Biomimetic Sensors： Active Electrolocation of Weakly Electric Fish as a Model for Active Sensing in Technical Systems

Instead of vision, many nocturnal animals use alternative senses for navigation and object detection in their dark environment. For this purpose, weakly electric mormyrid fish employ active electrolocation, during which they discharge a specialized electric organ in their tail which discharges electrical pulses. Each discharge builds up an electrical field around the fish, which is sensed by cutaneous electroreceptor organs that are distributed over most of the body surface of the fish. Nearby objects distort this electrical field and cause a local alteration in current flow in those electroreceptors that are closest to the object. By constantly monitoring responses of its electroreceptor organs, a fish can detect, localize, and identify environmental objects.Inspired by the remarkable capabilities of weakly electric fish in detecting and recognizing objects, we designed technical sensor systems that can solve similar problems of remote object sensing. We applied the principles of active electrolocation to technical systems by building devices that produce electrical current pulses in a conducting medium (water or ionized gases) and simultaneously sense local current density. Depending on the specific task a sensor was designed for devices could (i) detect an object, (ii) localize it in space, (iii) determine its distance, and (iv) measure properties such as material properties, thickness, or material faults. Our systems proved to be relatively insensitive to environmental disturbances such as heat, pressure, or turbidity. They have a wide range of applications including material identification, quality control, non-contact distance measurements, medical applications and many more. Despite their astonishing capacities, our sensors still lag far behind what electric fish are able to achieve during active electrolocation. The understanding of the neural principles governing electric fish sensory physiology and the corresponding optimization of our sensors to solve certain technical tasks therefore remain ongoing goals of our research.     

鲶鱼电感觉中枢对静止和运动偶极子电场的反应

在7尾鲶鱼所记录到的11个电感觉中枢神经元中,6个只对运动的偶极子电场有反应;4个对运动和静止的偶极子电场均有反应,但以前者反应最强;另一个神经元不仅对运动的偶极子电场,而且对运动的塑料棒也有反应。研究表明,鲶鱼的电感应中枢最适合于察觉移动的电场目标。     

本体感觉训练联合肌内效贴对前交叉韧带断裂术后患者肢体肿胀程度、运动平衡功能及生活质量的影响

摘要 目的：观察本体感觉训练联合肌内效贴对前交叉韧带断裂术后患者肢体肿胀程度、运动平衡功能及生活质量的影响。方法：选择2019年1月-2022年1月期间我院接收的120例行前交叉韧带断裂术患者,按照信封抽签法将患者分为对照组（60例,本体感觉训练）和研究组（60例,对照组的基础上接受肌内效贴干预）。对比两组优良率、肢体肿胀程度、运动平衡功能及生活质量。结果：研究组的优良率高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗2周后、治疗4周后肢体肿胀值减小,且研究组低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗4周后Fugl-Meyer运动量表（FMA）、Berg 评分量表（BBS）评分升高,且研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗4周后总体/精神健康、生理/社会功能、活力、躯体疼痛和情感/生理职能评分升高,且研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：本体感觉训练联合肌内效贴对前交叉韧带断裂术后患者,可有效减轻肢体肿胀程度,改善运动平衡功能及生活质量,效果显著。     

感觉神经损伤后的变化及功能重建

切断家兔正中神经后,其支配区域的体感诱发电位消失,皮肤感觉神经末梢退变,正常轴浆转运中断。用桡神经浅支的尺侧分支与正中神经远端吻合后４周痛觉恢复,体感诱发电位重新出现,随修复后时间延长,该电位潜伏期缩短,波幅增高,在修复后３个月潜伏期接近正常,而波幅仅达正常值的１／２。与此同时,皮肤感觉神经末梢长出,辣根过氧化物酶逆行追踪显示,在原正中神经支配的前爪掌侧皮肤神经末梢与其胞体之间形成新的通路。本实验从功能与形态学上证明了损伤后感觉神经的功能重建。     

成人数量加工系统的跨通道研究

目的:本研究以由视听通道交互作用产生的错觉性闪光为工具,对成人的数量认知系统进行了探讨.方法:采用声音信号引起视错觉的实验范式,改变实验中闪光和声音的数目进行研究.结果:错觉性闪光的数目随着闪光和声音的数目增加而增加.预示着多感觉通道交互过程中接受变化频率较快的信息的通道对知觉有特殊作用.多感觉通道接受信息无交互作用的情况下,普通成人数量认知与婴儿和其他人群相比达到高度的自动化,对数量的相对变化判断有较高的准确率和稳定性.结论:成人数量加工在有交互作用的认知过程中受到了感觉通道对信息加工的影响.并不是完全相对于感觉通道独立的.而且,知觉过程中大数和小数的反应差异也在一定程度上表现了二者加工机制的差异.     

谷氨酸转运抑制剂对器官型培养脊髓片的影响

观察谷氨酸转运体抑制剂苏一羟天冬氨酸(Threo-hydroxyaspartate,THA)对器官型培养的脊髓片的影响,探讨谷氨酸在运动神经元损伤中的作用。取出生后8天乳鼠的腰段脊髓组织切片做脊髓器官型培养,在培养液中加入不同浓度THA(50μmol／L、100μmol／L、5001μmol／L),用神经元的特异性免疫组化染色剂SMI-32,非磷酸化神经丝标记物,对脊髓腹角α运动神经元进行鉴定,用单克隆抗钙网膜蛋白(calretinin)抗体对背角中间神经元进行记数,测定培养液中乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的含量,并与对照组比较。结果显示对照组α运动神经元数目恒定,THA可以引起剂量依赖性的培养液中LDH含量增高和α运动神经元数目减少,而脊髓背角的中间神经元损伤相对较轻,其中THA100μmol／L组在体外培养4周后出现类似于肌萎缩侧索硬化(ALS)的病理改变：α运动神经元数目较对照组明显减少,而脊髓背角的中间神经元数目无显著变化。细胞外谷氨酸增高主要对运动神经元造成损伤,脊髓运动神经元较感觉神经元对谷氨酸的兴奋毒作用更加敏感。     

应用行为分析联合感觉统合训练对孤独症谱系障碍儿童行为、发育、睡眠障碍的影响

摘要 目的：评价应用行为分析（ABA）联合感觉统合训练对孤独症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童行为、发育以及睡眠障碍的影响。方法：选入我院2021年1月~2023年1月收治的ASD儿童62例,随机分为对照组和观察组,各31例。两组均予以ABA疗法,观察组在此基础上接受感觉统合训练。评价两组的行为、发育及睡眠情况等,并进行统计比较。结果：观察组治疗总有效率87.10%,显著高于对照组的61.29%（P＜0.05）;两组治疗后ABC和ATEC量表的各项得分及总分均较治疗前减少,而观察组减少幅度更大,与对照组差异显著（P＜0.05）;与治疗前比较,两组治疗后Gesell量表各项得分明显升高（P＜0.05）,而观察组升高幅度显著大于对照组（P＜0.05）;两组治疗前CSHQ的各项评分及总分无明显差异（P＞0.05）,而治疗后,与对照组相比,观察组CSHQ各项评分及总分均较低（P＜0.05）。结论：ABA疗法联合感觉统合训练能够减轻ASD患儿的疾病症状,改善行为状态及睡眠质量,促进患儿发育,提高临床疗效。     

低强度脉冲聚焦超声联合等速肌力训练对膝骨关节炎患者膝关节本体感觉、生活质量和炎性因子水平的影响

摘要 目的：探讨低强度脉冲聚焦超声联合等速肌力训练对膝骨关节炎（KOA）患者膝关节本体感觉、生活质量和炎性因子水平的影响。方法：选取2017年1月~2019年10月期间我院收治的KOA患者70例。采用随机数字表法将患者分为对照组（n=35,常规药物治疗、物理治疗）和实验组（n=35,常规药物治疗基础上给予等速肌力训练联合低强度脉冲聚焦超声治疗）,对比两组膝关节本体感觉、病情严重程度、膝关节功能、炎性因子和生活质量。结果：治疗2个月后,两组Le-quence指数、西安大略和麦克马斯特大学骨关节炎调查量表(WOMAC)评分均低于同组治疗前,且实验组低于对照组（P<0.05）;治疗2个月后,两组健康调查简表(SF-36量表)各维度评分均高于同组治疗前,且实验组高于对照组（均P<0.05）。治疗2个月后,实验组主动角度重现测试值（AAR）、被动运动阈值测量值（TDPM）低于同组治疗前,且低于对照组（P<0.05）。治疗2个月后,两组白介素-1β（IL-1β）及肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、白介素-6（IL-6）均低于同组治疗前,且实验组低于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：等速肌力训练联合低强度脉冲聚焦超声治疗KOA,可促进症状改善,降低炎症因子水平,并提高膝关节功能及生活质量。     

An Approach for Adaptive Limbless Locomotion Using a CPG-Based Reflex Mechanism

Animals＇ free movement in natural environments has attracted many researchers to explore control methods for bio-inspired robots. This paper presents a novel reflex mechanism based on a Central Pattern Generator （CPG） for adaptive locomotion of limbless robots. First, inspired by the concept of reflex arc, the reflex mechanism is designed on a connectionist CPG model. Since the CPG model inspired by the spinal cord of lampreys is developed at the neuron level, it provides a possible natural solution for sensory reflex integration. Therefore, sensory neurons that bridge the external stimuli and the CPG model, together with the concept of reflex arc, are utilized for designing the sensory reflex mechanism. Then, a border reflex and a body reflex are further developed and applied on the ends and the middle part of a limbless robot, respectively. Finally, a ball hitting scenario and a corridor passing scenario are designed to verify the proposed method. Results of simulations and on-site experiments show the feasibility and effectiveness of the reflex mechanism in realizing fast response and adaptive limbless locomotion.