A novel explosion-proof walking system: Twin dual-motor drive tracked units for coal mine rescue robots

A new explosion-proof walking system was designed for the coal mine rescue robot(CMRR) by optimizing the mechanical structure and control algorithm. The mechanical structure innovation lies mainly in the dual-motor drive tracked unit used, which showed high dynamic performance compared with the conventional tracked unit. The control algorithm, developed based on decision trees and neural networking, facilitates autonomous switching between "Velocity-driven Mode" and "Torquedriven Mode". To verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the control strategy, we built a self-designed test platform and used it to debug the control program; we then made a robot prototype and conducted further experiments on single-step, ramp, and rubble terrains. The results show that the proposed walking system has excellent dynamic performance and the control strategy is very efficient, suggesting that a robot with this type of explosion-proof walking system can be successfully applied in Chinese coal mines.

Virtual climbing: An immersive upslope walking system using passive haptics

Background In virtual environments(VEs),users can explore a large virtual scene through the viewpoint operation of a head-mounted display(HMD)and movement gains combined with redirected walking technology.The existing redirection methods and viewpoint operations are effective in the horizontal direction;however,they cannot help participants experience immersion in the vertical direction.To improve the immersion of upslope walking,this study presents a virtual climbing system based on passive haptics.Methods This virtual climbing system uses the tactile feedback provided by sponges,a commonly used flexible material,to simulate the tactile sense of a user's soles.In addition,the visual stimulus of the HMD,the tactile feedback of the flexible material,and the operation of the user's walking in a VE combined with redirection technology are all adopted to enhance the user's perception in a VE.In the experiments,a physical space with a hard-flat floor and three types of sponges with thicknesses of 3,5,and 8cm were utilized.Results We recruited 40 volunteers to conduct these experiments,and the results showed that a thicker flexible material increases the difficulty for users to roam and walk within a certain range.Conclusion The virtual climbing system can enhance users'perception of upslope walking in a VE.

Surgical intervention combined with weight-bearing walking training promotes recovery in patients with chronic spinal cord injury:a randomized controlled study

For patients with chronic spinal cord injury,the co nventional treatment is rehabilitation and treatment of spinal cord injury complications such as urinary tract infection,pressure sores,osteoporosis,and deep vein thrombosis.Surgery is rarely perfo rmed on spinal co rd injury in the chronic phase,and few treatments have been proven effective in chronic spinal cord injury patients.Development of effective therapies fo r chronic spinal co rd injury patients is needed.We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal co rd injury to compare intensive rehabilitation(weight-bearing walking training)alone with surgical intervention plus intensive rehabilitation.This clinical trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov(NCT02663310).The goal of surgical intervention was spinal cord detethering,restoration of cerebrospinal fluid flow,and elimination of residual spinal cord compression.We found that surgical intervention plus weight-bearing walking training was associated with a higher incidence of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale improvement,reduced spasticity,and more rapid bowel and bladder functional recovery than weight-bearing walking training alone.Overall,the surgical procedures and intensive rehabilitation were safe.American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale improvement was more common in T7-T11 injuries than in T2-T6 injuries.Surgery combined with rehabilitation appears to have a role in treatment of chronic spinal cord injury patients.

A Wire-Driven Series Elastic Mechanism Based on Ultrasonic Motor for Walking Assistive System

In order to improve the elderly people's quality of life,supporting their walking behaviors is a promising technology.Therefore,based on one ultrasonic motor,a wire-driven series elastic mechanism for walking assistive system is proposed and investigated in this research.In contrast to tradition,it innovatively utilizes an ultrasonic motor and a wire-driven series elastic mechanism to achieve superior system performances in aspects of simple structure,high torque/weight ratio,quiet operation,quick response,favorable electromagnetic compatibility,strong shock resistance,better safety,and accurately stable force control.The proposed device is mainly composed of an ultrasonic motor,a linear spring,a steel wire,four pulleys and one rotating part.To overcome the ultrasonic motor's insufficient output torque,a steel wire and pulleys are smartly combined to directly magnify the torque instead of using a conventional gear reducer.Among the pulleys,there is one tailored pulley playing an important role to keep the reduction ratio as 4.5 constantly.Meanwhile,the prototype is manufactured and its actual performance is verified by experimental results.In a one-second operating cycle,it only takes 86 ms for this mechanism to output an assistive torque of 1.6 N·m.At this torque,the ultrasonic motor's speed is around 4.1 rad/s.Moreover,experiments with different operation periods have been conducted for different application scenarios.This study provides a useful idea for the application of ultrasonic motor in walking assistance system.

