Risk of serious injury of occupants involved in frontal crashes of cab-over-type trucks

Objectives: Truck vehicles (TVs) have a different structure and stiffness than non-TVs and are used commercially for transporting goods. This study aimed to analyze whether truck occupants have a greater risk of serious injury than those of other types of vehicles.

Methods: Crash data were obtained from the Korean In-Depth Data Analysis Study (KIDAS) for calendar years 2011–2016. Vehicles involved in frontal crash were included and classified into TVs and non-TVs (passenger cars and sports utility vehicles). We compared the demographic characteristics and serious injuries by body region between the 2 groups and analyzed factors that contributed to the serious injury severity from frontal crashes.

Results: The analysis was based on 884 occupants; 177 (20.0%) were in TVs and 707 (80.0%) were in non-TVs. Non-TVs had more frontal airbags deployments than TVs (50.9% vs. 3.4%, P <.01). TV occupants were 4.8 times more likely to have a serious lower extremity (LE) injury (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.820; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.407–9.653) and 2.5 times to have a serious abdominal injury (AOR = 2.465; 95% CI, 1.108–5.487) compared to non-TV occupants.

Conclusions: Truck occupants had more serious LE and abdominal injuries than those of other types of vehicles in frontal crashes. Structural improvement and legislative efforts to develop safety systems are necessary to improve the safety of truck occupants.     

仿生植物附着微生物膜对污染水体氮素迁移转化效能分析

通过室外及室内控制试验,研究5种常见填料作为原材料制成的仿生植物对污染水体氮素的去除性能,结果表明,仿生植物原材料的差异将直接影响其附着生物膜特性,其附着生物膜量、硝化强度、反硝化强度以及硝化细菌、反硝化细菌均表现为：软性填料﹥组合填料﹥悬浮填料﹥立体弹性填料﹥半软性填料。水深对仿生植物附着生物膜亦有不同程度的影响,其中生物膜量随水深的增加并未表现出明显的分层效应,而生物膜硝化作用强度、硝化细菌随水深的增加逐渐降低,但生物膜反硝化作用强度、反硝化细菌则随水深的增加则呈现出逐渐增加的趋势。5种不同材质的仿生植物对水体TN、NH4＋-N、NO3--N具有较好的去除效果,去除率表现为：软性填料﹥组合填料﹥悬浮填料﹥立体弹性填料﹥半软性填料﹥对照系统。同时,仿生植物种植密度也影响其对水体氮素的去除效果,表现为CK〈7株·m-3〈13株·m-3〈20株·m-3,研究结果将为仿生植物的野外实际应用及我国城市重污染河道水质原位修复提供技术支持。     

Lower Leg Injury Reference Values and Risk Curves from Survival Analysis for Male and Female Dummies: Meta-analysis of Postmortem Human Subject Tests

Objective: Derive lower leg injury risk functions using survival analysis and determine injury reference values (IRV) applicable to human mid-size male and small-size female anthropometries by conducting a meta-analysis of experimental data from different studies under axial impact loading to the foot–ankle–leg complex.

Methods: Specimen-specific dynamic peak force, age, total body mass, and injury data were obtained from tests conducted by applying the external load to the dorsal surface of the foot of postmortem human subject (PMHS) foot–ankle–leg preparations. Calcaneus and/or tibia injuries, alone or in combination and with/without involvement of adjacent articular complexes, were included in the injury group. Injury and noninjury tests were included. Maximum axial loads recorded by a load cell attached to the proximal end of the preparation were used. Data were analyzed by treating force as the primary variable. Age was considered as the covariate. Data were censored based on the number of tests conducted on each specimen and whether it remained intact or sustained injury; that is, right, left, and interval censoring. The best fits from different distributions were based on the Akaike information criterion; mean and plus and minus 95% confidence intervals were obtained; and normalized confidence interval sizes (quality indices) were determined at 5, 10, 25, and 50% risk levels. The normalization was based on the mean curve. Using human-equivalent age as 45 years, data were normalized and risk curves were developed for the 50th and 5th percentile human size of the dummies.

Results: Out of the available 114 tests (76 fracture and 38 no injury) from 5 groups of experiments, survival analysis was carried out using 3 groups consisting of 62 tests (35 fracture and 27 no injury). Peak forces associated with 4 specific risk levels at 25, 45, and 65 years of age are given along with probability curves (mean and plus and minus 95% confidence intervals) for PMHS and normalized data applicable to male and female dummies. Quality indices increased (less tightness-of-fit) with decreasing age and risk level for all age groups and these data are given for all chosen risk levels.

Conclusions: These PMHS-based probability distributions at different ages using information from different groups of researchers constituting the largest body of data can be used as human tolerances to lower leg injury from axial loading. Decreasing quality indices (increasing index value) at lower probabilities suggest the need for additional tests. The anthropometry-specific mid-size male and small-size female mean human risk curves along with plus and minus 95% confidence intervals from survival analysis and associated IRV data can be used as a first step in studies aimed at advancing occupant safety in automotive and other environments.     

