Quantitative Standards Research Articles

A Novel Method for Identifying Landslide Surface Deformation via the Integrated YOLOX and Mask R-CNN Model

The detection of landslide areas and surface characteristics is the prerequisite and basis of landslide hazard risk assessment. The traditional method relies mainly on manual field identification, and discrimination is based on the lack of unified quantitative standards. Thus, the use of neural networks for the quantitative identification and prediction of landslide surface deformation is explored. By constructing an integrated model based on YOLO X-CNN and Mask R-CNN, a deep learning-based feature detection method for landslide surface images is proposed. First, the method superimposes Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) oblique photography data (UOPD) and Internet heterosource image data (IHID) to construct a landslide surface image dataset and landslide surface deformation database. Second, an integrated model suitable for small- and medium-scale target detection and large-scale target edge extraction is constructed to automatically identify and extract landslide surface features and to achieve rapid detection of landslide surface features and accurate segmentation and deformation recognition of landslide areas. The results show that the detection accuracy for small rock targets is greater than 80% and that the speed is 57.04 FPS. The classification and mask segmentation accuracies of large slope targets are approximately 90%. A speed of 7.89 FPS can meet the needs of disaster emergency response; this provides a reference method for the accurate identification of landslide surface features.

The color systematics of volcanic ashfall samples in estimating eruption sequences: a case study of the 2017–2018 eruption at Shinmoe-dake, Kirishima volcano, Southwest Japan

The color of pyroclasts is fundamental, because it reflects various magma properties and eruption processes, including particle morphology, chemistry, and petrological characteristics. However, deriving the componentry ratio (CR) of pyroclasts for ongoing eruption monitoring remains challenging due to the lack of a robust quantitative standard. The derivation of the CR, as well as other petrological analyses, is too laborious and time-consuming to introduce as a sustainable monitoring method. To address this, we employed spectroscopic colorimetry to rapidly and quantitatively describe eruptive product colors, enabling CR derivation based on clear, objective standards for ash particle classification. Through color spectroscopy of bulk and sieved ash samples, we analyzed the major size fraction for time-series samples during the waxing stage of the 2017–2018 Shinmoe-dake eruption in Kirishima volcano, Southwest Japan. Our findings reveal that the color changes in bulk ash systematically changed with the evolution of componentry. This temporal color change was due to an increase in the amount of vesicular particles with clear glass against dark angular lava particles, as well as a grain size change, which we interpret as an indication of a transition from phreatic/phreatomagmatic to magmatic eruption. Subsequently, the color of the ash changed when the amount of different lava particles increased gradually, coinciding with a shift toward a more dominant effusion of lava. As the lava effusion continued, a slight reddening of the ash, indiscernible to the naked eye, was clearly detected by the spectrometer before the onset of intermittent Vulcanian eruptions. We interpreted this reddening as oxidation resulting from decreased ascent speed and caprock formation, which accumulates overpressure for Vulcanian explosions. These results highlight the potential of rapid, objective color value and componentry derivation for sustainable quasi-real-time monitoring of ongoing eruption materials.Graphical

Developments in the Use of Indocyanine Green (ICG) Fluorescence in Colorectal Surgery.

Indocyanine Green (ICG) has significantly advanced minimally invasive surgery. It is widely recognized for its ability to visualize blood vessel patency in real-time across various surgical specialties. While its primary use in colorectal surgery is to evaluate anastomoses for leaks, numerous other applications have been documented in the literature. In this review, we aim to explore both established and emerging applications of ICG fluorescence in colorectal surgery, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. This includes preoperative tumor marking and the detection of metastatic disease. Some applications, such as lymphatic mapping, require further research to determine their impact on clinical practices. Conversely, others, like the intraoperative localizations of ureters, necessitate additional procedures and are not yet widely accepted by the surgical community. However, the development of alternative compounds could offer better solutions. Future research should focus on areas like quantitative ICG and protocol standardization in prospective multicenter studies.

Evaluation of candidate International Standards for meningococcal capsular polysaccharide groups W and Y

Two candidate International Standards for meningococcal capsular group W and Y (MenW and MenY, respectively) polysaccharides were assessed for their suitability as quantitative standards in various physicochemical assays. The study was designed to evaluate the intended purpose of these standards, namely, to standardize the quantification of the respective polysaccharide content in meningococcal polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines and their intermediate components. Twelve laboratories from eleven different countries participated in the collaborative study of candidate preparations for International Standards for MenW and MenY polysaccharide (coded 16/152 and 16/206, respectively). Unitage was assigned using the Resorcinol assay. Our proposals, on the basis of data from the Resorcinol assay were: 1) candidate standard for MenW polysaccharide (16/152) to be assigned a content of 1.015 ± 0.071 mg MenW polysaccharide per ampoule (expanded uncertainty with coverage factor k = 2.13, corresponding to a 95 % level of confidence) and 2) candidate standard for MenY polysaccharide (16/206) be assigned a content of 0.958 ± 0.076 mg MenY polysaccharide per ampoule (expanded uncertainty with coverage factor k = 2.26, corresponding to a 95 % level of confidence). The amount of polysaccharide per ampoule remained consistent under all stability conditions over a 36-month period.

CP-Net: Instance-aware part segmentation network for biological cell parsing

Instance segmentation of biological cells is important in medical image analysis for identifying and segmenting individual cells, and quantitative measurement of subcellular structures requires further cell-level subcellular part segmentation. Subcellular structure measurements are critical for cell phenotyping and quality analysis. For these purposes, instance-aware part segmentation network is first introduced to distinguish individual cells and segment subcellular structures for each detected cell. This approach is demonstrated on human sperm cells since the World Health Organization has established quantitative standards for sperm quality assessment. Specifically, a novel Cell Parsing Net (CP-Net) is proposed for accurate instance-level cell parsing. An attention-based feature fusion module is designed to alleviate contour misalignments for cells with an irregular shape by using instance masks as spatial cues instead of as strict constraints to differentiate various instances. A coarse-to-fine segmentation module is developed to effectively segment tiny subcellular structures within a cell through hierarchical segmentation from whole to part instead of directly segmenting each cell part. Moreover, a sperm parsing dataset is built including 320 annotated sperm images with five semantic subcellular part labels. Extensive experiments on the collected dataset demonstrate that the proposed CP-Net outperforms state-of-the-art instance-aware part segmentation networks.

Active ingredient identification and purification of organosilicon spray adjuvant and its uptake and translocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

The assessment of residue, absorption, conduction, and degradation of agricultural organosilicon surfactants in the environment is hindered by the lack of information on active ingredients and corresponding quantitative standards for organosilicon spray adjuvants. The spray adjuvant 'Jiexiaoli,' a primary organosilicon spray agent in China, was identified as hydroxy (polyethylene) propyl-heptamethyl trisiloxane (TSS-H) with 3-15 ethoxy (EO) groups. Purification of TSS-H was achieved through semi-preparative separation using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), resulting in TSS-H purity exceeding 96%. An accurate residual detection method for nine oligomers (4-12 EO) of TSS-H in rice roots, stems, leaves, and culture solution samples was developed using HPLC tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). Recoveries for nine oligomers of TSS-H in the four matrices ranged from 80.22% to 104.01%. Foliar application experiments demonstrated that TSS-H did not transfer from the upper to the lower parts of the rice plant. The half-lives of each oligomer (4-12 EO) in leaves were less than 3.21 days. Root application experiments revealed a root concentration factor (RCF) ranging from 0.20 to 0.56, a biological enrichment factor (BCF) ranging from 0.36 to 0.68, a transpiration factor (TSCF) ranging from 0.069 to 0.086, and a transport factor (TF) ranging from 0.08 to 0.43. These results indicated that TSS-H could be absorbed by rice roots and conducted to the above-ground parts of rice plants. This study fills the data gap in the environmental risk and food safety assessment of agricultural silicone spray adjuvants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Deep Learning-Based Diabetic Retinopathy Classification and Diagnosis System

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) was a chronic complication caused by diabetes. If not diagnosed and treated in time, it can severely affect vision and even lead to blindness. Due to the diversity and complexity of lesion areas, relying solely on manual detection make it difficult to establish quantitative judgment standards and introduces significant uncertainty. Therefore, developing an efficient automated diagnostic system was crucial. Thesis proposed a diabetic retinopathy classification and diagnosis system based on the PyQt5 platform. The system was trained using the APTOS2019 dataset and emploied a method combining Residual Networks (ResNet) with Focal Loss. This approach enabled the system to autonomously extract features from lesion areas and accurately classify the severity of the lesions. This not only helped to conserve medical resources and improve diagnostic efficiency but also provided reliable decision support for clinicians, thereby improving patient treatment outcomes.

Isolation and Identification of a Urinary Biomarker for Lung Cancer: 27-Nor-5β-Cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24R,25S Pentol Glucuronide and Its Deuterated Analog.

An untargeted metabolomic study identified four potential lung cancer diagnostic biomarkers in human urine. One of the potential biomarkers was an unidentified feature possessing a m/z value of 561+. "561+" was isolated from human urine and tentatively identified as 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24,25 pentol glucuronide with unknown C24,25 stereochemistry using 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. In a prior report, the C24,25 stereochemistry of the aglycone, 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24,25 pentol, was found to be 24S,25R through GC analysis of the acetonide-TMS derivative. An authentic sample was prepared and found not to have the same stereochemistry as "561+". To identify the C24,25 stereochemistry, four C24,C25 diastereoisomeric alcohols of 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24,25 pentol were prepared from chiral amino acids. Using an LCMS method, the C24,C25 stereochemistry of the "561+" aglycone was determined to be 24R,25S. With the correct aglycone in hand, it was coupled with glucuronic acid to complete the first reported synthesis of 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24R,25S pentol glucuronide. Deuterium labeled 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24R,25S pentol was also synthesized for use as an internal standard for MS quantitation.

Exploring Students' Perceptions and Influences in Teaching Translation Through Qualitative and Quantitative Standards

The present study addresses the multifaceted aspects of teaching translation by investigating students' perceptions and influences, considering both qualitative and quantitative standards. It explores the contributions of these standards to the translation teaching process and evaluates the predictive capability of quantitative standards. Focusing on 183 male and female students from Saida and El-Bayah Universities, the study used a questionnaire to collect data and statistical analysis using SPSS techniques. The findings showed a positive correlation between students' perceptions of teaching translation and both qualitative and quantitative standards. Furthermore, these standards were found to make significant contributions to teaching translation, indicating that teaching translation may be predicted using quantitative criteria. The study offers insightful information that can be used for enhancing translation programs, creating engaging learning environments, and improving teacher training in diverse educational contexts.

Investigation of flashover occurrence criterion based on thermal equilibrium theory

Flashover is the rapid transition to a state of total surface involvement in a fire of combustible material within an enclosure fire, which is the most serious and fatal event in building fires. Although previous studies have provided quantitative and qualitative standards for flashover, the criteria of flashover were normally based on the independent measurement of experimental parameters and phenomena rather than the underlying physical reasons, resulting in a lack of mutual relationships between these criteria and the inability to reflect physical mechanisms. Moreover, the flashover criteria vary for different compartment fire fuels, which directly affects the calculation of compartment fire theory. This work was performed to provide a unified principle on the criteria of flashover based on the thermal equilibrium theory. The critical conditions for flashover are quantitatively developed by establishing a partial differential equation for the energy generation rate and energy loss rate with respect to the temperature inside the compartment. Moreover, based on the partial differential equation, inequalities were established for the relationship between the temperature of the hot gas and the heat flux of the floor at the onset of flashover, which was validated by the compartment experiment data. It was found that due to differences in emissivity and net heat transfer rate, at the onset of flashover, the hot gas temperature and the radiation heat flux at the floor were different for different fuels, and a high hot gas temperature does not necessarily indicate a high radiation heat flux at the floor.

Effect of the void and crack quantity and location on ultrasound: resin experiments and carbon brick validation

ABSTRACT In industrial applications, there is a lack of methods applicable to large-scale, rapid and non-destructive detection of voids and cracks inside carbon bricks. This paper used the ultrasonic testing (UT) A-scan method to investigate the influence of quantity (void fraction:1.4%-4.6%; number of artificial cracks:1–7) and location (five layers) of voids and cracks inside the resin on ultrasonic waves. Both fast Fourier transform (FFT) and synchrosqueezed wavelet transform (SWT) are employed to analyse the amplitude, main frequency and normalised peak time of ultrasonic waves. The results indicate that increased void fraction and number of cracks lead to greater amplitude attenuation, promoting the transition from the fundamental wave to harmonics. Void and crack location symmetrically affect ultrasound amplitude, main frequency, and normalised peak time around the sample centre. Meanwhile, fitting equations are established for the main frequency of the fundamental wave (f 1) in relation to defect quantity. A high-precision quantitative defects detection standard is also developed based on normalised peak time. The validation based on carbon bricks indicates that the derived empirical relations between these parameters and defects can lay the foundation for large-scale and rapid non-destructive detection in carbon bricks.

