To overcome some of the problems inherent in conventional heating aids such as low gain at high fi＇equencies due to acoustic feedback, discomfort in occlusion of the extemal ear canal and so on, implantable middle ea...To overcome some of the problems inherent in conventional heating aids such as low gain at high fi＇equencies due to acoustic feedback, discomfort in occlusion of the extemal ear canal and so on, implantable middle ear hearing devices （IMEHDs） have been developed over the past two decades. For such kinds of IMEHDs, this paper presents the design of a floating mass piezoelectric actuator using a PMN-30%PT stack as a new type of vibrator. The proposed piezoelectric actuator consists of only three components of a piezoelectric stack, a metal case and a clamp. For the purpose of aiding the design of this actuator, a coupling biomechanics model of human middle ear and the piezoelectric actuator was constructed. This model was built based on a complete set of computerized tomography section images of a healthy volunteer＇s left ear by reverse engineering technology. The validity of this model was confirmed by comparing the motion of the tympanic membrane and stapes footplate obtained by this model with published experimental measurements on human temporal bones. It is shown that the designed actuator can be implanted on the incus long process by a simple surgical operation, and the stapes footplate displacement by its excitation at 10.5 V root-mean-square（RMS） voltage was equivalent to that from acoustic stimulation at 100 dB sound pressure level（SPL）, which is adequate stimulation to the ossicular chain. The corresponding power consumption is 0.04 mW per volt of excitation at 1 kHz, which is low enough for the transducer to be used in an implantable middle ear device.展开更多
This paper proposes a multimodal biometric system through Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) for face and ear biometrics with belief fusion of the estimated scores characterized by Gabor responses and the proposed fusion is...This paper proposes a multimodal biometric system through Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) for face and ear biometrics with belief fusion of the estimated scores characterized by Gabor responses and the proposed fusion is accomplished by Dempster-Shafer (DS) decision theory. Face and ear images are convolved with Gabor wavelet filters to extracts spatially enhanced Gabor facial features and Gabor ear features. Further, GMM is applied to the high-dimensional Gabor face and Gabor ear responses separately for quantitive measurements. Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is used to estimate density parameters in GMM. This produces two sets of feature vectors which are then fused using Dempster-Shafer theory. Experiments are conducted on two multimodal databases, namely, IIT Kanpur database and virtual database. Former contains face and ear images of 400 individuals while later consist of both images of 17 subjects taken from BANCA face database and TUM ear database. It is found that use of Gabor wavelet filters along with GMM and DS theory can provide robust and efficient multimodal fusion strategy.展开更多
Abstract Lesion of ossicular chain is a common ear disease impairing the sense of hearing. A comprehensive numerical model of human ear can provide better understanding of sound transmission. In this study, we propose...Abstract Lesion of ossicular chain is a common ear disease impairing the sense of hearing. A comprehensive numerical model of human ear can provide better understanding of sound transmission. In this study, we propose a three-dimensional finite element model of human ear that incorporates the canal, tympanic membrane, ossicular bones, middle ear suspensory ligaments/muscles, middle ear cavity and inner ear fluid. Numerical analysis is conducted and employed to predict the effects of middle ear cavity, malleus handle defect, hypoplasia of the long process of incus, and stapedial crus defect on sound transmission. The present finite element model is shown to be reasonable in predicting the ossicular mechanics of human ear.展开更多
Nitrogen concentration in the ear leaf is a good indicator of corn (Zea mays L.) N nutrition status during late growing season. This study was done to examine the relationship of late-season ear leaf N concentration w...Nitrogen concentration in the ear leaf is a good indicator of corn (Zea mays L.) N nutrition status during late growing season. This study was done to examine the relationship of late-season ear leaf N concentration with early- to mid- season plant height of corn at Milan, TN from 2008 to 2010 using linear, quadratic, square root, logarithmic, and exponential models. Six N rate treatments (0, 62, 123, 185, 247, and 308 kg·N·ha-1) repeated four times were implemented each year in a randomized complete block design under four major cropping systems: corn after corn, corn after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], corn after cotton [Gossypium hirsutum (L.)], and irrigated corn after soybean. The relationship of ear leaf N concentration determined at the blister growth stage (R2) with plant height measured at the 6-leaf (V6), 10-leaf (V10), and 12-leaf (V12) growth stages was statistically significant and positive in non-irrigated corn under normal weather conditions. However, the strength of this relationship was weak to moderate with the determination coefficient (R2) values ranging from 0.21 to 0.51. This relationship was generally improved as the growing season progressed from V6 to V12. Irrigation and abnormal weather seemed to have adverse effects on this relationship. The five regression models performed similarly in the evaluation of this relationship regardless of growth stage, year, and cropping system. Our results suggest that unlike the relationship of corn yield at harvest with plant height measured during early- to mid-season or the relationship of leaf N concentration with plant height when both are measured simultaneously during early- to mid-season, the relationship of late-season ear leaf N concentration with early- to mid-season plant height may not be strong enough to be used to develop algorithms for variable-rate N applications on corn within a field no matter which regression model is used to describe this relationship.展开更多
目的:他克莫司是临床广泛应用的一种药物,其对增生性瘢痕是否产生作用并无相关报道,为此提出并证实了他克莫司可以抑制兔耳瘢痕增生。方法:建立兔耳增生性瘢痕模型,选10只新西兰大耳白兔双耳腹侧用打孔器制作直径1cm圆形创面,伤后14天...目的:他克莫司是临床广泛应用的一种药物,其对增生性瘢痕是否产生作用并无相关报道,为此提出并证实了他克莫司可以抑制兔耳瘢痕增生。方法:建立兔耳增生性瘢痕模型,选10只新西兰大耳白兔双耳腹侧用打孔器制作直径1cm圆形创面,伤后14天创面上皮化后给药,每只兔左耳为空白对照组涂等剂量凡士林软膏,右耳为他克莫司治疗组。分别在伤后14天、21天2、8天3、5天和49天采集标本,行HE染色,观察形态学差异;Real-t i me PCR检测纤维化相关因子TGF-β1、TGF-β2、Col l agen-α1等的表达。结果:HE染色可见他克莫司组成纤维细胞数量及胶原纤维较对照组明显减少,PCR结果可见TGF-β1、TGF-β2及Col l agen-α1表达较对照组在各时间点均减少。结论:实验组较对照组瘢痕明显减轻,证明他克莫司显著抑制兔耳瘢痕增生,可作为临床上治疗及预防瘢痕增生的全新疗法。展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10772121)
文摘To overcome some of the problems inherent in conventional heating aids such as low gain at high fi＇equencies due to acoustic feedback, discomfort in occlusion of the extemal ear canal and so on, implantable middle ear hearing devices （IMEHDs） have been developed over the past two decades. For such kinds of IMEHDs, this paper presents the design of a floating mass piezoelectric actuator using a PMN-30%PT stack as a new type of vibrator. The proposed piezoelectric actuator consists of only three components of a piezoelectric stack, a metal case and a clamp. For the purpose of aiding the design of this actuator, a coupling biomechanics model of human middle ear and the piezoelectric actuator was constructed. This model was built based on a complete set of computerized tomography section images of a healthy volunteer＇s left ear by reverse engineering technology. The validity of this model was confirmed by comparing the motion of the tympanic membrane and stapes footplate obtained by this model with published experimental measurements on human temporal bones. It is shown that the designed actuator can be implanted on the incus long process by a simple surgical operation, and the stapes footplate displacement by its excitation at 10.5 V root-mean-square（RMS） voltage was equivalent to that from acoustic stimulation at 100 dB sound pressure level（SPL）, which is adequate stimulation to the ossicular chain. The corresponding power consumption is 0.04 mW per volt of excitation at 1 kHz, which is low enough for the transducer to be used in an implantable middle ear device.
文摘This paper proposes a multimodal biometric system through Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) for face and ear biometrics with belief fusion of the estimated scores characterized by Gabor responses and the proposed fusion is accomplished by Dempster-Shafer (DS) decision theory. Face and ear images are convolved with Gabor wavelet filters to extracts spatially enhanced Gabor facial features and Gabor ear features. Further, GMM is applied to the high-dimensional Gabor face and Gabor ear responses separately for quantitive measurements. Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is used to estimate density parameters in GMM. This produces two sets of feature vectors which are then fused using Dempster-Shafer theory. Experiments are conducted on two multimodal databases, namely, IIT Kanpur database and virtual database. Former contains face and ear images of 400 individuals while later consist of both images of 17 subjects taken from BANCA face database and TUM ear database. It is found that use of Gabor wavelet filters along with GMM and DS theory can provide robust and efficient multimodal fusion strategy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10472025, 10672036, and 10872043)
文摘Abstract Lesion of ossicular chain is a common ear disease impairing the sense of hearing. A comprehensive numerical model of human ear can provide better understanding of sound transmission. In this study, we propose a three-dimensional finite element model of human ear that incorporates the canal, tympanic membrane, ossicular bones, middle ear suspensory ligaments/muscles, middle ear cavity and inner ear fluid. Numerical analysis is conducted and employed to predict the effects of middle ear cavity, malleus handle defect, hypoplasia of the long process of incus, and stapedial crus defect on sound transmission. The present finite element model is shown to be reasonable in predicting the ossicular mechanics of human ear.
文摘Nitrogen concentration in the ear leaf is a good indicator of corn (Zea mays L.) N nutrition status during late growing season. This study was done to examine the relationship of late-season ear leaf N concentration with early- to mid- season plant height of corn at Milan, TN from 2008 to 2010 using linear, quadratic, square root, logarithmic, and exponential models. Six N rate treatments (0, 62, 123, 185, 247, and 308 kg·N·ha-1) repeated four times were implemented each year in a randomized complete block design under four major cropping systems: corn after corn, corn after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], corn after cotton [Gossypium hirsutum (L.)], and irrigated corn after soybean. The relationship of ear leaf N concentration determined at the blister growth stage (R2) with plant height measured at the 6-leaf (V6), 10-leaf (V10), and 12-leaf (V12) growth stages was statistically significant and positive in non-irrigated corn under normal weather conditions. However, the strength of this relationship was weak to moderate with the determination coefficient (R2) values ranging from 0.21 to 0.51. This relationship was generally improved as the growing season progressed from V6 to V12. Irrigation and abnormal weather seemed to have adverse effects on this relationship. The five regression models performed similarly in the evaluation of this relationship regardless of growth stage, year, and cropping system. Our results suggest that unlike the relationship of corn yield at harvest with plant height measured during early- to mid-season or the relationship of leaf N concentration with plant height when both are measured simultaneously during early- to mid-season, the relationship of late-season ear leaf N concentration with early- to mid-season plant height may not be strong enough to be used to develop algorithms for variable-rate N applications on corn within a field no matter which regression model is used to describe this relationship.
文摘目的:他克莫司是临床广泛应用的一种药物,其对增生性瘢痕是否产生作用并无相关报道,为此提出并证实了他克莫司可以抑制兔耳瘢痕增生。方法:建立兔耳增生性瘢痕模型,选10只新西兰大耳白兔双耳腹侧用打孔器制作直径1cm圆形创面,伤后14天创面上皮化后给药,每只兔左耳为空白对照组涂等剂量凡士林软膏,右耳为他克莫司治疗组。分别在伤后14天、21天2、8天3、5天和49天采集标本,行HE染色,观察形态学差异;Real-t i me PCR检测纤维化相关因子TGF-β1、TGF-β2、Col l agen-α1等的表达。结果:HE染色可见他克莫司组成纤维细胞数量及胶原纤维较对照组明显减少,PCR结果可见TGF-β1、TGF-β2及Col l agen-α1表达较对照组在各时间点均减少。结论:实验组较对照组瘢痕明显减轻,证明他克莫司显著抑制兔耳瘢痕增生,可作为临床上治疗及预防瘢痕增生的全新疗法。
