Retrieval Time Research Articles

Optimizing image retrieval by leveraging YCbCr colour space quadtree segmentation and deep learning models for enhanced accuracy and efficiency

ABSTRACT In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the demand for multimedia applications is surging, driven by significant advancements in computer and storage technologies that enable efficient compression and storage of visual data in large-scale databases. However, challenges such as inaccuracy, inefficiency, and suboptimal precision and recall in image retrieval systems necessitate the development of faster and more reliable techniques for searching and retrieving images. Traditional retrieval systems often rely on RGB colour spaces, which may inadequately represent critical image information. In response, we propose a content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system that integrates advanced techniques such as quadtree segmentation alongside modern lightweight deep learning models, specifically MobileNet and EfficientNet, to enhance precision and recall. Our comparative experiments reveal that these deep learning models significantly outperform traditional methods, including SVM classifiers combined with feature extraction techniques such as Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG), Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT), and Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF). Notably, MobileNet and EfficientNet achieved F1-scores of 0.87 and 0.89, respectively, with enhanced processing efficiencies that resulted in feature extraction times reduced to 20 ms and classification times down to 8 ms. This translates to rapid image retrieval times as low as 35 ms, highlighting the superior performance of modern deep learning models in enhancing both retrieval accuracy and efficiency for large-scale image databases, making them ideal for real-time applications.

A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Project Leads to Improved Patient Follow-up and Filter Retrieval Rate.

A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Project Leads to Improved Patient Follow-up and Filter Retrieval Rate.

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction for men with nonobstructive azoospermia who have a testicular tumor in situ at the time of sperm retrieval.

Oncological microdissection testicular sperm extraction (onco-micro-TESE) represents a significant breakthrough for patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) and a concomitant in situ testicular tumor, to be managed at the time of sperm retrieval. Onco-micro-TESE addresses the dual objectives of treating both infertility and the testicular tumor simultaneously. The technique is intricate, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of testicular anatomy, physiology, tumor biology, and advanced microsurgical methods. It aims to carefully extract viable spermatozoa while minimizing the risk of tumor dissemination. This review encapsulates the procedural intricacies, evaluates success determinants, including tumor pathology and spermatogenic tissue health, and discusses the implementation of imaging techniques for enhanced surgical precision. Ethical considerations are paramount, as the procedure implicates complex decision-making that weighs the potential oncological risks against the profound desire for fatherhood using the male gametes. The review aims to provide a holistic overview of onco-micro-TESE, detailing methodological advances, clinical outcomes, and the ethical landscape, thus offering an indispensable resource for clinicians navigating this multifaceted clinical scenario.

Association between embryo transfer season and the risks of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus.

To explore the impact of seasonal variations on the risks of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. We retrospectively included a total of 21,469 women who achieved singleton delivery during their first cycles of IVF, the risks of HDP and GDM were compared in different seasonal groups according to the time of embryo transfer and the time of oocyte retrieval. After adjustment via multivariable logistic regression, women who underwent embryo transfer in spring with the expected date of confinement in winter had a higher risk of HDP (4.9% vs. 3.8%; adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.34; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-1.64; P = 0.005) than those underwent embryo transfer in winter with the expected date of confinement in autumn. There were no seasonal variations in the risk of HDP according to the time of oocyte retrieval or inthe risk of GDM regardless of the time of embryo transfer or the time of oocyte retrieval. After subgroup analysis, the seasonal variations in the risk of HDP remained in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles but not in fresh embryo transfer (FreET) cycles. The risk of HDP was increased in women who underwent embryo transfer in spring compared to those who underwent embryo transfer in winter. The risk of HDP is more likely to be affected by the season at the time of embryo transfer in FET cycles compared to FreET cycles.

A New Approach to Natural Language Query Search using Frequency Analysis Techniques in Cloud Computing

Data outsourcing is the preferred act by owners of cloud data because of ease in maintenance. Data confidentiality of this outsourced sensitive data is a major task. Applying cryptographic techniques to outsourced data is the most secure way to achieve confidentiality. Searchable encryption techniques help in searching on encrypted data without actually decrypting it. These techniques limit the usefulness of data in the sense that searching encrypted data is difficult. With the increase in the volume of data, increases the size of indexing structure. This makes it more difficult to design cipher text based search scheme which facilitates reliable, memory efficient, fast retrieval on a huge volume of encrypted data. In this paper, keyword frequency based code method is presented to minimize the size of the index which makes fast retrieval of data inside a big data environment. The proposed system also supports secured, ranked retrieval using hash-based mapping structures. A hash-based technique efficiently retrieves the data using key-value pair data structure. The resulting system is able to handle queries which are written in natural language. Through extensive experiments using standard dataset, the performance of the system is validated. The system performance is evaluated and validated through extensive experimentation using standard dataset. The results show that very less space for index storage is utilized by the system proposed in the paper which enhances the performance on the ground of the retrieval time.