Conceptual design and configurations selection of S/H-UAVs based on Q-rung dual hesitant double layer FQFD

For the conceptual design phase of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a process for conceptual design and configuration selection of Solar/Hydrogen powered UAVs (S/H-UAVs) is proposed. The design requirements of S/H-UAVs were analyzed firstly. The proposed process used Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (FQFD) to establish logical and quantitative standards. Moreover, in order to appropriately describe the hesitancy of experts while making decision, it used Q-Rung Dual Hesitant Fuzzy Sets (QRDHFS) to score the correlationships. In addition, a decision-making framework is proposed to perform a logical selection of typical layouts based on defuzzification method and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The present process has been applied for S/H-UAVs. The resulting set of design requirements consists of three categories: Mission Requirements (MRs), Engineering Characteristics (ECs) and Technical Indicators (TIs). Four typical layouts of S/H-UAVs were sorted and determined. The performance of four typical layouts were evaluated and the Strut-Braced Wing (SBW) with external hydrogen storage was selected as the best layout for S/H-UAVs.

Emergency materials management of petrochemical accidents considering the randomness and uncertainty base on stochastic programming

Petroleum is the pillar industry of the national economy, but safety accidents are frequent all over the world. The government attaches more importance to the safety production management of enterprises to reduce the occurrence of accidents that infringe on personal safety. The management of emergency supplies, which can effectively respond to the occurrence of safety production accidents, is a key measure for handling emergency accidents. Rapid response to accidents means reducing accident rescue costs and protecting personal and property safety. This paper proposes a material stochastic model with the randomness of accident demand for materials. The enterprise and the government can obtain the material management scheme and the quantitative evaluation standard of accident preventive measures from the model results respectively. The model covers as many accident scenarios as possible through multi-scenario modeling to reduce the impact of accident uncertainty. Finally, the feasibility is proved by an example of a petroleum enterprise in Zhoushan City. When the accident demand fluctuates randomly between 80% and 120%, the model proposes a material management scheme that the dispatching time of materials and the cost in rescue work do not exceed 31.33 min and 11.68 million CNY respectively. With the assistance of the model, the enterprise saves the cost of safe production and improves the efficiency of rescue. The government has strengthened the supervision and evaluation of enterprise safety production management. Finally, the mission of protecting the property and life safety of the people will be realized.

A Retrospective Study of 91 Patients Treated with Percutaneous Kyphoplasty for Mild Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures and a New Evaluation Scale of Shape and Filling Effect of Cement

BackgroundPercutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is commonly used to treat severe osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) by restoring vertebral height. However, its application in mild cases is not frequently discussed. MethodsThe study retrospectively included 100 treated vertebral bodies of the 91 patients mentioned before, and efficacy was evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores preoperatively, 2 days postoperatively, and at 1 and 6 months after treatment, as well as mean variation in vertebral body height. The study also examined complications such as pain recurrence, delayed vertebral fracture, and loss of vertebral height, and developed a scale to assess the shape and filling effect of cement (SFEC) and its impact on complications. ResultsThe results showed significant reductions in mean VAS and ODI scores from pre- to post-surgery and an increase in vertebral body height. However, complications occurred in 10 patients who received treatment for 11 vertebral bodies, including pain recurrence, fractures, and loss of vertebral height. Among the 10 patients with complications, 7(63.6%) vertebral bodies had dissatisfied SFEC scores, compared to 22(24.7%) vertebral bodies with dissatisfied SFEC scores in 81 patients without complications (89 vertebral bodies). ConclusionsPKP is a safe and effective method for treating mild OVCFs, but attention should be paid to the shape and filling effects of cement during surgery to prevent later complications. The developed SFEC scale provides a specific and quantitative standards for evaluating the recovery status after PKP, which need further validations.

Revised taxonomy of eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca): Bigg's and resident ecotypes deserve species status.

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are currently recognized as a single ecologically and morphologically diverse, globally distributed species. Multiple morphotypes or ecotypes have been described, often associated with feeding specialization, and several studies have suggested taxonomic revision to include multiple subspecies or species in the genus. We review the ecological, morphological and genetic data for the well-studied 'resident' and Bigg's (aka 'transient') ecotypes in the eastern North Pacific and use quantitative taxonomic guidelines and standards to determine whether the taxonomic status of these killer whale ecotypes should be revised. Our review and new analyses indicate that species-level status is justified in both cases, and we conclude that eastern North Pacific Bigg's killer whales should be recognized as Orcinus rectipinnus (Cope in Scammon, 1869) and resident killer whales should be recognized as Orcinus ater (Cope in Scammon, 1869).

Do changes in star selection criteria affect analyst behaviour?

ABSTRACT This study examines whether the star analyst selection criteria affect analysts’ coverage decisions and the informativeness of their reports. We focus on a change to the star evaluation criteria that increased the importance of quantitative standards. After the reform, analysts tend to cover firms with smaller sizes, lower profitability, lower growth, and higher systematic risk. We find that post-reform analyst coverage is positively associated with both the level of and change in stock price synchronicity, indicating that analyst reports provide market-wide information.

