BACKGROUND:Hemiplegia,a prevalent stroke-related condition,is often studied for motor dysfunction;however,spasticity remains under-researched.Abnormal muscle tone significantly hinders hemiplegic patients’walking rec...BACKGROUND:Hemiplegia,a prevalent stroke-related condition,is often studied for motor dysfunction;however,spasticity remains under-researched.Abnormal muscle tone significantly hinders hemiplegic patients’walking recovery.OBJECTIVE:To determine whether early suspension-protected training with a personal assistant machine for stroke patients enhances walking ability and prevents muscle spasms.METHODS:Thirty-two early-stage stroke patients from Shenzhen University General Hospital and the China Rehabilitation Research Center were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=16)and the control group(n=16).Both groups underwent 4 weeks of gait training under the suspension protection system for 30 minutes daily,5 days a week.The experimental group used the personal assistant machine during training.Three-dimensional gait analysis(using the Cortex motion capture system),Brunnstrom staging,Fugl-Meyer Assessment for lower limb motor function,Fugl-Meyer balance function,and the modified Ashworth Scale were evaluated within 1 week before the intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After the 4-week intervention,all outcome measures showed significant changes in each group.The experimental group had a small but significant increase in the modified Ashworth Scale score(P<0.05,d=|0.15|),while the control group had a large significant increase(P<0.05,d=|1.48|).The experimental group demonstrated greater improvements in walking speed(16.5 to 38.44 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|4.01|),step frequency(46.44 to 64.94 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|2.32|),stride length(15.50 to 29.81 cm,P<0.05,d=|3.44|),and peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.82|to|2.17|).After treatment,the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in walking speed(38.44 vs.26.63 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|2.75|),stride length,peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.31|to|1.45|),step frequency(64.94 vs.59.38 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|0.85|),and a reduced support phase(bilateral:24.31%vs.28.38%,P<0.05,d=|0.88|;non-paretic:66.19%vs.70.13%,P<0.05,d=|0.94|).For early hemiplegia,personal assistant machine-assisted gait training under the suspension protection system helps establish a correct gait pattern,prevents muscle spasms,and improves motor function.展开更多
This research investigates the effectiveness of climate-related development aid in Indonesia’s climate mitigation.Specific objectives include assessing the contribution of official development assistance(ODA)to reduc...This research investigates the effectiveness of climate-related development aid in Indonesia’s climate mitigation.Specific objectives include assessing the contribution of official development assistance(ODA)to reducing CO_(2) emissions and evaluating the implementation of the Busan Principles of aid effectiveness to achieve Indonesia’s mitigation priorities and targets.We utilize a new primary dataset based on interviews with the most knowledgeable stakeholders of ODA on climate change mitigation.Additionally,we use secondary data from the annual Rio Marker and the Common Reporting Standard data of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.The results show a significant correlation between climate-related development aid and CO_(2) emission reduction in Indonesia.Additionally,the implementation of the Busan Principles enhances aid management by fostering project ownership and increasing the involvement of civil society and private sector.The study has implications for devising an effective climate change mitigation strategy for Indonesia.It is suggested that the government of Indonesia exercise greater flexibility and dynamism in engaging with development partners.展开更多
In complex environments such as high dynamics and weak signals,a satellite signal compensation method based on prefabricated trajectory assistance and an improved adaptive Kalman filter is proposed for a 155 mm differ...In complex environments such as high dynamics and weak signals,a satellite signal compensation method based on prefabricated trajectory assistance and an improved adaptive Kalman filter is proposed for a 155 mm differential rotating rear-body control-guided projectile to address the situation of satellite signal flickering and loss in projectile navigation systems due to environmental limitations.First,establish the system state and measurement equation when receiving satellite signals normally.Second,a seven-degree-of-freedom external ballistic model is constructed,and the ideal trajectory output from the ballistic model is used to provide the virtual motion state of the projectile,which is input into a filter as a substitute observation when satellite signals are lost.Finally,an adaptive Kalman filter(AKF)is designed,the proposed adaptive Kalman filter can accurately adjust the estimation error covariance matrix and Kalman gain in real-time based on information covariance mismatch.The simulation results show that compared to the classical Kalman filter,it can reduce the average positioning error by more than 38.21%in the case of short-term and full-range loss of satellite signals,providing a new idea for the integrated navigation of projectiles with incomplete information under the condition of satellite signal loss.展开更多
Vehicle collision avoidance(CA)has been widely studied to improve road traffic safety.However,most evasion assistance control methods face challenges in effectively coordinating collision avoidance safety and human-ma...Vehicle collision avoidance(CA)has been widely studied to improve road traffic safety.However,most evasion assistance control methods face challenges in effectively coordinating collision avoidance safety and human-machine interaction conflict.This paper introduces a novel multi-mode evasion assistance control(MEAC)method for intelligent distributed-drive electric vehicles.A reference safety area is established considering the vehicle safety and stability requirements,which serves as a guiding principle for evading obstacles.The proposed method includes two control modes:Shared-EAC(S-EAC)and Emergency-EAC(E-EAC).In S-EAC,an integrated human-machine authority allocation mechanism is designed to mitigate conflicts between human drivers and the control system during collision avoidance.The E-EAC mode is tailored for situations where the driver has no collision avoidance behavior and utilizes model predictive control to generate additional yaw moments for collision avoidance.Simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed method reduces human-machine conflict and assists the driver in safe collision avoidance in the S-EAC mode under various driver conditions.In addition,it enhances the vehicle responsiveness and reduces the extent of emergency steering in the E-EAC mode while improving the safety and stability during the collision avoidance process.展开更多
