OutcropHyBNet: Hybrid Backbone Networks with Data Augmentation for Accurate Stratum Semantic Segmentation of Monocular Outcrop Images in Carbon Capture and Storage Applications.

The rapid advancement of climate change and global warming have widespread impacts on society, including ecosystems, water security, food production, health, and infrastructure. To achieve significant global emission reductions, approximately 74% is expected to come from cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in energy supply and demand. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has attained global recognition as a preeminent approach for the mitigation of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, primarily by means of capturing and storing CO2 emissions originating from fossil fuel systems. Currently, geological models for storage location determination in CCS rely on limited sampling data from borehole surveys, which poses accuracy challenges. To tackle this challenge, our research project focuses on analyzing exposed rock formations, known as outcrops, with the goal of identifying the most effective backbone networks for classifying various strata types in outcrop images. We leverage deep learning-based outcrop semantic segmentation techniques using hybrid backbone networks, named OutcropHyBNet, to achieve accurate and efficient lithological classification, while considering texture features and without compromising computational efficiency. We conducted accuracy comparisons using publicly available benchmark datasets, as well as an original dataset expanded through random sampling of 13 outcrop images obtained using a stationary camera, installed on the ground. Additionally, we evaluated the efficacy of data augmentation through image synthesis using Only Adversarial Supervision for Semantic Image Synthesis (OASIS). Evaluation experiments on two public benchmark datasets revealed insights into the classification characteristics of different classes. The results demonstrate the superiority of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), specifically DeepLabv3, and Vision Transformers (ViTs), particularly SegFormer, under specific conditions. These findings contribute to advancing accurate lithological classification in geological studies using deep learning methodologies. In the evaluation experiments conducted on ground-level images obtained using a stationary camera and aerial images captured using a drone, we successfully demonstrated the superior performance of SegFormer across all categories.

Visualization and Semantic Labeling of Mood States Based on Time-Series Features of Eye Gaze and Facial Expressions by Unsupervised Learning.

This study is intended to develop a stress measurement and visualization system for stress management in terms of simplicity and reliability. We present a classification and visualization method of mood states based on unsupervised machine learning (ML) algorithms. Our proposed method attempts to examine the relation between mood states and extracted categories in human communication from facial expressions, gaze distribution area and density, and rapid eye movements, defined as saccades. Using a psychological check sheet and a communication video with an interlocutor, an original benchmark dataset was obtained from 20 subjects (10 male, 10 female) in their 20s for four or eight weeks at weekly intervals. We used a Profile of Mood States Second edition (POMS2) psychological check sheet to extract total mood disturbance (TMD) and friendliness (F). These two indicators were classified into five categories using self-organizing maps (SOM) and U-Matrix. The relation between gaze and facial expressions was analyzed from the extracted five categories. Data from subjects in the positive categories were found to have a positive correlation with the concentrated distributions of gaze and saccades. Regarding facial expressions, the subjects showed a constant expression time of intentional smiles. By contrast, subjects in negative categories experienced a time difference in intentional smiles. Moreover, three comparative experiment results demonstrated that the feature addition of gaze and facial expressions to TMD and F clarified category boundaries obtained from U-Matrix. We verify that the use of SOM and its two variants is the best combination for the visualization of mood states.

Development of Drone-Mounted Multiple Sensing System with Advanced Mobility for In Situ Atmospheric Measurement: A Case Study Focusing on PM2.5 Local Distribution.

This study was conducted using a drone with advanced mobility to develop a unified sensor and communication system as a new platform for in situ atmospheric measurements. As a major cause of air pollution, particulate matter (PM) has been attracting attention globally. We developed a small, lightweight, simple, and cost-effective multi-sensor system for multiple measurements of atmospheric phenomena and related environmental information. For in situ local area measurements, we used a long-range wireless communication module with real-time monitoring and visualizing software applications. Moreover, we developed four prototype brackets with optimal assignment of sensors, devices, and a camera for mounting on a drone as a unified system platform. Results of calibration experiments, when compared to data from two upper-grade PM2.5 sensors, demonstrated that our sensor system followed the overall tendencies and changes. We obtained original datasets after conducting flight measurement experiments at three sites with differing surrounding environments. The experimentally obtained prediction results matched regional PM2.5 trends obtained using long short-term memory (LSTM) networks trained using the respective datasets.

Coupling between dynamic 3D tissue architecture and BMP morphogen signaling during Drosophila wing morphogenesis.

At the level of organ formation, tissue morphogenesis drives developmental processes in animals, often involving the rearrangement of two-dimensional (2D) structures into more complex three-dimensional (3D) tissues. These processes can be directed by growth factor signaling pathways. However, little is known about how such morphological changes affect the spatiotemporal distribution of growth factor signaling. Here, using the Drosophila pupal wing, we address how decapentaplegic (Dpp)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and 3D wing morphogenesis are coordinated. Dpp, expressed in the longitudinal veins (LVs) of the pupal wing, initially diffuses laterally within both dorsal and ventral wing epithelia during the inflation stage to regulate cell proliferation. Dpp localization is then refined to the LVs within each epithelial plane, but with active interplanar signaling for vein patterning/differentiation, as the two epithelia appose. Our data further suggest that the 3D architecture of the wing epithelia and the spatial distribution of BMP signaling are tightly coupled, revealing that 3D morphogenesis is an emergent property of the interactions between extracellular signaling and tissue shape changes.