Effect of Brisk Walking on Self-Care Agency or Care Dependency among Colorectal Cancer Patients with Permanent Stoma

Objective:The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of brisk walking as an intervention for self-care agency and care dependency in patients with permanent colorectal cancer stoma.Method:This study adopted a quasi-experimental research design,specifically a non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design.Utilizing the Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale(ESCA)and Care Dependency Scale(CDS),a survey was administered to 64 patients from a hospital in Shandong Province.The statistical methods used for analyzing data included frequency,mean,standard deviation(SD),independent t-test,P-value calculation,and dependent t-test.Result:After two months of a brisk walking exercise program,participants in the experimental group had a higher level of self-care agency than before the experiment(P<0.05),and their level of care dependency was significantly reduced(P<0.05).Participants in the control group also showed higher levels of self-care agency(P<0.05)and lower levels of care dependency(P<0.05)after two months compared to their levels before the two months.Conclusion:The brisk walking program had a positive impact on patients’self-care agency and reduced their care dependency.

Dynamic Simulation Analysis of Humanoid Robot Walking System Based on ADAMS

Humanoid robots are a hot topic in the field of robotics research. The walking system is the critical part of the humanoid robot, and the dynamic simulation of the walking system is of great importance. In this paper, the stability of the walking system and the rationality of its structural design are considered in the study of dynamics for a humanoid robot. The dynamic model of humanoid robot walking system is established by using the Lagrange dynamics method. Additionally, the three-dimensional model of CATIA is imported into ADAMS. The humanoid robot walking system is added with the movement of the deputy and the driving force in the ADAMS.The torque and angular velocity of the ankle joint and hip joint are analyzed in the process of knee bends. The simulation results show that the overall performance of the humanoid robot walking system is favorable and has a smooth movement, and the specified actions can be completed, which proves the rationality of the humanoid robot walking system design.

Comparison of walking quality variables between incomplete spinal cord injury patients and healthy subjects by using a footscan plantar pressure system

The main goal of spinal cord rehabilitation is to restore walking ability and improve walking quality after spinal cord injury(SCI). The spatiotemporal parameters of walking and the parameters of plantar pressure can be obtained using a plantar pressure analysis system. Previous studies have reported step asymmetry in patients with bilateral SCI. However, the asymmetry of other parameters in patients with SCI has not been reported. This was a prospective, cross-sectional study, which included 23 patients with SCI, aged 48.1 ± 14.5 years, and 28 healthy subjects, aged 47.1 ± 9.8 years. All subjects underwent bare foot walking on a plantar pressure measurement device to measure walking speed and spatiotemporal parameters. Compared with healthy subjects, SCI patients had slower walking speed, longer stride time and stance time, larger stance phase percentage, and shorter stride length. The peak pressures under the metatarsal heads and toe were lower in SCI patients than in healthy subjects. In the heel, regional impulse and the contact area percentage in SCI patients were higher than those in healthy subjects. The symmetry indexes of stance time, step length, maximum force, impulse and contact area were increased in SCI patients, indicating a decline in symmetry. The results confirm that the gait quality, including spatiotemporal variables and plantar pressure parameters, and symmetry index were lower in SCI patients compared with healthy subjects. Plantar pressure parameters and symmetry index could be sensitive quantitative parameters to improve gait quality of SCI patients. The protocols were approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University(approval No. 2015 PS54 J) on August 13, 2015. This trial was registered in the ISRCTN Registry(ISRCTN42544587) on August 22, 2018. Protocol version: 1.0.

