Multi-Object Tracking on SWIR Images for City Surveillance in an Edge-Computing Environment.

Although Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensors have advantages in terms of robustness in bad weather and low-light conditions, the SWIR images have not been well studied for automated object detection and tracking systems. The majority of previous multi-object tracking studies have focused on pedestrian tracking in visible-spectrum images, but tracking different types of vehicles is also important in city-surveillance scenarios. In addition, the previous studies were based on high-computing-power environments such as GPU workstations or servers, but edge computing should be considered to reduce network bandwidth usage and privacy concerns in city-surveillance scenarios. In this paper, we propose a fast and effective multi-object tracking method, called Multi-Class Distance-based Tracking (MCDTrack), on SWIR images of city-surveillance scenarios in a low-power and low-computation edge-computing environment. Eight-bit integer quantized object detection models are used, and simple distance and IoU-based similarity scores are employed to realize effective multi-object tracking in an edge-computing environment. Our MCDTrack is not only superior to previous multi-object tracking methods but also shows high tracking accuracy of 77.5% MOTA and 80.2% IDF1 although the object detection and tracking are performed on the edge-computing device. Our study results indicate that a robust city-surveillance solution can be developed based on the edge-computing environment and low-frame-rate SWIR images.

Synergistic Effect of a Dual-Salt Liquid Electrolyte with a LiNO3 Functional Additive toward Stabilizing Thin-Film Li Metal Electrodes for Li Secondary Batteries.

Li metal thickness has been considered a key factor in determining the electrochemical performance of Li metal anodes. The use of thin Li metal anodes is a prerequisite for increasing the energy density of Li secondary batteries intended for emerging large-scale electrical applications, such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems. To utilize thin (20 µm thick) Li metal anodes in Li metal secondary batteries, we investigated the synergistic effect of a functional additive (Li nitrate, LiNO3) and a dual-salt electrolyte (DSE) system composed of Li bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and Li bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB). By controlling the amount of LiNO3 in DSE, we found that DSE containing 0.05 M LiNO3 (DSE-0.05 M LiNO3) significantly improved the electrochemical performance of Li metal anodes. DSE-0.05 M LiNO3 increased the cycling performance by 146.3% [under the conditions of a 1C rate (2.0 mA cm-2), DSE alone maintained 80% of the initial discharge capacity up to the 205th cycle, whereas DSE-0.05 M LiNO3 maintained 80% up to the 300th cycle] and increased the rate capability by 128.2% compared with DSE alone [the rate capability of DSE-0.05 M LiNO3 = 50.4 mAh g-1, and DSE = 39.3 mAh g-1 under 7C rate conditions (14.0 mA cm-2)]. After analyzing the Li metal surface using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we were able to infer that the stabilized solid electrolyte interphase layer formed by the combination of LiNO3 and the dual salt resulted in a uniform Li deposition during repeated Li plating/stripping processes.

Microalgae-Templated Spray Drying for Hierarchical and Porous Fe3O4/C Composite Microspheres as Li-ion Battery Anode Materials.

A method of microalgae-templated spray drying to develop hierarchical porous Fe3O4/C composite microspheres as anode materials for Li-ion batteries was developed. During the spray-drying process, individual microalgae serve as building blocks of raspberry-like hollow microspheres via self-assembly. In the present study, microalgae-derived carbon matrices, naturally doped heteroatoms, and hierarchical porous structural features synergistically contributed to the high electrochemical performance of the Fe3O4/C composite microspheres, enabling a discharge capacity of 1375 mA·h·g-1 after 700 cycles at a current density of 1 A/g. Notably, the microalgal frameworks of the Fe3O4/C composite microspheres were maintained over the course of charge/discharge cycling, thus demonstrating the structural stability of the composite microspheres against pulverization. In contrast, the sample fabricated without microalgal templating showed significant capacity drops (up to ~40% of initial capacity) during the early cycles. Clearly, templating of microalgae endows anode materials with superior cycling stability.

Soil phosphorus landscape models for precision soil conservation.

Phosphorus (P) enrichment in soils has been documented in the Santa Fe River watershed (SFRW, 3585 km) in north-central Florida. Yet the environmental factors that control P distribution in soils across the landscape, with potential contribution to water quality impairment, are not well understood. The main goal of this study was to develop soil-landscape P models to support a "precision soil conservation" approach combining fine-scale (i.e., site-specific) and coarse-scale (i.e., watershed-extent) assessment of soil P. The specific objectives were to: (i) identify those environmental properties that impart the most control on the spatial distribution of soil Mehlich-1 extracted P (MP) in the SFRW; (ii) model the spatial patterns of soil MP using geostatistical methods; and (iii) assess model quality using independent validation samples. Soil MP data at 137 sites were fused with spatially explicit environmental covariates to develop soil MP prediction models using univariate (lognormal kriging, LNK) and multivariate methods (regression kriging, RK, and cokriging, CK). Incorporation of exhaustive environmental data into multivariate models (RK and CK) improved the prediction of soil MP in the SFRW compared with the univariate model (LNK), which relies solely on soil measurements. Among all tested environmental covariates, land use and vegetation related properties (topsoil) and geologic data (subsoil) showed the largest predictive power to build inferential models for soil MP. Findings from this study contribute to a better understanding of spatially explicit interactions between soil P and other environmental variables, facilitating improved land resource management while minimizing adverse risks to the environment.

Mycosis fungoides as an ichthyosiform eruption.

Ichthyosiform eruption as a specific manifestation of mycosis fungoides is very rare and only a few such cases have currently been reported in the medical literature. A 63-year-old Korean man presented with a 4-year history of a pruritic ichthyotic eruption. There was no personal or family history of ichthyosis or atopy. The ichthyosiform skin changes involved the abdomen, arms, thighs and shins. The face, palms and soles were spared. There was no peripheral lymphadenopathy or organomegaly. The typical lesions of mycosis fungoides were not present. The results of the routine investigations were normal or negative. A skin biopsy specimen revealed the findings of early mycosis fungoides. He was successfully treated with photochemotherapy.