Success Rate Research Articles

Revolutionizing Kidney Transplantation: Connecting Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence with Next-Generation Healthcare—From Algorithms to Allografts

This review explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into kidney transplantation (KT), set against the backdrop of a significant donor organ shortage and the evolution of ‘Next-Generation Healthcare’. Its purpose is to evaluate how AI and ML can enhance the transplantation process, from donor selection to postoperative patient care. Our methodology involved a comprehensive review of current research, focusing on the application of AI and ML in various stages of KT. This included an analysis of donor–recipient matching, predictive modeling, and the improvement in postoperative care. The results indicated that AI and ML significantly improve the efficiency and success rates of KT. They aid in better donor–recipient matching, reduce organ rejection, and enhance postoperative monitoring and patient care. Predictive modeling, based on extensive data analysis, has been particularly effective in identifying suitable organ matches and anticipating postoperative complications. In conclusion, this review discusses the transformative impact of AI and ML in KT, offering more precise, personalized, and effective healthcare solutions. Their integration into this field addresses critical issues like organ shortages and post-transplant complications. However, the successful application of these technologies requires careful consideration of their ethical, privacy, and training aspects in healthcare settings.

Transfer learning for epilepsy detection using spectrogram images

<span>Epilepsy stands out as one of the common neurological diseases. The neural activity of the brain is observed using electroencephalography (EEG). Manual inspection of EEG brain signals is a slow and arduous process, which puts heavy load on neurologists and affects their performance. The aim of this study is to find the best result of classification using the transfer learning model that automatically identify the epileptic and the normal activity, to classify EEG signals by using images of spectrogram which represents the percentage of energy for each coefficient of the continuous wavelet. Dataset includes the EEG signals recorded at monitoring unit of epilepsy used in this study to presents an application of transfer learning by comparing three models Alexnet, visual geometry group (VGG19) and residual neural network ResNet using different combinations with seven different classifiers. This study tested the models and reached a different value of accuracy and other metrics used to judge their performances, and as a result the best combination has been achieved with ResNet combined with support vector machine (SVM) classifier that classified EEG signals with a high success rate using multiple performance metrics such as 97.22% accuracy and 2.78% the value of the error rate.</span>

Effect of aging and bleaching on the color stability and surface roughness of a recently introduced single-shade composite resin

ObjectivesTo assess the effects of aging and bleaching procedures on the color stability and surface roughness of a new single-shade composite versus multi-shade composite resins. MethodsA single-shade composite resin (Charisma Diamond One, CDO) and 3 multi-shade composite resins (Tetric NCeram, Filtek Z350 XT, Clearfil Majesty Posterior) were tested. Thirty specimens of each material were subjected to one of the aging procedures respectively: immersion in distilled water (12 days/37 °C), immersion in coffee (12 days/37 °C), or water thermocycling (10,000 cycles/5–55 °C). All specimens underwent in-office bleaching after aging. Kruskal-Wallis tests and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis (α=0.05). ResultsAll materials exhibited a change of color (ΔE00), translucency (RTP), whiteness (WID) and surface roughness parameters (Sa,Sv) after aging and bleaching procedures. CDO showed the highest ΔE00 among all resins with the highest RTP value, regardless of the aging procedures. Immersion in coffee led to the significantly highest ∆E00 values and lowest RTP values for nearly all resins. Positive ΔWID1 (WID(bleaching)−WID(baseline)) values were found in distilled water immersion and thermocycling groups, while negative ΔWID1 values were found in the coffee immersion group for all materials. Besides, positive ΔWID2 (WID(bleaching)−WID(aging)) values were found in all aging groups for nearly all materials. All materials showed an increasing trend in Sa and Sv after bleaching. ConclusionsCDO showed more pronounced discoloration than multi-shade composite resins. Although the whiteness of all resins increased after bleaching, none was completely restored in the coffee immersion group. Bleaching significantly increased the surface roughness of all materials. Clinical significanceCharisma Diamond One is more susceptible to discoloration, which may affect its long-term success rate. Bleaching could partially reduce the color change of the composite resins but did not return them completely to their original state. The roughness of the resins increased after bleaching, prompting dentists to repolish them after bleaching.

GazePair: Efficient Pairing of Augmented Reality Devices Using Gaze Tracking

As Augmented Reality (AR) devices become more prevalent and commercially viable, the need for quick, efficient, and secure schemes for pairing these devices has become more pressing. Current methods to securely exchange holograms require users to send this information through large data centers, creating security and privacy concerns. Existing techniques to pair these devices on a local network and share information fall short in terms of usability and scalability. These techniques either require hardware not available on AR devices, intricate physical gestures, removal of the device from the head, do not scale to multiple pairing partners, or rely on methods with low entropy to create encryption keys. To that end, we propose a novel pairing system, called GazePair, that improves on all existing local pairing techniques by creating an efficient, effective, and intuitive pairing protocol. GazePair uses eye gaze tracking and a spoken key sequence cue (KSC) to generate identical, independently generated symmetric encryption keys with 64 bits of entropy. GazePair also achieves improvements in pairing success rates and times over current methods. Additionally, we show that GazePair can extend to multiple users. Finally, we assert that GazePair can be used on any Mixed Reality (MR) device equipped with eye gaze tracking.

The role of medical illustration in the evolution of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

Medical illustration played a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in the evolution of pituitary surgery. From the late 1800s to the present, many preeminent surgeons, in partnership with their surgical illustrator collaborators, developed and then shifted the paradigm of pituitary surgery, from an open procedure with high mortality and morbidity, to an endonasal approach with high success rates that is widely utilized today. This work aims to highlight the role of surgical illustrators as partners to their physician colleagues, creating artistically accessible road maps that shaped the development of the transsphenoidal approach.

Efficient termination of cardiac arrhythmias using optogenetic resonant feedback pacing.

Malignant cardiac tachyarrhythmias are associated with complex spatiotemporal excitation of the heart. The termination of these life-threatening arrhythmias requires high-energy electrical shocks that have significant side effects, including tissue damage, excruciating pain, and worsening prognosis. This significant medical need has motivated the search for alternative approaches that mitigate the side effects, based on a comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of the heart. Cardiac optogenetics enables the manipulation of cellular function using light, enhancing our understanding of nonlinear cardiac function and control. Here, we investigate the efficacy of optically resonant feedback pacing (ORFP) to terminate ventricular tachyarrhythmias using numerical simulations and experiments in transgenic Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts. We show that ORFP outperforms the termination efficacy of the optical single-pulse (OSP) approach. When using ORFP, the total energy required for arrhythmia termination, i.e., the energy summed over all pulses in the sequence, is 1 mJ. With a success rate of 50%, the energy per pulse is 40 times lower than with OSP with a pulse duration of 10 ms. We demonstrate that even at light intensities below the excitation threshold, ORFP enables the termination of arrhythmias by spatiotemporal modulation of excitability inducing spiral wave drift.

Comparison of novel intrinsic versus conventional antitachycardia pacing for ventricular tachycardia among implantable cardioverter-defibrillator recipients.

Intrinsic antitachycardia pacing (iATP) is a novel automated antitachycardia pacing (ATP) that provides individual treatment to terminate ventricular tachycardia (VT). However, the clinical efficacy of iATP in comparison with conventional ATP is unknown. We aim to compare the termination rate of VT between iATP and conventional ATP in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators using a unique setting of different sequential orders of both ATP algorisms. Patients with the iATP algorithm were assigned to iATP-first and conventional ATP-first groups sequentially. In the iATP-first group, a maximum of seven iATP sequences were delivered, followed by conventional burst and ramp pacing. In contrast, in the conventional ATP-first group, two bursts and ramp pacing were initially programmed, followed by iATP sequences. We compared the success rates of VT termination in the first and secondary programmed ATP zones between the two groups. Fifty-eight and 56 patients were enrolled in the iATP-first and conventional ATP-first groups, and 67 and 44 VTs were analyzed in each group, respectively. At the first single ATP therapy, success rates were 64% and 70% in the iATP and conventional groups, respectively. At the end of the first iATP treatment zone, the success rate increased from 64% to 85%. Moreover, secondary iATP therapy following the failure of conventional ATPs increased the success rate from 80% to 93%. There was a significant benefit of alternative iATP for VT termination compared to secondary conventional ATP (100% vs. 33%, p = .028). iATP may be beneficial as a secondary therapy after failure of conventional ATP to terminate VT.

Single-Center Experience of Surgical Treatment of Subjects with Late-Presenting Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Aim: This study aimed to delineate the single-center experience surrounding the long-term consequences of surgical reconstruction in subjects with late-presenting DDH (developmental dysplasia of the hip). Methods: We analyzed 23 hips of 21 subjects aged >6 years who underwent surgical interventions, such as pelvic osteotomy, open reduction, femoral shortening, and derotation, for developmental hip dysplasia. Results: After a median follow-up of 23.34 (8–120) months, there were no noteworthy alterations in the Harris score and anteversion. Nevertheless, significant improvements were observed in SHARP, CE angle, and depth and width index over the follow-up duration. Using Sever’s radiological criteria, 87.1% of subjects achieved excellent and good results. Assessment of femoral head avascular necrosis, based on Bucholz and Ogden’s classification, produced the subsequent findings: 52% of hips were Type I; 13% were Type II; 22% were Type III; and 13% were categorized as Type IV. Conclusion: Despite achieving favorable postoperative radiological outcomes, there's a noticeable decline in clinical success in these subjects, especially as their age increases. Additionally, they face an elevated risk of avascular necrosis. The juxtaposition of a 75% radiological success rate with a 50% clinical success rate accentuates this contrast. Crucially, the success rate of surgical corrections in late-presenting DDH is tied to the age of the patient, with the success rate decreasing as age progresses.

Outcome of intrauterine insemination in couples with unexplained or male factor infertility at National Referral Hospital of Bhutan

Objectives: Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) is the only facility offering intrauterine insemination (IUI) services in the country. In this study, we aim to study the success rate of IUI for the year 2022. Material and Methods: This retrospective study utilized secondary data extracted from the medical records of a cohort of 57 patients who underwent IUI procedures at the infertility clinic between January and December 2022. Ethical clearance and site approval were obtained from the Institutional Review Board at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan and JDWNRH, respectively. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0 by IBM Corp in Armonk, NY, was used to calculate frequencies, percentages and create statistical diagrams. Results: In the year 2022, the overall success rate of IUI was 5.3%. A majority of infertile men, representing 78.9%, fell within the age range of 30–39 years, and oligozoospermia emerged as the most common semen abnormality, affecting 45.6% of the infertile men in this study. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the IUI success rate in the country was 5.3%. This success rate of IUI in the country was found to be low compared to the success rate in neighboring countries. This is important information for patients to make informed decisions, aids fertility specialists in devising treatment plans, directs the allocation of resources, drives research and development initiatives, and informs policy and strategic adjustments at the national level.

GRAND PLAN: Safety and Efficacy of Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among People Initially Disengaged From Health Care Who Use Drugs-A Systematic Multidisciplinary Approach.

GRAND PLAN is a prospective, open-label, phase 4 study. Based at a single center and with a single arm, GRAND PLAN evaluated the safety and efficacy of an 8-week course of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) among active drug users with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a population enriched for factors that may reduce treatment uptake and success, such as disengagement from health care and unstable housing. Participants were ≥19 years old and actively using drugs and were confirmed viremic, noncirrhotic, and HCV treatment naive. All participants provided informed consent before any study procedures. They received G/P for 8 weeks within a multidisciplinary model of care, with daily, weekly, or monthly dispensing of medications to optimize adherence. We identified 117 eligible patients with a median age of 46 years (range, 22-75): 27% were female, 21.4% were Indigenous, 48.7% were unstably housed, and 95.7% were active drug users (94.9% fentanyl). One patient did not start treatment, and 4 underwent <1 week of treatment, leaving 112 completed treatments with 94.6% picking up medications weekly. HCV RNA was undetectable at the end of treatment in all 112 patients. One died of unknown causes shortly after treatment. A cure was demonstrated in 108 of 111 (97.3%) cases at the SVR12 time point (sustained virologic response at ≥12 weeks); the other 3 experienced virologic relapse. Considering the entire cohort, the intent-to-treat success rate was 92.3% (108/117). HCV reinfection was documented at SVR24 in 5 cases, 2 of which were successfully retreated. GRAND PLAN demonstrates that administration of an 8-week course of G/P to inner-city residents with HCV infection leads to a cure >95%. With a short course of treatment, G/P is an attractive option for this population in helping us achieve the World Health Organization's HCV objectives by 2030.

Ultrasound cyclo plasty in advanced glaucoma: Intermediate-term success, predictors for failure and complications.

To report the intermediate-term success rate of ultrasound cyclo plasty (UCP), predictors for failure and complications in advanced glaucoma. This study included patients with advanced glaucoma who underwent UCP. The main outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of antiglaucoma medications, and the presence of complications. Success was defined as an IOP reduction ≥30% and IOP between 6 mmHg and 18 mmHg with no vision-threatening complications. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to identify possible predictors for failure. We included 65 eyes of 58 patients in the study. The mean IOP and number of antiglaucoma medications decreased significantly from 27.60 ± 5.5 mmHg and 3.40 ± 0.9 at baseline to 17.80 ± 8.0 mmHg (35.51% reduction) and 2.43 ± 1.3 at 12 months and 17.10 ± 8.2 mmHg (38.04% reduction) and 2.41 ± 1.5 at 24 months, respectively (p < 0.01 for both). The success rates were 66.2% (43/65) and 72.4% (21/29), while the failure rates were 33.8% (22/65) and 27.6% (8/29) at 12 and 24 months postoperatively, respectively. The cumulative probabilities of overall success were 67.7 ± 5.8% and 33.8 ± 5.9% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. High baseline IOP and history of old glaucoma surgery were associated with a higher risk for failure (Hazard ratio = 1.10 and 5.82, p = 0.03 and p < 0.01, respectively). The most common complications were anterior chamber reaction (18.5%) and cataract development/progression (15.4%). Two eyes (3.1%) developed phthisis bulbi. Although UCP is effective in lowering IOP in eyes with advanced glaucoma, the intermediate-term success rates were moderate.

A detection model of testis-derived circular RNAs in serum for predicting testicular sperm retrieval rate in non-obstructive azoospermia patients.

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction is an effective method to retrieve sperm from non-obstructive azoospermia patients. However, its successful rate is less than 50%. To identify the predictive value of circular RNAs in serum for sperm retrieval rate in non-obstructive azoospermia patients. 180 non-obstructive azoospermia patients were recruited in this study, including 84 individuals with successful sperm retrieval and 96 individuals with failed sperm retrieval. Our study contained two phases. First, 20 patients, selected from the 180 patients, were included in screening cohort. In this cohort, the top 20 circular RNAs from our previous testicular circRNA profiles were verified between successful and failed sperm retrieval groups using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Six circular RNAs with the most significantly different expressions were selected for further verification. Second, the 180 patients were included as discovery cohort to verify the six circular RNAs. Circular RNAs were extracted from serum in each participant. Logistic regression analysis was further performed to identify the predictive value and the area under the curve analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic efficiency, sensitivity, and specificity. Six circular RNAs including hsa_circ_0058058, hsa_circ_0008045, hsa_circ_0084789, hsa_circ_0000550, hsa_circ_0007422, and hsa_circ_0004099 showed aberrant expressions between the successful and failed sperm retrieval group. In addition, both single-circular RNA panels and multi-circular RNA panels were finally verified to be significant in predicting sperm retrieval rate. Notably, multi-circular RNAs panels demonstrated better predictive abilities compared with single-circRNA panels, and the combined panel of six-circular RNAs (risk score=1.094×hsa_circ_0058058+0.697×hsa_circ_0008045+0.718×hsa_circ_0084789-0.591×hsa_circ_0000550-0.435×hsa_circ_0007422-1.017×hsa_circ_0004099-1.561) exhibited the best predictive ability in the present study with an AUC of 0.977, a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 86.5%. A higher risk score indicated a higher risk of failure in sperm retrieval. Our study was the first to report that testis-derived circular RNAs in serum have the ability to predict sperm retrieval rate in non-obstructive azoospermia patients, whether it is a single-circular RNA or a combination of multi-circular RNAs.

Mosquito Control, Alluring Them Away from Humans

Mosquitoes are the most harmful insects who cause 2 million illnesses, kill 28 thousand people daily [1,2]. The challenge for researchers has been to develop a bait combination that attracts female mosquitoes and keeps them away from humans. In the animal kingdom, as a matter of survival, millions of years of natural selection have been guiding species toward prey that they can successfully kill. This is true for mosquitoes. Among the 250 billion mammals and birds as potential victims, mosquitoes choose birds with a 42 °C body temperature 50% of the time, humans at 37 °C 4% of the time, and other warmer mammals (40 °C) 46% of the time. Previous research has shown that 40 °C toxic bait traps successfully attract and kill female mosquitoes [3]. A series of individual and side-by-side group experiments gradually identified the chain of events process that female mosquito use to locate hosts and meals. Upon the calls of nature, female mosquitoes sought warm-blooded animals to feed on. They first targeted accessible at or on approximate 42 °C hosts, then hosts with 40 °C, and finally those with 37 °C. In these situations, they had success rates in feeding of 50%, 46%, and 4%, respectively

Comparison of clinical outcomes between transthoracic echocardiography- and X-ray-guided left bundle branch pacing for bradycardia: A randomized controlled trial.

Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) is a physiological pacing modality. However, the long procedure and fluoroscopy time of LBBP is still a problem. This study aims to compare the clinical outcomes between transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)- and X-ray-guided LBBP. This is a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study. Consecutive patients who underwent LBBP in our team from June 2022 to November 2022 were enrolled. Procedure and fluoroscopy time, pacing parameters, electrophysiological and echocardiographic characteristics, as well as complications were recorded at implantation and during follow-up. In this study, 60 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups: 30 patients were allocated to the X-ray group and the remaining 30 to the TTE group. There was no significant difference in the success rate between the two groups (86.7% vs. 76.7%, p = .317). The procedure time of TTE group was comparable to that of the X-ray group (9.0 vs. 12.0 min, p = .063). However, the fluoroscopy time in the TTE group was significantly lower than that of the X-ray group (2.5 vs. 5.0 min, p = .002). There were no statistically significant differences in pacing parameters, electrophysiological and echocardiographic characteristics, or complications between the two groups at implantation and during follow-up. TTE-guided LBBP is a feasible and safe method. Compared with X-ray, TTE showed a comparable success rate and procedure time, but it could significantly reduce the fluoroscopy time of LBBP.

Short history of the DC-Catheter-Ablation

Direct current (DC) catheter ablation in 5patients aiming to interrupt rapid atrioventricular (AV) conduction with atrial fibrillation and subsequent pacemaker implantation was first published by M.M.Scheinman etal. (San Francisco, CA, USA) in 1982. In Germany, L.Seipel, G.Breithardt, and M.Borggrefe reported their first experience with DC catheter ablation in 1984, followed by the group in Bonn (M.Manz and B.Lüderitz) in 1985. The first international DC catheter ablation registry, which also included four German centers, reported DC catheter ablation results of 127 patients in 24centers in 1984. Complete AV block was achieved in 71% patients. In 1992, the Hannover group (H‑J.Trappe, H.Klein and J.Huang) reported results of DC catheter ablation of AV conduction performed between 1983 and 1990 in 100 patients (86% with rapid atrial fibrillation, 14% with AV-node reentry tachycardias). The first successful DC catheter ablation in apatient with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome was reported in 1985 by F.Morady etal. (San Francisco, CA, USA). In 1987, M.Borggrefe etal. were the first to report aswitch from DC catheter ablation to ahigh-frequency (HF) catheter ablation procedure in apatient with WPW syndrome. The use of DC catheter ablation to treat ventricular tachycardia (VT) was described by G.O.Hartzler (Kansas City, MO, USA) in 3patients in 1983. M.Borggrefe etal. (1989) reported on 24patients who underwent DC catheter ablation for VT. Of those, 17patients did not have VT recurrence within the following 14months. In 1994, the Hannover group (H-JTrappe, H.Klein) published their 5‑year long-term results of DC catheter ablation of VT in 51patients. VT recurrence occurred in 57% patients and overall mortality was also high (16%). Acomparison of DC catheter ablation with HF catheter ablation for recurrent VT was reported in 1994 by G.Gonska etal. (Göttingen, Germany). After 2years follow-up, success rates were not found to be significantly different.

Oritavancin Versus Daptomycin for Osteomyelitis Treatment After Surgical Debridement.

