Neuromorphic Imaging with Joint Image Deblurring and Event Denoising

Neuromorphic imaging reacts to per-pixel brightness changes of a dynamic scene with high temporal precision and responds with asynchronous streaming events as a result. It also often supports a simultaneous output of an intensity image. Nevertheless, the raw events typically involve a great amount of noise due to the high sensitivity of the sensor, while capturing fast-moving objects at low frame rates results in blurry images. These deficiencies significantly degrade human observation and machine processing. Fortunately, the two information sources are inherently complementary -- events with microsecond temporal resolution, which are triggered by the edges of objects that are recorded in latent sharp images, can supply rich motion details missing from the blurry images. In this work, we bring the two types of data together and propose a simple yet effective unifying algorithm to jointly reconstruct blur-free images and noise-robust events, where an event-regularized prior offers auxiliary motion features for blind deblurring, and image gradients serve as a reference to regulate neuromorphic noise removal. Extensive evaluations on real and synthetic samples present our superiority over other competing methods in restoration quality and greater robustness to some challenging realistic scenarios. Our solution gives impetus to the improvement of both sensing data and paves the way for highly accurate neuromorphic reasoning and analysis.Comment: Submitted to TI

Reply to Alfani: reconstructing past plague ecology to understand human history

No abstract available

No evidence for persistent natural plague reservoirs in historical and modern Europe

Caused by Yersinia pestis, plague ravaged the world through three known pandemics: the First or the Justinianic (6th–8th century); the Second (beginning with the Black Death during c.1338–1353 and lasting until the 19th century); and the Third (which became global in 1894). It is debatable whether Y. pestis persisted in European wildlife reservoirs or was repeatedly introduced from outside Europe (as covered by European Union and the British Isles). Here, we analyze environmental data (soil characteristics and climate) from active Chinese plague reservoirs to assess whether such environmental conditions in Europe had ever supported “natural plague reservoirs”. We have used new statistical methods which are validated through predicting the presence of modern plague reservoirs in the western United States. We find no support for persistent natural plague reservoirs in either historical or modern Europe. Two factors make Europe unfavorable for long-term plague reservoirs: 1) Soil texture and biochemistry and 2) low rodent diversity. By comparing rodent communities in Europe with those in China and the United States, we conclude that a lack of suitable host species might be the main reason for the absence of plague reservoirs in Europe today. These findings support the hypothesis that long-term plague reservoirs did not exist in Europe and therefore question the importance of wildlife rodent species as the primary plague hosts in Europe

The efficacy and safety of Gukang Capsule for primary osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trial

Background: Gukang Capsule has been used as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the treatment of primary osteoporosis (POP) in China. The primary aim of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of Gukang Capsule in POP patients.Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple academic databases including PubMed, Web of science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP Information, and Wanfang database to identify randomized controlled trials investigating the Gukang Capsule in the treatment of POP. The screening process, data extraction, and assessment of methodological quality were conducted independently by two reviewers. Statistical analysis was performed using the Rev Man 5.3 software. Subgroup analysis was carried out through the combination of OPF. Subgroup analysis was performed according to whether OPF were combined. Stata 12.0 was used for sensitivity and bias analysis.Results: Nineteen studies were assessed that included 1804 participants. It was found that compared with the control group, the total effective rate (RR = 1.26, 95% CI, 1.20, 1.33), the Medical Outcomes Study Short-form 36 [RR = 1.26, 95% CI(1.20, 1.33)], the bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar vertebra (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.48, 1.07), the BMD of femoral neck [SMD = 0.84, 95% CI(0.53, 1.14)], and the BMD of Ward’s triangle (SMD = 0.64, 95% CI, 0.44, 0.85) of the Gukang Capsule experimental group were higher. Compared with the control group, the fracture healing time (SMD = −2.14, 95% CI, −2.45, −1.84), the bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) levels in serum (SMD = −2.00, 95% CI, −2.83, −1.17), the tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) levels in serum (SMD = −2.58, 95% CI, −3.87, −1.29) of the Gukang Capsule experimental group were lower. The bone glaprotein (BGP) levels in serum (SMD = −0.22, 95% CI, −1.86, 1.43) and the adverse events (RR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.40, 1.63) of the experimental group and the control group have no difference.Conclusion: Gukang Capsule, as a CAM for the management of POP, exhibits the potential to enhance BMD and quality of life, expedite the healing time of OPF, diminish levels of BALP and TRACP-5b, and improve the total effective rate without increasing the adverse events.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023477774, PROSPERO CRD42023477774

