TOPIC: A Parallel Association Paradigm for Multi-Object Tracking under Complex Motions and Diverse Scenes

Video data and algorithms have been driving advances in multi-object tracking (MOT). While existing MOT datasets focus on occlusion and appearance similarity, complex motion patterns are widespread yet overlooked. To address this issue, we introduce a new dataset called BEE23 to highlight complex motions. Identity association algorithms have long been the focus of MOT research. Existing trackers can be categorized into two association paradigms: single-feature paradigm (based on either motion or appearance feature) and serial paradigm (one feature serves as secondary while the other is primary). However, these paradigms are incapable of fully utilizing different features. In this paper, we propose a parallel paradigm and present the Two rOund Parallel matchIng meChanism (TOPIC) to implement it. The TOPIC leverages both motion and appearance features and can adaptively select the preferable one as the assignment metric based on motion level. Moreover, we provide an Attention-based Appearance Reconstruct Module (AARM) to reconstruct appearance feature embeddings, thus enhancing the representation of appearance features. Comprehensive experiments show that our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on four public datasets and BEE23. Notably, our proposed parallel paradigm surpasses the performance of existing association paradigms by a large margin, e.g., reducing false negatives by 12% to 51% compared to the single-feature association paradigm. The introduced dataset and association paradigm in this work offers a fresh perspective for advancing the MOT field. The source code and dataset are available at https://github.com/holmescao/TOPICTrack

Brain microvasculature defects and Glut1 deficiency syndrome averted by early repletion of the glucose transporter-1 protein

Haploinsufficiency of the SLC2A1 gene and paucity of its translated product, the glucose transporter-1 (Glut1) protein, disrupt brain function and cause the neurodevelopmental disorder, Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1 DS). There is little to suggest how reduced Glut1 causes cognitive dysfunction and no optimal treatment for Glut1 DS. We used model mice to demonstrate that low Glut1 protein arrests cerebral angiogenesis, resulting in a profound diminution of the brain microvasculature without compromising the blood-brain barrier. Studies to define the temporal requirements for Glut1 reveal that pre-symptomatic, AAV9-mediated repletion of the protein averts brain microvasculature defects and prevents disease, whereas augmenting the protein late, during adulthood, is devoid of benefit. Still, treatment following symptom onset can be effective; Glut1 repletion in early-symptomatic mutants that have experienced sustained periods of low brain glucose nevertheless restores the cerebral microvasculature and ameliorates disease. Timely Glut1 repletion may thus constitute an effective treatment for Glut1 DS

Frequency analysis of urban runoff quality in an urbanizing catchment of Shenzhen, China

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Hydrology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Hydrology Vol. 496 (2013), DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.04.053This paper investigates the frequency distribution of urban runoff quality indicators using a long-term continuous simulation approach and evaluates the impacts of proposed runoff control schemes on runoff quality in an urbanizing catchment in Shenzhen, China. Four different indicators are considered to provide a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts: total runoff depth, event pollutant load, Event Mean Concentration, and peak concentration during a rainfall event. The results obtained indicate that urban runoff quantity and quality in the catchment have significant variations in rainfall events and a very high rate of non-compliance with surface water quality regulations. Three runoff control schemes with the capacity to intercept an initial runoff depth of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm are evaluated, respectively, and diminishing marginal benefits are found with increasing interception levels in terms of water quality improvement. The effects of seasonal variation in rainfall events are investigated to provide a better understanding of the performance of the runoff control schemes. The pre-flood season has higher risk of poor water quality than other seasons after runoff control. This study demonstrates that frequency analysis of urban runoff quantity and quality provides a probabilistic evaluation of pollution control measures, and thus helps frame a risk-based decision making for urban runoff quality management in an urbanizing catchment.Open Research Fund Program of State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and EngineeringNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Water Pollution Control and Management Technology Major Project

Brain microvasculature defects and Glut1 deficiency syndrome averted by early repletion of the glucose transporter-1 protein

Haploinsufficiency of the SLC2A1 gene and paucity of its translated product, the glucose transporter-1 (Glut1) protein, disrupt brain function and cause the neurodevelopmental disorder, Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1 DS). There is little to suggest how reduced Glut1 causes cognitive dysfunction and no optimal treatment for Glut1 DS. We used model mice to demonstrate that low Glut1 protein arrests cerebral angiogenesis, resulting in a profound diminution of the brain microvasculature without compromising the blood–brain barrier. Studies to define the temporal requirements for Glut1 reveal that pre-symptomatic, AAV9-mediated repletion of the protein averts brain microvasculature defects and prevents disease, whereas augmenting the protein late, during adulthood, is devoid of benefit. Still, treatment following symptom onset can be effective; Glut1 repletion in early-symptomatic mutants that have experienced sustained periods of low brain glucose nevertheless restores the cerebral microvasculature and ameliorates disease. Timely Glut1 repletion may thus constitute an effective treatment for Glut1 DS

Equivalent Dynamic Analysis of a Cable-Driven Snake Arm Maintainer

In this paper, we investigate a design method for a cable-driven snake arm maintainer (SAM) and its dynamics modelling. A SAM can provide redundant degrees of freedom and high structural stiffness, as well as high load capacity and a simplified structure ideal for various narrow and extreme working environments, such as nuclear power plants. However, their serial-parallel configuration and cable drive system make the dynamics of a SAM strongly coupled, which is not conducive to accurate control. In this paper, we propose an equivalent dynamics modelling method for the strongly coupled dynamic characteristics of each joint cable. The cable traction dynamics are forcibly decoupled using force analysis and joint torque equivalent transformation. Then, the forcibly equivalent dynamic model is obtained based on traditional series robot dynamic modelling methods (Lagrangian method, etc.). To verify the correctness of the equivalent dynamics, a simple model-based controller is established. In addition, a SAM prototype is produced to collect joint angles and cable forces at different trajectories. Finally, the results of the equivalent dynamics control simulation and the prototype tests demonstrate the validity of the SAM structural design and the equivalent dynamics model

Wall-Climbing Mobile Robot for Inspecting DEMO Vacuum Vessel

The vacuum vessel (VV) inside and outside inspection of the Demonstration Fusion Power Plant (DEMO) is very difficult due to various constraints, such as non-magnet effect material requirements, constrained space, and neutrons on its surfaces. We propose a design method for wall-climbing mobile robots (WMR) based on the vortex principle and investigate key technologies to meet VV inspection requirements. We developed a kinematic model based on the robot’s motion control requirements and a trajectory tracking control algorithm according to the tractrix principle, enabling the robot to follow the path for autonomous inspection. The impeller is designed based on the vortex principle. The aerodynamic characteristics and structural strength of the impeller were also analysed and optimised. A sliding-mode robust pressure control system was designed for the robot’s negative pressure adsorption, and its effectiveness was verified by simulation. Finally, an initial test prototype verified the structural design and vortex adsorption performance. We also addressed the potential applications of the WMR in DEMO and other fusion reactors

Modeling the Spatial and Seasonal Variations of Groundwater Head in an Urbanized Area under Low Impact Development

Increasing impervious land cover has great impacts on groundwater regimes in urbanized areas. Low impact development (LID) is generally regarded as a sustainable solution for groundwater conservation. However, the effects of LID on the spatial-temporal distribution of groundwater are not yet fully understood. In this case study, a coupled Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and Finite Element Subsurface FLOW system (FEFLOW) model was used to simulate surface and groundwater flow in an urbanized area in Shenzhen, China. After verification, the model was used to analyze the spatial-seasonal variations of groundwater head and hydrological processes under different LID scenarios. The results indicate that if the runoff from 7.5% and 15% of impervious area is treated by LID facilities, the annual surface runoff decreases by 5% and 9%, respectively, and the spatial average groundwater head relative to sea level pressure increases by 0.9 m and 1.7 m in the study area, respectively. The rise in groundwater head generally decreases from the recharge zones to the discharge zones surrounded by the streams and coastal waters. However, the groundwater head change is determined not only by the location in the catchment, but also by the hydraulic conductivity of underlying aquifer and LID infiltration intensity. Moreover, LID significantly enhances groundwater recharge and aquifer storage in the wet seasons; in turn it increases aquifer release and groundwater discharge in the dry seasons. However, LID has the potential to increase the risk of groundwater flooding during wet seasons in areas with poor aquifer drainage capacity and shallow groundwater depth. The findings from this study provide the basis for further assessing the benefit and risk of LID infiltration for groundwater supplementation in the urbanized areas

Seasonal Variation in Recovery Process of Rainwater Retention Capacity for Green Roofs

Green roofs need to quickly recover their water retention capacity between rainfall events to maintain their rainwater retention performance. In this study, the authors observed the rainwater retention, recovery process, and plant eco-physiological performance of green roofs with four local vegetation species under a typical subtropical monsoon climate for two years. The half-life of the water content after each rainfall (T50) was used to describe the recovery rate. The results indicate that (1) the decline in the water content after rainfall can be well described by an exponential decline curve (R2 > 0.7), and the average T50 of green roofs with Plectranthus prostratus Gürke was the shortest among the four plants; (2) the T50 in the wet season was significantly shorter than that in the dry season (p < 0.01) because of the seasonal variations in the weather conditions and eco-physiological activity, such as vegetation coverage and transpiration; (3) the rainwater retention of green roofs for rainfall events in the wet season was significantly lower than that in the dry season due to a relatively short antecedent dry period; (4) plants with a high maximum photosynthetic capacity, a strong root system, drought resistance, and large vegetation coverage were recommended as green roof plants. Above all, P. prostrates was found to be the best choice in the study

Performance Analysis of Hybrid Kinematic Mechanism for Fusion Reactor Maintenance

The hybrid kinematic mechanism (HKM) as an alternative remote handling subsystem of the Demonstration Fusion Power Plant (DEMO) breeding blanket (BB) is undergoing extensive theoretical analysis and feasibility verification. In this paper, the forward and inverse kinematic models of the HKM are derived by combining the Newtonian iterative method and the analytical method. Cartesian space trajectory planning is designed based on the trajectories of the HKM lifting of inboard and outboard BBs. The continuous smooth inverse kinematic solutions in the HKM joint space are obtained based on the polynomial interpolation method. For the characteristics of the HKM piston thread driving, the end-effector position error caused by the degradation of the spherical joint into a universal joint is analyzed and calculated. During the lifting of the left inboard BB, there is a maximum absolute error ∆P = 3.1 mm, and as the error continues to expand to the bottom of the BB it causes a risk of collision. Combining the overall effects of driving control, rigid–flexible coupling, etc., on position accuracy, an open-loop variable parameter error compensation plan based on the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) nonlinear damping least-squares algorithm is proposed and validated in this paper. The simulation results show that the maximum absolute error after compensation is less than 1 mm as the mesh density increases, and the absolute position accuracy can be further improved by local mesh encryption. This study verifies the feasibility of the HKM as a BB remote handling subsystem and provides an option for high-precision control of the HKM

Importance of the Submerged Zone during Dry Periods to Nitrogen Removal in a Bioretention System

Adding a submerged zone (SZ) is deemed to promote denitrification during dry periods and thus improve NO3− removal efficiency of a bioretention system. However, few studies had investigated the variation of nitrogen concentration in the SZ during dry periods and evaluated the effect of the variation on nitrogen removal of the bioretention system. Based on the experiment in a mesocosm bioretetion system with SZ, this study investigated the variation of nitrogen concentration of the system under 17 consecutive cycles of wet and dry alternation with varied rainfall amount, influent nitrogen concentration and antecedent dry periods (ADP). The results indicated that (1) during the dry periods, NH4+ concentrations in SZ showed an exponential decline trend, decreasing by 50% in 12.9 ± 7.3 h; while NO3− concentrations showed an inverse S-shape declining trend, decreasing by 50% in 18.8 ± 6.4 h; (2) during the wet periods, NO3− concentration in the effluent showed an S-shape upward trend; and at the early stage of the wet periods, the concentration was relatively low and significantly correlated with ADP, while the corresponding volume of the effluent was significantly correlated with the SZ depth; (3) in the whole experiment, the contribution of nitrogen decrease in SZ during dry periods to NH4+ and NO3− removal accounted for 12% and 92%, respectively; and the decrease of NO3− in SZ during the dry period was correlated with the influent concentration in the wet period and the length of the dry period