The Impact of Termiticides on Termite Corpse Management.

Soil treatments and baits are two primary chemical control strategies for subterranean termites. Baiting is targeted and eco-friendly but requires ongoing maintenance, while soil treatments provide immediate, long-lasting protection with potential environmental concerns. Previously, we found that termites differentially manage deceased individuals based on their postmortem chemical signatures, potentially circumventing chemical controls. Given the distinct differences in the synthetic termiticides used for soil treatments (fast-acting) and baits (slow-releasing), we hypothesized that termites would respond differently to corpses treated with these two methods. To test this hypothesis, in Reticulitermes flavipes, we (1) profiled postmortem chemicals in termites exposed to different termiticides and (2) documented live termite responses to these corpses. Significant variations in postmortem chemical signatures, particularly 3-octanol and 3-octanone, were found among termites exposed to different termiticides, especially bifenthrin and fipronil. However, these variations did not lead to significantly different undertaking behaviors, indicating a complex relationship between death cues and termite behavior. Contrary to our hypothesis, except for bifenthrin, the fundamental undertaking behaviors were consistent despite differences in retrieval timing. This suggests that termiticides alone do not fully dictate termite undertaking behavior. Understanding termite corpse management is crucial for evaluating termiticide effectiveness, highlighting the need for an integrated pest management approach.

Effect of patient positioning on retrieval of cystoliths by percutaneous cystolithotomy in dogs.

Effect of patient positioning on retrieval of cystoliths by percutaneous cystolithotomy in dogs.

Joint optimization of storage assignment and order batching in robotic mobile fulfillment system with dynamic storage depth and surplus items

Joint optimization of storage assignment and order batching in robotic mobile fulfillment system with dynamic storage depth and surplus items

The infiltration risk prediction models by logistic regression for ground-glass pulmonary nodules: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sinomed, Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and other databases were searched. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to January 31, 2024. We included all predictive models for the invasion of ground-glass pulmonary nodules established. The modeling group was patients with a pathological diagnosis of ground-glass pulmonary nodules. Two researchers screened the literature, established an Excel table for information extraction, used SPSS 25.0 to perform frequency statistics of each independent risk factor, and used Revman 5.4 software for meta-analysis. A total of 29 articles were included, involving 30 independent risk factors, with a cumulative frequency of 99 times. There were 16 risk factors with a frequency of ≥2 times, a total of 85 times, accounting for 85.86%. The meta-analysis showed the following: average CT value (MD = 75.57 HU, 95%CI: 44.40-106.75), maximum diameter (MD = 4.99 mm, 95%CI: 4.22-5.77), vascular convergence sign (OR = 11.16, 95%CI: 6.71-18.56), lobulation sign (OR = 3.80, 95%CI: 1.59-9.09), average diameter (MD = 4.46 mm, 95%CI: 3.44-5.48), maximum CT value (MD = 112.52 HU, 95%CI: 8.08-216.96), spiculation sign (OR = 4.46, 95%CI: 2.03-9.81), volume (MD = 1,069.37 mm3, 95%CI: 1,025.75-1,112.99), vacuole sign (OR = 6.15, 95%CI: 2.70-14.01), CTR ≥0.5 (OR = 7.24, 95%CI: 3.35-15.65), vascular type [types III and IV] (OR = 13.62, 95%CI: 8.85-20.94), pleural indentation (OR = 6.92, 95%CI: 2.69-17.82), age (MD = 4.18years, 95%CI: 1.70-6.65), and mGGN (OR = 3.62, 95%CI: 2.36-5.56) were risk factors for infiltration of ground-glass nodules. The overall risk of bias in the methodological quality evaluation of the included studies was small, and the AUC value of the model was 0.736-0.977. The included model has a good predictive performance for the invasion of ground-glass nodules. The independent risk factors included in the model can help medical workers to identify the high-risk groups of invasive lung cancer in ground-glass nodules in time and improve the prognosis.

Best evidence summary for the management of exercise in patients with central venous access devices.