Exploration of the oxidative-inflammatory potential targets of Coicis Semen in osteoarthritis:Data mining and systematic pharmacology

On the basis of data mining,systematic pharmacology,molecular docking,and experiment validation,the oxidative-inflammatory molecular targets of Coicis Semen in the therapy of osteoarthritis(OA)were explored.Methods:The association rule analysis was effectively applied to highlight the correlation between Coicis Semen and oxidative inflammation indices.The random walk model was subsequently used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Coicis Semen.Network pharmacology was used to predict network targets.The binding affinity of the active ingredient in Coicis Semen to the key target of OA was also successfully predicted.Results:Coicis Semen showed a significant reduction in oxidative-inflammatory indicators of OA.A total of 108 promising targets were predicted for the 24 bioactive compounds in Coicis Semen.Eight target genes were considered core target genes.The enrichment analysis predicts that Coicis Semen may activate the interleukin(IL)-17,mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK),and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-kappa B)signaling pathways.Molecular docking demonstrated that stigmasterol,2-monoolein,sitosterol,and sitosterol alpha1 had free binding energies to oxidative and inflammatory targets(MAPK1,Estrogen Receptor 1[ESR1],and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha[PPARA]).Both clinical trials and in vitro cell experiments revealed that Coicis Semen could increase ESR1 and PPAR-αlevels while decreasing MAPK1 levels.Conclusions:Coicis Semen has a remarkable anti-OA effect.Precisely,the major components of Coicis Semen,including stigmasterol,sitosterol alpha1,sitosterol,and 2-monoolein,specifically inhibit MAPK1,ESR1,and PPARA to reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative damage in OA.

Novel Walking Stability-Based Gait Recognition Method for Functional Electrical Stimulation System Control

Gait recognition is the key question of functional electrical stimulation (FES) system control for paraplegic walking. A new risk-tendency-graph (RTG) method was proposed to recognize the stability information in FES-assisted walking gait. The main instrument was a specialized walker dynamometer system based on a multi-channel strain-gauge bridge network fixed on the walker frame. During walking process, this system collected the reaction forces between patient's upper extremities and walker and converted them into RTG morphologic curves of dynamic gait stability in temporal and spatial domains. To demonstrate the potential usefulness of RTG, preliminary clinical trials were done with paraplegic patients. The gait stability levels of two walking cases with 4- and 12-week FES training from one subject were quantified (0.43 and 0.19) from the results of temporal and spatial RTG. Relevant instable phases in gait cycle and dangerous inclinations of patient's body during walking process were also brought forward. In conclusion, the new RTG method is practical for distinguishing more useful gait stability information for FES system control.

Theoretical and Numerical Studies on the Coupling Deformation of Global Lateral Buckling and Walking of Submarine Pipeline

Buckling initiation devices/techniques,including sleepers,distributed buoyancy,snake lay,and residual curvature method(RCM),have recently been widely applied in engineering.These initiated buckles may induce a long pipeline to transform into multiple short pipeline segments,which promote the occurrence of pipeline walking.Thus,a pipeline,which is designed to buckle laterally,may laterally and axially displace over time when subjected to repeated heating and cooling cycles.This study aims to reveal the coupling mechanism of pipeline walking and global lateral buckling.First,an analytic solution is proposed to estimate the walking of pipeline segments between two adjacent buckles.Then,the sensitivity of this method to heating and cooling cycles is analyzed.Results show the applicability of the proposed walking analytical solution of buckling pipelines.Subsequently,an influence analysis of walking on global buckling,including the capacity of buckling initiation,buckling amplitude,buckling mode,and failure assessment of the buckling pipeline,is performed.The results reveal that the effect of walking on the buckling axial force is negligible.However,pipeline walking will aggravate the asymmetry of the pipeline buckling and the failure parameters of the pipeline during the post-buckling.

A new passive transfemoral prosthesis mechanism based on 3R36 knee and ESAR foot providing walking and squatting

Researchers have proposed various linkage mechanisms to connect knee and ankle joints for above-knee prosthe-ses,but most of them only offer natural walking.However,studies have shown that people assume a squatting posture during daily activities.This paper introduces a novel mechanism that connects the knee joint with the foot-ankle joint to enable both squatting and walking.The prosthetic knee used is the well-known 3R36,while the energy storing and return(ESAR)prosthetic foot is used for the ankle-foot joint.To coordinate knee and ankle joint movements,a six-bar linkage mechanism structure is proposed.Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed modular transfemoral prosthesis accurately mimics the motion patterns of a natural human leg during walking and squatting.For instance,the prosthesis allows a total knee flexion of more than 140°during squatting.The new prosthesis design also incorporates energy-storing mechanisms to reduce energy expenditure during walking for amputees.