Accuracy of quantitative viral secondary standards: a re-examination.

Interlaboratory agreement of viral load assays depends on accuracy and uniformity of quantitative calibrators. Previous work, published in JCM several years ago, demonstrated poor agreement of secondary cytomegalovirus (CMV) standards with nominal values. This study re-evaluated this issue among commercially produced secondary standards for both BK virus (BKV) and CMV, using digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) to compare the materials from three different manufacturers. Overall, standards showed an improved agreement compared to prior work, against nominal values, indicating a substantial improvement in the production of accurate secondary viral standards, while supporting the need for further work in this area and for the broad adaption of international unit (IU) as a reporting standard for quantitative viral load results.

Impact of differential torsional rotor cant on the flight characteristics of a passenger-grade quadrotor

At the Institute of Flight Systems at DLR, studies have been performed to understand the flight characteristics of novel eVTOL configurations. As part of these studies, previously conducted handling qualities assessments on a two-passenger generic quadrotor configuration had revealed major deficiencies about its yaw axis. Based on this result, the quadrotor model has been modified by differential torsional canting to improve its yaw characteristics. This paper analyzes the resulting impacts of such modification on the flight performance, dynamic stability and handling qualities. A piloted simulator test campaign was conducted to assess predicted and assigned handling qualities levels in compliance with the quantitative and qualitative performance standards of ADS-33E. The results show an improvement in midterm yaw response at the expense of increase in total required power. The pilot ratings and comments confirm the improvement on the yaw response upon the flown MTEs.

The interaction between MALAT1 and TUG1 with dietary fatty acid quality indices on visceral adiposity index and body adiposity index

We aimed to investigate the interaction between the transcript levels of taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) and the Cholesterol-Saturated Fat Index (CSI) in relation to the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and body adiposity index (BAI). This cross-sectional study involved 346 women classified as obese and overweight, aged between 18 and 48 years. Dietary intake and the quality of dietary fat were assessed using a validated and reliable 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, with the Cholesterol-Saturated Fat Index (CSI) used as an indicator. Transcription levels of MALAT1 and TUG1 were evaluated through real-time polymerase chain reaction following the criteria outlined in the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative standards. Serum profiles were measured using standard protocols. We observed a positive association between transcription level of MALAT1 and VAI in both crude (β = 3.646, 95% CI 1.950–5.341, p < 0.001) and adjusted (β = 8.338, 95% CI 6.110–10.566, p < 0.001) models. Furthermore, after adjusting for confounders, a significant positive interaction was noted between MALAT1 expression and CSI on BAI (β: 0.130, 95% CI 0.019, 0.240, p = 0.022), with a marginal positive interaction observed on VAI (β: 0.718, 95% CI − 0.028, 1.463, p = 0.059). It seems that there may be a positive interaction between MALAT1 transcription level and CSI on VAI and BAI among overweight and obese women. However, no associations were seen between TUG1 mRNA level and the above-mentioned outcomes. Further functional studies are still required to elucidate this concept.

Operation standards for exclusive bus lane on expressway using simulation and traffic big data

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;Korea operates exclusive bus lanes (XBLs) on many of its expressways. As XBLs convert one lane of regular-use traffic into bus-only traffic, they have a large impact on traffic flow, so careful judgment is required to determine if the operation is effective. However, XBLs have been operated based on only political judgment due to the lack of standards for the operation of expressway XBLs. Therefore, we sought to establish standards for the operation of expressway XBLs using the micro-traffic simulation program VISSIM and the multi-criteria value function methodology. Various scenarios were established based on traffic volume changes of passenger vehicles and bus traffic of four- and five-lane expressway networks. Through an expert survey, the average speed and speed-deviation values, which are the criteria for evaluating operational efficiency and safety, were determined. Also, value points were converted using average speed and speed deviation extracted from the simulation. In addition, quantitative operation standards were established using the converted value scores. Using the results of this study, we established standards for the operation of the XBLs and presented guidelines for related agencies such as police, bus groups, and corporations. The National Police have prepared guidelines for the operation of the XBLs. Citing the results of this study, the new guidelines were implemented in February 2021, and sections of some XBLs have been abolished. Through this study, quantitative standards for the operation of XBLs, one of the management lane techniques necessary for sustainable highway operation, were prepared and applied to actual highways. By properly applying the newly applied guidelines according to quantitative standards, there will be effects of reducing traffic congestion, improving travel time, and enhancing environmental characteristics such as exhaust gas emission. It is also expected to have a positive effect on safety.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;