Train Applications Research Articles

Transient electrical behavior of an electrode/electrolyte interface based on a surface micro-structured with gold mushroom shapes

The transient electrical behavior of an electrode/electrolyte interface based on an electrode micro-structured with gold protruding mushroom shapes is measured and modeled. The application of a voltage pulse train with changing frequency generates a corresponding train of current pulses with an offset current that approaches a saturation limit exponentially. The transient behavior of the electrical current was accurately reproduced using the Nernst-Planck-Poisson model and the geometric parameters of the mushroom shape. Spatiotemporal patterns of the electric field demonstrate that the current transient is caused by a slow kinetics of charges accumulating at the gold/electrolyte interface and under the micro-mushroom cap. The accumulation of charges establishes an internal electrical potential that drives a Faradic current through the mushroom/electrolyte interface. The aim of this work is to understand how this charge dynamics in the vicinity of the three-dimensional electrode surfaces is established and how it can be minimized to prevent damage to cells and tissues under electrical stimulation.

Workforce planning in OMFS and the importance of the dentistry programme for medical graduates at King's College London to higher recruitment training

Background: King's College London (KCL) offers the only three-year dental-programme for medical graduates within Europe. It produces a significant proportion ofST3 applicants for OMFS training. Now in its tenth year, we have conducted a retrospective study looking at various parameters.

Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training on Urinary Incontinence in Gynecologic Cancer: A Review

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of pelvic floor muscle training to reduce urinary incontinence in gynecologic cancer patients based on positive evidences. METHODS: This narrative review was conducted by searching terms in title or abstract such as ‘pelvic floor muscle training’, ‘urinary incontinence’ and ‘gynecologic cancer’ in PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, EBSCOHost, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library and EMBASE databases which published from 2008 to 2018. RESULTS: Studies mostly investigated the prevalence of urinary incontinence in cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancer patients. Seventy percent is the highest prevalence of urinary incontinence among gynecologic survivors that has reported so far. Pelvic floor muscle exercise for more than 4 weeks resulted in improved pelvic floor muscle strength. There was also a significant difference in the questionnaire related to improvement of pelvic floor function. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that pelvic floor muscle training may help to increase PFM strength and mitigate the symptom of urinary incontinence among patients with gynecologic cancer. However, further clinical research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the pelvic floor muscle training on urinary incontinence symptoms in gynecologic cancers.

Declining interest in general surgical training - Challenging misconceptions and improving access at undergraduate level.

BackgroundIn recent years, general surgery has faced a decline in applicants for postgraduate training. The St. George's Surgical Society hosted a national surgical conference with an aim to explore the reasons for the decline and to investigate the effectiveness of a one-day intervention on students' perceptions of general surgery and surgical skills.Materials and methodsThe conference took place on 20th January 2018 at St. George's, University of London. During the conference, medical students received lectures on “careers in surgery” and small-group workshops introducing students to simulation-based laparoscopic machines. Delegates were invited to complete before and after questionnaires looking at various domains; (1) Perceptions of general surgery, (2) Simulation skills, and (3) Usefulness of the day.ResultsThere were significant impacts on student perceptions of the speciality such as increases in the views that "general surgery contained the opportunities for personal and professional development" (26%, p = 0.04), and of "general surgery as a rewarding speciality" (26%, p = 0.05). There were also negative changes such as an increase in the perception that “general surgery is female unfriendly” (+32%, p = 0.01). There were positive findings in all aspects relating to the use of laparoscopic simulation.DiscussionThe challenges faced in improving access to general surgery has been highlighted. More importantly the benefits of a one day intervention in addressing misconceptions and improving knowledge was seen. This study also shows the benefits of simulation teaching in the undergraduate curriculum.ConclusionThe intervention has improved the perceptions on general surgery, surgical skills and knowledge and provided a platform for engaging students and clinicians.

