Extending user control for image stylization using hierarchical style transfer networks.

The field of neural style transfer refers to the re-rendering of content image while fusing the features of a style image. The recent studies either focus on multiple style transfer or arbitrary style transfer while using perceptual and fixpoint content losses in their respective network architectures. The aforementioned losses provide notable stylization results but lack the liberty of style control to the user.

Demand prediction for urban air mobility using deep learning.

Urban air mobility, also known as UAM, is currently being researched in a variety of metropolitan regions throughout the world as a potential new mode of transport for travelling shorter distances inside a territory. In this article, we investigate whether or not the market can back the necessary financial commitments to deploy UAM. A challenge in defining and addressing a critical phase of such guidance is called a demand forecast problem.

Early coronary angiography in patients with myocardial infarction without ST elevation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Early coronary angiography (CAG) in post-cardiac arrest patients without ST-segment elevation is a topic of debate. This meta-analysis aimed to assess its impact on outcomes.

Methods: A search of Medline and Cochrane up to February 2023 was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies comparing patients undergoing early CAG vs.

Chlorogenic acid alleviates cadmium-induced neuronal injury in chicken cerebral cortex by inhibiting incomplete autophagy mediated by AMPK-ULK1 pathway.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that has neurotoxic properties, which poses serious threats to human health and the development of poultry farming. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a dietary polyphenol exhibit various biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and autophagy regulation. In addition, CGA can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and exert neuroprotective effects.

A Comprehensive Review on Haemonchus contortus Excretory and Secretory Proteins (HcESPs): T-9 stimulated ESPs as a potential candidate for Vaccine Development and Diagnostic Antigen.

Haemonchus contortus (Barber pole worm) is one of the dominant helminth parasitic infections in small ruminants which is economically important and causes severe losses in the livestock industry, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. This parasite resides in the abomasum and is responsible for severe blood loss, leading to anemia, emaciation, hypoproteinemia, weight loss, and potentially death. The economic impact of H.

A Comprehensive Review of LiDAR Applications in Crop Management for Precision Agriculture.

Precision agriculture has revolutionized crop management and agricultural production, with LiDAR technology attracting significant interest among various technological advancements. This extensive review examines the various applications of LiDAR in precision agriculture, with a particular emphasis on its function in crop cultivation and harvests. The introduction provides an overview of precision agriculture, highlighting the need for effective agricultural management and the growing significance of LiDAR technology.

Effect of Fermented Soybean (FSB) Supplementation on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent chronic condition affecting the well-being of both adults and children in general medical practice. Research on the effects of fermented soybean (SB) supplementation in managing GERD is relatively new, with limited studies available. The existing research often lacks sufficient dosing regimens and study durations to differentiate between transient placebo effects and sustained benefits.

Understanding the awareness of health and safety signs amongst health care workers in Pakistan - A cross-sectional study.

Background: Safety signs are very important communication tools for accident prevention, fire safety, health hazard information, and emergency evacuation. However, they are helpful only when properly designed and understood by employees.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to assess the awareness of health and safety signs amongst health care workers including doctors, dentists and paramedics in different health care sectors across Pakistan.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis-E Virus-Immunoglobulin G and its association with Chronic Liver Disease.

Background & Objective: Viral hepatitis is a major public health concern in low-middle income countries. Hepatitis-E infection (HEV) is found globally but most prevalent in low-income countries especially those with poor sanitation systems, access to clean drinking water and health services. Superinfection with HEV in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) can cause severe hepatic decompensation leading to increased morbidity and mortality.

Recurrent mitral regurgitation and left atrial aneurysm in a pediatric patent: A complex case of infective endocarditis.

A 6-year-old boy with a history of infective endocarditis (IE) presented with recurrent disease manifesting as left hip arthritis and severe mitral regurgitation. He developed a rare complication - a left atrial pseudoaneurysm. Despite the absence of classic fever and systemic symptoms, imaging revealed the recurrence and guided surgical repair.

High-Throughput Analysis of Leaf Chlorophyll Content in Aquaponically Grown Lettuce Using Hyperspectral Reflectance and RGB Images.

Chlorophyll content reflects plants' photosynthetic capacity, growth stage, and nitrogen status and is, therefore, of significant importance in precision agriculture. This study aims to develop a spectral and color vegetation indices-based model to estimate the chlorophyll content in aquaponically grown lettuce. A completely open-source automated machine learning (AutoML) framework (EvalML) was employed to develop the prediction models.

Can sub-cutaneous drain safely counter debilitating surgical emphysema? A retrospective study in quest for an answer.

Literature evidence on sub-cutaneous drain insertion in severe surgical emphysema (SE) is lacking. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical notes of 5 patients who underwent insertion of sub-cutaneous drains to manage SE of various aetiologies between September 2022 to August 2023 in a single district general hospital in the UK. Case history, outcome following sub-cutaneous drain insertion, and side effects due to the procedure were collected.

Caroli's Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Synonymous with congenital non-obstructive saccular or fusiform intra-hepatic duct dilatation and congenital communicating cavernous ectasia of the intra-hepatic biliary tract, Caroli's syndrome (CS) is an extremely rare fibro-polycystic liver disorder characterized by ductal plate malformation and consequent peri-portal fibrosis due to segmental intra-hepatic duct dilatation. No more than 200 cases of the syndrome have been reported since 1958. CS may affect one or both lobes of the liver, but more commonly it affects the left hepatic lobe.

Effectiveness of Chitosan versus Natural Aloe Vera on Candida Adherence in Denture Soft Lining Material.

Background: Soft denture lining materials act as a cushion between the denture base and tissues. Alongside having many advantages, its main problem is candida growth due to its rubbery and porous texture. Many interventions have been performed to halt the growth of candida within soft lining materials such as the use of antifungal therapy and strict oral and denture hygiene but there are consequences such as recurrence, drug resistance, and toxicity related to these interventions.

A comparative analysis of postoperative visual outcomes following cataract surgery with different brands of Monofocal Intraocular Lenses.

Objective: To compare visual outcomes after cataract surgery using three intraocular lenses (IOL) of different prices but similar properties.

Methods: A comparative study with retrospective data of patients operated for phacoemulsification with monofocal IOL implants was carried out at Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital (AIEH) from April 2021 to Feb 2022. Patients with diabetes, any preoperative ocular morbidity and unclear diagnosis were excluded from the study.

Highly Responsive Switchable Broadband DUV-NIR Photodetector and Tunable Emitter Enabled by Uniform and Vertically Grown III-V Nanowire on Silicon Substrate for Integrated Photonics.

Low-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures, particularly in the form of nanowire configurations with large surface-to-volume-ratio, offer intriguing optoelectronic properties for the advancement of integrated photonic technologies. Here, a bias-controlled, superior dual-functional broadband light detecting/emitting diode enabled by constructing the aluminum-gallium-nitride-based nanowire on the silicon-platform is reported. Strikingly, the diode exhibits a stable and high responsivity (R) of over 200 mAW covering an extremely wide operation band under reverse bias conditions, ranging from deep ultraviolet (DUV: 254 nm) to near-infrared (NIR: 1000 nm) spectrum region.

Life cycle assessment of coal mines of diverse scales over time in China.

Coal mining has important detrimental effects on the environment and human health. By the end of 2022, China mined more than 4 billion tons of raw coal, and coal mining contributed to adverse environmental impacts. The objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental impacts emanated from coal mines in different periods (construction period, production period and closing period) and to find the relationship between coal mine scale and ecological impacts.

Manipulating Surface Band Bending of III-Nitride Nanowires with Ambipolar Charge-Transfer Characteristics: A Pathway Toward Advanced Photoswitching Logic Gates and Encrypted Optical Communication.

The operational principle of semiconductor devices critically relies on the band structures that ultimately govern their charge-transfer characteristics. Indeed, the precise orchestration of band structure within semiconductor devices, notably at the semiconductor surface and corresponding interface, continues to pose a perennial conundrum. Herein, for the first time, this work reports a novel postepitaxy method: thickness-tunable carbon layer decoration to continuously manipulate the surface band bending of III-nitride semiconductors.

Infarcts of a Cardioembolic Source Mimicking Lacunar Infarcts: Case Series With Clinical and Radiological Correlation.

Lacunar strokes are the hallmark of cerebral small vessel disease. There are several well-established mechanisms for the pathogenesis of lacunar stroke, but the cardioembolic mechanism is not well-established. Three cases of acute ischemic stroke following elective cardiac and cerebral catheterization are reported.

Ocular Complications Associated With Diabetes And The Risk Of Sustainable Blindness; A Real World Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the frequencies of ocular comorbidities among patients with type II diabetes, and the association with multiple systemic factors.

Methods: The retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Al Ibrahim Eye Hospital, Karachi, and comprised diabetic eye clinic data from April 2014 to February 2022. Demographic, biochemical and ophthalmic findings of the patients were recorded.

Novel technique of stent placement via gateway balloon in intracranial atherosclerosis-associated large vessel occlusion.

Background And Purpose: Neuroform Atlas stent can be deployed directly via gateway balloon for angioplasty and stent placement without the need for exchange maneuver required for Wingspan stent use. We present our initial experience of this strategy in intracranial atherosclerosis-associated large vessel occlusions.

Methods: Patients were identified through mechanical thrombectomy (MT) database from January 2020 to June 2022 at our institutions.

Validity of Hand Held Fundus Camera by Optometrist using Slit lamp 90D bio microscopy as a reference standard for screening of Diabetes Retinopathy.

Objective: To find out the validity of hand-held fundus camera by optometrist using slit lamp 90D biomicroscopy as reference standard for screening of diabetes retinopathy.

Methods: The observational cross-sectional study was conducted at the diabetic clinic of Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital, Karachi, from August 2020 to May 2021, and comprised diabetics of either gender aged >16 years visiting the outpatient department. Un-dilated fundus photograph of both eyes were taken with non-mydriatic fundus camera.

Assessing Risk Factors for Prolonged Intensive Care Unit Stay After Surgery for Adult Congenital Heart Disease: A Study From a Lower-Middle-Income Country.

Background Prolonged post-surgery intensive care unit (ICU) stay for congenital heart disease (CHD) has been explored in the pediatric population. However, there is limited data for adult CHD (ACHD), also called grown-up congenital heart (GUCH) disease, especially in low-resource countries where intensive care beds are scarce. This study identifies factors associated with prolonged ICU stay following surgery for ACHD in Pakistan, a lower-middle-income country (LMIC).

Differential Treatment Responses in Pakistani Schizophrenia Samples: Correlation with Sociodemographic Parameters, Drug Addiction, Attitude to the Treatment and Antipsychotic Agents.

Schizophrenia patients demonstrate variations in response to different therapies that are currently being used for the treatment of disorders, such as augmentation therapy (ECT or mood stabilizer) and combination therapy (with antipsychotics). These therapies are also used to treat schizophrenia patients in Pakistan; however, patients show poor overall response. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between the patients' response to treatment and the use of antipsychotic agents, with variability in overall response, within different groups of patients.