Yersinia pestis and Plague: Some Knowns and Unknowns

Since its first identification in 1894 during the third pandemic in Hong Kong, there has been significant progress in understanding the lifestyle of Yersinia pestis , the pathogen that is responsible for plague. Although we now have some understanding of the pathogen’s physiology, genetics, genomics, evolution, gene regulation, pathogenesis and immunity, there are many unknown aspects of the pathogen and its disease development. Here, we focus on some of the knowns and unknowns related to Y. pestis and plague. We notably focus on some key Y. pestis physiologic and virulence traits that are important for its mammal-flea-mammal life cycle, but also its emergence from the enteropathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis . Some aspects of the genetic diversity of Y. pestis , the distribution and ecology of plague, as well as the medical countermeasures to protect our population are also provided. Lastly, we present some biosafety and biosecurity information related to Y. pestis and plague

Effect of tillage, slope, and rainfall on soil surface microtopography quantified by geostatistical and fractal indices during sheet erosion

Tillage and slope will influence soil surface roughness that changes during rainfall events. This study tests this effect under controlled conditions quantified by geostatistical and fractal indices. When four commonly adopted tillage practices, namely, artificial backhoe (AB), artificial digging (AD), contour tillage (CT), and linear slope (CK), were prepared on soil surfaces at 2 × 1 × 0.5 m soil pans at 5°, 10°, or 20° slope gradients, artificial rainfall with an intensity of 60 or 90 mm h−1 was applied to it. Measurements of the difference in elevation points of the surface profiles were taken before rainfall and after rainfall events for sheet erosion. Tillage practices had a relationship with fractal indices that the surface treated with CT exhibited the biggest fractal dimension D value, followed by the surfaces AD, AB, and CK. Surfaces under a stronger rainfall tended to have a greater D value. Tillage treatments affected anisotropy differently and the surface CT had the strongest effect on anisotropy, followed by the surfaces AD, AB, and CK. A steeper surface would have less effect on anisotropy. Since the surface CT had the strongest effect on spatial variability or the weakest spatial autocorrelation, it had the smallest effect on runoff and sediment yield. Therefore, tillage CT could make a better tillage practice of conserving water and soil. Simultaneously, changes in semivariogram and fractal parameters for surface roughness were examined and evaluated. Fractal parameter – crossover length l – is more sensitive than fractal dimension D to rainfall action to describe vertical differences in soil surface roughness evolution

Explainability analysis of neural network-based turbulence modeling for transonic axial compressor rotor flows

Model-consistent training has become trending for data-driven turbulence modeling since it can improve model generalizability and reduce data requirements by involving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equation during model learning. Neural networks are often used for the Reynolds stress representation due to their great expressive power, while they lack interpretability for the causal relationship between model inputs and outputs. Some post-hoc methods have been used to explain the neural network by indicating input feature importance. However, for the model-consistent training, the model explainability involves the analysis of both the neural network inputs and outputs. That is, the effects of model output on the RANS predictions should also be explained in addition to the input feature analysis. In this work, we investigate the explainability of the model-consistent learned model for the internal flow prediction of NASA Rotor 37 at its peak efficiency operating condition. The neural-network-based corrections for the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model are learned from various experimental data based on the ensemble Kalman method. The learned model can noticeably improve the velocity prediction near the shroud. The explainability of the trained neural network is analyzed in terms of the model correction and the input feature importance. Specifically, the learned model correction increases the local turbulence production in the vortex breakdown region due to non-equilibrium effects, which capture the blockage effects near the shroud. Besides, the ratio of production to destruction and the helicity are shown to have relatively high importance for accurately predicting the compressor rotor flows based on the Shapley additive explanations method.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved