Prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections among various donor groups:A comparative analysis

BACKGROUND Transfusion transmissible infections(TTIs)are illnesses spread through contaminated blood or blood products.In India,screening for TTIs such as hepatitis B virus(HBV),hepatitis C virus(HCV),human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-I/II,malaria,and syphilis is mandatory before blood transfusions.Worldwide,HCV,HBV,and HIV are the leading viruses causing mortality,affecting millions of people globally,including those with co-infections of HIV/HCV and HIV/HBV.Studies highlight the impact of TTIs on life expectancy and health risks,such as liver cirrhosis,cancer,and other diseases in individuals with chronic HBV.Globally,millions of blood donations take place annually,emphasizing the importance of maintaining blood safety.AIM To study the prevalence of TTIs,viz.,HBV,HCV,HIV I/II,syphilis,and malaria parasite(MP),among different blood donor groups.METHODS The study assessed the prevalence of TTIs among different blood donor groups in Delhi,India.Groups included total donors,in-house donors,total camp donors,institutional camp donors,and community camp donors.Tests for HIV,HBV,and HCV were done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,while syphilis was tested with rapid plasma reagins and MP rapid card methods.The prevalence of HBV,HCV,HIV,and syphilis,expressed as percentages.Differences in infection rates between the groups were analyzed usingχ²tests and P-values(less than 0.05).RESULTS The study evaluated TTIs among 42158 blood donors in Delhi.The overall cumulative frequency of TTIs in total blood donors was 2.071%,and the frequencies of HBV,HCV,HIV-I/II,venereal disease research laboratory,and MP were 1.048%,0.425%,0.221%,0.377%,and 0.0024%,respectively.In-house donors,representing 37656 donors,had the highest transfusion transmissible infection(TTI)prevalence at 2.167%.Among total camp donors(4502 donors),TTIs were identified in 1.266%of donors,while community camp donors(2439 donors)exhibited a prevalence of 1.558%.Institutional camp donors(2063 donors)had the lowest TTI prevalence at 0.921%.Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in overall TTI prevalence,with total and in-house donors exhibiting higher rates compared to camp donors.CONCLUSION Ongoing monitoring and effective screening programs are essential for minimizing TTIs.Customizing blood safety measures for different donor groups and studying socio-economic-health factors is essential to improving blood safety.

Finite element model updating for structural damage detection using transmissibility data

This paper presents a new finite element model updating method for estimating structural parameters and detecting structural damage location and severity based on the structural responses(output-only data).The method uses the sensitivity relation of transmissibility data through a least-squares algorithm and appropriate normalization of the extracted equations.The proposed transmissibility-based sensitivity equation produces a more significant number of equations than the sensitivity equations based on the frequency response function(FRF),which can estimate the structural parameters with higher accuracy.The abilities of the proposed method are assessed by using numerical data of a two-story two-bay frame model and a plate structure model.In evaluating different damage cases,the number,location,and stiffness reduction of the damaged elements and the severity of the simulated damage have been accurately identified.The reliability and stability of the presented method against measurement and modeling errors are examined using error-contaminated data.The parameter estimation results prove the method’s capabilities as an accurate model updating algorithm.

Reducing force transmissibility in multiple degrees of freedom structures through anti-symmetric nonlinear viscous damping

In the present study, the Volterra series theory is adopted to theoretically investigate the force transmissibility of multiple degrees of freedom （MDOF） structures, in which an isolator with nonlinear anti-symmetric viscous damping is assembled. The results reveal that the anti-symmetric nonlinear viscous damping can significantly reduce the force trans- missibility over all resonance regions for MDOF structures with little effect on the transmissibility over non-resonant and isolation regions. The results indicate that the vibration isolators with an anti-symmetric damping characteristic have great potential to solve the dilemma occurring in the design of linear viscously damped vibration isolators where an increase of the damping level reduces the force transmissibility over resonant frequencies but increases the transmissibility over non-resonant frequency regions. This work is an extension of a previous study in which MDOF structures installed on the mount through an isolator with cubic nonlinear damping are considered. The theoretical analysis results are also verified by simulation studies.

Real-Time 4-Mode MDM Transmission Using Commercial 400G OTN Transceivers and All-Fiber Mode Multiplexers

Weakly-coupled mode division multiplexing(MDM)technique is considered a promising candidate to enhance the capacity of an optical transmission system,in which mode multiplexers/demultiplexers(MMUX/MDEMUX)with low insertion loss and modal crosstalk are the key components.In this paper,a low-modal-crosstalk 4-mode MMUX/MDEMUX for the weakly-coupled triple-ring-core few-mode fiber(TRC-FMF)is designed and fabricated with side-polishing processing.The measurement results show that a pair of MMUX/MDEMUX and 25 km weakly-coupled TRC-FMF MDM link achieve low modal crosstalk of lower than−17.5 dB and insertion loss of lower than 11.56 dB for all the four modes.Based on the TRC-FMF and all-fiber MMUX/MDEMUX,an experiment for 25 km real-time 4-mode 3-λwavelength division multiplexing(WDM)-MDM transmission is conducted using commercial 400G optical transport network(OTN)transceivers.The experimental results prove weakly-coupled MDM techniques facilitate a smooth upgrade of the optical transmission system.

Mother-to-Child Transmission of Human Papillomavirus in Burkina Faso

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most widespread sexually transmitted infection in the world. Today, there is growing evidence that HPV can be transmitted early in life, and one potential route is mother-to-child transmission. Data on this route of HPV transmission are scarce in Africa and particularly in Burkina Faso, where no data on the subject are yet available. The aim of our study was to estimate the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HPV infection and to identify circulating genotypes. Methodology: Cervico-uterine samples were collected from 100 full-term pregnant women and, buccal samples were obtained from their newborns at Hopital Saint Camille de Ouagadougou (HOSCO) by the specialist physician. HPV DNA amplification and genotyping were performed by PCR followed by hybridization using the HPV Direct Flow Chips kit, detecting 36 genotypes including 18 high-risk and 18 low-risk. Results: The prevalence of HPV in newborns was 8% (8/100). Six (6) HPV-positive neonates had HPV-positive mothers, while 2 HPV-positive neonates had HPV-negative mothers. The vertical transmission rate was 26.09% (6/23). Mother-newborn genotypes were concordant. However, the genotype profile of the newborns was more restricted than that of the mothers. Conclusion: HPV DNA was found in 8% of newborns in our study. The genotype profile of the mother-newborn pair was concordant. Asymptomatic HPV infection in a pregnant woman could constitute a risk factor for vertical transmission.

Effects of cross-Kerr coupling on transmission spectrum of double-cavity optomechanical system

We theoretically study the transmission spectrum of the cavity field in a double-cavity optomechanical system with cross-Kerr(CK) effect. The system consists of two tunneling coupling optomechanical cavities with a mechanical resonator as a coupling interface. By doping CK medium into the mechanical resonator, CK couplings between the cavity fields and the mechanical resonator are introduced. We investigate the effects of CK coupling strength on the transmission spectrum of the cavity field, including the transmission rate, nonreciprocity and four-wave mixing(FWM). We find that the transmission spectrum of the probe field can show two obvious transparent windows, which can be widened by increasing the CK coupling strength. For the transmission between the two cavity fields, the perfect nonreciprocity and reciprocity are present and modulated by CK coupling and phase difference between two effective optomechanical couplings. In addition, the effects of the optomechanical and CK couplings on FWM show that the single peak of FWM is split into three symmetrical peaks due to the introduction of the CK effect.

Revealing the microstructures of metal halide perovskite thin films via advancedtransmission electron microscopy

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are excellent semiconductors that have led to breakthroughs in applications in thinfilmsolar cells, detectors, and light-emitting diodes due to their remarkable optoelectronic properties and defect tolerance.However, the performance and stability of MHP-based devices are significantly influenced by their microstructures includingthe formation of defects, composition fluctuations, structural inhomogeneity, etc. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) is a powerful tool for direct observation of microstructure at the atomic-scale resolution and has been used to correlatethe microstructure and performance of MHP-based devices. In this review, we highlight the application of TEMtechniques in revealing the microstructures of MHP thin films at the atomic scale. The results provide critical understandingof the performance of MHP devices and guide the design of strategies for improving the performance and stability ofMHP devices.

