The risk of radiation-induced second cancer and the late tissue loss due to Off-field doses in radiotherapy remain a serious concern. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is currently one of the most accurate methods for calcu...The risk of radiation-induced second cancer and the late tissue loss due to Off-field doses in radiotherapy remain a serious concern. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is currently one of the most accurate methods for calculating these doses. MC simulation model based on the Particle Simulation Tool (TOPAS) has been developed to simulate the off-field dose of an Elekta Synergy linear accelerator (Linac) emitting 6 MV photons. Measurements were taken in a water phantom using an ionization chamber to validate this model. The Percentage Depth Dose (PDD) at the depth of 0.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 cm from the beam axis for a 10 × 10 cm2 field size was measured and simulated. Off-field dose profiles at the depth of 1.5 (dmax), 5.0 and 10.0 cm for field sizes of 5 × 5, 10 × 10, 15 × 15, and 20 × 20 cm2 respectively were measured and simulated. Comparison of measured and simulated off-field dose values showed a good agreement. The average gamma passing rate of the PDDs and profiles curves for off-field doses were 87.5% and 98.11% respectively. The local dose difference based on the PDD curve between the measured and simulated was less than 6.0 % for all locations. For all field size considered in this study, the average difference between profile curves for off-field dose measured and simulated was 9.1%. PDDs and Profiles curves for off-field dose simulation uncertainties were less than 2.0% and 1.0% respectively. TOPAS-MC simulation model developed is a good representation of our 6 MV Linac Elekta Synergy for assessing off-field dose, which would be the primary cause of some secondary cancers.展开更多
There is a need to reduce the burden of child drop-off and pick-up for child-rearing generations, but most studies on the actual situation in Japan are based on survey results. In this study, we analyzed differences i...There is a need to reduce the burden of child drop-off and pick-up for child-rearing generations, but most studies on the actual situation in Japan are based on survey results. In this study, we analyzed differences in child drop-off and pick-up by employment type and gender, utilizing the “Metropolitan Area Person Trip Survey,” which is a statistical data set. The study targeted households in which both spouses were between 30 and 49 years old, had children under the age of 6, and included the following three groups. 1) Dual-income Group 1 (both spouses employed/on contract/temporary);2) Dual-income Group 2 (husband employed/on contract/temporary, wife part-time);3) Full-time housewife group (husband employed, wife unemployed). The analysis revealed that a) wives are almost always responsible for dropping off and picking up their children;b) husbands drop off and pick up their children less frequently in dual-income households;and c) households with children raising within 10 to 30 km of Tokyo Station have longer commuting times and need to reduce the burden of dropping off and picking up their children.展开更多
Background: Serum albumin, a vital plasma protein, helps maintain intravascular colloidal osmotic pressure, cardiac output, and renal function. Low preoperative serum albumin is linked to poor outcomes, including acut...Background: Serum albumin, a vital plasma protein, helps maintain intravascular colloidal osmotic pressure, cardiac output, and renal function. Low preoperative serum albumin is linked to poor outcomes, including acute kidney injury (AKI), after off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. This study aimed to assess the relationship between preoperative serum albumin levels and early postoperative renal injury. Methods: This prospective comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2019 to February 2021 at the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, Bangladesh. It included 160 adult patients with normal preoperative renal function undergoing OPCAB. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (serum albumin ≥ 4.0 gm/dl) and Group B (serum albumin Results: Preoperative serum albumin was significantly different between groups (Group A: 4.21 ± 0.05 gm/dl, Group B: 3.69 ± 0.04 gm/dl, p = 0.028). Group B had a higher incidence of hypertension (71.25% vs. 51.25%, p st and 3rd postoperative days were higher in Group B (p th day. Postoperative AKI occurred in 18.75% of Group A and 36.25% of Group B. Multivariate regression indicated that low preoperative serum albumin is an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI (p = 0.012, OR = 1.815, CI: 0.675 - 1.162). Conclusion: Preoperative serum albumin level is a valuable predictor of postoperative renal function. Ensuring high normal serum albumin levels before surgery can help minimize the risk of postoperative AKI.展开更多
Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is considered a safer alternative to on-pump surgery, especially in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). Objectives: This study assessed short-...Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is considered a safer alternative to on-pump surgery, especially in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). Objectives: This study assessed short-term outcomes and functional improvements in LVD patients post-OPCAB. Methods: The study included 200 coronary artery disease patients who underwent isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute between January 2019 and June 2020. Patients were categorized into Group 1, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 30% - 39%, and Group 2, with an LVEF of 40% or higher. Echocardiographic assessments of left ventricular dimensions and ejection fraction were performed preoperatively, at discharge, and one month postoperatively. Results: In Group 1, preoperative left ventricular internal dimensions during diastole (LVIDd) and systole (LVIDs) were 53.48 ± 4.40 mm and 44.23 ± 3.93 mm, respectively, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35.28% ± 2.26%. At discharge, these values improved to 51.58 ± 4.04 mm (LVIDd), 41.23 ± 5.30 mm (LVIDs), and 39.25% ± 3.75% (LVEF). One month postoperatively, further improvements were observed: 46.29 ± 3.76 mm (LVIDd), 37.45 ± 3.68 mm (LVIDs), and 43.22% ± 4.67% (LVEF). Group 2 showed similar positive outcomes, with preoperative values of 47.09 ± 5.06 mm (LVIDd), 35.11 ± 5.25 mm (LVIDs), and 50.13% ± 7.25% (LVEF), improving to 42.37 ± 4.18 mm (LVIDd), 31.05 ± 4.19 mm (LVIDs), and 55.33% ± 7.05% (LVEF) at one month postoperatively. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in left ventricular function and NYHA class, with most patients moving from class III/IV to I/II. Complications were minimal, and no mortality was observed. Conclusion: OPCAB is safe and effective for patients with LVEF 30% - 39% and LVEF ≥ 40%, providing significant short-term functional improvements without increased risk.展开更多
This study aims to assess the synergies and trade-offs of regulating ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are non-linearly interconnected and changes in one service can positively or negatively affect another. We ev...This study aims to assess the synergies and trade-offs of regulating ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are non-linearly interconnected and changes in one service can positively or negatively affect another. We evaluated ecosystem services based on biophysical indicators using an expert scoring system that determines the corresponding soil functions and is part of the existing databases available in Slovakia. This methodological combination enabled us to provide unique mapping and assessment of ecosystem services within Slovakia. Correlation analysis between individual regulating ecosystem services and climate regions, slope, texture, and altitude confirm the statistically significant influence of climate and slope in all agricultural land, arable land, and grassland ecosystems. Statistically significant synergistic effects were established between the regulation of the water regime and the regulation of soil erosion within each climate region, apart from the very warm climate region. Only in a very warm climate region was potential of regulating ecosystem services mutually beneficial for soil erosion control and soil cleaning potential (immobilization of inorganic pollutants).展开更多
The development of autonomous vehicles has become one of the greatest research endeavors in recent years. These vehicles rely on many complex systems working in tandem to make decisions. For practical use and safety r...The development of autonomous vehicles has become one of the greatest research endeavors in recent years. These vehicles rely on many complex systems working in tandem to make decisions. For practical use and safety reasons, these systems must not only be accurate, but also quickly detect changes in the surrounding environment. In autonomous vehicle research, the environment perception system is one of the key components of development. Environment perception systems allow the vehicle to understand its surroundings. This is done by using cameras, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), with other sensor systems and modalities. Deep learning computer vision algorithms have been shown to be the strongest tool for translating camera data into accurate and safe traversability decisions regarding the environment surrounding a vehicle. In order for a vehicle to safely traverse an area in real time, these computer vision algorithms must be accurate and have low latency. While much research has studied autonomous driving for traversing well-structured urban environments, limited research exists evaluating perception system improvements in off-road settings. This research aims to investigate the adaptability of several existing deep-learning architectures for semantic segmentation in off-road environments. Previous studies of two Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures are included for comparison with new evaluation of Vision Transformer (ViT) architectures for semantic segmentation. Our results demonstrate viability of ViT architectures for off-road perception systems, having a strong segmentation accuracy, lower inference speed and memory footprint compared to previous results with CNN architectures.展开更多
Amphibian aircraft have seen a rise in popularity in the recreational and utility sectors due to their ability to take off and land on both land and water, thus serving a myriad of purposes, such as aerobatics, survei...Amphibian aircraft have seen a rise in popularity in the recreational and utility sectors due to their ability to take off and land on both land and water, thus serving a myriad of purposes, such as aerobatics, surveillance, and firefighting. Such seaplanes must be aerodynamically and hydrodynamically efficient, particularly during the takeoff phase. Naval architects have long employed innovative techniques to optimize the performance of marine vessels, including incorporating spray rails on hulls. This research paper is dedicated to a comprehensive investigation into the potential utilization of spray rails to enhance the takeoff performance of amphibian aircraft. Several spray rail configurations obtained from naval research were simulated on a bare Seamax M22 amphibian hull to observe an approximate 10% - 25% decrease in water resistance at high speeds alongside a 3% reduction in the takeoff time. This study serves as a motivation to improve the design of the reference airplane hull and a platform for detailed investigations in the future to improve modern amphibian design.展开更多
Patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular events. Our aim in this study was to assess the cut-off value for lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) in CKD patients with a history of cardiova...Patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular events. Our aim in this study was to assess the cut-off value for lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) in CKD patients with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This was a cross-sectional study. Variables including age, sex, history of CVD, body mass index and CKD stage, were collected during CKD patient’s first admission in the nephrology dialysis department. Blood samples were collected for quantitative determination of Lp(a) by immunoturbidimetric method. They were divided into two groups: CKD patients without history of CVD and CKD patients with history of CVD. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess associations with a significance level of 0.05%. Area under the curve (AUC) and new cut-off value for Lp(a) were identified by drawing Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. A total of seventy CKD patients with median age of 43 years [minimum-maximum = 15 - 78 years] were included. Patients with history of CVD were 65.71% (46/70). New Lp(a) cut-off point in CKD patients with history of CVD was 66.50 nmol/L [sensitivity, 87.00%;specificity, 58.30%;AUC = 0.727;p = 0.000]. ROC curve demonstrated good performance of Lp(a) to screen CKD patients with history of CVD. Further research is needed to determine an LPA gene polymorphism’s contribution to increasing risk for CVD at each kidney disease stage.展开更多
Purpose: Myocardial revascularization by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in ischemic heart disease patients has direct impact on hemodynamic parameters in the immediate post-operative period. The peri-operative...Purpose: Myocardial revascularization by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in ischemic heart disease patients has direct impact on hemodynamic parameters in the immediate post-operative period. The peri-operative cardiovascular functioning is an important determinant for outcome of surgery. In On-Pump CABG (ONCAB), the cardiopulmonary bypass has a negative effect on myocardium. Off-Pump CABG (OPCAB) avoids the effect of CPB but complete revascularization with difficult positioning of heart is technically demanding. This study is aimed to compare the cardiovascular functioning in the immediate post-operative period after OPCAB and ONCAB. Methods: Total 106 patients were operated for CABG from January 2015 to June 2016, of which 75 patients were operated for OPCAB and 31 patients were operated for ONCAB. For the comparison, hemodynamic parameters were measured during anesthesia before surgery, postoperatively after 1 and 4 hours (h) in the ICU, and in the morning after surgery, approximately after 20 h. Results: The time-dependent rise of hemodynamic parameters like Cardiac Output (CO), Cardiac Index (CI), Stroke volume (SV) and Left Ventricular Stroke Work Index (LVSWI) in the immediate post-operative hours (1 h and 4 h) are more predominant in OPCAB group than ONCAB group although the difference is eliminated mostly at 20 h. The better peripheral vasodilation after OPCAB causes immediate fall of Systemic Vascular Resistance Index (SVRI) after OPCAB. Conclusion: Better cardiovascular functioning immediately after OPCAB than ONCAB may be important for better hemodynamic stability. The difference is however eliminated after 24 hours indicating little significance in long term outcome.展开更多
This article presents a methodology to determine the risk of aircrafts lateral runway excursion during landing via mathematical risk modeling. In addition, the methodology is demonstrated by means of detailed calculat...This article presents a methodology to determine the risk of aircrafts lateral runway excursion during landing via mathematical risk modeling. In addition, the methodology is demonstrated by means of detailed calculation of the lateral runway excursion risk value during the landing of the aircraft Airbus A310-200, in view of the maximum landing weight and the appropriate range of landing velocities according to the International Civil Aviation Organization specification. Obviously, the calculation demonstrates that the developed math solutions and equations presented herein are powerful tools to evaluate the risk of lateral runway excursion of the majority of aircrafts and for any airport. The method is also applicable to assess the residual level of risk at any specific airport and its deviation compared to the recommended safety level. Consequently, the presented mathematical solutions to determine the risk rate of lateral runway excursion during landing offers airports’ operational and safety management departments a viable tool so that appropriate measurements could be adopted. Finally, it is a methodology not only to assess the risk but also to determine the appropriate runway width.展开更多
