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This paper proposes a novel drone detection method based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) utilizing range–Doppler map images from a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar. The existing drone detection and identification techniques, which rely on the micro-Doppler signature (MDS), face challenges when a drone is small or located far away, leading to performance degradation due to signal attenuation and faint (MDS). In order to address these issues, this paper suggests a method where multiple time-series range–Doppler images from an FMCW radar are overlaid onto a single image and fed to a CNN. The experimental results, using actual data for three different drone sizes, show significant performance improvements in drone detection accuracy compared to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, cross-layer resource allocation methods for wireless video transmission are proposed. We propose two practical metrics to measure the relative importance of each forward error correction (FEC) block to the user's quality of experience. They can be obtained from the header information, and require no overhead bits or amendment of the header format of the existing standard video codec. We discuss adaptive modulation and coding scheme allocation, and adaptive energy allocation for the FEC blocks of a group of pictures. We also provide low-complexity resource allocation solutions. In both approaches, we consider two types of slice packetization, which affect the priority of FEC blocks. The proposed cross-layer resource allocation methods have significant performance gain over equal error protection, and similar performance to more complicated algorithms.

Background: Nutritional status and sarcopenia affects the prognosis of head and neck cancers including hypopharyngeal cancer. Hypopharyngeal cancer patients tend to exhibit sarcopenia, which is associated with poor treatment outcomes. This study aims to determine the correlation between nutritional status and sarcopenia, and their prognostic role in surgically treated hypopharyngeal cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients who had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma originating from the hypopharynx and underwent surgery between January 2009 and December 2019 were enrolled in this study. The median neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) of the cohort were considered the cut‐off values. Sarcopenia was evaluated by measuring skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the third lumbar vertebra. Clinical and serological factors predictive of survival outcomes were evaluated. Results: Patients with high PNI showed better 5‐year Overall survival (OS) (52.8% vs. 27.2%, p = 0.001) and disease‐free survival (DFS) (59.6% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.033) than those with low PNI. Likewise, patients with low SMI showed worse 5‐year OS (25.0% vs. 60.9%, p = 0.002) and DFS (42.4% vs. 68.7%, p = 0.034) than patients with high SMI. Among the patients with high PNI, those with sarcopenia displayed significantly worse OS than those with high SMI (78.0% vs. 34.4%, p = 0.049). High PNI with high SMI presented better overall (p = 0.010) and DFS (p = 0.055) than any other group. Conclusions: Both sarcopenia and PNI were associated with the prognosis of hypopharyngeal cancer. Considering that PNI and sarcopenia indicate the nutritional status, nutritional status may be a significant risk factor. Therefore, nutritional support that ameliorates sarcopenia may improve survival outcomes in surgically treated patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We primarily aimed to evaluate whether parotid incidental lesion (PIL) in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) for staging evaluation of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) would represent a possibility of extrahepatic metastasis or second primary malignancy (SPM). Additionally, we explored the incidence of PIL in HCC patients and examined any associated risk factors. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with HCC who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT at our institution from 2010 to 2022. The pathological findings of PILs in HCC patients were investigated for confirmatory identification of the risk of HCC metastasis or SPM in parotid gland. Healthy controls received 18F-FDG PET/CT for health screening were also enrolled to compare the incidence of PILs with HCC patients. Various parameters associated with patient demographics and characteristics of HCC were analyzed to find the related factors of PILs. Results: A total of 17,674 patients with HCC and 2,090 healthy individuals who had undergone 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were enrolled in the analyses. Among the 54 HCC patients who underwent pathological confirmation for PILs, benign primary parotid tumor was most commonly observed (n = 43 [79.6%]); however, no malignant lesions were detected, including HCC metastasis. The incidence of PILs was higher in patients diagnosed with HCC compared with the control group (485 [2.7%] vs. 23 [1.1%], p = 0.002). Analysis for the risk factors for PILs revealed that patient age, sex, and positive viral markers were significantly associated with the incidence of PILs in patients with HCC (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that PILs are more frequently identified in patients with HCC on 18F-FDG PET/CT. However, no malignant PIL, including extrahepatic metastasis of HCC, was identified. Therefore, the presence of PIL should not impede or delay the treatment process for patients with HCC. Additionally, we suggested that for future swift and straightforward differential diagnoses of PIL, the development of additional protocols within the PET/CT imaging could be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]