Prediction of(n,2n)reaction cross-sections of long-lived fission products based on tensor model

Interest has recently emerged in potential applications of(n,2n)reactions of unstable nuclei.Challenges have arisen because of the scarcity of experimental cross-sectional data.This study aims to predict the(n,2n)reaction cross-section of long-lived fission products based on a tensor model.This tensor model is an extension of the collaborative filtering algorithm used for nuclear data.It is based on tensor decomposition and completion to predict(n,2n)reaction cross-sections;the corresponding EXFOR data are applied as training data.The reliability of the proposed tensor model was validated by comparing the calculations with data from EXFOR and different databases.Predictions were made for long-lived fission products such as^(60)Co,^(79)Se,^(93)Zr,^(107)P,^(126)Sn,and^(137)Cs,which provide a predicted energy range to effectively transmute long-lived fission products into shorter-lived or less radioactive isotopes.This method could be a powerful tool for completing(n,2n)reaction cross-sectional data and shows the possibility of selective transmutation of nuclear waste.

Theoretical analysis of the double-differential cross-sections of neutron,proton,deuteron,^(3)He,andαfor the p+^(6) Li reaction

Based on the unified Hauser–Feshbach and exciton model,which can describe the particle emission processes between discrete energy levels with energy,angular momentum,and parity conservations,a statistical theory of light nucleus reaction(STLN)is developed to calculate the double-differential cross-sections of the outgoing neutron and light charged particles for the proton-induced^(6) Li reaction.A significant difference is observed between the p+^(6) Li and p+^(7) Li reactions owing to the discrepancies in the energy-level structures of the targets.The reaction channels,including sequential and simultaneous emission processes,are analyzed in detail.Taking the double-differential cross-sections of the outgoing proton as an example,the influence of contaminations(such as^(1) H,^(7)Li,^(12)C,and^(16)O)on the target is identified in terms of the kinetic energy of the first emitted particles.The optical potential parameters of the proton are obtained by fitting the elastic scattering differential cross-sections.The calculated total double-differential cross-sections of the outgoing proton and deuteron at E_(p)=14 MeV agree well with the experimental data for different outgoing angles.Simultaneously,the mixed double differential cross-sections of^(3) He andαare in good agreement with the measurements.The agreement between the measured data and calculated results indicates that the two-body and three-body breakup reactions need to be considered,and the pre-equilibrium reaction mechanism dominates the reaction processes.Based on the STLN model,a PLUNF code for the p+^(6) Li reaction is developed to obtain an ENDF-6-formatted file of the double-differential cross-sections of the nucleon and light composite charged particles.

Optimization Design of the Multi-Layer Cross-Sectional Layout of An Umbilical Based on the GA-GLM

Marine umbilical is one of the key equipment for subsea oil and gas exploitation,which is usually integrated by a great number of different functional components with multi-layers.The layout of these components directly affects manufacturing,operation and storage performances of the umbilical.For the multi-layer cross-sectional layout design of the umbilical,a quantifiable multi-objective optimization model is established according to the operation and storage requirements.Considering the manufacturing factors,the multi-layering strategy based on contact point identification is introduced for a great number of functional components.Then,the GA-GLM global optimization algorithm is proposed combining the genetic algorithm and the generalized multiplier method,and the selection operator of the genetic algorithm is improved based on the steepest descent method.Genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal solution in the global space,which can converge from any initial layout to the feasible layout solution.The feasible layout solution is taken as the initial value of the generalized multiplier method for fast and accurate solution.Finally,taking umbilicals with a great number of components as examples,the results show that the cross-sectional performance of the umbilical obtained by optimization algorithm is better and the solution efficiency is higher.Meanwhile,the multi-layering strategy is effective and feasible.The design method proposed in this paper can quickly obtain the optimal multi-layer cross-sectional layout,which replaces the manual design,and provides useful reference and guidance for the umbilical industry.

Large eddy simulation of supersonic flow in ducts with complex cross-sections

Large Eddy Simulation(LES)has been employed for the investigation of supersonic flow characteristics in five ducts with varying cross-sectional geometries.The numerical results reveal that flow channel configurations exert a considerable influence on the mainstream flow and the near-wall flow behavior.In contrast to straight ducts,square-to-circular and rectangular-to-circular ducts exhibit thicker boundary layers and a greater presence of vortex structures.Given the same inlet area,rectangular-to-circular ducts lead to higher flow drag force and total pressure loss than square-to-circular ducts.Characterized by the substantial flow separation and shock waves,the"S-shaped duct shows significant vertically-asymmetric characteristics.

