Sequential fault detection for sealed deep groove ball bearings of in-wheel motor in variable operating conditions

Sealed deep groove ball bearings (SDGBBs) are employed to perform the relevant duties of in-wheel motor. However, the unique construction and complex operating environment of in-wheel motor may aggravate the occurrence of SDGBB faults. Therefore, this study presents a new intelligent diagnosis method for detecting SDGBB faults of in-wheel motor. The method is constructed on the basis of optimal composition of symptom parameters (SPOC) and support vector machines (SVMs). SPOC, as the objects of a follow-on process, is proposed to obtain from symptom parameters (SPs) of multi-direction. Moreover, the optimal hyper-plane of two states is automatically obtained using soft margin SVM and SPOC, and then using multi-SVMs, the system of intelligent diagnosis is built to detect many faults and identify fault types. The experiment results confirmed that the proposed method can excellently perform fault detection and fault-type identification for the SDGBB of in-wheel motor in variable operating conditions

Association of transforming growth factor-β1 gene C-509T and T869C polymorphisms with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction in the Chinese: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in inflammation and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. There is scant information on the relation between variations within the TGF-β1 gene polymorphisms and risks of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, this case-controlled study was carried out to investigate the possible association of the TGF-β1 gene C-509T and T869C polymorphisms, and their combined genotypes with the risk of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (CI) in the Chinese population.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We recruited 164 CI patients and 167 healthy control subjects who were frequency-matched for age and gender. The frequencies of the -509TT genotype and T allele gene were significantly higher in the CI group (<it>P </it>= 0.007, <it>P </it>= 0.006). The frequencies of +869CC genotype and C allele were higher in the CI group (<it>P </it>= 0.002, <it>P </it>= 0.004). In the CI group, the individuals with -509TT genotype had a significantly higher level of plasma triglyceride (TG) (<it>P </it>= 0.017). +869CC genotype correlated significantly with higher level of plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in the CI group (<it>P </it>= 0.015). With haplotype analysis, the frequency of the -509T/+869C combined genotype was significantly higher in the CI group than in controls (<it>P </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study suggests that C-509T and T869C gene polymorphisms in TGF-β1 may be a critical risk factor of genetic susceptibility to CI in the Chinese population.</p

A fuzzy diagnosis of multi-fault state based on information fusion from multiple sensors

This paper presents a fuzzy diagnosis for detecting and distinguishing multi-fault state, the method is constructed on the basis of possibility theory and support vector machines (SVMs) with information fusion from multiple sensors. Non-dimensional symptom parameters (NSPs) are defined to reflect the characteristics of vibration information, and principal component analysis (PCA) is used to evaluate and select sensitive NSPs of each sensor. SVMs are employed to fuse vibration information from different sensors into an effective synthetic symptom parameter (SSP) for increasing diagnostic sensitivity, then the possibility function of the SSP is used to construct a fuzzy diagnosis for fault detection and fault-type identification by possibility theory. Practical examples of diagnosis for a roller bearing used in a test bench are given to show that multi-fault states of bearing can be identified precisely by the proposed method

Medications, Deep Brain Stimulation, and Other Factors Influencing Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson's Disease

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson's disease (PD) have a high cumulative incidence and negatively impact quality of life. ICDs are influenced by a complex interaction of multiple factors. Although it is now well-recognized that dopaminergic treatments and especially dopamine agonists underpin many ICDs, medications alone are not the sole cause. Susceptibility to ICD is increased in the setting of PD. While causality can be challenging to ascertain, a wide range of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors have been linked to ICDs. Common characteristics of PD patients with ICDs have been consistently identified across many studies; for example, males with an early age of PD onset and dopamine agonist use have a higher risk of ICD. However, not all cases of ICDs in PD can be directly attributable to dopamine, and studies have concluded that additional factors such as genetics, smoking, and/or depression may be more predictive. Beyond dopamine, other ICD associations have been described but remain difficult to explain, including deep brain stimulation surgery, especially in the setting of a reduction in dopaminergic medication use. In this review, we will summarize the demographic, genetic, behavioral, and clinical contributions potentially influencing ICD onset in PD. These associations may inspire future preventative or therapeutic strategies

Intelligent Diagnosis Method for Centrifugal Pump System Using Vibration Signal and Support Vector Machine

This paper proposed an intelligent diagnosis method for a centrifugal pump system using statistic filter, support vector machine (SVM), possibility theory, and Dempster-Shafer theory (DST) on the basis of the vibration signals, to diagnose frequent faults in the centrifugal pump at an early stage, such as cavitation, impeller unbalance, and shaft misalignment. Firstly, statistic filter is used to extract the feature signals of pump faults from the measured vibration signals across an optimum frequency region, and nondimensional symptom parameters (NSPs) are defined to represent the feature signals for distinguishing fault types. Secondly, the optimal classification hyperplane for distinguishing two states is obtained by SVM and NSPs, and its function is defined as synthetic symptom parameter (SSP) in order to increase the diagnosis’ sensitivity. Finally, the possibility functions of the SSP are used to construct a sequential fuzzy diagnosis for fault detection and fault-type identification by possibility theory and DST. The proposed method has been applied to detect the faults of the centrifugal pump, and the efficiency of the method has been verified using practical examples

