Image reconstruction based on total-variation minimization and alternating direction method in linear scan computed tomography

Linear scan computed tomography （LCT） is of great benefit to online industrial scanning and security inspection due to its characteristics of straight-line source trajectory and high scanning speed. However, in practical applications of LCT, there are challenges to image reconstruction due to limited-angle and insufficient data. In this paper, a new reconstruction algorithm based on total-variation （TV） minimization is developed to reconstruct images from limited-angle and insufficient data in LCT. The main idea of our approach is to reformulate a TV problem as a linear equality constrained problem where the objective function is separable, and then minimize its augmented Lagrangian function by using alternating direction method （ADM） to solve subproblems. The proposed method is robust and efficient in the task of reconstruction by showing the convergence of ADM. The numerical simulations and real data reconstructions show that the proposed reconstruction method brings reasonable performance and outperforms some previous ones when applied to an LCT imaging problem.

Novel Fourier-based iterative reconstruction for sparse fan projection using alternating direction total variation minimization

Sparse-view x-ray computed tomography （CT） imaging is an interesting topic in CT field and can efficiently decrease radiation dose. Compared with spatial reconstruction, a Fourier-based algorithm has advantages in reconstruction speed and memory usage. A novel Fourier-based iterative reconstruction technique that utilizes non-uniform fast Fourier transform （NUFFF） is presented in this work along with advanced total variation （TV） regularization for a fan sparse-view CT. The proposition of a selective matrix contributes to improve reconstruction quality. The new method employs the NUFFT and its adjoin to iterate back and forth between the Fourier and image space. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through a series of digital simulations and experimental phantom studies. Results of the proposed algorithm are compared with those of existing TV-regularized techniques based on compressed sensing method, as well as basic algebraic reconstruction technique. Compared with the existing TV-regularized techniques, the proposed Fourier-based technique significantly improves convergence rate and reduces memory allocation, respectively.

Alternating minimization for data-driven computational elasticity from experimental data: kernel method for learning constitutive manifold

Data-driven computing in elasticity attempts to directly use experimental data on material,without constructing an empirical model of the constitutive relation,to predict an equilibrium state of a structure subjected to a specified external load.Provided that a data set comprising stress-strain pairs of material is available,a data-driven method using the kernel method and the regularized least-squares was developed to extract a manifold on which the points in the data set approximately lie(Kanno 2021,Jpn.J.Ind.Appl.Math.).From the perspective of physical experiments,stress field cannot be directly measured,while displacement and force fields are measurable.In this study,we extend the previous kernel method to the situation that pairs of displacement and force,instead of pairs of stress and strain,are available as an input data set.A new regularized least-squares problem is formulated in this problem setting,and an alternating minimization algorithm is proposed to solve the problem.

Low-complexity iterative equalization for OTFS based on alternating minimization

To achieve robust communication in high mobility scenarios,an iterative equalization algorithm based on alternating minimization(AM)is proposed for the orthogonal time frequency space(OTFS)system.The algorithm approximates the equalization problem to a convex function optimization problem in the real-valued domain and solves the problem iteratively using the AM algorithm.In the iterative process,the complexity of the proposed algorithm is reduced further based on the study of the cyclic structure and sparse property of the OTFS channel matrix in the delay-Doppler(DD)domain.The new method for OTFS is simulated and verified in a high-speed mobile scenario and the results show that the proposed equalization algorithm has excellent bit error rate performance with low complexity.

Alternate cotton-peanut intercropping:a new approach to increasing productivity and minimizing environmental impact

Recent publications have highlighted the development of an alternate cotton-peanut intercropping as a novel strat-egy to enhance agricultural productivity.In this article,we provide an overview of the progress made in the alternate cotton-peanut intercropping,specifically focusing on its yield benefits,environmental impacts,and the underlying mechanisms.In addition,we advocate for future investigations into the selection or development of appropriate crop varieties and agricultural equipment,pest management options,and the mechanisms of root-canopy interactions.This review is intended to provide a valuable reference for understanding and adopting an alternate intercropping system for sustainable cotton production.

Alternating current heating techniques for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles:Recent advances and perspectives

The significant decrease in battery performance at low temperatures is one of the critical challenges that electric vehicles(EVs)face,thereby affecting the penetration rate in cold regions.Alternating current(AC)heating has attracted widespread attention due to its low energy consumption and uniform heating advantages.This paper introduces the recent advances in AC heating from the perspective of practical EV applications.First,the performance degradation of EVs in low-temperature environments is introduced briefly.The concept of AC heating and its research methods are provided.Then,the effects of various AC heating methods on battery heating performance are reviewed.Based on existing studies,the main factors that affect AC heating performance are analyzed.Moreover,various heating circuits based on EVs are categorized,and their cost,size,complexity,efficiency,reliability,and heating rate are elaborated and compared.The evolution of AC heaters is presented,and the heaters used in brand vehicles are sorted out.Finally,the perspectives and challenges of AC heating are discussed.This paper can guide the selection of heater implementation methods and the optimization of heating effects for future EV applications.

Wetting alternating with partial drying during grain filling increases lysine biosynthesis in inferior rice grain

Lysine content is a criterion of the nutritional quality of rice.Understanding the process of lysine biosynthesis in early-flowering superior grain(SG)and late-flowering inferior grain(IG)of rice would advance breeding and cultivation to improve nutritional quality.However,little information is available on differences in lysine anabolism between SG and IG and the underlying mechanism,and whether and how irrigation regimes affect lysine anabolism in these grains.A japonica rice cultivar was grown in the field and two irrigation regimes,continuous flooding(CF)and wetting alternating with partial drying(WAPD),were imposed from heading to the mature stage.Lysine content and activities of key enzymes of lysine biosynthesis,and levels of brassinosteroids(BRs)were lower in the IG than in the SG at the early grainfilling stage but higher at middle and late grain-filling stages.WAPD increased activities of these key enzymes,BR levels,and contents of lysine and total amino acids in IG,but not SG relative to CF.Application of 2,4-epibrassinolide to rice panicles in CF during early grain filling reproduced the effects of WAPD,but neither treatment altered the activities of enzymes responsible for lysine catabolism in either SG or IG.WAPD and elevated BR levels during grain filling increased lysine biosynthesis in IG.Improvement in lysine biosynthesis in rice should focus on IG.

Suppression of stimulated Brillouin and Raman scatterings using an alternating frequency laser and transverse magnetic fields

A novel scheme to suppress both stimulated Brillouin scattering(SBS) and stimulated Raman scattering(SRS) by combining an alternating frequency(AF) laser and a transverse magnetic field is proposed. The AF laser allows the laser frequency to change discretely and alternately over time. The suppression of SBS is significant as long as the AF difference is greater than the linear growth rate of SBS or the alternating time of the laser frequency is shorter than the linear growth time of SBS. However, the AF laser proves ineffective in suppressing SRS, which usually has a much higher linear growth rate than SBS. To remedy that, a transverse magnetic field is included to suppress the SRS instability. The electrons trapped in the electron plasma waves(EPWs) of SRS can be accelerated by the surfatron mechanism in a transverse magnetic field and eventually detrapped. While continuously extracting energy from EPWs, the EPWs are dissipated and the kinetic inflation of SRS is suppressed. The one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation results show that both SBS and SRS can be effectively suppressed by combining the AF laser with a transverse magnetic field with tens of Tesla. The total reflectivity can be dramatically reduced by more than one order of magnitude. These results provide a potential reference for controlling SBS and SRS under the related parameters of inertial confinement fusion.

Diagnosing ratio of electron density to collision frequency of plasma surrounding scaled model in a shock tube using low-frequency alternating magnetic field phase shift

A non-contact low-frequency(LF)method of diagnosing the plasma surrounding a scaled model in a shock tube is proposed.This method utilizes the phase shift occurring after the transmission of an LF alternating magnetic field through the plasma to directly measure the ratio of the plasma loop average electron density to collision frequency.An equivalent circuit model is used to analyze the relationship of the phase shift of the magnetic field component of LF electromagnetic waves with the plasma electron density and collision frequency.The applicable range of the LF method on a given plasma scale is analyzed.The upper diagnostic limit for the ratio of the electron density(unit:m^(-3))to collision frequency(unit:Hz)exceeds 1×10^(11),enabling an electron density to exceed 1×10^(20)m^(-3)and a collision frequency to be less than 1 GHz.In this work,the feasibility of using the LF phase shift to implement the plasma diagnosis is also assessed.Diagnosis experiments on shock tube equipment are conducted by using both the electrostatic probe method and LF method.By comparing the diagnostic results of the two methods,the inversion results are relatively consistent with each other,thereby preliminarily verifying the feasibility of the LF method.The ratio of the electron density to the collision frequency has a relatively uniform distribution during the plasma stabilization.The LF diagnostic path is a loop around the model,which is suitable for diagnosing the plasma that surrounds the model.Finally,the causes of diagnostic discrepancy between the two methods are analyzed.The proposed method provides a new avenue for diagnosing high-density enveloping plasma.

Evaluation of the dynamic sealing performance of cap rocks of underground gas storage under multi-cycle alternating loads

The static sealing of underground gas storage(UGS),including the integrity of cap rocks and the stability of faults,is analyzed from a macro perspective using a comprehensive geological evaluation method.Changes in pore structure,permeability,and mechanical strength of cap rocks under cyclic loads may impact the rock sealing integrity during the injection and recovery phases of UGS.In this work,the mechanical deformation and failure tests of rocks,as well as rock damage tests under alternating loads,are conducted to analyze the changes in the strength and permeability of rocks under multiple-cycle intense injection and recovery of UGS.Additionally,this study proposes an evaluation method for the dynamic sealing performance of UGS cap rocks under multi-cycle alternating loads.The findings suggest that the failure strength(70%)can be used as the critical value for rock failure,thus providing theoretical support for determining the upper limit of operating pressure and the number of injection-recovery cycles for the safe operation of a UGS system.

Modeling Solid Waste Minimization Performance at Source in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania

Municipal solid waste generation is strongly linked to rising human population and expanding urban areas, with significant implications on urban metabolism as well as space and place values redefinition. Effective management performance of municipal solid waste management underscores the interdisciplinarity strategies. Such knowledge and skills are paramount to uncover the sources of waste generation as well as means of waste storage, collection, recycling, transportation, handling/treatment, disposal, and monitoring. This study was conducted in Dar es Salaam city. Driven by the curiosity model of the solid waste minimization performance at source, study data was collected using focus group discussion techniques to ward-level local government officers, which was triangulated with literature and documentary review. The main themes of the FGD were situational factors (SFA) and local government by-laws (LGBY). In the FGD session, sub-themes of SFA tricked to understand how MSW minimization is related to the presence and effect of services such as land use planning, availability of landfills, solid waste transfer stations, material recovery facilities, incinerators, solid waste collection bins, solid waste trucks, solid waste management budget and solid waste collection agents. Similarly, FGD on LGBY was extended by sub-themes such as contents of the by-law, community awareness of the by-law, and by-law enforcement mechanisms. While data preparation applied an analytical hierarchy process, data analysis applied an ordinary least square (OLS) regression model for sub-criteria that explain SFA and LGBY;and OLS standard residues as variables into geographically weighted regression with a resolution of 241 × 241 meter in ArcMap v10.5. Results showed that situational factors and local government by-laws have a strong relationship with the rate of minimizing solid waste dumping in water bodies (local R square = 0.94).

Energy Minimization for Heterogenous Traffic Coexistence with Puncturing in Mobile Edge Computing-Based Industrial Internet of Things

Puncturing has been recognized as a promising technology to cope with the coexistence problem of enhanced mobile broadband(eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications(URLLC)traffic. However, the steady performance of eMBB traffic while meeting the requirements of URLLC traffic with puncturing is a major challenge in some realistic scenarios. In this paper, we pay attention to the timely and energy-efficient processing for eMBB traffic in the industrial Internet of Things(IIoT), where mobile edge computing(MEC) is employed for data processing. Specifically, the performance of eMBB traffic and URLLC traffic in a MEC-based IIoT system is ensured by setting the threshold of tolerable delay and outage probability, respectively. Furthermore,considering the limited energy supply, an energy minimization problem of eMBB device is formulated under the above constraints, by jointly optimizing the resource blocks(RBs) punctured by URLLC traffic, data offloading and transmit power of eMBB device. With Markov's inequality, the problem is reformulated by transforming the probabilistic outage constraint into a deterministic constraint. Meanwhile, an iterative energy minimization algorithm(IEMA) is proposed.Simulation results demonstrate that our algorithm has a significant reduction in the energy consumption for eMBB device and achieves a better overall effect compared to several benchmarks.

Beyond statistical significance:Embracing minimal clinically important difference for better patient care

The minimal clinically important difference(MCID)represents a pivotal metric in bridging the gap between statistical significance and clinical relevance,addressing the direct impact of medical interventions from the patient's perspective.This comprehensive review analyzes the evolution,applications,and challenges of MCID across medical specialties,emphasizing its necessity in ensuring that clinical outcomes not only demonstrate statistical significance but also offer genuine clinical utility that aligns with patient expectations and needs.We discuss the evolution of MCID since its inception in the 1980s,its current applications across various medical specialties,and the methodologies used in its calculation,highlighting both anchor-based and distribution-based approaches.Furthermore,the paper delves into the challenges associated with the application of MCID,such as methodological variability and the interpretation difficulties that arise in clinical settings.Recommendations for the future include standardizing MCID calculation methods,enhancing patient involvement in setting MCID thresholds,and extending research to incorporate diverse global perspectives.These steps are critical to refining the role of MCID in patient-centered healthcare,addressing existing gaps in methodology and interpretation,and ensuring that medical interventions lead to significant,patient-perceived improvements.

Geophysical data sparse reconstruction based on L0-norm minimization

Missing data are a problem in geophysical surveys, and interpolation and reconstruction of missing data is part of the data processing and interpretation. Based on the sparseness of the geophysical data or the transform domain, we can improve the accuracy and stability of the reconstruction by transforming it to a sparse optimization problem. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for the sparse reconstruction of data based on the LO-norm minimization. Furthermore, we discuss two types of the approximation algorithm for the LO- norm minimization according to the size and characteristics of the geophysical data： namely, the iteratively reweighted least-squares algorithm and the fast iterative hard thresholding algorithm. Theoretical and numerical analysis showed that applying the iteratively reweighted least-squares algorithm to the reconstruction of potential field data exploits its fast convergence rate, short calculation time, and high precision, whereas the fast iterative hard thresholding algorithm is more suitable for processing seismic data, moreover, its computational efficiency is better than that of the traditional iterative hard thresholding algorithm.

OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE OF THERMOELECTRIC REFRIGERATION SYSTEM USING ENTROPY GENERATION MINIMIZATION METHOD

With the entropy generation minimization （EGM） method, the thermodynamical performance optimization in a thermoelectric refrigeration system is studied. The optimization is affected by the irreversibility of heat transfer caused by finite temperature differences, the heat leak between external heat reservoirs and the internal dissipation of working fluids. EGM is taken as an objective function for the optimization. The objective function and design parameters are obtained. Optimal performance curves are presented by thermal and electronic parameters. Effects of these parameters on general and optimal performances are investigated. Results are helpful in determining optimal design conditions in real thermoelectric refrigeration systems.

Fast alternating direction method of multipliers for total-variation-based image restoration

A novel algorithm, i.e. the fast alternating direction method of multipliers （ADMM）, is applied to solve the classical total-variation （ TV ）-based model for image reconstruction. First, the TV-based model is reformulated as a linear equality constrained problem where the objective function is separable. Then, by introducing the augmented Lagrangian function, the two variables are alternatively minimized by the Gauss-Seidel idea. Finally, the dual variable is updated. Because the approach makes full use of the special structure of the problem and decomposes the original problem into several low-dimensional sub-problems, the per iteration computational complexity of the approach is dominated by two fast Fourier transforms. Elementary experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is more stable and efficient compared with some state-of-the-art algorithms.

Effects of alternating magnetic field on the corrosion rate and corrosion products of copper

The effects of alternating magnetic field on the corrosion morphologies, corrosion rate, and corrosion products of copper in 3.5% NaCl solution, sea water, and magnetized sea water were investigated using electrochemical test, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive analysis system of X-ray （SEM/EDAX）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that the corrosion rate of copper in magnetized sea water is minimal. Moreover, the surface of the specimen in magnetized sea water is uniform and compact as compared with those in 3.5% NaCl solution and sea water. The corrosion products of copper in magnetized sea water are mainly Cu2O and CuCl2. However, the corrosion products in sea water are CuCl, Cu2Cl（OH）3, and FeCl3-6H2O. The electrochemical corrosion mechanisms of copper in the three media were also discussed.

Intercross real-time control strategy in alternating activated sludge process for short-cut biological nitrogen removal treating domestic wastewater

To develop technically feasible and economically favorable dynamic process control(DPC)strategies for an alternating activated sludge(AAS)system,a bench-scale continuous-flow alternating aerobic and anoxic reactor,performing short-cut nitrogen removal from real domestic wastewater was operated under different control strategies for more than five months.A fixed-time control(FTC) study showed that bending-points on pH and oxidation-reduction potential(ORP)profiles accurately coincided with the major biologic...

Effects of alternating current interference on corrosion of X60 pipeline steel

With rapid economic development in China, demand for energy and transportation is growing. Due to the limitations of factors such as terrain and traffic, a large number of buried oil and gas pipelines are parallel to high- voltage transmission lines and electrified railways over long distances. Alternating pipelines is very serious in laboratory experiments were current （AC） corrosion of such cases. In this work, carried out with an electrochemical method in a simulated soil solution at various AC current densities from 0 to 200 A]m2 and AC frequencies from 10 to 200 Hz. Experimental results indicated that with an increase in the AC current density, the corrosion po- tential of an X60 steel electrode shifted negatively, the anodic current density increased significantly, and the corrosion rate increased. Moreover, with an increase in the AC frequency, the corrosion potential of the X60 electrode shifted positively and the anodic current density decreased, which led to a decrease in the corrosion rate. Furthermore, the morphology of X60 electrodes indicated that uniform corrosion occurred at a low AC current density; while corrosion pits were found on the X60 electrode surface at a high AC current density, and deep corrosion pits seriously damaged the pipelines and might lead to leakage.

Magnetoelastic combined resonance and stability analysis of a ferromagnetic circular plate in alternating magnetic field

The nonlinear combined resonance problem of a ferromagnetic circular plate in a transverse alternating magnetic field is investigated. On the basis of the deformation potential energy, the strain potential energy, and the kinetic energy of the circular plate, the Hamilton principle is used to induce the magnetoelastic coupling transverse vibration dynamical equation of the ferromagnetic circular plate. Based on the basic electromagnetic theory, the expressions of the magnet force and the Lorenz force of the circular plate are presented. A displacement function satisfying clamped-edge combined with the Galerkin method is used to derive the Duffing vibration differential equation of the circular plate. The amplitude-frequency response equations of the system under various combined resonance forms are obtained by means of the multi-scale method, and the stability of the steady-state solutions is analyzed according to the Lyapunov theory. Through examples, the amplitude-frequency characteristic curves with different parameters, the amplitude of resonance varying with magnetic field intensity and excitation force, and the time-course response diagram, phase diagram, Poincar′e diagram of the system vibration are plotted, respectively. The effects of different parameters on the amplitude and stability of the system are discussed. The results show that the electromagnetic parameters have a significant effect on the multi-valued attribute and stability of the resonance solutions, and the system may exhibit complex nonlinear dynamical behavior including multi-period and quasi-periodic motion.