A Deep Learning Approach for Crowd Counting in Highly Congested Scene

With the rapid progress of deep convolutional neural networks,several applications of crowd counting have been proposed and explored in the literature.In congested scene monitoring,a variety of crowd density estimating approaches has been developed.The understanding of highly congested scenes for crowd counting during Muslim gatherings of Hajj and Umrah is a challenging task,as a large number of individuals stand nearby and,it is hard for detection techniques to recognize them,as the crowd can vary from low density to high density.To deal with such highly congested scenes,we have proposed the Congested Scene Crowd Counting Network(CSCC-Net)using VGG-16 as a core network with its first ten layers due to its strong and robust transfer learning rate.A hole dilated convolutional neural network is used at the back end to widen the relevant field to extract a large range of information from the image without losing its original resolution.The dilated convolution neural network is mainly chosen to expand the kernel size without changing other parameters.Moreover,several loss functions have been applied to strengthen the evaluation accuracy of the model.Finally,the entire experiments have been evaluated using prominent data sets namely,ShanghaiTech parts A,B,UCF_CC_50,and UCF_QNRF.Our model has achieved remarkable results i.e.,68.0 and 9.0 MAE on ShanghaiTech parts A,B,199.1 MAE on UCF_CC_50,and 99.8 on UCF_QNRF data sets respectively.

The Dilemma of “Backward Countryside” and “Congested City” to Be Tackled

Statistics shed light on a tremendous imbalance inherent inChina’s urbanization process.Secondary and tertiary industriesmake up the lion’s share of GDP with figures of48.9%and39.4%respectively,while the primary industry only accounts for11.7%.By this measure,China can be said to be an industrializedcountry,or at least to have entered the intermediate phase ofindustrialization.In terms of demographic composition,

Heat shock protein 72 normothermic ischemia,and the impact of congested portal blood reperfusion on rat liver

INTRODUCTIONFrom the technical aspect of liver surgery ,control of bleeding during hepatic parenchymal resection is one of the most important procedures in hepatectomy .Pringle,s maneuver ,a temporary cross-clamping of the hepatoduodnal ligament ,has often been used for this purpose[1],This is the simplest and userul technique to reduce intraoperative blood loss .

Identify Congested Links Based on Enlarged State Space

When paths share a common congested link, they will all suffer from a performance degradation. Boolean tomography exploits these performance-level correlations between different paths to identify the congested links. It is clear that the congestion of a path will be distinctly intensive when it traverses multiple congested links. We adopt an enlarged state space model to mirror different congestion levels and employ a system of integer equations, instead of Boolean equations, to describe relationships between the path states and the link states. We recast the problem of identifying congested links into a constraint optimization problem, including Boolean tomography as a special case. For a logical tree, we propose an up-to-bottom algorithm and prove that it always achieves a solution to the problem. Compared with existing algorithms, the simulation results show that our proposed algorithm achieves a higher detection rate while keeping a low false positive rate.

Venous Doppler flow patterns,venous congestion,heart disease and renal dysfunction:A complex liaison

The World Journal of Cardiology published an article written by Kuwahara et al that we take the pleasure to comment on.We focused our attention on venous congestion.In intensive care settings,it is now widely accepted that venous congestion is an important clinical feature worthy of investigation.Evaluating venous Doppler profile abnormalities at multiple sites could suggest adequate treatment and monitor its efficacy.Renal dysfunction could trigger or worsen fluid overload in heart disease,and cardio-renal syndrome is a well-characterized spectrum of disorders describing the complex interactions between heart and kidney diseases.Fluid overload and venous congestion,including renal venous hypertension,are major determinants of acute and chronic renal dysfunction arising in heart disease.Organ congestion from venous hypertension could be involved in the development of organ injury in several clinical situations,such as critical diseases,congestive heart failure,and chronic kidney disease.Ultrasonography and abnormal Doppler flow patterns diagnose clinically significant systemic venous congestion.Cardiologists and nephrologists might use this valuable,noninvasive,bedside diagnostic tool to establish fluid status and guide clinical choices.

Ultrasound unveiling:Decoding venous congestion in heart failure for precision management of fluid status

This editorial discusses the manuscript by Di Maria et al,published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Cardiology.We here focus on the still elusive pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cardio-renal syndrome(CRS),despite its high prevalence and the substantial worsening of both kidney function and heart failure.While the measure of right atrial pressure through right cardiac catheterization remains the most accurate albeit invasive and costly procedure,integrating bedside ultrasound into diagnostic protocols may substantially enhance the staging of venous congestion and guide therapeutic decisions.In particular,with the assessment of Doppler patterns across multiple venous districts,the Venous Excess Ultrasound(VExUS)score improves the management of fluid overload and provides insight into the underlying factors contributing to cardio-renal interactions.Integrating specific echocardiographic parameters,particularly those concerning the right heart,may thus improve the VExUS score sensitivity,offering perspective into the nuanced comprehension of cardio-renal dynamics.A multidisciplinary approach that consistently incorporates the use of ultrasound is emerging as a promising advance in the understanding and management of CRS.

Real-Time Prediction of Urban Traffic Problems Based on Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Mobile Ad Hoc Networks(MANETS)

Traffic in today’s cities is a serious problem that increases travel times,negatively affects the environment,and drains financial resources.This study presents an Artificial Intelligence(AI)augmentedMobile Ad Hoc Networks(MANETs)based real-time prediction paradigm for urban traffic challenges.MANETs are wireless networks that are based on mobile devices and may self-organize.The distributed nature of MANETs and the power of AI approaches are leveraged in this framework to provide reliable and timely traffic congestion forecasts.This study suggests a unique Chaotic Spatial Fuzzy Polynomial Neural Network(CSFPNN)technique to assess real-time data acquired from various sources within theMANETs.The framework uses the proposed approach to learn from the data and create predictionmodels to detect possible traffic problems and their severity in real time.Real-time traffic prediction allows for proactive actions like resource allocation,dynamic route advice,and traffic signal optimization to reduce congestion.The framework supports effective decision-making,decreases travel time,lowers fuel use,and enhances overall urban mobility by giving timely information to pedestrians,drivers,and urban planners.Extensive simulations and real-world datasets are used to test the proposed framework’s prediction accuracy,responsiveness,and scalability.Experimental results show that the suggested framework successfully anticipates urban traffic issues in real-time,enables proactive traffic management,and aids in creating smarter,more sustainable cities.

Portal vein pulsatility:An important sonographic tool assessment of systemic congestion for critical ill patients

In this editorial we comment on the article by Kuwahara et al,published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Cardiology.In this interesting paper,the authors showed a correlation between portal vein pulsatility ratio,examined by bedside ultrasonography,and prognosis of hospitalized patients with acute heart failure.Systemic congestion is being notoriously underdetected in the acutely ill population with conventional methods like clinical examination,biomarkers,central venous pressure estimation and X-rays.However,congestion should be a key therapeutic target due to its deleterious effects to end organ function and subsequently patient prognosis.Doppler flow assessment of the abdominal veins is gaining popularity worldwide,as a valuable tool in estimating comprehensively congestion and giving a further insight into hemodynamics and patient management.

Sound waves and solutions:Point-of-care ultrasonography for acute kidney injury in cirrhosis

This article delves into the intricate challenges of acute kidney injury(AKI)in cirrhosis,a condition fraught with high morbidity and mortality.The complexities arise from distinguishing between various causes of AKI,particularly hemodynamic AKI,in cirrhotic patients,who experience hemodynamic changes due to portal hypertension.The term"hepatocardiorenal syndrome"is introduced to encapsulate the intricate interplay among the liver,heart,and kidneys.The narrative emphasizes the often-overlooked aspect of cardiac function in AKI assessments in cirrhosis,unveiling the prevalence of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy marked by impaired diastolic function.The conventional empiric approach involving volume expansion and vasopressors for hepatorenal syndrome is critically analyzed,highlighting potential risks and variable patient responses.We advocate for a nuanced algorithm for AKI evaluation in cirrhosis,prominently featuring point-of-care ultrasonography(POCUS).POCUS applications encompass assessing fluid tolerance,detecting venous congestion,and evaluating cardiac function.

Point-of-care ultrasonography spotlight:Could venous excess ultrasound serve as a shared language for internists and intensivists?

Point-of-care ultrasonography(POCUS),particularly venous excess ultrasound(VExUS)is emerging as a valuable bedside tool to gain real-time hemodynamic insights.This modality,derived from hepatic vein,portal vein,and intrarenal vessel Doppler patterns,offers a scoring system for dynamic venous congestion assessment.Such an assessment can be crucial in effective management of patients with heart failure exacerbation.It facilitates diagnosis,quantification of congestion,prognostication,and monitoring the efficacy of decongestive therapy.As such,it can effectively help to manage cardiorenal syndromes in various clinical settings.Extended or eVExUS explores additional veins,potentially broadening its applications.While VExUS demonstrates promising outcomes,challenges persist,particularly in cases involving renal and liver parenchymal disease,arrhythmias,and situations of pressure and volume overload overlap.Proficiency in utilizing spectral Doppler is pivotal for clinicians to effectively employ this tool.Hence,the integration of POCUS,especially advanced applications like VExUS,into routine clinical practice necessitates enhanced training across medical specialties.

Smart Parking Management System “MOTAH”

With a surge in the university’s student and staff population, parking problems and congestion have rapidly intensified. The recent inclusion of women drivers, particularly during official working hours, has exacerbated these challenges. This pressing issue underscores the critical necessity for a structured approach to managing university entries and overseeing parking at the gates. The proposed smart parking management system aims to address these concerns by introducing a design concept that restricts unauthorized access and provides exclusive parking privileges to authorized users. Through image processing, the system identifies available parking spaces, relaying real-time information to users via a mobile application. This comprehensive solution also generates detailed reports (daily, weekly, and monthly), aiding university safety authorities in future gate management decisions.

Congestion Control Algorithms for the Internet-A Secondary Publication

In the last five years,there has been a V-shaped recovery in the number of papers on congestion control algorithms on the Internet.In this paper,congestion problems on the Internet are discussed,such as congestion collapse and bufferbloat from the perspective of the necessity of congestion control algorithms.The typical congestion control algorithms are introduced,and the research areas and methods of congestion control algorithms are described.Recent research trends and future prospects of congestion control algorithms are also presented.

A Study on How Urban Rail Operators Can Secure New Growth Engines for the Future Approach: The Case of Underground Urban Logistics System

Seoul Metro is Seoul’s leading metro company, transporting up to 3 billion people annually. However, future ridership is expected to plummet due to an aging and shrinking population with one of the fastest declining total fertility rates in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 accelerated this phenomenon. On the contrary, the e-commerce and home delivery industries have developed significantly since COVID-19. Seoul’s current logistics infrastructure cannot handle it. Under the inflection point of declining passenger transportation demand and increasing urban logistics demand, urban rail operators need new growth engines. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the introduction of an UULS (underground urban logistics system) that transports parcels instead of passengers through urban railways. If the UULS becomes a reality, it can be expected to secure scarce logistics land in cities, protect the environment and prevent traffic congestion by operating eco-friendly mass urban transportation, and acquire new revenue sources for urban rail operators. The UULS’s B/C ratio is 1.32. The sensitivity analysis shows that the ratio is above 1 in most cases where the unit cost of transportation is not significantly reduced.

A NEW CASCADING FAILURE MODEL WITH DELAY TIME IN CONGESTED COMPLEX NETWORKS

Cascading failures often occur in congested complex networks. Cascading failures can be expressed as a three-phase process： generation, diffusion, and dissipation of congestion. Different from the betweenness centrality, a congestion function is proposed to represent the extent of congestion on a given node. Inspired by the restart process of a node, we introduce the concept of ＂delay time,＂ during which the overloaded node Cannot receive or forward any traffic, so an intergradation between permanent removal and nonremoval is built and the flexibility of the presented model is demonstrated. Considering the connectivity of a network before and after cascading failures is not cracked because the overloaded node are not removed from network permanently in our model, a new evaluation function of network efficiency is also proposed to measure the damage caused by cascading failures. Finally, we investigate the effects of network structure and size, delay time, processing ability, and traffic generation speed on congestion propagation. Cascading processes composed of three phases and some factors affecting cascade propagation are uncovered as well.

Indices of Congested Areas and Contributions of Customers to Congestions in Radial Distribution Networks

Congestions are becoming a significant issue with an increasing number of occurrences in distribution networks due to the growing penetration of distributed generation and the expected development of electric mobility.Fair congestion management(CM)policies and prices require proper indices of congested areas and contributions of customer to congestions.This paper presents spatial and temporal indices for rapidly recognizing the seriousness of congestions from the perspectives of both magnitude violation and duration to prioritize the affected areas where CM procedures should be primarily activated.Besides,indices are presented which describe the contributions of customers to the congestions.Simulation tests on IEEE 123-bus and Australian 23-bus low-voltage distribution test feeders illustrate the calculation and capabilities of the proposed indices in balanced and unbalanced systems.

ANALYTICAL MODELS BASED DISCRETE-TIME QUEUEING FOR THE CONGESTED NETWORK

Congestion is one of the well-studied problems in computer networks,which occurs when the request for network resources exceeds the buffer capacity.Many active queue management techniques such as BLUE and RED have been proposed in the literature to control congestions in early stages.In this paper,we propose two discrete-time queueing network analytical models to drop the arrival packets in preliminary stages when the network becomes congested.The first model is based on Lambda Decreasing and it drops packets from a probability value to another higher value according to the buffer length.Whereas the second proposed model drops packets linearly based on the current queue length.We compare the performance of both our models with the original BLUE in order to decide which of these methods offers better quality of service.The comparison is done in terms of packet dropping probability,average queue length,throughput ratio,average queueing delay,and packet loss rate.

Impact of erythropoietin therapy on cardiorenal syndrome:A systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Heart and kidney dysfunction frequently coexist in patients with acute heart failure due to the overlap between these two organ systems.Cardiorenal syndrome(CRS)results from pathology occurring in the heart and kidneys along with the consequences of dysfunction in one organ contributing to dysfunction in the other and vice versa.AIM To evaluate the use of erythropoietin(EPO)in patients with CRS and its effects on hemoglobin(Hb),major cardiovascular(CV)events,and hospitalization rates.METHODS On February 24,2022,searches were conducted using PubMed,MEDLINE,and EMBASE,and 148 articles were identified.A total of nine studies were considered in this systematic review.We assessed the included articles based on the National Heart,Lung,and Blood Institute quality assessment tools for controlled intervention and observational cohort or cross-sectional studies.An assessment of bias risk was conducted on the chosen studies,and data relevant to our review was extracted.RESULTS The systematic review of these studies concluded that most existing literature indicates that EPO improves baseline Hb levels and decreases myocardial remodeling and left ventricular dysfunction without reducing CV mortality.In addition,the effect of EPO on the hospitalization rate of patients with CRS needs to be further studied since this relationship is unknown.Future studies,such as randomized controlled clinical trials and prospective cohort studies,should be conducted to enhance the literature on the potential of EPO therapy in patients with CRS.CONCLUSION Our systematic review suggests that EPO therapy may have a significant role in managing CRS.The review highlights the potential benefits of EPO in improving baseline Hb levels,reducing the risk of major CV events,improving cardiac remodeling,myocardial function,New York Heart Association class,and B-type natriuretic peptide levels.However,the effect of EPO treatment on hospitalization remains unclear and needs further exploration.

Clinical impact of portal vein pulsatility on the prognosis of hospitalized patients with acute heart failure

BACKGROUND Heart failure(HF)causes extracardiac organ congestion,including in the hepatic portal system.Reducing venous congestion is essential for HF treatment,but evaluating venous congestion is sometimes difficult in patients with chronic HF.The portal vein(PV)flow pattern can be influenced by right atrial pressure.Ultrasound images of the PV are quite easy to obtain and are reproducible among sonographers.However,the association between PV pulsatility and the condition of HF remains unclear.We hypothesize that PV pulsatility at discharge reflects the condition of HF.AIM To evaluate the usefulness of PV pulsatility as a prognostic marker for hospit-alized patients with acute HF.METHODS This observational study was conducted from April 2016 to January 2017 and April 2018 to April 2019 at Shinko Hospital.We enrolled 56 patients with acute HF,and 17 patients without HF served as controls.PV flow velocity was mea-sured by ultrasonography on admission and at discharge.We calculated the PV pulsatility ratio(PVPR)as the ratio of the difference between the peak and minimum velocity to the peak velocity.The primary endpoint was cardiac death and HF re-hospitalization.The observation period was 1 year from the first hospitalization.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the stratified composite event-free rates,and the log-rank test was used for comparisons between groups.RESULTS On admission,the PVPR was significantly higher in patients with acute HF than controls(HF:0.29±0.20 vs controls:0.08±0.07,P<0.01).However,the PVPR was significantly decreased after the improvement in HF(admission:0.29±0.20 vs discharge:0.18±0.15,P<0.01)due to the increase in minimum velocity(admission:12.6±4.5 vs discharge:14.6±4.6 cm/s,P=0.03).To elucidate the association between the PVPR and cardiovascular outcomes,the patients were divided into three groups according to the PVPR tertile at discharge(PVPR-T1:0≤PVPR≤0.08,PVPR-T2:0.08<PVPR≤0.21,PVPR-T3:PVPR>0.21).The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with a higher PVPR at discharge had the worst prognosis among the groups.CONCLUSION PVPR at discharge reflects the condition of HF.It is also a novel prognostic marker for hospitalized patients with acute HF.

Transcending boundaries:Unleashing the potential of multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound in acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury(AKI)is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid increase in serum creatinine levels or a decrease in urine output or both.In spite of thorough history-taking,physical examination,and laboratory analysis,there are limitations in the diagnostic process and clinical monitoring of AKI.Point-of-care ultrasonography(POCUS),a limited ultrasound study performed by clinicians at the bedside,has emerged as a valuable tool in different clinical settings.In this discussion,we explore the potential of POCUS performed by nephrologists to address specific questions encountered in the diagnosis and management of AKI patients.POCUS not only aids in excluding hydronephrosis but also provides real-time insights into hemodynamics,enabling formulation of individualized treatment plans.Further studies are required to assess the impact of multi-organ POCUS on pragmatic patient outcomes related to AKI,as well as its potential in risk stratification and identification of different levels of AKI severity and pathophysiological signatures.

Identification of key recovering node for spatial networks

Many networks in the real world have spatial attributes, such as location of nodes and length of edges, called spatial networks. When these networks are subject to some random or deliberate attacks, some nodes in the network fail, which causes a decline in the network performance. In order to make the network run normally, some of the failed nodes must be recovered. In the case of limited recovery resources, an effective key node identification method can find the key recovering node in the failed nodes, by which the network performance can be recovered most of the failed nodes. We propose two key recovering node identification methods for spatial networks, which are the Euclidean-distance recovery method and the route-length recovery method. Simulations on homogeneous and heterogeneous spatial networks show that the proposed methods can significantly recover the network performance.