Impoverished sub-Saharan Africa(SSA)is under increasing environmental pressure from global environmental changes.It is now generally accepted in academic circles that economic development in SSA countries can cause en...Impoverished sub-Saharan Africa(SSA)is under increasing environmental pressure from global environmental changes.It is now generally accepted in academic circles that economic development in SSA countries can cause environmental pressure in other countries.However,there is research gap on the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressure in SSA countries and whether economic assistance causes spatial spillovers of environ-mental pressure between SSA countries.To better understand the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressures in SSA,a dynamic spatial Dubin panel model was developed.It helped us explore the spatial spillover effects of economic assistance on environmental pressures in recipient countries based on the panel data from 34 SSA countries.The results show that economic assistance had a positive stimulating effect on environmen-tal pressures of recipient countries,which means that the degree of human disturbance to the environment has deepened.Due to the regional correlation effect,neighboring countries were saddled with environmental pres-sures from the target country.Moreover,environmental pressures have time inertia,which can easily produce a snowball effect.The decomposition of effects shows that the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressures is relatively minor.Environmental pressures have spillover effects,so to deal with diffuse risks,joint regional prevention and control policies should be developed.展开更多
It is known that the IELTS test has not been a good predictor of English capability in academic settings. More information is required. Are students not motivated to keep improving their English; what obstacles do the...It is known that the IELTS test has not been a good predictor of English capability in academic settings. More information is required. Are students not motivated to keep improving their English; what obstacles do they face? The English language issues facing international students from China at one University are explored through a survey and focus groups. It is observed that a lack of motivation is not the key factor. Rather one core problem is the very difficult demands of acculturation within a short time frame which would enable confidence for the students to continue to engage with other English speaking students. When faced with such immediate and hard to achieve acculturation, many retreat to their language groups. In the academic context, support for the transition to discipline based academic genres is double difficult as the time frame for second language learners is longer, but performance requirements are more immediate. Many first language students also have difficulties in this area, but have the easier language path to mastery. The study draws usefully on a comparison made with students studying English in China.展开更多
The rescue work of our country is facing with huge moral risk, the problem that the waste and the lack of resistance resources exist at the same time commands the realization of the accurate allocation of assistance r...The rescue work of our country is facing with huge moral risk, the problem that the waste and the lack of resistance resources exist at the same time commands the realization of the accurate allocation of assistance resources. Basing on the analysis of the characteristics and hazards of this population, the writer puts forward the suggestions to construct the urban vagrants＇ accurate rescue system with the relevant suggestions： perfecting the relief systern, fulfilling the basic functions of the relief management station, setting up an environment of sound laws and regulations. Take the temporary solution as the way and the permanent cure as the goal, not only achieve the resolve of the matter on surface, but also the matter of essence, enhance the overall viability of the urban wandering population.展开更多
Bamboo charcoal（BC） was used as starting material to prepare iron-modified bamboo charcoal（Fe-MBC） by its impregnation in FeCl 3 and HNO 3 solutions simultaneously,followed by microwave heating.The material can be...Bamboo charcoal（BC） was used as starting material to prepare iron-modified bamboo charcoal（Fe-MBC） by its impregnation in FeCl 3 and HNO 3 solutions simultaneously,followed by microwave heating.The material can be used as an adsorbent for Pb（Ⅱ） contaminants removal in water.The composites were prepared with Fe molar concentration of 0.5,1.0 and 2.0 mol/L and characterized by means of N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms,X-ray diffraction spectroscopy（XRD）,scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry（SEM-EDS）,Fourier transform infrared（FT-IR） and point of zero charge（pH pzc） measurements.Nitrogen adsorption analyses showed that the BET specific surface area and total pore volume increased with iron impregnation.The adsorbent with Fe molar concentration of 2 mol/L（2Fe-MBC） exhibited the highest surface area and produced the best pore structure.The Pb（Ⅱ） adsorption process of 2Fe-MBC and BC were evaluated in batch experiments and 2Fe-MBC showed an excellent adsorption capability for removal Pb（Ⅱ）.The adsorption of Pb（Ⅱ） strongly depended on solution pH,with maximum values at pH 5.0.The ionic strength had a significant effect on the adsorption at pH 〈 6.0.The adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir isotherm model well,and the maximum adsorption capacity for Pb（Ⅱ） was 200.38 mg/g for 2Fe-MBC.The adsorption processes were well fitted by a pseudo second-order kinetic model.Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of Pb（Ⅱ） onto Fe-MBC was feasible,spontaneous,and exothermic under the studied conditions,and the ion exchange mechanism played an significant role.These results have important implications for the design of low-cost and effective adsorbents in the removal of Pb（Ⅱ） from wastewater.展开更多
Using robotic devices might improve recovery post-stroke, but the optimal way to apply robotic assistance has yet to be determined. The current study aimed to investigate whether training under the robotic active-assi...Using robotic devices might improve recovery post-stroke, but the optimal way to apply robotic assistance has yet to be determined. The current study aimed to investigate whether training under the robotic active-assisted mode improves bimanual motor skill learning(biMSkL) more than training under the active mode in stroke patients. Twenty-six healthy individuals(HI) and 23 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients with a detectable lesion on MRI or CT scan, who demonstrated motor deficits in the upper limb, were randomly allocated to two parallel groups. The protocol included a two-day training on a new bimanual cooperative task, LIFT-THE-TRAY, under either the active or activeassisted modes(where assistance decreased in a pre-determined stepwise fashion) with the bimanual version of the REAplan? robotic device. The hypothesis was that the active-assisted mode would result in greater biMSkL than the active mode. The biMSkL was quantified by a speed-accuracy trade-off(SAT) before(T1) and immediately after(T2) training on days 1 and 2(T3 and T4). The change in SAT after 2 days of training(T4/T1) indicated that both HI and stroke patients learned and retained the bimanual cooperative task. After 2 days of training, the active-assisted mode did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode(T4/T1) in HI nor stroke patients. Whereas HI generalized the learned bimanual skill to different execution speeds in both the active and active-assisted subgroups, the stroke patients generalized the learned skill only in the active subgroup. Taken together, the active-assisted mode, applied in a pre-determined stepwise decreasing fashion, did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode in HI and stroke subjects. Stroke subjects might benefit more from robotic assistance when applied "as-needed." This study was approved by the local ethical committee(Comité d'éthique médicale, CHU UCL Namur, MontGodinne, Yvoir, Belgium;Internal number: 54/2010, Eudra CT number: NUB B039201317382) on July 14, 2016 and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov(Identifier: NCT03974750) on June 5, 2019.展开更多
Social assistance is the last safety net in the social security system and plays a vital role in poverty alleviation in countries around the world. Promoting the equal financial assistance is meaningful to achieve equ...Social assistance is the last safety net in the social security system and plays a vital role in poverty alleviation in countries around the world. Promoting the equal financial assistance is meaningful to achieve equalization of social assistance. Based on the provincial panel data from 2002 to 2017, this paper analyzes the dynamic characteristics and main influencing factors of the equity of social assistance in China, using the Theil index and geographically weighted regression(GWR) model. The results suggest that the level of per capita social assistance expenditure(PSAE) in China keeps increasing year by year, but the changes in different regions and provinces are quite different. These changes not only significantly changed the spatial pattern of PSAE in China, but also greatly improved its spatial coupling with the deeply impoverished areas. Further analysis shows that the regional inequality of PSAE between provinces is obvious during the study period, and the inter-regional inequality is significantly higher than the intra-regional inequality.This makes inter-regional inequality become the main source of the regional inequality of PSAE in China for a long time. According to GWR results, there is obvious spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the influence intensity and direction of the per capita financial revenue,urbanization rate, urban unemployment rate, natural disaster-affected area, and transfer payment intensity on the PSAE. The urbanization rate and per capita financial revenue are the main driving factors of PSAE, and the impact intensity of per capita financial revenue tends to strengthen. The remaining three factors have a positive effect on PSAE, but the effect intensity is not high.展开更多
Walking assistance can be realized by active and passive robotic walkers when their users walk on even roads.However,fast signal processing and real-time control are necessary for active robotic walkers when the users...Walking assistance can be realized by active and passive robotic walkers when their users walk on even roads.However,fast signal processing and real-time control are necessary for active robotic walkers when the users walk on slopes,while assistive forces cannot be provided by passive robotic walkers when the users walk uphill.A robotic walker with an active-passive hybrid actuator(APHA)was developed in this study.The APHA,which consists of a rotary magnetorheological(MR)brake and a DC motor,can provide mobility assistance to users walking both uphill and downhill via the cooperative operation of the MR brake and DC motor.The rotary MR brake was designed with a T-shaped configuration,and the system was optimized to minimize the brake volume.Prototypes of the APHA and robotic walker were constructed.A control algorithm for the robotic walker was developed based on the characteristics of the APHA and the structure of the robotic walker.The mechanical properties of the APHA were characterized,and experiments were conducted to evaluate the mobility assistance supplied by the robotic walker on different roads.The results show that the APHA can meet the requirements of the robotic walker,and suitable assistive forces can be provided by the robotic walker,which has a simple mechanical structure and control method.展开更多
Day by day,biometric-based systems play a vital role in our daily lives.This paper proposed an intelligent assistant intended to identify emotions via voice message.A biometric system has been developed to detect huma...Day by day,biometric-based systems play a vital role in our daily lives.This paper proposed an intelligent assistant intended to identify emotions via voice message.A biometric system has been developed to detect human emotions based on voice recognition and control a few electronic peripherals for alert actions.This proposed smart assistant aims to provide a support to the people through buzzer and light emitting diodes(LED)alert signals and it also keep track of the places like households,hospitals and remote areas,etc.The proposed approach is able to detect seven emotions:worry,surprise,neutral,sadness,happiness,hate and love.The key elements for the implementation of speech emotion recognition are voice processing,and once the emotion is recognized,the machine interface automatically detects the actions by buzzer and LED.The proposed system is trained and tested on various benchmark datasets,i.e.,Ryerson Audio-Visual Database of Emotional Speech and Song(RAVDESS)database,Acoustic-Phonetic Continuous Speech Corpus(TIMIT)database,Emotional Speech database(Emo-DB)database and evaluated based on various parameters,i.e.,accuracy,error rate,and time.While comparing with existing technologies,the proposed algorithm gave a better error rate and less time.Error rate and time is decreased by 19.79%,5.13 s.for the RAVDEES dataset,15.77%,0.01 s for the Emo-DB dataset and 14.88%,3.62 for the TIMIT database.The proposed model shows better accuracy of 81.02%for the RAVDEES dataset,84.23%for the TIMIT dataset and 85.12%for the Emo-DB dataset compared to Gaussian Mixture Modeling(GMM)and Support Vector Machine(SVM)Model.展开更多
Introduction: To present the initial experience of 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Case Presentation: One patient received 3-port...Introduction: To present the initial experience of 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Case Presentation: One patient received 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Better direct vision and exposure could be acquired for performing laparoscopic surgical procedure, avoiding additional port inserted. Using this procedure, with strictly adhering to the principles of laparoscopic colectomy and oncological procedure, along with the specimen exteriorized via recta, transacted and a stapled anastomosis performed, no incision can be achieved at the end of an operation. The operative time was 180 minutes. The estimated blood loss in the course of an operation was 80 ml. The patient recovered quickly after surgery, with no post-operative pain and no incision. The patient was dischanged home on the 6th postoperative day. Conclusions: With a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp, 3-port laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer could be achieved without no incision at the end of the operation, the same as NOTES. It is enormously advantageous to the patient and suitable for application in developing countries, especially in a rural area.展开更多
This article shared personal experiences of encountering challenges during the work at the frontline fighting against COVID-19 in Wuhan,China,and found solutions and suggestions to overcome the challenges during the p...This article shared personal experiences of encountering challenges during the work at the frontline fighting against COVID-19 in Wuhan,China,and found solutions and suggestions to overcome the challenges during the period,including solutions to address challenges encountered during work,suggestions for smooth communication among different parties,and suggestions for optimizing work regulations and workflow and establishing behavior habits and professional knowledge and practices.These experiences would be helpful for health‑care workers to fight against the pandemic.展开更多
This paper presents the implementation of an embedded automotive system that detects and recognizes traffic signs within a video stream. In addition, it discusses the recent advances in driver assistance technologies ...This paper presents the implementation of an embedded automotive system that detects and recognizes traffic signs within a video stream. In addition, it discusses the recent advances in driver assistance technologies and highlights the safety motivations for smart in-car embedded systems. An algorithm is presented that processes RGB image data, extracts relevant pixels, filters the image, labels prospective traffic signs and evaluates them against template traffic sign images. A reconfigurable hardware system is described which uses the Virtex-5 Xilinx FPGA and hardware/software co-design tools in order to create an embedded processor and the necessary hardware IP peripherals. The implementation is shown to have robust performance results, both in terms of timing and accuracy.展开更多
The process of selecting an artificial intelligence(AI)model to assist clinical diagnosis of a particular pathology and its validation tests is relevant since the values of accuracy,sensitivity and specificity may not...The process of selecting an artificial intelligence(AI)model to assist clinical diagnosis of a particular pathology and its validation tests is relevant since the values of accuracy,sensitivity and specificity may not reflect the behavior of the method in a real environment.Here,we provide helpful considerations to increase the success of using an AI model in clinical practice.展开更多
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure(AMI),as a crucial subsystem in the smart grid,is responsible for measuring user electricity consumption and plays a vital role in communication between providers and consumers.Howe...The Advanced Metering Infrastructure(AMI),as a crucial subsystem in the smart grid,is responsible for measuring user electricity consumption and plays a vital role in communication between providers and consumers.However,with the advancement of information and communication technology,new security and privacy challenges have emerged for AMI.To address these challenges and enhance the security and privacy of user data in the smart grid,a Hierarchical Privacy Protection Model in Advanced Metering Infrastructure based on Cloud and Fog Assistance(HPPM-AMICFA)is proposed in this paper.The proposed model integrates cloud and fog computing with hierarchical threshold encryption,offering a flexible and efficient privacy protection solution that significantly enhances data security in the smart grid.The methodology involves setting user protection levels by processing missing data and utilizing fuzzy comprehensive analysis to evaluate user importance,thereby assigning appropriate protection levels.Furthermore,a hierarchical threshold encryption algorithm is developed to provide differentiated protection strategies for fog nodes based on user IDs,ensuring secure aggregation and encryption of user data.Experimental results demonstrate that HPPM-AMICFA effectively resists various attack strategies while minimizing time costs,thereby safeguarding user data in the smart grid.展开更多
We investigate entanglement of assistance without and with decoherence using a local non-Hermitian operation, i.e.,parity–time(PT) symmetric operation. First we give the explicit expressions of entanglement of assist...We investigate entanglement of assistance without and with decoherence using a local non-Hermitian operation, i.e.,parity–time(PT) symmetric operation. First we give the explicit expressions of entanglement of assistance for a general W-like state of a three-qubit system under a local parity–time symmetric operation. Then for a famous W state without decoherence, we find that entanglement of assistance shared by two parties can be obviously enhanced with the assistance of the third party by a local parity–time symmetric operation. For the decoherence case, we provide two schemes to show the effects of local parity–time symmetric operation on improvement of entanglement of assistance against amplitude damping noise. We find that for the larger amplitude damping case the scheme of PT symmetric operation performed on one of two parties with the influence of noise is superior to that of PT symmetric operation performed on the third party without the influence of noise in suppressing amplitude damping noise. However, for the smaller amplitude damping case the opposite result is given. The obtained results imply that the local PT symmetric operation method may have potential applications in quantum decoherence control.展开更多
Age-related diseases can lead to knee joint misfunction, making knee assistance necessary through theuse of robotic wearable braces. However, existing wearable robots face challenges in force transmission and humanmot...Age-related diseases can lead to knee joint misfunction, making knee assistance necessary through theuse of robotic wearable braces. However, existing wearable robots face challenges in force transmission and humanmotion adaptation, particularly among the elderly. Although soft actuators have been used in wearable robots,achieving rapid response and motion control while maintaining portability remains challenging. To address theseissues, we propose a soft-robotic knee brace system integrated with multiple sensors and a direct-drive hydraulicactuation system. This approach allows for controlled and rapid force output on the portable hydraulic system.The multi-sensor feedback structure enables the robotic system to collaborate with the human body throughhuman physiological signal and body motion information. The human user tests demonstrate that the knee robotprovides assistive torques to the knee joint by being triggered by the electromyography signal and under humanmotion control.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND:Hemiplegia,a prevalent stroke-related condition,is often studied for motor dysfunction;however,spasticity remains under-researched.Abnormal muscle tone significantly hinders hemiplegic patients’walking recovery.OBJECTIVE:To determine whether early suspension-protected training with a personal assistant machine for stroke patients enhances walking ability and prevents muscle spasms.METHODS:Thirty-two early-stage stroke patients from Shenzhen University General Hospital and the China Rehabilitation Research Center were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=16)and the control group(n=16).Both groups underwent 4 weeks of gait training under the suspension protection system for 30 minutes daily,5 days a week.The experimental group used the personal assistant machine during training.Three-dimensional gait analysis(using the Cortex motion capture system),Brunnstrom staging,Fugl-Meyer Assessment for lower limb motor function,Fugl-Meyer balance function,and the modified Ashworth Scale were evaluated within 1 week before the intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After the 4-week intervention,all outcome measures showed significant changes in each group.The experimental group had a small but significant increase in the modified Ashworth Scale score(P<0.05,d=|0.15|),while the control group had a large significant increase(P<0.05,d=|1.48|).The experimental group demonstrated greater improvements in walking speed(16.5 to 38.44 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|4.01|),step frequency(46.44 to 64.94 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|2.32|),stride length(15.50 to 29.81 cm,P<0.05,d=|3.44|),and peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.82|to|2.17|).After treatment,the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in walking speed(38.44 vs.26.63 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|2.75|),stride length,peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.31|to|1.45|),step frequency(64.94 vs.59.38 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|0.85|),and a reduced support phase(bilateral:24.31%vs.28.38%,P<0.05,d=|0.88|;non-paretic:66.19%vs.70.13%,P<0.05,d=|0.94|).For early hemiplegia,personal assistant machine-assisted gait training under the suspension protection system helps establish a correct gait pattern,prevents muscle spasms,and improves motor function.
文摘This research investigates the effectiveness of climate-related development aid in Indonesia’s climate mitigation.Specific objectives include assessing the contribution of official development assistance(ODA)to reducing CO_(2) emissions and evaluating the implementation of the Busan Principles of aid effectiveness to achieve Indonesia’s mitigation priorities and targets.We utilize a new primary dataset based on interviews with the most knowledgeable stakeholders of ODA on climate change mitigation.Additionally,we use secondary data from the annual Rio Marker and the Common Reporting Standard data of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.The results show a significant correlation between climate-related development aid and CO_(2) emission reduction in Indonesia.Additionally,the implementation of the Busan Principles enhances aid management by fostering project ownership and increasing the involvement of civil society and private sector.The study has implications for devising an effective climate change mitigation strategy for Indonesia.It is suggested that the government of Indonesia exercise greater flexibility and dynamism in engaging with development partners.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 62471048)Open Fund Project of Beijing Key Laboratory of High Dynamic Navigation TechnologyKey Laboratory Fund Project of Modern Measurement and Control Technology, Ministry of Education
文摘In complex environments such as high dynamics and weak signals,a satellite signal compensation method based on prefabricated trajectory assistance and an improved adaptive Kalman filter is proposed for a 155 mm differential rotating rear-body control-guided projectile to address the situation of satellite signal flickering and loss in projectile navigation systems due to environmental limitations.First,establish the system state and measurement equation when receiving satellite signals normally.Second,a seven-degree-of-freedom external ballistic model is constructed,and the ideal trajectory output from the ballistic model is used to provide the virtual motion state of the projectile,which is input into a filter as a substitute observation when satellite signals are lost.Finally,an adaptive Kalman filter(AKF)is designed,the proposed adaptive Kalman filter can accurately adjust the estimation error covariance matrix and Kalman gain in real-time based on information covariance mismatch.The simulation results show that compared to the classical Kalman filter,it can reduce the average positioning error by more than 38.21%in the case of short-term and full-range loss of satellite signals,providing a new idea for the integrated navigation of projectiles with incomplete information under the condition of satellite signal loss.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2022YFE0117100 and 2021YFB250120101)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52325212)+1 种基金Shanghai Municipal Automotive Industry Science,Technology Development Foundation(Grant No.2203)the SAIC Motor Corporation Limited(Grant No.2023023).
文摘Vehicle collision avoidance(CA)has been widely studied to improve road traffic safety.However,most evasion assistance control methods face challenges in effectively coordinating collision avoidance safety and human-machine interaction conflict.This paper introduces a novel multi-mode evasion assistance control(MEAC)method for intelligent distributed-drive electric vehicles.A reference safety area is established considering the vehicle safety and stability requirements,which serves as a guiding principle for evading obstacles.The proposed method includes two control modes:Shared-EAC(S-EAC)and Emergency-EAC(E-EAC).In S-EAC,an integrated human-machine authority allocation mechanism is designed to mitigate conflicts between human drivers and the control system during collision avoidance.The E-EAC mode is tailored for situations where the driver has no collision avoidance behavior and utilizes model predictive control to generate additional yaw moments for collision avoidance.Simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed method reduces human-machine conflict and assists the driver in safe collision avoidance in the S-EAC mode under various driver conditions.In addition,it enhances the vehicle responsiveness and reduces the extent of emergency steering in the E-EAC mode while improving the safety and stability during the collision avoidance process.