Meta-lens are a new type of planar optical element that can flexibly manipulate the phase, polarization and amplitude of the beam, and are currently receiving a great deal of attention as they are easier to process an...Meta-lens are a new type of planar optical element that can flexibly manipulate the phase, polarization and amplitude of the beam, and are currently receiving a great deal of attention as they are easier to process and manufacture. Off-axis meta-lens are a special type of meta-lens with a certain degree of dispersion that can be used as a beam-splitting element, providing a unique and feasible way to realize micro-miniature instruments. We analyze the effects of different numerical apertures and off-axis angles on the spectral resolution, focusing efficiency and simulation results of off-axis meta-lens to provide ideas for subsequent research and application of off-axis meta-lens. A number of off-axis meta-lens with parameters NA = 0.408 α = 13°, NA = 0.18 α = 13°<sup></sup> and NA = 0.408 α = 20° were simulated through Lumerical software. The results show that the off-axis angle is related to the resolution;the larger the angle, the better the spectral resolution but the lower the focusing efficiency;when the numerical aperture is smaller, the smaller the coverage of the phase distribution, which will lead to a larger deviation between simulation and theory. The designer needs to balance the numerical aperture, off-axis angle and other parameters reasonably according to the requirements in order to achieve the desired effect. The findings of this study have important reference values for the theoretical analysis of off-axis meta-lens and the design of parameters in practical applications. .展开更多
Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a surgical procedure that has gained popularity due to its potential benefits over traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, including reduced morbidi...Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a surgical procedure that has gained popularity due to its potential benefits over traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, including reduced morbidity and mortality. However, sternal wound complication (SWC) remains challenging following the procedure. The technique of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) harvesting has been shown to impact the incidence of SWC. This study aimed to compare the incidence of SWC between two techniques of LIMA harvesting, i.e., skeletonized and pedicled. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and included 60 patients who underwent OPCAB. The patients were divided into two groups of 30 each based on the technique of LIMA harvesting used, i.e., skeletonized (group A) or pedicled (group B). The postoperative ICU care was given to each patient as per the protocol. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS version 26.0 for Windows software. Results: The results showed that 5 (8.33%) patients developed SWC, with 1 (1.67%) patient in group A and 4 (6.66%) patients in group B. However, the occurrence of SWC was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.35). The mean age, gender distribution, and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and anemia were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The number of smokers was statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.03), and the occurrence of SWC was found to be higher in smoker patients in group B (p = 0.04). Preoperative and postoperative parameters such as duration of operation, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of chest drains, duration of the central venous line, and amount of postoperative mediastinal bleeding were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The distribution of wound complications, duration of ICU stays, and hospital stay between the two groups was also not statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that the incidence of SWC was less in skeletonized LIMA harvesting than in pedicled LIMA harvesting after OPCAB. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes may be needed to confirm these results and determine the appropriate technique of LIMA harvesting to decrease the incidence of SWC after OPCAB.展开更多
文摘The risk of radiation-induced second cancer and the late tissue loss due to Off-field doses in radiotherapy remain a serious concern. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is currently one of the most accurate methods for calculating these doses. MC simulation model based on the Particle Simulation Tool (TOPAS) has been developed to simulate the off-field dose of an Elekta Synergy linear accelerator (Linac) emitting 6 MV photons. Measurements were taken in a water phantom using an ionization chamber to validate this model. The Percentage Depth Dose (PDD) at the depth of 0.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 cm from the beam axis for a 10 × 10 cm2 field size was measured and simulated. Off-field dose profiles at the depth of 1.5 (dmax), 5.0 and 10.0 cm for field sizes of 5 × 5, 10 × 10, 15 × 15, and 20 × 20 cm2 respectively were measured and simulated. Comparison of measured and simulated off-field dose values showed a good agreement. The average gamma passing rate of the PDDs and profiles curves for off-field doses were 87.5% and 98.11% respectively. The local dose difference based on the PDD curve between the measured and simulated was less than 6.0 % for all locations. For all field size considered in this study, the average difference between profile curves for off-field dose measured and simulated was 9.1%. PDDs and Profiles curves for off-field dose simulation uncertainties were less than 2.0% and 1.0% respectively. TOPAS-MC simulation model developed is a good representation of our 6 MV Linac Elekta Synergy for assessing off-field dose, which would be the primary cause of some secondary cancers.
