Multi-Currency Integrated Serial Number Recognition Model of Images Acquired by Banknote Counters.

The objective of this study was to establish an automated system for the recognition of banknote serial numbers by developing a deep learning (DL)-based optical character recognition framework. An integrated serial number recognition model for the banknotes of four countries (South Korea (KRW), the United States (USD), India (INR), and Japan (JPY)) was developed. One-channel image data obtained from banknote counters were used in this study. The dataset used for the multi-currency integrated serial number recognition contains about 150,000 images. The class imbalance problem and model accuracy were improved through data augmentation based on geometric transforms that consider the range of errors that occur when a bill is inserted into the counter. In addition, by fine-tuning the recognition network, it was confirmed that the performance was improved when the serial numbers of the banknotes of four countries were recognized instead of the serial number of a banknote from each country from a single-currency dataset, and the generalization performance was improved by training the model to recognize the diverse serial numbers of multiple currencies. Therefore, the proposed method shows that real-time processing of less than 30 ms per image and character recognition with 99.99% accuracy are possible, even though there is a tradeoff between inference speed and serial number recognition accuracy when data augmentation based on the characteristics of banknote counters and a 1-stage object detector for banknote serial number recognition is used.

Siamese Architecture-Based 3D DenseNet with Person-Specific Normalization Using Neutral Expression for Spontaneous and Posed Smile Classification.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that spontaneous and posed smiles have spatiotemporal differences in facial muscle movements, such as laterally asymmetric movements, which use different facial muscles. In this study, a model was developed in which video classification of the two types of smile was performed using a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) applying a Siamese network, and using a neutral expression as reference input. The proposed model makes the following contributions. First, the developed model solves the problem caused by the differences in appearance between individuals, because it learns the spatiotemporal differences between the neutral expression of an individual and spontaneous and posed smiles. Second, using a neutral expression as an anchor improves the model accuracy, when compared to that of the conventional method using genuine and imposter pairs. Third, by using a neutral expression as an anchor image, it is possible to develop a fully automated classification system for spontaneous and posed smiles. In addition, visualizations were designed for the Siamese architecture-based 3D CNN to analyze the accuracy improvement, and to compare the proposed and conventional methods through feature analysis, using principal component analysis (PCA).

Analyzing Facial and Eye Movements to Screen for Alzheimer's Disease.

Brain disease can be screened using eye movements. Degenerative brain disorders change eye movement because they affect not only memory and cognition but also the cranial nervous system involved in eye movement. We compared the facial and eye movement patterns of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and cognitively normal people to analyze the neurological signs of dementia. After detecting the facial landmarks, the coordinate values for the movements were extracted. We used Spearman's correlation coefficient to examine associations between horizontal and vertical facial and eye movements. We analyzed the correlation between facial and eye movements without using special eye-tracking equipment or complex conditions in order to measure the behavioral aspect of the natural human gaze. As a result, we found differences between patients with Alzheimer's disease and cognitively normal people. Patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease tended to move their face and eyes simultaneously in the vertical direction, whereas the cognitively normal people did not, as confirmed by a Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. Our findings suggest that objective and accurate measurement of facial and eye movements can be used to screen such patients quickly. The use of camera-based testing for the early detection of patients showing signs of neurodegeneration can have a significant impact on the public care of dementia.

Differences in Facial Expressions between Spontaneous and Posed Smiles: Automated Method by Action Units and Three-Dimensional Facial Landmarks.

Research on emotion recognition from facial expressions has found evidence of different muscle movements between genuine and posed smiles. To further confirm discrete movement intensities of each facial segment, we explored differences in facial expressions between spontaneous and posed smiles with three-dimensional facial landmarks. Advanced machine analysis was adopted to measure changes in the dynamics of 68 segmented facial regions. A total of 57 normal adults (19 men, 38 women) who displayed adequate posed and spontaneous facial expressions for happiness were included in the analyses. The results indicate that spontaneous smiles have higher intensities for upper face than lower face. On the other hand, posed smiles showed higher intensities in the lower part of the face. Furthermore, the 3D facial landmark technique revealed that the left eyebrow displayed stronger intensity during spontaneous smiles than the right eyebrow. These findings suggest a potential application of landmark based emotion recognition that spontaneous smiles can be distinguished from posed smiles via measuring relative intensities between the upper and lower face with a focus on left-sided asymmetry in the upper region.

Superwetting of TiO2 by light-induced water-layer growth via delocalized surface electrons.

Titania, which exhibits superwetting under light illumination, has been widely used as an ideal material for environmental solution such as self-cleaning, water-air purification, and antifogging. There have been various studies to understand such superhydrophilic conversion. The origin of superwetting has not been clarified in a unified mechanism yet, which requires direct experimental investigation of the dynamic processes of water-layer growth. We report in situ measurements of the growth rate and height of the photo-adsorbed water layers by tip-based dynamic force microscopy. For nanocrystalline anatase and rutile TiO2 we observe light-induced enhancement of the rate and height, which decrease after O2 annealing. The results lead us to confirm that the long-range attraction between water molecules and TiO2, which is mediated by delocalized electrons in the shallow traps associated with O2 vacancies, produces photo-adsorption of water on the surface. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations clearly show that such photo-adsorbed water is critical to the zero contact angle of a water droplet spreading on it. Therefore, we conclude that this "water wets water" mechanism acting on the photo-adsorbed water layers is responsible for the light-induced superwetting of TiO2. Similar mechanism may be applied for better understanding of the hydrophilic conversion of doped TiO2 or other photo-catalytic oxides.

Unified stress tensor of the hydration water layer.

We present the general stress tensor of the ubiquitous hydration water layer (HWL), based on the empirical hydration force, by combining the elasticity and hydrodynamics theories. The tapping and shear component of the tensor describe the elastic and damping properties of the HWL, respectively, in good agreement with experiments. In particular, a unified understanding of HWL dynamics provides the otherwise unavailable intrinsic parameters of the HWL, which offer additional but unexplored aspects to the supercooled liquidity of the confined HWL. Our results may allow deeper insight on systems where the HWL is critical.

Analysis of Nursing Students' Nonverbal Communication Patterns during Simulation Practice: A Pilot Study.

Therapeutic communication, of which nonverbal communication is a vital component, is an essential skill for professional nurses. The aim of this study is to assess the possibility of incorporating computer analysis programs into nursing education programs to improve the nonverbal communication skills of those preparing to become professional nurses. In this pilot observational study, the research team developed a computer program for nonverbal communication analysis including facial expressions and poses. The video clip data captured during nursing simulation practice by 10 3rd- and 4th-grade nursing students at a university in South Korea involved two scenarios of communication with a child's mother regarding the child's pre- and post-catheterization care. The dominant facial expressions varied, with sadness (30.73%), surprise (30.14%), and fear (24.11%) being the most prevalent, while happiness (7.96%) and disgust (6.79%) were less common. The participants generally made eye contact with the mother, but there were no instances of light touch by hand and the physical distance for nonverbal communication situations was outside the typical range. These results confirm the potential use of facial expression and pose analysis programs for communication education in nursing practice.

Enhanced formation of a confined nano-water meniscus using a 780 nm laser with a quartz tuning fork-atomic force microscope.

Demonstrated herein is the optical-field-induced enhancement of the formation of a confined nanowater meniscus using a distance-regulated quartz tuning fork-atomic force microscope (QTF-AFM) with a 780 nm laser. While a pulled optical fiber tip approaches the surface, the laser is suddenly turned on and focuses on the front spot of the tip by the shape of the pulled optical fiber, which plays the role of an objective lens and induces the gathering effect of the water molecules directed to the electromagnetic-field gradient in air. This phenomenon facilitates a new boundary condition to form a long-range confined nano-scale liquid bridge between the tip and the surface. After the pulling of the optical fiber, 20-nm-thick gold was sputtered on the apex (diameter: approximately 100 nm) of the tip to guide and focus the beam on the spot. The critical power of the laser to overcome the barrier for the formation of a new boundary is 100 microW at the distance of 22 nm from the substrate.

The effects of maekmoondong-tang on cockroach extract-induced allergic asthma.

Maekmoondong-tang (MMDT) has long been used in Asian countries to treat respiratory diseases. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its effects on asthma are unknown. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of MMDT in a cockroach allergen (CKA-)induced animal model of allergic asthma. After being challenged with CKA, the number of macrophages, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and total cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was evaluated. The Th2 specific cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 were also analyzed in BALF along with IgE levels in serum. For histological analysis, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and immunohistochemical staining were performed. In addition, airway hyperresponsiveness was assessed by noninvasive plethysmography. The cellular profiles and histopathologic analysis demonstrated that peribronchial and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrates were significantly decreased in the MMDT-treated groups compared with the cockroach extract-injected (CKA) groups. In addition, the IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels were significantly decreased in the MMDT group. MMDT treatment also significantly attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness. These results demonstrated that MMDT significantly reduced the hallmark signs of asthma: elevated serum IgE, airway eosinophilia, airway remodeling, mucus hypersecretion, and airway hyperresponsiveness. The remarkable antiasthmatic effects of MMDT suggest its therapeutic potential in allergic asthma treatment.

Nanopipette combined with quartz tuning fork-atomic force microscope for force spectroscopy/microscopy and liquid delivery-based nanofabrication.

This paper introduces a nanopipette combined with a quartz tuning fork-atomic force microscope system (nanopipette/QTF-AFM), and describes experimental and theoretical investigations of the nanoscale materials used. The system offers several advantages over conventional cantilever-based AFM and QTF-AFM systems, including simple control of the quality factor based on the contact position of the QTF, easy variation of the effective tip diameter, electrical detection, on-demand delivery and patterning of various solutions, and in situ surface characterization after patterning. This tool enables nanoscale liquid delivery and nanofabrication processes without damaging the apex of the tip in various environments, and also offers force spectroscopy and microscopy capabilities.

Surgery versus transarterial chemoembolization for solitary large hepatocellular carcinoma of BCLC stage A.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of surgery and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for a solitary huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A. METHODS: One hundred twenty-three consecutive patients with a solitary large (>5 cm) HCC classified at the BCLC stage A were analyzed. The posttreatment survival outcomes of patients that underwent surgery or TACE were compared. RESULTS: The median age was 58 years (range, 29-90 years). The most common cause of HCC is hepatitis B virus infection (61.8%). Median tumor size was 8.0 cm (range, 5.1-25 cm), and 97 patients (78.9%) were of Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A. Median posttreatment follow-up duration was 18 months (range, 0.1-136 months). Of the 123 patients, 62 (50.4%) underwent surgery and 61 (49.6%) underwent TACE. Cumulative overall survival rates in the surgical group at 1, 3, and 5 years were significantly higher than those in the TACE group (83.2, 75.7, and 65.0% vs 68.5, 45.0, and 17.5%, respectively, P < 0.01). In subgroup analysis, the cumulative overall survival in both surgical groups was significantly greater than in corresponding TACE subgroups (P = 0.04 for ≥ 8-cm subgroup and P < 0.01 for 5- to 8-cm-sized subgroups). Multivariate analysis showed that a larger tumor size (≥ 8 cm) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.14, P = 0.02) was significantly associated with posttreatment mortality, whereas surgery (HR 0.37, P < 0.01) compared with TACE was inversely associated with posttreatment mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery may be the more effective treatment modality than TACE for a solitary large HCC of the BCLC stage A, regardless of tumor size.

Low-volume liquid delivery and nanolithography using a nanopipette combined with a quartz tuning fork-atomic force microscope.

Electric-field-induced low-volume liquid ejection under ambient conditions was realized at a low bias potential of 12 V via a nanopipette (aperture diameter of 30 nm) combined with a non-contact, distance-regulated (within 10 nm) quartz tuning fork-atomic force microscope. A capillary-condensed water meniscus, spontaneously formed in the tip-substrate nanogap, reduces the ejection barrier by four orders of magnitude, facilitating nanoliquid ejection and subsequent liquid transport/dispersion onto the substrate without contact damage from the pipette. A study of nanofluidics through a free-standing liquid nanochannel and nanolithography was performed with this technique. This is an important breakthrough for various applications in controlled nanomaterial-delivery and selective deposition, such as multicolor nanopatterning and nano-inkjet devices.

Quartz tuning fork-based frequency modulation atomic force spectroscopy and microscopy with all digital phase-locked loop.

We present a platform for the quartz tuning fork (QTF)-based, frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) system for quantitative study of the mechanical or topographical properties of nanoscale materials, such as the nano-sized water bridge formed between the quartz tip (~100 nm curvature) and the mica substrate. A thermally stable, all digital phase-locked loop is used to detect the small frequency shift of the QTF signal resulting from the nanomaterial-mediated interactions. The proposed and demonstrated novel FM-AFM technique provides high experimental sensitivity in the measurement of the viscoelastic forces associated with the confined nano-water meniscus, short response time, and insensitivity to amplitude noise, which are essential for precision dynamic force spectroscopy and microscopy.

Ecological health assessment and remediation of the stream impacted by acid mine drainage of the Gwangyang mine area.

Ecological health in a temperate stream impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) was evaluated by using a multimetric approach of the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) based on natural fish assemblage. Recently, this approach has been widely used in many developed countries as a tool for ecological risk assessments of water environments. We used 10 metric systems, instead of 12 metrics suggested by Barbour, M. T., Gerritsen, J., Snyder, B. D., & Stribling, J. B. (1999). Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish, 2nd edn. EPA 841-B-99-002. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, for a development of the regional IBI model, and used trophic guilds, habitat guilds, and richness variables for the calculation of IBI values. In the model, the attributes of four of 11 metrics were modified for the regional application. IBI values in the stream averaged 20.6 (n = 5), indicating a "poor condition" in terms of ecological health according to the modified criteria of U.S. EPA (1993). Fish Field and Laboratory Methods for Evaluating the Biological Integrity of Surface Waters. EPA 600-R-92-111. Environmental Monitoring systems Laboratory - Cincinnati office of Modeling, Monitoring systems, and quality assurance Office of Research Development, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45268. In particular, mean IBI values in the impacted areas of sites 2 and 3 were 13, and this health condition was categorized as "very poor condition." IBI values in the impacted sites were significantly lower than the values found in the control. Also, we found that fishes in site sites 2 and 3 were not present during the study, and morphological deformity of Rhynchocypris oxycephalus was observed in site 4, influenced directly by sites 2 and 3, indicating a chemical impact in the sites. From the results of experiments in which AMD was treated with marine shells at stagnant condition, pH increased up to 6.0 from 3.1, and Fe and Al were removed up to 99% within 6 h. In the reactor experiment considering field application, pH of effluent maintained around 7.0. In addition, concentrations of Fe, Al, and heavy metals decreased remarkably in the effluents, and bottom-opened screen between neutralizer basins showed high effectiveness in the treatment of AMD.