基金This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants No.72104246,71874203).
文摘Impoverished sub-Saharan Africa(SSA)is under increasing environmental pressure from global environmental changes.It is now generally accepted in academic circles that economic development in SSA countries can cause environmental pressure in other countries.However,there is research gap on the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressure in SSA countries and whether economic assistance causes spatial spillovers of environ-mental pressure between SSA countries.To better understand the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressures in SSA,a dynamic spatial Dubin panel model was developed.It helped us explore the spatial spillover effects of economic assistance on environmental pressures in recipient countries based on the panel data from 34 SSA countries.The results show that economic assistance had a positive stimulating effect on environmen-tal pressures of recipient countries,which means that the degree of human disturbance to the environment has deepened.Due to the regional correlation effect,neighboring countries were saddled with environmental pres-sures from the target country.Moreover,environmental pressures have time inertia,which can easily produce a snowball effect.The decomposition of effects shows that the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressures is relatively minor.Environmental pressures have spillover effects,so to deal with diffuse risks,joint regional prevention and control policies should be developed.
文摘It is known that the IELTS test has not been a good predictor of English capability in academic settings. More information is required. Are students not motivated to keep improving their English; what obstacles do they face? The English language issues facing international students from China at one University are explored through a survey and focus groups. It is observed that a lack of motivation is not the key factor. Rather one core problem is the very difficult demands of acculturation within a short time frame which would enable confidence for the students to continue to engage with other English speaking students. When faced with such immediate and hard to achieve acculturation, many retreat to their language groups. In the academic context, support for the transition to discipline based academic genres is double difficult as the time frame for second language learners is longer, but performance requirements are more immediate. Many first language students also have difficulties in this area, but have the easier language path to mastery. The study draws usefully on a comparison made with students studying English in China.
文摘The rescue work of our country is facing with huge moral risk, the problem that the waste and the lack of resistance resources exist at the same time commands the realization of the accurate allocation of assistance resources. Basing on the analysis of the characteristics and hazards of this population, the writer puts forward the suggestions to construct the urban vagrants＇ accurate rescue system with the relevant suggestions： perfecting the relief systern, fulfilling the basic functions of the relief management station, setting up an environment of sound laws and regulations. Take the temporary solution as the way and the permanent cure as the goal, not only achieve the resolve of the matter on surface, but also the matter of essence, enhance the overall viability of the urban wandering population.
基金supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (No. 2012BAJ21B01)
文摘Bamboo charcoal（BC） was used as starting material to prepare iron-modified bamboo charcoal（Fe-MBC） by its impregnation in FeCl 3 and HNO 3 solutions simultaneously,followed by microwave heating.The material can be used as an adsorbent for Pb（Ⅱ） contaminants removal in water.The composites were prepared with Fe molar concentration of 0.5,1.0 and 2.0 mol/L and characterized by means of N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms,X-ray diffraction spectroscopy（XRD）,scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry（SEM-EDS）,Fourier transform infrared（FT-IR） and point of zero charge（pH pzc） measurements.Nitrogen adsorption analyses showed that the BET specific surface area and total pore volume increased with iron impregnation.The adsorbent with Fe molar concentration of 2 mol/L（2Fe-MBC） exhibited the highest surface area and produced the best pore structure.The Pb（Ⅱ） adsorption process of 2Fe-MBC and BC were evaluated in batch experiments and 2Fe-MBC showed an excellent adsorption capability for removal Pb（Ⅱ）.The adsorption of Pb（Ⅱ） strongly depended on solution pH,with maximum values at pH 5.0.The ionic strength had a significant effect on the adsorption at pH 〈 6.0.The adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir isotherm model well,and the maximum adsorption capacity for Pb（Ⅱ） was 200.38 mg/g for 2Fe-MBC.The adsorption processes were well fitted by a pseudo second-order kinetic model.Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of Pb（Ⅱ） onto Fe-MBC was feasible,spontaneous,and exothermic under the studied conditions,and the ion exchange mechanism played an significant role.These results have important implications for the design of low-cost and effective adsorbents in the removal of Pb（Ⅱ） from wastewater.
