Mapping low-Reynolds-number microcavity flows using microfluidic screening devices

Low-Reynolds-number flows in cavities, characterized by separating and recirculating flows are increasingly used in microfluidic applications such as mixing and sorting of fluids, cells, or particles. However, there is still a lack of guidelines available for selecting the appropriate or optimized microcavity configuration according to the specific task at hand. In an effort to provide accurate design guidelines, we investigate quantitatively low-Reynolds-number cavity flow phenomena using a microfluidic screening platform featuring rectangular channels lined with cylindrical cavities. Using particle image velocimetry (PIV), supported by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, we map the entire spectrum of flows that exist in microcavities over a wide range of low-Reynolds numbers (Re = 0.1, 1, and 10) and dimensionless geometric parameters. Comprehensive phase diagrams of the corresponding microcavity flow regimes are summarized, capturing the gradual transition from attached flow to a single vortex and crossing through two- and three-vortex recirculating systems featuring saddle-points. Finally, we provide design insights into maximizing the rotational frequencies of recirculating single-vortex microcavity systems. Overall, our results provide a complete and quantitative framework for selecting cavities in microfluidic-based microcentrifuges and vortex mixers.     

On the tradeoff between two types of processing gains

One of the features characterizing almost every multiple-access (MA) communication system is the processing gain. Through the use of spreading sequences, the processing gain of random code-division multiple-access (RCDMA) systems, or any other code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems, is devoted to both bandwidth expansion and orthogonalization of the signals transmitted by different users. Another type of MA system is impulse radio (IR). IR systems promise to deliver high data rates over ultra-wideband channels with low-complexity transmitters and receivers. In many aspects, IR systems are similar to time-division MA systems, and the processing gain of IR systems represents the ratio between the actual transmission time and the total time between two consecutive transmissions (on-plus-off-to-on ratio). While CDMA systems, which constantly excite the channel, rely on spreading sequences to orthogonalize the signals transmitted by different users, IR systems transmit a series of short pulses, and the orthogonalization between the signals transmitted by different users is achieved by the fact that most of the pulses do not collide with each other at the receiver. In this paper, a general class of MA communication systems that use both types of processing gain is presented, and both IR and RCDMA systems are demonstrated to be two special cases of this more general class of systems. The bit-error rate of several receivers as a function of the ratio between the two types of processing gain is analyzed and compared, under the constraint that the total processing gain of the system is large and fixed. It is demonstrated that in non-intersymbol interference (ISI) channels, there is no tradeoff between the two types of processing gain. However, in ISI channels, a tradeoff between the two types of processing gain exists. In addition, the suboptimality of RCDMA systems in frequency-selective channels is established.     

Spatiotemporal effects of syncytial heterogeneities on cardiac far-field excitations during monophasic and biphasic shocks

INTRODUCTION: It has recently been postulated that syncytial (anatomic) heterogeneities inherent within cardiac tissue might represent a significant mechanism underlying field-induced polarization of the bulk myocardium. This simulation study examines and characterizes the spatiotemporal excitatory dynamics associated with this newly hypothesized mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two-dimensional regions of syncytially heterogeneous cardiac tissue were simulated with active membrane kinetics. Heterogeneities were manifested via random spatial variations of intracellular volume fractions over multiple length scales. Excitation thresholds were determined for uniform rectangular monophasic (M) and symmetric biphasic (B) far-field stimuli, from which strength-duration and strength-interval relationships were constructed. For regions measuring 5.4 x 5.4 mm, baseline diastolic thresholds for longitudinal (L) and transverse (T) shocks of 5-msec total duration averaged (in V/cm, n = 10) M-L = 2.87+/-0.26, M-T = 6.71+/-0.83, B-L = 3.22+/-0.25, and B-T = 7.93+/-0.51. These thresholds decreased by 15% to 25% when the region sizes were increased to 10.8 x 10.8 mm. Strength-duration relationships correlated strongly with the Weiss-Lapicque hyperbolic relationship, with rheobases and chronaxies of 2.33 V/cm and 1.15 msec for M-L stimuli, and 2.28 V/cm and 2.04 msec for B-L stimuli. Strength-interval relationships for M-L and B-L stimuli decreased monotonically with increasing coupling intervals, with similar minimum coupling intervals at absolute refractoriness. However, the B-L thresholds were substantially less sensitive to changes in coupling intervals than their M-L counterparts. CONCLUSION: This study provides strong additional support for and understanding of the syncytial heterogeneity hypothesis and its manifested properties. Furthermore, these results predict that syncytial heterogeneities of even modest proportions could represent a significant mechanism contributing to the far-field excitation process.     

Modeling the interaction between propagating cardiac waves and monophasic and biphasic field stimuli: the importance of the induced spatial excitatory response

INTRODUCTION: Biphasic (BP) defibrillation waveforms have been shown to be significantly more efficacious than equivalent monophasic (MP) waveforms. However, when defibrillation fails, it tends to do so first in distal regions of the heart where induced field gradient magnitudes are lowest. We tested the hypothesis that the improved efficacy of BP waveforms results from their enhanced ability to prevent the initiation of new postshock activation fronts behind preexisting wavetails, rather than from any significantly improved ability to terminate preexisting wavefronts. METHODS AND RESULTS: An idealized computer model of a one-dimensional cardiac strand was used to investigate the spatial and temporal interactions between an underlying propagation front (or tail) and uniform MP or BP field stimuli of various intensities. Axial discontinuities from intercellular junctions induced sawtooth patterns of polarization during such field stimuli, enabling the shocks to interact directly with all cells. MP and BP diastolic thresholds were essentially equal. All suprathreshold MP and BP field stimuli successfully terminated preexisting wavefronts by directly depolarizing tissue ahead of those fronts, thus blocking their continued progression. However, the postshock response at the wavetail was significantly dependent on the shape and strength of the administered field. Low-strength MP stimuli induced an all-or-none excitation response across the wavetail, producing a sharp spatial transmembrane voltage gradient from which a new sustained anterogradely propagating wavefront was initiated. In contrast, low-strength BP field stimuli induced a spatially graded excitatory response whose voltage gradient was insufficient to initiate such a wavefront. Higher-strength MP and BP stimuli both produced graded excitatory responses with no subsequent propagation. CONCLUSIONS: Shock-induced spatial "all-or-none" excitatory responses facilitate, and graded excitatory responses prevent, the postshock initiation of new propagating wavefronts. Moreover, BP field stimuli can induce such graded excitatory responses at significantly lower stimulus strengths than otherwise equivalent MP stimuli. Therefore, these results support an alternative "graded excitatory response" mechanism for the improved efficacy of BP over MP field stimuli in low gradient regions.     

Syncytial heterogeneity as a mechanism underlying cardiac far-field stimulation during defibrillation-level shocks

INTRODUCTION: The mechanisms by which a defibrillation shock directly stimulates regions of cardiac tissue distal to the stimulus electrodes ("far-field" stimulation) are still not well understood. Existing hypotheses have proposed that intercellular discontinuities and/or fiber curvatures induce the requisite membrane polarizations. This article hypothesizes a third potential mechanism: one based on the existence and influences of syncytial (anatomic) heterogeneities inherent throughout the bulk myocardium itself. METHODS AND RESULTS: We simulated the effects of such heterogeneities in a model of a two-dimensional region of passive cardiac tissue subjected to uniform 1 V/cm longitudinal or transverse field stimuli. Heterogeneities were manifested via random spatial variations of intracellular volume fractions (fi) over multiple length scales, with mean fi of 80% and standard deviation of fi (sigma[fi]) ranging from 0% to 10%. During field stimulation, many interspersed and variously shaped and sized islands of hyperpolarization and depolarization developed across the tissue, with their locations and extents correlated to the spatial gradients of the underlying heterogeneities. Increases in sigma(fi) correspondingly increased the shock-induced magnitudes of resulting membrane polarizations. The ratio of maximal polarizations for equivalent longitudinal and transverse shocks approximated 2:1 across all sigma(fi) tested. At sigma(fi) = 5%, these maximal induced polarizations were 17.4 +/- 2.4 mV and 8.18 +/- 1.5 mV, respectively. Assuming an excitation threshold of 25 mV, these data suggest corresponding diastolic thresholds of 1.47 +/- 0.20 V/cm and 3.14 +/- 0.50 V/cm, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study predicts that syncytial heterogeneities inherent within cardiac tissue could represent a significant-and heretofore unappreciated-mechanism underlying field-induced polarizations throughout the bulk myocardium.     

Detection and parameter estimation of a transient signal usingorder statistics

Detection and parameter estimation of a transient signal in noise is a problem of many applications. It is characterized by the fact that some of the measurements consist of noise only. Modern statistical signal processing techniques are applied on a discrete version of the received data and are implemented by digital signal processing (DSP). In this correspondence, we show how order statistics (OS)-based signal processing, which is of a discrete nature, can be used for simultaneous detection and estimation of parameters (such as time of arrival and signal duration) of a sampled transient signal in white noise. We show that the resulting processors are more robust than the conventional processors, whereas their performance is about the same, at the cost of increased computational complexity     

Selection of the most cost effective dragline system

ABSTRACT

Mining industry trends historically have been toward larger equipment. While many types of equipment benefit from the economy of scale that, larger designs offer, this may not always be the case for draglines, It may pay to operate with two smaller machines in tandem rather than one large machine.     

General asymptotic analysis of the generalized likelihood ratio test for a Gaussian point source under statistical or spatial mismodeling

This paper investigates the robustness of the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) for a far-field Gaussian point source. Given measurements from an array of sensors, the performance of the GLRT under two types of common modeling errors is investigated. The first type is spatial mismodeling, which relates to errors due to multipath effects or errors in the assumed number of sources, i.e., deviation from the single point source assumption. The second type is statistical mismodeling, which relates to errors due to non-Gaussianity in either the noise or the signal, i.e., deviation from the Gaussian assumption. It is shown that for some types of modeling errors, the detector's performance improves, and general conditions for such an improvement are found. Moreover, for both types of errors, the change in performance is analyzed and quantified. This analysis shows that for a distributed source with small spatial spreading, the degradation in performance is significant, whereas for a constant modulus point source, the performance improves. Simulations of various cases are shown to verify the analytical results.