Comparative Study of Generative Models for Text-to-Image Generation

The development of deep learning algorithms has tremendously helped computer vision applications, image processing methods, Artificial Intelligence, and Natural Language Processing. One such application is image synthesis, which is the creation of new images from text. Recent techniques for text-to-image synthesis offer an intriguing yet straight forward conversion capability from text to image and have become a popular research topic. Synthesis of images from text descriptors has practical and creative applications in computer-aided design, multimodal learning, digital art creation, etc. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are a form of digital art that is being used as tokens for trading across the globe. Text-to-image generators let anyone with enough creativity can develop digital art, which can be used as NFTs. They can also be beneficial for the development of synthetic datasets. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) is a generative model that can generate new data using a training set. Diffusion Models are another type of generative model which can create desired data samples from the noise by adding random noise to the data and then learning to reverse the diffusion process. This thesis compares both models to determine which is better at producing images that match the given description. We have implemented the Vector-Quantized GAN (VQGAN) - Connecting Text and Images (CLIP) model. It combines the VQGAN and CLIP machine learning techniques to create images from text input. The diffusion model that we have implemented is Guided Language to Image Diffusion for Generation and Editing (GLIDE). For both models, we use text input from the MS-COCO data set. This thesis is an attempt to assess and compare the images generated using text for both models using metrics like Inception Score (IS) and Fréchet Inception Distance (FID). The semantic object accuracy score (SOA) is another metric that considers the caption used during the image generation process. We compute and compare the results for each label in the MS COCO data set. We highlight the potential causes of why the models may not be able to generate images through analysis of the results obtained. Our experimental results indicate that the GLIDE model outperforms the VQGAN - CLIP for our task of generating images from text

Fishery Status and Taxonomy of the Carangids (Pisces) in the Northern Arabian Sea Coast of Pakistan

The objectives of this study were i) to evaluate number of existing members of the family Carangidae in the area ii) to establish a distinguishable and lucid key based on the taxonomic characteristics, meristic count and otolith description. In this study, thirty-six species were collected from the main fish landing facilities between 2012~2015. Fish body colour, taxonomic characteristics, fin rays and otolith shape description were used to identify each species. Otolith description comprises of shape of ostium, sulcus and margins of anterior and posterior surface along with distinct definite shape possess by each species make it easier for identification

3-[(3-Benzoyl-4-hy­droxy-1,1-dioxo-2H-1λ6,2-benzothia­zin-2-yl)meth­yl]benzo­nitrile

There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C23H17N2O4S, with significant differences in their conformations, e.g. the benzene rings of the benzothia­zine and benzonitrile units are inclined at 28.19 (10) and 17.89 (7)° in the two mol­ecules, with the centroids of the rings separated by 3.975 (2) and 3.637 (2) Å, respectively. Moreover, the N—C—C—C torsion angles involving the benzoyl group are 14.3 (5) and 8.2 (5)° in the two mol­ecules, showing different degrees of rotation of this group. In both mol­ecules, the heterocyclic thia­zine rings adopt half-chair conformations, with the S and N atoms displaced by 0.427 (6) and 0.365 (6) Å, respectively, in one mol­ecule and by 0.356 (6) and 0.432 (6) Å, respectively, in the other, on opposite sides of the mean planes formed by the remaining ring atoms. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and further consolidated by intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

(2-Bromo­phen­yl)(4-hy­droxy-1,1-dioxo-2H-1,2-benzothia­zin-3-yl)methanone

In the title mol­ecule, C15H10BrNO4S, the heterocyclic thia­zine ring adopts a half-chair conformation, with the S and N atoms displaced by 0.554 (7) and 0.198 (8) Å, respectively, on opposite sides of the mean plane formed by the remaining ring atoms. The mol­ecular structure is consolidated by intra­molecular O—H⋯O inter­actions and the crystal packing features N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

(2-Chloro­phen­yl)(4-hy­droxy-1,1-dioxo-2H-1,2-benzothia­zin-3-yl)methanone

In the title mol­ecule, C15H10ClNO4S, the heterocyclic thia­zine ring adopts a half-chair conformation, with the S and N atoms displaced by 0.527 (7) and 0.216 (7) Å, respectively, on opposite sides of the mean plane formed by the remaining ring atoms. The mol­ecular structure is consolidated by an intra­molecular O—H⋯O inter­action and the crystal packing is stabilized by N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

