Restricted View Research Articles

“When He Comes, He Will Be Like an Englishman”: Space, Spy Fiction, and Englishness in Michael Ondaatje’s Warlight

ABSTRACT This paper examines the appropriation of the spy fiction genre in Michael Ondaatje’s Warlight by means of a spatial approach. By adopting and at times subverting spy fiction tropes, Ondaatje’s novel voices a postcolonial critique of British geopolitical power and restrictive conceptualizations of Englishness. Warlight exploits the overlap between postwar and Brexit discourses on the b/ordering of Britain, enabling its critique to pertain to both contexts. The novel adheres to spy fiction depictions of London as a center of geopolitical power but questions the morality of exertions of this power. The Suffolk countryside functions as a means for the novel to address and challenge the notion of Englishness and the spy as its embodiment. The text exposes supposedly quintessential elements of Englishness as constructs and in so doing critiques restrictive views on Englishness and the b/ordering of Britain. Warlight’s focalization on a spy protagonist who feels most at home in Other spaces champions the value of acknowledging and relishing the heterogeneity central to Britain’s make-up.

Oral Endotracheal Intubation with Restricted Glottis View using C-MAC D Blade®: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: The perspective of airway management has undergone a considerable transformation since the advent of Video Laryngoscopes (VL). VL has rapidly been accepted as an intubation tool in a variety of clinical scenarios. This heralds a wide array of VL models with their own strengths and weaknesses. The C-MAC D blade® is one such VL with an angulated blade that provides an excellent glottis view, but negotiating the Endotracheal Tube (ETT) past the glottis opening and into the trachea might be difficult. No study till date was done on the C-MAC D blade® with different glottis views for intubation. Aim: To compare the Total Time of Intubation (TTI) with restricted glottis view and full glottis view with C-MAC D blade® as the primary aim, along with the first attempt intubation rate and complications during intubation. Materials and Methods: The present prospective single-centre randomised controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Shree Krishna Hospital, PSMC, Karamsad, Gujarat, India, from September 2021 to August 2022. A total of 42 patients were randomly divided into two groups: group-F (n=21), which had a full glottis view, and group-R (n=21), which had a restricted glottis view. Randomised glottis views were achieved with the C-MAC D blade® VL during oral endotracheal intubation in both groups. Video recordings of the intubations were made, and TTI, first attempt success rate and complications during intubation were noted. Statistical analysis was done with an independent sample t-test to compare the two groups of continuous variables using STATA version 14.2. Results: The mean age in group-F was 45.86±10.83 years and in group-R was 47.76±9.14 years. The male-to-female ratio in group-F was 10:11 and in group-R was 9:12. Overall, the firstattempt successful intubation rate with the C-MAC D blade® in both groups was 90.48%. However, it was higher in group-R (95.24%) compared to group-F (85.71%). TTI was less in group-R compared to group-F (36.19±11.11 vs 45±15.89 seconds, p-value=0.0438). Group-R had lower incidence of postoperative sore throat (14.29% vs 57.14%, p-value=0.004) compared to group-F. Conclusion: Total time of intubation was less with a restricted glottis view compared to a full glottis view with C-MAC D blade® VL. Additionally, the restricted view had a higher first attempt intubation rate. Postoperative sore throat was significantly lower in the restricted view, with a lesser incidence of oropharyngeal trauma compared to the full glottis view.

Universal paediatric videolaryngoscopy and glottic view grading: a prospective observational study.

