Heart Rate Extraction from Novel Neck Photoplethysmography Signals.

This paper demonstrates for the first time how heart rate (HR) can be extracted from novel neck photoplethysmography (PPG). A novel algorithm is presented, which when tested in neck PPG signals recorded from 9 subjects at different respiratory rates, obtained good precision with respect to gold standard ECG signals. Mean absolute error (MAE), standard deviation error (SDAE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) resulted in 1.22, 1.54 and 1.98 beats per minute (BPM), respectively. HRneck estimation showed strong correlation (R=0.94) with reference HRECG. Good agreement between both techniques was also demonstrated by Bland-Altman analysis. The bias between mean HR paired differences was -0.16 BPM and 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were (-4.7, 4.4). Comparatively, for widely used finger PPG, errors were slightly smaller (MAE=0.38 BPM, SDAE=0.48 BPM, RMSE=0.62BPM) and the correlation with reference ECG was also very close to 1 (R=0.99). Bias of -0.04 BPM and 95% LoA (-1.5, 1.4), also showed high degree of agreement. However, these findings show the potential the neck could have as an alternative body location for wearable monitors, aiming to reduce the number of sensing sites whilst still providing access to a wide variety of physiological parameters

Layered XY-Models, Anyon Superconductors, and Spin-Liquids

The partition function of the double-layer $XY$ model in the (dual) Villain form is computed exactly in the limit of weak coupling between layers. Both layers are found to be locked together through the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition, while they become decoupled well inside the normal phase. These results are recovered in the general case of a finite number of such layers. When re-interpreted in terms of the dual problems of lattice anyon superconductivity and of spin-liquids, they also indicate that the essential nature of the transition into the normal state found in two dimensions persists in the case of a finite number of weakly coupled layers.Comment: 10 pgs, TeX, LA-UR-94-394

Separation of n-hexane - ethyl acetate mixture by azeotropic batch distillation with heterogeneous entrainers

In this article, a systematic study of the separation of the n-hexane - ethyl acetate mixture with an entrainer by heterogeneous azeotropic batch distillation is performed. Based upon the thermodynamic behaviour of the ternary mixtures, potential entrainers partially miscible with one or two original azeotropic components are chosen. In all cases, the entrainer adds a heterogeneous binary or ternary azeotrope that is the lowest boiling point in the ternary diagram. Therefore, it leaves the column by the overhead stream which is subcooled to get two liquid phases in the decanter. The phase with the highest amount of the original component is removed as distillate product whereas the entrainer – rich phase is continuously refluxed to the column. Considering methanol, acetonitrile, water and nitromethane as heterogeneous entrainers, screening was performed based on the composition of the unstable heteroazeotropic mixture, the ratio of both liquid phases in the condensed top vapour and the purity of the distillate product determined by the liquid – liquid envelope at the decanter temperature. The process feasibility analysis is validated by using rigorous simulation with the batch process simulator ProSimBatch. Simulation results are then corroborated in a bench experimental column for the selected entrainer, showing several advantages of heterogeneous batch distillation compared to homogeneous systems

Canonical circuit quantization with linear nonreciprocal devices

Nonreciprocal devices effectively mimic the breaking of time-reversal symmetry for the subspace of dynamical variables that they couple, and can be used to create chiral information processing networks. We study the systematic inclusion of ideal gyrators and circulators into Lagrangian and Hamiltonian descriptions of lumped-element electrical networks. The proposed theory is of wide applicability in general nonreciprocal networks on the quantum regime. We apply it to pedagogical and pathological examples of circuits containing Josephson junctions and ideal nonreciprocal elements described by admittance matrices, and compare it with the more involved treatment of circuits based on nonreciprocal devices characterized by impedance or scattering matrices. Finally, we discuss the dual quantization of circuits containing phase-slip junctions and nonreciprocal devices.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures; changes made to match the accepted version in PR

Human myiasis in Ecuador.