Crack Localization Using Transmissibility of Operational Deflection Shape and Its Application in Cantilever Beam

Due to the nonlinearity of breathing crack, cracked structure under excitation of a single frequency always generates higher harmonic components. In this paper, operational deflection shape (ODS) at excitation frequency and its higher harmonic components are used to map the deflection pattern of cracked structure. While ODS is sensitive to local variation of structure in nature, a new concept named transmissibility of operational deflection shape (TODS) has been defined for crack localization using beam-like structure. The transmissibility indicates the energy transfer from basic frequency to higher frequency. Then, Teager energy operator (TEO) is employed as a singularity detector to reveal and characterize the features of TODS. Numerical and experimental analysis in cantilever beam show that TODS has strong sensitivity to crack and can locate the crack correctly.

Intergeneric chromosome-specific painting reveals differential chromosomal transmission from Tripidium arundinaceum in sugarcane progeny

Sugarcane has recently attracted increasing attention for its potential as a source of sugar and bioethanol,so increasing its yield is essential to ensure the sugar security and bioenergy production.Intergeneric hybridization is a highly efficient method to produce new genetic variants of crop plants,particularly those species with high ploidy such as sugarcane(Saccharum spp.).Tripidium arundinaceum exhibits many desirable agronomic traits,and has been widely studied to produce hybrids with improved stress tolerance and other characteristics in sugarcane breeding.However,the genetic relationship between T.arundinaceum and Saccharum species,and the individual T.arundinaceum chromosomal compositions in sugarcane hybrids are still elusive.Here we used whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)to ascertain the phylogenetic relationships between these species and found that T.arundinaceum is more closely related to Saccharum than Sorghum,in contrast to the previous narrow genetic analyses using chloroplast DNA.Additionally,oligonucleotide(oligo)-based chromosome-specific painting derived from Saccharum officinarum was able to distinctly identify the chromosomes of T.arundinaceum.We developed the oligo-genomic in situ hybridization(GISH)system for the first time,to unveil the novel chromosome translocations and the transmission of individual T.arundinaceum chromosomes in sugarcane progeny.Notably,we discovered that the chromosomal transmission of T.arundinaceum exhibited several different inheritance modes,including n,2n,and over 2n in the BC1 progenies.Such inheritance patterns may have resulted from first division restitution(FDR)or FDR+nondisjunction of a chromosome with the sister chromatids in the second meiosis division/second division restitution(FDR+NSC/SDR)model during meiosis.These results will be of substantial benefit for the further selection of T.arundinaceum chromosomes for sugarcane genetic improvement.

An Encode-and CRT-Based Scalability Scheme for Optimizing Transmission in Blockchain

Blockchain technology has witnessed a burgeoning integration into diverse realms of economic and societal development.Nevertheless,scalability challenges,characterized by diminished broadcast efficiency,heightened communication overhead,and escalated storage costs,have significantly constrained the broad-scale application of blockchain.This paper introduces a novel Encode-and CRT-based Scalability Scheme(ECSS),meticulously refined to enhance both block broadcasting and storage.Primarily,ECSS categorizes nodes into distinct domains,thereby reducing the network diameter and augmenting transmission efficiency.Secondly,ECSS streamlines block transmission through a compact block protocol and robust RS coding,which not only reduces the size of broadcasted blocks but also ensures transmission reliability.Finally,ECSS utilizes the Chinese remainder theorem,designating the block body as the compression target and mapping it to multiple modules to achieve efficient storage,thereby alleviating the storage burdens on nodes.To evaluate ECSS’s performance,we established an experimental platformand conducted comprehensive assessments.Empirical results demonstrate that ECSS attains superior network scalability and stability,reducing communication overhead by an impressive 72% and total storage costs by a substantial 63.6%.

Effects of anti-symmetric nonlinear viscous damping on the force transmissibility of multi-degree of freedom structures

In the present study, the concept of the output frequency response function is applied to theoretically investigate the force transmissibility of multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) structures with a nonlinear anti-symmetric viscous damping. The results reveal that an anti-symmetric nonlinear viscous damping can significantly reduce the transmissibility over all resonance regions for MDOF structures while it has almost no effect on the transmissibility over non-resonant and isolation regions. The results indicate that the vibration isolators with an anti-symmetric damping characteristic have great potential to overcome the dilemma in the design of linear viscously damped vibration isolators where an increase of the damping level reduces the force transmissibility over resonant region but increases the transmissibility over non-resonant regions.

Age of Loop Information with Flexible Transmission Enabled Communication and Control Co-Design in Industrial IoT

Precise and low-latency information transmission through communication systems is essential in the Industrial Internet of Things(IIoT).However,in an industrial system,there is always a coupling relationship between the control and communication components.To improve the system's overall performance,exploring the co-design of communication and control systems is crucial.In this work,we propose a new metric±Age of Loop Information with Flexible Transmission(AoLI-FT),which dynamically adjusts the maximum number of uplink(UL)and downlink(DL)transmission rounds,thus enhancing reliability while ensuring timeliness.Our goal is to explore the relationship between AoLI-FT,reliability,and control convergence rate,and to design optimal blocklengths for UL and DL that achieve the desired control convergence rate.To address this issue,we first derive a closed-form expression for the upper bound of AoLI-FT.Subsequently,we establish a relationship between communication reliability and control convergence rates using a Lyapunov-like function.Finally,we introduce an iterative alternating algorithm to determine the optimal communication and control parameters.The numerical results demonstrate the significant performance advantages of our proposed communication and control co-design strategy in terms of latency and control cost.

Variational Learned Talking-Head Semantic Coded Transmission System

Video transmission requires considerable bandwidth,and current widely employed schemes prove inadequate when confronted with scenes featuring prominently.Motivated by the strides in talkinghead generative technology,the paper introduces a semantic transmission system tailored for talking-head videos.The system captures semantic information from talking-head video and faithfully reconstructs source video at the receiver,only one-shot reference frame and compact semantic features are required for the entire transmission.Specifically,we analyze video semantics in the pixel domain frame-by-frame and jointly process multi-frame semantic information to seamlessly incorporate spatial and temporal information.Variational modeling is utilized to evaluate the diversity of importance among group semantics,thereby guiding bandwidth resource allocation for semantics to enhance system efficiency.The whole endto-end system is modeled as an optimization problem and equivalent to acquiring optimal rate-distortion performance.We evaluate our system on both reference frame and video transmission,experimental results demonstrate that our system can improve the efficiency and robustness of communications.Compared to the classical approaches,our system can save over 90%of bandwidth when user perception is close.

A semantic segmentation-based underwater acoustic image transmission framework for cooperative SLAM

With the development of underwater sonar detection technology,simultaneous localization and mapping(SLAM)approach has attracted much attention in underwater navigation field in recent years.But the weak detection ability of a single vehicle limits the SLAM performance in wide areas.Thereby,cooperative SLAM using multiple vehicles has become an important research direction.The key factor of cooperative SLAM is timely and efficient sonar image transmission among underwater vehicles.However,the limited bandwidth of underwater acoustic channels contradicts a large amount of sonar image data.It is essential to compress the images before transmission.Recently,deep neural networks have great value in image compression by virtue of the powerful learning ability of neural networks,but the existing sonar image compression methods based on neural network usually focus on the pixel-level information without the semantic-level information.In this paper,we propose a novel underwater acoustic transmission scheme called UAT-SSIC that includes semantic segmentation-based sonar image compression(SSIC)framework and the joint source-channel codec,to improve the accuracy of the semantic information of the reconstructed sonar image at the receiver.The SSIC framework consists of Auto-Encoder structure-based sonar image compression network,which is measured by a semantic segmentation network's residual.Considering that sonar images have the characteristics of blurred target edges,the semantic segmentation network used a special dilated convolution neural network(DiCNN)to enhance segmentation accuracy by expanding the range of receptive fields.The joint source-channel codec with unequal error protection is proposed that adjusts the power level of the transmitted data,which deal with sonar image transmission error caused by the serious underwater acoustic channel.Experiment results demonstrate that our method preserves more semantic information,with advantages over existing methods at the same compression ratio.It also improves the error tolerance and packet loss resistance of transmission.

Inferring Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Drug Resistance and Transmission using Whole-genome Sequencing in a High TB-burden Setting in China

Objective China is among the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis(TB)worldwide,and TB remains a public health concern.Kashgar Prefecture in the southern Xinjiang Autonomous Region is considered as one of the highest TB burden regions in China.However,molecular epidemiological studies of Kashgar are lacking.Methods A population-based retrospective study was conducted using whole-genome sequencing(WGS)to determine the characteristics of drug resistance and the transmission patterns.Results A total of 1,668 isolates collected in 2020 were classified into lineages 2(46.0%),3(27.5%),and 4(26.5%).The drug resistance rates revealed by WGS showed that the top three drugs in terms of the resistance rate were isoniazid(7.4%,124/1,668),streptomycin(6.0%,100/1,668),and rifampicin(3.3%,55/1,668).The rate of rifampicin resistance was 1.8%(23/1,290)in the new cases and 9.4%(32/340)in the previously treated cases.Known resistance mutations were detected more frequently in lineage 2 strains than in lineage 3 or 4 strains,respectively:18.6%vs.8.7 or 9%,P<0.001.The estimated proportion of recent transmissions was 25.9%(432/1,668).Multivariate logistic analyses indicated that sex,age,occupation,lineage,and drug resistance were the risk factors for recent transmission.Despite the low rate of drug resistance,drug-resistant strains had a higher risk of recent transmission than the susceptible strains(adjusted odds ratio,1.414;95%CI,1.023–1.954;P=0.036).Among all patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis(DR-TB),78.4%(171/218)were attributed to the transmission of DR-TB strains.Conclusion Our results suggest that drug-resistant strains are more transmissible than susceptible strains and that transmission is the major driving force of the current DR-TB epidemic in Kashgar.

All-trans retinoic acid alleviates transmissible gastroenteritis virus-induced intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction in weaned piglets

Background Transmissible gastroenteritis virus(TGEV)is one of the main pathogens causing severe diarrhea of pig-lets.The pathogenesis of TGEV is closely related to intestinal inflammation.All-trans retinoic acid(ATRA)is the main active metabolite of vitamin A,which has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.However,it is unclear whether ATRA can alleviate TGEV-induced intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction in piglets.This study aimed to investigate the effects of ATRA on growth performance,diarrhea,intestinal inflammation and intesti-nal barrier integrity of TGEV-challenged piglets.Methods In a 19-d study,32 weaned piglets were randomly divided into 4 treatments:Control group(basal diet),TGEV group(basal diet+TGEV challenge),TGEV+ATRA5 group(basal diet+5 mg/d ATRA+TGEV challenge)and TGEV+ATRA15 group(basal diet+15 mg/d ATRA+TGEV challenge).On d 14,piglets were orally administered TGEV or the sterile medium.Results Feeding piglets with 5 and 15 mg/d ATRA alleviated the growth inhibition and diarrhea induced by TGEV(P<0.05).Feeding piglets with 5 and 15 mg/d ATRA also inhibited the increase of serum diamine oxidase(DAO)activ-ity and the decrease of occludin and claudin-1 protein levels in jejunal mucosa induced by TGEV,and maintained intestinal barrier integrity(P<0.05).Meanwhile,5 mg/d ATRA feeding increased the sucrase activity and the expres-sions of nutrient transporter related genes(GLUT2 and SLC7A1)in jejunal mucosa of TGEV-challenged piglets(P<0.05).Furthermore,5 mg/d ATRA feeding attenuated TGEV-induced intestinal inflammatory response by inhibit-ing the release of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and promoting the secretion of IL-10 and secretory immunoglobulin A(sIgA)(P<0.05).Feeding 5 mg/d ATRA also down-regulated the expressions of Toll-like receptors and RIG-I like receptors signaling pathway related genes(TLR3,TLR4,RIG-I,MyD88,TRIF and MAVS)and the phosphorylation level of nuclear factor-κB-p65(NF-κB p65),and up-regulated the inhibitor kappa B alpha(IκBα)protein level in jejunal mucosa of TGEV-challenged piglets(P<0.05).Conclusions ATRA alleviated TGEV-induced intestinal barrier damage by inhibiting inflammatory response,thus improving the growth performance and inhibiting diarrhea of piglets.The mechanism was associated with the inhibi-tion of NF-κB signaling pathway mediated by TLR3,TLR4 and RIG-I.

A Novel Fractional Dengue Transmission Model in the Presence of Wolbachia Using Stochastic Based Artificial Neural Network

The purpose of this research work is to investigate the numerical solutions of the fractional dengue transmission model(FDTM)in the presence of Wolbachia using the stochastic-based Levenberg-Marquardt neural network(LM-NN)technique.The fractional dengue transmission model(FDTM)consists of 12 compartments.The human population is divided into four compartments;susceptible humans(S_(h)),exposed humans(E_(h)),infectious humans(I_(h)),and recovered humans(R_(h)).Wolbachia-infected and Wolbachia-uninfected mosquito population is also divided into four compartments:aquatic(eggs,larvae,pupae),susceptible,exposed,and infectious.We investigated three different cases of vertical transmission probability(η),namely when Wolbachia-free mosquitoes persist only(η=0.6),when both types of mosquitoes persist(η=0.8),and when Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes persist only(η=1).The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Wolbachia in reducing dengue and presenting the numerical results by using the stochastic structure LM-NN approach with 10 hidden layers of neurons for three different cases of the fractional order derivatives(α=0.4,0.6,0.8).LM-NN approach includes a training,validation,and testing procedure to minimize the mean square error(MSE)values using the reference dataset(obtained by solving the model using the Adams-Bashforth-Moulton method(ABM).The distribution of data is 80% data for training,10% for validation,and,10% for testing purpose)results.A comprehensive investigation is accessible to observe the competence,precision,capacity,and efficiency of the suggested LM-NN approach by executing the MSE,state transitions findings,and regression analysis.The effectiveness of the LM-NN approach for solving the FDTM is demonstrated by the overlap of the findings with trustworthy measures,which achieves a precision of up to 10^(-4).

Review of the Configuration and Transient Stability of Large-scale Renewable Energy Generation through Hybrid DC Transmission

Based on the complementary advantages of Line Commutated Converter(LCC)and Modular Multilevel Converter(MMC)in power grid applications,there are two types of hybrid DC system topologies:one is the parallel connection of LCC converter stations and MMC converter stations,and the other is the series connection of LCC and MMC converter stations within a single station.The hybrid DC transmission system faces broad application prospects and development potential in large-scale clean energy integration across regions and the construction of a new power system dominated by new energy sources in China.This paper first analyzes the system forms and topological characteristics of hybrid DC transmission,introducing the forms and topological characteristics of converter-level hybrid DC transmission systems and system-level hybrid DC transmission systems.Next,it analyzes the operating characteristics of LCC and MMC inverter-level hybrid DC transmission systems,provides insights into the transient stability of hybrid DC transmission systems,and typical fault ride-through control strategies.Finally,it summarizes the networking characteristics of the LCC-MMC series within the converter station hybrid DC transmission system,studies the transient characteristics and fault ridethrough control strategies under different fault types for the LCC-MMC series in the receiving-end converter station,and investigates the transient characteristics and fault ride-through control strategies under different fault types for the LCC-MMC series in the sending-end converter station.

Dynamics of information diffusion and disease transmission in time-varying multiplex networks with asymmetric activity levels

While the interaction between information and disease in static networks has been extensively investigated,many studies have ignored the characteristics of network evolution.In this study,we construct a new two-layer coupling model to explore the interactions between information and disease.The upper layer describes the diffusion of disease-related information,and the lower layer represents the disease transmission.We then use power-law distributions to examine the influence of asymmetric activity levels on dynamic propagation,revealing a mapping relationship characterizing the interconnected propagation of information and diseases among partial nodes within the network.Subsequently,we derive the disease outbreak threshold by using the microscopic Markov-chain approach(MMCA).Finally,we perform extensive Monte Carlo(MC)numerical simulations to verify the accuracy of our theoretical results.Our findings indicate that the activity levels of individuals in the disease transmission layer have a more significant influence on disease transmission compared with the individual activity levels in the information diffusion layer.Moreover,reducing the damping factor can delay disease outbreaks and suppress disease transmission,while improving individual quarantine measures can contribute positively to disease control.This study provides valuable insights into policymakers for developing outbreak prevention and control strategies.

Semantic segmentation-based semantic communication system for image transmission

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the widespread use of the Internet of Things, semantic communication, as an emerging communication paradigm, has been attracting great interest. Taking image transmission as an example, from the semantic communication's view, not all pixels in the images are equally important for certain receivers. The existing semantic communication systems directly perform semantic encoding and decoding on the whole image, in which the region of interest cannot be identified. In this paper, we propose a novel semantic communication system for image transmission that can distinguish between Regions Of Interest (ROI) and Regions Of Non-Interest (RONI) based on semantic segmentation, where a semantic segmentation algorithm is used to classify each pixel of the image and distinguish ROI and RONI. The system also enables high-quality transmission of ROI with lower communication overheads by transmissions through different semantic communication networks with different bandwidth requirements. An improved metric θPSNR is proposed to evaluate the transmission accuracy of the novel semantic transmission network. Experimental results show that our proposed system achieves a significant performance improvement compared with existing approaches, namely, existing semantic communication approaches and the conventional approach without semantics.