Deep Learning for Single Image Super-Resolution: A Brief Review

Single image super-resolution (SISR) is a notoriously challenging ill-posed problem, which aims to obtain a high-resolution (HR) output from one of its low-resolution (LR) versions. To solve the SISR problem, recently powerful deep learning algorithms have been employed and achieved the state-of-the-art performance. In this survey, we review representative deep learning-based SISR methods, and group them into two categories according to their major contributions to two essential aspects of SISR: the exploration of efficient neural network architectures for SISR, and the development of effective optimization objectives for deep SISR learning. For each category, a baseline is firstly established and several critical limitations of the baseline are summarized. Then representative works on overcoming these limitations are presented based on their original contents as well as our critical understandings and analyses, and relevant comparisons are conducted from a variety of perspectives. Finally we conclude this review with some vital current challenges and future trends in SISR leveraging deep learning algorithms.Comment: Accepted by IEEE Transactions on Multimedia (TMM

A framework of developing a big data platform for construction waste management: a Hong Kong study

Big data has shown great potentials in improving management discretion in many areas. The applications of big data in areas such as finance, computer science, health care and medical science have made continued success. Despite of big data’s potentials, its applications in construction waste management (CWM) are still in infant stage. In order to embrace these prospects, this research proposes a platform to apply big data technologies in CWM, by focusing on the CWM status of Hong Kong. This study first presents a framework of the big data platform by describing the data collection, storage and analysis involved in the roadmap of CWM in Hong Kong. The existing unintentionally generated big dataset in CWM in Hong Kong is used to examine the availability of the proposed platform. It was found that this platform could make government, industry and other CWM stakeholders benefit from proper cooperation. Though this study focused on the CWM of Hong Kong, it may act as a driving force to stimulate the adoption of big data in CWM across countries where construction waste is growing as an urgent issue that concerns government, industry, academia, and all the stakeholders.postprin

How involvement in COVID-19-related work changed nurses' job demands, job resources, and their associations with burnout: Evidence from China

China adopted a “Zero-COVID” policy for nearly three years, making Chinese healthcare workers constantly involved in COVID-19-related work. However, little is known about how involvement in COVID-19-related work shaped Chinese nurses’ burnout. This study explores how nurses’ job demands and job resources are associated with their burnout by considering high and low frequent involvements in COVID-19-related work in China. This study employed a cross-sessional design. Guided by Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, we developed hypotheses and tested them using regression analysis with a sample of 336 nurses working in four public hospitals in Guangdong, China. Overall sample results revealed: 1) frequency of involvement in COVID-19-related work was related to a higher level of workload; 2) nurses’ burnout was positively associated with workload, emotional demands, and work-family conflict, and negatively associated with a relationship with supervisor, remuneration, and independence of work; 3) emotional intelligence mitigated the positive relationship between workload and burnout. Comparison analysis showed significant differences due to the frequency of involvement in COVID-19 work. In the high-frequency group (N = 108), 1) emotional demands were related to a higher level of burnout, and emotional intelligence moderately accentuates the positive relationship between the two variables; 2) remuneration was related to a lower level of burnout; 3) nurses reported higher levels of workload and relationship with the supervisor. In the low-frequency group (N = 147), independence of work was related to a lower level of burnout; We found some evidence that nurses’ job demands and job resources and their associations with burnout differed due to their frequency of involvement in COVID-19-related work. Implications for policy-making and theoretical contribution are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The cumulative effects of known susceptibility variants to predict primary biliary cirrhosis risk.

Multiple genetic variants influence the risk for development of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). To explore the cumulative effects of known susceptibility loci on risk, we utilized a weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) to evaluate whether genetic information can predict susceptibility. The wGRS was created using 26 known susceptibility loci and investigated in 1840 UK PBC and 5164 controls. Our data indicate that the wGRS was significantly different between PBC and controls (P=1.61E-142). Moreover, we assessed predictive performance of wGRS on disease status by calculating the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve. The area under curve for the purely genetic model was 0.72 and for gender plus genetic model was 0.82, with confidence limits substantially above random predictions. The risk of PBC using logistic regression was estimated after dividing individuals into quartiles. Individuals in the highest disclosed risk group demonstrated a substantially increased risk for PBC compared with the lowest risk group (odds ratio: 9.3, P=1.91E-084). Finally, we validated our findings in an analysis of an Italian PBC cohort. Our data suggested that the wGRS, utilizing genetic variants, was significantly associated with increased risk for PBC with consistent discriminant ability. Our study is a first step toward risk prediction for PBC

Performance model of interactive video-on-demand systems

An interactive video-on-demand (VoD) system allows users to access video services, such as movies, electronic encyclopedia, interactive games, and educational videos from video servers on a broadband network. This paper develops a performance evaluation tool for the system design. In particular, a user activity model is developed to describe the usage of system resources, i.e., network bandwidth and video server usage, by a user as it interacts with the service. In addition, we allow batching of user requests, and the effect of such batching is captured in a batching model. Our proposed queueing model integrates both the user activity and the batching model. This model can be used to determine the requirements of network bandwidth and video server and, hence, the trade-off in communication and storage costs for different system resource configurations.published_or_final_versio

Study on the application of a new multiepoxy reinforcement agent for sheep leather

Content: Leather is a kind of natural biomass composite material which is made of animal skin as material by a series of chemical and physical processing. Its main structure is Collagen fibers of three-dimensional network structure. As we all know sheep leather always exist a common problem with low strength, while the strength of leather depended on the woven degree of collagen fibers. Through the past decades, many methods have been tried to improve the properties of sheep leather. The most commonly used methods are retanning. However, the strength enhancement of sheep leather is extremely limited by retanning, although the fullness and softness may be improved. In this study, a new type of multi-epoxy reinforcement agent (IGE) and IGE with the synergistic effect of polyamine (IGE-PA) were used to enhance the strength of sheep leather in tanning and fatliquoring process. Comparing with chromium tanned leather, it was found that under the optimized conditions (dosage: 10%, pH: 8, Temperature: 35℃ for penetration and 45℃ for fixation, tanning time: 10 h) with IGE as the main tanning agent, the tearing strength was increased 56.8%. While when the polyamine as the synergetic agent for IGE, the tearing strength was significantly increased 87.9%. While IGE and IGE-PA were used in fatliquoring process, it has significant reinforcement effect for tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium (THP) salt tanned leather. It was found that under the optimized conditions (Dosage: 2.5%, pH: 7-8, Temperature: 50℃, Time: 2h) with IGE in fatliquoring process, the tear strength was increased 50.24%, while the IGE-PA was used, the tear strength was increased 64.3%. Furthermore, TGA results showed that decomposition temperatures of IGE and IGE-PA enhanced leather were all higher than traditional chromium tanned leather. In addition, SEM results showed that IGE and IGE-PA enhanced leather obtained better opened-up fiber structure. Take-Away: 1. A new type of multi-epoxy tanning agent (IGE) has reinforcement effect for sheep leather especially in tear strength. 2. IGE with the synergistic effect of polyamine (IGE-PA) were used in tanning process, which has a significant enhancement for the sheep leather. 3. IGE and IGE-PA can be also used in fatliquoring process to enhance the strength of sheep leather

Documentation of a new hypotrich species in the family Amphisiellidae, Lamtostyla gui n. sp. (Protista, Ciliophora) using a multidisciplinary approach

An integrated approach considering both morphologic and molecular data is now required to improve biodiversity estimations and provide more robust systematics interpretations in hypotrichs, a highly differentiated group of ciliates. In present study, we document a new hypotrich species, Lamtostyla gui n. sp., collected from Chongming wetland, Shanghai, China, based on investigations using living observation, protargol staining, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and gene sequencing. The new species is mainly recognized by having a short amphisiellid median cirral row composed of four cirri, three frontoventral cirri, three dorsal kinetids, four to eight macronuclear nodules, and small colorless cortical granules distributed as rosettes around dorsal bristles. Transmission electron microscope observation finds the associated microtubules of cirri and pharyngeal discs of L. gui are distinct from those in other hypotrichs. Morphogenesis of this species indicates that parental adoral membranelles retained intact or partial renewed is a potential feature to separate Lamtostyla granulifera-group and Lamtostyla lamottei-group. Phylogenetic analysis based on small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene shows that this molecular marker is not useful to resolve phylogenetic relationships of the genus Lamtostyla, as well as many other hypotrichous taxa. We additionally characterize the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) region and the almost complete large subunit rRNA, which will be essential for future studies aimed at solving phylogenetic problems of Lamtostyla, or even the family Amphisiellidae. As a final remark, the critical screening of GenBank using ITS genes of our organism allows us to recognize a large amount of hypotrichous sequences have been misclassified as fungi. This observation suggests that hypotrichs could be frequently found in fungi-rich environment and overlooked by fungal specialists

All roads lead to the places of your interest: An on-demand, ride-sharing visitor transport service

Successful visitor transport within large tourist sites should balance visitor experience and operating costs. Inspired by the model of sharing economy, we design a “user-centered” intelligent visitor transport system to improve the efficiency and quality of experience of transport service in large tourist sites. The system’s core approach is a three-stage heuristic model based on Pareto optimality. Results of the proposed service indicate a drastic reduction of visitor delay time and an improvement in energy efficiency. The proposed scheduling schemes for organizers are more diversified and adaptable than the existing service

Composition design and physical properties prediction of mold flux for continuous casting of high Mn–HIGH Al steel

The deterioration of CaO-SiO2 based mold flux caused by the reaction of steel -slag interface is a bottleneck restricting the high Mn-Al steel continuous casting production efficiently. Therefore, the development of low-reactivity mold flux has become a research hotspot. In this paper, the scheme of high Al2O3 and low SiO2 was adopted to suppress or reduce the occurrence of steel-slag reaction. Drawing binary phase diagram of mold flux based on the CaO–Al2O3 composition, the influence of different solvents on the melting characteristics of the mold flux were investigated and the reasonable mass ratio of CaO/Al2O3and the content of SiO2, SrO, MgO, Na2O and B2O3 were determined. According to the viscosity and the melting temperature model calculation, the physical property is beneficial for the composition design of low-reactivity mold flux

Composition design and physical properties prediction of mold flux for continuous casting of high Mn–HIGH Al steel

The deterioration of CaO-SiO2 based mold flux caused by the reaction of steel -slag interface is a bottleneck restricting the high Mn-Al steel continuous casting production efficiently. Therefore, the development of low-reactivity mold flux has become a research hotspot. In this paper, the scheme of high Al2O3 and low SiO2 was adopted to suppress or reduce the occurrence of steel-slag reaction. Drawing binary phase diagram of mold flux based on the CaO–Al2O3 composition, the influence of different solvents on the melting characteristics of the mold flux were investigated and the reasonable mass ratio of CaO/Al2O3and the content of SiO2, SrO, MgO, Na2O and B2O3 were determined. According to the viscosity and the melting temperature model calculation, the physical property is beneficial for the composition design of low-reactivity mold flux