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In the field of sensory neuroprostheses, one ultimate goal is for individuals to perceive artificial somatosensory information and use the prosthesis with high complexity that resembles an intact system. To this end, research has shown that stimulation-elicited somatosensory information improves prosthesis perception and task performance. While studies strive to achieve sensory integration, a crucial phenomenon that entails naturalistic interaction with the environment, this topic has not been commensurately reviewed. Therefore, here we present a perspective for understanding sensory integration in neuroprostheses. First, we review the engineering aspects and functional outcomes in sensory neuroprosthesis studies. In this context, we summarize studies that have suggested sensory integration. We focus on how they have used stimulation-elicited percepts to maximize and improve the reliability of somatosensory information. Next, we review studies that have suggested multisensory integration. These works have demonstrated that congruent and simultaneous multisensory inputs provided cognitive benefits such that an individual experiences a greater sense of authority over prosthesis movements (i.e., agency) and perceives the prosthesis as part of their own (i.e., ownership). Thereafter, we present the theoretical and neuroscience framework of sensory integration. We investigate how behavioral models and neural recordings have been applied in the context of sensory integration. Sensory integration models developed from intact-limb individuals have led the way to sensory neuroprosthesis studies to demonstrate multisensory integration. Neural recordings have been used to show how multisensory inputs are processed across cortical areas. Lastly, we discuss some ongoing research and challenges in achieving and understanding sensory integration in sensory neuroprostheses. Resolving these challenges would help to develop future strategies to improve the sensory feedback of a neuroprosthetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness is a perceived discrepancy between desired and experienced social relationships that may arise from lack of intimate attachment to another person (e.g., friend) or lack of involvement in larger networks (e.g., peer groups). This study assessed how multiple aspects of friendship and peer group involvement were associated with Indonesian adolescents’ self‐reported loneliness. Participants were 754 twelfth‐grade Indonesian students (413 girls, Mage = 16.5 years). Reciprocated friendships were calculated from within‐grade nominations and both dyadic members rated the quality of their friendship. Peer groups were generated from Social Cognitive Mapping (SCM) and within‐group centrality and group visibility were determined using SCM. Group popularity was derived using peer nominations. A Structural Equation Model revealed that multiple aspects of friendship and group involvement, except for friend‐rated friendship quality, were concurrently associated with loneliness. An interaction between within‐group centrality and group popularity was found for boys, suggesting that being central in a group may be more important for boys in low‐status than those in high‐status groups. The results revealed that quantity and quality of friendship as well as position in the peer group and status of the peer group were associated with loneliness. The comparable associations of loneliness with aspects of friendship and group involvement may be a function of Indonesian culture in which both group involvement and friendships are valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique properties of metamaterials are determined by the configuration and spatial arrangement of artificially designed unit structures. However, the configuration and mechanical properties of conventional metamaterials are challenging to reverse and adjust. Based on curved beams, two types of novel three-dimensional (3D) multi-stable metamaterials with reconfigurable deformation and tunable mechanical properties are designed and fabricated using a four-dimensional (4D) printing method. The effects of temperature and curved-beam thickness on the force-displacement curves and multi-stable snapping sequence of the 3D multi-stable metamaterials are investigated by finite-element analysis (FEA) and experiments. In addition, based on the designed four-branch multi-stable metamaterials, three- and six-branched multi-stable structures are designed by changing the number of curved-beam branches. It is shown that, owing to shape memory effects, the 3D multi-stable metamaterials can realize mechanical programmability, and the multi-stable deformation sequence can be precisely regulated by varying the temperature and curved-beam thickness. These 4D-printed multi-stable metamaterials provide valuable contributions to the design of programmable multi-stable metamaterials and their applications in soft robots and intelligent structures. This article is part of the theme issue 'Current developments in elastic and acoustic metamaterials science (Part 1)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion differentiation emphasises labelling emotional experiences in a precise and context-sensitive way. Negative emotion differentiation (NED) has been found to be associated with mental health, where emotion regulation (ER) may act as a pathway. The current study aims to explore the association between NED and flexible ER implementation in daily life. Specifically, we examined how NED was associated with two aspects of ER flexibility: contextual synchrony and temporal ER variability. 101 college students (54% female; Mage = 20.24 years) reported their momentary emotions via a 7-day experience sampling protocol, and the intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to reflect NED. In 10-day daily diaries, they also reported information about the most negative event during the day (i.e. event type, event intensity and ER goal) and how they regulated their emotions. The results revealed that individuals with high NED showed higher levels of synchrony between change in ER use and change in event type and ER goal. In addition, NED was positively associated with both within- and between-strategy variability in ER use. The results demonstrated that the ability to differentiate between negative emotions was related to higher ER flexibility, which shed new light on understanding the role of emotion differentiation in well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses invariant subspaces of a matrix with a given partition structure. The existence of a nontrivial structured invariant subspace is equivalent to the possibility of decomposing the associated system with multiple feedback blocks such that the feedback operators are subject to a given constraint. The formulation is especially useful in the stability analysis of time‐delay systems using the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional approach where computational efficiency is essential in order to achieve accuracy for large scale systems. The set of all structured invariant subspaces are obtained (thus all possible decompositions are obtained as a result) for the coupled differential‐difference equations (DDE) associated with the DDE of retarded and neutral types, as well as systems with a time‐varying delay. It was shown that the known ad hoc methods of reducing the dimensions of delay channels can be considered as special cases of decomposition where one subsystem has trivial dynamics. The reduction of computational cost is demonstrated by a numerical example. For the general case, a recursive procedure is developed to obtain the set of all structured invariant subspaces. Based on this procedure, a method is presented to obtain a nontrivial structured invariant subspace that considers computational efficiency and increased possibility of terminating in a finite number of steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, cultural tourism has increasingly embraced museum visits. Museums serve as both cultural heritage guardians and integral parts of tourist destinations, significantly impacting visitor satisfaction and experience. Moreover, online museum reviews have become a crucial indicator of museum service quality, visitor experience, and public feedback in the digital age. An analysis of online reviews on major tourism websites and social media platforms can assist museums in developing appropriate management strategies. This study employed the structural topic model (STM) to analyze online museum reviews, identifying three primary attributes of museums and visitors' personal experiences, as well as 19 sub-attributes. The study confirmed that core offerings have a positive impact on visitor experience and satisfaction, while peripheral services and overall ambiance are also positively related to visitor experience and satisfaction. Furthermore, the results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that visitors' personal experiences have a positive impact on satisfaction. The results of structural equation modeling analysis support all seven hypothesized relationships. These findings will assist museum managers in developing effective management strategies and future plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in land use type and chronological age affect soil properties and plant community characteristics, which may influence soil structural stability and erodibility. However, knowledge on the effects of soil physicochemical properties on soil aggregate stability and erodibility at different land use years is limited. This study selected five land use types: corn field (Year 38th-y), corn intercropped with cabbage field (Year 38th-y + b), fruit and meridian forest (Year 6th-jgl), naturally restored vegetation (Year 6th-zr), and artificial forest (Year 7th-rgl) in the karst landscape of the Chishui River Basin in Yunnan Province. We aimed to identify the influencing factors of soil stability and erodibility under different land use time series. The results indicated that the mean weight diameter (MWD), the geometric mean diameter (GMD), and soil structural stability index (SSI values) were highest in Y6th-zr and lowest in Y7th-rgl. Conversely, the erodibility K value was lowest in Y6th-zr, suggesting that the soil structure in Y6th-zr exhibited greater stability, whereas soil stability in Y7th-rgl was lower. Redundancy and throughput analyses revealed that organic carbon and water-stable aggregates > 2.0 mm content had higher vector values. Soil bulk density, total nitrogen, organic carbon, and soil texture content were the main factors contributing to soil stability variation (0.338–0.646). Additionally, total nitrogen, organic carbon, total phosphorus, and soil texture content drove the variation in K values (0.15–1.311). Natural vegetation restoration measures can enhance soil structure to a certain extent. These findings highlight changes in soil aggregate stability and erodibility over different land use durations. The research results have important theoretical and practical significance for understanding the differences in soil erosion and soil restoration under different land use patterns in the karst landscapes of southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the effects of sodium phosphate dodecahydrate (Na3PO4·12H2O) as a foam stabilizer on the crystalline phases, microstructure, and properties of foamed glass–ceramics derived from solid industrial wastes. Our findings reveal that Na3PO4·12H2O acts as a pore structure stabilizer, enhancing pore uniformity by releasing P2O5 during decomposition. Additionally, it lowers the softening temperature and viscosity by supplying Na2O. X‐ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that Na3PO4·12H2O does not alter the primary crystal types but does influence the crystallinity and morphology. With an increase in Na3PO4·12H2O content, the porosity and water absorption improve, but the bulk density, thermal conductivity, and compressive strength decrease. The optimal properties are achieved with 4 wt% Na3PO4·12H2O, resulting in significantly higher compressive strength compared to foamed glass–ceramics prepared from other solid wastes. This study provides valuable guidelines for effectively reusing solid industrial wastes to fabricate foamed glass–ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cobweb disease is a fungal disease that commonly affects the cultivation and production of edible mushrooms, leading to serious yield and economic losses. It is considered a major fungal disease in the realm of edible mushrooms. The symptoms of cobweb disease were found during the cultivation of Lyophyllum decastes. This study aimed to identify the causative pathogen of cobweb disease and evaluate effective fungicides, providing valuable insights for field control and management of L. decastes cobweb disease. Results: The causal agent of cobweb disease was isolated from samples infected and identified as Cladobotryum mycophilum based on morphological and cultural characteristics, as well as multi-locus phylogeny analysis (ITS, RPB1, RPB2, and TEF1-α). Pathogenicity tests further confirmed C. mycophilum as the responsible pathogen for this condition. Among the selected fungicides, Prochloraz-manganese chloride complex, Trifloxystrobin, tebuconazole, and Difenoconazole exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the pathogen's mycelium, with EC50 values of 0.076 µg/mL, 0.173 µg/mL, and 0.364 µg/mL, respectively. These fungicides can serve as references for future field control of cobweb disease in L. decastes. Conclusion: This study is the first report of C. mycophilum as the causing agent of cobweb disease in L. decastes in China. Notably, Prochloraz-manganese chloride complex demonstrated the strongest inhibitory efficacy against C. mycophilum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Fourier law of heat conduction, this paper was concerned with the thermoelastic Timoshenko system with memory and variable delay in the internal feedback, which describes the transverse vibration of a beam. By the Lummer-Phillips theorem and the variable norm technique suitable for the nonautonomous operator, the stability of the coupled system has been derived in space H . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness is a perceived deficit in social relationships that is nested within broader cultural meaning systems. This longitudinal study examined predictors of loneliness in Chinese and U.S. children with the hypothesis that peer relationship parameters (number of friends, social preference, and popularity) mediate the associations between behavior qualities and loneliness differently across countries. Fifth‐grade Chinese (n = 576, Mage = 10.58 years) and U.S. (White, Black, Asian, n = 540; Mage = 10.23 years) children completed two waves of assessment within an academic year. Shyness and athletic competence more strongly predicted loneliness for U.S. children, and academic ability, and aggression more strongly predicted loneliness for Chinese children. Popularity was a mediator for U.S. children but not Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1/3-binary tree structure bandwidth is fixed, while the bands containing fault information sometimes do not fall equally in the fixed structure. To solve this problem, it is proposed to utilize the power spectrum to replace the Fourier spectrum, and to reconstruct the signal based on the scale space representation for the empirical wavelet decomposition. The fluctuation characteristics of the power spectrum frequency components and the energy distribution within frequency bands are taken full advantage of in this method. A new size parameter updating mechanism is employed to accelerate the signal reconstruction process. At the same time, it is thought that fault frequency is affected by the factor of slippage phenomena in order to realize a self-running diagnosis of bearing failure, and the occurring probability of the bearing fault is introduced to transform the envelope spectrum into a scalar indicator. As a result, without human intervention, the whole failure diagnosis process of the rolling bearing can be achieved by the manner of nonparametric testing. Simulation signal analysis results and experimental analysis results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients infected with COVID-19 may experience significant and long-lasting changes in the mechanical and rheological properties of their blood cells, leading to microvascular dysfunction and other vascular complications such as microthrombosis. In this study, we perform detailed computational simulations to investigate the fibrinogen-dependent changes in microvascular blood flow. First, we develop a coarse-grained molecular model of plasma fibrinogen to investigate the correlation between fibrinogen concentration and plasma viscosity. Our simulation results show that plasma viscosity increases exponentially with fibrinogen concentration. We then use a coarse-grained RBC model to quantify the fibrinogen-dependent aggregation strength of RBC doublets and compare it with available experimental results. Next, we probe the effect of fibrinogen concentration on COVID-19 blood viscosity. Our simulation results show that increased plasma viscosity and blood cell aggregation are responsible for elevated blood viscosity. Finally, we quantify the alterations in microvascular blood flow in response to changes in cell adhesion. We find that the recruitment of WBCs and platelets would slow blood flow. The WBC–platelet adhesive interaction exacerbates the blockages, forming a complete blood occlusion at relatively low blood velocities. As blood velocities increase, the larger clusters of blood cells occluded by cell adhesion are more likely to dislodge from the site of inflammation. This computational study advances our understanding of the complex cell–cell interactions that influence microvascular blood flow. It highlights the importance of fibrinogen-induced changes in plasma viscosity, blood cell aggregation and adhesion in the risk of microvascular complications in patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in various military and civilian applications. UAV mission scheduling is a key issue in UAV applications and a central topic in UAV research. UAV task scheduling should include several constraints into consideration, such as completion time constraint, flight distance constraint, and resource consumption constraint. Furthermore, UAV task scheduling should be studied within the traditional framework of combinatorial optimisation. In this paper, we consider optimal mission scheduling for heterogeneous UAVs with completion time, flight distance, and resource consumption constraints. The contributions of the paper are summarised as follows. We define two combinatorial optimisation problems, namely, the NFTM (number of finished tasks maximisation) problem and the RFTM (reward of finished tasks maximisation) problem. We construct an algorithmic framework for both NFTM and RFTM problems, so that our heuristic algorithms (four for NFTM and two for RFTM) can be presented in a unified way. We derive upper bounds for optimal solutions, so that our heuristic solutions can be compared with optimal solutions. We experimentally evaluate the performance of our heuristic algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper studying UAV mission scheduling with time, distance, and resource constraints as combinatorial optimisation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2.00°C and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.50°C. However, the response of climate change to unbalanced global warming is affected by spatial and temporal sensitivities. To better understand the regional warming response to global warming at 1.50°C and 2.00°C, we detected the 1.50°C and 2.00°C warming threshold-crossing time (WTT) above pre-industrial levels globally using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) models. Our findings indicate that the 1.50°C or 2.00°C WTT differs substantially worldwide. The warming rate of land would be approximately 1.35–1.46 times that of the ocean between 60°N–60°S in 2015–2100. Consequently, the land would experience a 1.50°C (2.00°C) warming at least 10–20 yr earlier than the time when the global mean near-surface air temperature reaches 1.50°C (2.00°C) WTT. Meanwhile, the Southern Ocean between 0° and 60°S considerably slows down the global 1.50°C and 2.00°C WTT. In 2040–2060, over 98.70% (77.50%), 99.70% (89.30%), 99.80% (93.40%), and 100.00% (98.00%) of the land will have warmed by over 1.50°C (2.00°C) under SSP (Shared Socioeconomic Pathway) 1–2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5, respectively. We conclude that regional 1.50°C (2.00°C) WTT should be fully considered, especially in vulnerable high-latitude and high-altitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the soft X-ray excess feature and an opposite tendency between the optical/UV and X-ray bands during the flare that occurred in 2014 in flat-spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) 4C+21.35 with the observations by Swift - XRT and Swift-UVOT. These unusual phenomena are rarely reported in FSRQs. The flare was covered from the optical to the X-ray while no prominent activity in the γ-ray was observed, which could be an indication of weaker jet activity during the flare. We carry out the spectral energy distribution ranging from the optical to X-ray based on four models which are the warm corona model (Model-1), the relativistic reflection model (Model-2), the corona with the jet model (Model-3), and the relativistic reflection with the jet model (Model-4). We find some extreme variation of the parameters in Model-2 and Model-4 and they are unable to explain the correlations between the optical/UV and X-ray bands. Model-1 and Model-3 can obtain reasonable parameters and provide an explanation for the observed opposite tendency between the optical/UV and X-ray bands. However, considering the weak jet activity during the X-ray flare, Model-1 is much preferred for describing the soft X-ray excess, hard X-ray emission, as well as the opposite tendency between the optical/UV and X-rays. Based on Model-1, it is suggested that the flare in 2014 is probably due to the variation of the geometry of the corona, which is expected to be more strictly tested with further observations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn powder is considered as a potential Zn metal anode for aqueous Zn‐ion batteries. However, restricted ion/electron transfer and volume effect‐caused electrical contact failure in conventional polymer binder composited Zn powder anodes deteriorate their electrochemical performance. Here, a high‐performance soft solid‐like viscoelastic Zn powder composite anode is proposed based on an oligomer gluing strategy. Benefiting from the viscoelastic properties, the soft‐solid Zn powder composite (ss‐ZnP) anode has significantly enhanced charge transfer, alleviated volume effect, and homogenized interfacial electric field, leading to fast plating/stripping kinetics and dendrite‐free deposition morphology. Furthermore, the assembled NH4V4O10‖ss‐ZnP full cell delivers higher capacity (510 mAh g−1 at 0.1A g−1, 300 mAh g−1 at 1A g−1) and longer lifespan up to 500 cycles at 1 A g−1, superior to conventional polymer binder composited Zn powder anode and other reported rheological Zn powder‐based anodes. Apart from the electrochemical merits, this soft matter‐based design also endows the ss‐ZnP electrode with free‐standing and malleable properties which greatly expand its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the Zagreb eccentricity index of the level- n Sierpinski gasket K n . Based on the self-similarity and finite pattern, we compute the Zagreb eccentricity index of K n , which is the integral of square of eccentricity in terms of the self-similar singular measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to illustrate a strategy for how to get the exact formula of the distance sums of fractal networks (for example, the Sierpiń ski skeleton networks) with the technique of finite pattern [S. Wang, Z. Yu and L. Xi, Average geodesic distance of Sierpinski gasket and Sierpinski networks, Fractals 25(5) (2017) 1750044]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we construct a class of growing networks by the encoding method of the iterated function system based on a planar self-similar fractal, and demonstrate that the networks have small-world and scale-free effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a high-yield product of the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by anthropogenic activities, fires, and vegetations. Hence, we examined the spatiotemporal variation trends in HCHO columns observed using the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) during 2005–2021 across the Fenwei Plain (FWP) and analysed the source and variability of HCHO using multi-source data, such as thermal anomalies. The spatial distribution of the annual mean HCHO in the FWP increased from northwest to southeast during 2005–2021, and the high-value aggregation areas contracted and gradually clustered, forming a belt-shaped distribution area from Xi'an to Baoji, north of the Qinling Mountains. The annual mean HCHO concentration generally showed a two-step increase over the 17 years. Fires showed a single-peak trend in March and a double-peak M-shaped trend in March and October, whereas urban thermal anomalies (UTAs) showed an inverted U-shaped trend over 17 years, with peaks occurring in May. The HCHO peaks are mainly caused by the alternating contributions of fires and UTAs. The fires and UTAs (predominantly industrial heat sources) played a role in controlling the background level of HCHO in the FWP. Precipitation and temperature were also important influencing variables for seasonal variations, and the influence of plant sources on HCHO concentrations had significant regional characteristics and contributions. In addition, the FWP has poor dispersion conditions and is an aggregated area for the long-range transport of air pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a kind of substitution networks and investigate their eccentric Fermat distance sum. In terms of some singular integrals, we solve the integral using the approach of finite pattern, and gain their asymptotic formula on eccentric Fermat distance sum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rocketing development of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), the growth of computing-intensive and latency-sensitive applications brings a challenge to individual vehicles with limited computing resources. The computation offloading technology provides a feasible solution to this issue. In this paper, a multi-tier symmetric Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) network framework is proposed, which consists of vehicle nodes (VNs), mobile edge computing (MEC) servers and a cloud server to provide computation offloading services for user vehicles. In this symmetric system, besides local computation, tasks can be offloaded to VNs or MEC servers or cloud servers for processing. The computation offloading problem in this network framework is considered as a game based on game theory. Then, in order to achieve the Nash equilibrium (NE) in this game, a joint optimization of computation offloading and resource allocation (JOCORA) algorithm is proposed. The numerical simulations show that the JOCORA algorithm can improve the success probability of offloading and reduce the total latency. The JOCORA algorithm has a better performance compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we explore the effects of Poria cocos mushroom polysaccharides (PCPs) on the quality and DNA methylation of the cryopreserved spermatozoa of Shanghai white pigs. A total of 24 ejaculates (three ejaculate samples per boar) from eight Shanghai white pigs were manually collected. The pooled semen was diluted with a based extender supplemented with different concentrations of PCPs (0, 300, 600, 900, 1200, and 1500 μg/mL). Once thawed, the quality of the spermatozoa and their antioxidant function were assessed. In the meantime, the effect of spermatozoa DNA methylation was also analyzed. The results show that compared with the control group, 600 μg/mL of PCPs significantly improves the spermatozoa viability (p < 0.05). The motility and plasma membrane integrity of the frozen–thawed spermatozoa are significantly higher after treatment with 600, 900, and 1200 μg/mL of PCPs compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In comparison with the control group, the percentages of acrosome integrity and mitochondrial activity are significantly enhanced after the application of 600 and 900 μg/mL PCPs (p < 0.05). The reactive oxygen species (ROS), the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, in comparison with the control group, are significantly decreased in all groups with PCPs (all p < 0.05). The enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in spermatozoa is significantly higher in the treatment with 600 μg/mL of PCPs than in the other groups (p < 0.05). As compared with the control group, a significant increase in the catalase (CAT) level is found in the groups with PCPs at 300, 600, 900, and 1200 μg/mL (all p < 0.05). In comparison with the control group, the 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) levels are significantly decreased in all groups with PCPs (all p < 0.05). As a result of these findings, a certain amount of PCPs (600–900 μg/mL) added to the cryodiluent can significantly improve the quality of Shanghai white pig spermatozoa and can also reduce the methylation of spermatozoa DNA caused by cryopreservation. This treatment strategy may establish a foundation for the cryopreservation of semen from pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasping object is one of the basic tasks of robots in many scenarios. The main challenge is how to generate grasping poses for unknown objects in cluttered scenes. This paper proposes a model-free 6-DOF grasp detection framework based on single-view local point clouds. The whole process includes three stages: Candidate Generation Network(CGN), Reliable Adjustment Module(RAM), and Quality Assessment Network(QAN). CGN predicts the graspability and the initial grasp pose of the sampled points by the features extracted from the local sphere region based on the improved Pointnet. In order to better learn local area point clouds, we propose a progressive local region data learning mechanism, which can extract features from small to large scales efficiently. Candidate grasps are then consisting of graspable points and their grasping poses. RAM adjusts the position and width of the generated candidate grasps by using reliable heuristic rules. QAN uses a simpled-pointnet to evaluate the quality of the grasp candidates and filters out grasps with high confidence to execute. The proposed method not only achieves state-of-the-art results on GraspNet-1Billion but also shows high grasping success rates in real cluttered scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the dynamics of the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations with multi-delays in a Lipschitz-like domain, subject to inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The regularity of global solutions and of pullback attractors, based on tempered universes, is established, extending the results of Yang, Wang, Yan and Miranville (Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst.41 (2021) 3343–3366). Furthermore, the robustness of pullback attractors when the delays, considered as small perturbations, disappear is also derived. The key technique in the proofs is the application of a retarded Gronwall inequality and a variable index for the tempered pullback dynamics, allowing to obtain uniform estimates and the compactness of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well and widely known that sample pooling could provide an effective and efficient way for fast coronavirus testing among massive asymptomatic individuals. The method of multi-level acceleration for asymptomatic COVID-19 screening has been introduced, and for one and two levels, the optimal group sizes have been obtained. However, there are still multiple challenges. First, it is not clear how to find the optimal group sizes for three or more levels. Second, there is lack of closed-form expressions for the optimal group sizes for two or more levels. Third, it is not clear how to determine the optimal number of levels. And last, it is not known what the maximum achievable speedup is. The motivation of this paper is to address all the above challenges. The optimization of a hierarchical pooling strategy includes its number of levels and the group size of each level. In this paper, based on multi-variable optimization and Taylor approximation, we are able to derive closed-form expressions for the optimal number of levels d ∗ = ln ⁡ (1 / ln ⁡ (1 / q 0)) − 1 , the optimal group sizes m 1 ∗ = e d ∗ = 1 / (e p 0) , m 2 ∗ = e d ∗ − 1 = 1 / (e 2 p 0) ,..., m d ∗ ∗ = e = 1 / (e d ∗ p 0) , and the maximum possible speedup of a hierarchical pooling strategy of 1 / (e p 0 ln ⁡ (1 / p 0)) , where p 0 is the fraction of infected people. The above speedup is nearly a linear function of the reciprocal of p 0 , in the sense that it is asymptotically greater than any sub-linear function (1 / p 0) 1 − ϵ of the reciprocal of p 0 for any small ϵ > 0. Using the results in this paper, we can quickly and easily predict the performance of an optimal hierarchical pooling strategy. For instance, if the fraction of infected people is 0.0001, an 8-level hierarchical pooling strategy can achieve speedup of nearly 400. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in various military and civilian applications. UAV mission scheduling is a key issue in UAV applications and a central topic in UAV research. UAV task scheduling should include several constraints into consideration, such as completion time constraint, flight distance constraint, and resource consumption constraint. Furthermore, UAV task scheduling should be studied within the traditional framework of combinatorial optimisation. In this paper, we consider optimal mission scheduling for heterogeneous UAVs with completion time, flight distance, and resource consumption constraints. The contributions of the paper are summarised as follows. We define two combinatorial optimisation problems, namely, the NFTM (number of finished tasks maximisation) problem and the RFTM (reward of finished tasks maximisation) problem. We construct an algorithmic framework for both NFTM and RFTM problems, so that our heuristic algorithms (four for NFTM and two for RFTM) can be presented in a unified way. We derive upper bounds for optimal solutions, so that our heuristic solutions can be compared with optimal solutions. We experimentally evaluate the performance of our heuristic algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper studying UAV mission scheduling with time, distance, and resource constraints as combinatorial optimisation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we qualitatively study the effect of the Coriolis force on traveling waves of the rotation-two-component Camassa–Holm system in the rotating fluid, which is a model in the equatorial water waves, from the perspective of dynamical systems. We obtain the explicit critical rotational speed Ω = 1 2 (A + c) (A is a parameter of the system characterizing a linear underlying shear flow and c is the wave speed), which reflects the Coriolis force. Based on this critical vorticity, we obtain phase portraits of the system under exact explicit parameters conditions. Then we not only show the existence of various bounded traveling waves including smooth solitary waves, peakons and kink waves, under corresponding exact explicit parameters conditions, but also obtain their exact expressions. Of particular interest is that we find that kink waves (which were not found previouly) exist only when Ω > 1 2 (A + c) , that is, the rotational speed Ω should be greater than 1 2 (A + c) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tempered pullback dynamics and robustness of the 3D Navier-Stokes-Voigt equations with memory and perturbed external force are considered in this paper. Based on the global well-posedness results and energy estimates involving memory, a suitable tempered universe is constructed, the robustness is finally established via the upper semi-continuity of tempered pullback attractors when the perturbation parameter epsilon tends to zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Depression heterogeneity may lead to variability in its links with excess body weight. • Excess body weight was associated with somatic but not cognitive-affective symptoms. • CRP partially explained the link between excess body weight and somatic symptoms. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of depression. Systemic low-grade inflammation, a plausible consequence of obesity, has also been linked to depression. However, the potential mediating effects of systemic low-grade inflammation on the association between excess body weight and specific symptom domains of depression remain uncertain. This study examined whether systemic low-grade inflammation mediated the associations of excess body weight (overweight and obesity) with subsequent overall, cognitive-affective, and somatic depressive symptoms. This study used a prospective cohort design. The final analytical sample included 4,942 adults aged ≥50 years drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Body mass index (BMI) and covariates were ascertained at baseline (wave 4, 2008/09). Continuous BMI scores were divided into four categories: 'normal weight' (18.5 ≤ BMI <25 kg/m2); 'overweight' (25 ≤ BMI <30 kg/m2); 'obesity' (BMI ≥30 kg/m2); in addition to 'excess body weight' ('overweight' and 'obesity' combined). Covariates included sociodemographic variables, behavioural factors, and chronic physical conditions. Serum concentrations of CRP were measured at wave 6 (2012/13). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and ten years later (wave 9, 2018/19), using the 8-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. Two symptom domains were constructed, distinguishing between cognitive-affective (depressed mood, loneliness, sadness, enjoyment in life, and happiness) and somatic (sleep problems, low energy levels, and fatigue) symptoms. Mediation analyses were performed to examine whether CRP statistically mediated the associations between BMI categories and depressive symptoms. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, excess body weight was associated with elevated somatic (OR = 1.231, 95% CI: 1.029, 1.473), but not cognitive-affective or overall depressive symptoms at follow-up. Higher CRP was associated with elevated somatic (OR = 1.156, 95% CI: 1.061, 1.259), but not cognitive-affective or overall depressive symptoms. CRP acted as a partial mediator (14.92%) of the association between excess body weight and elevated somatic, but not cognitive-affective, or overall depressive symptoms. Systemic low-grade inflammation may partially explain the association of excess body weight with somatic depressive symptoms, but not the associations with cognitive-affective or overall depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a simple and effective coating method to improve printing quality and material utilization rate was proposed. The flow behavior of pico-liter scale ink droplets on the silk fabric surfaces which treated separately with Sodium alginate (SA), Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and Hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) was observed and measured. Indeed, based on the direct empirical results, the optimal pretreatment process on the fabrics, aiming to increase the ink utilization rate and further improve the surface printing clarity, has been obtained in the experiments. Studies on rheological property, surface activity, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and contact angle have shown that HEMC can form the densest and smoothest film on silk fabrics, where the most hydrophobic surface arises. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicate that the surface of the fabric is covered with films of different properties formed by the treatment solution, and confirmed that the films formed by HEMC were more hydrophobic. The spreading motion of ink droplets revealed that although the hydrophobicity of HEC and HEMC effectively restrain the flow of ink droplet along the fiber, and the length and width of one-ink droplet deposition are minimum in HEMC treated fabric. Similarly, the findings on color performance suggest that HEMC has absolutely comparative advantage over HEC in improving the color effect of printing, with dye utilization rate of three different colors increasing by 68.7 %–80.0 %. • A simple and effective coating method to improve printing quality is proposed. • Ink-jet printing agent has excellent rheology, water retention and surface tension. • Diffusion behavior of pico-liter ink droplets and its influence are summarized. • Dye utilization rate of three colors increased up to 80 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified analytical method is proposed for one-dimensional unsaturated soil consolidation theory. First, in the one-dimensional compression test of unsaturated soil, the effective stress principle of saturated soil under compression is introduced to replace the constitutive relation expressed by the state of double stress in Fredlund's theory. Based on this, the governing equations composed of two bi-variable partial differential equations are obtained. In the process of derivation, the dissipation law of pore pressure during the consolidation process is analyzed and the theoretical rationality is demonstrated. When solving the system of equations, considering that the initial excess pore water and the gas pressure are caused by instantaneous loading, Hilf's theory is improved to calculate the change of pore pressure. This improvement is more in line with the actual situation and simplifies the approximate calculation method to obtain the analytical solution when the coupling effect of water and gas is considered. This method is verified by comparing with Terzaghi's theory and Fredlund's theory. It is shown that the solution of Terzaghi's theory is a special case of this method for saturated soil, and the results of the dissipative process obtained with the method is close to Fredlund's theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyper-Wiener index is an important topological invariant, which is based on the distance between two vertexes on a graph. This paper is concerned with the hyper-Wiener indices of Vicsek networks. Based on the method of finite pattern, we calculate the asymptotic formula of the hyper-Wiener indices of Vicsek networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As novel carrier biomaterials, decellularized scaffolds have promising potential in the development of cellular agriculture and edible cell-cultured meat applications. Decellularized scaffold biomaterials have characteristics of high biocompatibility, bio-degradation, biological safety and various bioactivities, which could potentially compensate for the shortcomings of synthetic bio-scaffold materials. They can provide suitable microstructure and mechanical support for cell adhesion, differentiation and proliferation. To our best knowledge, the preparation and application of plant and animal decellularized scaffolds have not been summarized. Herein, a comprehensive presentation of the principles, preparation methods and application progress of animal-derived and plant-derived decellularized scaffolds has been reported in detail. Additionally, their application in the culture of skeletal muscle, fat and connective tissue, which constitute the main components of edible cultured meat, have also been generally discussed. We also illustrate the potential applications and prospects of decellularized scaffold materials in future foods. This review of cultured meat and decellularized scaffold biomaterials provides new insight and great potential research prospects in food application and cellular agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article developed a new method to described the set of stabilizing PID control. The method is based on D‐parameterization with natural description of the set. It was found that the stability crossing surface is a ruled surface that is completely determined by a curve known as discriminant. The discriminant is divided into sectors at the cusps. Corresponding to the sectors, the stability crossing surface is divided into positive and negative patches. A systematic study is conducted to identify the regions with a fixed number of right half‐plane characteristic roots. The crossing directions of characteristic roots for positive patches and negative patches are also studied. As a result, a systematic method is developed to identify the regions of PID parameter such that the system is stabilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch-like phantom limb sensations can be elicited through targeted transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (tTENS) in individuals with upper limb amputation. The corresponding impact of sensory stimulation on cortical activity remains an open question. Brain network research shows that sensorimotor cortical activity is supported by dynamic changes in functional connections between relevant brain regions. These groups of interconnected regions are functional modules whose architecture enables specialized function and related neural processing supporting individual task needs. Using electroencephalographic (EEG) signals to analyze modular functional connectivity, we investigated changes in the modular architecture of cortical large-scale systems when participants with upper limb amputations performed phantom hand movements before, during, and after they received tTENS. We discovered that tTENS substantially decreased the flexibility of the default mode network (DMN). Furthermore, we found increased interconnectivity (measured by a graph theoretic integration metric) between the DMN, the somatomotor network (SMN) and the visual network (VN) in the individual with extensive tTENS experience. While for individuals with less tTENS experience, we found increased integration between DMN and the attention network. Our results provide insights into how sensory stimulation promotes cortical processing of combined somatosensory and visual inputs and help develop future tools to evaluate sensory combination for individuals with amputations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Small heat shock protein-1 (HSPB1) is a small heat shock protein that participates in many cellular processes and alleviates stress-induced cell injury. Autophagy protects cells from many types of stress and plays a key role in preventing stress in arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). However, the roles of HSPB1 in autophagy and apoptosis in the context of ASO pathogenesis remain unclear. Methods. In vivo and in vitro studies were used to determine whether HSPB1 is associated with ASO progression. The expression of HSPB1 was measured in normal and sclerotic blood vessels. The role of HSPB1 and its potential downstream signaling pathway were determined in VSMCs by overexpressing and silencing HSPB1. Results. A total of 91 ASO patients admitted to and treated at our hospital from Sep. 2020 to Sep. 2021 were selected, and plasma HSPB1 expression was assessed. We divided the patients with ASO into the grade I (n = 39), II (n = 29), III (n = 10), and IV (n = 13) groups according to Fontaine's classification. Plasma HSPB1 levels were markedly decreased in patients with grade III (n = 10) and IV (n = 13) ASO compared with patients with grade I ASO. Furthermore, HSPB1 expression was significantly decreased, and p62 and cleaved caspase-3 were increased in the sclerotic vasculature compared to the normal vasculature (p < 0.05). Overexpression of HSPB1 promoted apoptosis of VSMCs following ox-LDL treatment. Knockdown of HSPB1 led to a marked increase in the expression of LC3II and Beclin-1 in ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs, whereas knockdown of HSPB1 attenuated these changes (p < 0.05). Importantly, overexpression of HSPB1 promoted the dephosphorylation of JNK in ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. Conversely, downregulation of HSPB1 induced the opposite change. Conclusion. Loss of HSPB1 promotes VSMC autophagy and inhibits VSMC apoptosis, which are associated with ASO. HSPB1 and its downstream signaling pathways could be potential therapeutic targets for ASO treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A "signal-on" dual-mode aptasensor based on photoelectrochemical (PEC) and electrochemical (EC) signals was established for kanamycin (Kana) assay by using a novel Z-scheme AgBr/AgI-Ag-CNTs composite as sensing platform, an aptamer structure switch, and K3[Fe(CN)6] as photoelectron acceptor and electrochemical signal indicator. The aptamer structure switch was designed to obtain a "signal-off" state, which included an extended Kana aptamer (APT), one immobilized probe (P1), and one blocking probe (P2) covalently linked with graphdiyne oxide (GDYO) nanosheets. P1, P2, and aptamer formed the double helix structure, which resulted in the inhibited photocurrent intensity because of the weak conductivity of double helix layer and serious electrostatic repulsion of GDYO towards K3[Fe(CN)6]. In the presence of Kana, APT specifically bound to the target and dissociated from P1 and P2, and thus, a "signal-on" state was initiated by releasing P2-GDYO from the platform. Based on the sensing platform and the aptamer structure switch, the dual-mode aptasensor realized the linear determination ranges of 1.0 pM–2.0 μM with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.4 pM (for PEC method) and 10 pM–5.0 μM with a LOD of 5 pM (for EC method). The aptasensor displayed good application potential for Kana test in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a phenolic chemical that has been found to be associated with human health outcomes. It is one of the risk factors for thyroid function. Pregnancy is a vulnerable window for thyroid problems, because of the fluctuations in hormone levels. This review aimed to evaluate the association between BPA exposure and thyroid function during pregnancy. We conducted a comprehensive search of relevant databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, for original studies published in English that reported data on BPA levels and thyroid-related hormone levels in pregnant women. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) to assess the methodological quality of the studies and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method to evaluate the quality of evidence. In total, 11 studies involving 6526 individuals were included in this systematic review. These studies explored fluctuations in thyroid-related hormones, including TSH, TT3, TT4, FT3, and FT4 levels, as well as the TT4/TT3 and FT4/FT3 ratios. The systematic review is to evaluate the evidences between bisphenol A exposure and thyroid-related hormones in pregnant women. We found that BPA exposure in pregnancy might disturb the homeostasis of maternal thyroid-related hormones and suggest an increased risk of hyperthyroidism. Further studies based on the findings are required to explore the underlying mechanisms and determine the potential effects of BPA exposure on thyroid function during pregnancy. [Display omitted] • The first systematic review to summarize bisphenol A exposure and thyroid function during pregnancy. • BPA in pregnancy might disturb the homeostasis of thyroid-related hormones. • BPA in pregnancy might suggest the increased risk of hyperthyroidism. • The association between BPA and thyroid function is affected by pregnant weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) is currently widely used in various sectors and spaces. IoT devices are becoming small yet powerful servers and perform server-like functions. Reliability is a critical aspect in both IoT devices and servers, as they work together to create a robust and dependable IoT ecosystem. Power and performance are two other major considerations of an IoT system. Modeling, analysis, evaluation, and optimization of reliability, power, and performance for IoT devices and servers are major components in IoT systems development and deployment. In this paper, we conduct an integrated study of reliability, power, and performance for IoT devices and servers by mathematically rigorous modeling and analysis. The contributions of the paper can be summarized as follows. We establish a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model that incorporates server failure rate, server repair rate, task arrival rate, and task processing rate. Using such an analytical model, we can calculate the server availability, the average task response time, and the average power consumption. We point out that there is an optimal server speed that minimizes the power-time product and a combined cost-performance metric of power, performance, and reliability. We show the impact of server reliability on response time, power consumption, server utilization, and the power-performance tradeoff. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first paper that takes a combined approach to modeling and analysis of reliability, power, and performance for IoT devices and servers. It has been noticed that there has been little such theoretically solid investigation in the existing literature. Therefore, this paper has made tangible contributions and significant advances in the joint understanding of reliability, power, performance, and their interplay in IoT devices and servers quantitatively and mathematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a method of stability analysis of linear time-delay systems with commensurate delays and delay-dependent coefficients. The method is based on a D-decomposition formulation that consists of identifying the critical pairs of delay and frequency, and determining the corresponding crossing directions. The process of identifying the critical pairs consists of a magnitude condition and a phase condition. The magnitude condition utilizes the Orlando’s formula, and generates frequency curves within the delay interval of interest. Such frequency curves correspond to the delay-frequency pairs such that the decomposition equation has at least one solution on the unit circle. The delay interval of interest is divided into continuous frequency curve intervals (CFCIs). Under some nondegeneracy assumptions, the number of frequency curves remains constant within each CFCI, and the associated decomposition equation has one and only one solution on the unit circle at any point on a frequency curve. By traversing through the frequency curves, all the crossing points can be identified. The crossing direction is related to the sign of the lowest-order nonzero derivative of the phase angle with respect to the delay, which is a generalization of the existing literature even for the case with single delay. This conclusion allows one to determine the crossing direction by examining the phase angle vs delay diagram. An example is presented to illustrate how a stability analysis can be conducted if some nondegeneracy assumptions are violated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a family of evolving networks modeled by some fractal carpet which is not symmetric. We investigate the scale-free effect and small-word effect of our fractal networks, including the power-law of the cumulative degree distribution, the average clustering coefficient and the average geodesic distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operating environment of mechanical equipment is complex, and it is in high-intensity working conditions for a long time. The condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of equipment are very important. As a kind of precision part commonly used in mechanical equipment, the healthy operation of the rolling bearing is a necessary condition to ensure the reliable operation of the whole equipment. This research takes rolling bearing as the research object and is devoted to mechanical fault diagnosis analysis and system design. This paper studies the structure and working principle of rolling bearing, analyzes the types and locations of rolling bearing faults, and puts forward the overall framework of the fault diagnosis system and the workflow of the fault diagnosis system. This paper also studies the relevant theory of deep learning, proposes a neural network model framework for rolling bearing fault diagnosis, and preprocesses the rolling bearing vibration data. It uses a dropout algorithm and GRU to reduce the model parameter size and reduce the risk of overfitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider non-clairvoyant task offloading for random tasks in mobile edge computing within the framework of combinatorial optimisation. For offline non-clairvoyant task offloading, we propose a non-clairvoyant task offloading algorithm, which is able to determine a task offloading strategy without knowing the amount of computation and communication of any task. For online non-clairvoyant task offloading, we propose a randomised online task offloading algorithm, which is able to make an offloading decision for an arrival task without knowing anything about future tasks and other tasks. For both algorithms, we analyse the probability of certain performance guarantee. We also demonstrate numerical data. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first paper which considers both offline and online non-clairvoyant task offloading in mobile edge computing, together with analytical results on performance guarantee with high probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global warming, glaciers in the Asian High Mountains (AHMs) are shrinking at an accelerating rate. Projecting their future change is helpful for understanding the hydrological and climatic effects related to glacier retreat. Here, we projected glacier change in the AHMs from 1979 to 2100 under shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios from the perspective of temperature, equilibrium-line altitude (ELA), and accumulation area. The annual mean temperature in the AHMs increased by 1.26°C from 1979 to 2014, corresponding to an increase of 210 m in the mean ELA and a decrease of 1.7×104 km2 in the glacier accumulation area. Under the SSP2-4.5 (SSP5-8.5) scenario, the annual mean temperature in the AHMs would increase by 2.84°C (3.38°C) in 2040–2060 relative to that in 1850–1900, leading to the mean ELA reaching an elevation of 5661 m (5777 m). The accumulation area in the AHMs decreased by 46.3% from 1995 to 2014 and was projected to decrease by 60.1% in 2040–2060. Moreover, the annual mean temperature in the AHMs was projected to increase by 3.76°C (6.44°C) in 2080–2100 relative to that in 1850–1900, corresponding to the ELA reaching an elevation of 5821 m (6245 m) and the accumulation area decreasing to 1.8×104 km2 (0.5×104 km2). These data suggest that the conditions for glacier development will disappear in most of the AHMs, except for extreme high-altitude regions in the Tianshan, Pamir, and Himalaya Mountains. Under the SSP2-4.5 (SSP5-8.5) scenario, when the global mean temperature increases 1.5°C (2°C) above pre-industrial levels, the annual mean temperature will increase by 2.12°C (2.86°C) and the accumulation area will decrease by 15% (48%) in the AHMs compared with that in 1995–2015. Therefore, a 1.5°C increase in global warming would keep 40% more of the glacial accumulation area (1.5×104 km2) in the AHMs compared to a 2°C increase in global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Envelope analysis is one of the most effective methods in rolling element bearing diagnostics, but finding an optomal frequency band (OFB) has been a challenge for a long time. In this study, a variable-step adaptive kurtogram (VSAK) method based on empirical wavelet transform (EWT) was proposed to select the OFB and apply it in fault detection of rolling element bearings. The VSAK method mainly contains signal reconstruction based on EWT and detection of the appropriate demodulation frequency band based on RK. A new weighted kurtosis-RK was applied in this VSAK method to reduce the influence of high gaussian noise. According to simulation and experimental studies, the results showed that, VSAK was superior over those traditional methods, such as FK and autogram, for the diagnosis of rolling element bearing. It was also concluded that, the sum of amplitude corresponding to the first five fault harmonic frequencies based on VSAK was larger than the sum of amplitude based on FK as well as autogram method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the mutual restriction between the image encryption and information hiding process in the ciphertext domain reversible algorithm, the existing ciphertext domain image reversible image steganography algorithm can hardly take into account the performance of security and hiding capacity. This paper proposes a reversible image steganography algorithm for encrypted images based on a new interpolation image and difference histogram shift. The pixel position of the carrier image is changed through the double scrambling operation of random image block recombination and Arnold transform. The chaotic sequence generated by logistic mapping is used as the diffusion sequence of the encryption algorithm, and DNA encoding and calculation are performed respectively to obtain the final encrypted image. According to the newly proposed interpolation algorithm, the encrypted image is enlarged, determine the pixel value of the target interpolated image according to the pixel value of the encrypted image, calculate the difference between the three adjacent pixel values of the target interpolated image, and use the difference histogram translation algorithm to convert the secret Information is embedded in an interpolated image, and only one bit of the pixel value can be modified in a single embedding process, and the embedding method is simple and effective. Experimental results show that under the premise of ensuring information security and image quality, the embedding capacity has also been greatly improved, reaching 1,572,864 bits. When the embedding rate is 0.67 bpp, the PSNR can also reach 58 dB and the image quality is maintained better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arithmetic crosscorrelation of binary m -sequences with coprime periods 2 n 1 − 1 and 2 n 2 − 1 (gcd ⁡ (n 1 , n 2) = 1) is determined. The result shows that the absolute value of arithmetic crosscorrelation of such binary m -sequences is not greater than 2 min ⁡ (n 1 , n 2) − 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, second-order distributed optimization algorithms have been becoming a research hot in distributed learning, due to their faster convergence rate than the first-order algorithms. However, second-order algorithms always suffer from serious communication bottleneck. To conquer such challenge, we propose communication-efficient second-order distributed optimization algorithms in the parameter-server framework, by incorporating cubic Newton methods with compressed lazy Hessian. Specifically, our algorithms require each worker communicate compressed Hessians with the server only at some particular iterations, which can save both communication bits and communication rounds. For non-convex problems, we theoretically prove that our algorithms can reduce the communication cost comparing to the state-of-the-art second-order algorithms, while maintaining the same iteration complexity order O (ϵ − 3 / 2) as the centralized cubic Newton methods. By further using gradient regularization technique, our algorithms can achieve global convergence for convex problems. Moreover, for strongly convex problems, our algorithms can achieve local superlinear convergence rate without any requirement on initial conditions. Finally, numerical experiments are conducted to show the high efficiency of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]