Weekly intravenous (IV) oritavancin and daily daptomycin were compared in an outpatient setting following extensive surgical debridement for treating patients with osteomyelitis. This was a retrospective, observational study of patients diagnosed with acute osteomyelitis. Exclusion criteria were the use of Gram-negative antibiotic therapy, use of antibiotics for more than 48h prior to oritavancin or daptomycin or prior use of > 2 doses of oritavancin or more than 4weeks of daptomycin. Clinical success was resolution or improvement of symptoms and no further treatment. Data were analyzed with Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Consecutive outpatients (n = 150) with acute osteomyelitis who were treated with oritavancin or daptomycin (1:1) following extensive surgical debridement were identified. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen (n = 117). No patient in either group received prior antibiotic therapy (previous 30days) or was hospitalized within 90days prior to surgical debridement. Twenty-one (28%) patients prescribed oritavancin had chronic kidney disease, seven of whom were receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Compared to oritavancin, patients prescribed daptomycin had higher rates of all-cause readmission [odds ratio (OR) 2.89; p < 0.001], more infection-related readmission (OR 3.19; p < 0.001), and greater likelihood of receiving antibiotics post-discontinuation of initial therapy (OR 2.13; p < 0.001). Repeat surgical debridement was required for 68.0% with daptomycin vs. 23.1% with oritavancin (p < 0.001). Oritavancin demonstrated a significantly higher rate of clinical success compared to daptomycin, with lower all-cause and infection-related readmissions, reduced need for repeat surgical debridement, and fewer additional antibiotic requirements.

Endometrial Polyps and Submucous Myomas as a Cause of Infertility. Analysis of Post-hysteroscopic Resection Results

The aim of our study was to investigate the efficacy and reproductive outcome after bipolar hysteroscopic resection of intrauterine polyps and submucous myomas in patients with infertility.&#x0D; A randomized clinical trial was conducted in a total of 181 patients with a history of intrauterine pathology and concomitant infertility problems of which 134 patients were diagnosed with an endometrial polyp and 47 – with a submucous intrauterine fibroid structure. Modern endoscopic methods were used to determine the perioperative and operative behaviour, such as diagnostic hysteroscopy with a 6-mm hysteroscope, as well as a hysteroscopic resection with a 9-mm hysteroscope.&#x0D; Successful pregnancy rate in the postoperative period was 62.4% as compared to the complete absence of successful pregnancies in the preoperative period. In the group of women with previously diagnosed submucous myomas, 74.4% of women conceived in the postoperative period as a result of the hysteroscopic procedure. As far as patients with a previously diagnosed endometrial polyp were concerned, successful pregnancies were accomplished in 60.4% of women.&#x0D; Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the elimination of existing intrauterine pathology, especially the one which leads to changes in the contour of the uterine cavity, significantly increases the chances of pregnancy in patients with previous infertility.

Short-term clinical outcomes of percutaneous biliary tract interventions: analysis of success and complication rates.

Obstructive jaundice is a clinical syndrome that is commonly seen in gastroenterology. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been recognized as a first-choice therapeutic approach, with percutaneous biliary interventions (PBIs) being a viable alternative. Recent data questions the performance and safety profile of PBIs.

Research on the Recognition Method of Dial Scales for Arrester Pointer Instruments Based on Deep Learning

To address the recognition challenges faced by arrester pointer instruments’ dial scales in various scenarios, this paper introduces a deep learning-based recognition method for pointer instrument scales. An attention module is integrated into the YOLOv5 network architecture, enhancing the accuracy and robustness of the model. After correcting the dial, dial recognition is conducted with OpenCV to achieve precise identification of the instrument scales. The proposed method was tested using images of arrester pointer instruments against diverse backgrounds. The experimental results demonstrate that the method processes instrument data images in an average time of 0.662 s and achieves a successful recognition rate of 96% with an average error of 0.923%. This method provides a rapid and efficient approach for recognizing instrument scales and offers a novel solution for identifying similar types of instruments.

Seedling survival and plantation success in the drylands of Northern Ethiopia

We studied tree seedling survival rates and plantation success of the Growth and Transformation Plan I—GTP I (2011–2015) in the drylands of Northern Ethiopia. The study was carried out in six randomly selected districts of Tigrai region that represent three agro-ecological zones: the highland, midland and lowland. A biophysical survey was conducted to assess the survival rates of tree seedlings and the success rate of the plantation interventions. The study employed both primary and secondary data sources. Results revealed that there were variations (P < 0.05) in the survival of planted tree seedlings among plantation sites of the same village, between the villages of the same district and among the districts. The regional mean survival rate of planted tree seedlings was 53%. The planting interventions were not encouraging due to lack of pre- and post-planting management, moisture stress, poor soil and site conditions, planting an unmanageable number of seedlings, weak law enforcement and lack of proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. In the study areas, four types of ownership were identified: private, communal, state and youth groups. Among the ownership types, private ownership had the highest rate of success, whereas community ownership had the lowest rate. For sustaining successful plantation development, watering, pre- and post-planting management of planted tree seedlings and permanent employment of guards are important.