仿生腿式地形自适应起落架构型与动力学分析

针对垂直起降飞行器在复杂地形环境下实现平稳着陆的难题,利用仿生学设计理念,以无人直升机为对象,设计了一种基于多连杆机构设计的仿生腿式起落架系统。通过对腿部机构进行运动学分析和动力学分析,建立相关模型,在此基础上,进行仿生腿式起落架的运动控制。首先,从无人直升机的着陆稳定性和承载能力出发,对仿生腿式起落架机械构型进行分析,并介绍了腿部各部分结构。然后,针对仿生腿腿部结构,通过几何法完成对腿部正运动学和逆运动学的求解,建立足端位置与驱动关节角度之间的映射关系。最后,基于运动学模型及四连杆运动学特性,对机体和单腿进行了动力学分析,并建模。通过建立的运动学和动力学模型,结合设计的起落架结构,完成动力学仿真,实现了仿生腿式起落架在复杂地形环境下的平稳着陆,验证了结构的合理性和模型的准确性。     

超润湿性油水分离膜的研究进展

近年来,根据仿生原理,科研人员通过在材料表面构建微纳米结构成功研制出超润湿性材料,并将其用于含油污水的处理,展示出巨大的应用潜力。本文综述了以金属网、有机微滤膜为基材,改性制备超亲水/超疏油和超疏水/超亲油油水分离膜的方法;总结了这些超润湿性材料在分离含油污水方面的优势、劣势及发展现状;展望了超润湿性油水分离膜领域的发展趋势。指出,超亲水/水下超疏油膜分离材料是未来重要的研究方向。     

仿生凹坑非光滑密封圈有限元分析

针对超临界流体萃取过程中高压环境下的密封问题,设计了一种具有仿生凹坑特征的新型密封圈。将仿生学原理应用到橡胶圈密封技术中,通过软件对光滑与非光滑表面密封圈进行数值模拟,观察在不同压缩量、不同凹坑直径和间距时,密封圈的接触应力和Von-Mises等效应力变化情况。计算结果表明,当压缩率为12%时,光滑和非光滑密封圈产生的接触应力均达到了超临界萃取过程工作的介质压力8 MPa,其中凹坑直径为2.0 mm、凹坑间距为3.0 mm的模型具有最好的密封性能和耐磨性。     

仿生智能算法在突发环境污染事件应急响应中的应用

近年来随着中国工农业生产和经济建设的快速发展,中国已经进入突发环境事件频发期。然而,中国的突发环境污染事件应急体系仍处于初级应用阶段,不能满足事故频发期事故应对的要求。因此,建立科学的应急决策支持系统具有重大的意义。在决策支持系统中,智能算法处于核心地位。文章对人工智能领域的仿生智能算法在环境应急领域的应用作简要介绍,并明确了多技术集成化应用的研究方向,以期对今后的研究有所启发。     

厌氧消化-仿生态塘-藻网滤床组合工艺处理猪场废水

针对规模化猪场废水的特点,以实际工程为例,介绍了＂厌氧消化-仿生态塘-藻网滤床组合工艺＂的设计及其运行情况。试验结果表明：该工艺处理效果良好,出水达GB 5084—2005《农田灌溉水质标准》,处理后的水可全部用于附近农田灌溉,综合效益好,可供同类工程参考。     

A Device for Preventing Occupational Diseases of Lower Legs

Physiological processes characteristic of the fatigue of legs mainly appear when the worker’s activity requires standing. If the processes are intensive and regular, various diseases of legs, such as varicose veins and musculoskeletal disorders of legs and feet, can develop. Therefore, methods of reducing the fatigue of legs are important in occupational health protection. Air jet massage technology was developed and an appropriate massage device was built by the authors. The massage head turning around the lower leg and moving up and down gradually covers the leg’s surface. To determine the efficiency of the massage, fatigue processes were studied. These studies showed that jet massage effectively reduces both the subjective and objective fatigue symptoms. The device is convenient for use in industry, services, and at home.     

Effect of posture on forces and moments measured in a Hybrid III ATD lower leg

Objective: Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) are used to assess real injury risk to occupants of vehicles during injurious events. In the lower leg, values from load cells are compared to injury criteria developed in cadaveric studies. These criteria are typically developed with the leg in a neutral posture, whereas the ATD may assume a wide range of postures during safety evaluation tests. The degree to which the initial posture of an ATD has an effect on the measured forces and moments in the lower leg is unknown.

Methods: A Hybrid III ATD lower leg was impacted in a range of postures under conditions representing a crash test, and peak axial force and adjusted tibia index injury measures were evaluated. Ankle posture was varied in 5° increments using a custom-made footplate, and dorsi/plantarflexion (20° DF to 20° PF) and in/eversion (20° IV to 5° EV) were evaluated. Tibia angle was also varied (representing knee flexion/extension) by ±10° from neutral.

Results: Peak axial force was not affected by ankle flexion or tibia angulation. Adjusted tibia index was lowest for plantarflexion, as well as for tibia angles representative of knee extension. Both peak axial force and adjusted tibia index were lowest for postures of great inversion and were highest in neutral or near-neutral postures.

Conclusions: The range of postures tested herein spanned published injury criteria and thus would have made the difference between pass and fail in a safety evaluation. In/eversion had the largest influence on injury metrics, likely due to the change in axial stiffness and altered impact durations in these postures. Results suggest increased injury risk at neutral or near-neutral postures, whereas previous cadaveric studies have suggested that in/eversion does not influence injury risk. It is unclear whether the ATD appropriately represents the natural lower leg for impacts in out-of-position testing. Great care must be taken when initially positioning ATDs for safety evaluations, because small perturbations in posture were shown herein to have large effects on the measured injury risk using this tool.