文摘There is a need to reduce the burden of child drop-off and pick-up for child-rearing generations, but most studies on the actual situation in Japan are based on survey results. In this study, we analyzed differences in child drop-off and pick-up by employment type and gender, utilizing the “Metropolitan Area Person Trip Survey,” which is a statistical data set. The study targeted households in which both spouses were between 30 and 49 years old, had children under the age of 6, and included the following three groups. 1) Dual-income Group 1 (both spouses employed/on contract/temporary);2) Dual-income Group 2 (husband employed/on contract/temporary, wife part-time);3) Full-time housewife group (husband employed, wife unemployed). The analysis revealed that a) wives are almost always responsible for dropping off and picking up their children;b) husbands drop off and pick up their children less frequently in dual-income households;and c) households with children raising within 10 to 30 km of Tokyo Station have longer commuting times and need to reduce the burden of dropping off and picking up their children.
文摘Background: Serum albumin, a vital plasma protein, helps maintain intravascular colloidal osmotic pressure, cardiac output, and renal function. Low preoperative serum albumin is linked to poor outcomes, including acute kidney injury (AKI), after off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. This study aimed to assess the relationship between preoperative serum albumin levels and early postoperative renal injury. Methods: This prospective comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2019 to February 2021 at the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, Bangladesh. It included 160 adult patients with normal preoperative renal function undergoing OPCAB. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (serum albumin ≥ 4.0 gm/dl) and Group B (serum albumin Results: Preoperative serum albumin was significantly different between groups (Group A: 4.21 ± 0.05 gm/dl, Group B: 3.69 ± 0.04 gm/dl, p = 0.028). Group B had a higher incidence of hypertension (71.25% vs. 51.25%, p st and 3rd postoperative days were higher in Group B (p th day. Postoperative AKI occurred in 18.75% of Group A and 36.25% of Group B. Multivariate regression indicated that low preoperative serum albumin is an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI (p = 0.012, OR = 1.815, CI: 0.675 - 1.162). Conclusion: Preoperative serum albumin level is a valuable predictor of postoperative renal function. Ensuring high normal serum albumin levels before surgery can help minimize the risk of postoperative AKI.
文摘Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is considered a safer alternative to on-pump surgery, especially in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). Objectives: This study assessed short-term outcomes and functional improvements in LVD patients post-OPCAB. Methods: The study included 200 coronary artery disease patients who underwent isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute between January 2019 and June 2020. Patients were categorized into Group 1, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 30% - 39%, and Group 2, with an LVEF of 40% or higher. Echocardiographic assessments of left ventricular dimensions and ejection fraction were performed preoperatively, at discharge, and one month postoperatively. Results: In Group 1, preoperative left ventricular internal dimensions during diastole (LVIDd) and systole (LVIDs) were 53.48 ± 4.40 mm and 44.23 ± 3.93 mm, respectively, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35.28% ± 2.26%. At discharge, these values improved to 51.58 ± 4.04 mm (LVIDd), 41.23 ± 5.30 mm (LVIDs), and 39.25% ± 3.75% (LVEF). One month postoperatively, further improvements were observed: 46.29 ± 3.76 mm (LVIDd), 37.45 ± 3.68 mm (LVIDs), and 43.22% ± 4.67% (LVEF). Group 2 showed similar positive outcomes, with preoperative values of 47.09 ± 5.06 mm (LVIDd), 35.11 ± 5.25 mm (LVIDs), and 50.13% ± 7.25% (LVEF), improving to 42.37 ± 4.18 mm (LVIDd), 31.05 ± 4.19 mm (LVIDs), and 55.33% ± 7.05% (LVEF) at one month postoperatively. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in left ventricular function and NYHA class, with most patients moving from class III/IV to I/II. Complications were minimal, and no mortality was observed. Conclusion: OPCAB is safe and effective for patients with LVEF 30% - 39% and LVEF ≥ 40%, providing significant short-term functional improvements without increased risk.