基于手机APP的双维n-back训练的认知与情绪效益

<p id="C2">Audiovisual dual channel n-back training offers the ability to transfer to basic cognitive processes that are closely related to the working memory process. However, dual-channel training based on a computer is highly demanding for a training environment. Thus, it is not conducive to its application promotion. Moreover, emotional working memory training is developed to enhance the emotional control ability of individuals. Only negative material working memory training has been examined. Thus, the general problems of emotional working memory training have not been clarified. A new type of emotional dual dimension n-back training based on smartphone applications was designed in this study. The general applicability and emotional effects of emotion (both positive and negative) and neutral working memory training were examined through the design of a randomized controlled group. <p id="C102">This study developed an app based on n-back task, which is a visual single-channel with two dimensions. A total of 66 healthy college students (34 males and 32 females) participated in the experiment and were randomly divided into control, negative training, neutral training, and positive training groups. All participants were trained with their smartphones. Participants in the training groups must remember the Chinese characters and the position of the Chinese characters in the 3*3 matrix and make two independent n-back tasks on the characters and the position. In the neutral, positive, and negative training groups, the valences of Chinese characters were neutral, positive, and negative, respectively. The participants in the control group completed the digital parity task in an interface similar to a training task. Before and after the training session, participants were asked to complete the visual-spatial working memory task, running memory task, Stroop task, digital shifting task, emotion Stroop task, and a profile of mood states. <p id="C103">Short-term dual-dimension n-back training can make more progress on the visual space work memory task, running memory task, digital shifting task, and classic Stroop task than placebo training. These tasks test the working memory capacity, as well as the update, shift, and inhibit the function, and fully characterize the working memory of the whole picture. However, training based on different emotional materials did not vary greatly across the various types of transfer effects. Short-term training cannot transfer into the emotional Stroop task, which is unable to produce specific emotional control benefits. <p id="C104">The dual-dimensional n-back training app can produce a favorable basic cognitive transfer. This indicates that the cognitive training app has a wide application prospect, and the dual-dimensional training paradigm is worthy of improved employment. For the invisible emotional benefits of the emotional version of n-back training manifested that simply incorporate emotional material into the work memory task must be examined carefully in the future.

Multi-objective robust optimization design of a front-end underframe structure for a high-speed train

ABSTRACTA multi-objective robust design optimization of a front-end underframe structure for application in high-speed trains is proposed and the structural parameter uncertainty is considered. A finite element model of the structure is developed and verified by dynamic impact experiments. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the thicknesses of the centre sill have significant influences on structural crushing behaviours. The specific energy absorption and the initial peak crushing force (Fp) are taken as optimization objectives. Compared with the baseline structure, the 6-sigma robust design shows that the Fp and the structural mass are reduced by 54.86% and 13.06%, respectively, and the robust optimum is more reliable. The 6-sigma robust optimal solution has an efficient energy-absorbing capacity while satisfying the design constraint. Thus, 6-sigma robust optimization can be applied for high-speed trains.

A New Contraception Curriculum in the Internal Medicine Residency Primary Care Clinic.

Nearly half of all pregnancies in the USA are unintended with a relatively higher proportion occurring in military populations, which can have a large impact on military readiness. Military and civilian internal medicine residency programs do not place an emphasis on contraception in the primary care setting. This intervention sought to elucidate the perceptions of contraception in an internal medicine primary care setting in a military residency and improve confidence in contraceptive counseling and prescribing. Residents at a military internal residency program were given an hour-long didactic presentation on contraception that was followed 5 weeks later by the implementation of a pocket card for point of care use with key information from the presentation. Residents became certified in the placement and removal of the etonogestrel implant. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to assess for changes in attitudes and confidence in prescribing and counseling. This project was determined to be a quality improvement project by the IRB board of the home institution. Forty-two of 75 (56%) residents responded initially and 40 of 75 (53%) responded after the intervention. There was a significant improvement in resident attitudes towards the applicability of contraception training in internal medicine (p = 0.03) as well as acquiring the skill of etonogestrel implant placement (p = 0.001). There was a trend towards significance in confidence in prescribing oral contraception (p = 0.053). There was no change in residents' confidence in counseling on oral contraception (p = 0.45). A change in the contraception curriculum led to improved residents' skills in etonogestrel placement, and attitudes regarding the applicability of training in contraception to internal medicine, but did not significantly improve confidence in contraceptive counseling. These results suggest that internal medicine residencies should focus on teaching contraception to improve the attitudes in future internists who will need to address contraception in the military population. Future studies could include assessing physician preparedness for addressing contraception during general medical officer tours.

