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This paper introduces a DC-to-DC converter which simultaneously regulates two output voltages individually by turning a transistor switch on and off to give good regulation and high conversion efficiency. The converter combines a buck and a buck-boost converter through one transistor switch; the buck circuit operates in the continuous inductor current mode, and the buck-boost circuit operates in the discontinuous inductor current mode. Together they can regulate two output voltages by controlling the duty ratio and operating frequency of the switching operation. 191CH1353-2/78/0000-0191$00.75 (©) 1973 IEEE

We present recent results we have obtained in the design of a wireless tactor system for use in virtual as well as real environments. We describe a system we have designed that uses vibration motors wired to a body-worn control box, which in turn communicates with a host computer using a wireless connection. Though we have successfully integrated this system into an existing VR-based dismounted infantry simulator, it is clear that expanding the body coverage and number of vibration points requires a solution that is completely wireless. To this end, we describe a working prototype we have built that, though still somewhat large and feature-limited, has convinced us of the merit of our approach.

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Background: The increasing elderly population will turn increased attention to the functional recovery and costs for patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Several functional scales like the Barthel index (BI) have been applied in healthcare research and handled as continuous variables for risk adjustment or main outcomes. BI is originally an ordinal variable and we tested whether healthcare resources during acute care settings were utilized evenly among patients with BI improvement, and whether the incremental cost to gain the given BI improvement varied, depending on the functional status at admission.