Omnidirectional image super-resolution via position attention network.

For convenient transmission, omnidirectional images (ODIs) usually follow the equirectangular projection (ERP) format and are low-resolution. To provide better immersive experience, omnidirectional image super resolution (ODISR) is essential. However, ERP ODIs suffer from serious geometric distortion and pixel stretching across latitudes, generating massive redundant information at high latitudes. This characteristic poses a huge challenge for the traditional SR methods, which can only obtain the suboptimal ODISR performance. To address this issue, we propose a novel position attention network (PAN) for ODISR in this paper. Specifically, a two-branch structure is introduced, in which the basic enhancement branch (BE) serves to achieve coarse deep feature enhancement for extracted shallow features. Meanwhile, the position attention enhancement branch (PAE) builds a positional attention mechanism to dynamically adjust the contribution of features at different latitudes in the ERP representation according to their positions and stretching degrees, which achieves the enhancement for the differentiated information, suppresses the redundant information, and modulate the deep features with spatial distortion. Subsequently, the features of two branches are fused effectively to achieve the further refinement and adapt the distortion characteristic of ODIs. After that, we exploit a long-term memory module (LM), promoting information interactions and fusions between the branches to enhance the perception of the distortion, aggregating the prior hierarchical features to keep the long-term memory and boosting the ODISR performance. Extensive results demonstrate the state-of-the-art performance and the high efficiency of our PAN in ODISR.

Assessing the distortions introduced when calculating d': A simulation approach.

The discriminability measure d ' is widely used in psychology to estimate sensitivity independently of response bias. The conventional approach to estimate d ' involves a transformation from the hit rate and the false-alarm rate. When performance is perfect, correction methods must be applied to calculate d ' , but these corrections distort the estimate. In three simulation studies, we show that distortion in d ' estimation can arise from other properties of the experimental design (number of trials, sample size, sample variance, task difficulty) that, when combined with application of the correction method, make d ' distortion in any specific experiment design complex and can mislead statistical inference in the worst cases (Type I and Type II errors). To address this problem, we propose that researchers simulate d ' estimation to explore the impact of design choices, given anticipated or observed data. An R Shiny application is introduced that estimates d ' distortion, providing researchers the means to identify distortion and take steps to minimize its impact.

Confined Element Distribution with Structure-driven Energy Coupling for Enhanced Prussian Blue Analogue Cathode.

The structural failure of Na2Mn[Fe(CN)6] could not be alleviated with traditional modification strategies through the adjustable composition property of Prussian blue analogues (PBAs), considering that the accumulation and release of stress derived from the MnN6 octahedrons are unilaterally restrained. Herein, a novel application of adjustable composition property, through constructing a coordination competition relationship between chelators and [Fe(CN)6]4- to directionally tune the enrichment of elements, is proposed to restrain structural degradation and induce unconventional energy coupling phenomenon. The non-uniform distribution of elements at the M1 site of PBAs (NFM-PB) is manipulated by the sequentially precipitated Ni, Fe, and Mn according to the Irving-William order. Electrochemically active Fe is operated to accompany Mn, and zero-strain Ni is modulated to enrich at the surface, synergistically mitigating with the enrichment and release of stress and then significantly improving the structural stability. Furthermore, unconventional energy coupling effect, a fusion of the electrochemical behavior between FeLS and MnHS, is triggered by the confined element distribution, leading to the enhanced electrochemical stability and anti-polarization ability. Consequently, the NFM-PB demonstrates superior rate performance and cycling stability. These findings further exploit potentialities of the adjustable composition property and provide new insights into the component design engineering for advanced PBAs.

Analyzing the dynamic effect of energy endowment-demand distortion on sustainable development: Insights from China's regional disparity.

The distribution of China's energy resources is concentrated in the central and western regions, whereas the energy demand is predominantly centered in the eastern regions. Under the ambitious "carbon neutrality" goal, how to effectively quantify and respond to the impact of this energy "endowment-demand" distortion (EEDD) on economy and environment has become a key issue. We introduce an EEDD index that quantifies the distortion characteristics of China's energy endowment and demand. Based on the EEDD index, a panel vector auto regression-generalized method of moments (PVAR-GMM) model is adopted to assess the interactive effects between regional EEDD and sustainable development variables. The obtained results indicate that the energy endowment-demand distortions are progressively worsening across most provinces. Interestingly, we discover that the EEDD has significant beneficial effects on regional sustainable development. Moreover, the EEDD is found to be significantly influenced by the sustainability-related variables. These impacts between EEDD and sustainable development variables demonstrate significant regional heterogeneity. This study provides crucial empirical evidence for advancing the comprehensive and sustainable development of regional energy, environment, and economy.

Dynamics of sensory and decisional biases in perceptual decision making: Insights from the face distortion illusion.

Bias in perceptual decision making can have both sensory and decisional origins. These distinct sources of bias are typically seen as static and stable over time. However, human behavior is dynamic and constantly adapting. Yet it remains unclear how sensory and decisional biases progress in distinct ways over time. We addressed this question by tracking the dynamics of sensory and decisional biases during a task that involves a visual illusion. Observers saw multiple pairs of peripherally presented faces that induce a strong illusion making the faces appear distorted and grotesque. The task was to judge whether one of the last two faces had true physical distortion (experimentally introduced in half of the trials). Initially, participants classified most faces as distorted as exemplified by a liberal response bias. However, over the course of the experiment, this response bias gradually disappeared even though the distortion illusion remained equally strong, as demonstrated by a separate subjective rating task without artificially distorted faces. The results suggest that the sensory bias was progressively countered by an opposite decisional bias. This transition was accompanied by an increase in reaction times and a decrease in confidence relative to a condition that does not induce the visual illusion. All results were replicated in a second experiment with inverted faces. These findings demonstrate that participants dynamically adjust their decisional bias to compensate for sensory biases, and that these two biases together determine how humans make perceptual decisions.

Diffusion Model-based FOD Restoration from High Distortion in dMRI.

Fiber orientation distributions (FODs) is a popular model to represent the diffusion MRI (dMRI) data. However, imaging artifacts such as susceptibility-induced distortion in dMRI can cause signal loss and lead to the corrupted reconstruction of FODs, which prohibits successful fiber tracking and connectivity analysis in affected brain regions such as the brain stem. Generative models, such as the diffusion models, have been successfully applied in various image restoration tasks. However, their application on FOD images poses unique challenges since FODs are 4-dimensional data represented by spherical harmonics (SPHARM) with the 4-th dimension exhibiting order-related dependency. In this paper, we propose a novel diffusion model for FOD restoration that can recover the signal loss caused by distortion artifacts. We use volume-order encoding to enhance the ability of the diffusion model to generate individual FOD volumes at all SPHARM orders. Moreover, we add cross-attention features extracted across all SPHARM orders in generating every individual FOD volume to capture the order-related dependency across FOD volumes. We also condition the diffusion model with low-distortion FODs surrounding high-distortion areas to maintain the geometric coherence of the generated FODs. We trained and tested our model using data from the UK Biobank (n = 1315). On a test set with ground truth (n = 43), we demonstrate the high accuracy of the generated FODs in terms of root mean square errors of FOD volumes and angular errors of FOD peaks. We also apply our method to a test set with large distortion in the brain stem area (n = 1172) and demonstrate the efficacy of our method in restoring the FOD integrity and, hence, greatly improving tractography performance in affected brain regions.

Two pictorial tools for assessing the attitudes of Taiwanese male high school students with intellectual disabilities toward sexually offensive behavior.

The purpose of this study was to develop two pictorial tools for assessing the attitudes of Taiwanese male senior high school students with intellectual disabilities toward sexually offensive behavior, focusing on cognitive distortion and victim empathy. A total of 181 male high school students at special education schools participated in this study. The validity and reliability were examined using exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. For the cognitive distortion scale, 18 items grouped into three factors, rationalization, denial, and victim blaming, and explained 69.72% of the variance; for the victim empathy scale, 12 items grouped into two factors, the victim's feelings when the offensive behavior is perpetrated by another, and the victim's feelings when the offensive behavior is perpetrated by oneself, and explained 68.00% of the variance. The reliability was .96 for the cognitive distortion scale and .93 for the victim empathy scale. In conclusion, the two scales developed in this research were found to be reliable and valid tools for evaluating male students' attitudes toward sexually offensive behavior, and can also be used as reference material for courses in sex education.

Embodiment of underweight and normal-weight avatars affects bodily self-representations in anorexia nervosa.

Body image distortion (BID) is a crucial aspect of anorexia nervosa (AN), leading to body overestimation, dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem. BID significantly influences the onset, maintenance, and relapse of the pathology. We assessed whether a Full Body Illusion (FBI) using under and normal-weight avatars' bodies affects perceptual body image and body schema estimations in both individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls (HC). After each embodiment procedure, we asked participants to estimate the width of their hips (Perceptual Body Image Task) and the minimum aperture width of a virtual door necessary to pass through it (Body Schema Task). Additionally, we asked participants to rate the avatars in terms of self-similarity, attractiveness, and implicit disgust (i.e., pleasant/unpleasant body odour). Whereas participants with AN (N = 26) showed changes in body schema estimations after embodying the normal-weight avatar, no changes were found in HC (N = 25), highlighting increased bodily self-plasticity in AN. Notably, individuals with AN rated the normal weight avatar as the most similar to their real body, which was also considered the least attractive and the most repulsive. These ratings correlated with BID severity. Furthermore, at the explicit level, all participants reported feeling thinner than usual after embodying the underweight avatar. Overall, our findings suggest that BID in AN engages multiple sensory channels (from visual to olfactory) and components (from perceptual to affective), offering potential targets for innovative non-invasive treatments aimed at modifying flexible aspects of body representation.

Influencing factors of industrial transformation in resource-based cities: Comprehensive measurement method based on resource price distortion.

The rational allocation of industrial factors in resource-based cities is a necessary condition for promoting high-quality economic development. To systematically measure the mismatch of industrial factors, this study integrates the production function model and accounting framework of Aoki (2012). The capital, labor, and energy factors are integrated into the overall measurement framework, and the factor mismatch calculation model is innovatively constructed at the city level. To effectively reflect the factor mismatch of different cities, the relative distortion coefficient of factor price is introduced to establish the relationship between the distortion of factor-use cost and effectiveness of resource allocation. The degree and direction of factor mismatch are effectively measured. This study takes China's resource-based cities as the research object. To avoid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, data on 114 resource-based cities in China from 2003 to 2018 are selected, and 164 non-resource-based cities are used as the control group to evaluate the factors affecting the transformation of such cities. Regarding the diversity of resource-based cities in China, this study compares the characteristics of factor misallocation in these cities for different growth stages, geographical regions, and dominant resources. Finally, this study finds that on average, the cities' degree of energy misallocation is the most serious, and the degree of labor misallocation ranks second. The degree of capital misallocation ranks the lowest, but the misallocation of various factors is very different in different situations. Therefore, different types of cities should make detailed policy adjustments in various transformation directions according to the calculation results.

Unraveling Lattice-Distortion Hardening Mechanisms in High-Entropy Carbides.

Uncovering the hardening mechanisms is of great importance to accelerate the design of superhard high-entropy carbides (HECs). Herein, the hardening mechanisms of HECs by a combination of experiments and first-principles calculations are systematically explored. The equiatomic single-phase 4- to 8-cation HECs (4-8HECs) are successfully fabricated by the two-step approach involving ultrafast high-temperature synthesis and hot-press sintering techniques. The as-fabricated 4-8HEC samples possess fully dense microstructures (relative densities of up to ≈99%), similar grain sizes, clean grain boundaries, and uniform compositions. With the elimination of these morphological properties, the monotonic enhancement of Vickers hardness and nanohardness of the as-fabricated 4-8HEC samples is found to be driven by the aggravation of lattice distortion. Further studies show no evident association between the enhanced hardness of the as-fabricated 4-8HEC samples and other potential indicators, including bond strength, valence electron concentration, electronegativity mismatch, and metallic states. The work unveils the underlying hardening mechanisms of HECs and offers an effective strategy for designing superhard HECs.

Chapter 2: My Hearing Aid Isn't Working Like It Used to .

This chapter will take you through specific patient complaints and the test box measures you can use to address these complaints. These measurements give you data that aid in your decision making about what is wrong, if anything, with the hearing aid and how you might address the problem. Before we discuss specific patient complaints and problems, let us review the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) guidelines for hearing aid testing in a test box.

[Basic MRI Study in the Imaging Direction of a Diffusion-weighted Whole Body with Background Body Signal Suppression].

A diffusion-weighted whole body with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) is usually imaged as a whole body with Transverse (Tra). However, Tra has a large number of stations and a larger number than Coronal (Cor), so the scan time is longer. There are also drawbacks, such as signal unevenness between series. It is known that the effect of distortion is large in Cor. There is no report on it in Sagittal (Sag). Therefore, in this study, we focused on Sag and examined the imaging time, image distortion, fat suppression effect, and continuity between stations. In the examination by the phantom, the scan time was the shortest for Cor and the longest for Sag. In the strain evaluation, the effect of strain could be suppressed compared to Cor by using a rectangle field of view (FOV) in the anterior to posterior (AP) direction in Tra and Sag. There was no difference in the fat suppression effect depending on the imaging direction. Similar results were obtained in a study of 10 healthy volunteers, with Sag having the best continuity between stations.

Invoking Interfacial Engineering Boosts Structural Stability Empowering Exceptional Cyclability of Ni-Rich Cathode.

The cycling stability of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 under high voltages is hindered by the occurrence of hybrid anion- and cation-redox processes, leading to oxygen escape and uncontrolled phase collapse. In this study, an interfacial engineering strategy involving a straightforward mechanical ball milling and low-temperature calcination, employing a Se-doped and FeSe2&Fe2O3-modified approach is proposed to design a stable Ni-rich cathode. Se2- are selectively adsorbed within oxygen vacancies to form O─TM─Se bond, effectively stabilizing lattice oxygen, and preventing structural distortion. Simultaneously, the Se-NCM811//FeSe2//Fe2O3 self-assembled electric field is activated, improving interfacial charge transfer and coupling. Furthermore, FeSe2 accelerates Li+ diffusion and reacts with oxygen to form Fe2O3 and SeO2. The Fe2O3 coating mitigates hydrofluoric acid erosion and acts as an electrostatic shield layer, limiting the outward migration of oxygen anions. Impressively, the modified materials exhibit significantly improved electrochemical performance, with a capacity retention of 79.7% after 500 cycles at 1C under 4.5 V. Furthermore, it provides an extraordinary capacity retention of 94.6% in 3-4.25 V after 550 cycles in pouch-type full battery. This dual-modification approach demonstrates its feasibility and opens new perspective for the development of stable lithium-ion batteries operating at high voltages.

Structural distortion of g-C3N4 induced by a schiff base reaction for efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution.

Photocatalytic H2 evolution by water splitting is a promising approach to address the challenges of environmental pollution and energy scarcity. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has emerged as a star photocatalyst because of its numerous advantages. To address the limitations of traditional g-C3N4, namely its inadequate visible light response and rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers, we employed a schiff base reaction to synthesize -C=N- doped g-C3N4. The introduction of -C=N- groups at the bridging nitrogen sites induced structural distortion in g-C3N4, facilitating n-π* electronic transitions from the lone pair electrons of nitrogen atom and extending light absorption up to 600 nm. Moreover, the presence of heterogeneous π-conjugated electron distribution effectively traps photogenerated electrons and enhances charge carrier separation. Benefiting from its expanded spectral response range, unique electronic properties, increased specific surface area, the doped g-C3N4 exhibited outstanding photocatalytic H2 evolution performance of 1050.13 µmol/g/h. The value was 5.9 times greater than the pristine g-C3N4.

A Novel Compliant Connection Mechanism with Thermal Distortion Self-Elimination Function.

As a novel technology for fabricating large-screen OLED devices, OLED inkjet printing places extreme demands on the positioning accuracy of inkjet printing platforms. However, thermal deformation of the connection mechanism often reduces the printing precision of OLED printing equipment, significantly impacting overall print quality. This study introduces a compliant connection mechanism that achieves precise positioning of the inkjet printing platform and can self-eliminate thermal distortion. The design of the mechanism's core component is based on the Freedom and Constraint Topology (FACT) principle. This component is constructed from three distinct compliant sections arranged in series, collectively providing three degrees of freedom. Furthermore, the resistance to deformation caused by gravity and other external forces was evaluated by analyzing both vertical and horizontal stiffness. To validate the mechanism's thermal distortion elimination and gravity resistance capabilities, finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out. The results demonstrate that the mechanism effectively reduces the maximum deformation of the platform by approximately 46% and the average deformation across the entire platform by approximately 59%. These findings confirm that the mechanism has potential in high-precision positioning tasks that need to mitigate thermal distortion.

A Binocular Color Line-Scanning Stereo Vision System for Heavy Rail Surface Detection and Correction Method of Motion Distortion.

Thanks to the line-scanning camera, the measurement method based on line-scanning stereo vision has high optical accuracy, data transmission efficiency, and a wide field of vision. It is more suitable for continuous operation and high-speed transmission of industrial product detection sites. However, the one-dimensional imaging characteristics of the line-scanning camera cause motion distortion during image data acquisition, which directly affects the accuracy of detection. Effectively reducing the influence of motion distortion is the primary problem to ensure detection accuracy. To obtain the two-dimensional color image and three-dimensional contour data of the heavy rail surface at the same time, a binocular color line-scanning stereo vision system is designed to collect the heavy rail surface data combined with the bright field illumination of the symmetrical linear light source. Aiming at the image motion distortion caused by system installation error and collaborative acquisition frame rate mismatch, this paper uses the checkerboard target and two-step cubature Kalman filter algorithm to solve the nonlinear parameters in the motion distortion model, estimate the real motion, and correct the image information. The experiments show that the accuracy of the data contained in the image is improved by 57.3% after correction.

Predictors of Speech-in-Noise Understanding in a Population of Occupationally Noise-Exposed Individuals.

Understanding speech in noise is particularly difficult for individuals occupationally exposed to noise due to a mix of noise-induced auditory lesions and the energetic masking of speech signals. For years, the monitoring of conventional audiometric thresholds has been the usual method to check and preserve auditory function. Recently, suprathreshold deficits, notably, difficulties in understanding speech in noise, has pointed out the need for new monitoring tools. The present study aims to identify the most important variables that predict speech in noise understanding in order to suggest a new method of hearing status monitoring. Physiological (distortion products of otoacoustic emissions, electrocochleography) and behavioral (amplitude and frequency modulation detection thresholds, conventional and extended high-frequency audiometric thresholds) variables were collected in a population of individuals presenting a relatively homogeneous occupational noise exposure. Those variables were used as predictors in a statistical model (random forest) to predict the scores of three different speech-in-noise tests and a self-report of speech-in-noise ability. The extended high-frequency threshold appears to be the best predictor and therefore an interesting candidate for a new way of monitoring noise-exposed professionals.

Objectively quantifying subjective phenomena: Measuring the flashed face distortion effect.

Objectively quantifying subjective phenomena like visual illusions is challenging. We address this issue in the context of the Flashed Face Distortion Effect (FFDE), where faces presented in succession appear distorted and grotesque. We first show that the traditional method of quantifying FFDE - via subjective ratings of the level of distortion - is subject to substantial biases. Motivated by this finding, we develop an objective method for quantifying FFDE by introducing two design innovations. First, we create artificially distorted faces and ask subjects to discriminate between undistorted and objectively distorted faces. Second, we employ both an illusion condition, which includes a succession of 15 face flashes, and a control condition, which includes a single face flash and does not induce an illusion. Using these innovations, we quantify the strength of the face distortion illusion by comparing the response bias for identifying distorted faces between the illusion and control conditions. We find that our method successfully quantifies the face distortion, with subjects exhibiting a more liberal response bias in the illusion condition. Finally, we apply our new method to evaluate how the face distortion illusion is modulated by face eccentricity, face inversion, the temporal frequency of the face flashes, and presence of temporal gaps between consecutive faces. Our results demonstrate the utility of our objective method in quantifying the subjective illusion of face distortion. Critically, the method is general and can be applied to other phenomena that are inherently subjective.

A dSPACE-based implementation of ANFIS and predictive current control for a single phase boost power factor corrector.

This paper presents an innovative control scheme designed to significantly enhance the power factor of AC/DC boost rectifiers by integrating an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) with predictive current control. The innovative control strategy addresses key challenges in power quality and energy efficiency, demonstrating exceptional performance under diverse operating conditions. Through rigorous simulation, the proposed system achieves precise input current shaping, resulting in a remarkably low total harmonic distortion (THD) of 3.5%, which is well below the IEEE-519 standard threshold of 5%. Moreover, the power factor reaches an outstanding 0.990, indicating highly efficient energy utilization and near-unity power factor operation. To validate the theoretical findings, a 500 W laboratory prototype was implemented using the dSPACE ds1104 digital controller. Steady-state analysis reveals sinusoidal input currents with minimal THD and a power factor approaching unity, thereby enhancing grid stability and energy efficiency. Transient response tests further demonstrate the system's robustness against load and voltage fluctuations, maintaining output voltage stability within an 18 V overshoot and a 20 V undershoot during load changes, and achieving rapid response times as low as 0.2 s. Comparative evaluations against conventional methods underscore the superiority of the proposed control strategy in terms of both performance and implementation simplicity. By harnessing the strengths of ANFIS-based voltage regulation and predictive current control, this scheme offers a robust solution to power quality issues in AC/DC boost rectifiers, promising substantial energy savings and improved grid stability. The results affirm the potential of the proposed system to set new benchmarks in power factor correction technology.

A comprehensive analysis of imaging features and clinical characteristics to differentiate malignant from non-malignant mammographic architectural distortion.

Background: Mammographic architectural distortion (AD) is usually subtle and has variable presentations and causes, which poses a diagnostic challenge for breast radiologists and consequently a complex decision-making challenge for clinicians and patients. Presently, there is no reliable imaging standard to differentiate between malignant and benign ADs preoperatively. This study aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of detailed mammographic and ultrasonographic features and clinical characteristics to enhance the diagnostic and differential efficacy for AD lesions. The findings have the potential to boost the diagnostic confidence of breast radiologists when encountering with AD lesions and could be instrumental in refining clinical management strategies for ADs. Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive female patients with ADs on screening or diagnostic mammography from January 6, 2015, to December 28, 2018. The patient's clinical data, mammographic and ultrasonographic or "second look" ultrasonographic findings, and pathological results were reviewed. The continuous variables were analyzed using the t-test. The categorical variables were assessed using the Chi-square test or two-tailed Fisher's exact test. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate potential risk factors for pathologically proven malignant ADs. Machine learning model based on multimodal clinical and imaging features was constructed using R software. Results: Ultimately, 344 patients with 346 AD lesions were enrolled in the study (mean age: 47.40±10.07 years; range, 19-84 years). Of the ADs, 228 were malignant and 118 were non-malignant. Palpable AD on mammography was more likely to indicate malignancy than non-palpable AD (83.43% vs. 49.15%, P<0.001). AD associated with other mammographic findings was more likely to be malignant than pure AD (73.58% vs. 59.36%, P=0.005). Ultrasonography (US) correlates were observed in 345 of these 346 AD lesions. Among these US correlates, 63 (18.26%, 63/345) were detected by "second look" ultrasound. For the US correlates, the mammographic ADs that appeared as non-mass-like hypoechoic areas and masses on US were more likely to be malignant than those that appeared as other abnormalities (P<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model based on clinical and comprehensive imaging features in differentiation of AD lesions in the validation set were 66.46%, 94.23% and 78.9%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.886 (95% confidence interval: 0.825-0.947). Conclusions: The application of mammograms-guided "second-look" ultrasound could enhance the detection of US correlates, particularly non-mass-like features. The comprehensive analysis based on clinical and multimodal imaging features could be beneficial in improving the diagnostic and differential efficacy for AD lesions detected on mammography and instrumental in refining clinical management strategies for ADs.