Although videolaryngoscopy has been proposed as a default technique for tracheal intubation in children, published evidence on universal videolaryngoscopy implementation programmes is scarce. We aimed to determine if universal, first-choice videolaryngoscopy reduces the incidence of restricted glottic views and to determine the diagnostic performance of the Cormack and Lehane classification to discriminate between easy and difficult videolaryngoscopic tracheal intubations in children. We conducted a prospective observational study within a structured universal videolaryngoscopy implementation programme. We used C-MAC™ (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) videolaryngoscopes in all anaesthetised children undergoing elective tracheal intubation for surgical procedures. The direct and videolaryngoscopic glottic views were classified using a six-stage grading system. There were 904 tracheal intubations in 809 children over a 16-month period. First attempt and overall success occurred in 607 (67%) and 903 (> 99%) tracheal intubations, respectively. Difficult videolaryngoscopic tracheal intubation occurred in 47 (5%) and airway-related adverse events in 42 (5%) tracheal intubations. Direct glottic view during laryngoscopy was restricted in 117 (13%) and the videolaryngoscopic view in 32 (4%) tracheal intubations (p < 0.001). Videolaryngoscopy improved the glottic view in 57/69 (83%) tracheal intubations where the vocal cords were only just visible, and in 44/48 (92%) where the vocal cords were not visible by direct view. The Cormack and Lehane classification discriminated poorly between easy and difficult videolaryngoscopic tracheal intubations with a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.68 (95%CI 0.59-0.78) for the videolaryngoscopic view compared with 0.80 (95%CI 0.73-0.87) for the direct glottic view during laryngoscopy (p = 0.005). Universal, first-choice videolaryngoscopy reduced substantiallythe incidence of restricted glottic views. The Cormack and Lehane classification was not a useful tool for grading videolaryngoscopic tracheal intubation in children.

Topological 3D reconstruction of multiple anatomical structures from volumetric medical data

In the medical field, usually, practitioners mainly base their analysis on 2D slices produced from MRI or CT-scans that correspond to restricted views of a pathology. To facilitate the work of doctors, increase diagnostic accuracy and cross-reference multimodal data, a 3D reconstruction is required. However, most of the time, reconstruction methods fail at visualizing complex and noisy data made up of several tissues. Indeed, these methods often build each tissue independently so that the consistency of the global model is not ensured: overlaps may appear between segments whereas some disjointed volumes exhibit empty spaces. This paper presents a complete topologically consistent reconstruction system from 3D medical acquisitions such as MRI or CT-scans. Compared to other methods, our system offers a single volumetric representation of an organ corresponding to a 3D space partition, where a semantic label is associated to each volume to identify the represented tissue and adjacency between volumes is explicitly and precisely defined. This partition is controlled and free from topological and geometric defects usually found in other 3D reconstruction approaches. Experimental studies were conducted on MRI datasets of brains resulting in consistent reconstructions. An application of the model for calculating the distribution of physiological data in brain tissue is also shown.

Cross validation based transfer learning for cross-sectional non-linear shrinkage: A data-driven approach in portfolio optimization

Enhanced covariance estimation approaches, such as (non-)linear shrinkage, are well established in the literature. Non-linear shrinkage estimators generally minimize a certain loss function regarding statistical assumptions about the future covariance matrix. At the same time, the problem of covariance estimation is traditionally considered from a rather restrictive view since the only available data to determine the estimation parameters is given by the return history of the actual portfolio constituents. In this study, we propose a novel and purely data-driven perspective on covariance estimation. We present a non-linear shrinkage estimator that determines the estimation parameters using cross validation to be historically optimal on a disjoint dataset of assets according to the given objective, such as minimum variance or maximum risk-adjusted return. We then transfer the historically optimal estimation parameters learned on the disjoint dataset to the actual covariance estimation problem. Thereby, the sample eigenvalues are corrected in a purely data-driven way, agnostic to theoretically derived parameters. Another benefit of focusing on disjoint data is that we address the problem of limited data availability in high-dimensional estimation problems when the number of assets exceeds the history length. Our empirical evaluation, based on a total of six stock market indices and various problem dimensions, shows that our approach outperforms existing cross-sectional estimators in minimizing variance and maximizing risk-adjusted return. While our study is limited to the cross-section, the method of parameter selection using cross validation and transfer learning can also be combined with other estimators, such as time-series methods.

A neuro-cognitive model of comprehension based on prediction and unification.

Most architectures and models of language processing have been built upon a restricted view of language, which is limited to sentence processing. These approaches fail to capture one primordial characteristic: efficiency. Many facilitation effects are known to be at play in natural situations such as conversation (shallow processing, no real access to the lexicon, etc.) without any impact on the comprehension. In this study, on the basis of a new model integrating into a unique architecture, we present these facilitation effects for accessing the meaning into the classical compositional architecture. This model relies on two mechanisms, prediction and unification, and provides a unique architecture for the description of language processing in its natural environment.

Applications of 3D Reconstruction in Virtual Reality-Based Teleoperation: A Review in the Mining Industry

Although multiview platforms have enhanced work efficiency in mining teleoperation systems, they also induce “cognitive tunneling” and depth-detection issues for operators. These issues inadvertently focus their attention on a restricted central view. Fully immersive virtual reality (VR) has recently attracted the attention of specialists in the mining industry to address these issues. Nevertheless, developing VR teleoperation systems remains a formidable challenge, particularly in achieving a realistic 3D model of the environment. This study investigates the existing gap in fully immersive teleoperation systems within the mining industry, aiming to identify the most optimal methods for their development and ensure operator’s safety. To achieve this purpose, a literature search is employed to identify and extract information from the most relevant sources. The most advanced teleoperation systems are examined by focusing on their visualization types. Then, various 3D reconstruction techniques applicable to mining VR teleoperation are investigated, and their data acquisition methods, sensor technologies, and algorithms are analyzed. Ultimately, the study discusses challenges associated with 3D reconstruction techniques for mining teleoperation. The findings demonstrated that the real-time 3D reconstruction of underground mining environments primarily involves depth-based techniques. In contrast, point cloud generation techniques can mostly be employed for 3D reconstruction in open-pit mining operations.

From Labor Sit-Downs to Civil Rights Sit-Ins: A Genealogy of Liberal Civil Disobedience

Abstract Liberal views of civil disobedience that emerged in the 1960s and ’70s can only be properly interpreted with recourse to the complicated history of the early civil rights movement's selective appropriation of the labor sit-downs of the 1930s. This essay addresses the messy but basically successful effort by civil rights sit-inners and the lawyers who defended them to circumvent the repressive state and legal response—especially the US Supreme Court ruling in National Labor Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation (1939)—that the 1930s sit-downers garnered. My reexamination of the sit-ins places influential liberal ideas about civil disobedience in a fresh light. In his influential theory of civil disobedience, John Rawls mirrored key features of the politically and legally savvy strategy of delinking the lunch counter sit-ins from the workplace sit-downs. The result was a somewhat restrictive view of civil disobedience that sidelined matters of economic justice.

The Status of Music in Islamic Law: Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī’s (d. 974/1567) Treatise Against Recreation in its Polemical Context

Abstract Kaff al-raʿāʿ ʿan muḥarramāt al-lahw wa-l-samāʿ is an influential treatise on the legal status of music and other recreational activities written by the Shāfiʿī Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (d. 974/1567) in 958/1551. This article offers the first analysis of this “treatise against recreation”. Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī argues for the impermissibility of most musical activities on the basis of the Qurʾan and Hadith, the consensus of the ʿulamāʾ (particularly from his Shāfiʿī school), and the incompatibility of recreation (lahw) and piety. These arguments are forged in response to claims found in more permissive texts by the Ẓāhirīs Ibn Ḥazm (d. 456/1064) and Ibn al-Qaysarānī (d. 507/1113) and the Mālikī Muḥammad al-Shādhilī al-Tūnisī (d. 882/1477). I suggest that it is Ibn Ḥajar’s negative attitude to lahw that underlies his restrictive views on music, highlight the gendered element in this attitude, and observe that attitudes to recreation are not interchangeable with affiliation to Sufism.

Coal Exists, Therefore it Must be dug up

As the world’s second largest exporter of coal, Australia has been notoriously reticent to facilitate the technological transitions required to alleviate climate change. The influence of the mining lobby has been well documented, as have the machinations of successive governments, who have had little success in overcoming this influence, or determination to do so. Yet communities in coal mining regions of the Hunter Valley are increasingly, and actively, questioning the morality of the industry. From conflicts over land use, to the impacts that burning coal has on climate change, the coal industry is aware of the tenuous nature of its social license to operate. In response it has invested in campaigns which emphasises the role of the industry in building the local ecology: not only of the local regional economy, but also in building historical and cultural value, in an attempt to ‘lock-in’ mining’s particular values and ethics. As the pressure on coal from international forces increases, this restrictive view is challenged, with the nation committed to the technologies and pollutions of the past and left behind as others move towards cleaner sources of energy. Power and ethics shape not only visions of the future, but the capacity to engage with the likely social and physical outcomes of those actions.

The robustness mechanism of the rural social-ecological system in response to the impact of urbanization——Evidence from irrigation commons in China

Urbanization is essential for achieving rapid development. In this process, the labor outmigration from rural areas to cities caused by urbanization has diversified the impacts on the robustness of the rural social-ecological system. However, existing research has rarely discussed the internal mechanism of the response of the rural social-ecological system to the impact of urbanization. Based on the coupled infrastructure systems framework, in this paper, the internal interactions of the rural social-ecological system responding to the impact of urbanization are discussed. An empirical test is conducted using survey data from 123 villages of 14 Chinese provinces. Focusing on the specific practice of China, this paper further discusses how the robustness of the rural social-ecological system can be ensured under external impact. The main conclusions are as follows: under the impact of urbanization, the internal interaction paths with which the rural social-ecological system maintains robustness at the operational level are not unique. These different internal interaction paths may not only make the rural social-ecological system automatically realize a virtuous and robust cycle under the impact of urbanization, they may also cause a gradual collapse of the rural social-ecological system. Further, the discussion of China’s specific practice shows that it is key to provide institutional rules to guarantee the operational processes through the collective-choice process, thus ensuring the robustness of the rural social-ecological system under the impact of urbanization. The inspection of the interaction mechanisms in this study may obtain some restricted views on the general laws that may be contained in the complex interaction within the rural social-ecological system, and provide a theoretical basis developing countries can apply to realize rural revitalization when faced with the irreversible wave of urbanization.

Habituation and Upbringing in the Nicomachean Ethics

I critically examine developmental approaches to the notion of habituation in the Nicomachean Ethics. Such approaches conceive of habituation in terms of upbringing. I challenge this view. Developmental approaches provide a restrictive view of habituation. I argue that it is possible for the habituation of character to occur after upbringing. My interpretation avoids the charge that Aristotle only granted the possibility of virtue to those who have had a good upbringing.

Reporting Tax Schemes Violates Legal Professional Privilege

In this article, the author discusses the judgment of the CJEU in the case C-694/20 Orde van Vlaamse Balies and Others, which extends the protection of professional secrecy for lawyers. In the context of combating aggressive tax planning, the CJEU ruled that requiring licensed lawyers to inform other intermediaries involved in a tax scheme is unnecessary and violates the right to respectful communication with the client. The CJEU’s view that legal professional privilege takes precedence over tax objectives and obligations is the main novelty of the judgment under review. Individuals who consult a lawyer, as well as a tax advisor, have a reasonable expectation that their communications will remain private and confidential. Therefore, except in exceptional circumstances, they have a legitimate expectation that their lawyer will not, without their consent, disclose to anyone the fact that they are the subject of his or her advice. Following the judgment, the European Commission will legislate to amend the DAC6 Directive so that it meets the requirements of EU primary law as identified by the Court.&#x0D; The judgment is also important because it recognises that legal professional privilege is not limited to advice given in the context of litigation, which has been a restrictive view in antitrust cases.&#x0D; In Orde van Vlaamse Balies and Others, in which the Court held that the duty to inform other intermediaries imposed by Article 8ab(5) DAC 6 interfered with the right to respect for communications between lawyers and their clients guaranteed by Article 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Court gave primacy to primary law (the Charter of Fundamental Rights) over secondary law (DAC 6). In this context, a new jurisprudential trend can be observed in which a substantive review of the Tax Directive was carried out on the basis of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In general, the CJEU has been reluctant to get involved in substantively reviewing EU secondary legislation. More recently, however, the CJEU seems to be carefully analysing provisions of EU directives that are not in line with fundamental rights.

