CLVOS23: A Long Video Object Segmentation Dataset for Continual Learning

Continual learning in real-world scenarios is a major challenge. A general continual learning model should have a constant memory size and no predefined task boundaries, as is the case in semi-supervised Video Object Segmentation (VOS), where continual learning challenges particularly present themselves in working on long video sequences. In this article, we first formulate the problem of semi-supervised VOS, specifically online VOS, as a continual learning problem, and then secondly provide a public VOS dataset, CLVOS23, focusing on continual learning. Finally, we propose and implement a regularization-based continual learning approach on LWL, an existing online VOS baseline, to demonstrate the efficacy of continual learning when applied to online VOS and to establish a CLVOS23 baseline. We apply the proposed baseline to the Long Videos dataset as well as to two short video VOS datasets, DAVIS16 and DAVIS17. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that VOS has been defined and addressed as a continual learning problem

Eco-City as Approach for Sustainable Development

Eco-City is an essential approach for create sustainable development for the time being .The development aspects of Eco-City must be achieved, and it is one of the most effective way to proceed sustainable development of city. Sustainable development is major to improve the quality of life of the citizens and to reduce the effect of cities upon resources outside the urban context. Eco-cities enhance the comfort of citizens and society through integrated urban planning and management that fully harnesses the benefits of ecological systems. Also Eco-City serves as a fundamental catalyst for change, improving environmental quality of the natural and built environments for future generations, and upgrading conditions for sustainable development, the current situation of environmental problems is more serious than we think. Thus, it is very important for us to turn our eyes to the environment and to find out a positive way to live with nature .Therefore, the paper will present analysis for 4 Eco-City pioneer projects in Europe and Asia and then we will get the main features of those Eco- City projects based on a result of analysis

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

An overview of water desalination systems integrated with renewable energy sources

Nowadays, the growing world population, climate change, pollution, rising consumer demand, and resource exploitation have contributed to a freshwater shortage. Hence, water desalination is heavily used for freshwater production. Meeting water demands in a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner requires the right combination of renewable energy and desalination technology. In this paper, an extensive review of various renewable energy-based desalination technologies is presented. The different types of energy like wind, solar thermal and photovoltaic, geothermal, wave and pressure retarded osmosis are explained. These renewable energies can be used in different desalination techniques such as reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, mechanical vapour compression, multi-effect desalination, membrane distillation, etc. It is noted that the most effective desalination systems consisted of a combination of these renewable energy sources, and some had an energy storage device to maintain a uniform energy flow in the system. The prospects of using renewable energy resources for water desalination were also explored in the scope of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The costs of the renewable energy desalination process are presented, along with the related challenges and outlook. It is noted that the correct combination of renewable energy and desalination technologies is the key to meeting water demand in a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally responsible manner.The authors would like to acknowledge the support of NPRP grant NPRP13S-0205-200263 . The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the author[s]