Learning Contrast-Enhanced Shape-Biased Representations for Infrared Small Target Detection.

Detecting infrared small targets under cluttered background is mainly challenged by dim textures, low contrast and varying shapes. This paper proposes an approach to facilitate infrared small target detection by learning contrast-enhanced shape-biased representations. The approach cascades a contrast-shape encoder and a shape-reconstructable decoder to learn discriminative representations that can effectively identify target objects. The contrast-shape encoder applies a stem of central difference convolutions and a few large-kernel convolutions to extract shape-preserving features from input infrared images. This specific design in convolutions can effectively overcome the challenges of low contrast and varying shapes in a unified way. Meanwhile, the shape-reconstructable decoder accepts the edge map of input infrared image and is learned by simultaneously optimizing two shape-related consistencies: the internal one decodes the encoder representations by upsampling reconstruction and constraints segmentation consistency, whilst the external one cascades three gated ResNet blocks to hierarchically fuse edge maps and decoder representations and constrains contour consistency. This decoding way can bypass the challenge of dim texture and varying shapes. In our approach, the encoder and decoder are learned in an end-to-end manner, and the resulting shape-biased encoder representations are suitable for identifying infrared small targets. Extensive experimental evaluations are conducted on public benchmarks and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.

Plasmonic Nanomaterials in Dark Field Sensing Systems.

Plasma nanoparticles offer promise in data storage, biosensing, optical imaging, photoelectric integration, etc. This review highlights the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitation mechanism of plasmonic nanoprobes and its critical significance in the control of dark-field sensing, as well as three main sensing strategies based on plasmonic nanomaterial dielectric environment modification, electromagnetic coupling, and charge transfer. This review then describes the component materials of plasmonic nanoprobes based on gold, silver, and other noble metals, as well as their applications. According to this summary, researchers raised the LSPR performance of composite plasmonic nanomaterials by combining noble metals with other metals or oxides and using them in process analysis and quantitative detection.

Study on multi-objective decision-making operation strategy of heat supply tower.

In northern China, the long-term operation of ground source heat pumps brings the problem of soil cold accumulation, which can be effectively solved by adopting the heat supply tower to recharge the ground in summer. In this paper, seven indexes affecting the performance of the heat supply tower, such as temperature difference between inlet and outlet water, heating approach, thermal efficiency, and exergy destruction, are studied experimentally, and the energy efficiency ratio of the heat supply tower is analyzed. Then, based on the experimental data, the decision of the operating conditions is made. The results show that it is impossible to judge the performance of the heat supply tower based on a single index, and multiple criteria need to be considered at the same time. The energy efficiency ratios of the heat supply tower range from 12.7 to 22.5 and the optimal operating conditions of the heat supply tower under the experimental conditions are derived based on the TOPSIS decision. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the performance analysis and operation condition study of the heat supply tower.

Effects of transgenerational photoperiod experience on the reproduction and development of Anastatus orientalis, an egg parasitoid of the spotted lanternfly.

Transgenerational experience can affect a range of natural enemies' life-history traits and can be involved in the control of developmental plasticity. As a major egg parasitoid of the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), the wasp Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is effective at suppressing its host populations. The reproductive and developmental traits of A. orientalis is known to depend on photoperiod conditions, but transgenerational photoperiodic effects have yet to be evaluated. To evaluate the transgenerational photoperiodic effects on A. orientalis, we assessed wasp adult longevity, female fecundity, sex ratio, and diapause rate over three consecutive generations under different experimental photoperiods (L16:D8, L12:D12, and L8:D16), using Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) eggs as hosts. The results suggest that transgenerational experience significantly impacts several biological parameters of progeny. All parasitoids entered a diapause under the long photoperiod condition (i.e., L16:D8), after which the number of female parasitoids and fecundity of the 2nd and 3rd generations increased significantly as compared to the 1st generation. With the long photoperiod conditions, the female ratio rose from 68.1% (1st generation) to 86.0% (3rd generation) and the progeny per females increased from 35.8 to 75.7. However, adult longevity of females and males were shortened significantly. With the intermediate photoperiod (L12:D12) conditions, fecundity and sex ratio of the 2nd and 3rd generations increased significantly as compared to the 1st generation. With the short photoperiod (L8:D16) conditions, there were no significant differences in fecundity among three generations, but sex ratio of the 2nd and 3rd generations increased significantly as compared to the 1st generation. These results on transgenerational photoperiodic effects can be applied to improve laboratory rearing efficiency of parasitoids and to better understand population dynamics in the field across a latitudinal gradient.

[Influencing factors for natural populations of Lycorma delicatula in different habitats]. / ä¸åŒæ –å¢ƒæ¡ä»¶ä¸‹æ–‘è¡£èœ¡è‰è‡ªç„¶ç§ç¾¤çš„å½±å“å› å­.

To explore the differences between growth and population dynamics of natural Lycorma delicatula in the plantations and semi-natural forests, the susceptible stages and major suppression factors were determined to provide basis for the prediction and controlling the pest. The development duration and life table of L. delicatula in different habitats were established by using tracking method. The index of exclusion effect for lethal factors and the K-value in each development stage were calculated. The population trends were analyzed through the survival curve and key drivers of population change. The results showed that the development duration of L. delicatula in the plantation habitat and semi-natural habitat was significantly different, with thelatter being 25.7 d longer than the former. There were significant differences in the development duration of 1st-3rd-instars nymphs and pre-oviposition period of adults between these two habitats, but no significant difference in the 4th-instar nymphs. The total mortality rate in the plantation habitat and semi-natural habitat was 83.6% and 98.6%, respectively. The index of population trend in the plantation habitat was significantly higher than that in the semi-natural habitat. The population of L. delicatula increased sharply in the plantation habitat, but showed a decline trend in the semi-natural habitat. All of the survival curves of L. delicatula were Deevey-Ⅲ type, and the EIPCs of the "parasitic natural enemies" in egg stage were the highest in both habitats as 1.3 and 1.6, and the total K values were 0.2 and 0.3, respectively. The regression slopes of K-value of natural enemies were the highest (both 0.6). These findings revealed that the semi-natural habitat played an important role in the natural regulation of L. delicatula.

Non-scientific classification of Chinese herbal medicine as dietary supplement.

This article focuses the category status of Chinese herbal medicine in the United States where it has been mistakenly classifified as a dietary supplement. According to Yellow Emperor Canon of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing), clinical treatment in broad sense is to apply certain poisonous medicines to fight against pathogeneses, by which all medicines have certain toxicity and side effect. From ancient times to modern society, all, or at least most, practitioners have used herbal medicine to treat patients' medical conditions. The educational curriculums in Chinese medicine (CM) comprise the courses of herbal medicine (herbology) and herbal formulae. The objective of these courses is to teach students to use herbal medicine or formulae to treat disease as materia medica. In contrast, dietary supplements are preparations intended to provide nutrients that are missing or are not consumed in suffificient quantity in a person's diet. In contrast, Chinese herbs can be toxic, which have been proven through laboratory research. Both clinical practice and research have demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicine is a special type of natural materia medica, not a dietary supplement.