文摘This study aims to assess the synergies and trade-offs of regulating ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are non-linearly interconnected and changes in one service can positively or negatively affect another. We evaluated ecosystem services based on biophysical indicators using an expert scoring system that determines the corresponding soil functions and is part of the existing databases available in Slovakia. This methodological combination enabled us to provide unique mapping and assessment of ecosystem services within Slovakia. Correlation analysis between individual regulating ecosystem services and climate regions, slope, texture, and altitude confirm the statistically significant influence of climate and slope in all agricultural land, arable land, and grassland ecosystems. Statistically significant synergistic effects were established between the regulation of the water regime and the regulation of soil erosion within each climate region, apart from the very warm climate region. Only in a very warm climate region was potential of regulating ecosystem services mutually beneficial for soil erosion control and soil cleaning potential (immobilization of inorganic pollutants).
文摘The development of autonomous vehicles has become one of the greatest research endeavors in recent years. These vehicles rely on many complex systems working in tandem to make decisions. For practical use and safety reasons, these systems must not only be accurate, but also quickly detect changes in the surrounding environment. In autonomous vehicle research, the environment perception system is one of the key components of development. Environment perception systems allow the vehicle to understand its surroundings. This is done by using cameras, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), with other sensor systems and modalities. Deep learning computer vision algorithms have been shown to be the strongest tool for translating camera data into accurate and safe traversability decisions regarding the environment surrounding a vehicle. In order for a vehicle to safely traverse an area in real time, these computer vision algorithms must be accurate and have low latency. While much research has studied autonomous driving for traversing well-structured urban environments, limited research exists evaluating perception system improvements in off-road settings. This research aims to investigate the adaptability of several existing deep-learning architectures for semantic segmentation in off-road environments. Previous studies of two Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures are included for comparison with new evaluation of Vision Transformer (ViT) architectures for semantic segmentation. Our results demonstrate viability of ViT architectures for off-road perception systems, having a strong segmentation accuracy, lower inference speed and memory footprint compared to previous results with CNN architectures.
文摘Amphibian aircraft have seen a rise in popularity in the recreational and utility sectors due to their ability to take off and land on both land and water, thus serving a myriad of purposes, such as aerobatics, surveillance, and firefighting. Such seaplanes must be aerodynamically and hydrodynamically efficient, particularly during the takeoff phase. Naval architects have long employed innovative techniques to optimize the performance of marine vessels, including incorporating spray rails on hulls. This research paper is dedicated to a comprehensive investigation into the potential utilization of spray rails to enhance the takeoff performance of amphibian aircraft. Several spray rail configurations obtained from naval research were simulated on a bare Seamax M22 amphibian hull to observe an approximate 10% - 25% decrease in water resistance at high speeds alongside a 3% reduction in the takeoff time. This study serves as a motivation to improve the design of the reference airplane hull and a platform for detailed investigations in the future to improve modern amphibian design.
文摘Patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular events. Our aim in this study was to assess the cut-off value for lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) in CKD patients with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This was a cross-sectional study. Variables including age, sex, history of CVD, body mass index and CKD stage, were collected during CKD patient’s first admission in the nephrology dialysis department. Blood samples were collected for quantitative determination of Lp(a) by immunoturbidimetric method. They were divided into two groups: CKD patients without history of CVD and CKD patients with history of CVD. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess associations with a significance level of 0.05%. Area under the curve (AUC) and new cut-off value for Lp(a) were identified by drawing Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. A total of seventy CKD patients with median age of 43 years [minimum-maximum = 15 - 78 years] were included. Patients with history of CVD were 65.71% (46/70). New Lp(a) cut-off point in CKD patients with history of CVD was 66.50 nmol/L [sensitivity, 87.00%;specificity, 58.30%;AUC = 0.727;p = 0.000]. ROC curve demonstrated good performance of Lp(a) to screen CKD patients with history of CVD. Further research is needed to determine an LPA gene polymorphism’s contribution to increasing risk for CVD at each kidney disease stage.