Approaches to the development of non-financial indicators determining method at the preparation of the applicants for higher education

The subject of the study is the process of preparing applicants for higher education in the context of assessing its effectiveness. The purpose of the study is to develop a balanced system of non-financial indicators suitable for analyzing the costs of training applicants for higher education. Method or methodology of the work.General scientific methods (scientific abstraction, comparison, analysis, synthesis, generalization) and a specific method of key performance indicators (KPI). The results.The article describes modern approaches to understanding the phenomenon of nonfinancial indicators applied to the education system effectiveness analysis in Ukraine, in particular it deals with the issues of the higher education applicants training effectiveness. The key elements of the strategic goals of educational institutions are considered. Author reveals basic stages of non-financial indicators balanced system formation including formation of strategy, determination of the most important factors of success, definition of efficiency indicators system, which corresponds to the needs and opportunities of the institution of higher education. The main risks and peculiarities of the implementation of non-financial indicators are investigated. An indicative list of key performance indicators is proposed, which can become the basis for effective monitoring of the cost effectiveness of training for higher education. Scope of the results: for development of a strategy for managing higher education at the macro and micro levels by state and regional authorities. Conclusions.The method of key performance indicators is acceptable for analyzing the cost-effectiveness of training applicants for higher education. Existing methodological approaches allow to develop a system of efficiency analysis both at the macro level (analysis of the entire higher school) and at the level of individual institutions. Using developed system of indicators, it is possible to go beyond the naive quantitative assessment of indicators and to achieve a real assessment of the return on state investment in training.

Explore the Applicability of the Cognitive Function Improvement Training for Elderly Drivers for Safe Driving

Explore the Applicability of the Cognitive Function Improvement Training for Elderly Drivers for Safe Driving

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Thermal Effects on Railway Wheels for Shoe-Braked High-Speed Train Applications

An improved railway wheel steel containing higher contents of C, Mn, Si, and V than the traditional ER7 steel was developed by alloy design for shoe-braked high-speed train applications. The effects of the thermal load on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a wheel made from this steel were investigated using a combined experimental and numerical approach. The wheel braking was studied using finite element simulations that account for the thermal loading of the wheel in order to find the temperatures reached in the wheel rim. Hardness measurements, tensile tests, toughness tests, fatigue crack growth tests, and microstructural observations were carried out on samples extracted from real wheels, with and without heat treatments simulating the modification of the microstructure due to the shoe braking. The results on the un-treated samples showed that the improved steel has a better combination of strength and toughness than ER7 steel. The results on the heat-treated samples showed that the improved steel maintains acceptable mechanical properties provided the maximum temperature during braking is below the A3 temperature of the steel (around 790 °C).

Students’ experiences with a longitudinal skills training program on breaking bad news: A follow-up study

ObjectiveBreaking bad news (BBN) should be trained, preferably early and following a helical model with multiple sessions over time, including feedback on performance. It’s unclear how medical students evaluate such an approach. MethodsWe gathered student opinions regarding a helical BBN training programme, the feedback and emotional support they received, and the applicability of the skills training immediately after BBN skills training (Q1) and after finishing their clinical clerkships (Q2). ResultsStudents find a helical curriculum useful, but this declines on follow-up. At Q2 students report less satisfaction with the amount of feedback and emotional support they received and report that the skills training was less applicable in clinical practice compared to what they reported at Q1. ConclusionA helical BBN training programme with early exposure seems to lead to a shift from students being unconsciously incompetent to consciously incompetent. Students would have appreciated more emotional support and feedback. Practice implicationsWe recommend more feedback and emotional support after BBN during clerkships. The gap between classroom and practice can be diminished by emphasizing real life role play and clinical role models should demonstrate continuity and agreement between the skills that are taught and those that are used in clinical practice.

Basic Properties of Chorus and Fundamental Approaches to Improve

Through choral education, individuals learn to use their voices both correctly and effectively, as well as acquire certain personal characteristics. The level of applicability of the chorus training is high and it provides the student’s convenience to participate in the musical atmosphere. In choral studies, children learn how to use the basic elements and functions of music, the formation of sound, the characteristics of their own voice and how to use it correctly and to breathe properly and regularly. Chorus have various functions as social, individual, cultural and educational. In this study, these functions were examined and the effects of choral education on children's mental and behavioral development were investigated, the importance of choosing repertoire was discussed and the importance of organizing various organizations in terms of increasing the quality of choral education is emphasized.

