基于I/O特性的听觉非线性动态适应机制与前向掩蔽效应模型

听觉前向掩蔽效应是听觉动态非线性的重要表现, 也是听觉适应机制的重要表现, 由此产生听觉前后向参考编码机制,而传统的语音信号处理机制是帧与帧独立的线性处理方式,所以不能反映实际听觉系统的动态非线性适应特性。传统的听觉模型对这种动态非线性适应机制的模拟是通过自适应调节听觉耳蜗滤波器的增益来完成的, 这不管在计算量上还是在滤波器的稳定性设计上都有其缺陷。我们根据听觉的生理学机制,建立前馈自适应模型,从输入输出特性曲线上引出静态增益曲线,再在静态增益曲线上引入动态过程,由此建立的数学模型,利用心理学试验数据得到模型参数。试验结果表明,该模型能够很好地预测前向掩蔽效应,对听觉的动态非线性适应机制是一种很好的解释。     

重聋螺旋神经元分布和非等距极阵的研究

本实验定量研究螺旋神经元耳毒性变性消失后分布的现象,供人工耳蜗极阵设计用。耳蜗光镜神经元计数结果显示：神经元存活数指向蜗顶的非线性增长,电极排列应作相应得非等矩排列。临床人工耳蜗植入验证语音辨别力提高６５％。     

运动想象脑-机接口中的ICA滤波器设计

围绕独立分量分析(independent component analysis,ICA)在运动想象脑-机接口(brain computer interface,BCI)中的应用,作者重点研究了ICA空域滤波器的设计新方法。基于在不同时间采集的两位受试者的6组运动想象EEG数据集,分析和验证了ICA在BCI系统实现中的特点和优势,并与共同空间模式(common spatial pattern:CSP)空域滤波方法进行了比较。针对运动相关独立分量(motor-related independent components,MRICs)的自动检测,提出了ICA滤波器的有效设计概念,给出了基于不同时段连续EEG样本的ICA滤波器的设计和优化新思路,并建立了相应的ICA-BCI离线测试系统。在此基础上,研究了ICA滤波器的性能与其设计样本之间的关系,比较了ICA-BCI和CSP-BCI对三类运动想象的识别和分类效果。实验结果表明,针对具有相同长度和采集质量的不同时段EEG样本,均可设计出性能基本一致的ICA滤波器。在对不同EEG数据集的组内和组间交叉测试实验中,作者建立的ICA-BCI系统表现出了比CSP-BCI系统更好的稳定性。综上,ICA在BCI系统实现中具有独特的优势和应用潜力。文中所得结论对实用ICA-BCI系统的建立具有一定的参考价值。     

基于FPGA 超声信号数字动态滤波器的实现

目的:本文研究了基于现场可编程门阵列(Field Programmable Gate Array,FPGA)超声成像系统中数字动态滤波器的实现方法和过程。方法:动态滤波器中FIR滤波器采用分布式算法(Distributed Arithmetic,DA)实现结构,并在应用中对DA算法进行了改进,包括数据并行处理结构的设计、对查找表(Look Up Table,LUT)输入字长N大小的控制和具有对称系数的FIR滤波器的采用。改进后的DA实现在FPGA资源占用和处理速度之间达到了平衡。同时,结合多级流水线结构,动态滤波器实现了数字超声信号并行处理。结果:采用常值滤波器(远场匹配参数)进行滤波后,超声回波图像远场分辨率达到了要求,但越靠近近场效果越差。相比之下,本文设计的基于FPGA超声信号动态数字滤波器达到了很好的滤波效果,使回声图像近场和远场都有最佳分辨率。结论:利用FPGA实现超声系统中动态滤波器是完全可行的,并且有助于提高系统的稳定性和可靠性,并大大减低系统成本。     

