Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Precise segmentation of offshore farms in high-resolution SAR images based on improved UNet++

The segmentation of the offshore farm area in the high-resolution SAR image is of great significance for the statistics of the farming area and the analysis of the rationality of the farming layout. However, the SAR images have the characteristics of a lot of noise and inconspicuous features. It is difficult to achieve precise segmentation by directly using non-learning image segmentation methods. Therefore, we propose a precise segmentation scheme for offshore farms in high-resolution SAR images based on improved UNet++. We first adopt a simulated annealing strategy for the update of the learning rate during the network training. By initializing the learning rate multiple times, we avoid the network from falling into a local optimum. Secondly, for the dataset studied, we verify that the segmentation performance of resizing the image to 256×256 pixels is better than that of 512×512 pixels. Finally, we propose an improved UNet++, which uses SE-Net as the feature extraction network to enhance the feature learning ability. Extensive experimental results show that, compared to some state-of-the-art methods, the proposed scheme achieves superior performance with a frequency weighted intersection over union (FWIoU) of 0.9853 on the high-resolution SAR offshore farm dataset.
Maximization of Transfer Ratio and Minimization of Harmonics in Three Phase AC/AC Matrix Converter

Energy saving and different working voltage applications are widely employing matrix converters. Matrix converters are used to convert three phase AC input voltages to three phase AC output voltages of required magnitude and frequency. Pulse width modulation is a technique used for converting three phase AC input to three phase AC output. In this research paper, pulse width modulation based matrix converter will be designed to acquire voltage of desired magnitude and frequency. Voltage transfer ratio will be maximized in this technique so that any desired voltage magnitude could be achieved. Secondly, harmonics will be made reduced in this design. Simulations will be performed in Matlab and characteristics of output waveform will be observed with respect to characteristics of input waveforms.
Application of the subdural evacuating port system for the drainage of postoperative tension pneumocephalus: A technical note

Background: Tension pneumocephalus is a neurosurgical emergency requiring prompt intervention. A variety of either temporizing or definitive methods was previously described as part of its management. Here, we report on an off-label use of a bed-side device and the subdural evacuating port system (SEPS)™ for the treatment of tension pneumocephalus. Methods: The SEPS™ (Medtronic Dublin, Ireland) is a minimally invasive tool that is indicated for the removal of chronic or subacute subdural hematomas and at the patient’s bedside. We describe the use of this system to evacuate tension pneumocephalus. Results: A 44-year-old patient operated in our institution was presented with sudden obtundation 4 days post resection of esthesioneuroblastoma. Imaging confirmed a significant tension pneumocephalus. Immediate bedside decompression using a SEPS bolt placed frontally was performed, achieving rapid evacuation and patient regained consciousness. A definitive skull base reconstruction was done at the operating room at a later stage. Conclusion: The SEPS™, well-known for evacuation of CSDH, can be potentially used as a bed-side tool to effectively treat mass effect created by tension pneumocephalus. As a readily-available and commercially used device, it can provide a simple and standard toolkit suitable for an emergent temporizing procedure.
Interictal Heart Rate Variability as a Biomarker for Comorbid Depressive Disorders among People with Epilepsy

Depressive disorders are common among people with epilepsy (PwE). We here aimed to report an unbiased automatic classification of epilepsy comorbid depressive disorder cases via training a linear support vector machine (SVM) model using the interictal heart rate variability (HRV) data. One hundred and eighty-six subjects participated in this study. Among all participants, we recorded demographic information, epilepsy states and neuropsychiatric features. For each subject, we performed simultaneous electrocardiography and electroencephalography recordings both in wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stage. Using these data, we systematically explored the full parameter space in order to determine the most effective combinations of data to classify the depression status in PwE. PwE with depressive disorders exhibited significant alterations in HRV parameters, including decreased time domain and nonlinear domain values both in wakefulness and NREM sleep stage compared with without depressive disorders and non-epilepsy controls. Interestingly, PwE without depressive disorder showed the same level of HRV values as the non-epilepsy control subjects. The SVM classification model of PwE depression status achieved a higher classification accuracy with the combination of HRV parameters in wakefulness and NREM sleep stage. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the SVM classification model showed a satisfying area under the ROC curve (AUC: 0.758). Intriguingly, we found that the HRV measurements during NREM sleep are particularly important for correct classification, suggesting a mechanistic link between the dysregulation of heart rate during sleep and the development of depressive disorders in PwE. Our classification model may provide an objective measurement to assess the depressive status in PwE.
Electro-optic synchronization of two tunable semiconductor slotted lasers for wider tuning range application