Association between triglyceride-glucose index and colorectal polyps:A retrospective cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Colorectal polyps(CPs)are frequently occurring abnormal growths in the colorectum,and are a primary precursor of colorectal cancer(CRC).The triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index is a novel marker that assesses metabolic health and insulin resistance,and has been linked to gastrointestinal cancers.AIM To investigate the potential association between the TyG index and CPs,as the relation between them has not been documented.METHODS A total of 2537 persons undergoing a routine health physical examination and colonoscopy at The First People's Hospital of Kunshan,Jiangsu Province,China,between January 2020 and December 2022 were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study.After excluding individuals who did not meet the eligibility criteria,descriptive statistics were used to compare characteristics between patients with and without CPs.Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between the TyG index and the prevalence of CPs.The TyG index was calculated using the following formula:Ln[triglyceride(mg/dL)×glucose(mg/dL)/2].The presence and types of CPs was determined based on data from colonoscopy reports and pathology reports.RESULTS A nonlinear relation between the TyG index and the prevalence of CPs was identified,and exhibited a curvilinear pattern with a cut-off point of 2.31.A significant association was observed before the turning point,with an odds ratio(95% confidence interval)of 1.70(1.40,2.06),P<0.0001.However,the association between the TyG index and CPs was not significant after the cut-off point,with an odds ratio(95% confidence interval)of 0.57(0.27,1.23),P=0.1521.CONCLUSION Our study revealed a curvilinear association between the TyG index and CPs in Chinese individuals,suggesting its potential utility in developing colonoscopy screening strategies for preventing CRC.

A new quantum key distribution resource allocation and routing optimization scheme

Quantum key distribution(QKD)is a technology that can resist the threat of quantum computers to existing conventional cryptographic protocols.However,due to the stringent requirements of the quantum key generation environment,the generated quantum keys are considered valuable,and the slow key generation rate conflicts with the high-speed data transmission in traditional optical networks.In this paper,for the QKD network with a trusted relay,which is mainly based on point-to-point quantum keys and has complex changes in network resources,we aim to allocate resources reasonably for data packet distribution.Firstly,we formulate a linear programming constraint model for the key resource allocation(KRA)problem based on the time-slot scheduling.Secondly,we propose a new scheduling scheme based on the graded key security requirements(GKSR)and a new micro-log key storage algorithm for effective storage and management of key resources.Finally,we propose a key resource consumption(KRC)routing optimization algorithm to properly allocate time slots,routes,and key resources.Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly improves the key distribution success rate and key resource utilization rate,among others.

Security analysis of satellite-to-ground reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution with beam wandering

The reference-frame-independent(RFI)quantum key distribution(QKD)is suitable for satellite-based links by removing the active alignment on the reference frames.However,how the beam wandering influences the performance of RFI-QKD remains a pending issue in satellite-to-ground links.In this paper,based on the mathematical model for characterizing beam wandering,we present the security analysis for satellite-to-ground RFI-QKD and analytically derive formulas for calculating the secret key rate with beam wandering.Our simulation results show that the performance of RFI-QKD is better than the Bennett–Brassard 1984(BB84)QKD with beam wandering in asymptotic case.Furthermore,the degree of influences of beam wandering is specifically presented for satellite-to-ground RFI-QKD when statistical fluctuations are taken into account.Our work can provide theoretical support for the realization of RFI-QKD using satellite-to-ground links and have implications for the construction of large-scale satellite-based quantum networks.

Wideband radar cross-section reduction by a double-layer-plasma-based metasurface

Reduction of the radar cross-section(RCS) is the key to stealth technology. To improve the RCS reduction effect of the designed checkerboard metasurface and overcome the limitation of thinlayer plasma in RCS reduction technology, a double-layer-plasma-based metasurface—composed of a checkerboard metasurface, a double-layer plasma and an air gap between them—was investigated. Based on the principle of backscattering cancellation, we designed a checkerboard metasurface composed of different artificial magnetic conductor units;the checkerboard metasurface can reflect vertically incident electromagnetic(EM) waves in four different inclined directions to reduce the RCS. Full-wave simulations confirm that the doublelayer-plasma-based metasurface can improve the RCS reduction effect of the metasurface and the plasma. This is because in a band lower than the working band of the metasurface, the RCS reduction effect is mainly improved by the plasma layer. In the working band of the metasurface,impedance mismatching between the air gap and first plasma layer and between first and second plasma layers cause the scattered waves to become more dispersed, so the propagation path of the EM waves in the plasma becomes longer, increasing the absorption of the EM waves by the plasma. Thus, the RCS reduction effect is enhanced. The double-layer-plasma-based metasurface can be insensitive to the polarization of the incoming EM waves, and can also maintain a satisfactory RCS reduction band when the incident waves are oblique.

Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution with two-way classical communication

The data post-processing scheme based on two-way classical communication(TWCC)can improve the tolerable bit error rate and extend the maximal transmission distance when used in a quantum key distribution(QKD)system.In this study,we apply the TWCC method to improve the performance of reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution(RFI-QKD),and analyze the influence of the TWCC method on the performance of decoy-state RFI-QKD in both asymptotic and non-asymptotic cases.Our numerical simulation results show that the TWCC method is able to extend the maximal transmission distance from 175 km to 198 km and improve the tolerable bit error rate from 10.48%to 16.75%.At the same time,the performance of RFI-QKD in terms of the secret key rate and maximum transmission distance are still greatly improved when statistical fluctuations are considered.We conclude that RFI-QKD with the TWCC method is of practical interest.

Improved decoy-state quantum key distribution with uncharacterized heralded single-photon sources

Encoding system plays a significant role in quantum key distribution(QKD).However,the security and performance of QKD systems can be compromised by encoding misalignment due to the inevitable defects in realistic devices.To alleviate the influence of misalignments,a method exploiting statistics from mismatched basis is proposed to enable uncharacterized sources to generate secure keys in QKD.In this work,we propose a scheme on four-intensity decoy-state quantum key distribution with uncharacterized heralded single-photon sources.It only requires the source states are prepared in a two-dimensional Hilbert space,and can thus reduce the complexity of practical realizations.Moreover,we carry out corresponding numerical simulations and demonstrate that our present four-intensity decoy-state scheme can achieve a much higher key rate compared than a three-intensity decoy-state method,and meantime it can obtain a longer transmission distance compared than the one using weak coherent sources.

Blockchain-Based Key Management Scheme Using Rational Secret Sharing

Traditional blockchain key management schemes store private keys in the same location,which can easily lead to security issues such as a single point of failure.Therefore,decentralized threshold key management schemes have become a research focus for blockchain private key protection.The security of private keys for blockchain user wallet is highly related to user identity authentication and digital asset security.The threshold blockchain private key management schemes based on verifiable secret sharing have made some progress,but these schemes do not consider participants’self-interested behavior,and require trusted nodes to keep private key fragments,resulting in a narrow application scope and low deployment efficiency,which cannot meet the needs of personal wallet private key escrow and recovery in public blockchains.We design a private key management scheme based on rational secret sharing that considers the self-interest of participants in secret sharing protocols,and constrains the behavior of rational participants through reasonable mechanism design,making it more suitable in distributed scenarios such as the public blockchain.The proposed scheme achieves the escrow and recovery of personal wallet private keys without the participation of trusted nodes,and simulate its implementation on smart contracts.Compared to other existing threshold wallet solutions and keymanagement schemes based on password-protected secret sharing(PPSS),the proposed scheme has a wide range of applications,verifiable private key recovery,low communication overhead,higher computational efficiency when users perform one-time multi-key escrow,no need for trusted nodes,and personal rational constraints and anti-collusion attack capabilities.

The Effect of Key Nodes on theMalware Dynamics in the Industrial Control Network

As industrialization and informatization becomemore deeply intertwined,industrial control networks have entered an era of intelligence.The connection between industrial control networks and the external internet is becoming increasingly close,which leads to frequent security accidents.This paper proposes a model for the industrial control network.It includes a malware containment strategy that integrates intrusion detection,quarantine,and monitoring.Basedonthismodel,the role of keynodes in the spreadofmalware is studied,a comparisonexperiment is conducted to validate the impact of the containment strategy.In addition,the dynamic behavior of the model is analyzed,the basic reproduction number is computed,and the disease-free and endemic equilibrium of the model is also obtained by the basic reproduction number.Moreover,through simulation experiments,the effectiveness of the containment strategy is validated,the influence of the relevant parameters is analyzed,and the containment strategy is optimized.In otherwords,selective immunity to key nodes can effectively suppress the spread ofmalware andmaintain the stability of industrial control systems.The earlier the immunization of key nodes,the better.Once the time exceeds the threshold,immunizing key nodes is almost ineffective.The analysis provides a better way to contain the malware in the industrial control network.