基金supported by the following grants Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique–FNRS 1.R.506.161.R.506.18&1.R.506.20+8 种基金Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Médicale(FRSM)3.4.525.08.FFonds Spécial de Recherche(FSR)from the UCLouvainFondation Van Goethem-BrichantFondation Mont-Godinnesupported by the following grants FRNS-FRIA n°F3/5/5-MCF/ROI/BC-19727 and F3/5/5-MCF/XH/FC-17514Fondation Mont-Godinne 2018supported by grants from the Fondation Mont-Godinne 2015-2016Fonds Spécial de Recherche(FSR)of the UCLouvain 2016-2018Fondation Roi Baudouin/Fonds Amélie 2018-2019。
文摘Using robotic devices might improve recovery post-stroke, but the optimal way to apply robotic assistance has yet to be determined. The current study aimed to investigate whether training under the robotic active-assisted mode improves bimanual motor skill learning(biMSkL) more than training under the active mode in stroke patients. Twenty-six healthy individuals(HI) and 23 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients with a detectable lesion on MRI or CT scan, who demonstrated motor deficits in the upper limb, were randomly allocated to two parallel groups. The protocol included a two-day training on a new bimanual cooperative task, LIFT-THE-TRAY, under either the active or activeassisted modes(where assistance decreased in a pre-determined stepwise fashion) with the bimanual version of the REAplan? robotic device. The hypothesis was that the active-assisted mode would result in greater biMSkL than the active mode. The biMSkL was quantified by a speed-accuracy trade-off(SAT) before(T1) and immediately after(T2) training on days 1 and 2(T3 and T4). The change in SAT after 2 days of training(T4/T1) indicated that both HI and stroke patients learned and retained the bimanual cooperative task. After 2 days of training, the active-assisted mode did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode(T4/T1) in HI nor stroke patients. Whereas HI generalized the learned bimanual skill to different execution speeds in both the active and active-assisted subgroups, the stroke patients generalized the learned skill only in the active subgroup. Taken together, the active-assisted mode, applied in a pre-determined stepwise decreasing fashion, did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode in HI and stroke subjects. Stroke subjects might benefit more from robotic assistance when applied "as-needed." This study was approved by the local ethical committee(Comité d'éthique médicale, CHU UCL Namur, MontGodinne, Yvoir, Belgium;Internal number: 54/2010, Eudra CT number: NUB B039201317382) on July 14, 2016 and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov(Identifier: NCT03974750) on June 5, 2019.
基金Under the auspices of National Social Science Fund of China(No.18BJL126)。
文摘Social assistance is the last safety net in the social security system and plays a vital role in poverty alleviation in countries around the world. Promoting the equal financial assistance is meaningful to achieve equalization of social assistance. Based on the provincial panel data from 2002 to 2017, this paper analyzes the dynamic characteristics and main influencing factors of the equity of social assistance in China, using the Theil index and geographically weighted regression(GWR) model. The results suggest that the level of per capita social assistance expenditure(PSAE) in China keeps increasing year by year, but the changes in different regions and provinces are quite different. These changes not only significantly changed the spatial pattern of PSAE in China, but also greatly improved its spatial coupling with the deeply impoverished areas. Further analysis shows that the regional inequality of PSAE between provinces is obvious during the study period, and the inter-regional inequality is significantly higher than the intra-regional inequality.This makes inter-regional inequality become the main source of the regional inequality of PSAE in China for a long time. According to GWR results, there is obvious spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the influence intensity and direction of the per capita financial revenue,urbanization rate, urban unemployment rate, natural disaster-affected area, and transfer payment intensity on the PSAE. The urbanization rate and per capita financial revenue are the main driving factors of PSAE, and the impact intensity of per capita financial revenue tends to strengthen. The remaining three factors have a positive effect on PSAE, but the effect intensity is not high.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U1813222)Hebei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.E2018202316).
文摘Walking assistance can be realized by active and passive robotic walkers when their users walk on even roads.However,fast signal processing and real-time control are necessary for active robotic walkers when the users walk on slopes,while assistive forces cannot be provided by passive robotic walkers when the users walk uphill.A robotic walker with an active-passive hybrid actuator(APHA)was developed in this study.The APHA,which consists of a rotary magnetorheological(MR)brake and a DC motor,can provide mobility assistance to users walking both uphill and downhill via the cooperative operation of the MR brake and DC motor.The rotary MR brake was designed with a T-shaped configuration,and the system was optimized to minimize the brake volume.Prototypes of the APHA and robotic walker were constructed.A control algorithm for the robotic walker was developed based on the characteristics of the APHA and the structure of the robotic walker.The mechanical properties of the APHA were characterized,and experiments were conducted to evaluate the mobility assistance supplied by the robotic walker on different roads.The results show that the APHA can meet the requirements of the robotic walker,and suitable assistive forces can be provided by the robotic walker,which has a simple mechanical structure and control method.
基金Deanship of Scientific Research at Majmaah University for supporting this work under Project No.R-2022-166.
文摘Day by day,biometric-based systems play a vital role in our daily lives.This paper proposed an intelligent assistant intended to identify emotions via voice message.A biometric system has been developed to detect human emotions based on voice recognition and control a few electronic peripherals for alert actions.This proposed smart assistant aims to provide a support to the people through buzzer and light emitting diodes(LED)alert signals and it also keep track of the places like households,hospitals and remote areas,etc.The proposed approach is able to detect seven emotions:worry,surprise,neutral,sadness,happiness,hate and love.The key elements for the implementation of speech emotion recognition are voice processing,and once the emotion is recognized,the machine interface automatically detects the actions by buzzer and LED.The proposed system is trained and tested on various benchmark datasets,i.e.,Ryerson Audio-Visual Database of Emotional Speech and Song(RAVDESS)database,Acoustic-Phonetic Continuous Speech Corpus(TIMIT)database,Emotional Speech database(Emo-DB)database and evaluated based on various parameters,i.e.,accuracy,error rate,and time.While comparing with existing technologies,the proposed algorithm gave a better error rate and less time.Error rate and time is decreased by 19.79%,5.13 s.for the RAVDEES dataset,15.77%,0.01 s for the Emo-DB dataset and 14.88%,3.62 for the TIMIT database.The proposed model shows better accuracy of 81.02%for the RAVDEES dataset,84.23%for the TIMIT dataset and 85.12%for the Emo-DB dataset compared to Gaussian Mixture Modeling(GMM)and Support Vector Machine(SVM)Model.
