Background and Objectives: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common cause of symptomatic axial low back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently the standard for the investigation and diagnosis of IDD. Deep learning artificial intelligence models represent a potential tool for rapidly and automatically detecting and visualizing IDD. This study investigated the use of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for the detection, classification, and grading of IDD. Methods: Sagittal images of 1000 IDD T2-weighted MRI images from 515 adult patients with symptomatic low back pain were separated into 800 MRI images using annotation techniques to create a training dataset (80%) and 200 MRI images to create a test dataset (20%). The training dataset was cleaned, labeled, and annotated by a radiologist. All lumbar discs were classified for disc degeneration based on the Pfirrmann grading system. The deep learning CNN model was used for training in detecting and grading IDD. The results of the training with the CNN model were verified by testing the grading of the dataset using an automatic model. Results: The training dataset of the sagittal intervertebral disc lumbar MRI images found 220 IDDs of grade I, 530 of grade II, 170 of grade III, 160 of grade IV, and 20 of grade V. The deep CNN model was able to detect and classify lumbar IDD with an accuracy of more than 95%. Conclusion: The deep CNN model can reliably automatically grade routine T2-weighted MRIs using the Pfirrmann grading system, providing a quick and efficient method for lumbar IDD classification.

In recent years, many RGB-THERMAL tracking methods have been proposed to meet the needs of single object tracking under different conditions. However, these trackers are based on ANCHOR-BASED algorithms and feature cross-correlation operations, making it difficult to improve the success rate of target tracking. We propose a siamAFTS tracking network, which is based on ANCHOR-FREE and utilizes a fully convolutional training network with a Transformer module, suitable for RGB-THERMAL target tracking. This model addresses the issue of low success rate in current mainstream algorithms. We also incorporate channel and channel spatial attention modules into the network to reduce background interference on predicted bounding boxes. Unlike current ANCHOR-BASED trackers such as MANET, DAPNet, SGT, and ADNet, the proposed framework eliminates the use of anchor points, avoiding the challenges of anchor hyperparameter tuning and reducing human intervention. Through repeated experiments on three datasets, we ultimately demonstrate the improved success rate of target tracking achieved by our proposed tracking network.

In this work, a hybrid localized meshless method is developed for solving transient groundwater flow in two dimensions by combining the Crank–Nicolson scheme and the generalized finite difference method (GFDM). As the first step, the temporal discretization of the transient groundwater flow equation is based on the Crank–Nicolson scheme. A boundary value problem in space with the Dirichlet or mixed boundary condition is then formed at each time node, which is simulated by introducing the GFDM. The proposed algorithm is truly meshless and easy to program. Four linear or nonlinear numerical examples, including ones with complicated geometry domains, are provided to verify the performance of the developed approach, and the results illustrate the good accuracy and convergency of the method.

Due to environmental conditions, such as rainy days, foggy days, and dim lighting, objects in visible light images are not prominently displayed, leading to an easy loss of targets during tracking. In recent years, many RGB visible light trackers have achieved significant success in addressing visual tracking challenges. However, these trackers perform poorly when tracking targets under special conditions, such as occlusions and low-light scenarios. In contrast, objects in thermal infrared images are more distinct in poor lighting conditions. Given this characteristic, researchers have shown increased interest in the development of trackers that combine thermal infrared and visible light imagery. However, some mainstream RGBT (red–green–blue and thermal) algorithms, such as MANET and ADNET, are based on the anchor-based theory, requiring consideration of anchor box sizes and introducing a substantial number of hyperparameters. This can lead to suboptimal performance when tracking dynamically changing targets. Moreover, these models rely on convolutional neural networks for feature extraction, which have limitations in capturing global features. In this paper, we introduce a novel training network model called DAPAT, which combines the anchor-free concept with Transformer theory. DAPAT differs from previous models in several ways. Specifically, we have designed a straightforward model to extract precise global features from template and search images. We have also incorporated two enhancement modules into the model to improve template and search images of different sizes while suppressing the impact of non-target images. We employ a dual-stream feature fusion network to reduce the loss of image feature information due to feature correlation operations. Finally, we compare the performance of the tracking model proposed in this paper with some advanced RGBT trackers on three data sets (RGBT234, RGBT210, and GTOT). The test results demonstrate that our tracker exhibits improvements in robustness and success rate, among other performance aspects.

Medical image segmentation is crucial in medical imaging analysis: based on grayscale, texture, and structural features, it precisely partitions an image into semantic subregions to enable accurate localization and analysis of lesions or anatomical structures. In recent years, deep learning methods—especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs)—have achieved remarkable progress in this field; however, fixed kernel sizes and limited receptive fields hinder adequate modeling of global dependencies. Although introducing multi-branch designs or global perception based on vision Transformers can partially alleviate this issue, they often increase computational complexity and are therefore limited in resource-constrained medical scenarios. To address this, we propose a multi-dimensional, lightweight, attention-enhanced medical image segmentation model. Our model integrates omni-dimensional dynamic convolution and mask attention: it performs adaptive modeling across spatial, channel, and kernel-number dimensions to significantly expand the effective receptive field, and employs binary masks to suppress background interference and focus on critical boundaries, with lower computational cost than global self-attention. Evaluated on three public benchmark datasets, our model achieves segmentation accuracy and inference efficiency that are superior to or comparable with current mainstream methods, demonstrating its potential applicability and practical value in clinical settings.