In this paper, we discuss and review how combined multiview imagery from satellite to street level can benefit scene analysis. Numerous works exist that merge information from remote sensing and ...images acquired from the ground for tasks such as object detection, robots guidance, or scene understanding. What makes the combination of overhead and street-level images challenging are the strongly varying viewpoints, the different scales of the images, their illuminations and sensor modality, and time of acquisition. Direct (dense) matching of images on a per-pixel basis is thus often impossible, and one has to resort to alternative strategies that will be discussed in this paper. For such purpose, we review recent works that attempt to combine images taken from the ground and overhead views for purposes like scene registration, reconstruction, or classification. After the theoretical review, we present three recent methods to showcase the interest and potential impact of such fusion on real applications (change detection, image orientation, and tree cataloging), whose logic can then be reused to extend the use of ground-based images in remote sensing and vice versa. Through this review, we advocate that cross fertilization between remote sensing, computer vision, and machine learning is very valuable to make the best of geographic data available from Earth observation sensors and ground imagery. Despite its challenges, we believe that integrating these complementary data sources will lead to major breakthroughs in Big GeoData. It will open new perspectives for this exciting and emerging field.
Recently, the development of distributed renewable energy resources, smart devices, and smart grids empowers the emergence of peer-to-peer energy trading via local energy markets. However, due to ...security and privacy concerns in energy trading, sensitive information of energy traders could be leaked to an adversary. In addition, malicious users could perform attacks against the energy market, such as collusion, double spending, and repudiation attacks. Moreover, network attacks could be executed by external attackers against energy networks, such as eavesdropping, data spoofing, and tampering attacks. To tackle the abovementioned attacks, we propose a secure and privacy-preserving energy trading system (SPETS). First, a permissioned energy blockchain is presented to perform secure energy transactions between energy sellers and buyers. Second, a discrete-time double auction is proposed for energy allocation and pricing. Third, the concept of reputation scores is adopted to guarantee market reliability and trust. The proposed energy system is implemented using Hyperledger Fabric (HF) where the chaincode is utilized to control the energy market. Theoretical analysis proves that SPETS is resilient to several security attacks. Simulation results demonstrate the increase in sellers’ and buyers’ welfare by approximately 76.5% and 26%, respectively. The proposed system ensures trustfulness and guarantees efficient energy allocation. The benchmark analysis proves that SPETS consumes few resources in terms of memory and disk usage, CPU, and network utilization.
Rice straw, a byproduct of harvesting rice, must be disposed of by farmers in a variety of ways, including burning, which is hazardous for the environment. To address this issue, the straw needs to ...be utilized and turned into valuable products. One such product is nano-silica (SNPs), which will be synthesized and investigated in our study as a safe alternative to chemical insecticides. Rice straw-derived SNPs were synthesized using the Sol-Gel method. The contact toxicity of SNPs on Callosobruchus maculatus, a major pest of cowpea seeds, has been assessed. The size of synthesized SNPs was determined by transmission electron microscopy to be ~ 4 nm. The SNPs estimated LC
on C. maculatus adults was 88.170 ppm after 48h exposure. By raising the tested concentration, SNPs treatment increased the mortality%, which reached 100% at 200 ppm exposures. Additionally, SNPs at LC
treatment decreased adult longevity and the average number of emerged adults. The findings also verified that SNPs had no phytotoxic effects on the cowpea seeds germination. Rather, their application improved seed germination efficacy. This study proposed that rice straw can be utilized to manufacture highly efficient SNPs which can be efficiently employed to preserve stored grains from C. maculatus infestation.
Introduction
The levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG‐IUS) is a long‐acting hormone‐releasing uterine device that has many non‐contraceptive benefits. The study aims to assess the safety and ...efficacy of LNG‐IUS in the management of adenomyosis.
Material and methods
We searched the following bibliographic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE and Google Scholar for the relevant studies which used LNG‐IUS in management of patients with clinically or ultrasonographic diagnosed adenomyosis.The main outcome measures are pain score at the end of follow‐up, bleeding, symptomatic relief, uterine volume (mL), endometrial thickness (mm) and/or hemoglobin level.