文摘Introduction: To present the initial experience of 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Case Presentation: One patient received 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Better direct vision and exposure could be acquired for performing laparoscopic surgical procedure, avoiding additional port inserted. Using this procedure, with strictly adhering to the principles of laparoscopic colectomy and oncological procedure, along with the specimen exteriorized via recta, transacted and a stapled anastomosis performed, no incision can be achieved at the end of an operation. The operative time was 180 minutes. The estimated blood loss in the course of an operation was 80 ml. The patient recovered quickly after surgery, with no post-operative pain and no incision. The patient was dischanged home on the 6th postoperative day. Conclusions: With a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp, 3-port laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer could be achieved without no incision at the end of the operation, the same as NOTES. It is enormously advantageous to the patient and suitable for application in developing countries, especially in a rural area.
文摘This article shared personal experiences of encountering challenges during the work at the frontline fighting against COVID-19 in Wuhan,China,and found solutions and suggestions to overcome the challenges during the period,including solutions to address challenges encountered during work,suggestions for smooth communication among different parties,and suggestions for optimizing work regulations and workflow and establishing behavior habits and professional knowledge and practices.These experiences would be helpful for health‑care workers to fight against the pandemic.
文摘This paper presents the implementation of an embedded automotive system that detects and recognizes traffic signs within a video stream. In addition, it discusses the recent advances in driver assistance technologies and highlights the safety motivations for smart in-car embedded systems. An algorithm is presented that processes RGB image data, extracts relevant pixels, filters the image, labels prospective traffic signs and evaluates them against template traffic sign images. A reconfigurable hardware system is described which uses the Virtex-5 Xilinx FPGA and hardware/software co-design tools in order to create an embedded processor and the necessary hardware IP peripherals. The implementation is shown to have robust performance results, both in terms of timing and accuracy.
基金Supported by SEDENA Budgetary Program,No.A022-2021.
文摘The process of selecting an artificial intelligence(AI)model to assist clinical diagnosis of a particular pathology and its validation tests is relevant since the values of accuracy,sensitivity and specificity may not reflect the behavior of the method in a real environment.Here,we provide helpful considerations to increase the success of using an AI model in clinical practice.
基金This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Number 61902069)Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China(Grant Number 2021J011068)+1 种基金Research Initiation Fund Program of Fujian University of Technology(GY-S24002,GY-Z21048)Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology Industrial Guidance Project(Grant Number 2022H0025).
文摘The Advanced Metering Infrastructure(AMI),as a crucial subsystem in the smart grid,is responsible for measuring user electricity consumption and plays a vital role in communication between providers and consumers.However,with the advancement of information and communication technology,new security and privacy challenges have emerged for AMI.To address these challenges and enhance the security and privacy of user data in the smart grid,a Hierarchical Privacy Protection Model in Advanced Metering Infrastructure based on Cloud and Fog Assistance(HPPM-AMICFA)is proposed in this paper.The proposed model integrates cloud and fog computing with hierarchical threshold encryption,offering a flexible and efficient privacy protection solution that significantly enhances data security in the smart grid.The methodology involves setting user protection levels by processing missing data and utilizing fuzzy comprehensive analysis to evaluate user importance,thereby assigning appropriate protection levels.Furthermore,a hierarchical threshold encryption algorithm is developed to provide differentiated protection strategies for fog nodes based on user IDs,ensuring secure aggregation and encryption of user data.Experimental results demonstrate that HPPM-AMICFA effectively resists various attack strategies while minimizing time costs,thereby safeguarding user data in the smart grid.
基金Project supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2017M622582)the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province of China(Grant No.2015JJ3092)+2 种基金the Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Hunan Province of China(Grant No.16B177)Applied Characteristic Disciplines in Hunan Province-Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaHunan-Provincial Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Information Integration and Optical Manufacturing Technology
文摘We investigate entanglement of assistance without and with decoherence using a local non-Hermitian operation, i.e.,parity–time(PT) symmetric operation. First we give the explicit expressions of entanglement of assistance for a general W-like state of a three-qubit system under a local parity–time symmetric operation. Then for a famous W state without decoherence, we find that entanglement of assistance shared by two parties can be obviously enhanced with the assistance of the third party by a local parity–time symmetric operation. For the decoherence case, we provide two schemes to show the effects of local parity–time symmetric operation on improvement of entanglement of assistance against amplitude damping noise. We find that for the larger amplitude damping case the scheme of PT symmetric operation performed on one of two parties with the influence of noise is superior to that of PT symmetric operation performed on the third party without the influence of noise in suppressing amplitude damping noise. However, for the smaller amplitude damping case the opposite result is given. The obtained results imply that the local PT symmetric operation method may have potential applications in quantum decoherence control.
基金the Theme-based Research Scheme from the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government(No.T42-717/20-R)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51975268)。
文摘Age-related diseases can lead to knee joint misfunction, making knee assistance necessary through theuse of robotic wearable braces. However, existing wearable robots face challenges in force transmission and humanmotion adaptation, particularly among the elderly. Although soft actuators have been used in wearable robots,achieving rapid response and motion control while maintaining portability remains challenging. To address theseissues, we propose a soft-robotic knee brace system integrated with multiple sensors and a direct-drive hydraulicactuation system. This approach allows for controlled and rapid force output on the portable hydraulic system.The multi-sensor feedback structure enables the robotic system to collaborate with the human body throughhuman physiological signal and body motion information. The human user tests demonstrate that the knee robotprovides assistive torques to the knee joint by being triggered by the electromyography signal and under humanmotion control.
