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BACKGROUND: Flight accidents caused by spatial disorientation (SD) greatly affect flight safety. OBJECTIVE: Few studies have been devoted to the evaluation of SD. METHODS: 10 pilots and 10 non-pilots were recruited for the experimental induction of SD. Videos for giving optical flow stimuli were played at two different flow speeds to induce SD. Subjective judgment and center of foot pressure (CoP) data were collected from the tests. The data were combined to determine the occurrence of SD and analyze the SD types. RESULTS: The number of self-reported SD events was slightly smaller in the pilots than in the non-pilots. The average upper bound of the confidence interval for the standard deviation of CoP was 0.32 ± 0.09 cm and 0.38 ± 0.12 cm in the pilots and non-pilots, respectively. This indicator was significantly lower in the pilots than in the non-pilots (P = 0.03). The success rate of the experimental induction of unrecognized SD was 26.7% and 45.0% in the pilots and non-pilots, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method offered a new to analyze unrecognized SD. We could determine the occurrence unrecognized SD. This is an essential means of reducing flight accidents caused by unrecognized SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) technology to meticulously analyze and explore the intricate soybean infiltration process. The methodology involves immersing soybeans in distilled water, with periodic implementation of Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence experiments conducted at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes to determine the relaxation time T2. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is conducted every 30 minutes. The analysis uncovers the existence of three distinct water phases during the soybean infiltration process: bound water denoted as T21, sub-bound water represented by T22, and free water indicated as T23. The evolution of these phases unfolds as follows: bound water T21 displays a steady oscillation within the timeframe of 0 to 400 minutes; sub-bound water T22 and free water T23 exhibit a progressive pattern characterized by a rise-stable-rise trajectory. Upon scrutinizing the magnetic resonance images, it is discerned that the soybean infiltration commences at a gradual pace from the seed umbilicus. The employment of LF-NMR technology contributes significantly by affording an expeditious, non-destructive, and dynamic vantage point to observe the intricate motion of water migration during soybean infiltration. This dynamic insight into the movement of water elucidates the intricate mass transfer pathway within the soybean-water system, thus furnishing a robust scientific foundation for the optimization of processing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) concrete beams reinforced by carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid reinforced engineering cementitious composite (ECC) have excellent flexural performance and corrosion resistance in marine environments. However, the lack of a reliable theoretical model for predicting the flexural behavior of the hybrid beams makes it challenging apply them in the practical engineering. To address this issue, a series of numerical models were established to investigate the effects of key parameters on the flexural behavior of the hybrid beams, including the peak load, the neutral axis height, and the sectional stress distribution. Subsequently, based on the influence of the failures of different materials on the flexural performance of the hybrid beam, the loads of four feature points were calculated in the theoretical model to predict the entire load–displacement curve. Finally, the application range of the theoretical model was given based on the neutral axis height. The results showed that the cover thickness of the ECC, the GFRP reinforcement ratio and the cross‐sectional area of the CFRP grid were the key factors affecting the flexural performance of the hybrid beams. The theoretical model established in this study can predict the load–displacement curve accurately and can provide a reference for the subsequent design of the hybrid beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of alpine meadows on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is a major issue affecting both the ecology and the economy. Microorganisms play an important role in soil nutrient cycling and the regulation of ecosystem function. This study aimed to investigate the species composition and diversity of microbial communities and understand the response of microbial communities to changes in physicochemical properties resulting from meadow degradation. In this study, the soil bacterial and fungal communities' composition and diversity of alpine meadows of degradation gradient were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing. During the process of grassland degradation, there were 59 bacterial taxa and 29 fungal taxa showing significant differences. The relative abundance of meadow pathogenic fungi significantly increased (p < 0.05). PICRUSt2 analysis showed a decrease in synthesis-related functional gene abundance and an increase in metabolism-related functional gene abundance. FUNGuild analysis showed that symbiotic and saprophytic nutrient fungi decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The soil nutrient cycling was mainly influenced by the beta diversity of microbial communities. Grassland degradation affects soil structure, thereby affecting the diversity of soil microbial composition and functional soil nutrient content. This work reveals the response of microbial communities to the degradation of alpine meadows and their impact on nutrient cycling, providing theoretical support for the protection and sustainable development of alpine meadows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dynamic interpersonal therapy (DIT) is a brief, structured psychodynamic psychotherapy with demonstrated efficacy in treating major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of the study was to determine whether DIT is an acceptable and efficacious treatment for MDD patients in China. Method: Patients were randomized to 16-week treatments with either DIT plus antidepressant medication (DIT + ADM; n = 66), general supportive therapy plus antidepressant medication (GST + ADM; n = 75) or antidepressant medication alone (ADM; n = 70). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) administered by blind raters was the primary efficacy measure. Assessments were completed during the acute 16-week treatment and up to 12-month posttreatment. Results: The group × time interaction was significant for the primary outcome HAMD (F = 2.900, df1 = 10, df2 = 774.72, p = 0.001) in the acute treatment phase. Pairwise comparisons showed a benefit of DIT + ADM over ADM at weeks 12 [least-squares (LS) mean difference = −3.161, p = 0.007] and 16 (LS mean difference = −3.237, p = 0.004). Because of the unexpected high attrition during the posttreatment follow-up phase, analyses of follow-up data were considered exploratory. Differences between DIT + ADM and ADM remained significant at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up (p s range from 0.001 to 0.027). DIT + ADM had no advantage over GST + ADM during the acute treatment phase. However, at the 12-month follow-up, patients who received DIT remained less depressed. Conclusions: Acute treatment with DIT or GST in combination with ADM was similarly efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms and yielded a better outcome than ADM alone. DIT may provide MDD patients with long-term benefits in symptom improvement but results must be viewed with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Claddings are susceptible to damage due to underestimation of extreme wind‐induced surface pressures. Commonly accepted methods for estimating the peak factor (an input used to determine cladding design loads) involve complex calculation‐intensive procedures. This research develops a four‐parameter unified auto‐spectral model of wind pressure to simplify peak factor estimation of wind‐induced surface pressure via analysis of wind tunnel wind load data on tri‐centered cylindrical roofs. Values of the model parameters were identified via statistical analysis of wind tunnel wind pressure measurement on two long‐span tri‐centered cylindrical roof structures with different curvatures. The study identified roof regions with non‐Gaussian features by inspecting probabilistic density functions of the standardized wind‐induced roof pressures and the third‐ and fourth‐order statistical moments of wind pressure time histories. The paper ultimately proposed and evaluated a simplified method for estimating the peak factors in the non‐Gaussian regions, the Three‐parameter Hermite Model, derived through the moment‐based Hermite Model, the Revised Hermite Model, and the parameter simplification accomplished in this study. The results show that the auto‐spectral model of wind‐induced roof pressures can accurately estimate the zero‐ and second‐order spectral moments, which reflects the wind pressure fluctuating characteristics and geometric features of spectral curves. Compared with the peak factors of the moment‐based Hermite Model and the Revised Hermite Model, the peak factor errors estimated by the Three‐parameter Hermite Model are all less than 10%. These results suggest that the Three‐parameter Hermite Model simplifies the calculation with acceptable accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface subsidence caused by coal mining has become an important factor that affects and restricts the sustainable development of mining districts. It is necessary to use appropriate methods for effective subsidence monitoring. It is hard to monitor large gradient ground deformations with a high accuracy by using differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) technology. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry is limited in that it monitors the basin edge by subtracting two DEMs (digital elevation models). Therefore, in this paper we propose a combination of DInSAR and UAV photogrammetry to complement the two data advantages and to achieve a high-precision monitoring of mining subsidence areas. The subsidence of coal panel 81,403 in the Yangquan coal mine was obtained using DInSAR and UAV photogrammetry technologies. The appropriate fusion points were selected for the two datasets and the agreement between the fusion data and the leveling data was verified. The results indicated that the combination of DInSAR and UAV technology could monitor the settlement more accurately than the single use of DInSAR or UAV technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pasteurella multocida (Pm) infection can cause pasteurellosis in goats. Currently, the mechanisms of Pm infection in goats are limited. In this study, the effects of Pm infection to goats were characterized from the aspects of histopathology, miRNA and mRNA expression dynamics in lung of goats infected for 1, 2, 5 and 7 days and the clinical symptoms of animals. We further revealed the potential role of differentially expressed RNAs, which are commonly involved in and regulate the host immune reaction to the Pm infection. The differentially expressed genes were mapped to marker genes of the immune cells in the lung, which further confirmed the cells detected by the histopathological method. Pasteurella multocida (Pm) infection causes severe respiratory disease in goats. We investigated the effects of the Pm infection intratracheally on the histopathology, miRNA and mRNA expression dynamics in the lung of goats infected for 1, 2, 5 and 7 days. Pm infection caused fever, which significantly (p < 0.05) increased the body temperature of the goats from day 1 to 5. Haemotoxylin–eosin staining of the infected lung tissue showed characteristics of suppurative pneumonia with inflammatory cells infiltration and the lung structure destruction. During the Pm infection of the goats, compared with the control group, there were 3080, 3508, 2716 and 2675 differentially expressed genes and 42, 69, 91 and 108 significantly expressed miRNAs (|log2Fold Change| > 1, p < 0.05) in the Pm_d1, Pm_d2, Pm_d5 and Pm_d7 groups, respectively. Five miRNAs and nine immune-related genes were selected for confirmation by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The results indicated that the expression patterns of the miRNAs and genes were consistent with those determined by next-generation sequencing. The differentially expressed genes were enriched in cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, cell adhesion molecules, complement and coagulation cascades, tight junction and phagosome Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways and cytokine production, leukocyte migration, myeloid leukocyte migration, cell periphery, plasma membrane, extracellular region part, extracellular region and other Gene Ontology terms. The differentially expressed genes were mapped to marker genes in human and mouse lung cells. The results showed the presence of some marker genes of the immune cells. Compared with the CK group, five miRNAs and 892 common genes were differentially expressed in the Pm_d1, Pm_d2, Pm_d5 and Pm_d7 groups. The target relationships between the common 5 miRNAs and 892 differentially expressed genes were explored and the miRNAs involved in the host immune reaction may act through the target genes. Our study characterized goats' reaction in the lung from histopathological and molecular changes upon Pm infection, which will provide valuable information for understanding the responses in goats during Pm infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety disorders have the highest prevalence of all psychiatric disorders in China. Medication and psychotherapy are two main treatment approaches for this group of disorders, and when used in combinations are significantly more beneficial than medication alone. The resources are insufficient. The availability of psychotherapy is low due to the limited resources. Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted psychotherapy offers an opportunity to develop an efficient and standardized psychotherapy model and improve the availability of psychotherapy, which is key to improve the clinical efficacy of anxiety disorder treatments. Objectives: The present protocol aims to determine whether medication plus AI-assisted psychotherapy has greater efficacy than medication alone in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Methods: We will recruit patients in eight hospitals in China. Seven hundred and eight patients with anxiety disorders will be randomly allocated on a 1:1 basis to either medication plus AI-assisted psychotherapy group, or medication alone group. We have built an AI psychotherapy robot named XIAO AN. In this study we will deliver psychotherapy to patients in the medication plus AI-assisted psychotherapy group. Patients will be assessed at baseline and at the end of week 2, 4, 8, and 12. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 3 and 6 months posttreatment. The primary outcome is change of Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) score from baseline the end of 12-week treatment. A secondary efficacy outcome will be improvement in treatment at an early stage (score reduction in HAMA ≥25% after 2 weeks of treatment). Other measurements include Hamilton Depression Scale, Clinical Global Impression, Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale, Social Disability Screening Schedule, Insomnia Severity Index and so on. Scales will be assessed by independent raters who are blind to treatment allocation and analyses will be conducted by a statistician who is also blind to treatment allocation. Discussion: This will be the first multicentered randomized controlled single-blind trial in China to assess the efficacy of medication plus AI-assisted psychotherapy compared with medication alone for anxiety disorders. The study has the potential to address the limitations of the limited availability of psychotherapy, and to augment the efficacy of the treatment of anxiety disorders in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spatial disorientation (SD) is a problem that pilots often encounter during a flight. One reason for this problem is that among the three types of SD, there is no validated method to detect the Type I (unrecognized) SD.Objective: In this pursuit, initially we reviewed the problems and the evaluation methods of associated with SD. Subsequently, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the subjective questionnaire evaluation method and the behavior evaluation method.Methods: On the basis of these analyses, we proposed a method to detect the unrecognized SD that improved the assessment of SD to a significant extent. We developed a new direction to study the unrecognized SD based on the subjective report and the center of pressure (CoP).Results: The proposed evaluation method can assist the pilots to understand the feelings and physical changes, when exposed to unrecognized SD.Conclusion: We hope that this evaluation method can provide a strong support in developing a countermeasure against the unrecognized SD and fundamentally solve the severe flight accidents arising due to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The results of urine tests are often affected by improper midstream urine collection time, urine spilling, and urine pollution, all of which can lead to an increase in the test error.Objective: To solve this problem, aiming at improving the toilet environment at the hospitals and public physical examination centers, this paper designs an automatic urine collection system. It can automatically adjust the position of the urine cup with an infrared remote controller, or manually, adjust the position of the urine cup in special situations according to the needs of the user. It also has an alarm function.Methods: The overall size and shape are designed based on the squatting pan, suitable for disposable plastic urine cups of different shapes and sizes. It can realize the automatic collection of midstream urine, manual collection in exceptional cases, emergency stops, and rescue calls.Results: Through the trial survey, there was a significant difference between the statistical results of using the device and not using the device (t= 13.937, P= 0.000). 96% of the subjects thought that the design of the system was reasonable, 22% thought that it was inconvenient to use, and 91.7% of the medical staff thought that the system met the sampling requirements.Conclusions: Therefore, the trial evaluation is satisfactory, and the proposed collection system is suitable for use in hospitals at all levels and public health examination centers with a large amount of inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to assess the pedestrian comfort and to control human-induced vibration of an arch tower cable-stayed bridge without backstays located in canyon. Dynamic simulations of human-induced vibration were carried out with a mode-by-mode approach, and the results indicated that a total of seven lateral and vertical modes of the bridge may suffer from excessive vibrations at the design crowd density. Based on the periodic walking force, the structure response under pedestrian loads was evaluated performing dynamic analyses with two Finite Element models of the footbridge. A single tuned mass damper (STMD) control system was developed for control of human-induced vibration, which consisted of four tuned mass dampers mounted on the mid-span of bridge to enhance damping ratios of lively modes. The results indicate that the maximum acceleration for the first-order lateral and second-order vertical vibration at the design crowd density exceed the associated threshold values referring to the comfort level 1 (CL1) Criteria. The critical pedestrian number of lateral dynamic instability estimated by the Dallard's empirical formula is much smaller than the dynamic design pedestrian number; and the Dallard's empirical formula is applicable to estimate the critical pedestrian number of lateral dynamic instability for this bridge by comparing with Pedroe Inês footbridge. The damping ratios for both the vertical and lateral modes increase appreciably after installing the tuned mass dampers and no evidence of large-amplitude vibrations has been observed, leading to the realization of satisfactory comfort levels, which can provide reference for vibration reduction design of this kind of bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring large gradient ground deformation due to temporal and spatial image decoherence has long been a challenge. We attempted an improvement using Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B C-band data fusion methods based on the variation law of subsidence velocity of ground leveling monitoring points. This approach improved the temporal resolution from 12 to 6 days. Using a mine in Datong, Shanxi Province, China as an example, 13 scenes of Sentinel-1A data and 12 scenes of Sentinel-1B data were fused and compared with ground-measured data. The results obtained were closer to the measured values than those obtained by single data set (Sentinel-1A or -1B only). Simultaneously, 61 scenes of Sentinel-1A data and 12 scenes of Sentinel-1B data were used to calculate the subsidence of the mining area over two years. The subsidence map was consistent with the actual leveling trend, which reflected the dynamic change of surface subsidence range in the mining area. This study provides an approach using DInSAR technology to monitor large gradient deformation in mining areas and provides an effective method to monitor of surface dynamic deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this report, a study protocol for a randomized control trial is presented in an attempt to explore the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for major depressive disorder (MMD), and a case–control study is conducted to find the difference in electroencephalograms (EEGs) between MMD and normal controls. Design: Seventy Chinese patients with MMD will be chosen for random division in the MBCT group or medication group, with half of the participants receiving common medication treatment [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)] and half receiving MBCT as a supplement to the common medication treatment. All participants, namely, 70 MMD cases and 35 matched normal controls, will be tested by a range of scales and EEG at baseline (week 0), mid-intervention (weeks 2, 4, and 6), post-intervention (week 8), and 6-months follow-up (weeks 12, 20, and 32). Discussion: The findings of this study will provide a positive reference for the treatment of depression and future research on MBCT treatment mechanism. Trial Registration: NCT03558256. Registered: June 13, 2018—retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03558256. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper comprehensively presents the results of a wind tunnel experiment of the wind pressure fluctuating characteristics of a long‐span roof structure, namely the fluctuating wind pressure coefficient (FWPC), wind pressure power spectrum, and wind pressure coherence. The variation trend of FWPCs in the wind directions of 0°, 45°, and 90° were analyzed in sealed and open conditions, as well as the fluctuating wind pressure coefficients of lateral and longitudinal profiles of roof. Subsequently, the models of wind pressure spectrum in different zones and the spatial coherence of fluctuating wind pressure at different wind angles were discussed. The zone values of wind load shape factors of envelope structure with sealed, open, and pile of coal in open were calculated by area weighted averaging. The results indicate that the sealed condition significantly influences the fluctuating characteristics on the roof surface more than the open condition, suggesting that the maximum varied gradient of FWPCs is achieved in the 45° wind direction. Further, different forms and peak frequencies of the wind pressure spectrum in the roof region developed three zones, revealing that the peak frequency in energy‐preserved, inertia, and energy‐dissipated regions show an increasing trend for the different directions. The spatial correlations of wind pressure between measurement taps decrease with the increase in the frequency and spatial distance. Moreover, the correlation coefficients are lower than 0.2 when the frequency was higher than 35 Hz, and a modified three‐dimensional spatial coherence function of wind pressure is proposed. In contrast to the sealed case, the zone values of wind load shape factors of envelope structure with open and pile of coal in open are alleviated due to the separation flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We evaluated the outcome of esophageal reconstructions using tissue‐engineered scaffolds. Method: Partial esophageal defects were reconstructed with the following scaffolds; animals were grouped (n = 7 per group) as follows: (a) normal rats; (b) rats implanted with three‐dimensional printing (3DP) polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds; (c) with human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC)‐seeded 3DP PCL scaffolds; (d) with polyurethane (PU)‐nanofiber(Nf) scaffolds; and (e) with ADSC‐seeded PU‐Nf scaffolds. Results: The esophageal defects were successfully repaired; however, muscle regeneration was greater in the 3DP PCL + ADSC groups than in the PU‐Nf + ADSC groups (P <.001). Regeneration of the epithelium was greater in PU‐Nf and PU‐Nf + ADSC groups than in the 3DP PCL and 3DP PCL + ADSC groups (P <.001). Conclusion: A tendency for more re‐epithelization was observed with the PU‐Nf scaffolds, while more muscle regeneration was achieved with the 3DP PCL scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1), the core downstream effector of the Hippo signaling cascade, was involved in the regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation and in bone metabolism. However, the regulatory effects and mechanisms of YAP1 on bone‐remodeling molecules in osteoblasts under inflammation remain unknown. In this study, YAP1 expression level was downregulated after treatment with inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in MC3T3‐E1 cells. The key osteoclastogenic molecules induced by TNF‐α, namely, interleukin‐6 and receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) ligand, were suppressed after lentivirus‐induced YAP1 overexpression, which dramatically increased the expression level of osteoprotegerin. Conversely, the expression levels of the above factors showed opposite trends in the YAP1 small interfering RNA and YAP1 inhibitor (verteporfin) group. Mechanistically, YAP1 attenuated the TNF‐α‐induced activation of the NF‐κB signaling pathway as revealed by the reduced expression of phosphorylated‐p65 and NF‐κB reporter activity and the nuclear translocation of p65. Moreover, the expression level of YAP1 suppressed by TNF‐α was reversed by berberine in concentration‐dependent manner. Taken together, our study suggests that YAP1 plays a critical role in the regulation of bone metabolism and is a potential therapeutic target for treating inflammatory bone resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the ex vivo expansion of haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) with consideration of their eventual in-vivo niche. We firstly fabricated hierarchically structured scaffolds (lattices derived via three-dimensional plotting combined with electrospun submicron fibers coated with vitronectin to increase cell affinity). We also applied intermittent hydrostatic pressure (IHP) to mimic the physical environment of the in vivo niche. In the absence of mechanical stimuli, the cell phenotype (CD34+, CD34+CD38–) remained excellent in the vitronectin-treated group. Two IHP regimens were tested; optimally, cells were pressurized (20 kPa) for 2 min and then rested for 13 min. On day 7 of culture, the total cell number had increased 21.2-fold and that of CD34+ cells 10.94-fold. CD34+ and CD34+CD38– cells constituted 44.50 and 44.07% of total cells, respectively. Colony-forming counts and the long-term culture-initiating cell assay showed that clonogenic potential was greatly improved under our experimental conditions. Scaffolds with hierarchical structures were valuable in this context. Furthermore, ex vivo expansion of HSPCs was improved by physical stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]