Evaluation of diagnostic technique for degradation of low-voltage electric cables with silicone rubber insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikami, Masao

2005-01-01

As a part of countermeasures against ageing problems of nuclear power plants, it is requested to establish non-destructive diagnostic technique for their degradation of low voltage electric cables and assessment standard of their life. Having aimed at investigating the degradation of low-voltage electric cable with silicone rubber insulator, change of its surface hardness at elevated temperature were measured by indenter modules. Moreover, we also measured the elongation at break, which is regarded as general degradation index of electric cables, and the surface hardness with a micro hardness meter. Consequently, it is seen that the indenter modulus measurement is (1) capable to obtain general feature of the thermal degradation of silicone rubber insulator, (2) applicable to diagnose the degree of degradation of the electric cable by converting the result to elongation at break, (3) well correlated with the hardness measurement of the electric cable with the micro hardness meter. (author)

The Spatial Extent of Epiretinal Electrical Stimulation in the Healthy Mouse Retina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zohreh Hosseinazdeh

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Retinal prostheses use electrical stimulation to restore functional vision to patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa. A key detail is the spatial pattern of ganglion cells activated by stimulation. Therefore, we characterized the spatial extent of network-mediated electrical activation of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs in the epiretinal monopolar electrode configuration. Methods: Healthy mouse RGC activities were recorded with a micro-electrode array (MEA. The stimuli consisted of monophasic rectangular cathodic voltage pulses and cycling full-field light flashes. Results: Voltage tuning curves exhibited significant hysteresis, reflecting adaptation to electrical stimulation on the time scale of seconds. Responses decreased from 0 to 300 µm, and were also dependent on the strength of stimulation. Applying the Rayleigh criterion to the half-width at half-maximum of the electrical point spread function suggests a visual acuity limit of no better than 20/946. Threshold voltage showed only a modest increase across these distances. Conclusion: The existence of significant hysteresis requires that future investigations of electrical retinal stimulation control for such long-memory adaptation. The spread of electrical activation beyond 200 µm suggests that neighbouring electrodes in epiretinal implants based on indirect stimulation of RGCs may be indiscriminable at interelectrode spacings as large as 400 µm.

A Programmable High-Voltage Compliance Neural Stimulator for Deep Brain Stimulation in Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cihun-Siyong Alex Gong

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Deep brain stimulation (DBS is one of the most effective therapies for movement and other disorders. The DBS neurosurgical procedure involves the implantation of a DBS device and a battery-operated neurotransmitter, which delivers electrical impulses to treatment targets through implanted electrodes. The DBS modulates the neuronal activities in the brain nucleus for improving physiological responses as long as an electric discharge above the stimulation threshold can be achieved. In an effort to improve the performance of an implanted DBS device, the device size, implementation cost, and power efficiency are among the most important DBS device design aspects. This study aims to present preliminary research results of an efficient stimulator, with emphasis on conversion efficiency. The prototype stimulator features high-voltage compliance, implemented with only a standard semiconductor process, without the use of extra masks in the foundry through our proposed circuit structure. The results of animal experiments, including evaluation of evoked responses induced by thalamic electrical stimuli with our fabricated chip, were shown to demonstrate the proof of concept of our design.

Guidelines for Distribution System Operators on Reactive Power Provision by Electric Vehicles in Low Voltage Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zecchino, Antonio; Marinelli, Mattia; Træholt, Chresten

2017-01-01

The increasing success of electric vehicles is bringing new technical challenges to power system operators. This work intends to provide guidelines for distribution system operators in terms of reactive power requirements when evaluating and authorizing electric vehicles supply equipment with fast...... the amount of reactive power that an individual electric vehicle is expected to provide when connected to a low voltage feeder, in order to benefit of the desired voltage rise effect in comparison to the case of unitary power factor....

WITHDRAWN: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadsby, J G; Flowerdew, M W

2007-07-18

In view of the claims and counter-claims of the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, it would seem appropriate to systematically review the literature. To determine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in reducing pain and improving range of movement in patients with chronic low back pain. Electronic searches of EMBASE, MEDLINE, CISCOM, AMED for all studies of TENS in the English language, identifying those treating chronic low back pain and hand searching their references. The inclusion criterion for studies included in this review, 6 of 68 identified, was comparisons of TENS/ALTENS versus placebo in patients with chronic low back pain. Outcome data on pain reduction, range of movement, functional status and work was extracted by two independent reviewers together with trial design qualities to construct a Quality Index. The ratio of odds of improvement in pain for each comparison was calculated: TENS vs. placebo at 1.62 (95% CI 0.90, 2.68); ALTENS vs. placebo at 7.22 (95% CI 2.60, 20.01) and TENS/ALTENS vs. placebo at 2.11 (95% CI 1.32, 3.38) times that of placebo. An improvement in pain reduction was seen in 45.80% (CI 37.00%, 55.00%) of TENS; 86.70% (CI 80.00%, 93.00%) of ALTENS; 54.00% (CI 46.20%, 61.80%) of TENS/ ALTENS and 36.40% (95%CI 28.40%, 44.40%) of placebo subjects. The odds of improvement in range of movement on ALTENS vs. placebo was 6.61 times (95% CI 2.36, 18.55) that of placebo. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation appears to reduce pain and improve the range of movement in chronic low back pain subjects. A definitive randomised controlled study of ALTENS, TENS, placebo/no treatment controls, of sufficient power, is needed to confirm these findings.

Degradation diagnosing method for low voltage electric wire and cable in nuclear facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamimura, Seiji; Seki, Ikuo; Yagyu, Hideki; Onishi, Takao; Kusama, Yasuo.

1991-01-01

A considerable skill is required for a visual inspection method which has been used most widely for determining the degradation of low voltage electric wires and cables used mostly in facilities such as nuclear power plants. It is extremely difficult to determine the degradation accurately and appropriately even for skilled inspectors because of individual difference. Then, a small amount of organic insulation materials is taken as a sample from insulators or sheath materials actually disposed. The pyrolytic temperature of the sample is measured by thermal gravimetric analysis to determine the extent of the degradation of the electric wire and cable based on the relationship between the degradation and the elongation. Since there is a close relationship between the temperature at which the measured weight of the sample is reduced by 5% and the degradation behavior of the mechanical property, analysis can be conducted effectively by an extremely small amount of the sample. Since the insulation degradation of relatively low voltage electric wires and cables can be determined in a non-destructive manner at high accuracy, the lifetime can be forecasted. (N.H.)

[Clinical research of post-stroke insomnia treated with low-frequency electric stimulation at acupoints in the patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Lei; You, Fei; Ma, Chao-Yang

2014-08-01

To compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on post-stroke insomnia between the low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints and the conventional western medication. One hundred and twenty patients of post-stroke insomnia were randomized into a low-frequency electric stimulation group, a medication group and a placebo group, 40 cases in each one. In the low-frequency electric stimulation group, the low-frequency electric-pulsing apparatus was used at Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenshu (BL 23), once a day; the treatment of 15 days made one session and 2 sessions were required. In the medication group, estazolam was taken orally, 1 mg each time. In the placebo group, starch capsules were taken orally, 1 capsule each time. All the drugs were taken before sleep every night, continuously for 15 days as one session, and 2 sessions were required. PSQI changes and clinical efficacy were observed before and after treatment in each group. Pitlsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score was reduced in every group after treatment (all P low-frequency electric stimulation group and medication group, the score was reduced much more significantly as compared with the placebo group (both P low-frequency electric stimulation group, medication group and placebo group separately. The efficacy in the low-frequency electric stimulation group and medication group was better apparently than that in the placebo group (both P low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints effectively and safely treats post-stroke insomnia and the efficacy of it is similar to that of estazolam.

Lightning Overvoltage on Low-Voltage Distribution System

Science.gov (United States)

Michishita, Koji

The portion of the faults of a medium-voltage line, cause by lightning, tends to increase with often reaching beyond 30%. However, due to the recent progress of the lightning protection design, the number of faults has decreased to 1/3 of that at 30 years ago. As for the low-voltage distribution line, the fault rate has been estimated primarily, although the details of the overvoltages have not been studied yet. For the further development of highly information-oriented society, improvement of reliability of electric power supply to the appliance in a low-voltage customer will be socially expected. Therefore, it is important to establish effective lightning protection design of the low-voltage distribution system, defined to be composed of lines having mutual interaction on the customers' electric circuits, such as a low-voltage distribution line, an antenna line and a telecommunication line. In this report, the author interprets the recent research on the lightning overvoltage on a low-voltage distribution system.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadsby, J G; Flowerdew, M W

2000-01-01

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), originally based on the gate-control theory of pain, is widely used for the treatment of chronic low back pain. Despite its wide use and theoretical rationale, there appears at first glance little scientific evidence to support its use. This Cochrane review examines the available evidence on TENS for the treatment of chronic back pain through an exhaustive search of the literature. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (ALTENS) for chronic low back pain management have experienced a tremendous growth over the past 25 years. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of TENS and ALTENS for reducing pain and improving function in patients with chronic back pain. We searched MEDLINE up to November 1997, EMBASE from 1985 to September 1995, Amed and Ciscom to January 1995, reference lists of the retrieved articles, proceedings of conferences and contacted investigators in the field. Randomised trials comparing TENS or ALTENS therapy to placebo in patients with chronic low back pain. Two reviewers independently assessed trial quality and extracted data on pain reduction, range of movement, functional and work status. Six trials were included. The trials included 288 participants with an average age range of 45 to 50 years and approximately equal numbers of women and men. The overall odds ratio for improvement in pain for each comparison was: TENS/ALTENS versus placebo 2.11 (95% confidence interval 1.32 to 3. 38), ALTENS versus placebo 7.22 (95% confidence interval 2.60 to 20.01) and TENS versus placebo 1.52 (95% confidence interval 0.90 to 2.58). The odds ration for improvement in range of motion on ALTENS versus placebo was 6.61 (95% confidence interval 2.36 to 18.55). There is evidence from the limited data available that TENS/ALTENS reduces pain and improves range of motion in chronic back pain patients, at least in the short

Comparing the magnetic resonant coupling radiofrequency stimulation to the traditional approaches: Ex-vivo tissue voltage measurement and electromagnetic simulation analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Sai Ho; Pradhan, Raunaq; Feng, Xiaohua; Zheng, Yuanjin

2015-09-01

Recently, the design concept of magnetic resonant coupling has been adapted to electromagnetic therapy applications such as non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) stimulation. This technique can significantly increase the electric field radiated from the magnetic coil at the stimulation target, and hence enhancing the current flowing through the nerve, thus enabling stimulation. In this paper, the developed magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) stimulation, magnetic stimulation (MS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) are compared. The differences between the MRC RF stimulation and other techniques are presented in terms of the operating mechanism, ex-vivo tissue voltage measurement and electromagnetic simulation analysis. The ev-vivo tissue voltage measurement experiment is performed on the compared devices based on measuring the voltage induced by electromagnetic induction at the tissue. The focusing effect, E field and voltage induced across the tissue, and the attenuation due to the increase of separation between the coil and the target are analyzed. The electromagnetic stimulation will also be performed to obtain the electric field and magnetic field distribution around the biological medium. The electric field intensity is proportional to the induced current and the magnetic field is corresponding to the electromagnetic induction across the biological medium. The comparison between the MRC RF stimulator and the MS and TENS devices revealed that the MRC RF stimulator has several advantages over the others for the applications of inducing current in the biological medium for stimulation purposes.

Comparing the magnetic resonant coupling radiofrequency stimulation to the traditional approaches: Ex-vivo tissue voltage measurement and electromagnetic simulation analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sai Ho Yeung

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Recently, the design concept of magnetic resonant coupling has been adapted to electromagnetic therapy applications such as non-invasive radiofrequency (RF stimulation. This technique can significantly increase the electric field radiated from the magnetic coil at the stimulation target, and hence enhancing the current flowing through the nerve, thus enabling stimulation. In this paper, the developed magnetic resonant coupling (MRC stimulation, magnetic stimulation (MS and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS are compared. The differences between the MRC RF stimulation and other techniques are presented in terms of the operating mechanism, ex-vivo tissue voltage measurement and electromagnetic simulation analysis. The ev-vivo tissue voltage measurement experiment is performed on the compared devices based on measuring the voltage induced by electromagnetic induction at the tissue. The focusing effect, E field and voltage induced across the tissue, and the attenuation due to the increase of separation between the coil and the target are analyzed. The electromagnetic stimulation will also be performed to obtain the electric field and magnetic field distribution around the biological medium. The electric field intensity is proportional to the induced current and the magnetic field is corresponding to the electromagnetic induction across the biological medium. The comparison between the MRC RF stimulator and the MS and TENS devices revealed that the MRC RF stimulator has several advantages over the others for the applications of inducing current in the biological medium for stimulation purposes.

Comparing the magnetic resonant coupling radiofrequency stimulation to the traditional approaches: Ex-vivo tissue voltage measurement and electromagnetic simulation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yeung, Sai Ho; Pradhan, Raunaq; Feng, Xiaohua; Zheng, Yuanjin [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

2015-09-15

Recently, the design concept of magnetic resonant coupling has been adapted to electromagnetic therapy applications such as non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) stimulation. This technique can significantly increase the electric field radiated from the magnetic coil at the stimulation target, and hence enhancing the current flowing through the nerve, thus enabling stimulation. In this paper, the developed magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) stimulation, magnetic stimulation (MS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) are compared. The differences between the MRC RF stimulation and other techniques are presented in terms of the operating mechanism, ex-vivo tissue voltage measurement and electromagnetic simulation analysis. The ev-vivo tissue voltage measurement experiment is performed on the compared devices based on measuring the voltage induced by electromagnetic induction at the tissue. The focusing effect, E field and voltage induced across the tissue, and the attenuation due to the increase of separation between the coil and the target are analyzed. The electromagnetic stimulation will also be performed to obtain the electric field and magnetic field distribution around the biological medium. The electric field intensity is proportional to the induced current and the magnetic field is corresponding to the electromagnetic induction across the biological medium. The comparison between the MRC RF stimulator and the MS and TENS devices revealed that the MRC RF stimulator has several advantages over the others for the applications of inducing current in the biological medium for stimulation purposes.

Low-Voltage Consumption Coordination for Loss Minimization and Voltage Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juelsgaard, Morten; Sloth, Christoffer; Wisniewski, Rafal

2014-01-01

This work presents a strategy for minimizing active power losses in low-voltage grids, by coordinating the consumption of electric vehicles and power generation from solar panels. We show that minimizing losses, also reduces voltage variations, and illustrate how this may be employed for increasing...

Low-frequency electrical stimulation induces the proliferation and differentiation of peripheral blood stem cells into Schwann cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Xudong; Fu, Jianming; Bai, Jing; Zhang, Chengwen; Wang, Jing; Pan, Wenping

2015-02-01

Functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury remains a tough problem at present. Specifically, a type of glial cell exists in peripheral nerves that promotes axonal growth and myelin formation and secretes various active substances, such as neurotrophic factors, extracellular matrix and adherence factors. These substances have important significance for the survival, growth and regeneration of nerve fibers. Numerous recent studies have shown that electrical stimulation can increase the number of myelinated nerve fibers. However, whether electrical stimulation acts on neurons or Schwann cells has not been verified in vivo. This study investigates low-frequency electrical stimulation-induced proliferation and differentiation of peripheral blood stem cells into Schwann cells and explores possible mechanisms. Peripheral blood stem cells from Sprague-Dawley rats were primarily cultured. Cells in passage 3 were divided into 4 groups: a low-frequency electrical stimulation group (20 Hz, 100 μs, 3 V), a low-frequency electrical stimulation+PD98059 (blocking the extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK] signaling pathway) group, a PD98059 group and a control group (no treatment). After induction, the cells were characterized. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide assay was employed to measure the absorbance values at 570 nm in the 4 groups. A Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) in each group. No significant difference in cell viability was detected before induction. Peripheral blood stem cells from the 4 groups differentiated into Schwann cells. Phosphorylated ERK 1/2, cyclin D1 and CDK4 protein levels were highest in the low-frequency electrical stimulation group and lowest in the ERK blockage group. Phosphorylated ERK 1/2, cyclin D1 and CDK4 protein levels in the low-frequency electrical stimulation+ERK blockage group were lower than those in the low-frequency electrical

Effects of high voltage electrical stimulation on the rate of pH decline, meat quality and color stability in chilled beef carcasses

OpenAIRE

Mombeni, Ehsan Gharib; Mombeini, Manoochehr Gharib; Figueiredo, Lucas Chaves; Siqueira, Luciano Soares Jacintho; Dias, Debora Testoni

2013-01-01

Objective: To determine the effects of high voltage electrical stimulation (HVES, 800 Voltage) on rapid decreases in pH values and improvements in meat quality. Methods: A total of 50 beef carcasses were applied, divided into two groups, one as a control and another for HVES. Meat quality was evaluated based on M. longissimus dorsi by examining pH and temperature levels at 1, 2, 5, 10 and 24 h, while color stability was examined seven days after slaughter. Results: HVES decreased the pH...

Construction and use of a zebrafish heart voltage and calcium optical mapping system, with integrated electrocardiogram and programmable electrical stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Eric; Craig, Calvin; Lamothe, Marcel; Sarunic, Marinko V.; Beg, Mirza Faisal

2015-01-01

Zebrafish are increasingly being used as a model of vertebrate cardiology due to mammalian-like cardiac properties in many respects. The size and fecundity of zebrafish make them suitable for large-scale genetic and pharmacological screening. In larger mammalian hearts, optical mapping is often used to investigate the interplay between voltage and calcium dynamics and to investigate their respective roles in arrhythmogenesis. This report outlines the construction of an optical mapping system for use with zebrafish hearts, using the voltage-sensitive dye RH 237 and the calcium indicator dye Rhod-2 using two industrial-level CCD cameras. With the use of economical cameras and a common 532-nm diode laser for excitation, the rate dependence of voltage and calcium dynamics within the atrial and ventricular compartments can be simultaneously determined. At 140 beats/min, the atrial action potential duration was 36 ms and the transient duration was 53 ms. With the use of a programmable electrical stimulator, a shallow rate dependence of 3 and 4 ms per 100 beats/min was observed, respectively. In the ventricle the action potential duration was 109 ms and the transient duration was 124 ms, with a steeper rate dependence of 12 and 16 ms per 100 beats/min. Synchronous electrocardiograms and optical mapping recordings were recorded, in which the P-wave aligns with the atrial voltage peak and R-wave aligns with the ventricular peak. A simple optical pathway and imaging chamber are detailed along with schematics for the in-house construction of the electrocardiogram amplifier and electrical stimulator. Laboratory procedures necessary for zebrafish heart isolation, cannulation, and loading are also presented. PMID:25740339

Phase-wise enhanced voltage support from electric vehicles in a Danish low-voltage distribution grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knezovic, Katarina; Marinelli, Mattia

2016-01-01

High deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) imposes great challenges for the distribution grids, especially in unbalanced systems with notable voltage variations which detrimentally affect security of supply. On the other hand, with development of Vehicle-to-Grid technology, EVs may be able...... to provide numerous services for grid support, e.g., voltage control. Implemented electronic equipment will allow them to exchange reactive power for autonomous voltage support without communicating with the distribution system operator or influencing the available active power for primary transportation...

Efficacy of Selected Electrical Therapies on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Comparative Clinical Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajfur, Joanna; Pasternok, Małgorzata; Rajfur, Katarzyna; Walewicz, Karolina; Fras, Beata; Bolach, Bartosz; Dymarek, Robert; Rosinczuk, Joanna; Halski, Tomasz; Taradaj, Jakub

2017-01-07

BACKGROUND In the currently available research publications on electrical therapy of low back pain, generally no control groups or detailed randomization were used, and such studies were often conducted with relatively small groups of patients, based solely on subjective questionnaires and pain assessment scales (lacking measurement methods to objectify the therapeutic progress). The available literature also lacks a comprehensive and large-scale clinical study. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of treating low back pain using selected electrotherapy methods. The study assesses the influence of individual electrotherapeutic treatments on reduction of pain, improvement of the range of movement in lower section of the spine, and improvement of motor functions and mobility. MATERIAL AND METHODS The 127 patients qualified for the therapy (ultimately, 123 patients completed the study) and assigned to 6 comparison groups: A - conventional TENS, B - acupuncture-like TENS, C - high-voltage electrical stimulation, D - interferential current stimulation, E - diadynamic current, and F - control group. RESULTS The research showed that using electrical stimulation with interferential current penetrating deeper into the tissues results in a significant and more efficient elimination of pain, and an improvement of functional ability of patients suffering from low back pain on the basis of an analysis of both subjective and objective parameters. The TENS currents and high voltage were helpful, but not as effective. The use of diadynamic currents appears to be useless. CONCLUSIONS Selected electrical therapies (interferential current, TENS, and high voltage) appear to be effective in treating chronic low back pain.

Electric Boiler and Heat Pump Thermo-Electrical Models for Demand Side Management Analysis in Low Voltage Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diaz de Cerio Mendaza, Iker; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Chen, Zhe

2013-01-01

The last fifteen years many European countries have integrated large percentage of renewable energy on their electricity generation mix. In Denmark the 21.3% of the electricity consumed nowadays is produced by the wind, and it has planned to be the 50% by 2025. In order to front future challenges...... on the power system control and operation, created by this unstable way of generation, Demand Side Management turns to be a promising solution. The storage capacity from thermo-electric units, like electric boilers and heat pumps, allows operating them with certain freedom. Hence they can be employed under...... certain coordination, to actively respond to the power system fluctuations. The following paper presents two simple thermo-electrical models of an electrical boiler and an air-source CO2 heat pump system. The purpose is using them in low voltage grids analysis to assess their capacity and flexibility...

Observability of Low Voltage grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martin-Loeches, Ruben Sánchez; Iov, Florin; Kemal, Mohammed Seifu

2017-01-01

Low Voltage (LV) distribution power grids are experiencing a transformation from a passive to a more active role due to the increasing penetration of distributed generation, heat pumps and electrical vehicles. The first step towards a smarter operation of LV electrical systems is to provide grid ...... an updated state of the art on DSSE-AMI based, adaptive data collection techniques and database management system types. Moreover, the ongoing Danish RemoteGRID project is presented as a realistic case study.......Low Voltage (LV) distribution power grids are experiencing a transformation from a passive to a more active role due to the increasing penetration of distributed generation, heat pumps and electrical vehicles. The first step towards a smarter operation of LV electrical systems is to provide grid....... It becomes unrealistic to provide near real time full observability of the LV grid by applying Distribution System State Estimation (DSSE) utilizing the classical data collection and storage/preprocessing techniques. This paper investigates up-todate the observability problem in LV grids by providing...

Fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of chronic low back and lower extremity pain

OpenAIRE

Gozani, Shai

2016-01-01

Shai N Gozani NeuroMetrix, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (FS-TENS) is effective in treating chronic low back and lower extremity pain. Background: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is widely used for treatment of chronic pain. General-purpose transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices are designed for stimulation anywhere on the body and often cannot be ...

Improved detection of electrical activity with a voltage probe based on a voltage-sensing phosphatase.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsui, Hidekazu; Jinno, Yuka; Tomita, Akiko; Niino, Yusuke; Yamada, Yoshiyuki; Mikoshiba, Katsuhiko; Miyawaki, Atsushi; Okamura, Yasushi

2013-09-15

  One of the most awaited techniques in modern physiology is the sensitive detection of spatiotemporal electrical activity in a complex network of excitable cells. The use of genetically encoded voltage probes has been expected to enable such analysis. However, in spite of recent progress, existing probes still suffer from low signal amplitude and/or kinetics too slow to detect fast electrical activity. Here, we have developed an improved voltage probe named Mermaid2, which is based on the voltage-sensor domain of the voltage-sensing phosphatase from Ciona intestinalis and Förster energy transfer between a pair of fluorescent proteins. In mammalian cells, Mermaid2 permits ratiometric readouts of fractional changes of more than 50% over a physiologically relevant voltage range with fast kinetics, and it was used to follow a train of action potentials at frequencies of up to 150 Hz. Mermaid2 was also able to detect single action potentials and subthreshold voltage responses in hippocampal neurons in vitro, in addition to cortical electrical activity evoked by sound stimuli in single trials in living mice.

Metallic taste from electrical and chemical stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawless, Harry T; Stevens, David A; Chapman, Kathryn W; Kurtz, Anne

2005-03-01

A series of three experiments investigated the nature of metallic taste reports after stimulation with solutions of metal salts and after stimulation with metals and electric currents. To stimulate with electricity, a device was fabricated consisting of a small battery affixed to a plastic handle with the anode side exposed for placement on the tongue or oral tissues. Intensity of taste from metals and batteries was dependent upon the voltage and was more robust in areas dense in fungiform papillae. Metallic taste was reported from stimulation with ferrous sulfate solutions, from metals and from electric stimuli. However, reports of metallic taste were more frequent when the word 'metallic' was presented embedded in a list of choices, as opposed to simple free-choice labeling. Intensity decreased for ferrous sulfate when the nose was occluded, consistent with a decrease in retronasal smell, as previously reported. Intensity of taste evoked by copper metal, bimetallic stimuli (zinc/copper) or small batteries (1.5-3 V) was not affected by nasal occlusion. This difference suggests two distinct mechanisms for evocation of metallic taste reports, one dependent upon retronasal smell and a second mediated by oral chemoreceptors.

Low Voltage Ride-Through Capability of a Single-Stage Single-Phase Photovoltaic System Connected to the Low-Voltage Grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Yongheng; Blaabjerg, Frede

2013-01-01

The progressively growing of single-phase photovoltaic (PV) systems makes the Distribution System Operators (DSO) to update or revise the existing grid codes in order to guarantee the availability, quality and reliability of the electrical system. It is expected that the future PV systems connected...... to the low-voltage grid will be more active with functionalities of low voltage ride-through (LVRT) and the grid support capability, which is not the case today. In this paper, the operation principle is demonstrated for a single-phase grid-connected PV system in low voltage ride through operation in order...... to map future challenges. The system is verified by simulations and experiments. Test results show that the proposed power control method is effective and the single-phase PV inverters connected to low-voltage networks are ready to provide grid support and ride-through voltage fault capability...

Electrocutaneous stimulation system for Braille reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Echenique, Ana Maria; Graffigna, Juan Pablo; Mut, Vicente

2010-01-01

This work is an assistive technology for people with visual disabilities and aims to facilitate access to written information in order to achieve better social inclusion and integration into work and educational activities. Two methods of electrical stimulation (by current and voltage) of the mechanoreceptors was tested to obtain tactile sensations on the fingertip. Current and voltage stimulation were tested in a Braille cell and line prototype, respectively. These prototypes are evaluated in 33 blind and visually impaired subjects. The result of experimentation with both methods showed that electrical stimulation causes sensations of touch defined in the fingertip. Better results in the Braille characters reading were obtained with current stimulation (85% accuracy). However this form of stimulation causes uncomfortable sensations. The latter feeling was minimized with the method of voltage stimulation, but with low efficiency (50% accuracy) in terms of identification of the characters. We concluded that electrical stimulation is a promising method for the development of a simple and unexpensive Braille reading system for blind people. We observed that voltage stimulation is preferred by the users. However, more experimental tests must be carry out in order to find the optimum values of the stimulus parameters and increase the accuracy the Braille characters reading.

Comparison of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for long-term pain relief in patients with chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoyama, Masataka; Sun, Xiaohui; Oku, Satoru; Taga, Naoyuki; Sato, Kenji; Mizobuchi, Satoshi; Takahashi, Toru; Morita, Kiyoshi

2004-06-01

The long-term effect of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) on chronic low back pain (LBP) is unclear. We evaluated the number of sessions for which PENS should be performed to alleviate chronic LBP and how long analgesia is sustained. Patients underwent treatment on a twice-weekly schedule for 8 wk. Group A (n = 18) received PENS for 8 wk, group B (n = 17) received PENS for the first 4 wk and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for the second 4 wk, and group C (n = 18) received TENS for 8 wk. Pain level, degree of physical impairment, and the daily intake of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were assessed before the first treatment, 3 days after Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8 treatments, and at 1 and 2 mo after the sessions. During PENS therapy, the pain level decreased significantly from Week 2 in Groups A and B (P pain level decreased significantly only at Week 8 (P TENS for chronic LBP but must be continued to sustain the analgesic effect. A cumulative analgesic effect was observed in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) after repeated percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS), but this effect gradually faded after the treatment was terminated. Results indicate that although PENS is effective for chronic LBP, treatments need to be continued to sustain analgesia.

Dynamic impedance model of the skin-electrode interface for transcutaneous electrical stimulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Luis Vargas Luna

Full Text Available Transcutaneous electrical stimulation can depolarize nerve or muscle cells applying impulses through electrodes attached on the skin. For these applications, the electrode-skin impedance is an important factor which influences effectiveness. Various models describe the interface using constant or current-depending resistive-capacitive equivalent circuit. Here, we develop a dynamic impedance model valid for a wide range stimulation intensities. The model considers electroporation and charge-dependent effects to describe the impedance variation, which allows to describe high-charge pulses. The parameters were adjusted based on rectangular, biphasic stimulation pulses generated by a stimulator, providing optionally current or voltage-controlled impulses, and applied through electrodes of different sizes. Both control methods deliver a different electrical field to the tissue, which is constant throughout the impulse duration for current-controlled mode or have a very current peak for voltage-controlled. The results show a predominant dependence in the current intensity in the case of both stimulation techniques that allows to keep a simple model. A verification simulation using the proposed dynamic model shows coefficient of determination of around 0.99 in both stimulation types. The presented method for fitting electrode-skin impedance can be simple extended to other stimulation waveforms and electrode configuration. Therefore, it can be embedded in optimization algorithms for designing electrical stimulation applications even for pulses with high charges and high current spikes.

Low voltage initiation of damaging arcs between electrical contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuthrell, R.E.

1975-07-01

Metallic arcs were found to precede the firm contacting of electrical contacts which were closed without bounce. When the open-circuit voltages were below the ionization potential, the initiation of these arcs was found to depend on the presence of asperities on the surfaces and on asperity contracting, melting, and pinching off by magnetic forces. The arc is thought to be initiated inductively when the molten metallic asperity contact is pinched off, and the electrode damage is similar to that produced by the arcing of opening contacts. Arcing could not be produced for exceptionally smooth surfaces, or, for rough surfaces when the open-circuit potential was below the melting voltages of the electrode metals. In order to prevent damage to contact surfaces by melting or arcing, it is suggested that test potentials be limited to below the melting voltages, that the current be limited, the test circuits be designed to prevent inductively generated high voltage transients, and the contact surfaces be very smooth. In order to facilitate arc initiation in arc welding applications, it is suggested that the surfaces of electrodes and work pieces be roughened. (U.S.)

Effects of cervical low-frequency electrical stimulation with various waveforms and densities on body mass, liver and kidney function, and death rate in ischemic stroke rats

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yonghong Yang; Chengqi He; Lin Yang; Qiang Gao; Shasha Li; Jing He

2011-01-01

Low-frequency electrical stimulation has resulted in favorable effects in the treatment of post-stroke dysphagia. However, the safety of cervical low-frequency electrical stimulation remains unclear because of numerous nerves and blood vessels in the neck. In the present study, rats with ischemic stroke underwent low-frequency electrical stimulation, and systemic and local effects of electrical stimulation at different densities and waveforms were investigated. Electrical stimulation resulted in no significant effects on body mass, liver or kidney function, or mortality rate. In addition, no significant adverse reaction was observed, despite overly high intensity of low-frequency electrical stimulation, which induced laryngismus, results from the present study suggested that it is safe to stimulate the neck with a low-frequency electricity under certain intensities.

Cathodic voltage-controlled electrical stimulation of titanium for prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Canty, Mary; Luke-Marshall, Nicole; Campagnari, Anthony; Ehrensberger, Mark

2017-01-15

Antibiotic resistance of bacterial biofilms limits available treatment methods for implant-associated orthopaedic infections. This study evaluated the effects of applying cathodic voltage-controlled electrical stimulations (CVCES) of -1.5V and -1.8V (vs. Ag/AgCl) to coupons of commercially pure titanium (cpTi) incubated in cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) as a method of preventing bacterial attachment. Stimulations were applied for 2, 4, and 8h and coupon-associated and planktonic colony-forming units (CFU) were enumerated following stimulation. Compared to open circuit potential (OCP) controls, CVCES for 4h at -1.8V significantly reduced coupon-associated MRSA CFU by 99.9% (1.30×10 4 vs. 4.45×10 7 , p=0.047) and A. baumannii coupon-associated CFU by 99.9% (1.64×10 4 vs. 5.93×10 7 , p=0.001) and reduced planktonic CFU below detectable levels for both strains. CVCES at -1.8V for 8h also reduced coupon-associated and planktonic CFU below detectable levels for each strain. CVCES at -1.5V for 4 and 8h, and -1.8V for 2h did not result in clinically relevant reductions. For 4 and 8h stimulations, the current density was significantly higher for -1.8V than -1.5V, an effect directly related to the rate of water and oxygen reduction on the cpTi surface. This significantly increased the pH, a suspected influence in decreased CFU viability. The voltage-dependent electrochemical properties of cpTi likely contribute to the observed antimicrobial effects of CVCES. This study revealed that CVCES of titanium could prevent coupon-associated and planktonic CFU of Gram-positive MRSA and Gram-negative A. baumannii from reaching detectable levels in a magnitude-dependent and time-dependent manner. Periprosthetic joint infection is a devastating outcome of total joint arthroplasty and has led to increased patient morbidity and rising healthcare costs. Current treatments are limited by the growing prevalence of

Extension algorithm for generic low-voltage networks

Science.gov (United States)

Marwitz, S.; Olk, C.

2018-02-01

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are increasingly penetrating the energy system which is driven by climate and sustainability goals. These technologies are mostly connected to low- voltage electrical networks and change the demand and supply situation in these networks. This can cause critical network states. Network topologies vary significantly and depend on several conditions including geography, historical development, network design or number of network connections. In the past, only some of these aspects were taken into account when estimating the network investment needs for Germany on the low-voltage level. Typically, fixed network topologies are examined or a Monte Carlo approach is used to quantify the investment needs at this voltage level. Recent research has revealed that DERs differ substantially between rural, suburban and urban regions. The low-voltage network topologies have different design concepts in these regions, so that different network topologies have to be considered when assessing the need for network extensions and investments due to DERs. An extension algorithm is needed to calculate network extensions and investment needs for the different typologies of generic low-voltage networks. We therefore present a new algorithm, which is capable of calculating the extension for generic low-voltage networks of any given topology based on voltage range deviations and thermal overloads. The algorithm requires information about line and cable lengths, their topology and the network state only. We test the algorithm on a radial, a loop, and a heavily meshed network. Here we show that the algorithm functions for electrical networks with these topologies. We found that the algorithm is able to extend different networks efficiently by placing cables between network nodes. The main value of the algorithm is that it does not require any information about routes for additional cables or positions for additional substations when it comes to estimating

Low-voltage protonic/electronic hybrid indium zinc oxide synaptic transistors on paper substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Guodong; Wan, Changjin; Wan, Qing; Zhou, Jumei; Zhu, Liqiang

2014-01-01

Low-voltage (1.5 V) indium zinc oxide (IZO)-based electric-double-layer (EDL) thin-film transistors (TFTs) gated by nanogranular proton conducting SiO 2 electrolyte films are fabricated on paper substrates. Both enhancement-mode and depletion-mode operation are obtained by tuning the thickness of the IZO channel layer. Furthermore, such flexible IZO protonic/electronic hybrid EDL TFTs can be used as artificial synapses, and synaptic stimulation response and short-term synaptic plasticity function are demonstrated. The protonic/electronic hybrid EDL TFTs on paper substrates proposed here are promising for low-power flexible paper electronics, artificial synapses and bioelectronics. (paper)

Impact Assessment of Electric Boilers in Low Voltage Distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sinha, Rakesh; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2018-01-01

Flexibility from the electricity supply, with high share of intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar, has been offered by combined heat and power (CHP) generation in Denmark for decades. There could be periods where the fuel prices are higher than the electricity prices (even -ve), during...... high wind production and is idle for electric boilers (EBs) operation. In the future, using EBs, excess electricity from wind turbines can be effectively utilized for heat production, and still meet the thermal demand by decreasing CHP production. Thus, there is need for demand side flexibility...... control incorporated based on grid voltages, restricts the operation of EBs but ensures operation of the distribution system within limits still trying to keep the thermal comfort in the houses....

Simultaneous masking between electric and acoustic stimulation in cochlear implant users with residual low-frequency hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

Krüger, Benjamin; Büchner, Andreas; Nogueira, Waldo

2017-09-01

Ipsilateral electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) is becoming increasingly important in cochlear implant (CI) treatment. Improvements in electrode designs and surgical techniques have contributed to improved hearing preservation during implantation. Consequently, CI implantation criteria have been expanded toward people with significant residual low-frequency hearing, who may benefit from the combined use of both the electric and acoustic stimulation in the same ear. However, only few studies have investigated the mutual interaction between electric and acoustic stimulation modalities. This work characterizes the interaction between both stimulation modalities using psychophysical masking experiments and cone beam computer tomography (CBCT). Two psychophysical experiments for electric and acoustic masking were performed to measure the hearing threshold elevation of a probe stimulus in the presence of a masker stimulus. For electric masking, the probe stimulus was an acoustic tone while the masker stimulus was an electric pulse train. For acoustic masking, the probe stimulus was an electric pulse train and the masker stimulus was an acoustic tone. Five EAS users, implanted with a CI and ipsilateral residual low-frequency hearing, participated in the study. Masking was determined at different electrodes and different acoustic frequencies. CBCT scans were used to determine the individual place-pitch frequencies of the intracochlear electrode contacts by using the Stakhovskaya place-to-frequency transformation. This allows the characterization of masking as a function of the difference between electric and acoustic stimulation sites, which we term the electric-acoustic frequency difference (EAFD). The results demonstrate a significant elevation of detection thresholds for both experiments. In electric masking, acoustic-tone thresholds increased exponentially with decreasing EAFD. In contrast, for the acoustic masking experiment, threshold elevations were present

Charge-balanced biphasic electrical stimulation inhibits neurite extension of spiral ganglion neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Na; Liang, Qiong; Liu, Yuehong; Lai, Bin; Li, Wen; Wang, Zhengmin; Li, Shufeng

2016-06-15

Intracochlear application of exogenous or transgenic neurotrophins, such as neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), could promote the resprouting of spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) neurites in deafened animals. These resprouting neurites might reduce the gap between cochlear implant electrodes and their targeting SGNs, allowing for an improvement of spatial resolution of electrical stimulation. This study is to investigate the impact of electrical stimulation employed in CI on the extension of resprouting SGN neurites. We established an in vitro model including the devices delivering charge-balanced biphasic electrical stimulation, and spiral ganglion (SG) dissociated culture treated with BDNF and NT-3. After electrical stimulation with varying durations and intensities, we quantified neurite lengths and Schwann cell densities in SG cultures. Stimulations that were greater than 50μA or longer than 8h significantly decreased SG neurite length. Schwann cell density under 100μA electrical stimulation for 48h was significantly lower compared to that in non-stimulated group. These electrical stimulation-induced decreases of neurite extension and Schwann cell density were attenuated by various types of voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) blockers, or completely prevented by their combination, cadmium or calcium-free medium. Our study suggested that charge-balanced biphasic electrical stimulation inhibited the extension of resprouting SGN neurites and decreased Schwann cell density in vitro. Calcium influx through multiple types of VDCCs was involved in the electrical stimulation-induced inhibition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Voltage stability in low voltage microgrids in aspects of active and reactive power demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parol Mirosław

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Low voltage microgrids are autonomous subsystems, in which generation, storage and power and electrical energy consumption appear. In the paper the main attention has been paid to the voltage stability issue in low voltage microgrid for different variants of its operation. In the introduction a notion of microgrid has been presented, and also the issue of influence of active and reactive power balance on node voltage level has been described. Then description of voltage stability issue has been presented. The conditions of voltage stability and indicators used to determine voltage stability margin in the microgrid have been described. Description of the low voltage test microgrid, as well as research methodology along with definition of considered variants of its operation have been presented further. The results of exemplary calculations carried out for the daily changes in node load of the active and reactive power, i.e. the voltage and the voltage stability margin indexes in nodes have been presented. Furthermore, the changes of voltage stability margin indexes depending on the variant of the microgrid operation have been presented. Summary and formulation of conclusions related to the issue of voltage stability in microgrids have been included at the end of the paper.

Harmonic current interaction at a low voltage customer's installations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bhattacharyya, S.; Myrzik, J.M.A.; Kling, W.L.; Cobben, J.F.G.; Casteren, van J.

2009-01-01

The increased uses of power electronics and switching devices in the electricity network have changed the operational environment of the power system. These devices have nonlinear voltage-current characteristics and produce harmonic currents, and consequently distort the voltage waveform. A low

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) low cost generator design using power MOSFET and Cockcroft-Walton multiplier circuit as high voltage DC source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulaeman, M. Y.; Widita, R.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Non-ionizing radiation therapy for cancer using pulsed electric field with high intensity field has become an interesting field new research topic. A new method using nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) offers a novel means to treat cancer. Not like the conventional electroporation, nsPEFs able to create nanopores in all membranes of the cell, including membrane in cell organelles, like mitochondria and nucleus. NsPEFs will promote cell death in several cell types, including cancer cell by apoptosis mechanism. NsPEFs will use pulse with intensity of electric field higher than conventional electroporation, between 20–100 kV/cm and with shorter duration of pulse than conventional electroporation. NsPEFs requires a generator to produce high voltage pulse and to achieve high intensity electric field with proper pulse width. However, manufacturing cost for creating generator that generates a high voltage with short duration for nsPEFs purposes is highly expensive. Hence, the aim of this research is to obtain the low cost generator design that is able to produce a high voltage pulse with nanosecond width and will be used for nsPEFs purposes. Method: Cockcroft-Walton multiplier circuit will boost the input of 220 volt AC into high voltage DC around 1500 volt and it will be combined by a series of power MOSFET as a fast switch to obtain a high voltage with nanosecond pulse width. The motivation using Cockcroft-Walton multiplier is to acquire a low-cost high voltage DC generator; it will use capacitors and diodes arranged like a step. Power MOSFET connected in series is used as voltage divider to share the high voltage in order not to damage them. Results: This design is expected to acquire a low-cost generator that can achieve the high voltage pulse in amount of −1.5 kV with falltime 3 ns and risetime 15 ns into a 50Ω load that will be used for nsPEFs purposes. Further detailed on the circuit design will be explained at presentation

Low voltage stress-induced leakage current and traps in ultrathin oxide (1.2 2.5 nm) after constant voltage stresses

Science.gov (United States)

Petit, C.; Zander, D.

2007-10-01

It has been shown that the low voltage gate current in ultrathin oxide metal-oxide-semiconductor devices is very sensitive to electrical stresses. Therefore, it can be used as a reliability monitor when the oxide thickness becomes too small for traditional electrical measurements to be used. In this work, we present a study on n-MOSCAP devices at negative gate bias in the direct tunneling (DT) regime. If the low voltage stress-induced leakage current (LVSILC) depends strongly on the low sense voltages, it also depends strongly on the stress voltage magnitude. We show that two LVSILC peaks appear as a function of the sense voltage in the LVSILC region and that their magnitude, one compared to the other, depends strongly on the stress voltage magnitude. One is larger than the other at low stress voltage and smaller at high stress voltage. From our experimental results, different conduction mechanisms are analyzed. To explain LVSILC variations, we propose a model of the conduction through the ultrathin gate oxide based on two distinctly different trap-assisted tunneling mechanisms: inelastic of gate electron (INE) and trap-assisted electron (ETAT).

The effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on postural control in patients with chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojhani-Shirazi, Z; Rezaeian, T

2015-01-01

Objective: The effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on postural control in patients with low back pain which is not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TENS on postural control in chronic low back pain. Methods: This study was an experimental research design. Twenty-eight patients with chronic LBP (25-45 Y/ O) participated and by using a random allocation, were divided to samples who participated in this study. The mean center of pressure (COP) velocity and displacement were measured before, immediately and 30 min after the intervention. The tests were done with eyes open and closed on a force platform. Sensory electrical stimulation was applied through the TENS device. The descriptive statistics, independent sample T-test and ANOVA with repeated measurement on time were used for data analysis. Results: The results of the present study demonstrated that the application of the sensory electrical stimulation in chronic LBP patients showed a statistically significant improvement in postural control in Medio-lateral direction with no corresponding effect on the anterior-posterior direction immediately following the TENS application and 30 minutes after it in closed eyes conditions as compared to baseline. The application of TENS decreased the displacement and velocity of COP (p≤0.05), 30 minutes after the application of sensory electrical stimulation. The results showed that the mean displacement and velocity of COP decreased in eyes open position (p≤0.05). Also, immediately and 30 minutes after the application of sensory electrical stimulation, COP displacement and velocity in ML direction with eyes closed significantly decreased in the intervention group in comparison with control group (p≤0.05). Conclusion: The application of TENS in patients with chronic low back pain could improve postural control in these patients.

