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Quantitative sparse array vascular elastography visualizes the shear modulus distribution within vascular tissues, information that clinicans could use to reduce the number of strokes each year. However, the low transmit power sparse array (SA) imaging could hamper the clinical usefulness of the resulting elastograms. In this study, we evaluated the performance of modulus elastograms recovered from simulated and physical vessel phantoms with varying attenuation coefficients (0.6, 1.5, and [Formula: see text]) and modulus contrasts ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]) using SA imaging relative to those obtained with conventional linear array (CLA) and plane-wave (PW) imaging techniques. Plaques were visible in all modulus elastograms, but those produced using SA and PW contained less artifacts. The modulus contrast-to-noise ratio decreased rapidly with increasing modulus contrast and attenuation coefficient, but more quickly when SA imaging was performed than for CLA or PW. The errors incurred varied from 10.9% to 24% (CLA), 1.8% to 12% (SA), and [Formula: see text] (PW). Modulus elastograms produced with SA and PW imagings were not significantly different ([Formula: see text]). Despite the low transmit power, SA imaging can produce useful modulus elastograms in superficial organs, such as the carotid artery.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JMI.1.2.027001 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
September 2025
School of Computer Science, CHART Laboratory, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Background And Objective: Male fertility assessment through sperm morphology analysis remains a critical component of reproductive health evaluation, as abnormal sperm morphology is strongly correlated with reduced fertility rates and poor assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Traditional manual analysis performed by embryologists is time-intensive, subjective, and prone to significant inter-observer variability, with studies reporting up to 40% disagreement between expert evaluators. This research presents a novel deep learning framework combining Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) with ResNet50 architecture and advanced deep feature engineering (DFE) techniques for automated, objective sperm morphology classification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
September 2025
Hunan Mingxiang Aviation Technology Co., Ltd., Changsha, Hunan, China.
Flexible spacecraft possess the ability to adapt to complex environments and use energy more efficiently, offering enhanced flexibility and stability in space missions, particularly in tasks with significant external disturbances such as deep space exploration and satellite attitude control. However, vibration suppression in flexible spacecraft remains a critical challenge. This study addresses the problem of vibration suppression in flexible spacecraft systems under external disturbances and input constraints.
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September 2025
Remiza AI, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America.
Background: Hybrid entertainment formats combining competitive and comedic elements present opportunities to investigate factors driving audience engagement. I analyzed Taskmaster UK (2015-2023), a BAFTA-winning comedy panel show where comedians compete in creative tasks judged by a host, to quantify relationships between scoring mechanics, performer characteristics, and viewer ratings.
Methods: I analyzed 154 episodes encompassing 917 tasks performed by 90 contestants, with audience reception measured through 32,607 IMDb votes.
PLoS Comput Biol
September 2025
Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a heritable syndrome characterized by DNA damage repair deficits, frequent malformations and a significantly elevated risk of bone marrow failure, leukemia, and mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy can prevent marrow failure and lower leukemia risk, but mucosal gene therapy to lower HNSCC risk remains untested. Major knowledge gaps include an incomplete understanding of how rapidly gene-corrected cellular lineages could spread through the oral epithelium, and which delivery parameters are critical for ensuring efficient gene correction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
September 2025
Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4.
The size and composition of local species pools are, in part, determined by past dispersal events. Predicting how communities respond to future disturbances, such as fluctuating environmental conditions, requires knowledge of such histories. We assessed the influence of a historical dispersal event on community assembly by simulating various scales of dispersal for 240 serpentine annual plant communities that experienced a large shift from drought to high rainfall conditions over three years.
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