Meng Da¹, Huiqin Wang^1,*, Ke Wang¹, Zhan Wang²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.131, No.1, pp. 513-527, 2022, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2022.019040 - 24 January 2022

Abstract The properties of the same pigments in murals are affected by different concentrations and particle diameters, which cause the shape of the spectral reflectance data curve to vary, thus influencing the outcome of matching calculations. This paper proposes a spectral matching classification method of multi-state similar pigments based on feature differences. Fast principal component analysis (FPCA) was used to calculate the eigenvalue variance of pigment spectral reflectance, then applied to the original reflectance values for parameter characterization. We first projected the original spectral reflectance from the spectral space to the characteristic variance space to identify… More >

Xiaojie Li¹, Yongpeng Ren¹, Hongping Ren¹, Canghong Shi², Xian Zhang¹, Lutao Wang¹, Imran Mumtaz³, Xi Wu¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.71, No.3, pp. 5021-5037, 2022, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2022.023071 - 14 January 2022

Abstract Recently, deep learning-based image outpainting has made greatly notable improvements in computer vision field. However, due to the lack of fully extracting image information, the existing methods often generate unnatural and blurry outpainting results in most cases. To solve this issue, we propose a perceptual image outpainting method, which effectively takes the advantage of low-level feature fusion and multi-patch discriminator. Specifically, we first fuse the texture information in the low-level feature map of encoder, and simultaneously incorporate these aggregated features reusability with semantic (or structural) information of deep feature map such that we could utilize More >

Taemin Lee¹, Beomsik Kim², Sanghyun Seo³, Kyunghyun Yoon^4,*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.130, No.3, pp. 1441-1457, 2022, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2022.018010 - 30 December 2021

Abstract Painting is done according to the artist's style. The most representative of the style is the texture and shape of the brush stroke. Computer simulations allow the artist's painting to be produced by taking this stroke and pasting it onto the image. This is called stroke-based rendering. The quality of the result depends on the number or quality of this stroke, since the stroke is taken to create the image. It is not easy to render using a large amount of information, as there is a limit to having a stroke scanned. In this work, More >

Blair Stocks¹, Hunter Fuentes¹, Zachary McDowell¹, Michael Brooks^1,2, Jeffrey A. Jones^1,2

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 10648-10651, 2021

Abstract Regional analgesia is an important adjunct for perioperative pain management in the setting of pediatric penile surgeries. Caudal epidural analgesia (CEA) is the most common analgesic technique performed, but it has limitations and associated morbidity. The pudendal nerve block (PNB) is an effective alternative to CEA with a lower risk profile; in prior examination of the approach, PNB has been demonstrated to have similar postoperative pain control outcomes. We describe our technique and highlight observations made as we have transitioned from CEA to PNB for many patients. More >

Clinton Yeaman¹, Jacqueline Zillioux¹, Kimberly Boatman², Sarah Krzastek³, David E. Rapp¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.28, No.6, pp. 10929-10935, 2021

Abstract Introduction: To assess the character and prevalence of dyspareunia in a general urology population presenting for evaluation of unrelated non-painful complaints.
Materials and methods: This is an IRB-approved, prospective, cross-sectional survey-based assessment of dyspareunia in a general cohort of female patients presenting to a urology clinic over a 10-month period (7/2018-5/2019). Patients presenting specifically for acute painful complaints were excluded. Participating patients completed an original 23-item survey with questions pertaining to dyspareunia. Specific focus was placed on pain characteristics, including location, quality, frequency, severity, and quality of life. Descriptive analysis, pain mapping, and plotting analyses were performed… More >

Eileen R. Byrne¹, Thomas W. Fuller², Sunchin Kim³, Engy T. Said⁴, Jill C. Buckley¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.28, No.6, pp. 10914-10919, 2021

Abstract Introduction: In an effort to decrease physician contribution to the opioid crisis, we utilized a narcotic free pathway (NFP) after urethroplasty. Our objectives were to demonstrate feasibility of a NFP and identify patients at higher risk for requiring postoperative narcotics.
Materials and methods: We implemented a NFP for patients undergoing urethroplasty. Pain was assessed using the Likert scale (1-10). Narcotic use was quantified using oral morphine equivalents (OMEs).
Results: Forty-six patients underwent urethroplasty following the NFP over a 7-month period. Fifteen patients were excluded, leaving 31 patients in the final analysis. Postintervention data was compared to 30 patients… More >

William W. French¹, Joseph M. Kuebker², Xiang Shu³, Christopher M. Sobey⁴, Ryan S. Hsi²

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.28, No.1, pp. 10556-10559, 2021

Abstract Non-obstructive, chronic flank pain in urologic patients can be a challenging problem to manage. In this series, we examined the efficacy of celiac plexus blockade in providing pain relief and reducing opiate use in 14 adult urology patients with non-obstructive flank pain for > 1 year. Demographic, clinical, and procedural variables were collected from the medical record for retrospective analysis. Subjective improvement in pain occurred in 11 individuals (79%), and 5 (50%) were able to reduce their daily morphine equivalent dose (MED). Celiac plexus blockade is a viable option for symptomatic relief in urologic patients More >

Michael E. Rezaee¹, Annah J. Vollstedt¹, Tammer Yamany², Manoj Monga^3,4, Amy Krambeck^4,5, Ojas Shah^4,6, Roger L. Sur^3,4, Anna M. Zampini^4,7, Kymora B. Scotland^4,8, Ben H. Chew^4,8, Brian H. Eisner^2,4, Vernon M. Pais Jr^1,4

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.28, No.1, pp. 10516-10521, 2021

Abstract Introduction: To assess the relationship between pain after ureteral stent removal and patient and procedural factors.
Materials and methods: A validated survey designed to assess the relationship between quality of life and treatment decisions in kidney stone disease was randomly distributed to patients with a history of a ureteral stent in seven medical centers across North America participating in an endourology research collaborative between July 2016 and June 2018. The primary outcome was increased pain after ureteral stent removal. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square and multiple logistic regression.
Results: A total of 327 surveys were analyzed. Twenty… More >

José María Esbrí^*, Alba Martinez-Coronado, Sofía Rivera Jurado, Eva García-Noguero, Pablo Higueras

Energy Engineering, Vol.118, No.4, pp. 1223-1235, 2021, DOI:10.32604/EE.2021.015781 - 31 May 2021

Abstract Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that is subject to strict regulations to reduce anthropogenic emissions. The production of energy represents an important activity that leads to Hg emissions into the atmosphere. Of all the systems used, IGCC plants are the most promising for reducing Hg emissions, since it is possible to remove Hg from syngas prior to combustion. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the presence of Hg in the main streams of an experimental IGCC plant (ELCOGAS, Puertollano) in order to quantify Hg emissions and investigate the possibility of reducing… More >

Chung-Il Kim¹, Jehyeok Rew², Yongjang Cho², Eenjun Hwang^2,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.68, No.3, pp. 3447-3463, 2021, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2021.017633 - 06 May 2021

Abstract Image inpainting is an interesting technique in computer vision and artificial intelligence for plausibly filling in blank areas of an image by referring to their surrounding areas. Although its performance has been improved significantly using diverse convolutional neural network (CNN)-based models, these models have difficulty filling in some erased areas due to the kernel size of the CNN. If the kernel size is too narrow for the blank area, the models cannot consider the entire surrounding area, only partial areas or none at all. This issue leads to typical problems of inpainting, such as pixel More >