We review epidemiological and clinical data on human myiasis from Ecuador, based on data from the Ministry of Public Health (MPH) and a review of the available literature for clinical cases. The larvae of four flies, Dermatobia hominis, Cochliomyia hominivorax, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis, and Lucilia eximia, were identified as the causative agents in 39 reported clinical cases. The obligate D. hominis, causing furuncular lesions, caused 17 (43.5%) cases distributed along the tropical Pacific coast and the Amazon regions. The facultative C. hominivorax was identified in 15 (38%) clinical cases, infesting wound and cavitary lesions including orbital, nasal, aural and vaginal, and occurred in both subtropical and Andean regions. C. hominivorax was also identified in a nosocomial hospital-acquired wound. Single infestations were reported for S. haemorrhoidalis and L. eximia. Of the 39 clinical cases, 8 (21%) occurred in tourists. Ivermectin, when it became available, was used to treat furuncular, wound, and cavitary lesions successfully. MPH data for 2013–2015 registered 2,187 cases of which 54% were reported in men; 46% occurred in the tropical Pacific coast, 30% in the temperate Andes, 24% in the tropical Amazon, and 0.2% in the Galapagos Islands. The highest annual incidence was reported in the Amazon (23 cases/100,000 population), followed by Coast (5.1/100,000) and Andes (4.7/100,000). Human myiasis is a neglected and understudied ectoparasitic infestation, being endemic in both temperate and tropical regions of Ecuador. Improved education and awareness among populations living in, visitors to, and health personnel working in high-risk regions, is required for improved epidemiological surveillance, prevention, and correct diagnosis and treatment

Coulomb correlations of a few body system of spatially separated charges

A Hartree-Fock and Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov study of a few body system of spatially separated charge carriers was carried out. Using these variational states, we compute an approximation to the correlation energy of a finite system of electron-hole pairs. This energy is shown as a function of the Coulomb coupling and the interplane distance. We discuss how the correlation energy can be used to theoretically determine the formation of indirect excitons in semiconductors which is relevant for collective phenomena such as Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC).Comment: Conference EDISON16 (2009), 4 page

Nesting Induced Peierls-type Instability for Compressed Li-CI16

Alkalies are considered to be simple metals at ambient conditions. However, recently reported theoretical and experimental results have shown an unexpected and intriguing correlation between complex structures and an enhanced superconducting transition temperature in lithium under pressure. In this article we analyze the pressure induced Fermi surface deformation in bcc lithium, and its relation to the observed cI16 structure. According to our calculations, the Fermi surface becomes increasingly anisotropic with pressure and develops an extended nesting along the bcc [121] direction. This nesting induces a phonon instability of both transverse modes at N, so that a Peierls-type mechanism is proposed to explain the stability of Li-cI16.Comment: Proceedings of Fukuoka 2006 Conference on Novel Pressure-induced Phenomena in Condensed Matter Systems. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 2 pages and 3 figure

Music with concurrent saliences of musical features elicits stronger brain responses

Brain responses are often studied under strictly experimental conditions in which elec-troencephalograms (EEGs) are recorded to reflect reactions to short and repetitive stimuli. However, in real life, aural stimuli are continuously mixed and cannot be found isolated, such as when listening to music. In this audio context, the acoustic features in music related to brightness, loudness, noise, and spectral flux, among others, change continuously; thus, significant values of these features can occur nearly simultaneously. Such situations are expected to give rise to increased brain reaction with respect to a case in which they would appear in isolation. In order to assert this, EEG signals recorded while listening to a tango piece were considered. The focus was on the amplitude and time of the negative deflation (N100) and positive deflation (P200) after the stimuli, which was defined on the basis of the selected music feature saliences, in order to perform a statistical analysis intended to test the initial hypothesis. Differences in brain reactions can be identified depending on the concurrence (or not) of such significant values of different features, proving that coterminous increments in several qualities of music influence and modulate the strength of brain responses