Deep Learning Based Parking Vacancy Detection for Smart Cities

Parking shortage is a major problem in modern cities. Drivers cruising in search of a parking space directly translate into frustration, traffic congestion, and excessive carbon emission. We introduce a simple and effective deep learning-based parking space notification (PSN) system to inform drivers of new parking availabilities and re-occupancy of the freed spaces. Our system is particularly designed to target areas with severe parking shortages (i.e., nearly all parking spaces are occupied), a situation that allows us to convert the problem of detecting parking vacancies into recognizing vehicles leaving from their stationary positions. Our PSN system capitalizes on a calibrated Mask R-CNN model and a unique adaptation of the IoU concept to track the changes of vehicle positions in a video stream. We evaluated PSN using videos from a CCTV camera installed at a private parking lot and publicly available YouTube videos. The PSN system successfully captured all new parking vacancies arising from leaving vehicles with no false positive detections. Prompt notification messages were sent to users via cloud messaging services

KERMIT: Knowledge Graph Completion of Enhanced Relation Modeling with Inverse Transformation

Knowledge graph completion is a task that revolves around filling in missing triples based on the information available in a knowledge graph. Among the current studies, text-based methods complete the task by utilizing textual descriptions of triples. However, this modeling approach may encounter limitations, particularly when the description fails to accurately and adequately express the intended meaning. To overcome these challenges, we propose the augmentation of data through two additional mechanisms. Firstly, we employ ChatGPT as an external knowledge base to generate coherent descriptions to bridge the semantic gap between the queries and answers. Secondly, we leverage inverse relations to create a symmetric graph, thereby creating extra labeling and providing supplementary information for link prediction. This approach offers additional insights into the relationships between entities. Through these efforts, we have observed significant improvements in knowledge graph completion, as these mechanisms enhance the richness and diversity of the available data, leading to more accurate results

Flexible Low-Dose GnRH Antagonist Protocol Is Effective in Patients With Sufficient Ovarian Reserve in IVF

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) has been shown to negatively influence endometrial receptivity. Reducing the GnRH-ant dose during controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) when using a GnRH-ant protocol may be beneficial to embryo implantation. However, whether or not the minimum daily GnRH-ant dose should be individualized remains uncertain. In this retrospective study, we aimed to elucidate the feasibility and effectiveness of moderately reducing the daily GnRH-ant dose to 0.125 mg, and then adjusting the dose to 0.25 mg based on subsequent luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. Of the 434 patients analyzed in this study, 209 received our new flexible low-dose GnRH-ant protocol (Group 1) and 225 received a conventional GnRH-ant protocol with a fixed daily dose of 0.25 mg (Group 2). Furthermore, 105 and 114 cycles from groups 1 and 2 received fresh embryo transfer. In Group 1, 30 patients whose dose of 0.125 mg GnRH-ant was adjusted according to their LH levels and 179 patients who received consistently low doses were further divided into subgroups 1 and 2, respectively. Neither the number of retrieved oocytes and available embryos nor the implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate significantly differed between the two groups. However, GnRH-ant dose and stimulation duration were much lower and shorter in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p < 0.05). Subgroup 1 exhibited higher basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and lower antral follicle count (AFC) than subgroup 2 significantly. The number of retrieved oocytes and available embryos were lower in subgroup 1 than in subgroup 2 (6.83 ± 3.28 vs. 11.83 ± 4.82, 2.93 ± 1.86 vs. 4.99 ± 3.46, respectively, p < 0.05), while more canceled cycles for pre-ovulation occurred in subgroup 1 than in subgroup 2 (3/30 vs. 1/179, p < 0.05). The results showed that the flexible low-dose GnRH-ant protocol was as effective as the conventional fixed-dose GnRH-ant protocol with 0.25 mg per day for most patients with normal ovarian reserve. This retrospective analysis and the small sample size are the main limitations of this study, and a large sample RCT will be carried out in the future

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality after total arch procedure in patients with acute type A aortic dissection

ObjectKnowledge about the risk factors of in-hospital mortality for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) patients who received total arch procedure is limited. This study aims to investigate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors of in-hospital mortality of these patients.MethodsFrom May 2014 to June 2018, 372 ATAAD patients received the total arch procedure in our institution. These patients were divided into survival and death groups, and patients` in-hospital data were retrospectively collected. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was adopted to determine the optimal cut-off value of continuous variables. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to detect independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality.ResultsA total of 321 patients were included in the survival group and 51 in the death group. Preoperative details showed that patients in the death group were older (55.4 ± 11.7 vs. 49.3 ± 12.6, P = 0.001), had more renal dysfunction (29.4% vs. 10.9%, P = 0.001) and coronary ostia dissection (29.4% vs. 12.2%, P = 0.001), and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (57.5 ± 7.9% vs. 59.8 ± 7.3%, P = 0.032). Intraoperative results showed that more patients in the death group experienced concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (35.3% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.001) with increased cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (165.7 ± 39.0 vs. 149.4 ± 35.8 min, P = 0.003), cross-clamp time (98.4 ± 24.5 vs. 90.2 ± 26.9 min, P = 0.044), and red blood cell transfusion (913.7 ± 629.0 vs. 709.7 ± 686.6 ml, P = 0.047). Logistic regression analysis showed that age >55 years, renal dysfunction, CPB time >144 min, and RBC transfusion >1,300 ml were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with ATAAD.ConclusionIn the present study, we identified that older age, preoperative renal dysfunction, long CPB time, and intraoperative massive transfusion were risk factors for in-hospital mortality in ATAAD patients with the total arch procedure

Prevotella copri alleviates sarcopenia via attenuating muscle mass loss and function decline

Background: The gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been found to influence sarcopenia, but whether there are potential bacteria that can alleviate sarcopenia has been under-investigated, and the molecular mechanism remains unclear.Methods: To investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome, fecal metabolites and sarcopenia, subjects were selected from observational multi-ethnic study conducted in Western China. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2014. The gut microbiome was profiled by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the differences in fecal metabolites. We investigated bacterium with the greatest relative abundance difference between healthy individuals and sarcopenia patients, and the differences in metabolites associated with the bacteria, to verify its effects on muscle mass and function in a mouse model.Results: The study included 283 participants (68.90% females, mean age: 66.66 years old) with and without sarcopenia (141 and 142 participants, respectively) and from the Han (98 participants), Zang (88 participants) and Qiang (97 participants) ethnic groups. This showed an overall reduction (15.03% vs. 20.77%, P = 0.01) of Prevotella copri between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia subjects across the three ethnic groups. Functional characterization of the differential bacteria showed enrichment (odds ratio = 15.97, P = 0.0068) in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism in non-sarcopenia group. A total of 13 BCAA and their derivatives have relatively low levels in sarcopenia. In the in vivo experiment, we found that the blood BCAA level was higher in the mice gavaged with live P. copri (LPC) (P &lt; 0.001). The LPC mice had significantly longer wire and grid hanging time (P &lt; 0.02), longer time on rotor (P = 0.0001) and larger grip strength (P &lt; 0.0001), indicating better muscle function. The weight of gastrocnemius mass and rectus femoris mass (P &lt; 0.05) was higher in LPC mice. The micro-computed tomography showed a larger leg area (P = 0.0031), and a small animal analyser showed a higher lean mass ratio in LPC mice (P = 0.0157), indicating higher muscle mass.Conclusions: The results indicated that there were lower levels of both P. copri and BCAA in sarcopenia individuals. In vivo experiments, gavage with LPC could attenuate muscle mass and function decline, indicating alleviating sarcopenia. This suggested that P. copri may play a therapeutic potential role in the management of sarcopenia.</p

Prevotella copri alleviates sarcopenia via attenuating muscle mass loss and function decline

Background: The gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been found to influence sarcopenia, but whether there are potential bacteria that can alleviate sarcopenia has been under-investigated, and the molecular mechanism remains unclear.Methods: To investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome, fecal metabolites and sarcopenia, subjects were selected from observational multi-ethnic study conducted in Western China. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2014. The gut microbiome was profiled by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the differences in fecal metabolites. We investigated bacterium with the greatest relative abundance difference between healthy individuals and sarcopenia patients, and the differences in metabolites associated with the bacteria, to verify its effects on muscle mass and function in a mouse model.Results: The study included 283 participants (68.90% females, mean age: 66.66 years old) with and without sarcopenia (141 and 142 participants, respectively) and from the Han (98 participants), Zang (88 participants) and Qiang (97 participants) ethnic groups. This showed an overall reduction (15.03% vs. 20.77%, P = 0.01) of Prevotella copri between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia subjects across the three ethnic groups. Functional characterization of the differential bacteria showed enrichment (odds ratio = 15.97, P = 0.0068) in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism in non-sarcopenia group. A total of 13 BCAA and their derivatives have relatively low levels in sarcopenia. In the in vivo experiment, we found that the blood BCAA level was higher in the mice gavaged with live P. copri (LPC) (P &lt; 0.001). The LPC mice had significantly longer wire and grid hanging time (P &lt; 0.02), longer time on rotor (P = 0.0001) and larger grip strength (P &lt; 0.0001), indicating better muscle function. The weight of gastrocnemius mass and rectus femoris mass (P &lt; 0.05) was higher in LPC mice. The micro-computed tomography showed a larger leg area (P = 0.0031), and a small animal analyser showed a higher lean mass ratio in LPC mice (P = 0.0157), indicating higher muscle mass.Conclusions: The results indicated that there were lower levels of both P. copri and BCAA in sarcopenia individuals. In vivo experiments, gavage with LPC could attenuate muscle mass and function decline, indicating alleviating sarcopenia. This suggested that P. copri may play a therapeutic potential role in the management of sarcopenia.</p

Prevotella copri alleviates sarcopenia via attenuating muscle mass loss and function decline

Background: The gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been found to influence sarcopenia, but whether there are potential bacteria that can alleviate sarcopenia has been under-investigated, and the molecular mechanism remains unclear.Methods: To investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome, fecal metabolites and sarcopenia, subjects were selected from observational multi-ethnic study conducted in Western China. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2014. The gut microbiome was profiled by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the differences in fecal metabolites. We investigated bacterium with the greatest relative abundance difference between healthy individuals and sarcopenia patients, and the differences in metabolites associated with the bacteria, to verify its effects on muscle mass and function in a mouse model.Results: The study included 283 participants (68.90% females, mean age: 66.66 years old) with and without sarcopenia (141 and 142 participants, respectively) and from the Han (98 participants), Zang (88 participants) and Qiang (97 participants) ethnic groups. This showed an overall reduction (15.03% vs. 20.77%, P = 0.01) of Prevotella copri between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia subjects across the three ethnic groups. Functional characterization of the differential bacteria showed enrichment (odds ratio = 15.97, P = 0.0068) in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism in non-sarcopenia group. A total of 13 BCAA and their derivatives have relatively low levels in sarcopenia. In the in vivo experiment, we found that the blood BCAA level was higher in the mice gavaged with live P. copri (LPC) (P &lt; 0.001). The LPC mice had significantly longer wire and grid hanging time (P &lt; 0.02), longer time on rotor (P = 0.0001) and larger grip strength (P &lt; 0.0001), indicating better muscle function. The weight of gastrocnemius mass and rectus femoris mass (P &lt; 0.05) was higher in LPC mice. The micro-computed tomography showed a larger leg area (P = 0.0031), and a small animal analyser showed a higher lean mass ratio in LPC mice (P = 0.0157), indicating higher muscle mass.Conclusions: The results indicated that there were lower levels of both P. copri and BCAA in sarcopenia individuals. In vivo experiments, gavage with LPC could attenuate muscle mass and function decline, indicating alleviating sarcopenia. This suggested that P. copri may play a therapeutic potential role in the management of sarcopenia.</p

Prevotella copri alleviates sarcopenia via attenuating muscle mass loss and function decline