Exercise tolerance and balance of inspiratory-to-expiratory muscle strength in relation to breathing timing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Rationale. Little is known about the applicability of respiratory muscle training based on exertional pathophysiological conditions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between breathing timing and exertional responses, as well as whether exertional changes in the inspiratory duty cycle (Ti/Ttot) affect pathophysiological conditions, including respiratory muscles. Methods. Forty-five stable COPD patients (mean age: 71.2 years, severe and very severe COPD: 80%) were evaluated based on exertional cardiopulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength. To compare exertional responses and the balance of inspiratory-to-expiratory muscle strength, the patients were divided into two groups according to whether the Ti/Ttot increased (Ti/Ttot-increased group: resting Ti/Ttot ≤ peak Ti/Ttot, n = 21) or decreased during exercise (Ti/Ttot-decreased group: resting Ti/Ttot > peak Ti/Ttot, n = 24). Results. At peak exercise, the Ti/Ttot was positively correlated with minute ventilation (E), and oxygen uptake () in all patients. No significant differences were seen in breathing frequency, tidal volume, or E at peak exercise between the two groups. Compared with the Ti/Ttot-increased group, the Ti/Ttot-decreased group had significantly lower mean values of and ΔFO2 (the inspired minus expired oxygen concentration) at peak exercise, and significantly higher mean values of the absolute ratio of maximal inspiratory pressure/maximal expiratory pressure. Conclusions. The exertional change of breathing timing affected exercise tolerance and the balance of inspiratory-to-expiratory muscle strength; this finding might be helpful in making the contradictory choice of managing COPD patients with inspiratory or expiratory muscle training.

Effect of welding thermal cycle on microstructural evolution of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy

Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys are used extensively in high-speed train applications; however, the occurrence of softening in the heat-affected zone after welding limits their development. In this work, the effect of the welding thermal cycle on the softening and aging behaviors of a 7xxx aluminum alloy was investigated by examining the state of the strengthening precipitates. The microstructure and solvus temperature range of the precipitates of 7N01P-T4 were characterized using TEM and DSC analysis, respectively. It was found that the softening behavior of the aluminum alloys was closely related to the volume fraction and size of the hardening precipitates, which were greatly affected by the peak temperature of the welding thermal cycle. In addition, η′ and η precipitates were observed to be primarily responsible for the increase in the mechanical and electrical properties during the room-temperature natural aging. A phenomenological connection was thus uncovered between the characteristic parameters of the thermal cycle and the precipitation behavior, providing insight for the design of the welding process for 7N01 alloys.

Neurofeedback Training for Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Criminal Offending: A Review.

Effective treatment interventions for criminal offenders are necessary to reduce risk of criminal recidivism. Evidence about deviant electroencephalographic (EEG)-frequencies underlying disorders found in criminal offenders is accumulating. Yet, treatment modalities, such as neurofeedback, are rarely applied in the forensic psychiatric domain. Since offenders usually have multiple disorders, difficulties adhering to long-term treatment modalities, and are highly vulnerable for psychiatric decompensation, more information about neurofeedback training protocols, number of sessions, and expected symptom reduction is necessary before it can be successfully used in offender populations. Studies were analyzed that used neurofeedback in adult criminal offenders, and in disorders these patients present with. Specifically aggression, violence, recidivism, offending, psychopathy, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance-use disorder (SUD), and cluster B personality disorders were included. Only studies that reported changes in EEG-frequencies posttreatment (increase/decrease/no change in EEG amplitude/power) were included. Databases Psychinfo and Pubmed were searched in the period 1990-2017 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, resulting in a total of 10 studies. Studies in which neurofeedback was applied in ADHD (N = 3), SUD (N = 3), schizophrenia (N = 3), and psychopathy (N = 1) could be identified. No studies could be identified for neurofeedback applied in cluster B personality disorders, aggression, violence, or recidivism in criminal offenders. For all treatment populations and neurofeedback protocols, number of sessions varied greatly. Changes in behavioral levels ranged from no improvements to significant symptom reduction after neurofeedback training. The results are also mixed concerning posttreatment changes in targeted EEG-frequency bands. Only three studies established criteria for EEG-learning. Implications of the results for the applicability of neurofeedback training in criminal offender populations are discussed. More research focusing on neurofeedback and learning of cortical activity regulation is needed in populations with externalizing behaviors associated with violence and criminal behavior, as well as multiple comorbidities. At this point, it is unclear whether standard neurofeedback training protocols can be applied in offender populations, or whether QEEG-guided neurofeedback is a better choice. Given the special context in which the studies are executed, clinical trials, as well as single-case experimental designs, might be more feasible than large double-blind randomized controls.