Political and public engagement as topological boundary-making: a critique of ‘Deficit’ approaches in post-communist CEE

ABSTRACTThe attitude of citizens of the post-communist countries of the CEE region towards public and political engagement is described in the literature as deficient: characterised mainly by civic and political passivity, disenchantment or withdrawal to the private sphere. We challenge this narrative and use the example of Czechia to show that not only ‘deficits’ are present, but also that people have a different understanding of what is political. We point to strong technocratic attitudes in CEE and show that technocratic attitudes are associated with restricted views of political, pushing many issues into the non-political but morally conceived territory of engagement.

What marketers of after-school educational services and educators can learn from children’s perceptions of intelligence

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the marketing opportunities for after-school educational services in the Chinese context by examining children’s perceptions of intelligence using visual methodology.Design/methodology/approachAltogether 30 Chinese children aged 9–12 studying in grades four to six were asked to draw what comes to mind for two statements: “This is an intelligent child” and “This is a child of average intelligence.” After doing the drawings, the children were interviewed face-to-face to answer questions about the personalities and social relationships of the children depicted in the two drawings that they had produced.FindingsA child described as intelligent was imagined wearing glasses, studying hard and obtaining excellent academic results. A child described as of average intelligence was imagined as having many friends, playing a lot and experiencing tension with parents over studies. Participants had a restrictive view of intelligence and associated intelligence with academic success. They endorsed both a growth mindset and a fixed mindset of intelligence. On the one hand, they endorsed a growth mindset of intelligence as they associated intelligence with personal efforts and practices. On the other hand, participants endorsed a fixed mindset of intelligence as they tended to avoid challenges and appeared to be threatened by the success of others. Participants imagined that an intelligent child would experience poor relationships with friends.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings were based on a nonprobability small sample. The study did not investigate the socialization process of such perceptions.Practical implicationsEducational services and nonschool activity service providers can position themselves as agents to help students develop meta-analytical skills in embracing challenging tasks. Marketers can develop courses and learning materials that teach children different learning strategies. They can use incentives to encourage persistence and resilience in meeting challenges. This study uncovered the emotional and social needs of intelligent children. A new market segment was identified that targets children with high intelligence. Educational service providers can design curricula and activities to support high-performing children in developing empathy and good communication skills. Educators can assist those who perform well academically to nurture genuine friendships and improve social relations with peers.Social implicationsThe prevalence of the private tutoring industry in the Chinese context may introduce educational disparity, as families with low resources will not be able to afford these services. Nonprofit organizations can provide similar educational services at a low cost to bridge the gap. The narrow view of intelligence expressed by participants, and their lack of awareness of the wide range of types of intelligence, indicates that education service providers can develop the confidence of a child with average intelligence through appreciation of his or her unique talents beyond academic achievements.Originality/valueThis study explores attributes associated with intelligence among Chinese children using an innovative visual method. The marketing implications can apply to other societies where the after-school tuition market is prevalent.

Business Model Innovation for Digitalization in the Swedish District Heating Sector

Despite decades of research and development, digitalization remains a key challenge for the Swedish district heating sector. Business model innovation is believed to be necessary to capitalize on digitalization, yet it is especially challenging for municipal companies. This study aims to identify the potential impact of digitalization on the business models of Swedish district heating companies and to analyze the barriers that exist for digital business model innovation. Through case studies of eight municipal district heating companies, this study demonstrates how the entire business model is potentially impacted by digitalization. This study also identifies the barriers to digital business model innovation that are linked to two conflicting views (restrictive versus comprehensive) on digitalization. The restrictive view diminishes the importance of business model innovation, outsourcing innovation to minimize both costs and risks for the company. In contrast, the comprehensive view embraces digital business model innovation through trial-and-error and opens the innovation process to stakeholder influence. These two perspectives are motivated by different beliefs about the need for digitalization to secure future business opportunities, as well as differences in owners’ risk appetite. The implications for industry outlooks and the design of policy support for the digitalization of district heating are discussed.

