlations between the defined model and optical signals but also corrects for the spatial correlations between neighbouring measurement points. The issues related to collecting functional activation data using optical topography are fully discussed with a view that the work presented in this thesis will extend the applicability of this technology

The Third International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture

Tilapias, because of the low cost and relative ease of their production, are a potential food fish staple for many people ini tropical countries and a globally traded commodity. This volume of symposium proceedings shows a strong interest in production systems research and a dawning interest in socioeconomic research. Both of these fields of research are expected to receive much greater attention in the future as the economic and market importance of tilapia increases and as we seek to understand better the distribution of benefits of the different production technologies.Tilapia culture Tilapia, Oreochromis, Sarotherodon

Analysis of Human Gait Using Hybrid EEG-fNIRS-Based BCI System: A Review

Human gait is a complex activity that requires high coordination between the central nervous system, the limb, and the musculoskeletal system. More research is needed to understand the latter coordination\u27s complexity in designing better and more effective rehabilitation strategies for gait disorders. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are among the most used technologies for monitoring brain activities due to portability, non-invasiveness, and relatively low cost compared to others. Fusing EEG and fNIRS is a well-known and established methodology proven to enhance brain–computer interface (BCI) performance in terms of classification accuracy, number of control commands, and response time. Although there has been significant research exploring hybrid BCI (hBCI) involving both EEG and fNIRS for different types of tasks and human activities, human gait remains still underinvestigated. In this article, we aim to shed light on the recent development in the analysis of human gait using a hybrid EEG-fNIRS-based BCI system. The current review has followed guidelines of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-Analyses (PRISMA) during the data collection and selection phase. In this review, we put a particular focus on the commonly used signal processing and machine learning algorithms, as well as survey the potential applications of gait analysis. We distill some of the critical findings of this survey as follows. First, hardware specifications and experimental paradigms should be carefully considered because of their direct impact on the quality of gait assessment. Second, since both modalities, EEG and fNIRS, are sensitive to motion artifacts, instrumental, and physiological noises, there is a quest for more robust and sophisticated signal processing algorithms. Third, hybrid temporal and spatial features, obtained by virtue of fusing EEG and fNIRS and associated with cortical activation, can help better identify the correlation between brain activation and gait. In conclusion, hBCI (EEG + fNIRS) system is not yet much explored for the lower limb due to its complexity compared to the higher limb. Existing BCI systems for gait monitoring tend to only focus on one modality. We foresee a vast potential in adopting hBCI in gait analysis. Imminent technical breakthroughs are expected using hybrid EEG-fNIRS-based BCI for gait to control assistive devices and Monitor neuro-plasticity in neuro-rehabilitation. However, although those hybrid systems perform well in a controlled experimental environment when it comes to adopting them as a certified medical device in real-life clinical applications, there is still a long way to go

Quantum back-action evasion and filtering in optomechanical systems

The measurement precision of optomechanical sensors reached sensitivity levels such that they have to be described by quantum theory. In quantum mechanics, every measurement will introduce a back-action on the measured system itself. For optomechanical force sensors, a trade-off between back-action and measurement precision exists through the interplay of quantum shot noise and quantum radiation pressure noise. Finding the optimal power to balance these effects leads to the standard quantum limit (SQL), which bounds the sensitivity of force sensing. To overcome the SQL and reach the fundamental bound of parameter estimation, the quantum Cramér-Rao bound, techniques called quantum smoothing and quantum back-action evasion are required. The first part of this thesis explores quantum smoothing in the context of optomechanical force sensing. Quantum smoothing combines the concepts of prediction and retrodiction to estimate the parameters of a system in the past. To illustrate the intricacies of these estimations in the quantum setting, two filters, the Kalman and Wiener filters, are introduced. Their prediction and retrodiction estimates are given for a simple optomechanical setup, and resulting differences are analyzed concerning the available quantum smoothing theories in the literature. In the second part of this thesis, a back-action evasion technique called coherent quantum-noise cancellation (CQNC) is explored. In CQNC, an effective negative-mass oscillator is coupled to an optomechanical sensor to create destructive interference of quantum radiation pressure noise. An all-optical realization of such an effective negative-mass oscillator is introduced, and a comprehensive study of its performance in a cascaded CQNC scheme is given. We determine ideal CQNC conditions, analyze non-ideal noise cancellation and provide a case study. Under feasible parameters, the case study shows a possible reduction of radiation pressure noise of 20% and that the effective negative-mass oscillator as the first subsystem in the cascade is the preferable order.Die Messgenauigkeit optomechanischer Sensoren hat eine Sensitvität erreicht, sodass sie im Rahmen der Quantentheorie beschrieben werden müssen. Quantenmechanik besagt, dass jede Messung eine Rückkopplung auf das vermessene System induziert. Bei optomechanischen Kraftsensoren is ein Kompromiss zwischen Rückkopplung und Messgenauigkeit durch die Verzahnung von Schrotrauschen und Strahlungsdruckrauschen begründet. Die Verwendung der optimalen Leistung, derart dass diese beiden Prozesse in Waage liegen, führt zum Standardquantenlimit (SQL). Hierdurch wird die Messgenauigkeit begrenzt. Um das SQL zu überwinden und die fundamentale Grenze der Parameterschätzung zu erreichen, welche durch Quanten-Cramér-Rao-Ungleichung bestimmt ist, werden die Methoden der Quantenglättung und Rückkopplungsumgehung benötigt. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit wird das Gebiet der Quantenglättung im Kontext von optomechanischer Kraftmessung untersucht. Die Quantenglättung kombiniert die Methoden der Vorhersage und Retrodiktion, um Abschätzungen an die Parameter eines Quantensystems zu tätigen, welche in der Vergangenheit liegen. Um die Feinheiten dieser Abschätzungen für Quantensysteme zu demonstrieren, werden zwei Filter, der Kalman- und der Wiener-Filter eingeführt. An einem einfachen optomechanischen System, werden deren Ergebnisse für die Vorhersage und Retrodiktion berechnet. Mögliche Diskrepanzen werden im Kontext der verfügbaren Theorien der Quantenglättung beleuchtet. Im zweiten Teil dieser Dissertation wird eine Rückkopplungsumgehungsmethode, die kohärente Quantenrauschunterdrückung (coherent quantum-noise cancellation, CQNC) untersucht. Bei CQNC wird ein Oszillator mit effektiver negativer Masse an einen optomechanischen Sensor gekoppelt, um destruktiv mit dem Strahlungsdruckrauschen zu interferieren. Eine mögliche optische Realisierung eines solchen negativen Masse Oszillators wird vorgestellt und mit einem optomechanischem Kraftsensor kaskadiert. Dieser Aufbau wird hinsichtlich seiner Rauschünterdrückungfähigkeit untersucht. Diesbezüglich ermitteln wir die Bedingungen für eine vollständige Abwendung von Strahlungsdruckrauschen und analysieren den Einfluss von möglichen Abweichungen von diesen Bedingungen auf die Rauschünterdrückung. Zuletzt präsentieren wir eine Fallstudie eines möglichen experimentellen Aufbaus. Die Fallstudie zeigt eine mögliche Strahlungsdrückreduzierung von 20% und dass der Oszillator mit effektiver negativer Masse als erstes System in der Kaskade zu bervorzugen ist