2-(3-Benzoyl-4-hy­droxy-1,1-dioxo-2H-1λ6,2-benzothia­zin-2-yl)-1-phenyl­ethanone

In the title mol­ecule, C23H17NO5S, the heterocyclic thia­zine ring adopts a half-chair conformation, with the S and N atoms displaced by 0.383 (3) and 0.473 (3) Å, respectively, on opposite sides of the mean plane formed by the ring C atoms. The phenyl rings attached to carbonyl groups lie almost parallel to each other at a dihedral angle 7.43 (9)°, the distance between the centroids of the rings being 3.780 (1) Å. The C(thia­zine)—C=O and O=C—CH2 groups make dihedral angles of 37.56 (16) and 1.93 (18)°, respectively, with the phenyl groups to which they are attached. The crystal structure features O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and further consolidated by C—H⋯π inter­actions; an intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond is also present

A REVIEW ON OPTIMIZATION OF DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS

The present review article aims at determining the various possible techniques available to enhance the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical formulations by exploring most suitable and practically applicable experimental designs and optimization techniques. As we know that pharmaceutical industries are constantly in search of novel ideas to improve quality by various optimization techniques, hence in present review article we shall discuss latest optimization techniques and experimental designs to achieve the best combination of product and process characteristics under the given set of conditions. Experimental designs and optimization techniques are the tools that are simultaneously and systematically used to identify various types of problems that may influence research, development and production of pharmaceutical formulations. These are organized an approach to determine the relationship between the factors affecting a process and the output of that process. The screening methods discussed here include factorial design, fractional factorial designs, full factorial design, mixture designs etc. Recently, different software has been used in implementing optimization techniques in pharmaceutical products to enhance product quality by using most suitable available facilities

Smoking and blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients: evaluating the role of gender, age and hypertension duration

Background: Hypertension is estimated to affect about 40% of adults above 25 years of age globally. While many of the risk factors of hypertension are well known, such is not the case with smoking. Pertinent published literature is heterogeneous, with a dearth of relevant local data. Objectives was to study the relationship between smoking and blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients and to assess the effects of gender, age and hypertension duration on such a relationship.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 298 conveniently sampled patients, aged 18 or above, from the medical outpatient department of a secondary care hospital of Karachi. The relevant data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire whereas the blood pressure level was checked using sphygmomanometer with stethoscope. Mann Whitney U test was used for inferential analysis whereas the significance level was set at 0.05.Results: Overall, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were significantly associated with smoking history (p<0.05 for both) where they were found to be higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Furthermore, after gender, age and hypertension duration based stratifications; both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were still significantly associated with smoking history in patients who were male, were ≥35 years old and had <5 years hypertension duration (p<0.05 for both) where they were again found to be higher in smokers than in non-smokers.Conclusions: The study results showed a significant association of positive smoking history with higher mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, though after stratifying for gender, age and hypertension duration, this relationship persisted only in patients who were male, were ≥35 years old and had <5 years hypertension duration

Input matters: speed of word recognition in 2-year-olds exposed to multiple accents

Although studies investigating language abilities in young children exposed to more than one language have become common, there is still surprisingly little research examining language development in children exposed to more than one accent. Here, we report two looking-while-listening experiments examining the impact of routine home exposure to multiple accents on 2-year-olds’ word recognition abilities. In Experiment 1, we found that monolingual English-learning 24-month-olds who routinely receive exposure to both Canadian English and a non-native variant of English are less efficient in their recognition of familiar words spoken in Canadian English than monolingual English-learning 24-month-olds who hear only Canadian English at home. In Experiment 2, we found that by 34 months of age all children recognize words equally quickly regardless of their accent exposure at home. We conclude that monolingual toddlers in some locations may form a less homogeneous population than past work has assumed, a factor that should be considered when drawing generalizations about language development across different populations

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570