The complexation of an alkali metal ion by a model macrocycle is examined using the M05-2X/DGDZVP DFT method. The macrocycle is built by connecting three cyclopenta[b]pyrrole motifs with alternating acetylene and ethylene linkages. Replacing one of the C-H bonds in each motif with a C-I bond allows for the formation of three intramolecular C-I···N halogen bonds. Two distinct binding modes were found for the complexation of each metal ion. In one mode, the binding of the ion occurs solely by the iodine atoms, via I···M⁺ interactions, while maintaining the integrity of the halogen bonds. The complexation energies are in the range −66 to −35 kcal/mol. In the other mode, the binding of the ion includes one nitrogen atom as well, with binding energies in the range of −71 to −38 kcal/mol. In this binding mode, the halogen bond network is weakened. The presence and strength of the interactions are further examined using AIM and NBO calculations. Lastly, the geometries for the transition state structures linking the less stable to the more stable metal ion complexes were obtained, and their calculated Gibbs free energy barriers were found in the range of 1.6 to 1.9 kcal/mol. Full article

The global proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) has brought forth new challenges in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This paper utilizes operational data from the 5G real-time system of EV and traffic platforms (5gRTS-ET) in China, encompassing 12,597,109 cases and 32,259 EVs. By employing frequency density analysis, a dynamic charging behavior model is devised to address the limitations of static models in accommodating the diverse roles of EV users. Analysis reveals distinct charging behavior preferences among three urban EV operation modes, paving the way for an adaptive model for integrating charging points into networked operations on the platform. Full article

The enhancement of display performance and durability in polymer-stabilized vertical alignment liquid crystal and the liquid crystal are negative liquid crystals, which can be vertically aligned under the action of a vertical orientation layer and an electric field. Devices (PSVA LCDs) are crucial for advancing LCD technology. This study aims to investigate the electro-optical characteristics of PSVA LCDs by varying polymerization monomer concentrations. Using both simulations via TechWiz LCD 3D and experimental methods, such as polymer-induced phase separation, we developed an optoelectronic testing framework to assess voltage transmittance and response times. In our main findings, we show that an increase in polymeric monomer concentration from 3% to 7% resulted in a 67% increase in threshold voltage and a 44% decrease in saturation voltage. The on-state response time increased by about a factor of three, while the off-state response time decreased by about a factor of three. The alignment of our simulation results with experimental data validates our methodology, offering the potential of simulation tools as a pivotal resource in the PSVA LCDs. The alignment of our simulation results with experimental data validates our methodology, offering the potential of simulation tools as a pivotal resource in the PSVA LCDs. These advancements promise significant improvements in PSVA LCD performance and durability. Full article

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common complex musculoskeletal disorder, resulting from the degeneration of the articular cartilage and characterized by joint pain and dysfunction that culminate in progressive articular cartilage loss. We present our experience in the management of hip and knee OA by means of the intra-articular injection of fat micrograft, describing our approach, which was developed from the belief in the powerful reparative effect of autologous fat graft on damaged tissue, as well as its natural lubricating effect on the joints. Inclusion criteria were as follows: men and women, aged 20 to 80 years, that referred articular pain of the hips and/or knees, showing initial-stage degenerative OA. From October 2018 to July 2023, a total of 250 patients underwent treatment with the Sefficare^® device (SEFFILINE srl, Bologna, Italy). The Superficial Enhanced Fluid Fat Injection device was used to perform autologous regenerative treatments in a safe, standardized, easy, and effective way on 160 women, 64%, and 90 men, 36%. A total of 190 procedures (76%) involved the knees, with 20 patients who were bilaterally treated, while 60 procedures, all unilateral, involved the hips (24%). The mean age at treatment was 52.4 years. Before treatment, each patient had undergone X-rays and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the painful hip/knee to evaluate and grade the articular OA. Postoperatively, each patient was assessed after one, three, six, and twelve months. The donor site postoperative course was uneventful other than minimal discomfort. Clinically, the ROM (range of motion) of the treated knee/hip increased an average of 10 degrees 3 months after treatment, but the stiffness was reduced, as reported by the patients. The VAS (Visual Analog Scale) was submitted at 3, 6, and 12 months, demonstrating a progressive reduction of pain, with the best score obtained at six months postoperatively. In total, 85% of patients were satisfied one year after treatment, with a considerable improvement in pain and quality of life. The satisfactory outcome of this minimally invasive procedure indicates that the intra-articular injection of fat micrograft can replace or considerably delay the need for the classical major joint replacement surgery, thanks to its impact on the quality of life of patients and financial cost. Full article

Brevinasia gen. n., a new genus of edaphic weevils with 14 species from the South African provinces of Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo, is described. The genus is described and illustrated, its taxonomic placement is discussed, and a key to the species is given. The specimens are usually associated with leaf litter in forest habitats and were generally sampled by sifting forest soil. Its type species, B. brevicollis (Voss, 1974), is redescribed, and 13 new species are described: B. albonigra sp. n. (type locality: Hills east of Stilbaai); B. bulirschi sp. n. (type locality: Marloth Nature Reserve); B. inconspicua sp. n. (type locality: Robinson’s Pass); B. janaki sp. n. (type locality: Hawequas); B. leleupi sp. n. (type locality: Humansdorp); B. limpopoensis sp. n. (type locality: Kruger National Park); B. litoralis sp. n. (type locality: West Gouritsmond); B. longiseta sp. n. (type locality: Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve); B. maior sp. n. (type locality: Salem); B. micros sp. n. (type locality: Royal Natal National Park); B. nigritarsis sp. n. (type locality: Olifantsbos); B. rotundipennis sp. n. (type locality: Mkhambati Nature Reserve); B. wanati sp. n. (type locality: Lillyvlei Nature Reserve). COI sequences of B. brevicollis, B. nigritarsis, and B. wanati were deposited on GenBank. Full article

Large aggregate asphalt mixtures can absorb noise, reduce water damage, effectively improve the service life of roads, and reduce environmental pressure. In this study, the fatigue characteristics of a large-sized asphalt mixture, LSAM-30, were investigated using four-point bending tests. The fatigue performance of LSAM-30 was compared to that of AC-13 and AC-20 asphalt mixtures across a range of temperatures, frequencies, and strains. The results indicated that the temperature, frequency, and strain significantly affect the fatigue performance of LSAM-30. As the temperature or frequency increased, the disparity in the fatigue performances of LSAM-30, AC-13, and AC-20 became more pronounced. Furthermore, the variations in the strain did not exhibit a clear pattern in the fatigue performance ratio among the three asphalt mixtures, with the ratio changes being minor (<5%). Additionally, an exponential-function-based predictive equation was proposed, showing how the fatigue characteristics of LSAM-30 vary with changes in frequency and temperature. Full article

In vitro mass propagation of apple plants plays an important role in the rapid multiplication of genetically uniform, disease-free scions and rootstocks with desired traits. Successful micropropagation of apple using axillary shoot cultures is influenced by several factors, the most critical of which is the cytokinin included in the culture medium. The impact of medium composition from single added cytokinins on shoot proliferation of apple scion Húsvéti rozmaring cultured on agar-agar gelled Murashige and Skoog medium fortified with indole butyric acid and gibberellic acid was investigated. The optimum concentration for efficient shoot multiplication differs according to the type of cytokinin. The highest significant multiplication rate (5.40 shoots/explant) was achieved using 2.0 μM thidiazuron while the longest shoots (1.80 cm) were observed on the medium containing benzyladenine at a concentration of 2.0 μM. However, application of either thidiazuron or benzyladenine as cytokinin source in the medium resulted in shoots of low quality, such as stunted and thickened shoots with small leaves. In the case of benzyladenine riboside, the 8 μM concentration was the most effective in increasing the multiplication rate (4.76 shoots/explant) but caused thickened stem development with tiny leaves. In the present study, meta-topolin was shown to be the most effective cytokinin that could be applied to induce sufficient multiplication (3.28 shoots/explant) and high-quality shoots along with shoot lengths of 1.46 cm when it was applied at concentrations of 4 μM. However, kinetin was the least active cytokinin; it practically did not induce the development of new shoots. The superior cytokinin for in vitro axillary shoot development of apple scion Húsvéti rozmaring with high-quality shoots was the meta-topolin, but it may be different depending on the variety/genotype under study. Full article

This study addresses the critical need for the accurate diagnosis and management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), which are pancreatic cystic neoplasm types holding a substantial potential for malignancy. It evaluates the diagnostic effectiveness of the Fukuoka consensus guidelines and the European evidence-based guidelines in detecting high-grade dysplasia/invasive carcinoma in IPMNs, utilizing a retrospective analysis of 113 patients from two European medical centers. The methods include a comparative analysis of clinical, radiological, and endoscopic ultrasonography data, alongside an assessment of guideline-driven diagnostic performance. The results demonstrate that both guidelines offer similar accuracy in identifying severe disease stages in IPMNs, with certain clinical markers—such as jaundice, solid mass presence, and an increase in CA 19-9 levels—being pivotal in predicting the need for surgical intervention. This study concludes that while both guidelines provide valuable frameworks for IPMN management, there is an inherent need for further research to refine these protocols and improve patient-specific treatment strategies. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on optimizing diagnostic and treatment paradigms for pancreatic cystic neoplasms, aiming to enhance clinical outcomes and patient care in this challenging medical field. Full article

Against a backdrop of declining bee colony health, this study aims to gain a better understanding of the impact of an antimicrobial (Fumidil B^®, Can-Vet Animal Health Supplies Ltd., Guelph, ON, Canada) and a probiotic (Bactocell^®, Lallemand Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada) on bees’ microbiota and the health of their colonies after wintering. Therefore, colonies were orally exposed to these products and their combination before wintering in an environmental room. The results show that the probiotic significantly improved the strength of the colonies in spring by increasing the total number of bees and the number of capped brood cells. This improvement translated into a more resilient structure of the gut microbiota, highlighted by a more connected network of interactions between bacteria. Contrastingly, the antimicrobial treatment led to a breakdown in this network and a significant increase in negative interactions, both being hallmarks of microbiota dysbiosis. Although this treatment did not translate into a measurable colony strength reduction, it may impact the health of individual bees. The combination of these products restored the microbiota close to control, but with mixed results for colony performance. More tests will be needed to validate these results, but the probiotic Bactocell^® could be administrated as a food supplement before wintering to improve colony recovery in spring. Full article

Acute liver failure is an infrequent yet fatal condition marked by rapid liver function decline, leading to abnormalities in blood clotting and cognitive impairment among individuals without prior liver ailments. The primary reasons for liver failure are infection with hepatitis virus or overdose of certain medicines, such as acetaminophen. Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT), a type of microalgae known as a diatom species, has been reported to contain an active ingredient with anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects. In this study, we evaluated the preventive and therapeutic activities of PT extract in acute liver failure. To achieve our purpose, we used two different acute liver failure models: acetaminophen- and D-GalN/LPS-induced acute liver failure. PT extract showed protective activity against acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure through attenuation of the inflammatory response. However, we failed to demonstrate the protective effects of PT against acute liver injury in the D-GalN/LPS model. Although the PT extract did not show protective activity against two different acute liver failure animal models, this study clearly demonstrates the importance of considering the differences among animal models when selecting an acute liver failure model for evaluation. Full article

Analyzing crowdfunding data has been the focus of many research efforts, where analysts typically explore this data to identify the main factors and characteristics of the lending process as well as to discover unique patterns and anomalies in loan distributions. However, the manual exploration and visualization of such data is clearly an ad hoc, time-consuming, and labor-intensive process. Hence, in this work, we propose LoanVis, which is an automated solution for discovering and recommending those valuable and insightful visualizations. LoanVis is a data-driven system that utilizes objective metrics to quantify the “interestingness” of a visualization and employs such metrics in the recommendation process. We demonstrate the effectiveness of LoanVis in analyzing and exploring different aspects of the Kiva crowdfunding dataset. Full article

Many different types of nanoparticles have been suggested for tumor-targeted theranosis. However, most systems were prepared through a series of complicated processes and could not even overcome the blood–immune barriers. For the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of cancers, herein we suggested the lipid micellar structure capturing quantum dot (QD) for cancer theranosis. The QD/lipid micelles (QDMs) were prepared using a simple self-assembly procedure and then conjugated with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies for tumor targeting. As a therapeutic agent, Bcl2 siRNA-cholesterol conjugates were loaded on the surface of QDMs. The EGFR-directed QDMs containing Bcl2 siRNA, so-called immuno-QDM/siBcl2 (iQDM/siBcl2), exhibited the more effective delivery of QDs and siBcl2 to target human colorectal cancer cells in cultures as well as in mouse xenografts. The effective in vivo targeting of iQDM/siBcl2 resulted in a more enhanced therapeutic efficacy of siBcl2 to the target cancer in mice. Based on the results, anti-EGFR QDM capturing therapeutic siRNA could be suggested as an alternative modality for tumor-targeted theranosis. Full article

Background: Teriparatide is an anabolic agent for osteoporosis and is believed to improve the bone healing process. Previous studies showed that teriparatide could enhance not only fracture healing but also spine fusion. It has been reported that use of teriparatide could promote the spine fusion process and decrease mechanical complications. However, there was no consensus regarding optimal treatment duration. The purpose of this study was to compare surgical outcomes between short-duration and long-duration teriparatide treatment after lumbar fusion surgery in elderly patients. Materials and Methods: All consecutive patients older than 60 years who underwent 1-level lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative diseases between January 2015 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the duration of teriparatide treatment (daily subcutaneous injection of 20 µg teriparatide), patients were subdivided into two groups: a short-duration (SD) group (<6 months) and a long-duration (LD) group (≥6 months). Mechanical complications, such as screw loosening, cage subsidence, and adjacent vertebral fractures, were investigated. Postoperative 1-year union rate was also evaluated on computed tomography. Clinical outcomes were recorded using visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Between-group differences for these radiographic and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Ninety-one patients were reviewed in this study, including sixty patients in the SD group and thirty-one patients in the LD group. Their mean age was 72.3 ± 6.2 years, and 79 patients were female. Mean T-score was −3.3 ± 0.8. Cage subsidence (6.7% vs. 3.2%), screw loosening (28.3% vs. 35.5%), and adjacent vertebral fracture (6.7% vs. 9.7%) were not significantly different between the SD and LD groups. Union rate at 1-year postoperative was 65.0% in the SD group and 87.1% in the LD group (p = 0.028). Both groups showed improvement in VAS and ODI after surgery. However, the differences of VAS from preoperative to 6 months and 1 year postoperative were significantly higher in the LD group. Conclusions: Longer teriparatide treatment after lumbar fusion surgery resulted in a higher union rate at 1-year postoperative than the shorter treatment. Also, it could be more beneficial for clinical outcomes. Full article

While the exact pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear, genetic, environmental and nutritional factors as well as the composition of the gut microbiome play crucial roles. Food additives, which are increasingly consumed in the Western diet, are being investigated for their potential effects on IBD. These additives can affect gut health by altering the composition of the microbiota, immune responses, and intestinal permeability, contributing to autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Despite the growing number of studies on food additives and IBD, the specific effects of carrageenan have not yet been sufficiently researched. This review addresses this gap by critically analyzing recent studies on the effects of carrageenan on the gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, and inflammatory processes. We searched the MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases using the following terms: carrageenan, carrageenan and inflammatory bowel disease, carrageenan and cancer, food additives and microbiome, food additives and intestinal permeability, and food additives and autoimmune diseases. In animal studies, degraded carrageenan has been shown to trigger intestinal ulceration and inflammation, highlighting its potential risk for exacerbating IBD. It can affect the gut microbiota, reduce bacterial diversity, and increase intestinal permeability, contributing to “leaky gut” syndrome. Some studies suggest that carrageenan may inhibit the growth of cancer cells by influencing the progression of the cell cycle, but the anti-cancer effect is still unclear. Carrageenan may also increase glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Further research is needed to determine whether carrageenan should be excluded from the diet of individuals with IBD. Full article

Knowledge regarding the growth of trees is essential to understanding their response to predicted warmer and drier climate scenarios. We used the annual rings of three Mexican pines (Pinus montezumae Lamb., Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl., and Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém) to explore their drought responses. Correlation analyses showed that hydroclimatic factors differentially impact tree species in terms of the intensity and temporality. The negative influence of the maximum temperature and positive effect of the precipitation on the growth indices were notable, with P. montezumae being the most responsive species, followed by P. oocarpa and P. monophylla. The climate–growth relationships were specific and driven by the differential hydrothermal conditions across the study areas. SPEI analyses indicated that P. monophylla is better able to tolerate drought than P. montezumae or P. oocarpa, especially in recent years. The lower resilience of P. montezumae and P. oocarpa could predispose them to a higher mortality risk if warming and drying rates increase. Our findings strengthen the understanding of the responses of tree growth to seasonal drought, which is critical considering the biogeographic shifts that will potentially be experienced by these forests in the future. This knowledge improves the understanding of young Mexican stands and could contribute to the design of management strategies in the face of predicted climatic variations. Full article

The therapeutic targeting of DNA repair pathways is an emerging concept in cancer treatment. Compounds that target specific DNA repair processes, such as those mending DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), are therefore of therapeutic interest. UNC3866 is a small molecule that targets CBX4, a chromobox protein, and a SUMO E3 ligase. As a key modulator of DNA end resection—a prerequisite for DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR)—CBX4 promotes the functions of the DNA resection factor CtIP. Here, we show that treatment with UNC3866 markedly sensitises HR-deficient, NHEJ-hyperactive cancer cells to ionising radiation (IR), while it is non-toxic in selected HR-proficient cells. Consistent with UNC3866 targeting CtIP functions, it inhibits end-resection-dependent DNA repair including HR, alternative end joining (alt-EJ), and single-strand annealing (SSA). These findings raise the possibility that the UNC3866-mediated inhibition of end resection processes we define highlights a distinct vulnerability for the selective killing of HR-ineffective cancers. Full article

An important issue concerning the inspection of the technical condition of electrical power components and systems is thermal imaging investigation. This paper presents how the thermograms obtained from these measurements should be interpreted correctly according to different standards and how operators should react when detecting a specific anomaly. It is also a review article in which all currently applicable international standards are referred to. The motivation of the article relates to the fact that these standards seem to be too general and do not cover all practical situations, even though, in many countries, thermal imaging diagnostics of overhead lines or overhead outdoor and indoor power stations have been used for years based on industry standards or good practices. The article aims are precisely to encourage and provoke the global community of metrologists, scientists, and engineers involved in thermographic measurements to discuss, strengthen efforts, and establish relevant international standards for the interpretation of thermograms containing the relevant temperature anomalies. Full article

Sustainability practices are increasingly significant in the current business environment, much more so in China with its rapid economic growth. What drives environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, especially regarding the impacts of new quality productivity and green innovation, is thus of importance. The study further assesses the impact of new quality productivity and green innovation on ESG performance with listed companies in China. The research is empirical and regresses the data of the Chinese listed companies from 2011 to 2022. The important findings indicate that new quality productivity significantly improves ESG performance. Efficient innovation practice plays a key role in the promotion of corporate sustainability. Green innovation contributes directly to ESG improvement and enhances the effects of new quality productivity on ESG. This moderating effect has proven to be the more important reason why innovation should be well-infused into core business strategies for sustainable optimization. In addition, this study examines the differential impact of new quality productivity across regions, firm types, and development stages, showing that its effectiveness in driving ESG performance is constrained by the geographic location, firm development stage, and industry characteristics. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating new quality productivity enhancement and green innovation into corporate strategies, providing valuable insights for managers, policymakers, and investors. Full article

In this study, we selected four grassland plots in Altai forest area and used the field survey method of “two-valued occurrence” to obtain the occurrence data of each plant species in the plots so as to calculate the species diversity index value of the community as a whole and the species diversity index value of each plant species not present in the community and to make use of the difference between these two diversity indices to determine the role of each plant species in the overall species diversity of the community. The difference between these two diversity indices was used to investigate the role of each plant species in the overall species diversity of the community. The results show the following: (1) In the grassland of the Altai forest area in Xinjiang, Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Polygonaceae, and Rosaceae are the dominant families, among which the genera Puccinellia Parl, Taraxacum, Pharbitis, Lactuca, Geranium, and Alchemilla are the dominant genera. (2) The plant species with the greatest contribution to species diversity in the four grassland samples was not the first dominant species of the community, but rather the plant species whose dominance was in the second to sixth position. (3) The first dominant species was overwhelmingly dominant in the four sample plots, and it served to increase the overall diversity of the community. (4) The overall trend in the size of the role of species in diversity is unimodal, i.e., logarithmically increasing to a maximum as species dominance decreases and then exponentially or linearly decreasing and eventually converging to zero. The synthesis showed that it was not the first dominant species that played the largest role in species diversity in the different grassland communities and that the overwhelmingly dominant species reduced the species diversity of the community. Full article

This parametric study aimed to analyze the effects of increased magnetic field exposure (MFE) on the growth and production of the bioactive compounds of Chlorella (C.) vulgaris. With the intent of studying the effect of an increased MFE, the magnetic field typically experienced by life on Earth was amplified by an order of magnitude. In the increased-MFE environment, six treatments of C. vulgaris with two repetitions for each treatment were exposed to a magnetic field of 5 Gauss (500 µT) about each axis, which was generated in a state-of-the-art Helmholtz cage. The treatments and the control were characterized by the duration of exposure, which was varied from 0 min to 120 min with a step increment of 20 min. The treatments were repeated for six days (TR1) and twelve days (TR2) in two separate experiments. From the first day of the treatment, the specimens in both the experiments were propagated for twenty-one days. For parametric analysis, the overall growth, protein, and beta-carotene content were measured every three days for twenty-one days. For TR1 in general, the samples treated with the increased MFE demonstrated a higher growth rate than the control. Specifically, for the specimen treated with 40 min of the increased MFE, the growth on the 21st day was measured to be 38% higher than the control. For the specimen treated with 120 min of the increased MFE, the protein content on the 15th day was measured to be 15.6% higher than the control. For the specimen treated with 40 min of the increased MFE, the beta-carotene content on the 15th day was measured to be 20.4% higher than the control. For TR2 in general, the results were inferior compared to TR1 but showed higher production than the control specimen. Specifically, for the specimen treated with 80 min of the increased MFE, the protein content on the 21st day was measured to be 4.3% higher than the control. For the specimen treated with 100 min of the increased MFE, the beta-carotene content on the 15th day was measured to be 17.1% higher than the control. For the specimen treated with 100 min of the increased MFE, the growth on the 21st day was measured to be 5% higher than the control. Overall, the treated specimens in TR1 exhibited significantly higher production compared to the control specimen. The treated specimen in TR2 demonstrated some adverse impacts, but still exhibited higher production compared to the control specimen. Full article

In this study, the bipolar switching behaviors in ZnO/HfO₂ bilayer resistive random-access memory (RRAM), depending on different metal top electrodes (TE), are analyzed. For this purpose, devices with two types of TE–TiN/Ti and Pd, which have varying oxygen affinities, are fabricated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that ZnO has a hexagonal wurtzite structure, and HfO₂ exhibits both monoclinic and orthorhombic phases. The average grain sizes are 10.9 nm for ZnO and 1.55 nm for HfO₂. In regards to the electrical characteristics, the I–V curve, cycling test, and voltage stress are measured. The measurement results indicate that devices with TiN/Ti TE exhibit lower set and higher reset voltage and stable bipolar switching behavior. However, a device with Pd TE demonstrates higher set and lower reset voltage. This phenomenon can be explained by the Gibbs free energy of formation (∆G_f°). Additionally, the Pd TE device shows unstable bipolar switching characteristics, where unipolar switching occurs simultaneously during the cycling test. This instability in devices with Pd TE could potentially lead to soft errors in operation. For guaranteeing stable bipolar switching, the oxygen affinity of material for TE should be considered in regards to ZnO/HfO₂ bilayer RRAM. Full article

Recent advancements in computer vision, especially deep learning models, have shown considerable promise in tasks related to plant image object detection. However, the efficiency of these deep learning models heavily relies on input image quality, with low-resolution images significantly hindering model performance. Therefore, reconstructing high-quality images through specific techniques will help extract features from plant images, thus improving model performance. In this study, we explored the value of super-resolution technology for improving object detection model performance on plant images. Firstly, we built a comprehensive dataset comprising 1030 high-resolution plant images, named the PlantSR dataset. Subsequently, we developed a super-resolution model using the PlantSR dataset and benchmarked it against several state-of-the-art models designed for general image super-resolution tasks. Our proposed model demonstrated superior performance on the PlantSR dataset, indicating its efficacy in enhancing the super-resolution of plant images. Furthermore, we explored the effect of super-resolution on two specific object detection tasks: apple counting and soybean seed counting. By incorporating super-resolution as a pre-processing step, we observed a significant reduction in mean absolute error. Specifically, with the YOLOv7 model employed for apple counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 13.085 to 5.71. Similarly, with the P2PNet-Soy model utilized for soybean seed counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 19.159 to 15.085. These findings underscore the substantial potential of super-resolution technology in improving the performance of object detection models for accurately detecting and counting specific plants from images. The source codes and associated datasets related to this study are available at Github. Full article