Fog Computing‐Assisted Energy‐Efficient Resource Allocation for High‐Mobility MIMO‐OFDMA Networks

This paper presents a suboptimal approach for resource allocation of massive MIMO‐OFDMA systems for high‐speed train (HST) applications. An optimization problem is formulated to alleviate the severe Doppler effect and maximize the energy efficiency (EE) of the system. We propose to decouple the problem between the allocations of antennas, subcarriers, and transmit powers and solve the problem by carrying out the allocations separately and iteratively in an alternating manner. Fast convergence can be achieved for the proposed approach within only several iterations. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is superior to existing techniques in terms of system EE and throughput in different system configurations of HST applications.

Evaluation of brake parameters in copper discs of various thicknesses and speeds using Neodymium – Iron – Boron Magnets

Neodymium – Iron – Boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets of 12.5 mm thickness and 50 mm diameter are chosen for analyses because of their higher remanence and coercivity. Experimental analyses were carried out with Copper discs of thickness 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm at 2000 rpm, 3000 rpm, 4000 rpm and 5000 rpm. Experiments were conducted with three different positions of magnets such as 2 coaxial magnets, single magnet and single magnet with sudden application conditions. The brake parameters recorded are % speed reduction, deceleration and time taken. In 2 coaxial magnets condition, brake parameters are better in 6 mm thick disc. In single magnet condition, the brake parameters in 6 mm thick disc are found to be more consistent than 4 mm and 8 mm thick discs. In single magnet with sudden application condition, in 4 mm thick disc, the brake parameters are found better. During analysis, very high repulsion was experienced by magnet with 8 mm thick Copper disc at all the above mentioned speeds in single magnet with sudden application condition. For high speed train applications, single magnet condition with 6mm thick disc may be suitable. For high speed automotive applications, single magnet with sudden application condition with 4 mm thick disc may be suitable.

Fatigue Life Analysis of Eight Stage Aerodynamic Force and Its Influence Mechanism of High-Cold EMU

Fatigue life of equipment cabin structure of CRH2G type train-set was taken into study in this paper. Aerodynamic load test points using differential pressure measurement were arranged at typical positions of equipment cabin structure, to obtain the aerodynamic load between inside and outside of equipment cabin. Adopting rain-flow counting method and finite element numerical simulation, 8-grade load spectrums of one-dimensional amplitude load and two-dimensional considering both amplitude and mean load were established. Fatigue life was then estimated based on Palmgren-Miner linear cumulative damage criterion. And the influence mechanism of operation conditions like train passing, tunnel passing on fatigue damage of equipment cabin structure was further analyzed. Results show that train passing conditions dominates in fatigue damage generation. The research results can provide scientific evidence and basis for the design, application and maintenance of high speed train.

The Applicability of Resilience Training to the Mitigation of Trauma-Related Mental Illness in Military Personnel [Formula: see text

Ongoing participation by the United States in military operations around the world places military personnel at an increased potential for exposure to trauma, which may directly result in an increased risk for mental health issues. It is important to develop and test new approaches to prevent and mitigate the effects of trauma in military personnel. One such area of research is focused on psychological resilience to prevent the sequelae of trauma. This article examines empirical research of resilience training in military personnel and discusses the potential applicability of such training in this population. In this literature review, four randomized control trials and one retrospective, parallel group study were reviewed. Each intervention had the goal of mitigating behavioral health issues after trauma exposure. The results of the various interventions were wide-ranging from no measurable difference in treatment groups to significant differences in outcomes. Despite the inconclusive results of our review, we have determined that resilience training for active duty service members to help prevent the deleterious effects of trauma on mental health is a compelling and necessary avenue for further research.

Validating a Culturally-sensitive Social Competence Training Programme for Adolescents with ASD in a Chinese Context: An Initial Investigation.

Previous studies on social skills training on ASD were done almost exclusively in the West with children as the main subjects. Demonstrations of the applicability of social interventions in different cultures and age groups are warranted. The current study outlined the development and preliminary evaluation of a CBT-context-based social competence training for ASD (CBT-CSCA) developed in Hong Kong for Chinese adolescents with ASD. Twenty-five adolescents (aged 12-17 years, with a FSIQ above 80) were recruited. Significant improvements in social competence, autistic symptoms and general psychopathology at post-training and 3-month follow-up were reported by the parents. The study provided initial evidence support to the applicability of social competence training for adolescents with ASD in a different culture.