Towards the Automatic Study of the Vocal Tract From Magnetic Resonance Images

Over the last few decades, researchers have been investigating the mechanisms involved in speech production. Image analysis can be a valuable aid in the understanding of the morphology of the vocal tract. The application of magnetic resonance imaging to study these mechanisms has been proven to be reliable and safe. We have applied deformable models in magnetic resonance images to conduct an automatic study of the vocal tract; mainly, to evaluate the shape of the vocal tract in the articulation of some European Portuguese sounds, and then to successfully automatically segment the vocal tract's shape in new images. Thus, a point distribution model has been built from a set of magnetic resonance images acquired during artificially sustained articulations of 21 sounds, which successfully extracts the main characteristics of the movements of the vocal tract. The combination of that statistical shape model with the gray levels of its points is subsequently used to build active shape models and active appearance models. Those models have then been used to segment the modeled vocal tract into new images in a successful and automatic manner. The computational models have thus been revealed to be useful for the specific area of speech simulation and rehabilitation, namely to simulate and recognize the compensatory movements of the articulators during speech production.     

上肢康复机器人实验平台肌电信号采集系统的设计

表面肌电信号是肌肉收缩的同时伴随的一种电压信号,是一种复杂的表皮下肌电信号活动在皮肤表面处的时间和空间上综合得出的结果,能够反映出神经、肌肉的功能状态。正是其在相同肌群规律性和在不同肌群差异性,使得利用肌电信号作为人机接口来控制上肢康复机器人成为可能。本文的主要内容是肌电信号采集系统的设计,将从硬件电路以及软件设计两部分进行阐述。其中硬件电路主要由表面电极、信号调理、NI-USB-6210数据采集卡和上位机四部分组成;系统软件采用虚拟仪器开发平台LabVIEW编程,完成肌电信号实时采集、滤波处理、数据存储等功能。     

The Effect of Toe-grasping Exercises on Balance Ability in Home-based Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Block Randomization

Objective: The purpose of the study was to clarify the causal effect of toe-grasping exercises on the improvement of static or dynamic balance ability in home-based rehabilitation users. Method: Our study included 34 subjects who met the criteria and were evaluable out of 98 rehabilitation service users at home nursing stations. This study was a randomized controlled trial. The intervention group performed towel gathering exercises in addition to the regular home-based rehabilitation program. The primary outcome was one-leg standing time, and the secondary outcomes were two-step test and toe grip strength. Results: Seventeen subjects were assigned to the intervention group and seventeen to the control group by block randomization. Data from 15 and 12 subjects in the intervention group and control group, respectively, who were able to complete the initial evaluation and the evaluation after 3 months, were analyzed. We compared the amount of change after 3 months of evaluation in the intervention group with the change in the control group. The results showed that the left/right mean value of oneleg standing time in the intervention group was significantly greater than that in the control group. In terms of the amount of change in the intervention period (T2-T1) within each assessment, there were significant improvements in both the toe-grip strength and the two-step values in the intervention group. Conclusion: We found that toe-grasping exercises could improve the balance ability of home-based rehabilitation users. This suggests the clinical significance of toe function in rehabilitation programs.     

Effect of Intradialytic Supine Ergometer Exercise on Hemodialysis Patients with Different Nutritional Status

Objective: It is important for hemodialysis patients to exercise while their nutritional status is being monitored. This study aimed to examine the difference in physical exercise function and the effect of exercise intervention in hemodialysis patients who were divided into two groups (high-nutrition and low-nutrition groups) based on the serum albumin levels. Method: A total of 26 outpatients (18 men and 8 women) undergoing hemodialysis (age: 66 ± 10 years) were included in this study. The patients'' body composition data (weight, body mass index, percentage of body fat, fat-free mass, and total body water) and physical functions (grip strength, knee extensor strength, open-eyed one-legged standing time, long sitting trunk anteflexion, and 6-minute walking distance [6MWD] test) were measured. The intervention was supine ergometer exercise during hemodialysis, and the patients exercised for 30 minutes during hemodialysis thrice a week. The intervention period was three months. Results: Compared to the high-nutrition group, the low-nutrition group showed a significant decrease in muscle strength. Furthermore, long sitting trunk anteflexion in the high-nutrition group and 6MWD in the low-nutrition group improved significantly after the intervention. Conclusion: The result of this study may indicate that 6MD can be improved by exercise during dialysis, regardless of nutritional status. It is said that low nutritional status has a negative impact on survival rate; thus, considering the impact on survival rate, it is hemodialysis patients with a low nutritional status that should be considered to introduce more active exercise during dialysis.     

