Stochastic effects on the dynamics of a resonant MEMS magnetometer: a Monte Carlo investigation

In the design of Lorentz force MEMS magnetometers, the coupled thermo-electro-magneto-mechanical fields governing the dynamics of the relevant compliant structures can be appropriately exploited to enhance their performances. In recent works, we showed that reduced-order models for the dynamics of the said movable structures can be recast in the form of the Duffing equation, where nonlinear terms arise from the multi-physics governing the problem. As stochastic effects may play a role due to the micrometric dimensions of the device, an investigation of the link between the statistics of sensor imperfections and output is here carried out. The said imperfections at the microscopic length-scale are modeled in terms of: overetch thickness, assumed to feature a uniform distribution in a proper interval matching available experimental data; and elastic properties of the vibrating polycrystalline silicon film, as obtained through a numerical homogenization procedure over a representative film volume. To get insights into the effects of the parameters governing the nonlinear dynamics of the resonant structure, a Monte Carlo analysis is adopted

In-Plane and Out-of-Plane MEMS Motion Sensors Based on Fringe Capacitances

Abstract New MEMS motion sensors have been developed. These prototypes are based on a sensing technique that exploits the fringe capacitance between two co-planar electrodes designed over a thin oxide layer covering a grounded wafer substrate. A relevant fraction of the electric-field streamlines, generated by the readout voltage applied between the electrodes, develops in the air (or vacuum) volume over the electrodes. A grounded suspended mass moving within this volume modifies the streamlines configuration, causing relative changes in the capacitance between the electrodes as large as the ∼80% of the initial value. Two types of devices based on the described concept have been designed and built in an industrial surface micromachining process, to sense acceleration in the direction both parallel and orthogonal to the substrate surface. The realized devices have been tested and a sensitivity of ∼0.9 fF/g and ∼0.2 fF/g has been obtained for the in plane and for the out-of-plane structures respectively

Resonance in Dissonance: An exploration of fabric assemblage and the upcycled canvas.

Through the processes of assemblage, printmaking, and techniques used by women textile artists of the past, my desire is to conglomerate and visualize some of the many contradictions that exist within our perspectives of contemporary style, beauty standards, and art as a whole. My goal is not to answer these questions but to merely display them through the textiles and found objects in my environment. Using a variety of techniques such as block printing, visual mending, and decoupage, I synchronize them into the final assemblages, demonstrating how these conflicting questions can be used harmoniously.Purchase College SUNYVisual ArtsBachelor of ScienceTopal, Haka

Vertical MEMS Resonators for Real-Time Clock Applications

MEMS resonators are today widely investigated as a desirable alternative to quartz resonators in real-time clock applications, because of their low-cost, integration capability properties. Nevertheless, MEMS resonators performances are still not competitive, especially in terms of frequency stability and device equivalent resistance (and, then, power consumption). We propose a new structure for a MEMS resonator, with a vertical-like transduction mechanism, which exhibits promising features. The vertical resonator can be fabricated with the low-cost, high performance THELMA technology, and it is designed to be efficiently frequency tunable. With respect to the commonly investigated lateral resonators, it is expected to have lower equivalent resistances and improved large-scale repeatability characteristics

Prospective Study on Several Urinary Biomarkers as Indicators of Renal Damage in Children with CAKUT

Purpose The aim of the study was to investigate urinary levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), epidermal growth factor (EGF), β-2-microglobulin (β2M), and FAS-ligand (FAS-L) in children with congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) disease at risk of developing glomerular hyperfiltration syndrome. For this reason, we selected patients with multicystic kidney, renal agenesia and renal hypodysplasia, or underwent single nephrectomy. Materials and Methods This prospective, multicentric study was conducted in collaboration between the Pediatric Surgery Unit in Foggia and the Pediatric Nephrology Unit in Bari, Italy. We enrolled 80 children with CAKUT (40 hypodysplasia, 22 agenetic; 10 multicystic; 8 nephrectomy) who underwent extensive urological and nephrological workup. Exclusion criteria were recent urinary tract infections or pyelonephritis, age > 14 years, presence of systemic disease, or hypertension. A single urine sample was collected in a noninvasive way and processed for measuring by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay urine levels of MCP-1, EGF, β2M, and FAS-L. As control, urine samples were taken from 30 healthy children. Furthermore, we evaluated the urinary ratios uEGF/uMCP-1 (indicator of regenerative vs inflammatory response) and uEGF/uβ2M (indicator of regenerative response vs. tubular damage). Results These results suggest that urinary levels of MCP-1 are overexpressed in CAKUT patients. Furthermore, our findings clearly demonstrated that both uEGF/uMCP-1 and uEGF/uβ2M ratios were significantly downregulated in all patient groups when compared with the control group. Conclusion These findings further support that CAKUT patients may, eventually, experience progressive renal damage and poor regenerative response. The increased urinary levels of MCP-1 in all groups of CAKUT patients suggested that the main factor responsible for the above effects is chronic renal inflammation mediated by local monocytes

Rasch analyses of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report in neurodegenerative and major depressive disorders

BackgroundSymptoms of depression are present in neurodegenerative disorders (ND). It is important that depression-related symptoms be adequately screened and monitored in persons living with ND. The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (QIDS-SR) is a widely-used self-report measure to assess and monitor depressive severity across different patient populations. However, the measurement properties of the QIDS-SR have not been assessed in ND.AimTo use Rasch Measurement Theory to assess the measurement properties of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (QIDS-SR) in ND and in comparison to major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodsDe-identified data from the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (NCT04104373) and Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (NCT01655706) were used in the analyses. Five hundred and twenty participants with ND (Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s disease) and 117 participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) were administered the QIDS-SR. Rasch Measurement Theory was used to assess measurement properties of the QIDS-SR, including unidimensionality and item-level fit, category ordering, item targeting, person separation index and reliability and differential item functioning.ResultsThe QIDS-SR fit well to the Rasch model in ND and MDD, including unidimensionality, satisfactory category ordering and goodness-of-fit. Item-person measures (Wright maps) showed gaps in item difficulties, suggesting poor precision for persons falling between those severity levels. Differences between mean person and item measures in the ND cohort logits suggest that QIDS-SR items target more severe depression than experienced by the ND cohort. Some items showed differential item functioning between cohorts.ConclusionThe present study supports the use of the QIDS-SR in MDD and suggest that the QIDS-SR can be also used to screen for depressive symptoms in persons with ND. However, gaps in item targeting were noted that suggests that the QIDS-SR cannot differentiate participants falling within certain severity levels. Future studies would benefit from examination in a more severely depressed ND cohort, including those with diagnosed clinical depression

Neoextractivismo: ¿Punto de fuga de los discursos políticos?. Los casos de Argentina y Brasil

Fil: Martínez, Paula, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Lima de Souza, Lívia, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Lasalandra, Daniela, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina