ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
CPFNet: Context Pyramid Fusion Network for Medical Image Segmentation

Accurate and automatic segmentation of medical images is a crucial step for clinical diagnosis and analysis. The convolutional neural network (CNN) approaches based on the U-shape structure have achieved remarkable performances in many different medical image segmentation tasks. However, the context information extraction capability of single stage is insufficient in this structure, due to the problems such as imbalanced class and blurred boundary. In this paper, we propose a novel Context Pyramid Fusion Network (named CPFNet) by combining two pyramidal modules to fuse global/multi-scale context information. Based on the U-shape structure, we first design multiple global pyramid guidance (GPG) modules between the encoder and the decoder, aiming at providing different levels of global context information for the decoder by reconstructing skip-connection. We further design a scale-aware pyramid fusion (SAPF) module to dynamically fuse multi-scale context information in high-level features. These two pyramidal modules can exploit and fuse rich context information progressively. Experimental results show that our proposed method is very competitive with other state-of-the-art methods on four different challenging tasks, including skin lesion segmentation, retinal linear lesion segmentation, multi-class segmentation of thoracic organs at risk and multi-class segmentation of retinal edema lesions.
State-of-the-art cryogenic machining and processing

This article is a state-of-the-art review of the use of cryogenic cooling using liquefied gases in machining. The review is classified into two major categories, namely cryogenic processing and cryogenic machining. In cryogenic processing also known as cryo-processing, the cutting tool material is subjected to cryogenic temperatures as a part of its heat treatment process. The majority of the reported studies identify that cryo-processing can considerably increase cutting tool life especially for high speed steel tools. It also identified that, in cryogenic machining, a cryogen is used as a cooling substance during cutting operations. The cryogen can be used to freeze the workpiece material and/or cutting tool. This article concludes that cryogenic cooling has demonstrated significant improvements in machinability by changing the material properties of the cutting tool and/or workpiece material at the cutting zone, altering the coefficient of friction and reducing the cutting temperature.
A new Airport Collaborative Decision Making algorithm based on Deferred Acceptance in a two-sided market

The main objective of Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) is to allow the stakeholders working together in more efficiently and transparently way to share data and to enhance Air Traffic Management (ATM) processes. The state-of-the-art approaches for A-CDM, currently implemented in many airports in both Europe as well as the United States, are considered mature and well accepted. In many cases it usually focuses on the information sharing and only takes into account the preferences of Air Traffic Control (ATC) units and those of the airlines. This inherently leads to only satisfying the preferences of a limited number of stakeholders within the airport area. In this paper we extend current state-of-the-art approaches to include the preferences of the Airport Management in the A-CDM. The model that we propose is based on the Deferred Acceptance (DA) allocation mechanism from Game Theory and addresses the problem of slot allocation in the Compression step of the classic CDM algorithm currently used. Dealing with this market by using the DA-CDM model enables assigning flights to slots through a one-to-one relationship that respects the preferences of each allocation and is always guaranteed to provide a stable result. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Planning Sustainable Community-Based Tourism in the Context of Thailand: Community, Development, and the Foresight Tools

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) has been heavily promoted in Thailand, particularly in rural communities. Tourism transforms the natural and culturally significant attractions of rural communities into consumer products. Tourism development also makes a direct connection between tourism and the community. Therefore, before starting a tourism development project, the interests of local residents need to be investigated and allowances made for their inclusion. This paper introduces foresight tools, community arts, and a community goal-setting technique for putting the authority of future tourism development in the hands of the local community, which is appropriate for tourism development in rural Thailand. This study aims to give the local community useful tools to design their own future development by helping its members develop an understanding of what tourism is and how it impacts their community. A series of inclusive workshops was used to emphasize the need to understand the opportunities and repercussions of tourism as a community, what is at stake, and how important it is to participate in development projects. This methodology was chosen to advance the community members' ability to generate ideas about what kind of tourism products the community has the potential to develop. Furthermore, it aims to get locals to understand that tourism development is more than just getting that development started. Reaching their future goals requires continuing their tourism activities. Therefore, the two workshops we held advocated community arts and community goal-setting techniques as foresight tools to empower communities to design their future and gave support to those communities to improve the quality of their participation in tourism.
Probing Tissue Microarchitecture of the Baby Brain via Spherical Mean Spectrum Imaging

During the first years of life, the human brain undergoes dynamic spatially-heterogeneous changes, involving differentiation of neuronal types, dendritic arborization, axonal ingrowth, outgrowth and retraction, synaptogenesis, and myelination. To better quantify these changes, this article presents a method for probing tissue microarchitecture by characterizing water diffusion in a spectrum of length scales, factoring out the effects of intra-voxel orientation heterogeneity. Our method is based on the spherical means of the diffusion signal, computed over gradient directions for a set of diffusion weightings (i.e., b-values). We decompose the spherical mean profile at each voxel into a spherical mean spectrum (SMS), which essentially encodes the fractions of spin packets undergoing fine-to coarse-scale diffusion processes, characterizing restricted and hindered diffusion stemming respectively from intra-and extra-cellular water compartments. From the SMS, multiple orientation distribution invariant indices can be computed, allowing for example the quantification of neurite density, microscopic fractional anisotropy (mu FA), per-axon axial/radial diffusivity, and free/restricted isotropic diffusivity. We show that these indices can be computed for the developing brain for greater sensitivity and specificity to development related changes in tissue microstructure. Also, we demonstrate that our method, called spherical mean spectrum imaging (SMSI), is fast, accurate, and can overcome the biases associated with other state-of-the-art microstructure models.
Neurocognitive impairment in the deficit subtype of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by numerous diverse signs and symptoms. Individuals with prominent, persistent, and idiopathic negative symptoms are thought to encompass a distinct subtype of schizophrenia. Previous work, including studies involving neuropsychological evaluations, has supported this position. The present study sought to further examine whether deficit patients are cognitively distinct from non-deficit patients with schizophrenia. A comprehensive neurocognitive battery including tests of verbal memory, vigilance, processing speed, reasoning, and working memory was administered to 657 patients with schizophrenia. Of these, 144 (22 %) patients were classified as deficit patients using a proxy identification method based on severity, persistence over time, and possible secondary sources (e.g., depression) of negative symptoms. Deficit patients with schizophrenia performed worse on all tests of cognition relative to non-deficit patients. These patients were characterized by a generalized cognitive impairment on the order of about 0.4 standard deviations below that of non-deficit patients. However, when comparing deficit patients to non-deficit patients who also present with negative symptoms, albeit not enduring or primary, no group differences in cognitive performance were found. Furthermore, a discriminant function analysis classifying patients into deficit/non-deficit groups based on cognitive scores demonstrated only 62.3 % accuracy, meaning over one-third of individuals were misclassified. The deficit subtype of schizophrenia is not markedly distinct from non-deficit schizophrenia in terms of neurocognitive performance. While deficit patients tend to have poorer performance on cognitive tests, the magnitude of this effect is relatively modest, translating to over 70 % overlap in scores between groups.
Subpixel Line Localization With Normalized Sums of Gradients and Location Linking With straightness and Omni-Directionality

This paper presents a method to localize line locations with subpixel accuracy and a method to link the locations based on a linking distance. This paper first proposes a subpixel line localization method based on normalized sums of gradients (NSG) calculated by dividing pixel sum of gradients by the sum of gradient lengths within the pixel neighborhood. The proposed NSG method is compared with current state-of-the art based on a Taylor series approximation of intensity surface and the normal vector derived from the Hessian matrix. Comparative experiments for subpixel line localization methods were performed with simulated and natural images and confirmed the proposed subpixel localization method provided superior accuracy and faster localization under most combinations of varying line width and noise strengths than the state-of-the art localization method. The proposed linking method was also designed to have more straightness and omni-directionality than a current state-of-the art method. Experimental comparison of linking methods confirmed the proposed linking method provided superior linking quality than current state-of-the art.
Residents' Perception of a Collaborative Approach with Artists in Culture-Led Urban Regeneration: A Case Study of the Changdong Art Village in Changwon City in Korea

This study asserts that the higher the degree of artists' and residents' participation in a culture-led renewal project, the higher the level of residents' satisfaction. Engaging artist groups and introducing cultural programs can facilitate building a collaborative network between artists and residents. This paper adopts an experimental study method and defines the experimental and control groups as follows: the experimental group (Changwon city) has relatively high artist participation, and the control group (Sacheon, Gimhae, Miryang cities) have relatively low artist involvement. Multiple regression analysis was conducted utilizing 192 valid survey data in R studio software. The significant variables were compared between the experimental group (Model 1) and the control group (Model 2). As a result, the relative effects of "1. experience (or amount) of residents' participation in urban renewal programs", "2. reflection of residents' opinions", and "3. neighborly trust" on "residents' satisfaction with urban regeneration projects and expected outcomes" was shown to be greater in the experimental group. The result implies that the involvement of cultural entities and the operation of arts programs increase residents' will to participate in renewal projects and to build neighborly trust. Further, collection and reflection of residents' opinions about the renewal works were more smoothly completed when mediated by artist participation and using cultural content.
Experimental Models of Mouse and Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Experimental hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an invaluable tool in determining the function and characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from experimental mouse and human donor groups. These groups could include, but are not limited to, genetically altered populations (gene knockout/knockin models), ex vivo manipulated cell populations, or in vivo modulated cell populations. The basic fundamentals of this process involve taking cells from a mouse/human donor source and putting them into another mouse (recipient) after preconditioning of the recipient with either total body irradiation (TBI) for mouse donor cells or into sublethally irradiated immune-deficient mice for human donor cells. Then, at pre-determined time points post-transplant, sampling a small amount of peripheral blood (PB) and at the termination of the evalaution, bone marrow (BM) to determine donor contribution and function by phenotypic analysis. Exploiting the congenic mouse strains of C57BL/6 (CD45.1- CD45.2+), BoyJ (CD45.1+ CD45.2-), and their F1-crossed hybrid C57BL/6 × BoyJ (CD45.1+ CD45.2+), we are able to quantify donor, competitor, and recipient mouse cell contributions to the engraftment state. Human donor cell engraftment (e.g., from the cord blood [CB], mobilized PB, or BM) is assessed by human cell phenotyping in sublethally irradiated immune-deficient mouse recipients (e.g., NOD scid gamma mice that are deficient in B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells and have defective dendritic cells and macrophages). Engraftment of cells from primary mouse recipients into secondary mice allows for an estimation of the self-renewal capacity of the original donor HSC. This chapter outlines concepts, methods, and techniques for mouse and human cell models of HSCT and for assessment of donor cells collected and processed in hypoxia versus ambient air.
An Annotation-Free Restoration Network for Cataractous Fundus Images

Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Restoration algorithms are developed to improve the readability of cataract fundus images in order to increase the certainty in diagnosis and treatment for cataract patients. Unfortunately, the requirement of annotation limits the application of these algorithms in clinics. This paper proposes a network to annotation-freely restore cataractous fundus images (ArcNet) so as to boost the clinical practicability of restoration. Annotations are unnecessary in ArcNet, where the high-frequency component is extracted from fundus images to replace segmentation in the preservation of retinal structures. The restoration model is learned from the synthesized images and adapted to real cataract images. Extensive experiments are implemented to verify the performance and effectiveness of ArcNet. Favorable performance is achieved using ArcNet against state-of-the-art algorithms, and the diagnosis of ocular fundus diseases in cataract patients is promoted by ArcNet. The capability of properly restoring cataractous images in the absence of annotated data promises the proposed algorithm outstanding clinical practicability.
Low-area and accurate inner product and digital filters based on stochastic computing

The inner product is a key operation in various applications, such as signal processing and pattern recognition. Research has shown that this function, when implemented in stochastic computing (SC) domain, can result in significant reduction in area cost and power consumption compared to its equivalent counterpart in the conventional binary-encoded (BE) deterministic computing. However, existing designs of SC inner product are disadvantaged due to high BE-SC conversion circuits, hence high overall area cost. They also suffer from correlation-induced errors that affect their accuracy performance. In this work, we propose a novel inner product design method for the SC domain that has high accuracy, low area cost, and most importantly, the circuit is correlation-insensitive. Experimental results show that the proposed design on average reduces 85.7% of hardware footprint when compared to its equivalent BE counterpart. We show that it outperforms current state-of-the-art SC designs in terms of area savings, both in computation and conversion costs. Furthermore, it achieves better (or comparable) accuracy performance compared to existing works, especially in designs having large number of inputs with low stochastic number lengths. Moreover, SC FIR filter based on the proposed design method outperforms state-of-the-art SC filters in terms of area and accuracy. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Corneal reflections and skin contrast yield better memory of human and virtual faces

Virtual faces have been found to be rated less human-like and remembered worse than photographic images of humans. What it is in virtual faces that yields reduced memory has so far remained unclear. The current study investigated face memory in the context of virtual agent faces and human faces, real and manipulated, considering two factors of predicted influence, i.e., corneal reflections and skin contrast. Corneal reflections referred to the bright points in each eye that occur when the ambient light reflects from the surface of the cornea. Skin contrast referred to the degree to which skin surface is rough versus smooth. We conducted two memory experiments, one with high-quality virtual agent faces (Experiment 1) and the other with the photographs of human faces that were manipulated (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 showed better memory for virtual faces with increased corneal reflections and skin contrast (rougher rather than smoother skin). Experiment 2 replicated these findings, showing that removing the corneal reflections and smoothening the skin reduced memory recognition of manipulated faces, with a stronger effect exerted by the eyes than the skin. This study highlights specific features of the eyes and skin that can help explain memory discrepancies between real and virtual faces and in turn elucidates the factors that play a role in the cognitive processing of faces.
Geometric Occlusion Analysis in Depth Estimation Using Integral Guided Filter for Light-Field Image

Unlike traditional multi-view images, sampling in angular domain of light field images is distributed in different directions. Therefore, an angular sampling image (ASI), comprising of possible matching points extracted from each view, is available for each point. In this paper, we analyze the geometric relationship between ASIs and reference sub-aperture images, and then prove the occlusion boundary similarity. Based on the geometric relationship in extreme cases, we show that some points in ASI have higher reliability than other points for depth calculation. An integral guided filter is then built based on the sub-aperture image to predict occlusion probabilities in ASIs. The filter is independent of ASIs and has no requirement for high angular resolution so that it is easy to apply to the cost volume calculation. We integrate the filter into our depth estimation framework and other state-of-the-art depth estimation frameworks. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed filter is more effective to occluded point detection in ASIs than other methods. Results from different data sets show that our method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art depth estimation methods, especially along occlusion boundaries.
Randomized Trials With Repeatedly Measured Outcomes: Handling Irregular and Potentially Informative Assessment Times

Randomized trials are often designed to collect outcomes at fixed points in time after randomization. In practice, the number and timing of outcome assessments can vary among participants (i.e., irregular assessment). In fact, the timing of assessments may be associated with the outcome of interest (i.e., informative assessment). For example, in a trial evaluating the effectiveness of treatments for major depressive disorder, not only did the timings of outcome assessments vary among participants but symptom scores were associated with assessment frequency. This type of informative observation requires appropriate statistical analysis. Although analytic methods have been developed, they are rarely used. In this article, we review the literature on irregular assessments with a view toward developing recommendations for analyzing trials with irregular and potentially informative assessment times. We show how the choice of analytic approach hinges on assumptions about the relationship between the assessment and outcome processes. We argue that irregular assessment should be treated with the same care as missing data, and we propose that trialists adopt strategies to minimize the extent of irregularity; describe the extent of irregularity in assessment times; make their assumptions about the relationships between assessment times and outcomes explicit; adopt analytic techniques that are appropriate to their assumptions; and assess the sensitivity of trial results to their assumptions.
What happened at 1500-1000 cal. BP in Central Australia? Timing, impact and archaeological signatures

This paper reviews the late Holocene archaeology of Central Australia. The last 1500 years saw significant changes in the archaeological record in this part of the Australian and zone, with shifts in settlement pattern, site histories, resource use, tool inventories and rock art. Much of the evidence points to regional population growth, beginning 1500-1000 cal. BP and coinciding with expansion of summer-rainfall grassland and more frequent palaeoflood events. Hunter-gatherer groups appear to have increased their use of marginal or outlying areas as these became seasonally accessible. Responses to the demographic changes, especially in the better-watered ranges, include more extended occupation of existing sites, more processing of acacia and grass seeds, and an increase in territoriality reflected in the greater differentiation of rock art complexes after 1500 cal. BP. The archaeological changes are not scaled commensurately with the modest environmental shifts at this time, indicating that human-environment interactions were not linear. A human-environment threshold may have been breached 1500-1000 years ago, with existing socio-economic or historical factors acting to amplify the effects of small environmental changes. However, it remains difficult to fully characterize the nature of these human-environment interactions, despite the fine-grained archaeological record now available. An unresolved problem for this emerging picture of climatic amelioration and population growth is that Aboriginal settlement in Central Australia was expanding at a time when ENSO-driven variability appears to have been at its highest.