Simulation of near infrared sensor in unity for plant-weed segmentation classification

Weed spotting through image classification is one of the methods applied in precision agriculture to increase efficiency in crop damage reduction. These classifications are nowadays typically based on deep machine learning with convolutional neural networks (CNN), where a main difficulty is gathering large amounts of labeled data required for the training of these networks. Thus, synthetic dataset sources have been developed including simulations based on graphic engines; however, some data inputs that can improve the performance of CNNs like the near infrared (NIR) have not been considered in these simulations. This paper presents a simulation in the Unity game engine that builds fields of sugar beets with weeds. Images are generated to create datasets that are ready to train CNNs for semantic segmentation. The dataset is tested by comparing classification results from the bonnet CNN network trained with synthetic images and trained with real images, both with RGB and RGBN (RGB+near infrared) as inputs. The preliminary results suggest that the addition of the NIR channel to the simulation for plant-weed segmentation can be effectively exploited. These show a difference of 5.75% for the global mean IoU over 820 classified images by including the NIR data in the unity generated dataset

Estimation of buffalo cheese yield by using the chemical-physical parameters of the milk

The aim of this study was to estimate cheese yield by using the chemical- physical parameters of the milk. Analysis were performed on 325 milk samples with 80-219 days in milk interval. Furthermore, buffaloes which showed a ratio between theoretical cheese yield (calculated by Altiero formula) and real cheese yield at 28 hours higher (Group A) or lower (Group B) than 0.983, were compared taking into account 5 hypothetical analytical potentialities of laboratories: 1) Fat percentage; 2) Protein and fat percentages; 3) Protein and fat percentages, pH and SH; 4) Protein and fat percentages, pH, SH, urea, protein percentage corrected per urea, lactose, solids-not-fat (SNF) and SCC; 5) Protein and fat percentages, pH, SH, urea, protein percentage corrected per urea, lactose, SNF, SCC, TAMF, milk DM percentage, ash percentage and casein percentage. Correlation and regression analyses with stepwise method were performed for curd quantity in relation to the physic-chemical ad microbiological milk composition by using SPSS 15.0. As expected, R2 value was such high as the number of variables included in the calculation. A higher R2 value was observed in those samples characterized by a ThCY/28CY ratio < 0.983. ThCY calculated according to Altiero et al (1989), underestimated 28CY of +1.8 g/litre in all samples, whereas a difference between –2.2 (Laboratory 2) and +1.0 (Laboratory 3) g/litre was registered if the actual formula is utilized. According to Altiero formula, 28CY was overestimated of 9.6 g/litre in Group A, whereas it was underestimated of 1.8 g/litre in Group B. According to our study, the estimation of 28CY showed a difference between –9.3 (Laboratory 2) and 9 (Laboratory 1) g/litre in Group A and – 3.5 (Laboratory 1) e 0.0 (Laboratory 5) g/litre

Towards process instances building for spaghetti processes

Abstract. Process Mining techniques aim at building a process model starting from an event log generated during the execution of the process. Classical process mining approaches have problems when dealing with Spaghetti Processes, i.e. processes with little or no structure, since they obtain very chaotic models. As a remedy, in previous works we proposed a methodology aimed at supporting the analysis of a spaghetti process by means of its most relevant subprocesses. Such approach exploits graph-mining techniques, thus requiring to reconstruct the set of process instances starting from the sequential traces stored in the event log. In the present work, we discuss the main problems related to process instances building in spaghetti contexts, and introduce a proposal for extending a process instance building technique to address such issues

Histopathological comparison of intramural coronary artery remodeling and myocardial fibrosis in obstructive versus end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background: Although imaging techniques have demonstrated the existence of microvascular abnormalities in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a detailed histopathological assessment is lacking as well as a comparison between different phases of the disease. We aimed to compare microvasculopathy and myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) versus end-stage (ES) HCM. Methods: 27 myectomy specimens of HOCM patients and 30 ES-HCM explanted hearts were analyzed. Myocardial fibrosis was quantitatively determined with dedicated software and qualitatively classified as scar-like or interstitial. Intramural coronary arteries were evaluated separately according to lumen diameter: 100–500 μ versus &lt;100 μ. Microvasculopathy assessment included the description of medial and intimal abnormalities and stenosis grading. The two subgroups were compared considering only the anterobasal septum of ES explanted hearts. Results: Median value of fibrosis in the anterobasal septum of explanted hearts was 34.6% as opposed to 10.3% of myectomy specimens (p &lt; 0.001). Scar-like fibrosis was widely found in ES hearts while interstitial fibrosis was distinctive of HOCM (p &lt; 0.001). All slides showed 100–500 μ microvasculopathy without any differences between subgroups in terms of lumen narrowing, extent of the disease and type of parietal involvement. Among ES hearts these lesions were associated with scar-like fibrosis (p = 0.034). &lt;100-μ microvasculopathy was also frequent with no differences between subgroups. Conclusions: Microvasculopathy is an intrinsic feature of HCM with similar characteristics across the natural phases of the disease. Conversely, myocardial fibrosis changes over time with ES hearts showing a three-fold greater amount, mainly scar-like. ES showed a closer association between microvasculopathy and replacement fibrosis

Clinical presentations leading to arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy

Objectives To describe a cohort of patients with arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy (ALVC), focusing on the spectrum of the clinical presentations. Methods Patients were retrospectively evaluated between January 2012 and June 2020. Diagnosis was based on (1) ≥3 contiguous segments with subepicardial/midwall late gadolinium enhancement in the left ventricle (LV) at cardiac magnetic resonance plus a likely pathogenic/pathogenic arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) associated genetic mutation and/or familial history of AC and/or red flags for ALVC (ie, negative T waves in V4-6/aVL, low voltages in limb leads, right bundle branch block like ventricular tachycardia) or (2) pathology examination of explanted hearts or autoptic cases suffering sudden cardiac death (SCD). Significant right ventricular involvement was an exclusion criterion. Results Fifty-two patients (63% males, age 45 years (31-53)) composed the study cohort. Twenty-one (41%) had normal echocardiogram, 13 (25%) a hypokinetic non-dilated cardiomyopathy (HNDC) and 17 (33%) a dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Of 47 tested patients, 29 (62%) were carriers of a pathogenic/likely pathogenic DNA variant. Clinical contexts leading to diagnosis were SCD in 3 (6%), ventricular arrhythmias in 15 (29%), chest pain in 8 (15%), heart failure in 6 (12%) and familial screening in 20 (38%). Thirty patients (57%) had previously received a diagnosis other than ALVC with a diagnostic delay of 6 years (IQR 1-7). Conclusions ALVC is hidden in different clinical scenarios with a phenotypic spectrum ranging from normal LV to HNDC and DCM. Ventricular arrhythmias, chest pain, heart failure and SCD are the main clinical presentations, being familial screening essential for the affected relatives' identification

Differences in cardiac phenotype and natural history of laminopathies with and without neuromuscular onset

Objective: To investigate differences in cardiac manifestations of patients affected by laminopathy, according to the presence or absence of neuromuscular involvement at presentation. Methods: We prospectively analyzed 40 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of laminopathy followed at a single centre between 1998 and 2017. Additionally, reports of clinical evaluations and tests prior to referral at our centre were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Clinical onset was cardiac in 26 cases and neuromuscular in 14. Patients with neuromuscular presentation experienced first symptoms earlier in life (11 vs 39 years; p &lt; 0.0001) and developed atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) and required pacemaker implantation at a younger age (28 vs 41 years [p = 0.013] and 30 vs 44 years [p = 0.086] respectively), despite a similar overall prevalence of AF (57% vs 65%; p = 0.735) and atrio-ventricular (A-V) block (50% vs 65%; p = 0.500). Those with a neuromuscular presentation developed a cardiomyopathy less frequently (43% vs 73%; p = 0.089) and had a lower rate of sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (7% vs 23%; p = 0.387). In patients with neuromuscular onset rhythm disturbances occurred usually before evidence of cardiomyopathy. Despite these differences, the need for heart transplantation and median age at intervention were similar in the two groups (29% vs 23% [p = 0.717] and 43 vs 46 years [p = 0.593] respectively). Conclusions: In patients with laminopathy, the type of disease onset was a marker for a different natural history. Specifically, patients with neuromuscular presentation had an earlier cardiac involvement, characterized by a linear and progressive evolution from rhythm disorders (AF and/or A-V block) to cardiomyopathy

Many heart transplant biopsies currently diagnosed as no rejection have mild molecular antibody-mediated rejection-related changes

[Abstract] Background: The Molecular Microscope (MMDx) system classifies heart transplant endomyocardial biopsies as No-rejection (NR), Early-injury, T cell-mediated (TCMR), antibody-mediated (ABMR), mixed, and possible rejection (possible TCMR, possible ABMR). Rejection-like gene expression patterns in NR biopsies have not been described. We extended the MMDx methodology, using a larger data set, to define a new "Minor" category characterized by low-level inflammation in non-rejecting biopsies. Methods: Using MMDx criteria from a previous study, molecular rejection was assessed in 1,320 biopsies (645 patients) using microarray expression of rejection-associated transcripts (RATs). Of these biopsies, 819 were NR. A new archetypal analysis model in the 1,320 data set split the NRs into NR-Normal (N = 462) and NR-Minor (N = 359). Results: Compared to NR-Normal, NR-Minor were more often histologic TCMR1R, with a higher prevalence of donor-specific antibody (DSA). DSA positivity increased in a gradient: NR-Normal 24%; NR-Minor 34%; possible ABMR 42%; ABMR 66%. The top 20 transcripts distinguishing NR-Minor from NR-Normal were all ABMR-related and/or IFNG-inducible, and also exhibited a gradient of increasing expression from NR-Normal through ABMR. In random forest analysis, TCMR and Early-injury were associated with reduced LVEF and increased graft loss, but NR-Minor and ABMR scores were not. Surprisingly, hearts with MMDx ABMR showed comparatively little graft loss. Conclusions: Many heart transplants currently diagnosed as NR by histologic or molecular assessment have minor increases in ABMR-related and IFNG-inducible transcripts, associated with DSA positivity and mild histologic inflammation. These results suggest that low-level ABMR-related molecular stress may be operating in many more hearts than previously estimated

Building an Aerial-Ground Robotics System for Precision Farming: An Adaptable Solution

[No abstract available