Intraoperative smile in a multiple sclerosis patient with medication-refractory tremor

Deep brain stimulation has been utilized to improve disease symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease, dystonia, essential tremor, and other neuropsychiatric syndromes such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. Deep brain stimulation has also been observed to improve tremor for select patients with multiple sclerosis. During intraoperative stimulation in these multiple sclerosis patients, researchers have observed a wide spectrum of motor and sensory phenomena, but no stimulation-induced emotional responses have been reported. We detailed intraoperative smiling associated with stimulation of the ventralis oralis anterior/ventralis oralis posterior border region of the left thalamus. A single patient with medication-resistant multiple sclerosis tremor experienced smiling, laughing, and subjective euphoria during intraoperative stimulation of the left thalamus. Specifically, during intraoperative stimulation of the left thalamic ventralis oralis anterior border, the patient developed a contralateral smile which progressed to a bilateral smile and was accompanied by a feeling of subjective happiness. The smile habituated in approximately 60 seconds and it was reproducible on a repeat stimulation. The patient could subjectively feel the facial movement, and, at higher voltages, the movement was described as a pulling sensation. Stimulation of the anterior ventralis oralis anterior border of the left thalamus in an multiple sclerosis patient produced a unilateral smile that rapidly developed into a bilateral smile accompanied by euphoria. There were presumed capsular side effects at higher voltages. The exact mechanism by which stimulation of the thalamus produced a smile and mood elevation is unknown, but we speculate that the smile could be induced by stimulation of corticobulbar fibers arising from the caudal cingulate motor area connecting the contralateral facial nerve nucleus

Atrophy and other potential factors affecting long term deep brain stimulation response: a case series.

To describe three DBS cases which presented with new side effects or loss of benefit from stimulation after long-term follow-up and to discuss the potential contributing factors.A University of Florida (UF) database (INFORM) search was performed, identifying three patients, two Parkinson's disease (PD) and one Essential Tremor (ET), with an unexpected change in long-term programming thresholds as compared to initial evaluation. Clinical follow-up, programming, imaging studies, and lead measurements were reviewed. The UF Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved this study.A substantial increase in the 3rd ventricular width (120%), Evans index (6%), ventricular index (5%), and cella media index (17%) was uncovered. A change in thresholds across lead contacts with a decrease in current densities as well as a relative lateral change of lead location was also observed. Hardware-related complications, lead migration, and impedance variability were not identified.Potential factors contributing to long-term side effects should be examined during a DBS troubleshooting assessment. Clinicians should be aware that in DBS therapy there is delivery of electricity to a changing brain, and atrophy may possibly affect DBS programming settings as part of long-term follow-up

Emerging Opportunities for Serotypes of Botulinum

toxin

Cobalt-Catalyzed Intramolecular Alkyne/Benzocyclobutenone Coupling: C–C Bond Cleavage via a Tetrahedral Dicobalt Intermediate

A Co(0)-catalyzed intramolecular alkyne/benzocyclobutenone coupling through C–C cleavage of benzocyclobutenones is described. Co₂(CO)₈/P­[3,5-(CF₃)₂C₆H₃]₃ was discovered to be an effective metal/ligand combination, which exhibits complementary catalytic activity to the previously established rhodium catalyst. In particular, the C8-substituted substrates failed in the Rh system, but succeeded with the Co catalysis. Experimental and computational studies show that the initially formed tetrahedral dicobalt-alkyne complex undergoes C1–C2 activation via oxidative addition with Co(0), followed by migratory insertion and reductive elimination to give the β-naphthol products

A Polysomnographic Study of Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Architecture

Sleep disturbance is a common nonmotor phenomenon in Parkinson’s disease (PD) affecting patient’s quality of life. In this study, we examined the association between clinical characteristics with sleep disorders and sleep architecture patterns in a PD cohort. Patients underwent a standardized polysomnography study (PSG) in their “on medication” state. We observed that male gender and disease duration were independently associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Only lower levodopa equivalent dose (LED) was associated with periodic limb movement disorders (PLMD). REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) was more common among older patients, with higher MDS-UPDRS III scores, and LED. None of the investigated variables were associated with the awakenings/arousals (A/A). Sleep efficiency was predicted by amantadine usage and age, while sleep stage 1 was predicted by dopamine agonists and Hoehn & Yahr severity. The use of MAO-B inhibitors and MDS-UPDRS part III were predictors of sleep stages 2 and 3. Age was the only predictor of REM sleep stage and gender for total sleep time. We conclude that sleep disorders and architecture are poorly predictable by clinical PD characteristics and other disease related factors must also be contributing to these sleep disturbances