Regional cerebral blood flow imaging assessment of brain function reconstruction in elderly hemiplegia patients by body weight support treadmill training

The mechanism underlying body weight support treadmill training in elderly hemiplegic stroke patients is largely unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the changes of cortical blood flow in seven elderly patients with post-stroke hemiplegia before and after body weight support treadmill training by semi-quantitative analysis of regional cerebral blood flow assessed by single photon emission computed tomography. Body weight support treadmill training for 6 months was effective in improving cerebral blood flow and promoting the walking speed and balance recovery in elderly patients with post-stroke hemiplegia.

Neurorehabilitation using a voluntary driven exoskeletal robot improves trunk function in patients with chronic spinal cord injury: a single-arm study

Body weight-supported treadmill training with the voluntary driven exoskeleton(VDE-BWSTT) has been shown to improve the gait function of patients with chronic spinal cord injury. However, little is known whether VDE-BWSTT can effectively improve the trunk function of patients with chronic spinal cord injury. In this open-label, single-arm study, nine patients with chronic spinal cord injury at the cervical or thoracic level(six males and three females, aged 37.8 ± 15.6 years, and time since injury 51.1 ± 31.8 months) who underwent outpatient VDE-BWSTT training program at Keio University Hospital, Japan from September 2017 to March 2019 were included. All patients underwent twenty 60-minute gait training sessions using VDE. Trunk muscular strength, i.e., the maximum force against which patient could maintain a sitting posture without any support, was evaluated in four directions: anterior, posterior, and lateral(right and left) after 10 and 20 training sessions. After intervention, lateral muscular strength significantly improved. In addition, a significant positive correlation was detected between the change in lateral trunk muscular strength after 20 training sessions relative to baseline and gait speed. The change in trunk muscular strength after 20 training sessions relative to baseline was greatly correlated with patient age. This suggests that older adult patients with chronic spinal cord injury achieved a greater improvement in trunk muscle strength following VDE-BWSTT. All these findings suggest that VDE-BWSTT can improve the trunk function of patients with chronic spinal cord injury and the effect might be greater in older adult patients. The study was approved by the Keio University of Medicine Ethics Committee(IRB No. 20150355-3) on September 26, 2017.

Innovation Analysis Approach to Design Parameters of High Speed Train Carriage and Their Intrinsic Complexity Relationships

In view of the problem that it＇s difficult to accurately grasp the influence range and transmission path of the vehicle top design requirements on the underlying design parameters. Applying directed-weighted complex network to product parameter model is an important method that can clarify the relationships between product parameters and establish the top-down design of a product. The relationships of the product parameters of each node are calculated via a simple path searching algorithm, and the main design parameters are extracted by analysis and comparison. A uniform definition of the index formula for out-in degree can be provided based on the analysis of out- in-degree width and depth and control strength of train carriage body parameters. Vehicle gauge, axle load, crosswind and other parameters with higher values of the out-degree index are the most important boundary condi- tions; the most considerable performance indices are the parameters that have higher values of the out-in-degree index including torsional stiffness, maximum testing speed, service life of the vehicle, and so on; the main design parameters contain train carriage body weight, train weight per extended metre, train height and other parameters with higher values of the in-degree index. The network not only provides theoretical guidance for exploring the relationship of design parameters, but also further enriches the appli- cation of forward design method to high-speed trains.

Correlation between indoor and outdoor corrosion tests for coal train body steel in a coal medium environment

Q345B carbon steel as well as Q450NQR1 and S500AW weathering steels were subjected to outdoor exposure corrosion tests in coal environments and indoor periodic immersion accelerated corrosion tests with a simulated coal leaching solution.The corrosion kinetics were studied by the weight loss method,and the corrosion morphology and corrosion product composition were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy,energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.Afterward,correlation analysis of the indoor and outdoor tests was carried out by the gray correlation analysis method.The results show that the relationship between the corrosion weight loss and corrosion time of the three steels conforms to follow the exponent power law.In particular,Q450NQR1 steel has the best corrosion resistance.The types of corrosion products and the distribution of elements in the rust layer of the three steels are similar in the indoor and outdoor tests.The gray correlation degrees of the three steels in the indoor and outdoor tests are all greater than 0.6;thus,the two corrosion tests have a good correlation.Based on this,the accelerated simulation test method of the coal leaching solution is determined,and life prediction models of three steels in coal leaching solution are established to simulate the corrosion of the bottom board and side board.

Review of research on high-speed railway aerodynamics in China

High-speed railway aerodynamics is the key basic science for solving the bottleneck problem of high-speed railway development.This paper systematically summarizes the aerodynamic research relating to China’s high-speed railway network.Seven key research advances are comprehensively discussed,including train aerodynamic drag-reduction technology,train aerodynamic noise-reduction technology,train ventilation technology,train crossing aerodynamics,train/tunnel aerodynamics,train/climate environment aerodynamics,and train/human body aerodynamics.Seven types of railway aerodynamic test platform built by Central South University are introduced.Five major systems for a high-speed railway network—the aerodynamics theoretical system,the aerodynamic shape(train,tunnel,and so on)design system,the aerodynamics evaluation system,the 3D protection system for operational safety of the high-speed railway network,and the high-speed railway aerodynamic test/computation/analysis platform system—are also introduced.Finally,eight future development directions for the field of railway aerodynamics are proposed.For over 30 years,railway aerodynamics has been an important supporting element in the development of China’s high-speed railway network,which has also promoted the development of high-speed railway aerodynamics throughout the world.