| 1. |
- Kristan, Matej, et al.
(author)
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The first visual object tracking segmentation VOTS2023 challenge results
- 2023
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In: 2023 IEEE/CVF International conference on computer vision workshops (ICCVW). - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. - 9798350307443 - 9798350307450 ; , s. 1788-1810
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Visual Object Tracking Segmentation VOTS2023 challenge is the eleventh annual tracker benchmarking activity of the VOT initiative. This challenge is the first to merge short-term and long-term as well as single-target and multiple-target tracking with segmentation masks as the only target location specification. A new dataset was created; the ground truth has been withheld to prevent overfitting. New performance measures and evaluation protocols have been created along with a new toolkit and an evaluation server. Results of the presented 47 trackers indicate that modern tracking frameworks are well-suited to deal with convergence of short-term and long-term tracking and that multiple and single target tracking can be considered a single problem. A leaderboard, with participating trackers details, the source code, the datasets, and the evaluation kit are publicly available at the challenge website1
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| 2. |
- Hyde, K. D., et al.
(author)
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Global consortium for the classification of fungi and fungus-like taxa
- 2023
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In: MYCOSPHERE. - : Mushroom Research Foundation. - 2077-7000 .- 2077-7019. ; 14:1, s. 1960-2012
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Global Consortium for the Classification of Fungi and fungus-like taxa is an international initiative of more than 550 mycologists to develop an electronic structure for the classification of these organisms. The members of the Consortium originate from 55 countries/regions worldwide, from a wide range of disciplines, and include senior, mid-career and early-career mycologists and plant pathologists. The Consortium will publish a biannual update of the Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa, to act as an international scheme for other scientists. Notes on all newly published taxa at or above the level of species will be prepared and published online on the Outline of Fungi website (https://www.outlineoffungi.org/), and these will be finally published in the biannual edition of the Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. Comments on recent important taxonomic opinions on controversial topics will be included in the biannual outline. For example, 'to promote a more stable taxonomy in Fusarium given the divergences over its generic delimitation', or 'are there too many genera in the Boletales?' and even more importantly, 'what should be done with the tremendously diverse 'dark fungal taxa?' There are undeniable differences in mycologists' perceptions and opinions regarding species classification as well as the establishment of new species. Given the pluralistic nature of fungal taxonomy and its implications for species concepts and the nature of species, this consortium aims to provide a platform to better refine and stabilise fungal classification, taking into consideration views from different parties. In the future, a confidential voting system will be set up to gauge the opinions of all mycologists in the Consortium on important topics. The results of such surveys will be presented to the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF) and the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF) with opinions and percentages of votes for and against. Criticisms based on scientific evidence with regards to nomenclature, classifications, and taxonomic concepts will be welcomed, and any recommendations on specific taxonomic issues will also be encouraged; however, we will encourage professionally and ethically responsible criticisms of others' work. This biannual ongoing project will provide an outlet for advances in various topics of fungal classification, nomenclature, and taxonomic concepts and lead to a community-agreed classification scheme for the fungi and fungus-like taxa. Interested parties should contact the lead author if they would like to be involved in future outlines.
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| 3. |
- Akiyama, Kazunori, et al.
(author)
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First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. IX. Detection of Near-horizon Circular Polarization
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 957:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations have revealed a bright ring of emission around the supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy. EHT images in linear polarization have further identified a coherent spiral pattern around the black hole, produced from ordered magnetic fields threading the emitting plasma. Here we present the first analysis of circular polarization using EHT data, acquired in 2017, which can potentially provide additional insights into the magnetic fields and plasma composition near the black hole. Interferometric closure quantities provide convincing evidence for the presence of circularly polarized emission on event-horizon scales. We produce images of the circular polarization using both traditional and newly developed methods. All methods find a moderate level of resolved circular polarization across the image (〈|v|〉 < 3.7%), consistent with the low image-integrated circular polarization fraction measured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (|vint| < 1%). Despite this broad agreement, the methods show substantial variation in the morphology of the circularly polarized emission, indicating that our conclusions are strongly dependent on the imaging assumptions because of the limited baseline coverage, uncertain telescope gain calibration, and weakly polarized signal. We include this upper limit in an updated comparison to general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation models. This analysis reinforces the previously reported preference for magnetically arrested accretion flow models. We find that most simulations naturally produce a low level of circular polarization consistent with our upper limit and that Faraday conversion is likely the dominant production mechanism for circular polarization at 230 GHz in M87*
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| 4. |
- Dong, Jin, et al.
(author)
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Understanding Statin-Roxadustat Drug–Drug-Disease Interaction Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling
- 2023
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In: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0009-9236 .- 1532-6535. ; 114:4, s. 825-835
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A different drug–drug interaction (DDI) scenario may exist in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with healthy volunteers (HVs), depending on the interplay between drug–drug and disease (drug-drug-disease interaction (DDDI)). Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, in lieu of a clinical trial, is a promising tool for evaluating these complex DDDIs in patients. However, the prediction confidence of PBPK modeling in the severe CKD population is still low when nonrenal pathways are involved. More mechanistic virtual disease population and robust validation cases are needed. To this end, we aimed to: (i) understand the implications of severe CKD on statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin, and rosuvastatin) pharmacokinetics (PK) and DDI; and (ii) predict untested clinical scenarios of statin-roxadustat DDI risks in patients to guide suitable dose regimens. A novel virtual severe CKD population was developed incorporating the disease effect on both renal and nonrenal pathways. Drug and disease PBPK models underwent a four-way validation. The verified PBPK models successfully predicted the altered PKs in patients for substrates and inhibitors and recovered the observed statin-rifampicin DDIs in patients and the statin-roxadustat DDIs in HVs within 1.25- and 2-fold error. Further sensitivity analysis revealed that the severe CKD effect on statins PK is mainly mediated by hepatic BCRP for rosuvastatin and OATP1B1/3 for atorvastatin. The magnitude of statin-roxadustat DDI in patients with severe CKD was predicted to be similar to that in HVs. PBPK-guided suitable dose regimens were identified to minimize the risk of side effects or therapeutic failure of statins when co-administered with roxadustat.
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| 5. |
- Fan, Xu, et al.
(author)
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New applications of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWIBA) and calcined clay in construction: Preparation and use of an eco-friendly artificial aggregate
- 2023
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In: Construction and Building Materials. - 0950-0618. ; 387
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study is to prepare MSWIBA as eco-friendly artificial aggregates (EFAAs) by cold bond granulation technique using a low carbon limestone calcined clay cement (LC3). The water absorption rate of EFAAs is between 14.42 and 21.82%, and the maximum compressive strength can reach 2.5 MPa. Calcined clay particles can effectively adsorb heavy metal ions after absorbing water, and EFAAs can reduce the leaching value of toxic elements in MSWIBA by more than half on average. Compared to standard OPC cementitious materials, LC3 composites only need 50% of the energy and discharge 43% of the CO2, producing a more environmentally friendly artificial aggregate. In addition, the 28-day compressive strength of concrete was higher than 30 MPa on average after applying EFAAs to concrete. The good application capability shown by EFAAs, as well as their low energy consumption and low carbon environmental characteristics, promote the better application of MSWIBA in buildings.
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| 6. |
- Fusai, Giuseppe Kito, et al.
(author)
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Pancreatic surgery outcomes: multicentre prospective snapshot study in 67 countries
- 2023
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In: British Journal of Surgery. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0007-1323 .- 1365-2168.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Pancreatic surgery remains associated with high morbidity rates. Although postoperative mortality appears to have improved with specialization, the outcomes reported in the literature reflect the activity of highly specialized centres. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes following pancreatic surgery worldwide. Methods: This was an international, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional snapshot study of consecutive patients undergoing pancreatic operations worldwide in a 3-month interval in 2021. The primary outcome was postoperative mortality within 90 days of surgery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore relationships with Human Development Index (HDI) and other parameters. Results: A total of 4223 patients from 67 countries were analysed. A complication of any severity was detected in 68.7 percent of patients (2901 of 4223). Major complication rates (Clavien-Dindo grade at least IIIa) were 24, 18, and 27 percent, and mortality rates were 10, 5, and 5 per cent in low-to-middle-, high-, and very high-HDI countries respectively. The 90-day postoperative mortality rate was 5.4 per cent (229 of 4223) overall, but was significantly higher in the low-to-middle-HDI group (adjusted OR 2.88, 95 per cent c.i. 1.80 to 4.48). The overall failure-to-rescue rate was 21 percent; however, it was 41 per cent in low-to-middle-compared with 19 per cent in very high-HDI countries. Conclusion: Excess mortality in low-to-middle-HDI countries could be attributable to failure to rescue of patients from severe complications. The authors call for a collaborative response from international and regional associations of pancreatic surgeons to address management related to death from postoperative complications to tackle the global disparities in the outcomes of pancreatic surgery (NCT04652271; ISRCTN95140761).
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| 7. |
- Jin, Hesong, et al.
(author)
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Experimental study on chloride ion diffusion behavior and microstructure in concrete under alternating ambient humidity conditions
- 2023
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In: Construction and Building Materials. - 0950-0618. ; 401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The migration of chloride in concrete in atmospheric zones is mainly influenced by climatic conditions, e.g., various dry-wet cycles in marine tidal zones, and ambient humidity is one of the most important influences. Ambient humidity also determines the moisture content in concrete, which is necessary for the diffusion or transport of chloride in concrete and can enhance the migration of chloride in micropores, thus affecting the distribution of chloride in concrete. In this study, the effects of chloride diffusion and its mechanism, and the evolution of moisture in concrete under alternating drying-wetting cycles, were investigated using an environmental moisture simulation chamber. Chloride diffusion tests were also performed to evaluate the effects of different dry-wet ratios and numbers of drying-wetting cycles on the chloride diffusion depth, chloride content and saturation in concrete. The microstructure of concrete was studied and analyzed using XRD, SEM and MIP technology. The findings showed that the saturation of concrete decreased rapidly with increasing number of wet-dry cycles and finally stabilized. Under different alternating moisture conditions, the saturation of concrete was greater, especially when the wetting time was longer. Additionally, in areas near the surface of concrete (depths of 2 mm-6 mm), the chloride content was proportional to the number of wet-dry cycles. In the interior of concrete (depth > 6 mm), when the number of drying-wetting cycles was larger, the chloride concentration was smaller. However, as the number of wet-dry cycles increased, this led to the decalcification of C-S-H gels, which resulted in the reduction in the number of C-S-H reticular gels with good crystallinity. A pore analysis showed that the cumulative pore size and the maximum probability pore size of concrete gradually increased with increasing number of wet-dry cycles, the deterioration of pore structure was more obvious, and the compactness of concrete gradually decreased, which accelerated the migration of chloride in the matrix. Overall, this study can provide reliable and valuable test data for the development and design of high-performance concrete for applications in atmospheric marine tidal zones.
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| 8. |
- Jorstad, S.G., et al.
(author)
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The Event Horizon Telescope Image of the Quasar NRAO 530
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 943:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on the observations of the quasar NRAO 530 with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) on 2017 April 5-7, when NRAO 530 was used as a calibrator for the EHT observations of Sagittarius A*. At z = 0.902, this is the most distant object imaged by the EHT so far. We reconstruct the first images of the source at 230 GHz, at an unprecedented angular resolution of similar to 20 mu as, both in total intensity and in linear polarization (LP). We do not detect source variability, allowing us to represent the whole data set with static images. The images reveal a bright feature located on the southern end of the jet, which we associate with the core. The feature is linearly polarized, with a fractional polarization of similar to 5%-8%, and it has a substructure consisting of two components. Their observed brightness temperature suggests that the energy density of the jet is dominated by the magnetic field. The jet extends over 60 mu as along a position angle similar to -28 degrees. It includes two features with orthogonal directions of polarization (electric vector position angle), parallel and perpendicular to the jet axis, consistent with a helical structure of the magnetic field in the jet. The outermost feature has a particularly high degree of LP, suggestive of a nearly uniform magnetic field. Future EHT observations will probe the variability of the jet structure on microarcsecond scales, while simultaneous multiwavelength monitoring will provide insight into the high-energy emission origin.
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| 9. |
- Li, Q., et al.
(author)
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Discovery of new strains for furfural degradation using adaptive laboratory evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- 2023
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In: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - 0304-3894. ; 459
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In industrial production, the excessive discharge of furfural can pose harm to soil microorganisms, aquatic an-imals and plants, as well as humans. Therefore, it is crucial to develop efficient and cost-effective methods for degrading furfural in the environment. Currently, the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for furfural degradation in water has shown effectiveness, but there is a need to explore improved efficiency and tolerance in S. cerevisiae for this purpose. In this study, we isolated and evolved highly efficient furfural degradation strains, namely YBA_08 and F60C. These strains exhibited remarkable capabilities, degrading 59% and 99% furfural in the YPD medium after 72 h of incubation, significantly higher than the 31% achieved by the model strain S288C. Through analysis of the efficient degradation mechanism in the evolutionary strain F60C, we discovered a 326% increase in the total amount of NADH and NADPH. This increase likely promotes faster furfural degradation through intracel-lular aldehyde reductases. Moreover, the decrease in NADPH content led to a 406% increase in glutathione content at the background level, which protects cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen species. Mutations and differential expression related to cell cycle and cell wall synthesis were observed, enabling cell survival in the presence of furfural and facilitating rapid furfural degradation and growth recovery. Based on these findings, it is speculated that strains YBA_08 and F60C have the potential to contribute to furfural degradation in water and the production of furfuryl alcohol, ethanol, and FDCA in biorefinery processes.
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| 10. |
- Li, Zhenlin, et al.
(author)
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Research on the durability and Sustainability of an artificial lightweight aggregate concrete made from municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash (MSWIBA)
- 2023
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In: Construction and Building Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0950-0618. ; 365
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study chooses to use three common cementing materials, Portland cement (OPC), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and fly ash (FA), as the binder for the production of three artificial lightweight coarse aggregates (ALCAs) through cold bonding with municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWIBA) in which MSWIBA accounts for 70% of the total content by volume. In this study, three ALCAs were used to replace 0%, 30%, 60%, and 100% of natural aggregates used in the production of concrete. Through capillary water absorption and rapid migration of chloride ions, the effect of the replacement amount of ALCAs on the durability of concrete was explored. Additionally, in accordance with the Material Sustainability Index (MSI), a statistical analysis of the CO2 emissions, energy consumption and cost of the concrete made of the three ALCAs was carried out. Studies have shown that ALCAs can improve the Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) and pore structure of concrete, thereby improving the ability of concrete to resist chloride ion penetration. In addition, the use of ALCAs can reduce the cost of concrete. Among the ALCAs used in this study, those which use GGBFS and FA as adhesives (without OPC) can improve the durability of concrete the most and reduce CO2 emissions.
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