Central venous access devices (CVAD) are widely used in patient care, providing an essential, reliable pathway for patients to receive chemotherapy, long-term infusions, and nutritional support. However, a system of exercise management has not been developed in patients with CVAD. To evaluate and summarize the evidence for management exercise in patients with CVAD and provide guidance for clinical practice. Systematic searches were conducted in domestic and international databases for evidence on exercise in patients with CVAD. The types of literature included clinical decisions, guidelines, systematic reviews, expert consensus, and original research. The retrieval time is from the database construction to October 2023. We finally identified 20 articles that had high-quality results. We summarized the 26 pieces of best evidence from these articles, covering nine aspects: the effects of exercise interventions; ways of exercise; type of exercise tools; timing of exercise; dose of exercise; exercise precautions; monitoring of exercise safety; complications of exercise interventions; scales to assess the effect of exercise. Of these pieces of evidence, 12 were "strong" and 14 were "weak," 14 pieces of evidence were recommended in level 1, and 12 pieces of evidence were recommended in level 5. The following 26 pieces of evidence for exercise management of CVAD in patients were finally recommended. However, as this evidence comes from only one country, relevant factors such as the clinical environment should be evaluated before application. Further studies should include diverse populations from multiple countries to ensure the findings are widely applicable and to identify any potential variations in exercise outcomes for patients.

Balancing performance and cost of LLMs in a multi-agent framework for BIM data retrieval

ABSTRACT This study explores strategies for optimizing the use of large language models (LLMs) in Building Information Modeling (BIM) data retrieval. BIM data retrieval plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of building management and construction processes. Utilizing LLMs can significantly improve data accessibility, reduce retrieval time, and support better decision-making. We propose a method to match queries of varying complexity with suitable LLMs within a multi-agent system (MAS) to balance accuracy and computational costs. We evaluated three commonly used LLMs (GPT-3.5 Turbo, GPT-4o, and GPT-4 Turbo) and found that GPT-4o strikes a good balance between performance and cost. By encoding and clustering query statements, we effectively classified query difficulty levels and matched them with appropriate models. Our tests showed that the multi-agent system with the planner mechanism reduced costs by nearly 31% while maintaining the same accuracy compared to systems without the mechanism.

Pro-cumulin addition in a biphasic in vitro oocyte maturation system modulates human oocyte and cumulus cell transcriptomes.

Biphasic IVM can be offered as a patient-friendly alternative to conventional ovarian stimulation in IVF patients predicted to be hyper-responsive to ovarian stimulation. However, cumulative live birth rates after IVM per cycle are lower than after conventional ovarian stimulation for IVF. In different animal species, supplementation of IVM media with oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) improves oocyte developmental competence through the expression of pro-ovulatory genes in cumulus cells. Whether the addition of OSFs in human biphasic IVM culture impacts the transcriptome of oocytes and cumulus cells retrieved from small antral follicles in minimally stimulated non-hCG-triggered IVM cycles remains to be elucidated. To answer this, human cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) that were fully surrounded by cumulus cells or partially denuded at the time of retrieval were cultured in a biphasic IVM system either without or with the addition of pro-cumulin, a GDF9:BMP15 heterodimer. Oocytes and their accompanying cumulus cells were collected separately, and single-cell RNA-seq libraries were generated. The transcriptomic profile of cumulus cells revealed that pro-cumulin upregulated the expression of genes involved in cumulus cell expansion and proliferation while downregulating steroidogenesis, luteinization, and apoptosis pathways. Moreover, pro-cumulin modulated the immature oocyte transcriptome during the pre-maturation step, including regulating translation, apoptosis, and mitochondria remodeling pathways in the growing germinal vesicle oocytes. The addition of pro-cumulin also restored the transcriptomic profile of matured metaphase II oocytes that were partially denuded at collection. These results suggest that cumulus cell and oocyte transcriptome regulation by pro-cumulin may increase the number of developmentally competent oocytes after biphasic IVM treatment. Future studies should assess the effects of pro-cumulin addition in human biphasic IVM at the proteomic level and the embryological outcomes, particularly its potential to enhance outcomes of oocytes that are partially denuded at COC collection.

Endometrial scratching before euploid embryo transfer: a case-control study.

To evaluate the effect of endometrial scratching on in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates in women undergoing frozen embryo transfer with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Biopsy was performed at oocyte retrieval in cases and compared to those who did not undergo scratching (controls). Endpoints included pregnancy loss, total pregnancy, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), ongoing pregnancy rate/live birth rate (OPR), and the incidence of chronic endometritis (CE). Women in case and control groups had similar characteristics, such as age, body mass index, and parity. Overall total pregnancy rate was 82.43% following single euploid embryo transfer in cases compared to 85.7% in controls (p = 0.57; OR = 1.27; 95% CI = 0.565 to 2.78). CPR was 73.3% and 76.2% (p = 0.62; OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.594 to 2.29), and OPR between groups was 64.8% and 72.3% (p = 0.28; OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 0.74 to 2.7). First trimester loss rate was similar at 16.9%% and 15.5%%, respectively (p = 0.82). Subjects who underwent scratching closer to their frozen embryo transfer (≤ 3months) had a similar overall pregnancy rate to those with a longer delay between retrieval and frozen embryo transfer (> 3months 81.4% vs.87.5%; p = 0.56). CE incidence was 10.8% (8 out of 74; 95% CI = 5.5% to 19.9%). The odds of having a second trimester loss were significantly higher in the scratch group compared to controls (p = 0.03; OR = infinity; 95% CI = 1.3 to infinity). Endometrial scratching before frozen euploid embryo transfer did not influence pregnancy outcome but increased the chances of second trimester loss. CE was a frequent finding in those undergoing endometrial scratching at the time of retrieval.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: the role of ICG fluorescence after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence as an alternative to traditional sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) techniques in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Specifically, the study aimed to assess sentinel node identification rates and the effectiveness of ICG in axillary staging without the use of radioactive tracers. This retrospective study included 71 BC patients treated with NAC, who underwent SLNB using ICG fluorescence between 2020 and 2024. ICG was injected intradermally around the nipple-areolar complex, and the lymphatic pathways were visualized with a fluorescence camera. SN identification rate (IR) and retrieval of three or more SNs were the primary and secondary endpoints, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. ICG-guided SNs were identified in 91.5% of patients, with a median retrieval time of 25min (range: 10-50). Three or more SNs were successfully collected among 66.2% of cases and 38% of patients achieved a complete pathological response to NAC, while 53.5% had partial responses. Metastatic SNs were found in 21.1% of patients, and no serious intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. ICG fluorescence-guided SLNB proved to be a feasible and promising method for SNs identification among BC patients after NAC. While ICG shows potential as an alternative to traditional techniques, further studies are required to confirm these findings and to establish ICG role in post-NAC axillary staging.

Organic UV-filters and freshwater organisms: data gaps impede a robust retrospective environmental risk assessment

BackgroundFor use in cosmetic products, 32 substances have been authorised in the EU as UV-filters as of August 2022 (Annex VI of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009). Although these substances can enter the aquatic environment directly through bathing, authorisation for use in cosmetic products does not require a specific environmental risk assessment, whereas risks to human health are specifically assessed. Furthermore, no environmental quality standards have been proposed at EU level. For the current review, data on freshwater ecotoxicity, physicochemical properties, environmental fate and measured exposure were retrieved from ECHA registration information and public databases and assessed for reliability and relevance. Environmental quality standards (EQS) were proposed based on the EU technical guidance for EQS for the Water Framework Directive (WFD).ResultsFrom a WFD perspective, there were significant or complete gaps for acute and chronic effects data, sediment organisms and rarely tested organisms at the time of data retrieval, as well as gaps for measured environmental concentrations in the assessed databases. The reliability of the reported data could not always be verified due to missing information. As expected from the heterogeneity of molecular structures, ecotoxicity data and environmental fate parameters vary considerably between the different substances. Our assessments indicate that the use of some of the substances in direct contact with surface water may pose a repeated risk to aquatic organisms.ConclusionsWe recommend a revision of the process for the inclusion of UV-filters in the EU Cosmetics Product Regulation, taking into account the potential environmental risks. A full assessment of all UV-filters using standard test organisms as well as rarely tested species for acute and chronic effects and bioaccumulation would require, among other things, a large number of fish tests. Therefore, new assessment methods (NAMs) are recommended, including the use of fish cell lines for acute toxicity testing and alternatives for the assessment of chronic toxicity.

Positive affect amplifies integration within episodic memories in the laboratory and the real world.

Emotional events hold a privileged place in our memories, differing in accuracy and structure from memories for neutral experiences. Although much work has focused on the pronounced differences in memory for negative experiences, there is growing evidence that positive events may lead to more holistic, or integrated, memories. However, it is unclear whether these affect-driven changes in memory structure, which have been found in highly controlled laboratory environments, extend to real-world episodic memories. We ran experiments that assessed memory for experiences created in the laboratory (Experiment 1) and, using smartphones, memories for everyday experiences (Experiment 2). We complement these design innovations with a novel analysis approach to model memory accuracy and integration in both settings. Consistent with past findings, emotional events were subjectively remembered more strongly. These studies also revealed that features of more positive events were indeed more integrated within memory, both in the laboratory and the real world. These effects were specific to participants' emotional responses to the events during encoding rather than general emotional states at the time of retrieval, and reflected a general increase in integration between multiple memory features. Together, these results demonstrate robust differences in memory for positive events, introduce a novel measure of memory integration, and highlight the importance of assessing the impact of emotion on memory beyond the laboratory.

ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY IN THE WORKPLACE THROUGH THE 5S METHODOLOGY: A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AT SIERRA LEONE BREWERY LIMITED

This paper explores the deployment of the 5S methodology in enhancing productivity and efficiency within the Manufacturing Department in Sierra Leone Brewery Limited. The 5S methodology, comprising the phases Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain, was implemented as a stepby-step approach toward streamlining the organization of space and enhancing operational efficiency within the workplace. All steps applied aimed at optimizing the tool arrangement, streamlining the workflows, and encouraging a culture of cleanliness and continuous improvement. Results show major cuts in the time it takes to get tools, and improvements are evident in the workplace safety, employee engagement, and cost efficiency. Shadow boarding and standard practices in the rearrangement of tools allowed SLBL to establish a clean environment conducive to increased productivity. The specific research objectives of this study are to evaluate the impact of 5S on productivity and efficiency, determine its effects on quality and cost reduction, and analyze its role in enhancing employee morale and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The findings indicate quantitative improvements in retrieval times and cost savings, highlighting the methodology's effectiveness in attaining productivity gains and operational excellence.

Fosaprepitant as combination therapy to prevent chemotherapy-induced vomiting in children: a meta-analysis.

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of fosaprepitant combined with 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonists (5-HT3RA) (with or without dexamethasone) on the chemotherapy-induced vomiting in pediatric cancer patients. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Journal full-text database (CNKI), Wanfang data knowledge service platform (Wanfang) and VIP Chinese sci-tech Journal full-text database (VIP) were searched by computer (retrieval time from database establishment to Apr. 2024), randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies about fosaprepitant and 5-HT3RA with or without dexamethasone (observation group) versus 5-HT3RA, with or without dexamethasone, as the control group for chemotherapy-induced vomiting were collected, after data extraction and quality evaluation, meta-analysis was carried out by Rev Man 5.3 software. A total of 731 patients were included in 7 trials. Meta-analysis results showed that the complete response (CCR, no vomiting/rescue medication) rates were higher in the observation group compared to that in the control group during the acute [the relative risk: RR = 1.64, 95% confidence interval: 95%CI = 1.35-1.99, P < 0.00001], delayed vomiting [RR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.32-3.17, P = 0.001] and overall phases [RR = 2.08, 95%CI = 1.69-2.57, P < 0.00001], with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The subgroup analysis of salvage treatment proportion revealed that the need for rescue medication was higher for patients in the control than fosaprepitan regimens [RR = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.08-0.54, P = 0.001] There was no difference in the incidence of adverse drug reaction between two groups [RR = 0.95, 95%CI = 0.75-1.19, P = 0.66]. Fosaprepitant in combination with 5-HT3RA (with or without dexamethasone) has the same safety and more effective in preventing chemotherapy-induced vomiting than 5-HT3RA with or without dexamethasone.

Intermittent fasting for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Intermittent Fasting (IF) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of IF intervention in T2DM were systematically searched from PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, MEDLINE and CNKI, and retrieval time was set from database onset to September 2024. A meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 software. sixteen articles were included, with a total of 5369 patients. The meta-analysis showed that, compared with the control group, IF could improve patients' glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, low density lipoprotein, and cholesterol levels (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in improving the levels of postprandial plasma glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels compared to the control group (p > 0.05). IF may help people with T2DM manage their blood sugar levels effectively. In addition, IF can reduce body weight, reduce waist circumference, maintain stable blood pressure, and reduce low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels, and is considered safe and feasible to implement. However, more high-quality studies are needed to provide further evidence on the benefits of IF in improving other lipid levels.

Electrodynamic Tether and Brake Sails Combination Deorbit Design

Electrodynamic Tether and Brake Sails Combination Deorbit Design