Study of Wildebeest Foraging Processes Using Advection Diffusion Equation: Case of the Serengeti Ecosystem in Tanzania

We studied the foraging processes of wildebeest using an advection-diffusion equation. We equipped the model with data collected between 1999 and 2007 from the Serengeti ecosystem from 18 GPS-collared wildebeest. Results analysis show that wildebeest foraging behavior can be explained by advective and diffusive parameters in a heterogeneous habitat like the Serengeti ecosystem.

Transport in Astrophysics: IV. Anomalous Redshift in the Solar System

The anomalous redshift on the sun’s limb and that measured by Pioneer-6 are interesting for the process of absorption of light and the spatial density of matter around the sun. Here we derive a 3D solution for the diffusion equation in the case of the steady state, which is then adopted as the density of the ionized matter around the sun. In order to deal with the observed light’s intensity, two integrals along the line of sight are evaluated. Alternatives to the Doppler shift have been considered as mechanisms: a thermal model, a plasma effect, the interaction of a low density electromagnetic wave with an electron and the interaction of light with a low density Fermi gas in standard QED. These four models are compared in the case of the Pioneer-6 signal.

城市漫步体验中的移动端导识系统设计探索

目的城市漫步活动作为一种新型的旅游活动正在受到越来越多人的关注和参与,导识系统在旅游活动中非常重要,而应用在传统旅游活动中的导识系统并不适用于城市漫步体验,应当针对城市漫步活动的特征,构建适用于城市漫步的导识系统设计策略。方法基于城市漫步的特点和游客的体验需求,结合普适性的城市导识系统设计策略,从路线、标识、信息、体验四个方面得出适用于城市漫步的导识系统设计策略,并应用在城市漫步活动“悠栽逛中轴”中。结论基于移动端的城市漫步导识系统的功能不仅限于协助到达目的地,更应当提供丰富的文化信息和趣味性体验,让游客充分体验到漫步的乐趣和城市文化魅力。

ON THE EMPTY BALLS OF A CRITICAL OR SUBCRITICAL BRANCHING RANDOM WALK

Let{Z_(n)}_(n)≥0 be a critical or subcritical d-dimensional branching random walk started from a Poisson random measure whose intensity measure is the Lebesugue measure onℝ^(d).Denote by R_(n):=sup{u>0:Z_(n)({x∈ℝ^(d):∣x∣<u})=0}the radius of the largest empty ball centered at the origin of Zn.In this work,we prove that after suitable renormalization,Rn converges in law to some non-degenerate distribution as n→∈.Furthermore,our work shows that the renormalization scales depend on the offspring law and the dimension of the branching random walk.This completes the results of Révész[13]for the critical binary branching Wiener process.

Spatial search weighting information contained in cell velocity distribution

Cell migration plays a significant role in physiological and pathological processes.Understanding the characteristics of cell movement is crucial for comprehending biological processes such as cell functionality,cell migration,and cell–cell interactions.One of the fundamental characteristics of cell movement is the specific distribution of cell speed,containing valuable information that still requires comprehensive understanding.This article investigates the distribution of mean velocities along cell trajectories,with a focus on optimizing the efficiency of cell food search in the context of the entire colony.We confirm that the specific velocity distribution in the experiments corresponds to an optimal search efficiency when spatial weighting is considered.The simulation results indicate that the distribution of average velocity does not align with the optimal search efficiency when employing average spatial weighting.However,when considering the distribution of central spatial weighting,the specific velocity distribution in the experiment is shown to correspond to the optimal search efficiency.Our simulations reveal that for any given distribution of average velocity,a specific central spatial weighting can be identified among the possible central spatial weighting that aligns with the optimal search strategy.Additionally,our work presents a method for determining the spatial weights embedded in the velocity distribution of cell movement.Our results have provided new avenues for further investigation of significant topics,such as relationship between cell behavior and environmental conditions throughout their evolutionary history,and how cells achieve collective cooperation through cell-cell communication.