Effects of Low-Level Autonomic Stimulation on Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation Induced by Acute Electrical Remodeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yubi Lin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Rapid atrial pacing (RAP can induce electrical and autonomic remodeling and facilitate atrial fibrillation (AF. Recent reports showed that low-level vagosympathetic nerve stimulation (LLVNS can suppress AF, as an antiarrhythmic effect. We hypothesized that LLVNS can reverse substrate heterogeneity induced by RAP. Methods and Results. Mongrel dogs were divided into (LLVNS+RAP and RAP groups. Electrode catheters were sutured to multiple atrial sites, and LLVNS was applied to cervical vagosympathetic trunks with voltage 50% below the threshold slowing sinus rate by ⩽30 msec. RAP induced a significant decrease in effective refractory period (ERP and increase in the window of vulnerability at all sites, characterized by descending and elevated gradient differences towards the ganglionic plexi (GP sites, respectively. The ERP dispersion was obviously enlarged by RAP and more significant when the ERP of GP-related sites was considered. Recovery time from AF was also prolonged significantly as a result of RAP. LLVNS could reverse all these changes induced by RAP and recover the heterogeneous substrate to baseline. Conclusions. LLVNS can reverse the electrical and autonomic remodeling and abolish the GP-central gradient differences induced by RAP, and thus it can recover the homogeneous substrate, which may be the underlying mechanism of its antiarrhythmic effect.

A nanoscale piezoelectric transformer for low-voltage transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Sapan; Yablonovitch, Eli

2014-11-12

A novel piezoelectric voltage transformer for low-voltage transistors is proposed. Placing a piezoelectric transformer on the gate of a field-effect transistor results in the piezoelectric transformer field-effect transistor that can switch at significantly lower voltages than a conventional transistor. The piezoelectric transformer operates by using one piezoelectric to squeeze another piezoelectric to generate a higher output voltage than the input voltage. Multiple piezoelectrics can be used to squeeze a single piezoelectric layer to generate an even higher voltage amplification. Coupled electrical and mechanical modeling in COMSOL predicts a 12.5× voltage amplification for a six-layer piezoelectric transformer. This would lead to more than a 150× reduction in the power needed for communications.

Power amplifier circuits for functional electrical stimulation systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delmar Carvalho de Souza

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Functional electrical stimulation (FES is a technique that has been successfully employed in rehabilitation treatment to mitigate problems after spinal cord injury (SCI. One of the most relevant modules in a typical FES system is the power or output amplifier stage, which is responsible for the application of voltage or current pulses of proper intensity to the biological tissue, applied noninvasively via electrodes, placed on the skin surface or inside the muscular tissue, closer to the nervous fibers. The goals of this paper are to describe and discuss about the main power output designs usually employed in transcutaneous functional electrical stimulators as well as safety precautions taken to protect patients. Methods A systematic review investigated the circuits of papers published in IEEE Xplore and ScienceDirect databases from 2000 to 2016. The query terms were “((FES or Functional electric stimulator and (circuit or design” with 274 papers retrieved from IEEE Xplore and 29 from ScienceDirect. After the application of exclusion criteria the amount of papers decreased to 9 and 2 from IEEE Xplore and ScienceDirect, respectively. One paper was inserted in the results as a technological contribution to the field. Therefore, 12 papers presented power stage circuits suitable to stimulate great muscles. Discussion The retrieved results presented relevant circuits with different electronic strategies and circuit components. Some of them considered patient safety strategies or aimed to preserve muscle homeostasis such as biphasic current application, which prevents charge accumulation in stimulated tissues as well as circuits that dealt with electrical impedance variation to keep the electrode-tissue interface within an electrochemical safe regime. The investigation revealed a predominance of design strategies using operational amplifiers in power circuits, current outputs, and safety methods to reduce risks of electrical

Influence of Voltage on Main Characteristics of Electric Lighting Lamps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. B. Kozlovskaya

2009-01-01

Full Text Available An analysis and systemization of data on influence of voltage value on main lighting engineering, electric and economic characteristics of incandescent lamps, gaseous-discharge lamps of low and high pressure have been made in the paper.Analytical and graphical dependences have been obtained that ensure to evaluate quantitative changes of corresponding lamp characteristics at voltage deviation from nominal value.

Urban exposure to ELF magnetic field due to high-, medium- and low-voltage electricity supply networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottura, V.; Cappio Borlino, M.; Carta, N.; Cerise, L.; Imperial, E.

2009-01-01

The regional environment protection agency (ARPA) of the Aosta Valley region in north Italy performed a survey of magnetic field triggered by the power supply network in high, medium and low voltages on the entire area of Aosta town. The electrical distribution system for houses was not however taken into account. The aim of the survey was to evaluate the global population exposure and not simply the assessment of the legal exposure limit compliance. (authors)

Dose-rate effects of low-dropout voltage regulator at various biases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yiyuan; Zheng Yuzhan; Gao Bo; Chen Rui; Fei Wuxiong; Lu Wu; Ren Diyuan

2010-01-01

A low-dropout voltage regulator, LM2941, was irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays at various dose rates and biases for investigating the total dose and dose rate effects. The radiation responses show that the key electrical parameters, including its output and dropout voltage, and the maximum output current, are sensitive to total dose and dose rates, and are significantly degraded at low dose rate and zero bias. The integrated circuits damage change with the dose rates and biases, and the dose-rate effects are relative to its electric field. (authors)

Lightning-induced overvoltages in low-voltage systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoeidalen, Hans Kristian

1997-12-31

Lightning-induced overvoltages (LIOs) are a main source of failures in low-voltage overhead line systems. This thesis deals mainly with calculations of LIOs aiming to enable the design of a proper voltage protection. Models for calculation of LIOs are adapted from the literature or developed based on measurements. The models used are believed to be fairly accurate for the first few microseconds, which is usually sufficient for predicting the maximum induced voltage in the system. The lightning channel is modelled by the Modified Transmission Line (MTL) model with the Transmission Line (TL) model as a special case. The coupling between the electrical fields from a lightning channel and an overhead line is modelled by Agrawal`s model. The attenuation of electrical fields over a lossy ground is modelled by Norton`s- or the Surface Impedance methods. The validity of all the applied models is analysed. In addition, measurements have been performed in order to develop models of distribution transformers and low-voltage power installation (LVPI) networks. Simple models of typical transformers and LVPIs are developed for calculations when specific data are unavailable. The practical range of values and its influence on the LIOs in a system is investigated. The main frequency range of interest related to LIOs is 10 kHz - 1 MHz in which all the models are accurate. The adapted or developed models are used to calculate LIOs in low-voltage systems. The influence of various key parameters in the system is investigated. Most important are the return stroke amplitude and rise time, the overhead line height and location, the termination of overhead line segments, neutral grounding, and the ground conductivity. 135 refs., 136 figs., 12 tabs.

Improvement of Local Voltage in Feeders with Photovoltaic using Electric Vehicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marra, Francesco; Yang, Guangya; Fawzy, Y. T.

2013-01-01

In low-voltage (LV) feeders with high penetration of photovoltaic (PV), a major issue to be solved is voltage rise due to the active power injection. If no measures are taken, this may lead to generation’s interruptions and to the malfunctioning of domestic appliances due to non-standard voltage...... profiles. This paper proposes a storage strategy to alleviate voltage rise in feeders with PV, using coordinated electric vehicle (EV) load as the storage solution. The voltage support strategy is easy to implement practically and it is demonstrated on a test feeder emulating a household with roof...

Technical solutions for low-voltage microgrid concept

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laaksonen, H.

2011-07-01

Future electricity distribution networks with large amount of distributed energy resources will require creation of a totally new smart grid architecture. The micro grid concept is expected to play a major role in the new smart grid architecture. A special feature of microgrids is that during disturbances in the utility grid they can continue operation automatically in the island mode so that electricity supply to microgrid customers can be continued without any interruption. Thereby, the microgrid concept allows the reliability benefit of distributed energy resources to be realized while also fulfilling the future energy efficiency requirements. In this thesis a total technical concept for low-voltage microgrid which could be integrated into the future smart grids has been developed and specified. The key technical challenges of low-voltage microgrids are the transition to island operation, the power quality management and the microgrid protection especially during island operation. Essential part of the concept development involved the development of solutions and operation principles to these key technical challenges of low-voltage microgrids so that all these solutions would be compatible with each other. The role of one central energy storage unit and the location of it are very important in the developed concept from the low-voltage microgrid management and protection point of view. The development work with the related technical challenges was carried out in this thesis with PSCAD simulation software. PSCAD enabled the examination of a simultaneous interaction of different types of distributed energy resource units and loads both in the normal utility grid connected and in the island operation mode of the microgrid. This information from simulations with multiple component configurations was essential when the technical solutions were developed and these studies could not have been undertaken to this extent in a laboratory environment without major

A Novel In Vitro System for Comparative Analyses of Bone Cells and Bacteria under Electrical Stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Josef Dauben

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Electrical stimulation is a promising approach to enhance bone regeneration while having potential to inhibit bacterial growth. To investigate effects of alternating electric field stimulation on both human osteoblasts and bacteria, a novel in vitro system was designed. Electric field distribution was simulated numerically and proved by experimental validation. Cells were stimulated on Ti6Al4V electrodes and in short distance to electrodes. Bacterial growth was enumerated in supernatant and on the electrode surface and biofilm formation was quantified. Electrical stimulation modulated gene expression of osteoblastic differentiation markers in a voltage-dependent manner, resulting in significantly enhanced osteocalcin mRNA synthesis rate on electrodes after stimulation with 1.4VRMS. While collagen type I synthesis increased when stimulated with 0.2VRMS, it decreased after stimulation with 1.4VRMS. Only slight and infrequent influence on bacterial growth was observed following stimulations with 0.2VRMS and 1.4VRMS after 48 and 72 h, respectively. In summary this novel test system is applicable for extended in vitro studies concerning definition of appropriate stimulation parameters for bone cell growth and differentiation, bacterial growth suppression, and investigation of general effects of electrical stimulation.

Study on condition monitoring techniques for low voltage electrical cables in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirao, Hideo; Sakai, Takeshi; Kajimura, Yuusaku

2017-01-01

Low voltage electrical cables installed in nuclear power plants are required to maintain its function in a design basis accident environment and they are qualified to that environment. The cables degrade also in normal operating conditions due to ageing and they must maintain integrity until the end of their qualified life. Demands for the condition monitoring technique for low voltage electrical cables have therefore been increasing as nuclear power plants operate longer. A single perfect method for this purpose is not available yet, but the possibility to use two different types of methods which can complement with each other has been examined. The combination of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Indenter Modulus (IM) method was found highly effective. FT-IR is a method that determines chemical properties (changes in molecular bindings) of cables by using infrared rays, while IM is a method that determines mechanical properties (changes in hardness) of cables by indenters. Both methods are non-destructive and can be applied in-situ to the same material. Reliability of the evaluation can be assured by applying two different types of measurement principles that complement with each other. In this study, various cable samples with different kinds of insulation material (cross-linked polyethylene, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber etc.) were aged with a special accelerated ageing technique which applies simultaneous thermal and radiation ageing to simulate ageing phenomena in a more realistic manner, and the degree of ageing was evaluated with FT-IR and IM. The evaluation result shows good correlation with ageing time and other ageing properties for most material types and the effectiveness of these methods were demonstrated. (author)

Potentially damaging failure modes of high- and medium-voltage electrical equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoy, H.C.

1984-01-01

The high- and medium-voltage electrical equipment failures of both nuclear and nonnuclear electric utilities have been reviewed for possible disruptive failure modes that would be of special concern in a nuclear power plant. The resulting emphasis was on the electrical faults of transformers, switchgear (circuit breakers), lightning (surge) arrestors, high-voltage cabling and buswork, control boards, and other electrical equipment that, through failure, can be the initiating event that may expand the original fault to nearby or associated equipment. Many failures of such equipment were found and documented, although the failure rate of electrical equipment in utilities is historically quite low. Nuclear plants record too few failures to be statistically valid, but failures that have been recorded show that good design usually restricts the failure to a single piece of equipment. Conclusions and recommendations pertaining to the design, maintenance, and operation of the affected electrical equipment are presented

High voltage diagnostics on electrical insulation of supersonducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irmisch, M.

1995-12-01

The high voltage (HV) performance of superconducting magnets of large dimensions, e.g. as needed in fusion reactors, is a challange in the field of high voltage technology, i.e. especially in the field of cryogenic high voltage components and with respect to questions of HV insulation diagnostics at low temperature. By using the development of POLO - a superconducting prototype coil of a tokamak poloidal field coil - as an example, this work deals with special problems of how to get use of conventional HV test techniques for diagnostics under special cryogenic boundary conditions. As a first approach to gain experience in the field of phase resolved partial discharge (PRPD) measurements during operation of a superconductive coil, the POLO coil was subject to several high voltage tests. Compared with DC insulation resistance measurements and capacitive impulse voltage discharges to the coil, the AC PD measurements have been the only way to observe special characteristics of the electrical insulation with respect to the cooling down of the coil from 300 K to 4.2 K. The PRPD measurement technique thereby has proofed as a suitable diagnostic tool. This work can serve as basic data to be comparable within further projects of electrical insulation diagnostics at cryogenic temperatures. (orig.)

Recycling potential for low voltage and high voltage high rupturing capacity fuse links.

Science.gov (United States)

Psomopoulos, Constantinos S; Barkas, Dimitrios A; Kaminaris, Stavros D; Ioannidis, George C; Karagiannopoulos, Panagiotis

2017-12-01

Low voltage and high voltage high-rupturing-capacity fuse links are used in LV and HV installations respectively, protecting mainly the LV and HV electricity distribution and transportation networks. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (2002/96/EC) for "Waste of electrical and electronic equipment" is the main related legislation and as it concerns electrical and electronic equipment, it includes electric fuses. Although, the fuse links consist of recyclable materials, only small scale actions have been implemented for their recycling around Europe. This work presents the possibilities for material recovery from this specialized industrial waste for which there are only limited volume data. Furthermore, in order to present the huge possibilities and environmental benefits, it presents the potential for recycling of HRC fuses used by the Public Power Corporation of Greece, which is the major consumer for the country, but one of the smallest ones in Europe and globally, emphasizing in this way in the issue. According to the obtained results, fuse recycling could contribute to the effort for minimize the impacts on the environment through materials recovery and reduction of the wastes' volume disposed of in landfills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ipsilateral masking between acoustic and electric stimulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Payton; Turner, Christopher W; Gantz, Bruce J; Djalilian, Hamid R; Zeng, Fan-Gang

2011-08-01

Residual acoustic hearing can be preserved in the same ear following cochlear implantation with minimally traumatic surgical techniques and short-electrode arrays. The combined electric-acoustic stimulation significantly improves cochlear implant performance, particularly speech recognition in noise. The present study measures simultaneous masking by electric pulses on acoustic pure tones, or vice versa, to investigate electric-acoustic interactions and their underlying psychophysical mechanisms. Six subjects, with acoustic hearing preserved at low frequencies in their implanted ear, participated in the study. One subject had a fully inserted 24 mm Nucleus Freedom array and five subjects had Iowa/Nucleus hybrid implants that were only 10 mm in length. Electric masking data of the long-electrode subject showed that stimulation from the most apical electrodes produced threshold elevations over 10 dB for 500, 625, and 750 Hz probe tones, but no elevation for 125 and 250 Hz tones. On the contrary, electric stimulation did not produce any electric masking in the short-electrode subjects. In the acoustic masking experiment, 125-750 Hz pure tones were used to acoustically mask electric stimulation. The acoustic masking results showed that, independent of pure tone frequency, both long- and short-electrode subjects showed threshold elevations at apical and basal electrodes. The present results can be interpreted in terms of underlying physiological mechanisms related to either place-dependent peripheral masking or place-independent central masking.

Overvoltage in low voltage systems due to mean voltage manoeuvres; Sobretensoes em sistemas de BT devidas a manobras na media tensao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pazos, Francisco Jose; Amantegui, Javier; Ferrandis, Francisco; Barona, Amaya [Iberdrola, Madrid (Spain)

2008-04-15

The voltage interruption due to mean voltage maneuverers normal operation produces a transient type which is converted in a overvoltage on the low voltage circuit. Nevertheless to be considered a normal phenomena those over voltages have been pointed out as cause for damage in electric home appliances. What are the reasons? Inadequate protection or lack of immunity of the equipment?.

Avoiding neuromuscular stimulation in liver irreversible electroporation using radiofrequency electric fields

Science.gov (United States)

Castellví, Quim; Mercadal, Borja; Moll, Xavier; Fondevila, Dolors; Andaluz, Anna; Ivorra, Antoni

2018-02-01

Electroporation-based treatments typically consist of the application of high-voltage dc pulses. As an undesired side effect, these dc pulses cause electrical stimulation of excitable tissues such as motor nerves. The present in vivo study explores the use of bursts of sinusoidal voltage in a frequency range from 50 kHz to 2 MHz, to induce irreversible electroporation (IRE) whilst avoiding neuromuscular stimulation. A series of 100 dc pulses or sinusoidal bursts, both with an individual duration of 100 µs, were delivered to rabbit liver through thin needles in a monopolar electrode configuration, and thoracic movements were recorded with an accelerometer. Tissue samples were harvested three hours after treatment and later post-processed to determine the dimensions of the IRE lesions. Thermal damage due to Joule heating was ruled out via computer simulations. Sinusoidal bursts with a frequency equal to or above 100 kHz did not cause thoracic movements and induced lesions equivalent to those obtained with conventional dc pulses when the applied voltage amplitude was sufficiently high. IRE efficacy dropped with increasing frequency. For 100 kHz bursts, it was estimated that the electric field threshold for IRE is about 1.4 kV cm-1 whereas that of dc pulses is about 0.5 kV cm-1.

A Human-machine-interface Integrating Low-cost Sensors with a Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation System for Post-stroke Balance Rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Deepesh; Das, Abhijit; Lahiri, Uttama; Dutta, Anirban

2016-04-12

A stroke is caused when an artery carrying blood from heart to an area in the brain bursts or a clot obstructs the blood flow to brain thereby preventing delivery of oxygen and nutrients. About half of the stroke survivors are left with some degree of disability. Innovative methodologies for restorative neurorehabilitation are urgently required to reduce long-term disability. The ability of the nervous system to reorganize its structure, function and connections as a response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli is called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is involved in post-stroke functional disturbances, but also in rehabilitation. Beneficial neuroplastic changes may be facilitated with non-invasive electrotherapy, such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and sensory electrical stimulation (SES). NMES involves coordinated electrical stimulation of motor nerves and muscles to activate them with continuous short pulses of electrical current while SES involves stimulation of sensory nerves with electrical current resulting in sensations that vary from barely perceivable to highly unpleasant. Here, active cortical participation in rehabilitation procedures may be facilitated by driving the non-invasive electrotherapy with biosignals (electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), electrooculogram (EOG)) that represent simultaneous active perception and volitional effort. To achieve this in a resource-poor setting, e.g., in low- and middle-income countries, we present a low-cost human-machine-interface (HMI) by leveraging recent advances in off-the-shelf video game sensor technology. In this paper, we discuss the open-source software interface that integrates low-cost off-the-shelf sensors for visual-auditory biofeedback with non-invasive electrotherapy to assist postural control during balance rehabilitation. We demonstrate the proof-of-concept on healthy volunteers.

Low-voltage gyrotrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glyavin, M. Yu.; Zavolskiy, N. A.; Sedov, A. S.; Nusinovich, G. S.

2013-01-01

For a long time, the gyrotrons were primarily developed for electron cyclotron heating and current drive of plasmas in controlled fusion reactors where a multi-megawatt, quasi-continuous millimeter-wave power is required. In addition to this important application, there are other applications (and their number increases with time) which do not require a very high power level, but such issues as the ability to operate at low voltages and have compact devices are very important. For example, gyrotrons are of interest for a dynamic nuclear polarization, which improves the sensitivity of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In this paper, some issues important for operation of gyrotrons driven by low-voltage electron beams are analyzed. An emphasis is made on the efficiency of low-voltage gyrotron operation at the fundamental and higher cyclotron harmonics. These efficiencies calculated with the account for ohmic losses were, first, determined in the framework of the generalized gyrotron theory based on the cold-cavity approximation. Then, more accurate, self-consistent calculations for the fundamental and second harmonic low-voltage sub-THz gyrotron designs were carried out. Results of these calculations are presented and discussed. It is shown that operation of the fundamental and second harmonic gyrotrons with noticeable efficiencies is possible even at voltages as low as 5–10 kV. Even the third harmonic gyrotrons can operate at voltages about 15 kV, albeit with rather low efficiency (1%–2% in the submillimeter wavelength region).

Simple programmable voltage reference for low frequency noise measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, V. E.; Chye, En Un

2018-05-01

The paper presents a circuit design of a low-noise voltage reference based on an electric double-layer capacitor, a microcontroller and a general purpose DAC. A large capacitance value (1F and more) makes it possible to create low-pass filter with a large time constant, effectively reducing low-frequency noise beyond its bandwidth. Choosing the optimum value of the resistor in the RC filter, one can achieve the best ratio between the transient time, the deviation of the output voltage from the set point and the minimum noise cut-off frequency. As experiments have shown, the spectral density of the voltage at a frequency of 1 kHz does not exceed 1.2 nV/√Hz the maximum deviation of the output voltage from the predetermined does not exceed 1.4 % and depends on the holding time of the previous value. Subsequently, this error is reduced to a constant value and can be compensated.

Electrical actuation of electrically conducting and insulating droplets using ac and dc voltages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumari, N; Bahadur, V; Garimella, S V

2008-01-01

Electrical actuation of liquid droplets at the microscale offers promising applications in the fields of microfluidics and lab-on-chip devices. Much prior research has targeted the electrical actuation of electrically conducting liquid droplets using dc voltages (classical electrowetting). Electrical actuation of conducting droplets using ac voltages and the actuation of insulating droplets (using dc or ac voltages) has remained relatively unexplored. This paper utilizes an energy-minimization-based analytical framework to study the electrical actuation of a liquid droplet (electrically conducting or insulating) under ac actuation. It is shown that the electromechanical regimes of classical electrowetting, electrowetting under ac actuation and insulating droplet actuation can be extracted from the generic electromechanical actuation framework, depending on the electrical properties of the droplet, the underlying dielectric layer and the frequency of the actuation voltage. This paper also presents experiments which quantify the influence of the ac frequency and the electrical properties of the droplet on its velocity under electrical actuation. The velocities of droplets moving between two parallel plates under ac actuation are experimentally measured; these velocities are then related to the actuation force on the droplet which is predicted by the electromechanical model developed in this work. It is seen that the droplet velocities are strongly dependent on the frequency of the ac actuation voltage; the cut-off ac frequency, above which the droplet fails to actuate, is experimentally determined and related to the electrical conductivity of the liquid. This paper then analyzes and directly compares the various electromechanical regimes for the actuation of droplets in microfluidic applications

[Impacts of the low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints on the content of plasma 5-HT and NE in the patients with post-stroke insomnia].

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Lei; Ma, Chaoyan; You, Fei; Ding, Lin

2015-08-01

To compare the clinical efficacy on post-stroke insomnia between the low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints and the conventional western medication in the patients so as to explore the effect mechanism. One hundred and twenty patients of post-stroke insomnia were randomized into a low-frequency electric stimulation group, a medication group and a placebo group, 40 cases in each one. In the low-frequency electric stimulation group, the low-frequency pulse electric apparatus was applied to stimulate Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenshu (BL 23), once every day. The treatment for 15 days made one session and 2 sessions were required. In the medication group, estazolam was taken orally, 1 mg each time; and in the placebo group, the starch capsules were taken, one capsule each time; in the two groups the treatment was adopted before sleep every night, continuously for 15 days as one session, and 2 sessions were required. The levels of plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) were compared before and after treatment in the patients of the three groups and: the efficacy was compared. In the placebo group, 1 case was dropped out. The total effective rate was 95. 0% (38/40), 92. 5% (37/40) and 17. 9% (7/39) in the low-frequency electric stimulation group, the medication group and the placebo group respectively. The effects in the low-frequency electric stimulation group and the medication group were better apparently than that in the placebo group (both Plow-frequency electric stimulation group and the medication group (P>0. 05). The levels of plasma 5-HT and NE were not different significantly between before and after treatment in the placebo group. The level of plasma 5-HT was increased (both Plow-frequency electric stimulation group and the medication group. But the differences were not significant between the two groups (P>0. 05). The low-frequency electric stimlaton a the acupoints is safe and effective in the treatment of post-stroke insomnia, which

Electrical Stimulation for Pressure Injuries: A Health Technology Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

reported that pressure injuries were burdensome and reduced their quality of life. Patients and caregivers also noted that electrical stimulation seemed to reduce the time it took the wounds to heal. While electrical stimulation is safe to use (GRADE quality of evidence: high) there is uncertainty about whether it improves wound healing (GRADE quality of evidence: low). In Ontario, publicly funding electrical stimulation for pressure injuries could result in extra costs of $0.77 to $3.85 million yearly for the next 5 years.

Electrical Stimulation for Pressure Injuries: A Health Technology Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Lambrinos, Anna; Falk, Lindsey; Ali, Arshia; Holubowich, Corinne; Walter, Melissa

2017-01-01

years. Patients and caregivers reported that pressure injuries were burdensome and reduced their quality of life. Patients and caregivers also noted that electrical stimulation seemed to reduce the time it took the wounds to heal. Conclusions While electrical stimulation is safe to use (GRADE quality of evidence: high) there is uncertainty about whether it improves wound healing (GRADE quality of evidence: low). In Ontario, publicly funding electrical stimulation for pressure injuries could result in extra costs of $0.77 to $3.85 million yearly for the next 5 years. PMID:29201261

Static Electricity as Part of Electromagnetic Environment on High-Voltage Electrical Substation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. I. Fursanov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Causes of occurrences electrostatic discharges (ESD on high-voltage electric substation were investigated and dependences values ESD’s on parameters interaction structures, humidity of air were found. Experimental research values ESD’s on high-voltage electric substation and in man-made conditions was fulfilled. Uncertainty measurement’s was taken into consideration by research results analyze. Matching with research of other authors was made. Danger ESD’s for electric devises was established.

Stimulating the Comfort of Textile Electrodes in Wearable Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hui; Lu, Yi; Chen, Wanzhen; Wu, Zhen; Zou, Haiqing; Krundel, Ludovic; Li, Guanglin

2015-01-01

Textile electrodes are becoming an attractive means in the facilitation of surface electrical stimulation. However, the stimulation comfort of textile electrodes and the mechanism behind stimulation discomfort is still unknown. In this study, a textile stimulation electrode was developed using conductive fabrics and then its impedance spectroscopy, stimulation thresholds, and stimulation comfort were quantitatively assessed and compared with those of a wet textile electrode and a hydrogel electrode on healthy subjects. The equivalent circuit models and the finite element models of different types of electrode were built based on the measured impedance data of the electrodes to reveal the possible mechanism of electrical stimulation pain. Our results showed that the wet textile electrode could achieve similar stimulation performance as the hydrogel electrode in motor threshold and stimulation comfort. However, the dry textile electrode was found to have very low pain threshold and induced obvious cutaneous painful sensations during stimulation, in comparison to the wet and hydrogel electrodes. Indeed, the finite element modeling results showed that the activation function along the z direction at the depth of dermis epidermis junction of the dry textile electrode was significantly larger than that of the wet and hydrogel electrodes, thus resulting in stronger activation of pain sensing fibers. Future work will be done to make textile electrodes have similar stimulation performance and comfort as hydrogel electrodes. PMID:26193273

Stimulating the Comfort of Textile Electrodes in Wearable Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Zhou

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Textile electrodes are becoming an attractive means in the facilitation of surface electrical stimulation. However, the stimulation comfort of textile electrodes and the mechanism behind stimulation discomfort is still unknown. In this study, a textile stimulation electrode was developed using conductive fabrics and then its impedance spectroscopy, stimulation thresholds, and stimulation comfort were quantitatively assessed and compared with those of a wet textile electrode and a hydrogel electrode on healthy subjects. The equivalent circuit models and the finite element models of different types of electrode were built based on the measured impedance data of the electrodes to reveal the possible mechanism of electrical stimulation pain. Our results showed that the wet textile electrode could achieve similar stimulation performance as the hydrogel electrode in motor threshold and stimulation comfort. However, the dry textile electrode was found to have very low pain threshold and induced obvious cutaneous painful sensations during stimulation, in comparison to the wet and hydrogel electrodes. Indeed, the finite element modeling results showed that the activation function along the z direction at the depth of dermis epidermis junction of the dry textile electrode was significantly larger than that of the wet and hydrogel electrodes, thus resulting in stronger activation of pain sensing fibers. Future work will be done to make textile electrodes have similar stimulation performance and comfort as hydrogel electrodes.

Effect of Electrical Current Stimulation on Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Alneami, Auns Q.; Khalil, Eman G.; Mohsien, Rana A.; Albeldawi, Ali F.

2018-05-01

The present study evaluates the effect of electrical current with different frequencies stimulation to kill pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bacteria in vitro using human safe level of electricity controlled by function generator. A wide range of frequencies has been used from 0.5 Hz-1.2 MHz to stimulate the bacteria at a voltage of 20 p-p volt for different periods of time (5 to 30) minutes. The culture of bacteria used Nickel, Nichrome, or Titanium electrode using agarose in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and mixed with bacterial stock activated by trypticase soy broth (TSB). The results of frequencies between 0.5-1 KHz show the inhibition zone diameter of 20 mm in average at 30 minutes of stimulation. At frequencies between 3-60 KHz the inhibition zone diameter was only 10mm for 30 minutes of stimulation. While the average of inhibition zone diameter increased to more than 30mm for 30 minutes of stimulation at frequencies between 80-120 KHz. From this study we conclude that at specific frequency (resonance frequency) (frequencies between 0.5-1 KHz) there was relatively large inhibition zone because the inductive reactance effect is equal to the value of capacitive reactance effect (XC = XL). At frequencies over than 60 KHz, maximum inhibition zone noticed because the capacitance impedance becomes negligible (only the small resistivity of the bacterial internal organs).

Electrical stimulation in exercise training

Science.gov (United States)

Kroll, Walter

1994-01-01

Electrical stimulation has a long history of use in medicine dating back to 46 A.D. when the Roman physician Largus found the electrical discharge of torpedo fishes useful in the treatment of pain produced by headache and gout. A rival Greek physician, Dioscorides, discounted the value of the torpedo fish for headache relief but did recommend its use in the treatment of hemorrhoids. In 1745, the Leyden jar and various sized electrostatic generators were used to treat angina pectoris, epilepsy, hemiplegia, kidney stones, and sciatica. Benjamin Franklin used an electrical device to treat successfully a young woman suffering from convulsive fits. In the late 1800's battery powered hydroelectric baths were used to treat chronic inflammation of the uterus while electrified athletic supporters were advertised for the treatment of male problems. Fortunately, such an amusing early history of the simple beginnings of electrical stimulation did not prevent eventual development of a variety of useful therapeutic and rehabilitative applications of electrical stimulation. Over the centuries electrical stimulation has survived as a modality in the treatment of various medical disorders with its primary application being in the rehabilitation area. Recently, a surge of new interest in electrical stimulation has been kindled by the work of a Russian sport scientist who reported remarkable muscle strength and endurance improvements in elite athletes. Yakov Kots reported his research on electric stimulation and strength improvements in 1977 at a Canadian-Soviet Exchange Symposium held at Concordia University in Montreal. Since then an explosion of new studies has been seen in both sport science and in medicine. Based upon the reported works of Kots and the present surge of new investigations, one could be misled as to the origin of electrical stimulation as a technique to increase muscle strength. As a matter of fact, electric stimulation has been used as a technique to improve

Modeling extracellular electrical stimulation: I. Derivation and interpretation of neurite equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Meffin, Hamish; Tahayori, Bahman; Grayden, David B; Burkitt, Anthony N

2012-12-01

Neuroprosthetic devices, such as cochlear and retinal implants, work by directly stimulating neurons with extracellular electrodes. This is commonly modeled using the cable equation with an applied extracellular voltage. In this paper a framework for modeling extracellular electrical stimulation is presented. To this end, a cylindrical neurite with confined extracellular space in the subthreshold regime is modeled in three-dimensional space. Through cylindrical harmonic expansion of Laplace's equation, we derive the spatio-temporal equations governing different modes of stimulation, referred to as longitudinal and transverse modes, under types of boundary conditions. The longitudinal mode is described by the well-known cable equation, however, the transverse modes are described by a novel ordinary differential equation. For the longitudinal mode, we find that different electrotonic length constants apply under the two different boundary conditions. Equations connecting current density to voltage boundary conditions are derived that are used to calculate the trans-impedance of the neurite-plus-thin-extracellular-sheath. A detailed explanation on depolarization mechanisms and the dominant current pathway under different modes of stimulation is provided. The analytic results derived here enable the estimation of a neurite's membrane potential under extracellular stimulation, hence bypassing the heavy computational cost of using numerical methods.

Fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of chronic low back and lower extremity pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gozani SN

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Shai N Gozani NeuroMetrix, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (FS-TENS is effective in treating chronic low back and lower extremity pain. Background: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is widely used for treatment of chronic pain. General-purpose transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices are designed for stimulation anywhere on the body and often cannot be used while the user is active or sleeping. FS-TENS devices are designed for placement at a pre-determined location, which enables development of a wearable device for use over extended time periods. Methods: Study participants with chronic low back and/or lower extremity pain self-administered an FS-TENS device for 60 days. Baseline, 30-, and 60-day follow-up data were obtained through an online questionnaire. The primary outcome measure was the patient global impression of change. Pain intensity and interference were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Changes in use of concomitant pain medications were evaluated with a single-item global self-rating. Results: One hundred and thirty participants were enrolled, with 88 completing the 60-day follow-up questionnaire. Most participants (73.9% were 50 years of age or older. At baseline, low back pain was identified by 85.3%, lower extremity pain by 71.6%, and upper extremity pain by 62.5%. Participants reported widespread pain, at baseline, with a mean of 3.4 (standard deviation 1.1 pain sites. At the 60-day follow-up, 80.7% of participants reported that their chronic pain had improved and they were classified as responders. Baseline characteristics did not differentiate non-responders from responders. There were numerical trends toward reduced pain interference with walking ability and sleep, and greater pain relief in responders. There was a large difference in use of concomitant pain medications, with 80

The effects of low frequency electrical stimulation on satellite cell activity in rat skeletal muscle during hindlimb suspension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Hong-Yu

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The ability of skeletal muscle to grow and regenerate is dependent on resident stem cells called satellite cells. It has been shown that chronic hindlimb unloading downregulates the satellite cell activity. This study investigated the role of low-frequency electrical stimulation on satellite cell activity during a 28 d hindlimb suspension in rats. Results Mechanical unloading resulted in a 44% reduction in the myofiber cross-sectional area as well as a 29% and 34% reduction in the number of myonuclei and myonuclear domains, respectively, in the soleus muscles (P vs the weight-bearing control. The number of quiescent (M-cadherin+, proliferating (BrdU+ and myoD+, and differentiated (myogenin+ satellite cells was also reduced by 48-57% compared to the weight-bearing animals (P P Conclusion This study shows that electrical stimulation partially attenuated the decrease in muscle size and satellite cells during hindlimb unloading. The causal relationship between satellite cell activation and electrical stimulation remain to be established.

Admissibility of building cost subsidy in the power grid above the low voltage level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foerster, Sven

2015-01-01

Electricity networks are essential to the provision of electrical power to businesses and individuals. In particular for manufacturing businesses a connection to the grid above the low-voltage level is often useful. Network operators demand a subsidy for the new connection and for the change to a higher network level under the auspices of construction cost. The power network market above the low-voltage level is a natural monopoly. This leaves consumers looking for a connection to the power grid with no possibility to select among different network operators. Construction cost subsidies are not regulated by law above the low voltage level. The lack of legal regulation and the natural monopoly above the low-voltage level affect the balance of power between network operators and system users. The lawfulness of the construction cost subsidies, the prerequisites for their demand and a review of the calculation models (Leistungspreismodell, 2-Ebenen-Modell) as well as a proposal for a reform of this system form the subject of this work.

Electrical stimulation affects metabolic enzyme phosphorylation, protease activation and meat tenderization in beef

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, C.B.; Li, J.; Zhou, G.H.

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the response of sarcoplasmic proteins in bovine longissimus muscle to low-voltage electrical stimulation (ES, 80 V, 35 s) after dressing and its contribution to meat tenderization at early postmortem time. Proteome analysis showed that ES resulted...... muscles up to 24 h. Immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy further indicated that lysosomal enzymes were released at early postmortem time. ES also induced ultrastructural disruption of sarcomeres. In addition, ES accelerated (P ..., as well as pH decline and more preferred pH/temperature decline mode. Finally, ES accelerated meat tenderization with lower (P time. A possible relationship was suggested between change in phosphorylation level of energy metabolic enzymes and postmortem...

[Negative air ions generated by plants upon pulsed electric field stimulation applied to soil].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ren-ye; Deng, Chuan-yuan; Yang, Zhi-jian; Weng, Hai-yong; Zhu, Tie-jun-rong; Zheng, Jin-gui

2015-02-01

This paper investigated the capacity of plants (Schlumbergera truncata, Aloe vera var. chinensis, Chlorophytum comosum, Schlumbergera bridgesii, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii, Aspidistra elatior, Cymbidium kanran, Echinocactus grusonii, Agave americana var. marginata, Asparagus setaceus) to generate negative air ions (NAI) under pulsed electric field stimulation. The results showed that single plant generated low amounts of NAI in natural condition. The capacity of C. comosum and G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii generated most NAI among the above ten species, with a daily average of 43 ion · cm(-3). The least one was A. americana var. marginata with the value of 19 ion · cm(-3). When proper pulsed electric field stimulation was applied to soil, the NAI of ten plant species were greatly improved. The effect of pulsed electric field u3 (average voltage over the pulse period was 2.0 x 10(4) V, pulse frequency was 1 Hz, and pulse duration was 50 ms) was the greatest. The mean NAI concentration of C. kanran was the highest 1454967 ion · cm(-3), which was 48498.9 times as much as that in natural condition. The lowest one was S. truncata with the value of 34567 ion · cm(-3), which was 843.1 times as much as that in natural condition. The capacity of the same plants to generate negative air ion varied extremely under different intensity pulsed electric fields.

The Simulation Study of a Restructured Residential Low-Voltage Distribution System Microgrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Ramesh

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A primary and necessary focus in creating a greener environment is the conversion of existing power-generation sources to renewable power sources in the near future. Another important focus is to develop sustainable household power generation to a low-voltage electricity grid with a power purchase and selling facility. To help with achieving the above vision, the objective of this work is to critically analyze the existing low-voltage distribution system and make suggestions for restructuring it to the low-voltage interconnected microgrid (MG. The test was carried out in the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB 100kVA transformer feeder which was connected to supply around 100 houses with electricity. The performance analysis of the proposed system was examined through different case studies, represented as a normal operating condition of the existing distribution system and a reconstructed and interconnected MG to the TNEB grid. The project was designed and analyzed using PSCAD software. The results discussed in the project are helpful in examining the effects of multiple distributed energy resources on distributed generation. In future, knowledge of these effects may be helpful for rural area electrification.

Architecture, Voltage, and Components for a Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Electric Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Michael J.; Blackwelder, Mark; Bollman, Andrew; Ross, Christine; Campbell, Angela; Jones, Catherine; Norman, Patrick

2015-01-01

The development of a wholly superconducting turboelectric distributed propulsion system presents unique opportunities for the aerospace industry. However, this transition from normally conducting systems to superconducting systems significantly increases the equipment complexity necessary to manage the electrical power systems. Due to the low technology readiness level (TRL) nature of all components and systems, current Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) technology developments are driven by an ambiguous set of system-level electrical integration standards for an airborne microgrid system (Figure 1). While multiple decades' worth of advancements are still required for concept realization, current system-level studies are necessary to focus the technology development, target specific technological shortcomings, and enable accurate prediction of concept feasibility and viability. An understanding of the performance sensitivity to operating voltages and an early definition of advantageous voltage regulation standards for unconventional airborne microgrids will allow for more accurate targeting of technology development. Propulsive power-rated microgrid systems necessitate the introduction of new aircraft distribution system voltage standards. All protection, distribution, control, power conversion, generation, and cryocooling equipment are affected by voltage regulation standards. Information on the desired operating voltage and voltage regulation is required to determine nominal and maximum currents for sizing distribution and fault isolation equipment, developing machine topologies and machine controls, and the physical attributes of all component shielding and insulation. Voltage impacts many components and system performance.

High voltage generator circuit with low power and high efficiency applied in EEPROM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yan; Zhang Shilin; Zhao Yiqiang

2012-01-01

This paper presents a low power and high efficiency high voltage generator circuit embedded in electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The low power is minimized by a capacitance divider circuit and a regulator circuit using the controlling clock switch technique. The high efficiency is dependent on the zero threshold voltage (V th ) MOSFET and the charge transfer switch (CTS) charge pump. The proposed high voltage generator circuit has been implemented in a 0.35 μm EEPROM CMOS process. Measured results show that the proposed high voltage generator circuit has a low power consumption of about 150.48 μW and a higher pumping efficiency (83.3%) than previously reported circuits. This high voltage generator circuit can also be widely used in low-power flash devices due to its high efficiency and low power dissipation. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Low-voltage circuit breaker arcs—simulation and measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Fei; Wu, Yi; Rong, Mingzhe; Sun, Hao; Ren, Zhigang; Niu, Chunping; Murphy, Anthony B

2013-01-01

As one of the most important electrical components, the low-voltage circuit breaker (LVCB) has been widely used for protection in all types of low-voltage distribution systems. In particular, the low-voltage dc circuit breaker has been arousing great research interest in recent years. In this type of circuit breaker, an air arc is formed in the interrupting process which is a 3D transient arc in a complex chamber geometry with splitter plates. Controlling the arc evolution and the extinction are the most significant problems. This paper reviews published research works referring to LVCB arcs. Based on the working principle, the arcing process is divided into arc commutation, arc motion and arc splitting; we focus our attention on the modelling and measurement of these phases. In addition, previous approaches in papers of the critical physical phenomenon treatment are discussed, such as radiation, metal erosion, wall ablation and turbulence in the air arc. Recommendations for air arc modelling and measurement are presented for further investigation. (topical review)

Application of high voltage electric field (HVEF) drying technology in potato chips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Yaxiang; Shi, Hua; Yang, Yaxin

2013-01-01

In order to improve the drying efficiency and qualities of vegetable by high voltage electric field (HVEF), potato chips as a representative of vegetable was dried using a high voltage electric drying systems at 20°C. The shrinkage rate, water absorption and rehydration ratio of dried potato chips were measured. The results indicated that the drying rate of potato chips was significantly improved in the high voltage electric drying systems. The shrinkage rate of potato chips dried by high voltage electric field was 1.1% lower than that by oven drying method. And the rehydration rate of high voltage electric field was 24.6% higher than that by oven drying method. High voltage electric field drying is very advantageous and can be used as a substitute for traditional drying method.

Investigation of phase-wise voltage regulator control logics for compensating voltage deviations in an experimental low voltage network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Junjie; Zecchino, Antonio; Marinelli, Mattia

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the control logics of an on-load tap-changer (OLTC) transformer by means of an experimental system validation. The experimental low-voltage unbalanced system consists of a decoupled single-phase OLTC transformer, a 75-metre 16 mm2 cable, a controllable single-phase resistive...... load and an electric vehicle, which has the vehicle-to-grid function. Three control logics of the OLTC transformer are described in the study. The three control logics are classified based on their control objectives and control inputs, which include network currents and voltages, and can be measured...... either locally or remotely. To evaluate and compare the control performances of the three control logics, all the tests use the same loading profiles. The experimental results indicate that the modified line compensation control can regulate voltage in a safe band in the case of various load...

A Biological Micro Actuator: Graded and Closed-Loop Control of Insect Leg Motion by Electrical Stimulation of Muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Feng; Zhang, Chao; Vo Doan, Tat Thang; Li, Yao; Sangi, Daniyal Haider; Koh, Jie Sheng; Huynh, Ngoc Anh; Aziz, Mohamed Fareez Bin; Choo, Hao Yu; Ikeda, Kazuo; Abbeel, Pieter; Maharbiz, Michel M.; Sato, Hirotaka

2014-01-01

In this study, a biological microactuator was demonstrated by closed-loop motion control of the front leg of an insect (Mecynorrhina torquata, beetle) via electrical stimulation of the leg muscles. The three antagonistic pairs of muscle groups in the front leg enabled the actuator to have three degrees of freedom: protraction/retraction, levation/depression, and extension/flexion. We observed that the threshold amplitude (voltage) required to elicit leg motions was approximately 1.0 V; thus, we fixed the stimulation amplitude at 1.5 V to ensure a muscle response. The leg motions were finely graded by alternation of the stimulation frequencies: higher stimulation frequencies elicited larger leg angular displacement. A closed-loop control system was then developed, where the stimulation frequency was the manipulated variable for leg-muscle stimulation (output from the final control element to the leg muscle) and the angular displacement of the leg motion was the system response. This closed-loop control system, with an optimized proportional gain and update time, regulated the leg to set at predetermined angular positions. The average electrical stimulation power consumption per muscle group was 148 µW. These findings related to and demonstrations of the leg motion control offer promise for the future development of a reliable, low-power, biological legged machine (i.e., an insect–machine hybrid legged robot). PMID:25140875

A biological micro actuator: graded and closed-loop control of insect leg motion by electrical stimulation of muscles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Cao

Full Text Available In this study, a biological microactuator was demonstrated by closed-loop motion control of the front leg of an insect (Mecynorrhina torquata, beetle via electrical stimulation of the leg muscles. The three antagonistic pairs of muscle groups in the front leg enabled the actuator to have three degrees of freedom: protraction/retraction, levation/depression, and extension/flexion. We observed that the threshold amplitude (voltage required to elicit leg motions was approximately 1.0 V; thus, we fixed the stimulation amplitude at 1.5 V to ensure a muscle response. The leg motions were finely graded by alternation of the stimulation frequencies: higher stimulation frequencies elicited larger leg angular displacement. A closed-loop control system was then developed, where the stimulation frequency was the manipulated variable for leg-muscle stimulation (output from the final control element to the leg muscle and the angular displacement of the leg motion was the system response. This closed-loop control system, with an optimized proportional gain and update time, regulated the leg to set at predetermined angular positions. The average electrical stimulation power consumption per muscle group was 148 µW. These findings related to and demonstrations of the leg motion control offer promise for the future development of a reliable, low-power, biological legged machine (i.e., an insect-machine hybrid legged robot.

Decomposition of Composite Electric Field in a Three-Phase D-Dot Voltage Transducer Measuring System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xueqi Hu

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In line with the wider application of non-contact voltage transducers in the engineering field, transducers are required to have better performance for different measuring environments. In the present study, the D-dot voltage transducer is further improved based on previous research in order to meet the requirements for long-distance measurement of electric transmission lines. When measuring three-phase electric transmission lines, problems such as synchronous data collection and composite electric field need to be resolved. A decomposition method is proposed with respect to the superimposed electric field generated between neighboring phases. The charge simulation method is utilized to deduce the decomposition equation of the composite electric field and the validity of the proposed method is verified by simulation calculation software. With the deduced equation as the algorithm foundation, this paper improves hardware circuits, establishes a measuring system and constructs an experimental platform for examination. Under experimental conditions, a 10 kV electric transmission line was tested for steady-state errors, and the measuring results of the transducer and the high-voltage detection head were compared. Ansoft Maxwell Stimulation Software was adopted to obtain the electric field intensity in different positions under transmission lines; its values and the measuring values of the transducer were also compared. Experimental results show that the three-phase transducer is characterized by a relatively good synchronization for data measurement, measuring results with high precision, and an error ratio within a prescribed limit. Therefore, the proposed three-phase transducer can be broadly applied and popularized in the engineering field.

Magnetic lens apparatus for a low-voltage high-resolution electron microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Crewe, Albert V.

1996-01-01

A lens apparatus in which a beam of charged particles of low accelerating voltage is brought to a focus by a magnetic field, the lens being situated behind the target position. The lens comprises an electrically-conducting coil arranged around the axis of the beam and a magnetic pole piece extending along the axis of the beam at least within the space surrounded by the coil. The lens apparatus comprises the sole focusing lens for high-resolution imaging in a low-voltage scanning electron microscope.

Analgesic effectiveness of the association of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and cryotherapy for chronic low back pain

OpenAIRE

Abreu,Eliziete Almeida de; Santos,Jean Douglas Moura dos; Ventura,Patrícia Lima

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and cryotherapy are physical therapy resources individually used, since there is the possibility of interaction between TENS and cryotherapy if they are associated. This study aimed at evaluating the analgesic effectiveness of the association or not of TENS and cryotherapy to relieve chronic low back pain. METHOD: Clinical trial involving six chronic low back pain patients distributed in three groups: cryotherapy, T...

Effects of electrical stimulation on meat quality of lamb and goat meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Cetin, Omer; Bingol, Enver Baris; Colak, Hilal; Hampikyan, Hamparsun

2012-01-01

Effect of various voltage of electrical stimulation (ES) on meat quality of lamb and goat was investigated by using a total of 36 animals at 3-5 years old. Constant 50 Hz frequency and 50, 100, and 250 V, 90 sec of ES were administered to 1/2 carcasses and were examined according their textural, physicochemical, and sensorial characteristics. ES decreased the pH values of lamb and goat meat, and accelerated the rigor mortis (P goat meat, and tenderness was improved depending on voltage range used (P goat meat compared with the control groups (P meat quality of lamb and goat, in contrast to undesirable consumer preferences.

Optical sensors for the measurement of electric current and voltage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rutgers, W R; Hulshof, H J.M.; Laurensse, I J; van der Wey, A H

1987-01-01

Optical sensors for the measurement of electrical current and voltage were developed for application in electric power systems. The current sensor, based on the Faraday effect in a monomode glass fiber, and the voltage sensor, based on the transverse Pockels effect in a crystal, are demonstrated in wide-band (10 MHz) interference-free measurements of pulsed currents and impulse voltages.

The Design of Operational Amplifier for Low Voltage and Low Current Sound Energy Harvesting System

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Liew Hui; Rahim, Rosemizi Bin Abd; Isa, Muzamir; Idris Syed Hassan, Syed; Ismail, Baharuddin Bin

2018-03-01

The objective of this paper is to design a combination of an operational amplifier (op-amp) with a rectifier used in an alternate current (ac) to direct current (dc) power conversion. The op-amp was designed to specifically work at low voltage and low current for a sound energy harvesting system. The goal of the op-amp design with adjustable gain was to control output voltage based on the objectives of the experiment conducted. The op-amp was designed for minimum power dissipation performance, with the means of increasing the output current when receiving a large amount of load. The harvesting circuits which designed further improved the power output efficiency by shortening the fully charged time needed by a supercapacitor bank. It can fulfil the long-time power demands for low power device. Typically, a small amount of energy sources were converted to electricity and stored in the supercapacitor bank, which was built by 10 pieces of capacitors with 0.22 F each, arranged in parallel connection. The highest capacitance was chosen based on the characteristic that have the longest discharging time to support the applications of a supercapacitor bank. Testing results show that the op-amp can boost the low input ac voltage (∼3.89 V) to high output dc voltage (5.0 V) with output current of 30 mA and stored the electrical energy in a big supercapacitor bank having a total of 2.2 F, effectively. The measured results agree well with the calculated results.

Low Voltage, High-Q SOI MEMS Varactors for RF Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yalcinkaya, Arda Deniz; Jensen, Søren; Hansen, Ole

2003-01-01

A micro electromechanical tunable capacitor with a low control voltage, a wide tuning range and high electrical quality factor is presented with detailed characterizations. A 50μm thick single-crystalline silicon layer was etched using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) for obtaining high-aspect ra...... is a suitable passive component to be used in band-pass filtering, voltage controlled oscillator or impedance matching applications on the very high frequency(VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) bands....

Comparative Evaluation of Tactile Sensation by Electrical and Mechanical Stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yem, Vibol; Kajimoto, Hiroyuki

2017-01-01

An electrotactile display is a tactile interface that provides tactile perception by passing electrical current through the surface of the skin. It is actively used instead of mechanical tactile displays for tactile feedback because of several advantages such as its small and thin size, light weight, and high responsiveness. However, the similarities and differences between these sensations is still not clear. This study directly compares the intensity sensation of electrotactile stimulation to that of mechanical stimulation, and investigates the characteristic sensation of anodic and cathodic stimulation. In the experiment, participants underwent a 30 pps electrotactile stimulus every one second to their middle finger, and were asked to match this intensity by adjusting the intensity of a mechanical tactile stimulus to an index finger. The results showed that anodic stimulation mainly produced vibration sensation, whereas cathodic sensation produced both vibration and pressure sensations. Relatively low pressure sensation was also observed for anodic stimulation but it remains low, regardless of the increasing of electrical intensity.

Fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of chronic low back and lower extremity pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gozani, Shai N

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (FS-TENS) is effective in treating chronic low back and lower extremity pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is widely used for treatment of chronic pain. General-purpose transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices are designed for stimulation anywhere on the body and often cannot be used while the user is active or sleeping. FS-TENS devices are designed for placement at a pre-determined location, which enables development of a wearable device for use over extended time periods. Study participants with chronic low back and/or lower extremity pain self-administered an FS-TENS device for 60 days. Baseline, 30-, and 60-day follow-up data were obtained through an online questionnaire. The primary outcome measure was the patient global impression of change. Pain intensity and interference were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Changes in use of concomitant pain medications were evaluated with a single-item global self-rating. One hundred and thirty participants were enrolled, with 88 completing the 60-day follow-up questionnaire. Most participants (73.9%) were 50 years of age or older. At baseline, low back pain was identified by 85.3%, lower extremity pain by 71.6%, and upper extremity pain by 62.5%. Participants reported widespread pain, at baseline, with a mean of 3.4 (standard deviation 1.1) pain sites. At the 60-day follow-up, 80.7% of participants reported that their chronic pain had improved and they were classified as responders. Baseline characteristics did not differentiate non-responders from responders. There were numerical trends toward reduced pain interference with walking ability and sleep, and greater pain relief in responders. There was a large difference in use of concomitant pain medications, with 80.3% of responders reporting a reduction compared to 11.8% of non-responders. FS-TENS is a safe and effective

Demand Response in Low Voltage Distribution Networks with High PV Penetration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nainar, Karthikeyan; Pokhrel, Basanta Raj; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2017-01-01

the required flexibility from the electricity market through an aggregator. The optimum demand response enables consumption of maximum renewable energy within the network constraints. Simulation studies are conducted using Matlab and DigSilent Power factory software on a Danish low-voltage distribution system......In this paper, application of demand response to accommodate maximum PV power in a low-voltage distribution network is discussed. A centralized control based on model predictive control method is proposed for the computation of optimal demand response on an hourly basis. The proposed method uses PV...

Low Wind Speed Turbine Project Phase II: The Application of Medium-Voltage Electrical Apparatus to the Class of Variable Speed Multi-Megawatt Low Wind Speed Turbines; 15 June 2004--30 April 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erdman, W.; Behnke, M.

2005-11-01

Kilowatt ratings of modern wind turbines have progressed rapidly from 50 kW to 1,800 kW over the past 25 years, with 3.0- to 7.5-MW turbines expected in the next 5 years. The premise of this study is simple: The rapid growth of wind turbine power ratings and the corresponding growth in turbine electrical generation systems and associated controls are quickly making low-voltage (LV) electrical design approaches cost-ineffective. This report provides design detail and compares the cost of energy (COE) between commercial LV-class wind power machines and emerging medium-voltage (MV)-class multi-megawatt wind technology. The key finding is that a 2.5% reduction in the COE can be achieved by moving from LV to MV systems. This is a conservative estimate, with a 3% to 3.5% reduction believed to be attainable once purchase orders to support a 250-turbine/year production level are placed. This evaluation considers capital costs as well as installation, maintenance, and training requirements for wind turbine maintenance personnel. Subsystems investigated include the generator, pendant cables, variable-speed converter, and padmount transformer with switchgear. Both current-source and voltage-source converter/inverter MV topologies are compared against their low-voltage, voltage-source counterparts at the 3.0-, 5.0-, and 7.5-MW levels.

Introduction of cooperating conductive components into the phosphor to improve the low voltage cathodoluminescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shang, Chun Yu; Kang, Hui; Jiang, Hong Bo; Bu, Shu Po; Shang, Xiao Hong; Wu, Yan

2013-01-01

In order to improve the electric conductivity of Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ phosphor with the least amount of conductive component so as to maximize the improvement in low voltage cathodoluminescence, In 2 O 3 and Cu nanowires (NWs) were simultaneously introduced to form Cu NWs/In 2 O 3 -attached Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ phosphor. In 2 O 3 and Cu NWs play different roles in the formation of electrically conductive network, i.e., Cu NWs are suitable as conductive channels for charge transmission due to their one-dimensional morphology with large slenderness ratios, while the island-like In 2 O 3 condensates form local conductive contacts joining the adjacent Cu NWs. Meanwhile, In 2 O 3 forms attachment between Cu NWs and the phosphor. Owing to the cooperating effects between Cu NWs/In 2 O 3 conductive components in the phosphor, the efficiency in low voltage cathodoluminescence was significantly improved. -- Highlights: ► In 2 O 3 /Cu NWs were introduced in Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ phosphor to improve the low voltage cathodoluminescence. ► In 2 O 3 /Cu NWs play different key roles in the formation of electrically conductive network. ► The cooperating effect was proved by comparing the experimental data and the calculated results. ► The low voltage cathodoluminescence was significantly improved

Insulation co-ordination in high-voltage electric power systems

CERN Document Server

Diesendorf, W

2015-01-01

Insulation Co-ordination in High-Voltage Electric Power Systems deals with the methods of insulation needed in different circumstances. The book covers topics such as overvoltages and lightning surges; disruptive discharge and withstand voltages; self-restoring and non-self-restoring insulation; lightning overvoltages on transmission lines; and the attenuation and distortion of lightning surges. Also covered in the book are topics such as the switching surge designs of transmission lines, as well as the insulation coordination of high-voltage stations. The text is recommended for electrical en

Basic study on electrically stimulated luminescence (ESL) as a dosimetry and dating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, H.; Yamanaka, C.; Ikeya, M.

2003-01-01

Electrically stimulated luminescence (ESL) of calcium carbonate has been studied for application as dosimetry and dating. A powdered calcium carbonate was sandwiched by electrodes, which supplied electric field. Luminescence and surface current through a powdered sample were measured using a photomultiplier and a digital multimeter, respectively. A linear dependence of ESL on the absorbed dose by γ-rays was found when the applied voltage was below the breakdown threshold. Reciprocal electric charges through the sample had also linear relation with the absorbed dose. We propose that the luminescence and electric charge under intense electric field in calcium carbonate become new methods for dosimetry and dating on the basis of the surface defects of the calcium carbonate grains produced by the irradiation of γ-rays

Bootstrapped Low-Voltage Analog Switches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steensgaard-Madsen, Jesper

1999-01-01

Novel low-voltage constant-impedance analog switch circuits are proposed. The switch element is a single MOSFET, and constant-impedance operation is obtained using simple circuits to adjust the gate and bulk voltages relative to the switched signal. Low-voltage (1-volt) operation is made feasible...

Copper wire theft and high voltage electrical burns

OpenAIRE

Francis, Eamon C; Shelley, Odhran P

2014-01-01

High voltage electrical burns are uncommon. However in the midst of our economic recession we are noticing an increasing number of these injuries. Copper wire is a valuable commodity with physical properties as an excellent conductor of electricity making it both ubiquitous in society and prized on the black market. We present two consecutive cases referred to the National Burns Unit who sustained life threatening injuries from the alleged theft of high voltage copper wire and its omnipresenc...

Análisis estadístico de la caída de tensión en un sistema eléctrico de baja tensión: Statistical analysis of the voltage drop in a low voltage electrical system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan M. Astorga Gómez

2013-06-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presenta un enfoque estadístico para la evaluación de la caída de tensión en un sistema eléctrico de baja tensión, basado en la aplicación de dos herramientas básicas del control estadístico de procesos conocidas como cartas de control y análisis de capacidad de procesos. Se muestran los resultados para dos sistemas de prueba, se realizan las pruebas de normalidad y autocorrelación parcial para las muestras, se interpretan los resultados de las cartas de control Xbarra-S y se evalúa la capacidad del proceso considerando las bases del mejoramiento de la calidad. Los sistemas de prueba usados en este trabajo son un sistema eléctrico monofásico de baja tensión y un sistema eléctrico trifásico de baja tensión. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es evaluar el estado de control estadístico de la variable de proceso “caída de tensión”, como herramienta para el mejoramiento continuo de los procesos eléctricos.This paper presents a statistical approach for the evaluation of the voltage drop in a low voltage electrical system, based on the application of two basic tools of statistical process control known as control charts and process capability analysis. The results for two test systems are shown, testing of normality and partial autocorrelation for samples are performed, the results of the control charts Xbar-S are interpreted and the process capability analysis are assessed considering the foundations for the quality improvement. The test systems used in this work are one electrical system single-phase low voltage and one electrical system of three-phase low voltage. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the state of statistical control of the process variable "voltage drop", as a tool for continuous improvement of the electrical process.

Análisis estadístico de la caída de tensión en un sistema eléctrico de baja tensión; Statistical analysis of the voltage drop in a low voltage electrical system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan M. Astorga Gómez

2013-06-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presenta un enfoque estadístico para la evaluación de la caída de tensión en un sistema eléctrico de baja tensión, basado en la aplicación de dos herramientas básicas del control estadístico de procesos conocidas como cartas de control y análisis de capacidad de procesos. Se muestran los resultados para dos sistemas de prueba, se realizan las pruebas de normalidad y autocorrelación parcial para las muestras, se interpretan los resultados de las cartas de control Xbarra-S y se evalúa la capacidad del proceso considerando las bases del mejoramiento de la calidad. Los sistemas de prueba usados en este trabajo son un sistema eléctrico monofásico de baja tensión y un sistema eléctrico trifásico de baja tensión. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es evaluar el estado de control estadístico de la variable de proceso “caída de tensión”, como herramienta para el mejoramiento continuo de los procesos eléctricos.  This paper presents a statistical approach for the evaluation of the voltage drop in a low voltage electrical system, based on the application of two basic tools of statistical process control known as control charts and process capability analysis. The results for two test systems are shown, testing of normality and partial autocorrelation for samples are performed, the results of the control charts Xbar-S are interpreted and the process capability analysis are assessed considering the foundations for the quality improvement. The test systems used in this work are one electrical system single-phase low voltage and one electrical system of three-phase low voltage. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the state of statistical control of the process variable "voltage drop", as a tool for continuous improvement of the electrical process.

Effects of Electrical Stimulation in Sympathetic Neuron-Cardiomyocyte Co-cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Akimasa; Tani, Hiromasa; Mori, Masahide; Moriguchi, Hiroyuki; Kotani, Kiyoshi; Lee, Jong-Kook; Noshiro, Makoto; Jimbo, Yasuhiko

The sympathetic nervous system is one of the principal sources for regulating cardiovascular functions. Little is known, however, about the network-level interactions between sympathetic neurons and cardiomyocytes. In this study, a semi-separated co-culture system of superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons and ventricular myocytes (VMs) was developed by using a polydimethylsyloxane (PDMS) chamber placed on a microelectrode-array (MEA) substrate. Neurites of SCG neurons passed through a conduit of the chamber and reached VMs. Evoked activities of SCG neurons were observed from several electrodes immediately after applying constant-voltage stimulation (1 V, 1 ms, biphasic square pulses) to SCG neurons by using 32 electrodes. Furthermore, this stimulation was applied to SCG neurons at the frequency of 1, 5 and 10 Hz. After applying these three kinds of stimulations, mean minute contraction rate of VMs increased with an increase in the frequency of stimulation. These results suggest that changes in contraction rate of VMs after applying electrical stimulations to SCG neurons depend on frequencies of these stimulations and that the heart-regulating mechanisms as well as that in the body were formed in this co-culture system.

Electrical stimulation in white oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) production

Science.gov (United States)

Roshita, I.; Nurfazira, K. M. P.; Fern, C. Shi; Ain, M. S. Nur

2017-09-01

White oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) is an edible mushroom that gained popularity due to its nutritional values, low production cost and ease of cultivation. There are several research reported on the mushroom fruiting bodies which were actively developed when applying electrical shock treatment. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of different electrical voltages on the growth and yield of white oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida). Five different electrical voltages had been applied during spawning period which were 6V, 9V, 12V, 15V and mushroom bags without any treatment served as control. Treatment at 6V showed the highest rate for mycelium growth while 15V took the shortest time for fruiting body formation. However, no significant different (P>0.05) among all the treatments was observed for the time taken for the mycelium to fill-up the bag and pinhead emergence. The total fresh weight and percentage of biological efficiency for treatment at 9V showed higher values compared to control. Treatment at 9V also showed the largest pileus diameter and the most firm in the pileus texture. Meanwhile, treatment at 6V showed the highest a* value (redness). In addition, different electrical voltage treatments applied did not show any significant effect on substrate utilization efficiency, colour L* and b* values. In conclusion, among all the electrical treatments applied, 9V could be considered as the best treatment to enhance the yield of white oyster mushroom.

Copper wire theft and high voltage electrical burns.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Eamon C; Shelley, Odhran P

2014-01-01

High voltage electrical burns are uncommon. However in the midst of our economic recession we are noticing an increasing number of these injuries. Copper wire is a valuable commodity with physical properties as an excellent conductor of electricity making it both ubiquitous in society and prized on the black market. We present two consecutive cases referred to the National Burns Unit who sustained life threatening injuries from the alleged theft of high voltage copper wire and its omnipresence on an international scale.

Baking of tandem accelerator tube by low voltage arc discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Yutaka

1982-01-01

In designing the accelerating tube for a static tandem accelerator in Kyushu University, the basic policy was as described below: individual unit composing the accelerating tube should fully withstand the electric field of 2 MV/m, and electric discharge must not be propagated from one unit to the adjacent unit when these are assembled to the accelerating tube. The accelerating tube units are each 25 cm in length, and both high and low energy sides are composed of 20 units, respectively. Although about 10 -9 Torr vacuum was obtained at the both ends of the accelerating tube by baking the tube at 300 to 350 deg C with electric heaters wound outside the tube in the conventional method, vast outgas was generated, which decreased vacuum by two or three figures if breakdown occurred through the intermediary of outgas. As a method of positively outgassing and cleaning the electrodes inside the accelerating tube, it was attempted to directly bake all the electrodes in the accelerating tube by causing strong arc discharge flowing H 2 gas in the tube. As a result of considering the conditions for this method, the low voltage arc discharge was employed using oxide cathodes. Thus, after implementing 10A arc discharge for several hours, the voltage was able to be raised to 10 MV almost immediately after the vacuum recovery, and further, after another conditioning for several hours, it was successful to raise voltage up to 11 MV. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Wideband Electrostatic Vibration Energy Harvester (e-VEH) Having a Low Start-Up Voltage Employing a High-Voltage Integrated Interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudka, A; Galayko, D; Basset, P; Cottone, F; Blokhina, E

2013-01-01

This paper reports on an electrostatic Vibration Energy Harvester (e-VEH) system, for which the energy conversion process is initiated with a low bias voltage and is compatible with wideband stochastic external vibrations. The system employs the auto-synchronous conditioning circuit topology with the use of a novel dedicated integrated low-power high-voltage switch that is needed to connect the charge pump and flyback – two main parts of the used conditioning circuit. The proposed switch is designed and implemented in AMS035HV CMOS technology. Thanks to the proposed switch device, which is driven with a low-voltage ground-referenced logic, the e-VEH system may operate within a large voltage range, from a pre-charge low voltage up to several tens volts. With such a high-voltage e-VEH operation, it is possible to obtain a strong mechanical coupling and a high rate of vibration energy conversion. The used transducer/resonator device is fabricated with a batch-processed MEMS technology. When excited with stochastic vibrations having an acceleration level of 0.8 g rms distributed in the band 110–170 Hz, up to 0.75 μW of net electrical power has been harvested with our system. This work presents an important milestone in the challenge of designing a fully integrated smart conditioning interface for the capacitive e-VEHs

Copper wire theft and high voltage electrical burns

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Eamon C; Shelley, Odhran P

2014-01-01

High voltage electrical burns are uncommon. However in the midst of our economic recession we are noticing an increasing number of these injuries. Copper wire is a valuable commodity with physical properties as an excellent conductor of electricity making it both ubiquitous in society and prized on the black market. We present two consecutive cases referred to the National Burns Unit who sustained life threatening injuries from the alleged theft of high voltage copper wire and its omnipresence on an international scale. PMID:25356371

Low-Voltage Switched-Capacitor Circuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bidari, E.; Keskin, M.; Maloberti, F.

1999-01-01

Switched-capacitor stages are described which can function with very low (typically 1 V) supply voltages, without using voltage boosting or switched op-amps. Simulations indicate that high performance may be achieved using these circuits in filter or data converter applications.......Switched-capacitor stages are described which can function with very low (typically 1 V) supply voltages, without using voltage boosting or switched op-amps. Simulations indicate that high performance may be achieved using these circuits in filter or data converter applications....

Piezoelectric transformers for low-voltage generation of gas discharges and ionic winds in atmospheric air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Michael J. [Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indianapolis 46556 (United States); Go, David B., E-mail: dgo@nd.edu [Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indianapolis 46556 (United States); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indianapolis 46556 (United States)

2015-12-28

To generate a gas discharge (plasma) in atmospheric air requires an electric field that exceeds the breakdown threshold of ∼30 kV/cm. Because of safety, size, or cost constraints, the large applied voltages required to generate such fields are often prohibitive for portable applications. In this work, piezoelectric transformers are used to amplify a low input applied voltage (<30 V) to generate breakdown in air without the need for conventional high-voltage electrical equipment. Piezoelectric transformers (PTs) use their inherent electromechanical resonance to produce a voltage amplification, such that the surface of the piezoelectric exhibits a large surface voltage that can generate corona-like discharges on its corners or on adjacent electrodes. In the proper configuration, these discharges can be used to generate a bulk air flow called an ionic wind. In this work, PT-driven discharges are characterized by measuring the discharge current and the velocity of the induced ionic wind with ionic winds generated using input voltages as low as 7 V. The characteristics of the discharge change as the input voltage increases; this modifies the resonance of the system and subsequent required operating parameters.

High voltage electricity installations a planning perspective

CERN Document Server

Jay, Stephen Andrew

2006-01-01

The presence of high voltage power lines has provoked widespread concern for many years. High Voltage Electricity Installations presents an in-depth study of policy surrounding the planning of high voltage installations, discussing the manner in which they are percieved by the public, and the associated environmental issues. An analysis of these concerns, along with the geographical, environmental and political influences that shape their expression, is presented. Investigates local planning policy in an area of the energy sector that is of highly topical environmental and public concern Cover

The effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on postural control in patients with chronic low back pain

OpenAIRE

Rojhani-Shirazi, Z; Rezaeian, T

2015-01-01

Objective: The effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on postural control in patients with low back pain which is not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TENS on postural control in chronic low back pain. Methods: This study was an experimental research design. Twenty-eight patients with chronic LBP (25-45 Y/ O) participated and by using a random allocation, were divided to samples who participated in this study. The mean center of pressure (COP) vel...

Fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of chronic low back and lower extremity pain

Science.gov (United States)

Gozani, Shai N

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to determine if fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (FS-TENS) is effective in treating chronic low back and lower extremity pain. Background Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is widely used for treatment of chronic pain. General-purpose transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices are designed for stimulation anywhere on the body and often cannot be used while the user is active or sleeping. FS-TENS devices are designed for placement at a pre-determined location, which enables development of a wearable device for use over extended time periods. Methods Study participants with chronic low back and/or lower extremity pain self-administered an FS-TENS device for 60 days. Baseline, 30-, and 60-day follow-up data were obtained through an online questionnaire. The primary outcome measure was the patient global impression of change. Pain intensity and interference were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Changes in use of concomitant pain medications were evaluated with a single-item global self-rating. Results One hundred and thirty participants were enrolled, with 88 completing the 60-day follow-up questionnaire. Most participants (73.9%) were 50 years of age or older. At baseline, low back pain was identified by 85.3%, lower extremity pain by 71.6%, and upper extremity pain by 62.5%. Participants reported widespread pain, at baseline, with a mean of 3.4 (standard deviation 1.1) pain sites. At the 60-day follow-up, 80.7% of participants reported that their chronic pain had improved and they were classified as responders. Baseline characteristics did not differentiate non-responders from responders. There were numerical trends toward reduced pain interference with walking ability and sleep, and greater pain relief in responders. There was a large difference in use of concomitant pain medications, with 80.3% of responders reporting a reduction compared to 11.8% of non

Application of Low Voltage High Resistance Grounding in Nuclear Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Choong-Koo Chang

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Most nuclear power plants now utilize solid grounded low voltage systems. For safety and reliability reasons, the low voltage (LV high resistance grounding (HRG system is also increasingly used in the pulp and paper, petroleum and chemical, and semiconductor industries. Fault detection is easiest and fastest with a solidly grounded system. However, a solidly grounded system has many limitations such as severe fault damage, poor reliability on essential circuits, and electrical noise caused by the high magnitude of ground fault currents. This paper will briefly address the strengths and weaknesses of LV grounding systems. An example of a low voltage HRG system in the LV system of a nuclear power plant will be presented. The HRG system is highly recommended for LV systems of nuclear power plants if sufficient considerations are provided to prevent nuisance tripping of ground fault relays and to avoid the deterioration of system reliability.

Approximating transcranial magnetic stimulation with electric stimulation in mouse: a simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Walter L; Lee, Won Hee; Peterchev, Angel V

2014-01-01

Rodent models are valuable for preclinical examination of novel therapeutic techniques, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). However, comparison of TMS effects in rodents and humans is confounded by inaccurate scaling of the spatial extent of the induced electric field in rodents. The electric field is substantially less focal in rodent models of TMS due to the technical restrictions of making very small coils that can handle the currents required for TMS. We examine the electric field distributions generated by various electrode configurations of electric stimulation in an inhomogeneous high-resolution finite element mouse model, and show that the electric field distributions produced by human TMS can be approximated by electric stimulation in mouse. Based on these results and the limits of magnetic stimulation in mice, we argue that the most practical and accurate way to model focal TMS in mice is electric stimulation through either cortical surface electrodes or electrodes implanted halfway through the mouse cranium. This approach could allow much more accurate approximation of the human TMS electric field focality and strength than that offered by TMS in mouse, enabling, for example, focal targeting of specific cortical regions, which is common in human TMS paradigms.

Frequency and voltage dependent profile of dielectric properties, electric modulus and ac electrical conductivity in the PrBaCoO nanofiber capacitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Demirezen

Full Text Available In this study, praseodymium barium cobalt oxide nanofiber interfacial layer was sandwiched between Au and n-Si. Frequency and voltage dependence of ε′, ε′, tanδ, electric modulus (M′ and M″ and σac of PrBaCoO nanofiber capacitor have been investigated by using impedance spectroscopy method. The obtained experimental results show that the values of ε′, ε′, tanδ, M′, M″ and σac of the PrBaCoO nanofiber capacitor are strongly dependent on frequency of applied bias voltage. The values of ε′, ε″ and tanδ show a steep decrease with increasing frequency for each forward bias voltage, whereas the values of σac and the electric modulus increase with increasing frequency. The high dispersion in ε′ and ε″ values at low frequencies may be attributed to the Maxwell–Wagner and space charge polarization. The high values of ε′ may be due to the interfacial effects within the material, PrBaCoO nanofibers interfacial layer and electron effect. The values of M′ and M″ reach a maximum constant value corresponding to M∞ ≈ 1/ε∞ due to the relaxation process at high frequencies, but both the values of M′ and M″ approach almost to zero at low frequencies. The changes in the dielectric and electrical properties with frequency can be also attributed to the existence of Nss and Rs of the capacitors. As a result, the change in the ε′, ε″, tanδ, M′, M″ and ac electric conductivity (σac is a result of restructuring and reordering of charges at the PrBaCoO/n-Si interface under an external electric field or voltage and interface polarization. Keywords: Thin films, Electrical properties, Interface/interphase

Study of electric field distorted by space charges under positive lightning impulse voltage

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zezhong; Geng, Yinan

2018-03-01

Actually, many insulation problems are related to electric fields. And measuring electric fields is an important research topic of high-voltage engineering. In particular, the electric field distortion caused by space charge is the basis of streamer theory, and thus quantitatively measuring the Poisson electric field caused by space charge is significant to researching the mechanism of air gap discharge. In this paper, we used our photoelectric integrated sensor to measure the electric field distribution in a 1-m rod-plane gap under positive lightning impulse voltage. To verify the reliability of this quantitative measurement, we compared the measured results with calculated results from a numerical simulation. The electric-field time domain waveforms on the axis of the 1-m rod-plane out of the space charge zone were measured with various electrodes. The Poisson electric fields generated by space charge were separated from the Laplace electric field generated by applied voltages, and the amplitudes and variations were measured for various applied voltages and at various locations. This work also supplies the feasible basis for directly measuring strong electric field under high voltage.

Mimicking muscle activity with electrical stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Lise A.; Fuglevand, Andrew J.

2011-02-01

Functional electrical stimulation is a rehabilitation technology that can restore some degree of motor function in individuals who have sustained a spinal cord injury or stroke. One way to identify the spatio-temporal patterns of muscle stimulation needed to elicit complex upper limb movements is to use electromyographic (EMG) activity recorded from able-bodied subjects as a template for electrical stimulation. However, this requires a transfer function to convert the recorded (or predicted) EMG signals into an appropriate pattern of electrical stimulation. Here we develop a generalized transfer function that maps EMG activity into a stimulation pattern that modulates muscle output by varying both the pulse frequency and the pulse amplitude. We show that the stimulation patterns produced by this transfer function mimic the active state measured by EMG insofar as they reproduce with good fidelity the complex patterns of joint torque and joint displacement.

The electric strength of high-voltage transformers insulation at effect of partial dischargers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoshravan, E.; Zeraatparvar, A.; Gashimov, A.M.; Mehdizadeh, R.N.

2001-01-01

Full text : In paper the change of electric strength of high-voltage transformers insulation at the effect of partial discharges with space charge accumulation was investigated. It is revealed that the effect of partial discharges of insulation materials results the reduction of their pulsing electric strength which can restore the own initial value at releasing of saved charge the volume of a material under condition of absence the ineversible structural changes in it. Researches of high-voltage transformers insulation's non-failure operation conditions show, that at increasing of insulation work time in a strong electrical field the reduction of average breakdown voltages with simultaneous increasing of spread in discharge voltage values takes place. It authentically testifies to reduction of short-time discharge voltage of insulation materials during their electrical aging. As the basic reason of insulation electrical aging the partial discharges occurring in gas cavities inside insulation were considered. It is known that the space charges will be formed in insulation elements of high-voltage devices which effects in dielectrical property of these elements including the electric strength and the space charge formation can occur also at partial discharges in an alternating voltage while the service of high-voltage transformers. In the given work the experiments in revealing separate influence partial discharges in pulsing electric strength of insulation materials at presence and at absence inside them the space charge were spent

Deep Brain Electrical Stimulation in Epilepsy

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Luisa L.

2008-11-01

The deep brain electrical stimulation has been used for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, depression and epilepsy. Studies carried out in human brain indicate that the application of high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) at 130 Hz in limbic structures of patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy abolished clinical seizures and significantly decreased the number of interictal spikes at focus. The anticonvulsant effects of HFS seem to be more effective in patients with less severe epilepsy, an effect associated with a high GABA tissue content and a low rate of cell loss. In addition, experiments using models of epilepsy indicate that HFS (pulses of 60 μs width at 130 Hz at subthreshold current intensity) of specific brain areas avoids the acquisition of generalized seizures and enhances the postictal seizure suppression. HFS is also able to modify the status epilepticus. It is concluded that the effects of HFS may be a good strategy to reduce or avoid the epileptic activity.

Medical back belt with integrated neuromuscular electrical stimulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bottenberg, E. (Eliza); Brinks, G.J. (Ger); Hesse, J. (Jenny)

2014-01-01

The medical back belt with integrated neuromuscular electrical stimulation is anorthopedic device, which has two main functions. The first function is to stimulate the backmuscles by using a neuromuscular electrical stimulation device that releases regular,electrical impulses. The second function of

Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation During Hemodialysis on Peripheral Muscle Strength and Exercise Capacity: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Brüggemann, Ana Karla; Mello, Carolina Luana; Dal Pont, Tarcila; Hizume Kunzler, Deborah; Martins, Daniel Fernandes; Bobinski, Franciane; Pereira Yamaguti, Wellington; Paulin, Elaine

2017-05-01

To evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of high and low frequency and intensity, performed during hemodialysis, on physical function and inflammation markers in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Randomized clinical trial. Hemodialysis clinic. Patients with CKD (N=51) were randomized into blocks of 4 using opaque sealed envelopes. They were divided into a group of high frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation and a group of low frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation. The high frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation group was submitted to neuromuscular electrical stimulation at a frequency of 50Hz and a medium intensity of 72.90mA, and the low frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation group used a frequency of 5Hz and a medium intensity of 13.85mA, 3 times per week for 1 hour, during 12 sessions. Peripheral muscle strength, exercise capacity, levels of muscle trophism marker (insulin growth factor 1) and levels of proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor α) and anti-inflammatory (interleukin 10) cytokines. The high frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation group showed a significant increase in right peripheral muscle strength (155.35±65.32Nm initial vs 161.60±68.73Nm final; P=.01) and left peripheral muscle strength (156.60±66.51Nm initial vs 164.10±69.76Nm final; P=.02) after the training, which did not occur in the low frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation group for both right muscle strength (109.40±32.08Nm initial vs 112.65±38.44Nm final; P=.50) and left muscle strength (113.65±37.79Nm initial vs 116.15±43.01Nm final; P=.61). The 6-minute walk test distance (6MWTD) increased in both groups: high frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (435.55±95.81m initial vs 457.25±90.64m final; P=.02) and low frequency and intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (403.80�

Effect of Low Frequency Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Glucose Profile of Persons with Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georges Jabbour

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of low-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES on glucose profile in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Eight persons with T2DM (41 to 65 years completed a glucose tolerance test with and without NMES delivered to the knee extensors for a 1-hour period at 8 Hz. Three blood samples were collected: at rest, and then 60 and 120 minutes after consumption of a glucose load on the NMES and control days. In NMES groups glucose concentrations were significantly lower (P<0.01 than in the control conditions. Moreover, a significant positive correlation (r=0.9, P<0.01 was obtained between the intensity of stimulation and changes in blood glucose. Our results suggest that low-frequency stimulation seem suitable to induce enhance glucose uptake in persons with T2DM. Moreover, the intensity of stimulation reflecting the motor contraction should be considered during NMES procedure.

A Low-input-voltage Wireless Power Transfer for Biomedical Implants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Hao; Bai, Kangjun; Zhu, Weijie

2015-01-01

Wireless power transfer is an essential technology to increase implants' longevity. A pair of inductivelycoupled coils operating at radio-frequency is extensively used to deliver electrical power to implants wirelessly. In this system, a power conditioning circuit is required convert the induced...... in the rectifier for the efficient AC to DC conversion. This requirement results in larger coil size, shorter operating distance or more stringent geometrical alignment between the two coils. In this paper, a low-input-voltage wireless power transfer has been demonstrated. In this system, the opencircuit voltage...... time-varying AC power harvested by the receiving coil to a stable DC power that is needed for powering circuits and sensors. Most existing power conditioning circuits require the induced voltage of the receiving coil to be significantly higher than the turn-on voltage of the diodes used...

Dependences of the geometrical parameters of cell community on stimulation voltage and frequency in chick embryonic cardiomyocytes

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, Koki; Nomura, Fumimasa; Kaneko, Tomoyuki

2018-03-01

To investigate the optimal conditions for electrical stimulation, communities of lined-up chick embryonic cardiomyocytes were evaluated in terms of their threshold voltage for pacing (PVMin) and the half-maximum paced frequency (PF50), with a focus on the following factors: (1) the orientation of the major axis of cell communities to the electric field (EF) direction as the external factor; (2) the number of cells in a cell community, the length of the cell community, and the mean length of cells comprising the community as the internal factors. Firstly, PVMin decreased with increasing length of the cell network oriented parallel to the EF. PVMin was approximately 0.041 ± 0.025 V/mm when the community was sufficiently long. On the other hand, PVMin in the orthogonal orientation was constant at 1.7 ± 0.047 V/mm with no dependence on the length of the cell network. Secondly, we found that PF50 increased with increasing length of the cell network or the number of cells in the network; the PF50 values were 2.03 ± 0.05 and 3.39 ± 0.05 Hz when the respective cell network lengths were 100 µm (n = 43) and more than 300 µm (n = 6) and the cells were oriented parallel to the EF. These findings indicate that it is important to suppress ventricular fibrillation with minimal efficient stimulation by considering the EF direction with respect to the orientation of cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, expanded cells showed the loss of ability to respond to stimulation at higher frequencies. Cardiomyocytes combined with seeded fibroblasts as a cell network at a low density are a possible model of a ventricular remodeling heart.

Simulation of cold plasma in a chamber under high- and low-frequency voltage conditions for a capacitively coupled plasma

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hao Daoxin; Cheng Jia; Ji Linhong; Sun Yuchun

2012-01-01

The characteristics of cold plasma,especially for a dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (CCP),play an important role for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition,which stimulates further studies using different methods.In this paper,a 2D fluid model was constructed for N2 gas plasma simulations with CFD-ACE+,a commercial multi-physical software package.First,the distributions of electric potential (Epot),electron number density (Ne),N number density (N) and electron temperature (Te) are described under the condition of high frequency (HF),13.56 MHz,HF voltage,300 V,and low-frequency (LF) voltage,0 V,particularly in the sheath.Based on this,the influence of HF on Ne is further discussed under different HF voltages of 200 V,300 V,400 V,separately,along with the influence of LF,0.3 MHz,and various LF voltages of 500 V,600 V,700 V.The results show that sheaths of about 3 mm are formed near the two electrodes,in which Epot and Te vary extensively with time and space,while in the plasma bulk Epot changes synchronously with an electric potential of about 70 V and Te varies only in a small range.N is also modulated by the radio frequency,but the relative change in N is small.Ne varies only in the sheath,while in the bulk it is steady at different time steps.So,by comparing Ne in the plasma bulk at the steady state,we can see that Ne will increase when HF voltage increases.Yet,Ne will slightly decrease with the increase of LF voltage.At the same time,the homogeneity will change in both x and y directions.So both HF and LF voltages should be carefully considered in order to obtain a high-density,homogeneous plasma.

Integration of 100% Micro-Distributed Energy Resources in the Low Voltage Distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

You, Shi; Segerberg, Helena

2014-01-01

of heat pumps (HPs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) at 100% penetration level on a representative urban residential low voltage (LV) distribution network of Denmark are investigated by performing a steady-state load flow analysis through an integrated simulation setup. Three DERs integration...... oriented integration strategies, having 100% integration of DER in the provided LV network is feasible.......The existing electricity infrastructure may to a great extent limit a high penetration of the micro-sized Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), due to the physical bottlenecks, e.g. thermal capacitates of cables, transformers and the voltage limitations. In this study, the integration impacts...

Newton Output Blocking Force under Low-Voltage Stimulation for Carbon Nanotube-Electroactive Polymer Composite Artificial Muscles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, I-Wen Peter; Yang, Ming-Chia; Yang, Chia-Hui; Zhong, Dai-Xuan; Hsu, Ming-Chun; Chen, YiWen

2017-02-15

This is a study on the development of carbon nanotube-based composite actuators using a new ionic liquid-doped electroactive ionic polymer. For scalable production purposes, a simple hot-pressing method was used. Carbon nanotube/ionic liquid-Nafion/carbon nanotube composite films were fabricated that exhibited a large output blocking force and a stable cycling life with low alternating voltage stimuli in air. Of particular interest and importance, a blocking force of 1.5 N was achieved at an applied voltage of 6 V. Operational durability was confirmed by testing in air for over 30 000 cycles (or 43 h). The superior actuation performance of the carbon nanotube/ionic liquid-Nafion/carbon nanotube composite, coupled with easy manufacturability, low driving voltage, and reliable operation, promises great potential for artificial muscle and biomimetic applications.

Safety Training: "Habilitation électrique - Electrician Low Voltage - Initial" course in October

CERN Multimedia

Safety Training, HSE Unit

2016-01-01

The next session of the course "Habilitation électrique - Electrician Low Voltage - Initial" will be given, in French, from 03 to 05 October 2016.   This course is designed for anyone required to safely perform operations on electrical installations and equipment at low voltage to comply with the requirements of the NF C 18 510 standard. Grade of authorisation: B1-B1V-B2-B2V-BR-BC. There are places available. If you are interested in following this course, please fill in your EDH training request via our classroom course catalogue CTA.  

Improvement of diagnostic techniques and electrical circuit in azo dye degradation by high voltage electrical discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Yongjun; Lei Lecheng; Zhang Xingwang; Zhou Minghua; Zhang Yi

2008-01-01

Fast electrical diagnostics and improvement of electrical circuits for methyl orange (MO) degradation by high voltage pulsed electrical discharge were investigated. To eliminate electromagnetic radiation, several effective methods were employed. RG 218 coaxial cable was substituted for the common transmission lines to transmit high voltage pulses, and multi-lines in parallel were earthed to avoid electromagnetic interference and, additionally, to reduce the stray inductance of the electrical circuit and increase the pulse rise rate to reduce the energy losses in the transmission system. The problem of the differences in the bandwidths of voltage and current probes causing an error in the calculation of energy dissipation was avoided by reducing the bandwidths of voltage and current measurements to the same value. The real discharge current was obtained by subtracting the capacitive current from the total current. The energy per pulse obtained in the reactor before and after improvement of the diagnostics and electrical circuit were 15.5 mJ and 26.8 mJ, respectively, and the energy efficiencies of MO degradation were 1.34 x 10 -9 mol/J and 1.95 x 10 -9 mol/J, respectively

High Voltage Hybrid Electric Propulsion - Multilayered Functional Insulation System (MFIS) NASA-GRC

Science.gov (United States)

Lizcano, M.

