Artificial intelligence has demonstrated notable advancements in the realm of visual inspection and defect detection in substations. Nevertheless, practical application presents challenges, with ...issues arising from the dynamic shooting environment and limited dataset resulting in suboptimal defect identification accuracy and instability. To address these concerns, a pioneering approach based on hybrid pruning YOLOv5 and multiscale data augmentation is proposed for enhancing defect detection in substations. Initially, an enhanced multiscale data augmentation method is proposed. The improved multiscale data augmentation mitigates the impact of the time-varying shooting environment on recognition accuracy and enhances defect detection precision. Subsequently, YOLOv5 is employed for training and detecting defects within multi-scale image data. To alleviate the potential destabilizing effects of YOLOv5's large-scale parameters on model stability, a new model pruning method is implemented. This method strategically prunes parameters to bolster the model's defect identification accuracy. The efficacy of the proposed methodology is evaluated through testing on substation defect images, confirming its effectiveness in enhancing defect detection capabilities.
Co-delivery nanoparticles with characteristics of intracellular precision release drug have been generally accepted as an effective therapeutic strategy for eye diseases. In this study, we designed a ...new co-delivery system (miRNA/NP-BRZ) as a lasting therapeutic approach to prevent the neuro-destructive after the long-term treatment of glaucoma. Neuroprotective and intraocular pressure (IOP) response were assessed in in vivo and in vitro models of glaucoma. At the meaning time, we describe the preparation of miRNA/NP-BRZ, drug release characteristics, intraocular tracing, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics study and toxicity test. We found that miRNA/NP-BRZ could remarkably decrease IOP and significantly prevent retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damages. The new formula of miRNA-124 encapsulated in PEG-PSA-BRZ nanoparticles exhibits high encapsulation efficiency (EE), drug-loading capacity (DC), and stable controlled-release efficacy (EC). Moreover, we also verified that the miRNA/NP-BRZ system is significantly neuroprotective and nontoxic as well as lowering IOP. This study shows our co-delivery drug system would have a wide potential on social and economic benefits for glaucoma.
With the widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat various cancers, pulmonary toxicity has become a topic of increasing concern. Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 ...(anti-MDA5) antibodies are strongly associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) in patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis. However, anti-MDA5 antibody expression has not been reported in patients with immune-related adverse events. We present the case of a 74-year-old man with lung adenocarcinoma who developed RP-ILD after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Further investigation revealed multiple autoantibodies, including anti-MDA5 antibodies. He initially responded to systemic glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and tocilizumab but eventually died from worsening pneumomediastinum. This case is the first one to suggest that checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis can present as RP-ILD with positive anti-MDA5 antibodies, which may be predictive of a poor prognosis.
Many centralized college admissions markets allocate seats to students based on their performance on a single standardized exam. The exam's measurement error can cause the exam-derived priorities to ...deviate from colleges' aptitude-based preferences. Previous literature proposes to combine pre-exam preference submission with a Boston algorithm (a PreExam-BOS mechanism). This paper examines the proposed mechanism in an experiment where students are not fully informed of their relative aptitudes. The results show pre-exam preference submission is distorted by overconfidence and PreExam-BOS fails to achieve stable matching with respect to aptitudes. Compared to a post-score Serial Dictatorship mechanism, which is robust to overconfidence but more prone to the exam's measurement error, PreExam-BOS creates more mismatches and a greater variance in the extent of mismatches: some students receive a large advantage while others are hurt considerably. Moreover, PreExam-BOS rewards overconfidence and punishes underconfidence. The observed overconfidence cannot be mitigated with an improved information condition.
Azvudine has been approved for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in China, and this meta-analysis aims to illustrate the safety of azvudine and its effectiveness in ...reducing mortality.
PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Cochrane Library and the Epistemonikos COVID-19 Living Overview of Evidence database (L.OVE) were searched to aggregate currently published studies. Cochrane risk of bias tool and ROBINS-I tool were used to assess the risk of bias of randomized controlled study and cohort study respectively. Odds radios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were combined for dichotomous variables. Publication bias was assessed by Egger's test and funnel plots.
A total of 184 articles were retrieved from the included databases and 17 studies were included into the final analysis. Pooled analysis showed that azvudine significantly reduced mortality risk in COVID-19 patients compared with controls (OR: 0.41, 95%CI 0.31-0.54, p < 0.001). Besides, either mild to moderate or severe COVID-19 patients could benefit from azvudine administration. There was no significant difference in the incidence of ICU admission (OR: 0.90, 95%CI 0.47-1.72, p = 0.74) and invasive ventilation (OR: 0.94, 95%CI 0.54-1.62, p = 0.82) between azvudine and control group. The incidence of adverse events was similar between azvudine and control (OR: 1.26, 95%CI 0.59-2.70, p = 0.56).
This meta-analysis suggests that azvudine could reduce the mortality risk of COVID-19 patients, and the safety of administration is acceptable.
PROSPERO; No.: CRD42023462988; URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ .
A 56-year-old Chinese woman with previous disseminated mycobacterium avium complex infection and recurrent cervical abscesses from
Burkholderia cepacia complex
visited our hospital. She was diagnosed ...with adult-onset immunodeficiency (AOID) and tested positive for interferon-γ–neutralizing autoantibody. Ceftazidime was administered as the initial antimicrobial treatment, which was later combined with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP). She developed drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome after SMZ-TMP administration and improved after withdrawal of the culprit antibiotic and systemic glucocorticoids treatment. Her cervical infection was eventually cured after combined therapy of long-term antibiotics and anti–IFN-γ autoantibodies (AIGA) titer-lowering treatments including glucocorticoids, rituximab, and plasmapheresis. This is the first case of DRESS syndrome in the setting of AIGA-induced AOID and is worthy of notice.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 will coexist with humans for a long time, and it is therefore important to develop effective treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Recent ...studies have demonstrated that antiviral therapy is a key factor in preventing patients from progressing to severe disease, even death. Effective and affordable antiviral medications are essential for disease treatment and are urgently needed. Azvudine, a nucleoside analogue, is a potential low-cost candidate with few drug interactions. However, validation of high-quality clinical studies is still limited.
This is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial involving 1096 adult patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19 who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19. Patients will be randomized to (1) receive azvudine tablets 5 mg daily for a maximum of 7 days or (2) receive placebo five tablets daily. All participants will be permitted to use a standard treatment strategy except antiviral therapy beyond the investigational medications. The primary outcome will be the ratio of COVID-19-related critical illness and all-cause mortality among the two groups within 28 days.
The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine whether azvudine can prevent patients at risk of severe disease from progressing to critical illness and death, and the results will identify whether azvudine is an effective and affordable antiviral treatment option for COVID-19.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05689034. Registered on 18 January 2023.
Overhanging riverbank stability is a key feature of bank retreat. Although different mechanisms of bank collapse have been studied by many researchers, prediction of cantilever failure patterns and ...understanding of three‐dimensional failure surfaces continue to puzzle scientists. To address this problem, we conducted laboratory experiments and numerical simulations to investigate the stability of overhanging riverbank. In the laboratory experiments, we analyzed the characteristics of failure surface using a three‐dimensional laser scanner. Results show that with decreased ratio between bank height and near‐bank water depth, there is a transition from a ‘tensile failures followed by toppling failure’ pattern to a ‘shear failure’ pattern. Flow infiltration in our experiments leads to a sharp decrease in soil shear strength and consequently the occurrence of shear failure. For toppling failure, the observed upper retreat distance is much greater than the lower undermining depth, thus challenging the widely adopted assumption of a constant failure surface along the endpoint of the cantilever. Also, we found that failure surface distance can be characterized by twice the width of the overhanging block. As for the failure surface angle, a negative linear correlation is proposed with respect to bank retreat distance, implying a distinct distribution of bank stability along the arched‐shape bank line induced by bank collapse events. Overall, our study deepens understanding of overhanging stability, providing a new perspective on bank retreat process, critical for the morphodynamics of rivers and estuaries.
Plain Language Summary
Overhanging bank stability is a key process of river morphological dynamics, which plays an effective role in bank retreat and soil loss in multi‐layered riverbanks. Therefore, it significantly affects river engineering and management. Because of the difficulty in obtaining measurements, predicting large‐scale bank collapse and reducing economic losses are still hard to tackle. To this end, we conducted laboratory and numerical studies to better understand the mechanism of cantilever failure. Both laboratory and numerical results indicate that an increase in bank height or decrease in water depth causes the shift of bank failure mechanism from shear to toppling failure. By using a three‐dimensional laser scanner, we analyzed the characteristics of failure surface which imply a distinct distribution of bank stability along the collapse‐induced arched‐shape bank line. Overall, this study provides a new perspective for the understanding of overhanging stability, which should be considered for better prediction and guiding realistic protection.
Key Points
Shear‐ or toppling‐type cantilever failure is related to the ratio between bank height and near‐bank water depth
The distance of the toppling failure surface to the bank line is around twice the width of the overhanging block
3D structures of failure surfaces indicate a negative linear correlation between failure surface angle and bank retreat distance
We investigate the role of sellers' commitment power in discouraging consumer search. Theoretically, lack of commitment power transforms sellers' search‐deterring claims into cheap talk, eliminating ...sellers' ability to deter search in some market environments. However, our experiments show buyers' search decisions are significantly affected by sellers' cheap talk. When future prices are not adjustable, sellers falsely claim exploding offers to deter search. When future prices are adjustable, sellers falsely claim low future prices to lure consumers to return after search and exploit these “captive” consumers with subsequent price hikes. A behavioral model with naïve buyers explains our experimental findings.
A new method for the determination of oxytetracycline (OTC) has been established by coupling the catalytic amplification reaction of copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) with the aptamer reaction. CuNCs ...prepared by a wet chemical method have the catalytic activity for the formation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) resulting from a HAuCl4-ethanol (En) reaction. The experimental results showed that OTC aptamer (Apt) can be adsorbed on the surface of CuNCs in a non-specific way, thus inhibiting its catalytic activity. When OTC was added to the solution, the OTC-Apt complex was generated by a specific reaction, which made the CuNCs desorb and restore their catalytic activity. With the increase of OTC, the recovery of the catalytic activity of CuNCs is strengthened, the reaction speed is accelerated, and the number of AuNPs is increased. The generated AuNPs exhibited surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals at 1615 cm−1 in the presence of Vitoria blue 4R (VB4R) molecular probes, and a resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) peak at 586 nm. There is a good linear relationship between the intensities of SERS, or RRS, and OTC concentration at the range of 37.5–300 ng/L or 37.5–225 ng/L, respectively. A new SERS and RRS assay for the determination of trace OTC based on the regulation of CuNCs catalysis was established.
PDF
