Word Searching in Scene Image and Video Frame in Multi-Script Scenario using Dynamic Shape Coding

Retrieval of text information from natural scene images and video frames is a challenging task due to its inherent problems like complex character shapes, low resolution, background noise, etc. Available OCR systems often fail to retrieve such information in scene/video frames. Keyword spotting, an alternative way to retrieve information, performs efficient text searching in such scenarios. However, current word spotting techniques in scene/video images are script-specific and they are mainly developed for Latin script. This paper presents a novel word spotting framework using dynamic shape coding for text retrieval in natural scene image and video frames. The framework is designed to search query keyword from multiple scripts with the help of on-the-fly script-wise keyword generation for the corresponding script. We have used a two-stage word spotting approach using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to detect the translated keyword in a given text line by identifying the script of the line. A novel unsupervised dynamic shape coding based scheme has been used to group similar shape characters to avoid confusion and to improve text alignment. Next, the hypotheses locations are verified to improve retrieval performance. To evaluate the proposed system for searching keyword from natural scene image and video frames, we have considered two popular Indic scripts such as Bangla (Bengali) and Devanagari along with English. Inspired by the zone-wise recognition approach in Indic scripts[1], zone-wise text information has been used to improve the traditional word spotting performance in Indic scripts. For our experiment, a dataset consisting of images of different scenes and video frames of English, Bangla and Devanagari scripts were considered. The results obtained showed the effectiveness of our proposed word spotting approach.Comment: Multimedia Tools and Applications, Springe

Table1_Clinical and laboratory features of childhood-onset primary Sjögren's syndrome: A retrospective study from China.docx

IntroductionThe initial presentations of childhood-onset primary Sjögren’s syndrome (C-pSS) vary, making diagnosis challenging. We aimed to improve the diagnosis and evaluation of C-pSS by summarizing its clinical and laboratory features.MethodsA total of 49 patients with C-pSS between July 2015 and August 2022 in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Shanghai Children's Medical Centre were enrolled in this study. Their clinical manifestations and laboratory examinations of these patients were compared based on the presence or absence of thrombocytopenia and parotitis and whether the immunological markers, including anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-Ro52/SSA antibodies (anti-SSA/Ro52), anti-Ro60/SSA antibodies (anti-SSA/Ro60), and anti-Ro/SSB antibodies (anti-SSB), were positive.ResultsThe mean age at C-pSS diagnosis was 10.34 ± 3.45 years, and the ratio of boys to girls was 1:6. In the thrombocytopenia group, parotitis (P = 0.044), organ involvement except for hematology (P = 0.002), positive anti-SSB (P = 0.004), and positive RF (P = 0.001) were less frequently observed. Complement C4 (P = 0.038) and white blood cells (P = 0.002) levels decreased and increased significantly, respectively. Anti-SSB (P = 0.010) and RF (P = 0.004) positivity were independent potential protective factors against thrombocytopenia in patients with C-pSS. In the parotitis group, higher ANA titers (P = 0.027), higher focus scores on labial gland biopsy (P = 0.024), and positive RF (P = 0.001), anti-SSA/Ro60 (P = 0.003), and anti-SSB (P = 0.001) were observed more frequently. Furthermore, positive anti-SSB (P = 0.012) and positive RF (P = 0.028) were independent risk factors for parotitis in patients with C-pSS. The hemoglobin level was significantly lower in patients with positive anti-SSA/Ro52 and positive anti-SSA/Ro60 results (P = 0.022 and P = 0.029, respectively), while immunoglobulin G level was significantly higher in patients in the same group (P = 0.048 and P = 0.007, respectively).ConclusionsPositive anti-SSB and positive RF values may be independent potential protective factors of thrombocytopenia in patients with C-pSS. In contrast, positive anti-SSB and positive RF were independent risk factors of parotitis in patients with C-pSS. More studies are needed to reveal the diagnostic role and pathogenic mechanism of immunological markers in C-pSS.</p

Additional file 1 of Multilayer factors associated with excess all-cause mortality during the omicron and non-omicron waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: time series analysis in 29 countries

Supplementary Material

The incidence and duration of ventricular arrhythmias among three groups during one hour of left stellate ganglion stimulation discontinuously(±s).

<p>The incidence and duration of ventricular arrhythmias among three groups during one hour of left stellate ganglion stimulation discontinuously(±s).</p

The ventricular fibrillation threshold among three groups(±s).

<p>The ventricular fibrillation threshold among three groups(±s).</p

Construction of High Drug Loading and Enzymatic Degradable Multilayer Films for Self-Defense Drug Release and Long-Term Biofilm Inhibition

Bacterial infections and biofilm formation on the surface of implants are important issues that greatly affect biomedical applications and even cause device failure. Construction of high drug loading systems on the surface and control of drug release on-demand is an efficient way to lower the development of resistant bacteria and biofilm formation. In the present study, (montmorillonite/hyaluronic acid-gentamicin)₁₀ ((MMT/HA-GS)₁₀) organic/inorganic hybrid multilayer films were alternately self-assembled on substrates. The loading dosage of GS was as high as 0.85 mg/cm², which could be due the high specific surface area of MMT. The obtained multilayer film with high roughness gradually degraded in hyaluronidase (HAS) solutions or a bacterial infection microenvironment, which caused the responsive release of GS. The release of GS showed dual enzyme and bacterial infection responsiveness, which also indicated good drug retention and on-demand self-defense release properties of the multilayer films. Moreover, the GS release responsiveness to <i>E. coli</i> showed higher sensitivity than that to <i>S. aureus</i>. There was only ∼5 wt % GS release from the film in PBS after 48 h of immersion, and the amount quickly increased to 30 wt % in 10⁵ CFU/mL of <i>E. coli</i>. Importantly, the high drug dosage, smart drug release, and film peeling from the surface contributed to the efficient antibacterial properties and long-term biofilm inhibition functions. Both in vitro and in vivo antibacterial tests indicated efficient sterilization function and good mammalian cell and tissue compatibility

The cardiac function among three groups (±s).

<p>The cardiac function among three groups (±s).</p

Oxygen Vacancy Enables Markedly Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy of a Gd³⁺-Doped Contrast Agent

Gd³⁺-based contrast agents (CAs) are the most prevailing and widely used for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Numbers of approaches have been developed to regulate the key parameters in order to obtain high-relaxivity CAs, according to the classic Solomon–Bloembergen–Morgen theory. Herein, a method of controlling oxygen vacancies in inorganic nanosized CAs has been developed for largely accelerated proton relaxation to obtain a high <i>r</i>₁ value. Such a strategy is verified on oxygen-deficient PEG-Na_<i>x</i>GdWO₃ nanorods, which exhibit a remarkable <i>r</i>₁ value up to 80 mM^–1 s^–1 (at 0.7 T) and a high <i>r</i>₁ value of 32.1 mM^–1 s^–1 on a clinical 3.0 T scanner, offering an excellent blood pool MRI performance at a low dose. Meanwhile, free electrons and/or oxygen-vacancy-induced small polarons can endow PEG-Na_<i>x</i>GdWO₃ nanorods with significant photothermal conversion for MRI-guided photothermal therapy