2017-01-01

High power transmission cables pose a key challenge in future Hybrid Electric Propulsion Aircraft. The challenge arises in developing safe transmission lines that can withstand the unique environment found in aircraft while providing megawatts of power. High voltage AC, variable frequency cables do not currently exist and present particular electrical insulation challenges since electrical arcing and high heating are more prevalent at higher voltages and frequencies. Identifying and developing materials that maintain their dielectric properties at high voltage and frequencies is crucial.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces acute low back pain during emergency transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertalanffy, Alexander; Kober, Alexander; Bertalanffy, Petra; Gustorff, Burkhard; Gore, Odette; Adel, Sharam; Hoerauf, Klaus

2005-07-01

Patients with acute low back pain may require emergency transport because of pain and immobilization. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a nonpharmaceutical therapy for patients with low back pain. To evaluate the efficacy of paramedic-administered TENS in patients with acute low back pain during emergency transport. This was a prospective, randomized study involving 74 patients transported to hospital. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: group 1 (n = 36) was treated with true TENS, while group 2 (n = 36) was treated with sham TENS. The authors recorded pain and anxiety as the main outcome variables using a visual analog scale (VAS). The authors recorded a significant (p pain reduction (mean +/- standard deviation) during transport in group 1 (79.2 +/- 6.5 mm VAS to 48.9 +/- 8.2 mm VAS), whereas pain scores remained unchanged in group 2 (75.9 +/- 16.4 mm VAS and 77.1 +/- 11.2 mm VAS). Similarly, the scores for anxiety were significantly reduced (p TENS was found to be effective and rapid in reducing pain during emergency transport of patients with acute low back pain and should be considered due to its ease of use and lack of side effects in the study population.

Evoked Electromyographically Controlled Electrical Stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitsuhiro Hayashibe

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Time-variant muscle responses under electrical stimulation (ES are often problematic for all the applications of neuroprosthetic muscle control. This situation limits the range of ES usage in relevant areas, mainly due to muscle fatigue and also to changes in stimulation electrode contact conditions, especially in transcutaneous ES. Surface electrodes are still the most widely used in noninvasive applications.Electrical field variations caused by changes in the stimulation contact condition markedly affect the resulting total muscle activation levels. Fatigue phenomena under functional electrical stimulation (FES are also well known source of time-varying characteristics coming from muscle response under ES. Therefore it is essential to monitor the actual muscle state and assess the expected muscle response by ES so as to improve the current ES system in favour of adaptive muscle-response-aware FES control. To deal with this issue, we have been studying a novel control technique using evoked electromyography (eEMG signals to compensate for these muscle time-variances under ES for stable neuroprosthetic muscle control. In this perspective article, I overview the background of this topic and highlight important points to be aware of when using ES to induce the desired muscle activation regardless of the time-variance. I also demonstrate how to deal with the common critical problem of ES to move toward robust neuroprosthetic muscle control with the Evoked Electromyographically Controlled Electrical Stimulation paradigm.

[Electrical acupoint stimulation increases athletes' rapid strength].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hua-yuan; Liu, Tang-yi; Kuai, Le; Gao, Ming

2006-05-01

To search for a stimulation method for increasing athletes' performance. One hundred and fifty athletes were randomly divided into a trial group and a control group, 75 athletes in each group. Acupoints were stimulated with audio frequency pulse modulated wave and multi-blind method were used to investigate effects of the electric stimulation of acupoints on 30-meter running, standing long jumping and Cybex isokinetic testing index. The acupoint electric stimulation method could significantly increase athlete's performance (P < 0.05), and the biomechanical indexes, maximal peak moment of force (P < 0.05), force moment accelerating energy (P < 0.05) and average power (P < 0.05). Electrical acupoint stimulation can enhance athlete's rapid strength.

High- and low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not reduce experimental pain in elderly individuals

OpenAIRE

Bergeron-V?zina, Kayla; Corriveau, H?l?ne; Martel, Marylie; Harvey, Marie-Philippe; L?onard, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Abstract Despite its widespread clinical use, the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) remains poorly documented in elderly individuals. In this randomized, double-blind crossover study, we compared the efficacy of high-frequency (HF), low-frequency (LF), and placebo (P) TENS in a group of 15 elderly adults (mean age: 67 ? 5 years). The effect of HF-, LF-, and P-TENS was also evaluated in a group of 15 young individuals (26 ? 5 years; same study design) to validate t...

Vivitron 1995, transient voltage simulation, high voltage insulator tests, electric field calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frick, G.; Osswald, F.; Heusch, B.

1996-01-01

Preliminary investigations showed clearly that, because of the discrete electrode structure of the Vivitron, important overvoltage leading to insulator damage can appear in case of a spark. The first high voltage tests showed damage connected with such events. This fact leads to a severe voltage limitation. This work describes, at first, studies made to understand the effects of transients and the associated over-voltage appearing in the Vivitron. Then we present the high voltage tests made with full size Vivitron components using the CN 6 MV machine as a pilot machine. Extensive field calculations were made. These involve simulations of static stresses and transient overvoltages, on insulating boards and electrodes. This work gave us the solutions for arrangements and modifications in the machine. After application, the Vivitron runs now without any sparks and damage at 20 MV. In the same manner, we tested column insulators of a new design and so we will find out how to get to higher voltages. Electric field calculation around the tie bars connecting the discrete electrodes together showed field enhancements when the voltages applied on the discrete electrodes are not equally distributed. This fact is one of the sources of discharges and voltage limitations. A scenario of a spark event is described and indications are given how to proceed towards higher voltages, in the 30 MV range. (orig.)

Technical challenges for electric power industries due to grid-integrated electric vehicles in low voltage distributions: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haidar, Ahmed M.A.; Muttaqi, Kashem M.; Sutanto, Danny

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Grid-Integrated Vehicles (GIVs) as mobile storage systems are briefly discussed. • Comparative analysis on electric vehicles (EVs) and charging systems are provided. • It is necessary to coordinate the GIVs to minimize its impacts on power grid. • A proper load model of EVs that predicts the realistic system behavior is required. • Offering a dual tariff by grid utilities is needed as a way to reduce peak load. - Abstract: Grid-Integrated Vehicles (GIVs) are promising technologies for future Smart Grid (SG) and offer the potential to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles. The large scale deployment of GIVs without proper control of the time to charge the vehicles can result in unexpected challenges. This can lead to a disruptive impact on the current power distribution systems and in particular its substantial impacts in building power energy systems. Therefore, a proper model that predicts the realistic system behavior is required to analysis the true effects of introducing GIVs in the power grid. This paper presents a review of existing studies on GIV systems, their modeling techniques and their effects on power grids. Following a brief overview of the common types of electric vehicles (EVs) with their charging systems, a review of their impact on the low voltage distribution systems will be analyzed. The comprehensive review presented in this paper reveals that the impact of GIVs on power distribution systems can be quantified using the aspects of EVs, such as vehicle penetration, charging time, charging characteristics, driving patterns, transportation network. GIV studies are expected to be more popular in future years with the development of EV technologies and the government support to electricity utilities. Thereby, these factors will reduce the cost of energy to charge EV and enhance the practical implications of GIVs

A structured approach to increase situational awareness in low voltage distribution grids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helmholt, K.A.; Groote Schaarsberg, M.; Broersma, T.; Morren, J.; Kruizinga, B.; Wouters, P.A.A.F.; Steennis, E.F.; Baldinger, F.

2015-01-01

Wear and tear, electrification and aging of (low voltage) distribution grids require maintenance in order to assure continuous provision of electricity. Situational awareness is required to find out when parts of the grid need maintenance and which parts should be prioritized. The paper proposes a

Reproducible low-voltage resistive switching in a low-initial-resistance Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Songlin; Gang Jianlei; Li Jie; Chu Haifeng; Zheng Dongning

2008-01-01

Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics are investigated in a low-initial-resistance Ag/Pr 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 /Pt sandwich structure. It is found that the junction can show stable low and high resistance states in ±0.3 V voltage sweeping cycles. The set and reset voltage values are, respectively, +0.1 V and -0.2 V, which are very low as compared with those reported previously. Furthermore, the I-V curves in both resistance states exhibit rather linear behaviour, without any signature of metal/insulator interface effects. This implies that the Schottky interface mechanism might not be an indispensable factor for the colossal electroresistance effect. The origin of low switching voltages is attributed to the reduced effective distance for electric field action due to the sufficient oxygen content of the PCMO layer. The underlying physics is discussed in terms of the filament network model together with the field-induced oxygen vacancy motion model

Analysis and Comparison of Voltage Dependent Charging Strategies for Single-Phase Electric Vehicles in an Unbalanced Danish Distribution Grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Álvarez, Jorge Nájera; Knezovic, Katarina; Marinelli, Mattia

2016-01-01

This paper studies four voltage dependent solutions for modulating the charging of multiple Electric Vehicles (EVs) in a real Danish network. Uncontrolled EV charging, especially in grid with high EV penetration, can result in overloaded lines and transformers, low-voltages and other performance...

Voltage Management in Unbalanced Low Voltage Networks Using a Decoupled Phase-Tap-Changer Transformer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coppo, Massimiliano; Turri, Roberto; Marinelli, Mattia

2014-01-01

The paper studies a medium voltage-low voltage transformer with a decoupled on load tap changer capability on each phase. The overall objective is the evaluation of the potential benefits on a low voltage network of such possibility. A realistic Danish low voltage network is used for the analysis...

The Effect of Electrical Stimulation in Improving Muscle Tone (Clinical)

Science.gov (United States)

Azman, M. F.; Azman, A. W.

2017-11-01

Electrical stimulation (ES) and also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) involves the use of electrical current to stimulate the nerves or nerve endings that innervate muscle beneath the skin. Electrical stimulation may be applied superficially on the skin (transcutaneously) or directly into a muscle or muscles (intramuscularly) for the primary purpose of enhancing muscle function. The basic theoretical premise is that if the peripheral nerve can be stimulated, the resulting excitation impulse will be transmitted along the nerve to the motor endplates in the muscle, producing a muscle contraction. In this work, the effect of mere electrical stimulation to the muscle bulk and strength are tested. This paper explains how electrical stimulation can affect the muscle bulk, muscle size, muscle tone, muscle atrophy and muscle strength. The experiment and data collection are performed on 5 subjects and the results obtained are analyzed. This research aims to understand the full potential of electrical stimulation and identifying its possible benefits or disadvantages to the muscle properties. The results indicated that electrical stimulation alone able to improve muscle properties but with certain limits and precautions which might be useful in rehabilitation programme.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: nonparallel antinociceptive effects on chronic clinical pain and acute experimental pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheing, G L; Hui-Chan, C W

1999-03-01

To investigate to what extent a single 60-minute session of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) would modify chronic clinical pain, acute experimental pain, and the flexion reflex evoked in chronic low back pain patients. Thirty young subjects with chronic low back pain were randomly allocated to two groups, receiving either TENS or placebo stimulation to the lumbosacral region for 60 minutes. The flexion reflex was elicited by an electrical stimulation applied to the subject's right sole and recorded electromyographically from the biceps femoris and the tibialis anterior muscles. Subjective sensation of low back pain and the electrically induced pain were measured by two separate visual analog scales, termed VAS(LBP) and VAS(FR), respectively. Data obtained before, during, and 60 minutes after TENS and placebo stimulations were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. The VAS(LBP) score was significantly reduced to 63.1% of the prestimulation value after TENS (pTENS protocol had different degrees of antinociceptive influence on chronic and acute pain in chronic low back pain patients.

Transcranial electrical stimulation accelerates human sleep homeostasis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davide Reato

Full Text Available The sleeping brain exhibits characteristic slow-wave activity which decays over the course of the night. This decay is thought to result from homeostatic synaptic downscaling. Transcranial electrical stimulation can entrain slow-wave oscillations (SWO in the human electro-encephalogram (EEG. A computational model of the underlying mechanism predicts that firing rates are predominantly increased during stimulation. Assuming that synaptic homeostasis is driven by average firing rates, we expected an acceleration of synaptic downscaling during stimulation, which is compensated by a reduced drive after stimulation. We show that 25 minutes of transcranial electrical stimulation, as predicted, reduced the decay of SWO in the remainder of the night. Anatomically accurate simulations of the field intensities on human cortex precisely matched the effect size in different EEG electrodes. Together these results suggest a mechanistic link between electrical stimulation and accelerated synaptic homeostasis in human sleep.

Methods and Strategies for Overvoltage Prevention in Low Voltage Distribution Systems with PV

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hashemi Toghroljerdi, Seyedmostafa; Østergaard, Jacob

2016-01-01

to handle a high share of PV power. This paper provides an in-depth review of methods and strategies proposed to prevent overvoltage in LV grids with PV, and discusses the effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages of them in detail. Based on the mathematical framework presented in the paper......, the overvoltage caused by high PV penetration is described, solutions to facilitate higher PV penetration are classified, and their effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages are illustrated. The investigated solutions include the grid reinforcement, electrical energy storage application, reactive power...... absorption by PV inverters, application of active medium voltage to low voltage (MV/LV) transformers, active power curtailment, and demand response (DR). Coordination between voltage control units by localized, distributed, and centralized voltage control methods is compared using the voltage sensitivity...

Reliability of supply of switchgear for auxiliary low voltage in substations extra high voltage to high voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perić Dragoslav M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Switchgear for auxiliary low voltage in substations (SS of extra high voltages (EHV to high voltage (HV - SS EHV/HV kV/kV is of special interest for the functioning of these important SS, as it provides a supply for system of protection and other vital functions of SS. The article addresses several characteristic examples involving MV lines with varying degrees of independence of their supply, and the possible application of direct transformation EHV/LV through special voltage transformers. Auxiliary sources such as inverters and diesel generators, which have limited power and expensive energy, are also used for the supply of switchgear for auxiliary low voltage. Corresponding reliability indices are calculated for all examples including mean expected annual engagement of diesel generators. The applicability of certain solutions of switchgear for auxiliary low voltage SS EHV/HV, taking into account their reliability, feasibility and cost-effectiveness is analyzed too. In particular, the analysis of applications of direct transformation EHV/LV for supply of switchgear for auxiliary low voltage, for both new and existing SS EHV/HV.

The degradation diagnosis of low voltage cables used at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Toshio; Ashida, Tetsuya; Ikeda, Takeshi; Yasuhara, Takeshi; Takechi, Kei; Araki, Shogo

2001-01-01

Low voltage cables which have been used for the supply of electric power and the propagation of control signals in nuclear power plants must be sound for safe and stable operation. The long use of nuclear power plants has been reviewed, and the degradation diagnosis to estimate the soundness of low voltage cables has been emphasized. Mitsubishi Cable Industries has established a degradation diagnosis method of cables which convert the velocity of ultrasonic wave in the surface layer of the cable insulation or jacket into breaking elongation, and has developed a degradation diagnosis equipment of low voltage cables used at nuclear power plants in cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This equipment can be moved by an ultrasonic probe by sequential control and measure the ultrasonic velocity automatically. It is capable of a fast an sensitive diagnosis of the cables. We report the outline of this degradation diagnosis equipment and an example of the adaptability estimation at an actual nuclear power plant. (author)

Dual patch voltage clamp study of low membrane resistance astrocytes in situ.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Baofeng; Xu, Guangjin; Wang, Wei; Enyeart, John J; Zhou, Min

2014-03-17

Whole-cell patch clamp recording has been successfully used in identifying the voltage-dependent gating and conductance properties of ion channels in a variety of cells. However, this powerful technique is of limited value in studying low membrane resistance cells, such as astrocytes in situ, because of the inability to control or accurately measure the real amplitude of command voltages. To facilitate the study of ionic conductances of astrocytes, we have developed a dual patch recording method which permits membrane current and membrane potential to be simultaneously recorded from astrocytes in spite of their extraordinarily low membrane resistance. The utility of this technique is demonstrated by measuring the voltage-dependent activation of the inwardly rectifying K+ current abundantly expressed in astrocytes and multiple ionic events associated with astrocytic GABAA receptor activation. This protocol can be performed routinely in the study of astrocytes. This method will be valuable for identifying and characterizing the individual ion channels that orchestrate the electrical activity of low membrane resistance cells.

Towards low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs with solution-processed high-k dielectric and interface engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaorong Su

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Although impressive progress has been made in improving the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs, the high operation voltage resulting from the low gate capacitance density of traditional SiO2 remains a severe limitation that hinders OTFTs'development in practical applications. In this regard, developing new materials with high-k characteristics at low cost is of great scientific and technological importance in the area of both academia and industry. Here, we introduce a simple solution-based technique to fabricate high-k metal oxide dielectric system (ATO at low-temperature, which can be used effectively to realize low-voltage operation of OTFTs. On the other hand, it is well known that the properties of the dielectric/semiconductor and electrode/semiconductor interfaces are crucial in controlling the electrical properties of OTFTs. By optimizing the above two interfaces with octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA self-assembled monolayer (SAM and properly modified low-cost Cu, obviously improved device performance is attained in our low-voltage OTFTs. Further more, organic electronic devices on flexible substrates have attracted much attention due to their low-cost, rollability, large-area processability, and so on. Basing on the above results, outstanding electrical performance is achieved in flexible devices. Our studies demonstrate an effective way to realize low-voltage, high-performance OTFTs at low-cost.

Electrical Tree Initiation and Growth in Silicone Rubber under Combined DC-Pulse Voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Han

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Electrical tree is a serious threat to silicone rubber (SIR insulation and can even cause breakdown. Electrical trees under alternating current (AC and direct current (DC voltage have been widely researched. While there are pulses in high-voltage direct current (HVDC cables under operating conditions caused by lightning and operating overvoltage in the power system, little research has been reported about trees under combined DC-pulse voltage. Their inception and growth mechanism is still not clear. In this paper, electrical trees are studied under several types of combined DC-pulse voltage. The initiation and growth process was recorded by a digital microscope system. The experimental results indicate that the inception pulse voltage is different under each voltage type and is influenced by the combined DC. The initial tree has two structures, determined by the pulse polarity. With increased DC prestressing time, tree inception pulse voltage with the same polarity is clearly decreased. Moreover, a special initial bubble tree was observed after the prestressing DC.

[Real-time Gait Training System with Embedded Functional Electrical Stimulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Linyan; Ruan, Zhaomin; Jia, Guifeng; Xla, Jing; Qiu, Lijian; Wu, Changwang; Jin, Xiaoqing; Ning, Gangmin

2015-07-01

To solve the problem that mostly gait analysis is independent from the treatment, this work proposes a system that integrates the functions of gait training and assessment for foot drop treatment. The system uses a set of sensors to collect gait parameters and designes multi-mode functional electrical stimulators as actuator. Body area network technology is introduced to coordinate the data communication and execution of the sensors and stimulators, synchronize the gait analysis and foot drop treatment. Bluetooth 4.0 is applied to low the power consumption of the system. The system realizes the synchronization of treatment and gait analysis. It is able to acquire and analyze the dynamic parameters of ankle, knee and hip in real-time, and treat patients by guiding functional electrical stimulation delivery to the specific body locations of patients.

A Comparative Study of Electric Load Curve Changes in an Urban Low-Voltage Substation in Spain during the Economic Crisis (2008–2013)

Science.gov (United States)

Lara-Santillán, Pedro M.; Mendoza-Villena, Montserrat; Fernández-Jiménez, L. Alfredo; Mañana-Canteli, Mario

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comparative study of the electricity consumption (EC) in an urban low-voltage substation before and during the economic crisis (2008–2013). This low-voltage substation supplies electric power to near 400 users. The EC was measured for an 11-year period (2002–2012) with a sampling time of 1 minute. The study described in the paper consists of detecting the changes produced in the load curves of this substation along the time due to changes in the behaviour of consumers. The EC was compared using representative curves per time period (precrisis and crisis). These representative curves were obtained after a computational process, which was based on a search for days with similar curves to the curve of a determined (base) date. This similitude was assessed by the proximity on the calendar, day of the week, daylight time, and outdoor temperature. The last selection parameter was the error between the nearest neighbour curves and the base date curve. The obtained representative curves were linearized to determine changes in their structure (maximum and minimum consumption values, duration of the daily time slot, etc.). The results primarily indicate an increase in the EC in the night slot during the summer months in the crisis period. PMID:24895677

A Comparative Study of Electric Load Curve Changes in an Urban Low-Voltage Substation in Spain during the Economic Crisis (2008–2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro M. Lara-Santillán

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a comparative study of the electricity consumption (EC in an urban low-voltage substation before and during the economic crisis (2008–2013. This low-voltage substation supplies electric power to near 400 users. The EC was measured for an 11-year period (2002–2012 with a sampling time of 1 minute. The study described in the paper consists of detecting the changes produced in the load curves of this substation along the time due to changes in the behaviour of consumers. The EC was compared using representative curves per time period (precrisis and crisis. These representative curves were obtained after a computational process, which was based on a search for days with similar curves to the curve of a determined (base date. This similitude was assessed by the proximity on the calendar, day of the week, daylight time, and outdoor temperature. The last selection parameter was the error between the nearest neighbour curves and the base date curve. The obtained representative curves were linearized to determine changes in their structure (maximum and minimum consumption values, duration of the daily time slot, etc.. The results primarily indicate an increase in the EC in the night slot during the summer months in the crisis period.

Modular low-voltage electron beams

Science.gov (United States)

Berejka, Anthony J.; Avnery, Tovi; Carlson, Carl

2004-09-01

Modular, low-voltage systems have simplified electron beam (EB) technology for industrial uses and for research and development. Modular EB units are produced in quantity as sealed systems that are evacuated at the factory eliminating the need for vacuum pumps at the point of use. A simple plug-out—plug-in method of replacement eliminates downtime for servicing. Use of ultra-thin beam windows (innovative design to extract and spread the beam (enabling systems to be placed adjacent to each other to extend beam width) and touch-screen computer controls, combine for ease of use and electrical transfer efficiency at voltages that can be varied between 80 and 150 kV and with high beam currents (up to 40 mA across the 25 cm window). These electron systems are available in three widths, the standard 25 cm and new 5 and 40 cm beams. Traditional uses in the graphic arts and coatings areas as well as uses in surface sterilization have found these compact, lightweight (approximately 15 kg) modular beams of interest. Units have been configured around complex shapes to enable three-dimensional surface curing (as for coatings on aluminum tubing) to be achieved at high production rates. Details of the beam construction and some industrial uses are discussed.

Mitigation of Unbalanced Voltage Sags and Voltage Unbalance in CIGRE Low Voltage Distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustafa, Ghullam; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Mahat, Pukar

2013-01-01

Any problem with voltage in a power network is undesirable as it aggravates the quality of the power. Power electronic devices such as Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) etc. can be used to mitigate the voltage problems in the distribution system...... to unbalanced faults. The compensation of unbalanced voltage sags and voltage unbalance in the CIGRE distribution network is done by using the four STATCOM compensators already existing in the test grid. The simulations are carried out in DIgSILENT power factory software version 15.0........ The voltage problems dealt with in this paper are to show how to mitigate unbalanced voltage sags and voltage unbalance in the CIGRE Low Voltage (LV) test network and net-works like this. The voltage unbalances, for the tested cases in the CIGRE LV test network are mainly due to single phase loads and due...

Microelectrode-assisted low-voltage atmospheric pressure glow discharge in air

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenzheng; Zhao, Shuai; Niu, Jiangqi; Chai, Maolin

2017-09-01

During the process of discharge, appropriately changing the paths corresponding to electric field lines and the field strength distribution along these paths, as well as increasing the number of initial electrons, can effectively enhance the uniformity of discharge and inhibit the formation of filamentary discharge. A method is proposed that uses a microelectrode to initiate the macroscopic discharge phenomenon. An asymmetric structure was designed comprising a single electrode of carbon fiber; this electrode structure is of helical-contact type. Benefitting from the special electric field distribution and the microdischarge process, a three-dimensional atmospheric pressure glow discharge was achieved in air, characterized by low discharge voltage, low energy consumption, good diffusion performance, and less ozone generation. The plasma studied is uniform and stable with good diffusion characteristics and low levels of contaminants and hence has potential applications in the field of air purification.

Electrocardiogram voltage discordance: Interpretation of low QRS voltage only in the precordial leads.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Diana H; Verdino, Ralph J

To define clinical correlates of low voltage isolated to precordial leads on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Low voltage (V) on the ECG is defined as QRS Vvoltage isolated to the precordial leads with normal limb lead voltages is unclear. Twelve-lead ECGs with QRS V>5mm in one or more limb leads and voltage was found in 256 of 150,000 ECGs (~0.2%). 50.4% of patients had discordant ECGs that correlated with classic etiologies, with a higher incidence of LV dilation in those with classic etiologies than those without. Low precordial voltage is associated with classic etiologies and LV dilation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low Power/Low Voltage Interface Circuitry for Capacitive Sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Furst, Claus Efdmann

This thesis focuses mainly on low power/low voltage interface circuits, implemented in CMOS, for capacitive sensors. A brief discussion of demands and possibilities for analog signal processing in the future is presented. Techniques for low power design is presented. This is done by analyzing power...... power consumption. It is shown that the Sigma-Delta modulator is advantageous when embedded in a feedback loop with a mechanical sensor. Here a micro mechanical capacitive microphone. Feedback and detection circuitry for a capacitive microphone is presented. Practical implementations of low power....../low voltage interface circuitry is presented. It is demonstrated that an amplifier optimized for a capacitive microphone implemented in a standard 0.7 micron CMOS technology competes well with a traditional JFET amplifier. Furthermore a low power/low voltage 3rd order Sigma-Delta modulator is presented...

Electrical stimulation treatment for facial palsy after revision pleomorphic adenoma surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldie, Simon; Sandeman, Jack; Cole, Richard; Dennis, Simon; Swain, Ian

2016-04-22

Surgery for pleomorphic adenoma recurrence presents a significant risk of facial nerve damage that can result in facial weakness effecting patients' ability to communicate, mental health and self-image. We report two case studies that had marked facial weakness after resection of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma and their progress with electrical stimulation. Subjects received electrical stimulation twice daily for 24 weeks during which photographs of expressions, facial measurements and Sunnybrook scores were recorded. Both subjects recovered good facial function demonstrating Sunnybrook scores of 54 and 64 that improved to 88 and 96, respectively. Neither subjects demonstrated adverse effects of treatment. We conclude that electrical stimulation is a safe treatment and may improve facial palsy in patients after resection of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma. Larger studies would be difficult to pursue due to the low incidence of cases. Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016.

Methodology for the assessment of possible damages in low voltage equipment due to lightning surges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuo, Nelson M.; Kagan, Nelson [University of Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil)], Emails: matsuonm@usp.br, nelsonk@pea.usp.br; Domingues, Ivo T. [AES Eletropaulo, SP (Brazil); Jesus, Nelson C. de [AES Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Silva, Marcelo H.I. da [Grupo Rede, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Takauti, Edson H. [Bandeirante, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2007-07-01

This paper deals with the development of a methodology to assess the possibility of equipment damages in low voltage customers due to lightning surges. The main objective is to incorporate this methodology in a computation system that supports distribution companies to determine the possible causes of equipment damages claimed by customers and to decide whether the claims are to be reimbursed or not. The proposed methodology determines whether a specific customer could be affected by a lightning strike according to his/her location and to the lightning main parameters, by using data from a lightning detection system and from the specific equipment surge withstand capability. A specific study using ATP (Alternative Transients Program) was carried out to assess the propagation of lightning surges in electric power distribution systems and their impact over low voltage customers. On the other hand, the withstand capability of the main household appliances was determined by a series of tests carried out in the University's power quality laboratory. The paper details the modeling used for simulation, such as network configuration, grounding points, and modelling of insulator flashover, distribution transformer, low voltage loads. It also presents some results regarding the evaluation of over voltages in low voltage customers installations. A practical method is proposed for assessing the possibility of equipment damage and describes how the existing uncertainties were handled. Also, some issues regarding the withstand capability of electric household appliances to lightning surges are discussed and some results of the laboratory tests are presented. (author)

Mitigation of Voltage Sags in CIGRE Low Voltage Distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustafa, Ghullam; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Mahat, Pukar

2013-01-01

Any problem in voltage in a power network is undesirable as it aggravates the quality of the power. Power electronic devices such as Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) etc. are commonly used for the mitigation of voltage p....... The compensation of voltage sags in the different parts of CIGRE distribution network is done by using the four STATCOM compensators already existing in the test grid. The simulations are carried out in DIgSILENT power factory software version 15.0.......Any problem in voltage in a power network is undesirable as it aggravates the quality of the power. Power electronic devices such as Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) etc. are commonly used for the mitigation of voltage...... problems in the distribution system. The voltage problems dealt with in this paper are to show how to mitigate voltage sags in the CIGRE Low Voltage (LV) test network and networks like this. The voltage sags, for the tested cases in the CIGRE LV test network are mainly due to three phase faults...

Inhibition of the voltage-dependent chloride channel of Torpedo electric organ by diisopropylfluorophosphate and its reversal by oximes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abalis, I.M.; Chiang, P.K.; Wirtz, R.A.; Andre, R.G.

1986-01-01

Diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), a potent organophosphate inhibitor of cholinesterases, was found to inhibit the specific binding of [ 35 S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS), specific chloride channels ligand, to the electric organ membranes of Torpedo, with a Ki of 21 +/- 3 μM. The binding sites of [ 35 S]TBPS in the Torpedo membranes were found not to be GABA receptors or nicotinic acetylcholine receptors as previously described. Interestingly, a stimulation of the binding of [ 35 S]TBPS was observed in the presence of atropine and three oximes, monopyridinium oxime 2-PAM, bispyridinium bis-oxime TMB-4 and H-oxime HI-6. The maximal stimulation was 300-500% of control, after which, the stimulation was reversed at higher concentrations. The three oximes protected by more than 95% the inhibition by 1 mM DFP of the binding of [ 35 S]TBPS to the voltage-dependent chloride channel. However, atropine protected only 20% of the inhibited channel. These results, thus, suggest that the protection against the toxic effects of DFP or other anticholinesterase agents by the tested oximes may not be solely a result of the reactivation of cholinesterases but also the protection of the voltage-dependent chloride channel

Automatic Power-Sharing Modification of P/V Droop Controllers in Low-Voltage Resistive Microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

L. Vandoorn, Tine; D. M. De Kooning, Jeroen; Meersman, Bart

2012-01-01

Microgrids are receiving an increasing interest to integrate the growing share of distributed-generation (DG) units in the electrical network. For the islanded operation of themicrogrid, several control strategies for the primary control have been developed to ensure stable microgrid operation....... In low-voltage (LV) microgrids, active power/voltage ( P/V ) droop controllers are gaining attention as they take the resistive nature of the network lines and the lack of directly coupled rotating inertia into account. However, a problem often cited with these droop controllers is that the grid voltage...... is not a global parameter. This can influence the power sharing between different units. In this paper, it is investigated whether this is actually a disadvantage of the control strategy. It is shown that with / droop control, the DG units that are located electrically far from the load centers automatically...

DC injection into low voltage AC networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

This report summarises the results of a study investigating the impact of levels of injected DC current injections on a low voltage AC distribution network systems in order to recommend acceptable limits of DC from microgeneration. Relevant literature is reviewed, and the impact of DC levels in distribution transformers, transformer modelling, and instrumental transformers are discussed. The impact of DC in residual current devices (RCD) and in domestic electricity watt hour meters is examined along with DC enhanced corrosion, corrosion failure, and the measurement of DC current injection. Sources of DC injection outlined include DC from computer power supplies, network faults, geomagnetic phenomena, lighting circuits/dimmers, and embedded generators.

Automatic Calibration of High Density Electric Muscle Stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knibbe, Jarrod; Strohmeier, Paul; Boring, Sebastian

2017-01-01

. (2) EMS requires time consuming, expert calibration -- confining these interaction techniques to the lab. EMS arrays have been shown to increase stimulation resolution, but as calibration complexity increases exponentially as more electrodes are used, we require heuristics or automated procedures......Electric muscle stimulation (EMS) can enable mobile force feedback, support pedestrian navigation, or confer object affordances. To date, however, EMS is limited by two interlinked problems. (1) EMS is low resolution -- achieving only coarse movements and constraining opportunities for exploration...... for successful calibration. We explore the feasibility of using electromyography (EMG) to auto-calibrate high density EMS arrays. We determine regions of muscle activity during human-performed gestures, to inform stimulation patterns for EMS-performed gestures. We report on a study which shows that auto...

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation improves low back pain during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Keskin, E A; Onur, O; Keskin, H L; Gumus, I I; Kafali, H; Turhan, N

2012-01-01

To compare the efficiency of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with those of exercise and acetaminophen for the treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain (LBP) during the third trimester of pregnancy. This prospective study included 79 subjects (≥32 gestational weeks) with visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores ≥5. Participants were divided randomly into a control group (n = 21) and three treatment groups [exercise (n = 19); acetaminophen (n = 19); TENS (n = 20)]. The VAS and the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ) were completed before and 3 weeks after treatment to assess the impact of pain on daily activities. During the study period, pain intensity increased in 57% of participants in the control group, whereas pain decreased in 95% of participants in the exercise group and in all participants in the acetaminophen and TENS groups. Post-treatment VAS and RMDQ values were significantly lower in the treatment groups (p pain relief in the TENS group than in the exercise and acetaminophen groups (p TENS application on pregnant women was observed during the study. TENS is an effective and safe treatment modality for LBP during pregnancy. TENS improved LBP more effectively than did exercise and acetaminophen. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Immediate effect of laryngeal surface electrical stimulation on swallowing performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Keizo; Hori, Kazuhiro; Hayashi, Hirokazu; Fujiu-Kurachi, Masako; Ono, Takahiro; Tsujimura, Takanori; Magara, Jin; Inoue, Makoto

2018-01-01

Surface electrical stimulation of the laryngeal region is used to improve swallowing in dysphagic patients. However, little is known about how electrical stimulation affects tongue movements and related functions. We investigated the effect of electrical stimulation on tongue pressure and hyoid movement, as well as suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscle activity, in 18 healthy young participants. Electrical stimulation (0.2-ms duration, 80 Hz, 80% of each participant's maximal tolerance) of the laryngeal region was applied. Each subject swallowed 5 ml of barium sulfate liquid 36 times at 10-s intervals. During the middle 2 min, electrical stimulation was delivered. Tongue pressure, electromyographic activity of the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles, and videofluorographic images were simultaneously recorded. Tongue pressure during stimulation was significantly lower than before or after stimulation and was significantly greater after stimulation than at baseline. Suprahyoid activity after stimulation was larger than at baseline, while infrahyoid muscle activity did not change. During stimulation, the position of the hyoid at rest was descended, the highest hyoid position was significantly inferior, and the vertical movement was greater than before or after stimulation. After stimulation, the positions of the hyoid at rest and at the maximum elevation were more superior than before stimulation. The deviation of the highest positions of the hyoid before and after stimulation corresponded to the differences in tongue pressures at those times. These results suggest that surface electrical stimulation applied to the laryngeal region during swallowing may facilitate subsequent hyoid movement and tongue pressure generation after stimulation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Surface electrical stimulation applied to the laryngeal region during swallowing may facilitate subsequent hyoid movement and tongue pressure generation after stimulation. Tongue muscles may contribute to overshot recovery

Increase the threshold voltage of high voltage GaN transistors by low temperature atomic hydrogen treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erofeev, E. V., E-mail: erofeev@micran.ru [Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Research Institute of Electrical-Communication Systems (Russian Federation); Fedin, I. V.; Kutkov, I. V. [Research and Production Company “Micran” (Russian Federation); Yuryev, Yu. N. [National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Institute of Physics and Technology (Russian Federation)

2017-02-15

High-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on AlGaN/GaN epitaxial heterostructures are a promising element base for the fabrication of high voltage electronic devices of the next generation. This is caused by both the high mobility of charge carriers in the transistor channel and the high electric strength of the material, which makes it possible to attain high breakdown voltages. For use in high-power switches, normally off-mode GaN transistors operating under enhancement conditions are required. To fabricate normally off GaN transistors, one most frequently uses a subgate region based on magnesium-doped p-GaN. However, optimization of the p-GaN epitaxial-layer thickness and the doping level makes it possible to attain a threshold voltage of GaN transistors close to V{sub th} = +2 V. In this study, it is shown that the use of low temperature treatment in an atomic hydrogen flow for the p-GaN-based subgate region before the deposition of gate-metallization layers makes it possible to increase the transistor threshold voltage to V{sub th} = +3.5 V. The effects under observation can be caused by the formation of a dipole layer on the p-GaN surface induced by the effect of atomic hydrogen. The heat treatment of hydrogen-treated GaN transistors in a nitrogen environment at a temperature of T = 250°C for 12 h reveals no degradation of the transistor’s electrical parameters, which can be caused by the formation of a thermally stable dipole layer at the metal/p-GaN interface as a result of hydrogenation.

Increase the threshold voltage of high voltage GaN transistors by low temperature atomic hydrogen treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erofeev, E. V.; Fedin, I. V.; Kutkov, I. V.; Yuryev, Yu. N.

2017-01-01

High-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on AlGaN/GaN epitaxial heterostructures are a promising element base for the fabrication of high voltage electronic devices of the next generation. This is caused by both the high mobility of charge carriers in the transistor channel and the high electric strength of the material, which makes it possible to attain high breakdown voltages. For use in high-power switches, normally off-mode GaN transistors operating under enhancement conditions are required. To fabricate normally off GaN transistors, one most frequently uses a subgate region based on magnesium-doped p-GaN. However, optimization of the p-GaN epitaxial-layer thickness and the doping level makes it possible to attain a threshold voltage of GaN transistors close to V_t_h = +2 V. In this study, it is shown that the use of low temperature treatment in an atomic hydrogen flow for the p-GaN-based subgate region before the deposition of gate-metallization layers makes it possible to increase the transistor threshold voltage to V_t_h = +3.5 V. The effects under observation can be caused by the formation of a dipole layer on the p-GaN surface induced by the effect of atomic hydrogen. The heat treatment of hydrogen-treated GaN transistors in a nitrogen environment at a temperature of T = 250°C for 12 h reveals no degradation of the transistor’s electrical parameters, which can be caused by the formation of a thermally stable dipole layer at the metal/p-GaN interface as a result of hydrogenation.

Controlled Operation of the Islanded Portion of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE Low Voltage Distribution Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghullam Mustafa Bhutto

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In islanding, a portion of the power network, comprised of the loads and distributed generation (DG units, is isolated from the rest of the power grid and forms a micro grid (MG. In this condition, it becomes essential for the islanded MG to operate in a stable and controlled manner by providing ancillary services. When the MG is cut off from the main grid, the islanding must be detected by the DG units. In this condition it is essential that one of the controllers should be switched to the voltage-frequency (VF control mode. In islanding, the network loses it slack reference and this reference is established by a VF controller. The voltage and the frequency of the islanded MG deviate when disconnected from the transmission grid and these deviations are caused by the load-generation imbalance. The voltage and the frequency of the islanded MG can be restored to the permissible limits if the desired/exceeded amount of active and reactive power is injected/absorbed by the locally available sources in islanded MG. This paper proposes a control strategy which can compensate the voltage and the frequency deviations in the islanded portion of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE low voltage distribution network by using advanced power electronics devices such as STATCOMs for Photovoltaic (PV Units and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS STATCOMs (for battery units. The selection of the VF controller for the most suitable DG unit of this test network is also presented in this paper, and the effectiveness of the controllers is verified by presenting simulation results using DIgSILENT (DIgSILENT GmbH, Gomaringen, Germany power factory software version 15.0.

High voltage bus and auxiliary heater control system for an electric or hybrid vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Murty, Balarama Vempaty

2000-01-01

A control system for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle includes a vehicle system controller and a control circuit having an electric immersion heater. The heater is electrically connected to the vehicle's high voltage bus and is thermally coupled to a coolant loop containing a heater core for the vehicle's climate control system. The system controller responds to cabin heat requests from the climate control system by generating a pulse width modulated signal that is used by the control circuit to operate the heater at a duty cycle appropriate for the amount of cabin heating requested. The control system also uses the heater to dissipate excess energy produced by an auxiliary power unit and to provide electric braking when regenerative braking is not desirable and manual braking is not necessary. The control system further utilizes the heater to provide a safe discharge of a bank of energy storage capacitors following disconnection of the battery or one of the high voltage connectors used to transmit high voltage operating power to the various vehicle systems. The control circuit includes a high voltage clamping circuit that monitors the voltage on the bus and operates the heater to clamp down the bus voltage when it exceeds a pre-selected maximum voltage. The control system can also be used to phase in operation of the heater when the bus voltage exceeds a lower threshold voltage and can be used to phase out the auxiliary power unit charging and regenerative braking when the battery becomes fully charged.

Electrical stimulation in dysphagia treatment: a justified controversy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bogaardt, H. C. A.

2008-01-01

Electrical stimulation in dysphagia treatment: a justified controversy? Neuromuscular electrostimulation (LAMES) is a method for stimulating muscles with short electrical pulses. Neuromuscular electrostimulation is frequently used in physiotherapy to strengthen healthy muscles (as in sports

High-conductance low-voltage organic thin film transistor with locally rearranged poly(3-hexylthiophene) domain by current annealing on plastic substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Zingway; Tsai, Hsing-Wang; Lai, Hsin-Cheng

2016-02-01

The organic material based thin film transistors (TFTs) are attractive for flexible optoelectronics applications due to the ability of lager area fabrication by solution and low temperature process on plastic substrate. Recently, the research of organic TFT focus on low operation voltage and high output current to achieve a low power organic logic circuit for optoelectronic device,such as e-paper or OLED displayer. To obtain low voltage and high output current, high gate capacitance and high channel mobility are key factors. The well-arranged polymer chain by a high temperature postannealing, leading enhancement conductivity of polymer film was a general method. However, the thermal annealing applying heat for all device on the substrate and may not applicable to plastic substrate. Therefore, in this work, the low operation voltage and high output current of polymer TFTs was demonstrated by locally electrical bias annealing. The poly(styrene-comethyl methacrylate) (PS-r-PMMA) with ultra-thin thickness is used as gate dielectric that the thickness is controlled by thermal treatment after spin coated on organic electrode. In electrical bias-annealing process, the PS-r- PMMA is acted a heating layer. After electrical bias-annealing, the polymer TFTs obtain high channel mobility at low voltage that lead high output current by a locally annealing of P3HT film. In the future, the locally electrical biasannealing method could be applied on plastic substrate for flexible optoelectronic application.

MAGY: An innovative high voltage-low current power supply for gyrotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siravo, Ugo; Alex, Juergen; Bader, Michael; Carpita, Mauro; Fasel, Damien; Gavin, Serge; Perez, Albert

2011-01-01

From the electrical point of view, the body and the anode of high power gyrotrons behave as capacitive loads. A highly dynamic power supply is, therefore, hard to achieve. The MAGY concept (Modulator for the Anode of a triode type GYrotron) embodies an innovative solution to manage the capacitive current ensuring a very low ripple on the output voltage. It consists of a series of independent, bi-directional and regulated DC sources. Compared to existing topologies, this solution requires a smaller number of power modules. It avoids internal high frequency modulation and simultaneously offers high resolution of the output voltage and a wide range of operating scenarios.

Low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) using crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) bilayer gate dielectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Khound, Sagarika; Sarma, Ranjit

2018-01-01

We have reported here on the design, processing and dielectric properties of pentacene-based organic thin film transitors (OTFTs) with a bilayer gate dilectrics of crosslinked PVA/Nd2O3 which enables low-voltage organic thin film operations. The dielectric characteristics of PVA/Nd2O3 bilayer films are studied by capacitance-voltage ( C- V) and current-voltage ( I- V) curves in the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure. We have analysed the output electrical responses and transfer characteristics of the OTFT devices to determine their performance of OTFT parameters. The mobility of 0.94 cm2/Vs, the threshold voltage of - 2.8 V, the current on-off ratio of 6.2 × 105, the subthreshold slope of 0.61 V/decade are evaluated. Low leakage current of the device is observed from current density-electric field ( J- E) curve. The structure and the morphology of the device are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. The study demonstrates an effective way to realize low-voltage, high-performance OTFTs at low cost.

Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for low back pain: a randomized crossover study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoname, E A; Craig, W F; White, P F; Ahmed, H E; Hamza, M A; Henderson, B N; Gajraj, N M; Huber, P J; Gatchel, R J

1999-03-03

Low back pain (LBP) contributes to considerable disability and lost wages in the United States. Commonly used opioid and nonopioid analgesic drugs produce adverse effects and are of limited long-term benefit in the management of this patient population. To compare the effectiveness of a novel nonpharmacologic pain therapy, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS), with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and flexion-extension exercise therapies in patients with long-term LBP. A randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled, crossover study from March 1997 to December 1997. An ambulatory pain management center at a university medical center. Twenty-nine men and 31 women with LBP secondary to degenerative disk disease. Four therapeutic modalities (sham-PENS, PENS, TENS, and exercise therapies) were each administered for a period of 30 minutes 3 times a week for 3 weeks. Pretreatment and posttreatment visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain, physical activity, and quality of sleep; daily analgesic medication usage; a global patient assessment questionnaire; and Health Status Survey Short Form (SF-36). PENS was significantly more effective in decreasing VAS pain scores after each treatment than sham-PENS, TENS, and exercise therapies (after-treatment mean +/- SD VAS for pain, 3.4+/-1.4 cm, 5.5+/-1.9 cm, 5.6+/-1.9 cm, and 6.4+/-1.9 cm, respectively). The average +/- SD daily oral intake of nonopioid analgesics (2.6+/-1.4 pills per day) was decreased to 1.3+/-1.0 pills per day with PENS (PTENS, and exercise, respectively. Compared with the other 3 modalities, 91 % of the patients reported that PENS was the most effective in decreasing their LBP. The PENS therapy was also significantly more effective in improving physical activity, quality of sleep, and sense of well-being (PTENS, and exercise. In this sham-controlled study, PENS was more effective than TENS or exercise therapy in providing short-term pain relief and improved physical function in

Modular low-voltage electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berejka, A.J.; Avnery, Tovi; Carlson, Carl

2004-01-01

Modular, low-voltage systems have simplified electron beam (EB) technology for industrial uses and for research and development. Modular EB units are produced in quantity as sealed systems that are evacuated at the factory eliminating the need for vacuum pumps at the point of use. A simple plug-out--plug-in method of replacement eliminates downtime for servicing. Use of ultra-thin beam windows (<10 μm of titanium foil), solid-state 19 in. (48 cm) rack-mounted power supplies, an innovative design to extract and spread the beam (enabling systems to be placed adjacent to each other to extend beam width) and touch-screen computer controls, combine for ease of use and electrical transfer efficiency at voltages that can be varied between 80 and 150 kV and with high beam currents (up to 40 mA across the 25 cm window). These electron systems are available in three widths, the standard 25 cm and new 5 and 40 cm beams. Traditional uses in the graphic arts and coatings areas as well as uses in surface sterilization have found these compact, lightweight (approximately 15 kg) modular beams of interest. Units have been configured around complex shapes to enable three-dimensional surface curing (as for coatings on aluminum tubing) to be achieved at high production rates. Details of the beam construction and some industrial uses are discussed

Modular low-voltage electron emitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berejka, Anthony J.

