RRSIS: Referring Remote Sensing Image Segmentation

Localizing desired objects from remote sensing images is of great use in practical applications. Referring image segmentation, which aims at segmenting out the objects to which a given expression refers, has been extensively studied in natural images. However, almost no research attention is given to this task of remote sensing imagery. Considering its potential for real-world applications, in this paper, we introduce referring remote sensing image segmentation (RRSIS) to fill in this gap and make some insightful explorations. Specifically, we create a new dataset, called RefSegRS, for this task, enabling us to evaluate different methods. Afterward, we benchmark referring image segmentation methods of natural images on the RefSegRS dataset and find that these models show limited efficacy in detecting small and scattered objects. To alleviate this issue, we propose a language-guided cross-scale enhancement (LGCE) module that utilizes linguistic features to adaptively enhance multi-scale visual features by integrating both deep and shallow features. The proposed dataset, benchmarking results, and the designed LGCE module provide insights into the design of a better RRSIS model. We will make our dataset and code publicly available

Enhanced continental weathering and large igneous province induced climate warming at the Permo-Carboniferous transition

Tracking climate change and its relationships with chemical weathering and massive volcanic activity in deep-time greatly improves our understanding of the Earth's climate system. The Permo-Carboniferous period is a critical time interval with million year-scale glacial-deglacial cycles and massive basaltic volcanism, such as the Skagerrak-Centered (also named Skagerrak or Jutland) large igneous province. To explore the volcanism-climate interactions in this period, we obtained high precision CA-TIMS U-Pb zircon ages for three tuffaceous layers from a cored upper Pennsylvanian-lower Permian marginal marine succession in southern North China. These ages calibrate the Permo-Carboniferous biostratigraphy between ∼301–296 Ma in North China. From this dated core succession, mudrock samples and their calculated weathering index values were screened to constrain the weathering trends for the source landscapes and demonstrate a rapid increase with a subsequent decrease in source chemical weathering intensity during the period of ∼299 to 296.5 Ma. These trends coincide with the southern Gondwana glacial records, low latitude temperature changes, relative sea-level variations, and shifts in atmospheric pCO2 that together document an earliest Permian climate warming-cooling perturbation with a temperature maximum at ∼298 Ma. This climate warming in the Permo-Carboniferous icehouse correlates with the emplacement of the Skagerrak-Centered large igneous province, which likely released voluminous CO2 that led to climate warming during the Permo-Carboniferous transition. The immediately following cooling could possibly result from the rapid post-eruptional weathering of the massive basaltic rocks of this province in tropical latitudes, which would have sequestered atmospheric CO2 and promoted return to cooler icehouse conditions. This study supports the assertation that massive basaltic volcanism could first cause rapid climate warming and then may have an overall net cooling effect as previously suggested for the Deccan Traps and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province

Clinical and Epidemiologic Research Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Pterygium in Rural Adult Chinese Populations of the Bai Nationality in Dali: The Yunnan Minority Eye Study

PURPOSE. The purpose of the study was to describe the prevalence, severity, and associated risk factors for pterygium in a population-based sample of rural residents of the Bai minority population in rural Dali, China. METHODS. A population-based survey of Chinese Bai Nationality aged ‡50 years from randomly selected block groups in southwestern China was conducted. A clinical examination by experienced ophthalmologists was carried out, and the presence of pterygium was diagnosed at the examination. Pterygium was graded clinically by slit lamp examination. Questionnaires were conducted on risk factors. RESULTS. From a total of 2742 eligible subjects, 2133 (77.8%) were examined. CONCLUSIONS. The prevalence of pterygium in Dali is 39.0% among Chinese Bai aged 50 years and older. Independent associations with increasing age (>59 years), female sex, lack of education, and occupations linked to outdoor work suggest a multifactorial cause of this condition. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:6617-6621

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Ecotoxicological assessment of dewatered drinking water treatment residue for environmental recycling

The beneficial recycle of drinking water treatment residue (DWTR) in environmental remediation has been demonstrated in many reports. However, the lack of information concerning the potential toxicity of dewatered DWTR hinders its widespread use. The present study examined the ecotoxicity of dewatered aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) DWTR leachates to a green alga, Chlorella vulgaris. Data from the variations of cell density and chlorophyll a content suggested that algal growth in DWTR leachates was inhibited. The algal cellular oxidation stress was initially induced but completely eliminated within 72 h by antioxidant enzymes. The expression of three photosynthesis-related algae genes (psaB, psbC, and rbcL) also temporarily decreased (within 72 h). Moreover, the algal cells showed intact cytomembranes after exposure to DWTR leachates. Further investigation confirmed that inhibition of algal growth was due to DWTR-induced phosphorus (P) deficiency in growth medium, rather than potentially toxic contaminants (e.g. copper and Al) contained in DWTR. Interestingly, the leachates could potentially promote algal growth via increasing the supply of new components (e.g. calcium, kalium, magnesium, and ammonia nitrogen) from DWTR. In summary, based on the algae toxicity test, the dewatered Fe/Al DWTR was nontoxic and its environment recycling does not represent an ecotoxicological risk to algae

Experiment and numerical analysis of crashworthiness of the double-skin side structure on a nuclear power platform

ObjectivesThis study aims to explore the crashworthiness of a nuclear power platform's double-skin side structure.MethodsFinite element models of the full platform and partial double-skin side structure are established respectively, and the collision is carried out using LS-DYNA software. Based on the simulation analysis, a scale quasi-static squeeze test model is designed, and the quasi-static squeeze test of the double-skin side structure is carried out and compared with the numerical simulation. ResultsThe results show that for low-speed ship collisions, the structural response calculated using the local double-skin side structure model is basically consistent with that calculated using the whole ship model; thus, the quasi-static scaled test results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results and can reflect the characteristics and structural deformation mode, thereby verifying the numerical simulation method. Meanwhile, the test results show that the double-skin side structure of the nuclear power platform remains intact when colliding with a 5 000 ton class ship at a speed of 2 m/s, which means that it has good crashworthiness. ConclusionsThis study shows that using a local double-skin side structure model to calculate collision response has high accuracy and greatly reduces the modelling and calculation workloads. The results of this study can provide valuable references for structural crashworthiness design in marine engineering

Advances in Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft (PDTX) Model from Lung Cancer

With the development of tumor molecular biology and genomics, it has been recognized that there are great heterogeneity in the biological characteristics, molecular typing and reactivity of the same tumor species among different individuals. In order to achieve true tumor individualized and precise therapy, a new concept of human tumor tissue xenograft model (patient derived tumor xenograft, PDTX) is proposed. The previous study has revealed that PDTX model can truly reflect the biological characteristics of tumor tissue and drug efficacy. And PDTX model could be used to select individual chemotherapy regime, evaluate drug resistance and explore efficacy and safety of new drug. PDTX model has been used in clinical practice of several type of cancer including lung cancer. In this paper, the current research progress of lung cancer PDTX is reviewed

Effect of pH on the Passivation of Carbon Steel by Sodium Borosilicate Controlled-Release Inhibitor in Simulated Recirculating Cooling Water

A sodium borosilicate controlled-release inhibitor has been prepared via calcination for suppressing carbon steel corrosion in simulated recirculating cooling water (SRCW). The synthesized inhibitor was mainly composed of B₂O₃ and SiO₂, coupling with small quantities of NaB₅O₆(OH)₄·3H₂O and NaB₅O₈·5H₂O crystals. The total boron concentration gradually increased to 250 mg L^–1 during the 28 days of release (2 g inhibitor in 500 mL SRCW) at 50 °C. A higher controlled-released rate existed in acidic environments (pH 5) than in neutral environments (pH 7) and alkaline environments (pH 9). The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicated that the inhibitor showed a better anticorrosion performance in neutral and alkaline environments than in acidic environments. In addition, a passive film with a Fe–O–B structure formed on the carbon steel surface to prevent the attack of the corrosive ions. A passivation-pitting-repassivation process was detected in the passive film by electrochemical noise, which demonstrated that the passive film exhibited a self-healing capacity. Moreover, a potential corrosion risk under the film was detected under the passive film in alkaline environment after 21 days of immersion. According to the experiment results and the analysis results of the point defect model, we believed that the anticorrosion performance of the sodium borosilicate inhibitor was in the following order: pH 7 > pH 9 > pH 5

Estimated Cerebrospina Fluid Pressure and the 5-Year Incidence of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma in a Chinese Population.

PURPOSE:We aim to assess the longitudinal association between baseline estimated cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) and 5-year incident primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in a population-based sample of Bai Chinese living in rural China. METHODS:Among the 2133 Bai Chinese aged 50 years or older who had participated in the baseline examination of the Yunnan Minority Eye Study, 1520 (71.3%) attended the follow-up examination after five years and 1485 were at risk of developing POAG. Participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations at both baseline and follow-up surveys. CSFP in mmHg was estimated as 0.55 × body mass index (kg/m2) + 0.16 × diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)-0.18 × age (years)-1.91. Glaucoma was defined using the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology Classification criteria. Multivariate logistic regression models were established to determine the association between baseline CSFP and incident POAG. RESULTS:After a mean follow-up time of 5 years, 19 new cases of POAG were detected, with an incidence rate of 1.3% (95% confidence interval, 0.7-1.9%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for age, gender, education, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, hypertension and diabetes, no significant associations, nor any trends, were evident between baseline estimated CSFP and incident POAG. The association between estimated CSFP per mmHg increase in baseline and 5-year incidence of POAG was also non-significant, with adjusted relative risk of 0.96 (P = 0.11) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS:This longitudinal cohort study does not support previously observed cross-sectional association between estimated CSFP and POAG in population-based studies