文摘Purpose: Myocardial revascularization by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in ischemic heart disease patients has direct impact on hemodynamic parameters in the immediate post-operative period. The peri-operative cardiovascular functioning is an important determinant for outcome of surgery. In On-Pump CABG (ONCAB), the cardiopulmonary bypass has a negative effect on myocardium. Off-Pump CABG (OPCAB) avoids the effect of CPB but complete revascularization with difficult positioning of heart is technically demanding. This study is aimed to compare the cardiovascular functioning in the immediate post-operative period after OPCAB and ONCAB. Methods: Total 106 patients were operated for CABG from January 2015 to June 2016, of which 75 patients were operated for OPCAB and 31 patients were operated for ONCAB. For the comparison, hemodynamic parameters were measured during anesthesia before surgery, postoperatively after 1 and 4 hours (h) in the ICU, and in the morning after surgery, approximately after 20 h. Results: The time-dependent rise of hemodynamic parameters like Cardiac Output (CO), Cardiac Index (CI), Stroke volume (SV) and Left Ventricular Stroke Work Index (LVSWI) in the immediate post-operative hours (1 h and 4 h) are more predominant in OPCAB group than ONCAB group although the difference is eliminated mostly at 20 h. The better peripheral vasodilation after OPCAB causes immediate fall of Systemic Vascular Resistance Index (SVRI) after OPCAB. Conclusion: Better cardiovascular functioning immediately after OPCAB than ONCAB may be important for better hemodynamic stability. The difference is however eliminated after 24 hours indicating little significance in long term outcome.
文摘This article presents a methodology to determine the risk of aircrafts lateral runway excursion during landing via mathematical risk modeling. In addition, the methodology is demonstrated by means of detailed calculation of the lateral runway excursion risk value during the landing of the aircraft Airbus A310-200, in view of the maximum landing weight and the appropriate range of landing velocities according to the International Civil Aviation Organization specification. Obviously, the calculation demonstrates that the developed math solutions and equations presented herein are powerful tools to evaluate the risk of lateral runway excursion of the majority of aircrafts and for any airport. The method is also applicable to assess the residual level of risk at any specific airport and its deviation compared to the recommended safety level. Consequently, the presented mathematical solutions to determine the risk rate of lateral runway excursion during landing offers airports’ operational and safety management departments a viable tool so that appropriate measurements could be adopted. Finally, it is a methodology not only to assess the risk but also to determine the appropriate runway width.
文摘Meta-lens are a new type of planar optical element that can flexibly manipulate the phase, polarization and amplitude of the beam, and are currently receiving a great deal of attention as they are easier to process and manufacture. Off-axis meta-lens are a special type of meta-lens with a certain degree of dispersion that can be used as a beam-splitting element, providing a unique and feasible way to realize micro-miniature instruments. We analyze the effects of different numerical apertures and off-axis angles on the spectral resolution, focusing efficiency and simulation results of off-axis meta-lens to provide ideas for subsequent research and application of off-axis meta-lens. A number of off-axis meta-lens with parameters NA = 0.408 α = 13°, NA = 0.18 α = 13°<sup></sup> and NA = 0.408 α = 20° were simulated through Lumerical software. The results show that the off-axis angle is related to the resolution;the larger the angle, the better the spectral resolution but the lower the focusing efficiency;when the numerical aperture is smaller, the smaller the coverage of the phase distribution, which will lead to a larger deviation between simulation and theory. The designer needs to balance the numerical aperture, off-axis angle and other parameters reasonably according to the requirements in order to achieve the desired effect. The findings of this study have important reference values for the theoretical analysis of off-axis meta-lens and the design of parameters in practical applications. .
文摘Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a surgical procedure that has gained popularity due to its potential benefits over traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, including reduced morbidity and mortality. However, sternal wound complication (SWC) remains challenging following the procedure. The technique of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) harvesting has been shown to impact the incidence of SWC. This study aimed to compare the incidence of SWC between two techniques of LIMA harvesting, i.e., skeletonized and pedicled. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and included 60 patients who underwent OPCAB. The patients were divided into two groups of 30 each based on the technique of LIMA harvesting used, i.e., skeletonized (group A) or pedicled (group B). The postoperative ICU care was given to each patient as per the protocol. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS version 26.0 for Windows software. Results: The results showed that 5 (8.33%) patients developed SWC, with 1 (1.67%) patient in group A and 4 (6.66%) patients in group B. However, the occurrence of SWC was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.35). The mean age, gender distribution, and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and anemia were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The number of smokers was statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.03), and the occurrence of SWC was found to be higher in smoker patients in group B (p = 0.04). Preoperative and postoperative parameters such as duration of operation, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of chest drains, duration of the central venous line, and amount of postoperative mediastinal bleeding were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The distribution of wound complications, duration of ICU stays, and hospital stay between the two groups was also not statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that the incidence of SWC was less in skeletonized LIMA harvesting than in pedicled LIMA harvesting after OPCAB. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes may be needed to confirm these results and determine the appropriate technique of LIMA harvesting to decrease the incidence of SWC after OPCAB.