Characteristics of cell motility during cell collision

Quantitative examination of cellular motion and intercellullar interactions possesses substantial relevance for both biology and medicine.However,the effects of intercellular interactions during cellular locomotion remain under-explored in experimental research.As such,this study seeks to bridge this research gap,adopting Dictyostelium discoideum(Dicty)cells as a paradigm to investigate variations in cellular motion during reciprocal collisions.We aim to attain a comprehensive understanding of how cell interactions influence cell motion.By observing and processing the motion trajectories of colliding cells under diverse chemical environments,we calculated the diffusion coefficient(D)and the persistence time(τ),using mean square displacement.Our analysis of the relationship dynamics between D andτprior to the collisions reveals intricate and non-monotonic alterations in cell movements during collisions.By quantitatively scrutinizing theτtrend,we were able to categorize the cellular responses to interactions under different conditions.Importantly,we ascertained that the effect of cell interactions during collisions in Dicty cells emulates a classical sigmoid function.This discovery suggests that cellular responses might comply with a pattern akin to the Weber–Fechner law.

Mobility edges and localization characteristics in one-dimensional quasiperiodic quantum walk

We construct a one-dimensional quasiperiodic quantum walk to investigate the localization–delocalization transition.The inverse participation ratio and Lyapunov exponent are employed as two indexes to determine the mobility edge, a critical energy to distinguish the energy regions of extended and localized states. The analytical solution of mobility edge is obtained by the Lyapunov exponents in global theory, and the consistency of the two indexes is confirmed. We further study the dynamic characteristics of the quantum walk and show that the probabilities are localized to some specific lattice sites with time evolution. This phenomenon is explained by the effective potential of the Hamiltonian which corresponds to the phase in the coin operator of the quantum walk.

Effectiveness of the A3 robot on lower extremity motor function in stroke patients:A prospective,randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND The results of existing lower extremity robotics studies are conflicting,and few relevant clinical trials have examined short-term efficacy.In addition,most of the outcome indicators in existing studies are scales,which are not objective enough.We used the combination of objective instrument measurement and scale to explore the short-term efficacy of the lower limb A3 robot,to provide a clinical reference.AIM To investigate the improvement of lower limb walking ability and balance in stroke treated by A3 lower limb robot.METHODS Sixty stroke patients were recruited prospectively in a hospital and randomized into the A3 group and the control group.They received 30 min of A3 robotics training and 30 min of floor walking training in addition to 30 min of regular rehabilitation training.The training was performed five times a week,once a day,for 2 wk.The t-test or non-parametric test was used to compare the threedimensional gait parameters and balance between the two groups before and after treatment.RESULTS The scores of basic activities of daily living,Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale,FM balance meter,Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores,Rivermead Mobility Index,Stride speed,Stride length,and Time Up and Go test in the two groups were significantly better than before treatment(19.29±12.15 vs 3.52±4.34;22.57±17.99 vs 4.07±2.51;1.21±0.83 vs 0.18±0.40;3.50±3.80 vs 0.96±2.08;2.07±1.21 vs 0.41±0.57;0.89±0.63 vs 0.11±0.32;12.38±9.00 vs 2.80±3.43;18.84±11.24 vs 3.80±10.83;45.12±69.41 vs 8.41±10.20;29.45±16.62 vs 8.68±10.74;P<0.05).All outcome indicators were significantly better in the A3 group than in the control group,except the area of the balance parameter.CONCLUSION For the short-term treatment of patients with subacute stroke,the addition of A3 robotic walking training to conventional physiotherapy appears to be more effective than the addition of ground-based walking training.

Strong invariance principle for a counterbalanced random walk

We study a counterbalanced random walkS_(n)=X_(1)+…+X_(n),which is a discrete time non-Markovian process andX_(n) are given recursively as follows.For n≥2,X_(n) is a new independent sample from some fixed law̸=0 with a fixed probability p,andX_(n)=−X_(v(n))with probability 1−p,where v(n)is a uniform random variable on{1;…;n−1}.We apply martingale method to obtain a strong invariance principle forS_(n).