Design and development of a ceiling-mounted workshop measurement positioning system for large-scale metrology

This paper presents a new ceiling-mounted workshop Measurement Positioning System (C-wMPS) compensating for many deficiencies shown by conventional metrology systems, especially on the possibility of task-oriented designing for coverage ability, measurement accuracy and efficiency. A hybrid calibration system consisting of a high-precision coordinate control field and standard lengths is developed and implemented for the C-wMPS, which can be designed concretely to provide both traceability and the ability of local accuracy enhancement. Layout optimization using a genetic algorithm based on grids is applied to design an appropriate layout of the system, therefore promotes the system’s performance and reduce cost. An experiment carried out at the Guidance, Navigation and Control laboratory (GNC lab, 40×30×12m) validates the prominent characteristic of C-wMPS and the fitness of the new calibration system and layout optimization method.<br/

VILAS: Exploring the Effects of Vision and Language Context in Automatic Speech Recognition

Enhancing automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance by leveraging additional multimodal information has shown promising results in previous studies. However, most of these works have primarily focused on utilizing visual cues derived from human lip motions. In fact, context-dependent visual and linguistic cues can also benefit in many scenarios. In this paper, we first propose ViLaS (Vision and Language into Automatic Speech Recognition), a novel multimodal ASR model based on the continuous integrate-and-fire (CIF) mechanism, which can integrate visual and textual context simultaneously or separately, to facilitate speech recognition. Next, we introduce an effective training strategy that improves performance in modal-incomplete test scenarios. Then, to explore the effects of integrating vision and language, we create VSDial, a multimodal ASR dataset with multimodal context cues in both Chinese and English versions. Finally, empirical results are reported on the public Flickr8K and self-constructed VSDial datasets. We explore various cross-modal fusion schemes, analyze fine-grained crossmodal alignment on VSDial, and provide insights into the effects of integrating multimodal information on speech recognition.Comment: Accepted to ICASSP 202

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale for Dementia

BACKGROUND: The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale for Dementia (IPOS-Dem) was developed to assess symptoms and concerns comprehensively for people with dementia. There is a high demand for comprehensive assessment of people with dementia in China.AIM: To translate and culturally adapt the IPOS-Dem into Chinese.DESIGN: Conceptual equivalence, forward and backward translations, and expert review were performed to develop a prototype Chinese version. Two rounds of cognitive interviews were conducted to ensure the items and scoring format were clearly expressed in the Chinese version.SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Professionals, including a physician, a nurse, a linguistic researcher and a humanities researcher, were involved in the prototype Chinese version development. A purposive sample of 12 health care professionals working in three Chinese nursing homes participated in the cognitive interviewing.RESULTS: The Chinese version was perceived as clinically useful. Challenges arose regarding comprehension of some items due to difficulties in translating the precise meanings. These included 'Drowsiness (sleepiness)', 'Difficulty communicating' and 'Do you think s/he felt at peace?'. Considering how a symptom affects an individual presented was also challenging for respondents, as they needed to judge whether the symptom was present and/or causing distress. Selecting the appropriate term to name the measure elucidated the current understanding of dementia and palliative care in China, both of which remain poorly understood.CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the importance of cultural adaptation in conveying meanings across cultures. Most items were translatable and conceptually equivalent. The term 'at peace' and the concept of 'being affected' generated the most challenges in comprehension and judgement.</p

Systematic studies on the kinetic process of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol in rats and dogs: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion

Background and ObjectiveGinseng has been regarded as a precious medicinal herb with miraculous effects in Eastern culture. The primary chemical constituents of ginseng are saponins, and the physiological activities of ginsenosides determine their edible and medicinal value. The aim of this study is to comprehensively and systematically investigate the kinetic processes of 20(S)—protopanaxadiol (PPD) in rats and dogs, in order to promote the rational combination of ginseng as a drug and dietary ingredient.MethodsPPD was administered, and drug concentration in different biological samples were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and radioactive tracer methods. Pharmacokinetic parameters such as absorption, bioavailability, tissue distribution, plasma protein binding rate, excretion rate, and cumulative excretion were calculated, along with inference of major metabolites.ResultsThis study systematically investigated the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) of PPD in rats and dogs for the first time. The bioavailabilities of PPD were relatively low, with oral absorption nearly complete, and the majority underwent first-pass metabolism. PPD had a high plasma protein binding rate and was relatively evenly distributed in the body. Following oral administration, PPD underwent extensive metabolism, potentially involving one structural transformation and three hydroxylation reactions. The metabolites were primarily excreted through feces and urine, indicating the presence of enterohepatic circulation. The pharmacokinetic processes of PPD following intravenous administration aligned well with a three-compartment model. In contrast, after gastric administration, it fitted better with a two-compartment model, conforming to linear pharmacokinetics and proportional elimination. There were evident interspecies differences between rats and dogs regarding PPD, but individual variations of this drug were minimal within the same species.ConclusionThis study systematically studied the kinetic process of PPD in rats and also investigated the kinetic characteristics of PPD in dogs for the first time. These findings lay the foundation for further research on the dietary nutrition and pharmacological effects of PPD

Death of a parent during childhood and blood pressure in youth: a population-based cohort study of Swedish men

publishedVersio

Influencing factors of medication literacy among community-dwelling older adult patients with hypertension: a study based on social learning theory

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors affecting medication literacy in community-dwelling older adults with hypertension, guided by social learning theory. It sought to analyze the pathways these factors influenced and provide a theoretical foundation for designing targeted intervention programs.Study design: This is a cross-sectional study.Methods: From October 2022 to February 2023, a total of 432 community-dwelling older adults with hypertension from Linghe District, Guta District, and Taihe District, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, China, were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, a medication literacy questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the General Self-efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. The collected data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests, correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM).Results: The medication literacy score among the participants was 3.83 ± 1.91. Multi-factor analysis revealed key factors affecting their medication literacy, including blood pressure-control status, utilization of community health education resources, receiving guidance for medication usage, marital status, number of annual visits, social support, self-efficacy, and disease perception. The SEM based on social learning theory showed that general self-efficacy mediated the relationship between social support, disease perception, and medication literacy.Conclusion: The present study developed a model and provided potential intervention strategies to improve medication literacy, knowledge, and safety among community-dwelling older adults with hypertension, considering the relationships between the identified variables