Survival Outcomes of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Beyond the Rituximab Era: Comprehensive Analysis of a Veteran Population within the Veterans Health Administration over 11 Years

Introduction: The standard treatment approach for DLBCL has traditionally relied on chemo-immunotherapy with R-CHOP (Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine and Prednisolone) for decades. However, approximately 30-40%, remain refractory or experience relapse with poor outcomes. Since 2017, the landscape for relapsed refractory DLBCL has changed dramatically with the FDA approval of newer monoclonal antibody, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell, antibody-drug conjugate, and bispecific T-cell engagers. Nonetheless, a comprehensive analysis of population survival outcomes since the new treatment modalities remains to be evaluated. In this study, we present an extensive demographic analysis of one of the largest DLBCL cohort to date within the VHA, spanning over 11 years, and the survival outcomes before and after 2017 period. By assessing this vast dataset, we aim to provide valuable insights into the changing landscape of DLBCL treatment and its impact on patient survival. Methods: Using the VHA electronic database, 6266 patients with an ICD code for DLBCL were randomly selected for this retrospective chart review from 01/01/2011, to 12/31/2021. Diagnosis outside of these dates or lack of any treatment history were excluded from the study. Patients were separated based on the diagnosis date into pre- and post-2017 era, diagnosis prior to 1/1/2017 vs diagnosis on and after 1/1/2017. Baseline disease characteristics, treatment patterns and outcomes were collected manually by trained abstractors. Finally, we calculated the overall survival (OS) and graphed using Kaplan Meier method comparing the pre- and post-2017 era. P-values were calculated using Log-Rank test or Chi-Square test. Results: 2660 patients were included in the final analysis. Baseline characteristics between the two groups were comparable. Of all patients, 73% achieved complete response (CR) to the first-line treatment. Most of the patients (1968 patients, 74%) received CHOP-based therapy as their first-line regimen with a median of 6 cycles, and this did not differ significantly between the pre- and post-2017 era. Diagnostic lumbar puncture was performed in 19% of all patients, and about 14% of the patients received CNS prophylaxis. Only 4.2% of all patients proceeded with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Notably, patients diagnosed post-2017 had fewer HSCT than pre-2017, 2.7% vs 5.1% respectively. The median overall survival of all patients in the pre-2017 group was 96 months whereas post-2017 was not reached yet (P-value 0.011). Further analyzing the outcomes of the veterans who experienced refractory or relapsed disease, based on the date refractory or relapsed disease diagnosis, we identified improved OS for an extended period in the post-2017 group. The median OS of pre-2017 was 21 months vs post-2017 was 28 months (P-value 0.013). The OS rate at 12 months and 60 months was 66% vs 76% (P-value 0.003) and 25% vs 32% (P-value 0.034) in the pre-2017 and post 2017 era respectively. However, the OS rate at 96 months was 17% vs 19% was not different statistically (P-value 0.48). Conclusions: This is the most extensive DLBCL population-based data set existing, encompassing survival outcomes over a decade. Our study shows improved OS in patients diagnosed with refractory and relapsed disease on 1/1/2017 and beyond compared to the pre-2017 era, highlighting the available newer treatments outside the rituximab-based chemo-immunotherapy and refined supportive care. The improved survival extends to over 5 years. However, the overall survival remains similar after 8 years, irrespective of treatment era. This finding suggests that other factors, such as comorbidities, appear to play a role in mortality, rather than the disease itself or its treatment. The limitation of the study includes limited follow up period for patients diagnosed post 2017 era and the predominantly male population found in the VHA system, which represents a restricted view of a real-world population.