Chaotic Map-Based Authentication and Key Agreement Protocol with Low-Latency for Metasystem

With the rapid advancement in exploring perceptual interactions and digital twins,metaverse technology has emerged to transcend the constraints of space-time and reality,facilitating remote AI-based collaboration.In this dynamic metasystem environment,frequent information exchanges necessitate robust security measures,with Authentication and Key Agreement(AKA)serving as the primary line of defense to ensure communication security.However,traditional AKA protocols fall short in meeting the low-latency requirements essential for synchronous interactions within the metaverse.To address this challenge and enable nearly latency-free interactions,a novel low-latency AKA protocol based on chaotic maps is proposed.This protocol not only ensures mutual authentication of entities within the metasystem but also generates secure session keys.The security of these session keys is rigorously validated through formal proofs,formal verification,and informal proofs.When confronted with the Dolev-Yao(DY)threat model,the session keys are formally demonstrated to be secure under the Real-or-Random(ROR)model.The proposed protocol is further validated through simulations conducted using VMware workstation compiled in HLPSL language and C language.The simulation results affirm the protocol’s effectiveness in resisting well-known attacks while achieving the desired low latency for optimal metaverse interactions.

Cross-section distortion and springback characteristics of double-cavity aluminum profile in force controlled stretch-bending

3D elastic-plastic FE model for simulating the force controlled stretch-bending process of double-cavity aluminum profile was established using hybrid explicit−implicit solvent method.Considering the computational accuracy and efficiency,the optimal choices of numerical parameters and algorithms in FE modelling were determined.The formation mechanisms of cross-section distortion and springback were revealed.The effects of pre-stretching,post-stretching,friction,and the addition of internal fillers on forming quality were investigated.The results show that the stress state of profile in stretch-bending is uniaxial with only a circumferential stress.The stress distribution along the length direction of profile is non-uniform and the maximum tensile stress is located at a certain distance away from the center of profile.As aluminum profile is gradually attached to bending die,the distribution characteristic of cross-section distortion along the length direction of profile changes from V-shape to W-shape.After unloading the forming tools,cross-section distortion decreases obviously due to the stress relaxation,with a maximum distortion difference of 13%before and after unloading.As pre-stretching and post-stretching forces increase,cross-section distortion increases gradually,while springback first decreases and then remains unchanged.With increasing friction between bending die and profile,cross-section distortion slightly decreases,while springback increases.Cross-section distortion decreases by 83%with adding PVC fillers into the cavities of profile,while springback increases by 192.2%.

Dyslipidemia in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes in a Rural Community in Ganadougou, Mali: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dyslipidemia is a disorder where abnormally lipid concentrations circulate in the bloodstream. The disorder is common in type 2 diabetics (T2D) and is linked with T2D comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease. Dyslipidemia in T2D is typically characterized by elevated plasma triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding dyslipidemia in rural parts of Africa, where lipid profiles may not be captured through routine surveillance. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and demo-graphic profile of dyslipidemia in T2D in the rural community of Ganadougou, Mali. We performed a cross-sectional study of 104 subjects with T2D in Ganadougou between November 2021 and March 2022. Demographic and lipid profiles were collected through cross-sectional surveys and serological analyses. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in T2D patients was 87.5% (91/104), which did not differ by sex (P = .368). High low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was the most common lipid abnormality (78.9%, [82/104]). Dyslipidemia was associated with age and hypertension status (P = .013 and.036, respectively). High total and high LDL-C parameters were significantly associated with hypertension (P = .029 and .006, respectively). In low-resource settings such as rural Mali, there is a critical need to improve infrastructure for routine dyslipidemia screening to guide its prevention and intervention approaches. The high rates of dyslipidemia observed in Gandadougou, consistent with concomitant increases in cardiovascular diseases in Africa suggest that lipid profile assessments should be incorporated into routine medical care for T2D patients in African rural settings.

Physical-Layer Secret Key Generation for Dual-Task Scenarios

Physical-layer secret key generation(PSKG)provides a lightweight way for group key(GK)sharing between wireless users in large-scale wireless networks.However,most of the existing works in this field consider only group communication.For a commonly dual-task scenario,where both GK and pairwise key(PK)are required,traditional methods are less suitable for direct extension.For the first time,we discover a security issue with traditional methods in dual-task scenarios,which has not previously been recognized.We propose an innovative segment-based key generation method to solve this security issue.We do not directly use PK exclusively to negotiate the GK as traditional methods.Instead,we generate GK and PK separately through segmentation which is the first solution to meet dual-task.We also perform security and rate analysis.It is demonstrated that our method is effective in solving this security issue from an information-theoretic perspective.The rate results of simulation are also consistent with the our rate derivation.

Elucidation of potential relationship between endogenous proteases and key flavor substances in dry-cured pork coppa

Dry-cured meat products are considerably popular around the world due to unique flavor.Proteolysis is one of the enzymatic reactions from which flavor substances are derived,which is affected by endogenous proteases.The purpose aimed to reveal the potential relationship between endogenous proteases and key flavor substances in dry-cured pork coppa in this paper.The dynamic changes of endogenous proteases activity,free amino acids,and volatiles during dry-cured pork coppa processing were characterized.The results showed that 5 kinds of free amino acids,Glu,Lys,Val,Ala,and Leu,were identified as significant contributors to taste.Meanwhile,key volatiles,such as hexanal,nonanal,octanal,benzaldehyde,3-methyl butanoic acid,2-methyl propanoic acid,and ethyl octanoate,greatly contributed to the flavor characteristics of dry-cured pork coppa.Further partial correlation analysis was performed to better elucidate the relationship among parameters.The results revealed that close relationship between endogenous proteases and key substances.RAP not only significantly affected the accumulation of key active-amino acids,but also affected the accumulation of ethyl octanoate,2,3-pentanedione,and 2,3-octanedione by regulating the accumulation of octanoic acid and Leu.In addition,cathepsin B and D,DPP II,DPP IV and RAP notably affected accumulation of hexanal.

A Probing Model of Secret Key Generation Based on Channel Autocorrelation Function

Secret key generation(SKG)is a promising solution to the problem of wireless communications security.As the first step of SKG,channel probing affects it significantly.Although there have been some probing schemes,there is a lack of research on the optimization of the probing process.This study investigates how to optimize correlated parameters to maximize the SKG rate(SKGR)in the time-division duplex(TDD)mode.First,we build a probing model which includes the effects of transmitting power,the probing period,and the dimension of sample vectors.Based on the model,the analytical expression of the SKGR is given.Next,we formulate an optimization problem for maximizing the SKGR and give an algorithm to solve it.We conclude the SKGR monotonically increases as the transmitting power increases.Relevant mathematical proofs are given in this study.From the simulation results,increasing appropriately the probing period and the dimension of the sample vector could increase the SKGR dramatically compared to a yardstick,which indicates the importance of optimizing the parameters related to the channel probing phase.

Mental health and insomnia problems in healthcare workers after the COVID-19 pandemic:A multicenter cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Healthcare workers(HCWs)are at increased risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)as well as worsening mental health problems and insomnia.These problems can persist for a long period,even after the pandemic.However,less is known about this topic.AIM To analyze mental health,insomnia problems,and their influencing factors in HCWs after the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS This multicenter cross-sectional,hospital-based study was conducted from June 1,2023 to June 30,2023,which was a half-year after the end of the COVID-19 emergency.Region-stratified population-based cluster sampling was applied at the provincial level for Chinese HCWs.Symptoms such as anxiety,depression,and insomnia were evaluated by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7,Patient Health Questionnaire-9,and Insomnia Severity Index.Factors influencing the symptoms were identified by multivariable logistic regression.RESULTS A total of 2000 participants were invited,for a response rate of 70.6%.A total of 1412 HCWs[618(43.8%)doctors,583(41.3%)nurses and 211(14.9%)nonfrontline],254(18.0%),231(16.4%),and 289(20.5%)had symptoms of anxiety,depression,and insomnia,respectively;severe symptoms were found in 58(4.1%),49(3.5%),and 111(7.9%)of the participants.Nurses,female sex,and hospitalization for COVID-19 were risk factors for anxiety,depression,and insomnia symptoms;moreover,death from family or friends was a risk factor for insomnia symptoms.During the COVID-19 outbreak,most[1086(76.9%)]of the participating HCWs received psychological interventions,while nearly all[994(70.4%)]of them had received public psychological education.Only 102(7.2%)of the HCWs received individual counseling from COVID-19.CONCLUSION Although the mental health and sleep problems of HCWs were relieved after the COVID-19 pandemic,they still faced challenges and greater risks than did the general population.Identifying risk factors would help in providing targeted interventions.In addition,although a major proportion of HCWs have received public psychological education,individual interventions are still insufficient.

Countermeasure against blinding attack for single-photon detectors in quantum key distribution

Quantum key distribution(QKD),rooted in quantum mechanics,offers information-theoretic security.However,practi-cal systems open security threats due to imperfections,notably bright-light blinding attacks targeting single-photon detectors.Here,we propose a concise,robust defense strategy for protecting single-photon detectors in QKD systems against blinding attacks.Our strategy uses a dual approach:detecting the bias current of the avalanche photodiode(APD)to defend against con-tinuous-wave blinding attacks,and monitoring the avalanche amplitude to protect against pulsed blinding attacks.By integrat-ing these two branches,the proposed solution effectively identifies and mitigates a wide range of bright light injection attempts,significantly enhancing the resilience of QKD systems against various bright-light blinding attacks.This method forti-fies the safeguards of quantum communications and offers a crucial contribution to the field of quantum information security.