Caspase-3在老年豚鼠耳蜗螺旋神经节细胞的表达

目的检测caspase-3在老年豚鼠耳蜗的表达。方法实验分两组:实验组和对照组,实验组豚鼠年龄为33至35个月之间,对照组豚鼠年龄为2至3个月。用免疫组织化学方法检测caspase-3在两组豚鼠耳蜗的表达。结果Caspase-3在实验组耳蜗的表达呈阳性,阳性区域主要存在于耳蜗螺旋神经节细胞。在对照组耳蜗的表达呈阴性。结论Caspase-3在老年豚鼠耳蜗螺旋神经节细胞中呈阳性表达,提示caspase-3在豚鼠耳蜗老化过程中起重要作用。     

基于FPGA的彩超信号处理中的壁滤波器设计与实现

目的:探索一种投影初始化无限冲激响应(ⅡR)壁滤波器的设计以及其在现场可编辑门阵列(FPGA)平台上的实现.方法:首先,利用矩阵实验室(Matlab)矩阵运算的优势,进行算法的仿真,通过对仿真结果的分析,初步评估该算法的有效性;其次,将算法进行理论上的优化,以使其能满足在硬件上运行的可行性;最后,根据现场可编辑门阵列(FPGA)的结构特点以及该算法的运算特点,提出了一种硬件运算结构来实现该滤波器算法.结果:这种投影初始化无限冲激响应(ⅡR)壁滤波器能充分利用可编辑门阵列(FPGA)并行运算的特点提高运算效率,并能有效的抑制人体内反射回来的杂波信号,提取出了血流的多普勒频移.结论:投影初始化无限冲激响应(ⅡR)壁滤波器在现场可编辑门阵列(FPGA)里得到了实现.     

川芎嗪对顺铂诱导豚鼠耳蜗细胞凋亡的影响

目的:探讨川芎嗪对顺铂耳蜗毒性中细胞凋亡的影响及可能的作用机制。方法:将60只健康白色红目豚鼠随机分为3组:对照组、顺铂组和中药组,各组动物均于用药前及停药后测试听觉脑干诱发电位(ABR).电镜观察螺旋神经节细胞超微结构损伤情况,利用TUNEL测定各组耳蜗细胞凋亡情况。结果:对照组ABR阈值为40.94±6.75 db,顺铂组ABR阈值为76.26±4.54 db,中药组ABR阈值为58.98±5.82 db,三组比较,差异具有显著性(P<0.01);耳蜗透射电镜显示中药组较顺铂组耳蜗组织超微结构损伤明显减轻;TUNEL检测顺铂组有大量阳性细胞,与中药组比较,差异具有显著性(P<0.01)。结论:川芎嗪可以通过抑制细胞凋亡来拮抗顺铂的耳蜗毒性。     

脑细胞生长肽对GM耳毒性的预防作用

目的：观察脑细胞生长肽（cerebral cell growth peptide,CCGP)对庆大霉素（gentamicin,GM)引起的豚鼠耳中毒的预防作用）。方法：用脑干听觉诱发电位（brainstem auditory evoked potential,BAEP)和组织化学方法分别检测动物听阀的变化和耳蜗毛细胞线粒体内琥珀酸脱氢酶（succinate dehydrogenase,SDH)及溶酶体内的酸性磷酸酶（acid phosphatase,ACP)活性变化,并在三组动物进行耳蜗受损毛细胞计数。结果：CCGP能降低GM引起的BAEP反应阈的上升幅度,保护耳蜗毛细胞SDH和维持溶酶体的完整性,减轻毛细胞的损伤。结论：CCGP能降低GM的中毒性;保护耳蜗毛细胞SDH,维持毛细胞的能量代谢,减少溶酶体损伤,降低溶酶体内水解酶逸出引起的毛细胞自溶性损伤,可能是CCGP预防GM耳毒性的机制之一。     

耳蜗微音电位数学模型及其应用——一种分离听神经动作电位的新方法

本文用生物控制论方法研究声波—耳蜗微音电位系统,建立了该系统的数学模型,提出了一种以此为基础的分离听神经动作电位的新方法.在耳蜗电位中将该模型预测出的微音电位成份减掉,便得到单独的听神经动作电位.与国内外通行使用的声音交替倒相迭加法相比,本文提出的方法有不改变听神经发放时间,可用于较复杂声音引起的耳蜗电位分析等优点,对听觉生理基础研究和耳科临床实践都有实用意义,对人工耳蜗声电特性的设计也提供了依据.     

豚鼠耳蜗中ATP对一氧化氮/环磷酸鸟苷途径的激活作用

实验研究了豚鼠耳蜗中ATP和一氧化氮／环磷酸鸟苷途径(nitric oxide／cyclic guanosine monophosphate,NO／cGMP pathway)的关系。将40只耳廓反射灵敏的健康白色豚鼠随机分为5组,分别对其离体的耳蜗即刻灌流人工外淋巴基础液(artificial perilymph basic solution,APBS)以及溶于人工外淋巴基础液的ATP、一氧化氮合酶抑制剂左旋-N^G-硝基精氨酸(L-N^G-nitroarginine,L-NNA) ATP、可溶性鸟苷酸环化酶抑制剂1H-[1,2,4]草酸重氮[4,3-a]喹恶啉(1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one,ODQ) ATP和A-23187(Ca^2 载体),收集耳蜗组织标本,利用放射免疫方法测定耳蜗组织中的cGMP的平均含量,比较各组之间耳蜗组织cGMF平均含量的差异。试验结果显示,向刚离体的耳蜗中灌流ATP和A-23187可以引起耳蜗组织中的cGMP含量升高,而灌流L-NNA和ODQ则可以抑制ATP所引起的耳蜗组织中cGMP含量的升高,提示在耳蜗组织中ATP可以通过升高细胞内Ca^2 浓度的作用而激活NO／cGMF途径。从本实验结果可以提出假说：耳蜗中ATP从神经末梢释放,通过提高细胞内Ca^2 的浓度,有激活NO／cGMP途径的作用,而NO／cGMP又能对ATP进行负反馈调节,两者共同调节耳蜗的生理功能,在耳蜗中存在ATP／Ca^2 -NO／cGMP通路。     

Acoustic distortion products from the cochlea of the blind African mole rat, Cryptomys spec.

The measurement of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions is a noninvasive method that can be used for assessing the sensitivity and the frequency tuning of nonlinear cochlear mechanics. During stimulation with two pure tones f1 and f2, the acoustic 2f1-f2 distortion was recorded in the ear canal of Cryptomys spec. to study specializations in cochlear mechanics that could be associated with the presence of a frequency expanded cochlear region between 0.8–1 kHz. In addition, a distortion threshold curve was obtained which describes relative threshold of nonlinear cochlear mechanics. Sensitive distortion thresholds could be measured for stimulus frequencies between 0.4 to 18 kHz with a broad minimum between 0.75 to 2.5 kHz. The distortion threshold curve extends to higher frequencies than previous neuronal data indicated.As a measure of mechanical tuning sharpness in the cochlea, suppression tuning curves of 2f1-f2 were recorded. The tuning curves reflected the typical mammalian pattern with shallow low frequency and steep high frequency slopes. Their tuning sharpness was poor with Q10dB values between 0.3 and 1.88. In the range of the frequency expanded region, the Q10dB values were below 0.5. This finding emphasizes that the presence of frequency expansion does not necessarily lead to enhanced mechanical tuning in the cochlea and one has to consider if in certain bat species with cochlear frequency expansion and particularly sharp cochlear tuning, the two phenomena may not be interlinked.Abbreviations CF constant frequency component of echolocation call - STC suppression tuning curve     

A Microbiological Test Method to Determine the Cleanability of Filter Media in Solid‐Liquid‐Separation Applications

One of the major properties in the design and development of filter media for the food and drug industry is their cleanability. They should be designed according to hygienic criteria thereby decreasing residuals and reducing cleaning time and costs. A reproducible test method is necessary to determine or validate the degree of cleanability of filter media and to indicate areas of poor hygienic design. This work focused on the development of such a filter test and provides information about impurity, whether it occurs or not, and its local resolution. The growth of a microorganism, which is introduced as impurity, is used for the detection of residues which grow to the surface of the sample and offer a 2‐dimensional analysis. With this approach, different kinds of filter media can be compared with each other regarding their cleanability.     

A resolved two-way coupled CFD/6-DOF approach for predicting embolus transport and the embolus-trapping efficiency of IVC filters

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are medical devices designed to provide a mechanical barrier to the passage of emboli from the deep veins of the legs to the heart and lungs. Despite decades of development and clinical use, IVC filters still fail to prevent the passage of all hazardous emboli. The objective of this study is to (1) develop a resolved two-way computational model of embolus transport, (2) provide verification and validation evidence for the model, and (3) demonstrate the ability of the model to predict the embolus-trapping efficiency of an IVC filter. Our model couples computational fluid dynamics simulations of blood flow to six-degree-of-freedom simulations of embolus transport and resolves the interactions between rigid, spherical emboli and the blood flow using an immersed boundary method. Following model development and numerical verification and validation of the computational approach against benchmark data from the literature, embolus transport simulations are performed in an idealized IVC geometry. Centered and tilted filter orientations are considered using a nonlinear finite element-based virtual filter placement procedure. A total of 2048 coupled CFD/6-DOF simulations are performed to predict the embolus-trapping statistics of the filter. The simulations predict that the embolus-trapping efficiency of the IVC filter increases with increasing embolus diameter and increasing embolus-to-blood density ratio. Tilted filter placement is found to decrease the embolus-trapping efficiency compared with centered filter placement. Multiple embolus-trapping locations are predicted for the IVC filter, and the trapping locations are predicted to shift upstream and toward the vessel wall with increasing embolus diameter. Simulations of the injection of successive emboli into the IVC are also performed and reveal that the embolus-trapping efficiency decreases with increasing thrombus load in the IVC filter. In future work, the computational tool could be used to investigate IVC filter design improvements, the effect of patient anatomy on embolus transport and IVC filter embolus-trapping efficiency, and, with further development and validation, optimal filter selection and placement on a patient-specific basis.     

Design optimization of vena cava filters: an application to dual filtration devices

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a significant medical problem that results in over 300,000 fatalities per year. A common preventative treatment for PE is the insertion of a metallic filter into the inferior vena cava that traps thrombi before they reach the lungs. The goal of this work is to use methods of mathematical modeling and design optimization to determine the configuration of trapped thrombi that minimizes the hemodynamic disruption. The resulting configuration has implications for constructing an optimally designed vena cava filter. Computational fluid dynamics is coupled with a nonlinear optimization algorithm to determine the optimal configuration of a trapped model thrombus in the inferior vena cava. The location and shape of the thrombus are parametrized, and an objective function, based on wall shear stresses, determines the worthiness of a given configuration. The methods are fully automated and demonstrate the capabilities of a design optimization framework that is broadly applicable. Changes to thrombus location and shape alter the velocity contours and wall shear stress profiles significantly. For vena cava filters that trap two thrombi simultaneously, the undesirable flow dynamics past one thrombus can be mitigated by leveraging the flow past the other thrombus. Streamlining the shape of the thrombus trapped along the cava wall reduces the disruption to the flow but increases the area exposed to low wall shear stress. Computer-based design optimization is a useful tool for developing vena cava filters. Characterizing and parametrizing the design requirements and constraints is essential for constructing devices that address clinical complications. In addition, formulating a well-defined objective function that quantifies clinical risks and benefits is needed for designing devices that are clinically viable.     

