The article presents a synthesis method to design electrical circuit elements with fractional-order impedance, referred to as a Fractional-Order Element (FOE) or Fractor, that can be implemented by Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) transistors. This provides an approach to realize this class of device using current integrated circuit manufacturing technologies. For this synthesis MOS transistors are treated as uniform distributed resistive-capacitive layer structures. The synthesis approach adopts a genetic algorithm to generate the MOS structures interconnections and dimensions to realize an FOE with user-defined constant input admittance phase, allowed ripple deviations, and target frequency range. A graphical user interface for the synthesis process is presented to support its wider adoption. We synthetized and present FOEs with admittance phase from 5 to 85 degrees. The design approach is validated using Cadence post-layout simulations of an FOE design with admittance phase of 74 ± 1 degrees realized using native n-channel MOS devices in TSMC 65 nm technology. Overall, the post-layout simulations demonstrate magnitude and phase errors less than 0.5% and 0.1 degrees, respectively, compared to the synthesis expected values in the frequency band from 1 kHz to 10 MHz. This supports that the design approach is appropriate for the future fabrication and validation of FOEs using this process technology.

• Keywords
• Distributed element, Fractional-order element, Fractor, Genetic algorithm, MOS transistor,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are spectrum of neurodevelopmental conditions associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. The FASD manifests mostly with facial dysmorphism, prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, and selected birth defects (including central nervous system defects). Unrecognized and untreated FASD leads to severe disability in adulthood. The diagnosis of FASD is based on clinical criteria and neither biomarkers nor imaging tests can be used in order to confirm the diagnosis. The quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) is a type of EEG analysis, which involves the use of mathematical algorithms, and which has brought new possibilities of EEG signal evaluation, among the other things-the analysis of a specific frequency band. The main objective of this study was to identify characteristic patterns in QEEG among individuals affected with FASD. This study was of a pilot prospective study character with experimental group consisting of patients with newly diagnosed FASD and of the control group consisting of children with gastroenterological issues. The EEG recordings of both groups were obtained, than analyzed using a commercial QEEG module. As a results we were able to establish the dominance of the alpha rhythm over the beta rhythm in FASD-participants compared to those from the control group, mostly in frontal and temporal regions. Second important finding is an increased theta/beta ratio among patients with FASD. These findings are consistent with the current knowledge on the pathological processes resulting from the prenatal alcohol exposure. The obtained results and conclusions were promising, however, further research is necessary (and planned) in order to validate the use of QEEG tools in FASD diagnostics.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Electroencephalography MeSH
• Epilepsy * pathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Brain pathology   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders * diagnosis   pathology   MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects * pathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

In this paper Naive Bayesian classifiers were applied for the purpose of differentiation between the EEG signals recorded from children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD) and healthy ones. This work also provides a brief introduction to the FASD itself, explaining the social, economic and genetic reasons for the FASD occurrence. The obtained results were good and promising and indicate that EEG recordings can be a helpful tool for potential diagnostics of FASDs children affected with it, in particular those with invisible physical signs of these spectrum disorders.

• Keywords
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), Naive Bayesian classifiers, digital signal processing, electroencephalography (EEG),
• MeSH
• Bayes Theorem MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Electroencephalography MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pilot Projects MeSH
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders * MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH