Average Loss Research Articles

Modelling Soil Erosion Using RUSLE and GIS for Kadalundi River Basin in Kerala, India

The main objective of the study was to estimate the potential average annual soil loss from Kadalundi river basin using RUSLE model and to prepare the spatial distribution map of soil erosion hazard using GIS to suggest suitable soil conservation and management measures for the basin. The individual factor maps for each factor in the RUSLE equation were prepared and multiplied in raster calculator to obtain the spatial distribution map of soil erosion with the help of ArcGIS. The daily rainfall data, basic soil data, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and satellite imageries were used as the input data for the calculation of rainfall erosivity factor, soil erodibility factor, topographic factor, cover management factor and conservation practice factor. The results indicated an average annual erosion of 5.48 t·ha-1·yr-1 in the basin during the period of 2001 to 2021. The total quantity of soil washed away from the basin was 694836.60 t·yr-1. The estimated values of R-factor ranged from 938.97 MJ·mm·ha-1·h-1·yr-1 to 1102.65 MJ·mm·ha-1·h-1·yr-1, and the computed erodibility factor values varied between 0.0075 to 0.025 t·h·MJ⁻1·mm⁻1. The topographic factor value of the basin was found between 0 to 9.07. The basin had C-factor values of 0.08 to 1.10 and the P-factor values varied from 0.1 to 1. The spatial distribution map of erosion suggest that major part of the basin is under slight erosion class and only a minor part is under very severe erosion class. Areas in the very severe erosion class is characterised by moderate to steep slopes, or in other words areas with less slope is having slight erosion. As most of the area of the basin is having slight erosion, simple agronomical measures can be adopted for the mitigation purposes.

Analysis of the Therapeutic Efficacy of Laparoscopic Treatment for Fibroepithelial Polyps of the Ureter in Children.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of pediatric ureteral fibroepithelial polyp (FEP) patients. Our hypothesis is that laparoscopic surgery can effectively treat FEPs while minimizing patient discomfort and complications. Our research aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the surgery, including postoperative symptom relief, improvement in kidney function, and risk of postoperative complications. Methods: The clinical records of 34 patients who underwent ureteral polyp surgery at the Department of Urology at Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital between May 2014 and February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent laparoscopic surgery. Among the 34 pediatric patients, there were 31 males and 3 females, with 2 on the right side and 32 on the left side. Of these cases, 24 polyps were located at the ureteropelvic junction, while seven were found in the upper segment of the ureter and three in its middle segment. Patients' ages ranged from 4 years and 3 months to 15 years, with a median age of 8 years and 6 months. All children presented with varying degrees of hydronephrosis, and preoperative clinical symptoms included ipsilateral flank or abdominal pain, hematuria, and other discomfort. Preoperative examinations mainly comprised ultrasound, intravenous pyelography, CT, or magnetic resonance urography imaging studies, as well as diuretic renography. All pediatric patients underwent laparoscopic excision of the polyp segment of the ureter, followed by renal pelvis ureteroplasty or ureter-to-ureter anastomosis. Results: All patients underwent surgery without conversion to open surgery. The surgical duration ranged from 72 to 313 minutes, with an average of 179.5 minutes. The average intraoperative blood loss was 14 mL. Postoperatively, one patient experienced leakage at the anastomotic site; however, no other significant complications occurred during or after the procedure. Postoperative histopathology confirmed the presence of FEPs in the ureter for all cases. All patients experienced a favorable postoperative recovery, with hospitalization periods ranging from 3 to 16 days and an average stay of 8.6 days. A Double-J stent was inserted in all patients for a duration of 1 to 2 months after surgery, and upon removal, follow-up color Doppler ultrasound revealed reduced hydronephrosis within 1 to 3 months. Follow-up examinations were conducted at intervals ranging from 3 to 108 months postsurgery, with an average follow-up time of 42.2 months, during which no recurrence of ureteral polyps or symptoms such as pain and hematuria was observed. Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that laparoscopic excision of the polyp segment of the ureter, renal pelvis ureteroplasty, and ureter-to-ureter anastomosis represent safe and effective treatment modalities for pediatric FEPs in the ureters. This technique offers several advantages, including minimal invasiveness, rapid recovery, and definitive therapeutic efficacy, which effectively alleviate clinical symptoms and improve hydronephrosis.

A review of an investigational drug retatrutide, a novel triple agonist agent for the treatment of obesity.

Obesity is one of the critical public health problems in our society. It leads to various health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. With the rising incidence of obesity, there is a growing demand for new therapies which can effectively manage body weight and improve health. Currently under development, multi-receptor agonist drugs may offer a promising solution to meet this unmet medical need. Retatrutide is a novel triple receptor agonist peptide that targets the glucagon receptor (GCGR), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR), and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). This novel drug has the potential to treat metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity as well as diseases resulting from it due to its distinct mechanism of action. The Phase III trial of this pipeline drug for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and obesity started on August 28, 2023. The results of a Phase II clinical trial have demonstrated significant weight reduction in overweight and obese adults. Specifically, the trial reported an average weight loss of 17.5% and 24.4% at 24 and 48 weeks, respectively. These findings hold promise for the development of effective weight loss interventions in this population group. There is a need for more phase III studies to provide sufficient clinical evidence for the effectiveness of retatrutide, as current evidence is limited to phase II studies and has yet to prove its worth in a larger population. Here, we aimed to provide an overview of retatrutide's safety and effectiveness in treating obesity.

Magnetic anisotropy reduction of non-grain oriented electrical steel due to different stress relief annealing temperatures

The present research investigated the influence of different stress relief annealing (SRA) temperatures on the microstructure and magnetic properties of an NGO electrical steel. Epstein samples sheared on the rolling and transverse directions (RD, TD) were submitted to heat treatments at temperatures from 643 to 832 °C in a protective atmosphere. The magnetic properties on the 100 %RD, 100 %TD and 50 %RD + 50 %TD (standard) were measured before and after SRA. The results showed that temperature plays an important role in reducing the magnetic anisotropy between RD and TD in low and medium frequencies. Core loss variation on the RD and TD after SRA presented distinct behavior. The improvement in the average loss values due to stress relief comes mainly from the recovery in the transverse direction.

Trends of Land Cover Change and Conservation Challenges of Grevy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi, Oustalet 1882) in Hallaydeghe Asebot Proposed National Park, Southeast Ethiopia

Large parts of biodiversity in protected areas (PAs) and their ecosystem services have been deteriorated due to land cover change over time. To reverse these effects, analysis of land cover change is essential. One of the protected areas, Hallaydeghe Asebot Proposed National Park (HAPNP), was assumed its land cover change and was undergone from one habitat type to others during the last three decades. As a result, wildlife species particularly Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) in HAPNP are facing conservation challenges. Here, we aimed to examine the land cover changes of HAPNP for the period of 1990–2021 and assess Grevy’s zebra conservation challenges so as to improve the protection of the park and conservation of the species. Landsat images for the years 1990, 2006, and 2021 were generated to analyze land cover change of the study area. In addition, ground control points and information from elder and knowledgeable informants were collected to substantiate the result. Household survey, key informant interviews, and field observation checklist were utilized to collect data on conservation challenges. To generate land cover change maps, the satellite image for each period was classified using supervised classification. Content analysis was used to analyze conservation challenges of the species. The findings of this study revealed that 12.2% of grassland cover lost from 1990 to 2021 (i.e., an estimated annual average loss 0.4%). The remaining grassland cover in the HAPNP was aggregated in a small land area. On the other hand, the size of bushland increased by 26.4% during the same year (i.e., an estimated annual average gain 0.9%). These findings have implications for conservation and management of grazers. Major drivers for conservation challenges of Grevy’s zebra were habitat degradation, unintegrated development, and poor law enforcement practices. Grassland restoration program and species conservation challenges’ intervention strategy should be designed and implemented to safeguard the natural habitat and the species that occur in the HAPNP.

Phosphorus-doped TiO2 mesoporous nanocrystals for anodes in high-current-rate lithium ion batteries

Limited by the intrinsic low electronic conductivity and inferior electrode kinetics, the use of TiO2 as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is hampered. Nanoscale surface-engineering strategies of morphology control and particle size reduction have been devoted to increase the lithium storage performances. It is found that the ultrafine nanocrystal with mesoporous framework plays a crucial role in achieving the excellent electrochemical performances due to the surface area effect. Herein, a promising anode material for LIBs consisting of phosphorus-doped TiO2 mesoporous nanocrystals (P-TMC) with ultrafine size of 2–8 nm and high specific surface area (234.164 m2 g–1) has been synthesized. It is formed through a hydrothermal process and NaBH4 assisted heat treatment for anatase defective TiO2 (TiO2–x) formation followed by a simple gas phosphorylation process in a low-cost reactor for P-doping. Due to the merits of the large specific surface area for providing more reaction sites for Li+ ions to increase the storage capacity and the presence of oxygen vacancies and P-doping for enhancing material’s electronic conductivity and diffusion coefficient of ions, the as-designed P-TMC can display improved electrochemical properties. As a LIB anode, it can deliver a high reversible discharge capacity of 187 mAh g–1 at 0.2 C and a good long cycling performance with ∼82.6% capacity retention (101 mAh g–1) after 2500 cycles at 10 C with an average capacity loss of only 0.007% per cycle. Impressively, even the current rate increases to 100 times of the original rate, a satisfactory capacity of 104 mAh g−1 can be delivered, displaying good rate capacity. These results suggest the P-TMC a viable choice for application as an anode material in LIB applications. Also, the strategy in this work can be easily extended to the design of other high-performance electrode materials with P-doping for energy storage.

Analysis of Different Facets of the Rule of 10 for Cleft Lip Repair for Their Application in the Current Era.

To evaluate the relevance of the "rule of 10" as a deciding factor preoperatively for patients undergoing cleft lip repair in the Indian sub-continent. A questionnaire survey was conducted. All tertiary cleft care centers in the Indian subcontinent participated in an online questionnaire survey with anesthetic and surgical professionals. The primary goal of this survey was to determine the relevance and applicability of various aspects of the rule of 10 as a preoperative guideline for determining the timing of cleft lip repair in ASA I infants. The survey also aids in understanding the systemic factors that need to be prioritized and factors that are no longer of primary relevance indefining the timeline to undertake cleft lip repair in infants inthe current era. Surgeons and anesthetists from 31 tertiary cleft centers in India responded to the questionnaire. Specifically, 64.5% do not apply the "rule of 10" for deciding the timing of cleft lip repair, and 77% of the centers reported that cleft lip repair can be taken up in infants with hemoglobin levels in the range of 9-10 g/dL and an average weight of 4.5 kg. The average blood loss in unilateral lip repair ranged between 5 and 10 mL and 10 and 40 mL in children with bilateral lip repair. Three to six months was the average age at which cleft lip repair was undertaken at most of the centers in India. The rule of 10 is not considered a gold standard by most of the centers in India, and the decision-making was based on the overall physiological status of the patients, the experience of the surgeon, and the anesthetic and post-operative care facilities available at the center.

Spo2 Analysis on Development of IoT-Based Lung Function and Spo2 Measuring Device

Pulmonary dysfunction is a widespread issue, particularly in developing nations. It encompasses restrictive, obstructive, and mixed pulmonary function disorders that lead to a decrease in vital lung capacity, an increase in functional residual capacity, and a decline in blood oxygen concentration and saturation. This study aims to combine oximetry and spirometry into a single device, using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to display results via a smartphone app. The focus is on analyzing oxygen saturation, with normal levels ranging from 96% to 100% in adults, alongside a heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute. The MAX30102 sensor measures oxygen saturation, and the Arduino Pro Mini and D1 Mini ESP32 microcontrollers process data. The Android-based app, developed using Kodular platform, integrates a MySQL database and connects to the device module via Wi-Fi. Ten respondents underwent five measurements, revealing an average error of ±0.88% for oxygen saturation (SpO2) and ±2.82% for heart rate measurements. The average data loss rate during transmission was ±0.66% for SpO2 and ±0.89% for heart rate. These findings highlight existing errors in the module. The research aims to facilitate remote health monitoring for healthcare professionals, improving accessibility and healthcare provision.

QoS‐enhanced load balancing strategies for metaverse‐infused VR/AR in engineering education 5.0

AbstractThe evolution of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies has ushered in a new era of immersive experiences, with applications ranging from entertainment to education. The proposed framework introduces a fog layer with an innovative, improved geographic load‐balancing algorithm. It optimizes load distribution and provides quality of service (QoS) parameters that are important for enhancing user experiences for AR/VR applications. The iFogSim toolkit experimentally validates the framework in electroencephalogram‐based VR/AR gaming applications. Also, the proposed framework is tested in a diverse range of scenarios. Results show that the proposed algorithm improves QoS for AR/VR applications with noticeable improvements on average latency, jitter, and packet loss. Future research should aim to address these limitations for a more comprehensive understanding of the proposed framework's practicality and effectiveness. The development of immersive technologies will continue to expand in multiple sectors, and future research will focus on energy efficiency, security, and real‐world applications.

Development of Cf/C-UHTC composite and study of its resistance to oxidation and ablation in high-speed high-enthalpy air plasma flow

This article contains the results of research on the development of a Cf/C-UHTC carbon fabric composite based on a viscose precursor and a combined matrix consisting of partially sintered ceramics in a system consisting of HfC–HfB2–NbC–NbB2–TiC–TiB2–B4C–SiC, amorphous carbon, and pyrocarbon. The SiC fraction does not exceed 8.5–9.0 wt%. In its initial state, the composite has open porosity, with apparent and true densities of 18–22%, 2.25–2.29 g/cm3 and 2.79–2.91 g/cm3, respectively. The bending strength and the elasticity modulus are 27.8 ± 0.7 MPa and 7.8 ± 0.2 GPa, respectively, and the fracture strain is 0.85 ± 0.05%. The tests for resistance to oxidation and ablation were carried out in a gas dynamic flow regime and non-equilibrium air plasma heating at flow rates of 4.5–4.8 km/s and breaking enthalpy of 45–50 MJ/kg. Heating was performed in the temperature range Tw = 1400–2700 °C at the critical point on the front surface of the samples. The average linear ablation rate and mass loss rate of the composite are 6.3 ± 0.3 μm/s and 6.22 ± 0.44 mg/s. The estimated value of the conductivity factor is 0.280–0.285 W/(m K). The performance ability of the composite arises from the formation and evolution of a passivating heterogeneous oxide film consisting mainly of titanium niobate Ti2Nb10O29, mixed solutions of Hf1−xTixO2, (Ti1−xHfx)1−yNbyOz and (Ti1−xHfx)NbO4 with broad homogeneity ranges, and also encapsulated carbide and boride particles. It is shown that the oxidation resistance of the composite increases as a result of the transition through a number of phases into a liquid state as the working temperature increases.

The survival of periodontally treated molars in long-term maintenance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the survival of periodontally treated molars during maintenance care and identify the risk factors associated with molar loss among patients with periodontitis who received professional periodontal therapy and maintenance. Longitudinal studies with a minimum follow-up duration of 5 years published until 28 August 2023 were retrieved from the following databases: the Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE and Web of Science. All included studies reported data on molar retention. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the study quality. Statistical results of analyses of the overall survival rate and molar loss are presented as estimated standardized mean differences, whereas the results of the analyses of risk factors are presented as risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). From among the 1323 potentially eligible reports, 41 studies (5584 patients, 29,908 molars retained at the beginning of maintenance therapy, mean follow-up duration of 14.7 years) were included. The pooled survival rate of the molars during maintenance therapy was 82% (95% CI: 80%-84%). The average loss of molars was 0.05 per patient per year (95% CI: 0.04-0.06) among the patients receiving long-term periodontal maintenance (PM) therapy. Fifteen factors were examined in this meta-analysis. Six patient-related factors (older age, lack of compliance, smoking, bruxism, diabetes and lack of private insurance) and five tooth-related factors (maxillary location, high probing pocket depth, furcation involvement, higher mobility and lack of pulpal vitality) were identified as risk factors for molar loss during maintenance therapy. The findings of the present study suggest that the long-term retention of periodontally compromised molars can be achieved. The average number of molars lost per decade was <1 among the patients receiving long-term PM therapy. Older age, noncompliance, smoking, bruxism, diabetes, lack of private insurance coverage, maxillary location, furcation involvement, higher mobility, increase in the probing pocket depth and loss of pulpal vitality are strong risk factors for the long-term prognosis of molars.

Recognition of Daily Activities in Adults With Wearable Inertial Sensors: Deep Learning Methods Study.

Activities of daily living (ADL) are essential for independence and personal well-being, reflecting an individual's functional status. Impairment in executing these tasks can limit autonomy and negatively affect quality of life. The assessment of physical function during ADL is crucial for the prevention and rehabilitation of movement limitations. Still, its traditional evaluation based on subjective observation has limitations in precision and objectivity. The primary objective of this study is to use innovative technology, specifically wearable inertial sensors combined with artificial intelligence techniques, to objectively and accurately evaluate human performance in ADL. It is proposed to overcome the limitations of traditional methods by implementing systems that allow dynamic and noninvasive monitoring of movements during daily activities. The approach seeks to provide an effective tool for the early detection of dysfunctions and the personalization of treatment and rehabilitation plans, thus promoting an improvement in the quality of life of individuals. To monitor movements, wearable inertial sensors were developed, which include accelerometers and triaxial gyroscopes. The developed sensors were used to create a proprietary database with 6 movements related to the shoulder and 3 related to the back. We registered 53,165 activity records in the database (consisting of accelerometer and gyroscope measurements), which were reduced to 52,600 after processing to remove null or abnormal values. Finally, 4 deep learning (DL) models were created by combining various processing layers to explore different approaches in ADL recognition. The results revealed high performance of the 4 proposed models, with levels of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score ranging between 95% and 97% for all classes and an average loss of 0.10. These results indicate the great capacity of the models to accurately identify a variety of activities, with a good balance between precision and recall. Both the convolutional and bidirectional approaches achieved slightly superior results, although the bidirectional model reached convergence in a smaller number of epochs. The DL models implemented have demonstrated solid performance, indicating an effective ability to identify and classify various daily activities related to the shoulder and lumbar region. These results were achieved with minimal sensorization-being noninvasive and practically imperceptible to the user-which does not affect their daily routine and promotes acceptance and adherence to continuous monitoring, thus improving the reliability of the data collected. This research has the potential to have a significant impact on the clinical evaluation and rehabilitation of patients with movement limitations, by providing an objective and advanced tool to detect key movement patterns and joint dysfunctions.

Oxytocin infusion is a safe uterine bleeding controller alternative to blood transfusion in patients undergoing abdominal myomectomy

Background &amp; objective: Uterine bleeding is a notable complication that can occur after the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, and oxytocin infusion has been a commonly used method to control blood loss in such cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oxytocin infusion in managing surgical bleeding following abdominal myomectomy, as an alternative to immediate blood transfusion.&#x0D; Methodology: The study population consisted of 120 patients who experienced acute blood loss following abdominal myomectomy. These patients were divided into two groups: Group A, which included 50 patients who received an oxytocin infusion, and Group B, which included 60 patients who received a placebo. All myomectomies were conducted according to department protocols, and various variables related to the study were recorded. Postoperative hemoglobin levels were checked in every patient.&#x0D; Results: In Group A, the average blood loss was 470.02 ± 81.65 ml, while in Group B, it was 721.42 ml ± 63.55 ml (P &lt; 0.0001). The need for urgent blood transfusion was significantly lower in Group A (3.3%) compared to Group B (20.0%), (P = 0.044). Postoperative hemoglobin levels also showed a significant difference between the two groups, with Group A demonstrating better results than Group B.&#x0D; Conclusion: Oxytocin infusion can be safely used for managing blood loss in patients undergoing abdominal myomectomy. However, in cases where oxytocin is unable to effectively control the bleeding, blood transfusion may be needed as a means to compensate for the blood loss.&#x0D; Key Words: Uterine leiomyomas; Myomectomy; Surgical blood loss; Oxytocin&#x0D; Citation: Nasief H, Hassan A, AlDardeir N, Khadawardi K, Alwazzan AB, Alothmani H, Hammad Z. Oxytocin infusion is a safe uterine bleeding controller alternative to blood transfusion in patients undergoing abdominal myomectomy. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2024;28(1):05−09; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v28i1.2298&#x0D; Received: October 05, 2023; Reviewed: October 17, 2023; Accepted: November 19, 2023

Impact of forest landscape restoration in combating soil erosion in the Lake Abaya catchment, Southern Ethiopia

As an effect of forest degradation, soil erosion is among Ethiopia’s most pressing environmental challenges and a major threat to food security where it could potentially compromise the ecosystem functions and services. As the effects of soil erosion intensify, the landscape’s capacity to support ecosystem functions and services is compromised. Exploring the ecological implications of soil erosion is crucial. This study investigated the soil loss and land degradation in the Lake Abaya catchment to explore forest landscape restoration (FLR) implementation as a possible countermeasure to the effects. The study used a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to determine the potential annual soil loss and develop an erosion risk map. Results show that 13% of the catchment, which accounts for approximately 110,000 ha, is under high erosion risk of exceeding the average annual tolerable soil loss of 10 t/ha/year. Allocation of land on steep slopes to crop production is the major reason for the calculated high erosion risk in the catchment. A scenario-based analysis was implemented following the slope-based land-use allocation proposal indicated in the Rural Land Use Proclamation 456/2005 of Ethiopia. The scenario analysis resulted in a reversal erosion effect whereby an estimated 3000 t/ha/year of soil loss in the catchment. Thus, FLR activities hold great potential for minimizing soil loss and contributing to supporting functioning and providing ecosystem services. Tree-based agroforestry systems are among the key FLR measures championed in highly degraded landscapes in Ethiopia. This study helps policymakers and FLR implementors identify erosion risk areas for future FLR activities. Thereby, it contributes to achieving the country’s restoration commitment.

Investigation of Gliding Walled Multilayer Waveguides

This article suggests a new waveguide design that utilizes a “walled” architecture. Instead of relying on conventional gap waveguide structures to create electronic bandgaps and prevent field leakage, the proposed design introduces a “walled” guiding mechanism. This technique preserves transmission while maintaining the multilayer approach and eliminates the need for nails or chemical bonds to attach the layers. Simulations were carried out in the W-band (75–110 GHz) and D-band (110–170 GHz) using several metals, and measurements were performed in the W-band using aluminum. The simulation results show that the reflection coefficient was less than −40 dB over the entire D-band. At the same time, the average insertion loss was around 0.0054 dB/mm and around 0.0065 dB/mm for silver and gold, respectively. Similarly, the reflection coefficient was less than −45 dB over the 75–110 GHz range, with an average insertion loss of 0.0018 dB/mm for silver and 0.003 dB/mm for gold, respectively. The aluminum model’s reflection coefficient was less than −35 dB, and the average insertion loss was 0.0035 dB/mm. The experimental results achieved a reflection coefficient of less than –30 dB and the average transmission coefficient was −0.2 dB, with an insertion loss of 0.002 dB/mm. The simple stacking ability of the weightless walled metal plates and easy fabrication makes the proposed transmission line a promising technology in mmWave and Terahertz applications.

30 m Resolution Global Maps of Forest Soil Respiration and Its Changes From 2000 to 2020

AbstractThe soil respiration (Rs) of forests is a major component of global Rs, yet few studies have focused on it. This study aimed to estimate global forest Rs and its changes at a resolution of 30 m via an artificial neural network (ANN) model. Five input candidates representing forest type, climatic, soil, and geographical information, as well as 1472 satisfactory forest Rs records, were used to build the ANN model and evaluate the model performance via a 10‐fold cross‐validation scheme. Global forest change data sets were used to accurately define the extent of forests and their changes, which was achievable because of the dynamic information and high resolution (30 m) of the data sets. The results indicate that the average annual global forest Rs from 2000 to 2020, as estimated by the optimal ANN model with an r2 value of 0.67 and a root‐mean‐square error of 252.6 g C m−2 yr−1, was 46.24 ± 5.86 Pg C yr−1. From 2001 to 2019, the average theoretical annual global forest Rs loss was 0.22 ± 0.06 Pg C yr−1 due to an average forest loss area of 23.4 million ha yr−1. In addition, the annual Rs theoretically increased by 0.75 Pg C in 2012 due to a global forest gain area of 80.5 million from 2001 to 2012. The presented data sets of global forest Rs and its changes can provide an accurate benchmark for discussing the carbon cycle and climate change at global to regional scales, even when operating over a small forest area (i.e., dozens of ha), which is a scale that has been ignored in other global Rs studies.

Comparing Laser-Assisted and Conventional Excision in the Management of Oral Soft Lesions: A Prospective Clinical Study.

Oral soft lesions represent a diverse array of pathological conditions that necessitate precise and effective treatment. Laser-assisted excision has gained prominence due to its purported benefits in terms of reduced procedural time, decreased bleeding, and improved aesthetic outcomes. However, conventional excision remains a common practice. A total of 100 patients with clinically diagnosed oral soft lesions were enrolled in this prospective study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the laser-assisted excision group and the conventional excision group. Demographics, lesion characteristics, and medical histories were recorded for each patient. Procedural parameters such as operative time and intraoperative bleeding were meticulously documented. The laser-assisted excision group exhibited a statistically significant reduction in procedural duration compared to the conventional excision group (P < 0.05), with mean operative times of 15.2 and 20.8 min, respectively. Intraoperative bleeding was significantly reduced in the laser-assisted group (P < 0.01), with an average blood loss of 15.7 ml, while the conventional excision group reported an average blood loss of 28.6 ml. Postoperative complications analysis demonstrated that the laser-assisted group had a lower incidence of wound infections (P < 0.05) compared to the conventional excision group (5% vs. 15%). Additionally, the laser-assisted group exhibited significantly reduced scarring (P < 0.01) as reported by both patients and clinicians. Patient satisfaction scores were consistently higher in the laser-assisted excision group, with 85% of patients reporting contentment with the procedure, in contrast to 65% in the conventional excision group. In light of the results obtained from this study, laser-assisted excision emerges as a favorable approach for the management of oral soft lesions.

Named entity recognition using transfer learning and small human‐ and meta‐pseudo‐labeled datasets

AbstractWe introduce a high‐performance named entity recognition (NER) model for written and spoken language. To overcome challenges related to labeled data scarcity and domain shifts, we use transfer learning to leverage our previously developed KorBERT as the base model. We also adopt a meta‐pseudo‐label method using a teacher/student framework with labeled and unlabeled data. Our model presents two modifications. First, the student model is updated with an average loss from both human‐ and pseudo‐labeled data. Second, the influence of noisy pseudo‐labeled data is mitigated by considering feedback scores and updating the teacher model only when below a threshold (0.0005). We achieve the target NER performance in the spoken language domain and improve that in the written language domain by proposing a straightforward rollback method that reverts to the best model based on scarce human‐labeled data. Further improvement is achieved by adjusting the label vector weights in the named entity dictionary.

Comparative analysis of various models for image classification on Cifar-100 dataset

Nowadays, people developed various convolutional neural network (CNN) based models for computer vision. Some famous models, such as GoogLeNet, Residual Network (ResNet), Visual Geometry Group (VGG), and You Only Look Once (YOLO), have different architecture and performances. Determining which model to use may be a troublesome problem for those just starting to study image classification. To solve this problem, we introduce the GoogLeNet, ResNet-18, and VGG-16 models, comparing their architecture, features, and performance. Then we give our suggestions based on the test results to help beginners choose a suitable model. We conducted experiments to train and test GoogLeNet, ResNet-18, and VGG-16 on the Cifar-100 datasets with the same hyperparameters. Based on the test results (test accuracy, average test loss, training loss), we analyze the figures for trends, key points, increase rate, and other features. Then we combine the architecture of each model to make our conclusions. The experimental results show that ResNet-18 can be a good choice when training the model with the Cifar-100 datasets because it performs well after training and has a low time complexity. ResNet-18 also has the fastest convergence speed. GoogLeNet would be the second choice because it functions similarly to ResNet-18 and is even better. However, training GoogLeNet is a time-consuming task. VGG is not recommended in this experiment because it has the worst performance and similar training complexity compared with ResNet-18.

Effect of a two-only-meals-a-day and exercise lifestyle on HbA1c and anti-diabetic medication in a follow-up study of subjects with type 2 diabetes attending a free clinic in a north Maharashtra city.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a global challenge with rising prevalence, inadequate compliance, and poor outcomes. Assess the effect of a 2-only-daily-meals with exercise lifestyle (2-OMEX) on (a) HbA1c, (b) anti-diabetic medication count (ADMC), (c) Kcal intakes, body weight, fasting insulin, and subjective well-being. This is a single-arm follow-up study conducted in a free 2-OMEX clinic in 2019-2020. Information for two meals and exercise compliance was obtained during the clinic visit. HbA1c was tested by HPLC and fasting insulin by the CLIA/CMIA method in private laboratories. Eligible subjects (f = 49, m = 116) completing two or more visits and 60 days of follow-up had a mean age of 55.92 (10.43) years, a T2D duration of 8.20 (6.28) years, and a median observation period of 140 days. Statistically significant changes included HbA1c decline from 7.69 (1.70) to 7.00 (1.20) gm% (equivalent by the LogNormal method to 1.088 gm%), average weight loss at 5%(m), and 2%(f). ADMC declined from 2.32 to 2.14, the difference being significant with the WSR test (z = 2.0087, P = 0.0223). Subjects attaining anti-diabetic medication-free and normoglycemic status (HbA1c < 6.5 gm%) were 20 (12%). The number attaining HbA1c ≤ 7 gm%) significantly rose from 73 (44%) to 101 (61%) with an ADMC of 1.9 (chi-square = 9.531, df1, P = 0.0020203). Participants reported 'feeling energetic' (79%), feeling lighter (50%), and better sleep (35%). Average energy intakes dropped by 120 Kcal to 1580/day. Fasting insulin remained unchanged, from 12.61 (11.06) to 12.34 (11.78) mlU/L. The dropout rate was 35%. The 2-OMEX lifestyle showed a sizeable, favorable, and significant change in HbA1c, body weight, ADMC use in five months, and subjective benefits. Studies are necessary for remission impact and pathways.