A Wavelength Demultiplexing Structure Based on the Multi-Teeth-Shaped Plasmonic Waveguide Structure

In this paper, a wavelength demultiplexing structure based on multi-teeth-shaped metal-insulator-metal (MIM) plasmonic waveguide is designed and numerically studied using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Investigating the characteristics of a multi-teeth-shaped plasmonic waveguide structure reveals that with the design of the structure, it was possible to create a mode inside the bandgap of the filter. Based on the created mode inside the bandgap of the filter, the demultiplexer structure has been proposed and investigated. By changing the geometric parameters of the structure, the transmission wavelength of the demultiplexer channel can be adjusted. The proposed demultiplexer can be used in integrated optical circuits.

     

Dynamic output feedback stabilization for nonlinear systems based on standard neural network models

A neural-model-based control design for some nonlinear systems is addressed. The design approach is to approximate the nonlinear systems with neural networks of which the activation functions satisfy the sector conditions. A novel neural network model termed standard neural network model (SNNM) is advanced for describing this class of approximating neural networks. Full-order dynamic output feedback control laws are then designed for the SNNMs with inputs and outputs to stabilize the closed-loop systems. The control design equations are shown to be a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) which can be easily solved by various convex optimization algorithms to determine the control signals. It is shown that most neural-network-based nonlinear systems can be transformed into input-output SNNMs to be stabilization synthesized in a unified way. Finally, some application examples are presented to illustrate the control design procedures.     

Basilar membrane nonlinearity]

The nonlinear correction of the cochlear partitions movement equation becomes the main part in the resonant section. In the neighbourhood of this section the periodic solution, having the drawing force frequency omega, gets the region of the non-stability in the interval (see abstract), where a is the vibration amplitude and h is the basilar membrane thickness. The amplitude jump in the unstable region may be a stimulus exciting the hair cells and also the cause of cochlear eddies phenomenon.     

A Method for Analyzing Nonlinear Models When the Data are from a Split-plot or Repeated Measures Design

Statistical methods are described which can be used to compare treatments where the response model is nonlinear and the experimental design includes split-plots or repeated measures. The nonlinear analysis of covariance is described for a two-way treatment structure in a split-plot design structure, the usual split-plot experimental design. Evaluating heat tolerance in common beans as a function of temperature is used as an example to demonstrate the methodology.     

Cochlear sensitivity in the lesser spear-nosed bat, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllostomus discolor</Emphasis>

Behavioral auditory thresholds of Phyllostomus discolor are characterized by two threshold minima separated by an insensitive region at about 55 kHz (Esser and Daucher 1996). To investigate whether these characteristics are due to cochlear properties, we recorded distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and calculated relative DPOAE threshold curves, which proved to be a good measure of cochlear sensitivity. Our results indicate that in P. discolor, cochlear sensitivity, as assessed by DPOAE recordings, does not show a threshold maximum at 55 kHz. The DPOAE threshold curves display an absolute minimum at approximately 30 kHz, and from that frequency region, the threshold continuously increases without any pronounced irregularities. The frequency tuning properties of the cochlea, as assessed by DPOAE suppression tuning curves (STCs) reveal broad filter bandwidths with Q10dB values between 3.4 and 10.7. There are no frequency-specific specializations of cochlear tuning. The characteristic pattern of subsequent threshold maxima and minima at high frequencies observed in behavioral studies seems to be shaped by transfer characteristics of the outer ear and/or neuronal processing in the ascending auditory pathway rather than by cochlear mechanics.     

What is the best reference RNA? And other questions regarding the design and analysis of two-color microarray experiments

The reference design is a practical and popular choice for microarray studies using two-color platforms. In the reference design, the reference RNA uses half of all array resources, leading investigators to ask: What is the best reference RNA? We propose a novel method for evaluating reference RNAs and present the results of an experiment that was specially designed to evaluate three common choices of reference RNA. We found no compelling evidence in favor of any particular reference. In particular, a commercial reference showed no advantage in our data. Our experimental design also enabled a new way to test the effectiveness of pre-processing methods for two-color arrays. Our results favor using intensity normalization and foregoing background subtraction. Finally, we evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of data quality filters, and we propose a new filter that can be applied to any experimental design and does not rely on replicate hybridizations.