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Invisible stitch: generating smooth 3D scenes with depth inpainting
Get PDF3D scene generation has quickly become a challenging new research direction, fueled by consistent improvements of 2D generative diffusion models. Current methods generate scenes by iteratively stitching newly generated images with existing geometry, using pre-trained monocular depth estimators to lift the generated images to 3D. The predicted depth is fused with the existing scene representation through various alignment operations. In this work, we make two fundamental contributions to the field of 3D scene generation. First, we note that lifting images to 3D with a monocular depth estimation model is suboptimal as it ignores the geometry of the existing scene, thus prompting the need for alignment. We introduce a depth completion model to directly learn the 3D fusion process, resulting in improved geometric coherence of generated scenes. Second, we introduce a new benchmark to evaluate the geometric accuracy of scene generation methods. We show that the commonly used CLIP score between scene prompts and images is unsuitable for measuring the geometric quality of a scene and introduce a depth-based metric. Our benchmark thus offers an additional dimension to gauge the quality of generated scenes
Ventilator Settings in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients (VESPer)—insights from a European Registry
Get PDFAim: To explore ventilator settings, ventilation variables and parameters in critically ill pediatric patients across European Centers. Methods: International, multicenter, prospective observational study, collecting ventilation data for 7 days from patients aged ≤ 12 years, requiring ventilatory support for ≥ 12 h. Primary endpoint was a set of key ventilator settings, including tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), peak and mean airway pressure (Ppeak and Pmean), positive end–expiratory pressure (PEEP), and the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2). Ventilator settings were compared across neonates (aged < 1 month), infants (1 to 12 months), toddlers (1 to 3 years) and children (4 to 12 years), and between patients with and without pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS). Results: Patients enrolment occurred in 43 centers in 11 countries, with a total of 166 patients—mostly infants—included in this analysis. The majority began with invasive ventilation, while one–third started with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) or high–flow nasal oxygen (HFNO). Patients on invasive ventilation, NIV and HFNO were weaned within a median of 3 [2–6], 3 [2–4] and 3 [2–4] days, respectively. In 22% of patients, NIV or HFNO was used following invasive ventilation. VT, RR and FiO2 varied across age groups, and airway pressures were higher in PARDS patients. Conclusions: In this cohort, ventilator settings, and ventilation variables and parameters, varied between individual patients and across patient groups. Larger studies are needed to confirm this variability, explore associations between ventilation practices and clinical outcomes, and assess temporal and geo–economic differences
Assessing healthcare status and challenges in border regions: insights from Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces, Thailand – a mixed-method approach
Get PDFBackground: Thailand’s Tak and Mae Hong Son (MHS) provinces, bordering Myanmar, are critical entry points for individuals seeking employment or healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic and Myanmar’s political instability have significantly impacted the health and performance of border-area health systems. This analysis examines the current state of the health sector, border health challenges resulting from cross-border movement, and identifies key gaps through data from health organizations and interviews in Tak and MHS provinces. Methods: A mixed-method situational analysis was conducted, incorporating documentary analysis (quantitative health facility data, national reports, and online survey data) and key informant interviews in five districts: Umpang, Mae Ramat, and Tha Song Yang (TSY) in Tak province, and Mueang and Pang Mapha in MHS province. A purposive sample of 42 participants, including community health workers and service providers, was interviewed on-site. Thematic analysis was used to interpret patterns within the interview data. Results: The non-Thai population makes up 20–30% of Tak and MHS provinces, with varying compositions across districts. Umpang has a high number of hill tribe ethnic minorities, TSY sees many cross-border patients, Mae Ramat has a large migrant worker population, and Mueang and Pang Mapha host people displaced by conflict. Between 2020 and 2023, malaria cases surged in Umpang and TSY, while TB incidence spiked in TSY, with non-Thais being 2–3 times more affected than Thais. This puts significant financial pressure on local health systems, as many non-Thais, including cross-border Myanmar nationals, lack health insurance, limiting access to subsidized healthcare. Additionally, resource shortages and insufficient healthcare staff further strain border health management. To bridge these gaps, many non-governmental organizations actively work to support healthcare services in Tak province. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts to ensure equitable healthcare access and sustainable resource allocation in border regions. Conclusion: The study highlights significant health challenges in Tak and MHS provinces, particularly in districts with high non-Thai populations. Diseases like malaria and TB are more prevalent in these areas, straining local health systems. Financial and staffing challenges underscore the need for proactive government support and cross-sector collaboration to improve health equity in these culturally diverse border communities
Production and properties of two dimensional borocarbonitrides using chemical vapor deposition growth: Rational design and synthesis of 2D borocarbonitrides via chemical vapor deposition
Get PDFGraphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are two of the most widely studied two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials and their development is considered mature in the field. Although they possess a similar structure, their opto-electronic properties vary significantly – graphene is a zero-bandgap material while hBN has a wide band gap. Recently, synthesis of hybrid structures of these materials, comprised of boron, carbon and nitrogen, has piqued interest due to the tuneability of the opto-electronic and chemical properties of the system by its atomic composition and their arrangement within the network. Formally known as borocarbonitrides (BCN), synthesis of these structures is a promising field of research due to potential applications in catalysis, energy storage, and opto-electronics. However, cost-effective, scalable methods to produce high quality BCN materials are required for adoption. This thesis aims to address this research gap by establishing a low-cost synthesis protocol for 2D BCN structures, using safe-to-handle precursors, methane and ammonia borane, and facile synthesis apparatus, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD).
Pristine metal substrates of Cu and Fe are investigated and reviewed for the APCVD growth of 2D BCN. It is found that for surface-mediated growth of carbon doped hBN (hBN-C) on Cu, different growth mechanisms are present at various partial pressures of methane, affecting the material’s morphology and opto-electronic properties in differing ways. For modulation of the bandgap of hBN, C doping is restricted to low partial pressures of CH4 only. At higher partial pressures, C segregation and graphene formation occurs, which restores the bandgap of hBN, something which has not been reported in the literature. Performing complementary Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, the first comparative study on the atomic processes of B, C and N on Cu reveals insights into the behaviour of the precursors on the substrate, and sheds light on the different growth mechanisms observed at the various methane partial pressures employed during our hBN-C CVD study on Cu.
Mechanical robustness of films is a consideration for certain applications and so multi-layer growth of hBN-C films is investigated for the first time via a segregation-mediated growth mechanism on Fe substrates. Even at significantly higher partial pressures of methane, no sign of C and BN segregation is observed, while a tuneable optical bandgap from 5.92 eV to 5.31 eV is found, suggesting the segregation growth mechanism on Fe is more accommodating when synthesising carbon doped hBN than surface-mediated growth on Cu.
In parallel to CVD investigations, DFT methods are employed to study the opto-electronic properties of hBCN materials. Due to the propensity for graphene and hBN to segregate, graphene-hBN lateral heterostructures are chosen as the system for study, assessing their viability as photo-catalysts in the water-splitting reaction. Seven systems are investigated, starting from pure hBN and increasing the C content of the carbon domain at the centre until a pure graphene domain is obtained. Three systems are found to have suitable opto-electronic properties of band-gap and band-edge potentials for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), with two of these showing photo-activity in the solar spectrum, and are proposed as potential photo-catalysts for further future investigations.
Over the course of this study, challenges were identified in using aged or low-purity ammonia-borane for hBN growth. Experiments using commercially available, low-purity precursor were compared with results from syntheses using high purity ammonia-borane, which has not been carried out in the literature previously. The low purity AB precursor resulted in ubiquitous growth of silica nanoplatelets on the Cu surface, interfering with hBN deposition. The origin of these structures is investigated, highlighting the importance of appropriate precursor and CVD apparatus selection in hBN synthesis. A growth mechanism for the structures is presented based on the diffusion limited aggregation model of growth, which occurs as a result of SiO2 contamination via the quartz CVD reactor and BxOy activation by the low-purity precursor. Improved CVD protocols are outlined to avoid their formation in future studies.
Finally, a simple, cost-effective and up-scalable method to produce high-quality porous BCN-metal composites is developed based on prior BCN growth studies on Cu pristine metal foils. Using Cu metal powders, porous metal scaffolds were realised via thermal annealing, which can offer a significant cost reduction compared to commercially available alternatives. 3D BCN@Cu foam composites were realised via simultaneous and sequential deposition techniques, providing BCN materials with different morphologies and level of B,N doping which can add functionality to the Cu foam for many future far-reaching applications
The real ‘strangers’ among us
Get PDFThose who declare the UK to be an island of estranged individuals are the ones who should be looking closer to home, writes Danny Dorling
Factors associated with symptom severity in stress-induced exhaustion disorder: cohort characterization and cross-sectional correlations
Get PDFIntroduction: Chronic stress-related conditions such as burnout and exhaustion disorder (ED) constitute a significant and growing individual and societal burden. Still, the long-term interactions between symptoms and key risk factors, including brain structure and function, remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we initiated the PROMUS project, a large-scale longitudinal brain imaging study of 350 participants on sick leave for ED in Sweden. Methods: Here, we report baseline cohort (n=300) characteristics and cross-sectional associations between symptom severity, primarily measured using the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ), and demographic, occupational, psychiatric, psychological, and lifestyle factors assessed using online questionnaires. Results: Our findings revealed significant associations between symptom severity and multiple factors, most notably depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, quality of life, dissociation, psychological inflexibility, intolerance of uncertainty, self-efficacy, alexithymia, trauma, gratitude, educational background, emotional stability, household demands, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms, autistic traits, perfectionism, and physical activity. Discussion: These findings support previous research linking persistent stress conditions to a spectrum of demographic, occupational, psychiatric, psychological, and lifestyle measures. The results also add to the understanding of targetable ED symptoms and risk factors and set the direction for brain imaging analyses and longitudinal assessments in this cohort
Fecal Calprotectin and C-Reactive Protein Association With Histologic and Endoscopic Endpoints in Mirikizumab-Treated Patients With Ulcerative Colitis
Get PDFLay Summary: Associations between fecal calprotectin and C-reactive protein biomarker improvement for patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis treated with mirikizumab were assessed. Results indicate that biomarker analyses may provide a noninvasive monitoring strategy for use in clinical practice
Sentencing procedures under the adversarial and inquisitorial models of justice: a comparative analysis: Sentencing procedures: a comparative analysis
Get PDFThis article examines the key procedural distinction in sentencing between adversarial (common law) and inquisitorial (civil law) systems: bifurcation versus unification. Common law jurisdictions separate sentencing from the trial phase, while civil law systems integrate sentencing within the verdict determination. The article examines the implications of these approaches and assesses their strengths and weaknesses. Bifurcation allows for a focused mitigation hearing, ensures that all relevant information is considered prior to sentencing, and minimises potential bias from prior convictions or sentencing factors during trial. However, it also prolongs proceedings and can lead to inefficiencies. By contrast, unified sentencing integrates all relevant factors into a single hearing, streamlining the process but potentially exposing defendants to prejudicial considerations before a verdict is reached. While neither tradition is likely to fully abandon its approach, the authors suggest that if a new jurisdiction were to adopt a sentencing model, the adversarial system—with modifications to increase efficiency—would be preferable. They conclude by calling for further empirical research to assess the comparative impact of these systems on sentencing outcomes and perceptions of fairness
Dataset to support: Voluntary UK sugar, salt, and calorie reduction targets: Adherence within the highest-grossing restaurants
No full textThis dataset contains per 100g and per serving nutritional information gathered from chained restaurants' online menus in 2024