基于SVM的上肢康复机械臂轨迹跟踪预测控制

针对上肢康复训练机械臂具有强耦合、非线性和时变的特点,设计了基于SVM（支持向量机）的轨迹跟踪预测控制器。采集机械臂系统的输入和输出数据,通过SVM辨识得到广义逆系统,与原系统串联实现解耦。对解耦后的系统,采用SVM辨识预测模型和PSO优化滚动控制序列的预测函数控制方法,并从其内模结构分析了系统的稳定性和鲁棒性。实验结果表明,该方法能够平稳高精度地实现轨迹跟踪。     

半导体激光对跟痛症患者疼痛症状的改善作用

目的：探讨半导体激光治疗改善跟痛症患者疼痛症状的效果。方法：于2004年1月至2007年1月选择在广州军区广州总医院康复理疗科治疗的对跟痛症患者72例,采用随机数字表法将72例患者随机分为2组,治疗组37例和对照组35例,对照组采用小针刀。治疗组在小针刀的基础上,治疗组予以半导体激光照射治疗。主要照射足跟压痛最明显部位或呈条索点。在半导体激光治疗20次后,采用《中医病证诊断疗效标准》评定疗效。改善率为100％时为康复：足跟疼痛消失,行走或站立时足跟部无疼痛;改善率大于60％为显效：足跟无疼痛,行走稍有疼痛,接近正常功能;改善率为25％至60％为有效：足跟有轻压痛,行走或站立仍有疼痛,较治疗前减轻;改善率小于25％为无效：疼痛未减轻,行走疼痛同治疗前。足跟疼痛的评价内容,使用目测类比评估法。评定以0分表示无痛,10分表示患者感受最痛、无法忍受。结果：72例跟痛症患者均进入结果分析。①经20次半导体激光治疗后,治疗组总有效率高于对照组（94．6％,85．7％,P〈0．01）。②疼痛视觉类比评估法（VAS）治疗前后比较：在镇痛方面,两组在治疗10次和20次后,疼痛较治疗前均有较为明显缓解（3．38±0．27,0．80±0．12,6．40±0．47,3．99±0．38,2．89±0．23,5．99±0．38）,治疗组治疗第20次后较对照组评分明显降低（0．80±0．12,2,89±0．23,P〈0．01）。结论：半导体激光结合小针刀治疗跟痛症有明显临床疗效,并对患者的疼痛症状有明显的改善作用,较常规小针刀治疗更有效。半导体激光照射对跟痛症患者疼痛的康复治疗有明显作用。     

基于台达CT2000变频器热冷可逆轧机电控改造方案设计

介绍了陕西省宝鸡市某轧钢厂原轧机电气控制系统的改造方案,采用台达CT2000系列变频器替换原系统的旋转变流机组,克服了原系统设备多、体积大、费用高、效率低等缺点,获得了良好的控制效果及经济效益。     

Cloud-supported framework for patients in post-stroke disability rehabilitation

Given the flexibility and potential of cloud technologies, cloud-based rehabilitation frameworks have shown encouraging results as assistive tools for post-stroke disability rehabilitation exercises and treatment. To treat post-stroke disability, cloud-based rehabilitation offers great advantages over conventional, clinic-based rehabilitation, providing ubiquitous flexible rehabilitation services and storage while offering therapeutic feedback from a therapist in real-time during patients' rehabilitative movements. With the development of sensory technologies, cloud computing technology integrated with Augmented Reality (AR) may make therapeutic exercises more enjoyable. To achieve these objectives, this paper proposes a framework for cloud-based rehabilitation services, which uses AR technology along with other sensory technologies. We have designed a prototype of the framework that uses the mechanism of sensor gloves to recognize gestures, detecting the real-time condition of a patient doing rehabilitative exercises. This prototype framework is tested on twelve patients not using sensor gloves and on four patients wearing sensor gloves over six weeks. We found statistically significant differences between the forces exerted by patients’ fingers at week one compared to week six. Significant improvements in finger strength were found after six weeks of therapeutic rehabilitative exercises.