The energy efficiency theory of human bipedal locomotion has been widely accepted as a neuro-musculoskeletal control method. However, coactivation of agonist and antagonist muscles in the lower limb ...has been observed during various limb movements, including walking. The emergence of this coactivation cannot be explained solely by the energy efficiency theory and remains a subject of debate. To shed light on this, we investigated the role of muscle coactivations in walking stability using a forward dynamics musculoskeletal simulation combined with neural-network-based gait controllers. Our study revealed that a gait controller with minimal muscle activations had a high probability of falls under challenging gait conditions such as slippery ground and uneven terrain. Lower limb muscle coactivations emerged in the process of gait controller training on slippery ground. Controllers with physiological coactivation levels demonstrated a significantly reduced probability of falls. Our results suggest that achieving stable walking requires muscle coactivations beyond the minimal level of muscle energy. This study implies that coactivations likely emerge to maintain gait stability under challenging conditions, and both coactivation and energy optimization of lower limb muscles should be considered when exploring the foundational control mechanisms of human walking.
The subtalar joint movement between the talus and calcaneus is restricted in patients with talocalcaneal coalition (TCC). When the motion of the subtalar joint is restricted, shock absorption in the ...foot decreases, leading to pain during walking. Resection methods to maintain subtalar motion by removing abnormal unions have been proposed. The purpose of this study was to analyze the joint kinematics of patients who underwent TCC resection and to quantitatively evaluate the results of the surgery based on the measured kinematics.
Joint kinematics of five patients with TCC were obtained using a biplane fluoroscopic imaging system and an intensity-based two-/three-dimensional registration method. The joint kinematics of the tibiotalar and subtalar joints and the tibiocalcaneal motion during the stance phase of walking were obtained. From the kinematics of the hindfoot joints, the inversion/eversion range of motion (ROM) of the patients before and after resection was statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to test whether TCC resection improved the ROM.
During the loading response period, the eversion ROM of the subtalar joint and tibiocalcaneal motion significantly increased postoperatively. In addition, a significant postoperative increase was observed in the subtalar and tibiocalcaneal inversion ROM during the pre-swing period.
TCC resection surgery increased the ROM of the subtalar joint, which in turn contributed to the increase in tibiocalcaneal ROM. Increased subtalar and tibiocalcaneal ROM could result in increased shock attenuation and may be a contributing factor to pain relief during walking.
We developed a stand-alone, real-time optical detection device capable of reading fluorescence intensities from cell samples with high sensitivity and precision, for use as a portable fluorescent ...sensor for sensing fluorescently labeled enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) Shiga toxins (Stxs). In general, the signal intensity from the fluorescently labeled Stxs was weak due to the small number of molecules bound to each cell. To address this technical challenge, we used a highly sensitive light detector (photomultiplier tube: PMT) to measure fluorescence, and designed a portable optical housing to align optical parts precisely; the housing itself was fabricated on a 3D printer. In addition, an electric circuit that amplified PMT output was designed and integrated into the system. The system shows the toxin concentration in the sample on a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a microcontroller circuit is used to read PMT output, process data, and display results. In contrast to other portable fluorescent detectors, the system works alone, without any peripheral computer or additional apparatus; its total size is about 17 x 13 x 9 cm.sup.3, and it weighs about 770 g. The detection limit was 0.01 ppm of Alexa Fluor 488 in PBS, which is ten thousand times lower than those of other smartphone-based systems and sufficiently sensitive for use with a portable optical detector. We used the portable real-time optical sensing system to detect Alexa Fluor 488-tagged Stx2B-subunits bound to monocytic THP-1 cells expressing the toxin receptor globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). The device did not detect a signal from Gb3-negative PD36 cells, indicating that it was capable of specifically detecting Stxs bound to cells expressing the toxin receptor. Following the development of a rapid and autonomous method for fluorescently tagging cells in food samples, the optical detection system described here could be used for direct detection of Shiga toxins in food in the field.
The increase of surface area and the functionalization of catalyst are crucial to development of high-performance semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) based chemiresistive gas sensors. Herein, nanoscale ...catalyst loaded Co3O4 hollow nanocages (HNCs) by using metal–organic framework (MOF) templates have been developed as a new sensing platform. Nanoscale Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were easily loaded on the cavity of Co based zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF-67). The porous structure of ZIF-67 can restrict the size of Pd NPs (2–3 nm) and separate Pd NPs from each other. Subsequently, the calcination of Pd loaded ZIF-67 produced the catalytic PdO NPs functionalized Co3O4 HNCs (PdO–Co3O4 HNCs). The ultrasmall PdO NPs (3–4 nm) are well-distributed in the wall of Co3O4 HNCs, the unique structure of which can provide high surface area and high catalytic activity. As a result, the PdO–Co3O4 HNCs exhibited improved acetone sensing response (R gas/R air = 2.51–5 ppm) compared to PdO–Co3O4 powders (R gas/R air = 1.98), Co3O4 HNCs (R gas/R air = 1.96), and Co3O4 powders (R gas/R air = 1.45). In addition, the PdO–Co3O4 HNCs showed high acetone selectivity against other interfering gases. Moreover, the sensor array clearly distinguished simulated exhaled breath of diabetics from healthy people’s breath. These results confirmed the novel synthesis of MOF templated nanoscale catalyst loaded SMO HNCs for high performance gas sensors.
Injuries in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), including partial tear and lengthening of the ACL, change the dynamic function of the knee. However, there is a lack of information on the effect of ...ACL partial tear on knee kinematics during walking. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of ACL injuries on knee stability and ACL tensional force to identify the critical injury level. Motion data of five normal subjects were acquired along with the ground reaction force. A knee model with 14 ligaments was developed using cadaveric specimen data. The initial length and stiffness of the ACL were changed to develop ACL-injured knee models. Musculoskeletal simulations of the knee models were performed using the measured gait data. The average tibial anterior translation increased significantly by 2.6 ± 0.7 mm when the ACL stiffness decreased to 25% of its original stiffness. The average tibial anterior translation increased significantly by 2.6 ± 0.3 mm at an increase in initial length of 10%. The knee with partial ACL tear had a nonlinear decrease in ACL forces owing to the increase in the level of ACL injury, while the knee with ACL lengthening had linear decreased ACL forces. The partial tear of the ACL caused translational instability, while the complete tear caused both rotational and translational instabilities during the musculoskeletal walking simulation. This study presents the effects of partial ACL injuries on joint kinematics and ACL tensional force during the dynamic motion of walking.
Abstract Enhancing the incorporation of highly accessible Lewis acid sites on fillers is crucial for achieving exceptional electrochemical performances in composite solid electrolytes (CSEs). ...Typically, they can provide a vital role in improving CSEs performance by interacting with lithium salt anions and the polymer matrix through Lewis acid–base interactions. To address this technological need, in this work, a novel filler of bimetallic UiO‐66(Zr/Ti)‐ionic liquid grafted composite (BUIL) is developed to enhance its inherent electrochemical properties. The bimetallic structure, which introduces structural defects, along with the grafted ionic liquid, abundantly creates accessible Lewis acid sites. This modification of the intrinsic Lewis acidity results in a remarkable enhancement of CSEs performances. The incorporation of BUIL in CSEs leads to a significant increase in ionic conductivity (0.458 mS cm −1 ) and lithium‐ion transference number (0.668) at 30 °C. Furthermore, LiFePO 4 /CSEs/Li cells demonstrate a high specific capacity of 148.5 mAh g −1 at a current density of 1 C, which is stably maintained over 880 cycles. Overall, the innovative synthetic approach in producing multifunctional fillers for CSEs shows strong potential for enhancing the performance of advanced lithium metal batteries.
This article introduces a 192-Gb 896-GB/s 12-high stacked third-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3 DRAM) with low power consumption and high-reliability traits. New design schemes and features, ...including internal low-voltage signaling, center strobe calibration, through-silicon via (TSV) auto-calibration, a symbol-correcting in-DRAM ECC, and machine-learning-based layout optimization, allow large amounts of data transfers among the vertically stacked base and core dies with limited delay mismatch or SI degradation, as well as reduced power consumption from low-voltage swings. Experimental results confirm 896-GB/s bandwidth operations at 1.0-V voltage conditions with up to 15% improved power efficiency.
The binder is an essential component in determining the structural integrity and ionic conductivity of Li‐ion battery electrodes. However, conventional binders are not sufficiently conductive and ...durable to be used with solid‐state electrolytes. In this study, a novel system is proposed for a Li secondary battery that combines the electrolyte and binder into a unified structure, which is achieved by employing para‐phenylenediamine (pPD) moiety to create supramolecular bridges between the parent binders. Due to a partial crosslinking effect and charge‐transferring structure of pPD, the proposed strategy improves both the ionic conductivity and mechanical properties by a factor of 6.4 (achieving a conductivity of 3.73 × 10−4 S cm−1 for poly(ethylene oxide)‐pPD) and 4.4 (reaching a mechanical strength of 151.4 kPa for poly(acrylic acid)‐pPD) compared to those of conventional parent binders. As a result, when the supramolecules of pPD are used as a binder in a pouch cell with a lean electrolyte loading of 2 µL mAh−1, a capacity retention of 80.2% is achieved even after 300 cycles. Furthermore, when it is utilized as a solid‐state electrolyte, an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.7% and capacity retention of 98.7% are attained under operations at 50 °C without external pressure or a pre‐aging process.
A binder‐electrolyte integrated solid‐state battery (SSB) system exploiting a new synergistic ionic conduction mechanism through supramolecular bridging with p‐phenylenediamine molecules is proposed. As such, the contact issue in SSBs can be minimized, enabling the implementation of high loading SSB systems. These achievements are expected to provide a strong foundation for the development of SSB systems with exceptional energy density.
The attachment locations of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) grafts during reconstruction have been reported to influence knee joint function. However, there are controversial opinions on femoral ACL ...attachment locations for restoring normal knee kinematics. The knee stability and ACL force by different ACL attachment locations could be predicted using the musculoskeletal model simulation. The objectives of this study are to develop a detailed musculoskeletal knee model and to quantify the effect of ACL graft attachment locations on knee kinematics and graft force. Five normal subjects walked at a self-selected speed, and motion data were captured. A detailed knee model including 14 ligaments was developed for dynamics simulation using cadaveric specimen data, which were previously published and are open to public access. The ACL bundles of the model were removed and replaced with ACL grafts to develop anatomical and isometric ACL-reconstructed knee models; the femoral anatomical footprint and isometric locations were used, respectively. After the knee models were embedded in a full-body template model from the AnyBody Managed Model Repository, the full-body musculoskeletal model was simulated using the measured gait data. The isometric reconstruction model had significantly large anterior translation and internal rotation than the intact and anatomical reconstruction model. The average differences between the isometric reconstruction and intact models were 4.5 mm and 3.0° for tibial anterior translation and internal rotation, respectively. The ACL tensional force in the isometric reconstruction model was significantly lower than that in the intact model. Anatomical reconstruction could closely restore the normal knee kinematics.
PDF