Results
Ten prospective studies (patients n = 551) were included. The overall effect estimates showed that the LNG‐IUS led to significant reductions in pain score after 12 months (standardized mean difference SMD −3.87, 95% confidence interval CI −5.51 to −2.23, P < .001), 24 months (SMD −5.56, 95% CI −9.80 to −1.32, P = .01) and 36 months of insertion (SMD −3.81, 95% CI −4.27 to −3.36, P < .001). Similarly, the Pictorial Blood Assessment Chart (PBAC) showed significant reduction up to 36 months after LNG‐IUS insertion (SMD −2.32, 95% CI −2.91 to −1.73, P < .001). The LNG‐IUS led to significant reductions in the uterine volume 12 months (SMD −.60, 95% CI −0.88 to −.31, P < .001) and 36 months after insertion (SMD −0.42, 95% CI −0.69 to −0.14, P = .003).
Conclusions
LNG‐IUS is a promising and effective option for the management of adenomyosis. Its use effectively reduced the severity of symptoms, uterine volume and endometrial thickness, and improved laboratory outcomes.
Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) is a promising and fast-developing paradigm that provides cloud services at the edge of the network. MEC enables IoT devices to offload and execute their real-time ...applications at the proximity of these devices with low latency. Such applications include efficient manufacture inspection, virtual/augmented reality, image recognition, Internet of Vehicles (IoV), and e-Health. However, task offloading experiences security and privacy attacks such as data tampering, private data leakage, data replication, etc. To this end, in this paper, we propose a new blockchain-based framework for secure task offloading in MEC systems with guaranteed performance in terms of execution delay and energy consumption. First, blockchain technology is introduced as a platform to achieve data confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and privacy of task offloading in MEC. Second, we formulate an integration model of resource allocation and task offloading for a multi-user with multi-task MEC systems to optimize the energy and time cost. This is an NP-hard problem because of the curse-of-dimensionality and dynamic characteristics challenges of the considered scenario. Therefore, a deep reinforcement learning-based algorithm is developed to derive the close-optimal task offloading decision efficiently. Theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework is resilient to several task offloading security attacks and it can save about 22.2% and 19.4% of system consumption with respect to the local and edge execution scenarios. Moreover, the benchmark analysis proves that the framework consumes few resources in terms of memory and disk usage, CPU utilization, and transaction throughput.
Immature dendritic cells (iDCs) migrate in microenvironments with distinct cell and extracellular matrix densities in vivo and contribute to HIV‐1 dissemination and mounting of antiviral immune ...responses. Here, we find that, compared to standard 2D suspension cultures, 3D collagen as tissue‐like environment alters iDC properties and their response to HIV‐1 infection. iDCs adopt an elongated morphology with increased deformability in 3D collagen at unaltered activation, differentiation, cytokine secretion, or responsiveness to LPS. While 3D collagen reduces HIV‐1 particle uptake by iDCs, fusion efficiency is increased to elevate productive infection rates due to elevated cell surface exposure of the HIV‐1‐binding receptor DC‐SIGN. In contrast, 3D collagen reduces HIV transfer to CD4 T cells from iDCs. iDC adaptations to 3D collagen include increased pro‐inflammatory cytokine production and reduced antiviral gene expression in response to HIV‐1 infection. Adhesion to a 2D collagen matrix is sufficient to increase iDC deformability, DC‐SIGN exposure, and permissivity to HIV‐1 infection. Thus, mechano‐physical cues of 2D and 3D tissue‐like collagen environments regulate iDC function and shape divergent roles during HIV‐1 infection.
Synopsis
Immature dendritic cells contribute to HIV immune recognition and spread in tissue but are typically only studied in 2D suspension cultures. This study shows that 2D and 3D tissue environments markedly change the response of iDCs to HIV‐1 infection.
Ex vivo 2D suspension cultures do not recapitulate functional in vivo interactions of iDCs with HIV‐1.
3D collagen alters iDC morphology and increases productive HIV infection and pro‐inflammatory cytokine production.
iDC interactions with and transfer of HIV‐1 to CD4‐T cells is reduced in 3D collagen.
Polarized interactions with 2D collagen are sufficient to increase iDC permissivity to HIV‐1 infection.
Immature dendritic cells contribute to HIV immune recognition and spread in tissue but are typically only studied in 2D suspension cultures. This study shows that 2D and 3D tissue environments markedly change the response of iDCs to HIV‐1 infection.
Over many decades, total knee replacement (TKR) has become the ideal treatment option for advanced arthritis. Many designs were introduced to increase the stability of the tibial tray, hence the ...longevity of the prosthesis. This retrospective study was performed on 168 patients who received NexGen cemented primary total knee either with standard tibial tray (group A) or tibial tray with an intramedullary stem (group B) between May 2008 and May 2017. We reviewed all preoperative and postoperative clinical and radiological data retrospectively. In addition, a prospective clinical and radiological reassessment was done. Our aim was to answer the following questions: (1) Is there any difference between both groups in regard to clinical and radiological results? (2) Is there any difference in the revision rate? (3) Is there a role of using stemmed tibial tray in primary TKR? Better results were recorded in obese and severely obese patients having stemmed cemented tibial tray and so for patients with marked and severe preoperative varus angle. Our recommendations are to use cemented tibial tray with a stem in complicated primary surgery without fear of adverse effects on short and intermediate terms of follow-up.
The avian respiratory system hosts a wide range of commensal and potential pathogenic bacteria and/or viruses that interact with each other. Such interactions could be either synergistic or ...antagonistic, which subsequently determines the severity of the disease complex. The intensive rearing methods of poultry are responsible for the marked increase in avian respiratory diseases worldwide. The interaction between avian influenza with other pathogens can guarantee the continuous existence of other avian pathogens, which represents a global concern. A better understanding of the impact of the interaction between avian influenza virus and other avian respiratory pathogens provides a better insight into the respiratory disease complex in poultry and can lead to improved intervention strategies aimed at controlling virus spread.
Members of the serine incorporator (SERINC) protein family exert broad antiviral activity, and many viruses encode SERINC antagonists to circumvent these restrictions. Significant new insight was ...recently gained into the mechanisms that mediate restriction and antagonism. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the mode of action and relevance of SERINC proteins in HIV-1 infection. Particular focus will be placed on recent findings that provided important new mechanistic insights into the restriction of HIV-1 virion infectivity, including the discovery of SERINC's lipid scramblase activity and its antagonism by the HIV-1 pathogenesis factor Nef. We also discuss the identification and implications of several additional antiviral activities by which SERINC proteins enhance pro-inflammatory signaling and reduce viral gene expression in myeloid cells. SERINC proteins emerge as versatile and multifunctional regulators of cell-intrinsic immunity against HIV-1 infection.
Background
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating disease in orthopedics, frequently progressing to femoral head collapse and osteoarthritis. It is thought to be a multifactorial ...disease. ONFH ultimately results in femoral head collapse in 75–85% of untreated patients. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) yields satisfactory results in the treatment of the end stage of the disease. However, disease typically affects males between the ages of 20 and 40 years and joint replacement is not the ideal option for younger patients. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells and platelet rich plasma (PRP) have been used as an adjunct to core decompression to improve clinical success in the treatment of precollapse hips.
Materials and Methods
A prospective study of 40 hips in 30 patients was done. There were 19 males and 11 females with a mean age 36.7 ± 6.93 years. The indication for the operation was restricted primarily to modifed Ficat stages IIb and III. 16 hips (40%) had stage IIb and 24 hips (60%) had stage III ONFH. The period of follow up ranged between 36-50 months with a mean 41.4 ± 3.53 months. All patients were assessed clinically during pre- and post-operative period according to the Harris Hip Score (HHS), Visual Analog Score (VAS) and radiologically by X-rays. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done preoperatively to confrm the diagnosis and every 6 months postoperatively for assessment of healing. The operative procedure include removal of necrotic area with drilling then the cavity was flled with a composite of bone graft mixed with PRP
Results
The mean HHS improved from 46.0 ± 7.8 preoperatively to 90.28 ± 19 at the end of followup (
P
< 0.0001). The mean values of VAS were 78 ± 21 and 35 ± 19 at preoperatively period and fnal followup, respectively, with an average reduction of 43 points.
Conclusion
We found that the use of PRP with collagen sheet can increase the reparable capacity after drilling of necrotic segment in stage IIb and III ONFH.
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