The recent advancements of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) calls for a compact widely tunable swept-source that can emit single mode, and narrow linewidth radiation over a 70-100 nm wavelength tuning range. However, the gain bandwidth of the laser material critically limits the wider tuning range of the device. Moreover, to ensure the single-mode operation, the mirror sections of the laser should be designed with a specific free spectral range (FSR) which further limits achieving wider tuning range of the device. These limitations drive the laser manufacturer to opt for external filters which restricts the speed of operation of the device. In this work, we have discussed an alternative approach of increasing the tuning range of the device without adding further complexities in the laser design by employing the method of electro-optic synchronization. Two tunable semiconductor lasers with different epitaxial structures and central wavelengths have been electrically synchronized and their outputs have been coupled optically. The tuning range of these lasers partially overlaps with each other for a smooth transition of the laser emission. Two multi-section semiconductor lasers with a central wavelength of 830 nm and 862 nm respectively, and with a tuning range of 40 nm, have been fabricated using standard UV optical lithography to be utilized in this approach. Initial electro-optic characterization of the lasers shows single mode emission with high SMSR throughout the tuning range.
A systematic review of working conditions and occupational health in home office

BACKGROUND: In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees around the world may be practicing part-time telework at home. Little is known about the working conditions at home and its impact on the employee’s occupational health. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review examines the working conditions at employees’ homes, the work-related disorders associated with working from home, organizations’ perceptions of ergonomics at home and how they support their teleworkers. METHODS: A search of electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Google Scholar, Open Grey, Pedro, PsychInfo, PubPsych, Scopus and Web of Science) was performed. Twelve studies were included in this review. RESULTS: The findings highlight the lack of ergonomic working conditions for home-based teleworkers. Furthermore, the results underline organizations’ lack of awareness regarding home-based policies, ergonomics programs and the health-related consequences associated with the absence of ergonomic support. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that home-based teleworkers have increased health risks. This assumption is substantiated by the fact that most of the included studies reported teleworkers who have experienced musculoskeletal issues. These results underline the necessity for implementing ergonomic design recommendations, especially for working at home. Further research is needed to understand the impact of ergonomics programs and workplace design for working at home.
The Sedative Effects of Inhaled Nebulized Dexmedetomidine on Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Children that need surgery and medical examinations are often uncooperative, and preoperative sedation is necessary. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of inhaled nebulized dexmedetomidine in children for sedation that underwent medical examinations or surgery. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Web of science, Embase, and Cochrane library, for randomized controlled trials of Intranasal dexmedetomidine using a spray or a mucosal atomization device in children undergoing examination or elective surgery. We included all studies that analyzed the sedation efficiency of intranasal dexmedetomidine in children. Results Ten studies with 1,233pediatric patients were included. Compared to other sedation treatments, inhaled nebulized dexmedetomidine showed similar sedation satisfaction [risk ratio RR: 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87–1.18; P = 0.83; I2 = 72%]. there was also no statistical difference in the success rate of separation from parents (RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.82–1.12; P = 0.58; I2 = 67%), and mask acceptability (RR: 1; 95% CI: 0.83–1.20; P = 0.99; I2 = 35%). But it is worth mentioning that nebulized dexmedetomidine combined with ketamine provided better sedation satisfaction (RR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.49–0.96; I2 = 49%) and more satisfactory separation from parents (RR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.74–0.97; I2 = 0%). Moreover, nebulized dexmedetomidine reduced the occurrences of nausea and vomiting (RR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.15–0.51; P < 0.01; I2 = 10%) and emergence agitation (RR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.18–0.49; P < 0.01; I2 = 0%). There are no hypotension or arrhythmia reported that required intervention in all articles. Conclusion Compared to other premedication treatments, inhaled nebulized dexmedetomidine provided equivalent sedation satisfaction for the examination or preoperative sedation of children, but it reduced the occurrences of emergence agitation and postoperative nausea and vomiting.
SMAD - A System for Multimodal Assistive Domotics

During the last decades there has been major growth in the application of technology for assisting persons with disabilities. The main goal is to alleviate their discomfort in a variety of tasks, mainly routine activities, by providing more self-sufficiency and reduce the dependency on external help. The use of common home accessories seems perfectly natural to most of people; nevertheless, it could require a lot of time and effort for individuals with motor disabilities. This book presents an assistive system called SMAD to control home devices from a robotic wheelchair through biological signals such as EMG and EEG. With a quick installation, devices such as lamp, television and fan can be operated without any modification. Experimental results show encouraging performance, representing a step toward actual self-sufficiency for motor impaired people.
Efficient surrogate model based probabilistic analysis of helical soil nailed wall under seismic conditions

