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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging technique to visualize internal structures of the body. Diffusion MRI is an MRI modality that measures overall diffusion effect of molecules in vivo and non-invasively. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an extended technique of diffusion MRI. The major application of DTI is to measure the location, orientation and anisotropy of fiber tracts in white matter. It enables non-invasive investigation of major neural pathways of human brain, namely tractography. As spatial resolution of MRI is limited, it is possible that there are multiple fiber bundles within the same voxel. However, diffusion tensor model is only capable of resolving a single direction. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate complex anatomical structures using high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) data without any assumption on the parameters. The dissertation starts with a study of the noise distribution of truncated MRI data. The noise is often not an issue in diffusion tensor model. However, in HARDI studies, with many more gradient directions being scanned, the number of repetitions of each gradient direction is often small to restrict total acquisition time, making signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) lower. Fitting complex diffusion models to data with reduced SNR is a major interest of this study. We focus on fitting diffusion models to data using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method, in which the noise distribution is used to maximize the likelihood. In addition to the parameters being estimated, we use likelihood values for model selection when multiple models are fit to the same data. The advantage of carrying out model selection after fitting the models is that both the quality of data and the quality of fitting results are taken into account. When it comes to tractography, we extend streamline method by using covariance of the estimated parameters to generate probabilistic tracts according to the uncertainty of local tract orientations.

Angular distributions have been measured for the (⁹Be, ¹⁰B₀, ₁) reactions on ⁶³Cu, ⁵⁴Fe, ^26,24Mg and ¹⁶O at 43 MeV and on ⁴⁰Ca at 45 and 30 MeV. Several of these experiments were performed with the Oxford MDM-2 spectrometer and the design and testing of its 30 cm focal plane detector, which is of the "hybrid" type, is described. Despite the size of the counter, in particular the large cathode to Frisch-grid separation, the resolution of the ionization signals is comparable with that of smaller counters. The position resolution is < 0.6 mm. Optical potentials have been obtained from the measured elastic scattering of ⁹Be from ¹⁶O, ²⁶Mg and ⁴⁰Ca, and ¹⁰B from ²⁵Mg and ³⁹K. The exact finite-range DWBA calculations have generally well reproduced the shape of the experimental reaction cross-sections. However, inconsistencies of up to 50% between the extracted spectroscopic factors for ¹⁰B₀ and ¹⁰B₁ have been found. This anomaly was found insensitive to changes in either optical potential or bound state parameters. A new method of form factor calculation is described that uses a shell model potential in conjunction with a surface-peaked potential, the depth of which is adjusted to give the correct asymptotic form to the wavef unctions. Whilst this form factor showed some success, it did not account for the ¹⁰B₀/¹⁰B₁ anomaly. Collective model DWBA analyses of the inelastic excitation of the first 2⁺ state in ²⁶Mg and 3^- state in ⁴⁰Ca have given values for deformation parameters in reasonable agreement with light-ion work. A CCBA analysis of the ²⁶Mg 2⁺ state was carried out to estimate the effect of the coupling. Calculations performed for a two-step reaction process through inelastic excitation of a strongly coupled 5/2^- state in the projectile showed that this indirect route is important, but it could not solve the ¹⁰B₀/¹⁰B₁ problem alone. The conclusion is that other routes (projectile or target excitation) must be included.

This thesis reports the development of high-performance symmetric and decoupled micromachined gyroscopes for tactical-grade inertial measurement applications. The symmetric structure allows easy matching of the resonance frequencies of the drive and sense modes of the gyroscopes for achieving high angular rate sensitivity / while the decoupled drive and sense modes minimizes mechanical cross-coupling for low-noise and stable operation. Three different and new symmetric and decoupled gyroscope structures with unique features are presented. These structures are fabricated in four different micromachining processes: nickel electroforming (NE), dissolved-wafer silicon micromachining (DWSM), silicon-on-insulator (SOI) micromachining, and silicon-on-glass (SOG) micromachining. The fabricated gyroscopes have capacitive gaps from 1.5&micro / m to 5.5&micro / m and structural layer thicknesses from 12&micro / m to 100&micro / m, yielding aspect ratios up to 20 depending on the fabrication process. The size of fabricated gyroscope chips varies from 1x1mm2 up to 4.2x4.6mm2. Fabricated gyroscopes are hybrid-connected to a designed capacitive interface circuit, fabricated in a standard 0.6&micro / m CMOS process. They have resonance frequencies as small as 2kHz and as large as 40kHz / sense-mode resonance frequencies can be electrostatically tuned to the drive-mode frequency by DC voltages less than 16V. The quality factors reach to 500 at atmospheric pressure and exceed 10,000 for the silicon gyroscopes at vacuum. The parasitic capacitance of the gyroscopes on glass substrates is measured to be as small as 120fF. The gyroscope and interface assemblies are then combined with electronic control and feedback circuits constructed with off-the-shelf IC components to perform angular rate measurements. Measured angular rate sensitivities are in the range from 12&micro / V/(deg/sec) to 180&micro / V/(deg/sec), at atmospheric pressure. The SOI gyroscope demonstrates the best performance at atmospheric pressure, with noise equivalent rate (NER) of 0.025(deg/sec)/Hz1/2, whereas the remaining gyroscopes has an NER better than 0.1(deg/sec)/Hz1/2, limited by either the small sensor size or by small quality factors. Gyroscopes have scale-factor nonlinearities better than 1.1% with the best value of 0.06%, and their bias drifts are dominated by the phase errors in the demodulation electronics and are over 1deg/sec. The characterization of the SOI and SOG gyroscopes at below 50mTorr vacuum ambient yield angular rate sensitivities as high as 1.6mV/(deg/sec) and 0.9mV/(deg/sec), respectively. The NER values of these gyroscopes at vacuum are smaller than 50(deg/hr)/Hz1/2 and 36(deg/hr)/Hz1/2, respectively, being close to the tactical-grade application limits. Gyroscope structures are expected to provide a performance better than 10 deg/hr in a practical measurement bandwidth such as 50Hz, provided that capacitive gaps are minimized while preserving the aspect ratio, and the demodulation electronics are improved.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a rehabilitative technology that can be used to improve walking in individuals with mobility impairments due to neurologic injury or disease. Feedback is essential for efficient FES-assisted walking. The overall goal of my project was to investigate external sensors to provide feedback for FES-assisted walking. The current study evaluated accelerometers, force sensitive resistors, segment orientation angles, and segment angular velocities to determine which were appropriate for determining the activation and deactivation of six major muscles used for walking. The results demonstrated that the segment orientation angles were the most appropriate sensors. Using the segment angle of the thigh, shank, and foot, the activation and deactivation times of the six muscles investigated could be determined within 6% of the step cycle. The shank segment angle performed the best for determining the activation and deactivation times when only one sensor was desired.

Thesis (Ph.D.); Submitted to Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (US); 1 Aug 2003. / Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information. "JLAB-PHY-03-174" "DOE/ER/40150-2747" Zhengwei Chai. 08/01/2003. Report is also available in paper and microfiche from NTIS.

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Physics, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 38).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 10). / "Physics and Mathematics" -t.p. "TID-4500 (15th Ed.)" -t.p.

Thesis--University of California, Berkeley, 1960. / "Physics and Mathematics" -t.p. "TID-4500 (15th Ed.)" -t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-51).