Background: The gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been found to influence sarcopenia, but whether there are potential bacteria that can alleviate sarcopenia has been under-investigated, and the molecular mechanism remains unclear.Methods: To investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome, fecal metabolites and sarcopenia, subjects were selected from observational multi-ethnic study conducted in Western China. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2014. The gut microbiome was profiled by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the differences in fecal metabolites. We investigated bacterium with the greatest relative abundance difference between healthy individuals and sarcopenia patients, and the differences in metabolites associated with the bacteria, to verify its effects on muscle mass and function in a mouse model.Results: The study included 283 participants (68.90% females, mean age: 66.66 years old) with and without sarcopenia (141 and 142 participants, respectively) and from the Han (98 participants), Zang (88 participants) and Qiang (97 participants) ethnic groups. This showed an overall reduction (15.03% vs. 20.77%, P = 0.01) of Prevotella copri between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia subjects across the three ethnic groups. Functional characterization of the differential bacteria showed enrichment (odds ratio = 15.97, P = 0.0068) in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism in non-sarcopenia group. A total of 13 BCAA and their derivatives have relatively low levels in sarcopenia. In the in vivo experiment, we found that the blood BCAA level was higher in the mice gavaged with live P. copri (LPC) (P &lt; 0.001). The LPC mice had significantly longer wire and grid hanging time (P &lt; 0.02), longer time on rotor (P = 0.0001) and larger grip strength (P &lt; 0.0001), indicating better muscle function. The weight of gastrocnemius mass and rectus femoris mass (P &lt; 0.05) was higher in LPC mice. The micro-computed tomography showed a larger leg area (P = 0.0031), and a small animal analyser showed a higher lean mass ratio in LPC mice (P = 0.0157), indicating higher muscle mass.Conclusions: The results indicated that there were lower levels of both P. copri and BCAA in sarcopenia individuals. In vivo experiments, gavage with LPC could attenuate muscle mass and function decline, indicating alleviating sarcopenia. This suggested that P. copri may play a therapeutic potential role in the management of sarcopenia.</p

Prevotella copri alleviates sarcopenia via attenuating muscle mass loss and function decline

Background: The gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been found to influence sarcopenia, but whether there are potential bacteria that can alleviate sarcopenia has been under-investigated, and the molecular mechanism remains unclear.Methods: To investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome, fecal metabolites and sarcopenia, subjects were selected from observational multi-ethnic study conducted in Western China. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2014. The gut microbiome was profiled by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the differences in fecal metabolites. We investigated bacterium with the greatest relative abundance difference between healthy individuals and sarcopenia patients, and the differences in metabolites associated with the bacteria, to verify its effects on muscle mass and function in a mouse model.Results: The study included 283 participants (68.90% females, mean age: 66.66 years old) with and without sarcopenia (141 and 142 participants, respectively) and from the Han (98 participants), Zang (88 participants) and Qiang (97 participants) ethnic groups. This showed an overall reduction (15.03% vs. 20.77%, P = 0.01) of Prevotella copri between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia subjects across the three ethnic groups. Functional characterization of the differential bacteria showed enrichment (odds ratio = 15.97, P = 0.0068) in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism in non-sarcopenia group. A total of 13 BCAA and their derivatives have relatively low levels in sarcopenia. In the in vivo experiment, we found that the blood BCAA level was higher in the mice gavaged with live P. copri (LPC) (P &lt; 0.001). The LPC mice had significantly longer wire and grid hanging time (P &lt; 0.02), longer time on rotor (P = 0.0001) and larger grip strength (P &lt; 0.0001), indicating better muscle function. The weight of gastrocnemius mass and rectus femoris mass (P &lt; 0.05) was higher in LPC mice. The micro-computed tomography showed a larger leg area (P = 0.0031), and a small animal analyser showed a higher lean mass ratio in LPC mice (P = 0.0157), indicating higher muscle mass.Conclusions: The results indicated that there were lower levels of both P. copri and BCAA in sarcopenia individuals. In vivo experiments, gavage with LPC could attenuate muscle mass and function decline, indicating alleviating sarcopenia. This suggested that P. copri may play a therapeutic potential role in the management of sarcopenia.</p