Abstract This study demonstrates an efficient and precise surrogate model to probabilistically analyze the helical soil nailed walls (HSNWs) under seismic conditions. The modified pseudo-dynamic (MPD) approach is employed which produces realistic results in comparison to its former counterparts. The unit weight (γ), internal friction angle of soil (ϕ), and shear wave velocity (Vs ) are chosen as random variables. The influence of the normalized frequency, damping ratio, and size of the helix on the reliability of HSNW is presented in detail. The plots reveal that the proposed surrogate model is an accurate method with the value of coefficient of determination (R2 ) as 0.99 for the present study. In addition to it, it is 99 times more efficient when compared to the direct Monte-Carlo Simulation (MCS) (50000 iterations). For the same input parameters, the minimum number of helical nails required for a safe reinforced wall are less than the grouted and the driven ones, given their larger pull-out capacity. Moreover, the required number of helical soil nails (HSNs) computed from probabilistic analysis are 42.85% more than the deterministic one for a given set of input parameters which lay a strong base for performing the probabilistic analysis for a precise measure of stability.
Liver Graft Hypothermic Static and Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE) Strategies: A Mitochondrial Crossroads

Marginal liver grafts, such as steatotic livers and those from cardiac death donors, are highly vulnerable to ischemia–reperfusion injury that occurs in the complex route of the graft from “harvest to revascularization”. Recently, several preservation methods have been developed to preserve liver grafts based on hypothermic static preservation and hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE) strategies, either combined or alone. However, their effects on mitochondrial functions and their relevance have not yet been fully investigated, especially if different preservation solutions/effluents are used. Ischemic liver graft damage is caused by oxygen deprivation conditions during cold storage that provoke alterations in mitochondrial integrity and function and energy metabolism breakdown. This review deals with the relevance of mitochondrial machinery in cold static preservation and how the mitochondrial respiration function through the accumulation of succinate at the end of cold ischemia is modulated by different preservation solutions such as IGL-2, HTK, and UW (gold-standard reference). IGL-2 increases mitochondrial integrity and function (ALDH2) when compared to UW and HTK. This mitochondrial protection by IGL-2 also extends to protective HOPE strategies when used as an effluent instead of Belzer MP. The transient oxygenation in HOPE sustains the mitochondrial machinery at basal levels and prevents, in part, the accumulation of energy metabolites such as succinate in contrast to those that occur in cold static preservation conditions. Additionally, several additives for combating oxygen deprivation and graft energy metabolism breakdown during hypothermic static preservation such as oxygen carriers, ozone, AMPK inducers, and mitochondrial UCP2 inhibitors, and whether they are or not to be combined with HOPE, are presented and discussed. Finally, we affirm that IGL-2 solution is suitable for protecting graft mitochondrial machinery and simplifying the complex logistics in clinical transplantation where traditional (static preservation) and innovative (HOPE) strategies may be combined. New mitochondrial markers are presented and discussed. The final goal is to take advantage of marginal livers to increase the pool of suitable organs and thereby shorten patient waiting lists at transplantation clinics.
Comparative biocompatibility studies of Kirschner wire, allogeneic and canine xenogeneic cadaveric bone tissue implants in rat model

Pre-clinical safety or biocompatibility studies of newer biomaterials intended for clinical use are paramount in medical implant technology. The in vivo safety of rat (allogeneic) and dog (xenogeneic) cadaveric bone implants (CBI) in the present study were assessed through histological and haematological profiles. A total of 12 male Albino rats (average weight 120 g) divided into three groups (A, B & C) of four rats each was used. Rat (allogeneic) and dog (xenogeneic) cadaveric bone implants were surgically placed between the lateral and cranial vastus muscles (on the thigh) of the rats in groups B and C, respectively, while Kirschner wire/inert implants were used for group A and served as control. The rats were monitored for 30 days, and peripheral blood profiles, as well as tissue sections at intervals of 14 and 28 days, were harvested, studied and compared. Results showed that the overall performance of all groups of rats was good. There was marked cellular infiltration of myocytes in rats of groups B and C, and cartilage-like (hyaline) cells in group C at 14 and 28-days post-implantation, respectively. No significant alteration existed in the haemogram of all groups of rats except for the increased lymphocytes count observed in group B pre-implantation. In conclusion, canine CBI used in this study possess fairly excellent biocompatibility and osteoinductive potentials in the rat’s model. Therefore, having confirmed their relative in vivo safety and biocompatibility, further clinical trials involving the use of cadaveric bone tissues as good biomaterial for fabricating bone fixatives should be performed in higher animal models.
Rearrangement in the Hypervariable Region of JC Polyomavirus Genomes Isolated from Patient Samples and Impact on Transcription Factor-Binding Sites and Disease Outcomes

JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is the causative agent of the fatal, incurable, neurological disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The virus is present in most of the adult population as a persistent, asymptotic infection in the kidneys. During immunosuppression, JCPyV reactivates and invades the central nervous system. A main predictor of disease outcome is determined by mutations within the hypervariable region of the viral genome. In patients with PML, JCPyV undergoes genetic rearrangements in the noncoding control region (NCCR). The outcome of these rearrangements influences transcription factor binding to the NCCR, orchestrating viral gene transcription. This study examines 989 NCCR sequences from patient isolates deposited in GenBank to determine the frequency of mutations based on patient isolation site and disease status. The transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) were also analyzed to understand how these rearrangements could influence viral transcription. It was determined that the number of TFBS was significantly higher in PML samples compared to non-PML samples. Additionally, TFBS that could promote JCPyV infection were more prevalent in samples isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid compared to other locations. Collectively, this research describes the extent of mutations in the NCCR that alter TFBS and how they correlate with disease outcome.
Spectroscopic Characterization of 3-Aminoisoxazole, a Prebiotic Precursor of Ribonucleotides

The processes and reactions that led to the formation of the first biomolecules on Earth play a key role in the highly debated theme of the origin of life. Whether the first chemical building blocks were generated on Earth (endogenous synthesis) or brought from space (exogenous delivery) is still unanswered. The detection of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium provides valuable support to the latter hypothesis. To gather more insight, here we provide the astronomers with accurate rotational frequencies to guide the interstellar search of 3-aminoisoxazole, which has been recently envisaged as a key reactive species in the scenario of the so-called RNA-world hypothesis. Relying on an accurate computational characterization, we were able to register and analyze the rotational spectrum of 3-aminoisoxazole in the 6–24 GHz and 80–320 GHz frequency ranges for the first time, exploiting a Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer and a frequency-modulated millimeter/sub-millimeter spectrometer, respectively. Due to the inversion motion of the −NH2 group, two states arise, and both of them were characterized, with more than 1300 lines being assigned. Although the fit statistics were affected by an evident Coriolis interaction, we were able to produce accurate line catalogs for astronomical observations of 3-aminoisoxazole.
Root-Associated Bacteria Are Biocontrol Agents for Multiple Plant Pests

Biological control is an important process for sustainable plant production, and this trait is found in many plant-associated microbes. This study reviews microbes that could be formulated into pesticides active against various microbial plant pathogens as well as damaging insects or nematodes. The focus is on the beneficial microbes that colonize the rhizosphere where, through various mechanisms, they promote healthy plant growth. Although these microbes have adapted to cohabit root tissues without causing disease, they are pathogenic to plant pathogens, including microbes, insects, and nematodes. The cocktail of metabolites released from the beneficial strains inhibits the growth of certain bacterial and fungal plant pathogens and participates in insect and nematode toxicity. There is a reinforcement of plant health through the systemic induction of defenses against pathogen attack and abiotic stress in the plant; metabolites in the beneficial microbial cocktail function in triggering the plant defenses. The review discusses a wide range of metabolites involved in plant protection through biocontrol in the rhizosphere. The focus is on the beneficial firmicutes and pseudomonads, because of the extensive studies with these isolates. The review evaluates how culture conditions can be optimized to provide formulations containing the preformed active metabolites for rapid control, with or without viable microbial cells as plant inocula, to boost plant productivity in field situations.
Image noise level estimation via kurtosis test

Abstract. Noise level estimation is a long-standing problem in image processing. The challenge arises from the estimation being easily affected by texture information. We propose an innovative noise level estimation method via the kurtosis test, which is a normalized fourth-order moment. The proposed method consists of two stages: the first one is to determine the image patches with normality using the kurtosis test; the noise level is then estimated from these selected normal patches in the second stage, in which the average of the standard deviations is used as the final estimation. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art estimation techniques in terms of noise level estimation and guided denoising.
Cooperative Recharge Scheme Based on a Hamiltonian Path in Mobile Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks

The energy problem and limited capacity of batteries have been fundamental constraints in many wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. For WSN, the wireless energy transmission technology based on magnetic resonance coupling is a promising energy transmission technology. To reduce the cost and energy consumption during charging in mobile wireless rechargeable sensor networks (MWRSNs), a cooperative mobile charging mechanism based on the Hamiltonian path is proposed in this paper. To improve the charging task interval, we study the use of a mobile charger (MC) as a mobile sink node to collect the data in this paper. Then, we used the sink and the charging sensors selected by the MC to construct the undirected complete graph. Finally, the Euclidean distance between nodes is used as the edge weight and a Hamiltonian loop is found by using the improved Clark–Wright (C-W) saving algorithm to solve the problem of charging a rechargeable sensor network. In addition to the energy usage efficiency (EUE) and the network lifetime, the average energy loss per unit time is considered as the evaluation index according to the impact of the MC on the energy consumption during charging. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme increases the average network lifetime, decreases the average energy loss per unit time, and improves the EUE.