Abstract: A sensing device for sensing perinatal maternal uterine activity and fetal heart activity is provided. The sensing device includes a body with an electromechanical system and a housing, a passive acoustic system with a plurality of microphones and an acoustic waveguide, an attachment component, an accelerometer, a signal analysis system including a microcontroller unit, and a wireless transceiver. The signal analysis system is configured to process biopotential signals and acoustic signals detected by the passive acoustic system and to reduce motion artifacts from the signals using the accelerometer.

Abstract: A multifunctional hard x-ray nanoprobe instrument for characterization of nanoscale materials and devices includes a scanning probe mode with a full field transmission mode. The scanning probe mode provides fluorescence spectroscopy and diffraction contrast imaging. The full field transmission mode allows two-dimensional (2-D) imaging and tomography. The nanoprobe instrument includes zone plate optics for focusing and imaging. The nanoprobe instrument includes a stage group for positioning the zone plate optics. The nanoprobe instrument includes a specimen stage group for positioning the specimen. An enhanced laser Doppler displacement meter (LDDM) system provides two-dimensional differential displacement measurement in a range of nanometer resolution between the zone-plate optics and the sample holder. A digital signal processor (DSP) implements a real-time closed-loop feedback technique for providing differential vibration control between the zone-plate optics and the sample holder.

Abstract: An improved decoder for recovering Non-Return-to-Zero Interface (NRZI) digital data from a multiple layer transition (MLT-3) encoded signal in a 100BASE-TX Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.3u) uses multiple comparators to minimize jitter in the decoded signal. A CMOS-based biasing circuit receives the differential MLT-3 encoded input signals and control signals from a signal amplitude detection circuit. The biasing circuit adjusts for any DC offset, and also generates offset signals based on respective mid-peak voltage values of the respective differential input signals. Four comparators are then used to detect a prescribed edge transition (e.g., a positive edge) coinciding with the respective mid-peak voltage value in the respective signals. The detected edge transitions are then used by edge decoding logic to generate the NRZI bilevel signal.