Intravascular stent motor powered by ultrasonic irradiation

We have developed a stent motor that can move in the blood vessel by applying the technique of the ultrasonic motor. First, we have designed a horn to provide ultrasonic energy to the stent from outside of human body. Second, we have also designed a stent motor that consists of two parts; a stator and receivers. The receiver unit obtains the ultrasonic wave from outside. The stator is the coil shape and it can move smoothly in intravascular. Finally, we have made experiments by the horn and stent motor. We have succeeded in driving the stent motor back and forth in the water

Distributed NEGF Algorithms for the Simulation of Nanoelectronic Devices with Scattering

Through the Non-Equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) formalism, quantum-scale device simulation can be performed with the inclusion of electron-phonon scattering. However, the simulation of realistically sized devices under the NEGF formalism typically requires prohibitive amounts of memory and computation time. Two of the most demanding computational problems for NEGF simulation involve mathematical operations with structured matrices called semiseparable matrices. In this work, we present parallel approaches for these computational problems which allow for efficient distribution of both memory and computation based upon the underlying device structure. This is critical when simulating realistically sized devices due to the aforementioned computational burdens. First, we consider determining a distributed compact representation for the retarded Green's function matrix $G^{R}$. This compact representation is exact and allows for any entry in the matrix to be generated through the inherent semiseparable structure. The second parallel operation allows for the computation of electron density and current characteristics for the device. Specifically, matrix products between the distributed representation for the semiseparable matrix $G^{R}$ and the self-energy scattering terms in $\Sigma^{<}$ produce the less-than Green's function $G^{<}$. As an illustration of the computational efficiency of our approach, we stably generate the mobility for nanowires with cross-sectional sizes of up to 4.5nm, assuming an atomistic model with scattering

Immersive Composition for Sensory Rehabilitation: 3D Visualisation, Surround Sound, and Synthesised Music to Provoke Catharsis and Healing

There is a wide range of sensory therapies using sound, music and visual stimuli. Some focus on soothing or distracting stimuli such as natural sounds or classical music as analgesic, while other approaches emphasize the active performance of producing music as therapy. This paper proposes an immersive multi-sensory Exposure Therapy for people suffering from anxiety disorders, based on a rich, detailed surround-soundscape. This soundscape is composed to include the users’ own idiosyncratic anxiety triggers as a form of habituation, and to provoke psychological catharsis, as a non-verbal, visceral and enveloping exposure. To accurately pinpoint the most effective sounds and to optimally compose the soundscape we will monitor the participants’ physiological responses such as electroencephalography, respiration, electromyography, and heart rate during exposure. We hypothesize that such physiologically optimized sensory landscapes will aid the development of future immersive therapies for various psychological conditions, Sound is a major trigger of anxiety, and auditory hypersensitivity is an extremely problematic symptom. Exposure to stress-inducing sounds can free anxiety sufferers from entrenched avoidance behaviors, teaching physiological coping strategies and encouraging resolution of the psychological issues agitated by the sound

The roles of perineuronal nets and the perinodal extracellular matrix in neuronal function

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are extracellular matrix (ECM) chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)-containing structures that surround the soma and dendrites of various mammalian neuronal cell types. PNNs appear during development around the time that the critical periods for developmental plasticity end and are important for both their onset and closure. A similar structure - the perinodal ECM - surrounds the axonal nodes of Ranvier and appears as myelination is completed, acting as an ion-diffusion barrier that affects axonal conduction speed. Recent work has revealed the importance of PNNs in controlling plasticity in the CNS. Digestion, blocking or removal of PNNs influences functional recovery after a variety of CNS lesions. PNNs have further been shown to be involved in the regulation of memory and have been implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders