bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A robust hybrid receiver for binary phase-shift keying discrimination in the presence of phase noise
Authors: Notarnicola Michele N. , Olivares Stefano
Published: February 2024

We address the problem of coherent state discrimination in the presence of phase diffusion. We investigate the role of the HYbrid Near-Optimum Receiver (HYNORE) we proposed in [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 40 (2023) 705] in the task of mitigating the noise impact. We prove the HYNORE to be a robust receiver, outperforming the Displacement Photon-Number-Resolving (DPNR) receiver and beating the standard quantum limit in particular regimes. We introduce the maximum tolerable phase noise [Formula: see text] as a figure of merit for the receiver robustness and show that HYNORE increases its value with respect to the DPNR receiver.
Plasma-infused solitary waves: Unraveling novel dynamics with the Camassa–Holm equation
Authors: Wang Chanyuan , Altuijri Reem , Abdel-Aty Abdel-Haleem , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy , Khater Mostafa M. A.
Published: February 2024

This investigation employs advanced computational techniques to ascertain novel and precise solitary wave solutions of the Camassa–Holm ([Formula: see text]) equation, a partial differential equation governing wave phenomena in one-dimensional media. Originally designed for the representation of shallow water waves, the [Formula: see text] equation has exhibited versatility across various disciplines, including nonlinear optics and elasticity theory. It intricately delineates the interplay between nonlinear and dispersive effects in wave systems, with nonlinearity arising from component interactions and dispersion rooted in the temporal spreading of waves. Furthermore, the [Formula: see text] equation governs the spatiotemporal evolution of wave profiles, encompassing both nonlinear and dispersive influences. Notably, the equation allows for soliton solutions — localized wave packets sustaining their form over extended distances. The identification of precise solitary wave solutions holds paramount significance for comprehending the [Formula: see text] equation’s behavior in diverse physical contexts, such as fluid dynamics and nonlinear optics. Moreover, this study establishes a correlation between the investigated model and plasma physics, demonstrating the efficacy and efficiency of the employed computational techniques through benchmarking against alternative computational methods. This augmentation underscores the broader relevance of the [Formula: see text] equation, extending its applicability to provide insights into wave phenomena analogous to those encountered in plasma physics.
Axially Non-Uniform Properties Effected Electro-Elastic Fields in Bended Piezoelectric Semiconductor Beams
Authors: Zhao Luke , Jin Feng , Shao Zhushan
Published: February 2024

This paper studied the effects of axially non-uniform material and non-uniform doping on the electro-elastic fields in bent piezoelectric semiconductor beams. The mathematical model is established based on the phenomenological theory of piezoelectric semiconductor and Euler’s beam theory. To solve the governing equations with variable coefficients, the differential quadrature method is adopted. As two representative structures, the pure bending beam and cantilever beam are studied, respectively. From the calculated results, it can be found the varied material properties changed the effective stiffness, as a result, all the field quantities are altered. Meanwhile, the symmetry of all field quantities in a pure bending beam is broken. Considering different Gaussian doping parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], it can be observed that the distribution rule of perturbation carrier density becomes complex. The increment of [Formula: see text] broadens the width of optimum range-producing carriers, however, the increment of [Formula: see text] describes the moving of the optimum range from left to right. Importantly, the introduction of non-uniform doping breaks the limitation of perturbation carrier density in a cantilever beam with uniform material properties, the maximum value of perturbation carrier density does not appear at the fixed end only. The obtained results could be the guidance in designing high-performance electric devices.
Effects of Temperature and Layer Thickness on the Static and Dynamic Behaviors of Biocomposite Materials with Interleaved Viscoelastic Layers
Authors: Meddeb Firas , El Mahi Abderrahim , Rebiere Jean-Luc , Daoud Hajer , Ben Souf Mohamed Amine , Haddar Mohamed
Published: February 2024

This study investigated the influence of temperature variations on the mechanical and dynamic behaviors of biobased composites incorporating a passive control layer. These composites, which include an external layer made up of Flax/polylactic acid (PLA) and an internal layer of rubber, were manufactured using 3D printing technique. To better understand their mechanical characteristics, bending tests were carried out on samples of Flax/PLA with and without a rubber coating at temperatures ranging from [Formula: see text]C to [Formula: see text]C. To evaluate the bending response of the materials under several temperatures settings, three-point bending tests were also conducted on the materials with different viscoelastic layer thicknesses. Additionally, resonance vibration studies were carried out at various temperatures to explore dynamic characteristics like frequencies and damping factors. The analysis of the data revealed the consequences of incorporating a functional rubber layer under diverse circumstances. The results demonstrated that increasing temperatures negatively impacts the mechanical and dynamic characteristics degradation of the composite with the viscoelastic layer. The main objective of this work is that under various thermal settings, passive control layers in biocomposites can display modified mechanical and dynamic behaviors. This understanding of how these biobased composites perform in different environments offers significant context for their possible applications.
Modulated Lacunary 𝒫-Statistical Convergence of Order γ of Sequences of Fuzzy Functions
Authors: Raj Kuldip , Narrania Devia , Esi Ayhan
Published: February 2024

The central objective of this paper is to investigate the lacunary statistical convergence of order [Formula: see text] and strong lacunary summability of order [Formula: see text] for sequences of fuzzy functions by using the modulus function and a regular matrix. We examine the relevant inclusion relations between these spaces under specific conditions. Additionally, we study properties related to these spaces and establish several interesting results.
A Study on Rough Fuzzy Bipolar Soft Ideals in Semigroups
Authors: Malik Nosheen , Shabir Muhammad , Gul Rizwan
Published: February 2024

The theories of rough sets (RSs) and soft sets (SSs) are practical mathematical techniques to accommodate data uncertainty. On the other hand, fuzzy bipolar soft sets (FBSSs) can address uncertainty and bipolarity in various situations. The key objective of this study is to establish the notions of rough fuzzy bipolar soft ideals in semigroup (SG), which is an extension of the idea of rough fuzzy bipolar soft sets in a SG. Also, we have analyzed the roughness in the bipolar fuzzy subsemigroup (BF-SSG) by employing a congruence relation (CR) defined on the SG and investigating several related characteristics. Further, the idea is expanded to the rough fuzzy bipolar soft ideal, rough fuzzy bipolar soft interior ideal, and rough fuzzy bipolar soft bi-ideal in SGs. Moreover, it is observed that CR and complete CR (CCR) are critical in developing rough approximations of fuzzy bipolar soft ideals. Therefore, their related characteristics are studied via CRs and CCRs.
Enhancing the Precipitant and Calcination Process of Manganese-Iron Oxide Catalyst for Low-Temperature NH3-SCR
Authors: Pei Zhenzhao , Fu Zhuyue , Zhao Yi , Liu Yan , Zhao Haiyang , Xu Jiaqi , Ni Haoran , He Chengye , Guo Tao , Han Siqi
Published: February 2024

Catalysts containing manganese as the primary active component have emerged as promising candidates for ultra-low temperature NH3-SCR applications. To enhance the catalytic activity of these catalysts, a series of Mn-FeOX catalysts were prepared using the co-precipitation method. This study focuses on investigating the appropriate calcination process for catalyst preparation using different precipitants, namely NaOH, NH3-H2O and Na2CO3. The results revealed that catalysts prepared with Na2CO3 as the preferred precipitant and calcined at 330∘C exhibited exceptional NOx removal efficiency, exceeding 90% at a temperature of 60∘C and GHSV [Formula: see text] 30,000[Formula: see text]h[Formula: see text], which demonstrated this catalyst’s remarkable low-temperature reduction capability. Detailed characterization demonstrated that the MnOX catalysts synthesized through this process possessed an amorphous structure, superior pore structure and the highest Fe[Formula: see text] content. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing the preparation conditions of Mn-FeOX catalysts in ultra-low temperature denitrification applications.
On the dynamics of a Zika disease model with vector-bias
Authors: Han Mengjie , Liu Junli , Zhang Tailei
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we propose a Zika transmission model which considers human-to-human sexual transmission, the extrinsic incubation period of mosquitoes, and the vector-bias effect. Firstly, the explicit expression of the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] is given by using the next-generation operator method, and the global dynamics of the model are established by taking [Formula: see text] as the threshold condition, that is, if [Formula: see text], the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable, if [Formula: see text], the model has a unique endemic equilibrium that is locally asymptotically stable and the disease persists. And when we ignore the vector-bias effect, the global asymptotic stability of the endemic equilibrium is proved by constructing a Lyapunov function. Then, we select the reported epidemic data from Brazil for fitting, which verifies the obtained theoretical results. Meanwhile, we study the impact of human-to-human sexual transmission rate and mosquito-to-human transmission rate on the spread and prevalence of Zika. In addition, we calculate the sensitivity indices of [Formula: see text] to the model parameters and provide effective measures to control Zika transmission. The simulation results indicate that extending the extrinsic incubation period of mosquitoes is beneficial for disease control while ignoring the vector-bias effect will underestimate the risk of Zika transmission.
Bifurcation and dynamic analysis of prey–predator model with combined nonlinear harvesting
Authors: Sarkar Kshirod , Mondal Biswajit
Published: February 2024

Due to the random search of species and from the economic point of view, combined harvesting is more suitable than selective harvesting. Thus, we have developed and analyzed a prey–predator model with the combined effect of nonlinear harvesting in this research paper. Nonlinear harvesting possesses multiple predator-free and interior equilibrium points in the dynamical system. We have examined the local stability analysis of all the equilibrium points. Besides these various types, rich and complex dynamical behaviors such as backward, saddle-node, Hopf and Bogdanov–Takens (BT) bifurcations, homo-clinic loop and limit cycles appear in this model. Furthermore, interesting phenomena like bi-stability and tri-stability occur in our model between the different equilibrium points. Also, we have derived different threshold values of predator harvesting parameters and prey environmental carrying capacity from these bifurcations to obtain the different harvesting strategies for both species. We have observed that the extinction of predator species may not happen due to backward bifurcation, although a stable predator-free equilibrium (PFE) exists. Finally, numerical simulations are discussed using MATLAB to verify all the theoretical results.
Comparison and analysis of goodness of fit and fitting formula between milk fat concentration and refractive index
Authors: Zhang Yun , Zhao Jian , Yang Hong-Wei
Published: February 2024

Milk is considered to be one of the most perfect natural foods for human beings. The analysis of effective components and determination of important components in milk is an important practical work. Based on the previous measurement data of fat volume concentration and refractive index of milk in the market, this paper forms a fitting formula through mathematical fitting, which can solve the corresponding relationship between nonmeasurement points of milk concentration and refractive index. Because the actual measurement points are limited, its practical application is not convenient. However, fitting formulas can calculate the corresponding values of infinitely many points, which can be easily applied. However, judging from the goodness of fit of the fitting formula, a theoretically good fitting formula may produce underfitting and overfitting in practical application. Through the analysis of the first-order to sixth-order fitting formulas of milk concentration and refractive index, this paper tells us that the fitting formula with high goodness of fit is not necessarily a good formula. The specific problems should be analyzed in the application process to make the theory more consistent with the actual situation. From the calculation and analysis in this paper, it can be seen that the fitted sixth-order formula has the best effect when the fat volume concentration of milk is 0–10%. When considering a fat volume concentration of 0–34% in milk, the fitted second-order formula performs better.
Analyzing epidemics and designing policies with a modified SIR model
Authors: Kumar Bipul , Batra Luckshay , Taneja H. C. , Lochab Ruchika
Published: February 2024

This research paper aims to study the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, where we have extended the standard epidemiological model, the Susceptible–Infected–Recovered (SIR) model. In the economy’s dynamics, we have incorporated aggregate demand and aggregate supply and further set up a system of three-dimensional nonlinear differential equations, which is more likely the Labor–Infected–Quarantine (LIQ) model, an extension of the SIR model. Here, we have derived the steady-state condition and analyzed the model’s stability. In addition, we have done a comparative static analysis of parameters with some policy implications. We aim to achieve the twin objective, i.e., controlling the pandemic and reviving the economy under the set of the policy mix.
Dynamic simulation of branch deformation under snow pressure
Authors: Ding Wei-long , Chen Hao-han , Wan Zang-xin , Xu Li-feng , Xu Xin-guo , Zhang Yu-ping
Published: February 2024

Realistic simulation of dynamic interaction between plants and different natural environmental factors is a key topic in the field of natural landscape simulation. At present, few researches focus on the accumulation of snow on plants and the simulation of the dynamic deformation of a branch under the influence of the accumulation of snow. Therefore, we propose a simulation method for the dynamic interaction between snowfall and plants based on physical models. We first analyze the structure of the target plant and establish its physical structure model. Then we use the particle system and the plant branch collision detection method to calculate the amount of snow accumulation on the branches and generate the fluctuating snow grid surface based on the Berlin noise function. Finally, the cantilever beam model is used to calculate the deformation of branches under snow pressure. This modeling method proposed in this paper can provide a new research idea and technical reference for simulating the dynamic interaction between plants and environmental factors represented by snow.
A comprehensive study of spatial spread and multiple time delay in an eco-epidemiological model with infected prey
Authors: Thakur Nilesh Kumar , Srivastava Smriti Chandra , Ojha Archana
Published: February 2024

This paper studies the dynamics of interacting Tilapia fish and Pelican bird population in the Salton Sea. We assume that the diseases spread in Tilapia fish follows the Holling type II response function, and the interaction between Tilapia and Pelican follows the Beddington–DeAngelis response function. The dynamics of diffusive and delayed system are discussed separately. Analytically, all the feasible equilibria and their stability are discussed. The criterion for Turing instability is derived. Based on the normal form theory and center manifold arguments, the existence of stability criterion and the direction of Hopf bifurcation are obtained. Numerical simulation shows the occurrence Hopf bifurcation, double Hopf bifurcation and transcritical bifurcation scenarios. The snap shot shows the spot, spot-strip mix patterns in the whole domain. Further, the stability switching phenomena is observed in the delayed system. Our comprehensive study highlights the effect of different parameters, multiple time delay and extinction in Pelican populations.
Novel high-performance 2–1–2 composites with two ferroelectric components causing a variable anisotropy of figures of merit
Authors: Topolov Vitaly Yu. , Kovrigina Sofya A.
Published: February 2024

A high performance of novel three-component composites with 2–1–2 connectivity is reported and discussed. Layers of the composites are parallel-connected, and each layer contains the ferroelectric (FE) component. The layer of the first type (LFT) represents domain-engineered single crystal poled along either [0 0 1] or [0 1 1]. The layer of the second type is described as a system of long FE ceramic rods that have the shape of an elliptic cylinder and are aligned in a polymer medium. Piezoelectric coefficients [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and sets of figures of merit (FOM) (energy-harvesting [Formula: see text], modified [Formula: see text] for a stress-driven harvester and modified [Formula: see text] for a strain-driven harvester) are analyzed to show their large values and specifics of the anisotropy when varying volume fractions of components and a rotation angle of the ceramic rod bases. For the first time, the studied parameters are compared in two directions: (i) the composite based on [0 0 1]-poled single crystal versus the composite based on [0 1 1]-poled single crystal and (ii) the lead-free composite versus the lead-containing composite (both based on [0 0 1]-poled single crystals). The advantages of the high-performance lead-free composite are discussed. The 2–1–2 composites put forward in this paper are of interest as advanced materials suitable for piezoelectric sensors, actuators and energy-harvesting systems operating at constant stress or strain.
Model and Empirical Study on Multi-tasking Learning for Human Fall Detection
Authors: Nguyen Duc-Anh , Pham Cuong , Argent Rob , Caulfield Brian , Le-Khac Nhien-An
Published: February 2024

Many fall detection systems are being used to provide real-time responses to fall occurrences. Automated fall detection is challenging because it requires very high accuracy to be clinically acceptable. Recent research has tried to improve sensitivity while reducing the high rate of false positives. Nevertheless, there are still limitations in terms of having efficient learning approaches and proper datasets to train. To reduce false alarms, one approach is to add more nonfall data as negative samples to train the deep learning model. However, this approach increases class imbalance in the training set. To tackle this problem, we propose a multi-task deep learning approach that divides datasets into multiple training sets for multiple tasks. We prove this approach gives better results than a single-task model trained on all datasets. Many experiments are conducted to find the best combination of tasks for multi-task model training for fall detection.
Investigating Tailless UAV Flight Dynamics through Modeling, Simulation, and Flight Testing
Authors: Ahmed Noureldein , Zakaria Mohamed Y. , Kamal Ashraf M.
Published: February 2024

Tailless Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) offer several advantages over their conventional counterparts, including enhanced maneuverability, higher durability, and better stealth. However, they are challenging in their stability and control due to the absence of stabilizing and control surfaces that typically exist in conventional empennage. A crucial process for analyzing the tailless UAVs’ stability/performance characteristics and determining/validating their flight control parameters is done via the modeling and simulation of flight dynamics. This paper presents a comprehensive and systematic procedure for investigating the flight dynamics of a tailless UAV, including modeling, simulation, analytical verification, and flight testing, while also explaining the interconnections among these elements. It also addresses the common challenge of limited accessibility of UAV essential data through using diverse analytical, empirical, and experimental methods. First, a rapid and effective first-principles modeling approach is introduced to simulate the nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom flight dynamics of a small tailless UAV case study. The modeling process follows a modular framework where well-defined experiments and commercial of-the-shelf software, tools, and sensors are employed to build the necessary sub-models, including geometric, mass–inertia, aerodynamic, propulsion, and actuator models. Then, all sub-models are integrated into a simulation environment to allow the prediction of the UAV dynamic response obtained from the given control inputs. The developed flight dynamic model is subjected to a thorough verification process to ensure its integrity and proper functionality by comparing the simulated trim and natural flight modes with the calculated analytical results. Finally, a set of specific flight tests are performed to validate the developed simulation model and verify relevant performance characteristics for the case-study UAV. The results show that the proposed approach provides a systematic and straightforward method for examining the flight dynamics of small tailless UAVs with reasonable accuracy.
Probing atomistic deformation behavior of graphene-coated Al0.3CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy under nanoindentation
Authors: Barman Subrata , Gupta Kritesh Kumar , Dey Sudip
Published: February 2024

This study employs a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the atomistic deformation mechanism of graphene (Gr)-coated Al[Formula: see text]CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) during nanoindentation. In the elastic region, both substrates exhibit similar indentation performance. However, at greater indentation depths, the Gr-coated HEA offered higher resistance against indentation, leading to a remarkable 78% increase in hardness compared to pristine HEA. The graphene-coated HEA also shows extended unloading time (52.3[Formula: see text]ps) compared to the pristine HEA (44.7[Formula: see text]ps), indicating improved structural recovery. Importantly, graphene coating raises the critical indentation depth for the emergence of the initial embryonic plastic deformation loop (PDL) from 0.628[Formula: see text]nm in pristine HEA to 0.86[Formula: see text]nm in the Gr-coated HEA, signifying its hindrance to the elastoplastic transition. Gr coating suppresses dislocation nucleation at first, but eventually stimulates dislocation formation at greater depths, resulting in a higher dislocation density in Gr-coated HEA, which contributes to increased material strength. Additionally, the post-indentation surface morphology of the Gr-coated HEA substrate displays reduced pile-up formation due to the restraining action of the Gr coating. The findings of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the deformation mechanism in the Gr-coated Al[Formula: see text]CoCrFeNi HEA and its potential implications for surface engineering.
User Experience of 911 Emergency Communications in the City of Memphis
Authors: Doss Daniel Adrian , Taylor Linda N. , Henley Russ , McElreath David
Published: February 2024

This study examined the implementation of 911 emergency services text messaging in the city of Memphis, Tennessee for the period encompassing May 1, 2016 and February 28, 2022. Using ANOVA and an alpha value of 0.05, four statistically significant outcomes were shown regarding calls answered within 20[Formula: see text]s ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]), queued waiting time experienced by system users ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]), ring seconds per call ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]), and mean time regarding 911 call average time ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]). The study also revealed an increase in 911 call volume and a decrease in abandoned calls.
The Impact of Second-Order Analytical Derivatives on Regularized Direct Multiple Shooting Method for Impulsive Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization
Authors: Oshima Kenta
Published: February 2024

While the first-order derivatives of an objective function and constraints have often been analytically provided in the gradient-based optimization algorithms, the joint use of the second-order derivatives can further improve the computational efficiency and robustness. This paper implements the first- and second-order analytical derivatives in the direct multiple shooting-based, regularized method of minimizing the fuel expenditure for impulsive space trajectories. The high-order dynamical information expresses the Hessian matrix of the Lagrange function in the nonlinear programming problem. The result is an efficient tool for robustly computing fuel-optimal, multi-impulse trajectories in the regularized framework of removing singularities associated with null thrust impulses from the derivatives of the objective function. The computational performance is compared for the cases of optimizing impulsive transfers between cislunar periodic orbits within the regularized framework implementing the analytical derivatives in different ways over various initial guess trajectories and computational conditions. The results indicate the superiority of adopting both the first- and second-order analytical derivatives in terms of the efficiency and robustness.
MIMO–OFDM System Analysis and Achievement
Authors: Lin Zhijian
Published: February 2024

Multi-Input–Multi-Output (MIMO) technology has already become crucial in modern communication study, but the needs of anti-interference capability and spectral efficiency are always growing, which poses a significant challenge in future development. In the paper, by analyzing and summarizing the respective characteristics and problems of MIMO system and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), we investigate the knowledge of MIMO–OFDM system. The theoretical analysis proves that this system can effectively solve the shortcomings of MIMO system and improve the performance of communication system. In addition, in the experimental simulation part, we also evaluate the system performance mainly by analyzing the Bit Error Rate (BER) metrics, while other methods such as channel estimation algorithms and synchronization techniques are also considered.
Calabi–Yau links and machine learning
Authors: Hirst Edward
Published: February 2024

Calabi–Yau links are specific [Formula: see text]-fibrations over Calabi–Yau manifolds, when the link is 7-dimensional they exhibit both Sasakian and G2 structures. In this invited contribution to the DANGER proceedings, previous work exhaustively computing Calabi–Yau links and selected topological properties is summarized. Machine learning of these properties inspires new conjectures about their computation, as well as the respective Gröbner bases.
Ultrasparse Ultrasparsifiers and Faster Laplacian System Solvers
Authors: Jambulapati Arun , Sidford Aaron
Published: February 2024

In this paper we provide an
O
(
m
loglog

O
(1)

n
log (1/ϵ))-expected time algorithm for solving Laplacian systems on
n
-node
m
-edge graphs, improving upon the previous best expected runtime of

\(O(m \sqrt {\log n} \mathrm{log log}^{O(1)} n \log (1/\epsilon)) \)

achieved by (Cohen, Kyng, Miller, Pachocki, Peng, Rao, Xu 2014). To obtain this result we provide efficient constructions of low spectral stretch graph approximations with improved stretch and sparsity bounds. As motivation for this work, we show that for every set of vectors in

\(\mathbb {R}^d \)

(not just those induced by graphs) and all integer
k
> 1 there exist an ultra-sparsifier with
d
− 1 +
O
(
d
/
k
) re-weighted vectors of relative condition number at most
k
2
. For small
k
, this improves upon the previous best known multiplicative factor of

\(k \cdot \tilde{O}(\log d) \)

, which is only known for the graph case. Additionally, in the graph case we employ our low-stretch subgraph construction to obtain
n
− 1 +
O
(
n
/
k
)-edge ultrasparsifiers of relative condition number
k

1 +
o
(1)

for
k
=
ω
(log 

δ

n
) for any
δ
> 0: this improves upon the previous work for
k
=
o
(exp (log 

1/2 −
δ

n
)).
An Efficient FPGA Architecture with Turn-Restricted Switch Boxes
Authors: Hassani Fatemeh Serajeh , Sadrosadati Mohammad , Rohbani Nezam , Pointner Sebastian , Wille Robert , Sarbazi-Azad Hamid
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Field-Programmable Gate Arrays 
(FPGAs) employ a large number of SRAM cells to provide a flexible routing architecture which have a significant impact on the FPGA’s area and power consumption. This flexible routing allows for a rather easy realization of the desired functionality, but our evaluations show that the full routing flexibility is not required in many occasions. In this work, we focus on what is actually needed and introduce a new switch-box realization what we call
Turn-Restricted Switch-Boxes
which supports only a subset of possible turns. The proposed method increases the utilization rate of FPGA switch-boxes by eliminating the unemployed resources. Experimental evaluations confirm that the area and average power consumption can be reduced by 12.8% and 14.1%, on average, respectively and the FPGA routing susceptibility to SEU and MBU can be improved by 18.2%, on average, by imposing negligible performance.

1
Authentication, Authorization, Access Control, and Key Exchange in Internet of Things
Authors: Simsek Irfan
Published: February 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a dynamic network of devices and infrastructure supporting instances composed to platforms being based on cloud/fog and blockchain technologies. Its intervention in more and more sensitive areas requires IoT entities (devices and platform instances) to communicate with each other via secure channels generally established by using cryptographical methods. This needs an authentic key exchange, which in turn requires an authentication process. Moreover, it has to be ensured that client entities can access only authorized services provided by authorized server entities. Additionally, requirements specifically introduced by IoT complicate realizing these security goals even more. This article introduces a novel approach providing authentication, authorization, access control, and key exchange in instance-to-instance, device-to-instance, and device-to-device communications to handle cloud/fog-based and blockchain-based platforms. In contrast to related work, realizations of these security goals are not disjunct processes and are integrated with each other in our approach combining zero-knowledge and identity-based schemes while meeting the IoT security requirements. Thus, it does not require any public data pre-distribution or secret pre-sharing between communicating entities, and no entity has to hold any device-specific or instance-specific data to be used for authentication or authorization. While supporting the autonomous character of IoT, our approach is independent of application and platform types without requiring additional components or procedures. Moreover, it is resistant to active man-in-the-middle attacks and does not include costly cryptographic operations. This article also demonstrates the high performance of our approach with regard to multiple affecting factors.
FEIR: Quantifying and Reducing Envy and Inferiority for Fair Recommendation of Limited Resources
Authors: Li Nan , Kang Bo , Lijffijt Jefrey , De Bie Tijl
Published: February 2024

Recommendation in settings such as e-recruitment and online dating involves distributing limited opportunities, which differs from recommending practically unlimited goods such as in e-commerce or music recommendation. This setting calls for novel approaches to quantify and enforce fairness. Indeed, typical recommender systems recommend each user their top relevant items, such that desirable items may be recommended simultaneously to more and to less qualified individuals. This is arguably unfair to the latter. Indeed, when they pursue such a desirable recommendation (e.g., by applying for a job), they are unlikely to be successful.

To quantify fairness in such settings, we introduce
inferiority
: a novel (un)fairness measure that quantifies the competitive disadvantage of a user for their recommended items. Inferiority is complementary to
envy
: a previously-proposed fairness notion that quantifies the extent to which a user prefers other users’ recommendations over their own. We propose to use both inferiority and envy in combination with an accuracy-related measure called
utility
: the aggregated relevancy scores of the recommended items. Unfortunately, none of these three measures are differentiable, making it hard to optimize them, and restricting their immediate use to evaluation only. To remedy this, we reformulate them in the context of a probabilistic interpretation of recommender systems, resulting in differentiable versions. We show how these loss functions can be combined in a multi-objective optimization problem that we call FEIR (Fairness through Envy and Inferiority Reduction), used as a post-processing of the scores from any standard recommender system.

Experiments on synthetic and real-world data show that the proposed approach effectively improves the trade-offs between inferiority, envy and utility, compared to the naive recommendation and the state-of-the-art method for the related problem of congestion alleviation in job recommendation. We discuss and enhance the practical impact of our findings on a wide range of real-world recommendation scenarios, and we offer implementations of visualization tools to render the envy and inferiority metrics more accessible.
Track Circuits Fault Diagnosis Method Based on the UNet-LSTM Network (ULN)
Authors: Tao Weijie , Li Xiaowei , Li Zheng
Published: February 2024

As a commonly used mode of transportation in people’s daily lives, the normal operation of railway transportation is crucial. The track circuit, as a key component of the railway transportation system, is prone to malfunctions due to environmental factors. However, the current method of inspecting track circuit faults still relies on the experience of on-site personnel. In order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fault diagnosis, we propose to establish an intelligent fault diagnosis system. Considering that the fault data are a one-dimensional time series, this paper presents a fault diagnosis method based on the UNet-LSTM network (ULN). The LSTM network is established on the basis of fault data and used for ZPW-2000A track circuit fault diagnosis. However, the use of a single LSTM network has a high error rate in the common fault diagnosis of track circuits. Therefore, this paper proposes a feature extraction method based on the UNet network. This method is used to extract the features of the original data and then input them into the LSTM network for fault diagnosis. Through experiments with on-site fault data, it has been verified that this method can accurately classify seven common track circuit faults. Finally, the superiority of the method is verified by comparing it with other commonly used fault classification methods.
Association of Cytokine IL-17, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-12 Gene Polymorphisms in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Jahan Taskin , Saleh Ahmed Abu , Anwar Shaheda
Published: February 2024

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that involves cytokines in its pathogenesis. This study is aimed at investigating if gene polymorphisms in cytokines like IL-17, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-12 affect RA susceptibility and severity in the Bangladeshi population. This was a cross-sectional comparative study that included 40 diagnosed RA patients according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria 2010, who were free from other rheumatological diseases, and 40 healthy subjects for comparison. The study used PCR-RFLP to determine the IL-17, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-12 cytokine gene polymorphisms. Patients had a mean age of 37.22±6.70 years. Among the patients, 31 were female and 9 were male. The mean disease duration was 18.11±7.39 months. The study found that rheumatoid arthritis patients with the IL-17F (7488 A/G) polymorphism with GG genotype (P=0.006, OR=8.56, 95% CI=1.77−41.33) and IL-12B (1188 A/C) polymorphism with AC (P=0.012, OR=3.69, 95% CI=1.43−9.53) and CC (P=0.013, OR=7.58, 95% CI=1.56−36.88) genotypes were significantly associated with disease risk. Furthermore, patients with the IL-17F (7488) GG genotype and IL-12B (1188) AC and CC genotypes had higher rheumatoid arthritis disease severity and activity parameters. The study found no significant association between polymorphisms involving IL-4 (590 C/T) and IL-6 (174 G/C) genes and rheumatoid arthritis disease risk in the Bangladeshi population. Gene polymorphisms in cytokines IL-17F (7488 A/G) and IL-12B (1188 A/C) can predict disease susceptibility and severity in Bangladeshi rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Effects of Different Inspiratory Muscle Training Protocols on Exercise Capacity, Respiratory Muscle Strength, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Hypertension
Authors: Hüzmeli İrem , Katayıfçı Nihan , Yalçın Fatih , Hüzmeli Esra Doğru
Published: February 2024

Aim. This study aimed to explore how varying inspiratory muscle training workloads affect exercise capacity, health-related quality of life (HrQoL), depression, peripheral and respiratory muscle strength, pulmonary function, dyspnea, fatigue, and physical activity levels in hypertension (HT) patients. Methods. A randomized, controlled three-arm study. Forty-five patients (58.37 ± 8.53 y, 7F/38M) with HT received IMT (7 days/8 weeks) by POWERbreathe® Classic LR device and were randomized to control group (CG, 10% maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), n: 15), low-load group (LLG, 30% MIP), and high-load group (HLG, %50 MIP). Exercise capacity, HrQoL, depression, peripheral and respiratory muscle strength, pulmonary function, fatigue, physical activity level, dyspnea, and sleep quality were evaluated before and after the training. Results. Exercise capacity, physical functioning, peripheral muscle strength, and resting dyspnea were statistically significantly improved in HLG and LLG after the training compared to CG p<0.05. Similar improvements in perception of depression, fatigue, and sleep quality were seen within and between the groups p>0.05. Statistically significant differences were found within all the groups in terms of MIP and PEF values of respiratory functions p<0.05. The superior improvement in the physical activity level was found in the HLG

p

<

0.05

. Discussion. High-load IMT was particularly effective in increasing physical activity level, peripheral muscle strength, exercise capacity, and improved HrQoL. Low-load IMT was effective in reducing dyspnea and improving respiratory function. Device-guided breathing exercises decreased blood pressure, improved sleep quality, and strengthened respiratory muscles. IMT, an efficient method, is suggested for inclusion in rehabilitation programs due to its capacity to increase physical activity, exercise capacity, and peripheral muscle strength, enhance HrQoL and respiratory function, and alleviate dyspnea. Also, the efficacy of IMT should be investigated with different training protocols such as endurance IMT or functional IMT in HT patients.
Evaluation of Larval Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus Growth in the Laboratory: Influence of Temperature and Diet
Authors: Hume John B. , Bennis Skyler , Bruning Tyler , Docker Margaret F. , Good Sara , Lampman Ralph , Rinchard Jacques , Searcy Trisha , Wilkie Michael P. , Johnson Nicholas S.
Published: February 2024

Conservation aquaculture provides a means for promoting environmental stewardship, useful both in the context of restoring native species and limiting the production of invasive species. Aquaculture of lampreys is a relatively recent endeavor aimed primarily at producing animals to support the restoration of declining native populations. However, in the Laurentian Great Lakes, where sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus are invasive, the ability to acquire a reliable source of certain life stages would be a significant benefit to those controlling their populations and studying the species. Here, we apply methodologies developed for Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus restoration to investigate the feasibility of rearing larval sea lamprey under laboratory conditions. In two experiments lasting 3 and 9 months, we tested the effects of different dietary sources and water temperature (ambient and controlled) on the survival and growth of wild‐caught larvae. Rearing conditions had no effect on mortality, as larval survival was 100% in both experiments. Growth was significantly affected by water temperature, with the highest average daily growth rates observed at 22 and 15°C (0.14 mm day−1) and lowest at 8°C (0.06 mm day−1). Diets of yeast alone (0.19 and 0.21 g L−1) performed better than those comprising a mixture of yeast and other material when fed 3 times weekly (rice flour, wheat flour, fish meal; 0.19 and 0.32 g L−1). Averaged across the three constant temperatures (8, 15, and 22°C), larvae fed on yeast grew 0.13 mm day−1 and 0.01 g day−1, whereas on yeast + fish meal, they grew 0.09 mm day−1 and 0.01 g day−1. At ambient temperature (4–20°C), larvae fed on yeast grew 0.15 mm day−1 and 0.01 g day−1, whereas those fed on yeast + wheat flour grew 0.13 mm day−1 and 0.008 g day−1 and those fed on yeast + rice flour grew 0.12 mm day−1 and 0.009 g day−1. An experimental duration of 90 days was sufficient to detect significant changes to larval sea lamprey growth stemming from temperature variation. Overall, rearing of sea lamprey in captivity appears feasible at low density (31–32 g m−2 and 17–25 larvae m−2), but uncertainties remain regarding the most appropriate means of providing adequate feed for these fish in high‐density conditions.
Secure Sharing of Electronic Medical Records Based on Blockchain
Authors: Luo Song , Han N. , Hu Tan , Qian YuHua
Published: February 2024

As network technology advances and more people use devices, data storage has become a significant challenge due to the explosive growth of information and the threat of data leaks. In traditional medical institutions, most medical data is stored centrally through cloud computing technology in the institution’s data center. This centralized storage method has many security risks, and once the central server is attacked, it will lead to the loss of medical data, which will lead to the leakage of patients’ private data. At the same time, electronic medical records are the most critical data in the current medical field. In the traditional centralized healthcare service system (HSS), there are data leakage problems and tampering with electronic medical records due to human factors. At the same time, each hospital is built independently, resulting in the current centralized healthcare service system having a data silo problem, making it difficult to share medical data between institutions securely. With the increase in the number of users in the system, the electronic medical record data in the system also increases gradually, resulting in the increasing overhead of decryption calculation. Therefore, this paper proposes a blockchain-based access control scheme with multiparty authorization to ensure the security of electronic medical records. The scheme uses an SM encryption algorithm to encrypt the medical data in the system. It adds the patient’s signature to ensure the confidentiality and security of the data, and the encrypted electronic medical records (EMRs) are stored in the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to realize the distributed storage of EMR. In addition, role-based multiauthorization access control is implemented through smart contract-based to ensure the security of EMR. We have analyzed the security of this paper’s solution and compared its performance with the existing schemes based on other cryptographic algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed solution significantly improves the secure sharing of EMR and provides system performance.
A New Method for the Compaction Quality Inspection of High Rockfill Dams Based on 3D Laser Scanning Technology
Authors: Yao Qiang , Wu Yu , He Jun , Qi Shunchao , Li Hongtao
Published: February 2024

The compaction quality is directly related to the deformation and stability of the rockfill dam. Measuring the test pit volume efficiently and accurately is the most critical step during the compaction quality inspection. A new method for calculating the test pit volume based on point cloud data is proposed. An auxiliary device that can change the scanning distance and angle of the handheld 3D laser scanner is developed to collect the initial point cloud. The segmentation method of the initial point cloud data including the test pit and the compaction surface outside the pit is to divide the data into two parts according to the order number of the segmentation point, after slicing and sorting point clouds, which is the key to ensuring the computational precision. The segmentation points are the adjacent two points with the greatest order number difference in these point clouds whose distance from the line connecting the end points of the slicing point clouds is less than dz. The compaction surface point clouds are used to construct a plane by the least‐squares algorithm so that the closed three‐dimensional model is formed by registering it with the test pit point clouds. After converting the test pit surface to the horizontal plane by the Rodrigues formula, the test pit point clouds are divided into n2 parts with equal projection areas on the horizontal plane, and n2 prisms are constructed using them and their projection areas. The test pit volume is the sum of the intersection space volumes of all prisms and the test pit model, and the intersection space is determined by comparing the Z‐values of point clouds. The new method was programmed in MATLAB and applied to the Shuangjiangkou rockfill dam with a height of 315 m. The relative error of volume results between the new method and the old water‐filling method is 0.14–2.31%. The cause of the error is analyzed, and it is proved that the results of the new method are closer to the real volume of the test pit in theory. This method reduces the inspection cost but greatly improves the level of precision, efficiency, and intelligence for compaction quality inspection.