2005-01-01

Modular, low-voltage electron emitters simplify electron beam (EB) technology for many industrial uses and for research and development. Modular electron emitters are produced in quantity as sealed systems that are evacuated at the factory, eliminating the need for vacuum pumps at the point of use. A plug-out-plug-in method of replacement facilitates servicing. By using an ultra-thin 6-7 μm titanium foil window, solid-state power supplies, an innovative design to extract and spread the beam (enabling systems to be placed adjacent to each other to extend beam width) and touch-screen computer controls, these modular units combine ease of use and electrical transfer efficiency at voltages that can be varied between 80 kV and 150 kV with beam currents up to 40 mA per 25 cm across the beam window. These new devices have been made in three widths: 5 cm, 25 cm, and 40 cm. Details of the beam construction and illustrations of industrial uses will be presented. Traditional uses in the graphic arts and coatings areas have welcomed this modular technology as well as uses for surface sterilization. Being compact and lightweight (∼15 kg/emitter), these modular beams have been configured around complex shapes to achieve three-dimensional surface curing at high production rates

Modular low-voltage electron emitters

Science.gov (United States)

Berejka, Anthony J.

2005-12-01

Modular, low-voltage electron emitters simplify electron beam (EB) technology for many industrial uses and for research and development. Modular electron emitters are produced in quantity as sealed systems that are evacuated at the factory, eliminating the need for vacuum pumps at the point of use. A plug-out-plug-in method of replacement facilitates servicing. By using an ultra-thin 6-7 μm titanium foil window, solid-state power supplies, an innovative design to extract and spread the beam (enabling systems to be placed adjacent to each other to extend beam width) and touch-screen computer controls, these modular units combine ease of use and electrical transfer efficiency at voltages that can be varied between 80 kV and 150 kV with beam currents up to 40 mA per 25 cm across the beam window. These new devices have been made in three widths: 5 cm, 25 cm, and 40 cm. Details of the beam construction and illustrations of industrial uses will be presented. Traditional uses in the graphic arts and coatings areas have welcomed this modular technology as well as uses for surface sterilization. Being compact and lightweight (∼15 kg/emitter), these modular beams have been configured around complex shapes to achieve three-dimensional surface curing at high production rates.

Review of the Dynamics of Coalescence and Demulsification by High-Voltage Pulsed Electric Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye Peng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The coalescence of droplets in oil can be implemented rapidly by high-voltage pulse electric field, which is an effective demulsification dehydration technological method. At present, it is widely believed that the main reason of pulse electric field promoting droplets coalescence is the dipole coalescence and oscillation coalescence in pulse electric field, and the optimal coalescence pulse electric field parameters exist. Around the above content, the dynamics of high-voltage pulse electric field promoting the coalescence of emulsified droplets is studied by researchers domestically and abroad. By review, the progress of high-voltage pulse electric field demulsification technology can get a better understanding, which has an effect of throwing a sprat to catch a whale on promoting the industrial application.

Intracochlear electrical stimulation suppresses apoptotic signaling in rat spiral ganglion neurons after deafening in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Kopelovich, Jonathan C; Cagaanan, Alain P; Miller, Charles A; Abbas, Paul J; Green, Steven H

2013-11-01

To establish the intracellular consequences of electrical stimulation to spiral ganglion neurons after deafferentation. Here we use a rat model to determine the effect of both low and high pulse rate acute electrical stimulation on activation of the proapoptotic transcription factor Jun in deafferented spiral ganglion neurons in vivo. Experimental animal study. Hearing research laboratories of the University of Iowa Departments of Biology and Otolaryngology. A single electrode was implanted through the round window of kanamycin-deafened rats at either postnatal day 32 (P32, n = 24) or P60 (n = 22) for 4 hours of stimulation (monopolar, biphasic pulses, amplitude twice electrically evoked auditory brainstem response [eABR] threshold) at either 100 or 5000 Hz. Jun phosphorylation was assayed by immunofluorescence to quantitatively assess the effect of electrical stimulation on proapoptotic signaling. Jun phosphorylation was reliably suppressed by 100 Hz stimuli in deafened cochleae of P32 but not P60 rats. This effect was not significant in the basal cochlear turns. Stimulation frequency may be consequential: 100 Hz was significantly more effective than was 5 kHz stimulation in suppressing phospho-Jun. Suppression of Jun phosphorylation occurs in deafferented spiral ganglion neurons after only 4 hours of electrical stimulation. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that electrical stimulation can decrease spiral ganglion neuron death after deafferentation.

Quadratic dependence of the spin-induced Hall voltage on longitudinal electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miah, M. Idrish

2008-01-01

The effect of optically induced spins in semiconductors in the low electric field is investigated. Here we report an experiment which investigates the effect of a longitudinal electric field (E) on the spin-polarized carriers generated by a circularly polarized light in semiconductors. Our experiment observes the effect as a spin-induced anomalous Hall voltage (V AH ) resulting from spin-carrier electrons accumulating at the transverse edges of the sample. Unlike the ordinary Hall effect, a quadratic dependence of V AH on E is observed, which agrees with the results of the recent theoretical investigations. It is also found that V AH depends on the doping density. The results are discussed

Effect of high-voltage pulsed electric field (HPEF pretreatment on biogas production rates of hybrid Pennisetum by anaerobic fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baijuan Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the raw materials of hybrid Pennisetum were pretreated in different conditions of high voltage pulsed electric field (HPEF to improve its material utilization ratios and biogas production rates of anaerobic fermentation. Then, anaerobic digestion experiments were conducted within 32 days at moderate temperature (35 °C with TS mass fraction (6%, inoculation rate (20% and initial pH (7.0. It is indicated that compared with the control group, 9 groups of hybrid Pennisetum pretreated by HPEF are obviously superior in gas production efficiency of anaerobic fermentation, and higher in cumulative gas production, peak daily gas production and maximum methane concentration; that the most remarkable stimulation occurs in the HPEF condition of 15 kV/120 Hz/60 min, in that situation, the cumulative gas production in the fermentation period of 32 days is up to 9587 mL, 26.95% higher than that of the control group, the peak daily gas production increases and the range of peak period extends. It is demonstrated that the optimal HPEF pretreatment time is 60 min and three HPEF parameters have a better effect on gas production in the order of voltage > time > frequency; and that the effect degree of treatment parameters on peak daily gas production is voltage, frequency and time in turn. It is concluded that HPEF can improve material utilization ratio and gas production rate of hybrid Pennisetum by anaerobic fermentation and shorten the gas production cycle. By virtue of this physical pretreatment method, the resource of Pennisetum is utilized sufficiently and the classes of energy plants are enlarged effectively. Keywords: Hybrid Pennisetum, Anaerobic fermentation, High voltage pulsed electric field (HPEF, Biogas, Material utilization ratio, Gas generation rate, Model, Stimulation

Electrical vs manual acupuncture stimulation in a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome: different effects on muscle and fat tissue insulin signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Johansson

Full Text Available In rats with dihydrotestosterone (DHT-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, repeated low-frequency electrical stimulation of acupuncture needles restores whole-body insulin sensitivity measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. We hypothesized that electrical stimulation causing muscle contractions and manual stimulation causing needle sensation have different effects on insulin sensitivity and related signaling pathways in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, with electrical stimulation being more effective in DHT-induced PCOS rats. From age 70 days, rats received manual or low-frequency electrical stimulation of needles in abdominal and hind limb muscle five times/wk for 4-5 wks; controls were handled but untreated rats. Low-frequency electrical stimulation modified gene expression (decreased Tbc1d1 in soleus, increased Nr4a3 in mesenteric fat and protein expression (increased pAS160/AS160, Nr4a3 and decreased GLUT4 by western blot and increased GLUT4 expression by immunohistochemistry in soleus muscle; glucose clearance during oral glucose tolerance tests was unaffected. Manual stimulation led to faster glucose clearance and modified mainly gene expression in mesenteric adipose tissue (increased Nr4a3, Mapk3/Erk, Adcy3, Gsk3b, but not protein expression to the same extent; however, Nr4a3 was reduced in soleus muscle. The novel finding is that electrical and manual muscle stimulation affect glucose homeostasis in DHT-induced PCOS rats through different mechanisms. Repeated electrical stimulation regulated key functional molecular pathways important for insulin sensitivity in soleus muscle and mesenteric adipose tissue to a larger extent than manual stimulation. Manual stimulation improved whole-body glucose tolerance, an effect not observed after electrical stimulation, but did not affect molecular signaling pathways to the same extent as electrical stimulation. Although more functional signaling pathways related to insulin sensitivity

Integration of 100% heat pumps and electric vehicles in the low voltage distribution network: A Danish case story

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shao, Nan; You, Shi; Segerberg, Helena

2013-01-01

The existing electricity infrastructure may to a great extent limit a high penetration of micro-sized Distributed Energy Rescores (DERs), due to physical bottlenecks, e.g. load capacities of cables and transformers and voltage limitations. In this study, integration impacts of heat pumps (HPs) an...

Low-Energy Real-Time OS Using Voltage Scheduling Algorithm for Variable Voltage Processors

OpenAIRE

Okuma, Takanori; Yasuura, Hiroto

2001-01-01

This paper presents a real-time OS based on $ mu $ITRON using proposed voltage scheduling algorithm for variable voltage processors which can vary supply voltage dynamically. The proposed voltage scheduling algorithms assign voltage level for each task dynamically in order to minimize energy consumption under timing constraints. Using the presented real-time OS, running tasks with low supply voltage leads to drastic energy reduction. In addition, the presented voltage scheduling algorithm is ...

Coordinated Voltage Control of Distributed PV Inverters for Voltage Regulation in Low Voltage Distribution Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nainar, Karthikeyan; Pokhrel, Basanta Raj; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2017-01-01

This paper reviews and analyzes the existing voltage control methods of distributed solar PV inverters to improve the voltage regulation and thereby the hosting capacity of a low-voltage distribution network. A novel coordinated voltage control method is proposed based on voltage sensitivity...... optimization. The proposed method is used to calculate the voltage bands and droop settings of PV inverters at each node by the supervisory controller. The local controller of each PV inverter implements the volt/var control and if necessary, the active power curtailment as per the received settings and based...... on measured local voltages. The advantage of the proposed method is that the calculated reactive power and active power droop settings enable fair contribution of the PV inverters at each node to the voltage regulation. Simulation studies are conducted using DigSilent Power factory software on a simplified...

A new SOI high-voltage device with a step-thickness drift region and its analytical model for the electric field and breakdown voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Xiaorong; Zhang Wei; Zhang Bo; Li Zhaoji; Yang Shouguo; Zhan Zhan; Fu Daping

2008-01-01

A new SOI high-voltage device with a step-thickness drift region (ST SOI) and its analytical model for the two-dimension electric field distribution and the breakdown voltage are proposed. The electric field in the drift region is modulated and that of the buried layer is enhanced by the variable thickness SOI layer, thereby resulting in the enhancement of the breakdown voltage. Based on the Poisson equation, the expression for the two-dimension electric field distribution is presented taking the modulation effect into account, from which the RESURF (REduced SURface Field) condition and the approximate but explicit expression for the maximal breakdown voltage are derived. The analytical model can explain the effects of the device parameters, such as the step height and the step length of the SOI layer, the doping concentration and the buried oxide thickness, on the electric field distribution and the breakdown voltage. The validity of this model is demonstrated by a comparison with numerical simulations. Improvement on both the breakdown voltage and the on-resistance (R on ) for the ST SOI is obtained due to the variable thickness SOI layer

Voltage Flicker Mitigation in Electric Arc Furnace using D-STATCOM

OpenAIRE

Deepthisree Madathil; Ilango Karuppasamy; Kirthika Devi V S; Manjula G Nair

2014-01-01

The major power quality issue of voltage flicker has resulted as a serious concern for the customers and heavy power companies. Voltage flicker is an impression of unsteadiness of visual sensation induced by a light source whose luminance fluctuates with time. This phenomenon is experienced when an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) as load is connected to the power system. Flexible AC transmission devices (FACTS) devices were gradually utilized for voltage flicker reduction. In this paper the FACTS ...

Effect of low frequency electrical stimulation on seizure-induced short- and long-term impairments in learning and memory in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Esmaeilpour, Khadijeh; Sheibani, Vahid; Shabani, Mohammad; Mirnajafi-Zadeh, Javad

2017-01-01

Kindled seizures can impair learning and memory. In the present study the effect of low-frequency electrical stimulation (LFS) on kindled seizure-induced impairment in spatial learning and memory was investigated and followed up to one month. Animals were kindled by electrical stimulation of hippocampal CA1 area in a semi-rapid manner (12 stimulations per day). One group of animals received four trials of LFS at 30s, 6h, 24h, and 30h following the last kindling stimulation. Each LFS trial was consisted of 4 packages at 5min intervals. Each package contained 200 monophasic square wave pulses of 0.1ms duration at 1Hz. The Open field, Morris water maze, and novel object recognition tests were done 48h, 1week, 2weeks, and one month after the last kindling stimulation respectively. Kindled animals showed a significant impairment in learning and memory compared to control rats. LFS decreased the kindling-induced learning and memory impairments at 24h and one week following its application, but not at 2week or 1month after kindling. In the group of animals that received the same 4 trials of LFS again one week following the last kindling stimulation, the improving effect of LFS was observed even after one month. Obtained results showed that application of LFS in fully kindled animals has a long-term improving effect on spatial learning and memory. This effect can remain for a long duration (one month in this study) by increasing the number of applied LFS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A distributed transducer system for functional electrical stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudnason, Gunnar; Nielsen, Jannik Hammel; Bruun, Erik

2001-01-01

to be affected by the inductive link. Neural stimulators are affected to a lesser degree, but still benefit from the partitioning. As a test case, we have designed a transceiver and a sensor chip which implement this partitioning policy. The transceiver is designed to operate in the 6.78 MHz ISM band......Implanted transducers for functional electrical stimulation (FES) powered by inductive links are subject to conflicting requirements arising from low link efficiency, a low power budget and the need for protection of the weak signals against strong RF electromagnetic fields. We propose a solution...... to these problems by partitioning the RF transceiver and sensor/actuator functions onto separate integrated circuits. By amplifying measured neural signals directly at the measurements site and converting them into the digital domain before passing them to the transceiver the signal integrity is less likely...

A Meta-Analysis of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Low Back Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Jauregui, Julio J; Cherian, Jeffrey J; Gwam, Chukwuweike U; Chughtai, Morad; Mistry, Jaydev B; Elmallah, Randa K; Harwin, Steven F; Bhave, Anil; Mont, Michael A

2016-04-01

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may provide a safe alternative to current side-effect-heavy narcotics and anti-inflammatories utilized in chronic low back pain. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of TENS for the treatment of chronic low back pain. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, and randomized crossover studies on TENS for the management of low back pain. We utilized a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain as our primary outcome. Effectiveness of treatment was quantified using improvement in outcome scores for each study. Of the studies that met the criteria, 13 allowed for calculation of weighted mean differences in pain reduction. We used a random model effect to evaluate changes in pain produced by the intervention. Included were nine level I and four level II, encompassing 267 patients (39% male) who had a mean follow-up of seven weeks (range; 2 to 24 weeks). The mean duration of treatment was six weeks (range; 2 to 24 weeks). The standardized mean difference in pain from pre- to post-treatment for TENS was 0.844, which demonstrated significant improvement of TENS on pain reduction. When subdividing treatment duration, patients that were treated for pain, while those treated for > 5 weeks did not. Treatment of chronic low back pain with TENS demonstrated significant pain reduction. The application of TENS may lead to less pain medication usage and should be incorporated into the treatment armamentarium for chronic low back pain.

A Study on the Measurement of Ultrasound Velocity to Evaluate Degradation of Low Voltage Cables for Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyung Cho; Kang, Suk Chull; Goo, Cheol Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Ho; Park, Jae Seok; Joo, Geum Jong; Park, Chi Seung [KAITEC, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2004-08-15

Several kinds of low voltage cables have been used in nuclear power plants for the supply of electric power, supervision, and the propagation of control signals. These low voltage tables must be inspected for safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. In particular, the degradation diagnosis to estimate the integrity of low voltage rabies has recently been emphasized according to the long use of nuclear power plants. In order to evaluate their degradation, the surrounding temperature, hardness of insulation material, elongation at breaking point (EAB), etc. have been used. However, the measurement of temperature or hardness is not useful because of the absence of quantitative criteria; the inspection of a sample requires turning off of the power plant power; and, the electrical inspection method is not sufficiently sensitive from the initial through the middle stage of degradation. In this research, based on the theory that the ultrasonic velocity changes with relation to the degradation of the material, we measured the ultrasonic velocity as low voltage cables were degraded. To this end, an ultrasonic degradation diagnosis device was developed and used to measure the ultrasonic velocity with the clothing on the cable, and it was confirmed that the ultrasonic velocity changes according to the degradation of low voltage cables. The low voltage cables used in nuclear power plants were degraded at an accelerated rate, and EAB was measured in a tensile test conducted after the measurement of ultrasonic velocity. With the increasing degradation degree, the ultrasonic velocity decreased, whose potential as a useful parameter for the quantitative degradation evaluation was thus confirmed

Functional Electrical Stimulation in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, Marietta

2012-01-01

In this article, the author talks about functional electrical stimulation in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is defined as the electrical stimulation of muscles that have impaired motor control, in order to produce a contraction to obtain functionally useful movement. It was first proposed in…

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic low-back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Khadilkar, A; Milne, S; Brosseau, L; Robinson, V; Saginur, M; Shea, B; Tugwell, P; Wells, G

2005-07-20

Chronic low-back pain (LBP) affects a significant proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an adjunct to the pharmacological management of pain. However, despite its widespread use, the usefulness of TENS in chronic LBP is still controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of TENS in the management of chronic LBP. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2, 2005), MEDLINE, EMBASE and PEDro up to April 1, 2005. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of TENS on chronic LBP were included. Abstracts were excluded unless further data could be obtained from the authors. Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochrane's Q test. A fixed effect model was used throughout for calculating continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case, a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. SMD were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. The only two RCTs (175 patients) meeting eligibility criteria differed in study design, methodological quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, type and method of TENS application, treatment schedule, co-interventions and final outcomes. In one RCT, TENS produced significantly greater pain relief than the placebo control. However, in the other RCT, no statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups were shown for multiple outcome measures. Pre

Conducted EMI Prediction and Mitigation Strategy Based on Transfer Function for a High-Low Voltage DC-DC Converter in Electric Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zhai

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The high dv/dt and di/dt outputs from power devices in a high-low voltage DC-DC converter on electric vehicles (EVs can always introduce the unwanted conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI emissions. A conducted EMI prediction and mitigation strategy that is based on transfer function for the high-low voltage DC-DC converter in EVs are proposed. A complete test for the DC-DC converter is conducted to obtain the conducted EMI from DC power cables in the frequency band of 150 kHz-108 MHz. The equivalent circuit with high-frequency parasitic parameters of the DC-DC converter is built`1 based on the measurement results to acquire the characteristics of the conducted EMI of the DC power cables. The common mode (CM and differential mode (DM propagation coupling paths are determined, and the corresponding transfer functions of the DM interference and CM interference are established. The simulation results of the conducted EMI can be obtained by software Matlab and Computer Simulation Technology (CST. By analyzing the transfer functions and the simulation results, the dominated interference is the CM interference, which is the main factor of the conducted EMI. A mitigation strategy for the design of the CM interference filter based on the dominated CM interference is proposed. Finally, the mitigation strategy of the conducted EMI is verified by performing the conducted voltage experiment. From the experiment results, the conducted voltage of the DC power cables is decreased, respectively, by 58 dBμV, 55 dBμV, 65 dBμV, 53 dBμV, and 54 dBμV at frequency 200 kHz, 400 kHz, 600 kHz, 1.4 MHz, and 50 MHz. The conduced voltage in the frequency band of 150 kHz–108 MHz can be mitigated by adding the CM interference filters, and the values are lower than the limit level-3 of CISPR25 standard (GB/T 18655-2010.

Frequency and voltage dependence dielectric properties, ac electrical conductivity and electric modulus profiles in Al/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}-PVA/p-Si structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bilkan, Çiğdem, E-mail: cigdembilkan@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Çankırı Karatekin, 18100 Çankırı (Turkey); Azizian-Kalandaragh, Yashar [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Altındal, Şemsettin [Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Gazi, 06500 Ankara (Turkey); Shokrani-Havigh, Roya [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-11-01

In this research a simple microwave-assisted method have been used for preparation of cobalt oxide nanostructures. The as-prepared sample has been investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the other hand, frequency and voltage dependence of both the real and imaginary parts of dielectric constants (ε′, ε″) and electric modulus (M′ and M″), loss tangent (tanδ), and ac electrical conductivity (σ{sub ac}) values of Al/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}-PVA/p-Si structures were obtained in the wide range of frequency and voltage using capacitance (C) and conductance (G/ω) data at room temperature. The values of ε′, ε″ and tanδ were found to decrease with increasing frequency almost for each applied bias voltage, but the changes in these parameters become more effective in the depletion region at low frequencies due to the charges at surface states and their relaxation time and polarization effect. While the value of σ is almost constant at low frequency, increases almost as exponentially at high frequency which are corresponding to σ{sub dc} and σ{sub ac}, respectively. The M′ and M″ have low values at low frequencies region and then an increase with frequency due to short-range mobility of charge carriers. While the value of M′ increase with increasing frequency, the value of M″ shows two peak and the peaks positions shifts to higher frequency with increasing applied voltage due to the decrease of the polarization and N{sub ss} effects with increasing frequency.

Voltage-stabilised elastomers with increased relative permittivity and high electrical breakdown strength by means of phase separating binary copolymer blends of silicone elastomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

A Razak, Aliff Hisyam; Yu, Liyun; Skov, Anne Ladegaard

2017-01-01

Increased electrical breakdown strength and increased dielectric permittivity of silicone-based dielectric elastomers are achieved by means of the addition of so-called voltage-stabilisers prepared from PDMS–PPMS copolymers as well as PDMS–PEG copolymers in order to compensate for the negative...... effect of softness on electrical stability of silicone elastomers. The voltage-stabilised elastomer, incorporating a high-permittivity PDMS–PEG copolymer, possesses increased relative permittivity, high electrical breakdown strength, excellent network integrity and low dielectric loss and paves the way...

Low voltage arc formation in railguns

Science.gov (United States)

Hawke, R.S.

1985-08-05

A low voltage plasma arc is first established across the rails behind the projectile by switching a low voltage high current source across the rails to establish a plasma arc by vaporizing a fuse mounted on the back of the projectile, maintaining the voltage across the rails below the railgun breakdown voltage to prevent arc formation ahead of the projectile. After the plasma arc has been formed behind the projectile a discriminator switches the full energy bank across the rails to accelerate the projectile. A gas gun injector may be utilized to inject a projectile into the breech of a railgun. The invention permits the use of a gas gun or gun powder injector and an evacuated barrel without the risk of spurious arc formation in front of the projectile.

A study on stimulation of DC high voltage power of LCC series parallel resonant in projectile velocity measurement system

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Dong-dong; Gu, Jin-liang; Luo, Hong-e.; Xia, Yan

2017-10-01

According to specific requirements of the X-ray machine system for measuring velocity of outfield projectile, a DC high voltage power supply system is designed for the high voltage or the smaller current. The system comprises: a series resonant circuit is selected as a full-bridge inverter circuit; a high-frequency zero-current soft switching of a high-voltage power supply is realized by PWM output by STM32; a nanocrystalline alloy transformer is chosen as a high-frequency booster transformer; and the related parameters of an LCC series-parallel resonant are determined according to the preset parameters of the transformer. The concrete method includes: a LCC series parallel resonant circuit and a voltage doubling circuit are stimulated by using MULTISM and MATLAB; selecting an optimal solution and an optimal parameter of all parts after stimulation analysis; and finally verifying the correctness of the parameter by stimulation of the whole system. Through stimulation analysis, the output voltage of the series-parallel resonant circuit gets to 10KV in 28s: then passing through the voltage doubling circuit, the output voltage gets to 120KV in one hour. According to the system, the wave range of the output voltage is so small as to provide the stable X-ray supply for the X-ray machine for measuring velocity of outfield projectile. It is fast in charging and high in efficiency.

Vibration, buckling and smart control of microtubules using piezoelectric nanoshells under electric voltage in thermal environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farajpour, A., E-mail: ariobarzan.oderj@gmail.com; Rastgoo, A.; Mohammadi, M.

2017-03-15

Piezoelectric nanomaterials such as zinc oxide (ZnO) are of low toxicity and have many biomedical applications including optical imaging, drug delivery, biosensing and harvesting biomechanical energy using hybrid nanogenerators. In this paper, the vibration, buckling and smart control of microtubules (MTs) embedded in an elastic medium in thermal environment using a piezoelectric nanoshell (PNS) are investigated. The MT and PNS are considered to be coupled by a filament network. The PNS is subjected to thermal loads and an external electric voltage which operates to control the mechanical behavior of the MT. Using the nonlocal continuum mechanics, the governing differential equations are derived. An exact solution is presented for simply supported boundary conditions. The differential quadrature method is also used to solve the governing equations for other boundary conditions. A detailed parametric study is conducted to investigate the effects of the elastic constants of surrounding medium and internal filament matrix, scale coefficient, electric voltage, the radius-to-thickness ratio of PNSs and temperature change on the smart control of MTs. It is found that the applied electric voltage can be used as an effective controlling parameter for the vibration and buckling of MTs.

Optimal Coordinated Management of a Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging Station under a Flexible Penalty Contract for Voltage Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jip Kim

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The increasing penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs may cause a low-voltage problem in the distribution network. In particular, the introduction of charging stations where multiple PEVs are simultaneously charged at the same bus can aggravate the low-voltage problem. Unlike a distribution network operator (DNO who has the overall responsibility for stable and reliable network operation, a charging station operator (CSO may schedule PEV charging without consideration for the resulting severe voltage drop. Therefore, there is a need for the DNO to impose a coordination measure to induce the CSO to adjust its charging schedule to help mitigate the voltage problem. Although the current time-of-use (TOU tariff is an indirect coordination measure that can motivate the CSO to shift its charging demand to off-peak time by imposing a high rate at the peak time, it is limited by its rigidity in that the network voltage condition cannot be flexibly reflected in the tariff. Therefore, a flexible penalty contract (FPC for voltage security to be used as a direct coordination measure is proposed. In addition, the optimal coordinated management is formulated. Using the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E 69-bus test distribution network, the effectiveness of the coordination was verified by comparison with the current TOU tariff.

Admissibility of building cost subsidy in the power grid above the low voltage level; Zulaessigkeit von Baukostenzuschuessen im Stromnetz oberhalb der Niederspannungsebene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foerster, Sven [Kanzlei Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Muenchen(Germany)

2015-07-01

Electricity networks are essential to the provision of electrical power to businesses and individuals. In particular for manufacturing businesses a connection to the grid above the low-voltage level is often useful. Network operators demand a subsidy for the new connection and for the change to a higher network level under the auspices of construction cost. The power network market above the low-voltage level is a natural monopoly. This leaves consumers looking for a connection to the power grid with no possibility to select among different network operators. Construction cost subsidies are not regulated by law above the low voltage level. The lack of legal regulation and the natural monopoly above the low-voltage level affect the balance of power between network operators and system users. The lawfulness of the construction cost subsidies, the prerequisites for their demand and a review of the calculation models (Leistungspreismodell, 2-Ebenen-Modell) as well as a proposal for a reform of this system form the subject of this work.

Flexible Demand Control to Enhance the Dynamic Operation of Low Voltage Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diaz de Cerio Mendaza, Iker; Szczesny, Ireneusz Grzegorz; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2015-01-01

Moving towards a carbon free energy system has become an objective for many countries nowadays. Among other changes, the electrification of strategic sectors such as heating and transportation is inevitable. As a consequence, the current power system load will substantially increase...... for controlling the demand response of a low voltage grid. This is designed to; i) maximize the grid utilization, thereby reducing the need for reinforcement, ii) accommodate the maximum number of flexible loads and iii) satisfy the power and comfort requirements from each of the consumers in the network....... In this context, the nature of the expected loads (heat pumps, plug-in electric vehicles, etc.) makes the low voltage networks specially targeted. A promising solution to overcome the challenges resulting from their grid integration, is demand response. This paper introduces a hierarchical structure...

Physiological recruitment of motor units by high-frequency electrical stimulation of afferent pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Dideriksen, Jakob L; Muceli, Silvia; Dosen, Strahinja; Laine, Christopher M; Farina, Dario

2015-02-01

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used in rehabilitation, but electrically evoked muscle activation is in several ways different from voluntary muscle contractions. These differences lead to challenges in the use of NMES for restoring muscle function. We investigated the use of low-current, high-frequency nerve stimulation to activate the muscle via the spinal motoneuron (MN) pool to achieve more natural activation patterns. Using a novel stimulation protocol, the H-reflex responses to individual stimuli in a train of stimulation pulses at 100 Hz were reliably estimated with surface EMG during low-level contractions. Furthermore, single motor unit recruitment by afferent stimulation was analyzed with intramuscular EMG. The results showed that substantially elevated H-reflex responses were obtained during 100-Hz stimulation with respect to a lower stimulation frequency. Furthermore, motor unit recruitment using 100-Hz stimulation was not fully synchronized, as it occurs in classic NMES, and the discharge rates differed among motor units because each unit was activated only after a specific number of stimuli. The most likely mechanism behind these observations is the temporal summation of subthreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials from Ia fibers to the MNs. These findings and their interpretation were also verified by a realistic simulation model of afferent stimulation of a MN population. These results suggest that the proposed stimulation strategy may allow generation of considerable levels of muscle activation by motor unit recruitment that resembles the physiological conditions. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Electrical and optical co-stimulation in the deaf white cat

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Zhiping; Xu, Yingyue; Tan, Xiaodong; Suematsu, Naofumi; Robinson, Alan; Richter, Claus-Peter

2018-02-01

Spatial selectivity of neural stimulation with photons, such as infrared neural stimulation (INS) is higher than the selectivity obtained with electrical stimulation. To obtain more independent channels for stimulation in neural prostheses, INS may be implemented to better restore the fidelity of the damaged neural system. However, irradiation with infrared light also bares the risk of heat accumulation in the target tissue with subsequent neural damage. Lowering the threshold for stimulation could reduce the amount of heat delivered to the tissue and the risk for subsequent tissue damage. It has been shown in the rat sciatic nerve that simultaneous irradiation with infrared light and the delivery of biphasic sub-threshold electrical pulses can reduce the threshold for INS [1]. In this study, deaf white cats have been used to test whether opto-electrical co-stimulation can reduce the stimulation threshold for INS in the auditory system too. The cochleae of the deaf white cats have largely reduced spiral ganglion neuron counts and significant degeneration of the organ of Corti and do not respond to acoustic stimuli. Combined electrical and optical stimulation was used to demonstrate that simultaneous stimulation with infrared light and biphasic electrical pulses can reduce the threshold for stimulation.

Proton conducting sodium alginate electrolyte laterally coupled low-voltage oxide-based transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yang Hui; Wan, Qing, E-mail: wanqing@nju.edu.cn [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Qiang Zhu, Li, E-mail: lqzhu@nimte.ac.cn [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Shi, Yi [School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2014-03-31

Solution-processed sodium alginate electrolyte film shows a high proton conductivity of ∼5.5 × 10{sup −3} S/cm and a high lateral electric-double-layer (EDL) capacitance of ∼2.0 μF/cm{sup 2} at room temperature with a relative humidity of 57%. Low-voltage in-plane-gate indium-zinc-oxide-based EDL transistors laterally gated by sodium alginate electrolytes are fabricated on glass substrates. The field-effect mobility, current ON/OFF ratio, and subthreshold swing of such EDL transistors are estimated to be 4.2 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, 2.8 × 10{sup 6}, and 130 mV/decade, respectively. At last, a low-voltage driven resistor-load inverter is also demonstrated. Such in-plane-gate EDL transistors have potential applications in portable electronics and low-cost biosensors.

Quadratic dependence of the spin-induced Hall voltage on longitudinal electric field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miah, M. Idrish [Nanoscale Science and Technology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD 4111 (Australia); School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD 4111 (Australia); Department of Physics, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331 (Bangladesh)], E-mail: m.miah@griffith.edu.au

2008-10-15

The effect of optically induced spins in semiconductors in the low electric field is investigated. Here we report an experiment which investigates the effect of a longitudinal electric field (E) on the spin-polarized carriers generated by a circularly polarized light in semiconductors. Our experiment observes the effect as a spin-induced anomalous Hall voltage (V{sub AH}) resulting from spin-carrier electrons accumulating at the transverse edges of the sample. Unlike the ordinary Hall effect, a quadratic dependence of V{sub AH} on E is observed, which agrees with the results of the recent theoretical investigations. It is also found that V{sub AH} depends on the doping density. The results are discussed.

Noninvasive Deep Brain Stimulation via Temporally Interfering Electric Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossman, Nir; Bono, David; Dedic, Nina; Kodandaramaiah, Suhasa B; Rudenko, Andrii; Suk, Ho-Jun; Cassara, Antonino M; Neufeld, Esra; Kuster, Niels; Tsai, Li-Huei; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Boyden, Edward S

2017-06-01

We report a noninvasive strategy for electrically stimulating neurons at depth. By delivering to the brain multiple electric fields at frequencies too high to recruit neural firing, but which differ by a frequency within the dynamic range of neural firing, we can electrically stimulate neurons throughout a region where interference between the multiple fields results in a prominent electric field envelope modulated at the difference frequency. We validated this temporal interference (TI) concept via modeling and physics experiments, and verified that neurons in the living mouse brain could follow the electric field envelope. We demonstrate the utility of TI stimulation by stimulating neurons in the hippocampus of living mice without recruiting neurons of the overlying cortex. Finally, we show that by altering the currents delivered to a set of immobile electrodes, we can steerably evoke different motor patterns in living mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of plug-in electric vehicles on voltage unbalance in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) will soon be connected to residential distribution networks. ... generation units which transfer the energy stored in their battery into grid. ... electric vehicles on voltage imbalance in distribution system is presented. ... and other types of distribution generator such as solar photovoltaic and wind ...

Electrical stimulation induces calcium-dependent release of NGF from cultured Schwann cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jinghui; Ye, Zhengxu; Hu, Xueyu; Lu, Lei; Luo, Zhuojing

2010-04-01

Production of nerve growth factor (NGF) from Schwann cells (SCs) progressively declines in the distal stump, if axonal regeneration is staggered across the suture site after peripheral nerve injuries. This may be an important factor limiting the outcome of nerve injury repair. Thus far, extensive efforts are devoted to modulating NGF production in cultured SCs, but little has been achieved. In the present in vitro study, electrical stimulation (ES) was attempted to stimulate cultured SCs to release NGF. Our data showed that ES was capable of enhancing NGF release from cultured SCs. An electrical field (1 Hz, 5 V/cm) caused a 4.1-fold increase in NGF release from cultured SCs. The ES-induced NGF release is calcium dependent. Depletion of extracellular or/and intracellular calcium partially/ completely abolished the ES-induced NGF release. Further pharmacological interventions showed that ES induces calcium influx through T-type voltage-gated calcium channels and mobilizes calcium from 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate-sensitive stores and caffeine/ryanodine-sensitive stores, both of which contributed to the enhanced NGF release induced by ES. In addition, a calcium-triggered exocytosis mechanism was involved in the ES-induced NGF release from cultured SCs. These findings show the feasibility of using ES in stimulating SCs to release NGF, which holds great potential in promoting nerve regeneration by enhancing survival and outgrowth of damaged nerves, and is of great significance in nerve injury repair and neuronal tissue engineering.

Electrical stimulation of the midbrain excites the auditory cortex asymmetrically.

Science.gov (United States)

Quass, Gunnar Lennart; Kurt, Simone; Hildebrandt, Jannis; Kral, Andrej

2018-05-17

Auditory midbrain implant users cannot achieve open speech perception and have limited frequency resolution. It remains unclear whether the spread of excitation contributes to this issue and how much it can be compensated by current-focusing, which is an effective approach in cochlear implants. The present study examined the spread of excitation in the cortex elicited by electric midbrain stimulation. We further tested whether current-focusing via bipolar and tripolar stimulation is effective with electric midbrain stimulation and whether these modes hold any advantage over monopolar stimulation also in conditions when the stimulation electrodes are in direct contact with the target tissue. Using penetrating multielectrode arrays, we recorded cortical population responses to single pulse electric midbrain stimulation in 10 ketamine/xylazine anesthetized mice. We compared monopolar, bipolar, and tripolar stimulation configurations with regard to the spread of excitation and the characteristic frequency difference between the stimulation/recording electrodes. The cortical responses were distributed asymmetrically around the characteristic frequency of the stimulated midbrain region with a strong activation in regions tuned up to one octave higher. We found no significant differences between monopolar, bipolar, and tripolar stimulation in threshold, evoked firing rate, or dynamic range. The cortical responses to electric midbrain stimulation are biased towards higher tonotopic frequencies. Current-focusing is not effective in direct contact electrical stimulation. Electrode maps should account for the asymmetrical spread of excitation when fitting auditory midbrain implants by shifting the frequency-bands downward and stimulating as dorsally as possible. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High electric field conduction in low-alkali boroaluminosilicate glass

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Priyanka; Yuan, Mengxue; Gao, Jun; Furman, Eugene; Lanagan, Michael T.

2018-02-01

Electrical conduction in silica-based glasses under a low electric field is dominated by high mobility ions such as sodium, and there is a transition from ionic transport to electronic transport as the electric field exceeds 108 V/m at low temperatures. Electrical conduction under a high electric field was investigated in thin low-alkali boroaluminosilicate glass samples, showing nonlinear conduction with the current density scaling approximately with E1/2, where E is the electric field. In addition, thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) characterization was carried out on room-temperature electrically poled glass samples, and an anomalous discharging current flowing in the same direction as the charging current was observed. High electric field conduction and TSDC results led to the conclusion that Poole-Frenkel based electronic transport occurs in the mobile-cation-depleted region adjacent to the anode, and accounts for the observed anomalous current.

A Novel Series Connected Batteries State of High Voltage Safety Monitor System for Electric Vehicle Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Jiaxi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Batteries, as the main or assistant power source of EV (Electric Vehicle, are usually connected in series with high voltage to improve the drivability and energy efficiency. Today, more and more batteries are connected in series with high voltage, if there is any fault in high voltage system (HVS, the consequence is serious and dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the electric parameters of HVS to ensure the high voltage safety and protect personal safety. In this study, a high voltage safety monitor system is developed to solve this critical issue. Four key electric parameters including precharge, contact resistance, insulation resistance, and remaining capacity are monitored and analyzed based on the equivalent models presented in this study. The high voltage safety controller which integrates the equivalent models and control strategy is developed. By the help of hardware-in-loop system, the equivalent models integrated in the high voltage safety controller are validated, and the online electric parameters monitor strategy is analyzed and discussed. The test results indicate that the high voltage safety monitor system designed in this paper is suitable for EV application.

A novel series connected batteries state of high voltage safety monitor system for electric vehicle application.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiaxi, Qiang; Lin, Yang; Jianhui, He; Qisheng, Zhou

2013-01-01

Batteries, as the main or assistant power source of EV (Electric Vehicle), are usually connected in series with high voltage to improve the drivability and energy efficiency. Today, more and more batteries are connected in series with high voltage, if there is any fault in high voltage system (HVS), the consequence is serious and dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the electric parameters of HVS to ensure the high voltage safety and protect personal safety. In this study, a high voltage safety monitor system is developed to solve this critical issue. Four key electric parameters including precharge, contact resistance, insulation resistance, and remaining capacity are monitored and analyzed based on the equivalent models presented in this study. The high voltage safety controller which integrates the equivalent models and control strategy is developed. By the help of hardware-in-loop system, the equivalent models integrated in the high voltage safety controller are validated, and the online electric parameters monitor strategy is analyzed and discussed. The test results indicate that the high voltage safety monitor system designed in this paper is suitable for EV application.

Design and measurements of low power multichannel chip for recording and stimulation of neural activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, M; Kmon, P; Grybos, P; Szczygiel, R; Kleczek, R; Otfinowski, P; Rauza, J

2012-01-01

A 64-channel Neuro-Stimulation-Recording chip named NRS64 for neural activity measurements has been designed and tested. The NRS64 occupies 5×5 mm² of silicon area and consumes only 25 µW/channel. A low cut-off frequency can be tuned in the 60 mHz-100 Hz range while a high cut-off frequency can be set to 4.7 kHz or 12 kHz. A voltage gain can be set to 139 V/V or 1100 V/V. A measured input referenced noise is 3.7 µV rms in 100 Hz-12 kHz band and 7.6 µV rms in 3 Hz-12 kHz band. A digital correction is used in each channel to tune the low cut-off frequency and offset voltage. Each channel is equipped additionally with a stimulation circuit with an artifact cancellation circuit. The stimulation circuit can be set with 8-bit resolution in six different ranges from 500 nA-512 µA range.

Electrical Stimulation Promotes Cardiac Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damián Hernández

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs are an attractive source of cardiomyocytes for cardiac repair and regeneration. In this study, we aim to determine whether acute electrical stimulation of human iPSCs can promote their differentiation to cardiomyocytes. Methods. Human iPSCs were differentiated to cardiac cells by forming embryoid bodies (EBs for 5 days. EBs were then subjected to brief electrical stimulation and plated down for 14 days. Results. In iPS(Foreskin-2 cell line, brief electrical stimulation at 65 mV/mm or 200 mV/mm for 5 min significantly increased the percentage of beating EBs present by day 14 after plating. Acute electrical stimulation also significantly increased the cardiac gene expression of ACTC1, TNNT2, MYH7, and MYL7. However, the cardiogenic effect of electrical stimulation was not reproducible in another iPS cell line, CERA007c6. Beating EBs from control and electrically stimulated groups expressed various cardiac-specific transcription factors and contractile muscle markers. Beating EBs were also shown to cycle calcium and were responsive to the chronotropic agents, isoproterenol and carbamylcholine, in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate that brief electrical stimulation can promote cardiac differentiation of human iPS cells. The cardiogenic effect of brief electrical stimulation is dependent on the cell line used.

Photovoltaic Pixels for Neural Stimulation: Circuit Models and Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Boinagrov, David; Lei, Xin; Goetz, Georges; Kamins, Theodore I; Mathieson, Keith; Galambos, Ludwig; Harris, James S; Palanker, Daniel

2016-02-01

Photovoltaic conversion of pulsed light into pulsed electric current enables optically-activated neural stimulation with miniature wireless implants. In photovoltaic retinal prostheses, patterns of near-infrared light projected from video goggles onto subretinal arrays of photovoltaic pixels are converted into patterns of current to stimulate the inner retinal neurons. We describe a model of these devices and evaluate the performance of photovoltaic circuits, including the electrode-electrolyte interface. Characteristics of the electrodes measured in saline with various voltages, pulse durations, and polarities were modeled as voltage-dependent capacitances and Faradaic resistances. The resulting mathematical model of the circuit yielded dynamics of the electric current generated by the photovoltaic pixels illuminated by pulsed light. Voltages measured in saline with a pipette electrode above the pixel closely matched results of the model. Using the circuit model, our pixel design was optimized for maximum charge injection under various lighting conditions and for different stimulation thresholds. To speed discharge of the electrodes between the pulses of light, a shunt resistor was introduced and optimized for high frequency stimulation.

Effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation (fes) versus conventional electrical stimulation in gait rehabilitation of patients with stroke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharif, F.; Ghulam, S.; Malik, A.N.