From authentic assessment to authenticity in assessment: broadening perspectives

For over 30 years, the notion of authentic assessment in higher education has been adopted in academic practice, but it has managed to escape substantial critique. Although there have been multiple definitions and operationalisations of authentic assessment, current practice tends to foreground mimicking of work tasks. Authenticity cannot be completely unmoored from the reality of workplaces, the demands of the discipline, and the overall intended learning outcomes, however, a restricted view of how these aspects are represented in assessment can limit the sector’s ability to prepare graduates who can engage with and shape the changing world. This paper elaborates the multiple challenges that some conceptualisations of authentic assessment contribute to assessment planning, recognising that assessment design always requires compromise. Three theoretical perspectives on authenticity are introduced to open new possibilities for authenticity in assessment. These are (1) psychological authenticity; (2) ontological fidelity; and (3) practice theory perspectives. The final section discusses how learning design might offer a means to operationalise theory. The paper concludes by suggesting that authenticity in assessment continues to hold value for the sector beyond its current uses through stronger theoretical conceptualisation and operationalisation of authenticity.

Neural Radiance Fields for High-Resolution Remote Sensing Novel View Synthesis

Remote sensing images play a crucial role in remote sensing target detection and 3D remote sensing modeling, and the enhancement of resolution holds significant application implications. The task of remote sensing target detection requires a substantial amount of high-resolution remote sensing images, while 3D reconstruction tasks generate denser models from diverse view perspectives. However, high-resolution remote sensing images are often limited due to their high acquisition costs, a scarcity of acquisition views, and restricted view perspective variations, which pose challenges for remote sensing tasks. In this paper, we propose an advanced method for a high-resolution remote sensing novel view synthesis by integrating attention mechanisms with neural radiance fields to address the scarcity of high-resolution remote sensing images. To enhance the relationships between sampled points and rays and to improve the 3D implicit model representation capability of the network, we introduce a point attention module and batch attention module into the proposed framework. Additionally, a frequency-weighted position encoding strategy is proposed to determine the significance of each frequency for position encoding. The proposed method is evaluated on the LEVIR-NVS dataset and demonstrates superior performance in quality assessment metrics and visual effects compared to baseline NeRF (Neural Radiance Fields) and ImMPI (Implicit Multi-plane Images). Overall, this work presents a promising approach for a remote sensing novel view synthesis by leveraging attention mechanisms and frequency-weighted position encoding.

Value of the Hyomental Distance Measured With Ultrasound in Forecasting Difficult Laryngoscopy in Newborns

PurposePreoperative evaluations of difficult airways are imperative, especially in newborns. The hyomental distance is a reliable index for predicting difficult airways in adults. However, few studies have evaluated the value of the hyomental distance for predicting difficult airways in newborns. It is unclear whether the hyomental distance forecasts a restricted or difficult view when using direct laryngoscopy. We intended to develop an effective system for predicting difficult tracheal intubation in newborns. DesignA prospective observational clinical study. MethodsNewborns aged 0 to 28 days undergoing oral endotracheal intubation with direct laryngoscopy for elective surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled. The hyomental distance and hyoid level tissue thickness were assessed by ultrasound. Other parameters, such as the mandibular length and sternomental distance, were also evaluated before anesthesia. The glottic structure view under laryngoscopy was graded according to the Cormack-Lehane classification. The patients with Grade 1 and 2 laryngeal views were assigned to Group E. Those with Grade 3 and 4 views were assigned to Group D. FindingsA total of 123 newborns were recruited for our study. The incidence of poor visualization of the larynx during laryngoscopy in our study was 10.6%. The multifactor logistic regression results showed that the hyomental distance was a powerful predictor of difficult laryngoscopy (OR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.03-0.74, P = .019). The curve with the highest sensitivity and specificity and the maximum area under the curve (AUC) was the hyomental distance. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the hyomental distance suggested that the best cut-off value was less than equal to 2.74 cm, with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.64-0.95). ConclusionsIt is noninvasive and feasible to accurately measure the hyomental distance with ultrasound in newborns, and the results are reliable. We believe that the hyomental distance measured with ultrasound could be used as a marker for predicting difficult laryngoscopy in newborns.