1,069 research outputs found
Recording advances for neural prosthetics
An important challenge for neural prosthetics research is to record from populations of neurons over long periods of time, ideally for the lifetime of the patient. Two new advances toward this goal are described, the use of local field potentials (LFPs) and autonomously positioned recording electrodes. LFPs are the composite extracellular potential field from several hundreds of neurons around the electrode tip. LFP recordings can be maintained for longer periods of time than single cell recordings. We find that similar information can be decoded from LFP and spike recordings, with better performance for state decodes with LFPs and, depending on the area, equivalent or slightly less than equivalent performance for signaling the direction of planned movements. Movable electrodes in microdrives can be adjusted in the tissue to optimize recordings, but their movements must be automated to be a practical benefit to patients. We have developed automation algorithms and a meso-scale autonomous electrode testbed, and demonstrated that this system can autonomously isolate and maintain the recorded signal quality of single cells in the cortex of awake, behaving monkeys. These two advances show promise for developing very long term recording for neural prosthetic applications
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High efficiency ICF driver employing magnetically confined plasma rings
We discuss the possibility of achieving energy, power and power density necessary for ICF by magnetically accelerating plasma confined by a compact torus (CT) field configuration. The CT, which consists of a dipole (poloidal) field and imbedded toroidal field formed by force-free, plasma current, is compressed and accelerated between coaxial electrodes by B/sub THETA/ fields as in a coaxial railgun. Compression and acceleration over several meters by a 9.4 MJ capacitor bank is predicted to give a 5.7 cm radius, 0.001 gm CT 5 MJ kinetic energy (10/sup 7/ m/sec). Transport and focussing several meters by a disposable lithium pipe across the containment vessel is predicted to bring 4.8 MJ into the pellet region in 0.5 cm/sup 2/ area in 0.3 ns. The high efficiency (approx.50%) and high energy delivery of the CT accelerator could lead to low cost, few hundred MW power plants that are economically viable
Demixing, remixing and cellular networks in binary liquids containing colloidal particles
We present a confocal-microscopy study of demixing and remixing in binary
liquids containing colloidal particles. First, particle-stabilized emulsions
have been fabricated by nucleation and growth of droplets upon cooling from the
single-fluid phase. We show that their stability mainly derives from
interfacial particles; the surplus of colloids in the continuous phase possibly
provides additional stability. Upon heating these emulsions, we have observed
the formation of polyhedral cellular networks of colloids, just before the
system remixes. Given a suitable liquid-liquid composition, the initial
emulsions cross the binary-liquid symmetry line due to creaming. Therefore,
upon heating, the droplets do not shrink and they remain closely packed. The
subsequent network formation relies on a delicate balance between the Laplace
pressure and the pressure due to creaming/remixing. As high concentrations of
colloids in the cell walls inhibit film thinning and rupture, the networks can
be stabilized for more than 30 minutes. This opens up an avenue for their
application in the fabrication of advanced materials.Comment: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b918002
A titanium-nitride near-infrared kinetic inductance photon-counting detector and its anomalous electrodynamics
We demonstrate single-photon counting at 1550 nm with titanium-nitride (TiN)
microwave kinetic inductance detectors. Energy resolution of 0.4 eV and
arrival-time resolution of 1.2 microseconds are achieved. 0-, 1-, 2-photon
events are resolved and shown to follow Poisson statistics. We find that the
temperature-dependent frequency shift deviates from the Mattis-Bardeen theory,
and the dissipation response shows a shorter decay time than the frequency
response at low temperatures. We suggest that the observed anomalous
electrodynamics may be related to quasiparticle traps or subgap states in the
disordered TiN films. Finally, the electron density-of-states is derived from
the pulse response.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Drag on particles in a nematic suspension by a moving nematic-isotropic interface
We report the first clear demonstration of drag on colloidal particles by a moving nematic-isotropic
interface. The balance of forces explains our observation of periodic, strip-like structures that are produced by the movement of these particles
Simulating Particle Dispersions in Nematic Liquid-Crystal Solvents
A new method is presented for mesoscopic simulations of particle dispersions
in nematic liquid crystal solvents. It allows efficient first-principle
simulations of the dispersions involving many particles with many-body
interactions mediated by the solvents. A simple demonstration is shown for the
aggregation process of a two dimentional dispersion.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
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