2017-01-01

To compare the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation (FES) versus conventional electrical stimulation in gait rehabilitation of patients with stroke for finding the most appropriate problem-oriented treatment for foot drop patients in a shorter time period. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study:Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rawalpindi, from July to December 2016. Methodology: Subjects with foot drop due to stroke were allotted randomly into 1 of 2 groups receiving standard rehabilitation with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) or Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS). FES was applied on tibialis anterior 30 minutes/day, five days/week for six weeks. EMS was also applied on the tibialis anterior five days/week for six weeks. Outcome measures included Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Time Up and Go Test (TUG) and Gait Dynamic Index (GDI). They were recorded at baseline, after 3 and 6 weeks. Pre- and post-treatment scores were analyzed between two groups on SPSS-20. Results: After six weeks of intervention, significant improvement was recorded in Fugl-Meyer Assessment score (p<0.001), modified Ashworth Scale score (p=0.027), Berg Balance Scale score (p<0.001), Time Up and Go Test (p<0.001) and Gait Dynamic Index (p=0.012) of the group subjected to FES. Conclusion: Gait training with FES is more effective than EMS in improving mobility, balance, gait performance and reducing spasticity in stroke patients. The research will help clinicians to select appropriate treatment of foot drop in stroke patients. (author)

Development of halogen-free, heat-resistant, low-voltage wire for automotive use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueno, Keiji; Suzuki, Sizuo; Takahagi, Masatoshi; Uda, Ikujiro

1995-01-01

The environmental load of our motorized society is of major concern, and includes considerations of recycling of automotive parts as the industrial wastes. The total average length of AV, AVX (electrical wire insulated with PVC, cross-linked PVC), and AEX (electrical wire insulated with cross-linked polyolefin) wires required for the harnesses in modern automobiles is approximately 2,000-3,000 meters per unit. However these electrical wires contain a large amount of halogen, which can generate the smoke and corrosive gas. In response to this problem the authors have developed the electron beam irradiated halogen-free, heat-resistant, low-voltage electrical wire which does not contain any halogen based polymer or flame retardants. The developed wire features the reliability equivalent to AEX wire with minimum environmental load. (Author)

Limited output transcranial electrical stimulation (LOTES-2017): Engineering principles, regulatory statutes, and industry standards for wellness, over-the-counter, or prescription devices with low risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Bikson, Marom; Paneri, Bhaskar; Mourdoukoutas, Andoni; Esmaeilpour, Zeinab; Badran, Bashar W; Azzam, Robin; Adair, Devin; Datta, Abhishek; Fang, Xiao Hui; Wingeier, Brett; Chao, Daniel; Alonso-Alonso, Miguel; Lee, Kiwon; Knotkova, Helena; Woods, Adam J; Hagedorn, David; Jeffery, Doug; Giordano, James; Tyler, William J

We present device standards for low-power non-invasive electrical brain stimulation devices classified as limited output transcranial electrical stimulation (tES). Emerging applications of limited output tES to modulate brain function span techniques to stimulate brain or nerve structures, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS), have engendered discussion on how access to technology should be regulated. In regards to legal regulations and manufacturing standards for comparable technologies, a comprehensive framework already exists, including quality systems (QS), risk management, and (inter)national electrotechnical standards (IEC). In Part 1, relevant statutes are described for medical and wellness application. While agencies overseeing medical devices have broad jurisdiction, enforcement typically focuses on those devices with medical claims or posing significant risk. Consumer protections regarding responsible marketing and manufacture apply regardless. In Part 2 of this paper, we classify the electrical output performance of devices cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription electrostimulation devices, devices available for therapeutic or cosmetic purposes, and devices indicated for stimulation of the body or head. Examples include iontophoresis devices, powered muscle stimulators (PMS), cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices. Spanning over 13 FDA product codes, more than 1200 electrical stimulators have been cleared for marketing since 1977. The output characteristics of conventional tDCS, tACS, and tPCS techniques are well below those of most FDA cleared devices, including devices that are available OTC and those intended for stimulation on the head. This engineering analysis demonstrates that with

Modeling auditory-nerve responses to electrical stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Joshi, Suyash Narendra; Dau, Torsten; Epp, Bastian

2014-01-01

μs, which is large enough to affect the temporal coding of sounds and hence, potentially, the communication abilities of the CI listener. In the present study, two recently proposed models of electric stimulation of the AN [1,2] were considered in terms of their efficacy to predict the spike timing...... for anodic and cathodic stimulation of the AN of cat [3]. The models’ responses to the electrical pulses of various shapes [4,5,6] were also analyzed. It was found that, while the models can account for the firing rates in response to various biphasic pulse shapes, they fail to correctly describe the timing......Cochlear implants (CI) directly stimulate the auditory nerve (AN), bypassing the mechano-electrical transduction in the inner ear. Trains of biphasic, charge balanced pulses (anodic and cathodic) are used as stimuli to avoid damage of the tissue. The pulses of either polarity are capable...

Sensory adaptation to electrical stimulation of the somatosensory nerves.

Science.gov (United States)

Graczyk, Emily Lauren; Delhaye, Benoit; Schiefer, Matthew A; Bensmaia, Sliman J; Tyler, Dustin J

2018-03-19

Sensory systems adapt their sensitivity to ambient stimulation levels to improve their responsiveness to changes in stimulation. The sense of touch is also subject to adaptation, as evidenced by the desensitization produced by prolonged vibratory stimulation of the skin. Electrical stimulation of nerves elicits tactile sensations that can convey feedback for bionic limbs. In this study, we investigate whether artificial touch is also subject to adaptation, despite the fact that the peripheral mechanotransducers are bypassed. Approach: Using well-established psychophysical paradigms, we characterize the time course and magnitude of sensory adaptation caused by extended electrical stimulation of the residual somatosensory nerves in three human amputees implanted with cuff electrodes. Main results: We find that electrical stimulation of the nerve also induces perceptual adaptation that recovers after cessation of the stimulus. The time course and magnitude of electrically-induced adaptation are equivalent to their mechanically-induced counterparts. Significance: We conclude that, in natural touch, the process of mechanotransduction is not required for adaptation, and artificial touch naturally experiences adaptation-induced adjustments of the dynamic range of sensations. Further, as it does for native hands, adaptation confers to bionic hands enhanced sensitivity to changes in stimulation and thus a more natural sensory experience. . Creative Commons Attribution license.

Multilayered Functional Insulation System (MFIS) for AC Power Transmission in High Voltage Hybrid Electrical Propulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Lizcano, Maricela

2017-01-01

High voltage hybrid electric propulsion systems are now pushing new technology development efforts for air transportation. A key challenge in hybrid electric aircraft is safe high voltage distribution and transmission of megawatts of power (>20 MW). For the past two years, a multidisciplinary materials research team at NASA Glenn Research Center has investigated the feasibility of distributing high voltage power on future hybrid electric aircraft. This presentation describes the team's approach to addressing this challenge, significant technical findings, and next steps in GRC's materials research effort for MW power distribution on aircraft.

Gastric applications of electrical field stimulation.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Hogan, Aisling M

2012-02-01

Advances in clinical applications of electricity have been vast since the launch of Hayman\\'s first cardiac pacemaker more than 70 years ago. Gastric electrical stimulation devices have been recently licensed for treatment of gastroparesis and preliminary studies examining their potential for use in refractory obesity yield promising results.

Low-voltage electrically-enhanced microextraction as a novel technique for simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic drugs from biological fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidi, Shahram; Yamini, Yadollah; Rezazadeh, Maryam; Esrafili, Ali

2012-06-22

In the present work, for the first time a new set-up was presented for simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic drugs using a recent novel electrically-enhanced microextraction technique, termed electromembrane extraction at low voltages followed by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Nalmefene (NAL) as a basic drug and diclofenac (DIC) as an acidic drug were extracted from 24 mL aqueous sample solutions at neutral pH into 10 μL of each acidified (HCl 50 mM) and basic (NaOH 50 mM) acceptor solution, respectively. Supported liquid membranes including 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether containing 5% di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate and 1-octanol were used to ensure efficient extraction of NAL and DIC, respectively. Low voltage of 40 V was applied over the SLMs during 14 min extraction time. The influences of fundamental parameters affecting the transport of target drugs were optimized using experimental design. Under optimal conditions, NAL and DIC were extracted with extraction recoveries of 12.5 and 14.6, respectively, which corresponded to preconcentration factors of 300 and 350, respectively. The proposed technique provided good linearity with correlation coefficient values higher than 0.9956 over a concentration range of 8-500 μg L⁻¹ and 12-500 μg L⁻¹ for NAL and DIC, respectively. Limits of detection and quantifications, and intra-day precisions (n=3) were less than 4 μg L⁻¹, 12 μg L⁻¹, and 10.1%, respectively. Extraction and determination of NAL and DIC in human urine samples were successfully performed. In light of the data obtained in the present work, this new set-up for EME with low voltages has a future potential as a simple, selective, and fast sample preparation technique for simultaneous extraction and determination of acidic and basic drugs in different complicated matrices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alternating current electrical stimulation enhanced chemotherapy: a novel strategy to bypass multidrug resistance in tumor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janigro, Damir; Perju, Catalin; Fazio, Vincent; Hallene, Kerri; Dini, Gabriele; Agarwal, Mukesh K; Cucullo, Luca

2006-01-01

Tumor burden can be pharmacologically controlled by inhibiting cell division and by direct, specific toxicity to the cancerous tissue. Unfortunately, tumors often develop intrinsic pharmacoresistance mediated by specialized drug extrusion mechanisms such as P-glycoprotein. As a consequence, malignant cells may become insensitive to various anti-cancer drugs. Recent studies have shown that low intensity very low frequency electrical stimulation by alternating current (AC) reduces the proliferation of different tumor cell lines by a mechanism affecting potassium channels while at intermediate frequencies interfere with cytoskeletal mechanisms of cell division. The aim of the present study is to test the hypothesis that permeability of several MDR1 over-expressing tumor cell lines to the chemotherapic agent doxorubicin is enhanced by low frequency, low intensity AC stimulation. We grew human and rodent cells (C6, HT-1080, H-1299, SKOV-3 and PC-3) which over-expressed MDR1 in 24-well Petri dishes equipped with an array of stainless steel electrodes connected to a computer via a programmable I/O board. We used a dedicated program to generate and monitor the electrical stimulation protocol. Parallel cultures were exposed for 3 hours to increasing concentrations (1, 2, 4, and 8 μM) of doxorubicin following stimulation to 50 Hz AC (7.5 μA) or MDR1 inhibitor XR9576. Cell viability was assessed by determination of adenylate kinase (AK) release. The relationship between MDR1 expression and the intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin as well as the cellular distribution of MDR1 was investigated by computerized image analysis immunohistochemistry and Western blot techniques. By the use of a variety of tumor cell lines, we show that low frequency, low intensity AC stimulation enhances chemotherapeutic efficacy. This effect was due to an altered expression of intrinsic cellular drug resistance mechanisms. Immunohistochemical, Western blot and fluorescence analysis revealed

A Biological Micro Actuator: Graded and Closed-Loop Control of Insect Leg Motion by Electrical Stimulation of Muscles

OpenAIRE

Cao, Feng; Zhang, Chao; Vo Doan, Tat Thang; Li, Yao; Sangi, Daniyal Haider; Koh, Jie Sheng; Huynh, Ngoc Anh; Aziz, Mohamed Fareez Bin; Choo, Hao Yu; Ikeda, Kazuo; Abbeel, Pieter; Maharbiz, Michel M.; Sato, Hirotaka

2014-01-01

In this study, a biological microactuator was demonstrated by closed-loop motion control of the front leg of an insect (Mecynorrhina torquata, beetle) via electrical stimulation of the leg muscles. The three antagonistic pairs of muscle groups in the front leg enabled the actuator to have three degrees of freedom: protraction/retraction, levation/depression, and extension/flexion. We observed that the threshold amplitude (voltage) required to elicit leg motions was approximately 1.0 V; thus, ...

Gender differences in current received during transcranial electrical stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eRussell

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Low current transcranial electrical stimulation is an effective but somewhat inconsistent tool for augmenting neuromodulation. In this study, we used 3D MRI guided electrical transcranial stimulation (GETS modeling to estimate the range of current intensities received at cortical brain tissues. Combined T1, T2, Proton Density MRIs from 24 adult subjects (12 male and 12 female were modeled with virtual electrodes placed at F3, F4, C3 and C4. Two sizes of electrodes 20 mm round and 50 x 45 mm square were examined at 0.5, 1 and 2 mA input currents. The intensity of current received was sampled in a one centimeter sphere placed at the cortex directly under each scalp electrode. There was a tenfold range in the current received by individuals. A large gender difference was observed with female subjects receiving significantly less current at targeted parietal cortex than male subjects when stimulated at identical current levels (P <0.05. Larger electrodes delivered somewhat larger amounts of current then the smaller ones (P <0.01. Electrodes in the frontal regions delivered less current than those in the parietal region (P<0.05. There were large individual differences in current levels the subjects received. Analysis of the cranial bone showed that the gender difference and the frontal parietal differences are due to differences in cranial bone. Males have more cancellous parietal bone and females more dense parietal bone (p<0.01. These differences should be considered when planning transcranial electrical stimulation studies and call into question earlier reports of gender differences due to hormonal influences.

Electric field analysis of extra high voltage (EHV) underground cables using finite element method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Mantosh; Bhaskar, Mahajan Sagar; Padmanaban, Sanjeevikumar

2017-01-01

used for the insulator due electrical, thermal or environmental stress. Most of these problems are related to the electric field stress on the insulation of the underground cables. The objective of the electric field analysis by using different numerical techniques is to find electric field stress...... electric field stress and other parameters of EHV underground cables with given boundary conditions using 2-D electric field analysis software package (IES-ELECTRO module) which is based on the finite element method (FEM).......Transmission and Distribution of electric power through underground cables is a viable alternative to overhead lines, particularly in residential or highly populated areas. The electrical stresses are consequences of regular voltages and over voltages and the thermal stresses are related to heat...

Low voltage electron beam accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochi, Masafumi

2003-01-01

Widely used electron accelerators in industries are the electron beams with acceleration voltage at 300 kV or less. The typical examples are shown on manufactures in Japan, equipment configuration, operation, determination of process parameters, and basic maintenance requirement of the electron beam processors. New electron beam processors with acceleration voltage around 100 kV were introduced maintaining the relatively high dose speed capability of around 10,000 kGy x mpm at production by ESI (Energy Science Inc. USA, Iwasaki Electric Group). The application field like printing and coating for packaging requires treating thickness of 30 micron or less. It does not require high voltage over 110 kV. Also recently developed is a miniature bulb type electron beam tube with energy less than 60 kV. The new application area for this new electron beam tube is being searched. The drive force of this technology to spread in the industries would be further development of new application, process and market as well as the price reduction of the equipment, upon which further acknowledgement and acceptance of the technology to societies and industries would entirely depend. (Y. Tanaka)

Low voltage electron beam accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ochi, Masafumi [Iwasaki Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2003-02-01

Widely used electron accelerators in industries are the electron beams with acceleration voltage at 300 kV or less. The typical examples are shown on manufactures in Japan, equipment configuration, operation, determination of process parameters, and basic maintenance requirement of the electron beam processors. New electron beam processors with acceleration voltage around 100 kV were introduced maintaining the relatively high dose speed capability of around 10,000 kGy x mpm at production by ESI (Energy Science Inc. USA, Iwasaki Electric Group). The application field like printing and coating for packaging requires treating thickness of 30 micron or less. It does not require high voltage over 110 kV. Also recently developed is a miniature bulb type electron beam tube with energy less than 60 kV. The new application area for this new electron beam tube is being searched. The drive force of this technology to spread in the industries would be further development of new application, process and market as well as the price reduction of the equipment, upon which further acknowledgement and acceptance of the technology to societies and industries would entirely depend. (Y. Tanaka)

Higher-order power harmonics of pulsed electrical stimulation modulates corticospinal contribution of peripheral nerve stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chiun-Fan; Bikson, Marom; Chou, Li-Wei; Shan, Chunlei; Khadka, Niranjan; Chen, Wen-Shiang; Fregni, Felipe

2017-03-03

It is well established that electrical-stimulation frequency is crucial to determining the scale of induced neuromodulation, particularly when attempting to modulate corticospinal excitability. However, the modulatory effects of stimulation frequency are not only determined by its absolute value but also by other parameters such as power at harmonics. The stimulus pulse shape further influences parameters such as excitation threshold and fiber selectivity. The explicit role of the power in these harmonics in determining the outcome of stimulation has not previously been analyzed. In this study, we adopted an animal model of peripheral electrical stimulation that includes an amplitude-adapted pulse train which induces force enhancements with a corticospinal contribution. We report that the electrical-stimulation-induced force enhancements were correlated with the amplitude of stimulation power harmonics during the amplitude-adapted pulse train. In an exploratory analysis, different levels of correlation were observed between force enhancement and power harmonics of 20-80 Hz (r = 0.4247, p = 0.0243), 100-180 Hz (r = 0.5894, p = 0.0001), 200-280 Hz (r = 0.7002, p harmonics. This is a pilot, but important first demonstration that power at high order harmonics in the frequency spectrum of electrical stimulation pulses may contribute to neuromodulation, thus warrant explicit attention in therapy design and analysis.

Dysregulation of the descending pain system in temporomandibular disorders revealed by low-frequency sensory transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: a pupillometric study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annalisa Monaco

Full Text Available Using computerized pupillometry, our previous research established that the autonomic nervous system (ANS is dysregulated in patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders (TMDs, suggesting a potential role for ANS dysfunction in pain modulation and the etiology of TMD. However, pain modulation hypotheses for TMD are still lacking. The periaqueductal gray (PAG is involved in the descending modulation of defensive behavior and pain through μ, κ, and δ opioid receptors. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS has been extensively used for pain relief, as low-frequency stimulation can activate µ receptors. Our aim was to use pupillometry to evaluate the effect of low-frequency TENS stimulation of μ receptors on opioid descending pathways in TMD patients. In accordance with the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD, 18 females with myogenous TMD and 18 matched-controls were enrolled. All subjects underwent subsequent pupillometric evaluations under dark and light conditions before, soon after (end of stimulation and long after (recovery period sensorial TENS. The overall statistics derived from the darkness condition revealed no significant differences in pupil size between cases and controls; indeed, TENS stimulation significantly reduced pupil size in both groups. Controls, but not TMD patients, displayed significant differences in pupil size before compared with after TENS. Under light conditions, TMD patients presented a smaller pupil size compared with controls; the pupil size was reduced only in the controls. Pupil size differences were found before and during TENS and before and after TENS in the controls only. Pupillometry revealed that stimulating the descending opioid pathway with low-frequency sensory TENS of the fifth and seventh pairs of cranial nerves affects the peripheral target. The TMD patients exhibited a different pattern of response to TENS stimulation compared with the controls, suggesting that impaired

[Transcranial magnetic stimulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Tormos, J M; Catalá, M D; Pascual-Leone, A

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) permits stimulation of the cerebral cortex in humans without requiring open access to the brain and is one of the newest tools available in neuroscience. There are two main types of application: single-pulse TMS and repetitive TMS. The magnetic stimulator is composed of a series of capacitors that store the voltage necessary to generate a stimulus of the sufficient intensity of generate an electric field in the stimulation coil. The safety of TMS is supported by the considerable experience derived from studies involving electrical stimulation of the cortex in animals and humans, and also specific studies on the safety of TMS in humans. In this article we review historical and technical aspects of TMS, describe its adverse effects and how to avoid them, summarize the applications of TMS in the investigation of different cerebral functions, and discuss the possibility of using TMS for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Chronic, percutaneous connector for electrical recording and stimulation with microelectrode arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Kedar G; Lee, Kye Young; Tolosa, Vanessa; Tooker, Angela; Felix, Sarah; Benett, William; Pannu, Satinderpall

2014-01-01

The translation of advances in neural stimulation and recording research into clinical practice hinges on the ability to perform chronic experiments in awake and behaving animal models. Advances in microelectrode array technology, most notably flexible polymer arrays, have significantly improved reliability of the neural interface. However, electrical connector technology has lagged and is prone to failure from non-biocompatibility, large size, contamination, corrosion, and difficulty of use. We present a novel chronic, percutaneous electrical connector system that is suitable for neural stimulation and recording. This system features biocompatible materials, low connect and disconnect forces, passive alignment, and a protective cap during non-use. We have successfully designed, assembled, and tested in vitro both a 16-channel system and a high density 64-channel system. Custom, polyimide, 16-channel, microelectrode arrays were electrically assembled with the connector system and tested using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This connector system is versatile and can be used with a variety of microelectrode array technologies for chronic studies.

Improving Balance Function Using Low Levels of Electrical Stimulation of the Balance Organs

Science.gov (United States)

Bloomberg, Jacob; Reschke, Millard; Mulavara, Ajitkumar; Wood, Scott; Serrador, Jorge; Fiedler, Matthew; Kofman, Igor; Peters, Brian T.; Cohen, Helen

2012-01-01

Crewmembers returning from long-duration space flight face significant challenges due to the microgravity-induced inappropriate adaptations in balance/ sensorimotor function. The Neuroscience Laboratory at JSC is developing a method based on stochastic resonance to enhance the brain s ability to detect signals from the balance organs of the inner ear and use them for rapid improvement in balance skill, especially when combined with balance training exercises. This method involves a stimulus delivery system that is wearable/portable providing imperceptible electrical stimulation to the balance organs of the human body. Stochastic resonance (SR) is a phenomenon whereby the response of a nonlinear system to a weak periodic input signal is optimized by the presence of a particular non-zero level of noise. This phenomenon of SR is based on the concept of maximizing the flow of information through a system by a non-zero level of noise. Application of imperceptible SR noise coupled with sensory input in humans has been shown to improve motor, cardiovascular, visual, hearing, and balance functions. SR increases contrast sensitivity and luminance detection; lowers the absolute threshold for tone detection in normal hearing individuals; improves homeostatic function in the human blood pressure regulatory system; improves noise-enhanced muscle spindle function; and improves detection of weak tactile stimuli using mechanical or electrical stimulation. SR noise has been shown to improve postural control when applied as mechanical noise to the soles of the feet, or when applied as electrical noise at the knee and to the back muscles.

Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Meat Quality of Lamb and Goat Meat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omer Cetin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Effect of various voltage of electrical stimulation (ES on meat quality of lamb and goat was investigated by using a total of 36 animals at 3–5 years old. Constant 50 Hz frequency and 50, 100, and 250 V, 90 sec of ES were administered to 1/2 carcasses and were examined according their textural, physicochemical, and sensorial characteristics. ES decreased the pH values of lamb and goat meat, and accelerated the rigor mortis (<0.05. Additionally, ES enhanced the water activity, water-holding capacity, and drip loss of both animals. Shear force varied between lamb and goat meat, and tenderness was improved depending on voltage range used (<0.001. ES caused difference in instrumental colour (CIE ∗, ∗, ∗ values of lamb and goat meat compared with the control groups (<0.05 during aging period at 4°C. Sensorial characteristics were also improved with various levels of ES treatments. In conclusion, ES had positive effects on meat quality of lamb and goat, in contrast to undesirable consumer preferences.

Measurement of quasi-static and low frequency electric fields on the Viking satellite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Block, L.P.; Faelthammar, C.G.; Lindqvist, P.A.; Marklund, G.T.; Mozer, F.S.; Pedersen, A.

1987-03-01

The instrument for measurement of quasi-static and low frequency (dc and slow varying) electric fields on the Viking satellite is described. The instrument uses three spherical probe pairs to measure the full three-dimensional electric field vector with 18.75 ms time resolution. The probes are kept near plasma potential by means of a controllable bias current. A guard covering part of the booms is biased to a negative voltage to prevent photoelectrons escaping from the probes from reaching the satellite body. Current-voltage sweeps are performed to determine the plasma density and temperature and to select the optimal bias current. The bias currents to the probes and the voltage offset on the guards as well as the current-voltage sweeps are controlled by an on-board microprocessor which can be programmed from the ground and allows great flexibility. (authors)

Bilateral Changes of Spontaneous Activity Within the Central Auditory Pathway Upon Chronic Unilateral Intracochlear Electrical Stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Basta, Dietmar; Götze, Romy; Gröschel, Moritz; Jansen, Sebastian; Janke, Oliver; Tzschentke, Barbara; Boyle, Patrick; Ernst, Arne

2015-12-01

In recent years, cochlear implants have been applied successfully for the treatment of unilateral hearing loss with quite surprising benefit. One reason for this successful treatment, including the relief from tinnitus, could be the normalization of spontaneous activity in the central auditory pathway because of the electrical stimulation. The present study, therefore, investigated at a cellular level, the effect of a unilateral chronic intracochlear stimulation on key structures of the central auditory pathway. Normal-hearing guinea pigs were mechanically single-sided deafened through a standard HiFocus1j electrode array (on a HiRes 90k cochlear implant) being inserted into the first turn of the cochlea. Four to five electrode contacts could be used for the stimulation. Six weeks after surgery, the speech processor (Auria) was fitted, based on tNRI values and mounted on the animal's back. The two experimental groups were stimulated 16 hours per day for 90 days, using a HiRes strategy based on different stimulation rates (low rate (275 pps/ch), high rate (5000 pps/ch)). The results were compared with those of unilateral deafened controls (implanted but not stimulated), as well as between the treatment groups. All animals experienced a standardized free field auditory environment. The low-rate group showed a significantly lower average spontaneous activity bilaterally in the dorsal cochlear nucleus and the medial geniculate body than the controls. However, there was no difference in the inferior colliculus and the primary auditory cortex. Spontaneous activity of the high-rate group was also reduced bilaterally in the dorsal cochlear nucleus and in the primary auditory cortex. No differences could be observed between the high-rate group and the controls in the contra-lateral inferior colliculus and medial geniculate body. The high-rate group showed bilaterally a higher activity in the CN and the MGB compared with the low-rate group, whereas in the IC and in the

Characterization of a low-voltage electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berejka, A.J.

2004-01-01

Growing interests in low-voltage electron beam (EB) processing in areas that may require regulatory compliance, such as the curing of inks and coatings for food packaging materials and in the surface disinfection of medicinal and food containers, lead to the characterization of a low-voltage EB by two methods: a widely used thin radiochromic film and a film strip made on a continuous basis with an alanine coating. Using a laboratory unit, beam currents and voltages were varied and then optical density and alanine/matrix ratios were, respectively, determined. No inferences as to 'dose' were made. The radiochromic film was found to be insensitive to slight changes at low beam currents and to show considerable divergence and a broadening in response as current was increased across a meaningful range at the three applied beam voltages of 80, 100 and 120 kV. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) increase in response of the alanine coated film taken as a ratio to an internal reference material within the test instrument itself was shown to have a linear response with respect to beam current and no divergence as current increased. The use of an alanine coating of thickness greater than that of the extrapolated range of the electron penetration offers a method for the characterization of the output of such very low-voltage beams

Low-Power, Low-Voltage Analog to Digital ΣΔ

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wismar, Ulrik Sørensen

2007-01-01

, and since long operation time is required, low supply voltage and low power consumption are of paramount importance. Consequently, various topologies have been compared to nd the most power ecient audio frequency modulator topology. Chapter 4 of this thesis compares power consumption of two of the most...... prevalent topologies, the single-loop modulator with integration in discrete time and the single-loop modulator with integration in continuous time. Both modulator topologies are with feedback, and all intermediate signals are in the voltage mode. Chapter 5 treats a modulator without feedback. Another...

Protonic/electronic hybrid oxide transistor gated by chitosan and its full-swing low voltage inverter applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, Jin Yu [Shanxi Province Key Laboratory High Gravity Chemical Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051 (China); Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Zhu, Li Qiang, E-mail: lqzhu@nimte.ac.cn; Xiao, Hui [Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Yuan, Zhi Guo, E-mail: ncityzg@163.com [Shanxi Province Key Laboratory High Gravity Chemical Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051 (China)

2015-12-21

Modulation of charge carrier density in condensed materials based on ionic/electronic interaction has attracted much attention. Here, protonic/electronic hybrid indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) transistors gated by chitosan based electrolyte were obtained. The chitosan-based electrolyte illustrates a high proton conductivity and an extremely strong proton gating behavior. The transistor illustrates good electrical performances at a low operating voltage of ∼1.0 V such as on/off ratio of ∼3 × 10{sup 7}, subthreshold swing of ∼65 mV/dec, threshold voltage of ∼0.3 V, and mobility of ∼7 cm{sup 2}/V s. Good positive gate bias stress stabilities are obtained. Furthermore, a low voltage driven resistor-loaded inverter was built by using an IZO transistor in series with a load resistor, exhibiting a linear relationship between the voltage gain and the supplied voltage. The inverter is also used for decreasing noises of input signals. The protonic/electronic hybrid IZO transistors have potential applications in biochemical sensors and portable electronics.

Grid modeling, analysis and simulation of different scenarios for a smart low-voltage distribution grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mihet-Popa, Lucian; Han, Xue; Bindner, Henrik W.

2013-01-01

, the number of cabinets and customers and the load per customer. The aim of the model is to design, implement and test the proposed configuration and to investigate whether the low-voltage distribution grid is prepared for the expected future increase of PV penetration, heat pumps and electric cars. The model...

Impurity effects on electrical conductivity of doped bilayer graphene in the presence of a bias voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lotfi, E; Rezania, H; Arghavaninia, B; Yarmohammadi, M

2016-01-01

We address the electrical conductivity of bilayer graphene as a function of temperature, impurity concentration, and scattering strength in the presence of a finite bias voltage at finite doping, beginning with a description of the tight-binding model using the linear response theory and Green’s function approach. Our results show a linear behavior at high doping for the case of high bias voltage. The effects of electron doping on the electrical conductivity have been studied via changing the electronic chemical potential. We also discuss and analyze how the bias voltage affects the temperature behavior of the electrical conductivity. Finally, we study the behavior of the electrical conductivity as a function of the impurity concentration and scattering strength for different bias voltages and chemical potentials respectively. The electrical conductivity is found to be monotonically decreasing with impurity scattering strength due to the increased scattering among electrons at higher impurity scattering strength. (paper)

Design of village power and micro-grids for rural areas of Zimbabwe with specific attention to voltage regulation on low voltage meshed distribution grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tinarwo, David

2009-07-01

This work constitutes a feasibility study of the use of renewable energy resources in rural farming villages in Zimbabwe. A case study was done for a farming village consisting of a dairy farm called Rosenwald with 627 dairy cows and surrounded by local villagers offering manpower labour for the dairy activities. The village setup presents great opportunities for a sustainable power supply system in the form of village power system using the powerful microgrid concept since the farm is already connected to the national grid but with great problems of reliability, which is already a national problem if not regional due to the worst economics crisis facing the country coupled with the present regional power shortage experiencing the whole Southern Africa region. With the intended on-farm energy generation, the energy services are to be extended to the surrounding villages. Thus the study aims to stimulate better focus to the use of locally available renewable energy resources at bigger scales starting from the disadvantaged communities in the rural areas. The focus is put to these rural farming communities because these could be a strong force in the speedy electrification of the poor communities surrounding them. This could be more viable given the already existing business activities in these farms. So in this thesis the study of the on-farm energy generation using the farm and animal waste has shown that such communities can be totally independent from the electric grid by using the locally available resources. Here the technologies assessed are the biogas and solar and all the evaluation of the designs, choice of components and their suitable sizes was done with the help of a micropower optimization model HOMER simulation programme from National Renewable Energy Laboratory available at their website www.nrel.gov/homer. From the assessment done for the case study farm, it was shown that an electricity price of EUR 0.26/kWh is possible from the on - farm energy

Optimal Design of DC Fast-Charging Stations for EVs in Low Voltage Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjelaj, Marjan; Træholt, Chresten; Hashemi Toghroljerdi, Seyedmostafa

2017-01-01

DC Fast Charging Station (DCFCS) is essential for widespread use of Electric Vehicle (EVs). It can recharge EVs in direct current in a short period of time. In recent years, the increasing penetration of EVs and their charging systems are going through a series of changes. This paper addresses...... on the power grid through the application of electrical storage systems within the DC fast charging stations. The proposed solution decreases the charging time and the impact on the low voltage (LV) grid significantly. The charger can be used as a multifunctional grid-utility such as congestion management...

Design of High Voltage Electrical Breakdown Strength measuring system at 1.8K with a G-M cryocooler

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Huang, Rongjin; Li, Xu; Xu, Dong; Liu, Huiming; Li, Laifeng

2017-09-01

Impregnating resins as electrical insulation materials for use in ITER magnets and feeder system are required to be radiation stable, good mechanical performance and high voltage electrical breakdown strength. In present ITER project, the breakdown strength need over 30 kV/mm, for future DEMO reactor, it will be greater than this value. In order to develop good property insulation materials to satisfy the requirements of future fusion reactor, high voltage breakdown strength measurement system at low temperature is necessary. In this paper, we will introduce our work on the design of this system. This measuring system has two parts: one is an electrical supply system which provides the high voltage from a high voltage power between two electrodes; the other is a cooling system which consists of a G-M cryocooler, a superfluid chamber and a heat switch. The two stage G-M cryocooler pre-cool down the system to 4K, the superfluid helium pot is used for a container to depress the helium to superfluid helium which cool down the sample to 1.8K and a mechanical heat switch connect or disconnect the cryocooler and the pot. In order to provide the sufficient time for the test, the cooling system is designed to keep the sample at 1.8K for 300 seconds.

Irreversible electroporation ablation area enhanced by synergistic high- and low-voltage pulses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenguo Yao

Full Text Available Irreversible electroporation (IRE produced by a pulsed electric field can ablate tissue. In this study, we achieved an enhancement in ablation area by using a combination of short high-voltage pulses (HVPs to create a large electroporated area and long low-voltage pulses (LVPs to ablate the electroporated area. The experiments were conducted in potato tuber slices. Slices were ablated with an array of four pairs of parallel steel electrodes using one of the following four electric pulse protocols: HVP, LVP, synergistic HVP+LVP (SHLVP or LVP+HVP. Our results showed that the SHLVPs more effectively necrotized tissue than either the HVPs or LVPs, even when the SHLVP dose was the same as or lower than the HVP or LVP doses. The HVP and LVP order mattered and only HVPs+LVPs (SHLVPs treatments increased the size of the ablation zone because the HVPs created a large electroporated area that was more susceptible to the subsequent LVPs. Real-time temperature change monitoring confirmed that the tissue was non-thermally ablated by the electric pulses. Theoretical calculations of the synergistic effects of the SHLVPs on tissue ablation were performed. Our proposed SHLVP protocol provides options for tissue ablation and may be applied to optimize the current clinical IRE protocols.

Irreversible electroporation ablation area enhanced by synergistic high- and low-voltage pulses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Chenguo; Lv, Yanpeng; Dong, Shoulong; Zhao, Yajun; Liu, Hongmei

2017-01-01

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) produced by a pulsed electric field can ablate tissue. In this study, we achieved an enhancement in ablation area by using a combination of short high-voltage pulses (HVPs) to create a large electroporated area and long low-voltage pulses (LVPs) to ablate the electroporated area. The experiments were conducted in potato tuber slices. Slices were ablated with an array of four pairs of parallel steel electrodes using one of the following four electric pulse protocols: HVP, LVP, synergistic HVP+LVP (SHLVP) or LVP+HVP. Our results showed that the SHLVPs more effectively necrotized tissue than either the HVPs or LVPs, even when the SHLVP dose was the same as or lower than the HVP or LVP doses. The HVP and LVP order mattered and only HVPs+LVPs (SHLVPs) treatments increased the size of the ablation zone because the HVPs created a large electroporated area that was more susceptible to the subsequent LVPs. Real-time temperature change monitoring confirmed that the tissue was non-thermally ablated by the electric pulses. Theoretical calculations of the synergistic effects of the SHLVPs on tissue ablation were performed. Our proposed SHLVP protocol provides options for tissue ablation and may be applied to optimize the current clinical IRE protocols.

Electrical stimulation and motor recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Wise

2015-01-01

In recent years, several investigators have successfully regenerated axons in animal spinal cords without locomotor recovery. One explanation is that the animals were not trained to use the regenerated connections. Intensive locomotor training improves walking recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in people, and >90% of people with incomplete SCI recover walking with training. Although the optimal timing, duration, intensity, and type of locomotor training are still controversial, many investigators have reported beneficial effects of training on locomotor function. The mechanisms by which training improves recovery are not clear, but an attractive theory is available. In 1949, Donald Hebb proposed a famous rule that has been paraphrased as "neurons that fire together, wire together." This rule provided a theoretical basis for a widely accepted theory that homosynaptic and heterosynaptic activity facilitate synaptic formation and consolidation. In addition, the lumbar spinal cord has a locomotor center, called the central pattern generator (CPG), which can be activated nonspecifically with electrical stimulation or neurotransmitters to produce walking. The CPG is an obvious target to reconnect after SCI. Stimulating motor cortex, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves can modulate lumbar spinal cord excitability. Motor cortex stimulation causes long-term changes in spinal reflexes and synapses, increases sprouting of the corticospinal tract, and restores skilled forelimb function in rats. Long used to treat chronic pain, motor cortex stimuli modify lumbar spinal network excitability and improve lower extremity motor scores in humans. Similarly, epidural spinal cord stimulation has long been used to treat pain and spasticity. Subthreshold epidural stimulation reduces the threshold for locomotor activity. In 2011, Harkema et al. reported lumbosacral epidural stimulation restores motor control in chronic motor complete patients. Peripheral nerve or functional electrical

Novel Interleaved Converter with Extra-High Voltage Gain to Process Low-Voltage Renewable-Energy Generation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Lung Shen

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel interleaved converter (NIC with extra-high voltage gain to process the power of low-voltage renewable-energy generators such as photovoltaic (PV panel, wind turbine, and fuel cells. The NIC can boost a low input voltage to a much higher voltage level to inject renewable energy to DC bus for grid applications. Since the NIC has two circuit branches in parallel at frond end to share input current, it is suitable for high power applications. In addition, the NIC is controlled in an interleaving pattern, which has the advantages that the NIC has lower input current ripple, and the frequency of the ripple is twice the switching frequency. Two coupled inductors and two switched capacitors are incorporated to achieve a much higher voltage gain than conventional high step-up converters. The proposed NIC has intrinsic features such as leakage energy totally recycling and low voltage stress on power semiconductor. Thorough theoretical analysis and key parameter design are presented in this paper. A prototype is built for practical measurements to validate the proposed NIC.

A New Contribution in Reducing Electric Field Distribution Within/Around Medium Voltage Underground Cable Terminations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Desouky

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Ιn medium voltage cables, the stress control layers play an important part in controlling the electric field distribution around the medium voltage underground cable terminations. Underground cable accessories, used in medium voltage cable systems, need a stress control tube in order to maintain and control the insulation level which is designed for long life times. The term “electrical stress control” refers to the cable termination analysis of optimizing the electrical stress in the area of insulation shield cutback to reduce the electrical field concentration at this point in order to reduce breakdown in the cable insulation. This paper presents the effect of some materials of different relative permittivities and geometrical regulation with the curved shape stress relief cones on the electric field distribution of cable termination. The optimization was done by comparing the results of eight materials used. Also, the effect of the change in the thickness of the stress control tube is presented. The modeling design is very important for engineers to find the optimal solution of terminator design of medium voltage cables. This paper also describes the evolution of stress control systems and their benefits. A developed program using Finite Element Method (FEM has calculated a numerical study to the stress control layering electric field distribution.

Low power fluorine plasma effects on electrical reliability of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Ling; Zhou Xiao-Wei; Ma Xiao-Hua; Lv Ling; Zhang Jin-Cheng; Hao Yue; Cao Yan-Rong

2017-01-01

The new electrical degradation phenomenon of the AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) treated by low power fluorine plasma is discovered. The saturated current, on-resistance, threshold voltage, gate leakage and breakdown voltage show that each experiences a significant change in a short time stress, and then keeps unchangeable. The migration phenomenon of fluorine ions is further validated by the electron redistribution and breakdown voltage enhancement after off-state stress. These results suggest that the low power fluorine implant ion stays in an unstable state. It causes the electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN HEMT to present early degradation. A new migration and degradation mechanism of the low power fluorine implant ion under the off-stress electrical stress is proposed. The low power fluorine ions would drift at the beginning of the off-state stress, and then accumulate between gate and drain nearby the gate side. Due to the strong electronegativity of fluorine, the accumulation of the front fluorine ions would prevent the subsequent fluorine ions from drifting, thereby alleviating further the degradation of AlGaN/GaN HEMT electrical properties. (paper)

Electrical system architecture having high voltage bus

Science.gov (United States)

Hoff, Brian Douglas [East Peoria, IL; Akasam, Sivaprasad [Peoria, IL

2011-03-22

An electrical system architecture is disclosed. The architecture has a power source configured to generate a first power, and a first bus configured to receive the first power from the power source. The architecture also has a converter configured to receive the first power from the first bus and convert the first power to a second power, wherein a voltage of the second power is greater than a voltage of the first power, and a second bus configured to receive the second power from the converter. The architecture further has a power storage device configured to receive the second power from the second bus and deliver the second power to the second bus, a propulsion motor configured to receive the second power from the second bus, and an accessory motor configured to receive the second power from the second bus.

Dobutamine use for arrhythmia induction during electrical programmed heart stimulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanegas, Diego I; Perez, Climaco de J; Montenegro, Juan de J; Orjuela, Alejandro

2006-01-01

isoproterenol is the traditionally used drug for incrementing arrhythmia induction when this induction is not achieved during electric programmed heart stimulation under basal conditions. Dobutamine is an adrenergic agent, chemical precursor of isoproterenol, which can be an alternative for inducing arrhythmia during electrical programmed heart stimulation (PES). Patients and methods: a retrospective comparative study of the experience with dobutamine for inducing arrhythmia during electrical programmed heart stimulation was performed. The following data were collected: number of studies, data about the patient (medical record, age, gender, and study indication) protocol of programmed electrical stimulation, basal and under dobutamine or isoproterenol, and result of the study. Isoproterenol was used in doses of 1 to 3 micrograms per minute until the basal heart rate was incremented at least in 25%. Dobutamine was used in doses of 10 to 40 micrograms per kg of body weight, until obtaining the same increment in the basal heart rate. Results: 1054 electrophysiological studies were evaluated. In 144 patients (group A) isoproterenol was used and in 140, dobutamine (group B). In A group the mean age was 39.2 ± 16.2 and 58.3% were females. In-group B, mean age was 41.9 ± 18.6 and 51% were females. The most frequent symptom was palpitation and the most commonly induced arrhythmia was AV nodal reentry tachycardia in both groups. The induction of arrhythmia during the electrical programmed heat stimulation under drugs was similar in-group A (isoproterenol) respect to group B (dobutamine). Conclusions: There were no statistical significant differences in the induction of arrhythmia during electrical programmed heart stimulation using dobutamine or isoproterenol. Dobutamine may be safe and may be successfully used as an alternative to isoproterenol for arrhythmia induction during electrical programmed stimulation

A low-voltage flash memory cell utilizing the gate-injection program/erase method with a recessed channel structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Dake; Huang Ru; Wang Pengfei; Tang Poren; Wang Yangyuan

2008-01-01

In this paper, a low-voltage recessed channel SONOS flash memory using the gate-injection program/erase method is proposed and investigated for NAND application. It is shown that the proposed flash memory can achieve 8 V lower programming voltage compared with planar flash memory, due to the effective capacitance coupling and the electric-field enhancement by combining the recessed channel structure and the gate-injection program/erase method. In addition, more than 30% larger threshold voltage window and improved short channel effects can be obtained in the proposed flash memory

Electrical stimulation of schwann cells promotes sustained increases in neurite outgrowth.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppes, Abigail N; Nordberg, Andrea L; Paolillo, Gina M; Goodsell, Nicole M; Darwish, Haley A; Zhang, Linxia; Thompson, Deanna M

2014-02-01

Endogenous electric fields are instructive during embryogenesis by acting to direct cell migration, and postnatally, they can promote axonal growth after injury (McCaig 1991, Al-Majed 2000). However, the mechanisms for these changes are not well understood. Application of an appropriate electrical stimulus may increase the rate and success of nerve repair by directly promoting axonal growth. Previously, DC electrical stimulation at 50 mV/mm (1 mA, 8 h duration) was shown to promote neurite outgrowth and a more pronounced effect was observed if both peripheral glia (Schwann cells) and neurons were co-stimulated. If electrical stimulation is delivered to an injury site, both the neurons and all resident non-neuronal cells [e.g., Schwann cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts] will be treated and this biophysical stimuli can influence axonal growth directly or indirectly via changes to the resident, non-neuronal cells. In this work, non-neuronal cells were electrically stimulated, and changes in morphology and neuro-supportive cells were evaluated. Schwann cell response (morphology and orientation) was examined after an 8 h stimulation over a range of DC fields (0-200 mV/mm, DC 1 mA), and changes in orientation were observed. Electrically prestimulating Schwann cells (50 mV/mm) promoted 30% more neurite outgrowth relative to co-stimulating both Schwann cells with neurons, suggesting that electrical stimulation modifies Schwann cell phenotype. Conditioned medium from the electrically prestimulated Schwann cells promoted a 20% increase in total neurite outgrowth and was sustained for 72 h poststimulation. An 11-fold increase in nerve growth factor but not brain-derived neurotrophic factor or glial-derived growth factor was found in the electrically prestimulated Schwann cell-conditioned medium. No significant changes in fibroblast or endothelial morphology and neuro-supportive behavior were observed poststimulation. Electrical stimulation is widely used in

The effect of high voltage pulsed electric field on water molecular

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xuejie; Bai, Yaxiang; Ren, Ziying

2017-10-01

In order to study the mechanism of high voltage pulsed electric field pre-treatment on the food drying technology. In this paper, water was treated with high pulse electric field (HPEF) in different frequency, and different voltage, then, the viscosity coefficient and the surface tension coefficient of the water were measured. The results showed that indicated that the viscosity coefficient and the surface tension coefficient of the treated water can be decreased, and while HPEF pre-treatment was applied for 22.5kV at a frequency of 50Hz and 70 Hz, the surface tension and the viscosity coefficient of the pre-treatment treatment were reduced 13.1% and 7.5%, respectively.

High Voltage Electrical Injuries In The University Of Calabar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Even when patients present relatively early and are resuscitated and treated, complete prosthetic rehabilitation is difficult because of poverty and lack of social support systems. Case Report: This review presents three cases of high voltage electrical burns resulting from typical 11KVA burns as well as lightning strike.

Electrical stimulation of transplanted motoneurons improves motor unit formation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yang; Grumbles, Robert M.

2014-01-01

Motoneurons die following spinal cord trauma and with neurological disease. Intact axons reinnervate nearby muscle fibers to compensate for the death of motoneurons, but when an entire motoneuron pool dies, there is complete denervation. To reduce denervation atrophy, we have reinnervated muscles in Fisher rats from local transplants of embryonic motoneurons in peripheral nerve. Since growth of axons from embryonic neurons is activity dependent, our aim was to test whether brief electrical stimulation of the neurons immediately after transplantation altered motor unit numbers and muscle properties 10 wk later. All surgical procedures and recordings were done in anesthetized animals. The muscle consequences of motoneuron death were mimicked by unilateral sciatic nerve section. One week later, 200,000 embryonic day 14 and 15 ventral spinal cord cells, purified for motoneurons, were injected into the tibial nerve 10–15 mm from the gastrocnemii muscles as the only neuron source for muscle reinnervation. The cells were stimulated immediately after transplantation for up to 1 h using protocols designed to examine differential effects due to pulse number, stimulation frequency, pattern, and duration. Electrical stimulation that included short rests and lasted for 1 h resulted in higher motor unit counts. Muscles with higher motor unit counts had more reinnervated fibers and were stronger. Denervated muscles had to be stimulated directly to evoke contractions. These results show that brief electrical stimulation of embryonic neurons, in vivo, has long-term effects on motor unit formation and muscle force. This muscle reinnervation provides the opportunity to use patterned electrical stimulation to produce functional movements. PMID:24848463

The Effect of Current-Limiting Reactors on the Tripping of Short Circuits in High-Voltage Electrical Equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkov, M. S.; Gusev, Yu. P.; Monakov, Yu. V.; Cho, Gvan Chun

2016-01-01

The insertion of current-limiting reactors into electrical equipment operating at a voltage of 110 and 220 kV produces a change in the parameters of the transient recovery voltages at the contacts of the circuit breakers for disconnecting short circuits, which could be the reason for the increase in the duration of the short circuit, damage to the electrical equipment and losses in the power system. The results of mathematical modeling of the transients, caused by tripping of the short circuit in a reactive electric power transmission line are presented, and data are given on the negative effect of a current-limiting resistor on the rate of increase and peak value of the transient recovery voltages. Methods of ensuring the standard requirements imposed on the parameters of the transient recovery voltages when using current-limiting reactors in the high-voltage electrical equipment of power plants and substations are proposed and analyzed

The effect of the variable frequency drive of the CNC roll grinding machine on the operation of other devices in low-voltage electrical installation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simić Ninoslav

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents one of the observations that have been collected during the years of testing of electrical installations. A typical case from industrial plant in which are installed loads with variable frequency regulation is analyzed. We propose a simple way by measuring the frequency of the voltage in the objects, to establish the existence of possible irregularities in the operation of the individual units and analyze the influence of the current and voltage signal shape of one load to the work of other loads in the plant. The need for verification of electrical installations immediately upon receipt and installation of electrical equipment is emphasized and the use of the latest standards in the design and selection of equipment, in order to avoid unplanned expenses is recommended.

Low voltage-activated calcium channels gate transmitter release at the dorsal root ganglion sandwich synapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozanski, Gabriela M; Nath, Arup R; Adams, Michael E; Stanley, Elise F

2013-11-15

A subpopulation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are intimately attached in pairs and separated solely by thin satellite glial cell membrane septa. Stimulation of one neuron leads to transglial activation of its pair by a bi-, purinergic/glutamatergic synaptic pathway, a transmission mechanism that we term sandwich synapse (SS) transmission. Release of ATP from the stimulated neuron can be attributed to a classical mechanism involving Ca(2+) entry via voltage-gated calcium channels (CaV) but via an unknown channel type. Specific blockers and toxins ruled out CaV1, 2.1 and 2.2. Transmission was, however, blocked by a moderate depolarization (-50 mV) or low-concentration Ni(2+) (0.1 mM). Transmission persisted using a voltage pulse to -40 mV from a holding potential of -80 mV, confirming the involvement of a low voltage-activated channel type and limiting the candidate channel type to either CaV3.2 or a subpopulation of inactivation- and Ni(2+)-sensitive CaV2.3 channels. Resistance of the neuron calcium current and SS transmission to SNX482 argue against the latter. Hence, we conclude that inter-somatic transmission at the DRG SS is gated by CaV3.2 type calcium channels. The use of CaV3 family channels to gate transmission has important implications for the biological function of the DRG SS as information transfer would be predicted to occur not only in response to action potentials but also to sub-threshold membrane voltage oscillations. Thus, the SS synapse may serve as a homeostatic signalling mechanism between select neurons in the DRG and could play a role in abnormal sensation such as neuropathic pain.

21 CFR 882.5890 - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... pain relief. 882.5890 Section 882.5890 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Devices § 882.5890 Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief. (a) Identification. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief is a device used to apply an electrical current to...

Electrical stimulation promotes regeneration of injured oculomotor nerves in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Du

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Functional recovery after oculomotor nerve injury is very poor. Electrical stimulation has been shown to promote regeneration of injured nerves. We hypothesized that electrical stimulation would improve the functional recovery of injured oculomotor nerves. Oculomotor nerve injury models were created by crushing the right oculomotor nerves of adult dogs. Stimulating electrodes were positioned in both proximal and distal locations of the lesion, and non-continuous rectangular, biphasic current pulses (0.7 V, 5 Hz were administered 1 hour daily for 2 consecutive weeks. Analysis of the results showed that electrophysiological and morphological recovery of the injured oculomotor nerve was enhanced, indicating that electrical stimulation improved neural regeneration. Thus, this therapy has the potential to promote the recovery of oculomotor nerve dysfunction.

[A physiological investigation of chronic electrical stimulation with scala tympani electrodes in kittens].

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, D

1992-12-01

A physiological investigation of cochlear electrical stimulation was undertaken in six two-month-old kittens. The scala tympani electrodes were implanted and electrically stimulated using biphasic balanced electrical pulses for periods of 1000-1500h in four ears. Four ears received implants for same period but without electrical stimulation. The other two ears served as normal control. The results indicated: 1) Chronic electrical stimulation of the cochlea within electrochemically safe limits did not influence the hearing of kittens and the normal delivery of impulses evoked by acoustic and electrical signals on the auditory brainstem pathway. 2) The wave shapes of EABRs were similar to those of ABRs. The amplitudes of EABRs showed a significant increase following chronic electrical stimulation, resulting in a leftward shift in the input/output function. The absolute latencies and interwave latencies of waves II-III, III-IV and II-IV were significantly shorter than those of ABRs. These results imply that there was no adverse effect of chronic electrical stimulation on the maturing auditory systems of kittens using these electrical parameters and the mechanism of electrical hearing should be further studied.

Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Liu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta3L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine, is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs. The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μFET of 0.17 cm2 V−1 s−1, threshold voltage (Vth of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 103, and subthreshold slope (SS of 1.0 V dec−1, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO2 substrate (0.13 cm2 V−1 s−1, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec−1 for μFET, Vth and SS value when operated at −30 V. These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

Determinants of the electric field during transcranial direct current stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Opitz, Alexander; Paulus, Walter; Will, Susanne

2015-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) causes a complex spatial distribution of the electric current flow in the head which hampers the accurate localization of the stimulated brain areas. In this study we show how various anatomical features systematically shape the electric field...... over the motor cortex in small steps to examine the resulting changes of the electric field distribution in the underlying cortex. We examined the effect of skull thickness and composition on the passing currents showing that thinner skull regions lead to higher electric field strengths. This effect...... fluid and the skull, the gyral depth and the distance to the anode and cathode. These factors account for up to 50% of the spatial variation of the electric field strength. Further, we demonstrate that individual anatomical factors can lead to stimulation "hotspots" which are partly resistant...

Emerging modalities in dysphagia rehabilitation: neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huckabee, Maggie-Lee; Doeltgen, Sebastian

2007-10-12

The aim of this review article is to advise the New Zealand medical community about the application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) as a treatment for pharyngeal swallowing impairment (dysphagia). NMES in this field of rehabilitation medicine has quickly emerged as a widely used method overseas but has been accompanied by significant controversy. Basic information is provided about the physiologic background of electrical stimulation. The literature reviewed in this manuscript was derived through a computer-assisted search using the biomedical database Medline to identify all relevant articles published until from the initiation of the databases up to January 2007. The reviewers used the following search strategy: [(deglutition disorders OR dysphagia) AND (neuromuscular electrical stimulation OR NMES)]. In addition, the technique of reference tracing was used and very recently published studies known to the authors but not yet included in the database systems were included. This review elucidates not only the substantive potential benefit of this treatment, but also potential key concerns for patient safety and long term outcome. The discussion within the clinical and research communities, especially around the commercially available VitalStim stimulator, is objectively explained.

Antihypertensive effect of low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in comparison with drug treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverdal, Jonas; Mourtzinis, Georgios; Stener-Victorin, Elisabet; Mannheimer, Clas; Manhem, Karin

2012-10-01

Hypertension is a major risk factor for vascular disease, yet blood pressure (BP) control is unsatisfactory low, partly due to side-effects. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is well tolerated and studies have demonstrated BP reduction. In this study, we compared the BP lowering effect of 2.5 mg felodipin once daily with 30 min of bidaily low-frequency TENS in 32 adult hypertensive subjects (mean office BP 152.7/90.0 mmHg) in a randomized, crossover design. Office BP and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) were performed at baseline and at the end of each 4-week treatment and washout period. Felodipin reduced office BP by 10/6 mmHg (p TENS reduced office BP by 5/1.5 mmHg (p TENS washout, BP was further reduced and significantly lower than at baseline, but at levels similar to BP after felodipin washout and therefore reasonably caused by factors other than the treatment per se. ABPM revealed a significant systolic reduction of 3 mmHg by felodipin, but no significant changes were noted after TENS. We conclude that our study does not present any solid evidence of BP reduction of TENS.

Dynamic voltage stability constrained congestion management framework for deregulated electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amjady, Nima; Hakimi, Mahmood

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A new congestion management method for electricity markets is proposed. ► The proposed method includes dynamic models of generators and loads. ► Dynamic voltage stability limits are properly modeled in the proposed method. ► The proposed method is compared with several other congestion management methods. ► It leads to a more robust power system with a lower congestion management cost. - Abstract: Congestion management is an important part of power system operation in today deregulated electricity markets. However, congestion management is traditionally performed based on static analysis tools, while these tools may not correctly capture dynamic voltage stability limits of a power system. In this paper, a new congestion management framework considering dynamic voltage stability boundary of power system is proposed. For this purpose, precise dynamic modeling of power system equipment, including generators and loads, is incorporated into the proposed congestion management framework. The proposed method alleviates congestion with a lower congestion management cost and more dynamic voltage stability margin, resulting in a more robust power system, compared with the previous congestion management methods. The validity of proposed congestion management framework is studied based on the New England 39-bus power system. The obtained results confirm the validity of the developed approach.

Study on Earthquake Response of High Voltage Electrical Equipment Coupling System with Flexible Busbar

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chuncheng; Qu, Da; Wang, Chongyang; Lv, Chunlei; Li, Guoqiang

2017-12-01

With the rapid development of technology and society, all walks of life in China are becoming more and more dependent on power systems. When earthquake occurs, the electrical equipment of substation is prone to damage because of its own structural features, top-heavy, and brittleness of main body. At the same time, due to the complex coupling of the soft electrical connection of substation electrical equipment, the negative impact can not be estimated. In this paper, the finite element model of the coupling system of the single unit of high voltage electrical equipment with the connecting soft bus is established and the seismic response is analysed. The results showed that there is a significant difference between the simple analysis for the seismic response of electrical equipment monomer and the analytical results of electrical equipment systems, and the impact on different electrical equipment is different. It lays a foundation for the future development of seismic performance analysis of extra high voltage electrical equipment.

High-voltage electrical burns due to copper theft - Case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Braga, M J; Oliveira, I; Egipto, P; Silva, A

2016-03-31

Electrical burns are among the most devastating trauma inflicted on the human body. These burns have a higher morbidity, length of stay and a much higher risk of amputation than any other type of burn. Electrical burns affect mostly young, working males because they are more frequently the result of a work accident. However, possibly due to the worldwide economic crisis, we are experiencing a new phenomenon: the theft of high-voltage copper wiring.

Study of Driving Fatigue Alleviation by Transcutaneous Acupoints Electrical Stimulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuwang Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Driving fatigue is more likely to bring serious safety trouble to traffic. Therefore, accurately and rapidly detecting driving fatigue state and alleviating fatigue are particularly important. In the present work, the electrical stimulation method stimulating the Láogóng point (劳宫PC8 of human body is proposed, which is used to alleviate the mental fatigue of drivers. The wavelet packet decomposition (WPD is used to extract θ, α, and β subbands of drivers’ electroencephalogram (EEG signals. Performances of the two algorithms (θ+α/(α+β and θ/β are also assessed as possible indicators for fatigue detection. Finally, the differences between the drivers with electrical stimulation and normal driving are discussed. It is shown that stimulating the Láogóng point (劳宫PC8 using electrical stimulation method can alleviate driver fatigue effectively during longtime driving.

Protection of Low Voltage CIGRE distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustafa, Ghullam; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Bak, Claus Leth

2013-01-01

High quality electricity services are the prime objectives in the modern power systems around the world. One of the main players to achieve this is protection of the system which needs to be fast, reliable and cost effective. The study about the protection of the Low Voltage (LV) CIGRE distribution...... grid and networks like this has been proposed in this paper. The main objective of this paper is to develop protection against short circuit faults which might appear any-where in the network. The protection of the power networks that comprises of renewable energy generation units is complicated...... because of the bidirectional flow of the current and is a challenge for the protection engineers. The selection of the protection devices in this paper is made to protect the network against faults in grid connected and island mode of operation. Ultra-fast fuses are proposed in order to protect...

Innovative energy efficient low-voltage electron beam emitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felis, Kenneth P.; Avnery, Tovi; Berejka, Anthony J.

2002-01-01

Advanced electron beams (AEB) has developed a modular, low voltage (80-125 keV), high beam current (up to 40 ma), electron emitter with typically 25 cm of beam width, that is housed in an evacuated, returnable chamber that is easy to plug in and connect. The latest in nanofabrication enables AEB to use an ultra-thin beam window. The power supply for AEB's emitter is based on solid-state electronics. This combination of features results in a remarkable electrical efficiency. AEB's electron emitter relies on a touch screen, computer control system. With 80 μm of unit density beam penetration, AEB's electron emitter has gained market acceptance in the curing of opaque, pigmented inks and coatings used on flexible substrates, metals and fiber composites and in the curing of adhesives in foil based laminates

Innovative energy efficient low-voltage electron beam emitters

Science.gov (United States)

Felis, Kenneth P.; Avnery, Tovi; Berejka, Anthony J.

2002-03-01

Advanced electron beams (AEB) has developed a modular, low voltage (80-125 keV), high beam current (up to 40 ma), electron emitter with typically 25 cm of beam width, that is housed in an evacuated, returnable chamber that is easy to plug in and connect. The latest in nanofabrication enables AEB to use an ultra-thin beam window. The power supply for AEB's emitter is based on solid-state electronics. This combination of features results in a remarkable electrical efficiency. AEB's electron emitter relies on a touch screen, computer control system. With 80 μm of unit density beam penetration, AEB's electron emitter has gained market acceptance in the curing of opaque, pigmented inks and coatings used on flexible substrates, metals and fiber composites and in the curing of adhesives in foil based laminates.

Electric and magnetic fields at extremely low frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, L.E.; Kaune, W.T.

1989-01-01

Whole-body exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF, 30-300 Hz) electric fields may involve effects related to stimulation of the sensory apparatus at the body surface (hair vibration, possible direct neural stimulation) and effects within the body caused by the flow of current. Magnetic fields may interact predominantly by the induction of internal current flow. Biological effects observed in a living organism may depend on the electric fields induced inside the body, possibly on the magnetic fields penetrating into the body, and on the fields acting at the surface of the body. Areas in which effects have been observed often appear to be associated with the nervous system, including altered neuronal excitability and neurochemical changes, altered hormone levels, changes in behavioural responses, and changes in biological rhythms. No studies unequivocably demonstrate deleterious effects of ELF electric or magnetic field exposure on mammalian reproduction and development, but several suggest such effects. Exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields does produce biological effects. However, except for fields strong enough to induce current densities above the threshold for the stimulation of nerve tissues, there is no consensus as to whether these effects constitute a hazard to human health. Human data from epidemiological studies, including reported effects on cancer promotion, congenital malformations, reproductive performance and general health, though somewhat suggestive of adverse health effects, are not conclusive. 274 refs, 13 figs, 6 tabs

Control of Grid Interactive PV Inverters for High Penetration in Low Voltage Distribution Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demirok, Erhan

Regarding of high density deployment of PV installations in electricity grids, new technical challenges such as voltage rise, thermal loading of network components, voltage unbalance, harmonic interaction and fault current contributions are being added to tasks list of distribution system operators...... of these inverters may depend on grid connection rules which are forced by DSOs. Minimum requirement expected from PV inverters is to transfer maximum power by taking direct current (DC) form from PV modules and release it into AC grid and also continuously keep the inverters synchronized to the grid even under...... for this problem but PV inverters connected to highly capacitive networks are able to employ extra current and voltage harmonics compensation to avoid triggering network resonances at low order frequencies. The barriers such as harmonics interaction, flicker, fault current contribution and dc current injections...

High voltage-derived enhancement of electric conduction in nanogap devices for detection of prostate-specific antigen

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyung Ju; Chi, Young Shik; Choi, Insung S.; Yun, Wan Soo

2010-07-01

We report a simple method of enhancing electric conductance in nanogap devices without any additional treatments, such as silver-enhancing process. The low electric conductance after selective immobilization of biofunctionalized gold nanoparticles in the gap region was greatly enhanced by repeated I-V scans at relatively high voltage ranges of -5 to 5 V, which was attributed to the formation of a new conduction pathway across the gap. The higher conduction state of the nanogap device showed a very stable I-V curve, which was used as an excellent measure of the existence of prostate-specific antigen.

An increase in alpha band frequency in resting state EEG after electrical stimulation of the ear in tinnitus patients - a pilot study

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Marzena Mielczarek

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In our clinic invasive transtympanal promontory positive DC stimulations were first used, with a success rate of 42%. However, non-invasive hydrotransmissive negative DC stimulations are now favoured, with improvement being obtained in 37.8% directly after the treatment, and 51.3% in a follow up one month after treatment. The further improvement after one month may be due to neuroplastic changes at central level as a result of altered peripheral input. The aim of the study was to determine how a single electrical stimulation of the ear influences cortical activity, and whether changes observed in tinnitus after electrical stimulation are associated with any changes in cortical activity recorded in EEG.The study included 12 tinnitus patients(F–6, M-6 divided into two groups. Group I comprised six patients with unilateral tinnitus - unilateral, ipsilateral ES was performed. Group II comprised six patients with bilateral tinnitus - bilateral ES was performed.Electrical stimulation was performed using a custom-made apparatus.The active, silver probe – was immersed inside the external ear canal filled with saline. The passive electrode was placed on the forehead. The stimulating frequency was 250Hz, the intensity ranged from 0.14 to 1.08 mA. The voltage was kept constant at 3V. The duration of stimulation was four minutes. The EEG recording (Deymed QEST 32 was performed before and after electrical stimulation. We assessed the intensity of tinnitus on the visual analogue scale (1-10. Results.In both groups an improvement in VAS was observed– in group I - in five ears (83.3%, in group II - in seven ears (58.3%. In Group I,a significant increase in the upper and lower limits of the alpha frequency range was observed in the left central temporal and left frontal regions following electrical stimulation. These changes, however, were not correlated with improvement in tinnitus. No significant changes were observed in the beta and theta bands and in

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Mobility Support of Elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayr, Winfried

2015-08-24

The stimulator for neuromuscular electrical stimulation for mobility support of elderly is not very complicated, but for application within "MOBIL" we have some additional demands to fulfill. First we have specific safety issues for this user group. A powerful compliance management system is crucial not only to guide daily application, but for creating hard data for the scientific outcome. We also need to assure easy handling of the stimulator, because the subjects are generally not able to cope with too difficult and complex motor skills. So, we developed five generations of stimulators and optimizing solutions after field tests. We are already planning the sixth generation with wireless control of the stimulation units by the central main handheld control unit. In a prototype, we have implemented a newly available high capacity memory, a breakthrough in "compliance data storage" as they offer the necessary high storage capacity and fast data handling for an affordable prize. The circuit also contains a 3D accelerometer sensor which acts as a further important safety features: if the control unit drops, this event is detected automatically by the sensor and activates an emergency switch-off that disables the stimulation to avoid associated risks. Further, we have implemented a hardware emergence shutdown and other safety measures. Finally, in the last example muscle torque measurements are referenced with compliance data. In the study normalized maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and maximum stimulation induced contraction (MSC) were assessed in regular check-ups along the training period. With additional consideration of adjusted stimulation intensity for training out of the compliance data records we are able to estimate the induced contraction strength, which turned out to amount in average 11% of MVC. This value may seem on a first sight rather low, and ought to be considered in relation to the results at the end of the training period. Therefore the

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for mobility support of elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winfried Mayr

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The stimulator for neuromuscular electrical stimulation for mobility support of elderly is not very complicated, but for application within "MOBIL" we have some additional demands to fulfill. First we have specific safety issues for this user group. A powerful compliance management system is crucial not only to guide daily application, but for creating hard data for the scientific outcome. We also need to assure easy handling of the stimulator, because the subjects are generally not able to cope with too difficult and complex motor skills. So, we developed five generations of stimulators and optimizing solutions after field tests. We are already planning the sixth generation with wireless control of the stimulation units by the central main handheld control unit. In a prototype, we have implemented a newly available high capacity memory, a breakthrough in “compliance data storage” as they offer the necessary high storage capacity and fast data handling for an affordable prize. The circuit also contains a 3D accelerometer sensor which acts as a further important safety features: if the control unit drops, this event is detected automatically by the sensor and activates an emergency switch-off that disables the stimulation to avoid associated risks. Further, we have implemented a hardware emergence shutdown and other safety measures. Finally, in the last example muscle torque measurements are referenced with compliance data. In the study normalized maximum voluntary contraction (MVC and maximum stimulation induced contraction (MSC were assessed in regular check-ups along the training period. With additional consideration of adjusted stimulation intensity for training out of the compliance data records we are able to estimate the induced contraction strength, which turned out to amount in average 11% of MVC. This value may seem on a first sight rather low, and ought to be considered in relation to the results at the end of the training period

Entropy-Based Voltage Fault Diagnosis of Battery Systems for Electric Vehicles

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Peng Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The battery is a key component and the major fault source in electric vehicles (EVs. Ensuring power battery safety is of great significance to make the diagnosis more effective and predict the occurrence of faults, for the power battery is one of the core technologies of EVs. This paper proposes a voltage fault diagnosis detection mechanism using entropy theory which is demonstrated in an EV with a multiple-cell battery system during an actual operation situation. The preliminary analysis, after collecting and preprocessing the typical data periods from Operation Service and Management Center for Electric Vehicle (OSMC-EV in Beijing, shows that overvoltage fault for Li-ion batteries cell can be observed from the voltage curves. To further locate abnormal cells and predict faults, an entropy weight method is established to calculate the objective weight, which reduces the subjectivity and improves the reliability. The result clearly identifies the abnormity of cell voltage. The proposed diagnostic model can be used for EV real-time diagnosis without laboratory testing methods. It is more effective than traditional methods based on contrastive analysis.

Rats with decreased brain cholecystokinin levels show increased responsiveness to peripheral electrical stimulation-induced analgesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, L X; Li, X L; Wang, L; Han, J S

1997-01-16

Using the P77PMC strain of rat, which is genetically prone to audiogenic seizures, and also has decreased levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), we examined the analgesic response to peripheral electrical stimulation, which is, in part, opiate-mediated. A number of studies have suggested that CCK may function as an antagonist to endogenous opiate effects. Therefore, we hypothesized that the P77PMC animals would show an enhanced analgesic response based on their decreased CCK levels producing a diminished endogenous opiate antagonism. We found that the analgesic effect on tail flick latency produced by 100 Hz peripheral electrical stimulation was more potent and longer lasting in P77PMC rats than in control rats. Moreover, the potency of the stimulation-produced analgesia correlated with the vulnerability to audiogenic seizures in these rats. We were able to block the peripheral electrical stimulation-induced analgesia (PSIA) using a cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) administered parenterally. Radioimmunoassay showed that the content of CCK-8 in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and periaqueductal gray was much lower in P77PMC rat than in controls. These results suggest that low CCK-8 content in the central nervous system of the P77PMC rats may be related to the high analgesic response to peripheral electrical stimulation, and further support the notion that CCK may be endogenous opiate antagonist.

The Architecture Design of Detection and Calibration System for High-voltage Electrical Equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Y.; Lin, Y.; Yang, Y.; Gu, Ch; Yang, F.; Zou, L. D.

2018-01-01

With the construction of Material Quality Inspection Center of Shandong electric power company, Electric Power Research Institute takes on more jobs on quality analysis and laboratory calibration for high-voltage electrical equipment, and informationization construction becomes urgent. In the paper we design a consolidated system, which implements the electronic management and online automation process for material sampling, test apparatus detection and field test. In the three jobs we use QR code scanning, online Word editing and electronic signature. These techniques simplify the complex process of warehouse management and testing report transferring, and largely reduce the manual procedure. The construction of the standardized detection information platform realizes the integrated management of high-voltage electrical equipment from their networking, running to periodic detection. According to system operation evaluation, the speed of transferring report is doubled, and querying data is also easier and faster.

Electrical stimulation induces propagated colonic contractions in an experimental model.

Science.gov (United States)

Aellen, S; Wiesel, P H; Gardaz, J-P; Schlageter, V; Bertschi, M; Virag, N; Givel, J-C

2009-02-01

Direct colonic electrical stimulation may prove to be a treatment option for specific motility disorders such as chronic constipation. The aim of this study was to provoke colonic contractions using electrical stimulation delivered from a battery-operated device. Electrodes were inserted into the caecal seromuscular layer of eight anaesthetized pigs. Contractions were induced by a neurostimulator (Medtronic 3625). Caecal motility was measured simultaneously by video image analysis, manometry and a technique assessing colonic transit. Caecal contractions were generated using 8-10 V amplitude, 1000 micros pulse width, 120 Hz frequency for 10-30 s, with an intensity of 7-15 mA. The maximal contraction strength was observed after 20-25 s. Electrical stimulation was followed by a relaxation phase of 1.5-2 min during which contractions propagated orally and aborally over at least 10 cm. Spontaneous and stimulated caecal motility values were significantly different for both intraluminal pressure (mean(s.d.) 332(124) and 463(187) mmHg respectively; P < 0.001, 42 experiments) and movement of contents (1.6(0.9) and 3.9(2.8) mm; P < 0.001, 40 experiments). Electrical stimulation modulated caecal motility, and provoked localized and propagated colonic contractions.

Validating computationally predicted TMS stimulation areas using direct electrical stimulation in patients with brain tumors near precentral regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Opitz, Alexander; Zafar, Noman; Bockermann, Volker; Rohde, Veit; Paulus, Walter

2014-01-01

The spatial extent of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is of paramount interest for all studies employing this method. It is generally assumed that the induced electric field is the crucial parameter to determine which cortical regions are excited. While it is difficult to directly measure the electric field, one usually relies on computational models to estimate the electric field distribution. Direct electrical stimulation (DES) is a local brain stimulation method generally considered the gold standard to map structure-function relationships in the brain. Its application is typically limited to patients undergoing brain surgery. In this study we compare the computationally predicted stimulation area in TMS with the DES area in six patients with tumors near precentral regions. We combine a motor evoked potential (MEP) mapping experiment for both TMS and DES with realistic individual finite element method (FEM) simulations of the electric field distribution during TMS and DES. On average, stimulation areas in TMS and DES show an overlap of up to 80%, thus validating our computational physiology approach to estimate TMS excitation volumes. Our results can help in understanding the spatial spread of TMS effects and in optimizing stimulation protocols to more specifically target certain cortical regions based on computational modeling.

Videoradiography at submental electrical stimulation during apnea in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillarp, B.; Rosen, I.; Wickstroem, O.; Malmoe Allmaenna Sjukhus

1991-01-01

Percutaneous submental electrical stimulation during sleep may be a new therapeutic method for patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Electrical stimulation to the submental region during obstructive apnea is reported to break the apnea without arousal and to diminish apneic index, time spent in apnea, and oxygen desaturation. The mode of breaking the apnea by electrical stimulation has not yet been shown. However, genioglossus is supposed to be the muscle responsible for breaking the apnea by forward movement of the tongue. To visualize the effect of submental electrical stimulation, one patient with severe OSAS has been examined with videoradiography. Submental electrical stimulation evoked an immediate complex muscle activity in the tongue, palate, and hyoid bone. This was followed by a forward movement of the tongue which consistently broke obstructive apnea without apparent arousal. Time spent in apnea was diminished but intervals between apnea were not affected. (orig.)

Influence of electrical stimulation on carcass and meat quality of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In a previous study regarding the effects of Kosher and conventional slaughter techniques on carcass and meat quality of cattle, it was speculated that electrical stimulation may have affected some of the meat qualities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of electrical stimulation (ES) and ...

Ge/graded-SiGe multiplication layers for low-voltage and low-noise Ge avalanche photodiodes on Si

Science.gov (United States)

Miyasaka, Yuji; Hiraki, Tatsurou; Okazaki, Kota; Takeda, Kotaro; Tsuchizawa, Tai; Yamada, Koji; Wada, Kazumi; Ishikawa, Yasuhiko

2016-04-01

A new structure is examined for low-voltage and low-noise Ge-based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) on Si, where a Ge/graded-SiGe heterostructure is used as the multiplication layer of a separate-absorption-carrier-multiplication structure. The Ge/SiGe heterojunction multiplication layer is theoretically shown to be useful for preferentially enhancing impact ionization for photogenerated holes injected from the Ge optical-absorption layer via the graded SiGe, reflecting the valence band discontinuity at the Ge/SiGe interface. This property is effective not only for the reduction of operation voltage/electric field strength in Ge-based APDs but also for the reduction of excess noise resulting from the ratio of the ionization coefficients between electrons and holes being far from unity. Such Ge/graded-SiGe heterostructures are successfully fabricated by ultrahigh-vacuum chemical vapor deposition. Preliminary pin diodes having a Ge/graded-SiGe multiplication layer act reasonably as photodetectors, showing a multiplication gain larger than those for diodes without the Ge/SiGe heterojunction.

Charge and energy minimization in electrical/magnetic stimulation of nervous tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Jezernik, Saso; Sinkjaer, Thomas; Morari, Manfred

2010-08-01

In this work we address the problem of stimulating nervous tissue with the minimal necessary energy at reduced/minimal charge. Charge minimization is related to a valid safety concern (avoidance and reduction of stimulation-induced tissue and electrode damage). Energy minimization plays a role in battery-driven electrical or magnetic stimulation systems (increased lifetime, repetition rates, reduction of power requirements, thermal management). Extensive new theoretical results are derived by employing an optimal control theory framework. These results include derivation of the optimal electrical stimulation waveform for a mixed energy/charge minimization problem, derivation of the charge-balanced energy-minimal electrical stimulation waveform, solutions of a pure charge minimization problem with and without a constraint on the stimulation amplitude, and derivation of the energy-minimal magnetic stimulation waveform. Depending on the set stimulus pulse duration, energy and charge reductions of up to 80% are deemed possible. Results are verified in simulations with an active, mammalian-like nerve fiber model.

Applied electric field enhances DRG neurite growth: influence of stimulation media, surface coating and growth supplements

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Matthew D.; Willits, Rebecca Kuntz

2009-08-01

Electrical therapies have been found to aid repair of nerve injuries and have been shown to increase and direct neurite outgrowth during stimulation. This enhanced neural growth existed even after the electric field (EF) or stimulation was removed, but the factors that may influence the enhanced growth, such as stimulation media or surface coating, have not been fully investigated. This study characterized neurite outgrowth and branching under various conditions: EF magnitude and application time, ECM surface coating, medium during EF application and growth supplements. A uniform, low-magnitude EF (24 or 44 V m-1) was applied to dissociated chick embryo dorsal root ganglia seeded on collagen or laminin-coated surfaces. During the growth period, cells were either exposed to NGF or N2, and during stimulation cells were exposed to either unsupplemented media (Ca2+) or PBS (no Ca2+). Parallel controls for each experiment included cells exposed to the chamber with no stimulation and cells remaining outside the chamber. After brief electrical stimulation (10 min), neurite length significantly increased 24 h after application for all conditions studied. Of particular interest, increased stimulation time (10-100 min) further enhanced neurite length on laminin but not on collagen surfaces. Neurite branching was not affected by stimulation on any surface, and no preferential growth of neurites was noted after stimulation. Overall, the results of this report suggest that short-duration electric stimulation is sufficient to enhance neurite length under a variety of conditions. While further data are needed to fully elucidate a mechanism for this increased growth, these data suggest that one focus of those investigations should be the interaction between the growth cone and the substrata.

Electrical stimulation enhances cell migration and integrative repair in the meniscus

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Xiaoning; Arkonac, Derya E.; Chao, Pen-hsiu Grace; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana

2014-01-01

Electrical signals have been applied towards the repair of articular tissues in the laboratory and clinical settings for over seventy years. We focus on healing of the meniscus, a tissue essential to knee function with limited innate repair potential, which has been largely unexplored in the context of electrical stimulation. Here we demonstrate for the first time that electrical stimulation enhances meniscus cell migration and integrative tissue repair. We optimize pulsatile direct current electrical stimulation parameters on cells at the micro-scale, and apply these to healing of full-thickness defects in explants at the macro-scale. We report increased expression of the adenosine A2b receptor in meniscus cells after stimulation at the micro- and macro-scale, and propose a role for A2bR in meniscus electrotransduction. Taken together, these findings advance our understanding of the effects of electrical signals and their mechanisms of action, and contribute to developing electrotherapeutic strategies for meniscus repair. PMID:24419206

Registration and Analysis of Bioelectric Activity of Sensory-Motor Cortex During the Electrical Stimulation of Nucleus Caudate in Rats

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Snežana Medenica-Milanović

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Background and purposeThe caudate circuit takes part in cognitive control of motor activity The purpose of the present work was registration and analysis of basic bioelectrical activity of ventral and dorsal sensory-motor cortex and nucleus caudate, study of the changes in EEG after nucleus caudate electrical stimulation and to identify of threshold level of electrical stimuli responsible for changes of electrical activity in registered brain area.Materials and methodsWe used 28 albino Wistar rat of both genders. After the animal fixation on stereotaxic apparatus to dry bone, the places for electrode fixation were marked. Two days after the electrodes had been implanted an EEG was registered so that the animals would adjust to the conditions and so they would repair the tissue reactions. EEG was registered with bipolar electrodes with ten-channeled apparatus. For first half an hour spontaneous activity of the brain was registered, and after that the head of nucleus caudate was stimulated with altered impulses of various voltages, frequency and duration.Results and conclusionsThreshold values of electric stimulus intensity from 3 to 5 V, frequency from 3 to 5 Hz, duration from 3 to 5 ms, by stimulation the head of nucleus caudate of rat, lead to the change of basal bioelectric activity of cerebrum. The change of bioelectric activity is firstly recorded in equilateral cortex, and with the higher intensity of the stimulus the changes overtake the contra lateral cortex.

Effect of resin composition to the electrical and mechanical properties of high voltage insulator material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Totok Dermawan; Elin Nuraini; Suyamto

2012-01-01

A solid insulator manufacture of resins for high voltage with a variation of resin and hardener composition has been made. The purpose of research to know electrical and mechanical properties of high voltage insulator material of resin. To determine its electric properties, the material is tested its breakdown voltage and the flashover voltage that occurred on the surface. While to determine the mechanical properties were tested by measuring its strength with a tensile test. From testing with variety of mixed composition it is known that for composition between hardener and resin of 1 : 800 has most advantageous properties because it has good strength with a tensile strength of 19.86 MPa and enough high dielectric strength of 43.2 kV / mm). (author)

Direct Electrical Stimulation in the Human Brain Disrupts Melody Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcea, Frank E; Chernoff, Benjamin L; Diamond, Bram; Lewis, Wesley; Sims, Maxwell H; Tomlinson, Samuel B; Teghipco, Alexander; Belkhir, Raouf; Gannon, Sarah B; Erickson, Steve; Smith, Susan O; Stone, Jonathan; Liu, Lynn; Tollefson, Trenton; Langfitt, John; Marvin, Elizabeth; Pilcher, Webster H; Mahon, Bradford Z

2017-09-11

Prior research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) [1-4] and behavioral studies of patients with acquired or congenital amusia [5-8] suggest that the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) in the human brain is specialized for aspects of music processing (for review, see [9-12]). Intracranial electrical brain stimulation in awake neurosurgery patients is a powerful means to determine the computations supported by specific brain regions and networks [13-21] because it provides reversible causal evidence with high spatial resolution (for review, see [22, 23]). Prior intracranial stimulation or cortical cooling studies have investigated musical abilities related to reading music scores [13, 14] and singing familiar songs [24, 25]. However, individuals with amusia (congenitally, or from a brain injury) have difficulty humming melodies but can be spared for singing familiar songs with familiar lyrics [26]. Here we report a detailed study of a musician with a low-grade tumor in the right temporal lobe. Functional MRI was used pre-operatively to localize music processing to the right STG, and the patient subsequently underwent awake intraoperative mapping using direct electrical stimulation during a melody repetition task. Stimulation of the right STG induced "music arrest" and errors in pitch but did not affect language processing. These findings provide causal evidence for the functional segregation of music and language processing in the human brain and confirm a specific role of the right STG in melody processing. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low start-up voltage dc–dc converter with negative voltage control for thermoelectric energy harvesting

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Pui-Sun Lei

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This Letter presents a low start-up voltage dc–dc converter for low-power thermoelectric systems which uses a native n-type MOS transistor as the start-up switch. The start-up voltage of the proposed converter is 300 mV and the converter does not need batteries to start up. The negative voltage control is proposed to reduce the leakage current caused by native n-type transistor and increase the efficiency. The proposed converter was designed using standard 0.18 µm CMOS process with chip size of 0.388 mm^2. The peak efficiency is 63% at load current of 1.5 mA. The proposed converter provides output voltage >1 V at maximum load current of 3.2 mA.

Utilization of low- and high-voltage electric equipment at heights exceeding 1000 m above sea level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karapetyan, M.M.

1980-01-01

The present-day state of high- and low-voltage equipment utilization at heights exceeding 1000 m above sea level is considered with allowance for the technical requirements applicable to the equipment, as provided for in the GOST (All-Union State Standards), and for the results of scientific research studies. 12 refs.

30 CFR 75.902 - Low- and medium-voltage ground check monitor circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Medium-Voltage Alternating Current Circuits § 75.902 Low- and medium-voltage ground check monitor circuits. [Statutory Provisions] On or before September 30, 1970, low- and medium-voltage resistance... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Low- and medium-voltage ground check monitor...

Modelling chloride penetration in concrete using electrical voltage and current approaches

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Juan Lizarazo-Marriaga

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a research programme aimed at giving a better understanding of the phenomena involved in the chloride penetration in cement-based materials. The general approach used was to solve the Nernst-Planck equation numerically for two physical ideal states that define the possible conditions under which chlorides will move through concrete. These conditions are named in this paper as voltage control and current control. For each condition, experiments and simulations were carried out in order to establish the importance of electrical variables such as voltage and current in modelling chloride transport in concrete. The results of experiments and simulations showed that if those electrical variables are included as key parameters in the modelling of chloride penetration through concrete, a better understanding of this complex phenomenon can be obtained.

Electrical stimulation vs thermal effects in a complex electromagnetic environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Paniagua, Jesús M; Rufo, Montaña; Jiménez, Antonio; Antolín, Alicia; Sánchez, Miguel

2009-08-01

Studies linking exposure to low levels of radiofrequencies with adverse health effects, notwithstanding their present apparent inconsistency, have contributed to a steady improvement in the quality of evaluating that exposure. In complex electromagnetic environments, with a multitude of emissions of different frequencies acting simultaneously, knowledge of the spectral content is fundamental to evaluating human exposure to non-ionizing radiation. In the present work, we quantify the most significant spectral components in the frequency band 0.5-2200 MHz in an urban area. The measurements were made with a spectrum analyzer and monopole, biconical, and log-periodic antennas. Power density levels were calculated separately for the medium wave, short wave, and frequency modulation radio broadcasting bands, and for the television and GSM, DCS, and UMTS mobile telephony bands. The measured levels were compared with the ICNIRP reference levels for exposure to multiple frequency sources for thermal effects and electrical stimulation. The results showed the criterion limiting exposure on the basis of preventing electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves and muscles to be stricter (exposure quotient 24.7 10(-4)) than that based on thermal considerations (exposure quotient 0.16 10(-4)). The bands that contribute most to the latter are short wave, with 46.2%, and mobile telephony with 32.6% of the total exposure. In a complex electromagnetic environment, knowledge of the radiofrequency spectrum is essential in order to quantify the contribution of each type of emission to the public's exposure. It is also necessary to evaluate the electrical effects as well as the thermal effects because the criterion to limit exposure on the basis of the effect of the electrical stimulation of tissues is stricter than that based on thermal effects.

Electrical stimulation vs thermal effects in a complex electromagnetic environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paniagua, Jesus M.; Rufo, Montana; Jimenez, Antonio; Antolin, Alicia; Sanchez, Miguel

2009-01-01

Studies linking exposure to low levels of radiofrequencies with adverse health effects, notwithstanding their present apparent inconsistency, have contributed to a steady improvement in the quality of evaluating that exposure. In complex electromagnetic environments, with a multitude of emissions of different frequencies acting simultaneously, knowledge of the spectral content is fundamental to evaluating human exposure to non-ionizing radiation. In the present work, we quantify the most significant spectral components in the frequency band 0.5-2200 MHz in an urban area. The measurements were made with a spectrum analyzer and monopole, biconical, and log-periodic antennas. Power density levels were calculated separately for the medium wave, short wave, and frequency modulation radio broadcasting bands, and for the television and GSM, DCS, and UMTS mobile telephony bands. The measured levels were compared with the ICNIRP reference levels for exposure to multiple frequency sources for thermal effects and electrical stimulation. The results showed the criterion limiting exposure on the basis of preventing electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves and muscles to be stricter (exposure quotient 24.7 10 -4 ) than that based on thermal considerations (exposure quotient 0.16 10 -4 ). The bands that contribute most to the latter are short wave, with 46.2%, and mobile telephony with 32.6% of the total exposure. In a complex electromagnetic environment, knowledge of the radiofrequency spectrum is essential in order to quantify the contribution of each type of emission to the public's exposure. It is also necessary to evaluate the electrical effects as well as the thermal effects because the criterion to limit exposure on the basis of the effect of the electrical stimulation of tissues is stricter than that based on thermal effects.

The Application of Voltage Transformer Simulator in Electrical Test Training

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nan; Zhang, Jun; Chai, Ziqi; Wang, Jingpeng; Yang, Baowei

2018-02-01

The voltage transformer test is an important means to monitor its operating state. The accuracy and reliability of the test data is directly related to the test skill level of the operator. However, the risk of test instruments damage, equipment being tested damage and electric shock in operator is caused by improper operation when training the transformer test. In this paper, a simulation device of voltage transformer is set up, and a simulation model is built for the most common 500kV capacitor voltage transformer (CVT), the simulation model can realize several test items of CVT by combing with teaching guidance platform, simulation instrument, complete set of system software and auxiliary equipment in Changchun. Many successful applications show that the simulation device has good practical value and wide application prospect.

Modulation of Illusory Auditory Perception by Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

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Giulia Prete

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to test whether transcranial electrical stimulation can modulate illusory perception in the auditory domain. In two separate experiments we applied transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (anodal/cathodal tDCS, 2 mA; N = 60 and high-frequency transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (hf-tRNS, 1.5 mA, offset 0; N = 45 on the temporal cortex during the presentation of the stimuli eliciting the Deutsch's illusion. The illusion arises when two sine tones spaced one octave apart (400 and 800 Hz are presented dichotically in alternation, one in the left and the other in the right ear, so that when the right ear receives the high tone, the left ear receives the low tone, and vice versa. The majority of the population perceives one high-pitched tone in one ear alternating with one low-pitched tone in the other ear. The results revealed that neither anodal nor cathodal tDCS applied over the left/right temporal cortex modulated the perception of the illusion, whereas hf-tRNS applied bilaterally on the temporal cortex reduced the number of times the sequence of sounds is perceived as the Deutsch's illusion with respect to the sham control condition. The stimulation time before the beginning of the task (5 or 15 min did not influence the perceptual outcome. In accordance with previous findings, we conclude that hf-tRNS can modulate auditory perception more efficiently than tDCS.

MAGNETIC VERSUS ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IN THE INTERPOLATION TWITCH TECHNIQUE OF ELBOW FLEXORS

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Sofia I. Lampropoulou

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The study compared peripheral magnetic with electrical stimulation of the biceps brachii m. (BB in the single pulse Interpolation Twitch Technique (ITT. 14 healthy participants (31±7 years participated in a within-subjects repeated-measures design study. Single, constant-current electrical and magnetic stimuli were delivered over the motor point of BB with supramaximal intensity (20% above maximum at rest and at various levels of voluntary contraction. Force measurements from right elbow isometric flexion and muscle electromyograms (EMG from the BB, the triceps brachii m. (TB and the abductor pollicis brevis m. (APB were obtained. The twitch forces at rest and maximal contractions, the twitch force-voluntary force relationship, the M-waves and the voluntary activation (VA of BB between magnetic and electrical stimulation were compared. The mean amplitude of the twitches evoked at MVC was not significantly different between electrical (0.62 ± 0.49 N and magnetic (0.81 ± 0.49 N stimulation (p > 0.05, and the maximum VA of BB was comparable between electrical (95% and magnetic (93% stimulation (p > 0. 05. No differences (p >0.05 were revealed in the BB M-waves between electrical (13.47 ± 0.49 mV.ms and magnetic (12.61 ± 0.58 mV.ms stimulation. The TB M-waves were also similar (p > 0.05 but electrically evoked APB M-waves were significantly larger than those evoked by magnetic stimulation (p < 0.05. The twitch-voluntary force relationship over the range of MVCs was best described by non-linear functions for both electrical and magnetic stimulation. The electrically evoked resting twitches were consistently larger in amplitude than the magnetically evoked ones (mean difference 3.1 ± 3.34 N, p < 0.05. Reduction of the inter-electrodes distance reduced the twitch amplitude by 6.5 ± 6.2 N (p < 0.05. The fundamental similarities in voluntary activation assessment of BB with peripheral electrical and magnetic stimulation point towards a promising

Proximity effects of high voltage electric power transmission lines on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The proximity effects of high voltage electric power transmission lines on Leyland Cypress (xCupressocyparis leylandii (Dallim. and A.B. Jacks.) Dallim) and Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonicum Thunb.) growth were examined in a private nursery located in Sakarya, Turkey. Five transect were randomly chosen in both ...

Brachial artery protected by wrapped latissimus dorsi muscle flap in high voltage electrical injury

Science.gov (United States)

Gencel, E.; Eser, C.; Kokacya, O.; Kesiktas, E.; Yavuz, M.

2016-01-01

Summary High voltage electrical injury can disrupt the vascular system and lead to extremity amputations. It is important to protect main vessels from progressive burn necrosis in order to salvage a limb. The brachial artery should be totally isolated from the burned area by a muscle flap to prevent vessel disruption. In this study, we report the use of a wrap-around latissimus dorsi muscle flap to protect a skeletonized brachial artery in a high voltage electrical injury in order to salvage the upper extremity and restore function. The flap wrapped around the exposed brachial artery segment and luminal status of the artery was assessed using magnetic resonance angiography. No vascular intervention was required. The flap survived completely with good elbow function. Extremity amputation was not encountered. This method using a latissimus dorsi flap allows the surgeon to protect the main upper extremity artery and reconstruct arm defects, which contributes to restoring arm function in high voltage electrical injury. PMID:28149236

Evaluation of the Voltage Support Strategies for the Low Voltage Grid Connected PV

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demirok, Erhan; Sera, Dezso; Teodorescu, Remus

2010-01-01

Admissible range of grid voltage is one of the strictest constraints for the penetration of distributed photovoltaic (PV) generators especially connection to low voltage (LV) public networks. Voltage limits are usually fulfilled either by network reinforcements or limiting of power injections from...... PVs. In order to increase PV penetration level further, new voltage support control functions for individual inverters are required. This paper investigates distributed reactive power regulation and active power curtailment strategies regarding the development of PV connection capacity by evaluation...... of reactive power efforts and requirement of minimum active power curtailment. Furthermore, a small scale experimental setup is built to reflect real grid interaction in the laboratory by achieving critical types of grid (weak and sufficiently stiff)....

Tissue heterogeneity as a mechanism for localized neural stimulation by applied electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miranda, P C; Correia, L; Salvador, R; Basser, P J

2007-01-01

We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m -1 to 0.333 S m -1 , simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far-field' stimulation

Tissue heterogeneity as a mechanism for localized neural stimulation by applied electric fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, P C [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Correia, L [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Salvador, R [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Basser, P J [Section on Tissue Biophysics and Biomimetics, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428 (United States)

2007-09-21

We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m{sup -1} to 0.333 S m{sup -1}, simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far-field' stimulation.

Low cost photomultiplier high-voltage readout system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oxoby, G.J.; Kunz, P.F.

1976-10-01

The Large Aperture Solenoid Spectrometer (LASS) at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) requires monitoring over 300 voltages. This data is recorded on magnetic tapes along with the event data. It must also be displayed so that operators can easily monitor and adjust the voltages. A low-cost high-voltage readout system has been implemented to offer stand-alone digital readout capability as well as fast data transfer to a host computer. The system is flexible enough to permit use of a DVM or ADC and commercially available analogue multiplexers

Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qi; Li, Yi; Zhang, Yang; Song, You, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Wang, Xizhang, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Hu, Zheng [Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, Jiangsu Provincial Lab for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. High-Tech Research Institute of Nanjing University (Suzhou), Suzhou 215123 (China); Sun, Huabin; Li, Yun, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Shi, Yi [School of Electronic Science and Engineering and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic and Electronic Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2014-08-15

A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta){sub 3}L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine), is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs). The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μ{sub FET}) of 0.17 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, threshold voltage (V{sub th}) of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 10{sup 3}, and subthreshold slope (SS) of 1.0 V dec{sup −1}, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO{sub 2} substrate (0.13 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec{sup −1} for μ{sub FET}, V{sub th} and SS value when operated at −30 V). These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

Low and High Frequency Hippocampal Stimulation for Drug-Resistant Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Siew-Na; Lee, Ching-Yi; Lee, Shih-Tseng; Tu, Po-Hsun; Chang, Bao-Luen; Lee, Chih-Hong; Cheng, Mei-Yun; Chang, Chun-Wei; Tseng, Wei-En Johnny; Hsieh, Hsiang-Yao; Chiang, Hsing-I; Wu, Tony

2016-06-01

Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus offers the possibility to treat patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who are not surgical candidates. We report long-term follow-up results in five patients receiving low or high frequency hippocampal stimulation for drug-resistant MTLE. The patients underwent stereotactic implantation of quadripolar stimulating electrodes in the hippocampus. Two of the patients received unilateral electrode implantation, while the other three received bilateral implantation. Stimulation of the hippocampal electrodes was turned ON immediately after the implantation of an implantable pulse generator, with initial stimulation parameters: 1 V, 90-150 μs, 5 or 145 Hz. The frequency of seizures was monitored and compared with preimplantation baseline data. Two men and three women, aged 27-61 years were studied, with a mean follow-up period of 38.4 months (range, 30-42 months). The baseline seizure frequency was 2.0-15.3/month. The five patients had an average 45% (range 22-72%) reduction in the frequency of seizures after hippocampal stimulation over the study period. Low frequency hippocampal stimulation decreased the frequency of seizures in two patients (by 54% and 72%, respectively). No implantation- or stimulation-related side effects were reported. Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus is a minimally invasive and reversible method that can improve seizure outcomes in patients with drug-resistant MTLE. The optimal frequency of stimulation varied from patient to patient and therefore required individual setting. These experimental results warrant further controlled studies with a large patient population to evaluate the long-term effect of hippocampal stimulation with different stimulation parameters. © 2016 The Authors. Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Neuromodulation Society.

Low-pressure gas breakdown in longitudinal combined electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisovskiy, V A; Kharchenko, N D; Yegorenkov, V D

2010-01-01

This paper contains the complete experimental and analytical picture of gas breakdown in combined electric fields for arbitrary values of rf and dc fields. To obtain it, we continued the study of the discharge ignition modes in nitrogen with simultaneous application of dc and rf electric fields presented in Lisovskiy et al (2008 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 125207). To this end, we studied the effect of rf voltage on dc discharge ignition. When we applied an rf voltage exceeding the one corresponding to the minimum breakdown voltage of a self-sustained rf discharge, the curve of dependence of the dc breakdown voltage of a combined discharge on gas pressure was found to consist of two sections. We got the generalized gas breakdown criterion in the combined field valid for arbitrary values of rf and dc electric fields. The calculation results agree with experimental data satisfactorily.

[Functional electric stimulation (FES) in cerebral palsy].

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, M H; Lourenção, M I; Ribeiro Sobrinho, J B; Battistella, L R

1992-01-01

Our study concerns a patient with cerebral palsy, submitted to conventional occupational therapy and functional electrical stimulation. The results as to manual ability, spasticity, sensibility and synkinesis were satisfactory.

Electric organ discharge diversification in mormyrid weakly electric fish is associated with differential expression of voltage-gated ion channel genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagel, Rebecca; Kirschbaum, Frank; Tiedemann, Ralph

2017-03-01

In mormyrid weakly electric fish, the electric organ discharge (EOD) is used for species recognition, orientation and prey localization. Produced in the muscle-derived adult electric organ, the EOD exhibits a wide diversity across species in both waveform and duration. While certain defining EOD characteristics can be linked to anatomical features of the electric organ, many factors underlying EOD differentiation are yet unknown. Here, we report the differential expression of 13 Kv1 voltage-gated potassium channel genes, two inwardly rectifying potassium channel genes, two previously studied sodium channel genes and an ATPase pump in two sympatric species of the genus Campylomormyrus in both the adult electric organ and skeletal muscle. Campylomormyrus compressirostris displays a basal EOD, largely unchanged during development, while C. tshokwe has an elongated, putatively derived discharge. We report an upregulation in all Kv1 genes in the electric organ of Campylomormyrus tshokwe when compared to both skeletal muscle and C. compressirostris electric organ. This pattern of upregulation in a species with a derived EOD form suggests that voltage-gated potassium channels are potentially involved in the diversification of the EOD signal among mormyrid weakly electric fish.

Dynamic range of low-voltage cascode current mirrors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun, Erik; Shah, Peter Jivan

1995-01-01

Low-voltage cascode current mirrors are reviewed with respect to the design limitations imposed if all transistors in the mirror are required to operate in the saturation region. It is found that both a lower limit and an upper limit exist for the cascode transistor bias voltage. Further, the use....... The proposed configuration has the advantage of simplicity combined with a complete elimination of the need for fixed bias voltages or bias currents in the current mirror. A disadvantage is that it requires a higher input voltage to the current mirror...

Influence of Crowbar and Chopper Protection on DFIG during Low Voltage Ride Through

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita M. Monteiro Pereira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The energy sector is evolving rapidly, namely due to the increasing importance of renewable energy sources. The connection of large amounts of wind power generation poses new challenges for the dynamic voltage stability analysis of an electric power system, which has to be studied. In this paper, the traditional Doubly-Fed Induction Generator model is employed. Based on this model, a crowbar and chopper circuit is set up to protect the turbine during the short-circuit period. The EUROSTAG software package was used for the simulation studies of the system, and numerical results were obtained. Conclusions are drawn that provide a better understanding of the influence of crowbar and chopper protection on Doubly-Fed Induction Generators (DFIG, during low voltage ride through, in a system with wind power generation.

High voltage systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, M.

1991-01-01

Industrial processes usually require electrical power. This power is used to drive motors, to heat materials, or in electrochemical processes. Often the power requirements of a plant require the electric power to be delivered at high voltage. In this paper high voltage is considered any voltage over 600 V. This voltage could be as high as 138,000 V for some very large facilities. The characteristics of this voltage and the enormous amounts of power being transmitted necessitate special safety considerations. Safety must be considered during the four activities associated with a high voltage electrical system. These activities are: Design; Installation; Operation; and Maintenance

DC-link Voltage Control to Compensate Voltage Deviation for PV–BESSs Integrated System in Low-Voltage (LV Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Gyu-sub

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The exhaustion of fossil fuel and the greenhouse gas emission are one of the most significant energy and environmental issues, respectively. Photovoltaic (PV generators and battery energy storage systems (BESSs have been significantly increased for recent years. The BESSs are mainly used for smoothing active power fluctuation of the PV. In this paper, PV–BESSs integration of two DC/DC converters and one AC/DC converter is investigated and DC-link voltage control to compensate the AC voltage deviation is proposed for the PV‒BESS system in low-voltage (LV networks.

[Mechanisms and applications of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in analgesia].

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Zheng-Yu; Wang, Hui-Quan; Xia, Xiao-Lei; Tang, Yi; Peng, Wei-Wei; Hu, Li

2017-06-25

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), as a non-pharmacological and non-invasive analgesic therapy with low-cost, has been widely used to relieve pain in various clinical applications, by delivering current pulses to the skin area to activate the peripheral nerve fibers. Nevertheless, analgesia induced by TENS varied in the clinical practice, which could be caused by the fact that TENS with different stimulus parameters has different biological mechanisms in relieving pain. Therefore, to advance our understanding of TENS in various basic and clinical studies, we discussed (1) neurophysiological and biochemical mechanisms of TENS-induced analgesia; (2) relevant factors that may influence analgesic effects of TENS from the perspectives of stimulus parameters, including stimulated position, pulse parameters (current intensity, frequency, and pulse width), stimulus duration and used times in each day; and (3) applications of TENS in relieving clinical pain, including post-operative pain, chronic low back pain and labor pain. Finally, we propose that TENS may involve multiple and complex psychological neurophysiological mechanisms, and suggest that different analgesic effects of TENS with different stimulus parameters should be taken into consideration in clinical applications. In addition, to optimize analgesic effect, we recommend that individual-based TENS stimulation parameters should be designed by considering individual differences among patients, e.g., adaptively adjusting the stimulation parameters based on the dynamic ratings of patients' pain.

Electrical engineering unit for the reactive power control of the load bus at the voltage instability

Science.gov (United States)

Kotenev, A. V.; Kotenev, V. I.; Kochetkov, V. V.; Elkin, D. A.

2018-01-01

For the purpose of reactive power control error reduction and decrease of the voltage sags in the electric power system caused by the asynchronous motors started the mathematical model of the load bus was developed. The model was built up of the sub-models of the following elements: a transformer, a transmission line, a synchronous and an asynchronous loads and a capacitor bank load, and represents the automatic reactive power control system taking into account electromagnetic processes of the asynchronous motors started and reactive power changing of the electric power system elements caused by the voltage fluctuation. The active power/time and reactive power/time characteristics based on the recommended procedure of the equivalent electric circuit parameters calculation were obtained. The derived automatic reactive power control system was shown to eliminate the voltage sags in the electric power system caused by the asynchronous motors started.

Electric Field Stimulation Enhances Healing of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritic Cartilage

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0591 TITLE: Electric Field Stimulation Enhances Healing of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritic Cartilage PRINCIPAL...response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing...2016 – 29 Sep 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Cartilage 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Electric Field Stimulation Enhances Healing of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritic

Technical evaluation report on the adequacy of station electric distribution system voltages for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. (Docket Nos. 50-266, 50-301)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, R.L.

1983-01-01

This report documents the technical evaluation of the adequacy of the station electric distribution system voltages for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. The evaluation is to determine if the onsite distribution system, in conjunction with the offsite power sources, has sufficient capacity to automatically start and operate all Class 1E loads within the equipment voltage ratings under certain conditions established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. For the worst case conditions study submitted by the licensee, it was shown that the station electric distribution system voltages would be adequate to start and operate 4160-volt and 480-volt Class 1E loads and their associated low voltage controls

Power Snapshot Analysis (PSSA) of low voltage grids by means of smart meters; Power Snapshot Analyse (PSSA) von Niederspannungsnetzen durch den Einsatz von intelligenten Elektrizitaetszaehlern ('Smart Meters')

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritz, Richard; Bauer, Wolfgang [Siemens AG Oesterreich, Wien (Austria); Stifter, Matthias [Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Wien (Austria); Abart, Andreas [Energie AG Oberoesterreich, Linz (Austria); Pointner, Rudolf [Salzburg Netz, Salzburg (Austria); Taus, Hans [Wien Energie Stromnetz GmbH, Wien (Austria)

2012-07-01

Besides the actual metering tasks, intelligent electricity meters (''smart meters'') can be used for the economic acquisition of distribution grid parameters. This results in more knowledge about the actual situation in the low-voltage distribution grid and allows new ways to analyze electrical low-voltage grids. This is the base for a more efficient utilization of the grid's infrastructure, especially in case of the increasing decentralized energy generation and E-mobility. (orig.)

Influence of electroencephalograph bionic electrical stimulation on neuronal activities in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liling Jiang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate the influence of electroencephalograph bionic electrical stimulation on neuronal activity in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD using resting-state blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF and fraction ALFF (fALFF analysis. Methods: 42 AD patients were divided into two groups in accordance with the randomized double blind principle, every group was 21. Treatment group received electroencephalograph bionic electrical stimulation. Both groups received resting-state BOLD-fMRI scanning before and after treatment and comparing differences in ALFF and fALFF in each group by statistical methods. Correlation analysis was performed between ALFF or fALFF images and neuropsychological tests scale after treatment. Results: Post-therapy brain regions with higher ALFF included left cerebellum posterior lobe, right cerebellum posterior lobe, left hippocampus/parahippocampus, left posterior cingulated cortex, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right inferior parietal lobule in treatment group. Higher fALFF was observed in the right inferior parietal lobule. In the placebo group lower ALFF was observed in bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe and left posterior cingulated cortex. Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive section was closely correlated with ALFF in left cerebellum posterior lobe and right cerebellum posterior lobe. Conclusion: These results indicated improved neuronal activity in some brain areas could be achieved in AD after treatment of electroencephalograph bionic electrical stimulation. The change of BOLD-fMRI signal might provide a potential imaging strategy for studying neural mechanisms of electroencephalograph bionic electrical stimulation for AD. Keywords: Electroencephalograph bionic electrical stimulation, Alzheimer's disease, Low-frequency fluctuation, Fraction low-frequency fluctuation

Reconnection of the islanded portion of the CIGRE low voltage distribution network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bhutto, G.M.; Bak, Claus Leth; Somro, Duur M.

2016-01-01

Islanding is phenomena in which a part of the distribution grid is electrically disconnected from the main transmission system. Islanded operation is encouraged in order to operate the electrical power networks in reliable manners. However, the reliability of the small networks operating is island...... is less as compared to that of the grid connected system. The islanded portion of the distribution network can be reconnected to the transmission grid if the voltage magnitudes, voltage phase angles and the frequencies of the two systems are synchronized. The main objective of this paper is to facilitate...

The difference between electrical microstimulation and direct electrical stimulation - towards new opportunities for innovative functional brain mapping?

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Marion; Rossel, Olivier; Hayashibe, Mitsuhiro; Herbet, Guillaume; Duffau, Hugues; Guiraud, David; Bonnetblanc, François

2016-04-01

Both electrical microstimulation (EMS) and direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the brain are used to perform functional brain mapping. EMS is applied to animal fundamental neuroscience experiments, whereas DES is performed in the operating theatre on neurosurgery patients. The objective of the present review was to shed new light on electrical stimulation techniques in brain mapping by comparing EMS and DES. There is much controversy as to whether the use of DES during wide-awake surgery is the 'gold standard' for studying the brain function. As part of this debate, it is sometimes wrongly assumed that EMS and DES induce similar effects in the nervous tissues and have comparable behavioural consequences. In fact, the respective stimulation parameters in EMS and DES are clearly different. More surprisingly, there is no solid biophysical rationale for setting the stimulation parameters in EMS and DES; this may be due to historical, methodological and technical constraints that have limited the experimental protocols and prompted the use of empirical methods. In contrast, the gap between EMS and DES highlights the potential for new experimental paradigms in electrical stimulation for functional brain mapping. In view of this gap and recent technical developments in stimulator design, it may now be time to move towards alternative, innovative protocols based on the functional stimulation of peripheral nerves (for which a more solid theoretical grounding exists).

Implantable power generation system utilizing muscle contractions excited by electrical stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahara, Genta; Hijikata, Wataru; Tomioka, Kota; Shinshi, Tadahiko

2016-06-01

An implantable power generation system driven by muscle contractions for supplying power to active implantable medical devices, such as pacemakers and neurostimulators, is proposed. In this system, a muscle is intentionally contracted by an electrical stimulation in accordance with the demands of the active implantable medical device for electrical power. The proposed system, which comprises a small electromagnetic induction generator, electrodes with an electrical circuit for stimulation and a transmission device to convert the linear motion of the muscle contractions into rotational motion for the magneto rotor, generates electrical energy. In an ex vivo demonstration using the gastrocnemius muscle of a toad, which was 28 mm in length and weighed 1.3 g, the electrical energy generated by the prototype exceeded the energy consumed for electrical stimulation, with the net power being 111 µW. It was demonstrated that the proposed implantable power generation system has the potential to replace implantable batteries for active implantable medical devices. © IMechE 2016.

Simulations of momentum transfer process between solar wind plasma and bias voltage tethers of electric sail thruster

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Guangqing; Han, Yajie; Chen, Liuwei; Wei, Yanming; Yu, Yang; Chen, Maolin

2018-06-01

The interaction between the solar wind plasma and the bias voltage of long tethers is the basic mechanism of the electric sail thruster. The momentum transfer process between the solar wind plasma and electric tethers was investigated using a 2D full particle PIC method. The coupled electric field distribution and deflected ion trajectory under different bias voltages were compared, and the influence of bias voltage on momentum transfer process was analyzed. The results show that the high potential of the bias voltage of long tethers will slow down, stagnate, reflect and deflect a large number of ions, so that ion cavities are formed in the vicinity of the tether, and the ions will transmit the axial momentum to the sail tethers to produce the thrust. Compared to the singe tether, double tethers show a better thrust performance.

Non-canonical spectral decomposition of random functions of the traction voltage and current in electric transportation systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.A. Kostin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes the non-canonical spectral decomposition of random functions of the traction voltages and currents. This decomposition is adapted for the electric transportation systems. The numerical representation is carried out for the random function of voltage on the pantograph of electric locomotives VL8 and DE1.

New Approach for High-Voltage Electrical Double-Layer Capacitors Using Vertical Graphene Nanowalls with and without Nitrogen Doping.

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Yu-Wen; Hu, Chi-Chang; Shen, Hsiao-Hsuan; Huang, Kun-Ping

2016-09-14

Integrating various devices to achieve high-performance energy storage systems to satisfy various demands in modern societies become more and more important. Electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), one kind of the electrochemical capacitors, generally provide the merits of high charge-discharge rates, extremely long cycle life, and high efficiency in electricity capture/storage, leading to a desirable device of electricity management from portable electronics to hybrid vehicles or even smart grid application. However, the low cell voltage (2.5-2.7 V in organic liquid electrolytes) of EDLCs lacks the direct combination of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and EDLCs for creating new functions in future applications without considering the issue of a relatively low energy density. Here we propose a guideline, "choosing a matching pair of electrode materials and electrolytes", to effectively extend the cell voltage of EDLCs according to three general strategies. Based on the new strategy proposed in this work, materials with an inert surface enable to tolerate a wider potential window in commercially available organic electrolytes in comparison with activated carbons (ACs). The binder-free, vertically grown graphene nanowalls (GNW) and nitrogen-doped GNW (NGNW) electrodes respectively provide good examples for extending the upper potential limit of a positive electrode of EDLCs from 0.1 to 1.5 V (vs Ag/AgNO3) as well as the lower potential limit of a negative electrode of EDLCs from -2.0 V to ca. -2.5 V in 1 M TEABF4/PC (propylene carbonate) compared to ACs. This newly designed asymmetric EDLC exhibits a cell voltage of 4 V, specific energy of 52 Wh kg(-1) (ca. a device energy density of 13 Wh kg(-1)), and specific power of 8 kW kg(-1) and ca. 100% retention after 10,000 cycles charge-discharge, reducing the series number of EDLCs to enlarge the module voltage and opening the possibility for directly combining EDLCs and LIBs in advanced applications.

A pilot study on using acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to treat chronic non-specific low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Itoh, Kazunori; Itoh, Satoko; Katsumi, Yasukazu; Kitakoji, Hiroshi

2009-02-01

The present study tests whether a combined treatment of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is more effective than acupuncture or TENS alone for treating chronic low back pain (LBP). Thirty-two patients with chronic LBP were randomly allocated to four groups. The acupuncture group (ACP) received only acupuncture treatment at selected acupoints for low back pain; the TENS group (TENS) received only TENS treatment at pain areas; the acupuncture and TENS group (A&T) received both acupuncture and TENS treatments; the control group (CT) received topical poultice (only when necessary). Each group received specific weekly treatment five times during the study. Outcome measures were pain intensity in terms of visual analogue scale (VAS) and QOL of low back in terms of Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). The ACP, TENS and A&T groups all reported lower VAS and RDQ scores. Significant reduction in pain intensity (PTENS treatment is effective in pain relief and QOL of low back improvement for the sampled patients suffering from chronic LBP.

High-Voltage, Low-Power BNC Feedthrough Terminator

Science.gov (United States)

Bearden, Douglas

2012-01-01

This innovation is a high-voltage, lowpower BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman) feedthrough that enables the user to terminate an instrumentation cable properly while connected to a high voltage, without the use of a voltage divider. This feedthrough is low power, which will not load the source, and will properly terminate the instrumentation cable to the instrumentation, even if the cable impedance is not constant. The Space Shuttle Program had a requirement to measure voltage transients on the orbiter bus through the Ground Lightning Measurement System (GLMS). This measurement has a bandwidth requirement of 1 MHz. The GLMS voltage measurement is connected to the orbiter through a DC panel. The DC panel is connected to the bus through a nonuniform cable that is approximately 75 ft (approximately equal to 23 m) long. A 15-ft (approximately equal to 5-m), 50-ohm triaxial cable is connected between the DC panel and the digitizer. Based on calculations and simulations, cable resonances and reflections due to mismatched impedances of the cable connecting the orbiter bus and the digitizer causes the output not to reflect accurately what is on the bus. A voltage divider at the DC panel, and terminating the 50-ohm cable properly, would eliminate this issue. Due to implementation issues, an alternative design was needed to terminate the cable properly without the use of a voltage divider. Analysis shows how the cable resonances and reflections due to the mismatched impedances of the cable connecting the orbiter bus and the digitizer causes the output not to reflect accurately what is on the bus. After simulating a dampening circuit located at the digitizer, simulations were performed to show how the cable resonances were dampened and the accuracy was improved significantly. Test cables built to verify simulations were accurate. Since the dampening circuit is low power, it can be packaged in a BNC feedthrough.

Correspondence between visual and electrical input filters of ON and OFF mouse retinal ganglion cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sekhar, S.; Jalligampala, A.; Zrenner, E.; Rathbun, D. L.

2017-08-01

Objective. Over the past two decades retinal prostheses have made major strides in restoring functional vision to patients blinded by diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. Presently, implants use single pulses to activate the retina. Though this stimulation paradigm has proved beneficial to patients, an unresolved problem is the inability to selectively stimulate the on and off visual pathways. To this end our goal was to test, using white noise, voltage-controlled, cathodic, monophasic pulse stimulation, whether different retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types in the wild type retina have different electrical input filters. This is an important precursor to addressing pathway-selective stimulation. Approach. Using full-field visual flash and electrical and visual Gaussian noise stimulation, combined with the technique of spike-triggered averaging (STA), we calculate the electrical and visual input filters for different types of RGCs (classified as on, off or on-off based on their response to the flash stimuli). Main results. Examining the STAs, we found that the spiking activity of on cells during electrical stimulation correlates with a decrease in the voltage magnitude preceding a spike, while the spiking activity of off cells correlates with an increase in the voltage preceding a spike. No electrical preference was found for on-off cells. Comparing STAs of wild type and rd10 mice revealed narrower electrical STA deflections with shorter latencies in rd10. Significance. This study is the first comparison of visual cell types and their corresponding temporal electrical input filters in the retina. The altered input filters in degenerated rd10 retinas are consistent with photoreceptor stimulation underlying visual type-specific electrical STA shapes in wild type retina. It is therefore conceivable that existing implants could target partially degenerated photoreceptors that have only lost their outer segments, but not somas, to selectively activate the on and off

Impact of Distribution Feeders that do not have Voltage Regulators on the number of Charged Electric Vehicles using IEEE 34 Bus Test Feeder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allehyani, Ahmed [University of Southern California, Department of Electrical Engineering; Beshir, Mohammed [University of Southern California, Department of Electrical Engineering

2015-02-01

Voltage regulators help maintain an acceptable voltage profile for the system. This paper discusses the effect of installing voltage regulators to the system to fix the voltage drop resulting from the electrical vehicles loading increase when they are being charged. The effect will be studied in the afternoon, when the peak load occurs, using the IEEE 34 bus test feeder. First, only one spot node is used to charge the electric vehicles while a voltage regulator is present. Second, five spot nodes are loaded at the same time to charge the electric vehicles while voltage regulators are installed at each node. After that, the impact of electric vehicles on distribution feeders that do not have voltage regulators will appear.

ZnO nanorod based low turn-on voltage LEDs with wide electroluminescence spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jha, S.K.; Kutsay, O.; Bello, I.; Lee, S.T.

2013-01-01

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on arrays of n-type ZnO Nanorods were fabricated on p-GaN films using a hydrothermal method. The LEDs emit mainly in blue and UV range of the light. Their current–Voltage (I–V) characteristics typically show a low leakage current (7.2 μA) and a high rectification ratio (3 5 5). Devices operate at a low turn-on voltage of ∼4.5 V. Photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) measurements suggest low density of ZnO defects; however, in some aspects density of interfacial defects still might be considerable in the studied devices. The PL emission is deconvoluted to three peaks that are located at wavelengths of 361, 381, and 397 nm, while the wide EL spectra are deconvoluted to five peaks appearing at 368, 385, 427, 474, and 515 nm. Near-band-edge (NBE) emission of p-GaN and n-ZnO was observed in both the PL and EL spectra. Deconvoluted EL spectra consist of a very wide green band with the peak at 515 nm and extending up to 650 nm (red), and a rarely reported EL emission at 474 nm. Origin of these emissions is discussed, herein. The electrical characteristics together with EL characteristics indicate potential to develop and study p-GaN/n-ZnO nanorod LEDs for white emitting applications. - Highlights: ► A low turn-on voltage (4–4.5 V) and low threshold (5 V) electroluminescence from ZnO/GaN heterostructure. ► A wide spectrum EL emission (360–700 nm) suitable for white LED application. ► EL spectra consist of a rarely reported emission band with peak at 474 nm. ► Low-temperature and solution based fabrication, which is scalable and of low cost.

Enhancing Food Processing by Pulsed and High Voltage Electric Fields: Principles and Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qijun; Li, Yifei; Sun, Da-Wen; Zhu, Zhiwei

2018-02-02

Improvements in living standards result in a growing demand for food with high quality attributes including freshness, nutrition and safety. However, current industrial processing methods rely on traditional thermal and chemical methods, such as sterilization and solvent extraction, which could induce negative effects on food quality and safety. The electric fields (EFs) involving pulsed electric fields (PEFs) and high voltage electric fields (HVEFs) have been studied and developed for assisting and enhancing various food processes. In this review, the principles and applications of pulsed and high voltage electric fields are described in details for a range of food processes, including microbial inactivation, component extraction, and winemaking, thawing and drying, freezing and enzymatic inactivation. Moreover, the advantages and limitations of electric field related technologies are discussed to foresee future developments in the food industry. This review demonstrates that electric field technology has a great potential to enhance food processing by supplementing or replacing the conventional methods employed in different food manufacturing processes. Successful industrial applications of electric field treatments have been achieved in some areas such as microbial inactivation and extraction. However, investigations of HVEFs are still in an early stage and translating the technology into industrial applications need further research efforts.

Psychophysical Evaluation of Subdermal Electrical Stimulation in Relation to Prosthesis Sensory Feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Bo; Dong, Jian; Jensen, Winnie; Dosen, Strahinja; Farina, Dario; Kamavuako, Ernest Nlandu

2018-03-01

This paper evaluated the psychophysical properties of subdermal electrical stimulation to investigate its feasibility in providing sensory feedback for limb prostheses. The detection threshold (DT), pain threshold (PT), just noticeable difference (JND), as well as the elicited sensation quality, comfort, intensity, and location were assessed in 16 healthy volunteers during stimulation of the ventral and dorsal forearm with subdermal electrodes. Moreover, the results were compared with those obtained from transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Despite a lower DT and PT, subdermal stimulation attained a greater relative dynamic range (i.e., PT/DT) and significantly smaller JNDs for stimulation amplitude. Muscle twitches and movements were more commonly elicited by surface stimulation, especially at the higher stimulation frequencies, whereas the pinprick sensation was more often reported with subdermal stimulation. Less comfort was perceived in subdermal stimulation of the ventral forearm at the highest tested stimulation frequency of 100 Hz. In summary, subdermal electrical stimulation was demonstrated to be able to produce similar sensation quality as transcutaneous stimulation and outperformed the latter in terms of energy efficiency and sensitivity. These results suggest that stimulation through implantable subdermal electrodes may lead to an efficient and compact sensory feedback system for substituting the lost sense in amputees.

Illumination and Voltage Dependence of Electrical Characteristics of Au/0.03 Graphene-Doped PVA/n-Si Structures via Capacitance/Conductance-Voltage Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahar, Alialy; Şlemsettin, Altındal; Ahmet, Kaya; İ, Uslu

2015-01-01

Au/n-Si (MS) structures with a high dielectric interlayer (0.03 graphene-doped PVA) are fabricated to investigate the illumination and voltage effects on electrical and dielectric properties by using capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G/ω-V) measurements at room temperature and at 1 MHz. Some of the main electrical parameters such as concentration of doping atoms (N D ), barrier height (ϕ B (C - V)), depletion layer width (W D ) and series resistance (R s ) show fairly large illumination dispersion. The voltage-dependent profile of surface states (N ss ) and resistance of the structure (R i ) are also obtained by using the dark-illumination capacitance (C dark -C ill ) and Nicollian-Brews methods, respectively. For a clear observation of changes in electrical parameters with illumination, the values of N D , W D , ϕ B (C - V) and R s are drawn as a function of illumination intensity. The values of N D and W D change almost linearly with illumination intensity. On the other hand, R s decreases almost exponentially with increasing illumination intensity whereas ϕ B (C - V) increases. The experimental results suggest that the use of a high dielectric interlayer (0.03 graphene-doped PVA) considerably passivates or reduces the magnitude of the surface states. The large change or dispersion in main electrical parameters can be attributed to generation of electron-hole pairs in the junction under illumination and to a good light absorption. All of these experimental results confirm that the fabricated Au/0.03 graphene-doped PVA/n-Si structure can be used as a photodiode or a capacitor in optoelectronic applications. (paper)

Technological Aspects: High Voltage

CERN Document Server

Faircloth, D.C.

2013-12-16

This paper covers the theory and technological aspects of high-voltage design for ion sources. Electric field strengths are critical to understanding high-voltage breakdown. The equations governing electric fields and the techniques to solve them are discussed. The fundamental physics of high-voltage breakdown and electrical discharges are outlined. Different types of electrical discharges are catalogued and their behaviour in environments ranging from air to vacuum are detailed. The importance of surfaces is discussed. The principles of designing electrodes and insulators are introduced. The use of high-voltage platforms and their relation to system design are discussed. The use of commercially available high-voltage technology such as connectors, feedthroughs and cables are considered. Different power supply technologies and their procurement are briefly outlined. High-voltage safety, electric shocks and system design rules are covered.

Fuel Cell/Electrochemical Cell Voltage Monitor

Science.gov (United States)

Vasquez, Arturo

2012-01-01

A concept has been developed for a new fuel cell individual-cell-voltage monitor that can be directly connected to a multi-cell fuel cell stack for direct substack power provisioning. It can also provide voltage isolation for applications in high-voltage fuel cell stacks. The technology consists of basic modules, each with an 8- to 16-cell input electrical measurement connection port. For each basic module, a power input connection would be provided for direct connection to a sub-stack of fuel cells in series within the larger stack. This power connection would allow for module power to be available in the range of 9-15 volts DC. The relatively low voltage differences that the module would encounter from the input electrical measurement connection port, coupled with the fact that the module's operating power is supplied by the same substack voltage input (and so will be at similar voltage), provides for elimination of high-commonmode voltage issues within each module. Within each module, there would be options for analog-to-digital conversion and data transfer schemes. Each module would also include a data-output/communication port. Each of these ports would be required to be either non-electrical (e.g., optically isolated) or electrically isolated. This is necessary to account for the fact that the plurality of modules attached to the stack will normally be at a range of voltages approaching the full range of the fuel cell stack operating voltages. A communications/ data bus could interface with the several basic modules. Options have been identified for command inputs from the spacecraft vehicle controller, and for output-status/data feeds to the vehicle.

Neurocontrol of the inverse dynamics in functional electrical stimulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spaanenburg, L; Nijhuis, JAG; Ypma, A; Silva, FL; Principe, JC; Almeida, LB

1997-01-01

The rehabilitation of paraplegia can be pursued by functional electrical stimulation (FES) combined with biofeedback This requires control by surface electromyographical (EMG) signals to predict the muscle stimulation patterns while compensating the inherent phase lag. This can be realized by a

Recurrent themes in the history of the home use of electrical stimulation: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and the medical battery (1870-1920).

Science.gov (United States)

Wexler, Anna

In recent years, neuroscientists and ethicists have warned of the dangers of the unsupervised home use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in which individuals stimulate their own brains with low levels of electricity for self-improvement purposes. Although the home use of tDCS is often referred to as a novel phenomenon, in reality the late nineteenth and early twentieth century saw a proliferation of electrical stimulation devices for home use. In particular, the use of an object known as the medical battery bears a number of striking similarities to the modern-day use of tDCS. This article reviews a number of features thought to be unique to the present day home use of brain stimulation, with a particular focus on analogies between tDCS and the medical battery. Archival research was conducted at the Bakken Museum and at the American Medical Association's Historical Health Fraud Archives. Many of the features characterizing the contemporary home use tDCS-a do-it-yourself (DIY) movement, anti-medical establishment themes, conflicts between lay and professional usage-are a repetition of themes that occurred a century ago with regard to the medical battery. A number of features, however, seem to be unique to the present, such as the dominant discourse about risk and safety, the division between cranial and non-cranial stimulation, and utilization for cognitive enhancement purposes. Viewed in the long durée, the contemporary use of electrical stimulation at home is not a novel phenomenon, but rather the latest wave in a series of ongoing attempts by lay individuals to utilize electricity for therapeutic purposes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An analytical model for the vertical electric field distribution and optimization of high voltage REBULF LDMOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Xia-Rong; Lü Rui

2014-01-01

In this paper, an analytical model for the vertical electric field distribution and optimization of a high voltage-reduced bulk field (REBULF) lateral double-diffused metal—oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor is presented. The dependences of the breakdown voltage on the buried n-layer depth, thickness, and doping concentration are discussed in detail. The REBULF criterion and the optimal vertical electric field distribution condition are derived on the basis of the optimization of the electric field distribution. The breakdown voltage of the REBULF LDMOS transistor is always higher than that of a single reduced surface field (RESURF) LDMOS transistor, and both analytical and numerical results show that it is better to make a thick n-layer buried deep into the p-substrate. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Investigation of Electron Beam Induced Mass Loss of Embedding Media in the Low Voltage STEM

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novotná, V.; Hrubanová, Kamila; Nebesářová, J.; Krzyžánek, Vladislav

2014-01-01

Roč. 20, S3 (2014), s. 1270-1271 ISSN 1431-9276 R&D Projects: GA MŠk EE.2.3.20.0103; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-20012S; GA TA ČR TE01020118 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : mass loss * mass -thickness measurement * low voltage STEM Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 1.877, year: 2014

The Preceding Voltage Pulse and Separation Welding Mechanism of Electrical Contacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiao Cheng; Huang, Jiang; Li, Zhen Biao

2016-01-01

In order to obtain a better understanding of the welding mechanism in contact separation, electrical endurance tests were conducted with AgSnO2 and AgNi contacts on a simulation test device. Waveforms of contact displacement, contact voltage, and current were recorded with LabVIEW during the tests......, and changes in a contact gap and heights of pips with increases in operation cycles were observed through charge-coupled device cameras. The resultant test results show that welding in separation is accompanied with a preceding voltage pulse which represents arc rather than contact bounce arc....

Concurrent Provision of Frequency Regulation and Overvoltage Support by Electric Vehicles in a Real Danish Low Voltage Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knezovic, Katarina; Marinelli, Mattia; Andersen, Peter Bach

2014-01-01

Expected deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) introduces big technical challenges for power system operation, but also offers advantages provided that EVs are not considered merely as passive loads. With the development of Vehicle-to-Grid technology, EVs will be able to provide a number...... of ancillary services for grid support, e.g. implemented electronic equipment will allow them to exchange reactive power with the grid for voltage regulation while using active power for other services. This paper investigates the concurrent provision of local and system wide services from EVs in a real Danish...

A low-ripple chargepump circuit for high voltage applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhout, M.; Berkhout, M.; van Steenwijk, G.; van Steenwijk, Gijs; van Tuijl, Adrianus Johannes Maria

1995-01-01

The subject of this paper is a fully integrated chargepump circuit with a very low output voltage ripple. At a supply voltage of 30V the chargepump can source 1mA at an output voltage of 40V. Two simple modifications to the classical chargepump circuit give a substantial reduction of the output

Electrical field stimulation promotes anastomotic healing in poorly perfused rat colon.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kennelly, Rory

2011-03-01

Hypoperfusion of the bowel is a risk factor for anastomotic failure. Electrical field stimulation has been shown to improve repair in ischemic tissue, but its influence in hypoperfused colon has not been investigated. The hypothesis of this experimental animal study was that electrical field stimulation improves anastomotic healing in ischemic bowel.

Characterization and comprehension of corona partial discharge in air under power frequency to very low frequency voltage

Science.gov (United States)

Yuanxiang, ZHOU; Zhongliu, ZHOU; Ling, ZHANG; Yunxiao, ZHANG; Yajun, MO; Jiantao, SUN

2018-05-01

For the partial discharge test of electrical equipment with large capacitance, the use of low-frequency voltage instead of power frequency voltage can effectively reduce the capacity requirements of test power supply. However, the validity of PD test under low frequency voltage needs to be evaluated. In order to investigate the influence of voltage frequency on corona discharge in the air, the discharge test of the tip-plate electrode under the frequency from 50 to 0.1 Hz is carried out based on the impulse current method. The results show that some of the main features of corona under low frequency do not change. The magnitude of discharge in a positive half cycle is obviously larger than that in a negative cycle. The magnitude of discharge and interval in positive cycle are random, while that in negative cycle are regular. With the decrease of frequency, the inception voltage increases. The variation trend of maximum and average magnitude and repetition rate of the discharge in positive and negative half cycle with the variation of voltage frequency and magnitude is demonstrated, with discussion and interpretation from the aspects of space charge transportation, effective discharge time and transition of discharge modes. There is an obvious difference in the phase resolved pattern of partial discharge and characteristic parameters of discharge patterns between power and low frequency. The experimental results can be the reference for mode identification of partial discharge under low frequency tests. The trend of the measured parameters with the variation of frequency provides more information about the insulation defect than traditional measurements under a single frequency (usually 50 Hz). Also it helps to understand the mechanism of corona discharge with an explanation of the characteristics under different frequencies.

Gender effect on discrimination of location and frequency in surface electrical stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Bo; Paramanathan, Senthoopiya A; Pedersen, Karina F; Lauridsen, Mette V; Gade, Julie; Lontis, Romulus; Jensen, Winnie

2015-01-01

This work investigated the gender effect on discrimination of surface electrical stimulation applied on the human forearm. Three experiments were conducted to examine the abilty of discriminating stimulation frequency, location, or both parameters in 14 healthy subjects. The results indicated a statistically significant impact of gender on the discrimination performance in all the three experiments (p gender difference in perceiving and interpreting electrical stimulation. Considering the gender difference may improve the efficacy of electrically evoked sensory feedback in applications such as prosthetic use and pain relief.

Modification of electrical pain threshold by voluntary breathing-controlled electrical stimulation (BreEStim in healthy subjects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengai Li

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pain has a distinct sensory and affective (i.e., unpleasantness component. BreEStim, during which electrical stimulation is delivered during voluntary breathing, has been shown to selectively reduce the affective component of post-amputation phantom pain. The objective was to examine whether BreEStim increases pain threshold such that subjects could have improved tolerance of sensation of painful stimuli. METHODS: Eleven pain-free healthy subjects (7 males, 4 females participated in the study. All subjects received BreEStim (100 stimuli and conventional electrical stimulation (EStim, 100 stimuli to two acupuncture points (Neiguan and Weiguan of the dominant hand in a random order. The two different treatments were provided at least three days apart. Painful, but tolerable electrical stimuli were delivered randomly during EStim, but were triggered by effortful inhalation during BreEStim. Measurements of tactile sensation threshold, electrical sensation and electrical pain thresholds, thermal (cold sensation, warm sensation, cold pain and heat pain thresholds were recorded from the thenar eminence of both hands. These measurements were taken pre-intervention and 10-min post-intervention. RESULTS: There was no difference in the pre-intervention baseline measurement of all thresholds between BreEStim and EStim. The electrical pain threshold significantly increased after BreEStim (27.5±6.7% for the dominant hand and 28.5±10.8% for the non-dominant hand, respectively. The electrical pain threshold significantly decreased after EStim (9.1±2.8% for the dominant hand and 10.2±4.6% for the non-dominant hand, respectively (F[1, 10] = 30.992, p = .00024. There was no statistically significant change in other thresholds after BreEStim and EStim. The intensity of electrical stimuli was progressively increased, but no difference was found between BreEStim and EStim. CONCLUSION: Voluntary breathing controlled electrical stimulation